Fall of Equestria: two worlds collide

by Gray Kirin

Last silence

08.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters.
Equestria.
Time 21: 00

Velvet squinted at the footlights. Trying to breathe slowly and deeply, she went on stage and stood in front of the audience.

Willow persuaded to Cantata to give a concert for an audience larger than those released in the dorm. And Mcfinnigan, Zhilin and Vetrov "threw a fishing rod" to the Canterlot House of Officers.

Cantata took a quick glance at the company standing behind the scenes, and felt a warm feeling in her soul. Glide, Willow, Citrine, Vibrant, Rocket. Her friends. And Vetrov and Mcfinnigan, looking out and waving their hands from behind the backs of the equas.

Velvet came on stage and bowed to the audience, feeling that she was about to take off from what seemed to be long-forgotten sensations. Impatience, joy, the tickling heat of anticipation made the soul ring.

The audience in the hall was overwhelmingly bullish. Patrol officers from the streets, night guards, palace guards. Somewhere in the gallery and on the balcony, you could see more familiar shapes of people, but there would not have been two dozen of them. Mostly in the black uniform of the navy, but there were a few olive-colored infantry combos.

“Good evening, distinguished audience. I want to thank you for accepting me and my friends in the hour of need, for extending a helping hand. And I want to thank you a little. I have already written these melodies here, and I have never played them for a wide audience yet,”

The coffee equa, feeling a tremor of impatience, went to the instrument and, only on the strength of will alone, slowly and gracefully sat down on a chair. Magically, she opened the score and almost gently put her hands on the keys.

For a few seconds, Cantata caught the count and concentrated. And she started playing.

A light, fast and mischievous melody poured out. Like a flock of colorful butterflies, she fluttered around the hall, breaking up with colored iridescences. The inspiration to create it came when, on a morning walk, Cantata saw Gracefull fluttering in the dawn glow. Pegasus generously shared with the world and the sky the beauty of the dance, gave it to the rising sun. Velvet was then naturally bruised by inspiration, she put off the comm with the music recording only closer to three o'clock in the afternoon.

The second melody was like a cool snowdrift. The same fluid, sparkling music enveloped everything in a foggy veil. Written literally in one evening, inspired by the story of the navigator of the space corvette, invited by Vibrant, about distant worlds and systems, about blue giants and white dwarfs, about quasars and voids. About wonders of the universe that the astronaut encountered during flights.

It seemed that the notes themselves sparkle and call for a long journey, like stars in a dark sky.

The third melody was broken up by colored splashes and shimmering notes. The coffee unicorn wrote it during a small hike to the Rainbow Falls. Having agreed with the ponies from the spaceport workers, Rocket and Frisky pulled out the Canterlot equas for a walk and lie on the grass. The day then passed absolutely idyllic and peaceful, with conversations, games and a picnic.

The fourth composition was full of majestic calm. It breathed secrets and primordial riddles of the universe and the mind. The melody was unraveled into myriads of sonorous drops flowing into one another, drawing a beautiful and complex pattern in a general harmonious dance. During a week of staying in this Equestria, Velvet met Princess Luna in a dream. And the Lady of Dreams helped the pianist a lot with advice and hugs of blue wings.

The fifth melody flowed smoothly and gently, like a pink dawn glow that warms and cleanses the world. It covered the hall with a soft and affectionate wave, enveloping the souls of the audience with solar heat. Cantata was written at a feverish pace, literally feeling strong hot wings behind her back, the night before last, when Princess Celestia visited the dormitory of the liberated. And, contrary to all the protocols and "etiquette", she honored equas with a collective embrace of huge white wings. Many of those released then did not even try to hide their tears of happiness.

Cantata stopped and took a deep breath. Her hands trembled slightly as she returned them to keys.

The notes in the score are over. For there are no more notes left that can capture this.

The first touches to the instrument gave birth to a seemingly impossible sound. Oppressive, heavy, it tried to bend to the ground, to flatten into a pancake, to destroy the will. Immediately, chords full of hatred and anger rose up to meet him, generating a real storm. A storm that made you shiver, tremble, anger and rage.

