Chapter 10
FRIENDSHIP IS SANCTIONED
by Blue Legend/Thirdstring Overlord
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CHAPTER TEN
Ponyville town square
0830 hours
Ponies, Hasim thought. He had refused to think too hard about that term earlier, but it was now starting to annoy him. These creatures just plain called themselves ponies.
That was the best you could do, translator?
Hasim was literally surrounded by...ponies. He had been ordered to protect ponies. Against other humans. He was no slave to Imperial dogma, but the irony irked him. It itched at the back of his mind, making every problem more infuriating.
After a short discussion with Valesius, the decision was made to set up a command center in the town square. Supposedly it gave them a “central location” and “easy access to the main streets.” Hasim hated everything about the idea, but Valesius was not a man to take “no” for an answer. Sometimes Hasim wondered if he would take “no, and if you keep pushing me I'm going to take a lascutter to your balls” for an answer, but perhaps he would save that for when he had better armor implants.
Valesius had also claimed that the town square lent them “plentiful space for the encampment”, which was a great testament to his twisted sense of humor. Moving the equipment around was harder than giving a Ripper swarm a bath, and it didn't help that Valesius just stood by and talked with that “Twilight Sparkle” alien while Hasim and his boys sweated away.
Halfway through a cogitator's lengthy Ritual of Appeasement After Relocation, his adjutant Idra Kez gakked things up in a most spectacular fashion.
All it took was one mistake. The cogitator tore loose from its support frame, crashing to the ground and erupting with broken circuit boards and flailing wires.
“No, no! Wrong socket, you idiot!” Hasim roared, his throat raw and sore.
“With all due respect, sir,” snapped Kez, “I did exactly what you told me to.”
She looked up from the wrecked machine to glare poisonously at him. Despite her ludicrously thick spectacles, she managed to look quite menacing.
“Look, just go back to working on the emplacements. I should have called in a servitor,” sighed Hasim.
Kez nodded curtly before snatching up a lascannon, her scrawny frame belying her strength. She strolled out of Hasim's sight, and he heard a loud thud followed by an “oh throne my toes!”
Just then a servitor lumbered past, carrying some sort of heavy table-like object in its hydraulic claws.
“My piano!” one of the xenos wailed, fighting to get past the dark-furred royal guards.
“Oh, you've got to be gakking kidding me!” Hasim moaned. “Put that down, you oaf! Put it down!”
The cyborg swiveled to look at him, looking distinctly pitiful and confused. After a bit more cursing and coaxing from Hasim, it dropped the instrument and began to walk around in little circles for the next ten minutes.
I could have been on shore leave, thought Hasim, shaking his aching head.
Heavy footsteps sounded from behind him. He looked over to see that it was Captain Albus, still wearing that damn helmet like it was a good luck charm.
There was once a time when the Captain had scared Hasim, but now...ah, who am I kidding, he thought. Albus still scared the gak out of him, but he had quickly learned to hide it.
“What progress has been made?” asked Albus.
Hasim sighed again, sweeping his hand out at the circus of follies before him. “Take a look for yourself, my lord. My crew usually does at least a passable job, but now...not a single thing is going right.”
Captain Albus silently regarded the chaos, giving Hasim no clues as to how he felt about all this.
“What has been causing you trouble?” Albus asked.
Hasim gestured at the crowds of xenos around them. “Them. They're the biggest distraction to plague my men since that slamball bet.”
Like the tides of an ocean, the aliens were slowly drawing closer to the Imperials. They gawped at the humans and the Astartes openly now, snapping pictographs with cameras mounted on ungainly shoulder braces.
The Princess and her guards kept the crowd mostly at bay, promising a full press conference later on. While this gave the Imperials much more freedom to finish setting up the camp, Hasim knew it was only a finger in a dam. Fear was transforming into curiosity, and it wouldn't be long before these xenos did something foolish.
“So I see,” said Albus. “And do you have a solution?”
“Barring some heavy flamers and a thick rockcrete wall, not really.”
Suddenly a tent toppled over, eliciting a gasp from his crewmen and the poni—no, equinoids! One of the unicorns—Twilight, if Hasim recalled correctly--rushed over to see what was going on.
“Excuse me for a moment, my lord. I have some more idiocy to deal with,” said Hasim before he jogged over to the collapsed tent. Someone was trapped under the canvas, thrashing wildly around.
“What the hell did you just do, trooper?” Hasim barked, reaching under the fabric to drag the perpetrator out. After a struggle his hands finally found something warm and fuzzy, probably Yeece with that stupid overcoat of his. He tugged again and suddenly his soon-to-be victim was free. This sent him off balance, and he plummeted arse-first onto the dirt.
Since when did Yeece lose so much weight?
Fortunately for Yeece, it was someone else entirely. In his hands he held a gray pony with a pale yellow mane. It was one of the winged types: a “pegasus,” from what he had overheard. Its bright eyes were wide with fear and regret.
“Gee, sorry, Mr. Human. I didn't look where I was going,” it explained. Its voice was slow and slurred, but oddly earnest-sounding.
