Prologue

"Snacks, check. Pillows, check. Blankets, check. Drinks, c—"

"Jeez, Twilight," Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Would you put that list down already? That's the fourth time you've checked it!"

I chuckled. "Sorry, Rainbow." I left the table and joined my friends next to the pillows. "I just can't help it; I did a lot of checking and double-checking in Twilightlicious." I noticed Dash's raised eyebrow and bemused expression, and rolled my eyes. "All right, I did a lot more checking and double-checking than usual."

"Really, darling," Rarity said, as she ran a brush through the mane of a less than eager Applejack. "You need to stop thinking about work all the time; that's why we're having this slumber party."

"Yeah, Twilight," Starlight added. "If you're that concerned about 'not working,' you can treat this as another friendship lesson for me. This is my first 'proper' slumber party, after all."

"Starlight's right, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie chirped. "We all know how much you like studying! Now, why don't we help you relax with a good old-fashioned – but still fun – game of 'Truth or Dare?'"

I nodded. "Sure, Pinkie," I said. "Let's do that."

"Good!" Dash pointed at me. "Because you're going first! Now, what's it gonna be, egghead, Truth or Dare?"

I looked Dash right in the eyes and grinned. "Truth."

"When you were over in Twilightlicious, you met the leaders of those other three countries, right?" Dash asked, to which I nodded. "Right... now, would you consider making out with any of them?"

I blushed as my friends all giggled.

"Aw, shucks," Applejack said. "She's gone redder than Big Mac!"

"We're sorry if we embarrassed you, Twilight," Fluttershy said gently. "If you don't want to answer, then—"

"I would, actually." my blush deepened as my friends all stared at me in shock. "I wanted to kiss one of them before I returned home, but... I managed to control myself."

"Who was it?" Rarity asked gleefully. "Come on, Twilight, please don't leave us in suspense like this!"

As I opened my mouth to reply, the door swung open with enough force to make it hit the wall. All eyes turned to the door as Spike came running in, wide-eyed and panting. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead started coughing; we watched as he stood, bent over with his hands on his knees, taking in breath after breath.

"Spike?" I asked. "I thought you were over at Sweet Apple Acres with Big Macintosh and Discord?"

"I got... a letter..." Spike finally managed to choke out. "It's from... Celestia and Luna... and it's... on red parchment."

I gasped. "Red parchment?" I replied.

"I'm guessing that's not good?" Starlight queried.

I shook my head. "No, it isn't." I took the parchment from Spike's outstretched claw and read it. "It's an emergency summons from Canterlot; we all have to go there immediately. A chariot has been sent to pick us up, and will arrive momentarily." I put the parchment aside. "Let's go, everypony."

With that, all of us shot out of the room.

***

Upon arriving in Canterlot, we were all ushered to a meeting room in the castle. The room was bustling with activity, and I could see several important ponies: Celestia, Luna, the Wonderbolts, General Iron Bulwark of the Equestrian Army, Cadence and Shining Armour.

"What's going on?" I asked of Cadence and my brother.

Shining shrugged. "I dunno, Twiley," he replied. "But whatever it is, it was big enough to drag us all the way here from the Empire."

"And if Iron Bulwark is here, then it can't be good," Cadence added.

"Can I have your attention please, everypony?" Luna called out, causing the room to fall silent. "First of all, thank you for coming on such short notice. Secondly, I will get right to the point and tell you... there is a situation unfolding in the Everfree Forest that, if it is what we think it is, could spell danger for all of Equestria." She turned to Iron Bulwark. "General, please explain further."

General Iron Bulwark, commander of the Equestrian Army, was a grizzled old pegasus of fifty-two. He stood up and bowed his head towards Luna. "Yes, Your Highness," he said. "Now, those of you who are familiar with Equestrian history will know that, about three-hundred years ago, the many Diamond Dog tribes were finally united by a leader they referred to as 'The Great One.'"

To my left, I could see that Rainbow Dash was already bored.

"This 'Great One' told the tribes that, instead of fighting each other over meagre scraps, they could have everything they ever wanted. But to do that, they had to remove the single biggest 'obstacle' which stood between them and their goal — us. They spent a whole year training and equipping a huge army, which was hidden deep in the forest, before finally launching their invasion. Equestria was taken by surprise at first, and suffered greatly, but in the end... we prevailed. Assisted by the other races – the gryphons, the minotaur and the zebra – we defeated the enemy, thus bringing an end to their mad plans. We found no trace of their leader, though, and none of the prisoners would tell us anything about him."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Rainbow Dash groaned, perhaps a little too loudly. "This is ancient history!"

"It was ancient history," Iron snapped. "The enemy camp was razed, and for hundreds of years it has lain in ruins... until now. We have reason to believe that the camp has once again been occupied by a force of Dogs. We don't know who leads them, but they have repaired many of the structures, and appear to be mobilising a large force of troops. Their intentions are unknown, yet it goes without saying that we are treating their presence as a threat."

"How did we find out about this?" I asked. "What intelligence do you have which suggests the camp has been re-occupied?"

"Spitfire brought the issue to my attention while she was returning from the Wonderbolts Academy," Iron replied. "Right, Captain?"

Spitfire nodded. "Yes, Sir," she said. "I saw a number of two-legged creatures bustling about in the ruins, doing who knows what, but I decided it wouldn't be wise for me to stick around. They looked to be in possession of some really serious equipment."

"That's another thing," Iron added. "These Diamond Dogs appear to be more advanced than the others we've seen. As such, I hereby propose that Equestria launches an all-out attack on the camp, to disrupt their activity and prevent them from finalising the plans they no doubt have to finish what they started many years ago."

Celestia thought for a moment. "Are you sure such an attack would be a good idea, General?" she asked.

"Indeed I do, Princess," Iron replied. "Spitfire said that the enemy didn't notice her presence, so we would have the element of surprise. Plus..." He glanced over at my friends and I. "We also have the Elements of Harmony on our side."

Luna shook her head. "Out of the question, General," she said. "My sister and I will not jeopardise the safety of the Bearers."

"I'm a Wonderbolt, Princess Luna," Rainbow Dash interjected. "So if the Wonderbolts are going to fight, then I'm going with them."

"An' if mah friend is goin' ta fight, then so am I!" Applejack said.

"We've dealt with Diamond Dogs before," Rarity said. "So I will gladly help to deal with them again."

"It won't be fun without my friends here," Pinkie said. "So I want to fight too! Besides, we fought the Changelings and won..."

"I'll go too," Fluttershy offered. "But, um, not as a fighter."

"I'm sorry, fellow Princesses," I said. "But if they're going, so am I."

"Twiley, no!" Shining Armour shouted. "Celestia, Luna, if you will just give me forty-eight hours, I will have four entire divisions of the Crystal Guard here and ready to fight!"

"Twilight has made up her mind, Shiny," Cadence said. "You know as well as I do that she can look after herself; she doesn't need her big brother holding her hoof any more."

Shining Armour sighed. "All right, fine," he relented. "But I still meant what I said about getting the Crystal Guard."

"I'm coming too," Starlight said. "After all, friends stick together."

Celestia and Luna started whispering to each other. After a few tense minutes, they finally spoke to us.

"Very well," Celestia said. "We will go with General Bulwark's plan to launch a surprise attack on the Diamond Dog camp. We will mobilise the Equestrian Army and the Wonderbolts, while the Crystal Empire will prepare their own troops."

"We will strike one week from today," Luna added. "Get ready, everypony, and may the sun and moon watch over all of us."

***

One week later...

