“The last time I’ve been here was about 21597 years ago.” Luna muttered to herself as her hand brushed across the remains of a small fountain. “Time hasn’t been gentle to this place.” She concluded.
One of the guards watched her and shifted his weight from one foot to another. “You’ve seen this world before the Fall, my princess?”
Luna nodded and turned towards him. “I was born only a few star systems away from here. Before the Fall what now is a daemon world was a world of artists and artisans. It was famous for its gardens, statues and fountains.” She pointed towards a pile of rubble that didn’t seem to differ from all the others surrounding them. “This was a statue of Lileath. Most craftsmen of this world prayed to her for dreams of beauty. At some point one of them created this statue to honour and thank her for that. I think his name was Galadh.”
The guard walked towards the remains, took a piece of stone and examined it. In his hand he helt fingers, though made of stone they were more lifelike than anything he had ever seen. He shook his head and threw the fingers of the broken statue of a dead goddess back onto the pile.
Another of her guards walked up to Luna. “Your majesty, Quickstep and Trusty Sense reported back. They have found the location of the Vault. The entrance is still sealed but a small host of daemons roams the area.”
Luna nodded and looked towards the guard. “I thank you Steel Resolve, order them to stay hidden until we arrive.”
While Steel radioed Luna’s orders to his comrades, the princess herself took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She called upon her power and expanded her senses. She reached for the minds of her guards and linked herself with them. “My little ponies, we have found the sight we came for, though a small host of daemons threatens it. Regroup at my position and ready yourselves for battle!” Her guards weren’t able to reply to her in the same way, but Luna felt their emotions. They knew of the importance on this mission and were ready to follow their princess.
Mere moments later Luna’s personal guard and several squads of royal guards had gathered. The princess of the night watched at her warriors and nodded. “I thank you all for standing with me on this world today. Many of you only know that I am in search of artefacts of great power. And nonetheless you all volunteered to this mission, ready to lay your lives down if needed. Now, that we are about to reach our destination, I shall reveal to you what we are here for.”
Luna tabbed at seven crystals mounted on her wrist and in front of her appeared the violet image of a sword. The handle was long enough for two hands, wrapped in crude leather. The blade seemed to flow, like it was made of water instead of metal. In the centre of the cross guard sat a big lavender gem which’s light pulsed like a beating heart.
Some guards reeled back in awe while others kneeled before the image of the weapon. Each and every one of them knew full well what they were gazing at. This was the Sword of Magic, created by the combined power of all four princesses. The Sword itself was said to slice through any armor with ease. Legends rumored it could purge evil with a single strike when wielded by its rightful bearer.
The image flickered and the sword got replaced by an orange, single bladed axe. The handle was made of wood and neither the shaft nor the blade bore symbols or adornments. Despite that, they all recognized the Apple’s Axe. Once used to cut down sick trees in the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. Now it was feared for the strength and wrath of the one wielding it.
Further images flickered before the eyes of the stunned guards. They saw Rainbow Dash’s sword, the colors of the blade too bright to look at with the naked eye. Fluttershy’s war mask, its stare alone was enough to freeze their souls. Despite that its mistress wasn't even wearing it. Rarity’s regalia on the other hand were outstanding and simple at the same time. They allowed Rarity to appear insignificant, overlooked by even the keenest of eyes. But if she wished so they would draw the full attention of her victims. A last glimpse of perfect beauty before death itself came to claim them. The last of the set was Pinkie Pie’s original party canon, the first and best of its kind. It would bring joy and hope to those it fought for, but death and despair to all who opposed it.
After all weapons got displayed the image of a small room appeared. A large glowing structure stood in the middle, its shape unreadable to the naked eye. “This is why we are here today. The weapons you have seen are stored on this world. We entombed them in one of Vaul’s treasuries, for them to be awakened when needed most.” Luna lowered her arm and the image vanished. “Even as we speak, times grow darker by the minute. The era the humans call the Time of Ending is drawing closer. The Rhana Dandra approaches and will destroy the Eldar.” Luna’s voice was ice-cold and everybody present could feel her indomitable will. “But we are no Eldar anymore! … Our fate is not yet written and the runes….” With a flick of her wrist a multitude of shimmering runes appeared all around her. Her voice was powerful, an image of glory not seen since before the Fall. “The runes are telling about grave dangers, ... but also about the hope for a bright future. Equestria can weather the Rhana Dandra! We can survive the end of days! But to do so we need the Elements of Harmony at the height of their power.”