“And where exactly were you going?” he said flatly, setting it on the ground and dusting himself off. As if I give a damn.
“To a different place, of course!” it chirped. Hasim realized that its eyes were crossed, a feature he chalked up to a concussion from the crash. “This is a different place, right?” it asked, its expression saddening slightly. “They told me I couldn't bring Spike to the clinic. I had to go to a different place.”
“Wait—Spike?” asked Twilight, her eyes widening.
Clearly this isn't my problem anymore, thought Hasim as he walked back over to the tent to try and fix it. But for some reason, he couldn't help but spare a few occasional glances at the drama unfolding before him.
“Yeah, Spike. He got bumped on his head so they told me take him to the picnic. Is he on my back? He should be on my back, I think.”
Just then there was a groan from the collapsed tent. A small lump stirred under the sheets.
Twilight rushed up to the tent and slid underneath. A second later she stumbled out, one foreleg cradling a small reptilian beast.
“Spike! What happened to you?” said Twilight.
The reptile groaned. “Just a few steps out the door...then, wham...stepped on a rake. Wanted to help you...” His eyes closed, and he laid still.
“Spike!” Twilight cried.
One of Spike's eyes shot open. “Hey, don't worry, all right? I'm just...kinda...tired,” he yawned, slumping over again. Seconds later he was snoring peacefully.
Twilight shook her head morosely. “This is all my fault. I never should have left Spike alone like that! I just got so distracted that I...I...”
The white unicorn named Rarity trotted up to her, patting her on the shoulder. “There, there. With all that's happened this morning, such a mistake is understandable, really.”
She peered down at Spike's swollen forehead, giving it a gentle peck. “Aww. Poor Spikey-Wikey! This must have been so dreadful for him. Say, ah, what was your name again?” she asked the wall-eyed pegasus.
“My friends call me Derpy Hooves!” the pegasus said cheerfully.
“Yes, well, it's a delight to meet you. You did say that the clinic was full, right? Is that true? Then where were you taking Spike?”
Derpy looked thoughtful for a moment. “Oh! They told me to take him to Cloudsdale instead! Except I kinda forgot where that is...and then I found a bee...and then a flower...then I kinda forgot what I was doing.”
“Cloudsdale?” said Twilight, aghast. “They can't be serious. That's too far away!”
Derpy nodded sadly. “I think some other ponies said something like that. They wouldn't listen.”
All this time Inquisitor Valesius was watching their conversation with interest, leaning casually against a nearby tree. “Might I suggest establishing a triage system?” he offered.
“I beg your pardon?” said Rarity.
“Sort the wounded into categories based on their injuries. From there, you prioritize treatment according to how serious a patient's wounds are.”
Hasim rolled his eyes as he snapped the tent's canvas back into place. Perhaps you could teach them how to build Baneblades while you're at it?
“We've been considering such a system,” said one of the bat-winged royal guards, another one stepping in to take his place in the cordon. “But we need another place to treat the wounded. A place for minor injuries, like Spike's.”
“You're welcome to use Carousel Boutique,” said Rarity.
“You're sure about that?” asked the guard, arching his eyebrows in surprise.
Rarity smiled gently. “Absolutely. I can afford to close down operations for a little while. Besides, it has quite a surplus of clean fabric should you run short on bandages. Just don't use the--” Rarity started, then caught herself. “Oh, it doesn't matter. Use whatever you need.”
The guard nodded, impressed. “Thank you, miss. We can compensate you for this, if you'd like.”
“Oh, how very kind of you! But it won't be necessary. There's only one thing I ask in return...”
“And that would be?”
Rarity's face suddenly lost much of the elegant glee that had been dancing across it. In its place was a look of worry that Hasim had seen so many times before, on hive-worlds devastated by war or disasters. It was more than slightly disconcerting to see it on the face of a xeno.
“Have you received any word about what has happened to the other cities? My family was on a train to Canterlot before the attack started. I don't think they know what's going on...I want to know if they'll be safe.”
The guard nodded sympathetically. “I've got family down there, too. But from what I've heard, Ponyville is the only place that's been attacked. Rest assured, miss, we’ll weather this storm.”
Rarity smiled again. “Thank you. That's all I needed to know.”
Hasim watched all of this with growing disorientation. The bizarre familiarity of these aliens was starting to truly sink in.
Their expressions, their gestures, their desires, their fears... Hell, even their idioms and cliches translated readily into Low Gothic. What were the odds?
Suddenly his vox bead blasted him with a static squeal. He muttered something mildly blasphemous under his breath.
++What is it?++ he snapped.
++...arrived in Cloudsdale...my current plan is to...++ It was Macer's voice coming through, but the interference was atrocious.
++Your signal is breaking up. Repeat your message,++ said Valesius.
++...the situation is evolving...++ voxed Macer. ++I'll...++
The signal died abruptly.
One kilometer from Cloudsdale
Ten minutes earlier
“We're almost there,” shouted Rainbow Dash, struggling to make herself heard over the howling wind. Tybalt Macer was happy to hear the news. One could only dangle hundreds of meters in the air for so long before it started to grow tiresome.
