Edge of the World
Thread the Needle - Chapter One
Edge of the World
The Edge of Equestria, as Discord had named it a year ago, was somewhat inaccurate of a title. In fact, it may as well have been called the Edge of the World. If one had no familiarity with geography, and therefore not know that this place was actually the heavily contested borderlands between The Goblin Alliance and Equestria, you could mistake it as a place where the land simply stretched out to the horizon and ended - where no civilization was to be had.
The land was bare save for its rolling grasses and a few hills, undisturbed mostly by pony activity. However, natural phenomenon, those out of control of the pegasi, often swept through. Twisters, dust storms, you name it, both annoying yet fascinating to the locals.
Unlike what Twilight was standing before now, of course, which to her, was only one thing: eerie.
She could barely take her eyes off of it, let alone her mind - and despite it all, she couldn't help by sigh. What would have been a rare, book-filled, relaxing day for her was once again turned on its head by forces that seemed to be conspiring against her me-time. Though she leaped at any task that could help Equestria, this task seemed so monumental that she wished to be anywhere but there. She should have seen it coming, too... or at least an inkling, and not just out of intuition.
Three Hours Earlier
Ponyville
A single needle jumped up and down on the seismograph in Twilight's basement. While what was once a peculiarity to her had become somewhat frightening as it slowly began to draw wider and wider frequencies. Minor geologic activity wasn't something new to Ponyville, however. She could still remember the tragedy that had happened last year when a small tremor, likely caused by an underground beast, had knocked over Rarity's favorite, custom Saddle Arabian vase.
"This day will forever live in infamy!" she had dramatically proclaimed. "Never forget, my friends! Never forget!"
Twilight chuckled to herself, still remembering the non-stop complaining she had done afterward - even if what she was complaining about couldn't be fixed whatsoever. However, right now, she was regretting taking such things so light-heartedly, for the line between a minor, annoying tremor, and a potential disaster, was now starting to seem a little blurred.
"Not good," Twilight gulped, glancing warily at the now-darting lines. By this time, it was no surprise the ground was vibrating, causing the purple princess to glance warily at the alchemy chemical vials lining her basement laboratory, some just waiting for the right amount of shaking to create a magical 'bang'.
"Twilight!" a voice called from above. "Twilight?! Did you just cast some new spell?! What's with the shaking?!"
"It's not me, Spike!" she called, gulping as the shaking began to grow that much more pronounced. "In fact - you need to get outside! We're getting another quake! Bigger than the last one! Don't worry, I'll be right with you!"
"Are you sure you're OK?!" Spike called.
"Yes, just go!"
She heard the clitter-clatter of claws, as well as a barely audible:"Ugh... this sucks majorly... I'm soooo going to have to clean a lot of crap up later..."
Rolling her eyes, and now kicking into attentive mode, Twilight twirled about, scanning for any of her lab equipment or chemicals that could threaten to fall or spill... and therefore threaten the treehouse. She was about to be satisfied with her survey, but right before she prepared to leave...
"Oh no," she gulped, spotting a closed container filled with a red liquid about ready to fall - one that if exposed to air would cause a fire that could burn the whole tree-house up, not to mention a fireball that would surely fry her to a crisp where she stood.
"Nononono! Stupid Flamus Notrite! Don't you dare-"
Naturally, it began to fall.
Twilight squeaked in shock, mentally weighing her options. She could try to teleport out of her basment, but that would take too long, and lunging for it was out of the question. Her mind went blank. There was nothing, at that split-second, she could conceive of doing, save for giving an instinctual gasp.
Yet, the end never came.
"H-Huh?" she blinked.
Midway through its fall, the vial seemingly began to slow its descent - not completely, but enough that when it landed, it harmlessly settled on the wooden floor.
"W-What?" Twilight blinked, looking at it in awe. "There's no way I just imagined that... right? Did that thing just break the laws of physics? Gravity accelerates objects in freefall - they don't just..."
She shook her head, grunting to herself, as she spotted something else peculiar about the object. There seemed to be a small amount of black sparkles twinkling about it - the sure sign it had been influenced by magic. Yet she hadn't used magic, she would have known (though she was kicking herself for not thinking of it).
But if she didn't, who had?
She quickly shook her head, her rational side filling in the blank with the simple explanation that the container was stronger than she thought. And only a second after that, her luck threw her another bone. The shaking suddenly ceased.
"Whew!" she sighed, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead. "Thank goodness! Another minute of that and..."
