When an ancient evil unearths itself and invades Equestria, Twilight and her friends must gear for the fight of their lives but to save Equestria, they might have to sacrifice their own friendships to get the job done
After a company of Equestria's soldiers are massacred, Twilight and her friends learn of an ancient evil banished by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna centuries ago has escaped and is seeking revenge against Equestria. Thinking of it as nothing more than just another challenge, the ponies gear for battle, only to discover this evil is unlike anything they've ever encountered. Outmatched and outsmarted by this remorseless and savage enemy, Equestria soon begins to burn and when conflicting interests begin to divide them, all begins to collapse for the mane six. Twilight must muster all her knowledge and with the help of a troubled soldier who seems to know a suspiciously large amount about the enemy, Twilight learns lessons she never bargained for, including that a fine line exists between what makes someone your friend or your enemy.
The burning sun was making their advancement harder. It had been a long journey from the Crystal Empire and with each step, the company of Equestria's soldiers began to grow more and more fatigued both in mind and body. Ever since they left their main convoy in Appleloosa, the pony advancement had been marked with heat exhaustion for some of the younger, more inexperienced soldiers while the veterans only pondered the necessity of this mission. A few jokes were cracked about Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, as well as the newest princess being Shining Armor's sister. They figured they were on a mission to simply check up on their friends.
The details that had been relayed to them were ripe with plot holes, however. Most of the younger soldiers were unaware of the strange happenings that had befallen an isolated village in the San Palomino Desert, a place where a little known pony named Starlight Glimmer once ruled. They were also kept in the dark about Princess Twilight Sparkle's bout with losing her cutie mark there, as well as the rest of her friends. Still, a few things were clear to them. Within the past few weeks, Princess Celestia had received letters from this area of Equestria, reporting a few strange happenings. It all started rather trivial with a few things going missing, mainly food from markets or other merchandise from stores. It evolved into strange noises at night and reports of mysterious shadows zipping through the streets but no ponies attached to them. Before long, it reached new heights when three of the village ponies went missing and had remained missing for nearly two weeks. After the last pony went missing, the letters stopped coming to Princess Celestia altogether. Unable to communicate with the village, Shining Armor agreed the best option was to dispatch a company of men to recon the village and assist where needed. To them, this was a simple goodwill mission.
For one land pony, it was miserable days like this that made him regret joining the Equestrian Army as his heavy armor didn't make the scorching sun any friendlier. He had sympathy for a baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil. Private Bishop was his name and now he could only think of his mother to help pass the time.
His sergeant suddenly approached him from behind and snapped: "You see anything, Bishop?"
Bishop gave a quick glance to his left and right, only to see the empty barren vastness of the desert through the sweat dripping over his eyes. He shook his head. "Not a thing, sarge."
Sergeant Hackney nodded. "Yeah I'm coming up empty here, too. I hate political missions. Well, keep your eyes peeled."
"Roger." Bishop complied and kept looking.
When his sergeant left again, Bishop looked forward and saw his company of ponies marching in formation with the officers leading the pack. Some were land ponies, others were unicorns that possessed magic. Of course he wasn't keeping a watchful eye. There was nothing to watch. Instead, he once again asked himself if he had made the right decision to join. He wondered if he had misread his cutie mark when he got it all those years ago, which consisted of a knight's helmet. Maybe he should've listened to his family and friends and pursue his obvious talent in chess.
Something did catch his eyes ahead. It began to rise out of the sand ahead. The mountains ahead were the last barrier between them and reaching the village. Still, they had an yet another uphill march as the formation began to ascend the rocky trail and wind around the massive rock formations. A few more ponies fell back from the exhaustion and heat and they were ready for this mission to be over. Private Bishop was one of the stronger ones and approached the top with his sergeant, Hackney.
As the two soldiers neared the top, three officers were already there staring out at the valley below where the village rested. When they stood next to their officers, it was their expressions that hijacked their attention away from the valley. They saw the officers's jaws unhinged in silent screams with pallid expressions of deep horror.
Bishop and Hackney turned to look down the mountain and they quickly mimicked their leaders's faces. They stared down into the valley at an endless field of flat golden sand in the desert but no village stood on its ground. The desert continued to stretch beyond the horizon with no signs of life or even evidence of disturbance. It was as if they were pioneers discovering a new world undiscovered since the beginning of time, but they were at the location of the village. The village had simply disappeared. The officers looked for evidence from their vantage point but found nothing. There was no sign of a struggle or a fight in this location as the flat land and undisturbed soil reflected to them.
The officers ordered the troops to descend the mountain and investigate. The lower ranking leaders began to trot down the paths and they entered the flat, wasteland where they were expecting to meet the villagers. Slow to move, the troops's hooves sliced shallow trenches in the golden sand as it baked under the sun. No sooner did they enter the area the village, some of the more hardened leaders including Hackney noticed something strange. Everything here was void of life of any kid. Even the birds flying above had darted and disappeared and even the wind itself had died down. Not even a single tumbleweed blew through the area. The uncomfortable silence made them cringe as they slowly continued further into the village limits. As they trotted further into the open, the wind began to slowly pick up again.
Private Bishop was clearly worried about the absence of life. It was a strange kind of quiet. It wasn't a tranquil one that would gently usher a pony off to sleep in their comfortable bed on a silent, harmonious night. It had a gelid bitterness to it, like the calm before a storm on a hot summer day when the temperature would drop before the rain would start. The chill that ran through Bishop's body made him quiver as he took another step.
He nearly shrieked when his hoof split something under the sand, creating a crack that echoed in the valley. Hackney approached the young pony and looked at the item, a piece of it unearthed by Bishop. Using his own magic, he levitated the item and let the sand fall from it and the artifact became clear. It was a wooden sign that once dangled above the front of a store as the rusted hinges showed. The faded image of a muffin was carved on the sign with the faded letters reading the business's name.
Sugar Belle's Bakery
As the rest of the company of soldiers entered the valley, the gentle breeze picked up speed until suddenly, a blast of hot air kicked up the sand and converted it into dark golden curtains that swirled around the company and created a tornado effect that kept them within its funnel. Bishop and Hackney stayed flank to flank.
"Don't worry, Bishop. It's just a sandstorm. We'll wait for it to die down then we-" he started.
A swift but distinct zip flew past Bishop's head, followed by another crack. A sudden jet of liquid splashed across Bishop's armor and mane, making him think it was beginning to rain. He took his hoof and wiped it away but when he saw the streaks of red on his hoof, he felt Hackney slump over to the ground. Bishop turned his head and saw his sergeant on the ground, a hole in one side of his head and a river of blood freely flowing out.
"PONY DOWN...!" He instinctively shouted.
The only response he was met with was another zip, followed by a second crack. A second pony fell. A third zip, crack, and collapse. By the time it happened a fourth time, the company realized they were under attack. The unicorn ponies who possessed magic launched bright beams from their horns in every direction as the leaders tried to get control over the chaos as more pony soldiers fell. The land ponies possessing no magic reared their weapons but had no enemy to fight. The zips and cracks continued until they suddenly stopped, leaving about half the force alive as the sandstorm continued to howl.
