No pony could have know that, the stars that we look up to at night, the same stars that shine bright in Luna's night sky, could hold such destructive beings that has come now. No pony had ever thought that there was anything out there beyond the sun and the moon, the stars just simply, put there, by our immortal rulers and ancestors. That we here, on Equis, are the only beings capable of existing in a universe made so seemingly small by our for-bearers. I had visited another world once, a very delightful and joy filled world, yet, it was all strange, different from what we had here; and while I was there, I realized that if we are not alone in the multi-verse, what's to say we are not alone here?
I had always been fascinated by the world beyond, always looking to travel to the Undiscovered West or the Unknown North, but never had the time or resources. I would often ask Celestia about the stars when I was young, but she always seemed to avoid the subject with a purpose; I think I know why now.
For anypony, or anyone that find's this, that means there is still life, and if there is life...you need to know what happened to us.
Late at night, on the 12th of August, on the three hundredth year of Sol, the supposed planet deemed the name, Mars, long ago after an ancient God. The God of War. Why somepony would worship such a being is unbeknownst to me, but that is not a matter of discussion, not now. The planet had just appeared that night over the horizon, it was no larger than a red speck glowing amongst the usual white stars and moon that usually dominates the white sky. I first noticed this as I read on the balcony to my castle, I was at the time extremely excited, as the planet was, as I read it, last seen in the sky more than four thousand years ago during the Pre-Celestial age. I dropped by book immediately.
I spent the following hours studying and observing the orb with my telescope. It all seemed so calm just looking at it, it made me question why such a place would be named after a God of a such long-lost practice. Pony blood runs red, I supposed. But, as I was watching the planet as it calmly moved through the vacuum of space, I noticed a rather strange phenomenon. Sudden blips of green appearing erratically all across the surface of Mars. I had time to take down notes, and just like that, it was over. The surface as barren was it once was. I thought nothing of it at the time.
The next night, I was watching the planet once more, though I had the company of my friends Spike and Starlight Glimmer. Who, as I read a book on the topic of planets, and Spike looked on through the telescope, she pointed out something quite peculiar. A shooting star. A green shooting star that raced across the sky, leaving a emerald green trail behind it as it soared beyond. It was a truly beautiful sight. The next few days continued on with no sense change amongst our peers, they days went on as they had routinely for many years.
Sometime the following week, during the dead of night, I was awoken by the sound of a loud rumble that shook the entire castle awake, followed by and echoing crash. I, as all of Ponyville, awoke as a result. Many ponies came to me that night, asking about the noise, but I had no answer for them.
I had come to find out later, at the talks of traders, that a large meteorite had crashed into the fields to the North of Ponyville, quite close to the edge of Applejack's orchard and the Everfree forest. The news spread like wild fire throughout the town, and my friends accompanied with myself, made our way to see this meteorite. I intended to study it, as little was known about space itself physically.
We arrived to the sight to find many ponies gathered around the large crater the rock had crated on impact, though, as I examined the object, I realized that it was not a rock at all. A layer of dirt had apparently hardened on the surface of the actual meteor, and the look and feel was not one of which I expected. It was shiny, so much so that you could see your reflection, and metallic to the touch.
It were large, about four feet and oddly resembled and octopus. A large round head, two large black beady eyes, a small V shaped mouth, and eight what appeared to be thin tentacles.
And it looked absolutely revolting, and all the ponies backed away from the pit. I however, made my way towards the creature, curious of the being. It quickly hid again. Must be shy, I thought, so I backed away from the pit as well.
An hour later, Celestia and a battalion of Royal Guards came into Ponyville. She preached to the citizens the situation would be handled by the Crown, ensuring them that there was little to worry about. She then approached me and my friends, telling us that she would handle the situation herself, and that we were not to intervene.
I was skeptical, and I wanted to question her further, but that look in her eyes...I just nodded
She smiled, and we were escorted to my castle by a group of guards, accompanied by Applejack's family. Applejack obviously put up a fight, but figured the safety of her family was more important that her farm. Celestia returned to Canterlot sometime later, though I didn't know why. I trusted Celestia, but my friends were not entirely convinced that nothing was wrong, but there was nothing we could do. We knew nothing about creature, or where it came from at the time, so all we could do was sit back, and wait.
