//------------------------------// // Retribution // Story: PonyHammer 40,000: Magic of War II | Redemption // by Dragon Heart //------------------------------// Michael Pegalos I am no stranger to the deaths of planets. Cyrene was my home. Yet, when the need was made evident, I did not hesitate to contact the Inquisition. By my hoof, Cyrene burned. Cyrene's secrets now live solely with me, and so shall they die with me. Whether I am victorious or slain, my sins will know retribution. Such is the final testimony of Michael Pegalos, Captain of the Blood Phoenixes' Third Company. Savior of Tartaurus. Bane of the Dark Legion. Servant of the Empress. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pegalos and Twilight Sparkle battled against Discord Marines along with a small squad of Scouts and Pony Marines. Far from them, Spike's Land Raver stopped near a relay beacon. Helios, Applejack, Pinkie, and squads of Pony Marines disembarked from the tank. They then began their march to the battlefield where Pegalos would be. They encountered many varieties of Discord Pony Marines on their hunt for Traytus: Tactical Discord Marines with standard weaponry, Havoc Marines with heavy weaponry, Vinyl Marines with their Sonic Blasters and other noise-producing weapons, and Discord Nightmares, Pegasi with bat-like wings for aerial assault and attacks. Any and all who stood in the way of the Blood Phoenixes would meet their ends at their hooves. Meanwhile, Pegalos and Twilight had just reached the bottom of the pit, and Traytus stood before them in the great lava pool. Termineightors fought against Khornate Daemons. "These many decades have been an honor, Michael." said Twilight. "Commend my service to the Empress." "Empress keep you, Unicorn." said Pegalos as he brandished his hammer. "I go now to redeem our Chapter." He slowly approached the Daemon Prince. "Ahh, Michael! Ever so faithful to that rotting Empress..." said Traytus, "Do you not know her soul has been picked clean centuries ago?" "Such are the ways of daemons, to lie and mislead us." said Pegalos. "Destroying it is the only way to avoid its influences!" Helios and the Blood Phoenixes continued their hunt for the traitor, leading them to a ruined portion of a city that use to be a church-like complex. "Hah... They think to harm me?" said Traytus. "So long as my towers of offerings are in place, I am unbeatable. Warriors, protect the offerings! My ascension is not yet complete..." Helios and the others heard that loud and clear. They had to destroy these Towers of Offerings in order to render Traytus vulnerable. They moved on until they found the first tower. It was black with a blood red trim that overflowed with pony skulls. It was being defended by Discord Havoc Marines and a Disharmonaught. The Pony Marines first dealt with the protectors, and then demolished the tower itself. Traytus suddenly felt a surge of pain shock his body just as the tower had been destroyed. "Ugh... what was that? It seems Michael has not come alone..." Traytus then reached into the lava pool and threw flaming rocks into the air, which were destined to land where Helios and the Pony Marines were. "Warriors of Khorne, to war for his favor! They proclaim themselves righteous, and righteous their skulls most certainly will be." The Pony Marines cleared the area, and the lava rocks collided into the ground. Helios and the others headed for the next towers. They traveled along a ridge that overlooked the battle with the Daemon Prince. Down below, Pegalos and Twilight were the only ones left combating against Traytus and the lesser daemons of Khorne, but they were not willing to give up. "For the Blood Phoenixes!" Pegalos shouted as he swung his hammer and slew every daemon he hit. Traytus had had enough of the Captain's living before him. He pressed his right fist into his left hand and raised both arms above his head. "Meet your end Michael!" He shouted before he slammed the ground, and crushed both Pegalos and Twilight beneath his mighty blow. The Pony Marines saw what had just happened, and were horrified. "Captain Pegalos!" Pinkie cried. "Twilight too..." Spike grieved, "Empress preserve them..." "They need more than our prayers." Helios stated. "They need vengeance!" They continued along the edge, and eventually found the next tower, guarded