Harmony at Mind

Chapters

Standing at the Gates
Manehattan
The Meeting of Minds part 1
Meeting of the Minds part 2
The Predecessor
Old Times
A Change in Position
"Cruelty has A Human Heart"-Iron Maiden, Paschendale
Union Restored

Standing at the Gates

The Black Library, it is a tomb of forbidden knowledge. It casts a pervading shadow in the Realm of Chaos. The only living beings ever to have seen the inside are the Eldar Harlequins. Even then, they only have so much knowledge of the Library’s cache of knowledge. The architecture of the facility is much like that of an Eldar Craftworld. On its exterior surface crawls the horrors of the Warp, greater and lesser daemons litter it’s walls trying to claw their way in, but it is in vain. Within, a silent complex constituted of vast chambers containing hundreds of thousands of bookshelves, scrolls, artifacts, all untouched since the fall of the Eldar.

To get into the Black Library, one must be either a Harlequin or blow through the Eldritch gates guarded by the Wraithlords and various immaterial guardians. On one of the landing ports extruding from the facility stood a cabal of thirty-one sorcerers. Blue was their color and on their right shoulders was marked with the ouroboros. All of them with over ten-thousand years of experience in the Warp craft. They were the Thousand Sons. At the head of the cabal known within the legion as the Prodigal Sons was Ahzek Ahriman, former Chief Librarian of the Emperor’s fifteenth legion.

Ahriman hadn’t much in his life anymore, his childhood, taken from him over ten-millenia ago. His honor, erased with that of his Primarch Magnus the Red, and he was exiled from his legion. Living one bitter day just to see the next for ten thousand years. This had made him a godly warrior and a great conspirator of Tzeentch. A ghost of his former self, he is about to achieve his dream: salvation.

Today the daemons fought with the Wraithguard, occupying them, buying time for an infiltration at minimal cost of lives.The cabal stood before the gates, knowing what had to be done.

“Combine our forces and we can take this gate down, You two make a shield to protect us.” said Ahriman.

All the sorcerers stood as a circle, except ten who maintained a shield for when the gates detonated. Their armored hands reached out channeling Warp energy through them. A bright ball of blue light glew within the black ‘kine shield so that nobody on the outside could witness them, if there were any, they were alone. After a minute the energy ball grew to the size of a fully armored Astartes.

“Now!” shouted Ahriman, and the ball flew forth striking the door. Arcane metals fragmented and fell of the landing pad into the Warp currents below. The group proceeded on in silence. Alas, they made it to nirvana. They scanned the room, nothing but a few auspex ghosts.

The search began for tomes of wisdom and cogitator for the library so that the integrated defenses could be used against the Eldar guards. A great variety of books were found, an astounding one covered the various uses and techniques for making and plotting warp rifts, it was called the Aperium Necromundae. Another surprised the cabal, it was a tome written on various dimensions other than the Warp, worlds conceived in the wake of man in spite humanity’s oppressive and violent nature. It dated back to before the Fall.

The Sorcerer Acheron strolled along the shelves labeled Black Voids. He was to gather as many texts and bring them to the central control room with the other members of the cabal. Something caught his eye: a golden book titled The Divine Beyond. He picked it up and read, the fires in his blackened heart grew brighter as he scanned each word.

“Ahriman! Ahriman! I have found it!” he shouted as he ran with it to the control center.

“What, boy? Another scroll? We have many. Just let me see it.” responded the miserable sorcerer.

Acheron handed the tome over to Ahriman who inspected with great uncertainty, the years were not kind to his eyes, he has seen things that would make YOU die if YOU saw them.

“Ahh, superb young student, one thing I see as interesting is a rubric that could take us to a world opposite of ours, a land of salvation and great wisdoms.” said Ahriman.

The cabal finally activated the defense systems, the Wraithguard vanished in plumes of fire and another foe enroached upon the facility.

Space Wolves 13th Company

Under The Wolf KIng

The Wolf King stood on a drifting mass near the Black Library, fortunately it had appeared here so that he could smite the Sons of Prospero after what had happened on Fenris, he had heard. Behind him stood a thousand Wolves ready for combat. He summoned them here after killing a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, using its eye as a beacon. Finally he could avenge the previous Grand Master.

“Brothers,” he began, “today we will take the head of Ahzek Ahriman.” The name itself burned his lips. He continued, “Remember the killing of our brothersr, we’ll avenge him. You’ve learned about that sorcerer on Fenris, haven’t you all? Well? Answer me!”

They shouted back in unison, “Aye lord!”

“Then go! Show them the Emperor’s wrath! Go my brothers!” yelled Russ.

The whole company ran forward, jumping onto the landing pad, the entrance was already cleared. They didn’t need vehicles for this mission, but they brought them along instead, Emperor knew what the Prodigal sons could do. Armored support went in first. Since they were in the Warp, Land Speeders and Jetbikes were used, all annointed and modified for this mission. Once in they were in a kilometer long hallway filled with relics of yore and they were met by a barrage of gauss fire from emplaced turrets, they began to fight.

“Lord Ahriman, the Space Wolves have breached the walls, they are led by Leman Russ, we must leave!” exclaimed the sorcerer Calisto.

“All right you fucks! Come here and help me with this portal, it’ll be a few minutes. Calisto Acheron, rest of Phoenix squad, defend this point, and take as many books as you can!” commanded Ahriman.

They did as he swore and well, a chest was brought up and placed before Ahriman for all the books. After a few minutes the 13th broke through the turrets and the ‘kine shields were all that protected the Cabal and the portal finally opened, it glew like the sun!

“Let’s go dammit! Grab the chest, I can only keep this for a few minutes!” said the former Chief Librarian. The cabal jumped through the portal blind firing a few bolts and lightning chains at the Grey Knights as the Rapotrae psykers retreated into the portal.

The portal then closed.

They were on a new world. Teeming with life in contrast to the gritty bedlam of the 41st millenium. The cabal landed in a strange place, the creatures that lived here were...horses? Yes, they were, many multi-colored horses ranging from the mythological pegasi of ancient Terran mythology, to a simple naked horse, having colors like teal, to colors more exotic like magenta. Apparently, the equines were human-like capable of building complex structures like the castle they stood within.

Now they faced a white horse and a nova blue one, they wore crowns, must mean they were rulers. Ah! This was a throne room, yes! Finally.

The white one spoke, “What in the sun’s name are you?!”

“Well, I am Ahzek Ahriman, sorcerer of the Thousand Sons.” A grin formed beneath his helmet.

…

Manehattan

The Arrival

Princess Celestia watched as the visitor spoke, for an alien, he spoke with years of wise consul. The alien called Ahriman began to flicker, so did the rest of them, their weapons now pointed at the guards. And they flickered, and soon they vanished into thin air. One moment they were introducing themselves the next moment they’re gone. How could this be?

She called the nearest guard, “Guard, send for a search party to find these bizarre creatures, I want to know more about them.But make sure nobody else other than the Element Bearers know about this anomaly, all right?”

“Yes your majesty.” he replied.

Then and there a search party was sent off to look for the Thousand Sons. You might be wondering where they ended up, well, that question is easy to answer. It’s a safe place.

Somewhere outside Ponyville

Ahriman landed with a thud on the dirt. His insides felt like they were liquified poured out and put back in. Gladly, he arose, seeing something off in the distance, it was a settlement. Finally, he had arrived in paradise, a long needed paradise, really. He arose, the motorized joints of his armor whirring clicking back to life. So were the others arising.

“Gather yourselves, there’s something...off to the north, looks like a settlement. Speaking of regathering, do we still have the cargo?” he asked.

There was no answer, instead a crate was placed before him.

He thought, normally these guys are eager to learn and follow me like sheep to sheperd but what makes them so docile today? Perhaps its the alien world, the peace and the horses, must seem to them that my true intentions are not clear, even after ALL THESE MILLENIA! Or perhaps it’s the instant teleportation, eh, it always throws people off.

“All right, let’s move out, no doubt they’ll send a search party after us.” said Ahriman.

The cabal moved onward like a steam train, a great contrast in the Equestrian plains. Predatory animals made way for them, nothing dared attack them. A few merchant carts stopped by, all of them dropped dead in fear of the sorcerers. After about an hour something was learned: there were three kinds of these aliens, a kind that flew like pegasi, things with a single horn: unicorn, and the standard naked horse.

Soon, the settlement was in sight, just a hundred meters, a wooden sign read:

Welcome to Manehattan

Population: 45,200

“Brother Acheron,” said Jacopo, another sorcerer, “how do you think the residents will react to us? For we were warriors trained to forge interstellar empires, I do not think any xeno on this world knows war.”

Acheron responded, “Well, can’t we all change our forms, after all, there are many Pavoni amongst us. Say, greet them, then some of us will morph into their form, watch this.”

Acheron’s hand began to quiver as if about to burst, blood began to seep from it, the skin slowly disconnected from the muscle. Then the muscle trembled and fell off like a scab. Revealed was a blue hoof!

“Wha! Well, actually you’re a Pavoni so I guess you can do that with ease.” said Jacopo.

Soon the forms of the ponies appeared, they still had the element of surprise. Ahriman stopped. So did the rest. He turned around and said. “These creatures are not going to cooperate if we go in like this. So, we all know how to do Pavoni spells, right? Well, we go in to the village,er...city in their anatomies, you all think that’s good? Good.”

The cabal exchanged worried glances under their helms. And they did as he indirectly instructed. All of them morphed into ponies. They shared a similar stature. They were all unicorns. On their flanks were the ouroboros. But Ahriman had a blazing sun on his right. Their eyes black as night, and power and intellect beyond measure, they proceeded.

Indeed it was a city, somewhat like a pre-heresy Imperial spaceport. The streets were hustling and bustling and the ponies went about their business. As if by instinct, the cabal knew where to go, the city hall where the mayor dwelled. This was going to be like another campaign during the Great Crusade. They proceeded onward to town hall, ignoring the fearful glances of citizens. Off in the distance there was a shipyard, obviously it was a port city.

At the city hall, they met the mayor, a young mare going by the name of Ginger Grace.

“So, you guys are not from here, what can I help you with?” she asked.

Ahzek Ahriman said, “The two rulers of this land where are they, and could you arrange some transportation to the city where they live.”

Stunned by the strange pony’s ignorance of his surroundings she replied, “You mean the Princess Celestia and Luna, yes they live up in Canterlot, and YES I could get you and your buddies outside a train ride, all I ask is that you tell me where you’re from.”

