The Titan Warby Mystic SunriseChaptersArrivalThe Gathering StormOmens and SummonsArrivalIt comes. On death's wings from the outer dark, from the black between galaxies. The Destroyer, the Burner of Worlds, the King of Terror. In its shadow, titans of a lost age will rise and reclaim the world they once ruled. From the east, the Uncrowned King rises from his slumber. Caring not for us at his feet, he will give battle to the Terror, and only one will walk away from it. The Age of Ponies will fall in the shadow of waring titans. From a pamphlet at the site of a mass suicide, discovered by the Royal Guard two weeks before the Fall of Canterlot. *** "I remember. I remember clearly where I was the night it came to our world. Every one of those who lived to tell about it will tell you to the second where they were when it came. At the time, we didn't know any better what it meant. Maybe if we had, maybe if we had done something, none of this would have come to pass. I want to believe that. But I can't." Princess Twilight Sparkle, on the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Manehatten. *** Normally at this time of night, most of Ponyville was asleep or at home. Except for the occasional night owl or drunk on a late-night bar hop, the streets of the small town were usually deserted. Tonight was an exception, an event playing out across many towns and cities across Equestria at that moment. It seemed that all of Ponville's residents had gathered outside to watch the meteor come across the sky. So crowded did the Town Square become, that Princess Twilight even opened up the balcony of the Friendship Castle for as many as it could hold. Twilight hoped that her structural analysis had been right with how many ponies the balcony could hold. She did not need that on her conscious on top of the recent events with Lord Tirek and the Battle of the Bands at Canterlot High. She wished she had asked the Rainbooms if they had wanted to come and see it with everyone. They all had standing invitations to come and visit Equestria if they ever wanted too. The only caveat being that they told her ahead of time so she could be ready for them. But they had a performance tonight, Sunset had explained, so they couldn't have made it even if Twilight had asked them. She made a note to make sure and fill them in on all that they had missed when she had the time. As usual with a big gathering in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie had gone into overdrive to try and make enough snacks for everyone. As Twilight turned to look at the crowd at the foot of the castle, she could just see her pink friend bouncing happily along, making conversation with anyone she felt like. Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres were also providing the freshest apples and baked apple goods they had for the town-wide party. With all the bits they were taking in, they would make a huge profit from tonight alone. Twilight's gaze turned for a moment toward Canterlot. From this vantage point, she could just make out the Solar and Lunar Balconies. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had declared tonight a holiday in the capital, and from what she was hearing, it sounded like the whole city was watching the meteor pass. The Weather Team had made sure Ponyville had a clear view as the meteor passed overhead. Cloudsdale had even sent extra help to make sure all could see it, as it had for every city and town in Equestria tonight. It had been finally determined that it would indeed hit Equus, but where was something nopony could be sure of. The best guess was that it would hit in an unpopulated area. It was big enough that it would cause considerable damage to wherever it did hit, but not so large as to endanger all life on the planet. Twilight and her friends meanwhile had some of the best seats in the house. No matter how much Twilight tried, ponies gave her a wide berth, so she and the girls still got the best seat on the castle balcony. Rainbow Dash groaned as she floated lazily overhead of everypony else. "Where is it? Some of us have more important things to do on a Friday night you know?" Applejack shot her a smug look. "Like what?" Rainbow balked for a moment before responding. "Like literally anything else! I'm missing out on valuable sleep time here!" "Like you do all the time anyway?" Rarity asked knowingly. Rainbow growled in annoyance as the others chuckled. She turned to Twilight, busily adjusting her telescope a few steps away. "So when is this thing supposed to fly over anyway?" Twilight took a moment before she responded. "Any time now. Our best guess is sometime after nine it would pass over us." That seemed to shut the Pegasus up for the moment, as she soon went back to doing lazy laps around the castle. No one was really saying much, it was for Ponyville was something new. It never seemed to be quiet around the town. Especially for something like this. Just when the nerves of every one were beginning to fray, Pinkie suddenly jumped up from the ground below and pointed to the North. "I see it!" Following her hoof, ponies began to stump the ground in applause as the meteor soon came into sight, moving slower than anyone had expected it to be. Twilight turned her telescope toward the celestial object, even as her notepad began to fill up with her own observations and theories. Several things were noticeable right away. The meteor was indeed golden in color, darkening to a burnt red as it plowed through the atmosphere toward the south. It seemed to hiss an evil hiss as it passed over Ponyville. But most just thought they were just hearing things and paid it no mind. "Where do you think it's going?" Spike asked. Twilight shook her head. "I'm not sure. There's not much out that way past Appleloosa, and I'm sure that it's heading in that direction. I don't think it'll hit the town, but they'll probably have the best view of whatever it does it." Applejack frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. She had friends and family down there. She hoped they would be alright. The meteor soon passed out of visual range for most of the ponies on the ground. Most of the Pegasi flew as high as they could so they could watch it a little longer, but soon even they lost sight of it. Twilight thanked her lucky stars that her dad, Night Light, was the Royal Astronomer, and so was able to get his daughter a telescope that was second only to the one the Royal Observatory held. And while the young princess hated using how well connected her family was, or even her own connections she held in Equestria's government as a princess, for once she didn't mind. For a while, longer, as the crowds below began to thin, and the ponies around her chattered about this and that, Twilight was able to still keep track of the meteor, until it too passed out of sight of her telescope. But just before she turned it off for the night, Twilight saw a very faint light, as the meteor finally hit somewhere far to the south. There was little else she could do at the moment, however. Her notes were filled with various theories and ideas she had of where it had come from, why it had hit Equus at all, and why it was golden when no other meteor she had known of was. For now, they would wait. Twilight would send them to her father in the morning, to go along with all that was coming in for the Royal Observatory. She didn't know how much help she could be. But that wouldn't stop her, she thought with a smile, as she joined her friends. *** Far to the east, in the deepest and most unexplored waters of Eternities Crossing, something awoke from a long slumber. Its eyes hardened as it felt something new in the world. Something that had no right to be there. Something it knew all too well. And while it cared little for the annoying nats that now infested the planet, they had no idea of what was soon to come. But he did, and he would not let it happen again. Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, he heaved his body into the water and began the long swim to the surface, pausing only a moment to look at the human skeleton and the long since corroded bomb he was still holding, sitting on the same platform that he had been. The Gathering StormCommander Tempest Shadow was not having a good day, and on days like this, those around her suffered for it. But there was little she could do about it. She had orders, and one did not ignore the Storm King and live to tell about it. Not for long anyway. And Tempest still had much to do. So she would do this. But that didn't mean she had to like it, so she took her annoyance out on Grubber. It was about the only thing he was good for. Klugetown had gone dark a week earlier. And while the Storm King couldn't have cared less about the toxic cesspit he ruled over, that literally nothing had been heard from the city for so long had him annoyed enough that he had sent his best commander and her flotilla to investigate. Tempest had free range to crack as many heads as she needed to, to get things moving again. A thought that made her smile. She liked cracking heads. Almost as much as she liked grinding others under her hooves. So now here she was, flying to the last place on Equus she wanted to be right now. And couldn't the idiot at the helm fly straight, as she almost lost her footing, as the airship rocked back and forth? She growled as she threw open the door and stepped onto the main deck. Right into the middle of a raging thunderstorm, the winds throwing even the well-built airship about like it was nothing. "Where are we?" She yelled at the Yeti manning the helm. He had to shout above the sound of the wind and rain to be heard, but it made the commander's mood darken even more. "What do you mean we're right over Klugetown? Where did this storm come from? This is a desert." He only shrugged helplessly, which only made Tempest madder. "Take us down then. I want to see this pathetic excuse for a town." The airships began to descend, but the storm didn't let up. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. And why was the lightning golden? Unicorn though she may be, even Tempest knew that wasn't normal. For a split second, as Grubber finally joined her at the railing, Tempest thought she saw something moving in the storm. A colossal shape with three heads, before the storm, swallowed it up again. She took no notice though, as the armada finally came within sight of the city. All eyes widened in shock at what was revealed below them. Klugetown wasn't just gone. It had been obliterated, and all that remained of one of Equss' most crime-ridden and despotic locations, was a black smudge where the city once lay. Very little if anything seemed to have survived. Grubber whistled. "Now we know why they haven't been saying anything. Do you think the storm did it?" Tempest smacked him upside the head. "Idiot. It would take this storm longer than a week to wipe it out like this. No. Something, or someone, did this. And they will pay for it." "What do we tell the Storm King? He ain't gonna be happy when he hears about this," Grubber replied. Tempest frowned. "Tell him nothing until we know for sure what happened here. I will not go back to him without an answer and the head of whatever did this." Before Grubber could say any more, a golden lightning bolt struck one of the other airships. Commander Tempest and Grubber watched in shock as the entire thing exploded in a million pieces. Before they could say anything, every other airship was struck in the same way, all of them exploding and disintegrating all around. Grubber gulped. "Now he's really not gonna be happy. We don't have lightning insurance on these you know." Tempest growled as she scanned the skies. "Lightning doesn't do that. Not like that. That came from somewhere, and they will pay for it." A huge shadow fell over the airship. The crew fell back in shock and terror, looking at something behind the ship. Tempest and Grubber turned to look at it as well. An unearthly cackling was the last thing Commander Tempest Shadow, once known as Fizzlepop Berrytwist, ever knew, as she and the rest of the crew were consumed in the explosion that ripped the airship apart. *** The Storm King was not having a good day, and that was seriously tarnishing his image. He had been having nothing but good days for some time now. This was totally not his style. It had been a day since he had sent Commander Tempest Shadow and her armada to see why Klugetown had gone dark on him. He had no use for the cesspit in all honestly, but it was his, and that's all that mattered. And nothing had been heard from them since. Not a peep, and it was grating on his nerves. This was impacting his time schedule for the invasion of Equestria, and he hated delays. If anything had gone wrong, then Tempest would pay the price. So now here he was, on his way to some forsaken patch of land that even on his best days he wondered why he bothered to keep it around. And just to add to his misery, they were flying in a thunderstorm. He hated getting wet! If he was in a better mood, the Storm King might wonder why it was raining at all in a barren desert-like this. But he was too annoyed to care about such things at the moment. And as he listened to what was being said, his mood darkened even more. "What do you mean this storm is growing stronger? It's a storm! Only a Pegasus could do that! Do you see any?" The guard shrugged helplessly. He growled, and for a moment thought about frying the fool with the Staff of Sarcanas. But these guards were hard to come by as it was, and he wasn't about to waste the staff's power on them. The Storm King and the rest of the crew were sent reeling as the entire airship tipped on its side. A few almost fell overboard but were able to hold onto the rails. At that moment, the wind and the rain died down to nothing all around them. The storm still raged, but it seemed the fleet had entered a dead calm. But it did not seem natural. Not to anyone. The Storm King turned to the one who was piloting the airship. "Where are we?" The pilot only shrugged helplessly and said something that only made the king's blood boil. "What do you mean you have no idea?! This storm cannot have blown us off course!" Whatever the pilot was going to say was cut off by an unearthly shriek that made all their ears ring, even as a shadow fell across the entire armada, causing all eyes to turn upward. The Storm King had time to say only one thing before the entire ship around him exploded. "Oh come on! That just isn't fair." *** Hard Knocks watched Mount Platinum with mounting concern. The mountain, which had become even more active in the last week, was now rumbling and smoking at an alarming rate. The ponies around her were just as concerned. There was no doubt now that Mount Platinum was active again, even though everything up until recently had said that the volcano had been extinct for longer than anypony alive had known. And the sounds coming from the crater had gone from concerning to alarming. It sounded like nothing more than something trying to dig itself out of the mountain. But that didn't make sense. Unless the stories of the Fire Demon were true. And Hard Knocks was beginning to think there was some truth to the old stories. "What do we do now?" A stallion asked, looking at her. Hard Knocks let her ears fall, her gaze falling as well. "I. I don't know." *** Ponyville had grown used to the strange things that happened in and around the small town. But what was happening now, not even the most hard-nosed pony could make sense of. Everyone in the town watched in shock, as the sky was filled with literally every kind of bird, all of flying at top speed northwards. Like they were running from something. But what, and why now? "Anything sugarcube?" Applejack asked as Fluttershy landed next to the girls. Fluttershy shook her head. "They wouldn't say. All they said is they're running as far away as possible." She looked at Angel on her back, who looked terrified of something, and they could all see that he was not joking either. "All of the animals are like this. I don't understand." Twilight shook her head as she joined them, Spike at her side with a note in his hands. "It's not just Ponyville either. This is happening all across Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Nopony had any idea of what's going on." "But why now?" Pinkie asked. Twilight sighed as she watched the flocks swarming north. "I don't know. None of this makes any sense." At that