The Black Knight is actually floating, with a sleeping Silver Star on his chest again. "She tried staying up with me again, and I stopped writing after this. Isn't she adorable?" He chuckled a bit, petting her little head, before silently snapping his fingers. "Been dying to do a Nurse Redheart story, something about that nurse aspect speaks to me, you know? This story is very violent and gory, if you cannot stomach such things…. Then I suggest you go no further. And another thing." Looks towards you. "Look up Black Knight in Latin, that was my original name for the Imperial Knight and I went 'oh helheim no, I am not putting that into this story'."

Chapter One

"All uninfected citizens must evacuate the world, immediately!" A voice yelled over the loud speakers, as panicked citizens sprinted down the city streets. "The Imperial Inquisition has declared Exterminatus on our world! Get to the Spaceport, immediately!"

People were jumping over, and even tramplining, one another as they rushed down the narrow streets to the Spaceport. Their world had been attacked by one of the Death Guard's plague fleets, and attempted to fend them off but failed. So, now, the world's Lord Governor is trying his best to save any of his people still left alive. The hard part about such a plan, is the fact that the Death Guard had penetrated the city walls and are now flooded into the city streets.

The panicked citizens almost made it to the Spaceport, but many at their front were suddenly blown away by a putrid explosion. They all turned around, seeing three Plague Knights slowly approaching them, stomping on any who were in their path, along with those trying to escape. One slowly looked down at them, and had its rust covered Reaper Chainsword roar to life. The fallen Imperial Knight rose its weapon up into the air, the citizens screaming at the murderous intent.

The Plague Knight swung its melee weapon, but the roar of another weapon made the others step back. The lead Plague Knight backed away, while its ion shields tried to defend against an onslaught of fire from another Knight's Avenger Gatling Cannon. The sudden attack caused the citizens to look back at the Spaceport. Slowly approaching from its defensive positions, a black and silver covered Imperial Knight, armed with an Avenger Gatling Cannon, a Reaper Chainsword, a Whirlwind Missile Pod, and a shoulder mounted Heavy Stubberd Cannon. "All of you, quickly, get to the Spaceport!" His warhorn blared, the war machine starting a battle stride. "I will hold them off!"

The street being narrow, only allowed a single Plague Knight is able to accept this Freeblade's challenge. The lead one stride towards him, angry that this foe had prevented it from spreading Nurgle's Love. The Imperial Knight lifted its left arm up, allowing the Avenger Gatling Cannon to roar back to life! This caused the opposing Plague Knight to falter back, trying to protect itself from shield piercing rounds.

The crowds were awe struck, when the two opposing Knights clashed in melee, their chainswords causing sparks to fly and flash with each contact. The Plague Knight attempted to ram the Imperial Knight with its cannon arm, but missed when it dodged to the left. It quickly turned, preparing to use its left arm's chainsword.

However, it quickly met with an Avenger Gatling Barrel to its armored helmet. "Eat this, traitor!" With that, the weapon suddenly roared to life, tearing away at the Plague Knight's helmet and cockpit. When the devastating weapon halted, there were only scraps of metal and slime left of the Plague Knight's head, the rest staggering back. "Go back to your putrid Master!" The Imperial Knight rammed its chainsword inside of it, and ripped upwards. Puss poured down on to the ground, flooding the drainage and streets, as the blade tore into the sickening armor and right back out. He quickly kicked its remains back. "One down, two to go-?"

The Imperial Knight staggered to the side, being hit by a hellstorm of cannon fire. After it stopped, he turned to notice that the second Plague Knight turned out to be a fallen Knight Crusader! "Do not… Get over confident… Freeblade." Its voice sounded wet, almost gurgling, as it aimed every weapon at the Freeblade.

The black and silver clad Imperial Knight stepped back, surprised at seeing such a devastating foe. "Not good…" His shield just barely resisted the barrage from before, and the sensors identified that only one of its armaments was used for it. Defiantly, knowing those behind him were still escaping, the Imperial Knight readied its own cannon, despite knowing it has less fire power. "I will hold this line, traitor, no matter how badly you destroy my armor or mangle my body!" His warhorn blared, the pilot feeling like his words of defiance against the Arch-Enemy would call down some holy wrath. "For I am Marius Corvain, pilot of Umbra Equitis and one of the last Knights of House Corvain! Now Freeblade of the Innocent!" His cannon started to activate, the chainsword roaring to life. "And with my last breath, you will not harm another innocent life!

