Tiberian Twilight Sparkle

by Skjald

Act 1. Chapter 4: Changes are Coming

4.1. Letter to Celestia

11 hours ago…

"Why did they help us?"

"I have no idea," Twilight replied monotonously to the dragon's question, who was extremely perplexed, much like herself. "Star Swirl did not predict this."

"His prophecies were really unclear, as far as I can recall," remarked Spike, who had heard only one thing – that the destruction of the planet Martis, according to the ancient prediction, was a harbinger of the end of Equestria.

"And that's why it scares me even more," sighed the princess. She stood together with her assistant on the balcony of the Friendship Castle, wearily examining the wreckage of three alien ships, with a sense of overwhelming desolation within her.

The defeated alien machines lay amidst the ruins in the eastern part of Ponyville. The heavy snow was slowly covering them with a white blanket, resembling shrouds over the deceased. The streets were so silent that it seemed as if after the battle, which ended a couple of hours ago, everyone touched by its heat had vanished. Neither the town ponies, huddled in their homes, nor the soldiers, who had already finished removing the bodies, could be seen – no one and nothing, not even in the most remote areas. The desolate picture of the deserted nighttime town, significantly disrupted by enemies, evoked unbearable melancholy both in Twilight and in Spike.

So, Ponyville had endured the first attack, but it didn't exactly lift the spirits of the Princess of Friendship. The horrors of the recent carnage still flashed before her eyes, and she never wanted to witness anything like that again. Although the town had fared relatively lightly, losing just a little over twenty inhabitants as the guards' body count revealed, the alicorn was deeply troubled by the realization that these were the times in her world's history that hadn't occurred for over a thousand years – when the blood of peaceful ponies began to be spilled. The thought of the soldiers who bowed their heads today, defending her among others, made her feel endlessly as if her heart was constricting within.

Casting another glance over the panorama of Ponyville, Sparkle pondered her next steps. Now, she had at least a rough idea of how powerful the space invaders were, and based on that, she understood well that Equestria was not ready to face such a formidable foe in war. If the steel monsters hadn't appeared in the nick of time, most likely, there would be nothing but scorched earth where the town stood. Therefore, the question of defending the country now seemed much more acute to the princess than ever before.

"We need to write a letter to Princess Celestia," Twi suddenly said after a few minutes of silent contemplation.

"Now? At this hour?" Spike clarified, a bit surprised. He usually didn't have to send letters at such a late time.

"Yes, we need to inform her about what happened here," replied the alicorn. "Besides, I need her advice."

Sparkle turned and strode towards the balcony's exit. Her assistant, somewhat bewildered, promptly followed her.

"What advice?" Spike inquired, catching up to the princess. Together, they quickly left the balcony and entered the warm chambers of the castle.

"Regarding the war, Spike," Twilight spoke despondently. "I'm deeply concerned about how hard we struggled against the attack, even with the help of those steel monsters. If the massive swarm in space consists of similar flying fortresses like those three, it won't be difficult for the aliens to conquer us. It's terrifying to imagine what it will be like when thousands of such fortresses appear in the skies over Equestria!"

Spike swallowed nervously, picturing a countless fleet of flying fortresses eclipsing the entire sky. The vision that appeared to him could very well pass for the end of the world as foretold by Star Swirl. Since last summer, the dragon had recurrently dreamed of the Storm King's airships descended on Canterlot like thunder in the midst of clear skies, right in the middle of preparations for the Friendship Festival. But now, the alien machines had become his newest and most dreadful nightmare, one that would surely haunt him many times in the nights to come.

The princess and her assistant were heading towards the library to write a letter. The path there was rather short, so in just a couple of minutes, they found themselves in the realm of books. It was very quiet here, as it was in all other parts of the castle. The pervasive silence evoked a sense of abandonment and emptiness in Twilight, as if Equestria had truly reached its downfall. But there was no time for melancholy now. Sparkle pulled herself together and got down to business right away as soon as her assistant grabbed the quill resting in the inkwell on the reading desk.

"Write this down, Spike," she requested. The dragon nodded affirmatively, and the pony started taking dictation, "Dear Princess Celestia! A couple of hours ago, Ponyville was attacked. We were assaulted by three enormous flying fortresses of aliens. Fortunately, we managed to repel the attack, but almost the entire eastern part of the town was destroyed by the invaders. However, we didn't defend alone. During the battle, we were joined by the "steel monsters" – the ones who established their town two miles from Ponyville. I must inform you that it was their appearance that tipped the scales in our favor. I am certain that we wouldn't have coped alone. In summary, the defense of Ponyville revealed how vulnerable we are to the invaders. It has also been discovered that the aforementioned "steel monsters" are not representatives of the alien civilization that attacked us. Apparently, these are two different factions that, for some reason, are at odds with each other. Since we and the "steel monsters" now share a common enemy, I believe it's worth forming a friendship with them, but I need your approval. Should we take this step? I will eagerly await any advice from you on this matter. Sincerely yours, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Having finished her exposition, the lavender pony glanced at the dragon. For a while longer, the quill in his paw scratched against the paper, breaking the silence with a quiet rustle. But not a quarter of a minute passed before absolute hush briefly fell in the library.