Velvet jumped up, knocking over her chair and literally hit her fingers in keys. Her hands moved like those of a possessed woman, carving her own story out of the piano.

Boiling, the music rapidly picked up the pace, approaching a crescendo. At the highest point, Cantata waved her hand over the keys and the melody changed. It acquired a clear rhythm, fractional metal notes were interwoven into it.

Like a red-hot hurricane, the sound soared under the high ceilings. Listen a little and you will hear the roar of plasma guns, sharp claps of X-ray lasers and the explosions of missiles.

But the storm subsided, only having time to unfold in full breadth. Cantata, exhausted by the playing, brought out the last, soft, affectionate chords.

With obvious difficulty, moving away from the instrument, the unicorn bowed to the audience. A wave of applause rose, pushed her in the chest, almost making her stagger. Velvet felt like she was bursting with happiness. From pride in their work.

The ponies stamped their hooves on the floor, scattering hollow, crunchy peals, in which the barely audible and more familiar claps of a few humans were mixed forlornly.

When Cantata went backstage, it got straight into a whirlwind of hugs, congratulations and joyful voices of her friends. They cried in the pianist's mane, she herself cried in someone else's. Velvet was kissed on the nose, on the forehead, on the cheeks. Canterlot equas deigned to let the pianist go only when they squeezed and hugged her enough, along and across.

Willow seized the moment and purred a few words in her ear, reminding the euphoric Velvet of something for which the pianist asked for help. Cantata, pulled out of a happy prostration after the first concert in six years, started up, gratefully kissed the half-changeling and rushed headlong into the dressing room.

After a couple of minutes, buttoning her blouse with trembling fingers, the pianist went out into the corridor. Just in time to notice the almost gone corporal. The unicorn took a deep breath, as if before jumping into cold water.
“Danil! Come here for a second. I need to ask you something,”

The man, not sensing a trick, approached the equa and smiled a little.
“Yes, Velvet? What are you wan...”

Vetrov didn't have time to finish. Cantata, abruptly grabbed him by the neck, clung to him, since there was not enough strength to move the man from his place, and kissed him briefly but hotly.

The Infantryman was stunned. It reminded him of the explosion of a stun grenade, blinding, deafening, leaving a ringing in his head and a complete confusion of thoughts. But equa's kiss was a much more pleasant shock.

Pulling away, the pianist grinned at Vetrov's dumbfounded expression.
"That's what I needed... Com'ere!”

In the eyes of Cantata, a flame flashed, not inferior in heat and fury to the superheated plasma, when she half-stretched, half-pulled Danil already with telekinesis.

Almost growling and breathless with impatience, Velvet bit into the corporal's lips. Without letting him go and not letting him pull away, she kissed him long and greedily. Finally, equa rested her head on the soldier's shoulder and sighed softly, contentedly.
“My wind of free... Come on, give me a hug at last. You have no idea how much I need now,”

The Corporal, feeling as if he was about to take off without any engines, gently and tremblingly hugged the Velvet. Glowing, ringing now with tenderness and happiness.
“I didn't think I'd be so exhausted,”

Vetrov was not a particularly good empath, but stroking the pianist's mane, he felt tingling in his fingers from her raging emotions. He felt how the old crust, the armor that Cantata wore for six years only increasing its thickness, is now falling in whole layers, exposing the soul. And the man didn't say a word, bewitched by equa's affectionate trustfulness.
"And... I'm not sure I can walk to the dorm. I'm already shaking,”
“Do you want me to carry you? Or prosaically by taxi?”

Equa nuzzled the corporal's neck, hiding a smile.
"I don't need hired cabs. Carry me, my free wind,”

Velvet quickly dozed off, lulled by the pace of Danil's steps and soft swaying to the beat. Only sometimes, half-waking up, she would wrap her arms tighter around the human's neck and again plunge into shallow dreams. And the soldier wondered when he had managed to do something that deserved such a miracle.

