//------------------------------// // Visions // Story: The Infestation of Equiss Prime // by Jest //------------------------------// Twilight opened her eyes and found herself looking down over her own shoulder as she stood next to Spike. Wind whipped about the pair as they traveled towards a distant Ponyville, the open window helping to alleviate some of the tense atmosphere in the train. Though the pair was silent at the moment, Twilight remembered the mental conversation they would have been having at this very moment. Though the exact words were lost, Twilight did know that Spike and her were discussing some of the worries that the dragon felt. At this point they likely would have moved onto the fear that they may not be able to best Nightmare Moon if they don't activate the Elements in time. It was the shock of this small realization that made Twilight think about how strange her entire situation really was. First she was watching over her own shoulder, and even stranger still was how she didn't feel overly disturbed by this. It felt natural for reasons Twilight couldn't quite explain, and the unicorn found herself thrust firmly into the role of a casual observer. She wondered why this was and quickly deduced that this was some manner of dream, or perhaps she was in a coma right now, though a strange magical affect wasn't ruled out. Though the coma possibility made sense given how much electricity had been pumped through her magically, physically and psychically exhausted body. Nevermind the strain put on her from the beating she had received and the effort she had put into healing Fluttershy. Combined, it was enough to make Twilight wonder if she was dead and that her grandmother had been correct in stating that one’s life flashes before your eyes when you perish. Either way, the two beings she was observing were already leaving the train in Ponyville and her past self was running through the plan of attack for what was likely the three hundredth time. Something felt off however, as the discussion they had while leaving the train station felt strange, as it were missing something, but Twilight didn't know what that may be. Brushing that feeling off for a moment, Twilight and Spike continued deeper into the town while ignoring the strange glances shot their way. After passing through the town, they ran into Pinkie Pie, and all at once Twilight found herself overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. She felt pity for the young mare, admiration for her ingenuity and rage after remembering what had happened to her. The image of Pinkie Pie’s still body lying on the ground of the tower stuck in Twilight’s mind and the unicorn desperately hoped the pink pony was okay. Twilight may now have known Pinkie Pie for very long, but she didn't know any of the other bearers for a lengthy period of time either, and yet Twilight felt the same way about all of them. Even Rarity, who had only failed to connect to her Element due to the meddling of their enemy and who had given it her all when it mattered most. Sadness washed over the mare, and Twilight found herself silently wishing she had a body so she could let out her grief. Her prayers went unanswered however, and Twilight’s past self continued to go about her day. The conversation with Pinkie Pie was brief, and Twilight chose not to listen to the words themselves but rather how she had spoken to the other mare. Her tone had been terse at first, and deep down Twilight knew that she had been overly defensive the first time she had met the pink pony. Twilight could have chalked such a response up to stress, but after getting to know Pinkie Pie, that excuse felt oddly flat. Perhaps if things were different and they had met under better circumstances, perhaps they may have even become close friends. Yet Twilight had likely killed the strange inventor with her poor leadership skills and unwarranted confidence. Twilight silently hoped that the earth pony was still alive as it would have been a shame for such a brilliant and profoundly joyful person to be struck down so early. Time ticked by at a snail's pace. The pair had arrived at the Apple family farm, intent on finding the location of Applejack. Again the feeling of wrongness assaulted Twilight’s mind, yet when she looked around, nothing really felt off. Pushing that thought aside again, Twilight watched the scene play out once more, already dreading the coming meeting between her and Applejack. The promise Twilight had made stuck out to her the most, and though it had indeed been genuine, Twilight couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Especially when Twilight considered all the pain and agony she would put the poor mare though mere hours after meeting her. Now Applejack was likely dead or dying, the pony having become another victim of Twilight’s foolhardy ego. She hoped Applejack was alive and that the poor mare would one day be cured of the affliction that had robbed her of her life. Maybe if Twilight had even the slightest idea of how to go about fulfilling her promise, then it wouldn't feel like the unicorn had taken advantage of her. That lingering sense of self-hatred only grew when Twilight watched herself make that faulty promise a second time. Her past self had seen a way to manipulate the mutated mare into joining her and had taken it without thinking. Sure, there was a small part of Twilight that genuinely wanted to cure her, but that didn't change the fact that she was promising Applejack the moon. In the end it just felt cruel and more than a little evil, now that Twilight had time to really consider her past actions in greater depth. Her interaction with