Although the grav-chute made his weight negligible, he still made Dash's flight much clumsier. It occurred to Macer that the two of them looked rather ridiculous right now, like a pigeon carrying a shark. Rainbow Dash must have realized it, too: at one point he heard her muttering something like, “they're gonna laugh so hard”.
His eyes watered as the wind whipped at his face. It was almost impossible to see. “Where is it?” he called.
“Up ahead!”
At first nothing but thick cottony clouds met his gaze. “I don't see anything,” protested Macer, but then the clouds began to part. What he saw stole the air out of his lungs.
Throne on Terra...
A city floated in the sky, borne aloft by nothing more than a cloud.
Each time he thought he had finally taken the scene in, new wonders met his eyes. Soft cloudbanks bore buildings like they weighed less than a feather.
Every structure was like a palace. From the rolling white hills rose graceful colonnades, their slender columns supporting marble domes shrouded in vapor. Elegant porticoes emerged from steep peaks of mist, beckoning him to the heart of the city. At the tallest summit a rainbow waterfall cascaded down, eventually gushing off the edge of the cloud to the ground far below.
I had no idea...
Dash glanced down at him, a tiny smug grin lighting up her features when she saw how amazed he looked.
“Pretty awesome, isn't it?” she said.
Macer slowly nodded, trying to keep his jaw from dropping. “It might be worth including in my report.”
There was an awkward pause, with neither of them knowing what to say next. “So...” said Dash, forcing out her words like they were caught in her teeth. “Your name's Tybalt Macer?”
“That's correct.”
“And your boss is called Valecious, right?”
“Valesius. But you're close.”
“No offense, but you guys have some weird names,” mumbled Rainbow Dash.
You're one to talk, thought Macer. “And I suppose you could come up with better ones?”
Dash gave him a cocky grin. “You bet I could! I'm, like, the queen of awesome nicknames!”
“Oh? And what moniker would you bestow upon me?” asked Macer, not entirely hiding his amusement.
The xeno looked thoughtful for a moment. “What about 'Twolegs?'”
“Rather drab.”
“'Flatface?'”
“Sounds more like a slur.”
“'E.P.C?'”
“What's that?”
Dash blushed slightly. “'Extra Planetary Creature.' It's a book I read a while back. There was this filly who finds an alien in her backyard,” she said, growing more animated, “so she has to hide it from—ah, never mind. It's just a dumb story.”
“Not at all,” Macer said amicably. “You've piqued my interest. Do elaborate: I'd like to know more about your race's attitudes towards aliens.”
Dash seemed uncertain, but she continued. “Well...there's these ponies who want to take the E.P.C away, so they can experiment on it and all sorts of nasty stuff.”
“I hope that isn't normal in your culture,” said Macer. The irony of his own statement bit at him, and he felt a strange pang of worry about what would happen to the xenos when the Adeptus Mechanicus arrived.
“No way! Well, we haven't really met aliens before, but still! So anyway, she has to keep the E.P.C safe from these evil scientist guys, but then she figures out that the E.P.C just wants to go home. So she helps him back to his ship, and he flies off.”
“And that's it?” asked Macer. “He just buggers off, just like that? What an arsehole.”
“It's not like that. There's this really sad goodbye moment and...ah, crud. I stink at this.”
“I suppose it's a matter of...” started Macer. He trailed off as an unpleasant memory floated up from the depths of his subconscious. It was a memory from a lifetime ago, back on Nova Atlantys.
“This is the price we pay for joining the Imperium,” said Administrator Nept, wincing as the black-robed guards clapped iron cuffs around Macer's wrists. “They need men like you.”
“Are you okay?” asked Dash, looking concerned. “You kinda spaced out there for a moment.”
“It's nothing. Just lost my focus for a moment. What were we talking about, again?”
“Never mind,” sighed Dash. “Geez, I got sidetracked. Alright, back to nicknames. What about--”
Suddenly a winged xeno burst out from a nearby cloud bank, his pale wings flapping frantically. “Dash!” he called. “Thank goodness you're here! Cloudsdale's on the verge of—wait, what the hay?” he shrieked, recoiling in horror when he finally noticed Macer.
“Easy, Soarin',” soothed Rainbow Dash. “He's on our side.”
“But Dash, he's an alien!” he babbled, pointing at the scribe hanging limply from Dash's hooves.
“Yeah, so what?”
“Y-you can't bring aliens into Cloudsdale! Not with what's happening right now!”
“Why not?”
Soarin' took a few deep breaths, somewhat regaining his composure. “The whole town's on the verge of a full-blown riot. Discus and his cronies are trying to rally a mob into attacking the aliens.”
“You mean the bad aliens, or the good ones?” asked Dash.
“He doesn't care! They're all the same to him. He thinks the whole attack was some sort of trick to get ponykind to trust you guys.”
“That is...problematic,” said Macer. “But I won't be turned back. The citizens need to know that my people are reasonable.”
“Are you nuts? They'll trample you!” said Soarin'. “Leave this to us. We'll meet up with the other Wonderbolts. Besides, Dash knows how to make Discus put his hoof in his mouth.”
