Death of a World
++Astropathic Choir Intercept ZY035, Kyne’s Fury 3.742.873.M39++
++Message to Inquisitor Tas Rovini++
++ Transcript Appended++
Thought for the Day: Know thine enemy.
My Lord,
I have little to say in preface to this other than the fact that there was one more unproductive interrogation between the last one I sent you and this one. I believe this will be the last interrogation I shall be forced by cruel necessity to do on the xeno, for reasons that shall shortly be obvious.
++Interrogation the Sixty Sixth++
Setting: Cell 59XBA. Cell is still constantly lit. Xeno is curled in a ball and cowering underneath the bunk.
Twilight Sparkle: No… No… No… No…
Kylara: Twilight?
TS: No… No… No…
K: Twilight?!
TS: No… No… No…
K: TWILIGHT!!!
TS: AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!
K: It’s me! Kylara! [The xeno breathed heavily and stared at me for some time before responding.]
TS: Oh… Oh, it’s just you. Thank Celestia.
K: Twilight, I know this must be hard on you, but I still need your story.
TS: Yes… Yes, of course. We’re friends… And friends help each other.
K: That’s right. [I am thankful I will not have to indulge its delusions any longer.]
TS: Where were we? I… I don’t remember.
K: You had looked through your leader’s telescope. You said you saw them.
TS: Yes, I did, didn’t I?
K: Indeed. Describe them.
TS: They were like nothing I’d ever seen before. There were hundreds of black and green craft in the sky, all shaped like crescent moons. They were pouring out of the clouds miles away from Canterlot.
K: What were they doing?
TS: Moving our way. Individually they were faster than any pegasi I’ve ever seen. Even Rainbow Dash… Rainbow Dash…
K: Focus!
TS: … Right. They were very fast; they could have been on us in seconds if they’d tried to. But they kept making large circles in the sky instead. They would come towards us, but then circle back around to meet up with the ones still coming through. The whole mass was moving towards us, but a lot more slowly than they could have.
K: What did you do?
TS: What do you think we did?! We had nothing that could fight that many flyers! Shiny and I reinforced the shield over the city as best we could. We ran back down the tower and got every unicorn we could find who knew anything at all about defensive magic to contribute. We set all the Royal Guard into defensive positions all over the city I didn’t think it would do any good, really, but what else could we do? We couldn’t outrun them, and there was nowhere else to run to in any case.
K: What happened next?
TS: It took almost an hour. At first you could only see them with the telescope, but the group slowly came closer. A pony could see the clouds darkening as they did. The air was getting colder too. There were green lightning flashes in the clouds. After a few minutes, you could hear them coming closer. It was a high-pitched whine like nothing to be found in nature. I don’t know how they were making that sound, but something was just… wrong with it. You could see ponies shaking as it got louder. More than one screamed and bolted, trying to get away. Most of those we caught, but some slipped outside the shield. I don’t know what happened to them. I was just trying to keep everypony’s heads on.
K: I see.
TS: They started swooping around Canterlot. Not firing or anything, just flying in loops around the protective bubble. The sound was so loud by then that a pony had to shout to be heard more than a foot from his face. Pretty much anypony who wasn’t a soldier was in a panic at that point, running and screaming in all directions or cowering in their residences. I saw one pegasus try to make a run for it. The moment she was outside the bubble, one of the things fired at her. A quick green burst from one of the little rods sticking out from the center of the crescent. She… disintegrated on the spot. I felt like a little filly wanting to hide from the boogie-mare again. [She was, at this point, actually hiding under the table while she spoke to me.]
K: Go on.
TS: They just soared around the city for what felt like hours. It couldn’t have been that long, though. Maybe it lasted ten, fifteen minutes at the most? You could see that there were a veritable parasprite swarm of them. Hundreds, maybe thousands, just looping around our city in expanding rings, making a lot of noise and killing anypony who set hoof outside Shiny’s shield. [This was almost certainly a terror tactic, and an effective one judging by the xenos’ reported response. However, why they felt the need to use such measures at that point given their overwhelming conventional military advantage is less than clear.]
K: What did they do then?
