Chapter 19 – Invasion
19
Equus
The Crystal Empire
9:46 a.m.
Widespread pandemonium was a common theme in the Crystal Empire, so much so that Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance had grown accustomed to hear Crystal Ponies screaming for their lives and see them running through the streets. That’s what they expected to see when they stepped outside on their castle’s balcony.
While they did see and hear just as they expected, it was the implications for their behavior that came as a shock. Most of the Crystal Ponies were bundled together in the several roads filling the empire like veins leading to the heart, which was their castle. But they all stared straight upwards, screaming with hooves pointed to the sky.
Shining Armor and Cadance followed their eyes, their hooves, and their voices.
And what they saw… made them completely understand.
High above the Crystal Empire, barely pushing past the heavy clouds of the Frozen North and hovering dangerously close to the magical shield surrounding the empire, an unknown ship remained. It wasn’t any ordinary ship, like an airship. What Shining Armor and Cadance saw appeared completely and totally alien to them.
Alien.
That’s all they saw.
Across its four dark tips that stretched completely across the empire, hundreds upon hundreds of smaller ships emerged and divebombed the empire below. Thousands of screams erupted, but were instantly silenced once the ships collided against the magical shield surrounding the Crystal Empire. Small ripples across the surface of the shield showed the impacts of where the smaller ships hit, but nothing more than that actually happened.
Flurry Heart giggled at the sight, raising her tiny hooves towards the only thing protecting her and her family. The ships kept on falling, shooting at the dome with what appeared to be some form of blue energy.
Shining Armor narrowed his eyes, a heavy glare growing across his brow.
“Shining,” Cadance gasped, tightening her grip around Flurry Heart, who was still amazed by the bright lights above. Turning her way, Shining watched as his wife asked, “What do we do?”
Shining held his strong expression, saying, “We contact Celestia and Luna and tell them everything that’s happened.”
Both husband and wife looked back towards the sky, towards the alien warship hanging over their empire. Nothing managed to break through the magical shield protecting the Crystal Empire. No matter how many ships they had or how strong their firepower was, Shining Armor was certain of one thing...
“The Heart will keep us safe.”
Earth
California, USA
Dockweiler Beach, Los Angeles
11:49 a.m.
The early morning beachline was filled with spectators, tourists, and those just setting up their equipment for a long day at the beach. There weren’t many people just wishing to enjoy the slightly-larger waves on that day. Mostly everyone on Dockweiler Beach was busy gazing at the alien world just barely over the horizon.
People brought cameras, held out their phones, and used any form of technology they had just to capture a glimpse of the alien world they had heard all over the news about. It rose over the southwest horizon, slowly but certainly growing larger as its full face was soon to completely cover California in a blanket of darkness. Before then, people took as many pictures and filmed as much footage as they could before the inevitable sirens started screaming.
They came earlier than everyone thought.
The tsunami sirens blared out, causing every citizen to flinch and turn towards the direction of the sound. Every pole within a ten-mile and presumably larger radius was screaming, warning of the oncoming tsunami that was soon to be upon them. No one saw a building tsunami when they turned back to the ocean. The waves remained as they were, not sinking back or growing larger.
But they did see the alien ship high above the Pacific Ocean, slowly hovering towards the city.
The ship was so unbelievably massive that people couldn’t even capture it all on their phones or cameras. Even if it was miles away, the ship covered nearly all of the skyline directly ahead. And it only grew more and more massive the closer it got. By then, people were already screaming. They already turned and ran from the beachline. But by then, they were too late.
Hundreds of Chitauri chariots were already in the air, already swarming the air above the beach and invading the city of Los Angeles. And the Chitauri Command Center kept on its slow, slow pace, eventually enveloping the entire beach in darkness.
Equus
Hyperborean Mountains
Griffonstone
9:52 a.m.
The attack shook nearly half of the city, and almost brought it down the mountain. Gabby stopped her daily mail delivery, seeing griffons fall out of their homes and catch themselves before they could hit the ground. Greta held herself on the nearest mailbox, the earthquake almost making her collapse. Gallus and Grandpa Gruff turned their beaks to the sky. And as for Gilda, she pushed open her door and stared straight up to the skies, just like them.
