Chapter 1 Familiar, yet unknown

At the residence of a modest home located within the Equestrian township of Trottingham, a young colt was awoken by the morning sunlight shining down upon him.

He stretched himself while yawning, yet despite his blurred vision he pulled himself out of the bed and smiled warmly at the sunshine pouring through his window.

“Looks like this will be a good day.” He spoke to himself, picked up his glasses from the nightstand and walked out of his room.

Eagerly, the earth pony colt went towards the bedroom of his mother and gently opening to the door. A smile formed on his lips to the colt blue unicorn’s chest gently lowering and raising.

Getting an idea, the colt walked towards the kitchen, making some toast and apple tea as breakfast for his mother.

While waiting for the toast to be toasted, the colt’s mind was racing over the recent events that had just happened lately, taking a deep breath.

For four months, he was separated from her after a series of events most refused to divulge, living with her lifelong foalhood companion, Nancy, who was also the mother of his best friend Pipsqueak. And yet, after an unfortunate accident some friends of him and Pip had, he got reunited with his mother, who had helped in saving his friends.

This had been a week or 2 ago. Even after so long, he still couldn’t believe what had happened. Had this been fate? A higher-power seeking for his mother to show she was not a bad pony, giving her a second chance, having pity with her and him?

A loud metallic snap tore him out, the toast was done. Putting it on a breakfast board, he carried it towards the bedroom.

As expected, her nose started to sniff once the fresh smell invaded it. Her scarlet eyes opened, a smile formed on her face. “Morning, Tungsten.”

“Good morning, Mom! I made you breakfast.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You’re welcome,” Tungsten replied with a smile of his own before making his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Upon done, he watched himself in the mirror. A cheerful colt with the same coat as his mother, dark brown eyes and a ginger/orange mane looked back.

Going out of the bathroom, he saw his mother entering it, her dark red mane being slightly messy.

It took his mother only a short time to get her mane cleared and straightened out. “Now, let’s enjoy the day, shall we?”

“Of course, mom!” Her son exclaimed cheerfully and they got out of their house, enjoying the calm morning as they walked through town coming towards a park, listening to the singing of the birds.

It wasn’t long until a young voice called out, “Tungsten!” It was a small pinto colt, with the elder colt smiling warmly at him,

“Nice to see you, Pip.” Next to him was an earth pony mare, her coat being of a pale-brown coat, while her mane was a wheat-blonde, having Gray eyes and a pocket watch as Cutie Mark, smiling.

“Hey, Blue Murder.” She gave Tungsten’s mother a friendly hug, which she returned.

“How are you, Nancy?”

“I am doing good, thank you.”

“Looks like we just came in time.” A new voice greeted their ears and they saw an orange, blue-dappled batpony stallion with a white ponytail, wearing a colored cloth and eyepatch over his right eye walking towards them.

Next to him were a batpony mare with yellow cat-like vertical slits for pupils, and dark gray mane, a batpony filly with the same eyes as the mare but a teal colored mane was with them

“Shadowplay?” Tungsten asked surprised.

“Yes, Lucky Star suggested that Amber and I should pay you a visit on this fine day.”

“Candy had the same idea.” Another voice added, belonging to a black-and-white-speckled Earth pony stallion sitting next to her. He possessed of a grey ponytail of a mane, dark moss-green, a tasseled red jerkin with bandoliers thrown across his chest and shoulders and toted a fedora with a trophy band.

Next to him was a unicorn mare, a bright white coat, along with a pink mane that had white strips and blue eyes.

“Again, nice of you to join us, Tybalt.” Blue was delighted, with Candy smiling.

“All the same. What had you planned for today?”

“Oh, just doing a stroll through the park at the moment, enjoying the morning.” Blue explained to Candy before a faint ringing sound come from her saddlebag, pulling out a transceiver. “Yes?”

“Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, Blue, but you, Shadow and Tybalt are needed.” A male voice informed her.

