“Princess! Princess…?” The blue griffon with golden armor screamed, when he finally got into the throne room.
Twilight was there, standing on her throne with her eyes closed and her horn glowing.
Gallus stood still, waiting for her to finish her ‘routine’.
Slowly, the light in the throne room began to turn orange, confirming to Gallus that the Princess was indeed lowering the sun. Then the orange light slowly faded away, leaving Canterlot's electricity to begin to do its work.
“So? Why did you fly here as if things were worse than they are?” The purple Alicorn asked, making the blue griffon look back at her.
“W-well, because they are! Inside the ‘Canterlot’ machine-! Somepo-, Something-, The aliens are talking our language!” Gallus stuttered.
Twilight looked at him with a ‘What’ face.
“I heard it with my own ears!” Gallus said, shaking.
“Okay, first of all, clam do-”
“You think I can just calm down, after I heard that THEY are calling for help!? Another will come here!”
"Gallus!" Twilight said louder. She then took fresh air into her lungs, before continuing.
“That they can speak our language is weird and yet…interesting, but there’s nothing to be scared of. We still have the W-Weapon with my magic in it, fully ready.” She put her right front hoof on his shoulder.
“But- What if-!”
“They attack in the night? Well…yea, that would be a problem, but we can easily solve it.” She said, as her horn began to glow again.
A purple aura began to appear on her hooves and Gallus’s paws/claws, surrounding them both. In a second, the two creatures were on a semicircular balcony that they both knew well. It was Twilight’s balcony.
In the distance ahead of them, a few lights could be seen from Ponyville. Lights of ponies and other beings who only stay overnight in Ponyville before continuing their journey into the Canterlot. To their left, the Canterlot city was completely deserted. Only three campfires with royal guards around lit up the side of the wrecked machine they were guarding.
Twilight then pointed from right to left with her front hoof.
“All we need are proper patrols with binoculars and lanterns. I wouldn't even go near that mountain ridge for your own safety… Because a storm is slowly but surely coming.” Twilight said, turning back to Gallus who whimpered.
“Goodness, the poor fellows who will be in this… Fiiiine, I’ll go make patrol squads.” Gallus sighed, spread his wings and took off from Princesses balcony towards the Canterlot Barracks.
“So, this is done… No, why on Tartarus, is it raining now?” Twilight said to herself as she looked over at Ponyville where every single light was slowly going out, signaling that those spending the night there were slowly drifting off to sleep, having no idea what was going to happen.
Though, that was one thing that occupied Twilight’s head. The second thing was a little…
“...Impossible. How could humans know about us? Has Sunset Shimmer told them something? More like, did their police catch her or someone else who had a hand or hoof in it too? Nonsense... Everything must have its reasons. Both good and bad... Sunset hasn't visited me or anyone else for a long time... And the mirror is in the archives, here in Canterlot, guarded by three locks and three patrols! Nopony could enter or leave their world…
Aliens cannot be human. In their world, magic is just a thing... A thing they don't know how to control! How else would humans learn and build machines consuming magic?” Twilight then looked back to the destroyed ‘Canterlot’ Tripod.
“Plus, why do they just want the inland of Equestria WITHOUT the ponies? Colony? Slavery? Extermination...?”
*CRAACKMchMmm!*
Suddenly, another loud thunderclap snapped the Princess of Equestria back to reality. Twilight looked at the dark cloudy sky as it completely engulfed Canterlot and slowly moved towards Ponyville. Normally, the cloudy sky would be white and yellow, because of the castle’s and city’s light, but when the city is deserted and damaged, it is no wonder that the sky is not lighted.
“Calling it extermination is wrong, Twilight. They let the ponies live when they left the borders of Equestria.” She said to herself.
“Let’s just hope this will end very soon…” Twilight said and slowly disappeared behind the thick, dark curtains, from starting rain.
*CRACKChm!*
Another thunderclap made another pony to fully open its eyes.
