> Magic Vs. Machinery
>  by Exotic Butter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> l.~The stars and comets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A dark starry night hung over Equestria. The only lights that illuminate the night sky were the lights of towns like Las Pegasus, Ponyville, and Manehattan. The capital city and Canterlot Castle also lit up. The castle was magnificent. And a big one too…

That is why guests always have access to the front part of the castle, which already includes the front hall, three towers and three corridors with rooms for guests. This alone gives you an idea of ​​the size of the castle with five towers, a garden and a main hall.

Few ponies were able to find their way around here. But someone who wasn't a pony could tell in ten years without getting lost.

In one of the many corridors walked a tall being holding something while lighting candles on the walls.

How? Breath. It was a dragon.

This dragon was purple. It had a green belly, chin, and triangular spines on its back and tail.
What is he doing in the pony castle? You see, HE is the assistant to the Princess of Friendship and Equestria, Twilight Sparkle.

Spike.

He has changed a lot in the last ten years. He began to strengthen and eat the best gems. Upgraded to Giga Chad level.

But at his ‘level’, everypony started calling it Giga Chin. Because…you know…

So, Spike, who had finished lighting the candles, reached the end of one of the corridors. The corridors that led to the Princess's room. And the thing he had with him were the last papers that the Princess had to read and stamp. Just like anyone with a royal title.

Spike knocked on the large, ornate, stone door, wondering how they had put this door in the first place and made it move at all.

"Come in!” The answer came from the other side right away. Spike grabbed and pulled the door towards him. When they were open enough for him and his wings, he went to the other side and slowly closed them.

He then turned around and looked around. Twilight was nowhere to be found. Just…books on the table. The only place she had to be was the entrance to the balcony that she was hiding from dark curtains.

Spike came to the curtains and pulled them back only to see his friend, who was sitting on a cushion looking into a telescope that was half her size.

Her dark purple mane fluttered and she didn't even move.

"Oh, I'm not disturbing you?"The dragon asked just to be sure. Without turning to him, Twilight replied…

“Not at all, Spike. I guess you're carrying the last letters, huh?”She asked, using magic as she did so she was focusing on anything that caught her eye.

“Yeah, yeah. I'll put them…on the table.” Spike said, walking back into her room.

Spike placed the letters on the table before returning to the balcony behind Twilight. When he was on the balcony again, he looked at the view, which twice did not interest her much.

"Lately, you spend more time with the telescope than with the books. What's the matter?"Spike suddenly asked.

The purple mare let out a breath and finally looked from the binoculars to her friend.

"I don't even know myself. It's just… something keeps me here.”She replied and went back to the telescope again.

"Something weird?"

"Weird is an understatement. Rather…suspicious.”

Spike looked at her with his head tilted and his eyebrows raised.

"Stars and Suspects?"

"Not all of them, but one."

The purple dragon looked at her Alicorn friend as if an apple had fallen on her. What was she talking about?

"Did you become an astronomer overnight?"

At that the Princess looked at him again, but now with a face that clearly told him to save his breath.

“Oh, come on, don't make that face, please. Just tell me what you find suspicious.”

Twilight put a hoof to her chin in exasperation and began.

"The comet, not star, but comet I've been watching since yesterday is shining brighter and brighter. And it even gets bigger and bigger every ten hours.”

"Every ten?"The dragon said in confusion and looked up at the sky. Nothing he found strange.

“But… there is nothing strange in the sky.”

"That's because it's not here yet! I have this telescope at five times magnification. If I'm wrong, maybe it's more of a comet that will pass by our planet. If we're lucky, everyone will be able to see it with their own eyes, in the wee hours."

“Interesting…wasn't she already named?”

"I do not know. This comet…looks a little different from the others…”

“Welp, if this is the only thing that keeps you here… Please, just don’t forget about the letters. And if you don't mind, I will take a day off tomorrow. I’m gonna go shopping.”

“I’m not against it, Spike. You are free to go tomorrow.” And with that, Spike just smiles, thanks her and leaves her room.
> ll.~It's closer.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville, a town that, based on its population and location, is not the capital!

Ponyville is known as the first town where pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies decided to live together. Thanks to this, more and more ponies began to move to Ponyville, from both corners of Equestria. South, east, from all of Equestria.

And one of the thousands residents of Ponyville, the earth mare AppleJack, was sitting under one of the many apple trees that belonged to her family farm Sweet Apple Acres. She waved her hat to cool herself while she looked at the two buckets full of apples.

She had a hard day today. Harvest day. A day where the whole family had to get involved.

She then looked around. Even though she couldn't see the sun through the trees, she could tell how the light was fading.

"Ah, it's setting down. I should be going." She said aloud to herself, got up, put the buckets on her back and went home.

She walked along the path that divided the farm into South and North. Of course, each side was full of apple trees and a rare pear tree, with yellow pears, was hiding here and there.

After a few meters, AppleJack finally saw the farm's common house. Lights were on and smoke was coming from the chimney.

The orange mare placed the apples in front of the house and entered it. Her younger sister, AppleBloom, was waiting for her right at the entrance.

“AppleJack! Do you know the stars?" She asked her older sister to which AppleJack just cocked her head to the side.

"What? What do yo-" Before she could even say her sentence, she was dragged to the second floor, to AppleBloom's room. There was an open window, with a smaller telescope, aimed at the sky, which was already blue-gray. One by one, the stars began to appear and shine.

AppleJack looked at her sister with her head tilted even more, but now with one eyebrow raised.

"What's going on Bloom?" Her answer was a hoof that pointed to the sky.

"Something's coming at us!"

The orange mare just narrowed an eyebrow. She slowly grabbed the binoculars in her hooves and began to observe the young night sky.

"Where and what is it supposed to be, again?"

“It looks like a meteor! It's on the left, from the moon!”

AppleJack didn't really believe her twenty-year-old sister about the object that looks 'like' a meteor, but she still wanted to see for herself. So she looked at the moon, which was full. She then looked to the left of the moon and saw the same thing as her sister. Actually, she wasn't that surprised.

"Meteor, you say."She said as she focused on the mysterious object.

It was hard to tell what it really was. But one thing was clear; it flew on Equestria.

That being said, it was hard to tell what it was. But AppleJack recognized that it was cylinder shaped. Thanks to the 'rays' that appeared behind the object, it was clear that the object must have been iron, as one half was completely orange. Which meant hot.

"What is it, big sister?"

AppleJack looked at her, one hoove on her chin.

"I don't know, but whether it's a space stone or an iron one, it's coming down on Equestria."

"I know that myself! But I do not know when!"

“Well, that’s not important now. I would like to know where.”

"Does it really fly to Ponyville?"

"I'm not sure about that, but there is also a chance that it will fall somewhere much further away. But you are right that it flies here.”

"So, any plans?"

“Go to sleep, I will tell others. That’s the only thing I have to do now.”

“Okay…?”
> lll.~Cylindrical object
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash. Ever since she was a foal, she wanted to be a member of the Wonderbolt squadron, the best pegasi squad in Equestria! I'd have many words to describe them, but I'll use the word Rainbow used non-stop; Amazing!

But I have to admit that it took a few years for her to be accepted at the base, which was only a few kilometers from Ponyville. But she did it.

Compared to her friends, she can find time for fun or family. She may be the Co-Captain, but still, if she can plan her week... Eh, that's not important.

Just; Rainbow is Rainbow. And as always, when all the recruits are in barracks, she prefers to fly wherever her wings would take her. Like today; she was sailing over the EverFree Forest. Through a forest that used to be the most dangerous place closest to civilization. Today, of course, that is a thing of the past.

The Light blue pegasus was just flying over the forest, humming some jingle that had been stuck in her head since yesterday, and watching the sun set behind the high horizon.

Although she liked today's Equestria, she slowly began to miss the years when she saved the world alongside her best friends. THOSE were golden times.

Just as she was about to fly home, the sky lit up for a split second! The pegasus stopped and looked up at the sky.

Just then she heard a sound she knew very well. The sound of air slowing down something fast. Rainbow turned around and saw something she had never seen before.

Something big flew through the orange sky. It looked like a cylinder. The surface even shone at a certain angle. The front part was red hot, leaving a trail of light behind the object.

“What the-?!”

The object flew past the pegasus like an arrow shot. After a few moments, there was a huge bang that created a shock wave that threw Rainbow a few meters away.

Rainbow had to angle her wings to eliminate the speed the wave did. When she succeeded, a shocked pegasus looked at the direction of the crash site.

“What in Celestia…?”

The crater was just dozens of meters from Ponyville. In that crater, there was…something.

Rainbow flew to it cautiously and circled it many times out of curiosity. The object looked like it was cast iron on some parts and "hooves" ground on others. There was a black color on the surface, which gradually and slowly fell off in some places.

She then noticed ponies and other beings who also came to look at this object out of curiosity. She realized she was here first. And she had to act.

"Hey!"She called out to the beings below her.

"Not a step closer! It can be dangerous!”The creatures looked at each other but obeyed and waited.
After that, more and more beings appeared. They all wanted to know one thing; What is it?

After half an hour it didn't even move. It just got cold. The Ponyville police put tape around the crater that had writing written all around it"NO ENTRY". 

No one knows what it was.

Rainbow was only in the air, a few inches above the ground, watching as the object lay motionless, half buried in the ground.

Her spectacle was then interrupted by familiar voices.

“…And how can you be so sure?”

"I'm not, but that's the most likely theory I have so far."

Rainbow turned to see a white unicorn, with an elegant purple mane, flanked by a purple dragon holding a book in one hand.

Rainbow knew the unicorn very well. It was Rarity. But she hadn't seen the dragon on the other hand for a good ten years.

“Rarity? Spike? Are you going to see…this too?”She asked.

"The capsule? Yes.”The dragon replied.

"A Capsule?"

"Probably."

The light blue pegasus looked at her friend incomprehension, a question on her face;

"What is he talking about?"

"I don't even know"

“Um,”Spike cleared his throat.

“Some time ago, Twilight saw a 'star' that shone brighter and brighter every ten hours. I have a feeling that it was this object that must have been completely frozen as it approached the sun.”

"Uh…so the melted ice caused the light that Twilight called the sun?"She didn't understand Rainbow.

“Eh… no. The shine was made, because its surface is iron!”

"Oh really? I thought it was a stone..."

“Uh…you're still talking about the same object, aren't you?”

"Of course. As the ice on the surface melted, the light that hit the surface was reflected. That's why Twilight saw what she saw."

"And all that was in that book?"

“Uh…no.”

"But what does that have to do with this…capsule?”

"If it's iron, there's a good chance it's full of minerals and precious stones."

Rarity looked at Spike, at the object, then back at Spike.

"So that's why you dragged me here."

Spike smiled.

"Exactly! So what do you think? Will you leave me some gems too? OR will you use them all for a dress?”

"Well, I'm relieved. I already thought that someone sent it here."Rainbow said looking up at the sky. It was already dark.

“Well, it's time to go back. Take Twilight with you next time, Spike!”Rainbow said, spreading her wings and flying home.

“Huh, did you also notice the…little spaces in some places?”Rarity said suddenly. Spike noticed it too after searching for a while.

“Uh…yes?”

"As if they were already carved in advance to get inside."

"Or out..."Spike added uncertainty and then one thing occurred to him.

"I'm going to ask Twilight something. I don’t really like this thing." He said, taking off and flying back to Canterlot. He just overheard Rarity saying something to him before.

“Huh! Do you believe in extraterrestrial life?”
> IV.~The Machine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a young morning. The sun hasn't even risen yet. It makes sense that the sun didn't rise, if the Alicorn who now controls the sun and moon hasn't woken up yet. But that quickly changed.

“Princess, something bad happened!" Called the guardian pegasus, who was pounding his hoof against the stone door. The sound echoed throughout the corridor and even across the Princesses room.

The Princess growled, half-opening her eyes and cautiously lifting her head from the pillow.

“Ugh-! Speak!”She said, annoyed.

"Today, from Zero-fifty to three-zero-zero, four ponies disappeared from Ponyville!"

Twilight analyzed this information for a moment before finally getting out of bed, putting on her crown using magic and walking to the stone door which she opened.

“Four ponies? Wh-where- How? Do we know the names?”

“Two from SugarCube Street, one from West Ponyville, and the last one from the Square. Three of the four families noticed it right away, while the fourth had friends. Amethyst Star, Lyra Heartstrings and Vinyl Scratch who calls herself DJ-Pon3 .”

"Strange. And who is the last one?”

“Fleur De Lis, Princess!” He answered.

Twilight thought for a moment. She didn't think of anything! She was still sleeping!

The purple Alicorn looked behind her for a moment to see some inspiration with a plan. When she noticed the lights coming through the curtains a bit, she thought of something. She turned back to the guard.

“Send a reconnaissance division to EverFree Forest and Ponyville. At the same time, send a message to our neighbors to try it on their territories and borders.”She said.

"Yes, Princess!"The guard saluted, turned, and stumbled through the hall.

The princess closed the door, turned and came into the middle of the room.

Then she trotted to the balcony and sat down by the telescope. Using magic, she took the binoculars and pointed them to the west of Ponyville. Where the iron object landed.

"First that and now this? Different places, different ponies. Why, how and where did they even disappear?”

Twilight watched the object with her binoculars for a while, which had been there since yesterday, but she still hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

"Eh, when I'm already awake..."She said to herself, spreading her wings and taking off, towards Ponyville.

After a few minutes, the Princess of Equestria circled the object. 

Something didn't seem right to her.

Everything Spike was telling her was accurate. An iron cylinder, half buried in the ground and completely "mysterious". Huh. Yeah sure Spike.

Twilight landed next to the object and placed a hoof on the surface.

“Weird… I'd bet it's hollow. Otherwise, I don't know how it survived the flight through the atmosphere."

Twilight circled the facility at least five times now. Until she noticed something…suspicious.

The Cylinder was...open from the top...

Princess raised an eyebrow, looking around. She noticed a round-like object that was a few meters from the Cylinder. She thought someone had opened the cylindrical object and was inside, but there was silence. 

Out of nowhere, sounds that Twilight would compare to the engine of a steam train running through Equestria began to come from inside the cylindrical object.

Twilight was very confused as she backed up step by step. A train inside of this? Wait…inside?

In the split of the seconds, the object soon split completely in two pieces, revealing something that even Spike had no idea. Yes, he said it might be a capsule, but rich in gems. But in the end it turned out to be neither.

It was…something together. Like wires with an iron cube in a box. 

Suddenly the thing started to…unwind. What appeared to be tentacles-like legs, straightened out along the iron "head" that appeared to be an oval rectangle. The "head" rose and the whole thing slowly began to rise, along with smaller puffs of steam coming from somewhere.

When it all straightened out, Twilight couldn't place the shape of the thing on anything. Plus, it was taller than Ponyville Town Hall!

A "head" like thing was attached to an egg-shaped "gearbox" with three legs coming out from underneath. At the top of the "head" was an outlet from which faint smoke was coming out. The "head" also had glass, similar to a window. These “windows” were even in the front lower part of the “head” and in the back of the “head”. There was a cage hanging from its back…

After the Princess analyzed the whole object, she felt a tree behind her. In shock, she couldn't move anymore. The moon, which was in the last quarter, partially illuminated the tall object. She noticed the shine.

“That's…made of steel too!?”

As soon as she said it out loud, bright, white lights came out of the “windows”, revealing the sleeping landscape beneath the steel structure.

The object looked around until its lights fell on the sleeping Ponyville. The object stood still, preparing for...something.

 (Meh, I'm gonna use the 2005 film's horns and SF, because they're just good!)

Two loud and deep horn-like sounds came from the tall object. Seconds later, its tentacle-like leg just made its first step. Then another, another another...

The ground shook with every step the thing took. Then, hatch the size of a door opened from under the head. A wheelbarrow-sized prism emerged from the hatch. It was attached to thick tentacle-like wire. On the end of the prism, a light blue hemisphere started making unpleasant hissing noises which increased every second.

Twilight watched in horror as the "machine" slowly approached the city. The Princess gained courage, she soared, flew past the "machine" and stopped in mid-air in front of it.

The lights of the "machine" fixed on the Princess of Equestria, who had a serious expression. The “Machine” stopped and watched the purple Alicorn motionless. Only sounds that resembled an engine could be heard. The confused residents of Ponyville could also be heard as they were awakened by the shaking of the ground and the horn. What they saw stayed in their minds forever.

Princess Twilight Sparkle who stopped the big colossus.

Well…except that the colossus stopped to…make the aim easier...

The “Machine” aimed the prism at the Princess. In the middle of the light blue hemisphere, a blue, spinning ball began to form, with faint flashes.

This is what the Princess knew about unicorns, like waiting to create a powerful spell! Realizing that the blue body was about to shoot something powerful, she quickly wrapped herself in a thick layer of her magic.

A blue, rippling line shot out from the prism, which, while it didn't break through the purple shield, was powerful enough to throw Twilight to the far side of Ponyville at incredible speed. Twilight came down very hard.

It took several minutes before she was able to recover. When she opened her eyes, she was in bed. Wait, in bed?

“For Luna’s sake! I flew through someone's roof!"

As she untangled herself from the wooden debris and put on her crown, she heard…sirens and screaming of ponies and other creatures…

Worried, she returned back to the roof. It wasn't over yet. But when she saw the wasteland...

"Oh no…"

West Ponyville was on fire, smoke went into the air, the houses were in pieces. Some houses from the West part of the city were even upside down on the square buildings!

“What are they using to cause destruction of this magnitude?!?”

But the arrow that struck her heart was yet to come…

“Dear, Celestia… Fluttershy…Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash…AppleJack!”

Then Twilight heard the sounds of movement…

“That machine-!”

Twilight flew up to a certain height to spot the three-legged machine on a smaller hill, behind Ponyville! It was chasing some creatures!

Twilight flew to the machine and prepared a medium-strength, magical beam.

*SNAP!*

The magic…it stopped the magic…before it even hitted the machine!

"WHAT THE HAY!?"

Twilight fired her magic at the intruder again, but with the same result! The magic beam just stopped short of something.

“Princess! Save yourselves!!” 

Twilight noticed the two ponies that were in that…cage. They were trying to get out! But, when they noticed the Princess, they took action.

The three-legged machine didn't have time to return fire as it focused on the unicorn below. He had the same problems as Twilight. The magic didn't go through…something invisible was making that thing…invulnerable.

"I won't leave the ponies behind!"She said.

"No! Run! It's shooting something, that makes our magic turn off somehow! If you try to save us, this will probably happen to you too!” A yellow unicorn with a light green mane said.

“Wait a second… That thing has two functions?”

As soon as Twilight finished her question, something like a sound wave came out from the prism. That hitted the unicorn, which was now paralyzed!

Twilight watched as the unicorn tried to teleport away but his magic wasn't listening. The machine knelt down to him and a tentacle-like hand came out of the "gearbox" and picked him up and threw him into the cage with the other unicorns. 

Hol up, other unicorns?

Twilight knew that this machine had to be neutralized immediately. But even if her magic couldn't scratch the surface of the machine, she had to connect with someone. Make something big, that could defeat its shield… She had to save Equestria from evil again. And the only option she could think of at the moment was the 'Elements of Harmony'.

But little she knew, that task was impossible…

Now, she had to warn her subjects. What happened this morning was an invasion for sure! And at the same time a declaration of war against…machines.

Twilight found it hard to leave lives in need, but she had to.

She teleported away to the castle. Or rather, to the throne room. The hall was known in the castle as the hall of 'history'. But when Celestia abdicated and was replaced by Twilight, all but the most important images of Celestia were dismantled and replaced.

As the purple Alicorn reached her throne, she pressed the red button on the side. A button she hoped she would never push.

Sirens began to sound throughout the castle, mainly to wake up the soldiers and generals.

