Chapters In the Grim Darkness of the 41st Millennium, there is only war.
These words ring true in the hearts of every Astartes, from the humane Salamanders to the savage Black Templars. But few Space Marines have known the isolation and attrition of war as the Mantis Warriors.
For as long as the eldest veterans remembered, the Mantis Warriors have acted as guardians to the Endymion Cluster, a cluster of Feral and Feudal Worlds within the Maelstrom Zone, a sector of space surrounding a massive Warpstorm that plagued nearby worlds with countless Alien and Daemonic threats.
For thousands of years, the Mantis Warriors fought in dessert and jungle and the Void between worlds against endless threats, recruiting new members from the very planets they protected.
Audius was one such recruit. A young Astartes in his fourth decade of service. He would not see the wider Imperium until he was chosen by the Ordo Xenos to serve in the Deathwatch like many of his brothers before him. Until then, the Imperium of Man was little more than the object of his faith. Faith he held in high esteem...though not as much as his home.
And it was his home that he fought for. Over his homeworld of Tranquillity II, vile Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers Legion had sought to cut through the gaps in their patrols and besiege the planet. They had fell right into the trap set by the ambush hunters as concealed sentry ships ambushed the traitor vessel, disengaging its shields and launching boarding pods into it exposed body.
Audius exploded from the boarding pod as soon as its doors opened, mowing down disoriented Cultists with a spray of bolter fire.
Audius changed his magazine and switched his weapon to semiautomatic as his treaded over the bodies, ignoring the pops and squishes as he drew his Power Sword and pressed on towards the only way available to him. The corridors were unnaturally small and it was impossible for one of his size to turn around. He hoped he was heading towards the bridge and not the menial decks.
"Audius. I have infiltrated the enemy ship, and am making my towards targets of opportunity." The Astartes said into his vox.
"We have you on scans brother. It appears the first target you'll reach is their menial decks." His Captain said to him.
Damn Audius thought to himself. "Understood, my squad and I will give their slaves the Emperor's Peace."
" You're squ-...Of course, good hunting." The Captain stated.
It was slow going, Audius had to question what caused the Traitors to build their ship with corridors barely accessible to their kind when they cared so little for their mortal slaves beyond driving them to madness and forcing them to devote their lives to the service of Chaos, but despite the madness of the lost and the damned Audius found a sealed door at last.
A slash from his Power Sword and a slam from his pauldron and the door gave way. Maddened Cultists fired on him with lasguns and stubbers loaded with crude explosive rounds that imitated the bolt rounds and his brothers fired back.
A Khornate cultist charged him with a chainax and was cut in half for efforts while Audius continued to fire his bolter in one hand with his brothers lining up to fire beside him in a stream of bolt rounds that cut the traitors down like wheat.
The Mantis Warriors advanced at a slow pace, keeping their eyes peeled for enemy Astartes as they continued to slaughter the Cultists...until one shielded itself with the Warp.
Audius and his brothers encircled the Witch, keeping up their fire to ensure it couldn't concentrate on attacking them...and yet it did.
Audius found himself frozen in place, unable to fire his weapon. The Witch shimmered and faded, revealing itself not to be a mortal psyker, but a Chaos Sorcerer.
The Heretic Astartes clinched his fist. Audius could only scream as the Warp tore at him. The Sorcerer halted whatever he had been doing when a Librarian came from behind and sought to save Audius and his brothers.
Despite the interruption, Audius felt reality explode around him. He felt something tear at him...and something else try to mend the tears. And then, it was over. Audius awoke in the jungles of a Feral World within the Endymion Cluster and got to his feet.
He was about to contact his brothers...when he heard a scream.
The screaming...the screaming ...it echoed all around him as he made his way through the ruined city, checking every shadow for the enemy he knew was luring the Mantis Warriors into a trap...by using the innocent as bait.
He broke out of an alley into the central plaza. A young girl with red hair tied in a bow was desperately trying to back away from the looming Astartes that bared on her with a gore slicked chainsword.
Audius fired a burst into the monster and watched it fall. He closed the distance and fired a shot into its armored head just to be sure before putting himself between the civilian and the shadows. "Make haste to the nearest bunker. I cannot guarantee your safety."
"Huh-wha-bu-but it's dead!! what're you talkin' about!? An' what are you!? " The child half screamed in a panic.
Before the Mantis Warrior could respond. There was a rustle, and Audius turned to see another Astartes, it's armor all but invisible in the city's shadows, staring at them.
Audius opened fire. "RUUUUN!!!" He shouted as the enemy came from every shadow. He fought desperately shooting and slashing as more came at him, as silent as death and armored in stormclouds.
His Company fought beside him. They had followed him into the ambush, into their duty to protect the people of Tranquillity II. And they will fight to the last man against the silent killers from the outer dark.
Applejack could feel her heart pounding into her throat. Applebloom was trying to deliver a cart of goods by herself, was lost in the fire swamps, and Applejack knew she had heard the growl of some large critter just as she heard her little sister scream.
Then she heard something she ain't never heard before, it sounded like thunder, or a tank gun in those crazy stories Rainbow Dash had named her tortoise after. And then she heard a whole LOT of it. A series of loud noises that blended together to sound like an angry hornet coupled together with the sound of falling trees and, as she got closer, the footsteps of something big.
Applejack was about to reach the fire swamps when something came over the hill from the other side and slammed into her, causing the two creatures to tumble end over end down the hill.
After shaking her head to make her eyes stop rolling, Applejack realized that the creature that had crashed into her was her own sister. "Applebloom!" The farm pony shouted as she hugged her sister tightly, only for the moment to be cut short when the buzzing cut in again. This time, accented by a deep bellowing warcry that sounded like it was being shouted through a fan.
Applejack scrambled to her hooves and helped her sister do the same. "Come on! I don't know what making all that racket, but we ain't stayin' here long enough to find out!"