Every other griffon did.
There was nowhere else to look but up.
To the alien warship descending upon their kingdom’s capital city.
A low and very powerful hum came from the alien ship and reverberated throughout the entire city of Griffonstone, griffons covering their ears, some falling right out of the sky when the resulting shock wave followed. Gabby found herself lying on the nearest roof, covering her ears as the ship continued to make that horrible noise. It stopped, and Gabby finally looked back up.
Only to be one of the many witnesses of the horror that followed.
The bright, morning sky, just once filled with the alien planet on the horizon and the warship above their heads, was now dotted with hundreds of smaller ships. Those ships grew even bigger, descending upon Griffonstone with the intent of complete and utter annihilation. That’s what followed, that is. Complete and utter annihilation.
Gabby screamed and flew away, towards the house nearest to the base of the mountain and away from the oncoming alien fire that fell upon her city. Peeking her head out, Gabby watched as the aliens fell down to Griffonstone, and the griffons that inhabited the city flew up, meeting them halfway.
Gilda and Greta were two of those griffons.
Once they realized the intent of the invaders was to destroy, they took it upon themselves to fly straight into the chaos and show the invaders just who they decided to mess with. Gallus tried to join them, but he was stopped by Grandpa Gruff who dragged the young griffon into his home for safety. The two griffons found some form of comfort once they realized an entire flock of griffons trailed closely after them. That hint of comfort was completely lost once they were tangled in a mess of alien chariots and blue energy beams firing past them.
Tightening her jaw, Gilda weaved and dodged the oncoming onslaught of invading forces. It was nearly a blur, but she focused straight ahead and latched herself onto the only chariot that was headed directly for her. The invader piloting the chariot growled, swiping at the griffon with its light gray arm. Gilda ducked and roared, using her talons and slashing the invader right across the face.
Its faceplate flew off from her strike, the invader spinning back towards her and narrowing its green eyes. Gilda found herself freezing at its appearance. Its face looked unlike anything she had ever seen. If anything, it reminded her of those robots that attacked Griffonstone a few years back. With this creature, she couldn’t even tell what it was. All she knew after gazing at its features was that it was alien.
An alien.
Its jaw unhinged like a snake, screeching so loud Gilda almost let go of her grip on its chariot. She did, eventually, after it drove its fist right into her face. Gilda, dazed and confused, plummeted through the air, watching as more and more aliens flew straight over her and towards her home.
She felt a pair of talons grab her, prompting her attention back to see Greta hovering behind her. “You’re not out of this fight yet!” she yelled.
Gilda frowned, then nodded. Then she and Greta spun around and flew back towards the fight.
Earth
Berlin, Germany
9:53 p.m.
Berlin was already on fire by the time the ships started falling from the sky.
Citizens filled the streets, thousands of men, women, and children running. Not knowing where, but anywhere that wasn’t on fire. Cars swerved out of the way of the running citizens, many people just deciding to abandon their vehicles and try their luck at making a break for it on foot. Everyone ran in the same direction, backs turned towards the heart of the city, some unlucky souls taking a brief second to look back.
And they saw a Chitauri warship hanging over their city, nearly concealed through the darkness of the night. Its bright blue lights pulsated off of its massive exterior, giving the German citizens an indication of where it remained. They didn’t pay it much heed, as the hundreds of ships that left it was their main concern. Those Chitauri ships filled the night sky, firing down upon the city of Berlin with relentless force and no sign of letting up.
By the time the German army arrived in their own home, it was already too late. Jets and helicopters were blown of the sky, bombers sharing the same fate. Ground forces stood no match against the superior air dominance of the Chitauri chariots. It wasn’t long before the Chitauri deployed their own ground forces, dropped off by the many Leviathans that descended from the warship. The German army held off as long as they could, they fought through the night as the alien army fell on top of them. They weren’t enough.
Berlin burned and infected the night sky with its ash and flame, painting the black a horrific orange. Those colors were joined by the screams of the citizens of Berlin, as what remained was consumed by all-out warfare. They screamed all night long.