After a few moments, the first beings reached the throne room, where a frowning Twilight was already waiting on the throne. Spike got there too. Finally, the commander of the royal army emerged from the confused crowd. It was Griffon Gallus.

A light blue winged Grif, with dark blue wings and circles under his eyes, he wore golden armor, specially created for his figure.

He took off his helmet and asked.

“Princess? This meeting- Have we been attacked?”

The princess stood up from her throne and pointed to a window that had a beautiful view of Ponyville.

Gallus came to the window and looked at Ponyville. He was shocked and surprised.

“Ponyville has been attacked!?”

“By the machine that was hiding in that cylindrical meteorite. It's taller than Ponyville Town Hall and a laser that destroys anything in its path.”She explained and walked over to a shocked Griffin who was still staring at a burning chunk of Ponyville. Until, one thing occurred to him.


“If the machine is that big,”He started and looked at the Princess.
"Then why can't I see it?"

To this the Princess answered lightly.

"Hunting ponies."

“Oh… S-should we call all capable soldiers immediately?”

"Definitely!"She said without thinking.

"And mobilize others at the same time. What walks Equestria now has a shield.”
> V.~The unicorn sisters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

AppleJack. Everyone knows her as the strongest Earth pony in Equestria. And also, as an element of honesty. But what most didn't know was that the slightest sound could wake her up. Uh…pretty minor fact, but…there's a reason for it.

For example, this morning she was awakened by a distant howling. And it's been a while since she's been trying to fall asleep again. The hooting didn't seem strange to her at all. They could have been firemen or ambulances.

Her attempt to fall asleep was interrupted again. Interrupted by frantic banging on the door, from outside.

"At Celestia, will ah get any sleep?!" She said, confused. As she sat up on the bed and looked at her bedside table, she noticed the clock revealing the time. Five in the morning. The sun was just rising.

AJ slowly walked out of her room only to see her younger sister Applebloom in the hallway who also wanted to know why someone was knocking at five in the morning.

When they both reached the ground floor and opened the front door, they were surprised.

“Rarity? Sweetie Belle?”

Two unicorns, one white with an elegant, swirling dark blue mane and tail, and the other, also white with a lavender-pink mane and tail. Both unicorns looked exhausted and had scratches in some places.

“Rarity! What happened?" She asked AJ worriedly, seeing them like this.

“Absolute horror! On the day we were supposed to have another show!” She said, placing a hoof on her forehead. To which her younger sister, Sweetie Belle, rolled her eyes.

"Ponyville has been attacked," She explained.

The two earth mares looked at each other first and then at the unicorns.

"What? By who?” Was all Applebloom could say.

"They'll explain it inside. Come on.” AJ said, motioning for her friend and her younger sister to enter.

After a while, the unicorns were sitting on the sofa and AJ was on the couch. Applebloom went upstairs to get some warm blankets.

"So… Who invaded Ponyville?"  The orange mare yet again asked. Sweetie Belle took the floor.

"It is not known who, but I can tell what. Remember that 'meteorite' outside Ponyville?"

"Yea?"

"So imagine it wasn't a meteorite, but some alien machine that just kills everyponyin its path! Oh Celestia, these screams..."

AJ tilted her head.

“A machine? Did Ponyville come up with that?”

“Yes, a machine. Made of steel! Taller than Ponyville Town Hall. It uses magic that we don't know!”

“Uh…how did it look?”

“Like a head on three legs! And the worst; their weapon shoots a laser that melts everything!”

“Oh, Celestia… Has anyone tried to beat it yet?”

Now Rarity took the word for that question.

“Twilight! She fired at it twice, but nothing! It didn't even touch the surface!” She answered.

"So some kind of invisible shield?" Applebloom joined in carrying one large blanket.

"Probably. I don't know anything that magic can't break through.” Rarity said.

"And as the icing on the cake, four unicorns disappeared before the attack."

“Interesting… Where is it now?”

"We don't know. According to the survivors, it chased the ponies all the way to the Everfree forest.”

AppleJack has nothing to say. What to do now?

“Well…the only thing we can do now is wake up Big Mac and his family, take food and go to the cellar.” AppleBloom breaks the silence.

“Yea… I’m gonna wake them up. Bloom, you show Rarity and Sweetie the cellar entrance and take every food you can find to the cellar too.” She said, as she was going upstairs.

“So like a head on three legs, you say.” AppleBloom said, as she waited for the unicorn sisters to stand up.
“Isn’t a Tripod then?”

“Well… It would make sense.” Sweetie answered.

“You can think about the name tomorrow. So where is the cellar entrance of yours?” Rarity cut their conversation.

“Oh, right! Uh, right here.” She said, as she pointed at the wooden door under the stairway.
“When you get there, don’t forget to switch on the lights, take the blankets and rest. Ah, gonna get some food.” She said and trotted to the kitchen.

The Unicorn sisters opened the door and saw the stairway to the dark.

“Alright.”
> VI.~"Who's with me?"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a late morning. Ten O’clock to be specific. Few minutes ago, Rainbow Dash just woke up. Now she was trotting to the Wonderbolts Dining room. Not because she was late to have breakfast, but was late because of today's Wonderbolts meeting.

When she finally got to the room and opened the doors, she saw familiar faces that were looking at her, like she was having a better day than them.

“Wait what?”

Then she noticed their…sad…expression.

“Uh…guys? What’s the matter?” She asked, as she slowly walked to the big table with pegasi around it.

“Ah, Rainbow. Good morning to you too, I guess…” Soarin’. Captain of the Wonderbolts. This light gray pegasus with a navy blue mane had the same expression as the others.

“Did you know what happened this morning?” He asked.

“Uh…no?”

“Some big machine that looked like a Tripod attacked Ponyville.” He said.

“What? If this was a joke, then it was pretty lame, Soarin’.” She waved her wing. Other pegasi just rolled their eyes and they put their face in their hooves.

“That…wasn’t a joke?” She asked in slow realization.

“Would I ever make a joke on something like this? Heck no! Here, read it.” He said and put a red paper in front of her. She took to her hooves and started reading. But when she saw the inscription, her eyes narrowed.

“Mobilization - Wonderbolts. Equestria is at war with the unknown race that attacked Ponyville in the morning hours. Every flyable member of the Wonderbolts now must have to take a weapon to their hooves and stand against the enemy of Equestria. Wonderbolts academy will be shut down and renamed as ‘Wonderbolt Base’ for training purposes.”

“Still think you could find it funny in this?” One of her friends asked.

“I-I’m sorry! But-! Wait…does that mean…” She asked.

“Yes. Since today, the training is on 100%”

“For Celestia sake… What now?”

“Wait for somepony, who’s gonna train us how to use weapons.” Soarin’ explained. 

After a good minute, something in Soarin’ head switched. He looked around and then he stood up on his rear hooves to be see more, one front hoof on the table and second in the air.

“Dear, Wonderbolts, I have only 2 things to say. I know that many of you don’t want to fight, and I respect that. But we are the best flyers that Equestria have and NEED! I don’t know what about you ponies, but I am ready to fight against the invaders! I know that somepony would actually try to run from the war, but trust me; it will not help!”

“My point is; we may not know what I am leading into, but if it would be dangerous, I don't want to be alone. I am asking you, the best flyers of Equestria, who are strong and brave enough to join me and help defend the Equestria I love. Equestria everypony loves!”

Every pegasus at the table was listening to every word he said. He was ready. But were the others? They didn’t want to leave the families behind. But if they didn’t want to join, would it help it? No. It would’t help in any way.

“Frick this. I’m in!” One light green pegasus mare said aloud and put her hoof in the air.

“Yeah! If some-creature is gonna take away my home, then they will be regretting this!” Said dark coat pegasus stallion and put the hoof in the air too.

“YEA!”

“Count me on!”

Another and another ponies were putting their hooves in the air. 

“It needs one more thing, my dear friends.” One pegasus said. She turned back, took her backpack, opened it and took out a…guitar?

“We are ponies. We may have suffered a lot, but we survived. Thanks to the power of Harmony and friendship…” She explained and started playing on the gutiar.




(You don't have to, but I putted it here just because how god damn good this song is! Celestia bless Equestria!)




“Equestria, the land I love

A land of harmony

Our flag does wave from high above

For ponykind to see



Equestria, a land of friends

Where ponykind do roam

They say true friendship never ends

Equestria, my home”



Then one by one, pegasi joined the song, they knew very well…



“Equestria, the land I love

A land of harmony

Our flag does wave from high above

For ponykind to see



Even Rainbow joined.



Equestria, a land of friends

Where ponykind do roam

They say true friendship never ends

Equestria, my home”


It was perfect. Every pegasus was ready to fight for the motherland.

But…for Rainbow Dash it wasn’t perfect…

“I hope you know, what are you doing, Twilight…” She said quietly to herself.

“I have one last thing to say, before this meeting ends,” Soarin’ said, as he went back to all four hooves.

“Get Ready.”
> VII.~"It's not alone..."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another sunny day in the land of Friendship. Every city in Equestria began to mobilize and get prepared for the war that had already begun. But little anypony in Canterlot knew, Ponyville wasn’t the only city that had been attacked…

In the Canterlot Castle, Princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike were in the royal library. They were trying to find anything about life from space.

“I don’t know, Twilight. The only world I know, where life is, is only behind the mirror. What if the aliens are humans?” Spike asked, as he searched more than fifty books.

“It cannot be humans, Spike! They don’t know ANYTHING about our world. It has to be someone or something, who lives on a different planet, that is near our planet!” She explained, as she was holding ten books about life in her magic.

“Okay, if we are gonna put the reason, why and how they got here, out of the way, don’t you want to try to find that machine instead? Since this morning, it just vanished!”

“Vanished?” She asked, confused.

“*Sigh* Twilight, you are a good leader and that, but that thing left the region of Ponyville this late morning! There’s a pretty big chance it's hunting ponies in Dodge City! 

I am asking you, as a friend; YOU are the face of the Ponykind. YOU are the Guardian of the Friendship and Equestria. Do you think you can just set aside the land you need to protect? Lives need to be saved?” Spike said, as he put his claws on her shoulder.

“Yeah… You’re right.” She realized, as she put all ten books back to the shelves.
“I shouldn’t leave Equestria behind. I just…can’t stop thinking about the simple questions that could explain the reasons for this invasion; Why and who are they?” She explained and looked at her dragon friend.

“We will never know. If…” He twirled his hand

“We won’t execute them.” Twilight finished the sentence.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Then a knocking was heard from the royal library doors. Twilight walked to them and opened them.

“Princess.” A royal guard was on the other side of the doors. He was holding something.
“Letters from Applesoona, Manehattan and Griffonstone.” He said, which Twilight raised an eyebrow.

She took the letters with her magic, guard salutes and trotted away. She looked confused at Spike who had the same expression.

Little scared, she opened first letter. She was horrified.

“Something bad?” Spike asked, but got ignored.

Twilight opened another letter. Same horrified face, but worse. Spike gets little worry.

“Twilight, what is happening?” But he got ignored again.

Now Twilight opened the last letter and hoped it wouldn't be the same as the first two. It was not.

“Twilight!” Spike screamed. She finally looked at him.

“H-How long would it take to mobilize, if we had only 5 c-cities?” She asked. Spike looked at her with his head tilted.

“What? Why five? We have eight cities to mobilize, right?”

“I guess not anymore.” She said in a slightly squeaky voice. 

Spike couldn't hold it anymore. He took one of the letters from her purple magic and started reading for himself.

“Manehattan has been attacked by the Machine! We count the injured by the thousands, the dead by the hundreds and the kidnapped by the tens! For those abducted, it was mostly unicorns! Mobilization isn’t possible! After the attack, the machine changed direction, now heading back inland!”

After he read the letter, Twilight gave him another one, in front of his face, in her magic aura. Spike slowly took it and looked at it. It wasn’t a letter. But a photo taken by one of the known photographers in Equestria.

In the photo, they already had a familiar death machine. But...there wasn't just one...but two. And they weren’t even in Manehattan, but… 

“Las Pegasus…? But…what will we do now? Manehattan was the only city that could mobilize enough ponies against the ONE Tripod! But if the machine isn’t alone anymore, then this is how we send our soldiers to certain death!” Spike said, a little shocked.

Twilight turned her back on him, putting her hoof on her chin. Seconds later, she spoke;

“If they can use technology, that can make them invulnerable, then it's finally time to take science back to life.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, a little worried.

Twilight looked at him.

"We need to make a weapon that must be strong enough to pierce that shield of theirs. And if that weapon can pierce the shield, then piercing steel armor shouldn't be a problem. Although I'm under pressure, I feel that here in the library, I can find a clue that can create this weapon for us.”

Spike looked at her, dumbfounded.

“W-What about the others?”

“Tell Gallus to make a plan that could get the ponies to try to get to Canterlot. Canterlot has a shield that could deflect their lasers…for a few days.”

“Uh…you sure it’s safe outside, if one of the Tripods is coming back here?”

“I know their speed. They are REALLY slow. So...two days?”

“That’s not enough time for any of this!”

“Trust me, ponies will survive, if they know where to hide.”

“Well..if you think... I’m gonna go tell the general about your plan.” Spike said as he was leaving the library. 

When he was about to turn down the hallway, he remembered something.

“What was in the letter from the Griffonstone, anyway?” He asked, while standing in the doorway.

“They…they’re saying that another cylinder shaped object, that was falling from the sky, has been seen. By their words, it landed into the Celestian Ocean.”

“More double trouble.” He just said, sighed and went down the hallway.
> VIII.~Cellar or Castle?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What can be the best spot to hide from natural disasters, (Or Alien invasion for now,) where you would spend days and months until somepony would save your flank? I would likely accept my fate then try to find a hiding spot.

But luckily for the Apple Family, under their house was a cellar for these disasters…

The cellar was surprisingly vast. Big enough for seven lives and more! The walls were dark gray, but filled with shelfs with books. Three suspended lights illuminated the entire cellar with apples. But doing more than talking or reading, there was only sleeping…yeah.

“AppleJack!” A voice called her name. She snapped back to reality and looked at the source of the call. It was Applebloom.

“Uh, yes, Bloom?”

“We were asking you somethin’ but you didn't respond.”

"Oh. Sorry. Ah was just…thinking."

“What were you thinking about, darling?” Rarity asked.

"If the machine was made to attack Equestria for…some Celestia sake reason, I don't think it would be able to take over our land by itself."

“...What…?”

"It's just my theory. If somepony really sent that machine to destroy us or somethin’, then it's kind of weird that they only sent one."

“Please…don’t say that,” Said the pink unicorn mare with purple mane and tail. It was Sugar Belle, AppleJack’s sister-in-law.

“Let’s just hope that Princess Twilight has a plan to stop at least ONE Tripod. And if it would work, then defeating the rest of the Tripods won’t be a problem.” 

“We’ll see.” AppleJack said, but when her eyes landed on Sweetie Belle, she noticed she was shaking.

Applejack came closer to the rarity and whispered;

“What’s up with Sweetie Belle? She wasn’t shaking like that, while you and her went down here.”

“*Sigh* She’s… sick.” Rarity's answer came in whispers too.

“Sick? Since when?” AJ was confused.

“It's hard for me to say, but she's had a big fever for four days now. I hope it isn’t a problem.” Rarity whispered in a sad tone.

“Wha- Of course it isn’t a problem! Y’all are fully welcomed in Sweet Apple Acres anytime, with any request. Ah mean, what are best friends after all?” AJ said, placing her hoof on her shoulder.

“Thanks, AJ…”

“BUCK!” Unexpectedly, Big Mac has said the B-word.

Everypony, except for Sweetie Belle, looked at the muscular red earth pony.

“What’s wrong, Mac?” Sugar Belle asked, holding their six-years-old child's ears.

“The radio! I thought the signal would be better!” He said, as he was searching his bag.

Radio. The only thing that would give them information and the state of the ‘war’ from the surface.

“Ya are kidding, right? We’re under the ground! Of course it will not work well!” AJ smacked her brother over the head.

“Great… What now?” Big Mac put his hoof on his chin.

“*Sigh* Without radio, we will never know when to leave the cellar! Unless…I would try the signal out of the cellar.”

“NOPE!” Big Mac catches her front hoof.

“Big Mac’s right! We don’t even know if the machine is near our farm!” AppeBloom said, as she stand in front of her.

“I know. It may be dangerous, but trust me. I will fall back before it even notices where I am.”

“You sure?”

“Well...no.”

“Wait… Haven’t…somepony heard a horn or something for the last two days?” Rarity asked.

Nopony said anything…

“Then I think it’s safe out there.”

“Hol up, what?” AJ tilted her head, as she looked at her.

“The machine from Ponyville… It can make a horn-like sound! And before it even attacked Ponyville, it horned two times. So…they may horn, when they are ready to attack.” Rarity explained.

“Well…at least I would know, if it saw me or not.” AJ said, as she opened the exit doors, holding a radio with a cable under her front hoof, looking at the stairs to the surface.

After she took the stairs, she slowly opened the door that was under the house stairways.

She slowly put the radio on the floor, straightened the transmitter and before she turned it on, she looked around her. 

Silence. Just an unreliable silence…

“That was simple.” She said to herself as she turned on the radio. But…

When pressed, all that could be heard was the typical hum, which revealed that the radio had no signal. But how? She was no longer in the underground, where it couldn't be much better. AJ gradually changed the frequency but couldn't find one that was understandable.

"...They destroyed the radio tower, haven't they…?"

AJ was slowly losing hope of success...until...

“Two M---ines slo-ly occ--y the We-- of E--estria! At the s-me time, one ma--ine is head--g back to the inlan-! Aco---ing to some sourc--, one ---achine holds near the -order with a Crys--- Empire! An unkn-wn obj--t fell -nto the Ce--estial Oce-n!”

AJ listened in shock, as the signal got worse, until typical hum was heard again.

“Dear, Celestia…” AJ packed the radio and trotted back to the cellar.

When she got back in, everypony watched her, like she saw a ghost. AJ looked at everypony in the cellar, breathing a little uncanny.

“We have to get into the Canterlot.” She said.

“What!? What did they say?”

“No questions! Start packing!” AJ said, as she started packing her bag.

“B-but why? We are safe here, right?” Sugar Belle asked.

“Well- Yeah! But-! Look, I don't really know what they said, BECAUSE the ‘Aliens’ destroyed the radio tower, but what I get is that machine from Ponyville is probably coming back!”

“B-but it still does not explain why we should leave the only safe place. So why?”

“The machine isn’t alone!”

Everypony was quiet.

“Yes, it is NOT alone! The only thing I want is to find a better place to hide. If one would eventually come here, I bet it would dig, to find a way to find us!”

“And why is it's Canterlot?” Rarity asked.

“It has a shield, remember?” AJ answered.

“So ya wanna rush it?” Mac asked.

“Yea. It would take…two days.”

“Well…we can try it. So…in five minutes, we can leave.”
> IX.~Rainbow's training
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As was once said; there were FIVE cities for mobilization now, since the machines took over big cities like Manehattan and Las Pegasus. One of the cities where an order to mobilize was sended by the Canterlot, was Cloudsdale; the Pegasus city. 

From there, the order went to every cloud, where Pegasi builded a house and lived. One of the clouds was of course the brand new "Wonderbolt Base", where the former aerial acrobats mainly trained to use air attacks, such as bombing a moving target or a stationary target. They rarely trained with a blades, IF the Aliens would go face to face againts them.

However, they knew, what survivors Pegasi from Ponyville once said:

“They have a Bucking shield and we have bombs! Where's the balance in that?!” The pale yellow pegasus mare, known as Surprise, said to her colleague; Rainbow Dash.

“Well, I think they have trust not in our aim, but our speed.” She answered, as she and Surprise were waiting on one of the hundreds of clouds with an arsenal attached to their bodies thanks to the strap.

The arsenal was a wooden bomb. These bombs were training ones, not real ones. 

