Tiberian Twilight Sparkle

Chapters

Act 1. Chapter 1: New Incident
Act 1. Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests
Act 1. Chapter 3: Ponyville on Fire
Act 1. Chapter 4: Changes are Coming

Act 1. Chapter 1: New Incident

1.1. Green Crystal

”Today is 11.21.1307. It has been thirty-nine days since the meteorite fell near Appaloosa. This celestial body is made of an unknown green crystalline mineral. The consequences of this catastrophe are disastrous. The meteorite completely destroyed Appaloosa, and several small settlements near the railway south of the Everfree Forest perished in the following days. Now, it is evident that a vast field of green crystals occupies a significant portion of the southern desert.

This mineral grows at an extraordinarily high speed – within a few days, its accumulation can expand across acres and penetrate deep into the ground. Apparently, it reacts with gemstones and diamonds, transforming their structure into its own. Thus, the crystal's territorial takeover occurs astonishingly quickly. Furthermore, according to eyewitness reports, it infects trees, turning them into carriers of poisonous green spores.

I am currently writing these notes to understand the nature of the mentioned mineral. Princess Celestia has tasked me with identifying any possible means to combat the green crystal that could halt its growth or even eradicate it from Equestria. Our problem lies in its extreme danger to life. I have personally witnessed how many ponies inevitably died after coming into contact with it. They would start coughing up blood, and their bodies would be covered with crystal particles. Nopony of those who exhibited such symptoms survived even a day.

Unfortunately, thus far, no remedy has been discovered that could cure those infected or at least alleviate their suffering. Simple magical methods of restraining crystal growth have also proven ineffective. For a long time, I couldn't even fathom how to prevent the escalation of this disaster. But now, it seems I am close to unraveling the mystery…

Additionally, Equestria's ecosystem suffers due to the crystal. Wherever the green fields spread, lifeless deserts emerge. I suspect that by now, the mineral has occupied all the territory south of the Froggy Bottom Bog and the town of Dodge Junction. If the Everfree Forest becomes infected by the crystal soon, Ponyville and even Canterlot will be in mortal danger. However, if that were to happen, our entire species would be in mortal peril”.

– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.

Twilight Sparkle dipped her quill into the inkwell and let out a deep sigh. The sleepy gaze of her tired violet eyes briefly scanned the neatly written lines that sprawled across almost two pages of her research journal, which she had started just half an hour ago. The flickering light from two candles placed on either side of the reading desk played whimsically on the pages of her notepad, casting a certain air of mystery and perhaps even darkness that was associated with the question being researched by the princess.

After a few seconds, Twilight lifted her gaze and contemplatively glanced around as if searching for some lurking danger in the enveloping darkness of the room. She was in the library of the Castle of Friendship, where she had spent most of her time since Princess Celestia entrusted her with the task of finding any magical means to contain the relentless growth of the green crystal that had taken root in the south of Equestria after the tragic catastrophe that befell Appleloosa over a month ago. Since that fateful day when the town in the midst of the southern deserts, along with all its inhabitants, ceased to exist, death itself had begun to consume the lands of the little ponies.

It was hoped that the research aimed at finding something that Equestria and its magic could counter against the green plague approaching from the south would provide some chance of completely eradicating this nightmare, rooting it out once and for all, and preventing further casualties among the ponies. Therefore, Sparkle regarded her assigned duty with utmost responsibility, even though it was impossible to bring back the unfortunate victims of the disasters that had occurred. For over a week, she had delved into books on magic, tirelessly seeking vital solutions for Equestria, until she deemed it necessary to organize all the information she knew about the deadly mineral before planning any practical actions.

Having found something noteworthy in one of the books, the purple pony immediately picked up her quill and ink to promptly begin writing in her research journal, disregarding the lateness of the hour and her overwhelming fatigue. The Princess of Friendship desperately yearned for sleep, causing her eyelids to occasionally close on their own, and an unpleasant, monotonous ringing echoed in her ears. Nevertheless, her heightened sense of responsibility and the important task at hoof compelled her to remain focused, regardless of anything else.

Deep in thought, Twilight didn't notice how the sweet embrace of sleep almost enveloped her again. Considering sleep an indulgence she couldn't afford, she shook her head to refresh herself and redirected her gaze from the darkened bookshelves to the round table right in front of her. The purple pony sat on a soft couch, her back and shoulders covered by a warm blanket, and the surrounding atmosphere would have appeared enchantingly cozy to her if it weren't overshadowed by the current state of affairs, foretelling even greater calamities.

Fixing her eyes on the open journal lying on the table, Sparkle thought she had documented all the general information about the crystal that she had gathered mainly from the accounts of ponies who had seen the vast green fields firsthoof and miraculously avoided infection, as well as from the testimonies of the medics who had observed the demise of those unlucky enough to survive the horrors of mid-October. She had personally witnessed the deaths of unfortunate someponies, but she was willing to give up everything just to never see bodies of infected rapidly covered with crystal particles, and they painfully succumbing to asphyxiation, coughing up blood, and emitting soul-chilling moans.

Remembering it once more, Twilight felt her heart beat faster with anxious tension, causing the drowsiness to dissipate for a moment. However, as she tried to distance herself from those thoughts and contemplate what to do next, she noticed that her mind remained equally sluggish. Nevertheless, in the next moment, her silent struggle against fatigue was interrupted by the quiet creaking of the slowly opening door, through which Spike lazily strolled into the library.

The small purple dragon was barely dragging his feet on the perfectly smooth crystal floor and appeared sleepy as well, although not to the same extent as the princess. He wore a nightcap on his head, indicating his readiness for sleep. However, before going to bed completely, he couldn't help but check on the lavender mare, hopelessly immersed in the realm of books and having exhausted herself in her eagerness to solve the task on which the fate of all Equestria depended. Similar episodes had happened to her before, and her faithful assistant was well aware of it, although this time she didn't spare herself like never before.

"Are you still awake?" Spike rhetorically asked in a quiet, tired voice as he leisurely made his way to the table. The Princess of Friendship, wrapped in a blanket gifted to her by Rarity on her last birthday, watched him with a monotonous gaze.

"Yes, I'm still awake," Twilight exhaled. Glancing at her journal and the several stacks of books towering near the left candle, she firmly stated once again, "You know I have to figure out how to stop the growth of the green crystal, and the sooner, the better. We can't allow more victims because of it."

However, no matter how much Sparkle tried to infuse her words with determination, her voice betrayed extreme exhaustion and emptiness. The little dragon climbed onto one of the chairs opposite the couch where the pony sat, casually surveying the contents of the table, and asked:

"Any progress?"

"Looks like it, yes," the princess nodded. Using telekinesis, she grabbed the top book from one of the stacks and immediately opened it to the desired page, where she had thoughtfully placed a bookmark. She continued, "I've been searching for ideas in a book on ancient unicorn magic. I thought the solution to our problem might lie in the past. And I've discovered something interesting, it seems…"

With those words, she turned the book toward her beloved assistant, revealing pages filled with small print. Nonetheless, the light from two candles sufficiently illuminated the frame that contained some kind of spell. Next to it was a schematic drawing depicting a unicorn directing their magic toward a large precious gem.

"What's this?" the dragon inquired, not quite understanding from the illustration what the lavender pony had found on the open pages. He chose not to read the text, unwilling to strain his eyes further, which were already slightly blurry.

"It's a spell that unicorns used in ancient times to crush gemstones when they worked in the mines beneath Canterlot," Twilight explained, placing the book on the table in front of Spike. "I think that with a sufficient power of magical influence, this spell could completely destroy the crystalline structure. Perhaps it could even work on the green crystal?.."

"Well, you know better, it's your area of expertise," Spike said sleepily. Unable to resist, he let out a sweet yawn and finally uttered what he had actually come here to say, "Let's go to sleep, Twilight. It's already two in the morning."

"I can't, Spike," the alicorn objected. "I don't have time to sleep. I must figure everything out. Every second wasted by me could be fatal for the destiny of all Equestria!"

With a hint of skepticism, Spike looked at the purple mare. He knew well that the threat from the alien mineral was extremely dangerous for the entire country, but in his opinion, Sparkle was overreacting with her enthusiasm, as she always did whenever it came to a serious matter. Yes, he had seen himself all that the crystal did to those unfortunate enough to be infected by it. And it was worth immersing himself fully in the search for all possible means to prevent such horrors in the future. However, he considered spending another consecutive night on this task to be not very effective, not to mention the harm it could cause to health.

"Actually, sleep is not a waste of time. You haven't slept for the third night already. You need rest!" the princess's assistant insisted. He lowered his gaze and added almost in a whisper, "Besides, because of you, I can't sleep either. Every time I close my eyes, I think about you still being here, and it doesn't let me rest."

Leaning wearily against the back of the chair, Spike closed his eyes and listened to the absolute silence that beckoned him to sleep. While Twilight carried out her current task, he had been helping her by scouring the shelves for all the books related to magic and neatly stacking them on the round reading tables scattered around the room. In a sense, he considered taking his own rest a betrayal while the lavender pony worked tirelessly. She herself had no idea how seriously he took it. A sigh escaped her lips again, expressing regret once.

"I'm sorry, Spike," Sparkle whispered quietly. The importance of the task at hoof and Spike's insomnia, for which she turned out to be blame, tore her apart. But nonetheless, deep down, she realized that she should follow his advice, and her desperate desire to sleep pushed her towards that decision. Although Spike had already prepared himself for the usual arguments from the Princess of Friendship about the necessity of her sleep deprivation, she reluctantly agreed with a weak smile, "You're right. I need to rest."

Despite her eagerness to solve the arisen problem that threatened the entire world as quickly as possible, Twilight still considered it necessary to accept Spike's offer and get a few hours of sleep to return to the task tomorrow with renewed energy. She took off the blanket and carefully draped it over the back of the couch, then hopped off to the floor and motioned her head towards the exit to the corridor, signaling her assistant to come along. He eagerly caught up with the pony who had extinguished the candles and moved a few yards away from the table, illuminating the dark room with her horn. Her sleepy gait was somewhat unsteady and sluggish, so the dragon immediately caught up with her, pleased with himself for convincing her to rest.

The path to the doors leading out of the library was traversed in silence, with only the sound of the princess's hooves whimsically echoing the acoustics. Thoughts of the green crystal never left the mare's mind, even now when she had made the decision to temporarily step away from her task. With each step, she involuntarily delved deeper into contemplation, thinking about that ancient spell that had given her some hope. Though Twilight felt incredibly tired, she couldn't wait to test her hypothesis in practice.

After a quarter of a minute, the princess and her assistant emerged into one of the many spacious corridors on the second floor of the Castle of Friendship, leading in both directions. Just a little to the left, across from the library, was the entrance to the dining hall, and if they went to the right, they would soon reach Her Highness' private bedroom. That's where she directed her measured steps, accompanied by the little dragon, never ceasing to devise a plan for her further actions in her research. Finally breaking the nocturnal silence that enveloped the deserted corridor, she said:

"But I can't sleep for long. Wake me up with the first rays of sunlight, alright?"

"Are you sure you want to work yourself to exhaustion? You'll wear yourself out!" Spike expressed his concern. Lately, he had been genuinely worried about the princess's determination, which could easily drive herself to complete burnout.

"There's no other way. If we don't stop the growth of the green crystal soon, it will spread into the Everfree Forest. Then all of Central Equestria will be in great danger. Imagine what would happen if the crystal reacted with our castle!" Twilight said. Her voice clearly revealed the dreadful fear she felt towards the threat posed by the deadly mineral.

"It's terrifying even to think about," the dragon murmured anxiously, involuntarily glancing at the blue-violet crystalline walls of the corridor. He remembered how the purple pony had put forth a hypothesis based on a series of eyewitness accounts that the green crystal instantly transformed any precious gems into replicas of itself, meaning that, upon contact with it, the entire Castle of Friendship could turn into a massive poisonous megalith, not to mention the deposits of gemstones that he loved so much. Sparkle continued:

"And if the green fields engulf our lands and reach the Crystal Empire, then Equestria's history will come to a bitter end. We cannot allow that! So it's crucial that you wake me up early, and I continue the work, understood?"

"As you say, Twilight. Just hope I don't oversleep myself…"

The bedroom doors were wide open, and they only had to make one final push. Considering they had very little time for sleep, Spike was eager to get into bed as soon as possible, so he quickened his pace, urging Twilight to be more hastily. In just a moment, they were side by side entering a relatively small room with a luxurious canopy bed belonging to the Princess of Friendship. Opposite the bed were seven other sleeping places. They were meant for all of lavender pony's friends and her assistant, who had slept in them during the previous pajama party they had held just before the disaster in Appleloosa. Seeing the empty, neatly made beds made Sparkle feel a little sad. Since then, she was no longer having fun with her best friends in this way, and as soon as the irreparable happened, she didn't even have the energy to organize a big cleanup here.

However, one of these rather small beds was slightly rumpled, and the blanket on it was halfway pulled back. The thing was, ever since Twilight became engrossed in her work, Spike often slept here with her, as it was now up to him to wake her up in the mornings if she managed to get any sleep at all. The princess had developed chronic sleep deprivation, and neither an alarm clock nor the rooster's crowing from the Apples' farm could always bring her back from the realm of Princess Luna to the real world. Even the little dragon sometimes took about half an hour to get her to wake up, although she invariably scolded him for not trying hard enough.

Moving ahead, Spike reached his bed, which was next to the sleeping place where Starlight Glimmer had occasionally slept until recently while also assisting the princess in studying magic books, sometimes even right in the bedroom. But a few days ago, the purple-maned unicorn caught a slight cold and had to take a kind of sick leave, which she spent in her own room. Clinging to the edge of the bed with his paws, the little dragon briefly remembered checking on her a couple of hours ago and making sure she was on the mend. He was about to climb up when he froze, noticing that the princess was softly pacing towards the window.

From the bedroom of the Princess of Friendship, there was a beautiful view of nighttime Ponyville, evoking a sense of melancholy late autumn. Some trees still held onto their leaves, painted in magnificent colors ranging from golden-yellow to fiery red. However, most of the plants had shed their lush crowns, especially after the annual Running of the Leaves traditionally held in early October.

Everywhere was filled with the somber atmosphere of late autumn. It seemed that these words could describe not only the current season and its corresponding weather. Ever since that ill-fated meteorite crashed in the south, bringing death with it, Equestria seemed to have also shed the foliage of its former tranquility, which made the princess not quite herself. She was constantly tormented by the oppressive thought that this was now the new normal.

On the other hoof, Ponyville slept peacefully this night, as did the other towns inhabited by little ponies. Immediately after the catastrophic cataclysm, a wave of panic swept across all of Equestria, but it quickly subsided, especially as new cases of infection ceased to emerge. Despite the somewhat uneasy atmosphere lingering in society, the country had more or less returned to its normal life. Only southern cities like Dodge Junction or Las Pegasus harbored fears of becoming the next victims of the spreading green fields. Those same fears haunted Twilight, who understood all too well that Ponyville would have its turn later. Her gaze briefly swept over the beloved town, pausing at the houses where her close friends lived and currently surrendered to sleep.

Closest to the Castle of Friendship was Sugarcube Corner, serving as home to Pinkie Pie. A little further down near the edge of Ponyville was Carousel Boutique, where Rarity reside in. Even further on the outskirts of the western district hovered the cloud mansion of Rainbow Dash, and to the southwest of the town on a hill stood Sweet Apple Acres, the cherished domain of Applejack. Only Fluttershy's cottage, located near the Everfree Forest, was almost indistinguishable from here, especially in the night mist. Perhaps not in the last place, and maybe even in the first place, Sparkle was driven to find a solution to the deadly mineral because of fear for all of her friends. She least wanted this calamity to befall any of them, like those unfortunate ponies she had seen dying from the destructive effects of the green crystal…

"Twilight?" Spike called her softly, noticing that she had been gazing out of the window lost in thought for almost half a minute, as if consumed by deep sorrow.

Turning around, Twilight saw that her assistant hadn't climbed onto his bed yet and had even taken a few steps towards the window. Then she looked into the vastness – to where, miles away, the boundless green field began, steadily closing this still substantial distance each passing day – and asked sadly:

"How much time do you think we have left? How soon will the green crystal reach Ponyville?"

"To be honest, I don't even want to think about it. I really hope it never happens," the little dragon expressed his wishes, standing by the window next to the pony. Although he had to rise slightly on tiptoes and hold onto the windowsill with his claws to get a glimpse of the panorama of the peacefully slumbering Ponyville.

Exchanging a brief glance with her beloved assistant, Sparkle simply nodded in silence, expressing her agreement. She shared the dragon's hopes, just like any other Equestrian, and couldn't deny that the thought of the approach of this monstrous crystal also brought her the most negative emotions. The lavender mare vividly remembered all the threats that had befallen Equestria, which she and her friends had faced together – from the return of Nightmare Moon from her thousand-year imprisonment to the invasion of Storm King's formidable army that happened last summer – and perhaps none of them promised as much disaster as the appearance of the devastating mineral from space. At least, none of the past dangers had loomed over the world of little ponies for so long and gathered such a harvest of deaths.

"Something needs to be done about this before it's too late," this simple yet soul-wrenching thought ingrained itself in Sparkle's mind once again, urging her to fight against the impending disaster without sparing herself. With a worried shake of her head, she whispered almost under her breath:

"In any case, there's no time to wait. We must head to the green field tomorrow and put that spell to the test."

"Already?" Spike was slightly taken aback. He knew of the princess's plans to visit the northern borders of the vast green crystal field soon, to see everything with her own eyes, but he hadn't anticipated her jumping into action so quickly and unexpectedly.

"I'm afraid we're running out of time," Sparkle replied with regret, her gaze fixed on the Everfree Forest, a dark wall stretching beyond Ponyville. "Do you remember what those ponies from Hoofington told? Since the crystal infects the trees and spreads through them via spores, we cannot allow it to reach the forests of Central Equestria."

"Yeah, like we didn't have enough trouble with the growth of thorny vines from the Everfree Forest," the little dragon grumbled gloomily, recalling how the dense forest had literally encroached upon Ponyville several years ago. "I hope we won't have similar problems involving the green crystal, or else we'll be in big trouble. I'm not sure if the Tree of Harmony can stop it if magic has been powerless against it so far."

Understanding the remarkable resilience of the alien mineral to magical manipulation, Twilight let out a snick thoughtfully. Reports had come from some unicorns in Hoofington and other small towns west of Everfree Forest, which found themselves dangerously close to the green field, that they had attempted to destroy the crystals using elementary spells. Nevertheless, they were only able to crush this mineral into individual particles, which did not bring any useful result. From this small fragments, the huge poisonous field continued to expand further.

These same ponies, forced to risk contact with the crystal soon after its appearance in Equestria, discovered that it was possible to be near it without harm by donning a special chemical protection suit – for at least a considerable amount of time. Although their initial experiments in magic proved unsuccessful, Twilight couldn't ignore the fact that she now had the opportunity to study the mineral in its habitat, which she was initially strongly discouraged from doing by her friends and alicorn sisters. Nevertheless, she believed that there was magic capable of conquering this green plague.

"Actually, the Elements possess the most powerful magic, so perhaps the Tree will be able to deal with it. However, we shouldn't allow the crystal to advance that far. It would be preferable to find an effective method to combat it by the end of this year," Twilight stated, looking at her assistant, and added, "But in order for that to happen, we need to start tomorrow."

"Then you need to go to sleep right now to gather your energy for tomorrow," Spike briefly smiled, exchanging glances with the alicorn. She returned a sweet smile in response. Wanting to show appreciation for Spike's thoughtfulness, she affectionately embraced him by his scaly shoulders and sleepily whispered:

"Thank you for caring, Spike…"

1.2. Patches in the Sky

”Today is 11.22.1307. I woke up a little later than planned, but it didn't stop me from finishing my work on the theory on time. Then it was time for practice. Most of the day, my friends and I spent near the border of the green field. By my estimation, it's about twenty miles away from the Everfree Forest. This fact terrifies me, as does the ominous sight of the endless wasteland, in the heart of which Appaloosa used to be. I feel so sorry for Applejack… many of her relatives lived in that town. I can only imagine how much she must be grieving over the deaths of her loved ponies! Although she tries not to show her emotions, we all empathize with her deeply.

Now, regarding the ancient spell I discovered yesterday. It turns out that it significantly breaks down the green crystal, but it doesn't completely destroy it, just like everything my predecessors have tried. So, my idea didn't live up to expectations. Fortunately, our special suits protected us from the crystal's effects, allowing us to collect samples. Now I can continue my practical research in Ponyville.

However, this day brought us not only failure due to the ineffectiveness of my idea but also hope. We returned to Ponyville in the evening and met Zecora, who had been looking for me in our absence. She told us that the Everfree Forest was filled with animals infected by the crystal. Many of them have perished… poor Fluttershy struggled to hold back tears upon hearing this news. Zecora has been trying to help the animals with various herbal concoctions and has achieved some results. Through experimentation, she managed to develop a remedy that eliminates crystalline formations on the infected creatures. She creates this potion using certain plants found only in the Everfree Forest, giving us another reason to fight to prevent the green crystal from consuming it.

So, Zecora has learned how to save those infected by the crystal from death. However, her potion can only cure them at the early stages of infection. If the body's crystallization reaches a certain stage, even her potion won't be able to help. Nevertheless, Zecora's discovery has given us some hope. Perhaps, if I can understand how these herbs affect the crystal, we can stop the growth of the green field. I hope that we will be able to completely eradicate this deadly mineral.

Zecora willingly agreed to share the secret of brewing her miraculous potion with us. Fluttershy volunteered to be the first to learn its recipe since she genuinely desires to help the sick ponies and forest creatures with all her kind heart. Zecora promised to tell her about the herbs she uses starting tomorrow. Before leaving Ponyville, she gave me a bottle of her potion in the hope that it will aid me in finding a solution to eliminate the threat from the green crystal once and for all”.

– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.

After finishing writing, Twilight closed her research journal and pushed it towards the center of the table. Today, she had ventured close to the field of green crystals, accompanied by her five friends. Remembering the lifeless wasteland stretching to the south as far as the eye could see, she felt a tremor inside her, and the fact that the ancient spell she had discovered didn't yield the expected results only added fuel to the fire. However, the lavender pony tried to reassure herself with the prospects brought by Zecora, the zebra herbalist from the Everfree Forest, in treating the infected animals. She was determined not to lose hope.

After a eventful day, Twilight felt quite tired, despite most of the journey to the green field being covered by train with her friends, which took them to the Ghastly Gorge. She stretched out on the couch and, folding her hooves on the hoofrest, lowered her head on them to relax for a while. After recent insomnia, the way back and forth, apart from working with the crystal, was rather difficult for her. But at least the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony managed to bring back some samples of the mineral to the Castle of Friendship, and for now, there was no need for them to return there, as the princess had the opportunity to study it at home.

While giving her body a well-deserved rest, Sparkle, as usual, couldn't stop pondering. She still had a few spells in reserve that she had come across in books over the past two weeks, but she hadn't had enough time to fully understand them and risk trying them out yesterday. After all, there were rumors among some ponies that the crystals could sometimes explode, so attempting to annihilate them required intelligence and caution. But regardless, the lavender mare placed the highest stakes on the zebra's potion, which proved capable of saving an infected organism from the deadly crystallization.

Wandering through the labyrinth of her own thoughts, Twilight couldn't stop thinking about the mineral and roughly estimating a plan for further studying its samples. But at some point, she found herself questioning its origin. How many light-years had that meteorite traveled before crashing onto the Appleloosa? And how did these uncontrollably growing and multiplying crystals originate on it? Yes, this unusual substance filled her with horror, just like the foreboding of the victims and destruction it could bring to the central part of Equestria. Yet the princess admitted to herself that these whimsical bright green crystals, faintly glowing and emitting a toxic haze, intrigued her inquisitive mind.

After all, nopony had encountered anything similar before, so the green crystal seemed like a puzzle to the purple mare, a mystery she was determined to solve in order to understand its nature. On the other hoof, she fully realized that she was dealing primarily with a threat to all living beings, in other words, an extremely dangerous enemy rather than an object of academic study. She had only one task before her – to prevent the continued loss of life due to this green plague, like the unfortunate Appleloosans and the bison tribes that once inhabited the southern desert. The rest held little significance for her.

In her deep contemplation, the Princess of Friendship lost track of time, but soon she was interrupted by the opening door – just like last night. In the first fraction of a second, she even managed to smile faintly and assume that Spike would enter the library and kindly suggest that she go to bed early since her work and sleep schedule needed to be regulated. However, instead of a dragon, a pony figure appeared in the doorway. In the light of the tall lamp standing to the right of the couch, which provided ample illumination to the spacious room, she recognized Starlight Glimmer – her loyal student.

Freezing at the door, the gentle lilac unicorn let her gaze wander over the bookshelves until she noticed her mentor sitting on the couch near the reading table, looking somewhat confused. She then took noticeably unsteady steps toward the alicorn, swaying from side to side now and then. However, it wasn't even this that left the princess stunned at the sight of her student; although it was certainly unexpected to see her in such a strange state, as if she hadn't slept for two weeks and had been working in diamond mines all that time. The reason for the princess's shock was the profound sense of moral despair that could be read on the face of the violet-maned pony, as if she had just witnessed the destruction of Ponyville under the offensive of the infamous green crystal.

"Starlight?" Twilight called out with concern. She lifted her head and her ears immediately perked up. "Are you alright?"

"No, I…" Glimmer barely managed to utter coherently before she suddenly swayed to the side, almost losing her balance. Seeing that something was indeed wrong with her friend, Sparkle jumped off the couch and rushed towards her, eager to help if needed… and it surely seemed necessary.

"Let me help you," the Princess of Friendship offered sympathetically, wrapping her hooves around friend's shoulders. In that same moment, she noticed a distinct scent with hints of apples emanating from the unicorn.

Leaning on her mentor, Starlight expressed her gratitude for her care, and Twilight helped her make her way to the couch. It wasn't difficult for the princess to understand the source of the scent emanating from her friend. Apparently, she had indulged in cider, which surprised Twilight. Normally, the gentle lilac pony didn't have a strong liking for the apple-based drink, and even during holidays, she would only have a couple of mugs, unlike Applejack or Rainbow Dash, who sometimes indulged to the point of becoming quite tipsy during Hearth's Warming Eve.

Arriving at the coffee table with her friend, Twilight seated her on the edge of the couch. The fact that Glimmer had been drinking cider became even stranger considering that she had recently been ill and following bed rest. Now the unicorn had mostly recovered, with only a slight sniffle remaining, and she had even gone outside for a bit to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the castle. Could something bad have happened during her outing? Upon closer observation, Twilight noticed that the violet-maned pony's blue eyes were slightly moist, as if she had just been crying.

"You smell like cider," the purple alicorn finally remarked. Fear for her friend, that something serious had happened, grew within her with each moment of uncertainty. "What happened, Starlight? Did somepony hurt you?"

At first, the violet-maned unicorn didn't respond. She simply cast her gaze down in dismay and nervously swallowed, unable to speak. Approaching her closely, the princess was about to ask another question, but Starlight suddenly spoke in a trembling voice:

"There are patches in the sky…"

"What?" Twilight didn't understand, raising an eyebrow. She had heard that ponies could deliriously ramble due to excessive cider consumption, but she suspected that her student had uttered that cryptic phrase with some degree of awareness.

"It's the end," Starlight sighed abruptly, shaking her head. Her eyes seemed to gaze into nothingness, something clearly had shaken her to the core, causing a growing sense of concern in the princess's heart.

"You're scaring me, Starlight," Twilight admitted. Gently placing a hoof on her shoulder, she tried once again to elicit a coherent response from her: "Please, tell me what happened? Are you feeling unwell?"

"You…" the gentle lilac pony began, but faltered, swallowing loudly. Apparently, a lump in her throat was preventing her from speaking. But taking a deep breath, she managed to utter, albeit with a slightly stuttering tongue, "Tell me, have you ever considered that there might be… life on other pla-planets?"

The rather unexpected counter-question from the unicorn left the alicorn more confused than ever. Why would she suddenly delve into such philosophical ponderings, considering that she clearly wasn't feeling well? Unable to grasp the reason behind it all, the princess, albeit slightly unsure, honestly replied:

"Yes, I even wrote an essay on this topic back in school. But why are you asking about it?"

"And what do you think about it?" Glimmer countered once again, her empty gaze fixed on the carpet in front of the couch, where a small table stood.

"I think that the existence of life in space is as unproven as it is unrefuted," Sparkle continued to respond to her friend's questions, the meaning of which escaped her. She felt herself becoming increasingly tangled in confusion. "But I don't understand where you're going with this."

With a sob, Starlight finally looked into her mentor's eyes, and Twilight caught the silent fear in her gaze. Instantly reviewing the recent days in her mind, the Princess of Friendship could only recall that the gentle lilac pony, much like herself, was greatly distressed by the looming threat of the green crystal. Nevertheless, she couldn't identify any clear reasons for this anxiety to escalate into a near panic attack. In truth, she had no idea what could have frightened the unicorn so much.