The world outside seemed to go by in slow motion, as the many airships transporting our army floated across the sky. Crew and soldiers alike stood in silence, scanning the horizon for any potential threats, while I stood with my fellow Princesses in a cramped little office. Iron Bulwark was with us, poring over a map.

"The plan has been finalised, Your Majesties, and will go like this." he pointed at a spot on the map. "This is where the enemy camp is, and this is where we are; at our present speed, we will arrive in approximately fifteen minutes. We have no way of hiding our approach, so we will need to act fast. As soon as we have the camp in visual range, the Wonderbolts will take off to drop explosives, causing casualties and sowing chaos amongst the enemy ranks. Once they've done this, they will engage the enemy and thus allow us to start deploying our forces. Pegasi can simply fly down to join the battle, but Earth ponies and unicorns will have to descend via parachute. The airships will provide fire support, and we will have chariots on standby to evacuate the wounded for treatment."

I nodded. "It seems good on paper," I replied. "But are you absolutely sure that the Diamond Dogs don't know we're coming?"

"I'm positive, Princess," Iron said. "We have complete surprise."

Celestia laid a wing over my back. "Trust us, Twilight," she said. "Everything is going to work out, and soon we will end this."

"Very well." I smiled. "I'll put my trust in you, seeing as you've all been doing this for a lot longer than I have. Now, if there is nothing else, I think I'll go out on deck and get some air."

I walked out onto the deck to see my friends gathered around Rainbow Dash, who was wearing her Wonderbolts uniform and looking forlornly into the distance.

"It's okay to admit that you're scared, darling," Rarity said reassuringly. "We won't think any less of you."

"I'm not scared," Dash scoffed. "I'm looking forward to getting down there and teaching those Dogs not to mess with Equestria. If anything, I'm more worried about the rest of you – with the exceptions of Medical Orderly Second Class Fluttershy and Princess Twilight Sparkle, of course – coming down via parachute... you're gonna make some really tempting targets."

"Don't worry, Dashie!" Pinkie said. "We'll be fine as long as you and the Wonderbolts are down there kicking butt and taking names."

Dash's eyes flashed with determination. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to any of you," she said. "That's a promise."

"We're nearly at the camp." I sighed. "Get ready, everypony, but first..." I used my magic to pull them all in for a hug. "Good luck."

"Thanks." was the universal response, as a bell began to clang.

"We're in range of the target!" Spitfire shouted. "Wonderbolts, grab your explosives and form up on the deck! And hurry up, because it goes without saying that we've just lost the element of surprise!"

Dash gave us a solemn look as she hurried off to join her comrades, while the rest of my friends equipped the parachutes that would help them descend from the airship. To say that I was feeling sick with nervous apprehension of what was to come would have been the understatement of the millennium.

Fluttershy, being a medic, helped the others to put on their parachutes. "Oh, please be careful," she said. "I don't know what I'd do if I saw any of you being brought into the infirmary."

"You don't have to do this, you know," I said to Starlight. "You can stay here with me; I'll soon find a task for you if you're that keen."

Starlight shook her head. "I have to do this," she replied. "Because if those Dogs manage to launch a successful invasion, there won't be any Equestria left for me to continue my lessons in."

I sighed. "Well, if you're sure." I hugged her. "Good luck."

Starlight returned the hug and joined the rest of our friends, all of whom had moved aside to let the Wonderbolts form up on deck. We were now a few hundred metres away from the Diamond Dog camp; the battle was about to begin.

"To arms, men!" a voice from below shouted, amplified by a megaphone. "Show these fools the true meaning of power!"

I recognise that voice... I took a few steps forward and peered over the railing at the edge of the deck. Looking down at the camp below, I could see a lot of two-legged individuals running around, but what struck me the most was the flag I could see.

An iron fist against a grey background.

"It's the Apocalypse!" my eyes widened in horror, and I turned around. "Abort the attack!" I shouted. "They're not the enemy!"

"Twilight?!" the same voice called up to me, and I finally spotted the man to whom it belonged. "By Violet, it is you!" He started shouting at his soldiers. "Stand down, men; it's the Equestrians, not the Dogs!" He then looked up at me again. "Long time, no see, Princess. Why don't you come down here so we can talk?"

I nodded. "Very well, Herald Geo, I'll be right with you." I turned to the Wonderbolts. "Captain Spitfire, order all of our forces to stand down, and inform my fellow Princesses that the Herald is here."

Spitfire saluted and left while I began my descent, many a question forming in my mind. But at the same time, I was relieved.

For we had just avoided what would have been a terrible mistake...

Sitrep - Part One

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What had started out as a potential battle had now turned into a large-scale meet and greet, as our soldiers mingled with their human counterparts from the Apocalypse. Where there was once a feeling of dread, there was now laughter and small talk.

I walked through the mass of people and ponies on my way towards the largest building in the base, where I had been told the Herald was waiting for me. As I passed an Apocalyptian soldier, I overheard the conversation he was having with a young mare.

"Now then, I bet you're glad you didn't end up on the wrong side of this bad boy," the soldier said, as he patted the anti-aircraft cannon they were standing beside. "We don't call these things 'Sky Shredders' for nothing, you know. This weapon can tear metal to pieces; imagine what it would have done to your soft little body."

The mare shuddered. "I don't want to imagine, thank you very much," she replied, casting her eyes over the weapons imposing frame. "It's just as well our respective leaders managed to recognise each other before any blood was shed."

The GDA soldier nodded. "Indeed," he replied. The two of them stood in silence for a moment, the man coughing awkwardly. "So, uh... why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

The mare's reply faded away as I walked past them, but she seemed really eager to answer the soldier's question. I continued walking, Equestrian and Apocalyptian soldiers alike showing me respect; a bow from the former, and a salute from the latter.

I finally reached the Herald's command building and walked inside, noticing that the room was crammed with equipment ranging from radios to weapons. On one wall was a large map of the surrounding area, the various arrows and symbols drawn on it indicating movement and actions undertaken by GDA soldiers.

I studied the map closely, and it soon became apparent that the intelligence we'd had on the Diamond Dogs was accurate. They had taken over this very area, but they were ultimately driven out by the Apocalypse; the arrows on the map indicated the GDA's attempts to find and eliminate any remaining pockets of resistance.

Someone cleared their throat, and I turned around to find the Herald in front of me. He looked at the map, and then at me.

"When we first got here, those 'Diamond Dogs' were rather welcoming," he said. "They were quick to see that the technology we possessed was far more advanced than theirs, so they really wanted to get on our good side." He narrowed his eyes. "But that all changed when they asked us to do something for them."

"What did they want from you?" I asked.

"They wanted our help to 'finally destroy the ponies,'" Geo replied venomously. "Their leader said, and I quote, 'With such power at our disposal, those disgusting little quadrupeds will kneel before us; at long last, the Great One's edict shall finally be fulfilled!'"

I smiled. "I think I know what happened next," I said. "You refused to help them and they tried to attack you, right?"

"If by 'refused to help,' you mean 'put a bullet between the son of a bitch's eyes,' then yes." Geo nodded. "I killed him, the Dogs tried to jump me, my men retaliated, and it turned into a Violet-damned bloodbath. They fled after suffering heavy casualties, but we've been expecting them to try and launch a counter-attack, as this area seems to be as important to them; they must have been planning an attack on Equestria. When we saw the airships approaching, we thought that the damned fools had finally mustered up the courage to launch it." He laughed. "However, I'm so glad that turned out not to be the case."

"Me too." I paused for a moment, then finally stepped forward and embraced him. "It's good to see you again, Geo."

He returned the embrace. "Likewise, Twilight." he sighed. "Now, I'm guessing I need to explain why I have an army here, right?"