As Bishop felt his knees quake, something new zipped past him. A shadow ran past him only reflected by the sand. A second and then a third. The pony army continued to shout and scream amidst the unknown terror as these shadows drove spears from the golden walls into them. As Bishop stood frozen and listened to the screams of his falling comrades, a shadow zipped past him again. He suddenly felt the intrusive split of a spear breaking his armor apart and entering his chest. Losing his balance, he fell to the sand and felt the blood run from his chest. Lying on the ground, he nearly forgot about his terminal wound when he saw another shadow pass by. He was able to see it more clearly that time. Whatever this new enemy was, they were running on two legs.
All Bishop could do was feel his eyes swell with tears as he listened to the slaughter of his comrades and their last words before their voices were silenced. Losing the feeling in his limbs and feeling cold in the heat, he slowly rested his head on the sand and looked straight at one of the shadows walking. It stood on two legs and had a round yet jagged body that seemed to shift and change shapes with a square head with spikes but all of this could've been an optical illusion created by either the sandstorm or blood loss or both. One thing Bishop did see clearly was the spear it held as it approached a dying pony.
"No, please don't do it! I have a foal and a mare at home! Please, I don't want to-"
The pleas were silenced when the weapon was driven downward into the pony, making his body go limp. The enemy creature ripped the spear out callously and in his blurring vision, Bishop saw another shadow enter his sight and stand next to the first one.
Bishop felt his heart pound faster when he heard them speak. It wasn't their language, but rather a series of clicks and chirps like insects in a field. They were conversing with each other as the two spoke together. Bishop watched one of the creatures raise its jagged, clawed arm and pointed. Bishop slowly shifted his eyes upward and saw another pony struggling from its wounds.
The creature with the spear approached the pony, the full picture still obscured by the blowing sand. Bishop heard the pony speak.
"Wha-what are you?!" He cried.
The creature stood above him, cocking his head to one side, until it spoke. It spoke their language in a high-pitched voice, still sounding like an insect. "We are the ones...the ones that your leaders have called a plague. We have come back...back...back."
"What do you want?!" The pony cried.
"...Everything."
Before the wounded pony could plea again, the spear was jammed home and the desert had turned eerily quiet with the exception of the howling sand. His vision fading to black, Bishop watched the two creatures stand in front of each other again and talked in their own language. Before he plummeted into darkness, he heard the creature utter something in their language. A name clear as day.
Twilight Sparkle.
With his eyelids closing, the last thing Bishop saw was a pair of brown, scaly feet with two long jagged clawed toes step into his vision and stand above him. Bishop closed his eyes and the darkness swallowed him.
Winter Wrap-Up was completed a week ago, a ritual that not even Princess Twilight Sparkle in her recently acquired position of royalty would pass on. She was just as majestic as ever as she helped usher in the warmer weather into Ponyville, even going so far as to fly side-by-side her sometimes egotistical but always loyal Pegasus companion as her multicolored tail cleared the skies. Despite her tougher personality, Twilight was always grateful to have Rainbow Dash as her friend and wouldn't have it any other way. Though Twilight was confident and comfortable in her own talents and abilities, she still admired her friend's stellar confidence and athleticism.
Twilight listened to her friend rant on about the Wonderbolts once again as they flew through the clear sky to Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes were celebrating the anniversary of their bakery and were having a giant sale. Naturally, Pinkie Pie made sure all her friends were attending by creating one of her more elaborate invitation skits. It involved cutting the power supply to Ponyville and ripping the sky open with detailed fireworks with the invitations and advertisement within the burning streamers one night. The towns ponies were more impressed with the display than they were pissed. The fireworks even included the faces of all her friends in the explosions, though making them shy away initially from the embarrassment.
Still, this was another pony Twilight couldn't help but thank Celestia for to have in her life. So many times things looked their darkest in the adventures Twilight has been on with her friends, and when things seemed hopeless and they weren't going to make it out alive, all the alicorn had to do was remember to laugh. Every time she would laugh with Pinkie in her heart and mind, everything somehow always seemed to work out. Twilight could already see the large crowd ahead circling around the bakery as she and Rainbow Dash began to descend from the sky. They didn't even land when they saw Pinkie Pie donning an overzealous clown suit complete with makeup, a red nose, and burning bright suit. Upon closer inspection, the suit itself was printed with different types of candy and instead of balls, cupcakes made their circular rounds as they were juggled. She did however balance herself on a large red ball with one hoof.
Rainbow Dash laughed when they landed while Twilight only giggled and sighed as they approached the front of the crowd. The Cakes were getting ready to make an announcement as the customers lined up to take advantage of the blowout sale that was about to take place.
"Oh there you are, darling. I say we were beginning to worry you wouldn't make it." A feminine voice caught Twilight's ears, making her turn and see Rarity with Fluttershy in tow approach them.
"Hi girls," Twilight said with a smile. "Sorry we're late. Rainbow Dash and I ran into Soarin on the way here and she couldn't help but show off some of her newest moves."
"Well that does sound like our Rainbow Dash now doesn't it." Rarity cited as she watched Rainbow Dash laugh at the performing Pinkie Pie.
"Um...excuse me...but I was just wondering if, maybe, you knew where Applejack was." Fluttershy murmured.
Twilight's smiled faded. "You mean she isn't here? That's strange. She said she was going to be here. That's not like her to be late for anything."
Before they could speculate further, the booming country voice of their friend announced, "Ah'm here, Ah'm here, y'all!"
They turned and saw Applejack running towards them, her head bent low to keep her stetson from flying off. She stopped before her friends and was clearly out of breath.
"Applejack, what's wrong?" Twilight asked.
"Sorry for bein' late, Twi, but Winona's been actin' mighty strange lately." Applejack said. "Ah was gettin' ready to come here when Winona started barkin' and howlin' up a storm like it's the end of the world or somethin' and then she took off runnin'."
"Oh my, is she okay?" Fluttershy asked with deep concern for the animal.
"Yeah she's fine, but it was the darnedest thing though. She ran off and stopped at the border of the Everfree Forest and just kept barkin' away like she was spooked by somethin'. Ah swear she's never acted this way before." Applejack added, though presented a clear worried expression.
As Twilight was about to reassure her friend, the commencement for the anniversary sale began. Mr. and Mrs. Cake approached their podium in front of their bakery before the crowd and the latter cleared her throat.
"Good afternoon, Ponyville! First of all, I know I can speak for my husband when I say thank you all for coming out today to celebrate our anniversary. It has been a wonderful ten years for us in Ponyville and we couldn't be happier." Mrs. Cake said happily and was received with applause.
Mr. Cake stepped forward. "My wife and I cannot even begin to express our happiness and gratitude to all the mares and gentlecolts of Ponyville who have helped make us feel at home since we first took up roots in this wonderful town. We consider all of you to be our family and we look forward to many more years of business and friendship here, as well as raising our foals here. Thank you all!"
The crowd once again opened up in applause and the Cakes opened their front door as Pinkie once again resumed her routine. As Twilight and her friends got into line to grab their own slice of the tasty history, a purple and green dot caught the purple alicorn's eyes. She smiled when she saw her number one assistant in Spike sprinting towards her. He said earlier that he wasn't going to divulge in sweets, thinking it would make him fat and unattractive for a certain white unicorn he has had his eyes on for some time now but Twilight knew the temptation for the gem cupcakes would be too much for him. This was her initial belief when she saw him. When she saw a look of haste and even panic, she stopped and tilted her head as Spike approached.
He came to a grinding halt, his scaly feet even digging trenches into the ground as he stopped. It took a moment for him to catch his breath but when he did, he held up a message and panted, "Twilight...for you...emergency...Princess Celestia."