"Done," Spike informed the princess as he finished the missive.

"Great, send it off!" Twilight responded, feeling somewhat encouraged. She was confident that Princess Celestia would offer her wise advice, which could potentially make a significant contribution to saving Equestria from the alien hordes, as the policy regarding the steel monsters might become a decisive factor in the impending war.

Spike successfully sent the message and then climbed onto one of the chairs positioned in front of the table opposite the couch. Leaning against its back, he indulged in some long-awaited rest. Meanwhile, Twilight eagerly awaited a response, pacing thoughtfully back and forth past the reading area. Observing the restless pony, Spike, unsure of what to do, decided to strike up a conversation:

"Do you think we should be friends with the steel monsters?"

"Yes, Spike. And I believe it's in their interest as well. Since we both face the same enemy, it means we should stick together."

"But isn't that dangerous? Can we trust them?"

"I don't know," sighed Sparkle. "That's why I've asked for advice from the Princess. We don't know why the steel monsters helped us or if they'll even engage with us, but without them, we won't stand a chance against the space invasion."

"They're just weird overall," Spike concluded, still bewildered by what had happened. "They defended Ponyville without explaining anything and then just vanished somewhere. What's the logic in that?"

"Their logic might be completely different from ours," the purple mare mused thoughtfully. Stopping at the edge of the couch, she glanced at her assistant with a slightly dazed look and suggested, "On the other hoof, maybe they weren't defending Ponyville at all?"

"What do you mean? What do you think they were doing then?"

"They might have just been fighting their enemies, and our town accidentally became their battleground."

"Are you suggesting that Equestria could become an arena for titan battles?" the princess's assistant became concerned, recalling spontaneously that he had read about something similar in one of the many comics he had come across. It depicted how higher forces organized a deadly tournament in a country, much like Equestria, inhabited by little ponies. Of course, it didn't end well for the peaceful residents, although, as commonly occurs in that genre of literature, matters eventually resolved relatively well.

"It's possible," Twilight nodded, slightly surprised by Spike's metaphor. "But whatever the steel monsters' intentions are, I still believe we can get their support. If we share a common enemy, why not help each other?"

"I don't like any of this," Spike stated firmly, crossing his paws. "I hope it won't turn out that the steel monsters help us protect Equestria only to take it over themselves."

"In any case, the decision rests with Celestia," the princess summed up, thus addressing her assistant's concerns, even though she shared them herself.

After considering that relying on the Mistress of the Day was indeed the most sensible choice in this situation, Spike didn't say anything else. The library was enveloped in absolute silence again, where time seemed to stretch endlessly. But as he figured in his mind how many minutes had passed since sending the letter, he noted that Celestia usually responded more quickly. In addition, despite the stress he had been through, he felt terribly sleepy, and his eyelids were almost closing on their own.

"She's taking quite a while to reply," the dragon murmured, yawning wearily. "Can I go to sleep?"

"Of course you can," the lavender mare smiled sleepily, sensing she wouldn't mind a short nap herself… if only to briefly forget. "But as soon as the letter arrives, let me know, okay?"

4.2. Attainment of Harmony

"Twilight! You have a letter from Princess Celestia," Spike announced, entering the throne room.

Glancing briefly at her friends, Twilight became slightly apprehensive. She had sent a letter to her mentor before sleeping last night but hadn't received a response yet. Her intuition hinted that this might be linked to some serious issues, possibly related to the matter concerning the aliens – both kinds. However, there was neither time nor reason to speculate, so without wasting any time, Sparkle gestured to beckon the dragon over.

The princess's assistant hurried towards her with a scroll under the silent gaze of her friends. They all had purposely observed Canterlot earlier that morning, as usual visible from Ponyville on a high mountain, noting that it seemed entirely unchanged, indicating no apparent attack. However, the sudden news from the ruling pony still put them on edge. Finally, Twilight took the message from Spike's claws and unfolded it before her eyes. Half of the parchment was filled with lines written in calligraphic royal writing, which she promptly began to read to herself:

"Dear Twilight,

I extend my sincerest apologies for the extended delay in my response. Shortly before receiving your letter, distressing news reached me from Manehattan. It has come to my attention that the aliens have invaded that metropolis. I dedicated the entire night to overseeing the deployment of our royal guard to defend the city, which regrettably left me with scarce moments to promptly address your correspondence.

Upon discovering that the "steel monsters" you referenced are providing assistance in Manehattan, mirroring their involvement in Ponyville, I am inclined to support your suggestion of forging a friendship with them. Although these outsiders evoke concern, for the sake of Equestria, it is crucial we explore avenues for mutual cooperation. However, I strongly advise against your direct involvement in this matter. Task an envoy with extending an offer of amity to them.

Nonetheless, we cannot solely rely on their support, necessitating us to…"

"What's she writing?" Pinkie Pie asked suddenly, interrupting the reading process. She was eager to know the contents of the letter, and the growing tension was unbearable for her. Twilight, seemingly not paying much attention to the question of the pink pony, only briefly glanced away from the lines and responded only after she had finished reading it entirely.

"Princess Celestia is instructing us to go to the Everfree Forest for the Elements of Harmony," Sparkle announced thoughtfully. Her friends were instantly taken aback.