She winced, not wanting to think of the horrors that could form if some of her alchemy ingredients were to be mixed together.
"Nothing to clean up, either," she smiled, glancing about the room, and then at the seismograph. It, however, was not through with its activity - the line darted steadily up and down at a low frequency, but continued nonetheless.
"Hmmm..." she said, quirking an eyebrow. "Resonance from the initial quake?" She suddenly grinned. "Ooooo! Sounds like a new study topic! Spike! Spike! Are you inside yet? Can you find me a book on subterranean harmonics?!"
"Wah? Twilight! We just got done with a major quake!" Spike's voice groaned. "Can we seriously take a breather first before you go head-first into another study project?"
"But I just had an epiphany about quake dynamics!" Twilight whined, ascending the stair's into the main room, now littered with books that had fallen. She winced at the sight, wishing her bookshelves were as secure as her alchemy ingredients.
"Yeah, and I just had an epiphany, too," Spike moaned, busily placing the various books in their designated homes. "I'm soooo not going to be hanging out with Rarity today."
Twilight shot him a smirk. "By that you mean doing all her chores and tending to her every need?"
Spike shot her a glare. "Hey, you define 'hanging out' how you want, and I'll define 'hanging out' how I want." Twilight could nearly literally see hearts form in his eyes as he sighed dreamily: "Anything for my marshmallow princess..."
Twilight shot him a blank look. "Marshmellow princess?"
He furrowed his brow. "What?"
"Marshmellow. Princess."
"She thought it was cute!" Spike countered.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Despite sufficient evidence to the contrary once and a while, there's no doubt she's the Element of Generosity if she let you get away with that."
"Oh, quit being such a prude," he argued.
"I'm not a prude!"
"And I'm not a fire-based postal service," he muttered, before suddenly freezing in his task. "Sppeeeaking of which..."
"Huh?"
With that, Spike let loose a great burp of fire. When it dissipated, it revealed a single, tied scroll.
"It must be about the quake!" Twilight said, a hint of wariness in her voice. "Oh my - I hope Canterlot wasn't hit harder than us..."
"Yeah, that place doesn't really scream 'structurally sound', does it?" Spike said. "A big quake hitting a city sitting on a mountain. What architect thought that would be a good idea?"
"Shush, Spike," Twilight grunted. "Canterlot has numerous spells in place to keep it from falling apart during this kind of thing." She then gulped. "Yet a major quake could still do some damage."
"Wonder how that conversation went?" Spike continued, ignoring her. "'Gee, what could that mountain use more than anything?' 'Hey! I know! How about we put our friggin' capital city on it! That won't be hard to do at all! We have magic on our side! It'll be our super glue!' 'By golly you're right. You're a genius, Smithy!'"
"Spike!" Twilight shouted.
"Sorry," her chuckled.
He really wasn't.
Twilight resisted the urge to face-hoof, before quickly unwrapping the scroll, her eyes darting through its contents, eyeing the lack of any sort of standard indication as to who it could be addressed to (even if the answer was obvious), and reading out loud:
Twilight, this is Luna. Don't worry, Tia is fine - she's just helping to clean up the city.
Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no! It really was hit badly!"
"Uh oh," Spike gulped.
She continued to read onward.
"Canterlot was just hit by a Category VII quake. The castle is still intact, but there's been major damage incurred to the city. Some I haven't seen for many moons..."
"Oh no oh no oh no!" Twilight gasped, darting out the door.
To her relief, the town seemed to be in decent shape, though a lot of things had been knocked over. Canterlot, on the other hoof, was a different story. Though she couldn't make out much detail, it was clear that a major fire was taking place within it, as smoke was just beginning to rise high into the heavens. Not to mention that some of the buildings she could recognize from Ponyville were now no longer completely intact.
Twilight shivered slightly. "I can't believe this! How could a quake do that much damage!? And why there?! Why not here?!"
"I dunno, Twilight," Spike said softly, placing a claw on her back. "But..."
"But nothing! Come on, we need to round up as many volunteers as possible and go help! We've gotta double-time it! Come on, gogogogogo-"
"Twilight, calm down!" Spike shouted.
"Calm down?! I can't just-"
Just then, a gentle reminder tugged her brain, and she took a deep breath, and a second later, released it.
"Or maybe I can," she sighed. "Thank Celestia for Cadance."
"You bet," Spike grinned, before gesturing forward. "And about volunteers - well, I don't think you'll have to look far."
Twilight quickly looked up, smiling at the sight of her five friends galloping towards her.