"That's a splendid idea, Herald." we broke apart as Celestia entered the room with Luna, Cadence, Shining and my friends in tow. "After all, Luna and I both seem to remember expressly forbidding you from stationing your troops in Equestria."

Geo raised his hands in front of him. "I know, Princess, I know," he replied. "But you have to understand that my men and I wouldn't be here if the current situation didn't warrant it."

"And what situation would that be, hmm?" Luna demanded.

Geo fell silent, folding his arms behind his back as he walked to the centre of the room. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, then opened them and turned to face us.

"The Apocalypse is lost," he said flatly. "A rebellion, made up of traitors from within the ranks of the armed forces, has begun a bloody civil war and succeeded in forcing me off the seat of power. The former leader of the Apocalypse Navy, Daniel MacPherson, leads this so called 'United Liberation Army.' The capital is lost, and I was forced to flee the country after I was nearly killed."

"How did you escape?" Celestia asked.

"I used my portal, of course," Geo replied. "It was located at the base the men outside are stationed at, so—"

"Wait just a minute." Rainbow Dash pointed outside. "How can you be so sure that those guys aren't going to turn on you?"

Geo smirked. "Those men aren't normal soldiers, Rainbow Dash," he said. "What you see out there are three battalions of Shadow Troopers, the crème de la crème of Apocalyptian infantry. Together, they form the seventy-fifth Shadow Regiment, part of the Fourth Shadow Corps; the very same corps that I personally commanded before I became the new leader of the Apocalypse."

"So the men out there are all loyal to you?" I queried.

Geo nodded. "Every last one of them," he said. "I have absolute faith in all of them, for they are my brothers-in-arms. We went through hell during the war to overthrow our mad King, and I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have at my side right now... other than your good selves, of course, my Equestrian friends."

"If you are vouching for them, then we will not question their loyalty," Celestia said. "Now, I believe you were in the middle of explaining how you all managed to escape."

"Yes, of course." Geo cleared his throat. "As I was saying, we used our portal to escape. After I escaped from Geotopia, I knew it was only a matter of time before I was found. I had to escape somewhere, and I knew that this place would be safe, so I convinced my men to follow me; we've been here for two weeks."

"We've been aware of a presence here for about a week now," Celestia said. "Captain Spitfire saw you, but she thought you were Diamond Dogs; that's why we were coming here."

Geo chuckled. "I can see why she'd think that," he replied. "We arrived here on the seventh and had the base operational by the ninth. The Dogs arrived on the tenth, and the crap hit the fan on the twelfth. I'm guessing Spitfire saw us on the fourteenth?"

"She did." I nodded. "It took us a week to prepare our own forces, which brings us to where we are now on the twenty-first."

"What of your portal?" Luna asked. "Where is it now?"

Geo rubbed the back of his head. "If I set things up properly, the portal and the base it was located at should both be a smouldering crater by now. I wasn't prepared to take any chances, you see, so I blew the place sky-high using a couple of tons of explosives."

"I see," Celestia said. "And what of our other allies in the region?"

"From what I heard before we got here, the rebels sent some troops into Insignificance to look for me," Geo replied. "But when they got spotted by the Insignificance Civil Defence Force – the ICDF – it resulted in a brief firefight. Four ICDF men were wounded, and Jock is pissed off. Consequently, he's declared war on the rebels and pledged his full support to the Apocalypse."

"So another war has engulfed the region," I said. "The only difference being that this one is actually real. Is there anything else you can tell us about the situation, Geo?"

"Let me think... oh, yeah. The Paradise and Twilightlicious have declared their neutrality, but have kindly offered to take in any refugees. Azeertha, Elyshia and the Talasatenin Empire all pledged their support to me, but I told them to stay out of it in case MacPherson decided to turn his military against them for 'supporting the tyrant dictator scum.'" He paused for a moment. "What else? Ah, yes. As I said, I was badly wounded during the Battle of Geotopia — but after I managed to escape, the rebels told the people that I'd been killed; I soon heard rumours of mass suicide amongst the remaining loyalists in the GDA." He sighed. "We can't send or receive any communications, so our guess is as good as yours regarding the current situation... and that's pretty much the whole story, Your Majesties. All I ask is that you let us stay here while this whole situation blows over; in return, we will assist you in any way we can. As for the rebels, I have every faith in the abilities of Kevin Dawson – AKA my second in command – to crush them and their bones into dust, at which point they will hopefully figure out where we've went."

"Your 'second in command?'" I parroted. "I read all of the books I could get my hooves on while I was leader of Twilightlicious; none ever mentioned anyone named 'Kevin Dawson' being your deputy."

"That's because he only got the job two months ago." Geo smirked.

"Oh, I see," I said. "If you don't mind me asking, how did he come to be the second-in-command of such a powerful country?"

"I thought about what you said to me," Geo replied. "You know, about what would happen if I was to be killed or incapacitated? Since I didn't fancy the idea of some Sombra-worshipping nutjob undoing all of my hard work, I decided to find someone to act as my second. Kevin Dawson was conscripted into the GDA when he was twelve, and he proved to be a remarkable soldier. His loyalty is absolute, he is a proven marksman and tactician, and he inspires courage and determination in those around him. By the time he was twenty-two years, he was a Four-Star General; the quickest rank advancement in GDA history." He paused. "Oh, and for the record, we don't send children to the front lines. They undergo extensive training – the best in the world – until they are eighteen, and then they are put into active service."

I smiled. "Thanks for explaining that," I replied. "Now, if we can get back to the matter at hoof, I have no objections to you and your men staying here — but you all have to understand that life in Equestria is quite different than life back in the Apocalypse."

"I understand and accept that completely," Geo replied. "For as long as we are here, your citizens will get no trouble from us."

Celestia smiled. "Very well, Herald, you are free to remain here in Equestria," she said. "In the meantime, we will try and get in touch with Tracey, Sandra, Raymond and Jock, so that we can all be brought up-to-date with the current situation."

Geo bowed. "I don't see how that's possible, but thank you nonetheless," he said. "In the meantime, you are free to roam our camp, but I would ask – with the greatest of respect – that you keep away from our fuel dumps, ammunition stores, vehicles and aircraft; I would like to avoid any potential accidents."

We all nodded, just as one of the Shadow Troopers walked in and saluted. "My sincerest apologies for the interruption, Herald," he said. "It's just that our Equestrian friends seem to be under the impression that they can beat us in a game of football. So, with your permission, we'd like to get a team together and—"

"You don't need my permission to show off how great we are!" Geo laughed. "By all means, get a team together and show our friends here that we have ways of kicking butt which don't involve guns!"

"Yes, my Herald!" the trooper said. "Glory to the Apocalypse!"

"Glory to the Apocalypse, Trooper." Geo saluted. "Now, get it done!"

The Trooper grinned and turned on his heels to leave the tent, shouting "We've got the go-ahead!" to the men outside. My friends, clearly not wanting to miss the action, followed him. But as Starlight and I went to leave, Geo stepped in front of us.

"I don't recall having met you in Twilightlicious," he said to Starlight. "Are you another one of Twilight's friends?"

Starlight nodded. "That's just the half of it," she replied. "I'm also her student; Twilight here is teaching me the ways of friendship."

"You didn't meet her because I didn't even know her back then," I said. "Starlight has a, shall we say, 'troubled' past."

"By 'troubled,' she means that I enslaved an entire village and took away their cutie marks because my best friend left me, thus making me think that friendship was a useless concept." Starlight looked Geo in the eyes. "Judge me all you want."

