Chapter 1
Paranid swarm of century
It has been only few weeks when Inquisitor Twilight Sparkle got order from High Lord Celestia to travel to Segmentum Equestrias Ponyville mining world to investigate the possible heresy related to Nightmare Moon-cult. Her investigations were interrupted when greater daemon was summoned from ancient shrine. With assist of local Imperial Guardcolts, who were the carriers of Elements of Harmony, Twilight found new sides of herself and was able to defeat daemon. After reporting High Lord Celestia, she was ordered to stay in Ponyville and study those mystical powers she and her new-found friends carried. Now Twilight and her friends will face something more dangerous than forces of Chaos...
It was another sunny day in Ponyville. Fluttershy walked around small garden that she and part of her regiment had planted outside barracks ground. The landscape was mostly grey or brown due to active mining what provided most of planets industry. Only Everfree forest have managed to stay green, though many rumours tell that is work of something supernatural. As she collected some fallen apples from ground, she heard sound behind her.
-”Oh, what was that?” She wondered and turned around.
There was little round creature floating in air. It moved side to side with flow of wind and chirped quietly.
-”Aren't you cute”, Fluttershy said and took creature on her hoof.
-”I must show you to others”, She said and turned back towards barrack gates.
-”Hey Fluttershy, what brings you here?”, Twilight asked.
Twilight and Pinkie were at commander quarters, where regular troops like Fluttershy usually didn't have access. But after been identified as carries of Harmony, Twilight retinue them under her service. Despite this promotion, no one of them leaved their previous rank.
-”Oh, I just find this cute little creature on outskirts of barracks.”
She answered while holding said creature on her hoof. She was known for love towards all kinds of creatures and frequently taking care of them.
-”Show me”, said Twilight and walked closer.
Three little floating creatures came out of Fluttershys hoof. They were not bigger than hoof and were mostly green shaded. They had round eyes resembling parts and long root looking spur on bottom.
-”Well, I wouldn't call them cute but they look interesting”, said Twilight.
-”Three? But there was only one when I found it...”, Fluttershy mumbled
-”Gah, are those paranid spores?”, Pinkie blurted out.
-”I need to prepare chalices right now.”
-”Paranid? What's that? And where you need chalices now?” Twilight yelled at Pinkie as she ran of the command room.
-”Hmp, must be something to do with her faith-rituals. I swear that she takes it too seriously even for priest.” Twilight sighed and turned back to Fluttershy.
-”I can take one of those. I think Sp1ke might need some company while I'm not using him. See you tomorrow.”
-”Inquisitor Sparkle! Inquisitor Sparkle!”
-”Ugh, what is it?” Twilight asked. She wasn't morning person and now she didn't have time for cleaning herself and doing the morning rituals. She had moved to old library after arriving. It provided information to Twilight when she investigated Nightmare Moon-cult and she founded it cosy, as you could call an ancient building made of stone and granite cosy. It was gloom and only decoration were giant statues of angels and Primarchs. She reached her hand to detach Sp1ke from its charging module when she noticed everything was covered in green moss.
-”What in the name of the Emperor...”
-”Inquisitor Sparkle! Excuse me for the early wake but there is emergency meeting ordered right now on command HQ”, The young lieutenant said while standing in the doorway.
-”Understood, I'll arrive as soon I'm ready myself”, Twilight responded to lieutenant. She wondered what had happened to her room during night. The air felt hazy and it seemed like the moss was moved itself. Could it be? She though shocked. No, it couldn't be. There wasn't any reported observation of it on this sector. She equipped herself quickly and dashed towards command HQ.
-”Gentle-colts and fillies, we are under unknown attack.” Governor M. Mayor started her speech. Room was filled with ponies from every command section. Twilight stepped inside and sidled between two hooded members of nobility house.
-”Over last night countless unidentified creatures appeared all around Ponyville. They seem to spread moss-like biomass upon breaking. And if that would be all. We have also lost connections several outposts on Everfree Forest area.“
-”I... I have seen this before”, Twilight notify while walking through officers.
-”They are Tyranids. At first I didn't recognize the spores, but all signs point to that. Where is Pinkie? She knew what these were.”
