Celestia was not a happy pony.

Ponyville was in ruins, with fires still raging in some parts. Dozens of her beloved little ponies lay dead in the streets. Strange minotaurs that looked like monsters right out of her most hated nightmare stood before her.

And right before her was the Monster itself. It may have been smaller than in her dream, with less gold and no alien heads or wolf pelt, but it was the Monster, of that she was sure. Hate emanated from its very eyes, and it just stood before her with its coal-black armour and bearing its blasted mace, the mace that killed…

Celestia unfurled her wings to their full extent and strode right up to the Monster. Her eyes glowed a faint red, a stare to ward off the baleful glare she remembered so well, that haunted her from the shadows. She stood right in front of it, her snout just inches from its skull-like face.

Every pony and alien stood tense. Luna eyed the aliens warily, ready to pounce at the first sign of violence. The aliens replaced the containers on the bottoms of their killing boxes. The giant metal box flexed its cruel talons. The air screeched as the metal bird returned, coming to a hovering stop just in front of town hall. Twilight Sparkle stood just a few steps from the blue-armoured alien, eyeing it warily. The surviving defenders of Ponyville watched, eyes wide and hearts pounding.

Through it all, Celestia never took her eyes off the Monster before her.

“Monster! Kneel and explain yourself!” Celestia’s words were a storm of constrained fire, a force which would have brought anypony in Equestria to their knees.

The Monster simply huffed. “I am of the Emperor’s Chosen, and I kneel before no xenos. Now get out of my way. I have more important matters to attend to.”

Golden light flared all around Celestia. “This is my domain, Monster! I demand answers, and you will not take one step until they are answered!”

The Monster tightened its grip on its weapons, especially that abominable mace. It stepped closer, its skull-face coming within but an inch of Celestia’s snout. “My mercy is finite, witchmind, and already overextended. Now be gone!”

Fury surged in Celestia’s heart, her vision slowly tinting red. How dare this alien Monster defy her? Her ponies were wounded and died by their hand! The reek of spilled blood filled her nostrils! She deserved answers! She demanded answers! And she would get them, tear them from their hideous necks, gorge herself on the knowledge, flay them, kill them-

“Sister!” Luna’s voice broke through the haze. Celestia fell back a few steps, a brief gasp escaping her mouth. “Be calm! Do not let it overcome you!”

The Lunar Alicorn leapt to her sister’s side, fear as evident on her face as the full moon on a cloudless night. Celestia knew at a glance the worry and concern which filled her sister’s heart at that moment. That alone was enough to drive back the thirst which had almost consumed her.

It was also the exact wrong action to take when surrounded by nervous alien warriors.

The Monster was first, its strange, small tube snapping to a level with Celestia’s head. All around, the aliens took aim with their killing boxes, their tubes and their pipes. Death was about to be unleashed again on poor, ruined Ponyville.

“Aless! Wait!” a forceful baritone boomed. The aliens froze in place, and the Monster turned. Celestia followed the Monster’s crimson gaze to the blue-armoured alien, who stood with its hands raised in the air.

“Make this good, Renato,” the Monster rumbled.

“That I will,” the blue-armour said as it strode over, its massive hooves, feet, leaving shallow indents in the ground with every clanking step.

As the blue-armour advanced, Celestia reached out with her magic. She touched the mind of this strange alien. A jolt of fear shot through her heart as she felt in it the same power that had earlier that day rippled throughout Equestria. Now both wary and curious, she dug deeper, seeking to know what this creature intended.

This is not a wise course of action, strange xenos.

Celestia’s eyes widened as the alien’s baritone voice spoke in her head.

Please, do not be frightened! I only give advice! I mean neither you nor your subjects harm. That is, actually, what I’m trying to avoid. Such fascinating creatures you all are…

In an instant, Celestia weighed the odds of the matter. She sent a quick telepathic message to her sister. Luna, the blue one is magical, and knows telepathy. I advise caution.