Big Macintosh made that feeling worse, as did the casual way her past self had declared that a month would be enough time to cure the infested earth pony. At the rate Twilight was currently going, it may not even be a month before she was even healed enough to walk, nevermind cure Applejack and have her back home to her family. Twilight had also been less than polite with the stallion’s mind, having viewed memories of his that she had no business looking at. It was with a heavy heart that Twilight continued to watch herself plod through Ponyville, utterly focused on her mission and ignoring the pain she was causing. Yes the heartbreak of Applejack’s experiences weighed on her past self, but to that Twilight Applejack’s feelings were just another puzzle to solve. At least her interaction with Rainbow Dash had been relatively pleasant and left Twilight without feeling overly guilty. That was until she remembered seeing the pegasus’ wings lying several feet from the unconscious form of the mare herself. Then the guilt returned with a vengeance and Twilight couldn't help but wonder if the pegasus may be better off dead. After all, Rainbow Dash had prided herself on her skills as a flier, which was also the very thing that had helped her get her cutie mark. And now Twilight had taken away the one thing Rainbow Dash was better than anyone at. Twilight’s mood darkened even more after her past self met Rarity, the other Twilight stiffly rebuking the templar’s attempts at polite conversation. Twilight could forgive herself for a bit of rudeness, but she also remembered how much that same paranoia had likely cost them in the end. Twilight thought back to the knife they had found stuck in the manticore’s back and how it would have been a potent weapon in Rarity’s loyal hooves. Yet Twilight had broken the weapon rather than give it to an ally who would soon prove herself. Twilight hadn't respected Rarity, but the templar had respected her, listened to her, and had even followed her orders when necessary. It was with no small amount of shame that Twilight watched herself go about her business and eventually head in Fluttershy’s direction. The feeling of wrongness returned again just after they left the library, but still Twilight couldn't figure out why. She had Spike, and the other bearers with her, so it wasn't like anything was amiss in that regard. Twilight watched as she spoke to and eventually brought Fluttershy over to their side with a few honeyed words. Again Twilight’s diplomatic tactics were ham-fisted and felt a lot like a mix of how she had handled getting both of the earth ponies onto her side. All the same guilt that came from speaking to Applejack returned, as did the pity and admiration that came along with meeting Pinkie Pie. This appreciation stemmed from the fact that Fluttershy had survived and, though damaged, the pegasus had persevered through it all, coming out strong despite appearing weak to some. Their psychic connection had allowed Twilight to understand the infested pegasus on a deep, personal level which had enabled her to see through to that hidden strength beneath the surface. These thoughts only served to make her eventual sacrifice even more tragic, driving a spike deep into Twilight’s heart. It had been a bold, selfless act, one that had likely saved Twilight’s life given just how much healing Twilight had used on the pegasus immediately after. A sudden movement caught Twilight’s eye, and she watched as her past self met Scootaloo. This in turn caused the guilt to return with a vengeance unrivaled by pretty much anything Twilight had felt so far. The infested pegasus was little more than a filly, and yet Twilight had seen fit to bring her into a fight that the unicorn knew may end poorly for them. Twilight silently hoped that she wasn't in a coma but rather dead, as the unicorn certainly didn't feel as though she deserved to live after what she had done. A small part of Twilight reminded her that Scootaloo had insisted on coming with them, but she quickly brushed that thought aside. Twilight had been the adult, and she should have put her hoof down after the filly had demanded to be brought along. And now Scootaloo was likely dead because of Twilight, the filly another victim of a false promise and Twilight’s bloated ego. Twilight didn't even want to think about how she had been rude and dismissive to the young filly, practically brushing off her heartfelt plea to have fully functional wings. Thankfully for current Twilight, past Twilight was already making her way back to the library and the party that would happen there. Though the unicorn continued to observe her past self, time suddenly became a blur and the pony found herself stuck in a loop of grief and regret. The laugh of someone kind and caring made Twilight turn to where Silver Bulwark stood next to her, a smile on her face. Twilight found herself struck dumb by the realization that she had forgotten one of the most important ponies in her entire life. Suddenly the odd feeling of wrongness that had been doggedly nipping at her heels vanished, and memories of the pony began to well within her. That surge of memories became a flood of recollection which assaulted Twilight’s mind, leaving her dazed and reeling as she tried to make sense of it all. The guard had served as an emotional anchor for so long that Twilight felt almost a little lost without her. Even the memory of her death felt strange, as the very though of Silver Bulwark having dying felt strangely absurd, as if such an event was somehow impossible. After all, the guard had gone through incredible personal sacrifice and had always come out smiling in