They screamed as their world was set ablaze under the brilliant night sky.
Equus
Dragon Lands
The Dragons' Lair
9:56 a.m.
Dragon Lord Ember dropped her scepter and fell to her knees, pressing her claws near her father’s eye. The former Dragon Lord Torch lay in the ruins of a small mountain, several scorch marks across his body and wings, his armor torn, his horns broken, and his breathing slow.
The Dragons' Lair surrounding the two was encompassed in flame and explosions, more than what was naturally present. It was due to the alien warships covering the skies and dropping off their soldiers. Those soldiers consisted of hundreds of smaller aliens that Ember and her squadron of teenage dragons tried to fight back. However, the warships let loose even greater soldiers, ones she couldn’t even imagine trying to fight on her own.
That’s why her father and the adult dragons joined the fight, as well. The skies were covered in soot and fire, bodies consisting of dragons and aliens dropping like flies every second. They impacted the earth with such power that the very ground was constantly shaking. But Ember paid the attack or the rising tides of war no heed. She remained on her knees, jaw fallen only slightly, and stared into her father’s massive eye. Into the bloodshot ridges that were slowly being covered by her father’s eyelids that just couldn’t seem to stay open.
“Dad!” Ember cried, smacking the scales right next to his eye. His eyelid flinched upwards, but slowly began to fall once again. “Dad, you gotta get up! We need you out there!”
Her father, as brave and thick-headed as she always knew him to be, led a group of dragons to attack one of the alien warships head-on. To cut the head off of the snake. They were ambushed mid-flight, only about a mile away from the warship when a pack of Chitauri Leviathans caught them. Her father had managed to hold them off, but only for so long. Soon enough, the dragons he trusted most of all, his closest allies, were all taken down and fell to the earth. He was the only one, the last dragon to fight off the remaining Leviathans and take on the warship.
He only succeeded in doing one of those things, but at a great cost.
Ember’s tear-filled eyes shot up to the alien warship still hanging over the Dragon Lands, still unleashing an unending army. Her eyes fell back down, her ears managing to catch her father’s voice over his pain-filled breaths.
He managed to move his head only slightly, his large pupil tilting her way. Ember gritted her teeth, more tears building in her eyes. Torch saw as his daughter still kept her claws pressed to his face. Breathing, the dragon managed to say, “Go… they need you.”
Ember, as stubborn as ever, shook her head. “I’m not leaving you here to die!” she screamed. She pressed her forehead against the scales beneath his eye, the tears freely falling from her eyes and flowing down her snout. Her body shivered, her claws tightening. “I… can’t… let you. I can’t do this alone.”
“Ember…” Torch whispered, his powerful voice sounding weak and distant. Ember brought up her head, gazing into her father’s eye, into the pupil turned her way. Torch could see her, he could see how big and strong she had become. She wore the golden armor she forged after she became Dragon Lord. The scepter she carried now just lay on the ground, her attention only to him.
He almost smiled at that. Breathing out and causing a large dust cloud to pick up near his mouth, Torch said, “My daughter… you have become so strong.”
Ember’s eyes continued to burn, her face contorting into different levels of raw, emotional stress with every last word he said. Every last word. He smiled at her, but she didn’t see it. All she saw was his eyelid slowly closing, his pupil rising up and away from her.
“I trust no other dragon… to lead our people…”
She couldn’t see the white of his eye any longer, nor could she hear or feel a breath leave or enter him. Ember waited several seconds, feeling the world shake around her, knowing everything was falling down and burning away. But she still waited.
“Dad…”
And waited.
“Dad!”
Even when she knew…
“Dad!”
He was gone.
She wanted to fall just like all the others, her claws now covering her head and the tears falling down her face. Those thoughts traced her mind, but they were overshadowed by the overwhelming roars of her people fighting. Crying. Dying. They were an army without a leading force, without someone to make the choices to save their land and their future.
