Hope in the most unlikely form

It was horrible, Serena thought. Throughout the years of her young life, she had fought and vanquished so many enemies. Queen Beryl, the Shitennou, Queen Nehellenia, and many others, along with their countless spawn. The power of love and light had helped her and the rest of the Senshi through some of the hardest trials they had ever faced..........but none of that helped her now against the tide of destruction being wrought upon the resurrected Silver Millennium, the kingdom she had fought so hard to restore.

Only a day ago, all was peaceful and full of bliss, the day long awaited for when the Moon Princess would be crowned queen. Everyone had been there, and all was going well. Then the skies darkened, thunder rolled overhead, and everywhere the screams and cries of the fallen and the dead could be heard. A new enemy had come, and it would be the greatest enemy the Senshi would ever face, for it was not of this world. Far older than even Chaos, the source of all evil in the galaxy, this force attacked with fell powers and abilities the likes of which had never been seen. Whole populations went mad at seeing the mercurial energies and dimensions this force unleashed upon the Earth. Vast armies of nightmarish creatures emerged from out of nowhere: horned, red-skinned daemons, rotting, bloated monsters imbued with every disease imaginable, capering feminine creatures that sliced and killed with fervent passion, and formless masses that spewed alchemic flames at all who stood in their way. Taskmasters with fiery whips and massive whips drove on, a mindless army of hideous abominations unleashed upon the kingdom. The Senshi fought back with every ability, every item they had at their disposal. Though their powers destroyed many swathes of the creatures, the tide was simply too much for them, for more and more monsters poured out of the nothingness that was the Warp. Not even the Silence Glaive of Sailor Saturn nor the Time Stop of Sailor Pluto could destroy this force, the world-ending energies of the Glaive negated by some older, more powerful energy and the mastery of time nullified by the Changer of Ways, the master of time, sorcery, and fate. Serena saw only one other recourse: to use the Silver Crystal, that great gem which harnessed the powers of love and light and was the source of all harmony in the universe. Though it could cost her her life, Serena decided to do it. Gathering all the love and positive energies she could muster, she prepared to activate the Crystal. But in the midst of her ritual, a great winged avian monster came to her. Old and decrepit, the twin-headed creature unleashed hellish energies from its foul staff of magic, opening a portal that sucked Serena into another world, far from her home, her friends, her true love. Alone, she reappeared upon a barren wasteland, shocked to find herself back in her first Sailor form, with the Crystal nowhere to be found. She still had her items, and it was good, for a force of the same daemonic creatures attacked her. Using every technique she had, Serena avoided death again and again, but eventually the strain proved too much for her. Tired and battle-weary, she awaited death.

And then, hope came in the most unlikely form.

A horrid, red-skinned bloodletter approached her, its barbed sword poised to strike at her heart. Just as it did, a loud gunshot echoed, and the bloodletter's head vanished in a cloud of gore. Serena looked behind her to see numerous armored forms charge at the creatures, firing guns and brandishing blades as they went. The warriors made short work of the creatures, every strike done with disciplined precision. Serena saw that these warriors were surrounding her, forming an ad hoc bodyguard. They're protecting me, she thought, and hope blazed through her. She might yet survive this. Summoning her reserves of energy, Serena went back into the fray, fighting alongside her saviors. She obliterated the daemons with magic and her powerful items; the strangers simply dispatched them with blade and bullet. At the end, the daemonic force was destroyed.

A weary and bloodied Serena looked at her saviors. Taller than even the tallest man, the strangers were clad in suits of battle-worn armor, broad and thick. White with black trim, their symbol a black wolf's head imposed over a crescent moon. The similar symbol was not lost on Serena, for she too bore the crescent moon as her mark. The leader, obviously their captain, stepped forth. He was taller than them, his armor battered and bruised, a tattered red cloak billowing behind him in the dead wind. A horsehair crest adorned his head, and on his chest lay another symbol: a red, black-slitted eye. He sent shivers of fear and awe to Serena; he was a war god unleashed, and yet a noble warrior, for he had stayed close to Serena during the fight, becoming her shield against the daemons. He sheathed his weapons and crossed his arms in a gesture of greeting......and then, he spoke.

"Greetings, Princess."
"How......how do you know who I am?"
"We have been watching you for a long, long time. Subtly guiding you, guarding you, protecting you."
"How?"
"We have our ways. Know, however, that we have watched you ever since the destruction of your kingdom and the demise of your mother. We have watched you since birth."
"Why?"
"Because it was our task. We are of a greater, mightier empire of humanity, and because we know the foe of whom you have fought."
"Who are they? I have never before encountered such a powerful foe."
"They are the minions of the Ruinous Powers, the four fell gods that seek to bring humanity down to its knees. The Ruinous Powers are the masters of the warp, the embodiment of humanity's darker nature. They are the Chaos Gods, the true force of Chaos."
"I have never heard of them."
"Because you know not the greater truth. Nor do your friends. You have all been kept in the dark deliberately about the universe's true nature, until you were ready to be revealed the truth. But it seems recent events have forced our hand."
"My friends.....my home! I have to go back!"
"Not yet, my Princess. Not yet. To fight this enemy, you must now be revealed the truth. You must learn our ways, become like us, fight like us. It may not sit well with you, I know, but fate has left you with no choice. You cannot go back. Not yet."
..................
"But........"
"Have faith. Trust that your friends will continue to fight. Know that they are not alone. We shall be there, helping them whenever we can. And have faith....faith that the Emperor will protect them."
"How can say it with such certainty?"
"Because I believe in Him. I have faith in Him. Will you come with us?"
...................
"Yes. I will."
"You have made a wise choice, Princess. Know that the fate of your kingdom is in good hands."
"I wish to ask: who are you?"
"Heh heh. Yes, it would be inappropriate if you didn't know my name. (Serena lightly chuckles)"
"I am the Captain of Tenth Company and member of the Mournival. I am a sworn battle-brother of the XVI Legiones Astartes, and its leader, after the fall of our great Warmaster, praise be his name."
"My name is Garviel Loken."

Well, this is a mini-storyline I thought of. Serena finally vanquishes her last foe, and the Silver Millennium has been resurrected at long last. She is about to ascend the throne when suddenly the forces of the Ruinous Powers strike, bringing down all she and the Senshi have fought so hard for to ruins. Nothing can stop them, and Serena turns to her last course of action, until a great Lord of Change sends her into another realm, far from her friends and loved ones. Beset by daemons, she fights hard, but succumbs until the arrival of the legendary Luna Wolves, the greatest of all the Astartes Legions. It is here that Serena meets her newest friend and mentor: Captain Garviel Loken, commander of Tenth Company and the current master of the XVI Legion, after the disappearance of his Primarch and the other three Mournival. He shall be the guiding hand that Serena needs as she ventures into a new universe, one ruled by an Imperium of Man and that is constantly at war with Chaos and countless xenos species. For her, the fairy tale is over. Now she is thrust into a universe of suffering, of honor, of battle, of glory.............of war, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

Because much of this isn't original, copyright is required.

(c) Games Workshop 2012
(c) Naoko Takeuchi