As Armanii studied his books, which by now he had been doing for the past 6 hours, he started to warm up to the area he was in. With each book he read he gained more knowledge on this magical place. Griffins, Pegasus, Unicorns, many other things. Their language and their history, it was all so much to take in.

Twilight stood in the back just staring at Armanii, studying him, trying to analyze his character. His land was strange, his language was strange, HE was strange. But somehow she needed to know more...

Twilight had become very curious about Armanii, his ways, his language…

“Say Armanii…could you perhaps teach me some of your language?”

“Maybe sometime…but right now I’m busy.” he said with a cold tone, as if to shove her off.

“Just hello and Goodbye?” she said with a tone almost like begging.

“Dubaa and Veraa”

“Interesting language you have…”

“Indeed, now, I must get back to my studies.”

“I’ll be off then…The girls and I are gonna walk around Ponyville, maybe head down to the farm.”

“That is nice, I shall remain here.” He said without taking his eyes off his book.”

“Alright, I’m off! Veraa!”

Armanii chuckled. “Veraa litzma goi”

And with that Twilight walked out the door. She trotted down to Sweet Apple acres, where the rest of the girls had decided to meet. On her way she ran into Applebloom and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, on their latest scheme she supposed. As she moved she couldn’t help but think of Armaniis words…the pictures…she had to tell the others…maybe the mayor or somepony…

Applejack and the rest were waiting for Twilight by the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. Pinkie Pie jumped with joy at the sight of her, and…began jumping off the…air…but all was calm once she was…kinda…so they began chatting.

“So Twilight…How is that two-legged barbarian doing?” Said Rarity

“He’s not a barbarian…he’s just scary…but he’s actually a really smart guy”

“That language of his don’t make any sense, Why I can’t figure out what in tarnation he’s sayin’ half the time.”

“Let’s just be glad he speaks our language, and leave it at that.”

“Fine…”

“Look girls…while we were there…he showed me some pictures of…what might become of us…”

“Like the two-legs can do anything here in Equestria, we have Princess Celestia, the greatest ruler in the land!”

“That’s what I’m afraid of…what if she can’t stop them?”

“What? Why wouldn’t she?” Asked Pinkie Pie confused.

“They have much more advanced technology…im just scared is all…”

“Don’t be afraid Twilight…” Said Applejack as she trotted over to her friend. “Ain’t nothin’ the Emements of Harmony can’t handle!”

“Yeah!” Said the group in unison.

“Thanks girls, I shouldn’t be so worried.”

“We’ll be fine!” Said a very confident Rainbow Dash.

“Come on y’all! Apples on me!”

“Alright!”

And they walked off into the orchards.

Armanii sat there on the table reading the books, when he was finished with one, he put it into the storage cube, and he was currently reading a book about the myths and legends of Equestria.

Spike came down and poked his leg

“Ow! Watch the claws!”

“Sorry man. But do you hear that shouting outside?”

“What shouting?”

“I hear it outside, sounds like a few guys but it’s pretty far away, it must be loud.”

“What are they saying?” He said without taking his eyes of the pages.”

“Uh…Rats I think. Why?”

Armanii dropped the book and looked at Spike.

“Get Twilight Sparkle and the other 5 here NOW! Impato! Do it!”

“Ok, ok I’m going! Why the rush?”

He went and opened up the window, from outside in the distance could be heard a faint shouting…

“RAHTZ! SIMPA GOLI, RAHTZ!” It came across the horizon like a blade, sharp and clear.

“Go…NOW!” shouted Armanii.

“Alright!” and Spike shut the door behind him.

Armanii stared out the window with worry, the Talomanzans we’re coming, with a pretty small force…but to come and get him…Rahtz…their war call…it means fight…

Spike ran as fast as he could with those stubby legs of his. Eventually reaching Sweet Apple Acres, he tried hecktically to find Twilight and her friends. But they were nowhere in sight. He asked Big Mac, who simply pointed in the direction of the orchards, and Spike took off running.

He ran…

And he ran…

And he ran…

And he ran…

He ran through the orchard, searching behind every tree and behind every rock and on every hill. For 30 minutes, he couldn't find them, but deep within the orchard he could hear giggling and talking, and he quickly ran in its direction.

At last he found them, deep within the orchard, he got their attention rather quickly.

“Spike? What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay with Mr. Sve.”