TS: That’s the weird thing. Most of them started to pull up. They were flying rings near the clouds, but not attacking. The rest of them made passes over the path to the city. There were green flashes on the ground, and things started to appear… Them.
K: Describe them.
TS: Horrible… black… metal… skeletal… things. Most of them walked on two legs and had two arms, like minotaurs, or your kind. But some looked more like floating insects, beetles mostly. Some of the really big things looked like giant centipedes. Others were walking spider vehicles of some kind, with the metal skeletons in them as pilots. They had floating vehicles with pilots too. The smaller, skeletal ones were the soldiers, mostly carrying long, glowing green tube-things. Their weapons, a little like your… guns, was that what you called them?
K: I believe that would be the right word.
TS: I saw one of them near the front with spider legs. It had a long face with a really big eye, and a polearm of some kind with a glowing green thing on the tip. Then there was the one with two legs that looked like it was wearing a hood and carried some kind of staff. Had a long, blue cape made of large metal scales. They were unique, and looked like some kind of leaders. But then one appeared at the very front, and I could tell it was the leader.
K: How could you tell?
TS: The way everypony was looking at it. It had some kind of… magnetic pull to the eye. It had the air of somepony who was in charge and knew it.
K: Describe it.
TS: It was… big. Taller than most of the things that weren’t insects or vehicles. Had a green-black cape and golden shoulderpads. There was some kind of gold halo-crown thing around its head. It had a long staff with a gold center, green jewels on both ends, and what looked like some kind of weird double green axe head on one end. That was in its right hand, and it had really long fingers on its left. It just stood there for a while, and I think it was letting me get a good look at it. [Showing off, perhaps?]
K: I see. What happened next?
TS: It was getting really dark by that time. The sun was still up, I know now, but the clouds were blocking it out more and more. You could see the glowing pieces of the things, but not very much else without a light spell of some kind. I saw the leader-thing make a gesture with its staff. It pointed at Shiny’s shield. All of… them pointed their weapons. At some signal, the guns flashed like green lightning. Thousands of bolts hit our barrier at once. I could feel it crumbling after just one volley. The second smashed through most of the defensive matrixes. The third volley brought it down altogether… Sweet Celestia, that hurt.
K: What did?
TS: The magical backlash when our shield went down. I was only involved in strengthening it, and I got a splitting headache. Shiny… he had to be helped back to his hooves by guardsponies. He could barely walk, much less put up another barrier. That’s when I knew for certain we were all doomed. What could we do? There was nothing to stop all those flying things from just blasting the whole city out of existence. Or the army on the ground from firing until everypony was so much ash on the wind.
K: But they didn’t. [I know. The city I saw was damaged, but not vaporized.]
TS: No, they didn’t. I don’t know why they did what they did, but the leader started marching towards us, and the whole army followed it. They weren’t running at us, just marching along at an even pace. Those ponies on the wall… I felt so sorry for them.
K: Where were you?
TS: Near the palace. With Shiny and the others. I was watching from a balcony. I had a good view, for whatever it was worth.
K: What did they do?
TS: The ponies on the wall were some of the bravest I’ve ever seen. Even with all they’d just seen, they still tried to defend their posts. They shot magic and arrows and javelins at the dark ones. Anypony who did got vaporized by those green lightning shots in the next second or two, but they didn’t stop trying until there weren’t any more ponies on that wall. It couldn’t have taken more than fifteen seconds…
K: Twilight, stay with me!
TS: Y-Yes… Yes… I saw the gates smash open. No, not just open. Off their hinges. The pieces went flying. I think they may have crushed somepony. They probably got off lucky, really. It was the leader standing in the portal where the gates just were. Then he broke into a charge. The rest followed him. Some through the gate, others just broke down the walls. Some didn’t need to break them down. The bulk of the Royal Guard was near the gates of the city to meet them. It was… awful. I saw ponies getting vaporized, getting impaled by the giant insect things. I saw the green flashes as they were getting ripped apart down to nothing. There were horrible creatures that appeared out of nowhere. They were covered in bloody flesh and they’d cut ponies to pieces and cover themselves in their insides. [The xeno was, at this point, openly weeping as she spoke. I have edited this bit for clarity and to remove the stuttering.]