the end. Twilight watched her past self fight and struggle at a rapid pace right up until Silver Bulwark had been struck down. Then everything slowed as Twilight’s gaze settled firmly on Silver Bulwark, watching as she spoke her final words. “Save them,” she had whispered. Those words hit her like a one two punch, as Twilight knew she had likely already failed. Yet that wasn't the type of dour, absolutist attitude Silver Bulwark would have tolerated from her young charge. Twilight knew that if the gruff older pony was still alive, she would have told Twilight to keep her chin up. She also likely would have reminded Twilight that so long as there was breath in her body, there was work to be done. And though the question as to whether or not Twilight was even alive remained unanswered, Twilight desperately hoped that was the case. After all, the void had not claimed her yet, meaning there was still the chance that her body was alive somewhere. Closing her eyes, Twilight thought about her newfound friends and did something she never thought she would do. With every ounce of her being, Twilight prayed they were alright and that Harmony would see fit to heal them. She didn't think only of them however, as there was one creature that deserved to be healed more than any other. An individual who had stood steadfast at her side for as long as Silver Bulwark, and who Twilight would give everything for if needed. Thoughts of Spike flickered through Twilight’s mind and with one final prayer she hoped against hope that the dragon would be okay. If Spike lived, then Twilight knew a part of her would survive, and that would be enough, Twilight thought to herself. As the last of her will trickled from her being, Twilight felt tendrils of cold begin to snake up her body, a smile remaining on her face even as the void claimed her. Twilight didn't reside in that strange space between the living and the dead for long however, and the unicorn quickly found herself falling. The first thing Twilight noticed was that it was still night out and the bright full moon had yet to move from its spot in the sky. Then her hearing returned and wind began to thunder in her ears and yet Twilight felt no urge to panic for some inexplicable reason. Instead she merely focused on trying to figure out where she was and what she was falling towards. The first thing she noticed was that the city which she was falling towards was Canterlot itself and that she would likely land near the south end of the city. The closest gate was easily the largest of the three entrances to the city, yet despite its high walls, it was completely obliterated. The only proof of its existence were the shattered remnants of its foundation. The trail of destruction didn't stop there though as numerous fires and leveled buildings dotted the entirety of the once great city. Twilight could even see a distant bubble of magic around Canterlot Castle as well as signs of a battle raging across the city. That fighting wasn't exclusive to the ground however as squads of pegasi fought against hordes of summoned creatures. Nor was the fight contained to the city itself as there were a platoon of guards fighting on the very slopes of the mountain itself. Though the zealots were outnumbered two to one by the returning platoon of guards, little progress was being made and they seemed evenly matched. Twilight watched them go back and forth for several seconds before turning her attention back to the city at large. She wasn't sure if this was a dream, a vision of the future or what, but either way, she was determined to commit all she could to memory. One of the major things Twilight noticed was that although fighting was fairly constant, it also felt sporadic, with there being no clear battle lines. As Twilight continued to fall, she saw numerous groups of random citizens wielding clubs, knives, or bits of debris as weapons. Some were more organized and had a guard to lead them while other groups seemed to be families trying to escape the fighting. Those not trying to escape ambushed the houses’ infantry at every turn, though it was clear that they could do little even with the element of surprise. The armor and supernatural abilities of the unicorn zealots were simply too much for them, though even still they fought on. When those brave ponies died, they died with either a curse or Celestia’s name on their lips. The sight of so much death and destruction was enough to make Twilight’s heart ache, and as Twilight’s descent began to slow, she watched as a desperate fight began in a small destroyed market square. A group of militia ponies armed with little more than knives and pots were suddenly struck from the side when a group of zealots burst out of an alley. In mere seconds it was clear that the militia ponies were going to lose, yet the group fought with the vigor of someone who was sure they would win. It didn't help much, and Twilight had been ready to turn her attention elsewhere when all of a sudden one of the zealots dropped dead. Then, before his comrades had a chance to act, a trio of shadow-clad unicorns appeared out of seemingly nowhere, striking down several more zealots. Instantly the battle turned, and the militia surged forward, beating a confused zealot with pots and pans until even his golden armor crumpled under their furious wrath. The battle was over in mere seconds, and the militia ponies gave their saviours a nod before the unicorns disappeared, and the group continued on as if nothing had happened. A scene that Twilight knew was playing out all over the city in dozens and dozens of different locations at once. Yet even with these powerful shadowy