Chapter 4 On an Even Keel
The attack on Ponyville was devastating to say the least. All the buildings were damaged one way or another. Many familiar places like Sugar Cube corner and Twilight’s Library were almost unrecognizable. The once fresh lively ground was all destroyed and dead, mostly craters and holes all over the place with burnt and dead grass.
Sugar Cube Corner was merely a pile of rubble and wood. Absolutely nothing was salvageable from the devastation. Twilight’s library was blown in half. The largest machine’s arm cannon destroyed the whole top of it. The second floor still remained as well as most of the books, but it was unlivable and most of the debris from the destruction covered the library anyway.
It was late evening and Ponyville was currently being run by Celestia’s guards, many of them tending to the injured ponies. There were many tents set up for the guards and the residence of Ponyville if their homes were inhabitable. Many medical tents were set up as well as food stations.
“What are the numbers?” Twilight asked one of the medical stallions concerned.
“No casualties if that is what you are asking...” he stopped for a moment before turning to a patient who was blue unicorn who currently had bruises and a nasty burn on her side. He put on an ointment on his hoof and gently placed it on the large burn “but the injuries range from minor to significant.”
Twilight sighed sadly; she’d never seen such devastation. Not with Discord or Nightmare Moon. She looked around the town to see it all. All of the ponies, young and old, were all in terrible pain, emotional and physically. Many colts and fillies crying into their parent’s hold, some just trying to keep a strong face on the whole thing but were clearly struggling to.
Twilight herself was trying to keep herself in check as well. What just happened was so much for her to take in as well. Town she lived in was destroyed, most of her friends were hurt, and to top it all off her ruler, her teacher, the most powerful of them all, the one who raised and lowered the sun and for a time the moon, was unable to defend them, or even herself.
She shook her head, she had to focus on what was going on right now, not what had happened, merely learn from it. She went to the back on the tent where many of the ponies were being sent to rest after the doctor had checked on them and gave them the proper medical attention.
Here all the ponies were mostly resting or trying to rest but were being interrupted by nightmares or just the pain from their injuries or the situation. The lavender unicorn shook her head and merely pressed on to whom she wanted to see and that was Rainbow Dash and Spike. While Spike only got a few bumps from being forced off of Twilight, she forced him to get checked out, even if it was just a minor bump here and there.
When she finally made it to the desired destination, which was at the end of the tent, she found Spike sitting up in a bed with a bandage on his head and Rainbow Dash who was currently lying on her legs, but was covered in various bandages. She had a two flat splints put on both her wings, several medical pads medically taped and a few bruises. Twilight was surprised to see her awake.
“Spike, Rainbow Dash, you both feeling okay?” Twilight asked with concerned.
“Eh, just a headache, nothing much.” Spike answered lying back and putting a clawed hand over his head leaning back.
“Just sore that’s all. Obviously can’t fly for awhile.” Rainbow Dash said dejectedly looking at her splinted wings. “Do you ever find Pinkie Pie and the others?”
Twilight nodded and gave a small smile “Yes, she and the little ponies were okay. She lead all of them went into the basement during the attack. None of the fillies were injured.”
“Well at least there’s some good news.” Rainbow said with a small sigh of relief “What about Celestia?”
“One of the soldiers told me she was at the castle healing and resting. Celestia ordered Luna to take charge till she was fully healed.”
“So what’s happening now?” Spike asked. As if he prompted it, Spike burped out a letter.
“Oh, a letter!” Twilight used her magic to grab a hold of it and read it.
Dear Twilight Sparkle, Student of Princess Celestia,
I’m informing you and your friends of the current situation that is occurring here at the castle since I’m aware that you are very close to my sister. She is healing and within two or three days she should be ready to resume her role as ruler.
As you have probably been told, I’ve been given the position of my sister. I understand if you feel uncomfortable about this revelation, just as I was, but she seems to have faith in me, even when I have no faith in myself.
