Dashie put on her Safari hat as she pulled out the map drawing a rough sketch of what their route was to be.
"Is she holding things with.... hooves?" Someone voxed as pretty much everyone who walked on two legs stared at a pony use a pen with a hoof.
"How's that even possible?!" Someone else voxed.
"Who knows? How is it possible that we got an entire race that weakens chaos while being made up entirely of psykers? Expect the unexpected is all I can say." Arven said on the vox. "So what's the route he said?" Taking off his helmet.
"That way, just a easy trek through this field."
It was pitch black outside, to mask their movements, Luna had cast dark clouds overhead to give the appearance it would be storming today. Just a cool breeze was the most there ever was. Insects buzzed and owls hooted as the group went on to their destination.
"How long at this rate?" Thule asked.
"As in when we arrive to our destination or that checkpoint you set?" Martellus asked.
"Checkpoint."
"I'd say about eight hours if we keep walking. But everyone needs to sleep.... even space marines, and then let's not forg..."
"Yes, I am well aware of other factors into time." Thule said. "How long does the average pony have to sleep?"
"I don't think it matters." Celestia said. "I recall staying awake for months all end with royal affairs."
"Same here." Luna said.
"What about.... nevermind."
And here comes that moment when someone asks on the vox how sleeping on a cloud is possible much less steering it. The answer? Subtle magic within the wings of the Pegasus or any pony who has wings as a matter of fact.
"So I take it no humans can be on clouds?" Dashie asked waking from her nap.
"Not in the literal sense." Adrastia said. "It's not like our planets all have subtle forms of magic either. We can however build machines that allow us to do what we need."
"Neat." Dashie said. "I always thought Twilight would try something along those lines."
Back in Ponyville............
"Are you done yet?"
"Wait... let me just get this in and.... done!" Scootaloo said. "Alright now, their tracks?"
"Found!" Applebloom said. "C'mon girls, this way!"
Tracking something that weights half a ton really isn't that difficult even though it was rather dark out.....
"Permit me for asking, but what exactly did you do with Sunset Shimmer?" Celestia whispered to Thule.
"I am surprised you want to know. Well then, for all the trouble she's caused, Solomon and Angelos were considering on flaying her alive. But then one of the apothecaries and librarians stepped in and said they'd like to take her alive. Chances are, they probably were interested in the "magic" that all ponies could use."
"I take it she's dead now?"
"Probably. Last time I saw her, she was in an unconscious heap being carried away."
"Something's following us." Cyrus said suddenly interrupting their conversation.
"What is it?" Adrastia asked.
"No idea. But I can track about three life forms currently making their way to us. You three." Cyrus pointed to three of us scouts. "Come with me."
Pulling out bolters and knives, the four made their way to the path they had come out from leaving everyone and every pony else on what was following them.
"I have to say, we may need to move faster." Sweetie Belle said. "Man, they move fast."
"We'll catch up! Man going on an adventure with Mr. Cool and Rainbow Dash! We'll certainly get our cutie marks then!"
"Cutie mark crusader...... um..... what would it be?"
"Adventurers?"
"Cutie mark crusader Adventurers!.... wait what kind of cutie mark would that be?"
"I dunno."
"Who cares? I just want it, and I WANT IT NOW!"
"Okay, okay sheesh. Let's go."
"There." Cyrus whispered to his scouts as he saw the field begin to rustle. Drawing his knife, he crouched and approached the source of the movement.
"Hey Mister Cyrus!"
This nearly made the scout jump.
"Applebloom?" Oh no.... no...
"Hey! Thanks again for helping Twist from that... fiend! Anyways, I hope you don't mi..."
"Save it for later.... come with me." Cyrus said half-heartedly.
"Why..... just why......." Luna said facehoofing. "Why do they feel the need to do this for something as mundane as their cutie marks?"
"So can we just dump them back to where they belong now?" Martellus asked.
"No, no let them stay." Celestia said.
Luna facehoofed, Dashie shook her head, Thule stared at the ground.
"With all due respect Princess, you can't be serious." Rainbow Dash said.
"Aye. Listen sister, where we're going, no pony has ever gone and returned..."
"I am aware of that. But perhaps we can teach these fillies a valuable lesson. Who knows what they could learn along the way?"
"Who knows they'll come back in one piece?"
"It's alright. Among us, what's the worst that can happen?"
Just you wait Celestia. Just you wait.
"So Mr. Cool then goes off and takes on both of them!" Scootaloo said. "He beat them up both pretty badly. Too bad the view wasn't too good."
"What did they even do?" Applebloom asked. "I don't think hurting other people for no reason seems like a very nice thing to do."
"Something about betrayal? That wizard guy mentioned that there was this time when all humans were together until one day, half of them decide to go join chaos which started a huge war and nearly destroyed a kingdom and...."
"Mr. Cool?" Martellus quizzically asked over the vox.
"Don't ask. Some nickname the rainbow haired one came up with. Apparently destroying a Necron lord and surviving a Tyranid warrior earns me a title."
"Savior of Kronus perhaps?"
"Savior of Kronus? Defender of Calderis?"
"I prefer that." Thule said. "You know.... something tells me that our trip down to southern Equestria isn't going to be all rainbows and sunshine."
"What makes you say that?"
"It's just a feeling I get in my bones. Remember how the other day we ran into an entire nest of dragons?"
"We also got enough gold to pay for about a few dozen retirements to the best planets the Imperium has. Too bad we don't retire or have much use for money."
"But we have use for knowledge." Cyrus said. "Equestria will provide a lot of that. I have my suspicions of what happened to Malcador."
"You're not implying they killed him are you?"
"No. But I have a rather odd idea of what happened to him. I'll share this later."