'Night of the bright skies' is what people have come to call the phenomenon, the day the whole world was engulfed in a ray of light that was completely unheard of and never seen before. A never-before-seen ray of radiance that engulfed everything and everyone around a region, and it was so powerful that it was felt in every corner of the globe.
The people of the Dragon Kingdom were the ones who were most affected by this phenomenon, the same that occurred deep inside their own lands, they were completely confused and surprised some even scared, but many Theocracy priests gave sweet words to the masses, it was a sign, a sign that the gods were returning to rescue them from the barbarians who wanted to decimate them.
The most pessimistic and skeptical openly questioned such claims, but they could not lie, the hope that the phenomenon brought in such difficult times of war was not expected but welcomed.
The queen was not in the same positive thinking as her people.
She was completely tense and upset with the situation, she already had enough problems with the invasion of beastmans and dozens of towns and cities completely devastated while the captured people are used as cattle by the occupants. And now she had an anomaly even more to make a situation that was already complicated.
This 'anomaly' gave even more merit to her own description when she ordered her best magicians to use 5th tier spells to try to observe the source of the phenomenon in fear of wasting lives at a time when all manpower is needed.
The results horrified her, a third, around 4 mages were knocked out just for having a glimpse of whatever it was.
But they were the lucky ones.
The other third managed to concentrate enough to see the anomaly directly, they all fell into a deep coma.
And the rest went crazy, started screaming until their vocal chords broke from constant use, others threw themselves to the ground in fetal shapes as they muttered sentences in a language she couldn't decipher, but a single sentence she could hear repeated by all of them.
'Deus unus, misericordia, ordo misericordiae!'
The desperation in their voices as they rambled and cried left her with nightmares for nights on end.
Whatever it was in that region, she couldn't let it escape, whatever it was. She couldn't even imagine the consequences that such an event could make. Tier-magic from what she observed didn't work, and if it worked gave horrifying side effects, she needed something that was entrusted to her by her grandfather, The Wild Magic.
In her mind, it was one of the only way to contain such an anomaly before she decided to 'get out' of her birth zone.
She used an ancient and very difficult wind magic protection field in her palace gardens, and after starting the ritual, reciting the words, she raised her hands to the skies, and she let out a roar that could easily rival a dragon, her grandfather's blood burned in her veins. But it was done, the last resort in the war against the beastmen was launched against such anomaly, hopefully it would be able to delay it sufficiently until the war against the invaders was concluded.
Their hearts pounded at alarming speeds, like old machinery that had just been re-started after decades of use.
His eyes opened in a flash, in a few seconds he had composed himself and was already on his feet. Your additional organs and improved DNA help you a lot in the action.
Observing his surroundings,, he noted that the palace was... Intact. It was so clean and splendid as if nothing had happened, it looked exactly like the day when it was built..
Looking around as he picked up his Guardian Spear, he noticed that he wasn't the only one, all of his brothers were getting up just as confused as he was.
"Captain General...? Is that you?" One of his brothers asked while leaning against the wall, from what he noticed, many of his brothers had failed organs.
"Yes Brothers... It seems that our fears of an unavoidable end... Were premature..." Trajann removed his helmet as he spoke and placed it under his right arm.
"Guilliman….He is…." He tried to ask, even though he knew he couldn't possibly like the answer.
A moment of silence passed, no Custodes daring to break the news to their superior, shame? Respect? He didn't know.
After a minute of silence, one of the Custodes walked forward and brought the news
"Dead, sir... Died fighting in the palace's walls holding off the Prince of Decay." One of the custodians informed him while lowering his head in a sign of respect.
"But wait, The Chaos forces should have overrun the palace by now, how come we still be alive? Most importantly, where are the Daemo-..." his pensive face would change to one of utter horror.
The entire Palace trembled as another huge beam of light spilled into the hall behind them. The Throne room.
"OUR EMPEROR!" Trajann screamed in complete despair as he ignored everything else that was happening in that room and dashed in the direction of the throne room, completely ignoring his frightened comrades.
How can he be so foolish? Of course it was their liege who had done all this, it was for him that they had survived, all thanks to him humanity had another chance.
His mind raced as he continued to run with all his speed, he didn't care about his surroundings and neither his brothers' cries of confusion. As he approached the throne room, he felt the vibrations increase more and closer to the rays of light emitted by the emperor's psyche.
He was again doing something monumental, possibly battling some Daemon that had been brought along with them, and again no custodians were there to defend him. They had failed once in the heresy, never again!
With a shoulder charge he slammed the golden door in the attempt to breach it and reach their lord.
He was thrown hard backward as result of his reckless charge, landing hard on his back onto the ground.
Standing up, he looked with hatred at those massive and magnificent doors. They didn't have a scratch in their paint, his actions had done nothing to hinder it on the slightest. Then, as he rose to try again to repeat the process of trying to breach those gates that were his only obstacle to his leader, something happened.
