The Templar's Fury

There was something about its eyes that set Twilight off.

They weren’t quite as hard as the creature’s skin, nor as worn and beaten as its armor. Rather, there was something else about them that sent chills of unease down her spine. It was a dragon’s gaze towards a diamond, a robber’s glance towards a purse. It was far from a primal glare of hatred, but came from a place much deeper, colder and calculating than she could even imagine.

In a word, it was a glare of contempt and it terrified her.

The beast was restrained in long loops of magically reinforced chains that had originally been enchanted to restrain massive dragons. Even considering their purpose, the monster had struggled against them greatly, even cracking the magically infused iron of the lower layers before it had given up on escaping.

However, even with its legs and arms restrained beyond a question of a doubt, Twilight still felt uneasy being in its presence. Pushing her fear aside, she formulated yet another question for her interview with the beast. She knew that Celestia had bestowed a great honor on her for allowing her to be the first pony to speak with the creature since its capture, besides the Princess herself of course.

And a creature it was. The beast before her had slaughtered the entire 104th recruit battle group and had committed a horrific massacre against the citizens of Ponyville. Its track record of destruction was unrivaled by all but the most severe threats to Equestria. A desire burned in Twilight’s heart to discover what the captured monster’s motivations possibly could have been.

Before she could speak, the monster spoke to her. “Tell me xenos, do you feel uneasy in my presence?”

Twilight took a few steps back instinctively. “Yes, very much so actually.”

The captured Astartes locked eyes with her and Twilight shivered. “I have devices known as hexagrammic wards embedded in my armor to terrify the psychic essence of witches such as yourself.”

Fascinating, thought Twilight. The beast had some form of technology in its armor capable of projecting fear into the minds of what the creature considered to be ‘xenos’. What civilization had developed such a curiosity?

Her thoughts were interrupted as it spoke again. “Every aspect of my body is a weapon against your intent. Proceed with this interrogation as you will, but do so with knowledge of that, witch.”

Twilight spoke as softly as she could in consideration of her fear. “I don’t want to hurt you and I’m not going to torture you. Nopony wanted to hurt you when you came here.”

She took a moment to think. It was obvious that the creature was very intelligent and not the monstrous, witless brute she had expected from hearing reports of its actions since landing in Equestria. She decided that there had been a misunderstanding of absolutely unfathomable proportions at some point between its arrival and its slaughter of hundreds of ponies. Nothing came to her mind as to what it possibly could have been, but it was up to her to find out.

The Astartes showed no trace of emotion in its face, as per usual. It did not respond to Twilight’s statement and merely gazed catonically into the distance.

A few more moments of awkward silence went by. “So...what are you, exactly?”

“I am the Emperor’s blade and the death of his foes.” It was technically an answer to her question even if it wasn’t the one she wanted.

“I meant, what race do you belong to?”

It spoke with pride booming in its rumbling voice. “I am an Adeptus Astartes, of the human race.”

Twilight felt a little bit more hopeful now that the Astartes was starting to open up to her. “Do you have a name?”

The Astartes closed its eyes and after several tense moments, reopened them. “To you, I am death.”

Twilight’s mane erupted in goosebumps. From any other creature, the remark would have been an almost childish threat, but something about the beast before her was simply off in a way that made her want to curl up into a ball.

Not to mention its actions before being captured.

Pushing her fear aside, she continued. “Okay, death, since that’s what you want me to call you apparently.” She cocked her head to the side. “Are you working for somepony-I mean, somebody? What exactly are you, even?”

“I am His blade and the death of His foes. I am an Adeptus Astartes, the pride of the human race.” Death spoke its response rapidly with no pauses and no emotion.

She looked up into the monster’s face, words failing her. It was strangely devoid of any hair or fur, whether by its biological nature or some kind of modification she was uncertain. Deep, aged wrinkles lined its face and uncountable scars lay within its flesh. Its fresh wounds from electrocution were the most prominent. Its lips were drawn into a perpetual, judgemental frown and she had no words for the utter hate that radiated from its gaze.

It truly was a warrior, she had no doubt of that fact. Even if its deeds before its capture weren’t enough to demonstrate that, the creature was bound into a suit of gigantic, black armor as tattered and worn as its wearer. She knew from her own experiences the effects of indoctrination on soldiers in a war, and this one had been fighting for Celestia knew how long.

The armor on the outside was a pale reflection of the one it wore within, she realized with a start.

“I just want to know...why...” She tried to keep the trembling out of her speech, yet it crept in regardless.

“Why I killed so many?” said the Astartes in its cold, monotonous inflection.

Twilight began to speak, but the words caught in her throat as she remembered.

Remembered the blood, remembered the gore. Remembered the limbs torn into pieces, the fragments of skulls strewn about like autumn leaves. Remembered the blood soaked craters in the ground where innocent ponies once stood. Remembered the thick, ashy columns of smoke that poured from the ruins of Ponyville on that cursed, disgusting day when it arrived.

