Iron Hearts: Stray Shots and What Ifs?by Hey its that PonyChaptersObligatory Intro ThemeHome of ChaosWell, it could always be worse...How do you even breath in these things?The Caged Maiden and Grandfather's ChildrenPinkie WhispersObligatory Intro ThemeMy Xeno Poniesh, My Xeno Poniesh Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahhh... (My Xeno Ponies) I used to wonder what Chaos forces might be (My Xeno Ponies) Until thou shared its horrors with We Big Explosions Tons of Guns! The beautiful Rotss The Faithful are Strong! Sharing secrets... Not with you, you creep! And Blood and Skulls makes it all complete! (Gore guitar solo) You have my Xeno Ponies Do you know you're all my very besht fiendsh? Author's Note Because Home of ChaosIn the aftermath of the 38th Company's final victory and claim on Centaur Three, a new rural town had sprung up around a sensor array at a halfway point between Ponyville and Ferrous Dominus. Through the courtesy of crude slang and laziness, the town would be unofficially named 'Horse Town' before being officially granted the title via the Dark Mechanicus whose job it was to maintain the sensor array. The Princess of Friendship would attempt to re-name the town 'Ferrous Secundus' but, much to her annoyance, everyone agreed that that was pretty terrible and that 'Horse Town' would do fine. This new settlement would serve as one of the first of the new unofficial human establishments and communities outside the mighty fortress. It would come to be known as a place where many soldiers within the fortress would make a home when they were not required to be stationed behind the walls or traveling in one of the fleet's starships. Though Horse Town was not just a community of for humans, as one might guess from its label. Many ponies had made their homes here as well, finding themselves far more comfortable in the rural settlement rather than the stifling factory city. There were even some stray Tau and Kroot to be found about. In this present time though, we will focus upon a single household. Being one of the earliest structures, before the Mechanicus got themselves directly involved in the development of the community, it was forged in a crude manner from blocks of rockcrete and discarded metal and had been touched up and granted a certain charm that was difficult to replicate. Above its front door hung the icons of the Chaos Gods Tzeentch and Khorne, placed at the far corners of the frame. More towards the middle were two nails with a vertical scorch-mark between them. One could guess that the bare nails in the middle was where the opposing icons hung before it became apparent that neither could stand such close proximity. If one were to listen closely, they might swear that there were two animals nearby growling at each-other. Within this home was a pegasus mare who was busy at her kitchen sink. She had a pink coat with a long silky red mane, pink eyes, and a cutie mark of a red hellebore flower with a black mark of Khorne in the center of it's bloom. She sported a pair of bony blades that had grown from her forelegs and a series of bony spikes along her wings. Tiny flecks of blood could still be seen along the growths and all of them had been coated and sharpened with adamantium, a process that had been extremely stressful but well worth it. Scarlet Bloom hummed a little tune to herself as she was finishing the dishes. With the last plate dried she set it aside before raising her hoof in a short salute and a smile to a small icon of Khorne hanging in the window above the sink. She let out a content sigh for herself. Suddenly, Scarlet's ear twitched and her eyes went wide before her body blurred in motion as she snapped around and up to bring her blades to bare on the intruder in her kitchen. Before she did any damage, a pair of tentacles grabbed her front hooves before they could come down. She reacted by darting her head forward and attempting to rip the other creatures face off with her pointed teeth. Rune Stone chuckled as his wife's teeth snapped less than an inch from his nose. "Hi honey. I trust you had a good day my blood spiller?" The Khornate Pegasus relaxed as her snarl switch to a smile. "Oh Dear. You know you're suppose to announce when you get home." She gave his snout a little lick. "I almost took your handsome head off." The tentacles lowered and released Scarlet Blooms front legs to the floor. They were attached to a light blue Unicorn stallion with a messy white mane, yellow eyes, and a series of irregular crystal-like growths coming from his horn. His tendrils were attached just above his shoulders and were the same color as his coat with a darker shade of blue along the suckers on the underside. His flank was marked with a cracked stone tablet with a blue mark of Tzeentch upon it. Rune chuckled at her. "Oh come now dear. As if your barbaric ways could best one such as I." With their spousal exchange of light insults done, they nuzzled one another and shared a series of smooches as they enjoyed being in each others company. Scarlet finally puled back from the affection. "So how was your day?" "Oh, about the same as always," Rune said, rolling his eyes "maintenance on the Nethalican, indulge Serith on whatever new experiment has caught his attention, and continue trying to gain mastery over the warp. So, pretty dull." He cleared his throat. "Where is our daughter?" "She's out playing with friends." "Good. There was something I wanted to talk about with you." The mare quirked her head. "Oh?" She noticed he actually seemed nervous about something for once. "Well, as you probably know, our little Rampant Skies is getting to that age where she could earn her cutie mark at any time or perhaps even ready to take a Chaos Mark within a couple of years, should she choose." Scarlet scowled at him, fairly sure what was coming. "Yes?" She growled. Rune held his ground. Adamant about having his say. "I want to start showing her what the teachings of Tzeentch have to offer her." In a split second Scarlet Bloom was scrunched nose to scrunched nose with Rune Stone with a less affectionate snarl on her face. "In case you've forgotten dear, Rampant Skies is a Pegasus! Like me. So if there's anyone she would follow it would be Khorne!" The stallion didn't even blink and managed to keep a straight face even though his wife was making that furious face he found adorable. He gave an arrogant snort. "Please, Tzeentch isn't so intolerant. Even if he does favor the naturally gifted he is quite willing to take in all who can put in the work. He could even make her an Alicorn if she showed the capability, and I am certain she would." Scarlet poked a hoof into his chest, shearing off a couple of centimeters of his coat with the attached blade. "Rampant belongs in the skies with me! Soaring free with the wind beneath her wings! Not with her head stuck in the warp!" Rune finally broke his calm as her gave his wife his own glare. "Oh? Is that another one of those 'truths' that Khornates are known for? Because it certainly sounds like an opinion to me." That was it, the final straw. Scarlet Bloom leaped at her husband with blades flashing and teeth snapping as Rune Stone retaliated with indigo flashes of magic and attempts to keep her at bay with his tentacles. Magic bolts sparked and bounced off the mare's hide and soon enough she got close enough to draw blood. The melee was short lived and the volume in the kitchen lowered drastically. Rune Burst lay on his side. Scarlet Bloom was hunched over him with her teeth on the side of his neck with a small gathering of his coat and skin in her mouth. She gently released the flesh, which was fortunately still attached, and began licking up the blood on the minor wound. The stallion let out pained sigh. "I'm sorry dear. I knew this would upset you but I did it anyway." His horn glowed as he levitated a home first aid kit from out of one of the cabinets that had been blasted open by a stray magic missile. She stopped her licking. "I'm sorry too Rune. I really overreacted. I should have been a little more open." He looked up at her as he acquired a few bandages and patches from the kit, beginning to apply them to himself. "But you're right honey. Rampant Skies probably would join you before me. You've always looked so proud when she flew next to you." She smiled down at her husband. "Thank you dear." Her face became troubled but thoughtful. "Though, if she really wanted to, I... wouldn't be opposed to her becoming a worshiper of Tzeentch." The Khorne icon in the window began vibrating in an aggressive manner, getting her attention. "Oh I know my lord. But it is her decision and I need to respect it." The icon slowly settled back down, though still somehow appearing upset. Rune slowly got back to his feet, his bleeding not quite as bad as it had been. "Thank you dear. But I was being selfish. Our daughter is a wonderful little filly, and I just wanted to think that maybe I could be closer to her as she grew up. My work keeps me away from home so much I'm scared I'll never have enough time with her." Scarlet only smiled at him again before embracing his neck with her own. "You are such a dear. But you know, I have been having some thoughts of my own lately." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She stepped back to look him in the eye again, this time with a blush on her face. "Well, I've been thinking that with all the life I've helped take from the universe that maybe I've ready to give a little back, again." The stallions eyes grew wide. "You mean...?" "I want another foal." She said with a squeak. "And this one may even be a unicorn, if the Blood God is feeling generous and doesn't interfere." Rune broke out in a smile and leaned in to nuzzle his wife again. "Oh honey, That's wonderful! I think I'm ready to have another too!" The loving couple smooched cooed at each other some more, enjoying their new decision. Meanwhile, an unknown eavesdropper with a pink coat and a lavender mane was pulling back and retreating to her room. Rampant Skies felt like it was safe to leave her parents alone now that she knew they weren't going to kill each other. It seemed like she may even have a new younger sibling on the way sometime soon. She wasn't sure how to feel about that just yet but the thought wasn't unpleasant. The young foal quietly shut the door to her room and listened as her parents shuffled around the house before entering their own room. When she was sure they weren't going to disturb her she retreated to the far side of her bed and pulled out a small pamphlet she had hidden away. It was a minor curiosity she had picked up, but given the earlier conversation there was a small twinge of guilt at the thought of what her parents might think about the piece of paper in front of her. She began to read. "The Plague God and you. What Grandfather Nurgle has to offer and what to expect when you join his family." Author's Note This came about from a brief conversation in the comments in Book 5 questioning what relationships and home life might be like for cult members. This loving couple popped into my head and things just grew from there. Well, it could always be worse...Within the daunting walls of Ferrous Dominus, a mixed group of human mercenaries and equine soldiers sat around a mess hall. The groups current distraction from duties and the battlefield in general was a grey coated and brown maned earth pony by the name of Spoons who had a wooden spoon as his cutie mark and was pretty decent at making soup. It was not an accident that he got stuck with kitchen duty more often than not as the gruel was always a step above its usual quality on the nights he was cook. Anyway, the group was listening to Spoons rather somber realization at the complete picture of sudden change that had happened to his world and his races way of life. From the advanced Tau to the Savage Orks to the Chaos worshiping Iron Warriors that they had pledged themselves to. His civilization's pony ways were changing right before his eyes and all in the name of survival. The other ponies and mercs around him either thought on these events with him or were completely indifferent. A man in dirty brown fatigues who went by the name of Pitts sat and scratched his goatee'd chin for a bit, considering Spoon's words before giving a shrug and saying, "Yeah, I guess that's all pretty bad. Hell, all things considered, we still may not survive this at all. But you know what? It could still be worse." The various heads around Pitts snapped to his direction. The humans faces wincing at superstitious fear of a jinx and the equines faces full of confusion and curiosity. Spoons spoke up with the obvious response, "How?" "We could be the Lamenters," Pitts said. The other humans visibly relaxed and nodded at this while the pony soldiers just looked between each other in more confusion. Once again, Spoons asked the obvious response, "What's a Lamenter?" Pitts smiled and leaned forward. "Alright boys, girls, and mutants! Looks like it's story time about the most unfortunate bastards in the Imperium!" And so, the grungy Pitts weaved the tale of the valiant but misfortune addled Space Marines, well, what he knew of them anyway. From their origins in the 'cursed' 21st founding to there bitter victories and failures. Most of all, their cruel fates during and after the Badab War which had led to them on a penance crusade across the stars. "Supposedly, no one is even sure if they're still alive or not." Pitts paused in his narrative to take a sip of his water, "Though that's about all any common speak can tell you." He reached over and gave Spoons a friendly scratch behind the ears. "So yeah Spoons. Compared to those guys, we've got it pretty good. Hell, our chances of survival really aren't too bad considering we've got the combined expertise of more than a dozen different factions in our forces on just about anything we really might need. So cheer up." Spoons found himself savoring the surprisingly pleasant feel of Pitts dirty fingernails before he withdrew them. He quickly collected himself and looked at his human companion's amused face. He put a hoof under his chin and considered the story for a moment before answering. "I suppose you have a good point there. I mean, the Lamenters have been having the worse luck all their careers but their still going at it, possibly. If they can continue on through all that then surely we can survive through one little Ork Waaagh right?" He finished with an honest smile. Pitts just laughed, "Well to be fair, they're Space Marines so they're kind of made to keep kicking after the worse of the worse. A group of humans in their positions would have been killed off long ago. Spoons smile and ears dropped. "Oh." The human just shrugged. "But don't sweat it. Whether we live or die hasn't been determined yet. What you should really be doing is getting in that kitchen with that special talent of yours. Goanna be a big operation in a few hours and I'd like to have a last meal that doesn't taste like mulched paper." There were several agreements from the group on that point as Spoons just rolled his eyes and turned about. "Yeah, yeah I'm going. About all anyone wants from me anyway." Pitts gulped down the last of his water, thinking to himself. 'At least they want something besides your life from you equine. Not every soldier can say that.' He set the cup down and took out his stub pistol, inspecting the weapon as a good soldier should. For all appearance and purpose, that's all he was. Author's Note This one sprung from a spontaneous discussion in an Art Thread in the warhammer 40k group forums. The original text has been edited and extended a bit to give it a more complete feeling that was lacking before. This event takes place in Book 5 after Green Tide Rising. How do you even breath in these things?A bunker sat on a hill within Ponyville, a battle raging just before it. Explosives could be heard in uncomfortably close proximity and horribly aimed clouds of solid slugs were sent in it's general direction as the rockcrete structure vomited out a defiant spray of bullets and energy blasts. Within the structure, Sergeant Sturvon was cleaning the lenses of his gas mask for the umpteenth time that day while still trying to get his beret right. Everyone kept telling him that he should stop wearing the thing but damn it, he looked good in it. He was just another mercenary within the 38th Company's employ who had been placed in charge of this particular defense point in a strategic fallback position. Though he hadn't been told that he would be in charge of a dozen of the small intelligent horses that were native to this world. All of which seemed to be of the "Earth" Pony variety. "Yee Haw!" One of the mares was having an enjoyable time with the heavy bolter set up in the middle, which would have been fine if she was aiming straight. "You there!" He yelled at her between bursts. Unfortunately, his call was muffled by his mask which he had to pull up, stuffing his beret into one of his jacket pockets. "Hey mare! I'm talking to you!" This finally seemed to get her attention. "Oh hey sarge! These automatic guns sure are a hoot aren't they?" "This is not a shooting range private! This is serious combat! Why are you firing that gun like you've never done it before?" "Well that's because she hasn't Sir." A deeper male voice replied from behind. Sturvon turned around to address the stallion. "And who are you?" "Well ah'm Red Delicious and that there is mah cousin Apple Fritter. She ain't never fired one of these bigger fancy guns so I figured It'd be ok since she ain't goanna hit anything cept them Ork fellers." The Sargent was about to give Red Delicious an earful about stupid actions that can get a private shot on the field just before he noticed the big red apple mark on his butt. "Wait a second, are you an Apple too? Are you both related to that Orange Pony with the hat?" "Well they sure are Sir." Said a new mare with a light blue coat. Sturvon's attention was once again diverted. "And you are?" "Well I'm Apple Cider. We never did get a proper howdy-do Sir, but I'm glad we found a chance to!" Sturvon cautiously turned toward yet another mare who had diverted her attention to the conversation. "And you?" The pony batted her eyes at him, "Apple Tart handsome." and gave him a wink, which he pulled back from slightly. He looked around a threw up his hands. "How many Apples do I have in this bunker anyway?" All fire ceased as twelve different hooves went up into the air and a resounding "Howdy!" echoed out. Sturvon pulled his beret back out of his jacket pocket. "I knew it! I'm surrounded by Apples!" He pulled the gas mask back down and affixed his beret, setting it just right on the first try for once. He pointed back towards the enemy. "Keep firing Apples!" Red Delicious pulled on his pants leg. "Ah, Sarge? You may wanna take a closer look out thar at what's comin." Sturvon bent down and took a look through a pair of binoculars from another pocket to see what the stallion was talking about. What he saw was about six stories of green rumbling behemoth that was an Ork Squiggoth that was coming right for the bunker. "Hmm, I see. Who was in charge of the explosives set-up?" An older stallion with a lazy eye and a scruffy beard spoke up. "Right here Sarge! Nugget Cider! Explosives expertise!" "Right, is the bunker ready to go?" "Soon are yew give the word I'll set this here dohicky and this place'll go sky high