A Light from the Shadows Shall Spring

by Soul Spark

Chapter 1 - Revelations

Deep in the far reaches of space, an invisible, spherical barrier stood guard, surrounding a region of space over a light-year in diameter. Forged from the energies of the Immaterium itself, the barrier separated the calm psychic space inside from the hellish Warp outside. Its outermost layer rotated at superluminal speeds, generating and sustaining a sizable Warp storm around itself, both concealing its presence and dissuading any starfaring beings from approaching. It had remained intact for over ten thousand years now.

But nothing lasts forever. The passage of time and lack of maintenance had taken its toll on the construct's integrity, and the psychic energy contained inside had gradually built up to the point that it now strained the barrier to the breaking point.

On the surface of the one inhabited planet within the protected sphere, a powerful burst of love erupted. The purely psychic component of the resulting shockwave cascaded through the Immaterium many times faster than the speed of light. Its force had greatly diminished by the time it struck the inner surface of the barrier, but that was all it took. The sphere began to ripple and vibrate with increasing intensity, spelling its imminent failure.

Several hours later, the barrier shattered.

The mass of psychic energy contained within exploded outward like water from a burst dam, rapidly sweeping away the Warp storm that had been raging around it and expanding to over a dozen times its original diameter. The dark violet and blood red cyclone of the Warp storm was quickly displaced by a smaller, softly glowing, multi-colored pseudo-nebula. Finally, the psychic light of the two godlike entities living on the inhabited world burst forth in all directions, soon becoming visible to every Navigator within a ten thousand light-year radius, effectively creating a second Astronomican.

In that singular moment, the future of Equestria changed forever.

Canterlot, Equestria
Friday, 9:37 PM

Princess Celestia walked into her personal chambers, sighing as she telekinetically closed the doors behind her. It had been a long day, and she needed a warm cup of tea to soothe her nerves. The white alicorn walked to the small kitchen area of her room, reflecting on the day's events as she began preparing her tea. Although Queen Chrysalis had been stopped and Princess Cadence, her niece, and Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle's brother and Captain of the Royal Guard, were now happily married, the fact that the changeling had so easily slipped her notice was greatly disturbing. And the fact that her Twilight, her star pupil, had caught onto the doppelganger's off behavior filled her with both pride for her student and shame for rebuking her when she called Chrysalis out, although Twilight hadn't exactly responded to the situation in the most rational manner, even if she was right. Celestia sighed. “Perhaps my age is finally getting to me,” she thought to herself.

But she knew that beating herself up over the issue wouldn't help anything, so she simply resolved to be more vigilant in the future. “It probably wouldn't hurt to start practicing my combat magic again as well,” she mentally added. After her tea was finished, she walked to her small wooden table and took a seat on a nice, soft pillow, bringing her tea set with her. She poured the steaming beverage into her cup, smiling as the warm aroma filled the air around her. “Perfect,” she thought contently as she levitated the cup to her lips.

The psychic shockwaves struck Celestia without warning. Caught completely off guard, she cried out sharply, dropping her teacup and gripping the sides of her head with her forehooves in blinding pain as her venerable mind was buffeted from all directions. Overcoming the initial shock a couple seconds later, she focused her magic and erected a psychic bubble shield, blocking out the brunt of the waves. Still, her magical senses were so acute and the reverberations were so intense that she could feel them pulsing all around her. After less than half a minute, the waves finally subsided.

Meanwhile, within one of the palace lounges, the six Element Bearers plus Spike were having a lively chat about the day's events.

“So then, the fake Cadence cast a spell to imprison me in the caves beneath Canterlot, where she also imprisoned the real Cadence” Twilight Sparkle recounted. “I had never even heard of caverns like that under the city until then. They were filled with crystal and gem formations.”

Spike perked up at that last part. “Ohhh man, that sounds delicious,” he replied, positively salivating at the thought of such a place, as gemstones were a staple of his diet as a dragon.

“Ugh, that sounds positively dreadful, being stuck in a dark, dank cave like that!” Rarity replied in her usual dramatic tone.