Using her magic, Twilight opened the message and began to read. She didn't even have to scroll to the second paragraph of the letter to feel the urgency in Celestia's words. Twilight's heart sped up when she realized this message was with regards to the company of soldiers sent to that familiar village. The heart within her body that thumped rapidly suddenly sank and her heart swelled with guilt when she read that the company she encouraged her brother to send to check on that village was no more. While they were there, a tragedy unlike anything Equestria has suffered in recent history unfolded and left only one pony alive. The company had come under swift attack from enemies unknown and the soldiers were massacred and the village was gone. That's all Princess Celestia could say on the matter. It was just gone. The message informed her that her presence was requested along with her friends in Canterlot. The last survivor was at a hospital there, as was her brother and sister-in-law. An emergency meeting was being called. That was it. No word on who was responsible for the massacre or who the lone survivor was but at the end of the message, Princess Celestia once again added Twilight's presence was imperative.
Twilight didn't know how to break the news to her friends. Not even they knew about the situation in that village. The purple alicorn remembered hearing about the strange phenomena at the village and encouraged her brother to investigate, which he did. Twilight honestly didn't think there was anything to be concerned about but still being the princess of friendship that she was, she thought it was her responsibility to lend a helping hand to the village. She didn't say much to them, except they needed to attend a meeting in Canterlot. For Rarity and Pinkie Pie, that was all they needed to hear to visit such a grand place full of royalty and social activity. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were curious about the reason behind their visit but didn't question it, assuming it was regarding official business.
Applejack on the other hand was always different. Known for her dedication highlighted by her honesty to her friends, she was a mare that seemed to be a cut above the average. On top of that, her country lifestyle made her more connected with the subtleties of life, her friends not being an exception to this so Applejack was the first to realize something was wrong with her friend. She would later realize this with her sister's abrupt change in personality on the night her world would begin to collapse around her along with Equestria (the first clue being provided for her tonight).
Applejack approached Twilight as the princess sat alone in one corner of the train car as they rode to Canterlot. It was a spitting image of their ride to Canterlot to attend her brother's wedding. The same aurora of uncertainty and even fear for what the future held cast its rays down on her like a spotlight on a stage.
"You all right, sugar cube?" She asked.
Twilight, who held her focus outside her window, turned back to her friend and showed her a look that truly concerned Applejack. Twilight quickly reformed her smile but Applejack could still see that strange face about her friend.
"Yes, I'm fine, Applejack. I was just thinking...what the princess wants." Twilight said.
"Now hun, ah can tell somethin's eatin' at ya." Applejack sat next to Twilight. "You look more depressed than a vampire fruit bat after apple season."
Twilight sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to get anything past her friend. She took a deep breath and confessed. She told her about the strange happenings in the village and her desire for her brother to send a company of soldiers to investigate, including the grisly details that left only one soldier alive. Ultimately, she divulged to Applejack that she felt that one of her first major decisions as a leader came back to haunt her and she felt guilty for the loss of all those soldiers. Naturally, Applejack was surprised by the secret mission and even more horrified by its outcome. Twilight still didn't know all the details and asked Applejack to keep it between them and not let it out until they were all brought up to speed by Princess Celestia.
Applejack agreed but did have to ask Twilight one question. "Do you think we're all in any danger?"
Twilight searched herself. She was a royal alicorn capable of powerful magic and her title of the princess of friendship gave her confidence in her leadership abilities despite this seemingly heartbreaking setback. The smile that she gave to Applejack as she responded convinced the Earth pony dedicated to the country ways that everything was going to be fine. That whatever happened in that desert was a freak occurrence and that Equestria wasn't in danger. That none of them were in danger. That everything and every pony they ever loved and everything they built together wasn't the target of a massive, bloodthirsty enemy seeking revenge against a kingdom and a ruler who betrayed and banished them many moons ago.
"Of course not. I promise."
The train continued to take them to the royal kingdom but as soon as the friends saw the activity as they entered the gates, it was a vintage throwback to Shining Armor's wedding. The capital of Equestria seemed to be a city under siege as columns of soldiers marched in formations patrolling the streets while others talked to local ponies. There were guards at the front gate as the train entered the city limits and some buildings seemed to be serving as observation posts for lookouts. When Twilight saw the massive influx of security, she couldn't help but gulp, hoping she hadn't just lied to her honest friend. She shot a quick look at Applejack and saw she too was expressing topical concern over this strange setting.
"Oh boy, oh boy! Look at all the security! Are we having another wedding, Twilight?!" Pinkie beamed as she bounced in the train car as it slowed to a stop.
"Uh...I don't think so, Pinkie..." Twilight murmured.
When the train stopped and the ponies stepped off, Twilight's looming nerves were suddenly shelved when she saw a familiar face in Cadance waiting to greet them. The purple alicorn's gloomy aurora disappeared as she rushed over to her beloved sister-in-law and they didn't have to say hello, at least in a traditional sense. They greeted each other in their own way.
"Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They sang together and laughed at the end until Cadance pulled Twilight into a hug. "It's so good to see you again, sis."
"You too, Cadance. I'm surprised to see you here. Is my brother around?" Twilight asked.
Cadance's cheerful and happy exterior was short-lived when Twilight got down to business. "He's...he's at the hospital right now. That soldier in Celestia's letter is recovering from surgery and Shining Armor wants to talk to him when he wakes up."
"Soldier? What soldier?" Rainbow Dash interjected as she hovered by her flapping wings.
Twilight turned to her friends, her ominous look back on her face. "I...there's some things I need to bring you all up to speed on. Something's happened and...I share in the responsibility. I'll explain it on the way."
Darker subjects of war and death were over the heads of simpler ponies like Pinkie Pie and innocent mares like Fluttershy, as well as too sordid to comprehend for the more sophisticated like Rarity. For Applejack, death was an all too familiar subject in her family and aside from their competitive edges, Rainbow Dash also shared this dark trait with her countryside friend. It was almost instinctive for them but the cold discourses needed to be broken down for the other three, only bringing tears to Fluttershy, looks of disgust from Rarity, and overall confusion from Pinkie Pie. It was clear to them that her mindset was too locked on the happiness and beauty of life that such issues were about as distant as a foreign language. Twilight wanted to believe that she was still on the same level as all her friends but could still see this dark subject of death was dividing them and keeping them from being on the same page with each other. It was a painful reminder for Twilight that despite how close they were with each other, there were simply a few subjects and experiences in life that they wouldn't be able to share with each other for better or worse.
When they arrived at the hospital, they saw it too was being patrolled by soldiers. Shining Armor was waiting outside the operating room with several guards, holding a grim look of his own.
"Shining Armor?" Twilight said.
He looked at her and smiled faintly. "Twily. How you doing, sis?"
"I'm fine but what about this soldier? This...this...um..." she couldn't recollect his name.
"His name is Private Bishop. He was wounded but survived and I think he was able to get a good look at who did this to us." Shining Armor said. "Don't worry, Twily. We'll get whoever did this."
"Any ideas?" She asked, not noticing a new soldier rounded the corner but was in possession of no weapon but rather, a mop and dragging it across the floor with a bitter scowl on his face.
"Not yet but if I had to guess, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the work of Queen Chrysalis and her changelings." Shining Armor speculated, not knowing his speculation drew the attention of the mopping soldier, prompting him to give the Crystal Empire ruler a dirty look. "We've been theorizing about her return ever since her plan to take over Canterlot during our wedding failed."