"What? For the Elements? Why all of a sudden?" Applejack exclaimed, and her sentiment quickly echoed by Rainbow Dash's skeptical remark:

"Wait a sec, are we not going to sap the Tree of Harmony of its magic if we take them off?"

"Oh no! Then the entire forest will be swallowed by the thorny vines again," Fluttershy gasped, unable to fathom how her timid heart would endure yet another perilous threat, especially when the horrors of just yesterday already clouded her mind.

"I think the Elements have managed to charge the Tree enough to sustain the forest's magic for years to come," Twilight replied, although she herself wasn't entirely confident in her own assumption. "The Princess asks us to retrieve them since they possess the most powerful magic in all of Equestria. We might need everything possible to shield ourselves from the aliens now. They invaded Manehattan tonight."

"Manehattan?!" Rarity exclaimed in disbelief. "Are they destroying the fairest city in Equestria?"

"Will they keep attacking all the cities, just like they did in Ponyville yesterday?" Starlight horrified, reacting to the shocking news with a demeanor calmer than the dressmaker's, yet harboring equal dismay in her heart. Gazing at the patches in the sky, she anticipated the worst, but couldn't fathom that all her fears would indeed become even more horrifyingly real.

"Anything could happen," Twilight sighed, shaking her head frustratingly and fixing her tense gaze on the letter from Celestia, which she had placed at the edge of the table. Rarity glanced nervously at Pinkie, seated beside her, horrified at the thought of Manehattan – one of her favorite cities, often called the Big Apple among ponies for its majestic size – being in jeopardy. Sparkle, however, continued with a more reassuring tone, "Celestia writes that it seems the steel monsters are trying to protect Manehattan too. Moreover, she has already sent guards there, so let's hope for the best. Nevertheless, we must retrieve the Elements because if the aliens decide to conquer us, they might be our last hope."

"Our last hope?" Spike inquired anxiously, still standing next to the princess's throne. "Does that mean things are really that bad?"

Detecting a notably pessimistic tone in the purple pony's voice, the dragon thought that besides the already bleak news about the current situation in Manehattan, the Princess of the Sun must have written something terrifying in her letter. His question had stirred more concern among the other mares than ever before, and the most profound dismay was visible in the beautiful blue eyes of the dressmaker, who was extremely worried not only about the mentioned metropolis but also about those acquaintances of hers who lived there. No one present dared to say anything until, after a quarter of a minute of nerve-wracking silence, the farmer broke the oppressive quietness:

"Ah reckon this plan's better than buddying up with them steel monsters, no matter what it is."

"But they are helping defend Manehattan," Pie objected, advocating for the outsiders. "Doesn't that suggest we're on the same side as them?"

"We'll deal with the steel monsters later," Sparkle said detachedly, pressing a hoof against her lips, trying to collect her thoughts. Considering the information mentioned by the pink-maned pony and everything the ruling pony had written, she was already contemplating how to handle the outsiders, but she also remembered that she had another important matter at hoof. Casting a puzzled look at all her friends, she finally concluded, "Right now, we need to hurry to the Everfree Forest…"

* * *

The time had already passed noon. Twilight and her friends walked along the paths of the Everfree Forest, heading towards the Castle of the Two Sisters to visit the Tree of Harmony, which grew in the cave beneath the ancient fortress. A squad of unicorn guards, led by Spearhead, followed the six mares. Their task was to protect the princess and her entourage from timberwolves, manticores, and other aggressive forest creatures. However, it was relatively quiet here as the expedition moved through the safer parts of the forest.

Despite the winter being in full swing, the Everfree Forest felt like summer. All the ponies knew that this woodland lived by its own rules, yet they couldn't help but be amazed that even in the cold months, there was often no frost, and the thick greenery remained unchanged. It seemed not only wondrous but also suspicious, even dangerous in a sense. Therefore, the ponies moved through the forest with great caution, expecting threats from every bush. Sometimes, even the flora could become an adversary here…

Twilight stepped silently along the relatively narrow, well-trodden pathway, lost in thought, keeping herself between Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Unconsciously, she replayed in her mind the contents of the letter from Celestia she received just over an hour ago. Four guards and their commander marched a few meters ahead of her, ready to face danger at any moment, while three more soldiers each protected the ponies on the left and right. Behind her, the princess heard the rhythmic hoofsteps of her other friends. Applejack and Pinkie Pie strove to keep up, while Fluttershy trailed at the rear, constantly glancing around in search of hidden threats that seemed to haunt her from every corner. Perhaps, what reassured her was only the fact that a column of ten guards followed behind her.

None of the ponies broke the necessary silence, vital for detecting danger through characteristic sounds. The guards responded to every rustle in the thickets with special attention. While the princess's friends tried to stay alert, she immersed herself in her own thoughts amid the prevailing silence. She contemplated the task given by her mentor, reflected on the fate of Manehattan, and recalled what happened yesterday in Ponyville. With an internal tremor, she noted significant changes taking place in her familiar world, inspiring only apprehension.