“Not a problem, Fletcher, we’ll be right there.” She put it away, sighing. “Should have known. I see you later then, sweetie.”

Tungsten gave her a hug with a weak smile. “It’s okay, mum, just be careful.” Candy did the same with Tybalt, so did Lucky and Amber with Shadow.

“Of course I will be, sweetheart.” She gently broke it, looking at Pip and Nancy with regret. “Sorry it had to be so short.”

“Its fine, do your duty.” Pip’s mother replied.

As the male batpony was about to turn, he got held back by Amber with a hoof. “Hold on, you can’t go like this.” She was looking at his right wing, which was slightly poking out upwards, messy and started to groom it with her mouth, preening it until it was straight again. “There you go.”

In response, Shadowplay blushed slightly. “Ah, thanks…” The others chuckled slightly at this.

Upon Blue, Shadow and Tybalt leaving, Amber, Lucky and Candy close behind, Pip and Tungsten continued their troll through the park, accompanied by Nancy.

They both stopped at a lake, enjoying the view, it was so majestic and calming. But suddenly, something threw Pip over.

“Oof!” he cried out and rubbed his head, his friend and mother looked in surprise and slight worry towards him.

“Oh, sorry, my bad.” A young voice sounded concerned, the pinto colt looked up to see a hoof offered to him, it belonged to a earth pony colt, barely any bigger than him, probably a few years younger. His green eyes were filled with regret, his coat was orange, the mane red with orange strips as he helped Pip up.

“No harm done.”

“Good, I was distracted admiring the city of Trottingham, me and my mother are visiting.” The other colt explained as a pink unicorn joined him, her eyes blue, the black mane with purple strips, the cutie mark hidden by a black sweater.

“Are you okay, Thunder Kicker?”

“I am fine, mom.” He replied with a smile and she looked at Nancy with a slightly awkward expression.

“Do you know the way to Tall toby?”

Pip’s mother nodded in return. “Yes, I do. Just take the east exit of the park, take a right and straight away. You can’t miss it.” She pointed with a hoof to it, leading the mother and son towards it, her son and friend looked after them.

“Squawk! Wait for me! Squawk!” A parrot with teal fur, yellow claws beak exclaimed as he flew after kicker and his mother.

“Strange…” The elderly of the 2 colts mumbled, “Wearing a sweater at this time of year?” He wondered.

“Well, it is early morning, so slightly cold and they could come from a colder region.” His younger friend pointed out.

“Fair point.” A sigh escaped Tungsten’s mouth. “Even after all this time, I still can’t believe it. That you all were here for me, never judging my mother.”

“Tungsten, listen.” Pip wrapped him into a hug. “That's what friends are for, helping each other in dire situations. Why should I hate her after all she taught me, for something she didn’t want to do?”

“R-right…”

"Plus, that is what Equestria is known for, helping and forgiving each other."
A nod was what Pip got as an answer before a Crackling bang crashed and echoed in the air, both looking around on alert. The sound of It was similar to thunder, causing both to look up into the sky. Their eyes went wide.

Up in the sky, a large bundle of clouds forms, cycling looking to be a form of a great storm, but something was odd about it, not due to their being scheduled a storm in the city, but the clouds were moving on their own and from the dark grey slowly started to glow of a dark purple shade. It was like no storm anypony seen spiraling around in the sky as lightning crackled through it, as it looked unstable and uncontrolled with what little pegasi weather team moving around to stop it, but were thrown back or crash landing into buildings and the ground, it wasn't a storm at all.

Both colts realized within moments that this couldn't be good as soon the storm clouds formed what looked to be monstrous skulls and faces that roared out like crazed animals. "We need to get out of here!" Pip yelled, and both quickly galloped their small hooves running away from the storm.

Yet as they barely moved a few steps, Pip looked back to see Tungsten was lifted in the air as if a strong force was picking him up and pulling him towards the swirling storm. "Pip! Grab my hoof! help me!" Tungsten exclaimed, panicking as he reached his hoof out, and Pip grabbed him with both hooves holding on tightly and trying to pull him back to the ground, only to feel his body getting lifted into the air and were soon both were sucked into the storm of one of the mouths of the cloud beasts.