by Vinyl Marines and blood-thirsty Discord Nightmares. Spike drove in and unleashed the fury of the Blood Phoenixes' Land Raver upon the heretics, tearing them to pieces and burning them alive. He then laid waste to the tower, and brought down the horrendous thing. Traytus felt another wave of pain course through him, and he laughed. "Ah... haha... Oh how I have waited to feel... the pain of battle once more!" He reached into his pool and threw more lava rocks into the air. "You do nothing but strengthen my resolve, come and offer your blood to the Blood God!" The Pony Marine left the area, which fell to heavy bombardment from the rocks Traytus threw. They had only one tower left to raze, and Traytus would be vincible to their retribution. They found the last tower, protected by Discord Marines and a Discord Hunter Tank. Helios and the Pony Marines fought the Discord Marines while Spike attacked the Discord Hunter. When the forces was slain, the tower was then leveled to dust by hails of gunfire. Traytus roared like a deranged beast, and then grabbed more lava rocks and threw them high into the sky. The Blood Phoenixes quickly left the location where the rocks would land, and the rocks fell hard. Helios approached the ledge and looked down upon the fallen Captain. "Michael... You were always the best of us." Helios lamented. "I will see you avenged." He looked to the daemon. "And Traytus... Now the steed truly reflects the monster." Traytus looked up to see the Captain of the Chapter Royal Guard. "Philosophies! Survived Salika, did you?" He said, somewhat surprised. "You shall make a fine sacrifice, another step on the path to daemonhood! Both you and Pegalos! Another skull! Another corpse, bloated with blood!" "No more talk, Traytus." Helios chided. "You have much to answer for." His heart burned with determination as he descended along with his battle siblings. "For what you have done to the Blood Phoenixes, much shall be avenged this day. For Michael! For the Empress!" "For the Chapter!" Pinkie shouted. "For those who have fallen!" Applejack cried out. "For those who cannot be redeemed!" "Come to me then, loyal servants of the corpse-empress!" Traytus roared. "Come to your doom!" The Blood Phoenixes reached the bottom of the pit. Applejack, Pinkie, and most of the Pony Marines kept their distance and opened fire at Traytus. Spike drove in and attacked as well. Helios engaged Traytus personally in melee combat, along with a squad of Assault Termineightor Veterans. Traytus was, by far, the most formidable foe the Pony Marines have ever faced in years. He would smashed his fists on the ground and send Termineightors flying back, or pick them up and crush them in his powerful grip. He could breathe a jet stream of fire that would mortally injure anyone within the flame's reach. But the Pony Marines were not going to give up, for they had a battle to win, and fallen siblings to avenge. Helios struck the daemon with vigorous fury, and Traytus would try to seize the Captain, only to miss by mere inches. The fight dragged on for what felt like forever, but then Spike's Land Raver was being contacted by someone just as Traytus had been weakened enough for him to collapse. "Captain, I am receiving vox communications from Captain Pegalos' Battle Barge, the Stampede of Fury." said Spike. "Tell them to execute Orbital Bombardment on Traytus!" Helios ordered. "Quickly, before he regains his strength!" The Blood Phoenixes evacuated the area as fast as they could. Helios picked up Pegalos' body, and made a miraculous discovery. "Pegalos, he... he lives, barely!" said Helios. He held onto Pegalos and fled from the spot. They soon got far enough away from the daemon. What was more, Applejack and Pinkie were able to retrieve the fallen Unicorn, Twilight, who had also miraculously survived the battle, and was barely conscious. Her body was battered, her legs were broken, and her recovery would take months or years, but she was alive. Beams of light began to form over the daemon. They grew wider and brighter, and then erupted into explosions that utterly destroyed Traytus' irredeemably corrupted body. The daemon's mutilated corpse sank into the lava pit and was consumed by the utter destructive force of the bombardment. Retribution had been delivered, and Traytus was no more.