Out of the blue, the lavender pony recalled how several years ago, she and her friends had set out towards the Tree of Harmony to return the Elements to their rightful place. Now, the need arose to do the opposite, and as soon as the princess thought about the strangeness of this twist of fate, her attention was suddenly drawn to the rustling of leaves. Up ahead, the path was blocked by a thicket. Several dense bushes, leaning from the side onto the trail, had grown so much that their crowns resembled green gates obstructing the way forward. The group of royal guards led by Spearhead effortlessly squeezed through the branches, and Twilight hurried to follow them.

The embodiments of the Elements of Harmony were familiar with this place, and it was not difficult for them to guess that beyond the bushes, a small clearing would open up before them, with Zecora's hut standing on it. However, when it happened, they all were literally stunned, witnessing something they had never expected to see. Before their eyes spread a terrifying devastation. It could be thought that a herd of bisons had recently passed through here. The unnatural appearance of the treehouse shocked them – the door wide open, shamanic masks scattered at the threshold, chaos inside, and the vials that once hung from the branches were either shattered or torn down. The herbalist herself was nowhere to be found, neither inside nor outside.

Seeing the mess around the hut, Fluttershy sighed in astonishment. Just a couple of weeks ago, she used to visit Zecora, and everything here was in order. The zebra also came to the timid mare on those days when infected ponies from Las Pegasus began to appear in Ponyville, bringing her several pitchers of potion – just in case her own supply ran out. Therefore, it followed that not too long ago, the shamaness was present in this place. But now, it seemed like she had vanished into thin air, making all six mares feel uneasy. Looking at Spearhead and his comrades, who began to cautiously inspect the nearby area, Twilight slowly approached the abandoned home, unable to fathom the cause of all this devastation.

"What in Celestia's name happened here?" Sparkle finally asked in astonishment, walking up to the threshold accompanied by her friends.

"It feels like there was a riot here," Rarity mused, casting her gaze on the masks scattered in the grass and the interior of the dwelling visible through the door and broken windows.

Struck by what they saw, the six ponies cautiously entered the interior, while the guards remained in the clearing, being on watch. They wished to understand what calamity had befallen the zebra's abode, and not finding an answer to this question outside, it was logical to inspect the space inside the wooden trunk. Stepping over the threshold first, Twilight slowly made her way to the center of the room, surveying everything around her. Finally, she stopped next to an empty round table and looked around more closely, noting each detail, as the other mares gathered by her.

The interior of the hut was no better than the outside, if not worse. The entire wooden floor was strewn with small shards, as if Zecora had arranged a mass smash of dishes; here and there, small puddles of some concoctions, long since cooled but not yet dried, could be seen. A large cauldron lay overturned on the extinguished hearth, piles of leaves and herbs were scattered in the corners, the shelves were mostly empty, and only in some places could one notice small vessels, apparently devoid of any contents. The bed lacked a pillow, but the blanket, strangely enough, remained neatly laid out, and on it rested a solitary mask, leaning against the wall.

The candles remained in their places but were not burning, and evidently, not for a long time. No feature of the scattered mess around the ponies hinted at when or why the zebra left her home. But one thing was clear – she was definitely not here. Judging by the fact that Zecora visited Fluttershy just two days ago, the friends understood that everything was fine with their black-and-white acquaintance in the middle of the current week. However, anything could have happened to her during this time. Feeling a growing unease, Fluttershy nervously swallowed and finally decided to break the silence:

"But… where is Zecora?"

"It seems she's not here, or here, or here," Pinkie observed, with remarkable agility checking the shelves, the bed, and eventually under the overturned cauldron. Convinced of the zebra's absence, she turned to the frozen friends by the table and concluded, "It's clear, Zecora is not at home."

"But why?" Rarity puzzled. "And where did all this mess come from? I don't think she just went shopping in Ponyville…"

"The last time I visited her, she mentioned that something was bothering her," Fluttershy timidly spoke, sensing the hovering tension and fearing for the mysterious fate of her forest friend. "I didn't quite understand her, but it seems that something has changed in the Everfree Forest. Maybe it's related?"

"It looks like she up and left her cabin, and clearly for good," added Applejack to pink-maned pegasus' words. "The real poser is, why in the hay?"

"I'll tell you why," Rainbow said tensely, taking a few steps further into the room. After surveying the wreckage once more, she turned to her friends and stated bluntly, "She's been abducted."

"Abducted?" Pie exclaimed, leaping onto the cauldron in fear and trembling nervously. "B-but by who?"

"Aliens, who else?" Dash replied immediately. "If they attacked Ponyville, there was nothing stopping them from paying a visit to the Everfree Forest. Who knows why they might need Zecora?"

In a daunting bewilderment caused by the rainbow-maned pegasus's reasoning, Twilight exchanged puzzled glances with Applejack standing beside her. Neither could deny that such a thing could indeed happen. Nopony knew the motives of the aliens, and therefore, any mischief, including the abduction of Zecora, was within the realm of possibility. Although nothing clearly indicated it, except perhaps the wreckage. At the same time, Fluttershy began to shiver, so she instinctively pressed herself against Rarity, seeking some moral support. She feared that whatever caused Zecora to leave her home – or even abducted her – might still be lurking nearby.

"Maybe we should go home?" the soft-yellow pegasus squeaked. Fear gripped her soul, awakening only a blind desire to run away without looking back and quickly hide at her home – no less than under the bed.