“I only want to help!” snapped Macer. “I know how demagogues work. They play with people's imaginations, making them see daemons in every shadow. We need the citizens of Cloudsdale to look into the shadows and see there's nothing there. That's why I need to be with you.”
“Look,” pleaded Soarin', “we'll compromise. If you want to follow us, you'll need to stay out of sight until the time's right. We'll need to talk to them first, and see if there's any hope of reasoning with them. Otherwise they're just gonna panic.”
Macer nodded. “Fair enough.”
Concealing themselves by flying through some nimbus clouds, the trio soared to Cloudsdale. Angry shouts and vicious cheers rose from the center of the town, punctuated by the crash of glass shattering.
“You still wanna do this?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“I'm not afraid,” Macer lied.
Finally they reached their destination. Macer watched nervously as Dash set him down on the misty surface below, expecting his grav-chute to be the only thing keeping him aloft—a disturbing prospect, given its rapidly depleting charge. Instead his feet found purchase on a material unlike anything he had experienced before. As he took a few awkward steps forward, he decided that the closest comparison was walking on water using some sort of super-buoyant shoes. Each step sent the cloud gently wobbling below him, and he had to fight to keep his balance.
“Stick to the shadows,” urged Soarin'. “See that narrow street over there? It should lead you to a back alley. From there, you should be able to get to the center of town. Dash and I are gonna go find the other Wonderbolts. Remember, don't walk out unless we give you a whistle!”
Macer nodded. “As you wish.”
Shortly afterward the two xenos zoomed off, leaving the scribe behind.
Right, Macer thought. After voxing a quick warning to Valesius about the situation in Cloudsdale, he began his clumsy journey to the center of the city.
The way he saw it, a mob of angry equinoids didn't stand a chance against the elite warriors of the Deathwatch. What worried him more was the fact that such a conflict would end any hope for an alliance. Perhaps they could manage to find the Six Blessings without the aliens' help, but the prospect made him feel bitter and depressed. It would be like burning down an ancient library just to find a fireproof book.
He clung to the hope that the story of the Six Blessings would play out differently.
Sweet Apple Acres
0832 hours
Applejack did her best to trudge down the road like she wasn't being followed by a giant alien monster. This Dac'an feller wasn't the talkative type, but like Big Mac, he could say a lot of things without making a sound. He leaned impatiently against a tree when she stopped to take a breather, and cocked his head to the side when he got confused.
Finally they could see Sweet Apple Acres in the valley up ahead. She jumped a bit when Dac'an suddenly spoke up.
“Is that your place of dwelling?” he asked.
“Well, its not mah house. It belongs to the Apple family.”
“It is poorly built,” he said. There was a faint whirr as machinery shifted inside his spooky black helmet.
Applejack was about to ask him what exactly passed for manners on his gosh-darned planet, but decided not to say anything. That was a fight for later. Instead she trudged on in silence, not sure whether to be relieved or dismayed when Dac'an started following her again.
“Good mornin',” drawled Big Macintosh, suddenly emerging from a cluster of trees. Apple Bloom hung behind him, staring curiously at Dac'an. Despite all the awful things that had happened that morning, her brother had never lost his usual calm. And although Apple Bloom had made a darn big mistake by bothering that Hasim guy, she had to admire her kid sister's courage. She smiled as Big Mac walked up to her. Time and again, she was reminded why she wouldn't trade her family for anypony else's.
“Who's this feller?” Big Mac asked, casually glancing at Dac'an as though he was just another pony.
“Orde Dac'an, Techmarine of the Salamanders,” the alien said. “I have little time to spare for conversation. Where are the others? We will need to begin the evacuation as soon as possible.”
“Evacuation?” asked Apple Bloom, shock creeping into her voice.
“Ah'll explain later,” Applejack quickly assured her. “Big Mac, where's Granny Smith? Back in the house?”
“Eeyup.”
“Then we need to go get 'er! Stay here with Apple Bloom while ah--” Suddenly she realized that she'd be leaving her little sister with an alien giant. “No, wait--”
“Do you require me to retrieve her?” asked Dac'an. “I have extensive experience with evacuees.”
“No!” cried Applejack. “You'll give 'er a coronary!”
“Maybe ah could go get 'er,” offered Apple Bloom.
All right,” sighed Applejack. “But be take it easy with 'er. Be sure you tell 'er what's been goin' on, and about our...visitors.”
“Sure thang,” nodded Apple Bloom, galloping off to the house.
“Don't bring 'er outside too soon!” called Applejack.
Apple Bloom halted in her tracks for a second. “Yeah, okay,” she sighed.
“Make sure she's lyin' down when you tell 'er about what happened!”
“Okay!” said Apple Bloom, running off again.
“And she has a glass a' water!”
“Okay!”
“And some smellin' salts!”
“Give it a rest, sis!” Apple Bloom hollered back, sounding more pestered than a badger trapped in a butter churn. By now she had reached the front porch. She scurried inside, the door banging shut behind her.
“Little sisters,” sighed Applejack.
