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// Home of Chaos 
// Story: Iron Hearts: Stray Shots and What Ifs? 
// by Hey its that Pony 
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In the aftermath of the 38th Company's final victory and claim on Centaur Three, a new rural town had sprung up around a sensor array at a halfway point between Ponyville and Ferrous Dominus. Through the courtesy of crude slang and laziness, the town would be unofficially named 'Horse Town' before being officially granted the title via the Dark Mechanicus whose job it was to maintain the sensor array. The Princess of Friendship would attempt to re-name the town 'Ferrous Secundus' but, much to her annoyance, everyone agreed that that was pretty terrible and that 'Horse Town' would do fine.

This new settlement would serve as one of the first of the new unofficial human establishments and communities outside the mighty fortress. It would come to be known as a place where many soldiers within the fortress would make a home when they were not required to be stationed behind the walls or traveling in one of the fleet's starships.

Though Horse Town was not just a community of for humans, as one might guess from its label. Many ponies had made their homes here as well, finding themselves far more comfortable in the rural settlement rather than the stifling factory city. There were even some stray Tau and Kroot to be found about.

In this present time though, we will focus upon a single household. Being one of the earliest structures, before the Mechanicus got themselves directly involved in the development of the community, it was forged in a crude manner from blocks of rockcrete and discarded metal and had been touched up and granted a certain charm that was difficult to replicate. Above its front door hung the icons of the Chaos Gods Tzeentch and Khorne, placed at the far corners of the frame. More towards the middle were two nails with a vertical scorch-mark between them. One could guess that the bare nails in the middle was where the opposing icons hung before it became apparent that neither could stand such close proximity. If one were to listen closely, they might swear that there were two animals nearby growling at each-other.

Within this home was a pegasus mare who was busy at her kitchen sink. She had a pink coat with a long silky red mane, pink eyes, and a cutie mark of a red hellebore flower with a black mark of Khorne in the center of it's bloom. She sported a pair of bony blades that had grown from her forelegs and a series of bony spikes along her wings. Tiny flecks of blood could still be seen along the growths and all of them had been coated and sharpened with adamantium, a process that had been extremely stressful but well worth it.

Scarlet Bloom hummed a little tune to herself as she was finishing the dishes. With the last plate dried she set it aside before raising her hoof in a short salute and a smile to a small icon of Khorne hanging in the window above the sink. She let out a content sigh for herself.

Suddenly, Scarlet's ear twitched and her eyes went wide before her body blurred in motion as she snapped around and up to bring her blades  to bare on the intruder in her kitchen. Before she did any damage, a pair of tentacles grabbed her front hooves before they could come down. She reacted by darting her head forward and attempting to rip the other creatures face off with her pointed teeth.

Rune Stone chuckled as his wife's teeth snapped less than an inch from his nose. "Hi honey. I trust you had a good day my blood spiller?"

The Khornate Pegasus relaxed as her snarl switch to a smile. "Oh Dear. You know you're suppose to announce when you get home." She gave his snout a little lick. "I almost took your handsome head off."

The tentacles lowered and released Scarlet Blooms front legs to the floor. They were attached to a light blue Unicorn stallion with a messy white mane, yellow eyes, and a series of irregular crystal-like growths coming from his horn. His tendrils were attached just above his shoulders and were the same color as his coat with a darker shade of blue along the suckers on the underside. His flank was marked with a cracked stone tablet with a blue mark of Tzeentch upon it.

Rune chuckled at her. "Oh come now dear. As if your barbaric ways could best one such as I."

With their spousal exchange of light insults done, they nuzzled one another and shared a series of smooches as they enjoyed being in each others company. 

Scarlet finally puled back from the affection. "So how was your day?"

"Oh, about the same as always," Rune said, rolling his eyes "maintenance on the Nethalican, indulge Serith on whatever new experiment has caught his attention, and continue trying to gain mastery over the warp. So, pretty dull." He cleared his throat. "Where is our daughter?"

"She's out playing with friends."

"Good. There was something I wanted to talk about with you."

The mare quirked her head. "Oh?" She noticed he actually seemed nervous about something for once.

"Well, as you probably know, our little Rampant Skies is getting to that age where she could earn her cutie mark at any time or perhaps even ready to take a Chaos Mark within a couple of years, should she choose."