Let me explain, why ponies have a bombs in a nutshell;

Twilight made them in 2021, as an answer against the Griffon Empire. Yes, they were fighting…again…even though they were in a new era of common alliance. But before anypony noticed, the three-month ‘bloodless war’ was over.

For almost 9 years, the bombs were stored. Now, it is a way to at least slow down the machines, before Twilight and her team make the ‘Wonder Weapon’.

Today, the bombs were dust off from the Canterlot underground storeroom and given to the Pegasi.

The biggest bombs that pegasi could carried, were ‘M.B. 500’ Also known as ‘Magic Bombs 500 Lb’.

These bombs (As the name says itself…), were multi-purpose bombs with a Magic ‘war’-head. These bombs could make a pretty deep crater with a TEN meters radius.

Now that is a piece of technology for a Race that never used them.

Since the start of the Invasion, there was no fear of running out of these 'saviors'. Twilight’s factory made more than was planned before…

“Speed isn’t a problem, but still… They have a shield…”

“I know, I know…”

Just then, a pegasus stallion from another not-so-away cloud called their name.

“Rainbow and Surprise! You’re next!”

“Well, here goes nothin'. Keep up with my left wing, okay?” Rainbow said to her colleague as she and Surprise put their goggles on their faces.

Rainbow flapped her wings a few times until she brought them to her body and let gravity taking her to face ground. Same thing did Surprise as well. After a few seconds of free fall, they noticed their target with a few ponies, ready to check the results.

The target was an orange plastic box about as big as a pony itself. 

They spread their wings to slow down a bit and start aiming.

“Bomb away!” She said to herself aloud, as she pressed a button attached on her front hoof to drop the bomb.

“Bomb away!” Surprise mimic her.

With a medium G-force, they gain back height and slow down. Then they looked back to see the results.

“Two clear hits!” Soarin’ called.

The two mares just smiled and did a high-hoof.

Moments later, they landed next to the target.

“Well, Soarin’? How did we do?” Rainbow asked.

Soarin’ was deciding which ponies would be perfect for each cooperative.

“Very good and… I think I decided... You, Surprise, High Winds and Silver Zoom. You four are ideal for the 1./ Slowing Fireteam.”

“Wait… 1./ Slowing…? Does that mean…”

“We need your speed at the first lines. I hope you can understand that you are the fastest flier Equestria has right now. Fast scouting and attacking are in the first place, because we don’t want casualties on the first day. But you know that.”

“Yea…I know.”

“Uh…Soarin’?” A light blue pegasus mare with a white mane was gliding down from the base with a letter in her front hooves.

“Yes, Fleetfoot?”

“This letter came with a big crate from Canterlot.”

Soarin’ raised an eyebrow.

“Did they want us already?” He said uncertainly, as he took the letter from her and opened it.

“Oh…” That was the only thing he could say.

“What do you mean ‘Oh’? What are they saying?” Rainbow said.

“I was right. They want us.”

“Wha- Where?”

“According to some sources, one of the machines is near the Appleloosa region.”

“Appleloosa? I thought they were already there!”

“Well…yes, but actually no.”

“Wait, does that mean that box is full of...?”

“Military uniforms.”

“When?” Surprise asked.

“Hm?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

“When do we leave our base?”

“Right after sunset. Better start packing now.” And with that, Soarin’ took off.

“Wait, he said ‘One of the machines’?”
> X.~The W-Weapon foundation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Purple dragon with a green belly was walking through the city of Canterlot.

“Why did she decide that it must be…here.” He said to himself. By that, he meant the place where the ‘Wonder Weapon’ was started building. Yes, she found a way to build it.

“Uh…Twilight?” Purple-green dragon called, when he reached a place of the future ‘Wonder Weapon’, would be.

“Wait a moment, Spike!” Twilight replies, while she was screwing something.

Spike looked around the foundation for the ‘Wonder Weapon’. It was right, where exactly the best view of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest was once upon a time. A place for the landing pegasi.

“It’s…important.”

Twilight sighed, left a screwdriver on the foundation and landed next to the Spike.

“Well?”

“There is…pretty big chance, we were being watched for a long time, before the invasion.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You see… They look like they know what they are doing and… Their technology is specially made against ponies, more like against the unicorns. 

One of the main problems is; for what reasons do they want unicorns? What are they doing to them inside the machines? Why…they tried to kill you? Why are they pushing ponies from the inland?” Spike asked many times.

“For these answers, we have to wait, dear Spike. Sometimes, I ask these questions myself. And I always made a theory.” She smiled weakly.

“Okay, but… I don’t need a theory to confirm that their machines ARE builded especially against ponies. 
Twilight, I have a feeling that the unicorns are…something like a fuel for these death machines…”

“Theory?”

“Wha- No! THEY are capturing only unicorns and dragging them inside the Tripod! Unicorns are a very big deal for them! They are using them for something. And I think it’s this!” Spike crossed his arms.

“Spike…that’s ridiculous. If they're using unicorns…even as a…fuel, then they'd have to count on unicorns learning to hide from them! Those machines would be of no use to them after that!”

“Then how would you explain the reason why they capture only unicorns?” Spike asked one more time.

“I…have no idea.”

“Alright…I hope once, if we could capture their machine, I will be the first who's going search the machine from top to the bottom.” He said, as he then looked again at the foundation. 

“I see the W-weapon is going to be pretty big.” He changed the topic for good.

“Yeah… It’s gonna be powerful, so it will need a strong foundation. The best thing is, it can be made in a day! Some of the engineers are making a barrel in the castle at this very moment.”

“A what?”

“A barrel, it’s like a long iron tube made to fire projectiles.”

“Sweet, what’s gonna be the ammunition?”

Twilight put her front hoof on her chest.

“Me.”

Shocked, Spike looked at her with worry.

“Wait, what?! You are gonna shoot yourself onto them?”

“What? Oh, nononono… I am going to put half of MY magic into the weapon.”

“Uh…didn’t you say that your magic did not even touch the surface of the machine?”

“Yea, but the barrel is gonna make the magic beam much faster and more powerful!”

“So like…three times powerful?”

“SIX times powerful, if the barrel is long enough.”

“Wow… Are you sure…it will work?”

“74 percent.”

“Fair enough.”

“Now, do you want to help me with the foundation for the cannon breech?” Twilight asked.

“Uh…I mean, why not? I have time.”

“Great! Here, take the safety glasses.” She said, as she took one of the safety glasses that were hanging on the construction.

“I hope, you know, what you are doing, Twilight.” He said, taking the glasses and putting them on his face.

“I am aware of the risks and sacrifices, Spike. The sooner we end this war the better.”

“And…if it wouldn’t work?”

“Then…we have to evacuate Ponies out of the Equestria to our neighbors.”

“Just like that?”

“Do you have a better plan B?”

“Well…I- Yea…we are nothing against them.”

“So you see.” 

“Let’s just hope that the W-weapon will save Equestria.”

And with that, Spike starts helping Twilight with the construction.
> XI.~Half empty Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was slowly setting. Second day of the invasion was getting closer to the end and The Apple family was getting step by step closer and closer to the Canterlot. 

Along the way, the Apple family witnessed the devastated landscape near Ponyville, which is in a half way of the evacuation. 

The wasteland that the machines had left behind was all muddy and hard to walk through. I also have to point out the craters that were also there. Craters left by the machine and its weapon of high destruction. 

It is not known exactly why the 'Ponyville' machine left the region on the first day, but it was clear that Ponyville would once again be searched by the death machines.

"How. Far?" Sweetie Belle asked, completely tired.

“Six hours of another walk, and we should be at the Canterlot gates.” Big Mac answered.

“Six hours!? We should rather rest!” Rarity said aloud.

“I agree with Rar, here. Ah mean, we all have been walking for a half day now.” AJ said, as she looked at her brother.

“Ugh, fine. We’re gonna rest, but first, we have to find a shelter.”

By the word ‘shelter’, everypony, except Big Mac, looked at the half abandoned Ponyville with missing West houses.

“Really?” 

"Do you know a better place?" AppleBloom asked as she slowly started walking towards Ponyville.

Big Mac just rolled his eyes and waved his front hoof to the family to follow her.

After a while they entered Ponyville. Everything was upside down. Ponies and creatures packed up their belongings and put them on their own or the shared cart. 

“What's going on here...?" AJ said, noticing Ponyville half empty.

"Ah dunno, but if Ponyville's half empty, then it wouldn't be a problem for everypony to find their stash."

"You mean… like them…?" AppleBloom asked. Distaste could be heard in her voice.

Everypony looked down, to AppleBloom’s right, seeing…three ponies half-covered in dust, with fully opened eyes that were a little bit red, looking into the sky. One of them, earth pony, had a large opening with what looked like a red hose slightly peeking out.

Second one, the unicorn, had its injuries more…hidden, but one thing could not be overlooked. A big Bucking pipe was through his neck!

And the third-

“OKAY! This is enough!” AJ said, pushing AppleBloom from the corpses. But…

“They were not alone…” Sugar Belle said, now holding her son's eyes.

It seems that somepony already cleaned the streets of Ponyville.There were piles of rubble on one side and piles of bodies on the other. And the three ponies they saw seconds ago, they were another basis for another pile of bodies.

“What is it Mommy? I want to see!”

“Shush!”

“Let’s hide in this.” Rarity said, as she pointed at the Ponyville’s typical two story house.

“Nah, we need something bigger. If they're gonna search up the whole of Ponyville, then ah don't think the seven of us can find a hiding spot.” Big Mac explained.

“Don't tell me we're going to fight now…” AppleBloom said, facehooved.

“It’s better, before anypony else is gonna take it infront of our eyes.” Sugar Belle said.

“Sugar, please, you know, that this house cannot hide 7 lives.”

Just as Sugar Belle was about to say anything, out of nowhere something sounded in the distance. Something that surprised all of Ponyville.



Everypony stopped what they were doing, like a somepony stopped time. Nopony moved a muscle.

The first one almost nopony heard, but the second one, everypony heard it loud and clear. And the third one confirmed the worst.

“They are already here!?” Rarity screamed.

After that, everypony and the creature started panicking. Somepony tried to find a place to hide, others took their bags and started running.

“TO THE HOUSE, NOW!” Big Mac yelled.

They tried to stick together but the crowd made it very difficult for them. It finally ended with Big Mac's family and Rarity arriving at the house. AJ, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were unfortunately pushed away by the frightened crowd.

“There’s many of them, Big Mac! We can't get into the house!” AJ called to Big Mac. 

“Do you see any spot where y’all could at least try to leave this moving chaos?!” Big Mac called back.

AJ looked around, but didn't find any good spot where she would not hurt anypony.

She wanted to respond back, but…

“They are too far. The crowd managed to get us…where are we again?” Applebloom asked, as she was helping Sweetie Belle staying on all four legs.

“Great…now to take care of two ponies… Welp, I have good news after all. I know where we are going to hide. Follow me!” She said, as she gently pushed some ponies out of their way.

“Where…?” Belle asked quietly.

“At the Sugarcube Corner.”

“At Pinkie? Ya think she’s still in Ponyville?”

“Ah don’t know, but it’s worth a shot.” Orange mare said.

Finally, after a good five minutes, they managed to get out of the crowd. Now they were standing in front of the Candy-shop doors. Exhausted and thirsty.

*KNOCK, KNOCK.* 

AJ knocked and waited… 

Nothing…

“Welp…maybe they’re already in Cante-”

“HI, APPLEJACK! I KNEW, YOU GONNA STOP BY!” A pink earth pony with a pretty big, cotton candy-like mane and tail, opened the doors at ridiculous speed.

“PINKIE! You almost made my soul leave my body!” AJ said, a little angry, but happy at the same time. She was still alive…

“Oh, sorry! Well, don’t stand in that chaotic world! Come on in!” She said, as she got out from the doorway, to let them enter.

The three ponies entered the Candy-shop, noticing that every curtain did not let the light in.

“Ya’ll hiding like a mouse here. How’s your family doing?” Applebloom said, turning to Pinkie Pie, who closed the door.

“My family? Oh AppleBloom, they are not here…” She said, still smiling.

But at that, three other mares looked at each other, having the same shocked and scared expression. Then they looked back at the pink mare.

“Did they…” AJ was about to say the worst, but…

“Yep! They went on a trip out of Ponyville a week before this invasion!”

AppleBloom sighed in relief.

“Oh, thanks goddess. Uh…where exactly, they went…?”

“To my parents! Don’t worry, that piece of steel can’t do a thing to them! I mean, the machines will never take their big tentacle-like legs on our farm, if everything is just rocks and…angry sisters...” And with that, she finally sat down, looking at them with a smile.

“Well…? How did you two end up here?”

“Uh…pretty…chaotic story, ah can tell.” Aj said, sitting down too.

“Wait…” Sweetie said.

“W-where’s Discord? W-why can't he stand up and make a steel cube from those machines?”

“Well…………I don’t know!”

“You’re right… He could make those things teleport back, where they come from! He’s a Lord of Chaos for Celestia’s sake!” AppleBloom joined in.

“Well, if he’s watching our race and families too slowly…you know…getting slowly up there…” AJ pointed her hoof in the air. “Then I want to know if he had enough.”

“We will see the truth very soon, don’t worry.” Pinkie just waved her hoof.
“By the way, I bet you all were heading to Canterlot, eh?”

“How did ya know?” AJ asked.

“So you didn’t hear the ‘Red code’ from Canterlot? Then I have to fix that!”

“What?”

"You see, everyone is leaving Ponyville after the town radio operator told us to leave our homes and go to Cantelrot where we will be safe."

“Hah, I called it!” AJ shouts and then looks at her sister, who rolled her eyes.

“So, since I did not want to leave Ponyville alone, I thought it would be nice surviving the journey to Canterlot with a friend and friends of my friend!”

“Sounds good to mah.” Applebloom said, which Pinkie just smiled…more.

"Anyway I'm pretty hungry. Do you gals' want a piece of cake?" She asked, starting to rush in her mane and ... looking for something? Did she just pull the cake out of her mane...?

“Just Pinkie being Pinkie…” AJ rolled her eyes and rested her head on her hooves.
> XII.~Damaged Appleloosa
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a young morning on the third day of invasion. Just an hour after midnight. Many of the wonderbolts had their heads up and were in good moods. How will it be today? Will the ponies finally be one step ahead, or will their progress be ruined by the invaders? Only time will tell...

“Appleloosa in two minutes! Start packing your bags!” Soarin’ said, through the train wagon.

The ‘FriendShip train’. The only transport that supplies south Equestria from the north. Surprisingly, it didn't meet the machines even once.  The first two wagons were for passengers, three for the army and other main things, and the last five for supplies.

Rainbow Dash and her 1./ Slowing Fireteam (Her, Surprise, High Winds and Silver Zoom.), were in the third car of the train, along with the whole Wonderbolt division.

“How…?” Ice blue stallion pegasus asked. He had gray eyes and short gray-white mane and tale, that looked like cotton-candy.

“What do you mean, Zoom?” Rainbow Dash looked at him, with an eyebrow raised.

“How do we slow down a massive machine that has a shield?”

“Simple,” Surprise took the word.
“We’ll try to bomb their path, so we increase the chance of making them stumble over.”

“And if they are smart?” White pegasus mare, known as High Wind, with emerald green eyes and long indigo blue-blue gray mane and tail, entered the conversation.

“Then we will distract them for long enough, until they give up and attack Applelossa instead.” Rainbow answered.

“Eh, fair enough.” Zoom shrugged and took the bag from under the seat he was sitting on.

“Have Soarin' given ya any first information of our first deployment? I mean, I am ready to fly right into action after we leave the train." Zoom says.

“I like optimism, but trust me; you'll lose it right away. And for that question: No, he hasn’t said anything yet.” Dash says, little…sad?

“Why this mood, Dash?” Winds asked.

“Because… Because nothing.” She answered.

“Is it…because of your best friends?” Surprise asked.

“Huh? How did you know?”

“Well…we know you have friends. And…I guess you are scared what would happen to them, right?”

“Yea… Since the information that we are no longer an acrobatic team and we’re going to leave Ponyville, one thing got stuck in my head; How’s my friends going? Are…they still hiding? Are they somewhere together, in a safe place?”

“Yea…i know that feeling.” Winds said.

“How so? I mean, if you are o.k. to tell us.” Dash raised an eyebrow.

“You know…when I heard that Ponyville was attacked, I was worried, because my cousin lives right on the edge of Ponyville. And when the newspapers arrived at the base, I noticed a photo of how a piece of that West Ponyville was gone. 

Since then, I hope he's hiding somewhere safe, waiting to hear from Canterlot next order. Should they wait there? Should they change position? And things like that.” She explained.

“Well, I have good news for you.” Rainbow said. High Winds and the others looked at her.
“Yesterday, Canterlot did indeed order the residents of the Ponyville region AND all of Equestria to immediately leave their homes and go to Canterlot."

“Oh Thanks Celestia…”

After this information, the train slowed down until it fully stopped.

“ALL of Equestria? Ya think it's safe if the…Tripods are moving around Equestria?” Zoom said, as he slowly standed up.

“It’s safe, until one of the machines won’t spot them. However, if they are spotted, we ponies have one advantage in this situation: We are small.” Dash answered, standing up too.


After they left the train, the whole squad was standing on the train station with bags on their backs.

They were shocked, what they saw…

Even when the town had 'western mood', it looked like a tornado had swept through it. At least three houses had the remains of another house's roof or walls on it. The ground in some areas was completely burned or hollowed out. In the place where the sheriff's house used to be, there was one large crater from which a small, faint smoke was still coming. The residents of Appleloosa were hiding anywhere, if it had a roof or something. 

“Like rabbits…” Dash said to herself.

“Welcome to the Appleloosa.” Soarin’ said, as he was the last pony, who left the train.
“Well, when I have you all here, I have a first job for you. You ponies have medium-light bags, right?” Soarin’ opened his bag and took out a file folder of papers.

"Are we going to explore the area?" Zoom asked.

"Exactly. From the information I've gathered, the best location for patrolling  and your base camp would be southwest of the Appleloosa region." He explained as he took one file with his wing and winged it to Rainbow Dash.

“Hmm… I see we have an advantage. We are already on our way, Soarin’.” 

“Great! I hope we will see each other again, after all of this.” Captain of the Wonderbolts smiled, as he took his bag on his back, and trotted to the rest of the ‘Wonder’ division.

“Here you have it, Zoom. First day, first deployment. Still optimistic?” Surprise said sarcastically .

“Yep.”

"Okay, enough of that. Let's go get our bombs and fly to the scout spot." Rainbow said as she looked at the map.

After they took everything they needed, the squad was fully loaded with supplies and bombs. Now they were standing again at the train station, getting ready to take off, side by side.

“Supplies?” Rainbow asked.

“Confirmed!” Surprise answered.

“Camera?”

“Uh…yes, but why camera again?” Zoom asked.

“Evidence. Everypony have a bomb?”

“Yes!” 

“Well then, get into the sky!” Everypony puts their glasses on their faces and spreads their wings. Seconds after, one by one, the 1./ Slowing Fireteam was in the air, heading southwest.





After hours of flying, the squad arrived at the survey site. They used flashlights to slowly land on a…hill.

“A hill?” Winds asked, a little surprised.

"Yes? That's the only advantage we have! Anyway, let's set up base camp. None of us want to sleep on rock and sand, do we?" Rainbow said, putting her bag in front of her. She opened it and took the flag of Equestria.

She stuck it between two rocks and let the wind do the rest.

While that, each one pegasus started building a military tent. Nothing special, just small tents for one pony each. Simple enough.

Rainbow looked at her team and thought for a moment.

"Go to sleep. We flew a lot today." She said.¨

"Best order of the day." Surprise chucked a little.
> XIII.~'Fuel'
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Twilight!” Spike called her name, while running through the throne hall with a letter in his claws.