Grim resolve radiated of the warriors as Luna walked between them. The guards checked their weapons and grenades, while the squads’ Exarchs activated their Shimmershields. When she stood at the front of her warriors, the princess of the night drew her blade and filled it with magic. Behind her stood a squad of night guards, bodyguards handpicked be the princess herself.
She lifted her sword above her head and her voice was calm. “Fear no enemy, for my power shall protect your minds, your bodies and your souls.” Luna pointed her sword in the direction the daemon host was reported in. “Follow me!” A wave of blue magic rippled over her body, rapidly expanding across all present guards. As she took her first step towards the upcoming battle, invisibility was cast over her and her subjects.
Exarch Jewel Cutter and his Squad waited behind a crumbled wall for their signal. The princess ordered the royal guards to deploy in defense positions along the flanks of Vaul’s treasury. Thanks to her invisibility spell they managed to sneak past the daemons.
When she entered the treasury though she had to end her spell and reveal their presence. Gladly the daemons hadn’t noticed them right away. Though, it was only a matter of time until they found them. The power of the princess would sooner or later draw them in. All Ponies knew how powerful the souls of the princesses were. You felt when they entered the room, even if you didn’t see or hear them. Their presence was powerful enough to manifest as a subconscious feeling in mere mortals. But because of this power their souls were like stars to the creatures from beyond the veil.
His radio came to live and Trusty Sense’s whispered. “Attention all guards, we have movement towards the treasury. There are seventeen Bloodletters on route and nine Pink Horrors following them.”
Jewel switched his radio from receiving only to sending. “Any hostility between them?”
“No, the Pink Horrors keep a generous distance. The Bloodletters seem to ignore them for the time being.” reported Trusty.
With a look to Steel Resolve, his second in command, Jewel Cutter contacted the other squads. “Ok everypony, we have hostiles inbound! Ready yourselves and prepare for Tartarus to break loose.” Steel Resolve nodded in confirmation and approval. “Trusty, Quickstep, you hold your fire and spot for enemy reinforcement.” Jewel ordered with a firm tone, only to hear Quickstep confirm seconds later. “We didn’t plan to do anything else, Cutter.”
All guard squads moved into firing positions with steps as light as the wind. Their aspect armor moving with them in absolute silence. The long, sleek barrels of their avenger shuriken catapults aimed at the direction from which the daemons would approach.
Unlike their soldiers Jewel Cutter and the other Exarchs carried no guns, their task was to lead and protect. They activated their power swords, tested their Shimmershields and readied their grenades.
The royal guards of Equestria were all trained to perfection by the Shrine of the Dire Avengers. They were masters of infantry warfare, equipped with weapons that were as much magical as they were technological. Now was the time for their weapons and armor to bring justice to those threatening Equestria.
The royal guards waited in perfect silence, prepared to rain death upon the creatures of the warp.
Luna and her night guard walked down the stairways which lead from the point of entry down to the main chamber. Silver Streak couldn’t help but look at the stairs and think about their age. “It’s strange to walk down a tunnel that lay in ruins long before you were even born.” He said to Moon Chaser, who walked right next to him.
Luna turned her head towards the two of them. “It’s quite common if you think about it. Equestria is more than twenty thousand years old.” She brushed across the remains of a picture that once adorned the wall nearest to her. “Though, it is in a better state than this place.”
Moon Chaser giggled a bit and looked at her comrade. “You should do more thinking before you speak. Most buildings are older than the ones using them.”
Luna couldn’t help but chuckle herself. “It’s a boon to speak your mind freely. It can lead to new perspectives on old topics and….” A rune glowed in front of her und Luna signalled her guards to stop. “There is something in front of us, take defensive formation.” Within the blink of an eye, the rather relaxed poses of her guards changed. Now they were predators, ready to fight and kill.
