A Light in the Grim Darkness

Transmitted: Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator Mission 948251 Deep Space Probe 099721

Forward To:LordInquisitor Torquemada Coteaz.

Destination: Holy Terra.                                                  Received: Holy Terra.

Telepathic Duct: Astropath-Terminus Kabel REF: ADMECH/ 095562397719

Date: 855001.M41                                   Author: Archmagos Alonzo Tharator

Subject: Planet Exploration.  Thought for the Day: The Emperor Protects.

Upon achieving geo synchronous orbit with unknown planet, probe 099721 released skull probe pods to the planet’s surface. The probes scattered over the surface but only one remained operational after making planet fall. The remaining probe discovered that indeed there is life on this unknown world, but it is hard to say whether this life is Xenos, abhuman, or otherwise. The inhabitants that were discovered bear a resemblance to Terran horses, but are much smaller, and appear to be divided into three main races. There are standard equines, there are winged equines bearing a resemblance to the Pegasi of ancient Terran mythology, and also equines bearing a horn similar to the unicorns also of ancient Terran mythology.

The intriguing thing here is that all of these “ponies” appear to have the intelligence of humans, and appear to have a peaceful society with a monarchial government of some sort. The creatures’ technology is in the steam era and they have not mastered space flight nor are they even close to doing so. They also appear to speak Low Gothic and may thus give us an opportunity to communicate with them. It may be going out on a limb, but I seriously believe that the mission has discovered the world of Equis Prime, from the old children’s fairytale about the Emperor’s Alicorns, after all, there is usually some truth behind legends and fairytales. I highly recommend further research into the matter as the skull probe was captured and is feared destroyed.

I remain your obedient Servant;

Alonzo Tharator

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Ordo Malleus Fortress, Holy Terra.

Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz smiled as he read the letter. He too had heard the stories of the Emperor’s Alicorns, a children’s fairy tale about the Emperor finding a planet inhabited by intelligent ponies split into 3 races whom he united by creating through genetics, the Alicorns, a race of ponies combining the characteristics of the three. The flight and agility of the Pegasi, the strength and stamina of the Earth Ponies, and the awesome magic of the Unicorns. He had created the original two Alicorns, from not only the genetics of the ponies, but his own holy blood. At first Coteaz had thought that this report was some kind of prank, until it was decoded for the fifth time and the adept who had sent it was a very reliable source of his. He decided that attempting to parley with the creatures would be interesting in the very least, and he knew just the man to entrust with this mission…

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Canterlot Palace, Equestria, Planet Equis Prime

Princess Celestia looked in shock at the object that had been found in the city. The last time she had seen such technology on Equis, was 10,000 years ago, when her father had brought her and her sister along with 1000 other Alicorns to the planet to unite and rule the populace into an era of peace and kindness, and do for the ponies of Equestria what he could not do for humanity: protect them from the violence and horror of space. The object before her was a human skull, which had been modified with anti-gravitational motors, cameras, and a transmitter. On the forehead of the skull was a two headed eagle.

“Wake my sister and summon the Element Bearers and the commanders of the Royal Guard!” She commanded with the authority of an Emperor’s daughter.

“Yes Majesty.” Came the reply of the royal guards.

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Imperial Library, Holy Terra, 2 days after the messages reception.

Inquisitor Ian Ludones was busy at work doing some reading. His master, Torquemada Coteaz had given him the task of researching a child’s fairy tale. It was one that he was familiar with, as his mother had told it to him many times when he was young; and he had believed it was completely true, right up until her and his father had died in the exterminatus. He had kept this belief secret all through his time of learning from his teacher, and even after he had attained the rank of Inquisitor five years ago. His first assignment was to go to his home planet Laureus IX, a huge agri- world home to fifteen billion souls, and which had come under assault from the forces of the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines and a horde of daemons that they had summoned from the depths of the warp. Unfortunately, there was no way to save the planet from the taint that the traitor marines had brought.