On the approach to the hostel of the liberated, the Cantata woke up, yawned and stretched as far as the position on infantryman's hands allowed.
“Oh, we're almost there. You know, Danil, I just remembered something. My neighbor went to a get-together with the fillies from Manehetten for the night today... And I have a bottle of wine stale. Will you keep me company?”

Vetrov stopped, put equa down and looked into her eyes.
“Let's see, Cantata.”
“We'll see,”

Corporal, who was about to say something, stopped short. All the rage, all the old pain, which until today was constantly felt in Cantata, has gone somewhere. There was no more withering flame in the equa, hidden by a thin crust of self-control.

The soldier was about to say something again, but he lost his thought, slowed down for a second, enough for Velvet to cover his lips with her hand and the joint silence was much more eloquent than any words. The corporal put his arm around the giggling unicorn's waist and led her into the residential building.

The dormitory greeted them with silence and corridors immersed in dim duty lighting.

There was not only a bottle of wine in Velvet's room, but also a couple of glasses, which, as Vetrov remembered exactly, were not delivered to the hostel.

It was not very spacious to sit side by side on the bed and the pianist leaned back on the infantryman, tickling him with the aroma of spicy perfume and mane. With a slight smile, Vetrov gently put his arm around her waist again, catching her jumped pulse with his fingertips. The pianist snuggled up to him with a soft, tender sigh.
“Danil?”
“Yes, Velvet?”
“Tell me... What were you afraid of before? Break an order?”
“No. I was afraid of something else,”

The soldier put down his glass, hugged equa, who was leaning against him, and buried his face in her mane. Vetrov did not believe that this was happening for real. And he didn't see how the Cantata smiled, but felt her warm wave.
"I'm afraid I'll hurt you by accident. To say, to do something wrong. Yes, I understand... I can see how you are now... And I still feel like I'm in a minefield,”
“Come on, Corporal, you just can't do it. You're too good. Too kind and sensitive to hurt me,”

The corporal was about to object, but Cantata did not give. Only when she heard a breath, she twisted around and touched the man's forehead with her lips.
“And I'll prove it to you,”

Getting up from the bed, Velvet took hold of the first button of her shirt.
“I remember Willow was lamenting that you just escorted her out of the shower when she "accidentally" fell in there in lacy underwear,”

Under the pianist's fingers, buttons flew out of the loops one by one.
“And then you were yelling with your friends in the smoking room, again lamenting that you saw a girl in such underwear only in a picture... You know, I think I understood what the salt of your indignation was,”

Under the shirt was a tightly laced corset, and Cantata, with a truly devilish grin, put her hands behind her back, reaching for the clasp of the skirt.
"It just wasn't the equa you needed. Whisp could do anything, but she wouldn't be able to do anything. And here I am...”

The skirt fell to the floor after the shirt and Equa slowly turned on the spot, raising her hands to the ceiling and stretching out like a string. The man got up, took a step towards her, not believing his eyes and feeling the fire burning inside getting to his throat.

Velvet was wearing a classic full set of underwear. Stockings, belt, panties, corset. All the colors of ivory, which set off the coffee coat. Vetrov gently placed his palms on the cheeks of Equa, who closed her eyes in bliss.
“I'm better than a picture, don't you think? You can look at me. And to touch...”

Cantata clung more tightly to the corporal, burning with her whisper.
“Even necessary. My free wind...”

08.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters
Equestria
The time is 22: 43

The hangars of the Manehattan spaceport were unusually busy. Weapons loaders, infrequent guests here, busily scurried between boats, bringing missiles and bombs in much larger quantities than was required for duty sorties. And no one has ever taken on a simple patrol of tactical plasma missiles of variable power.

Ian Zelinsky, the pilot of the attack boat, was examining his machine, thinking about what could require as many as four such missiles that were suspended on his "Bullfinch".