Despite the day starting with Applebloom believing Applejack was baby her too much, the rebellious filly complied without resistance. "No arguments here sis! That thing is crazy!!"
Author's Note
So...I'm sure a lot of you want to know what's going on with the Grimdark 6. It's not canceled by any stretch but between working the holidays, getting fired after the holidays(with one week notice) starting a new job with new Employee Housing, putting up with the roommate from hell(you all know the one) getting him kicked out, and having my phone stolen...I have been so stressed that I don't even where I was going with Volume 3.
I know what I have planned for Volume 4, and I was wondering if I couldn't just drop Volume 3 altogether and go straight to it, or if I should distract myself by writing Volume 4.5 which is what happens to Chrysalis after she was kidnapped by the Wych Cult.
But the more I thought about it the more I decided...I need a real break. Not a spend months trying to come up with something only to come up with nothing kinda break, but a put it out of your mind and write something else in the meantime kinda break.
So...Scars of War. Why? Well number one, FimFiction.net is muuuch more user friendly than FanFiction.net so Ponies are a must. Number two, I have so many scrapped ideas for Element Bearers in the Grimdark 6 that I need to flush out of my brain and writing one off stories that end in one Volume is the best way to do that, and almost did one with Sevatar and his Astropath friend, but...
Number 3, the Mantis Warriors are best Loyalist faction and no one talks about it.
Let's go over the bullet points.
Descended from Best Legion-check.
Looks after the people of the Imperium-check.
Coolest color scheme-check.
Realistic battle tactics-check.
Sly Marbo's HomeBrew-check. I could keep going.
If I ever buy Space Marines, they will definitely be Mantis Warriors. Also yes, if my subtle as a hippo mauling hints weren't clear enough Audius is a Dreadnought, more specifically, he is the poor unfortunate soul in everyone's favorite fanart of Tyberos.
You may also have noticed that he has severe Post Tyberos Stress Syndrome...it happens.
So yeah, this isn't gonna be nearly as long as a Grimdark 6 Volume, and there will be no sequel. I just got tired of trying to write something all weekend and ultimately doing fuck all.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below and I'll see you all next time.
The Apple sisters kept a full gallop until they slammed into the doors of Twilight Sparkle's library, the sudden intrusion sent the recently ascended Alicorn flying into the roof of the hallowed oak tree and crashing back down with a resounding thud.
While Applejack would apologize later, the panicked Earth Pony's most immediate response was to grab the barely conscious mare's shoulders and shake her back to awareness. "TWILIGHT!WENEEDYOURHELP!THERE'SSOMEFREAKYMONSTERTEARIN'UPTHEEVERFREE!!!!"
Shaken from unconsciousness to a panic, Twilight used her magic to suspend the frightened farm pony in midair long enough to figure out what had just happened. "Uuuuugh, A-Applejack? What in Celestia's name do you think you're doing!? You almost gave me a heart attack! TWICE!!"
"U-um, Twilight? We really need yer help." Applebloom whimpered. It was now that Twilight realized the exact nature of the madness that had taken hold of the two down to earth ponies: Terror.
Twilight set Applejack back down and asked in a firm but caring voice. "What happened?"
Applebloom narrowly dodged the Chimera's claws only to come face to face with the fangs of it's snake head. She screamed in fright as she fell on her side and scrambled under the beast to avoid a killing blow.
But the Chimera wasn't stupid, it leapt backward and spun in midair, landing with its front paws on either side of the filly and its tiger and goat head leering at her with victorious grins...grins that melted into confusion when the fire swamps around them began to shake.
Boom...Boom... Boom...BOOM!! Trees were torn from the roots as a ginormous metal box with legs, a crane claw crawling with lightning bolts, and a multi-barreled cannon tore onto the scene.
The walking box pointed it's cannon at the Chimera and the barrels spun and spat thunderbolts into the monster's body.
The beast collapsed as Applebloom scrambled out from under it and ran a safe distance away before turning back to see what had happened...she knew Luna was going to be busy in her dreams for the next millennium.
The Chimera was blown apart! Its stomach and chest were exposed to the elements, its snake and tiger head had both been removed from what little remained, and to add insult to...death , the walking box stomped over to the body, pointed its cannon at the lifeless goat head, and turned it into a smoothie with one shot before turning it's attention to Applebloom.
The young filly could only stare slack jawed. Taking in more details of the thing that had saved her. It was hard to tell in the light of the fire swamps, but the walking box seemed to be mostly green, like the color of leaves, with a yellow secondary color. It was also covered in pieces of paper that were held in place by wax stamps and had some sort of insignia on it that looked like an angry bug. Applebloom thought it couldn't get any stranger...and then it talked.
Make haste to the nearest bunker, I cannot guarantee your safety. It said with a monotone voice that sounded...wrong.
"Huh-wha-bu-but it's dead!! what're you talkin' about!? An' what are you!? " Applebloom half screamed as she tried, and failed, to make sense of what she was looking at.
The thing twitched, as if Applebloom had confused it. But then, there was a rustle in the bushes nearby.
Applebloom turned and barely made out the image of a squirrel before it and the tree it was climbing on exploded into gore and splinters.
RUUUUN!!! The thing shouted as it began firing its cannon in every direction, its waist turning a full 360 degrees as it laid waste to everything in its path.
"And then I hauled flank as quick as I could, ran into Applejack, and then we both figured that you could do somethin' ta help...if only by tellin' the Princesses." Applebloom concluded bashfully.
"That's...about all I can think of. Besides the legs, it sounds like you were saved by a tank! " Twilight said, barely believing her own words.
Huh!? Bu-but tanks ain't real! I thought they only existed in stories." Applebloom stated. And she was right.
Tanks were nothing more than figments of the imagination brought to life by the legendary storyteller Grim Darkness and his numerous tales of how Ponies would've had to survive if their world didn't have the numerous wonders and miracles that it did. Hearth's Warming, Starswirl the Bearded, and especially the Royal Sisters. Twilight was begrudgingly grateful the legendary author had passed away centuries before he could possibly traumatize Twilight with what would've happened if she and her friends hadn't stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, or the others.
