Aries shakingly rose to his feet, staring at Sunset Shimmer's still form. She had grown calmer, but was still very much afraid...Aries understood that much.

What he didn't understand is why he was able to feel her fear as his own. Even as a mortal, he refused to believe that he would ever run away from a fight, least of all panic. And his fear had spiked not when the Daemons attacked him, but when Sunset Shimmer believed that they were attacking her.

And her shield, it had destroyed a Daemon outright. It made sense when Aries remembered that the Ponies were Daemons themselves, manifestations of the Spirit of Harmony: Chaosbane.

Perhaps Sunset Shimmer had grown calmer because she realized that attacking her meant death to the Neverborn. In which case, he could possibly reach her...he could save her.

Aries reached for the girl again, the stunted Warp Eater ready for combat, when he was suddenly bombarded by an entirely different set of emotions.

Fear. Anger. Betrayal. And an overabundance of duty and devotion. Aries felt as if he were back on Istvaan III fighting his treacherous brothers once more. At least, he felt such mentally. Physically, he felt as if something had just grabbed him and dragged him out the open window in Sunset's room before dropping him not in the garden below but the pavement beside it.

Aries landed on his shoulder. It didn't break, but it definitely hurt. He rolled over and stood, a whooshing sound drawing his eyes to face his attacker: the human Rainbow Dash.

The young girl's magenta eyes burned with rage, and Aries realized that she had taken Warp Eater from him and held it in a trembling hand. "I don't care if Sindri is possessing her. Anyone tries to hurt my friends...I'll pound them into the dirt."

"I-" Aries wasn't given the chance to speak. The next thing he knew, he was on his back with Rainbow Dash on top of him pressing Warp Eater into his neck. "Give me one reason. Just one why letting you go is a good idea. Tell me you won't try again! Tell me that if I let you up, you won't make a beeline to Sunset's room and finish her off! TELL ME!!!"

Aries stared into her eyes. Once more, he felt her emotions as his own. The fear of losing someone precious to her. The determination to protect them at all cost. The anger that someone she considered a friend would try to take her loved one away.

Despite himself, Aries chuckled at the last one. "You've known I existed for less than a day, we've never interacted personally, and still you think of me as a friend?"

Rainbow Dash blinked. "What!?"

"When I tried to end Sunset Shimmer's life, something occurred. I could feel her emotions as if they were my own, just as I feel yours now, and I could see her soul in the Warp. The Daemons dare not touch her, her magic is anathema to them." Aries explained.

The fear and hate in Rainbow Dash's eyes faded and she stopped applying pressure to the blade on the War Hound's neck. "...She...she's okay...b-but how could you use her geode? I tried to let Pony me use mine and it did zilch."

"I do not know what this 'geode' is, but as long as I can use it's power to save Sunset Shimmer's soul from the Neverborn, then I don't care." Aries stated.

"Yeah, that's fair...sorry for assuming that you were just going to kill her." Rainbow Dash apologized.

"That was my intent, but now that I have a way to save her, I plan to do so." Aries clarified.

"Oh...yeah, shoulda guessed." Rainbow Dash lamented, clearly uncertain how to respond.

"...Would you mind getting off. I have been plagued by hormones since my transformation and your buttocks is uncomfortably close to-" Aries was suddenly sprawled out on the floor in Sunset's room with Rainbow Dash standing a fair distance away from him with an immense blush on her face. "Just focus on helping Sunset and don't ever mention that to anyone!"

Aries nodded his agreement and rose to his feet. "I will need my sword to face the Neverborn."

Rainbow Dash looked between him and the sword in her hands. Even though he could no longer feel her emotions, the mistrust was plain to see.

"I lack the speed of an Astartes and even if I didn't, you are still faster than me. And I give you my word that I will not kill your friend." Aries stated as he held out his hand.

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, but ultimately decided to trust him and gave Aries his weapon.

Aries returned to Sunset Shimmer's side and placed an open palm onto her forehead. The surge of emotions wasn't as bad as it was before. Not only because Aries expected it, but because the emotions themselves were growing calmer.

Aries hit the ground feet first, he did not stumble this time.

Sunset Shimmer retained her shield, the Daemons circled her like vultures, but none dared to attack. The Unicorn was still scared of them, but knowing that she could protect herself had made her bolder.

"Sunset Shimmer!" Aries called out only for a thunderclap to drown him out once more.

Aries brought up Warp Eater, the sword returned to its true glory, and ignited the power field. There would be no running this time.