Luna’s response was swift. It speaks? What did it say?

Before Celestia could answer, her attention was stolen by the Monster, which had turned its attention back to her.

“Battle-brothers!” it shouted. “Stand down! We will ply our holy craft no more this day! Priam, Dabriel! Take your squads and gather up the arms of our fallen. Domenico! Collect the Chapter’s due. Castello! Take up a patrol and hunt down any remaining servants of Chaos. Orlando, Paolo! Bring what remains of the veterans. You will accompany Renato and I.”

Celestia eyed the Monster warily. It turned its crimson gaze back to her.

“I will not kneel to a foul xenos,” it said. “But against my better judgement, I will speak with you.”

“What my companion means to say,” the blue-armoured alien said as it stepping forward. “Is that diplomatic relations are in both our best interests, and that it would be better to talk before tensions… escalate.”

The Monster glared at the blue-armoured alien. The latter simply shrugged.

At almost the same moment as that, Twilight Sparkle burst into the conversation.

“We can use my castle!” she said, almost bouncing with excitement. “It hasn’t been used for anything important since the yaks, except for that whole time travel mess with Starlight, but that doesn’t change the fact that it still doesn’t get used as much as it should, and these are aliens, Celestia, and there were nasty evil ones and then there’s these ones who are actually kinda nice and they showed up and saved us, and…”

“Twilight,” Celestia said in the calmest, most motherly tone she could muster. She smiled at the excitable mare, her mind briefly flashing back to happier times, when aliens were not invading and murdering her beloved ponies. “Calm down. We, apparently, have guests. Why don’t you go on ahead and prepare your castle?”

Twilight rushed a few words of thanks out of her mouth and was gone in a flash. A moment later, she reappeared.

“Wait! What about my friends?” Her eyes were wide with sudden terror. “Where are they? What happened to them?”

“Hey, where’s the big red meanie?” Pinkie Pie said as she appeared as though out of thin air. Every alien within view snapped their weapons out and aimed them at the pink party pony. She seemed to not notice. “I had a really special pie, just for him!”

“Pinkie! You’re safe!” Twilight tackled her friend to the ground. Behind her, the Monster waved its soldiers down and they returned to their duties.

“Of course I am, Twilight,” Pinkie said as though an army of alien murderers had not just rampaged through Ponyville. “It was other-me the meanie killed.”

It suddenly occurred to Celestia that she never had finished that investigation into Pinkie Pie’s mental state. The Solar Alicorn made a mental note to finish that up when she had the chance.

“Other-me? What?” Twilight, it seemed, was just as confused as Celestia. The latter was unsure how to take that.

“Remember that time I made a lotta me’s, and then we had to get rid of them all ‘cause they were causing so much trouble around Ponyville?” Pinkie said.

“Oh, I see,” Twilight said. She shook her head. “Anyway, Pinkie, do you know what happened to everypony else? Why aren’t Applejack and Rainbow Dash here? We could really have used their help.”

“Rarity got hurt, so Applejack took her to Fluttershy’s,” Pinkie explained. Then she pointed her hoof at the ruined remains of a nearby house.

“And Dashie’s in there. She tried to sneak up on meanies, but her aim was a wee-little bit off.”

At that very moment, a still quite dazed Rainbow Dash stumbled out of the ruins.

“Hey you, stop,” she mumbled. “No pony, ah…”

Then she fell to the ground unconscious. A couple nearby ponies picked her up and carried her to town hall.

Twilight moved to follow her wounded friend. Celestia gently blocked her path with a hoof.

“Rainbow Dash will be fine, Twilight,” she said. “I need you and Luna with me when we speak with these aliens. You saw what happened here, and your insight will be invaluable in figuring out what’s going on.”

Twilight hesitated, her mind whirring as she considered the situation. She nodded. “You’re right. Rainbow’s been through worse than a crash and been just fine.”

