//------------------------------//
// Act 1. Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests 
// Story: Tiberian Twilight Sparkle 
// by Skjald 
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2.1. They Made Ready for War

”Today is 11.26.1307. My friends and I returned to Ponyville a few hours ago. The past three days have been very difficult for us. During our time in Canterlot, we had to work tirelessly on protecting Equestria from a possible threat from space. Honestly, in all this commotion, I even forgot about the green crystal. What's happening is very frightening to me, especially considering that Star Swirl the Bearded, as I recently learned, predicted the downfall of our world after the destruction of the planet Martis. After all, there have never been such changes in Equestria before…

So, what has happened in the country over the last three days? It's worth starting with the fact that the day before yesterday morning, Princess Celestia declared something like mobilization. The guard troops were immediately reinforced with reservists and reorganized. Now, several military formations are guarding Equestria, and perhaps only this fact gives me some hope that we will be able to overcome the catastrophe mentioned in the prophecy.

First of all, it can be said that chivalry, known to us from history books, was revived. All guards from among the earth ponies were dressed in improved heavy armor and armed with lances in the manner of ancient pony warriors. In addition, each guard-knight was given a noble title, which made their service more prestigious.

The next step was the call-up of all cadets from the Wonderbolts Academy. There were so many of them that now the skies over Equestria are guarded by five squads of elite flyers, each consisting of three hundred pegasi. Rainbow Dash was even appointed the commander of one of these formations, which makes her very happy, despite the circumstances of her promotion, which also seem somewhat unsettling to her.

But there is something in these reforms that deeply troubles me – the arming of unicorn guards with the so-called Archmage Amulets. These talismans, made from dark crystals, grant their wearers powerful magic. I fear these things might be something akin to the Alicorn Amulet once possessed by Trixie. What if dark magic corrupts these unicorns and taints their souls as it did with King Sombra? The only consolation is that these amulets will be used by soldiers only in battle. While things are calm, unicorn warriors will keep them in their pockets. The question remains: how quickly will dark magic start affecting them once they put on the amulets? That's if such an effect occurs at all.

However, this isn't the sole manifestation of dark magic in our defense. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have erected dark crystal spires in front of the main gates of Canterlot. These are peculiar defensive structures. If we summon a fire elemental inside such a crystal spire, it can concentrate fire magic and incinerate anyone wishing us harm. I've been tasked with constructing similar spires around Ponyville. I plan to start on that tomorrow. Additionally, Celestia has sent a letter to Cadance and Shining Armor detailing the defense plan for the Crystal Empire.

What do I think about all of this? Well, I believe that over these three days, we've worked hard, and now, I truly hope, Equestria is in safe hooves. I think we're ready to defend our country! But the widespread use of dark magic concerns me, just as it does Celestia. It's not without reason that she refrained from such measures for over a thousand years, even though during her rule, Equestria sometimes faced mortal danger. On the other hoof, if dark magic has been used only once in many centuries (against Sombra), it becomes clear that in this situation, such a step is entirely justified. Hence the question: what should we fear more – dark magic or the invaders? It's a pity we don't have another plan…”.


– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.



"Are you still keeping your diary?" suddenly came the question from a clearly sleepy Spike, who had distracted Twilight from her thoughts.

Closing her journal, the princess looked at the little dragon. He sat in one of the chairs opposite her couch, lazily sprawled out as if he had just woken up in it. To her surprise, Sparkle hadn't noticed when her beloved assistant had slipped in here, indicating how deeply she had immersed herself in writing another entry. However, his paws never made loud noises, and the sleepy lavender pony's eyes had just not seen anything other than the notebook.

Having recently returned from Canterlot, bustling with preparations for the defense of Equestria against a possible invasion by unknown enemies, Twilight felt extremely tired. But her work ethic never left her, so after a small late dinner, she first started drafting a report on the past three days in her research journal, even though its content didn't quite match her recent experiences. Perhaps she simply couldn't think about anything else but all she had been constantly witnessing and doing lately.

"Yes, Spike," Twilight sighed wearily in response to what was more of a rhetorical question from the dragon. "I've filled three pages, laying out my thoughts on preparing for the war. It's strange that I'm writing about it in a journal dedicated to the study of the green crystal."

"Well, I think that the threat of war also requires careful study," the dragon lazily replied, mimicking the princess's manner of speaking. When she began this journal, she also stated that the issue of the green mineral should be thoroughly analyzed.

"Of course, we should take the defense of Equestria extremely seriously," agreed Sparkle. "Although we can't forget about the green crystal either. While we're preparing for the war, it continues to grow. I need to get back to my research."

"You need to rest," Spike insisted resolutely. "You don't look like yourself at all! Did they even let you sleep in Canterlot?"

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. Spike was clearly right, and if she continued to work at the same pace, her strength would soon be completely depleted. While in the capital, she had only slept for a few hours a day, no more, and when researching the green mineral, she confidently considered it unacceptable to rest for more than six hours. And now the trace of chronic sleep deprivation on her face was very noticeable. Sparkle resembled a wilting lavender flower.

"Maybe we could take a walk through nighttime Ponyville?" the Princess of Friendship suggested after a short pause, offering a tired smile.

"Let's do that," the little dragon smiled in return, considering a walk a decent transition from work to sleep. "But when we get back – straight to bed, okay?"

"Alright, Spike."

Making a promise, Twilight turned off the lamp that had illuminated the reading desk and hopped off the couch onto the carpeted floor. With the dragon, who quickly joined her, she leisurely left the library. The journey through the long, tangled corridors to the main hall of the Castle of Friendship took no more than five minutes, at the end of which the princess and her assistant stood on the gilded porch. From here, there was a fairly wide path leading to Ponyville's residential houses and eventually to the central square where the town hall was located.

At first glance at the nighttime panorama of the town, Twilight didn't notice any ponies walking around, which wasn't surprising since it was already midnight. Scanning with her eyes all the visible alleyways between the wooden houses with thatched roofs that exuded a rural, homely charm, she headed toward the distant town hall. She continued the same topic she had briefly discussed with the dragon while wandering the corridors:

"On the other hoof, perhaps I'm worrying for nothing? At least now, we're not facing a sudden attack like during the Friendship Festival, and that's a good thing. But… I'm concerned that we've allocated so much room for dark magic."

"I'm sure Celestia has everything under control," Spike expressed his opinion.

At that moment, Twilight suddenly remembered how her mentor had demonstrated dark magic to her before sending her on an important mission to the Crystal Empire. It looked quite eerie, but individual spells didn't bother the purple pony, especially since she had practiced them herself, learning from Princess Celestia. Now, however, they were talking about the mass and comprehensive use of dark magic, especially for military purposes, and this made Sparkle feel uneasy.

In turn, Spike reacted to this news, heard by him today from the Princess of Friendship, quite calmly, as he didn't have a deep understanding of magic and didn't know what dangers its dark variety could pose. But he also had a reason to worry, namely the mysterious Star Swirl's prophecy, predicting the downfall of Equestria, which he had learned about from Twilight too. With the news of this ancient prediction, life for all her friends had literally turned upside down. Although the dragon was inclined to trust that Celestia and Luna knew what they were doing by taking measures to protect the country from potential threats.

"Actually, she herself said that it could be dangerous," the lavender alicorn retorted, walking along a path strewn with autumn leaves, the crunch of which under the hooves was pleasant and soothing. But after considering that Princess Celestia would hardly take such measures if they posed too great a risk, her loyal student changed her point of view. "Although you're right, I shouldn't doubt her wisdom. She has already used dark magic to free the Crystal Empire from Sombra's tyranny, so she…"

Twilight's musings were interrupted when Spike's paw gently rested on her lips as he walked beside her. He fully understood that the princess's concerns were not unfounded but felt responsible for her well-being, which she had somewhat neglected in recent weeks. He tried to do everything possible to give her a proper rest. To achieve this, as he rightly thought, she needed to distance herself from any worries and cares.

"Not another word," the little dragon kindly ordered. As soon as his paw dropped from her muzzle, she smiled affectionately, touched by his care. "Better clear your mind of all these thoughts and relax. Or imagine yourself as a tree, as Fluttershy taught you. Finally, take a deep breath!"

Without saying a word, Twilight simply chuckled good-naturedly when Spike mentioned Fluttershy's techniques for finding inner peace, which she had once learned from her acquaintance, Tree Hugger. Following his advice, the princess took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt the tension, brought about by ceaseless work and numerous worries, gradually begin to dissipate. She strolled leisurely along the town's main street, with the little dragon invariably keeping her company, observing the changing of her expression. A cool autumn breeze gently brushed against the pony's face, bringing her to her senses.