“He yelled at me to get you guys and bring you all back to the library, he didn’t say why…but he sounded REALLY urgent, we need to go. Like now!”

"Why?" Twilight said with a sarcastic tone, "Can't he take care of himself?"

"He heard shouting from far away, he looked like somepony was about to die!"

"What..."

"Somepony was about to die. I could hear it to, we don't have time, he'll probably EAT me if I don't come back with all of you."

"We better get there fast then, let's see what to two legged...human needs..."

And they ran…

And they ran…

And they ran…

And they ran…

And they ran…

All over town, dodging past the other ponies, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew overhead, while the others crashed past the Market place. Once they were at Twilights library, they quickly burst the door open.

“What in the name of Celestia is going….on…here…”

The shelves of the library were cleaned out, Armanii was putting the last of the books in the storage cube. He looked over at them.

“Thank the Gods!”

“What the hay are you doing!?”

“We are in grave danger!” he opened up the window just in time to hear the war call again.

“RAHTZ! RAHTZ! RAHTZ!”

It was getting louder…closer…

“What in Equestria is that?”

“Not in Equestria…Earth…”

He took out his plasma pistol and readied it.

“They are here…”

The faces on the ponies dropped to worry in an instant, they panicked, running all around the room. Armanii tried to get their attention, but he couldn’t, so he shot once from his gun into the roof. A loud “PSSSTZ” sounded from the gun and it shot thru the ceiling. The ponies stopped.

“Grab everything and everyone you hold dear. GO! Split up and meet me back here!”

Armanii stepped outside and looked to the horizon.

“Come and get me…”

From over the horizon came the soldiers…100 of them…enough to level the town with their weapons. Their mech armor was shinning brightly in the Equestrian sun, but it just made them all the more horrifying. Soon Armanii was in range, he took cover behind the wooden library. As the shots were fired.

“RAHTZ RE QAMAH! SIMPTO LIT GO LATOLII!” could be heard from the commander, it was booming loud, so loud…that Applejack heard it from Sweet Apple Acres…

As the bolts flew, Armanii let loose a few shots from his standard issue plasma pistol. He hit a few soldiers, injuring them, but not killing them, he never was a great shot...

Explosions were going off in all directions, Ponyville was a war zone, and the library was unprotectable, Armanii had to flee. He retreated back to the town square, dodging bolts and passing by frantic ponies. He heard screams and shouts from all directions, tortured moans and hysterical shouts. He passed by Twilight and the others, motioning them to get to the town square. They tried to follow him, but were cut off by the white mech suits of the Talomanzan troops.

“GOIZ! SIALO DII!”

Plasma shots sounded as the soldiers fired their rifles. The ponies ran backwards to avoid them, and ran to try and find Armanii. At every turn the Talomanzans cut them off, Ponies ran and were gunned down in the streets, blood covered the ground of Ponyville, bodies hung from windows...

At the town square, Armanii was trying his hardest to defend the area. Soldiers came from all directions, surrounding him at times. The training he had received in school helped him to avoid getting shot, and find adequate cover. At one point however…he was greeted by a more blood thirsty soldier.

The commander of the small force managed to cut around him, and with his rifle tried to turn Armanii into genuine Talomanzan cheese. Armanii ducked for cover and tripped the commander, knocking him on the ground. Armanii grabbed the commanders gun and pointed it at the face mask, he chainsawed the mechanical face mask off of the commanders face, using the chainsaw attached to the gun. The mask fell off, revealing the quivering face of the commander, who had a look of fear that was not common in Talomanzan soldiers.

"W...what are you doing soldier?"

Armanii ignored him. Using the chainsaw applied to the weapon, Armanii hacked away at the armor on the shoulder of the commander, cutting through the high tech armor, and eventually severing his arm. His arm bled and he screamed in pain, but as Armanii looked at the stub, the commanders arm began to grow back…

Armanii had forgotten about the Talomanzan syrum…it can re-grow limbs…

The commanders arm grew back without armor, fully exposed, but Armanii was in no mood to play games.

Armanii aimed the gun at the commander and prepared to fire

In Talomanzan the commander begged.

“Please don’t kill me! You’re a soldier! I beg of you don’t kill me!”

Armanii looked at him with a stone cold look…

“Tough luck…”

With a loud buzz the plasma bolt went thru the commanders skull, and his eyes rolled back into his head. He was dead, blood pooled in his helmet, coming up to his ears.

