Chapter 8
FRIENDSHIP IS SANCTIONED
by Blue Legend/Thirdstring Overlord
-----
CHAPTER EIGHT
You cannot stop it, the eagle said.
Celestia had discovered what the wicked ones were about to accomplish. She had seen their coming crimes flash before her eyes, and knew that the spell wouldn't stop them.
The ruins...the flames...her sister in pain...
They came from a dying galaxy ruled by war and evil gods. But there was no curse fueling their deeds. No dark spells or twisted artifacts.
The eagle had told her that there was no way to comprehend the cruelty of his foes. But now that she had seen their souls, she began to understand. They were driven by nothing but hatred. Hatred that they would forever cling to, even as it seared their fingers to the bone. She had never seen anything like it. Not even Nightmare Moon had sunk to such depths of anger and bitterness.
You cannot stop it, he repeated.
Princess Celestia glared at the twin-headed eagle in the corner of the room. Six glowing orbs drifted through the air, slowly orbiting around her like planets. Blue spirals of coruscating energy flowed from her horn into each of the orbs, and they crackled with barely-contained power.
“That's not for you to say,” she said.
They will endure. I am certain of it.
“Are you?” The accusation was acidic and raw in her voice.
Do you think that this is easy for me, alien? Do you think I relish seeing a future I cannot prevent? That I wish to stand back and let this come to pass?
“Why am I supposed to believe you? How do I know you're not just keeping me trapped?”
I am keeping you free! the creature raged. Celestia faltered.
Chaos devours us from within, starting with the subconscious. Only by remaining in the realm of sleep can we contain the infection. I cannot stop you from waking if you so choose, but if you do, the coming horrors will only be magnified a thousandfold.
Celestia sighed, the waves in her luminous mane rippling faster as she slowly shook her head.
“I can't do this much longer.”
The two-headed eagle waited several moments before speaking. There was no readable emotion on either of its faces, but its tone carried compassion.
I know how you feel.
Ponyville, Equestria
0723 hours
Its message finished, the machine skull wavered in midair for a moment before clattering to the ground. Pinkie Pie gave a small gasp of dismay, but Twilight stopped her from running up to it.
“Our foe has made his face known,” said Valesius. “Like many of his kind, his arrogance knows no bounds.”
Princess Luna's stoic expression finally subsided, replaced by a look of concern. “'TIS CLEAR THAT WE REMAIN IN GREAT PERIL,” she thundered, the lingua-vox servitor seamlessly translating her speech into stilted High Gothic. “BUT WE CANNOT FULLY CONSENT TO THIS ALLIANCE.”
“Why not?” Valesius asked, his tone neutral.
Macer could see movement at the corner of his vision, and saw that more of the winged equinoids had arrived. Their pristine coats of white fur shone like alabaster in the morning sunlight, and they were armored with ornate golden breastplates and helms topped with feather plumes. They quietly landed near their dark-furred counterparts, bolstering their numbers.
“WE FACE A THREAT ENTIRELY BEYOND OUR REALM OF EXPERIENCE. WE KNOW SO LITTLE ABOUT THIS DANGER...AND WHAT OTHER FACES IT MIGHT WEAR,” she said, emphasizing the last few words.
“HOWEVER, WE CANNOT DISMISS THINE OFFER, EITHER. PERHAPS IN THE DAYS TO COME, YOUR AID WILL BE NEEDED. HENCE, WE WILL ALLOW THEE TO REMAIN IN PONYVILLE...BUT ONLY ON ONE CONDITION.”
“Which is?” asked Valesius.
“THAT THOU WILL SUBMIT TO BEING ESCORTED AND MONITORED BY THE ROYAL GUARD.”
Valesius paused, no doubt mulling over the options.
++An outrageous request,++ Bardrik disgustedly subvocalized into the vox network. To an outside observer, his lips barely moved.
++It makes no difference. We already possess the means to evade their surveillance,++ said Albus.
++Like what?++ Bardrik scoffed.