The following morning, there was a loud hammering sound, as if there was a large hammer smashing against the anvil of a blacksmith, coming from the cylinder that had came in from orbit. I, along with many towns-ponies gathered around the quarantined area around the pit, the hammering as loud as ever. I wanted to get a closer look at the cylinder, possibly speak with the martians within as to what they were doing. The guards refused anypony to get close to the pit as strictly ordered by Celestia. Now I know why.
Suddenly the hammering stopped, and the creature within poked it's head over the edge of the large cylinder, then, a large metallic arm rose out of the cylinder. It was very simple, yet intricate. Wires, metal studs, and a large needle sticking out from a large cylinder attached to the studded bars. There was a bright, blinding light, and the guard column on the far side of the pit suddenly were lit alight with intense heat, their flesh liquefying and their armor melting; the trees erupted into a wall of flame. Oh, how their screams still haunt me now, their cries only lasted seconds. But it would not be the end, oh no.
Everypony packed and ran, the guards included, and most of the farm burned.
I was horrified by what had happened, as was everypony else, many of whom burst into tears. Rainbow wanted to go and fight it, but I held her back before she did anything that would get her killed. Not a few moments following the attack, Celestia teleported into the room where the cutie-map was located, as we were all gathered there. She urged us to come back with her to Canterlot and stay there until the situation had died down here in Ponyville and assured us that the other ponies in town were being evacuated by the Guard. My friends were very much against the ideas of leaving their homes behind, but, under the circumstances, they agreed. Everypony gathered their belongings and Celestia teleported us to Canterlot.
We all got settled in, I remember Fluttershy having the hardest time out of everypony else, she cried more than once during our first day, I did my best to comfort her, as did the rest of the girls. That night, after Celestia lowered the sun, she called me and Luna to inform us that she was going to deal with the Martians, promising us that she would be back to raise the sun the next morning.
I asked her what it was, and where it came from, as I didn't know what they were at the time. I clearly remember the conversation we had next.
She sighed, "Thousands of years ago, the planet we know as Mars came into visibility for about a year's time. During that time, we were visited by the inhabitants of that world."
"So we are not alone..." I said under my breath.
She nodded, "No, we are not. They came to us much like how they had now. Falling down to Equis in their shiny vessels. What followed, I had erased from History, many died during a small span of six weeks, we had nothing to stop their technology, and their Heat Ray was devastating."
"Wait, erased from History? So these things have been here before!? Why didn't you tell anypony Celestia! This is dangerous! Now ponies are dead—!"
"I had no choice!" She snapped, "You said it yourself, It's dangerous, it's terrible, and it would only have my ponies in fear their entire lives that such a thing exists. But, I did not forget them. I have a solution to dealing with them, a spell that should crush them before they can complete their machines. And even if they do, their walkers will not protect them..." The last sentence was said with so much hate it hurt, and the room was suddenly a few degrees warmer.
She turned to staring out her large balcony, calming herself. I didn't know what to say, I was furious, and because of that, I stormed out.
I got word she left for Ponyville later that night. As I slept, the thundering of powerful spells discharging filled the night, I could practiclly taste the magic in the air from Celestia's battle.
She never did return.
The next, what was supposed to be morning, I awoke at the usual time dawn approached. But it was still dark out. I assumed the worst. I hopped out of bed and galloped down to Luna's room. I found her out on her balcony, she had been crying I could tell, but her face was neutral and blank. I stared up into the night sky, and gasped at what I saw. The sky was alit by green falling stars, racing down towards Equis. Martian after Martian...
"I'm going to lead our armies against them." I remember Luna telling me, her voice ice cold. "Celestia is gone, Twilight Sparkle. We are the only things standing between these monsters, and the entire world. I can't raise the sun nor the moon anylonger, our ties have been severed. Me and my sister; only together could we control the two, but now...They have reverted to their old ways." She turned back into her room, "I must alert the Guard that this is a 'Code: X' situation. I must prep my armies."
No, Celestia couldn't be dead. She controlled the sun! I couldn't believe it, I refused to believe it. I pleaded her not to go, "We need a strategy," I said, "I'm sure the Elements could stop them."
She shook her head, "You and the Elements must stay here, should I and my army fall to these creatures. You will be the last stand in the name of all that is good in Equestria. The fate of the country would come down to you, Twilight Sparkle."
I tried to argue her out of it, or into letting me and my friends try and banish the Martians with Harmony, and maybe even save Celestia. But she had already exited the room, ready to strike in a blind fury.
