//------------------------------// // New Wars. Old Rivalries, // Story: A Lamenter goes to Equestria // by McCrowley //------------------------------// Thick Trees. Must feed. Small animals. Must feed. Losing blood. Must FEED. Feed. Feed. FEED. These were all the thoughts that ran through the mind of the simple creature, much more teeth than anything else. He did not remember anything. Few of his kind did. He however only lived to FEED. He must feed the hive. He must please the Hive. He was the Hive. The Hive was him. No larger creatures commanded him, so he fed. That was all he could do. Nothing really else… He could Feed some more. But for what purpose? And for that reason the Small creature was left to think. This was strange to it. It wasn’t used to this. It was used to feeding. Feeding for the Hive. But here… There was no Hive. He couldn’t sense any of it… it was alone. The small thing wandered for great distances, this forest providing much needed sustenance to even continue. It did not know where it was, nor did it care. Thoughts, which had never entered its mind before began to trace lines in its brain. Many of the creatures ran at the mere sounds he made, and this made him think further. What exactly was it? The Hive mind would have told it. But the Hive was not here. He WAS the Hive. He could always burrow and become another organism, but that sounded silly. It felt like being what he was now. A Ripper. And for the first time, it was full. He wandered the forest far and wide, but never once saw anything that reminded him of what his old form would see. Forests were normal on some worlds, but where were the Imperials? The Orkz? Eldar? Tau? None of its old life felt right anymore. It-No He, longed for explanation. He wanted some creature to tell him what to do. All these thoughts hurt his small mind. And this forest wasn’t helping! So dark and looming. Everything was beginning to run away from him too, even the bigger things. It… Hurt him. He longed for something to be there. He longed for love he has never felt. His thoughts continued for days. He wandered, fed when necessary, and thought. The lone Tyranid did what no other of his kind had and felt things other than hunger. He strayed near a clearing, something drawing him near. He had been following a pack of the dog like creatures after they had thrown him a scrap of cloth for some reason. The cloth smelt disgusting. He still ate it but it smelt like the backside of an Ork. They were here too, already running towards something green in the middle. He couldn't see it well but he felt as if he should stay where he was. Garvel had finished teaching the pink pony nearly two long weeks ago. She had since retreated into her quarters for study and to practice his bastardized form of the Imperial faith. To say Garvel was touched was a mere understatement. He was still kept under close watch by the guards and scientists. Brief visits from the apparent royal sisters confirmed his suspicion that this would be kept up for a long time. But under their gracious watch he was given some materials to practice. It was while he was practicing with a carved wooden sword onto a hay dummy that he was approached by what seemed to be the leader of the scientists. Or which ever had drawn the short straw, whichever came first. The smell of fear was still wafting into his nose from the second they entered the square. He knew dozens watched him at nearly all times, especially when he trained, but few approached him. In that regard he missed the Pink pony and her endless tides of questions she had uttered with a vast array of emotional expressions. This seemed to be the first pony to approach him with non-official conversation in mind hopefully. But fear still reeked from his small form. He was small, even compared to those that watched from afar. A motely brown coat mixed with cracked glasses reminded you very much of Administratum members. Except not a bunch of dicks who’ll send a thousand tons of rations to a dead world because no one told them NOT to. A bunch of dicks. It seems that while you surmised on past events this small Xeno had already mustered the urge to speak to you. And apparently had been for quite some time. Well fuck. “I apologize small Xeno.” You say while continuing to beat upon the hay in full regalia, “I have completely missed everything you have just said. May you please repeat whatever it is you were saying.” He looked very peeved at not only being interrupted but also not being listened to. “Fine! Asf I wasf Jusft sfaying…” Dear Emperor his lisp was annoying, “One of the Elementsf hasf gone missffing. We have sfent many guardsf out to find her but they too have gone missffing. We, asf the Princessffessff and asf equesftriansf, are asfking you to help sfearch for her.” You have never heard such discordant noise as this one pony. Not even against the Forces of Chaos have you wished for sweet silence. “Fine. If only to stop the ringing in my ears.” He again seemed peeved at the comment but the others behind the door were ecstatic to say the least. Suddenly, a rainbow blur landed before you. One of the Flying Xenos. A familiar one at that. “Point Dexter if you so much as open your bucking mouth I am leaving, I already hate what you are asking me to do but I don’t need your damn trap to make it any bucking worse.” This seemed to stop the speech already beginning to spew out this daemons mouth. “Listen here flank kisser,” she turned to look at him suddenly. “I bucking hate you. Got that? But these idiots at the palace seem to know that I know the Everfree better than anyone else as well as being one of Fluttershy’s best bucking friends. They want ME to accompany you to find her. So we are getting our flanks on a train and going back to MY home which YOU destroyed! Then WE are going to bucking look for Fluttershy until you are DEAD. Got me?” Garvel blinked away his surprise, never since his days as a scout had anyone talked to him like that. He was Centuries older than her but her she was. Screaming in his face as if he was a piece of Squig. At the mention that it was her home though, he realized why he remembered her garish colors sadly. She was there. She was there during his greatest shame. She was there when he slain all those that aggressed him for their own protection. And she had all of a right to be like this. She would lead him in his repentance. The Emperor had sent her for his own sake. He nodded his brief approval and began to follow the Xeno as she began to hover away, towards the doors and the scientists cowering behind it. They looked shocked as she had done such a thing, as if she had just blasphemed against some unwritten code. She led him down corridors he had not yet pursued, towards an open platform, where two chariots with accompanying pegasi. There, the others were also awaiting them. The Pink one, Pinkie Pie as he had found out after his tutorage, was still pouring over her notes but made time to lift an Aquila shaped necklace from her neck with a wide smile. Her hair still laid flat upon her head, and sometimes