Luna walked down a few more stairs until she reached a circular room. “Two of you take position next to each door we encounter! And keep each other in sight. The radios could easily get compromised down here.” Luna ordered, pointing towards the first door in front of her.
The princess continued forward, her blade in hand and ready to strike at a moment’s notice. She rounded a corner and peered into another room. A big hole in the ground gaped in front of her. With a simple gesture she ordered her guards to wait, which was met with instantaneous obedience.
A few gestures of her left hand lead to half a dozen of her runes glowing bright for an instant. When the glow subsided her body had become somewhat blurry, like she was an illusion. She was still there, but it was difficult to make out her exact position.
A small green creature jumped at her, screaming and spiting something volatile at her. The vomited projectile simple phased through Luna’s form as if she wasn’t there at all. But before the creature could touch her she had drawn her pistol. A single, monomolecular, shuriken shot into the critters mouth and passed through its body. It landed at Luna’s feet, no death scream or sounds of pain coming from it. All left of the creature’s life were a few green and violet stains painting the opposite wall.
She took a step back from the carcass. “Seal off your armor and set the breathing equipment to full filtering. These are Nurgle’s spawns.” She looked at the blood that started to dissolve the wall. “And keep an eye out for their body fluids. Those seem to be especially aggressive today.”
The treasury wasn’t that large. In fact it housed only the forge itself, a storage room for materials, one for finished goods and the entrance hall, which the Nurglings had tunnelled into. It took Luna and her guard only minutes to search the rooms and dispatch of the small daemons. The forge was the last room of the complex and thus the last to be searched. Luna was displeased that they had to search the other rooms for Nurgle’s despicable children first. But it had to be done to guarantee the safety of her guards and their safety was her highest priority.
When they finally approached the forge the air itself seemed to come to live. Small particles of living matter floated everywhere. Luna would have sworn that she actually smelled something through her helmet. Despite that fact that it was completely sealed from the environment.
In front of the door stood a big horned creature, hunched and accompanied by myriads of flies. Luna didn’t take her eyes of the thing as she spoke. “I will deal with this one alone. He is taller than I am. Try to aim for his head and fire when I give the order.”
The daemon turned around, as if he just now noticed her presence. “Oh? An Eldar? What is your kind doing here?” His face was bloated and seemed to decay and regenerate as he spoke.
Slow steps carried Luna forward, power starting to radiate off her form. “I am Luna, princess of Equestria, guardian of the night, warden of the dreamscape and the nightmare of your kind. I’ve come to reclaim what belongs to my people.” She delivered with a voice cold like ice.
The daemon cackled. “I’ve heard of you, you are those Pho’niy’ess. You think you’re different from all the other Eldar. Rest assured though, your spirit stones will soon be dust and the warp will feast on your soul.” The monstrosity looked her over. “Maybe father will take a liking to you and spare you from the dark prince’s hunger. But I will enjoy your pain and agony one way or the other.”
Luna took a deep breath and fixed her opponent. “If you know us you know well what you are facing. You have on chance to retreat back to your realm now. You are but a nuisance to me today, so save your worthless existence and run!” A few of Luna’s runes flashed and all that filled the daemons mind was terror.
He started to shake his head violently. “What is this? You are a mere mortal! OUT OF MY HEAD WITCH!” A bloodthirsty roar came from the beast’s throat. “I AM THE HERALD OF DEATH! I AM POISON TO YOUR WORLD! I AM ETERNAL!”
While the daemon screamed Luna’s runes flashed and she turned invisible in the blink of an eye. Confused by the sudden vanishing of his foe the herald lowered his hands and with them his attention.
A blue flash sliced through the air in front of him, cutting open his stomach and barely missed his throat. With unholy speed the creature jumped back. It clutched his belly with one arm, desperate to keep his intestines in place. Luna’s next strike severed his free arm, making the herald scream in pain and rage alike. He vomited a vile acid in the general direction from where the strike came, only to have it splash on the floor.
While the daemon still searched for his adversary Luna reappeared behind her guards. “Fire!” she delivered calm. And with a storm of shuriken, the screaming died. The herald of Nurgle was reduced to barely more than a twitching mess of corrupted flesh.
