Ahzek Ahriman walked around the strategium of the Scion, observing his lieutenants and commanders as they made battleplans for the upcoming battle. He would occasionally give them his advice, directing them away from plans that would lead to an eventual defeat. Over a dozen commanders from every nation who joined Ahriman’s Legion were gathered around a large hololith, which displayed a flickering holographic image of the mountain of Canterlot and the surrounding area. The Sorcerer had been required to show his servants how to operate it, which had taken time, but it appeared that they had gotten the hang of it

“Ahriman.” One of the griffin Commanders spoke to the towering Space Marine. Sharp Beak, the Sorcerer recalled. “It is likely that the ponies will likely attempt to fortify the town Ponyville. It is one of the few places with an easy path to Canterlot itself. We should strike there first, secure our road to Canterlot, and then strike at the palace itself.”

“Forgive me, Beak, but that is an unwise move.” Ahriman replied, coming forward towards the hololith. “The path from Ponyville to Canterlot is a narrow one. Our infantry and vehicles will be slaughtered up to the front gate if we take that road.” He raised his hand, and the hologram bent to his will, images of different Legion forces appearing in the hologram. “I propose we strike at both Ponyville and Canterlot at once. The Griffons and Changelings will strike at Canterlot, while those without wings will strike the town. I shall have Khârn, Rainborg, and Zhufor lead the assault on Ponyville, while Midnight and I shall lead the assault on Canterlot.”

“Yes, my lord.” Sharp Beak nodded after a moment. “And what will happen once either objective has been destroyed?”

“If Ponyville is captured, then head to Canterlot. We should have the enemy preoccupied enough to let the ground forces pass unhindered.” Ahriman replied. “I shall assign battlefield objectives to all attacking Canterlot, while Rainborg will inform the Ponyville battlegroup of their roles. Is that understood?” He turned to the rest of the soldiers in the room.

“Yes, Ahriman!” They all responded, giving him a brisk salute.

“Good. Now then, Lieutenant Tempest, I would like you to lead the attack upon the barracks.” Ahriman began giving orders to the many commanders in the Strategium, highlighting their targets, or targets of opportunity. He would also estimate how many soldiers each task would require, and how many he could provide. This went on for a few hours, until finally the preparations were ready.

Khârn roared with glee as he smashed his armorless fist into Zhufor’s face, sending the bulkier Khornate reeling backwards. Zhufor recovered quickly, backpedaling before sidestepping another punch from the World Eater. He lunged forward, barreling into Khârn and slamming him against the blackened walls of the fight pit.

“You’ve gotten better, you miserable skulltaker.” Khârn laughed as they backed away from each other, taking a moment's reprieve from their sparring.

“And you have gotten weaker.” Zhufor spat out a glob of blood. “If I had been fighting the real Betrayer, I would have already been defeated. Scum like you is unworthy of Khorne’s praise.”

Rage rushed into the Berzerker, but before Khârn could respond, someone from up above cleared their throat. Both marines looked up to see Rainborg hovering over the fight pit, an irritated look on her semi-robotic features.

“If the two of you are done with your petty squabbles, we’ve a war to finish off.” She grumbled. “Everyone else was debriefed twenty minutes ago.”

“Then why are you only now informing us?” Khârn asked.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the past twenty minutes.” Rainborg growled back.

Zhufor growled back. “What makes you think that you have any right to give us orders, whelp?”

“Ahriman gave me that right.” Rainborg replied, not taking too kindly to Zhufor’s insult. “And the fact that I am the only competent leader in our part of the invasion, you bloodthirsty bastard.”

Zhufor glared at her, before turning and exiting the fighting pit. “Just point me to the next slaughter, Warpsmith. And pray to the gods that I don’t claim your skull for Khorne as well.”

“As if you’d even be able to.” Rainborg grumbled as he left, before turning to Khârn. “We’re going to be attacking Ponyville, while Ahriman and Midnight take the fighting to the Princesses themselves.”

“Ponyville?” Khârn growled. “You horses are terrible with names. But wasn’t that your hometown?”

Rainborg flinched, and Khârn noticed a hint of regret in her eyes before they went back to being angry. “Yes, it was. Which is exactly why the Sorcerer is sending me there. My knowledge of the area will at least allow me to guide your raving lunatics in the right direction.”

