> The Freeblade > by axiosriot > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ending the Hunt.pt 1 A Knight Awakens > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tirek laughed manically as he swept his gaze across the land, it was all his to rule and do as he pleased. The ponies had tried to stand against him, one by one each of the four pony species had fallen to his might their magical power being drained to fuel his ascension. Even the Draconequus Discord and four alicorns had fallen to his might and now he stood as ruler of all. Tirek threw is gaze across the vibrant green landscape and reared his head back and laughed again, between his horns a ball of red, orange and yellow energy began to form. Pulsing the orb hung between Tireks horn as he threw his head forward violently, a beam of yellow light shot forth from the orb as Tirek moved his head from left to right arcing the beam across the ground carving it apart and hurling large chunks of earth around. Cutting the beam off Tirek turned his gaze towards Ponyville and cracked a sinister grin. He had already ravaged the town when he and Twilight Sparkle had fought over the power of the alicorns, but the town was still standing and had enough buildings intact for the ponies that called the down home to hide inside. He would have to correct that, before he moved onto decimating Canterlot. Twilight hung her head low as she watched Tirek storm threw Ponyville, destroying what remained of the quaint little hamlet she had come to call home. What could she do now, Tirek had drained her of not just her magic but that of Celestia Luna and Cadence, she was powerless but not alone. Her friends were still with her even without their connection to the elements or even their natural magic they'd find some way to win, to restore harmony to Equestria. It was at moment Twilight's thoughts were interrupted by Discord. "Tirek tricked me into believing that he could offer me something more valuable than friendship. But there is nothing worth more. I see that now. He lied when he said that this medallion was given as a sign of gratitude and loyalty. But when I say that it is a sign of our true friendship, I am telling the truth." Discord spoke his voice full of an unusual calmness and honesty as he removed a golden triangular amulet from around his neck gently placing it around Twilight's. Her eyes widen in realization, this was the final key they needed to unlock the chest of the tree of Harmony. Maybe just maybe that chest would hold something that could stop Tirek. "You think that might be the last one we need?" Applejack asked having come to the same conclusion as Twilight. Twilight stood once again before sprinting towards the cave entrance to the tree of Harmony as she spoke her voice filled with determination. "We have to get to the chest." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dreams had returned again, they forced Tellurus to relive the fiercest battles in every battlefield the solitary knight had been forced to venture to in order to gain vengeance for the destruction of their house at the hands of a Tervigon and its hideous brood. Tellurus remembered entering the throne mechcanicus and how the knight had resisted the link, it had screamed and raged at Tellurus claiming they were not its pilot and were not worthy, but Tellurus had forced the knight into submission and forced the knight to bow and follow their will over its own. Tellurus had hunted the beast across the galaxy from war zone to war zone, each time growing closer to catching the Tervigon. Tellurus had Cornered it on Vondrak, were the beast fought like a cornered rat right up until Tellurus had slain it. though the fight had not left Tellurus unscathed, the wounds Tellurus suffered were so extensive that being removed from the knight was no longer possible as the throne mechcanicus was all that was keeping Tellurus alive. Now no longer able to be parted from the knight, Tellurus reached out to its machine spirit, they needed each other now and would until such a time as they were brought low. The knight saw the logic in this and stopped resisting Tellurus and they become a champion of honor. Tellurus remembered their final dual, they had engaged the hellknights of house Devine during the thirteenth black crusade. Tellurus had valiantly lead the charge against house Devine, Tellurus dueled the knight Seneschal of House Devine in singular combat. Albard Devine and his knight Banelash had put up a tremendous fight, one of rage hatred and uncoordinated strikes for Tellurus this had been a dual unlike any other. Though Tellurus had the advantage in marshal skill and clarity of mind Albard had the god Slaanesh in his side emboldening him with unholy power allowing Albard to fight long past the point that a knight untainted by chaos would have fallen. But in the end Tellurus slew Albard, gutting him like an over stuffed swine, spilling the viscus offal that had replaced the mechanical innards of Banelash across the ground, with its dying binaric voice Banelash's machine spirit blurted its somber thanks to Tellurus for freeing its suffering under Albards control. Tellurus however did not walk away form the dual unscathed, a ruptured primary fuel line, an overloaded ion shield and crippled right leg were the most notable wounds Tellurus's knight had suffered almost left the bonded pair unable to continue the fight. Were it not for the generosity of knight House Cadmus and their Sacristans Tellurus would not have walked again. The moments before they entered stasis replayed over and over again in the mind of Tellurus, they had slept for so long but now the stasis unit they were in was shutting down slowly bringing knight and pilot back to full consciousness and full combat readiness. "Tellurus we are needed" A sober voiced filtered into the near conscious thoughts of Tellurus "Does the Imperium require us to march again? Must we wrench honor back from chaos?" the weary voice of Tellurus respond, still groggy from the long years of stasis sleep "No." The knight paused briefly weighing up the options of what it was about to tell Tellurus. "I have watched the galaxy change in your long years of slumber. The Imperium is no more." For a long time Tellurus did not respond, mulling over what the knight had just revealed. The Imperium had truly fallen? That could not be possible, surely the God-Emperor would have risen and stopped such fate from transpiring. With a shaky voice Tellurus finally responded with a single word. "How?" "That I do not know. All I know is a great cataclysm erupted." A pregnant pause settle as Tellurus waited for the knight to continue. "We are all that remains from before the cataclysm." "Then why are we being raised form stasis!" Tellurus snarled, with a bile filled throat. "Why must we march for that which is not the Imperium!" "Chaos." The single word held everything, Tellurus knew that regardless of what they would be confronted with the threat of Chaos must be dealt with. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight gulped her lips and throat dry with anticipation, together she and her friends had unlocked the ice blue crystal box spawn by the tree of harmony. They had watched as a brilliant white light radiated from inside the box, filtering into a stream of rainbow light striking the tree pealing back the back to reveal a large bipedal creature constructed from an odd metal. Twilight and her friends could only stare in wonder as the metallic creature came into full view, glorious blue armor trimmed with a gentle gold met their view etched with magnificent white iconography of a twin headed eagle and several images of stallion head. Though not of pony Stallions but instead they resembled those of the horses that hailed from Saddle-Arabia. Though bipedal and with a vague resemblance to spike in body structure its arms did not end in two claw like hand but instead ended in what could only be described as weapons. The left hand ended in a long cylindrical barrel with a smaller under slung barrel less then a third of the length , from its design Twilight and her friends made the assumption it was some sort of cannon similar to Pinkie Pies party cannon. Its size however stood out more to them, the larger barrel looked large enough to fit a pony. The weapon on its right arm looked nothing short of barbaric, putting the all size ponies on edge it was large the same length as the barrel yet it resembled a sword with the most horrific difference being three tracks on the inside, each track lined with serrated teeth the outer two tracks the teeth were angled down while the inner track they were angle up. Slowly with a single step the large bipedal beast forced its way out of the tree before stopping, its armored head swinging about taking in its surroundings, the head stopped as it fixed the six ponies under its cold withering gaze. Twilight visibly gulped at the intense measure of its stare, forcing a smile that was far to wise to be natural Twilight began to speak. "Um Hello." She smiles and waves a hoofed hoping for a response, but is met with a cold silence save for the noise of steam hissing from defrosting joints. "I'm..." She gulps nervously "Twilight Sparkle and we... We need your help, an ancient evil from Tatarus name Lord Tirek is laying waste to our world, if hes not stopped there'll be nothi..." Before Twilight can finish speaking the beast before her shudders striding fourth towards the caves exit. Before Twilight can raise any objections or even seek to ask were it is going a deep thunderous booming noise echos. BWWAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The sound rocks the cavern shaking a few rocks loose and the ground to vibrate, the vibrations forcing Twilight and her friends to shield their eyes. After a few second Twilight opens her eyes looking around frantically unable to see the giant metal beast. "Were did it go?!" "I think that was a war horn darling." Rairty offered using her magic to remove some dust that had fallen onto her white coat. "Perhaps our large metallic looking friend went to confront Tirek?" Nodding once Twilight Darts out of the cave waiting for her friends to follow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tellurus strode fourth determination filled both knight and pilot, the small purple equine xenos had spoken of a Lord Tirek. An old name known to Tellurus a once noble knight that had been so corrupted by the sway of the dark gods he and his knight and fully fused into a singular being that drew its power form the energy of others. Tellurus snorted in disgust at the idea such a vile follower of the ruinous powers had survived, but they would not live long. Tellurus would see to that, in the Emperors name, as Tirek came into view. Not waiting to give the vile Lord a chance Tellurus took aim with the battle cannon mounted on the knights left arm and fired, as the shell left the chambers breach Tellurus sent a mind pulse to the chain-blade strapped to the knights right arm revving it up to full speed before letting the knight issue out another thunderous boom of its warhorn. BWWAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As the warhorn died down Tellurus charged. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tirek roared with laughter as he stamped down on the Ponyville school house, he'd not had this much fun in a millennia such destruction and chaos would fuel his return to the service of the four great gods. He'd lay waste to everything on this world and use its death scream to tear open a portal into the warp and return to serving the great four in equal measure, for he was undivided in his loyalty since he turned to the eightfold path. Just as his hooves slammed down on the last vestige that remained of the school house a loud whistling noise echoed threw the air, standing to his full height Tirek glanced around trying to stop the source of such a noise. To his graver misfortune he spotted it to late, for Tirek only spotted the large explosive shell as it slammed into his flank bathing him in fire and shrapnel. shrieking in pain Tirek was launched onto his side slamming hard into the ground, he snarled in rage before puling himself back to his full height. "WHO DARES!" Tirek roars hurling his glance in the direction of the shell, his gaze hardening into one of pure rage as he spots the visage of an imperial knight charging directly toward him. BWWAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its war horn brays again as the knight picks up speed now fully charging towards Tirek. In response Tirek roars in savage anger snorting jets of red hot steam from his nostrils before ducking down low and charging towards the knight his hands tightened into fists and his head low angling his horns towards the knights mid section. .... To be concluded... His eyes