• Published 17th Jan 2016
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The Empress Returns - iowaforever



Sequel to God Empress of Ponykind: Celestia returns to the Imperium of Man, taking the title of Empress one last time.

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1.07- Histories

Histories

Mattias had not been wrong; the Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor, Markos, had much to ask Celestia once she had arrived aboard the Inquisitor’s cruiser. She had barely enough time to place her armor in a secure spot, just so she did not rely too heavily on her powers to disguise herself, before she found herself escorted to one of the ship’s Interrogation Chambers.

At least they spared Twilight from their questions, she thought.

The Inquisitor had started with some general questions: her name, homeworld, psychic prowess, all questions she could answer easily without divulging her true nature. This did not seem to please the Inquisitor, who had taken young Mattias aside for a private conversation.

Neither of them realized that Celestia could easily eavesdrop on them.

“And you just accepted her demands so easily?” the older one, Markos, hissed.

“I didn’t see why I shouldn’t,” Mattias countered. “She asked for transport to Terra, then she would give up the location of the Emperor.”

“You obviously don’t see that this may be a trap.” Markos continued. “She gives the pretenses of being cooperative, but as soon as she is on Terra who knows what kind of disaster she could bring.”

“The trip to Terra is several months, Lord Markos; we’ll have more than enough time to judge her trustworthiness.”

“No one can be fully trusted, Mattias. This woman has done nothing to convince me that she is the Emperor’s herald.”

“Other than the fact that she is where the prophecy said she would be?”

“The ‘prophecy’ could have meant any multitude of things; we need to maintain calm before taking any major action.” there was a pause. celestia was half tempted to reach further, to touch the minds of her interrogators ever so slightly, but refrained from doing so as Markos continued.

“We shall continue with the interrogation. Keep a closer eye on our ‘guest’.” Celestia was half tempted to roll her eyes. Zealotry like that of the Lord Inquisitor had its places, but it was also adept at clouding the mind in the worst of situations. She straightened up as Lord Markos and Mattias re entered the chamber, Mattias taking a spot along the wall while Markos sat down in front of Celestia.

“Now, I suppose you have taken some more time to think over what I have asked you?”

“I haven’t much else to do,” Celestia replied. “You are in the position of power, after all.” Markos’ remaining eye narrowed, but he remained silent for now. “You still wish for me to give you information on the Emperor?”

“Among other things.” Markos leaned back slightly. “Your student, ‘Tara’, what is her connection to this?”

“She is my student,” Celestia replied. “I have been mentoring her on a variety of topics since she was sanctioned.”

“Then she is a psyker, as are you?” Celestia nodded, and Markos’ eyes narrowed again. “You know that teaching psychic abilities beyond the knowledge of the Administratum is punishable by death.”

“When one stands in the Emperor’s light, the darkness cannot take root.” Celestia leaned back and let a smile spread across her lips. “And you need not worry; the necessary arrangements were taken care of long ago.”

“I see...” Markos steepled his hands before continuing. “What have you taught her?”

“Mental shielding, primarily. With the Warp acting as it has, one needs to make sure their mind is not assaulted.” Celestia paused, before a small smirk crossed her face. “Would you rather I say I taught her how to summon from the Warp? Would that satisfy your distrust for me?”

“I have no time for jokes,” Markos snapped. “I could have you executed for obstructing an Inquisitor’s duties.”

“But you won’t dare lay a finger on me, because you are uncertain about the information I possess.” Markos was silent, allowing Celestia to continue. “So, to your question?”

“Where is the Emperor?”

“That information is not for you to know, Inquisitor.” This appeared to be the last thing Lord Markos wished to hear.

“The safety of the Imperium is at stake, and you would let your pride stand in the way of the Emperor’s return?!”

“I do not see it as my pride that is on trial here, sir.” Celestia leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “I follow my commands, just as you do; to do otherwise would be to defy the Will of the Emperor. So is it pride to follow His commands, or pride to demand that one betray his trust?”

