Harmony at Mind

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.