moment, the ground trembled, enough that ponies stood as tight as they could. The tremor lasted for almost thirty seconds before it subsided. Rarity frowned at the ground. "That is the fifth one this week. And they're getting stronger as well. I didn't believe Ponyville was built on a fault line." Twilight shared a look with Applejack. "It isn't. I checked every known record since the town was founded. There is no fault line anywhere near here that would be making these," Twilight replied. "That what do you think is doing it?" Applejack asked, not at all happy with the recent tremors. Twilight sighed. "I don't know. And I don't like it either. Something isn't right. I can feel it." *** First Sea Lord Ivory Sparkle sighed, as she closed the book she had been reading and set it on her nightstand. Reading usually helped her to get to sleep, but this evening, it wasn't working. But that was nothing new recently. The fleet had been at sea now for almost a month now. With nowhere in mind, she had lead them as far into Eternities Crossing as she dared. Few had ever been this far into the sea before, and very few of those had ever come back. The month on gone by slowly. With no orders, the crews had been mostly occupied with training and maintenance. A diversion had finally come the week before as the whole fleet watched the meteor pass overhead. Ivory had ordered a fleet-wide party to watch the event. But with that now gone, things had become quiet again. A few were beginning to even wonder why they were even out here in the first place. A feeling Ivory shared as well. And there was something else as well. For a week now, a black spot had been growing on the horizon. Some of the Pegasi among the fleet said it looked like storm clouds, but that didn't make sense. They were near the southern coastline of Equestria, but it was barren desert, and the storm didn't seem to be moving at all. Ivory didn't like it. Not one bit. Something didn't feel right about any of this. But it wasn't her place to disobey orders. But that didn't mean she wouldn't question them. It was how she had become what she was. Unthinking and unoriginal idiots had run the fleet for far too long. She had kicked them all out the first chance she got. The Royal Equestrian Navy would not become the laughing stock joke the Royal Guard was. Not on her watch. And with outright approval from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the old guard did not have much choice. Her thoughts were interrupted as Ivory was thrown from her bed and onto the floor with a resounding thud, as she entire ship around her rocked back and forth. Ivory growled as painfully made her way over to an intercom. "Bridge! What the bucking hay was that?! Did something hit us?" It was a moment before somepony answered. "Mam. We don't know. But something's going on, and you need to see this." Ivory frowned. She knew the voice on the other end. She was never this panicked. Unless something big was going on. She finally sighed. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Try to keep us in one piece until I do." *** A few minutes later, Ivory stepped onto the bridge, even as another wave rocked the ship. No one paid her arrival any mind, their eyes focused on something happening next to them, and Ivory couldn't blame them as she saw what it was. The sea was boiling, waves crashing against every ship within sight. The sky was clear though, and nothing seemed to be causing this that anyone could see. Ivory trotted onto the Main Deck to try and get a better view of whatever was going on. Several other ponies were already there, including her Flag Captain, who saluted her, as she walked up. Ivory returned the salute before looking at the boiling sea. "What happened?" She asked. Celestial Rose shook her head. "We're not sure. One minute the sea's calm, and the next thing we know, this is happening. It just came out of nowhere." All around them, ships tried to keep on an even keel, but it was proving harder and harder by the moment as the crashing waves became worse. Ivory swore that she could see a huge mass just beneath the water, rising to the surface. But that couldn't be right. Just as the thought crossed her mind, something finally broke through the boiling sea. Leaf-shaped spines rose higher and higher, as all eyes widened in shock at what they were seeing. At the base, the spines grew from a charcoal black skin, and just beneath the sea, all could see an even bigger body still underwater. Celestia finally found her voice. "The Black Iceberg. It's real." Ivory nodded mutely, still stunned by what they were looking at. She watched as what looked like a head finally broke the surface. Draconic was the first thing that came to mind. But this was no dragon. Not even close. She had no idea what it was. Celestial turned to the Radio Officer. "Give the order to the whole fleet. No one is too fire unless the First Lord gives the order. Anypony who does can swim back to Equestria. Got it?!" The pony only nodded before rushing off to get the message off. Ivory only half heard it as she locked eyes with the leviathan. In those eyes, she saw an intelligence ancient beyond comprehension, a power that had once ruled Equus long ago. In that gaze, Ivory Sparkle felt small and utterly insignificant. They held that gaze for a moment before the leviathan turned its head away from her and began to swim away at a rate that surprised everyone, its spines finally dipping back below the waves as it swam under the fleet. Celestial turned to Ivory, a look of horror on her face. "If it keeps on that course..." Ivory's gaze fell. "It'll make landfall in Equestria in four days." She rushed back onto the bridge, turning to the Radio Officer. "Get me the direct line to Canterlot, now!" Author's Note Ah, and now the clock has begun to tick down to the finale of the Downfall Arc. Yes, I did just do that to just about all the new characters from the Movie. I'm not sorry either. As for the Ponyville tremors? There is a huge reason for that. And it is tied to the Everfree Forest, and why it acts as it does as compared to the rest of Equestria. Omens and SummonsSince her ascension, Twilight had grown used to the sometimes strange dreams she had. None of them had ever amounted to anything in the end, and when she had asked Princess Luna, the mare only said that it came with being an alicorn. Twilight had a feeling that there might be more to it than that, but since none of them had come to something in the real world, she had let it lay for months on end now. This one though? She had a feeling this one was different. She found herself before the Tree of Harmony. Outside, the sounds of the Everfree Forest could faintly be heard. All of the Elements of Harmony were all glowing, all seemingly trying to tell Twilight something. And then the tree spoke, nearly making Twilight jump out of her feathers. "The sands of time have run out, Princess Twilight. Equus faces a threat not seen since an age long forgotten by all. A terror unlike any you have ever faced." Before Twilight could ask what that meant, a screen appeared before her, showing what looked the lands to the south of Equestria, and what seemed to be a monstrous storm. But something about the storm felt wrong, alien. Unnatural. "From the south, the King of Terror flies north, his strength growing by the day." The view changed. Now it showed a smoking mountain, which could only be a volcano about to erupt, and with great force, if this was any indication. "The Fire Demon stirs in the False Princess's mountain. His coming will be like a hurricane. His wings bring death to all in his shadow. Yet none know where he stands in what is to come." Twilight finally found her voice. "What does all of this mean? Why are you telling me?" The voice was quiet for a moment before it responded. "Equestria faces its darkest hour. You must be the one to lead it in the Long Night to come. Or there is no future for this world." Twilight frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. "What about Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? I'm not a leader. I've never been a leader. Don't act like they're dead." There was an unmistakable tone of sadness in the response. "This era is ending. The