“Spike?” Twilight asked, as she put some blueprints away.

“You will not gonna believe it!” He only said, as he gave her the letter.

Twilight looked at the letter in her aura and started reading aloud.

“To: Princess Twilight Sparkle

From: Princess Cadance

Day 1: Tall three legend machine was spotted at Equestria-Crystal Empire border, going circles like if it was patrolling.

Day 2: One unit managed to get close enough to the machine without being spotted. They discovered that the machine had one pony in a cage. Probably unicorn.

Day 3: The machine began to behave strangely, and after two days it crossed the borders of the Crystal Empire and approached the crystal castle with a 'crippled' step. Reasons: Unknown."

“You see? It ran out of ‘fuel’ and now it's heading to Crystal Empire to catch some!”

“Spike… I REFUSE to believe that THEY are using unicorns as a ‘fuel’! It’s ridiculous and nonsense! How would they use them as fuel? It’s just a nonsense theory!”

While the dragon was about to say something, griffon Gallus opened the crown hall doors.

“Princess Twilight?” He said, stepping inside the hall, closing the doors a little bit behind him.

“*Sigh* Yes Gallus?”

“In the last five hours, three or four thousands of ponies and a few hundreds of creatures made their way to Canterlot. What now?”

“Take them to the city hospital and open the castle’s gates. We have rooms ready for them.”

“Roger that!” Gallus saluted, left the throne hall and closed the doors.

“You know what, Twilight?” Spike made eye contact with her.

“I’m buying the train ticket to Crystal Empire.” He said, as he turned his back on her and slowly walked out of the throne hall.

“Spike! What do you think you’re gonna do there? Stop the machine?”

“Yes!” He looked back at her.
“And save Crystal Empire for one more time.” He added.

As he left, Twilight leaned back against her throne, taking a breath.

“He’ll come back eventually and tell me how wrong he was…I hope.” She said to herself.

Again, the hall's doors opened. Twilight exhaled and took new air into her lungs. She looked who had entered for this time.

A pink unicorn mare with a gold-yellow mane and tail has entered the throne room. Her cutie mark was a setting sun.

“Ah, Luster Dawn! I haven't seen you for a long time!” Twilight smiled. But Luster…her expression was…a little sad, which Twilight noticed.

“Princess Twilight, I…have bad news.”

“Bad news?”

“Yes, um… From the information that you published to the public, I made a map of the movement of ‘The Death machines’.” She explained as she used her magic to reveal a rolled poster behind the doors, which she closed right after.

“Oh? Can you show me?”

Luster nodded, trotted to Twilight and showed the poster of the Equestria. It was full of marks and darts. In some places it was full red.

“I found out that they're pushing the ponies out of the hinterlands to the very edge of Equestria, where they're letting them live. Its next move, which I indicated, would mostly be Appleloosa, even when it was attacked earlier. Next would very likely be Canterlot. And as you've known for a long time, one machine started acting strangely in the north. Could…this mean something?"

“Interesting, Luster. This may help us to make some tactics against them. But for that, I don’t think that one machine would mean something for all of the other machines. It might just be overheated, which Crystal Empire can use as an advantage too.” Twilight explained.

“Yea…? If it’s just overheated, then why aren't the others?”

“Weather and soil quality?”

“I don’t think so… I think it has to be something with the unicorns too… You know…what if a unicorn's magic is…fuel for them?”

At this information, Twilight looked at her, like she met Spike moments before.

“...You think…?”

“Yea.”

"But......if they are using unicorns as a 'fuel', then... Oh no..." Twilight then stands up from her throne seat, took the blueprints and slowly trotted out of throne hall.

"Princess Twilight? Where are you going?" Luster Dawn asked.

"If all you and Spike are saying is true, then I think it's better to turn the Canterlot shield on!" She said, moments before she closed the doors to the Throne hall.

"Has she...figure out something?" She asked, confused even more.
> XIV.~In Tripod's cage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Why are they here? What do they want? What do ponies have to do with it?’

That’s the questions that everypony asks to themself. Even AJ asks these questions that were filling her head. 

AJ, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were hiding in Sugarcube corner, along with Pinkie Pie.

AJ couldn’t sleep. Not because her head was full of these questions, but because she was afraid that the machine was still near Ponyville. She was so insecure that she sat right next to the window, which was half open. She struggles to hold her head straight up and keep her eyes open.

*Stomp!*

“Can’t sleep too, huh?” A voice came from behind her.

AJ looked behind her and saw an already known white unicorn.

“Sweetie Belle? Are ya feeling better?”

*Stomp!*

“Eh, a little bit. But I still feel…weak. So, is the machine around?”

“I bet. But…I cannot hear its engine.”

“I see… So…how long have you been awake?” Sweetie asked, as she sat down next to AJ.

“Eh, five hours?”

“You should sleep. We have a long day today.”

“Today?”

“It’s 3 AM.”

“Oh…”

*Stomp!*

"Do ya hear something too?"



“AH-!” Sweetie Belle screamed, but AJ immediately covered her mouth with her hoof. 

After that, AJ slowly looked out of the window, while still holding Belle’s mouth.

Stepping sounds were now heard and were getting louder and louder.

Then, a bright light illuminated the dark ground around the Sugarcube Corner.

It was here…

A tall three legged machine was slowly walking through Ponyville, looking left and right, trying to find at least unicorns.

AJ looked back at Sweetie, slowly putting her hoof on her mouth.

“Shhhhh… Not a single word. Stay here and DON’T go outside.” She whispered, slowly putting her hoof out of Belle’s mouth.

“You think I am that stupid!?” Sweetie whispered back.

AppleJack slowly gets up and leaves Belle at the window.

“Where are you going?!” 

"To see if THAT 'horn' woke the others up." And with that she returned to the Sweet-Shop where Applebloom was sleeping.

She found Applebloom sleeping on a mattress that Pinkie gave her.

“Applebloom.” AJ whispered, while shaking her a little.

“Wh- AppleJack?”

“Shhh…” 

Applebloom didn’t move a muscle, as she was processing why she woke her up. Then…she heard it.

The sound of an engine-like sound right outside of this Sweet-shop.

Applebloom's eyes narrowed.

“Whateve’ ya do, don’t scream, talk or go outside. Okay?”

“Uh…and ya tell this same to Sweetie Belle too?”

“Ya?”

“Then why she’s openin’ the doors?”

“What?”

Applebloom pointed behind AJ. AppleJack looked behind her and saw Belle…leaving the shop…?

AppleJack watched in horror as the young unicorn slowly left the candy store.

“Sweetie Belle!!” AJ screamed.

No scream, huh?

AJ trotted out of the store, looking around her. Her eyes landed on a machine that just walked by.

Then she looked to her left and saw Sweetie, sitting at…something?

She trotted to her and as she was about to take her back to Sweet-Shop she noticed a body…?

“Wait…that’s…a…?”

“A...body that breathes.” Belle said.

AJ sat next to Sweetie and said nothing.

As soon as AJ looked at the body, she could tell that the skin was shriveled and faintly blue. Next, she noticed the horn that was clearly visible on the forehead. Next, what could be clearly seen...rather unseen was a mane that was only three hairs long. As it was once said, the unicorn breathed. His eyes were fully open and every second his pupils fell on anything that moved. At this moment, it was two things: Tripod, who was searching through Ponyville, and the two mares who sat down next to him.

“W-where I am?” All of the sudden, he spoke, which surprised the mares.

“You're in Ponyville. Wh- How did ya get here?” AJ asked.

“I- I don’t really know… The last thing I remember is… Cage…and…THEM… Geez, I feel very dizzy!”

“‘Them’? You mean the aliens? What do they look like?”

“Uhh… They… they… weren't ponies for sure… And…they weren't anything I know either… But after they… 'putted' me inside that...thing, I just...lost the feeling...that I still had my magic. Then their faces were...pitch white with a wide black line across their face..."

“Do they walk on four?”

“No… They walk…in twos… W-why are they here? Why do they want us for…? Are we the baddie?!”

“Hey, keep your voice down or they'll hear us again.” Sweetie Belle said as she used her magic to slowly drag the unicorn back to Sweet-Shop.

“Oh no…” The stallion said, looking up.

“What do you mean ‘Oh no’?” AJ asked.



Just then, again, bright light illuminated the dark ground, where the three ponies were.

All of them looked up, to see that the machine was right behind them, not moving, just watching. As the lights fell on Sweetie Belle, the machine crouched down to the ponies and a laser came out of the head. 

“RUN!” AJ screamed.

But before the mares could kick the dirt, an almost invisible ‘wave’ came from the prism-like body. When the "wave" hit the mares, they both immediately found themselves on the ground in the mud.

AJ turned on her back and saw how from the ‘gearbox’, a tentacle-like limb came out and slowly reached for Sweetie Belle.

The tentacle wrapped around Sweetie and slowly lifted her into the air. She could scream now, but it wouldn’t work. 

“No, no, nonono!” AJ stood up and then managed to jump right in time to catch at least Belle’s leg while not falling.

“AppleJack!” Applebloom was standing in the doorway, watching as the machine took her best friend and her sister into the cage with another unicorn. The machine just turned to face Canterlot and slowly started walking away.

In rage, Applebloom took a chair from the Sweet-Shop and with all her might, she threw the chair at the machine, even though she knew nothing would happen. 

Why chair? I dunno, It just came into her mind.

The chair shattered, again against an invisible shield that was slightly visible on impact.

The Tripod just stopped and faced the resource of this little ‘attack’. When its lights landed on the earth pony mare, it crouched to take a better look.

“Applebloom! Run!” AJ screamed. She thought the machine would pull out a laser and melt her to death, but…

The machine slowly raised again, turned its back to Applebloom, confused and angry at the same time, and continued its journey to Canterlot.

[Just play it. I’ll tell you when to stop.]

Meanwhile in the Tripod’s cage, two ponies were panicking, trying to get out from the cage that was made of steel.

“Stop wasting your energy. It’s strong as hell.” Said the third pony in the cage. She was a pink unicorn mare, with a white mane that had a light blue line in the middle. Her cutie mark was a sun with a ‘wind’.

AJ just looked at her, then at the cage bars that weren't even scratched. The unicorn was right. AppleJack just leaned back on the bars and left a sigh.

Sweetie on the other hoof was still trying.

“May ah ask you somethin’?” She looked at the pink unicorn.

“Yes?”

“H-how long are ya here?”

“Since yesterday. *Sigh* I still remember the time when the roof in our house was there for a second and then it was gone. Why do you ask?”

“Well, if you have any idea, what will happen now?”

“Now? Now we will wait until that hatch opens.” She said, as she pointed at a hatch-like door on top of the cage.
“But wait, you aren’t a unicorn.” She pointed out.

"No shot. That's what ah thought; If ah got inside the machine, would they kill mah right away or just throw mah out?" She asked.

“No idea.”

As the machine slowly but surely approached the capital at a pretty slow speed, AJ wondered how she would get out of the invader’s clutches if she got inside. She didn't know if the intruders had any magic or weapons, but one thing was certain: They walk in twos, so they must have hands or something……right?

Then…

“Ah!?”

The hatch just opened, revealing a dark tunnel that leads inside the machine heart.

One of many tentacle-like limbs emerged from the tunnel. After it entered the cage, it went from pony to pony until it bumped into AppleJack. It looked at her for a moment until it looked at Belle, who was pressing herself against the bars. When it reached her, the worst began: The tentacle wrapped around her neck and began to pull her into the tunnel! She coughed and tried to free herself, but it was useless.

“SWEETIE BELLE!” AJ screamed, as she grabbed her rear leg once again and tried to pull her back into the cage. But it was way too strong for her, making her lift up too.

Eventually, the tentacle threw her over the edge of the tunnel, where she hit her head and momentarily lost track of her surroundings. After a few seconds she found herself back in the cage.

“Sweetie Belle?” She looked around the machine’s cage, but found only the pink unicorn. 
AJ put her head in her hooves, ears drooped, thinking what just happened.

“THAT’S what they are doing to unicorns. Using them for something, that makes them lose their common color and their hair. Making them look like zombies.” Unicorn said to the only pony that could hear this.

AJ looked at her, tears in her eyes.

“Why are they here? Who are they?"

The unicorn said nothing.

Then...the sound of the engine completely...changed. What had previously resembled a locomotive had changed, as if two hard objects were rubbing against each other.

It was very noticeable. 

(Stop the ‘video’ here.)

“Does this sound happen often?” Aj asked.

The unicorn just shook her head.

Then, out of nowhere…

*BOOOOM!!!*

Without warning, a large and loud explosion was heard somewhere on top of the machines ‘head’. AJ couldn't see what happened, because of the position of the cage. But in a few seconds, the cage was covered in…smoke?

The engine sound was gone and the Tripod started to move strangely. When it tried to do a step, it started to lose its balance. 

The hatch then opened out of nowhere and a yellow, foul-smelling liquid poured out, falling directly onto AJ and the unicorn.

After that, she could felt a heat coming somewhere from the left side of the 'head'. Was it on fire!?

The machine itself then tilted sharply to the left, slowly falling on the ground, very hard.

When the Tripod hit the ground, the cage could not withstand such pressure and simply separated from the 'head', where it stopped bouncing after a few meters.

AJ didn’t know what happened, but before she could look at the crash site, another big explosion was heard.

*BOOOM!!*

She covered her eyes and waited for a little while. When she took her hoof from her eyes, she was shocked.

“What in the…hay?”

The crash site was big! The machine was in two large pieces, covered in dirt. One large piece was ‘head’ almost ripped in half, meters away from the second piece, that was legs and ‘gearbox’. The cage itself was right between the two pieces. Both pieces were on fire and hella smoking, making three big, black clouds.

The mares watched in dumbfounded, as they crawled through the damaged cage’s bars. SOMETHING had just saved their flanks and somehow destroyed the first machine in this war...

“W-what just happen’?!” 

“I…have no idea… I don’t even know how we survived the fall.”

A few seconds passed. The mares were still watching the destroyed Tripod in flames. In the background they could hear steel melting, fire crackle and...stumbling?

AJ flicked to the tunnel in the ‘head’. She heard stumbling for sure. Even the unicorn looked at the ‘head’.

Something was coming from the tunnel. Who could it be? Alien? No…

“S-Sweetie Belle?!” Yep… White unicorn mare was slowly walking out of the tunnel, holding her head, looking fine.

“AppleJack?”

“Well duh!” She just said, trotting to her.
“Wha- How ya survived!? Ah thought ya were dead right away, when ya got in the Tripod!” She said, looking around her, if she’s okay.

“I… I don’t really know. Something was attached to my head and eyes. I felt how my magic was…slowly fading.”

“...What…?”

“Then…I felt way better. Like I never had the sickness. Then I remember how I managed to get that thing from my head, just realizing I was in something like…a big glassed tube, filled with…water-like liquid. Moments later, the ‘water’ was gone and…” She stopped, as her pupils shrunk.

“And…?”

“I…saw them too.”

“Same description?”

“Yea… They…were panicking. Running on two, while holding something in their…claws-like hands? Then one of them looked at me and…then everything exploded. After that, I found myself in that…tunnel thing.”

“‘One of them’? How many of them?”

“Three...maybe?”

Aj was shocked. Looking at the machine and then at the Canterlot, that was closer than ever, she looked back at Belle.

"If we were to try to get back to Ponyville, there's a better chance another machine will come here, replace…this one."

“You think?”

"Ya. If Applebloom and Pinkie are smart enough, they'll go to Canterlot, like the other ponies and Big Mac’s group. Which would mean the same thing for us: Continue the journey."

“Uh…when you talk about it like that…can I join?” The unicorn mare asked.

“Uh…why not, miss…?” Belle said.

“ Oh, Clear Sky, but please, I am not ‘miss’. I am just a scared mother who thinks her family is in Canterlot too.”

“Then welcome aboard...Sky.” AJ smiled.

And then three mares went on the same journey, leaving the first ever loss to the enemy, hoping that nothing more would surprise them…

Oh, how wrong they were...
> XV.~The bomb surprise!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“To everypony; Got any movement yet?” Dash asked through the transmitter.

She and her squad had been patrolling in circles over the endless desert for a long time since morning, with zero success. The sun was currently at its highest point of the day.

“Negative.” High Winds responded on Dash’s left wing.

“Same here.” Surprise answered by Dash’s right wing.

“Nope.” Zoom said by Wind’s wing.

“Then where is it!?”

“No idea, Dash. Could it change direction?” Surprise asked.

“That's also a chance, but if its direction was ‘Appleloosa’ in the first place, then we should already see it, right?” Wind asked.

Rainbow thought. Could something have happened to cause the machine to change direction? And if so, what happened?

But before Rainbow could say her point of view, she noticed something in the distance…she couldn't say what it was. Fata morgana? No… She definitely saw the silhouette of something big.

"Do you ponies see a tall, not very familiar silhouette at ten o'clock?"

"Um… you mean over that hill?" Surprise answered first, which only confirmed that she was seeing the same thing.

Rainbow then turned a little left, which her way squad followed.

“Contact! Climbing to Two thousand hoofs! Bombs ready to release!” She said, again, into the transmitter.

As they climbed, the silhouette kept getting bigger and smoother.

After they reached the required height, their contact was already quite visible.

A tall three-legged machine was prowling the desert, mysteriously heading AWAY from the Appleloosa. 

“Oh my…goodness…” Rainbow was speechless. After all, this machine was the first she had ever seen! Actually, she didn't expect it to be so tall.

“Zoom, keep up with my right wing and try to aim onto its legs! We will surprise that piece of steel from above! It looks like it hasn’t spotted us yet. Wind and Surprise, stay at this height.” She said, as she dived right into the machine with Zoom by her right.

1500 hooves, 1000 hooves, 500 hooves, 400, 300, 200…

“Bomb away!” Dash said, pressing a button attached on her front hoof, that makes the bomb release.

“Bomb away!” Zoom mimic.

When the bombs were released, the two pegasuses faced a medium G-force that was not strange to them.

The bombs just...bounces from the top of the machine's shield, landing into the hot sand in front of the Tripod, who just sttoped its next step.

*BOOM!! BOOM!*

The massive sandy dust just went into the air, covering the entire machine. Meanwhile in the air, the first attack was a great fail. Now it was time for plan B.

"Right… Listen, when the dust falls, we'll provoke the machine until it starts to follow us. I plan to throw it from a nearby canyon." Dash said.

“What, why?”

"The bombs did nothing to it! But we can try to destroy it by falling. There is a canyon nearby."

“You think it’s the canyon deep enough?”

“Well-”




The squad looked back to the ground. The machine has just come out of the dust.

A medium hatch has opened on the left side of the ‘head’, revealing once again the laser that melts and kills everything on its path. Hissing noise could be heard even at a height of 2000 hoofs.

*Bzzzt!*

The lazer almost hitted Wind, who got scared and almost lost control over her wings.

“Okay. THAT’S a problem.” Zoom said.

"Go to the canyon! I'll force the thing to follow me!" Dash said, flapped her wings, and flew on the machine.

Rainbow dropped to a height of about a couple of dozen hooves above the ground. Flying by the ground, the tall machine noticed her and aimed its laser box at her.

“Time to show them some tricks…”

She flapped her wings even harder, gaining more speed.

*Bzzzzt!*

The laser beam was way up behind her. The machine struggles a little to aim more accurately. So the Tripod aimed a little infront of her.

*Bzzzt!*

She turned her wings to such an angle that she began to climb sharply and flew past the machine.

Rainbow slowed down a little looking behind her.

The machine faced her and slowly started following her.

"Let's slow down a bit…" She said as she slowed down a bit so the machine could catch up.

*Bzzzt!*

The laser went through her head and threw a cloud of sand into the air, into which she flew directly.

“Blah! Okay, nevermind!”

As they slowly got closer to the nearest canyon, she looked back again.