"It's true that tanks are nothing more than theoretical war machines we will thankfully never need, but the science behind them is plausible enough that some other creatures could've built them...with legs." Twilight explained, causing Applebloom to go pale.
"Well whatever it is, he don't seem too right in the head. We better figure out a way ta stop him before he hurts somepony." Applejack stated.
"Agreed, I'll send a letter to Princess Celestia. I want you to take Applebloom home and gather the others...we may need to use the Elements on this thing...Oooohhh, this is so exciting!!" Twilight stomped her front hooves rapidly at the thought of researching the mysterious tank-like thing. Applejack was shocked for all of a second before she remembered who Twilight was.
Dearest Twilight, I have received your letter and agree with your assessment of the situation. Please keep in mind that while this mysterious creature is violent, he is not necessarily evil. Otherwise, he would not have protected young Applebloom from the unfortunate Chimera.
Approach him with caution and an open mind. Be safe my student.
-Princess Celestia
Twilight nodded in agreement as if her mentor could see her through the parchment. "Alright girls, is everypony ready?"
A chorus of various agreements rang out. "Eeyup." "Oh Yeah!" "Of Course." "I-if you say so." "WHOO-HOO! LET'S GO WRANGLE A TANK!!" And with that, the six Ponies that have saved Equestria numerous times set off into the Everfree Forest to find a new friend...or face a new threat.
The minutes turned to hours as the group made their way to the fire swamps. It wasn't difficult to find the creature's trail, though Applejack made sure to keep Fluttershy from seeing what remained of the dead Chimera.
The forest was torn to pieces in the creature's wake, as if he had deliberately put effort into destroying the trees around him, but some he seemed to have avoided, like he went out of his way not to harm them.
sniff sniff "P.U.! He definitely didn't shoot a party out of this thing." Pinkie Pie exclaimed after smelling one of the long metal cylinders that littered the area around them.
Twilight took up another in her magic and examined it. It was made of brass and was almost an inch and a half in diameter. The inside stank of chemicals, and the outside was stamped with a double headed eagle that had a blindfold over one of it's heads.
"EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Rainbow Dash squeed as she looked over Twilight's shoulder. "IT REALLY IS A TANK!!! THESE ARE SHELL CASINGS!!!"
"I thought those things were supposed to be bigger than this." Applejack stated.
"Well yeah, but you can only fire one at a time. This dude's cannon must be made for dealing damage at a faster pace. Probably wouldn't do much against another tank, but against bad guys....ooooooh boy! I can't wait to see this thing up close!"
"And what happens if he decides to turn that cannon on you?" Rarity stated.
"Well duh, I'll fly faster than he can shoot. Besides, while a tank may be awesome, there's no way it'll beat the Elements." Rainbow Dash proclaimed while waving her hoof dismissively.
"If we're lucky, it won't come to that. Let's just find him and see what we're dealing with." Twilight said. And with that, the 6 ponies followed the path of destruction.
Audius fought with all his might. He was surrounded on all sides, his brothers were dying all around him, and the silent horrors that resembled Astartes gave no pause or respite.
He swung his sword to and fro, destroying chain weapons and dodging bolt rounds as the enemy closed in around him, leaving only one place to go...a clear spot in the midst of the plaza that his every instinct told him to avoid.
He fought desperately to carve open a way out, but he had lost his right arm and his bolter along with it, and these madmen were far more gifted in melee combat than the guerrilla fighters of the Mantis Warriors.
Slowly, begrudgingly, he gave ground until he was close enough for the enemy to spring their trap.
His teeth itched, the telltale sign of teleportation. A shadow loomed over him, lightning crackled as chainblades growled hungrily, and Audius turned to face his destiny, his death.
The further they went, the worse it got. Monsters of the Everfree and more mundane animals alike were either blown to paste or cut to pieces by what Twilight could only assume was the creature's crane-like claw.
Their progress had slowed considerably...especially after they had seen a Manticore still alive despite it's front right leg being blown off. 5 of the girls thought they would have to turn back to try and help the creature, but Fluttershy had known better. She laid next to it and sang a lullaby as it died...it hadn't taken two minutes.
Everypony was concerned. They had never faced something like this, and doubt was starting to set in. "Guys...do you think we should tell the Princesses to help us with this?"
Everypony paused when they realized Rainbow Dash had voiced their thoughts, but even Applejack avoided any jests about the Wonderbolt trainee's ego.
"That's...a good ide-" Twilight's submission was halted in it's tracks by an angry roar, multiple angry roars...the roars of an angry Hydra.
Thoughts of abandoning the search were forgotten as the need to help creatures drove them forward at break neck speed. Something was being attacked by a Hydra! This evident fact overrode all other thoughts...including what was most likely being attacked.
The Elements Bearers burst onto the scene, shocked still when they realized it was the walking tank that was facing down the Hydra, and two of the beasts heads had already been severed.
The remaining three heads had concluded that attacking this creature was a fatal mistake and turned to flee...but it was too slow.
The tank bared it's claw, tearing into the Hydra's exposed flank with frightening ease. The lightning arcing across the claws added to it's cutting power so much that the claws didn't so much cut as pass through the ribs, lung, and heart of the Hydra.
The Ponies could only watch in horror as the deadliest predator in the Everfree collapsed with a thud...it was dead before it had begun to fall.
"...woah." Rainbow Dash whispered. Unfortunately, despite how restrained she had been in her awe, the tank still turned to them.
The six Ponies huddled closer together. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood in front of their friends, but knew better than to instigate the attack. But to their shock, the tank laughed.
Hehehehe, raise your heads little ones. You need not bow before me. The tank said to them.
The Ponies looked at each other in confusion, Rainbow Dash turned back to clarify that they hadn't been bowing, but Twilight stopped her and made a more formal response. "Uh, g-greetings! My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends. W-we came here to thank you for protecting Applejack's sister, Applebloom, from the Chimera you...defeated."