-”The Ministorum Priest Pinkamena Diana Pie refused to join meeting and said she needed to find a... um, a books of hymns.” Answered Tactician Derpy, officer responsible of communications.
-”A books of hymns? Let's forget about her, she seem to be more sacred than interested of her surroundings.” Twilight corresponded.
-”We need to arm the troops and start clearing those spores before any bigger tyranid forces comes to Ponyville.”
-”I'm afraid that will be too late”, Rarity stated.
-”I can already feel the Hivemind though warp. The hivefleet has already landed here.” The psyker-mane didn't seen to feeling well; she was pale and her hoofs trembled.
-”Rarity, what you mean?” Twilight asked shocked. Her friend looked so fragile and old.
-”39th Regiment Lieutenant Snails and 19th Regiment Lieutenant Snips are asking reinforcements immediately!” Derpy informed while looking multiple monitors simultaneous.
-”We are already knee-deep in war, cleaning a infestation doesn't help a bit”, Rarity stated.
-”Xenos on right! Support fire on middle! More ammunition on heavy bolters! Move those wounded away from front lines!” Lieutenant Snails yelled orders troops around him. He raised his laspistol and fired couple shots at leaping creatures. They fell on his feet twitching and he finished them of with his cutlass. Middle of all this chaos he couldn't help thinking about his best friend Snips. He hoped that he wasn't caught on fight as unprepared as he was. Air filled with smell of gunpowder and reek of closing paranids. Only minimal amount of duty officers were guarding the long outskirts of Ponyville. They probably were killed instantly because his regiment got alert after first paranid creatures were ravaging already the residential areas of lowest hivefloor. Being responsible of eastern sector defences Snails blamed himself of this surprise attack. There wasn't any excuse for this and now only way to get his honour back was to push back these attacking creatures. They were smaller than average pony but they had got upper hand on surprise and they swarmed endlessly from Everfree Forest. Heavy bolters, autocannons and mortars pounded ground and air hissed around lasgun shots. Paranid creatures screeched and rushed forward as one mindless organism. Even if they managed to hold the border under control, something told Snails that far worse was coming...
-”Remember men: Only the faithful shall win the day! Emperor protects, Emperor watch.”
-”It's an honour to serve Emperor, Sir!”
-”We are the Imperial Guardcolts, it's a damn time to we start acting like it!!”
Battle cries and gunshots echoed along trenches until massive paranid horde crushed over like huge tide.
-”Breaches on east and south sectors! Several regiments doesn't answer. 35% of reserve regiments armed”. Battle-info flowed continually on Twilights ear-implant. She rushed across streets toward Fluttershys regiment location. She was only one who condition Twilight didn't know. Rarity was strengthening her psychic-powers, Pinkie was doing her own things, Dash was preparing her regiment and A.J was pushing through paranid horde on northern sector. Fluttershy was not a fighter-soul, Twilight thought, she was more Sisterhood material. She could have made great on Orders Hospitaller. Her regiment was near Everfree Forest and Twilight feared the worst. It was first sector to lost contact and paranid horde was reported already crossing the bridge. Twilight know she had to fight her way trough, but her faith was strong and for her friends she was always ready to sacrifice everything. She sang holy litanies as she run to prepare her weapons and to gain Emperor protection. Her servoskull Sp1ke scanned surroundings for any threats. Then a group of fleeing guardcolts came against her.
-”Aaahhh, run for it!”
-”Stand your ground cowards!” Twilight yelled and cocked her bolter.
With Sp1kes assist every shot hit target with satisfying wet splash as bolter rounds pierced and exploded inside Termagants that were chasing Guardcolts. Twilight accelerated her speed again. If defending troops were fleeing already here, then she would have no change to reach Fluttershy. Twilight jumped over smoking vehicle, smashed through door and slided across hallway while crushing lone Gaunt eating a house-plant. Sp1ke floated behind Twilight and calculated fastest route toward Fluttershy. Leap from window, turn right to alley and then left. She didn't have time to wait Guardcolts or use transport vehicles. Ponyville hasn't been under attack for long time and waking giant army is slow. Beside paranid spores caused problems everywhere. For her luck and Ponyvilles unlucky, off-guard caught Guardcolts seemed to be cowards and density of paranids were lower than Twilight predicted. She fought her way to edge of Everfree Forest and found that outpost still held its ground. Ogryn squad leaded by Fluttershys friend Bone'ead Angel had fortified themselves inside outpost and fought against hordes of paranids.