"Why, Twilight?" Starlight almost whispered, her eyes still fixed on the bewildered princess, before she could say anything else. A solitary tear rolled down the cheek of the violet-maned mare, and a stream of incoherent words poured from her mouth: "Why is all of this… happening? All those ponies who died… it's like we're cursed! First that evil crystal, and now… patches in the sky, and…"

"Come on, Starlight?" Twilight consoled, sitting down on the couch next to her friend and gently embracing her shoulders with her hooves, trying to calm her down, although she didn't quite understand what had upset her. "Everything will be okay, don't worry! Yes, we've faced many difficulties. But we'll overcome them – together, just like always, right?"

In response to her friend's reassuring words, Glimmer nodded abruptly. Although Sparkle herself was far from certain about a favorable outcome, and even a momentary victory over the deadly mineral wouldn't bring back the lives of so many ponies it had taken, she still tried to uplift the unicorn who had suddenly become unhinged for some reason. Starlight took a deep breath, seemingly slightly calmer, and the princess smiled warmly, expressing more positivity, which she herself needed now more than ever before, in a friendly manner.

"I'm sorry, I… I'm feeling a bit off," Starlight murmured apologetically after a brief pause, her ears drooping and her gaze shifting slightly to the side. Then she looked back at her friend, who was waiting patiently, and got to the heart of the problem. "You know where the Star Swirl's constellation is, right?"

"Of course," nodded the lavender pony, slightly wary.

"Take a look at it."

The unicorn said nothing more, but it was enough to put the alicorn in a stupor once more. The intense gaze in Starlight's blue eyes seemed to say, "Look, and you'll understand." Twilight became even more uneasy; she had no doubts that something had truly shocked her student. Perhaps she was even afraid to approach the telescope and see what dreadful thing had befallen the mentioned constellation, but she couldn't avoid it. After all, if a new problem had arisen, it would inevitably have to be dealt with.

"Alright," Twilight said warily, then hopped off the couch, but immediately stopped and turned back to her friend. "Don't go anywhere, okay? I'll be back soon."

Having received her agreement, the purple pony hurriedly trotted towards the library exit. She had no idea what a terrible surprise awaited her in the night sky, where the purple-haired unicorn saw something that threw her into confusion. She had never seen her friend so downcast or much less drunk, which filled her with a sense of foreboding. However, after the devastation of Appleloosa from the impact of the meteorite that infused with death itself, she was perhaps prepared for anything… or at least, for much.

Rushing out into the corridor, Twilight immediately headed towards her favorite spot for contemplating the night sky. But she froze in her tracks when she noticed Spike. He seemed to be making his way from the kitchen to the library, carrying a tray with a cup of tea and a saucer holding two chamomile sandwiches. Standing a few meters away from the lavender pony who had burst out of the doors, the little dragon stared at her with wide eyes. It was as if he instantly sensed that something had put the princess worried for some reason.

"Twilight?" he asked, quite surprised. The alicorn had stopped in front of the wide-open doors of the library. With no clue as to why she had burst into the corridor as if she had seen a ghost in the realm of books, the dragon promptly got down to business: "Are you hungry? I've prepared a snack for you."

"Thank you, Spike, but there's no time for that now," Sparkle replied, causing her assistant to become quite wary.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I don't know yet," the princess shook her head, then pointed towards the library entrance and continued, "Something's not right with Starlight, she seems really upset about something. Stay with her for now, okay? I'll be quick!"

"Where are you going?" Spike asked with puzzlement, as Twilight started dashing down the corridor. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave a succinct reply:

"I need to look at the stars!"

Not understanding much of what the princess had said, Spike stood still for a while, trying to make sense of anything. All he knew was that Starlight seemed upset about something and needed to be comforted urgently. In the context of this fact, Twilight's eagerness to head towards the telescope seemed rather odd to the dragon. He looked at the library doors, where a distressed Starlight remained, then turned his gaze back to Twilight, who was hurrying away, and muttered in bewilderment:

"She found time for astronomy!"

A few minutes later, Twilight reached her destination, which was a quite spacious open area in the western wing of the Castle of Friendship, featuring a fountain and sun loungers for relaxation. During summer days, she and her friends enjoyed spending time there. In addition, it also provided a convenient spot for stargazing, something the princess hadn't done in a long while. Approaching the tall doors leading to the fresh air, she glanced at the telescope, as usual, resting on the left against the wall, awaiting the next astronomy session.

The device for contemplating the cosmos was standing slightly askew and, moreover, was not folded – the telescope tube was perpendicular to the tripod, although Twilight always lowered it parallel after finishing her astronomy sessions. It was immediately clear to her that Starlight had just used it. Due to her not-so-awake state, the gentle lilac unicorn simply didn't bother to fold the telescope as she should have. Well, expecting to see something dreadful in space, the princess didn't rush to blame her for such uncharacteristic carelessness.

Opening the doors, Twilight immediately felt the gust of autumn wind. But paying no attention to the chill, she enchanted the telescope and stepped onto the terrace with it. This place was very clean, as Spike regularly cleared the aftermath of the leaf fall in such open spaces of the castle, and the fountain wasn't working due to the approaching winter. Moving towards the center of the area, where sun loungers were usually placed on warm days, she was already looking intently at the night sky. Finally, the purple alicorn spotted the Big Dipper and, to her deepest surprise, found that the Star Swirl's constellation was simply missing next to it.

Stopping at the edge of the fountain, Twilight placed the telescope beside her and began to look at the stars with her naked eye for the time being before using it. Shifting her gaze slightly away from where the stars Starlight mentioned should have been, she noticed that a part of the neighboring Pegasus constellation had also disappeared from the night sky. Considering that Twilight was well-versed in astronomy, there could be no mistakes – these celestial bodies had indeed vanished, leaving her astonished. It was hard to imagine the reason why the cosmos suddenly started to fade out before her eyes.

Nevertheless, everything must have some explanation, so without much thought, Twilight stood in front of the telescope and, pointing it to the right part of the cosmos, began adjusting the lenses. Although she had no idea what could have caused this anomaly, she hardly doubted that Starlight's distress was not solely due to the fact that some stars were missing from the sky. Trying to suppress her inner tension, the princess looked into the eyepiece again, and now she could see exactly what the depths of the perpetually empty and silent space concealed…

As it turned out, some astronomical objects were obscured by a whole cluster of large wormholes. But this astonishing sight was apparently not what frightened Glimmer. What seemed much more terrifying was that next to these patches in the sky, as the unicorn named them, there was something resembling an incredibly gigantic swarm. The unknown cluster consisted of individual small elements that Twilight could not clearly make out at such a great distance. Nevertheless, it was perfectly clear to her that it was truly colossal – so much so that it could probably make up a couple of planets.

"Oh, Celestia!" Twilight involuntarily whispered, stepping back from the telescope and looking up at the night sky with wide eyes. "What is this?"

Having asked herself the question, she found no answer. On the other hoof, she now understood what her student meant when asking about the possibility of living organisms existing in space. Most likely, Starlight intuitively took this cluster for some extraterrestrial form of life. However, such a conclusion seemed quite logical, and the Princess of Friendship was ready to agree with it. Looking through the telescope again and seeing the cluster, she likened it to a swarm of bees or locusts, spreading across the vast expanse of space.

Stepping back a couple of steps from the telescope, Twilight pondered. She didn't know what to expect from this cosmic phenomenon and how to react to it. However, against the already tense situation involving the green crystal, which, by the way, also came from space, her mind involuntarily entertained the worst assumptions, leaving her jaw slightly agape and her breathing heavy. Feeling the growing unease inside her, the lavender pony decided that she didn't want to stay here alone with her not-so-rosy premonitions…

* * *

2 hours ago…

Gazing up at the sunset sky, Starlight watched with delight as one of her favorite kites – a blue rectangular one adorned with colorful ribbons – danced through the air, swaying with the wind's currents as if gliding upon them. At the same time, the unicorn's magic held the leash firmly by a short pole to prevent the gusts from carrying her beloved one away from its owner. Kites were her passion; she loved to watch them fly! And now, with the windy weather in Ponyville, she found it irresistible to miss a perfect opportunity for her hobby, despite her recent cold.

However, the main reason Starlight ventured outside this evening was to clear her mind after an extended stay within the walls of the Castle of Friendship, and to distract herself from a less than positive mood. The catastrophe that had shaken the southern deserts and subsequently all of Equestria had affected her spirits as well. Being Twilight's loyal partner in understanding the nature of the green crystal, she saw the same things as the princess – from countless pages in magic books to the deaths of infected ponies.

Although today Starlight didn't accompany the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony on their relatively short expedition to the green field. Twilight left her in charge of their dwelling and was against her going out in such chilly weather, considering she's still got a runny nose. Yet, the gentle lilac unicorn had grown utterly tired of confining herself indoors, and as soon as her friends returned home, she decided to indulge in her favorite pastime. To shield herself from the wind, she wrapped a warm scarf of wondrous azure around her neck.

Trying not to dwell on anything negative, Glimmer found pleasure in watching the flight of the kite, and her soul relaxed from all the dread that had filled the past one and a half months. At the same time, she occasionally glanced at the stars, already emerging in the darkening sky, painted with the last rays of the sun, only sometimes looking around at the wooden houses of Ponyville, through the streets of which the local ponies wandered to and fro. Precisely because most of her attention was directed upwards, she didn't notice when one of her best friends approached her. Unexpectedly, pink hooves tightly embraced her neck, causing her to almost stumble and nearly release the leash tied to the pole from her magical aura.

"Hiya, Starly!" an immediately joyful and ringing voice sounded. Even before the violet-maned unicorn turned her gaze towards the source of the cheerful greeting, she instantly realized that it was none other than Pinkie Pie who had embraced her.

"Oh, Pinkie," Starlight said slightly bewilderedly, looking at her friend whose face beamed with a wide smile. Then she nervously chuckled, "You startled me a little!"

"Oops, sorry, I just wanted to cheer you up after your illness, because you were cooped up in the castle for so-o-o long, like a mare in a tower from foal tales," Pinkie cheerfully rambled, then letting go of her friend from the hug and bouncing a meter backward. "Welcome back to the fresh air!"

In response to the congratulations, Starlight smiled affectionately, but before she could express her gratitude, the snowy white unicorn halted beside the cheerful pink earth pony, catching up to her frisky friend with a leisurely elegant gait. Nodding politely, Rarity extended her greetings in her characteristic manner:

"Good evening, Starlight!"

"Hi there, girls," Glimmer responded with a smile, still not releasing the kite into free flight. Although she had seen her friends this morning as they set off for the green field, exchanging warmly spoken greetings was certainly not unnecessary. However, beyond this, she was well aware of the danger of being near the mineral, so she felt the need to express her concern: "How are you feeling after the trip?"

"Oh, splendidly!" Pinkie chimed in carefreely, giving a wave of her hoof. "You should have seen the green field! So many glittering things there!"

Despite the world being engulfed by the green plague, the pink pony often remained in her perpetually cheerful mood, and many whispered that she simply did not comprehend the gravity of the situation. Although in the first days after the meteorite strike, when Infected ponies from the south flooded Central Equestria, she shared the general panic over this terrible occurrence, all with her characteristic emotional fervor. Yet, soon after the mineral stopped visibly reminding them of itself, Pinkie seemed to forget the past horrors, particularly given that, unlike Twilight and Starlight, she didn't witness the unfortunate victims suffering at the Ponyville hospital.

Somewhat taken aback by the impressions expressed by the pink-maned mare, Rarity merely rolled her eyes in bewilderment. Her perspective on what the six of them had witnessed today was completely opposite.

"Glittering things that destroy all living," the snowy white pony reminded her impressionable friend, who drew from today's expedition only the fact that the green crystals sparkled oddly in the sunlight. Although to the dressmaker, this sparkle seemed ominous and certainly did not compare to the elegance of emeralds, despite their color similarity. Clearing her throat slightly, she gave the unicorn with kite a substantial response: "But, Celestia be praised, we certainly haven't suffered from this nasty crystal! In those protective suits, it's actually quite safe… though in earlier times, I most certainly wouldn't have worn such a thing…"

"I have no doubt," Glimmer chuckled amiably. Taking a deep breath with some relief, she concluded, "Well, I'm very glad that you're all alright!"

"Thank you, darling," responded Rarity politely, while Pinkie kept her sparkling eyes fixed on her, as if wanting to remind her of something. After a quick exchange of glances, she suddenly realized, "Oh, by the way, Pinkie and I decided to unwind after the long journey and take a stroll through the shops, and…"

"Do you want to join us?" the pink-maned pony cut straight to the point, interrupting the explanation of the snowy white unicorn that seemed to her to have started from too far away. The spirited smile still adorned Pinkie's face.

Certainly, Starlight was well aware that Rarity and Pinkie Pie often spent time together exploring the local shops – mainly those specializing in clothing from the couturiers the white unicorn had become acquainted with. And although they had very different views on shopping – one sought inspiration and ideas, while the other simply enjoyed looking at various quirky items, especially those abundant in sparkles – both of them always had a blast.

"You know, I… uh…" the violet-maned unicorn began, but suddenly faltered, unable to hold back a sneeze that escaped beneath her. For a moment, her magic wavered, barely catching the kite that almost got carried away by the wind.

"Bless you, darling," the dressmaker wished, while the cheerful pink pony promptly pulled out from her voluminous mane exactly what the Princess's student needed most right now:

"Paper tissues?"

"Thank you," Starly mumbled into the cloth, plucking one from the extended pack and blowing her nose. Then, she dissipated it with a touch of magic, the turquoise glint evaporating it away, and returned to the initial topic, politely declining: "I'm certainly flattered that you're inviting me along, but shopping isn't exactly my forte."

"Come on, it's always fun together!" Pinkie countered with energetic bounces, her excitement palpable as she looked forward to sharing moments with her friends.

"Pinkie's right," Rarity agreed with a slight smile. "Especially since, if I recall correctly, you need a new hat for the winter. If you'd like, I could help you choose something in line with the current fashion."

"Go for it, Starlight!" the pink pony chimed in immediately, snuggling in closely to her.

Recalling her winter hat, the violet-maned pony briefly pondered that it hadn't anticipated needing a replacement, but she didn't want to argue with the authority of the fashion-savvy Rarity. However, she also noted that in the presence of her friends, it had become much easier to maintain a positive outlook. So, she thought it was a good idea to spend the evening with them, and at this point, it didn't really matter what the activity would be.

"Well, since you insist, then alright – I'm in," Glimmer chuckled good-naturedly, gently moving the lively pink-maned friend away from her, whose smile stretched from ear to ear. "But first, I need to take the kite back to the castle…"

"No worries, we're just getting started," reassured the snowy white unicorn, her words immediately complemented by the pink cheerful pony:

"And you can also invite Twi and Spike to come with us!"

"I'll give it a try," nodded Glimmer, though she then flattened her ears and let out a heavy sigh. "Although, I don't think it will work out. Lately, Twilight has been glued to her work. I imagine now, especially with you bringing samples of the green crystal, it will be even harder to get her out of the castle."

"No kidding," confirmed the dressmaker. "Honestly, I'm worried about her all the time. Yes, her work is crucial for all of Equestria, but she shouldn't be pushing herself so relentlessly."

"Actually, I totally understand her. She wants this nightmare to end as soon as possible, so she's not thinking about herself at all," Starlight said sadly. Taking part in her mentor's researching, she also worked her hardest until she caught a cold after a session at the spa in the cold wind.

Even during her illness, the gentle lilac unicorn continued to delve into books on magic until her condition worsened, at which point the Princess of Friendship insisted she start bed rest. Needless to say, Twilight truly spared no effort in seeking answers to world-critical questions, yet she never ceased to care for her friends.

Recalling the recent sleepless nights spent searching for various spells and realizing once again that the appearance of the green crystal had robbed life of its former cloudlessness, Starlight lowered her gaze. As she looked up at her friends, she noticed the same sadness reflected on their faces, along with genuine sympathy. Pinkie's smile faded as she thought about the rather inauspicious changes that had occurred even in the daily lives of the Princess of Friendship and her student. However, the unicorn was determined not to let sorrow or, worse, fear overcome both of them, which could certainly spoil their evening.

"Um, well, I'll join you soon, alright?" the gentle lilac mare switched back to the previous topic. To her satisfaction, the dressmaker and the pink cheerful one immediately returned to their previous mood.

"We'll be waiting for all three of you," the snowy white unicorn smiled, to which the princess's student nodded willingly. Following that, Pinkie perked up:

"If anything, we'll be at the hat shop, and then we're going to buy me an oven mitt! Rarity promised to help me pick out the prettiest and most fashionable one!"

"In that case, see you in about half an hour," Starlight summarized, and her friends went about their tasks – one with a graceful stride, as if on a catwalk, and the other in cheerful leaps.

Both ponies soon left the hill on the outskirts of Ponyville where Glimmer usually launched her kites. Her attention once again turned to her favorite one soaring high in the air, when suddenly the sky grew dark, and night surrounded her. Celestia had set the sun, but under the light of the moon's glow, which had risen at Luna's command, the colorful ribbons of the kite still looked whimsical. However, there was no time to admire it. Unfortunately, as winter approached, nights grew longer than in the warmer months.

Focusing on telekinesis, Starlight was about to pull the kite towards her when she froze, noticing something unusual. Upon closer examination of the night sky, she clearly observed the constellation known as the Big Dipper, to the right of which the Star Swirl's constellation should have been situated. However, some strange and unexplainable changes had occurred in the starry sky. To her astonishment, the violet-maned unicorn noticed that the Star Swirl's constellation was inexplicably absent.

Starlight was thoroughly perplexed. Even in her foalhood, she had been fascinated by astronomy, and after befriending Twilight, she had delved into the subject in a new light. Therefore, she knew for a fact that the Big Dipper and the Star Swirl's constellation usually appeared in the sky around the same time during sunset. However, the latter seemed to have been erased as if by an eraser. In the wake of the catastrophe that had occurred the previous month, the pony grew uneasy at the sight of this strange anomaly. Before joining Rarity and Pinkie in their shopping, Glimmer decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a look at the cosmos through her mentor's telescope…

* * *

"Why do you think this phenomenon is dangerous for us?" Twilight asked her student with concern, although she herself felt that these wormholes boded no good. But she was interested in the unicorn's opinion, subconsciously hoping to dispel any false alarm.

"Have you noticed the planet Martis?" Starlight countered with a question. Her mentor tensed inwardly once again.

"No", she was honest, though.

"It's half-destroyed," the gentle lilac pony said with fixed gaze on a single point, which greatly alarmed Sparkle and made her seriously ponder the nature of the observed cluster. Looking up with fearful eyes, the unicorn added, "And there are no more asteroids either. This phenomenon is destroying them, you know?"

Unable to say anything in response, Twilight exchanged a bewildered glance with Spike, who was standing nearby. The little dragon didn't quite understand what the ponies were talking about, but he couldn't help but feel the tension in the air. Starlight remained seated on the couch, seemingly in a trance. She felt very bad – emotionally, first of all – although her mind had sobered up somewhat, especially after the princess's assistant poured her a glass of milk. But it only made things worse for her, as it made her realize more clearly that following the red planet Martis, this mysterious cosmic cluster would surely set its sights on Equestria.

Having seen how the strange cluster destroyed half of a whole planet and a considerable sector of the asteroid belt, Glimmer immediately felt everything inside her break. If this phenomenon, whatever it was, brought destruction, then expecting something good from it would be foolish. So, the unicorn first thought that she had observed through the telescope was nothing but a foreshadowing of the end of the world. Unable to bear this soul-crushing thought, she decided to do something she had never done before – drink cider until she simply forgot herself. After all the nightmares that the green crystal had brought with it, she was just tired of this endless tension, which now had acquired a new, unprecedented scale…

"And what is this phenomenon?" asked Spike after a short pause, not catching on to the cause of all the commotion.

"It seems to be the activity of some extraterrestrial civilization," Sparkle gloomily supposed, basing her assumption on all the facts known to her, though it was her recent brief conversation with Glimmer that had led her to this hypothesis in the first place.

Upon hearing this news, Spike seemed to fall into a momentary stupor. He immediately recalled the science-fiction comics he had read, whose plots told of interplanetary wars and alien invasions. And although Twilight often criticized such literature for its lack of scientific accuracy when he shared his impressions with her, he still believed that something like this could indeed exist somewhere in the depths of space. However, learning from Starlight that this phenomenon was devouring the planet Martis, he wasn't too thrilled about being proven right.

In a matter of seconds, the little dragon imagined the possibility of extraterrestrial invaders infiltrating Equestria, which seemingly drove the violet-maned unicorn to the brink of a panic attack. In a bewildered tone, he blurted out:

"Great! First, the green crystal, and now aliens!"

"This is the end," Starlight suddenly repeated, keeping her tense gaze fixed on the glass with traces of milk still on its sides. Next to it, there was a tray with snacks prepared for Twilight, though she hadn't touched it, having lost her appetite completely. Sighing with agitation, the gentle lilac pony explained, "Planet Martis is perishing because of them, which means they came here to destroy, just like the Storm King. They will ruin Equestria too, I'm sure!"

The despondent words of the unicorn made Twilight's heart skip a beat. However, the mention of the Storm King's recent invasion also reminded the princess of all the calamities that had previously befallen the realm of little ponies. Throughout those hardships, their magic of friendship had always managed to overcome adversity. Perhaps this time wouldn't be an exception? Thinking about it, Sparkle tried to compose herself and cast away the panic. She was certain that it was still too early to lose hope.

"We won't allow this," declared the Princess of Friendship decisively. She knew exactly what needed to be done and wasted no time saying, "Whatever it may be, we should inform Princess Celestia. If anypony knows what to do about this phenomenon, it's her. Spike, write a letter!

Setting aside the overwhelming sense of foreboding, the little dragon quickly grabbed a clean scroll and a quill, then cheerfully declared his readiness to write the alicorn's words:

"Dictate!"

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight began right away. "I must urgently inform you that today my student – Starlight Glimmer – discovered a strange phenomenon in space, which is destroying the red planet Martis and the asteroid belt. I suspect it is the activity of an unknown civilization, likely from another planet. Given all the changes that have occurred in our star system, we have reason to believe that representatives of this civilization may be hostile. I believe it's essential for you to know about this. Sincerely yours, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Got it down!" announced Spike, and then promptly sent the letter to its destination using his magical fiery breath as instructed by the princess. Watching as the green flames dispersed the paper scroll, Sparkle summarized, aiming primarily to reassure her student:

"I'm sure Princess Celestia will decide what to do about this issue. After all, it was she who came up with the plan to defeat the Storm King by sending us to the hippogriffs for help."

"Yeah, and it would have been much easier if somepony hadn't come up with the idea of stealing their magical relic," the dragon remarked somewhat casually, earning a stern look from the princess. He then shrugged with an innocent expression, "What's the matter? Wasn't that how it happened?"

"Oh, Storm King didn't destroy planets," Starlight sighed gloomily before anyone could say anything else, hinting that if this cosmic cluster attacked Equestria, all ponies would face an enemy of unprecedented power. Sinking wearily onto the couch, the gentle lilac mare almost indifferently whispered, "If they've started wreaking havoc on their path, what's going to stop them? They'll devour our planet just like they doing with Martis…"

Entering yet another state of bewilderment from the unicorn's pessimism, Twilight and Spike exchanged surprised glances once again. In reality, the Princess of Friendship didn't quite understand why her student was so firmly convinced that everything would invariably go wrong, even though she couldn't counter such a belief with any solid arguments. The little dragon, in turn, was inclined to agree with the violet-maned pony.

"Actually, if these aliens really do decide to wage war on us, what are our chances?" he reasoned, relying perhaps solely on that very graphic literature dedicated to interstellar battles. "Surely, to travel through space and destroy entire planets, they would need magic even stronger than that possessed by all the princess alicorns combined."

"That's why I'm saying it's the end," Glimmer muttered gloomily.

"But the magical potential of Equestria is quite substantial," Sparkle confidently declared, although Spike's words had planted some doubts in her mind. Honestly, she had only a vague idea of the possibility of space travel. Yes, over a thousand years ago, Celestia managed to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon, but nopony had ever thought about anything greater. And the fact that this very cluster was capable of such things couldn't help but instill trepidation. However, despite her susceptibility to panic, if something went wrong, Twilight tried to reason soberly and, most importantly, aimed to reassure her friends. "If we make an effort to resist them, we can avoid the worst, as we always have. As long as we're together, there's nothing to worry about. Remember how we…"

Noticing Spike clutching his stomach as if he had eaten something wrong, Twilight suddenly paused. All her attention was drawn to the dragon as he belched out a scroll with a message from Celestia. Even Starlight perked up and, pricking up her ears, waited for her mentor to read the contents of the letter. Using telekinesis, Twilight picked up the sheet of paper and unfolded it before her eyes, preferring to read in silence. Soon, the hushed tension that had hung over the library reached its peak, and the intrigued little dragon finally inquired:

"What's written there?"

Tearing her gaze away from the letter, Twilight replied mesmerized:

"Princess Celestia wants to see us in Canterlot tomorrow…"

1.3. Prophecy

”Today is 11.23.1307. My friends and I are heading to Canterlot on the morning train. Princess Celestia has requested that the six of us arrive at the royal palace. Most likely, she wishes to discuss the current situation with us, or perhaps give us some assignments. Based on the letter Princess Celestia sent in response to mine, she learned about the strange phenomenon in space before I did. It was observed by Princess Luna the night before last. Honestly, I don't even know what to think about all of this. I really hope we can avoid the threat of an invasion from space. Equestria should not be engulfed in the fires of war, especially with an unknown enemy from another planet.

However, today started off well. Early in the morning, I tried conducting experiments with samples of the green crystal and Zecora's potion. As it turns out, this concoction breaks down the crystalline structure and neutralizes its deadly effects. Dissolving a small crystal in it, I carefully dropped a few drops on my hoof at my own risk. Considering that I'm writing this note now, I can confidently say that the experiment was successful!

It would seem that we have found a weapon against the mineral, but there is one but. The thing is, to treat the entire field at the site of Appleloosa, we will need so much of the potion that we are unlikely to acquire the necessary ingredients. So now we can heal the infected (by the way, while I was conducting experiments, Fluttershy was taking her first lesson from Zecora), but the question of completely eradicating the crystal remains open. However, upon returning from Canterlot, I plan to continue my experiments, and I hope that I will soon find a way to save Equestria from this green disease”.

– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.

"What are you writing?"

This question, spoken with cheerful enthusiasm, came at the same time as a pink bundle of joy hopped onto the seat where Twilight was, engrossed in putting her thoughts on paper. The princess looked up, slightly startled by the unexpected interruption, and saw Pinkie Pie standing before her, beaming from ear to ear. Her blue eyes literally sparkled, as if she were a little filly thrilled about her very first train ride, which Sparkle and her five friends were currently taking to the capital city of Equestria.

Pinkie's mood was naturally upbeat for her, and the morning news that some unknown creatures from space were devouring Martis didn't faze her much. She even speculated that the red planet probably tasted like caramel and nougat covered in chocolate. The other embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had a hard time understanding what was going on in the mind of the pink-maned party pony. However, Twilight considered it somewhat of a blessing that at least one of her friends maintained a positive outlook. Yesterday she already had to put in quite a bit of effort to calm down Starlight, whose nerves couldn't handle the appearance of yet another frightening threat.

Another entry was finished, so Twilight closed her diary. Although the uncertainty of the situation with anomalies in space and the sudden summons to the royal palace made her nervous, Pinkie's positivity still brought a mutual, gentle smile to her face.

"Diary entries."

"Are you keeping a new diary? Without us?" Pinkie was slightly offended, remembering how much fun it was to create the Friendship Journal together with all her best friends. She hadn't heard anything about this new way of working from Twilight.

"It's not a regular diary, Pinkie. Here, I describe the progress of studying the green crystal, trying to figure it all out and understand how to stop its growth," the princess explained.

"Got it," Pinkie smiled, quite satisfied with the answer. Hopping back to the floor of the train car, she called for the princess to follow her. "Let's go join the others!"

Twilight readily accepted the offer. She headed towards the other friends, who were sitting three seats ahead, taking rather short steps to maintain balance due to the swaying of the moving train. The train car was quite empty, despite the fact that morning trains from Dodge Junction to Canterlot were usually packed. On the other hoof, lately, many ponies were hesitant to travel along the railroad tracks that ran south of the Everfree Forest, dangerously close to the field of green crystals.

There were no strangers near the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony, and only a few ponies were observed at the far end of the car. Approaching her friends with her pink companion, Sparkle hopped into an empty seat next to Applejack. Pinkie settled in opposite, next to Fluttershy, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash were seated to the left of the princess. She had left their company for just ten minutes to write a journal entry, something she hadn't had time to do at home. In the meantime, the ponies were discussing something fervently, but as soon as the alicorn returned to them, their voices quieted, though for a few seconds.