Before Twilight could add anything, his voice spoke: "That's quite a theory, sir, if this was in fact the changelings that did it."
The mares turned and gave him a confused look but Shining Armor stepped forward, his patients already at an end. "Blade, I'm not going to warn you again. You're already on extra duty for that stupid crap you pulled last week in Fillydelphia."
"Yes, sir, my apologies for being me again, sir." The soldier replied rudely and resumed mopping while Twilight tilted her head at the white pony with a black flank and a cutie mark of a sword with a red blade.
Shining Armor squinted at him and turned back to his sister and her friends. "Anyway, like I said, it doesn't matter who is responsible because we will hunt them down and bring them to justice. More soldiers will be sent to recon the area and report back to us."
"That's very strategic of you, sir, however, I believe that sending a mass number of ponies to their deaths would be a very unwise decision at this juncture in your career, sir." The same mopping pony sneered with more condescension in his tone.
Shining Armor turned again, only showed anger as he approached the mopping pony. "You know what, you just bought yourself another week of extra duty, Blade."
Fluttershy began to cower from the escalating tension while the rest of her friends watched with awkward silence. The strange soldier however didn't seem fazed as he dipped the mop back in the bucket and started dragging it across the floor while adding, "Oh the pain is killing me, sir. What will I ever do now? It's just too bad I don't have a brown, scaly hide with a jagged body."
"Enough! Go take out the garbage or something!" Shining Armor yelled in the soldier's face, making Fluttershy hide behind Rainbow Dash and the rest gawk at Twilight's brother.
"Can I say one thing, sir?"
"What?!"
"Your mouthwash ain't cutting it, sir." The pony stated, turned, and walked away with the mop.
Shining Armor glared again and turned back to his sister and her friends. Twilight stepped forward and asked, "What was that all about?"
He rolled his eyes. "Nothing, sis. He's just a garbage soldier. Don't worry, we're kicking him out of the army next week."
The hospital room door suddenly opened and a nurse stepped out, a clipboard in her hoof. "Sir, Private Bishop is awake now."
"Thank you. Is he going to be okay?" He replied.
"It looks so, but he did suffer a rather strange wound. The wound to his chest appeared to be from a pointed weapon like a spear, but the weapon appeared to be hollow and circular, as if he was stabbed with a giant booster shot needle." The nurse speculated, clearly confused by the wound. "Anyway, he's awake so you can talk to him."
"Thank you, nurse." He said and turned back to his sister and her friends, as well as his wife. "I'll be a minute. After this, we'll go see Princess Celestia."
Shining Armor entered the hospital room and saw the lone soldier in his bed, his chest heavily bandaged. He smiled when the soldier saw him. "Private Bishop? How are you feeling, son?"
The pony was clearly weak from the surgery but he was awake and looked drained of energy but he still tried to pull himself to show respect for the officer. "I'm...I'm fine, sir...ow..."
"Relax, son. I want you to know how proud I am of you. That was a truly horrific ordeal you had to go through, but I need you to be brave for me once again." Shining Armor said, not noticing his sister entered the room out of curiosity of the growing situation. "I need you to think hard and tell me...who did this to you? Take your time and try to remember. Were they changelings? Were they other ponies? What did they look like?"
Still clearly traumatized by the event, Private Bishop tried to recollect the horror. After a few false starts, he replied, "I don't remember much, sir, but I do remember seeing them on two legs...and they were fast. They used a sandstorm to hide themselves but...they were so fast. Half of us were gone before we knew what was happening. Before I passed out...I remember seeing one of them but only its feet. It had a brown, scaly hide with two jagged toes with razor claws."
Twilight's eyelids lifted. She thought to herself, That soldier...that's what he said. Brown, scaly hides with jagged bodies...
"I see. Well, I want you to rest easy, Private Bishop. Get better and I'll send you on a nice vacation home for awhile." Shining Armor said.
"Thank you, sir." Private Bishop said and rested again.
Shining Armor left the hospital room and led the way to the royal castle where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were already awaiting their arrival. They exited the hospital and as they walked together, Twilight caught the sight of that soldier, the one only identified as Blade. He was trimming a hedge around the hospital, still with a disdain look on his face. She stared at him with analytical look. He suddenly looked up and locked stares with Twilight until he nodded once to her and resumed his trimming duties. Twilight kept staring until she slowly looked away and hummed with curiosity to herself.
Shining Armor escorted his sister and her friends into Celestia’s castle and down the lavishing corridors. All the while, Twilight continued to think about what that pony with the attitude said regarding the perpetrator behind Equestria’s military massacre. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. His retort to her brother, as rude as it was, was too specific to be considered random. She tried to recall an adversary she and her friends had fought before that matched this brief and vague description but nothing came to mind. At least that wounded pony was going to be okay, though she still thought about the nurse’s earlier comment regarding the wound, how strange and unusual it was, as if he was stabbed by a giant booster shot needle. It sounded like a cruel weapon meant to inflict pain and nothing else.
They were lead into a large room where a giant circular table stood in its center, Celestia and Luna already standing at it. Twilight was delighted to see her mentor and her sister again but the serious expressions the two royal mares wore on their faces further illustrated to Twilight that they may be faced with a serious problem. Celestia didn't even regard her star pupil with so much as a smile as Shining Armor closed the door behind them.
“I’m so glad you were able to make it, Twilight,” Celestia opened, her voice pallid in emotion. “I wish that we could see all of you on better circumstances, but I’m afraid that Equestria is in danger.”
“Princess, before we begin, I have to know,” Twilight began and added, “what became of the village our soldiers were sent to?”
Princess Celestia sighed. “I’m...I’m sorry, Twilight, but we have overwhelming evidence to suggest the village was destroyed by the same perpetrators who attacked our soldiers.”
Twilight gulped, her eyes became heavy again, and she lowered her head.
“Beggin’ your pardon, princess, but ah really hope this ain’t nothin’ serious.” Applejack stated as Pinkie Pie finally stopped bouncing and stood next to her at the table.
“I’m afraid it is, Applejack.” Princess Luna answered for her sister, also up to speed on the danger. “It appears that an enemy my sister and I have fought many years ago has returned. This is a force that was at its peak of evil even before Discord’s time.”
This silenced the ponies as Celestia’s horn illuminated and threw an image of Equestria above the table for all of them to see. She started: “Thousands of years ago and not too long before Discord’s arrival, a new species appeared. They weren’t ponies, griffins, or any other creature we had encountered before. Not even they had a name for themselves.” Celestia’s horn changed the image of Equestria to an image of a creature that struck all of them as horrifying. Its image even made Fluttershy cower behind Rainbow Dash, who also wore an expression of shock. Rarity’s alabaster coat greened in color as she put a hoof to her mouth to halt a spew. Twilight on the other hand saw only two things that were familiar in her mind. The glowing image of the creature had a jagged body with a brown, scaly hide. It was a creature that stood on two feet with two front toes tipped with razor claws and a third toe behind each foot, also clawed. The legs were skinny but long and jagged at the knees. The bodies were covered in brown scales that looked like jagged knife points, each one looking like a deadly weapon. A strange symbol resembling a bizarre skull wearing a five-pointed crown standing on two fangs seemed to have been embedded, almost edged into the abdomen. Their arms were thick with the same hide with three fingers resembling their toes, including a spike on each elbow while long wings also comprised their backs. Their faces triggered Rarity to faint and fall to the floor with a loud thud, her friends too distracted by these creatures to assist her. Their faces were also scaly with bright eyes, antennas sticking out of their heads like insects, and tiny tentacles covering the beaks that comprised their mouths.
