Warhammer 40k: The Mission

Chapters

Part 1 'Royal Summons'
Part 2 'The Mission'
Part 3 'New Friends And Foes'
Part 4 'New Allies/Rescue'
Part 5 'The Nightmare Returns'
Part 6 'Unlikely Allies/A Social Evening'
Author's notes/ Blind Bag pony 40k rules
Part 7 'Acquiring The Artifact/Twilight Vs Ahriman'
Part 8 'Fighting Withdrawal'

Part 1 'Royal Summons'

Disclaimer

I own no rights to either the 'My Little Pony' franchise, 'Games Workshop', or 'Warhammer 40k'.
All rights remain with their respective owners.
This story is done purely as a non-profit fan project.

I have, however, tried to stay true to the backgrounds of both franchises.

The Mission

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A Warhammer 40k My Little Pony crossover Fanfic

The events of this tale are set around the middle of season 4 of the 'My Little Pony, Friendship Is Magic' series.

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Part 1 'Royal Summons'

We begin our tale in a carriage on board the train heading to Canterlot....

The carriage rocked slowly from side to side, it's current occupants sitting quietly, gazing at the scenery rushing by outside.
The group of ponies felt a little uneasy. Earlier that day, Twilight had received a letter from Princess Celestia herself, and had quickly gathered her friends together and boarded the train without a clear explanation as to why.

A certain farm pony had decided that an explanation was in order.

"So what does that there letter of yours say anyway?" asked Applejack, "seems like you've been holdin' out on us".
"Sorry Applejack", replied Twilight, "this letter doesn't say much".
"So what DOES it say?" asked Rainbow, her irritation showing. She had almost immediately taken to the air, as she so often did when she felt frustrated.

Twilight pulled the scroll in question from her saddle bag in a glow of purple, held it up before her, and began to read.
"Dear princess Twilight. I require the presence of yourself and the element bearers in Canterlot as soon as possible"

She paused for a moment.

"And?" came Dash's irate response to the silence.

"It says 'An item has recently come to my attention which may prove useful to the defense of Equestria. I cannot tell you more until we meet".
She lowered the scroll and looked up at Dash.
"That's all it says", she finished,
The rainbow maned pegasus clearly wasn't satisfied with the lack of information.

"Sounds more like a memo than a letter Twilight", stated Rarity from the far side of the carriage, waving a hoof nonchalantly. "So we're being sent to retrieve this...item I presume?"

Dash folded her forelegs. "Since when did we play fetch? Doesn't she have, like, guardsponies for doing things like this?"

"Must be something super duper awesome important to ask us though. What do you think it could be?". Pinkie broke her short silence with her usual quick-fire speech.
The other ponies quickly realized she was going off at a complete tangent to the original conversation when
"Cake..Or sprinkles..Or cake with sprinkles! Those things are gooood" came in to her ideas and went back to their own musings.

Pinkie had got one thing right though.

It had to be something special to warrant summoning the element bearers.

Off in a shadowy corner at the back of the carriage, a seventh pony watched the proceedings.
She held up her own scroll in a pale green glow, re-reading the message there, and sighed.

Looks like Twilight may find out about her hidden help.

Celestia had asked the unicorn to keep an eye out for her favorite student from the sidelines since Canterlot, and she had been sent to Ponyville when Twilight moved there.

Always watching from the background.

Despite her obvious intellect and near unparalleled talent, Twilight hadn't realized she was being observed.

The observer closed her eyes. This could be a long trip and she wanted to be fresh when things got busy.

Part 2 'The Mission'

Part 2

At the castle....

Princess Celestia paced back and forth in front of her throne.
Bright sunlight filtered through the tall stained glass windows, dust motes dancing in the light.
The princess looked up at the scene of Twilight and her friends and their defeat of Nightmare Moon.
She was apprehensive about what she was about to ask of her student and her friends.

She had been to the place she was to send the Element bearers once.
It had been a traumatic experience, so different from her homeland of Equestria.
"I can only hope they are up to this task", she muttered to herself.

A noise in the hallway caught her attention.
She looked around as Twilight and her friends entered the room.
"Greetings Princess" started Celestia.
"Princess Celestia", replied Twilight, "you summoned us?"
"Yes Twilight", continued Celestia ,"as I stated in my letter, an item has come to my attention which could prove invaluable to the defense of our home".
"That there letter of yours didn't say a whole lot else though princess", put in Applejack, her accent making a mockery of any attempt to keep the mood formal.

Secretly, this was one of the reasons Celestia enjoyed the company of Twilight and her friends.
It made a pleasant change from the constant formality her daily duties required.

"I had my reasons for that Applejack", answered the Alicorn. "What I am about to tell you is a matter of utmost secrecy. It must not leave this room".

All six element bearers immediately replied with "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye".

Celestia just barely managed to stop herself collapsing in laughter at this, and her next sentence carried a distinct tremor of subdued humor.
"I shall be...", She coughed and tried to regain a little composure.
"I shall be sending someone else with you on this trip". She looked to the door. "ENTER".

A nervous figure emerged from the gloom of the hallway.

"LYRA?!" exclaimed Twilight.

"Um...you...sent for me...princess?" said the mint green unicorn.

"Good grief"' snapped Rainbow Dash, "we expect this kind of behavior from Fluttershy! Get over here!"

Lyra trotted over to the group.

"Lyra Heartstrings is one of my undercover operatives", started Celestia.
"ARE YOU A SPY?" butted in Pinkie, her bulging eyes barely an inch from Lyra's face.

The unicorn looked down and scraped a hoof nervously from side to side, then looked through her fringe at Pinkie.
"Um...yes".
Pinkie's face lit up in a crazed grin just before she started a tirade of nonsensical questions which all other attendants to this meeting completely ignored.

Celestia, however, waited for the pink pony to calm down before continuing.

"A brief lesson is required to explain the importance of what I am asking you to do".
"You probably are not aware of this, but our magical powers are actually gained from another dimension. It is a place of pure energy, shaped by emotions. All the magical creatures of this world gain their powers by...tapping in to the energy of this realm".

Twilight's eyes couldn't have gone wider.

"So, without this realm all unicorns would have no magic?"
"You are correct, my student", answered Celestia ,"there would be no magic at all without it".
"However, negative emotions combine together, and eventually manifest as....creatures, or entities for lack of a better word in that place, that are the stuff of nightmares. They can take control of those who use magic".
.
The seven smaller ponies stood in silence. Celestia's reasons for keeping this a secret were becoming obvious.

"Equestria is protected from the attentions of these terrible beings by a magical shield which was in place long before even I was born"
The princess paused, and gazed up at the image of Nightmare Moon's defeat again.

"However, it seems to be weakening. What happened with princess Luna all those years ago, Discord's escape, and the Tree of Harmony were just the latest signs".
"I fear for what may happen if the warding shield were to fail completely with so many magical creatures here".
"So..this item you want us to find is linked to this realm?" asked Twilight.
"Indeed it is", answered Celestia, glancing sideways at her student."The item in question is a staff once used by a powerful mage of another world".
"There's...other worlds..with creatures like us?", asked Fluttershy.
"Yes Fluttershy, and no", came the reply ,"other worlds have creatures far different from us...Which reminds me".
Celestia lowered her horn at the group, and an aura surrounded them for a few moments.

"You..cast a spell on us?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"If you are to go to this world to retrieve the staff, it may prove useful if you can communicate with the creatures you meet there. The spell I just cast on you will allow you to speak with them".

"So, princess, how do we get there?", asked Twilight ,"and what can we expect there?"
"The world I am sending you to is a war torn realm. You must be careful. As for the how, you may remember this magical mirror?"
"Will we...change when we cross over?" asked Twilight with a shudder at the memories of her last foray through that mirror.
"My operative, who has informed me of the staff, has stated that her appearance did not alter in this place".

Celestia cast a spell at the mirror, and the image changed to a bleak trench, smoke drifting lazily across the scene.
The expressions on the gathered ponies said far more of what they thought than words could.
The princess didn't react to this show of disapproval, knowing as she did exactly what lay over there.

"One last thing", added Celestia, "the operative I sent to gather information has remained to reconnoiter the area. She has not reported back to me recently however".
"Looking at that dreadful place I fear something terrible could have happened", stated Rarity, "who is she, if you don't mind me asking?".
"The operative?", Celestia's answer was cryptic. "Let's just say I chose someone who wouldn't stand out in that place".
"But it's so dark and icky", said Rarity.
"Exactly", replied Celestia ,"look at the colors of yourself and your friends. You are going to be quite easy to spot".

The princess looked back to the mirror.
"According to my source, the staff I need you to find has an eight pointed star on the top. Ironically, this is one of the symbols of the very realm we are trying to keep at bay. It's power should call to anyone with magical ability, so Twilight, Rarity and Lyra should be able to home in on it".
"So that's why ya called for Lyra is it?" Applejack's response was more of a statement than a question.
"Partly Applejack", Celestia answered ,"she also has combat and survival training which could prove useful out there".
"But....why me? Surely there are royal guards who could do the job better?" Lyra butted in.
"The Element bearers know you much better than my royal guards. And I believe out of the operatives in Ponyville, you are the best qualified".
Lyra blushed at this compliment. "Thank you princess".

"Princess", piped up Rarity ,"I have just one question".
"And what is that?" replied Celestia.
"Erm, if your operative has knowledge of the whereabouts of this staff you want us to find, why did she not return with it herself?"
"A good question", came the response,"apparently, she did attempt to get to the staff, but could not remove it from it's location due to a powerful shield of some kind. Also, she did state that there were many soldiers fighting across that land, and trying to get back carrying the staff would have been impossible even if she had managed to acquire it".
"I understand", answered the white unicorn ,"So this is why you requested Twilight, to break the barrier and help the operative escape".
The princess nodded.

Celestia lowered her head to the group in respect. "Good luck my little ponies. I pray for your success".

And with that, the group stepped through the mirror and in to another world.

Part 3 'New Friends And Foes'

Part 3

The trenches...

The scene which greeted the ponies on the other side was not a pleasant one.

Dust and smoke filled the air, cutting down on visibility, although it did appear to be lifting.

The ponies reacted with caution. This was so far removed from anything they were used to. Not a tree or animal was in sight. Just a roughly hewn trench around eight feet deep and around ten feet wide, which meant the ponies could see nothing of the surrounding area.
To their right, the trench ended abruptly around ten feet along.
To their left, it continued around fifty feet, ending in a 't' junction, and was partly blocked by a still smoking and clearly abandoned tracked vehicle, which looked to have taken a nose dive in to the trench.
The big cannon in the turret was buckled up under the front of the huge vehicle, and a smaller gun hung
uselessly in a side mount.
Even this weapon was bigger than any of the ponies.

