"Well then, everyone… Here is a story that I've been dying to post for you all. It has a hidden backstory for two characters you already know, along with a hint towards future characters you'll get to see later one." The Black Knight chuckled a bit, leaning into his seat a bit more. "Also? The story is Anthro'd, if it isn't obvious from the get go when our hero enters Equestria." He waved goodbye to you, crossing his right leg over his left, while Silver Star leapt up, out of nowhere, and booped you in the nose!
Chapter One
The trench shook, from an explosion caused by a prism cannon. A single Black Dragon Dragon Claw did his best to take cover, but his large size made it hard for him to do so. Regardless, the Astartes moved through the trentch, his wrist talons ready to strike down any Dark Eldar that would attempt to get inside. While he prefers to go soaring through the skies, and crash into the enemy ranks, using his feared mutilation to cleave through their flesh like they were wearing no armor at all… He could not, not just yet.
"Brother Ter'ron! Over here!" Another Black Dragon called out to him, a Tactical Marine that had not suffered their Chapter's curse so badly. Kneeling next to the other Astartes, revealing Ter'ron being a foot taller, the two dared a glance over the trench. "These damnable xenos are hitting our lines hard with their Artillery… We cannot advance on their position."
"Strange, how simple pirates would attempt a risky tactic, such as siege, Kalithar." Ter'ron said, the two lowering back into the trench. "I can break their ranks, hit their siege weapons… But you should stay here." A strange request, but Ter'ron could not risk his brother in the upcoming fight… Kalithar is too close to him, young as he is, the Astartes treated him like a true brother. He truly accepted Ter'ron, despite him being a mutant freak. "Help hold the line, I will deal with the artillery… Make sure I have covering fire."
"Are you sure, brother? There are many, and you are just one Astartes." Kalithar asked, as the Dragon Claw prepped a pair of Metla-Charges.
The comment made Ter'ron chuckle a bit, eyeing his wrist talons, feeling the pair of crescent horns on his head. "Brother Kalithar, this fight is rather easy… My tour within the Deathwatch was filled with far harsher battles, and missions." His own comment made Ter'ron hesitate, despite the jump pack revving up.
The thought of Kalithar, being his only true brother, was a lie shrouded by his vow of silence. The memories of all the years in service to the Deathwatch, every single mission and battle taken on by Squad Imperialis… Ter'ron started to grin, remembering the other four members of his squad. The lascannon wielding Ultramarine, acting as their squad's sniper and leader. The frost blade wielding Space Wolf, a blademaster who hardly ever found any to match his ferocity and skill. The thermal blade using Salamander Sternguard, the more humble of their squad and champion of the mortals. Finally, the power-fist using Blood Angel Assualt Marine, who often joined Ter'ron in the skies, before plummeting to the ground like a comet from the void.
Ter'ron shook his head, throwing those memories off to the side, he had a job to do. The jump pack shot him into the sky, like an Angel on wings of fire. The Dark Eldar tried shooting him out of the sky, but Ter'ron flew faster than they could keep up, along with a few Devastators and Tactical Marines opening fire to cover him. Once the Dragon Claw reached his jump pack's max altitude, his gaze locked on to the most threatening artillery piece, and plummeted towards it. "Fire and Bone!" Ter'ron roared, his voice booming like that of an actual dragon of myths.
The Dragon Claw landed on the twisted weapon's back, away from its defensive arsenal. Some of the crew attempted to attack him, but the talons on Ter'ron's wrists shredded through their flesh. Blood sprayed out of their cleaved bodies, wailing at their pain, as the Black Dragon palced his first melta-charge on to the vehicle. Once it activated, Ter'ron quickly flew to his second target. The other artillery weapon managed to move its firing vectors towards the Astartes, but Ter'ron's reinforced Corvus Armor absorbed its feudal attacks. One of the crew drew his rifle, trying to take aim at the incoming foe, managing to fire off a few shots before Ter'ron cleaved his head clean off. The other crew members abandoned their post, while he placed the second charge.
He quickly leapt off of the weapon, just as the first artillery weapon exploded into a hellfire. Ter'ron looked at the cowering Dark Eldar in front of him, holding both wrist talons out like a pair of vengeful blades. Walking towards them, portraying a spectre of death, the twisted xenos prepared to open fire on him, but stopped. The second charge went off, exploding into another hellfire, covering Ter'ron in a silhouette of black, his red eyes glowing through the darkness. Pieces of burning, melting, metal landed around the approaching Dragon Claw, increasing the sense of dread and vengeance coming from him…. A vengeful terror, that had come to reap terrible vengeance for all those the pirates had tortured and kill.
"K-Kill the Mon-keigh!" One yelled out, as they all took aim at Ter'ron, but none of them managed to get a shot off.
