The Five Year Struggle...

It is about midnight and I'm driving down a dark Route One. I'm pretty much the only driver out this late, save for the rare car going the opposite direction. My iPod was currently hooked into my stereo system, playing the audiobook for Fallout: Equestria. Yeah, I was Brony, and damned proud of it. I was driving back from BronyCon down in Baltimore, but traffic on the way out nearly made me commit suicide. Now, I was five hours behind schedule, and I had work in a few hours. I watched a car go by on the other side of the road as I noticed some lightning overhead.

"Oh Great..." I thought. "A thunderstorm is on the way and I'm still out here..." So, in response, I decided to put the gas pedal down a bit more and go a little above the speed limit. See, ever since I was six, I've hated thunderstorms. I like to listen to them from indoors, but being out in them in any shape or form wasn't good for me.

But what I didn't know, is that this thunderstorm, wasn't an ordinary storm...

~Across the dimensions in Equestria~

It was another ordinary day for the residents of PonyVille. Business was busy, the sun was shining, and ponies were going to and fro with bags of groceries or little nick-knacks. It had just become the summer season, and Carousel Boutique was quickly gaining more and more orders for the new summer clothes line Rarity had just released the prior day. Sugarcube Corner had a line going out the door and it stretched to Applejack's Sweet Apple Acres stand, where the stands' owner was currently selling bags of apples to ponies who needed apples for a recipe or just to snack on. The skies above the small town were the clearest they've been in a while, thanks to the efforts of Rainbow Dash and the Cloudsdale Weather Team. Twilight Sparkle was currently sitting at her favorite restaurant with her assistant Spike. The two were accompanied by Fluttershy, who was trying to get Angel to stop being so stubborn and eat his bowl of greens.

"Please Angel?" Fluttershy asked. She was met by a stubborn shake of the head from Angel for what must have been the hundredth time.

"If you do, I promise to stop and get supplies for a Salad Sundae." Fluttershy offered, knowing Angel wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. The white rabbit looked at his caretaker with a face of interest, then nodded and took a leaf of lettuce to munch on.

"Works everytime." Fluttershy said cheekily with a small smile as she turned to her two friends. Twilight was sitting with a book propped open against the tables' umbrella pole, eating a flower sandwich she had ordered while Spike was trying to organize a pile of papers and notes Twilight had taken the night before.

"Explain to me why you took all of these notes, Twilight. I mean, it's not like Princess Celestia had given you something to research or anything." Spike complained as he put a piece of parchment in an already high pile.

"Oh, you know me Spike. I just like to read and learn. Taking notes doesn't hurt." Twilight stated simply as she continued to read.

"Yeah, but you've already read that book three times in the past two weeks." Spike pointed out. Twilight looked to her assistant and then to the book cover, which read "Tales of Old: The Guide to Equestrian Folk Tales and Myths".

"There's nothing wrong with that Spike. This book has interested me the most lately, that's all." She said closing the book finally. Twilight gave a smile to Fluttershy and spoke.

"So, what are you doing today Fluttershy?" She asked.

"Oh, I have to pick up some more animal feed and some supplies for home. I promised Angel that I would make him a Salad Sundae later on." Fluttershy said softly.

"Sounds like you have a busy day ahead." Spike said rubbing his small shoulder, having finally sorted through the notes and parchment. "I don't wanna sort anymore Twilight. My shoulder is sore." Spike added on.

"Don't worry Spike, that's all for today." Twilight said to him, which made Spike smile.

"Alright!" He said reaching for his own sandwich, ready to take a bite. But as he was about to grip the sandwich, his stomach lurched, and the familiar sensation of an incoming note ran up his throat. Spike spat out green flame, and a letter with the Royal Seal on it took up the space in his small hands.

"Oh hey, a letter from Celestia!" He told Twilight, handing it to her. Twilight used her levitation magic to unroll the letter to read it. Silence filled the space for a few minutes, then Twilight rolled up the letter.

"What did it say Twilight?" Fluttershy asked her friend.

"We've been summoned by the Princess for an audience with her." She said with a concerned tone.

"What's wrong Twilight?" Spike asked her.

"It just seems so sudden, that's all. Come on, lets go get the others and head out." Twilight said leaving some bits for a tip, then stood up onto her four legs and walked away, Spike and Fluttershy on her trail.

Once Twilight and the others gathered Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, they all boarded the train bound for Canterlot. The ride seemed to go by very fast for the ponies, and they arrived at their destination about twenty minutes later. Leaving the train, the ponies and Spike made a beeline straight for the Castle. Once they arrived, Twilight told the guards that the Princess had requested to see them, and the Guards let them pass. They all entered the Grand Hall and approached Princess Celestia.

