Here is another story I thought of while working on "Her Guardian Within the Shadow" :3 after all, both the Iron Warriors and the Night Lords are my favorite Chaos Space Marine Warbands, their story ever so tragic. All rights of ownership to their respective franchise, except for OCs… I own them! :3 now, without further delay… Iron Within Twilight!
Chapter One
Ten thousand years… That is how long the "Long War" has lasted, by Imperial Standards. For Zarrix, a Terminator Warsmith in charge of an Iron Warrior Warband, it has been much shorter. However, he has been in service to the IV Legion since before Horus' betrayal. He remembers those glorious days of tearing down xenos or rebellious moral walls. Seeing the Imperial Banner raise up high, over the destroyed ruins. Those days were no more, and this Long War has worn him down greatly.
No longer was he the glorious leader of an Iron Warriors' Grand Company, leading his Astartes and mortal soldiers through a breech. No, now he was the leader of Astartes Pirates, rarely seeing true combat unless they raid some random Hive World, even then… The defenses couldn't survive against an Iron Warriors' siege.
Though, during a siege some time ago, he came across strange data files for young adults. The story of these equine creatures actually intrigued him to no end. Without the knowledge of his men, Zarrix uploaded the files to his helmet, allowing him to watch them and not be disturbed. But, all others could hear him silently laugh for no reason, believed he had some demented thoughts.
One day, during an episode of the equine creatures, a mortal crewman spoke up. "M-My lord, if I may?" He said, eyeing the towering Terminator, who seemed to just stare out the bridge's view port.
Zarrix's visor lit up, staring down at the mortal. "What is it?" He asked, the helmet giving a metallic sound to his voice.
"M-My lord, we've found a promising Supply World with minimal defenses, what we capture there should be enough to pay for Lord Blackheart's supplies…. Should we attack?" The crewman asked.
Zarrix sighed, lifting his left hand's power claw up without care. "Order my brothers to deploy, same orders. Destroy what is necessary, preserve what we can. I will join them shortly." He announced, the bridge's mortal crews relaying his orders.
-Friendship Castle-
"So, this new spell of yours, darling… It's supposed to do what now?" Rarity asked, watching the lavender alicorn prepare a spell, standing with their friend Rainbow Dash, while she eyed a particular mirror.
Twilight smiled, looking back at Rarity. "Using the method from my visit to the human world, I discovered that there may be a chance for us to visit other worlds." She answered, looking back at the mirror. "Ones that even you girls could visit with me!"
"That would be quite a feat, wouldn't it?" Rarity said, thinking for a second. "Too bad Applejack had to focus on Apple Bucking Season, Pinkie Pie having to visit her parents, and Fluttershy also having so many animals to take care of."
"Yeah, I really wanted them to come along for this… Well, at least I have you and Rainbow Dash here with me." Twilight said, smiling back at the two before focusing her attention on the machine.
Rarity nodded, before leaning closer to the rainbow mane pegasus, lowering her voice to a mere whisper. "The darling is over working herself so much… She took that Flash Sentry's rejection so hard, by the looks of it." The fashionista said, looking at their alicorn friend, with concerned eyes. "We just couldn't leave her alone with all this."
Rainbow Dash gave a nod, lowering her voice too. "I didn't expect her to be locked up in here for three weeks…"
"I can still hear you two!" Twilight said, giving them both a glare. "And for the hundredth time, I'm fine." The two nodded and walked up to join their friend, as the alicorn looked towards the mirror. "Alright girls… Here we go!" The lavender alicorn sent a blast of magic from her horn, into the machine. When her spell hit, all the dials and coils shot to life! The mirror unleashed a bright, white, light. "It worked! It actually worked!" Twilight cheered.
"Well done, darling!" Rarity exclaimed, hugging her friend.
"Whoa! I can't believe you did it, Twi!" Rainbow Dash said, surprised her friend actually accomplished the perceived impossible. "You're the pony, girl!" She gave the alicorn a high hoof.
"I know! And without Sunset Shimmer's book to act as an anchor for it!" She exclaimed, looking at the portal itself. "Though, it does make me wonder what world it's link-?"
Twilight was cut off by a dark laugh, followed by a whispering voice. "My, my… Won't this be an interesting turn of events?" The white light soon turned into a strange, chaotic, purple. Within seconds, Twilight soon found herself floating off the ground!
"S-Somepony help!" Twilight pleaded, trying to use her wings in an attempt to get back on the ground. Both Rarity and Rainbow Dash quickly grabbed on to their friend, trying to hold her down.
Unfortunately, to no avail. The pull was much stronger than the three mares… All of them being pulled into the purple portal, which quickly disappeared, the machine shutting down.
Spike walked into the room. "Ok! I brought oat cookies and apple juice, so-?" He suddenly stopped, noticing that no one was there. "G-Girls?"
-Distant Supply World-
KA-BOOM!
Twilight's eyes shot open, and she leaned up. "What in the name of Celestia was that!?" She screamed, hearing loud cracks and explosions in the distance.
"Oh, my head… I feel like some pony just bucked me." Rainbow Dash said, slowly sitting up. "Twilight, what just- OH MY GOSH! Who the hay are you!?" She yelled, backing away from Twilight.
"It's me, Rainbow… Twilight." She said, looking at herself and noticing that she was human again. "And it seems we're in our human forms…"
Rainbow Dash looked at herself, noticing she was human as well. "Oh man, this is really freaky!" She said, looking at her fingers and legs.
