“Oh.... hello.” Cadence said to the space marines as they walked into the throne room of the crystal empire.
“Greetings Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” Solomon said politely. Still, even that made Cadence jump. The gruffness of the human voice just wasn’t really pleasing to the ears and of course, this being the first time meeting one.. well.
“How... do you know my name?” Cadence asked.
“Telepathy. Something all psykers like myself have. I assume, from your horn you too.. are a psyker, one who uses magic?”
“Eh... yes. I also have wings too if that means anything to you.”
“Ruling class most likely.” Martellus voxed. “The Tiara tells me she is of some sort of nobility.”
Ignoring Martellus, Solomon introduced himself and his brothers as he would if he was addressing anyone of his race that held any importance.
“My name is Solomon, chief librarian of the Blood Ravens. This is Tarkus, Captain of the 1st company.”
“Greetings.”
“And this is Martellus, master of the forge.”
“My pleasure.”
“I hope you don’t me asking but..... um...”
“What are the things on his back?” Solomon said reading her mind. “Just a servo-arm. To simplify things, it helps him fix things.”
“Always a step ahead eh?” Cadence asked. “So... if I have things right, then you are here to collect one of the elements of harmony?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I will have a courier to go retrieve the one we found immediately.”
“Thank you. Mi Amore Cadenza of Equestria.” Solomon said.
“About your name.” Tarkus inquired. “It sounds awfully terran.”
“Terran?”
“He means human... I think.” Rainbow Dash said. “They well... I dunno how to put it.”
“Yes.... now I remember, it was an old language spoken thousands of years ago. I don’t recall it’s name, but it’s still from Holy Terra. This begs the question, have you seen humans before?”
“Just you.” Cadence said. “Why?”
“Nothing.” Martellus said. “Okay, this is just getting...”
“Strange? Yes I know. First we have them speak in our EXACT language, word for word pretty much. Then we find the architecture is very similar to ancient Terra....” Solomon said. “What else?”
“And then we have Terran words used as names.... like... are these humans trapped in alien bodies or something?”
“That sounds more and more plausible.... and ridiculous....” Martellus commented. “Let’s just get the thing and get out. While the enemies of the Emperor still draw breath, there can be no peace.”
“Damn it! Any luck brothers?”
Judging from the chorus of no’s, luck wasn’t with them on this day.
“Emperor knows where that damned monster is hiding. Letting him live was our first mistake!” Diomedes ranted. “This is my fault. I shoul.....”
“Don’t blame yourself.” Angelos said. “It’s more important if we find him. I have a hunch he has something to do with the fact that we got a whole warband on our heads.”
“When I get my hands on him.......” Diomedes gritted.
“Wait, you don’t think HE did this do you?” Luna asked. “I th...”
“OF COURSE HE DID THIS! WHO THE HELL ELSE WOULD?!” Diomedes said losing his temper in a heartbeat. “WHEN I FIND THAT HELLSPAWN...”
Anyone sensible decided to put their fingers or hooves in their ears instead of listening to the massive rant of insults and threats that emanated from the raging space marine. A few years later, when the blood ravens looked back on this day, a few battle brothers would joke about that Diomedes made the Angry Marines look not even angry.
“Alright we got it? Good! Let’s get outside, Davian is waiting for us! Martellus! What are you gawking at?!”
“That!” The techmarine pointed outside, where there was a literal tidal wave of chaos. A massive horde of daemons and chaos space marines was charging right at the crystal empire.
“Holy sh... Cadence! The shield spell!” Shining Armor screamed in panic.
“Rainbow Dash!” Solomon said. “You mentioned you could fly and break the sound barrier, go back to your Princess! We will remain here..”
“I am not...”
“That is an order! Do it! NOW!” Solomon seized the cyan pegasus and flung her straight up into the air, sending her sailing back home. “Davian! You hearing me? There is a giant wave of chaos coming in from the north! Get there! Make sure they do not set foot in this city!”
“Understood.......”
“As long as my spell and the crystal heart spell lasts, we should be fine!” Cadence said looking outside on the balcony.