++We are using it right now.++ cut in Dac'an.
++...Ah.++
++Regardless, I will defer to your judgment, Mercury.++ said Albus.
The inquisitor acknowledged his transmission with a subtle nod of his head.
“A reasonable compromise,” Valesius said, turning his attention back to Princess Luna. “We agree to your terms.”
The vox crackled with a wordless groan from Bardrik.
A hint of relief flashed on Luna's face before she began calling to her followers. “VERY WELL, THEN. MESSENGERS! GO FORTH AND RELAY THIS WELCOME NEWS TO THE CITIZENRY. AND TWILIGHT SPARKLE? PERHAPS THOU COULD OFFER THE GOOD INQUISITOR AND HIS COHORTS A TOUR OF PONYVILLE?”
“Sure! I'd...be happy to,” said Twilight Sparkle. Macer could tell by the strain in her voice that she was nowhere near as skilled a liar as Valesius.
“A gracious offer,” said Valesius, in the same blandly polite tone as before. “But first, I suppose I should introduce my companions.”
Macer knew it wasn't just a gesture of formality. The inquisitor was taking a significant risk by allowing the xenos to lead them around, so he was making it clear that he had a loyal band of warriors at his beck and call.
“I bring with me four warriors of the finest degree. They are the Emperor's Space Marines, and they will stop at nothing to bring our enemies to justice.”
“Chaplain Gottfrid Bardrik of the Black Templars,” Valesius said, gesturing towards the scowling Chaplain. So this is how Space Marines sulk, Macer realized.
“Techmarine Orde Dac'an of the Salamanders.” Dac'an nodded subtly, his expression hidden behind his baroque helmet.
“Captain Korbin Albus of the Ultramarines.” Albus betrayed no emotion but his usual determined stoicism, standing tall and ready for any threat.
“Scout-Sergeant Njord Vallin of the Space Wolves.” Valesius nodded in Vallin's direction, prompting him to emerge from the bushes. He plodded slowly towards the squad, each step oozing the vicious certainty of an alpha wolf. The equinoids watched the newcomer fearfully. Although Vallin lacked the raw bulk of his more heavily armored squadmates, he made up for it with his bestial yellow eyes and his fanged grin. Macer noticed Luna leaning over to whisper something to her guards.
“There are also my associates; Tariq Hasim, Master of Arms. And Tybalt Macer, fellow inquisitor.” Macer's breath halted. Since when had he become a bloody inquisitor? He hadn't even wanted to ascend the ranks of the Inquisition. Then it occurred to him: it's all about impressions.
“So,” Valesius said, donning a practiced smile. “Lead us on.”
Ponyville, Equestria
0738 hours
“And right over there...” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “...is my home, Sugarcube Corner! Best place in Ponyville to satisfy a sweet tooth!”
The shop loomed ahead of Twilight and her friends, bedecked with plaster icing and wooden ginger bread. It was a sight to behold, but Twilight was far more interested in reading the faces of the aliens. The two smaller ones—Valesius and Macer—seemed vaguely intrigued, but the Space Marines simply stood there impassively, as if waiting for the tour to just come to an end already. Although reserved, their presence was impossible to ignore. They loomed over the ponies like thunderheads, brimming with menace and power. Every glimpse of them made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end.
All of her friends except Pinkie Pie looked just as uneasy. Out of concern for her they had all agreed to go along with the tour, but Twilight knew they had other things they needed to get around to doing, as well. The invasion had brought a wave of fear to Ponyville, and preparations needed to be made.
“Sounds delightful,” Valesius remarked. “Although I'm afraid I'm not feeling particularly peckish.”
“Oh...” Pinkie said, her hair deflating slightly. “I just thought you'd wanna see the place where Mister Floats--”
“'Mister Floats?'” inquired the inquisitor.
“You know, the floaty-skully-thingy. Couldn't get enough of the vanilla--”
“Wait,” chimed in Dac'an. “Are you saying the servo-skull visited you?”
