Project Gaia : The arrival of humanity

Chapter 35 : The Calm before the Storm

"Fear a man who has nothing to lose, be terrified of a man who has everything to win."

- Muhammad Anugerah

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Canterlot, Central Equestria. September 9th 2038. 0700 hours.

The golden rays of dawn crept into Twilight Sparkle's room, casting soft beams across the velvet curtains and polished wooden furniture. The faint chirping of birds outside her window contrasted sharply with the distant clang of armored hooves and the rhythmic march of Royal Guards patrolling the cobbled streets below. Twilight stirred in her bed, tangled in her sheets, her face half-buried in a tear-stained pillow. Her violet eyes blinked open slowly, red and puffy from restless nights.

She sat up, clutching her blanket, and looked around. This wasn't her cozy, book-filled home in the Golden Oak Library. No comforting scent of parchment and ink lingered in the air. Instead, she found herself surrounded by the familiar, ornate décor of her childhood room in Canterlot. The lavender wallpaper, the bookshelf her father had built for her when she was a filly, and her old desk cluttered with star charts and scrolls-it was all still there, frozen in time.

For a fleeting moment, she wanted to call for Spike, her faithful assistant. But the cold reality struck her: Spike wasn't here, he had remained in Ponyville. Twilight sighed and slowly pulled herself out of bed, her hooves meeting the soft carpet below.

Walking to the window, she gently pushed the curtains aside and peered out. The Canterlot skyline stretched out before her-majestic spires and white marble towers bathed in sunlight-but the streets below told a different story. Normally bustling markets, vibrant with ponies bartering and socializing, were now eerily quiet. Most stalls were shuttered, their goods requisitioned to support the military. The cobblestone roads, usually packed with carts and chattering foals, were now patrolled by stern-faced Royal Guards in gleaming golden armor. Their spears glinted in the morning sun as they marched in disciplined formations.

Further in the distance, the grand banners of Equestria fluttered solemnly from castle towers. The cheerful laughter of Canterlot's citizens had been replaced with anxious murmurs and hurried hoofsteps. The city, once a symbol of peace and prosperity, now felt like a fortress preparing for siege.

Twilight turned away from the window, her chest heavy with an invisible weight. She trudged to the bathroom and turned on the cold water. The icy splash against her face jolted her awake, but it couldn't wash away the exhaustion etched into her features. In the mirror, her reflection stared back-a tired, disheveled mare with tangled hair and bloodshot eyes.

She leaned against the sink, her mind replaying the events of the past weeks. The attack on Whinnypool. The chaos, the screams, the blinding flashes of light as strange weapons tore through Equestrian defenses. She and her friends had barely escaped the carnage, retreating into the cold embrace of the northern forests.

Ten long, grueling days they had wandered through the wilderness, their bodies aching and spirits frayed. They had scavenged for food, and struggled to stay warm during frigid nights. The memory of Rainbow Dash nearly flying off in a blind panic to rescue Fluttershy-who had been left behind in Whinnypool-still haunted Twilight. It had taken the combined efforts of Applejack and Rarity to restrain her, tears streaming down the pegasus's face as she screamed Fluttershy's name into the empty sky.

Eventually, they reached the sleepy village of Coltsonville, where they boarded a train back to Canterlot. The journey was silent and heavy, each mare lost in her thoughts. Twilight had failed. Her carefully crafted plan to open peaceful dialogue with the 'Hu-mano' had collapsed into ashes, and war had become inevitable.