Everfree Forest
0834 hours
“Argh,” Vallin snarled, chopping into the thicket with his axe. His voice was fierce yet low, almost a whisper. “Enough vines to choke a Catachan out here.”
Fluttershy glanced at the gigantic alien, her curiosity overcoming her fear for a moment. “A cat-a-chan? What's that?” she asked, the image of a big fuzzy feline springing to her mind.
“A hairless ape who fancies himself king of the jungle,” grunted Vallin, slicing apart another vine. “Usually ugly, dirty, and smelly. A lot like an ogryn, but a bit less dense in the head.”
Fluttershy nodded meekly, unsure how to respond. Mr. Vallin was a strange creature, that was clear. He talked a lot more than she expected, although she rarely knew what he was actually talking about. Often it seemed like he was speaking to himself rather than her.
“One of them challenged me to a match of arm-wrestling,” Vallin continued. “Prize was a side of boar, all juicy and raw.” He paused, flashing her a wolfish grin. “Best meal I ever had.”
“So...you're a meat-eater,” she said.
“That's right,” said Vallin, chopping into the brush again. “Does that worry you?”
He looked over his shoulder to glower at her. Fluttershy shook her head weakly but honestly. She wasn't necessarily afraid of carnivores—she kept a few as pets, in fact.
“Good,” he said, a strange green light flashing in his eyes.
What really frightened Fluttershy about Mr. Vallin was, well...everything. He said nothing more for a few moments, plodding thoughtfully along as she led him onward to Zecora's hut.
“You know, we have horses on our side of the galaxy,” said Vallin.
“You do?” asked Fluttershy, already worrying about where this was going.
“More breeds than you can imagine. None of 'em can talk, though. Nor use sorcery, for that matter. Still, they make for a nice way to get around if you're too soft for a Fenris wolf.”
Somehow, Fluttershy managed to voice the fear that had been nagging at her. “Do you...eat horses?”
Vallin shrugged nonchalantly. “Some of us do.”
Fluttershy gulped. “Oh.”
“I don't, though,” added Vallin. “Always preferred something richer, myself.”
“That's...nice,” said Fluttershy, not sure if she felt better. Fortunately for her, they had now come upon Zecora's hut. The little house was nestled in a thick cluster of trees, shaded by the forest canopy.
Fluttershy trotted up to the hut's front door and softly knocked on it.
“Who is it that knocks at my door?” inquired Zecora, her voice muffled from within the hut. “Ask not for sugar; I have no more.”
“It's Fluttershy,” the small pegasus gulped, “and a...friend. We have some very important--”
“Come right in, come right in! But do not trip on the orchid bin. It took me all week to gather those ingredients; to lose them would be a great inconvenience.”
“Is my translator already broken?” Vallin murmured, glaring at a circular amulet hung around his neck.
“Well...” Fluttershy started, not sure how to explain the situation to Zecora. Maybe it would be best for Mr. Vallin to stay out of sight for now. But she couldn't bring herself to tell him that.
“Why do you stand and hesitate?” Zecora called. “An appetite for company I wish to sate.”
The door opened. Zecora stepped out, a wooden spoon clutched in her mouth. The zebra's eyes fell upon Fluttershy...and then upon Vallin.
The spoon bounced down the front steps, free to gravity's whims now that her jaw had dropped.
“The ancient ones from distant stars,” whispered Zecora. “Is the one before me a...sagittar?”
Cloudsdale
0836 hours
Discus's attempts at spreading the truth in Ponyville had fallen flat, no thanks to that annoying little wallflower Fluttershy. But Cloudsdale was something else entirely. Cloudsdale was his turf, and the pegasi were scattered and confused by the attack. They needed somepony like him. A pony with principles and integrity, independent from the fat cats in Canterlot. They needed a pony who could give them the courage to go out and set things right.
Words were his weapons in the war against apathy. Standing atop a short pedestal, he gave the citizens of Cloudsdale the fire they needed. The crowd stood with rapt attention, eager to take in his every word.
Long ago, he had been so weak, so easy to ignore. They'd pushed him around in school, kicked him out of flight academy, and played all those horrid pranks on him when he tried to join the Royal Guard. All because they knew there was no way a wimpy little pony like him ever had a chance of fighting back.
But that didn't matter anymore. Didn't they say that the best form of revenge was to live well? He was sure doing pretty well right now. The crowd before him pulsed with energy, energy that he could harness with a clever turn of phrase. And as far as he could tell, that energy was limitless.
This is perpetual motion, Discus thought as he grinned to himself.
“Who owns this city?” Discus roared. “The unicorns?”
“No!” they screamed ecstatically.
“The earth ponies?”
“No!”
“Does it belong to Princess Luna?”
“No!”
“Does it belong to the aliens?”
“No!”
“Who owns this city?” he asked again. “Tell me!”
“We do!”
“Exactly! Everypony else has given away their freedoms. They bought the lies of a tyrant and her alien allies! They bought those lies wholesale! They all think this is gonna have a happy ending! What do you think, citizens of Cloudsdale? Should we give up like them?”
“No!”
