Prologue: The Shadowborne Initiative
Author's Note
Hello everyone!
You don't need to read this bit, but it will give you some info about how Holy Crusade was made, as well as his general skill set.
See ya later!
Prologue: The Shadowborne Initiative
File: SI107
Author: Emperor Hyperion Sombra
Subject: The Shadowborne Initiative: Spartans
Greetings reader,
If you are reading this then you more than likely already know of the more populous lines of Shadowborne, the Centurions and the Gladiators, but most that are newer don't know about the ones who fully went either KIA or MIA 10 years ago, at the climax of the Shadow Wars. I would talk about their feats, but that will come in a later report.
I will be talking on more of the specifics of their creation, as well as a specific case study on 001, since this will be the ten year anniversary of his demise, alongside Nightmare Moon's. This file will be going over the following,
-The Creation of the Spartans
-The abilities of Spartans
-The downfall of the Spartans
-The Final Trial of 001
Read on, dear reader, and revel in the mythos of the greatest warriors to come from the Shadowborne Initiative.
Creation and Building
Spartan creation is rather simple, first you take a core of concentrated darkness, passively created by our citizens, alongside a core of light, from the same source. This would create a stable condition for the extracted soul of a severely injured soldier. They volunteered, because they wished to fight again, I hated it too, but back then we had no other options.
Anyways,then I would relocate the soul to one of the ten bodies we had grown for the Initiative. Our Spartans were physically complete, and would come out of our growth tubes at the mental age of about four, but about as big as a teenager. They learned quickly, and would grow beyond normal soldier in prowess, in fact, they probably out shined even the greatest Sentinels of the time I write this.
They would be trained in all manners of combat, and I would teach them how to tap into their inner light and dark, as I had with my students before the Shadow Wars. This would lead to one of the things that lead to their downfall.
Abilities
Spartans are masters of combat, if it is solid, they can kill a pony with it. They possessed massive strength and speed, enough to match the Cosmic Diarchs, but magical power is where they fell short, even though their caability was well beyond average, it was still not enough to match myself or the Diarchs.
Spartans could tap into their inner light and darkness, allowing them to use several abilities, which are dictated in Dark Magic tomes 1-17 and Light Magic tomes 1-17. They were unable to use mega tier spells at all, but could cast powerful status spells, enhancing themselves and allies, as well as debilitating foes.
Alongside enhanced speed and strength is their greatest combat asset, their mind. Their reaction speeds far surpassed our greatest warriors as well as the abominations created to serve the Diarchy. This allowed them to be excellent in single combat, as well as grand strategy, and they would help in all areas of our war.
Downfall
The Spartans had one great folly, of which I blame myself for. I had ingrained in their heads early that loyalty and honor were above all else, which led to them taking on more missions with less and less personnel to assist. They wished to save as many lives as possible and believed that a life that never touches the battlefield is a life saved. They would fight entire units on their own, engaging the Diarchy's forces in defiance. All ten of them were heroes, saving more lives than I bother to count, and killing many more, but their blood is on my hands I believe, because I made them value our lives over their own, including other soldiers enhanced by the later research of Shadowborne.
001
001, or Holy Crusade as he liked to call himself, was amazing. Even when I first saw him fight, I felt something different, I felt his fury surpass all others I pit against him, even his "brothers" as he liked to call all he fought with. He would move on to turn the tide of the war with his rampage. After the unfortunate demise of 002 (aka Furious Hammer), by the hands of Nightmare Moon, he took up his blade and rallied the remnants of Hammer's forces, alongside a small portion I allowed him to take, on a "crusade" as he called it, to reclaim the "holy lands" of Equestria.
He would slay all Nightmares before him, and push back part of the Diarchy's border defense into Equestria. He would then proceed to battle Nightmare Moon in a duel. What no one expected, was that he would win. In her vanity and bloodlust, Nightmare Moon swore a blood oath not to use magic aside form levitation, which gave the last Spartan just enough of an advantage to somehow push through and defeat her, later dying from his wounds.
Conclusion
This concludes this file on the Spartans, I hope you have found it useful, and educational,
Sincerely,
Sombra
Chapter 1: Spartans Never Die
I stared down the enemy, a mass of fangs and bat wings led by the vile Nightmare Moon herself. I kept a hoof ready to grab my blade as I advanced on my own, calling out to the heretical abominations.
"Nightmare Spawn! Rest your blades, I come bearing a Challenge for your mistress! Nightmare Bitch, you better not hide behind your abominations!" I heard the Nightmare's wicked cackle as she descended.
"You really think you have the grounds to call my children abominations Spartan? When your own origin lies in Necromancy?" She landed as a long sword of magic appeared by her side.
"I am Holy Crusade, I have come to challenge you in combat. A duel to avenge my fallen brothers." I drew my blade as the thestrals and my meager forces retreated to give space.
"Have you come to die just like your little brothers." I did not wish to humor her mocking my deceased brothers with anger, I had enough of that simmering already, instead I surveyed the area I would battle in. The ground was gravelly from megaspells being launched at the territory on both sides, including a brief visit from the disciples of Daybreaker. Not much lasted, however behind Nightmare was some barricades which could serve some use, but probably won't last long.
"Your heresy is stopped here Nightmare, I will be victorious this day." The time has come. The wind kicks dust and I notice that clouds are forming, long since becoming uncontrollable by Pegasi. Looks like we'll be getting some rain. I draw my blade as Nightmare raises a hoof in my direction.
"You Spartans are such sticklers for honor right? How about we make a deal, no offensive magic. I'm not just going to waste the last threat to my rule by using a megaspell." I scoffed, I will make her regret that decision.
