This story is a sequel to Iron Hearts: Book 5 - Suffer Not the Alien to Live
An Age of Iron story.
Months have passed since the destruction of the Ork Space Hulk and the end of the war against the Waaagh that threatened to swallow the Centaur system and all its inhabitants.
The Iron Warriors' 38th Company is the absolute military power on the planet, and the survivors of the Lamman Sept and the ponies of Equestria stand with this mighty army of Chaos as they claim Centaur III as their own. Although the other nations of their world may not fully recognize the Company's dominance, it is no matter; the Iron Warriors make plans to return their cargo to the Eye of Terror and return to their eternal trade of piracy. The planet is secure, and can be shrouded by Warp storms at their whim. The natives are divided, weak, and anyway occupied fighting off the scattered Ork warbands. The military supremacy of Chaos is unchallenged, and bolstered by Equestria's reluctant, but hard-earned support.
As Ferrous Dominus expands its operations and the fleet performs its long-suffered duty, it seems nothing can stop the Iron Warriors and their equine allies. The denizens of this conflicted world start to hope that at last peace - if not a distinctly unstable and militaristic peace - has come, and they might start constructing a new, better future from the ruins of war.
But hope... is the first step on the road to disappointment.
(Dark humor warning; limited grimdark themes)
(Cover art by EZTP)
(Featured on 9/19/2015)
To the Iron Shelf with you!
I really liked this, and I can't wait to see what Sunbutt is going to have them do. Probably something like 'kick the rest of them off the planet while they're gone' which I'm sure would go great for the ponies. And Twilight's dream threw me off for a second, I legitimately thought that was happening.
And I'm really hating how this is already putting ideas in my head for a chapter of the story I'm writing when the first one isn't even done. It's not that the chapter is even that long, I've just lacked the will and time to write as much as a I want to.
I really want to write a chapter where my character and some mooks meet that one 1984/Anthem village from season 5, and just wreck the place after they try to mess with the Chaos mark.
Can I ask you for advice? I'm just having trouble with writing transitions between scenes, like, should I go into a lot of detail? Or just a bit before moving on to the next scene?
YAY! THERE IS MORE STORY! I LOVE IT ALREADY!
GLORY TO THE DARK GODS!
Except Slaanesh.
Another fave, another like.
Also, Twily the Dragon Slayer!! Now with 20% more Twiblade action!
XD gotta love your works.
Poor flutters... Well, at least the conversations are just like your future. Bleak and riddled with pain, suffering and death. And Telis, let's not forget him XD
This please me. Also when will Gear become mechapon?
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss let's rock bitches!
Dude. And it even looks like another novel, I got the impression earlier from earlier comments that you'd be doing short form vignettes in the near future.
Although I never got the impression that Twilight ever gave Tellis enough thought to wish his death before. That seems more like a Fluttershy, Sliver or Gaela sentiment. If he's prank infecting her tech, I can see her souring quickly on him though. Speaking of which, is Twi teaching herself binary yet? I would think that the Mechanius black balling her would just inspire the book horse to start trying to reverse engineer their methods and information
Words can not express how happy I am to see this.
And I was suspicious when that diamond dog took out the Butcher automata, but the fleeing "griffin" that the ponies lost sealed the deal. Looks like the changelings are back to stirring up trouble. This can only end well.
6439795 Well to be fair he did throw her at an ork warboss. I think most people would be pretty miffed at that
And here I though that you completely abandon the story. I am so happy that I was wrong. I like how the tone of the story has chance so far, I like how he Diamond Dog, the Griffins, the Minotaur, the some of the Festrals, The Dragons and the Changelings have "banded" together to fight th 38th Company and there Pony lackeys. All doe I believe that the Diamond Dogs are more tools rather then allies, seeing that there leader was in actuality a Changeling. Seeing that most of the 38th forces are going to Leave Centaur 3 soon, with most of the Space Marines, the Ponies, the human mercenaries, and the Tau are going to to fend for them selves against the allied forces of Centaur 3. I am looking forward to see how the battle between the two factions are going to go about. But in all my heart I know this will be a Saga for the ages, full of desperate fighting and horrors as well a comedy to offset the last two.
It's going to be a great ride...
you got featured... lol btw i think this whole series of stories is the longest i have ever seen...