"Greetings Twilight." She said with a warm smile. The ponies all bowed in respect and Twilight spoke up.

"Greetings Princess. Can you tell us why you called us here?" she asked.

"My apologies, I must've forgotten the second part of that letter I sent. I'm having very important guests coming and I need assistance in setting up the castle for their arrival." Celestia explained. Twilight and the others all nodded.

"Can you tell us who's coming Princess?" Rarity asked.

"Just some delegates from a far away place." Celestia simply said. That didn't seem right to Twilight. Usually the Princess would be a bit more specific with where a visitor came from. But Twilight chalked it up to some stress the Princess may have been experiencing and let it drop.

"Well Princess, jus' tell us wher' ta go, and we'll go an' start settin' up tha place." Applejack said stepping forward a bit.

"I need you, Applejack, to prepare some food for the delegates. Rarity, I would like your stylish eye to set up decorations. Pinkie Pie, I need music. Rainbow Dash, I would like the clouds to be clear for when they arrived. Fluttershy, I would appreciate it if you tended to the animals in the gardens. Twilight and Spike, supervise the preparations." Celestia said as each nodded and accepted their jobs. "Now go, we don't have long until they arrive." Celestia added.

Nodding in unison, the Ponies and Spike all went off to their separate jobs. Celestia watched them leave, then an uncharacteristic grin spread across her lips. Her eyes flashed to show bug like eyes that shined with a sickening green, then reverted to the light purple they were before once a Guard entered the Grand Hall.

"Princess," He spoke with a deep tone. "The Elements have started working on the tasks you've assigned."

"Good."  Celestia said, then a snarl of hunger came from her stomach. "Guard, come here please." She said, waving her hoof forward. The Guard blinked at the sudden request, then started to walk towards her.

"Yes, your Highness?" He asked.

"I am feeling quite hungry." Celestia said.

"I can have the kitchen cook something up, Princess." The Guard said in reply.

"I am not hungry for food..." Celestia said, her voice hissing a bit. The Guard stepped back at this.

"Then...what is it you're hungry for, Ma'am?" He asked, his voice shaking a bit. At this, Celestia stood and her horn glowed the same sickening green her eyes were now. The magic encased the Guard and he was levitated off the ground. He cried in surprise and started to flail in panic, trying to escape. Celestia laughed at his attempts to flee. Finally, the Guard look toward Celestia, panic filling his eyes. "What are you doing Princess?!"

"I'm feeding off your Love..." She said evilly, then with a twitch of her horn, the Guard froze, and soon his skin started to sink into the cavities of his bones as his energy was sucked from his body. His mouth opened in a silent scream as his eyes sunk into their sockets. The green magic turned into a light pink and it flowed toward Celestia, who laughed evilly with a insect like hiss to her voice.

~The Canterlot Gardens~

Fluttershy was taking roll call of all the Garden's animal population when Twilight walked up to her, a check list floating beside her. Fluttershy turned to speak with her friend.

"Oh, hello Twilight." She said with a smile.

"Hi Fluttershy. How's it going down here?" Twilight asked as she looked to the animals.

"It's going quite nicely. The animals are all here and accounted for. I was just about to feed them." Fluttershy told Twilight as she checked off on the list.

"That's good to hear. If you're finished, could you come with me while I check on Rarity and the others?" Twilight asked her. Fluttershy nodded.

"Of course I can. Let me feed the animals first, okay?" She asked. Twilight nodded and waited for Fluttershy to finish feeding the animals. Once she was finished, Fluttershy walked beside Twilight as they left the gardens.

"Where's Spike? Wasn't he suppose to be with you?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight sighed.

"He decided to go off with Rarity to help her decorate." She said. "Would've been nice to have him carry the list for me instead." Twilight said with a giggle. Fluttershy smiled at the tiny joke as the two walked the large halls.

Once they had check up on and gathered the other Ponies, The Mane Six all returned to the Grand Hall to report to Celestia. Upon entering, they were met with a grim sight on the ground in front of them. A Royal Guard laid on the floor. His body was emaciated and his eyes were rolled into the back of his skull. The Ponies all gasped at the sight and they looked to Celestia.

"Princess, what happened to him?" Twilight asked, fright edging on her voice. The Princess laughed maliciously, something never heard from her before, and she looked to the frightened Ponies.

"You cannot honestly tell me that you still see me as Celestia now." She said, her voice sounding like it had a double voice to it.

"Wait, I recognize that nasty voice anywhere!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she hopped into a accusation stance. "You're Chrysalis!" She yelled again. Twilight and the others looked from Pinkie, then to Celestia, who was laughing once again as she transformed into her true form of the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis.