obstructed one of her eyes. The others seemed to just look upon him in held back terror and hatred, while they looked upon her with a look of betrayal. No words were shared at that moment. Pinkie opted to ride in the same chariot as you, while the cyan one was told by the guards to do the same. Of course she hollered at them why but that was the word apparently and no more was had. In a chariot with one angry Xeno and a Xeno servant to He upon the throne. Oh Garvel how the Mighty have fallen. With lift off there was still silence. The Ponies in the other car chatted nervously, small topics that meant nothing to the warrior. He opted instead to ready his meager weapons. His training weapons, made completely out of wood. He whittled down any protrusions. He reverently took care of this meager weapon, as he would with his holy Wargear before. Thinking back, how he wished for at least his combat knife. A bolt pistol, A chainsword, power weapon. Anything! Anything but a simple piece of wood! They did not trust him with an actual sword just yet. He swore not to kill, a lie obviously, but his repentance was not yet complete. Hopefully this excursion would find his bloodlust satiated. But without a mission briefing how could he succeed? He looked up from his work, noticing they were nearing the forest. He looked towards the Xenos, all seeming looking towards the Purple one for advice. She was doing her best to dull out information to them, but none of that was of importance. He needed the details of his mission; enemies, obstacles, terrain, target. Those sorts of things. They would not understand but it never hurt to ask. “Xenos. I must ask about what exactly it is we are doing. Just a few questions, if you’d please.” He could tell without even looking up that everyone nearly jumped at his words. The rainbow one was the first to answer, anger hinting heavily on her voice. “I already told you! We need you for some damn reason to find Fluttershy, who has been missing ever since you freaked the BUCK out!” “That was not what I meant XENO.” The last word laced with more venom than a Dark Eldar blade, “I meant Specifics! I cannot just blindly charge into a forest that may or may not kill all of you! Tell me of the beasts that dwell within.” Once again they looked towards the purple one, who seemingly acted the leader or the librarian. She looked upon him but could not meet his eyes, hidden though they were. “Well… There is plenty of Fauna inside the forest. Ranging from the smallest wood mouse to the largest Hydra…” A hydra? That will be… Interesting if seen thought Garvel. “What else? Which is the most likely thing we will most likely en-“ Suddenly a few howls from below were heard. Wolves most likely. “Well Probably those” said Twilight, “Timberwolves. As the name implies the are wolves made of wood, fairly dangerous…” Her tone still spoke volumes of her knowledge but also her lack thereof. She had no idea what the definition of dangerous was. As to answer that definition, a new call came to the forefront. One long and loud. Strong and proud. “WAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!” Downright Orky if you ask anyone who knows what an Ork was. Baffled were the ponies when their supposed warrior jumped to out of the chariot to the ground just over a hundred feet below plunging straight into the forest. Some showed their surprise in the form of gasps, others in snarls, but only one in acceptance. Of course it wasn’t her own mind that accepted it. Three Minutes Prior He was loud. He was mean. He ate meat. He was stronger than her. There was nothing for her to do. By the end of week one he had made a collar and a leash for her and never let her out of his sight. That meant he was never out of hers either. She saw how he tore into the flesh of the small animals she had once cared for. She saw how violent he was in fights against the bigger animals that meant no harm. She saw him as he grew and grew and yelled and yelled. She was beyond the feeling of scared. She had seen so much, too much, for one pony to handle. She just wanted to curl up and be forgotten like usual. But no. He insisted on having her, as both a guide and slave. He insisted he could trade her for “Flashy bitz” or whatever those were. He used for slave labor whenever he needed it, whether it be something simple like carrying wood or the more vile waste removal. He had explained her and his position many times; he was the Warboss of the WAAAGH while she was a lowly “Grot” not fit for anything in life. Oh how she longed for his death. She had seen many an animal come close. Cockatrices staring straight at him, Manticores thirsting for revenge, Timberwolves circling for the kill, and even nature seemed to be after him as the forest depopulated when he came near. But no. He would boast new scars, new trophies, and more food. No matter what he refused to die. He was much bigger than when she first saw him. While he already towered over her then, now he made her seem non-existent. She barely came up to the navel area of this large creature. He was even taller than the Yellow Daemon that attacked town square before. Headsmasha was leading her into a clearing now, yanking tightly on the cheap rope he had made. He probably wants a place to sleep for the night. He probably wants her to work for him and do everything for him. But what he doesn’t know is that a pack of Timberwolves has been following them for nearly five miles now, gaining quickly. The moment he sat down he would die. She left a message for help for her animal friends to respond to long ago. This was not the first group nor would it be the last. They would keep coming until all of them or he was dead. She was their guardian, she was the element of kindness, and she deserved nothing but what she gave to the world. To treat her like this… Made everything sick. He was in the middle of the clearing now. Her mind swam with thoughts that seemed odd for the yellow pony. “Turn your back and you’re dead, bucker.” “I can’t wait to carry your corpse to town.” “JUST DIE ALREADY”. But he never turned around, he never moved once he reached the dead center. He just swiveled his head around, nose in the air and ears rotating around. He must have known. They must not have been stealthy enough. A snapped twig perhaps? No matter. There were twenty wolves and only one Ork. His organs were as good as spilled. And twenty wolves there were. One long howl from the whole pack, one blood curdling howl of pure hatred. Out of the bushes and trees they came. From all angles save from where she was in the way they came. Twenty bloodthirsty wolves of timber charging at speeds faster than any pony on land. He just smiled. The bucker smiled. He raised his one fist holding her rope, lifting her slightly off the ground, choking her. He lifted her close to his maw. A smile played across his lips, showing his vile tusks which still had pieces and stains. His black beady eyes narrowed as he took a breath so large, the air around her went missing. Then he let it loose. What happened next was chaos.