Sun and Moon will fall in Zero's shadow, going out, so that others may live." Twilight shook her head. "No! I refuse to believe that. They wouldn't do that. They can't die." The voice smiled, though Twilight couldn't see it. "Whether you believe me or not is up to you Twilight. My time here is almost up for now. But I leave you with this." The screen changed once more, changing to a view of the deep waters of Eternities Crossing. And slicing through the waves was a set of huge black fins. It was going fast, judging by the spray thrown up in front of them. "Look to the east, Twilight Sparkle. For the Uncrowned King returns, and in his shadow, Equestria must choose. Either to die without a fight. Or stand with him. For the Titans have returned." With that, everything around Twilight went to black. But before she lost it all completely, she heard one last thing. A musical, melodic, chirp, one that gave her new hope. *** With a start, Twilight awoke in her bed, her brow streaked with sweat. For a moment, she didn't know who or what was going on, and then it slowly came back to her. Looking out the window, she could see the faint gleam on the horizon that meant dawn was not far off. It was a sight that she had never been more glad to see. But the dream would not leave her alone. Something told her that it was more than just a dream. But what did it mean? And why now? None of it made any sense, and it was driving her crazy. Twilight sighed as she threw off the covers. She wasn't getting back to sleep at this rate, so she might as well get up and start the day. Looking in her nearby mirror, she giggled at the mass of bed mane she had and started toward the bathroom to make herself presentable. Passing by the window, she looked toward Canterlot. From this high up, she could just make out the Solar and Lunar Towers where her mentor and her sister lived. The sight made her heart clench as she remembered one thing in particular from her dream. "The Sun and Moon will fall in Zero's shadow. Going out so that others may live." Those words would haunt Twilight for a long time to come. *** Princess Celestia was not a morning pony. Granted, the morning didn't start until she raised the sun, but the fact remained that she was never her usual cheerful self until she had several cups of coffee in her. This morning, even that was not helping her mood as she looked at the ponies before her and Luna. In all her long life, she had never seen ponies so burned or disfigured. How any of them made it this far was a miracle in itself. She turned to look at Luna. "Are you sure?" Luna nodded, trying not to look green in the face. It was a losing battle. "Yes. This is all that made it out of the town. They told me as much before they." Luna couldn't finish the sentence, but the flatlines on the heart monitors said all Celestia needed to know. "I do not know how they made it this far." Celestia nodded, trying to keep her breakfast where it belonged, but it was easier said than done. "Dragon fire does not do this. I've seen ponies with those burns. Torch would never allow this to happen. Not like this. Our kinds have been on mostly good terms for a long time now." She shook her head. "Did any of them say what did this?" Luna shook her head. "I couldn't make it all out. But they all said the same thing on one thing. Whatever did this is heading north toward Equestria's heart, destroying all in its path." Celestia nodded, her expression grim as she trotted out of the hospital room, Luna quick to catch up. "Then we don't have much time." She turned to a Royal Guard at the door's side. "Send a message to Captain Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire. I want him here as soon as possible. His shield may be of great help if this thing does come here." The guard nodded before running off. Celestia turned to another guard at her side. "Give the order to the Civil Defense. Canterlot and Ponyville are now at Level Two Alert. Have them be ready to go to Level One if needed." The guard paled at the thought, but he too nodded before running off. Luna looked on in shock at what her sister had just done. She of course knew what it meant. Level Two was that both locations were now on high alert for danger. And Level One? Level One was the complete and total evacuation of Canterlot and Ponyville. No ifs, and, or buts, allowed. Never before in Equestria's history had it ever gone as high as that. It had never been thought possible it would ever need to. "Are you sure of this?" Luna asked, as the two of them left the hospital behind and returned to Canterlot Castle. Around them, most of Canterlot was just waking up, unaware as of yet of the news to come. Celestia nodded, her gaze falling as she looked around the city. The feeling that she would never see the city like this again would not leave her alone. "Yes, Luna. Something tells me that this is not something to take lightly. I made the same mistake with Tirek. No more." Luna placed a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Then what is to be done now? Shining Armor will not be here for some time. I doubt Cadance would not allow him to come." Celestia nodded. She too didn't believe her niece would countermand her command, though it was well within her power to. It was a power she seldom used. A power Twilight Sparkle had as well, though she had never once seemed to even think about using it. "I must inform Twilight and her friends about this. Applejack will want to know. Part of her family was there. They need to know." *** "And you're sure Princess Celestia didn't say why she wanted to see us like this?" Rainbow asked as the girls made their way through the busy streets to Canterlot Castle. While they had done this before, it felt different this time. Yet no one could say why that was. Twilight rolled her eyes. "For the twentieth time Rainbow, no. All she said was that we all had to come to Canterlot immediately. She didn't even use my name, or even her special seal she normally uses if it's just regular correspondence. Princess Celestia used my full title. She never does that unless it's an emergency." "Maybe it's something to do with why all the animals are acting strangely?" Fluttershy asked, looking even more worried than usual. "I hope everything's alright." "Maybe it has to do with that big storm cloud over there!" Pinkie said excitedly, pointing a hoof to the far south. The girls looked in that direction as well, and their worry only grew. A mass of black storm clouds had begun to form on the southern horizon just as they were leaving Ponyville that morning. From the train ride to the capital, they had watched them grow larger and larger with each passing hour. Neither Rainbow nor Fluttershy had been able to explain it. Whatever it was, none of the group liked it, and as they came to the gates of the castle, they hoped Celestia and Luna might have an answer to that as well. The guards at the gate didn't even stop them, as was normal, and let them pass without a word, only adding to the sense of worry. Making their way through the castle, no one could help but notice that the palace staff and guards seemed to be one more of an edge than usual. Hushed whispers and fleeting conversations followed them as they were directed to the Grand Council Chamber. Inside, they found Celestia and Luna looking over a map of Equestria, their expressions worried. When Princess Celestia looked up, Twilight was shocked to see the weariness and the weight of years her mentor's eyes carried, ones that were only slightly improved as they fell on the group. "Princess Twilight, Spike, girls. Thank you for coming. Though I wish it had been under better circumstances." That got their attention, as they all shared a look. "What's wrong?" Spike asked. "Do ya need us to beat up another bad guy?" Applejack asked, almost looking forward to the thought and idea, as did Rainbow Dash. Luna shook her head, her own weariness a match for her sister's. "I wish it were that simple Miss. Applejack. But this is something else. Something that we are not sure of yet." Twilight's ears fell, her own worry skyrocketing. "What is it?" Princess Celestia collected her thoughts for a moment, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "Appleloosa has been destroyed. There are no survivors."
