//------------------------------//
// Invasion 
// Story: Peace at Last Side Stories: the Trials and Tribulations of King Thorax 
// by Prince_Staghorn 
//------------------------------//


Seven Years After Metamorphosis


3 miles south of the kingdom of Sídhe


The Grand Fleet of Tricornucopia^ was prepared for the coming battle.

Well, a small part of the Grand Fleet.

...Okay, what was left of that small part after wandering aimlessly through the Badlands looking for a new and therefore easy to take over kingdom to conquer.

General Sparkling Blade looked through the binoculars at the jagged spire in the distance.

"Disgusting," the Tricorn stallion growled, the upper lip of his elongated muzzle curling into a sneer, revealing small, pointed teeth. The spiny fin on his back was raised in agitation, and his horizontal-pupiled eyes were narrowed. He turned to give orders.

"Private Gleaming Armor, I want you to..."

"Um, sir?" a soldier interrupted. "Private Gleaming Armor was killed last week by a Graboid."

The general paused. "Right... Commander Swift Spear, you and your troops..."

"They were killed two days ago by those mantises^^," the soldier interjected again.

The general sputtered. "Well, then, what about..."

"Eaten by a giant assassin bug."

"How about..."

"Ambushed by giant wasps."

"But surely..."

"Trampled by a giant ladybug."

"ALRIGHT!" Sparkling Blade finally screamed. "Is there any officer or group that WASN'T killed by a giant bug of some kind!?!"

"Well, Captain Sterling Shield and five of his best were attacked by a Blackhorn. That's a dinosaur, not a bug," the soldier replied.

The general took out his pistol and shot the talkative soldier between the eyes. He fell to the ground, dead.

"Poor boy must have died of heatstroke," the general muttered before turning to the troops.

"All right! As we are all aware, our great and glorious Grand Ruler wishes to attempt to invade the inferior nation of Equestria yet again, thereby gaining a pivotal strategic position from which to attack the griffon barbarians. The only thing standing in our way is the small, defenseless kingdom behind me, inhabited by filthy half-breed abominations. Seeing as how our other officers and our best troops have suffered from assassination attempts made by these beings, we must take action and punish them! Our forces are strong enough for a full-frontal assault, charging in and taking our unprepared foes by surprise!" Here he unsheathed his scimitar, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Today, we fight for victory, and for the glory of our Grand Ruler!"

The troops cheered, and with that, they charged.

The troops immediately hit the Dust Devil pits, and they were poisoned and drained by the monstrous larval predators in a matter of seconds.

The ones that made it through the metaphorical minefield suddenly felt as though they had passed through a sheet of thick air, and at the same time their weapons all dropped as their magic failed.

They were surrounded by several armored Aos Sí brandishing spears. A tall one with deer-like antlers- presumably their king- stepped forward.

The General and his troops immediately dropped to the ground and begged for mercy, as all Tricorns do when the situation is hopeless.

Thorax, for his part, rolled his eyes, let them keep a few swords, and sent them out with an armed escort for the third time in the past two years.

"Maybe NOW they'll stop with this crap and leave us alone," he grumbled, going to the castle to send another report to the Princesses about the Tricorns.^^^