Scarlet scowled at him, fairly sure what was coming. "Yes?" She growled.

Rune held his ground. Adamant about having his say. "I want to start showing her what the teachings of Tzeentch have to offer her."

In a split second Scarlet Bloom was scrunched nose to scrunched nose with Rune Stone with a less affectionate snarl on her face. "In case you've forgotten dear, Rampant Skies is a Pegasus! Like me. So if there's anyone she would follow it would be Khorne!"

The stallion didn't even blink and managed to keep a straight face even though his wife was making that furious face he found adorable. He gave an arrogant snort. "Please, Tzeentch isn't so intolerant. Even if he does favor the naturally gifted he is quite willing to take in all who can put in the work. He could even make her an Alicorn if she showed the capability, and I am certain she would."

Scarlet poked a hoof into his chest, shearing off a couple of centimeters of his coat with the attached blade. "Rampant belongs in the skies with me! Soaring free with the wind beneath her wings! Not with her head stuck in the warp!"

Rune finally broke his calm as her gave his wife his own glare. "Oh? Is that another one of those 'truths' that Khornates are known for? Because it certainly sounds like an opinion to me."

That was it, the final straw. Scarlet Bloom leaped at her husband with blades flashing and teeth snapping as Rune Stone retaliated with indigo flashes of magic and attempts to keep her at bay with his tentacles. Magic bolts sparked and bounced off the mare's hide and soon enough she got close enough to draw blood. The melee was short lived and the volume in the kitchen lowered drastically.

Rune Burst lay on his side. Scarlet Bloom was hunched over him with her teeth on the side of his neck with a small gathering of his coat and skin in her mouth. She gently released the flesh, which was fortunately still attached, and began licking up the blood on the minor wound.

The stallion let out  pained sigh. "I'm sorry dear. I knew this would upset you but I did it anyway." His horn glowed as he levitated a home first aid kit from out of one of the cabinets that had been blasted open by a stray magic missile.

She stopped her licking. "I'm sorry too Rune. I really overreacted. I should have been a little more open."

He looked up at her as he acquired a few bandages and patches from the kit, beginning to apply them to himself. "But you're right honey. Rampant Skies probably would join you before me. You've always looked so proud when she flew next to you."

She smiled down at her husband. "Thank you dear." Her face became troubled but thoughtful. "Though, if she really wanted to, I... wouldn't be opposed to her becoming a worshiper of Tzeentch."

The Khorne icon in the window began vibrating in an aggressive manner, getting her attention. "Oh I know my lord. But it is her decision and I need to respect it." The icon slowly settled back down, though still somehow appearing upset.

Rune slowly got back to his feet, his bleeding not quite as bad as it had been. "Thank you dear. But I was being selfish. Our daughter is a wonderful little filly, and I just wanted to think that maybe I could be closer to her as she grew up. My work keeps me away from home so much I'm scared I'll never have enough time with her."

Scarlet only smiled at him again before embracing his neck with her own. "You are such a dear. But you know, I have been having some thoughts of my own lately."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She stepped back to look him in the eye again, this time with a blush on her face. "Well, I've been thinking that with all the life I've helped take from the universe that maybe I've ready to give a little back, again."

The stallions eyes grew wide. "You mean...?"

"I want another foal." She said with a squeak. "And this one may even be a unicorn, if the Blood God is feeling generous and doesn't interfere."

Rune broke out in a smile and leaned in to nuzzle his wife again. "Oh honey, That's wonderful! I think I'm ready to have another too!"

The loving couple smooched cooed at each other some more, enjoying their new decision. 

Meanwhile, an unknown eavesdropper with a pink coat and a lavender mane was pulling back and retreating to her room. Rampant Skies felt like it was safe to leave her parents alone now that she knew they weren't going to kill each other. It seemed like she may even have a new younger sibling on the way sometime soon. She wasn't sure how to feel about that just yet but the thought wasn't unpleasant.

The young foal quietly shut the door to her room and listened as her parents shuffled around the house before entering their own room. When she was sure they weren't going to disturb her she retreated to the far side of her bed and pulled out a small pamphlet she had hidden away. It was a minor curiosity she had picked up, but given the earlier conversation there was a small twinge of guilt at the thought of what her parents might think about the piece of paper in front of her.

She began to read. "The Plague God and you. What Grandfather Nurgle has to offer and what to expect when you join his family."