ArrivalIt comes. On death's wings from the outer dark, from the black between galaxies. The Destroyer, the Burner of Worlds, the King of Terror. In its shadow, titans of a lost age will rise and reclaim the world they once ruled. From the east, the Uncrowned King rises from his slumber. Caring not for us at his feet, he will give battle to the Terror, and only one will walk away from it. The Age of Ponies will fall in the shadow of waring titans. From a pamphlet at the site of a mass suicide, discovered by the Royal Guard two weeks before the Fall of Canterlot. *** "I remember. I remember clearly where I was the night it came to our world. Every one of those who lived to tell about it will tell you to the second where they were when it came. At the time, we didn't know any better what it meant. Maybe if we had, maybe if we had done something, none of this would have come to pass. I want to believe that. But I can't." Princess Twilight Sparkle, on the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Manehatten. *** Normally at this time of night, most of Ponyville was asleep or at home. Except for the occasional night owl or drunk on a late-night bar hop, the streets of the small town were usually deserted. Tonight was an exception, an event playing out across many towns and cities across Equestria at that moment. It seemed that all of Ponville's residents had gathered outside to watch the meteor come across the sky. So crowded did the Town Square become, that Princess Twilight even opened up the balcony of the Friendship Castle for as many as it could hold. Twilight hoped that her structural analysis had been right with how many ponies the balcony could hold. She did not need that on her conscious on top of the recent events with Lord Tirek and the Battle of the Bands at Canterlot High. She wished she had asked the Rainbooms if they had wanted to come and see it with everyone. They all had standing invitations to come and visit Equestria if they ever wanted too. The only caveat being that they told her ahead of time so she could be ready for them. But they had a performance tonight, Sunset had explained, so they couldn't have made it even if Twilight had asked them. She made a note to make sure and fill them in on all that they had missed when she had the time. As usual with a big gathering in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie had gone into overdrive to try and make enough snacks for everyone. As Twilight turned to look at the crowd at the foot of the castle, she could just see her pink friend bouncing happily along, making conversation with anyone she felt like. Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres were also providing the freshest apples and baked apple goods they had for the town-wide party. With all the bits they were taking in, they would make a huge profit from tonight alone. Twilight's gaze turned for a moment toward Canterlot. From this vantage point, she could just make out the Solar and Lunar Balconies. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had declared tonight a holiday in the capital, and from what she was hearing, it sounded like the whole city was watching the meteor pass. The Weather Team had made sure Ponyville had a clear view as the meteor passed overhead. Cloudsdale had even sent extra help to make sure all could see it, as it had for every city and town in Equestria tonight. It had been finally determined that it would indeed hit Equus, but where was something nopony could be sure of. The best guess was that it would hit in an unpopulated area. It was big enough that it would cause considerable damage to wherever it did hit, but not so large as to endanger all life on the planet. Twilight and her friends meanwhile had some of the best seats in the house. No matter how much Twilight tried, ponies gave her a wide berth, so she and the girls still got the best seat on the castle balcony. Rainbow Dash groaned as she floated lazily overhead of everypony else. "Where is it? Some of us have more important things to do on a Friday night you know?" Applejack shot her a smug look. "Like what?" Rainbow balked for a moment before responding. "Like literally anything else! I'm missing out on valuable sleep time here!" "Like you do all the time anyway?" Rarity asked knowingly. Rainbow growled in annoyance as the others chuckled. She turned to Twilight, busily adjusting her telescope a few steps away. "So when is this thing supposed to fly over anyway?" Twilight took a moment before she responded. "Any time now. Our best guess is sometime after nine it would pass over us." That seemed to shut the Pegasus up for the moment, as she soon went back to doing lazy laps around the castle. No one was really saying much, it was for Ponyville was something new. It never seemed to be quiet around the town. Especially for something like this. Just when the nerves of every one were beginning to fray, Pinkie suddenly jumped up from the ground below and pointed to the North. "I see it!" Following her hoof, ponies began to stump the ground in applause as the meteor soon came into sight, moving slower than anyone had expected it to be. Twilight turned her telescope toward the celestial object, even as her notepad began to fill up with her own observations and theories. Several things were noticeable right away. The meteor was indeed golden in color, darkening to a burnt red as it plowed through the atmosphere toward the south. It seemed to hiss an evil hiss as it passed over Ponyville. But most just thought they were just hearing things and paid it no mind. "Where do you think it's going?" Spike asked. Twilight shook her head. "I'm not sure. There's not much out that way past Appleloosa, and I'm sure that it's heading in that direction. I don't think it'll hit the town, but they'll probably have the best view of whatever it does it." Applejack frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. She had friends and family down there. She hoped they would be alright. The meteor soon passed out of visual range for most of the ponies on the ground. Most of the Pegasi flew as high as they could so they could watch it a little longer, but soon even they lost sight of it. Twilight thanked her lucky stars that her dad, Night Light, was the Royal Astronomer, and so was able to get his daughter a telescope that was second only to the one the Royal Observatory held. And while the young princess hated using how well connected her family was, or even her own connections she held in Equestria's government as a princess, for once she didn't mind. For a while, longer, as the crowds below began to thin, and the ponies around her chattered about this and that, Twilight was able to still keep track of the meteor, until it too passed out of sight of her telescope. But just before she turned it off for the night, Twilight saw a very faint light, as the meteor finally hit somewhere far to the south. There was little else she could do at the moment, however. Her notes were filled with various theories and ideas she had of where it had come from, why it had hit Equus at all, and why it was golden when no other meteor she had known of was. For now, they would wait. Twilight would send them to her father in the morning, to go along with all that was coming in for the Royal Observatory. She didn't know how much help she could be. But that wouldn't stop her, she thought with a smile, as she joined her friends. *** Far to the east, in the deepest and most unexplored waters of Eternities Crossing, something awoke from a long slumber. Its eyes hardened as it felt something new in the world. Something that had no right to be there. Something it knew all too well. And while it cared little for the annoying nats that now infested the planet, they had no idea of what was soon to come. But he did, and he would not let it happen again. Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, he heaved his body into the water and began the long swim to the surface, pausing only a moment to look at the human skeleton and the long since corroded bomb he was still holding, sitting on the same platform that he had been.