A huge tremor, even stronger and more powerful than all the previous ones occurred. He had to lean on his spear to keep from falling, it felt like it was an earthquake was threatening to split the palace in half.
"No no no no!" He screamed as hard as his lungs could muster, in a fit of rage at his inability to help his master, maker and lord, he threw himself at the door again, he pounded that door as hard as he could, punching, pushing it, hitting it with his foot, everything he could. And even with his superhuman strength, nothing happened.
The feeling of his fingers breaking after so much pressure didn't stop him, when his fists weakened, he used his helmet, his comrades arrived in the room and watched the almost sad scene, but instead of pity, they felt inspired and immediately joined in the futile attempt to break the huge gates.
They went on like this without stopping, it didn't matter to them that their bodies would break, only that they needed to find their master, to protect him.
The Custodes, Guardians of the Emperor of Mankind, the most feared warriors in the entire galaxy and the Imperium, were struggling to break a gate. They should have formulated a tactical plan, or a better way than just their fists to get inside.
But they were fueled by desperation, the Emperor was their life, it was their reason for being created and existence, and the man who guided them through the most difficult moments in human history, and triumphed time and time again.
And from what they were hearing, the Emperor needed them, it was Horus Heresy all over again, Horus about to finish the Emperor without them being able to do anything.
"YOUR LOYALTY AND COMPLETE DEDICATION TO MY WELL-BEING IS EXPECTED, BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT BRINGS ME HUGE SATISFACTION SEEING IT WITH MY OWN EYES AGAIN, AFTER SUCH A LONG TIME."
One voice.
A very powerful voice.
One that brought comfort and warmth to their hearts, that reminded them of a fatherly love they had long forgotten.
A voice they never expected to hear again for millennia.
The doors suddenly made a bang, and slowly disentangled themselves, making their noise of gears rubbing against each other as the passage opened.
He couldn't see the expressions of his comrades, but Trajann's was easily describable without his helmet, being held in one of his unbroken hands.
His eyelids lifted and for the first time showed expression for so many years.
Surprise, shock...
But above all, happiness.
On his throne, in all its brilliance, he stood, his armor new and reinvigorated that could easily be reminiscent of the times of the great crusade, his flaming sword burning eternally in his right hand, while in his other he inspected it with one. .. Expression!
The Emperor... He was smiling!
His glowing golden gaze slowly withdrew from his hand and returned to the entorage of troops who were now kneeling almost instantly, the smile only warming even more.
His footsteps seemed to vertebrate across the palace as he descended from his throne and walked towards them, each step felt like a thunder inside a storm.
"It's good to be back with all of you, my trusted companions."
(Meanwhile, in another universe.)
As the inner part of the Imperial Palace gets "warped" to another place, while shaking like inside a blender (not too surprising in the warp), one redeemed Magnus the Red falls to the ground while wearing headphones and throwing the book accidentally away in shock. "Son of a..." Magnus grumbled as he made his way to the throne room, oblivious to the bright light shining through the cracks of the door.
"What is happening, Father? I was just reading while listening to some Linkin Loyali-" He said as he pushed the door open only to get blinded. "My eye! AAAARGHH!" Magnus cried out as he fell to the ground whining in pain.
Soon after, the light dies down to reveal one alive Emperor of Mankind in all his golden glory. Daemon Prince Magnus looks up.
"What in the-" Magnus was cut short as Rogal Dorn appeared from outside.
"Brother I have terrible news. Our father..." The centurion primarch stopped as he saw his father, alive and well. "Is alive?"
"YES THAT IS ONE HELL OF A TERRIBLE MESSAGE, ISN'T IT ROGAL? CALL AN IMPERIUM WIDE CRISIS OUT." The Emperor typed into his Text-To-Speech Device as he shot Rogal a look.
"Father, are you truly alright? Are my eyes deceiving me?" Rogal asked.
"OF COURSE IT'S FUCKING ME, YOU SENTIENT CONCRETE MIXER! IF I WAS SPECTRAL STALKER ME, I WOULDN'T BE TALKING TO YOU." The Emperor replied as Magnus picked himself up.
"Is there really any need for the machine to do the talking anymore, Father? You seem perfectly fine." The Primarch of the Thousand Sons said.
"MY THROAT IS AS DRY AS SANDPAPER AS I HAVE NOT CONSUMED ANYTHING BUT THE SOULS OF PSYKERS THROUGHOUT THE LAST 10 MILLENNIA. TRY TO TALK NORMALLY AFTER THAT." The Emperor "said". "BUT BEFORE THAT I'D LIKE TO APOLOGISE TO YOU TWO."
"For what? Being a terrible parent?" Magnus asked sarcastically.
"YES, YOU FEATHERED BOTTLE OF HOT SAUCE! I'M SORRY FOR BEING A SHITTY NEGLECTFUL PARENT." The Emperor said with a solemn look.
"What?"
"I'm sorry WHAT?!" The primarchs said.
