Venerable Dreadnought Stratta, One of the ancients of the Lamenters Space Marine Chapter is lost in the warp due to a warp jump gone wrong. Though Despite what shouldve happened it seems the chaos gods have other plans...
Venerable Dreadnought Stratta, One of the oldest Ancients of the Lamenters Space Marine Chapter is lost in the warp due to a warp jump gone wrong. Though despite what should've happened it seems the chaos gods have other plans...
It was near the end of the 41st millennium. The glorious Space Marines, instruments of his most holy will. His, The Emperor of Mankind's holy avenging angels of death, warriors that cut a swath of mutilation through the battle field in a holy cacophony of divine rage. Dancing upon the bodies of Xenos, Heretics, and Mutants that threaten the Imperium of man in a charnel house of slaughter. It was one chapter, descended, the glorious and revered Blood Angels. The Lamenters, a chapter known for their unfortunate place as the universes and possibly the chaos gods themselves, favored punching bag. Alongside being feared for their seemingly unholy amount of misfortune, the Chapter held the stigma of originating form the Cursed 21st founding.
The 21st founding, infamous for producing an unprecedented amount of traitorous chapters or mutated Monstrosities due to genetic experimentation to such a degree that many imperial organizations outright refuse to work with them, including some fellow Space Marine chapters. It was this that had on many occasions had landed the Lamenters in situations of overwhelming odds. This is the story of one of their warriors.
The Chapter had been on a routine patrol sweep though out the sector. The mighty warp engines had spun up sparking and cracking with otherworldly energies. As deep with in the bowls of the titanic of the Battle Barge Inconsiderable Devastation the hallowed Techmarines of the chapter worked furiously to awaken one of the chapters most ancient and battle-hardened warriors.
The Venerable Dreadnought Stratta Luc'tus was old, incredibly old, even by Dreadnought standards. Having been one of the first Battle-Brothers, of the original one thousand that had been replaced over the millennia by fresh blooded recruits that grew into grizzled veterans, that fell into corpses only to be replaced again. The constant of Stratta remained as he became a pillar of the chapter often being sought out for tactical advice even by senior officers and even the occasional Chapter Master.
The stench of burning incense and low drone of litanies and hymns of repair and awakening filled the room as the Techmarines worked. Sacred oils and polish were worked tirelessly onto the body of the sacred machine housing the Venerable Battle-brother. The Cogitators of the archaic Sarcophagi whirred and thrummed as the equally venerable machine spirit flared to life beeping and squalling as the life support systems brought back the hallowed warrior.
"I wake... Again.." The deep mechanical drone of the warrior's cyberneticaly repaired voice box boomed as mighty Stratta finally woke once more. The Techmarines breathed a sigh of relief at this, each time a dreadnought even half as old as Stratta went to sleep there was no guarantee that they would wake up. "What... Does the chapter will of me?"
The silence that came after stayed heavy in the air for several seconds before the ship was battered and shaken. The hulking behemoth form that was the Venerable Dreadnoughts body, Stratta's famed Assault Cannon 'The Fury of The Angels' was connected to his body through ancient esoteric cables and massive adamantium bolts. On the other side his mighty articulated Power fist, (a rarer more human looking variant) he clamped the five digits together, the machine roaring to life as Stratta went through his routine of attempting each limb of his mechanical body. A small crown was mounted above where his head would be on his carapace. One of the famed, 'Iron Halos'. A personal force field technology able to rob the majority of the energy from an attack be it energy or slug.
The ship shook and groaned more as Stratta spoke. "What is my.. purpose this Awakening?" The senior Techmarine Markellan nodded as the other techmarines set about making sure all the fittings for the ancient's weapons were properly tightened and oiled. "We have come seeking guidance Venerable Stratta, the chapter is soon to set for war agai-" Markellan was cut off as the ships Warp Drives tore a hole in the materium and into the warp, reality recoiling in pain as it was torn asunder. The ship groaned and creaked slightly as its engines propelled it into the hellish dimension.
