"Hurry up your filthy maggots!" A human wearing gold plated armor that covered his entire body except his face shouted at a group of ponies while slapping one in the face leaving a red hand print across her face. The human didn't show any sign of caring, though.

This place was Equestria. A place where harmony and friendship had reigned for many years. The ponies who had lived here peacefully had now become slaves or killed by their new overlords. It had been two years since these humans had appeared. No pony knew where they came from but only knew they had traveled from the ocean landing on the west coast. That was when the invasion begun. The humans were part of the Athearan Empire or what they liked to call themselves. They came with the gifts of friendship and treaties bringing peace and tranquility among the two races. It was all a lie. A year later the Athearan Empire showed their true colors. The invasion was small at first, but it had eventually spread all throughout the land. The Royal Guard were quickly called forth. The ponies seemed to think they had the advantage with magic.....that was when the empire released their own. Human mages using unstable magic with unstable minds fought back against the ponies.

The Royal Guard were pushed all the way off the coast. The Royal Guard could only slow down the empire advance. Soon cities had begun falling one by one. The ponies were quickly subjugated into slaves and those who resisted were killed. The empire offered the ponies either to convert into their slaves or be killed. The ponies knew the princess's would save them. That was when the empire unleashed another weapon. Having their magi combine their magic they were able to draw the princess's magic rendering them weak anytime they tried to attack the humans so they were forced to stay at Canterlot. Now all the Royal Guard could was hold the line and hope that one day the Athearan Empire would be pushed back and regain their homelands. The cities that were under the control of the empire were assigned a Praefectus that would watch over the ponies and keep them in check.

Praefectus were the ones in charge of conquered cities and to ensure the ponies were kept in check. They were also in charge of the Athearan battalions that were assigned to them. In each battalion were thousand of soldiers. Each Praefectus was in charge of five battalions in total making them in charge of five thousand soldiers or sometimes ten thousand depending on how high they were in command. To help them control their battalions, each one were led by an Imperator that reported directly to the Praefectus.

"I said move it!"

In one such city, ponies were being forced to move through their once proud city. Now all that was left of the city was smoke and ruins. Where proud buildings stood were building that had pieces of them knocked down or destroyed. Windows were broken with glass littering the ground. Smoke had quickly rose up to block out the sun giving the city a look of devastation. All around were Athearan soldiers clad in their bronze armor that covered their entire body with helmets that protected their heads yet still show their faces. In their hands, they held a spear and shield or sometimes a sword with shield. Upon their chests and shields was the Athearan symbol. A triangle that was gold surrounded by blue water as if it was rising from the ocean and the sun cast its light over it.

"Line up! Line up!"

The ponies were being forced into standing into a straight line for......*the inspection* as the Athearans like to call it. This was where they glanced at all the ponies to see if they were fit to become slaves and what their jobs would be. Whether it would be field, house, or pleasure slaves. Sometimes it was all three. No matter what age they were, the ponies were forced to line up. This is where the Conquistor came in. They would walk down the line glancing at the ponies and to decide which ponies would be fitted for what job. They wore armor made of silver with a bronze star upon their chest. Their helmets covered their entire face with the faces of the helmets having a wolf-like appearance giving them an aura of a hunter.

The Conquistor walked down the lines staring at the ponies with his unseen eyes causing many of the mares to pull their children closer to them trying to shield them from the predator that stalked them. He stopped and stared at an elder pony who instead of being scared was glaring right back him. The Conquistor walked over till he stood in front of the stallion who had grey fur with a black mane.

"You are not scared?" The Conquistor spoke in a deep voice that seemed to echo. "Your fellow ponies know to yield to their betters."

"Not to you." The stallion spoke.

The Conquistor suddenly had his armored face an inch away from the stallion face. "You won't yield?"

"Not to you."

The Conquistor stared at the stallion before backing away. "Very brave....for a pony." The Conquistor spoke with a slight respectful tone as he patted the stallion shoulder with his right hand. He suddenly pulled out a dagger with his other hand and thrust it through the stallion chest while pulling the old pony closer with his right hand. The ponies around screamed in horror while others were calling him a murder. The stallion face scrunched up in pain even as his blood poured to the ground. "Look to your elder. Let him be an example!" With that said the Conquistor pulled out his dagger letting the elder pony fall to the ground while a few ponies ran over to him.

"Grandpa!"

The Conquistor wiped the blood off his dagger with a cloth and turned towards the Praefectus yelling an order. "Have the slaves and man prepared to march in an hour! We are heading back to the west coast!"

"Sir. Shouldn't we wait till the men have rested first? The west coast is ten days away!"

The Conquistor turned towards him causing the Praefectus to step back in fear. "Your predecessor once made the mistake of questioning my orders Praefectus. Surely you are not going to make the same mistake?" Though it was a question you could still hear the threat inside it.

"No sir." The Praefectus spoke than rendered a salute by curling his right hand into a fist and slamming it on his chest causing a loud clank of metal hitting metal. "Se mortem nisi prius ignominia!"