K: There there… It’s alright, you’re with me now. Nothing will hurt you. [I was hugging her, to my eternal humiliation.]
TS: There were these disgusting beetle… worm… things. They went straight through the walls. I saw them dragging ponies off. The ponies were screaming, begging. It didn’t do any more good than fighting. I saw one of the dark ones take a spear right through its face. It crumpled to the ground, but then pulled it out and got up. Its face flowed back together in a matter of seconds! What were we supposed to do against that?! We were outnumbered, surrounded, outgunned, and the enemy seemed impossible to kill! The guards near the gate were totally overrun in less than a minute. Those that didn’t get vaporized or skinned were dragged off by the horrid insect things. I never saw what happened to them, but I hope it was quick.
K: What did you do?
TS: I’m a princess of Equestria! I couldn’t just leave my subjects to die like that! I jumped off the balcony and flew down to lead one of the last squads I could find. If I couldn’t do anything else, at least I could die with my little ponies. We were jumped by a handful of those loathsome ones covered in blood and guts and skin. I blasted them with all the magic I knew. The guards’ weapons were almost completely ineffective, but magic seemed to do it. More than half my squad was torn apart, but we managed to put them down. But by that time… Canterlot was basically overrun. I couldn’t see any other guards outside the castle itself, and those were fighting for their lives. The dark ones were tearing into houses, dragging ponies out and away. I wanted to save them, but what could I do? The army was between me and them, and advancing fast. I had to call the retreat.
K: To the castle?
TS: Yes. It was a last stand, and I knew it. Running away wouldn’t do any good – I saw the few that tried get incinerated by the flying things that were still swooping overhead. More of them were still coming into the city through the gate or smashed walls. The guardsponies and I bolted back to the castle. By the time we got there, the courtyard was almost free of ponies. So we ran back into the palace itself. [And no one stopped her? I see evidence that she was being deliberately herded, even at that point.]
K: Go on. [There was a halt of several minutes as she hyperventilated and I tried to calm her. I reiterate that I have edited her remarks for readability – the original was filled with stuttering, pauses, and sobs.]
TS: Alright… Alright, where were?
K: You had just entered the palace.
TS: Right. I was trying to direct whatever ponies were left to group up and retreat with me. The dark ones were still coming, thousands strong to a few dozen guards left and some servants hiding somewhere. They smashed down the palace doors and stormed in after us. They broke through at other points too. I didn’t see it, but I saw them swarming in the side chambers, exterminating whatever was in there. Several ponies died as I tried to shield them, vaporized by that green lightning. We were backed into the throne room. [Yet more evidence she was being herded.]
K: What happened there?
TS: Somepony had beaten us there. I saw that blue caped one with the staff. Celestia’s vault was torn open, and it had the box.
K: What box?
TS: The one with the Elements of Harmony in it. It said something out loud. It was the first to talk, and I wasn’t totally paying attention to it at that point. I heard the words “Such a shame…” in a mechanical monotone and that’s it. Then it vanished in a flash of green light. [So these artifacts of apparent mystic power are in the hands of these xenos machines? Wonderful.]
K: Alright. How did you escape?
TS: Escape?
K: You aren’t dead.
TS: … No, I’m not. But I swear to Celestia that I didn’t try to run. I maybe could have teleported myself away if I’d tried really hard, but I’m not that kind of pony! I wouldn’t leave everypony else to die just to save my own skin!
K: Then what happened?
TS: Listen and I’ll tell you. The dark stopped on the door of the throne room. Just paused and waited. Not firing or anything else. By that point, it was me and a half-dozen other guardsponies left alive. We could have attacked them, but honestly we didn’t want to question the respite. It gave us a moment to catch our breath. Then we heard footsteps. A few seconds later, the ones by the throne room door parted, and the leader stepped through.
K: The one with the golden crown who directed the initial bombardment?
TS: The same. I recognized it easily.
K: What did it do?
TS: It raised its hand and gestured for the others to hand it something. It was… Shining Armor. He was unconscious, but breathing. Looked like he’d been beaten pretty badly. The leader picked him up by his armor with one clawed hand and tossed him across the throne room at my hooves. Then it spoke to me.
K: What did it say?