The fallen Cursader's weapons prepared to fire. "Then prepare to meet Grandfather Nurgle's loving embrace." Marius had his forward shields strengthened, hoping it'll last long enough for a lucky shot, but it turned out to not be needed.

Out of the sky, a powerful burst of psykic energy soared down, and struck the Crusader! Its warhorn blared in pure agony, as the energy tore through it like a hot knife through butter, expanding out after touching the ground. The other Plague Knight backed away, as a psykic storm started to build up overhead. When it saw the Fallen Crusader, with a super-heated hole in it, the Plague Knight quickly retreated from this unknown threat, leaving a dumbfounded Marius. "What in the Emperor's Name?" He muttered.

"Marius Corvain!" A powerful, and commanding, voice boomed all around the Knight, causing it to look up and see a golden veil drop down. "Knight of House Corvain, hear me now, and listen to the words I will speak. I have watched all those within the Imperium, as they purchase another day for its continued survival. But, on this day, you have drawn my attention." Those words forced Marius to have his Knight place the Reaper Chainsword over its chest, where the war machine's core, he knew who this is. "Your devotion to protect innocent life, even willing to face death itself, has honored those your orders are modeled after… Now, I must ask something of you."

"Name it, my Emperor. My sword is yours to command!" He answered, holding the Reaper Chainsword to the sky. "I go, where your light is needed!"

"Then you must abandon this planet, for it is already lost to Nurgle's corruption and none shall survive the fire to come." That caused Marius to second take on what he just said. "The Inquisition is destroying any who escape, their attacks unbiased and uncaring. My power has found a world, filled with such innocent life, and it is being ravaged by a necrotic virus. It acts like Nurgle's but I do not sense the warp within it… I ask that you, like the Knights of Ancient Terra, stride to their aid. To save these souls from damnation, and purge this virus from existence!" Marius could not believe his ears; the Emperor is actually asking that he saves a world in his name! "Their mortal deities cannot fend off this virus much longer, many have already fallen and others are trapped, they need aid now… Will you take this mission, for me? Act as my shield and sword to these souls?"

Marius thought about it, but quickly made his decision. His Imperial Knight raised its chain sword even higher up into the sky. "I accept your mission, my Emperor! I will save the innocence of that world, and purge it clean of this virus!" The warhorn boomed his response to the heavens, the golden veil forming around Umbra Equitis metal body.

"Then remember, an innocent life is still an innocent life… Bring both my salvation and wrath to this world." The golden veil tightened around the Umbra Equitis, discharges sparking around it. In a flash of light, the Imperial Knight vanished from sight, the ground beneath where it stood forever scorched by the Emperor's touch.

-Equestria, Canterlot-

"Quickly, reinforce the gates, before they get through!" Celestia yelled, joining her guards in trying to brace the gate leading into Canterlot. There were around fifteen Royal Guards trying to help, along with ten normal citizens, but thick thuds on the other side started to turn into loud cracks. Teams of unicorns attempted to mend areas becoming more and more unstable within the gate's structure, but it was breaking too fast. "I don't know how much-?" A blood, bone exposed, arm suddenly tore through the gate, almost grabbing the Princess' own arm. "Hurry!" She screamed, before blasting the mangled arm back through its hole.

Then the torn head of some pony' eyes glazed over and mouth covered in blood, tried to get through and bite at her. Before it could, one of the Royal Guards rammed his spear into it, stopping he mangled pony and pushed it back through. "Princess! We need to get you back to the castle, now!" One of the guards yelled, as five more, along with three earth ponies, braced the gates.

"I refuse to leave, and risk the safety of my subjects for my own personal safety!" Celestia argued, bracing her hands on to the gate, allowing a barrier spell to push back those on the other side. "My sister, Cadence, and Twilight; can handle things in the city, I am needed here!"

Three Royal Unicorn Guards braced the gate, allowing their magic to place another barrier on to the other side. "If they take you, all hope is lost, Princess!" A Royal Pegasus Guard yelled, as he and another grabbed hold of the frantic princess. "For that reason, we need to get you to safety!"

They quickly pulled her away from the gates, as it started to crack and buckle. "Get the Princess out of here, before they break through!" One of the guards yelled, as they tried to reembrace the gate. "Quickly, the dead are starting to get through!" Right as he said that, two mangled hands tore through the door, and knocked the guard's helmet off. "Get it off! Get it off-GURK!" The undead pony's head tore through, and bit down into the guard's throat. Many around him were instantly covered in the guard's blood, as his blood kept trying to pump despite being torn clean open by the sudden bite.

