"The first casualty of War is Truth."

- Hiram Johnson

Gaia, "New Pangaea" Ground-Zero, June 13th, 2038

The sun beat down relentlessly upon the alien landscape of New Pangaea, casting long shadows and shimmering waves of heat across the barren ground. It was midday, the time when most personnel at the Forward Operations Base (FOB) took their lunch breaks and sought refuge from the scorching heat. Inside one of the cramped barracks, the air was thick with fatigue as soldiers took their rest.

Sergeant Edward Snowden lay sprawled out on his bunk, phone in hand, a half-empty water bottle rolling on the floor beside him. He was scrolling through YouTube Shorts and TikTok, watching the latest viral dance trends. The irony wasn’t lost on him—humanity was teetering on the brink of extinction, with an asteroid the bigger than Texas set to collide with Earth in less than 12 years. Yet, it hadn’t deterred humanity’s obsession with the trivial, and he chuckled at the absurdity of people still learning dance trends and doing stunts while the end of the world loomed overhead.

Seriously, one of the first things people on the internet do after hearing the news of end of the world is Emoting.

As Snowden swiped through the endless stream of videos, a notification popped up on his screen: New video from MrBeast. Instinctively, he tapped on it.

[Opening shot: Epic aerial view of a giant asteroid hurtling through space toward Earth. Dramatic music plays. Cut to MrBeast standing in a field with a green screen of the asteroid behind him. The music fades out as he starts speaking.]

MrBeast: "What if you had to survive on Earth while an asteroid the size of Ceres was heading straight for it?! And you had 12 years to prepare before it hits?!"

[Cut to shots of various dramatic natural disasters: earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfires, followed by clips of contestants reacting with shock and awe. The screen flashes with bold text: THE STAYING AT EARTH CHALLENGE!]

MrBeast (voiceover): "What's up, guys! Today, I've got one of the CRAZIEST challenges we've ever done. We found 100 contestants who are willing to stay on Earth while an ASTEROID the size of a dwarf planet is about to COLLIDE with our planet!"

[Cut to MrBeast in a bunker packed with survival gear. He holds a gas mask and a solar-powered radio in his hands.]

MrBeast: "Contestants can choose any shelter they want—build an underground bunker, move to the top of a mountain, or even live on a yacht in the middle of the ocean. It's up to them! But there’s a catch…"

[Cut to footage of cities being abandoned, time-lapsed skies darkening as dust clouds form.]

MrBeast (voiceover): "As soon as the asteroid hits, it'll unleash total chaos—massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and a dust cloud that will plunge Earth into darkness. It’s not just about surviving the impact… it's about surviving the aftermath."

[Cut to a shot of contestants nervously looking up at the sky, where a faint dot (the asteroid) is visible..]

MrBeast (voiceover): "These 100 contestants will have 12 years to prepare however they want. But once the asteroid hits… no more new supplies. They'll have to rely on their wits, skills, and whatever resources they’ve stockpiled."

[Quick clips show some contestants building bunkers, while others look at their chosen shelters—ranging from underground bunkers and fortified basement to makeshift shelters in remote cave. Dramatic music intensifies.]

"And whoever survives the impact the longest wins $100 MILLION DOLLARS!"

[Cut to a split-screen of the various contestants, each describing their strategies.]

Contestant 1: "I've set up an underground bunker with 6 months' worth of supplies. If it works for doomsday preppers, it’ll work for me!"

Contestant 2: "I’m taking a different approach and going deep into the mountains. The asteroid might not even hit close enough to feel it!"

Contestant 3: "I’ve reinforced the walls of my house and stocked up on food. I’m just hoping luck is on my side!"

MrBeast: "These 100 contestants have 12 years to prepare before the asteroid impact! The rules are simple: There’s no leaving Earth, no external help, and if you get eliminated...well, let's just say it's GAME OVER."

[Cut to MrBeast standing next to his crew, Chris, Chandler, and Karl, who are each holding a survival item. The asteroid looms ominously in the sky behind them.]