"By the way, Twi, Ah still ain't quite got mah head 'round that there cosmic thang," Applejack turned to the alicorn as soon as she sat down next to her, breaking the momentary silence. "What in tarnation is it, exactly? What done got Starlight all riled up?"

"I can't say for sure," Twi replied, shaking her head. "We don't have enough facts for any concrete conclusions, but it seems that Starlight and I observed a massive swarm of representatives from some extraterrestrial civilization."

"Wait, there's life in space?" Rainbow Dash confused, exchanging glances with Rarity, who merely shrugged. The princess then went on to thoughtful musings.

"I used to hesitate to answer that question. But now I see that it's very possible. Frankly, I can't imagine what else this phenomenon could be, if not the activity of beings from another planet. None of the astronomy books mention anything like it," she explained, then sighed heavily and answered the farmer's second question, "But anyway, Starlight was really scared by this phenomenon. She believes that if these extraterrestrial beings are destroying Martis, then our turn will come soon, and, well, her concerns might not be unfounded."

"I was wondering why she didn't join us yesterday. Well, if I saw something like that, I doubt I'd be in the mood for shopping either," Rarity nervously remarked.

"Oh, poor Starlight," Pinkie sighed sadly, showing a trace of sadness for the first time that morning. "We tried on all the hats in that boutique yesterday, and she missed out on everything!"

An uncertain silence filled the train car, and all of the friends' eyes turned towards Pinkie. Before she could be surprised by their attention, Fluttershy, who had mostly been listening rather than speaking until now, decided to speak up.

"Um… So, what should we do now?" she transitioned to the most pressing question that had been troubling her throughout the journey.

"I can't imagine," admitted Sparkle. "But I'm sure Celestia has some sort of plan, and that's probably why she summoned us to Canterlot. In any case, I think we should prepare for the worst."

"But what if they're not the ones destroying the planet Martis?" argued Pinkie, once again capturing the attention of all five friends. "What if they come in peace, and because of this misunderstanding, we're inhospitable to them? We won't even be prepared for a welcome party!"

"Who else if not them?" Dashie retorted. "Personally, after encountering that green crystal, I'm not expecting anything friendly from space! They're probably very aggressive if they're destroying an entire planet."

"I agree, it's sheer barbarism," supported the snow-white unicorn. "Nothing good can be expected from beings who behave like that."

"Oh, I hope that if we show them our kindness, they won't act aggressively," the gentle yellow pegasus quietly spoke. However, she had a hard time believing her own words, but nevertheless, she wholeheartedly hoped that another deadly threat wouldn't befall Equestria in addition to the green crystal, which had already turned the once carefree lives of all ponies into a nightmare.

"Who knows," the rainbow-maned pony said, already on edge. "Don't tell me we have to befriend them…"

"Rainbow's right," the alicorn agreed. "These extraterrestrial beings might not be anything like us. It's possible that they don't even have a concept like friendship."

"Friendship?!" the pink-maned pony repeated in astonishment, almost jumping up from her seat in a burst of emotion. "They don't have friendship? How do they even live without the most important thing in life?"

"It's just a hypothesis, Pinkie," the princess interrupted her overly excited friend. "I'm just saying that we can expect anything from them."

What the lavender alicorn had said left all her companions feeling uneasy. After all the recent horrors, the prospect of yet another disaster, the potential scale of which sent shivers down their spines, was the last thing they needed. Feeling the sorrow again for the lost relatives from Appleloosa and, above all, not wanting the losses to continue to grow, Applejack, with all the optimism that remained in her heart, concluded:

"Ah reckon we oughta hope fer the best…"

* * *

Hurrying along the red carpet, Twilight could feel the excitement growing in her heart. Behind her, the other embodiments of the Elements of Harmony followed, and their close presence helped her keep her composure. Not only was she concerned about everything she had discussed with her friends on the train, but also the royal palace exuded an atmosphere of tense bustle. Guards patrolled in groups throughout its grounds and in every corridor, and even the fortification walls of Canterlot were under the strictest protection. Nopony could remember such a commotion since the capital's defense against Queen Chrysalis' changeling horde during the wedding of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.

The six ponies walked down a long corridor that led to the massive doors of the throne room. On both sides of them, beautiful stained glass windows depicted the most significant events from Equestria's history, with several of them featuring them as the heroines. Along the wide carpeted path, endless rows of royal guards stood tall and sturdy, clad in heavy armor, their hooves firmly gripping their spears. Casting nervous glances at various servant ponies, Sparkle licked her dry lips and, unable to contain her internal tension, glanced back at her friends on the go.

"I'm getting a bit nervous, girls," she confessed in a hushed tone. "There must be a serious reason for all this security. Oh, I have a feeling the Princesses know something about that cosmic phenomenon, and this is all because of it."

"Don't you fret, sugarcube," Applejack reassured her with a warm smile, walking beside to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, while Rarity and Fluttershy trailed behind them, quietly discussing something among themselves. "Who knows what else might've got all these guards stirrin', hmm?"

While Twilight had almost no doubt that such a significant increase in security was clearly prompted by something extremely serious, she still gratefully smiled at the pony in a cowboy hat in response to the reassuring words. The princess was impressed by the farmer's resilience, who not only overcame her own grief over the loss of her family but also consistently tried to support her friends in everything. However, in yesterday's letter, Celestia did not mention the specific reason for their summons here – to the royal palace, – so Sparkle could not objectively either support what AJ said or refute it, which made her feel uneasy. On the other hoof, another pony had arguments…

"I don't think they placed them all around here just for the looks," Rainbow said in reproach, as she thought Applejack was being naive, while also occasionally glancing at the stone-faced pony soldiers. "We didn't even have this kind of setup when Everfree Forest started encroaching. We must have some pretty big problems…"

"Ah reckon we shouldn't be fussin' too soon," the ginger pony glanced at her friend. The pegasus definitely didn't like being accused of supposedly panicking, but she didn't have a chance to say anything in response. Breaking away a bit ahead, the farmer caught up with the princess and added, "But no matter what goes down, the most important thing is we'll tackle any trouble together."

"And this'll be just as fun as always," Pinkie chimed in with undying optimism, racing up to the alicorn. The other friends immediately followed suit.

"Thanks, girls," Twilight genuinely thanked them, once again casting her gaze over all the surrounding ponies. In her thoughts, she noted that Applejack was absolutely right, and she really always has somepony to rely on, even if they find out something shocking within the walls of the throne room.

Furthermore, the lavender mare couldn't deny the excitement still lingering in her heart. Looking ahead, she saw the palace guards hurrying to open the doors to the throne room and usher in the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony for an audience with Celestia and Luna. The royal sisters patiently awaited them at the foot of the throne's platform. Trying to maintain her composure, the purple pony headed towards them. She spontaneously quickened her pace, eager to dispel the soul-squeezing intrigue about the exact reason why the Princesses had urgently summoned her and her friends.

The royal throne room shimmered with solemnity, colorful stained glass everywhere glinted in the morning sun's rays, from the glimmer of which marble columns and the vaulted ceiling were adorned with whimsical sparkles. Nevertheless, a certain mournfulness hung in the lavish chamber, contrasting with the grandeur of the interior, and this melancholy was also visible in the eyes of both Princesses. Extending in an uneven row before the alicorn sisters, the six ponies knelt before them, and the Princesses kindly nodded in response. When the greetings finally came to an end, Celestia got down to business:

"Thank you for arriving so quickly. Your presence in Canterlot is indeed crucial right now."

"Why are there so many guards here, Princess?" Twilight Sparkle worried. "What happened? Are we all in danger?"

"I'm afraid we have dreadful news," Luna began in place of her sister. The voice of the Princess of the Night sounded grim, and perhaps even hints of fear and confusion could be detected in it. "The days we have feared for so long, to the point where we've almost forgotten about them, have apparently arrived. It seems that a catastrophe is approaching us, one that we may very well not survive."

"Not s-survive?" Fluttershy horrified. Although she expected to hear the worst from the Princess, it didn't make her feel any better. The other ponies froze in tension, awaiting details, and it was Dashie who urged the royal figures for an explanation.

"What catastrophe? Is somepony trying to attack us again?"

"Is it related to that cosmic phenomenon in any way?" Twi asked in turn, then exchanged brief glances with her friends. It seemed that all of them, like the young princess herself, had no doubt that Starlight had been right in her concerns.

"Yes," Celestia sighed grimly. "What you and Starlight saw in the night sky yesterday is a very bad omen mentioned in the prophecy of our wisest teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded. I suppose we are soon to face an invasion of unknown enemies, unlike any we've ever seen before. And if the prediction is correct, it will spell the end of our world."

Upon hearing the words spoken by the Princess of the Sun, uttered with complete seriousness, the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony were visibly taken aback, and gasps of horror and extreme astonishment escaped their lips. Even Pinkie Pie, who believed that the cosmic phenomenon being discussed didn't necessarily have to hide any danger, was horrified. The rest of the ponies, who found the opposite assumption more plausible, were complete shock. For a while, none of them could utter a word, until, after about ten seconds, Applejack felt the need to inquire:

"Y'all sure 'bout this, Princess?"

"Yes, Applejack. All of this was foretold by Star Swirl."

"And… what did his prophecy sound like?" Twilight finally asked, as soon as her ability to speak returned to her. She couldn't have imagined that the Princesses would reveal such a shocking truth about what the strange anomalies in space portended. However, she had no doubt that her mentor was telling the absolute truth, although she had never before heard of any prophecies by Star Swirl.

"On his deathbed he said that when the patches appear in the sky, the end will come for Martis, and then Equestria will fall. We were very young when he passed, but I wrote down his prophecy, and the scroll's kept in the royal library, so there can be no mistakes," declared the Lady of the Day. The ponies exchanged bewildered glances once again, not knowing what to say.

"And what's next?" nervously piped up the sky-blue pegasus, breaking the moment of silence. "If this Star Swirl feller foretold our doom, are we just gonna believe it? Are we gonna accept our fate?"

"No, my friends," firmly stated the Mistress of the Night. "If there are threats to our world, we'll try to stand our ground, just like we always have. Whatever happens, we must be ready to defend our Equestria, even if war comes knocking."

"But there haven't been any wars in Equestria for a thousand years," Rarity rightly noted, the mere thought of bloodshed filling her with dread. "How can we be prepared for something like that?"

"But we have the magic of friendship," Pinkie stated confidently. She had been shaken by what the alicorn sisters had revealed, but she was determined to hold on to hope. "It's more powerful than any other magic! We've always won thanks to it, and even Lord Tirek couldn't defeat us!

"Pinkie Pie is right, but the magic of friendship alone might not be enough to handle this new threat," said Celestia. "We should be prepared, so, as regrettable as it is, we must return to the times of King Sombra…

"What do you mean?" inquired the lavender pony, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"It seems it's time to tell you the real story of our struggle with Sombra," the Night Princess mysteriously began. Her words were immediately followed by her older sister.

"Equestria paid for the liberation of the Crystal Empire from his tyranny with a fierce war. Sombra was very powerful because he practiced dark magic. Even with the Elements of Harmony, we couldn't gain the upper hoof in our confrontation with him. His Crystal Fortress was impregnable to us until we decided to use dark magic ourselves against him. Since the moment we defeated him, I hoped that we would never have to use the power of dark magic to achieve our goals again, as it carries evil, horror, and terror within it. But, unfortunately, now we have no choice."

"Um… maybe we should try to befriend the space guests?" the shy pegasus timidly suggested. She felt like she was about to faint from the overwhelming news that today's events had brought, and she most of all dreamed that this whole nightmare would turn out to be just a terrible dream. "If we resolve things peacefully, we won't need to use dark magic, right?"

"We will try to show them our friendliness, but we must be prepared for the fact that they may not want to be our friends anyway," the Lady of the Day replied. "Unfortunately, the events of last summer compel us to ensure the safety of Equestria. The Storm King didn't become our friend, and the starry newcomers may not even engage in negotiations. And if they destroy the planet Martis, then we can expect anything from them, up to and including blind aggression."

The speeches of the rulers of Equestria increasingly confused the Princess of Friendship and her companions, leaving them stunned to the point where it became difficult to even breathe, let alone think or speak. Especially affected were the delicate natures like Fluttershy and Rarity, whose eyes darkened with the unbearable sense of anxiety. Pinkie Pie, like a tightly wound spring, was ready to panic at any moment, despite not fully comprehending the nature of the threat described by the alicorn sisters. Only Rainbow Dash and Applejack made an effort not to show their inner turmoil.

Twilight, on the other hoof, tried to gather her thoughts. After a few seconds of contemplation, she decided that they needed clarification:

"But how will dark magic help us protect Equestria?"

"It's magic of war," Luna volunteered to explain. "It was created by soulless unicorns like Sombra and is designed to… kill."

"Kill?!" Pinkie Pie was shocked, having never suspected that the consumption of a planet by unknown aliens could have such serious and dangerous consequences.

"Exactly," sadly confirmed the Princess of the Night. "If these aliens want to destroy Equestria, as Star Swirl predicted, then we will have to wage a war with them to the death. And that's why we summoned you to Canterlot. There is a lot of work ahead of us while there is still time."

Not fully understanding what kind of work was being referred to, Twilight, for a moment, wanted to say something and even opened her mouth, but she hesitated, as if any word she spoke would be a death sentence for her. Spontaneously, in her mind, she recalled all the similar occasions when she, together with her friends, learned about a new problem from the Princesses, and each time, no matter how difficult it was, they managed to solve it. Accepting that fate was sending Equestria another unprecedented threat in terms of danger, she still instilled in herself that hope for a favorable outcome should never be lost, just as it always was.

"In that case, we will do whatever it takes to protect our world," Twilight firmly declared, a sentiment echoed by all her friends, even Fluttershy. When the storm of war looms over the land, everypony is ready to serve the common cause, to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from harm. Nevertheless, the hearts of the six friends were invariably gripped by fear of the impending nightmares.

For the first time in a thousand years, the pure air of peaceful Equestria was tainted with smoke and blood…

P.S. "If you want peace, prepare for war" – Publius Flavius Vegetius.

Author's Note

The dating in Twilight's journal is based on the founding of Equestria. I chose this date because if you subtract thirty-nine days from the moment she wrote the first entry, you get 10.13.1307 – the day in real history when the King of France issued the order to arrest the Templars (the origin of the concept "Friday the 13th"). Thus, it turns out that the green crystal appeared in Equestria on Friday the 13th.

Act 1. Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests

2.1. They Made Ready for War

”Today is 11.26.1307. My friends and I returned to Ponyville a few hours ago. The past three days have been very difficult for us. During our time in Canterlot, we had to work tirelessly on protecting Equestria from a possible threat from space. Honestly, in all this commotion, I even forgot about the green crystal. What's happening is very frightening to me, especially considering that Star Swirl the Bearded, as I recently learned, predicted the downfall of our world after the destruction of the planet Martis. After all, there have never been such changes in Equestria before…

So, what has happened in the country over the last three days? It's worth starting with the fact that the day before yesterday morning, Princess Celestia declared something like mobilization. The guard troops were immediately reinforced with reservists and reorganized. Now, several military formations are guarding Equestria, and perhaps only this fact gives me some hope that we will be able to overcome the catastrophe mentioned in the prophecy.

First of all, it can be said that chivalry, known to us from history books, was revived. All guards from among the earth ponies were dressed in improved heavy armor and armed with lances in the manner of ancient pony warriors. In addition, each guard-knight was given a noble title, which made their service more prestigious.

The next step was the call-up of all cadets from the Wonderbolts Academy. There were so many of them that now the skies over Equestria are guarded by five squads of elite flyers, each consisting of three hundred pegasi. Rainbow Dash was even appointed the commander of one of these formations, which makes her very happy, despite the circumstances of her promotion, which also seem somewhat unsettling to her.

But there is something in these reforms that deeply troubles me – the arming of unicorn guards with the so-called Archmage Amulets. These talismans, made from dark crystals, grant their wearers powerful magic. I fear these things might be something akin to the Alicorn Amulet once possessed by Trixie. What if dark magic corrupts these unicorns and taints their souls as it did with King Sombra? The only consolation is that these amulets will be used by soldiers only in battle. While things are calm, unicorn warriors will keep them in their pockets. The question remains: how quickly will dark magic start affecting them once they put on the amulets? That's if such an effect occurs at all.

However, this isn't the sole manifestation of dark magic in our defense. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have erected dark crystal spires in front of the main gates of Canterlot. These are peculiar defensive structures. If we summon a fire elemental inside such a crystal spire, it can concentrate fire magic and incinerate anyone wishing us harm. I've been tasked with constructing similar spires around Ponyville. I plan to start on that tomorrow. Additionally, Celestia has sent a letter to Cadance and Shining Armor detailing the defense plan for the Crystal Empire.

What do I think about all of this? Well, I believe that over these three days, we've worked hard, and now, I truly hope, Equestria is in safe hooves. I think we're ready to defend our country! But the widespread use of dark magic concerns me, just as it does Celestia. It's not without reason that she refrained from such measures for over a thousand years, even though during her rule, Equestria sometimes faced mortal danger. On the other hoof, if dark magic has been used only once in many centuries (against Sombra), it becomes clear that in this situation, such a step is entirely justified. Hence the question: what should we fear more – dark magic or the invaders? It's a pity we don't have another plan…”.

– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.

"Are you still keeping your diary?" suddenly came the question from a clearly sleepy Spike, who had distracted Twilight from her thoughts.

Closing her journal, the princess looked at the little dragon. He sat in one of the chairs opposite her couch, lazily sprawled out as if he had just woken up in it. To her surprise, Sparkle hadn't noticed when her beloved assistant had slipped in here, indicating how deeply she had immersed herself in writing another entry. However, his paws never made loud noises, and the sleepy lavender pony's eyes had just not seen anything other than the notebook.

Having recently returned from Canterlot, bustling with preparations for the defense of Equestria against a possible invasion by unknown enemies, Twilight felt extremely tired. But her work ethic never left her, so after a small late dinner, she first started drafting a report on the past three days in her research journal, even though its content didn't quite match her recent experiences. Perhaps she simply couldn't think about anything else but all she had been constantly witnessing and doing lately.

"Yes, Spike," Twilight sighed wearily in response to what was more of a rhetorical question from the dragon. "I've filled three pages, laying out my thoughts on preparing for the war. It's strange that I'm writing about it in a journal dedicated to the study of the green crystal."

"Well, I think that the threat of war also requires careful study," the dragon lazily replied, mimicking the princess's manner of speaking. When she began this journal, she also stated that the issue of the green mineral should be thoroughly analyzed.

"Of course, we should take the defense of Equestria extremely seriously," agreed Sparkle. "Although we can't forget about the green crystal either. While we're preparing for the war, it continues to grow. I need to get back to my research."

"You need to rest," Spike insisted resolutely. "You don't look like yourself at all! Did they even let you sleep in Canterlot?"

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. Spike was clearly right, and if she continued to work at the same pace, her strength would soon be completely depleted. While in the capital, she had only slept for a few hours a day, no more, and when researching the green mineral, she confidently considered it unacceptable to rest for more than six hours. And now the trace of chronic sleep deprivation on her face was very noticeable. Sparkle resembled a wilting lavender flower.

"Maybe we could take a walk through nighttime Ponyville?" the Princess of Friendship suggested after a short pause, offering a tired smile.

"Let's do that," the little dragon smiled in return, considering a walk a decent transition from work to sleep. "But when we get back – straight to bed, okay?"

"Alright, Spike."

Making a promise, Twilight turned off the lamp that had illuminated the reading desk and hopped off the couch onto the carpeted floor. With the dragon, who quickly joined her, she leisurely left the library. The journey through the long, tangled corridors to the main hall of the Castle of Friendship took no more than five minutes, at the end of which the princess and her assistant stood on the gilded porch. From here, there was a fairly wide path leading to Ponyville's residential houses and eventually to the central square where the town hall was located.

At first glance at the nighttime panorama of the town, Twilight didn't notice any ponies walking around, which wasn't surprising since it was already midnight. Scanning with her eyes all the visible alleyways between the wooden houses with thatched roofs that exuded a rural, homely charm, she headed toward the distant town hall. She continued the same topic she had briefly discussed with the dragon while wandering the corridors:

"On the other hoof, perhaps I'm worrying for nothing? At least now, we're not facing a sudden attack like during the Friendship Festival, and that's a good thing. But… I'm concerned that we've allocated so much room for dark magic."

"I'm sure Celestia has everything under control," Spike expressed his opinion.

At that moment, Twilight suddenly remembered how her mentor had demonstrated dark magic to her before sending her on an important mission to the Crystal Empire. It looked quite eerie, but individual spells didn't bother the purple pony, especially since she had practiced them herself, learning from Princess Celestia. Now, however, they were talking about the mass and comprehensive use of dark magic, especially for military purposes, and this made Sparkle feel uneasy.

In turn, Spike reacted to this news, heard by him today from the Princess of Friendship, quite calmly, as he didn't have a deep understanding of magic and didn't know what dangers its dark variety could pose. But he also had a reason to worry, namely the mysterious Star Swirl's prophecy, predicting the downfall of Equestria, which he had learned about from Twilight too. With the news of this ancient prediction, life for all her friends had literally turned upside down. Although the dragon was inclined to trust that Celestia and Luna knew what they were doing by taking measures to protect the country from potential threats.

"Actually, she herself said that it could be dangerous," the lavender alicorn retorted, walking along a path strewn with autumn leaves, the crunch of which under the hooves was pleasant and soothing. But after considering that Princess Celestia would hardly take such measures if they posed too great a risk, her loyal student changed her point of view. "Although you're right, I shouldn't doubt her wisdom. She has already used dark magic to free the Crystal Empire from Sombra's tyranny, so she…"

Twilight's musings were interrupted when Spike's paw gently rested on her lips as he walked beside her. He fully understood that the princess's concerns were not unfounded but felt responsible for her well-being, which she had somewhat neglected in recent weeks. He tried to do everything possible to give her a proper rest. To achieve this, as he rightly thought, she needed to distance herself from any worries and cares.

"Not another word," the little dragon kindly ordered. As soon as his paw dropped from her muzzle, she smiled affectionately, touched by his care. "Better clear your mind of all these thoughts and relax. Or imagine yourself as a tree, as Fluttershy taught you. Finally, take a deep breath!"

Without saying a word, Twilight simply chuckled good-naturedly when Spike mentioned Fluttershy's techniques for finding inner peace, which she had once learned from her acquaintance, Tree Hugger. Following his advice, the princess took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt the tension, brought about by ceaseless work and numerous worries, gradually begin to dissipate. She strolled leisurely along the town's main street, with the little dragon invariably keeping her company, observing the changing of her expression. A cool autumn breeze gently brushed against the pony's face, bringing her to her senses.

Around the Princess of Friendship and her beloved assistant, mostly two-story houses of Ponyville rose as they slowly made their way to the center. Their roofs darkened in the night, and only near the porches did the light from the street lamps, installed here and there, spread. The town peacefully slumbered, unaware that somewhere in space, a possible omen of doom loomed for the entire world. However sometimes solitary passersby were encountered, lingering on the street for their own late-night errands. Everywhere hung an atmosphere of tranquility, which Sparkle tried to immerse herself in completely, and after a minute or two of soothing silence, Spike didn't miss the opportunity to confirm the benefits of his recommendation.

"How do you feel?" he suddenly asked. This essentially rhetorical question was posed by the dragon as if he wanted to say, "I told you that rest would do you good! Come on, Twilight, admit that I was right!"

"Just wonderful," replied the purple alicorn with delight. "Thank you for taking me out of the castle, Spike."

"I'm at your service, Twilight!" the dragon said cheerfully, far from displeased by his usefulness to the princess.

At a leisurely pace, Sparkle and her scaly companion made their way into the heart of nighttime Ponyville, enjoying its sleeping streets. Along the way, they engaged in casual conversation on various topics, trying to forget about both the green crystal and the patches in the sky, if only for an hour. Their eyes fell on the bushes, which had turned autumnal shades but hadn't shed their leaves onto the streets yet, and on the houses, glistening in the ghostly moonlight. Their mouths discussed everything their eyes saw, appreciating the beauty surrounding them.

Amid their carefree conversation, the princess and the dragon arrived at the town hall, its spire reaching for the stars scattered across the dark sky. However, the path they had taken seemed too short to both of them. In truth, the lavender mare hadn't taken a walk in a long time, so, eager to give her legs some much-needed exercise, she decided to walk to the southern district of the town, situated beyond the river, even though fatigue was taking its toll. Strangely, her sleep-deprived body was urging her forward, as if gathering energy with each step.

Gradually, their conversation returned to the topic of the importance of taking breaks from work, and both of them recalled memories of how the dragon had similarly been enthusiastic about Twilight's rest during the Grand Equestria Pony Summit when he guarded her peace. Although back then, his zeal hadn't ended well, especially when he began to use his position as the princess's deputy. But he learned his lesson. Remembering the past only from the bright side, they climbed one of the arched bridges connecting the southern district with the town center and paused for a moment.

Down the street running alongside the river, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom were walking, clearly heading towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight immediately caught her friend's attention, calling out to her, and quickly made her way toward them with Spike. She was curious to know why the timid pegasus and the young earth pony weren't asleep at such a late hour. Usually, Applejack kept an eye on her little sister's sleep schedule, and Fluttershy didn't particularly enjoy walking around the dark streets, so the princess's curiosity was entirely natural.

"Howdy, Twilight!" greeted Apple Bloom cheerfully, as soon as the princess approached with her assistant, as she hadn't seen her all day.

"Hello, Apple Bloom," replied Sparkle politely, nodding in greeting. She then turned her gaze to the pink-maned pegasus with a saddlebag on her back and expressed her concern. "Where are you headed at this hour? I hope everything's okay."

"Oh yes, I'm just escorting her to the farm," reassured Fluttershy, pointing to the little pony with the red bow. "As soon as we got back from Canterlot, I decided to pay a visit to Zecora and clarify some things about her potions. I'm very worried that infected animals might eventually appear in my sanctuary, so I didn't want to put off this matter until tomorrow. On the way there, I ran into Apple Bloom, and she asked to join me. She's also interested in learning how to make antidotes…"

* * *

2 hours ago…

"Finally, that dreadful trail is behind us," Fluttershy sighed with relief, emerging from the thick bushes onto a small clearing along a narrow path. It had led through eerie dark thickets for the last couple of hundred yards, where frightening glowing eyes peered out from under every bush or behind boulders. But then, as she briefly panicked at the thought of having to go back the same way, the cheerful voice of Apple Bloom caught her attention.

"This here's the friendliest bit o' the woods, Fluttershy," she reminded, as if she had read the thoughts of her adult companion, which were filled with fear of this dense thicket known as the Everfree Forest. "Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, 'n Ah, we used t' trot 'round these parts plenty, even popped by ol' Zecora's now 'n again…"

"But there are timberwolves, cockatrices, and probably many other monsters here, and those blue flowers…" Fluttershy listed with an almost trembling voice, all the things that made her anxious.

In fact, Fluttie would hardly have ventured here at such a late hour if it weren't for her sense of responsibility towards the animals, which could need urgent treatment for infection at any moment. The news that many forest inhabitants had suffered from the effects of the green crystal, brought by Zecora the day before the shy pegasus and her friends departed for Canterlot, still terrified her much more than the nightmares of this mysterious thicket. So, as soon as she returned home from the capital, she decided to visit the zebra without delay and make progress in learning the recipe for that miraculous potion that could save lives. However, her desire to return to her cozy nest and hide under a warm blanket to escape from any fears never left her for a moment…

In response to Fluttershy's concerns, Apple Bloom only rolled her eyes skeptically. In all the time she had spent in these places, located on the nearest edge of the Everfree Forest to Ponyville, the creatures mentioned by her companion had never once crossed her path. And perhaps that's why Applejack allowed her to come here with the timid pony, in addition to her noble motive. Learning from her older sister about the nightmares that those who were unfortunate enough to experience a close encounter with the alien mineral were going through, the pony with the red bow truly understood the catastrophic nature of the threat that had arisen with the loss of her beloved Appleloosa. Believing that at the moment, Equestria and its inhabitants needed any help and having evident talents in potion-making, she immediately volunteered to join the gentle yellow pegasus as soon as she appeared near the farm, heading to visit the zebra.

The only real danger on the path for Fluttershy and Apple Bloom were the blue flowers called Poison Joke, which one could easily step on in the darkness of the night and experience their rather peculiar effect. In the past, the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had suffered from these plants, which had transformed them into comical versions of themselves. And after a tiring day, the pink-maned pegasus had no desire to lose her quiet voice and replace it with a bass, as had happened in the past. But the road came to an end, and before the two mares was Zecora's hut, nestled within the hollow of a stout tree.