Armanii took the arm of the commander and slowly removed the remains of the arm. He took his knife and cut away at the bloody appendage until nothing was left inside the armor, a pile of arm mush lay on the ground, and Armanii tried his best not to puke. He took the armor and placed it into the storage cube. He then rummaged through the commanders armor, looking for anything he could possibly use.

In the pack on the side there were special Talomanzan Manga-nades, grenades that when magnetically connected, set off an explosion. They were highly dangerous and lethal, these were a score. He searched the side and removed the commanders radio from his armor, with the rummaged items he placed them in his storage cube, readied his new gun, and ducked for cover as he dodged the barrage of plasma bolts.

Twilight and the others were running around Ponyville, trying desperately to find Armanii, he was no longer at the library, for it had been overrun, and set ablaze, along with the rest of the town. The buildings burned with fire and heat as the Talomanzans fired away at the populace. Sugar cube corner was now nothing more than a pile of ash, all the sweets gone. Talos only knows what happened to the cakes…

As they ran, Applejack searched frantically for Applebloom, who was nowhere to be found. Big Mac was captured already, a net thrown around him back at the farm, and Applejack could only hope that Applebloom had gotten away…

Applebloom ran around under the legs and between the soldiers, dodging the nets and bolts, and searching for Applejack, hoping her big sister could protect her. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were already captured, taken before her very eyes by a large man in metal armor…she was scared, she ran and she ran but Applejack was nowhere…

Armanii defended the town square on his own for a while before the 6 ponies reached him. He looked at them, with their “backpacks” on their backs they panted hard as if they had run a marathon. Spike was hiding in Twilights pack, sitting in the fetal position, scared out of his mind. The buildings burned furiously and the flames grew and grew as they ran. Ran to the train station.

“Who knows how to operate a train?” asked Twilight as they dodged the plasma bolts zooming past them.

“I do!” Yelled Armanii, providing cover fire for the ponies as the Talomanzans followed them.

“You’d better hurry honey, because we are out. Of. TIME!”

Rarity was not amused.

“I’ll be quick.”

They jumped in the train and Armanii quickly shoveled coal into the furnace, the train steamed as it charged. Lasers blasted thru the windows, Armanii put the train in break, so he would have time to get the Talomanzans off of them for a smoother leave.

He went to the door and shot out at the soldiers that slowly advanced on them, but through the dust there could be heard a familiar filly shouting, and the image became clearer as it got closer. Applebloom was running as fast as she could, seeing her sister on the train and dashing for it.

“Applebloom!” Yelled Applejack. “Hurry Applebloom, ya ain’t got much time! We need to go!”

In his sighting, Armanii spotted a sniper on top of the main square building. He yelled out to get the attention of the others.

“SNIPER!”

All he saw was a muzzle flash…

Appleblooms leg collapsed in a bloody mess, she fell to the ground screaming in pain as the bolt pierced her skin and shattered her bone. It nearly blew her leg clean off, and she sat crying and screaming for Applejack.

"Applebloom!"

“It is not safe! We must go now!”

“But Applebloom!” cried Applejack

“There. Is. No. TIME! We will DIE if we stay!”

Armanii ran to the front of the train and released the brakes. The train moved forward quickly with a clang and a clack. Armanii went and shut the train doors. He looked out the window long enough to see the Talomanzans stuff Applebloom in a bag and drag her away.

Applejack turned to Armanii in a rage, tears in her eyes.

“Are you out of your MIND!? That was my sister! And you! You left her for DEAD!?”

“We would have died if we had stayed there, sister or not we were not going to save everyone.”

“SHE COULD BE DEAD HAY FOR BRAINS!”

“No…she won’t be dead…but she will WISH she were dead…”

Applejack stood quietly and dropped her head. She began to sob.

“I truly am sorry for your loss…Applejack is it? I hope that someday we will know what happened…I just pray…that realistically…she is dead…and that may seem like I curse your sister and I do not…but what the Talomanzans will do…pray for her life…wish they spare it…”

Applejack continued to sob for her lost sister and brother…she didn’t even get to say goodbye…

The train moved quickly towards Canterlot, and Armanii would have to explain to the princess what had just occurred.

Now the ponies had seen first hand what the Talomanzans are capable of…

But they haven’t seen the worst of it…

Author's Note

Ponyville is attacked, and our heroes must flee.