Aries stepped forth. The Daemons surged, startling Sunset. But this time, her fear was not panicked. She did not seek to flee, but to defend herself. And this caused her fear to spur Aries onward.

"FOR THE EMPEROR!!!" At last, Sunset heard his voice and traced the swarm of Neverborn to their quarry. Aries charged the swarm and struck like a thunderhammer. Warp Eater dissipated every Daemon it touched as the War Hound's fist and feet added to the carnage.

Shock. Astonishment. Hope. These emotions did not sway Sunset's fear, but Aries found them an odd, but pleasant sensation.

Aries cut through the swarm with minimal damage to his armor. He charged straight for Sunset's shield with the surviving Neverborn hot on his heels.

The War Hound commando rolled into Sunset's shield, passing right through, and smiled at the shrieks of agony as the Neverborn crashed into the fatal barrier.

Sunset kept her eyes on the Neverborn. The slower Daemons diverted away from the shield, but were now far more agitated.

Her eyes drifted towards the kneeling War Hound as Aries rose to his full height and turned to her. "I am here to wake you."

Sunset examined him while keeping an eye on the Great Enemy. "You...You're Aries, aren't you. The one Twilight told me about?"

"Yes, I am Aries of the War Hounds Legion. By request of the Spirit of Harmony, I and Twilight Sparkle, among others, have traveled to this world to undo the machinations of the one called Sindri." Aries explained.

Sunset's eyes widened. "...S-Sindri...that's right...I...I saw him..." Aries felt the crippling fear before the tears flowed. Sunset Shimmer lost the strength to stand while Aries' breathing became erratic and his sword arm trembled.

As Sunset Shimmer stood on the verge of a nervous breakdown, her shield began to waver. "St-STAND AND FIGHT!!" Aries shouted with a broken voice.

Sunset was removed from her stupor and brought her guard back up just as a Daemon was confident enough to lunge at her, costing the creature its existence.

"Yes, Sindri is real. The Ruinous Powers are real. Are you going to let this reality consume you? Or are you going to spit in the face of those who despise you for no reason save you have the audacity not to lay down and die?" Aries questioned.

"...I have a bad habit of not doing what I'm told...I've been trying to grow out of it for awhile...but there are times when I just can't help myself." The Unicorn replied. Her horn glowing brighter as she stood more confidently.

The Daemons grew anxious. Some swarmed around the shield more violently, losing their clawed hands in probing strikes, but others distanced themselves, afraid of the creature within.

"The Spirit of Harmony revealed itself to me as a presence in the Warp. Your sorcery is tied to its power. You are Chaosbane." Aries.

Sunset chuckled to herself. "Seriously? I've been afraid of something that can't even hurt me this whole time?"

Aries felt pride and confidence swell in his being. "Don't overestimate yourself. A Terminator armed with a heavy flamer can still be brought low by Orks capable of outflanking and bypassing its defenses."

The words of caution did the trick. The confidence lowered and the gap was swiftly filled with focus. "Right. They can hurt me...but only if I make it easy for them."

"Time to awaken. FOR THE EMPEROR!!" Aries shouted. Sunset dropped her shield and fired a laser into the heart of the swarm. Aries cut down any Daemon that tried to outflank the Unicorn. And while Aries merely banished the Warpspawn, Sunset Shimmer destroyed them.

The beasts fled, nothing greater than the animals of the Warp revealed themselves, and everything turned white.

When the whiteness faded, Aries was standing by the now waking Sunset Shimmer. "...erm...ur...uh...what? Where am-" "SUNSET!!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she rushed forward and hugged the barely conscious girl, bumping into Aries as she did so and giving him a taste of her relief and joy. Aries had never known such happiness before.

"Heh, it appears that I am still connected to this 'geode' you mentioned. I've always wondered what such emotions felt like." Aries stated as a relieved tear rolled down his cheek.

Sunset finally realized who he was. "Woah, you're...human? I mean human human?"

"In this world, yes. A side effect of the portal that brought us here." Aries explained.

"Heh, you should see the Ork. He turned into a girl for some reason." Rainbow Dash stated, though the humor for the Ork's new form remained buried under the joy in her eyes to see Sunset Shimmer alive and well.

"Heh, that's...something. Can't wait to see it...and get to the bottom of this." Sunset's eyes shined with focused fury as she spoke.

