Author note and acknowledgement: This story is based on and adapted from the story by the same name by Spartanr981 with his express permission. Some elements were changed from the original in order to accommodate the direction I would like to take the story in. Please check out his page to read the original first chapter. 2nd chapter and any future ones are all mine. And don't worry folks, I'm posting an update to my other stories too :)
Milky Way Galaxy, Segmentum Solar, Solar Sector, Sol System, Terra, Imperial Palace
Late Forty Second Millennium CE.
The Imperial Palace shook as the Greater Daemon charged at the Lion's Gate, forcing the massive but badly battered Adamantium-wrought doors open. Despite their superior construction, they bent and shattered under the force of the Daemon's physical strength, as it attempted to push its way into the Inner Sanctum of the Palace.
The last major defense of the sprawling Imperial Place outside of the Sanctum Imperialis itself had been broken for the first time in history.
The single largest physical structure in the great Imperium of Man burnt, its beautiful, towering spires and great domes lay in ruins as the forces of Chaos ran amok through the last bastion of humanity in the Galaxy, destroying everything in their path. No mercy was given to any of the brave defenders who guarded the Holy World of Terra and the body of the Emperor himself. The Chaos hordes cut down everything in their path, consumed by their unending need to devour the material realm in the name of their twisted masters.
The massive Bloodthirster known to the Imperium as Anarkh'ad'nron, the physical embodiment of the Blood God's corrupted wish for murder and blood given form, let out a roar as it saw the last bastion of the one its God called the Anathema. Victory was practically in sight as The Lesser Daemons of its horde surrounded the Bloodthirster rallying for the final assault on the Palace in order to destroy the last remnants of the Imperium and sacrifice their souls to the Ruinous Powers.
The massive Daemon, surrounded by its vast horde, was given no warning as the entire host suddenly paused in mid-action. A nanosecond later, their physical forms began to collapse in on themselves like a black hole had formed in the centre of their being, destroying them utterly, and leaving not even a grain of ash behind. The bodies, minds and even corrupted souls of thousands of twisted horrors born from the depths of the Immaterium were completely erased from existence. Leaving an empty gate as the sound of fighting echoed in the distance of the last remaining pockets of resistance fought the unending tide of Chaos.
Deep within the Imperial Palace, in the very Sanctum Imperialis itself and past the Eternity Gate, the God-Emperor of Mankind sat dying upon his Golden Throne. He had just removed the insignificant Greater Daemon banging on his front door but it mattered not. There were numerous more such Daemons approaching the palace and in the long run it didn't matter, it was all over. The Golden Throne was failing and he could feel it with his Galaxy-spanning telepathic senses. The Imperium was dying and Humanity along with it.
It had been thousands of years since he had been entombed permanently upon his Golden Throne. Since he had lost the ability to respond to external stimuli. His vast Psychic ability however, meant that he was still able to guide humanity through the Warp with the Astronomican, and defend them from the ever-encroaching forces of the Ruinous Powers. This husk of continued existence came with a price though, thousands of Psykers sacrificed daily to keep him functioning as he sat wasting away on his Golden Throne. The Throne, which after thousands of years of constant operation was slowly but surely breaking apart.
He had despaired over the last 10 millennia, as he watched the once great bastion of Humanity descend onto its dark path away from his once great vision. A human race free from the concept of faith and belief in higher powers. For just a moment, he felt doubt in himself, as he realized that all those years ago when he fought the Unification Wars for Terra, that Uriah had been right. Humanity now worshipped him as a God and there was nothing he could do about it. The moment passed, and he told himself that he wasn't wrong. The problem was that he wasn't here to lead them. The Imperium of Man had descended into an empire of oppression and brutality with countless atrocities carried out in his name by organizations like the Inquisition. Yet ironically, it was Humanity's collective belief in him which strengthened his presence in the Warp enough to fight off the combined might of the Ruinous Powers and safeguard Humanity.
It was the last thousand years though, which had been the worst of his long existence, even worse than the years when his favoured son had turned on him and declared the Ruinous Powers his masters. The Thirteenth Black Crusade and the onslaught of Tyrannid Hive Fleet Leviathan had done great damage to the Imperium but it was the Great Rift that split the Galaxy in two that crippled the Imperium and shook it to its very core. The Imperium was split with those systems caught on the other side of Holy Terra facing constant onslaught from all sides. Cut off from the light of the Emperor these systems were beset at all sides fighting desperate battles to survive against overwhelming odds, and for a time, it seemed like Humanity's unwillingness to be extinguished allowed the embers of hope to burn bright, as many worlds were able to force back the Xenos threat and Chaos excursions despite the heavy losses they endured in doing so. These victories were not to last.