"My gosh!" Applejack gasped. "Haven't felt a quake like that in... well - ever!"
"Yeah, look at Canterlot!" Rainbow cried. "I can't believe how hard they were hit. We gotta lend a hoof and quick!"
"But how do we?" Rarity stated. "The rails to it could be in shambles right now!"
"Twilight, could you um - teleport us - if that's possible?" Fluttershy squeaked. "I really want to help to."
"Hang on!" Spike grunted, having taken to reading the letter Twilight had unceremoniously dropped onto the grass. "That's not what we need to do."
"What do you mean it's not what we need to do?!" Pinkie cried. "Out of all times to do this is the most doing time of all!"
"No! That's not what I mean - Princess Luna wants Twilight and the rest of us somewhere else."
"W-What?" Twilight stammered. "Where else could she want us?"
"Here," Spike said, handing her the letter.
Twilight nearly cringed - she had neglected to read the rest in her panic. Taking another deep breath to calm her nerves, she began to read out loud:
"Canterlot was just hit by a Category VII quake. The castle is still intact, but there's been major damage incurred to the city. Some I haven't seen for many moons. However, that may be the least of our worries. While Tita manages damage control, we must prevent any further from occurring. I need you to rendezvous with me near the border town of Hallow Shades. You'll be able to find me. Bring your friends and tread lightly."
Twilight shook her head in confusion. "B-But... Hallow Shades? Why there? And how?! That's over five hundred miles away! How are we supposed-"
"P.S. Transportation will be there by the time you finish reading this. Find your strength and courage, for you shall need them both."
"S-Strength and c-courage?" Twilight squeaked.
"Look!" Rainbow called, spying a trio of chariots swooping down from the heavens, before furrowing her brow. "Wait, are those Crystal Chariots?"
"They are!" Twilight said, eyeing their sleek, aerodynamic design. "B-But the Crystal Empire? Why are they sending chariots?"
Kicking up a plethora of dust, the chariots landed as gracefully as they could near the group.
"Ack! Could you land any closer?!" Rainbow growled. "I love being smashed by friggin' crystals, after all!"
"Sorry about that, Rainbow," a familiar voice called, revealing its origin as the dust cleared. It was Shining Armor, standing next to Princess Cadance.
"Shining? Cadance?" Twilight said, a mix between joy and worry flowing through her. The latter came through their expressions, ones Twilight hadn't seen since they had fought Sombra together: stoic, though masking unbelievable apprehension.
"Good to see you, Twili," Shining said, forcing a smile.
"Me as well," Cadance said, doing the same. "As cliche as it sounds, I really wish it were under better circumstances."
"What in Equestria is goin' on here?" Applejack cried. "First the quake, now this thing about Hallow Shades-"
"All your questions will be answered soon," Shining said tersely, his normally warm voice giving way to a stern, professional one cultivated through years of guard training. "Twilight, I need you to rally this town's militia and any current or former service-ponies who are under the age of sixty. Have them gather here - more chariots will be here soon."
"B-But... why is the Crystal Empire sending chariots?" Rainbow asked.
"Fastest ones around," Cadance said. "And most of Equestria's are busy transporting soldiers."
"What?!" the group cried.
"What's going on? Is there a war on?" Twilight gasped.
"Not yet - or at least, we hope not," Shining said, shaking his head. "But please - do what I ask. They'll respond better to you than me or Cadance."
Twilight glanced at him in disbelief for a brief second, unable to take it all in, before finally snapping to action.
"U-Um," she stuttered, glancing towards a crowd of town-ponies who had gathered near her, murmuring various questions and concerns.
"A war? Did she just say a war was on?"
"Nonsense! Those border tensions with the goblins were resolved weeks ago!"
"That's not what I read!"
"You don't read anything but tabloids!"
"Hey, everyone simmer down!" Applejack called. "Let the princess speak!"
"If you wouldn't mind, that is," Fluttershy added in.
Twilight, now finished taking yet another deep breath, cleared her throat. "Alright... alright, everypony - I know this is very sudden, and believe me - it's a shock to me, too, but there is no war on at the moment. I believe right now Equestria is mobilizing for a potential conflict, and troops are being transported to a potential battle site. Any militia or service-ponies under fifty need to gather whatever they need and meet here for transportation. Keep calm and don't panic, but still prepare yourself for the worst. This may or may not end in conflict."
There was an eerie calm, and Twilight thought before the group broke quickly transformed into a sea of panic.
"Oh my! It is a war!"
"Not good not good not good!"