“Ugh…still not morning…?” Rainbow said quietly and tiredly so as not to wake her roommate across the room.
She didn't know how many hours had passed. Two, four, six hours? Well, more than four for sure.
Rainbow slowly placed her hooves on her cheeks. What now, what now that she's awake? There was nothing to do but remember how close she had looked death in the eye.
“Goodness, I need some fresh air.” She said, as she slowly took her blanket from her, placed rear hooves on the room’s floor and slowly on her healthy front hoof. Rainbow then slowly walked to the window on her right side of the bed. She grabbed the handle and turned it.
The window was now opened, letting fresh air come into the room.
“Ah…much better.” Rainbow looked around, peeking her head out of the room.
Lamps illuminated the paths and sidewalks, where the light reflected a little from the puddles. In those puddles, she could see how the drops of water created ripples on the surface. Rainbow then noticed orange lights in the sky.
At first she thought they were stars, but then when she looked closely…
“Pegasi patrols with lanterns? Heh, tell me; isn't Twilight even sure of herself or why are there so many?”
Rainbow was about to close the window with another chuckle, when she noticed… more lights that she could see moving and shining on the cloudy sky, behind the mountain ridge. At first she thought there would be more patrols outside of Canterlot, but... These lights were pure white.
And she wasn’t alone. Duo of royal pegasi guards, who were above the hospital at the time, noticed it too and looked at each other. Together they nodded and flew to the castle.
*Stomp!*
“Huh, it seems very important, if they flew towards the castle.” Rainbow said to herself before continuing to observe the strange white lights.
She was watching them for another ten seconds. What in Equestria is that?
*Stomp!*
“Wait a second… What are these stomps I hear?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow, looking back to the room.
*Stomp!*
“Huh? What’s behind that mountain, making these sounds?” She said, when she deduced that the sounds weren't coming from their room. She thought it was something…big.
When she looked at the top of the mountain again, she lost her breath.
“Oh no…nonono! NO!” She said aloud, which awakened the poor griffon.
“Ah?! What-! Oh, for Griffonstone’s sake, why are you screaming!?” The griffon said confusedly, looking around until she noticed a rainbow maned pegasus by the window..
“They are here!” Rainbow said before running out of their room holding her nearly broken leg above the floor.
“Uh…who?”
*Stomp!*
The griffon looked at the fully opened window, when she heard a stomp-like sound from outside. She sat up, supported by her front legs and looked at the window.
She saw something big... Something that even though the street lights made it hard for her to see every detail. But she knew for 100% what was coming. She saw it slowly crossing the ridge of the mountain, while two lights illuminating the landscape in front of it.
“Oh uh…”
*Stomp!*
“Huh…? Wha-?” AJ’s ear flicked, hearing something…familiar.
“What…was that?” She said, and raised her head.
*Stomp!*
AJ’s ear flicked again. That wasn’t something in her head. She could hear stomp-like sounds that were getting bigger and bigger. She sat up, looking around their shelter. It was a small tent made of sticks and an old white sheet that they found dumped outside the only restaurant INSIDE the castle grounds. This was their shelter, a place from the rain that had been going on for three hours now.
*Stomp!*
"Oh no. Sweetie Belle, wake up." She said, nudging her with her hoof. No response. The orange mare looked to her side only to see the young, white unicorn still sleeping.
“Sweetie Belle, wake up!” She said again, more loudly.
“Ugh. yeah?” The unicorn finally answered.
“Something big is comin’.” AJ said, looking out of their ‘tent’. Outside, the ground was changing into mud. The water pooled and formed large puddles.
“Like…you mean-”
“Shush! Listen…” AJ put her hoof in front of her mouth.
Sweetie Belle pricked up her ears and waited.
*Stomp!*
It was so loud and near, that the water in EVERY puddle waved, which the mares noticed.
“This is bad.”
“S-shouldn’t we contact somepony?” Sweetie asked, as she was watching AJ slowly leaving their shelter.