"Again, Foul xenos in the form of Ork pirates are hunting supply lines in the area, we believe that-" Markellan was quickly short once again as the warp lashed and buffeted the ship. Bolts of hellish energy striking the void shields, bubbles of standard matter and real space keeping the ship safe, of the ship and breaking them in an instant as they had flickered for a mere microsecond.
The ship's monstrously thick armor was crushed, melted, slashed, or in some cases out right atomized while foul deamons and other warp born creatures poured into the ship, flaying alive and annihilating the crew in mere seconds. The walls around the storage bay of Stratta were torn apart exposing the Techmarines to the raw, unbridled power of the warp itself. Mutating them into eldritch abominations of twisted flesh and organic metal that Stratta quickly executed with his massive power fist pulverizing the power armor of the Astartes into a mixture of soft paste and metal dust.
Stratta felt the very room beneath him rumble and groan as it buckled and eventually gave way, being simply torn asunder alongside the rest of the ship, dropping the ancient machine into the very warp itself. Stratta quickly shut his viewing port and prepared himself for death.
Only it didn't come.
Stratta could feel himself drifting in the maddening tides of the warp impossibly unopposed by the horrible deamons that called the living hell home. He could feel his very soul begging to escape, wanting to leave his mortal coil and roam the wastes of the dimension he found himself in. Stratta would not let it. His mechanical body groaned slightly as Stratta was quickly pulled on direction speeding up more and more until it felt as though his metal form would simply me shred apart from the sheer force of it all. Suddenly it simply ceased and Stratta's auspexes noted a soft wind pushing against his hull.
Daring to open his visor Stratta's photo-receptors where blasted with bright light causing them to wildly attempt to focus momentarily. When they had finally settled and focused they brought with them a unique sight. Stone work, like that of ancient Terran cities. It appeared he was in some kind of alley way of some kind. Stratta was no stranger to cities, he had delved into the depths of hive cities, massive man made mountains that reached far above the clouds.
But this city was open to the air and he could clearly see the clouds above him. Perhaps what was stranger was the small black insect like creature resembling the horses of ancient Terra that was pointing a humble spear at him, and shocking him further by speaking in nice, crisp, clear low gothic.
"H-halt!" It spoke, its voice quavering as it pushed the puny spear closer. Stratta almost sighed, he had to commend its bravery... Even if it was insane beyond belief. "By the order of Q-queen Chrysalis, I command you to state your name and busi-" The creature was cut of as a massive crackling power fist smacked it into the wall turning it to a fine green mist. "You do not... Order me xeno.." Stratta grumbled as he walked from the alley to an interesting sight.
A city of luxury on fire. His cogitators whirled informing him that his auspex was picking up other readings in the area around him. Strata stepped out from the alley way the buildings and ground around him shuddering beneath his mighty step. Energy weapons fire peppered his hull, simply ricocheting off of him as he exited into an ongoing fire fight that quickly halted at his presence.
One side, The side he noted of what appeared to be various colored horses, a squad of some twelve to be precise, most with an extra appendage namely horns. Possibly mutations of one form or another, took his disturbance as an opportunity and lay down a blanketing fire upon their enemy. Energy surged through their horns as Stratta realized what they where. Psykers! Combat squads of Psykers!
The revelation simply stunned him, sure the Imperium utilized psykers even occasionally grouping several of them together for various purposes such as navigation and the like. But to do so like this was moronic, even if only using lowest level psykers and to have so many meant that this planets populations must be highly psychically active. Perhaps they were a form of suicide squad? Stratta thought it possible, a last desperate attempt to wipe out their foe?
Stratta simply shook himself from his thoughts as he saw them eyeing him. He gave a mighty booming chuckle as he saw one of the fanciful dressed of them muttering to it's troops. Stratta simply stood there waiting for their move. They couldn't hurt him that much was obvious, even to their minds at least by physical means. He contemplated simply shooting them and ending their lives.
