Armanii walked with the 6 ponies down to the train station at the front of Canterlot. The long walk was quiet, and none of the ponies dared to speak around the mysterious two legged creature. Immediantly upon finding the station, they boarded, and sat down in the seats.

A long train ride awaited Armanii and the ponies. As they sat upon the seats and the train hustled and bustled, Armanii sat alone in the front, staring out the window at the beautiful land of Equestria. Its grassy fields were almost…unrealistic, and he swore he saw…a city in the sky…but then again, this land was like something out of a Talomanzan fairy tale…filled with wonderful tales of mythical creatures and gods…it was serene, peaceful…but he feared that soon it would turn to fire and ash…

A lone Fluttershy approached him.

“So…um…you’re new around here?”

Armanii looked at the cream colored Pegasus, obviously very shy, he turned completely to face her.

“No, I hail from a different land. The land of Talomanza.”

“W…where’s that?”

“Nowhere you’ve been…”

“I…um…like your clothes…” she said quietly

She squeaked out a smile.

Armanii looked down at his military garb, very low class military, but he figured that ponies weren’t used to clothes.

“Why thank you litzma goi.”

Fluttershy looked puzzled at his Talomanzan words.

“P…Pardon?”

“Oh…my apologies, I am still getting used to…everyone speaking a different language. I speak many, but none you may recognize.”

“What did you say? In…um…our speak…”

“Litza Goi…Little Horse.”

“Oh…thank you…i…I think…”

“Will you introduce me to any of the others?”

“Oh…um…sure…I suppose…”

“Thank you.”

Fluttershy walked him over to where the other ponies sat, or rather, stood. Twilight looked at him with a rather dissatisfied look, while Rainbow Dash looked around uninterested.

“So, tell me…” Said Twilight condescendingly “What was your name again? Arm and Knee or something?”

“I suppose I deserve that for the ass-star comment. And it’s Armanii.”

“Forgive me if I seem clingy, I’ve never seen your kind in Equestria before.” See said very sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

“Well, humanity has never stepped foot here. Until recently this place never existed to us. But trust me, I’d like to learn as much about you and this place, as you’d like to learn about me.”

“You’ll have to tell me some stories sometime.”

“There’s plenty of those” He chuckled. Even though Talomanzan proverbs and stories were often sad and depressing at the end…

“So…where exactly are we going in this train?”

“Ponyville” They said in unison.

“I see…and is this a city?”

“It’s hardly a city” stated Rarity. “It’s more of a town.”

“Ah. Interesting.”

“What about you? What city in…” She had a hard time sounding it out. “Tal…o…manza…are you from?”

“Syn-Dilka, the Moodshed Islands.”

“Oh…how…nice…”she tried covering her confusion with a large grin, Armanii could tell she was trying to be nice, but she had no idea what she was talking about.

“Oh, it is a beautiful place. It is the capital of the territory! Why, the night…oh sweet Kynareth the nights! They are so beautiful…Every night, the sky over the islands refract the light of the moon, causing a beautiful aurora over the night sky…it is why they call it the Moonshed Islands…here, I have photos.”

From his right pants pocket he removed a few photos of him and another human, his mother, who had recently passed away. The photos were of them both standing under the night sky, with a beautiful purple, blue, and green aurora stretching across the night sky.

“Oh my…” Squeaked Fluttershy. “Such a beautiful sight…”

“Yes…I haven’t seen the lights in person since my childhood…”

“Who’s the other one in the picture?”

“My mother…she…passed away recently.”

“Oh…I’m sorry…”

“It is ok…She died in our home city in her sleep…but I never got to be at the funeral…”

“Why not?”

“It’s…complicated…let’s just hurry this train up…”

His words were too late, for as soon as he spoke those words, the train came to a grinding halt. The train operator announced over the speaker.

“Ponyville station!”

“Ah…we’re here” Sighed Twilight. “Come, I’ll walk you to the library.”

“Sounds good.”

They walked around the streets of Ponyville, as they walked, Armanii gazed at the buildings and other ponies. “Sad…” he thought to himself, “Most of these wonderful beings may perish…” He didn’t want to think about the upcoming problems that would arise from Talomanza, instead, he took every happy thought he could, and this magical place gave him plenty of opportunities. Along they way he passes a beautiful looking barn with apple orchards as far as the eye could see. He passed shops and homes, which had a very medieval look to them, made of straw and wood and sometimes stone. All but one store made from candy. It was called Sugercube Corner. What Armanii would do for some candy right about now.

At last, upon arriving at the Ponyville Library, Armanii stood in bewilderment.

“This is the library? It is a tree…house…” he chuckled slightly. “Ha, it is a tree house.”

“This is the library” Said Twilight, as though she was addressing a child. “This is also where my apprentice and I live.”

“Apprentice? So there is younger pony?”

“What? Oh no he’s not a pony.” She held back a laugh as she spoke.

“Then…what is he?”

“You’ll see.”

Twilights horn glowed with magic as the door opened. Armanii stood in wonder at the feat of the little pony. Apparently…magic is a common ability in the land…that couldn’t be good…

“Spiiiiiiike! I’m home! I brought a guest…”

From upstairs could be heard frantic feet scurrying and a child like voice that came down the stairs. “About time!”