The Gathering StormCommander Tempest Shadow was not having a good day, and on days like this, those around her suffered for it. But there was little she could do about it. She had orders, and one did not ignore the Storm King and live to tell about it. Not for long anyway. And Tempest still had much to do. So she would do this. But that didn't mean she had to like it, so she took her annoyance out on Grubber. It was about the only thing he was good for. Klugetown had gone dark a week earlier. And while the Storm King couldn't have cared less about the toxic cesspit he ruled over, that literally nothing had been heard from the city for so long had him annoyed enough that he had sent his best commander and her flotilla to investigate. Tempest had free range to crack as many heads as she needed to, to get things moving again. A thought that made her smile. She liked cracking heads. Almost as much as she liked grinding others under her hooves. So now here she was, flying to the last place on Equus she wanted to be right now. And couldn't the idiot at the helm fly straight, as she almost lost her footing, as the airship rocked back and forth? She growled as she threw open the door and stepped onto the main deck. Right into the middle of a raging thunderstorm, the winds throwing even the well-built airship about like it was nothing. "Where are we?" She yelled at the Yeti manning the helm. He had to shout above the sound of the wind and rain to be heard, but it made the commander's mood darken even more. "What do you mean we're right over Klugetown? Where did this storm come from? This is a desert." He only shrugged helplessly, which only made Tempest madder. "Take us down then. I want to see this pathetic excuse for a town." The airships began to descend, but the storm didn't let up. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. And why was the lightning golden? Unicorn though she may be, even Tempest knew that wasn't normal. For a split second, as Grubber finally joined her at the railing, Tempest thought she saw something moving in the storm. A colossal shape with three heads, before the storm, swallowed it up again. She took no notice though, as the armada finally came within sight of the city. All eyes widened in shock at what was revealed below them. Klugetown wasn't just gone. It had been obliterated, and all that remained of one of Equss' most crime-ridden and despotic locations, was a black smudge where the city once lay. Very little if anything seemed to have survived. Grubber whistled. "Now we know why they haven't been saying anything. Do you think the storm did it?" Tempest smacked him upside the head. "Idiot. It would take this storm longer than a week to wipe it out like this. No. Something, or someone, did this. And they will pay for it." "What do we tell the Storm King? He ain't gonna be happy when he hears about this," Grubber replied. Tempest frowned. "Tell him nothing until we know for sure what happened here. I will not go back to him without an answer and the head of whatever did this." Before Grubber could say any more, a golden lightning bolt struck one of the other airships. Commander Tempest and Grubber watched in shock as the entire thing exploded in a million pieces. Before they could say anything, every other airship was struck in the same way, all of them exploding and disintegrating all around. Grubber gulped. "Now he's really not gonna be happy. We don't have lightning insurance on these you know." Tempest growled as she scanned the skies. "Lightning doesn't do that. Not like that. That came from somewhere, and they will pay for it." A huge shadow fell over the airship. The crew fell back in shock and terror, looking at something behind the ship. Tempest and Grubber turned to look at it as well. An unearthly cackling was the last thing Commander Tempest Shadow, once known as Fizzlepop Berrytwist, ever knew, as she and the rest of the crew were consumed in the explosion that ripped the airship apart. *** The Storm King was not having a good day, and that was seriously tarnishing his image. He had been having nothing but good days for some time now. This was totally not his style. It had been a day since he had sent Commander Tempest Shadow and her armada to see why Klugetown had gone dark on him. He had no use for the cesspit in all honestly, but it was his, and that's all that mattered. And nothing had been heard from them since. Not a peep, and it was grating on his nerves. This was impacting his time schedule for the invasion of Equestria, and he hated delays. If anything had gone wrong, then Tempest would pay the price. So now here he was, on his way to some forsaken patch of land that even on his best days he wondered why he bothered to keep it around. And just to add to his misery, they were flying in a thunderstorm. He hated getting wet! If he was in a better mood, the Storm King might wonder why it was raining at all in a barren desert-like this. But he was too annoyed to care about such things at the moment. And as he listened to what was being said, his mood darkened even more. "What do you mean this storm is growing stronger? It's a storm! Only a Pegasus could do that! Do you see any?" The guard shrugged helplessly. He growled, and for a moment thought about frying the fool with the Staff of Sarcanas. But these guards were hard to come by as it was, and he wasn't about to waste the staff's power on them. The Storm King and the rest of the crew were sent reeling as the entire airship tipped on its side. A few almost fell overboard but were able to hold onto the rails. At that moment, the wind and the rain died down to nothing all around them. The storm still raged, but it seemed the fleet had entered a dead calm. But it did not seem natural. Not to anyone. The Storm King turned to the one who was piloting the airship. "Where are we?" The pilot only shrugged helplessly and said something that only made the king's blood boil. "What do you mean you have no idea?! This storm cannot have blown us off course!" Whatever the pilot was going to say was cut off by an unearthly shriek that made all their ears ring, even as a shadow fell across the entire armada, causing all eyes to turn upward. The Storm King had time to say only one thing before the entire ship around him exploded. "Oh come on! That just isn't fair." *** Hard Knocks watched Mount Platinum with mounting concern. The mountain, which had become even more active in the last week, was now rumbling and smoking at an alarming rate. The ponies around her were just as concerned. There was no doubt now that Mount Platinum was active again, even though everything up until recently had said that the volcano had been extinct for longer than anypony alive had known. And the sounds coming from the crater had gone from concerning to alarming. It sounded like nothing more than something trying to dig itself out of the mountain. But that didn't make sense. Unless the stories of the Fire Demon were true. And Hard Knocks was beginning to think there was some truth to the old stories. "What do we do now?" A stallion asked, looking at her. Hard Knocks let her ears fall, her gaze falling as well. "I. I don't know." *** Ponyville had grown used to the strange things that happened in and around the small town. But what was happening now, not even the most hard-nosed pony could make sense of. Everyone in the town watched in shock, as the sky was filled with literally every kind of bird, all of flying at top speed northwards. Like they were running from something. But what, and why now? "Anything sugarcube?" Applejack asked as Fluttershy landed next to the girls. Fluttershy shook her head. "They wouldn't say. All they said is they're running as far away as possible." She looked at Angel on her back, who looked terrified of something, and they could all see that he was not joking either. "All of the animals are like this. I don't understand." Twilight shook her head as she joined them, Spike at her side with a note in his hands. "It's not just Ponyville either. This is happening all across Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Nopony had any idea of what's going on." "But why now?" Pinkie asked. Twilight sighed as she watched the flocks swarming north. "I don't know. None of this makes any sense." At that moment, the ground trembled, enough that