Extermination

The Flare Reaches Earth

The following night, about two and a half weeks after I had first seen the green flares, the first one finally reached Earth.  It illuminated the entire valley, from the Everfree Forest to Canterlot, with an unbelievable color of green.  The feeling of something smashing into the ground wasn't just scary.  When the flare crashed down I'm sure an elder pony somewhere collapsed in shock, followed by a heart attack...

"Twilight..." I heard a distant voice call to me.  "Wake up!" I heard it again, only much closer.  My eyes slowly raised themselves as I regained consciousness.  Spike stood beside my bed with a claw on my shoulder, gently shaking me.

"What is it Spike?" I asked.

"That green thing, I think it's getting really close!  Come and look at it." Spike grabbed my hoof, and pulled my to my hooves.  I pushed myself up, and climbed out of the bed as Spike impatiently tugged at my hoof.  He began to lead my to the balcony as I let out a deep yawn.  As he opened the doors to the balcony, a rush of wind from the outside howled through the library.  I walked out, and looked up.  There is was, brighter than ever.  I had to squint my eyes to look at it directly from the intense light it was giving off.  As I  watched, I could clearly see it's movement.

"What is it Twilight?" Spike asked.

"I'm not sure Spike." I replied.  By now it gave the allusion it was picking up speed as it came closer.  Suddenly, the flare turned orange as it came even closer.  The mix of orange and green spread light throughout the valley as if it were daylight.  Spike and I gasped as it came down at an intense speed.  It flew over Ponyville, and sped on towards the Everfree Forest.

As it disappeared behind the buildings, I braced for some sort of impact.  "Inside, now!" I ordered Spike.  We both went in as the ground trembled from the flare finally making contact with the ground.  "Ah!" I shouted as I nearly fell off my hooves.  The sound of the impact sent a ring through my ears, as the ground trembled violently.  Spike held on to my leg as the quake quickly came to an end.  I looked out the window and saw the orange light of what I assumed were fires that now ignited in the Everfree Forest.

"Are you okay?" I asked Spike with a worried tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Just a little shaken up." Spike replied.

I grabbed my scarf and headed downstairs.  "Come on Spike." I said.

"Where are you going?" Spike asked me with a shaky voice as we made our way downstairs.

"To get a closer look at whatever hit the earth." I replied.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea Twilight..." Spike was still trembling, "It might be dangerous to go out there into the Everfree at this time of night."

"I wouldn't worry Spike.  There's bound to be other ponies who are doing the same." I walked out the door with Spike close behind me.  I closed the door, and begun walking towards the crash sight.  Outside, many other residents of Ponyville were coming out of the safety of their homes to come see what had struck the earth.

Upon coming to the crater in which the extraterrestrial object had landed, I saw a metallic cylinder the size of the average house.  The moonlight gleamed off the metal, which was still glowing hot.  As ponies gathered to see the cylinder, a faint tapping sound began to emit from the inside of it.

"There's somepony trapped inside!" A stallion shouted.  He rushed to help, but the intense heat of the metal stopped him before he could burn himself.  A slight shudder occurred, as the top begun moving, unscrewing.  It twisted slowly, as the sound of metal gliding against metal could be heard.  I quickly turned, and made my way through the crowd as I headed back to Ponyville to catch much needed rest.