"Yeah, pretty sure the doctor's not gonna let you out because a Space Marine from a tabletop game chased the Daemons out of your head. That's a stretch even by our standards." Rainbow Dash snarked while unstrapping Sunset's protective restraints.

Sunset laughed at the absurd truth of her statement. "Hehehe, I guess I'm stuck here a whi-" She stopped, patting the base of her neck for a moment before checking under her shirt for something that wasn't there.

"...M..My geode. I don't have it." She muttered in a confused voice.

"What? Uh, do you have it?" Rainbow Dash asked Aries.

"I've never even seen the thing...did it grant me its Empathy powers from afar?" The War Hound inquired.

"I don't thi- ...Empathy ...Empathy ...OF COURSE!!" Rainbow Dash shouted, slamming her fist into an open palm.

Aries and Sunset both stared at her. "What? Isn't it obvious!? He's like Talos Valcoran!"

Sunset's eyes shined with recognition, but Aries was more confused than ever. "In what manner could you possibly compare me to the Prophet of the VIIIth Legion?"

"Well, Talos got his powers from his Primarch...and so did you." Rainbow Dash clarified.

"...Pfffthaaahahahahahahahahaa!" Aries couldn't help himself. The thought was too absurd for his mortal mind to process. Angron? Empathy!?

"Wuh...what are you laughing about? It's true!" Rainbow Dash pouted, taken aback by the War Hound's reaction.

"He wouldn't know that Rainbow Dash. Most World Eaters didn't." Sunset clarified.

Aries regained control of himself. "...You...You're serious."

Sunset nodded. "Angron had empathic powers, a gift from the Emperor, but he lost them when the Nucerians implanted the Butcher's Nails. And since he had all the World Eaters receive the Nails too, none of them would've awakened such powers...until now."

"...I...I see." Aries all but whispered. Sunset knew what he was thinking.

"...The power is yours Aries, not your father's." Sunset assured him.

"Besides, your dad might've turned out alright without the Nails in his head." Rainbow Dash added.

"Well they are in his head...and they made him a monster...a monster who betrayed the Emperor and slaughtered my brothers." Aries stated.

"...R-right, sorry. I won't pretend to know what that's like." Rainbow Dash said, ashamed that she had brought back these memories.

Aries didn't reply, he simply grabbed his school bag, placed Warp Eater within, and walked out of the room. Rainbow Dash tried to say something else, but Sunset stopped her.

Aries exited her room. He had accepted the reality that Harmony had given him the means to save Sunset Shimmer without killing her, but knowing the true source of this power was a heresy he could not forgive.

These thoughts flooded his mind...until the explosion.

A thunderous blast followed by heat and shattered drywall almost threw Aries to the ground. He rose to his feet and ran back to Sunset's room.

Her room had been the origin of the blast. The room within was a smouldering wreck with Sunset's empty bed being close to falling into a hole in the floor whilst a bed on the third floor had already fallen into the first.

Even as a mortal, Aries could tell the blast had originated on the ceiling, but not from the third floor. A handheld missile launcher fired into the window was the cause of this. An assassination attempt!

Simdri has enlisted a mortal's aid! Aries thought to himself as he turned away from the room...only to be met with a pleasant surprise.

His mortal eyes had failed to register that Sunset and Rainbow Dash were out in the hall, but his mind quickly pieced together that Rainbow Dash had been fast enough to carry Sunset Shimmer to safety between the missile's launch and its detonation.

Sunset had been thrown clear and was trying to get her bearings...Rainbow Dash had flung her across the hall just as the missile detonated, sending the door crashing into the rainbow haired teen and slamming her into the wall.

Aries ran to her, but hospital staff had finally arrived and shooed him away. Mortal and unranked in this world, he complied and waited.

A nurse put her fingers to the young girl's neck...and shook her head. She was gone.

Aries turned to Sunset, the flame haired teen had regained her senses in time to see the Nurse turn away from Rainbow Dash's corpse and question her and Aries. Neither responded, one for her grief and shock, the other for knowing things were more dire than they initially thought.

Author's Note

Dun dun duuunn. The plot thickens.

Giving Aries Empathy was something I didn't think of until after I had finished Broken Beast, and was actually one of the deciding factors in me starting Vol. 3 so soon.

I'm still contemplating how Aries is going to react as local authorities get more and more involved with this fiasco. But for now, the next chapter focuses on Greenskin and the Dazzlings.

So, can anyone guess who our Chaos Cultist is, or how many there are? I hope it won't be too obvious before the reveal.

That's all I got for now, see you all next time.