A lot of this was certainly interested! I'm pretty sure I noticed Queen Chrysalis a few times in there, doing subtle things. I'm curious as to what's going to happen with that now that she's a merc with access to Ferrous Dominus.
All in all, a really good start to this whole thing! I'm very interested to see where this goes. Still gunna miss the Elements though. :P
6439369
Oh, it's nothing so stupid as that...
Although it's still pretty stupid.
If you want to chat, send me a PM and we'll see if I can help.
6439383
Yeah, screw that guy... girl... thing!
6439413
"Riddled with Tellis"? Yes. Yes, I'm liking that.
6439436
Gear Works is getting his own little mini-series. Probably.
I do have to find a use for that awesome new picture Bakki made me.
6439795
Binaric Cant, unfortunately, isn't a language that can just be "taught". It requires special cortical implants to understand and special vocal implants to speak. Some Iron Warriors have undergone these modifications, and some power armor suits have systems to translate basic machine code, but it's not the sort of thing Twilight can pick up with dedicated studying.
6439881
Whaaaat? Changelings? I think you're reading a little far into thi- (notices character listing) oh, right.
6439937
That's the plan!
Although ONE pony may find herself... otherwise occupied while that happens.
6439982
What? Featured? No way did this-holycrapthereitis.
Huh. Suffer Not the Alien to Live didn't make the cut, but the sequel did?
I'm guessing that EQD feature is to blame for this.
6440053
Well, they were put to good use. And hey! Maybe Equinought Squadron will stumble upon a generic magic shop during their rounds and pick up a new set of game-breaking plot devices! It worked for Trixie.
6440150
Ah I see, also Suffered Not Alien to Live actually get featured. Though if I wasn't wrong only for 2-3 hours before other more higher viee story overtake it.
6439912
Hey, this is MLP. Throwing waifus at Big Bads is practically a declaration of romantic intent. Which could, I suppose, inspire a turbo tsun response, given Twi's recent run of luck in beaus...
TY ever so much for continuing this awesome series.
And here I thought you'd wrapped this up. I'm really happy you're bringing the other races into it now, as their absence from the earlier installments was starting to break immersion, and am looking forward to more Chaos silliness.
P.S. As great as the action is, it's the humor that I stick around for.
"Limited grimdark themes"
I shall watch this story closely to see if it fucks up.......
6440150
Pssh, you looked at the character listings? What a filthy casual. Authors use foreshadowing for a reason. Get on my level.
...Also, I totally didn't forget that those were a thing that I could look at. Totally.
Wait...a changeling tag? Are you finally going to answer my question?
Haven't even started it yet, but preemptively liked and favorited. You sir have earned my readership with the rest of the series, I was just worried you were done with it forever.
Wouhou! more power (armored) ponies !
The very best kind of ponies
Hello again dear author! Vaderman here! Hope you still remember me, because even If it seems that I am not here, it most of the time means otherwise (Hydra Dominatus) and it also means that I need more time to sometimes fully complete my criticism on your work! But today I am not for that exact purpose, I am here to thank you for those (hmm I think 2 or even 3) years you kept me entertained with your stories! Because of my way of life I have to travel a (f***ing) lot, but I can say those things became more bearable because of (guess who?) YOU! You can just wave my words away, but I am sincerely grateful to you and your work!
Hope you will still magically post new chapters magically just before my departure somewhere else again!
Your faithful reader
Vaderman
Worst thing about this was I thought Twilight was safe from Dusk Blade; you've built it up so much and I liked that they didn't end up together. Now there's a new story and were starting right off with the "relationship" drama. I'm on to you author!
I'm rooting for the natives; and not just to be an awkward git like I normally am. They have some real balls attacking chaos space marines with muskets knowing full well they will do nothing. Mind you every creature in the world has some sort of magic and magic has been proven again and again to actually be safe physic powers. So they aren't as hopelessly out gunned as it would first seem. They just need to dig around for the right maguffin.
Twilight has become a real monster ; she may rationalize it, but she's basically just killing all who don't submit to chaos now. It's fun to make quips in your invincible evil future armour killing a thing defending its home from the servants of the chaos gods, huh ? Just shrug your shoulders and nonchalantly talk about it's skull getting mounted on a tank and carry on I guess. Would she do the same if it was a hold out earth pony village?
