//------------------------------// // 3.05- Awakening the Past // Story: The Empress Returns // by iowaforever //------------------------------// Awakening the Past Veronica and Ruth had departed hours ago, but Twilight could not sleep. She sat hunched over her desk, mulling over her notes for anything she might have missed. Her notes were organized, thankfully, but the little amounts of information she had gathered did little to make her theorizing any clearer. If only I’d had something set up when Judith manifested her Element, Twilight mused, pushing aside one stack as she moved on to another set of notes. Maybe next time, if conditions are right and Mattias would let me, I can set something up to record the results. She sighed, pushing back from her desk as she massaged her forehead. “I could keep working on this for weeks,” she said. “That doesn’t sound bad, but time is not on our side... Oh, I wish Princess Celestia was here so I could talk more freely about these problems.” A pause, Twilight looking around her room as if expecting an answer. Mattias had spoken to her at length about getting back in touch with Celestia, but with all that had happened... Twilight pushed back from her desk, crossing back to her bed before smoothing some of the sheets out. A small bit of meditation and an attempt at reaching Celestia; perhaps that would calm her mind enough for her to get some sleep. She sat cross legged on her bed, hands folded in her lap as she closed her eyes and cast her soul into the Warp. It drifted about the ship for a moment, checking to make sure there were no adverse developments she had missed, before she reached further to find the familiar light of Celestia’s soul among the darkness. She found nothing. Princess Celestia, are you there? She called, putting up a few mental shields to protect herself from curious abominations. Nothing, but Twilight was not one to give up so easily. Princess Celestia, can you hear me...? We’re lost out here, but I know you’re keeping an eye on us all. I just... she stopped, giving a small sigh before continuing. We need you. Please find us... there was no response, but Twilight knew, somehow, Celestia would hear her calls and come to her. That... that was something she could have faith in. Drawing her soul back would have been the end of it, but as her soul brushed against the hull of the Sanguinium Martyres she felt a disturbance. A sudden flare of unknown energy, deep within the bowels of the wreck. She tried to reach out to it, but it slipped away to nothingness before she could get a good bead on it. She furrowed her brow, reaching out further to see if the source showed up again, but all she got was the normal rhythms of the Warp around the ship and the occasional gasp from the Gellar Field. “Something’s here,” she breathed, opening her eyes as she stood up from her bed. Her armor would take too long to put on, but she grabbed her sword before hurrying out into the hallway. She turned about, trying to think of a plan as she searched for help, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword as she started off down the hall towards the infirmary. As she ran, Twilight reached out through the ship to try and locate the source of the disturbance. Nothing truly matched what she had felt, but there was still some presence within the vessel that clearly did not belong there. Daemons? Aliens? Something worse? ... Why is the possibility of something worse not worrisome? Twilight rounded the corner, sliding to a stop just outside the infirmary. As she had predicted, Sister Bianca was there tending to the last of the injured, Angelique following quietly behind her. Twilight took a moment to compose herself as best she could before jogging into the infirmary, keeping her sword close to her body so she did not break anything on her way to the Hospitaller. “Sister Bianca!” she called. “Tara?” Bianca asked, turning to face Twilight fully before continuing. “What is wrong?” “There’s something onboard the ship,” Twilight started, furrowing her brow as she clarified. “Something that wasn’t here an hour ago.” Bianca frowned, her hands tightening as her eyes darted between the patients around her and Twilight. Angelique merely smiled. “The head of the drake rises, for the mare and the prodigal shall bathe in its light.” she said, drawing a few more glances from around the room. “... Outside, now,” The Hosiptaller stepped past Twilight, she and Angelique following close behind. Once they were back in the hall, Bianca turned to Twilight. “I can understand your concern, Tara, but please hold your tongue around the others lest you start a panic.” “Right...” Twilight blushed, massaging the back of her head with a free hand. “I’m sorry, I just...” “I understand, and I did not mean to appear harsh,” Bianca said quickly. “Now tell me, what is it that you sensed?” Twilight paused, mulling over the right thing to say before speaking. “I was meditating in my room, trying to reach the Empress so she could come and rescue us, but when I drew my powers back I felt an unknown source of energy within the ship. It disappeared before I could get a good read on it, but I think it or something close