Late into the Forty Second Millennium the 14th Black Crusade spilled forth from the Eye of Terror and began its attack on the Imperium at the same time that Hive Fleet Hydra made its presence known to the Galaxy. The combined onslaught of the two massive invasions crippled the 'Dark Imperium' snuffing out hundreds of worlds as nearly half of the entire Imperium was swept away by the seemingly endless tides of Chaos and Xenos horrors.
And it was then that the Chaos Gods sprung their trap.
They had managed to infiltrate the ancient Webways, and reactivated a portion of the Portal that went to Holy Terra itself. With the Emperor's attention diverted to the Black Crusade and the Hive Fleet incursion, he completely missed the Daemons until they had arrived in real-space and begun their invasion of the planet itself. Their focus seemed to be the Imperial Palace, and their onslaught was as vicious as it was overwhelming. The Adeptus Custodes, the Emperor's personal bodyguards and guardians of the Imperial Palace fought bravely, their noble sacrifice great as they gave no quarter to the enemy, defending the Palace with their lives. Yet despite their sacrifice, the overwhelming number of Daemons that had managed to pour through the portal before the Emperor was able to concentrate enough of his energy to close it was simply too great and the local forces were simply overwhelmed despite how powerful the Adeptus Custodes were, and now only the Inner Palace remained under human control.
The Chaos Gods' plan was masterful in its execution, and if the Emperor had to guess, Tzeentch was the mastermind. There were no reinforcements that could be brought in from the immediate vicinity, the majority having been sent to combat the Black Crusade and the Hive Fleet. The Emperor couldn't even just use his immense Psychic abilities and wipe out the Daemons on the planet as the Chaos Gods had launched an all-out attack on him in the Warp, forcing him to focus the majority of his power to fend them off. There was nothing he could do, and despite his immense power the God Emperor of Mankind was forced to watch as the very heart of Humanity itself was defiled by the forces of the Ruinous Powers. Not since the Heresy itself had such an incursion taken place!
In front of the Golden Throne itself, knelt a near ten-foot tall figure that radiated a powerful sense of martial might. He was encased in golden armour that looked like it weighed tons, yet he appeared as if he was able to move freely with it despite its weight. On one of the massive shoulders of the man was a lion's head and flowing freely down his massive back was a cloak threaded with Adamantium. He held in one hand a massive Castellan Axe that crackled with golden lightning along its blade and the haft incorporated what looked like a Bolter gun that enabled him to engage at range. A ferocious looking weapon, for a ferocious-looking man. He was Trajann Valoris. Chief Custodian and Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, and the single greatest warrior of the entire Imperium of Man.
Next to him also kneeling, was a woman. She seemed diminutive next to his massive bulk, yet her presence shone in equal measure. Long flowing black hair flowed down onto shoulders clad in form-fitting golden armour. Her pale skin glowed faintly, and her eyes burned with an inner fire, but it was the shining golden halo behind her head and pair of pure white wings that extended from her back, that made her look like the Avenging Angel sent from the Heavens. Saint Celestine, the Living Saint, cut a beautiful and intimidating figure, yet exuded an aura of calm, as a pure white dove sat calmly on her shoulder as she held her flame encased sword in one hand as she knelt before her Emperor.
Behind Valoris and St. Celestine, also kneeling, were the seven silver-haired members of the Daughters of the Emperor who had accompanied Saint Celestine on her return to Terra. They were all Seraphim, members of the Adepta Sororitas who had managed to distinguish themselves through battle and their devotion to the God-Emperor, and have been trained in the use of jump packs and the coordination needed to use twin Bolters in battle. They were amongst some of the Imperium's finest warriors.
None of them moved even as the battle outside the Eternity Gate intensified, being the strongest soldiers of the Imperium on the planet they all should have probably moved out to protect the Palace but their unwavering loyalty to the Emperor would not allow them to do so. In the deepest parts of their being, they could hear Him. His will, a torrent of determination and power, told them that they were needed there.
The Emperor felt the Golden Throne begin to collapse and shut down. His Psychic presence in the Warp flickering allowing the Chaos Gods to press their attack. Knowing these would be his final moments, the Master of Mankind prepared himself for his final attack. Gathering his considerable might, he lashed out with all his Psychic power towards the Four Chaos Gods who were besieging him. The sacrificial move tore through the Immaterium like an unstoppable tidal wave, throwing the Four Gods back, and crashing into the Realm of Chaos itself. The very domain of the Chaos Gods. The armies of uncounted Daemons that inhabited the Realm of Chaos were ripped apart as the light of the Emperor's sacrifice ripped into them apart with all its holy might.