With a start he heard a soft tinking off of his hull. As he turned his mighty assault cannon already revving. Stratta unloading numerous rounds into the bodies of the bug like creatures, shredding them apart in an instant. More and more of the creatures came and more and more of them where evicerated by his rounds. The blaring of his assault cannon filled Stratta with glee. As the barrels became red hot the mighty machine stoped his shooting and charged ahead.
His powerfist crackling with energy while he battered several of his enemys with the barrels of his assault cannon burning and searing flesh before sending them into a wall with a sickening crunch. His mighty fist evaporated the tiny creatures into a fine mist in the air. Strattas underslung flamer burst to life flooding the left over bugs with burning stickey promethium. Screams filled the air as stratta simply turned around and walked away from the decimated force.
He looked towards the largest structure around. A palace of some kind to be sure. With a chuckle he made that his target and marched off. He had only taken but a few steps however when he was forced to stop. An ear piercing screach tore through the sounds of combat the permeated the city. The source was clear, the palace. The shrieking forced the horses form before to the ground screaming in pain along with the voice. Stratta grunted as his ears were filled with the shrill noise and he stared up at the palace before shouting to himself
"By the throne!"
Atop the large castle in the heart of the grand city, a wave of swirling, sickly green energy exploded outward, displacing the very coulds as a bright golden beam shot out into the sky. The explosion decimated the castle Sending debris and burning masonry tumbling into the town below. Quickly the wave of energy crashed upon the helpless town below buildings simply being dozed over by its sheer unbridled weight crashing upon them!
The squad Stratta had been keeping an eye one were simply swept away moments before the building in front of him crumbled. The unyielding tide of ethereal mass slamming into Stratta's carapace. The tide, never ending in its own strength, struggled for but the palest shadow of a moment upon Stratta's mighty bulk. In seconds Stratta was swept away into the rolling tides of the chaos and destruction.
Stratta could feel every inch of his body, both the metal and the biological, groan under the strain as he felt himself being tossed this way and that. In what felt like ages Stratta and in turn the rest of the city was torn from the mountain, sending hundreds of tons of debris hurtling down the slope and crashing into the valley below! Miraculously after precious few minutes stretched out into several life times over, The grizzled veteran felt himself finally come to an uneasy rest.
His mighty form lay back at a slight angle. With a heavy groan in his archaic servos Stratta's mighty form righted itself, all the while his auspexes was blinded by the massive amounts of dust in the air barely able to scan but a handful of meters around him.
'Could've gone... Better' Stratta gave a slight sigh as he tried to wait for the heavy dust cover to clear before he set out trying to find his way to a clear area, and hopefully a way off this rock. As the dust collected upon his yellow hull and his engine's filters tried their best to keep up with the mass intake of particulate. Stratta shuddered at the thought, any future tech adepts he might meet would be rightfully pissed at him for this. That is if he did not rot away on this emperor forsaken rock first.
With a mighty sigh escaping his withered lungs Stratta picked a direction and simply started walking. His steps were slow and purposeful. He was entirely unsure if the ground beneath him was entirely stable and he didn't want to take the chance that it was a ceiling for a ruined building. As he slowly made his way through the seemingly unending debris field Stratta thought to himself slowly. The melancholy tone that preceded his entire chapter was thoroughly at the fore front of his mind influencing his thoughts. Only just now did the unsettling, sorrowful notion strike him.
He was alone
Not just alone but he, was the last of his company. Of the thousands of souls aboard the Inconsiderable Devastation, The mortal crew and servants, as well as his mighty brothers, He was the only one left. Stratta steeled his mind reciting several mantras and litanies in his mind to drown out the deafening cacophony of thoughts that surrounded and bombarded his mind. A solitary pillar of stone amidst a mighty maelstrom. With another sigh Stratta continued his walking while keeping his thoughts at bay.
As Stratta walked the dust began to slowly settle more and more and soon enough, He was able to see the glorious sky above. Clouds floated past seemingly oblivious to the untold destruction and loss of life that lied beneath them. As he looked around Stratta saw the ruined landscape that he was apart of, Twisted and macerated masonry lay in massive heaps around him. The blood stains obvious even when obscured beneath the settled dust.