"I need to pack my muffins... and my muffin cannon!"
"Darn it! She just said it wasn't official!" Rainbow tried to argue, to no avail.
"D-Does everyone need to go?!"
"Who started this war?! Was it us?! If it was I don't want husband fighting!"
"We wouldn't start a war!"
"Ponies," Rainbow said, raising her voice.
"How do you know we wouldn't? It could be a pre-emptive strike!"
"Pre-emptive wah?"
"Ponies!" Rainbow growled, her voice rising ever higher.
"I don't like this! I joined the militia to defend Ponyville, not-"
"PONIES!" Rainbow Dash roared.
They quickly silenced themselves. Even Cadance seemed impressed, giving her a slight smile.
"Now, I don't want to sound like a flank-kisser, but Twilight is now one of the princesses. If you had listened to what she said you'd know that there isn't officially any war on, and even if there was, this kind of behavior wouldn't get us far at all! For all we know, this could just be a show of force. But what we do know is that right now: Equestria needs us. All of us. So keep calm, carry on, and get ready to mobilize!"
...
Dead silence followed. Even the wind held its breath. Then, without more than a few murmurs, the crowd dispersed. Twilight couldn't help but giving her friend a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Rainbow."
"Pffft - no need to thank me," she smirked. "Princess or not, I'll always have your back."
"That's why I think Luna wants you all there," Shining nodded. "Now hurry and hop aboard. I'll tell you what I know on the way."
Warily, but sure of themselves, the group complied, hopping aboard the chariot. Soon, they were flying swiftly through the sky, the ponies below becoming dots, soon followed by their houses. The wind kicked fiercely at the group, billowing their manes in the wind, and the chariot-pulling pegasis' wings were fluttering beyond a visible speed.
"I mean no offense, Prince Shining," Rarity eventually stated. "But why didn't you simply jump in and explain what was going on? It would have helped soothe some nerves, you know."
Shining glanced away from her. "Because I don't know much, and what I do know doesn't seem good."
"W-What do you know?" Fluttershy shivered, snuggling close to an inviting Cadance to create a blanket of warmth against the cold, high-winds.
"Not much. I only got the letter about two hours ago, I'm guessing before the quake, saying that Equestria needed the Crystal Empire's military and my leadership ASAP."
"Waiiiit... does that mean you're a general too, now?" Twilight asked.
"You bet," he winked. "Not that I'm liking the prospect of the job, though."
"Why's that?" Rainbow pried, glancing at him suspiciously.
"Because Equestria doesn't just call on her entire military, including reserves and militia, any day of the week," Cadance spoke for him. "An emergency must be taking place that requires it at full strength."
"The emergency is in Canterlot, though!" Twilight argued. "I don't understand this. Does Luna think the goblins will try to make a move while we're licking our wounds? That's a bit paranoid for her!"
"I don't think it's that," Pinkie said.
"How in the tarnation do you know?" Applejack asked.
"Well, unless goblins actually look like giant, glowing portals, even if that would be crazy awesome! I don't know much about them, though!" Pinkie continued cheerfully, before pointing over the side of the chariot to something below.
"Wah?!" the entire group cried, hurrying to glance at it as well.
Their eyes widened in shock. Nearly directly below them was what appeared to be a giant, twisting vortex of blue light, horizontally facing towards the biggest army any of them had seen - even in movies or photographs. There were hundreds of troops, all clad in armor and ready for battle, and not all of them were ponies. There were griffins, Diamond Dogs, buffalo, and even goblins, and more were pouring in by the second. Some by wing, some marching in columns, and some even via very steampunk looking airships, courtesy of the goblins, and they weren't just dropping off troops. Scattered among them were a number of war machine. Catapults, magitek cannons, even strange looking mobile cannons Twilight identified as 'steam tanks.'
"That portal... maybe when it opened it triggered the quake!" Applejack gasped.
"B-But... I don't understand!" Twilight said in disbelief. "Not just about the portal, either. The griffins are extremely isolated - their military is rarely never seen, and the Diamond Dogs aren't even supposed to have one!"
"Gee, I wonder why," Rarity muttered.
Suddenly, before they could speak further, a strange buzzing sound filled the air, and before the group could even react, a trio of strange looking goblin flying machines, followed by a group of Wonderbolts, zipped passed them.
"Oh my gosh! Are there goblin Wonderbolts now?!" Pinkie squeaked in excitement.
"That's crazy! You can't join the Wonderbolts without real wings!" Rainbow growled. "And those stupid aeropains or whatever they call em' could never keep up!"
