The Black Nightmare

Mine is a story of war, of hard toil, hard business, sometimes lively, but even more often funny; of people in high places who do not let themselves govern conventions and others that were governed by the conventions; of foreigners they exceeded ourselves in devotion to our cause; a story of blood and violence but also more cunning and deception. A story about squeezing the brain and even hard labors

And, of course, a story about friendship.

Vladimir Peniakof, Warriors on wheels

As we know, the first recorded contact between the human race and ponies happened in the XVII century, documented by a group of Portuguese explorers, during an expedition in the Pacific ocean. However, some evidence demostrate that the first contact was made long time ago: in a great number of islands in that ocean have been discovered rock paintings which represent a pegasus stylized. Probably the local population worshipped those animals as godheads.

Other informations come from the Italian explorer Marco Polo: in the chronicles about his journey in China, he reported that the chinese were aware about the presence of another continent beyon the Pacific Ocean, where misterious and strange creatures lived.

No, thought the young man. This is not what i was looking for.

He sighed wistfully and keep reading:

CHAPTER VII

We have been able to detect some main reasons about the hostility between the two species: the first is the ponies' point of view about the human race. In the ancient time, the humans used to ride horses for easy movements. Of course , ponies considered this nothing more than an act of slavery against creatures which they felt similar to them.

Inspite of the scientists' demonstration that horses was less evolved than ponies from Equestria, there are still strong prejudice about humans, who were simply called ''Slavers''.

The second reason came from the middle of XVIII century: in that time United Kingdoom and Spain, both attracted by the great wealth of the Equestria Kingdoom, formed a coalition and attempted to colonize those land. Actually, the Spain had other interests in mind: spanishs always condemned the ponies, seeing them as pagans and magicians.

They wanted to convert them to the Catholic faith, with or against their will.

We have a unique report of what happened that day by testimony of the Admiral George Pickett.

Its seems that the fleet was about to dock on the Equestria's coast, when they were ambushed by at least three thousands of ponies. During the battle, the ponies erected some kind of magic shield that protected them from muskets and naval cannons, allowing them to deafeat an enemy defenceless. In that day humans lost one thousand of soldiers and three vessels ( Esmeralda, Santa Maria and Queen Anne). After the defeat, all possible...

Enough, scream in his head. I can not believe how much useless this book is!

One second later and the book, once on his desk, was launched in the middle of the room on the floor.

The young man started to breathe slowly to calm down himself, lying on his chair.

He had to be calm, especially in that situation. It's never be good be too agitated before doing something important. And he was going to do something particulary important.

I definitely need to drink something he thought, smiling wryly.

That was not a bad idea. And accidentally there was a bottle full of scotch and an empty glass right in the midlle of the desk, so why not take advantage of that fortuitous coincidence?

He slowly poured the drink into his glass, and he was about to drink it, when suddenly someone knocked his door. He had to be a very determined man, because the young man did not even have time to get up from his confortable chair.

When the door opened, what came out was an high human figure.

A figure that would have instilled fear in anyone who was enough proud, or unlucky, to meet him.