MrBeast: "The clock is ticking, and the challenge starts now! Will anyone survive the impact? Or will $100 million go unclaimed? Subscribe to find out!"

[The screen fades to black, displaying the text: THE STAYING AT EARTH CHALLENGE BEGINS NOW! followed by a countdown timer: 12 YEARS REMAINING. Dramatic music builds up again. Cut to the contestants making their preparations and the asteroid looming larger in the sky. The scene transitions to the start of the countdown, signaling the beginning of the challenge.]

MrBeast (voiceover): "Stay tuned, because things are about to get WILD!

[Cut to the contestants making their first preparations as the screen reads: LET THE END OF THE WORLD... BEGIN!]

Snowden's laughter was barely contained as the video played on. “Of course,” he muttered to himself, “Leave it to MrBeast to turn the apocalypse into a game show.” But before he could watch the contestants' frantic preparations, a blaring siren cut through the air, rattling the walls.

"ATTENTION ALL COMBAT PERSONNEL, REPORT TO YOUR POSTS IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!!" The loudspeakers echoed throughout the base.

The sudden alarm jolted Snowden upright. The hallways outside his room were alive with the thunder of boots pounding against metal flooring. He leapt off his bunk, hurriedly throwing on his uniform and combat gear—a digital camouflage uniform, ceramic combat vest, and the familiar blue Kevlar helmet with the UN logo emblazoned on the side.

Rushing out the door, where dozens of other soldiers streamed past him. He spotted his squadmates, Corporal Jimmy Barnes and Private Gregor Staebler, struggling into their vests and helmets just ahead.

"Jimmy, what's happening?!" Snowden called out as he secured the straps of his vest.

"No clue, man!" Jimmy yelled back, fumbling with the last buckle on his helmet. "Lieutenant Hill says there's some kind of emergency. We're supposed to get to the armory and gear up."

The hallway buzzed with a frantic energy as soldiers hurriedly equipped themselves. The steady thrum of engines revving to life outside became more audible, underscored by the unmistakable whirring of helicopter blades.

Moments later, they reached the armory where dozens of soldiers were arming themselves. Snowden grabbed his rifle and a few extra magazines, the weight of his equipment adding to the already thick atmosphere of tension.

Outside, the deployment field was a chaotic scene of mobilization. Hundreds of UN peacekeepers formed ranks, their faces bearing the same expression of confusion and apprehension. Rows of Humvees and Stryker armored personnel carriers stood ready, engines growling, lining up at the FOB gate while Blackhawk helicopters and surveillance drones were launched into the sky, the thunderous rotors sending gusts of dust into the air.

Commander Jeffrey Lang, his voice booming through a megaphone, brought order to the chaos. "Listen up!" he shouted. "About twenty minutes ago, we lost contact with a cement production plant near the Indian colony. We have reports of an attack by what seems to be some kind of… 'hostile wildlife.' We don’t have many details because communication is down. Our job is to investigate, secure the area, and ensure the safety of any civilians."

The crowd murmured nervously. Snowden exchanged glances with Jimmy, uncertainty etched on their faces. "Wildlife?" Snowden muttered. "Since when does wildlife knock out comms?"

Lang’s voice cut through again, as if reading the collective thoughts of the soldiers. "We don’t know what we're dealing with. Stay sharp and follow orders. Dismissed!"

The briefing left more questions than answers, heightening the unease among the troops. The idea of “hostile wildlife” on a alien planet like seemed unnervingly vague. Yet there was no time to speculate.

As the convoy began to roll out, Snowden and his team crammed into the back of a Stryker APC. The interior was dim, the only light coming from the slivers of sunlight sneaking through the narrow viewport. The atmosphere was thick with the low murmur of nervous chatter. Lieutenant Mell Wilkinson, sitting across from Snowden, tried to break the tension.

"Probably just some overgrown lizards or something," Mell said, offering a half-hearted grin. "Might as well be a glorified pest control mission."