“I don't think so, either! Our enemies have sown the seeds of a revolution, and now they will reap the harvest! Fly with me, citizens of Cloudsdale! We're going to Ponyville! We'll make Luna step down, or she'll find out why you don't mess with the pegasi!”
The crowd roared with approval.
“We'll send the invaders back to whatever horrible planet they came from!”
The crowd roared again.
“We'll liberate Equestria!”
“Liberate Equestria!” they shouted back.
Just as the cheers died down, a familiar voice spoke up.
“What you really need to do is take a giant chill pill.”
His back tensed as he recognized who it was, and his smile turned to a scowl.
Rainbow Dash stepped from the shadows of a colonnade, wearing her trademark cocky grin.
“Ah, so now we're up against the most overrated flyer in Cloudsdale,” said Discus. “Seriously? You think that will stop us?”
More ponies stepped from the shadows, revealing Spitfire and Soarin' and everypony else from the Wonderbolts.
“You call Dash overrated,” said Spitfire, “you call all of us overrated.”
“Then my point still stands,” said Discus, drawing a chuckle from the crowd. He felt a flash of guilt at the back of his mind. He had idolized the Wonderbolts as a colt, always saving up his allowance to buy anything with their logo on it. He didn't really mean what he said, but there was no other choice. If Equestria was to be saved, he couldn't afford to back down and be the nice guy.
“But maybe I'm being too harsh,” he continued. “Let's give a warm welcome to the Blunderbolts, the greatest comedy troupe in Equestria!”
“Take that back!” Soarin' snarled.
“Oh? You certainly didn't do much in the dragon incident, did you? Or in the attack on Ponyville, or...come to think of it, you never really did anything at all. Admit it: you guys just don't add up to much anymore. Now, flap your little wings and hurry back to Luna. I'm sure she misses her cheerleader squad.”
“You shut your mouth!” snapped Rainbow Dash. In Discus's book Dash wasn't really a bad pony, but like the Wonderbolts, she had chosen the wrong side. Apologies could come once this was all over. Besides, she had already gotten her fair share of glory. This was his moment.
Discus gave a fake yawn. “Yeah, yeah, I'm such a meanie for telling it like it is. Now go along and scram before things get a lot uglier. Personally I want to save the tar and feathers for Luna, but lay-deez and gent-all-colts, if you're as sick of these clowns as I am, then maybe we could--”
“So, you're name's Discus, huh?” a new voice called. “Fitting, since I certainly feel like throwing you.”
“Ah, yet another heroic interruption!” jeered Discus as the crowd cried out in outrage. “So tell me, who else needs to be put in their place?” Looking for the interloper, his eyes fell on something unexpected.
An alien.
An alien was in Cloudsdale.
An alien was in Cloudsdale, walking out from behind a column to glare venomously at him. Yeesh, it's hideous, he thought, cringing in disgust at its nauseating textures and blunt features. The crowd gasped in revulsion.
“Who...no, what the hay are you?” uttered Discus.
“I am most decidedly a 'who,'” said the alien, bowing theatrically. “My name is Tybalt Macer. I understand that you've been having some trouble with my species, yes? You want to chase us off, yes? You are a bitter, obnoxious example of your race, yes?”
“You don't know who you're dealing with,” started Discus, but he was starting to lose his momentum. Not because this...thing was some sort of great speaker, but because this confrontation was so bizarre and unexpected that he didn't know how to handle it.
The creature named Macer stood still, raising a pale claw to its chin as if in deep thought. “Hm. To be honest, I don't know who I'm dealing with. I really don't care, either.”
The crowd gasped again, shocked by the alien's arrogance. “But what I do know,” Macer continued, “is that you're in for a big surprise if you think your little mob is going to drive us off.”
Discus let out a forced laugh. “Ladies and gentlecolts, can you believe this freak? He's on our turf, and he's acting like he owns it. That is, if he really is a 'he.' That's a mighty purdy dress there, by the way,” he grinned, pointing at the alien's long robe. The crowd howled with laughter.
The alien's face reddened a bit before it collected itself. “I am indeed a man,” he said awkwardly. His voice began to grow in strength again as he continued. “A full-grown one. Perhaps there isn't such a distinction among your race, but ordinarily adults are aware of what constitutes a dangerous situation.”
With a slow but weighty gait, Macer stepped closer. Discus realized with a sinking feeling that the alien was twice his height.
“So, you want to take up arms against my comrades?” asked Macer. “Do you think it's better to fight two enemies instead of one? Perhaps you are a child. Or you're just the world's worst mathematician.”
Discus clenched his teeth, his blood roaring in his ears. Now it was time to pull the trump card. “What do you think, ladies and gentlecolts?” he asked, turning again to the crowd. “Let's crunch those numbers. A handful of aliens and their lackeys versus a legion of honest, motivated pegasi from Cloudsdale? Who do you think will win?”
Thunder filled the air as the crowd stomped their hooves. The entire cloud shook, causing Macer to stumble.
“Now is the time!” cried Discus. “Now is the time, ladies and gentlecolts! Charge, and take back Equestria!”
“You don't know who I am!” bellowed Macer. “I lead a team of unstoppable warriors! I can seal the fate of your world with a single word!”