to it is still onboard.” “I see...” Bianca paused, resting her hand on her chin before speaking again. “Should you not have alerted Lord Mattias about this?” “I was going to, but... well, given what I’ve read about things that appear out of the blue on abandoned ships, I figured that if it didn’t try to attack us immediately we had a chance to find out what it is and prepare. That’s why I came to find you and Angelique.” “I presume for Angelique’s power?” “The mare longs for the light, but finds the path of the son long and painful.” Angelique said. Twilight gave the other psyker a glance, but made no comment. “Well, yes. For better or worse Angelique’s mind is less guarded to the Warp than mine, so maybe she might be able to sense residual energies from the disturbance I could have missed.” Twilight said, giving Bianca a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here in case anything goes wrong.” “I do not doubt your skills, Tara,” Bianca said, giving a short nod before turning to Angelique. “Angelique? Tara felt a disturbance in the ship. Can you find it?” “The drake’s call comes to the spark, and the light shall blaze against the serpent.” Angelique stepped away, lifting her hands as the air about her shimmered. Twilight watched in silence, briefly glancing over to Bianca before Angelique spoke again. “Down, down, where the machines labor in unending lines, the drake stirs for the mare to come.” “Magos Aryll’s forge,” Bianca said, stepping forward to rest a hand on Angelique’s shoulder. The young psyker dismissed her magic as Bianca continued. “I do not agree with going to face this newcomer alone, but waiting for assistance from Lord Mattias and the others might take too long.” “As long as they meet us in the forge, then we should be covered,” Twilight said, stepping past Bianca and Angelique as she started towards the forge. “Come on, let’s see what this is.” “You are... really taking a lead on this,” Bianca said, taking Angelique’s hand to guide the psyker after Twilight. “Are you well, Tara? I have been too busy with my patients to oversee those tests Mattias has told me about.” “I’m fine,” Twilight said, turning towards Bianca after another pause. “Well, ‘fine’ is probably too strong a word. I’m getting better, I suppose, but... well, if I linger too long on one point or another, sometimes I feel like I backslide and start wallowing in pity... or worse, I try to shut everyone out and go it alone.” she shook her head and moved onward, holding open a service door for Bianca and Angelique. “I don’t want to lose anyone again, and for that I have to keep moving forward in some way.” “I would warn you not to move too fast lest you leave so many behind,” Bianca said, pulling Angelique to the side to allow Twilight to move forward. “But if Mattias’ reports are anything to go by, that is a fear I do not think I should worry myself with... Twilight.” Twilight froze, her hand tightening around her sword. She turned slowly towards Bianca, the older woman cocking her head to one side. “Wh-why use my nickname right now?” Twilight asked, praying that would be the end of things. It wasn’t. “It’s your given name, isn’t it?” Bianca asked, her voice soft.  Twilight stammered for a moment before the Hospitaller continued. “Mattias told me about the Eldar and what he saw. I thought nothing of it until you helped Angelique before our arrival at Solemnace, and after that it just clicked.” “I...” Twilight started, her hands quivering. “Listen, Bianca, I’m not here to-” “There’s no need to explain it to me,” Bianca said, waving Twilight off. “Ever since I met you, you have shown yourself to be nothing but a good woman doing her best to save Mankind. The Empress thinks highly of you, and far be it for me to challenge Her in any manner regarding Her trust in others.” Bianca stepped forward, resting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Your secret will be safe with me.” “Ah... Thank y-” “Unless you do try to do something to harm myself or my charges, in which case I will have to kill you as a xenos traitor.” Twilight swallowed, blinking a few times before Bianca chuckled. “Oh dear, I think the other Sisters’ zeal is rubbing off on me. I haven’t spoken that way to anyone since I was your age.” “Yeah, of course...” Twilight replied, still not releasing the tension from her hand. “C-can we focus on the thing in the forge before we start talking about smiting me?” “Of course. Lead on.” Twilight gave a few quick nods, starting off again as Bianca and Angelique followed close behind. Learning someone else knew her secret was probably the last thing she needed right now (save, perhaps, the ship really being attacked by daemons), but at least it appeared her secret was safe. For now. They continued in silence, Twilight checking around corners while Bianca stopped Angelique for the occasional psychic sweep. As the hallways grew darker, Twilight summoned a light in her free hand, purple and white flames casting long shadows across the ship as they ventured forward. Angelique mumbled something, turning away from Bianca as if to start off down another hall, but the Hospitaller was quick to catch her and redirect her to follow