if anypony comes a knockin!" "Good to hear. Do that as soon as we've escaped. All troops! Retreat at ludicrous speed!" Sargent Struvon and the dozen Apple family members took the escape tunnel that had been dug earlier, with Nugget Cider activating the proximity sensors just as they left. Meanwhile, the Squiggoth was lumbering along with little difficulty. Pausing for just a moment to knock a wrecked wartrukk out of it's way before it got to the bunker. Since the building wasn't being a threat, the great beast just walked over it, or it would have had it's right forward foot not come smashing down on the structure and collapsed the roof, triggering the explosives that had been left inside. Upon the huge metal saddle, several orks were either knocked loose or jarred violently as their ride roared in pain and slouched over to the side. The three in the front looked about to locate the source of the disturbance. "Wot wuz dat? Wut happened?" Said the largest of them, considered the Nob The second, who was mainly in charge of trying to steer the beast scratched his head. "Uh, I think da Squiggoth's been jammed!" "Whut? Whut do ya mean jammed? Wot kinda jam?" The third, who was seated on the right, reached out and poked at a little bit of gore that had blown up and decorated the saddle basket. "Uh, razberry?" This earned him a swift backhand and several broken teeth from the Nob. "Smart arse! Git it fixed!" Coming Soon! The 38th Company officially licensed Flamethrower! The kids will love it! Author's Note I wonder if I put enough references in here? The Caged Maiden and Grandfather's ChildrenThe Warp. It is a plane of the Immaterium forged from the countless thoughts of the Galaxy's sentient races. This place is formed from ideas and dreams; it is real and yet unreal at the same time. A mortal soul that bares witness to the maddening eddies and flows of the warp sees only what its own mind brings forth from the Aether. Though there can exist no consistency in the realm of Chaos itself, perceiving this realm of madness can be described as a consistently unpleasant and disturbing experience to say the least. Within the twisting boundaries of the Warp lies the ever foul realm of Nurgle, one of the four Chaos Gods and Lord of Plague and Rot. Nurgle's Garden was as still as a corpse, yet putrescent, and ceaselessly crawling with life. Within the tangled mass of gnarled trees, twisted vines, and bubbling marshes thrived bacteria, viruses, and fungi the likes of which could make any sane being's skin crawl, most of it able to do so quite literally. Swarms of insects buzzed about in dense clouds of hairy bodies with too many eyes. In the heart of this garden of rot was the Plague God's mansion, within which he toiled away at his cauldron creating virile new strains of disease to spread his taint throughout the Galaxy. In fact, he was looking through the film of filth that sat on the surface of the cauldron's contents to observe the results of the latest such concoction he had poured through the drain in the floor into the Materium. There, it had found a vibrant world playing host to a healthy population of humans. Although, "healthy" was probably a very poor choice of words at the moment. The great Nurgle observed through the viewing portal as the world was besieged on a microscopic level. The human populace found their bodies turning against them. Their skin puckered up with boils and sores before it cracked open. Their organs collapsed and died while playing host to small worm-like parasites. Something was wrong. The plants swelled and withered with infection. The soil turned sour and sprouted thick fungal sprouts. The seas became green with an unnatural algae that choked the light from the seabed. The skies were thick with a viral fog that rose from the diseased surface. Something was wrong. The animal's flesh became dark and inconsistent. Their skin took on a variety of new textures, becoming bumpy, thin, thick, wrinkled, or chitinous in different uneven patches on their bodies. Eyes dull and near sightless. Their limbs crooked and uncertain. Their calls were meek and desperate, each one seeking out others of its kind for comfort. The beasts ought to be dead and dying but would not do so. The infection upon their forms was less prevalent than it was on the rest of the world and the homo sapiens. Something was very wrong. Nurgle looked on with worry. This should have all been pleasing to him but it wasn't. Infection was spreading but not in the right way. But the true focus of his ire was the animals. Their appearances possessed little evidence of his diseases. Their shapes were not the result of his gifts. Something had changed... and Nurgle disliked change. The humans of this planet had reared horses. There were many different breeds spread far and wide. The humans had been quite proud of them. But now they lay dead and dying with buggy horrors crawling from their mouths as their loyal steeds lived on against all natural logic. With horrid twisted forms they tried to cope with the loss of their human owners and the new state of their world with as much success as simple animals could muster. This was not at all how the plague he had unleashed upon this world was supposed to react. Nurgle had tested it. He was certain. But then he thought about that for a moment. Yes, he had tested it hadn't he? Just after he had mixed this latest viral cocktail in his cauldron which he was now gazing into. He dismissed the image of the world with a whim and looked into the actual murk of the pot. He usually didn't pay much attention to his realm, quite content with letting it fester and stagnate on it's own, but now that he gazed at the surface there was definitely something off. An unusual brightness. He dipped one bloated appendage in and reached for the spot. When it came back he was clutching a flower. He held the flower to a sickly yellow eye for inspection. It had come out completely untouched by his rot, the filth of the cauldron sliding from it with ease. It appeared healthy and its petals were composed of several bright and cheerful colors. There was a distinct touch of the warp about it. A touch that he knew came from only one place. Ironically, this offending plant and its properties had come from his own grounds. With a deep bubbling sigh, Nurgle shifted his huge body towards the Garden. Nurgle didn't need to stand to leave. He did not really stand at all. He didn't even sit down. His behemoth, rounded form did a little of both a the same time. Because of this he also did not walk so much as shuffled along the path, dragging his body and stepping forward at the same time. It was a most peculiar locomotion one would or would not expect from any creature or the warp. Nevertheless, he did reach the Garden and travelled a short ways before he came upon a small mess of a clearing. The clearing was shadowed by a massive domed cage. Within it was Grandfather Nurgle's most prized possession, his greatest captive, and his only true companion. Isha, the Eldar Goddess of Fertility, Life, Healing and Growth sat in her cage of iron, the bars thick with rust and calcium deposits. Earlier she had suffered her usual trial of being the testing ground for yet another of Nurgle's foul pestilences. He liked to introduce them to her first to see how quickly she could cure them and to witness the effects upon her form. She was quietly sitting while looking off into the distance, her mind off elsewhere as she tried to not focus upon a particular group of trees barely visible through the foliage that bore the twisted and pained faces of would-be rescuers from another time. The Plague Father's presence easily drew her attention to him. She noticed that is face was somewhat distraught, an odd and rare emotion for him. He hooked a claw around a bar and opened the cage door with a maddening shriek of metal. The lock had never worked and it had never needed to. Even if Isha could find her way out of the Garden of Nurgle the only thing that would be waiting for her outside his realm would be the clutches of the Prince of Excess Slaanesh, the only other Chaos God who coveted her, and Slaanesh's embrace promised far worse horrors than Nurgle would ever grant her. He entered the cage and held up the pastel flower. *Shhhlllurp!