//------------------------------//
// Act 1. Chapter 1: New Incident 
// Story: Tiberian Twilight Sparkle 
// by Skjald 
//------------------------------//

1.1. Green Crystal

”Today is 11.21.1307. It has been thirty-nine days since the meteorite fell near Appaloosa. This celestial body is made of an unknown green crystalline mineral. The consequences of this catastrophe are disastrous. The meteorite completely destroyed Appaloosa, and several small settlements near the railway south of the Everfree Forest perished in the following days. Now, it is evident that a vast field of green crystals occupies a significant portion of the southern desert.

This mineral grows at an extraordinarily high speed – within a few days, its accumulation can expand across acres and penetrate deep into the ground. Apparently, it reacts with gemstones and diamonds, transforming their structure into its own. Thus, the crystal's territorial takeover occurs astonishingly quickly. Furthermore, according to eyewitness reports, it infects trees, turning them into carriers of poisonous green spores.

I am currently writing these notes to understand the nature of the mentioned mineral. Princess Celestia has tasked me with identifying any possible means to combat the green crystal that could halt its growth or even eradicate it from Equestria. Our problem lies in its extreme danger to life. I have personally witnessed how many ponies inevitably died after coming into contact with it. They would start coughing up blood, and their bodies would be covered with crystal particles. Nopony of those who exhibited such symptoms survived even a day.

Unfortunately, thus far, no remedy has been discovered that could cure those infected or at least alleviate their suffering. Simple magical methods of restraining crystal growth have also proven ineffective. For a long time, I couldn't even fathom how to prevent the escalation of this disaster. But now, it seems I am close to unraveling the mystery…

Additionally, Equestria's ecosystem suffers due to the crystal. Wherever the green fields spread, lifeless deserts emerge. I suspect that by now, the mineral has occupied all the territory south of the Froggy Bottom Bog and the town of Dodge Junction. If the Everfree Forest becomes infected by the crystal soon, Ponyville and even Canterlot will be in mortal danger. However, if that were to happen, our entire species would be in mortal peril”.


– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.



Twilight Sparkle dipped her quill into the inkwell and let out a deep sigh. The sleepy gaze of her tired violet eyes briefly scanned the neatly written lines that sprawled across almost two pages of her research journal, which she had started just half an hour ago. The flickering light from two candles placed on either side of the reading desk played whimsically on the pages of her notepad, casting a certain air of mystery and perhaps even darkness that was associated with the question being researched by the princess.

After a few seconds, Twilight lifted her gaze and contemplatively glanced around as if searching for some lurking danger in the enveloping darkness of the room. She was in the library of the Castle of Friendship, where she had spent most of her time since Princess Celestia entrusted her with the task of finding any magical means to contain the relentless growth of the green crystal that had taken root in the south of Equestria after the tragic catastrophe that befell Appleloosa over a month ago. Since that fateful day when the town in the midst of the southern deserts, along with all its inhabitants, ceased to exist, death itself had begun to consume the lands of the little ponies.

It was hoped that the research aimed at finding something that Equestria and its magic could counter against the green plague approaching from the south would provide some chance of completely eradicating this nightmare, rooting it out once and for all, and preventing further casualties among the ponies. Therefore, Sparkle regarded her assigned duty with utmost responsibility, even though it was impossible to bring back the unfortunate victims of the disasters that had occurred. For over a week, she had delved into books on magic, tirelessly seeking vital solutions for Equestria, until she deemed it necessary to organize all the information she knew about the deadly mineral before planning any practical actions.

Having found something noteworthy in one of the books, the purple pony immediately picked up her quill and ink to promptly begin writing in her research journal, disregarding the lateness of the hour and her overwhelming fatigue. The Princess of Friendship desperately yearned for sleep, causing her eyelids to occasionally close on their own, and an unpleasant, monotonous ringing echoed in her ears. Nevertheless, her heightened sense of responsibility and the important task at hoof compelled her to remain focused, regardless of anything else.

Deep in thought, Twilight didn't notice how the sweet embrace of sleep almost enveloped her again. Considering sleep an indulgence she couldn't afford, she shook her head to refresh herself and redirected her gaze from the darkened bookshelves to the round table right in front of her. The purple pony sat on a soft couch, her back and shoulders covered by a warm blanket, and the surrounding atmosphere would have appeared enchantingly cozy to her if it weren't overshadowed by the current state of affairs, foretelling even greater calamities.

Fixing her eyes on the open journal lying on the table, Sparkle thought she had documented all the general information about the crystal that she had gathered mainly from the accounts of ponies who had seen the vast green fields firsthoof and miraculously avoided infection, as well as from the testimonies of the medics who had observed the demise of those unlucky enough to survive the horrors of mid-October. She had personally witnessed the deaths of unfortunate someponies, but she was willing to give up everything just to never see bodies of infected rapidly covered with crystal particles, and they painfully succumbing to asphyxiation, coughing up blood, and emitting soul-chilling moans.

Remembering it once more, Twilight felt her heart beat faster with anxious tension, causing the drowsiness to dissipate for a moment. However, as she tried to distance herself from those thoughts and contemplate what to do next, she noticed that her mind remained equally sluggish. Nevertheless, in the next moment, her silent struggle against fatigue was interrupted by the quiet creaking of the slowly opening door, through which Spike lazily strolled into the library.

The small purple dragon was barely dragging his feet on the perfectly smooth crystal floor and appeared sleepy as well, although not to the same extent as the princess. He wore a nightcap on his head, indicating his readiness for sleep. However, before going to bed completely, he couldn't help but check on the lavender mare, hopelessly immersed in the realm of books and having exhausted herself in her eagerness to solve the task on which the fate of all Equestria depended. Similar episodes had happened to her before, and her faithful assistant was well aware of it, although this time she didn't spare herself like never before.

"Are you still awake?" Spike rhetorically asked in a quiet, tired voice as he leisurely made his way to the table. The Princess of Friendship, wrapped in a blanket gifted to her by Rarity on her last birthday, watched him with a monotonous gaze.

"Yes, I'm still awake," Twilight exhaled. Glancing at her journal and the several stacks of books towering near the left candle, she firmly stated once again, "You know I have to figure out how to stop the growth of the green crystal, and the sooner, the better. We can't allow more victims because of it."

However, no matter how much Sparkle tried to infuse her words with determination, her voice betrayed extreme exhaustion and emptiness. The little dragon climbed onto one of the chairs opposite the couch where the pony sat, casually surveying the contents of the table, and asked:

"Any progress?"

"Looks like it, yes," the princess nodded. Using telekinesis, she grabbed the top book from one of the stacks and immediately opened it to the desired page, where she had thoughtfully placed a bookmark. She continued, "I've been searching for ideas in a book on ancient unicorn magic. I thought the solution to our problem might lie in the past. And I've discovered something interesting, it seems…"

With those words, she turned the book toward her beloved assistant, revealing pages filled with small print. Nonetheless, the light from two candles sufficiently illuminated the frame that contained some kind of spell. Next to it was a schematic drawing depicting a unicorn directing their magic toward a large precious gem.

"What's this?" the dragon inquired, not quite understanding from the illustration what the lavender pony had found on the open pages. He chose not to read the text, unwilling to strain his eyes further, which were already slightly blurry.

"It's a spell that unicorns used in ancient times to crush gemstones when they worked in the mines beneath Canterlot," Twilight explained, placing the book on the table in front of Spike. "I think that with a sufficient power of magical influence, this spell could completely destroy the crystalline structure. Perhaps it could even work on the green crystal?.."

"Well, you know better, it's your area of expertise," Spike said sleepily. Unable to resist, he let out a sweet yawn and finally uttered what he had actually come here to say, "Let's go to sleep, Twilight. It's already two in the morning."

"I can't, Spike," the alicorn objected. "I don't have time to sleep. I must figure everything out. Every second wasted by me could be fatal for the destiny of all Equestria!"

With a hint of skepticism, Spike looked at the purple mare. He knew well that the threat from the alien mineral was extremely dangerous for the entire country, but in his opinion, Sparkle was overreacting with her enthusiasm, as she always did whenever it came to a serious matter. Yes, he had seen himself all that the crystal did to those unfortunate enough to be infected by it. And it was worth immersing himself fully in the search for all possible means to prevent such horrors in the future. However, he considered spending another consecutive night on this task to be not very effective, not to mention the harm it could cause to health.

"Actually, sleep is not a waste of time. You haven't slept for the third night already. You need rest!" the princess's assistant insisted. He lowered his gaze and added almost in a whisper, "Besides, because of you, I can't sleep either. Every time I close my eyes, I think about you still being here, and it doesn't let me rest."

Leaning wearily against the back of the chair, Spike closed his eyes and listened to the absolute silence that beckoned him to sleep. While Twilight carried out her current task, he had been helping her by scouring the shelves for all the books related to magic and neatly stacking them on the round reading tables scattered around the room. In a sense, he considered taking his own rest a betrayal while the lavender pony worked tirelessly. She herself had no idea how seriously he took it. A sigh escaped her lips again, expressing regret once.