Two Royal Earth Pony Guards rammed their spears into the undead pony's head, before as the guard fell to the ground and another smashed his head in with a hammer. "Incoming!" A Lunar Guard Saberhorn yelled, before those on the walls started firing volleys of arrows at inbound undead pegasi.

"We need to move, now!" The pegasus guard yelled, as they started to pull Celestia away. Though, the normally regale princess, her royal garb torn and dirty, watched two of her sister's guard fighting valiantly upon the ramparts…Get overwhelmed, and pulled off into the waiting dead on the other side.

"Oh, Faust… Someone, please, save my little ponies!" Her mind pleaded, eyes wide as more were taken from the ramparts… Unknown to the white alicorn, her plead was heard and answered.

Celestia's Sun suddenly gained a golden glow to it, as it seemed to burn like a giant ball of holy fire. "Celestia…" A voice echoed around her, making the guards stop, and look around. "Princess Celestia, my glorious child, hear my words…"

Celestia knew this voice, she heard it back when she was just a filly and her mother ruled over Equestria's lands. It often comforted her, along with Luna, and taught her how to rule, as a loving being. "I hear you! Father, I hear you!" The guards were shocked to hear such a title, but did not know Celestia used it because the voice never gave her his name, and gave a fatherly feel from its words. "Father, we need help! The dead have risen, and threaten the last bastion in Equestria, and many of my little ponies are separated from me with no aid! Please, send for help!" Celestia called out to the voice.

"My glorious child, I already knew of your plight, before reaching out to you." The voice called back, as Celestia's Sun sent down a pillar of golden light. "I have not spoken with you, for so long, because I feared that there would be a day where my aid will be needed, that you would call for me… It is good my thoughts were correct, and I prepared my power for this very moment." The beam revealed a towering, metal, colossus with black and silver armor. His weaponry was strange to the ponies, but its eyes burned brightly. "Go, Imperial Knight of House Corvain, made Freeblade of the Innocent! Defend the innocence of this world, and purge the undead!"

The colossus slowly stepped forward, its footsteps cracking the stone. A horn blew from its body, defeating the defenders and drew the dead's attention. "Take heard, Defenders of this besieged city! For the Emperor's Salvation has arrived!'

-Umbra Equitis' Cockpit-

Marius didn't know why he announced that, but he saw the defenders trying to fend off the undead valiantly. He knew, by how ferociously they were fighting, there were civilians in the city behind him, and he is a Knight of the Old Code. "Marius?" The Emperor's voice called to him.

"Yes, my Emperor? I am moving to engage the undead now." Marius said, doing his best to control the Imperial Knight. Though, his body is weakening quickly, by the strain of a week's worth of nonstop combat. "What is your will?"

"This world is now your charge, defend it and its people in my name." The Emperor commanded, Marius nodded and activated the Flak Missiles within the Whirlwind Missile Pod, seeing quite a lot of airborne undead. "Another thing… This world's nexus energy is stronger than any other, which is why the Daemons of Chaos cannot enter it, a natural defense of sorts… And it seems to have effected your Knight in a most interesting manner."

That bit of information confused Marius, making the pilot a bit worried. "In what way, my Emperor?" He asked, watching the targeting system identify the airborne undead.

"The Umbra Equitis… Is no longer a silent suit of armor." The Emperor answered, before this world's sun lost his golden glow. "I leave this world… In your hands, my chosen champion."

His reply merely furthered Marius' confusion, not actually answering his question. "Lord Marius?" A monotone voice came into his mind, making the pilot look around.

"Yes? Who is there?" He asked.

"Good, I have been wishing to speak with you, properly, for many years now." The voice said, as Marius noticed the targeting system zeroed in on even the far away targets. "Umbra Equitis, ready for battle. What are your orders, Lord Marius?"

That shocked the pilot quite a bit, he knew about all machines having their own Spirits, but this world actually gave his Knight a working consciousness! "Ok, I have many questions, would it be alright if I called you Umbra?" He asked, a confirming green light signaling yes. "Ok, important things first… Let us rescue the citizens of this city. Send those fliers to oblivion!"

"Understood, Lord Marius. Whirlwind Flak Missiles… Fire!" Umbra Equitis affirmed, the target halos turning red. Within seconds, the cockpit shook as the missile pods unleashed a volley of Flak Anti-Aircraft Missiles. Each one aiming for a calculated target, detonating on impact and shredding those around it. "One hundred percent kill count on all airborne necrotic infected creatures. Lord Marius?"

"Yes, Umbra?" Marius asked, noticing the guards fighting on the wall's ramparts.