Khârn laughed, the noise booming loudly thanks to his armor. Rainborg flinched from the sheer volume. “Very well! We shall raze that pathetic village to the ground, and build a monument to Khorne out of the skulls of its people!”

Rainborg nodded after a moment, then turned to leave.

“Just make sure you don’t have sentimentalities about the place. If I find you helping the enemy, I will kill you.” Khârn said with a sudden coldness that sent a shiver down Rainborg’s back.

“R-Right.” Rainborg said, before exiting the room.

Canterlot was in a state of evacuation. Ponies flooded the streets, carrying belongings and whatever they could carry, while the Royal Guard watched on from above, occasionally stopping fights from breaking out. Many buildings had been repurposed, houses set up with heavy turret emplacements, restaurants becoming munition stockpiles or set up as emergency hospitals for the coming battle.

Celestia watched from one of the many windows of the castle, worry plastered upon her white muzzle. She jumped a little when she heard Luna appear behind her, accompanied by a burst of blue light from a teleportation spell.

“Sister, the new fortifications are nearly complete.” Luna said, moving to join her sister in looking over Canterlot. “And the civilians have mostly been evacuated. We cannot give an estimate of when they will all be gone, but we must have the streets clear before the next morning. These ‘mines’ our ponies found in the weapons vault will be well used during the battle.”

Celestia sighed, shaking her head. “Luna, is this truly the best course of action? Surely we could mount a defense away from Canterlot and Ponyville…”

“And give up an advantage our home gives us?” Luna asked. “No. We need every advantage we can get when it comes to fighting Ahriman.”

Celestia sighed again, understanding what Luna meant. “Very well. Shall we retrieve our armor then?”

Luna nodded. “It is likely we will have to fight that accursed Sorcerer ourselves. Our magical powers may be vast, but the armor will greatly help.”

“Just like it did against the Everchosen…” Celestia nodded. “Has the Guard learned how to use those ‘lasguns’ yet?”

Luna laughed a little. “Only barely. You really should have unlocked the armory a lot sooner.”

“But the balance-“ Celestia began, but was cut off by a hoof from her sister.

“Yes, I know. As our parents said, we must not upset the balance of the project.” Luna nodded. “But I doubt our ponies will be able to properly use these weapons in time.”

“Yes, I know…” Celestia looked longingly to the horizon. “To think that all of this started from something so simple as a sisterly squabble…”

“Indeed… things should never have escalated to the point that they had.” Luna nodded, before her expression turned a bit dark. “Speaking of the balance, sister… We have heard some unsettling rumors regarding thee.”

“Luna, you know better than to listen to rumors.” Celestia chastised her, turning from the window and heading towards the throne room. Luna swiftly followed, the younger alicorn keeping pace.

“Sister, did you truly threaten the other races with the sun if they did not give aid to Equestria?” Luna asked, and Celestia stopped dead in her tracks.

“I…” She sighed in defeat, knowing she couldn’t lie to her sister. “Yes.”

Luna stepped back from her sister, appalled. “Why would you do such a thing?”

“Equestria was in the middle of an economic crisis, Sister.” The Sun Princess began, continuing towards the throne room. “Resources were being used far too quickly, and soon Equestria would have nothing left but dust. I went to every nation, begging for them to lend Equestria as much resources as it needed until our farms could recover.”

Celestia paused as the gates to the throne room swung open, and the two Princesses went inside. “But barely anyone gave their aid. Those that did delivered only the barest minimum of food and the other essential resources we required. Eventually, I grew desperate, and… well, you know what happened next.”

“Indeed, Sister.”

The first sign that an attack was underway was when the sky went dark.

Several trenches had been dug up all around the village, now filled with the bodies of hundreds of ponies of all races, carrying lasguns designed with the equine form in mind and wearing uncomfortable flak armor. The laser rifles were affixed to the soldiers, their sticky barrels jutting out over the lip of the trench while the trigger lay uncomfortably in their mouths.

Many of the ponies were volunteers, ready to give their lives for their families and for Equestria. Many less were soldiers from the Royal Guard, sent to defend Ponyville and to take command of any who would aid in the defense. The majority of them were held up within the dozens of battle tanks behind the trenches.

