//------------------------------//
// The battle for the Everfree  
// Story: Blood ravens: Crashlanding in Equestria. 
// by ThatRarityIsaSpy 
//------------------------------//

“Captains, we have spotted natives along the forest. There’s about a thousand of them.” A scout said to Thule and Angelos. “From the way they are dressed I suppose that they are an army.” 
“So the xenos now wants a fight?” Thule said. “We’ll give them one. Alert all battle-brothers. We have some killing to do. You take charge or I take charge?” 
“You’re turn. I have my doubts about fighting as do a few other battle-brothers. But in the end we do need to protect ourselves and make sure the damned aliens know not to bother us.” Angelos said. 
“Excellent, it seems last night wasn’t enough to convince them that we the Emperor’s finest were not to be trifled with. Perhaps now they’ll learn.” 




If he was going to be honest with himself, Shining Armor really didn’t know what he was going to be getting into. He had taken an entire regiment or about 1500 guards ponies with him. It was this, the large number of guards he had at his disposal that comforted him and made him feel comfortable about going to fight the aliens. 

Knowing about the heavy weapons that made big explosions, Shining Armor had decided to spread his army out to counter this. Speed was of essence due to the fact that almost 2/3 of his army would rely on melee. The unicorns with their magical bolts would provide support while the pegasi could strike from the skies with sharp wing-blades and javelins. 




“Enemy army approaching. They are about 900 meters away. Estimated time of arrival: 3 minutes.” 
Martellus said. 
“Finally, a chance to kill.” Said a wrathful devastator sergeant. 
“Always the blood thirsty one.” Said Tarkus as he got into position behind a rock with Avitus and Martellus. 

While Shining armor had almost no data on the space marines, Thule had already extensive knowledge of everything in Shining’s army. Like Shining armor, he had spread his forces out so he could pin them down. To him and his officers, his plan was ingenious. 


“Captain Thule, Xenos are about 400 meters away.” Martellus voxed to Thule. 
“Excellent, engage on my mark.” He said and began to count. 

“Blazing glory.” Shining said to the pegasus next to him. “Take a look ahead of us, I don’t like this.” 
“Will do Captain.” The pegasus said as he flew over to the hiding spots of the space marines. 

“Captain, we got a scout incoming.” Tarkus said. “Orders?” 
“Kill it. If it alerts the enemy, then so be it.” Thule replied. “After you do that, you have permission to engage.” 
“Cyrus, take it out!” Tarkus voxed. Just as the words left his mouth, a shot rang out sending the pegasus down to the ground instantly dead. 

To Shining Armor, what happened next was complete chaos. He was at the rear directing his troops and could see things from a spyglass. From behind any good hiding spot, he saw the space marines burst out of hiding and beginning to attack his pones. This shouldn't be too hard considering their terrible strategy as well as their few numbers. 

“I am going to lead them at the front.” Shining armor said putting on his helmet and rushed forth. 

“Take a look at that one....” Jonah Orion said pointing at Shining Armor. “That alien’s psychic abilities are very powerful.” 
“Cyrus. Can you see an alien in purple armor? He seems to be of a leader type. Take him out.” Thule said over the vox channel. 
Cyrus cooly aimed his sniper rifle at Shining Armor’s head and pulled the trigger. What he didn’t expect however was a giant purple shield that blocked his bullet. 

“Target has not been eliminated.” Cyrus voxed back to Thule. “It is using some type of psychic shield.” 
“Understood.” Thule said. Only a minor setback. “Thaddeus, are you ready?” 
The assault marine and his battle brothers had stayed out of the battle. Thule’s strategy was to have his marines pin down the enemy so when Thaddeus assualt marines came crashing down upon them, they would be attacked from all sides. 

“Ready captain.” Thaddeus said. 
“Good, go get them.” Thule said. 
Thaddeus readied his jumppack and went soaring into the sky and came crashing back down right in the middle of several guardponies swinging his chainsword at them. 