“If you do serve the Emperor,” Markos hissed. “I have humbly served the Imperium all my life. I am no man that would give in to pride so easily.”

“The most prideful of men are those that claim they are so pure as to not be affected by it.” Celestia rested her chin on her knuckles as she continued. “I know full well the type of man you are, Lord Markos. You have served the Imperium faithfully, no doubt, but the years have gone by and what have you received in return? A small thanks and then a command to go elsewhere?”

“You are not one to judge me, witch.” Markos growled, but Celestia could not be stopped.

“As the Emperor’s chosen servant, that gives me plenty of room to judge. The years go by with little reward, and you begin searching. You don’t turn to heresy; no, you’re right that your faith is strong. But you keep searching for some way to endear yourself to the greatest of men, and as your actions grow more and more hollow you search for grander things to make a name for yourself... such as being the man to conduct the Emperor back to His throne.” there was a long pause as Celestia leaned back in her chair. “Am I right in discussing that your motives are not done solely for the better of the Imperium?”

Markos’ glare would have cowed lesser men, but in the eyes of Celestia it was no more threatening than a foal trying to cow their parents. The Inquisitor made no move for a weapon, but the tension in his body would say otherwise. That tension was diffused when Inquisitor Mattias spoke.

“I think we’ve questioned you enough for now, Miss Celeste,” he said, resting a hand on his pistol as if to send a warning to both. “You may return to your quarters.”

“Thank you,” Celestia nodded in respect and rose. “I trust we will have much more to talk about as we near Terra.” With that she turned and left, the guards outside coming to attention as she passed by. Already she could hear the Inquisitors arguing, but decided to pay no mind to it.

Though Mattias seems like a well meaning man... she thought. Perhaps he is one to reach out to. She mulled on this as she wandered through the labyrinth of halls that comprised the cruiser. It was more cramped than she remembered Imperial ships were, but she would get used to that in due time. Fortunately, the Interrogation Chamber was not too isolated, and Celestia managed to find her way back to the rooms she and Twilight would be staying in.

Twilight was lying down on her bed, her knees pulled up into her chest. She was not sleeping, but Celestia could tell that she was tired enough for that to become a possibility. “Twilight?” she asked. “May I come in?”

“Hmm?” Twilight raised her head and blinked a few times. “Oh, Princess. I’m not doing anything.” Celestia nodded, stepping inside and closing the door while Twilight continued. “Shouldn’t you call me ‘Tara’, so the others don’t get suspicious?”

“We’re in private, aren’t we?” Celestia countered. “Inquisitor Mattias has not reached the level of paranoia where he would wiretap every single room on his ship.”

“T-there are people that do that?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure there are,” Celestia sat down on the bed, Twilight scooting up to make room for her. “I had already been entombed within the Throne when the Inquisition came into its own. I used to wonder if I was still active, would I have been able to reign in their more... zealous activities?” Twilight said nothing, instead shuffling a bit to try and find a more comfortable spot.

“It wasn’t always like this,” Celestia leaned back slightly. “There was a time once when Humanity did not have to surrender to fear and paranoia.”

“... Really?” Twilight sat up, eyes wide with wonder. Always eager to learn, aren’t you?

“Yes.” Celestia looked off into space, as if remembering a faded memory. “Most people these days call it the Dark Age of Technology, for so much was lost before the rise of the Imperium. It was sometime in the Nineteenth Millennium, if I recall correctly; humanity had perfected a primitive form of the Warp Drive, and it seemed like nothing was out of their reach. And for many years, they were right.” Celestia gave a small sigh.

