Five months had passed. Five Wretched months upon this xeno infested world… Garvel had spent many a day in prayer to the Emperor, asking for some form of sign that he was still in His eternal gaze and Grace. Nary a whisper returned…
The Xenos were… Still rather disgusting. But over the months they had begun to grow upon Garvel. Where he once would crush their skulls for the slightest sound, he now tolerated open prayer alongside him. Where their colorful and pathetic “military” had once offended him, he now oversaw training as well as the hunts for the Greenskin. He still wanted to kill them all though, he thought as he looked over the training field watching various exercises of regimental battle.
He now had a seat beside the princesses, eating their vegetarian meals and sharing his insight and wisdom about the kingdom and stately affairs. Those who did not know him personally knew his position at least and fear was no longer a common emotion when he walked the streets. Oh how the mighty have indeed fallen…
He turned and stamped away from the training field, his helmet under his arm. His hair had grown a bit in these past few months, now reaching down to his chin if not held up in the Warriors tail as he called it. He refused to call it a pony tail.
He continued marching, eventually ending up inside the castle as per usual, stalking towards the Canterlot Library as it was called. He quite enjoyed the silence as it allowed him to pen accounts of history for these ponies to read. At first it was to make them tremble in fear, showing them tales of the Mighty Imperium and how it conquered all of its enemies. Now… Now he simply wrote fictions and other accounts of valor he could remember.
However, his destination had been predetermined for him beforehand. So when he entered the library, it wasn’t to the usual silence but to the greetings of those he had come to know as the writers and bookworms of the city, as well as those of the mares whom he had the immense displeasure of being attached to for most of the time. Before him in a large circle of chairs and other seats sat many ponies, all of whom had gathered for a weekly book club as they called it. He sighed under his breath, remembering how he had been roped into not only coming to these, but being the main attraction…
One month prior:
“Oh come on Garvel! I am sure your stories would be a big hit!” Twilight badgered. She had been on his case for the last few days, having just read most of what he had written out of sheer amazement. He was a wonderful writer! One of the best she had ever read from in fact!
“My answer is final Miss Sparkle. I will not be put on display for all of your amusement. My writings are meant to ins- The answer is no.” He said as he continued penning down what she was sure would be another Epic.
“Oh its nothing like that! It’s a club for likeminded individuals, where we discuss novels and stories-“She quickly cut herself off with a glare from over the top of his desk. Most of the furnishings in his rather large room had been made custom for his large stature, but even then the desk still seemed small as he peered over it.
“If I go once, will you leave me be?” She smiled brightly at this, already hopping over to the door to escort the marine to the Library…
Present day:
Garvel sat upon what to normal humans would seem like a throne, looking quite bored with his hand under his chin and his eyes half opened. A few of the so called intellectuals had broken into an argument over one of his latest works of fiction, the topic being whether or not a Deathwatch Psyker would trump the Eldar Farseer he had penned.
While the answer was obvious to him, after his last outburst of anger left a fewquivering in puddle, he had agreed to no longer vent his rage. He looked over to Twilight, she herself quite engrossed in the argument in favor of the Eldar. He imagined wringing her neck in his mighty hands when he heard the faint clicking of his proximity alarm.
“Pssttt! Garvie!! It’s me pinkie pie!!” The Pink pony whispered from behind him, to his annoyance. She had become quite the asset over the months, speaking many times in his favor and leading the Hunt for the Greenskin with great fervor when he could not.
He craned his head to the side, looking at her with the same bored look. She was clad in the now familiar red robes, tinged with streams of gold and bearing a modified Aquila on her chest. It was the same in most respects he noticed, except it now sat above a similar but equine version of itself.
He snorted at this before speaking up in a harsh whisper “What is it, Miss Pie? Can you not see I am…” He paused for a moment, looking at the quarrel as it began to escalate, with insults being thrown about by those whom he one thought Intelligent.
“You were saying My lord? Hehehe! But seriously! This is sooo borrrinnnggg! Would you rather be speaking to faithful?” She whispered back with a wide grin.
Faithful? Speaking? What on Holy Terra was she speaking of? Before He could question and berate her, she slinked away towards a set of doors in the rear of the room. He looked back to the gathering, words coming to blows over various works of his and others. It was without great difficulty that he too slinked away, following the trail of Pinkie Pie.
She led him through corridors, through halls, through rooms and even through a kitchen. She always seemed to be around the next corner by the time he entered an area, his eyes catching her red robes just barely. It wasn’t until he came to a desolate part of the castle at the top of a set of stairs did she pause and smile back at him.
