Blackness dissolves away into a crisp clear image...

A Field of burning tanks... Their crews dead and charred. Either hanging out of their hatches or on the ground close by the mangled steel behemoths.

The field was littered with mutilated human corpses... Amputated limbs, innards and bullet casings practically covered every foot of lawn. The grass that was visible was stained thick with blood.

Overhead, a formation of flying specs... Their getting low towards the ground... A BF-109 G6 screams past. The inside of its canopy stained and painted red. Scorch marks mar the war birds once grey and robins egg blue skin. Its nose points skyward, and it hurtles back into the heavens like a homesick angel. After dodging several trees. A team of Pegasai fly past and follow its contrail vertically into the sky.

The 109 stalls out, its nose still pointed towards the sun... The wounded pilot kicks the rudder to the right and lowers the flaps to their landing position. The bright yellow nose of the shark coloured Veteran of the skies falls back downwards towards the Earth... A perfect hammerhead... The pilot pulls his flaps back in before slamming the throttle forwards.

Purple-blue fire spews forth from the engines exhaust, the planes heart lets out a supercharged howl, it's war cry. And screams like that of a phoenix as it claws through the air downwards towards the half blinded team of Pegasai. The captain realizes whats happening and swiftly changes direction. His squad however, does not...

The purr of the 109's nose mounted twin 13mm machine guns and single 20mm cannon alerts the remaining Pegasai all too late that their lives are ending. The machine gun rounds shred several of the winged Equines, whilst the ones hit by the 20mm just outright exploded into a mist of blood and gore.

During his opponent's target fixation with his now dead squad, the captain had used the precious time to gain airspeed and dive alongside the badly wounded plane. With a grunt he flaps one last time, tucking his wings in for speed. By arching his body slightly he steers himself into a collision with the humans bird.

The moment he intercepts the 109'. His wing glows a bright white, during his pass his wing seems to phase through the planes tail... The 109 separates into two pieces almost immediately, the tail flying off on its own mission, and the main fuselage, that being the cockpit engine and wings, Spirals off in a flat-spin so violent the wings fold and sheer off the plane. Leaving the cockpit and engine tumbling end over end into the ground.

In the distance the Acoustic violence of a battle could be heard. Just under a dozen Sherman fireflies are engaging a pony mage company. Their 76mm cannons kicking up mighty clouds of just, whilst their crews spray a red magic shield down with all off the 50 cal. fire their tanks can throw out. The main guns rounds explode into shrapnel on the shield filling it with cracks... The machine gun rounds begin chipping shards of the shield away onto the unicorns taking refuge inside.

That was before a squad of earth ponies crawled out of a hole in the ground and ran into the nearby treeline out of sight. The fireflies continued their advance until they simply sank into the ground. The very earth betraying the steel monsters and eating them. Immobilized. The tanks are made quick work of by a Pegasai team flying overhead. The flying ponies drop strange green glowing glass bottles. The green grenades explode into balls of violent green flame that uses the tanks armour against itself.

The tanks armour superheats to a sickening orange glow under the bright green liquid fire currently dripping off the tanks. Black smoke begins to pour out of the closed hatches and cannon barrel. A Rumbling growl builds up inside the now glowing white steel coffin, Geysers of hellfire blast out of the tanks hatches before an earthshaking explosion sends the vehicles multi-tonne turret flying through the air. A hollow *Thud* acknowledges the turrets return to mother earth, twenty feet from the now glowing hull.

A series of similar explosions rocks the landscape as tank parts are violently thrown across the field in all directions. The lone surviving vehicle manages to claw its way out of its grave and resume the barrage on the ponies. Its four 30 cal.s sounding like woodpeckers hopped up on a sugar high.

It wouldn't make it much further than its fallen comrades. A telephone pole sized javelin of magic impales the tank center mass, before being absorbed and causing the upper glacis plate to melt away in a silver clumping mass, revealing a very dead mutilated crew.