“Wh-what the heck are these things?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“As I said, not even they had a name for themselves, so the local ponies started calling them the Blattarians. They were an unusual species of creatures that mainly kept to themselves on the far end of Equestria which is now Sweet Apple Acres.” Celestia said, making Applejack look up. “For the next hundred years, there was still peace between us all...until one day. One day, the Blattarians attacked without warning, invading Equestria and pillaging the land. They massacred families of ponies, burned villages, destroyed crops, poisoned the land, everything you could think of. Luna and I fought long and hard against them, but at first not even we could stop them.”
“Why did they invade?” Twilight asked.
Twilight had known Princess Celestia for many years. There wasn't a single time they met when Twilight remembered the first time she met the princess after she was able to hatch Spike and she welcomed her as her protege at her school. Celestia had put Twilight through so many trials and tribulations and each time the latter came out on top, the more the two respected each other. Celestia had become like a second mother to Twilight in all those adventures. Maybe it was this bond they shared that prevented Twilight from seeing the grimace in her teacher’s face. A brief but obvious flash of deep emotions layered her face, as if she wanted to say something that was bothering her, but in the end she kept her response simple.
“To this day, we don’t know, Twilight.” Celestia answered. “It all started with the same way the village in the desert. Some things would be missing from stores, ponies would start disappearing, and ponies would report seeing strange shadows and movements at night before the attacks started. Sometimes even ponies’s pets would start acting strange. All we know is that when they attacked, they moved fast and they showed no mercy. Now...it appears they’re back.”
This relevance to Applejack skipped over her head.
Celestia cleared her throat and turned the image above the table to a closeup of the emblem on their chests. “Their hides act like a suit of armor. Almost nothing can penetrate it...but they have one weak spot. Right in the center of their emblem, a swift blow to that spot stuns their powers. My sister was able to discover this weakness and when they were weakened, I cast a spell that buried them deep beneath Equestria’s surface. They were so far down that in theory, the pressure of the ground on top of them should’ve been enough to hold them there forever. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Now they’re back and as far as I can tell, they want revenge.”
Rarity suddenly came to and didn’t like what she was hearing. “I’m sorry, princess, but are we actually talking about fighting these creatures? I mean surely there’s got to be some way we can resolve this without unnecessary violence.”
“My sister speaketh the truth when she speaks of their merciless ways. No pony was spared before. Stallions, mares, even foals were all attacked by them.” Luna interjected. “I’m afraid we have no choice. The very fate of Equestria may be in our hooves.”
Hearing such a grim sentiment hammered home enough reality for them. Even Pinkie Pie couldn't think of a joke for now to counter this rising tension. Twilight turned back to her brother. “Shining Armor, tell me more about that soldier out there. The one you called Blade.”
Her brother looked at her and gave a frustrated sigh. “Oh Twily, just forget about him already.”
“But he knew about these things...these Blattarians.” Twilight added and put her hooves up on the table and stood. “I want to talk to him.”
Shining Armor rubbed his eyes with his hoof. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. Who is he and what did he do to get into so much trouble?” Twilight asked.
Shining Armor sighed. “His name is Crimson Blade and he’s a soldier with the 1st Cavalry Division originally stationed in Fillydelphia. I don’t know why he’s in trouble. All I know is that he was sent here by his commanding officer saying that he’s being kicked out of the army and he’s on extra duties until he’s out next week.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I still want to talk to him.”
“This is what I get for having an ambitious sister.” Shining Armor muttered, making his wife giggle.
The meeting continued for another hour until Twilight and her friends were up to speed with what they were facing, though the threat of it still didn’t seem real. Only a few hours ago, Twilight and her friends were attending the anniversary opening of the Cakes’s business and now, Celestia was telling them that Equestria was at the threshold of war. The ponies left the meeting with a shadow of surreal uncertainty following them, as if they were still in a haze after awaking from a deep slumber. They couldn’t quite wrap their minds around these new orders yet. Keep everyone in Ponyville on high alert and watch for anything suspicious while at the same time, act casual and sound the alarm at the first hint of trouble.
Princess Celestia watched her beloved pupil and her friends leave the castle and cross the moat from a window in a tower. She watched with idle eyes, trying to mask the emotions that were already flooding her after this crime she had committed during this meeting. No one noticed, but Celestia put all her effort to not look Twilight in the eyes during the whole time. If she did, she probably would’ve broken down and confess to what Twilight and her friends were walking into. That this whole meeting was a fraud. That their entire history in Equestria and the history of Equestria itself was a lie. There have been many times when Celestia was resentful at her position of leadership but it was as she watched her star pupil laugh with Pinkie Pie from afar that she damned this title and position. She feared that this was going to be one of the last times she was ever going to see Twilight Sparkle alive.
Princess Luna entered the isolated room and saw her sister looking out the window. “Sister...my heart is heavy for what we have done here today. Surely there must be another way to stop all of this as Rarity said.”
Celestia sighed and turned to her sister, her face a dark and shadowy collage of discouragement. “I wish there was, Luna, I really do. But we’re out of options. We cannot let the Blattarians come back. We put them away for a reason.”
Luna squinted at her sister, showing her minor contempt for her sister’s decision all those years ago that was now bringing forth its ramifications. “Yes...we did. But for what purpose? Because they attacked us all those years ago? Is that the lie you’re willing to go to your grave with?”
Celestia glared at her sister. “We had no choice, Luna. Our survival was at stake. If we didn’t do what we did, Equestria wouldn’t be here right now. None of us would be. I know our past is dark and full of lies, but that’s just the hand we were dealt. You think I like hearing those lies about our history spoken with such pride every Hearth’s Warming Eve? I don’t. Leaders have to make hard decisions and not everypony can win in them...but the decision I made all those years ago was for all of us. Including you. Now I won’t speak anymore of this.”
Celestia callously walked past her sister and Luna could feel the cold aurora coming off her sister. Luna looked down and muttered, “But what about your decision now? Is that for the good of all of us...or is it for the good of only you?”
Pinkie Pie reprised her old role as the party pony when she was able to return to Sugarcube Corner and she heard the familiar and heartwarming laughter of the Cakes’ babies. The pink pony burst through the front door with her usual happy prance.
“I’m baaaaack!” She squealed with delight and saw Pound and Carrot Cake playing with their blocks. “Hey you two silly fillies! Guess what?! I was on a train! A great big awesome train! It was the most awesomest train in the history of awesomest trains! Then we went to see Princess Celestia and all her royal Celestianess! Oh, I almost forgot, I brought you two something!”
Pinkie Pie reached into her saddle bag and retrieved two caramel apples and dropped them in front of the foals, who began sucking on them eagerly. They still weren’t up to speed with Pinkie’s adventures but at least they had sweets.
“And then there were guards! I mean LOTS of guards! I still don’t really know what they were guarding. After all, I guess it is a guard’s job to guard stuff. Maybe there was some very important party that needed guarding! Wait, a party in Canterlot is in danger and it needs to be guarded?! Why I oughta! Let me at em! Let me at em! I gotta join the Royal Guard’s like Twilight’s brother now!” Pinkie went off on a rant, only drawing blank expressions from the Cake foals.