Occasional pillars of stone, perhaps support pillars or large towers now reduced from their former glory jutted out from the rubble. But everything lied in a piercing silence. Nothing save the very wind rustled about the macabre landscape. Stratta counted his blessings that he was not trapped just to simply rot away, forever a humble enigma in the final moments of the cities demise.
As he stared around more and continued his walking, Stratta noted the sheer distance he had been carried. The city had apparently been founded on the side of a mountain and when it collapsed gravity took hold and sent the rage full rubble careening down the mountain side. As he continued his walking Stratta Increasingly felt a wave of.. He was unsure how to describe it, but it both chilled and warmed his soul at the same time. Spinning his mighty carapace around only to see something that made his mind freeze entirely.
There Standing amongst the rubble was an Astartes, one unlike any he'd ever seen. Wreathed in flickering flames and clad in pitch black armor that eerily sucked the surrounding light into it. Warping the light around it with its very presence the Astartes reached down and picked up a massive section of masonry, an old section of sturdy wall by the looks of it. As the figured effortlessly picked up the masonry they simply reached inside with one hand retrieving a small bundled object. It looked towards Stratta and in an instant was beside him simply showed the bundle to him.
While looking inside Stratta looked up form the bundle to the Astartes then back down several times, shaking his mighty bulk slightly. With what seemed like an annoyed shrug from the Astartes they simply pushed the bundle towards him again. It then wrapped a piece of the cloth around one of the many ornamental decorations that peppered his hull. A piece of spiked trimming beneath a massive 'mostly' decorative sword. From this angle he was able to peer inside with his visor and simply sighed at what he saw.
One of the small horse creatures from before. This one covered in an alabaster color with a pink mane, but that wasn't what drew his gaze. What ultimately drew Stratta's gaze was the way the being glowed. Bathed in golden light Stratta sighed once more running all the possibility in his mind he could think of, and once that was done Stratta looked up and groaned in annoyance as he saw the Astartes completely missing from view.
With yet another heavy sigh Stratta continued his marching on, in hopes to find away off this planet... And perhaps some answers for the bundle he carried.
The dust was falling still, like a macabre snow fall it showered the area in death.
Though it was far thinner than when Stratta began his quiet march across the rubble filled valley, It kept coming down. The layers building up slowly upon his carapace. The bundled filly was still fastened to his form, fast asleep. He shuddered to think what he would do if it woke. Shaking such thoughts aside Stratta continued his slow rumbling march. The silence was almost deafening, or it would be if he had not gotten so used to such things long ago. The only sound was his heavy steps. Echoing off the mountain and the debris around him.
Stratta's mind though enhanced as it was, still liked to wander on occasions. Filling in the familiar destroyed landscape with scattered husks of his fallen brothers, The destroyed wrecks of their mighty war machines. Decimated foes that were slashed, shot, partially atomized, or blown to smithereens! It filled his damaged body and soul with a warmth, A longing for the times when he had a bolter in his now missing arms. A time when he could feel the rush of trail of rounds passing by his head, the mighty roar of his boltgun dealing death to the Emperor's enemies!
The venerable Ancient's mind began to fill in the gaps and reconstruct a particular memory. His tenure as the captain of the 2nd company was not a happy one. The surrounding landscape reminded him of Styrix VII the ill fated hive world, bombarded from orbit by traitors only for his company to arrive and begin evacuation efforts. His mind a blaze of memories as he imagined it all. The dust, The death, The shame. He let out a weary sigh as he recalled the words of his second hand. The company champion Orellius, Orellius the Paragon. "Our work is never done brother, for we bring light to the Emperor's foes and we shield those who cannot shield themselves"
Orellius had died on Styrix VII, Leading a stalwart defense to buy time for a group of civilians to escape to the stars. Several heretical plasma rounds had caught him in the chest and he charged in fury slaying Twelve of the traitor marines before succumbing to his wounds! His command squad fighting like dogs to retrieve his body and taking great casualties to do so. But he was returned to the chapter. Along side his geneseed, that precious Genetic material to create more marines. Styrix was a cursed campaign for the 2nd company and one would not take the title of company champion for another century, even then begrudgingly so, For such was the strength Orellius' memory.