Private Karl Sulzberger chimed in, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and anxiety. "Or it could be something straight out of a fantasy novel, like elves or orcs. We’ve already got portals to other worlds, why not mythical creatures too?"

Sergeant Denijs Veenstra scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. Next, you'll be telling me it’s a Tuyul from Indonesian folklore. Tiny green goblins causing havoc."

First Lieutenant Liu Pengfei’s eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief. "Or a beast-man like Wukong. Hell, if we’re lucky, we might get to wrestle with a giant monkey."

The banter ricocheted around the cramped space, their attempts at humor doing little to hide the underlying anxiety. Snowden had been mostly silent, his eyes distant as he stared at the rifle resting on his lap. Finally, Jimmy nudged him with an elbow.

"Come on, Snowden, what’s your wild guess? Bigfoot? A Wendigo?"

Snowden glanced up, hesitating for a moment before his cheeks flushed slightly. "Well… I was kinda hoping for… y’know, a cute catgirl." He forced out a laugh, but the redness in his face deepened as the rest of the squad burst into raucous laughter.

"A catgirl?!" Jimmy exclaimed, nearly doubling over. "Seriously, man?! You're a certified weeb now!"

Sulzberger grinned and nudged Snowden. "Guess we know what you’ve been fantasizing about in the barracks, huh?, You better hope it’s not a feral one.”

Snowden could only groan as he buried his face in his hands. "Okay, okay, enough," he muttered, cracking a sheepish smile. “I swear, if we come across anything remotely human-looking, I’m blaming you guys for jinxing it."

As the laughter died down, the reality of their situation settled in. Snowden's embarrassment had done little to dispel the tension lingering in the air. He glanced out the viewport again, watching as the barren, alien landscape sped past. The convoy rumbled on, the hum of engines resonating through the APC, carrying them toward the unknown.

Whatever lay ahead, it wasn’t going to be anything as fantastical—or harmless—as their imaginations dared to hope. The hostile force awaiting them would shatter all notions of the mundane and plunge them into a nightmare far worse than they had feared.

Snowden tightened his grip on his rifle, the light-hearted banter fading as the enormity of their task took hold. Whatever awaited them, it was no catgirl—it was something far more menacing, and it would test their courage and resolve in ways they weren’t prepared for.

Southwest Equestria, the edge of White Tail Woods, June 13th, 2038.

The thick canopy of White Tail Woods swayed gently in the midday sun, casting dappled light over the forest floor. The air was heavy with the mingling scents of pine and earth. Yet, the peaceful ambiance was shattered by the anguished screams of a wounded Royal Guard, his voice echoing through the trees.

Bon Bon—better known by her codename, Agent Sweetie Drops crouched beside the guard, her hooves moving with practiced urgency as she wrapped a bandage around the pony's bleeding leg. She could feel his body trembling beneath her touch as the crude battlefield dressing struggled to staunch the flow. The guard's armor was dented and twisted, shards of metal jutting out where some unknown projectile had shattered the protective enchantments. His pained cries reverberated in Sweetie Drops’ ears, every sound gnawing at her composure.

"Hold still, for Celestia's sake!" she muttered, her voice strained as she tightened the bandage, trying to stop the bleeding. The guard yelped as the pressure increased, his breathing coming in ragged gasps. Sweetie Drops had dealt with all manner of creatures in her years with the Anti-Monster Agency—manticores, timberwolves, even the occasional rogue dragon—but this was different. She wasn’t facing a beast from the Everfree or a dark forest. This...this was something else entirely.

She wiped her brow with a hoof, only to realize it was smeared with blood—the guard’s, or perhaps her own; she wasn’t sure. Her thoughts raced back to the moment it had all spiraled out of control: when Commander Shadow Charm had stepped forward to address the strange creatures they had encountered at the river, hoping to negotiate some kind of agreement. But instead of words, they had answered with fire and thunder, and the commander had fallen where he stood.