“Weeeell… I think everypony heard the last one…” AJ said, before she fully left the ‘tent’ and walked into the middle of the muddy road, that headed to the castle.
She looked around, down and up, and finally at a mountain ridge that was slightly visible behind the castle walls. Her pupils shrunken, when she saw what looked like two lights that illuminated her and her surroundings.
“Uh…AJ? What are these lights?” Sweetie said when she noticed AJ standing still, in the rain, looking up.
“Don’t. Move.” AJ moved her eyes towards Sweetie and back while still not moving.
“Huh?”
And again, not even a day later, a loud and deep horn-like sound entered AppleJack's ears.
Sweetie didn't move a muscle in shock. This was very bad… But before she could recover from her shock, she noticed a cluster of orange lights in the sky behind AJ, rapidly approaching them and the machine.
As the orange lights came closer, she noticed they were pegasus royal guards, holding a lantern in one hoof and a spear in the other.
One pegasus from the group split off and headed towards the shocked and confused mares.
“Don’t worry! They can do nothing against us anymore! We are fully protected.” The royal pegasus said, as he landed next to AppleJack.
“R-really?” However, AJ asked anyway. How can they be so sure when ONE laser could almost go through the Canterlot shield?
“Look, if Princess Twilight said that Canterlot is fully protected, then I believe it! Now you and you,...” He pointed to AJ and Sweetie who also came out of the tent into the rain.
“...Retreat into the castle, now! This is a new battlefield!” He said before spreading his wings and joining the group again.
AJ looked at Sweetie, who trotted to her.
“If Twilight's thinkin’, this can protect us, then Ah don’t believe it!” AJ frowned.
“What can you do about it now? Let's just go into the castle!” Sweetie said, as she started running towards the main castle gates.
“But…the machine is still behind the… *Sigh* Nevermind.” AJ rolled her eyes, before she started trotting behind Sweetie.
Once AJ caught up to Sweetie, who was standing looking at something in the distance, the machine carefully placed one of its tentacle-like legs on the Canterlot shield and examined it.
“What are you looking at?” She asked, after she stopped next to her.
“A convoy,” Sweetie answered.
“A- Huh?” AJ raised an eyebrow and looked in the same direction as her. She saw it too. It was a convoy of artillery cannons, towed by royal guards. They trotted slowly so that they wouldn't get stuck or slip on the muddy path.
“Did they forget the stone cannonballs can do nothin’ against them!?” AJ added, when she starts counting them…
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…
“They know it very well, but as you remember, they can at LEAST slow them down!” Sweetie said.
Then, an unpleasant, screeching sound came into
ponies ears…
“Oh buck me.” AJ said, turning around only to see the machine's leg trying to break through the shield but to no avail.
*CRACKChMmmm!*
“AH!” Sweetie got scared by the thunder again. While that, the lighting on the other hoof gave AJ a light for a millisecond. She saw the silhouette of the Tripod and some details! Details like the black color of the machine, sharp edges on the head and…two lasers.
After their...same reaction, the convoy was lined up exactly forty meters in front of the machine, loaded and the crew ready to fire, in the final number of eleven rounds in the muzzles of the cannons.
The black Tripod put its leg back down, aimed two of its prisms with the blue bowl-like end in front of the shield, and waited for a moment. A blue undulating orb began to form inside each 'bowl', capable of turning all living things in front of it to dust or slicing them in half.
*Bzzzzzzt! Bzzzzzzzzt!*
AJ shielded her eyes from the bright light with her hoof. She heard surprising voices and a sound that would be compared to shattered glass, if it fell to the ground.
The orange mare then put her hoof back on the ground, and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw…shocked her.
In the middle of the convoy was a row of sparkling flames. As everypony quickly recovered from the unexpected, the first victims were quickly discovered. The Fourth and Fifth cannon were in pieces and their crews...gone. All that remained of them was dust and their armor…
*Stomp!*
“They’re inside!” The machine now puts its leg…into the castle region.