For a moment, Both colts felt light as if they were floating in the water; their eyes held shut but soon came to the feeling of landing on hard stone, and both groaned in pain, trying to remember what had just happened. Tungsten was first to open his eyes but immediately shut them, wincing at the bright light and the smell of different air. "Ugh…what was... that?" Pip mumbled, dazed, looking around.

"I-I don't know..." Tungsten replied, "But…" His eyes fluttered open to see their surroundings and noticed they seemed to have landed in what looked like an alleyway seeing rats and large amounts of trash around them.

The sky was a dark cloudy shade, making it difficult to see. "I think the bigger question is... where we are?" Tungsten added with a growing fear in his voice.

Despite being the youngest with Pip, Pipsqueak quickly caught on. "Deep breath, Tungsten, it's okay, I'm sure we just got thrown into one of Trottinghams ally ways, and the storm is gone." He said, trying to calm him down, wrapping a hoof around him, Tungsten's breath slowed, and soon he got a slight nod and a weak smile in response, although fear was clearly visible in his eyes.

"B-but.. what are we gonna do now, lost somewhere in the city?"

"Let's just stick together and I'm sure everything would be al-"

"Hello?" a male voice rang in their ears, "Is someone there?" The voice caught the attention of both colts as they looked blindly into the dark and could faintly make out two bipedal silhouettes slowly getting close and seeing that they were... humans. The colts saw humans, real talking humans; to their surprise, a man and woman. Their minds and thoughts were lost in a jumble of questions, confusion, and delirium. They had only seen a human once when a friend of theirs, Dinky Hooves, had landed on a human world called "Earth" due to an accident with magic months ago.

None of the two could see the expressions of the humans in the dark but were sure that it was confusing.
"H-hello... C-Can you help us... P-please?" Pip managed to speak out; still, a bit shook, his voice caused the humans to step back and shake their heads in disbelief and surprise. Still, he and Tungsten somehow believed they would help them, even if they couldn't tell or know why.

The woman was first to move, kneeling down slowly but with a calm and caring tone in her voice. "Of course, come let us help you." She said with a strange accent that almost sounded like the high accent in Canterlot, extending her arms to gently pick Pip carrying; the man waving his hand gesturing Tungsten to follow them. He had his worries about the unknown, taking in the city with his friend and the human as they left the alleyway.

Looking around, most buildings looked pretty simple, almost similar to the Ponyville and residential areas of Trottingham, although a few buildings rose high in the sky like skyscrapers, and some looked to be cathedrals with giant stone statues and decorated windows and golden metals plastered around; they took notice of a few statues they couldn't really describe. It looked like a bald man heavily armored, looking to be the size of a Minotaur or bigger and holding a large sword and shield.

Around hanging off of lampposts were red and golden-looking banners of a two-headed eagle, and on the walls of buildings were posters that caught the colt's attention. One showed a human in what seemed to be an official uniform, with a peaked cap with a two-headed eagle whose wings were spread on it. The man pointed at them, with text written under him.
"I want you for the imperial guard. Nearest Recruitment station."

The other poster showed what looked to be a soldier in dark green body armor and light brown with a red-stained uniform; his body was lying caught in bladed wire, with another text written under him.
"You talk of Sacrifice…He knew the meaning of Sacrifice!"

It made the 2 colts, they had most likely landed in a conflict area, with seeing more posters showing pictures of unknown creatures and more officers and soldiers, they probably landed in a different world from what was in the war; they tremble at the thought as the colt's continuing to walk with the two humans think of dying in whatever war they were thrown in or being soon part of it.