The guards had surged forward in response, their cries for vengeance filling the air as spells and arrows rained down on the strange, mammalian bipeds. But it had been little use. These creatures wielded weapons that tore through steel and flesh alike, and the magic steel armor that the ponies had relied on for generations seemed almost useless against the cold, unyielding weapon they used.

Lieutenant Winter Gust, now leading the regiment in the commander’s absence, trotted up to Sweetie Drops, his expression grave. His fur was singed, and there was a cut above his left eye where a fragment of stone had struck him during the assault. “Agent Sweetie Drops,” he began, his voice strained but steady, “our mages can’t breach the gate.”

She looked up, startled. “What do you mean they can’t breach it?” she asked. “It’s just a door!”

The lieutenant shook his head. “It’s no ordinary door. The mages say there’s… nothing. No magic at all in the material. It’s as if it’s dead, utterly impervious to spells. We can’t bend or break it, not with the magic we have.”

Sweetie Drops frowned, trying to comprehend what he was saying. How could anything be completely devoid of magic? Everything in Equestria had some trace of it, from the simplest pebble to the mightiest mountain. However, if these creatures had indeed brought materials unfamiliar to them, their properties might be beyond Equestrian comprehension.

“So what do we do?” she asked, her voice betraying a hint of desperation. “We can’t just sit here forever. We need to get in there and—”

She was cut off by a strange sound in the sky. It started as a faint buzzing, like the rapid beat of a dragonfly’s wings, but it quickly grew louder and more intense, filling the air with an unnatural hum. Sweetie Drops and Winter Gust turned their eyes upward, squinting against the bright sunlight.

There, approaching from the horizon, were three dark shapes. They moved with a grace that was alien to the ponies’ eyes, sleek bodies cutting through the sky with the unmistakable whirr of spinning blades atop them. The black contraptions seemed to hover effortlessly, their forms angular and menacing. Sweetie Drops’ breath hitched in her throat as she realized they were heading straight for the Royal Guard’s position.

“Pegasi, to the skies!” Lieutenant Winter Gust barked, his voice sharp and commanding. “Intercept those… those things before they get any closer!”

At once, a dozen pegasi leaped into the air, their wings catching the breeze as they ascended to meet the strange flying machines. The sight of armed pegasi soaring upwards, their spears and bows glinting in the sun, was a familiar one; but now, it felt almost futile, as if they were charging headlong into the jaws of some metal beast.

Sweetie Drops’ heart raced. She had fought many monsters in her career, but nothing like this. These contraptions—they weren’t alive, yet they seemed to defy the natural order. They emitted no magic, no life essence that she could detect.

As the Pegasi squadron closed in on the strange mechanical contraptions, Sweetie Drops felt an icy dread coil around her heart. The closer they flew, the more unnatural these machines seemed—metal wings whirling with an alien hum, reflecting the sunlight with an ominous glint. She bit her lip, a terrible realization dawning on her.

What if they were wrong? What if this is a mistake? What if this wasn't just another encounter with some magical anomaly, but the beginning of something far darker?

The pegasi charged forward, their spears glinting, determination etched on their faces. But as they neared the hovering giants, the air seemed to thicken with an unseen tension. Sweetie Drops could only watch in silent horror as the machines loomed larger, their true scale becoming clearer with every wingbeat.

And then, the world seemed to hold its breath.

In that instant, she knew there was no turning back. The pegasi did not falter, nor did they retreat. Instead, they flew headlong into history, into the unknown, into the abyss that separated Equestrian peace from the unforgiving reality of an alien war machine.

This was not a confrontation—they had not merely challenged the strange contraptions. No, they had unwittingly lit the fuse.

The first clash was upon them. The first act of defiance that would shatter a fragile peace. The first step down a path that would plunge Ponykind and Humanity into an inferno of conflict.

There would be no flight, no retreat.

And as the pegasi closed in, the fateful day of June 13th, 2038, marked the beginning of the conflict that would soon engulf all Equestria in its flames.

Author's Note

Will you do MrBeast "Staying At Earth" challenge?

No?