"Oh, you're telling me, darling…. Oooh, but I do love this outfit!" Rarity squeaked, eyeing the white top and long purple skirt.
Twilight looked around, noticing that the city they were in was on fire, and being destroyed. The cracking sounds slowly getting closer to where they are. "You two stay here… I'm going to see what is going on." She announced, slowly getting up.
"Oh no, you ain't going anywhere without us, Twi." Rainbow Dash said, attempting to get up but ending up flat on her face. "Ow!"
"No offence, Rainbow, but you and Rarity stay here and practice on walking… At the moment, I have more experience with my human form than you." Twilight said, running over to the nearby corner.
"But-?" Rarity suddenly placed a hand on the rainbow haired girl's shoulder.
"Come on, darling… Twilight has a point. We won't be much use to her, if we can't walk." The fashionista said, the daredevil giving a defeated sigh before nodding.
Twilight smiled, before rounding the corner and rushing down an alley way. She could hear more screaming, followed by louder cracks. "What is going on out there…" She thought, reaching an open street. She slowly peaked her head out, and saw a group of humans running down the road.
"Run! Quickly! The Iron Warriors have brea-!" One yelled before the cracking sound was so loud, and fast, that it forced Twilight to cover her ears, and shut her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, her body suddenly froze at the site. "Oh, Celestia, no…" She muttered, seeing that the group of humans had been mowed down by something, blood and body parts everywhere. "W-Who could h-have done this?"
It seemed like some dark entity was listening, because she got her answer. From the smoke, an eight foot tall human, wearing dark gray armor and holding some massive contraption, stepped into her sight. "This city is pathetic… We should have flattened it from orbit." He laughed, pulling something back on the contraption and started to walk forward.
There were two other armored humans with him, both carrying smaller weapons. "Because Warsmith Zarrix said we needed more slaves, to trade with that Blackheart, for more weapons and equipment. Can't get them if we slaughter everyone, Sergeant." One said, the three moving through the street.
"Pah, I hate it when you have a point, Kalex." The Sergeant said, as the three got closer to where Twilight was.
"I need to warn Rainbow and Rarity…" She thought, to herself, quickly making her way down the alley and not noticing the small pieces of rubble she knocked over.
"Hm?" Kalex muttered, looking towards a nearby alley way.
"What is it, Kalex?" The Sergeant asked, looking towards the other Iron Warrior.
"I think I may have found something." He said, walking towards the alley way, where the noise came from.
Twilight skid around the corner, breathing heavily. "G-Girls…" She said, between breathes.
Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were now standing, looked at their friend. "What is it, Twi? You look like you've seen a ghost." The daredevil asked.
"N-No time, we need to-?" Twilight didn't get a chance to finish that sentence, before a metallic voice spoke up from behind her.
"Not move a muscle, and come with me." Kalex demanded, both Rainbow Dash and Rarity looking up at the Iron Warrior, in shock.
Twilight looked back at him, before she jumped towards her friends. "A-And if we don't?" She asked, eyeing him up and down.
Kalex aimed his bolter at her. "I'll gun you down, like most denizens of this Supply World already have been." He answered, in a monotone way.
Twilight looked at her friends, she saw how that Sergeant killed all those people, and knew he was serious. "A-Alright." She answered, lowering her head while Kalex lowered his weapon.
"You can't be serious, Twi! We shouldn't give up so quickly! It's three on one." Rainbow protested, Rarity nodding in agreement.
"Rainbow is right, dear…. Even in our state, we can still take him." Rarity said, smiling at her friend.
"I just saw one of them kill about ten people!" The princess blurted out, making her friends go wide eyed… Twilight looking up at the armored giant, who just laughed. "We'll go with you…"
"Well then…. Seems like one of you has a good head on her shoulders." Kalex said, Twilight's friends getting behind her, while the Iron Warrior reached up to his helmet. When they heard a click from his helmet, he spoke up. "Kalex here, I have three more. Send a shuttle to pick them up. Yes, I'll escort them up to the Irongarde."
"W-What'll happen to us?" Twilight asked, still staring up at the Iron Warrior.
He looked down at her, not really reacting. "That will be determined on our Battle Barge." Kalex said, before the sound of a powerful roar was heard nearby.
-Irongarde Bridge-
Zarrix just stood on the bridge, eyeing the world his Warband had just attacked. "How goes the recall of our forces?" He asked, eyeing his right hand's power claw.
"Two Thunderhawks left, carrying the last of our Vindicators, my lord." One of the crewmen said, eyeing his monitors. "All Astartes accounted for, waiting for you within the slave pens, for your walk through."
Zarrix gave a nod, turning around as his chain linked cape flew behind him. "Tell my brothers that I'm on my way." He ordered, the crewman nodded before relaying his message.
-Hallway outside of the Slave Pens-
Zarrix gave a sigh, he never really picked anyone or thing after their raids. He never really wanted anything, and those data files seemed to be the only thing he's gotten since their raids first started. However, the rules were set at the very beginning and he cannot go against them… The Warsmith leading the Grand Company had first pick of their spoils.
"Really starting to regret those rules." He muttered, approaching the doors. "It was a minor supply world… Doubtful there was any-?" When the doors opened, allowing him to catch a glimpse of stylish purple hair, another woman with a rainbow styled hair. "Impossible, it can't be-…" When he saw the third, allowing his view to see the dark violet hair with but a mere pink streak in it, seeing those beautiful violet eyes… Her actual lavender skin.
At that moment, seeing the three surrounded by the other Iron Warriors… The Warsmith had made his pick, after so many years.