-”Fluttershy”! Twilight yelled
She couldn't reach outpost. Horde surrounding it was too big and it had now noticed her. Brood of Hormagaunts dashed toward Twilight screaming. Before she could react to them they incinerated in place. Rainbow Dashes Lighting fighter flashed through sky and disappeared back to clouds only to make another attack cannons blazing. Its hell-fire missiles flames devoured paranids hordes making rest of them fleeing in the Everfree Forest.
-”Someone called weather patrol?” Dash laughed on Twilights ear-implant.
-”Rainbow Dash!” Twilight replied, you came just in time.
-”You can always count on me”, Dash said while circling area and Orgyns and Fluttershy and rest of her regiment climbed out outpost ruins.
-”Fluttershy! Are you all right?” Twilight asked worried.
-”I was worried about you and...”
-”Umm... sorry to interrupt but what is that?”, Fluttershy said pointing in sky above Everfree Forest.
-”No...its-its the hivefleet!” Twilight stuttered. Sp1ke connected to orbital scanning satellite and showed its info on hologram.
-”Its-Its huge! And full of biomass and tyranids!” Twilight said while reading scrolling text.
-”These creatures we fought are paranids. Local tyranids, born from spores in Everfree forest. Those tyranids in hivefleet are from already defeated planets. They are enormous and battle-harden. We... we cant do anything, they will eat everything and continue growing..”.
-”Snap out of it Twi! Dash yelled. Those creatures are still air and that's where I kick there flanks!”
-”275th Cloudsdale Pegasuses, time to clear the skies, in ten seconds flat!!!”
Rainbow Dash steered her aircraft towards hivefleet and full throttled the engines. Rest of her navy regiment followed her as well at full speed. Hundred fighters and bombers as well bigger space vessels attacked the hivefleet with all its arsenal. Sky illuminated from the firing and the Everfree Forest filled with burning carcasses of tyranids. Dash herself dive many times inside the fleet destroying monstrous bio-ships. But the hivefleet wasn't all defenceless; it launched spores and other bio-ammunition toward Imperial navy. Fighters constantly attacked on formations and emptied their arsenal on the fleet and returned to reload. Only Rainbow Dash stayed on sky whole time. She didn't reloaded her ship even once and only stopped shooting to let her fighters cannons to cool-down. Many of the ships on her regiment crashed down from enemy fire when following Dash fierce manoeuvres. Her eyes were grim and her lip was already bleeding as she has bite it while concentrating on flying. These were her skies and no xeno would taint them. Her plane was covered in xeno slime and most of its surface was scratched from tyranids attacks. She was running out of fuel and ammunition, but she had made a promise. She wouldn't let these xenos attack her friends, no matter what. As long she could battle, her friends didn't need to. And she would never broke a promise. Eventually navy regiment had to retreat. Rainbow Dash watched as they retreated.
-”No...”
-”Wing Captain Dash, we need to retreat. We have suffered heavy losses and most of the fleet has already reached atmosphere.
-”No...”
-”Wing Captain! Do you copy?”
-”NO!” Rainbow Dash couldn't stand loosing the battle and steered her aircraft from high atmosphere to straight down dive.
-”Oh no, she's going to do Sonic Rainboom!” Fluttershy gasps.
-”Sonic Rain...boom?” Twilight ask while they retreat to higher levels of Ponyvilles hive structure. Most of defence lines were breached and lower floors were overrun by tyranids.
-”It's legendary Cloudsdale Pegasus stunt. Most dare devilish pilots dive straight down with maximum speed causing powerful shock wave.” Fluttershy answered without removing her eyes on speeding rainbow painted aircraft.
-”But how does she get ba-”
Twilights sentence was interrupted by loud boom and sky was filled bright colourful shock wave. The shock wave tore giant hole on hivefleet destroying countless creatures.
-”She doesn't, Fluttershy says quietly while shedding a tear.”
End of Part 1