“Pinkie, is that you?” Mrs. Cake asked from the bakery and entered the room.
“Hi, Mrs. Cake! No time to explain but I need you to help me train for the Royal Guards!” Pinkie Pie exploded again.
Mrs. Cake tilted her head slightly at Pinkie’s randomness but shook it off as she had a more pressing matter to acknowledge. “Um, Pinkie, I know you just got back and all, but I was wondering...have you heard from my husband at all lately?”
Pinkie’s randomness subsided for the moment and she suddenly became confused. “Why, no Mrs. Cake. Wasn’t he here all day for your sale?”
Mrs. Cake shook her head. “No. As soon as you left, we got a call from a customer to deliver some cookies to a family across Ponyville. He left and hasn’t come back and the family even called me to tell me he still hasn’t made it there. I’m getting worried now because he’s been gone for several hours now.”
Pinkie scratched her head. “Hmm...that does sound like a mystery, Mrs. Cake, but I’m sure he’s fine. This sounds like a job for a job for my favorite detective, Sherlock Hooves! I’ll be right back!”
Pinkie disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to return in a flash wearing a brown coat, donning a mustache, a monocle, a hat, and holding a magnifying glass to her eyes. She added: “I’ll get to the bottom of this, Mrs. Cake! First, I need to interview any witnesses.” She turned to the twins and snapped: “Where were you two on the day of today?!”
The twins continued to suckle their treats.
“Oh...a couple of wise fillies, eh?” Pinkie went on again, “Well I’ll get to the bottom of this if my name ain’t P.I. Pinkie Pie!”
Though Mrs. Cake appreciated Pinkie’s humor, she still couldn’t contain her worriment as she walked to a window and looked out it. She put a hoof to her mouth and hoped her husband was okay. It wasn’t like him to just disappear without saying a word.
Still unable to fully comprehend the meeting she had returned for, the importance of it were soon swept away when Rarity remembered she was expecting a few customers to pick up their finished product tomorrow morning. The white unicorn approached her closed shop and she reopened Carousel Boutique, feeling a chilly breeze give her a shiver.
She closed the door and ascended the stairs to her sewing room to throw herself back into her work. Eyeing the dresses on the mannequins, she brought her glasses to her face with her magic and observed the stitched patterns on the hem of one dress. She was proud of her work and often said this to herself but this was definitely one of her more favorite pieces. It still needed some finishing touches though along the chest piece. A diamond pattern would suit it just fine and she knew exactly what kind of fabric she needed for the job.
“Silk. That’s what this ensemble needs.” Rarity said to herself as she trotted to her chest where the rolls of fabric were stored. “Oh how lovely it will be with such a subtle yet strong touch of silk.”
Her horn glowed and the chest unlocked. She lifted the chest lid and when her eyes met hollow darkness of the empty chest, her face scrunched at first with confusion and then with frustration. Images of her little sister Sweetie Belle making off with more of her supplies became the first likely scenario as this wouldn’t be the first time she had taken them for some silly game or in another ambitious pursuit to attain her cutie mark with her friends. This theory was suddenly sent upstream when she remembered her sister was staying with her parents all day and wasn't going to pay her a visit until the weekend.
Rarity scratched her chin with her hoof and sounded a curious hum. It wasn't like her to keep something out of place so this did strike her as odd. She glanced around the room and began searching through the other drawers, murmuring to herself and becoming frustrated that she couldn't find this fabric, knowing that that chest was the last place it was. She even remembered putting it in there before she accompanied Fluttershy to the Cakes’s anniversary sale.
As Rarity searched her store, she bypassed a window several times that was slightly cracked open. If she would’ve seen it, she would’ve thought this strange as well since she would be able to recall detailed memories of herself locking the window before she left with Fluttershy.
For the yellow pegasus with the pink mane, the reminders of her responsibilities to her animal friends at her home on the border of the Everfree Forest occupied her mind and forced out the words of Princess Celestia and her dire warnings. She found herself picking up the pace, almost a full gallop as darkness fell upon Equestria back to her home. She had a strong connection with her animal friends and couldn't shake an uneasy feeling that followed her since their train arrived back in Ponyville. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but the churning in her stomach told her that her animals needed her. Running along the dirt path of the Everfree Forest gave her the extra motivation she needed as a Timber Wolf’s howl in the distance made her gallop faster.
She rounded a corner and spotted her home and the first thing that struck her was the silence. None of the birds in her choir were singing. None of her bunnies were hopping about. She quickly worried about Angel. Not even a single squirrel was prancing about. Her property was dead. Fluttershy sped up and by passed footprints with three clawed toes in the front and one in the back leading to her house but not away from it. When she approached her door, she pushed it open and found only more silence accompanied by darkness.
“Hello? Friends?” She whimpered and turned on the lights.
When her house was lit, she screamed when she saw all her animals huddled together in one corner of the house. The animals recoiled tighter, clearly distraught by something. Fluttershy only screamed in reflex and when she saw all of them, she felt great waves of relief when she could at least see them. The fact that they were all trembling in fear didn’t register at first. From her birds, to her squirrels, bunnies, even a large bear that she occasionally helped with back problems were all nestled together as if they were hiding from something.
“Oh my...did I frighten all of you? I’m so sorry.” Fluttershy whimpered and walked inside. It was when they continued to wince and tremble in her presence that alerted Fluttershy that something was wrong. “Is...is something the matter? Why are all of you so scared? Wait...where’s Angel?”
Fluttershy looked amongst the group and couldn't see her beloved white rabbit. The only response her animals could give were more trembles and whimpers in terror, as if it wasn’t Fluttershy that was before them, but another creature of unparalleled horrors. Seeing her animals like this and believing one of her most prized to be missing, Fluttershy began to pant and sweat in rising panic.
“Please, tell me where Angel is!” Fluttershy cried, turned, and dashed outside the door into the darkening night. She called: “Angel?! Angel?! ANGEL...?!”
As the yellow pegasus began to search and panic, her back was turned to her house. She missed three dark shadows zip over the roof and head into the darkness towards a farm.
Despite her long journey from Canterlot back to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack’s mind was still in the surprise meeting with Princess Celestia even when night settled on Equestria. She tried to recall a memory of Granny Smith telling her about creatures that inhabited their lands that their farm now stood on but couldn't recollect anything. It was even before her time, which was saying something about how long these creatures were gone. As Applejack trotted down the stone path and spotted her farmhouse in the distance with a few lights on inside, she watched the ground in front of her. The shadows of the clouds illuminated by Luna’s full moon followed her home. She never cast her head up for if she did, she would see that no clouds were in the sky above her, yet the dark shadows continued to zip around her.
As Applejack trotted up the road, she heard a familiar sound that nearly ruined her day this morning. Winona was barking up a storm inside the house again and as she opened the door, the Apple family’s dog leaped over the farm pony and started tearing down the road into the darkness towards the surrounding trees. As Apple Bloom brushed past her big sister, Applejack was able to see Winona’s hair was standing on edge, as if she was mad and her chops were raised to bear her teeth as she ran. She was in an attack run.
“Winona, wait!” Apple Bloom called and chased after her dog. She stopped and looked at her sister with a worried expression. “Winona’s been actin’ weird all day! She wouldn't stop barking at the trees!”
“Well come on, sis, let’s go!” Applejack exclaimed and gave chase as Apple Bloom followed.
