Night Lord in Equestria part 7

>Ponies scatter as the beast bellows its hate to the sky.

>Golden guards and their purple batwinged kin form phalanxes around their respective princesses.

>”No… it’s not possible…” Scout mutters, noticing the insignia on the Daemon’s shoulder.

>”How dare you set foot in this world, DAEMON?!” Celestia inquires forcefully.

>”BACK TO THINE INFINATE HELLS WITH THEE, TERROR!” The dark twin adds.

>The beast only laughs, an impossibly deep, wet, throaty noise, like a wolf with a throatful of tumors.

>”ARE YOU XENOS SO DECIEVED BY THE HERETIC THAT YOU CANNOT SEE HUMAN PERFECTION FOR WHAT IT IS?! DIE ALL THE SAME, PONY-CREATURES!”

>The former apothecary thunders toward the princesses, its black sword raised high.

>Blasts of magic, midnight blue and gold, strike the creature enveloping the entire area in dust and smoke.

>”That takes care of that.”

>Clouds darken. It begins raining… something. Some kind of dark liquid. A taste confirms a hypothesis. Chocolate rain. (Some stay dry and others feel the pain…)

>The “rain” washes the smoke away from the daemon, who is surrounded by a shimmering yellow magic bubble.

>”Ah-ah-ah, Tia. Hurting my new plaything? That’s not very nice!”

>”DISCORD!” Celestia hisses, anger not seen before bleeds into her expression and body language.

>”Oh, Luna’s here too! And the 6 little ponies from my last visit, too. This day simply cannot get better!”

>Having drawn your weapons the moment you saw the daemon, you point your thrumming plasma pistol at Discord’s head and pull the trigger.

>Your plasma bolt turns into a soap bubble half way between yourself and Discord.

>Not quite believing it, you pump off a further four shots, which also end up floating away in the breeze.

>Scout had also fired several of his own bolts at the creature, only to suffer a similar fate.

>Twilight and the 6 small ponies have returned to the stage, crying defiance against Discord at any cost.

>”Ah, more of these Space Marines! What a delightful time we’ll have together! A Night Lord and a Blood Angel. Such wonderful practitioners of genocide in Equestria? It must be my lucky day!”

>At the word “genocide” the six ponies look aghast.

>The voices in your mind return. “I have seen your sadism and bloodshed, little Night Lord. I can give you a world full of such things if only you’ll let me…”

>Discord’s joy is ended when his head snaps to the side from a magical blast from Celestia.

>The voices disappear.

>Despite the lash of light cutting to the bubblegum pink bone, Discord grins as the flesh regenerates over his face

>”Oh, I have waited years for this, Celestia. You will suffer the same fate as I did; trapped in stone to watch all you knew transformed into something you hate. And don’t think I haven’t forgotten you, little Luna, I hear the moon is lovely this time of year.”

>Luna’s scowl deepens.

>Discord turns to face his minion. “Apothecary, the six ponies around the xenos princesses have a weapon capable of killing me. Tear them apart.”

>The daemon thumps a fist to his chest. “It will be done, my Emperor.”

>”Wait a second, last time you broke out you just turned against each other,” Twilight says. “Now you want us dead?! Why?”

>”Because, Twilight, I can’t have fun while I worry about you six trying to get me stoned again.”

>Pinkie Pie giggles at this.

>”But enough of this; time for a little… CHAOS. AHAHAHAHA!”

>Discord snakes his way around Celestia, Luna and their guards and teleports them all away in a snap of light.

>The sky swirls and changes color periodically.

>Birds are flying backwards. Clouds have transformed into sides of beef.

>Buildings begin floating in the sky.

>The cake on the stage has gained sentience and is eating itself, constantly muttering about how, “This is so wrong but it tastes so right!”

>This is chaos to be sure, but far different than you are used to.

>Your enhanced sight can just make out massive magical detonations in the direction of Canterlot.