TS: Its voice was this low, mechanical growling sound. I could barely understand it, but it said, “This one is valuable to you, is it not? Best me in single combat, and I will spare its existence.” [So, it values one-to-one combat, does it? Valuable information for us.]
K: Go on.
TS: I looked at the guardsponies around me. I couldn’t just leave them to die to these monsters! So I demanded that it agree to spare all of them if I could beat it. It looked at me for a second, then said, “Agreed.” Then it charged me with that staff. It was fast, very fast. I teleported out of the way, but it seemed to know exactly where I was without looking around. I shot a burst of magic at it, but it caught the beam on the green ax-heads of its staff. They dispersed my spell harmlessly. I teleported again. It turned to face me and pointed its staff head at me. A giant wave of green energy shot out. I ducked behind the princess’s throne and threw a shield over myself, but it disintegrated the throne and smashed my magic. The burst threw me against the wall. I think I broke something. Probably my neck. I couldn’t get up, or even move anything that wasn’t my head. I couldn’t feel much of anything either. The leader just walked right up and stood over me. It stared down like it was making some kind of decision. Then it used its green blades to cut a long mark across my chest before speaking again.
K: And?
TS: It told me. “Know that your doom comes at the hands of Imotekh, called Stormlord, Phaeron of the Sautekh Dynasty, greatest Nemesor of the Necrontyr race. Tell them, if they come for you.” Then it made another gesture to the dark ones waiting outside. They stormed the throne room. The gaurdsponies tried to fight, but they didn’t last ten seconds before they were subdued or dead. I screamed, I begged for mercy from them. I pleaded with them to take me instead, just leave the others alone. [There was an enormous amount of crying here, interspersed with actual begging as if I were this Imotekh and had the power to spare her fellow xenos. It really was quite pitiful.]
K: Yes? Go on.
TS: Then it… he… just looked down and tapped me lightly with the butt end of his staff. I blacked out. The next thing I remember, I woke up whole and healed, except for this scar on my chest. [As I didn’t know the importance of it until now, I hadn’t mentioned it in my reports. But yes, there is a scar about seven inches in length running down her chest, though her coat covers it from all but a detailed medical examination.]
K: And that’s it?
TS: Yes. When I went outside, the clouds were gone. Everpony was gone. I’ve searched hundreds of miles and used every kind of magic I know, but I haven’t seen anypony since that day. Until you came along. Please say you won’t leave me. [At this point, she wrapped herself around my leg and looked rather pathetic.]
K: I won’t.
++Interrogation Ends++
++Thoughts++
This new information provides a great deal of tactical and strategic insight into our enemy. Not admittedly being a specialist in such matters myself, I shall leave it to those more attuned to strategy to puzzle out the exact ramifications for our war plans should we encounter this Imotekh or others of his kind, as you predicted. Nonetheless, we now know much more than we did about these so-called Necrontyr. If and when they face the Imperium of Man, they will not find us such easy prey as these weak xenos.
I do feel I must note a handful of things, however. Our enemy is an apparent believer in the virtues of single combat, and yet chose to spare the life of a defeated enemy commander. Moreover, if this report on its words is accurate, it knew or at least suspected that the xeno would be retrieved by one or more parties, possibly including the Imperium itself. It not only did not deny us any potential information, but actively allowed it to disseminate. While this is consistent with a desire for personal glory through single combat and its puzzling desire to intentionally make a fight of the apparent final battle, I am unsure as to whether this information leak reflects vainglory or is some sort of deliberate terror mechanism. Both are consistent with the observed tactics and strategy used in the conquest described.
My Lord, it is my duty to tell you that shortly after this interview, the xeno slipped into a coma. Though we have it in the med-bay at present, there is little we can do medically for a species we know so little of. It is, as I predicted, in the Emperor’s hands. And yours as well, Lord Rovini. What would you have me do with it?
Your servant,
Interrogator Kylara
++Message Ends++
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FUCKING NECRONS.
CALLED IT!
Great story buddy.
you have to make one ok?
A sequel? Sure, though what would you do? Twilight becoming the God Emperor's concubine? Time travel?
Imotekh The Stormlord!? You sent Imotekh the Stormlord to Equestria!? I knew that it was Necrons all along but I didn't think it'll be him leading the attack!