“You sure about this, my armor and weapons don’t tell you enough? Very well then. My brothers and I come from a distant land to the east called Prospero, oh it was beautiful green land full of trees, teeming with life. In the population there were a majority of unicorns. One of us, a great one, our king, Magnus the Red, a great ruler. One day strangers arrived, they were from the south a place called Terra, the head of the strangers was known as the Allfather. The Allfather was a godlike being even more powerful than Magnus, who was His long lost son. With the Allfather was an army of super soldiers called the Thousand Sons, I was one of them. Magnus quickly accepted his father and we set about conquering new lands. But then a hundred years later came a Great Betrayal one of the Allfather’s sons, Horus rebelled against him, Magnus attempted to warn the Allfather, but the he suspected Magnus the traitor. And sent Leman Russ, another son to kill off the Thousand Sons. We held out for days in Prospero, they set fire to our land, on the brink of defeat Magnus teleported his whole legion to the moon. But we suffered horrendous mutations on the moon and I came up with a spell that turned most of the Legion into dust and trapped the souls in their armor forever. I saved yet damned the Legion, and so I was sent into exile with my “buddies outside”.” said Ahriman.

“WHEN did this happen?” Grace asked.

“Only a few months ago.” he lied again.

Exchanging glances, Grace led them out the city hall, and had a guard send the sorcerers to the train station. And they were off to Canterlot.

The Meeting of Minds part 1

Chapter 3: Dream Maze

Question: Why do ponies draw carts for other ponies who are riding in those carts?

Ahzek Ahriman stood before the train station. The peace in the facility relaxed his battle senses, and even his precognitive thought. He turned and faced his former brothers. This was where they would bid farewell. Someday they would reunite. This journey into the unknown was his fate. He knew Tzeentch had no power here. This was a different dimension only accessible by lesser beings.

He said, “By brothers, this kind mare has led us here. I am afraid we must depart, this is my destiny, I will go into the grey and do what I have to, I will return, for now scatter, don’t worry about anything.”

One sorcerer exclaimed, “Why are you leaving us? We’ve followed you for ten thousand years. You have given up haven’t you!?”

Ahriman replied, “No, my brother, this is My destiny, just be grateful you’re part of it, I know Tzeentch has no power here so, we HAVE achieved our goal: mastery of the universe. And goodbye my brothers, see you around.”

He boarded the train as hastily as he stated that last sentence. The door shut and that was thought the last time the Prodigal sons would see of Ahriman.

Ginger Grace said, “Wow, looks like he left you for dead...what’s his story?”

1 hour later

The former chief librarian sat on a bench after handing over the ticket. His eyes looked to the sunset. What would happen to the Prodigal sons while on his leave? Would they become a warband? Would they commit suicide? Well, at least he had most of the books memorized during the walk to Manehattan. The reading of scripture was remarkably easy due to his “gifts”.

His new body was still unfamiliar, he didn’t know how to use his tail nor trot. The sunset was beautiful, casting a sight one would only see on Prospero or ancient Terra. He had saved and damned his legion on the Planet of the Sorcerers, but such was the act of Tzeentch, always plotting, even against his own minions. Ahriman was not a pawn.

A tear fell from one of his eyes, nostalgia, his childhood on Terra. Running through the streets with buddies, pulling tricks, and studying in the great Temples of the Achaeminid empire. Sleep took him.

Ahead, there was a street, one paved in permacrete, and here and there were tall buildings. This was his childhood home! His senses picked up something behind him, in the alley way, was it Iswa, and old friend who had lived on the streets? He ran in his pony form to that very alley, running through the various streets and vendors, somehow all the people ignored him. He saw a squad of Thunder Warriors run past, off to their next battle in a distant nation. He found something. It wasn’t Iswa, or Cyrus, nor Phosis. It was a blue horse, with wings and a horn. Looking at it’s eyes it was a mare, with a crescent-moon mark on her flanks.

She was looking around admiring the architecture of Terra during the days of the fifteenth. But suddenly the ground rumbled and the sky turned black and blue, and white, blazing from the warp energies. Chains sprung up from the permacrete, glowing red chains wrapped around her hooves, and around her walls portals, webways appeared. She was stuck in the Maze of Tzeentch!

Ohhh, this is bad, Ahriman thought to himself, even for him this was unknown territory, even though his fate was sealed he began to run off into the nearest entrance.

Princess Luna didn’t know what happened, one moment she was admiring such alien architecture in a stranger’s dream, the next red chains were around her hooves, searing the flesh away. She was dizzy, suffering unbearable pain. Her very head felt as if it were being smashed open like a watermelon.

“Oh, you are a pretty find, I’m surprised I couldn’t foresee our meeting. Tell me, my child what brings you here into my maze?” said a charming voice.

Luna’s eyes finally opened, in front of her was a raven formed creature, blue, wearing robes lined in gold. It’s eyes were an ever-changing color wheel of blue, red, and white.

“Foul daemon! I have no intention of being here, set me free, or I WILL end you!” Luna angrily said.

“My dear child I will free you soon...” said Tzeentch

There was a wind blowing, and her head felt like it was about to implode, tears streamed from her eyes, tears of begging and tears of mercy. She had never felt so violated in her years.

“Farewell, my child.” concluded Tzeentch. And the chains of torment loosened and Luna fell from above her wings were useless, her head throbbed so much that couldn’t even use her magic. She began to black out on the immaterial ground.

When her eyes opened, there was a dark room around her. Was she still alive in the palace? Then there was a shadowy figure before her. It wasn’t that “thing” that had caused her so much suffering. No, it was a helmeted figure, blood red eyes, and horns about the helmet. It wore blue armor emblazoned with taboo symbols, it wore a robe and held a black staff. In its pocket was a book of some sort. It resembled the Book of Harmony, one that Princess Twilight possessed, but instead of an equine skull, there was a blank cover.

“W-w-w-who are you?” she faintly asked.

“My dear, question is who are you to invade my domain?” it asked cheerfully. Odd.

It continued, “since you are my guest, I am Ahzek Ahriman, chief librarian of the THousand Sons. Er... formerly. Now, your turn.”

“All right Ahriman, since you haven’t killed me and are healing me with your magic, we are Princess Luna of Equestria, I rule alongside my sister Celestia.” said Luna.

Ahriman helped her on her onto her hooves.

Ahriman asked, “Well, then how did you get in my dreams?”

“Okay, so I detected a different dream signature on a train heading to Ponyville, so I decided to check it. When I entered that dream, I was here, it is in my duty as nocturnal ruler to watch over my subjects’ dreams.” answered Luna.

“Haven’t I seen you before, this morning in that palace?” he asked.

She replied, “Yes, indeed! You were that armored alien! You look like you are out of place in this land.

“You are correct, could you help me?” said Ahriman.

“Depends on what it is, but We shalt do our best, but I must go.” Luna’s voice began to trail off, “meet me in Can-” there she cut out of Ahriman’s dream realm.

“Shit!” he exclaimed.

He awoke, the train was still moving, and dawn had just broke. And there was a sign at the window.

Ponyville, Population: 689

Ten minutes later he found himself off the train. He could feel his boots on the ground. But no he had no boots for he had taken the form of an equine. In front of him there was an armored horse. After ten millenia of warfare, he recognized that as a guard pony, not a professional soldier like he was, formerly.

“You, sir come with me.” the guard blankly said, his voice had little emotion, what kind of indoctrination was this? He hadn’t met a soldier in ten thousand years as blank as this.

Ahriman reluctantly went with the guard although he could have taken out the whole town himself, this was his fate, and Tzeentch once again was now upon him.

After walking with the guard he had found himself on a carriage, drawn by a few other guards themselves. What in the Warp was this madness!?

Second chance to explore this new world blown, shit. Now he was on a second transition.

“My good sir, where exactly are we going?” Ahriman asked.

“Canterlot, the Princesses request you, some sort of interview they want, hell if I really knew.” he replied.

“Another question, why is this cab drawn by others of our kind?” he asked again.

“What, you’ve never seen a cab before, the only other alternative is flying, and we don’t have wings.” said the guardpony.

Aach! Ahriman thought to himself. How primitive are these creatures, surely, I pity them for their lack of technology. I guess I’ll have to do something about.

Meeting of the Minds part 2

Chapter 4

Ahriman thought for a bit. Maybe he should enjoy his stay. And besides if you had to stay, make a good first impression. After all, this was the first time meeting the alicorns.

“Guard, stop for a moment, you said you would rather fly?” asked Ahzek.

“Yeah, sir, I did, we ALL do.” he replied.

The former chief librarian called at the Warp. It’s raw energy engulfed the guard squad. They screamed in indistinguishable pain. He could see blue and gold wings coming out of their backs right through the muscle and bones. He smiled.

“What did you do?!” asked an angry guard.

“Oh, my boy, look at your friends, they all have wings now, you do too, and be thankful, this kind of thing isn’t easy, those wings will fly you higher and faster than anything else on this planet. You’ll like the way you fly, I guarantee it.” Ahriman said.

He continued, “Go on, try out your new limbs.” Their backsides were still bloodied, they trusted him looking around at their comrades. The flapped their wings, they worked fine.

“After what you just put us through, these wings better work.” said a guard. All the others surely agreed with that statement.

They took off with so much speed and power that even Ahriman was startled. They went at amazing speeds that Ahriman had clocked at 602.23mph. They were going off course, but they were enjoying themselves.

After an hour, the sun was high in heaven. At some point, Ahriman spotted a cyan flyer. HOLY SHIT! The chaise smashed into it at 455.2mph. Ahzek knew that’d someone would get hurt. There was no heartbeat when they arrived at the body. Further examination showed it was a mare with lightning marks on each flank.

“Oh shit, thats one of the element bearers!” exclaimed the head guard. One other came up and took him by the hoof.

He said, “We should bury her corpse, they’ll never find it! And maybe we could get magic horse here to do something.”

The whole squad turned to Ahzek, their faces fearful and unsure. He thought for a moment, what would Hathor Maat do? Well, Hathor was a pavoni. Why, indeed he could resurrect her. Just like Garm, where the Thousand Sons brought back their dead.

Warp energy went about Ahriman, his eyes glowed like the sun. And the energy surrounded the corpse. Soon there was breathing, a faint breath, but it was there. It was alive. Ahriman quickly finished the ritual and plopped her back on the ground as soon as he was sure.

“Come on, let’s get the fuck outta here before anyone sees!” exclaimed Ahzek. The guards agreed and got back on the chaise.

