AN: Merry Christmas, everyone! Happy Hanukah to those who practice it, and to any other celebrations you partake in around this time, I wish you good joy and good health.
I've been feeling like shit for the past few weeks, mainly because of work and it's really starting to hit me that I should find a new job before something bad happens mentally to me, or I finally snap at my members of management.
But, before any of that, I give to you all a little gift from me. Now, I've taken a few liberties with how the Sanguinala is kept in the Imperium (since I don't actually think it's ever been said, to my knowledge at least), so I did something that I felt worked best as a ceremony of remembrance that the Sanguinala would be. Also kind of a way for me to get through some of my own personal stuff towards the loss of my grandfather who passed away in September of this year.
Winter has come to Vale. Snow and cold blanket the kingdom from coast to mountain, covering leafless trees and empty fields.
In a conventional war, winter would have seen a winding down of hostilities, a desire to preserve life, fuel and resources for use against the threat in the spring. Against a more conventional foe, that would be the way.
But the Grimm are not a conventional foe, and the Imperium of Man never fights a conventional war. So, from Fort Tempest, again and again, armoured convoys of vehicles and troops and flights of transports punch out, each one bearing greatcoat-clad Cadian Shock Troops, each one breathing out warmth against mitt covered hands.
They are not alone in this endeavour though, as their ranks are joined by the Huntsmen teams, both professional and cadet, of the Kingdom of Vale, and also by squads of the mighty Astartes of the Steel Drakes, Firstborn and Primaris both lending their firepower to the fight against the creatures of Grimm.
Again, as on so many worlds in the universe, the dance and play of death is carried out by those willing to stand against evil and despair.
And as so many worlds, remembrance is held for those who stood firm.
The Valkyrie blasts off into the air again, leaving the landing pad in near silence as the melted snow begins to freeze again, letting its occupants walk down the ramp.
"Well," Lie Ren finally is able to say now that he won't be interrupted. "I think that was an interesting mission."
"Ren, there was nothing 'interesting' about that mission." Weiss Schnee says coldly, though just a bit warmer than the air around her. "That was awful!"
"What do you expect? We were in a swamp." Blake Belladonna responds quickly. Her form is wrapped up in a bundled black cloak, her face tinged red, like the others from the cold.
"And of course, it's Jaune who falls through the ice." Yang Xiao Lang adds with a snarky smile.
"Not my fault!" The blonde huntsman replies with a hurt indignation, Jaun Arc's face red from embarrassment and cold. Almost matching in colour the scarf he got from his mother wrapped around his in three coils, though it is discoloured slightly from swamp water. "How was I supposed to know that I'd get snatched by a Lurker?"
"They are called Lurkers for a reason." Ruby Rose adds, smiling slightly, wrapped up in her red cloak, though now one trimmed at the hood with fur. "And they do like swamps and waterways. So they can snatch people. Like Jaune!"
The young huntress puts on a smile but still, she remembers the fear that went through her when that giant, black and white, spiked reptilian Grimm burst up from the ice and caught Jaune in its jaws. Her friend's Aura might have stopped him from being snapped in half by the mouth of the Lurker, but that did nothing to help her when the beast had turned around and made a beeline for the water, Jaune still struggling in its grip.
It had been quicker than any of them had been able to react, Pyrrha and Ruby herself rushing at the creature to save Jaune…
The sound of heavy footfalls precedes the loud, friendly booming voice. "Hail, Teams RWBY and JNPR! You have returned."
The forms of Sternguard Squad Dassian approach them, all glittering jewels, steel armour and leather and teeth, though they are all dirtied up to the waist in swamp water and muck. Their leader, Veteran-Sergeant Dassian, strides towards the group of teenagers, his head uncovered and his dark skin untroubled by the cold. His smiles broadly, the motion doing interesting things to the scars on his face.
It had been one of the Astartes who had helped rescue Jaune, Brother Kraus coring it with a combi-melta. Jaune survived, at the cost of a pair of trousers. Though it was a smile price to pay compared to what the Lurker would have done to him.
That had really been the only exciting part of the operation, looking back at it. Even though all of Teams RWBY and JNPR ended up being coated to some degree in freezing, swamp water and mud.
Planting the shaft of his glaive against the ground, Brother-Sergeant Dassian smiles down at the group. "A fine hunt, though a bit lacking in the foe. It is good to see you all returned. Come, the rite of victory is being prepared for us, and we should…"
"That will have to wait, Brother Sergeant." A new voice cuts in, somehow deeper and more sonorous than the Sternguard's voices. Another pair of footfalls approach the group, heavy but slow.