Even without the intuition, accumulated over many years of service, flights and battles, it was clear that there was a batch is bite to the bone. Zelinsky had guesses with whom exactly, he himself flew out with Infantrymen to intercept a detachment of intruders. And the way boats were equipped, it said that either a big invasion was coming, or the command decided to attack caribou on their own territory.

Climbing into the cockpit, where the navigator, Matt Taylor, was already sitting and waiting for him, Ian smiled faintly. On the helmet of a friend, in addition to the stickers "Don't shout, I'm scared too!", "Dont like my navigating? Call 666-666-eat shit!", now there was also a calligraphic inscription filled with a transparent protective layer: "At the right time - in the right place!" and a small drawing of three heraldic lilies. An autograph as a souvenir from one of the ekuas rescued that night, who once flew to Canterlot on their boat on business. It was fun to watch Taylor, who was looking at two Fleur-de-Lis, pony and equa, in unfeigned amazement at that time.

Having connected to the neural control, Ian felt a chill run down his spine, replaced by an electric tingling. The feeling of Taylor's presence came, the feeling of the body split into the usual human and the body of the machine that was now holding in its arms.
"Bullfinch-508 to the dispatcher, ready to start. Allow taxiing to the lane. "
"Dispatcher to 508. I allow taxiing, track 8."

08.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters
Equestria
Time 23: 23

Osinin ruled his falchion, looking through reports on the execution of orders. The rustle of a "velvet" fullerite block on a blade of dull gray metal acted on the General like meditative music, making it easier to work in the neuro link.

Streams of information from all over Equestria were now passing through Vyacheslav's mind, spinning a picture of what was happening in their rapid run.

Here garrisons report one after another that groups of a company in each are assembled and ready to move out according to the schedule for conducting "training on the ground". Eight alerts, twelve hundred Mobile Infantrymen are waiting for the command to send.

Here, notifications come from spaceports about the opening of heavy weapons storage facilities and loading it on ships. Two dozen "Ravens", heavy fighters, half of which are piloted by Equestrian pegasi, and a hundred boats, from universal "Bullfinches" to attack "Kestrels", were collecting "goodies" that were to be delivered to the reflection of Equestria. The targets were already assigned and distributed.

Here comes a message from the nineteenth Space Fleet, which is sending three more corvettes. "Lapis Lazuli", "Maple" and "Silver Wolf" will wait at the intermediate point of the route and will go on a jump to the reflection after "Boreas". If the Caribou Empire could simply be burned from space, corvettes alone would be enough. But, alas, artillary in this operation will need to be extremely careful.

Here, short ciphers from reflection come through the repeater buoy. About prepared diversions. About the uprisings that have begun. About the substituted enemy commanders. About the beacons placed for aviation and orbital artillery.

Everything should go quickly, leaving no chance for caribou to understand the situation and strike back.

An offensive was being prepared for a whole week. For a whole week, ponies and people worked here and behind the veil. And tonight, the cocked trigger will be pulled.

General opened the locker with the armor. The deceptively light-looking armored suit was habitually wrapped in its embraces and weapon took its proper places.

Osinin sent a gathering signal to his platoon and went out the door.

09.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters.
Time 02: 32

The room was quiet. Only a light night breeze rustled the curtains a little.

Cantata, happy, contented and absolutely relaxed, hugged the Corporal, resting her head on his chest.

Today, for the first time in recent years, the rage and pain have gone completely and irrevocably, leaving not even a shadow. It was easy, even breathing more freely, when the white-hot hoop was not squeezing unicorn's chest.

Danil looked into her eyes. And with the very tips of his fingers he stroked her forehead, then the bridge of her nose, then her cheeks. Trembling, affectionately, as if afraid that if he touches her harder, Velvet will melt like a dream in the morning.

The languishing equa sighed, burying herself in the infantryman's neck, and purred.
“My free wind... Fell from the night sky... Took me away from captivity... To freedom. To the warmth. To the light. My dear fellow...”