Volley after volley of bolter rounds shredded through their ranks, exploding on contact with their flesh. The destruction of both artillery weapons had been a signal for the Black Dragon Counter Attack. Now, advancing like a wall of black ceramite and adamantium, the Black Dragon Astartes charged towards the Dark Eldar Pirates. Their zeal and fury knew no mercy for these twisted xenos, killing ten for every one of them slain.
"Brother Ter'ron!" A voice shouted, as the Dragon Claw impaled a Dark Eldar Kabalite Warrior on his left wrist talon. He turned to see Kalithar sprinting straight up to him. "Brother, that was unbelievable! The Emperor has truly blessed you, with such skill."
The younger Astartes made Ter'ron smile, and placed a hand on to Kalithar's shoulder. "A simple matter of tactics and timing, brother. Tools you shall gain with tim-?" A whistling sound passed, as a needle thin light went through Kalithar's helmet. In seconds, that felt like an eternity to Ter'ron, Kalithar fell to the ground… Blood leaking from the younger Astarte's sealed helmet. "K-Kalithar?" No response came from the Tactical Marine, who continued to lay on the blood soaked soil.
Fury burned within his soul, rage overtaking the Dragon Claw, as hate blinded his sight. All he saw, was red, even as he turned to see a Dark Eldar Ranger, with two spotters, within one of the nearby ruined towers. He roared at them, his jump pack allowing him to take to the skies. "The Mon-keigh spotted us, we need to leave!" The Ranger yelled, picking up his weapon.
"Where? Our positions are being overwhelmed, we will be killed before reaching the webway gates!" One of the spotters asked, as they started to run.
The Ranger glanced back, just as Ter'ron crashed through the wall. When he started to chase after them, the three moved even faster. "There is a gate, hidden within the building! We can seek shelter to where it leads!"
This time, it was the other spotter who spoke. "That gateway is an ancient one, built around by the Mon-keigh because they didn't understand what it was! There is no telling where it will take us!"
"It is a lot better than staying here, with him!" The Ranger retorted, as Ter'ron demolished the wall behind them. "You are more than welcome to stay here!"
The spotters did not argue with that logic, before they left one drew his blade. "Well, if there is hope of escaping, then a distraction is needed just for us to reach the gateway, along with get it running." With that, the spotter turned around, and charged the oncoming Black Dragon. The two nodded, rounding the corner where their means of escape is hidden.
Ter'ron stopped, seeing the Dark Eldar in front of him, eyeing the blade in the agile xenos' hand. "I shall avenge Kalithar's death, xenos scum…" He snarled.
The Dark Eldar did not respond to his words, and simply lunged at the towering Astartes. While the other two Dark Eldar approached the ancient webway gate. The remaining spotter started the process of reactivating it, the Ranger keeping his weapon trained on the doorway. "Best hurry, no idea how long Amariel can hold the Mon-keigh off!"
"Not an easy task, reactivating an ancient webway gate!" The spotter retorted, trying to get the gate to respond.
Though, his pace quickened when they both heard the death screams of their comrade. "Get that thing up, now!" The Ranger yelled, as Ter'ron broke through the door. Without hesitation, the Dark Eldar started to fire his weapon at the Astartes. However, the panicked shots either did not phase the Dragon Claw, or missed him completely. "Kasvier! The Gate!" The rifle ran out of ammunition, the Ranger quickly drawing his blade and blast pistol.
Like his words were the key, the webway gate sparked to life! But, it did not have the light blue or purple light. Instead, this gateway had a strange multi-color light coming from it. "There! Its up, we need to go, now!" Kasvier called out, as the Ranger rushed through the webway gate.
The spotter prepared to also go, but a black armored hand grabbed his neck. "I do not think so." Ter'ron growled form behind Kasvier. Before he could plea for his life, the Dragon Claw sawed his talon across the Dark Eldar's waist! The room filled with his pained screams and the sounds of cutting meat, his blood and guts pouring on to the stone floor. Tossing the torn upper half away , Ter'ron looked towards the multi-colored gateway. "I have the strangest feeling, that I am going to regret this…" His gaze went down to the blood covered wrist talons, his eyes narrowing. "But I must finishe what has been started, and avenge Kalithar." With that, he entered the gateway.
….. Oh yeah, he immediately regretted this decision! The moment Ter'ron passed through the gateway, his entire body became racked with agonizing pain. It felt like his entire body is being changed, all the way down to his smallest cell. Two places on his back felt like they were being ripped out and stretched, his face being pulled out while something grew out between his nostrils and all the way down his back. His skin started to harden, like it became another layer of armor. The strangest feeling Ter'ron had, was one of something growing out from below the small of his back, followed by the feeling of his talons growing all over again.
To his relief, the pain stopped and a door came into view. "That must be where that xeons went…" Ter'ron growled, through the pain, not even paying attention at how deep his voice had gotten. "No way is he getting away from me!" The "Astartes" flew towards the door, his conviction deafening him to the fact that no sound came from his jump pack.
