Annabeth stared out the window of the train taking in this whole new world. She was fascinated how the horses, uh, ponies socialized, shopped, and moved about. Being a pony now, made moving about a whole new ball game. It felt so strange to be walking around on all fours, and even stranger to try and eat or grab things with hooves. She thought about the creatures Twilight spoke of and how exactly she was supposed to fight them. She thought about Percy. Where was he? Was he okay? Did Twilight's friends find him? So many questions filled her mind, that it made her stomach clench painfully.
"You okay, sugar cube?" Apple Jack asked kindly as she sat across from her.
"Hmm?" Annabeth focused on the earth pony. "Oh, uh, fine. Just worried, I guess."
"I can't imagine what you must be going through." Flutter Shy settled down next to her.
"Do you have any way of contacting your friends to see if they found Percy?" Annabeth looked at Twilight hopefully, as she sat next to Apple Jack.
"Uh, sorry, just by regular mail. And I don't know how effective that would be at this time." Twilight looked as anxious as Annabeth felt. "I am curious about these creatures that are attacking Canterlot. What can you tell us about them?" Twilight questioned as the train began moving.
Annabeth tensed at the thought of what monsters might have been unleashed. "They're the children of the ancients and the Titans." She stated. She only got blank looks back. "You know, Gaea?"
"Who?" Apple Jack asked.
Annabeth went to rub her temples, but it just felt wrong with hooves. "Let's try that again. On my world, there are immortals at war with each other. The gods promote industry and prosperity among the mortals. The Titans and their offspring are violent and prefer chaos."
"So we're up against immortals?" Apple Jack asked worriedly.
"Unfortunately." Annabeth looked out the window with a worried look.
"How do we fight immortals if they can't die?" Twilight asked worriedly.
"They can be defeated." Annabeth corrected. "We had weapons that could send them back to the pit, where they would regenerate. But I don't have my weapon here. Without it, it is going to take some creative thinking to defeat them." Annabeth continued to gaze worriedly out the window.
Everyone was silent at this proclaimation. They rode on the train quietly for some time until Twilight spoke up. "What about magic?"
Annabeth pondered the question. "I know some kids that know magic, but I can't say I've seen them use it against them. I guess it's possible. I can't say for sure."
"I have another question." Twilight kept a steady gaze on Annabeth, that put Annabeth on her guard. "Are you an immortal or a mortal?"
Annabeth knew when she first met Twilight that she was intelligent. But know she knew just how intelligent. She respected her more for it. Annabeth gave a dark chuckle at the question. "Both. Neither. Percy and I are what you would call half-bloods. Half mortal, half immortal, without any of the immortality. We are the end result of the gods . . . interest in mortals. We are part of both worlds, but don't really belonging to either. I guess you could say that we protect both worlds from each other. How did you know?" Annabeth turned to Twilight.
"How else could you have survived such a terrible fall?" She reasoned.
"It sounds lonely." Flutter Shy responded.
"It is, until you find others like you. We have a camp that is protected, so it is sort of our home. That's where Percy and I met." Annabeth's heart suddenly yearned painfully to be with him.
"You sound very close to him." Flutter Shy commented.
"We are. I wish I knew if he were okay." Annabeth sighed as she looked out the window. She saw her reflection in the window and suddenly wondered what Percy's new form looked like. She watched a random pony run by the train in the opposite direction. Then another, and another. She suddenly realized that they looked terrified. Annabeth's hair stood on end.
"Well we need to come up with a plan on how to defeat these immortals." Twilight said. "Spike, take a note." Spike was getting out a quill and parchment, when they pulled up to a station.
"Monsters." Annabeth whispered.
"Whatever you call them." Twilight said.
"No! Monsters!" Annabeth yelled when she saw a dracnea at the door. While the ponies froze at the sight of the monster, the bottom half of a snake with the top half somewhat humanoid wth green skin and snakes for hair. Annabeth lept out of her seat. The moment the dracnea opened the door Annabeth turned around and kicked with her hind legs, landing squarely in the dracnea's chest. The creature gave a hiss as it was slammed through the door of the next train stall. "Get off the train!" Annabeth yelled.