Danil didn't know what to say. For the first time in his life, he felt so good. From the fact that he was hugging Velvet. From her trusting trepidation. From her heat. From what happened a little earlier.

Vetrov gently covered the Cantata's cheeks with his palms, drew her to him, slightly touching her lips.
“My dear. My happiness. My miracle. It was worth going a thousand times more for you than I have ever had in my entire life. Velvet... I just can't express it, I don't have enough words,”

The Corporal tightly hugged equa, who purred gratefully.
“The only thing I know is that I was incredibly lucky. To meet you, my miracle. Bright. Furious. Hot,”

Cantata, gasping with excess of feelings, clung to the Infantryman clung with her whole body. And she kissed him so that even the battered Danil almost took his breath away.

Biting Vetrov's lip, equa sat down on him. Thin, strong fingers ran over the man's chest, walked along several scars.

Velvet hummed softly to herself. Now her hands fluttered and touched Vetrov's chest already in time with the melody that the equa was purred. The Corporal sometimes touched her palms, intertwining his fingers for a second, then stroked her hips and waist. A slight smile played on his lips every time the Cantata caught his palm with her own. An answering smile and a sparkling look were the best of the awards.

Gradually, equa's melodies grew into something more.

Harmony music, usually collective and open, filled the room. And it sounded only for two souls who found each other when Velvet singing for Danil.

The soft, melodious voice sounded and sounded. Cozy, saturated with love and tenderness, gratitude. And it was as if the whole world froze while equa sang, closing her eyes and completely surrendering to the magical music flowing through her.

There was no applause, only the strong embrace of a man to whom Velvet clung with a cat's purr. The kiss blossomed like a promise of something magical and beautiful.

But the charm was broken by a sharp squeak of Vetrov's comm. The soldier impulsively kissed Cantata on the forehead and jumped out of bed.
“Velvet, I'm sorry. It's time,”

Cantata, having gathered her legs under her with a mixture of awareness and light sadness, watched how a person pulls on a podbronnik and a combat suit in seconds.
“Where to?”
“I'll find out for myself only on the boat. But I will definitely come back. I have someone for whom,”

The Corporal, without taking his eyes off Velvet's crimson eyes, stroked her cheek. The unicorn, with a soft sigh full of hope and tenderness, hugged him and whispered in his ear.
“I know, my free wind. I know,”

09.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters.
Equestria
Time 03: 55

In front of the corvette, which opened the ramps, stood those who were to go to the reflection of Equestria. To rescue their friends, to lend a shoulder to those who need it, to return the debt to the invaders.

The landing company, the special forces group, the Children of the Night platoon, the medical team, the boat pilots, the crew of the "Boreas" stood and watched as a blue silhouette silently slipped down from the dark sky and landed in front of them.

Princess Luna lowered her wings to the concrete runway and shook her head slightly. The seconds dragged wearily, the ponies and the humans waited.

Quite unexpectedly, Luna spread her wings with one powerful stroke, threw herself into the air and began to sing. Her deep, charming voice enveloped the runway. Words of the ancient language did not bother the ear, forcing the hearts themselves to respond in time. The melody that came from the distant and sonorous layers of the world spread of transparent silver in warriors's souls.

It was not only on the canterlot "concrete" that her song was heard. Soaring up to the stars, the voice of Luna spread between them, resonated and from the reflected fell down to each spaceport, where soldiers and guards were preparing to go. The harmonics intertwined with the light of Selena and gave everyone who heard the impression that the Lady of Dreams was nearby. Then many ponies and even humans said that they saw princess Luna hovering over their spaceport.

The princess blessed soldiers to protect the weak. For the liberation of enslaved. For a just cause. On the feat. To fight a monster.

So that the hoof and the hand are faithful. So that the vibroblades and moon claws do not miss. So that spells and razers will accurately find their targets. To the suit withstand and the cuirass protect.

Having finished her song, Luna slowly sank to the ground and fell silent. For a few seconds there was silence over the Canterlot spaceport, thick as cotton wool. Suddenly, the princess raised her head and her voice soared to the night sky.
“All aboard, warriors! We're moving out!”