"Do as you wish, my blade will slice true just the same." I got into a proper stance, internalizing both my light and dark magic so that I may apply both to gain enhancements when needed. Nightmare got into a stance as well, but it was not as rigid as my own, she seemed calm, as if she were waiting for something. Finally, she lunged, a gentle smile on her face. Her blade clashed with mine, a loud clang resonating through my ears.
"I've been waiting for this, for a being of divine origin to release me and my children from this world, so that we may descend down to our rightful place in the pits!" I pushed the blade off swinging my own Magisteel long sword. The heavy metal clanged loudly against the mana bound blade. Nightmare's smile broke into a feral grin.
“You say my origins lay in the divine as well as necromancy,” I parry another strike, sliding the blade to the side, causing her to fall forward into my knee, which I had moved to strike.
“But I am nothing more than a defender of my people!” Nightmare reeled back, and I lunged. I felt the sudden pain of her blade embedding itself into my side. Time slowed for me, I finally noticed the rain coming down as the small puddles grew and mixed with my blood. I noticed the dark clouds as my blade came down.
Nightmare rolled, but my blade dug deep into her shoulder. The magic blade pulled away from my side and in a flash had forced my blade away. I hopped back from her wild counterswing and I felt raindrops petering down. I jumped back into combat quickly, our blades clashing again and again.
I ignored many wounds, and my magic was beginning to peter out after some time, in fact, I was so focused I didn’t notice the thunderstorm until a loud crash filled my ears. I barely noticed that the night had descended upon us, apparently we had been battling for hours. I began circling, pain finally creeping back in, the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, and the smell of the same substance filled my nose.
I noticed the blood descending from both of us as we circled, as well as the wounds our blades have sustained. Nightmare’s mana blade seemed to be losing steam, flickering in and out of its solid state. My blade had small cracks and a couple chips, but still held its wicked glint. The rain had begun pouring as my legs began feeling weak. We rushed each other again but her blade simply faded and I lost grip on my sharpened steel.
Almost instantly I swung my hoof, socking Nightmare in the chin as I moved to grapple her. We became a ball of hissing fury and striking hooves, trading blows, but eventually I had the upper hoof, being on top of her. I struck down hard until I felt her guard break fully, I felt power fill me as I grabbed her neck and picked her up.
“You truly are worthy, *cough*, Spartan,” Nightmare had once again held a calm smile as I held her bleeding body by her throat.
“You really are the one who was foretold so long ago…” I slammed her into the ground with a feral cry of rage, she was still alive, but couldn’t move. I moved to my sword, which laid in a puddle of our blood, and picked it up.
Raising the blade above my head I stabbed it through Nightmare’s skull, which crunched sickeningly. I stood on my hooves proudly as the rain poured and thunder cracked and lightning screamed. Then I felt all the pain I had built up, and collapsed, my life fading as my head hit the ground.
“Against all the evil Nightmare can conjure, all the wickedness Daybreaker can produce, I will send unto them, only you. Rip and Tear, until it is done.”
I shot awake gasping for air. I wondered who the voice in my mind was, it was hard to tell if it was a stallion or a mare. It seemed obvious enough that it was some kind of opposition to my Emperor’s enemies. Other than that, there was nothing, so I decided to observe where I lay.
It looked like a hospital room by all accounts, I noticed the beeping of a heart monitor and the general whiteness of everything. It smelled of the usual disinfectants, but it also smelled of other things, such as flowers and chocolates.
Then I realized, I should be very much dead. I know that much is certain. Somehow I lived, I know that because I feel the soreness that comes from my field healing.
I continued my analysis, and heard a quiet snore. My head flicked to my right and I saw a mare in a nurse uniform, her dark coat hiding her from my initial observation. My eyes widened as I saw the bat wings and I let out a cry of fury as I lunged, attempting to pin her. My injuries flared and I collapsed writhing in pain.
The thestral shot up, calling out for help, as I struggled to reach for something sharp. My wounds burned just like my ever present fury. Sadly I couldn’t find anything sharp as three ponies tried to pin me down. My weakened state may have slowed me down a bit, but only three ponies wouldn’t be able to stop me.
I snarled, I knew that if they hadn’t killed me, they would soon, I needed to move. I forced myself up and prepared to strike, but then I felt a needle puncture my skin. My limbs weekend as I fell back down. That must have been a sedative.
“Please calm down sir, you’re not in trouble anymore.” I writhed under their combined weight, but my strength had finally failed after all these years.
“What do you want, Nightmare Spawn? Perhaps secrets of the Emperor? Ransom? You will get nothing from me!” My anger fueled my darkness which would help heal, but I have almost nothing, almost like I was given the bare minimum to survive my battle.
“What are you talking about sir? We found you in the valley just outside of town. If you would calm down maybe we can figure out whoever sent you here.” I felt another needle inject into me, and my muscles involuntarily relaxed.
“Until you calm down and tell us what is going on, we will continue to sedate you. So please don’t make us use more than necessary, sedatives are expensive.” I was picked up and set on the bed by magic, I quickly checked my wardens. The one who had been speaking was a red Unicorn stallion. The other two were mares, one a green Earth Pony and another a light blue Pegasus.
The Thestral finally began moving again, and she met my eyes. In those eyes was something I had never seen in a Thestral.
I saw fear.
Author's Note
Hello everyone!
I hope you enjoyed the true first chapter. I'm trying to give Holy Crusade some Space Marine vibes, as well as making him a kind of Doom Slayer character, meaning he does not give a crap about anything in his way.
Up next is the revelation that Crusade is in a new world.
See ya'll later!