Twilight. Soon, they came to the main hall of the forge. It was quiet, with only a low flame burning in the forge, indicating anything had been in here since they broke from the Warp. Twilight raised her hand, sending her flame up towards the rafters to provide more light. “I kind of expected Magos Aryll to be working down here.” Twilight said. “Mattias has had the forge operate on a limited schedule to conserve power,” Bianca explained. “Once the main power recyclers are finished then the Magos will be more active.” “Oh...” Twilight said, searching around the forge for any sign of the disturbance. “This is where I sensed the source, but it looks like this place has been abandoned for a few hours.” “The drake will come before the light, and the serpent will strike from the flames.” Angelique sang, skipping away from Bianca as she headed towards the forge. Twilight made to go after her, but stopped when she spotted the shrine to Mir’shen. And everything that was missing from it. “No,” she whispered, almost dropping her sword as she rushed to the shrine. “No no no no no no no no no no this isn’t happening!” Mir’shen’s weapons and cloak were gone, and the front of the Unbound Flame appeared to have been wrenched open. Candles that the Sisters had burned to consecrate the shrine had been knocked over, but there was no other sign of disturbance. “The... the... those BASTARDS!” “What’s wrong?” Bianca and Angelique jogged up to Twilight, the Hospitaller gasping when she saw the sight. “Dear Empress... why...?” “I don’t particularly care why right now,” Twilight growled, flames wrapping around the blade of her sword as she continued. “Whoever did this couldn’t have gone far, and when I do find them I’m going to push them straight into the Warp for this!” she turned, sweeping her sword to try and find if the culprit had left a track, completely deaf to all that Bianca was saying. A few bits of wax, perhaps a dent in the floor that had not been there yesterday, nothing conclusive at first glance but Twilight was not one to be easily deterred. Her eyes drifted to another hallway, once leading back up to the rest of the ship. “It’s moving,” she said. “I’m not letting it get any further.” “Twilight, I warned you about rushing into this, now please-” Twilight was already off, Angelique following slowly behind her while Bianca sputtered. “Twilight, wait!” “No, I’m not letting that thief get away!” Twilight cried, reaching out with her magic once more. She could sense a warmth moving from the forge, like holding her hand close to a flame. The thought that it was like touching the Unbound Flame passed through her mind, but rage had so blinded Twilight that she instantly shifted her energy to teleport to the source. As she shifted through reality, she spotted a massive figure stopping five meters in front of her. The figure wore Mir’shen’s cloak over its shoulders, but any other details she could not discern in the dark. Twilight brought her sword up, hands trembling as she prepared to face the intruder. “Stop.” she growled. The figure stopped, shifting about before it turned to face her. Upon seeing the figure in full, Twilight almost dropped her sword. The figure’s armor was deep green, etched with faint designs that looked almost like dragon scales. The armor was boxier than most power armor she had seen since arriving in the Imperium, save perhaps some of the more ancient suits she had seen on Terra. The pauldrons were black, save for the right one which had the skull of some ancient beast bolted to it, with gold highlights to make it stand out even in low light. The man himself had coal-black skin and smoldering red eyes, though his gaze softened the instant it fell upon Twilight. So shocked was Twilight by the man that she missed his right hand dropping away from the hilt of a stout warhammer clamped to his belt, though it did not drop the Spear of Vulkan clutched in his left. “M-M...” she stammered. “Mir’shen...” “Oh,” the figure said, his voice deep and soothing. “I did not know there were others aboard this wreck.” the figure stood up straighter, taking a tentative step towards Twilight. She quickly regained her senses and brought her sword up, a trail of flames rippling through the air. “St-stay back!” she cried, the figure pulling to a stop as she continued. “Who are you, and how did you get here?” “You...” the man paused. “You do not recognize me, child? I know that I departed in trying times, but... I should not have been gone for too long.” “What do you mean? Who are you?” the man hesitated again, eyes darting between Twilight’s face and her sword. Finally, he spoke. “I am Vulkan.” he said. “Some would call me Primarch of the Salamanders, Lord of Nocturne, perhaps a few other titles given to me since I last led the armies of Man.” he frowned, turning away for a moment as Twilight let his words sink in. “Though if you have not heard of me then perhaps I have been asleep for far longer than I anticipated.” Not Mir’shen... of course, Mir’shen is gone... b-but... Twilight choked, feeling her sword tumble from her hand as she sank to her knees. Vulkan spotted this, taking another step towards Twilight before speaking. “Are you