“Imagine the splendor of Canterlot, but taken across entire planets, entire star systems. At times it seemed like the cities shined, as if everything was plated in silver. There was none of this cramped space and industrial layout,” Celestia idly rapped a knuckle against the hull of the cruiser. “Everything was designed with both practicality and aesthetic pleasure in mind. No one was left wanting; even the poorest of the poor could live better than the richest of Equestria’s nobles. It was a time of science, reason, understanding,” she looked down at Twilight. “You would have loved it. There were millions of theories and developments during the time; you could have studied for years and still have more to learn.” Twilight’s eyes sparkled briefly, but then her face fell.

“But what happened?” Now it was time for Celestia’s face to fall.

“Many things, much of it dealing with Mankind’s complacency,” Celestia looked away. “In their desire to focus on science and luxury, Humanity had begun to regulate menial tasks to the Men of Iron, artificial intelligences that they had developed during their travels across the galaxy. The Men of Iron acted as day laborers, factory workers... and soldiers. Then one day they rebelled, and humanity was brought to its knees by the very tools they had used to build.” Celestia closed her eyes. “I could have done something... I tried; my interference helped Terra prepare for the onslaught. But even with all my powers, I could not save Humanity... especially from the cataclysm that followed.

“Something shattered the Warp, Twilight,” she looked back to her student. “What, exactly, even I don’t know. Some say it was the birth of a new God of Chaos, others say it was fate, but with the Warp in disarray Humanity was cast like a stone into a raging sea. They were reduced to a petty remnant, and would have fallen if not for my efforts.” she looked around. “And see where that lead me. My arrogance led to betrayal, and now my dream of the Imperium is nothing more than a quaint fairytale.”

“Can’t you fix it?” Twilight asked. “That’s why we’re here; we’ll save them all and you can help them.”

“It takes a little bit more effort to undo ten thousand years of belief.” Celestia sighed. “Believe me, I tried.” a small shiver ran down her back, drawing her briefly to that damned peak once more. Her thoughts were rattled when Twilight gave a loud yawn.

“I guess I’m a bit more tired than I thought,” the younger woman mumbled. “I think I’ll get some sleep.”

“Of course,” Celestia rose, straightening out her robe. “Rest well, Twilight.” Twilight gave a small nod, slipping out of her day clothes just as Celestia closed the door behind her. She stood outside her pupil’s room for several minutes, her hand resting on the metal knob.

“The Light shines above the mare,” a voice whispered. Celestia turned and saw a young, frail looking woman sitting against a nearby wall, head tilted to one side. “It cannot provide too much shelter, for the mare must step out into the eyes of the raven, into the clutches of the darkness.”

“You must be the psyker Mattias spoke of,” Celestia said, crossing and kneeling before the woman. “I can see what he meant with your prophecies.”

“I say all that I see.” the woman mumbled. “The Light sees, but what does she see?” Celestia remained silent, peering at the woman as she rolled her head to one side. Curious, Celestia reached out and placed a hand upon the woman’s cheek, allowing a small bit of her power to pass between them.

“You poor thing,” she whispered. “You have seen much for one so young, and who was there to help you?”

“Mother lost her grip. Father his life.” tears began to well up in the young woman’s eyes. “I can hear the screams, the cries for help, but no one else can hear them. The others, they say they understand, but the don’t! I am a light surrounded by darkness, and I see what is to come, but no one sees one light!” instinct kicked in as the woman burst into tears. Celestia cupped her hand around the girl’s head and pulled her close, tears staining her shoulder.

“It’s okay, child... it’s okay,” she whispered, stroking the young psyker’s back to calm her. “You may feel adrift, but you are not as lost as you think. The darkness may close in, but the light will chase away the dark.”

“No it won’t,” the girl mumbled through Celestia’s shoulder. “It never has.”

“It has now,” Celestia replied. “I will not let you drift, my child. Your light is sheltered beneath me.”

“The shelter will not last,” the girl whispered. “The darkness closes in, and lights will fade.”

“Not if I can stop it...” Celestia said. “Not if I can stop it...”

...

