Finding Malcador

by ThatRarityIsaSpy

One year from now

"Nothing."
"Clear!"
"I got nothing!"
Cyrus looked around.
"Their hiding somewhere! Another search. Now!" He barked as yet another group of scouts went to comb the forest..... for the fourth time already.
"I am surprised no one got shot yet." Tarkus said, dressed to kill in a suit of terminator armor, a pair of lightning claws and a bolter.
"Keep looking!" Angelos said jumping down a ledge. Ignoring the fact that the a certain three fillies decided to follow him. He was promptly joined by a few battle brothers. Thule and Tarkus included.

It would surprise many. The space marines weren't the ones to spot the movement ahead. It was the cutie mark crusaders who saw the barrel poking out of the bush aimed straight at Thule.
Time stood at a stand still at this moment, but even then, the words escaped Scootaloo's mouth far before the trigger was pulled.
"Davian! Duck!"
Thule was fast, but not quite as fast enough to stop the rifle's bolt from singing the tip of his hair.
"Holy shi.... OPEN FIRE!"
A hailstorm of bolter fire was thrown at the general area of where the bolter had come from, a few curses and screams of agony followed with the Eldar and Space marine warcries.
Carnage followed as soon the rest of the space marines and the rest of the Eldar joined the fray. Before long, it was complete carnage as the once-silent forest was now a loud battlefield.
"Eldar witches!" Tarkus roared. "Kill them all!"
"Which one of you fools shot first?!" Someone asked.
"The hell?" Cyrus said to himself as he heard those very words. He stopped for a moment to asses the situation further. He stopped the moment a farseer showed her face.
A familiar face.

"Stop fighting now!" Said farseer shrieked. "What do you fools presume you're doing?"
The brawl stopped instantly, with many people in hilariously awkward situations.
"Ronahn! What in the name of the craftworlds did you think you were doing?!"
"Avenging my sister." Ronahn said bitterly, glaring at Thule. "Her blood is on that human's hands! Taldeer, dead! Because of that human right there!"
"I did not kill Taldeer alien!" Thule spat back out. "You are a fool and a coward!"
"You are the reason she's dead Mon'keigh! Macha, do you stop me from avenging her?!"
"Macha?" Angelos asked frowning. "Alright, what do you want?"
"I am not here to take Gabriel." Macha said. "I am here to give."
First time for everything Cyrus thought.
"What is it? A payload of explosives? A warhost? A warband of orks?" Tarkus asked. "You are not welcome here."
"Just a message. A vision from the future. You are familiar, with the name Abaddon, are you not?"
"Alright, get with the program."
"One year from now, he will escape Cadia. He will lead his 14th black crusade against your glorious Imperium."
Tarkus bit his lip until blood began to trickle down. It was not the insult that stung him, but the very presence of the Eldar.
"And?"
"He will assault Terra. No doubt about that. But Abaddon is no fool. If you Emperor dies, what is the last thing that will save this galaxy from the great enemy?"
Equestria.
"And so..." Macha continued. "He will come here. Personally. I am sure you are aware of the things that.... give this planet it's gifts....."
"The Emperor will not die." Cyrus said.
"He probably won't." Macha said. "But... Abaddon will come here. To Equestria. Now then, what will you do? Abandon it to defend your holy planet? I am sure the conscience of Gabriel will be conflicted."
Before anyone could comment, Macha once again continued.
"Simple. Your Emperor will order you to remain on Equestria. To him, the elements of harmony are far more important than himself. The life and soul of a single..... horse.... is more important to both him and the entire galaxy than one hundred mon'keighs."
"Say that word again and I will cut your throat out." Cyrus hissed.
"I am merely here to tell you what is to come. Abaddon will come here to Equestria. He intends to destroy everything. The horses, their artifacts. My advice? Defend it. To your last man. It is one of the last gleaming beacons of hope on a weary galaxy....."
To everyone's surprise, Macha bowed her head.
"Do this Gabriel of the hidden heart. Only you are sensible enough to see the value of my words. Your men are too stubborn, too proud, or too consumed in their hate. Defend Equestria, for it may be the galaxy's last hope."
"Very well." Gabriel said. His frown now a scowl of mistrust and suspicion. "But, lie to me.... and I will see your craftworld burn..... and what Slannesh will do to you will be nothing compared to what I am thinking about. Begone now."
The Eldar left. Just like that.

"One year from now, the forces of chaos will come for both, Terra and Equestria." The Emperor said psychially to the primarchs. "The tree of harmony, the elements of harmony and every last ounce of Equestria will be vital to the defeat of chaos. The tree itself can even provide protection to other planets......"
The primarchs nodded. They knew where this plan was going.
"The shield is not perfect. It will have it's gaps and exploits. But it will be enough to stem the flow of chaos, and daemonic incursions to give us an edge."
"You will defend Terra. Avenge your fallen brothers and defeat those who have fallen. Lead your legions to greatness. But, Equestria, blessed as they may be, will not survive any large scale attacks from chaos on it's own. Thankfully, a certain being can prevent Abaddon from burning Equestria from orbit. The only way Abaddon can destroy Equestria completely is if he goes down and destroys the elements, the tree and every last pony. Unfortunately..... we can not move the ponies off world."
Murmuring went between the primarchs.
"That is why I want a large mobilization of space marines but ONLY space marines on that planet. Every last chapter must contribute. If Equestria falls, we will be caught napping. If even Terra falls and Equestria does not, we still may have a chance. Your average unicorn is a potent navigator without the astronomicon and the souls of everypony will be enough to ward chaos off until we get back on our feet."
Nods of understanding follow.
"Now then, because me just speaking to you is tiring, take this one year, rebuild the Imperium into a better place. Spread the word of my potential return and give them hope. And tell EVERYONE, my true will and my new orders. Tell the blood ravens that they can expect reinforcements on the day of reckoning. About a few hundred thousand to be exact."
Celestia and Luna had been listening to this, they looked at each other and prayed for the best.
For Equestria in the coming days, will be the third largest battleground in the last 10,000 years.