The dog was very motivated and soon disappeared in the dark trees, heading towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders’s clubhouse. The two sisters kept yelling Winona’s name but she wouldn't slow down. Applejack wondered if the family dog was sensing some kind of danger. Were there Timber Wolves in the area? It would definitely be a first for them to wander out of the Everfree Forest but it would explain why Winona ran there first this morning. As the sisters continued to run, dark clouds began to gather above. A storm was coming.
Eventually, Winona came to a stop ahead but kept barking and the Apple sisters had to follow the barks until they came to a clearing where they found Winona. She was in an attack position, her hair still standing on edge, and she was growling and snarling while barking at the Cutie Mark Crusaders’s clubhouse. The small treehouse was creepy at night and the dark storm clouds consuming the black sky made it look like a haunted house. Maybe that was what had Winona all wound up. The Cutie Mark Crusaders’s clubhouse was haunted.
“Winona’s what’s wrong, girl?” Apple Bloom exclaimed as Applejack looked around, searching for a threat while the dog continued barking.
They were all alone. As far as Applejack could tell, the three of them were the only living beings in the area. The tall grass and the leaves in the trees shifted and wafted with each breath of the escalating wind and Applejack had to admit that it was a rather creepy night, but at the same time there was no evidence of a threat against Sweet Apple Acres. Winona just continued to stare at the clubhouse and bark at it like it was a monster.
Applejack had seen enough and corralled the family dog by the collar and began to drag her away while saying, “Come on y’all, let’s go back.”
“Ba-but sis, what about Winona?” Apple Bloom asked with concern as she followed her sister.
“Can’t say, Apple Bloom. The poor girl’s gone plum crazy. I’ll take her to the vet tomorrow but let’s go home. It looks like a storm is a blowin’ in.” Applejack responded and continued to struggle with the barking dog, who wouldn’t take its eyes off the clubhouse.
Apple Bloom turned her head back at the clubhouse one more time, still not seeing anything out of the ordinary, and followed her sister back. When the two sisters were gone, the clouds overhead had swallowed the full moon and darkened the land. One thing Applejack didn’t take into account because of the fuss Winona continued to make was the absence of life in the area. No crickets, no bullfrogs in the pond nearby, not even the call of an owl. Everything was silent as a graveyard in the field.
A bolt of lightning quickly lit the sky, bringing light to the clubhouse. Something was out of the ordinary but only for a split second. Graffiti was covering the roof of the clubhouse. It was a rather strange symbol of what looked like a skull resting on two fangs with a five pointed crown perched on the top of it. The red liquid it was coated in was fresh as it glistened in the bright light, which also illuminated the strands of white fur in the liquid, including remnants of a white puffy tail.
“You sure you ain’t comin,’ Twi?” Applejack asked as the alicorn’s five friends boarded the train bound for Ponyville again.
Twilight shook her head. “No. You guys go on ahead. I want to learn more about these Blattarians and I was going to check on a few sources. Just make sure everything and every pony is safe in Ponyville.”
Applejack nodded as the train’s whistle sounded. “Thanks for understanding. I gotta get back and check on the farm and Winona too, see if that old girl’s feelin’ any better. Fluttershy was also talkin’ about some worriment she was havin’ bout her critter pals so I’ll catch ya.”
Twilight waved goodbye to her element of honesty and the train soon disappeared down the tracks. After more convincing was needed for her brother, Twilight was finally granted a meeting with the mysterious soldier who seemed to know an interesting amount about the enemies known as the Blattarians. Twilight turned away from the empty railroad and walked back towards one of the Equestrian Army’s headquarters buildings. She was escorted by her brother who continued to try and sway her otherwise.
“Are you sure you don’t want to just head to the library, Twily?” Shining Armor asked with dread. “I’m sure Celestia’s library has plenty of books on the Blattarians.”
“I’ll check out the library too, but I still want to talk to him.” Twilight said. “Honestly I don't see why you’re so adamant about keeping me away from him. What if he knows stuff that the books won’t be able to tell me?”
Shining Armor rubbed his eyes with his hoof. “From the amount of time I’ve spent with him, he’s one of the most unpleasant ponies to be around. He disrespects his superiors as well as other soldiers all the time, has been a pubic nuisance to the ponies of Canterlot, and has made a negative impact on our public standing. If he’s rude or says something offensive to you, I want you to tell me and I’ll take care of it.”
Twilight rolled her eyes but inside, she was grateful for her big brother’s gesture. Even through the drama they had endured since his wedding whether it was the war against the Changelings or the incident at the Crystal Empire, he was still thinking about her well-being and he was always thinking about his baby sister. As she glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, she could see the protective mindset in his stare. Twilight smiled to herself and sighed.
Shining Armor led his sister to a building with the emblem of a stallion’s head wearing a knight’s helmet with two swords crossing each other in the background on the wooden plaque. The coat of arms of Equestria’s Army. Shining Armor opened the door for his sister, catching the attention of the soldiers inside. Some were cleaning weapons while others were doing paperwork.
“Company, attention!” One of them called and all the soldiers stood to attention for the royalty that entered.
“Carry on.” Shining Armor said, letting the soldiers resume their duties as Twilight only giggled uncomfortably from the attention. He turned to an officer and said: “Do you have a soldier named Blade around here?”
The officer’s eyebrow twitched. “Unfortunately yes. Please tell me you’re here to take him off my hands, sir.”
“Wish I could. My sister wants to have a word with him.” Shining Armor replied, Twilight still looking uncomfortable in the setting.
The officer glanced at her and felt a pit in his stomach. “Oh Celestia...miss, whatever he said, wherever he touched you, I do wholeheartedly apologize and-”
“No, nothing like that.” Twilight interrupted, giving him a strange look. “I’m just investigating the incident that happened in the San Palomino Desert and I think this soldier knows about who did it.”
The officer cocked his head to one side with deeper confusion. The soldier in question was not renowned for his superior military knowledge or even his manners so it struck him as odd that the Princess of Friendship was seeking him out. He assumed it was just all part of her job so he led them through the building where more soldiers worked, most of them also confused by the mystery of what happened in the San Palomino Desert.
To Twilight’s surprise, he led them out of the building and to a large lot where a single soldier was using the magic of his horn to sweep what appeared to be the dirt in the vast area. The officer told Twilight he was assigned to “rake the dirt” as a punishment, earning a confused look from the alicorn princess but her brother smirked slightly. She told her brother she would be fine on her alone and Shining Armor reluctantly let his sister walk forward as the soldier continued to complete his impossible task.
When she approached him, she cleared her throat. The unicorn soldier turned with a placid face upon his caricature. He didn’t appear angry nor sad or anything else. He was just raking. What did catch Twilight’s attention was as soon as he saw her, he looked at her, and then resumed raking as if he didn’t care he was in the presence of royalty. He didn’t bow or acknowledge her in anyway. Not that Twilight ever cared about such gestures anyway, but she did know the importance of them and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw her brother was already becoming irritated.
“Your majesty,” The soldier said plainly but then turned condescendingly. “How can I help you this, fine, beautiful evening?”
“You’re Crimson Blade, am I right?” She asked.
He nodded. “That I am, princess, that I am.”
“Well I was hoping I could talk to you. About what you said in the hospital. About who did that to our soldiers.” Twilight said, adding more sternness to her voice.