"I thought we came to stop him from rampaging acro-mph!" Applejack shoved her hoof into Pinkie Pie's mouth while the rest of the group got ready to run for their lives.
It is out duty as the Emperor's chosen to protect His servants from the horrors of the galaxy, but your gratitude is appreciated. The tank replied, apparently not registering Pinkie's slip.
That response raised a lot more questions. Who was this 'Emperor'? How was Applebloom it's servant? And...Galaxy!? "Uuum, I supposed I should've started with this, but who...or what are you?"
I am Audius of the seventh company. I came to visit a mortal relative. My sister's descendants. The tank, Audius, responded.
"Wait wait wait, hold up." Rainbow Dash called his attention as she flew up to him. "Are you saying that you're a Pony under there?" She knocked her hoof into his metal exterior three times.
Correct, I was once as human as you. Audius replied.
"Wait, HUMAN!!" Twilight shouted. And the others knew why, they remembered well her tales of retrieving her crown from Sunset Shimmer...but while the others were by the conversation, Applejack had a far more haunted expression. Don't tell me...
"Uh, you do know we're not human right?" Rainbow Dash asked. Audius focused on her. No...Astartes are not human, not after our augmentation.
"Not you! I mea-" "HE AIN'T GONNA GET IT!!" Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack and flew a pace backward at the look on her face.
"Woah! AJ? Do you have something you wanna share?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yeah...I think...he's the same as mah Great Uncle Pineapple." Applejack explained, causing Pinkie Pie's hair to deflate. "You...you mean he-"
Audius had turned his attention to Applejack. Ah, you must be young Abigail. Tell me, does your grandmother yet live? I'm afraid it has been 6 decades since last I saw her.
Applejack eyed the tank, her breathing slow and heavy. "...Yeah...Granny's still alive...an' still tougher than most folks her age or mine."
Audius chuckled at that As expected of my sister. It is a truly unfortunate that only males can be augmented, she was always stronger than I, and would certainly have been a Captain by now.
"We'll uh...We'll take you to'er. Just gimme a minute with mah friends here." Applejack beckoned the others to her. They had watched the exchange with open confusion, but had trusted their friend knew what she was doing.
"Okay girls, here's the short version. I got an Uncle, few years older than Granny Smith. An' years fore I was born, his graddaughter got dragged off by a Timberwolf an' was never seen again." The others were visibly shocked to hear of something so horrible, but Pinkie Pie had already known.
"His granddaughter was a pink coated filly named Candy Apple. When he met me a few years ago...he thought I was her. I didn't know what to think of it until Nurse Redheart explained that he was mentally incapable of comprehending what had happened to her...and it looks like something similar happened to Audius here." The sad party Pony explained.
"...Get to the bunkers...he told Applebloom to get to the bunkers...his home must've been attacked and..." Twilight didn't finish, she couldn't.
"...and tanks are supposed to fight wars that we would never have to fight." Rainbow Dash concluded, having lowered herself to the ground, no longer feeling the energy to keep herself aloft.
And so, Applejack escorted Audius to Sweet Apple Acres while Twilight reported their progress to the Royal Sisters and everypony else went home to ponder the mysteries of Audius.
Author's Note
Fun fact: Audius' name is a tribute to Audie Murphy. The inspiration behind the Sabaton song To Hell and Back, which I plan to make Audius' theme song...as soon as my music dowloader starts WORKING AGAIN!! GAH! IT'S ONE THING AFTER THE FUCKING OTHER! RRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Also, I gave him a lightning claw instead of the traditional arm of a Dreadnought, as his last conscience thought was to seek revenge on Tyberos.(also, I think it's cooler)
That'll about do it for this chapter, leave your thoughts in the comments below and I'll see you in the next one.
"So now, sis an' her friends are off in the Everfree lookin' fer him so they can calm him down 'fore he hurts somepony." Applebloom finished telling the story again. She had told Big Mac, she had told her fellow Crusaders, now she was explaining the situation to Granny Smith.
"Hmmm, I don't know too much about 'tanks' or whatever, but anycritter who stands between my family and a Chimera is a good soul in my book...speakin' o which, WUT IN TARNATION MADE YOU THINK YOU COULD GO THROUGH THE FIRE SWAMPS ON YER OWN LIKE THAT!?" Granny Smith shouted.
Applebloom went from fascinated with the mysterious tank to frightened and flustered in an instant. "Um-uh-well-uh-I-ah-I-I thought I could prove I was old enough."
"Nothin' proves age more than patience! An' yer gonna need it...YER GROUNDED!!!" Granny Smith decreed.
"WWWUUUUUUUHHH!!? BUT-BUT I-....yes ma'am." Applebloom relented. If it hadn't been for the tank, she would've been Chimera chow. She had proven beyond doubt that she wasn't as prepared as she thought. To her family, and to herself.
Granny Smith looked prepared to say something else when everypony suddenly felt faint tremors.
"Hmm, wussat?" Granny Smith asked no one in particular.
Big Mac, who had been silent the entire time, positioned himself between his family and the door as the tremors grew in intensity.
"Wait a minute...IT'S HIM!!" Applebloom shouted nervously and excitedly at the same time.
"Tank or not, he better not be knockin' down the day's harvest with that stompin'." Granny Smith stated.
"I'd be more worried about him blastin' us with his cannon." Big Mac said. He rarely spoke, but some things needed to be said.
With one final thud, the tremors ceased. A few seconds later, galloping hooves signaled a new arrival coming through the door.
"Applejack! Did'ya clear up things with the tank?" Applebloom asked excitedly.
Applejack looked nervous, but not so much that anyone had cause to believe they were in immediate danger. "Sort of...there is somethin' wrong with that fella...something similar ta Great Uncle Pineapple."
