And From The Sky Came Fire

by AnimalCafe

Squabbling Scientists.

Lyra tried to contain her glee as she led the princess down the many twists and turns of her underground laboratory. She could sense that she was not in the best of moods, though the news that they had finally gotten their hands on one of the alien creatures would certainly have cheered her up. Lyra knew that as a scientist Twilight had been dying to acquire all the information she possibly could on the things ever since the first day they had arrived over Canterlot. Lyra was herself dying to get an interview with the strange creature. The other ponies often looked down on her for her interests in xenomorphic biology due to the massive amount of blood shed the ponies had endured ever since the very first day they began systematically exterminating every pony in sight. Lyra shuddered remembering the Glasslands of Canterlot.

"Were almost there right?" Twilight prodded Lyra with a hoof. No doubt she was beginning to tire of watching Lyra attempt to contain herself. Both the ponies had avid interest in xenomorphic tendencies but their views on the subject varied wildly.

"Uh yeah," Lyra started. "The Apples locked it up in one of the specimen cages." A look of malicious content spread across Twilight's face.

"How very fitting..." She muttered. Lyra and Twilight passed by several corridors and passageways before they finally came to a heavy iron door with the number seven etched into it.

"Room seven, right here." Lyra nodded her head to indicate the room that the monster was being held in.

"I suppose as lead xenomorphic speciallest you should gather what notes you can." Twilight said as both the ponies passed through the door. Lyra nodded.

Apple Jack was resting against the wall with her large hat pulled down over her face, she appeared to be asleep. Big Mac stood peering past the bars of one of the cages at their guest. The room stretched down for almost twenty feet and every so often the solid cement wall was broken by a row of bars where more holding cells were located. The monster was the only creature in this particular room. Almost as if it was reserved for him. The creature held two of the bars in clenched fists and hissed angrily at Big Mac. The big red pony stood his ground and held the monsters gaze, he shared Twilights the hatred for the creatures. As Lyra and Twilight entered the room the creature and Big Mac turned their attention to the two ladies. The creature stood almost four feet taller than Big Macintosh and even without its dress of heavy armor was something of a sight to behold up close. Its four mandibles clicked together as it spectated Twilight and Lyra. For a moment Lyra was frozen with a morbid fascination for the terrifying beast. Twilight on the other hoof was unfazed. She strode into the room with a confidence that was familiar to her.

"How in Celestia's name did you manage to subdue it?" Lyra crept up to Big Mac to get a better look at the creature. Big Mac just looked down at Lyra without saying a word. He had been quiet before this had all started but now a days he seemed quieter than ever to Lyra. But then again the two had never been close. The creature towered over Lyra and looked down at her with small golden eyes that were divided by a slit of an iris much like a snakes.

"He looks a little like Spike." Lyra mentioned to Twilight as the princess muddled around in the back of the room with some sort of research notes. Twilight shot an icy glaze at Lyra and swung a clipboard across the room with her magic and hefted it at Lyra.

"Notes." Twilight replied icily. Looks like i hit a nerve. Lyra thought to herself before taking the clipboard in her hoof and a pen with her teeth. Slight resemblance to some species of dragon.(Distant cousins?) Lyra scratched onto the paper. As the resident xenobiologost she had to be sure she didn't rule out any possibilities. She moved a little closer to the cage to get a better look at the creatures legs.

"Interesting..." She muttered as she made a rough sketch. The legs are similar to that of a ponies. The legs are even ended in a thick hoof. Lyra could hardly contain her glee. Was there some similarities between these creatures and ponies?

"Careful how close ye get to the pen." Apple Jacks low voice wafted up from under her hat. "He may be hogtied, so to speak. But there ain't nothin' stopping him from reaching out and throttling yall." Lyra turned and smiled as she nodded her appreciation to Apple Jack before taking tree small steps back from the cage. "Gave me n' Mac one helluva tousle trying to get him in here."

Twilight stepped away from the papers she had scattered across the heavy metal desk near the door to the hallway.

"Please step to one side Big Mac and you Lyra Heartstrings." Twilight held her head high in a very dignified and princessly manner as she stepped forward toward the cage that held the thing.

