//------------------------------// // First Contact // Story: Harmony Gems // by Nova Arc //------------------------------// Onyx and Obsidian stood in front of a large screen, reporting the massacre to their superiors. On the screen were three black figures, side by side on the screen with a different background: one yellow, one blue, and one white. "So, only one survivor?" said the yellow. "Yes," said Obsidian. "I contained her and transported her to the holding chamber." "And you're certain that all others were shattered?" asked the yellow. "Without a doubt," answered Onyx. "We were around for long enough. If any of them were alive, they would've come back out while we were there." "And if one was just buried under the rubble? Waiting quietly for you to leave?" "The tech division did a very good job with the golem's scanners." "Well done, then," said the white one. "Not yet," said the red. "I'd like you to keep an eye on our tech department." "Is something wrong?" asked Obsidian. "No. Not yet. But I expect that if there is something wrong, you two will be on top of it." The two Gems looked at each other and nodded in compliance. "Absolutely." As soon as they left, the two began to ponder over the situation. "The tech department?" asked a confused Onyx. "What? Are they playing both sides?" "I don't know myself," said Obsidian. "But if the higher-ups are suspicious, we should probably keep an eye on them." Present day... The girls could hardly believe their eyes. "What the..." "That doesn't belong here." "Eenope." The girls were staring at what looked like a giant arrowhead-shaped shuttle, big enough to be a cruiser, but slightly smaller. It was a light orange color with no visible doors, windows, or anything; it looked like a giant solid structure! "That... is definitely not Equestrian technology," said Rainbow. "Equestria's aerospace division has never made anything this aerodynamic," said Twilight, staring in awe at the craft. As she stared at the wonder, the two mystery figures were spotted at the ship. The girls moved forward to get a better view. Now they could see that one had sandy skin while the other's was more pale amber. "So, you're sure about this?" asked the yellow figure. "Of course I am," said the orangish figure. She pressed her hand against the side of the ship and an entrance appeared. "Now come on." "Right behind ya." As the two entered, the girls rushed forward, but missed the entrance by that much. "Wait, what?" Rainbow asked in confusion, looking for the door. "It was right..." "What did they do?" asked Applejack, feeling the side of the ship. It was cold, like a stone, but felt like it was... vibrating? "I think they touched something," said Twilight. It was hard to know what, seeing as the entire ship looked like it was just carved out of a giant gemstone. They felt every inch of the ship around the area they saw the figures. Finally, Rainbow got lucky. "Got it!" The entrance opened up and the girls looked inside. It was barely visible, with only a few dim orange lights to light the way. They proceeded cautiously through the structure, keeping an eye out for anything... odd. Soon, the hall ended and they arrived at the entrance to a large room that looked like the brig. They looked around and stepped inside. Suddenly, the lights came on, brightening the room. The controls were more advanced than anything they had ever seen before, and Equestria had some fairly complicated stuff itself. "What in tarnation is this?" Applejack asked, picking up what looked like a blank keyboard. "Whoa! Check it out!" Rainbow Dash drew their attention to a large screen with a giant hole the size of a beach ball in it. "Ah don't think Ah even wanna know," said Applejack. They heard a shuffling noise and turned to one of the opened doors. They crept slowly over to the door and kept against the wall. There was a flash of light, followed by an explosion and chunks of orange flying across the room. The girls looked at each other before looking around the corner and saw the two figures enter the room through the hole in the wall. The girls turned the corner and followed them through the hole. Now, they were in a storage room, full of odd-looking capsules and containers. The orange figure was rummaging through a tall box. "Find it yet?" asked the yellow figure. "Gimme a sec... Got it!" She jumped out holding a cubical object about half the size of a shoebox. "He's gonna be soooo happy!" "I'm happy!" said the yellow figure, hugging her companion. The two began to make their way back out and the girls realized, "They're coming this way!" The three ran back out the way they came and they were almost at the brig when, suddenly... "Going somewhere?" Standing at the entrance to the brig was a slender girl with sandy yellow skin, electric blue eyes, and back-length yellow hair. She was wearing a yellow long-sleeved crop top with blue and orange accents, electric blue shorts, and yellow boots with blue lightning bolt designs. Two yellow half lightning bolt-shaped gemstones shone on her knees. "Y'know, it's not nice to follow people to their secret spot." The girls tensed up. "How did you know?" asked Twilight. "Are you kidding? I could sense you guys the moment we got into the forest." The girl didn't move. She stood at the entrance, not exactly blocking their path, but it was one of those situations. They had seen too much; she wasn't going to just let them leave... Right? Rainbow, however, was not going to wait to find out. She darted for the door at high speed, a rainbow trail behind her. However, as she reached the door, the girl pulled out her leg and tripped Rainbow, sending her careening into the already smashed monitor. "Yeah, nope. Points for effort, though." "RAINBOW!!!" The others ran over to Rainbow Dash, the girl letting them pass. As they helped Rainbow to her feet, the girl came down into the brig. "So, mind explaining why you were following us?" asked the girl. "I think the better question is what you're doing here," said Twilight. "This stuff... This technology... It's not from