Dash awoke, she was well, apparently in a field near a road. That was a strange dream, must have dozed off while flying. In the dream she’d been hit dead by a squad of royal guards with blue wings. In it she died and came back three days later. Only Celestia knew what that was all about.

There were no trumpets to announce their arrival. It was silent as night. He saw the streets filled with fancy markets, a smell of lavender and honey overtook him. The city was an assortment of colors from white to purple to magenta, to orange. Just like home. Busy ponies went about, it was a city of light, similar to Tizca before the Wolves came. There were towers lined with silver and gold. And foals merrily traveled the streets carefree. He missed those days back on Terra with his friends and family.

They finally landed at the castle. There were smiles on every guard he had been with. Manners, courtesy, a long forgotten custom. Now was the time to bring them back.

“May I ask for your names?” Ahzek inquired.

The guard captain smiled and said, “Wow, nobody has ever asked for our names before, they just come and go. Since you asked, I’m Tyco, this here’s Burns, Sponson, and Spades.”

“Then thank you, Tyco, Burns, Sponson, Spades for the ride.” said Ahriman.

“No Thank You, you blessed us with wings, and you’re the most humble pony we know to date. We’ll always remember you, if you ever need help, come to us.” said Tyco.

“Well, then, goodbye, and have a nice day.” concluded Ahriman.

The guard squad flew off. Just that moment the 3 meter doors of the castle swung open like those of an Imperial chapel. Two figures stepped from the doorway, their forms so beautiful and majestic that Ahriman entered the tenth Enumeration to avoid being seduced by such grace.

The one to the left he recognized from that dream encounter. To have entered a dream would have meant she was a psyker that had some knowledge of the Great Ocean. The one one to his right was physically larger, white coat with an ever moving mane of green, pink, and blue. She spoke.

“Greetings, Ahzek,” she said with some doubt in her tone, he could not tell, “I am Celestia, and you’ve already met Luna, I assume.”

“Yes, indeed I have, and she is your sister, or cousin judging by the way you two walk.” he said.

Celestia made nod, and pointed her head back to the door, “Come on, we’ve been dying to meet you in person.” she said with a quirky expression on her face.

They entered the castle, a grand casting of building materials, the floor itself resembled the stuff of those alien titans on Aghoru.

Through the hallways of castle there were pedestals mounted with relics of ages lost. At last they came to a room splendid in color, a vast array of banners hung from the walls, marking past victories.

They sat down. “So, Ahriman, we would like to know how you got here ?” asked Celestia, as a servant brought her and her sister some tea.

“That’s a tale worth telling,” said Ahriman as another servant brought him a baked potato. The tale began with his memories of Terra, then his induction into the fifteenth legion. After a boring description of the Great Crusade and Aghoru, and his secondment with the Word Bearers. He also told of the twenty legions. Finally the tragic events of Prospero, and the millenia after.

“Well, that’s how I got here.” finished Ahriman.

“That’s it then,” said Celestia, she pulled a watch out of her, well, that would remain a mystery for the rest of his days, “shall we go for a walk then ?”

They exited the room refreshed and with a better understanding of each other. They strolled and proceeded to a balcony garden. There was a variety of fruit bearing trees one of which was a fig tree.

“May I ?” asked Ahriman.

Luna gave an approving nod.

The first fig in ten thousand years brought a tear to his eye, he ate the rest whole, remembering the laughter in the gardens and parks in Tizca.

After taking in a view of the garden and the landscape below, they went back into the palace where weary looks were cast on Ahriman, for he had taken a form similar to that of Luna’s, his only pupil dilated, where the other pupil should have been was a golden oak leaf in a white eyeball. The marks on his flanks that had been there this morning were gone, leaving his flanks blank.

It was late afternoon, they had walked to another balcony, this one plain and in the middle was sigil, sun and moon in perfect harmony.

“What now ?,” asked Ahriman, as the moon princess positioned herself on the dais.

“On this world, my sister Celly and I raise the sun and moon to bring day and night. We’ve been doing this for thousands of years keeping a harmonic balance.” she said.

“Well then, Luna, let me do this one.” said Ahriman.

“You, have you ever done anything like this before? We’re the only two in Equestria that can do something even close to this, what makes you think you can raise the moon?” said Luna.

“I once cast a spell that killed a thousand of my brothers, turned their bodies into ash and trapped their souls inside their armor, turning them into automatons, that day blue lightning surrounded an entire planet and struck down every Thousand Son, my spell was called The Rubric. I insist.” replied Ahriman.

“If you insist, Ahriman, let’s see what you can do.” said Luna.

Ahriman stepped up to the dais. He entered the sixth Enumeration, Aeatpio, his Tutelary came to him to guide. He could see the Great Ocean, it’s currents violent as always but could be controlled, a kaleidoscope of colors unknown to mortal eyes. He kneeled in his equine form, how uncomfortable that was. There was a moon in his aether sight. The strain on his mind was so great the pain unbearable even by Astartes standards. But he could see it, the moon was rising. It kept rising and straining until the predators of the Great Ocean sensed his presence. They were nearing him. The moon was just almost in the right position, it was as bright as the Astronomican. The first of the predators pounced on Ahriman, sinking its immaterial claws into his skin, blood ran, but this was not blood, this was the stuff of the Primordial Creator. He shook it off. The next pounced. It clawed at him, tearing his flesh to ribbons, but the moon was nearly in place just a little longer.

With the last of his energy, he jerked the moon up, the deed was done. The moon was in place, but the predators were still on him. He snapped out of the Great Ocean, this time he hadn’t help from Othere, but thankfully he lived. He could see the material universe again. And the task was done. He was on the ground though. Celestia and Luna towered over him like Magnus had.

“You actually did it !” exclaimed Luna.

“When I cast The Rubric, I had three others helping me, they are here on this world, I came here with thirty other sorcerers.” said Ahriman weakly.

They helped Ahriman up, he was weak after that. A guard squad came and escorted him to a chamber. In it was a bed, quite nice compared to anything he’d ever slept on. At the door.

“Well, I guess it’s good night Ahriman, we’ll see you in the morning, rest now. We’ll talk more in the morning.” said Celestia.

“Good night to you both then, thank you for the room, I haven’t slept in one of these in thousands of years.” said Ahriman.

After Ahriman entered the room and the door was shut, the sisters went to their posts, Celly to her chambers, and Luna to the throne. The night went on.......

The Predecessor

Chapter 5

A New Life/Brothers/M31

In the throne room

“Sister, I’ve been wondering what we should do with Ahriman. We could help him return home, but that seems like a horrible idea, you know, a universe of torment. But he looks like he could do some good here in Equestria. Do you think he and his friends could live here with us ?” asked Luna.

“Huh, that’s a tough decision, but since he is such a pony, he could stay here and his friends could too, they could use their powers for good, just like what happened with Discord. You remember that don’t you, Luna ? Also my student could learn a lot from him. H-he’s older than both of us combined, I mean he raised the moon tonight, never seen a pony do that. But yeah I say he can live here.” said Celestia.

“That’s good, but what would he do for us, he needs a job, he’s been running around a galaxy for ten thousand years, we could always make him head of the army, he told us he was high rank in his legion, and he was well-known in others.” said Luna, hesitantly.

“I’m sure he’s tired of ten thousand years of warfare, he told us about some cruel things he’s done, let’s give him some redemption, maybe make him and his friends our advisors, magi, or maybe we could just ask him in the morning. said Celestia.

“Well, good night, sis.”said Celestia.

“Good night, Celly.”

Celestia proceeded out of the room into her chambers. She thought about their new visitor, since there was one, would more be coming? In another room, Ahriman slept soundly. He dreamt.

M31 Prospero

Magnus the Red, Primarch of the fifteenth legion stared out into the lush wilderness of forests and plains from the Great Library on Prospero. Thirty years ago the Emperor of Mankind, his blood father had descended on Prospero with the Thousand Sons, quite literally, for when they arrived, only a thousand went planetside, Magnus had asked in the Tizca’s central plaza, “Is the rest of the Legion in orbit ?”. And the Emperor replied, “My son, Magnus, that your entire Legion, they are dying from the Flesh-Change.” At that moment Magnus realized his Legion would be gone within a generation if he did not intervene.

That night he rose into the Enumerations, going into the Great Ocean farther than he ever did. There were countless predators in the Great Ocean, but they all made way for Magnus . He found no answers that night. Nor did the next night nor the one after that. Days turned into weeks, then into months, and months into years.

Throughout his journeys into the Great Ocean he compiled the Book of Magnus, a tome filled with his thoughts and deeds and discoveries. One particular entry within it described a third dimension parallel to this one, where light was the ruler and darkness was a distant memory. Where the people lived in peace. One such ruler he had only caught a glimpse of. It was a being of white light, and a motherly aura. He had entered its world in astral form. A place where the inhabitants were ruled by her and her midnight twin ? This was an ideal Imperium. As he explored through the land he realized it was one world. There were psykers but they were, only skimming the surface of the Great Ocean. So it acted as an immaterial highway between his dimension and theirs.

The moment his memory ended, Uthizaar came up behind Magnus.

“My Lord, Captain Ohrmuzd has succmubed to the Flesh-Change!” said Uthizaar, as a an Astartes sized stretcher came up beside him, on it was the deformed Captain, Ohrmuzd. Captain Ahriman came up next to the Primarch, he knelt and removed an amulet from the body of his twin brother, a golden oak leaf, and walked walked away. Magnus felt an uneasy feeling in Ahriman’s aura.

“Secure the body aboard the Photep, captain.” said Magnus. And with a nod Uthizaar sent the body way.

A few days later the cure was found. In the process, Magnus had lost his right eye from an overload of psychic energy, but the skin around it was restored. But that was a small price to pay, compared to an entire Astartes Legion. Magnus called for the remaining Legionaries, about nine hundred in the central plaza, where he cast a rubric that ended the nightmare that was the Flesh Change, now they could rejoin the Emperor in the Great Crusade.

The night before departure for the galaxy, he stood in his quarters, and entered the Great Ocean, back to the third dimension. This time he took with him a artifact if ever stumbled on by any Legionary, in the case of Legion corruption, and Prospero’s fall, instructions on what actions to take. And this time also, the alien of white light appeared again, it saw him first. It frightened and went away. He sought after it, and found it in an cave. Magnus yielded. He stood on even ground, obviously she had no understanding of the Great Ocean.

“I mean you no harm, I am here to secure a place for my sons in case they fall from grace.” he said.

Suddenly, the white being came forth. It was a foal, it spoke!