The ponies wasted no time in following her orders. They rushed out of the train and onto the street. It was pure chaos with dracnea slithering everywhere with spears in their hands pointed at ponies that they were gathering. "We need to hide." Annabeth decided.
"No, we need to fight." Twilight said as a bright light burst out of her horn and slammed against a dracnea, knocking it down, but otherwise having no effect on it. "Well, that wasn't what I expected." Twilight commented.
The dracnea recovered and lept at Twilight, who instinctively put up a magical shield. Annabeth watched as the monster clawed at it without causing so much as a dent. "Give up, ponies. We are your new rulers." The dracnea hissed.
"What have you done with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" Twilight demanded.
"They serve us now. As will you."
Annabeth looked to where they were gathering ponies. It was in the center of the town where a large statue stood.
"I have an idea." Annabeth whispered to Twilight. "You have to give up."
"What? Why?" Twilight demanded.
"Because we are going to knock that large statue on top of them, and you are going to make sure that they stay contained underneath with your magic." Annabeth explained in a rushed whisper.
Twilight looked at the statue and said, "Oh!" as though just grasping Annabeth's plan. "You guys sneak around back. I'll give up." She winked.
Annabeth , Apple Jack, Flutter Shy, and Spike ran behind a building and quietly made their way to the other side of the building. She heard Twilight give an exaggerated speech, "Oh no, what is the point? I give up."
They made it all the way to the other side of the town. And climbed to the second story of a building that was closest to the statue. Annabeth looked out the window, careful not to be seen. The statue was very large and Annabeth began to have doubts that they could knock it down.
"What is it, sugar cube?" Apple Jack looked at her with concern.
"How are we going to knock it down?" She admitted the flaw in her plan.
Apple Jack looked around and said, "We can do it."
Annabeth looked at Apple Jack and Spike's determined look and felt buoyed up. Then she looked at Flutter Shy, who was visibly shaking, though trying to look brave. Annabeth surveyed the scene below them. There were five dracaena that stood in front of the statue. "Ponies! You are now under the rule of Tartarus. You are now all of our slaves." They began.
"Okay then, on the count of three." They all nodded. "One, two, three." Annabeth and Apple Jack jumped out the window and used their momentum to slam into the statue. Flutter Shy and Spike flew straight into the statue. Problem was, with all of their momentum, they only made a crack appear at the base of the statue. Twilight had created her shield around the dracnea, keeping them contained. "Push!" Annabeth yelled.
Annabeth pushed with all her might. Apple Jack had somehow lassoed a rope around the top and was pulling on it. Other ponies saw what was going on and some came to help Annabeth, Flutter Shy and Spike push, while others grabbed hold of Apple Jacks rope and were helping her pull. Others still lassoed their ropes around the statue and were pulling. All together the statue began to give way.
"You can not stop us!" A dracnea hissed.
"This is our land, and you are not welcome." Twilight said with a flourish, as the statue gave way and landed square on the dracnea grouped together, thanks to Twilight's magic. They gave a dying scream before degrading into a fine golden dust. The ponies gave a cheer of victory as they stomped their hooves.
"We did it!" Apple Jack cheered.
Annabeth let them have their moment, but she knew there would always be more.
"Oh my!" Flutter Shy exclaimed.
"Woo wee." Apple Jack exclaimed.
Annabeth became aware of every pony in the town staring at her.
"Annabeth, you're getting your cutie mark!" Twilight exclaimed.
Annabeth looked back at her body to see her flank glowing brightly. Then slowly the glowing decreased until it was gone. Three pictures were revealed on her flank that shouldn't have surprised her, but did. Maybe it was the fact that she felt like she had been branded. But more than that, the pictures stood out to her, almost like they were 3-D.
"A baseball cap, a bronze knife, and a silver owl." Twilight studied it.
"Um, that's nice." Flutter Shy said. Although Annabeth could tell that she was just trying to be polite.
"What in tarnation is that supposed to represent?" Apple Jack took off her hat and scratched her head.