Distant sounds of gun shots and vehicles could be heard faintly, suggesting any real action had long since moved on from this area.

"No point in hangin' around here", stated Applejack, "Care ta give us a headin'?"

The three unicorns used a little magic, and all came to face in the same direction.

"Down this trench, take a left at the end, then next right", said Twilight.
"That close?" squeaked Pinkie,"OOOH!"
"No,Pinkie, the staff seems to be around five to six kilometers that way" explained Twilight calmly.
"Okey Dokey Lokey!" Even a place like this didn't seem to put a dampener on Pinkie's cheerful demeanor.

The ponies set off. At the 'T' junction at the end of the trench, Pinkie popped her head around the corner, then quickly leaped back as what looked like a tiny missile hurtled past her nose.
"That wasn't very nice!" she squeaked.
All the ponies backed up nervously.

An armored hand grasped the corner of the trench five feet up, making a certain yellow pegasus squeak in barely subdued terror.

A huge steel boot slammed down in front of them, dark red with ornate brass edging. The ponies didn't even come past the knee level.

It was followed by an armored giant brandishing a boxy gun of some kind, and an axe with chainsaw teeth instead of a blade.
His helmet was adorned with a pair of huge horns which appeared to grow straight through the armor.
His red eye lenses glowed with malice.

Lyra stepped forwards.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!", exclaimed the element bearers ,"RUN!!".
"I have a duty to protect you Twilight, although a little help here would be appreciated".

**************************************************************************************

Thaldus was angry. Most of the action had moved on from here, and the itching in the back of his mind, a side effect of the 'Butcher's Nails' implant, was getting annoying.
He needed to get back in to combat. To feel the thrill of the fight. To draw blood and cleave flesh, that which his deity craved.
He had just caught a momentary glimpse of a potential target, his super human reflexes allowing him to fire off a shot at whatever it had been in the split second it had been visible.
What it had been was a mystery, although the god Khorne cared nothing for the source of his sacrifices. The only thing the god of slaughter craves is that the blood flows.
As he rounded the corner, however, what confronted him stopped him in his tracks.
Seven equine creatures in a bewildering array of colors.
One of them, a green colored one with a horn, stepped between the group and himself, then the aliens conversed briefly in perfect low gothic.
This felt like some sort of sick joke by the other gods of Chaos.
Probably Slaanesh, given the creature's appearance.

The momentary shock of seeing brightly colored equines wore off quickly. The warrior raised his gun. Lyra shot a bolt of magic at it, the blast catching a lucky hit on the clip and the weapon vanished in a cloud of shrapnel as the rounds within it exploded, stunning the berzerker again.

A purple glow surrounded the mint green unicorn and, shocked, she shot backwards six feet.

The axe blade slammed down in to the ground where she had been a moment before, the spinning teeth kicking up a cloud of dust and grit.

The warrior let out a bestial howl of frustration.
'Blood for the Blood God,' he growled as he straightened up, 'SKULLS FOR THE SK...'

His outburst was cut short as his head burst out sideways in a cloud of red mist and fragmented armor.

Fluttershy and Rarity fainted clean away. All the other ponies stood in a horrified silence.
They had never seen something this graphic. The now headless warrior toppled backwards with a resounding crash.
****************************************************************************************

From his vantage point in the tower of a relatively undamaged building that overlooked the trenches, the ratling sniper Fenrick reloaded his sniper rifle, and congratulated himself on a fine kill.

Those creatures down there looked quite plump, although they would be difficult to hit. Some good meat there.

Looked like he and his rag tag group of survivors may be able to have something a bit different for dinner tonight.

He took aim at the purple horse alien at the head of the group. Then noticed a little movement in the shadows of some crates beside him.

A darker shape detached itself from the shadows.

For a moment, he caught an image of huge violet eyes, framed by jet black hair. Then a grey hoof swiped across his temple, knocking him unconscious.

His rifle fell to the ground, and the Ratling slumped beside it.

His assailant checked that he wasn't going to get up soon, then looked out from the vantage point and saw the Element bearers with Lyra in one of the trenches. "So much for stealth'", she muttered.
***************************************************************************************

The ponies, having two of their number out cold, decided to head for a ruined building they could see overlooking the trenches.
At least it was in cover.
Also, there was a round narrow tower around four stories high on one corner of this building which looked like it hadn't taken any damage yet.

"What was that?" asked Twilight, catching a glimpse of movement in the top tower window.

"Who cares", retorted Applejack ,"I just want ta get outta the firin' line before I end up like that guy back there".

Rarity shifted on Applejack's back with a groan.

"I think that shot may have come from up there", answered Twilight.
All five conscious ponies looked up at the window, to be met with a welcome sight.

A grey pony with a black mane waved to them, beckoning them over.
"Isn't she part of the Canterlot royal orchestra?", stated Rainbow Dash.
"Well, I guess it is a good cover for her true role", said Twilight ,"who'd suspect a famous musician of being a spy?"

********************************************
The ponies met up at the top of the tower, which was a circular room around twenty feet across. The single arched window filled the room with a dull light..

Fluttershy and Rarity had revived by now, much to the relief of Rainbow Dash and Applejack who had been carrying their prone forms.

The ratling sniper sat cross legged in front of them, nursing his head. His rifle lay behind the ponies, well out of reach.
Twilight regarded the strange creature before her. Two legged, covered in dust-ridden clothing. At first, he reminded the alicorn of her last foray through the mirror, although this person was far shorter- probably not much taller than she was when stood upright.

"So who's this?" she asked, ever the talkative one.
"Fenrick", he answered, "how come I can understand you?"
"A simple translation spell", replied Twilight ,"our princess cast a spell on us so we could communicate with your kind. She thought it may prove useful".
"Psyker", grumbled Fenrick, spitting at the side of him ,"always bad luck".
"I take it 'psyker' is what you call magic users here?"
"Yes", came the retort ,"and I know you and that green one there are of that ilk".
"Does that mean...you...hate us?", whimpered Fluttershy with a look that would melt a heart of stone.
Fenrick smiled. "To be honest, you're just too damn cute to hate".

His gaze returned to Twilight, and his expression hardened again, "but I will find it hard to trust you".
"I didn't tie you up", pointed out the purple alicorn ,"I thought that would help us get along better. Octavia wanted you bound and gagged to avoid drawing attention".
Fenrick rubbed his head. "She gave me quite a headache but at least I'm still alive".
"I thought you were aiming for my friends", added Octavia.
"Nah", lied Fenrick ,"just using the scope to get a better look. Don't normally see brightly colored ponies on a battlefield".
"Then I apologise for striking you".
"I understand why you did it. Might've done the same thing in your shoes...hooves".

"I take it Celestia used the translation spell on you too then?" asked Rainbow Dash, changing the subject. Octavia nodded.

"Well", said Fenrick standing up to his full height and looking Twilight right in the eye, "I need to get back to my own friends".

"How can we trust him?" asked Lyra.
"We need all the help we can get", answered Rarity ,"and I'd sooner trust this guy than that.. monster back there". She shuddered at the recollection of that traumatic encounter.

"We shall accompany you then", said Twilight ,"lead on".

Part 4 'New Allies/Rescue'

Part 4

Here, we switch to a camp fire in a ruin...

It was early evening, and the sky was beginning to darken, although there would be daylight for a few hours yet.

Sergeant Vorenze sat at what remained of the doorway to this ruined building. He could only guess at what it had once been.
Possibly a small workshop for vehicles.

The thirty year old sergeant counted himself lucky to be alive right now.

There was little left standing after the Chaos forces had rampaged through this part of the city.

Small fires continued to burn everywhere he looked. Off to his right, he could probably see for miles, if it wasn't for the dust that still hung in the air.
Visibility wasn't that bad any more, but he couldn't see more than a few hundred feet. Any buildings in sight that way had been smashed flat by the attacking enemies.
In front of him, and to his left, almost every building within a mile had been reduced to single storey walls, the roofs caved in and huge chunks of masonry laying within their shattered shells. This workshop he and his allies had commandeered was in a similar state.

He looked back at his force. Or what was left of them.

A Sentinel walker stood over them. Maverick, the pilot, slouched back in his seat with his feet up on the console, smoking a lho stick.
What little smoke reached Vorenze suggested there was something other than tobacco in the pilot's smokes.
Maverick was a stocky man, with short crew cut hair and a face full of stubble. He always insisted on wearing his sun glasses, probably to hide his eyes that were normally reddened by whatever he'd managed to smuggle through for his smokes. If any commissar had caught him he'd have been reprimanded severely. Which usually meant a summary execution when commissars were involved. Luckily for Maverick, they were all dead.

Natalia and Maria huddled next to the camp fire beside the sentinel's feet. These two women had proven to be two of his best soldiers.

Maria. An attractive blue eyed blonde girl, probably around twenty years of age. She had an average build, but had proven to be an expert shot. Not unexpected from a Cadian recruit. Her las rifle had long since been abandoned in favor of the plasma gun she now carried, despite the weapon's tendency to overheat if fired too much.
She had joined the guard at the same time as Natalia and the two were inseparable friends.

Natalia. Now there was a stunner. Large pale green eyes looked in to the camp fire. Luscious red hair spilled down her back, and even the dust and grime of this Emperor forsaken hell hole failed to cover her pale and flawless complexion.
In a different time, she could easily have been a model.
However, she had been drafted in to the guard at a young age, along with thousands of others from her home world.

Any doubt in her abilities had soon been quashed.
Her melta gun had accounted for a Chaos dreadnought, three marines, a rhino and had toppled a defiler.
In hindsight, Vorenze realized that the reason she was still alive was probably down to her weapon, and the fact she tended to sneak around opponents so they didn't spot her until it was too late.

The group's last survivor from the heavy weapons platoons sat opposite the two girls.

Leroy. Six foot nine, clean shaven including his head, solidly built, dark skinned and with a steady aim, his Las cannon stood behind him.
Nobody else in this group could even lift that thing, let alone walk around firing it like a rifle like Leroy did.

He and Natalia had a bit of a competition going for who could get the most kills.

So far, they were even. A lucky hit on a Chaos Hell Blade fighter had seen to that when it's blazing wreck had smashed in to the back of an enemy Predator tank, destroying both in a huge fireball.

Leroy claimed he should be in the lead for the most spectacular kill.