>”BLOOD FOR THE EMPEROR! YOUR FILTHY XENOS SKULLS WILL MAKE FINE DECORATIONS FOR MY ARMOR!”

>”YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR TREACHERY TO THE GOLDEN THRONE, ULTRAMARINE!” The Blood Angel bellows back with a roar that would have frightened a lion.

>The deafening roars steal your attention back where it should have been in the first place.

>The daemon prince lumbers towards the stage, blade held high.

>The ponies are using their psyker abilities well. Twilight’s horn is breathing warpfire while Rarity is finding anything solid and chucking it at the daemon prince.

>Your plasma pistol bucks, sending miniature stars towards the towering being.

>They eat through his armor, his wounds leaking black, oily blood.

>Scout has also joined in, though his bolts ping from the daemon armor, only occasionally finding a joint. He screams oaths of death to the Apothecary, who is still advancing.

>The hulking slab of mutation bellows in pain as it looks toward the two marines.

>”TRAITORS ALL! YOU WILL BLEED AND DIE THIS DAY! I WILL PISS ON YOUR GRA-“

>A gaping hole takes the place of the left half of the prince’s head. Your plasma pistol cools from your shot

>”You are getting uglier, Daemon. I did not think it were possible.” Scout mocks, reloading his weapon.

>The scout has a sense of humor. You’re beginning to like this new-found traitor.

>The prince’s wounds re-knit.

>”YOU CORRUPTED THE BOY! I WILL EAT YOUR GENE-SEED FOR THAT, NIGHT LORD!”

>”Remove the log from your own eye, Apothecary, before you try to remove the speck from mine!” The scout responds, his fire never ceasing.

>It’s making its way towards you.

>Shit.

>You kick your thrusters into angry life, tearing into the sky, firing your pistol as fast as fast you can.

>He doesn’t have wings, so he can’t follow you.

>”COWARD! COME AND FACE ME!”

>You pump a few more shots into him in response.

>Even his insane regeneration is having a hard time keeping up with the barrage all of you are throwing at it.

>You’re making no real progress though.

>The Discord thing mentioned the ponies have a weapon that could kill him. Maybe it would work on the former Ultramarine?

>If it couldn’t, there were more than a few weapons back at the castle that could deal with him.

>Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Blinky poke their heads through a cloud off your shoulder.

>”C’mon Chosen! We have to get back to the castle and get the Elements of Harmony!”

>”The what?”

>Before Rainbow can finish, blue-black doombolts poke through the cloud cover.

>Warp blasts burst in luminescent, eye-aching colors.

>Fluttershy eeps, Blinky squawks alarmed code and Rainbow jumps clear.

>Most go wide of you all, but a lucky shot hits one of your thrusters.

>For the second time today, you are falling from the sky.

>The daemon prince is waiting, holding his sword like a baseball bat.

>Here’s the windup…

>You frantically try to maneuver yourself closer to the stage with your remaining thruster.

>Desperation fires your pistol, though you merely glance the beast.

>Here’s the swing

>You’re going to be bisected by a daemon. What a way to go.

>A massive boulder with this word “Tom” carved into it slams into the daemon prince, sending the warp-thing sprawling.

>Just before you hit the stage, Twilight catches you in her purple aura.

>Your skin crawls at the magic’s caress, but that fades in thanks for stopping you.

>Scout jumps up on the stage, still firing his bolter on full auto. The rest of the ponies join you.

>”Do we have a plan?!” Scout calls to you.

>”We need to get the Elements of Harmony. We beat Discord once with them and we can beat this daemon with it too.” Rainbow Dash says, aggression in her voice palpable.

>”And where exactly are these Elements, girls?” Scout asks humbly, reloading as fast as he can.

>The daemon is picking himself up, flakes of his armor raining on the ground from Scout’s renewed bolter fire.

>”They’re back at Canterlot Castle. We need to get back there as quick as we can.”

>Oh gods dammit.

>The daemon is charging back at you all, screaming his unintelligible rage.