“Get him!” yelled Discus. “Get the Wonderbolts, too! It's time to let true justice reign!”
Macer didn't have the slightest chance at escape. His awkward gait carried him only a few steps before he was surrounded by the crowd. He fought well for such an ungainly-looking creature: he threw punches that hit like hammers and aimed kicks that lifted his assailants into the air. But soon the press of the mob became too much for him to handle, and the crowd literally swept him off his feet.
“Take him to the courthouse! Take all of them to the courthouse!”
However, capturing the Wonderbolts proved to be a different matter entirely. They spun and twisted, making dizzying streaks in the sky as they made a mockery of anypony brave enough to chase them.
Discus watched the chase with growing dismay, seeing them wear out the crowd. Wear out the perpetual motion. That was unforgivable. Just as he was starting to quake with rage, one of the Wonderbolts went down, grabbed by a pony in one last burst of energy. The two struggling pegasi plummeted into a cloud below, and the crowd quickly carried off the stricken Wonderbolt. The rest of the squadron escaped, no doubt rushing off to tell their sob story to Luna. He would worry about that later, he decided.
For now, he had to show some due gratitude. “Excellent work,” he said, smiling as he walked up to the hero who had caught Rainbow Dash.
Lightning Dust smiled back at him. “No problem at all. Just a little payback.”
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I'm starting to really hate that Discus asshole.
I must agree... Down with Discus! Is it bad that i want to have him go face to face with the heretics?
discus thinks he can beat space marines thats cute
Discus is a great example that many times in stories and life the most terrible people aren't villains but those doing what they feel is right in the most horrendous of ways.
lol discus is gonna dieeeeeeeee
I don't want a slaughter, but sometimes it's necessary, and it would be nice to see Discus's face, when parts of his mob turn into bloody gibs during assault on Ponyvile.
Edit: On second thought, Luna going out front with words "Chill, I got this." might be even better.
Didn't Macer have a big ass revolver? I'm pretty sure he could've gotten their attention with that thing right n proper.
Right, lets attack the xenophobic Imperium of Terra, known to destroy entire worlds of their own people, let alone xenos.
Brilliant!
Discus... I completely forgot about him. There is one in every such story it seems. On the plus side, I have the mental image of trying to give a ripper swarm a bath.
Poor Discus, just doesn't know when he's horrendously outclassed.
His would-be enemies:
A physical goddess (or demi-goddess, depending on the author) who controls the celestial bodies and can fire death rays that hit like a melta.
Space Marines who would likely be impervious to any pegasus trick short of massive weather magic.
The Mane 6, who are remarkable in their own rights in addition to wielding the most powerful magical artifacts of ponykind.
If it were all of Equestria's unicorns that were fighting, then the space marines might be a little nervous.
I want the tech-priest to make him a new servitor.
Ah Discus... normally I would be ranting about how you are a one dimensional villain, simply put there so we have conflict during the regrouping. I would, except I am almost certain that you are being influenced if not out-right controlled by a deamon. This makes you more than a throw away character with no redeeming traits, but a freedom fighter that had his ideals twisted so that he sees everything with paranoia.
2096767 True, and it makes the villian better if you can understand and relate to him.
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Discus hates you, too. Don't take it personally, though: he's kind of a douche.
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He will succeed with the power of love and rock n' roll. He will also get a spin-off series where he co-stars with Mr. Floats and does nothing but dance around and make stupid 'yo mama' jokes. No, you cannot prevent this.
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Whoa guys, don't get too smitten with him. I know you love his dashing looks and his pearlescent white teeth, but this is taking it too far.
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Interesting insights. Unlike a certain other character in the story, he's not a monster, but he's definitely let his fame go to his head.
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Good point. But the basic idea is that the pegasi closed in on him too quickly for him to use his stub gun.
In any case, thanks for all the comments, guys--this has been by far the most emotional reaction I've gotten from any of the chapters. It's really awesome to see.
And again, special thanks to Verbose Soubriquet for helping to iron out this chapter.
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You do know how a servitor is made plus he would look "good".
2109214 It helps getting comments if you put it on FIMfiction :P But yeah, if I were Macer and I heard there was such a situation I'd definitely make it so I can draw my gun right n quick. Honestly, Macer has had SOME military training hasn't he?
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He's had training, it's more a matter of him being forced into a fight-or-flight situation and making the wrong choice.
2113282 Fight or Flight,Either way he's pretty fucked,He only has what? 6 Shots in that gun,And as for flight,He can't fly.
please sir, please, keep em comin this is fantastic
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I will continue after beer. Lots and lots and lots and lots of cold beer.
Oh, Discus, Discus, Discus...
You do realise that's called treason, don't you? In fact, I believe they call that high treason, no less. Where I come from, in older days, they'd hang, draw, and quarter you for that
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To be fair, Discus thinks he's restoring the throne to Celestia rather than toppling the entire government.
Still, no one said he's the sharpest knife in the drawer. The actual sharpest knife in the drawer is a nice little ginsu I like to call "Moruko."