“FIRE!” A blue griffon in golden armor landed behind a line of cannons and screamed.
*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*
The remaining nine cannons fired at once.
Two cannonballs overshot their target and the others hit the shield of the machine with a direct hit. The intervention machine took five steps back. Smoke came out of the shield for a moment, but it didn't last long. The Machine turned back and looked at the source of the shots.
The Machine aims its prisms again.
“Pegasi group, distract them! Cannon group, keep it away from the castle walls! Pegasi with bombs are on their way!” Gallus said, as he got into the air again and flew towards the machine.
“AJ! Let’s go!” Sweetie pulled her front leg, but AJ couldn't move as she was still shocked.
While that, the pegasi group started flying around the Tripod, like mosquitoes when they see the light.
Was it working? Of course not!
*Bzzzzt!*
Another laser lands into cannon row, taking down one crew.
*BANG! BANG!*
Four cannons just fired again. Missing the pegasi, but hitting the machine again, which did two steps back again.
Sweetie sighed, as she wrapped her in magic and pulled her near some building.
“Wha-? What the-?!” AJ was startled when Sweetie used her magic again. Wait…her magic is back?
“Ya got your magic back?” She asked surprised, after Sweetie let her go.
"I just tried it!" The white unicorn said, looking back at the battlefield.
“Geez! We have to get into the castle as fast as possible!”
“Oh, you don’t say?” Sweetie said sarcastically.
“I heard them…I saw them… They attacked for Luna’s sake!”
A light blue pegasus was opening a window out of the hospital. Why didn't she go through the front door? They would send her back to her room. What else would they do when they see a patient out of bed?
Sometimes the sky would glow blue accompanied by humming sounds. Did they get in already? Well, she heard their loud horn-like sound, so anything is possible now.
When she opened the window and looked out, she noticed the ground with grass, a meter below her. She slowly put the first hind leg out, then the other, and finally her whole body. When she was halfway out, she let go of the window frame and landed on her flank on the grass.
“Ouch.” Rainbow then quickly standed up.
She was in a small alley that separated the hospital from the castle walls. At the end of the alley she saw two ponies hiding and peeking at the situation that had drastically changed for the worse without her knowledge.
“Hey! What’s the situation?” She called out, which in response she got something unexpected.
“Hol up. Rainbow?! What are you doing here, outside of the…hospital?” The orange mare looked behind her, seeing her friend, still with bandages. AJ then looked at the hospital, realizing where they were, before looking back at her.
“Uh...long story short; Canterlot is in danger!” Rainbow said, while she walked over to her and Sweetie Belle.
“We already know!” Sweetie Belle looked at the pegasus too.
*Bzzzzt! Boom!*
Another laser beam hit the line of cannons, but now...with an explosion at the end.
Rainbow peeked out from hiding only to see the destruction…
Everything was on fire! She could see the scorched earth, military equipment in ruins, and a machine that had taken another step. The only thing she didn't see were the guards…
“Damn, such wasted lives!”
“The Pegasus are now the last to try to stop it! I think it's finally time to pick up our asses and run to the damn castle! Right, AppleJack?!” Sweetie said and stood up.
“Fine, ya won! Let's just go!” AJ frowned and stood up too. She then looked at Rainbow.
“Better if ya go with us, Dash.”
“You think I’ll stay here!?” The rainbow maned mare said back.
The mares took one more look at the situation, only to see the 'gearbox' of the machine open and how metal-like tentacles emerged.
Then the tentacles began to chase and catch the flying pegasi, who kept flying around trying to distract the machine for as long as possible. When one tentacle caught one of the pegasi, it threw him hard to the ground, killing him.
"Now! It's back turned!" Dash said before running out of hiding, followed by AJ and Sweetie second after.
The mares ran for their lives, avoiding those who came out of the hospital to see what was going on and even the other royal guards who were only towing two cannons. Sometimes, they slipped on the mud, but with every step, they were closer to safety.