Everypony took a step back and gasped loudly. Applejack then explained everything they had learned about the mysterious creature named Audius, and Applebloom confirmed that what he said to her made more sense if he was living through a different battle.
"So, ya brought him here ta visit his sister...who he thinks is me." Granny Smith recapped not too pleased with the idea...but Cousin Pineapple meant a lot to her, and she made sure that any pink coated he mistook for Candy Apple played along for his sake.
"It's only ta keep him out of trouble while Twilight brings the Princesses up to speed. Then Princess Luna is gonna come here and see what we're dealin' with." Applejack explained.
Granny Smith went bug eyed. "YER TELLIN' ME THERE'S ROYALTY COMIN' TA MY HOUSE!? APPLEBLOOM! FETCH THE FINE ABYSSINIAN PLATES! BIG MAC! COLLECT ALL THE APPLES THAT AUDIUS FELLER KNOCKED DOWN! LET'S GET A MOVE ON!!!"
The Apple Family exploded into activity, with Applejack leading Granny Smith to Audius.
Audius waited outside the quaint farm. Crops of corn and fields of wheat were tended to by kinfolk that the Mantis Warrior had never met. He watched a large and muscular young man oversee the harvest atop an equally impressive equine. The large red stallion paused before the Astartes until his rider spurred him futher down the path with a respectful nod to Audius.
His attention turned to a pair of women making their way towards him. One was his great niece Abigail, a young adult with a muscular figure that would've looked odd on common Imperial worlds, but Tranquillity II was a Feudal World, such worlds rarely suffered the weak.
The other woman...Audius had barely recognized her. The indoctrination process of the Adeptus Astartes took away a vast majority of memories prior to rebirth as one of the Emperor's Chosen. Audius did not even remember his mortal name, but he remembered his sister. He had met her two years after earning his armor and ascending beyond the 10th Company, it was the only time he had ever had to look down at her, the only time she did not feel stronger than him.
Now, the rot of time had stripped her bare and left a withered crone in her place. Yet, the dry wrinkled skin still clung loosely to respectable muscles for her age, and she refused aid from Abigail and met Audius under her own power. "It's been a long time little one, I was beginning to think you would visit my grave before I saw you again.
"Agatha...time has not been kind to you sister." The Astartes replied.
Agatha shrugged. "Time comes for us all, even Space Marines age after centuries."
Audius smirked beneath his helmet. "Indeed. I see the crops are plentiful this year. Perhaps we can expect the populace to have leftovers after the winter."
"Aye, that's been the case for the last decade, and I plan to keep it up." Agatha replied.
"Truly!? You have brought such prestige to our legacy?" Audius exclaimed. Truly astounded that his sister had managed so much.
The old woman grinned smugly at him and crossed her arms. "Did you really forget who I am little one?"
"No sister. I...I am sorry. If we had another sibling...if I had not been chosen by the Chaplains, you would surely have been known by all the Imperium." Audius lamented.
Agatha was shocked for a moment, and then she was furious . "ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU SPENT ALL THESE YEARS FEELING SORRY FOR ME CAUSE I COULDN'T LEAVE THE FARM TO JOIN THE GUARD!?" The old woman shouted before slapping Audius across his helmed face.
"G-GRANNY!!" Abigail shouted, horrified that Agatha had just raised her hand to an Angel of Death.
"It is alright, I am her brother before any other title." Audius stated with a calming wave of his hand.
It was only the tank's monotone words that told Applejack that the outstretched claw he pointed at her was not a threat. Granny Smith, however, was calm as a critter around Fluttershy.
I knew it. If his sister were anything like me, then that's exactly how she'd respond ta sympathy. Granny Smith thought to herself as she continued. "Now listen here Audius, ma and pa didn't ever beg me ta stay. But they didn't have to. I knew what would happen if I left, an' it wouldn't be nobody's fault, just a tragedy...I tragedy I couldn't stand ta let happen. I chose ta stay on the farm an' give up the adventurous life. An' don'chu ferget it. " She concluded, throwing a stink eye into the slit on the center rectangle that she assumed was where his eyes were.
Of course sister, my apologies. The walking tank droned in its creepy voice.
Any further converse was interrupted by the timely arrival of the ruler of Equestria's night: Princess Luna.
The Princess landed to the side of the tank and farm ponies with Twilight landing behind her. The tank turned toward them, shaking the farm as it raised and dropped it's right hoof to turn its massive boxy body before, to Applejack's absolute shock, bending its body forward in an awkward bow. Chaplain Gabbath, I was told you requested my presence?
Applejack attempted to speak, but Granny Smith waved her off. "I think his memory done shifted. Let's let the Princess take it from here."
Her claim was backed up when Audius didn't react to the statement at all. Luna however did, and nodded to the Apple Family Matriarch before stepping forward to address the tank. "Yes...we requested you. It has come to our attention that your mind is...troubled."
The tank rotated its body at the midsection, lowering its headless torso. Yes brother, this war...I know why we must fight, but it plagues me.
Luna, accepting the role of this Chaplain, nodded her head in understanding. She knew very little of this creature and what he stood for, but even villains could be brought low by the strife of their own making...and their servants far more so. "Describe it to me. Tell me about the war from your eyes. The events that led to it, the reasons we made our decisions."
The tank paused for a moment, but obeyed what he believed to be a superior officer. For generations, our Chapter has held back the horrors of the Maelstrom. Repelling assaults from horrible Aliens whose forms madden the human mind, and the foul Daemons of the immaterium and their heretical followers. For generations we drove them back, held the line...but never destroyed them.
We only needed precious few reinforcements to end the threat once and for all, but requests for aid were always denied. The Astral Claws attempted to build additional resources by refusing to pay their tithes...the blue blooded nobles that grew fat off our struggling declared them traitors and called in the Fire Hawks Chapter to take the tithes by force.
By request of Lugft Huron, we struck the Fire Hawks and sent them reeling. More Astartes Chapters were called in, the lines were drawn...and now we fight amongst ourselves while the horrors of the Maelstrom laugh at our backs.