* "Istttthis yourthhhs Isha Dear?" He asked through the vicious gash across his face that served as his mouth. Isha brushed her vibrant colorful hair from her face, looked upon the flower, and gave an honest nod. There was no need to lie to him. Nurgle let out a noxious breath and passed his will into the plant. The flower lost its vigor and shriveled up. Its petals drained of their colors and turned a deathly black. He placed the rotten thing into a nearby patch of thorny weeds. Isha stood and attempted to speak to Nurgle before he raised his hand to silence her. He turned his hand about in an open palm in an expectant gesture. Isha visibly shrank back before she let out a defeated sigh and relented. She reached a hand down her robe and retrieved a second flower from its depths before handing it over to him. He held this one up for examination. It was nearly identical to the first one apart from a different petal pattern. Isha held a quiet shame at her plots being so easily discovered. She had believed that she might be able to plant the second flower into the drain itself. She was sure it might have weakened Nurgle's pestilences as they passed into the material universe. Nurgle's face wrinkled with anger and he looked upon her. "Dooo you hakkkkkve any moure Dear Ithhhsha?" She focused upon his face. "No, I have no more. I just-" She was silenced as the Plague God crushed this second flower, its form falling into brown dust and his anger clearly intensifying. The boils of his skin swelled and threatened to burst and his flabby flesh became taut to outline the sheer mass of musculature that lay beneath. His arm that had been holding the flower stretched out and his stubby claws extended to great mauling talons which he held over the Goddesses head. Isha stood there frozen out of fear for a moment that a dozen human lifetimes could be lost in. She stared up into the furious face of her captor, wondering if she had finally pushed him too far. He had never struck her but even Nurgle could be surprising given time. Was this truly the moment where he had finally grown tired of her and shatter her existence? But of course Nurgle did eventually relax and allow his rage to pass by. His claws drew back and his arm lowered. He returned to his usual passively content air as he gave a shrug as though nothing were wrong. He then extended that same arm to Isha in a gesture for her to come along with him. Realizing that the danger had passed, Isha also relaxed and took Nurgle's offered hand and allowed him to lead her back to the Mansion. Once there, she was led into the cauldron room where they circled around the pot. Nurgle passed a hand over the murk to incite the image of the infected world once more. "Let usshhhhhsee what your me-eh-eh-ehddling hath caused Isha." They gazed through the portal. Time passed at an accelerated rate from the perspective of the Warp Gods. The humans died out while the plants and animals continued to exist. Yes, amazingly the remaining lifeforms were still able to reproduce. It seemed to be the first sign of Isha's personal touch of the Warp. The plant life began to change and settle from it's infested form to something more akin to what it once was. Though there were notable changes in perhaps half of the plant life now. Some of it had a life and sentience of it's own while others retained a strong element of the warp within them, granting abnormal properties. Some of the plants would spontaneously change through the seasons while others had an element that affected its environment. The animal life went through a similar regression back to what it once was, though not to such a popular degree of normalcy. For many generations the animals retained the horrid forms that Nurgle's plague had forced upon them but as the next ones came along there was a notable difference in the shape that many of them took on. Some started to walk upright, while others developed strange appendages or even new heads that seemed to become stable mutations. Though they still retained the wrinkled and lumpy skin that had become part of them. The horses however, or at least the beasts that used to be horses, would undergo perhaps the most curious of changes. The God and Goddess watched them in fascination as a variety of traits affected and stabilized within the equines. A particular herd grew new appendages from their back with gangling feathers. Against all odds they managed to achieve a hampered flight with these poor wings. A second main group started to become more muscular and solidly built. The third and final of the main masses developed bulky protrusions from their skulls that were able to gather warp energy, though not for anything useful at the time. Then one generation, a remarkable change occurred. Nurgle and Isha watched as a female gave birth to a creature startlingly different from her. This newborn was closer to appearing like a horse again than anything before it. It had a soft downy coat of bright pink fur with a blue mane so much unlike the body of its mother. It was also a bit smaller than previous generations but it stood and tried to walk much like its breed should. In fact, it had a much easier time with this since it was shaped all the right ways in comparison to it's elders. Nurgle watched as the mare looked upon its offspring but did not reject it. Nor did the foal reject its mother in kind. Mare and foal were joined as the new creature began to nurse from one of its mothers teats. This stirred a strangely warm feeling in his heart, or it may have been something else, he was never really sure about that. In any case, this scene seemed to spark a chain reaction across the planet. Entire generations of newborns rose up with completely stabilized mutations. The offspring of the feathered equine beasts emerged with fully formed wings capable of granting them true flight. The Horned equines produced foals with properly developed and straight horns that seemed fully capable of stabilizing warp energy, though the creatures had yet to truly understand the value of this beyond creating a little spark of light from the tip. The rest of the creatures of the world also emerged either fully returned to normal or changed but without any or very little trace of the twisted mutations that had plagued their predecessors. In time, the old generations died off and the new ones took their place, revealing a new world that was vibrant and full of life with seemingly endless potential. The hands of Isha gripped at the cauldrons edges in anxiety over this. While she was deeply pleased to see that her efforts had produced some sort of positive effect upon this world, she was deeply afraid for the life of it with Nurgle having observed every change that had cut through his usual taint. She gazed up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, do not destroy these creatures." Nurgle jerked back from his side of the cauldron and stared at her as if he had been struck. "What? *Sttthluck* Dear Isha, why wouk-k-kld you think tha-d?" He spread his arms as though making a grand gesture. "While they may not-*thmp* carry my ushual markingzth of my disease, they are yeat my child-dren. In-th fact, they are our children. The only we hath ever had. How could I not love them?" He burbled. He placed his claws back around the rim of the pot again in a caressing nature. "Bethides. They will truly come ba-ck to my sthide. In time. All my chilthren eventually do." And so, Nurgle had accepted these new creatures into the galaxy. Isha was left with a quiet relief and fearful dread for the future of these new Ponies and their world. But there was nothing to be done at the moment of eternity, though she did silently enjoy the bit of joy Nurgle showed. If he did see the ponies and the other creatures as their children then perhaps she would be able to influence him if the time ever came that they would be tempted back to his complete embrace. But for now, they basked in her personal touch. Author's Note Perhaps the most curious thought I've developed for this series. But one I just liked too much not to do. Thanks to MarxyHooves for extended assistance in editing. Thanks to Nightweaver for final proofreading. Pinkie WhispersIn the fields of a rural rock farm, a tiny pink filly could not possibly be more content. Just a few hours ago she had witnessed a magnificent Rainboom that had sparked a very special light in her little heart. She had acted on that light and hosted her very first party with her Earth Pony family, bringing a great deal of joy and brightness to the normally stony atmosphere of the farm. When she had done so she had magically received her own special Cutie Mark upon her flank that would be with her forever, marking her as a premier party pony and a bringer of happiness. She let out a contented sigh as she gazed at the sky. It was starting to cloud over as it usually did but now the clouds seemed to have a distinctly brighter tone through her eyes. She could not imagine any way this day could get better. '...Oh my...and what might this be...?' said a whisper from nowhere. Pinkie Pie drew in a gasping breath. "Oh my gosh! Whatwasthat? Whereareyou? Areyouinmyhead?" She turned herself every which way to find the source of the voice but failed. '...Ho ho ho...what a delightful creature you are...tell me...what do you think the answers to your questions might be...?' She sat back down and put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Hmm, well since I couldn't tell which direction you're coming from, then I guess that means you aren't an imaginary friend. So I guess that would mean you ARE a voice in my head." She suddenly perked up. *GASP* "Ohmygosh! I've never had a voice in my head before. This is great! My name's Pinkie Pie! Are you a good voice or a bad voice? I think one of my distant relatives hears bad voices but I wanna say that you're a good voice because you sound like you're funny." A jolly echoing laughter filled the air around her for a few seconds before the next whispering response came. '...Indeed little Pinkie Pie...I am very funny...In fact...I am one of the funniest beings in existence...!' "You are? Wow, you must get invited to all the best parties!" '...Oh yes Pinkie...the very best...do you like tricks Pinkie Pie...?' "Are they fun tricks?" '...Yes Pinkie...they are very fun tricks...would you like me to teach them to you...?' Little Pinkie Pie jumped for joy, "I would love that Mr-" She brought her hooves to her mouth in a small shock. "Ohmygosh! I don't even know your name and I can't just call you Mr. Voice even though that would be kind of funny and we both enjoy funny things. So what is your name Mr. Voice?" The voices laughter filled the air once more. This time a little louder and with a slightly more sinister tone but still pleasantly jolly nonetheless. '...My name is Cegorach Pinkie Pie...and I think we are going to be very good friends for a very long time...' Pinkie Pie's heart swelled with happiness. Her day had gotten even better! "Yippie!" Author's Note This was originally suppose to be an Epilogue to "The Caged Maiden and Grandfather's Children" but I thought that it deserved it's own chapter. Also, this pretty much become my head-canon whenever you cross MLP:FiM with WH40K these days. Thanks to Editors MarxyHooves and Nightweaver.