"Everypony in, hurry up! Come on!" Another two royal guards opened the castle gate wide open.
Sweetie was the first, who stepped inside the castle, before turning back and giving a helping hoof to others, who were on their way too.
*Crackchmm-Bzzzzt!*
AJ was second to get into the castle, being followed by Rainbow right after her.
“Do you know anything about the 'big gun' I've heard so much about? Because I would very much like to see it in operation now!” Dash asked Sweetie, panting.
“Wonder Weapon? What I know, it’s the only thing that can pierce their shield, so yeah, I hope they’ll use it again very, very soon!” Sweetie said, while helping other ponies, along the two royal guards, get inside.
“How many guards have been sent to defend?” Twilight asked her second highest general, while galloping together through the hallways of the castle.
"Most likely…one hundred and nine. Three guards for each cannon, in total of twelve cannons, and twenty five pegasi, where three of them have bombs." The general answered.
"Good. Just keep the Machine distracted as long as possible!" The purple Alicorn ordered.
“Yes, Ma’am!” The guard unicorn saluted and started galloping into the barracks.
“Well, Twilight, you slept for six hours, plenty of time to recharge… Let's see what we're up against this time.” She said to herself, before her horn started glowing. In a matter of seconds, from galloping in the hallway, she was galloping towards the W-Weapon in the middle of the rainy night.
Stopping at the metal door leading inside the W-Weapon, she looked to her left only to see a black machine and its tentacles grabbing and throwing pegasi.
“What are they doing now?” She said to herself, confused, before opening the metal door and entering the insides of W-Weapon.
Right after she entered, she looked at the transparent barrel breech. A purple spinning ball was still inside of it, ready to be fired at the invaders.
“Let’s do it again.” Twilight said to herself, as she sat into the gunner seat. It wasn’t hard to operate the weapon, it was her, who designed and helped this savior to be built.
As the end of the barrel was slowly moving towards its second target, the Black Tripod was still trying to catch and kill the pegasi. The Aliens had no idea what was moving towards them.
Finally, the weapon was now aiming at the Black Tripod, ready to fire. Twilight pressed the ‘Fire’ button, and the spinning ball on the breach started to shine, before it fired a fast Magic beam, towards the Tripod.
*BANG!*
The Black Tripod looked at the source of the bang, noticing a large Magic beam, as it was coming at it, very fast.
The Machine tried to maneuver or even jump just to get out of the path of the Magic beam at any cost, but… they reacted too slowly.
*BOOOM!!*
A loud bang was heard, before a gray smoke came slowly from the machine.
"..." Twilight left the seat, walked to the cannon breach. Her horn starts to glow and puts it on the breach.
Few sparkles came from the connection, before all the magic was back in her. She was "herself" again. She then left the W-Weapon and watched from far away, as the smoke was rising into the atmosphere.
When the smoke slowly disappeared into thin air, Twilight noticed something…different, something was new on that…Black Tripod…or rather gone.
“Huh?” Something was indeed missing on the machine. It was still night, but it was noticeable.
“Where’s that cage…?” She spread her wings, knowing that a knocked out machine can fall any second, but she must check if anypony survived.
She flew for a few seconds, the wreck still holding on three legs, as something was pouring out from the back, where the cage was.
“Where…” She looked around, until she saw the cage on the hospital’s roof. She noticed it was smoking a bit and it had a big hole through it.
“Oh no…nononono…” Did she just…kill everypony in that cage?
Twilight looked back at the Tripod, as she realized her mistake and how it possibly happened. As the machine tried to avoid the beam's path, it leaned forward a bit. Just this small movement caused the beam to hit the machine in the finale, but through a cage... a pony cage as everycreature knows.
When she landed on the roof of the Hospital, she galloped to the pony cage that had a big hole through it. Instead of saving lives and survivors asking for help, the cage was full of…bodies that looked…burned.