A Chimera troop transport sat to one side of the fire. The group's last survivor sat against it.
Guardsman Bateman, cleaning the twin plasma pistols he'd acquired by scavenging, affectionately nicknamed 'the dubs'.
Bateman was a thirty five year old driver for the armored platoon Natalia and Maria had come from, and was pretty average in every way, save for a knack of surviving.
Also, he did have a limited ability with mechanical repairs, (which amounted to hitting things with a hammer and swearing a lot until it started working usually), which was how the group still had the Sentinel walker and Chimera.
Both vehicles had taken light damage, but Bateman had managed to get them going again.

Vorenze sighed.
This was all that remained of his forces. If he returned to his superiors with such extreme losses they'd probably have him before a firing squad.

Six hundred guardsmen, thirty tanks of varying types, fifteen thunderbolt fighters, twenty valcyries, ten vulture gunships, six units of elite storm troopers, thirty sentinels and the baneblade 'Justice'.

Reduced to a group of seven survivors.

At least they'd given the enemy a run for their money.
They'd actually wiped out the Chaos forces almost completely, but at what cost?

The city was in ruins, and his forces were all but completely destroyed.
There was nothing left here for them to go back to.
There were other enemy forces out there too. Scattered remnants of the horde they'd crushed here.
Emperor help them if any of the big stuff had survived the battle. There had been three Warhound titans backing up the enemy, and Vorenze wasn't certain they'd been destroyed.
He'd only actually seen one of the corrupted god-machines fall, caught in a crossfire between the Baneblade 'Justice' and a squadron of Leman Russ tanks.

The crumpled wreck of that huge walker lay on the horizon just within visible range, dead. The Baneblade crushed under the titan.
He put that to the back of his mind for now, and turned his attention to the conversation unfolding between his troops.

"Wonder where Fenrick's got to?", muttered Maria, poking the fire.
"I'm sure that little weazle's off scavenging again", replied Natalia.
"Hope he finds something to eat", rumbled Leroy ,"I'm getting hungry".
"You're always hungry!" snapped Natalia.
Leroy laughed. "You're probably right".

There came a dull thump, followed by another.

A few stones toppled over on to the camp fire, putting it out.

"Something's coming", stated Vorenze.
Bateman scurried up to the wall at the back of the ruin.
"It's a Warhound", said Leroy, craning his neck.
Bateman turned back to the group and pointed over his left shoulder.
"Two the same", he said.

"I was just thinking, we may not have got those earlier", stated Vorenze.

"Looks like they're armed with Vulkans and Plasma Blastguns", said Leroy, picking out the shapes of the huge walker's weapons as they came in to view.
"Keep down then, they might miss us", hissed Vorenze, as if whispering would make any difference.
Titan tread was deafeningly loud up close.
"Don't think that'll work, one of them's coming right this way", said Maria.
"Then we go down fighting", stated Leroy, hefting his Las Cannon.
"KEEP DOWN!", snapped Natalia, readying her own weapon, "they still don't know we're here. Wait till it's up close and it's shields are useless".
"As if they won't see those", pointed out Vorenze, indicating the idle sentinel and chimera.
"They look like wrecks as long as they're not running", stated Maria.

Maverick grimaced and hopped down from the cab so as not to draw attention to the group.
He huddled beside the sentinel's leg, ready to get back in at the first opportunity.

The steady thump of titan tread got louder, then one of them came in to view.
This one was several blocks away, and for a moment the group thought they may have got away with it.
It was quite clear to Vorenze, if not the others, that this titan was host to something that did not belong in this reality.
Several gouges in the machine's carapace were running slick with blood.
Blue sparks sizzled along the cables controlling the weapons, pointing less to technology, and more to sorcerous means of providing power to them.

Then the other Warhound appeared, right over them.
There was no time to cast an appraising eye over this adversary, although it did appear oblivious to the small group.

It's right foot smashed down on the smoldering camp fire.

"Now!", snapped Natalia, and opened up with her melta gun at point blank range. She didn't realize at first that she was the only one to actually attack, although the close ranged melta blast was still sufficient to do heavy damage, especially as she had hit the exposed rear workings of the titan's ankle.
The heat weapon severed two of the pistons in the ankle joint of the war machine, a chunk of the support pillar behind running down the foot in a silver river of molten metal, locking up the foot.

The titan stepped forwards again, but when it put it's weight on the ruined ankle, the leg buckled.

With a howl of tortured servos and over-stressed metal, the titan collapsed. The impact tore the ancient machine in half at it's waist joint, it's plasma weapon exploding behind the machine in a gout of blue fire.

"IT STILL ONLY COUNTS AS ONE!!" shouted Leroy.

The destruction of it's ally had got the attention of the other Warhound.

There was very little cover between the group and the titan.

Maverick and Bateman opened up with the vehicle's multi lasers.
The titan's shields flickered, then failed.
"Good shooting you two!", called Vorenze. It was precision shooting like this that had saved this small group when everyone else had perished, but even then, to take out a warhound titan's shields with such weapons was a stroke of luck.
Such firepower, however, would be useless against the god machine's thick armor plating, and Natalia's melta gun was only any use at short range.

The titan's plasma blast gun began charging, sparks coursing along the containment coils.

"Oh hell no!" shouted Leroy, planting a pinpoint accurate las cannon shot in to the huge weapon's mount.
Without it's void shields to protect it, the impact tore a chunk from the cabling feeding the huge weapon.
Shrapnel flew from the elbow joint, power cabling flapping around spraying sparks.
The build up of energy subsided and the weapon sagged uselessly.

The titan turned a little at it's waist, then raised it's vulkan mega bolter.
Seemed like the group's luck had run out.

"Well", Vorenze addressed his remaining troops ,"it's been an honor serving with you".

He close his eyes as the weapon fired a stream of mass-reactive shells, resigned to the fact he and his allies would be blown apart.

***************************************
The shots didn't hit.

When Vorenze opened his eyes again, the shells from the titan hung suspended in the air several feet away in a strange purple glow.

The glow subsided, and they clattered to the ground.

Looking around for a reason for this, he saw that all his allies were staring dumbfounded in the same direction, and not directly at the titan.

Following their gaze, he saw a small purple horse creature stood between them and the titan, it's horn surrounded by the same purple glow he'd seen around the shots moments before.

As he looked around, strangely detached from the scene unfolding around him, he spotted something his other troops had missed.

There seemed to be a group of these creatures hiding behind a ruin a few feet away from the magical creature.
The ratling sniper Fenrick stood with them.

"Well well", admitted Vorenze quietly to himself ,"looks like you found something useful after all".

**********************************************************************
Twilight stood before the immense machine, her mind racing.

How could one little pony stop such a huge machine?

Her magic had been able to stop it's shooting, and it appeared to be stunned for the moment, but this certainly wouldn't last.
She needed to take it down somehow.

The alicorn looked around for something, anything she could use.

The surrounding area was littered with demolished buildings, broken pipes, girders and still smoldering debris. Most of this was too small to really do any damage.

Her wandering gaze settled on what was once probably the corner of a tower block. The fifteen foot long 'L' shaped concrete block probably weighed several tons.

This was going to be a strain.

The last time she'd lifted something that big was when the Ursa had come to Ponyville.

A purple glow surrounded the rubble and it slowly lifted in to the air.
Twilight's horn flared brightly, her face a mask of desperation.
The titan's weapon barrels began to spin up again ready to fire.

This made Twilight panic. She could get blown apart at any moment.

With a final burst of magic, she hurled the rubble at the titan like a spear.

A few rounds began to stitch a path across the ground in a zig-zag pattern trying to find the range to hit the tiny magical creature that dared to challenge the might of the god-machine.

The chunk of masonry smashed through the cockpit window of the Warhound, crumpling half the head inwards with the impact. The momentum of the broken building was enough to drive it clean through the roof of the titan's torso.

The titan rocked back and forth, impaled, before it's corrupted machine spirit finally decided it was dead.

It toppled backwards with a groan and an earth-shaking crash.

After what seemed like an eternity, two sets of cheers rang out across the desolate landscape.

One from the ponies once the shock of such an epic display of magical power had worn off, and the other from the rag tag group of soldiers who would almost certainly be dead right now, if it wasn't for their unlikely savior.

Part 5 'The Nightmare Returns'

Part 5

A disembodied howl of anger and frustration echoed through the energy of the warp.
Such rage was normally manifested by the daemons of Khorne, but this entity did not claim homage to that god.

The Daemon Shaa-Llyth was furious. Sent back to the warp not once, but twice, by the same damn pony!
Visions of rainbow light were the last images the daemon could remember from their first encounter.
Compared to the royal mare of darkness, the warhound had made for a cold and soulless host.
However, the god-machine's weapons and sheer scale had more than made up for that.
Trampling adversaries underfoot, sweeping away entire platoons of enemy infantry with a single burst from the powerful weapons the machine carried.

It had been a liberating experience to stride across the battlefield nigh impervious to all that dared oppose it.

Now that too had been taken from it.

By the same pony!

Shaa-Llyth tried to calm down.
Blind rage did not make for good planning.

A brief overview of options.
The forces of Nurgle were too slow, and not what Shaa-Llyth had in mind.

The forces of Khorne, mighty as they were, lacked finesse. Besides, they hated Tzeentch daemons, so getting their help would be difficult anyway.

So that left Slaanesh. Daemonettes. Perfect.
Fast, and obsessed with making their enemies suffer.
They would make a useful addition to the daemon's forces.

Now, how to get revenge.

Attacking the group directly wouldn't have quite the impact the daemon wanted.
So Shaa-Llyth turned it's gaze to it's previous conquest.

This also gave the daemon the idea of approaching the 'blue scribes'. Equestria was a realm filled with magic.
This would be an irresistible lure for the pair, and the anarchy they unleashed in battle would no doubt prove useful.

Now, whom to try to corrupt so they could be used to manifest in that realm.

The warding shield around that world made it difficult to break through.

Shaa-Llyth needed someone in a position of power, or that possessed great power in order to defeat the ponies when they returned home.

Luna...No. Been there once, and probably wouldn't work again.

Celestia herself was too powerful to control.

The daemon cast it's gaze wider, and caught something.
Daemons are very much in tune with emotions, and this was very strong.

A seething hatred for the very ponies it sought revenge upon.

And a heart already twisted and bitter.

'Perrrfect', purred Shaa-Llyth, and reached in to the dreams of it's potential host with promises of power enough to claim revenge.

The affirmative answer was so quick it took the daemon by surprise.
This was too easy.

For now, it decided to co-exist with it's new host until the time was right.
There was something about this particular entity that the daemon liked.

Something the Lord of Change could relate to.