Somedays Stratta wished he had joined his favored brother, Rather than be trapped in this body of metal and Ceramite.
Stratta shook his head, or at least as much as he could given his constraints and continued on his march. Soon his path led him to a steady decline, flanked on both sides by massive mounds of rubble. It was an odd sight. The chaotic fallen debris landing in such a way as to leave a clear path such as this inconceivable. But there it lay. Giving it but the barest of thoughts, Stratta continued down the incline. His pace just as steady as it always was. He grumbled to himself as he looked around with his auspexes. Nothing. No life signs to be seen, save for the bundle and himself of course.
While his great lumbering form continued down the slope he heard a sudden crumbling and Stratta urged his hydraulics to surge forward as fast as they would go! A thunderous crash resounded as a hunk of broken masonry came rushing down upon where he had just been. The resulting crash shaking loose yet further hunks of Stone. Stratta did not stop his thunderous stride as he pushed his metal form to clear the passage!
The passage collapsed with a mighty crash mere moments after he cleared. Threatening to close around him like the maw of a mighty beast clasping around its feeble prey. Only this pray was not so weak, It was not so helpless. Feeling the rubble bounce off his mighty hull Stratta counted his blessings and cursed the universe, quite the standard affair for a Lamenter. Barring a quick glance at the bundled form that was tasked to him the soft golden glow was still there. It seemed the filly inside had not stirred somehow.
Stratta simply counted his blessings again and trudged on wards over a small hill of what appeared to be the remains of a shop of some kind. or at least that was what was at the very surface. Joe's something or other. it did not matter. The remnants of the sign disintegrated into thousands of splinters as one of hiss massive metal feet stamped upon it while he strode. Reaching the very height of the hill his sensors blared to life, contacts from the sky!
In an instant his mighty Assault cannon's barrels spun prepared to fire a hail of rounds into whatever could be attempting to recon his position. The auspexes showed them to be organic, clearly the Xenos of this world were capable of flight, or at least a portion were. Stratta huffed and stared to the sky through his receptors. A mighty blaring of his war horn thundered out across the valley! The contacts were visible now! And with a Weary sigh the mighty cannon slowed back down as Stratta shook his head, mentally at least.
Birds! Damnable birds! Rather large ones granted but still, Birds!
It grated his nerves harshly and he grumbled as he scanned out over the horizon, Spotting a familiar sight to one of his kind at least. A large pillar of smoke rose up from the horizon. He huffed to himself for a moment before focusing back onto the bundle attached to him. He hummed in both a mixture of disgust and wonder, Twisting the sound into a horrid snarl. His engines roared to life as he thundered on in the direction of the smoke. It meant a fire. It meant a sentient. Likely the next closest target of the swarm from earlier.
A good as place as any he supposed to himself.
Night fell as Stratta rumbled into view of the smoldering town. It was in a large valley and from the hill he stood upon Stratta could pick out the smoldering fires that ravaged the town. Having burned through their respective ruins and now were pitifully clinging to existence in little more than glorified fire pits. As flames licked at the burning wreckage a small swarm still hung above the town on occasions darting down into it and scooping up a resident from their cover, their forms disappearing into the swarm like lighting. They reminded Stratta much of the Tyranids in that way. A never-ending, unyielding swarm that could only be killed when utterly destroyed.
He stared on further his sensors sparking out one last remaining building in the entire town that had yet to be brought to ruin. It was a large decently tall building. Seeming to be the town hall with its position being rather central. Stratta hummed in thought once more grumbling to himself as he thought. He sparred a glance at the bundled filly and stopped for a moment.
They had changed color.