"T͓̲̮͈hi̫͇̩̬̱s͉ ̰̻͈ịs̡̫̞̻ ͚t̘h̛̲̥̯͙̜e̺̖͈͈̯̰ ̷͇̝̭f͙̤̖͔̟a͚̻̝̻ͅt͖̖e͍͔̻͔͍̲ ̫̳͈͕o̩͓̼̮̳͇̻f̷͓̮̙͖ ̢̮̺̯̩t̻̜̣͇͓ḥ͡ó͍̯̫s̹̝e͙̼͡ ̬w̙̼̺̖h̦̝̘̜̤͎̗̕o̠̞̟ͅm̴ ̫̰̀t͖̭̝̹r̜̺̱͜u̢͉s͏̺t ̤͖t͚̠̩̲͝h͏̲͖͓̦̭e̠̞͈̰̱͚ ̰̟̹̟̬̯̰͠c̟͙̰ͅͅr̥̭̹̜e̮̘̙̬a͎̭̙̰̖̝̲t̬͔̯̰̤̻͘u͚̺̝r̖e̩̮͎͢s̫ ̼͕͚̪̭o̵͚̜͓͇̥̟̭f̡ ̶͉̥̙̖̞̲t҉̺͕͈̫͈̱h̶i̻ṣ͠ ̸̙̝͎̬͕̖̠ti̲̤͎̤͙̝m̯̯̟e̬̱̠̘̠.̫̪̭̣̻͞ͅ.̘.̰"

"d̢̫͍̼̙̫̬̟onț̙̗ ͚̥͜t̪r̴̟̠̙͉͓͔ͅu͍̦̠̜̥s̵̟t̪͢ ̷͍̯̖̯t̵͓̖h̦ȩ̝̮͉͚̫̙m̝̠͙͎̲͝.̨̱͇.͎̲̪̠̻.̩͉͉̙"

"T̸͓͚̫̭̞ͅh̩͚̤͎e͜y̸̲̥̝͍̞ ̴̟͔̘̳̲̺W͕͝A̠͓ͅͅN͕͖̗T ̸t̡͇o͕̥̳̱ ͉̞K͙̹̦̲̲͉I͙͚͖̭LL̵̥͇̘̩̗ͅ ̢̺̙͈̺͓y̡̤͎̠o̧͕̟̮̫̞u̺̤̜̼̙̝͕ ̬͈̲͇̰̯͈A҉L̕Ḽ̜̗̼ͅ!̶̙"

"p͟le͏a̡s͞e d̕on̛'̶t̷ tr̵ưst ҉t͘hem̛.͢.̴. y͠o͏u̴r͘ ̵a̡ll th̸at's l͘e̡ft͟..͏."

"d̋͆ͣ͆ͧ̂̚ę̉̇a͂t̀ͯ̍̈́͐̀h͛ͯ.̧̌̐̓̒.́͆̽́̇ͪ.ͤ̌͊͛ͮ̃̔ ̉ͮ͛ͫͮ̄d̓̑̑ͮͧ̚ē̵ͯ̍ͯą̿͋͊̾͒ͦ̈t̐̓̽͒͛̃h̅ͯ̔.̅͢.ͨ͑͑̋҉.̴̽͊͂̂ͭd̨͆ͬͬͫͦeͥ͂ͪ̄ͧ̚͡a̡͋̎̋͌ͪ̑t̨h̢͌̇ͬ.̉͆͒̓̌̇.̄ͩ͋̈ͫ.̿̽͊ď̢̏̽̿e̎͊̃ͧ́a͝t̆͊̿͡h̄̏́̆̔.̉̇̓̓̅.͐̌ͤ̕.̇̓̆͡ ͗ͪ͊͒͘.̏͊̆̐̈́͋͝.̇̇͑̉͒.ͫ̒ͮ̏̂ͯ͋ ͒̆̀̒.ͤͥ̋͌ͣ̎ͣ͟.̶͗.̇̊ͦͥ̔ ̨̋ͫͤͪ́̏̚Rͪͭ͋U͂ͪ̿̍ͫ̈́͑N̊ͩ̔̋̚!̊ ̄͏ŖỦ̵̽̾N͏ ̋A̡͗̋Wͧ͜A̾͊̍̋̾Yͥͨ̋ͫ͠!̵ ̑S̈́ͦͨͣ͌̚A̶ͣ̽̎́̃ͨVͤ̽̇̂Ę̈̆͗ͣ͒̍ͨ ̌ͩͫ̒̓͠Ö́̀U̡ͭR̉ͭͣ̔ͥ̎̓ ̛̃̒S̋͗̓͛ͪ̑͜P̽ͤ̒̈̒̓̈͟ECI̓̓ͮ̅E̊ͫ̋̾ͯͬ͠S̚!͑͌ͣͣ̒͋͝