“Mister, why would you do such a thing ?”said it.

“Well, little one, there are bad things that can happen, and if they do, I can try to fix them.” Magnus said with a smile.

He produced the instructions, a tome similar to the Book of Magnus to the foal. He sensed great things for this one. He saw a moon, a sun, and a star. Exile, victory, and love.

“Take this book, read it, keep it safe, never lose it. Its really important, but I have to go now, my sons need me.” he said. And he left the third, back onto Prospero.

Princess Celestia awoke, a smile on her lips. The giant that had spoke to her when she was a foal. The Book of Harmony. The leather bound book given to Twilight. Could Ahriman be?

The next morning, Ahriman awoke from , hooves still sore, but good enough, last night a succubus had attacked him, by the name Molestia, oh well. He, brushed his teeth, now a new experience, no hands, hooves, and took a shower. And headed out to meet Celestia. She was already waiting at the door.

“Waaaggh!” he exclaimed.

“Good morning Ahriman, good sleep?” she said.

“Haven’t slept like that in years, how are you this morning?” he replied.

With a head gesture, Celestia lead him to the dining hall where they enjoyed a decent breakfast. Ahriman ate little, for his Astartes physiology, didn’t need much. Afterwards, they went for a walk in the botanical gardens.

“Now, I have a proposition for you, Ahriman, eh, what was it, oh yeah, since you’re living here would you like to serve as a royal advisor, you said last night that your brothers came as well, my sister and I have openings for government jobs available, you’ll get good pay and good insurance. Hay, you might just make some friends. So what do think ? You want the job?” asked Celestia.

“Well, after c-cenuries of that shitstorm you call the Imperium, sure. And my brothers, Acheron, Maat, T’kar, and the rest will they be taken care of?” he said.

“They will, we could learn much from each other, I mean, you do understand technology better than us, so we could learn from you, and I have a student, she was recently coronated as a princess, turned an alicorn. Will you be her mentor, I believe you possess skill in magic beyond my understanding.” said Celestia as they went back into the castle.

“Pardon me, Celestia, but its not magic it is the energy of the Great Ocean you draw upon, a parallel dimension of pure thought driven energy that you and me, psykers, draw upon,and from what I’ve seen, you’ve only skimmed the surface. But I’m willing to teach your student, it is good to teach, maybe next next thing you know, the ponies will start performing genocide of all the unicorns. But seriously, the stuff I teach is dark stuff, vile enough to make a pony insane at glance.” said Ahriman.

“Well then, under my order you are now officially a royal advisor.” said Celestia. She touched her horn against his, not a wanton gesture, but one that was performed with the horse-mounted warriors of ancient Europa as they rose into their ranks as an initiate.

Upon arrival, Ahriman had foregone his armor and weapons, but now he was a government official, he summoned his Black Staff, and Book of Magnus, it clipped onto a chain attached to his side, a necklace with a gold oak leaf appeared on him. And his blue helmet slid on his head, the eye slits casting a red glow, and the rest of his armor came together to make a shape similar to his original suit. He looked fearsome in the suit, and intellectual as well.

“Since, we’re here, let’s find my brothers. I'm sure they're still in Manehattan." he said.

"Before we do that, let's meet Princess Twilight, she will be your new student.” says Celestia.

Something struck him: Lemuel Gaumon. That pudgy remembrancer that he had trained on Prospero under orders of the Primarch. Hopefully Twilight, whoever this was would fare better.

“I’ll teleport us there, its much faster than taking a carriage.” said Ahriman.

“You can do that?” she exclaimed.

“Yes, but steel your mind, there are many predators in the Great Ocean that will feast on your soul, I’m assuming you’ve only skimmed the Great Ocean, at that level, there are no predators, go deeper, you’ll die if you don’t have mental discipline.” he replied.

“Then do it, lets see.” Celestia said, with mocking tone.

Suddenly, a storm of winds of unknowable colors surrounded them. In an instant, she was in a void, a swirling current of colors, images flashed in her mind, images of war, slaughter, possession, lust, and death, and despair. She saw creatures similar to Ahriman, fighting on thousands, no, millions of battlefields across a red galaxy.

Dead children, daemonic incursion, and oceans of corpses, and a myriad of unthinkable atrocities. At the center a golden light.

“Celestia, over here.” said Ahriman.

She turned and saw a dark blue haze, that was Ahriman? No this was his soul. It was bleak, for a person so friendly, this an anomaly. Maybe he had been bright at some point, but he certainly wasn’t now.

A bright light cast over her. She was in Ponyville. The teleportation was a success. She was translated back into reality. Beside her was Ahriman. They were in Twilight’s library, a crown sitting on a table in a corner. And a book, on the cover was emblazoned a horse head.

A purple mare scurried down the stairs, she had heard the incursion. On her head was a horn, and on her sides were wings. She looked just like Celestia. And beside her was a dragon, purple, and green.

“Princess! I didn’t know you were coming, so what brings you here?” she said. So, this was Twilight. Fearful, yes. But telling by the alicorn physique, she was a capable psyker. She was capable, but completely ignorant.

“Twilight,” Celestia said as she hugged her student, “this stallion right here is Ahzek Ahriman, he’s over ten thousand years old, he has a lot more knowledge about magic, or the Great Ocean as he calls it than any of us. Luna, and I found him couple days ago, thought I could hand you over to him.”

A worried look appeared on Twilight’s face, sadness, or fear, Ahriman could not tell, but one thing he did know was that her spirit was as bright as the most potent of Imperial psykers. It was a purple and blue aura of hope in the Aether.

“Princess, does that mean I won’t be your student anymore?” she asked.

“Twilight, you’ll still be, but not in the same way as before.” replied Celestia.

She turned and said, “My name is Twilight Sparkle, and you must be Ahzek Ahriman.”

She continued, eyeing the power armor, and the Book of Magnus

“So you’re my new teacher, huh.” she said.

The trio sat down for lunch at the town cafe. The Mane 6 all came. Perhaps Twilight summoned them. It was a large metal table, good for torture. A waiter brought them all food. And they talked. And by the way, it was Saturday. They’d introduced each other. There was Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy the introvert, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie the sanghoma.

“So there I was at the Black Library with brothers, we were ambushed and teleported here. I told them to scatter in Manehattan and........” he began.

“That’s how I’m here, eating lunch with you guys.” he finished.

They were silent. That was a vile tale. No pony could have ever thought such an elaborate scheme. Silent then and the train journey to Manehattan, he could not teleport that many bodies at once, if he did, he would have been exhausted. And so began the search.

Old Times

Chapter 7

Old Times

Several Months had passed since the arrival of Ahzek Ahriman and his cabal to Equestria. In the time passing, they had regained some health lost in the bitter millenia and were as vivacious as during the legendary days of the Great Crusade. The sun shone as brightly as ever and the moon rose and fell with the almost machine like wiles of the Elements of Harmony.

It was a warm summer day in Canterlot, at the center of the city in Harmony Plaza, there was a red tent set up. It bore no marks. Inside it was a mahogany table and seated around it were two ponies. One was a midnight blue unicorn with a crescent eye cutie mark, while a lavender alicorn sat on the other side. And there house of cards.

“Try again, this time, focus on the currents of the Great Ocean, you must be able to draw meaning from the meaningless.” said Ahriman as he built again, a house of cards with immortal precision.

“All right,” said Twilight as she closed her eyes and again the house fell. Using her magic, she picked up a card midair.

“Which card?” asked Ahzek.

“Despoiler, and I thought Emperor’s Throne.” said Twilight, “This is impossible.”

“It is possible, I tried it it with one of my old students, eventually it worked with him, but he could never finish his training due to a coming war, he is dead. Believe me, it was this hard when I started training, you can’t master this in a couple of days, it takes lifetimes of work, I’ll show you.”

Ahriman built up a house of cards again, and said, “God-Emperor”, and Twilight knocked the cards over. A card fell onto his hoof, it showed a being towering above an army armored giants, shadowed by a golden figure wreathed in light. Ahriman smiled, “The God-Emperor, it isn’t so hard when you’ve got it , you’ll get it eventually, so have the rest of the day off.”

As Twilight flew off to Ponyville to see her friends, he picked up his tent and table, setting them in his quarters within the castle. The others had received rooms as well, but the Rubicae had been tasked with training the Equestrian army and were therefore assigned command barracks. He hadn’t spoken to the Rubric Marines in a month, he found them training with their swords with at least six dozen royal guards watching their inhuman skills in action. Now, they went all about the barracks, some marines were meditating, others were training such as the former.

Ahriman identified one of the royal guards as Sponson. “Hey, Sponson, how long have they been at that?” he asked.

“About two weeks, Ahriman, this is some record, it started one day when those two were meditating, all of a sudden they just up swords and began to fight, I’ve seen veteran guards go at it for hours, but for nearly half a month without stopping, that’s a feat.”

“Well, all of us were super-soldiers, trained from childhood to be near demigod soldiers sent out to conquer the stars, but that’s a tale for another time.” Ahriman said.

“You need anything, friend?” Sponson asked.

“Oh, I don’t need anything, thanks for asking though.” he replied.

Ahriman left the barracks, entering the castle and its marble hallways. Luna had once told him about the caverns beneath the castle, and how the Changelings had once imprisoned Cadence within and Twilight had freed her. It used to be a mine for crystals but now it was said to be haunted by ghosts of those who died during cave-ins. The problem was that it didn’t fit the setting of Equestria, something fit for the Diamond Dog tunnels, or the Griffon Kingdoms, but this was offsetting. As much as he wanted to investigate, Twilight Sparkle, he had to be her mentor and a royal advisor.

In the passing months he taught Twilight much, but because of the Elements of Harmony, he too, had learned about the magic friendship, now that was a word forgotten in through the ages, no friendships only enemies and slaves, how could Magnus the Red not have noticed Equestria in the Great Ocean. the Horus Heresy could have been prevented.

The Horus Heresy, Prospero, the starting point came from Magnus, he could have not contacted the Emperor, but then the Heresy would have happened, even though he did, the Heresy did happen. Next chance to prevent the events on Prospero, Magnus could have destroyed Russ’ fleet in orbit, he could have warned his beloved Legion, beloved, a strong word, what love did the Thousand Sons get from Magnus. The answer: none. What love did the Legion get from it’s chief librarian, Ahzek Ahriman, tons, he had saved his legion from mutation, and vowed to restore Prospero to it’s former state, searching the galaxy for answers. Tears came to his helmeted eyes. He had been caught up in his own thoughts to notice he was already in the Canterlot caves. He sat down crying dust in a cave.