"You're talking to a man who, before this damn war, made jaywalking punishable by a public flogging," Geo snorted. "Judging you for something so minor would be grossly hypocritical of me."

"Oh." Starlight looked away. "O-okay, then." She coughed. "So, shall we go and watch them play... football, is that what you called it?" Geo nodded. "Right, let's go and watch the football game."

With that, she beat a hasty retreat from the tent, leaving Geo and I to share a laugh before following her to the game.

A game the Equestrian team soon won by twelve points to two.

Sitrep - Part Two

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"I still think that game was rigged."

"That was days ago, Herald; just let it go."

Geo rolled his eyes, but the small smile he was failing to hide gave away the fact he was joking. The two of us, along with Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining and my friends, were all sitting in Luna's bedroom – the only one which was both privately situated and large enough to accommodate everypony – waiting patiently for a bank of monitors that the Herald had provided to be installed.

"There you go, Sir." a GDA engineer stood up and wiped his brow clear of sweat. "That should now be operational."

"Thank you, Sergeant Jones." Geo waved his hand towards the door. "You may take your leave, but I must stress that what you have seen here is Top Secret; if you tell anyone about any of it, I will kill you myself." He narrowed his eyes. "Are we clear?"

"I will take the secrets I have learned to my grave, Herald." Sergeant Jones saluted. "Glory to the Apocalypse."

"Glory to the Apocalypse." Geo saluted him back. "Dismissed."

As soon as he left, Cadence spoke. "Threatening him was uncalled for," she snapped. "You could have just asked him to be quiet."

"I could have." Geo grinned. "But where's the fun in that?"

"You're nothing but a bully, Herald Geo." Cadence sighed. "I honestly don't know what Twilight sees in you."

"And what in Violet's name is that supposed to mean?" Geo shot back. "The way you worded that would imply that we're—"

"Are you quite finished?" Luna asked, rather curtly. "Time is of the essence, everypony, and we need to make contact with the other leaders." She turned to her sister. "Celestia, are you ready?"

"Yes, Luna," Celestia replied. "Let us begin."

"Wait, before we do that, I want to know... how in the hell is this going to work?" Geo asked. "We couldn't get through to the other leaders before, so what makes you think that you can?"

"How do you think we contacted you when we organised Twilight's test, Herald?" Celestia replied. "With magic, of course."

Geo raised a finger and opened his mouth in order to make a retort, but he was quick to decide that perhaps silence would be the better option. He waved his hand dismissively and sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "All right," he said. "Do it."

Celestia and Luna both closed their eyes, concentrating intently as their horns began to glow, the monitors being bathed in a combination of blue and yellow light. They flickered on and off for a moment, before staying on and showing three rooms, showing the flags of the Paradise, Insignificance and Twilightlicious respectively.

"Those are the leader's offices, so I guess the spell worked," Luna said. "But the question now is, can any of them hear us?"

"Who said that?" a man came into view on the Insignificance monitor. "Identify yourself at once, or I'll— Princess Luna?"

Luna smiled. "Jock Wallace," she replied. "It's good to see you." She watched as two women and a man appeared on the Paradise and Twilightlicious monitors. "Tracey, Sandra, Raymond, you're all here as well. This is most fortuitous, for there is much to discuss."

"What's going on?" Raymond asked. "Whatever it is, can it not wait? Our region is in the middle of a full-blown crisis; we simply cannot afford to sit here and— Twilight?"

I nodded. "Hello, Raymond," I said. "How are you?"

"I'm... fine?" Raymond sighed. "Look, Twilight, it's good to see you again, but I'm afraid I don't have time to chat."

"Nor do we," Tracey added. "As much as we appreciate you contacting us, now is not a very good—"

"Wait a minute," Sandra interrupted. "We can actually see you; the last time you contacted us, it was via radio." She smirked playfully. "Has Equestria finally perfected the technology required for more effective means of communication?"

Celestia shook her head. "We haven't," she replied. "But he has."

She turned the camera to the left to reveal Geo, who waved. I stifled a giggle as four sets of jaws nearly hit the floor.

"Herald Geo?" Jock was amazed. "You're alive!"

Geo snorted. "It's me we're dealing with here, Jock," he replied. "It's going to take more than a bunch of traitors to kill me." He slammed a fist into the floor, the gesture proving somewhat less dramatic thanks to Luna's fluffy blue carpet. "Enough talk; I want to know everything. How fares my glorious Apocalypse?"

There was a period of uncomfortable silence, which was eventually broken when Raymond swallowed audibly and spoke.

"Well, the short version is simple: the Apocalypse has gone straight to hell," he said bluntly. "As for the long version..." He took a deep breath and let it out. "A week after your disappearance, Daniel MacPherson organised a press conference to finally announce his plans for the future of the country; that included executing many loyalists for their 'crimes against humanity.' During the conference, however, one such loyalist attempted to kill Daniel. He failed, and was killed himself, but he had merely been a distraction. The loyalists who managed to escape the capital hijacked the TV signal and played a video, showing... well, you."

"Me?" Geo looked perplexed. "But that's impossible."

"I know, right?" Jock said. "This video showed a bandage-clad individual in a darkened room somewhere in the country. He spoke just eight words before the signal was cut: 'Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.' News of your apparent survival spread quickly; the loyalists who were captured were first to act. They broke out of their cells and re-armed themselves, thus beginning the Second Battle of Geotopia. The fighting was savage, but when loyalist reinforcements began to arrive from outside the city, the rebels were quick to retreat. When it was all over, the GDA soldiers began searching the wreckage of the Capital Building, where you had seemingly perished in the early days of the war."

"They searched for days," Sandra continued. "But when they didn't find anything, they were quick to realise that the video had been a fake. At the same time, though, they were relieved that you hadn't died after all. Filled with patriotic zeal, they quickly swore to crush the rebels and find you, no matter what."

"Fast forward to now, two weeks after that conference," Tracey said. "The rebels have been forced back to their last remaining stronghold, unable to defeat the loyalists who are fighting with a rage and passion the likes of which we haven't seen for years."

"And where is this stronghold of theirs?" Geo asked. "And, more to the point, what is Dawson doing about it?"

"They are holed up in Herald's Rise," Jock replied. "Headquarters of the Apocalypse Navy, and where most of your fleet is constructed. Dawson has the place under siege, but the rebels have access to the large guns of the ships currently in dry dock. So, basically, it's become a large-scale artillery duel. My militias are assisting as best they can, but were not cut out for this kind of conflict." He sighed. "I must reinstate the professional Insignificant army..."

Geo cackled. "This is great news!" he said. "Soon, the rebels will be crushed, and I'll be able to go home and crack some skulls." He paused for a moment. "And I mean that literally; I'm going to kill as many of those scumbags as I can get my hands on."

He rubbed his hands together gleefully, at which point I moved the camera so it was focused on me. "Well, that's the military situation," I said. "But what of the humanitarian situation?"

"Millions of Apocalyptian refugees have crossed the border, into both Twilightlicious and Insignificance," Raymond said. "They are being well cared for, of that you can be certain."

Luna nodded. "I hate to ask this, but I feel I must," she said. "How many have perished in this conflict so far?"

"Well... uh..." Jock coughed. "Reports are a bit sketchy, and we keep getting conflicted information, so it's hard for us to—"

"About seven hundred million," Raymond said flatly. "Most of the dead are soldiers, but there have been some civilian casualties."

Luna's face fell, Celestia seemed to develop a tic in her left eye, Cadence and Shining Armour were horrified, my friends looked as though they wanted to vomit, and I could almost feel the black cloud of sorrow and despair hanging over me.

"Damn it, Raymond!" Jock shouted. "I was trying to protect them from the ugly truth; look at what you've done!"