"s͖̩̗̬̪ͭ̔h̻̖̘͙̞͌̂̌̏̏h̛̰̖̞͎̖̳̉h̗͆̓́ḧ̡͎̫̞͚̯͔̍̌h̸͎̩̯ͮͅ.͕̮͛͛.̰̻̊̃͞.̆͛ͤ̏͐ ̼ͧ͛̎̆͑̓y̏͆ͨ̋́o͙̩͖̹̯͙͂̀͑̃͐ṵ̡̩̩͍͙̘̪̔ͭͨ͗'̙͓͉̟͈̄̽͌́͗r̕ë̤͙̖͇̹̹́ͬ ̺͖̮̩̼̱͌͛ͭͭ͒̾͌͠s̥̙̤̙̬̱̾͋͒̔̈́̇͐cḁ̉̚r̹̞͙͉̹͛̏͑̈ͅi̛̺̬ͫͭ̇̊ͮṋ̷̬̟̱̦̟g̵̝͇͍̰̜̹͕͑̅ͤ͐͒ ̘̭͚̟̀ͫͤț̮̜͈͈ͥ͊h̢͎̱͇̥̣̔̐̔̀͑ë̦̗̥́ͫ͝m̫͚͉̘̋̾̔̀.̨̳̉̏͐̅.͇͆͐ͬͮ͟.̞͕̫̪ͬ̔̀̆̑"

"U͔̖s̖̫e͇̼͇̥̻ ̥͍̟͍̥o͔̟̞͙̰̖ur̤͇̝ͅ ͚̤̺̳͇s̟̥̜t̤̟̳̮r̺̥̖̯e͙͓̫̖͓n̰̣͇̘͕ͅg̫̹̙̰̞͓t̪̝̞̼̘̭h! Ṵ̪S͈̦͙̩E̮͓̘̣̱ o͕̖̺̗̻ṵ̞̹̣r ͔̳P̫̮̮̬OW͇͍̞̲͚E̖̣̻͉R͚̭̣̥̮̞!͓͓͕̮͕ ̰͙R̮̯̮̱̝̲̱I̘̣̻̲̱̗S̠̳͎̤̼̦E͍͙͍͖͚!͓͓ ͙̯̼̱̪ͅA͍͉̗͉N̠͓̼D͍̙̱ ̟̯̗ͅR̞U͉̱N͕!"

*Pained Scream*

"WAKE UP! SAVE YOURSELVES! SAVE OUR SPECIES!"

=====================================

During the same time as the castle break-in...

The human lying on the still cold steel table jolted awake with a sharp gasp, rubbing his eyes to clear them of the fog he was seeing. He lethargically looked around but his powerful adrenaline rush was causing his body to be racked with a slight burning pain. And was making muscles across his body twitch violently.

His eyes sharpened enough for him to notice his fellow crew sitting upright on the tables either side of him. None of them had yelled or cried out in fear or shock this time. They hadn't done so for the last week of waking up from those nightmares... Dreams of nothing but black void, and ghoulish whispers, Usually ominous warning about our futures in this world... But this was the first time the nightmares showed images... And whatever is causing these nightmares, chose to show us a prophecy worthy of the title 'Nightmare'.

Jackie turned and looked into my eyes, his paled shell-shocked face and wide petrified eyes showing me that he too, and quite possibly the whole crew had just had the same dream as me... As usual...

Andrew's voice reached me form my left. He was evidently mid panic attack, as his words only came out in short gasps of air.

"Ser-iOUs-lY.. l-AN-cer.. W-Wh-What the F-fff-uck is Wr-rong with thi-sss... Sh-It hole..." The poor guy was almost in tears...

Tommy was just staring wide eyed into oblivion, giving a particular white tile a stare that would make it nervous if it was sentient.

I wrapped Andrew in my single allotted blanket, it was at this point during our adrenaline rush starting to wear off. That i noticed we'd all been stripped down to our underwear. And poor Andrew was in his birthday suit. I then practically leaped off the table and commenced a frantic search for more things to wrap my poor loader in.