“Will it last against that?” Tarkus asked pointing at a figure that towered over the rest of the mob. A bloodthirster.
“Heaven helps us....” Cadence said feeling the cold hand of fear grip tightly to her.
“Angelos! I got bad news!” Thaddeus said as he saw the chapter master peaking into yet another empty room. “Tarkus and the others are in trouble!”
“But we can’t just leave a daemon running around!” Diomedes answered. “We have...”
“They’re dealing with an entire daemonic horde! We have to help him and not waste time in trying to find someone who may or may not be responsible!”
“He’s right!” Cyrus said. “Captain Thule, Martellus and Solomon are with them. We can’t abandon them!”
“Cyrus, you and Thaddeus go help Tarkus and the others. Diomedes and I will remain here to search. Now go! Emperor keep all of you!”
“Get going!”
“Wait! I have to go with them!” Twilight said. “My brother is there!”
“Come along then!” Thaddeus said. “Fluttershy, you too! I have a feeling you might be necessary..”
“Bu..”
“No buts! Get along.. now!”
“TAKE COVER!” Tarkus roared at the top of his lungs as a chaos predator fired it’s main cannon at the hasty defense that was erected. When the explosion cleared, he was surprised to find that this “hasty” defense was still standing. Seemed these crystals were made of tough stuff.
“Martellus! See what you can do about that Predator!” Solomon screamed over the din of battle.
“Done!” Martellus voxed grabbing a missile launcher. Aiming carefully, he knocked out the predator. “Eat this traitors!”
“We got another wave incoming!” Shining Armor said pointing a hoof at a mob of chaos space marines. The space marines greeted them with a hailstorm of bolter fire. Not one of these madmen reached the blood ravens.
“I.... have....grown....practiced.....at...killing....you....heretics...” Thule rasped out as he sent another storm of bolter fire at the chaos space marines.
“So much hate.....” Cadence whispered as she watched the forces of order and chaos go to work on one another.
“Another wave down!” Tarkus said as he discarded his bolter and pulled out his chainsword.
“You’re not honestly going to use that are you?” Shining Armor asked.
“Why?”
“Against... that?” He pointed at the advancing bloodthirster that approached them with it’s mighty battleaxe.
“This.....is... going to be bad.” Solomon said. “FALL BACK!”
The space marines all packed up and ran back to a more defendable position. Even the best warriors of the Emperor had reason to worry in the face of the mighty greater daemon of Khorne.
“Thule! Our brothers need help! You have to help them!” Martellus said listening to the vox.
“At once......”
“May the Emperor watch over you!” Tarkus said wishing him luck. Watching the approaching daemon he clenched his teeth for a moment as a mob of bloodletters approached.
“Incoming!”
“Incoming!” A battle brother yelled loudly as a mob of bloodletters and chaos space marines approached. The space marines quickly began to fire. This thinned the ranks of the mob, but did little to stop their advance as they closed the gap.
Just as it looked like the enemy was going to be upon them, the roar of several bolters firing cut the air, scattering body parts around.
“It’s Captain Thule!” Someone said as the venerable dreadnought approached with reinforcements.
“Yes..... may the daemons.... fall before me...” The dreadnought replied as he turned to fire at another approaching mob. From the distance, he spied a particular looking traitor. A powerful khornate champion from the looks of it. He approached, surrounded by his men as they fired bolter rounds at the blood ravens.
This is going to be a tough fight even if chaos was being weakened by the nature of this world.
Thaddeus grunted with grim satisfaction as he tore off the head of the daemon with his chainsword. He stood in a pile of corpses of daemons and chaos space marines alike.
“Cyrus, I can hear that Captain Thule is in trouble! Go help him. I’ll help Tarkus!”
“Then I am off!” Cyrus said. Twilight and Fluttershy following him as the rest of his squad accompanied Thaddeus.
When they had arrived, the entire scene was total carnage. Mangled corpses of friend and foe littered the ground as everyone and everything fought tooth and nail against one another. Davian, at the top of a mound fired his storm bolter against enemies in the distance. However......