"I'm sorry, Spike," Sparkle whispered quietly. The importance of the task at hoof and Spike's insomnia, for which she turned out to be blame, tore her apart. But nonetheless, deep down, she realized that she should follow his advice, and her desperate desire to sleep pushed her towards that decision. Although Spike had already prepared himself for the usual arguments from the Princess of Friendship about the necessity of her sleep deprivation, she reluctantly agreed with a weak smile, "You're right. I need to rest."

Despite her eagerness to solve the arisen problem that threatened the entire world as quickly as possible, Twilight still considered it necessary to accept Spike's offer and get a few hours of sleep to return to the task tomorrow with renewed energy. She took off the blanket and carefully draped it over the back of the couch, then hopped off to the floor and motioned her head towards the exit to the corridor, signaling her assistant to come along. He eagerly caught up with the pony who had extinguished the candles and moved a few yards away from the table, illuminating the dark room with her horn. Her sleepy gait was somewhat unsteady and sluggish, so the dragon immediately caught up with her, pleased with himself for convincing her to rest.

The path to the doors leading out of the library was traversed in silence, with only the sound of the princess's hooves whimsically echoing the acoustics. Thoughts of the green crystal never left the mare's mind, even now when she had made the decision to temporarily step away from her task. With each step, she involuntarily delved deeper into contemplation, thinking about that ancient spell that had given her some hope. Though Twilight felt incredibly tired, she couldn't wait to test her hypothesis in practice.

After a quarter of a minute, the princess and her assistant emerged into one of the many spacious corridors on the second floor of the Castle of Friendship, leading in both directions. Just a little to the left, across from the library, was the entrance to the dining hall, and if they went to the right, they would soon reach Her Highness' private bedroom. That's where she directed her measured steps, accompanied by the little dragon, never ceasing to devise a plan for her further actions in her research. Finally breaking the nocturnal silence that enveloped the deserted corridor, she said:

"But I can't sleep for long. Wake me up with the first rays of sunlight, alright?"

"Are you sure you want to work yourself to exhaustion? You'll wear yourself out!" Spike expressed his concern. Lately, he had been genuinely worried about the princess's determination, which could easily drive herself to complete burnout.

"There's no other way. If we don't stop the growth of the green crystal soon, it will spread into the Everfree Forest. Then all of Central Equestria will be in great danger. Imagine what would happen if the crystal reacted with our castle!" Twilight said. Her voice clearly revealed the dreadful fear she felt towards the threat posed by the deadly mineral.

"It's terrifying even to think about," the dragon murmured anxiously, involuntarily glancing at the blue-violet crystalline walls of the corridor. He remembered how the purple pony had put forth a hypothesis based on a series of eyewitness accounts that the green crystal instantly transformed any precious gems into replicas of itself, meaning that, upon contact with it, the entire Castle of Friendship could turn into a massive poisonous megalith, not to mention the deposits of gemstones that he loved so much. Sparkle continued:

"And if the green fields engulf our lands and reach the Crystal Empire, then Equestria's history will come to a bitter end. We cannot allow that! So it's crucial that you wake me up early, and I continue the work, understood?"

"As you say, Twilight. Just hope I don't oversleep myself…"

The bedroom doors were wide open, and they only had to make one final push. Considering they had very little time for sleep, Spike was eager to get into bed as soon as possible, so he quickened his pace, urging Twilight to be more hastily. In just a moment, they were side by side entering a relatively small room with a luxurious canopy bed belonging to the Princess of Friendship. Opposite the bed were seven other sleeping places. They were meant for all of lavender pony's friends and her assistant, who had slept in them during the previous pajama party they had held just before the disaster in Appleloosa. Seeing the empty, neatly made beds made Sparkle feel a little sad. Since then, she was no longer having fun with her best friends in this way, and as soon as the irreparable happened, she didn't even have the energy to organize a big cleanup here.

However, one of these rather small beds was slightly rumpled, and the blanket on it was halfway pulled back. The thing was, ever since Twilight became engrossed in her work, Spike often slept here with her, as it was now up to him to wake her up in the mornings if she managed to get any sleep at all. The princess had developed chronic sleep deprivation, and neither an alarm clock nor the rooster's crowing from the Apples' farm could always bring her back from the realm of Princess Luna to the real world. Even the little dragon sometimes took about half an hour to get her to wake up, although she invariably scolded him for not trying hard enough.

Moving ahead, Spike reached his bed, which was next to the sleeping place where Starlight Glimmer had occasionally slept until recently while also assisting the princess in studying magic books, sometimes even right in the bedroom. But a few days ago, the purple-maned unicorn caught a slight cold and had to take a kind of sick leave, which she spent in her own room. Clinging to the edge of the bed with his paws, the little dragon briefly remembered checking on her a couple of hours ago and making sure she was on the mend. He was about to climb up when he froze, noticing that the princess was softly pacing towards the window.

From the bedroom of the Princess of Friendship, there was a beautiful view of nighttime Ponyville, evoking a sense of melancholy late autumn. Some trees still held onto their leaves, painted in magnificent colors ranging from golden-yellow to fiery red. However, most of the plants had shed their lush crowns, especially after the annual Running of the Leaves traditionally held in early October.

Everywhere was filled with the somber atmosphere of late autumn. It seemed that these words could describe not only the current season and its corresponding weather. Ever since that ill-fated meteorite crashed in the south, bringing death with it, Equestria seemed to have also shed the foliage of its former tranquility, which made the princess not quite herself. She was constantly tormented by the oppressive thought that this was now the new normal.

On the other hoof, Ponyville slept peacefully this night, as did the other towns inhabited by little ponies. Immediately after the catastrophic cataclysm, a wave of panic swept across all of Equestria, but it quickly subsided, especially as new cases of infection ceased to emerge. Despite the somewhat uneasy atmosphere lingering in society, the country had more or less returned to its normal life. Only southern cities like Dodge Junction or Las Pegasus harbored fears of becoming the next victims of the spreading green fields. Those same fears haunted Twilight, who understood all too well that Ponyville would have its turn later. Her gaze briefly swept over the beloved town, pausing at the houses where her close friends lived and currently surrendered to sleep.

Closest to the Castle of Friendship was Sugarcube Corner, serving as home to Pinkie Pie. A little further down near the edge of Ponyville was Carousel Boutique, where Rarity reside in. Even further on the outskirts of the western district hovered the cloud mansion of Rainbow Dash, and to the southwest of the town on a hill stood Sweet Apple Acres, the cherished domain of Applejack. Only Fluttershy's cottage, located near the Everfree Forest, was almost indistinguishable from here, especially in the night mist. Perhaps not in the last place, and maybe even in the first place, Sparkle was driven to find a solution to the deadly mineral because of fear for all of her friends. She least wanted this calamity to befall any of them, like those unfortunate ponies she had seen dying from the destructive effects of the green crystal…

"Twilight?" Spike called her softly, noticing that she had been gazing out of the window lost in thought for almost half a minute, as if consumed by deep sorrow.

Turning around, Twilight saw that her assistant hadn't climbed onto his bed yet and had even taken a few steps towards the window. Then she looked into the vastness – to where, miles away, the boundless green field began, steadily closing this still substantial distance each passing day – and asked sadly:

"How much time do you think we have left? How soon will the green crystal reach Ponyville?"

"To be honest, I don't even want to think about it. I really hope it never happens," the little dragon expressed his wishes, standing by the window next to the pony. Although he had to rise slightly on tiptoes and hold onto the windowsill with his claws to get a glimpse of the panorama of the peacefully slumbering Ponyville.

Exchanging a brief glance with her beloved assistant, Sparkle simply nodded in silence, expressing her agreement. She shared the dragon's hopes, just like any other Equestrian, and couldn't deny that the thought of the approach of this monstrous crystal also brought her the most negative emotions. The lavender mare vividly remembered all the threats that had befallen Equestria, which she and her friends had faced together – from the return of Nightmare Moon from her thousand-year imprisonment to the invasion of Storm King's formidable army that happened last summer – and perhaps none of them promised as much disaster as the appearance of the devastating mineral from space. At least, none of the past dangers had loomed over the world of little ponies for so long and gathered such a harvest of deaths.

"Something needs to be done about this before it's too late," this simple yet soul-wrenching thought ingrained itself in Sparkle's mind once again, urging her to fight against the impending disaster without sparing herself. With a worried shake of her head, she whispered almost under her breath:

"In any case, there's no time to wait. We must head to the green field tomorrow and put that spell to the test."

"Already?" Spike was slightly taken aback. He knew of the princess's plans to visit the northern borders of the vast green crystal field soon, to see everything with her own eyes, but he hadn't anticipated her jumping into action so quickly and unexpectedly.

"I'm afraid we're running out of time," Sparkle replied with regret, her gaze fixed on the Everfree Forest, a dark wall stretching beyond Ponyville. "Do you remember what those ponies from Hoofington told? Since the crystal infects the trees and spreads through them via spores, we cannot allow it to reach the forests of Central Equestria."

"Yeah, like we didn't have enough trouble with the growth of thorny vines from the Everfree Forest," the little dragon grumbled gloomily, recalling how the dense forest had literally encroached upon Ponyville several years ago. "I hope we won't have similar problems involving the green crystal, or else we'll be in big trouble. I'm not sure if the Tree of Harmony can stop it if magic has been powerless against it so far."