Silver Streak approached the remains. “I always thought these things couldn’t really be killed.”
Luna walked up next to her. “There are ways to kill them, but for the most part you’re right.” She fought down the urge to squash the still beating heart beneath her boot. “This one however will likely stay dead. Remember, this is a crown world. The veil is almost nonexistent here. I weakened its essence with my powers and you destroyed its body quite thoroughly. And since it can’t exactly withdraw to the Warp it can’t reform on its own. Without the intervention of a greater daemon or at least a daemon prince this one will stay dead for good.”
Luna’s gaze wandered to the door the daemon had pondered over. It was flawless. No speck of the corruption had taken hold on the polished stone and no claw had scratched it.
The princess spread her arms. She whispered words of power and thousands of runes seemed to blink into existence all around her. With blinding speed Wraithbone runes shot towards the door and started to form words. Words of power started to weave spells. The Spells then build stories of old and glorious times. Finally the stories formed an epic that would have taken centuries to read and millennia to understand.
With a grunt and a final pulse of pure magic Luna fell to her knees, panting heavily. Dusk Hunter, the Exarch of her guards, caught her and lend support to his princess till she was able to stand on her own.
The runes on the door faded away and a small crack appeared, accompanied by the hissing sound of a depressurizing room.
Luna straitened herself, sheathed her blade and approached the entrance to the forge. She put her hands cautiously on the smooth stone and pushed. Without any effort, the large double doors swung open.
The warm orange light of the forge spilled out of the room and across the floor. Luna could feel a slight rise in temperature. Even though her runic armor should have prevented that.
What lay before them saw was breathtaking. A tree made from Wraithbone and hundreds upon hundreds of Soulstones stood in the centre of the forge. Six huge furnaces pulsed with millennia old psychic energy and filled the room with light, warmth and air alike.
Moon Chaser stepped forward, her hand outstretched to touch the tree. Before her armoured gauntlet touched the tree Luna’s hand held her back. “Don’t touch it Moon Chaser. It will probe your magic signature. If you are not entitled to take the artefacts it holds the might and wrath of all souls sealed within the tree will defend it.”
Another of her guards, Lightning Strike, pointed at the tree. “I guess you are entitled to get the artefacts princess?”
Luna simply nodded and pointed to the crystalline trunk of the tree. Three runes were emblazoned into it. One was Luna’s crescent moon. The other was the blazing sun of princess Celestia. While the last was the purple star of Twilight Sparkle, wielder of the element of magic herself. Luna pushed a few buttons along the side of her helmet and took it off. She held her Helm in one hand while she pressed the other against the tree.
Her eyes glowed white hot and lightning crackled across her armor. The tree prober her mind and the princess of the night unshackled her power.
All ponies of Equestria were sensitive to magic. It was their nature and the latent ability to feel magic was what hit Luna’s guards at this moment. The princess’s might washed over them like a tidal wave. Their minds were drowned in absolute power and their bodies filled to the brim with energy. Despite its vast nature however Luna’s magic was gentle and warm. It was like a vast stream. It would drown you if you fought it. But if you accepted it and worked in harmony with it it would carry you safely to wherever you had to be.
Luna’s magic retreated back into her soul, well-guarded by her unbreakable will. The tree pulsed three times with the aura of her magic and with a gentle hum six small containers at the end of its branches opened.
All six artefacts floated to the ground, hovering in front of six of Luna’s guards. "Put them into the containers, we have to leave. The tree will protect this chamber, but as soon as we leave it we have to make a quick retreat. Daemons likely felt the magical outburst." The princess ordered.
Within seconds, all off the ancient weapons were tucked away in specially shielded containers. Those containers would only open if the rightful bearers of the weapons wished so. With her price claimed, Luna put her helmet back on and led her guards back to the surface.
Jewel cutter took cover behind a pillar when one of the Pink Horrors unleashed a hail of magical bullets. The small energy projectiles peppered the stone and would shred it to pieces in six seconds tops. Without warning a blue explosion roared across the ruins and the daemonic attack stopped instantly. A plasma grenade had torn the monster apart and banished it back to its master. Jewel allowed himself a sigh of relief.