I'd bet Celestia is working with these heroic rebels; she's got the motive and the means ; can communicate with them easily via changeling spys and knows first hand that friendship magic beats chaos when the chips are down. She knows how pathetic any resistance they could have put up with till now would have been, and would have been planning some way to get rid of them surely? She's got the long term plans and would totally have the connections to get all the other races working with her. Plus i'd love to see her working with Chrysalis for the greater good.
We all love you and this story.
6440340
Not unless the question was "how does an army of shape-changing bugs go about murdering the hell out of a bunch of humans with tanks and laser guns?"
6441215
Protecting one's bedroom from intruders counts as "relationship drama"? What kind of relationships have you been in?
I'm glad (and unsurprised) that you're cheering for the resistance! They're going to need all the help they can get...
6441318
Aw, shucks. You guys are the best.
This looks like another excellent start! I look forward to seeing where you take it.
Is Dest going to be one of the IW left behind? Because I don't know what Sugarcube Corner would do without him.
6442762
He sure is!
He can't leave the cakes hanging to go do pretty much nothing in the Eye of Terror!
6443557 Excellent news! Even for a daemon-infested Chaos worshipper, Dest is a stand-up guy.
Woo! Start of another great story.
On a side note, will the Iron Warriors discover the beautiful Poison Joke plant? That would be an interesting encounter, for sure...
6443669
Poison joke flower...
Huh. That gives me some ideas. The native forces do need a couple tricks up their non-sleeves if they're going to give the Company a good fight.
6444621
It would be interesting to see how each of the Chaos cults would be affected by it.
Nurgle cultist? Make them clean and healthy.
Khorne? Totally unable to express any form of anger.
Tzeentch? Nothing, he fucks around with them already, I doubt they'd even notice.
What last words!
Devros? Why does that name sound familiar? [SARCASM INTENSIFIES]
6445076
Twilight may have won the battle, but the dragon got in a burn that can't be treated by any medicae.
6445981
Er... I don't know. I made it up on the spot. Is that the name of a canon character? Or is this about it somewhat resembling your name?
I mean, the guy was only addressed by name twice because it was too awkward for me to avoid giving him one entirely, and I don't really plan on using him again. I can totally change it.
6447228 A major character on the British TV show "Doctor Who" is named Davros,and he's also one of the biggest enemies
6448318
Oh. Never heard of him.
I'll go change the guy's name, then.
That opening. So casual and fun yet still sets the serious mood perfectly. I loved Empyra. She almost feels like a younger Luna.
So it seems the curiosity on whether or not the "zero deaths" clause the ponies enjoy would extend to the other local races has been answered. Resistance is going to have it rough but "Happy Hills" will be there to sooth things out.
Took me some time but I finally sat down to read this and I'm so happy with the start.
6448589
Meh, I don't feel like there's a real need. Darvos is a real big bad in the show but he doesn't show up very much. Actually, he may be dead now, but don't quote me on that. (Time Shenanigans ahoy!) But my point is, I'm a Dr. Who fan and I had to look him up before I remembered who he was.
6448589 Oh,you don't have to change it. I doubt BBC'll notice,much less care
6450243
Well, apparently I have people picking up Dr. Who references in my fic. I don't want that.
I mean, you guys might start expecting Time Turner to actually DO something (I hear the Doctor has some experience with alien invasions), and I can't really accommodate that.
6450105
Sorry, sentient animals! You must be this cute to be invincible ->
Now I sort of want to see Spike complain to Solon how 'lucky' the guy is to get spend so much time around Rarity. Cue Solon forcefully cutting open Spike's head and implanting a mini cognitor core with designs for various tools and such so Spike can have the 'honor' of once again being Rarity's butt monkey. Twilight complains that Spike isn't a servitor and Gaela points out that he still has full freewill and that she's jealous that Solon didn't bless her with such a gift. Spike gets dragged into the mechanicus temple to begin training to understand everything that's been downloaded into his brain as well as used as a talking reference book.
Just with Solon going with the fleet, someone has to be the poor sap that constantly has the mane 6 dump their broken armor and weapons upon and is made their personal slave -assistant/mechanic.
6454163
Well, that's just sill...
(Long pause)
(Crickets)
... Huh. Actually, that's not bad at all.
I kind of lost direction with him after deciding not to make him into a furious berserker Chaos dragon. That would actually be a good way to ensure his relevance to the plot (albeit in a way that makes him interchangeable with several of the Dark Mechanicus characters). And I'm all for abusing Spike in ways that actually make him look useful and competent.