Annabeth flicked her tail in agitation. "The owl is my mother's symbol. It's like she's claiming me all over again."
"Your mother?" Twilight asked.
"I am the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy." Annabeth announced.
"Well you certainly proved yourself today." Spike exclaimed.
"And the other symbols?" Twilight asked.
Annabeth looked at them again. Again they stood out, almost like she could touch them. "They look like my weapons that I used at home. But they were lost. I didn't even have them on me when I was captured."
Suddenly several ponies screamed and were running away from where the fallen statue lay. A severely wounded, but very much alive dracnea rose up from under the statue. "I should have known, half-blood." The dracnea lashed out at Annabeth.
She didn't even think. She reached back and by some miracle her teeth clamped around the hilt of the knife, no sooner had she whipped her head around, had she sliced through the dracnea before it could touch her. The saw the dracnea's eyes widen in surprise before desolving into golden dust.
"Wow!" Spike exclaimed. Several others looked at her with new respect.
"How did you do that?" Twilight demanded.
"Mhm." Annabeth spat out her knife onto the ground. "I'm not sure. It just sort of looks like it's raised up off of my body, like it wants me to take it." She looked back at her flank. Her Yankees cap and the owl picture were still there, but the picture of the knife was gone. Annabeth picked up the knife between her teeth again and pressed it against her flank. When she let go, the picture had returned.
"Wow." Spike said again.
"That's some magic." Apple Jack looked impressed.
"Have you ever seen or heard of anything like it before?" Flutter Shy asked Twilight.
"No, never." Twilight studied the cutie mark. "Perhaps it has something to do with who you are, a half-blood, is it?"
"Maybe. You can see it raised up off my body though, right?" Annabeth asked.
The ponies and Spike looked at each other. "No." Twilight answered. "I guess it's just for your eyes."
"Well, we know one thing." Annabeth said.
"What's that?" Flutter Shy asked.
"We now have a way to fight back."
They looked at her questioningly.
"My knife. It's Celestial bronze. It can send these creatures back to the pit." Annabeth felt more confident now that she had her knife. "Twilight can contain them, while I take them out. We'll get to Canterlot in no time."
"Wait a minute." Twilight interrupted her. "We are maybe a few miles from where we found you. Equestria is a large place and we have to ensure the safety of all of its citizens."
Annabeth frowned. How could she be so selfish. Twilight would of course put her people, uh, ponies ahead of her desire to see Percy. She took a deep breath. And began analyzing the situation. "You need a fast way of communicating with all of the towns, so you can warn them, and they can let us know if they are under attack."
Twilight thought about this, then stood up on top of the fallen statue as if it were her podium. "Citizens of Equestria. Our land is under attack, and this is but the first of many victories we will have. But first we need everyone's help. We need an army of pegasi to set up a network of flyers to every town in Equestria. You will be our eyes and ears and will keep up communications between us and all the towns. Who will step up and take this vital challange?"
Several pegasi stepped forward proclaiming their willingness to help. She had to admit, Twilight sure did know how to give a good speech. "We'll need to gather food and medical supplies." Annabeth murmured in her ear.
"Earth ponies, you are responsible for collecting and rationing all the food and medical supplies." Twilight ordered. Several ponies rushed about the town upon her command. "Anything else?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow as though challenging her.
Annabeth took her challenge. "Can every town have a shield like the one you did?"
Twilight smirked. "Unicorns, I need every magic user in this town to work together to create a shield should the monsters come back while we are elsewhere. Can you do it?" She roused the crowd.
Every pony roared and stomped their hooves at her procomation.
"We will make them regret they ever set foot in our land, for we are Equestrians!" They cheered and stomped their hooves again. Twilight turned to Annabeth. "Anything else?"
Annabeth laughed. The first time since she arrived here. "The monsters have no idea what they are up against." Annabeth admitted. Twilight looked proud at that statement. "Now I just have to learn how to fight in this body."
"Well, maybe I can help you with that, sugar cube." Apple Jack crossed her front legs in a lazy sort of fashion and smiled at her.
Annabeth smiled back as she looked at her new friends. She would see Percy.