"Aeroplanes, Rainbow," Twilight corrected.
"I just said 'whatever!'"
"They're not in the Wonderbolts," Fluttershy said calmly. "They may just be practicing flying together."
"The question is why, though?" Applejack said. "The goblins and us have been at each other's throats lately from what I've read. What's with this big alliance?"
"We'll find out soon," Shining grunted, before barking at the chariot-hauling pegasi: "Find the command post and take us there!"
"By your will, commander!"
"Everypony hang on tight!" Cadance shouted. "This baby knows how to fly!"
Despite it all, Rainbow grinned in anticipation. "I'm starting to like you more and more, CadAAAAANNNCEEEEEEE-"
Before she could finish, the chariot rocketed downward, smashing through clouds and navigating around other flyers: pegasi, airships, flying machines, griffins, you name it. Before they knew it, they had set down before a makeshift 'command post' seemingly lacking anything but commanders. Those included several elder-looking unicorns, as well as Princess Luna.
"Shining, you glided swiftly on the winds," Luna complimented. "I'm glad you did not miss the... 'party', as they say."
"Yeeeeah," Shining said warily, before glancing at the portal. "But uh - is this party about to get crashed by somepony?"
"If the legends are true, than I believe it is so," Luna solemnly. "Though not by ponies."
"Legends? What legends?" Twilight said, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"It took quite a bit of memory jogging," Luna quickly explained. "The books about them were lost to history while I was very young, and that was thousands of years ago. They were the legends of legends. I remember Tia telling me stories of them as well - only when she wanted to scare me, though. They were my own personal boogeyponies."
"Who are the legends, though?" Pinkie asked. "Are they legendary party throwers? Is that why we're throwing a party?"
The group glanced at her blankly.
"What?!" she pouted. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood."
"Not much could, I'm afraid," Luna said softly. "If the stories I once read were true, then it is happening once again. In ancient days they were called the Children of the Void, though that was not their name. Who knows if even they had one?"
"What exactly are we dealing with here, Princess?" Cadance asked.
"I don't think anyone in the infinite heavens knows," Luna stated. "What they do know is that they aren't supposed to... 'be'. In ages past, these creatures came forth in circumstances that match this one. The Ancient Ponies tried to fight against them, but were decimated trying to. Only with the help of an unknown people, people reportedly from beyond our skies, did they manage to drive them back to what was called the 'space between spaces', or as their allies called it, 'Oblivion.'"
"But w-what did they want?" Fluttershy squeaked.
:"It was not stated," Luna said softly, her eyes fixed on the portal. "It is doubtful any of the ancients knew. The only objective thing known about them was their penchant for destruction, and their desire to make those who fought against them... like themselves."
The group froze in silence, taking it all in. Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing, and her rational side somewhat agreed with her. Why was Luna staking so much claim on what may have just been an old fairy tale?
Then, it was Rainbow who broke the silence.
"Well... I don't care who or what they are," Rainbow said proudly. "If I can hit em', then I can fight them!"
"Well spoken!" Rarity said, slamming a fist into another. "I may just be a fashionita, but I can 'throw down' when I need to. I will not stand ideally by while my home and everything I love are assimilated!"
Twilight smiled, before saying: "And the world has come a long way since the ancient days! These... these 'aliens' aren't ready for what we have store in them!"
"Hopefully it will be enough," Shining said warily. "I don't like the idea of fighting something I know nothing about."
"We have to try, though," Luna grunted. "If something hostile comes out of that portal, we are prepared to hit it with the full might of our military - and our allies' as well. I am surprised that Celestia's word was all that was needed to bring us together, but I won't hook a gift pony in the mouth!"
"That... doesn't make much sense, though," Twilight said. "The goblins hadn't taken her word before..."
"Yeah, if they did, there wouldn't be any tension," Spike noted. "'Hey, we're not ever going to start a war with you, cus we're peaceful ponies (and a dragon) and that's how we roll.' 'Reaaaally? Shooot, guess we'll just stop making guns and crazy war machines, Miss Honest Alicorn.'"
Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "Why do you keep doing that today?"
"Doing what?" Spike asked innocently.
"That fake-conversation thing!"
"I dunno - just my new thing," Spike grumbled, folding his arms. "I can have new things if I want."
"So long as you're not stealing them," Rainbow winked.
"Haw haw haw."
"Concentrate, ponies," Shining sighed.
"Sorry."