“Well the caves themselves are quite fascinating,” Twilight replied. “Still, it wasn't a fun experience at the time, and we had a hard time finding our way out.”

“Heh, if I had been there with you, I would have found a way to bust out of there in no time!” Rainbow Dash boasted.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Not to burst your bubble Dash, but if the smartest unicorn we know had trouble findin' her way out, I'm pretty sure you would have had a hard time of it too,” she drawled in reply.

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Way to put a pegasus down, AJ...still, I guess you have a point,” she conceded grudgingly.

“Ooh! Ooh! Spelunking sounds really fun! We should totally go visit those caves later!” Pinkie Pie bubbled excitedly.

“Um...well, I'm just glad that you made it out okay,” Fluttershy spoke softly.

Twilight chuckled. “Thanks, Fluttershy. And that sounds like a great idea, Pinkie Pie. To think that such a place was hidden under the city this whole time is just incredible! The mineral formations inside seemed highly attuned to magic as well. I'd love to go back and collect some samples for resear-”

Twilight was suddenly cut off as the psychic waves struck her, yelping in surprise and pain as she felt the sudden onset of a pronounced headache, particularly around her horn. She shut her eyes tightly and groaned, gripping her forehead with her front hooves. She quickly realized that it wasn't a regular headache; it was being triggered by some kind of massive magical disturbance. Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened her eyes and saw Rarity gripping her head and moaning in pain as well.

“What in Celestia's name-” Twilight began to say when Pinkie Pie squealed, drawing her attention. Pinkie's entire body was vibrating as fast as a humming bird's wings. It lasted for a whole three seconds.

“HOLY GUACAMOLE!!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Something BIG just happened! Something way, WAY doozier than the last doozy!”

Applejack then spoke up. “If I didn't know better, I'd say that some of that Pinkie Sense has rubbed off on me, 'cause I got a wicked case of the heebee-jeebees right now,” she said as she fidgeted uncomfortably, looking around nervously in a futile attempt to locate the source of her anxiety.

“Y-yeah, me too,” Rainbow Dash admitted reluctantly, her body twitching and her wings jerking open and closed in a uneven fashion. Fluttershy simply buried her face in a pillow, covering her head with her forehooves as her entire body shivered uncontrollably. Even Spike was affected. He curled up close to Twilight for security while clutching his forehead, experiencing a mild headache as well as a bout of uneasiness.

Twilight quickly erected her a magic bubble shield in response, encompassing everyone in the room. Their symptoms stopped almost instantly, and Twilight dropped the barrier once she felt the psychic pressure on it subside.

“Is everypony okay?” Twilight asked worriedly. They all nodded affirmatively, although they appeared pretty shaken. Even Pinkie Pie seemed more concerned than usual.

“Oh, that was simply awful!” Rarity commented with genuine distress in her voice.

“What WAS that anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head. “I'm not sure, but Pinkie Pie is right. Whatever happened, it was definitely something big.” It then occurred to her that whatever had affected them had almost certainly affected everypony else, possibly even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. “There's a chance that somepony might have been hurt by what we just felt,” Twilight followed up. “I think we should go check on the others in the palace, just in case.”

The other five ponies nodded in agreement, with Spike electing to stick with Twilight like usual. They took a moment to discuss where each of them would go before they all left the lounge and scattered in different directions.

Back in Celestia's chambers, the white alicorn gasped heavily, her mind racing as she tried to process what had just transpired. In all her years, she had never felt a disturbance of such magnitude. She then felt someone trying to establish a telepathic link with her. It was her sister, Luna. Celestia opened her mind to the link, allowing it to connect.

“Sister! Art thou alright?! Did you feel it too?!” Luna asked worriedly.

Celestia smiled. “Don't worry Luna, I'm okay,” she replied reassuringly. “And yes, I felt it very clearly. Is everyone else alright?” she asked.

“Thank goodness,” Luna mentally breathed in relief. “As for the everyone else, I am not sure. I wanted to check on you first," she replied.

“I appreciate your concern, dear sister, but the safety of our subjects takes first priority," Celestia replied evenly. "Go see to the others in the palace and provide aid if needed. I'll try and figure out what happened in the meantime.”