Around the Princess of Friendship and her beloved assistant, mostly two-story houses of Ponyville rose as they slowly made their way to the center. Their roofs darkened in the night, and only near the porches did the light from the street lamps, installed here and there, spread. The town peacefully slumbered, unaware that somewhere in space, a possible omen of doom loomed for the entire world. However sometimes solitary passersby were encountered, lingering on the street for their own late-night errands. Everywhere hung an atmosphere of tranquility, which Sparkle tried to immerse herself in completely, and after a minute or two of soothing silence, Spike didn't miss the opportunity to confirm the benefits of his recommendation.

"How do you feel?" he suddenly asked. This essentially rhetorical question was posed by the dragon as if he wanted to say, "I told you that rest would do you good! Come on, Twilight, admit that I was right!"

"Just wonderful," replied the purple alicorn with delight. "Thank you for taking me out of the castle, Spike."

"I'm at your service, Twilight!" the dragon said cheerfully, far from displeased by his usefulness to the princess.

At a leisurely pace, Sparkle and her scaly companion made their way into the heart of nighttime Ponyville, enjoying its sleeping streets. Along the way, they engaged in casual conversation on various topics, trying to forget about both the green crystal and the patches in the sky, if only for an hour. Their eyes fell on the bushes, which had turned autumnal shades but hadn't shed their leaves onto the streets yet, and on the houses, glistening in the ghostly moonlight. Their mouths discussed everything their eyes saw, appreciating the beauty surrounding them.

Amid their carefree conversation, the princess and the dragon arrived at the town hall, its spire reaching for the stars scattered across the dark sky. However, the path they had taken seemed too short to both of them. In truth, the lavender mare hadn't taken a walk in a long time, so, eager to give her legs some much-needed exercise, she decided to walk to the southern district of the town, situated beyond the river, even though fatigue was taking its toll. Strangely, her sleep-deprived body was urging her forward, as if gathering energy with each step.

Gradually, their conversation returned to the topic of the importance of taking breaks from work, and both of them recalled memories of how the dragon had similarly been enthusiastic about Twilight's rest during the Grand Equestria Pony Summit when he guarded her peace. Although back then, his zeal hadn't ended well, especially when he began to use his position as the princess's deputy. But he learned his lesson. Remembering the past only from the bright side, they climbed one of the arched bridges connecting the southern district with the town center and paused for a moment.

Down the street running alongside the river, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom were walking, clearly heading towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight immediately caught her friend's attention, calling out to her, and quickly made her way toward them with Spike. She was curious to know why the timid pegasus and the young earth pony weren't asleep at such a late hour. Usually, Applejack kept an eye on her little sister's sleep schedule, and Fluttershy didn't particularly enjoy walking around the dark streets, so the princess's curiosity was entirely natural.

"Howdy, Twilight!" greeted Apple Bloom cheerfully, as soon as the princess approached with her assistant, as she hadn't seen her all day.

"Hello, Apple Bloom," replied Sparkle politely, nodding in greeting. She then turned her gaze to the pink-maned pegasus with a saddlebag on her back and expressed her concern. "Where are you headed at this hour? I hope everything's okay."

"Oh yes, I'm just escorting her to the farm," reassured Fluttershy, pointing to the little pony with the red bow. "As soon as we got back from Canterlot, I decided to pay a visit to Zecora and clarify some things about her potions. I'm very worried that infected animals might eventually appear in my sanctuary, so I didn't want to put off this matter until tomorrow. On the way there, I ran into Apple Bloom, and she asked to join me. She's also interested in learning how to make antidotes…"




* * *


2 hours ago…

"Finally, that dreadful trail is behind us," Fluttershy sighed with relief, emerging from the thick bushes onto a small clearing along a narrow path. It had led through eerie dark thickets for the last couple of hundred yards, where frightening glowing eyes peered out from under every bush or behind boulders. But then, as she briefly panicked at the thought of having to go back the same way, the cheerful voice of Apple Bloom caught her attention.

"This here's the friendliest bit o' the woods, Fluttershy," she reminded, as if she had read the thoughts of her adult companion, which were filled with fear of this dense thicket known as the Everfree Forest. "Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, 'n Ah, we used t' trot 'round these parts plenty, even popped by ol' Zecora's now 'n again…"

"But there are timberwolves, cockatrices, and probably many other monsters here, and those blue flowers…" Fluttershy listed with an almost trembling voice, all the things that made her anxious.

In fact, Fluttie would hardly have ventured here at such a late hour if it weren't for her sense of responsibility towards the animals, which could need urgent treatment for infection at any moment. The news that many forest inhabitants had suffered from the effects of the green crystal, brought by Zecora the day before the shy pegasus and her friends departed for Canterlot, still terrified her much more than the nightmares of this mysterious thicket. So, as soon as she returned home from the capital, she decided to visit the zebra without delay and make progress in learning the recipe for that miraculous potion that could save lives. However, her desire to return to her cozy nest and hide under a warm blanket to escape from any fears never left her for a moment…

In response to Fluttershy's concerns, Apple Bloom only rolled her eyes skeptically. In all the time she had spent in these places, located on the nearest edge of the Everfree Forest to Ponyville, the creatures mentioned by her companion had never once crossed her path. And perhaps that's why Applejack allowed her to come here with the timid pony, in addition to her noble motive. Learning from her older sister about the nightmares that those who were unfortunate enough to experience a close encounter with the alien mineral were going through, the pony with the red bow truly understood the catastrophic nature of the threat that had arisen with the loss of her beloved Appleloosa. Believing that at the moment, Equestria and its inhabitants needed any help and having evident talents in potion-making, she immediately volunteered to join the gentle yellow pegasus as soon as she appeared near the farm, heading to visit the zebra.

The only real danger on the path for Fluttershy and Apple Bloom were the blue flowers called Poison Joke, which one could easily step on in the darkness of the night and experience their rather peculiar effect. In the past, the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had suffered from these plants, which had transformed them into comical versions of themselves. And after a tiring day, the pink-maned pegasus had no desire to lose her quiet voice and replace it with a bass, as had happened in the past. But the road came to an end, and before the two mares was Zecora's hut, nestled within the hollow of a stout tree.

Zecora's home looked just the same as always. Colorful vials dangled from the branches, tied to vines, shamanic masks rested near the roots beside the boulders, and above the entrance, there hung the totem. Fluttershy well remembered how when she and her friends had visited Zecora's abode for the first time, this place had filled her with fear. But gradually, she had grown accustomed to that exotic atmosphere, and the once-frightening masks now seemed rather friendly to her. Forgetting all the slight unease she had felt on the way here, she, accompanied by the little filly, stepped up to the threshold.

From the windows of the hut, light spilled into the dark forest undergrowth, indicating that the shamaness was awake despite the rather late hour. Climbing the short staircase, Fluttershy overcame her shyness and lightly knocked on the door, hoping that her unexpected visit wouldn't disrupt any plans the homeowner might have had. Just in case, she took a step back, coming down from the staircase, and briefly exchanged glances with Apple Bloom, who stood slightly behind. Soon the zebra came to the doorstep, clearly not expecting any visitors.

"Hello, Zecora," both ponies almost simultaneously greeted the solitary forest dweller.

"Fluttershy? And Apple Bloom? In my humble forest room. Well met, my dear friends, On this night that never ends," Zecora responded with some surprise but also warmth, as was her custom, using rhymes even in everyday speech. She had a peculiar way of putting words together, which Apple Bloom, who had a particularly close friendship with her among all the foals, consistently found quite cute.

Stepping aside a bit, Zecora invited her guests to come inside. As soon as the gentle yellow hooves crossed the threshold, Fluttershy immediately sensed the familiar herbal scent that permeated the entire hut. Its source, a cauldron with brew, stood over a flame near the small round table. The same aroma emanated from most of the vessels lining the wooden shelves, and the pegasus had no trouble recognizing the distinct bitterness of that healing potion. It seemed the shamaness was thoroughly preparing for the possibility that the epidemic could affect many…

Taking their places by the table, both ponies looked at zebra and noticed she appeared somewhat contemplative. Zecora stood by the door, which she had just closed, for a few seconds, as if forgetting why she had opened it, before heading to the cauldron. The golden earrings and bracelet adorning her neck and left leg shimmered mysteriously in the light of several candles placed in different corners of the room. Fluttershy and Apple Bloom couldn't help but gaze at her with slight puzzlement.

