Pony hammer chapter 4: Chapter Mark Crusaders
by: Heratic Brony

Fluttershy watched as the fiends tore into Tobias's body. He was a indomitable golden warrior, an angel of blood and death. Tobias shouldn't be able to be beaten, he was a true hero. As the stinger tail tore into the body of Tobias a scream caught in her throat. Yet after every wound he accepted Tobias stood up again. Even now after what should have been a death blow Tobias stood up, his eyes clear and his face resolute. His blood streaked black hair hung wetly about his head as he fought on.

"No Tobias, stop, run away." She whispered. "You'll die, please, stop." Tobias wavered flickering between life and death. Then as she watched the last fiend, pulled Tobias off his feet, the sword dropping to the ground. Something snapped within her and like a lion words roared from her throat. "HOW DARE YOU!"

Fluttershy's Legs ate up the ground as she ran for the sword picking it up in her mouth she hacked at the body of the fiend. She would never let them have Tobias. Even if it was just his dead body, they would not have him. Her eyes burned as the sword flashed, no resistance the demon put forth stood against her. She could feel it. The demon wasn't fighting her with just it's body, it was also her will to destroy it against it's will to remain. She had faith in Tobias's sword, her will was without peer.

She stood over the body of Tobias as he lay there on ground. She heard the approach of Twilight Sparkle and Sanguinius. Dropping the sword Fluttershy collapsed and wept. Twilight felt the tears in her own eyes run down her face. Fluttershy looked to the only one of them not crying. Sanguinius knelt down, and pulled off his gauntlet placing two fingers on his brother's throat. Twilight Sparkle remained quite thinking this was a grieving ritual she watched as the lord of angels stood.
"He'll be fine." Sanguinius said with releif in his voice. Fluttershy's tears caught in her throat both ponies looked at him in halted grief.
"What do you mean he'll be fine?" Twilight asked as her friend tried to gain composure.
"He's one of the Emperor's elite warriors. Our bodies are made to take violence like this and survive, He's in a regenerative sleep. It won't give him his arm back, but it will allow him to survive this." Sanguinius pulled out his blade and cut his wrist so that his blood flowed out, he put the wrist to Tobais mouth and let the blood flow into him. "He'll be fine by tomorrow, if we treat those wounds." He placed a hand on Fluttershy The pony jumped a little as she looked at him.

"Why did you leave him with me?" Fluttershy whispered.
"To teach you to become a great combat medic." Sanguinius smiled at her. "Tobias was the best medic I've ever had serving under me. He was always hard on new students but they all came out for the better because of it."
"He, was trying to teach me?" Fluttershy looked at Sanguinius as his words sunk in. "He was harassing me for taking time to treat the forest animal's injuries. He said I had no priorities."
"That sounds like something he would say. The biggest thing he tried to drill into his students was you had to prioritize every case you work on. You can't work on them in the order they come to you. I've heard him say that one has to choose the order that they treat their patients. The most critical cases first, then the least. Never hesitate, because if you hesitate or second guess you take time away from saving another person."

Fluttershy started to cry again, her tears drenching the golden armor of Tobias, as the lord of angels began to remove it so she could tend to his wounds. She looked them over and choose the stinger wound first to treat, then she moved on treating the wounds in his side from when he crashed into the ground. Lastly she treated his arm where the plasma explosion had claimed his forearm. There she could do little but whisper a prayer to his god that all would be alright. Then Flutershy took him on her back and carried him back to where a field hospital had been set up for her.


The darkness that fell that night brought the unearthly light back to everypony's mind. Twilight Sparkle dictated another letter to the Princess.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
I have without realizing it discovered a new form of friendship. Sanguinius and his Blood Angles are friends, but the "Sanguinay Guard" as Sanguinius called them, refer to each other as Brother. I believe this to be a sign of the bonds of their friendship that they feel themselves so close as to be family. I will have to look more into the friendship of warriors, and these "Blood Angels".

In these troubled times perhaps this form of friendship will do so much for us. To be able to count on the bonds of friendship so much that the person standing next to you is your brother or sister, it is exciting to think of. I will do my best to look into this friendship among warriors.
Your best pupil,
Twilight Sparkle"


Sanguinius examined the wall for flaws before the enemy army came, the light of the dawn turning his fair blond hair blood red. His eyes fell upon Twilight as she watched him inspect the wall. In the distance she could hear music as the army approached. "They will be here before mid-day." He said with a disturbing level of Calm. He smiled to her and took something from his back. A staff, she realized covered in silvery markings.

Her eyes fell upon him as she looked at the gift. "What is this? It's amazing, it feels powerful.". Her voice trailed off as she felt the flow of her magic threw it.

"It's called a Warding Stave. It can focus your magic into a protective shield, or disrupt demons like my sword." He smiled at her, "I know the gravity of the sword wore on you. The staff will feel different to you because it is the made of the will to protect with magic, so at its heart it is not a tool of death."