She bit her lip and tried to hold the tears back, but they came out anyways. “Why did you hurt them? What did they do to you?”

For the first time since their conversation had began, Death changed its facial expression as its lips curled into a tight sneer. “They existed and they were xenos. What other reason is there? And they were weak, regardless.”

Twilight looked up into the face of the Astartes once more. Her brow was furrowed downwards in anger, hot bolts of rage forcing her legs into a steady trembling. Once again, she tried to speak, but could only grind her teeth in anger. She closed her eyes and turned her head away as sobs swept through her body.

Death shrugged as well as it could through its restraints. “It was an enjoyable slaughter, I’ll admit, watching their bodies pop and explode under my bolter’s fire-”

Twilight shrieked and slapped the Astartes in the face over and over again, pounding its head with her hooves until she could no longer move and sank to the floor in exhaustion.

Death laughed. It started as a chuckle from deep in its throat and worked its way up into a full blown, haughty fit of laughter that heaved its chest and brought a smile to its face.

“Xenos weakling, you do not know what I have experienced. During my times in war, I have been scorched by foul magics of the Warp. I have been assaulted by dozens of thick, muscled Orks at a single time, and have felt the bite of their crude axes in my flesh. I have lived through the rending claws of Genestealer hordes and the acidic sting of their blood. My bones have stood strong under the impacts of heavy caliber autoguns and the fiery imprints of heavy lasgun fire.”

The Astartes laughed once more before speaking. “But for all I have experienced in the maelstrom of combat, that is the most PATHETIC blow that has ever been delivered against me! You are a weakling as sure as any.”

“You killed children.” spat Twilight. “The smallest you killed weren’t even the size of your boots.” Her anger felt like a volcano that threatened to erupt and she fought to contain it.

Death offered no response and simply stared her down.

“And...you hurt my friend, too.” Tears trickled their way down Twilight’s face as her anger turned to sadness. “She loved flying more than anything. And because of you, she’ll never fly again. You may not have killed her, but you took that from her.” Twilight paused for a moment to sniffle. “Even if that was the only thing you did, I would never forgive you for it.”

“She was a competent warrior, possibly the only one your kind has.” snappily retorted the Astartes. “The fact that she was able to disable me was unexpected and impressive.”

“Killing people doesn’t make you a warrior,” spat Twilight, her voice infused with livid rage. “Even the weakest ponies you killed were warriors in their own ways.”

The Astartes said nothing and stared her down with his blazing glare of pony hate. Twilight readied herself to speak with it again, but suddenly the beast began to convulse.

Then it began to speak with such force and anger that Twilight could barely discern the meaning of its speech. After a brief and terrifying moment it sank motionlessly into its chains and ceased to move.

Twilight wordlessly walked out of the chamber as she shook with grief and anger.

**********

She found Celestia standing on a balcony nearby, overlooking the vastness of Canterlot. As she approached, the alicorn turned around to face her.

“I see that you’ve been crying.” Celestia gently laid a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “It’s a cruel, insidious creature, I know.”

“Those are two words for it.” muttered Twilight.

“It’s important for you to understand the true nature of its intent.” said Celestia.

“I just wish it had never come here.” Twilight was taken aback at the bitterness she felt in her words.

“You’re not the only pony to feel hurt because of its actions. But we have to understand it, in order to fight threats like it better in the future, should another one arise.” Her words were a calming wave that brushed away the storm in Twilight’s mind.

Twilight looked up into her face. “How?”

Celestia solemnly bowed her head and spoke in a low, steady voice. “I know of a way, to penetrate the inner recesses of its mind and discover its true self. But it is a dangerous magical undertaking, one that even you are not ready to handle. It is something I must do on my own.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Celestia. “While I do this, I trust you with the realm of Equestria.” Her horn glowed to produce a scroll sealed with a blob of golden wax. “While I’m gone, if any pressing matters require my action, this scroll gives you the authority to act in my name, legally and politically. Take very good care of it.”

Twilight took the scroll from her, concern and worry twisting into her face. “Celestia, what are you going to-”

Celestia wordlessly turned around towards the chamber where the Astartes was imprisoned and began to walk.

“How long will it-” yelped Twilight.

She turned around to Twilight once more. “I do not know.”

Before Twilight could ask another question, Celestia entered the recesses of the chamber.

**********

Celestia stood in front of the Astartes, the alien murderer of her people.

Was that fear she could see in the eyes of the beast? For the first time, it seemed to have been struck by uncertainty. It subtly writhed in its chains and Celestia could feel the desire to escape emanating from it. Stronger than that was its desire to commit violence against her.

“What plans do you have for me now, witch?” it uttered in its rumbling, deep voice.

“I have to understand.” stated Celestia plainly. “And since your words reveal nothing, I will try something else. Something that even you cannot resist.”

The Astartes grinned defiantly. “Finally, the torture comes. I have awaited it since my imprisonment.”