"No, we can't go back," Twilight firmly objected. Feeling cornered, she only understood that the mystery of the zebra's disappearance remained unsolved, and there was simply no clue shedding light on it. Therefore, the princess decided to act rationally, as much as self-control allowed her, and stepped to the exit. "Let's move forward. We need to retrieve the Elements of Harmony as soon as possible.

"What, we just gonna skedaddle?" the confused farmer asked.

"What about Zecora?" reminded the pink-maned earth pony, hopping off the cauldron. All of the princess's friends remained in the middle of the hut, puzzled by her zero reaction to what happened to the zebra. "Maybe she needs our help?"

"I'm afraid we can't help her, even if she's in trouble," Sparkle said sadly, stopping at the doorway. Unable to imagine where the zebra might be at the moment, she saw no way to help her. It's possible that she's not alive at all, and the thought sent shivers down the alicorn's spine.

Without saying anything more, Twilight stepped out into the fresh air. Along the trail that stretched across the clearing, the guards stood in a rough formation, awaiting orders from Spearhead. He took a couple of steps toward the lavender pony and inquired:

"What's the matter, Princess?"

"Our friend Zecora lived in this hut, but now she's gone somewhere," the purple alicorn explained woefully. Glancing around just in case and noticing that the other embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had also left the treehouse, she asked, "Is there anything suspicious in the thickets?"

"No one and nothing," reported Spearhead. While the princess inspected the inside of the trunk, his soldiers combed the entire area to ensure that Her Highness's life was not in danger, and she could see it through the open door. "What are the further instructions?"

"We continue the journey," Twilight responded briefly, to which the squad commander nodded in agreement.

Spearhead barked the order loudly, commanding the pony soldiers to reform their marching formation around the protected persons, and the expedition promptly resumed its advance. In the middle of the clearing, the trail divided into two branches. One led to the entrance of Zecora's home, while the other skirted it to the right, heading straight into the thickets. This path was one of the three that led to the Castle of the Two Sisters – the longest and meandering, yet the safest. The other two had a rather bad reputation, as encounters with cragadiles or seemingly cute but fiercely-hearted puckwudgies were not uncommon on them.

They had a little over a third of the journey left to reach the Castle of the Two Sisters, so the ponies decided to quicken their pace to fulfill Princess Celestia's assignment as soon as possible. About twenty minutes later, their hooves brought them out of the thickets to the edge of a steep cliff. The destination had been almost reached, and Twilight stopped to survey the panorama unfolding before her and her companions. From here, there was a uniquely picturesque view of the ancient residence of Equestria's rulers, with a rope bridge stretching across a long gorge. This was the point of interest for the ponies, as at its base lay the cave with the desired Tree of Harmony.

The ancient fortress remained unchanged. The same walls weathered by years, numerous dilapidated towers, portions of the roof collapsing in places, and a multitude of stones of various sizes scattered on the grass and cobblestone path near the bridge that connected to the grand gates. However, there was no time to scrutinize the ruins, and the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony hurriedly descended to the bottom of the elongated rocky gorge. Fortunately, a staircase was present, although twenty guards had to descend in pairs due to its narrowness.

In no time, the expedition was moving along the valley floor, heading directly towards the cave. Taking the lead, Sparkle trotted particularly briskly, eager to conclude the matter. A few dozen meters to the right of the rope bridge, a deep rocky depression turned sharply into the distance, and it was to its bend that the rocky staircase led up. The cave was just beyond this bend, and the mares, accompanied by the pony soldiers, could see its entrance. Not noticing anything suspicious in its visible part, the Princess of Friendship spontaneously looked up, directing her gaze toward the top of the tall rocky wall, where the thicket sprawled.

At a glance, Twilight thought that something had moved at the edge of the cliff, overgrown with tall trees, instantly disappearing into the thickets as soon as she noticed it. However, she immediately thought it could be some representative of the local fauna – rich and whimsical. Therefore, all her attention quickly returned to the cave, which she had approached enough to see what was hidden inside. After taking a few more steps, she stopped dead in her tracks, causing the unsuspecting Pinkie Pie, who was trailing behind, to accidentally bump into her. While party pony was gazing at another turn in the canyon, visible in the distance and leading to the right towards the west, she didn't notice that the princess had frozen.

Stepping back from the princess by a step, the pink-maned mare shook her head and was about to ask her what was wrong when she herself saw what the cave was hiding. At that moment, the other ponies, along with the guards, arrived. The condition of the Tree of Harmony had them quite bewildered. The thing was, it was withering, even though the Elements continued to feed it. The crystal it was made of had darkened almost to black, and the roots looked as if they had dried up.

"Uh-oh," Pinkie Pie uttered, staring at the crystalline tree with wide eyes. "What's happening to it?"

"Is it dyin'?" Applejack asked with concern.

"Oh, poor thing," Fluttershy said sadly, briefly thinking that perhaps Zecora was referring to the depletion of the Tree of Harmony when she spoke of some changes. "Could the forces of the forest have drained it so much?"

"But there are no thorny vines here at all," rightly noted Rarity. In fact, the Tree looked exactly the same as it did when the Everfree Forest began to expand, and day merged with night; however, the poisonous dark green vines covered in thick thorns were absent. "What happened to it?"