Twilight’s sleep had not been as restful as she had hoped. The bed she had been provided felt more like stone than anything else, but by the time she had gotten used to that her dreams had gone weird. Most had something to do with birds, ravens primarily, and made even less sense than her normal dreams.

I suppose I can always talk with Princess Luna when we get back to Equestria... she mused as she pulled out new clothes for the day. Maybe she can teach me something about Dream Magic. Dressing was getting easier, though even Rarity would be miffed over the amount of straps humans put in their clothing. Once she was certain she was reasonably dressed, she stepped out into the hall and closed the door to her room behind her.

The cruiser was much like the first human ship she had seen, only on a much grander scale. Stepping into one of the main halls felt less like stepping into a ship and more like stepping into a cathedral, like the one where Celestia had received the Elements of Harmony during the Lunar Heresy. The ceiling swept upward in great arches, like the wings of some great bird preparing to take flight. The lighting was a bit dim in places, but candle-like lights lined the arches and pillars, providing enough visibility for Twilight to see and navigate. The entire ship seemed to hum, not just from the mechanisms that drove the ship through the Warp but from... singing. Chants, hymns, praises to a god that Twilight was still trying to understand, all woven in the the very texture of the vessel.

Twilight had never been a religious pony, but the passion that these humans put into their praise intrigued her.

“Lost?” Twilight let out a small yelp and spun in place, spotting Mattias stepping out from under one of the arches. With his dark hair and robes, he had been almost invisible, though now that Twilight saw him approaching she chided herself on not paying attention.

“N-no!” she stammered. “... Well, yes, actually. This ship is rather big...”

“Be fortunate that it wasn’t a Phalanx-class star fortress; I’ve heard the Imperial Fists still find small tribes living in the bowels of that thing.” Twilight’s jaw tightened. There were ships so massive tribes could form in them? “Don’t worry; the Sanguinium Martyres has been in my possession for some time; I’ve gotten quite used to its halls.”

“Oh... good.” Twilight nodded before Mattias continued.

“You look hungry. Come, let me show you where the mess hall is,” he strode past Twilight towards one of the better lit hallways. “It’s not a Fenrisian victory feast, but it’s still pretty good.”

“Oh... thank you.” Twilight fell in step next to the Inquisitor. Occasionally she could cast a glance towards the man, darting away before he noticed her. Or at least she hoped so.

“So tell me, Tara,” he started. “What planet did you say you were from?”

“I... I didn’t say,” Twilight mumbled. “It’s far from here, though. I’m not sure if I’d be able to find it again.”

“I understand.” Mattias nodded. “There are quite a few soldiers of the Imperium whose only ties to their homeworld is the banner they serve under. But it was a nice place to live, though?”

“Oh yes,” Twilight perked up. “It was quiet, peaceful. I lived in this small farming town as a librarian, though so many odd things happened you’d think it was ‘town problem solver’ instead.”

“I guessed you were from an agri-world,” Mattias said. “And I can understand you being a codicer of sorts; you definitely have the bookish look. But I would have thought that a small town would not need a person like that.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Twilight half cried. “Can you imagine what would happen if a town didn’t have a librarian? Nothing would get done, no one would be able to record any information whatsoever; plenty of people would be petrified in perfect pandemonium!” at this, Mattias laughed.

“Quite the alliterative response, no?” he asked. At this, Twilight blushed and looked away.

“I-It happens when I get frustrated... or flustered... or panicked... or-”

“I understand completely. And I mean no disrespect; one of the first lessons I learned when I was taken into the Inquisition was that knowledge is the most powerful and dangerous weapons of all; with it you can create masterpieces to last ages, or destroy entire sectors.”

“That’s... that’s a bit pessimistic.”

“My duty isn’t exactly pleasant.” they walked in silence for a moment before Twilight spoke.

“Mattias, where are you from?” she asked.

“I don’t know, honestly.” Mattias shrugged. “Some shrine world near Deliverance, I think. My parents were members of the priesthood, and I would have followed them had not the Ordo Xenos taken me into their fold as a child.”