"Reclusiarch Akios." Brother-Sergeant Dassian intones, placing his right fist against his breastplate in greeting, his head dipping low slightly in respect, the others in his squad repeating the gestures.
For Teams RWBY and JNPR, the Reclusiarch is still a frightening figure. Seeing the black and gold armoured figure, clad in skulls, leather and teeth, smashing an Ursa in half with his staff left an impression. Though the impression is not helped by the large blood drop emblems he now wears on his armour. Or it could be a teardrop.
Dassian speaks again. "It is unusual for us not to carry out the rite after an operation. You know this."
"Indeed I do, Brother-Sergeant." The high chaplain responds, moving his staff and weapon of office to rest in front of him, his gauntleted hands resting on top. "But, I was asked specifically to bring you all to the chapel for today."
"Why?" Ruby asks loudly, confused as all the others at what is going on. And why the Reclusiarch of the Steel Drakes is wearing a large red tear, or blood drop, along with his regular panoply for animal bits.
"Because today is the Sanguinala." The Reclusiarch says simply, like it explains everything. All it does is make the Huntress and Huntsmen cadets look at each other in confusion.
"What's 'the Sanguinala'?" Ruby asks, her silver eyes looking up in confusion at the Astartes.
An Imperial Guard barracks is normally filled with the myriad noise of soldiers relaxing during their downtime. Today, even if there was the presence of an Astartes chaplain present, the barracks of Bravo Company is subdued and quiet. The conversation is low and soft, sombre sounding to the Huntsmen cadet teams.
It's been like this ever since Teams RWBY and JNPR came back to the fort. Any Cadians they've met, instead of meeting them with broad smiles and questions about the action, have been subdued and soft in their manners towards the teens.
And each one is wearing a small, red teardrop badge on their uniforms.
"The Sanguinala is a holy day to us Imperials." Father Constantine says as he sits next to a low table. On its surface are many sheets of white parchment, ink pots and quills and pencils. "Though this is the first day we've celebrated it planetside in a long, long time."
He gestures at the room with his robotic hand, the metallic digits reflecting the light dully. Though it's hard for Ruby to notice, engrossed as she is with warming up from a portable heater.
"If it's a celebration, it's a very silent one." Yang says simply, sitting herself next to the heater with Ruby.
Constantine nods his head. "I understand what you mean, Huntress Yang. But this is not a celebration for the living. It's a celebration of the dead."
Collectively, Team RWBY and JNPR lift their heads to look at the preacher with looks of confusion and worry. Well, apart from one of them.
"Jeez, it's always a dead guy with you Imperials." Yang says in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Yang!" Weiss responds in a scandalized tone of voice, even swatting the blonde on the back of the head for good measure. "Don't be rude! This man must have been incredibly important to have a day named after him, even in death."
Turning to face the preacher, Weiss bows her head. "I'm so sorry, Father. That was rude."
A small and sincere smile plays on Constantine's face. "It is becoming a fact of life here that you don't know anything about the Imperium. Though, yes, Huntress Weiss, the Sanguinala is named after a great man. Or rather a great being. Come with me."
Rising from his seat, the gears in his limbs whining in protest, Constantine gathers up the sheets of parchment in his hands and moves towards another side of the barracks. With a reluctant Ruby being carried-slash-dragged by her older sister, RWBY and JNPR move to follow the preacher, towards the more heavily populated side of the room. Here, the majority of the Cadians of Bravo Company of the 598th are gathered, each one set to their task under the watchful eye of Reclusiarch Akios. Each man and woman, dressed in their khaki uniforms, is hard at work together… cutting pieces of parchment into shapes.
"Hey, RWBY and JNPR." Tychos Litten speaks up fondly, his gaze lifting up from his work to look at the teens. "Good sport today?"
"It was all right." Nora Valkyrie says nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders before she bounces towards the Cadians to see what they're doing. "Jaune nearly got killed by a Lurker. So what are you guys doing?"
"Looks like… arts and crafts?" Pyrrha Nikos comments as she looks at each man and woman, holding a sheet of parchment and a pair of scissors that they use to cut the parchment to shape.
This was not expected and the face of all the teen's show it.
"It's Sanguinala!" Sophia Kall says chipperly, though her smile is subdued. "All regiments drew lots on who would be getting everything ready, and it's the 598th's turn."
That does nothing to help Teams RWBY and JNPR understand what's going on. So, bending down slightly, Weiss picks up one of the cut pieces of parchment off of the floor to look at it. It's long, slightly rounded up but not fully ovular in shape, being more tapered towards what she assumes to be the bottom.