The pounding of hundreds of feet scattered the wadded silence as ponies and humans scattered to their ships. No one interfered with each other, Infantrymen, Space Marines, Children of the Night and special forces took their places in a matter of seconds.

Luna, smiling at the ships that were lifting ramps, took off and dived into the "Boreas"s ' hold, which was already beginning to close. The princess was supposed to be on the "flagship" of this small flotilla that was now taking off from the Equestria spaceports.

09.11.20... from the Accession of the Sisters
Equestria Fallen
Time 06: 42

A thin pink streak of dawn appeared over the eastern edge of the sky. The capital on the mountainside was gradually waking up. Festive banners that had not been hung out yesterday were stretched out on the streets, the last preparations for the big fair, which should not be overshadowed by anything, were coming to an end.

There was a slight haze in the air, the smell of fresh bread and coffee from fashionable areas. There were shouts from the foremen of the guard and the clatter of hooves as the patrols dispersed along the routes after the shift change.

In a wide square not far from the palace, merchants were turning around at full speed. Someone laid out intricate groceries on the counters, someone jewelry and stones from distant lands, someone dresses, someone weapons.

Someone brought equas, zebras, rare minotaurs and literally a couple of forest fallow deer to low podiums and seated them at the tethers, so that the rare goods would not suffer. The slaves took their places, some with despair and indifference, some obediently, almost dancing.

Many glanced at the wide corral of strong iron bars located in the center of the row of slavers. Such strange creatures, so similar to the Equins.

The ponies captured in the Dandeline Fields huddled together in search of encouragement and at least an illusory protection. It's been a week since they were stolen from their home. A week in the position of disenfranchised slaves, a week of incessant fear and fading hope. The only thing that looked like a shadow of luck was that the deer king, who had usurped the throne of this Ekstria, had given an order that the first prisoners from the campaigns in the portals would belong to him. That's the only reason the ponies haven't been sold out individually yet.

With each dawn, with each new day, despair gnawed more and more, apathy and depression clouded their eyes more and more. The unicorns and pegasus had the hardest time, which were crippled, despite all the pleas and requests. Severed horns and clipped and sheathed wings dragged Equestrian ponies, completely unaccustomed to such horrors, like a stone around their necks, into the abyss of despair.

But they still believed that they would be followed. That the princesses and the Guardy will not leave in the lurch. Even if this faith became more and more illusory every day.

In the far corner of the cage, a little apart from most of prisoners, a dark green earth stallion reclining, hugging a sobbing unicorn. He rubbed his nose gently against her neck and murmured softly in the ear of the trembling filly
"It'll be all right, Slicey. They will find us, they will definitely find us. The princesses and the Guard will not abandon us,"

The unicorn sighed convulsively, wiping away tears. After the amputation of the horn, her head was constantly splitting with pain, and her soul was torn by the claws of despondency and black melancholy. If it wasn't for her stallion, she would have already lost all hope.
“I hope so, Brass... although less and less,”

Pony also sighed, licking his broken nose. When a friend was dragged to cut off the horn, he tried to rush at the caribou, but got a shock baton. Sliced Carrot gave the stallion a sympathetic lick on the cheek.
“Does it hurt much?”
“Nonsense... I'm more worried about Light,”

Pony nodded at the pegasus lying next to him. Since her wings were clipped, she practically did not react to the outside world, ignoring even the meager ration for lunch, but only looked with fierce longing at the sky turning blue through the bars. The unicorn looked at her friend with concern, and in turn hugged her and began to shake her
“Hold on, Lighty, hold on. Help will come, I know… We are with you... We won't leave you.”

Tacit Light was silent. And she continued to look at the dawn sky with endless longing.

Comments

[Narlepoax III]

I usually try to pretend that FoE doesn't exist, as every time I think about it, I slowly become more and more enraged.

But I do really like that cover image, so... Think I might read this.