Man those poor ponies didn't have a chance against him did they?
4612779
Twilight serving with Inquisition, and her part the war between the dark ones and the Imperium of Man.
I would appreciate a sequel, especially to this surprising story. Though..I do wonder what Discord, Tirek and Cerb did. We know they took out everypony..but did they get to Tartarus I wonder? Or could they have come from it?
Going to be interesting to see what will come in the epilogue.
4612805
Would they enlist her? The information presented does show that ponies are mankind's creation but even so..
4612832
The Inquisitor in question seems at least somewhat amendable to her continued existence, and they are powerful enough to get away with that sort of thing when they want to (see: jokaero).
4612850
Sounds nifty. Maybe she'll find Shiny in whats his face's collection. And it'll be hilarious to see the Necrons trying to use the Elements.
Did they take all of Tartarus with them? Because Tirek seems like he'd totally be down for some Necron fun.
My vote is for a sequel!
Twilight becoming a sancioned psyker xenos ally in the style of Jokaero would be awesome! Given her repertoire of psychic abilities she would be very useful.
4612863
You'd have to ask them what they did with Tartarus, but considering that nothing but Twilight was alive on the planet when the IoM showed up, the answer is presumably "something". Might want to check Trazyn's collection.
4612908
Well, you went all out on the leaders.
And, regardless if this makes me sound like a dick....
FUCKING. CALLED IT.
Szeras was there for more subjects, and I'm sure he is finding something useful from the myriad of subjects he is no doubt experimenting on. While they are lucid and awake, of course.
Trazyn grabbed the elements and ran, although he seemed disappointed in not being able to add more models to his museum. Unless that was what happened to the other princesses in the first place?
The only one that doesn't really fit is Imotekh, as there is no obvious reason for him to head this invasion. Unless Szeras and Trazyn both egged him on, or promised something in return. Or maybe Orikan the Diviner was all "Yo, sack that planet right there, and be sure to tell Szeras and Trazyn there are goodies in it if they help you."
4613041
Thought for the Day: There are no answers. Only death.
But I'll tell you some more in the epilogue. And, of course, a sequel if I decide to write one.
A sequel is needed
4613067
I would love to see a sequel.
But I must ask, when exactly does this take place?
The Necrons are a little known race to the Imperium at large, it's true, but I can only assume the Inquisition and Space Marines would have knowledge of them, Imotekh in particular. You know, since he lopped off Helbrecht's hand and all. Oh, and Kor'sarro Khan of the White Scars being held prisoner by senile Zahndrekh as well.
4613089
Did you miss the dating on top of each chapter?
I wasn't expecting Necrons. Maybe they didn't go faster in taking Canterlot and the ponies around because they were busier with other nations like dragons' and griffons', not to forget the other princesses ?
I wonder why Imotekh would lead an army on this world, not much fair fight or glory... maybe Trazyn convinced him to attack so that he'd get the Elements and other valuable artefacts.
But I still don't understand the picture header... I don't remember any Necron having such head with horns.
Seeing that this story seems to be about the awakening of Necrons in the galaxy, with the unlucky Equestrians among the first witnesses, I'd really really like to see a sequel with a brighter overall tone and ending. I mean brighter than the retelling of the death of Twilight's world and of everyone she loved.
I'd personally like to see Twilight being spared (rather than beeing deemed no longer useful and thus ended) and being willingly integrated in the Inquisition. What if the Grey Knights see her and notice the purity of her mind, as well as her being the incarnation of values that are the antithesis of Chaos (what with Harmony, Friendship, ...) ?
4613099
......
static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Tactical_20547d_374251.jpg
To be honest, I didn't pay too much attention to that, since most stories just choose a random year and roll with it, to hell with canon and timelines. Kind of like Matt Ward.
Or, they completely pass by a specific date and say, shit is grimdark. That's all you need to know.
Although looking through the comments, I did notice something. Where did Discord indeed go? The best answer I found was from another comment, that he is a daemon of Malal, and just 'LOL NOPED' it out of there.
I would love to read the sequel. Although, I would prefer it if it's written with an actual story narrative, instead of dialogue transcript like this one.