“Understood,” Luna replied deferentially before closing the link.

Celestia was about to begin searching for the source of the disturbance when she suddenly remembered her niece, Princess Cadence. As an alicorn like herself, she was far more sensitive to psychic energy than even the most powerful unicorn. She was also younger and less experienced in the use of magic than both herself and Luna, so she wouldn't have been able to defend herself from the disturbance as effectively. Even though Shining Armor was with her, along with some of her best guards, Celestia decided to play it safe, focusing on Cadence's psychic signature and establishing a telepathic link with her.

“Cadence, are you alright?” she asked. There was no reply. A cold pit of dread began to set in Celestia's stomach.

She was about to try calling out to her again when Cadence finally responded several seconds later. “Aunt Tia,” she replied somewhat weakly. “Don't worry, I'm okay. I just suddenly had this horrible, splitting headache. Shining Armor had one as well. He said that it was caused by magic, and he put up a shield to protect us and the guards. It seems to be over now though. What happened anyway? Is everypony else alright?”

Celestia sighed in relief, smiling at the mention of Shining Armor's actions. Cadence couldn't have picked a better mate. “I don't know yet, but I'm going to try and find out,” Celestia replied. “I'll make sure to fill you in on what I learn. Until then, just carry on like usual. Also, please thank Shining Armor for me.”

“Alright Aunt Tia, I will. Thank you so much for checking on us,” Cadence replied gratefully before closing the link.

Now calm in the knowledge that her niece was safe, Celestia expanded her magical sense, finely honed after over a millennium of practice, attempting to identify the cause of the disturbance. It was proving to be a difficult task however, as it seemed to have converged on her from everywhere at once. Additionally, a radiant point of psychic light had now made itself visible in the sky. She couldn't feel the presence of any being capable of generating such a potent signature nearby. It must have been both very far away and very powerful, likely even more powerful than herself.

The sight made Celestia remember something from many centuries ago. She had once attempted to project her senses as far away from Equestria as possible, just to see what else was out there. At the time she wasn't capable of sensing all around herself simultaneously farther than the solar system, so she instead projected in a single direction, extending her range immensely. But each time she tried, an invisible wall kept blocking her from perceiving any further. Her range was capped at around half a light-year away in every direction. She knew that the barrier was magical in nature, but she couldn't figure out anything else about it. She had eventually decided to simply drop the issue, since ponykind wasn't going into space anytime soon anyway, much less past their own solar system, and there were more important matters to attend to at the time.

Celestia now wondered if this massive disturbance had something to do with the barrier. She decided test her hypothesis, closing her eyes and willing her magical senses to expand in the direction of the new psychic beacon. Her magic power and her degree of control over it had grown with age, and she could now project her senses outward in a widened cone rather than a single point while still retaining incredible range. Her projection approached the point where it would be blocked off...and passed through without resistance, to Celestia's shock. She turned her projection in several different directions, but her 'vision' remained unhindered. The barrier had disappeared entirely.

“So that's what caused it,” Celestia thought. The princess was both intrigued and deeply concerned about this development. Neither she nor her sister knew anything about who or what made the barrier, what its purpose was, how long it had existed, or what lay beyond it besides stars and dust. But now that it was gone, she felt she had the opportunity to find out. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” she told herself as she began to expand her senses even further, narrowing the scope of her vision to increase its range. She projected further and further, reaching across several light-years of space until she finally reached the edge of Equestria's Warp influence.

What Celestia felt next would be etched in her mind for the rest of her life.

Everything became a howling, writhing maelstrom of pure emotion, almost all of which was negative in the extreme. Unlike the psychic overpressure which she felt earlier, this phenomenon was far more insidious, invading her psyche with feelings of hate, rage, greed, lust, terror, and despair all at the same time. She could hear the tortured screams of lost souls and the vile laughter of the malicious entities which fed upon them. She could feel herself being smothered by their all-consuming hunger. Neither the tyranny of Nightmare Moon nor the callous unpredictability of Discord could compare with the sheer evil that saturated this place. She felt the chaos encroach upon her mind like a predator, ready to devour her whole.

