W40K: The Fringe Fighter

Luna ran into the throne room, ignoring the panicked royal guards. "What the hell is happening!?" She shouted.

The Captain of the Guard shrugged. "Its a power surge. I've never seen anything like it, not once in my entire six hundred year career."

Luna looked at the sensors. "Yes, neither have we."

As she looked at the throne as the energy pulse died down, she shook her head. Her sister hadn't moved, not for Forty Thousand years. The massive scars on her chest were still apparent, and Luna worried if Celestia wold EVER recover. Her only thought now though was one thing:

Sister, what is thou thinking?

...

Delicious looked up, only to see Twilight's levitation fail, and she fell to the ground. He ran up to her,to see she had been unconscious through the entire thing. Now her eyes fluttered open. Redneck was right with Delicious, medpack at the ready.

Twilight shook her head. "Where am I? Who are you? And where's the Empress?"

Delicious bit his tongue, and tried to answer to the best of his ways. "Well, your at an old abandoned manufactorium on a ork-held Forge World. My name is Delicious Apple The Third, and I am a Rogue Trader under Her Majesties Royal Service, and these are my friends and companions. As for the Empress......"  He trailed off, and looked to the others for support.

Thankfully, Twilight, unknowingly, saved him for the time being. "Urrr, whats a Rogue Trader?"

Delicious sighed in relief. "Well, its a pony who is given freedom and a ship, and allowed to travel the galaxy for treasure and exploration."

Twilight nodded. "So, your an Apple. Delicious the Third? I remember the first, but not the second or third."

Delicious internally chuckled. She wouldn't. The second was born on the 412nd year of the 23rd millennium, and he himself was born on the 974th year of the 41st millennium, twenty five years ago.

Twilight continued. "I had several friends in the Apple family. Applejack was one of them. Where is she?"

Delicious blinked. Now for the hard part. "Well, to be perfectly honest with you, shes..... missing. Along with the rest of your friends."

Twilight bolted upright. "Missing? For how long?"

Delicious bit his tongue so hard it bled just a little. "Well, to be truthful, which is a famous trait in us apples... You have been missing, along with your friends, for almost Forty-one thousand years."

...

"Twilight, Twilight, wake up!"

Twilight's eyes slowly racked open, to see Delicious.

Twilight groaned. "So, this isn't some sick dream? What's happened? Just spit it out. I want to know."

Delicious scratched his head. "Well, let's see. After you, your friends, and a princess named Cadence disappeared, the Imperium continued to expand. However... Ah, what was his name, nicknamed the great deceiver, lord of chaos, great betrayer..."

"Discord." Twilight finished with malice. "What he do?"

Delicious continued, "He turned to the gods of chaos, who were even greater then he. He began a civil war. It tore the Imperium apart, and placed Celestia permanently on her thrown. Now, the Imperium just fights to survive. As for you and your friends, none of you have been seen or contacted since. I'm sorry. It must be a terrible lose."

Twilight nodded, trying extremely hard to not let tears enter her eyes. "Well, if I'm an Alicorn, might as well cope with it. I'm going to have to get used to loosing friends. So, before I burst into an emotional water balloon, would somepony mind telling me where we are and why?!"

Delicious nodded, still barely believing. "We're on an old abandoned Forge World, held by Orks. You know what those are?"

Twilight nodded. "A barbaric race of boar-like organisms. They hold this forge world?"

Delicious nodded. "As for why we're here, I'm low on funds, and a Forge World would be worth fortunes. As for why you're here, I have no clue whatsoever."

Twilight sighed. "I guess you have a ship?"

Delicious nodded. "The Forever Fire. And I assume you can teleport us there?"

Twilight shook her head. "It would be too far or otherwise. And I'm exhausted. But you got here somehow, right?".

This time, Redneck answered. "Of course, my lady. However, it's far away. We'll have to fight our way there."

Twilight nodded for the thousandth time. "We're wasting time. Lets go."