Author's Notes:

Okay, no more submissions. I've got like 30 and this story hasn't been able to go anywhere because I'm trying to hammer these characters in. Sorry.

Princess Celestia gaped as she watched the retreat of her forces. She couldn't blame their decision, since she was just as likely at this point to order everypony to fall back.

"Princess," a Wonderbolt said while landing, "those things, they've got Golems of their own!"

The alicorn watched with wide eyes as the metal Golems were ejected from the strange structure. They stood somewhat shorter than Sombra's wicked creations, but boasted strange weapons and shapes. Some were thin and agile while others boasted more mass than any of Sombra's behemoths.

Then there were the smaller bipeds. They looked to be similar in shape to Minotaurs, though they were far more lean and were all somewhat taller. These smaller creatures were either undisturbed by the metal Golems or, in some cases, jumped into their maws. The speed at which those soldiers moved and killed was frightening to watch.

Not only did these collective beings stand their ground against Sombra's army, they annihilated it. Beams of powerful magics, explosives, bullets and even some Golems with swords had reduced the Tyrant King's army to naught but crimson rivers and heaps of ruined crystals.

And now only Celestia's crippled army stood before them.

Celestia gulped as she examined the creatures. The fur-less bipeds seemed to be glaring at her ponies from across the way, their firearms and Golems facing against their minuscule numbers.

For a few moments, in what felt like years, there was a silence over the field of battle.

"H-Hello!" Celestia called out in her loudest voice.

A chorus of weapons priming answered her, the metal Golems focusing their glowing eyes on her.

\\\\\\//////

"Did that thing just talk in English?" Skye Issacs asked her Titan.

"[Affirmative]," LS-7184 responded.

"How in the Hell-"

"Skye, how's the sky in your zone?" her teammate asked.

"Skies are clear, Kodi," she said. "Got anything on your end?"

"Yeah, winged ones flying back to the big white one that just talked. Looks like they're trying to keep some kind of barrier between her and us."

"[It is likely that one is their leader]," GP-1534 suggested.

"This is Papa Bear to Jolly Roger and Arctic Rain," the comms buzzed in the Pilots' cockpits. "Keep your sights on that big one. Hot Stuff and Shark Bait are going to initiate contact with the unknowns."

"Copy that, we'll keep our eyes on 'em," Skye said.

\\\\\\//////

"Think these things are on our side?" Jessie asked.

"Well, they ran away and didn't try charging at us when this shit went down," Joshua said. "I'd be willing to bet a few thousand credits that there's at least a mutual feeling of 'don't fuck with them' on either side right now. We use that to our advantage and press for information."

"[The odds of this successfully operating are approximately point zero zero seven out of eleven thousand and thirty one]," KD-0135 said.

"Gotta think on the plus side, KD. Nobody's shot anyone in the last minute, I'd say that's an achievement of some kind."

"[Noted for later reference]."

\\\\\\//////

Princess Celestia blanched as she watched two of the aliens' metal Golems approached her slowly. As they did, her nearby Guards raised their spears in an attempt to try and show their support to her, but she could see the fear in their eyes, the way their weapons shook as they shook in their boots.

She forced herself to take a step forward, her chin held high and a stern expression on her face, she powered through her overwhelming fear and approached the behemoths, wings spread.

"Stay firm, my little ponies," she said unwavering, "I will talk with them."

She didn't hear the pleads and cries of the ponies behind her, focusing on the approaching Golems. The larger of the two was easily larger than any other Golem she had seen, its arms covered with red circles that glowed, its cannon pointed down and to the side as it approached slowly. Its many eyes circled about and switched between Celestia and the Guards behind her. The other one, however, was similar in size to the Crystal Golems but was more evenly proportioned, seeming closer to whatever passed as 'normal' to Celestia at the moment. It had a massive eye in the center with a series of smaller dots covering the main part of what she assumed was its face. What she found strange, however, were the giant numbers seemingly painted on its metal face, showing '6-4'.

To her immense surprise, the Golem with 6-4 on it brought its cannon over its shoulder as its 'face' opened to reveal a blue-clad biped.

"Hey down there, don't stab me! Just wanna talk!" it called.

It jumped from the Golem, gaining a good few meters from the leap as a small series of blue flames erupted around its waistline. Celestia watched as the flames flickered about as it slowly descended before her, landing with a thud before reaching for its head. With a click and a hiss, its helmet gave way to pale skin and a completely alien face.

The being's face was small in comparison to a pony's, and it had no fur covering most of it. A crop of jet black mane laid atop its head, combed to the side. From the big smile it was giving her, Celestia could see canines in its mouth, a certain mirth in its small brown eyes.

"Hello there!" he said in a chipper tone. "I suppose we might have gotten off at the wrong foot earlier. Those guys on the other side aren't related, by chance?"

Princess Celestia paused as she examined the creature. It stood taller than she did, its shoulders at the height of her horn's tip. The armor it wore seemed to be a tight suit of some kind of hardened weave.

She steeled herself, realizing that this was a golden opportunity hoofed to her on a silver platter. She had to make sure this did not go to waste.

Both sides tensed when they heard the alicorn clear her throat.

"Greetings," she said. "I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. I want to both apologize and thank you for these last few hours."

"Apologize?"

"For whoever may have not survived. I can't imagine that your fellows see us in such a good light after what just happened."

"Well," Joshua started, turning to the massive structure, "you didn't start attacking us, so we thought it best to wait to see who's who and what's what around here. I mean, giant rock things smashing our ship and attacking us followed by gold and blue aliens flying around trying to fight each other kind of needs a little context."

"Of course," she said. "I would like to speak with whoever is in charge of your..."

"Battalion," Joshua said. "They're not exactly too hyped to talk to someone who may or may not try to kill them, so I'm here instead for now."

Joshua looked behind Princess Celestia, examining the gold-armored Guardsponies.

"How about we just all take a day or two to recover before deciding on any sound plan?" he said. "Think your lot could use some time to rest, give us a chance to reflect on what's going on."

Celestia nodded.

"Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. Shall I come back tomorrow then?"

"I suppose that's a good idea."

Joshua turned to his side and waved his hand about, the soldiers and Golems all lowering their weapons.

Princess Celestia motioned to her subordinates and unfurled her wings, the calls to her troops going out as her ponies started to leave the battlefield.

As she began to fly away from the strange beings, she could not help but ponder a word used by Joshua.

'Alien?'