The colour is slightly creamy, but Weiss recognises it for what it is.
"It's.. it's a feather." She says out loud, lifting her head to look around the space. "You're making feathers?"
The Cadians that look at her just nod their heads, not saying a word as they continue about their task. All the teens turn to look at Father Constantine expectantly, even as he hands out more sheets of parchment for the soldiers to cut up.
"The Sanguinala is a sacred day for all of the Imperium, from Cadia to Ultramar," The preacher says as he threads his way through the group of Cadians, assessing each of their jobs. He seems to find no faults as he continues. "It is a day of remembrance, for one greater than us. One blessed and revered by all. One too pure for this universe."
As he walks, Constantine approaches a table set to the side, Reclusiarch Akios standing to the side observing what is going on. On top of the table, is a tall box, about a foot tall, made of dark wood and metal. On the front edge, is etched that same symbol again; a drop of either tears or blood, this time surmounted by a pair of wings, broad and wide.
Solemnly and reverently, Constantine reaches towards the box and opens it up. Somehow, as he does so, the teens from Beacon Academy swear that the room becomes just that bit brighter. A fact that became more apparent as Constantine stood to the side, revealing the contents of the box to the group of teens.
It is a triptych, the box partitioned into three parts, each one revealing a different image to Teams RWBY and JNPR, made from wood and picked out in gold, or even formed from gold. The first image is of a man, young in the face, with long flowing hair, but lean and muscular in form, clothed in simple and torn rags, while on his backs are two large outspread wings, as long in length as his own body, bearing him aloft into the sky. The second image is the same man, still bearing those same mighty wings, but now resplendent in mighty armour and armed with a sword of great length and form, facing off against a great and monstrous being with a horned head and great bat-like wings. Behind him, all can see the distinct forms of Astartes moving together in the background, all of them looking more archaic than those of the Steel Drakes chapter.
The final partition is also the most sombre, since it depicts the winged man… fallen on a set of steps. His armour is shattered, his form rent and his wings broken about him. Beside him lie many Astartes, their armour rent and broken. Where the other two sections have an air of triumph and glory to them, the latter has none of that. Sadness and grief seem to emanate from it for all to feel.
"This…" Reclusiarch Akios says, lifting an armoured hand to gesture at the triptych. "Is Sanguinius, the lord and master of the Blood Angels legion, and Primarch of the chapters of the Blood. A son of the Emperor."
Yang's eyes open wide in shock as she feels everyone in the teams turn to look at her. "Whoops… sorry."
"No offence is taken." Constantine replies with a fond smile. "You do not know, plain and simple. So this.. is for you.
"Sanguinius was one of the Emperor's beloved sons, possibly his most beloved. Lost to Him, and then found by Him on distant Baal Secundus, the young Primarch grew on an irradiated world, full of terror and danger. And yet Sanguinius was no coward nor tyrant. His heart was pure, as pure white as those great wings of his, for they were as real to him as his own flesh and blood."
"He had wings!?" Nora cries out in surprise and shock. "Like… real wings? To fly with?"
Constatine nods his head. "Indeed he could. There are tales aplenty of Sanguinius taking to the air to combat the enemies of mankind during the hallowed days of the Great Crusade above the massed ranks of his Legion, the Blood Angels. Out of all the honoured legions of those times, while the Primarchs all fought for the glory of the Imperium, it was Sanguinius himself who fought for the glory and uplifting of Mankind above all things."
"What kind of person was he?" Jaune asks, interest clear in his voice. "So we understand more. What was he like?"
The room falls silent, all activity ceasing as all eyes turn to look at the group, wanting to hear what is said.
Constantine answers. "The best of us. Even in humanity's darkest hour, when the traitors of Horus assailed Holy Terra and the Imperial Palace, Sanguinius led the defence."
"Sanguinius and his brother Primarchs." Akios tacks on quickly. "Sanguinius and his Blood Angels, Jaghatai Khan and his White Scars, and Rogal Dorn and his Imperial Fists, the sires and forebears of the Steel Drakes. All worked in concert to defend the Imperial Palace from Horus and his traitor forces; Rogal Dorn from the walls, the Khan in the streets, and Sanguinius at the Eternity Gate.
"It was there that Sanguinius ordered the gate opened to allow civilian and Imperial soldiers alike to enter the Imperial Palace to protect them from the wrath of the traitor. Then he ordered the gate closed behind him. Alone, he stood against numberless hordes of traitors, heretics and monsters alike, even as his own sons blasted the enemy of pieces from above. Even a mighty creature of war, bound to the will of the traitors; a beast, one that even the Grimm would shy away from. A being of purest malice and hate, the antithesis of noble Sanguinius, and one that had shadowed his steps from the beginning of the war. That beast had its back broken on the knee of the Primarch himself after challenging it to single combat."