The sun rose slowly on it's own four hours later. And the following three days were strenuous as Luna gathered her army, Guards were called from all across Equestria to mass up for the coming fight. During that time, many more falling stars had crashed down near Ponyville, some, skidded off West or to the East. I did my best to help prepare, as did any other pony, casting powerful spells on weapons and armor. But I was afraid, oh so very afraid for them. She marched out with her guards later that evening. She said she knew the same spell to destroy the martians, but...
That night was lit ablaze with the fire of a burning Ponyville. Most of the ponies of Canterlot were watching from their balconies, looking on in horror at the burning landscape. They didn't stand a chance. Legions upon legions had stormed the martians, to no effect. Not against the machines the martians had constructed, these, fighting machines, not even Luna had seen the Martian war machines before, not these. Burning whole buildings at the touch of their heat rays, smashing ranks of guards with their huge, dish shaped feet, and small tentacle like arms grabbed and hurled ponies across town with little effort. A few new weapons the princesses called cannons, were able to take down one of these monsters. The ponies cheered on their protectors as they downed it, but just sat back in horror as the slaughter unfolded. Luna's spells did little to nothing, huge blue flashes that seemed to draw power from the stars themselves smashed against the martian's machines, only for them to dissipate into a loud of magical discharge. Luna retreated with her remaining Guards via teleportation back to Canterlot.
Following the battle, the victorious martians cried out in celebration, admitting deafening howls which could be heard from all the way from our place in Canterlot.
"Don't give up hope." Luna told me that night, "We still have you and your friends Twilight Sparkle. If the power of the Friendship and Harmony isn't enough to put an end to these...murdering brutes." She looked down tears in her eyes, "But I am no better, I should have listened to you Twilight. My ponies died because I was too angry and saddened at the loss of my sister...I-I seeked vengeance against these creatures. And the cost was dear..." She sobbed. And I did my best to comfort her.
"I don't believe Celestia is gone Luna, she is out there somewhere, and she must have a plan if she were to leave after facing these monsters. But now we only have few options, our spells might not have worked, but the Elements might. My friends and I shall go to Ponyville to retrieve them.
We didn't use the train to move down to the ruins of Ponyville, as the martians would surely destroy it, we teleported into my castle, and came up with a plan to hit the Martians with the elements. At the time only two of the Martians fighting machines were standing guard over the ruins. We had Rainbow Dash lure one of them close to my castle, they seemed to wish to capture her versus killing her, which was odd, then, we ambushed it.
Our beam of Harmony was answered with their heat ray as it pasted over the tripod, with little effect, I managed to teleport us before we were incinerated. Though some of my castle burned as a result, as we could see from Canterlot. Morale plummeted at the news, along with word that came form the North; the martians had already destroyed most of the major pony cities, there was news of refugees heading to Canterlot. The Griffon kingdoms had already been hit, they were holding out better due to their advancements in tech, since they lack much magic, but they were still having little success against the Martians. We knew nothing about the Dragons, the Yaks, or the Changelings. And I still don't. The sight of more green flashes in the sky made me loose my lunch.
I awoke to a violent crash that shook the very foundation of Canterlot. A cylinder had landed in the center of the city. We all knew what was held inside of it, and Luna did her best to get as many ponies out of the city as possible. My friends and myself included. Luna, I don't really know what happened to her...
Canterlot burned that night.
The train didn't stop, as we were headed South to seek refuge with our Changeling allies, and we made sure not to pass through Ponyville. I don't think I remember anypony that wasn't either crying or filled with intense fear and hatred. Most of the train ride after was quiet, almost eerily so, I just sat there, tired, but unable to sleep. I used that time to reflect on myself, why was I, a powerful Alicorn princess, surrounded by many loving, caring friends, running away in this time of great need? I guess looking back on it now, I was just afraid, scared away like a foul on Nightmare night. I couldn't stand by and let my fellow ponies succumb to these monsters. But, my thoughts came to a screeching halt as a silhouette of a fighting machine appeared above the tree tops suddenly as I looked out the window. I didn't even have time to yell out before the world was suddenly engulfed in intense heat and flame.
I was knocked unconscious, if the pretty big gash on the back of my head was any indicator; and it must have been sometime since we had been attacked that I awoke, as the air was tainted with ash, a few fires still burned around, and the stench of burnt and rotting flesh filled my nose immediately, making me gag. A lot of my fur was burnt and my skin raw and peeling. The pain was almost unbearable, but I managed to stand as I was propped against a tree. And limped to the ruined train.