A sudden spark of excitement washed over the lavender alicorn. “Which means I get to talk with the aliens some more! They’re really interesting! I only had a few moments to talk to the blue one, but it seems like a nice pony, er, person, and oh I just can’t wait to learn more about them!”

Celestia allowed herself a small chuckle as Twilight carried on, rambling about all the questions she wanted, no needed, to find answers for. It did the Solar Alicorn’s heart good to see such untampered joy on a day as dark as this.

Such thoughts were interrupted a moment later, when the Monster spoke again.

“Xenos, I have offered you negotiation,” it said, its tone reeking of irritation. “I would like if we could begin.”

Celestia nodded. “Very well. Luna, Twilight, come. We all have much to discuss.”
_______

“And we commend your spirit to the Golden Throne and the Emperor’s Embrace, where you may find rest forevermore,” Domenico prayed over the bodies of his fallen brothers.

As one, he, Squad Murata, and Priam’s Assault Squad prayed the final words.

“The Emperor Protects.”

Domenico turned to his battle-brothers. “My duty here is done. Do as you will with their bodies. Save for Cornelio, they were of your squads, and so it falls to you to decide their fate. If I am needed, I will be in the tower. I believe the locals have been keeping their wounded there.”

The white-armoured priest strode off, five canisters of freshly-retrieved gene-seed clanging against his legs.

Priam was the first to speak. “Brothers, help me carry Vito. We will cremate him that hill over there. The wind should be just right. Dabriel, may I borrow our squad’s flamer?”

“Of course,” Dabriel answered. He gestured for Aurelio to turn over his flamer. Priam took it and with the help of his squad hefted the naked form of their fallen brother onto their shoulders.

While Priam led his squad away, Squad Murata turned to their own affairs.

Five dead. Three from Murata. A paltry price to pay for the deaths of so many foul heretics, but one that still hung heavy over their hearts. They were the last; no reinforcements would be coming to fill the gaps. If they did not return to Baal soon, Squad Murata would be lost forever.
Severo was the first to move. He strode forward and kneeled at the late Tonio’s side.

“Good-bye, brother,” he said. “Find peace at the Emperor’s side. I will miss you.”

Marco’s mouth opened before he could restrain himself. “I though you hated him.”

Severo spun around, his glare penetrating into Marco’s very soul. “Tonio was an insubordinate fool, but he was still my battle-brother! I may have disliked him, but never for a moment did I want him dead! Never forget that.”

Marco fell back a step. “I meant no offense! I am sorry.”

Dabriel intervened before it could go any further. “It’s alright, lad. Come on, let’s waste no more time. Our brothers are with the Emperor now, and Domenico has their gene-seed. Remember, none of us are truly gone as long as our gene-seed remains. It bears the legacy of all who carry it, from the first Terrans who took to the stars in the early days of the Great Crusade, all the way to us now. Now, Marco, ready the Heavy Flamer. Let us not leave the bodies of our brothers to rot on some xenos world beyond the Emperor’s light.”

Marco nodded and hefted the weapon. As one, the squad prayed their final respects.

“From the sands of Baal we are born, and to those sands we shall all return. We are the Sons of the Angel; forged in blood, and buried in flame.”

Dabriel raised his hand, ready to signal Marco to execute his duty. Before he could lower it, a strange voice intruded.

“Um, excuse me? I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’d like to, uh…”

Squad Murata turned as one to see one of the local xenos, a grey-furred child, standing just a few metres away. It seemed to be nervous, though to the degree any of the Astartes would have expected it to be.

“Interrupt you have, xenos,” Severo spat. “Be gone! I’ll not have my brothers’ last rites tainted by the presence of-”

“Severo! Quiet!” Dabriel snapped. Severo complied immediately. The Sergeant turned to the xenos. “Why are you here, xenos? My brother is right, you are interrupting a holy ritual.”

It was the child that first answered. “I just wanted to say thank you for saving us from the nasty monsters.”

Marco and his battle-brothers looked at each other, then back at the xenos. Marco spoke.