"Maybe it was the griffins who convinced them? Who knows?" Applejack said. "We can figure that out after we're sure everything's hunki-dorie."
"Applejack's right," Twilight nodded, before turning towards Luna, who seemed to still be gazing into the portal. "Princess Luna?"
...
"Princess?"
"Huh? Oh yes - I suppose you want to know what your role is," Luna stated. "I will be blunt, Twilight Sparkle - I don't believe you have any experience in warfare, do you? Your art is of magic."
"No, I don't," she spoke.
"However, I still have great uses for you. You are not just great for morale, but you are a very intelligent mare, and though perhaps you don't have the thousands of years of experience needed for Tia and I's wisdom, your mind could still prove to be a valuable asset. If and when the battle begins, focus all your efforts on finding the enemy's weaknesses. Tactical, technologically or magically speaking, anything you can, and report to me immediately when you find anything useful. It is the only way we will be able to wage war on an enemy as obscure as these 'Children of the Void'."
"I'll... I'll do my best, Princess," Twilight nodded. "Thank you."
"You're not doing this for me, you're doing this for honor," Luna spoke, smiling approvingly at her. "Thanks are not-"
"LOOK!"
The group twirled about, and though they couldn't find the origin of the voice, they knew what it was directed at. The portal was beginning to flicker, its energy twirling about more violently ever. The ground shook steadily, not as bad as the quake earlier, but still enough to be felt.
"Oh nelly - this is it!" Applejack squeaked.
"I-I don't like this. I d-don't like this at all," Fluttershy said, her body shivering.
"Easy there, Fluttershy," Rainbow said softly, patting her. "I'll be by your side the whole time."
"Y-You're not going to fight with the Wonderbolts?"
Rainbow merely smiled. "I'm not a Wonderbolt yet, remember?"
"All forces! Buffalo, griffins, dogs, goblins, and ponies! Hear me!" Princess Luna shouted, her voice louder than ever. "No matter what comes through this portal, no matter what tide twirls from the nether, we shall be the dam standing waiting for it! We have come together as one, a seemingly impossible task, and now we must stand as one! Ready your weapons! Ready your courage! But always be aware - the night stands by your brothers in arms, and shall do so until the red dawn! Hoozah!"
The entire army broke out into a ferocious war cry at that, soon followed by Twilight's friends. Even Fluttershy joined in in her own, soft way. It continued on for nearly a minute, along with the beating of drums, the stamping of hooves, and the songs of war.
Yet it was not enough to drown out what came.
It was like a fog horn, but louder than the biggest bass cannon Vinyl could build, and it chilled the army to the bone. It had come right from the portal. Silence came once more. Not a word could be heard, only the occasional sound of a weapon being readied.
"Probably just a psyche tactic!" Shining growled, immediately switching into command mode and marching before the ranks of troops. Every single one of them was pointing something at the portal - magic horns, bows, strange firearms, you name it, and those who weren't were ready to bring their weapons to them. Swords and shields and spears.
"In war, fear is the biggest weapon an enemy has!" Shining continued. "The only defense is bravery! Remember what you're fighting for! Remember who you're fighting for! Keep that in your mind and the rest can remain clear!"
"Hoorah!
"He's quite the speaker, isn't he," Cadance said dreamily.
"Y-Yeah," Applejack gulped. "But... um... can somepony pass me a spear? Maybe some hard cider?"
"Don't worry... we've got this... we've got this," Rainbow said more to herself than anypony, glaring towards the portal like a guard dog protecting her territory.
Then the noise came again, ripping into their ear drums almost as if were an assault on them directly. Everyone who could covered them, wincing, but alert.
At the very least, it woke up anyone who needed it.
"They're trying it again!?" Shining barked, almost as if he were about to break out laughing. "Like that's going to work!"
"I hope the best they have isn't noise pollution!" Pinkie shouted, earning a few chuckles from nearby soldiers.
"It's not a psyche tactic," Luna said quietly, catching Twilight's ear. She seemed to take notice and turned towards her. "It is the sound of space itself being... mutated. I can... I can feel it. I felt it before but now... its so strong. Wherever that portal leads... it's somwhere that simply shouldn't be. Eldritch... empty of even emptiness. Can't you feel it, Twilight? The very space near the mouth of that thing is... is changing. Decaying."
Twilight took a deep breath at that. "If it is those void creatures from your stories, we'll figure out a way to beat them - don't worry."
Luna couldn't help but smile. "You're right. Perhaps this is another reason why you and your friends should be here. To shield me from doubts."