"I'm sorry for this modest start, I didn't think to play my part, With ponies in my humble space," began the zebra, circling the table and taking a place on the other side across from her guests. "Please, speak your mind, what's your case?"

"Oh, we came to you for a reason," Fluttershy replied somewhat uncertainly, fearing that her visit might still be inconvenient for the zebra. "While we were in Canterlot with the girls, I completely forgot how to make your potion. I remember the ingredients, but as for how to brew them and in what order… Well, to avoid bothering you about it in the future, I thought it would be better to write everything down. Are you okay with that?"

With these words, the pink-maned pegasus took a saddlebag off her back, where she had a notebook and writing supplies, as well as a flashlight, although the path was sufficiently illuminated by swarms of fireflies, which often continued to inhabit the Everfree Forest until the early winter, or even until the New Year. Everything here followed its own laws that were not easily understood by ponies, and sometimes in the midst of harsh winter, you could come across summer flowers among the local trees. Placing her bag by the table leg, the timid pony looked at the zebra with a questioning gaze, to which she responded with a good-natured smile.

"Your query's pressing, that I see, Through darkest night, you've come to me. Into the woods, you dared to roam, So tell me, what brings you at my home?" the zebra uttered, then asked, "Has something happened, or just passing through? I hope it's not the crystal's call anew?"

"No, everything is fine for now," the pegasus hurried to reassure her monochrome friend. "It's all about my sanctuary. Remember, you said that infected animals started appearing in the forest? Well, I thought that if any of those poor creatures wander into my sanctuary, others might get infected from them. I really wouldn't want anyone else to suffer, so I have to be always ready to help anyone who might need it."

"Your need is quite clear to me! I myself am sleepless, you see, Trying to help my forest friends, In every way, till nighttime ends," said the zebra. Her words made the pegasus somewhat wary, thinking that she literally doesn't sleep at night, constantly tending to the infected, of which, it turns out, there are a great many. But at the same time, the timid pony suspected that this could be merely a figure of speech. The host of the house then turned her gaze to the other guest, who had not yet joined the conversation of the adults, and with a smile asked, "And you, my friend, do you, too, bear, This load in your heart's deep lair? I've seen your brewing, your skills so fair. Would you like this recipe to learn and share?"

"Yup," nodded Apple Bloom. "Fluttershy said ya know how to fix them poor critters, and Ah wanna learn too. 'Cause that green crystal took away so many of my kinfolk, and… it stings real bad, ya know? So, Ah'm ready to do whatever it takes, just so nopony else gotta go through losin' their loved ones like Ah did. Ah don't wanna see no more ponies suffer 'cause of it."

Apple Bloom's voice was quite firm, expressing her determination, even though she had carried the grief in her heart for a month and a half. As soon as she heard the news of Appleloosa's demise, she fell into deep sorrow. Her thoughts were solely focused on the relatives she had lost, especially her beloved cousin, Braeburn, with whom she was particularly close. Although some time had passed, and the pain no longer tore her soul to shreds as it did in the first days after the tragedy, the memory of what had happened motivated her to contribute to preventing further calamities. Knowing all of this, Fluttershy embraced her with a hoof as a gesture of comfort.

Of course, Zecora couldn't refuse them, and it wasn't just because their request was indeed very important. After all, it was Apple Bloom who once debunked the myth that a zebra was supposedly wicked witch for all ponies, and not long before the Friendship Festival, Fluttershy had saved her from a terrible illness that nearly turned her into a tree. Because of all that connected her with these two ponies, she was ready to make time for them at any hour.

"To banish sorrow, I shall lend my aid, And teach the potion's secrets, unswayed," Zecora agreed willingly. "To help your quest with this elixir's grace, It's brewing now, in this tranquil space."

Zecora's hoof extended toward the cauldron, to which she then stepped closer to stir the potion with a long wooden ladle. All the pitchers, standing at a distance on the nearest shelves and windowsill, were filled with the same yellowish concoction, externally resembling green tea. Fluttershy was somewhat taken aback as she once again noticed them.

"You've prepared so much potion," the pegasus marveled, surveying the full containers scattered here and there. "It gets used up very quickly, doesn't it? Do the animals here get sick so often?"

"I'll not deceive, the ill abound in score, Each day, I find more patients at my door. Both young and old, in suffering they dwell, This nightmare's grip, it seems, will never quell. For over a week, my hooves have ceaselessly toiled, Their suffering relentless, my care unspoiled. With ceaseless labor, my brews are all prepared, To save them from demise, none are left ensnared," explained the herbalist, finishing the potion stirring.

"Oh, nightmare," Fluttie whispered, covering her mouth with a hoof. "So, in the Everfree Forest, does someone keep getting sick all the time?"

"Hold on, Zecora, where in tarnation are all these sick critters comin' from?" Apple Bloom inquired, puzzled about the reasons behind the epidemic's spread. "Has that green crystal already made its way to the Everfree Forest, or are they comin' from somewhere down south?"

"Alas, I know not this unknown fray, I roam not far where others may, But in woods so deep, where shadows play, The green crystal's yet to see the day," replied the zebra, approaching a sort of cabinet carved from a protrusion in the wall near her bed, where a tray with several small cups and a clay teapot with a bamboo handle were placed. Standing there for a few seconds in deep contemplation, she looked back at her guests with clear concern and continued, "But still, in the woods, a change takes place, Hardly recognizable, like a hidden trace. In recent days, it's like nature's own plea, As if she seeks help in her wild decree…"

Somewhat cautious after the host's story, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom exchanged meaningful glances. Especially the pegasus, who, after receiving recent news about an impending disaster as foretold in the ancient prophecy of Star Swirl, considered the possibility that Zecora might have sensed something ominous. On the other hoof, her voice sounded more puzzled than alarmed. Meanwhile, she removed a couple of cups from the tray, leaving only three, and took it in her teeth to move it to the round table.

"What's wrong with the forest?" the gentle yellow pony asked after a momentary silence. "I hope the thorny vines haven't started growing everywhere again?"

"Or mebbe them parasprites are actin' up again?" guessed the red-maned pony. After placing the tray at the edge of the table, Zecora shook her head."

"Neither here nor there, the truth's elusive rhyme, When Canterlot fell to foes in their prime, The forest's very aura did transform and share. And now nature senses what's beyond compare," Zecora cryptically shared, after which she began pouring fragrant tea into the cups.

From what the herbalist expressed in her verses, the timid pegasus and her young companion understood only this: that in the magical atmosphere of the Everfree Forest, something had suddenly changed, much like in those days when the banners of Storm King's empire had risen over the land of the little ponies. Interestingly, at that time, Zecora could rightfully be considered the only resident of the central part of Equestria untouched by the burden of a brief occupation, as the invaders simply didn't dare to venture into this wilderness. Without any warning, the Everfree Forest gave the impression that once you entered it, there was no way to ever come out again.

However, on their way here, neither of the two ponies had felt that anything had changed. Besides, they didn't even know what was going on in that wilderness while the evil king's air armadas were circling over Equestria. Therefore, Zecora's words only further puzzled them. And while a pressing tension was growing inside the pegasus, the young earth pony, who had only heard briefly about her older sister's reports of patches in the sky, felt utterly bewildered.

"So, ya mean this is all for real?" Apple Bloom asked, glancing at Fluttershy and then fixing her wide amber eyes on Zecora. "Are we really starin' down some brand new disaster? And is the Everfree Forest actually feelin' it?"

"I know not of this, my dear. But something's amiss, I fear," the herbalist shrugged, evidently not grasping what the young pony meant by some other disaster beyond the green crystal. She then set a cup in front of each of the two guests and politely said, "Have some tea, it'll ease your care, As wisdom's path you both now dare!"

"Thank you, Zecora, but…," Fluttie began, but halted midway as she took a notebook in her mouth and moved it from her bag to the table beside the teacup. After pondering for a moment, she cast a cautious look at the zebra and asked directly, "Tell us, what indeed has happened to the forest? Has it become even more perilous here?"

"Dangers in the woods do ever hide, Yet fret not, let fear not in you abide," Zecora responded succinctly, apparently sensing that Fluttershy was beginning to be overwhelmed by various fears and deciding not to burden her with them. Gesturing towards the notebook, which the timid guest had taken out, she smiled and kindly suggested, "My counsel, swift and true, I say, Don't linger, let not time decay, Unlock your notebook, without delay, I'm poised to share, so listen, I pray."