The actions of the Emperor had effects on real-space as well. The space around the Golden Throne was flooded with so much Psychic energy that the fabric of spacetime… twisted… and then shattered. Catapulting the soul of the Emperor and those few around him out of Time and Space and hurtling through the void itself. Meanwhile as the Psychic blast radiated outwards from the Golden Throne, it consumed everything in its path, the Imperial Palace, the Daemons coming through the Portal, the land, the air and the sea until all of Terra was annihilated by the pure Psychic blast which continued to radiate outwards until it had consumed the entire Sol System leaving nothing behind.
Many battle fleets of the Imperial Navy suddenly found themselves adrift and torn apart in the Warp as the light of the Astronomican went out. Meanwhile, those Imperial Worlds still fighting back against the forces that threatened them, cried out with a trillion voices as their guardian in the darkness finally succumbed. The Emperor could protect them no longer. The Imperium of Man and any hope of humanity's survival in the galaxy at war died with the Emperor. The Gods of Chaos had finally won, the candle of hope that burned bright in the hearts of men and women flickered and died.
But the story of the Emperor was not over that day, as his soul and few remaining followers hurtled through Time and Space traveling both forwards and backwards in a place where the concept of Time was meaningless.
But it was in that place, that a miracle occurred, s fate and destiny combined to create a new hope for humanity.
In the white expanse of nothingness, he slammed into another individual who had appeared in the void and with that event, everything would change.
Ministry of Magic, Department of Mysteries, London, England, Terra (Earth).
Late 2nd Millennium CE.
Harry Potter dodged to the side as a curse from Lucius Malfoy sailed by. This day had not been a good one. Merlin! This entire year had been decidedly awful. First Voldemort had been reborn in all his vile glory on the same night as his friend/fellow competitor Cedric Diggory had been brutally cut down during the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Then when he had told the Minister he had been called a liar and the Ministry had spent the whole summer vilifying him for telling the truth. He had been annoyed to be left out to dry by his friends and angry to be attacked by Dementors but learning that there was a group out there fighting the Dark Lord had risen his spirits despite the fact that they wouldn't let him join. Going back to school with everyone looking at him with suspicion had been har,d but having Ron and Hermione at his side had been a godsend. Leading a group against the Ministry stooge, Delores Umbridge, had certainly done much to distract him from his increasingly dark thoughts. But all the events of the year had culminated in tonight's events. He had received a vision during his history O.W.L that had him running out the room, flunking the exam. Apparently, Voldemort had Sirius in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic and he had been determined to rescue his Godfather. Harry's friends wouldn't let him go by himself, and thus he led them to the ministry.
The entire thing had been a ruse. Hermione had been right. Hermione… Harry hoped she was alright.
Sirius had never been there at all and it was a trap to get a Prophecy that concerned the Dark Lord and Harry. That was what had led them to fight in this strange room deep beneath London, with a peculiar arch standing in the middle of it. Harry dodged to the side as another curse from Malfoy flew by. Next to him Sirius growled out a series of curses forcing the Death Eater to dodge to the side whilst shielding himself. Unfortunately as the battle raged around them neither Harry nor Sirius noticed Bellatrix moving to the side until the Banishing Charm was heading straight for Sirius.
Harry saw it first before even before Sirius did and using his honed Seeker reflexes he dove towards him. Sirius only had time to open his eyes in shock as Harry pushed him to the side, knocking Sirius to the floor. Unfortunately, that meant Harry took the full force of the Banisher and he was sent flying through the air and straight into the Veil of Death.
"Harry!" Sirius screamed out in despair as everyone else, Order member, student, and Death Eater alike, stopped to stare at the Veil in shock.
Harry floated in the endless expanse of white that formed what only could be called Limbo, a space between the Materium and the Immaterium. A place that was inbetween reality and non-reality, life and death.
He could see nothing, feel nothing, taste nothing, hear nothing and touch nothing. The only reason he knew he still existed at all was because he was thinking. He floated in that space for what seemed like simultaneously an eternity and a nanosecond, before he suddenly collided with something, and Harry's consciousness winked out.
