I stood with my squad in the griffon-zeppelin that was taking us to our next destination, The Crystal Empire. It was definitely something to behold as we passed by some of the outlying towns that were still holding their ground.

Everything was quiet... Too quiet as we passed over the terrain, not even the sounds of the howling winds were there to keep us company, I could actually hear my own breathing.

The landing wasn't that bad, we were even greeted by a few of the Crystal Guard to be escorted to Lord Sombra.

“Why has the Crystal Empire stopped their daily communications with the rest of the Empire?” I ask the guard as we make our way to the palace, making sure to keep my eye on our standard-bearer since there's a risk that some of the Heretics have made their way deeper than we thought. Overall the main city is beautiful, but... oddly empty as we walked, like everypony had abandoned their homes. I kept scanning the buildings, trying to find some sign that we still had ponies to protect here.

“Anyone else getting a bad feeling about this?” Brother Mehran asks over the vox.

I blink my eye to activate my communicator, “Easy Brother... We don't know what's out here, and the standard isn't burning yet. Keep your eyes peeled and we'll be fine.”

I don't know who I was trying to reassure more; My battle-brothers... or myself...

-{DW}-

We managed to reach the base of the Crystal Castle within the hour, it actually was really impressive up close, almost as beautiful as Canterlot and thrice as detailed. There were even plenty of places that would help provide covering fire to troops on the ground. I began to feel a bit better as I looked around, admiring the strategy built right into the castle.

“It's beautiful...” I found myself whispering without realizing it.

“Thank you, it actually took weeks to make the entire crystal grow right.” My head snaps to the new occupant of the main hall, a tall, charcoal unicorn with dark green eyes and a mane whose color was only slightly lighter than his coat.

“Sombra, it's good to see you.” I say as I nod my head.

“As well it is to see you my friend.” He replies with a warm smile before it fades into a slight frown. “Although I wish this meeting was on better times.”

I narrow my eyes a little even though he can't see it, but he could definitely tell from my tone. “What do you mean...?”

“The Flames of the Empresses... They've... They've fallen...” He replies dejectedly as he refuses to look me in the eye, finding the floor of his castle to be more interesting. “They've fallen to chaos...”

That one sentence, 'they've fallen to chaos', sends my mind reeling. We were supposed to be infallible, we aren't mortal, we are not true flesh and blood... We are steel and we are doom...

I brace myself on one knee as the information seems to drain a bit of my strength, before my sadness is replaced by that familiar rage again, turning my blaze for battle into a roaring inferno as I stand up again with new resolve.

“Then they shall be dealt with as all heretics before them...” I growl.

“No...” Sombra replies, causing me to raise a brow before his form begins to shift, making him almost as tall as Empress Luna. His body seems to glow a sickly purple as his horn curves and I hear his body stretch painfully. I bring up my bolt pistol and ready my sword. “...You will be dealt with... Discord has had enough of your interruptions to his plans.” He growls as I hear something behind me.

“The standard is burning!” Mehran calls out as I pull the trigger on my pistol, firing a round right... through... Sombra.

His form shifts into a thick smoke as he rushes to me, slamming with enough force to knock me to the ground.

At that point I hear the one thing more ominous than the growl of a wolf...

...The hiss of a Flamer starting up and the screams of several of my Battle-Brothers as I try to right myself again. Managing to get up in time to only see Flames Astartes in a twisted mockery of their normal red and black colors and the charred remains of three of my battle-brothers on the ground in front of them.

A sharp pain in my side snaps me out of my trance, turning my attention to Sombra now that he was in a physical form. His smirk...

That disgusting smirk...

He should never be smiling like that...

No one deserves to smile...

My green vision seemed to swim with red as everything faded into a blur, screams of horror and pain mixing with my own as I moved.

-{DW}-

I collapsed to my knees in the snow, agony burning every inch of my body as I felt a warm liquid travel down my face.

I had lost my helmet somewhere in the city, and because of that I now had some sort of cut across my muzzle that was quickly making me lose feeling in my jaw. My sword and bolt pistol were gone, replaced only with a bloody, fouled chainsword. My armor was scorched in several places and I could smell the stench of death all around me as I tried to get a bearing on where I was, why I had no brothers asking if I could continue.

Through the blur I saw the burning remains of many outer buildings of the Crystal City, but after a half-block there was just a small crater, no evidence of battle, no blood save for the large drops leading to me, not even smoke in the air.

It had been noon when I got to the empire... And now it was night. I could only fall to the snow and struggle to look at the sky as I dropped the fouled weapon, it was useless anyway. As the world faded I saw two blurs, one white and one black. With a strain to use what little energy I had left I reached my right hand out to the black one. It seemed to be trying to say something but the words were so muted that I couldn't make them out before my hand fell to the ground and I lost my grip on consciousness.

Author's Notes:

I do apologize if there's a lot of errors on this one, I think I caught everything before submitting, but if you feel anything may still need a spell-check I am more than happy to have a comment saying where the error is so I can correct it.

As always, I love speaking with my readers so drop a comment and I'd be happy to respond.

Space marine submission is still open, and will be open until further notice. *Spoilers!* Once we get to the second arc of the story it won't just be marines that can be submitted.