"What is our next course of action?" Umbra Equitis asked, as the Heavy Stubbered Cannon aimed towards the ramparts. My scanners are showing that the structure integrity, of that gate, is compromised. There is also multiple necrotic signature on the other side."

"First things first, we need to clear those undead off the ramparts!" Marius quickly targeted the undead on the walls. "Fire!" With that, the shoulder mounted weapon began to fire in controlled bursts. Each one blowing away the undead, or shredding them into pieces of bloody meat. "Come on, almost there…" The guards started to gain the upper hand, many cheering before they went to assist the others in their fights. His attention went to the gate, as an alert icon flashed over it. "Umbra, what is going on with that gate?"

"The gate's structure is close to falling apart, suggesting permanent reinforcing to be applied." Umbra Equitis suggested, before multiple targeting signatures behind the gate and wall appeared over the screen. "However, necrotic targets behind the structure need to be cleansed, before reinforcing can be properly accomplished."

The targeting system picked up, at the very least, seventy target signatures. Worst part, he did not know how much ammunition he had left within the weapons. "Umbra, I need a status report on our ammunition account."

The left side of the screen started to show percentages. "Plasma Round ammunition, zero percent. Explosive Round ammunition, zero percent. Armor Piercing Round ammunition, twenty-five percent. Bolter Round ammunition, seventy-five percent. Heavy Stubbered Cannon ammunition, thirty percent."

"What about the fuel for the Duel Promethium Heavy Flamers?" Marius asked, before a three-digit number appeared and made him smirk.

"One-hundred percent… Are you planning, what I think you are planning, Lord Marius?" Umbra Equitis asked.

"Depends, do you have a problem with introducing those undead bastards to the Emperor's Cleansing Flames?" Marius asked, before a green thumb appeared on to his screen. "Didn't think so, now… Let's do this!"

The Umbra Equitis strode towards the wall, those around it suddenly hearing a hum coming from the Imperial Knight's left arm. Though, Marius' sight started to blur, his head swimming. "Lord Marius? Are you alright? My sensors are indicating an irregularity in both your physical and mental state."

"I'm fine, Umbra… We need to finish those undead off, now." He answered, trying to have the Knight walk straight, but his mind started to fog up. "Are the flamers ready?"

"Affirmative, Lord Marius." Umbra Equitis answered.

"Alright then, lets cook those bastards!" Marius had his Knight lean over the wall, using the Reaper Chainsword to brace himself, aiming the Avenger Gatling Cannon at the gathered undead. "Burn, you rotting bastards, BURN!" The duel heavy flamers burst to life, and started to sear the undead near, and away, from the wall! Normally, burning such a creature would be ill-advised, but promethium based weapons melted both flesh and bone within seconds of contact.

The flames devoured the undead, reducing them to immobile corpses of melted, or charred, flesh. "Scanning… Scanning… All necrotic signatures have been neutralized and wiped out. Well done, Lord Marius." Umbra Equitis congratulated, as it shut the duel heavy flamers off, but there was no response. "Lord Marius?" The knight asked again, scanning the cockpit and noticing the drastic condition its pilot is currently in.

-Outside the Umbra Equitis-

The guards, and citizens, defending Canterlot's only entrance all cheered at their victory. The metal colossus had decimated the undead attacking their city, which meant they could reinforce the gates before another attack could come. "Quickly! Bar the gates. Unicorns, start conjuring a spell that can turn the wood into metal! Move it, no telling if the battle attracted more of the undead!"

The group quickly went to work, while Celestia and her pegasi guard flew up to the Imperial Knight. "Mighty one!" She called out, causing it to turn around and face her. "I must thank you for the timely arrival, you have saved my loving subjects from a terrible fate."

A spell shooting up into the sky, caused Celestia to look back at the castle, but smiled when it was Shining Armor's shield spell starting to encase the entire city. With the dead no longer at the gates, that meant they could properly secure it. Though, she looked back at the colossus, when it blared out its warhorn.

"Uh, what was that, Might One? I did not understand…" Celestia asked, nervous at how the colossus' eyes were directly on her and felt like their blank expression are peering into her soul.

The colossus made a buzz, before a monotone voice suddenly roared out. "I am in need of medical assistance! My pilot is in critical condition!"

Those, deafening, words caused Celestia's eyes to go wide, before she faced her guards. "Go to the Canterlot Hospital! Find a doctor that doesn't have their hands full with the wounded. Tell them there is a medical emergency at the city gates!" She ordered, the guards saluting and flying back towards the city.