The Conversation
The day after her observations, Twilight prepared a similar set of spells she had used before. This time, there was a greater focus on defenses and communication. Simply viewing the images in his head was not enough for full comprehension, and it did not help her understand him as an individual that well.
She wanted, needed, to talk to him.
So this session would be a foray into that. She knew it was dangerous. Mental spells connect the caster to the subject, meaning even one without magic or telepathy could use the link. And a being with such a strong will and nimble mind could exploit that to devastating effect. Thus the mental barriers. It prevented her from seeing his mind like before, but allowed them to communicate. She just hoped he wanted to.
As she cast the spells, she realized he was even sharper than she anticipated.
His mind recognized her presence the moment the connection solidified.
He stood in that same void again. But this time, he recognized a presence there. He recognized it from his first encounter on this world.
He turned to face her. Equine, shy of two meters tall. Unusual features, including a conical horn protruding from the forehead and two wings. Indications of psyker abilities or similar phenomenon. But what struck him the most, even in this false reality, was her eyes.
They were so intelligent, curious. There was fear there too, but that was to be expected.
No words were exchanged. She ruffled feathers as her thoughts reached out to him. He was shocked to find her mind quite similar to his own. She did not even attempt to communicate using language, instead transcending such limitations through their link and instead presenting raw ideas to him.
She was of the ruling caste, and barring any harm he brought her domain, he was as welcome as anypony else.
Anypony? Really?
She recoiled as his dominating presence flashed his status to her. Warrior. Astartes. Thousand Son. He would brook no trespass.
She composed herself before presenting her intent. Peace. Understanding. Friendship.
Friendship?
He cast his desire for answers out to her, and was surprised with forthright response. Concepts merged with his understanding to form words.
Identity. The time between day and night. The effect of light on diffracting objects.
Name. Twilight Sparkle.
Curious, he projected the sensation of being lost and searching for a path. Her imagined muzzle scrunched up as she considered the best way to reply this information. If it was not an affront to all he had been taught, it would have struck him as cute.
She finally passed what information she could, this time as images. A map of the land, with forests and mountains, deserts and the arctic north. An alabaster equine of the same phenotype as “Twilight,” but larger and more regal. A midnight blue one, with the added impression of relation. Sibling. Sisters, the sun and moon. Then a pink one, of all things, and the concept of love. Truly bizarre.
Then came races of equines with fewer traits, creatures of ancient Terran lore. He recognized unicorns and pegasi, and conveyed his recognition and sent the impression of myth and legend. That received a quirked eyebrow.
Then the exchange began in earnest. Had his mind not been conditioned long ago to process information at the speed needed to survive on a battlefield and demanded in the libraries of Tizca, he would have been overwhelmed by the curiosity that exploded into the void between them and all the attached concepts. He responded quickly, tagging irritation onto each response. Eventually, she took the hint and stopped, a blush presenting itself on her ephemeral form before she could quash the thought.
He had learned much. It was a world so far removed from the galaxy he knew, and with the knowledge she had provided him, he was beginning to come to some conclusions.
Finally, he implied his curiosity to her with the thought of stars and constellations. She immediately provided him a mental map of the sky so detailed he wondered if she did not have recall more perfect than even an Astartes. The void between them was empty as his mind processed what he had acquired.
None of the stars matched up with anything he was familiar with. Constellations he had studied as a novitiate on Prospero did not exist wherever he was. He suddenly felt alone, something he had never been concerned about before.
He then recalled his mentor’s last words to him.
Be free.
As Twilight severed the connection, she looked upon the armor with newfound awe. His presence was incredible, a solid sea of disciplined mental fortitude. But what most excited her was that he was not some two-dimensional thug.
He was a scholar, or had been at one time, with a voracious appetite for knowledge. This commonality would be the perfect bridge between them. She could study all manner of unfamiliar skills, races, locations… the possibilities of it all!
She gazed up at his form, and for the first time noticed that the lenses of his helm glowed more intensely, and that it now tracked her activities. It was, however, the only movement he made. Intrigued, she moved around behind him. He turned to face her, but otherwise remained in place.
She scratched her chin idly with a hoof before approaching the spell circle she had crafted and disabling the binding enchantments. When he did not move, she gave a “come here” gesture. After a moment, he took two thudding steps, his massive stride easily closing the distance between them.
She immediately lifted a hoof to still the guards, as they had begun to move from their stations to intercept. Observing that the strange armor made no move to harm the princess, they once again resumed their vigil. As she beckoned the armor to follow her from the study, the guards formed a moving perimeter around the two.
As they walked, Twilight tested… I didn’t actually get his name… the warrior’s lucidity as they walked. Pointing out bits of architecture and some examples of her spellcraft as they walked. Nothing evoked any reaction from him, though he continued to track her activity. She frowned at this.
In her analysis, she had determined that whatever had bound his existence to the armor had dulled his consciousness. His endless existence cost him the physical brain that made processing the world straightforward.