The Conquistor returned the salute. "Bene moriar."

Praefectus turned towards his man and began ordering them. "Pack up and move out! Move it!"

The Athearans began to line up in their formations though they left room open in the middle of the formation for where the slaves would be placed so they could not run away. The soldiers began pushing the slaves towards the middle of their formations. The Conquistor heard a commotion going on and turned to see a family fighting some of his men while standing over the pony he had stabbed. Narrowing his eyes, he motioned for his man to back off confusing the ponies and his soldiers. "Archers....kill them."

He turned ignoring the ponies yelling for mercy while his archers notched their arrows and fired. He heard the arrows whistled through the air and then there was silence. 'It's only a matter of time before this land is completely ours.'

Ten miles away from the fallen city in woods that seemed to stretch on forever with trees thick that an army would have to open its ranks to be able to move through it. It was also the path that the Althearans were heading to arrive at the west coast, their area they arrived on and where the invasion had begun. The strongest part of their invasion where thousands of the lay in wait. It seemed hope was gone for anypony that lived in the west. Hope. Hope was never gone.

The ponies had never given up even outnumbered. They knew they would not last in a direct frontal assault but instead made use of the knowledge of the land where they lived to launch quick hit and run assaults. The Althearans could never figure out where they hid and could only try to strengthen their forces to counter these ambushes but never had much success. This was one of the strategies that kept the empire at bay, but it wouldn't last long.

Now time was running out with few left to face the enemy onslaught. The ponies didn't fear death. It was here in this forest that Royal Guards were setting up another ambush hoping to free their fellow ponies. The guards checked their equipment to ensure it wasn't rusted or looked ready to break while setting up the ambush by reading archers and mages to fire down upon the enemy. Captain Shining Armor checked his sword to see if it had been cracked or rusted and satisfied lowered it down so it wouldn't reflect the sunlight off it alerting the enemy to their positions.

Glancing over Shining with handsigns communicating with a guard. "Is everypony in position?"

"Yes Captain."

Shining nodded his head and glanced around a tree to see that the Althearans were already half way in the forest.

For those that remain, there is but one choice. They must fight! To victory or death!

Shining moved from behind the tree giving the signal. Arrows and fire spells flew down crashing into the enemy killing many of them. "FOR EQUESTRIA!" The royal guards all let out battle cries as they jumped down from the hills and trees and crashed into the enemy ranks. Shining Armor rushed towards three enemy soldiers slashing his sword he cut through one chest while ducking under the other one spear. Pulling out his sword he spun and held it in a reverse grip while thrusting it behind him and through enemy chest. Seeing the third one rushing towards him he threw his hand up while casting a fireball that slammed into the enemy killing him. Shining pulled his sword out causing the body to fall to the ground while his sword was covered in blood.

"Concentrate on the right side!" Shining yelled at the archers who all turned towards the enemy right flank and fired. The arrows flew through the air and slammed into the enemy killing many of them.

Shining saw one of his guards suddenly hit by a dagger in the throat causing him to gurgle blood before falling to the ground dead. Glancing over he saw the Conquistor with a sword out while his right hand glowed a dark aura around it. Shining ducked as he disappeared and a sword was swung at his neck. Reacting quickly, he threw his own sword intending to slice the enemy head off only for the enemy to deflect it while disappearing and reappearing behind Shining who quickly raised his sword and blocked the sword that would have cut him in half. Shining raised his right foot and kicked backwards causing the Conquistor to stumble backwards slightly. Shining not giving him time rushed the enemy only for the Conquistor to throw his hand up launching a dark ball of magic that slammed into him knocking him backwards and slammed into a tree.

Shining let out a grunt of pain as leaned against the tree. Glancing up he saw three Althearans rushing towards him with spears. Shining watched as they neared him only for them to be blown away by a purple aura. Landing in front of him clad in battle armor that protected her chest while the rest were robes was Twilight who held a staff in her hand. On one end was a glowing orb that was purple while at the other end was a blade.

Conquistor growled as he launched a shadow orb at her only for Twilight to simply bat it away with one hand. Conquistor tried to fire another one only for Twilight to fire one at him with this one being purple. It slammed into the Conquistor knocking him into a tree. where he lay there in pain. He tried to get back up only to stop when he saw feet. Glancing up, he saw Twilight who was glaring down at him. The two stared at each other for a few seconds when the Conquistor tried to fire another magic orb only for Twilight to swing her staff upwards with the blade at the end. She glanced down at him before turning and walking towards the ponies that were captured not paying attention to the head falling from the body behind her.

The royal guards walked all around cutting the bindings off the ponies with them each smiling in thanks and crying in joy. Shining walked over towards his sister who flashed him a smile which he returned. The two turned towards where the fallen lay. Nodding he saw a guard summoned a fireball before throwing it into the air where soon many of them were flying in the air.

While the sacrifices are heavy they fight knowing that....a single spark of courage can ignite the fires of hope.

Next Chapter: Chapter Two Estimated time remaining: 8 Minutes