Celestia finally snapped back to reality. She was hyperventilating, her legs trembling weakly and her pristine white coat now matted with cold sweat. She found herself unable to continue standing, falling down on her haunches as she tried to steady her breathing. Not even confronting and banishing her errant sister had shaken her this badly. To think that such nightmarish things existed just outside the barrier...

It finally clicked. That must have been the barrier's purpose: to protect Equestria against the ravening horrors surrounding it.

And now it was gone. There was nothing standing between their world and the nightmares beyond...

“No,” Celestia thought to herself, bringing her fear back under control. There was herself and her sister Luna, as well as the Elements of Harmony and their Bearers. She would not let herself succumb to despair. She was a Princess of Equestria, and she would defend this world and its inhabitants with her life if necessary. Still, it was clear that the space far beyond the solar system posed a very real threat, one that they needed to be prepared for. She spent the next few minutes cleaning herself and the table up before establishing a telepathic link with Luna.

Luna galloped through the palace corridors, checking on various ponies as she went. Everyone seemed to be okay, if a little rattled, and was now keeping an eye out for the Element Bearers as well. As she rounded the next corner, as if on cue, Twilight Sparkle appeared in her field of vision along with her young dragon companion.

“Twilight!” Luna called out as she approached the lavender unicorn at a brisk pace. “Art thou unharmed?”

Twilight immediately turned toward Luna, surprised only for a moment before bowing in respect. “I'm okay, Princess Luna, and so are my friends,” she confirmed. “We split up to check on everypony else. Do you have any idea what's happened?”

Luna shook her head. “I am afraid not. Celestia said she would try to find out. She sent me to make sure the palace occupants were safe. Thankfully this seems to be so, although everypony I have encountered has reported suffering headaches, anxiety and other minor maladies.”

Twilight nodded. “That's exactly what happened with us and everypony we've checked on as well. I'm beginning to wonder if all of Equestria was affected. What should we do now?”

Luna was about to respond when she felt Celestia's telepathic link connect. She gestured for Twilight to wait a moment before closing her eyes and concentrating.

“I am here, sister,” Luna replied.

“Luna, I need you to find the six Element Bearers and bring them to my personal chambers as soon as possible. I've just learned something that all of you need to hear,” Celestia replied solemnly.

Luna paused for a moment to consider the gravity of her sister's tone before replying. “Understood. I shall escort them to you immediately.” Luna then turned her gaze to Twilight again. “I have just spoken with my sister via telepathy. She wants me to bring you and the other Element Bearers to meet her right away. We must make haste and find the rest of your friends.”

Twilight nodded. “We talked about where each of us would go before splitting up. I'll lead you to them.” She then galloped off with Spike on her back and Luna in tow.

Ten minutes later, Princess Luna, Spike and the six Element Bearers strode into Princess Celestia's personal chambers. The white alicorn was sitting down at her table, and had prepared glasses of water for everyone. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” she greeted with a smile. “Please have a seat.” Everyone promptly sat down around the table. Celestia then turned to her sister. “Before we begin, how are the others in the palace doing?” she asked.

“Everypony seems to be okay,” Luna replied. “Although all of them have reported experiencing a general malaise. The unicorns were apparently hit the hardest; they all suffered moderate to severe headaches, but they are otherwise unharmed. We are getting similar reports from all over Canterlot as we speak.”

Celestia nodded, thankful that the disturbance hadn't caused any major harm, at least as far as she knew. Still, her relief was somewhat overshadowed by the dread of what she had to say next. “That's good to hear, but I'm afraid that I have more serious news. I've figured out the cause of the disturbance which affected all of us.” She took a moment to sip some water and gather her thoughts, everyone around her looking at her expectingly. She then turned to Luna again. “Do you remember huge psychic barrier which surrounds this entire solar system?” she asked.

Luna's eyes widened in surprise as the memories came back to her. “I do,” she replied.

Twilight raised her hoof. “Excuse me Princess, a psychic barrier? Around the whole solar system?” she asked, having no knowledge of what Celestia just mentioned.