>A purple aura envelops you all. You feel the prickling and burning in your gut again.

>The daemon’s blade falls, but slams through an empty stage.

>”FACE ME DAMN YOU! FACE YOUR JUDGEMENT! FACE YOUR DEATH!”

>Warpfire glows in its hands before torching everything in sight.

>The town burns. Ponies scream and whinny in terror. None try to stop the daemon’s advance.

>It strides through the flames, eyes blue flames and his sword a riot of evil shapes.

>Murder is in its heart as he thunders towards the castle. And its prey.

 

>Once again you find yourself on all fours, gasping for breath, pain lancing through your gut. But it fades faster this time, the honest adrenalin in your veins masking your body’s revulsion at the touch of the warp.

>”We need this weapon, Twilight. Take us there.” Your voice is flat and commanding. You cannot sit idle when fighting such foes. Every advantage must be pressed.

>”It’s this way, follow me!”

>”I’m gonna kill Discord. He turned the Apothecary into a daemon…” The scout hisses as he grips his bolter tighter.

>You keep pace with the ponies, but they seem… hesitant to be near you. You lick your teeth. An idle habit your genefather had, and now you can’t help but do it yourself.

>The taste of your own blood stokes the fires of your aggression. You’re moving with purpose, your blood is up and you’re fighting again. Purpose galvanizes you, steels your heart.

>Rainbow Dash speaks up. “Hey Chosen.”

>”Hnnh?”

>”What exactly did you and Scout do before you guys came here?”

>”Perhaps we can speak of this another time, Dash?” You try to brush the conversation away, but the ponies are persistent.

>”What exactly did Discord mean, ‘practitioners of genocide’?” Twilight inquires.

>”Ah don’t even know what that word means, Twi,” Appleajack drawls.

>”It means the practiced extermination of a certain race or group. Most people use it to describe a huge amount of killing,” Twilight, ever the student, answers with her book-found knowledge, scarcely missing a beat in the conversation.

>”You never answered the question though, Chosen. What did you and Scout do before you came here?” Rainbow Dash asks again, not liking her questions to be brushed aside so easily.

>Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity remain silent.

>Blood trickles down your chin from your cut tongue. Your agitation grows.

>”Dash, we are short on time and my patience is waning. I will tell you all about what horrible people we are after all this is through.”

>Twilight stops in her tracks. “So it’s true?”

>The rest of the ponies slow to a stop, as do you and Scout.

>You turn to face Twilight, blood droplets dribbling on the white marble floor.

>Fluttershy gasps at your bloodied face, and the other ponies look concerned.

>Your blood is up. Your patience is slipping. You have to fight the daemon and Discord. The ponies are wasting time trying to allay their fears.

>”Fight… kill…” the voice in your head returns. You bat it away with a burst of frustrated thought.

>” Are you going to condemn me for my sins, Twilight? Will you tell me what a monster I am? Make no mistake, I will burn in hell when I die. But talking would get us nowhere, and we would still be talking when the forces of Chaos come to eat our immortal souls. When this is done you can interrogate me until the sun grows cold and the stars and moon die. But now, if you don’t mind, I intend to win this fight, with or without you all.”

>The ponies stand in shocked silence.

>”They are prey… helpless… fearful… such wonderful torture to be inflicted on their innocent frames…” The voice in your mind twists through your consciousness effortlessly.

>You ignore the whispers in your mind and thunder down the hall, Scout’s lighter footfalls following close behind. You don’t care if the ponies follow you now.

>”Perhaps you should have been a little more patient with them Chosen,” Scout says disapprovingly.

>”And perhaps you should shut up, stripling.” You reply, spitting blood with every harsh syllable.

>You need weapons. Clestia’s “gifts” should do nicely.

>Before long, you stand at the gates of your little armory.

>The doors are unlocked, not even closed since you left them earlier that morning.

>The cornucopia of weapons and armor stretches out before you both.

>”I ask again: Do you have a plan, Night Lord?”