However, comparing what she had observed today with her previous notes indicated that what she had concluded to be his soul, for lack of a better descriptor, coalesced further each time she interacted with him via magic. The sorcery laced through his armor seemed to be merging with the energies of her magic, and possibly the ambient magic of Equestria. It was a topic for discussion she was eager to cover with him after she had rested. Mind magic of the level she had employed was rather taxing on the user.
She determined to research a simpler spell for basic communication come morning. It would be nice to be able to simply chat as they wandered. Eventually, they returned to the study and she gestured as best as she could for him to stay in place. She turned to leave, and had just left the room and started down the hall when she heard his heavy tread behind her. Guards had followed him and now stood barring his path out of the study.
Curious, she trotted back to him and looked up into his imposing visor, showing far less trepidation than the guards, who were in fighting stances. They shot her glances, waiting for her command.
The warrior lifted a segmented armor finger and pointed at his breastplate, then to one of the guards before him, then balled his hand into a fist and beat it loudly on his chest. He thought the guards would attack him? No, he had not shown any concern for that.
When she simply gave him a confused tilt of the head and raised eyebrow, he stood for a few moments before repeating the fist-to-chest and kneeling before her. It was a salute. She blinked as she revisited his previous gesture. Pointed at the guard, then himself…
She was a little shocked as the logic finally clicked. He wanted to be a guard. Her guard.
She actually laughed at this ludicrous turn of events. However, she recovered herself before the perplexed gaze of her guards could linger too long and straightened her stance before giving a curt nod directed at the armor. With that, it stood, then positioned itself to the side of the study door and remained still.
Her guards, now thoroughly confused, she dismissed with assurances that the armor would not be a problem. They remained reluctant to cease their watch, but when they were told to simply set a rotation of guards outside her chambers, they acquiesced. She then proceeded to her chambers, groomed, and laid down to sleep.
She had a busy day planned.
In the Everfree, within the Castle of the Two Sisters, where the final battle against Nightmare Moon had been fought, dark energy lingered. It was but a pale echo of the Nightmare that had once fueled rebellion, but the presence of unfamiliar and utterly alien energy gave it new life. Equestria had passed through the point in space where the warp rift had occurred, and as it did, residual echoes of the empyrean resonated with the sinister power there.
None were present to hear the wet, throaty chuckle that whispered through the ruins that night.
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A side project that just kind of hit me while I was in a slump. Not complete yet, but I figured I'd establish a solid start before getting back to Edgewood.
This is really, really good.
Can't wait for more!
Thanks! Don't know when I'll get back to it, but considering how much I like how this is going, I definitely wont leave this one for terribly long
this is really awesome so far i can't wait to read more. I remember reading the fanfic that inspired this it was a very happy but sad fanfic
Wow.
Simply... wow. Hook, line and sinker in one go. Im normaly not a fan of anything Tzeentch related but you succeded in catching my attention. Really looking foreward for future chapters.
Interesting concept. I'm intrigued as to how you can tell a conversation without any dialogue. I think it was brilliantly done and the pacing seems good.
That's not good.
And a piece of Nightmare Moon still lingers.
I do so hope you continue this.
Not gonna lie, I want to know what the hell is on that guy's head.
4653861
This is pretty much what Twilight has found.
http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Rubric_Marines
This is becoming an interesting tale. Most of the time it's the full mane six that have found the 40K visitor(s) but it's kind of cool to see Twilight having some neat one-on-one interaction.
Looking forward to the updates.
4650299 Thanks! I was trying a new writing style for this story, focusing much less on dialogue and more on narration, and I like the way it turned out
4653033 Pacing has been a real challenge for me to nail down, so the feedback is awesome
With all the positive attention this story is getting I'd be a terrible author to leave it neglected!
So far so good! I've really liked the way the story has gone so far! It's not done yet, so I'll reserve myself for now. Depends on if a pony gets hurt and how much. Good for now though!
Just.
As.
Planned.
Pretty good fic. I've always imagined that twilight would get along with a follower of Tzeentch. Being an hybridized pony aka an "Alicorn", a powerful magic user and a seeker of knowledge.
Something is bugging me.
"Just shy of two meters" what was the reason to make twilight about six and a half feet tall?
Whatever happens don't tell Magnus. Or else the greatest nerd in the 41st Millennium (Yes beating out Tzeench and Trazyn the Infinite) MIGHT ACTUALLY FUCKING DO SOMETHING!!!
4826039 Well...typicall, it seems the norm to make ponies either man-sized or waist-high to a man.
Astartes are typically around 8 feet tall, and Chaos Warriors, at least in Abnett's descriptions, are regularly called "giants"; Chaos has caused them to grow to around 10 feet in some cases, and the Daemon Princes are even larger than that.
Even if this Chaos Astartes was the established 8 foot minimum, then he would completely dwarf a pony of less than 6 feet in height.
This way we can garner some sense of "normal" (for a given value of "normal) interaction between Equine and Marine without having to go to extremes, as the case would be with a waist-high (3 feet tall or so) pony and an 8 foot tall warrior.
Hmm... Wonder what that being is...
Oh, I cannot wait until he is fully conscious. THis is very well written!