Celestia nodded. “Indeed. A few centuries before the rise of Nighmare Moon, I and Luna discovered that there was a magic barrier over a light-year in diameter surrounding our entire solar system. It only blocked psychic energy, since comets and asteroids routinely passed through it during their orbits. We had no idea who made it or what it's purpose was. It's quite possible, even likely, that the barrier has existed longer than we have. No one else knew of its existence because only alicorns have the capability to project their magical senses to such extreme ranges. We never told anyone else because there was nothing we could do about it, and we didn't think it was worth worrying everypony over.”

Everyone save for Luna was visibly amazed by this new information. “Ah, Princess?” Applejack spoke up. “Are you saying that this barrier thing has somethin' to do with what happened to everypony just now?”

Celestia smiled. “Very perceptive, Applejack. I believe that this is indeed the case, which brings me to my next point.” She then paused for a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. “The barrier is gone. I believe its disappearance must have created the magic 'pressure waves' that we experienced.”

Everyone stared at Celestia in shock. “But...but how?!” Luna asked in disbelief. “What could have caused such a massive magical construct to simply disappear?!”

Celestia shook her head. “I'm at as much of a loss as you are, sister, but we have a far more pressing problem now. After confirming the disappearance of the barrier, I gazed into the psychic space beyond where the barrier used to be...and it's teeming with evil and suffering. The terrors of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Queen Chrysalis pale in comparison to the things I sensed out there. Even the psychic space itself was hostile; it attacked my mind as soon as I gazed into it. It took all my willpower just to stay sane. Knowing what I know now, I believe that the barrier was created to protect us from the chaos beyond our solar system.”

The others listened closely as Celestia recalled what she had seen and felt, varied expression of horror and disbelief etched on their faces nearly the whole way through.

“Thats...that's just horrible!” Twilight commented with dread in her voice. “How can we possibly protect ourselves against something like that?”

Celestia smiled warmly. “Do not despair, my faithful student. I can sense that the psychic space within and around our solar system is calm and filled with positive emotions. I believe that the barrier's disappearance has allowed Equestria's psychic influence to expand substantially, since I didn't encounter the chaotic psychic space for several light-years from where the barrier originally stood. I suspect that this positive psychic influence is keeping the chaos outside from encroaching on our world.”

Twilight and the others visibly sighed in relief at this. It seemed that they were not in any immediate danger.

“However,” Celestia added, catching their attention. “There is still the fact that the barrier which was protecting our world is now gone, meaning that the entities I sensed within the chaotic space can now see us, just as we can now see them. These entities felt fundamentally similar to Nightmare Moon and Discord, who were both magical, sentient embodiments of negative emotion. Even though our space is strongly aligned with good emotions, we have to assume that there are negative entities out of capable of similar feats. Luckily, their nature means that they should also be vulnerable to the power of the Elements of Harmony.”

Celestia paused, panning a gaze across each of the Element Bearers. “I will do the best I can to defend Equestria against this threat, but I do not know if I will be able to handle the task all on my own, which means that each of you will need to be ready in the event of an incursion by these entities. Be forewarned: the foes you may face next are likely to be far more vicious than anything you've encountered thus far. Sadly, you may very well be confronted by the sight of death on their account...or even worse.”

The Bearers felt their stomachs twist and their blood run cold. The very thought of their fellow ponies, possibly even their friends and family, being badly hurt or killed was utterly terrifying. Fluttershy was hit especially hard, to the point that she was on the verge of tears. Luna took it upon herself to comfort the poor creature, gently pulling the tender-hearted mare into a sideways hug and draping a wing over her shivering form.

Celestia gave them all a look of empathy before speaking again. “It truly pains me to evoke such fear in your hearts, but to hide the truth away from you, my most loyal and cherished subjects, would be to dishonor the bond of trust I share with you all. I tell you these things not to scare you, but so that you may be fully prepared in the event of a confrontation with these entities. Because of the scope and extreme nature of this threat, I believe that each of you should begin undergoing combat training suited to your individual capabilities.” She then turned to Luna. “To that end, starting tomorrow, I would like you to take four hours off every weekend day to train them for the next three months.”