If he was going to be honest with himself, Thaddeus truly didn’t want to kill any of these ponies but he had orders to follow and battle brothers to aid so... diving headlong in the largest mob of guardsponies, he swung his chainsword scoring many kills. 

The scene soon turned to chaos. If Equestria was going to be honest, most royal guards had about as much training as a low-budget mall cop and most of the weapons that were used by the ponies simply lacked in just stopping power when used against the space marines. The space marines on the other hand had the finest armor and weapons in the galaxy to use against these tiny xenos. 

Shining Armor looked up grimly as he watched anther squad of the royal guard getting massacred. The situation was not looking good for him. Everywhere his ponies were being massacred and to make matters worse, the aliens seemed not to even be taking casualties. The javelins and arrows used by the royal guard proved to be ineffective as did most of the magic used by the unicorns. Little by little, his army thinned out . 

Avitus stood at the top of the rock and continued firing into the giant crowd with his battle brothers. Somewhere, something in the back of his mind, was telling him to kill. It demanded more deaths as he mustered his hate. Hate for xenos. He had just cut down another dozen of these xenos when he saw plainly in view was probably their leader. A tall white stallion. Taking his heavy bolter, he aimed right at Shining armor who performed a shield spell that saved not only himself, but anyone next to him from the hail of bolter fire. This didn't stop Avitus at all, he only redoubled his efforts as he continued to send a deadly rain of bolter fire upon Shining Armor. 

The shield wasn’t going to last for long under this heavy fire and Shining Armor’s mind began to race. Deciding to take a gambit, Shining Armor lowered his shield to fire several magical blasts straight at Avitus who in turn had to stop firing and move out of the way to avoid being hit. In doing so, his shield dropped and a bullet made it's way into the skull of the pony next to him. 


Cyrus smiled grimly as he fired from his sniper rifle again causing even more panic among his enemies. They couldn't even see him let alone fight him. He watched as a marine with a flame incinerate several of the xenos unrelentingly while an assault marine engaging as much as eight of the aliens at the same time cutting them to ribbons once at a time. 

Shining Armor could see this battle was turning to disaster. He had already lost hundreds of his own soldiers and the aliens seemingly had not lost a single one of theirs. He felt a cold rage beginning to engulf him as he sent a awfully large and bright beam straight into a random marine which struck squarely on the chest causing him to fall over on his back. 

“Did you just see that?” Jonah Orion said pointing at the marine who fell. Only a moderate injury at worst yet the force of the attack was surprising and so was the large burn mark on his chest plate. 
“Not much of a threat.” Thule said. “Why these little primitives chose to fight us is....” 
His sentence was cut short when another large beam came flying at his direction, which almost took his head off, barely missing by a few inches. 

Shining Armor had long identified Thule and Jonah leader figures to these aliens. The regalia Thule wore was distinctive, and he seemed to be the one giving the orders. Mustering up his strength Shining Armor fired more bolts..... while the most he did was give moderate, perfectly recoverable injuries to the random marine, it was enough to warrant Thule’s attention as well as Jonah’s. 

“That one over there knows how to fight.” Avitus said pointing at Shining as he saw the equine dodge out of harm’s way from a marine’s knife and force him back with a hailstorm of magical bolts. “He would make a worthy foe for you librarian.” 
“If you insist.” Jonah Orion said as he went into the fray sending several bolts of lighting at anypony who got in his way. 

Shining Armor made note that Jonah was fighting his way to him. So deciding that maybe he could give his men an opening if he killed one of their leaders. Making his way through he went to meet Jonah Orion. 

Jonah Orion truly did admire the bravery of this little alien. He sensed that it was a very powerful psyker, the only one who seemed to be able to do any form of moderate harm to the space marines. Maybe he could sharpen his skills against this brave little thing. To a point, he would almost regret killing the thing. 

Jonah made the first move by sending bolts of lightning straight at Shining Armor. This was more of test of his opponents abilities than an actual first strike, this simple strike was used for the sole purpose of evaluating Shining’s strength. 