Dragged to the front line by unicorns and their magic, very little was understood about their mechanisms, save how to load them, fire their cannons, and rotate the weapon turrets. Their blocky and terrifying presence cast a shadow over the back line, though many found them to be a comfort.

But when the light of the sun suddenly vanished, the soldiers of the trenches looked up in confusion.

Above them, hundreds of multicolored dragons, feathery griffons, and the buzzing black chitin swarm of changelings flew above them, practically blocking out the sun with their bulk.

The soldiers began to raise their guns, only for lasgun beams to strike out from the forest, sending dozens of ponies backwards into the trench, some getting lucky with only scorch marks on their armor, while other, less fortunate ponies screamed in agony as they found fresh holes burned straight through their bodies. Even less fortunate soldiers ended up with a hole in their head.

As the ponies reoriented themselves and began to fire at the forest, a group of heavily armored creatures of varying race rushed out of the forest, lead by the blood red Khârn. He roared as he charged, laser beams bouncing off of his armor as the sound of his cry of rage caused many ponies to turn and flee. The berzerker crashed into the first trench line within moments, far ahead of his band of followers.

“F-For Equestria!” A terrified yet brave Pegasus cried, before charging Khârn, a blade attached to the end of his lasgun. He died before he could even comprehend the massive chainaxe swinging towards him, the front of his body torn to shreds in a single pass along with five others.

“Blood for the Blood God!” Khârn roared, every swing of Gorechild eviscerating a pony as he tore the first line apart. By the time his band of screaming lunatics arrived, leaping into the trench, they had already lost a quarter, and Khârn was already practically done cleaving through them. The ground was slick with fresh blood while Khârn leapt up out of the trench, chasing after fleeing ponies.

Ahead, several gun turrets began to turn towards the raging red berzerker, the turn slow and clunky as the ponies struggled with the ancient controls. Unbeknownst to them, they were also fighting the almost prehistoric machine spirits, who were enraged that they were forced into awakening without the proper rites.

Before they could properly fire, several missiles suddenly tore into the hull of these ancient, boxy tanks, destroying the turrets of the second line’s tanks and detonating their ammunition. The tanks exploded in a shower of shrapnel, killing many and wounding dozens more. Khârn dropped into the second line as Rainborg recalled her Rainbine Detonator, her front left hoof reforming into her U-Blaster. She dropped down into the trench line, raising her blaster and launching the deadly boomerang-like disc, the projectile decapitating or cutting straight through dozens of ponies before returning.

“Lieutenant Long Shot, first trench is clear.” Rainborg called into the vox channel for the command staff. “Second trench will be cleared shortly.” Demolisher Cannons fired overhead, tearing into the Everfree Forest. Contact with the Griffon Lieutenant was cut moments later. “Dammit! 2nd Lieutenant Firestorm, tell those fuggin’ Heavy Support teams to set up their Lascannons! If I have to deal with those tanks myself, I’m going to take the heads of every single one of you!” She took to the skies again, quickly scanning for where to strike next.

“Zhufor, this is Rainborg.” She spoke, contacting the Terminator-clad berzerker via a private vox link. “Input the coordinates I am sending you into the teleporter. I have identified a target worthy of your attention.” There was a gruff reply on the other end before the link was cut. “Damned Khorne Worshippers…” she ducked as several lasers flew past her, tearing a few unlucky changelings some new holes.

Canterlot

Midnight cackled as she flew past a line of Royal Guards, the ponies losing their heads as they turned towards her, and away from the magical blades behind her.

“We’re these mortals always this easy?” Midnight asked herself as a squad of Pegasi charged her, spears raised and aimed towards her head. The Daemon Princess raised her new hand, and a barrier of pure energy sprung up between them. The Pegasi tried to turn away, but three were far too close to evade the barrier. They flew into the barrier, passing through without difficulty. They could not even get a scream out as their bodies turned against them, and they began to fall apart, quickly turning to nothing more than dust in the wind.

“Come then, servants of my former teacher.” Midnight taunted the remaining five pegasi with a single clawed finger. “Come! I shall take your souls and offer them up to my new Teacher!”

Some of the Pegasi paused, shock lining their faces as they recognized the creature before them.

“Tw… Twilight?” One asked in shock, lowering his spear.