Tech-aide cyber-Spike... I'll have to think about that one.
Wait, you're continuing this? Sweet! Pretty sure I read in some blog post you were only going to write the five books.
6454413
I said the Iron Heart series was going to be five books long. And it was. So now I've moved on to sequels and side-stories and whatnot.
Lol
I saw the mad angel flying in to fight either killer or the dragon. Either way, I am very happy to see the story continue. I also see mental crash in the future for twilight, to many changes, too deep and quick. Fluttershy might flee being too far from her home and pets...
Solans missing fear aura is sure to come up in the future, as well as whatever ponies he brings with him to "show and tell" with his peers when the supplies are dropped off. Or the ponies that stow away to see the universe in pony. I expect him to bring a few wonders like a cragodile. And chaos forces will return with him seeking an audience with Discord... if Discord lives there, it must be sacred to chaos. Salon might not be allowed to keep the world for his own. Where else can such audiences be sought so freely?
Wouldn't the orcs see the diamond dogs as edible pets?
6479435
Why would Discord be sacred to Chaos? Chaos Space Marines in general display very little tolerance for "fun" (except for the Emperor's Children, but we don't talk about them), and likewise wouldn't tolerate him. And even if he was important for religious reasons, the Iron Warriors are one of the least religious of the Traitor Legions.
And the Orks pretty much look at all other creatures as aliens or edible pets. So, yes.
6479625 Eh, the Word Bearers might be nutty enough to believe that before they meet Discord (After is a completely different story, however)
I love your work, and trying to do two separate crossovers like Ranma and WarHammer can't be easy. Props to you.
But I also got bored and wrote a little scene that I'll just toss out here and see if anyone likes it.
Heat and fouled smoke filled the area around Solon's Forge as the Warsmith himself went over the final departure schedule. Everything needed to be planned out and executed perfectly, every detail carried least something go wrong and cause a cascade of delays for the rest of the fleet. So important was this task that all others knew better than to intrude upon the Warsmith. And so it was with little surprise that Solon found himself yet again interrupted by a tiny squishy horse. And not just any tiny squishy horse, but the marshmallow one that caused him perhaps the most amount of grief for his time upon this planet.
"Solon darling~! I can't believe it is almost time for you to go. I believe I will truly miss our little get together's and thought I'd make one last stop for old times sake to drop off my list of repairs and requests for you to fill out before you leave."
A growl of hate rumbled deep within the Chaos Marine's frame at the sound of that voice.
"Oh! And I've brought another gift for you as well, I'm sure you'll definitely love this one!"
Her perky voice grating on his very essence Solon gave a disgusted snort as he finally turned around to face the pony that had once again violated his sanctum. In some sick sense of 'fairness' and 'generosity' the annoying one had taken to bringing him so called gifts. Normally that would have only been a somewhat irritating and rather redundant gesture that he would have simply passed off to a servitor to accept the tributes and then melt them down into their base materials to be re-used for the war efforts, but Rarity had managed to screw even that up. She constantly insisted on bringing her trinkets directly to him in person, and worst of all, they were just that, trinkets. Useless trinkets. Some how she had managed to bring all manner of materials and supplies that thwarted even his ability to turn into viable weapons or components. And she continued to insist that they were as some form of payment for the extensive lists of demands and repairs she never stopped asking for.
Honestly, the difference of value between what he did for her and what she brought to him only served to further deepen his dislike for the being before him. It was like someone was trying to exchange beads for a star ship. Rather than feel flattered, each 'gift' felt more like a spit in the face.
"Honestly, I can't believe you didn't like the tuxedo I brought to you last time, what ever will you do if you're invited to a fancy engagement?"
"You broughtish me ragsh and demanded a new plashma rife in return."
"Asked darling, I simply asked. And then asked again and kept on asking until you said 'yes', but the point still stands that all I did was ask."
"I could crusssh you like a bugsst!"
Tittering at the massive Warsmith's posturing Rarity simply waved him off with her hoof, a pleasant smile still upon her lips. "Oh Solon dear, we both know you are too much of a softy to ever harm anypony important."
"It frightensh me thash in shome ashpects the pink one hash a greater grashp of reality than you do."