They were dead, they were all dead.
I collapsed and wept there in the ashes. I just cried and cried, I just felt so weak, so helpless, and oh so tired. I crept to the tree line and propped myself against one again, where I drifted off. I haven't dreamed since.
I was brought back to at the howling of a fighting machine. I quickly came to and pushed my body to get into the tree cover. I wandered aimlessly as I tried moving away from the distant howling. The further I was from the martians, the better. I don't know how long I was stumbling through the forest, eating whatever I could, though I found myself having moved back North, as I looked on at the ruins of Ponyville. The town was ominously silent, my old castle seemed to have not been targeted by the martians for some reason besides when it was hit by the martians some time ago, so I figured I could hold out there.
I trekked through the empty, debris filled streets of Ponyville. The shops were all empty, looted or burned, windows having melted or shattered. Here and there where the fly covered corpses of guards that had not been incinerated or smashed. I avoided those streets. I made it to my castle unscathed and ate, as I had not for a day. I was left alone to mourn all that I held dear. The distant howling of the invaders machines the only sound of activity form the outside, and a constant reminder as to who took it all away. And yet, I still didn't believe that Celestia had perished, even if Luna so strongly believed it so. I crept out of my castle on day three of my hiding and returned to the original pit were the invaders had first landed. I found a crater, but nothing else. I held onto hope yet.
On the fourth day, I ran out of food and went to scavenge the ruins for anything edible. Nothing came up.
It had been on the tenth day that hunger was finally getting to me. Any pony would know that we can only go a little over a week without food, so I was desperate. That was when I risked going out of Ponyville to go to Applejack's orchard, as there were still plenty of trees that didn't burn. There were always invaders around the orchard for some reason or another, so I never risked it. I trekked carefully to the orchard, only, to find the surrounding land to be covered by some sort of red plant, nothing grew were it grew, and the trees were all dead. I whimpered in hunger. I searched the house to find a few rotten apples, which I ate much to my taste-buds agony.
I sat alone in the darkness of my room. Why was I here? Why was I alive when everything else was gone. Why was I alone in this city of the dead? Why when these creatures just, came and destroyed everything I loved and cared for. My friends are dead. Celestia is dead. Luna is probably dead. I don't know about the griffons, or the changelings. But everything I knew was gone. And here I am, tired, hungry...alone...
That was when the sound of something walking through the halls filled my ears, though as I laid on my bed, I was too weak to react.
"Twilight?"
I looked over to see Spike standing there with a large sack on his back, his face dirty with soot and ash, his scales were charred. He later told me, after I awoke, how when we were blasted with a martian ray, his heat resistant scales protected him. He had been gathering supplies from nearby towns and went back for me, but I was gone. I cried for sometime after that, at least I had Spike.
We are preparing to leave the castle and make it to the Changeling Lands, for anyone who finds this, don't give up hope, don't. We will find a way to beat back these invaders, we will vanquish this evil, we will find a way, as harmony always has.
Mom, Dad, Shining. I love you.
Love, Twilight Sparkle
Shining Armor but down the parchment the letter was written on, tears in his eyes, his face contorted in rage before he slammed the letter into his desk.
"CELESTIA DAMNIT!" He yelled.
The crystal guard that had given him the letter just waited for his Captain and Prince to calm down.
"Where...did you find this...?" Shining muttered through his rage.
The guard stiffened, "We found it in the ruins of the castle of Friendship sir, It was on, what we assumed to be Princess Twilight's bed sir."
Shining Armor was silent for a long time, "And you found no traces of my sister, or either of the Two Sisters?"
"They seemed to have all, well, died sir. We saw their, fighting machines; as your sister called them, but they were all stalk still."
Shining looked down at the letter again before running a hoof through his mane. "Send more teams. I want any Equestrians found brought back by the railway. Any news from the from the teams sent to Gryphonia, or the Changeling Kingdom?"
"No sir, they have yet to return. But it is a long way to the Griffon Kingdoms and the Badlands. And with most of the railways being destroyed by the invaders, could be a few weeks before we hear back."
Shining nodded. Then picked up the letter again, "I just hope your okay Twily..."
"What in the..." Shining went wide eyed as he looked down at the letter. Then dropped it as he galloped to the window. Beyond the shield which kept the roaring blizzard outside, stood the silhouettes of the invaders as they released their howling calls.
