“Somethin's out there.” Applejack squinted into the darkness, green eyes scanning the shadowed treeline for any sign of movement.

“I don't see anything.” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “This is a waste of time. Have I mentioned I could be sleeping right now? 'cuz I could totally be sleeping right now.”

“Quiet, Rainbow.” Applejack hissed, “You're gonna scare it off!” She reached over and pulled the blue pegasus deeper into the camoflauged blind they'd set up near the edge of the cow pasture.

“Scare off what?”

“Whatever's out there. The thing that spooked all them cattle folk few hours ago.”

“Won't that be a good thing? That thing scares the cows, we scare it, and then everything's back to normal? And then I can go to bed?”

“That ain't the point. We're here ta figger out just what in tarnation's 'causin' all this ruckus. N' we ain't gonna find out a danged thing iffin' you keep complainin'. Why'd ya even volunteer for this gig iffin' you're losin' sleep over it anyway?”

“One,” Rainbow Dash said, “you're one of my best friends, Applejack, so you know I was totes gonna help. Two, I thought a stakeout would be cooler! Like, we'd totally see some crimes happening, and then we could swoop in and stop it, BAM.”

“Ain't nobody's gonna do any crimes when you're goin' on like that.”

“That's right! They're all scared of me!”

“Iffin' I agree with you, will you shut up?”

“Yes!” Rainbow Dash smiled in victory, and then blinked. “Heeeey, waitaminute-”

Before she could complain any more, a light swept over the landscape. The two ponies squinted against the sudden brightness as a spotlight erratically whipped back and forth, illuminating random spots of ground, clear as day. At the other end of the column of light, the vaguest of shapes could be seen against the night sky- something big and round.

“Uh. Applejack?” said Rainbow Dash, “is it just me, or does that look like a flying saucer?”

“It's a flyin' somethin' or another, ya got that much right.”

“Now what?” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings in anticipation. “Think I should buzz it? I mean, it looks fast, but I'm way faster than any
glorified frisbee.”

“Pretty sure that's a bad idea.” Applejack said, and hunkered down in her hiding spot. “I say we lay low for now, and get Twilight once it's gone. I got a feelin' she's gonna wanna know 'bout this. Whatever it is. Now quiet down, else it's gonna hear us.”

“It's all the way on the other side of the field. No way it's gonna find us.”

The saucer locked its spotlight on the two hiding ponies as if the brush they cowered behind wasn't even there. The light grew brighter and brighter as it slowly hovered in, leaving both Rainbow Dash and Applejack wishing they'd brought some kind of magical weaponry with them.

Without any warning, the light cut out- there was a strangely familiar sequence of sounds, and the saucer twisted and unfolded into a stout, barrel-chested humanoid. It still towered over the two baffled ponies, landing upon the grassy earth hard enough for Rainbow Dash and Applejack to feel it in their hooves. Blue eyes stood out in the dark as it leaned close. “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack just stared

He broke into laughter mere moments later. “Oh, I'm sorry, I've always wanted to say that. But seriously, I need to talk to whoever's in charge.”

“Like I said,” Applejack said through a suddenly dry mouth. “We should get Twilight.”

“Uh. Yeah. Twilight. We'll get her. You just...stay here, okay? Not that I'm scared of you following or anything but I just don't want you to freak out anypony else if you follow us into town. Which you won't, 'cause you're staying here. Please?”

“Sure thing!” The blue eyed space creature said.

“Okay cool so just stay here and don't do anything and we'll be back later bye!” With that, Rainbow Dash grabbed hold of Applejack and took off in a prismatic blur.

“Well,” the Space Alien mused to himself, “That went better than expected.”

“Okay everyone,” said Princess Twilight Sparkle, “just relax! We're just dealing with a close encounter of the third kind, which thankfully, I have made a contingency plan for! I've even got a checklist and everything.” She said with no small degree of pride. After Applejack and Rainbow Dash's frantic explanation, Twilight wasted no time in gathering the rest of her friends before setting back out towards where they'd left the strange visitor.

“Sounds fun!” Pinkie Pie said.

“If you say so,” Rarity circled around Twilight and fussed with her mane. “Honestly, darling, are you sure you don't have time for me to do your makeup? I promise, I'll make you look absolutely regal.”

“I'm sorry, Rarity, but there just isn't enough time. Now, everyone, just be calm, and let me do the talking. I'm the only one here who's had time to memorize a Universal Greeting.”