The machine still followed her, but their aim began to improve.

“Like a ‘Mouse and Cat’ game!” She said speeding up as she dodged another laser.

When she finally reached the canyon, she noticed that it was deep enough. If they tricked the machine into going off the cliff, it would smash very, very hard against the rock below. Ideal… 

She then noticed her squad was on the other side of the slope, waiting and hiding behind rocks at the same time. So she flew to them.

“Quick! Attach your bomb to my waist!” She said to Surprise, who just pressed the button attached on her hoof too, leaving the bomb to fall on the soft sand. There was no danger of the bomb going ‘boom’.

“You are going against it by yourself!?” Wind said.

“Heck yea! I mean- We may be a ‘Slowing’ squad, but Soarin’ didn’t say a word about ‘destroying’ the machines!”

“You're stupid.” Surprise could only said.

“Stop talking and better move up!” Zoom said, looking at the other side of the canyon. The machine stopped just a few meters before the cliff. Its head was turning from side to side while the prismatic laser box was still outside, looking the same way as the head.

“A little more time and… You are ready to go, Dash!” Surprise said, as she finished attaching the bomb to Dash’s waist.

“Good. Now let’s hope for the best.” She said, as she spread her wings and flew back to the machine, that just wanted to turn back to its original direction.

The machine looked at Rainbow, as she gained height. 

*Bzzzt!*

Yet again, the laser missed her by a few inches, leaving cyan pegasus to reach ideal height, where she stopped and looked at her target.

Then she pulled her wings to her waist and let gravity taking her to the ground. She was free falling for a few seconds, until spreading her wings yet again to slow down to aim.

“To Tartarus with you!”

She pressed the button, releasing another bomb onto the machine that was near the cliff.

The machine stopped tracking the pegasus and instead began to track the bomb that fell directly right behind.

*BOOM!*

There was no dust. Just a black smoke from the explosion and a few rocks that hitted invisible shield of the machine.

Then…

*Crack!!*

Yes. A loud crack could be heard, as Rainbow flew back to her squad and looked back at the machine at the same time.

An uneven hemispherical crack encircled the machine. The ground slowly began to crumble under the machine and the rock on which the machine stood began to crumble too. The machine was very heavy for the cliff after a little jolt. But before the machine could react, it lost ground under the legs.

As Rainbow landed on the ground, next to her squad, she slowly looked over the cliff.

*BOOOM!!*

A huge explosion engulfed the canyon floor and shook the surrounding rocks. Moments  later, a huge cloud of smoke rose to the level where Rainbow and her group took a leap back as this huge blow came.

Nopony said a word as the huge black cloud slowly rose into the atmosphere.

Then Zoom slowly walked to the cliff too, looking down to the canyon floor.

Then he took out the camera, turned it on and started filming the crash site.

It was like hell on earth. He couldn’t say what was head and what leg, but one thing was clear…

“Rainbow?” He said, looking back to the cyan pegasus, who was still taken back by the explosion.

“Target Destroyed.”
> XVI.~"They never arrived."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Twilight Sparkle trotted for her life through one of the halls in the castle. When she heard that 'something' had destroyed the FIRST Tripod of this war, she wanted to be there right away. Why didn't she teleport? Meh, too easy.

When the Princess of Equestria finally got into the barracks, which were on the first floor of the castle, her jaw dropped.

“Is that-! No…way.” She only said.

“Yep, it is!” Gallus said, next to the…cage, that was ten times bigger than him! Well…it was a cage…for ponies.

“This cage has been found this morning, right at the destroyed Tripod next to Ponyville!” He said, as he then looked at one of his soldiers and nodded.

“Here’s the photographs.” 

The soldier took out five photos in total from his bag, which was on his waist.

When Twilight took them in her magic aura, she couldn't believed.

Four of five photos were showing a machine, literally ripped in half, in every angle!

The last photo was showing something that looked like a burned 'engine' and was still attached to the REAL gearbox, that was indeed in the ‘gearbox and legs sect’, as it was named on the other side of the photo.

“Any other information from the crash site?” She asked, looking at blue Griffin.

“No ponies were found near this cage or the crash site. But we think that whopony was in this cage, escaped through this big gap between the steel bars.” Gallus answered, pointing at the gap between bars, big enough to go through. Even big enough for Twilight.

“So…ehm, were any bodies founded?” She said, uncertain.

“Well…yea.” 

“Ponies?”

“...No…”

“Other creatures…?”

“Aliens, Princess. Aliens.”

Twilight's pupils narrowed a bit at the information. I mean...she thought they would find THEM, but...she was surprised anyway.

“How…many?”

“Uh…we founded…only one, Princess.”

“One? There is no chance that one could manage to drive that machine…unless it had a tentacle, like their machines, right?” She asked.

Gallus just shook his head.

“Sorry Princess, but no. When we found it…it was burned to the meat. And…we found it ripped in half.”

“Oh… Well…what did it look like?”

Gallus looked at his claws. Then back to Princess.

“Like me, if I didn't have wings, beak ,probably feathers and… not claws, but…fingers?”

At the last comparison, she raised an eyebrow.

“Fingers?”

“Yes…I mean, it was burned as hell, Princess.”

“Huh. Where is it now?”

“Hiding from the public in an abandoned castle of yours.”

“My castle…? Oh! You mean the Friendship Castle, right…eh, pretty good hiding spot, but…why didn't you take it here, to Canterlot?”

"Would you want to see the alien's burned body being transported around the city of Canterlot, or in Canterlot Castle itself, when they are the ones who started all of this?"

“Hmm…yea, you’re right.”

“Fingers…? For Celestia's sake, I want to see right now, so bad!” She said to herself.

“Anyway, at the gates, mailpony gave me a letter, when we were taking the cage into the castle.”

“What?”

“It’s for you.” He said, as he raised his right wing a little bit, taking a letter from under it. 

“Thanks, but…the mailpony gave the letter to you just like that?”

“She had bag full of letters, so I save her some minutes.”

Twilight took the letter to her magic and putted the photos back to the soldier.

“To: Princess Twilight Sparkle

From: Spike


Twilight! When I arrived at the Crystal Empire, the crystal ponies welcomed me with open hooves. I asked them, where the machine is, but they didn't know, what I meant by that! When I met Cadance and her family, I asked them why nopony knew about the machine.

She explained to me that she didn't want the ponies to know about the 'indestructible' machine that kills everypony in its way. But she also said that the machine never arrived!

When your brother and his guards accompanied me to the last coordinates of the 'Crystal' Tripod, as he named it, it was just...frozen!

He told me that yesterday, the fourth day of the invasion, right after the sun rose, his guards found it completely frozen and without a scratch! Now they are trying to find a way inside.

I can't wait, until they find the enternace! I'm so curious what the aliens look like!

-Your friend, Spike"


Twilight was looking at the letter, like it was the rarest thing in Equestria.

"So that's the second Tripod, that somehow wasn't secured well against Equestrian climate... My question is: Are the aliens stupid or the Machine just broke?"

"Uh, Princess?" Gallus raised his front claw.

"Uh, Yes?"

"Is the W-weapon finished?"

"In a fact, almost." She said, as she looked again at the photos of the first destroyed machine.

"Now Canterlot is the safest building in Equestria."
> XVII.~The attack on Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three mares, who survived the fall of the ‘Ponyville’ Tripod, were walking on the dusty path that led to Canterlot.

By their way, the surroundings around them slowly, but surely were changing from grass and forests, to rocks and…walls.

“A large group of survivors at twelve o'clock.” Aj said, making the other two mares look ahead.

“Finally, we made it.” Sweetie Belle said, looking up. The white walls of the Canterlot castle were right above them.

When the three mares joined the group, they noticed that this was just ONE of FIVE groups that were slowly getting inside, now almost a full castle and almost empty city.

“Ah bet, that our relatives are on their way too.” AJ said, looking at Sweetie.

“Well, I hope they are.” She answered.
“Now, what do you think? Are your friends already in the castle? Well, except for Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight.”

“Hard to say. When we were in the cellar, ah was thinkin’ about each of mah friends. Fluttershy; Did her animal friends hide her somewhere? If yes, where is she now? Pinkie Pie; Is she with her family? Well, we already know she isn’t. Rarity is with Big Mac's family. But Rainbow Dash…? I really hope she is okay. Even if she is hiding or fighting the aliens. And Twilight…she’s doing a good job.”

“Yea. Well, except for AppleBloom, I hope Scootaloo’s doing great. I may not know where she is now, but I hope for the best.”

“And what about ya, Sky?” AJ asked the pink unicorn, who was quiet.

“Hoping for the best too. Mostly hoping that my coltfriend is taking care of my daughter well.”

“Well…yea. Celestia with you.” Sweetie said. 

Then the white unicorn looked at the beautiful view of the, now abandoned, Ponyville. When she looked left, more specifically east of Ponyville, her pupils shrunken.

“...AppleJack…?” She asked, still looking east.

“Yeah?” AJ looked at her.

“Remember, when you said that one of the machines would eventually replace the destroyed one?”

“Yes?” Answered confused.

"Well..."

AJ raised an eyebrow, then looked the same way as Belle and…

“Oh my goddess…”

“What is going on?” Sky asked, then looking the same way as them.



“Buck.”

Everypony, literally everypony of the five groups looked to the Ponyville.

Three-legged machine was going through the Ponyville to its fallen twin, but when it noticed a large meeting in front of Canterlot castle, it immediately changed its heading.

One pony started to rush to the Canterlot gates…then five…and the whole groups!

AJ only watched, as the machine slowly started getting closer and a prism on a tentacle-like hand came from the bottom of its head.

“FIRE!” 

*BANG! BANG! BANG!*

Three shots were fired from one of the castle’s walls. It was three cannons that had just fired three stone cannonballs that were NOTHING against the tripod shield but made it almost impossible for the machine to even take a step forward.

“OPEN THAT GATES WIDE OPEN!” One guard ordered.

Then AJ blinked and looked around her.

“Come on AJ!” Sweetie Belle called her by nickname, as she and Sky were running into the castle too.

But when AJ wanted to start running, she heard something else.

It was an unpleasant hissing sound that grew louder.

“FIRE!” Yet again, the guard ordered the cannon crews.

*BANG! BANG!*

“INCOMING!!”

*Bzzzt!*

AJ flinched as the laser ALMOST got through the 'Canterlot shield'. The orange mare was standing still. This was the first time, when she saw the machines laser.

*Boom!*

When another laser hit Canterlot City, thousands of pieces went into the air. Then, as the pieces began to fall down like meteorites, more than once landed directly on the ponies' heads. One of the pieces even landed  directly on AppleJack's rear leg.

“FOR LUNA SAKE, OUCH!” She screamed, clutching her left hind leg. She didn't know if the piece had broken her leg or not. But it hurt like hell..

"AppleJack!" Belle shouted as she trotted up to her, ignoring the falling pieces. She wanted to use her magic to help her up, but... Her magic wasn't working!

“Come on!” Sky took one of her front legs and Sweetie the other. In a moment, the mares and the injured AJ were behind the walls, where they carefully laid her on the dirty ground.

They were the last ones, who made it into the castle alive... Two royal guards closed the gates and they wiped off their sweat.

“Ya'll think, the 'Canterlot shield' is strong enough againts their laser? Because It almost failed!" AJ said to them.

”Don't worry. The W-Weapon will do the rest. It...only need a special ammunition." One of the guards answered.

"A special ammunt- What ammunition ya talking about?!"

“Uh…AppleJack? AppleBloom?” Sky said with a little uncertainty.

“What now, Sky?” AJ looked at her.

“The Tripod.” She only said.

The Apple sisters looked behind them, as the machine was standing there, menacingly right outside the castle territory.

Thousands of ponies, who were in Canterlot, didn't said a word. What now?

Then, the unpleasing silent was interrupted by another hissing noise from the Machine.

"C'mon Twilight... Just fire the 'whatever gun you made'.
> XVIII.~Different Tripod
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...And then I said: Oh no! Anyway!” Zoom finished his joke, which…really annoyed the rest of the squad, which was flying back to Appleloosa.

“Rainbow? Why didn't we turn off his transmitter?” Surprise asked by Rainbow’s left.

“Safety protocol.” Light blue mare answered calmly.

“Fair enough…”

“Zoom, when I say shut up, I think I speak for everyone.” Wind said into the transmitter.

“…”

“That’s what I thought.” Surprise said, then looking little to her right.


“Appleloosa, two O'clock."

"Ugh, finally."





As the pegasus squad finally entered the Appleloosa town, what they noticed right away was…literally nothing. The town was in the same shape, as they left it. The only thing that was different, was a ‘Wonderbolt Field Base’ right behind the train station.

"Alright, after we land, you all are free to go take a drink or something. But Zoom, follow my lead." Rainbow said, slowly landing on a train station.

"I understand, I switch and over." Surprise landed first and then trotted to the only bar in Appleloosa.

When they all landed, Rainbow and Zoom still had to go to Soarin to report the enemy losses.

The field base was quite modest. Five large tents were the main shelter for headquarters, mess and ammunition. But Rainbow was only interested in one tent. The one with headquarters.

"Ah, Rainbow! Good to see you again! How was the patrolling?" Fleetfoot said as she strolled past.

"Oh, well...we're about to give a report to Soarin'. Is this headquarters, right?" She stopped and then pointed at the big tent in front of them.

"Pretty much. So...was it successful?"

"You will see." Rainbow said, as she continued her way into the tent. Zoom went right after her.

"Okay..." So she starts to follow them too.
The pegasus trio passed by many ponies that looked like they were in a hurry. 

Then, they heard a voice behind a thin curtain.

"Wha- Of course I know! No! I know this is an emergency, but until I don't get information about OUR problem, I don't want to risk lives, just BECAUSE it's coming to Ponyville! Until then, Celestia with you." 

After this, a hard bang with a clink was heard.

"That's Soarin'?" Rainbow asked, surprised.

"Yes. But don't worry. His anger never lasts very long."

"Well duh, but...he never was THAT angry."

"Girls. You know that, I can hear you right? This isn't an office, like back at Cloudsdale." Soarin' said, as he stood up from his seat and walked to the thin curtains.

"Well...can we go in?"

"Yea, yea." He just sighed and raised the curtains, so they could enter his little field office.

"Well? Why are you here Rainbow?" He asked.Rainbow smiled, looked at Zoom and nodded.

"We got one."

At this information, his eyes went full open.

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, really. Look." Zoom said, giving him a photo he took today.

"Oh my... How did you all do it?"

"Speed, canyon and luck."

"That's good news! Hah, better than the-! Wait... Rainbow! If I am not mistaken, your mission is complete, right?"

"Yes?"

"Well. I have a new mission for you and your squad!"

"What?"

"By some resources, the first Tripod has been destroyed near Ponyville! And another one is going to replace it. There is a chance that it already replaces its fallen friend, because this information is few minutes old, but I want you and your squad to take the first train and go to the Canterlot. What do you think?"

"Wait, 'replaces'? How many of them are in Equestria?!"

"Rainbow. Yes or no?"

"I- Well...I don't know! Uh...what do you think, Zoom?" She looked at her squad member.

"Wh- Me? Uh... Well, Canterlot for sure. We know the 'Ponyville-Canterlot' air space better than any other, so... Ya?" Rainbow then looked back to Soarin'.

"Well, okay then. Pack your belongings. The train will arrive soon."

"Roger that, Captain!" Rainbow saluted, as Zoom did that too. After that, they left his office with Fleetfoot by their side. However Fleetfoot, she was a little confused.

"So...you destroyed the machine by gravity?"

"Yeah. It fell and went 'boom'." Zoom said.

Fleetfoot looked at Rainbow again.

"Pretty accurate." She just shrugged.





The Appleloosa Desert. The most dangerous place on planet Equus. Then how could somepony live right in the middle of nowhere?
Easy answer; Train.

And in one and only train, Rainbow Dash and her squad were on their way to Canterlot.

"How many...how many...?"

"Uh...you okay, Rainbow?" Surprise noticed her. She looked like she was in stress.

"Eh. A little bit. Although, one thing is stuck in my head; how many of the Tripods are walking on Equestria now, when two of them are destroyed?"

"Hmm... I bet at least three are still active, but..." Wind wanted to find the right words.

"It would be ridiculous for aliens to have...ten machines, just to take over Equestria and only Equestria." Surprise finished her point.

"Heh, yeah. But...why Equestria? More like; why are they here?"

"No one knows, Dash. And... Wait a minute."

"What is Wind?"

"Am I...the only one, who feels the train slowing down?"

"Uh..." Zoom was about to answer, but without a warning, the train came to a sudden stop, throwing him into the side seats among the others.

"You okay?" Surprise asked in a worry.

"Mah bose horts." He said on the floor, holding his bloody nose.

"Heh, I will take that as a yes."

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, was looking all around. They were not alone, who were confused why the train stopped. Some passengers were opening the wagon's windows and looking around too.

Rainbow opened the carriage window too and peered out. She noticed a few ponies standing and talking by the steam engine.

"I'll go take a look. Until then, everypony stays in your seats." Rainbow said, as she stretched out the window.

After that, she flew to the steam engine, where some ponies were looking at...something?

"What is going on here?" She asked.

"Ya should look by yourself. It's on the tracks." Said blue earth pony stallion, who has a train driver hat.

Dash raised an eyebrow, then looked at the railway. What she saw shocked her.

"What in the world...? Is that a body?!"

A pony body, to be more specific. But this body was...different. The body's coat color has faded purple. For some reason the body didn't have a mane or tail at all! But one thing could not be overlooked.

"A unicorn?" Dash said confusedly, as she slowly walked over the body.

"How could a unicorn get here?"

"More like; how long is it here?"

Rainbow put her hoof on body's front leg.

"No pulses. And...it's not covered in dust..."

"What does that mean?"

"That means this unicorn was dead before it appeared here somehow." After she left the body's leg alone, she looked around.

"What?"

"We have to go."



A loud and deep horn-like sound sounded from the left side of the train.

"Because THAT is a problem!" She said and pointed at a tall three-legged machine, that was...WAY up different.

"EVERYPONY ON BOARD!" Train driver screamed, as he jumped back inside the steam engine.

As everypony was getting inside, panicking, the train slowly started moving.

Rainbow helped some ponies to get inside, until she looked back at the different Tripod.

This Tripod wasn't gray, like the one earlier that day. Its color was pitch black and did not have an oval head! This head was larger and had sharp edges. Another thing this machine had that was different was...two lasers?!

"EVERYPONY DOWN!" Rainbow screamed into the wagon through the window, as she flew in seconds later.

*Bzzt! Bzzzt! CRACK!*

Two laser beams hit two wagons. One ignited and the second one lost its roof and wooden wall.

Dash founded herself on the wagon's floor with wooden debris and glazed glass all over her.

Then she looked up, seeing everypony ducked.

"Everypony okay?" She said, looking around and noticing that, their wagon didn't have a left wall and a roof.

"Yeah!"

"Yes, Rainbow!"

Dash stood up. She had some cuts on her body, but nothing serious. Then she noticed how the train slowly got faster, but it was still slow, because the 'different' Tripod started to move towards them.

"What now, Dash?!" Zoom panicked.

"I don't know! And- Wait...why do I smell something burning?"

"Is that wagon on fire?" Said one earth pony mare pointing behind Rainbow.

"That's a bucking ammunition wagon, what is on fire!" Wind said more specifically, as she peeked her head out the destroyed wagon's wall.

Just then, Rainbow's pupils narrowed. Only Rainbow knew how many bombs she put in that car. Only she knew what else was there. And if one bomb was hit, it wouldn't be long before the whole train would be blown up! 
It would be dangerous to try to get into the ammunition wagon. Well, it would be dangerous to even approach it! 

The best solution? Split the train.

So she climbed onto the roof, looking at the machine that just fired another lasers.