alright? I am sorry if my visage has startled you, but I will do my utmost to make sure you are well.” “I...” Twilight stammered, keeping her eyes down as she did her best to compose herself. The Unbound Flame had been opened, and the way Mir’shen had treated it... the man standing before her must have been inside it. Doesn’t help... but maybe... “I-I’m sorry... a friend of mine was... I-I thought you were trying to steal...” “I am truly sorry for startling you, child,” Vulkan said, kneeling and resting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Had circumstances been different, I would have awoken in the presence of you or others so that I might explain myself, but as I thought I had been abandoned here I acted in the interest of returning to the Imperium and to my father’s service.” “... Father?” Twilight asked. Just how long has he been gone? “The Emperor of Mankind. Surely you must know of him, even if your reverence of him is a bit odd at times.” Vulkan drew away, his face lined with concern. “But then, if my preparations for the Unbound Flame were wrong... Does the Emperor still rest on Terra? Did the xenos... I-I thought I killed the Beast on Ullanor.” Twilight hesitated, which only seemed to worry the Primarch more. “Please, tell me Terra still stands!” “T-terra’s fine,” Twilight started. “I... wait, what year do you think it is?” “... This is not the 33rd Millennium?” Vulkan asked. “The regenerative processes of the Unbound Flame can be fickle, but not more than a century or two. If that monster is still threatening the Imperium, I will gladly lay my life down to destroy it for good.” “Um... It’s the 45th Millennium.” the Primarch stepped back, worry swiftly falling to shock. Twilight wanted to say something to assure the newcomer that everything was under control, but every sentence died before it could leave her mouth. “Twelve thousand years...” he muttered. “I have slumbered for twelve thousand years...” Gently Twilight rose to her feet, taking a step towards the Primarch as he stared off into the distance. She had no time to truly close before he turned back to her and swept her up in a tight hug, Twilight letting out a squeak as she was squished into Vulkan’s chest. “Thank you, child. You have freed me from a greater hell than I could have ever imagined.” ... Sarai propped herself up against the window of the Sword of Redemption,watching the glittering form of Konor before her as the cruiser continued its slow orbit. The Forge World was teeming with activity, as always, with dozens of transports and landers breaking through the smog on their way to orbit. None appeared to give any attention to the Inquisitorial Cruiser, if they even saw it, and it was this detached observation that Sarai loved to work with. It will be better this way. The last seven years had been long, in no small part due to trying to maintain as much deniability as possible. With the tensions between the Ultramarines and their factions as heightened as they were, the Inquisition’s presence would be an unwelcome one. A few comments to the Mechanicum, some overblown inspections of Iax and Calth, and Sarai would be able to act freely in her search for the Student of the Empress and her companions. And, of course, any other sources of corruption that had grown after the Schism. Surprisingly, there were many. “Lady Olivier?” Sarai did not turn as one of the bridge officers approached her. “Do you have any further orders?” “... Nothing, at this time,” Sarai replied, pushing back from the window and turning to face the man. “Have our ground teams reported in yet?” “There was one communique intercepted from some of the parties of interest you have asked us to investigate.” the man said, pulling out a data slate before continuing. “They appear to come from the Iaxan Governor’s Palace, marked for a few members of the Hellias Family on Calth and Konor.” “I see...” Sarai accepted the data slate from the officer, flipping through it as she scanned for details. The communication was largely fluff, mostly acceptance of an invitation for a party in the coming months, but there were always slight tells: a note on “great plans” here, a mention of “further communication” there, all notes that could easily be construed as preparations for something larger. Perhaps the Ultramarines would be thankful enough to allow me to continue my searching, if I turn over a number of traitors to them. “Do you think it would be possible to get an invitation to this celebration?” Sarai asked, looking up at the officer. “It would not be too difficult, Lady Olivier,” the officer replied. “A few days and some bribes will sort everything out, nothing that should trouble you too much.” Please, it’s better than stewing on my past sins. “Do you have any specific orders?” “Nothing too flashy; the last thing I need is to draw further attention to myself.” Sarai paused, massaging her chin with her hand as she thought. “See if entertainment or service positions are full. I expect a potential traitor might be a bit looser around someone they see as beneath them-” “Lady Olivier!” Sarai and the officer turned as another person on the bridge called out. “We’ve detected something