Besides that, I do wonder what happened to Celestia and Luna.
4612805 That sounds great please do it.
4613102
Honestly? I used that as a Red Herring, and because I thought it looked cool.
And as to the tone of any sequel, that would be for me to decide and you to find out while I yank your emotional chain.
4613121
I refer you to my earlier Thought for the Day.
As one note, my advice to all "What happened to X?" questioners is: when in doubt, check Trazyn's collection.
4613166
Trazyn is a magnificent trolly bastard.
4613102
Do you even grimdark brah?
4613166
Sure, I was just suggesting, since "The Dark Ones" 's present time is at the deep bottom down low from the start and doesn't go any higher to the end. And why it's still time to dream, I just got an image of Twilight joining the Grey Knights in my head.
4613175
I meant with a bit more hope than in this entire story. Also, I have been playing W40K on tabletop and on the computer for years, so I am not unused to grimdark.
Twilight (one of the most powerfull psychers) working for Inquisition? Necrons using Elements of Harmony? On man... you must do a sequel!
And may I have 2 questions? Where the hell is Discord. :D And how Twilight can handle W40k chaos, when she is using magic.
4613121 Discord being a daemon of Malal? This is my new head-canon. Honestly, I can see it working- chaos for the sake of chaos. Personally, I'd think that Discord would be either a Daemon Prince or a Greater Daemon.
4613347
GODDAMIT, NECRONS WHERE MY FIRST GUESS!!!
But great story, seriously, and as for a sequel, sure, but make sure it has a similar theme and tone, not exactly the same but similar
4613099 I would however imagine that the higher ranking inquisitors, like the one she is talking to, would have had knowledge of the Necrons, since the Necrons have been emerging since the Great crusade, its only in the 41st millennium that most of them start waking up.
4613102 Imotekh is very prideful, so I wouldn't find it hard to imagine that he was manipulated into attacking Equestria
4613664
He might indeed posses some such knowledge. All that we can say for sure at the moment is that Interrogator Kylara doesn't know what they are, and If Inquisitor Rovini does he hasn't informed her of it.
4612805
No.
No Xeno scum allowed. Humans Only.
But I was so sure it was the Eldar! I was 100% positive it was them! Ugh- excuse me, I need to go find a hat. Looking forward to the next chapter. I will see if this story ends in a way I'd want to see a sequel for it.
Dangit I was kinda hoping twilight would flip out and start demon summoning...
Yes to the sequel.
Dang it! It was the dam Necrons, I was really hoping for it to be nids, plus, from experience, I HATE NECRONS!!!!!
And the title "death of a world" had me sold on Tyranids, until it said Crescent shaped flyers.
And Imotekh The Stormlord?! That, is pure, overkill.
Damn I am soooo looking forward to a sequel, and it seems that my earlier guess was correct with which (SPOILER: Necron) leader was leading this invasion.
Hopefully they decide to ally with Twilight in some fashion instead of just killing her.
Sequel ? YES
.
And tip of the hat for good fabular twist. I was expecting dark eldars throgh whole story, and suprise, it was nekrons.
Seriously? It survived that long against fucking Necron weaponry? It wouldn't even survive the first shot!
1d4chan.org/images/thumb/0/07/Trazyn.jpg/424px-Trazyn.jpg
Necrons, I forgot they existed. only actual Necron players would have thought about them though. This has now earned a fave. Congrats Snake.
here is a answer from 4chan/mlp/
Rape
I was thinking either the Tyranids, Necrons, Eldar, or the Night Lords until i read this chapter.
Basically this.
5501546
Well of course you people forget they exist.
Cause they lie in wait for a fuck ton of time only to burst out of the ground and proceed to do the slowest mcjagger walk of all time towards something.
FUCKING
CALLED IT
Gonna go celebrate by drinking some amasec and blamming cowards. Be right back.
WELP, as someone who played as them i should have bloody called it, but that was Awesome to see! jeeze.. well, lets see how this completely finishes!
Feels a tad out of character for Imotekh. I feel he'd have been more likely to demand slavery, than... This.
Then again. The Necrontyr are a strange people.
Huh. So it was the Necrons. Neat.
Typo