//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: From Allies to Enemies: The Best Medicine for an Abrupt Invasion (FAtE) 
// by DaBeejees 
//------------------------------//

"I just don't understand how it happened...how it could happen..."

We were gathered in the upper floor of the Ponyville Library -- and by we, I mean myself and my six closest friends: the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I had always felt like the odd one out for the entire time that I've known them, but that means nothing right now. We were all scared; petrified. Only mere hours earlier, Princess Celestia had sent her personal protégé -- who in fact made her residence in the library -- an urgent letter, commanding her to gather the other elements to the library immediately...but for some reason, a reason I still find myself questioning, my name was also added to that list of whom to gather. By the time we all were assembled, the Princess -- along with her sister, Princess Luna -- were already present at the library, accompanied by a number of their royal guards.

What we were informed of next was the reason why we were still gathered here, albeit sans the Princesses and their guards now. For what had seemed like an eternity -- even to the Princesses -- Equestria had been the strongest of allies with the neighboring Griffonite Empire, but this morn they had pulled a bigger flip-flop than had ever been seen before, even in politics: they had declared war. No known motives, nothing. And now, as the Elements of Harmony, my six closest friends -- my only true friends, honestly -- they are being called to help lead the defense. Obviously, I was extremely confused, as I still am now, and the elder Princess' cryptic explanation didn't help much: she had said simply that I was to go with them, the reason I would learn in time. Even though I still pondered the possibilities of what she had meant, I was certain about one thing at the very least: my friends would need me, but the contrary was even more true: I would need them. Here we now sat, not yet given ranks nor any further duties whatsoever, simply conversing on how our lives have now changed more quickly than anypony could think possible.

"Nopony knows, sugarcube." I turned to look at the orange farm-mare: The hard-working Applejack, Element of Honesty, earth pony, and co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres, renowned for it's delicious apples, which have no match. "An' fer that matter, tha Princess said she don't plan on makin' tha news public 'til at least t'morrow."

"Yes, and it seems that even she is taken aback by all of this." The fashionable Rarity: the Element of Generosity, unicorn, and owner of the Carousel Boutique, famous for her skillful handiwork on her beautiful garments. "All we can really do now is accept the circumstances, and prepare ourselves for what's to come."

"Which means getting ready to fight." Rainbow Dash: the Element of Loyalty, pegasus, and the only pony known to have pulled off a Sonic Rainboom, known for her namesake mane and tail, as well as her extreme need for speed. "And we can't show any mercy!"

"I-I couldn't possibly hurt anypony..." The humble Fluttershy: the Element of Kindness, pegasus, and the most gentle pony ever to have lived, revered for her connection to animals, as well as for her medical care. No doubt she was going to be a medic of some sort. "I don't think I could ever bring myself to do such a thing..."

"We don't have a choice." The unpredictable Pinkie Pie: the Element of Laughter, earth pony, and a baker at Sugarcube Corner, known for her physics-defying antics, and her ability to throw a better party than even the best fraternity could dream of, and does so almost on a daily basis. Of the six, I felt that I was closest to her, as was evident by the fact that she was clinging to me for comfort, resting her head on my shoulder, her straight hair partially covering her face. This was the Pinkie that few ponies got to see, and that none want to see. In fact, most consider the bubbly, cotton-candy-maned Pinkie Pie and her serious, straight-maned alter ego to practically be two different ponies, each with a separate name, even: the one we saw now went by the pink pony's birth name: Pinkamena. She was already past the sobbing point, and now was only able to shed single tears. At least that meant that the rest of us could understand what she was saying. "This is war. It's either us or them. They decided to invade, so we have no choice but to defend." Pinkamena now clung me tighter, and buried her head back into my shoulder.

"Sadly, she's right. We don't have any choice." The studious Twilight Sparkle: the Element of Magic, unicorn, and the aforementioned personal protégé of Princess Celestia, known for her unquenchable desire to learn, and for her obsessive-compulsive organizational habits, let alone her extremely potent magic capabilities. There are few who can challenge her in terms of sheer knowledge, but ironically I am one of those few, as we had actually first met when I had gone to the library to check out a book on ancient forms of divination. "Our home is in danger, and thus so are we. To fight back is the only way to save Equestria, as much as it pains me to say it."

I slowly look at each of my saddened, yet determined, friends. We all knew that we would be given extremely high ranks -- myself included, at least according to Twilight -- and as a result, extremely huge responsibility; that responsibility primarily being of the lives of thousands of other ponies, who would be counting upon us for guidance, and for their survival. We all knew that hell awaited us all in the very-near future, and we could only pray that we would have a Virgil to guide us through it, safely, and preferably swiftly. We knew that we would see more disease, destruction and death than anypony should ever have to see, and we knew of the all-too-real possibility that not one of us was safe from becoming a victim of one of those cruel fates. We knew would need each other if we were going to get through this, and we knew that now, more than ever, we would need the power of friendship. 

Without it, we were already as good as dead.