*ba-dum TISH*
"Perhaps you could teach them how to build Baneblades while you're at it?"
Silly Hasim, Baneblades in Equestria would require some sort of Tactical Geniu-
CREEEEEEEEEED!!!!!
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See, the stuff about Creed being a tactical genius is overstated. I heard this stupid rumor recently that Creed is fully capable of bursting through computer keyboards to launch his armored assaults. Like that will ever h
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But... then who clicked "Add Comment?"
Finally caught up with the last few chapters over the last couple days, and it made me wish I had done it sooner. Everything I said before still stands, including not seeing anything that I think needs to be improved. I am itching to see a little more action, but that's just because you paced the chapters well and the build-up to the imminent action leaves me wanting more. And oh, the subplots! The Deathwatch marines trying to contain their raging purge-ons, Discus's well-intentioned supremacy movement, and now Zecora seems to have something mysterious up her sleeve too. Can't wait.
Thought for the Day: Be glad of thy special talent. It is your part in the fabric of destiny, woven by the Empress. To question it is to question Her will.
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I suspect that the Baneblade's mighty treads somehow nudged the mouse and clicked the "Add Comment" button. What? Stop looking at me like that! Do you know how much damage that stupid tank did to my house? The first floor was a total loss, and when I tried to get Creed to apologize, he just gave me the most goddam smug look you could possibly imagine before driving off to downtown Minneapolis to look for "bitches." Guy's an asshole!
Anyway, glad to see you like where the story's going. I don't blame you for craving action--I can promise you that something very big will be going down next chapter. A good way to understand the bad guys in this story is to think of them as a kind of human equivalent to the Dark Eldar. As such, they aren't exactly keen on letting their enemies rest and relax.
Quick note 'cause I should be asleep, but I'm not, and it's your fault.
This is good, really good. I'm usually not a fan of crossovers, and 40K seems like a particularly bad match, but the writing is well-done, direct and clear, the pace is picking up nicely (not that it was bad in the beginning), and the characters are well done on all sides. Kudos especially on a toned-down Pinkie, who is usually overplayed.
I'm surprised I've burned through three chapters already, but it's just GOOD. I just hope it doesn't go really dark- i didn't see that in the tags, and i'm too into it to stop now.
Also... I really REALLY liked the scene with Celestia. Wonderful sense of temptation and doubt built in there.
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Hey, thanks!
The writing style and pacing are things that I'm always worrying about, so I'm glad you like how I'm working with them.
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Yeah, there's a good match between the pace and your style- I tend to get a lot more florid and wander about, pacing-wise, so I appreciate someone who's able to stay on track. I also appreciate a straightforward writing style- there's complexity, but it looks to me like you've worked to cut down on unnecessary verbiage and iron it out.
I have seen a lot of warhammer/my little pony fanfics, but i gotta say, this is definitly the best.
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Thank you! I'm really flattered to hear that.
where's the chainsword?! I wanna see their blood rain from the sky!
Cool. But I desire them to be cleansed by holy Bolter.
First of all: SPEHSS MAREHNS!!! Okay, now that that is out of my system, when will this fic update? Sorry if I seem impatient.
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Save your righteous fury for the alicorns: they are the true cause of Discus's madness.
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Progress has been slow due to a general lack of energy I had after the Twilicorn controversy. I'm feeling a bit better now, but it's still tough to summon the motivation to write.
The story is by no means dead or on hiatus, though: I'm nearing the 3,000 word minimum I need in order to submit chapters to EQD, so hopefully I can get things chugging along.
2412945 I grow impatient of waiting for that time, cleanse them soon!
2412945 as you wish, Brother writer.
2412945 Still: SPEHSSS MAHREHNS!!1!!! I just have to do that.
Also, which side were you on in the Great Twilicorn War?
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I still consider myself an active combatant in the Twilicorn War, so to speak. I will not bow to the False Princess, even if it costs me my head.
It's alright if you're on the "pro" side, but I have personal reasons behind my dislike of Twilicorn. It's covered in the blog entry I did a while back, called "I Feel Left Behind."
2418699 I save my laser rounds and jet missles for true enemies, such as the Haters.
2407163 If they do that, then that will just prove Discus's point.
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You obviously don't understand Imperium Diplomacy
"You... you murdered Discus!"
"He was a heretic demagogue and had to be purged for the safety of your, erm, race"
"You shoved a chainsaw through his stomach! You monster!"
*revs chainsword*
"He was a heretic demagogue and had to be purged for the safety of our race, lord Space Marine."
2476264 Point taken.
Lightning Dust smiled back at him. “No problem at all. Just a little payback.”
You lil' piece of Xeno filth! You should be listed for Exterminatus...immediately!
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What do you mean about the alicorns being the true cause of Discus' madness? Because I really, really hope you are not going "the alicorns are evil" in this story. I hate that.
Assuming you are not going that route, I will stick with this to the bitter end, unless you go all grimdark on us. Because as it is now, it is awesome.
Wait, I just realized, I might not have been completely observant, but if the pegasi overpowered Macer and got him down, shouldn't he have gone down on knees or back and then gone through the clouds?