That comment earns a roar of praise from the Cadians, each one yelling and cheering at the mention of the deed. But, their praise falls silent as the tale takes a different turn, Constantine taking over the telling again.
"At the final hour of the siege of Terra, when the traitor Horus revealed himself upon his flagship, the Emperor, Sanguinius and Dorn seeking him out for retribution. A great battle was fought upon the ship and Sanguinius became separated from the Emperor and Dorn. And there, he met the traitor.
"Horus, mad with power and bloodlust, sought to turn Sanguinius to his side, but the noble Primarch refused, and there on the ship above the siege, they fought."
There is a catch in Constantine's throat as he speaks, his violet eyes tearing up.
"And there, against the traitor… Sanguinius fell."
So caught up in the telling of the story, it comes as a shock to Teams RWBY and JNPR to hear the preacher speak so emotionally, but they cannot help but find themselves affected by his words, hands covering mouths in shock and grief. They look at the final partition of the triptych in a new light, new sombre.
Akios continues the tale. "Duty bade Sanguinius stay and fight, though wounded he was from the fighting at the Eternity Gate against the forces on Terra, both mortal and beast. He knew he would not win, but he did not retreat from the face of the enemy. He gave his life for victory, for the Emperor, and the Imperium. For humanity. And though he fell, Sanguinius was still able to deal Horus' armour a blow that left it vulnerable to the strength of the Emperor and allowed him to win.
"That is why we celebrate the Sanguinala. To remember his loss, to remember his strength, and to remember the love he bore for humanity."
The room falls silent again as each Cadian bows their head in respect to the fallen Primarch, some pressing their hands to their chests in the Aquila. A feeling of melancholy fills the room again.
"It has been a long number of years for us Cadians," Father Constantine says finally, getting his emotions under control. "The loss of our world, our friends, families. I do not think that there are many in this galaxy who can feel as close to Sanguinius as we do."
Stepping forward, Father Constantine approached the two Huntsmen teams, before reaching out, he places a hand onto both Ruby and Jaune's shoulders, the mechanical digits actually gentle against their skin.
"But your world has given us a reprieve from the grief and the pain. It has given us hope, and a place to properly mourn the lost."
At his words, all the teens turn their heads to look at the men and women around them. They knew that the Imperium had a factional thing for death, but to see it expressed in such a way was new to them.
"Can… is there anything we can do?" Ruby asks, earning a smile from the preacher.
Taking his hands off the teen's shoulders, Constantine holds out, allowing a Cadian to fill it with sheets of parchment.
"We need more feathers made for tonight's mass. And we also ask that you join us for tonight."
"We'll be there, Father." Jaune answers as he takes some of the sheets and hands them out to his teammates, Ruby doing the same. Soon, the group are joined with the Cadians cutting the parchments to shape.
Night has fallen over Fort Tempest, though the lights of the fort keep the darkness at bay. Tonight, however, instead of the blazing glare of floodlights, the lighting is more sombre, akin to candlelight. Burning braziers and torches light paths cleared of snow by shovel and flamer, allowing easy egress for pilgrims to the chapels of the fort. There are five chapels in the fort, Doctor Oobleck knows, and each one is reached by long avenues and trains of the devout.
A professor of history, it is no wonder that Bartholomew Oobleck quickly became engrossed by the story of Sanguinius and the Sanguinala. Remnant has no figure like the self-sacrificing Primarch and the doctor was quick to want to learn more. The Imperials had been more than obliging on teaching all he needed to know about the figure, and Teams RWBY and JNPR had been present for their own telling of the story and so were quick to come to grips with the doctor's grasp on the story.
He is glad beyond all things that he is able to witness the event.
His thick winter coat placed behind him on the set given to him to view the mass, Oobleck sits with the other Huntsmen in the fort as they observe what is going on. Beside himself and Teams RWBY and JNPR, there are three teams, each from Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral, all operating with the Imperials in Vale as ambassadors from their kingdoms. All of them have the best seats in the house, as it were. And the doctor seeks to use it to his fullest advantage.
Many of the worshippers are Cadians, soldiery or non-combatants. Each wears some form of badge to remember the fallen Primarch; a blood red tear drop is the most common, though others wear a winged drop, while others have their heads covered in blood red shawls and hoods. It's a near garish clash of colour given the Cadian fondness of camouflage, but in the low light of the chapel, it becomes a sea of red, all their heads bowed in silent and solemn prayer.