Coming to her senses, Fluttershy hurriedly retrieved a ballpoint pen from her bag, much more practical for use by pegasi and earth ponies than quills and ink, which were popular only among unicorns. Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, chuckled discreetly, probably amused by how Zecora managed to compose a quadruple rhyme. Zecora, in turn, winked at the young filly, taking a sip from her cup of tea, which she had brewed just in time for her unexpected guests.

On the table, everything necessary for writing was already laid out, and Fluttershy, sitting down along with Zecora and Apple Bloom, even opened her notebook, but she froze. It seemed that something was deeply troubling her. Finally, the gaze of her turquoise eyes once again rose to meet Zecora's, expressing something like a plea.

"Yes, but, um…" the rose-maned pegasus hesitated suddenly, nervously rubbing her front hooves, "In that case, I hope you'll accompany us back to the edge of the forest?"




* * *


"Applejack done told me them infected ponies turn all crystally green," Apple Bloom said. "To be honest, Ah can't even imagine what they're goin' through, and Ah don't want nopony else to die. Ah'll also help sick ponies and critters in any way Ah can… for Braeburn. Ah'm sure he'd approve…"

Explaining her enthusiasm, the younger Apple slightly lowered her gaze. Before her amber eyes, for the umpteenth time in the past month and a half, appeared the image of her beloved cousin, who died in the catastrophe in Appleloosa along with other relatives she knew to a lesser extent. Easily recognizing the rekindled sorrow in her eyes, Twilight approached her. She gently touched her chin with a hoof and, raising her head slightly, said affectionately:

"That's very kind of you, Apple Bloom. I have no doubt Braeburn would be proud of you, just as we all are."

"Indeed," Spike affirmed confidently, standing beside Twilight. The filly's eyes immediately lit up with delight, and a fond smile appeared on the face of the Princess of Friendship. However, the dragon added with a hint of concern, "Although I hope there won't be any more sick ponies."

The hope of the dragon was shared by all of Equestria in one way or another because if new sick ponies had started to appear, it would mean that the green mineral had reached more settlements. All those who had been infected with the crystal in the early days following the meteorite's fall had long since passed away. The last outbreak of the epidemic was only the infection of the animals in the Everfree Forest, the treatment of which Zecora discovered the healing properties of her potion.

Among the ponies, there had been no new cases of illness for over a month. And there were two possible explanations for this turn of events: either everyone had realized it was better not to approach the Appleloosa area, or cases of infection had become isolated, and the unfortunate individuals died faster than they could appear to anypony. Nevertheless, without exception, everyone wanted to believe that the deaths had finally ceased.

Naturally, Twilight also hoped with all her heart that the number of victims would not continue to rise, but she believed that all ponies needed to be prepared for any, even the direst, turn of events. Therefore, she wholeheartedly supported the filly with the red bow.

"In any case, the knowledge of the recipe for this potion…"

The words of the Princess of Friendship suddenly came to an abrupt end with a piercing crash, resembling thunderclaps. The three ponies and the dragon instinctively cast frightened glances to the east – where the loud noise was coming from – and saw powerful electrical discharges in the dark sky. Judging by the dense clouds on the horizon, it was a thunderstorm front. However, none of those watching the abundant lightning strikes had ever seen such a terrifying storm in their lives.

Flashes of lightning, piercing the air from the sky to the ground, were flashing approximately two miles from Ponyville, and the east wind foretold that this monstrous storm would soon pass over the roofs of the local houses. But even at such a distance, it was already inspiring awe. It made Fluttie's knees tremble, causing her to crouch down, while the younger Apple, more frightened by the suddenness of the thunderclaps, pressed closely to her. Spike, in turn, automatically clung to Twilight, gripping her hind leg with his paws. The princess herself felt how each lightning strike seemed to shake her core, but at the same time, something caused her the deepest astonishment.

"A thunderstorm at the end of autumn?" she exclaimed, inadvertently further scaring the timid pegasus with her words.

"Oh no, not a thunderstorm! I'm terrified of t-thunder!"

"It's probably another mishap in Cloudsdale," the little dragon grumbled gloomily, releasing the hind leg of the lavender pony. To replace his sudden terror, irritation began to creep into his heart because he had almost no doubt that the anomalous storm was caused by the negligence of the pegasi from the Weather Factory in the city on the clouds.

As soon as Spike voiced his assumption, a particularly bright flash suddenly appeared amidst the lightning, stretching out in seconds into an unusual energy sphere of bluish hue. This rather sizable object began to spin at a frenzied speed, like an uncontrollable carousel. With a slight delay, the observers heard a horrifying roar emanating from it, which woke up almost the entire Ponyville. Lights flickered in the houses everywhere. Frightened ponies rushed outside to figure out what was happening. Their amazement, bordering on fear, knew no bounds when they saw the energy sphere in the dark night sky, accompanied by electrical discharges. Among them, silent panic loomed.

The sphere continued to rotate in the sky for about five minutes, after which it abruptly dimmed, producing a loud pop. In the place where the vanished sphere had been, something gigantic, resembling, as Twilight thought, a metallic structure in the shape of a truncated cone, had formed and immediately crashed somewhere in a field, evidently a couple of miles from the town. It was hard to say what happened to this contraption after falling from such a significant height, but the mere fact of its appearance deeply puzzled and thoroughly frightened all the ponies.

"What was that?!" suddenly came a hoarse, crackling voice from behind Sparkle, tinged with evident tension and excitement. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Rainbow Dash hovering about a meter above the ground. Touching the path scattered with dry leaves with her hooves, she folded her wings and, never taking her eyes off the now calm sky, added, "I can't recall Clousdale planning any more storms this year."

"Maybe it's aliens?" Spike thought aloud. His hope that the anomaly they had witnessed was just a Weather Factory glitch was not fulfilled.

Exchanging glances with the dragon, Dash shrugged hesitantly. She didn't dismiss the possibility that the princess's assistant might be right, even though her mental image of how these unknown cosmic foes would appear, about whom she had frequently heard in the royal palace, was somewhat different. In truth, neither the lightning strikes, nor the strange sphere, nor the massive object that emerged from it hinted at anything to her.

Listening to the eerie silence around her, Twilight noticed that the very thing that had fallen out of the extinguished sphere hadn't made a sound upon impact with the ground. Of course, at a distance of a couple of miles, the crash might simply not have reached her ears, but she still found this fact suspicious. Nevertheless, she decided that she should learn as much as possible about the object she had seen, especially if it posed any threat.

Turning to her frozen friends, Sparkle first noticed Fluttershy, who was no longer pressed into the ground but still gazed at the eastern horizon with wide-open eyes, not without anxiety. Apple Bloom continued to huddle close to her, feeling a sense of confusion. Then the princess's gaze shifted to the rainbow-maned pony, who was also glued to the observation of the part of the sky shrouded in dark clouds.

"Rainbow Dash!" she called out to her friend, taking control of the situation. After all, Celestia had entrusted Ponyville's defense to her. "Gather your best flyers and scout the crash site of that object. We need to know if it poses any danger to us, understood?"

"Got it!" Dash responded immediately, ready for action despite being rudely awakened from her sweet nap when that deafening roar had disrupted her cloud home. Nevertheless, the sudden tension only fueled her determination to face whatever risks lay ahead.

"And be careful, okay? There could be anything over there!"

"Don't worry about us, Wonderbolts are in their element with clouds," the sky-blue pegasus chuckled with her characteristic carefree attitude.

Following that, Rainbow immediately soared into the air and rushed to the Wonderbolts Academy to assemble a reconnaissance team from her own personal staff. Twilight watched her go, silently praying to Celestia that her friend and those flying reconnaissance with her would be safe. But just a few seconds later, Spike distracted the lavender pony, patting her on the shoulder and silently pointing towards the nearest houses. Dozens of bewildered Ponyville residents were standing on their doorsteps, staring at the princess in the middle of the street with wide eyes.

Although Twilight became the center of attention for the frightened town ponies, Fluttershy felt even more uncomfortable under their gazes. However, the sudden rumblings of thunder were enough to make her heart race. In the meantime, the princess was troubled by a different circumstance. She understood that all these ponies needed to be calmed down urgently, or uncontrolled panic would erupt among them.

"Stay calm, everypony! Rainbow Dash and her fliers will scout the area and tell us what happened," Sparkle stated firmly, though she couldn't bring herself to assert that the town ponies had no reason to worry.

However, among the town ponies at the same moment, a subdued clamor erupted; they all began to exchange impressions of what they had seen, as well as speculate about the nature of the mysterious sphere and what seemed to have caused its sudden disappearance. Sensing the tension in the air, Twilight looked around hesitantly until she noticed a young filly with a red bow beside her.