He did not know how long he was weeping in the caves, but a warm touch on one pauldrons brought his face up, it was his Ma! How long ago had he forgotten that face, but now he remembered it, its statuesque shape, and her deep burgundy hair! That old memory faded away in a cloud of dust as he saw the face of Luna looking down upon his wracked form. Dust covered his armor, how could it be!

“Let me help you up,” said Luna, “What were you doing down here?”

He got up, “I was going to check out these caves out, you had told me about them, how’d you find me here?”

“I attended some of your sessions with Twilight, learned a few tricks. I sensed you were in despair here in these caves.” she said.

“Well, let’s explore these caves,” said Ahriman as he brought up his Heqa staff in one hoof and his bolter in another.

“I was anticipating that, by the way, your staff is some strange shade of black that messes with one’s mind, I know it’s not natural, but could tell me about that staff.” she asked.

“This, yes,” Ahriman said as they continued on, “it was my symbol of office as the rank of captain, it also conducts the energies of the Great Ocean so I can unleash it on any foe. How it turned black, now it used to be ivory with blue ribbons affixed to it. There was a psyker in another legion, the Space Wolves, 5th company, I remember his name as Othere Wyrdmake. He betrayed me and attacked Propero along with his Legion and Leman Russ. During the battle of Prospero when the fifteenth and fourth clashed, I began to meditate and in the aether, I found his soul, I wrenched it from his body and knocked some sense into him, and fed him to the void hounds, he died like that. When I returned to the physical realm I found my staff had turned black, as my heart had.”

“You killed a friend who had betrayed you, and fed him to the hounds, I remember something like that happening here, my sister, a thousand years ago, ruled with me in harmony, but she hogged all the glory, I became paranoid day by day, my heart grew black, I received no praise for the night I brought. So I set out to wage civil war against my sister and bring about eternal night. I became Nightmare Moon, using the Elements of Harmony, she imprisoned me on the moon for a thousand years.” Luna explained.

“I see, that’s similar to the Horus Heresy, but there was daemonic possession involved, was there?” he asked.

“No, nothing like that, the Nightmare Moon event was nothing compared to your Horus Heresy, makes me look like a naughty foal.” she said.

They continued on, there were tunnels, some were collapsed. After an hour they upon vaulted chamber, it was massive. There was a spiral on the floor. In the corner in the entrance to another cave, there was a body, it was not a pony, not a changeling, nor a griffon. It was an Astartes! The armor was grey, Ahriman ran over to inspect it. The helmet, it was not of the fourth legion, it was wreathed in gold, with a symbol at the Athanaean cult on it, the Heqa staff by the body meant, no it could not be, Beleq Uthizzar! It could not be the crack in his chest... Magnus. The armor’s paint had faded with the passing millenia. The armor still had its crystal scarab in its chest. So since Uthizzar was here, LUna, and Ahriman were on Prospero! There must have been a portal somewhere here! They were in the reflecting caves below Ocullum Square! The spiral, above it there should be a telescope. And there it was!

“Luna, we’re on Prospero, right now, ten thousand years after the battle of Prospero.” Ahriman said. , “We’re underground in the reflecting caves.”

“Really! My sister and I used to play down in these caves back when we were foals, yes, I remember now, there was a red giant with one eye, he opened a portal and we went through, he never closed it, I remember red armored giants in this room, we even walked in the streets above!”

Ahriman shot out the telescope with a bolt pistol, it fell out with one burst considering its age. Sunlight came through. Luna flew up. Ahriman used his powers to give himself some wings(yeah, he can do that) and flew up. The sunlight hit his eyes, it stung but his eyes adjusted immediately. There were black shadows, there were people screaming as the first bombs fell from the Hrafnkel, flagship of Russ, the shadows faded away, and so did the screams subside. There was a golden lion not too far from him, the Thousand Lions, this one had survived. He remembered rubbing it for good luck during the battle.

“Hey, Luna, that gold lion statue, if touch it it can bring you good luck, I’m kidding it rubbed it during the battle of Prosper, and look at me ten thousand years later I’m back on the planet’s surface,”

“When I was a foal this place used to be beautiful, with its pyramids and marble streets, its people were so kind to Tia, and me. Now all is dust.” Luna said, tracing circles in the dust.

They walked the wastelands for hours seeing nothing but desolation, not even psychneuin could have survived. Ahriman continued to see the ghosts of Prosper, he could hear missiles, and orders being shouted by the Thousand Sons, and Prospero Spireguard. As soon of one set of shadows disappeared another would appear. He saw former buildings in their glory, the Pyramid of the Apothercarion, Photep, even the site where Canis Vertex fell once more, and the gates where Magnus and Russ had dueled, all of them illusions, most likely sent by Tzeentch.

Luna, she remembered it all, she was playing in a park with her sister, the fact that they alicorns on Prospero, nobody cared, they adorable, people gave them food or played fetch, like a dog. They walked around the streets, people loved them, the red giant, had assigned a warrior to watch over them, his name she did not remember, but he was a great caretaker. Gentlest of the people of Prospero, nobody dared bring harm to the royal sisters as long as he wa with them. Absolutely lovely days on Prospero. One day, they heard thunder in the caves, and screams, the giant told them not to come back it was too dangerous. Now she knew.

The last time she had been on Prospero was when she went to the botanical gardens with her guardian and Tia. The cool winds of Prospero blew on her face. She went there by metro tunnels. There in the botanical guardians, there were various animals such as psychneuin and wolves and great plants used in medicine and assortments of other wonders. When she returned to the caves under Ocullum Square, the thunder began, and the giant, Magnus the Red had told them to leave. The last time she she saw Prospero. She remembered many little details, but the most important thing, she had forgotten, the face of her guardian, she would sell her soul to see him once more.

They kept on walking the desolation, and the further they walked, the more shadows and ghosts they saw, mothers protecting their children from the bombs, Spireguard being culled and the flesh-change, and the wolf-sign. They came upon a sinkhole. It was an old underground facility. An armory for the Thousand Sons. In it was a vaulted door it slid open as a gust of cool air came through. In it was rack after rack of weapons armor, vehicles, everything you would need to make war. The two ponies went through inspecting the weapons, as they went there were hangars full of Thunderhawks untouched by time, why these weren’t deployed, a mystery perhaps in the panic, they were ignored. Relics of a forgotten age.

It was nearly nightfall, they would take shelter here.

“Goodnight Luna.” he said.

She replied the same.

In the morning they awoke with no food. Ahriman opened a hangar door, before them was nothingness. The former ocean of Prospero gone, dried out by the bombardments. They found a Land Speeder still working, its plasma reactor intact. With nothing else to do they flew back to Ocullum Square. They went back through the Reflecting Caves and back to Canterlot. Its was night in Equestria, all the ponies were asleep. Well, Celestia had brought night this time, for Luna was gone, on surface of Prospero with Ahriman.

“Where were you two?” demanded Tia.

“Somewhere secret.” relied Ahriman.

“Oh, then, I’ll leave you two.” she said, leaving the room.

They went to their separate quarters, Luna, went to take up the throne as Ahriman went to his study.

M41 Fenris

It had been ten millenia since they had set foot on this death world. Wolf Lord Bulveye of the Grey Beards returned to his homeworld. Beside, and towering above him was the Wolf King, Leman Russ. They were met by a blizzard, their armor whitened with the snow and the whole thirteenth began their march back to The Fang. Why they did not use the orbital dock: nostalgia. They would have last blood.

A Change in Position

Chapter 8

A change in Position

M41 Fenris

Leman Russ entered the great hall of The Fang only to be surrounded by his brethren, the legends of Russ were true, he was here with his 13th Great Company. Everywhere, wolf eyes stared, the Fenrisian wolves simply submitted to the Wolf King, none dared to say a word, for the whole chapter was in awe of such a sudden arrival. He made his way to the Great Wolf, Logan Grimnar.

“You, Great Wolf, I have things to discuss with you.” Russ said with a heavy accent.

They stepped into a room flooded with light, something like an interrogation room. The walls were carved with runes. They both sat at the table at the center, Russ with Bulveye at his side, and Grimnar with one of the Wolf Guard. Surprisingly, Grimnar showed no fear in his body language, a side effect of being in command a an entire chapter.

Russ spoke, “You see me, I have returned, on the grounds that I want you and the men to help me finish off the Thousand Sons, I nearly killed the one they call Ahzek Ahriman near the Black Library, he escaped, The 13th has brought back several volumes on portals and rifts, I want you to put the Rune Priests to work on finding where Ahriman went.”

“Aye, my lord, we’ll have the Rune Priests work immediately, I’ll inform them at tonight’s feast, first in a hundred years.” said Grimnar.

At the feast, Russ sat at the far end of the tables, Bulveye at his left as they ate. The food was brought from the kitchen by servitors and serfs. To the right of Russ was Grimnar himself. He stood upon his chair and gave out a feral howl, the companies all looked at him.

“My brothers, today our gene-sire returned as you all know, and he and I have discussed this entire chapters next act. Remember when you were just blood claws and the Rune Priests told you the stories of the Heresy? Remember the Thousand Sons, and how Russ himself led the 13th of our old legion into a chase after them and disappeared? Well, if any of you remember, the Thousand Sons are our blood rivals, not the Dark Angels, those are our brothers now,” he said as he glanced at Russ’ surprised face, “we have the chance to finish the Thousand Sons using the bounty that Russ and his company has brought us. One of their sorcerers, the Exile is our target, if we capture him, we can get the coordinates of The Planet of the Sorcerers.If this succeeds Fenris will have its vengeance.” he finished.

M41 Equestria

It was several days after Ahriman’s return from the portal to Prospero, today they would bury the body of Captain Beleq Uthizzar. On the surface of Prospero, there was a small procession, one bearing a iron coffin approximately 8ft in height and 4ft. In it was the body of the captain. Ahriman, the two sisters led the procession followed by a regiment of guard, the one Sponson’s team was in, the one Ahriman had given his blessing of wings.

At last they came to a burial site near the ruins of the Temple of the Athanaeans. There was a deep grave dug there, approximately ten feet deep. The bagpipes played behind Ahriman with Maat and the Rubricae at his right.

“Beleq Uthizzar, my friend, our friend, brother, served the Legion well, he was a good soldier in life, we don’t know about death though. We are here today to bury the remains of him. Him, a role model to the younger Thousand Sons such as Callisto, Darius, Xerxes, Amsu, and even toAmon, one of my brothers who nearly killed me who was at the Primarch’s side since the beginning. With these last words: All is dust, we hope that you rest in peace.” said Ahriman.