—
Everyone was watching the portal that the Boy-Who-Lived had just been thrown through. The Veil of Death was an obsolete object, previously used to execute prisoners of the Ministry, and it was well known that none who stepped through it ever returned. Sirius felt his mind shut down as he sank to his knees whilst staring listlessly at the Veil. 'NoNoNoNoNo! Harry was gone! How could he be gone?! What was he supposed to live for now!?' he thought as what was left of his world crashed around him.
Then, he heard her. He heard the manic laughter as his demented cousin screeched in the background. "I killed Harry Potter! I killed Harry Potter!"
"Shut your bloody mouth Lestrange!" He roared as he shot to his feet.
"What you going to do to me cousin!? Think you can make me?!" She just cackled in response, as she turned and ran off, her mad laughter echoing in the room.
Just as he was about to give in to his rage and despair, and chase after the deranged bitch, the Veil rippled violently as if it had been shaken and an irrational hope grew in his heart. Perhaps Harry would do the impossible once more!
Out of the Veil exploded a group of golden lights which formed into humanoid shapes in front of the Veil. Sirius along with everyone else in the now silent Chamber watched as the golden shapes coalesced into the forms of ten people by Sirius's reckoning.
The most imposing was the massive man standing in the centre of the group, he stood as tall as Hagrid and yet felt far more intimidating than the friendly half giant. He had sharp rugged features and sported short, grey hair and a grey beard, his gaze sharp and full of intelligence as well as a wariness that watched everyone in the room. He was covered in some strange looking metal armour which looked immensely heavy. It looked like it was made of solid gold. Hanging off of one of his shoulders was the pelt of a lion, its head hanging off his massive shoulder plate. In his hand was massive frightening looking golden pole-axe, its blade sparking with golden bolts of lightning.
Standing next to the man was the most beautiful woman Sirius had ever seen. Which was saying something, as he'd known Veela. She was wearing a strange form fitting golden armour and had pure white wings extending from her back. Sirius thought that those wings looked to be part of her very being. Alabaster skin, bright eyes, and a flawless face, framed by a cascade of pitch black hair flowing down her back was the picture of a dark Angel, and to complete the picture, she was carrying an ornate looking sword which was wreathed in flame.
Standing behind them were seven women, all wearing pitch black armour and had bleached white bob cuts. Their faces were different than the golden woman. They were of varying ages, and all save one, had at least one scar on their faces. Some of them were pretty, but not all. All of them, however, looked every inch the warriors Sirius could tell they were. All of them sported what looked like oversized muggle handguns in their hands.
But what drew Sirius's attention the most was the prone figure of his godson sprawled out on the floor, unconscious in the centre of the group. Before he could call out to his godson and the new group, and warn them about the Death Eaters, he heard the intimidating looking man bark out a sentence in a language he didn't understand, before raising the pole-axe in his hand until it was pointed at one of the Death Eaters, Mulciber if he was correct. All he heard next was a loud bang as the Death Eaters head exploded into tiny pieces and the world around him exploded into action.
The seven women clad in black formed a tight ring around his godson's body, their weapons raised in a defensive stance as the winged woman raised her arms and what looked like a golden Shield Charm formed into existence around them all defending them from attacks. Meanwhile the golden armoured man charged forward faster than Sirius would have thought possible in the clunky armour he was wearing. In fact the man looked more like he was floating as he moved at great speed towards Jugson who raised his wand to fire a spell at the armoured giant but he was too slow and the Death Eater was cut in two by the axe. As Jugson's body fell to the floor in two pieces. Sirius realized that the man was attacking Death Eaters not them and he shouted out the other members of the Order. "They seem to be allies, help them mop up the rest of the Death Eaters!"
That seemed to enough to get the rest of the order going and they began to engage the Death Eaters in battle. The Death Eaters who had expected to be dealing with Order members who would never resort to killing were suddenly afraid. None of them wanted to die and Lucius, the one with the Portkey, grabbed Rodolphus and Rabastan before Portkeying out whilst the others were either captured by the Order or killed by the armoured giant. As the golden man cut down the last Death Eater with the blade of his weapon, many of the Order and all the conscious students were looking queasy at the brutality with which he'd dispatched his opponents.
In the distance, a mad cackle could be heard, as Bellatrix, who clearly wasn't aware of the reversal of the last few moments, kept calling "I killed Harry Potter!".
Spinning his blade in his hand the man looked upwards towards the Atrium before he seemed to blur and disappear. Sirius was left gaping, there were Anti-Apparition wards in place! He shouldn't be able to Apparate!
He looked back towards where his godson was surrounded by hot looking women who were eyeing everyone in the room, even the students, with great hostility and suspicion.
Sirius asked no one in particular. "So… what do we do now?"