The Legion of the Damned

"What even is this stuff anyway?" Rainbow Dash poked her hoof into the strange multi-coloured sludge that was beginning to pool around Rarity's knocked-out from on the floor. "You should know  Twi, with all the time you spend in the library of yours..."

Twilight shook her head, a puzzled look on her face. "I have no idea what this stuff is, unless its connected to that magical blast..."

"Wait... What magical blast?" Dash looked up from the strange stuff. "I didn't see anything like a explosion..."

Twilight sighed. "It was a mental shockwave, a after-effect of..." A shocked look appeared on her face. "Telepathy! But nopony has been able to do that since Discord's reign! Not even the Princesses would have attempted such a spell."

"Telepathy? What in Celestia's name is that?" Rainbow Dash jumped into a low hover, flexing her wings inside the narrow confines of the train.

"Reading somepony else's mind."

"Mind reading? That is so cool! Now I can finally find out why the Wonderbolts haven't accepted me yet, and what makes Pinkie tick!"

"I don't think anypony really wants to know what goes on in Pinkie's mind, Dash. Isn't there privacy to consider?"

"I guess you're right... Still, mind reading would be awesome!"

"Would you two mind shuttin up and do somethin bout Rarity?" Applejack shouted from the other end of the carridge, where she was trying to calm Fluttershy down.

"Sorry AJ, my mind got the better of me...Again." Twilight turned back to Rarity and began to use the little healing magic she knew. "Would you mind getting Fluttershy? She's more experienced with treating injuries than me."

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Centurius groaned inside the armour. Telepathy was a large and difficult psychic feat to perform at the best of times, yet that had been easy. No mental defences whatsoever and the calmest the Warp had ever been. That had certainly caught him unawares. Normally trying to use a psychic power was like directing a raging river, yet here the warp was so calm it was more like a placid stream. All the leftover power had simply exploded in what was one of the largest magical blasts ever known.

"Brothers, how well are the horses coping with my... Telepathy? Centurius sent out into the telepathic grid that the Legionarries used to communicate in battle and when maintaining comms silence- when the comms were working.

He heard Iophan's slightly manical laugh inside his mind. Not well. In fact, the psyker horses are all either out cold, trying to figure out what in His name happened, or otherwise complaining at the Princesses. Those two are rather angry at you too."

"Great, Brother. Have the Spears been set on their return course yet?"

"The Spears are making their return. No problems up here, demonic or otherwise.  I'd recommend activating your opticals soon."

"Roger that, Brother. Be prepared for anything, these daemons are unlike any I have encountered in Slaanesh's service before.

Centurius activated his optics, revealing a blank grey ceiling. "Here we are again..." He muttered to himself.

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The group of mares almost immediately set to bickering as soon as they arrived in Canterlot.

"No, Rarity needs proper treatment." Fluttershy added quietly into the group of arguing friends.

"Yes, but the Princess called us here for a reason. And she can treat Rarity at the castle as well as telling us what in Celestia's name caused the blast." Twilight tried to reason with her.

"We should split up. Me an Fluttershy 'ill take Rarity to the hospital, while you, RD and Pinkie find out what the buck happened."

"Fine. RD, you and Pinkie are coming with me to the castle to meet the princesses. Everypony else, take Rarity to the hospital. I just hope she's alright."

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Twilight, with Dash and Pinkie in tow, walked into the castle where there were, oddly, no guards rushing around in panic due to the blast.

"Where are all the guards? You'd expect them to be doing their job right now."

"No idea? Maybe it's a suprise party?" Pinkie bounced along, ignorant of the fact something seemed seriously wrong.

Twilight groaned. "Not everything is party related, Pinkie. Let's just find the Princesses so I can get rid of this feeling of being watched constantly. It's... Somewhat unnerving."

Rainbow swooped in lazily over their heads before landing. "You sure you're not just getting paranoid, Twi?"

"I also heard somepony tell me 'Knowledge is power and that I should 'guard it well'."

Rainbow shook her head. "Definitly paranoia..."

Twilight shrugged it off. "Let's go find the Princesses, maybe they can shed some more light on the situation."

The trio of ponies headed off into the castle, looking for the Pincesses.

The Castles interior, like the exterior, was also deserted the whole way to the throne room.

They found Celestia and Luna, deep in conversation between themselves, none of the usual advisors or guards or royal hangers-on present which was pleasant.

"Ah, the Elements have finally arrived. May I ask where are the others?" Celestia asked while lounging on her throne.

"The others have taken Rarity to the hospital, she was somehow injured during the mental shockwave." Twilight replied to her mentor. Luna seemed to be sulking slightly for some unknown reason.

"I hope she's alright. Cadence will be very disappointed otherwise."

"Why would Cadence be dissapointed if Rarity were injured?"

"I would have told you earlier via mail, but..." Celestia motioned outwards with her hoof. "Other matters arose. Princess Cadence was, and I hope is, going to marry Shining Armour. Rarity was to make her dress."

"Wait... Cadence is marrying my brother? Thanks a lot Shiny... Letting the Princess tell me rather than coming and telling me yourself...."

"Shining Armour has been very busy, my faithful student. First with the protection spell over Canterlot, and then trying to console Cadence."

"What happened to the Princess?"

"You remember the Black Statues?" All three of them nodded. "One of them, the 'Dei-Centurion' statue, launched a full-on mental assault on Cadence, smashing apart her mental defences like they didn't exist. Said assault also caused the magical blast earlier. Your test, Twilight, is to find out everything you can on these statues. My sister has-" Celestia gave Luna a heated look. "-somewhat reluctantly agreed to have you assist her in her studies of the Black Statues. As for the rest of you, you will be helping with various parts of the wedding preparations."