"You ponies really are easy to fool!" She said mockingly.

"How did you get into the Castle? What did you do with the Princess?" Twilight asked in panic.

"Getting in was easy. Taking care of your Princess, was a bit challenging. All I had to do was send a letter, making it look like she was needed somewhere else, then when she arrived, my Changelings and I ambushed her. She's currently in a pod back at my castle." Chrysalis said sitting down on the throne, a wicked smile on her face.

"Well, we're going to stop what ever you have planned, and you'll tell us where the Princess is exactly!" Rainbow Dash  said, growling as she did.

"I'm afraid you Ponies wont be able to do anything." Chrysalis said sneering. In a flash of green, the Mane Six were encased in a green bubble and started to float. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie started trying to bash against the bubble in attempt to break it, but it didn't even so much as crack.

"Just stop now while you're ahead. My magic is too strong for the likes of you." Chrysalis sighed as she watched the Ponies struggle.

"What are ya'll gonna do with us?" Applejack questioned.

"I've been brushing up on your form of Magic, and I've learned many things. For example, I could make that bubble start to close in on you and crush you all. Or, I could fill it with gas that will put you all to sleep." Chrysalis ranted on, finally coming to a stop.

"You didn't answer her question!" Twilight yelled.

"Oh, of course. I'm planning on teleporting you little pests away so you can't interfere with my take over of Equestria!" Chrysalis said, her laugh beginning again.

"I must say, darling. You must work on that laugh of yours." Rarity said rolling her eyes. "Stereotypical laugh of a villain." She added. Chrysalis growled and her horn began to glow.

"Enough of you! Be gone!" She yelled. The Ponies all cried out as the bubble they were encased in vanished, taking them along with it. Silence filled the Grand Hall as the bubble vanished.

"I've finally done it..." Chrysalis muttered. she couldn't help but laugh in victory. She stopped, her features taking on one of realization. "I really do need to work on my laugh..." She said. Just then, the door opened and Spike stepped in.

"Twilight? Are you and the others in here?" He asked, then his gaze landed on Chrysalis. He gasped in shock and backed away. "Chrysalis! Wha-how...What did you do with my friends?" He demanded.

"Oh yes, the little mascot of those ponies. I've always wanted a dragon for a pet." Chrysalis said, her magic now flowing. She sent it flying to Spike, which encased him and turned his eyes fully green.

"I shall obey my Queen..." He said once the magic dissipated.

"Come sit with me." Chrysalis ordered, and Spike ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He reached the throne and climbed up onto it, sitting with Chrysalis.

"Let the take over begin..."

      ~Back on Earth~

As I drove, the thunder and lightning seemed to have increased significantly. My car sped down the highway as I tried to beat the storm and arrive safely at home. I could hear the thunder boom over my iPod as I drove, signalling it was right over head. I looked to my speedometer and gritted my teeth.

"Come on, come on. I know you can go faster..." I muttered as I pressed down on the pedal some more. My Mitsubishi Lancer roared as the horsepower kicked in finally and I speed up. As I did, a flash of lighting struck close by on the grass divider between the roads. The crack of light only lasted a second and I swerved a bit.

"Oh shit! That was too close!" I yelled as another crack came down, this time on the road it self.  Another, then another, and finally, a third crack of light hit with such force that the electrical impulses fried my car's electronics and my car stalled out. I slammed on the breaks as a fourth crack hit the road in front of me. The car came to a shuttering stop and the rear wheels came back down onto the road as the stop was complete. I hit the steering wheel in anger as I tried my ignition. The car sputtered a bit, and the headlights flashed on. I didn't see the object on the road it they had illuminated for the split second they were on. I tried the ignition again and the car sputtered rapidly. This time, my eyes caught a bright array of colors that were caught in the flashing headlights. Frowning, I turned off the car and pulled my keys from the ignition. Reaching into the back of my car, I found a flashlight and stepped out into the rainfall. Turning on the flashlight, I walked over to the area I had seen the colors. The flashlights' beam swept through darkness, then finally, it illuminated a bright, almost cyan, blue blot on the ground. I made the beam travel up to see a clear white, bright orange, light yellow, shockingly pink, and a light lavender blots all on the ground. Then it hit me.

"I've seen these colors before...but it can't be, can it?" I asked myself as I knelled down onto the road and reach a hand out to cup the head of the lavender blob in front of me. Sure enough, I was looking at the unconscious face of Twilight Sparkle. I looked to see her other five friends, all in the same condition. My jaw dropped in complete shock and I heard a grunt come from Twilight. I looked to see her slowly open her eyes. They flashed open suddenly and she made eye contact, well, as much as you can in the dark rain, with me.

"Well...Hello there..." I said gently.