Armanii turned to Twilight

“So, how old is he? And WHAT is he?”

“Oh, he’s just a baby, but he helps out a lot.”

“Wait, the baby can talk?”

“Of course he can talk, they’re very smart, some of them.”

“Babies are not smart, I do not know what you are talking about, but….”

From down the stairs came Spike, who upon seeing Armanii cocked his head in confusion.

“Did you turn Applejack into a doodle again?”

Armanii turned to see the little dragon, and nearly jumped out of his boots as he cowered behind Twilight.

“Oh Gods…D…D…D…DRAGON!” he cowered and shook “Get that…THING away from me! Sweet Gods a dragon…”

“Relax Mr…uh.. Sve…He’s harmless, his names Spike.”

“Wait, so this isn’t Applejack?”

Armanii stood back up and tried to regain himself.

“No. My name is Armanii Sve…And I’m afraid im not here on good tides.”

“Oh…Then…What ARE you?”

“I’m a human, and…I mean you no offense…but this is the first time I’ve seen a dragon…they are but myth in my land.”

“You’re not from Equestria?”

“No…but I have no time to explain. I must read everything I can, quickly.”

“You’ll loooooooove it here then…” Spike said sarcastically as he walked back up the stairs.

“What should I start you off with?” asked Twilight

“I’d like to start with you’re lands history. Unabridged.”

“That’s a long book…”

“I’m a fast reader.”

“Ok then…”

From the many books she picked out a large blue one from the upper shelf. She lowered it down onto Armaniis lap, and he began to read.

“How far up does this book go to?”

“About 10 years ago.”

“Most of these seem like tall tales…and you were right, I’ll have to finish this later…”

From his pocket he pulled a small box with Talomanzan writing on it. Twilight didn’t know what it said, but she didn’t really care. He took the box and laid it on the ground, pressing a button. A blue light shot out of the box as he tossed the book into the light. The book warped itself and eventually vanished, then the light was gone. Twilight stood shocked.

“What in Equestria was that?”

“Oh this? It’s a Talomanzan warp cube, this of it like a storage unit, but infinite.”

“Uh…”

“My technology may scare you little pony but I assure you I carry VERY few things to harm you with.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it…”

“I hope you never do…” he said under his breath, but she didn’t hear him. He spoke up again.

“Do you perchance have a map?”

“Certainly.”

From her desk she levitated a large scroll, and once again, dropped it into Armanii’s lap. He opened it and began to study it.

“Wow…such cities and grasslands…mountain ranges…deserts….this land is larger than I imagined…”

“It’s pretty big. I still haven’t seen all of it yet.”

“I can imagine.”

“Someday I plan to…but I’m much too busy for that.”

Armanii chuckled

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing…that just sounds like a line from an old Talomanzan story…”

“What’s it called?”

“The little flower girl”

“Sounds pretty.”

“It’s anything but.” Armanii said sadly

“What did it have to do with me?”

“You really shouldn’t put things off if you desire them. Never think of anything as less important.”

“And I suppose that is the moral of the story?”

“Indeed, it goes like this.” He cleared his throat.

“A young little girl, awoke every morning
And skipped through a field of flowers.
She played and she laughed and she frolicked and jumped
And believed she could never grow old.

And then some years later, the same little girl
Now begins her young adult life,
She paid no attention to that field of flowers
Immature and boring thought.

Many years later a middle aged woman
Still cared not for that field of flowers
One day she’d go back, maybe she thought,
But I’m much too busy for that

And now an old woman, sits on her bed
And gazes at that field of flowers.
Too old to frolick, too frail to skip,
She cries for the flowers each night…”

He sat back and watched Twilight. Twilight just looked down at the ground

“That…that IS sad…”

“I warned you. Now I must return to this map…”

He took out a pencil and circled the cities and important looking areas on the map.

“What are you doing that for?”

“Reference.” He stated. “I must know all of these cities locations, it may be of benefit to us in the future.”

“Why’s that?” She asked in a joking manner.

“Because…the near future holds grim tidings…”

Twilight had no idea what he was talking about, she didn’t believe that his people would dare come back to Equestria, and face Celestia and Luna, but Armanii seemed serious…

“What makes you so sure that they’ll come back?”

“Because they have some of your own!”

“W…What?”

“Yes, I saw them when I came thru the portal, a mint green pony with a lyre on her behind, and another with a musical symbol. You wouldn’t happen to know them would you?”

Twilight swallowed her pride “Yes…Lyra and Octavia…”

“Well, they are in large danger.”

“What makes you say that?” She would later regret her question.

“You want to see what Talomanza did to it’s enemies not ever 1 year ago?”

He pulled out photos that Galog had brought back from Saudi Arabia last year on his conquest in the Middle East. Galog posed with the dead corpses of civilians with their limbs hacked off, their skulls split and their bodies hanging by their tongues…still alive…

Twilight saw the photographs and nearly hurled her lunch onto the floor. It was disgusting…

“THAT is what awaits us.”

“Please…Don’t show me more…”

“That is the best case scenario…im afraid…”

“Tell me later…”

Armanii turned back to the books and studied…he studied hard. And he would have to hurry…

For a greater evil was coming his way…

Author's Note

Armanii arrives in Ponyville, and he attempts to learn what he can in the time he has. What will happen?