Midnight laughed as she was finally recognized. “Yes! I am the one formerly known as Twilight Sparkle. Celestia is a fool who could not comprehend the true potential I had, but my new teachers have awakened that potential! Gaze upon my brilliant new form, a gift for my service to Tzeentch!” Midnight spun around, showing these mortals what she had become. “But of course, this is not my true form! You are not worthy of seeing such a magnificent sight!”

“You… you are an abomination!” One of the Guards roared, rushing forward. Midnight raised a psychic shield, but it was too late as the spear tore into her side, breaking through her armor and drawing glowing purple blood.

“Aaaaugh!” Midnight screeched loudly, reeling backwards as she held her bleeding side, her body convulsing as if it were threatening to grow outside of itself. She held control of her body however, her eyes glowing bright red with her unbridled fury.

“How dare you! Pathetic mortal!” Midnight roared, a clawed hand rushing out and grabbing the Pegasus’ neck. As the others in the squad rushed forward to help, she turned her glare to them, and within moments they all were set alight with burning blue flames. As they screamed in agony, Midnight turned back to the struggling pegasus in her grip. “You will suffer for what you have done. Your death will not be swift, nor will it be painless. Every atom in your body will feel an agony the likes of which you will never have known before. And once you die…”

She grinned savagely as she looked into his fearful eyes. “Then I will make your soul suffer for all eternity. There will be no escape for scum such as you.”

“Lord Ahriman, Midnight is no longer responding to calls.” One of the changelings informed the Sorcerer as he walked through a blood-soaked street, the blade of his staff easily cutting through stone as he walked towards the castle. “We last heard she was wounded.”

Ahriman made an odd wheezing noise repeatedly. It took the changeling a moment to realize that the Space Marine was laughing. “She must be taking vengeance upon the mortal who wounded her… leave her be. I do not need her for what is to come.”

“And what is that, my lord?” The Changeling asked. He could not see it, but underneath his helmet, Ahriman was smiling.

“The death of a nation.” He said, raising his staff. “Inform your Queen that she shall personally see to it that my arrival at the castle is unhindered. I do not wish to waste my strength on these weaklings.”

“Y-yes, Lord Ahriman.” The Changeling nodded, but before it could buzz away, one of the buildings to Ahriman’s left was destroyed in a explosion of dust and rubble.

“Bring… me… Ahriman!” A deep and robotic voice roared as a massive rotary cannon swung out from the dust cloud, whirring as it opened fire in Ahriman’s direction. The Sorcerer raised his hand, and moments before the projectiles tore into him, they were caught by an electrical barrier right in front of him.

Out from the dust cloud lumbered a massive bipedal walker, the Assault Cannon smoking as it ceased its barrage. Heavily armored legs slowly moved the machine towards the Astartes, and its left arm ended in a power fist that flexed its fingers out. The body of the walker was bulky, with what looked like a helmet protruding with a metal halo surrounding it.

“Bastard…” It growled as the bullets caught in Ahriman’s barrier detonated, leaving the two to stare at each other. “You corrupted… my sister!” The Contemptor Dreadnought swung its fist at Ahriman, though it soon found its arm unable to move mere feet away from the Sorcerer, who bent his psychic powers towards holding the devastating weapon back.

“Ah, Shining Armor…” Ahriman finally recognized the soul piloting the ancient machine. “I was not the one to turn Twilight against you all. You can thank your princesses for that!”

“Cease your lies!” The twin Boltguns inside the dreadnought’s fist roared, too close for Ahriman to block them. He roared in pain as the bolts detonated against his leg, wounding him. The distraction was enough, as the force keeping Shining’s fist back faltered, and it slammed into the Sorcerer, throwing him backwards.

Ahriman groaned in pain as he slammed into the pavement, cracking it under his weight. He pulled out his pistol, snapping off a few shots at the Dreadnought rushing towards him. The bolts impacted a shield around the machine, doing no damage as Ahriman got to his feet.

“Fine then… I’ll ensure you stay dead this time!” Ahriman declared, and the fight was on.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was rewritten, as the original storyline for this was utter... well, not good. I made some pretty crappy decisions for a finale, so now I’m rectifying that mistake!

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed, and I hope you all will go check out the Black Crusade Rewrite!
I’ll rewrite chapter 28 as well, but right now consider that one noncanon.

Please feel free to comment and criticize anything I did wrong or just bad!