Sighing wistfully Rarity gazed fondly upon the towering figure before her. "I think it'll be this, our playful little banter that we have that I will miss the most."
"It'sh not play."
"But before I get too distracted," Rarity continued seemingly not hearing Solon. "I would like to offer you this." Within her psycker field was held a an odd assortment of devices connected to each other by wire.
"The factsh that thesh are actsual devicesh and not ragsh or foodshtuffs inshtantly makesh these mush better than anything elshe you have brougsht me."
"Wahahaha! I knew you would like these!"
"That'sh not what I shaid."
Floating the device above the Warsmith Rarity continued, "I had dear Delgan commission this for me, honestly, I'm amazed you never made one for yourself earlier."
"Whatsh ish thish?" Solon asked, scanning the object before him and determining that it was not some explosive or other assassination tool. The entire assembly seemed to consist of two triangular head mounted speakers and some mini-congnitor wired between them.
"I believe it was called 'Text to Speech' though I'm not quite sure the person making it was using the term correctly. Anyway lets see how you look in it!"
Surprised by the sudden burst of psycker energy the unicorn before him put into her assult Solon was caught unawares as the device slipped onto his head. The two speakers attaching firmly to the top of his head and the congnitor over his mouth grill.
"Shhtop! Whatsh do you think yoush doing! Get this off of me at once you insipid little nuisance! What do you think you're ...do....ing?"
Halting his command for his auto cannons to open fire at the happily prancing white pony Solon took a moment to run his last sentence through his head.
"Scheduling of ship systems should precede ordinance supply shipments by at least six hours."
"It works! How does... it .... feel?" Trailing off Rarity's gaze took a slightly far away look as something in her being seemed to pass some inner threshold. Within her mind it was still Solon before her, but things seemed to just ever so slightly shift. The little triangular speakers became ears, the cognitor upon his grill morphed into a more muzzle like shape, the billowing infectious smoke spewed by his smoke stacks curled around his head like a flowing ephemeral mane. His multitude of legs clattering about seemed less grotesque than they did a moment ago. In fact, such a multitude seemed more reminiscent of legendary steeds like the Bagri Maro or even swift Sleipnir! And finally within her minds eye the various arms mounted upon the Warsmith seemed to wave in a non-existent wind like some modern tail swept forward by some mighty gust! In that instant hundreds of new dress designs with forward swept tails popped into Rarity's mind.
"I think this is actually the first time you've actually done something I can almost appreciate. I actually feel less inclined to see you murdered for bringing me your new list." Solon replied, missing the fashionistas earlier halted speech.
"List? Hm?" Shaking her hear Rarity looked down to the dataslave she had brought with her list of repairs and requests. "Oh! Oh no no no no no, I can't give this to you!"
"What?"
"No no no no no, this won't do at all," the unicorn replied with a look of aghast horror on her face. "You're much to busy to be bothered with such a trifle matter."
"What?"
"I'll simply have to take this to the Mechanicus people or whatever those robbed machine cult worshipers called themselves. You probably have so many more duties to attend to your Majesty," Rarity continued, BOWING to the Warsmith before her.
"What?"
"You enjoy your gift! Tata your Highness!" Rarity called out behind her and she excused herself from Solon's Forge, new dress patterns and designs dancing within her head. To think! She had a whole new addition to her Princess Line!
"What?"
*****************************************
Striding out into the polluted air of Ferrous Dominus, Solon ran the odd encounter with Rarity through his mind again. Once again failing to determine what had caused the change within the annoying unicorn, and thus determining a way to make it permanent and replicatable.
A thundering boom rocked across the sky as a circular rainbow spread out over FD and temporarily cleared away the clouds of pollutants for all of five minutes.
"Um, lord Tellis, I don't think Twilight will like it if she hears that you're throwing ponies again," Fluttershy muttered as she crouched down and hopfully out of reach from the mad Khorn worshiper.
"Nah, Rainbabe's cool with it, I'm sure. Plus, this is all science and shit. I'm experimenting to see how ponies explode when I throw them. That reminds me, I never got to toss you and see what you do when you hit something."
"Eeep!"
Trudging along Solon did what he always did when presented with Tellis. He ignored him and kept walking. Unfortunately his passing was noticed by Fluttershy as the yellow pegasus raced towards him in search of sanctuary.
"Princess Solon help!"