Zecora's home looked just the same as always. Colorful vials dangled from the branches, tied to vines, shamanic masks rested near the roots beside the boulders, and above the entrance, there hung the totem. Fluttershy well remembered how when she and her friends had visited Zecora's abode for the first time, this place had filled her with fear. But gradually, she had grown accustomed to that exotic atmosphere, and the once-frightening masks now seemed rather friendly to her. Forgetting all the slight unease she had felt on the way here, she, accompanied by the little filly, stepped up to the threshold.

From the windows of the hut, light spilled into the dark forest undergrowth, indicating that the shamaness was awake despite the rather late hour. Climbing the short staircase, Fluttershy overcame her shyness and lightly knocked on the door, hoping that her unexpected visit wouldn't disrupt any plans the homeowner might have had. Just in case, she took a step back, coming down from the staircase, and briefly exchanged glances with Apple Bloom, who stood slightly behind. Soon the zebra came to the doorstep, clearly not expecting any visitors.

"Hello, Zecora," both ponies almost simultaneously greeted the solitary forest dweller.

"Fluttershy? And Apple Bloom? In my humble forest room. Well met, my dear friends, On this night that never ends," Zecora responded with some surprise but also warmth, as was her custom, using rhymes even in everyday speech. She had a peculiar way of putting words together, which Apple Bloom, who had a particularly close friendship with her among all the foals, consistently found quite cute.

Stepping aside a bit, Zecora invited her guests to come inside. As soon as the gentle yellow hooves crossed the threshold, Fluttershy immediately sensed the familiar herbal scent that permeated the entire hut. Its source, a cauldron with brew, stood over a flame near the small round table. The same aroma emanated from most of the vessels lining the wooden shelves, and the pegasus had no trouble recognizing the distinct bitterness of that healing potion. It seemed the shamaness was thoroughly preparing for the possibility that the epidemic could affect many…

Taking their places by the table, both ponies looked at zebra and noticed she appeared somewhat contemplative. Zecora stood by the door, which she had just closed, for a few seconds, as if forgetting why she had opened it, before heading to the cauldron. The golden earrings and bracelet adorning her neck and left leg shimmered mysteriously in the light of several candles placed in different corners of the room. Fluttershy and Apple Bloom couldn't help but gaze at her with slight puzzlement.

"I'm sorry for this modest start, I didn't think to play my part, With ponies in my humble space," began the zebra, circling the table and taking a place on the other side across from her guests. "Please, speak your mind, what's your case?"

"Oh, we came to you for a reason," Fluttershy replied somewhat uncertainly, fearing that her visit might still be inconvenient for the zebra. "While we were in Canterlot with the girls, I completely forgot how to make your potion. I remember the ingredients, but as for how to brew them and in what order… Well, to avoid bothering you about it in the future, I thought it would be better to write everything down. Are you okay with that?"

With these words, the pink-maned pegasus took a saddlebag off her back, where she had a notebook and writing supplies, as well as a flashlight, although the path was sufficiently illuminated by swarms of fireflies, which often continued to inhabit the Everfree Forest until the early winter, or even until the New Year. Everything here followed its own laws that were not easily understood by ponies, and sometimes in the midst of harsh winter, you could come across summer flowers among the local trees. Placing her bag by the table leg, the timid pony looked at the zebra with a questioning gaze, to which she responded with a good-natured smile.

"Your query's pressing, that I see, Through darkest night, you've come to me. Into the woods, you dared to roam, So tell me, what brings you at my home?" the zebra uttered, then asked, "Has something happened, or just passing through? I hope it's not the crystal's call anew?"

"No, everything is fine for now," the pegasus hurried to reassure her monochrome friend. "It's all about my sanctuary. Remember, you said that infected animals started appearing in the forest? Well, I thought that if any of those poor creatures wander into my sanctuary, others might get infected from them. I really wouldn't want anyone else to suffer, so I have to be always ready to help anyone who might need it."

"Your need is quite clear to me! I myself am sleepless, you see, Trying to help my forest friends, In every way, till nighttime ends," said the zebra. Her words made the pegasus somewhat wary, thinking that she literally doesn't sleep at night, constantly tending to the infected, of which, it turns out, there are a great many. But at the same time, the timid pony suspected that this could be merely a figure of speech. The host of the house then turned her gaze to the other guest, who had not yet joined the conversation of the adults, and with a smile asked, "And you, my friend, do you, too, bear, This load in your heart's deep lair? I've seen your brewing, your skills so fair. Would you like this recipe to learn and share?"

"Yup," nodded Apple Bloom. "Fluttershy said ya know how to fix them poor critters, and Ah wanna learn too. 'Cause that green crystal took away so many of my kinfolk, and… it stings real bad, ya know? So, Ah'm ready to do whatever it takes, just so nopony else gotta go through losin' their loved ones like Ah did. Ah don't wanna see no more ponies suffer 'cause of it."

Apple Bloom's voice was quite firm, expressing her determination, even though she had carried the grief in her heart for a month and a half. As soon as she heard the news of Appleloosa's demise, she fell into deep sorrow. Her thoughts were solely focused on the relatives she had lost, especially her beloved cousin, Braeburn, with whom she was particularly close. Although some time had passed, and the pain no longer tore her soul to shreds as it did in the first days after the tragedy, the memory of what had happened motivated her to contribute to preventing further calamities. Knowing all of this, Fluttershy embraced her with a hoof as a gesture of comfort.

Of course, Zecora couldn't refuse them, and it wasn't just because their request was indeed very important. After all, it was Apple Bloom who once debunked the myth that a zebra was supposedly wicked witch for all ponies, and not long before the Friendship Festival, Fluttershy had saved her from a terrible illness that nearly turned her into a tree. Because of all that connected her with these two ponies, she was ready to make time for them at any hour.

"To banish sorrow, I shall lend my aid, And teach the potion's secrets, unswayed," Zecora agreed willingly. "To help your quest with this elixir's grace, It's brewing now, in this tranquil space."

Zecora's hoof extended toward the cauldron, to which she then stepped closer to stir the potion with a long wooden ladle. All the pitchers, standing at a distance on the nearest shelves and windowsill, were filled with the same yellowish concoction, externally resembling green tea. Fluttershy was somewhat taken aback as she once again noticed them.

"You've prepared so much potion," the pegasus marveled, surveying the full containers scattered here and there. "It gets used up very quickly, doesn't it? Do the animals here get sick so often?"

"I'll not deceive, the ill abound in score, Each day, I find more patients at my door. Both young and old, in suffering they dwell, This nightmare's grip, it seems, will never quell. For over a week, my hooves have ceaselessly toiled, Their suffering relentless, my care unspoiled. With ceaseless labor, my brews are all prepared, To save them from demise, none are left ensnared," explained the herbalist, finishing the potion stirring.

"Oh, nightmare," Fluttie whispered, covering her mouth with a hoof. "So, in the Everfree Forest, does someone keep getting sick all the time?"

"Hold on, Zecora, where in tarnation are all these sick critters comin' from?" Apple Bloom inquired, puzzled about the reasons behind the epidemic's spread. "Has that green crystal already made its way to the Everfree Forest, or are they comin' from somewhere down south?"

"Alas, I know not this unknown fray, I roam not far where others may, But in woods so deep, where shadows play, The green crystal's yet to see the day," replied the zebra, approaching a sort of cabinet carved from a protrusion in the wall near her bed, where a tray with several small cups and a clay teapot with a bamboo handle were placed. Standing there for a few seconds in deep contemplation, she looked back at her guests with clear concern and continued, "But still, in the woods, a change takes place, Hardly recognizable, like a hidden trace. In recent days, it's like nature's own plea, As if she seeks help in her wild decree…"

Somewhat cautious after the host's story, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom exchanged meaningful glances. Especially the pegasus, who, after receiving recent news about an impending disaster as foretold in the ancient prophecy of Star Swirl, considered the possibility that Zecora might have sensed something ominous. On the other hoof, her voice sounded more puzzled than alarmed. Meanwhile, she removed a couple of cups from the tray, leaving only three, and took it in her teeth to move it to the round table.

"What's wrong with the forest?" the gentle yellow pony asked after a momentary silence. "I hope the thorny vines haven't started growing everywhere again?"

"Or mebbe them parasprites are actin' up again?" guessed the red-maned pony. After placing the tray at the edge of the table, Zecora shook her head."

"Neither here nor there, the truth's elusive rhyme, When Canterlot fell to foes in their prime, The forest's very aura did transform and share. And now nature senses what's beyond compare," Zecora cryptically shared, after which she began pouring fragrant tea into the cups.

From what the herbalist expressed in her verses, the timid pegasus and her young companion understood only this: that in the magical atmosphere of the Everfree Forest, something had suddenly changed, much like in those days when the banners of Storm King's empire had risen over the land of the little ponies. Interestingly, at that time, Zecora could rightfully be considered the only resident of the central part of Equestria untouched by the burden of a brief occupation, as the invaders simply didn't dare to venture into this wilderness. Without any warning, the Everfree Forest gave the impression that once you entered it, there was no way to ever come out again.

However, on their way here, neither of the two ponies had felt that anything had changed. Besides, they didn't even know what was going on in that wilderness while the evil king's air armadas were circling over Equestria. Therefore, Zecora's words only further puzzled them. And while a pressing tension was growing inside the pegasus, the young earth pony, who had only heard briefly about her older sister's reports of patches in the sky, felt utterly bewildered.

"So, ya mean this is all for real?" Apple Bloom asked, glancing at Fluttershy and then fixing her wide amber eyes on Zecora. "Are we really starin' down some brand new disaster? And is the Everfree Forest actually feelin' it?"

"I know not of this, my dear. But something's amiss, I fear," the herbalist shrugged, evidently not grasping what the young pony meant by some other disaster beyond the green crystal. She then set a cup in front of each of the two guests and politely said, "Have some tea, it'll ease your care, As wisdom's path you both now dare!"

"Thank you, Zecora, but…," Fluttie began, but halted midway as she took a notebook in her mouth and moved it from her bag to the table beside the teacup. After pondering for a moment, she cast a cautious look at the zebra and asked directly, "Tell us, what indeed has happened to the forest? Has it become even more perilous here?"

"Dangers in the woods do ever hide, Yet fret not, let fear not in you abide," Zecora responded succinctly, apparently sensing that Fluttershy was beginning to be overwhelmed by various fears and deciding not to burden her with them. Gesturing towards the notebook, which the timid guest had taken out, she smiled and kindly suggested, "My counsel, swift and true, I say, Don't linger, let not time decay, Unlock your notebook, without delay, I'm poised to share, so listen, I pray."

Coming to her senses, Fluttershy hurriedly retrieved a ballpoint pen from her bag, much more practical for use by pegasi and earth ponies than quills and ink, which were popular only among unicorns. Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, chuckled discreetly, probably amused by how Zecora managed to compose a quadruple rhyme. Zecora, in turn, winked at the young filly, taking a sip from her cup of tea, which she had brewed just in time for her unexpected guests.

On the table, everything necessary for writing was already laid out, and Fluttershy, sitting down along with Zecora and Apple Bloom, even opened her notebook, but she froze. It seemed that something was deeply troubling her. Finally, the gaze of her turquoise eyes once again rose to meet Zecora's, expressing something like a plea.

"Yes, but, um…" the rose-maned pegasus hesitated suddenly, nervously rubbing her front hooves, "In that case, I hope you'll accompany us back to the edge of the forest?"

* * *

"Applejack done told me them infected ponies turn all crystally green," Apple Bloom said. "To be honest, Ah can't even imagine what they're goin' through, and Ah don't want nopony else to die. Ah'll also help sick ponies and critters in any way Ah can… for Braeburn. Ah'm sure he'd approve…"

Explaining her enthusiasm, the younger Apple slightly lowered her gaze. Before her amber eyes, for the umpteenth time in the past month and a half, appeared the image of her beloved cousin, who died in the catastrophe in Appleloosa along with other relatives she knew to a lesser extent. Easily recognizing the rekindled sorrow in her eyes, Twilight approached her. She gently touched her chin with a hoof and, raising her head slightly, said affectionately:

"That's very kind of you, Apple Bloom. I have no doubt Braeburn would be proud of you, just as we all are."

"Indeed," Spike affirmed confidently, standing beside Twilight. The filly's eyes immediately lit up with delight, and a fond smile appeared on the face of the Princess of Friendship. However, the dragon added with a hint of concern, "Although I hope there won't be any more sick ponies."

The hope of the dragon was shared by all of Equestria in one way or another because if new sick ponies had started to appear, it would mean that the green mineral had reached more settlements. All those who had been infected with the crystal in the early days following the meteorite's fall had long since passed away. The last outbreak of the epidemic was only the infection of the animals in the Everfree Forest, the treatment of which Zecora discovered the healing properties of her potion.

Among the ponies, there had been no new cases of illness for over a month. And there were two possible explanations for this turn of events: either everyone had realized it was better not to approach the Appleloosa area, or cases of infection had become isolated, and the unfortunate individuals died faster than they could appear to anypony. Nevertheless, without exception, everyone wanted to believe that the deaths had finally ceased.

Naturally, Twilight also hoped with all her heart that the number of victims would not continue to rise, but she believed that all ponies needed to be prepared for any, even the direst, turn of events. Therefore, she wholeheartedly supported the filly with the red bow.

"In any case, the knowledge of the recipe for this potion…"

The words of the Princess of Friendship suddenly came to an abrupt end with a piercing crash, resembling thunderclaps. The three ponies and the dragon instinctively cast frightened glances to the east – where the loud noise was coming from – and saw powerful electrical discharges in the dark sky. Judging by the dense clouds on the horizon, it was a thunderstorm front. However, none of those watching the abundant lightning strikes had ever seen such a terrifying storm in their lives.

Flashes of lightning, piercing the air from the sky to the ground, were flashing approximately two miles from Ponyville, and the east wind foretold that this monstrous storm would soon pass over the roofs of the local houses. But even at such a distance, it was already inspiring awe. It made Fluttie's knees tremble, causing her to crouch down, while the younger Apple, more frightened by the suddenness of the thunderclaps, pressed closely to her. Spike, in turn, automatically clung to Twilight, gripping her hind leg with his paws. The princess herself felt how each lightning strike seemed to shake her core, but at the same time, something caused her the deepest astonishment.

"A thunderstorm at the end of autumn?" she exclaimed, inadvertently further scaring the timid pegasus with her words.

"Oh no, not a thunderstorm! I'm terrified of t-thunder!"

"It's probably another mishap in Cloudsdale," the little dragon grumbled gloomily, releasing the hind leg of the lavender pony. To replace his sudden terror, irritation began to creep into his heart because he had almost no doubt that the anomalous storm was caused by the negligence of the pegasi from the Weather Factory in the city on the clouds.

As soon as Spike voiced his assumption, a particularly bright flash suddenly appeared amidst the lightning, stretching out in seconds into an unusual energy sphere of bluish hue. This rather sizable object began to spin at a frenzied speed, like an uncontrollable carousel. With a slight delay, the observers heard a horrifying roar emanating from it, which woke up almost the entire Ponyville. Lights flickered in the houses everywhere. Frightened ponies rushed outside to figure out what was happening. Their amazement, bordering on fear, knew no bounds when they saw the energy sphere in the dark night sky, accompanied by electrical discharges. Among them, silent panic loomed.

The sphere continued to rotate in the sky for about five minutes, after which it abruptly dimmed, producing a loud pop. In the place where the vanished sphere had been, something gigantic, resembling, as Twilight thought, a metallic structure in the shape of a truncated cone, had formed and immediately crashed somewhere in a field, evidently a couple of miles from the town. It was hard to say what happened to this contraption after falling from such a significant height, but the mere fact of its appearance deeply puzzled and thoroughly frightened all the ponies.

"What was that?!" suddenly came a hoarse, crackling voice from behind Sparkle, tinged with evident tension and excitement. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Rainbow Dash hovering about a meter above the ground. Touching the path scattered with dry leaves with her hooves, she folded her wings and, never taking her eyes off the now calm sky, added, "I can't recall Clousdale planning any more storms this year."

"Maybe it's aliens?" Spike thought aloud. His hope that the anomaly they had witnessed was just a Weather Factory glitch was not fulfilled.

Exchanging glances with the dragon, Dash shrugged hesitantly. She didn't dismiss the possibility that the princess's assistant might be right, even though her mental image of how these unknown cosmic foes would appear, about whom she had frequently heard in the royal palace, was somewhat different. In truth, neither the lightning strikes, nor the strange sphere, nor the massive object that emerged from it hinted at anything to her.

Listening to the eerie silence around her, Twilight noticed that the very thing that had fallen out of the extinguished sphere hadn't made a sound upon impact with the ground. Of course, at a distance of a couple of miles, the crash might simply not have reached her ears, but she still found this fact suspicious. Nevertheless, she decided that she should learn as much as possible about the object she had seen, especially if it posed any threat.

Turning to her frozen friends, Sparkle first noticed Fluttershy, who was no longer pressed into the ground but still gazed at the eastern horizon with wide-open eyes, not without anxiety. Apple Bloom continued to huddle close to her, feeling a sense of confusion. Then the princess's gaze shifted to the rainbow-maned pony, who was also glued to the observation of the part of the sky shrouded in dark clouds.

"Rainbow Dash!" she called out to her friend, taking control of the situation. After all, Celestia had entrusted Ponyville's defense to her. "Gather your best flyers and scout the crash site of that object. We need to know if it poses any danger to us, understood?"

"Got it!" Dash responded immediately, ready for action despite being rudely awakened from her sweet nap when that deafening roar had disrupted her cloud home. Nevertheless, the sudden tension only fueled her determination to face whatever risks lay ahead.

"And be careful, okay? There could be anything over there!"

"Don't worry about us, Wonderbolts are in their element with clouds," the sky-blue pegasus chuckled with her characteristic carefree attitude.

Following that, Rainbow immediately soared into the air and rushed to the Wonderbolts Academy to assemble a reconnaissance team from her own personal staff. Twilight watched her go, silently praying to Celestia that her friend and those flying reconnaissance with her would be safe. But just a few seconds later, Spike distracted the lavender pony, patting her on the shoulder and silently pointing towards the nearest houses. Dozens of bewildered Ponyville residents were standing on their doorsteps, staring at the princess in the middle of the street with wide eyes.

Although Twilight became the center of attention for the frightened town ponies, Fluttershy felt even more uncomfortable under their gazes. However, the sudden rumblings of thunder were enough to make her heart race. In the meantime, the princess was troubled by a different circumstance. She understood that all these ponies needed to be calmed down urgently, or uncontrolled panic would erupt among them.

"Stay calm, everypony! Rainbow Dash and her fliers will scout the area and tell us what happened," Sparkle stated firmly, though she couldn't bring herself to assert that the town ponies had no reason to worry.

However, among the town ponies at the same moment, a subdued clamor erupted; they all began to exchange impressions of what they had seen, as well as speculate about the nature of the mysterious sphere and what seemed to have caused its sudden disappearance. Sensing the tension in the air, Twilight looked around hesitantly until she noticed a young filly with a red bow beside her.

"What's gonna happen next, Twilight?" Apple Bloom worriedly inquired as she approached the princess. The purple mare didn't know what to say, only frantically trying to figure out how to instill calmness in the surrounding ponies before their chatter turned into a general commotion. Answering the young pony's question, however, fell to Spike, who sighed in annoyance.

"It looks like a sleepless night…"

2.2. Morning News

Swiftly cutting through the cool morning air, Rainbow Dash flew toward Ponyville from the direction of Lake Saddlе. Behind her, a dozen of the fastest pegasi, chosen as part of recent military reforms that also affected the Wonderbolt Corps, kept pace. Soon, the shadows of the flyers, sharply outlined in the light of the risen sun, fell upon the rooftops of the houses located on the eastern outskirts of the town. The rainbow-maned mare made a special hoof gesture and then pointed in the direction of her hometown, Cloudsdale.

The Wonderbolts promptly responded to the order to return to the academy, indicated by the gesture. Dashie adjusted her course slightly, aiming to reach the Castle of Friendship and report the results of the reconnaissance to Twilight. Fortunately, everything had gone relatively smoothly, although the pegasus was quite concerned about what she had witnessed with her own eyes during the night. Her subordinates were equally uncertain about how to react to it, but they had pledged to report only the bare facts to Spitfire, the senior officer of the corps.

At this early hour, Ponyville was just beginning to wake up, although some ponies had already left their homes, so the town didn't seem empty at all. Soaring above the straw-covered rooftops, Rainbow surveyed the streets unfolding beneath her until she spotted three friends heading, it seemed, toward the Castle of Friendship. She immediately descended and touched down a few meters in front of them. While Applejack and Fluttershy froze in place at her unexpected appearance, Pinkie Pie wasted no time and dashed towards her like lightning, barely giving her a chance to push her goggles up onto her forehead.

"Hey there, Dashie!" exclaimed the pink pony, enveloping the rainbow-maned pegasus in such swift and firm hugs that she could barely stand on her hooves. Then, slightly pulling away but not releasing her neck from her hooves, Pinkie began to chatter relentlessly: "How did the flight go? Did you see the aliens? Are they friendly or not so much? Do they have hooves like ours, or do they walk on six spider legs? How soon will they be here? You did tell them where our hotel in Ponyville is, right? And how many…"

"Wait, Pinkie! I'm glad to see you too," Rainbow said grimly, taking decisive action to interrupt the endless stream of questions, and silencing her excited friend by placing a hoof over her mouth. However, her gaze shifted to two other mares who had approached.

"You was gone the whole dang night," Applejack observed with a hint of concern, having learned about Rainbow's reconnaissance mission from her younger sister. "Find anythin' out yonder? Hope everythin's alright?"

"I wouldn't quite say that," Dash replied, her tone less than cheerful, finally freeing Pinkie's lips in the hope that she wouldn't continue her overly long list of questions. To Rainbow's relief, the cheerful pink pony didn't say another word and also didn't release her from the friendly embrace.

"Oh no," Fluttershy immediately exclaimed, suspecting that yesterday's anomaly had spawned something truly dreadful and very dangerous. "So there's a reason I couldn't sleep tonight! Are we really in great danger now?

"Apple Bloom couldn't catch a wink all night too, and neither could I with her," the farmer said tiredly. Indeed, her little sister was so upset by yesterday's events that she couldn't fall asleep. As a result, the two of them dozed off on her bed towards morning, but were awakened by the roosters just a couple of hours later. Shaking her head slightly to dispel the sudden drowsiness, the blonde returned to the original topic: "So, what'd y'all see?"

The question from the ginger pony was also supported by the cheerful pink one, who stared at the rainbow-maned pegasus with a smiling look, as if requesting curious details. It seemed that Pinkie had missed her friends' reasoning that what the reconnaissance team saw outside of Ponyville could be of a threatening nature. Briefly looking around, Rainbow noticed that there were quite a few ponies nearby, by the walls of houses and fences, and they were all looking at her. Obviously, the townsfolk were also awaiting the results of the night reconnaissance, and none of them even knew about the patches in the sky and Star Swirl's prophecy, so they could only guess at the reasons for the appearance of lightning and that sphere.

Causing panic among the Ponyvillians was unwise, so Dashie considered the street an unsuitable place for such a conversation. With a tired sigh, she first pushed away the broadly smiling Pie, and then got down to business:

"Is Twilight at her place?"

"Yes, but, um… she's asleep right now," the pink-maned pegasus cautioned timidly. "Yesterday, Spike had a hard time convincing her to go to bed, and I think we should let her get some rest if possible. I haven't slept for just one night, and I already feel unwell, but she's been having sleep problems for a while."

"I think she won't like it," the rainbow-maned pony mused, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Finally, after making a decision, she said, "On the other hoof, I don't have anything too urgent at the moment, especially since I've sent my flyers to report everything to Spitfire. I'm sure Celestia and Luna will know everything they need to in just a couple of hours. Yes, you're right, Fluttershy, let's not disturb her, or she'll be completely exhausted!"

"Yup," the pony in the hat confirmed. "Besides, she's likely to wake up soon anyhow, and for now, you can take a break and…"

"…and tell us everything first!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, somehow jumping onto farmer's back and sticking her head above hers, so that the cowboy hat now rested on her curly pink mane. AJ, a bit surprised, looked up as far as nature allowed and saw the smiling face of her likely cousin right above her.

Once again, briefly scanning all the nearby townsfolk who had frozen in anticipation of news, Dash thought it would be better to continue the conversation with her three friends in a more private setting. Nodding her head towards the Friendship Castle, towering on the northern outskirts of the town, she replied softly:

"Alright, but not here…"

* * *

Twilight slowly opened her eyelids, and the sun's rays streaming into the bedroom through the windows gently caressed her beautiful violet eyes. Right after the incident with the strange energy sphere, the princess had intended to start building crystal spires around Ponyville. However, Spike had managed to persuade her to postpone it until tomorrow and get a good night's sleep. If yesterday the lavender pony had argued with her assistant, now she was grateful to him for his persistence. Her sleep that night had been surprisingly deep and, therefore, sweet!

Stretching slightly under the blanket, Sparkle spontaneously pondered what was on her agenda for the day. It immediately came to her mind that she had sent Dashie on a reconnaissance mission to the location where that huge thing had fallen out of the sphere when it collapsed. In a sudden wave of worry for her friend, she raised her head from the soft pillow and froze in astonishment. On one of the beds across from the princess's, rested that sky-blue pegasus. She lay on her back, propping her front hooves behind her head, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, as if she thought her friend was some kind of waking dream. "You're back?"

"Yeah, for quite a while," Dash replied through a yawn, rising and sitting comfortably in the middle of her bed. The princess, looking puzzled, inquired:

"But why didn't you wake me up right away?"

"I decided not to disturb you. After all, you haven't had a good night's sleep in about two weeks," explained the rainbow-maned pony. Twilight thanked her for her thoughtfulness, even though she believed the current situation didn't allow for delays due to what she saw as minor matters.

However, the time hadn't been wasted for Dash. After telling her three friends what she had seen in the distance from Ponyville, she had an hour to spare for sleep. But about fifteen minutes ago, something had prompted her to wake up, even though she hadn't managed to get a full night's rest, and she had simply been lying in bed until she was called by the princess.

In addition to the fact that Dash hadn't slept all of the past night, conducting reconnaissance and surveillance, she had very little time to rest during the preparations to safeguard Equestria against a potential invasion by unknown enemies. She frequently had to fly to Cloudsdale to deliver various orders addressed to the Wonderbolts' commanders, and, eventually, she had to attend her own promotion. It had been two days since she had been in the flight officer corps as a lieutenant, something she would have been ecstatic about if it weren't for the anxiety that was only intensified by her exhaustion.

Believing that a matter as crucial as the safety of Ponyville and all its residents demanded heightened attention, Twilight wished to find out as soon as possible whether the Wonderbolts' reconnaissance team had detected anything hostile to the east of the town. She emerged from under the covers but didn't leave her cozy bed, instead getting right to the point:

"Is there something out there? What did you manage to discover?"

"Actually, nothing good. There's some sort of factory there now… or a workshop, guarded by two-legged steel monsters," the sky-blue pegasus briefly described the scene she had witnessed, looking confused.

"Monsters?" the princess surprised, to which her rainbow-maned friend confidently replied:

"There's no other way to describe them."

Glancing slightly to the side, Sparkle seemed to freeze like an ice sculpture. Could it be that Dashie was talking about those very aliens that devoured the planet Martis and the asteroid belt? Aliens whose invasion threat had terrified poor Starlight to the core and made the alicorn sisters seriously consider Equestria's defenses? Were these the creatures that would put an end to the entire world, as Star Swirl had prophesied? All these questions raced through the purple mare's mind at breakneck speed, leaving her little chance to pull herself together and try to answer them somewhat rationally.

Despite her inner turmoil, the Princess of Friendship understood that it was still too early for all the ponies to draw any conclusions. However, the mere thought of risking the wrath of these uninvited guests sent shivers down her spine. In light of this, she turned her gaze back to the pegasus and inquired:

"I hope they didn't notice you?"

"They did," Rainbow sighed guiltily. "We watched them from the clouds all night, saw them setting up, exploring the area – for some reason, many of them headed towards the Everfree Forest. But as morning approached, a strong wind kicked up, and we had to descend lower. When we got closer to their position, they started keeping a close eye on our maneuvers. But strangely enough, they didn't display any aggression. They just stared at us, all of them, and nothing more."

Taken aback by what she heard, Twilie once again fell into deep thought. Whatever it was, she didn't like the fact that some monsters had decided to settle near Ponyville with unknown intentions and without any warning. Remembering how a colossal dragon had taken residence in Central Equestria a few years ago and the consequences his smoky breath had brought, the princess involuntarily shuddered. Not all neighbors were to her liking. Could it be that these strangers were establishing a presence in these lands – seriously and for the long haul?

"What kind of factory did they build?" the lavender pony finally inquired, struggling to gather her thoughts.

"You can see it for yourself. It's visible from here," the pegasus pointed to the window next to the princess's bed. "You might even spot the steel monsters through a telescope."