“Yeah! He went up to me and Twilight last night and did this really weird red glowy thing. You shoulda seen it!”
“So it scanned you. Interesting,” Valesius said. “It seems our enemies had designs on you from the start.” He regarded the other four ponies. “Did anyone else see anything...unusual before the attack?”
“Nothing I remember,” said Rainbow Dash, while the others shook their heads.
Valesius frowned. “Even so, I think my hypothesis still holds. Is there any reason why you six were the targets of this raid? Your connections to the Princess, perhaps?”
Finally Rarity spoke up, the slight quaver in her voice telling Twilight that she was having trouble staying around the aliens. “Well, I suppose there is the matter of the Elements of Harmony.”
Something unpleasant gleamed in Valesius's eyes. It was the look of a dragon who had just stumbled into a cave of diamonds.
“Oh? Elaborate,” he said.
Twilight shifted on her hooves uncomfortably. “It's a complicated story. Maybe we could talk about it later,” she said.
Valesius stopped in his tracks and looked down.
“I am an inquisitor,” he smiled. “I'm quite used to complicated stories. Now, I'm going to ask again. What are these 'Elements of Harmony'?”
“You have no right to demand that information,” growled the lead royal guard.
Valesius paused for a moment before nodding his head contritely. “Aye, I overstep my bounds as a guest. My apologies,” he said, walking onward.
“No! It's okay,” Twilight Sparkle assured him. “It's just something that takes time to explain.”
Suddenly a wave of dizziness passed over her. Her exhaustion was starting to catch up with her now that the adrenaline had worn off. Worst of all, though, was the thirst. Her throat felt raw and parched. The sun beat down heavily on her fur, filling her mind with images of tall glasses of iced tea and mugs of cider.
“Hey,” she called, desperately trying to keep herself from toppling over. “Maybe we should find a place to sit down somewhere.”
“Sugarcube Corner! Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie called. Twilight let out a forced laugh, her cheeks turning red.
“Well, maybe not there. How about--” Twilight started to say.
“Oh no. Your friend's enthusiasm is infectious,” Valesius said. “Besides, I'd like to visit the place where this all began.”
Ponyville, Equestria
0739 hours
++The Royal Guard has allowed us to proceed with fortifying the town's defenses. We're moving the sensors and gun-servitors to key positions.++ Hasim's voice crackled on the vox.
++Acknowledged.++ Albus voxed back.
This is a place that strains belief, he reflected yet again. Only one month ago he had been leading his team into the bowels of the Larshelm underhive, tracking a possible genestealer infestation. Now he was being led to a pastry shop by colorful horse-like creatures who assumed that he genuinely wanted to help them. Clearly, fate had a strange sense of humor.
“Mrs. Cake? Mr. Cake? Are you there?” the alien named Twilight Sparkle called. There was no answer from behind the locked door.
She looked to the rest of the group, frowning uncertainly. “I guess they haven't gotten back yet.”
The one named Pinkie Pie seemed greatly distressed by this. “Oh no, oh no, oh no! What if they tried to come back, but then they got snatched and carried off to Bad Guy Land!” she yelled, rearing up on her back legs.
Before she could burst through the door, Valesius stopped her. “Wait,” he said. “We don't know what's in there. Let us handle this. Macer? If you wouldn't mind.”
With a sigh he thought was inaudible, Macer strode up to the door and kicked it open, his revolver held at ready.
Several things happened at once. A bucket of silty water toppled onto the scribe's head, drenching his robe and granting him a peculiar new helmet. Immediately a plump equinoid sprang from the shop's gloomy interior, wielding a broom like a polearm.
“Yaaah!” the alien roared, bashing the reeling scribe with laudable courage but little skill. “Take that, you hooligan! And that! And that and that and...”
Before the first cry of “take that”, Albus had snapped his bolter up to his shoulder. The only thing preventing him from gunning down the xeno was the risk of shooting Macer as well. Dimly he realized that his quick-draw had not gone unnoticed: judging by their bulging eyes and gaping mouths, the other xenos realized the imminent danger their comrade was in.