A group of daemons materialized out of nowhere as soon as Thule had finished throttling a Bloodcrusher, they all leapt upon him, swinging their blades at his dreadnought wildly, destroying it’s “feet” in moments. With the chaos champion approaching, this looked like it was going to be the end of Davian Thule.
For Twilight it looked like the world was in standstill. Every bolter round, every swing of a blade was in slow motion. In her mind, a voice screamed.
“SAVE HIM!”
Not knowing what to do, the spell discharged from her horn and hit Davian. Scattering all the bloodletters and throwing them over the ground. The heavy presence of harmony in her spell caused all the daemons to evaporate moments after.
But the chaos champion wasn’t quite close enough. Now, he jumped upon the damaged Dreadnought and sent his fist straight in, piercing the armor.... and then gave a scream. Not a scream of victory. But as it seemed, it was cry of terror and shock. (Who knew khornates could get scared?)
The top of the dreadnought from where the champion had gotten on top of got dented. Until a piece of the metal gave way, shot out hitting the champion in the face. His other arm however, was still within the dreadnought. A few moments later and the snapping sound of bones breaking was heard, as something within the ruined armor tore off the arm of the heretic.
Another piece of metal shot out which threw the champion of khorne off the ruined dreadnought. Out of the hole, emerged the head of a familiar person. A person with a glowing blue eye.
“Die traitor!” Davian in full power armor roared as he jumped on the traitor and grabbed his enemy’s face, wishing the choke the life out of him. But in an act of desperation, his victim grabbed a chainsword, and sent into Thule’s back leaving a massive wound. Ironically, this sealed his fate as in doing so, Thule crushed his skull into a fine powder.
Thule groaned as he slumped over the corpse of his victim and began to breath slowly. Fearing for his life... Cyrus ran over.
“Captain Thule!”
Everyone surrounded the injured captain and dragged him to safety.
When Thule regained consciousness, he found himself lying on his stomach on some comfortable bedding. When he fully regain consciousness, he saw he was without his power armor and his back was bare... though not burning as he last remembered. Then he noticed something else, which probably should of been the first thing he realized. He had his entire body in one piece.
He felt some liquid drip over his back and he wondered what it was. Looking up, he saw a yellow pegasus work on him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Thule snarled attempting to rise.
“Oh... I am..”
“No it’s fine.” Tarkus said. “She’s operating on you... praise the Emperor that you didn’t break your back!”
“Wait a second! Last time I spoke to you I heard you were...”
“Later.” Tarkus said. “Is it done?”
“Done...” Fluttershy said.
“What, you talking about his disposition or his injuries?” Twilight joked.
“Okay, first, can someone explain to me why I am...”
“Alive again?” Twilight smirked. “Heh, you can say it was a happy accident sorta. There were some monsters on top of you and when I cast a spell, I saw you burst out in one piece!”
“Any reason why I only have one eye though?” Thule asked tapping his implant to make sure he hadn’t mistaken.
“I have no idea!” Twilight said. “I think.... I tried...no, I will go into it later. But thank Fluttershy, she was able to get the wound on your back!”
“You did that?” Thule asked. He had pretty much disregarded Tarkus a few moments ago.
“Yes... I hope it’s...”
Thule’s expression gentled at that moment. It hit him.
“You.. saved my life.” Thule said slowly. He couldn’t believe this. An alien potentially saved his life! The thought of it! If anything he had expected her to try and poison him or something.. but no. Instead, she had chosen to heal him. Something he would never expect from those like the Eldar or Tau.
“Thank you.” He said getting up slowly. The moment he did, Twilight cast another spell putting him back in his power armor.
“That Martellus guy fixed it. He said he was glad you were okay. And I think um.... Gabriel wished to talk with you. He’s right outside.
“I will see him immediately.” Thule said as he got outside to meet Gabriel, he began to get a new feeling that was alien to him. He felt a warm feeling on the inside, in the area around one of his two hearts. It felt pleasant.
“So this is what friendship truly is.” Thule said to himself. He had trusted these aliens about as much as he stayed awake on the average day, but now... he felt a change overcoming him. He wondered now, if perhaps... he had been wrong. But for now, he had things to discuss with an old friend.