Feeling the same oppressive uncertainty as she did with the patches in the sky, Sparkle jumped off the bed, went to the nearest window, and used her magic to bring a small telescope closer to her. It was a customary item in her room, one she used more often for surveying the area than for stargazing. First, she looked in the direction where that peculiar truncated cone had fallen yesterday. From the castle's height, she could make out some sort of structure, situated on a small hillock near Lake Saddle, a little over two miles from Ponyville. However, discerning anything specific at such a distance was impossible.

Next, Sparkle adjusted the telescope. Tweaking the lenses, she brought her eye to the eyepiece and saw the object Dash had mentioned. It was a twenty-meter tall building, distinctive in its unusual shape. A circular platform with an image of a coiled scorpion tail was attached to the front, while on the sides, there were small extensions with pipes emitting greenish smoke. The walls of this factory were black with faintly glowing red stripes.

The building was surrounded by eight peculiar structures resembling curved black and red obelisks. The pointed top of each structure consisted of a bright crimson crystal. Twilight mentally speculated that these edifices were somewhat like the crystal spires recently erected around Canterlot. Therefore, they were designed to protect the main building. Their placement gave her the impression that they were stone sentinels guarding something valuable.

Beneath the obelisks were the beings Rainbow Dash had referred to as steel monsters. These creatures, numbering about twenty in the squad, stood on two legs, and what the princess intuitively perceived as weapons were integrated into their limbs. She was correct, despite never having seen anything like them before. These creatures' bodies were entirely made of metal. Although, perhaps they were not bodies but armor.

Their faces were steel masks with large red crosses, presumably serving as eyes. However, on some of them, instead of a cross, four pairs of equally red dots were illuminated. With their large builds and slightly hunched powerful necks, these beings partly reminded the princess of Storm King's soldiers who had stormed Canterlot last summer.

While Sparkle was observing, the circular platform in front of the factory suddenly began to rise, rotating 180 degrees. It turned out to be the roof of an underground chamber, the gates of which had risen to the surface and opened. In the next moment, a unit of ten steel monsters emerged from there and immediately reinforced the defense of the factory's territory. The chamber that had released them outside returned to its original position, once again becoming a platform.

"They're gathering military strength!" Twilight concluded with concern, tearing herself away from the telescope.

Upon hearing the hoofsteps behind her, the Princess of Friendship turned around and with widened eyes, she stared at the sky-blue pegasus who had approached her. Seeing only one way to resolve the situation, Rainbow immediately suggested:

"Perhaps we should strike first?"

Dash's idea left Sparkle overwhelmed. The mere fleeting thought of initiating a conflict with these aliens, one that could potentially escalate into a full-scale war of annihilation, made her stomach churn and her breathing difficult. After another glance out of the window at the lair of the uninvited guests visible from the Friendship Castle, she turned back to her awaiting friend.

"I think engaging in hostilities with these creatures could be very dangerous," she said with concern for the lives of all the ponies. Finally, she concluded, "Let's try to live in peace with them."

"What are you talking about, Twilight? They're building on our land, and as you said, they're gathering military power," Dashie reminded her, thinking that in this case, adopting a passive tactic was too reckless. "Their actions hardly indicate they've come in peace!"

"But if we start a war with them, all their kind from space will come here and destroy Equestria. Perhaps maintaining peace is our only chance to save the country from destruction, do you understand?" the lavender mare expressed her position. She really didn't want the events of last summer, when the long-awaited Festival of Friendship turned into an occupation of the entire land of the little ponies, to repeat itself, not to mention an even worse scenario. Therefore, she feared any pretext for war like the plague.

Reflecting on the alicorn's arguments, Rainbow came to the conclusion that the situation was essentially at a standstill. Any action, one way or another, promised the most unfavorable outcome for all of Equestria. But she considered sitting idly by and doing nothing the worst decision. Despite her certainty that the intentions of those steel monsters she had seen at relatively close range were far from benevolent, she still retorted:

"Well, what if they don't want to live in peace?"

"Then we will have to defend ourselves somehow," Sparkle firmly replied, returning to surveying the terrain, which stretched eastward all the way to Lake Saddle, beyond which lay an extensive stony plain. With a sigh, she added, "But in any case, we need to discuss this issue urgently with Princess Celestia…"

2.3. Barbarians at the Gates

”Today is 12.14.1307. It's been a long time since I wrote in my journal…

Things are very bad for us. It seems like the end is really near. The green crystal has reached the large deposits of precious stones. Upon coming into contact with them, it instantly turned almost a third of our country into a lifeless wasteland. Las Pegasus and the southern part of Everfree Forest are now buried beneath green fields, just like Appleloosa and the Rock Farm (fortunately, Pinkie Pie's family left it right after the meteorite fell and have been living in Ponyville since). I suspect the mineral has reached the precious stones, spreading underground. Honestly, I'm very afraid that it might spread to the Crystal Empire in the same way.

I'm completely at a loss, and I don't know what to do. For three days now, ponies who miraculously survived this disaster have been flocking to Ponyville. They've all lost their homes, and many are infected with the crystal. Fluttershy is working around the clock, taking them into her home and treating them with Zecora's potion. Apple Bloom is helping her by gathering the necessary herbs from the unaffected parts of the forest. I'm sure it's incredibly hard for both of them to see dying ponies every day, to look into their fearful eyes where there's still hope for recovery. We try to support Fluttershy and Apple Bloom in any way we can, even if it's just moral support, and I really hope it makes them feel at least a little better.

The aliens are worrying me too. They're increasing their power every day. Their lair is expanding. Yesterday, I counted seventeen structures. Moreover, this military facility is now surrounded by a wall (seemingly made of concrete) and twelve structures that look like obelisks. There's an entire army of steel monsters there. I guess we could call it a city now.

Also, I'm scared by the aliens' actions towards the green crystal. Five days ago, Rainbow Dash's reconnaissance team observed unusual-looking machinery heading to the green fields near Dodge Junction and collecting the mineral in quite substantial quantities. After filling their reservoirs, these machines returned and unloaded the crystals at some sort of factory. Why are they doing this? Perhaps they're trying to destroy this cursed mineral in this way? And why do they show no aggression towards the Wonderbolts who are observing them? What if they don't want war?

By the way, about the war. After we prepared nature for winter, Princess Celestia sent two hundred pony knights and a hundred unicorn guards to Ponyville. They set up a tent camp not far from Fluttershy's house, and then they started building a palisade around the town. Now Ponyville is protected not only by the crystal spires I erected but also by the soldiers who keep watch day and night on the new town walls. Celestia ordered us to prepare for defense but not to attack the aliens and wait for their actions. However, after the disaster with the green crystal, we have no time for that. But why are the aliens ignoring us?

I'm terrified. I don't know why I'm writing about all this in the research journal. But I can't think of anything else to write about. The thought that Equestria will never be the same again and is possibly living its last days just won't leave my mind. And this thought is breaking my heart into pieces. And it's not just mine. Even Princess Celestia is now afraid to look into the future, as it seems that there's nothing good waiting for us there”.

– Excerpt from Princess Twilight's journal.

Having finished, Twilight surveyed the empty throne room. She was here alone, as she had wished to be alone for a while. Everything that had happened in the past few days weighed heavily on her shoulders. In just a matter of weeks, Equestria had lost an entire major city, not to mention the smaller southwestern settlements, along with thousands of acres of land. The extraterrestrial mineral had dealt yet another devastating blow, and the lavender mare found it hard to believe that her beloved world would ever recover from it.

Perhaps Sparkle was more distressed about the recent troubles than many other ponies who were also seized by panic once again. She saw her guilt in the fact that the green crystal had spread so extensively, as she had been supposed to find a way to stop its growth, but she had not succeeded in doing so. Therefore, the princess considered herself responsible for the deaths of all the ponies who had died in the recent catastrophe.

Indeed, it was a monstrous death! When the green crystal reacted with the precious stones in the mines near Las Pegasus, an underground explosion occurred, instantly infecting a vast area that had previously been the San Palomino Desert and the Applewood Mountains. Most of the ponies living in that region died immediately, and all the others fled to Central Equestria in search of salvation. Many died of infection on the way, and the rest encountered their death in settlements to the north of the Ghastly Gorge. Only a few were lucky enough to be cured thanks to the miracle elixir that Fluttershy gave to all the refugees, meeting them near her home dressed in a chemical protection suit. As for those whom the mineral had not affected at all, there were very few of them.

Pushing the journal aside, Twilight crossed her front hooves on the round crystal table and rested her head on them. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She had been suffering from complete insomnia for three days now. At night, she no longer delved into her magical books, unable to gather her thoughts, instead, she merely agonized over haunting worries and often cried. And now, her sad violet eyes welled up with tears as she imagined the scale of the disaster that had befallen Equestria. Her face buried in her hooves, she couldn't hold back and burst into quiet sobbing.

From now on, the purple mare felt that she no longer had the strength to fight for her native world, even though the battle had seemingly just begun. Due to the spread of this cursed space mineral, all the ponies were inching closer to their complete extinction by the hour. With this outlook, there was no need for an alien invasion for the end of the world to occur. Therefore, Sparkle felt not only her own powerlessness but also that there was no strength left in all of Equestria. And even magic had failed to cope with the growth of the green crystal…

Completely losing her sense of time, Twilight didn't know how long she had been shedding tears and berating herself for the catastrophe she had allowed to happen, the one she had previously feared so deeply. But at some point, behind her, the door suddenly swung open, and the throne room filled with the clattering of hooves galloping in. Frightened by the unexpected intrusion into her sorrowful solitude, she even flinched.

"Princess Twilight!" suddenly, somepony's loud but somewhat anxious voice echoed. Glancing back from behind her throne, Sparkle saw a guard bursting into the room and immediately began frantically wiping away the tears that had spilled onto her eyes and cheeks. The guard stopped and, finally noticing Her Highness's condition, hesitantly inquired, "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

"Yes," Twilight replied, her voice choked. Making an effort to push away her despondency and swallowing a lump in her throat, she managed to compose herself and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Three unidentified flying objects have been spotted high in the sky near Ponyville," the pony soldier reported, causing the princess to drop her jaw in astonishment. "What are your orders?"

Inside Twilight everything suddenly came to a halt. Just moments ago, she had been crying over Equestria's unhealable wound inflicted by the green crystal, and now another disaster was looming over all ponies. She had no doubt that the guard had informed her of the approach of some unidentified alien flying machines, possibly akin to those airships used by the Storm King's soldiers. Although these uninvited guests had given no reason to accuse them of being aggressive over the past two weeks, a nagging premonition tormented the lavender mare, suggesting that they had come here to unleash the fires of war upon all living beings.

Receiving the news with the same dread that Starlight had felt when she first spotted the patches in the sky a month ago, the Princess of Friendship was left speechless. The pony soldier, who had been awaiting her orders, seemed about to ask the same question, but suddenly, she illuminated her horn with magic and in an instant, teleported herself and him to the doorstep of the Friendship Castle. As bad as things were spiraling around her, she couldn't allow herself to remain idle. At the very least, her sense of responsibility to other ponies continued to drive her forward, no matter what.

Sparkle looked around in astonishment at the winter Ponyville covered in snow and already adorned with holiday decorations. Yes, just recently, all ponies were preparing for the upcoming Hearth's Warming Day, and a festive mood was blossoming in their hearts, despite the troubling presence of unknown creatures who, however, consistently ignored everyone. But as soon as the crystal destroyed Las Pegasus, panic once again swept across the entire country, erasing any trace of the anticipation of upcoming celebrations from the Equestrians.

On the streets illuminated by garlands and festive lanterns, there were many Ponyvillians who gazed at the dark evening sky with fear and trepidation, obscured by heavy snow clouds. Looking in the same direction, Twilight immediately spotted what the guard had reported to her. At the sight of the new threat looming over Ponyville, she nervously swallowed, then glanced at the stallion, who seemed somewhat bewildered by the sudden teleportation, and just to be sure, she decided to clarify, pointing a hoof at the sky:

"These?"

"Affirmative," confirmed the guard pony. Seeing that the alicorn was still clearly not herself, he thought it necessary to repeat the same question he had been sent here with by the commander of the Ponyville garrison, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Before answering anything, Twilight looked up at the sky once again. Right beneath the dome of low, grayish clouds slightly east of Ponyville hung a trio of massive objects, each as wide as a medium-sized buckball field and as tall as a one-story house. They all had the shape of a flat, elongated hexagonal prism, pointed at the front. As far as the princess could tell, they were made of neither metal nor some crystal, though perhaps a combination of both. Their textured surface was as black as pitch and adorned with blue, glowing patterns. The distance prevented her from discerning further details.

While the purple mare examined these flying machines, they seemed to be inactive, merely hovering at an altitude of around a couple of hundred meters. Nevertheless, their proximity to the town clearly boded ill. Sparkle was most concerned about the lives of the ponies, and ensuring their protection was her top priority. She could only hope that there was still time for that.

"Gather the troops in front of the town hall. I'll be waiting for you there," Twilight ordered after brief contemplation.

"Understood, Princess!" replied the guard, and then galloped toward the tented barracks to convey the order to the commander. He, too, fully realized that time was of the essence, and there might not be enough time to prepare for a possible attack.

The Princess of Friendship looked at him and then turned her attention back to the unknown flying objects, desperately trying to collect her thoughts and courage. Despite having given orders seemingly decisively, she had been in absolute confusion. After the green crystal destroyed Southern Equestria, the aliens suddenly decided to attack, and in this circumstance, the lavender mare saw indirect confirmation that they had come here far from peacefully. Waiting for the moment when the ponies were in a real shock, they simply chose perfect conditions for an attack, and that was probably the last thing needed to make the situation completely hopeless.

But something had to be done, and Twilight, by an effort of will, tried to suppress the panic raging in her heart. Now she considered herself obliged to think clearly and act infallibly, however difficult it might be. After some thought, the purple pony concluded that first of all, she needed to gather all her friends. After all, together, they often managed to accomplish even the impossible…

* * *

"Apple trees and cider barrels! How in the hay are we gonna handle this?" exclaimed Applejack in fear when it became evident that the unidentified objects hovering high above were descending with confidence.

The six embodiments of the Elements of Harmony and Spike stood in the middle of the main intersection of the eastern streets of Ponyville, keeping their eyes on the sky where unusual-looking flying fortresses suddenly began to perform some maneuvers. Pony soldiers surrounded them from all sides. If the unicorn guards were ready to use magic against the presumed enemies at any moment, the knights felt uncomfortable because they had no means to fight against aerial forces. However, they couldn't ignore the orders of the Princess of Friendship to gather the troops, so they stood here in nervously waiting for an intense battle.

A whole line of peaceful town ponies moved across the intersection between the ranks of the guards. Twilight had ordered them to seek refuge in her castle until the threat from the aliens dissipated. Startled by the sudden intrusion, stallions and mares hurried to get out from under the flying fortresses hovering above their district, taking their foals with them and sometimes carrying bundles of their most valuable belongings. Behind the crowd of Ponyville residents was Starlight, urging them to move their hooves faster.

However, up to now, each of the princess's friends had participated in moving all the ponies out of potentially dangerous areas. But as soon as the situation escalated beyond what it had been, this responsibility fell entirely on the gentle lilac unicorn's shoulders. Twilight considered it her duty to be among the soldiers, and her friends, linked to her through the Elements, preferred not to leave her side. Although none of the six ponies and the little dragon wanted to be here.

Distracted from watching the flying machines that had arrived here with unknown intentions, Sparkle briefly surveyed all her friends standing beside her. They were all clearly on edge. While Rainbow Dash and Applejack tried their hardest not to show it, and Pinkie Pie and Spike seemed only moderately apprehensive, Rarity and Fluttershy were barely holding on to prevent themselves from succumbing to uncontrollable panic. The snowy white unicorn was breathing very heavily, anticipating the worst, and the gentle-yellow pegasus had a slight tremor. And the lavender alicorn hardly doubted that her timid friend would have barely come here if she had known in advance what awaited her.

Yes, when the princess gathered all her friends to address a serious problem that had arisen, Rainbow Dash immediately flew over to Fluttershy and practically pushed her out of her house, saying only that there was no time for explanations. At first, the timid pegasus assumed that she was urgently needed due to the appearance of a new wave of infected ponies who needed her help, so she didn't object, although along the way, she remembered that all the potions she had prepared in advance were still in her basement. But as soon as the real reason became evident, there was no turning back… even though she really, really wanted to.

Fearing that poor Fluttershy's nerves might not withstand the growing anxiety, Twilight sneakily glanced at her. Pegasus's rounded eyes were fixed on the sky. For about a quarter of a minute until she was interrupted by Starlight's voice:

"All the houses near the water mill are already abandoned, but some say there are still ponies in that quarter," the violet-maned unicorn reported, pointing to a group of houses on the right side of the street closer to the wooden rampart that had recently surrounded the town. Glancing briefly at the slowly descending flying machines, she added, "If the aliens start right now, we simply won't have time to get them out of there, but… we can't just leave them, can we?"

Sparkle was trying to make a decision faster than the irreversible could happen, her mind racing. Her gaze then spontaneously scanned the ranks of the guards. Perhaps, in this case, it was the wisest idea…

"I'll send soldiers after them," she finally replied to her student, then nodded toward the group of ponies who had crossed the intersection and were hurrying towards the Castle of Friendship. "Stay with them, and be ready to defend them if needed. If the worst happens, all hopes will rest on you, understand?"

"Alright," Glimmer nodded, not wanting to leave her friends in this turmoil but realizing the importance of the responsibility placed on her. After hugging her mentor, she then cast a rather anxious look at the six ponies and the dragon, demanding from them, "Take care, alright?"

"You too," Sparkle responded with reciprocity, a sentiment echoed by her entire company.

Lastly, after looking them all over once more, Starlight nodded to them with hope for a speedy reunion. Then she galloped after the evacuating Ponyville residents. Her heart ached for her friends; however, she had to take care of all these ponies. Despite witnessing everything she had feared since spotting the patches in the sky, she couldn't afford to panic. The violet-maned unicorn was determined to fulfill her duty to the best of her abilities.

Watching her go, Twilight mentally prayed to Celestia for all her friends. But remembering what her student had told her, she scanned for the commander of the knightly squad, standing behind the formation of his soldiers, and hurried to issue her orders. Thankfully, the princess was only about ten meters away from him, so she ended up next to him within seconds.

"In those houses, there are still ponies," the lavender mare pointed to the quarter her friend had mentioned. "Please, send at least a few soldiers there to escort them to the castle."

"As you command, Your Highness," the commander immediately complied and then relayed Princess Twilight's order to the soldiers he had promptly chosen for this task. They too rushed to fulfill it, galloping towards the designated quarter.

Taking a step back, Sparkle noticed her friends, along with the dragon, had caught up to her. This time, her attention was drawn to Dash. Considering the kind of adversary Ponyville was facing, she deemed it a significant oversight that there were no squads of pegasi in the garrison. Although she couldn't fathom the strengths and weaknesses of these flying fortresses, if an aerial battle were to unfold in the skies above the town, only the fliers who had dedicated their lives to slicing through the air among the clouds would feel comfortable.

"Rainbow Dash," she finally called out to the pegasus, once again fixing her gaze on the three objects that, as it seemed to her, had halted their descent and were hovering nearly a hundred meters above the ground, off to the side of Ponyville. "Quickly, fly to the Academy and bring all the Wonderbolts here! If they attack us from the air, perhaps only you can turn the tide."

"Got it!" Rainbow responded promptly, with stress urging her into action. "I'll be back in a flash."

With these words, the rainbow-maned pegasus swiftly took to the sky and immediately set her course for Cloudsdale. She understood that she was leaving her friends alone with potential danger, which is why she spared no effort with her own wings, pushing them to their limits, just to bring assistance to Ponyville as quickly as possible – preferably before an open conflict erupted. At least, recently her fellow flyers had been on high alert due to the catastrophe in Las Pegasus and the presence of mysterious aliens nearby. So, summoning the army of Equestria's finest fliers for the impending battle seemed like a swift task to her.

The rainbow trail left by the instantly ascending pegasus quickly dissipated, and all of Twilight's attention returned to the flying fortresses. Then, all of a sudden, large rectangular openings formed on the dark undersides of each of them. Bright bluish light emanated from these hatches, and in it, five ponies and a little dragon noticed something strange. Through these openings, the flying machines began to eject cylindrical metal capsules that rained down like sown seeds.

"What's this?" Pinkie wondered, looking at the falling containers. All around her, an atmosphere of universal horror prevailed, to which she involuntarily succumbed, especially after the destruction of Las Pegasus, which had unsettled her no less than everypony else. However, not long ago, she had been eagerly awaiting the moment when the aliens would stop ignoring all the ponies and make contact with them. But now her soul was filled with anxiety, and she didn't even try to find an explanation for it.

"Y'all reckon them's barrels, maybe?" AJ pondered, raising an eyebrow and subconsciously feeling slightly surprised that Pinkie didn't come up with her usual assumption that there might be candies or something like that inside these containers. However, the farmer fully understood that the pink-maned fun-loving pony was gripped by a more than natural fear of the unknown, which her instincts were suggesting posed a threat.

Capsules landed with a dull clang somewhere beyond the town, but the view of their landing spot was blocked by a three-meter-high palisade. Twilight and her entourage couldn't see what was happening there. Over a very short period, the flying fortresses collectively dropped about fifty of these containers. And what was happening with them on the snowy ground was only visible to a small patrol stationed on the wall directly above the eastern gate.

From the height of the three-meter palisade, there was a view of the hilly terrain covered with snowdrifts, stretching all the way to Lake Saddle. Here and there, solitary trees or even entire groves grew, also covered with dense shrubs. However, in general, this space, which stretched from the foothills of the Canterlot Mountains in the north to the Everfree Forest in the south, was a relatively clear field. A well-trodden pedestrian tract extended from the fortress gates, heading towards the capital. It was on this trail, about two hundred yards from the palisade, that those very capsules landed.

Immediately after each metal container landed with a clatter, it split into four segments, releasing those held inside. Upon seeing their hypothetical foes, two unicorn guards exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to make of what they were seeing. Meanwhile, their commander, who had no doubt about the hostility of these beings, was extremely concerned about their actions. Preparing to witness just about anything in the coming minutes, he forced himself to turn his gaze to his third subordinate – a rather young unicorn.

"Report to Princess Twilight that they are advancing," the patrol commander instructed him. The young unicorn obeyed the order, not particularly eager to remain on the frontlines, and quickly descended from the wall. Three of his comrades stayed behind to keep an eye on the enemies.

Running at a gallop along the entire length of the nearest street to the intersection, sometimes squeezing between the ranks of comrades-in-arms, the unicorn guard reached the princess as quickly as he could, which was in less than a minute. Approaching her and her entourage, he bowed and delivered his commander's message:

"Princess Twilight, they are advancing on our defenses!"

"Who's advancing?" Sparkle asked in surprise, unable to imagine how those barrels could be attacking Ponyville's defensive line. Her friends were equally puzzled.

The unicorn, it seemed, wanted to respond, but what happened to the palisade interrupted him. At that very moment, the wooden wall was literally shattered into splinters by the force of a large, spherical energy blob crashing into it. Three guards who were on it were thrown in different directions by the powerful explosion and soon lay lifeless on the ground.

Everypony gathered on the street crouched down in fear, trying to avoid being hit by a piece of the wall or, even worse, another similar energy projectile. The guard who had left his post just in time finally mustered the courage to respond to the princess, his voice trembling with horror:

"The steel m-monsters…"

P.S. "Great empires are not maintained by timidity" – Publius Cornelius Tacitus.

Act 1. Chapter 3: Ponyville on Fire

3.1. Dance of Death

"Everypony into the breach!" Twilight ordered as loudly as her vocal cords would allow. "Unicorns, go ahead, and pony knights, stay behind!"

Struggling to push aside her fear, the Princess of Friendship took to the air and hovered about a meter above the soldiers' heads, realizing that she would have to take at least some command of Ponyville's defense. Throughout her life, she had often played the role of organizer in various matters, but never before in battles, so her hooves trembled with the strain of moral responsibility. Nonetheless, there were still ponies in this area who hadn't had a chance to evacuate yet, which meant they needed protection, just like the rest of the town, no matter what happened.

The officers of the guard units repeated Twilight's orders one after another, and they were already being executed with full force. The street filled with the pounding of over a hundred hooves and the clinking of armor. The unicorns in the front lines quickly reached the wide gap torn in the palisade at the gate, forming ranks just as the enemy began firing at them. From her position, Sparkle noticed some of them falling lifeless under the periodic flickering of a strange energy, sending shudders of dread through her core. At the same moment, she saw a group of Ponyvillians burst out from around the corner of one of the streets leading to the right, accompanied by six pony knights.

To the squad of unicorn guards, it was necessary to protect both themselves and the town ponies, who had found themselves on the battlefield at the most inopportune moment. Twilight loudly commanded them to create a large magical shield that could mend the breach in the palisade. Her order instantly passed through the ranks of the soldiers, and she herself hurried to rise higher to personally see who the enemies advancing towards Ponyville were. She froze in mid-air as she just managed to put up a force field in front of her, as if by some premonition. A hail of blobs of pale energy was flying towards her – the same energy that had knocked the guards off their hooves. However, none of them hit the princess; they shattered not against her violet magical aura, to her surprise, but against a blue one.

"Twilight!" Rarity's terrified cry came from below. She had miraculously created a magical barrier in front of Twilight at the same moment.

Looking down, Sparkle saw her shocked friends, who had just witnessed nearly a dozen blobs of this strange deadly energy almost colliding with her. Fortunately, the magical aura created by Rarity staunchly withstood the enemy's hail of fire, even though the dressmaker was by no means known as a magic virtuoso. Without removing her own shield, the princess finally looked into the distance and saw those who were advancing to attack Ponyville.

To Twilight's surprise, these were by no means the same steel monsters that had appeared in Equestria last autumn. The majority of each of these creatures' bodies was also made of metal, but they had three tentacle-like appendages protruding from the back of their heads. They stood over two meters tall, sturdy torsos mounted on a pair of long legs, their faces concealed by metallic masks with fiery-red glowing eyes. Each alien had a weapon integrated into their upper right limb, something entirely unprecedented to any Equestrian. It was from such contraptions that a barrage of plasma bolts shot forth, heading toward the town's defensive line.

About fifty bipedal squid-like beings marched confidently toward Ponyville, firing upon the magical shield formed by the guards. Slowly but surely, an especially colossal monstrosity followed behind the dispersed squad of aliens. While its height was not much greater than its kin, its dimensions would have put to shame even the largest manticore found in the Everfree Forest. Unlike the other squids, this one carried two heavy weapons, one of which – a rather bulky cannon – had just blasted a sizable hole in the palisade.

With horror, Sparkle looked at the new enemies, noting that she had never seen such terrifying creatures before, neither in Equestria nor beyond its borders. Her gaze spontaneously lifted and gazed into the distance – where through the falling snow from the sky, she could barely make out the lair of the invaders. Did these hordes of squid-like beings and their flying fortresses come from there? The princess had never seen anything like that within the territory of this military facility, which left her dumbfounded. However, there was no time to think about it, and in the next moment, she noticed how a huge alien, raising a heavy cannon, fired another spherical projectile, aiming directly at her.

"Watch out!" cried the purple pony to those who remained on the ground, hurrying to retreat from the line of fire.

Not wanting to test whether magic could withstand the impact of such a large mass of unknown energy, Twilight dove down and, somersaulting through the air, returned to her friends, who were wavering on the brink of panic. They all huddled close to the ground and cautiously covered their heads, for as soon as the princess descended, a blazing sphere, the size of a haystack, flew precisely where she had been floating just seconds ago, shaking the street with slight vibrations. After passing by, it headed deeper into the town.

Cautiously lifting their heads, the princess and her three friends turned back and were stunned to see how a huge spherical projectile crashed into the town hall's roof, creating a massive hole. The building shook violently from the impact, causing the spire, significantly damaged at its base, to fold inward, thus widening the breach left by the energy sphere. Making an effort to shake off the horrifying impression, Twilight even shook her head and then looked worriedly at all her friends.

"Is everypony alright?" Sparkle asked loudly, trying to pierce through the noise of gunfire that still echoed on the enemy's advancing line. No one answered, clearly, they were all speechless from the nightmare happening here, but none of them had any wounds or even scratches. Except for noticing how Fluttershy kept pressing herself to the ground and frantically covered her eyes with her hooves, trying not to see everything that was happening around, the princess was worried about her. She feared that the timid pegasus' heart might not withstand such extreme stress.

"What in the name of all the grains is goin' on over yonder?!" Applejack exclaimed in astonishment, pointing to the breach in the palisade, which was held by the unicorn guards.