*Bzzt! Bzzzzzt!*

"Ek!" One laser beam just flew over her head.

As the train slowly accelerated, Rainbow felt the aerodynamics. Her hooves slowly slid across the rest of the roof. She had to take a step forward every third second to keep from falling back into the wagon.

She noticed a dark gray ammunition wagon that had a hole through the construction. Smoke was coming out and in a few moments, even sparkles!

As she gets to the gap between the wagons, she notices a piece of steel that was somehow stuck in train coupling.

"Alright. I'm just gonna borrow this..." She took a piece of that steel and headed straight for the middle of the train coupling.

"Yeet!"

She struck the train coupling once. Nothing. She struck it twice. Still nothing. Until she struck it a third time.

*CRACK!*

"Yes!"

Finally, on the third attempt, the train coupler broke, freeing the burning car from the rest of the train. Thanks to this, the speed of the train immediately increased.

"Piece of cak-"

However, before Rainbow could finish her sentence, one laser hit the burning car again, but now it hit the gunpowder stored in the crates.

*BOOOM!!*

The blast wave was so strong and very close to the light blue pegasus that it threw her to the other side of the car through the walls.

"Rainbow!" Surprise screamed. But Rainbow didn't respond. Her whole body hurt and her eyelids were harder to keep up. 

Until...

She passed out.
> XIX.~Fast 'battle' for Canterlot.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere inside Canterlot castle, one guard pony was flying for his life to the throne room. 

“It happened. How they dare…”

“Princess! The worst just happened!” He said, as he finally made it into the throne room.

“Yea, I know! I can see it.” She answered, as she was looking through one of the windows.

A three legged, gray machine was standing right in front of the Canterlot’s walls, its laser prism out and looking at the creatures and ponies beneath.

Twilight looked at the royal guard.

“Go find Gallus and tell him I want everypony and everycreature to go help the wounded! I’ll load the W-Weapon!” She ordered.

“On my way, Princess!” He saluted and flew out of the throne room.

After the royal guard left, Twilight yet again looked at the machine through the windows.

“Let’s get you down.” She said, as her horn started to glow.

In a second, she teleported herself near the finished W-Weapon.

The turret looked like a turtle shell, but made of cement. A long and wide barrel was attached to the turret. 

A steel door was on the other end of the turret, which Twilight opened.

She found two guards having a conversation under a small light bulb above them.

“-Don’t know. It would maybe make a bigger mess than the ot-” Then one of them noticed the purple Alicorn.

“Ah, Princess!” They saluted.

Twilight looked at them, then at the transparent barrel breech.

“If I were you, I'd cover my eyes. I will now load the ‘ammunition’.” She said, as her horn yet again began to glow.

As her horn slowly approached the cannon breech, several sparks appeared. When her horn touched the breech of the cannon, the entire carapace inside glowed for five seconds.

After that, it was ready to fire.

“Let’s just hope that Star Swirl was right in his book.” She said to herself, looking at the transparent cannon breech with a shining purple ball inside.

That was her magic. Let’s see if it can defeat the machine.

Twilight then looked back at the guards.

“Aim and fire immediately.”

“Now, Princess!” One said, as he took a seat by the left side of the cannon. The second guard, on the other hoof, slowly started to move the turret, thanks to the hydraulic horizontal mechanism.

Meanwhile Twilight left the turret and looked back at the machine.

Then…

A hissing noise came into her ears. A noise, she knows very well.

“Wait, is it about to-?!”

*Bzzzzzzzt!*

The machine fired another laser. But still, the 'Canterlot Shield' managed to stay in one piece! It seemed that the aliens were so surprised by the 'Canterlot Shield', that they forgot to check their surroundings again.

They didn't even notice that the end of the gun was pointing straight at their Tripod. The first guard pressed one button near the breech of the W-cannon and-

*BANG!*


There was a loud bang from the cannon. A few seconds later, a fast purple beam came out of the barrel, rapidly approaching the unsuspecting machine.

*BOOM!!*

When the purple beam hitted the shield, a loud explosion came into the scenery, followed by a deep black smoke and fire.

Now was the time of truth. Will this be a great answer against the invaders, or just a poor attempt to destroy one of the five Tripods?

Nopony said a word. Just watching, as the black cloud slowly raises into the air. Then the truth came out...

The machine was still standing!

Twilight expressions changed from one second to another. Sad, surprised, angry…

She sat and looked into the ground. There was nothing that could save Equestria now. By this failure, Equestria is doomed.

"There's no chance that Star Swirl's...hint in the books...failed here. How?" Twilight said looking up.

“Princess!” One guard came from the turret.

Twilight looked at him, with a let down face. But the guard… His smile was ear to ear. Twilight noticed it.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Look at the machine, Princess!” He just said, pointing at the Tripod, that it has a…smoke coming out from under its right window?

“What in the-” She wanted to take a better look, but the Tripod then just started…falling backwards onto the houses of Canterlot City!

"Hold your manes!"

*BOOM!*

When the machine fell, many houses were crushed into thousands of pieces.

Then silence...

Twilight was looking at the smoke, coming from another destroyed Tripod. Then she heard something coming from the castle gates. It was ponies and other creatures like griffins and even dragons that cheered!

“Ha-ha! Target Destroyed, Princess!” Second guard came from the turret.

“Oh thanks Celestia.” Twilight sighed in relief.

Then she looked at the destroyed Tripod, which was on its right side. Smoke was slowly turning into flames!

“Be ready, IF another machine would show up. I’m going to investigate the crash site.” Twilight once more ordered, before spreading her wings and heading to look, if anypony was inside that Tripod’s cage. 

She was so preoccupied with the crash site that she didn't even notice AppleJack and her party as she flew over them.
> XX.~Canterlot, sweet Canterlot...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, look! She’s waking up!” Somepony said.

An unknown amount of time has passed for Rainbow. But now, she has finally come to her senses. The first thing she noticed was that she was lying down.

“Wh- What happened?” She wanted to sit, but her whole body started to hurt.

“Hey, hey, hey, not so fast, Rainbow.” Surprise said by her left.

Rainbow opened her purple eyes, seeing nothing, but an orange sky. The sky was blue, before she passed out.

“Wha-!? How long have I been out?” She asked.

She noticed that she was on the same train floor that did not have a roof and a left wall. Best of all, the landscape was a mountain.

“For three hours now.”

“Three hours…? Whe- What happened to the ‘black’ Tripod?” She asked.

“Um…after the ammunition wagon exploded and made you pass out seconds later, the…‘black’ Tripod just…vanished.” Zoom said on a seat.

“What do you mean vanished? Why does my whole body hurt!?”

“Like Zoom said; As the wagon exploded, the pressure wave threw you on the other side of this wagon. I found out that your wing is broken and your right front leg is badly bruised.” Wind now said by Rainbow’s right.

“Well, that sucks.” Rainbow just rolled her eyes. Then she looked at a missing wall.

“Where are we now?” She asked one more time, trying to slowly sit.

“In front of the walls of Canterlot City.” One passenger mare said, looking out of the untouched right window.

“Finally, Canterlot.” Rainbow sighed in relief. 

She slowly stands up with the help of Wind. Then she sat on one of the left seats in the wagon.

"Two lasers. That thing has two lasers! IF one machine can have these 'pony killers' then why did the 'Appaloosa' Tripod only have one?" She thought.

She got a point. There was a chance that the ‘Appleloosa’ Tripod was some sort of a ‘not-so-dangerous’ version. But…why?

She wanted to remember what Soarin’ told her four hours ago. ‘First Tripod of this invasion was destroyed!’. Heh, does that mean-

“Rainbow…?” Zoom said her name.

"Huh?" Rainbow snapped back to reality and looked at him.

He wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at something, through the missing wall.

“Zoom? Do you need something?” Rainbow asked. Has he forget, what he wants?

In response, Surprise placed her hoof on Rainbow's head and then turned to the left.

Rainbow saw a beautiful view of a sunrise behind Ponyville. But this was not a reason why everypony was looking at Ponyville.

“Oh my feathers.” 

Rainbow saw a weak funnel of smoke, coming from a…‘death machine’ that was in a half!

"What did they use to make the thing come in half?" 

“More like; How did they manage it!?”

Rainbow was looking at the destroyed Tripod in awe. Whatever Twilight found that penetrated their shield, then it's very, very effective!

Her look at the best view she saw for the last five years vanished behind Canterlot walls, as the train entered the region of Canterlot City.

The train slowly, but surely, was making its way to safety.

“Well, whatever Twilight made, it can defeat them. So we finally have an advantage against them.” Rainbow said to Wind, who nodded and then looked to Rainbow’s right.

“Oh no way! Haha!” The white pegasus mare said, grinning, as she came to the right wall of the wagon. What was wrong with her?

But when everyone looked out the right windows of the wagon, they immediately understood why.

“Wait what…?” Surprise said, looking at…

Another destroyed Tripod! Guards were around it and some of them were even trying to help unicorns that were ‘saved’ from their fate.

Rainbow on the other hoof noticed something…chilling.

“Gray machine with only one laser.” She said aloud.

Heck, even the Tripod at Ponyville was gray!

“Oh yeah. One…” Zoom said, noticing it too. But he immediately looked at her.
"What’s the context?"

“So far, two or three machines I have seen, had only ONE laser. But the ‘black’ Tripod…had two.”

“Are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking?” Surprise asked, going away from the windows and turning to her squad.

“Yes…” Rainbow answered and noticing, how the train slowly started stopping. She even noticed a few ponies outside and their faces, when they saw…a little damaged train. 

The last wagon received the most damage.





Finally, the ‘Friendship train’ stopped at Canterlot's central station.

Nopony was on the platform. 

“Where’s everypony? We have an injured here, for Luna’s sake!" Zoom noticed, as he slowly exited the wagon.

“I…I don't think I need a doctor right now.” Rainbow said through the large hole in the wagon.

“Don’t be stupid, Dash. You need a doctor for sure! And maybe even some rest.” Wind said, crossing her front hooves.

"I…well- What about you ponies? Do you think you're all going to defend Canterlot, just the three of you?”

“What could go wrong?”

“I don’t know. Anything?”

“Rainbow, we’ll be careful.” Surprise finished this conversation.

"*Sigh* Okay then. Your decision."

Just as Rainbow finished her sentence, Zoom came back into the wagon.

“I found one medic nearby who is on his way here now. When I explained our situation, he said that there's a chance ya are going into the Canterlot hospital for a week, minimum.”

“He what!?”

“Yo, calm down! But if you are going into the hospital, who’s gonna lead the fireteam?” Zoom asked.

“I don't know…” Dash said, looking at all of her teammates.

Then, while the last passenger pony exited their wagon, another pony came into the scenery.

“Okay, I am here, where’s the patient?” Green earth pony stallion said. He had a white cloak that was torn in some places.

“Right here.” Surprise said, starting to help Dash to stand up on three.

“Blood, broken wing and a very bruised front hoof. I can see that from here.” The medic said as he looked at the door he came from.

“Do you have problems with walking right now?” The medic asked.

“No…?” Rainbow answered.

“Yea, sure. Uh…I need you, and you to help me.” He said, as he pointed his hoof on Surprise and Zoom.

The medic then pointed Zoom to stay out of the wagon, but in front of the wagon’s door. He then slowly and carefully helped Surprise, escort and hold Rainbow so she wouldn't fall or pass out. No one ever knows.

Then Zoom helped Rainbow to slowly exit the wagon through the wagon’s door and…

“Ah…Canterlotics air…” Rainbow just said, as she was finally out of that wagon.

“Go that way. There’s the Canterlot hospital. Tell them that I, Injection Hoof, need doctors, medics, nurses, anypony, to help me check the ‘Friendship train’. I think you’re not the only one injured here.” He said, as he left the fireteam on a train platform, while he opened another door into the second wagon.

“We’ll totally remember that…” Zoom commented.

"So Rainbow, now that you're going to rest in the hospital, who's going to lead this team?"

"Well..."
> XXI.~Voices and storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was standing up close at the destroyed ‘Canterlot’ Tripod, while around her, royal guards were helping unicorns from the cage. 

“...Six, seven, eight, nine, ten…?” She stopped her counting, when the last survivor came out of the cage.

“This is weird. Until now, there weren’t more than three ponies in the other Tripod’s cages! What so sudden?”

Twilight shook her head to forget these thoughts. Celestia knows what more could come.

When Twilight turned away from the wreckage, she saw something in the air. Three dots were getting bigger and bigger, by every second. 

When the dots gots clearer, she noticed that it was a fleet of three pegasi, not wearing royal armor, but ‘Equestrian’ camouflage. That means, these pegasi must be from ‘Wonderbolt squadron’.

“What are they doing here…?” She said to herself.

She then looked at the unicorns, who looked like they've been through something very, very disturbing. I mean…yea, they were. 

Moments later, a trio of pegasi landed in front of a crowd of survivors and one Alicorn Princess. They trotted to Twilight and saluted.

“Princess, we were sent here to help and escort the survivors behind the castle walls.” White pegasus mare said.

"Oh? Who gave you that order? Aren't you three supposed to be in Appleloosa?" Twilight asked.

“We’re brought to Canterlot for patrolling. Soarin’ can confirm that. We, 1./ Slowing team, led by Rainbow Dash, before she left the command to High Winds with the last order; help the survivors.” Ice blue stallion said, then looking at the wreckage of the machine.

Twilight’s eyes lit up, hearing that name.

“Rainbow Dash?” She asked, which the pegasi trio nodded.
“Please tell me, is she okay?”

“Well…about that…” Wind started.

“A…different machine attacked the Friendship train, where in the end…an explosion badly injured Rainbow. If it weren't for her, the whole train would be everywhere but on the tracks. She got a broken wing and one of her front legs got it really bad. She’s in the hospital right now.” The pale yellow pegasus said.

After that, Twilight looked back at the Canterlot castle. She spread her wings and without a word, she flew back to the castle.





“Are you sure they aren’t in Canterlot? Canterlot is a big place with a high chance to get lost in fact.” A yellow earth pony mare asked.

“Ah swept my flank up and down, but with no result! So have ya seen them or no?!” Orange mare asked very loudly.

“Ma’am, you aren’t the only one who is trying to find their families. But if they are just like you told me, there’s a bigger chance that they are the lucky ones. I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen them. Celestia with you.” 

As the yellow earth pony walked away, a white unicorn mare came behind the orange mare.

“AppleJack, I'm pretty sure they're here in Canterlot. I can feel it in my bones. But there's such confusion that there's a chance we're going in circles. It would be best to wait for EVERYTHING to calm down before we start looking.”

“Oh really Sweetie Belle? Then when we should start lookin’ again?” AJ asked.

“When the sun goes down. Everyone will slowly go to sleep and we'll go look for them.”

“*Sigh* Well, alright…” AJ sighed, as she sat down on the ground. Sweetie sat next to her.

“Hmm, when we sat down, have you heard about the ‘Attack on Train?’” Belle asked. AJ looked at her with a question mark on her face.

“Many ponies and creatures, who were on the train here to Canterlot, were saying…a ‘black’?...Tripod made them stop and then it attacked the train. What I heard, one pegasus in the end saved everypony.” Sweetie said.
“Little weird that, after the attack, that Tripod just vanished.” Belle explained.

“A black Tripod? Geez, what now? Is it some sort of a commander, or what? How many Tripods are here in Equestria anyway!?”

“Don’t know, AppleJack. There can be just five, or dozens of them.”

“Heh, Ah hope that there’s only one last standing.” AJ said honestly. Then, one thing came into her mind.
“Wait a minute...”

“What?” Sweetie tilted her head.

“Well...we could tell Twilight what aliens look like! You must be the only one who has seen them in their full beauty at the moment!” AJ explained.

“There’s nothing we can do until sunset, so… Yea. B-but…if she is inside Canterlot castle, how do we get inside?” Belle asked.

AJ opened her mouth to say something, but she shut it a second later, when she noticed something in the air, behind Sweetie.

AJ's pupils narrowed as she saw the purple Alicorn heading towards Canterlot Hospital…

“What’s wrong AJ?” Belle waved her front hoof in front of AJ’s face.

AppleJack snapped back to reality and stood up.

“Ya can say that to her right now. She’s heading towards the hospital for some reason!” The orange mare said before she started galloping towards the hospital.

“Wha- Wait for me!” Sweetie Belle said behind AJ, before she started galloping after her.





“Oh come on, doc! I can work even without flying!” Light blue pegasus mare said on a patient bed.

“I’m sorry, Miss Dash, but your wing has two structural fractures right at the spine. At this point, your wing is literally hanging. And we found out that your front hoof is almost broken.”

“Does ‘almost broken’ even exist?” Rainbow put her healthy front hoof in the air.
“Because it sounds stupid.”

At this, the doctor just rolled his yellow eyes.

“Either way, you'll be lying here until your fractures heal. And if you'll allow me, you're not the only one with something broken here at the hospital.” The doctor said, as he opened the doors into Rainbow’s room.
“Somepony even have broken cervical vertebrae and is still alive.” The last sentence was almost inaudible.

The doctor exited Rainbow’s room and closed the door behind him.

“You are lucky.” Then a voice came from Dash’s left.

On her left side, at the other end of the room, a griffin was lying with a blanket over her.

The griffon was orange, with a yellow chest and head. Her ‘mane’ was orange too.

“Lucky?” Rainbow looked at her, with a raised eyebrow.

“You bet! I don’t know where you were fighting, but you could’ve lost your rear leg or even a wing!” 

“Uh…you were fighting against the aliens?”

“Well…no. You know when the ‘Ponyville’ Tripod came back?”

“No…?”

“Well, I was hiding in one of the Ponyville ruins. I thought that they would pass me. But…”

“Laser?”

“What?! NO! Thankfully they only stomped on me! Trust me, when I saw one pony, who was hitted by the laser, he was…gone.”

“Did that Tripod break your spine or something?”

“Worst.” She said, as she took her blanket and threw it out of her.

Her hind legs were gone, leaving her with nothing but the remains of budding thigh muscles. Plus, her griffon tail was gone too.

Rainbow was watching it with a very shocked expression.

“Their machines are heavy. I can tell.” The griffon only added.

“For Celestia's sake, stop.” Rainbow closed her eyes and then layed down.
“Look, I know they are heavy. Heck, they are even filled with explosives, or what.” Dash commented.

“So you know how they work?” The griffon asked, before she put the blanket back over her.

“What I heard, Unicorn’s magic.” Rainbow said.

“Correct. And you know how they get it?”

“No...?”

“They are dragging unicorns inside, where they are using something to catch their magic. Worst of all; while their magic is being taken away, the unicorns are still alive and are alive, even after their magic is gone.”

Rainbow jerked her head back at the griffon.

“Alive?” She asked, as she remembered what happened back at the canyon and the pony on the railway.

“Yep. Pretty…chilling.”

Dash hasn’t had time for thinking anyway, because out of nowhere, doors into their room opened. Rainbow looked at who came to look at them.

“Rainbow!” A familiar voice called her name.

“T-Twilight?” The light blue pegasus said surprised, seeing her old Alicorn friend.

“What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked.

“I come here to look at you! I heard you saved lives!”

“Uh…you mean the train incident? Yeah… It was…a close call.” As Rainbow answered. Another pony entered their room.

“Twilight? Twilight!” A female ‘cowboy-like’ voice was heard.

It was AppleJack, who eventually caught up with Twilight. All three mares were shocked when they were between the six eyes.

“Rainbow?” AJ said, shocked seeing her like this.

“AppleJack?” Twilight and Rainbow said at the same time.

“…”

“AJ! I said WAIT!” Another creature entered the room.

“Sweetie Belle?!” Twilight said, surprised.

The mares looked at each other, trying to process what just happened. Until Twilight cleared her throat.

“Okay, what are you doing here, AJ?” 

“Ah ran here cuz' Ah saw you flying here!!” AJ answered.