The iron coffin was lowered into the ground, the dust of Prospero filled that hole and a marble tombstone was placed on the grave, on it was marked the sigil of the fifteenth and:

Beleq Uthizzar

990.M30 to 200.M31

LEG.X.V.

“Ahriman I feel so sorry for your loss, your friend died beneath your feet and you didn’t know, now after thousands of lifetimes you find his corpse, not even I’ve dealt with something like that before. You’re strong for not going mad in something like this.” said Celestia in effort give solace to the Sorceror.

“I’ve lost too many, you’re words are comforting and I thank you but his death is nothing now, what’s done is done.” he replied.

Celestia walked away, several minutes later the procession returned to below Ocullum Square. Upon return to Equestria, Ahriman decided to travel to Ponyville, he’d been here so many months and yet hadn’t been there yet, and besides maybe he’d make a few new friends there. He walked by road, the spell that had given him wings wore off. He exited the Canterlot city gates, waving goodbye to the guards. It was surprising how all of Equestria could be not be bothered with new pony arriving who was as powerful as the Princesses and just as old.

There was a small dirt and a train track nearby, he smelt the fresh air, crisp, cool, there were even rabbits and dogs running around, he thought, why were people interested in such material things, there was a an Aether out there within hands grasp, they feared its power, they fear what do not understand. One could argue that there were the void hounds and enslavers in the Great Ocean but they were no real threat if one understood the Enumerations. Even the alicorns’ understanding of magic was dust compared to his, even a Prosperine Neophyte knew more about the Great Ocean than them. Compared to them he had infinite power. Power even Magnus could be jealous of, the ability to love and responsibility, yeah, everyone in the Thousand Sons doubted that Magnus had any responsibility after the battle of Prospero, they could still be red armored psychic rape trains if Magnus had helped them, but no, he sat in his pyramid. After all this, Ahriman was still sane, even the arrival in Equestria was benign compared to what he had seen, even the Silver Towers of Tzeentch paled in comparison to the arrival. Despite all the hate and despair, Ahriman was happy here, this feeling of ecstasy never felt before, the bright colors, the happy people, the absolute harmony and order. Order, it was more enjoyable because it was more predictable as he said once long ago.

Finally he was in Ponyville, maybe he would meditate before going in, there it was a way to clear his mind of Uthizzar, one of his few true friends. In the fact of friends, Amon, he had killed aboard his ship. Oh well, sitting underneath a bodhi tree he rose up to the Enumeration, sixth. He felt his soul lifting away from his corporeal form rendering him a ghost in the Realm of Chaos, wait a moment, did the sisters known he bore the marks of Chaos, Magnus himself had exiled Ahriman to search for the true meaning of chaos. Several weeks after his arrival in one of the lessons he gave at The School for Gifted Unicorns, the students answered one of his lecture questions with: Discord.The embodiment of chaos. They said that Discord once ruled Equestria before Celestia and Luna stepped up to overthrow him.

Once researching Equestrian history in the Canterlot libraries, he found that Equestria had once been divided into three tribes battling over food and resources. And Ahriman was laughing, that is so laughable, and they united? What kind of story was that, oh right, a story he himself was in. The Pacification of Boetia, the Unification Wars, the Protoastartes, Nordafrik bloc, Panpacific Union. The story of the three tribes was exactly the same as the Age of Strife except it didn’t end with Terra burning with atomic war and billions dead and the destruction of faith! He doubted the ponies even knew what what war was.

Something came up before him, a vision, one of a ruined castle surrounded in vines. And around it Earth Ponies danced with Pegasi, was this a vision of the past? During the days of the three tribes? Or was this fate? As there were many rivers of time, fate could be altered just as river’s course could be changed.

Now, Ahriman remembered what he had said long ago, he would restore Prospero, something Amon had mentioned. Hopeless, it was not hopeless, the Legion may be dying but it was not hopeless, what Twilight had done, what she had done, what she had done, she had undone the Rubric.Something, he hadn’t thought of doing in so many years, if not millenia. With the Legion of Prospero, there was at least one fragment of her light, that light that sprang up from the serpentine corona of the Legion sigil and the raven.

Prospero, now he needed a cabal, and had three ponies just for that including Hathor, Callisto and Acheron, now he had to just return to Prospero, and call upon the Thousand Sons remnants from there, but Warp knew where his followers were, he hadn’t seen them in ages. Again. Another quest. Yes, out into the void again. He stood up, back into his corporeal form. A search party. Or better yet, do what Magnus did when he contacted the Emperor.

He got up from his sitting position and he put that task in mind, for today he would be in Ponyville. He went into town, looking around at what there was, at some point he spotted a butter colored mare with a blue mane, and his jaw dropped as did every other stallion near him as she walked by, damn, those were huge!

As he walked into town there were several posters on the walls, all depicting him, but in a comical sense, the poster said:

THIS IS THE BANE OF EQUESTRIA, THE DARK POWERS HE WIELDS MUST BE PUT DOWN BEFORE THEY KILL US ALL.

What was this a poster denouncing him and him being a psyker, all unicorns were psykers, how could they just have now noticed, but of course his powers were far more complex and advanced than the ponies’. They fear what they do not understand. Those words rang in his memory. The words of Magnus.

Oh, no fears, Az, you’ve been through the council of Nikaea, that was completely rigged. Here, I can manipulate these ponies. I can teach them things that will forever change Equestria, yet they resent it? I expected, I knew it.

He felt two forelegs grab him. Fate has come for me at last, but I’ll change it as you can change the course of a river. At both his sides there were two guards, and they were not Sponson and team. Two ape-faced horses adorned with armor, to call these two soldiers was to call a Tau a good melee fighter. Ahriman read their auras, Stork Sack and Marko Red.

Ahriman could have ground them to dust with a thought but that would jeopardize this whole new ambition: the Redemption of the Legion, if Amon, Phosis, Uthizzar, and Ankhu, and Amon couldn’t see this. They would be bleeding joy from their ethereal forms.

“Where are you taking me?” Ahriman demanded, although he already knew: a ruined castle.

A response came in the form of a hard smack to the ear, he was bigger than them could have beat them with his hooves but there was no need, this was pure fate he knew he could alter.

At last he came to the front of a castle in the Everfree forest. It was ruined and entangled in vines, Earth ponies and Pegasi stood at front, just like that vision, it was not the tale of the three tribes this event here was a reality.

Within the ruins there be a stand, one that once held the Elements of Harmony. Ahriman read the place seeing its past as the former castle of the Princesses, abandoned after the Nightmare Moon event. Two ponies clashed, a white one and midnight blue, the latter was wearing some sort of armor, actually, it was only a helmet. around them black and white clashed, there was blood. Loyalists and rebels of the Lunar Rebellion fought hoof-to-hoof, it was brother. Limbs were scattered through the room, blood still flowing. This war was not meant to be, but it happened, all for the well-being of Equestria. Ahriman suddenly snapped out of this vision.

The Ponies outside spat obsenities and threw stones at him as he entered, doing no harm to his armor, he gave out an amused chuckle.

Once inside he was led down a stairway down through a tunnel, walking in the dark, symbolism, the shame of his doing, but there was no shame, just another step to glory. Finally, after what seemed as hours or perhaps trick played by one of the princesses, but no, they were psykers, they couldn’t be, so. He entered a room with the guards at his side, at least a hundred paces high and nearly triple that in diameter. A rotunda of stone and basalt. Around in hundreds sat Ponies of every race, including non-ponies such as griffins and dragons.

All around the room there were voices and shouting, debating. At one of the benches there his cabal, and Rubricae. Ahriman took a seat there. There was an awful silence in the Aether. No, it could not be, runes were etched into the walls, ceiling, and floors. Ahriman felt his powers dim away yet still retaining a fragment of his power. They knew runes now.

“Hathor, you knew this would happen?” he asked.

“No, my friend, we were all escorted here, we knew knew not to fight back, it would only make things worse, ha, but we got this we’ve been through something like this before, I am certain we will fare better here than as on Nikaea. Quiet now, the summit is starting.”

At the far end of the rotunda was a semi-circle at which sat several Ponies and Griffins and dragons, four to be exact. From left to right, Ahriman knew, in the previous months he had read up on the cultures of Equestria. The far left, Montressor, king of the Griffins, next was Fortunato, Supreme Chancellor of the Dogs, third, Navsegda, Lord of the Dragons, and lastly Malais, mayor of Ponyville.

Where were Celestia and Luna, a question, if they could use magic they would be here. Malais, stood on his hindlegs, the whole room fell to a dead silence.Ahriman could sense an imposing authority, but that would not put him down.

“Under decree of the four orders of Equestria, this council has been called together to discuss the use of magic in the past seven months. We have been called here debate whether the use of magic should be banned excepting the raising and lowering of the sun and moon. the council has begun, you may all be seated.” said Malais.

Around the room all were seated. Ahriman hadn’t even known he was standing, but he sat.

“The first to be called up is Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, speaking for the petitioner.” said Malais, and and a mare with a flame colored man and flight suit came up to the podium in the middle of the room. “You may now speak your piece.”

She spoke, “Fillies and gentlecolts, as you may all know seven months ago, a foreigner by the name of Ahzek Ahriman and an entire “cabal” of sorcerers arrived here in Equestria. Our princesses gave them high ranking positions as military officers and royal advisors. Once the princesses gave the these Thousand Sons positions as officers I took notice when I passed along their respective army divisions that almost every single trooper had become an esoteric scholar, specifically the unicorns, their magic became twelve times more powerful than they used to be and they began talking about some sort of parallel dimension called the Aether, that influence spread throughout all of Equestria’s armies, change was found everywhere, in the passing months many deaths came about. Many of them from some sort of disease that was caused by the misuse of magic others died from accidents of magical discharge, just last week the Appleloosa garrison was burned to the ground, when the MP came by there was magical residue left behind more powerful than any other we’ve ever seen, that only to be matched by the Thousand Sons. In the last few days we’ve seen an increase in mental hospital patients majority of them screaming malicious chants, self mutilation and mass suicide. When asked these mental patients told us they had touched the mind of one the Thousand Sons. Insanity, injury death, cult worship, what do you think, if a unicorn like Ahzek Ahriman can do this, any of us could do this. with a 33% Pony population of unicorns the risks for these events are too high. As my last remark, please heed my words, I do not hate the Thousand Sons, but I do not want Equestria descending into chaos and bloodshed as it had in previous ages, so we must do what is right.”