And of course, Jonah wouldn’t be disappointed, for Shining repelled this attack with ease while firing a few bolts of his own back at Jonah who in turn defended himself expertly. 



“It’s such a shame a good fighter like that is forced to work with an army of fools.” Thule said admiring Shining Armor’s fighting skills. 
“As the space wolves commonly said. It’s not the size of a wolf in a fight, but the size of the fight in the wolf.” Tarkus said watching the fight between Jonah and Shining Armor. Shining Armor was holding his own in this fight, and while not a single space marine had been killed, it gave his seriously demoralized soldiers what they needed to keep fighting seeing that their leader was holding his own against a big hulking alien who fired lightning from his finger tips 

“He truly does know how to fight and handle himself.” Cyrus said. “Permission to kill?” 
“No. Let Jonah test himself.” Thule said still watching the fight. "I am rather fascinated by this." 

Telekinetically picking up a tree trunk, Shining quickly began to attempt to beat the Librarian with it. All these swings missed, save for the last one which sent Jonah flying back into another tree. Seizing this chance, Shining Armor began to fire magical bolts at the Librarian. 

The bolts scorched sections of his armor, but did in reality little harm. Jonah then deciding caused a tree branch to fall which swung right at Shining Armor knocking him on his back. Picking up a discarded bolter, Jonah repeatedly fired right at the unicorn who shielded himself from all the bolts until the bolter ran out ammo. Discarding the bolter once again, Jonah began to strike at Shining with some basic psychic attacks which gradually caused Shining armor to back up into the ranks of his own men. This however, was exactly what Jonah and most likely any space marine that knew what he was doing wanted. 

Jonah sent a wave of fear right at the heart of Shining Armor. The visions that he made the unicorn see were jarring to say the least. Taking this opportunity of when Shining was in shock, Jonah sent the full force of Emperor’s wrath straight at his him sending him flying straight back several dozen feet landing in a heap at the center of his men. 

This broke all the morale that the equestrians had to fight. Shining Armor was the one thing that had inspired them to fight and now he lay critically injured. Quickly they seized up his unconscious and injured body and ran away. 

“Well, that surely was fun while it lasted.” Avitus said. “Should we pursue and destroy?” 
“No. They had enough and I don’t  intend on pressing our advantage.” Thule replied. “Jonah, did you sense any other power Psykers out there?” 
“There was more than I could count. This planet is crawling with them.” The librarian replied. “He may be a damned xenos, but at least he had the courage and skill to face me.” 
“Good. Angelos just voxed and said we have most of our heavy equipment now.” Thule said. “Let’s return. Status of our forces?” 
“No deaths.” Martellus said. “Several injuries however.” 
“Good. I want the wounded taken to the apothecary immediately.” Thule said taking a look at the blood soaked ground littered with the dead, the dying or just body parts and organs. “Today must be a day of mourning for the Xenos.” He said with satisfaction as he got up and returned back to the castle. 




“Uhh.... my head.....” Shining groaned as he woke up on a stretcher right outside of the hospital. “How did it go... lieutenant?” He said to the pony sitting by him. 
“It was a disaster. Over half of our forces were slain and our troops reported that they didn’t kill any of the aliens. We really broke ranks and ran after you were knocked unconscious. You’re lucky you didn’t break anything. You did however suffer a concussion.” The lieutenant said. 

Shining Armor nodded sadly. Centuries of peace had made Equestria underprepared for anything like this. Not only had inferior weapons caused them to lose the battle, so did their poor military training and tactics. Any pegasus who got close was hammered to a bloody pulp while most unicorns were singled out and destroyed by a hidden enemy. The worst part however was realization finally began to dawn on him. It was he who had gave this order to attack the aliens and it is now his fault that half of an entire regiment lay dead with many others wounded. He looked up to the sky and began pondering for a long time, but then something broke his concentration. 

“Am I dreaming now or was that just a pink cloud?” He said to himself. 
“What was that?” 
“Nothing. I just thought I saw something. That’s all.”