“Mrs. Cake! These are our friends!” Twilight cried. The broom-brandishing xeno halted mid-swing, her eyes wide with panic and confusion.
“Your friends?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes! They saved us from the invaders!” said Twilight.
“You can trust 'em!” Pinkie added. “They've got the Pinkie seal of approval!”
Mrs. Cake lowered her broom but did not drop it. She turned her head to look back inside the shop.
“Honey! I think you can come out now.”
Another equinoid trotted up to the doorway, an awkward-looking creature wearing an equally awkward-looking striped uniform.
“Uh...Hey! Sorry about the little mishap with the trap and all. Just got a little carried away with protectin' the homestead!” he said, laughing nervously while Macer pulled the bucket off his head.
Pinkie Pie was the only one who returned the laugh.
Mrs. Cake cast her eyes downward. “We let you down, Pinkie. We wanted to stay with you, but we got so worried about the foals...”
“No apologies necessary!” Pinkie Pie chirped, bouncing inside the shop. “Now let's let bygones be bygones, and get this party started!”
“For the third time, Pinkie, this isn't a party!” said Twilight Sparkle.
“Oh? What is it?” she asked, sounding honestly curious.
“An...emergency meeting...thing.”
Ponyville, Equestria
0740 hours
Several royal guards followed the six xenos, marching off to the sides of the room to watch their human guests from a distance. Macer and Valesius entered after them. Dac'an, Bardrik, and Vallin had chosen to remain outside by the entrance, accompanied by their own escort of royal guards.
Captain Albus, however, had decided to follow Valesius. It soon proved to be a claustrophobic experience. With a wince-worthy crunch, Sugar Cube Corner finally admitted its first Space Marine guest. Ceramite boots that had crushed dozens of Tyranid skulls thudded heavily against the wood flooring, stamping in permanent tread-prints.
“My apologies,” Albus said curtly as he glanced back at the splintered door frame. The statement was nothing but a formality.
Mr. Cake gulped. “Don't worry about it.”
Albus ignored him and surveyed the room, the ceiling squealing in protest as his armored, hunched shoulders scraped it. Although the furnishings were clearly built for creatures half the size of humans, it resembled many of the confectionery shops seen on wealthier hive-worlds. A polished counter sat on the far side of the room, flanked by a glass display case that flaunted a row of decadent pastries. Numerous simple tables and stools were arranged around the room, and Valesius was doing his best to look dignified while sitting by one of the larger tables. The effect was much like an adult trying to balance on a child's chair.
Twilight Sparkle and her friends sat across from him, also looking rather uncomfortable.
“I better get you guys some refreshments,” Mr. Cake said nervously, and quickly disappeared into a back room with his spouse. Albus's auto-senses picked up snatches of the couple's whispered conversation, relaying them to the servitor for translation and broadcast.
alien invasion--
oh no oh no what are we going to do--
sure she has it under control--
how could you possibly call this control this is--
“So, what can you tell me about yourselves?” Valesius said, smiling faintly at the six creatures gathered before him.
Applejack blinked. “'Pardon?”
“You've given us a splendid tour of this place, this...Ponyville. But I confess that what I want to learn more about is, well, you.”
“What are you saying?” Twilight Sparkle said.
Valesius's smile deepened. “I want to learn more about you six. If these 'Elements of Harmony' are a sensitive subject,” he said, glancing at the guards standing by the door, “then so be it. But I'm starting to believe that there is something very important about you. In fact, I suspect that our meeting was not a random one.”
“You have a Pinkie Sense, too?” Pinkie Pie said breathlessly.
Valesius chuckled as the other xenos blushed. “Not quite. To be direct, I believe that a higher power has guided us to you.”
Twilight Sparkle seemed both transfixed and disturbed. “What led you to think that?”
“We crash-landed only a few kilometers away from your village. Just close enough for us to arrive in the middle of the attack; the perfect time to intervene. Then, after the victory, we discovered that your race speaks in a tongue used by our ancient ancestors.”