Currently, I have my guards speaking to this Duke Hoof’em stallion. I’ve been informed by my sister that she was informed that his weapons were the only one’s to have an affect against them. I’ve also been informed of the one week’s warning from the invaders.
Sincerely,
Princess Luna
“What’s it say?” Rainbow Dash asked her friend slowly getting off the bed.
“It was from Luna, apparently that one stallion who saved us from that second small machine is being called in. His weapons were the only ones that seemed to affect them…unlike my magic.” She added sadly.
“I still don’t get that.” Spike said “How magic didn’t work on them? I mean even Celestia’s magic didn’t have much affect against them.”
“I don’t know, I can’t research it because the library is trashed.”
“There ya’ll are! Ah’ve been looking all over for ya.” It was their friend Applejack who just came from the entrance of the back walking toward them.
“Hey Applejack. Is the farm okay?” The unicorn asked.
“Yep, not a scratch on the orchard!” she said confidently then turning to Rainbow Dash “Whoa, Dash, you really tooka beatin didn’ cha?”
Rainbow only smirked “Enjoy the impact of an explosion and the fist the size of an apple tree and you’ll see.”
The orange Earth pony only shook her head “Anywho, Ah’ve been look’en fur all of ya ta tell ya dat you’ll can stay at my place till everythin is back en order.”
“Applejack, it’s okay, we can use the tents that the guard’s have-”
“Tis no trouble at all. When you’all are ready just knock on ta door.” And with that walking out.
“Stubborn isn’t she.” Rainbow Dash said then continued “Gotta take her up on her offer though, I’m not sleeping in a tent.”
--Outside the area--
Applejack was now on her way back, now that she had told all her friends to stay at her place for the time being. She had recently left the guard’s perimeter of the area for help. They didn’t occupy the entire town, they were occupying the area that was mostly residential, so around Twilight’s Library but not around the actual town.
There were a couple guards walking about making sure everything was okay, namely for the few ponies that were able to actually use their homes. But most of the buildings were still empty for obvious reasons. Applejack was just as troubled as Twilight was seen all this destruction but she shook her head.
Sudden she heard a grown. She stopped and listened for a moment. She heard it again and started to follow it. Eventually she followed it to what used to be building. There she saw silver pegasus lying there in pain with his wings spread out a bit. The stallion pegasus was mostly silver fur with a black mane. His cutie mark was a test tube that was crossed with a rocket. His wings were mostly silver as well but the end of them was red and white feathers.
Applejack nudged the stallion with her hoof and he groaned again. She took a quick look at him and saw no injuries really, just a little dirty was all. She thought about just asking a guard to take him but it seemed only to hurt her pride. Letting someone take care of something or someone she found.
Shook her head and smiled “Don’t worry sugar cube, I’ll take care of yah.”
--Half Hour Later--
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Spike were all on their way Applejack’s place of residence. Spike was asleep on her back. The exited the town completely and were on the short road that lead to the farm. It was very dark out but Luna’s Moon and starry night was particularly bright tonight, obviously to help out the guards and their duties for the night.
Most of the trip they remained particularly silent. Mostly because everything that needed to be said has been said, more than once. All the same questions with all the same answers. Who Attack us? What were they? Why didn’t magic have an affect? They were all the same questions with all the same answers. No one knew. Even their rulers were unaware.
However, there was one thing that bothered the unicorn about her pegasus friend. She couldn’t tell if it was a touchy issue but she really was curious. “Um, Rainbow Dash, what exactly happened to you?”
The cyan pegasus just crooked her neck “Eh, nothing much, just fought the red one.”
The unicorn was horrified to hear that “You fought one of them! What were you thinking?!”
“Look Twi, I wasn’t going to let some metal giants take our town alright!” Rainbow retaliated angrily lower her down as they kept walking alone.
“What happened though? I mean how did…” she trailed off.
Rainbow just smirked and started her story “Well Starscream was doing his-”
“Starscream?”
“Oh yeah,” the female pegasus said with her mood lighting up a bit “When he was trying to shoot me, he said being ‘the mighty Starscream’ or something.”