Obligatory Intro ThemeMy Xeno Poniesh, My Xeno Poniesh Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahhh... (My Xeno Ponies) I used to wonder what Chaos forces might be (My Xeno Ponies) Until thou shared its horrors with We Big Explosions Tons of Guns! The beautiful Rotss The Faithful are Strong! Sharing secrets... Not with you, you creep! And Blood and Skulls makes it all complete! (Gore guitar solo) You have my Xeno Ponies Do you know you're all my very besht fiendsh? Author's Note Because
Home of ChaosIn the aftermath of the 38th Company's final victory and claim on Centaur Three, a new rural town had sprung up around a sensor array at a halfway point between Ponyville and Ferrous Dominus. Through the courtesy of crude slang and laziness, the town would be unofficially named 'Horse Town' before being officially granted the title via the Dark Mechanicus whose job it was to maintain the sensor array. The Princess of Friendship would attempt to re-name the town 'Ferrous Secundus' but, much to her annoyance, everyone agreed that that was pretty terrible and that 'Horse Town' would do fine. This new settlement would serve as one of the first of the new unofficial human establishments and communities outside the mighty fortress. It would come to be known as a place where many soldiers within the fortress would make a home when they were not required to be stationed behind the walls or traveling in one of the fleet's starships. Though Horse Town was not just a community of for humans, as one might guess from its label. Many ponies had made their homes here as well, finding themselves far more comfortable in the rural settlement rather than the stifling factory city. There were even some stray Tau and Kroot to be found about. In this present time though, we will focus upon a single household. Being one of the earliest structures, before the Mechanicus got themselves directly involved in the development of the community, it was forged in a crude manner from blocks of rockcrete and discarded metal and had been touched up and granted a certain charm that was difficult to replicate. Above its front door hung the icons of the Chaos Gods Tzeentch and Khorne, placed at the far corners of the frame. More towards the middle were two nails with a vertical scorch-mark between them. One could guess that the bare nails in the middle was where the opposing icons hung before it became apparent that neither could stand such close proximity. If one were to listen closely, they might swear that there were two animals nearby growling at each-other. Within this home was a pegasus mare who was busy at her kitchen sink. She had a pink coat with a long silky red mane, pink eyes, and a cutie mark of a red hellebore flower with a black mark of Khorne in the center of it's bloom. She sported a pair of bony blades that had grown from her forelegs and a series of bony spikes along her wings. Tiny flecks of blood could still be seen along the growths and all of them had been coated and sharpened with adamantium, a process that had been extremely stressful but well worth it. Scarlet Bloom hummed a little tune to herself as she was finishing the dishes. With the last plate dried she set it aside before raising her hoof in a short salute and a smile to a small icon of Khorne hanging in the window above the sink. She let out a content sigh for herself. Suddenly, Scarlet's ear twitched and her eyes went wide before her body blurred in motion as she snapped around and up to bring her blades to bare on the intruder in her kitchen. Before she did any damage, a pair of tentacles grabbed her front hooves before they could come down. She reacted by darting her head forward and attempting to rip the other creatures face off with her pointed teeth. Rune Stone chuckled as his wife's teeth snapped less than an inch from his nose. "Hi honey. I trust you had a good day my blood spiller?" The Khornate Pegasus relaxed as her snarl switch to a smile. "Oh Dear. You know you're suppose to announce when you get home." She gave his snout a little lick. "I almost took your handsome head off." The tentacles lowered and released Scarlet Blooms front legs to the floor. They were attached to a light blue Unicorn stallion with a messy white mane, yellow eyes, and a series of irregular crystal-like growths coming from his horn. His tendrils were attached just above his shoulders and were the same color as his coat with a darker shade of blue along the suckers on the underside. His flank was marked with a cracked stone tablet with a blue mark of Tzeentch upon it. Rune chuckled at her. "Oh come now dear. As if your barbaric ways could best one such as I." With their spousal exchange of light insults done, they nuzzled one another and shared a series of smooches as they enjoyed being in each others company. Scarlet finally puled back from the affection. "So how was your day?" "Oh, about the same as always," Rune said, rolling his eyes "maintenance on the Nethalican, indulge Serith on whatever new experiment has caught his attention, and continue trying to gain mastery over the warp. So, pretty dull." He cleared his throat. "Where is our daughter?" "She's out playing with friends." "Good. There was something I wanted to talk about with you." The mare quirked her head. "Oh?" She noticed he actually seemed nervous about something for once. "Well, as you probably know, our little Rampant Skies is getting to that age where she could earn her cutie mark at any time or perhaps even ready to take a Chaos Mark within a couple of years, should she choose." Scarlet scowled at him, fairly sure what was coming. "Yes?" She growled. Rune held his ground. Adamant about having his say. "I want to start showing her what the teachings of Tzeentch have to offer her." In a split second Scarlet Bloom was scrunched nose to scrunched nose with Rune Stone with a less affectionate snarl on her face. "In case you've forgotten dear, Rampant Skies is a Pegasus! Like me. So if there's anyone she would follow it would be Khorne!" The stallion didn't even blink and managed to keep a straight face even though his wife was making that furious face he found adorable. He gave an arrogant snort. "Please, Tzeentch isn't so intolerant. Even if he does favor the naturally gifted he is quite willing to take in all who can put in the work. He could even make her an Alicorn if she showed the capability, and I am certain she would." Scarlet poked a hoof into his chest, shearing off a couple of centimeters of his coat with the attached blade. "Rampant belongs in the skies with me! Soaring free with the wind beneath her wings! Not with her head stuck in the warp!" Rune finally broke his calm as her gave his wife his own glare. "Oh? Is that another one of those 'truths' that Khornates are known for? Because it certainly sounds like an opinion to me." That was it, the final straw. Scarlet Bloom leaped at her husband with blades flashing and teeth snapping as Rune Stone retaliated with indigo flashes of magic and attempts to keep her at bay with his tentacles. Magic bolts sparked and bounced off the mare's hide and soon enough she got close enough to draw blood. The melee was short lived and the volume in the kitchen lowered drastically. Rune Burst lay on his side. Scarlet Bloom was hunched over him with her teeth on the side of his neck with a small gathering of his coat and skin in her mouth. She gently released the flesh, which was fortunately still attached, and began licking up the blood on the minor wound. The stallion let out pained sigh. "I'm sorry dear. I knew this would upset you but I did it anyway." His horn glowed as he levitated a home first aid kit from out of one of the cabinets that had been blasted open by a stray magic missile. She stopped her licking. "I'm sorry too Rune. I really overreacted. I should have been a little more open." He looked up at her as he acquired a few bandages and patches from the kit, beginning to apply them to himself. "But you're right honey. Rampant Skies probably would join you before me. You've always looked so proud when she flew next to you." She smiled down at her husband. "Thank you dear." Her face became troubled but thoughtful. "Though, if she really wanted to, I... wouldn't be opposed to her becoming a worshiper of Tzeentch." The Khorne icon in the window began vibrating in an aggressive manner, getting her attention. "Oh I know my lord. But it is her decision and I need to respect it." The icon slowly settled back down, though still somehow appearing upset. Rune slowly got back to his feet, his bleeding not quite as bad as it had been. "Thank you dear. But I was being selfish. Our daughter is a wonderful little filly, and I just wanted to think that maybe I could be closer to her as she grew up. My work keeps me away from home so much I'm scared I'll never have enough time with her." Scarlet only smiled at him again before embracing his neck with her own. "You are such a dear. But you know, I have been having some thoughts of my own lately." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She stepped back to look him in the eye again, this time with a blush on her face. "Well, I've been thinking that with all the life I've helped take from the universe that maybe I've ready to give a little back, again." The stallions eyes grew wide. "You mean...?" "I want another foal." She said with a squeak. "And this one may even be a unicorn, if the Blood God is feeling generous and doesn't interfere." Rune broke out in a smile and leaned in to nuzzle his wife again. "Oh honey, That's wonderful! I think I'm ready to have another too!" The loving couple smooched cooed at each other some more, enjoying their new decision. Meanwhile, an unknown eavesdropper with a pink coat and a lavender mane was pulling back and retreating to her room. Rampant Skies felt like it was safe to leave her parents alone now that she knew they weren't going to kill each other. It seemed like she may even have a new younger sibling on the way sometime soon. She wasn't sure how to feel about that just yet but the thought wasn't unpleasant. The young foal quietly shut the door to her room and listened as her parents shuffled around the house before entering their own room. When she was sure they weren't going to disturb her she retreated to the far side of her bed and pulled out a small pamphlet she had hidden away. It was a minor curiosity she had picked up, but given the earlier conversation there was a small twinge of guilt at the thought of what her parents might think about the piece of paper in front of her. She began to read. "The Plague God and you. What Grandfather Nurgle has to offer and what to expect when you join his family." Author's Note This came about from a brief conversation in the comments in Book 5 questioning what relationships and home life might be like for cult members. This loving couple popped into my head and things just grew from there.
