Arrival

Argel Tal listened to the roaring of the Warhawk Mark IV “Stormbird’s” engines in silence. A thousand miles distant, the Fedelitas Lex was still a mighty sight to behold, a city upon the horizon. A warrior outfitted in warplate of pure white and blue accompanied Argel Tal. Captain Kharn of the World Eaters was the only brother that Argel Tal had not yet failed. He had the honor of being the World Eater’s primarch’s equerry. He had been the only one who had sated Angron’s blood lust, and was held in grudging respect by the gladiator primarch.

Kharn, like all World Eaters had a pain engine imbedded in the back of his head. These pain engines, known colloquially as the butcher’s nails kept him in constant pain. However, it rewarded rage and violence with a strange serenity, pleasure perhaps. This meant that he fought like a madman, caring not for his life, or the life of his comrades. In combat, he only cared for the complete annihilation of his enemies. At this moment, Kharn was clutching his head in agony.

The dropship lurched as it entered the atmosphere, and fire blurred past the windows. Argel Tal maintained his silence, conversing with Raum in his mind. The daemon was one of the few who would actually speak to Argel Tal, and he disclosed knowledge that no mortal had any business knowing. Kharn was in no position or mood to talk. Argel Tal was concerned for Kharn. Recently, he had become more distracted, more prone to wrath. Unlike most World Eaters, Kharn was fully capable of fighting with words. That skill was fading to the butcher’s nails, and it was most concerning.

“Captain Argel Tal, we are nearing the planet’s surface, and will land soon,” the pilot called through the vox.

“Very well,” Argel Tal voxed back.

***

Upon Epona, in a town called Ponyville, ponies stared up at the sky in wonder and awe. A massive, red monster had come from the sky, blazing fire behind it. It roared as it moved, fire spitting from behind it. It was marked with a leering demon upon the sides, and had a flat front, looking not unlike the fortifications of a castle. From its back sprouted a strange bank of four cylinders, and cones were placed under its wings. The sun glinted from it, and it became obvious that it was made of a metal of some sort.

The creature extended legs from its flat belly, landing in the middle of the town square. It crushed the statue of Celestia with a deep thunking noise. It sat there for some time, and some of the town’s braver occupants approached it hesitantly. One even dared to touch it with a hoof, the impacts echoing throughout the creature. The ponies decided that it was not an animal, but a machine. Was this machine somehow associated with the fits of agony that the unicorns were experiencing?

Twilight Sparkle approached the macine, having overcome the fits that had taken her earlier. What was this machine that could fly without the use of flapping wings? It must have taken strong magic to have even made the thing fly. She flinched back as the sound of hissing air escaped from the machine. A ramp slowly lowered, revealing two massive forms.

They were bipedal and stood at around eight feet tall, easily dwarfing the ponies. The first one was white and blue, and had eyes of glowing crimson. The eyes reminded her of blood, much to her horror. Upon its waist was an axe that had a blade of serrated teeth. This caused her to gulp violently as she considered to what damage it could cause. She looked at the second one. This one was red, and had glacial blue eyes that spoke of cold indifference. Upon its back were a golden sword and spear. The spear was tipped with a strange box that terminated in a cylinder. Neither had manes, nor did they blink.

They both stepped forwards, their feet causing the earth to shake. She gingerly trotted forward to meet them. She raised her hoof in what she hoped they would take as a greeting.

“Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle! Do you understand me?”

“Xenos!” The white and blue one spat, causing Twilight to flinch, “What kind of world is this?”

“Peace, Kharn,” the second one spoke, its voice strangely split between a clear tone and a harsh growl, “The primarch has sent us, and we know what is required.”

Twilight blinked, and repeated her statement.

“I heard you the first time, xenos. You were not required to repeat yourself,” the red one spoke. Although his voice was low, the harsh undertone raised the fur on Twilight’s back, unnerving her more than anything she had heard before.

There was an uncomfortable silence before Twilight cleared her throat.

“Are you going to introduce yourselves?”

The red one spoke, “I am Captain Argel Tal, of the Vakrah Jal, or as it is known in your tongue, the Chapter of the Consecrated Iron, of the Seventeenth Legion Astartes Word Bearers. My companion is Centurion Kharn of the Eighth Assault Company of the Twelfth Legion Astartes World Eaters.”

Twilight knew military ranks when she heard them. She had never heard any of those names before in her life. She had dozens of books on the different species that populate Epona, and these creatures didn’t match the description of any. Was it possible that these were aliens? Why did they have such strange names, and why did they sound so menacing? "Word Bearers," "World Eaters", these names sounded more like the names that came out of horror stories.

“What are you?” she asked.

“We are Adeptus Astartes, Space Marines. We were originally Human.”

Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie chose precisely this moment to “attack” the “Space Marines”. She jumped up to the red one, coming face to face with him. She was shrieking something about throwing a party as she did so. What happened next was almost too fast for Twilight to track.

There was the sound of screeching metal, and a pair of leathery wings sprouted from the red one’s back. The arms extended, and formed claws twice as large as his hands had been. The face opened to reveal a massive, ravening maw. A ridge of spines sprouted from his head, and his eyes narrowed into slits. He reached out wrapping his hand around the entirety of Pinkie’s form, leaving only her head exposed. It was obvious that he was preparing to crush her in his fist.

“Stop!” Twilight screamed in panic.

To her surprise, Argel Tal ceased his attack. He turned his glacial eyes to face her, and Twilight felt a shudder travel down her spine as she felt the malice radiating from his form. The slitted eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and their glacial blue glow seemed to give a sense of boredom.

“Speak,” the harsh undertone now took precedence, causing Twilight to wish that she could shield her ears.

“Pinkie Pie does not mean any harm, she just wants to welcome you! Please, put her down.”

The response came in a snarl, the harsh tonality making it sound like a roar. To Twilight’s relief, he dropped Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie’s hair straightened, and she began to crawl back, silent for what was likely the first time in her life. Fear was apparent in her demeanor, and tears were welling in her eyes. The daemon’s voice halted her.

“Do not do that again, xenos.”

Pinkie Pie nodded hastily, her normally bubbly responses buried by terror.

Kharn suddenly laughed, his booming voice causing all ponies present to flinch.

“Damn it, Argel Tal, that was the fastest the change has ever been!”