"What's gonna happen next, Twilight?" Apple Bloom worriedly inquired as she approached the princess. The purple mare didn't know what to say, only frantically trying to figure out how to instill calmness in the surrounding ponies before their chatter turned into a general commotion. Answering the young pony's question, however, fell to Spike, who sighed in annoyance.

"It looks like a sleepless night…"



2.2. Morning News

Swiftly cutting through the cool morning air, Rainbow Dash flew toward Ponyville from the direction of Lake Saddlе. Behind her, a dozen of the fastest pegasi, chosen as part of recent military reforms that also affected the Wonderbolt Corps, kept pace. Soon, the shadows of the flyers, sharply outlined in the light of the risen sun, fell upon the rooftops of the houses located on the eastern outskirts of the town. The rainbow-maned mare made a special hoof gesture and then pointed in the direction of her hometown, Cloudsdale.

The Wonderbolts promptly responded to the order to return to the academy, indicated by the gesture. Dashie adjusted her course slightly, aiming to reach the Castle of Friendship and report the results of the reconnaissance to Twilight. Fortunately, everything had gone relatively smoothly, although the pegasus was quite concerned about what she had witnessed with her own eyes during the night. Her subordinates were equally uncertain about how to react to it, but they had pledged to report only the bare facts to Spitfire, the senior officer of the corps.

At this early hour, Ponyville was just beginning to wake up, although some ponies had already left their homes, so the town didn't seem empty at all. Soaring above the straw-covered rooftops, Rainbow surveyed the streets unfolding beneath her until she spotted three friends heading, it seemed, toward the Castle of Friendship. She immediately descended and touched down a few meters in front of them. While Applejack and Fluttershy froze in place at her unexpected appearance, Pinkie Pie wasted no time and dashed towards her like lightning, barely giving her a chance to push her goggles up onto her forehead.

"Hey there, Dashie!" exclaimed the pink pony, enveloping the rainbow-maned pegasus in such swift and firm hugs that she could barely stand on her hooves. Then, slightly pulling away but not releasing her neck from her hooves, Pinkie began to chatter relentlessly: "How did the flight go? Did you see the aliens? Are they friendly or not so much? Do they have hooves like ours, or do they walk on six spider legs? How soon will they be here? You did tell them where our hotel in Ponyville is, right? And how many…"

"Wait, Pinkie! I'm glad to see you too," Rainbow said grimly, taking decisive action to interrupt the endless stream of questions, and silencing her excited friend by placing a hoof over her mouth. However, her gaze shifted to two other mares who had approached.

"You was gone the whole dang night," Applejack observed with a hint of concern, having learned about Rainbow's reconnaissance mission from her younger sister. "Find anythin' out yonder? Hope everythin's alright?"

"I wouldn't quite say that," Dash replied, her tone less than cheerful, finally freeing Pinkie's lips in the hope that she wouldn't continue her overly long list of questions. To Rainbow's relief, the cheerful pink pony didn't say another word and also didn't release her from the friendly embrace.

"Oh no," Fluttershy immediately exclaimed, suspecting that yesterday's anomaly had spawned something truly dreadful and very dangerous. "So there's a reason I couldn't sleep tonight! Are we really in great danger now?

"Apple Bloom couldn't catch a wink all night too, and neither could I with her," the farmer said tiredly. Indeed, her little sister was so upset by yesterday's events that she couldn't fall asleep. As a result, the two of them dozed off on her bed towards morning, but were awakened by the roosters just a couple of hours later. Shaking her head slightly to dispel the sudden drowsiness, the blonde returned to the original topic: "So, what'd y'all see?"

The question from the ginger pony was also supported by the cheerful pink one, who stared at the rainbow-maned pegasus with a smiling look, as if requesting curious details. It seemed that Pinkie had missed her friends' reasoning that what the reconnaissance team saw outside of Ponyville could be of a threatening nature. Briefly looking around, Rainbow noticed that there were quite a few ponies nearby, by the walls of houses and fences, and they were all looking at her. Obviously, the townsfolk were also awaiting the results of the night reconnaissance, and none of them even knew about the patches in the sky and Star Swirl's prophecy, so they could only guess at the reasons for the appearance of lightning and that sphere.

Causing panic among the Ponyvillians was unwise, so Dashie considered the street an unsuitable place for such a conversation. With a tired sigh, she first pushed away the broadly smiling Pie, and then got down to business:

"Is Twilight at her place?"

"Yes, but, um… she's asleep right now," the pink-maned pegasus cautioned timidly. "Yesterday, Spike had a hard time convincing her to go to bed, and I think we should let her get some rest if possible. I haven't slept for just one night, and I already feel unwell, but she's been having sleep problems for a while."

"I think she won't like it," the rainbow-maned pony mused, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Finally, after making a decision, she said, "On the other hoof, I don't have anything too urgent at the moment, especially since I've sent my flyers to report everything to Spitfire. I'm sure Celestia and Luna will know everything they need to in just a couple of hours. Yes, you're right, Fluttershy, let's not disturb her, or she'll be completely exhausted!"

"Yup," the pony in the hat confirmed. "Besides, she's likely to wake up soon anyhow, and for now, you can take a break and…"

"…and tell us everything first!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, somehow jumping onto farmer's back and sticking her head above hers, so that the cowboy hat now rested on her curly pink mane. AJ, a bit surprised, looked up as far as nature allowed and saw the smiling face of her likely cousin right above her.

Once again, briefly scanning all the nearby townsfolk who had frozen in anticipation of news, Dash thought it would be better to continue the conversation with her three friends in a more private setting. Nodding her head towards the Friendship Castle, towering on the northern outskirts of the town, she replied softly:

"Alright, but not here…"




* * *


Twilight slowly opened her eyelids, and the sun's rays streaming into the bedroom through the windows gently caressed her beautiful violet eyes. Right after the incident with the strange energy sphere, the princess had intended to start building crystal spires around Ponyville. However, Spike had managed to persuade her to postpone it until tomorrow and get a good night's sleep. If yesterday the lavender pony had argued with her assistant, now she was grateful to him for his persistence. Her sleep that night had been surprisingly deep and, therefore, sweet!

Stretching slightly under the blanket, Sparkle spontaneously pondered what was on her agenda for the day. It immediately came to her mind that she had sent Dashie on a reconnaissance mission to the location where that huge thing had fallen out of the sphere when it collapsed. In a sudden wave of worry for her friend, she raised her head from the soft pillow and froze in astonishment. On one of the beds across from the princess's, rested that sky-blue pegasus. She lay on her back, propping her front hooves behind her head, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, as if she thought her friend was some kind of waking dream. "You're back?"

"Yeah, for quite a while," Dash replied through a yawn, rising and sitting comfortably in the middle of her bed. The princess, looking puzzled, inquired:

"But why didn't you wake me up right away?"

"I decided not to disturb you. After all, you haven't had a good night's sleep in about two weeks," explained the rainbow-maned pony. Twilight thanked her for her thoughtfulness, even though she believed the current situation didn't allow for delays due to what she saw as minor matters.

However, the time hadn't been wasted for Dash. After telling her three friends what she had seen in the distance from Ponyville, she had an hour to spare for sleep. But about fifteen minutes ago, something had prompted her to wake up, even though she hadn't managed to get a full night's rest, and she had simply been lying in bed until she was called by the princess.

In addition to the fact that Dash hadn't slept all of the past night, conducting reconnaissance and surveillance, she had very little time to rest during the preparations to safeguard Equestria against a potential invasion by unknown enemies. She frequently had to fly to Cloudsdale to deliver various orders addressed to the Wonderbolts' commanders, and, eventually, she had to attend her own promotion. It had been two days since she had been in the flight officer corps as a lieutenant, something she would have been ecstatic about if it weren't for the anxiety that was only intensified by her exhaustion.

Believing that a matter as crucial as the safety of Ponyville and all its residents demanded heightened attention, Twilight wished to find out as soon as possible whether the Wonderbolts' reconnaissance team had detected anything hostile to the east of the town. She emerged from under the covers but didn't leave her cozy bed, instead getting right to the point:

"Is there something out there? What did you manage to discover?"

"Actually, nothing good. There's some sort of factory there now… or a workshop, guarded by two-legged steel monsters," the sky-blue pegasus briefly described the scene she had witnessed, looking confused.

"Monsters?" the princess surprised, to which her rainbow-maned friend confidently replied:

"There's no other way to describe them."