“Why do you say that?”

The child spoke again, a strange giddiness in its tone as it bounded over to the Space Marines. “Because you did! You blasted those monsters who chopped your buddy!”

“Our ‘buddy?’” Marco said. Something clicked in his mind. “Do you mean Tonio? Did you see him die?”

“Tonio?” the child echoed, its tone confused. “Do you mean my hero? ‘Cause he saved us! One of the monsters tried to get me, and mommy tried to make it run away, but she just got hurt, and then the monster was going to get her, and then bam! He just came out of nowhere and make the monster fall over, bang! Bang! But then more monsters showed up, and he told us to run and we did and then they chopped him all up and I never got a chance to say thanks!”

The creature’s tone drew more desperate as its words carried on, and tears began to flow from its yellow eyes. In that moment, Marco felt something strange deep inside him. Before he could make sense of this mysterious instinct, however, Dabriel kneeled in front of the xenos and laid a ceramite-covered hand on its furry head.

“Calm yourself, xenos,” he said as soothingly as he could. “You say you want to thank brother Tonio? Come, Let’s remedy that.”

Dabriel carefully lifted the xenos in his hands. The creature yelped, but did not struggle. Dabriel then carried it over to the bloody and torn remains of Brother Tonio. He carefully set the creature down beside Tonio’s head.

Marco could only watch in shock as the xenos timidly approached Tonio. “Thank you, lonely alien. You saved mommy and me, and I’ll miss you.”

Severo hissed into Dabriel’s ear. “What are you thinking? Is it not bad enough we are suffering the alien to live? Why are you letting one desecrate our brother’s body?”

“Because Tonio thought that these xenos were worth his life,” Dabriel answered calmly. “And because children, even xenos children, are the same everywhere. I’ll not see this child denied the chance to thank Tonio. So hold your patience just a short while longer. He will be cleansed with holy promethium soon enough, and any taint the xenos may have left will be gone.”

Severo grumbled but obeyed. Marco fidgeted with the Heavy Flamer, the strange feeling he could not explain combining with the sight of a xenos crying over the body of his battle-brother to make him very uncomfortable.

This situation was further complicated when another interloper arrived.

“Dinky! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” A grey-furred xenos soared towards the child, landing with a bit of a crash. It quickly recovered and interposed itself between the child and the Blood Angels. “What were you thinking, running off like that! You had me worried sick!”

“But I had to come, mommy!” the child said. “You always tell me to say thank you when somepony helps you, and this alien helped us both and I didn’t get a chance to say thank you, so I had to come!”

“It’s alright, xenos,” Dabriel said, taking a step forward. The adult did the best it could with its crossed eyes to lock gazes with the Sergeant. “The child is safe with us. Though, in future I would advise listening to yours elders more. The years bring wisdom with them.”

“Okay…” the child said.

“And it would be good if you could take the child,” Dabriel continued. “I am glad I was able to help it find closure, but we are in the middle of an important ceremony, and we should not delay any longer.”

The adult slowly walked behind the child, never once taking its gaze off Dabriel.

“Come on, Dinky, it’s time to go,” it said.

“But mommy!” the child started.

“No buts!” the adult chastised. “You ran off without even telling me where you were going, and then I find you with complete strangers! Come on, let’s go find the Doc.”

“Alright…” the child groaned. It held its head low.

The adult at last turned it gaze from Dabriel to the child. It wrapped its hooves around the child.

“I’m really glad you’re safe,” the adult said.

The adult then placed the child on its back and flew off in the direction of the town.

“Finally,” Severo said. “I thought it would never leave.”

“Marco, commend the bodies of our fallen brothers to the Aether,” Dabriel said.

Marco nodded and raised his Heavy Flamer. As the flames engulfed the bodies, he could almost swear he saw a smile on Tonio’s face.
_____

“Ya sure yer alright here?” Applejack asked. “Ah mean, iff’n ya need any help…”

“No, no, we’ll be just fine,” Fluttershy replied. “Rarity just needs some rest so the medicine can work.”