Well, it could always be worse...Within the daunting walls of Ferrous Dominus, a mixed group of human mercenaries and equine soldiers sat around a mess hall. The groups current distraction from duties and the battlefield in general was a grey coated and brown maned earth pony by the name of Spoons who had a wooden spoon as his cutie mark and was pretty decent at making soup. It was not an accident that he got stuck with kitchen duty more often than not as the gruel was always a step above its usual quality on the nights he was cook. Anyway, the group was listening to Spoons rather somber realization at the complete picture of sudden change that had happened to his world and his races way of life. From the advanced Tau to the Savage Orks to the Chaos worshiping Iron Warriors that they had pledged themselves to. His civilization's pony ways were changing right before his eyes and all in the name of survival. The other ponies and mercs around him either thought on these events with him or were completely indifferent. A man in dirty brown fatigues who went by the name of Pitts sat and scratched his goatee'd chin for a bit, considering Spoon's words before giving a shrug and saying, "Yeah, I guess that's all pretty bad. Hell, all things considered, we still may not survive this at all. But you know what? It could still be worse." The various heads around Pitts snapped to his direction. The humans faces wincing at superstitious fear of a jinx and the equines faces full of confusion and curiosity. Spoons spoke up with the obvious response, "How?" "We could be the Lamenters," Pitts said. The other humans visibly relaxed and nodded at this while the pony soldiers just looked between each other in more confusion. Once again, Spoons asked the obvious response, "What's a Lamenter?" Pitts smiled and leaned forward. "Alright boys, girls, and mutants! Looks like it's story time about the most unfortunate bastards in the Imperium!" And so, the grungy Pitts weaved the tale of the valiant but misfortune addled Space Marines, well, what he knew of them anyway. From their origins in the 'cursed' 21st founding to there bitter victories and failures. Most of all, their cruel fates during and after the Badab War which had led to them on a penance crusade across the stars. "Supposedly, no one is even sure if they're still alive or not." Pitts paused in his narrative to take a sip of his water, "Though that's about all any common speak can tell you." He reached over and gave Spoons a friendly scratch behind the ears. "So yeah Spoons. Compared to those guys, we've got it pretty good. Hell, our chances of survival really aren't too bad considering we've got the combined expertise of more than a dozen different factions in our forces on just about anything we really might need. So cheer up." Spoons found himself savoring the surprisingly pleasant feel of Pitts dirty fingernails before he withdrew them. He quickly collected himself and looked at his human companion's amused face. He put a hoof under his chin and considered the story for a moment before answering. "I suppose you have a good point there. I mean, the Lamenters have been having the worse luck all their careers but their still going at it, possibly. If they can continue on through all that then surely we can survive through one little Ork Waaagh right?" He finished with an honest smile. Pitts just laughed, "Well to be fair, they're Space Marines so they're kind of made to keep kicking after the worse of the worse. A group of humans in their positions would have been killed off long ago. Spoons smile and ears dropped. "Oh." The human just shrugged. "But don't sweat it. Whether we live or die hasn't been determined yet. What you should really be doing is getting in that kitchen with that special talent of yours. Goanna be a big operation in a few hours and I'd like to have a last meal that doesn't taste like mulched paper." There were several agreements from the group on that point as Spoons just rolled his eyes and turned about. "Yeah, yeah I'm going. About all anyone wants from me anyway." Pitts gulped down the last of his water, thinking to himself. 'At least they want something besides your life from you equine. Not every soldier can say that.' He set the cup down and took out his stub pistol, inspecting the weapon as a good soldier should. For all appearance and purpose, that's all he was. Author's Note This one sprung from a spontaneous discussion in an Art Thread in the warhammer 40k group forums. The original text has been edited and extended a bit to give it a more complete feeling that was lacking before. This event takes place in Book 5 after Green Tide Rising.
How do you even breath in these things?A bunker sat on a hill within Ponyville, a battle raging just before it. Explosives could be heard in uncomfortably close proximity and horribly aimed clouds of solid slugs were sent in it's general direction as the rockcrete structure vomited out a defiant spray of bullets and energy blasts. Within the structure, Sergeant Sturvon was cleaning the lenses of his gas mask for the umpteenth time that day while still trying to get his beret right. Everyone kept telling him that he should stop wearing the thing but damn it, he looked good in it. He was just another mercenary within the 38th Company's employ who had been placed in charge of this particular defense point in a strategic fallback position. Though he hadn't been told that he would be in charge of a dozen of the small intelligent horses that were native to this world. All of which seemed to be of the "Earth" Pony variety. "Yee Haw!" One of the mares was having an enjoyable time with the heavy bolter set up in the middle, which would have been fine if she was aiming straight. "You there!" He yelled at her between bursts. Unfortunately, his call was muffled by his mask which he had to pull up, stuffing his beret into one of his jacket pockets. "Hey mare! I'm talking to you!" This finally seemed to get her attention. "Oh hey sarge! These automatic guns sure are a hoot aren't they?" "This is not a shooting range private! This is serious combat! Why are you firing that gun like you've never done it before?" "Well that's because she hasn't Sir." A deeper male voice replied from behind. Sturvon turned around to address the stallion. "And who are you?" "Well ah'm Red Delicious and that there is mah cousin Apple Fritter. She ain't never fired one of these bigger fancy guns so I figured It'd be ok since she ain't goanna hit anything cept them Ork fellers." The Sargent was about to give Red Delicious an earful about stupid actions that can get a private shot on the field just before he noticed the big red apple mark on his butt. "Wait a second, are you an Apple too? Are you both related to that Orange Pony with the hat?" "Well they sure are Sir." Said a new mare with a light blue coat. Sturvon's attention was once again diverted. "And you are?" "Well I'm Apple Cider. We never did get a proper howdy-do Sir, but I'm glad we found a chance to!" Sturvon cautiously turned toward yet another mare who had diverted her attention to the conversation. "And you?" The pony batted her eyes at him, "Apple Tart handsome." and gave him a wink, which he pulled back from slightly. He looked around a threw up his hands. "How many Apples do I have in this bunker anyway?" All fire ceased as twelve different hooves went up into the air and a resounding "Howdy!" echoed out. Sturvon pulled his beret back out of his jacket pocket. "I knew it! I'm surrounded by Apples!" He pulled the gas mask back down and affixed his beret, setting it just right on the first try for once. He pointed back towards the enemy. "Keep firing Apples!" Red Delicious pulled on his pants leg. "Ah, Sarge? You may wanna take a closer look out thar at what's comin." Sturvon bent down and took a look through a pair of binoculars from another pocket to see what the stallion was talking about. What he saw was about six stories of green rumbling behemoth that was an Ork Squiggoth that was coming right for the bunker. "Hmm, I see. Who was in charge of the explosives set-up?" An older stallion with a lazy eye and a scruffy beard spoke up. "Right here Sarge! Nugget Cider! Explosives expertise!" "Right, is the bunker ready to go?" "Soon are yew give the word I'll set this here dohicky and this place'll go sky high if anypony comes a knockin!" "Good to hear. Do that as soon as we've escaped. All troops! Retreat at ludicrous speed!" Sargent Struvon and the dozen Apple family members took the escape tunnel that had been dug earlier, with Nugget Cider activating the proximity sensors just as they left. Meanwhile, the Squiggoth was lumbering along with little difficulty. Pausing for just a moment to knock a wrecked wartrukk out of it's way before it got to the bunker. Since the building wasn't being a threat, the great beast just walked over it, or it would have had it's right forward foot not come smashing down on the structure and collapsed the roof, triggering the explosives that had been left inside. Upon the huge metal saddle, several orks were either knocked loose or jarred violently as their ride roared in pain and slouched over to the side. The three in the front looked about to locate the source of the disturbance. "Wot wuz dat? Wut happened?" Said the largest of them, considered the Nob The second, who was mainly in charge of trying to steer the beast scratched his head. "Uh, I think da Squiggoth's been jammed!" "Whut? Whut do ya mean jammed? Wot kinda jam?" The third, who was seated on the right, reached out and poked at a little bit of gore that had blown up and decorated the saddle basket. "Uh, razberry?" This earned him a swift backhand and several broken teeth from the Nob. "Smart arse! Git it fixed!" Coming Soon! The 38th Company officially licensed Flamethrower! The kids will love it! Author's Note I wonder if I put enough references in here?