What had once been a bright alabaster Coat had turned quite dark, though difficult to tell even in the rather bright moon light. The filly's coat and mane had changed to a dark blue hue. Wait.. No it was still shifting in fact! this ever shimmering mix of dark blue and pale white and.. A bright yellow? No.. A glowing gold! Swirling around each other creating intricate patterns that would them mesh and disperse into one another. Slowly changing each color into one shaded by the other. Each time this happened to the filly glowed briefly. In an instant it's eyes opened nothing but glowing white voids of power as with a sudden spark from the young creatures horn there was a massive blinding flash and a distinct feeling of being pulled!
In an instant Stratta saw and felt his surroundings change! He looked around noting the left over sparkles of light falling to the ground. He whirled around Taking in his new location in an instant, His might assault cannon spinning up to meet any potential threat. Stratta was within the town now, that much was for certain, within a ruined house in fact.
"Wow... your.. well your something"
Stratta whirled around his cannon ready to rain death upon any foe as he came face to face with. A Pegasus? Before him, sitting upon some broken rubble was a grey Pegasus with bright blonde ruffled hair. Her face and body a mess and covered in various scuffs and scratches. Though the most prominent feature was the one slightly off l eye that she had, looking off in some random direction no matter where the mare looked. She cocked her head in confusion as she say the mighty beast of metal before her.
"Can you talk? I really hope so or else this is going to be pretty awkward." The mare sounded quite tired, a sigh escaping her after she finished speaking. She lay back against the ruined wall of the building they were in and looked him up and down with her good eye. "Never seen something quite like you though."
Stratta simply huffed and let his Assault cannon wind down before attempting to get a bearing on his surroundings. "Where am I?" He kept his voice firm but restrained to many unknowns in a situation like this, he needed more information.
"Oh you can talk! Well that makes things a lot more convenient! Try not to be to loud though! That bug swarm is still overhead. As for your question, Your in ponyville. More specifically your in my house... or what's left of it anyways. Not to much is left after the attack, Thankfully I've managed to avoid them though! That or they're taking pity on me like everyone else I guess.. Oh I'm Ditzy by the way!" The somewhat mopey mare spoke with melancholy only jumping back into a more cheery persona at the end of her little rant.
While clearly a Xeno the poor mares state tugged lightly at the bleeding heart strings of the great ancient causing him to let out a weary sigh. He looked over to his charge who was back asleep, looking as if they had not flexed their power and bent the very universe to their whims. It was almost endearing if it wasn't so worrying. The power required for such a teleportation, across such distance and for multiple beings...
Stratta shook his head once more at least as well as able and let his mind run through calculations in the background as he assessed the situation. "Are you the only one left little Ditzy?" He had to find a lead, or if nothing else, a purpose. A safe place for his charge and then a reason to fight. He was a Lamenter, with out a reason to fight he was nothing! Stratta let out a shaky breath as the ancient machinery idly whirled to keep his blood circulating.
"Huh? Oh no goodness no! Thankfully a bunch of unicorns were able to erect a barrier around town hall. I think thats where everypony else is. I.. I wasn't able to get inside in time and had to hide." The poor mare stammered a bit, casting out a look at the utter devastation around her. Her home, Her livelihood, Likely her friends. All reduced to naught but cinders and ash. "What happened in Canterlot do you know? All we saw was the swarm fly in and a massive explosion happened!"
"If you speak of the city upon the mountain there is none who were left alive. None that I encountered at least. Nothing remains but rubble and dust" Stratta boomed somewhat cynically, cataloging the name along side the untold number of other cities he encountered who had suffered the exact same fate. Among the likes of the cities of Styrix and many, many others. Ditzy seem to freeze at the news for a moment before slumping down both eyes for once in agreement to look at the ground below. She merely collapsed in her seat, like a marionet whos strings had been cut.
"Then its hopeless? No Royal Guard, no Princesses? None to save us?" The words were barely choked out from behind tears as the poor mare simply stared and cried not moving beyond haggard breathing. "Who will protect Equestria now? Who will h-help all the poor ponies under attack by the changelings? It.. its all useless isn't it.."