Pinkie Pie lolled her tongue out, staring at it in wonder.
“There are even more oddities,” Valesius continued, “but most convincing of all is the fact that we were led here by a prophecy. A prophecy telling of a world bearing six mystical blessings.”
“Like I said, it's a long story,” Twilight said guardedly.
Although many lesser servants of the Imperium would have resorted to threats and torture by now, Albus knew just as well as Valesius that such actions would have simply given them another foe to deal with. Valesius was adept at a different kind of battle than Albus. It was fought with words rather than bolter shells, but it was a battle nonetheless. The inquisitor's feigned politeness was a covert strike, wearing down his opponents' defenses. His apologies were tactical retreats; his changes of subjects flanking maneuvers.
Mr. Cake emerged from the back room, clutching a tray between his teeth that carried several glasses of lemonade and a bowl of sweet-smelling biscuits. “Here you go,” he said, setting it down on the table before quietly trotting off to a staircase on the left.
Twilight thanked him tersely before an undulating purple aura suffused one of the glasses, with the same glow also surrounding her horn. There was the sound of distant chimes and low humming, and the glass gently lifted off the table and up to Twilight's lips. Albus had seen similar effects when the horned xenos fought the rebels, but hadn't given much thought to it until now.
“Fascinating. Are psychic powers common in your race?” asked Valesius.
Albus's lips curled in repulsion. Aliens and psykers were rightfully distrusted by most Imperial warriors, and alien psykers doubly so. He wondered how Valesius was able to hide his contempt so well.
“That's one way to put it,” said Twilight, chuckling awkwardly as she took another sip of her drink. “Mostly we just call it 'magic'. But yeah, all unicorns can use it.”
“And the others cannot?” Valesius asked.
“Nope. Doesn't make being an earth pony any less fun, though!” Pinkie Pie said jovially, poking her head down from above. Before Albus could figure out how she had gotten up there, she was back in her seat, grabbing one of the biscuits and tossing it into her mouth. He suddenly felt a profound urge to scratch his scalp.
From outside there was an abrupt cry of pure, unmitigated outrage. There was only one man in his squad capable of such a vocalization.
Chaplain Gottfrid Bardrik.
Sugarcube Corner, upstairs nursery
One minute earlier
Pumpkin Cake was bored, bored, bored. The tiny foal and her brother Pound Cake had been woken up by a loud boom an hour earlier, and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Mommy and Daddy kept checking on them, like they were really scared about something.
Silly Mommy and Daddy! She and her brother were just fine.
For the umpteenth time that morning, the tiny light-yellow unicorn stood up on her wobbly legs, bracing herself on the side of the crib. She reached out with her magic and tried to grab one of her favorite stuffed animals: Mister Monkey.
Sparks of magical energy jumped from the toy's fake blue fur, but nothing else happened.
“Uuuh,” she whimpered, tears beading in her eyes. Pound Cake sympathized with her, jumping up and down and stomping on the crib's sheets in frustration.
Just in the middle of the third stomp, Pound Cake caught a glimpse of something outside the window.
“Myah!” he exclaimed.
“Goo?” asked Pumpkin Cake. She leaned over to the other side of the crib, craning her neck to peer over the windowsill. Pound Cake boosted her up to get a better look.
On the street below, the silliest creature Pumpkin Cake had ever seen was strolling around. He was tall and bulky, with a big bald rubbery head like a hardboiled egg. There were a few others that looked like him standing nearby, and he was talking to them with an Angry Face. Her beady eyes twinkled with delight, a giggle escaping her lips. She decided to call him Mister Angry Egg Head.
“Boogah uu!” said Pumpkin Cake, explaining her plan. She reached out with her magic again, somehow undoing locks on a window that had been guaranteed to be child-proof. The window swung open, letting in the cool morning air and the sound of Mister Angry Egg Head talking in an Extra Angry Voice.