that you might be interested in!” Sarai blinked, eyes darting between the two before settling on the first officer. “Make the arrangements and bring them to my quarters.” she said before moving past the officer. She crossed to the second officer, the woman stepping aside from her terminal as the Inquisitor approached. “We have detected an unknown energy signature two lightyears down from Ultramar,” the woman said, drawing forth a schematic before continuing. “According to our scan, the energies present match no known energy signatures in Inquisitorial records.” “Really?” Sarai moved through the schematic, tracing the energy flare and related signatures before continuing. “It’s too sporadic for a Warp Exit, and it’s too far from anything to be daemonic... Have you tried cross referencing with the other Ordos’ records?” “What little we could without drawing too much suspicion,” the woman replied. “Again, no clear matches.” Sarai frowned, looking through the information once more. The readout was too strong to be a mere sensor glitch, but if it did not match any other known signatures... I suppose my sins will be brought to light sooner than I thought. ... No, not my sins. Sunset Shimmer died a traitor’s death, nothing more. “Perhaps this is the sign we have been waiting for.” Sarai said, stepping back to allow the woman to retake her position. “Have any other factions made note of the disturbance?” “If they have, they have not done anything to capitalize on it,” the woman replied, switching to a new screen before continuing. “The Astartes have been amassing at Ultramar, sure enough, but their internal politics will keep them occupied for some time. The Mechanicum and the noble houses have their normal jockeying, so we should have free reign for at least a little while longer.” “That is more than we can hope for.” Sarai replied. “Set a course. Keep all information channels open in the event that someone else notices the disturbance and goes to investigate; the last thing I want is for us to be caught off guard by some intrusive Rogue Trader or a Mechanicum scout.” “Yes, Lady Olivier. Shall I also put word in to Lord Elias?” Sarai hesitated. Elias’ presence would be helpful in the event of a confrontation, and perhaps provide someone she could confide in before speaking with Twilight Sparkle, but diverting the Grey Knight and his brothers for a simple reconnaissance and recovery mission would be a larger use of resources than she cared for. “... No, there is no need for that,” she said finally. “If the need arises, I will contact Lord Elias myself.” “Yes, Lady Olivier.” With that Sarai turned to exit the bridge, allowing the shouts from the crew to prepare for Warp Transit to fade into more background noise. She walked in silence, her hands tucked in front of her as she made her way back to her quarters, her headband pressing into her scalp as she furrowed her brow. The Student of the Empress. Twilight Sparkle. The name and the memories of the last night in Canterlot that started this whole mess came welling up in Sarai’s mind, clawing at her attention like the daemons she had battled since her teens. Pushing it aside with duty or perhaps a chat with one of her equals would be enough to dismiss it... if her duty was not fetching the Student, and if her equals had not... No, do not fall further down that hole. Sarai shook her head, dropping her hands to her side as she quickened her pace. She was an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus, a loyal servant of the Empress: she would do her duty without question, regardless of where that path lead her. Sunset Shimmer would not do that. Finally, she reached her quarters, a larger room near the rear of the ship. Closing the door behind her, she quickly moved to make sure the wards were in place, a number of small runes flickering cross the wall. She moved into the center of the room, pushing aside a chair to give herself more space before taking a breath and reaching for her headband. She gently lifted the brass circlet from her forehead, allowing the enchantment to fall away for a brief moment as her power rushed forward and smacked against the room’s, Sarai wincing ever so slightly at the rough shift. She heard nothing, and allowed a small sigh to slip past her lips before she knelt. The wards would hold, perhaps for another hour or so, but soon the voices of those souls around her would return, forcing her once more behind her defenses and away from all the others. One hour of normalcy... That is all I need. “Master of Mankind, hear my prayer,” she said, holding her headband before her. “I go now to complete the mission you have asked of me, and I will return your Student to her rightful place... at your side... My prayer is that I shall not fail, for failure will only see your people once more scattered to the stars. “Empress... Princess...” Sarai could feel a small tear forming at the edge of her eye, but pressed on regardless. “I am sorry... Sweet Princess, I am so sorry... I-I hope this makes you proud of me, for once... and I can continue to serve you as your loyal Inquisitor.” Sunset Shimmer died a traitor’s death. I will not fall to the same delusions.