“Oh no…” Her ears fell flat on her head and stepped back.
“What…have I done?”
Just before the gates were closed, AJ and Rainbow, along with others who made it inside the castle, heard and saw an explosion. It was still night, but thanks to Canterlot lights, and lanterns of the Pegasi, they could saw, how a purple Magic beam hit the…Machine.
As the beam hit the Tripod, something was almost cut off from the machine, when it was hit. For a few seconds it was holding, smoking a bit, before it finally ripped off by itself and fell on the roof of the hospital, causing slight damage. It was a pony cage that fell on the hospital’s roof.
Nopony said a word, as the only thing they heard was the slight sound of metal ripping and drops of water falling on the muddy path.
“Look!” Sweetie Belle said and pointed at the areas where the cage was.
Everypony looked up at the knocked out Tripod, as it was still standing still.
“Right at the trapdoor, AJ!” She added.
AppleJack looked more closely and noticed…a hole next to the trapdoor, big as a barrel. And from that hole, something was dripping on the back of the 'Gearbox', along the back leg of the machine, on the ground.
“Do ya think the same thing, as ah think?” AJ asked.
“I think so.” Sweetie confirmed.
“What do you mean?” One unicorn mare asked.
“What is…that liquid?”
“Yeah AJ,” Rainbow Dash joined.
“What you two know, that we don’t?”
“Uh, long story. I was inside of these machines.” Sweetie said and looked back at the standing Tripod.
“And the liquid… I don't even know what it is, but it's in the kind of cylindrical containers where they put unicorns for magical transfusions.” At this, a few ponies looked at her shocked.
“What? It does make sense.” Sweetie added.
There was silence for another few moments, before…
“Is that Princess Twilight?” Said a green Griffon.
“Twilight?” AJ looked around, before noticing flying Alicorn, heading towards the Tripod.
“What is she trying to do?” Another pony asked. They noticed Twilight landing on the Hospital roof and galloping towards the cage, before she made a few steps back.
“If she has any reason, then she looks sad now.” One brown pegasus mare said.
"Better if she knew about us here." AJ thought for a bit.
“Twilight!” The purple Alicorn’s ear flicked. She moved her eyes and head from that massacre, to the source of the call, noticing survivors inside the castle, along with Rainbow, AppleJack and Sweetie Belle!
“Oh, thank goodness.” She smiled a little and felt as if a large stone had finally fallen from her heart.
This day, hour, minute, the invasion ended for good. From the Tripods' first step until tonight, this war had cost the ponies mostly everything; sweat, lives, blood, but above all, devotion to their Princess and their country was the only thing they had…even when it looked bad…
It's only a matter of time before everything will go back to normal and-
A very deep loud horn-like sound makes everycreature to stop moving, as their smiles faded. Although nopony noticed it, Twilight could compared this sound to a dying whale.
“Wait what-!?” Twilight turned around and looked up. The Tripod was still functional! Right after the horn, engine sounds were back too, but they sounded damaged!
Then, a weak light surrounded her, as the Tripod was looking directly at her, as its body faced her.
Twilight was speechless. How is it possible?! How is it still functional? She had to do something, and fast!
She used her magic to teleport herself back near the W-Weapon. She then started galloping for her life to get the ‘savior’ operable again, but…
*Bzzzzzzzt! Boom!*
Twilight’s eyes widen when an explosion happens in front of her. A shock wave threw her back a little, as her horn began to glow immediately. A thick layer of purple magic formed around her as pieces of the W-Weapon hit her shield and fell around her surroundings. She closed her eyes from all of that.
Then, nothing. Everything has calmed down. She opened her eyes again, but still let the magic bubble around her.
“Oh Celestia...”
It was gone! Right where the W-Weapon was supposed to be, was just a steamy crater! Even the foundation was in pieces!