"Whatever, Jock." Raymond rolled his eyes. "They would have found out eventually, so it is better to tell them now."

"So many dead..." Starlight said. "How is that even possible?"

"Two things," Jock replied. "First of all, over ten billion people live in the Apocalypse; nearly a quarter of them serve in the armed forces. Second of all... who the heck are you?"

"Her name is Starlight Glimmer, a friend of mine," I said. "A proper introduction will come later; right now, though, we need you to monitor the situation and keep us informed. The Herald will stay here in Equestria until we are confident that the fighting is over."

"Understood, Princess Twilight." Raymond chuckled. "I just hope you're ready to put up with him once more."

I smirked. "It's not just the Herald," I said. "He also managed to bring three regiments of commandos with him."

Raymond blinked a couple of times, while Geo made his way to my side and grinned. "Forty-five hundred men," he said. "I also managed to bring along five tanks and a couple of of aircraft, as well as thousands of rounds of ammo." He did some counting on his fingers. "All in all, we've got enough supplies to last us for at least six months; longer if we ration it, or succeed in capturing food and water from those filthy Diamond Dogs."

"You've only been in Equestria for five minutes, and you've made an enemy already?" Sandra smiled and shook her head. "Never change, Herald Geo, never change."

"At the risk of sounding like a child... they started it!" Geo folded his arms. "To cut a long story short: they wanted us to help them wage war on Equestria, so we waged war on them instead."

"Oh, okay," Sandra replied. "I'll, er, take your word for it." She coughed. "Anyway, friends, it has been lovely talking to you all again, but we really must be going. Our countries won't run themselves, you know. We'll monitor the situation in the Apocalypse and keep you updated as best we can. Herald Geo, shall we contact General Dawson and let him know where you are?"

Geo thought for a moment. "Nah," he said. "This will be an ideal way for me to test his deducing skills. Keep him in the dark."

"As you wish," Tracey said. "Farewell for now, everyone."

We all waved to them as, one by one, the monitors went blank. When the last one did, Geo stood up, looked to me and put his hands on his hips. "So, Princess," he said. "What happens now?"

"Now? Well... I guess I could show you where I live?"

Geo shrugged. "Sounds like a plan," he replied. "Let's go."

***

A while later, we were stepping off the train and into the cool Ponyville air. The instant my hooves touched the platform, however, Ivory Scroll – the town mayor – came running up to me.

"Ivory?" I asked. "Are you all right?"

"Princess Twilight!" she panted. "Thank goodness you're here! Some soldiers arrived earlier, claiming to be working for somepony they referred to as 'the Herald,' and are refusing to leave!"

Geo stepped off the train. "Those men are with me," he said nonchalantly. "And I'm with Twilight here." He saw the confused look on my face. "I sent word back to the base about where I was going to be, and requested that some men meet me here."

"Oh, well, in that case..." Ivory Scroll straightened herself up and held out a hoof. "Let me be the first to welcome you to Ponyville!"

Geo shook her hoof eagerly, a huge smile plastered all over his face. "Thanks for the welcome, Ivory," he replied. "Now, could you please direct me towards the nearest drinking establishment? I'm in a very good mood right now, and I feel like celebrating."

Ivory smiled. "Follow me," she said. "I know just the place."

The two of them then departed, leaving my friends and I standing on the platform — each of us knowing that Ponyville was about to play host to the mother of all culture clashes...

Houseguests

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As our little group walked into the centre of Ponyville, I slowly became aware of a lot of commotion – well, more commotion than usual – coming from the town. I could hear a lot of voices, ranging from worried chatter to the barking of orders. I could also hear a noise like clattering metal, but I couldn't see what was making it.

Geo was at the front of the group alongside Ivory Scroll, who was telling him about Ponyville's history. Geo listened intently, only cutting in to say how he would have handled the many situations the town had found itself facing over the years. Needless to say, his 'solutions' usually involved the use of excessive violence.

As we rounded a corner, Ponyville Market came into view — as well as all the residents and a large group of Shadow Troopers, one of whom caught sight of Geo and approached us.

"Herald Geo!" he snapped off a salute. "Captain Jennings at your service, sir. We got your message, and we are here to assist in any way you see fit. What are your orders?"

Geo returned the salute. "At ease, Captain," he replied. "I want you to establish a defensive perimeter around the town, by setting up roadblocks at every road in and out, and stationing snipers in any tall buildings you can find; Town Hall looks like a good spot. Then, you simply shoot anything that moves... unless it has four legs."

"It shall be done!" Jennings replied. "Glory to the Apocalypse!"

"Wait," I said. "My friend, and assistant, Spike has two legs; you'd better not shoot him, or so help me..."

"Let me rephrase that order, Captain," Geo replied. "Shoot anything on two legs that isn't one of us, or looks remotely like a Diamond Dog." He waved the man away. "Off you go, now."

Jennings turned around and returned to the group of soldiers; with the exception of two, they immediately dispersed when he passed on Geo's instructions. The townsponies watched them go in silent awe, marvelling at the speed and efficiency with which they moved.

"A 'defensive perimeter?'" Rainbow Dash asked. "Why?"

"The Diamond Dogs are no doubt aware of the relationship that exists between Equestria and the Apocalypse," Geo replied. "So, to make sure that they don't try anything, we're simply going to surround the town with a ring of defences. That way, they can't sneak in and cause any trouble for us or your good selves."

Dash nodded. "Sounds good to me." she grinned. "Though, after the flank kicking you gave them earlier, you'd think they wouldn't be stupid enough to even think about fighting you again."

Geo shrugged. "It pays to be prepared," he said. "Now, about that drinking establishment I want to go to..."

Ivory Scroll smiled. "Of course, Herald," she replied. "This way."

The two soldiers who had stayed behind approached us. "Herald Geo," one said. "I am Corporal Thompson and this is Private Smith; we have been assigned by Captain Jennings to serve as your bodyguards for the duration of our stay here." They both snapped to attention. "It is our honour, our duty, and the greatest of privileges to lay down our lives in your defence."

"Glad to hear it, Corporal." Geo saluted them back. "Mayor Ivory Scroll here was just leading the way to the local bar, where I intend to celebrate General Dawson's upcoming victory over the rebels."

"The rebels are done for?" Private Smith asked. "That is great news indeed, Herald; I just hope that he leaves some for you."

"I hope so too, Private," Geo replied. "I hope so too. Now, let us not dilly-dally any longer. Mayor Scroll, please lead the way."

We resumed walking, Thompson and Smith falling into step behind Geo. They kept looking at everything around them, their fingers poised over the triggers of their weapons as though something was going to jump out at them from a hedge.

Unfortunately, something did.

"You're back!" something attached itself to Rarity's neck and squeezed tight, causing her to shriek. "Did you bring us anything?"

"We were watchin' the soldiers!" another voice said, Applejack grunting at a sudden weight appearing on her back.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" a third voice chimed in. "What's up?"

Rarity's horn sparked into life and she lifted her sister off her, putting her gently on the ground. "Sweetie Belle, what have I told you about scaring me like that? And no, we didn't get you any presents; we had other things to take care of."

"When ya said y'all were goin' ta fight the Diamond Dogs, we were mighty worried," Apple Bloom said. "But I'm just glad that yer all home safe and sound, and that nopony got hurt!"

"Yeah, it was a good thing you recognised their leader, Twilight." Scootaloo noticed Geo standing nearby. "Is that him there?"

I nodded. "Yes, it is." I pointed at each of the three fillies. "Geo, this is Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle is Rarity's sister, Apple Bloom is Applejack's sister, and Scootaloo is a sort-of sister to Rainbow Dash. Girls, this is Herald Geo."