>Your gauntleted hand strokes a suit of midnight blue Tactical Drednought armor with all the gentleness of a lover.

>The carved Nostraman lion that makes up the right shoulder pad roars in mute defiance.

>”Ohhhh yessss…..” you hiss, a few stray droplets of pinked saliva dibbling to the floor from your rictus grin.

 

>”I told you Twilight.”

>”I know Rainbow.”

>”I told you he was no good!”

>”You didn’t seem to think that today, flying around with him like you do with Gilda.” Twilight shoots back curtly.

>”Why are you STILL defending him, Twilight?” Rainbow says as she crosses her hooves, deflecting the question

>”I’m not defending him. Celestia told us what he is and where he comes from, but she left out a lot of details.” Twilight responds

>”Yeah! Like him being a psychopath.” Rainbow mocks.

> Applejack steps in, ”Celestia ‘splained it ta us on the train. He’s ah fighter. It’s ahll he knows what ta do. He’s done a laht a bad things but he doesn’t want tah be that way nomore.”

>”You can’t blame him for his past and what he is, Rainbow. The princess says he’s sorry. She trusts him. So should we.” Fluttershy adds quietly.

>”You don’t have to like Chosen to trust him, Rainbow. Heaven knows my skin crawls every time I look at him…” Rarity interjects.

>”He’s too dangerous to trust! What if he goes crazy? What if Discord messes with his head like he did with us last time he got free?”

>”We won’t let it happen. Besides, I want to bash that big meanie who crashed our party,” Pinkie speaks up.

>”I don’t like it… and he’s got a lot of questions to answer… But I trust Celestia. If she says he’s ok, he’s ok.” Twilight adds.

>Blinky agrees with a sharp jab of code.

>”Whatever…”

>”We can’t worry about Chosen now. We need to get the elements. They should be in that vault with Celestia’s present to Chosen. C’mon, girls we need to hurry!”

>The clip-clop of hooves on stone resounds in the empty castle.

 

 

> Spindly spider-like arms retract from their work attaching your armor to your body. You step from the arming pod, servos growling in the nearly empty room. Your power fist crackles to life as you flex your fingers.  In your other hand, a massive 6 barreled cannon spins up idly, aching to be fired in anger again.

>”Alright Scout, your turn,” your voice booms in the emptiness, amplified by the speakers in your horned helmet.

>”Right.”

>”And here this morning you wouldn’t take your own suit of power armor. Something about not being worthy?”

>”The Apothecary is a daemon prince, sworn to the ruinous powers. He tried to kill us and the ponies. I could care less if he thinks I’m unworthy.” Scout answers flippantly as he climbs into the pod.

>The boy is learning.

>You trudge through the doorway and out into the hall, standing along a neighboring wall beside the doorway. You try to get a feel for your armor.

>It feels bulky, and you’re hunched, constantly feeling like you’re on the edge of falling on your face. The armor catches you every time, but you can’t help but feel uncomfortable.

>You blink-click through the myriad systems of the armor. Preysight, motion tracking, auspex, the list goes on.

>6 blips appear on your motion tracker. Small. Must be the ponies.

>”There you are!” Twilight calls to you as she comes into view.

>”Do you have the weapon?”

>”It’s in the room where you got your gifts.”

>”Well go and grab it.”

>”Look around for it girls, the elements have to be somewhere in here!” Twilight commands.

>”Wait, you don’t even know where they are in there?”

>”Well, there wasn’t so much stuff in here last time, Chosen!”

>A warning rune flashes ominously in your helm. Motion tracker is picking up something. Something BIG.

>Footfalls echo through the castle like a thunderstorm building fury.

>”Look fast, girls. It’s back.”

>”Bloooood….. Deeeeeeath….” The whispers crawl in your mind.

>A purple aura closes the door behind you.

>”YOUR END IS NIGH, TRAITOR! TASTE THE JUDGEMENT OF THE RIGHTEOUS!”

>You do not wait for the fool to shut up before firing your cannon.