figures, Twilight could tell that things were not going well for the citizens and what little guard forces remained. By then the houses had nearly gained control of the air after several batteries of unicorns had secured the highest towers the city had to offer. No pegasus could near those fortified locations, and the few who dared were shot down before ever getting close. Worse still, all major routes into the city had either been destroyed completely like the railroad tunnels or were being fortified by waves of golden soldiers. Though that thought bothered Twilight, the unicorn remembered well the many secret entrances Celestia had told her about before Twilight had left Canterlot. From her current angle, Twilight couldn't tell if those ways into the city were compromised yet, and so she turned her attention elsewhere. Gazing down on the battlefield, Twilight felt her attention drawn towards the higher points in the city and towards the docks. Which looked to have been taken without a fight, though now that Twilight was paying attention the unicorn could see clear signs that a great battle had occurred there. The slopes leading up to the docks themselves were utterly ravaged, and bodies and debris littered the area. Evidently the toll had been a heavy one for both sides, if the bodies of the victors had been left to rot on the ground. Turning her attention from that grizzly scene, Twilight inspected the many mooring points along the side of the cliff, noting that they were almost completely empty. Twilight hoped that meant that Celestia had managed to evacuate a good chunk of the population, but the unicorn couldn't know for certain. All she did know was that there weren't any burnt out husks of destroyed airships littering the burning city. She also knew that this was a battle that Celestia wasn't about to win, not unless she got a lot of help and soon. A thought that only felt truer the closer Twilight got to the castle which lay at the highest point in Canterlot. It was then that the invisible hand that pulled Twilight along began to tug faster, dragging the ethereal unicorn towards what had once been her home. As she neared the white walls of the castle, Twilight quickly realized that the shield covering Canterlot Castle was the same color as her mentor’s magic. Hope began to bloom in the young mare’s chest, though that hope was dashed the second she saw an enormous fireball slam into Celestia’s barrier. The power of the attack scattered nearby clouds and leveled what little buildings were still standing near the castle’s western exterior. Looking towards the source of the spell, Twilight saw the familiar sight of Nightmare Moon who was surrounded by a horde of zealots. Looking closer, Twilight could tell that although Nightmare’s armor had been mended, her body had not fully healed as the distinct white of clean fresh bandages could be seen poking out around her barrel and a few other places. Even still, the corrupted alicorn seemed as powerful and as confident as ever, a wide smile remaining plastered firmly on her face. Twilight didn't pay much attention to her, however, as the unicorn was busy scanning every available terrace for any sign of her mentor. Yet all she found was the odd burn mark and broken window as well as dozens of guards running to and fro, boarding up holes in the walls or merely peering out at the destruction. Though Twilight was silently glad that her mentor had managed to keep a good chunk of guards loyal to her, she couldn't help but worry. And that worry only grew each second Twilight failed to pick out her mentor amidst the chaos below. It was then that Twilight spotted Celestia’s personal balcony and the two ponies who stood upon it. As she neared them, Twilight realized that her hunch had been correct, and the figures were Celestia and Blueblood who were looking down on the city below them. The dark templar appeared haggard, with deep rings under his eyes, though he did not bear any obvious injuries. Unlike Celestia, who had bandages covering her right eye as well as her right leg, or at least half of her leg as the other half was gone. There were other smaller injuries that covered the alicorn’s body, but those were secondary compared to the loss of her leg. Even while maimed, injured, and clearly exhausted, Celestia appeared as regal as ever, her jaw was firm and her gaze was focused on the alicorn hurling spells at her shield. Blueblood meanwhile seemed to be focused on the city itself, his hooded gaze flicking this way and that, as if he were watching every battle even from such a great distance. Twilight felt herself begin to slow as she approached the balcony, her body coming to a rest a few feet from Celestia’s right. For a moment Twilight just sat there, silently baffled by the strange turn of events, then she turned and tried to speak. The effort turned out to be useless as she couldn't seem to utter a sound, and yet Celestia’s ears twitched and the alicorn glanced in Twilight’s direction. Though there were no recognition in those violet orbs of hers, Twilight could tell that her mentor had sensed something at least. “Auntie? Are you alright?” Blue Blood inquired, his strange voice filled with obvious concern. “It was nothing, dear nephew,” Celestia replied quickly, turning her attention to the city. “Just a feeling.” “Oh? I hope that means we are finally going to finish trying to evacuate,” Blueblood half asked, half stated. Celestia shook her head. “We need their forces spread thin so we may finish teleporting the relics and contents of our vault to our allies on the frontier. Though it pains me to trade lives for the safety of objects, if even one of those artifacts falls into the hooves of Nightmare Moon, the results would be apocalyptic.” Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So what is this mysterious feeling then?” The alicorn smiled faintly. “Just that Harmony is with us, even now.” Twilight wanted to yell, to shake Celestia, to tell her mentor that she was coming, that she wasn't dead, at least not yet, anyway. Yet try as she might, Twilight’s efforts were in vain as nothing the unicorn did seemed to have any effect on the other pony. Twilight’s vision began to fade a second later, and she felt the familiar feeling of the void reaching out towards her. This time she fought it, clawing her way towards Celestia and shouting that she was alive and coming to her. Twilight was certain that Celestia believed she and her friends were dead, as Nightmare Moon was here and they were not. The unicorn screamed soundlessly, hoping to at least succeed at this one, tiny little thing. The void was relentless, however, and Twilight quickly found herself falling towards some unknown destination once again. Twilight’s eyes flew open and she hastily looked around, only to find herself floating above an enormous desert that stretched to the very horizon. Though it was broken occasionally by the odd canyon or hilly lowland, for the most part the land was flat and featureless. The desert itself was vaguely familiar, and Twilight was only able to put two and two together when she saw something in the distance. Looking closer, Twilight was able to make out the shapes of several damaged Equestrian airships making their way towards what looked like a city. A city that Twilight recognized as the location where Cadance had died, and where the threat the zerg posed was realized in full. Which was also where the invisible string seemed to be pulling Twilight towards, and more details came into view with each passing minute. The first thing Twilight noticed was just how big the city had grown, and how many small villages and towns had sprung up around it. Train tracks and roads connected each one of the settlements, though Twilight noticed that there were very few of the old tracks that still remained. Twilight would have let out a sigh of relief if she could, as the lack of rails meant that her earth pony friends knew of the threat that lay just over the mountains. That relief was doubled when she noticed the small secret line established by Celestia only a few months earlier. It was not connected to any of the other major railroads and was designed specially for a small steam engine to use. A steam engine that was hidden near the edge of the Everfree beneath a powerful illusion enchantment. When Twilight shifted her attention, the unicorn noticed that several defensive lines had been dug into the tough dessert ground, making it abundantly clear that the confederates were ready for an attack originating from either side of them. A distant boom startled Twilight and drew her attention towards a far off valley which lay well beyond the large city. Though she couldn't see much from this angle, what Twilight could see were several airships as well as a few dozen metal flying machines engaging a group of airborne zerg. The great winged beasts swooped down from on high, harrying the slower airships, but ultimately doing little to slow the earth pony aircraft. Who in turn rained destruction on some unseen target below them, having largely ignored the aerial enemies attacking them. The sight made Twilight wonder what was so important that they would ignore the enemies attacking their exposed, yet armored sides. That question seemed like it was going to get an answer soon, however, as the force pulling Twilight along didn't slow as the unicorn passed over the city. Twilight did take a peek at the many towering pillars of metal and stone though, idly noting that the entire place looked absolutely packed to the brim. When last Twilight laid eyes upon the stepped city, it had at least a few open spaces and some primitive defences. Now the entire place was bristling with weapons and a curtain of metal had replaced the old stone one that had stood in its place. The building her and Cadance had helped to construct was there too, Twilight noticed, though it was now dwarfed by the buildings around it. She also noticed that there were more than a few gryphons wandering around between the tall metal structures. Why they were there wasn't readily apparent, but if Twilight had to guess, she would have assumed that they were refugees escaping zerg attacks. Turning back to the distant fight, Twilight studied the air battle taking place just below the clouds. Older and former Equestrian star siege airships huddled near the center of the formation, their huge balloons now covered in thick metal. The ships had changed as well, now clinging tight against the bottom of the balloon and no longer being attached by mere rope and wood. Their powerful broad side of cannons was now much narrower, with the majority of the guns now poking out from the bottom of the ship. The sight looked rather silly to Twilight, but judging from the amount of shells flying out of it, the retrofit must have served its purpose. They had also been painted in the confederacy’s colors, and the various names of the airships could be seen even from afar. What was harder to see were the streamlined planes that zipped around the slow-moving airships. Their speed was impressive, and they weaved around their comrades with ease, chasing down the flying zerg attackers. Quad barrels mounted on both wings put a considerable amount of lead into any zerg who was too slow to dodge out of the way. Twilight silently