Shaa-Llyth once again entered the realms of Equestria within the mind of another.

Part 6 'Unlikely Allies/A Social Evening'

Part 6

Back at the camp...

"First I see a pony destroy a Warhound titan", laughed Vorenze ,"and now we've got a donkey playing a fiddle!"
"WHAT?!" snapped Octavia, lowering the violin she had produced from behind her mane.
"Just a joke, just a joke", laughed Vorenze, raising a dismissive hand ,"but I guess now I really have seen everything".
"Really?" asked Pinkie, appearing from behind the low wall he was sat on ,"have you seen someone eat their own head?".
"Err...No".
"Well then, you haven't seen everything then", stated the party pony ,"and neither have I...HEY! Don't eat all those cookies! I want some!"

"Where did she even get all this from anyway?" asked Natalia, dumbfounded.

Twilight rolled her eyes.
"When it comes to the 'how and why' with Pinkie it's better not to try to work it out. You'll end up as crazy as she is".

There was practically a buffet meal laid out on what was probably once a long work bench in this ruined workshop.

"She's even found a big bottle of scotch here!" called Maria from one end of the table.
"Make mine a double!" called Bateman from the back of the transport.
"And what exactly am I supposed to put it in?" she shouted back.
Pinkie appeared beside her with a ridiculous grin.
And a hoof full of beakers.

"What...How..?"

"I'll have one a those if ya don't mind", said Applejack walking up beside Maria.
She took a sip from the beaker.
"HOOO WHEE!! That there's some strong stuff!"

"Oh? Really?" came a third voice.

Dash hovered behind them.

"Betcha can't handle it Rainbow", stated Applejack ,"it's a lot stronger than the cider back home".
"If you can handle it I can", challenged Dash.
She took a swig from the beaker.

The pegasus tried to keep her composure but her eyes started watering almost immediately.
"Ya can't drink that stuff like water Rainbow!".
"Did Pinkie find any more?" coughed Dash, her throat burning.
"Oh you silly! Of course I did!", came the reply. Pinkie deposited five large bottles beside the first.
"I just didn't know everyone would want this much!".

The reaction from the rest of the camp was a combination of shock that she'd found so much of a relatively rare commodity, and a longing to get their share.

The reaction from Applejack and Rainbow Dash was to face each other with a challenging grin.
"First pony under the table loses!" stated Applejack.
"You're on!" accepted Dash.
"Room for a human?" asked Maria.
"How about half of one?", joked Fenrick sidling up beside them.

The group crowded together, each one eager to out-drink the others.
Some with more enthusiasm than others.

First one out was Twilight, not even finishing her first beaker.

Fluttershy was right behind her.

Lyra backed out after her first cup, stating she wanted to keep a clear head. The remaining group just accused her of wimping out.

Vorenze also backed out here, also claiming he wanted to stay fresh.
He took a second refill and went to keep watch.

Slowly, the participants either left or fell asleep.

Pinkie was out fairly early too, although whether that was from getting drunk too quickly or her hyperactivity finally catching up with her wasn't clear.

Octavia and Rarity were having their own private contest.
Both having a habit of drinking socially had given them an unfair advantage.
It ended with Rarity nodding off with her muzzle in her beaker.
"YESH! HAI WHINN!", shouted Octavia swinging a hoof in victory.
The movement span her drunken form off her seat to land in a giggling heap on the floor.
This got a few laughs from the two ponies still standing.

Finally, after five doubles, Rainbow slid off her seat.
Applejack pumped a hoof in victory.
"Ain't no pony out-drinks on ah the apples!" she stated, trotting over to the back of the ruined room whilst downing the remainder straight from the bottle.
"Hoo! Ahm plum tuckered out!", finished the farm pony ,"night all".
She lay back against a wall in a corner with her hat over her face.

*****************************************************
Vorenze looked back at the camp. Now these were some unlikely allies. And he and the group owed the ponies a life debt.

"Whatever your mission here, ponies, myself and my men are.."

A cough from Maria and Natalia.
"And women... granted", continued Vorenze ,"we are in your debt. We shall assist you in completing your mission".
Lyra, being the only pony still conscious nodded in approval.
"We would appreciate your help", she replied ,"we were sent to recover an artifact, a staff".
"Any idea where this..staff...is located?"
"Around three kilometers that way", answered the green unicorn nodding in the relevant direction ," we then need to return to our home with it".
"And where is that?"
"There's a portal back in the trenches".
"Why do you need the staff?" asked Maria.
"I'm sorry but I have already told you too much", stated Lyra.
"But..." started Natalia, but Vorenze silenced her with a wave of his hand.
"That's enough", he said firmly ,"we all need some rest. Who knows what's still out there".

Grudgingly, the two women let the conversation rest.

Vorenze and Lyra looked out over the broken city scape as the last light faded from the sky.
The two moons above them cast the scene in to a dim light of varying grey hues.
This could be a long night.
Lyra shivered as the night air chilled her.

Vorenze threw his great coat around the pony and cuddled her to him.
The unicorn looked up at him with huge golden eyes and smiled.
"Better?" he asked.
Lyra nodded. She was secretly enjoying this, but didn't want to let on just how much.

The unlikely allies went back to keeping watch.

Gradually, the unicorn dozed off, leaning against Vorenze under his coat.

The commander looked out over the ruins. At least this watch would be warmer with his unlikely companion.
The area was secure. Nothing stirred.

Which was perhaps just as well.

That blue pegasus with the rainbow mane was snoring.

He'd heard quieter chain swords.

Vorenze contemplated shooting her, but figured that wouldn't go down too well with the others.

He threw a pebble at her instead, bouncing the small stone off her wing.
"Huh? Wha?" she muttered still virtually asleep.
She went straight back to sleep, but rolled over on her side which made her snoring far quieter.
"At least she won't give away our position so easily now", mumbled the commander to himself.

He let everyone get some much needed sleep, whilst he kept his quiet vigil.

Author's notes/ Blind Bag pony 40k rules

I will reveal that part 8 is going to see some casualties.

Okay, since no one has commented or tried to guess where the staff the ponies are after originated, I shall reveal this.

The weapon in question is named 'Illuminarum' (I think, I'd have to check that), and was once wielded by the Primarch Lorgar Aurelian, of the Word Bearers legion.
Now, before anyone states that is impossible, I have done my research here.
You'd need to read the Horus Heresy novel 'Betrayer'.

Lorgar hurls this staff at an Ultramarines Thunderhawk gunship early in the book, then uses telekinesis to bring the flier crashing down.
At this point in the novel, Lorgar is trying to rescue his brother Primarch Angron.
If you read that portion of the book through, Lorgar never retrieves his weapon. Angron also loses his weapons in this novel. One turns up later in the book 'Battle For The Abyss', whilst the other (Gore Child) is claimed by Kharn.
Now, we can assume for the purposes of my own story here, that the staff was retrieved by loyalist forces in the wake of the battle, and sealed in the cathedral to keep it hidden.
However, due to it's origins with the corrupted Primarch, the weapon has become infused with the powers of the warp, which is what Twilight can sense when she finally gets the staff.

I would also appreciate some more feedback if anyone else out there actually liked how this is going.

I am intending to rewrite some of this story. The Imperial characters are not deep enough as it stands.
Every time I look at this, I see something I can add, or something I want to alter.

The story here is not going to end when the ponies get home.

I also intend to introduce some more characters in chapter 9.
Expect to see Luna and Discord among others. I only hope I can do these fan favorites justice.

Also, I realize that some of the Warhammer 40k cast act a little out-of-character. As this is set part way through season 4, any lasting harm to the main cast would not fit in with the actual series. I cannot make the same promise for any non canon characters however.

I have put a handful of movie references in to the story. Some of these are pretty obvious.
The scene in part 7 where Rarity faces off against the cultists was shamelessly ripped from 'Spaceballs', and turned out quite well I thought.
*********************************************************************************

As a final note here, I'll give a stat line for each of the characters in the story so they could be used in a normal 40k game:
Name WS BS S T W I At Ld Sv Points Equipment Special rules
Sergeant Vorenze 5 4 3 3 2 3 2 9 4+ 55 Power Sword, Las Pistol
Natalia 3 4 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 13 Melta Gun
Maria 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 10 Plasma Gun
Fenrick 2 4 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 8 Sniper Rifle
Leroy 3 5 4 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 25 Laser Cannon Relentless
Bateman 3 4 3 3 1 3 1 7 5+ 25 2 x Plasma Pistols Vehicle Repair (6+)

WS BS S Front Side Rear At
Maverick (Sentinel) 3 4 5 10 10 10 1 40 Multi Laser Open Topped
The unit also have a Chimera troop transport, armed with a Multi Laser and Heavy Bolter, which Bateman is the driver for.
**********************************************************************************
Okay, here are the rules I made a while ago for using the blind bag scale ponies in a warhammer 40k game.
These are only designed for a bit of fun, and are not expected to be used as a balanced rules set, although I have tried to make them as fair as I can.
Here is the stat line for all ponies as standard. Unit strength 5-20. Wonderbolts unit strength 3-10.

WS BS S T W I At Ld Sv Points
Pony 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 6 n/a 15

This is for a 5 pony strong unit. Additional ponies may be added at +3 points per model.

Unicorns gain a magic missile (no psychic test required), which costs 2 points per model.
Range 24", St 3 AP-

Pegasi become jump infantry. This costs 3 points per model.
(That lack of saving throw makes them very vulnerable).

Wonderbolts models are counted as Jetbikes, but do not gain a toughness boost (not mounted).
This costs 6 points per model.

If anyone's wondering why I gave the ponies 2 attacks, it just makes sense for them to rear up and kick with their front legs.

Characters
All characters use the same stat line as the normal ponies above, but with minor stat tweaks and special rules.
They also follow all the normal rules for independent characters as described in the warhammer 40k rule book, but the main 6 can be placed together as a unit if you wish.

Twilight Sparkle 55 points (Alicorn version +10 points)
Twilight's psychic tests are done at Ld 8, but any morale checks use the normal leadership of 6.

‘Teleport’
Psychic test required. Remove Twilight and any friendly models in her unit, then immediately deep strike anywhere on the board using the normal rules.

'Magic Shield'
Psychic test required. Twilight and any unit she joins get a 4+ inv save.

'Want it, Need it'
A simple spell for Twilight, but can prove useful.
Psychic test required.
Choose an enemy unit within 24" of Twilight. That unit may be moved in the direction of any terrain feature 2D6", and count as initiative 1 if assaulted in the same turn the spell was cast.