The Bearers exchanged concerned looks with each other at the mention of combat training, and Luna blanched at the request. “Sister, art thou sure that I am the right pony for such a task? It has been so long since I have personally trained anypony...”

Celestia smiled. “Your mastery of magic is second only to mine, and you have centuries of knowledge and experience to draw from. If there's anyone who is qualified to teach them how to fight, it's you.” She then turned to the Bearers. “I realize that this is a heavy burden to place on your shoulders, especially since none of you are members of the military or the Royal Guard, but undergoing this training would go a long way toward helping ensure the safety of our people. Will you do this for me?” she asked.

At first there was silence as the six ponies contemplated the request. It didn't take more than a few seconds for one of them to respond.

“Well I'm not just going to sit around while freaky psychic aliens invade and hurt our friends and family. Count me in!” Rainbow Dash announced confidently.

Applejack grinned. “Same here. If this training will really help us protect our kin then sign me up!”

Twilight Sparkle smiled and nodded in agreement. “I could never refuse a request from my teacher and Princess on a matter as important as this. I'm in.”

Rarity huffed dramatically. “Honestly, all of this sounds so dreadful...but I've fought alongside you all before, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Count me in as well,” she finished with a smile.

“Sounds like fun! Let's do it!” Pinkie Pie cheered, now back to her usual bubbly personality.

All eyes then turned to Fluttershy. The pink-haired pegasus hesitated for a few seconds before speaking. “Um...well, I really don't like fighting...but the thought of letting other ponies get hurt or killed is even worse...so...I'll do it,” she finally accepted. Everyone smiled warmly at the mild-mannered mare's courage.

“What about me?” Spike spoke up. “I bet I could help too! I am a dragon after all,” he proclaimed, sticking a thumb to his chest pridefully.

Twilight gave the young dragon a stern look. “Spike, this is serious! You may be a dragon, but you're still a bab-” the unicorn caught herself mid-sentence, noticing Spike's vexed expression. She knew that Spike was maturing, and that he didn't like being called a baby, even if he technically was one by dragon standards. She sighed. “Sorry, a young dragon. Look, I know you want to help, but I can't allow you to risk getting yourself hurt by fighting with us. Don't you remember what happened during the Great Dragon Migration? If you can't hold your own against juvenile dragons in simple contests, how can you expect to fight for real against something like Nightmare Moon, or even worse?”

Spike wanted to protest, but he found that Twilight's words were true, even though he didn't want to admit it. “Alright, alright, I get it,” he relented dejectedly.

It was then that Luna decided to interject. “Thou art more important than you realize, young Spike. Though you are not capable of joining the Element Bearers on the field of battle, your scroll teleportation magic would be a vital asset in the event that your companions need to reach Celestia or myself. In this way, you can support your companions without putting yourself in danger. I'm sure I can help you find other ways of helping them as well.”

Spike visibly brightened up at this. “Thanks Princess Luna, I really appreciate it.”

Celestia smiled at the group. “I'm so proud of you all for your willingness to take on this task. You have my gratitude, and I will make sure that you are all properly compensated for your service. One more thing before you leave though: Please do not tell anyone else about what I have told you. I don't intend to keep it a secret forever, but at the same time, I do not wish to incite panic among the general public. Promise to keep quiet about it for now?”

The Bearers then grinned at each other for couple seconds before turning back to Celestia. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” they chanted simultaneously, crossing their hearts, flapping their forelegs, and then covering their left eyes with their left forehooves.

Celestia giggled at the display. “Very good. Now all of you go and get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”

The six mares plus Spike bowed respectfully to Celestia and Luna before departing, immediately breaking into discussion about everything that they had learned. Luna then turned to her sister with a concerned look.

“Are you sure about this?” Luna asked.

Celestia sighed. “I don't like this anymore than you do, sister, but I don't think we have a choice. The enemy we face is vast, powerful, and evil in the extreme. We can't afford to leave anything to chance.”

Luna contemplated her sister's answer for a few moments before replying. “...I understand. I'll do my best to make sure they are prepared for whatever lies ahead.”