Moments later he fortified his mind once again, raised a hand to his helmet and activated his radio. “Status report everypony!”
“Trusty Sense speaking. Quick Step and I had to relocate after six Daemonettes materialized near our outlook. We're unharmed and have taken up a new position. We have an excellent field of fire if you need us.” The Rangers reported with almost unnatural calm.
“Lens Flare here, second in command of Solar squad. Exarch Solar Blast has taken a nasty hit to his right arm, he is down, but the wound is not fatal. Four Pink Horrors and a Fire Daemon have us pinned down. We could use some fire support sir.” A slight touch of fear could be heard in the soldier’s voice.
Jewel Cutter switched from general purpose radio to the individual frequency of Squad Solar. “Affirmative Solar Squad. Wait till the Rangers have dropped or scattered the daemons and then make a break for our position. We will form a defensive perimeter around the treasury and dig in there.” Two further touches to his helmet switched Jewel's radio to the frequency of Quickstep and Trusty Sense. “Quick, Trusty! Solar Squad is pinned down. Blast a few heads until the the squad can retreat, then move and stay alive!”
A small chuckle from Quickstep came in return. “And I thought you’d never let us do our part Jewel. Order confirmed. Open fire.”
Two blue streaks crossed the battlefield once. Within seconds the barrage on Solar squad’s position seemed to ebb down. The blue streaks crossed the field a second time and screams erupted from their target location. The Rangers where out of sight and out of reach, so all the daemons had left was stand and die or run and, maybe, live.
Jewel switched back to general purpose radio. “Nice work, now retreat and form a defensive perimeter.”
A calm voice filled the radio. “That won’t be necessary Jewel Cutter. We are done here.” Princess Luna’s tone shifted to one of almost motherly pride. “You all did good and we have what we came for. Take the wounded and dead and retreat. My squad and I will cover you.”
Dozens of confirmations and thanks filled the frequencies. Those with sharper magical senses might have even felt the raw emotions radiating off of their peers.
Princess Luna had woven a cloak of invisibility around herself and her guards. They used it to hunt down the daemons that tried to follow her unprotected subjects. It was a far more powerful version than the one she had used to allow them all a safe approach to the treasury. It hid not only their bodies, but also their minds from the enemy’s perception. The only drawback was its complexity, which made it almost impossible to maintain for large groups. But a small group, not more than a dozen individuals, was perfect for this spell.
Razor-sharp shuriken sliced through the air, banishing the foul creatures of the warp back to where they belonged. The daemons attempted to detect and dispel Luna’s magic. Though none of them came even close to being powerful enough to threaten her. As the ponies finally closed in on the Webway gate, the daemons retreated. The likely went to search for easier pray or simply to fight amongst themselves once more. It didn’t matter though for within seconds the artefacts would be safe. The would leave this world of damnation and start their way back home, to aid Equestria.
The guards had gathered and tended to their wounded when Luna and her squad appeared amongst them. The casualties were minimal, only one dead and three wounded guards. Still each of them weighed heavy on Luna’s heart and she took the time to approach each of them. Gentle words and small applications of magic were all the princess could offer them, but each of them smiled at her.
Finally, Luna approached the gate. She touched its massive Wraithbone structure and probed its runes of protection. The wards around the gate were still in perfect condition. They glowed with power and defied the corruption of Chaos like they always did. A small pulse of magic opened a shimmering door into the Webway. It would take about one or two days until they reached Equestria. But that was to be expected, considering it was at the northern fringes of the galaxy right now. They also had to be cautious not to draw attention to them, which would lengthen their travel even more.
When all guards had passed the portal, Luna turned around. She watched the once proud Eldar world for a few seconds. She could remember the city spanning gardens with billions of flowers blooming all year. Her mind still knew the fountains that shot into the air, painting rainbows all over the skies. The glory was now gone, buried under bones and dust, covered by a red sky that seemed in constant turmoil.
Luna sighed as she turned around and stepped through the portal. “This isn’t our fate. Equestria will endure!”