Understanding the remarkable resilience of the alien mineral to magical manipulation, Twilight let out a snick thoughtfully. Reports had come from some unicorns in Hoofington and other small towns west of Everfree Forest, which found themselves dangerously close to the green field, that they had attempted to destroy the crystals using elementary spells. Nevertheless, they were only able to crush this mineral into individual particles, which did not bring any useful result. From this small fragments, the huge poisonous field continued to expand further.

These same ponies, forced to risk contact with the crystal soon after its appearance in Equestria, discovered that it was possible to be near it without harm by donning a special chemical protection suit – for at least a considerable amount of time. Although their initial experiments in magic proved unsuccessful, Twilight couldn't ignore the fact that she now had the opportunity to study the mineral in its habitat, which she was initially strongly discouraged from doing by her friends and alicorn sisters. Nevertheless, she believed that there was magic capable of conquering this green plague.

"Actually, the Elements possess the most powerful magic, so perhaps the Tree will be able to deal with it. However, we shouldn't allow the crystal to advance that far. It would be preferable to find an effective method to combat it by the end of this year," Twilight stated, looking at her assistant, and added, "But in order for that to happen, we need to start tomorrow."

"Then you need to go to sleep right now to gather your energy for tomorrow," Spike briefly smiled, exchanging glances with the alicorn. She returned a sweet smile in response. Wanting to show appreciation for Spike's thoughtfulness, she affectionately embraced him by his scaly shoulders and sleepily whispered:

"Thank you for caring, Spike…"



1.2. Patches in the Sky

”Today is 11.22.1307. I woke up a little later than planned, but it didn't stop me from finishing my work on the theory on time. Then it was time for practice. Most of the day, my friends and I spent near the border of the green field. By my estimation, it's about twenty miles away from the Everfree Forest. This fact terrifies me, as does the ominous sight of the endless wasteland, in the heart of which Appaloosa used to be. I feel so sorry for Applejack… many of her relatives lived in that town. I can only imagine how much she must be grieving over the deaths of her loved ponies! Although she tries not to show her emotions, we all empathize with her deeply.

Now, regarding the ancient spell I discovered yesterday. It turns out that it significantly breaks down the green crystal, but it doesn't completely destroy it, just like everything my predecessors have tried. So, my idea didn't live up to expectations. Fortunately, our special suits protected us from the crystal's effects, allowing us to collect samples. Now I can continue my practical research in Ponyville.

However, this day brought us not only failure due to the ineffectiveness of my idea but also hope. We returned to Ponyville in the evening and met Zecora, who had been looking for me in our absence. She told us that the Everfree Forest was filled with animals infected by the crystal. Many of them have perished… poor Fluttershy struggled to hold back tears upon hearing this news. Zecora has been trying to help the animals with various herbal concoctions and has achieved some results. Through experimentation, she managed to develop a remedy that eliminates crystalline formations on the infected creatures. She creates this potion using certain plants found only in the Everfree Forest, giving us another reason to fight to prevent the green crystal from consuming it.

So, Zecora has learned how to save those infected by the crystal from death. However, her potion can only cure them at the early stages of infection. If the body's crystallization reaches a certain stage, even her potion won't be able to help. Nevertheless, Zecora's discovery has given us some hope. Perhaps, if I can understand how these herbs affect the crystal, we can stop the growth of the green field. I hope that we will be able to completely eradicate this deadly mineral.

Zecora willingly agreed to share the secret of brewing her miraculous potion with us. Fluttershy volunteered to be the first to learn its recipe since she genuinely desires to help the sick ponies and forest creatures with all her kind heart. Zecora promised to tell her about the herbs she uses starting tomorrow. Before leaving Ponyville, she gave me a bottle of her potion in the hope that it will aid me in finding a solution to eliminate the threat from the green crystal once and for all”.


– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.



After finishing writing, Twilight closed her research journal and pushed it towards the center of the table. Today, she had ventured close to the field of green crystals, accompanied by her five friends. Remembering the lifeless wasteland stretching to the south as far as the eye could see, she felt a tremor inside her, and the fact that the ancient spell she had discovered didn't yield the expected results only added fuel to the fire. However, the lavender pony tried to reassure herself with the prospects brought by Zecora, the zebra herbalist from the Everfree Forest, in treating the infected animals. She was determined not to lose hope.

After a eventful day, Twilight felt quite tired, despite most of the journey to the green field being covered by train with her friends, which took them to the Ghastly Gorge. She stretched out on the couch and, folding her hooves on the hoofrest, lowered her head on them to relax for a while. After recent insomnia, the way back and forth, apart from working with the crystal, was rather difficult for her. But at least the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony managed to bring back some samples of the mineral to the Castle of Friendship, and for now, there was no need for them to return there, as the princess had the opportunity to study it at home.

While giving her body a well-deserved rest, Sparkle, as usual, couldn't stop pondering. She still had a few spells in reserve that she had come across in books over the past two weeks, but she hadn't had enough time to fully understand them and risk trying them out yesterday. After all, there were rumors among some ponies that the crystals could sometimes explode, so attempting to annihilate them required intelligence and caution. But regardless, the lavender mare placed the highest stakes on the zebra's potion, which proved capable of saving an infected organism from the deadly crystallization.

Wandering through the labyrinth of her own thoughts, Twilight couldn't stop thinking about the mineral and roughly estimating a plan for further studying its samples. But at some point, she found herself questioning its origin. How many light-years had that meteorite traveled before crashing onto the Appleloosa? And how did these uncontrollably growing and multiplying crystals originate on it? Yes, this unusual substance filled her with horror, just like the foreboding of the victims and destruction it could bring to the central part of Equestria. Yet the princess admitted to herself that these whimsical bright green crystals, faintly glowing and emitting a toxic haze, intrigued her inquisitive mind.

After all, nopony had encountered anything similar before, so the green crystal seemed like a puzzle to the purple mare, a mystery she was determined to solve in order to understand its nature. On the other hoof, she fully realized that she was dealing primarily with a threat to all living beings, in other words, an extremely dangerous enemy rather than an object of academic study. She had only one task before her – to prevent the continued loss of life due to this green plague, like the unfortunate Appleloosans and the bison tribes that once inhabited the southern desert. The rest held little significance for her.

In her deep contemplation, the Princess of Friendship lost track of time, but soon she was interrupted by the opening door – just like last night. In the first fraction of a second, she even managed to smile faintly and assume that Spike would enter the library and kindly suggest that she go to bed early since her work and sleep schedule needed to be regulated. However, instead of a dragon, a pony figure appeared in the doorway. In the light of the tall lamp standing to the right of the couch, which provided ample illumination to the spacious room, she recognized Starlight Glimmer – her loyal student.

Freezing at the door, the gentle lilac unicorn let her gaze wander over the bookshelves until she noticed her mentor sitting on the couch near the reading table, looking somewhat confused. She then took noticeably unsteady steps toward the alicorn, swaying from side to side now and then. However, it wasn't even this that left the princess stunned at the sight of her student; although it was certainly unexpected to see her in such a strange state, as if she hadn't slept for two weeks and had been working in diamond mines all that time. The reason for the princess's shock was the profound sense of moral despair that could be read on the face of the violet-maned pony, as if she had just witnessed the destruction of Ponyville under the offensive of the infamous green crystal.

"Starlight?" Twilight called out with concern. She lifted her head and her ears immediately perked up. "Are you alright?"

"No, I…" Glimmer barely managed to utter coherently before she suddenly swayed to the side, almost losing her balance. Seeing that something was indeed wrong with her friend, Sparkle jumped off the couch and rushed towards her, eager to help if needed… and it surely seemed necessary.

"Let me help you," the Princess of Friendship offered sympathetically, wrapping her hooves around friend's shoulders. In that same moment, she noticed a distinct scent with hints of apples emanating from the unicorn.

Leaning on her mentor, Starlight expressed her gratitude for her care, and Twilight helped her make her way to the couch. It wasn't difficult for the princess to understand the source of the scent emanating from her friend. Apparently, she had indulged in cider, which surprised Twilight. Normally, the gentle lilac pony didn't have a strong liking for the apple-based drink, and even during holidays, she would only have a couple of mugs, unlike Applejack or Rainbow Dash, who sometimes indulged to the point of becoming quite tipsy during Hearth's Warming Eve.

Arriving at the coffee table with her friend, Twilight seated her on the edge of the couch. The fact that Glimmer had been drinking cider became even stranger considering that she had recently been ill and following bed rest. Now the unicorn had mostly recovered, with only a slight sniffle remaining, and she had even gone outside for a bit to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the castle. Could something bad have happened during her outing? Upon closer observation, Twilight noticed that the violet-maned pony's blue eyes were slightly moist, as if she had just been crying.

"You smell like cider," the purple alicorn finally remarked. Fear for her friend, that something serious had happened, grew within her with each moment of uncertainty. "What happened, Starlight? Did somepony hurt you?"