ponies stood as tight as they could. The tremor lasted for almost thirty seconds before it subsided. Rarity frowned at the ground. "That is the fifth one this week. And they're getting stronger as well. I didn't believe Ponyville was built on a fault line." Twilight shared a look with Applejack. "It isn't. I checked every known record since the town was founded. There is no fault line anywhere near here that would be making these," Twilight replied. "That what do you think is doing it?" Applejack asked, not at all happy with the recent tremors. Twilight sighed. "I don't know. And I don't like it either. Something isn't right. I can feel it." *** First Sea Lord Ivory Sparkle sighed, as she closed the book she had been reading and set it on her nightstand. Reading usually helped her to get to sleep, but this evening, it wasn't working. But that was nothing new recently. The fleet had been at sea now for almost a month now. With nowhere in mind, she had lead them as far into Eternities Crossing as she dared. Few had ever been this far into the sea before, and very few of those had ever come back. The month on gone by slowly. With no orders, the crews had been mostly occupied with training and maintenance. A diversion had finally come the week before as the whole fleet watched the meteor pass overhead. Ivory had ordered a fleet-wide party to watch the event. But with that now gone, things had become quiet again. A few were beginning to even wonder why they were even out here in the first place. A feeling Ivory shared as well. And there was something else as well. For a week now, a black spot had been growing on the horizon. Some of the Pegasi among the fleet said it looked like storm clouds, but that didn't make sense. They were near the southern coastline of Equestria, but it was barren desert, and the storm didn't seem to be moving at all. Ivory didn't like it. Not one bit. Something didn't feel right about any of this. But it wasn't her place to disobey orders. But that didn't mean she wouldn't question them. It was how she had become what she was. Unthinking and unoriginal idiots had run the fleet for far too long. She had kicked them all out the first chance she got. The Royal Equestrian Navy would not become the laughing stock joke the Royal Guard was. Not on her watch. And with outright approval from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the old guard did not have much choice. Her thoughts were interrupted as Ivory was thrown from her bed and onto the floor with a resounding thud, as she entire ship around her rocked back and forth. Ivory growled as painfully made her way over to an intercom. "Bridge! What the bucking hay was that?! Did something hit us?" It was a moment before somepony answered. "Mam. We don't know. But something's going on, and you need to see this." Ivory frowned. She knew the voice on the other end. She was never this panicked. Unless something big was going on. She finally sighed. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Try to keep us in one piece until I do." *** A few minutes later, Ivory stepped onto the bridge, even as another wave rocked the ship. No one paid her arrival any mind, their eyes focused on something happening next to them, and Ivory couldn't blame them as she saw what it was. The sea was boiling, waves crashing against every ship within sight. The sky was clear though, and nothing seemed to be causing this that anyone could see. Ivory trotted onto the Main Deck to try and get a better view of whatever was going on. Several other ponies were already there, including her Flag Captain, who saluted her, as she walked up. Ivory returned the salute before looking at the boiling sea. "What happened?" She asked. Celestial Rose shook her head. "We're not sure. One minute the sea's calm, and the next thing we know, this is happening. It just came out of nowhere." All around them, ships tried to keep on an even keel, but it was proving harder and harder by the moment as the crashing waves became worse. Ivory swore that she could see a huge mass just beneath the water, rising to the surface. But that couldn't be right. Just as the thought crossed her mind, something finally broke through the boiling sea. Leaf-shaped spines rose higher and higher, as all eyes widened in shock at what they were seeing. At the base, the spines grew from a charcoal black skin, and just beneath the sea, all could see an even bigger body still underwater. Celestia finally found her voice. "The Black Iceberg. It's real." Ivory nodded mutely, still stunned by what they were looking at. She watched as what looked like a head finally broke the surface. Draconic was the first thing that came to mind. But this was no dragon. Not even close. She had no idea what it was. Celestial turned to the Radio Officer. "Give the order to the whole fleet. No one is too fire unless the First Lord gives the order. Anypony who does can swim back to Equestria. Got it?!" The pony only nodded before rushing off to get the message off. Ivory only half heard it as she locked eyes with the leviathan. In those eyes, she saw an intelligence ancient beyond comprehension, a power that had once ruled Equus long ago. In that gaze, Ivory Sparkle felt small and utterly insignificant. They held that gaze for a moment before the leviathan turned its head away from her and began to swim away at a rate that surprised everyone, its spines finally dipping back below the waves as it swam under the fleet. Celestial turned to Ivory, a look of horror on her face. "If it keeps on that course..." Ivory's gaze fell. "It'll make landfall in Equestria in four days." She rushed back onto the bridge, turning to the Radio Officer. "Get me the direct line to Canterlot, now!" Author's Note Ah, and now the clock has begun to tick down to the finale of the Downfall Arc. Yes, I did just do that to just about all the new characters from the Movie. I'm not sorry either. As for the Ponyville tremors? There is a huge reason for that. And it is tied to the Everfree Forest, and why it acts as it does as compared to the rest of Equestria.
Omens and SummonsSince her ascension, Twilight had grown used to the sometimes strange dreams she had. None of them had ever amounted to anything in the end, and when she had asked Princess Luna, the mare only said that it came with being an alicorn. Twilight had a feeling that there might be more to it than that, but since none of them had come to something in the real world, she had let it lay for months on end now. This one though? She had a feeling this one was different. She found herself before the Tree of Harmony. Outside, the sounds of the Everfree Forest could faintly be heard. All of the Elements of Harmony were all glowing, all seemingly trying to tell Twilight something. And then the tree spoke, nearly making Twilight jump out of her feathers. "The sands of time have run out, Princess Twilight. Equus faces a threat not seen since an age long forgotten by all. A terror unlike any you have ever faced." Before Twilight could ask what that meant, a screen appeared before her, showing what looked the lands to the south of Equestria, and what seemed to be a monstrous storm. But something about the storm felt wrong, alien. Unnatural. "From the south, the King of Terror flies north, his strength growing by the day." The view changed. Now it showed a smoking mountain, which could only be a volcano about to erupt, and with great force, if this was any indication. "The Fire Demon stirs in the False Princess's mountain. His coming will be like a hurricane. His wings bring death to all in his shadow. Yet none know where he stands in what is to come." Twilight finally found her voice. "What does all of this mean? Why are you telling me?" The voice was quiet for a moment before it responded. "Equestria faces its darkest hour. You must be the one to lead it in the Long Night to come. Or there is no future for this world." Twilight frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. "What about Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? I'm not a leader. I've never been a leader. Don't act like they're dead." There was an unmistakable tone of sadness in the response. "This era is ending. The Sun and Moon will fall in Zero's