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[ Planetary Friendship ]
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Part 2
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Chapter 1
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[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Outer area of the Everfree]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:41 AM]
{Twilight Sparkle}
Twilight had been waiting FOREVER for Rainbow to get back! Okay, perhaps it hadn't been quite forever. Maybe it had only been about two minutes. But still! Two minutes was a long time to wait for news on whatever had happened in the Everfree!
As Twilight seached the skies for Rainbow, she finally spotted her coming back from an angle that would have taken her deep into the Everfree. Twilight, unable to wait any longer, flew toward Rainbow.
When she met up with her, Twilight asked "Was there anything there? Was there?"
Rainbow answered "Yeah there was! There was a big crater alright, but it wasn't empty. You'll never guess what was there!"
"What was it? A big hunk of metal?"
"No." Rainbow said with a chuckle "Nothing as boring as that."
"Was it... an alien spaceship?" Twilight excitedly asked.
"Closer, but it was even cooler than an alien ship!"
"What..? I can't think of anything cooler than an alien spaceship..."
"It was a whole alien city made totally out of metal! With metal buildings and metal creatures and everything!"
"Whoa!" Twilight gasped "No way!"
"Yes way!" Rainbow exclaimed!
"Ohmygoshthisissocool!" Twilight giddily exclaimed "a whole alien city! Right here in Equestria! We have to tell Celestia right away!" And with that, she flew straight back to Fluttershy's cottage, where she had left Spike.
[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Edge of the Everfree]
[Fluttershy's Hut]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:42 AM]
As soon as Twilight spotted Spike, she made a beeline for him. "Take a message to the Princess, Spike." Once he indicated that he was ready, She began, "Dear Princess Celestia,
There has been an incident in the Everfree. What appears to be an alien race of metalic beings have built a small colony in an impact crater deep in the Everfree's core. I think that they might have been the object that was noticed coming toward us. I eagerly await your response, Princess.
Signed, Princess Twilight Sparkle". "Alright Spike, send it to the Princess right away Spike." Spike complied, sending the scroll flying on its way to Princess Celestia in a burst of dragonfire. Mere seconds later, the Princess's response arrived, "My dearest student Twilight Sparkle,
This is indeed astonishing news. I and my sister will get a diplomatic party together right away. Keep an eye on the aliens until then.
--Celestia".
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Chapter 2
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[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Edge of the Everfree]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:47 AM]
This time Rainbow Dash was the impatient one of the group of all six of Twilight's best friends as they waited for the Princess' diplomatic party to arrive.
"How much longer until they get here?" complained Ranbow Dash, "It's been forever!"
For what seemed for the thousandth time, Twilight again reminded Rainbow that "It's only been 5 minutes since Princess's letter arrived."
"You know you don't need to call me that, Twilight." came the gently chiding and slightly amused voice of Princess Celestia.
"Of course Prin- Celestia", a slightly startled Twilight Sparkle answered, "I wasn't expecting you so soon."
To this Celestia said, "Well, it would hardly do to keep Equestria's newest residents waiding, now would it?"
"No, of course not!" Twilight said, "Just follow Rainbow, she knows where they are."
[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Depths of the Everfree]
[Alpha Base]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:47 AM]
{Osiris Commander 252}
Osiris 252 was curious. Several minutes ago, an unknown being entered just within visual range of its outermost turrets. According to sensors, it was an organic being which appeared to be some type of equine. Eye usage and head size of the being indicates possible intelligence, and the beings behavior indicated that it was most likely rather intelligent, possibly even sentient. Protocol indicated that possible sentients were to be assumed neutral, and as such regarded as possible allies. Hostility would be determined case-by-case, such that an individual's actions would not overly affect general standing.
Approxamately six minutes after this first sighting, a small group of beings approached. They appeared to represent four different, yet related, species. Two of them were roughly standard equines, another two had wings, the next one had a horn, and the last three had both wings and horns, and two of those were larger than the others. Behavior analysis indicated that the two largest beings held some important standing among them, as well as confirming their sentience. As expected, the language utilized by them was unknown to the commander, and so it began to translate words and store them in an internal dictionary.
[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Depths of the Everfree]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:48 AM]
{Twilight Sparkle}
As the alien colony came into view, Twilight was amazed at its size, especially given that it had arrived only very recently. Apperently Celestia had the same though, as she said "Rather... larger than I expected."
Rainbow said, "I think it might have actually grown since last I saw it."
Celestia replied "In that short span of time? It hardly seems possible."
"Oh, I hope that no innocent little animals got hurt while they were expanding.", Fluttershy said in a very small voice.
As they flew toward the base, they saw what looked like a big metal bird with fixed wings flew toward them. "It would seem that they are sending out the welcoming committee", said Princess Celestia. The flying metal thing rapidly met the small group. Once there, however, it simply hovered in front of them.
Princess Celestia stepped forward on their chariot, and said, "Greetings, unknown being. I am Princess Celestia."