'Familiar' +10 points each
Twilight may normally only cast 1 psychic power per turn. If she has either 'Smarty Pants' (her childhood rag doll), or Spike (her dragon companion), with her, she may cast 2 spells. If both are present, she may cast up to 3 spells per turn.

Rainbow Dash 45 points

‘Sonic Rainboom’
When arriving from reserves, she counts as a flier, and may be moved straight in to assault. When performing this move, she makes a single S8 AP2 attack at initiative 10, hitting on a 4+ against infantry, a 3+ against targets with an armor value, and a 2+ against anything with more than 3 hull points.
Otherwise she is just classed as a Wonderbolt with +1 Initiative.

Applejack 13 points
‘Bucks McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee’
Applejack’s farm life has made her capable of hitting harder than any other member of the main 6. She gains an additional close combat attack at strength 6.

Pinkie Pie 35 points
‘Twitchy Tail!!’
Pinkie’s sixth sense has saved her and her friends from many dangers.
She has a 4+ invulnerable save. Any friendly pony model within 2” of her gains a 6+ invulnerable save.

‘2+2+2’
Pinkie gets D6 attacks in close combat instead of the normal 2.

‘Screw Physics/ 4th wall’
Pinkie may move through any terrain, except for solid walls. She may also leave by any board edge, then re-enter play from the opposite board edge in the same turn. She may only do this on her own, no other pony has this ability.

Fluttershy 15 points
‘Daawww’
Fluttershy is ridiculously cute, even for a pony. This means that enemy forces may hesitate to fire upon her. Fluttershy has a 5+ invulnerable save. If this is passed against a blast or template weapon, all hits from that shot are discarded.

‘You will not hurt my friends!’
If another member of the main 6 suffers a wound, Fluttershy gains the ‘preferred enemy’ special rule against the culprit unit.

‘Coward’
Fluttershy’s cowardice is well known. Her leadership stat is reduced to Ld 5.

'Weak'
Fluttershy is not as strong as her friends. Her strength stat is reduced to 2.

Rarity 10 points
‘It’s Fabulous’
Rarity may claim objectives.

‘Make Over Time’
Even in the heat of a battle, Rarity can attempt to bring her fashion skills to bear. She may forego attacking in close combat, and instead give her opponent a makeover. Usually this involves making them look ridiculous. The unfortunate embarrassed victim must pass a leadership test on 3D6 or break and run. This only affects one model, not the unit.

(Okay, I was struggling a little with ideas for special rules for Rarity. Suggestions would be welcome, as long as they don't involve making the ponies overpowered. I've seen attempts at rules for them before, and seeing a rules set where the ponies are strength and toughness 4 is just ridiculous. There's no way a pony is going to out-fight a Space Marine.)

Trixie "The Great And Powerful" 10 points
The Show Stopper
Trixie can use her showmanship to distract her foes with a display of bright lights and fancy effects, which can prove useful.
Psychic test required (using a Ld of 8. Any actual leadership tests are done at leadership 6).
Pick an enemy unit within 24". That unit must pass an initiative test (a roll of '6' is always a fail). If the unit fails this test, then they count as initiative 1 if assaulted, and can only snap fire the next time they are allowed to.

Should I continue these?

Part 7 'Acquiring The Artifact/Twilight Vs Ahriman'

Part 7

Vorenze awoke groggily to find he'd been using Lyra's shoulder as a pillow.

She was still asleep.

Maverick had taken over the watch in the middle of the night. Thankfully the night had been uneventful, and the guardsmen had got a decent rest for the first time in a long while.

There was still plenty of food left over on the long table from the previous night.
Pinkie, as usual, had provided way more than anyone needed.

A sound above Vorenze distracted him from his perusal of the scene.
"Looks like you've got yourself a friend there", said Maverick, from the sentinel's cockpit.
"Hmm", Vorenze agreed. He didn't see any point in arguing that fact.
"Don't think our superiors would have approved", stated the pilot, leaning back in his seat and lighting another smoke.
"They wouldn't approve of you smoking that crap either", pointed out the sergeant, catching a whiff of some narcotic agent in the air ," lucky for both of us, they're not here".
He looked back to the mint colored unicorn as she stretched, cat-like, and opened her golden eyes.
"Must admit though, they are cute. And we wouldn't be here now if it hadn't been for that purple one over there", he added, pointing at Twilight.

Twilight was sat at one end of the long table, talking with Fenrick and Maria.

Rarity and Octavia were sat across from each other around half way down the 30 foot long table, and both seemed to be nursing a hangover.

The rest of the camp appeared to still be asleep.

"Good morning!", called Lyra, trotting over to Vorenze.
"Good morning", answered the sergeant, 'Lyra isn't it?'
She nodded.
"Seems we had a quiet night", continued the sergeant ,"nothing happened whilst I was asleep Maverick?"
The sentinel pilot looked down at them, blowing a cloud of noxious smoke.
"Thought I saw something over that way around half an hour ago", he replied, pointing and nodding in the general direction ,"too far away to concern us just yet".
"Isn't that where that...staff you were looking for is?" asked Vorenze, addressing Lyra.
The unicorn nodded. "Could be they're here for the same thing as us", she answered.
"So what did you see?". She turned her query to Maverick, but the pilot directed his answer to Vorenze.
"Looked like an Astartes gunship".
"A what?" asked Lyra.
"Big flying machine that transports really scary soldiers", replied the sergeant, then turned his attention back to the pilot. "Any movement since?'"
"Nothing yet sarge".
"'Hmm. They're probably still looking, assuming this staff is what they're here for". Vorenze raised his voice. "Okay everyone, looks like we need to move out, so grab what you need".
This woke up all those still asleep.

Rainbow Dash groaned and opened her eyes slowly.
"Tell the guy with the hammer to lay off I've got a headache!"
"Can't handle the good stuff there eh pony?" laughed Fenrick.
Dash just groaned.
"Y'all need to build up some stamina there girl", laughed Applejack, tipping her hat back from over her eyes.

"GOOD MORNING EVERY PONY!!" This indicated a certain pink pony had awoken.
"Last night was super duper awesome! I love celebrating with new friends! Are we going to do our super important mission today? Is everypony ready?"

"Please let me shoot her..." groaned Fenrick.

Pinkie's splurge of speech was cut off abruptly by two beakers bouncing off the side of her head.
She turned slowly to see Rarity and Octavia glowering at her angrily.

Pinkie sat down, hung her head, then her mane fell flat and straight.
"What the?" started Vorenze.
"At least she's quiet now", stated Lyra as if this was perfectly normal ,"We need to get going anyway. I think everyone's ready".
A chorus of affirmation from the ponies greeted this comment as they grouped together, albeit some with more enthusiasm than others.

A sudden roar made them jump, as Bateman fired up the Chimera's engines.
Fluttershy leaped three feet in the air, and landed upside down in a comical attempt at playing dead.
"I guess you ponies aren't used to engines where you come from?", smirked Vorenze
"Not so loud, no", answered Lyra, still quivering a little.
"Care to board?" asked the sergeant as he walked around the back of the transport.
"I ain't getting in that thing!" snapped Rainbow Dash, "I want to feel the wind in my mane! And my heads making enough of a racket as it is!".
"Ah, suit yerself!", laughed Applejack trotting over to look in the back of the vehicle ,"second class transport sure beats walkin' anyways".
A chorus of agreement met this statement, and the remaining ponies filed over to the Imperial transport's compartment.
It was designed to carry twelve men, and with Maverick in his Sentinel and Bateman driving, there were only five left in here. Even when the seven ponies joined their human allies, (Fluttershy's prone and terrified form being dragged unceremoniously by Twilight), the compartment seemed relatively empty.

Dash landed on the back of the Chimera with a clunk of hooves hitting steel. No way was she getting cooped up in that thing!
The view was pretty good from this vantage point. The dust that had been kicked up from the battle had settled overnight, and she could see for miles.
Their destination was clearly visible, but a fair distance away. A section of the city which seemed to be relatively intact, considering how little was left standing here.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed as the tracked vehicle lurched in to motion beneath her unexpectedly.
"HEY!, A little warning next time!".
"Sorry" came Bateman's muffled voice from the other side of the roof.
The Sentinel walker creaked in to motion beside them moments later, it's own engine coughing in to life with about as much enthusiasm as Dash had when she awoke.

************************************************
A short time later, most of the group converged behind a wall overlooking the plaza where the Chaos thunderhawk gunship had landed.
Maverick and Bateman had stayed a distance behind with the vehicles, both as a rearguard, and to avoid drawing attention with the engine noise.

The sky was beginning to look stormy overhead, and the atmosphere felt oppressive.

Twilight looked out over the ruined wall at the scene before her.
The Chaos aircraft was a huge black boxy thing with gold details, a large eight pointed star emblem emblazoned across the side of the massive cannon mount on top of it.
It seemed surprising to her that such a thing could actually fly, although with the things she'd seen since coming here, Twilight was beginning to realize anything may be possible.
The vehicle took up around a third of the open space. It must have taken some real skill to land that thing here.

Twilight turned back to the assembled allies.
"I can sense the staff", she stated ,"it's in that building behind that machine".

The cathedral-like structure towered over everything, hundreds of feet high, and was one of the few structures in the city that hadn't been damaged by the Chaos forces.
This suggested that the building had some importance to the attackers, as nearly everything immediately around it had been leveled.
Behind the gunship, the main entrance to the building loomed, dark and foreboding.
A large human statue stood over the tall arched doorway, a tall, cloaked figure with a sword held point-down in front of it, his cowled head bowed.

Vorenze looked over the wall to get his own view of the scene.
Around a dozen chaos cultists stood around the grounded thunderhawk.
To the sergeant, the way they stood and the way they held their las rifles suggested little to no training.

"We need a distraction so me and Rainbow Dash can sneak in and grab the staff", said Twilight.
"I shall accompany you", stated Octavia ,"I have been around this area and I know a way in".
"I think we can leave this one to you ponies", replied Vorenze ,"these guys look like push-overs".
"Gee...thanks", muttered Lyra ,"do we look like soldiers?"
"We'll step in if we need to", answered Vorenze ,"there's certainly much worse came here on board that thing than these cultists. We need to be ready for them".

Twilight, Octavia and Dash disappeared round a corner.

"Okay girls, let's show these humans what we can do", said Lyra, standing and raising her voice.

A few stray las gun rounds indicated they'd been spotted.

Vorenze was right, these cultists were terrible shots. Most of the rounds went wide by several feet.
It seems the chaos forces were not expecting any attack, and simply left the cultists to guard the transport so the noise would warn their better troops.