Stratta had a choice to make now, here as if presented to him on an ironic silver platter was a cause, a purpose. A veritable bounty of refugees, an entire nation in desperate need of a cause, And an icon. It was the truest from of his chapters curse, their horrible luck, to ever befall him he thought. Stratta venerable mind looked back over its many centuries of existing, His soul crying out for one last adventure, One last blaze of glory, One last purpose! To find said purpose in protecting xenos the same way he did the citizens of the Imperium almost drew a chuckle from his ancient lungs. A bleeding heart was fitting for his chapter.
Stratta had a choice to make, and so he did.
Ditzy jumped slightly as she felt a finger from the massive metal fist gingerly raise her head up to stare at the strange behemoth of metal. "Not all is lost this day Ditzy Hooves. I am Stratta Invictus and I have a foal I am to protect. I have my weapons and I have my mind. This ancient form still yearns for battle in duty to a cause, and a cause it has found. So long as my body still draws breath, there shall be hope yet! Of that I promise on my honor as a Lamenter, As an Adeptus Astartes!"
Ditzy stared up at the metal behemoth before her, the soft light of the moon showering down through a hole in the roof illuminating the mighty war machine. The silver light of the moon reflected off the various sections of silver or gold trim upon his mighty armored form creating the illusion of ever twinkling and shimmering plates glowing with power and confidence. Ditzy stared upon this form and wept as a warmth exploded in her chest. Hope at last
"Come Ditzy, we have more of your kin to save!"
Shattered Storm panted with sweat pouring of his dark grey coated body, as his mind focused on one single effort. His entire base of magic dedicated along side so many others to maintaining the shield. What few unicorns living in ponyville had banded together as soon as they had been attacked. Pouring their collective magic into a mighty barrier surrounding the town hall protecting all those inside from the swarm outside. The spell was simple out of necessity, there was simply no time for complicated spell circles and interwoven spells into the barrier to aid in its maintenance. It was a solid projection of force and will from all magical beings inside it.
As the unicorn mare's horn next to him began to flicker and fail casting magic they could all feel the barrier shrink, and so could the swarm above. They loomed above like vultures waiting for their prey to die so they could feast. It would not be long now and both sides understood that fact plainly. Shattered storm was on of three others left with enough energy to maintain the spell. Once they were out of magic everypony inside would be virtually defenseless besides what tools they had lying around and even that would do them little good.
The sound of more fizzling and another unicorn slumped to the floor unconscious. Now it was simply he and another old stallion across from him, Haggard Trot if he remembered the old timers name right. An old royal guard that wanted nothing but a quiet life in a calm quiet little town. Not that it had even been that calm and quiet but the point still stood. The stallion had more magic power in him than most from pure training alone. While Shattered Storm was simply born above average. Not to say he had not trained for his power but it came far easily to him then it did for many others.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he saw the ex-guard fizzle out his considerable reserves finally drained of everything he had. The poor old stallion simply flopped over, and Storm was unsure if he was even breathing anymore. The barrier flickered and grew more and more transparent now, barely holding on as Storm poured everything he had into keeping it alive! His focus only broken by a tapping on the outside of the dome, like the sound of rapidly thumping on a plastic tub it reverberated though out the walled of space.
All eyes snapped to its source, revealing the Town clutz Ditzy Hooves standing there a bundle wrapped in cloth around her back and simply tapping away to her hearts content. There was something about the way she carried her self that all noticed however, all those inside barely stood upright wallowing in despair or sadness or grief. Ditzy showed none of these things, her stance upright, confident with her head held high for the words to see and a grind plastered upon her muzzle. Soon the reason for such a smile made itself apparent.