Celestia stared down the Astartes, her purple eyes sparkling with the little light that shone into the chamber. The time for words had long since departed. With that fact in mind, her horn began to glow with the start of a spell.

The Astartes writhed and screamed, as if being in the mere presence of magic was contrary to the essence of its being. In its armor, geometric patterns began to emerge and spin above its surface. They shattered into fragments of light and dispersed into nothingness.

“The wards are broken.” uttered Celestia in words barely louder than a whisper. “And now, what you hide will be revealed to me.”

The Astartes silently watched her with wide eyes brimming with trepidation. As it watched, long strands of magic weaved out of Celestia’s horn. They coalesced into the shining, golden image of an alicorn that hovered over Celestia’s body. The Astartes gave frantic praises to the Emperor as the magic wrapped its way around his body and the light entered him. Both his and Celestia’s body fell limp as the spell worked its way through them.

**********

She had never known a feeling of rage such as this.

Celestia balked at the mental storm before her. She floated as an ethereal ghost within the chambers of the Astartes mind, a satellite encircling a gigantic storm of utter fury that writhed in the soul of the beast. At once she understood the massacres it had committed against her people; if she had been struck by a force of rage such as this, she would have done the same thing.

The maelstrom of energies before her began to condense and she found herself in the center of a massive courtyard. The sky above was a piercing blue studded with the occasional cloud. Before her was a massive statue of iron. The statue was of a creature in a hooded cloak, dressed in a huge suit of armor. At the base of the statue read the words The Emperor, our Lord and Savior.

For all the anger the creature had, she sensed something that she would never imagine the creature to be able to feel. It was pure, utter, unadulterated love towards its mysterious Emperor. Suddenly, the love she felt towards her own subjects felt like a fleeting emotion in comparison. Even in sensing the love which the Astartes felt towards the Emperor, she felt inspired to fight for the Emperor for a brief second before her own willpower crushed the thought.

Yet even as she beheld the statue, the sky above darkened into a fiery red.

A storm of horrors poured forth from it; gigantic beasts for which she had no name. There were large, muscled creatures with dark green skin and scuttling bugs that stood as tall and as large as castles. Bizarre skeletons with black bones buzzing with green electrical currents clambered from the ground and many horrors besides these were visible to her.

Within the storm, she could see caricatures of her own subjects. They were without doubt ponies, but their mouths were full of fangs. The remains of newborn children hung off of their bodies and they charged with the rest of the horde towards the iron statue.

Suddenly, Celestia became aware of a presence behind her. She turned to see the Astartes, his face lined with a grim seriousness.

His mouth opened to bellow a war cry:

“FOR THE EMPEROR!”

The Astartes threw himself into the storm. As he fought, the monsters withered and died below his blows. Great wounds were delivered into his flesh, yet he fought on through his ghastly injuries. The green, muscled beasts died under his blows, the bones of the electric skeletons cracking and dying as he fought. Even the ponies were ripped into shreds by the hands of the Astartes.

Yet no matter how hard it fought, the iron statue of the Emperor began to shed chunks of metal under the assault. For all the might of the Astartes, it could barely stem the tide of horror flooding towards the iron statue.

Is this the inside of its mind? pondered Celestia.

She suddenly acquired the why she had been searching for.

It was brainwashed so thoroughly that it saw nothing but threats around it. From every corner of its mind was this strange sense of paranoia towards everything, all in the name of protecting its Emperor from the evil terrors assaulting it. The mere concept of acknowledging something not of its race as anything less than a mortal threat to the survival of the Emperor was impossible for this creature.

Celestia briefly entertained the notion of attempting to show the beast that not everything was a threat, but quickly dismissed it. For all that it had done, there were few beings on the surface of the planet that would accept it, and she had no faith in her own ability to sway the creature’s mind. She sighed. Given this level of brainwashing, eternal rest was the only remaining option for the creature.

Before she could ready herself to exit the creature’s mind, it turned towards her. It was the raw essence of its willpower manifest before her as a psychic ghost, she realized. The will of the Astartes was a fire to which she was a mere ember in comparison. She pushed back with all of her psychic might, but the willpower of the beast was so great that her defenses crumpled and collapsed under the assault. Her lips moved to utter a warning to it, but before she could do so, she felt her psychic tether to her own body snap.

She had only one chance to regain her physical form and she threw herself at it with all her might. Rapidly casting a spell from the essence of her soul, she attacked Dionnis's tether to his own body, severing it as well. When that process had completed, she felt the mind of the Astartes falter as it filled with an utter uncertainty. They fought for a moment in the void before she managed to dispel the presence of the Astartes. There was a desperate moment of scrambling as she tried to find a physical form to connect to; in a moment, she fixated onto the nearest one and her perception of the psychic plane faded as she returned to the physical plane.

When she awoke, she found herself standing before the beast again.

She looked at the raging creature, struggling as it was in its mighty bonds.

With a spell from her horn, she sent it into a deep slumber and left the chamber to never return again.

*end*