Time seemed to stop for all the humans as Fluttershy made her way to the Warsmith and hid beneath is mechanical legs.
".........what did you call me?"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I KNEW IT! It finally happened! Oh man, and I thought it'd be Gaela that'd get the tiara treatment!" Tellis bellowed as he fell over laughing.
"What is going on?"
"Evening Princess!" A stallion bowed to Solon before going on his way.
"Princess," another pony bowed deep before also going along his way.
"Good Evening Princess!" A pair of mares chirped, bowing deeply before also going along their way.
"Thank you Princess," Fluttershy whispered before engaging her invisibility and slinking away from the laughing Tellis.
"Damn it Tellis, shut up! Something seems to be affecting the ponies. Who knows how this might affect Ferrous Dominus if this is some prelude to an attack."
Standing up, the mad chaos worshiper actually did stop laughing, unsettling the Warsmith as this was perhaps the first time the lunatic had actually followed an order.
"Wait, you're suddenly a lot less funny, what gives?" Tellis asked, peering close at Solon.
"Rarity fixed my speech, but now is not the time-"
"That bitch! How dare she!" Exploding with furry Tellis's jets began to roar and spark, hissing to match their masters furry.
"What?"
"You're almost normal now! It's like I've got to start respecting you and crap!"
"What?"
"I'm going to find her and get her to fuck you up again!" And with that Tellis blasted off into the sky in search of the white unicorn.
".....I hate everyone."
"Don't say that Princess, we love you!"
Looking down Solon watched as a small blue and green maned pony in a environment protecting cloak polished his chassis.
"Why do you keep calling me Princess?"
"Huh? I did Warsmith?" the un-named pony asked, looking perplexed.
"Yes, right before, you called me -"
*clink*
Looking up, the Warsmith saw to his growing dread the edge of a golden tiara resting up on his head.
"There you go your Highness," proclaimed another unicorn mare with a jewelers glass as a cutie mark stitched onto the outside of her cloak.
Reaching up, Solon took the tiara and crushed it like a paper crown within his grasp.
Still this act of destruction did little deter the mare and she returned to a blacksmith anvil that Solon knew hadn't been there a moment ago. "Didn't like it huh? Well don't worry, me and the girls promise you we'll make something suitable for you before you can say 'ascension'!"
All around him Solon could see work benches and crafting tables set up with nearly a dozen ponies working at them on various jewels and wires of precious metals. Off to the side by the anvil a small forge had sprung up with two ponies melting down ingots of gold, silver, and platinum.
"Has everyone else gone insane or is this some kind of new bio-weapon?" Solon mused, his sensors taking in air and soil samples.
He had even managed to take several blood samples from willing volunteers around him, an actual line of ponies forming for him to take their blood when a buzzing in the air occurred, all the ponies around him licking their teeth at the sensation.
From out of a burst of light General Sliver strode, his imposing bulk causing several around him to backpedal to get out of his way.
"I heard fromsh that foolsh Telish that you have gained shome meashure of reshepct, ish it true?"
Straightening up Solon turned towards his
commandersecond in command. "Sliver, it is good to see you. There seems to be some sort of contagion affecting the ponies .... and Tellis. We need to determine if it has spread to the human population as well.""...... Ish thish shome short of joke?"
"Sliver?"
Pointing an accusing finger towards his leader and commander, the Nurgle worshiper spat as he looked on with disgust. "Jusht when I thought I could shtop being asshamed of my posshition sherving you, you take that hope and rip it away fromsh me!"
"Et tu Sliver?"
"I thought for oncesh I could hold my headsh up high in my shervice to you,"
"You know you have the same speech impediment as I did don't you?" Solon pointed out.
"but you thensh do thish!" Lord Sliver bellowed, knocking off several ponies that had climbed over Solon.
"What are you talking about Sli-" Solon began before a small platinum tiara fell in front of his eyes, the rubies within it doing much to compliment his optics. Looking down Solon saw gems adorning his multitude of servo arms, wisps of lace and silk woven between them. And around his chassis a toga wrapped around him, though whether due to lack of material or because the universe hated him, and he strongly leaned towards the later, the shortness of it resembled more a short dress than toga. "..... I have honestly no idea how this hap-"
"Enough! Bad enoughsh I sherve under a fool and losher like you," Sliver bellowed.
"Ow Sliver, I'm still your Warsmith, right?"