"Hey, I heard one of yer men sayin' that y'all had some Crusaders with ya!" Apple Bloom said eagerly. "Well, we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we'd be more than happy ta show 'em around."

Geo chuckled. "That's very good of you to offer," he replied. "But I think my Crusaders are more than capable of looking after themselves, since I spent a lot of good money developing them."

Apple Bloom shared a puzzled glance with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, while I let out a sigh. "I think I know what that clattering noise I heard earlier was," I said to Geo. "You've got a tank stationed around here somewhere, haven't you?"

"Not 'stationed.'" Geo shook his head. "It's out on patrol."

"A 'tank?'" Scootaloo asked. "Rainbow Dash has a pet tortoise named Tank. Is your Crusader a pet of some kind?"

"No, it's not." Geo's eye twitched. "Now, it was simply lovely to have met you, but we really must be going. Mayor, please take us to the bar... and for the love of Violet, don't stop for anything."

"You three go on and play now," Applejack said to the Crusaders, who didn't seem too happy at being dismissed. "Apple Bloom, make sure ya get home in time fer dinner; tell Granny and Big Mac that I might not be back until later on tonight."

"What about me?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Rarity can't stay out late."

"I won't, darling," Rarity said. "Go to Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom and wait for me there. I'll pick you up in a few hours."

"You too, squirt," Dash added. "I'll take you out for a burger later."

"Burger?" Private Smith licked his lips. "I could murder a burger."

Geo chuckled. "Trust me, Private, it's not as amazing as it sounds... unless you like burgers made of hay."

"Oh." Smith looked disappointed. "No, Herald, I don't."

"See you later, girls," I said as we started walking, the three fillies departing towards the farm. "Right, everypony, let's get to the bar before our guests either die of thirst or shoot something."

"Probably the latter," Geo muttered. "Honestly, how can you allow children to waltz around like that? Apocalyptian children are raised from birth to be seen, but never heard, and to obey their elders."

"Yes." Rarity rolled her eyes. "And when they are twelve years old, they are conscripted into your military, where they learn to be even more obedient." She sighed. "Honestly, Herald, would it hurt to give the poor dears at least something resembling a proper childhood?"

"It might." Geo shrugged. "Then again, it might not. And I've already told you that we don't make the kids serve on the front lines. We're not entirely heartless, Miss Rarity."

"Of course," Rarity replied. "You are such a benevolent dictator."

Geo was about to call her out on her sarcasm when Ivory spoke up. "We're here," she said. "Welcome to the Ponyville Tavern, Herald."

"Finally!" Geo was relieved. "Right, let's get— wait a minute."

I gave him a puzzled look. "What is it?"

Geo patted one of his pockets. "I've just realised," he said. "I'm carrying Apocalyptian credits, not Equestrian bits."

"That is an issue," I replied. "Well, I'm sure we can come to some arrangement; how about a one-to-one currency conversion ratio?"

Geo clapped his hands together eagerly. "Sounds good to me, Twilight," he replied. "Thank you. Thompson, Smith, let's go!"

The three of them quickly ran into the establishment as fast as their legs could carry them, as though Geo was expecting yet another interruption to stand between him and his drinking. I rolled my eyes and looked around for a moment, finally catching a glimpse of the tank Geo mentioned making its rounds before I finally followed him and the rest of my friends inside.

Upon entering the premises, I could see that the other patrons were giving Geo and his men a wide berth. He and Thompson had taken over the corner booth – literally, if the two upturned pitchers of cider were anything to go by – while Smith was at the bar.

"The Herald wants to celebrate an upcoming victory," Smith said to Berry Punch, who owned the place. "As such, he would like to sample your finest drinks, and damn the expense." He placed some credits on the counter, at which Berry raised an eyebrow. "Princess Twilight has allowed us to use our own currency for the duration of our stay here, at a one-to-one conversion ratio."

"All right then," Berry replied. "If the Princess is okay with it, then that suits me. Now, as for my 'finest drink,' I would highly recommend the Manehatten Malt Whiskey. That stuff is a heck of a lot stronger than the cider which I serve to my usual customers, and should put a few more hairs on your Herald's chest."

Smith nodded. "Give me a shot of it for him to try," he said. Berry nodded back and poured a shot into a glass. "Back in a minute."

We watched as he took the glass over to Geo, who looked at it with some interest while Smith explained what it was. He took the glass and studied the contents, then – after nodding at me and raising the glass in a toast – downed it in one. His eyes widened as the liquid travelled down his throat, and he ended up banging a fist on the table. Shaking his head furiously, he slammed the glass down.

"Holy..." he said. "Yes, I'll definitely have some more of that!"

Smith saluted and returned to the bar. "You heard the man," he said. "A bottle of that Manehatten stuff, if you please."

"Sure thing." Berry grinned as she passed the bottle over, counted out a few of the credits Smith had put on the table, and pushed the rest back to him. "But he's gonna be sorry in the morning..."

"'Sorry' isn't a word that the Apocalyptians are familiar with," I replied. "They tend to act first, and think never."

"You know me so well, Princess." Geo took the bottle from Smith and poured himself a double. "All right, men, who would like to make a little wager? A thousand credits each says that I manage to finish this entire bottle by the end of the evening."

"That's a wager I can get behind, Sir," Thompson said. "You're on."

"Ditto." Smith sat down. "Start... now!"

As Geo slammed the shot down, this time without flinching, I rolled my eyes. "Berry," I said. "I can only apologise in advance for any chaos that may occur as a result of the Herald's behaviour."

Berry waved a forehoof dismissively. "It's okay, Princess, I've dealt with plenty of drunks," she replied. "I can handle one more"

I giggled nervously. "I doubt you'll be saying that later..."

***

Three hours passed before Geo finished the whiskey; he had won the bet, but he was now disgustingly drunk. Most of my friends had all left by now – citing the fact they had responsibilities to get back to – so it was just Starlight and I left in the bar, watching as Geo glanced around the bar through his newly acquired goggles.

"Hey, Shmith, Thompshon," he slurred. "What'sh the betting I can hitsh that target on the..." He belched. "On the wall oversh there?"

Smith glanced at the wall. "Um, that's a clock, Herald."

"Sho?" Geo pulled his pistol out. "It'sh shtill a target, and I bet the two of you a hundred creditsh each that I can hit it." He aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. "Wait a tick, I think the shafety's on." He flipped a switch on the side of the weapon and tried pulling the trigger again, to no avail. "You've gorra be... hang on a shec, ish thish thing even loaded?" He then put the gun to his eye and peered down the barrel.

"Whoa, holy—!" Smith and Thompson shouted in unison and leapt into action; Smith grabbed Geo's arm, while Thompson flipped the safety switch and prised the gun from his hand.

"Gerrofa me, you pair of moronsh!" he shouted. "I'll havesh you both execu... exorc... I'll have yoush both shot!"

"I think we'd better get him back to the camp, Corporal." Smith and Thompson pulled Geo to his feet, draping his arms across their shoulders. "Berry was right; he is gonna be sorry in the morning."

Geo scoffed derisively. "Shorry? Me?" he blew a raspberry. "The only thing I'm shorry for is not drinking more whish—"

The words died in his throat as he brought up most of the whiskey he had just drank, as well as his lunch. I saw Berry grimace and roll her eyes before she disappeared into the back room, emerging a moment later with a mop and bucket.

"Oh, wow," Starlight mused. "He's like a one-man frat party."