“A universal whatnow?” Said Pinkie Pie.

“No time to explain. There he is!” Twilight said, as they rounded a corner.

Sure enough, the bulky figure stood waiting in the middle of the cowfield, only lit by the eerie blue glow of his eyes. Twilight waved her
friends back, and then trotted out to meet the towering creature. She held her head high and flared her wings in an effort to look as graceful and regal as Princess Celestia did on these sort of formal occasions.

“Klaatu barada nickto,” said Twilight.

“Bah weep gra nah weep ni ni bong!” said the Space Alien.

“Pinkie Pie, does this make any sense to you?” Said Fluttershy.

“It sounds like Twilight's talking to a baby! But that would be the biggest baby I've ever seen! And he's made of metal, too! I love babies, but I've never seen a metal baby before. But maybe he's not a baby and they're just speaking a language I don't know. Like French!”

“That's not French.” Rarity noted.

“Then what n' tarnation is it?” Applejack said.

“Maybe we could listen and find out?” Fluttershy murmured.

“I am Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight said, stepping forward. “Allow me to extend my official welcome to Equestria.”

“Oh, please, don't be formal.” The Visitor waved his thick fingers. “It's been too long a flight to fall back on protocol.”

“Just...how long of a flight was it?” Twilight let her curiosity get the best of her.

“Oh-” The Space Alien looked upward. “A few hundred thousand light years, at least. And boy, are my arms tired!”

Six ponies stared.

“You're not one of those primitive planets that hasn't invented humor yet, are you?”

“More like we've invented better jokes.” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Ahem.” Twilight shot a glare over her shoulder at Rainbow, and then turned back to the green and yellow humanoid. “Don't mind my friends. They're just a little on edge- the last time we had a...visitor from another planet, it was a little...difficult.”

“Yeah, I bet. Grimlock's a handful on the best of days.”

“Wait.” Twilight Sparkle squinted up at the strange metal figure. “You know Grimlock?”

“Oh, sure, everyone does. He's kind of hard to miss.”

“We're doomed.” Fluttershy squeaked before hiding behind Rainbow Dash.

“But don't worry! I'm a lot nicer than he is. Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. My name's Cosmos.” He crouched down and thrust his hand out to Twilight. She tentatively touched a hoof to Cosmos' rounded fingers, approximating a hoofshake as best she could with the metal biped. Now that he was crouched down, he looked a lot less intimidating- even awkward. Closer now, Twilight could see the odd red face-glyph emblazoned on his chest- the same one that had marked Grimlock, the monstrous warrior who had crash landed on Equestria nearly two years earlier. Still, Twilight thought, Cosmos seemed a lot...nicer.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Cosmos.” Twilight said.

“I probably should have introduced myself earlier, shouldn't I?” Cosmos managed to look embarrassed- a feat all the more impressive given his lack of a visible mouth. “Sorry. I'm kind of new to this whole 'diplomat' thing.”

“To be honest, I'm a little new at this myself. I wasn't expecting, um, company.”

“That's okay! That's actually why I came here, to give you a head's up.”

“A head's up...about what?”

“Optimus Prime would like to visit Equestria.”

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, on a blasted world aptly named Chaar, a mad tyrant brooded on his throne, while his most loyal subject bowed on the stone floor before him.

“Lord Galvatron, I bring valuable intelligence.”

“Intelligence, Cyclonus? That's a rare thing to come from the lot of you idiots. Speak!”

“The Autobots are on the move, Lord Galvatron. Soundwave's spies report Optimus Prime is preparing an interstellar expedition- a diplomatic mission, by the look of it.”

“Diplomacy, bah! Typical Autobot mewling. Why should I care?”

“Optimus Prime is taking a small group of Autobots to an isolated planet, on the far side of the galaxy. So far from their base on Cybertron, it would be easy to isolate them from reinforcement-”

“-and I could destroy Optimus Prime! A brilliant idea, Cyclonus! I'm glad I thought of it.” Galvatron stood, and swept a hand through the air, as if posing for the benefit of some hidden camera. “Ready the troops! It's been too long since I've conquered a new world! Set course for-” Galvatron paused. “Where, exactly, is Optimus Prime headed?”

“A planet known as 'Equestria,' lord.”

“Set course for Equestria! Victory awaits!”