"YOU BOTH HEARD ME WELL THE FIRST TIME AND I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT THAT. EVER." The Emperor said when suddenly...
*AYAYAYA~*
The three half naked custodes appeared in all their oil-covered, glistening glory.
"Don't worry, my lord! We have you covered!" The Shield Captain said while The Emperor thought 'Cover yourselves instead for a change, would you?'
"OH GOD! WHY OUT OF ALL CUSTODES THERE ARE IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE DID YOU THREE MANAGE TO SURVIVE?! I MEAN, YOU DON'T EVEN WEAR FUCKING ARMOR! DID THE DAEMONS GET SO GROSSED OUT BY YOUR APPEARANCE THAT THEY COLLECTIVELY DECIDED "FUCK THAT!" AND RATHER FIGHT YOUR DECENTLY DRESSED BROTHERS INSTEAD?" He said.
Not long after, the Captain General entered the room.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop... them..." Kitten said as he laid eyes on the living breathing Emperor as the custodes did the same.
"He is more golden than I remember." Karstodes said in awe.
"*Impressed whistle* Wow, would you look at that~" Custodisi basically purred.
"MY ASS!" Wamuudes pratically screamed as he fell on the floor, slipping on the oil that coated his form.
"My lord, are you-" Kitten said.
"YES! APPARENTLY I AM ALIVE AGAIN AND NO LONGER BOUND TO THAT GOLDEN POTTY AND NO LONGER HAVE ARCHEOTECH THROWN INTO MY FACE." As the Emperor said that a techpriest shuffled into the room.
"Mhoergh... I FOUND an anvil!" The techpriest said before chucking the metal object into the Emperor's face with a loud clang. Everyone froze for a second, while Magnus was actually trying his best not to laugh at the cartoonish absurdity of the situation as the anvil fell down with an imprint of the Emperor's face, while the real face was completely unharmed.
"SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL THEM TO STOP DOING THAT. ANYHOW, GOLDEN BANANA BOY, MY THROAT IS DRY, BRING ME SOME TEA FROM THE KITCHEN SO I CAN STOP USING THIS DEVICE TO TALK TO YOU."
"I'm sorry, my lord, but the kitchen was not among the things brought here. I have checked myself" Kitten said.
"Fail" Said one Captain Boreale.
"CURSES."
"You could always have some of our oil, if you need to make your throat smooth again." Wamuudes said.
"I'M NOT THAT DESPERATE THAT I'M DRINKING THE STUFF NOT MEANT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION THAT YOU COAT YOURSELF AND EVERY AVAILABLE SURFACE IN THE PALACE IN. IT'S EVEN ON THE CEILING! HOW THE HELL DID YOU EVEN DO THAT?"
"That's a secret best kept under lock and key. But if you really crave that information..." Custodisi said in a tone indicating something highly inappropriate, before the Emperor interjected.
"I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYMORE, THANK YOU CREEP. IN ANY CASE WHO ELSE IS HERE EXCEPT MY COMPANIONS?" He asked when the door opened and Boy, the Abducted Chronicler and Ecclesiarch Decius XXIII. "WELL THAT'S A RELIEF. FOR A SECOND I WAS WORRIED THAT-" And then the High Lords of Terra fell through the door over and on top of one another... literally. "OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE! NOT YOU GUYS!"
"No more toasters~" The Fabricator General bemoaned the loss of his beloved toasters.
"We must ban daemons in the Imperial Palace!" The Grand Provost Marshal said with the bucket like helm sitting tilted on his aged head.
"FUCK YOU MAGNUS!" The Commander Militant shouted at the red primarch.
"The walls are spinning..." The Master of the Administratum drawled still dizzy from the transportation and the Chaos Incursion.
"They are in fact not spinning, young man." Rogal said in his deadpan tone.
'WHEN WILL THIS PAIN EVER END?' The Emperor thought to himself.
"I don't know..." The Chronicler bemoaned his lord's thoughts as always.
Unknown to all of the occupants of the Imperial Palace, Tzeentch was watching them, probably cackling as they presumably rubbed their apparent hands in a mischievous way.
"Yes, just as planned."
"You didn't plan this" Nurgle interjected. "You were freaking out for a year in warp time because the Anathema disappeared with Magnus.
"Screw you Nurgle!" Tzeentch shouted back. "Why are you even here? I hate you and all you stand for and you hate me."
"Still better than having to listen to the other two." Nurgle said as a loud crash resounded through the warp.
"STOP SKULLFUCKING MY SKULLS!" Khorne could be heard yelling.
"Oh yes! Hit me harder onii-chan~" A voice that could only belong to Slaanesh was heard before another hate-filled roar tore through the warp. Nurgle and Tzeentch both almost vomited at what Slaanesh just said.
RIP TTS, This is a tribute to the team of Alfabusa who made my days happier in difficult times, thanks for the help Don Orbit! And anyone who don't give a shit about this TTS shit i did, relax, it's just a one time thing. Even so, i hope you all enjoyed!