wondered how flying under one’s own power would compare to the flying of the strange planes. Shaking off that thought, Twilight looked down, watching as the ground battle slowly came into view from behind a hill. Rows of metal-clad ponies wielding large guns stood behind dozens of lightly armored creatures who had shouldered much smaller rifles. Behind both of them were several rows of enormous cannons pointed at the sky, each one thundering every few seconds and sending its payload high into the air. Which came down as a concentrated rain atop a sea of green and purple that spilled out from the side of a nearby canyon. Zerg of all shapes and sizes poured out of the narrow pass, only to be gunned down by the confederate defenders. The overlapping rows of fire, air, and artillery support were clearly doing a number on the zerg, yet the aliens kept coming anyway. Some packs managed to get close to the confederate line, only to be burnt to a crisp by a squad of armored earth ponies with flame throwers attached to their arms. A few fliers got close as well, but were shot down by concentrated barrages of lead which tore them apart before they could even get in range. Though the battle was clearly in the confederacy’s favor, Twilight could tell that if they stopped their barrage for even a moment, there was a good chance they would be overwhelmed. The zerg were simply so numerous that the smaller force of earth pony defenders would have little chance of stopping them. Thankfully the zerg seemed content to funnel themselves directly into the overlapping lanes of fire and be cut down with ease. It was at this point that Twilight had begun to approach what looked like a command post of some kind, as she could see several dozen unarmored earth ponies running to and fro with papers in their hooves. At the center towered a rather unique and familiar earth pony who stood stock still in the center of the commotion. Though she had lost a foreleg and had it replaced with metal parts, Twilight could still easily recognize Steel Heart from here. She could also recognize Hammer Smith who was nearby, a cigar rolling around in his mouth while he looked down at a screen. The huge earth pony had the same grey fur and steel-colored mane as the last time Twilight had seen her, though her fur appeared a little lighter than last time. That and she had significantly less hair on her head. One thing remained unchanged however, and that was the fact that Steel Heart was still a walking pile of muscle that easily towered over the majority of her much smaller staff. And then she had passed over them, Twilight’s body being pulled inexorably towards the zerg line. Twilight wished she had time to study the confederacy’s weapons and tactics, but a sudden shift in the zerg drew her attention elsewhere. Looking closely, Twilight could see the larger, more important zerg beginning to withdraw while the smaller, more expendable creatures continued to charge. Though Twilight was repulsed by the callousness of the act, she could tell that it made good tactical sense at least. The zerglings could still easily tear through the lightly armored front line of confederates which meant the earth ponies couldn't give chase. Not without abandoning their formation and opening them up to the possibility of the zerg simply turning around and overwhelming them in the chaos. Twilight floated past the small ocean of dead and dying zerg which littered the ground, their bodies twitching as their greenish blood pooled beneath them. Already Twilight could see dozens of corpses deflate, flesh liquifying in order to leave nothing behind to study or dissect. Those zerg not already dead fell upon their claws, leapt into oncoming fire or otherwise killed themselves in order to buy the main bulk time to retreat while leaving no survivors. Above the battlefield the aerial assault intensified, keeping the larger ships stuck in place while the planes dealt with the crazed zerg fliers. The end result was that the main bulk of the zerg forces were able to slip away without anyone following them. Through the general chaos of the retreat, Twilight could see a lone figure standing off to the side, her attention fixated on the distant ponies. The lone creature was familiar to Twilight, and her appearance on the battlefield prompted a shiver of disgust to run down Twilight’s spine. The figure was as tall and as haughty-looking as ever, her long mane having been bound into a single braid which flapped gently in the breeze. The top half of her body was relatively normal for a unicorn, with the only strange points being the mandibles which grew out of her jaw and the fact that her horn was longer and curved slightly near the end. Her pink fur ended at her waist, where her body had merged with that of a zerg queen’s in a manner akin to that of a centaur. Six long, pointed limbs sprouted from her large bulbous body, with a thin purple membrane connecting each leg. Most disturbing was the strange vertical mouth just below her torso and the teal, pulsating sacks which twitched upon her back. Twilight felt her ethereal form come to rest next to the strange creature, and the unicorn followed the other zerg’s gaze to the pony defenders in the distance. “Soon, very soon you will fall,” whispered the creature, her gaze narrowing. “And then your mares and children shall join us and be made equal under the swarm.” Twilight felt the void open up behind her, and this time she didn't fight it, merely spending her last moments studying the strange zerg’s features and committing them to memory. And I’ll make sure to stop you, Twilight thought a second before she fell once more into darkness.