She finished, she had a attacking tone in her voice, limbs twitching a bit. She was scared.

“Next to be called up is General Shining Armor of the Canterlot Royal Guard, speaking for the defendant.” said Malais.

Twilight’s brother stepped up to the podium.

“Now I’ve been hearing ponies saying negative things the use of magic, how it’s dangerous and causes insanity, now I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Remember back in the days of the three tribes? You’ve all heard story, right? Well, the tribes feared the storms that would bring them death. Why was that? They were divided and windigoes haunted them, they were freezing and dying in the droves. But here’s what they didn’t understand, friendship. Yes, friendship, they were divided and dying because they feared the idea of friendship seeing it would divide them even more, but in the end it brought them together, that is why we have Equestria as it is right now. So, the lesson here, they did embrace what they didn’t understand and what they feared. And even with all these death since the arrival of the Thousand Sons, we’ve benefitted much, the deaths of those at Appleloosa and the mental hospitals they did not heed the words of the Thousand Sons, come on, you got to listen to those wiser than you, or gonna have a bad time just like we are now, and without magic, life here would be difficult, nearly impossible, the Thousand Sons magic is more powerful than what we know, even powerful than that of the princesses, if they’re that powerful they could bring with them salvation and ultimate enlightenment. You guys know should know this, as Lord Ahriman said, “If the path to salvation be through Purgatory, then so be it.” Now, times may be tough but do we give up now, with the arrival of the Thousand Sons, our medicine’s been improved, machine’s more efficient and we’ve been learn from them so much that the Canterlot Library could be filled with books twelve times over, we’ve learned things such as engine construction, the Bessemer process, how to incorporate machines and other technologies into our lives. Now I say that the decision the princesses made was a good one, maybe even their best. I beg your indulgence just a bit more but please think of all the good the Thousand Sons could bring us. That is all.”

Shining Armor left podium confident that he had won the crowd. Around the room, the audience applauded. Perhaps they had won the trial. The high officials began to speak with each other, Ahriman could hear them they were debating now. It was over, Suddenly a royal guard captain stood up, Sentry Flash.

“Now this messed up! How can our highest general trust these warlocks, look at the casualties rates, they’ve gone up, my own friend Sponson was killed last week in the Appleloosa incident! Over time we could advance our technology, why should we rush it, the time isn’t right for this.! We should kill these guys right here.” he said and began to weep as the room turned in his direction.

After several hours the officials had came up with the verdict: The Thousand Sons lost the trial, again. All magic use was forbidden except for the lowering and raising of the sun and moon. Anyone who defied this order was to be arrested, no exceptions, not even the princesses. And even worse was that all unicorns would have one week to remove their horns, except for the princesses who required them to continue the ecological systems. Other than that life was rather the same.

The room got up began to exit out the doors.

+Frak, this is going to be bad, the only other alternative is that we revolt.+ sent Ahriman to all his cabal.

+Maybe that is what we’ll do, we’ll have seven days before they become suspicious, but there is no doubt there will be revolt.+ sent back Callisto.

+Come on we’ll head to Canterlot and discuss this.+ sent Maat.

+Some of us should stay behind and go back to Canterlot in case somepony gets suspicious.+ sent a voice.

+Agreed+ sent Ahriman/

And they headed off to Canterlot.

"Cruelty has A Human Heart"-Iron Maiden, Paschendale

Chapter 9

“Cruelty has a human heart, every man does play his part”

-Paschendale, Iron Maiden

A vision came to Ahriman. Пусть приходят темноты до рассвета, Пусть сезонов проход и вы будете вернуть тебе плоды, пусть лжепророков бояться конца. Пусть ваш звон петь о нас.волки

Ahzek Ahriman and several of his sorcerers wandered the streets. There were no unicorns in sight for they had all left to the zebra plains to avoid the persecution. Those that remained would become rebels. At his side was Twilight, his new disciple. Such an action as to outlaw the use of psychic powers was outrage. It was one thing to kill a stallion knowing his name, but to perform a mass genocide on a minority population demanded correction. Death by the cruellest means. No guards or soldiers came to apprehend the small cabal, for they knew the power of the Thousand Sons, the power to grind armies into dust with a thought. No unicorn could dream of that kind of power. Whoever had proposed this council of the Everfree was to die.

“Ahzek, you don’t need to do this, we negotiate with the other tribes.” said Twilight in an attempt to dissuade the Thousand Sons from unleashing their power.

“Twilight, you don’t get the point, I have seen too many of my brothers and other psykers in the Imperium persecuted, and enslaved far too many times to let this go unpunished. Remember when I told you about the Council of Nikaea? That was the first time. The second was when I and a crew had kidnapped a Navigator, so degraded was his form that it would be a pity to kill him. And with oppression comes anarchy in the study of psychic usage, without discipline comes anarchy. Do you see why now ? This is not for personal gain as it is for all of Equestria and Legion XV. Come with me I want to show you something.”

As they entered the caverns beneath Canterlot, the cabal found Luna and Celestia waiting there.

“Az, what do you think you’re doing, violence is not the answer, we can work this out.” said Celestia.

“”Simple rebellion does not work Unicorns may be one-third of Equestria’s population but they are few in number. I...am calling to my brothers in Eye of Terror. Don’t you remember that, I told you about the hells of the Warp?”

+NO WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS BLOODSHED THAT YOU WILL BRING, WE MAY BE FRIENDS BUT WE ARE NOT ALLOWING YOU TO DO THIS!+ they both said in the Canterlot voice.

+Oh, so my teachings have rubbed off on you, I’m glad I haven’t taught you many things that I know+

Ahriman struck them into a corner with a thought, they lie motionless for several seconds.

+Luna, Celestia, not all things can be resolved peacefully, maybe for you ponies it can but for me it cannot, it is the way of fate and what we make of it.+ he sent.

+THAT TZEENTCH THING OF YOURS IS IT NOW? MAYBE YOU ARE BLIND TO YOUR OWN TEACHINGS.+ they sent.

+I AM NOT BLIND, YOU TWO HAVE NEVER SEEN A GREAT WAR, I HAVE CAUSED AND ENDED SO MANY, YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS WEAK!+

+WE WILL NOT HARM YOU FRIEND BUT PLEASE CONSIDER BEFORE YOU LEAVE, PLEASE HAVE MERCY, WE BEG OF YOU NOT TO WAGE WAR!+

+I MUST, NO LIVING BEING CAN POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND WITHOUT IT BEING IMPOSED UPON THEM, DIRECT EXPOSURE IS THE TERM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS TO HAVE YOUR HOME AND BROTHERS TAKEN FROM YOU IN A SINGLE BATTLE TO HAVE BEEN EXILED FOR PRESERVING YOUR BROTHERS FROM HELL!+ screamed Ahriman in the Warp.

+WE SEE, WE WILL COME WITH YOU TO THE SURFACE OF PROSPERO+

Wards had been engraved upon the walls to prevent magic use, escape with a few and return with an army. That was the plan Hathor Maat and Astraeos had come up with. In the tunnels they wandered. TUnnels began to twist and form into new stones with each step, at one point, the three equines had puked from the nausea. Were they in a Eternal Maze? After what seemed like hours of walking and questioning. Questioning on Ahriman’s true allegiance and the Thousand Sons, it had come to this. They had finally reached Occullum Square.

“Looks like now is the end of our equine forms. We must be human for this ritual.” he said.

The group nodded as they became human again right in front of the trio of ponies. Astonishment for the trio had never seen such powerful spells.

“Celestia, Woona, Twilight, sit with us you are necessary for this ritual, but I cannot guarantee you three will live. If you do you will be first priority though.” said Ahriman.

“Ahriman, I have been at your side for all these years but how can xenos be the key?” asked Astraeos.

“Remember the Elements.” Ahzek replied.

“Maat, Callisto, do as I say.”

“This is a translocation spell but I will require all your strength to make a jump 25,000 lightyears.

With a simultaneous thought, the sorcerers carved runes into the ground in the dust. The ponies just watched in awe.

Finally, sitting on the edges, Ahriman said, “A new age is coming.” and they simply vanished.

Their bodies were stretched and deformed in the Aether, they seemed to be falling for an hour and everything went black their senses so built up in euphoria and pain that they simply blacked out.

Luna awoke, surrounding her was a fiery hot red landscape of basalt and stone mesas. Her mind had nearly imploded with the insanity of the Warp. Around her were floating towers pitched up high. Fires and daemons in the distance. Tormenting the souls of the lost.

“It is a miracle some sort of life existed here.” she thought aloud.

“Ponies, welcome to the Planet of the Sorcerers.”

Union Restored

Chapter 6

Dust/Cabal/Discovery

Manehattan

Hathor Maat stood on the outskirts of the city. It had been approximately two days since the cabal and Ahriman had separated. Only thirty sorcerers stuck on an alien planet. They could have annihilated Equestria, but something was different about this place, it was calm and peaceful, it did not carry the cries of anger as in the Imperium, no.

The cabal had stayed together. In an abandoned building they resided. It was a place unfit for beings of this magnitude. There was a small store of food and the relics were intact. Now, know that the cabal consisted of Rubric marines as well as sorcerers. Thirty lived in a dusty old house, they couldn’t do much, maybe start a war.

Acheron sat in a corner, meditating with two Rubric marines at his side. It was lonely, the sun was just past its peak. If there were souls within those suits of Power Armor, they could be given the ability to think for themselves again. That wasn’t such a bad idea, if he could, he could talk to his old friends again. He was there when the Rubric was cast, he remembered every scream just as they turned to dust, and the armor sealed.

It was noon, and Acheron was unsure of the next few moments, even with his precognition. The Great Ocean was raging today, something must have happened in the Imperium of Man, maybe a crusade. It would be good to take a break from sitting in this cave of a room, it would be good to go outside.

“Maat, I’m going out, going to find a job as a navigator on a ship.” he said.

“What?! You’ve been here two days and you want to be a navigator, we don’t even know the stars on this world! How would you navigate?” asked Maat.

“I can navigate through the Great Ocean can I? If I can do that I’ll navigate the seas.”he said. And he slammed the door as he left.

On the streets ponies eyed him. although he was no longer wearing his armor, he left it at the abandoned lot. He arrived at the docks at nightfall. To take six hours to get from one end of Manehattan to another was quite slow, but he had stopped in a park, observing the foals as they played, and couples sitting together. Every now and then he was looked at by a foal. One had even called him Luna. Luna, the Moon Wolves. Horus the Warmaster. Something about that puzzled him.