The Caged Maiden and Grandfather's ChildrenThe Warp. It is a plane of the Immaterium forged from the countless thoughts of the Galaxy's sentient races. This place is formed from ideas and dreams; it is real and yet unreal at the same time. A mortal soul that bares witness to the maddening eddies and flows of the warp sees only what its own mind brings forth from the Aether. Though there can exist no consistency in the realm of Chaos itself, perceiving this realm of madness can be described as a consistently unpleasant and disturbing experience to say the least. Within the twisting boundaries of the Warp lies the ever foul realm of Nurgle, one of the four Chaos Gods and Lord of Plague and Rot. Nurgle's Garden was as still as a corpse, yet putrescent, and ceaselessly crawling with life. Within the tangled mass of gnarled trees, twisted vines, and bubbling marshes thrived bacteria, viruses, and fungi the likes of which could make any sane being's skin crawl, most of it able to do so quite literally. Swarms of insects buzzed about in dense clouds of hairy bodies with too many eyes. In the heart of this garden of rot was the Plague God's mansion, within which he toiled away at his cauldron creating virile new strains of disease to spread his taint throughout the Galaxy. In fact, he was looking through the film of filth that sat on the surface of the cauldron's contents to observe the results of the latest such concoction he had poured through the drain in the floor into the Materium. There, it had found a vibrant world playing host to a healthy population of humans. Although, "healthy" was probably a very poor choice of words at the moment. The great Nurgle observed through the viewing portal as the world was besieged on a microscopic level. The human populace found their bodies turning against them. Their skin puckered up with boils and sores before it cracked open. Their organs collapsed and died while playing host to small worm-like parasites. Something was wrong. The plants swelled and withered with infection. The soil turned sour and sprouted thick fungal sprouts. The seas became green with an unnatural algae that choked the light from the seabed. The skies were thick with a viral fog that rose from the diseased surface. Something was wrong. The animal's flesh became dark and inconsistent. Their skin took on a variety of new textures, becoming bumpy, thin, thick, wrinkled, or chitinous in different uneven patches on their bodies. Eyes dull and near sightless. Their limbs crooked and uncertain. Their calls were meek and desperate, each one seeking out others of its kind for comfort. The beasts ought to be dead and dying but would not do so. The infection upon their forms was less prevalent than it was on the rest of the world and the homo sapiens. Something was very wrong. Nurgle looked on with worry. This should have all been pleasing to him but it wasn't. Infection was spreading but not in the right way. But the true focus of his ire was the animals. Their appearances possessed little evidence of his diseases. Their shapes were not the result of his gifts. Something had changed... and Nurgle disliked change. The humans of this planet had reared horses. There were many different breeds spread far and wide. The humans had been quite proud of them. But now they lay dead and dying with buggy horrors crawling from their mouths as their loyal steeds lived on against all natural logic. With horrid twisted forms they tried to cope with the loss of their human owners and the new state of their world with as much success as simple animals could muster. This was not at all how the plague he had unleashed upon this world was supposed to react. Nurgle had tested it. He was certain. But then he thought about that for a moment. Yes, he had tested it hadn't he? Just after he had mixed this latest viral cocktail in his cauldron which he was now gazing into. He dismissed the image of the world with a whim and looked into the actual murk of the pot. He usually didn't pay much attention to his realm, quite content with letting it fester and stagnate on it's own, but now that he gazed at the surface there was definitely something off. An unusual brightness. He dipped one bloated appendage in and reached for the spot. When it came back he was clutching a flower. He held the flower to a sickly yellow eye for inspection. It had come out completely untouched by his rot, the filth of the cauldron sliding from it with ease. It appeared healthy and its petals were composed of several bright and cheerful colors. There was a distinct touch of the warp about it. A touch that he knew came from only one place. Ironically, this offending plant and its properties had come from his own grounds. With a deep bubbling sigh, Nurgle shifted his huge body towards the Garden. Nurgle didn't need to stand to leave. He did not really stand at all. He didn't even sit down. His behemoth, rounded form did a little of both a the same time. Because of this he also did not walk so much as shuffled along the path, dragging his body and stepping forward at the same time. It was a most peculiar locomotion one would or would not expect from any creature or the warp. Nevertheless, he did reach the Garden and travelled a short ways before he came upon a small mess of a clearing. The clearing was shadowed by a massive domed cage. Within it was Grandfather Nurgle's most prized possession, his greatest captive, and his only true companion. Isha, the Eldar Goddess of Fertility, Life, Healing and Growth sat in her cage of iron, the bars thick with rust and calcium deposits. Earlier she had suffered her usual trial of being the testing ground for yet another of Nurgle's foul pestilences. He liked to introduce them to her first to see how quickly she could cure them and to witness the effects upon her form. She was quietly sitting while looking off into the distance, her mind off elsewhere as she tried to not focus upon a particular group of trees barely visible through the foliage that bore the twisted and pained faces of would-be rescuers from another time. The Plague Father's presence easily drew her attention to him. She noticed that is face was somewhat distraught, an odd and rare emotion for him. He hooked a claw around a bar and opened the cage door with a maddening shriek of metal. The lock had never worked and it had never needed to. Even if Isha could find her way out of the Garden of Nurgle the only thing that would be waiting for her outside his realm would be the clutches of the Prince of Excess Slaanesh, the only other Chaos God who coveted her, and Slaanesh's embrace promised far worse horrors than Nurgle would ever grant her. He entered the cage and held up the pastel flower. *Shhhlllurp!* "Istttthis yourthhhs Isha Dear?" He asked through the vicious gash across his face that served as his mouth. Isha brushed her vibrant colorful hair from her face, looked upon the flower, and gave an honest nod. There was no need to lie to him. Nurgle let out a noxious breath and passed his will into the plant. The flower lost its vigor and shriveled up. Its petals drained of their colors and turned a deathly black. He placed the rotten thing into a nearby patch of thorny weeds. Isha stood and attempted to speak to Nurgle before he raised his hand to silence her. He turned his hand about in an open palm in an expectant gesture. Isha visibly shrank back before she let out a defeated sigh and relented. She reached a hand down her robe and retrieved a second flower from its depths before handing it over to him. He held this one up for examination. It was nearly identical to the first one apart from a different petal pattern. Isha held a quiet shame at her plots being so easily discovered. She had believed that she might be able to plant the second flower into the drain itself. She was sure it might have weakened Nurgle's pestilences as they passed into the material universe. Nurgle's face wrinkled with anger and he looked upon her. "Dooo you hakkkkkve any moure Dear Ithhhsha?" She focused upon his face. "No, I have no more. I just-" She was silenced as the Plague God crushed this second flower, its form falling into brown dust and his anger clearly intensifying. The boils of his skin swelled and threatened to burst and his flabby flesh became taut to outline