Prologue
We all know how it all started, don’t we. It’s become a defining moment in our history already, even though it was just over a decade ago. Foals have been told stories about it by their parents, or maybe grandparents and those that haven’t have learnt about it from history books and at school. But really not everypony knows what it was like to experience it. The initial state of confusion, then the uncertainty that any of us would survive, and then the determination to come out of this alive or to go down fighting. And without that determination Equestria probably wouldn’t be here anymore. I know I’ll find it hard to forget; sometimes I used to have nightmares about it. Though in my nightmares things turned out a lot worse.
It began on a day when the sky over Ponyville was almost completely cloudless, and you could clearly see Canterlot in the distance. Because it was such a nice day I’d decided to go for a walk around the place. I’d been out for maybe half an hour when I heard somepony, I think it might’ve been Rose or Daisy, shout “LOOK! UP THERE!” Everypony who heard that, myself included, turned our eyes skywards and saw several grey shapes coming down towards us. At first they were too far away to make out exactly what they were, but as they came closer it became clear that these things were enormous. I think there were two dozen of them in total. As they descended they split off heading in different directions, spreading out over all of Equestria.
One of them landed just outside Ponyville, the noise from its impact was incredible. The thing was made of grey metal, and covered in scratches and dents. I saw a few patches of color that must’ve been the last remnants of long worn away paintwork. At first I thought the thing must’ve been completely solid, until I spotted the windows. Then a large door opened in the front, hitting the ground with a loud slam. That was when the Bolkarn emerged. I don’t know how many of them there were, my best guess was maybe thirty. They all carried large black guns. The charged straight towards us, opening fire at anything they could hit. Naturally, everypony ran for their lives.
– Extract from When We Saw the Universe by Twilight Sparkle
Two years later…