...It's madness. If the forces erected to subdue us would only aid us, we could destroy the Maelstrom and the monsters that dwell within it once and for all...yet, they are content to force us into submission and leave us to our stalemate...It's madness!! The tank took a step forward as it shouted, but nopony reacted to the outburst.
"Hu...bu...they...I..WHAT!?" Twilight shouted.
"WHAT KINDA NO GOOD LOUSY VARMINTS WOULD DO A THING LIKE THAT!?" Granny Smith added.
"Ye..Yer tellin me, you were sent ta fight a war ya couldn't win, ya tried ta amass the resources ya needed ta win, an yer leaders sent more people ta take yer extra resources AWAY FROM YOU!? " Applejack inquired.
Nocreature in Equestria's history, not even Queen Chrysalis in all her selfishness, or King Sombra in all his greed, had ever committed such a heinous act of foolishness as what Audius had described.
Audius did not respond to them. Luna took this to mean the mentally damaged creature didn't know they were there. Audius looked to her for a response from his Chaplain, yet the Lunar Princess had no idea how to respond.
"Um...I...uh...I-I..ahem, I understand your frustration...'brother', but don't lose heart just yet. We will find a way to win this war, and then we will destroy the monsters within the Maelstrom. In the meantime, I believe you should rest...'brother', clear your mind to better focus on the task at hand." Luna stated as professionally as she could.
Understood brother, I will block these doubts from my mind and focus on the task at hand. Audius replied with another awkward bow.
Luna went bug-eyed. "Wait WHAT!? THAT'S NOT WHAT I-" Her response came too late as the walking tank was turning to march towards Ponyville. Seeing this, Granny Smith immediately ran out to stand in front of him again. "Oh hey there bro! Long time no see!"
Audius stopped in his tracks as his shifted memories around him. Sister, I believe it is no longer accurate for you to call me 'little one'.
Granny Smith wiped sweat from her forehead and briefly nursed her aching hip from having ran so fast so suddenly before resuming her act. "Ya may be a bit bigger now, but you'll always be a little one ta me."
The machine laughed in it's droning voice while Applejack walked up to the Princesses. "That was close." She stated.
Luna nodded absently. "He thought I'd sent him to war...with Ponyville. " The Alicorn shuddered.
"Well, at least Granny Smith has him under control. Though I don't think it's wise to base our well being on a charade. Is it possible we can heal his mind?" Twilight asked.
"We would have to probe his mind to find out, and if he's capable of sensing magical probes, he may react violently...he said that he had fought demons in the past." Luna shuddered, but then breathed out a calming breath. "Which means I will have to enter his mind through the Dream Realm. Beings with this affliction are always dreaming, and if I don't project myself or make changes, he won't notice me no more than he notices being surrounded by ponies."
"Well then, I'll leave it to you Princess, see you later Appleja-" "HOLD IT!!" Applejack interjected, surprising Twilight. "Soon as Granny Smith knew Luna was comin' she had us make a feast fit fer royalty. An' she ain't gonna let food like that go to waste. The last time Mayor Mare had to reschedule at the last minute...the whole family gained 20 pounds."
Author's Note
And that's the chapter. I'm sorry it took so long. I'm still going through a rough patch, but I am gonna see this story to the end, and I don't think it'll take more than 10 Chapters.
I don't too much about farming, and even less about medieval farming, but I hope I did the lifestyle justice.(I'll accept all criticisms and consider changes based on suggestions)
I almost made Audius think Luna was a Reclusiarch and that Celestia was the Chapter Master, but I figured that was too high up the chain.
Additionally, I finally got to download the song for Audius' tribute video. Enjoy.
That's all I got for now, I'll see you all next time.
Twilight and the Apple family were enjoying(trying to survive) the feast that Granny Smith had prepared for Luna's arrival. The younger Princess felt bad that she couldn't join them for the feast just yet, but this simply couldn't wait.
I am ready brother Kareff The tank stated, standing as straight as his boxy frame would allow.
Luna wondered who this Kareff was. Audius had called him a Librarian, but said it as if he were talking to some mystic sage or wise sorcerer. It was odd, but certainly less foreboding than a Reclusiarch.
"Alright, hold still." Luna stated as she channeled her magic and slipped into the Dream Realm.
In her peripheral vision, she could see a few late afternoon nappers, mostly infants or elders, but the only dream that held her attention was the one in front of her.
Dreams usually took the form of crystal clear orbs that she could easily see through, the dream orbs of individuals like this usually had large cracks spider webbing all over them...this dream orb was all but shattered with fragments missing and dark purple smoke emanating menacingly from every hole.
...what have you endured? Luna couldn't help but think as she transformed her ethereal body to a cloud of mist and squeezed herself into the largest hole, making sure not to touch the edges of his shattered psyche.
The mist emerged into a metal room that reminded her of an airship and was greeted with the sight of two large knights with armor bearing the same color scheme and insignia as the tank that Audius piloted.
One wore armor mixed with robes and had an odd headpiece that glowed ominously as he held out an armored talon to the one who wore true armor befitting a royal knight.
Luna immediately realized that the knight was Audius and that the robed being must be Kareff the Librarian.
Her suspicions were confirmed, the Librarian was a sorcerer emitting a wave of magic from his talon to probe Audius' mind. Audius remained stock still, his helm hanging from his hip through a means that Luna couldn't discern at a glance.
His face looked similar to how Twilight described humans, though there were several differences. This creature was a pale bronze color with small grape sized eyes that were sunken into the skull far more than any Pony eyes, but what surprised Luna the most was the stoic expression.
Sure, her sister's guards attempted such a thing, but there were always hints of their boredom or confusion at orders such as the one Audius obeyed now...but the Astartes was treating the order to stand still while the Librarian scanned his mind as if it were the most important order of his life.