-Canterlot Castle Throne Room-
Both Celestia and Luna were shocked, to say the least, when a tall, slender, creature appeared in front of them. Granted, the two were surprised to see a portal open within their throne room, but this cloaked and spiked figure is new to them. Though, the weapons in his hand made them nervous, especially the tubed one in his left hand's grasp.
Celestia kept one arm in front of her younger sister, her hand on the royal Solar Spear. The being seemed confused, his helmeted gaze looking all around the marbled room. "Who are you, and what do you want?" She demanded, as the being looked down at her, before making a disgusted motion.
The Ranger could not believe what he is seeing right now, these strange Mon-keigh like equine were a mockery of all that the Eldar stood for. They even used the filthy Mon-keigh tongue, making it even worse. Pointing his blast pistol at them, he grinned at the fact that he will end at least these two. The older, white, one moved in front of the younger, navy blue, one. The attempt at protecting the other nearly made him laugh, slowly pulling the trigger.
A thud against his back, followed by the two gasping and a burning sensation at the center of his chest, stopped the Dark Eldar Straining as he did so, the Ranger looked down to see a blood, black scaled, claw that had ripped through his chest! What made it worse, the claw clutched his, still, beating heart within its palm. "Kalithar has been avenged, with your death." A voice hissed, making the Dark Eldar to see who it was, that had struck him… Going wide eyed at the sight.
The creature stood at least seven feet tall, his scales black as the darkening void of space, his underbelly having a bone white color. His dinosaur-like snout had a maw full of razor sharp teeth, a long horn just behind his nostrils Those blood red eyes glaring into the Dark Eldar's soul, a pair of smooth horns on the top of his head. Despite having a slight view of him, the Ranger could see the spines that ran down the creature's back, between those large wings, and all the way down to his barbed tail. On its right arm, he could see the curving spine, that sat at the top of his wrist and went to mid forearm. The blade itself curved past his elbow, and he could feel that there was a matching on his left arm as well.
Only one word could describe this creature, and the Ranger strained every bit to say it. "M-Monster!"
"Yes, you xenos scum often call my kind that." Ter'ron threw the body off of his arm, watching the body tumble away. His gaze stayed on the corpse, as he dropped the heart on to the ground and stomped on to it. When he felt the warm blood under his foot, Ter'ron went wide eyed. "I should not be able to feel that…" He thought.
"Um… Excuse me?" A regale voice spoke up, causing the Dragon Claw to look back, seeing the two humanoid-equine creatures before him. Both having a horn and a pair of wings, along with royal looking regalia. "Dragon, if you do not mind, I ask that you identify yourself, now." The white one asked, golden spear in hand.
Ter'ron just starred at the two, forgetting that his claw, no longer an armored hand, is currently covered in blood. "What in the Emperor's name?" He muttered, raising an eyebrow at the two.
The Dragon Claw's attention soon got pulled away from the two, when the throne room doors swung open and a platoon of Royal Guards sprinted inside. "Get away from the Princesses, Dragon!" The platoon leader yelled, not seeing the Dark Eldar corpse, but only a dragon with his left claw covered in blood.
Ter'ron looked at the oncoming guard force, their decorated armor telling him these were elites, then to the "princesses" in front of him. Somehow, he could see a strange aura shimmering about their bodies, practically tasting the sheer power coming off of them. Fighting is not an option right now, he could feel the strength draining from his body, unable to explain why he started to feel weak.
The Royal Guards took up positions in front of the princesses, attempting to corner Ter'ron. "You are coming with us, Dragon!" The platoon leader said, the guards closing in on him.
Backing up to the wall, Ter'ron felt cold glass at his back. It wasn't very thick glass, thin in fact and only meant to help keep the place insolated. A grin found its way on to his maw, narrowing both eyes. "Not likely." He, blatantly, said before jumping forward. The action started the guards, but they did not expect to see the dragon actually jump through the window!
"W-What!?" They all yelled, including the princesses, rushing over to the broken window. The white colored membrane of Ter'ron's wings made it very easy for them to spot him. "Pegasi, after him!"
The Royal Pegasi Guards took flight, heading after the intruder. "Lieutenant! What are you doing!?" Celestia yelled, startling the guard officer.
"P-Princess! W-Well, um, just ordering our air guard to peruse the intruder, your majesty!" He reported, giving a salute. "Your attacker will be apprehended soon!"
Celestia narrowed her eyes, glaring at the lieutenant in front of her, tired of her guards always jumping the gun. "He saved us, lieutenant! Look!" She pointed to the dead Dark Eldar, with a large hole at the center of his chest.
"Our sister has a point, noble officer of the guard. Your interference had been taken by another, who did thou's duty for thee." Luna's word struck the lieutenant right in the pride, quickly realizing his mistake.
His ears folded back on to the golden helmet, quickly taking his leave. "I will… Go recall the Pegasi Guard."