Ember opened her eyes. No more tears fell. She just frowned. That frown transformed into something even more furious, heated breath leaving her barred teeth. She picked up the Bloodstone Scepter lying next to her and got back up. She got back up. Spinning around, she glared at the invading alien army.
She saw dragons fall from the burning skylines. She saw the aliens winning the war, trying to take everything away from her and her people.
Ember tightened her grip on the scepter, the bloodstone shimmering.
They sure as hell could try.
With newfound fury and willpower, Dragon Lord Ember took to the skies and led her people into the war for their very world. And they followed her. Every single dragon followed her.
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I liked Ember's part.
The end, is near...
Okay, now if I see any of the Student Six getting a detailed or at least a death, this should get more of a higher rating.
Okay, now JD is showing the true action in these Equuslings.
And JD is also showing these beasts have hearts too.
Woah, Dragon Lord Torch dies? Awesome! (No I'm no sadist, it's the fact that we have one of our deaths in Equus, finally!)
You're going to fight without your armor? Jeez, I thought your father trusted you.
You know what I'm a bit disappointed about? New York wasn't in the chapter. But! I hope the Defenders really get their own chapter, to reacting to the Chitauri forces across the world. By the way, Iron Fist gets Season 2 in September 7!
Also Daredevil is rumored to have Season 3 in November.
Looks like Thor would be even more pissed off with Thanos than in the movie now that not just Asgard but all of Equestria had fallen into devastation by the Mad Titan's sacrileges. So, grrrgh, really, really seriously: BRING ME THANOOOS!!!
9057806
We should wait how it plays out first. Maybe it won’t be Thor to say that line. Maybe it could be Discord!
Beard of Odin! Torch died!! Whu-oh, just like when Uncle Ben died in Peter's arms! Oh, the God of Thunder is even angrier now the moment Ember and everybody tells him, considering his people's plight.
9057817
Or maybe both. Oh boy will both gods desire Thanos' downfall for the desecrations he comitted.
9055863
I would love it if you at least show the end credits and cast and actors of characters after Part 1 ends, and concludes with this story's title.
Things are going bad for both worlds. Shining and Cadance should think of a plan B for their Crystal Heart won't last long...
So I know that the Defenders are going to be involved in this story but what about the other TV Shows. Can we expect to See Coulson and His team, will we see Ghost rider or Deathlok. Will we see a better version of the Inhuman royal family. What about the younger generation heroes like the Runaway or Cloak and Dagger. It would be interesting to see Fluttershy react to a real life dinosaur. With both worlds fully effected like this compared to the movie you can't expect heroes from around the world not to react.
The invasion now truly begins...The threat is real...the danger is near.....This is not a drill! The powder keg has officially exploded. Ponies, dragons, griffons, hippogriffs, changelings, yaks, humans....UNITE!!!!
The Crystal Heart is the Soul Stone.
With Discord's barrier gone, the Chitauri army is free to resume it's invasion of Equus and Earth. Showing no mercy and no remorse as they obliterate everything in their path and snatch the lives of those caught in the middle while those that still live try to survive or fight back till the end no matter the costs.
I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, Shining. Its only a matter of time before even the Crystal Heart will fail to hold off the invasion forever.
Man, The Avengers really suck with keeping up with the news and invasions and stuff. Both sides of the team.
Tony's whole idea of "a suit of armor around the world" is starting to sound pretty good now.
Ah was that part with Ember meant to give Lion King flashbacks. Because if so, you bastard you hurt my feels. If not, you still hit me right in the feels.
Wow. That segment with Ember actually made me shed a tear.
I wouldn't count on the Crystal Heart if I were you, bub, cuz this is more than you can just defend.
The invasion has resumed and already the death toll is rising. Even the strongest creatures of Equestria are struggling to survive.
Former Dragon Lord Torch has fallen. Unfortunately, there is little time for Ember to mourn. Her followers need her to lead them. I know that there will likely be several more deaths of our favorite Equestrians before this is over, but I'm hoping Ember's one of the survivors.
I'm enjoying these chapters, but I'm really looking forward to when we finally get to see Tony and Rhodey, Steve and his team, Strange, and Peter Parker, and how they're handling the crisis. And of course, when the ponies finally get to Earth to help.