Glancing slightly to the side, Sparkle seemed to freeze like an ice sculpture. Could it be that Dashie was talking about those very aliens that devoured the planet Martis and the asteroid belt? Aliens whose invasion threat had terrified poor Starlight to the core and made the alicorn sisters seriously consider Equestria's defenses? Were these the creatures that would put an end to the entire world, as Star Swirl had prophesied? All these questions raced through the purple mare's mind at breakneck speed, leaving her little chance to pull herself together and try to answer them somewhat rationally.

Despite her inner turmoil, the Princess of Friendship understood that it was still too early for all the ponies to draw any conclusions. However, the mere thought of risking the wrath of these uninvited guests sent shivers down her spine. In light of this, she turned her gaze back to the pegasus and inquired:

"I hope they didn't notice you?"

"They did," Rainbow sighed guiltily. "We watched them from the clouds all night, saw them setting up, exploring the area – for some reason, many of them headed towards the Everfree Forest. But as morning approached, a strong wind kicked up, and we had to descend lower. When we got closer to their position, they started keeping a close eye on our maneuvers. But strangely enough, they didn't display any aggression. They just stared at us, all of them, and nothing more."

Taken aback by what she heard, Twilie once again fell into deep thought. Whatever it was, she didn't like the fact that some monsters had decided to settle near Ponyville with unknown intentions and without any warning. Remembering how a colossal dragon had taken residence in Central Equestria a few years ago and the consequences his smoky breath had brought, the princess involuntarily shuddered. Not all neighbors were to her liking. Could it be that these strangers were establishing a presence in these lands – seriously and for the long haul?

"What kind of factory did they build?" the lavender pony finally inquired, struggling to gather her thoughts.

"You can see it for yourself. It's visible from here," the pegasus pointed to the window next to the princess's bed. "You might even spot the steel monsters through a telescope."

Feeling the same oppressive uncertainty as she did with the patches in the sky, Sparkle jumped off the bed, went to the nearest window, and used her magic to bring a small telescope closer to her. It was a customary item in her room, one she used more often for surveying the area than for stargazing. First, she looked in the direction where that peculiar truncated cone had fallen yesterday. From the castle's height, she could make out some sort of structure, situated on a small hillock near Lake Saddle, a little over two miles from Ponyville. However, discerning anything specific at such a distance was impossible.

Next, Sparkle adjusted the telescope. Tweaking the lenses, she brought her eye to the eyepiece and saw the object Dash had mentioned. It was a twenty-meter tall building, distinctive in its unusual shape. A circular platform with an image of a coiled scorpion tail was attached to the front, while on the sides, there were small extensions with pipes emitting greenish smoke. The walls of this factory were black with faintly glowing red stripes.

The building was surrounded by eight peculiar structures resembling curved black and red obelisks. The pointed top of each structure consisted of a bright crimson crystal. Twilight mentally speculated that these edifices were somewhat like the crystal spires recently erected around Canterlot. Therefore, they were designed to protect the main building. Their placement gave her the impression that they were stone sentinels guarding something valuable.

Beneath the obelisks were the beings Rainbow Dash had referred to as steel monsters. These creatures, numbering about twenty in the squad, stood on two legs, and what the princess intuitively perceived as weapons were integrated into their limbs. She was correct, despite never having seen anything like them before. These creatures' bodies were entirely made of metal. Although, perhaps they were not bodies but armor.

Their faces were steel masks with large red crosses, presumably serving as eyes. However, on some of them, instead of a cross, four pairs of equally red dots were illuminated. With their large builds and slightly hunched powerful necks, these beings partly reminded the princess of Storm King's soldiers who had stormed Canterlot last summer.

While Sparkle was observing, the circular platform in front of the factory suddenly began to rise, rotating 180 degrees. It turned out to be the roof of an underground chamber, the gates of which had risen to the surface and opened. In the next moment, a unit of ten steel monsters emerged from there and immediately reinforced the defense of the factory's territory. The chamber that had released them outside returned to its original position, once again becoming a platform.

"They're gathering military strength!" Twilight concluded with concern, tearing herself away from the telescope.

Upon hearing the hoofsteps behind her, the Princess of Friendship turned around and with widened eyes, she stared at the sky-blue pegasus who had approached her. Seeing only one way to resolve the situation, Rainbow immediately suggested:

"Perhaps we should strike first?"

Dash's idea left Sparkle overwhelmed. The mere fleeting thought of initiating a conflict with these aliens, one that could potentially escalate into a full-scale war of annihilation, made her stomach churn and her breathing difficult. After another glance out of the window at the lair of the uninvited guests visible from the Friendship Castle, she turned back to her awaiting friend.

"I think engaging in hostilities with these creatures could be very dangerous," she said with concern for the lives of all the ponies. Finally, she concluded, "Let's try to live in peace with them."

"What are you talking about, Twilight? They're building on our land, and as you said, they're gathering military power," Dashie reminded her, thinking that in this case, adopting a passive tactic was too reckless. "Their actions hardly indicate they've come in peace!"

"But if we start a war with them, all their kind from space will come here and destroy Equestria. Perhaps maintaining peace is our only chance to save the country from destruction, do you understand?" the lavender mare expressed her position. She really didn't want the events of last summer, when the long-awaited Festival of Friendship turned into an occupation of the entire land of the little ponies, to repeat itself, not to mention an even worse scenario. Therefore, she feared any pretext for war like the plague.

Reflecting on the alicorn's arguments, Rainbow came to the conclusion that the situation was essentially at a standstill. Any action, one way or another, promised the most unfavorable outcome for all of Equestria. But she considered sitting idly by and doing nothing the worst decision. Despite her certainty that the intentions of those steel monsters she had seen at relatively close range were far from benevolent, she still retorted:

"Well, what if they don't want to live in peace?"

"Then we will have to defend ourselves somehow," Sparkle firmly replied, returning to surveying the terrain, which stretched eastward all the way to Lake Saddle, beyond which lay an extensive stony plain. With a sigh, she added, "But in any case, we need to discuss this issue urgently with Princess Celestia…"



2.3. Barbarians at the Gates

”Today is 12.14.1307. It's been a long time since I wrote in my journal…

Things are very bad for us. It seems like the end is really near. The green crystal has reached the large deposits of precious stones. Upon coming into contact with them, it instantly turned almost a third of our country into a lifeless wasteland. Las Pegasus and the southern part of Everfree Forest are now buried beneath green fields, just like Appleloosa and the Rock Farm (fortunately, Pinkie Pie's family left it right after the meteorite fell and have been living in Ponyville since). I suspect the mineral has reached the precious stones, spreading underground. Honestly, I'm very afraid that it might spread to the Crystal Empire in the same way.

I'm completely at a loss, and I don't know what to do. For three days now, ponies who miraculously survived this disaster have been flocking to Ponyville. They've all lost their homes, and many are infected with the crystal. Fluttershy is working around the clock, taking them into her home and treating them with Zecora's potion. Apple Bloom is helping her by gathering the necessary herbs from the unaffected parts of the forest. I'm sure it's incredibly hard for both of them to see dying ponies every day, to look into their fearful eyes where there's still hope for recovery. We try to support Fluttershy and Apple Bloom in any way we can, even if it's just moral support, and I really hope it makes them feel at least a little better.

The aliens are worrying me too. They're increasing their power every day. Their lair is expanding. Yesterday, I counted seventeen structures. Moreover, this military facility is now surrounded by a wall (seemingly made of concrete) and twelve structures that look like obelisks. There's an entire army of steel monsters there. I guess we could call it a city now.

Also, I'm scared by the aliens' actions towards the green crystal. Five days ago, Rainbow Dash's reconnaissance team observed unusual-looking machinery heading to the green fields near Dodge Junction and collecting the mineral in quite substantial quantities. After filling their reservoirs, these machines returned and unloaded the crystals at some sort of factory. Why are they doing this? Perhaps they're trying to destroy this cursed mineral in this way? And why do they show no aggression towards the Wonderbolts who are observing them? What if they don't want war?

By the way, about the war. After we prepared nature for winter, Princess Celestia sent two hundred pony knights and a hundred unicorn guards to Ponyville. They set up a tent camp not far from Fluttershy's house, and then they started building a palisade around the town. Now Ponyville is protected not only by the crystal spires I erected but also by the soldiers who keep watch day and night on the new town walls. Celestia ordered us to prepare for defense but not to attack the aliens and wait for their actions. However, after the disaster with the green crystal, we have no time for that. But why are the aliens ignoring us?

I'm terrified. I don't know why I'm writing about all this in the research journal. But I can't think of anything else to write about. The thought that Equestria will never be the same again and is possibly living its last days just won't leave my mind. And this thought is breaking my heart into pieces. And it's not just mine. Even Princess Celestia is now afraid to look into the future, as it seems that there's nothing good waiting for us there”.


– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.



Having finished, Twilight surveyed the empty throne room. She was here alone, as she had wished to be alone for a while. Everything that had happened in the past few days weighed heavily on her shoulders. In just a matter of weeks, Equestria had lost an entire major city, not to mention the smaller southwestern settlements, along with thousands of acres of land. The extraterrestrial mineral had dealt yet another devastating blow, and the lavender mare found it hard to believe that her beloved world would ever recover from it.

Perhaps Sparkle was more distressed about the recent troubles than many other ponies who were also seized by panic once again. She saw her guilt in the fact that the green crystal had spread so extensively, as she had been supposed to find a way to stop its growth, but she had not succeeded in doing so. Therefore, the princess considered herself responsible for the deaths of all the ponies who had died in the recent catastrophe.

Indeed, it was a monstrous death! When the green crystal reacted with the precious stones in the mines near Las Pegasus, an underground explosion occurred, instantly infecting a vast area that had previously been the San Palomino Desert and the Applewood Mountains. Most of the ponies living in that region died immediately, and all the others fled to Central Equestria in search of salvation. Many died of infection on the way, and the rest encountered their death in settlements to the north of the Ghastly Gorge. Only a few were lucky enough to be cured thanks to the miracle elixir that Fluttershy gave to all the refugees, meeting them near her home dressed in a chemical protection suit. As for those whom the mineral had not affected at all, there were very few of them.

Pushing the journal aside, Twilight crossed her front hooves on the round crystal table and rested her head on them. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She had been suffering from complete insomnia for three days now. At night, she no longer delved into her magical books, unable to gather her thoughts, instead, she merely agonized over haunting worries and often cried. And now, her sad violet eyes welled up with tears as she imagined the scale of the disaster that had befallen Equestria. Her face buried in her hooves, she couldn't hold back and burst into quiet sobbing.

From now on, the purple mare felt that she no longer had the strength to fight for her native world, even though the battle had seemingly just begun. Due to the spread of this cursed space mineral, all the ponies were inching closer to their complete extinction by the hour. With this outlook, there was no need for an alien invasion for the end of the world to occur. Therefore, Sparkle felt not only her own powerlessness but also that there was no strength left in all of Equestria. And even magic had failed to cope with the growth of the green crystal…

Completely losing her sense of time, Twilight didn't know how long she had been shedding tears and berating herself for the catastrophe she had allowed to happen, the one she had previously feared so deeply. But at some point, behind her, the door suddenly swung open, and the throne room filled with the clattering of hooves galloping in. Frightened by the unexpected intrusion into her sorrowful solitude, she even flinched.

"Princess Twilight!" suddenly, somepony's loud but somewhat anxious voice echoed. Glancing back from behind her throne, Sparkle saw a guard bursting into the room and immediately began frantically wiping away the tears that had spilled onto her eyes and cheeks. The guard stopped and, finally noticing Her Highness's condition, hesitantly inquired, "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

"Yes," Twilight replied, her voice choked. Making an effort to push away her despondency and swallowing a lump in her throat, she managed to compose herself and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Three unidentified flying objects have been spotted high in the sky near Ponyville," the pony soldier reported, causing the princess to drop her jaw in astonishment. "What are your orders?"

Inside Twilight everything suddenly came to a halt. Just moments ago, she had been crying over Equestria's unhealable wound inflicted by the green crystal, and now another disaster was looming over all ponies. She had no doubt that the guard had informed her of the approach of some unidentified alien flying machines, possibly akin to those airships used by the Storm King's soldiers. Although these uninvited guests had given no reason to accuse them of being aggressive over the past two weeks, a nagging premonition tormented the lavender mare, suggesting that they had come here to unleash the fires of war upon all living beings.

Receiving the news with the same dread that Starlight had felt when she first spotted the patches in the sky a month ago, the Princess of Friendship was left speechless. The pony soldier, who had been awaiting her orders, seemed about to ask the same question, but suddenly, she illuminated her horn with magic and in an instant, teleported herself and him to the doorstep of the Friendship Castle. As bad as things were spiraling around her, she couldn't allow herself to remain idle. At the very least, her sense of responsibility to other ponies continued to drive her forward, no matter what.

Sparkle looked around in astonishment at the winter Ponyville covered in snow and already adorned with holiday decorations. Yes, just recently, all ponies were preparing for the upcoming Hearth's Warming Day, and a festive mood was blossoming in their hearts, despite the troubling presence of unknown creatures who, however, consistently ignored everyone. But as soon as the crystal destroyed Las Pegasus, panic once again swept across the entire country, erasing any trace of the anticipation of upcoming celebrations from the Equestrians.

On the streets illuminated by garlands and festive lanterns, there were many Ponyvillians who gazed at the dark evening sky with fear and trepidation, obscured by heavy snow clouds. Looking in the same direction, Twilight immediately spotted what the guard had reported to her. At the sight of the new threat looming over Ponyville, she nervously swallowed, then glanced at the stallion, who seemed somewhat bewildered by the sudden teleportation, and just to be sure, she decided to clarify, pointing a hoof at the sky:

"These?"

"Affirmative," confirmed the guard pony. Seeing that the alicorn was still clearly not herself, he thought it necessary to repeat the same question he had been sent here with by the commander of the Ponyville garrison, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Before answering anything, Twilight looked up at the sky once again. Right beneath the dome of low, grayish clouds slightly east of Ponyville hung a trio of massive objects, each as wide as a medium-sized buckball field and as tall as a one-story house. They all had the shape of a flat, elongated hexagonal prism, pointed at the front. As far as the princess could tell, they were made of neither metal nor some crystal, though perhaps a combination of both. Their textured surface was as black as pitch and adorned with blue, glowing patterns. The distance prevented her from discerning further details.

While the purple mare examined these flying machines, they seemed to be inactive, merely hovering at an altitude of around a couple of hundred meters. Nevertheless, their proximity to the town clearly boded ill. Sparkle was most concerned about the lives of the ponies, and ensuring their protection was her top priority. She could only hope that there was still time for that.

"Gather the troops in front of the town hall. I'll be waiting for you there," Twilight ordered after brief contemplation.

"Understood, Princess!" replied the guard, and then galloped toward the tented barracks to convey the order to the commander. He, too, fully realized that time was of the essence, and there might not be enough time to prepare for a possible attack.

The Princess of Friendship looked at him and then turned her attention back to the unknown flying objects, desperately trying to collect her thoughts and courage. Despite having given orders seemingly decisively, she had been in absolute confusion. After the green crystal destroyed Southern Equestria, the aliens suddenly decided to attack, and in this circumstance, the lavender mare saw indirect confirmation that they had come here far from peacefully. Waiting for the moment when the ponies were in a real shock, they simply chose perfect conditions for an attack, and that was probably the last thing needed to make the situation completely hopeless.

But something had to be done, and Twilight, by an effort of will, tried to suppress the panic raging in her heart. Now she considered herself obliged to think clearly and act infallibly, however difficult it might be. After some thought, the purple pony concluded that first of all, she needed to gather all her friends. After all, together, they often managed to accomplish even the impossible…




* * *


"Apple trees and cider barrels! How in the hay are we gonna handle this?" exclaimed Applejack in fear when it became evident that the unidentified objects hovering high above were descending with confidence.

The six embodiments of the Elements of Harmony and Spike stood in the middle of the main intersection of the eastern streets of Ponyville, keeping their eyes on the sky where unusual-looking flying fortresses suddenly began to perform some maneuvers. Pony soldiers surrounded them from all sides. If the unicorn guards were ready to use magic against the presumed enemies at any moment, the knights felt uncomfortable because they had no means to fight against aerial forces. However, they couldn't ignore the orders of the Princess of Friendship to gather the troops, so they stood here in nervously waiting for an intense battle.

A whole line of peaceful town ponies moved across the intersection between the ranks of the guards. Twilight had ordered them to seek refuge in her castle until the threat from the aliens dissipated. Startled by the sudden intrusion, stallions and mares hurried to get out from under the flying fortresses hovering above their district, taking their foals with them and sometimes carrying bundles of their most valuable belongings. Behind the crowd of Ponyville residents was Starlight, urging them to move their hooves faster.

However, up to now, each of the princess's friends had participated in moving all the ponies out of potentially dangerous areas. But as soon as the situation escalated beyond what it had been, this responsibility fell entirely on the gentle lilac unicorn's shoulders. Twilight considered it her duty to be among the soldiers, and her friends, linked to her through the Elements, preferred not to leave her side. Although none of the six ponies and the little dragon wanted to be here.