“And you, Sweetie?” Twilight asked next.

“And I was galloping behind her!”

There was another silence for a few seconds…

“So…what do you need, AJ?” Rainbow asked, with one eyebrow up.

“We were inside the ‘Ponyville’ Tripod! And Sweetie Belle was inside of it!”

Twilight gasped.

“So YOU were in that cage! I’m surprised you survived the fall.”

“We weren’t alone. Sky was there too. But when we got here, we said our goodbyes and started finding our families. But back to the important thing, Sweetie WAS inside that machine!” AJ said.

“W-what I have to do with this?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“I saw the aliens.” Sweetie said.

“Really? How did they look?” Twilight asked, excited. Maybe she already knows the features of the aliens, but she doesn't know HOW they look like.

“They walked on two. Have white…skin?...pitch black line on the face and…they had…hands?...that could’ve held something.”

Twilight put a front hoof on her chin. Just like Gallus said, but more...precise. White skin? Pitch black line on the face? Nothing like the people she knows behind a certain mirror...

Twilight then looked back to Rainbow.

“Your team said that a ‘different’ Tripod attacked the train. Can you explain this?”

Rainbow, after hearing this question, looked at her left, healthy front hoof. Then she looked back at Twilight.

“This machine is a bigger threat than any other. Its head has sharp ends. It’s black, IT IS bigger than other machines and worst of all; it has two lasers!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Head with sharp ends and two lasers?”

“Well, that's what I saw.”

“Huh…interesting… And what happened after the explosion? What did the doctor say about your injury?” The Alicorn asked the pegasus.

“I passed out. Doctor said my wing is hanging,” She looked at her wing, which was fully in gypsum.
“...and I have a broken front leg.” Dash said.

“Well, I hope you’ll get better.” Twilight said to Dash, before looking back to AJ and Sweetie Belle.

“And you two… I think we need to talk about one small thing.” She said before showing them the exit from the patient room with her hoof.

And so the three mares that had appeared so quickly, disappeared one by one and closed the door. AJ just took one more look at Rainbow before closing the door and following her friend out of the hospital.

“Wait a second,” The yellow griffon started,
“How did they even destroy the machine, if the W-Weapon wasn’t even made at that time?” She said, as she put her claw under her beak.

Rainbow’s ear flicked. The griffon was right! Maybe…maybe that’s the thing Twilight wants to talk about.

“Doesn't matter. Now I want to know one thing from you.” Dash said, turning her head towards the griffon.
"Why hasn't any nation helped Equestria yet?"

Simple question, a bit late but simple.

“Uh...I really don't know. But the first possibility is that they probably didn't want to send their race against something with a damn shield. The second possibility is that he doesn't know about this extermination!” The gryphon replied causing Dash to look at her with offended look.

“Calling this an extermination is wrong!” Dash said out loud and then went quiet.
“According to certain sources, we know that the aliens let ponies and other creatures live AS SOON as they leave the borders of Equestria.”

“But… doesn't that mean the aliens know quite a bit about Equestria? What if... then they want to attack other countries?!” 

“Well...they seem to want most of Equestria's hinterland, so...no.”

“But...okay, putting that aside, how long and why did they plan to leave their home planet and occupy part of Equestria?” The griffon asked, which nopony or nobody had an answer yet. Still, it made Rainbow Dash think...

How long have they been watching them so that their machines CAN use magic and easily resist strong spells?

We will have to wait a while for the answer to this question...





While Rainbow thought, meanwhile back at the 'Canterlot' machine, weird things began to happen…

At first, it looked like whoever was inside was trying to NOT let any-creature enter the machine. They know that. But after a few minutes, it now looked like…someone is talking inside that wreckage?



“Gallus! Thank goodness you’re here.” One royal pony pegasus saluted, as his commander finally landed. When the blue griffon heard that ‘Someone-is-talking-inside-that’ thing he dropped everything and flew to the crash site as fast as he could.

Gallus looked at his pal, who stopped saluting, and then he looked at the wreckage. There wasn’t smoke anymore. Just…the sound of galloping guards around him.

“So…what’s the report?” He asked the royal guard.

“After the Princess left, we heard sounds inside the wreckage that I and other guards, compared it to voices.” The guard answered.

“Are ‘voices’ still capable of hearing?”

“Pretty much, captain.” Another royal guard said, as he then waved his hoof, signaling Gallus to follow him.

As he and Gallus came closer, the blue grif looked up at the sky. He noticed something bad.

Not that the sun was finally setting, no, he was really glad... But...beyond the mountain where Canterlot was built, clouds began to form. Would it start to rain?

“Oh you gotta be kidding me…” He said to himself. Rain could seep into the ground through the broken walkways the machine had broken, and the wet ground would turn to mud in less than three minutes, and mud SLOWS down troop efficiency and orientation. So yes, he was not happy about the rain.

“Shhh…keep your voice down, keep away from their windows and lay your head to the surface completely.” The guard said, as they were right at the front of the machine.

Gallus noted, as he slowly walked to the iron surface of the machine. He laid his head on it and then listened.

For the first twenty seconds, nothing. After the whole minute, still nothing. He wanted to say something to his pals, but then…he heard it…

A language he didn’t recognize. Words that were literally out of space. But the letters…sounded the same…

"Myslíš, že má smysl je opět volat? Co když tu nás prostě nechali?”

“Ale houby, určitě vymýšlí, jak nás zachránit! Kdybych jen věděl, že Italy zabili…ani nevím co to bylo, ale je to dost silné, aby to šlo skrz i náš štít!”

“No, silné to teda bylo. Já myslel, že náš magnetický štít nás dokáže zachránit i před největším kouzlem, ale tohle?! Vždyť to vypadá, jako by dokázali vylepšovat i svou vlastní magii!”

“Ať to je, jak to je, už dva naše to zabilo. Kéž Bychom věděli, co se stalo s Němci na Severu. No… tak to jdu zkusit znovu. EHM, uh, This is zero-two, zero-two. Calling zero-five! We need help immediately! They have something that can go through our shield! I repeat, they have something that can go through our shield!”

Gallus literally jumped back. 

“They…can speak our language…? Wha- Ho- When?”

He slowly started to back up before bumped into the guard he was following.

“What you heard, captain?” The guard asked.

Gallus, at this point, was…shaking. Are the invaders a mimic type of alien? Do they look like a pony or other creature he knows? Can they transform into ANYTHING, like changelings!? What if aliens are already among them!? He MUST tell Twilight!

“Captain!” The guard shouted, as his commander spread his wings and with one swing, he was on his way into Canterlot castle





“Alright Twilight. What’s the one small thing?” AJ said as she, Sweetie and Twilight finally left the hospital.

Twilight looked at her and then at Sweetie Belle. She sighed, and then asked;

“Who destroyed that machine? How did…Sweetie survive?”

AJ and Sweetie looked at each other and nodded.

“Nopony destroyed it.” AJ said.

“We have a theory. I was sick, weak and tired before we were caught. I don't even know what disease I had, but inside their machine... They put something over my head, eyes, and horn. After that, when they put it on, I started to feel… better, but a little weird at the same time. I had the feeling that...the disease was being sucked out of me!” Sweetie explained.

Twilight cocked her head to the side.

“Sucked? So you’re saying that, while they were taking your magic, they also sucked some sort of a disease? That sounds pretty weird and stupid.” Twilight commented.

“How do ya then explain that the Tripod just exploded, right after they took Sweetie inside?” AJ asked.

“I…don’t know. *Sigh* But if it really was…your disease, or somepony else's, at least it destroyed the first Tripod of this war and opened up a new world of possibilities at the same time. There are so many things we can learn from their wrecks, new planets that we will observe anew, because this is proof that life is also on planets, not so far away from ours, and…weapons. But at the same time, it breaks several laws for us, regarding the meaning of controlling the Moon and the Sun.” Twilight waved her front hoof in circles in the air, looking up at the sky, which was slowly beginning to fill with dark clouds.

“Ugh… Which reminds me I have to now slowly lower the Sun and slowly raise the Moon. And…if I were you, I would go find a shelter very quickly.” The purple Alicorn said, before her horn began to glow. In the blink of an eye, she was left with only purple sparks from the teleportation.

“Uh… I guess we’ll go find a shelter, eh?” Sweetie said, turning her head to AJ.

“But- What she said? ‘Regarding the meaning of controlling the Sun and Moon’...? And what about our families?!” AJ said, looking up at the Sun and then back to Sweetie.

“Better find the shelter first and look for our families tomorrow.”

“Ya said-”

“I know, I said after everypony go to sleep, but I don’t want to walk here and there, around Canterlot in the rain, finding nothing.” Sweetie said as she looked around her, trying to find some shelter.

“UGH-! Fine! But promise, mah, we'll go look for them when the sun comes up.” AJ said, putting her hoof in front of Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie sighed, rolled her eyes and placed her hoof on hers.

“Fine.” She said and shaked her hoof with hers.

Right after their agreement, there was a loud crack-like sound.

*CRAKChmm!*

Both mares, and other ponies around them, startled and looked again at the top of the mountain, where the loud crack came from. What now!?

"Calm down, everyone! It was just thunder!" One Kirin said.

AJ and Sweetie Belle looked at each other.

"Better move our flanks up now or never." AJ said to which Sweetie nodded.
> XXII.~"The War Of The Worlds." Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Princess! Princess…?” The blue griffon with golden armor screamed, when he finally got into the throne room.

Twilight was there, standing on her throne with her eyes closed and her horn glowing.

Gallus stood still, waiting for her to finish her ‘routine’.

Slowly, the light in the throne room began to turn orange, confirming to Gallus that the Princess was indeed lowering the sun. Then the orange light slowly faded away, leaving Canterlot's electricity to begin to do its work.

“So? Why did you fly here as if things were worse than they are?” The purple Alicorn asked, making the blue griffon look back at her.

“W-well, because they are! Inside the ‘Canterlot’ machine-! Somepo-, Something-, The aliens are talking our language!” Gallus stuttered.

Twilight looked at him with a ‘What’ face.

“I heard it with my own ears!” Gallus said, shaking.

“Okay, first of all, clam do-”

“You think I can just calm down, after I heard that THEY are calling for help!? Another will come here!”

"Gallus!" Twilight said louder. She then took fresh air into her lungs, before continuing.
“That they can speak our language is weird and yet…interesting, but there’s nothing to be scared of. We still have the W-Weapon with my magic in it, fully ready.” She put her right front hoof on his shoulder.

“But- What if-!”

“They attack in the night? Well…yea, that would be a problem, but we can easily solve it.” She said, as her horn began to glow again.

A purple aura began to appear on her hooves and Gallus’s paws/claws, surrounding them both. In a second, the two creatures were on a semicircular  balcony that they both knew well. It was Twilight’s balcony.

In the distance ahead of them, a few lights could be seen from Ponyville. Lights of ponies and other beings who only stay overnight in Ponyville before continuing their journey into the Canterlot. To their left, the Canterlot city was completely deserted. Only three campfires with royal guards around lit up the side of the wrecked machine they were guarding.

Twilight then pointed from right to left with her front hoof.

“All we need are proper patrols with binoculars and lanterns. I wouldn't even go near that mountain ridge for your own safety… Because a storm is slowly but surely coming.” Twilight said, turning back to Gallus who whimpered.

“Goodness, the poor fellows who will be in this… Fiiiine, I’ll go make patrol squads.” Gallus sighed, spread his wings and took off from Princesses balcony towards the Canterlot Barracks.

“So, this is done… No, why on Tartarus, is it raining now?” Twilight said to herself as she looked over at Ponyville where every single light was slowly going out, signaling that those spending the night there were slowly drifting off to sleep, having no idea what was going to happen.

Though, that was one thing that occupied Twilight’s head. The second thing was a little…

“...Impossible. How could humans know about us? Has Sunset Shimmer told them something? More like, did their police catch her or someone else who had a hand or hoof in it too? Nonsense... Everything must have its reasons. Both good and bad... Sunset hasn't visited me or anyone else for a long time... And the mirror is in the archives, here in Canterlot, guarded by three locks and three patrols! Nopony could enter or leave their world…

Aliens cannot be human. In their world, magic is just a thing... A thing they don't know how to control! How else would humans learn and build machines consuming magic?” Twilight then looked back to the destroyed ‘Canterlot’ Tripod. 

“Plus, why do they just want the inland of Equestria WITHOUT the ponies? Colony? Slavery? Extermination...?”

*CRAACKMchMmm!*

Suddenly, another loud thunderclap snapped the Princess of Equestria back to reality. Twilight looked at the dark cloudy sky as it completely engulfed Canterlot and slowly moved towards Ponyville. Normally, the cloudy sky would be white and yellow, because of the castle’s and city’s light, but when the city is deserted and damaged, it is no wonder that the sky is not lighted.

“Calling it extermination is wrong, Twilight. They let the ponies live when they left the borders of Equestria.” She said to herself.
“Let’s just hope this will end very soon…” Twilight said and slowly disappeared behind the thick, dark curtains, from starting rain.





*CRACKChm!*

Another thunderclap made another pony to fully open its eyes.

“Ugh…still not morning…?” Rainbow said quietly and tiredly so as not to wake her roommate across the room.

She didn't know how many hours had passed. Two, four, six hours? Well, more than four for sure.

Rainbow slowly placed her hooves on her cheeks. What now, what now that she's awake? There was nothing to do but remember how close she had looked death in the eye.

“Goodness, I need some fresh air.” She said, as she slowly took her blanket from her, placed rear hooves on the room’s floor and slowly on her healthy front hoof. Rainbow then slowly walked to the window on her right side of the bed. She grabbed the handle and turned it.

The window was now opened, letting fresh air come into the room.

“Ah…much better.” Rainbow looked around, peeking her head out of the room.

Lamps illuminated the paths and sidewalks, where the light reflected a little from the puddles. In those puddles, she could see how the drops of water created ripples on the surface. Rainbow then noticed orange lights in the sky. 

At first she thought they were stars, but then when she looked closely…

“Pegasi patrols with lanterns? Heh, tell me; isn't Twilight even sure of herself or why are there so many?”

Rainbow was about to close the window with another chuckle, when she noticed… more lights that she could see moving and shining on the cloudy sky, behind the mountain ridge. At first she thought there would be more patrols outside of Canterlot, but... These lights were pure white.

And she wasn’t alone. Duo of royal pegasi guards, who were above the hospital at the time, noticed it too and looked at each other. Together they nodded and flew to the castle.

*Stomp!*

“Huh, it seems very important, if they flew towards the castle.” Rainbow said to herself before continuing to observe the strange white lights.

She was watching them for another ten seconds. What in Equestria is that?

*Stomp!*

“Wait a second… What are these stomps I hear?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow, looking back to the room.

*Stomp!*

“Huh? What’s behind that mountain, making these sounds?” She said, when she deduced that the sounds weren't coming from their room. She thought it was something…big.

When she looked at the top of the mountain again, she lost her breath.

“Oh no…nonono! NO!” She said aloud, which awakened the poor griffon.

“Ah?! What-! Oh, for Griffonstone’s sake, why are you screaming!?” The griffon said confusedly, looking around until she noticed a rainbow maned pegasus by the window..

“They are here!” Rainbow said before running out of their room holding her nearly broken leg above the floor.

“Uh…who?” 

*Stomp!*

The griffon looked at the fully opened window, when she heard a stomp-like sound from outside. She sat up, supported by her front legs and looked at the window.

She saw something big... Something that even though the street lights made it hard for her to see every detail. But she knew for 100% what was coming. She saw it slowly crossing the ridge of the mountain, while two lights illuminating the landscape in front of it.

“Oh uh…”





*Stomp!*

“Huh…? Wha-?” AJ’s ear flicked, hearing something…familiar. 
“What…was that?” She said, and raised her head.

*Stomp!*

AJ’s ear flicked again. That wasn’t something in her head. She could hear stomp-like sounds that were getting bigger and bigger. She sat up, looking around their shelter. It was a small tent made of sticks and an old white sheet that they found dumped outside the only restaurant INSIDE the castle grounds. This was their shelter, a place from the rain that had been going on for three hours now. 

*Stomp!*

"Oh no. Sweetie Belle, wake up." She said, nudging her with her hoof. No response. The orange mare looked to her side only to see the young, white unicorn still sleeping.
“Sweetie Belle, wake up!” She said again, more loudly.

“Ugh. yeah?” The unicorn finally answered.

“Something big is comin’.” AJ said, looking out of their ‘tent’. Outside, the ground was changing into mud. The water pooled and formed large puddles.

“Like…you mean-”

“Shush! Listen…” AJ put her hoof in front of her mouth.

Sweetie Belle pricked up her ears and waited.

*Stomp!*

It was so loud and near, that the water in EVERY puddle waved, which the mares noticed.

“This is bad.”

“S-shouldn’t we contact somepony?” Sweetie asked, as she was watching AJ slowly leaving their shelter.

“Weeeell… I think everypony heard the last one…” AJ said, before she fully left the ‘tent’ and walked into the middle of the muddy road, that headed to the castle.

She looked around, down and up, and finally at a mountain ridge that was slightly visible behind the castle walls. Her pupils shrunken, when she saw what looked like two lights that illuminated her and her surroundings.

“Uh…AJ? What are these lights?” Sweetie said when she noticed AJ standing still, in the rain, looking up.

“Don’t. Move.” AJ moved her eyes towards Sweetie and back while still not moving.

“Huh?”



And again, not even a day later, a loud and deep horn-like sound entered AppleJack's ears.

Sweetie didn't move a muscle in shock. This was very bad… But before she could recover from her shock, she noticed a cluster of orange lights in the sky behind AJ, rapidly approaching them and the machine.

As the orange lights came closer, she noticed they were pegasus royal guards, holding a lantern in one hoof and a spear in the other.

One pegasus from the group split off and headed towards the shocked and confused mares.

“Don’t worry! They can do nothing against us anymore! We are fully protected.” The royal pegasus said, as he landed next to AppleJack.

“R-really?” However, AJ asked anyway. How can they be so sure when ONE laser could almost go through the Canterlot shield?

“Look, if Princess Twilight said that Canterlot is fully protected, then I believe it! Now you and you,...” He pointed to AJ and Sweetie who also came out of the tent into the rain.
“...Retreat into the castle, now! This is a new battlefield!” He said before spreading his wings and joining the group again.

AJ looked at Sweetie, who trotted to her. 

“If Twilight's thinkin’, this can protect us, then Ah don’t believe it!” AJ frowned. 

“What can you do about it now? Let's just go into the castle!” Sweetie said, as she started running towards the main castle gates.

“But…the machine is still behind the… *Sigh* Nevermind.” AJ rolled her eyes, before she started trotting behind Sweetie.

Once AJ caught up to Sweetie, who was standing looking at something in the distance, the machine carefully placed one of its tentacle-like legs on the Canterlot shield and examined it.

“What are you looking at?” She asked, after she stopped next to her.

“A convoy,” Sweetie answered.

“A- Huh?” AJ raised an eyebrow and looked in the same direction as her. She saw it too. It was a convoy of artillery cannons, towed by royal guards. They trotted slowly so that they wouldn't get stuck or slip on the muddy path. 

“Did they forget the stone cannonballs can do nothin’ against them!?” AJ added, when she starts counting them… 
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…

“They know it very well, but as you remember, they can at LEAST slow them down!” Sweetie said.

Then, an unpleasant, screeching sound came into
ponies ears…

“Oh buck me.” AJ said, turning around only to see the machine's leg trying to break through the shield but to no avail. 

*CRACKChMmmm!*

“AH!” Sweetie got scared by the thunder again. While that, the lighting on the other hoof gave AJ a light for a millisecond. She saw the silhouette of the Tripod and some details! Details like the black color of the machine, sharp edges on the head and…two lasers.