Before Twilight could respond, her attention was suddenly drawn to a bright red glow that momentarily flashed from the direction of the shattered palisade. She knew it was the crystal spires activating. Their peaks were illuminated by a burst of light, and a few seconds later, beams of fiery magic shot towards the enemy. Four spires were positioned on the attack line, all firing at once into the crowd of invaders, instantly destroying them one by one, leaving scorched holes on their armor and gel-like flesh. After each shot, it took some time to generate new magical energy, causing the attackers to suffer casualties at a slow rate. However, as long as the spires were protected by the force field, there was nothing to worry about… at least that's what the guards who had witnessed their first attack hoped for.

Due to the heads of dozens of soldiers crowding the street, the Princess of Friendship and her entourage had a poor view of what was happening on the defensive line, especially considering the multitude of flashes created by both the spires of dark crystal and the plasma bolts. Nevertheless, it was clear to them that the enemies were relentlessly advancing and firing at the magical shield. In response, they were being hit by beams of magical fire. The unicorns remained in solid defense, afraid to create even a momentary breach in their force field. The pony knights stood behind them, gazing in fascination at the approaching enemies, while a group of more than ten Ponyvillians risked crossing the street, escorted by a small contingent, as they headed away from the danger zone.

Assessing the situation, Sparkle realized that the unicorns couldn't maintain the magical shield indefinitely, and soon they would face a direct confrontation with the enemies. She had wanted to take to the air again at her own risk to see how close the squid-like beings had come to the defenses and the effectiveness of the crystal peaks that continuously fired at them from behind an undamaged part of the wall. But in that very moment, the dragon's claw grabbed the edge of her mane, cascading down her neck, and gave it a gentle tug.

"Um… Twilight, take a look up there," Spike barely managed to utter, capturing the attention of the princess and her friends to the dark sky. Even the timid pegasus removed her hooves from her eyes, although she didn't really want to see it.

Completely absorbed in what was happening in front of them, the ponies hadn't even noticed how three flying objects changed position and hovered just fifty meters above the straw roofs. One of them was positioned directly above the heads of the pony knights, making them even more uneasy as they looked up. Now, they could vividly see the might of these enormous mobile fortresses! Perhaps their appearance and size seemed much more imposing and ominous than of the Storm King's airships.

Sensing the paralyzing horror coursing through her body, Twilight nervously swallowed. Her friends were no less shaken. Fluttershy couldn't even find the strength to close her eyes again, and only Spike clung to the princess in terror when a powerful, low rumble echoed from the flying machines, causing the whole area to tremble.

"Oh, Celestia save us all!" the snowy white unicorn blurted out in a fit of animalistic terror, feeling the vibrations from the piercing noise shake her to her core. And then things got even more heated.

From numerous small openings on the sides of each mobile fortress hovering above the houses, clusters of tiny mechanisms began to emerge, emitting an eerie metallic sound vaguely resembling a whistle, leaving behind trails of faintly glowing blue streaks. These contraptions, shaped like manedryers but seemingly constructed from dark crystals, began carving circles in the air and emitting short plasma beams from the lower part of their structure, resembling a handle.

Fire from the small machines, buzzing furiously under the flying fortresses, burned through the thatched roofs and wooden walls of houses, gradually igniting them, and mowed down the pony knights, easily piercing their heavy armor and flesh. They immediately broke formation and scattered, seeking refuge from the relentless aerial attack, and very soon their unit turned into a disorderly mob, among which, amidst the nightmarish chaos, Twilight spotted another group of Ponyvillians who had burst onto the street. Without wasting time to secure both these ponies and herself along with her friends as quickly as possible, she overcame her paralysis and conjured an extensive magical shield over the street.

However, the panic that had started showed no sign of stopping, and even when the enemy fire from above was cut off by the alicorn's magic, the soldiers continued to move about in terror, along with nearly two dozen Ponyvillians, sometimes hiding in snow-covered bushes, under houses, or inside their walls, even as the roofs of some of them blazed with fire. Only the unicorns still held their ground for now, forming a protective sphere around themselves, and one might think that the strength of their magic, which had withstood more than a hundred hits, was granted by the Archmage Amulets hanging around their necks. Nevertheless, they, too, wavered because the advancing enemies were now less than a hundred yards away.

The Princess of Friendship did her utmost to shield all the ponies around her from the attacks of bothersome flying mechanisms, of which the mobile fortresses had spawned no fewer than half a hundred. Meanwhile, she noticed how a continuous succession of plasma bolts shattered the top of one of the crystal peaks, which happened to be beyond the magical sphere of the guards, thus disabling it. A similar attack immediately switched to another vulnerable defensive structure, which exacerbated the situation and was ready to drive the lavender pony into complete despair. However, at that very moment, she heard behind her something that frightened her as intensely as she had never been scared in her life:

"Fluttershy, no!" Rarity suddenly shouted as if she had seen one of her friends dead.

Without ceasing to maintain the magical defense against aerial attacks, Sparkle quickly turned around, expecting to witness the worst thing that could happen to her in these mournful days. She saw Fluttershy, in uncontrollable panic and tears, running away from this terrible turmoil. The sight of the blood of the slain stallions drove her crazy, and without thinking about anything and hardly seeing anything, pegasus rushed to flee toward the central square. Following her, Pinkie hurried to escape, screaming in horror and also unable to contain her shock.

The momentary relief of the princess at seeing her friends alive and well, albeit in a state of panic, was replaced by another wave of fear. The gently yellow pegasus and the pink earth pony were running away, and soon their galloping hooves had to carry them beyond the magical shield held by the purple alicorn. Outside of it, they would undoubtedly become easy prey for the fighter mechanisms, and now Twilight was torn between them and the pony knight who were taken by surprise. However, her thoughts didn't last long. It took less than a fraction of a second for the entire street to be illuminated by a bright light, and a massive energy projectile, similar to the one that had destroyed the palisade, slammed into the protective sphere of the unicorn guards, knocking them out cold.

The space trembled with a deafening roar, and Twilight suddenly felt a blow of unknown force, causing her to feel dizzy and her legs giving way beneath her. She involuntarily sprawled on the densely packed snow, but even in such a state, adrenaline urged her into action. She managed to lift her head and immediately attempted to rise to her hooves, which, however, she could only achieve with the support of Rarity and Applejack, who had rushed to her aid. Both friends helped her to stand and then quickly led her after the fleeing pegasus and earth pony, who were being carried away by their legs. Their primary goal was to protect the princess at any cost, although even they – especially the unicorn – were barely managing to avoid succumbing to mindless panic hysteria.

While running, Applejack scooped up Spike, who was petrified with fear, taking him onto her back, while Rarity stayed close to Twilight, who was moving unevenly, ready to support her at any moment. The princess had stuffed ears, and her mind was struggling to grasp reality after the strange impact; nevertheless, her hooves were carrying her forward. Finally, she shook her head in an attempt to regain some clarity and briefly assessed the situation by glancing around.

The street behind them was mostly deserted. The majority of the pony knights and a handful of town ponies who hadn't managed to find shelter had disappeared into houses and alleyways. Only a few in a state of panic ran about wildly, emitting wild cries. The magical shield of the unicorns had been neutralized, and they lay on the ground, writhing in excruciating pain and suffering from an unbearable shock, clutching their heads as if the energy projectile that shattered their magic had also melted their brains. The unfortunate stallions and mares were stunned and powerless, unable to flee from the relentless fire, which showed no sign of stopping.

The assault squad of squid-like beings was already visible at the breach in the wall, and their weapons mercilessly annihilated the shattered unicorns, while the nearest crystal peaks lay broken. Some of the invaders were attempting to shoot deeper into the town, picking off individual knights and trying to hit the retreating princess and her entourage. Fortunately, Rarity maintained a magical aura behind her, deflecting their shots, even though concentrating on such a basic spell was painfully difficult for her. Seeing that defeat was inevitable, Twilight instinctively looked up and witnessed the entire swarm of fighter drones congregating directly beneath the airborne fortresses, which were surrounded by spherical energy fields.

In that very moment, the blue protective spheres around the enemy flying objects flickered out, and dozens of small drones plunged downward, all as one, eager to continue the slaughter. Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were visible a few dozen yards ahead, still fleeing for their lives, and the mortal danger hanging over them sobered Twilight up after her momentary confusion. Her mind was resolute in its refusal to comprehend the horror unfolding here, and she was lost in terms of what to do. Yet her subconscious urge to protect her friends from a grim fate propelled her forward. When the swarm of drones was ready to resume their assault on everything in the eastern part of Ponyville, she stretched a wide magical barrier over the street to the best of her abilities in such a dire state.

The princess's magic covered a sufficient area to protect the pegasus and earth pony from the plasma beams raining down on them. Shots were whistling everywhere on that street, and behind them, there was the soul-chilling metallic roar of the squids mixed with the screams of dying pony soldiers, which only intensified the blind panic gripping the lavender mare. She wished she could forget everything and run as fast as she could, so all the dangers would become unreachably distant. Just like last summer, when she and her friends had escaped from the occupied Canterlot, but now the path to escape led to nowhere…

In a swift gallop, Fluttershy crossed the central square and ascended a short staircase to the round veranda of the city hall. In the throes of wild terror, she barely realized her actions, instinctively seeking refuge from the nightmare raging in the eastern part of the town within the walls of the municipal building. However, the grand doors were tightly sealed, no matter how desperately she pulled on the ring. Soon Pinkie, who had caught up with her, crashed into the insurmountable barrier, but this proved futile as well.

"Pinkie, what are ya doin?" the farmer nervously asked as she approached the town hall's porch, signaling the pink pony to stop her attempts. The timid pegasus, on the other hoof, had given up her fruitless efforts even before the rest of her friends arrived.

Pie didn't say a word in response, but she did stop showing her fright so dramatically. She slumped under the doors as if she had no strength left, her chest heaving spasmodically, and her wide, open blue eyes looked like glass. In turn, Fluttershy burst into uncontrollable sobs, finally seeing what was happening on the street she had abandoned. There Twilight also turned her gaze, as she stood on the round veranda. She was no longer maintaining the magical shield, as the swarm of machines had almost immediately fallen behind the mares and the little dragon, focusing all its strength on finishing off the already scattered pony soldiers.

Invading the streets of Ponyville, the squids completed the annihilation of the knights. Only one of them dared a desperate attack, ramming into the thigh of the nearest alien and knocking them off their feet. But it didn't help him at all, as the other creatures killed him almost instantly. The unicorns lay dead in the very place they had defended, more than ten houses were ablaze from the dense plasma fire, and the ponies hiding inside were forced to leave the four walls, only to instantly meet death on the street. The air was filled with smoke and blood! And Twilight had no doubt that this was precisely what Star Swirl had predicted. The thought that the beginning of Equestria's demise was unfolding before her eyes tore at her soul and her sanity.

"What's going to happen to us now?" Spike almost shouted, as if voicing the princess's thoughts when he also saw that in the distance on the eastern streets, death reigned, and it would soon inevitably reach them.

"Please… let's… get out of here!" Rarity moaned through her very heavy breath, finally giving in to fear and huddling closely to the weeping Fluttershy and the heavily trembling Pinkie Pie, who was in a real trance. None of them could ever imagine that such darkness would converge in their lives.

Twilight was completely overwhelmed by shock. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the carnage inflicted on the pony soldiers, taking place in the distance. But watching the gruesome bloodshed was both painful and terrifying. They were all dying under the onslaught of the invaders, and the princess couldn't do anything about it. Finally, she looked back at her friends, desperately wanting to follow the snowy white unicorn's offer. Applejack was on the verge of a breakdown, clearly visible in her emerald eyes, and Pinkie was shaking with fear, becoming more and more spasmodic. Now Twilight herself felt a tremor coursing through her, from the tips of her hooves to her horn.

It seemed like, along with the mares and the little dragon, even Ponyville was trembling in fear. However, the unusual vibration, spreading through the ground and even to the floor and walls of the town hall, was rapidly intensifying. Startled by this phenomenon, Sparkle listened to the sounds around her, and her ears picked up a strange noise, clearly audible even amidst the gunfire coming from under the flying fortresses hovering over the eastern district.

"What in tarnation is goin' on?" AJ exclaimed, feeling the wooden floor beneath her hooves going wobbly.

In the next moment, conical structures burst from beneath the ground around the municipal building, and very soon, subterranean machines emerged. The ponies, pushed to the brink of horror, huddled together, and Spike nestled down beside them, wrapping his trembling paws around the elegant neck of his beloved white unicorn. Frantically looking around, they counted eight cylindrical machines, each capped with massive drills, which had so unexpectedly pierced the surface of the earth in the central square.

As soon as the hatches on the subterranean machines opened, steel monsters began to pour out from them – this time the very ones Twilight had seen through her telescope from her bedroom window two and a half weeks ago. When almost a hundred ominous beings lined up in the square in front of the town hall, the hearts of the ponies froze in fear, and the dragon even shut his eyes, not to face death. Up close, the steel monsters looked even more imposing than the Storm King's minions with which these strange creatures were associated by every mare. Undoubtedly, a hundred two-meter-tall walking armors that came to kill could terrify anyone.

Forming a scattered formation, the squad of steel soldiers turned towards the area where the squids were causing havoc, finishing off the few who were still standing. Meanwhile, five of them headed to the frightened ponies and the little dragon. With each step of the impending death, their insides clenched harder; they stood in petrification, staring at the monsters' weapons that seemed to be aimed directly at them. Sensing that these demons were about to start shooting, Twilight created a magical sphere around herself and her friends in desperation.

Five steel monsters approached the town hall, and now, only ten steps separated them from the ponies. They stopped at the base of the veranda, but their weapons remained raised. Their victims, tears in their eyes, waited hopelessly for their imminent demise. However, the strangers were slow to act. It was unbearable for the mares to feel the piercing gaze of the five large red crosses, as if they were peering directly into their fear-stricken souls. It was hard to even imagine what was happening in the metallic minds of these beings…

Identity confirmed: Twilight Sparkle.
Race: Alicorn. Status: Princess of Friendship.
Conclusion: the target has been located.
Primary objective: protection.

"Run from here," one of them suddenly said in a completely emotionless mechanical voice.

At that very moment, everything turned upside down for the six ponies and the dragon. In particular, Rarity experienced a complete paradigm shift, nearly losing consciousness at the sight of such terrifying creatures as this quintet of steel soldiers.

"What?! You won't be killing us?" squealed the snowy white unicorn. Her profound astonishment bordered on hysteria, driven by the unrelenting fear of death that remained inside her. Similar feelings were currently being experienced by all her friends.

"Negative," came the brief response, further bewildering the princess and her entourage. Sharing a quick glance with her friends, Applejack asked in a daze:

"Ain't y'all with them flying thingamajigs?"

"Who are you?" Twilight inquired with the most reasonable question before the answer was given by one of the monsters in a dispassionate tone:

"Run from here."

Meanwhile, the bipedal squids and drones had taken out several town ponies who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and were now heading toward the formation of steel monsters. Almost immediately, a firefight erupted: plasma bolts on one side, bullets and laser beams on the other. Some of the steel warriors opened fire on the drones, launching small rockets with greenish trails. The projectiles covered a significant distance, separating the central square from the distant streets, yet in such dense clusters of combat units, the distance did not hinder them from finding their target.

Twilight realized that being here was not safe, so she overcame her fear and, carrying Spike on her back, galloped behind the town hall, leading her friends. While Pinkie immediately snapped out of her deep stupor, rushing after her ahead of the others, Fluttershy couldn't move her hooves at all, so Applejack had to give her a gentle nudge. The friends raced along the veranda at the speed of the wind and very soon found themselves on the other side of the circular building. Rushing down the opposite entrance stairs, the Princess of Friendship ran another dozen meters and then stopped to make sure all her friends had made it out of the combat zone.

All the ponies were gathered, but Sparkle startled with sudden fear when she noticed that the five steel warriors had been following them, keeping a bit behind beyond the veranda. They didn't display any signs of hostility, but in the midst of the stress, their constant close presence tickled the princess's already frayed nerves.

"Are you our bodyguards now?" Pinkie Pie asked quizzically. The two-meter giants remained silent. Even without words, it was clear that they were protecting them for some reason. But why?

Against the backdrop of the noise of an unfamiliar battle between the two alien parties, Twilight and her entourage heard the thundering of hundreds of hooves. They turned around and saw fresh squads of pony knights and unicorn guards galloping down the wide street from the west, at the end of which the Sugarcube Corner could be seen. This part of the Ponyville garrison had somehow been delayed in the barracks, and as a result, they hadn't joined the battle on time. Well, this delay saved them.

"Hey, Equestrians! Charge!" exclaimed the garrison commander, a sturdy pegasus named Spearhead, whom Sparkle knew as a former comrade of her older brother, Shining Armor. Being a retired officer of the Royal Guard, he lived in Ponyville and pursued the arts, but due to the war preparations, he had been returned to the army and assigned to oversee the safety of his hometown.

"Let's save Princess Twilight!" the pony soldiers chorused in response to their leader's call.

The steel monsters aimed their weapons at the pony squads advancing to storm and prepared to attack them if they showed aggression. The guards, in turn, believed that the presumed enemy was determined to repel their attack, so they didn't wait for the opening shots. Upon the sergeants' orders, the unicorns launched clusters of magical energy at the steel monsters, nearly sparking an unintended conflict on the central square, which Twilight felt compelled to resolve immediately; otherwise, Equestria would gain yet another enemy.

"Stop!" Twilight yelled to the approaching soldiers, using magic to stop the attacking beams released by the unicorns. The garrison units halted and, in confusion, slowly moved towards the princess, apprehensive of the steel monsters that still held their weapons at the ready.

"Are you in captivity, Your Highness?" the commander of the unicorn detachment asked uncertainly, to which the lavender alicorn hesitantly replied:

"No, it seems that these steel beings are helping us protect Ponyville."

"But then who is destroying the city?" Spearhead asked, holding his spear at the ready in his right hoof.

"I don't know. Perhaps we're being attacked by those who are destroying Martis, and these creatures, it seems, are not related to them," Sparkle explained her hypothesis. The steel monsters didn't make a single sound, and they had no intention of clarifying.

"Oh, how complicated it all is!" Pinkie exclaimed. She couldn't understand the meaning of what was happening, just like everypony else. This battlefield had turned into complete chaos: murder and destruction everywhere, and it was impossible to tell who was fighting against whom.

"What should we do?" the leader of the pony knights finally inquired. "What are your orders, Princess?"

"I suppose, since they," pointing a hoof at her steel companions, Twilight said, "are protecting Ponyville, we should help them. If we have a chance to fend off the enemies, it's only through combined effo…"

The loud voice of the Princess of Friendship was suddenly drowned out by an unexpectedly intensified metallic whistle just as a whole swarm of fighter drones burst out from behind the damaged roof of the town hall. Moreover, it appeared that there were even more of them now than before. They flew a certain distance and then immediately turned back, primarily targeting the defensive formation of steel soldiers. Some of the drones, however, opened fire on the Equestrians. Their maneuvers cut through the dark sky, leaving behind trails of blue streaks.

The princess's friends and the recently dismounted dragon cautiously took cover on the ground, while the ranks of the pony soldiers shuddered, suffering their first losses. Fortunately, the purple alicorn didn't lose her composure and reacted swiftly. She covered the entire nearby area with a protective shield, causing the bullets from the five steel monsters, originally intended for the swarm of flying mechanisms, to crash into its inner wall. However, the drones quickly retreated to where they had come from and continued their attack on the other side of the town hall. Straightening up after the enemy onslaught, Spearhead took a step toward the princess and, driving the lower end of his spear into the frozen ground, declared firmly:

"We are ready to stand until the end!"

"Good," Twilight responded satisfactorily, even though she was still filled with intense anxiety. She looked at her friends, who were beginning to regain their composure, and decided that she had to see this through to the end with her own efforts. Based on this determination, she issued new orders to the recovering soldiers: "Pony knights, accompany my friends to the castle and stay with them. Unicorns, follow me!"

3.2. From the Height of Pegasus Flight

Arriving at the Academy, Rainbow Dash immediately reported to Spitfire that three alien flying fortresses were hovering over Ponyville and were likely preparing for an attack. Since Twilight had ordered the assembly of all the Wonderbolts, fifteen hundred pegasi were now flying to the town to assist the garrison in the battle against the aliens. Being the best fliers in Equestria, they believed they were well-suited to fight against an aerial adversary. However, many of them feared coming face to face with the extraterrestrials, as nopony knew who they were and how dangerous they might be.

As they approached Ponyville, the Wonderbolts clearly observed the flying objects Dash had mentioned. They also saw that an intense firefight was taking place between the attackers and the defenders. Realizing that they needed to assess the situation before launching an attack, Spitfire spotted a large cluster of clouds on the side of the town and signaled for five squadrons of pegasi to take positions on them.

The order was executed swiftly, and within a few minutes, a whole army of Wonderbolts had taken positions on several enormous clouds from which Ponyville was visible as if it were at their hooves. Spitfire and the commanders of the five squadrons situated themselves on the edge and observed the intense turmoil happening in the town. What they saw left them all in shock, and the fiery-maned pegasus even reached into her officer's bag, which was tightly strapped to her body, to retrieve her binoculars to make absolutely sure it wasn't a mirage. However, even from this altitude, it was impossible to miss the most crucial and peculiar detail.

"Why in the hay are those steel monsters fighting on our side?" Spitfire exclaimed, watching as unicorns and two-legged steel demons were defending the central square of Ponyville together.

"I told you they didn't want to fight us," Soarin said with some relief, having suspected from the beginning that the strangers who appeared near Ponyville were not hostile to ponies. "Now it's clear why they let Rainbow Dash's scouts keep an eye on their military base. Seems like we shouldn't have been afraid of them at all."

"So, were we wrong to think badly of them?" Vapor Trail, a cloud-white pony from the sergeant's corps, asked bewildered, standing nearby with her best friend of fillyhood, Sky Stinger, a dark turquoise pegasus. Surveying the groaning Ponyville under the sounds of gunfire, they exchanged puzzled looks.

"But then, who are these ones?" Misty Fly questioned, extending her hoof toward the eastern part of the town, where squads of bipedal squids were visible all around, supported by flying fortresses and a horde of aerial drones.

Perhaps Soarin's conclusion shed light on some unexplained behavior of the steel aliens, but none of the pegasi understood the meaning of the battle unfolding before them. They couldn't comprehend why some aliens decided to join the Equestrians, despite having previously ignored them, while others aimed to level the town and condemn all its residents to death. Finally, Spitfire gave the binoculars to Dash, not taking her eyes off the events below, and the rainbow-maned pegasus scrutinized the central square in more detail. Spotting a healthy and living Twilight among the guards, she sighed with relief. However, almost immediately, the whereabouts of the other friends became a concern. Soon a hoarse voice interrupted the brief silence of one of her fellow officers.

"What's our plan?" Fleetfoot got down to business. Worried for Twilight's life, who found herself in the midst of a fierce battle, Rainbow Dash was eager to do anything to come to her aid as quickly as possible. She suggested the first idea that came to mind:

"Maybe we should create a tornado and go for a ram?"

"Are you out of your mind?" protested High Winds. "Do you think a tornado will sweep away those three flying behemoths? It's madness!"

"What do you suggest, then? Sit here and do nothing?" Dash retorted passionately. But she saw nothing but disagreement with her plan in the eyes of the other corps officers, and only Spitfire continued to assess the situation on the battlefield below.

"Don't whip up a storm, Crash," captain of the Wonderbolts tossed in, using an old pegasus expression. "If we go for a ram, we'll all die. Look at what's happening down there!"

Spitfire understood that if the Wonderbolts got caught in crossfire from both sides, the battlefield would become a meat grinder for them, and Ponyville would become a grave. Furthermore, like High Winds, she seriously doubted that a tornado could inflict any damage on those huge aerial fortresses. However, the rainbow-maned pegasus ignored any risks.

"But we have to help them!" Rainbow insisted, nodding her head toward the defenders of Ponyville visible below. "While we're standing here talking, they're fighting down there! Isn't that why we flew here in the first pla…?"

"Our deaths won't help them!" Spitfire cut off her subordinate. She snatched her binoculars from Rainbow's hoof and continued in a calm tone, "For now, it's better for us to stay here and wait. Let's go into action only if ours are clearly losing. Right now, we won't be of any help to them."

Upset by the commander's decision, Dash drooped her ears and pouted. She was ready to rush to the aid of those defending the square around the town hall, especially considering that one of her closest friends was there. On the other hoof, she realized that such a reckless act would only lead to her death – useless to others, and therefore inglorious. Deep down, she found it hard to deny that the fiery-maned pegasus was right. However, she didn't like her colleagues' reaction to her proposal, especially since she knew the true reason behind it.

Spitfire made this decision not only for tactical reasons. The fact was that she had a superstitious fear of the aliens. Given that this fear was shared by practically all the pegasi, the captain's order was generally well-received by them. Only a few flyers, like Rainbow Dash, believed that they should engage in the battle immediately because, for now, the attackers seemed to have the upper hoof. Nevertheless, the leader of the Wonderbolts was absolutely right – charging into the heart of the battle would be akin to suicide, which, furthermore, wouldn't serve any purpose at all…

The battle in Ponyville was in full swing, growing increasingly crazed, terrifying, and destructive. Hovering over the eastern outskirts of the town and forming a sort of wedge, the three flying fortresses continuously disgorged new and new drop pods with squids inside from their hatches on the undersides. As a result, the onslaught of the alien assault teams on the central square showed no sign of abating. None of the ponies tasked with defending the town dared to contemplate how many of these creatures lurked in each mothership.

The massive flying vessels themselves engaged in firing upon the central square from photon cannons mounted at the bow of their construction, seemingly disgorging disco-shaped energy clusters from them. These clusters periodically rained down upon the ranks of the steel monsters, although the ship's artillery fired somewhat haphazardly, inflicting damage to both the town's defenders and nearby structures. Some houses were ablaze, and now, not only the spire but the entire town hall was damaged. It appeared as if the building might collapse at any moment.

Holding her position among the unicorn guards, Twilight watched in horror as broad, glowing discs that looked like a product of some destructive magic regularly descended from the sky, confidently reducing the numbers of steel monsters that were taking the brunt of the blows. What especially sent shivers down her spine was the fact that nopony was being evacuated from the houses surrounding the central square. Every time someone's dwelling was engulfed in flames, the ponies inside either burned within or attempted to jump out, only to instantly come under fire from the drones hovering in the sky.

The situation of these unfortunate Ponyville residents was hopeless, and any action they took led to death. This continually tore at the princess's heart, brought bitter tears to her eyes, and instilled an overwhelming feeling of fear within her. Somepony managed to escape, and the guards did their best to aid them by shielding them with magical barriers. Subconsciously, Sparkle thanked herself for insisting on her plan, sending her friends and her beloved assistant with the pony knights to the Friendship Castle. If they had stayed here, they could have genuinely faced the same fate that had befallen the residents of the still relatively few burning houses. Nevertheless, Applejack was determined not to leave her side. Having lost her own family not long ago, the farmer was resolute in not wanting to experience the loss of her friend and felt it was her duty to stay with her until the end, no matter what happened.

Driven by exactly the same motivations, Twi was forced to order the serving ponies to take her friends and the little dragon away from the battlefield, for their own safety – even by force if necessary. There was no time for arguments due to the imminent mortal threat, so, fully aware of the princess's determination, her friends reluctantly obeyed. Nevertheless, none of them – not even the deathly frightened Fluttershy – wanted to leave the alicorn right under the enemy's noses, especially surrounded by allies of unknown origin and unclear motives. Everypony, as well as the little dragon, retreated to the Castle of Friendship with heavy hearts and unrelenting anxiety, barely holding back tears.

In the battle, there remained only a unit of nearly five dozen unicorn guards led by Twilight, beside whom Spearhead invariably stood, positioning himself so that, in the event of enemy fire, he would shield her with his own body. However, he watched the progress of the defense with restrained tension, despite not being able to directly participate. So far, the guards managed to hold their position without incurring losses, as the steel monsters formed a protective line against the squids, albeit significantly thinned, and their magical shields defended them against aerial attacks. They were divided into pairs, and while one focused on defense, the other tried to strike the flying fortresses with a beam, hoping to break them and stop the reinforcement of the enemy infantry and drones.

The steel monsters calmly shot at the advancing squid down the street, although the rear ranks of their formation helped the Equestrians in dealing with the aerial threats. They had already lost nearly half of their number, but it didn't seem to shake them at all. These peculiar beings tirelessly fired at their enemies, and their foes fired back, gradually breaking through their armor, tearing off limbs, and eventually turning them into scrap metal. Nevertheless, they appeared to feel neither pain nor fear, as if they were nothing more than mindless weapons.

Sensing fear with every passing second but trying to contribute to the attack on the flying fortresses, Twilight occasionally cast brief glances, sometimes at the guard stallions and mares standing beside her, and sometimes at the unknown allies whose behavior in battle left her in awe. She began to suspect that these steel demons were entirely devoid of any emotions or feelings, which gave rise to new fears and concerns in her. Something incomprehensible and unnatural had always seemed unsettling to her, but now, with the whole world literally going off the rails in an instant, even smaller oddities alarmed her.