“Now… You may be wondering why I have taken you-“
“I have already deduced something, Miss Pie. You have taken me here, as you said to speak. To whom, I am barely guessing…” He spoke loudly, towering over the Pink pony. She did not look perplexed the slightest, in fact seeming to smile wider as he neared her.
“You said it yourself in one of your stories, My lord… Every great saint needs an army to lead… And I am here to bring you that Army!” Once again she slunk off away, leading Garvel down a long flight of stairs.
As he entered what he believed to be the Basement, Cheers erupted from the entire room. The room was packed from wall to wall with Ponies of various size, shape and color. Guardsponies took up a large portion of the Masses he realized, Forming a large square in the center of the room. They all cheered at his appearance, hooves clattering against the floor in thunderous applause.
He was lead to a makeshift podium for someone his size by Pinkie, still taking in the sight himself. It was then the crowd began to become silent and Garvel realized what this was. An opportunity. These assembled xenos were those whom had listened to Miss Pie and her bastardization of the Imperial Faith. Those who now saw the Space marine as a Saint instead of a cold blooded killer. My how things have changed…
He felt a nudge at his thigh, looking down to see none other than Pinkie. She smiled and ushered to the crowd, their breaths held in anticipation. She looked out at them with a soft smile on her lips as she muttered to him.
“This was all I could muster, My lord… Those who I can definitely see following you into battle. And those who I can see in the after victory party!” she beamed. “All they need is a leader and a fire in their hearts.”
He looked at the assembled crowd, the guards his focus. Each and every one as a disgusting xeno. They should all be quivering at the sight of a Space Marine, fearing the Angel of Death. Yet here they were, waiting for him to speak to them as if they were his servants and he nothing more than a mortal man. But as he looked out to the crowd, he saw many Aquilas both normal and the Equine version, some guards even taking it to the point to scratch them into their armor in rather neat lines.
There was no question they all saw him as a Gift from the Emperor, all were waiting for some conformation that the Emperor did Indeed smile upon them. A revolting thought. He should debase them all now, sending them on their way to mope and whine. But… Miss Pie had mentioned an Army, and one such as this would at least aid in ridding the eventual green tide…
“Before me… I see a mass of… believers” he began. The room was silent as he spoke, his voice carrying to the far reaches of the room without impairment. Silence hung after each of his words, eyes staring back up at him with wonder as he spoke.
“A mass, yet nothing else. I see guards and civilians alike. Those who have taken to the Imperial Faith…” The whole situation unnerved Garvel, his own faith stretched to its limits and yet he was expected to be a beacon of light for XENOS.
“In days past and future, the sons and daughters of the Emperor die upholding this faith, and you shall be no different. To be a servant of the Emperor is to forfeit your life, as it was His to begin with.” This sent shivers down the spines of some, the cowards of the group he assumed.
“Life is the Emperor’s currency, spend it well… I intend to spend your lives in service to the Emperor, to throw you into combat and let the path of War test your faith. Does this offend any of you?” He did not expect an answer, but when one did come from the forefront of the Guards, he was rather surprised to see who it was.
“Lead us into the fray my Lord! My Guardsponies stand ready to weather whatever there is!” came the voice of none other than Captain Oak Shield. Her mane hidden under her helm and her armor brightly shined and regal looking. Purple with a gold trim… How ironic thought Garvel.
He walked from the podium, looking the captain in the eyes with the same bored stare he had on for the entire day.
“Are they truly, captain?”
“Y-yes, my Lord… We were told… By Miss Pie from… Her scriptures… The Emperor is our light…” She stammered slightly as he came to stand above her, not flinching in her gaze.
He looked down at her , curling his lip up in disgust and spitting by her, causing her to yelp as the acid sizzled into the ground. Oh did he have much to teach these ponies of war, of battle and faith.
“Miss Pie is but one of you, enlightened only by my sorrow and my own words.” He looked up from her to the assembled host, throwing his arms wide.
“From this point forth, I take all of you under my command. You shall be known henceforth, as the First Imperial Auxiliary of Equestria.” He paused to allow the Applause he knew was coming, and come it did with a roar of praise and the thunder of hooves.
He raised up his hand for silence, “But. That means all of your lives are now in my hands and in the balance of the Emperor. Whether you live or die, means nothing. For only in death, does duty end.” He turned his back, expecting silence as he began to stomp out of the room. But from the far corners of the room, he heard something that made his hearts skip a beat.
“For the Emperor!”
He continued up the stairs as the room erupted in cheers once more, the chanting of For the Emperor sounding above all. He sighed as he reached the top of the stairs, closing his eyes as he could barely hear the crowd now.
“Pitiful xenos…” He muttered under his breath. He sighed once more as he looked up, only to see the Everfree in flames from a window.