"Zecora said that the animals in the forest constantly get infected with the crystal. Perhaps it has already penetrated here, and the Tree is expending all its energy to prevent its spread," Twilight hypothesized. Getting ready to get to work, she took the first step, but Dashie suddenly blocked her way, clearly agitated.

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed the sky-blue pegasus. "Are you saying that it might now be holding back not only the vines but also that green crystal? And you're planning to remove the Elements from it, seriously?"

"Indeed, darling," the white unicorn agreed with Rainbow Dash's arguments, catching up with the princess. "Are you sure nothing bad will happen if we deprive the Tree even of the little strength it has left?"

"I don't know," Sparkle replied, shaking her head in confusion. "But if Princess Celestia ordered us to take the Elements, then we will do it."

Twilight moved towards the Tree, wishing her companions to stay in place and wait. If something were to happen, she thought, it would be better if not everypony was affected at once, despite Spearhead's objections. But the decision remained with the princess. Approaching the magical plant slowly, Sparkle examined it carefully. It had drooped, stopped glowing, and lost its previous color. Perhaps Rainbow Dash was right? Fearful that depriving the Tree of its last energy might make things worse, the alicorn finally stopped in front of its extending roots, trying to gather her courage.

Sighing deeply, Twilight eventually dared to remove the Elements from the crystalline plant, although she feared that her ominous feelings might not be in vain. However, the belief that Princess Celestia wouldn't give imprudent orders buoyed the lavender mare. So, she enveloped all six magical stones in a violet aura and carefully took them out of the niches on the branches and trunk. Placing them neatly in her saddlebag, the princess froze and began to watch the Tree cautiously. No changes were noticed by her. It seemed everything went smoothly.

"I've got the Elements!" Twilight announced with relief to her friends, waving a hoof at them. The ponies rejoiced that everything went without incident.

Looking around just in case, Sparkle briskly trotted toward the exit of the cave when suddenly a loud crunch came from beneath the ground. The alicorn froze, lowering her head, and saw the stony floor of the cave cracking beneath her hooves. What was most astonishing was that strange blue light emanated from the fissures.

"Save yourself, Twilight!" exclaimed her friends in horror. Rainbow Dash and Applejack instantly rushed into the cave to pull the alicorn out as quickly as possible. Several guards, led by Spearhead, also jumped from their positions to help.

Meanwhile, the purple pony overcame the panic that momentarily seized her body and mind and attempted to teleport herself outside, but she didn't make it. Right beneath the Tree, an underground explosion erupted, throwing the unfortunate mare towards the exit. Landing next to her arriving companions, Sparkle slammed her head hard against a small boulder, of which there were many scattered around, causing her vision to instantly darken. The last thing she saw was a blue haze swirling inside the cave. Closing her eyelids, the Princess of Friendship heard, for a while, the commotion of her frightened friends and guards before finally slipping into oblivion…

4.3. We Need Twilight Sparkle

The light. It was the first thing she saw, slightly opening her eyes. At that moment, memories slowly began to return to her. Her head ached badly, but her thoughts were quite clear, even though consciousness was as if shrouded in mist.

"Oh, praise Celestia, yer alive!" a well-known voice with a distinctive rural accent sounded. "We all dang worried 'bout ya, sugarcube!"

The Princess of Friendship slowly turned her gaze to the right and saw Applejack sitting next to her. Fluttershy and Rarity stood behind the farmer. Twilight quickly figured out that she was lying on the couch in the timid pegasus' cottage, and her friends were taking care of her.

"My head…" Sparkle uttered, slightly wincing.

"Drink more potion," Rarity offered solicitously, then used telekinesis to bring Zecora's concoction to her friend's lips. Twilight raised herself a bit and obediently drank the brew, although she couldn't recall having come into contact with the deadly mineral lately.

"Am I infected with the green crystal?" the alicorn finally asked, bewildered, after finishing the potion. Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged brief glances, as if unsure how to answer. Applejack nervously sighed and corrected her:

"Not green, but blue."

"Blue?!"

"Yes, now the entire gorge in the forest is overgrown with blue crystal," the dressmaker explained. "Perhaps the Tree of Harmony really held it back, but now…"

"Fortunately, we quickly returned home and managed to save you," Fluttershy joyfully added. With the awakening of her friend, it was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Now Sparkle remembered seeing the blue haze before losing consciousness. Why did the alien mineral suddenly change color? It was a question that intrigued her as much as it made her fear a strange twist on a problem that had already claimed the lives of so many ponies.

"But what about the blue crystal? Where did it come from?" Twilight wondered, and her friends shrugged. The lavender pony replayed the last thing she saw in her mind and suddenly recalled the main goal of the expedition to the Everfree Forest. "The Elements of Harmony! Is everything fine with them?"

"Don't worry; they're here," the gentle yellow pegasus reassured, pointing to a bag on a green chair off to the side of the couch.

"Excellent," sighed the Princess of Friendship in relief. Before she could lay her head back on the pillow, Rainbow Dash burst into the house. Breathing heavily after a swift flight, she approached her stunned friends and immediately expressed her joy at Twilight's recovery. Once her breathing normalized, she got down to business:

"Steel monsters in Ponyville!"