"I have some questions that I would like to ask you. Do you understand me?" The creature turned its attention away from Lyra the instant the princess spoke. It spat something in its foreign manner spittle sprayed from its mandibles as it shouted at Twilight. "Now now." Twilight replied cooly. "Misbehaving will only get you vivisected sooner, and I'd like to learn all about you before I have to to that. Lyra's heart jumped into her throat. She was going to vivisect it? Lyra bit her bottom lip. Well it made sense that she was going to... Lyra rationalized the princesses actions to herself. Twilight did really need to learn EVERYTHING about it. Whatever helped get Equestria back under her hoof. The creature hissed.

"Insolent fool." It spat. All the ponies in the room affixed their eyes on the creature. Apple Jacks mouth hung open at the sound of its voice. "Your infidelity will not go unpunished. For your sins against the gods you and your pathetic world will burn!" It shouted at Twilight.

"My, my..." Twilight said eyes wide and sparkling with almost as much wonder as Lyra's. "If you'd be so kind would you be willing to impart as to why you wish to destroy all of pony kind?" The creatures already small eyes narrowed as it spat more unintelligible alien language at Twilight. It shot its arm out through the bars to point at Twilight. Her eyes narrowed as well as though she understood what it was trying to get across. Then it grabbed out in anger at the nearest pony. Which unfortunately for Lyra, happened to be her.

The thing wrapped its strange hands around Lyra's front right hoof and lifted her off the ground. She screamed, then a dazzling shot of brilliant pink laser streaked across the room and through the bars. Lyra was tossed across the room and landed with a thud against the metal table scattering Twilight's notes all over the room. Groggy and bruised the little cyan pony looked up from the nest of papers she had landed in. Her ribs ached and she was fairly sure she had fractured her shoulder. Apple Jack was on her feet ready to act if the monster offered any more resistance. Big Mac was walking over to help Lyra, Twilight who had just apparently saved her life looked over the body of the creature.

"Guess my vivisection just became an autopsy." Twilight sighed.

"Uuuh Twilight?" Big Mac nodded toward Lyra to indicate that she may need medical attention. Twilight face shifted from one of keen anticipation to one of mild concern. Lyra stood shakily on her hooves as Twilight ran her horn over Lyra her magical aura enveloped her.

"You bruised a rib as well as the joints in your arm." Twilight sounded bored. Lyra coughed and a spash of blood splattered over the papers on the floor.

"Oh god! Internal bleeding?" Lyra clutched her ribs.

"You also bit your tong." Twilight added with annoyance. "And I now have to rewrite three pages of research." Lyra hobbled over to the body of the alien. Thick dark blue blood oozed over the floor and down the bars of the cell.

"It has really strong hands." Lyra rubbed her bruised leg with her hoof. Twilight's ears shot back in annoyance.

"Those hands almost killed you." She snapped. Lyra could tell she had overstayed her welcome.

"I have just as much right to be here as you do Twilight, I am the leading xenobiologist after all." Just because Twilight was princess didn't mean she could treat her like she was trash. Twilight snorted and let out a sharp laugh. "You're the only xenobiologist." She scoffed. She was right after all. No other pony had as much interest in the alien species that were out there. Not just the ones on the planet but ones that they had undoubtedly not encountered yet. Her words still stung though and Lyra kept her mouth shut.

"And now that your friend is dead I don't see any reason for you to remain." Twilight gathered up the notes that Lyra had ruined. The coppery taste of blood still filled her mouth. She was right again. Lyra had no interest in staying for the autopsy. She would read over Twilight's notes on her findings later.

"Before Lyra goes," Apple Jack interjected. "I know y'all have been studdyin' that funny talk the've been spouting. Recon you understood some of whatever it was shoutin' didn't you?" Twilight siged and eyeballed Lyra. Whatever she had learned it had been something she had not intended on sharing with her.