At the docks, there was another figure, equal in size to him, beside it was a being of white light. And trailing the duo were six mares?

It was dark, Luna’s night had begun. Ahriman, Celestia, and the Mane 6 were at the docks of Manehattan. Something moved about the shadows. To the left and to the right. Must have been some workers. They continued on until a dark figure similar in physique to Ahriman was spotted. It turned its head. It moved closer, and a blue light flashed. And out came a heqa staff. Was this a rogue sorceror? A bolt of lightning came at him!

The rest of the ponies took cover behind the crates. Ahriman donned his staff as well. This was obviously a rogue. He strafed to the left as as bolter shell detonated just inches away. Wanting to know who this rogue was he tore open a rift and went through a Warp tunnel. On the end of the tunnel. He opened another rift to find a heqa staff smashing into his helmet, breaking the right lense.

It was Acheron.

“Don’t shoot! It’s me, Ahzek!” he cried.

“Ahriman! Wasn’t expecting to find you so soon.” Acheron said as he helped his friend up.

“My apologies for attacking you, old friend. I thought you were a rogue.” he said.

“I had thought the same of you.” said Ahriman.

“Where are the others, I’ve found jobs for all of you, we could lead new lives!” he said.

“You must be lying, for all of us including the Rubicae?” he asked.

“Yes, we could start tomorrow if we wanted.” said Ahriman.

“Scootaloo, your butt is on my face!” cried an unknown voice, it was that of a foal. And down came stack of crates. Behind a trio of three foals.

“Applebloom, thought I told you to stay on the farm!” scolded her sister.

“Sweetie Belle, how many times have I told you not to go out at night, you could get hurt, just like now in a crossfire.” Rarity said as she dragged the sister towards her using her magic simultaneously.

And the third, a orange filly, a pegasus by the wings was picked up by a hug from Rainbow Dash, a third embrace in the contrast of two scoldings in the midst of nine.

“Come on don’t don’t scold them, they were here because of their curiosity, something I don’t see coming from you all,” said Ahriman he turned to face Acheron, “so, could you take us to Callisto, and the others.”

Acheron took them down to the abandoned lot where Celestia and others had disgusted looks on their faces after seeing what great beings, human and pony had to live through. Nonchalantly opening the door, Acheron slammed it closed once the group was inside the building. Dust fell from the ceiling. All was dust. There was nothing but that.

In the main room the Rubicae, stood silent whilst in the other room, the ponified sorcerers ate their supper. It consisted mostly of the foodstuffs they’d brought with them to Equestria, and some old water.

When Ahzek Ahriman entered the room all of them stood, but it was no glorious occasion for there were only two other sorcerers in the cabal, and twenty-nine Rubric Marines!

“We are back and better than ever!” Ahriman shouted in his hearty tone.

Hathor Maat said, “Well, what did you do in the two days you were gone?”

As if coincidence the Equestrian natives entered the room, but there are no coincidences, only reasons, this they heard the conversation. And again they were introduced. Had a meal, as crappy as it would have been, it was only polite to eat.

After dinner, they hung around in the living room. Not Twilight, however, she was in the main room eyeing the Rubric Marines. They were speechless, thoughtless, only obeying orders, automatons, if you will.

Why were they like this, why? Were they created like robots? Or perhaps were they were dead men.

“Twilight,” came Ahriman’s voice, “I see you’ve found interest in the Rubric Marines, ah yes, my creation, ten-thousand years ago, after the battle of Prospero, when Magnus, my former-mentor had teleported the Legion to the Planet of the Sorcerers, the Legion was going through mass mutations, I rounded up a cabal similar to what you see now, actually Maat was in it to cast a spell I call the Rubric to stop the mutations. Storm clouds swept the planet blue lightning struck down every warrior brother of the Thousand Sons whose psychic potential was deemed too low. The lightning turned every warriors body into dust, and trapped their souls within their power armor until the suit itself be broken.”

“So you killed all your friends?” asked Twilight, a worried look growing on her face.

“I saved their souls, young one.” he replied, “I know what you’re thinking, if they are automatons and can’t have their own will, you will bring them back to life.”

“How did you know!?” she asked.

“I am a telepath as well as many other things.” he returned, “you think you have a spell that could?”

“There’s a solution for everything.” she said. Her horn began to glow as a grin formed under Ahriman’s face. There and then came a squeak coming the Rubric Marines’ mouth grilles. They were alive again!

“WE ARE RETURNED!” came from one the marines. Their hooves raised up and began to remove their helmets. It seemed as if all Thousand Sons looked like Luna without their helms.

Celestia and the other five mares came into the room, all gasping at the Rubric Marines. Especially the sun mare(the dirge of Molestia or Slaanesh).

“What have you done?” exclaimed Maat, he removed his helm in respect of Ahriman.

“It was not I who brought back our brothers, it was Twilight you should praise her instead.” Even the Rubric Marines bowed.

The conversations continued after that about the counselorship the Thousand Sons were offered in Canterlot, one of the highest positions, only second to that of the princesses. And just below that was the Lord General, Shining Armor. It had been only contemporary discussion, but there was enough information going around and enough auras read to convince the sons of Magnus to take up the offer.

One particular marine, Darius felt a tug at his armor. He looked down and saw three foals. They had introduced each other with the other marines as well.

“Mr. Darius, we want to know about where you came from, if you could tell us that, it’d be awesome, if you couldn’t that’s okay.” said the orange one, the one called Scootaloo.

“If you want to hear a touching story then have a seat,” he said, looking around there were no chairs, so he held them up by the energies of the Great Ocean. In fact he had transported them into the Great Ocean, surrounding them in a protective field. And as they entered another body entered the Empyrean, it Ahriman, Maat, and several of the Rubicae. They had no corporeal form there. And around the protective field, their auras shone. Darius with that of gold serpent, “Why, thank you Lord Ahriman, what would we do without you, transporting three foals into the Great Ocean, when I could have told an entire tale in the living room.”

He continued, “Ahriman probably, has you here so y’all could truly experience the tale of a Thousand Sons, am I right, Lord?”

“Yes, you don’t have to be so damn rude.” replied Ahriman.

“It is the first time I’ve spoken in ten thousand years, so pardon my Nordafrik.” said Darius.

Around the field casted by Ahriman, predators attacked, but were cast off by the Thousand Sons’ auras. The CMC looked up at the Astartes with anticipation of such a tale, if only they had some popcorn, because an image began to form on the surface of the bubble, the first showed an image of a planet, covered in water, and green land. And so Darius began.

“Long ago, about ten thousand years ago there was a man, he had power, power beyond imagination, beyond even that of your princess Celestia. He could shatter stars at will, and forge empires with a snap of his fingers, now with that power came responsibility. When our race stepped into the stars, there were hostile aliens, we fought and colonized an entire galaxy. Our technology became so great that we became arrogant and waged war on all other species, gradually killing off many. The Great Ocean, as you are in now seethed with energy, and then came the rise of psykers, just like us, but they didn’t know how to use their powers, and some went insane , some enslaved entire human colonies, worlds became cut off by Warp storms. Technology regressed. And our homeworld became a battlefield as people fought for resources.” Then came an image of Terra, humans fought humans, “Out of hiding came the Emperor who had guided humanity through its years, this was during the Age of Strife. He lead armies of super soldiers called Thunder Warriors to reunite Terra, our homeworld. Now these soldiers were unstable, but they got the job done. With the planet conquered came the rest of the solar system.” There was image of starships with aquilas emblazoned on the sides bringing worlds into submission. “Now, during the conquest of the solar system, came the creation of the Legiones Astartes, us. There were twenty. We were the pinnacle of evolution. The Emperor created the Primarchs, demigods in the eyes of mortals lead the Twenty Legions.” he finished and paused for any questions.

“Mr. Darius, are you from Terra,” asked Applebloom.

“No little one, but Ahriman, Maat, and the others were.” he answered.

“Now continuing, this is where we come into the picture. We were the XV Legion of the Emperor, we started out with a thousand Astartes. And therefore we were named the Thousand Sons. And our Primarch was Magnus the Red, a psyker almost as powerful as the Emperor.” the images shifted to a picture of the Primarch of the Thousand Sons in combat with the fifteenth and the scattering of the Primarchs. “The Great Crusade took us to Prospero on a quest to reunite humanity’s lost empire, my home planet where we found Magnus. Now, on our way there, there was a disease called the Flesh-Change that afflicted the Legion, it turned us into mutants. This was because a majority of the Legion were psykers, and our gene-seed was highly unstable, even more so of the Emperor’s war dogs. Now when we embarked for the Great Crusade form Terra, we had over a hundred thousand Astartes, by the time we got to Magnus, our father, we only had a thousand marines left, then we truly were the Thousand Sons! Magnus found a cure, but the cure was a bargain, our souls for just a few hundred years of life without mutation. He loved us, Ahriman here was his favored-student as were all the captains of our Legion. Finally we recovered our numbers and went to nine-thousand Astartes, we never went higher than that. The crusade went on and we found on thousands of planets with our brother Legions. Then came the Horus Heresy, when Horus the greatest of all Primarchs gathered half the Legions in civil war against the Emperor. Now Horus was influenced by Chaos Gods who reside in the Great Ocean, we are in their realm now! But don’t be afraid, we can protect you from them. Now Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves was persuaded by Horus to attack Prospero. He actually remained loyal. Prospero was bombed and Wolves set foot on Prospero like the mailed fist of the Emperor, burning our libraries and cities, and killing the innocent. To escape our doom we teleported to the Planet of the Sorcerers.” Lastly came an image of a world wracked by Warp energies. And the Tower of the Cyclops. “There Ahriman cast the Rubric which stopped the Legion mutations, turning legionaries not powerful enough to dust and sealing out armor, rendering guys like me walking suits of armor. We have been launching raids on the Imperium out of vengeance ever since, but we have finally repented upon our arrival here, ten thousand years after Prospero. The end.” Darius finished.

“Now a lot of this stuff, if we had gone deeper you would go insane just thinking about it, so be moral of the story, know what you’re doing, or you could end up like us.” said Ahriman as a reminder.

The foals exited the Warp back into the living room. It was near midnight. They would soon return to Ponyville. Everyone wanted to go. So they boarded the train for a second time. Returning to Canterlot with the CMC for they had earned their way their. And so would become the greatest of Prosperity in the history of Equestria.