"Shh, easy, it's okay." The woman gently patted Pip; the man did the same with Tungsten laying his hand on his mane and stroking it down, getting a fearful, sorrowful look as both colts tried to stop thinking about the thought. They saw other humans around them, all in different clothing and some with metallic limbs and a few even armored in metal grey armor with a large shield and a mace in hand, looking around at every human that walked by and even eyeing the colts as Oscars wave at them as they nodded. In the streets were floating strange carriages holding crates and boxes, and above them were large bridges that stretched out across to other roads and building with floating metal skulls that flew through the air and descended down below the bridges to another street layer. Then weird decorated ships that soared through the sky. It didn't take long for the two humans to reach their home; it looked like a typical house.

Once inside, the two ponies took in their surroundings, seeing all the strange devices. one that had a strange microphone and speaking with several sets of buttons, another which seemed like a projector device aimed at the wall and a couch.

"Nice... place, looks comfortable."

Tungsten commented as the female human gently put the Pip on the couch, with both finally able to see the humans fully by the home lighting up.

Both seemed young and looked to be adults, dressed in casual-looking clothing. The woman was average in build, thin chin and face, blond hair, and green eyes. Their eyes looked slightly in awe at the man, as his broad face had a scar across his right side and barrow chin. And yet, the right of his brown eyes seemed not to be affected by it as he looked at them with curiosity and slight pity. His athletic chest was decorated with a few awards, hinting he was apparently a veteran. Their eyes fell first on what looked like a bar cross, with a skull at each end. Next to it was a golden skull connected to a rectangle on a red background. After that came three silver skulls, joined on a row in a square.

"Thank you, but right now I know both of you are still shaken and probably have questions but you two are safe here," The man explained in a calming voice. "My name is Oscar, Oscar Milan and this is my wife Zoe."

"I am Pipsqueak. But my friends all call me Pip. And this is my friend Tungsten." Pip said to the two humans, introducing himself and Tungsten, who climbed on the couch and sat next to Pip.

"Do we have visitors, mother?" The ears of the colts perked up to see two girls walking into the room, with the voice belonging to the one with black hair as her father, but blue eyes, slightly smaller than the other one, who was clearly older. The older girl's hair was blond like her mother's, but brown eyes instead; both smaller humans looked at the two ponies in confusion.

Overall, the younger girl seemed close to Pip’s age, her older sibling was estimated around 13 by the colts, both looked at the ponies in confusion.

"Uhh, why did you bring foals with you? we don't have a stable nor room to house them." The older child pointed out.

"We wouldn't need one," Tungsten replied flatly, causing the girls to jump and take a step back in a shocking surprise.

"They talk?!" The younger one exclaimed, only for her mother to raise a hand.

"Yes, your father and I found them lost and scared on our way back, Lara. We only wanted to help them and do good."
Both girls stayed silent for a moment before Lara started to smile.

"That's very nice. What are your names if they have any?" While taken back by this sudden emotional change, both colts smiled back. "I am Tungsten, and this is my friend, Pipsqueak."

Lara's older sister eyed both with what seemed distrust before introducing herself. "Lola is my name and I admit, your Gothic is pretty good."

"Gothic?" In response, Oscar cleared his throat, grabbing both colt's attention. "Maybe you should tell us first about you and how you came here." He looked at both colts seeing Pip looking back at Tungsten and then back at the Oscar.

"Well, we are ponies and come from a land called Equestria, living in harmony; There are earth ponies like Tungsten and me. Pegasus, who can fly and manipulate the weather, and unicorns that can use magic." The humans listened but noticed a Viking's hat and a Wizard's hat on Tungsten's flank as Oscar pointed out with his finger.

"And that Tattoo, does it represent something, a mark of a master or world?"

"That is a mark of a Special Talent a pony is represented by its called a 'Cutie Mark' and only appears on our flanks, which I haven't got one but Tungsten has his." Oscar noded at this response staring at the cutie mark before looking back at Pip as he continues.