"Yep, we'd better get him back to the camp." Thompson rummaged in Geo's pocket and took out a handful of credits, then held them out to me. "Princess, could you give these to Miss Punch, with our apologies for the mess, while we take the Herald back to camp?"

I took the coins from him. "Of course," I replied. "But you're never going to get back to your camp now; it is far too dark outside, meaning the beasts of the Everfree Forest will be roaming around, just waiting to make a meal of any easy prey they come across." I looked at the Herald, who was drunkenly singing a song about 'drinking to a pink lily' and 'medicinal compound.' "And prey doesn't come much easier than two men, unable to use their weapons, supporting the weight of their drunk leader."

Smith and Thompson looked at each other. "That's a good point, Princess," Smith said. "What should we do instead?"

I passed the coins over to Berry, who had finished her grim cleaning ask and was now back behind the bar; she accepted them with a nod. "I've got plenty of spare rooms back at my castle," I said. "You can make use of one of them tonight."

"Very well, Princess," Thompson replied. "Thank you."

Starlight waved a hoof in front of her face. "I think getting him into a bath should be your first priority," she said. "Never mind a bed."

"We'll take care of that in the morning, ma'am," Smith said. "In the meantime, the Herald really needs to get some rest." He glanced at Thompson. "I'll take first watch; we'll do four hour shifts."

Thompson nodded. "Right. Okay, Princess, lead the way."

With that, Starlight and I led them back to the castle, making sure to stay ahead and downwind of them the entire way. The streets of Ponyville were mostly deserted, save for the late-night party ponies going to and from Vinyl's nightclub and the groups of Apocalyptian soldiers who were out on patrol. As we passed the train station, I saw the tank parked outside; the crew told Smith and Thompson that they were staying there because of how loud the thing was.

Upon entering the castle, Starlight went to bed while I showed my guests to a spare room. As soon as they got inside, the Herald was placed on the bed in the recovery position, while Thompson lay down on the floor, using his backpack as a pillow.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Princess Twilight," Smith said. "We can take it from here now, though; you head on off to bed. Thompson and I will take it in turns to keep the Herald safe."

"All right then, I'll see you all in the morning." I stifled a yawn and pointed at the Herald. "If he needs painkillers – and I'm pretty sure that he will, given how much whiskey he's had – you'll find them in the top shelf of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom."

Both men nodded, at which I bade them both good night before heading off to my room. As I got into bed, I thought about what tomorrow would bring; the Herald wasn't going to be in the brightest of moods when he woke up, of that I was certain.

At the same time, however, I couldn't escape the feeling that whatever went down between the Apocalypse and the Diamond Dogs at the campsite wasn't quite over with yet; I was afraid that, at some point, Equestria would get caught up in it.

Furthermore, I was also concerned regarding how long it would take for Geo's deputy to figure out where he was, and how he would react when he did. Having never met the man before, I wasn't quite certain; would he assume the worst and come in all guns blazing, or would be take the diplomatic approach?

These thoughts eventually faded away as sleep claimed me.

Non-Canon Interlude: Invasion

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It started out like any other celebration; balloons, cake, streamers, music, laughter, dancing — but everything about it went downhill fast once those strange airships arrived.

The leader of this army – Commander Tempest, as she had been introduced – strode down a ramp which had been lowered, glaring at us with nothing short of complete and utter contempt. Everypony around me seemed nervous, except for Herald Geo and his men; they didn't appear to be phased in the slightest.

"What do you want from us?" somepony in the crowd called out.

Commander Tempest rolled her eyes and snorted. "How about we start with your complete and total surrender?" she replied.

Suddenly, Geo and the other Apocalyptian soldiers burst out laughing. A tense few moments followed; Tempest and her soldiers looked at each other bemusedly, the latter occasionally shouting at the GDA soldiers to 'cease their foolishness and show respect.'

Eventually, the laughter slowly subsided and Geo – who was wiping tears from his eyes – stepped forward.

"I'm sorry about that, Commander," he said. "But for a minute there, I could have sworn that you just demanded our surrender."

Tempest nodded. "I did demand your surrender," she snapped. "All of Equestria will bow before me, or suffer my wrath."

Geo snorted at her derisively. "Oh, yeah?" he replied. "Well, it won't be easy; you're gonna have to go through us first, for a start."

Tempest snarled. "Be quiet, you damned fool!" she shouted. "For your insolence, you will be the first to face my fury!"

"I'm sorry, but the role of 'mad dictator' has already been filled, by none other than me." Geo rolled his eyes. "However, we thank you for your application, and wish you the luck in finding a suitable alternative." His tone suddenly became more serious. "All joking aside, though, I think you should just give up your foolish crusade and head back to wherever it is you came from."

"Hmph." Tempest chuckled. "And what makes you think that you can defeat me?" She asked. "My army is clearly more powerful than yours, meaning there is no hope of victory against me."

"How many soldiers do you have, Commander?" Geo asked.

Tempest smiled smugly. "I have one-hundred thousand soldiers ready to take over Equestria," she said. "From what I can see, your pitiful force barely numbers a tenth of that."

"Only a hundred thousand? How cute." Geo pointed at me. "I have forty-five hundred men, but Twilight there can open a portal to my homeland any time she wants." He grinned wickedly. "A homeland where my army outnumbers yours by forty-thousand to one."

Tempest's cocky demeanour evaporated in an instant, as did the bravado of her soldiers; some of them retreated back into the airship, while the rest began to sweat nervously.

"Equestria is a very good friend of the Apocalypse, Commander." Geo spat at her hooves as he said the last word. "As such, any foe who dares to threaten its safety will answer to us." He walked straight up to Tempest – who didn't move – and looked her in the eyes. "Are you and your soldiers ready to die, Tempest? Because we're ready to kill you, if that is what you truly want."

As if on cue, his men cocked their weapons. Tempest looked around as a glimmer of fear appeared in her eyes.

"I... I do not wish to die." she gulped. "I'll go away and never come back; I swear that this will be the last you see of me."

Geo nodded. "Fine by me," he replied. "However, your aggression here cannot, and will not, go unpunished." He snapped his fingers and his men opened fire, killing the soldiers who had stayed near Tempest. "I can't call this a victory if none of the enemy actually dies, you know." He narrowed his eyes. "Now get the hell out of here, ALL OF YOU, lest you suffer the same fate as your comrades."

Within minutes, Tempest and her army had done exactly that; they even took the bodies of the dead soldiers with them. As we watched them leave, I felt a great sense of relief wash over me.

However, I couldn't help but wonder if I had just missed out on the possibility of my friends and I going on another adventure...

Information Extraction

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"Where the hell is my Violet-damned sidearm?!"

I was woken up at six o' clock the next morning by the Herald shouting angrily from his room a few doors down from mine. Grumbling to myself about how little sleep I'd had, I left my room and went down to see how he was feeling.

"We had to take it from you, Herald," Thompson said. "You were drunk, and we were worried that you were going to hurt yourself."

"And the fact that you were looking down the barrel to check if the thing was loaded only made us want to get it away from you faster," Smith added. "We were only following protocol, Sir."

Geo sighed. "Well, I can't fault you for doing your jobs," he replied. "As you can see, I am completely sober; now give it back." I knocked on the door and entered the room to see Smith handing Geo his sidearm. He looked it over for a moment, then sighed. "Here's the problem, gentlemen; the damn thing is jammed!"

"Jammed?" Smith parroted. "It wasn't us, Sir, honest!"

"I know it wasn't either of you, Private," he replied. "It must have jammed while I was killing that arrogant Dog and his guards."

"The one who wanted your help waging war on us?" I asked. Smith and Thompson finally noticed me standing there and saluted.