Distracted from watching the flying machines that had arrived here with unknown intentions, Sparkle briefly surveyed all her friends standing beside her. They were all clearly on edge. While Rainbow Dash and Applejack tried their hardest not to show it, and Pinkie Pie and Spike seemed only moderately apprehensive, Rarity and Fluttershy were barely holding on to prevent themselves from succumbing to uncontrollable panic. The snowy white unicorn was breathing very heavily, anticipating the worst, and the gentle-yellow pegasus had a slight tremor. And the lavender alicorn hardly doubted that her timid friend would have barely come here if she had known in advance what awaited her.

Yes, when the princess gathered all her friends to address a serious problem that had arisen, Rainbow Dash immediately flew over to Fluttershy and practically pushed her out of her house, saying only that there was no time for explanations. At first, the timid pegasus assumed that she was urgently needed due to the appearance of a new wave of infected ponies who needed her help, so she didn't object, although along the way, she remembered that all the potions she had prepared in advance were still in her basement. But as soon as the real reason became evident, there was no turning back… even though she really, really wanted to.

Fearing that poor Fluttershy's nerves might not withstand the growing anxiety, Twilight sneakily glanced at her. Pegasus's rounded eyes were fixed on the sky. For about a quarter of a minute until she was interrupted by Starlight's voice:

"All the houses near the water mill are already abandoned, but some say there are still ponies in that quarter," the violet-maned unicorn reported, pointing to a group of houses on the right side of the street closer to the wooden rampart that had recently surrounded the town. Glancing briefly at the slowly descending flying machines, she added, "If the aliens start right now, we simply won't have time to get them out of there, but… we can't just leave them, can we?"

Sparkle was trying to make a decision faster than the irreversible could happen, her mind racing. Her gaze then spontaneously scanned the ranks of the guards. Perhaps, in this case, it was the wisest idea…

"I'll send soldiers after them," she finally replied to her student, then nodded toward the group of ponies who had crossed the intersection and were hurrying towards the Castle of Friendship. "Stay with them, and be ready to defend them if needed. If the worst happens, all hopes will rest on you, understand?"

"Alright," Glimmer nodded, not wanting to leave her friends in this turmoil but realizing the importance of the responsibility placed on her. After hugging her mentor, she then cast a rather anxious look at the six ponies and the dragon, demanding from them, "Take care, alright?"

"You too," Sparkle responded with reciprocity, a sentiment echoed by her entire company.

Lastly, after looking them all over once more, Starlight nodded to them with hope for a speedy reunion. Then she galloped after the evacuating Ponyville residents. Her heart ached for her friends; however, she had to take care of all these ponies. Despite witnessing everything she had feared since spotting the patches in the sky, she couldn't afford to panic. The violet-maned unicorn was determined to fulfill her duty to the best of her abilities.

Watching her go, Twilight mentally prayed to Celestia for all her friends. But remembering what her student had told her, she scanned for the commander of the knightly squad, standing behind the formation of his soldiers, and hurried to issue her orders. Thankfully, the princess was only about ten meters away from him, so she ended up next to him within seconds.

"In those houses, there are still ponies," the lavender mare pointed to the quarter her friend had mentioned. "Please, send at least a few soldiers there to escort them to the castle."

"As you command, Your Highness," the commander immediately complied and then relayed Princess Twilight's order to the soldiers he had promptly chosen for this task. They too rushed to fulfill it, galloping towards the designated quarter.

Taking a step back, Sparkle noticed her friends, along with the dragon, had caught up to her. This time, her attention was drawn to Dash. Considering the kind of adversary Ponyville was facing, she deemed it a significant oversight that there were no squads of pegasi in the garrison. Although she couldn't fathom the strengths and weaknesses of these flying fortresses, if an aerial battle were to unfold in the skies above the town, only the fliers who had dedicated their lives to slicing through the air among the clouds would feel comfortable.

"Rainbow Dash," she finally called out to the pegasus, once again fixing her gaze on the three objects that, as it seemed to her, had halted their descent and were hovering nearly a hundred meters above the ground, off to the side of Ponyville. "Quickly, fly to the Academy and bring all the Wonderbolts here! If they attack us from the air, perhaps only you can turn the tide."

"Got it!" Rainbow responded promptly, with stress urging her into action. "I'll be back in a flash."

With these words, the rainbow-maned pegasus swiftly took to the sky and immediately set her course for Cloudsdale. She understood that she was leaving her friends alone with potential danger, which is why she spared no effort with her own wings, pushing them to their limits, just to bring assistance to Ponyville as quickly as possible – preferably before an open conflict erupted. At least, recently her fellow flyers had been on high alert due to the catastrophe in Las Pegasus and the presence of mysterious aliens nearby. So, summoning the army of Equestria's finest fliers for the impending battle seemed like a swift task to her.

The rainbow trail left by the instantly ascending pegasus quickly dissipated, and all of Twilight's attention returned to the flying fortresses. Then, all of a sudden, large rectangular openings formed on the dark undersides of each of them. Bright bluish light emanated from these hatches, and in it, five ponies and a little dragon noticed something strange. Through these openings, the flying machines began to eject cylindrical metal capsules that rained down like sown seeds.

"What's this?" Pinkie wondered, looking at the falling containers. All around her, an atmosphere of universal horror prevailed, to which she involuntarily succumbed, especially after the destruction of Las Pegasus, which had unsettled her no less than everypony else. However, not long ago, she had been eagerly awaiting the moment when the aliens would stop ignoring all the ponies and make contact with them. But now her soul was filled with anxiety, and she didn't even try to find an explanation for it.

"Y'all reckon them's barrels, maybe?" AJ pondered, raising an eyebrow and subconsciously feeling slightly surprised that Pinkie didn't come up with her usual assumption that there might be candies or something like that inside these containers. However, the farmer fully understood that the pink-maned fun-loving pony was gripped by a more than natural fear of the unknown, which her instincts were suggesting posed a threat.

Capsules landed with a dull clang somewhere beyond the town, but the view of their landing spot was blocked by a three-meter-high palisade. Twilight and her entourage couldn't see what was happening there. Over a very short period, the flying fortresses collectively dropped about fifty of these containers. And what was happening with them on the snowy ground was only visible to a small patrol stationed on the wall directly above the eastern gate.

From the height of the three-meter palisade, there was a view of the hilly terrain covered with snowdrifts, stretching all the way to Lake Saddle. Here and there, solitary trees or even entire groves grew, also covered with dense shrubs. However, in general, this space, which stretched from the foothills of the Canterlot Mountains in the north to the Everfree Forest in the south, was a relatively clear field. A well-trodden pedestrian tract extended from the fortress gates, heading towards the capital. It was on this trail, about two hundred yards from the palisade, that those very capsules landed.

Immediately after each metal container landed with a clatter, it split into four segments, releasing those held inside. Upon seeing their hypothetical foes, two unicorn guards exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to make of what they were seeing. Meanwhile, their commander, who had no doubt about the hostility of these beings, was extremely concerned about their actions. Preparing to witness just about anything in the coming minutes, he forced himself to turn his gaze to his third subordinate – a rather young unicorn.

"Report to Princess Twilight that they are advancing," the patrol commander instructed him. The young unicorn obeyed the order, not particularly eager to remain on the frontlines, and quickly descended from the wall. Three of his comrades stayed behind to keep an eye on the enemies.

Running at a gallop along the entire length of the nearest street to the intersection, sometimes squeezing between the ranks of comrades-in-arms, the unicorn guard reached the princess as quickly as he could, which was in less than a minute. Approaching her and her entourage, he bowed and delivered his commander's message:

"Princess Twilight, they are advancing on our defenses!"

"Who's advancing?" Sparkle asked in surprise, unable to imagine how those barrels could be attacking Ponyville's defensive line. Her friends were equally puzzled.

The unicorn, it seemed, wanted to respond, but what happened to the palisade interrupted him. At that very moment, the wooden wall was literally shattered into splinters by the force of a large, spherical energy blob crashing into it. Three guards who were on it were thrown in different directions by the powerful explosion and soon lay lifeless on the ground.

Everypony gathered on the street crouched down in fear, trying to avoid being hit by a piece of the wall or, even worse, another similar energy projectile. The guard who had left his post just in time finally mustered the courage to respond to the princess, his voice trembling with horror:

"The steel m-monsters…"


P.S. "Great empires are not maintained by timidity" – Publius Cornelius Tacitus.