shadow, going out, so that others may live." Twilight shook her head. "No! I refuse to believe that. They wouldn't do that. They can't die." The voice smiled, though Twilight couldn't see it. "Whether you believe me or not is up to you Twilight. My time here is almost up for now. But I leave you with this." The screen changed once more, changing to a view of the deep waters of Eternities Crossing. And slicing through the waves was a set of huge black fins. It was going fast, judging by the spray thrown up in front of them. "Look to the east, Twilight Sparkle. For the Uncrowned King returns, and in his shadow, Equestria must choose. Either to die without a fight. Or stand with him. For the Titans have returned." With that, everything around Twilight went to black. But before she lost it all completely, she heard one last thing. A musical, melodic, chirp, one that gave her new hope. *** With a start, Twilight awoke in her bed, her brow streaked with sweat. For a moment, she didn't know who or what was going on, and then it slowly came back to her. Looking out the window, she could see the faint gleam on the horizon that meant dawn was not far off. It was a sight that she had never been more glad to see. But the dream would not leave her alone. Something told her that it was more than just a dream. But what did it mean? And why now? None of it made any sense, and it was driving her crazy. Twilight sighed as she threw off the covers. She wasn't getting back to sleep at this rate, so she might as well get up and start the day. Looking in her nearby mirror, she giggled at the mass of bed mane she had and started toward the bathroom to make herself presentable. Passing by the window, she looked toward Canterlot. From this high up, she could just make out the Solar and Lunar Towers where her mentor and her sister lived. The sight made her heart clench as she remembered one thing in particular from her dream. "The Sun and Moon will fall in Zero's shadow. Going out so that others may live." Those words would haunt Twilight for a long time to come. *** Princess Celestia was not a morning pony. Granted, the morning didn't start until she raised the sun, but the fact remained that she was never her usual cheerful self until she had several cups of coffee in her. This morning, even that was not helping her mood as she looked at the ponies before her and Luna. In all her long life, she had never seen ponies so burned or disfigured. How any of them made it this far was a miracle in itself. She turned to look at Luna. "Are you sure?" Luna nodded, trying not to look green in the face. It was a losing battle. "Yes. This is all that made it out of the town. They told me as much before they." Luna couldn't finish the sentence, but the flatlines on the heart monitors said all Celestia needed to know. "I do not know how they made it this far." Celestia nodded, trying to keep her breakfast where it belonged, but it was easier said than done. "Dragon fire does not do this. I've seen ponies with those burns. Torch would never allow this to happen. Not like this. Our kinds have been on mostly good terms for a long time now." She shook her head. "Did any of them say what did this?" Luna shook her head. "I couldn't make it all out. But they all said the same thing on one thing. Whatever did this is heading north toward Equestria's heart, destroying all in its path." Celestia nodded, her expression grim as she trotted out of the hospital room, Luna quick to catch up. "Then we don't have much time." She turned to a Royal Guard at the door's side. "Send a message to Captain Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire. I want him here as soon as possible. His shield may be of great help if this thing does come here." The guard nodded before running off. Celestia turned to another guard at her side. "Give the order to the Civil Defense. Canterlot and Ponyville are now at Level Two Alert. Have them be ready to go to Level One if needed." The guard paled at the thought, but he too nodded before running off. Luna looked on in shock at what her sister had just done. She of course knew what it meant. Level Two was that both locations were now on high alert for danger. And Level One? Level One was the complete and total evacuation of Canterlot and Ponyville. No ifs, and, or buts, allowed. Never before in Equestria's history had it ever gone as high as that. It had never been thought possible it would ever need to. "Are you sure of this?" Luna asked, as the two of them left the hospital behind and returned to Canterlot Castle. Around them, most of Canterlot was just waking up, unaware as of yet of the news to come. Celestia nodded, her gaze falling as she looked around the city. The feeling that she would never see the city like this again would not leave her alone. "Yes, Luna. Something tells me that this is not something to take lightly. I made the same mistake with Tirek. No more." Luna placed a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Then what is to be done now? Shining Armor will not be here for some time. I doubt Cadance would not allow him to come." Celestia nodded. She too didn't believe her niece would countermand her command, though it was well within her power to. It was a power she seldom used. A power Twilight Sparkle had as well, though she had never once seemed to even think about using it. "I must inform Twilight and her friends about this. Applejack will want to know. Part of her family was there. They need to know." *** "And you're sure Princess Celestia didn't say why she wanted to see us like this?" Rainbow asked as the girls made their way through the busy streets to Canterlot Castle. While they had done this before, it felt different this time. Yet no one could say why that was. Twilight rolled her eyes. "For the twentieth time Rainbow, no. All she said was that we all had to come to Canterlot immediately. She didn't even use my name, or even her special seal she normally uses if it's just regular correspondence. Princess Celestia used my full title. She never does that unless it's an emergency." "Maybe it's something to do with why all the animals are acting strangely?" Fluttershy asked, looking even more worried than usual. "I hope everything's alright." "Maybe it has to do with that big storm cloud over there!" Pinkie said excitedly, pointing a hoof to the far south. The girls looked in that direction as well, and their worry only grew. A mass of black storm clouds had begun to form on the southern horizon just as they were leaving Ponyville that morning. From the train ride to the capital, they had watched them grow larger and larger with each passing hour. Neither Rainbow nor Fluttershy had been able to explain it. Whatever it was, none of the group liked it, and as they came to the gates of the castle, they hoped Celestia and Luna might have an answer to that as well. The guards at the gate didn't even stop them, as was normal, and let them pass without a word, only adding to the sense of worry. Making their way through the castle, no one could help but notice that the palace staff and guards seemed to be one more of an edge than usual. Hushed whispers and fleeting conversations followed them as they were directed to the Grand Council Chamber. Inside, they found Celestia and Luna looking over a map of Equestria, their expressions worried. When Princess Celestia looked up, Twilight was shocked to see the weariness and the weight of years her mentor's eyes carried, ones that were only slightly improved as they fell on the group. "Princess Twilight, Spike, girls. Thank you for coming. Though I wish it had been under better circumstances." That got their attention, as they all shared a look. "What's wrong?" Spike asked. "Do ya need us to beat up another bad guy?" Applejack asked, almost looking forward to the thought and idea, as did Rainbow Dash. Luna shook her head, her own weariness a match for her sister's. "I wish it were that simple Miss. Applejack. But this is something else. Something that we are not sure of yet." Twilight's ears fell, her own worry skyrocketing. "What is it?" Princess Celestia collected her thoughts for a moment, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "Appleloosa has been destroyed. There are no survivors."