Celestia smiled and nuzzled her younger sibling. “I know you will. I believe in you, Luna.”

Meanwhile, deep in the Immaterium, the sudden appearance of Equestria's positive warp energy had drawn the attention of the Gods of Chaos, distracting them from their never-ending battle for dominance against each other. They all agreed to a short truce and sent their avatars to convene in neutral Warp space where they observed as the planet's influence blossomed outward, calming the psychic space around it.

“THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!” Khorne roared furiously. “How could something like this have escaped our notice?!”

“So that's what those Harmony weaklings were up to,” Tzeentch crooned gleefuly, clearly entertained by this new development. “Their tenacity never ceases to impress me.”

Khorne shot Tzeentch a withering glare. “There has not been a threat to our influence this powerful in over ten thousand years!! WE MUST DESTROY THEM AT ONCE!!”

“Oh please! You're such a brute, Khorne!” Slaanesh scoffed. “We haven't had anyone this good to play with in such a long time...” the hermaphroditic god licked his/her lips sultrily. “It will be so much fun to watch as we break their pitiful, naïve minds.”

“They seem like such nice folks!” Nurgle drawled gregariously. “We should definitely come on down and pay 'em of a visit! I have some gifts that I'd just know they'll love!”

Tzeentch grinned deviously. “I agree with the others, Khorne. We should savor this occasion and give them a small taste of our power to start with. Besides, they clearly aren't anywhere close to capable of space travel. They are no threat to us in the long run.”

Khorne sneered angrily. “And what of the Corpse-Emperor's Imperium?! Do you really believe that they won't try to utilize this new race as a weapon against us?!”

“You really are dense, aren't you?” Tzeentch replied dryly. “This race's power comes from their positive emotions, which in case you haven't noticed, is something Mankind as a whole has in VERY short supply. They couldn't use this power even if they wanted to because the very concept of Harmony is anathema to them. Their unwillingness to make use of the one power that can truly oppose us will make their downfall all the more delicious in the end.”

Khorne, seeing the truth in his words, relented grudgingly. “You had better be right, or the threat of Harmony will be the least of your problems,” the Blood God warned.

Tzeentch chuckled at this. He was confident that his prediction would be correct.

“...Although,” he pondered privately. “There is a possibility, however remote, that Man could learn to accept Harmony once more...now that would be worth watching.”

With their deliberations concluded, the Chaos Gods relayed orders to their chosen subordinates in real space before recalling their avatars. They then resumed their bitter rivalry, just as they had after dealing with the Emperor of Mankind at the conclusion of the Horus Heresy. The Great Game would forever remain their ultimate imperative.

Craftworld Biel-Tan, Segmentum Tempestus

Farseer Macha meditated silently in her personal quarters, suspended in a trance-like state as she opened her mind to the Warp, peering through its myriad and seemingly random currents and eddies, attempting to divine the shape of things to come.

As she continued sifting through the various potential futures presented to her, something unexpected happened. A dim but visible point of psychic light, not unlike that of the humans' Astronomican, suddenly made itself visible, located on the other side of the galaxy. In addition, the complex pattern of possible future events laid out before her shifted dramatically. A vision began to take form in her mind; a new power has revealed itself, a power which could challenge the forces of Chaos. The Imperium of Man will seek this power, which will precipitate a great conflict within their ranks...and the Blood Ravens chapter will play a pivotal role in determining its outcome. On top of all this, the future of the entire Eldar race, and possibly the galaxy at large, will be altered dramatically by these events. And for the first time in centuries, for a single fleeting moment, Macha saw the possibility of genuine change for the better.

The vision ended almost as quickly as it came. Macha then withdrew her mind from the Warp and opened her eyes. She felt her heart beating faster than usual. She could not afford to delay action, not on a prediction with implications of this magnitude.

Without delay, the Farseer rose up from the floor, donned her battle garb, retrieved her singing spear, and set out to assemble a scout force. She briefly wondered how Gabriel of the Hidden Heart was faring before shaking the thought from her mind. There would be time for reminiscing later.