//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: The Heat-Ray // Story: The War Of The Worlds // by King Of Thieves //------------------------------// Twilight and Spike didn't dare go back towards the pit, but they both longed to gaze into it. They began walking in a big curve, seeking some higher ground from which they could see into the pit, but not be seen by the Martians. Once, a leash of black tentacles, like the arms of an octopus, reached above the pt, then immediately disappeared. Soon afterwards, a thin rod appeared, rising joint by joint. At the tip of the rod was a disc that spun around in a wobbling motion. By, now most of the ponies on the common had gathered in two groups on opposite sides of the pit. Twilight and Spike stationed themselves on a small hill, slightly higher than the crowds of ponies, for a long while, as the sun set and afterward, nothing further happened. This gave the crowd new confidence, and small groups of ponies began to move towards the pit. At this moment, the PonyVille Mayer, Bon-Bon, Lyra and a green unicorn, who was waving a white flag with his unicorn magic, came out from behind the a tree and headed for the pit. "What do you plan to do?" Spike called to the Mayer. "We've had a small town meeting down at Town Hall," She explained, "and we've decided that the Martians are obviously intelligent creatures even though their bodies are monstrous. So we are going to show them that we, too, are intelligent." Before Spike had a chance to comment on the Mayer's explanation, a flash of light came out of the pit and three long, powerful puffs of green flame rose up one after the other into the air, followed by a faint hissing sound. The hissing changed to a loud humming noise. The humming was revealed as coming from something humped, or domed-shaped, as it slowly rose out of the pit. Flickers of white flame leaped out from it and towards the the four ponies with the white flag. In an instant, each pony turned to fire, staggered, and fell! Twilight and Spike stood staring, hardly realizing that this noiseless, blinding flame brought death as it leaped from pony to pony in this group and then continued on from stallion to mare to foal around the common. Pegasi took to the sky in vain, only to get caught in another fiery flare and began falling one by one to the ground. The flares brought fiery destruction as well, as they leaped swiftly from the trees to bushes to distant wooden buildings. All this happened so swiftly that Twilight and Spike stood motionless, dumbfounded and dazzled by the flashes of light. If that flame, or Heat-Ray, as Twilight calls it, had made a full circle, it would have caught both Twilight and Spike in its path. But it passed them by, thus sparing their lives. Twilight gazed at the spot where the little group with the white flag had stood only minutes before. This little group no longer existed. The ponies around them had ether fled or had been protected by high sand hills as the Heat-Ray passed over their heads. But as the trees above them caught fire, sparks and burning twigs fell on them. Hats and dresses caught on fire. Shrieks and shouts filled the air as stallions, mares, and foals pushed their way to reach the the road to PonyVille, crushing and trampling each other in the darkness. Twilight suddenly realized that she and Spike were alone on this dark common, Spike was to traumatized by all the death and destruction that had happened to notice. Twilight pushed in to the purple dragon to snap him back to focus. Spike shook his head as if coming out of a trance. He then looked at Twilight and hugged her front leg sobbing. And Twilight began to feel sorry that Spike had to see all the death and destruction that recently taking place. However, they both thanked Celestia that they were saved. But soon both Twilight and Spike began to feel helpless and unprotected. With a panic and terror they've never known before, they both turned and ran, Spike riding on Twilight's back. Twilight stumbled through the heather, almost crashing blindly into trees, Spike tried desperately to hang on to her neck as not to fall off, passing through more than forty bodies, burned and destroyed beyond recognition.Twilight ran until she could go no further. Then the purple unicorn staggered and collapsed on to the ground with Spike still on her back. Spike tried to wake Twilight up. And when he did Twilight almost asked him if it were all a dream. But when she noticed their location she already answered her own question. They continued their way back to PonyVille. Everything around them-the night, their home ahead, train passing in the distance-everything was so serene to them, so normal, so familiar. But behind them... When Twilight and Spike reached PonyVille , they noticed their five friends chatting near Sugar Cube Corner. The Twilight immediately went straight into their direction. When the five ponies noticed their friends's arrival, they were shocked by their haggard and dirty appearance. "What news form the common?" Twilight gasped weakly. "Haven't you just came from there?" asked Fluttershy softly hovering above the ground seeing the direction from which they had came. "But never mind that! What happened to you?!" she asked with deep concern. "Th..the.. the Martians!" Spike began stuttering. "And.. the ray! And the mayor and-" "Now calm down darling!" said Rarity who was wearing a fancy blue dress. "Why don't you go home, get cleaned up, and we'll come visit you. That way you talk about when you've settled down." The six ponies agreed, and each went to their intended destinations. Later that evening at Twilight's house, the ponies were having a spaghetti dinner that Pinkie Pie made as Twilight and Spike told their friends everything that they have experienced. As they spoke about the heat-ray and all the death it had caused, fear began to spread on each of their visitor's faces. "But I don't understand it!" cried AppleJack. "What on earth (or Mars) could have drove them to cause such senseless destruction? I really thought that after all we have done they would be friendly" "They might have gotten scared by us." answered Twilight with uncertainty. "What they did was foolish but probably they have came to Earth not expecting to find life on it." "Well." said Rarity utterly disturbed by what she had heard. "I hope they don't become an actual threat to us." "I really doubt that." said Spike trying to comfort her. "They can scarcely move. I read that the force of gravity on Mars is three times weaker than on earth. They'll most likely keep control of the pit and kill ponies who come near it-" Spike noticed that Rarity almost burst out in terror at his statement. "But I can assure you that they cannot get out." "I hope not." spoke Rarity, trying calm down. And the seven friends continued the evening eating their dinner quietly. Not knowing that this would be the last civilized dinner they would have for many strange and horrible days.