"That's our job!" Pinkie giggled, before twirling about. "Come on! Let's do this already!"
Almost as if to answer her, there was a strange, tremendous crackling sound as blackish lightning began to shoot from the portal. To the horror of anyone nearby, the ground it struck began to morph... to change... to something that one could see but so unnatural that it made one's stomach churn doing so.
"Is that the best they have?!" Rainbow growled. "Come on! Show yourselves already!"
Suddenly, the lightning ceased. The light wind blowing from the portal began to dim.
"Oooor you could, ya know, just go home," Rainbow smiled, before turning towards Luna. "Think we scared them off?"
Luna didn't respond. Her eyes and mind seemed to be completely fixated on the now relatively calm vortex.
...
Then, suddenly, her eyes flung widened into saucers.
"They are coming! Prepare to fire all ordinance!"
"Bout time! The suspense was killing me!" Rainbow growled.
"Yeah well... hopefully it'll just be the suspense," Applejack gulped, holding her spear ready.
"Come on, aliens! You don't come in peace, you gon' go in pieces!" Pinkie shouted.
"Hooozah!" Rarity cried.
"Um... h-hoozah?" Fluttershy peeped.
The next few seconds might as well have been three hours. A million sounds of firearms being cocked, cannons being prepped, and bows being pulled filled the air, but were nearly drowned out by the thunderous roar of the goblin flying machines, griffins, and pegasi above, readying themselves to fly towards the vortex.
It would not be enough.
Before Twilight knew it, it flashed into existence. A titanic, shimmering vessel that seemed to be made of some sort of liquid that simply appeared before the portal, hovering a hundred feet or so off the ground. However, like the ground where the lightning struck, whatever this thing was was made of was just... all wrong. Looking at it gave Twilight a headache, and she could barely resist puking.
"What. The Heck. Is that?" Rainbow said slowly, wide-eyed.
"Everyone, hold!" Luna shouted. "We do not know if it's hostile yet! Do not provoke an attack!"
The entire army held their breath, barely resisting the urge to shoot first and ask questions later.
However, it didn't take long for them to get their answer.
"L-Look!" Fluttershy cried.
A horrible whirring sound filled the air, like a magical spell powering up for an attack. The army still held fire, though the terror in their eyes was apparent.
Luna's eyes darted about, as if searching for anyone who could give her an answer as to whether or not she should have her army attack or not.
Naturally, Twilight gave it for her.
"Not yet, Princess. If that is some sort of weapon, they may just be powering it up to use we try anything."
"Is it worth the risk, though?" Luna asked quietly.
"Oh come on, everything about this thing just screams 'evil aliens'!" Spike grumbled.
"We don't know that yet," Twilight said calmly. "History is written by the victors. What if whatever's in that ship came in peace the first time but were forced to defend themselves?"
"The legends made it clear that that wasn't the case," Luna said. "But... perhaps you're right. We should attempt to communicate if possible."
"Anypony here know alienese?" Spike snarked.
As Luna prepped herself for what she was going to say, there was a sudden gust of wind. It did not come from the portal, though, and as it blew by Twilight, much to her surprise, she could have sworn she heard it whisper:
"They aren't bad guys, but they are bad for you... run while you still can."
"W-What?" Twilight said, glancing about. "Did anypony say something?"
"Nerves, Twilight," Spike grunted. "Keep em' cool. Nopony said anything."
"Y-Yeah," Twilight said to herself. "Must just be nerves..."
Just then, Luna cleared her throat. "Alright, I think I know what to do. Twilight, if you could come with me..."
"Um - sure," Twilight nodded.
Luna smiled lightly at her, before flapping her wings and taking off into the sky. Twilight followed, and before she knew it, she and Luna were fluttering uncomfortably close to the bow of the ship, and it wasn't helping her churning stomach. They were not alone, however - the various flyers of the alliance army were literally swarming around it like a hive of angry bees.
"Attention unknown sky ship!" Princess Luna shouted. "I am Princess Luna! I represent the nation you see before you, and for the moment, her allies! Next to me is Princess Twilight, my adviser!"
...
The alien ship remained silent, and not just relatively. The only sound it made was of the terrific whirring noise coming from the bow.
"... Should I have been louder?" Luna asked.
"It's very likely they won't be able to understand you, Princess," Twilight spoke. "I... haven't really thought about how we may one day communicate with some unknown species, but everything about them could be so different that even the tone of your voice may be interpreted another way."