"Equestria is ruled by Two Princesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They're Alicorns, Celestia controls the sun to move it across the sky to give Equestria a new day and Princess Luna controls the moon to give a new night. As for how we landed here, it happened in the city of Trottingham as some huge crazy dark purple storm appeared out of nowhere and sucked us in it, it happen so fast and everything was confusing, but once we got sucked in all we felt was as if we were floating and everything was dark, then that's how we got here."

"So a warp storm... Interesting." Oscar commented before frowning slightly. "But, I am afraid you might be a long way from home or world or "land" of "Equestria."

"What do you mean?" Tungsten did not understand as a sigh escaped the man's mouth.

"Well, this might not be easy for you… but you've traveled through the warp, it's more of a surprise you managed to survive unscathed, but now you two landed in Imperial territory Heidrum, a civilized world of the Imperium of Mankind."

"I-Imperium?" Pip asked, his eyes widening in shock, looking at Oscar as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"Yeah, You see, Heidrum is part of the Milky-way galaxy; the Imperium is a human empire spanning billions of different worlds and trillions of humans; that is Imperium of Man. The founder and ruler of the Imperium would be the God-Emperor of Mankind. It was he who founded and united all of humanity almost over 10.000 years ago; as of now, it is the forty-first Millennium." Then he remembered something.

"Say you two seem quite familiar with humans."

Pip and Tungsten looked down slightly awkwardly as the pinto colt took the word, carefully choosing what to say. "Well, yes... Some time ago, a friend of ours landed on a human world."

All humans stayed quiet for a few seconds before the man broke the silence. "now that's fascinating Pip. Though, how did they come across to said world and how you can two understand us?"

"Believe it or not, it's the magic." Tungsten explained. "Neither of us knows exactly how this works, but somehow, it passively acts as translator for most or if not many languages, every pony process magic within them earth pony's have little pegasi have minor forms of it. the only two with high level of magic would be either old unicorns or the two alicorn princesses."

"Hmm, sorcery, could they be pyskers of some sort?" Oscar murmured to himself as he thought over what he gathered from Pip and Tungsten

"But, rest assured, we'll help you wherever and however we can. Allow me to make you a meal." Zoe said this; her guests noticed that the sun was slowly going down from the little light shined through a window. Had telling about their homes and kind really spent that much time? Nonetheless, they took dinner, a tomato soup, with the graduate smiling before both had to yawn.

"Tried from today's events, best rest and continue till the morrow's morning; we shall grant you the spare guest room to rest in for the time comes." Oscar said as the two nodded, finishing their meals and followed him down a hall to stop at the door opening it and greeted the colts with a simple bedroom with a large bed that looked to rest two large humans; the two colts climbed up onto the bed and crawled under the covers with as Zoe stood behind Oscar.

"Goodnight," Zoe said as Oscar turned off the lights and saw the two colts' tired eyes close and yawn.

"Goodnight and... thank you," Pip replied softly as the man closed the door, leaving them alone.

For a moment, both colts rested till Tungsten awoken, looking over at his friend with unease and worry as questions filled his mind, gently pressing his hoof against Pip and gently shaking him to wake him up. "Pip... Pip."

"Wha- What’s wrong Tungsten?"

"Pip... I hope our friends and moms will find us... I can only imagine mom being worried and scared trying to find me."

"Yeah, I can still remember how worried my mom was when I had that similar incident…" Pip shuddered before forming a weak smile. "But like back then and I was with Dinky, I am sure they are looking for us and doing their best to find a way to us and to get us back home to Equestria."

"Yeah... Yeah, your right; we can only hope that there doing something right now... Right?" Tungsten nodded, looking at Pip Nodding at his question.

"Exactly, so all we can do now is stay here and see what we can do for now, okay?

Tungsten nodded, and both closed their eyes as they tried to sleep, hoping for the best and what they believe will come for them, as this was only the beginning of their time in the Imperium.

Author's Note

Why I did this, to give the Imperial guard a tribute, given what they are up aginst as mere humans, plus I thought could be interesting that way.

Sparkler and KIcker belong to Captain_Cosmos, a friendly cameo