The first thing Fluttershy woke up to was not the comfort of her bed which she would have prepared. It was a nightmare after all and like all nightmares, it should have went away.
It didn't. It grew worse.
She woke to the comfort of screams and groaning, and she found herself staring face to face with a creature of monstrous beauty. It's face was the first thing that Fluttershy saw, and the first thing that unnerved her reducing her to an (extra) nervous wreck.
"This one amuses me. Perhaps I could play with it?"
"So long as she remains alive and not too scarred......"
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"Lord Vect? I present to you this." The Dracon took up the lightning shaped element of loyalty.
"What is this?" Vect asked rhetorically. "Amusing. A gift?"
"Indeed. I give it to you as a token of my loyalty. Now may I collect my reward?"
"Huh? Oh yes, your reward. I'll let you HAVE IT."
His blow took the Dracon's head clean off. The Lord of Commoragh just sat back and laughed. How dumb were people these days anyways? That's probably the eighth time in a row someone fell for it. He chuckled to himself which made both his bodyguards nervous and his slaves extra-nervous. Taking the trinket, he held it to the side for now. It radiated with strange power.
"Now then, report please." Vect said to the warrior at the foot of his throne.
"We are fresh from the feast." The warrior replied. "We swooped in on a backwater planet and went about pillaging and looting. Until a mon'keigh showed up. Our leader, the one who lies dead at your feet was a fool who couldn't as much as realize the danger of an explosive even if it blew up in his face. That was actually what happened literally anyways."
"Really? You attack a backwater planet and come back with a couple of slaves and a single gem of relatively low material value? You'll be lucky if I still find SOME use for you. Beings on levels of your stupidly won't even make a good pin cushion much lest a pirate."
"With all......"
POW*
The dead warrior's head flew clean off from Vect's pistol shot. He turned to yet another one wondering if this one might actually have half a brain.
"Report. Give me a good one... or else..."
"After our initial landing, we broke into these primitive's fortress where they held some jewels for display. Some silly museum if you ask me. Seeing how these jewels were worth material value, our leader decided to seize them as well as take some prisoners. The room we had broken into held little amounts of any baggage worth of value, and the plan was to further plunder until a mon'keigh, a space marine showed up and began to savage our warriors. Judging from it's regalia, it was a captain. A mighty and worthy foe."
"And this lone mon'keigh drove you all back? Preposterous."
"Unfortunately, that is our story. Our commander was most incompetent. Our second in command was just barely better."
"Alright then. Your report will do. Now get out of my sight lest I have a change of heart."
The kabal warrior leapt out of the room in a flash not wanting to face the wrath of the lord of Commoragh.
"Bring me one of the captives."
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Fluttershy curled into a ball, finally he had stopped and was temporarily satisfied. She hoped he wouldn't come back and attempt to get any more.
Oh he wouldn't alright. A single tall figure entered the room with some arcane machine.
"Come hither, whelp, and Lord Vect may go easy on thou."
Fluttershy quickly got up despite her fear. She hid behind her mane and allowed herself to be prodded and led through the dark corridors where the screams and depraved laughs echoed on end.
Even daemons couldn't possibly be this vile.
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"What is this trinket?" Vect asked holding the element of loyalty.
"It's.... it's nothing." Fluttershy said. "Just a gem."
"Oh? Really? Are you telling me the truth?" Vect asked, face turned into a disapproving scowl.
"Yes! Please.... can I go now?"
"Why do you lie to me? Why do you lie to me when you plainly know your fate will be a hundred-fold more painless if you tell me the truth? Why is it po'neigh? Is it because of loyalty to your friends?"
How did he....
"Why so dishonest?" Vect mused watching the shocked expression of Fluttershy's face. "It's certainly doesn't put a smile on my face when someone lies to me...... or theirs for that matter. Would you like me to cut one on you?"
"No please! I am telling you, it's just a je....."
"I am feeling a bit generous today......." Vect said. "I think I'll let you off the hook.... for once. Tell me the truth behind it.... or all the magic in the universe won't stave off your suffering."
"Okay! Okay! It's an element of harmony!" Fluttershy gasped out. Vect's scowl turned into a smile. A happy one at that.
"Good.... good. I think I'll do a kind deed today..... AND NOT KILL YOU..... painfully......" The last phrase was said with a lethal, menacing undertone, yet Vect wore a jovial grin.
"I'll tap into it's power somehow." The lord of Commoragh muttered to himself. "But first.... let's see what I can do with you....."
Fluttershy gulped.
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The webway portal in orbit over Equestria has just been finished and we have prepared a sizable invasion force of about 10,000 astartes. The Black Templars, The Deathwatch, The Space Wolves and The White Scars.
"What's the Black Templar doing here anyways?