Pound Cake squeaked with approval, boosting her up further to perch on top of the windowsill. The goofy creature had paced over to the front door of Sugarcube Corner, just below the window.
There was a frantic patter of hooves. “Don't!” shouted Daddy's voice from a short distance behind. Neither of the siblings noticed.
Pumpkin Cake grinned. Now this was going to be fun. With one final “Uuuh!”, she sprang out of the window, Pound Cake jumping shortly after her. After all, the the best way to get a chance to poke Mister Angry Egg Head's face would be to land on his shoulders.
Time went by in slow motion. Suddenly the giant moved ever so slightly out of the way, leaving them to land on nothing but bare ground. The wind rushing against her tiny face, Pumpkin Cake gathered her magical reserves, trying to control her fall.
Nothing happened.
“Wuuuh!” she squealed in terror. Pound Cake cried out, too; his wings weren't slowing him down enough! The two were headed for a Big Squish on the ground below!
++Which is precisely why I loathe them so!++ Bardrik spat over the comm-link.
Dac'an tilted his head. Bardrik could easily imagine the Salamander's reprimanding gaze beneath his helmet, and it made him clench his teeth.
++You let your wrath control you, Brother-Chaplain. Great responsibility has been put into our hands. Ignore it, and we will all suffer the consequences.++
The argument was interrupted by a sudden shrill cry.
“Wuuuh!”
Bardrik glanced upwards, seeing two blurred shapes plummeting from above. Reflexes bred over hundreds of endless training exercises kicked in, and his hands shot upwards, catching them in mid-fall.
“Angy!” one of the objects squealed. Baffled, he lowered his hands to gaze at what he had caught. A tiny yellow equinoid stared up at him. It was easily small enough to fit in his palm, its bright blue eyes wide with wonder. “Angy eggy hed!” it squeaked, reaching its contemptible little hooves towards his face. A cream-colored xeno sat in his other hand, the same look of awe written on its features.
“Angy!” it chirped, echoing its companion.
If the Chaplain had frowned any deeper, it would have split his jaw from his face. He cried out in disgust, ready to hurl these hellions into the upper atmosphere.
“You saved them!” a voice cried. “Oh, thank you!”
He whirled around to see a pudgy blue equinoid trotting out of the shop, beaming up at him in gratitude. Macer, Valesius, Albus, and the six xenos followed closely behind.
“I knew it!” the despicable little ball of fluff named Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “He's a hero!”
Rage burned in his mind. To be seen as some sort of protector to these aliens was infuriating enough. But to be hailed as their hero...
It made him want to take the fire burning in his mind and release it outwards, expressing it through nothing but bashes of his crozius and incendiary bolts from his plasma pistol. It made him want to become an elemental force of anger, scouring the taint from these lands until all was pure ash.
But he couldn't move. Many eyes were upon him. Some of belonged to the foul aliens, looking at him with their eyes filled with detestable admiration. But what gave him pause were the eyes of his fellow Astartes. What had they seen over the years that had led them to such unorthodoxy?
Surely their souls remained pure. There was Dac'an, who--despite his many peculiarities--was an admirable warrior. Vallin, whose sharp mind had saved his life too many times to count. Albus, with a record of stalwart service he could ever match. And other eyes watched him still. He could not bear to bring further dishonor to Rogal Dorn, his sacred liege. And certainly the Emperor was judging his every action.
Suddenly he no longer felt the xeno younglings in his hands. Instead, he felt the terrible weight of responsibility. If he let his anger out, whatever gratification he would feel would be promptly drowned out by his failure. He would prove exactly what he knew his squadmates feared about him: that he was a spiteful ogre of a man, hiding his ignorance under a veneer of faith.
As much as he hated it, he could not vent his rage. Instead, he kneeled down and set the two little xenos on the ground. They continued to stare up at him in wonder, and he reminded himself again that they had no impact on his decision.
