The Raven groaned as he let the feeling of the sudden drop and instant stop of descent pass over. This was the second time this had happened, the first being the fall before the battle against the Seraph. The portal had disabled his system's drop supporters and had only rebooted just before he made contact against the oddly soft ground. I'm surprised this thing is still standing, he thought, because they offered me a vacation. I don't plan on dying now.
Lights flickered on quickly, followed by the speakers in the cockpit ringing out "Main system, engaging normal mode.". The display flickered on last and the Heads-Up Display shined a brilliant green. The environment was both familiar and odd. Lush green trees and plant life in the surrounding area revealed that the area was a forest, paired with the veil of all too familiar darkness that Leos usually staged his arena battles in. The head was just high enough to see over the tree line and into the distance. Lights harbored in two very notable areas: One nearby and one in the air, which the pilot presumed was a city, judging by the size of the lights.
Where am I? Leos thought. Before he could continue his train of thought, small shrubbery shook in front of the viewport. Leos turned his head for a better view, and in turn, moving the AC's head with him.
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Twilight Sparkle followed her bright mentor as the group of equines wandered around in the woods. Ever since the celestial princesses arrived with unit of guards minutes before, nothing was quite silent. Twilight told everypony the situation at hoof, enticing the minds of a very overactive pink pony and a bright rainbow-maned blue pegasus into an argument on the object that fell from the sky.
"What about an alien? What if it's an alien from another planet?" piped the cyan-coated pegasus. "I'd say it's an alien! but what would it look like?" she continued as she circled around the pink party pony before stopping in thought, all the while never touching the ground. Aliens. If the purple mare was not nervous enough now, she nearly stopped in her tracks. She started to wonder and question what to do when meeting the possible alien, ranging from spying to outright greeting. From the shape and appearance of the being to its items that it could carry.
"Ooh, aliens! I wonder if its one of those scary-looking aliens that shoot lasers from their eyes and have giant ships and-" Twilight droned out the ramblings of the obviously too hyped pony. She had enough to deal with, and she needed to concentrate. A near invisibly dark alicorn landed next to her sibling and began whispering something Twilight strained to hear, much to no avail. She felt a hoof rest on her side.
"Now, Twilight, there's no need ta' work yourself too hard. It's gonna be alright, trust me on this," a very familiar southern accented orange Earth pony said. The unicorn felt another hoof on the other side.
"Applejack's right, dear. We wouldn't want let anything, not even yourself, get in your way, darling," a white unicorn with a curled purple mane reassured.
"Thanks girls," Twilight responded, "it means a lot to me that you care." She gave a meek smile to both. Both ponies lifted their hooves off the compass-marked unicorn. She felt something wrong. Everything had gone silent, and she had just realized that the convoy had stopped moving.
"Wha-" the pony attempted to start but was cut off when the night princess shoved a hoof into her mouth and shushed her. Twilight made an obvious gesture of confusion, much to the dark blue alicorn's dismay. Princess Luna pointed toward the clearing everypony else was staring into. It took the confused Twilight a few seconds before she figured out she was supposed to see something. She looked closer.
Nothing but black. Or at least she thought until Luna scooted her up to the alicorn's side that she finally saw it. Everything became more clear at that moment.
The red dot above her was exactly like the one she saw before she left her library, but it was so high in the sky that it hurt her neck to stare. It was moving as if anchored to something that rotated. This confused Twilight even more until she took notice of the near-perfect black figure that it was stationed on.
It was massive and stood on two appendages she assumed were legs. The rest of the body stood upright, two other limbs hanging straight down with one holding a bright blue object she never noticed. It looked like a rectangle that had been split at one end and had on piece stretched. A rod extended from the middle of the top piece which the being held the object with the end of its limb. The opposing appendage held nothing, confusing the mare.
All of these were connected to a single centerpiece. It was nearly a block shape in form with the exception of the middle front which came together to create a curved crease that ran backwards towards the red dot in the mid-section of the centerpiece. The top piece looked like a deformed head that sported two antennae in the back.
Twilight, struck with fear of what this thing may be capable of, stepped back. And tripped over a root, causing the bush to shake. She looked up at the anomaly, its attention now directed at the pony group. The being's menacing red eye beaming on them like a manticore's stinger ready to attack.
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Is that a... purple horse? That lone thought was the only thing running through the Raven's mind. Elan said something about a peaceful life, but already Klein was having second thoughts about agreeing. Does that horse have a horn and tattoo on its butt? he added. This was all so confusing to him. Too many variables as to why these things are the way they are swarmed the pilot's mind.
Are they sentient?
Are there others?
If so, can they speak English?
What if they're hostile?
The last probability stopped Klein. How could horses be hostile? They have always been peaceful creatures. He gave himself a mental slap upside the head for such a stupid idea. Well, might as well give it a shot if- Wait, is that an alicorn? Klein interrupted himself. He must be going crazy. First an odd equine with a horn and now a unicorn with wings and snow white coat seemed to be... talking? to the unnaturally purple horse.
Might as well. Now or never, or they'll forever be scared of the giant walking hunk of metal.
He flicked the eject cockpit button cover and pressed the green circle with his thumb.
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Princess Celestia walked over to the clumsy purple mare that was her pupil, scolding her to not be so careless in times like these and proceeded to help her student up. She returned her attention to the machine she had never encountered before while the unicorn dusted herself off.
What could this possibly be? Celestia questioned herself for the umpteenth time. This was not like anything she had ever seen before. It was a tall as a dragon on four legs, but lacked flesh. Only metal plating. The general shape resembled a monkey, but no recognizable features unlike the draconequus Discord.
"Sister, instead of wondering, why not find out what it is?" a voice of majestic tone spoke out. "I can read your thoughts, you know. You kept thinking that question for..." she paused while the white princess's train of thought derailed, "Thirty-three times," Luna finished. Celestia looked at her sibling in amazement and bewilderment. She was keeping count?
A hissing sound reminiscent of a loose air pipe emanated suddenly, and all who gathered to investigate the anomaly affixed their gazes upon the metallic beast as if it was natural to do so. Shortly after, four great and linear streams of air and steam ejected in a four-corner pattern behind the center of the anomaly, dragging on for five seconds that felt like a minute before stopping. All in attendance froze and merely stared in anticipation of what could possibly happen. A normally talkative party pony hushed as well, a rare occurrence for most. A yellow pegasus adorning a long cotton candy pink mane and tail backed slowly into the bushes behind the group, her eyes only visible to watch the scene unfold. The guard unit moved to battle-ready positions around the anomaly, surrounding it effectively. All others just stood frozen and watched.
A section of the centerpiece extended, exposing an odd figure in an equally odd-looking seat in a box. Celestia and Luna moved from their trances and flew up to the head of the giant metal figure to catch a glimpse of the operator who had so foolishly shown themselves in foreign land. Both the princess' shiny hoof boots clacked on the metal surface as the anomaly's user stared up at them. Everypony who could see was at a lost for words and thoughts, for this odd creature did what nobody could have expected.
"I come in peace," it said, raising its arms slowly in an attempt to gesture an act an of non-hostility.