At first, the violet-maned unicorn didn't respond. She simply cast her gaze down in dismay and nervously swallowed, unable to speak. Approaching her closely, the princess was about to ask another question, but Starlight suddenly spoke in a trembling voice:

"There are patches in the sky…"

"What?" Twilight didn't understand, raising an eyebrow. She had heard that ponies could deliriously ramble due to excessive cider consumption, but she suspected that her student had uttered that cryptic phrase with some degree of awareness.

"It's the end," Starlight sighed abruptly, shaking her head. Her eyes seemed to gaze into nothingness, something clearly had shaken her to the core, causing a growing sense of concern in the princess's heart.

"You're scaring me, Starlight," Twilight admitted. Gently placing a hoof on her shoulder, she tried once again to elicit a coherent response from her: "Please, tell me what happened? Are you feeling unwell?"

"You…" the gentle lilac pony began, but faltered, swallowing loudly. Apparently, a lump in her throat was preventing her from speaking. But taking a deep breath, she managed to utter, albeit with a slightly stuttering tongue, "Tell me, have you ever considered that there might be… life on other pla-planets?"

The rather unexpected counter-question from the unicorn left the alicorn more confused than ever. Why would she suddenly delve into such philosophical ponderings, considering that she clearly wasn't feeling well? Unable to grasp the reason behind it all, the princess, albeit slightly unsure, honestly replied:

"Yes, I even wrote an essay on this topic back in school. But why are you asking about it?"

"And what do you think about it?" Glimmer countered once again, her empty gaze fixed on the carpet in front of the couch, where a small table stood.

"I think that the existence of life in space is as unproven as it is unrefuted," Sparkle continued to respond to her friend's questions, the meaning of which escaped her. She felt herself becoming increasingly tangled in confusion. "But I don't understand where you're going with this."

With a sob, Starlight finally looked into her mentor's eyes, and Twilight caught the silent fear in her gaze. Instantly reviewing the recent days in her mind, the Princess of Friendship could only recall that the gentle lilac pony, much like herself, was greatly distressed by the looming threat of the green crystal. Nevertheless, she couldn't identify any clear reasons for this anxiety to escalate into a near panic attack. In truth, she had no idea what could have frightened the unicorn so much.

"Why, Twilight?" Starlight almost whispered, her eyes still fixed on the bewildered princess, before she could say anything else. A solitary tear rolled down the cheek of the violet-maned mare, and a stream of incoherent words poured from her mouth: "Why is all of this… happening? All those ponies who died… it's like we're cursed! First that evil crystal, and now… patches in the sky, and…"

"Come on, Starlight?" Twilight consoled, sitting down on the couch next to her friend and gently embracing her shoulders with her hooves, trying to calm her down, although she didn't quite understand what had upset her. "Everything will be okay, don't worry! Yes, we've faced many difficulties. But we'll overcome them – together, just like always, right?"

In response to her friend's reassuring words, Glimmer nodded abruptly. Although Sparkle herself was far from certain about a favorable outcome, and even a momentary victory over the deadly mineral wouldn't bring back the lives of so many ponies it had taken, she still tried to uplift the unicorn who had suddenly become unhinged for some reason. Starlight took a deep breath, seemingly slightly calmer, and the princess smiled warmly, expressing more positivity, which she herself needed now more than ever before, in a friendly manner.

"I'm sorry, I… I'm feeling a bit off," Starlight murmured apologetically after a brief pause, her ears drooping and her gaze shifting slightly to the side. Then she looked back at her friend, who was waiting patiently, and got to the heart of the problem. "You know where the Star Swirl's constellation is, right?"

"Of course," nodded the lavender pony, slightly wary.

"Take a look at it."

The unicorn said nothing more, but it was enough to put the alicorn in a stupor once more. The intense gaze in Starlight's blue eyes seemed to say, "Look, and you'll understand." Twilight became even more uneasy; she had no doubts that something had truly shocked her student. Perhaps she was even afraid to approach the telescope and see what dreadful thing had befallen the mentioned constellation, but she couldn't avoid it. After all, if a new problem had arisen, it would inevitably have to be dealt with.

"Alright," Twilight said warily, then hopped off the couch, but immediately stopped and turned back to her friend. "Don't go anywhere, okay? I'll be back soon."

Having received her agreement, the purple pony hurriedly trotted towards the library exit. She had no idea what a terrible surprise awaited her in the night sky, where the purple-haired unicorn saw something that threw her into confusion. She had never seen her friend so downcast or much less drunk, which filled her with a sense of foreboding. However, after the devastation of Appleloosa from the impact of the meteorite that infused with death itself, she was perhaps prepared for anything… or at least, for much.

Rushing out into the corridor, Twilight immediately headed towards her favorite spot for contemplating the night sky. But she froze in her tracks when she noticed Spike. He seemed to be making his way from the kitchen to the library, carrying a tray with a cup of tea and a saucer holding two chamomile sandwiches. Standing a few meters away from the lavender pony who had burst out of the doors, the little dragon stared at her with wide eyes. It was as if he instantly sensed that something had put the princess worried for some reason.

"Twilight?" he asked, quite surprised. The alicorn had stopped in front of the wide-open doors of the library. With no clue as to why she had burst into the corridor as if she had seen a ghost in the realm of books, the dragon promptly got down to business: "Are you hungry? I've prepared a snack for you."

"Thank you, Spike, but there's no time for that now," Sparkle replied, causing her assistant to become quite wary.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I don't know yet," the princess shook her head, then pointed towards the library entrance and continued, "Something's not right with Starlight, she seems really upset about something. Stay with her for now, okay? I'll be quick!"

"Where are you going?" Spike asked with puzzlement, as Twilight started dashing down the corridor. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave a succinct reply:

"I need to look at the stars!"

Not understanding much of what the princess had said, Spike stood still for a while, trying to make sense of anything. All he knew was that Starlight seemed upset about something and needed to be comforted urgently. In the context of this fact, Twilight's eagerness to head towards the telescope seemed rather odd to the dragon. He looked at the library doors, where a distressed Starlight remained, then turned his gaze back to Twilight, who was hurrying away, and muttered in bewilderment:

"She found time for astronomy!"

A few minutes later, Twilight reached her destination, which was a quite spacious open area in the western wing of the Castle of Friendship, featuring a fountain and sun loungers for relaxation. During summer days, she and her friends enjoyed spending time there. In addition, it also provided a convenient spot for stargazing, something the princess hadn't done in a long while. Approaching the tall doors leading to the fresh air, she glanced at the telescope, as usual, resting on the left against the wall, awaiting the next astronomy session.

The device for contemplating the cosmos was standing slightly askew and, moreover, was not folded – the telescope tube was perpendicular to the tripod, although Twilight always lowered it parallel after finishing her astronomy sessions. It was immediately clear to her that Starlight had just used it. Due to her not-so-awake state, the gentle lilac unicorn simply didn't bother to fold the telescope as she should have. Well, expecting to see something dreadful in space, the princess didn't rush to blame her for such uncharacteristic carelessness.

Opening the doors, Twilight immediately felt the gust of autumn wind. But paying no attention to the chill, she enchanted the telescope and stepped onto the terrace with it. This place was very clean, as Spike regularly cleared the aftermath of the leaf fall in such open spaces of the castle, and the fountain wasn't working due to the approaching winter. Moving towards the center of the area, where sun loungers were usually placed on warm days, she was already looking intently at the night sky. Finally, the purple alicorn spotted the Big Dipper and, to her deepest surprise, found that the Star Swirl's constellation was simply missing next to it.

Stopping at the edge of the fountain, Twilight placed the telescope beside her and began to look at the stars with her naked eye for the time being before using it. Shifting her gaze slightly away from where the stars Starlight mentioned should have been, she noticed that a part of the neighboring Pegasus constellation had also disappeared from the night sky. Considering that Twilight was well-versed in astronomy, there could be no mistakes – these celestial bodies had indeed vanished, leaving her astonished. It was hard to imagine the reason why the cosmos suddenly started to fade out before her eyes.

Nevertheless, everything must have some explanation, so without much thought, Twilight stood in front of the telescope and, pointing it to the right part of the cosmos, began adjusting the lenses. Although she had no idea what could have caused this anomaly, she hardly doubted that Starlight's distress was not solely due to the fact that some stars were missing from the sky. Trying to suppress her inner tension, the princess looked into the eyepiece again, and now she could see exactly what the depths of the perpetually empty and silent space concealed…

As it turned out, some astronomical objects were obscured by a whole cluster of large wormholes. But this astonishing sight was apparently not what frightened Glimmer. What seemed much more terrifying was that next to these patches in the sky, as the unicorn named them, there was something resembling an incredibly gigantic swarm. The unknown cluster consisted of individual small elements that Twilight could not clearly make out at such a great distance. Nevertheless, it was perfectly clear to her that it was truly colossal – so much so that it could probably make up a couple of planets.

"Oh, Celestia!" Twilight involuntarily whispered, stepping back from the telescope and looking up at the night sky with wide eyes. "What is this?"

Having asked herself the question, she found no answer. On the other hoof, she now understood what her student meant when asking about the possibility of living organisms existing in space. Most likely, Starlight intuitively took this cluster for some extraterrestrial form of life. However, such a conclusion seemed quite logical, and the Princess of Friendship was ready to agree with it. Looking through the telescope again and seeing the cluster, she likened it to a swarm of bees or locusts, spreading across the vast expanse of space.