"Dorn sent them. He was planning to piece his legion back together, but either he didn't have time or decided he was going to have a paint shortage or whatever. They're still under his command. He just won't be going to Commoragh."
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Cyrus went to the area of the Everfree forest where he camped. It was indicated by a large box which he kept most of his belongings. Opening the box, he got out his Mark X sniper rifle and the rest of his gear.
"Back to the Deathwatch so soon Captain?" The Emperor asked.
"Yes, milord." Cyrus replied trying not to act surprised. Few beings could manage to sneak up on him. "It was my fault they took one of the elements and one of the element bearers."
"Pinkie Pie, heard that one can predict the future."
"Imagine how well, that'd have played out had she been there with us ten thousand years ago. Your lordship's values would have long spread to the stars and prosperity would have begun."
"True, true. But I am not here of course to ponder a "What if" scenario. I came here to give you this." The Emperor gestured at a crate. "I took the liberty of personally telling you and your brothers in the Deathwatch that I ask the Deathwatch to perform rescue operations over Commoragh, Tau, orks, human, anything. Get them out of that wretched hell-hole."
"I presume we may do some stealing?"
"Do whatever it takes. I just it be said that you and your brothers performs acts of heroism for the benefit of all."
"Very well then. I will not disappoint you."
"Excellent. I return to Terra now." And with that, The Emperor vanished.
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"Cyrus? You going with them?"
"Yes Twilight." The scout replied. "I lost the element and Fluttershy. I go to Commoragh to get them back."
"But it's not eve...."
"It is. I should of listened to Pinkie Pie. But I promise, I'll get them back."
"Well, good luck then." Applejack said. "You'll need it."
"With all those MASSIVE brothers of yours, what can go wrong?"
"I bet it'll be fun! I can throw a "Saved Fluttershy" party!"
"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Cyrus asked.
"Ah, I don't blame her. She was always close with Fluttershy. Probably off somewhere sulking."
"Well, tell her I am off. I'll be back."
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Cyrus went to his designated cell. Empty room like most others. All it had was a single bed where he could sleep and that was about it.
Putting his box down, he thought it rather odd. Being a Blood Raven, he had a perfect memory. As such, he remembered the exact feeling of the exact same weight of his old Deathwatch equipment. The box felt a bit heavier than it should be. It was scout armor after all didn't exactly weight a ton.
Opening the box, he wondered if he left an extra sniper rifle inside.
He was surprised by a cyan blur. That's the second time today.
"Thanks. Was getting stuffy in there." Rainbow Dash said gulping in air like water. "What?"
"Why are you here?" Cyrus asked almost groaning.
"I came to help!" Rainbow Dash said. "C'mon, Fluttershy's my friend and the element was mine so......"
"Well, I got no objections to be honest. I only fear the opinions of everyone else on board."
"Oh it'll be fine!" Rainbow Dash said. "I can be helpful!"
"Like?"
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Vect finished his mocking of his new slave just enough to take extra amusement in the fact it had curled up into a ball and was weeping like a new born. Fearing he may break it before he intended, Vect decided he would stop. Of all his slaves, this one amused him the most. So easily afraid, so sensitive to pain yet..... wasn't despairing.
Strange.
Tugging the train around her neck, Fluttershy discovered it was going to trap her rather closely to her captor. She gave another whimper, wondering whether or not Vect had similar fetishes to the one before him.
"So slave, tell me a story." Vect said.
"Wh-what?"
"What are you hoping for?"
"I hope to get out of here.... please?" Fluttershy did her best. Her eyes became the size of dinner plates and she tried the cutest expression she could make.
The black heart cabal really did live up to it's name as the only thing Fluttershy received was a slap in the face.
"You're funny. How exactly are you going to do that?"
"My friends will come and get me.... monster." Fluttershy retorted, an undertone in her voice.
"Friends? You really think they can save you? Here in Commoragh, everything is mine. Even if they could fight their way through this dark city they'd have no way to reach you. Not even a god could save you now. Pray that I choose to be merciful. Go on, say it!"
Fluttershy shook her head.
"SAY IT." Vect exploded lashing out against the Pegasus.
"Please don't hurt me!" Fluttershy squeaked out as she gingerly rubbed her cheek where the Dark Eldar had struck.
"Good....." Vect replied. His anger easily warded off, he was grinning wickedly now. "About these elements............"
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"I am impressed." Leman Russ said watching the Space Wolves mill about attempting to catch the cyan colored Pegasus.
"Fast, quick and agile." Khan said as he watched her slid underneath another astartes. "Wonder what she can be used for."
"Is she making a cloud?" Russ asked watching as Dash scooped up bits of water vapor and threw the ball-shaped cloud at one of her pursuers. "Now that's a new one."
"Hmm.... I have an idea....." Khan said.
"Say it."
"They say there's a toxic river in the dark city............."