Rainbow Dash glided down above the frightened creature, flapping her wings gently, she quickly grabbed the bucket and lifted it up off its head. The bright orange furry creature stopped running once the object was removed. It shook its head quickly to shake off the remaining water that covered their fur. Rainbow stared down at the creature, noticing it looked very familiar.
The bright orange creature resembled a fox, but was larger than any fox the ponies had ever seen. A coat that looked as if it was on fire, a large bushy tail, and a blackened nose. Besides orange, black was the only other color on the fox. Strangely enough it wasn’t just his nose that was black, but two antenna stuck out from the top of its head right between the ears.
The fox opened its eyes and looked up at Rainbow Dash.
“Fhrlnmt plyrn brtwm sskwrm. Pryrl hrysmn?”
The fox spoke in a strange tongue. The words seemed jumbled and messy. Rainbow Dash was confused as she floated to the ground in front of the alien fox.
“Uhhhh… Hi?” She responded, unsure of what to say.
The fox looked at her with curious eyes. For a moment its face changed as if it solved a nagging puzzle.
‘EXCUSE ME? CAN YOU HEAR AND UNDERSTAND?’
Those words rung through the group of friend’s heads louder than anything they had heard in their life.
“OWWW!” A few of them yelled as they collapsed to the ground, covering their ears.
The fox looked behind itself at the others amongst the group. The looks of pain made it realize it needed to be a tad more delicate.
‘I am sorry! I did not mean to harm!’
Rainbow Dash shook her head before looking back at the fox. “H-How am I understanding you? What are you?”
The fox panted for a moment, then closed its mouth. ‘It seems that we do not share a common language, I can understand you, but you cannot understand me. Telepathy is the way I communicate to you the words you hear now, as speech in thought is universal to the brain.’
The rest of the ponies had wandered down to meet the fox as it explained the process.
“I have so many questions! Telepathy that preservers past the language barrier? Unicorn magic hasn’t even developed enough to perform telepathy more than a few syllables, let alone a new language. What are you? Where are you from?” Twilight asked.
The alien fox licked its paw and rubbed its head. ‘My name is Kai and I came from space. Although I’m certain that last part was obvious.’
Dumbfounded, the ponies looked at each other for some sort of guidance in what they should do next. Zecora stepped forward in the ponies hesitation, she asked one simple question. “Are there more like you inside the stone, or are you merely here all alone?”
The meteorite had died its flames, the cold nights wind began to breeze through the trees. The alien fox started to shiver before he could answer Zecora.
‘I would like to explain everything, if you would be so kind to help me. Firstly though, may we head somewhere with a bit more warmth?’
The ponies looked to Zecora, since her hut was the closest. Zecora smiled at Kai.
“Fine. I shall take you to the home of mine.”
The group of friends and Kai marched their way to Zecora’s hut. The darkness of the forest was dimmed greatly, as the strange furry creature seemed to emit a light from its body better than Twilight’s own magic.
The ponies were unsure what to say to him. Well, all of them except for Rainbow Dash.
“So did you live in the meteor? Are you immune to fire? Do meteors travel really fast?” The speed of her questions were possibly just as fast as that of a meteor.
“Rainbow please. We can discuss everything about him once we get to Zecora’s.” Rarity stated.
Rainbow groaned and crossed her arms.
Once they arrived at her home, Zecora lit her candles and the fire underneath the cauldron.
“I am sure you require heat, please come in and rest your feet.”
Kai laid down immediately next to the cauldron and curled his tail around himself. ‘Thank you for your help.’
The ponies sat against the wall across from Kai, as Spike helped Zecora light the remaining candles.
“Sooo… What should we ask first?” Pinkie Pie asked.
The fox yawned and opened his eyes. ‘I believe that was the first thing you asked, and therefore answered your own question.’
“Oops!” Pinkie laughed, followed with a snort.
‘Perhaps I should ask first. What are all of your names since you already know mine?’
“Well, I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.”
“Yeah yeah, greetings! That’s Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, and I’m Rainbow Dash! Now, how fast do you travel out in space? Do you ride meteors for fun? Have you ever-“ A quick jab to the stomach from Twilight cut Rainbow off.
“Please, Rainbow. Don’t be so brash. He can’t answer any of your questions if you say a million of them a second.” Rarity said in a huff.
Kai looked at the scene in confusion. The varyingly different personalities were almost too much for him to handle all at once.
“Oh, I’m Spike!” Spike said as he walked up to Kai and put his hand out to shake. “Pleased to meet you!”
Confused about Spikes greeting, he lifted his tail into Spikes hand and shook it. ‘As am I to meet you.’
Zecora stood in front of the ponies as if she was the referee in the questions to be asked to the new friend.
“I am the zebra herbalist named Zecora, and this is my home amongst the flora. I shall guide the questions that are meant to be asked, a self-appointed goal I have been tasked. We shall answer yours to the best of our ability, but I must ask we all maintain an air of civility.” With that last line she gave a short glare to Rainbow.
Rainbow rolled back, pressing her spine against the wall and folder her arms in front of her. She knew none of her questions were going to be answered.
“Did you come to our planet on purpose, or have you come to usurp us?”
Kai yawned at the same time he answered. ‘It was by accident and on purpose. You see, my brother destroyed our home. My kind lived on a rock that floated through space. The piece I landed in on is only a small fragment of what it was.’
“Hmm. So they must have lived on a meteorite?” Applejack asked the crowd.
Twilight shook her head. “No, a meteorite is what lands on the planet. A meteoroid is what is up in space.” Applejack rolled her eyes at Twilight who continued without noticing. “Although I’m sure if the rock he landed in on is only a small fragment, he probably lived on something bigger like an asteroid.”
“Wait, how can you live in space?” Pinkie chimed in.
“Indeed it does seem odd that you came from space, due to the lack of air and its cold embrace.”
‘My people, we are the…’ Kai paused for a moment.
“Cnthlk.” He said in his normal tongue.
Everyone showed a look of confusion, except perhaps Spike who had fallen asleep next to Kai.
‘I am unsure how to telepathically speak our name. I am also unsure it would even sound the same in thought.’
He continued with his story. ‘We are able to live out in space without need of anything you ponies seem to need. We do not eat. We emit a fire inside of us that keeps us radiated in the cold of space.’
“Ohhh oh! Is that why you glow in the dark?” Pinkie once again chimed in.
‘The glowing is actually new. I am unsure why. I do not usually glow, but on your world I do.’
“Umm, excuse me Mr. Kai, why do you look like foxes with little antenna?” Fluttershy asked.
‘I do not know what a fox is.’
“Perhaps that shall be your races name, your language and ours can be the same. A fox like creature that is set aflame, firefox shall be your kinds nickname.”
Pinkie let out a snort and a laugh. “I wonder if he gets fur extensions, and needs to be updated!”
“Pinkie couldya stop bein’ weird for a second, this here is serious.” Applejack replied.
‘I do indeed like the name, thank you for your wisdom Zecora.’
Zecora bowed. “It makes sense as to how you’ve survived, but why did you need heat when we first arrived?”
‘Wah-tur? I believe that is what you called it. I have never felt something so awful. We do not have it where I come from. Pouring it on me was pure torture, but I do not hold any resentment. I understand you mistook my form.’
“Okay, so we understand that your species survives fine in space. But why are you here?” Twilight asked.
Kai closed his eyes and laid his head down on his fluffy tail.
‘As I said, my brother destroyed our home. A great, dark, evil, horrible power… it corrupted him. I fear he may have also followed me here.’
The ponies looked at each other in shock, unsure of what to say.
‘Let me start from the very beginning.’