She then looked back at the Machine. It was standing still for some reason, but looking at her. At the same time, only a few pegasi were trying to distract the Machine, when they noticed it's actived again. The Machine ignored them, as every metallic tentacle-like limb was outside of the ‘Gearbox’, not moving.
Then, the Machine aimed its two prisms at her, ready to fire another laser beam.
Twilight frowned. She stood up, as her magical shield was still around her… The machine then slowly starts to move towards her, but in such a crippled way, as if…
“Wait a minute…” She thought for a moment before remembering something and smirked.
She let her magical shield still around her, as she spread her wings and took off. In a moment, she was floating at the same height as the Machine, that was now just a few meters in front of her.
The machine stopped and fired its laser beam. Twilight didn’t flinch. She knew very well what she was doing…
*Bzzt! Bounce!*
It…it bounced? The Tripod then fired another laser beam, but with same results
“Two beams could be a problem…if you weren’t damaged…and low on Unicorn’s magic!” She let her shield disappear, before her horn glowed again and fired her own magic beam.
*BANG!*
Her magic beam…went through the shield that shattered, and penetrated through the steel! The machine crumbled a bit, as it made two steps back.
“Just like in Crystal Empire; That Tripod was trembling, because it was low on Magic, before it broke down!” She then flew towards it, as she landed on the top of the surface of the machine, her horn stopped glowing.
“And I know that whoever is inside can hear and understand what I am saying! So I will ask only once; Will you surrender?! After all the pain you all made, you are left with only a few! Don’t waste, not only our lives, but even yours!”
The machine stood still, not moving, nothing. Only a faint smoke was coming from the hole she made.
Was…this working?
“TWILIGHT!! WATCH OUT!!” AJ said, as she was now out of their hiding.
Twilight looked at her right and then on her left. One of the Machine’s tentacles was right at her hooves, as it wrapped around her front leg and moved her quickly towards the ground. The machine has thrown her on the ground very fast, as dust went into the air from the impact. The machine crouched a bit, as another tentacle catched her and then threw her at the castle’s walls…
When the Machine looked at where it had thrown her, the impact site was very clearly visible. The hole as a pony silhouette in the castle wall was enough for the machine to aim its prisms at exactly the part of the castle, where the Princess of Equestria was most likely to be.
*Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt!*
The lasers weren’t that strong, but it was strong enough to make a cornette break. It destroyed a roof, second floor, a left wall of the castle and a bit of the third floor, until it found her…
She was in one of many guest rooms. In that one guest room, around destroyed furniture, and under a little pile of debris, wood logs and shattered mirror, there was Twilight Sparkle. She was trying to free her, but her whole body hurt.
“Hey! Leave mah friend alone!” AJ kicked a small piece of wall debris, towards the machine. The debris shattered at the Machine’s right side.
The Tripod just ignored that, as one metallic tentacle was slowly reaching for the Princess.
*Bang!*
A bigger wall derbish landed on the right side of the machine, which made the Tripod move a bit.
“You didn’t listen?!” Rainbow Dash was now out of her hiding, along Sweetie Belle, who had another big derbish in her magic.
At that, the machine’s head moved at them. The Machine was crouching very low, as the lights were flickering.
“Thanks.” AJ said. This wasn't the first time a Machine was looking at her while crouched, but she still found it menacing.
The Machine stands up, turned back at Twilight, that was now free, but was flat on the ground in pain, as one prism was aimed at her. The mare's pupils shrunk.
"What were we thinking again?" Rainbow asked, as she looked up at the sky.
"Stop them from killin' Twilight?" AJ answered, as a hissing sound came into their ears.
"Seems it didn’t quite work!" Sweetie made a step forward, as she wanted to try to save Twilight.
"Well, it stopped for a moment!"
"Come on girls, calm down! You can debate later. Just…be ready for some bright light." Rainbow said, as she smiled.
The other mares looked at her, confused, before they heard…some sort of something falling?
*Boom!*
The sky lit up in red and orange, as something explosive fell on top of the Machine.