“A child? Why?”

“It takes time to train a loyal Inquisitor.” Mattias cast a glance over to Twilight. “I guess it’s a might different from what you’re used to, isn’t it?”

“Well... yes.” Foals usually aren’t kidnapped to discover their special talents, she thought, but decided against saying such things.

“Well, I suppose we can’t all live innocent lives as agri-world codicers,” Mattias sighed. “I suppose I envy you in that regard. The Inquisition does good work, but it is much more dangerous than what your life has been. It’s rare to find innocence among the stars.”

“Oh...” there was a pause before Twilight spoke again. “How long have you been an Inquisitor?”

“Ten years, give or take. Including my training, it’s closer to twenty six years.” he chuckled. “I’ve been fighting or being trained to fight the enemies of the Imperium since before I could read. Some of it has been easy,” Twilight noticed that his left hand twitched slightly. “Some of it hasn’t.”

“I... I see...” Twilight looked away. “Is that why your hand twitches?” there was a pause as Mattias regarded Twilight. She gave a small gasp and shied away. “Sorry, I shouldn’t pry. I-I just saw your hand twitches and thought it might have something to do with... I don’t know. Forget I asked, it was rude.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Mattias countered. “Though your curiosity might lead you to a dangerous spot someday. However, if you really want to know...” Mattias stopped walking for a moment and began to unlace the glove on his left hand. Twilight watched him in silence, one eyebrow raised in anticipation before Mattias finished. Then she gasped.

His left arm, from the elbow down, was made entirely of metal. It still looked like a hand, albeit crude and not streamlined in any way, but with the glove on Twilight had barely noticed. She worked her jaw for a moment, trying to come up with something to say, but for the longest time words failed her.

“What happened to your hand?!” she asked, grabbing Mattias’ arm to inspect it more closely.

“It was not entirely my fault.” he started. “I was... well, it was right before I became a full Inquisitor, so I was in my late teens or so. We were clearing a foundry on Nicodemus of orks that had been tearing up the machinery to build tanks and weapons. I was doing my best to keep the plasma pistol I was using from overheating, but...” he shrugged. “One ork bullet went wide and struck the thing. My arm was vaporized before I even realized what had happened.” Twilight blinked. He probably wasn’t that much older than she was, and yet in that short period he had seen more action and received more injuries than anypony she knew, even her brother.

“I...” she paused, looking back down at Mattias’ hand. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s far more advanced than anything I’ve seen before.” she pulled the hand closer, much to Mattias’ apparent surprise and discomfort. “And it works just like a normal hand, right? I don’t see a power source or external connections, so it’s probably synced to your muscles, tendons, and nerves. The internal connections would probably give most surgeons a few headaches, but then your surgeons are probably much more skilled than the ones I know. Maintenance must be a pain too, especially if you’re always fighting aliens and monsters. But then you’ve probably got some kind of armor or weaponry that can protect your arm better.”

“Uh... Can I have my arm back now?” Mattias asked. There was a long pause before Twilight let go, her cheeks flushing red once again.

“S-sorry,” she stammered. “I like seeing new things...”

“I noticed.” Mattias slid his gloves back on before continuing. “If you are interested, you can speak with Magos Aryll; he knows more about cybernetics and technology than anyone else on this ship.”

“That would be nice.” Twilight gave Mattias a small smile. “Thank you, Mattias.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he said, returning her smile. “Now then, about that meal?”

“Yes, of course.” the two continued on in silence, only casting the occasional glance at one another. Twilight was content with this; talking was all well and good, but silence was not always that bad.

At least now, she felt as though the world was not as dark and foreboding as it had been.

Author's Note:

This chapter felt like a lot of an info dump, but it felt like a good place to start with introducing Celestia and Twilight to Mattias and co.

Likes and comments are much appreciated, and if I screwed something up please let me know.

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