"I feel it there is a difference, this one feels less aggressive but still assertive." She whispered feeling the weapon bond to her magic, her power flowing threw it as easily as the blood flowed through her veins. It was becoming an extension of her mind and power.

Twilight Sparkle looked out at the town, the newly formed Equestrian Guard as they had renamed themselves. Ponies practiced with their battle blades. Double sided swords intended to be held in their mouths. Though the angels had explained that the crackling energy on their blades offered no benefit against the demons it would have given them a boost of confidence; and faith in your weapon's ability to kill, the angels had explained, was the most important thing.

"Sanguinius do you think we will win?" Twilight asked almost afraid as she watches her friends prepare for war. Pinkie Pie looked like she did during her rock farming days, Rainbow Dash was working hard at the forge, Applejack was with Big Macintosh learning how to use a battle blade. The two were passing the makeshift hospital tent where Fluttershy was accepting the harsh training from Tobias. Twilight stopped as she heard something, she didn't think possible.
"Good job." Tobias had just praised Fluttershy, and the pale yellow filly didn't break her pace but responded back quickly in her normal meek tone.
"Thank you."

Sanguinius turned to her and with a compassionate smile on his face and a tempered laugh his words hit home "I think you will win this war."

Those words were all he had time to get out before a fast moving scooter carrying three very small ponies bowled him over. Twilight looked in shock as the Lord of the Blood angels fell to the ground breaking his own fall and with an arcing motion that blended perfectly into a kicking motion to bring himself back up onto his feet, where he grabbed the troublesome trio.
"Please Mister Sanguinius, don't hurt us we just thought maybe..." Apple Bloom began.
"That we could earn our cutie marks fighting in the war.". Scootaloo finished.
"What is a Cutie...oh those tattoos everyo...everypony has on their flanks?". The lord of the Blood Angels said figuring out the meaning of the word.
"They aren't tattoos, they appear when a pony discovers their unique inner talents and self.". Twilight gave the textbook answer, the young ones nodded vigorously.
"I see. Young ones, I can promise you that none of you will discover your marks in war.". Twilight could see it the Angel lords vision wasn't in the here and now, it was in times to come in places that brought tears unshed but glistening to his eyes. "If you wish to help though I won't stop you but until my work here is done you must swear an oath to me. Do this and I will give you a mark no other pony will carry."
"We will". The crusaders said in unison, no plans to abandon their quest to seek their marks in war.
"You can't force their marks out." Twilight said low to the lord of angels.
"What are your names?". Sanguinius ignored Twilight for a moment.

"I'm Scootaloo, this is Sweetiebelle, and she's Applebloom.". Scootaloo gave a hurried introduction.
The lord of Angels smiled to them. "Do you Scootaloo, Sweetiebelle and Apple Bloom promise to stand for justice when no other will. To fight with courage when weaker hearts would turn and run, do you swear to follow to the letter the orders given you by myself and any senior Blood Angels, and do you swear your loyalty to me as your lord and leader?"
"Yes, I Sweetiebelle so swear."
"I, Applebloom, will."
"Scootaloo reporting for duty!" All three gave their answers in unison looking into the kind blue eyes.
"Then kneel". The other two knelled instantly but Scootaloo took a moment to ponder why before she did.
Sanguinius removed his left gauntlet and turned to Twilight sparkle. "I need a cup."

Mortified Twilight sparkle got him that cup, when he cut open his wrist she gasped as blood rushed into the cup. He then turned to the three as they watched his wound stopped almost instantly. He then brought the cup to Sweetiebelle's lips lifting her up with his chin. "Drink" He ordered her. She took a sip of the salty coppery blood, almost gaging but as it moved into her she felt invigorated. Then sanguinius placed his right hand upon her shoulder and a flow of his magic pushed into her she felt the mark appear on her shoulder.

Apple Bloom took her sip of blood next then as the lord of angel's touched her shoulder she felt things about herself coming to the surface. His power generating a mark upon her shoulder the mark of a warrior, not who she was, but who she could be. It filled her with exhilaration at long last some guidance.

Scootaloo felt the touch of Sanguinius under her chin, and she looked up feeling the cup touch her lips she drank deeply of its contents ignoring the metallic taste. It spread in her then she felt the lord of the Blood Angels touch her right shoulder and his power spread out from there, his mark, his emblem appeared on her branding her as one of his angels. She was a Blood Angel now. She was one of Sangunius's legion. She welcomed it.

Sanguinius took a moment to look at the new marks that came in. They hadn't come in uniform as he had intended it would seem the natural power that governed their marks interfered with his power. Scootaloo's insignia came in with larger wings on the blood drop, angled for faster flying. The one on Sweetiebelle had the wings folded over the base the drop sheltering and keeping it safe. Only Applebloom's came in close to right. A set of laurels behind the normal insignia stood out, and the lord of angels knew the meaning of this, a natural leader.