“You mean the Blattarians?” Crimson asked. “Nasty creatures, ain’t they? Well, hopefully they’ll spare you if you ask nicely. That is, unless you’re close with Celestia then I’d start to think about what you want etched on your tombstone.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at him. “So you do know about them. Tell me, what do you mean by all of that? Who are they? Where did they come from? And what do you mean by if I’m close with Celestia?”
The soldier continued to rake as the dirt slid in-between the teeth, aware of the stupidity behind his punishment. “You’re Twilight Sparkle, ain’t ya? Celestia’s most prized student sent from Canterlot to Ponyville to study friendship and maybe learn a few things about it from other ponies and not from books. Right?”
She tilted her head, confused and slightly startled. “How do you know all this about me?”
Crimson stopped raking and turned to her. She could see more life in his eyes. “We’ve met before. Here in Canterlot I mean.”
“When?”
Crimson glanced over her shoulder at her brother and then back to her. “You’re running out of time, princess. The Blattarians are already here in Canterlot. You think a force field like at your brother’s wedding would keep them out? Not a chance.”
Twilight stared.
“I can’t help you. At least not with the Blattarians. If I were you, I would do what you do best. Read about them.” Crimson snapped in a more vicious tone. “But I will give you one piece of advice to defend yourself against them. The Blattarians only have one weak spot. Their bodies are covered by a tough scaly hide but if you’re able to get them to lift their heads up, they’ll reveal a small spot of flesh in-between the scales. Hit that with your magic and that’ll kill them.”
Twilight squinted. “Princess Celestia told me about a weak spot, but it was on their front on their emblem.”
Crimson smirked and rolled his eyes. “Of course she did. She would only give you the best info. You are her most prized student after all. You’re like a daughter to her after all. There’s no way in the world of Equestria she would be feeding you false info.”
Glaring now, this soldier was beginning to irritate Twilight. “What are you talking about? Are you insulting the princess?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, your highness.” Crimson replied tauntingly and turned away. “Were you planning on staying in Canterlot tonight?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I was. I was planning on doing more research on these Blattarians and maybe visit Private Bishop in the hospital.” Twilight stated with bitter pride.
Crimson chuckled. “I wouldn't do that last part if I were you, princess. Remember that last part about the Blattarians already being here?”
She nodded, still frowning at him.
“Let’s just say the tummy ache he’s having now is being caused by more than just bad hospital food.” Crimson said.
Twilight sighed, thinking this was a waste of time. She turned and began to walk away. As she walked, Crimson stated: “Star Swirl the Bearded.”
She froze and turned back to him. “What was that?”
“Star Swirl the Bearded. He was one of your favorite conjurer, right?” He said as he continued to rake. “Have you ever heard of a book called ‘Visions from the Realm?’”
Twilight tried to recall such a title but she shook her head, thinking it was a joke.
“It was a book written by Star Swirl himself; one of his last works to be exact.” Crimson said to the dirt. “In its pages, Star Swirl talked about visions he would see when he was creating his spells. Sometimes they would happen while he was casting them, other times they came to him in dreams. Some of those visions actually came to fruition.”
Twilight cocked her head again. “You mean...he saw the future?”
“Sometimes yes, sometimes no.” Crimson replied. “The only reason I’m telling you this is because I think you’ll find an interesting piece of Equestrian history on page 254.”
Twilight didn’t know if he was telling the truth or if he was just playing with her. Still, perked by curiosity and her fandom for the ancient conjurer, she made a mental note to seek out this book in the Canterlot Library. Her first target would be the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing.
“Uh...thanks. I gotta get going.” Twilight said and turned again.
As she walked, Crimson spoke one more time: “Princess?”
She turned.
“Question authority.” He said. “Never take their word for it.”
Squinting again, she turned and returned to her brother as the soldier continued his menial and pointless task to keep him busy and miserable. Obviously, Shining Armor wanted to know everything he told her but she kept it cryptic. Twilight did however request something that made her brother cringe further. She wished to see Crimson Blade’s profile. Everything about him. Where he was born, where he was raised, his history, why he was being thrown out. Everything.
As the sun began to set and as Luna readied herself to fulfill her nocturnal obligations to Equestria, Fluttershy just arrived home and the Cutie Mark Crusaders’s clubhouse was being renovated by assailants unknown. Rainbow Dash on the other hand had returned to Cloudsdale to her own unique and equally startling yet mysterious surprise. Twilight on the other hand didn’t feel any ominous presence even as it readied to come forth and begin its rampage on Canterlot. Crimson Blade took his own advice and made himself scarce, hiding in the shadows and simply waited for it all to begin. When it would, he would only worry about himself.
She was content with ascending the stairs of the Canterlot Library and navigated her way to her favorite wing, the one named after one of her favorite scholar idols. Still only taking Crimson Blade’s words half seriously, Twilight took a few moments to herself to peruse the wing, even taking one of his books she hadn’t read for awhile and refreshed her memory on it. As she read, she suddenly found herself thinking about a random thought. Somehow, Applejack entered her mind and she wondered if she ever figured out what was wrong with Winona.
Twilight yawned as Luna’s moon rose into the sky and cast its silver shadow through the windows and onto her. She returned the book to its shelf and resumed her quest to find this unknown periodical. All the book titles were in alphabetical order so that helped her search and even she wished she could’ve seen her own face when she found that title Crimson mentioned. There it was, nestled on the bookshelf and she wasted no time taking it out and bringing it to the table. She opened the book to page 254 and gasped upon seeing it.
Twilight felt her stomach churn as the sickness came over her. It was truly one of the most appalling things she had ever seen in a book. How could this be? She even had to blink several times to make sure her eyes were taking in such a putrid sight. It was true. It was true and sickening. How could any pony do this to a book?
Page 254 had been callously ripped out by assailants unknown as the jagged edges still sealed in the spine showed. Some young foal obviously had no respect for books, something that made Twilight angry. Just as she was about to close the book, she did notice something at the end of page 253. She read it.
“But the relationship between Princess Celestia and the Blattarians was a strange one until the tragedy between them started when-”
The page ended there and drifted into the unknown whereabouts of page 254. Twilight hummed with curiosity and another unknown motivation came over her. She turned her head to gaze out the window and saw the hospital.
Private Bishop awoke from a dream covered in sweat and to terribly agony within his stomach. He knew there was something funny about that hayburger he ate earlier. He pushed the button on his nightstand and it ringed for a nurse. Bishop felt movement within his stomach, thinking it was either gas or his stomach trying to keep the burger down. The churning continued and it felt like something was moving inside him, just above that mysterious stab wound that resembled a giant booster shot needle wound.
“Na-nurse...” he whimpered and one entered his room. “I’m...I’m feeling kinda...woozy...”
“Okay, Mr. Bishop, I’ll be right back with some medication.” She said and turned to leave the room.
Bishop continued to sweat and groan as the pain worsened. He looked at his stomach and his heart sped up again when he saw something jump, as if something was trying to escape from inside him. The bump returned and it began to glide across his fur in his stomach. He began to panic as he gritted his teeth in growing agony until blood began to leak from his mouth. He suddenly threw up a large pint of it and the last thing he heard before he died was a tearing sound. The world suddenly went black forever.
The nurse returned and when she entered the room, she was only able to release half a scream. Three smaller Blattarians stood in the open chest cavity of Private Bishop, covered in his blood and he was dead. Her scream was silenced halfway through when a mighty zip tore through the air and a projectile entered her forehead and exited the back, making her lifeless body fall and sending the hospital into a panic.