the sheer mass of musculature that lay beneath. His arm that had been holding the flower stretched out and his stubby claws extended to great mauling talons which he held over the Goddesses head. Isha stood there frozen out of fear for a moment that a dozen human lifetimes could be lost in. She stared up into the furious face of her captor, wondering if she had finally pushed him too far. He had never struck her but even Nurgle could be surprising given time. Was this truly the moment where he had finally grown tired of her and shatter her existence? But of course Nurgle did eventually relax and allow his rage to pass by. His claws drew back and his arm lowered. He returned to his usual passively content air as he gave a shrug as though nothing were wrong. He then extended that same arm to Isha in a gesture for her to come along with him. Realizing that the danger had passed, Isha also relaxed and took Nurgle's offered hand and allowed him to lead her back to the Mansion. Once there, she was led into the cauldron room where they circled around the pot. Nurgle passed a hand over the murk to incite the image of the infected world once more. "Let usshhhhhsee what your me-eh-eh-ehddling hath caused Isha." They gazed through the portal. Time passed at an accelerated rate from the perspective of the Warp Gods. The humans died out while the plants and animals continued to exist. Yes, amazingly the remaining lifeforms were still able to reproduce. It seemed to be the first sign of Isha's personal touch of the Warp. The plant life began to change and settle from it's infested form to something more akin to what it once was. Though there were notable changes in perhaps half of the plant life now. Some of it had a life and sentience of it's own while others retained a strong element of the warp within them, granting abnormal properties. Some of the plants would spontaneously change through the seasons while others had an element that affected its environment. The animal life went through a similar regression back to what it once was, though not to such a popular degree of normalcy. For many generations the animals retained the horrid forms that Nurgle's plague had forced upon them but as the next ones came along there was a notable difference in the shape that many of them took on. Some started to walk upright, while others developed strange appendages or even new heads that seemed to become stable mutations. Though they still retained the wrinkled and lumpy skin that had become part of them. The horses however, or at least the beasts that used to be horses, would undergo perhaps the most curious of changes. The God and Goddess watched them in fascination as a variety of traits affected and stabilized within the equines. A particular herd grew new appendages from their back with gangling feathers. Against all odds they managed to achieve a hampered flight with these poor wings. A second main group started to become more muscular and solidly built. The third and final of the main masses developed bulky protrusions from their skulls that were able to gather warp energy, though not for anything useful at the time. Then one generation, a remarkable change occurred. Nurgle and Isha watched as a female gave birth to a creature startlingly different from her. This newborn was closer to appearing like a horse again than anything before it. It had a soft downy coat of bright pink fur with a blue mane so much unlike the body of its mother. It was also a bit smaller than previous generations but it stood and tried to walk much like its breed should. In fact, it had a much easier time with this since it was shaped all the right ways in comparison to it's elders. Nurgle watched as the mare looked upon its offspring but did not reject it. Nor did the foal reject its mother in kind. Mare and foal were joined as the new creature began to nurse from one of its mothers teats. This stirred a strangely warm feeling in his heart, or it may have been something else, he was never really sure about that. In any case, this scene seemed to spark a chain reaction across the planet. Entire generations of newborns rose up with completely stabilized mutations. The offspring of the feathered equine beasts emerged with fully formed wings capable of granting them true flight. The Horned equines produced foals with properly developed and straight horns that seemed fully capable of stabilizing warp energy, though the creatures had yet to truly understand the value of this beyond creating a little spark of light from the tip. The rest of the creatures of the world also emerged either fully returned to normal or changed but without any or very little trace of the twisted mutations that had plagued their predecessors. In time, the old generations died off and the new ones took their place, revealing a new world that was vibrant and full of life with seemingly endless potential. The hands of Isha gripped at the cauldrons edges in anxiety over this. While she was deeply pleased to see that her efforts had produced some sort of positive effect upon this world, she was deeply afraid for the life of it with Nurgle having observed every change that had cut through his usual taint. She gazed up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, do not destroy these creatures." Nurgle jerked back from his side of the cauldron and stared at her as if he had been struck. "What? *Sttthluck* Dear Isha, why wouk-k-kld you think tha-d?" He spread his arms as though making a grand gesture. "While they may not-*thmp* carry my ushual markingzth of my disease, they are yeat my child-dren. In-th fact, they are our children. The only we hath ever had. How could I not love them?" He burbled. He placed his claws back around the rim of the pot again in a caressing nature. "Bethides. They will truly come ba-ck to my sthide. In time. All my chilthren eventually do." And so, Nurgle had accepted these new creatures into the galaxy. Isha was left with a quiet relief and fearful dread for the future of these new Ponies and their world. But there was nothing to be done at the moment of eternity, though she did silently enjoy the bit of joy Nurgle showed. If he did see the ponies and the other creatures as their children then perhaps she would be able to influence him if the time ever came that they would be tempted back to his complete embrace. But for now, they basked in her personal touch. Author's Note Perhaps the most curious thought I've developed for this series. But one I just liked too much not to do. Thanks to MarxyHooves for extended assistance in editing. Thanks to Nightweaver for final proofreading.
Pinkie WhispersIn the fields of a rural rock farm, a tiny pink filly could not possibly be more content. Just a few hours ago she had witnessed a magnificent Rainboom that had sparked a very special light in her little heart. She had acted on that light and hosted her very first party with her Earth Pony family, bringing a great deal of joy and brightness to the normally stony atmosphere of the farm. When she had done so she had magically received her own special Cutie Mark upon her flank that would be with her forever, marking her as a premier party pony and a bringer of happiness. She let out a contented sigh as she gazed at the sky. It was starting to cloud over as it usually did but now the clouds seemed to have a distinctly brighter tone through her eyes. She could not imagine any way this day could get better. '...Oh my...and what might this be...?' said a whisper from nowhere. Pinkie Pie drew in a gasping breath. "Oh my gosh! Whatwasthat? Whereareyou? Areyouinmyhead?" She turned herself every which way to find the source of the voice but failed. '...Ho ho ho...what a delightful creature you are...tell me...what do you think the answers to your questions might be...?' She sat back down and put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Hmm, well since I couldn't tell which direction you're coming from, then I guess that means you aren't an imaginary friend. So I guess that would mean you ARE a voice in my head." She suddenly perked up. *GASP* "Ohmygosh! I've never had a voice in my head before. This is great! My name's Pinkie Pie! Are you a good voice or a bad voice? I think one of my distant relatives hears bad voices but I wanna say that you're a good voice because you sound like you're funny." A jolly echoing laughter filled the air around her for a few seconds before the next whispering response came. '...Indeed little Pinkie Pie...I am very funny...In fact...I am one of the funniest beings in existence...!' "You are? Wow, you must get invited to all the best parties!" '...Oh yes Pinkie...the very best...do you like tricks Pinkie Pie...?' "Are they fun tricks?" '...Yes Pinkie...they are very fun tricks...would you like me to teach them to you...?' Little Pinkie Pie jumped for joy, "I would love that Mr-" She brought her hooves to her mouth in a small shock. "Ohmygosh! I don't even know your name and I can't just call you Mr. Voice even though that would be kind of funny and we both enjoy funny things. So what is your name Mr. Voice?" The voices laughter filled the air once more. This time a little louder and with a slightly more sinister tone but still pleasantly jolly nonetheless. '...My name is Cegorach Pinkie Pie...and I think we are going to be very good friends for a very long time...' Pinkie Pie's heart swelled with happiness. Her day had gotten even better! "Yippie!" Author's Note This was originally suppose to be an Epilogue to "The Caged Maiden and Grandfather's Children" but I thought that it deserved it's own chapter. Also, this pretty much become my head-canon whenever you cross MLP:FiM with WH40K these days. Thanks to Editors MarxyHooves and Nightweaver.