Stepping back a couple of steps from the telescope, Twilight pondered. She didn't know what to expect from this cosmic phenomenon and how to react to it. However, against the already tense situation involving the green crystal, which, by the way, also came from space, her mind involuntarily entertained the worst assumptions, leaving her jaw slightly agape and her breathing heavy. Feeling the growing unease inside her, the lavender pony decided that she didn't want to stay here alone with her not-so-rosy premonitions…




* * *


2 hours ago…

Gazing up at the sunset sky, Starlight watched with delight as one of her favorite kites – a blue rectangular one adorned with colorful ribbons – danced through the air, swaying with the wind's currents as if gliding upon them. At the same time, the unicorn's magic held the leash firmly by a short pole to prevent the gusts from carrying her beloved one away from its owner. Kites were her passion; she loved to watch them fly! And now, with the windy weather in Ponyville, she found it irresistible to miss a perfect opportunity for her hobby, despite her recent cold.

However, the main reason Starlight ventured outside this evening was to clear her mind after an extended stay within the walls of the Castle of Friendship, and to distract herself from a less than positive mood. The catastrophe that had shaken the southern deserts and subsequently all of Equestria had affected her spirits as well. Being Twilight's loyal partner in understanding the nature of the green crystal, she saw the same things as the princess – from countless pages in magic books to the deaths of infected ponies.

Although today Starlight didn't accompany the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony on their relatively short expedition to the green field. Twilight left her in charge of their dwelling and was against her going out in such chilly weather, considering she's still got a runny nose. Yet, the gentle lilac unicorn had grown utterly tired of confining herself indoors, and as soon as her friends returned home, she decided to indulge in her favorite pastime. To shield herself from the wind, she wrapped a warm scarf of wondrous azure around her neck.

Trying not to dwell on anything negative, Glimmer found pleasure in watching the flight of the kite, and her soul relaxed from all the dread that had filled the past one and a half months. At the same time, she occasionally glanced at the stars, already emerging in the darkening sky, painted with the last rays of the sun, only sometimes looking around at the wooden houses of Ponyville, through the streets of which the local ponies wandered to and fro. Precisely because most of her attention was directed upwards, she didn't notice when one of her best friends approached her. Unexpectedly, pink hooves tightly embraced her neck, causing her to almost stumble and nearly release the leash tied to the pole from her magical aura.

"Hiya, Starly!" an immediately joyful and ringing voice sounded. Even before the violet-maned unicorn turned her gaze towards the source of the cheerful greeting, she instantly realized that it was none other than Pinkie Pie who had embraced her.

"Oh, Pinkie," Starlight said slightly bewilderedly, looking at her friend whose face beamed with a wide smile. Then she nervously chuckled, "You startled me a little!"

"Oops, sorry, I just wanted to cheer you up after your illness, because you were cooped up in the castle for so-o-o long, like a mare in a tower from foal tales," Pinkie cheerfully rambled, then letting go of her friend from the hug and bouncing a meter backward. "Welcome back to the fresh air!"

In response to the congratulations, Starlight smiled affectionately, but before she could express her gratitude, the snowy white unicorn halted beside the cheerful pink earth pony, catching up to her frisky friend with a leisurely elegant gait. Nodding politely, Rarity extended her greetings in her characteristic manner:

"Good evening, Starlight!"

"Hi there, girls," Glimmer responded with a smile, still not releasing the kite into free flight. Although she had seen her friends this morning as they set off for the green field, exchanging warmly spoken greetings was certainly not unnecessary. However, beyond this, she was well aware of the danger of being near the mineral, so she felt the need to express her concern: "How are you feeling after the trip?"

"Oh, splendidly!" Pinkie chimed in carefreely, giving a wave of her hoof. "You should have seen the green field! So many glittering things there!"

Despite the world being engulfed by the green plague, the pink pony often remained in her perpetually cheerful mood, and many whispered that she simply did not comprehend the gravity of the situation. Although in the first days after the meteorite strike, when Infected ponies from the south flooded Central Equestria, she shared the general panic over this terrible occurrence, all with her characteristic emotional fervor. Yet, soon after the mineral stopped visibly reminding them of itself, Pinkie seemed to forget the past horrors, particularly given that, unlike Twilight and Starlight, she didn't witness the unfortunate victims suffering at the Ponyville hospital.

Somewhat taken aback by the impressions expressed by the pink-maned mare, Rarity merely rolled her eyes in bewilderment. Her perspective on what the six of them had witnessed today was completely opposite.

"Glittering things that destroy all living," the snowy white pony reminded her impressionable friend, who drew from today's expedition only the fact that the green crystals sparkled oddly in the sunlight. Although to the dressmaker, this sparkle seemed ominous and certainly did not compare to the elegance of emeralds, despite their color similarity. Clearing her throat slightly, she gave the unicorn with kite a substantial response: "But, Celestia be praised, we certainly haven't suffered from this nasty crystal! In those protective suits, it's actually quite safe… though in earlier times, I most certainly wouldn't have worn such a thing…"

"I have no doubt," Glimmer chuckled amiably. Taking a deep breath with some relief, she concluded, "Well, I'm very glad that you're all alright!"

"Thank you, darling," responded Rarity politely, while Pinkie kept her sparkling eyes fixed on her, as if wanting to remind her of something. After a quick exchange of glances, she suddenly realized, "Oh, by the way, Pinkie and I decided to unwind after the long journey and take a stroll through the shops, and…"

"Do you want to join us?" the pink-maned pony cut straight to the point, interrupting the explanation of the snowy white unicorn that seemed to her to have started from too far away. The spirited smile still adorned Pinkie's face.

Certainly, Starlight was well aware that Rarity and Pinkie Pie often spent time together exploring the local shops – mainly those specializing in clothing from the couturiers the white unicorn had become acquainted with. And although they had very different views on shopping – one sought inspiration and ideas, while the other simply enjoyed looking at various quirky items, especially those abundant in sparkles – both of them always had a blast.

"You know, I… uh…" the violet-maned unicorn began, but suddenly faltered, unable to hold back a sneeze that escaped beneath her. For a moment, her magic wavered, barely catching the kite that almost got carried away by the wind.

"Bless you, darling," the dressmaker wished, while the cheerful pink pony promptly pulled out from her voluminous mane exactly what the Princess's student needed most right now:

"Paper tissues?"

"Thank you," Starly mumbled into the cloth, plucking one from the extended pack and blowing her nose. Then, she dissipated it with a touch of magic, the turquoise glint evaporating it away, and returned to the initial topic, politely declining: "I'm certainly flattered that you're inviting me along, but shopping isn't exactly my forte."

"Come on, it's always fun together!" Pinkie countered with energetic bounces, her excitement palpable as she looked forward to sharing moments with her friends.

"Pinkie's right," Rarity agreed with a slight smile. "Especially since, if I recall correctly, you need a new hat for the winter. If you'd like, I could help you choose something in line with the current fashion."

"Go for it, Starlight!" the pink pony chimed in immediately, snuggling in closely to her.

Recalling her winter hat, the violet-maned pony briefly pondered that it hadn't anticipated needing a replacement, but she didn't want to argue with the authority of the fashion-savvy Rarity. However, she also noted that in the presence of her friends, it had become much easier to maintain a positive outlook. So, she thought it was a good idea to spend the evening with them, and at this point, it didn't really matter what the activity would be.

"Well, since you insist, then alright – I'm in," Glimmer chuckled good-naturedly, gently moving the lively pink-maned friend away from her, whose smile stretched from ear to ear. "But first, I need to take the kite back to the castle…"

"No worries, we're just getting started," reassured the snowy white unicorn, her words immediately complemented by the pink cheerful pony:

"And you can also invite Twi and Spike to come with us!"

"I'll give it a try," nodded Glimmer, though she then flattened her ears and let out a heavy sigh. "Although, I don't think it will work out. Lately, Twilight has been glued to her work. I imagine now, especially with you bringing samples of the green crystal, it will be even harder to get her out of the castle."

"No kidding," confirmed the dressmaker. "Honestly, I'm worried about her all the time. Yes, her work is crucial for all of Equestria, but she shouldn't be pushing herself so relentlessly."

"Actually, I totally understand her. She wants this nightmare to end as soon as possible, so she's not thinking about herself at all," Starlight said sadly. Taking part in her mentor's researching, she also worked her hardest until she caught a cold after a session at the spa in the cold wind.

Even during her illness, the gentle lilac unicorn continued to delve into books on magic until her condition worsened, at which point the Princess of Friendship insisted she start bed rest. Needless to say, Twilight truly spared no effort in seeking answers to world-critical questions, yet she never ceased to care for her friends.

Recalling the recent sleepless nights spent searching for various spells and realizing once again that the appearance of the green crystal had robbed life of its former cloudlessness, Starlight lowered her gaze. As she looked up at her friends, she noticed the same sadness reflected on their faces, along with genuine sympathy. Pinkie's smile faded as she thought about the rather inauspicious changes that had occurred even in the daily lives of the Princess of Friendship and her student. However, the unicorn was determined not to let sorrow or, worse, fear overcome both of them, which could certainly spoil their evening.