"Hmph", snorted Rarity ,"a lady, a true lady, does not resort to violence unless it is absolutely nec..."

A las round had just zipped by her face.

A few scorched purple hairs drifted across her vision.
Her face was one of shock, her pupils shrinking to pin pricks.

"MY MANE!!", she cried ,"HE SHOT MY MANE!!"

Her expression turned to one of angry determination.
"Son of a...".
She strode purposefully forward, leaving her comrades behind her, oblivious to the wildly inaccurate laser fire around her.
Rarity planted her hooves, lowered her horn, and sent a pinpoint-accurate magical blast at each cultist in turn, pitching them to the ground.

"And to finish", she snorted, turning her attention upwards.
The huge statue above the doorway toppled slowly forwards, then fell from it's lofty perch.
It smashed in to the top of the thunderhawk, crumpling the the top of the ancient machine before it's ammunition detonated in a seething fireball.

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, seeing the unfolding events through a break in the ruins around the cathedral.
"That...was.. AWESOME!!!" she squawked with a huge grin.
"Come on!" called Twilight.

Behind the wall, the guardsmen watched in stunned silence.
"Not bad..." stated Vorenze eventually.
"Not bad... for a girl", added Leroy.
"Hey, that'd have been pretty good for Marbo!" snapped Maria.
"Pretty sure that'll have got their attention", pointed out Natalia.
"You think?!" snapped Fenrick.
The sergeant bent his lapel up so he could speak in to the short range communications bead concealed there.
"Bateman, Maverick, I think we may need you're support here soon, head to our location".
Despite the comm bead's short range, two tinny affirmative replies crackled back over the speaker.

*************************
As Rarity stood there, her chest heaving with the exertion of using so much magic, it occurred to her that she was stood out in the open and began to make her way back to the group.
On the way she passed a completely stunned Lyra, who was still gawping at the devastation the fashionista had wreaked.
Head held high, she picked up the green unicorn in a pale glow and carried her back in to hiding..

"Impressive, pony" said Vorenze on their arrival ,"I didn't think you would have it in you to actually kill an opponent".
Rarity turned in shock.
"K...Kill?", she gasped ,"Dear me no! I merely wanted to teach those ruffians a lesson in good manners!"
"You haven't killed those cultists?", butted in a shocked Leroy.
"I... I could never do such a thing!", the white unicorn answered ,"they are merely knocked out, that's all".
"But that purple one... Twilight wasn't it?" started the commander.
"She only took out a machine though", replied Rarity, taken aback.
"A machine with a crew", answered Vorenze ,"there were three people in the head of that titan".
Rarity's expression was one of pure horror, as the events of the previous evening's battle played back in her mind.

"Please... Do not tell Twilight", she said eventually ,"she may not forgive herself if she knows she has taken a life".
"I suspect the lives of that particular titan's crew were forfeit long ago", replied Vorenze, "it's not common knowledge, but Chaos vehicles are sometimes possessed by a daemon. That daemon would have consumed the souls of the crew when it took over the titan".

"And how do you know this?", asked Lyra, finally coming back to reality. Secretly, the only part of Vorenze's explanation she'd actually figured out was 'the crew were eaten'.

"Some of the higher ranked officers were briefed about what we were facing here", he answered ,"I was lucky enough to be in on this meeting. I suspect Natalia over there was also listening in, as she's picked up on many of the enemy's weak spots".

Vorenze then realized that Lyra's question was aimed in a different direction entirely.

"Forgive me, I forgot that you ponies would not understand that the general populace are not informed about Chaos forces. Such is the way of the Imperium of man. Knowledge is the first step on the path to heresy".
He cleared his throat.
"I realized that the second warhound titan was possessed because it was actually bleeding from battle damage points. Only a possessed vehicle would do that. Also, the plasma weapon it was about to fire seemed to be powered more by sorcerous means than by technology".

The ponies reacted to this explanation with a stony silence, and the expression of someone who had only understood a fraction of what had been said.

"So... It was being powered by magic, not people?", asked Lyra, finally piecing together something she could understand.

Vorenze sighed. 'Explain, as you would to a small child...' he thought to himself.

"In it's most basic terms, yes. It actually had an evil spirit controlling it, which used magic".
"Oh", answered the green unicorn. This was clear enough to understand.

*************************************************************************************

Inside the Imperial chapel, the Chaos sorcerer who had orchestrated the whole battle of the previous few days stood before a statue. It was one of many lining the alcoves of this vast room, easily dismissed as something of little importance. Indeed, the statue itself was unimportant. Merely another representation of the false God Emperor designed to enthrall the common populace that walked these halls.

What he had come for was held in the sculpture's hands.

An eight foot long, ornate staff. The shaft was etched with many fine details, and seemed to glow faintly with the power it contained. It's head was a large metal ball, with two rings surrounding it. Seen from the end, these rings would have formed an 'X'.
To one who knew of it, the eight spikes around each of these rings pointed to it's allegiance.
Only a warrior who had survived from the dark days of the Great Crusade would know exactly to whom this mighty weapon once belonged.

One such as the sorcerer who now stood before it.

With a final few gestures, Ahriman, banished sorcerer of the Thousand Sons legion, dispelled the remaining wards which prevented the staff from being moved.
As he did so, a huge explosion rocked the building, throwing him and his five fellow marines to their knees.
"I thought we had disposed of the Imperial trash on this world", growled Balthius.
The Iron warrior was a useful ally to Ahriman, who lacked the support of most of his own legion thanks in no small part to his banishment by Magnus.
He had joined the sorcerer's force many years before, fetching his rag-tag squad with him.
Two World Eater Berzerkers, who's names had always been irrelevant, Lukion, a swordsman from the Emperor's Children legion, and Voldarius, a massive brute of a marine, his new stature a gift from his gods. Two leathery wings sprouted from his back, and his overly muscled, and now unarmored arms ended in wicked talons. He was no longer capable of carrying any ranged weapons, but his speed usually more than made up for that short coming.

"Go", stated Ahriman with a gesture to the doors ,"find what that was and deal with it".

He waited for the group to leave the room before turning back to the staff.

Which wasn't there any more.

A blind fury stole over the Chaos lord, but was quickly beaten back in to submission. The staff could not have gone far.
He looked around the room carefully, and spotted a brief flicker of color behind one of the pillars across the room. Whatever it was, if it had managed to get to the staff and back over there in the few seconds he had been distracted, it was incredibly fast.

*******************************************************************************

The three ponies stood in a small room which was an off-shoot to the main hall of this building. Rainbow Dash had proven her speed yet again by grabbing the artifact from behind that scary looking soldier who seemed to be in charge here whilst he was distracted.

Twilight looked carefully at the staff. It was large, much bigger than she had anticipated, and seemed to glow faintly along the scroll work on the shaft with barely contained power. The sphere on the end of it also seemed to carry a fantastic array of finely wrought engravings, although looking at them made her eyes ache.
However, something else was playing on her conscience whilst being this close.
The last time she had felt something like this was when a certain pony had come to Ponyville wearing an amulet.....

"Oh Celestia..." she breathed, "I hope you know what you are doing".

A thump brought her back to the here and now. Heavy footsteps.

"GO!"... she hissed at her companions, "take the staff and meet with the others. I'll try to buy us some time!"

The two other ponies looked about ready to argue with this decision, saw Twilight's mind had been made up and that time was short, then made a hasty retreat out of the room back to their friends and allies.
********************************************************************************

Ahriman reached the area where he had seen the movement, and looked around the pillar with a little caution. Hundreds of years of experience had taught him not to rush in to the unknown blindly.

What he saw took him by surprise.

A tiny purple horse-like creature with blueish mane, wings, and a horn. He quickly sensed that this creature had great psychic potential too; far greater than it's diminutive size would suggest.

The creature's first magical attack was only just blocked by a hastily raised kine shield.
The ancient sorcerer was thrown backwards in to the room several feet, although he retained his footing.

"Hmm", he began, straightening up, "I believe you have taken from me something which I have rightfully stolen".

"We were sent to recover that staff", replied Twilight through gritted teeth whilst walking out in to the room, "I do not intend to leave without it!".

"Then you leave me no choice but to take it back by force, strange creature", Ahriman finished.

His own staff glowed for a moment before unleashing a multi-hued blast of energy. Luckily for Twilight, she had been prepared for this, and the attack flared around her shield, instead blasting away the pillar she and her allies had been hiding behind moments before.

She then responded in kind, but the huge warrior was far faster than she expected, leaping aside and sending another blast her way in one fluid movement.
This spell crackled over her head, leaving behind a worrying scent of singed hair. The wall behind her crumbled away in a shower of dust.

This gave her an idea.

She shuffled sideways, making it look like she was sizing up her opponent.

Ahriman was wary. This equine creature was a small target, and was proving to be a capable opponent.
He was beginning to think that maybe a change of tactics may be in order when a series of smaller spells were sent his way.
Caught a little off-guard by his own wandering thoughts he nearly failed to evade them, his super human physiology making up for the momentary lapse. He responded in kind, the xenos creature hopping aside from his attacks, which instead blasted chunks from the masonry.
"Hold still creature" growled Ahriman, growing a little impatient. He swung his staff around, the tip of the weapon almost clipping Twilight's nose.
"I think not!", she responded, flying backwards in an attempt to put some distance between them.
Another powerful blast of warp-spawned magic narrowly missed her, smashing out another pillar.

Twilight was beginning to grow weary. The magical warrior she was facing didn't seem to be tiring at all, and it was only a matter of time before she made a mistake which could cost her her life.
She only hoped her plan would work. It relied on her not getting too close to her enemy, who would almost certainly overpower her in physical combat, and keeping him distracted from her true plan.

She carefully positioned herself close to the exit to the building, near to one of the columns.

"I have you now", snapped Ahriman, leveling his staff. The pony (he'd decided that was the best description for this creature), looked ready to leap to it's right, but he second-guessed that this was probably a feint, and sent his last attack slightly to her left.
The magical attack tore through the pillar in a cloud of masonry and dust, but also blasted the purple equine clean out of the building.
"Hah!" he laughed smugly, seeing his adversary's prone form on the grassy area outside the vestibule door. As he began to walk forward to get a better look at his strange opponent however, a slab of stone smashed down beside him from the roof.

Ahriman looked slowly upwards, realization dawning on him of what that pony had really been planning.
He barely began to utter the words "OH SH..." before the whole building crashed down around him in a shower of broken stone and dust, trapping the sorcerer under tons of rubble.