Each member of the party said their name in turn. The metal thing simply hovered there for a few seconds, but then it suddenly said something. "Greetings Princesses", it said in a metalic-sounding voice devoid of all emotion and inflection.
"Hello, and what might your name be? And how can you speak our language?", Princess Celestia replied.
The voice said, "I speak little of you language. Know what you speak. No know how speak name."
"So you can only say words that you hear us say?", asked Princess Celestia.
"No know word of that.", it replied.
"Oh, right, I haven't said yes yet, have I? Sorry."
"Yes, I can only say words that you say."
"So what is your ruler's title? Count? General? King? Prince? Queen? Princess? Emperor? Empress? Something else?"
"Something else."
"Military? Burocracy? Aristocracy?"
"Military, I think."
"Commander? Captain? Admiral?"
"Commander and something else. Counting words."
"You mean numbers? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
"I am Commander 252. I am ruler."
"You are the ruler? Who is the big guy in the base then? Second-in-command?"
"The 'big guy' is I. I speak to you with this one."
"So this person is a messenger then? And you are talking through her without being present? That is an interesting bit of magic."
"Not magic. Is other. And this one is not a person."
"So it's inanimate? And you are causing it to move and speak with what? Science? Sorcery?"
"I cause with science. I am also inanimate, yet I think."
"So you are a thinking being made out of inanimate metal? How extraordinary!"
"Yes. Move with this one."
"Follow it? Where are we going?"
"Into base."
Chapter 3
[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Depths of the Everfree]
[Alpha Base]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:50 AM]
As the group of ponies entered the base, they marveled at its high density and the multitude of flying being zooming about. Some had much bigger wings than the first one that had met them, some of them had unusual objects underneath them that looked like fat metal arrows, and some of them had black and yellow stripes. And then there were the structures: there were tall towers with cannons on their tops, shorter towers with big box-like things with many compartments, tall structures that looked like all-metal versions of Griffon oil extractors, and there were cubic ones that appeared to glow with a bluish light. Deeper in, they beheld where all these creatures were coming from, and it was quite unexpected. Large blocky structures with rotating rings appeared to be creating them with some sort of green energy. Very shortly they reached the center of the base, and there the commander was.
[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Depths of the Everfree]
[Alpha Base]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 7:51 AM]
[Commander 252]
The Commander watched as the group of equines approached. Based on their speech and actions, he was able to conclude that they were probably a diplomatic party sent to investigate Alpha Base. As such, they were probable allies. Once the group arrived, he greeted them. After receiving a greeting in return from the one identified as Celestia, title Princess, he inquired about who the others were. She replied, "Well, the cyan Pegasus is Rainbow Dash, the orange Earth pony is Applejack, the yellow Pegasus is Fluttershy, my sister Alicorn here is Princess Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle is the Ascended Unicorn, Rarity is the white Unicorn, and Pinkie Pie is the pink Earth pony."
The Commander then asked, "So you are multiple ruling system?"
"Yes. So, will you be staying here, or...?"
"Yes. Therefore an alliance is logical."
"Well, yes, I suppose so. I can-"
The one identified as Pinkie Pie interrupted at this point, "Sorry for interrupting Princess, but the author doesn't know what more to say
and I need to throw a Welcome-Alien-Visitor-To-Equestria party!"
The Commander asked, "Who is 'author'?"
"Why, he's the one writing the story, silly!"
At this point Twilight interjected, "Just don't ask."
The Commander replied, "Okay. I have one request: to get a book of words in your language."
Twilight replied, "A dictionary? I think I have one. I'll go grab it."
Twilight then vanished in a flash of violet light, and Celestia then presented the Commander with a treaty that they had drafted for just such an occasion.
"So here's a suggestion. I'll leave it with you to look over and you can let me know your decision later."
The Commander answered, "That will not be needed."
He then emitted a green line of light from one of his arms which scanned the document, then signed it in monospaced block font.
"...That was fast.", said Celestia as Twilight returned.
Twilight said, "Here's the dictionary you asked for.", holding out a book entitled Mareiam-Webster Dictionary. The Commander rapidly scanned the entirety of the book in less than a second, and then thanked Twilight, who was blinking in surprise.
"I can now speak fluently.", stated the Commander.
Celestia replied, "That's good. We need to attend to other matters of state, so we will return for an extended meeting when an opening comes up."
"That sounds satisfactory."
The diplomatic party then started heading back to Ponyville, and the the Princesses Celestia and Luna would return to Canterlot.
[Star System Sol]
[Planet Equis]
[Equestria]
[Edge of the Everfree]
[Meeting Point {REDACTED}]
[Local Time 11-23-1000 AD 8:00 AM]
[Officer {REDACTED}]
That simpering griffon was finally in place now, and the targets were approaching. It seemed that their informer, whoever he was, was reliable. He didn't know why their targets had decided to come here unguarded, and he didn't care. All he cared about was that he'd be paid handsomely for taking them out. His team, composed of himself and another pegasus, a unicorn, and a griffon, was hidden around the area, ready to ambush their targets as they passed above. A couple more minutes, and the hiding would end. He couldn't wait.