Geo nodded. "The very one," he said. "I'll fix it later; in the meantime, I really could do with a shower. I smell terrible."

"You do," I replied. "Berry warned you that whiskey would be too much for you, Herald; I just hope you've learned your lesson."

"I have," Geo said. "I'll only drink half a bottle next time. Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I will go and clean myself up."

He went into the bathroom and shut the door behind him; I nodded to Smith and Thompson and went to wash up myself, but not before I heard Geo loudly comparing the castle's showers to the ones he was used to back home in the Apocalypse.

Twenty minutes later, the four of us were in the kitchen having some breakfast. Geo, Smith and Thompson were eating their rations – which looked and smelled terrible – while I had made myself a nice big batch of pancakes with syrup and whipped cream.

"Well, Princess, thank you very much for your hospitality," Geo said, using his finger to dig the last remnants of his breakfast from the foil sachet. "I need to get back to base and—"

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal a panicked-looking Royal Guard, who ran over to me as fast as his legs would carry him.

"Princess Twilight, thank Celestia you're here!" His voice conveyed a deep sense of both urgency and fear. "We've got a serious problem over in Town Square; the Apocalyptian soldiers have captured a Diamond Dog scout and are beating him mercilessly!"

Geo, Smith and Thompson all laughed.

"Good lads," Geo said. "Come on, you two, we need to go and make sure they don't kill him before we get some information."

With that, the three of them quickly left. I groaned and rubbed my temples with my forehooves; I was getting a headache, and it wasn't even nine o' clock in the morning yet.

"Um, should we be worried, Princess?" the guard said. "I only ask because the other soldiers seemed hell-bent on inflicting as much pain as they could on the prisoner. They don't even care that they are beating him in front of the local civilian population."

I sighed. "I'm sorry to say that violence is the Apocalyptian answer to everything, soldier," I replied. "Come on, we'd better put a stop to this; I hope that you're used to being teleported..."

"Teleported?" the guard seemed confused. "Why do you say—"

Before he could finish, I had charged up a teleportation spell and taken the two of us to Town Square. The guard wobbled slightly on his hooves, then sat down to regain his composure. I looked around, happy to see no sign of the Herald.

"Good, we got here first," I said. "Now, let's find the—"

"Mercy, please!"

"Shut up!"

I finally laid eyes upon the Diamond Dog prisoner; he was indeed being mercilessly beaten by three Apocalyptian soldiers, right in the middle of Town Square. Each of the soldiers was taking it in turns to either kick him, punch him, or bash him in the face with the butt of their weapon. Parents taking their foals to school covered their children's eyes, but they couldn't cover their ears.

"Not so tough now, are you?" the first soldier snarled, delivering a kick to the Dog's face. "You Violet-damned scumbag!"

The second soldier punched him. "How stupid do you think we are, you filthy little mongrel?" he said. "Did you honestly think for one second that we wouldn't be able to see you hiding in that tree?"

"No more, please!" The Dog whimpered pitifully. "I surrendered!"

The third soldier responded to his plea by spitting on him, at which point I decided that I had seen – and heard – enough.

"Stop this at once!" I shouted. "What gives you the right to treat this prisoner in such a horrendous fashion?" The soldiers went to reply, but I cut them off. "Oh, no; don't even think about saying 'This is how we do things back home,' because I shouldn't have to remind you that EQUESTRIA IS NOT YOUR HOME!"

"She's right, you know." I glanced over my shoulder to see Geo, Thompson and Smith approaching. "I made a promise to the Princesses that we wouldn't cause them any trouble. Now, I appreciate your efforts, but you must understand that the Equestrians – and especially the foals – do not need to see this. Stand down, and let me deal with the prisoner."

The soldiers stepped back from the prisoner and saluted. "As you wish, Herald," one said. "We leave his fate to you."

Geo approached the prisoner and, to my surprise, helped him to his feet. "Now then," he said gently. "I stopped the beatings, but I want something from you in return. Do you understand?"

The Dog sniffled and nodded. "Yes, anything," he replied. "No more hurt, no more pain. I will help you, I swear."

"Good." Geo patted him. "I want to know two things: one, what you were doing here and two, where your friends are hiding."

"I was sent by the Alpha to see how many pony soldiers were here," the prisoner replied. "I did not expect to see humans."

Diamond Dog clans are led by an 'Alpha,' the dominant male, who is responsible for making sure that the clan has enough land to suit its needs; to achieve this, they also act as military tacticians, and will take great pleasure in leading from the front in battle.

"What is the Alpha planning?" Geo demanded.

"He is leading our clan to where the Great One last fell." the Dog seemed relieved at Geo's response. "There, we will meet all of the other clans and try to finish what the Great One started."

"Ah, this mysterious 'Great One' that I've heard so much about." Geo sighed. "Who is he, exactly? Furthermore, how in the hell are you supposed to bring him back to your old camp? In case you forgot, little pup, that's my territory now."

The Dog bristled at being called a 'pup.' "The Great One is the master to all and the slave to none," he said. "We worship him, and we will do all we can to bring him back into the world, so that he can have his revenge on the four-legs. He did not fall at our forest camp, he fell somewhere else; that place was just our rally point."

"You're going to 'bring the Great One back?'" I asked. "As in, resurrect him? Surely such magic would be beyond a Diamond—"

The Dog spat at my hooves. "To Tartarus with you, Princess Twilight!" he snapped. "When he returns, you will die first!"

"Huh?" I was perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

When the Dog didn't reply, Geo slapped him in the face. "Answer the damn question, mongrel," he snarled. "Or I will introduce you to a level of pain and suffering that you never knew existed."

I was shocked at this sudden change in his attitude, but it seemed to work; the Dog soon replied, although he seemed to care little about the threat Geo had just issued.

"You are too late to stop us now, human," he said. "Our mighty army already advances on the land of crystal, and our preparations for carrying out the ritual are almost complete."

"The 'land of crystal?'" I parroted. "Wait... the Crystal Empire?!"

The Dog nodded. "The Crystal Heart is the last piece of the puzzle; with it, we will have all the magic we need to perform the ritual to bring back the Great One. By the time their army returns from its wasted journey to Equestria, the whole Empire – including the Heart – will be ours, and our master will walk free once more."

"You hope." Geo lifted the Dog up so that he could look him in the eyes. "Your pathetic ritual will fail before it even begins, and your army will be consumed by the might of the Apocalypse."

Once again, the Dog didn't falter in the face of Geo's threats; it was though his bravado had suddenly returned when he needed it most. "We do not fear you any more!" he replied. "We will succeed, and the Great One will tear you apart! You cannot stop the coming storm, human, and you are a fool to think that you can—"

He was cut off as Geo threw him the ground with enough force to knock him out. "We'll see about that, pup," he snarled, signalling to his men to take the prisoner away. "Twilight, send word to Celestia and Luna; they need to recall the Equestrian army and send it to reinforce the Crystal Empire. Despite our lack of numbers, my men and I will provide whatever support we can."

"All right," I replied. "But something about this doesn't quite add up. It's almost like there was more the Dog wasn't telling us."

Geo shrugged. "As long as we stop the ritual, who cares?" he said. "Now, let's get to work; the longer we wait, the closer those bastards get to successfully performing the damn thing." He turned around and started walking away from me. "Radio man, front and centre!" He shouted. "I need a message sent back to base, ASAP!"

I looked forlornly at the ground. "Well then." I swallowed nervously. "It looks like there's going to be a war after all..."

Apocalypse in Equestria

by GeodesicDragon

Prologue

Sitrep - Part One

Sitrep - Part Two

Houseguests

Non-Canon Interlude: Invasion

Information Extraction