Two billion had been rescued after Ian had organized a mass relief effort, allying with the Eldar of Craftworlds Ulthwe and Biel-Tann, but another 3 billion were dead, horrifyingly sacrificed to the dark gods of Chaos and the rest of the planet was either enslaved or holding out in small pockets of resistance, including his mother, a former Imperial Guard Commissar, and his Father, a former Inquisitor. Ian had tried to convince them to come with him, but they had both refused, saying that they would rather die here with the good memories they had, than see them destroyed. And so, Ian had on his first mission, ordered the death of his own home. It was an event that had haunted him for the past five years of his life; and one that had haunted his nightmares.He would be standing there in the midst of a burning city, with the screams of fifteen billion souls being torn from their bodies echoing in his ears, and turn to see the billions of faceless people pointing accusingly at him, some of them however did have faces. His parents, his friends, and his beloved fiancée Mina, who had been executed by the twisted traitor marines for refusing to deny her faith in the God-Emperor. They all pointed at him and shouted:

” YOU! YOU KILLED US! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED MORE OF US!

CURSE YOU! DAMN YOU!”

Ian was so deep in thought he failed to notice his master enter the room behind him.

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“Ian… IAN!”

Ian snapped out of his thoughts and nearly fell out of his chair as he suddenly realized that his master was in the room.

“Yes milord!”  he said standing and inclining his head.

“Are you alright Ian?” asked Coteaz, a look of concern for his former student written on his face.

“Yes milord, I am fine.” Ian wrinkled his nose a bit as he tasted the lie he had just told, a gesture that his master caught right away.

“You were remembering Laureus IX again weren’t you?” said Coteaz cocking an eyebrow

“Aye, master.”  replied Ian.

Coteaz calmly walked over and placed a hand on his former student’s  shoulder and spoke in a fatherly voice.

“Ian, we both know that there was no other way. You cannot go on blaming yourself over it; if you hadn’t given that order their souls would have been lost to the dark powers. It wasn’t your fault Ian.”

These were all words that Ian had heard before, but it never helped him feel any better; so he did what he did best when someone was trying to help him get his mind off of the memory: he changed the subject.

“I assure you master, I will be fine, but you must have come here for something other than to chat?” Ian asked. This slightly annoyed Coteaz but he let it go; he hated it when someone tried to change the subjectlike that, it was his job as an inquisitor to catch heretics and daemon worshippers, and this was a tactic that they turned to frequently to avoid their interrogator’s questions.

“Well, a few days ago, an Adeptus Mechanicus probe found a planet we thought was a myth in a children’s story book turns out, there may be complete truth behind this myth.” replied Coteaz.

“You don’t mean ponies milord, do you?” responded Ian, a note of disbelief in his voice.

“I do indeed mean ponies Ian.” said Coteaz matter-of-factly.

“So then why are we, the Ordo Malleus, the great hunters of daemons looking into this rather than the Mechanicus?” asked Ian somewhat sarcastically.

“Tell me Ian, do you know the story of the Alicorns, how the Emperor loved them like his own children?” asked Coteaz.

“Yes.” replied Ian.

“Do you also remember the weapons that the Emperor gave them in that story to ward off the evils of the dark powers, and how the power within them could defeat any and all evil?”

“The Elements of Harmony, correct milord?” asked Ian.

“Yes Ian, the Elements of Harmony. If the elements that the Emperor created are powerful enough to do that, they may be powerful enough to revive him from his slumber and usher in a new era where the Emperor can again be among us and strike down Chaos once and for all!” said Coteaz enthusiastically. These words rang in Ian’s head. He wanted to see the Emperor back from his 10,000 year slumber just as much as anyone else.

“So where do I come into this milord?”asked Ian.

“I am sending you to find out more about these creatures. I worry that some other fanatical fool would bomb the planet from orbit and destroy everything that our Emperor loved, and I believe that if these creatures are as peaceful as they are in the fairy tales, they need to be protected. If we found them with a probe, someone else can find them as well, and if they do, who knows what will happen.” replied Coteaz.

“But why me master?”

“Because Ian, you can get along peaceably with xenos, we would never have saved as many lives on Laureus IX had you been unable to get the Eldar to help, and they spoke very highly of you even before that. If you can befriend xenos, you can certainly get along with ponies. Also, your faith in the Emperor is unshakeable.” said Coteaz; This was all Ian needed to hear.

“So, just one more question master.”

“Yes Ian?”

“When do I start?”