"Um, well, I'll join you soon, alright?" the gentle lilac mare switched back to the previous topic. To her satisfaction, the dressmaker and the pink cheerful one immediately returned to their previous mood.

"We'll be waiting for all three of you," the snowy white unicorn smiled, to which the princess's student nodded willingly. Following that, Pinkie perked up:

"If anything, we'll be at the hat shop, and then we're going to buy me an oven mitt! Rarity promised to help me pick out the prettiest and most fashionable one!"

"In that case, see you in about half an hour," Starlight summarized, and her friends went about their tasks – one with a graceful stride, as if on a catwalk, and the other in cheerful leaps.

Both ponies soon left the hill on the outskirts of Ponyville where Glimmer usually launched her kites. Her attention once again turned to her favorite one soaring high in the air, when suddenly the sky grew dark, and night surrounded her. Celestia had set the sun, but under the light of the moon's glow, which had risen at Luna's command, the colorful ribbons of the kite still looked whimsical. However, there was no time to admire it. Unfortunately, as winter approached, nights grew longer than in the warmer months.

Focusing on telekinesis, Starlight was about to pull the kite towards her when she froze, noticing something unusual. Upon closer examination of the night sky, she clearly observed the constellation known as the Big Dipper, to the right of which the Star Swirl's constellation should have been situated. However, some strange and unexplainable changes had occurred in the starry sky. To her astonishment, the violet-maned unicorn noticed that the Star Swirl's constellation was inexplicably absent.

Starlight was thoroughly perplexed. Even in her foalhood, she had been fascinated by astronomy, and after befriending Twilight, she had delved into the subject in a new light. Therefore, she knew for a fact that the Big Dipper and the Star Swirl's constellation usually appeared in the sky around the same time during sunset. However, the latter seemed to have been erased as if by an eraser. In the wake of the catastrophe that had occurred the previous month, the pony grew uneasy at the sight of this strange anomaly. Before joining Rarity and Pinkie in their shopping, Glimmer decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a look at the cosmos through her mentor's telescope…




* * *


"Why do you think this phenomenon is dangerous for us?" Twilight asked her student with concern, although she herself felt that these wormholes boded no good. But she was interested in the unicorn's opinion, subconsciously hoping to dispel any false alarm.

"Have you noticed the planet Martis?" Starlight countered with a question. Her mentor tensed inwardly once again.

"No", she was honest, though.

"It's half-destroyed," the gentle lilac pony said with fixed gaze on a single point, which greatly alarmed Sparkle and made her seriously ponder the nature of the observed cluster. Looking up with fearful eyes, the unicorn added, "And there are no more asteroids either. This phenomenon is destroying them, you know?"

Unable to say anything in response, Twilight exchanged a bewildered glance with Spike, who was standing nearby. The little dragon didn't quite understand what the ponies were talking about, but he couldn't help but feel the tension in the air. Starlight remained seated on the couch, seemingly in a trance. She felt very bad – emotionally, first of all – although her mind had sobered up somewhat, especially after the princess's assistant poured her a glass of milk. But it only made things worse for her, as it made her realize more clearly that following the red planet Martis, this mysterious cosmic cluster would surely set its sights on Equestria.

Having seen how the strange cluster destroyed half of a whole planet and a considerable sector of the asteroid belt, Glimmer immediately felt everything inside her break. If this phenomenon, whatever it was, brought destruction, then expecting something good from it would be foolish. So, the unicorn first thought that she had observed through the telescope was nothing but a foreshadowing of the end of the world. Unable to bear this soul-crushing thought, she decided to do something she had never done before – drink cider until she simply forgot herself. After all the nightmares that the green crystal had brought with it, she was just tired of this endless tension, which now had acquired a new, unprecedented scale…

"And what is this phenomenon?" asked Spike after a short pause, not catching on to the cause of all the commotion.

"It seems to be the activity of some extraterrestrial civilization," Sparkle gloomily supposed, basing her assumption on all the facts known to her, though it was her recent brief conversation with Glimmer that had led her to this hypothesis in the first place.

Upon hearing this news, Spike seemed to fall into a momentary stupor. He immediately recalled the science-fiction comics he had read, whose plots told of interplanetary wars and alien invasions. And although Twilight often criticized such literature for its lack of scientific accuracy when he shared his impressions with her, he still believed that something like this could indeed exist somewhere in the depths of space. However, learning from Starlight that this phenomenon was devouring the planet Martis, he wasn't too thrilled about being proven right.

In a matter of seconds, the little dragon imagined the possibility of extraterrestrial invaders infiltrating Equestria, which seemingly drove the violet-maned unicorn to the brink of a panic attack. In a bewildered tone, he blurted out:

"Great! First, the green crystal, and now aliens!"

"This is the end," Starlight suddenly repeated, keeping her tense gaze fixed on the glass with traces of milk still on its sides. Next to it, there was a tray with snacks prepared for Twilight, though she hadn't touched it, having lost her appetite completely. Sighing with agitation, the gentle lilac pony explained, "Planet Martis is perishing because of them, which means they came here to destroy, just like the Storm King. They will ruin Equestria too, I'm sure!"

The despondent words of the unicorn made Twilight's heart skip a beat. However, the mention of the Storm King's recent invasion also reminded the princess of all the calamities that had previously befallen the realm of little ponies. Throughout those hardships, their magic of friendship had always managed to overcome adversity. Perhaps this time wouldn't be an exception? Thinking about it, Sparkle tried to compose herself and cast away the panic. She was certain that it was still too early to lose hope.

"We won't allow this," declared the Princess of Friendship decisively. She knew exactly what needed to be done and wasted no time saying, "Whatever it may be, we should inform Princess Celestia. If anypony knows what to do about this phenomenon, it's her. Spike, write a letter!

Setting aside the overwhelming sense of foreboding, the little dragon quickly grabbed a clean scroll and a quill, then cheerfully declared his readiness to write the alicorn's words:

"Dictate!"

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight began right away. "I must urgently inform you that today my student – Starlight Glimmer – discovered a strange phenomenon in space, which is destroying the red planet Martis and the asteroid belt. I suspect it is the activity of an unknown civilization, likely from another planet. Given all the changes that have occurred in our star system, we have reason to believe that representatives of this civilization may be hostile. I believe it's essential for you to know about this. Sincerely yours, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Got it down!" announced Spike, and then promptly sent the letter to its destination using his magical fiery breath as instructed by the princess. Watching as the green flames dispersed the paper scroll, Sparkle summarized, aiming primarily to reassure her student:

"I'm sure Princess Celestia will decide what to do about this issue. After all, it was she who came up with the plan to defeat the Storm King by sending us to the hippogriffs for help."

"Yeah, and it would have been much easier if somepony hadn't come up with the idea of stealing their magical relic," the dragon remarked somewhat casually, earning a stern look from the princess. He then shrugged with an innocent expression, "What's the matter? Wasn't that how it happened?"

"Oh, Storm King didn't destroy planets," Starlight sighed gloomily before anyone could say anything else, hinting that if this cosmic cluster attacked Equestria, all ponies would face an enemy of unprecedented power. Sinking wearily onto the couch, the gentle lilac mare almost indifferently whispered, "If they've started wreaking havoc on their path, what's going to stop them? They'll devour our planet just like they doing with Martis…"

Entering yet another state of bewilderment from the unicorn's pessimism, Twilight and Spike exchanged surprised glances once again. In reality, the Princess of Friendship didn't quite understand why her student was so firmly convinced that everything would invariably go wrong, even though she couldn't counter such a belief with any solid arguments. The little dragon, in turn, was inclined to agree with the violet-maned pony.

"Actually, if these aliens really do decide to wage war on us, what are our chances?" he reasoned, relying perhaps solely on that very graphic literature dedicated to interstellar battles. "Surely, to travel through space and destroy entire planets, they would need magic even stronger than that possessed by all the princess alicorns combined."

"That's why I'm saying it's the end," Glimmer muttered gloomily.

"But the magical potential of Equestria is quite substantial," Sparkle confidently declared, although Spike's words had planted some doubts in her mind. Honestly, she had only a vague idea of the possibility of space travel. Yes, over a thousand years ago, Celestia managed to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon, but nopony had ever thought about anything greater. And the fact that this very cluster was capable of such things couldn't help but instill trepidation. However, despite her susceptibility to panic, if something went wrong, Twilight tried to reason soberly and, most importantly, aimed to reassure her friends. "If we make an effort to resist them, we can avoid the worst, as we always have. As long as we're together, there's nothing to worry about. Remember how we…"

Noticing Spike clutching his stomach as if he had eaten something wrong, Twilight suddenly paused. All her attention was drawn to the dragon as he belched out a scroll with a message from Celestia. Even Starlight perked up and, pricking up her ears, waited for her mentor to read the contents of the letter. Using telekinesis, Twilight picked up the sheet of paper and unfolded it before her eyes, preferring to read in silence. Soon, the hushed tension that had hung over the library reached its peak, and the intrigued little dragon finally inquired:

"What's written there?"