"But now you go and become a crossh-dressher ash well!?"
Backing away from the infuriated underling, each of his platinum shoes dug into the soil as their Nurgle green emeralds and rust red garnets glittering in the dim light of Ferrous Dominus. "Stop doing that!" Solon cried to the various ponies trying to adorn their liege.
"Everyday you makesh it harder and harder to keep my oath to hish holynessh Primarsh Perturabo to not shimply kill you not matter how mush I wissh to, but to protectsh you inshead," Sliver ranted, foam bubbling from his masks grill.
"Wait so your loyalty isn't to me but to -"
"But alwash you findsh shome new waysh to humiliate me even furthersh!"
His back hitting a wall to a near by building Solon sought some way to pacify his general.
Halting, Sliver seemed to shudder as he tried to swallow his rage. "You know whatsh? I can't even dealsh wish you right now. I am leaving, but we willsh have a LONG talksh when thish ish over." And in a flash of light the Nurgle Marine was gone.
"..... what the hell is going on?"
"FATHER! I HAVE COME TO AID YOU IN YOUR BATTLE!" Swooping down, the princess of the night landed gracefully next to the confused Warsmith. Looking him up and down, Luna nodded in approval at his attire, her mind having made the sub-conscious connection of Solon=Big Pony long ago, around their fifth or so meeting within his dreams.
"I see our subjects have finally bestowed you raiment's befitting our respect towards you."
"THIS IS HOW YOU SHOW Resp..e..c.t?" His anger fading, a sense of wonder began to take hold within the fallen Marine. Even when he had his fear aura, Warsmith Solon had always had some ... difficulty with .... morale within his company. Many (all) of those under his command seeming to not take him seriously after a few words. But somehow, after Rarity had placed the dubious text-to-speech device on him, ponies had been ....respecting him. Not one had laughed at him the whole time, even Rarity had RESPECTED his personal time and left him alone! He could see it now, he could split the 38th company in half. Everyone going with Sliver, with Geala and maybe one or two others that didn't laugh at him remaining with him. Sliver could then have the command and respect he had always wanted, Tellis could be shot into the sun, and Solon could take these pathetic little ponies and with hard work and augmentation, a LOT of augmentation, remake the entire race as loyal and RESPECTFUL members of a technologically advanced and innovative race of chaos beings! It would take time, a lot of time, but if these ponies continued to worship *tap* him as they were now, he could see a vision, a vision of *tap* a race of beings loyal onto him, obeying his every suggestion and working *tap* towards *tap* -
"Yes, what is it?" Solon groaned, his mind being brought back to reality. Below him a small pony with a dataslave in his mouth tapped on his leg.
"Is it time for court your highness?"
"What?"
"Ah yes! Court! It is indeed time for you to entertain the requests from the peasantry Father!"
Turning his head Solon could see a line of ponies, all of them with parchment or dataslaves in their mouths forming before him, the end obscured as the line snaked around building corners and out of sight.
And just like that the vision became a nightmare. An endless stream of ponies making requests of him to improve their lives. Already his nights and hours of his week were taken up by just seven and a half (Big Mac didn't really bother him too much) ponies. But all those hours of useful work time lost still grated on him. But now, he could see a parade of pretty pony petitioners prancing purposefully into his forge. Any hope for productive work time gone under the tsunami of inane work orders. In fact, maybe Rarity hadn't really respected his time, maybe she just assumed he was already working on other pony requests and it'd be faster to have someone else work on her orders.
"Father? Will you not preside over your court?"
Solon raised his arm, ponies backing away instinctively as they sensed the displeasure radiating from the Princess before them. Grasping the device responsible for all of this, Solon ripped the text-to-speech device off. Blinking their eyes all ponies except Luna around FD shook their heads and looked at the Warsmith before them. Ripping off the tiara, shoes, and all other raiment's, Solon's right arm twisted and reconfigured itself in moments before firing a sphere of pure destructive power at the remains of his brief Pony Princesshood.
"Fuck thish planetsh. I can'tsh leave fasht enough." Solon muttered, stomping off towards his forge.
"Warsmith?" Luna called out after him before she noticed that the line of pony petitioners had switched over to her. Sighing Luna sat down and began a long night of tending to her subjects.
I'm sorry! It was only supposed to be a couple paragraphs and then a joke but turned into this mess.