our world." "Nope," said another voice. The girls saw another figure walk out. She was slightly shorter than the other girl and had light amber skin, bright yellow eyes, and back-length bright amber hair with pink highlights at the ends tied into a ponytail. She wore an orange sleeveless crop top with a yellow star, a yellow scarf, red trousers, and orange high-top shoes. She also had on a pair of arm bracers that looked like half cylinders and a pair of belts across her waist. On her navel was an orangish gemstone that looked like a flame. "And you are?" Twilight asked. "Actually, you were sneaking up on us," she said. "So shouldn't you be explaining who you are?" "Well, this is kinda close to our home and you're clearly not from around here," reasoned Applejack. "Doesn't mean you were right to be spying on us." Applejack sighed. "Point taken. Ah'm Applejack." "My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is Rainbow Dash," said Twilight. Rainbow only grumbled and glared at the yellow-haired figure. "My name is Amber. That's my friend, Fulgurite," Amber said, gesturing to the girl at the door, who was now on the other side of the room. "I've never seen cutie marks like that," Twilight said, pointing to the flame-like stone on Amber's stomach. "Oh, this isn't a cutie mark. I'm not Equestrian," said Amber. "Well, that makes a little bit more sense. None of this technology looks like anything on our world." "Then, what are ya?" Applejack asked. "Gems," responded Amber. The three girls stare blankly. "Gems?" asked Applejack is disbelief. "Like gemstones?" Amber thought for a moment. "Um, well, yes. But no. It's a bit complicated." Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Well would ya mind uncomplicating it?" "Not like, "gem" gems you find in the ground and use for jewelry and stuff. In ley terms, we're polymorphic, sentient beings whose gemstone is pretty much the equivalent to a heart and soul of other living things...well, we’re basically what you would call aliens. We’re an extraterrestrial species of sentient Gems who can project and manipulate their physical forms ." Applejack and Twilight stared with wide eyes, their faces showing a combination of shock, disbelief, confusion, and amazement all at once. Rainbow Dash, however, seemed skeptical. "Uh-huh.So, you’re talking space rocks." Rainbow Dash was not buying it. "You don't believe me?" "You expect me to believe that you guys are some kind of... living rock? Yeah, I'd first believe Pinkie Pie not throwing a Party for every new arrival." "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said with a disapproving tone. "What? First, you trip and send me flying into a wall. Then you expect me to buy a story about  being ‘sentient rocks’?! Seriously?!" Amber thought of a way to convince her, but was distracted by an odd whirring noise. She looked around. "Um, you guys didn't step on any cracked panels on your way here, right?" "Huh?" Twilight looked confused. "Not sure. Why?" "Because those cracks activate the security system." They turned to the door when they heard footsteps so loud, it sounded more like stomping. From one of the entrances, they could see a red diamond-shaped light drawing closer to the door." "Wait, security?" Applejack asked, concerned. "But this here's your ship. Can't ya just deactivate it?" Fulgurite looked sheepishly. "Er, well, about that..." Before she could explain, a massive grey figure with a red diamond-shaped eye stood at the door. "Gah! What is that?!" asked Twilight. "A golem," Fulgurite said, clicking her heels together and summoning her boots. She jumped at the golem and kicked, but was blocked by its hand. The pistons on the back pushed forward, throwing the golem back. "Okay. We need to leave." "No," Amber said. "We need to deal with it. If it gets out, a lot of people are gonna get hurt." Fulgurite groaned and jumped as the golem's fist slammed into the ground beneath her. She came down with an axe kick, sending the golem crashing through the floor. "I'm sure that should hold it," she said, looking down at the hole. "Let's just make sure," Amber said. She cupped her hands together and as she drew them apart, a bright yellow orb with an orange center began to form. "Do we need anything else?" Fulgurite looked up in thought. "Nope. But I'm pretty sure the cargo bay will survive." Amber nodded and tossed the orb down. "Now, shall we?" She darted out, leaving a yellow lightning trail. "We need to leave," Amber said the the girls. They ran through the corridor and out the entrance, which Amber sealed behind them. "Stay close together," she said. She opened her arms and an orange sphere formed around them. "Wait, what's this for?" Rainbow's question was answered by the massive explosion of orange smoke, rock, and fire that erupted and shattered the ship. "Whoa!" Amber let down the bubble and walked over to the debris and stood, like she was waiting for something. Which she was. Soon, the golem erupted from the wreckage, but its time was short as a pointed lock of Amber's hair pierced the creature's chest. It looked down, then up, then made something like a cry before exploding into a cloud. Amber reached down and covered the red stone left behind in a bubble... before compressing the sphere and crushing the rock. She turned to look at the three girls, who had utterly confused expressions. "So, can anyone you know do that?" "I... But... Wait, what?" Twilight was confused and lost for words. "Yeah. Look..." Fulgurite said, running around the wreckage. When she stopped, a large electric fence made entirely of arcing lightning surrounded the pieces. "For your own safety, stay away from this area," she continued, walking away. "Oh, and, uh, stop spying on people. It's not nice." She and Amber took off, leaving the other three in a state of absolute confusion. "Okay, would someone mind explainin' to me what the heck just happened?" asked Applejack. "I don't think any of us understood, AJ," Twilight said. Rainbow looked around. “I'm still not buying the whole, ‘sentient rock’ thing."