Part 8 'Fighting Withdrawal'

Outside the cathedral, the allies did not have long to wait for the other enemy forces to turn up.
A pair of marines in crimson armour with brass decoration appeared in the cathedral doorway, chain axes revving hungrily and bolt pistols clenched in their left hands.
These individuals were nearly identical in appearance to the marine the ponies had been confronted with back in the trenches.
They stalked out down the cathedral steps, quickly disappearing behind the blazing wreck of the thunderhawk.

Next came a cloaked figure loosely holding a power sword in his right hand, it's energy field crackling faintly. This marine went without a helmet, his blonde hair whipping out in the faint breeze.
Little detail could be made out at this distance, but to the Imperial sergeant it was clear this marine was of the Emperor's Children legion. He still wore the purple armour with golden trim that his legion had worn proudly before the Heresy. He certainly struck an imposing profile as he stood atop the steps looking carefully around the courtyard, his deep red cloak billowing out behind him.

Right behind him was another marine. A sharp contrast to the aloof swordsman, this marine wore the silver-grey armor of the Iron Warriors, a thunder hammer slung across his shoulders. He walked out to stand beside his ally at the top of the steps, also looking out around the courtyard.

Lastly, a huge winged form appeared. Almost as wide as the doorway, and standing nearly double the height of the other marines.
This monster bore little resemblance to the proud warrior it once was; a huge red-stained beast with long sharp claws on it's fingertips clearly capable of tearing any adversary to shreds.
The fact this beast stayed behind the two other marines on the steps suggested that it was not in command here, but more a terror weapon.

The ponies, upon seeing these warriors appear, began to back up as one, wide-eyed, and with their ears flat against their heads in fear.

The guardsmen just held their places, hidden from view behind the ruined walls on the far side of the plaza from the Chaos forces.
"Hold your places!", hissed Vorenze to the ponies ,"if they see us too soon we're done for!"

He then saw something move off to the right of the cathedral. Two of the ponies were making their way carefully back through the ruins, trying to stay hidden.
That grey one... Octavia wasn't it?... she was doing an admirable job of keeping hidden, her dark colors making her near impossible to see against the shadowed ruins.
The other one, Rainbow Dash, seemed to be carrying something, and her colors made her easy to spot.
So where was the third pony?

Luckily for Rainbow, the Chaos forces were distracted for the moment by the blazing wreck of their transport and the berzerkers were happily carving up the prone cultists with their chain axes in revenge for their failure.

As Vorenze watched, the Iron Warrior on the steps tapped an armored finger on the side of his helmet, clearly some short ranged communicator.

Moments later, something appeared which made the sergeant's heart sink.

A predator tank, followed by a rhino transport. Both bore the iconography of a legion he had hoped never to see again.

The Thousand Sons legion.

The enemy must have had a thunderhawk transporter nearby, so they were not stranded as Vorenze had hoped.

The fact the Chaos predator tank had only one weapon, a turret mounted auto cannon, made little difference.

The sergeant's morale was plummeting.
They were now out-classed, out-gunned, and out numbered if he didn't count the terrified xenos ponies.
Somehow, he doubted they would be much help against these marines.

Still, he had to show strength. If it was clear that he was worried, it would deal a crippling blow to the morale of those under his command.
It was at this time that another bit of bad news reached him.

Octavia and Rainbow Dash had made it back to the other ponies unseen, despite Dash's bright colors and haphazard flying whilst carrying the heavy staff.

"T...Twilight's still back there!" gasped the pegasus, her worried expression evident ,"she stopped to keep their leader occupied while we got away. She was supposed to be right behind us!"
"Their leader?", asked Vorenze.
"Big guy, cloak, fancy armor, had horns on his helmet and a staff with an eye and two horns". Rainbow had to stop there to catch her breath.
"Ahriman", breathed the sergeant.
"You know who that is?" asked Octavia.
"Ahriman was a primary target for our forces here, to be taken out if possible, regardless of cost".
"I'll take it he's dangerous then", continued Lyra.
"That'd be an understatement", answered Vorenze, "Ahriman is a formidable sorcerer".
"So is Twilight", perked up Fluttershy with an air of hopefulness.
"If any pony's going to kick his butt, it's Twilight", laughed Dash ,"unless I got to him first of course!"
"I'll head back for her", stated Octavia ,"I'm much harder to spot than any of you lot".
"Five minutes", stated Vorenze, "we're no match for these guys. If we have to make a fight of it we're in big trouble".
Octavia nodded, then disappeared back the way she came in a blur of black and grey.
Unseen by the others, Lyra sidestepped behind a wall, and was gone.

The sergeant looked back to what was happening in the courtyard.
One of the berzerkers was holding a terrified cultist by his shirt a good two feet off the ground.

The cultist pointed a quaking hand straight at the hidden guardsmen and squeaked out
"Xenos! Pony things! Psyker!"

The berzerker threw the wretched man aside, and began stomping directly towards them, his world eaters companion falling in to step beside him.

The cultist scurried off towards the edge of the courtyard.

The berzerker drew his pistol, and shot the man in the back without even turning around to aim.

"Looks like our luck has run out", stated Vorenze with an air of resignation.
*****************************************************************************

Lyra picked her way across the broken landscape on the opposite side of the plaza to the route taken by Octavia.
Her friends needed a distraction to buy them some time, and she had a plan which, whilst very risky (more so than she realized), would certainly help.

It involved one of the enemy vehicles.

Whilst clearly far more advanced than anything in Equestria, Lyra could see that these probably worked in a similar way to the train back home.
All she needed to do was get to it without being noticed, and.. how do you say... throw a spanner in the works?

Scurrying low behind the broken buildings, she made it to the back of the vehicle with the big gun. It's dark blue color seemed to be filled with changing hues at this range.
The unicorn climbed up the back of the far track from the enemy forces so she wouldn't be seen, using her levitation spell to help her make the climb.

*******************************************************************************

A clatter sounded on the roof of the tank. Thinking little of it, the Iron Warriors gunner turned the turret slowly around, using the scanners to pick out any movement.
Not for the first time, he cursed that the tank's infra red and heat sensors no longer functioned, unsurprising given the fact the vehicle was close to ten millennia old, and hadn't seen any repair work in over three hundred years.
It was a miracle anything worked after so long.

A moment later, however, he began to notice a strange smell, like burnt metal.
This piqued his interest, and so he began to reach up for the hatch to get a look around.

The hatch wouldn't budge.

Even with his enhanced strength, the marine couldn't force the doors to open.
He looked back at the sensor screen, just in time to see what looked like a horse's hoof crack the lenze.
A second kick, and the screen became laced with static.

"What the hell's going on?!"
**********************************************************************************

Lyra, having welded the hatch shut with a spell, began tearing at the engine compartment grill with her telekinesis.
Something in there was making a noise, so it was probably something important.
The grills over the engine compartment slowly gave way, although it was a tremendous strain on the unicorn.

With the covers removed, Lyra could see lots of moving things in there.

"Hmmm.." mused the unicorn "Now, maybe if I put this.."

She jammed the warped engine grill straight in to the moving pistons of the engine, binding up gears and causing several things to begin to smoke.

"Erm... Time to leave!" she squeaked, leaping behind the tank and running back around the back of the ruins the way she had come.

As she began her trek back to her friends, the whole building behind her crumbled inwards with a series of crashing booms.

"I hope Twilight made it out okay", she whispered to herself.
***********************************************************************************

Octavia scurried low behind the broken walls, keeping well away from the sight of the soldiers in the courtyard.
She alone among the ponies had seen first-hand what these monsters were capable of, and wasn't about to be on the receiving end.

A shot rang out, followed by a cut-off shriek of pain. A quick glimpse over the wall confirmed the warriors with the axes had shot one of the weaker men.

Octavia broke in to a panicked run, then remembered where she was, and skidded to a halt just soon enough to avoid running out in to plain sight of the soldiers on the steps.

She peered around the edge of the wrecked wall. The soldiers were still looking around the courtyard, but seemed more intent on the far side where her friends were.

Then she spotted Lyra, perched on one of the tanks.
"What is she doing?" muttered Octavia to herself.
The tank shuddered, followed by a tortured wail which could only signify something mechanical had been jammed up.
Smoke began pouring from the back of the enemy vehicle.
The mint-green unicorn beat a hasty retreat.

This turn of events gave Octavia the opportunity to get around the side of the cathedral unseen.

And not a moment too soon.

She turned the corner just in time to see Twilight skid sideways across the patch of grass outside the vestibule door.

Resisting the urge to call out, the grey mare hastily made her way to her fallen comrade, wary that whatever had knocked out the alicorn could certainly do the same to her.
Then the upper parts of the cathedral walls collapsed inwards, causing the ground to shudder. It took Octavia a few moments to realize what was causing the tremors, but quickly guessed this meant whatever threat had been in there was no doubt buried.

She reached Twilight's position at a trot.

"T-Twilight?"
She nudged the lavender mare's muzzle with her hoof, and was answered with a groan.
Octavia sighed with relief.
"Come on Twilight, we can't stop here".

Octavia picked up the dazed alicorn on her back, and began to make her way back to her companions.
**************************************************************************

As Lyra scurried back behind the broken walls, retracing the route she had taken to get to the enemy tank, a sound behind her caught her attention.
She looked back briefly, then broke in to a panicked gallop.

How could something that big, and that heavily armoured have moved so quickly and so quietly?!

"That's right little pony", laughed the huge soldier in the purple and gold armour, "keep running, and lead me straight back to your friends!"

Lyra realised he was right, and quickly changed direction, ducking through a broken doorway.
There, she cowered in a corner, building up a spell of protection.

Her pursuer came in to view, sword drawn, the blade crackling faintly with power.

He raised his blade in a quick over-arm sweep, and brought the blow down squarely at Lyra's horn.

There was a bright flash, and the Emperor's Children marine was thrown on to his back by the discharge of energy.
Whilst the protective spell deflected the physical blow, the power field from the blade sent a powerful shock down Lyra's horn, hurling the mint green unicorn back against the wall.

Lyra looked up groggily as the huge soldier hoisted himself back on to his feet. Her vision kept swimming in and out of focus.
As she became more alert, the marine loomed over her.
"You will not catch me out like that again!" he growled, drawing his blade, now devoid of it's energy field, back to skewer the helpless pony.

The blade plunged towards her. She closed her eyes, unable to summon the magic needed to deflect the blow.

"WHANG!!"

The mint green unicorn opened her eyes in shock to see a second sword crossed with the marine's.

"So, you finally show your face!", laughed the marine,"you look like you'll be more fun to play with!"

"This one's under my protection", growled Vorenze,"why don't you pick on someone nearer your own size!"