Great stuff as always, JD!
9058121
No, i could have sworn that in another chapter that it was stated to be in Scotland somewhere.
Fuck this chapter isn't even 5 minutes long and already Earth and Equus are getting the shit kicked out of them
9059247
In a friggin' instant, bub!
Like I said before:
I wouldn't bet the farm on that.
...Thanos, you have a lot to answer for.
9059559
Boy, looks like Thor and Discord might be reaching above their boiling points now, they really wanted the Titan this instant the moment they're told.
9059079
This, and I also look forward to see how the mane 6 and co are dealing with this.
9057842
That would be my job. It’s going to be awesome.
9059984
All characters and their actors, as well as "with: Actors' names." Then the producers, MLP movie producers, cinematography, etc. And finally ends in the story's title in big spaced out letters.
9060001
Not quite with all the producers and cinematographers but all the actors and JD. it’s already finished just waiting for the end.
9057788 So did I.
9057799 Growing ever closer...
9057802 Ember was wearing her golden armor.
9057912 The Crystal Empire has now painted itself as a massive target.
9057998 Interesting. Read and find out.
9058099 They're all divided. They need to assemble...
9058121 Probably.
9058153 He better be ready for the full might that comes when it does.
9058165 Chapters 20-30 will focus more on the Avengers reacting to this crisis.
9058494 Fitting.
9058498 I guess you could see it as a reference to The Lion King. Wasn't really going for that, but it still works.
9059045
9059079 You'll love chapters 20-30. The Avengers are finally coming in to react to the crisis.
9059247 It only gets worse from here.
9059559 It's all up to Ember to lead her people now. And when she learns who is responsible...
9059796 "We... have blood to spare."
9060241
So no ponies in chapters 20-30
9060773
i think the ponies will join them somehow.
9060241
but didn't one chapter say the soul stone was in Scotland??
9059121
I believe that is a reference to where Vision is with the mind stone.
9060900
Sooner or later.
9061011
The soul stone jD said is on earth somewhere.
9060773 There will be ponies, don't worry. Next chapter features our main cast, to be exact.
9059559
Uma, rally your crew! This is all hands on deck.*draws sword*Wish me luck.
*charges at a Leviathan as it prepares to eat him while he goes to stab it in the mouth*
9059630
*Loki's voice* Surprise...
So it’s a bit easy to see that things aren’t going to well on both worlds. Especially since even dragons and Torch can’t handle Thanos’ army.
Alright Celestia your probably the next most qualified after Discord and Thor. Drop the sun on Thanos!!! No way that could ever possibly backfire.... ok you’ll probably kill most life on the two worlds, but you’ll probably do something to Thanos too.
Great job on Earth and Equus's viewpoints as usual.
9064342 I don't think Celestia would go that far.
Sorta fitting
Weird, I thought the adult dragons like Torch would be much bigger than the Leviathans. Around twice as tall by personal estimate. It's weird to see them taken down so easily. Or is there no size difference in here?
9117686 They're around the same size.
9118109
T H E . C R Y S T A L . E M P I R E
Chaos and tragedy ensue as Thanos leads his forces to invade both worlds. Give credit to characters like Gilda and Ember, they 'tried' to confront the invasion in hope to drive these creatures away from their homes. But sadly, it came with a terrible price and many paid for it with a tragic end. And no doubt that things are only getting worse for both worlds.
Uh princess cadance shining armor that’s probably not a good idea thanos can destroy the heart and then the crystal empire would be consuming fog and snow and then the empire would be destroyed 🙁
The invasion has begun. I find it a bit ironic that a relatively peaceful world like Equus is more prepared for an alien invasion than Earth. Earth might have weapons of war and The Avengers, but Equus has entire species of creatures capable of fighting back and powerful magic that can protect them.
The part in the Dragon Lands with Ember and Torch was probably my favorite part of the chapter because of how sad it was. Torch dying was unexpected, and I felt sad for Ember since she is one of my favorite supporting characters. Thanos will pay for this.