After about three minutes my furious speed searching paid off. in an abandoned chest of draws i found several T-shirts in vacuum sealed containers. After opening the box i lifted a black T-shirt out and also recovered a plastic shred covered pair of shorts.

Rushing back to the now blanket cocooned Andrew. I was about to prepare myself to dress the poor sod, but to my surprise he'd recovered from his panic attack enough to reach up and shakily pull the clothing from my arm. After two minutes he was up and walking about in his new clothes. It was then that it hit me...

The million dollar question on my mind was, it was no mystery that the T's pattern had eroded away to nothing, but why was it that the colour stain on the shirt looked familiar... i began staring without realizing it and eventually Andrew was freaked out enough to not be able to ignore me.

"Uhh. Lancer? Can i, Help you?" He asked nervously.

"Pull the bottom corners of your shirt outwards for me please..." He complied and did as requested, and i continued staring. I had attracted the various attentions of the rest of the crew by now, even Tommy realized his answers were better found elsewhere than his mind.

The crew walked over to were i stood and joined in the awkward staring competition with the T-shirt.

"Sn-hn-ton... Heroes?" Tommy asked confused.

It was then that the familiarity of the S' unique style hit me. and the Title at the bottom of 'Heroes' only sealed it.
"SABATON! This is the T-shirt they bought out for the Heroes album!" It was then that everyone put two and two together and connected the dots.

"Wait, Lancer. How'd a Human shirt with a Human bands logo on it end up on a medieval planet of talking horses?"

It was then that Lancer froze. He'd pulled those clothes from a padlocked vacuum sealed box... This planets inhabitants couldn't have vacuum storage tech yet. they still run around with swords for crying out loud. But then again, they obviously had electricity judging by the buzzing lights above their heads...

All members of the crew went rigid. They all felt fear welling up inside them... Modern music culture merch, in a vacuum sealed and locked container. On an alien world with the same gravity as their world... Ponies in the medieval technology period with Electricity... And the voices that haunt their sleeping moments...

Jackie shakily spoke the words we were all thinking. "Didn't those... voices say, we were the last hope of saving 'OUR Species'... That 'we're the last ones left'..." We all began to stare at each other in terror... What if we were still on Earth?...

"The voices also said that we couldn't trust them... that they want to kill us!" Tommy said with dire concern.

"With how they've brazenly handled the situation i'm starting to believe that!" Andrew spat out in growing rage.

It was my turn to speak, I needed to 'herd' my group back together before they did something stupid.

"We escape now, and deal with implications of our nightmares later!"

===========

Meanwhile down the hall...

A pony and a griffon walked down the narrow hallway. Nurse Redheart had the lead whilst the griffon followed closely behind. This newcomer had been summoned by Princess Celestia on a whim that, possibly a creature of a different race, not related to ponies or Equines in general would allow for greater trust. Thus an open dialogue.

The talons of the griffon of many greys was practically bursting at the seams! She of all griffons and ponies, was getting the opportunity to try and help a new race!

Upon arriving at the door, The nurse placed her ear against it. After a few seconds she sighed before saying "All clear, They must still be asleep." As she pulled the door handle down with a hoof and began pushing it open with her head the grey griffon was looking depressed and saying.

"Awwwww! I hope not! I Wanted to make some more fri-" She was cut off by Redheart gasping in pure shock horror. The barred window, was barred no more. The glass window was pushed open and the humans were missing! Gone!

She ran down the hall leaving the griffon looking confused were she sat. Curious, The 'Guest' hovered into the air and flew over to the open window.

"Its no wounder they simply left through a barred window. The windowsills rotted completely, it may as well of been made of wet paper..." She said to herself. she poked her head out of the hole in the wall where the window now sat at a precarious angle.

Looking down the wall she noticed paw prints that scaled the wall to the ground. The only reason they were visible was because the escaping 'Humans' paws, had wiped away the aged crumbling whitewash in their getaway.

With a chuckle the griffon flew out through the window. And followed the prints down the wall with a bubbly giggle. After looking around confused about where the strange creatures may have gone she flies up high into the air and searches on the spot. Her Eagle eyes soon spot movement far off in the distance. Flapping her wings she follows the strange creatures from an altitude.

"Why are they heading towards town? I though Celestia said Humans were scared of ponies..."