After their...same reaction, the convoy was lined up exactly forty meters in front of the machine, loaded and the crew ready to fire, in the final number of eleven rounds in the muzzles of the cannons.

The black Tripod put its leg back down, aimed two of its prisms with the blue bowl-like end in front of the shield, and waited for a moment. A blue undulating orb began to form inside each 'bowl', capable of turning all living things in front of it to dust or slicing them in half.

*Bzzzzzzt! Bzzzzzzzzt!*

AJ shielded her eyes from the bright light with her hoof. She heard surprising voices and a sound that would be compared to shattered glass, if it fell to the ground.

The orange mare then put her hoof back on the ground, and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw…shocked her.

In the middle of the convoy was a row of sparkling flames. As everypony quickly recovered from the unexpected, the first victims were quickly discovered. The Fourth and Fifth cannon were in pieces and their crews...gone. All that remained of them was dust and their armor…

*Stomp!*

“They’re inside!” The machine now puts its leg…into the castle region.

“FIRE!” A blue griffon in golden armor landed behind a line of cannons and screamed.

*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*

The remaining nine cannons fired at once.

Two cannonballs overshot their target and the others hit the shield of the machine with a direct hit. The intervention machine took five steps back. Smoke came out of the shield for a moment, but it didn't last long. The Machine turned back and looked at the source of the shots.

The Machine aims its prisms again.

“Pegasi group, distract them! Cannon group, keep it away from the castle walls! Pegasi with bombs are on their way!” Gallus said, as he got into the air again and flew towards the machine.

“AJ! Let’s go!” Sweetie pulled her front leg, but AJ couldn't move as she was still shocked.

While that, the pegasi group started flying around the Tripod, like mosquitoes when they see the light.

Was it working? Of course not!

*Bzzzzt!*

Another laser lands into cannon row, taking down one crew.

*BANG! BANG!*

Four cannons just fired again. Missing the pegasi, but hitting the machine again, which did two steps back again.

Sweetie sighed, as she wrapped her in magic and pulled her near some building.

“Wha-? What the-?!” AJ was startled when Sweetie used her magic again. Wait…her magic is back?

“Ya got your magic back?” She asked surprised, after Sweetie let her go.

"I just tried it!" The white unicorn said, looking back at the battlefield.

“Geez! We have to get into the castle as fast as possible!” 

“Oh, you don’t say?” Sweetie said sarcastically.





“I heard them…I saw them… They attacked for Luna’s sake!”

A light blue pegasus was opening a window out of the hospital. Why didn't she go through the front door? They would send her back to her room. What else would they do when they see a patient out of bed?

Sometimes the sky would glow blue accompanied by humming sounds. Did they get in already? Well, she heard their loud horn-like sound, so anything is possible now.

When she opened the window and looked out, she noticed the ground with grass, a meter below her. She slowly put the first hind leg out, then the other, and finally her whole body. When she was halfway out, she let go of the window frame and landed on her flank on the grass.

“Ouch.” Rainbow then quickly standed up.

She was in a small alley that separated the hospital from the castle walls. At the end of the alley she saw two ponies hiding and peeking at the situation that had drastically changed for the worse without her knowledge.

“Hey! What’s the situation?” She called out, which in response she got something unexpected.

“Hol up. Rainbow?! What are you doing here, outside of the…hospital?” The orange mare looked behind her, seeing her friend, still with bandages. AJ then looked at the hospital, realizing where they were, before looking back at her.

“Uh...long story short; Canterlot is in danger!” Rainbow said, while she walked over to her and Sweetie Belle.

“We already know!” Sweetie Belle looked at the pegasus too.

*Bzzzzt! Boom!*

Another laser beam hit the line of cannons, but now...with an explosion at the end.

Rainbow peeked out from hiding only to see the destruction…

Everything was on fire! She could see the scorched earth, military equipment in ruins, and a machine that had taken another step. The only thing she didn't see were the guards…

“Damn, such wasted lives!” 

“The Pegasus are now the last to try to stop it! I think it's finally time to pick up our asses and run to the damn castle! Right, AppleJack?!” Sweetie said and stood up.

“Fine, ya won! Let's just go!” AJ frowned and stood up too. She then looked at Rainbow.

“Better if ya go with us, Dash.”

“You think I’ll stay here!?” The rainbow maned mare said back.

The mares took one more look at the situation, only to see the 'gearbox' of the machine open and how metal-like tentacles emerged.

Then the tentacles began to chase and catch the flying pegasi, who kept flying around trying to distract the machine for as long as possible. When one tentacle caught one of the pegasi, it threw him hard to the ground, killing him.

"Now! It's back turned!" Dash said before running out of hiding, followed by AJ and Sweetie second after. 

The mares ran for their lives, avoiding those who came out of the hospital to see what was going on and even the other royal guards who were only towing two cannons. Sometimes, they slipped on the mud, but with every step, they were closer to safety.

"Everypony in, hurry up! Come on!" Another two royal guards opened the castle gate wide open.

Sweetie was the first, who stepped inside the castle, before turning back and giving a helping hoof to others, who were on their way too.

*Crackchmm-Bzzzzt!*

AJ was second to get into the castle, being followed by Rainbow right after her.

“Do you know anything about the 'big gun' I've heard so much about? Because I would very much like to see it in operation now!” Dash asked Sweetie, panting.

“Wonder Weapon? What I know, it’s the only thing that can pierce their shield, so yeah, I hope they’ll use it again very, very soon!” Sweetie said, while helping other ponies, along the two royal guards, get inside.





“How many guards have been sent to defend?” Twilight asked her second highest general, while galloping together through the hallways of the castle.

"Most likely…one hundred and nine. Three guards for each cannon, in total of twelve cannons, and twenty five pegasi, where three of them have bombs." The general answered.

"Good. Just keep the Machine distracted as long as possible!" The purple Alicorn ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am!” The guard unicorn saluted and started galloping into the barracks.

“Well, Twilight, you slept for six hours, plenty of time to recharge… Let's see what we're up against this time.” She said to herself, before her horn started glowing. In a matter of seconds, from galloping in the hallway, she was galloping towards the W-Weapon in the middle of the rainy night.

Stopping at the metal door leading inside the W-Weapon, she looked to her left only to see a black machine and its tentacles grabbing and throwing pegasi. 
“What are they doing now?” She said to herself, confused, before opening the metal door and entering the insides of W-Weapon.

Right after she entered, she looked at the transparent barrel breech. A purple spinning ball was still inside of it, ready to be fired at the invaders.

“Let’s do it again.” Twilight said to herself, as she sat into the gunner seat. It wasn’t hard to operate the weapon, it was her, who designed and helped this savior to be built.

As the end of the barrel was slowly moving towards its second target, the Black Tripod was still trying to catch and kill the pegasi. The Aliens had no idea what was moving towards them.

Finally, the weapon was now aiming at the Black Tripod, ready to fire. Twilight pressed the ‘Fire’ button, and the spinning ball on the breach started to shine, before it fired a fast Magic beam, towards the Tripod.

*BANG!* 

The Black Tripod looked at the source of the bang, noticing a large Magic beam, as it was coming at it, very fast.

The Machine tried to maneuver or even jump just to get out of the path of the Magic beam at any cost, but… they reacted too slowly.

*BOOOM!!*

A loud bang was heard, before a gray smoke came slowly from the machine.

"..." Twilight left the seat, walked to the cannon breach. Her horn starts to glow and puts it on the breach. 

Few sparkles came from the connection, before all the magic was back in her. She was "herself" again. She then left the W-Weapon and watched from far away, as the smoke was rising into the atmosphere. 

When the smoke slowly disappeared into thin air, Twilight noticed something…different, something was new on that…Black Tripod…or rather gone.

“Huh?” Something was indeed missing on the machine. It was still night, but it was noticeable. 

“Where’s that cage…?” She spread her wings, knowing that a knocked out machine can fall any second, but she must check if anypony survived.

She flew for a few seconds, the wreck still holding on three legs, as something was pouring out from the back, where the cage was.

“Where…” She looked around, until she saw the cage on the hospital’s roof. She noticed it was smoking a bit and it had a big hole through it.

“Oh no…nononono…” Did she just…kill everypony in that cage? 

Twilight looked back at the Tripod, as she realized her mistake and how it possibly happened. As the machine tried to avoid the beam's path, it leaned forward a bit. Just this small movement caused the beam to hit the machine in the finale, but through a cage... a pony cage as everycreature knows.

When she landed on the roof of the Hospital, she galloped to the pony cage that had a big hole through it. Instead of saving lives and survivors asking for help, the cage was full of…bodies that looked…burned.

“Oh no…” Her ears fell flat on her head and stepped back.
“What…have I done?”





Just before the gates were closed, AJ and Rainbow, along with others who made it inside the castle, heard and saw an explosion. It was still night, but thanks to Canterlot lights, and lanterns of the Pegasi, they could saw, how a purple Magic beam hit the…Machine.

As the beam hit the Tripod, something was almost cut off from the machine, when it was hit. For a few seconds it was holding, smoking a bit, before it finally ripped off by itself and fell on the roof of the hospital, causing slight damage. It was a pony cage that fell on the hospital’s roof.

Nopony said a word, as the only thing they heard was the slight sound of metal ripping and drops of water falling on the muddy path.

“Look!” Sweetie Belle said and pointed at the areas where the cage was.

Everypony looked up at the knocked out Tripod, as it was still standing still.

“Right at the trapdoor, AJ!” She added.

AppleJack looked more closely and noticed…a hole next to the trapdoor, big as a barrel. And from that hole, something was dripping on the back of the 'Gearbox', along the back leg of the machine, on the ground.

“Do ya think the same thing, as ah think?” AJ asked.

“I think so.” Sweetie confirmed. 

“What do you mean?” One unicorn mare asked.
“What is…that liquid?”

“Yeah AJ,” Rainbow Dash joined.
“What you two know, that we don’t?”

“Uh, long story. I was inside of these machines.” Sweetie said and looked back at the standing Tripod.

“And the liquid… I don't even know what it is, but it's in the kind of cylindrical containers where they put unicorns for magical transfusions.” At this, a few ponies looked at her shocked.
“What? It does make sense.” Sweetie added.

There was silence for another few moments, before…

“Is that Princess Twilight?” Said a green Griffon.

“Twilight?” AJ looked around, before noticing flying Alicorn, heading towards the Tripod.

“What is she trying to do?” Another pony asked. They noticed Twilight landing on the Hospital roof and galloping towards the cage, before she made a few steps back.

“If she has any reason, then she looks sad now.” One brown pegasus mare said.

"Better if she knew about us here."  AJ thought for a bit.





“Twilight!” The purple Alicorn’s ear flicked. She moved her eyes and head from that massacre, to the source of the call, noticing survivors inside the castle, along with Rainbow, AppleJack and Sweetie Belle!

“Oh, thank goodness.” She smiled a little and felt as if a large stone had finally fallen from her heart.
This day, hour, minute, the invasion ended for good. From the Tripods' first step until tonight, this war had cost the ponies mostly everything; sweat, lives, blood, but above all, devotion to their Princess and their country was the only thing they had…even when it looked bad…

It's only a matter of time before everything will go back to normal and-



A very deep loud horn-like sound makes everycreature to stop moving, as their smiles faded. Although nopony noticed it, Twilight could compared this sound to a dying whale.

“Wait what-!?” Twilight turned around and looked up. The Tripod was still functional! Right after the horn, engine sounds were back too, but they sounded damaged!

Then, a weak light surrounded her, as the Tripod was looking directly at her, as its body faced her.

Twilight was speechless. How is it possible?! How is it still functional? She had to do something, and fast!

She used her magic to teleport herself back near the W-Weapon. She then started galloping for her life to get the ‘savior’ operable again, but…

*Bzzzzzzzt! Boom!*

Twilight’s eyes widen when an explosion happens in front of her. A shock wave threw her back a little, as her horn began to glow immediately. A thick layer of purple magic formed around her as pieces of the W-Weapon hit her shield and fell around her surroundings. She closed her eyes from all of that.

Then, nothing. Everything has calmed down. She opened her eyes again, but still let the magic bubble around her.

“Oh Celestia...”

It was gone! Right where the W-Weapon was supposed to be, was just a steamy crater! Even the foundation was in pieces!

She then looked back at the Machine. It was standing still for some reason, but looking at her. At the same time, only a few pegasi were trying to distract the Machine, when they noticed it's actived again. The Machine ignored them, as every metallic tentacle-like limb was outside of the ‘Gearbox’, not moving.

Then, the Machine aimed its two prisms at her, ready to fire another laser beam.

Twilight frowned. She stood up, as her magical shield was still around her… The machine then slowly starts to move towards her, but in such a crippled way, as if…

“Wait a minute…” She thought for a moment before remembering something and smirked.

She let her magical shield still around her, as she spread her wings and took off. In a moment, she was floating at the same height as the Machine, that was now just a few meters in front of her.

The machine stopped and fired its laser beam. Twilight didn’t flinch. She knew very well what she was doing…

*Bzzt! Bounce!*

It…it bounced? The Tripod then fired another laser beam, but with same results

“Two beams could be a problem…if you weren’t damaged…and low on Unicorn’s magic!” She let her shield disappear, before her horn glowed again and fired her own magic beam.

*BANG!*

Her magic beam…went through the shield that shattered, and penetrated through the steel! The machine crumbled a bit, as it made two steps back.

“Just like in Crystal Empire; That Tripod was trembling, because it was low on Magic, before it broke down!” She then flew towards it, as she landed on the top of the surface of the machine, her horn stopped glowing.
“And I know that whoever is inside can hear and understand what I am saying! So I will ask only once; Will you surrender?! After all the pain you all made, you are left with only a few! Don’t waste, not only our lives, but even yours!”

The machine stood still, not moving, nothing. Only a faint smoke was coming from the hole she made.
Was…this working?

“TWILIGHT!! WATCH OUT!!” AJ said, as she was now out of their hiding.

Twilight looked at her right and then on her left. One of the Machine’s tentacles was right at her hooves, as it wrapped around her front leg and moved her quickly towards the ground. The machine has thrown her on the ground very fast, as dust went into the air from the impact. The machine crouched a bit, as another tentacle catched her and then threw her at the castle’s walls…

When the Machine looked at where it had thrown her, the impact site was very clearly visible. The hole as a pony silhouette in the castle wall was enough for the machine to aim its prisms at exactly the part of the castle, where the Princess of Equestria was most likely to be.

*Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt!*

The lasers weren’t that strong, but it was strong enough to make a cornette break. It destroyed a roof, second floor, a left wall of the castle and a bit of the third floor, until it found her…

She was in one of many guest rooms. In that one guest room, around destroyed furniture, and under a little pile of debris, wood logs and shattered mirror, there was Twilight Sparkle. She was trying to free her, but her whole body hurt.





“Hey! Leave mah friend alone!” AJ kicked a small piece of wall debris, towards the machine. The debris shattered at the Machine’s right side.

The Tripod just ignored that, as one metallic tentacle was slowly reaching for the Princess.

*Bang!*

A bigger wall derbish landed on the right side of the machine, which made the Tripod move a bit.
“You didn’t listen?!” Rainbow Dash was now out of her hiding, along Sweetie Belle, who had another big derbish in her magic.

At that, the machine’s head moved at them. The Machine was crouching very low, as the lights were flickering.

“Thanks.” AJ said. This wasn't the first time a Machine was looking at her while crouched, but she still found it menacing.

The Machine stands up, turned back at Twilight, that was now free, but was flat on the ground in pain, as one prism was aimed at her. The mare's pupils shrunk.

"What were we thinking again?" Rainbow asked, as she looked up at the sky.

"Stop them from killin' Twilight?" AJ answered, as a hissing sound came into their ears.

"Seems it didn’t quite work!" Sweetie made a step forward, as she wanted to try to save Twilight.

"Well, it stopped for a moment!"

"Come on girls, calm down! You can debate later. Just…be ready for some bright light." Rainbow said, as she smiled.

The other mares looked at her, confused, before they heard…some sort of something falling?

*Boom!*

The sky lit up in red and orange, as something explosive fell on top of the Machine.

Rainbow had to cover her eyes with her healthy wing, before she heard familiar voices.

"HAHA! Direct hit!" It was Surprise, that flew over the mares, as she called for another attack.
"Sorry for us being late, the bombs weight something. Anyway, it's your time Zoom!"

As the Machine stumbled a bit, Zoom in the air waited a bit, before the smoke faded.

He noticed that the surface was damaged, but not pierced. If they had to destroy it right now, then this was the way; make a hole and destroy it from inside.

"*sigh* Alright…"

He started to dive and let his wings by his body, as he gained speed. The Machine aimed two of its prisms up the sky and tried to laser him down.

*Bzzzt! Bzzzt!*

Zoom's instinct kicked in, as he opened his wings and dodged these two shots. When he balanced himself again, he released his bomb and pulled up, leaving the Tripod to brace itself, as it looked at the ponies on the ground, running away.

*Boom, BANG!*

Another bright explosion lit up the castle as large chunks of steel flew into the air.

“Everypony take cover!” Rainbow screamed, as the other ponies started to run away from the Machine, while the chunks of steel started to fall down.

As somepony ran, or flew to safety, the chunks hit the muddy ground, making a ‘clink’ sound. Then silence once again, as the mares and survivors looked back at the Machine.

It had a big hole in its roof now, while it was trembling more on the same place, its prisms hanging down, just like its tentacles, as if it hadn't energy to hold them up.

"It's yours, Wind!"

When Zoom called, the Machine meanwhile struggled more to stay up, as fire lighted a big hole that only Wind, being the last in the air, saw as a perfect target to aim for.

The White pegasus flapped her wings and dive bomb towards the Tripod that only looked up. There wasn't anything it could do, as it was heavily damaged, unable to move its tentacles, or even move itself.

Wind fully spread her wings to slow down a bit, before pressing the button attached to her left front leg, to release her M.B.500.

The bomb was out, heading right into the hole, as the white pegasus immediately pulled up, from the incoming explosion.

*BOOOM!!*

At the third hit, at the third explosion, the Machine struggled for a moment longer, trying to stay still, more pieces of steel blowing into the air, but before it could stop and fall, or before the dark thick smoke could disappear into the atmosphere, the tripod slowly tipped to the side, its lights out, and slowly began to fall towards the castle.

“Oh uh-” Was the last thing Twilight said, when she noticed many tons of steel falling to her.

When the Machine came into contact with the castle, it destroyed an entire corridor, and collapsed two towers, making a loud sound of cracking concrete and creaking iron and steel. The black smoke was combined with a yellow-ish cloud of dust that surrounded all the destruction from the ponies hiding behind the other derbies for protection.

When everything calmed down a bit, Rainbow, AJ and Sweetie, who were hiding behind a big piece of Machine’s steel, looked slowly back at the scene, even if the dust and smoke were still covering the truth.

“Ya’ll think this’s finally over?” AJ looked back at the mares, who were still watching the scene, waiting for the dust to fall down.

“What do you think? For me their machine must be made out of Celestilium, for them to survive that.” Sweetie said.

“Can you two let that be?! The Machine just fell on the castle, where Twilight is!” Rainbow said, turning her head to them.

“Speaking of falling,” Surprise land behind the mares. “The Machine didn’t damage the hiding spot of the ponies at all.” The white mare said, as she pointed back at the hiding spot behind the castle gates, where the rest of the Fireteam was checking on the survivors.

“Well, at least something, right?” Sweetie said with a nervous chuckle.

At that, AJ rolled her eyes, as she left their hiding spot. The dust was slowly falling to the ground, as the orange mare walked through the ruins, while a strong smell of burning rubber hit her nose. She looked left and right, trying to recognize what was still there and was not.

As the dust settled to her height, she noticed the illuminated Tripod leaning his head against the castle. Its roof opened wide, letting thick black smoke into the atmosphere, followed by a few sparks.

“Now, this ain’t gonna get up at all.”