Tearing her gaze away from the letter, Twilight replied mesmerized:

"Princess Celestia wants to see us in Canterlot tomorrow…"



1.3. Prophecy

”Today is 11.23.1307. My friends and I are heading to Canterlot on the morning train. Princess Celestia has requested that the six of us arrive at the royal palace. Most likely, she wishes to discuss the current situation with us, or perhaps give us some assignments. Based on the letter Princess Celestia sent in response to mine, she learned about the strange phenomenon in space before I did. It was observed by Princess Luna the night before last. Honestly, I don't even know what to think about all of this. I really hope we can avoid the threat of an invasion from space. Equestria should not be engulfed in the fires of war, especially with an unknown enemy from another planet.

However, today started off well. Early in the morning, I tried conducting experiments with samples of the green crystal and Zecora's potion. As it turns out, this concoction breaks down the crystalline structure and neutralizes its deadly effects. Dissolving a small crystal in it, I carefully dropped a few drops on my hoof at my own risk. Considering that I'm writing this note now, I can confidently say that the experiment was successful!

It would seem that we have found a weapon against the mineral, but there is one but. The thing is, to treat the entire field at the site of Appleloosa, we will need so much of the potion that we are unlikely to acquire the necessary ingredients. So now we can heal the infected (by the way, while I was conducting experiments, Fluttershy was taking her first lesson from Zecora), but the question of completely eradicating the crystal remains open. However, upon returning from Canterlot, I plan to continue my experiments, and I hope that I will soon find a way to save Equestria from this green disease”.


– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.



"What are you writing?"

This question, spoken with cheerful enthusiasm, came at the same time as a pink bundle of joy hopped onto the seat where Twilight was, engrossed in putting her thoughts on paper. The princess looked up, slightly startled by the unexpected interruption, and saw Pinkie Pie standing before her, beaming from ear to ear. Her blue eyes literally sparkled, as if she were a little filly thrilled about her very first train ride, which Sparkle and her five friends were currently taking to the capital city of Equestria.

Pinkie's mood was naturally upbeat for her, and the morning news that some unknown creatures from space were devouring Martis didn't faze her much. She even speculated that the red planet probably tasted like caramel and nougat covered in chocolate. The other embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had a hard time understanding what was going on in the mind of the pink-maned party pony. However, Twilight considered it somewhat of a blessing that at least one of her friends maintained a positive outlook. Yesterday she already had to put in quite a bit of effort to calm down Starlight, whose nerves couldn't handle the appearance of yet another frightening threat.

Another entry was finished, so Twilight closed her diary. Although the uncertainty of the situation with anomalies in space and the sudden summons to the royal palace made her nervous, Pinkie's positivity still brought a mutual, gentle smile to her face.

"Diary entries."

"Are you keeping a new diary? Without us?" Pinkie was slightly offended, remembering how much fun it was to create the Friendship Journal together with all her best friends. She hadn't heard anything about this new way of working from Twilight.

"It's not a regular diary, Pinkie. Here, I describe the progress of studying the green crystal, trying to figure it all out and understand how to stop its growth," the princess explained.

"Got it," Pinkie smiled, quite satisfied with the answer. Hopping back to the floor of the train car, she called for the princess to follow her. "Let's go join the others!"

Twilight readily accepted the offer. She headed towards the other friends, who were sitting three seats ahead, taking rather short steps to maintain balance due to the swaying of the moving train. The train car was quite empty, despite the fact that morning trains from Dodge Junction to Canterlot were usually packed. On the other hoof, lately, many ponies were hesitant to travel along the railroad tracks that ran south of the Everfree Forest, dangerously close to the field of green crystals.

There were no strangers near the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony, and only a few ponies were observed at the far end of the car. Approaching her friends with her pink companion, Sparkle hopped into an empty seat next to Applejack. Pinkie settled in opposite, next to Fluttershy, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash were seated to the left of the princess. She had left their company for just ten minutes to write a journal entry, something she hadn't had time to do at home. In the meantime, the ponies were discussing something fervently, but as soon as the alicorn returned to them, their voices quieted, though for a few seconds.

"By the way, Twi, Ah still ain't quite got mah head 'round that there cosmic thang," Applejack turned to the alicorn as soon as she sat down next to her, breaking the momentary silence. "What in tarnation is it, exactly? What done got Starlight all riled up?"

"I can't say for sure," Twi replied, shaking her head. "We don't have enough facts for any concrete conclusions, but it seems that Starlight and I observed a massive swarm of representatives from some extraterrestrial civilization."

"Wait, there's life in space?" Rainbow Dash confused, exchanging glances with Rarity, who merely shrugged. The princess then went on to thoughtful musings.

"I used to hesitate to answer that question. But now I see that it's very possible. Frankly, I can't imagine what else this phenomenon could be, if not the activity of beings from another planet. None of the astronomy books mention anything like it," she explained, then sighed heavily and answered the farmer's second question, "But anyway, Starlight was really scared by this phenomenon. She believes that if these extraterrestrial beings are destroying Martis, then our turn will come soon, and, well, her concerns might not be unfounded."

"I was wondering why she didn't join us yesterday. Well, if I saw something like that, I doubt I'd be in the mood for shopping either," Rarity nervously remarked.

"Oh, poor Starlight," Pinkie sighed sadly, showing a trace of sadness for the first time that morning. "We tried on all the hats in that boutique yesterday, and she missed out on everything!"

An uncertain silence filled the train car, and all of the friends' eyes turned towards Pinkie. Before she could be surprised by their attention, Fluttershy, who had mostly been listening rather than speaking until now, decided to speak up.

"Um… So, what should we do now?" she transitioned to the most pressing question that had been troubling her throughout the journey.

"I can't imagine," admitted Sparkle. "But I'm sure Celestia has some sort of plan, and that's probably why she summoned us to Canterlot. In any case, I think we should prepare for the worst."

"But what if they're not the ones destroying the planet Martis?" argued Pinkie, once again capturing the attention of all five friends. "What if they come in peace, and because of this misunderstanding, we're inhospitable to them? We won't even be prepared for a welcome party!"

"Who else if not them?" Dashie retorted. "Personally, after encountering that green crystal, I'm not expecting anything friendly from space! They're probably very aggressive if they're destroying an entire planet."

"I agree, it's sheer barbarism," supported the snow-white unicorn. "Nothing good can be expected from beings who behave like that."

"Oh, I hope that if we show them our kindness, they won't act aggressively," the gentle yellow pegasus quietly spoke. However, she had a hard time believing her own words, but nevertheless, she wholeheartedly hoped that another deadly threat wouldn't befall Equestria in addition to the green crystal, which had already turned the once carefree lives of all ponies into a nightmare.

"Who knows," the rainbow-maned pony said, already on edge. "Don't tell me we have to befriend them…"

"Rainbow's right," the alicorn agreed. "These extraterrestrial beings might not be anything like us. It's possible that they don't even have a concept like friendship."

"Friendship?!" the pink-maned pony repeated in astonishment, almost jumping up from her seat in a burst of emotion. "They don't have friendship? How do they even live without the most important thing in life?"

"It's just a hypothesis, Pinkie," the princess interrupted her overly excited friend. "I'm just saying that we can expect anything from them."

What the lavender alicorn had said left all her companions feeling uneasy. After all the recent horrors, the prospect of yet another disaster, the potential scale of which sent shivers down their spines, was the last thing they needed. Feeling the sorrow again for the lost relatives from Appleloosa and, above all, not wanting the losses to continue to grow, Applejack, with all the optimism that remained in her heart, concluded:

"Ah reckon we oughta hope fer the best…"




* * *


Hurrying along the red carpet, Twilight could feel the excitement growing in her heart. Behind her, the other embodiments of the Elements of Harmony followed, and their close presence helped her keep her composure. Not only was she concerned about everything she had discussed with her friends on the train, but also the royal palace exuded an atmosphere of tense bustle. Guards patrolled in groups throughout its grounds and in every corridor, and even the fortification walls of Canterlot were under the strictest protection. Nopony could remember such a commotion since the capital's defense against Queen Chrysalis' changeling horde during the wedding of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.

The six ponies walked down a long corridor that led to the massive doors of the throne room. On both sides of them, beautiful stained glass windows depicted the most significant events from Equestria's history, with several of them featuring them as the heroines. Along the wide carpeted path, endless rows of royal guards stood tall and sturdy, clad in heavy armor, their hooves firmly gripping their spears. Casting nervous glances at various servant ponies, Sparkle licked her dry lips and, unable to contain her internal tension, glanced back at her friends on the go.

"I'm getting a bit nervous, girls," she confessed in a hushed tone. "There must be a serious reason for all this security. Oh, I have a feeling the Princesses know something about that cosmic phenomenon, and this is all because of it."

"Don't you fret, sugarcube," Applejack reassured her with a warm smile, walking beside to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, while Rarity and Fluttershy trailed behind them, quietly discussing something among themselves. "Who knows what else might've got all these guards stirrin', hmm?"