The Librarian was no different. Concentrating so greatly on deciphering Audius' thoughts that Luna wondered if he would have noticed her had this been real, but there was no time to sate her curiosity. She had to determine the reason for Audius' trauma and attempt to heal him.
...Tank Luna sent the word into his mind with the upmost subtlety. Allowing the broken being to think he had thought of it himself.
The dream shifted as Audius thought of tanks, forcing Luna to try and stay calm as she found herself in a warzone. A jungle burned around her as knights dashed from cover to cover, wielding small boxy weapons that appeared to function like cannons and strange snarling clubs.
From the other side of the jungle came howling brutes with a similar body type to Diamond Dogs wielding similar cannons but more traditional axes and crude chopping swords and...a tank, a real tank. The treaded battle wagon aimed it's single shot cannon at a squad of knights and blasted them to smithereens as another snuck around the machines flank.
A simple highlighting spell illuminated the flanking knight and revealed him as Audius. Luna was taken aback as to why he wasn't using his...whatever it was, to counter the enemy's tank, and was instead trying to sneak up on it on foot. Yet, her curiosity was soon replaced with shock and horror.
Audius aimed a small one handed cannon at one of the brutes and shot through it's back and sunken head. Whatever these cannons fired was apparently explosive as it pulped the beast's head into a cloud of red mist.
Luna dry heaved and was suddenly a lot more grateful she was missing the feast Granny Smith had prepared for her. She brought her head up to see that Audius had gone unnoticed, the sound of his cannon drowned out by all the others nearby and his slain target being out of eyesight of its enthralled howling kindred.
Audius struck again, pouncing from his hiding spot to bring his club down on the neck of another brute. Luna dry heaved again as she realized that his club apparently had some sort of blade she couldn't see that cut independently. Audius was showered in blood as the snarling weapon chewed through the brute's neck and beheaded him.
Now Audius revealed himself to the last two brutes standing between him and the tank, shooting one and stabbing the other, somehow, before placing his weapons on his hips, making them stick to him, and pulling a device from his thigh and pulling a pin from it before tossing it under the tank and running away.
The device was evidently an explosive, one powerful enough to destroy the tank in a single concussive blast. Causing a shower of metal and stopping the brutes' advance and signaling hidden knights to reveal themselves and reinforce their struggling brethren. Luna watched in awe as the tide turned in an instant and the brutes either charged to their death or fled as their comrades were cut down by the vengeful knights.
Luna watched the slaughter slack jawed before realizing that she was getting distracted. The revelation brought a blush to the Princess's face before she sent out another pulse, this time an image of Audius as she had seen him.
The scene shifted. Audius had his helmet on his hip, and was holding the hand of a gravely injured warrior. "Brother Hieran, can you hear me?"
The warrior twitched and gurgled as he tried to answer. He had lost both legs and one of his arms from the elbow down and his stomach and torso were torn open to reveal damaged organs. By all accounts, Hieran should be dead. "Khgh...The...The Orks..."
"The Orks are dead brother, I destroyed their tank." Audius told him.
"...My...squad..." Hieran held out his ruined arm as if reaching for something.
Audius lowered his head. "Forgive me brother, I was not fast enough. Only two survived, Brother Arroc and Brother Dulles. Dulles is receiving a mechanical arm as we speak. Arroc is fine."
Luna's jaw dropped. These were the warriors that were shot by the tank! What armor preserved them!?
Another knight stepped forward, one wearing red armor, but for a single shoulder pad bearing Audius' insignia, with several odd protrusions in his back and an ax shaped like a cog. "Where our forebears in the White Scars forbade the use of the Dreadnought sarcophagus, and other chapters see it's use as an obligation, the Mantis Warriors use it as a choice. We have five sarcophagi, and will receive another soon. The choice is yours brother. Will your duty end here, or will you be reborn?"
SARCOPHAGUS!? Luna thought to herself as Hieran answered without hesitation. "I-ghk...wish to ser-kh-serve...again."
"Then it is so." Stated the red knight.
Machines whirred to life and chains rang out as a green and gold metal box lowed itself and opened. Luna realized with growing horror that the box was the centerpiece of Audius'...they had called it a 'Dreadnought'.
The red knight took Hieran's body and gently placed it in the sarcophagus before his protrusions sprang to life like a nest of serpents. The buzzing of whirring of power tools were succeeded by the clang of metal striking metal as the red knight discarded Hieran's ruined armor.
Luna watched the ordeal in horrified fascination until it's conclusion. The red knight stepped aside, revealing Hieran for a brief moment. The naked human's broken body had several tubes and wires implanted into him, and at last Luna realized the true nature of this sarcophagus: it was a life support system.
The red knight closed the sarcophagus and welded it shut. Luna could hear electronics activating and what sounded like water or some other fluid being filtered into the green and gold box.
There was a pause, and then the chains suspending the sarcophagus rose up and back. Luna realized that there were two other sarcophagi suspended above them, and behind them were the massive arms and cannons of the war machines they were to pilot, and beneath the suspended weapons stood the dormant machines themselves.
"He is braver than I." Luna froze as she realized it was Audius that spoke.
"You would choose death?" The red knight inquired. "Forgive me brother, but I do not share your faith in machines. I share the White Scars belief that such things are damnation. But do not doubt my loyalty, I stand by the Last Resort." Audius explained.
The Last Resort... Luna knew, she had yet to check his ruined memory but she knew...he would allow himself to be entombed, as he was now, if his Chapter were on the brink of extinction. "Oh, you poor poor creature...perhaps your wounds are within our ability to heal...I just need to determine one last thing." Luna spoke to herself before sending one final pulse. Good alien.
"Urg, UURRRP!!" Twilight slapped a hoof to her mouth and blushed in shame. Fortunately, Granny Smith was the only one with the energy to laugh at her. Applejack and her siblings were in the same boat.
"Oh, I don't feel so good." Applebloom groaned, her yellow coat taking a greenish hue.
"Oh, don't you be quitten' on us now! We're only halfway through!" Granny Smith proclaimed.