“Do not mistake me for a hero, alien,” he said to Pinkie Pie as he stood up. “I simply acted on my reflexes.” Out of the corner of his eye he caught an approving nod from Captain Albus, dampening his anger further.
“Reflexes, schmeflexes!” said Pinkie Pie while Mrs. Cake scooped up the young ones. “Why don't you come on inside? We've got enough cookies to make your head spin!” she said, doing exactly that.
Bardrik cocked his eyebrow. Was she some sort of witch? She certainly had the strangeness of a warp-dabbler. Silently he followed the Imperials and the equinoids inside, with Vallin and Dac'an opting to still remain outside.
This xeno needs to be watched, he resolved, doing his best to dislike the odor of the freshly baked confections lying on the table before him.
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God I hope Bardrik ends up liking Equestria so much he doesn't want to leave. That always happens to characters like him.
Also, the image of an eight foot tall Space Marine trying to fit through a pony sized doorway never gets old. Same with Space Marines and cupcakes.
Should that be Gottfried? And is my memory dodgy or is Bardrik the name of a Space Wolves character?
Ah, yes. Bardrik's account on Pinkie makes sense; all Equestrians would be considered psykers in the eyes of the Imperium.
What luck!
I sign on just in time to see this update! Huzzah!
In any case, it's even more better that you are using the Deathwatch, my favorite bunch of guys in the Imperium
I eagerly await the next installment -Fear the Alien -Hate teh Alien -Kill the alien, as it were. in this case though, possibly 'be enraged by the alien's naivety'
I applaud you good sir.
1767337
The unusual spelling is intentional. As for the name Bardrik, I can't say I recall a Space Wolf character with that name. Maybe you're thinking of Berek?
In any case, thank you all for the comments. A special shout-out to Verbose Soubriquet, the illustrious author of Courage and Honour and Friendship, who did the final proofreading for the chapter.
Oh god, that cover image...
There are not nearly enough Black Templar stories like this one.
Keep up the good work!
I wonder what mystical mojo Celestia is cooking up with those enchanted spheres? She was never one to sit by in a crisis without intervening herself or putting some plan in motion.
Also I can't help but notice that Equestria bares some similarities to what the Imperium would classify as a Daemon World. It is cut off from the Warp but perhaps once upon a time, before the Warp became truely Chaotic, there existed a connection. Real space would mingle with the Immaterium and the whispering of the souls and psyches of the entire galaxy helped make Equestria what it now is. Equestria and its's Ethos/Magics may well have started off/been seeded with little more that the lost dream of a young girl somewhere in the Milky Way. In fact there may have been many of these 'Dream Worlds' (precursors to the Daemon Worlds) prior to the rise of Chaos. Though, it is unlikely that any of the others managed to isolate themselves in the manner that Equestria did. They all were likely corrupted into Daemon Worlds or outright destroyed. I wonder if the Elements were in someway associated with any of these worlds prior their destruction.
Anyway, regardless of my own musings/none too subtle suggestions, great story so far.
1775680
Ah, I love it when I get people speculating. I can't say if your theory is close to the true backstory or not, but I can say that it's quite well thought-out. Thanks.
Ok this story is great so far. I just want to do this
*Ahem*
SPESS MARINES!
That is all
1844540
I can only reply with this:
1845225 HOW HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS UNTIL NOW?
TELL ME HOW
as much as I like this story i must admit, i keep getting Bardrik confused not with other space marines, but the Ork Kaptin Badrukk
This story is great, clad i found it.
It's usually a good sign for a story when the first time I look away from my screen night has fallen and I'm finishing chapter 7
. Thank you for posting this 
1773020
Yeah, nice part is their the easiest models to convert to Deathwatch. Just take a HQ Solo and switch out a pad and the bolter. Their default color is Black! XD
I love how you torture the poor Chaplain xD
I'm surprised Bardrik's head didn't straight up and explode there.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/7/4/31212__safe_princess+luna_human_crossover_warhammer+40k_space+marine_blood+ravens_astartes+pattern+baldness_canterlock_spess+mahreen.jpg