Though most striking of all are the towering forms of the Steel Drakes present. There aren't many present, since Oobleck understands that the Sanguinala is not an event that scions of Dorn partake in, but of those present, he knows that they are ones who have fought alongside the Blood Angels and their successor chapters, the so-called 'Chapters of the Blood'. They are few and far between, all of them wearing their power armour, and all of them are from the different companies of the chapter (Oobleck even sees a veteran of the 1st Company, his marble white helmet held under his arm), but each one is unified by the tokens the bear. 'Bonds of brotherhood', Oobleck has been told by Reclusiarch Akios, icons and totems signifying joint actions between the chapters, of gifts given from one Astartes of a chapter to an Astartes of another. There is no time for the tales to be told, but Oobleck knows they will be stories to hear.
As he scans the room, seeing all the faces, Oobleck is once again struck by the nature of the Imperium. He has seen its war machine in action first-hand, the skill and resolve of the Cadian Shock Troopers and the Steel Drakes in action being something he will never forget. He has also seen their morbidity and attitude to death, though as a professional Huntsman, Oobleck is himself no stranger to death. The almost reverence towards death is disconcerting in a way… and yet, there is honesty in all of their worship and their words. The Imperials, especially the Cadians, treat death as the inevitability it is, they do not shy or shirk from it. They accept it for what it is; the end. Only in the moment of a man's death are his true colours revealed, Oobleck remembers one of the Astartes Chaplains telling him.
And in Sanguinius, they find all the best colours of man for the universe to see.
At the moment in the chapel, the colours of the statue of Sanguinius are golden. Standing next to the statue of the resolute God-Emperor of Man, the winged Primarch seems to be taking flight next to his father, a single arm held out in front of him reaching towards the heavens. His face, though magnificent and perfect beyond anything humanly possible, is lined with sorrow. Oobleck almost feels that the sculptor tried to capture the moment before Sanguinius met the traitor. Did he know that he would die at Horus' hands? Did he know that he could accomplish something with his death? Or did he go to his likely doom because it was the right thing to do?
'Only the dead know the truth' Oobleck muses to himself as the ceremony changes. As one, the Cadians stand, their heads lifted high… and in their hands, a feather, white as parchment and written on them, a name to remember. A loved one, a friend, a family, a city. Hundreds of names, all given their respect and reverence by the living. At a quiet signal, the mass begins to move forward, slowly and gently, towards the statue of Sanguinius, and the feathers are softly laid at his feet.
It is a simple gesture, but it speaks as loudly as any volley of Earthshaker cannons could.
"Doctor Oobleck?" A voice to the side makes Oobleck turn to see the leader of Team RWBY standing pensively near him. Her sister is with her, a shawl of red worn around her shoulders and neck. "Are we okay to…?"
Oobleck is silent as he wonders… but then he sees the feathers clutched in their hands, each one written with a name.
Summer Rose.
"Of course you can." Oobleck simply says, nodding his head to let the girls see he means it. The girls smile slightly at the gesture as they nod their heads and move to join the throng of soldiers approaching the altar, the Cadians letting the girls in wordlessly and without protest. Soon, they too are joined by Mister Lie Ren and Miss Nora Valkyrie of JNPR, feathers clutched in their own hands, the pair accompanied by the tiny form of young Miss Carmen Gael-Hart, her own feather held in her hand as they join the group.
Loss… it accompanies all in many aspects. Many can handle it, many cannot, but all are touched by it, Imperial or Remnite.
'It is sad,' Oobleck muses as he hears the air around him begin to fill with the sound of singing from massed throats, a carol, 'that one of the unifying features of humanity is loss.'
Oobleck's seat is better than he expected as he sees Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long reach the altar. The feathers before the statue have become a carpet now, overlapping shapes of white and black, laid before the Primarch's image. He can't hear what is said but the professor of history watches one of the Cadians instruct the pair on what to do, as they bow their heads to the statue before stepping forward and place their feathers to join the others. The deed done, they take a step back and bow their heads again and move away to let the others take their place.
As he watches Mister Ren, Miss Valkyrie and Miss Gael-Hart prepare to place their feathers, Professor Oobleck listens to the song in the air, hearing the lyrics as the song reaches its close:
"Oh, Holy Child of Baal Second,
Descend to us, we pray.
Cast our sin and enter in,
Reborn in us today.
We hear your Holy Angels,
Their tidings tell to us;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Sanguinius."