"I've been studying and deciphering some of the graffiti they have been burning into the sides of our buildings on the surface." Twilight began, Lyra listened intently. Any information Twilight was going to impart now would just be gravy and she knew it was something she had intended to keep to herself. "And I've been attempting to translate some of their language. And apparently they have been doing the same to us with exponentially better results." Big Mac nodded his understanding, Apple Jack looked puzzled. "I couldn't make out much, but from what I could discern it mentioned something called "The Holy Covenant." though it was pronounced as a noun so i'm assuming that is an organization or company that it acts under." Twilight rubbed her temples. "It also referred to itself as a Herald of War? It tossed around the word Sanghili also used as a noun so i'm assuming that is a classification of some kind? Maybe a rank or title. I'm working on a spell that should help with the translation."

"Can't y'all just cast a spell that translates it for you?" Apple Jack looked at Lyra then at Twilight. Lyra knew it wasn't that simple. A spell could be made that would translate the language for other ponies but the creator of the spell had to have complete knowledge of the language in order to create a useful spell. Twilight smiled at Apple Jack with a look on her face that could only be translated as 'Sweet simple Apple Jack.' but instead of snapping at her friend as Lyra had expected her too her reply came out much sweeter as she explained to Apple Jack how that wouldn't work. As she made to leave the room she could hear Twilight inquiring as to the possessions the alien had been dragged in with, apparently the two Apples had manage to secure something that made Twilight very, very happy but Lyra was already out of ear shot. Lyra wasn't concerned. Maybe Twilight would disclose what it was in the notes she let Lyra pour over maybe she wouldn't. Lyra was hurt and tired and just wanted to get home. Bon Bon would be there already probably she had been volunteering to help out nurse Red Heart and Lyra was excited to tell her friend about the exciting discoveries she had made.

Lyra passed by Spike who hurried down the hall. Eager to help out his master. She huffed, she was happy to be away from Ivan Ponlov and her dog. Lyra chuckled at the affectionate nicknames she had given to Twilight and spike referring to the science era pony scientist who had conditioned his dog to salivate just at the prospect of food. It was an accurate depiction of the dog and master relationship Spike and Twilight shared.

Lyra passed through the warren of a laboratory at a trot, she was eager to get some rest. She was after all scheduled for some field work tomorrow and despite its dangers that was her favorite part of the job. Being out on the surface with so many aliens about. They were so different and they fascinated Lyra, though she would never admit how much. Not even to Bon Bon.

Author's Note:

Been a couple of weeks but here it is! The greatly anticipated chapter 2 (I'm sure)

Comments

[DezzarTac]

...OOC....

[AnimalCafe]

3576142 Whaaaaaaaaa?

[AnimalCafe]

3576078 Thankee kindly!

[DezzarTac]

3576257
OOC

Out
Of
Character

You depict Twilight as homicidal.

[Terrorizer231]

1) It's "Applejack," not "Apple Jack."
2) It's "tongue," not "tong."
3) You might want to redo Twilight. She's too hostile.

[AnimalCafe]

3578870 Ah i see x) I'm not completely familiar with the jargon :P and yes she is dreadfully OOC isn't she? :( She was supposed to be a sort of proverbial Dr Halsey after Celestia and her family were killed in Canterlot by the Covenant it left her with a lot of disdain toward the aliens :/ i guess too much x3 i'll certainly tone it down... Twilight is just too much fun to write as a mad scientist.

[AnimalCafe]

3580476 Well this is embarrassing xD i didn't even notice I had typo'd thank you for pointing it out hehe, spelling has never been my strong suit. and i did botch AppleJacks name :/... And yes Twilight is much too hostile, as i mentioned to DezzarTac I was trying to write Twilight as a sort of Dr. Halsey character and after her family and Celestia were killed in Canterlot i felt she would have some kind of gleeful animocity for the Covenant, I guess i overdid it. Halsey never did get along well with other scientists which is why I wrote her as so nasty toward Lyra (I realize Twilight is not Halsey, its just too much fun to write her as a mad scientist.) Future chapters shall be revised. Hopefully with less clumsy spelling mistakes as well.

[Terrorizer231]

3580885 It's alright. "To err is human" and all that jazz. I have a hard time with spelling myself sometimes.