"Then it seems actions and not words must do the talking," Luna said, glancing at the army below. "As long as they hold their 'tongues', we may very well be successful."
"Not so, Princess."
The two princesses gasped, gazing forward. Literally morphing out of the ship came a figure. At first, it was the same texture of it, but slowly, and surely, it began to change in form. Finally, with a flap of its wings it released itself from the ship and slowly fluttered towards them.
Twilight's voice shook at that. "Y-You... you're-"
"You?" it said, quirking her head to the side. Indeed, she did look nearly identical to Princess Twilight, save for her messy, wild hair and green, cat-like eyes. "Somewhat. I used to be you, or at least a version of you. Empress Twilight Sparkle... has a ring to it, doesn't it? However, now I'm merely Entropy, and they've given the honor of having this particular essence be the liaison with your world."
"E-Entropy?" Twilight blinked.
"We don't really need a word who we are, but words and identities seem to be something nearly all sentient species need, or at least some form of differentiating one thing from another."
She then gave a wicked grin, her eyes boring down on Luna now like a predator's towards prey.
"And you... never thought I'd see you again. How's the 'Tia' of this dimension? I wonder if what happened in my home universe happened here? Or at least close to it..."
"I... do not know what you are referring to," Luna said darkly, glaring at the being. "But if it is of my banishment..."
"Second banishment," 'Twilight' giggled. "Funny how that went down. Maaaay have had a hoof in it, too, though your sister never really caught on. Shame I don't have time to tell the tale... it's a long one, but quite the... thought provoking one. But still..." She then glanced back at Twilight. "Now, go on. I'm sure you have plenty of questions. And you may need answers to them before we can begin the next step of these proceedings, anyway."
"I only have one," Twilight said - slowly, warily. "What are you here for?"
"I would have thought the answer would be obvious," 'Empress' Twilight said. "We're here to... hmmm... what's a good word..." She tapped her forehead, before shrugging. "Well, let's just say we're here to make this place another home away from home. What you really should have asked was 'what do we need to do to make this 'transition' go more smoothly?'" She then gave a sarcastic grin. "Well, that's easy! Have your army stand down and prepare to be assimilated! Fun fun fun!"
"That does not sound like fun, and we will not do so," Luna said, with a spiteful tone Twilight hadn't heard since her Nightmare Moon days. "It is you who needs to stand down - that or withdraw. You have proven yourself to be unworthy of a warm welcome."
"Oooooh Luna," 'Empress Twilight' chuckled, shaking her head in the most condescending way possible. "Never got that stick out of your flank here, either, did you?"
"It's not that," Luna spat. "Your very sight is making me sick! And I speak literally!"
"Yeah yeah yeah," she moaned. "Heard this before. Honestly, I don't know why Entropy even had me do this. I knew what you'd do before you even said it." She then let loose a maniacal laugh. "You honestly think you have a chance, too. That's so adorable! With all your primitive little planes and bows and magic. You might as well be throwing eggs at us - it'll do no difference."
She then glanced at Twilight, smirking. "But what about you, my clone from another bone? Wanna join up? I know you're not as stubborn as she is, are you? Still - I know what I said when I was given this same offer. 'What's enough for me?'"
"I'm not you," Twilight hissed.
"And you know what I was told?" 'Twilight' said, ignoring her. "Well, let's just say it has a little bit to do with obtaining knowledge so vast, much of it is about things you'd never dream to exist. And to me, knowledge is power - so it was a win-win, really. Only got the first thing, though, but it's still a nice deal. So what do you say, hm? Care to take a ride on the wild side, 'Princess?'"
Luna nervously glanced her way, but Twilight did not hesitate.
"Half the joy of having gaining knowledge is using it to build a better world, not conquering it," she said stoically. "And most of all, to teach others what we have learned."
"Why do they always preach?" 'Empress Twilight' moaned, face-hoofing. "Very well, another one bites the dust, so to speak. Prepare to become Entropy."
And within a second, 'Twilight' jettisoned backward to be re-absorbed by her ship, the 'real' Twilight gazing upon her in awe.
Luna shook her head in bewilderment. "Twilight, what is... entropy?"
She gulped. "It's the tendency for all things to eventually move towards degradation - to decay and chaos. That's what they're here for, I think. Yet... they don't just want to spread entropy, it's almost like they want to create more. To increase its rate!"
"Then let us bring swift irony to them!" Luna growled, and before she knew it, Luna thundered, before swooping downward towards the army below, Twilight following in hot pursuit.
"All units, hit it with everything you have!.!.!"