While Twilight had almost no doubt that such a significant increase in security was clearly prompted by something extremely serious, she still gratefully smiled at the pony in a cowboy hat in response to the reassuring words. The princess was impressed by the farmer's resilience, who not only overcame her own grief over the loss of her family but also consistently tried to support her friends in everything. However, in yesterday's letter, Celestia did not mention the specific reason for their summons here – to the royal palace, – so Sparkle could not objectively either support what AJ said or refute it, which made her feel uneasy. On the other hoof, another pony had arguments…

"I don't think they placed them all around here just for the looks," Rainbow said in reproach, as she thought Applejack was being naive, while also occasionally glancing at the stone-faced pony soldiers. "We didn't even have this kind of setup when Everfree Forest started encroaching. We must have some pretty big problems…"

"Ah reckon we shouldn't be fussin' too soon," the ginger pony glanced at her friend. The pegasus definitely didn't like being accused of supposedly panicking, but she didn't have a chance to say anything in response. Breaking away a bit ahead, the farmer caught up with the princess and added, "But no matter what goes down, the most important thing is we'll tackle any trouble together."

"And this'll be just as fun as always," Pinkie chimed in with undying optimism, racing up to the alicorn. The other friends immediately followed suit.

"Thanks, girls," Twilight genuinely thanked them, once again casting her gaze over all the surrounding ponies. In her thoughts, she noted that Applejack was absolutely right, and she really always has somepony to rely on, even if they find out something shocking within the walls of the throne room.

Furthermore, the lavender mare couldn't deny the excitement still lingering in her heart. Looking ahead, she saw the palace guards hurrying to open the doors to the throne room and usher in the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony for an audience with Celestia and Luna. The royal sisters patiently awaited them at the foot of the throne's platform. Trying to maintain her composure, the purple pony headed towards them. She spontaneously quickened her pace, eager to dispel the soul-squeezing intrigue about the exact reason why the Princesses had urgently summoned her and her friends.

The royal throne room shimmered with solemnity, colorful stained glass everywhere glinted in the morning sun's rays, from the glimmer of which marble columns and the vaulted ceiling were adorned with whimsical sparkles. Nevertheless, a certain mournfulness hung in the lavish chamber, contrasting with the grandeur of the interior, and this melancholy was also visible in the eyes of both Princesses. Extending in an uneven row before the alicorn sisters, the six ponies knelt before them, and the Princesses kindly nodded in response. When the greetings finally came to an end, Celestia got down to business:

"Thank you for arriving so quickly. Your presence in Canterlot is indeed crucial right now."

"Why are there so many guards here, Princess?" Twilight Sparkle worried. "What happened? Are we all in danger?"

"I'm afraid we have dreadful news," Luna began in place of her sister. The voice of the Princess of the Night sounded grim, and perhaps even hints of fear and confusion could be detected in it. "The days we have feared for so long, to the point where we've almost forgotten about them, have apparently arrived. It seems that a catastrophe is approaching us, one that we may very well not survive."

"Not s-survive?" Fluttershy horrified. Although she expected to hear the worst from the Princess, it didn't make her feel any better. The other ponies froze in tension, awaiting details, and it was Dashie who urged the royal figures for an explanation.

"What catastrophe? Is somepony trying to attack us again?"

"Is it related to that cosmic phenomenon in any way?" Twi asked in turn, then exchanged brief glances with her friends. It seemed that all of them, like the young princess herself, had no doubt that Starlight had been right in her concerns.

"Yes," Celestia sighed grimly. "What you and Starlight saw in the night sky yesterday is a very bad omen mentioned in the prophecy of our wisest teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded. I suppose we are soon to face an invasion of unknown enemies, unlike any we've ever seen before. And if the prediction is correct, it will spell the end of our world."

Upon hearing the words spoken by the Princess of the Sun, uttered with complete seriousness, the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony were visibly taken aback, and gasps of horror and extreme astonishment escaped their lips. Even Pinkie Pie, who believed that the cosmic phenomenon being discussed didn't necessarily have to hide any danger, was horrified. The rest of the ponies, who found the opposite assumption more plausible, were complete shock. For a while, none of them could utter a word, until, after about ten seconds, Applejack felt the need to inquire:

"Y'all sure 'bout this, Princess?"

"Yes, Applejack. All of this was foretold by Star Swirl."

"And… what did his prophecy sound like?" Twilight finally asked, as soon as her ability to speak returned to her. She couldn't have imagined that the Princesses would reveal such a shocking truth about what the strange anomalies in space portended. However, she had no doubt that her mentor was telling the absolute truth, although she had never before heard of any prophecies by Star Swirl.

"On his deathbed he said that when the patches appear in the sky, the end will come for Martis, and then Equestria will fall. We were very young when he passed, but I wrote down his prophecy, and the scroll's kept in the royal library, so there can be no mistakes," declared the Lady of the Day. The ponies exchanged bewildered glances once again, not knowing what to say.

"And what's next?" nervously piped up the sky-blue pegasus, breaking the moment of silence. "If this Star Swirl feller foretold our doom, are we just gonna believe it? Are we gonna accept our fate?"

"No, my friends," firmly stated the Mistress of the Night. "If there are threats to our world, we'll try to stand our ground, just like we always have. Whatever happens, we must be ready to defend our Equestria, even if war comes knocking."

"But there haven't been any wars in Equestria for a thousand years," Rarity rightly noted, the mere thought of bloodshed filling her with dread. "How can we be prepared for something like that?"

"But we have the magic of friendship," Pinkie stated confidently. She had been shaken by what the alicorn sisters had revealed, but she was determined to hold on to hope. "It's more powerful than any other magic! We've always won thanks to it, and even Lord Tirek couldn't defeat us!

"Pinkie Pie is right, but the magic of friendship alone might not be enough to handle this new threat," said Celestia. "We should be prepared, so, as regrettable as it is, we must return to the times of King Sombra…

"What do you mean?" inquired the lavender pony, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"It seems it's time to tell you the real story of our struggle with Sombra," the Night Princess mysteriously began. Her words were immediately followed by her older sister.

"Equestria paid for the liberation of the Crystal Empire from his tyranny with a fierce war. Sombra was very powerful because he practiced dark magic. Even with the Elements of Harmony, we couldn't gain the upper hoof in our confrontation with him. His Crystal Fortress was impregnable to us until we decided to use dark magic ourselves against him. Since the moment we defeated him, I hoped that we would never have to use the power of dark magic to achieve our goals again, as it carries evil, horror, and terror within it. But, unfortunately, now we have no choice."

"Um… maybe we should try to befriend the space guests?" the shy pegasus timidly suggested. She felt like she was about to faint from the overwhelming news that today's events had brought, and she most of all dreamed that this whole nightmare would turn out to be just a terrible dream. "If we resolve things peacefully, we won't need to use dark magic, right?"

"We will try to show them our friendliness, but we must be prepared for the fact that they may not want to be our friends anyway," the Lady of the Day replied. "Unfortunately, the events of last summer compel us to ensure the safety of Equestria. The Storm King didn't become our friend, and the starry newcomers may not even engage in negotiations. And if they destroy the planet Martis, then we can expect anything from them, up to and including blind aggression."

The speeches of the rulers of Equestria increasingly confused the Princess of Friendship and her companions, leaving them stunned to the point where it became difficult to even breathe, let alone think or speak. Especially affected were the delicate natures like Fluttershy and Rarity, whose eyes darkened with the unbearable sense of anxiety. Pinkie Pie, like a tightly wound spring, was ready to panic at any moment, despite not fully comprehending the nature of the threat described by the alicorn sisters. Only Rainbow Dash and Applejack made an effort not to show their inner turmoil.

Twilight, on the other hoof, tried to gather her thoughts. After a few seconds of contemplation, she decided that they needed clarification:

"But how will dark magic help us protect Equestria?"

"It's magic of war," Luna volunteered to explain. "It was created by soulless unicorns like Sombra and is designed to… kill."

"Kill?!" Pinkie Pie was shocked, having never suspected that the consumption of a planet by unknown aliens could have such serious and dangerous consequences.

"Exactly," sadly confirmed the Princess of the Night. "If these aliens want to destroy Equestria, as Star Swirl predicted, then we will have to wage a war with them to the death. And that's why we summoned you to Canterlot. There is a lot of work ahead of us while there is still time."

Not fully understanding what kind of work was being referred to, Twilight, for a moment, wanted to say something and even opened her mouth, but she hesitated, as if any word she spoke would be a death sentence for her. Spontaneously, in her mind, she recalled all the similar occasions when she, together with her friends, learned about a new problem from the Princesses, and each time, no matter how difficult it was, they managed to solve it. Accepting that fate was sending Equestria another unprecedented threat in terms of danger, she still instilled in herself that hope for a favorable outcome should never be lost, just as it always was.

"In that case, we will do whatever it takes to protect our world," Twilight firmly declared, a sentiment echoed by all her friends, even Fluttershy. When the storm of war looms over the land, everypony is ready to serve the common cause, to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from harm. Nevertheless, the hearts of the six friends were invariably gripped by fear of the impending nightmares.

For the first time in a thousand years, the pure air of peaceful Equestria was tainted with smoke and blood…


P.S. "If you want peace, prepare for war" – Publius Flavius Vegetius.