"You know, you could save this food for later. Save yourselves having to cook dinner tomorrow for a week." Twilight suggested.
"Ha! Nonsense! Everypony knows apple pie is best when it's fresh." Granny Smith proudly proclaimed before grabbing another full pie.
"Yes bu-" Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Save yer breath Twi...Granny Smith ain't never had leftovers since she was my age. She thinks it offends the appl-oop!" Applejack tried to hold her manners but let out a thunderous belch that Twilight's burp sound cute by comparison.
"HOOOO-WEE!! THERE'S AN APPLE!!!" Granny Smith shouted while throwing the empty pie pan into the air and cackling like a witch.
The festivities(torture) paused when the door to the Apple Family kitchen opened. Luna walked in with a haunted expression and sat down in her reserved seat at Granny Smith's side without a single word.
Everypony watched her stare at the pie in front of her for all of two minutes before Twilight broke the silence. "...Princess...are you okay?"
Luna looked up to regard her, silent as a grave.
Granny Smith sighed. "Ya can't help him, can ya."
Luna looked back at the pie and finally. "...I...I could. I could repair his mind and bring him to his senses...but he would destroy us if I did."
It was Applejack's turn to sigh. "So he's a villain then?"
Luna kept looking at the pie. Examining it as though the glaze upon it's crust were a crystal ball that held the answers. "...not...exactly. Thousands of years ago, his people suffered a great tragedy, and every thinking species in the galaxy took advantage of their vulnerability...even those that had been their allies."
Silence dominated the room. The apple family had completely forgotten their feast and Twilight was on the verge of a heart attack, yet no one spoke.
Luna smacked her lips and continued. "It's possible that there were some who meant their proposals of Friendship, but they had arrived too late...the Imperium of Man was built on panicked paranoia and righteous fury...I cannot say our people wouldn't have done the same in their place."
"...So...we're just gonna leave him like that?" Applebloom asked.
"...I found a way to put him to sleep. His kind can sleep for centuries if they are left undisturbed. We shall move him to a secluded area in Canterlot Castle under armed guard to ensure he never awakens." Luna stated.
"WHAT!?" Twilight shouted. "Forgive my bluntness Princess Luna, but isn't that a little extreme!? We can just take him out of his tank!"
"...No, we can't." Luna explained what she had learned about the tank, the Dreadnought, and by her explanation's end, Granny Smith was the only one who spoke. "...somepony show me how ta store half eaten food...we'll finish this meal tomorrow."
Author's Note
I'll admit, this story is progressing faster than I thought it would. I went into this thinking I would write 10 chapters, now I'm somewhere between 6 and 8.
An idea is beginning to form for how to rewrite Grimdark 6 Vol. 3, but before I do that, after I finish Scars of War, I want to make a change to Vol.1 that's been bothering me for a while...one that's probably going to have a subtle ripple effect throughout both Volumes that I'll have to edit, but will ultimately make Volume 1 a better experience for new readers.
Beyond that, I must once again apologize for taking so long between chapters. I'm grinding at work, and there's going to be a major upset to my daily schedule in September.
I'm definitely going to be done with Scars of War before then, but I might wait until the boat stops rocking before I start writing again, and I have no idea when that'll be.
That's it for my update, leave your thoughts in the comments below, and I'll see you all next time.
Three days had passed. Audius had believed he had left his sister's family behind and returned to his infinite wars against countless threats to his people. Luna had ordered his chambers to be constructed at a lightning pace and quickly eased the Dreadnought into slumber.
Now she stared at the lifeless machine watching for the subtle signs of movement that organic beings showed as they slept. There was nothing, and that was both unnerving and relieving.
"...are you sure this is all we can do?" Luna suppressed her shock. She hadn't realized her sister had entered the chamber.
She shook herself to unruffle her feathers. "Yes sister, you did not see the horrors that have shaped his worldview. This creature's ancestors were betrayed by all that were not of their own race, and then his Chapter was betrayed by the Imperium they served. He would never trust us, he would die before allowing us to help him."
Celestia could hardly fathom such a thing, but knew that her sister would never fabricate such a story. "...Very well, I trust your judgment. Hopefully this 'Audius' will be able to find peace."
Years passed, and only Princess Luna continued to interact with the dormant Dreadnought. Twilight Sparkle and her friends continued their adventures and faced new dangers, but not even the invasion of the Storm King was great enough for Luna to consider stirring Audius from his slumber.
And so, his story ended.
Author's Note
Yeah, I'm sure you can guess this wasn't meant to be the ending. The original plan was for King Sombra to turn up and enslave Audius through his fear, only for Luna to break the spell by repairing his mind(seeing a pissed off Dreadnought as less dangerous than a brainwashed one)
Sombra would use an OC power to transform into Tyberos, Audius would get centuries worth of therapy out of beating his ass, and then he would sleep forever.
The reason I'm scrapping that(for the time being) is because work threw me a curveball and transferred me to a new plant with less than a quarter of the workforce I was in, so instead of having to put the same parts over and over, I have to learn how to do three other jobs on top of it.
Add this to the fact that I'm moving four states in September, and I just need writing anything on hold for a hot minute...It might be several months, or even 2023, before I put a pen to paper again.
When I do, it's either going to Grimdark 6 Vol. 3, or the Lion's Heresy...or something entirely different.
My mother recently bought a drawing tablet(that's waiting for me in Alabama) and I'm planning to learn how to do fanart. While I will be doing drawings of my OCs and such for free. I've decided to try and escape the work force by taking a page out of Majorkill's book and drawing hentai for a patreon page.
So, that's where my head's at right now. Just gotta grind for two more months, then I can move out of Employee Housing back down and buy a car(I'm up north because Alabama doesn't believe in Ubers) and then I can get a local job until I don't need it anymore(if I'm lucky)
Welp, here's hoping I see you all sooner rather than later...hope you all enjoyed the fic.