Twilight's naturally suspicious mind involuntarily filled itself with rather grim questions. What if these aliens were protecting Ponyville only to secure the loot for themselves? What if, after defending the town, they took it over and exterminated all the ponies, just as the squids and their massive airships currently desired? She had a vague notion of what these aliens' goals might be, especially considering that they had so far avoided contact with anypony, seemingly completely ignoring them. However, Ponyville had yet to be defended, and the outcome of the battle raging around her remained as unclear as ever.

The number of steel warriors was slowly but surely dwindling, and for every fallen squid, five new ones were airdropped. If these iron guys were wiped out, Twilight thought, the unicorns alone wouldn't last long. She had no doubt that without these suddenly appearing allies, everypony around her, including herself, would certainly end up like those unfortunate ones who had tried to hold the first line of defense at the palisade. And based on this realization, she understood that the Equestrians needed these extraordinary creatures, at least here and now. She saw a swift victory over the invaders as the only chance for survival, although she had no idea how that could be possible. Her heart was filled to the brim with fear, yet she desperately strove to protect what she held dear, sending one beam after another into the nearest flying fortress…

The Wonderbolts watched the battle from the clouds and experienced mixed emotions. Amidst their fear of the invaders, there was an urge in their hearts to charge into the combat and assist the defenders, even if it would be a suicidal move. In tense silence, they all saw how numerous magical beams struck one of the enemy flying objects, yet its black body, adorned with shimmering blue stripes, seemed to remain unscathed, not to mention more serious damage. Meanwhile, the ship's photon cannons demolished the homes from which unfortunate ponies were trying to escape, only to be immediately targeted once they stepped outside. Thrust into the heart of the fierce firefight, the doomed Ponyvillians instantly turned into a bloody mess from hundreds of stray projectiles coming from all directions.

Seeing ponies perish in this dreadful battle, Spitfire wanted to give the fatal order for a desperate attack. However, her attention was suddenly drawn to something extraordinary. A little to the east of Ponyville, subterranean machines began emerging from the ground, transporting new steel warriors onto the battlefield. Several dozen of these vehicles had surfaced, providing significant reinforcement, and the steel creatures rapidly occupied the space in front of the gap in the palisade, eager to join the fray. Where had they been before?

"It seems like reinforcements have arrived," Spitfire remarked with enthusiasm.

"Let's help them!" Dash immediately leaped to her hooves, ready to act for any reason. Nevertheless, upon seeing a glimmer of hope for victory without the need for a suicidal aerial assault, the captain remained steadfast, stating:

"No, we wait."

Approximately two hundred combat units burst from the subterranean machines, decisively shifting the course of the battle. In the eyes of the observing pegasi above, they immediately invaded the fire-ravaged streets of the eastern district and struck at the rear of the foot squids, whose assault was still being held back by the troops on the approach of the town hall. Their crossfire rapidly cleared the area, connecting the outskirts to the central square, of the enemy military presence, with dozens of invaders eradicated in a matter of minutes.

Although new squid-like creatures continued to landing amidst the burning houses, small groups of steel soldiers swiftly dealt with them while the majority on both sides concentrated on attacking the flying vessels. Paying no heed even to the drones buzzing in the air, they started to assault the enemy object perched on the apex of the wedge formation, and the guards actively aided them, continually using their magic.

Gaining encouragement from the arrival of significant reinforcements, Twilight redoubled her efforts, firing violet beams at the assaulted flying fortress. However, doubt crept into her mind as to whether it was even possible to damage these monstrous contraptions. The magical attacks unleashed by the ponies seemed to shatter against an invisible barrier, causing no harm to the black, blue-lined structure. Likewise, a hail of bullets, laser beams, and rockets from three different types of steel warriors, whom the princess could distinguish only by the type of weaponry they wielded, proved equally ineffective.

It took several minutes of relentless fire concentrated on one spot before Sparkle noticed an exceptionally bright glow emanating from the underside of the flying object, precisely where the hatch was located. Not entirely comprehending what had occurred, she paused briefly, much like many of the guards did. Flashes from shots and magic spells obscured their view, but intuitively she sensed that the sustained assault had finally breached the incredibly strong structure of the airborne machine. Shaking off the brief confusion, ponies and the steel creatures continued to dismantle the mobile fortress's vital components until they rendered something crucial to its operation inoperative.

The blue patterns on the vessel's hull suddenly dimmed, and it began to go down. The steel monsters redirected their fire to the next target, unlike the Equestrians who were frozen with horror at the sight of the horrifying crash. Astonished, Twilight stared wide-eyed at the rapid descent of this massive object until the intense strain compelled her to shield herself and the pony soldiers with a protective sphere. Crashing onto the blazing rubble of the houses at the outskirts, the extraterrestrial machine, roughly sixty meters long, scattered them into dust and stirred the earth so powerfully that many unicorns and steel warriors couldn't remain on their legs.

From the powerful tremor that shook the ground, even the houses closest to the crash site, already damaged by fire, collapsed. Ponyville was instantly filled with a soul-shaking roar, easily drowning out even the sounds of gunfire and the cries of startled guards rushing to their hooves. Shaking her head, the Princess of Friendship also attempted to rise, with a helping hoof from Spearhead, who miraculously managed not to fall. Her violet eyes quickly assessed the situation. The two remaining flying fortresses had turned around, and their photon cannons were now firing on the large groups of steel creatures positioned beyond the town's limits. The swarm of drones had moved there as well.

"We must help them before they're all wiped out," Twilight addressed the dull orange pegasus guard loudly, casting her gaze toward the visible end of the street where the steel monsters, now bearing the brunt of the attack, loomed. After a brief exchange of glances with the princess, the stallion understood her without the need for further words.

"It would be done," Spearhead nodded. He then called out to his subordinates, "Guards, attack the flying fortresses, all together!"

Upon receiving the orders, relayed from one end of the scattered formation to the other through word of mouth, the serving ponies, who had primarily engaged drones thus far, focused their attacks on the flying fortress that was already under heavy fire from the steel monsters. The demise of one of these giants inspired them, and now they could at least see the possibility of a swift victory, so they made every effort to bring it closer. The princess herself was not idle, harnessing her magic. Meanwhile, she kept an eye on the nearest group of steel beings. They fired their strange weapons tirelessly, only pausing to reload with fresh rounds, their ammunition belts hanging from their powerful torsos. The precision with which they carried out their task was impressive, and even a jackhammer would envy…

Through combined efforts, the pony guards and their unconventional allies managed to destroy the second flying vessel, followed by the third. Penetrating their highly resilient hulls was an extremely challenging task, but it was accomplished before the steel creatures could incur excessive losses. The last two mobile fortresses fell outside the town's borders, causing no damage to the surviving structures. Now, the last adversary remained – about a hundred fighter drones that continued to reduce the number of the steel monsters. They needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible, but hunting down such small and agile targets proved to be an exceedingly challenging task.

Having witnessed the defenders of Ponyville's ultimate victory over the flying fortresses that had seemed indestructible, the Wonderbolts cheered, although Rainbow Dash still felt like she was on pins and needles, forced to watch the battle passively from the sidelines while her friend was right in the thick of things. The pegasi exchanged hoof bumps, confident that the battle was all but won, and it was then that Spitfire finally made her decision.

"Now, it's our turn! Forward, Wonderbolts! Let's unleash a tornado on them!" the captain exclaimed, thinking that a massive whirlwind would be perfect for dealing with the swarm of drones. Her call ignited a spark of combat enthusiasm in Rainbow's heart. She quickly got into position, ready to take off at lightning speed.

Descending from the clouds, the army of pegasi swooped towards the town and immediately began to organize themselves in a well-rehearsed formation. The distance to the attack was relatively short, so they promptly started creating the tornado.

Distracted from watching the steel warriors fending off the drones, swarming in the sky like pesky flies, Twilight suddenly noticed the approach of the Wonderbolts, who were trying to whip up the air with their fancy maneuvers. The princess realized that by attacking, they would inevitably come under fire, not only from the enemy but also from their own. Therefore, it was essential to halt the shooting immediately, as she had no way of stopping the pegasus assault.

"Cease fire!" the lavender mare shouted, and her command was echoed by Spearhead and then by the sergeants leading small groups of guards.

To Twilight's surprise, it wasn't just the unicorns who stopped attacking the drones; even the steel monsters, including those positioned behind the barricade and unable to hear her call, ceased their fire. The guards created a large magical barrier above the central square, under which their new allies, significantly damaged after the battle, also took cover. Thus, shielded from any potential threats, they awaited the Wonderbolts' onslaught.

The pegasi, having created the tornado, approached the town. Under Spitfire's orders, they prepared to execute a maneuver that, according to the captain's calculations, would ensure nopony among them would be harmed. When the right moment came, the Wonderbolts began to ascend in spiraling chains, thus leaving the vortex. This was meant to further intensify it and scatter the drones. Several chains of flyers rose toward the snow clouds, and none of them bumped into each other, thanks to their perfect training, discipline, and coordination.

The tornado passed over the ruined outskirts of Ponyville, and almost all the pegasi had already left it. The drones, no longer pounding plasma at the steel warriors and the magical shield, concentrated their fire on the air mass, but it was too late. The only thing they managed to accomplish was to slightly injure a few of the Wonderbolts who were leaving the vortex last. Finally striking the cluster of drones, the tornado scattered them in different directions. Failing to handle the flight, many small aircraft crashed to the ground and shattered – some on the snow-covered land, others on the ruins. The meager remnants of the enemy's aviation were swiftly dealt with by the defenders of the central square and those who had gathered near the palisade.

Soon the gunfire ceased, the slaughter came to an end, and Ponyville withstood the assault of the unknown enemies. The unicorn guards and the Wonderbolts, looking at the aftermath of their aerial charge, celebrated their success. However, Twilight didn't share their triumph. The sight of the ruined eastern part of the town and the streets drenched in blood and scattered with the bodies of fallen serving ponies devalued the victory for her. Those who had tried to hold off the initial attack lay dead in that breach amid the smoldering ruins, along with some unfortunate Ponyville residents. The number of town's casualties was relatively small, but every one of these victims meant something to someone.

On the other hoof, things could have been infinitely worse. Deep down, Sparkle was relieved that she had survived this battle, and many ponies were spared from genocide. Yet, the princess wanted to thank the steel monsters for their assistance, but they started to perform strange actions that left her bewildered. Having assured themselves that the enemies were no more, they gathered their injured comrades and hurriedly returned to the subterranean machines they had left around the town hall.

The behavior of the steel warriors appeared extremely strange. Emerging out of nowhere, these creatures silently and for unknown reasons saved Ponyville from total destruction, and now, just as silently, they returned to where they came from without any explanations. Desiring some clarification, the lavender mare rushed to the nearest subterranean machine, whose drill was slightly damaged by plasma bolts. Keeping up closely with her, Spearhead held his spear at the ready, having little confidence in the seemingly suspicious friendliness of these beings or in whether the tip would penetrate one of their steel chests if needed.

"Stop! Where are you going?" Twilight urgently addressed the giants returning to the subterranean vehicles, not understanding their logic in any way. "Maybe before you leave, you can tell us who you are and why you helped us?"

The strangers paid no attention to the alicorn, continuing to efficiently do their business. After half a minute, they climbed into the subterranean machines and buried themselves in the ground using them, leaving the ponies alone with their speculations. Sparkle looked at the holes in the ground, created by the drills, with bewilderment, having no reasonable explanations for what had just happened. Ponyville became very quiet, and the residents of the closest houses cautiously emerged to assess the extent of the damage to the town. A volatile mix of emotions, ranging from fear to barely distinguishable joy of victory and complete puzzlement, filled the heads of all the ponies, from the guards to the foals who had ventured out onto the streets with the adults.

"Twilight!" a familiar voice called from above, distracting the princess from surveying the dismal panorama of smoldering houses, among which now lay three wrecked flying fortresses and a vast number of various remains – from squids to shattered drones, and pony soldiers. In the next moment, a rainbow-maned pegasus landed beside her, immediately hugging her and then anxiously inspecting her, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Twilight replied, still in awe of what had been happening in the last half hour. Finally, she reciprocally examined the pegasus, who promptly replied:

"I'm unharmed, too. Don't worry," she reassured, then, after a quick glance around, inquired, "Where are all the girls?"

"They're in the castle. I sent them there to make sure nothing happened to them."

Dashie felt an immediate sense of relief as her friend's words caused her to exhale. Meanwhile, the Princess of Friendship raised her eyes to the sky and noticed how all fifteen hundred Wonderbolts hung suspended ten meters above the significantly damaged, though still standing, town hall. A few slightly wounded pegasi were already being examined by their fellow fliers right there in the air. Fortunately, the plasma beams only grazed one stallion's shoulder, another mare's hind leg, and the third had merely scorched her uniform on the side, causing only minor burns.

"What in the name of Equestria happened here?" Rainbow Dash questioned in bewilderment, scanning the central square where, at Spearhead's command, the guards had begun dragging the bodies of the fallen to the town hall. She then turned to Twilight, reading the same confusion in her eyes and asked, "Where did those metal ones go? Did they say anything?"

"No, nothing," Sparkle sighed tensely. She, too, cast a fleeting glance over the surrounding area and admitted, "I have no idea what all this means…"

3.3. Round Table

"We are dealing with two completely different groups of aliens. I don't know why some of them are attacking us while others are defending us, but it's evident that they have different goals," Twilight expounded her analytical speech. After a moment of reflection, she concluded with the most intriguing question, "I wonder, why did the steel monsters suddenly decide to fight on our side?"

"And why did they run away right after it was all over?" Pinkie Pie puzzled. "We didn't even get to know them, and we could have become friends!"

Without a presumed answer to her friend's question, Sparkle simply shrugged. She was sitting on her throne in the main hall of the Friendship Castle. All the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony were present, and Starlight Glimmer had taken Spike's place next to her. The little dragon had been sleeping like a log since the previous night, as the stress had completely drained him. And not just him. The ponies also felt exhausted, and yesterday's battle had shaken them all so much that they unanimously decided to spend the night in the princess's abode, so as not to be alone with the shock that had taken hold of them. Furthermore, staying alone now was dangerous because nopony could guarantee that the invaders wouldn't reappear soon…

At night, the friends slept rather poorly and restlessly. Twi was certain that she had only managed to fall asleep thanks to her recent insomnia and overall exhaustion. Nonetheless, sleep had provided them with a small degree of recovery from the horrors of the sudden attack by hostile aliens, helping them distinguish between yesterday and today and briefly allowing them to forget their fear. However, the aftermath of the destruction and bloodshed they had witnessed, which they couldn't escape when leaving the walls of the Friendship Castle or looking out the window, reminded them of everything. Soon after a small, unappetizing breakfast, the mares decided they needed to discuss what had happened, which is why they gathered in the throne room.

A large, round table made of crystal was spread out between the friends. It was upon this table that the Map of Equestria and its neighboring territories occasionally appeared, guiding ponies and others on friendship missions. If anyone in the world had problems with understanding each other, this extraordinary magical entity, expressing its will through the Cutie Map's summons, directed those who could solve these problems the best.

This happened with some regularity since the appearance of the Castle of Friendship, along with this room, after the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had defeated the wicked centaur Lord Tirek. However, since the Friendship Festival, the Cutie Map had suspiciously quieted down, not calling anypony for such assignments. And every time Twilight thought about this in passing, it seemed like the situation might be viewed as some sort of blessing. Now, when the whole world stood on the brink of destruction, there was simply no time to solve friendship problems.

As always, the throne room shone with magnificence. Sparkles of light gleamed on the sapphire walls, emanating from the unique chandelier made from the roots of the Golden Oak Library – the former residence of the Princess of Friendship. The patterned purple floor added an atmosphere of regal comfort. Nevertheless, the tense mood in the air did not match the decor. After pondering the alicorn's reasoning regarding the motives of the steel creatures, Applejack let out a strained sigh. They didn't inspire trust in her because, like most of her friends, she had only formed a limited impression of them. Initially, these beings had frightened her with their sudden appearance, and then she learned they simply fled after the battle, providing no explanation. Furthermore, to the direct and honest nature of the farmer, such secrecy seemed, at the very least, suspicious.

"I don't know about y'all, but I wouldn't particularly want to run into them again," Applejack grumbled, breaking a brief silence.

"Absolutely," Rarity concurred. "They are quite frightful! And those dreadful identical cutie marks on their iron shoulders…"

What the white unicorn took for cutie marks was an emblem in the shape of a triangle with a circle inside, horizontally divided into two halves. Each steel monster bore such a mark on both of their massive shoulders. It was the eerie appearance of these silent giants, devoid of design intricacies and aesthetics, that made the dressmaker see something unsettling in them. And their cross-shaped eyes, glowing with red light across the width of their steel faces, truly appeared demonic to her.

"Um… what if they really mean us no harm?" Fluttershy suggested. She, too, had been very frightened by these strange aliens yesterday, but at least she tried not to rule out the possibility that their creepy appearance might be deceptive. It was typical of the kind-hearted but timid pegasus to give everyone a chance, although she couldn't deny that she was also afraid of another encounter with them. "It probably wouldn't be very polite to think badly of them. After all, they saved us yesterday."

"Yesterday they save us, tomorrow they kill us," Rainbow Dash muttered grimly. Besides everything else, she had often observed the strange actions of the steel aliens while monitoring them with her flyers, so her suspicion began to develop earlier than that of the other six friends. Furthermore, she frequently spread her belief throughout the Wonderbolts Academy that these steel creatures didn't make contact with ponies because they were plotting something sinister against them, and she didn't want to admit she was wrong. "Twilight said we can expect anything from them. And I don't really believe that, sitting quietly in their lair for over two weeks, they were trying to win our sympathy."

"I also think it's best to stay away from them. At the very least, if they meant us well, there would be no reason for them to run away from us without explaining anything," Starlight expressed her opinion. Still shaken by the terrifying wormholes in space, she didn't expect friendliness from the aliens – neither from the bipedal squids nor the steel monsters.

The arguments of the rainbow-maned pegasus and the gentle lilac unicorn made Fluttershy pause for thought. So far, she hadn't seen any clear reasons to accuse these strangers of anything, let alone consider them enemies, although she didn't argue with her friends. However, her opinion was shared by Pinkie, ready to befriend anyone who didn't show clear hostility, unlike the other aliens. But this morning, the pink-maned pony was uncharacteristically silent, probably due to yesterday's stress, and only exchanged glances with her friends, awaiting their words.

"What's yer take on this, Twi?" AJ inquired after a brief pause. The purple pony received the attentive gazes of all her friends.

"Well, actually, yesterday's events showed that we probably can't withstand an extraterrestrial invasion on our own," Sparkle began after some thought. "I can't imagine who these steel monsters are and how to relate to them, but maybe we should seek their support in defending Equestria. Perhaps this is our only chance to protect ourselves from destruction."

"Where did you get the idea that they'll help us protect Equestria?" Dash skeptically inquired. Despite having seen with her own eyes how the steel monsters defended Ponyville, her instincts still hinted that there was a catch.

"It's quite clear that, for some reason, they're hostile to those aliens who attacked us yesterday," explained the Princess of Friendship. "Well, the enemies of our enemies are our friends. It's possible that mutual assistance in the fight against the invaders is in both our and their interests."

"But how in tarnation are we supposed to figure out what they're after? As ya recollect, them ain't chattier than a garden scarecrow!" Applejack pointed out. Taking a deep breath, the lavender alicorn carefully weighed all the pros and cons before voicing the idea that had occupied her since the previous night:

"We need to go to their city and talk to them."

"But that's dangerous!" Glimmer protested immediately, nearly jumping at the mere thought of visiting such terrifying beings. "Who knows how they'll react? They could have anything in mind, as you yourself said!"

"It's truly dangerous to do nothing while a mortal threat looms over Equestria," Twilight retorted. "I believe we should ask for help from the steel monsters. We can't handle this on our own; our new enemies are too powerful."

As soon as the princess finished her thought, the doors leading to the main corridor suddenly opened, and the heads of all the ponies turned in that direction. In the throne room, Spike appeared, slightly out of breath from navigating the long, winding corridors of the Friendship Castle. Quickly spotting the purple pony with his gaze, he advanced a few steps into the room.

"Twilight!" he called out to the princess. In his claw, the dragon, who had only hopped off the bed five minutes ago, held a scroll. "You've got a letter from Princess Celestia…"

P.S. "When you have attained the way of strategy there will be nothing that you cannot understand. You will see the way in everything" – Miyamoto Musashi.

Author's Note

In this chapter, new types of units have appeared. Intelligence data updated.

Ceph Combat Unit (also known as "bipedal squids") – standard Ceph infantry from the Crysis series. They formed the basis of the alien forces that attacked Ponyville and will continue to appear throughout.
Ceph Devastator Unit – the huge squid with two heavy cannons that fired spherical energy projectiles. In every sense, it's a heavyweight.
Scrin Fighter Drones – standard Scrin aviation drones used by vessels like the "Planetary Assault Carrier." In this case, they were launched by those same "flying fortresses" that paradoxically deployed the Cephs. Strange, isn't it? More details about these vessels will be discussed later.
Cyborgs (also known as "steel monsters") – the NOD iron infantry, externally, as you may have noticed, closely resembling the Enlightened from Kane's Wrath.

However, structurally, they have undergone some changes, such as having a more humanoid build (primarily in terms of knee joints and the fact that their heads are set higher), they are divided into three varieties based on their weapons, and… they have no organic components. So, the term "cyborg" will still be used to refer to them, but it's essentially a lexical relic.

P.S. I supose, Unicorn Guards don't need an introduction. As for the Pony Knights, they are armed similarly to how Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were at the Crystal Empire fair when they played in the jousting tournament. Only their lances, of course, are sharpened.

Act 1. Chapter 4: Changes are Coming

4.1. Letter to Celestia

11 hours ago…

"Why did they help us?"

"I have no idea," Twilight replied monotonously to the dragon's question, who was extremely perplexed, much like herself. "Star Swirl did not predict this."

"His prophecies were really unclear, as far as I can recall," remarked Spike, who had heard only one thing – that the destruction of the planet Martis, according to the ancient prediction, was a harbinger of the end of Equestria.

"And that's why it scares me even more," sighed the princess. She stood together with her assistant on the balcony of the Friendship Castle, wearily examining the wreckage of three alien ships, with a sense of overwhelming desolation within her.

The defeated alien machines lay amidst the ruins in the eastern part of Ponyville. The heavy snow was slowly covering them with a white blanket, resembling shrouds over the deceased. The streets were so silent that it seemed as if after the battle, which ended a couple of hours ago, everyone touched by its heat had vanished. Neither the town ponies, huddled in their homes, nor the soldiers, who had already finished removing the bodies, could be seen – no one and nothing, not even in the most remote areas. The desolate picture of the deserted nighttime town, significantly disrupted by enemies, evoked unbearable melancholy both in Twilight and in Spike.

So, Ponyville had endured the first attack, but it didn't exactly lift the spirits of the Princess of Friendship. The horrors of the recent carnage still flashed before her eyes, and she never wanted to witness anything like that again. Although the town had fared relatively lightly, losing just a little over twenty inhabitants as the guards' body count revealed, the alicorn was deeply troubled by the realization that these were the times in her world's history that hadn't occurred for over a thousand years – when the blood of peaceful ponies began to be spilled. The thought of the soldiers who bowed their heads today, defending her among others, made her feel endlessly as if her heart was constricting within.

Casting another glance over the panorama of Ponyville, Sparkle pondered her next steps. Now, she had at least a rough idea of how powerful the space invaders were, and based on that, she understood well that Equestria was not ready to face such a formidable foe in war. If the steel monsters hadn't appeared in the nick of time, most likely, there would be nothing but scorched earth where the town stood. Therefore, the question of defending the country now seemed much more acute to the princess than ever before.

"We need to write a letter to Princess Celestia," Twi suddenly said after a few minutes of silent contemplation.

"Now? At this hour?" Spike clarified, a bit surprised. He usually didn't have to send letters at such a late time.

"Yes, we need to inform her about what happened here," replied the alicorn. "Besides, I need her advice."

Sparkle turned and strode towards the balcony's exit. Her assistant, somewhat bewildered, promptly followed her.

"What advice?" Spike inquired, catching up to the princess. Together, they quickly left the balcony and entered the warm chambers of the castle.

"Regarding the war, Spike," Twilight spoke despondently. "I'm deeply concerned about how hard we struggled against the attack, even with the help of those steel monsters. If the massive swarm in space consists of similar flying fortresses like those three, it won't be difficult for the aliens to conquer us. It's terrifying to imagine what it will be like when thousands of such fortresses appear in the skies over Equestria!"

Spike swallowed nervously, picturing a countless fleet of flying fortresses eclipsing the entire sky. The vision that appeared to him could very well pass for the end of the world as foretold by Star Swirl. Since last summer, the dragon had recurrently dreamed of the Storm King's airships descended on Canterlot like thunder in the midst of clear skies, right in the middle of preparations for the Friendship Festival. But now, the alien machines had become his newest and most dreadful nightmare, one that would surely haunt him many times in the nights to come.

The princess and her assistant were heading towards the library to write a letter. The path there was rather short, so in just a couple of minutes, they found themselves in the realm of books. It was very quiet here, as it was in all other parts of the castle. The pervasive silence evoked a sense of abandonment and emptiness in Twilight, as if Equestria had truly reached its downfall. But there was no time for melancholy now. Sparkle pulled herself together and got down to business right away as soon as her assistant grabbed the quill resting in the inkwell on the reading desk.

"Write this down, Spike," she requested. The dragon nodded affirmatively, and the pony started taking dictation, "Dear Princess Celestia! A couple of hours ago, Ponyville was attacked. We were assaulted by three enormous flying fortresses of aliens. Fortunately, we managed to repel the attack, but almost the entire eastern part of the town was destroyed by the invaders. However, we didn't defend alone. During the battle, we were joined by the "steel monsters" – the ones who established their town two miles from Ponyville. I must inform you that it was their appearance that tipped the scales in our favor. I am certain that we wouldn't have coped alone. In summary, the defense of Ponyville revealed how vulnerable we are to the invaders. It has also been discovered that the aforementioned "steel monsters" are not representatives of the alien civilization that attacked us. Apparently, these are two different factions that, for some reason, are at odds with each other. Since we and the "steel monsters" now share a common enemy, I believe it's worth forming a friendship with them, but I need your approval. Should we take this step? I will eagerly await any advice from you on this matter. Sincerely yours, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Having finished her exposition, the lavender pony glanced at the dragon. For a while longer, the quill in his paw scratched against the paper, breaking the silence with a quiet rustle. But not a quarter of a minute passed before absolute hush briefly fell in the library.

"Done," Spike informed the princess as he finished the missive.

"Great, send it off!" Twilight responded, feeling somewhat encouraged. She was confident that Princess Celestia would offer her wise advice, which could potentially make a significant contribution to saving Equestria from the alien hordes, as the policy regarding the steel monsters might become a decisive factor in the impending war.

Spike successfully sent the message and then climbed onto one of the chairs positioned in front of the table opposite the couch. Leaning against its back, he indulged in some long-awaited rest. Meanwhile, Twilight eagerly awaited a response, pacing thoughtfully back and forth past the reading area. Observing the restless pony, Spike, unsure of what to do, decided to strike up a conversation:

"Do you think we should be friends with the steel monsters?"

"Yes, Spike. And I believe it's in their interest as well. Since we both face the same enemy, it means we should stick together."

"But isn't that dangerous? Can we trust them?"

"I don't know," sighed Sparkle. "That's why I've asked for advice from the Princess. We don't know why the steel monsters helped us or if they'll even engage with us, but without them, we won't stand a chance against the space invasion."

"They're just weird overall," Spike concluded, still bewildered by what had happened. "They defended Ponyville without explaining anything and then just vanished somewhere. What's the logic in that?"

"Their logic might be completely different from ours," the purple mare mused thoughtfully. Stopping at the edge of the couch, she glanced at her assistant with a slightly dazed look and suggested, "On the other hoof, maybe they weren't defending Ponyville at all?"

"What do you mean? What do you think they were doing then?"

"They might have just been fighting their enemies, and our town accidentally became their battleground."

"Are you suggesting that Equestria could become an arena for titan battles?" the princess's assistant became concerned, recalling spontaneously that he had read about something similar in one of the many comics he had come across. It depicted how higher forces organized a deadly tournament in a country, much like Equestria, inhabited by little ponies. Of course, it didn't end well for the peaceful residents, although, as commonly occurs in that genre of literature, matters eventually resolved relatively well.

"It's possible," Twilight nodded, slightly surprised by Spike's metaphor. "But whatever the steel monsters' intentions are, I still believe we can get their support. If we share a common enemy, why not help each other?"

