External
by Carpetbagger
Chapters
Prologue
"Foolish mortals! How could my sister ever expect you six foals could defeat Nightmare Moon!"
Nightmare Moon stood triumphantly over Twilight and her five friends. They only just met hours ago, just realizing their deep connection to each other through the elements of harmony. But sadly, it will be short lived as the Princess of the Night has already begun her preparations for a final attack. The dark alicorn raised her horn in the night sky, conjuring up a ball of dark energy with mystical lightning slithering across the sphere of dark-matter.
"The elements... no... we have to..." Twilight moaned, barely holding on to consciousness. The unicorn looked back to her friends, face stricken with grief. Applejack, Posey, Surprise, Sparkler, and Firefly were spread out along the castle floor, battered, beaten and lifeless. They accomplished so much, but it was still not enough to put an end to the evil alicorn's return to Equestria. The pink Mare's eyes brimmed up with tears as she knew this was the end.
"I'm so... sorry... everypony..."
Nightmare moon's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the ruin's walls as she ascended above the six ponies. The dark sphere stabilized, reflecting the moonlit sky as the evil princess unleashed it upon the six would be heroines.
"This castle shall be my throne to a new kingdom, but it will be your final resting place!"
The black orb drifted down stirring up debris and dust all around the ruins. Twilight clenched her jaw shut and closed her misty eyes, accepting her fate. Suddenly, a mysterious voice called out.
"This ends... now!"
The arcane sphere stopped instantly as a strange unicorn, completely covered head to hooves with golden armor stepped in front of Twilight. Reciting a strange incantation, the armored unicorn summoned a portal, banishing the orb instantly. Nightmare Moon landed gracefully to the ground and turned her attention to the stranger.
"How did you do that?!"
The armored unicorn took a step forward and snorted out a small cloud of steam from behind his rune encrusted mask. His emissive glowing eyes narrowed at the alicorn goddess. The two pones stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, as if they were sizing each other up. With a loud battle cry, Nightmare Moon and the unicorn charged at each other, horns glowing with ethereal energy. In a blinding flash, the pair stood opposite from each other. Nightmare Moon's eyes widened in terror as the sound of metal clanged down against the ground. The alicorn looked back at the stranger, her dark regalia damaged and her horn cracking at the base.
"What are you... such... such... power..."
"Drop the charade imposter! The real Princess Luna died centuries ago. Sacrificing herself to put an end to the dark power that possessed her. Your further existence only taints her noble act."
"Lies! All... lies! I'm the... real P-Princess... ARRRGHHHHH!!"
Nightmare Moon let out a cry of anguish that pierced the night air. As she crumpled to the ground, the alicorn burst into green embers, leaving behind the remains of a tall, dark equine like creature with a long green mane and strange insectoid wings. The queen's crown that the abstract beast was wearing rolled across the floor before coming to a complete stop. The armored unicorn looked up at the moon before approaching the flaming carcass. The stranger stared at the dark remains, pent up fury behind his eyes as he stomped on the creature's crown, shattering it to pieces
"It appears that the longer they maintain their guise, the more they believe it's who they are. Such foul monstrosities these changelings..."
The stranger let out a sigh and walked toward the ruin's archway. A brilliant cluster of energy formed at the unicorns horn, distorting his appearance, slowly blinking out of existence.
"W-Wait... please... help us..."
The unicorn stopped his spell and looked back at the half unconscious Twilight. She had managed to drag herself across the floor and reached out to him. The stranger closed his eyes looking away from the pink unicorn.
"I sent for help before coming here. You will survive this. Equestria ... your Equestria needs the elements of harmony."
"W-Who ... are you?"
The armored unicorn closed his eyes. Taking a few more steps for the archway, he continued casting his spell while giving his parting words.
"I don't have a name... not anymore. I am... an external..."
With a flash of blinding light, the unicorn vanished, only leaving behind charred markings from where he once stood. Twilight rolled over on her back looking at the full moon. As her vision blurred, she barely had enough strength to say one word before losing consciousness.
"...External..."
Apples and Oranges
Equestria [#2341-1776]
"Ah've been fightin' this here feud fer as long as ah can remember. I ax'ed ma an pa why we fightin and they cain't give a straight answer. Sos' I ax'ed their ma an pa an then their ma an pa but they couldn't give me an answer neither. So many ponies fightin' fer somethin an not even know why. Oranges an Apples? Last ah heard, they both fruits through an through, why we gotta be fightin for somethin an not know why?"
The desert winds were harsh and unforgiving beating down onto the cloaked mare marching through the wastelands. Accompanied by the unrelenting sun and the mare's cargo she was dragging in a weather beaten wagon, everything was counting against her. She was walking through the wastelands at high noon, and for what? The mare asked herself that question over and over, but it never stopped her legs from carrying her further. Piercing the gusts of wind came the faint buzzing sound, almost like an angry wasp. The mare tilted her head to the side and felt something hot and sharp graze her cheek. She tilted her hat up and noticed an old barn off in the distance. The mare squinted her eyes just enough to make out what looked like an elderly green mare peeking out from the attic window. The silver haired mare was holding a longrifle and shouting through a megaphone.
"Ah can shoot th' fleas offa diamond dog's backside from TEN THOUSAND hoofs away. If ya know what's best, gon an' git!"
The orange mare carefully slid under the wagon's harness and trotted to the back of the wagon. She pulled at a blanket, revealing a badly injured red stallion before addressing the silver maned mare.
"Got a injured soldier down here. Said he was akin' to ya."
"Big Red? Ah jus got his papers in th' mail three days ago! Thought he went to th' big orchard in the sky!"
"No ma'm jus' found him in the trenches yesterday. Ah ain't the type to leave a pony out fer dead, sworn enemy or otherwise."
"Now ain't that mighty nice o' ya! Go head' an' leave em right there so's I can pick em up. In the meantime, git off mah property!"
"I was hopin' we could talk-" The mare was interrupted by a small pillar of sand rising up from taking a step forward. It was apparent that the elderly mare wasn't going to take any chances.
"Listen here missy. Ah've been protectin this here Smith Acres before your daddy was a twinkle in HIS daddy's eye. Ah ain't gonna start invitin' no citrus suckin' claim jumpers on this farm!"
The orange mare picked up a mound of sand and let it slide out of her hoof.
"Don't see to much o' farm land round these parts..."
"That's it'! Last warnin' missy, MOVE YER CABOOSE!" The elderly mare shouted, sending another bullet into the ground, right in front of the cloaked pony. The orange mare tilted her hat back down and spit into the ground before walking away.
"You know what? To Tartarus, with it. Matter o' fact, to Tartarus with this war too..."
The older mare looked through her scope at the pony leaving and headed downstairs to the front door. Stepping out on the porch, the silver maned pony looked around at her farm. There was nothing green in sight. Just endless hills of sand with rows of dead trees lining the fields. A single tear ran down the mares cheek as her wrinkled lip quivered.
"Now hold on there missy!" the elderly pony called out. "Gon' and bring em round back. I'll put some coffee on th' pot."
The cloaked mare turned around confused. Before she could say anything the elderly mare said something else before heading inside.
"An while yer' at it, stay on th' beated path. I got mines all over this farmland..."