“Alright, in that case, Ah’m off,” Applejack said. She nodded and said, “See ya soon!”

Applejack trod back down the path to Ponyville. In the distance she could still see smoke billowing up from the town. Part of her desired nothing more than to charge off, to get here as fast as she could. Yer friends need ya! But another, stronger part of her urged caution.

The latter prevailed, and so Applejack continued her walk, her senses on high alert as she came closer to town.

What in the hay is even goin’ on? she wondered. Strange creatures invading out of the Everfree, setting Ponyville to the torch without even saying why. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced; even the villains she and her friends had faced explained what they were doing and why. These monsters simply killed, as though life somehow offended them.

Applejack’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy stomps in the distance. They were as loud as a dragon’s steps, but to the well-honed ears of the farmpony, they sounded wrong. She could not hear claws digging into the dirt, always the tell-tale sound of a prowling dragon. No, these stomps were almost… metallic. Appejack was reminded of the time her older brother had gotten a pail stuck on his hoof, and the racket he had made with every step.

This sound was something like that, only much, much louder.

Applejack quickly realized the stomps were getting closer. She dashed behind the nearest tree. She peeked just around its side, looking for any sign of the… thing that was approaching. She waited, and waited, every moment the stomps growing louder. Then, a deep, metallic voice spoke.

“Come out, tiny xenos, I mean you no harm,” the voice boomed. When Applejack refused to move, it boomed again. “Ah, I know where I have gone wrong. Forgive me for my rudeness. It has been a long while since I have spoken to anyone other than my battle-brothers.”

Applejack’s jaw fell slack as the source of the voice stomped into view.

It was massive, easily four times her height and as broad as it was tall. It walked on two stocky legs, and had strange, minotaur-like appendages on either side of its boxy frame. Each appendage ended in three vicious claws.

It stomped towards her. Then, in the most surreal action Applejack had seen that day, it waved at her.

“Greetings!” it said cheerily. “I am Castello. What is your name, tiny xenos?”

“Ap-Applejack,” was all the farmpony could stutter out, her mind still trying to process the idea of this metal beast trying to act pleasant.

“Then fair day to you, Applejack!” Castello boomed. “What brings you here?”

Applejack cleared her confusion with a shake of her head. “Wait, what in tarnation are ya? How can I trust ya when I don’t even know what ya are?”

Castello made a rumbling sound that Applejack quickly realized was some form of laughter.

“A wise sentiment,” Castello said. “I am a Dreadnought of the Blood Angels Chapter, a loyal servant of the Emperor and the Imperium of Man. My brothers and I came here on the trail of foul Chaos heretics, the very same ones who burned that town over there. But you need not fear, tiny xenos, for we have purged the taint. I am in fact out here to ensure that we did not miss anything.”

“Ponyville’s safe?” Applejack said hesitantly.

“Is that the name of the town?” Castello chuckled as he considered this fact. “What a strange name.”

“Sorry, Mister Castello,” Applejack said. “But Ah really must be goin’. I need to see if mah family’s alright.”

“Ah, so you are from the town. Very well,” Castello said. “I apologize for delaying you. A good day to you, then. The Emperor Protects.”

With that Castello stomped off, leaving Applejack to consider what had just happened. To her annoyance, she could find no conclusion but that this was the strangest day in her life.

As she rushed off to Ponyville, Applejack had no idea just how untrue that thought would prove to be.

Author's Notes:

As of this chapter, I’m going to be implementing a little rule to represent the Flaw (those of you who don’t know, you’ll see soon enough). Before each battle, I’m going to roll for each of the Blood Angels involved. On a roll of 1, they’ll fall. The system is as follows:
Assault Marines: 1d6
Tactical Marines: 1d10
Veterans, Sergeants, and Sanguinary Guard: 1d12
Officers: 1d20
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!