"What?" the mares exclaimed in unison.

"They showed up in a group of ten," the pegasus reported, then gestured toward the door and said, "I sent those two guards who were on duty at the doorstep to Spearhead to have him send a squad to the town. But the steel monsters said they need you, Twilight."

"Me? But why?"

The news brought by the sky-blue pony left the princess stunned. She had no idea what could prompt the steel monsters to make contact suddenly, although after the Battle of Ponyville, they had hastily retreated without saying a word. Because of this, she was now even somewhat afraid to meet them, getting confused in guesses about what might be on their minds. On the other hoof, the alicorn immediately remembered that she herself had planned to talk to them. Perhaps their visit should be considered fortunate? In any case, she wanted to make sure of everything firsthoof.

"I wish I knew. All they said was, 'We need Twilight Sparkle'," Dash spoke, delivering the words of the steel monsters in the coldest voice possible. Nervously shaking her head, she let out a silent hum and, with a discouraged contemplation, said, "And how do they even know your name?.."

"Twilight ain't fit to go to 'em. She's still ain't in good shape," objected the apple pony, not at all enthused by the sudden visit of strangers.

"Don't worry about me, Applejack. I'll try to meet with them," Sparkle replied, then attempted to get up from the couch, despite the fact that her entire body ached with pain. The pony in the hat clearly did not approve of this idea, but still helped her friend stand up, and then threw a warm blanket over her so she wouldn't freeze outside.

Carefully stepping out of the house accompanied by her friends, Twilight noticed that outside it was sunset. The sun illuminated the surrounding space from the western horizon, making the snow sparkle, and the sky turned dark blue, gradually transitioning into golden and rosy hues. This meant she had been unconscious for about six hours. Casting her gaze first on the guards' barracks standing in the middle of the field, and then on Ponyville, the princess slowly walked along the path towards the town. Flying alongside her weakened friend, Dash supported her with her front hooves to make it easier for her to stay on her legs, while AJ squeezed in closer on the other side, always ready to lend her strong shoulder.

The entire way passed mostly in silence. Twilight's companions kept an eye on her well-being, so they had little time for conversation among themselves. Twilight herself felt too drained. She walked calmly and steadily along the road, pondering to herself about the intentions of the steel monsters. Their strange behavior had perplexed her before, as far as her interactions with them went, but now she felt a distinct uneasiness growing inside her because of them.

As soon as the five ponies stepped onto the streets of the southern district of Ponyville, separated from the rest by a small river now covered in ice, Twilight began searching for the steel guests with her eyes. However, the giants were not yet in her field of vision. She cast glances into corners and courtyards of houses, but she didn't see anyone – not even the ponies living here. The streets were completely deserted, and the princess suspected that it was somehow related to the appearance of the strangers. But she couldn't spot them anywhere.

"Where are they?" Twilight finally inquired impatiently after walking several blocks without seeing anyone.

"Near the ruins of the town hall," Rainbow answered succinctly.

More than ten minutes passed before the mares climbed onto the arched bridge leading across the river to the central square. Twilight decided to stop and take a pause to catch her breath and look around. Gazing into the distance, her violet eyes finally spotted the steel monsters. As Dashie had mentioned, they loomed just outside the porch of the half-ruined town hall, which was clearly visible from the bridge.

Ten two-legged creatures stood motionless, forming a circle and directing their cruciform eyes in all directions. Crowds of Ponyvillians flooded the central square, trying to keep a safe distance from them. The only pony not afraid of them was Pinkie Pie, which didn't surprise either the princess or her companions. The pink-maned cheerful one twirled right in front of the strangers, ceaselessly attempting to initiate a friendly conversation with each of them in turn. Nevertheless, they remained silent, continuing to patiently wait for Twilight.

It seemed that the introduction to new potential friends, which, however, didn't stick yet, made Pinkie completely forget about yesterday's horrors. Of course, Twilight knew well that an attention deficit was precisely what could most aptly describe the quirky nature of her pink friend. The steel warriors continued to stubbornly ignore the curly pony, while she, undeterred, never ceased her attempts to elicit even a mutual greeting from them.

Sparkle and her friends, assessing the situation, continued on their way to the town hall. As soon as the purple pony descended from the bridge, the steel giants noticed her and immediately moved towards her. Bewildered, Pinkie froze in place, spending a couple of seconds staring at them with wide-open eyes, but then hurried to stand by them, hopping along. Judging by the carefree smile shining on her face, she still didn't lose hope of eventually striking up a conversation with them and establishing a strong friendship.

Under the tense gaze of Ponyville residents, the princess, accompanied by her entourage, and the steel warriors, came to a stop three meters apart from each other, while the pink pony settled herself on the sideline between them. Twilight felt uneasy as she faced a two-meter wall of ten steel monsters. All of her friends, except Pinkie, experienced the same internal sense of unease. The cross-shaped eyes of the strangers immediately focused on the alicorn, and all of them rumbled in their mechanical voices:

"Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes," the alicorn confirmed somewhat hesitantly, not understanding why they needed her, to which they promptly declared:

"We need to talk to you."