"I don't like any of this," Spike stated firmly, crossing his paws. "I hope it won't turn out that the steel monsters help us protect Equestria only to take it over themselves."

"In any case, the decision rests with Celestia," the princess summed up, thus addressing her assistant's concerns, even though she shared them herself.

After considering that relying on the Mistress of the Day was indeed the most sensible choice in this situation, Spike didn't say anything else. The library was enveloped in absolute silence again, where time seemed to stretch endlessly. But as he figured in his mind how many minutes had passed since sending the letter, he noted that Celestia usually responded more quickly. In addition, despite the stress he had been through, he felt terribly sleepy, and his eyelids were almost closing on their own.

"She's taking quite a while to reply," the dragon murmured, yawning wearily. "Can I go to sleep?"

"Of course you can," the lavender mare smiled sleepily, sensing she wouldn't mind a short nap herself… if only to briefly forget. "But as soon as the letter arrives, let me know, okay?"

4.2. Attainment of Harmony

"Twilight! You have a letter from Princess Celestia," Spike announced, entering the throne room.

Glancing briefly at her friends, Twilight became slightly apprehensive. She had sent a letter to her mentor before sleeping last night but hadn't received a response yet. Her intuition hinted that this might be linked to some serious issues, possibly related to the matter concerning the aliens – both kinds. However, there was neither time nor reason to speculate, so without wasting any time, Sparkle gestured to beckon the dragon over.

The princess's assistant hurried towards her with a scroll under the silent gaze of her friends. They all had purposely observed Canterlot earlier that morning, as usual visible from Ponyville on a high mountain, noting that it seemed entirely unchanged, indicating no apparent attack. However, the sudden news from the ruling pony still put them on edge. Finally, Twilight took the message from Spike's claws and unfolded it before her eyes. Half of the parchment was filled with lines written in calligraphic royal writing, which she promptly began to read to herself:

"Dear Twilight,

I extend my sincerest apologies for the extended delay in my response. Shortly before receiving your letter, distressing news reached me from Manehattan. It has come to my attention that the aliens have invaded that metropolis. I dedicated the entire night to overseeing the deployment of our royal guard to defend the city, which regrettably left me with scarce moments to promptly address your correspondence.

Upon discovering that the "steel monsters" you referenced are providing assistance in Manehattan, mirroring their involvement in Ponyville, I am inclined to support your suggestion of forging a friendship with them. Although these outsiders evoke concern, for the sake of Equestria, it is crucial we explore avenues for mutual cooperation. However, I strongly advise against your direct involvement in this matter. Task an envoy with extending an offer of amity to them.

Nonetheless, we cannot solely rely on their support, necessitating us to…"

"What's she writing?" Pinkie Pie asked suddenly, interrupting the reading process. She was eager to know the contents of the letter, and the growing tension was unbearable for her. Twilight, seemingly not paying much attention to the question of the pink pony, only briefly glanced away from the lines and responded only after she had finished reading it entirely.

"Princess Celestia is instructing us to go to the Everfree Forest for the Elements of Harmony," Sparkle announced thoughtfully. Her friends were instantly taken aback.

"What? For the Elements? Why all of a sudden?" Applejack exclaimed, and her sentiment quickly echoed by Rainbow Dash's skeptical remark:

"Wait a sec, are we not going to sap the Tree of Harmony of its magic if we take them off?"

"Oh no! Then the entire forest will be swallowed by the thorny vines again," Fluttershy gasped, unable to fathom how her timid heart would endure yet another perilous threat, especially when the horrors of just yesterday already clouded her mind.

"I think the Elements have managed to charge the Tree enough to sustain the forest's magic for years to come," Twilight replied, although she herself wasn't entirely confident in her own assumption. "The Princess asks us to retrieve them since they possess the most powerful magic in all of Equestria. We might need everything possible to shield ourselves from the aliens now. They invaded Manehattan tonight."

"Manehattan?!" Rarity exclaimed in disbelief. "Are they destroying the fairest city in Equestria?"

"Will they keep attacking all the cities, just like they did in Ponyville yesterday?" Starlight horrified, reacting to the shocking news with a demeanor calmer than the dressmaker's, yet harboring equal dismay in her heart. Gazing at the patches in the sky, she anticipated the worst, but couldn't fathom that all her fears would indeed become even more horrifyingly real.

"Anything could happen," Twilight sighed, shaking her head frustratingly and fixing her tense gaze on the letter from Celestia, which she had placed at the edge of the table. Rarity glanced nervously at Pinkie, seated beside her, horrified at the thought of Manehattan – one of her favorite cities, often called the Big Apple among ponies for its majestic size – being in jeopardy. Sparkle, however, continued with a more reassuring tone, "Celestia writes that it seems the steel monsters are trying to protect Manehattan too. Moreover, she has already sent guards there, so let's hope for the best. Nevertheless, we must retrieve the Elements because if the aliens decide to conquer us, they might be our last hope."

"Our last hope?" Spike inquired anxiously, still standing next to the princess's throne. "Does that mean things are really that bad?"

Detecting a notably pessimistic tone in the purple pony's voice, the dragon thought that besides the already bleak news about the current situation in Manehattan, the Princess of the Sun must have written something terrifying in her letter. His question had stirred more concern among the other mares than ever before, and the most profound dismay was visible in the beautiful blue eyes of the dressmaker, who was extremely worried not only about the mentioned metropolis but also about those acquaintances of hers who lived there. No one present dared to say anything until, after a quarter of a minute of nerve-wracking silence, the farmer broke the oppressive quietness:

"Ah reckon this plan's better than buddying up with them steel monsters, no matter what it is."

"But they are helping defend Manehattan," Pie objected, advocating for the outsiders. "Doesn't that suggest we're on the same side as them?"

"We'll deal with the steel monsters later," Sparkle said detachedly, pressing a hoof against her lips, trying to collect her thoughts. Considering the information mentioned by the pink-maned pony and everything the ruling pony had written, she was already contemplating how to handle the outsiders, but she also remembered that she had another important matter at hoof. Casting a puzzled look at all her friends, she finally concluded, "Right now, we need to hurry to the Everfree Forest…"

* * *

The time had already passed noon. Twilight and her friends walked along the paths of the Everfree Forest, heading towards the Castle of the Two Sisters to visit the Tree of Harmony, which grew in the cave beneath the ancient fortress. A squad of unicorn guards, led by Spearhead, followed the six mares. Their task was to protect the princess and her entourage from timberwolves, manticores, and other aggressive forest creatures. However, it was relatively quiet here as the expedition moved through the safer parts of the forest.

Despite the winter being in full swing, the Everfree Forest felt like summer. All the ponies knew that this woodland lived by its own rules, yet they couldn't help but be amazed that even in the cold months, there was often no frost, and the thick greenery remained unchanged. It seemed not only wondrous but also suspicious, even dangerous in a sense. Therefore, the ponies moved through the forest with great caution, expecting threats from every bush. Sometimes, even the flora could become an adversary here…

Twilight stepped silently along the relatively narrow, well-trodden pathway, lost in thought, keeping herself between Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Unconsciously, she replayed in her mind the contents of the letter from Celestia she received just over an hour ago. Four guards and their commander marched a few meters ahead of her, ready to face danger at any moment, while three more soldiers each protected the ponies on the left and right. Behind her, the princess heard the rhythmic hoofsteps of her other friends. Applejack and Pinkie Pie strove to keep up, while Fluttershy trailed at the rear, constantly glancing around in search of hidden threats that seemed to haunt her from every corner. Perhaps, what reassured her was only the fact that a column of ten guards followed behind her.

None of the ponies broke the necessary silence, vital for detecting danger through characteristic sounds. The guards responded to every rustle in the thickets with special attention. While the princess's friends tried to stay alert, she immersed herself in her own thoughts amid the prevailing silence. She contemplated the task given by her mentor, reflected on the fate of Manehattan, and recalled what happened yesterday in Ponyville. With an internal tremor, she noted significant changes taking place in her familiar world, inspiring only apprehension.

Out of the blue, the lavender pony recalled how several years ago, she and her friends had set out towards the Tree of Harmony to return the Elements to their rightful place. Now, the need arose to do the opposite, and as soon as the princess thought about the strangeness of this twist of fate, her attention was suddenly drawn to the rustling of leaves. Up ahead, the path was blocked by a thicket. Several dense bushes, leaning from the side onto the trail, had grown so much that their crowns resembled green gates obstructing the way forward. The group of royal guards led by Spearhead effortlessly squeezed through the branches, and Twilight hurried to follow them.

The embodiments of the Elements of Harmony were familiar with this place, and it was not difficult for them to guess that beyond the bushes, a small clearing would open up before them, with Zecora's hut standing on it. However, when it happened, they all were literally stunned, witnessing something they had never expected to see. Before their eyes spread a terrifying devastation. It could be thought that a herd of bisons had recently passed through here. The unnatural appearance of the treehouse shocked them – the door wide open, shamanic masks scattered at the threshold, chaos inside, and the vials that once hung from the branches were either shattered or torn down. The herbalist herself was nowhere to be found, neither inside nor outside.

Seeing the mess around the hut, Fluttershy sighed in astonishment. Just a couple of weeks ago, she used to visit Zecora, and everything here was in order. The zebra also came to the timid mare on those days when infected ponies from Las Pegasus began to appear in Ponyville, bringing her several pitchers of potion – just in case her own supply ran out. Therefore, it followed that not too long ago, the shamaness was present in this place. But now, it seemed like she had vanished into thin air, making all six mares feel uneasy. Looking at Spearhead and his comrades, who began to cautiously inspect the nearby area, Twilight slowly approached the abandoned home, unable to fathom the cause of all this devastation.

"What in Celestia's name happened here?" Sparkle finally asked in astonishment, walking up to the threshold accompanied by her friends.

"It feels like there was a riot here," Rarity mused, casting her gaze on the masks scattered in the grass and the interior of the dwelling visible through the door and broken windows.

Struck by what they saw, the six ponies cautiously entered the interior, while the guards remained in the clearing, being on watch. They wished to understand what calamity had befallen the zebra's abode, and not finding an answer to this question outside, it was logical to inspect the space inside the wooden trunk. Stepping over the threshold first, Twilight slowly made her way to the center of the room, surveying everything around her. Finally, she stopped next to an empty round table and looked around more closely, noting each detail, as the other mares gathered by her.

The interior of the hut was no better than the outside, if not worse. The entire wooden floor was strewn with small shards, as if Zecora had arranged a mass smash of dishes; here and there, small puddles of some concoctions, long since cooled but not yet dried, could be seen. A large cauldron lay overturned on the extinguished hearth, piles of leaves and herbs were scattered in the corners, the shelves were mostly empty, and only in some places could one notice small vessels, apparently devoid of any contents. The bed lacked a pillow, but the blanket, strangely enough, remained neatly laid out, and on it rested a solitary mask, leaning against the wall.

The candles remained in their places but were not burning, and evidently, not for a long time. No feature of the scattered mess around the ponies hinted at when or why the zebra left her home. But one thing was clear – she was definitely not here. Judging by the fact that Zecora visited Fluttershy just two days ago, the friends understood that everything was fine with their black-and-white acquaintance in the middle of the current week. However, anything could have happened to her during this time. Feeling a growing unease, Fluttershy nervously swallowed and finally decided to break the silence:

"But… where is Zecora?"

"It seems she's not here, or here, or here," Pinkie observed, with remarkable agility checking the shelves, the bed, and eventually under the overturned cauldron. Convinced of the zebra's absence, she turned to the frozen friends by the table and concluded, "It's clear, Zecora is not at home."

"But why?" Rarity puzzled. "And where did all this mess come from? I don't think she just went shopping in Ponyville…"

"The last time I visited her, she mentioned that something was bothering her," Fluttershy timidly spoke, sensing the hovering tension and fearing for the mysterious fate of her forest friend. "I didn't quite understand her, but it seems that something has changed in the Everfree Forest. Maybe it's related?"

"It looks like she up and left her cabin, and clearly for good," added Applejack to pink-maned pegasus' words. "The real poser is, why in the hay?"

"I'll tell you why," Rainbow said tensely, taking a few steps further into the room. After surveying the wreckage once more, she turned to her friends and stated bluntly, "She's been abducted."

"Abducted?" Pie exclaimed, leaping onto the cauldron in fear and trembling nervously. "B-but by who?"

"Aliens, who else?" Dash replied immediately. "If they attacked Ponyville, there was nothing stopping them from paying a visit to the Everfree Forest. Who knows why they might need Zecora?"

In a daunting bewilderment caused by the rainbow-maned pegasus's reasoning, Twilight exchanged puzzled glances with Applejack standing beside her. Neither could deny that such a thing could indeed happen. Nopony knew the motives of the aliens, and therefore, any mischief, including the abduction of Zecora, was within the realm of possibility. Although nothing clearly indicated it, except perhaps the wreckage. At the same time, Fluttershy began to shiver, so she instinctively pressed herself against Rarity, seeking some moral support. She feared that whatever caused Zecora to leave her home – or even abducted her – might still be lurking nearby.

"Maybe we should go home?" the soft-yellow pegasus squeaked. Fear gripped her soul, awakening only a blind desire to run away without looking back and quickly hide at her home – no less than under the bed.

"No, we can't go back," Twilight firmly objected. Feeling cornered, she only understood that the mystery of the zebra's disappearance remained unsolved, and there was simply no clue shedding light on it. Therefore, the princess decided to act rationally, as much as self-control allowed her, and stepped to the exit. "Let's move forward. We need to retrieve the Elements of Harmony as soon as possible.

"What, we just gonna skedaddle?" the confused farmer asked.

"What about Zecora?" reminded the pink-maned earth pony, hopping off the cauldron. All of the princess's friends remained in the middle of the hut, puzzled by her zero reaction to what happened to the zebra. "Maybe she needs our help?"

"I'm afraid we can't help her, even if she's in trouble," Sparkle said sadly, stopping at the doorway. Unable to imagine where the zebra might be at the moment, she saw no way to help her. It's possible that she's not alive at all, and the thought sent shivers down the alicorn's spine.

Without saying anything more, Twilight stepped out into the fresh air. Along the trail that stretched across the clearing, the guards stood in a rough formation, awaiting orders from Spearhead. He took a couple of steps toward the lavender pony and inquired:

"What's the matter, Princess?"

"Our friend Zecora lived in this hut, but now she's gone somewhere," the purple alicorn explained woefully. Glancing around just in case and noticing that the other embodiments of the Elements of Harmony had also left the treehouse, she asked, "Is there anything suspicious in the thickets?"

"No one and nothing," reported Spearhead. While the princess inspected the inside of the trunk, his soldiers combed the entire area to ensure that Her Highness's life was not in danger, and she could see it through the open door. "What are the further instructions?"

"We continue the journey," Twilight responded briefly, to which the squad commander nodded in agreement.

Spearhead barked the order loudly, commanding the pony soldiers to reform their marching formation around the protected persons, and the expedition promptly resumed its advance. In the middle of the clearing, the trail divided into two branches. One led to the entrance of Zecora's home, while the other skirted it to the right, heading straight into the thickets. This path was one of the three that led to the Castle of the Two Sisters – the longest and meandering, yet the safest. The other two had a rather bad reputation, as encounters with cragadiles or seemingly cute but fiercely-hearted puckwudgies were not uncommon on them.

They had a little over a third of the journey left to reach the Castle of the Two Sisters, so the ponies decided to quicken their pace to fulfill Princess Celestia's assignment as soon as possible. About twenty minutes later, their hooves brought them out of the thickets to the edge of a steep cliff. The destination had been almost reached, and Twilight stopped to survey the panorama unfolding before her and her companions. From here, there was a uniquely picturesque view of the ancient residence of Equestria's rulers, with a rope bridge stretching across a long gorge. This was the point of interest for the ponies, as at its base lay the cave with the desired Tree of Harmony.

The ancient fortress remained unchanged. The same walls weathered by years, numerous dilapidated towers, portions of the roof collapsing in places, and a multitude of stones of various sizes scattered on the grass and cobblestone path near the bridge that connected to the grand gates. However, there was no time to scrutinize the ruins, and the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony hurriedly descended to the bottom of the elongated rocky gorge. Fortunately, a staircase was present, although twenty guards had to descend in pairs due to its narrowness.

In no time, the expedition was moving along the valley floor, heading directly towards the cave. Taking the lead, Sparkle trotted particularly briskly, eager to conclude the matter. A few dozen meters to the right of the rope bridge, a deep rocky depression turned sharply into the distance, and it was to its bend that the rocky staircase led up. The cave was just beyond this bend, and the mares, accompanied by the pony soldiers, could see its entrance. Not noticing anything suspicious in its visible part, the Princess of Friendship spontaneously looked up, directing her gaze toward the top of the tall rocky wall, where the thicket sprawled.

At a glance, Twilight thought that something had moved at the edge of the cliff, overgrown with tall trees, instantly disappearing into the thickets as soon as she noticed it. However, she immediately thought it could be some representative of the local fauna – rich and whimsical. Therefore, all her attention quickly returned to the cave, which she had approached enough to see what was hidden inside. After taking a few more steps, she stopped dead in her tracks, causing the unsuspecting Pinkie Pie, who was trailing behind, to accidentally bump into her. While party pony was gazing at another turn in the canyon, visible in the distance and leading to the right towards the west, she didn't notice that the princess had frozen.

Stepping back from the princess by a step, the pink-maned mare shook her head and was about to ask her what was wrong when she herself saw what the cave was hiding. At that moment, the other ponies, along with the guards, arrived. The condition of the Tree of Harmony had them quite bewildered. The thing was, it was withering, even though the Elements continued to feed it. The crystal it was made of had darkened almost to black, and the roots looked as if they had dried up.

"Uh-oh," Pinkie Pie uttered, staring at the crystalline tree with wide eyes. "What's happening to it?"

"Is it dyin'?" Applejack asked with concern.

"Oh, poor thing," Fluttershy said sadly, briefly thinking that perhaps Zecora was referring to the depletion of the Tree of Harmony when she spoke of some changes. "Could the forces of the forest have drained it so much?"

"But there are no thorny vines here at all," rightly noted Rarity. In fact, the Tree looked exactly the same as it did when the Everfree Forest began to expand, and day merged with night; however, the poisonous dark green vines covered in thick thorns were absent. "What happened to it?"

"Zecora said that the animals in the forest constantly get infected with the crystal. Perhaps it has already penetrated here, and the Tree is expending all its energy to prevent its spread," Twilight hypothesized. Getting ready to get to work, she took the first step, but Dashie suddenly blocked her way, clearly agitated.

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed the sky-blue pegasus. "Are you saying that it might now be holding back not only the vines but also that green crystal? And you're planning to remove the Elements from it, seriously?"

"Indeed, darling," the white unicorn agreed with Rainbow Dash's arguments, catching up with the princess. "Are you sure nothing bad will happen if we deprive the Tree even of the little strength it has left?"

"I don't know," Sparkle replied, shaking her head in confusion. "But if Princess Celestia ordered us to take the Elements, then we will do it."

Twilight moved towards the Tree, wishing her companions to stay in place and wait. If something were to happen, she thought, it would be better if not everypony was affected at once, despite Spearhead's objections. But the decision remained with the princess. Approaching the magical plant slowly, Sparkle examined it carefully. It had drooped, stopped glowing, and lost its previous color. Perhaps Rainbow Dash was right? Fearful that depriving the Tree of its last energy might make things worse, the alicorn finally stopped in front of its extending roots, trying to gather her courage.

Sighing deeply, Twilight eventually dared to remove the Elements from the crystalline plant, although she feared that her ominous feelings might not be in vain. However, the belief that Princess Celestia wouldn't give imprudent orders buoyed the lavender mare. So, she enveloped all six magical stones in a violet aura and carefully took them out of the niches on the branches and trunk. Placing them neatly in her saddlebag, the princess froze and began to watch the Tree cautiously. No changes were noticed by her. It seemed everything went smoothly.

"I've got the Elements!" Twilight announced with relief to her friends, waving a hoof at them. The ponies rejoiced that everything went without incident.

Looking around just in case, Sparkle briskly trotted toward the exit of the cave when suddenly a loud crunch came from beneath the ground. The alicorn froze, lowering her head, and saw the stony floor of the cave cracking beneath her hooves. What was most astonishing was that strange blue light emanated from the fissures.

"Save yourself, Twilight!" exclaimed her friends in horror. Rainbow Dash and Applejack instantly rushed into the cave to pull the alicorn out as quickly as possible. Several guards, led by Spearhead, also jumped from their positions to help.

Meanwhile, the purple pony overcame the panic that momentarily seized her body and mind and attempted to teleport herself outside, but she didn't make it. Right beneath the Tree, an underground explosion erupted, throwing the unfortunate mare towards the exit. Landing next to her arriving companions, Sparkle slammed her head hard against a small boulder, of which there were many scattered around, causing her vision to instantly darken. The last thing she saw was a blue haze swirling inside the cave. Closing her eyelids, the Princess of Friendship heard, for a while, the commotion of her frightened friends and guards before finally slipping into oblivion…

4.3. We Need Twilight Sparkle

The light. It was the first thing she saw, slightly opening her eyes. At that moment, memories slowly began to return to her. Her head ached badly, but her thoughts were quite clear, even though consciousness was as if shrouded in mist.

"Oh, praise Celestia, yer alive!" a well-known voice with a distinctive rural accent sounded. "We all dang worried 'bout ya, sugarcube!"

The Princess of Friendship slowly turned her gaze to the right and saw Applejack sitting next to her. Fluttershy and Rarity stood behind the farmer. Twilight quickly figured out that she was lying on the couch in the timid pegasus' cottage, and her friends were taking care of her.

"My head…" Sparkle uttered, slightly wincing.

"Drink more potion," Rarity offered solicitously, then used telekinesis to bring Zecora's concoction to her friend's lips. Twilight raised herself a bit and obediently drank the brew, although she couldn't recall having come into contact with the deadly mineral lately.

"Am I infected with the green crystal?" the alicorn finally asked, bewildered, after finishing the potion. Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged brief glances, as if unsure how to answer. Applejack nervously sighed and corrected her:

"Not green, but blue."

"Blue?!"

"Yes, now the entire gorge in the forest is overgrown with blue crystal," the dressmaker explained. "Perhaps the Tree of Harmony really held it back, but now…"

"Fortunately, we quickly returned home and managed to save you," Fluttershy joyfully added. With the awakening of her friend, it was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Now Sparkle remembered seeing the blue haze before losing consciousness. Why did the alien mineral suddenly change color? It was a question that intrigued her as much as it made her fear a strange twist on a problem that had already claimed the lives of so many ponies.

"But what about the blue crystal? Where did it come from?" Twilight wondered, and her friends shrugged. The lavender pony replayed the last thing she saw in her mind and suddenly recalled the main goal of the expedition to the Everfree Forest. "The Elements of Harmony! Is everything fine with them?"

"Don't worry; they're here," the gentle yellow pegasus reassured, pointing to a bag on a green chair off to the side of the couch.

"Excellent," sighed the Princess of Friendship in relief. Before she could lay her head back on the pillow, Rainbow Dash burst into the house. Breathing heavily after a swift flight, she approached her stunned friends and immediately expressed her joy at Twilight's recovery. Once her breathing normalized, she got down to business:

"Steel monsters in Ponyville!"

"What?" the mares exclaimed in unison.

"They showed up in a group of ten," the pegasus reported, then gestured toward the door and said, "I sent those two guards who were on duty at the doorstep to Spearhead to have him send a squad to the town. But the steel monsters said they need you, Twilight."

"Me? But why?"

The news brought by the sky-blue pony left the princess stunned. She had no idea what could prompt the steel monsters to make contact suddenly, although after the Battle of Ponyville, they had hastily retreated without saying a word. Because of this, she was now even somewhat afraid to meet them, getting confused in guesses about what might be on their minds. On the other hoof, the alicorn immediately remembered that she herself had planned to talk to them. Perhaps their visit should be considered fortunate? In any case, she wanted to make sure of everything firsthoof.

"I wish I knew. All they said was, 'We need Twilight Sparkle'," Dash spoke, delivering the words of the steel monsters in the coldest voice possible. Nervously shaking her head, she let out a silent hum and, with a discouraged contemplation, said, "And how do they even know your name?.."

"Twilight ain't fit to go to 'em. She's still ain't in good shape," objected the apple pony, not at all enthused by the sudden visit of strangers.

"Don't worry about me, Applejack. I'll try to meet with them," Sparkle replied, then attempted to get up from the couch, despite the fact that her entire body ached with pain. The pony in the hat clearly did not approve of this idea, but still helped her friend stand up, and then threw a warm blanket over her so she wouldn't freeze outside.

Carefully stepping out of the house accompanied by her friends, Twilight noticed that outside it was sunset. The sun illuminated the surrounding space from the western horizon, making the snow sparkle, and the sky turned dark blue, gradually transitioning into golden and rosy hues. This meant she had been unconscious for about six hours. Casting her gaze first on the guards' barracks standing in the middle of the field, and then on Ponyville, the princess slowly walked along the path towards the town. Flying alongside her weakened friend, Dash supported her with her front hooves to make it easier for her to stay on her legs, while AJ squeezed in closer on the other side, always ready to lend her strong shoulder.

The entire way passed mostly in silence. Twilight's companions kept an eye on her well-being, so they had little time for conversation among themselves. Twilight herself felt too drained. She walked calmly and steadily along the road, pondering to herself about the intentions of the steel monsters. Their strange behavior had perplexed her before, as far as her interactions with them went, but now she felt a distinct uneasiness growing inside her because of them.

As soon as the five ponies stepped onto the streets of the southern district of Ponyville, separated from the rest by a small river now covered in ice, Twilight began searching for the steel guests with her eyes. However, the giants were not yet in her field of vision. She cast glances into corners and courtyards of houses, but she didn't see anyone – not even the ponies living here. The streets were completely deserted, and the princess suspected that it was somehow related to the appearance of the strangers. But she couldn't spot them anywhere.

"Where are they?" Twilight finally inquired impatiently after walking several blocks without seeing anyone.

"Near the ruins of the town hall," Rainbow answered succinctly.

More than ten minutes passed before the mares climbed onto the arched bridge leading across the river to the central square. Twilight decided to stop and take a pause to catch her breath and look around. Gazing into the distance, her violet eyes finally spotted the steel monsters. As Dashie had mentioned, they loomed just outside the porch of the half-ruined town hall, which was clearly visible from the bridge.

Ten two-legged creatures stood motionless, forming a circle and directing their cruciform eyes in all directions. Crowds of Ponyvillians flooded the central square, trying to keep a safe distance from them. The only pony not afraid of them was Pinkie Pie, which didn't surprise either the princess or her companions. The pink-maned cheerful one twirled right in front of the strangers, ceaselessly attempting to initiate a friendly conversation with each of them in turn. Nevertheless, they remained silent, continuing to patiently wait for Twilight.

It seemed that the introduction to new potential friends, which, however, didn't stick yet, made Pinkie completely forget about yesterday's horrors. Of course, Twilight knew well that an attention deficit was precisely what could most aptly describe the quirky nature of her pink friend. The steel warriors continued to stubbornly ignore the curly pony, while she, undeterred, never ceased her attempts to elicit even a mutual greeting from them.

Sparkle and her friends, assessing the situation, continued on their way to the town hall. As soon as the purple pony descended from the bridge, the steel giants noticed her and immediately moved towards her. Bewildered, Pinkie froze in place, spending a couple of seconds staring at them with wide-open eyes, but then hurried to stand by them, hopping along. Judging by the carefree smile shining on her face, she still didn't lose hope of eventually striking up a conversation with them and establishing a strong friendship.

Under the tense gaze of Ponyville residents, the princess, accompanied by her entourage, and the steel warriors, came to a stop three meters apart from each other, while the pink pony settled herself on the sideline between them. Twilight felt uneasy as she faced a two-meter wall of ten steel monsters. All of her friends, except Pinkie, experienced the same internal sense of unease. The cross-shaped eyes of the strangers immediately focused on the alicorn, and all of them rumbled in their mechanical voices:

"Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes," the alicorn confirmed somewhat hesitantly, not understanding why they needed her, to which they promptly declared:

"We need to talk to you."

Embodiments of the Elements of Harmony exchanged puzzled glances. Initially, these beings ignored them, then suddenly helped defend Ponyville without saying much, and now, they decided to engage in a dialogue after all. Nopony saw any logic in such inconsistent behavior, raising numerous suspicions. Only Pinkie stretched an even wider smile to her ears, pleased that Ponyville's new guests finally expressed a desire to talk – hopefully with her too, in the end. At this very moment, she couldn't put into words how much she liked to talk, especially with newfound acquaintances. However, her friends had a completely different opinion about the upcoming conversation.

"First, better tell us who you are," demanded Rainbow after a couple of seconds of confusion. The brightly glowing crimson crosses immediately aimed at her, and the response followed promptly:

"Our name is LEGION…"

P.S. "The reverse side also has a reverse side" – Japanese proverb.