With a resonating blast of a war horn, the heads of all those left alive, Changeling or pony was drawn to the opposite side of the shield that Ditzy came from. Now in view marched a behemoth box of metal and paint, a whirling multi barreled weapon spitting death into the cloud of Changelings above! Like a god of war it marched on tirelessly even as the swarm descended upon the Yellow painted beacon of hope. Even as it was surrounded its horn continued to roar out every few seconds and the deep rumbling of its guns and jets of flame heralded its progress against the swarm. Burnt husks dropped from the skies along side those who had been shredded from the rounds being spit from the death machine.
The crowd of survivors huddled against the nearby windows as they watched the carnage unfold. The great war machine was decimating the swarm, its blows felling a full five of the insects in one go, their magic bolts simply plinking off its armor. It moved with trained precession, taking out their ranged support first with bursts of fire from his weapon systems only to crush any who cam close to him. Those unfortunate lings who thought to climb on top of him were taken by surprise as the beast rushed into a building at full tilt, pulverizing them. Green blood flowed down the street like a twisted river staining the ground as it flowed past.
Several drones were simply turned to paste beneath the great war machines feet or atomized by his mighty hand. Those that were luck were decimated from range, hyper velocity shells removing massive chunks out of heads or tearing off entire limbs at once. The unlucky ones burned, bathed in the horrifying wrath of blazing promethium. It to ran down the streets slowly crawling along like magma after an eruption and setting flame to those unlucky enough to not escape its fury. Some one gasped asking what horrible manner of beast it was only to be answered by a familiar voice.
"He is no beast, he is our savior... I think at least. His name is Stratta and he has promised to help us, isn't that wonderful?"
Shattered Storm whipped his head around as fast as his body would let him only to see Ditzy behind him. How had.. The barrier! His focus had slipped! How could he be so careless how could he... Storm starred at Ditzy weary and unblinking as he then pointed a hoof out the window. "What is that.. What is he? H-how how did he even get here? where..." Storm simply trailed off as he sat on his haunches and sighed. It didn't matter, not any more. Nothing mattered anymore it seemed. His thoughts were interrupted by Ditzy seemingly reading him perfectly.
"It still matters Storm, everything still matters in one way or another. But I don't think now is the time for such questions anyways. They are best left for after we reorganize and get through all this." Ditzy replied calmly staring at their savior with both eyes firmly in agreement about where to look. Storm could tell something was different about her now, not just the hopeful way she carried herself but in her words. That wisdom was not the Ditzy they knew. Storm went to speak only to sputter as he was cut off Ditzy anticipating his words yet again.
"Oh a few things have changed about me Stormy, not everything but enough where it counts." She starred at him, with both eyes as she partially unwrapped the bundle she carried and showed him its contents. A gilded light billowed out from the eyes of a foal, an Alicorn foal. The lighted flooded him with warmth and determination. He stared back at the former town clutz and nodded slowly, He understood, he understood it all now all. The sounds of fighting had dimmed causing him to look back out the window at their savior once more.
And as quickly as the slaughter began it was over. A full half of the swarm, some two hundred changelings lay dead or dying upon the ground. In unison the remaining swarm retreated away revealing to the ponies their savior. Stratta marched up to them and even underneath the green ichor and gore its from was now drenched in, his heraldry, that bleeding heart in front of a checkered background showed proudly the majority of the gore missing the places graced with its image.
"Hear me denizens of Equestria! Your capital has fallen, the Royal Guard decimated, your armies' generals gone, your princesses missing. You may all take this information and weep, you may sit there and do nothing but cry till these vile insects come for you once more... Or you can take the fight to these horrible creatures. You can follow me and liberate the rest of your countrymen and rebuild. Then you may as one take revenge on those who have done this to your fair country and eradicate those who have torn apart your families, your friends, your very way of life! Now what say you citizens of Equestria?"
There was a pause as the booming echo of the great warriors words faded away in the distance. Then as one the remaining citizens of ponyville let loose a cry of war, their rage, their passion fueling their lungs as they shouted as one in unanimous decision. The rallying cry would become known for generations passed down by all those who heard it and echoed those words. The sentiment of the statement become ingrained in the survivors of the Calamity. It would become the war cry of the resistance to be.