“Okay, that makes sense I guess.” Twilight answered “Continue, sorry for interrupting.”
“Yeah so, pretty much he was flying around shooting his beams or whatever and I hit his wing really hard! After that he liked transformed or something and-” she stopped and Twilight had the same thought.
“Rainbow, do you think that thing you saw earlier today is the same as that thing that you fought?”
“Yeah…it definitely looked the same…” she only shook her. It’s not like it mattered anyway, it seemed that no matter what they would’ve done, it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Either way though, she wished she took her discovery more seriously and they probably would’ve stood a chance.
“You know Twi, I’ll tell you later with everyone else okay…”
The unicorn understood and remained silent the rest of the way.
Eventually, within a short time, the two of them made it to the farm passing the apple orchards and finally making it to their home of residence. When they finally made it to the door, Twilight was the one to knock on the door.
After a moment the door was opened up by little Apple Bloom. “Ah, you guys finally show’d up.”
“Yes” Twilight answered with a smile “Thanks for offering for us to stay.” The two them walked in. Twilight walked over to the couch and carefully place Spike there next to Sweetie Bell who was resting there as well.
“Ah, ‘bout time you two showed up. Most of us are just getting ready fur sum shut eye.” Applejack said silently and letting out a yawn.
Rainbow Dash was watching Applejack’s little sister quietly walk over to her friends where Sweetie Bell was sleeping on the couch next to Spike, Scootaloo resting on the floor with a blanket under her and a blanket covering her. Applebloom went on the other side of the orange pegasus lied down on another blanket on the ground and attempted to fall asleep. By the look on the three of them, just the fact that they were actually able to rest peacefully brought them some relief and it let Rainbow Dash let a smile go.
“Hey, AJ um, where’s everyone else?” Dash asked quietly as she could.
“Well Applebloom and her friends are sleeping out here, Fluttershy and Pinkie are sleeping in Macintosh’s room, Rarity n’ I guess Twilight are sleepin’ in my room, and I guess you will be sleepin’ in Applebloom’s room.” The orange mare explained.
“Alright. Thanks again Applejack.” Twilight thank once again.
“No problem sugar cube.” She was about leave but stop “Oh right, Dash, just so you don’t go hittin da roof, I found a pony on da way home, he’s sleeping there now.”
“Oh, okay that’s fine I guess. Thanks for telling me.”
With that all of them said their good nights and they went to where Applejack offered for them to sleep at. Rainbow Dash, much like Applejack and Twilight, was trying her best not to wake up anyone who was asleep or attempting to go to sleep all things considered.
Eventually the pegasus made it to the filly’s bedroom she was to be using. She slowly opened it and instinctly she turned on the lights, flipping the switch. Immediately, she heard a groan and she turned her attention to the origin. What she saw was the stallion that Applejack was talking about on the bed.
“Sorry!” she said quickly but instead of immediately turning off the lights and just pretend it never happened she walked over to see what the stallion looked like and for some reason it looked very familiar or at least the color scheme did.
The stallion shook his head and finally opened his eyes. His vision was blurred but cleared after blinking for a moment. Finally it cleared and looked up to see a very familiar face.
The cyan pegasus looked directly into his bright ruby red eyes and it finally came clear to who this was and from the look of the stallion she knew that she was aware and glared at him.
The stallion hesitated and very weakly half chuckled before being uppercut with her hoof.
--Nemesis 2--
“A whole week? Don’t you think that’s a little generous?” Rumble questioned his leader. All of them were in the bridge of the ship.
“Perhaps, but that is the time it will take for Shockwave’s reinforcements to arrive.” Megatron answered annoyed. It was like as if Starscream was still there with them.
“Reinforcements?” Skywarp questioned.
“Yes, Reinforcements!” Megatron made clear “We can’t stay on this planet forever and setting up energy stations with only the few of us will take too much time. Besides we need to make up for Starscream’s departure.” The leader snorted “Figures that a bunch of primitive organics be the ones behind Starscream’s fall…”