Embodiments of the Elements of Harmony exchanged puzzled glances. Initially, these beings ignored them, then suddenly helped defend Ponyville without saying much, and now, they decided to engage in a dialogue after all. Nopony saw any logic in such inconsistent behavior, raising numerous suspicions. Only Pinkie stretched an even wider smile to her ears, pleased that Ponyville's new guests finally expressed a desire to talk – hopefully with her too, in the end. At this very moment, she couldn't put into words how much she liked to talk, especially with newfound acquaintances. However, her friends had a completely different opinion about the upcoming conversation.

"First, better tell us who you are," demanded Rainbow after a couple of seconds of confusion. The brightly glowing crimson crosses immediately aimed at her, and the response followed promptly:

"Our name is LEGION…"

P.S. "The reverse side also has a reverse side" – Japanese proverb.

Comments

[vectorVll]

I have no idea what the c&c is but it sounds amazing in your very talented writing style gets me interested even though sometimes I don't know what the hell's going on. Now you got me interested in another hobby I'm going to check out sooner or later. But I guess here's my question I assume discord either was not freed or he doesn't fully exist. Equestria has not made allies with the changelings the dragons or the Kieran and the spread hasn't hit two other countries or haven't crossed the border yet but if it already affected Appaloosa the Griffins should be dealing with this as well

[Skjald]

11814093

I have no idea what the c&c is but it sounds amazing in your very talented writing style gets me interested even though sometimes I don't know what the hell's going on. Now you got me interested in another hobby I'm going to check out sooner or later.

Thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad that my fic caught your interest, even though you're not familiar with C&C! I hope you'll continue to enjoy it in the future.

But I guess here's my question I assume discord either was not freed or he doesn't fully exist. Equestria has not made allies with the changelings the dragons or the Kieran and the spread hasn't hit two other countries or haven't crossed the border yet but if it already affected Appaloosa the Griffins should be dealing with this as well

The storyline of this fic takes place around the eighth season, but in an alternate version where the Pillars of Old Equestria haven't been returned to the present time. Consequently, Discord has been freed, reformed, and will soon make an appearance. Equestria maintains contact with changelings and dragons, although kirins have not entered the picture yet. The spread of tiberium has not yet affected the countries of all the aforementioned creatures, but... it seems to be only a matter of time.

P.S. Also, thank you very much for the follow!

[vectorVll]

11814367
I totally forgot about them but also the diamond dogs sit probably be included as well. Surprisingly Twilight hasn't sent a scientific team to study the crass alien spaceships maybe because of all the stress but I guess it's only been like half a day technically 2 days but she was unconscious.

Hopefully she can use one of her military accents

[Skjald]

11815008

I totally forgot about them but also the diamond dogs sit probably be included as well.

Yes, the diamond dogs will be involved too, but they will appear later. And in quite an unusual role.

Surprisingly Twilight hasn't sent a scientific team to study the crass alien spaceships maybe because of all the stress but I guess it's only been like half a day technically 2 days but she was unconscious.

Hopefully she can use one of her military accents

Apparently, after what happened, Twilight has no time for scientific curiosity. However, extracting practical use from the remnants of alien ships will be challenging for her since she is completely unfamiliar with extraterrestrial technologies. Nevertheless, who knows what ponies will do with the wreckage of these flying fortresses in the future?..

[Lex the Pikachu]

Does this mean Kane is here?

[Skjald]

11818179
Who knows? However, in the next chapter, there will be a fairly detailed discussion of the backstory of how these cyborgs, as well as aliens, ended up in Equestria.

[Lex the Pikachu]

11818313
I hope you improve on what C&C4 tried to do

[Skjald]

11818542
The events of C&C4 will be taken into account here, but with a slightly different meaning attached to them. This particularly applies to the second scrin invasion, which was promised in Kane's Wrath but never materialized. In other words, based on the concept of this fic, the Fourth Tiberium War was merely a prelude to something much larger!..

[Advent Link]

Really curious as to how LEGION knows about Twilight and her title, was my little pony a form of fiction in the C&C universe or was it due to simply recon?
we know that sonic weapons can destroy or atleast disassemble Tiberium, so can Batponies be able to reach such frequency to effect the Tiberium if enhanced with GDI sonic crystals?

[vectorVll]

11825592
If Twilight is told that all she needed to do the fix her crystal problem was have ponies scream loud enough to get rid of the green crystals, she's going to jump off her tower.

[Advent Link]

11826721
now that i think about it the disruptor tanks when they fire really do sound like eldritch screams.

[Skjald]

11825592

Really curious as to how LEGION knows about Twilight and her title, was my little pony a form of fiction in the C&C universe or was it due to simply recon?

This will be discussed in detail in the next chapter. However, considering that in the C&C universe the story developed differently from ours, all the way back since 1995 (taking into account the crossover with the Crysis universe here, the idea of the origin of the Tiberium storyline from the first Red Alert wasn't considered), it's quite possible that FiM never existed in it.

we know that sonic weapons can destroy or atleast disassemble Tiberium, so can Batponies be able to reach such frequency to effect the Tiberium if enhanced with GDI sonic crystals?

Interesting thought! Of course, batponies will appear here, although not very soon. But when that happens, we'll need to consider the question of their impact on Tiberium. Thanks for the idea! 🙏