Rainbow had to cover her eyes with her healthy wing, before she heard familiar voices.
"HAHA! Direct hit!" It was Surprise, that flew over the mares, as she called for another attack.
"Sorry for us being late, the bombs weight something. Anyway, it's your time Zoom!"
As the Machine stumbled a bit, Zoom in the air waited a bit, before the smoke faded.
He noticed that the surface was damaged, but not pierced. If they had to destroy it right now, then this was the way; make a hole and destroy it from inside.
"*sigh* Alright…"
He started to dive and let his wings by his body, as he gained speed. The Machine aimed two of its prisms up the sky and tried to laser him down.
*Bzzzt! Bzzzt!*
Zoom's instinct kicked in, as he opened his wings and dodged these two shots. When he balanced himself again, he released his bomb and pulled up, leaving the Tripod to brace itself, as it looked at the ponies on the ground, running away.
*Boom, BANG!*
Another bright explosion lit up the castle as large chunks of steel flew into the air.
“Everypony take cover!” Rainbow screamed, as the other ponies started to run away from the Machine, while the chunks of steel started to fall down.
As somepony ran, or flew to safety, the chunks hit the muddy ground, making a ‘clink’ sound. Then silence once again, as the mares and survivors looked back at the Machine.
It had a big hole in its roof now, while it was trembling more on the same place, its prisms hanging down, just like its tentacles, as if it hadn't energy to hold them up.
"It's yours, Wind!"
When Zoom called, the Machine meanwhile struggled more to stay up, as fire lighted a big hole that only Wind, being the last in the air, saw as a perfect target to aim for.
The White pegasus flapped her wings and dive bomb towards the Tripod that only looked up. There wasn't anything it could do, as it was heavily damaged, unable to move its tentacles, or even move itself.
Wind fully spread her wings to slow down a bit, before pressing the button attached to her left front leg, to release her M.B.500.
The bomb was out, heading right into the hole, as the white pegasus immediately pulled up, from the incoming explosion.
*BOOOM!!*
At the third hit, at the third explosion, the Machine struggled for a moment longer, trying to stay still, more pieces of steel blowing into the air, but before it could stop and fall, or before the dark thick smoke could disappear into the atmosphere, the tripod slowly tipped to the side, its lights out, and slowly began to fall towards the castle.
“Oh uh-” Was the last thing Twilight said, when she noticed many tons of steel falling to her.
When the Machine came into contact with the castle, it destroyed an entire corridor, and collapsed two towers, making a loud sound of cracking concrete and creaking iron and steel. The black smoke was combined with a yellow-ish cloud of dust that surrounded all the destruction from the ponies hiding behind the other derbies for protection.
When everything calmed down a bit, Rainbow, AJ and Sweetie, who were hiding behind a big piece of Machine’s steel, looked slowly back at the scene, even if the dust and smoke were still covering the truth.
“Ya’ll think this’s finally over?” AJ looked back at the mares, who were still watching the scene, waiting for the dust to fall down.
“What do you think? For me their machine must be made out of Celestilium, for them to survive that.” Sweetie said.
“Can you two let that be?! The Machine just fell on the castle, where Twilight is!” Rainbow said, turning her head to them.
“Speaking of falling,” Surprise land behind the mares. “The Machine didn’t damage the hiding spot of the ponies at all.” The white mare said, as she pointed back at the hiding spot behind the castle gates, where the rest of the Fireteam was checking on the survivors.
“Well, at least something, right?” Sweetie said with a nervous chuckle.
At that, AJ rolled her eyes, as she left their hiding spot. The dust was slowly falling to the ground, as the orange mare walked through the ruins, while a strong smell of burning rubber hit her nose. She looked left and right, trying to recognize what was still there and was not.
As the dust settled to her height, she noticed the illuminated Tripod leaning his head against the castle. Its roof opened wide, letting thick black smoke into the atmosphere, followed by a few sparks.
“Now, this ain’t gonna get up at all.”