"And what do you think your superiors would think of you helping a xenos?", smirked Lukion, circling the commander and looking for an opening.

"I think any means of preventing the likes of Ahriman getting his hands on powerful artefacts is justifiable" he replied.

Lyra watched the two circling each other. Vorenze was at a clear disadvantage in size and armour, although the marine's power sword generator had been overloaded when she blocked his blow.

The commander had helped her. Time to return the favour.

Lukion swung his sword back ready to slice across Vorenze's waist. Instinctively, the commander leapt back, but the blow wouldn't have connected anyway.

The Emperor's Children marine's hands were empty.

The marine turned to find out why, only to get thumped solidly on the forehead with the hilt of his own weapon.
He staggered, such a blow not enough to fell a post-human warrior.
Lyra quickly jabbed the stolen weapon's pommel in to the marine's head again. This time he went down, knocked out by the unexpected blow.

"Let's move!" called Vorenze, "he won't stay down long".
"Thank you" replied Lyra, trotting over to the commander ,"how did you know he was following me?"
"I saw what you did to that tank", answered Vorenze "that distracted the two soldiers heading our way, but that marine spotted you and followed you".
"But.... What about your own soldiers?"
"Maverick and Bateman just got here, so I came to help you", came the response ,"what you did back there helped our morale a lot, so I wasn't about to abandon you".
**************************************************

Back at the main group's current location, Fenrick took careful aim from his vantage point in a corner of the ruined building they were hiding in. The wall here was around 2 stories high, and still had a single window frame, which he was currently crouched behind.
His target was one of the two berzerkers. The crippled tank hadn't distracted them long, and they were closing the gap fast.
He squeezed his trigger gently, feeling the bite. Made a couple of minor corrections, and fired.

The shot ricocheted off the side of the Chaos marine's helmet, not even slowing his pace.

"Damn it!" snapped Fenrick, hastily ejecting the spent shell and banging a new round in to the breach.

As the ratling lifted his rifle to take the shot, the last thing he saw was the blood-slick edge of his intended target's chain axe blade.

The berzerker stood in the window and howled his praise to the god of slaughter. Then flew backwards out of the window courtesy of a blast from Maverick's multi laser, to be left sprawling in the dust of the courtyard.

The other berzerker, his eyes fixed on the terrified ponies, failed to notice Natalia and Leroy crouched behind the wall.
Hit by both a laser cannon and a melta gun at point-blank range, the Chaos marine didn't so much die, as simply cease to exist.

At this moment, Vorenze returned with Lyra.
At almost that exact moment, Octavia rounded the corner where Fenrick's mangled remains lay slumped over his rifle. Fortunately for the grey mare, she didn't see this as she was looking in the direction of the other ponies.
Across her back lay a dazed Twilight Sparkle.
The ponies hurried over to help their friend, all other concerns momentarily forgotten.

"She's fine", stated Octavia, "just stunned".

"Get to the transport!" shouted Vorenze at them, sprinting that way himself.

The second berzerker sprang back to his feet again, only to get planted back in the dust by another hit from Maverick's multi laser.
The sentinel clanked forwards, and stomped on the prone marine, his chest plate crumpling under the walker's steel foot.
"AND STAY DOWN!!" spat the pilot.
The sentinel rocked back from a pair of detonating shells. Moving out of cover had exposed the walker to the chaos rhino on the other side of the plaza. The first shot did little more than scorch the paintwork on the front of the cockpit. The other shot, however, blasted a chunk from the left leg, locking up one of the joints.
Maverick spat a curse, turning the cockpit from it's waist joint to return fire.
His salvo stitched a pattern of scorch marks across the side of the transport, ineffective, save for the last round. This tore the anti-personnel weapon clean off the vehicle.

"We're all in Maverick!", shouted Vorenze,"time to go!"
"You go sir", came the reply "I never agreed to help these xenos, but as long as I am fighting the enemies of the Emperor, he protects".
"The Emperor protects!", called the commander, saluting his soldier's loyalty to humanity, "good hunting".
"Let's move Bateman!" he shouted towards the front of the vehicle.

The Chimera coughed in to life and set off in a cloud of dust.
*****************************************************************************

The Iron Warrior's marine Balthius, and Voldarius, the half-daemon monster had let their allies go to deal with the Imperials, whilst they went to help their lord. Finally, they found the sorcerer after shifting several large blocks of stone.
Ahriman nodded to them in thanks.

"I can take it from here", he stated, "Go get that staff!"

"By your command", rumbled the red mountain of muscle that was Voldarius.
He unfurled his wings and took to the air.
The Iron Warrior merely hefted his thunder hammer over his shoulder and set off in the direction of the immobilised Imperial walker.

Ahriman lay back with a heavy sigh.
"I'm having a bad day..." he grumbled to himself, before hauling himself to his feet.

He looked off at the receding column of dust left by the Chimera transport, beginning the rites for a teleportation spell.

********************************************************************

Maverick was doing his best to keep these Chaos marines from reaching him, but the power pack for his multi laser was running very low. The last hit he'd scored against the Emperor's Children marine had done little save knock the soldier on his back.
The Berzerker under the Sentinel's foot was trying to get a grip on the foot to free himself, but between coughing up thick wads of blood through his mouth grille and short periods of inactivity, it was clear this warrior had fought his last battle.

A dark shape swept over the sentinel, gone almost as soon as he noticed it.
Then a third marine came in to view, his grey armour adorned with black and yellow chevrons. He carried a thunder hammer over his shoulder.

Maverick let out a heavy sigh, reached in to his pocket, and pulled out his one remaining smoke.
A slight smile crossed his lips, as he lit it, saying one last prayer to the Emperor in thanks for the minor distraction.
He then reached back to the controls, and pulled the trigger. The Emperor's Children marine went sprawling backwards from the impact, coming to rest close to the advancing Iron Warrior.

"GET UP!" snapped the grey armoured marine, hauling his ally to his feet with his right hand.

Maverick took aim at the Iron Warrior, and fired.

The beam hit the warrior square in the chest, but didn't even topple the soldier. Maverick looked down at his readouts, and his fears were confirmed. The power packs were dry.

Moments later, a sound like a thunderclap rang out across the landscape, and Balthius walked away from the smoking ruin of the Imperial walker.
"Now, why did you have so much trouble?" he stated to Lukion.

"Gimme a break!" came the retort, "he was out of ammo when you got here!"

"Excuses, excuses...." laughed the Iron Warrior.

*****************************************************************

The back of the chimera transport was fairly quiet, save for the engine noise.
The ponies were numb with shock. Such violence was an unwelcome experience for them.

The first to come to enough to speak was the least expected of them all.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" asked Fluttershy, standing over Twilight who was still not fully concious.
"I..... I think she'll be fine" replied Lyra. Octavia stood next to her.
"I'm sure she'll be fine soon", stated the grey mare ,"she's just stunned".

"I think we're all feelin' a bit the worse fer wear after that", retorted Applejack from the other side of the compartment.

"At least we've got away", added Dash, also snapping out of her shocked state,"but what about that guy with the walking thing?"
"Maverick was not happy about helping you ponies", answered Vorenze ,"however, he had no qualms about fighting the Chaos forces. So he followed his heart and stayed behind to give us a chance to escape".
"But.... That's suicidal against those soldiers!", replied Rainbow.
"Yes", was all Vorenze could manage.

"Wh.... What happened?", groaned Twilight.

"We got the staff, and we're on our way back home", answered Fluttershy, "you rest now".

All of a sudden, a huge crash sounded on the top of the vehicle, and everyone got thrown to the cab-end of the compartment as something sharp, red, and worryingly organic looking tore the whole front off the Chimera transport.
Moments later, the roof of the compartment was torn clean off, revealing a huge red beast straight out of someone's nightmares. It tossed aside the ragged ruin which had once been the driver, and looked in to the compartment as it's occupants piled out of the back in a blind panic.
Natalia and Leroy both fired at the monster, but did not manage to bring it down. It merely staggered back and sat down, stunned.

As the guardsmen pulled together to get a bead on the daemon prince, a bright flash stunned them for a moment.

Within the swirling light, a figure emerged which made them panic.

Ahriman.

Luckily for the group, another powerful spell caster had been hard at work too.
As Ahriman walked forwards, the whole group of ponies and Imperial guardsmen vanished in a flash of light.

The Chaos sorcerer fell to his knees and howled his frustration in to the air.
**************************************************************************

As the light from her teleportation faded, Twilight tried to shake the images of screaming faces and half glimpsed things she'd rather not remember from her mind.

"Teleporting when there's been so much bloodshed on this world!", shouted Vorenze ,"are you insane?! You're lucky we're all here!"

"I.... I didn't know... it would be like that", replied the alicorn ,"it's never been like that before".

All the group, whilst physically fine, seemed similarly traumatised by the visions they had seen during their short trip through warp space.
All seemed to recover fairly quickly though, realising they were safe.
Back in the trenches.
Just a short distance away lay the wrecked tank. On the other side of them, the slumped armour of the berzerker that Fenrick had decapitated the day before.

"Princess Twilight!" came an unexpected voice from the other side of the tank.

"Isn't that...." started Lyra, trotting over to the tank for a clearer look.

Just beside where the portal was, there stood two royal guards in their usual golden armour. Between them, looking a little out of place, was a pale blue unicorn with a dark blue and white mane.

"Minuette?!" called Lyra, "what in the world are you doing here?!"

"Princess Celestia called for me to join you, but some pony (she gritted her teeth and glared at Twilight) had the train leave early!!"
Twilight looked away sheepishly.
"So she asked me to guard the way home instead," finished the new arrival.

"Well, we were successful", stated Twilight ,"we got the staff, and a few new friends too".

"What are they?" asked Minuette, looking up at the four remaining human soldiers.

"Human soldiers", replied Twilight, "they have helped us to get the staff, at great personal risk. We owe them a great deal".

"Are you intending that they should come back to Equestria with us?" asked Minuette, a little shocked at the prospect.

The fact that not only Twilight, but all eight ponies shouted "yes" back at her left little room to argue.

"They have nothing here", added Twilight ,"their homes have been destroyed, all they have left is what they carry".

"That's what I'm worried about!" retorted Minuette, pointing a hoof at the human's weapons.

"If they meant us any harm, I'm sure we'd know about it by now", stated the alicorn ,"now, we must return to Equestria. I am sure that Princess Celestia has been worried about us".

"More so than you can possibly imagine" answered the pale blue unicorn, turning back to the portal.

And with that, the ponies, and their human allies, stepped through the portal to return to Equestria.