Dawn Parliament Building, top-floor observation deck.
From up here, you had a bird's-eye view of the entirety of Dawn City. The lights of tens of thousands of homes spread out beneath them like a sea of fallen stars. Every single street was bursting with life, every laugh ringing clear in the crisp night air.
Cogboy stood at the edge of the observation deck, dressed in a sharp, dark-gray planetary governor's uniform.
Blood Angel stood right beside him, a faint, contented smile playing on his lips.
Schrödinger Bro leaned casually against the railing, nursing a cup of hot tea as his gaze swept over the bustling crowds below.
Paradox Player Not a War Criminal lounged on the other side, chewing on a toothpick and looking like he didn't have a single care in the world.
Behind them stood Guilliman and Sanguinius, shoulder to shoulder. The two Primarchs were fully decked out in their signature power armor. Under the night sky, the deep cobalt and gleaming gold caught the light, making them impossible to ignore.
Standing respectfully behind the demigods was the upper echelon of their Legions: Marius Gage, Promus, Azkaellon, Raldoron, and Nassir Amit. They all stood quietly on the observation deck, looking down at the boiling excitement of the metropolis.
None of them said a word.
Because right now, words were completely unnecessary. The people down there, the joyous laughter, the warm glow of the lanterns, and the swelling full moons... it all said everything that needed to be said.
Up in the night sky, the Crimson Moon and the Silver Moon steadily climbed higher. Growing from crescents to perfect, radiant orbs, they dusted the sprawling city in a beautiful silver glow.
Cogboy turned around to face Guilliman and Sanguinius. He wore a completely genuine smile.
"Lord Guilliman. Lord Sanguinius." He offered a slight bow, sweeping his right hand toward the elevators in a welcoming gesture. "The Aurelian Mid-Autumn Festival is about to officially begin. I humbly request that you and your honorable officers do us the honor of attending."
He looked up, meeting the eyes of the two Primarchs. "Down there... we have some incredible performances lined up. And, of course, a ridiculous amount of good food."
Guilliman and Sanguinius exchanged a glance. For a split second, their eyes met, and they both saw the exact same thing reflected back... a memory.
Twenty-three years ago. New Year's Eve.
The same sea of glowing lights, the same bustling, joyous crowds, the exact same... amazing food.
Simultaneously, both of them smiled. It was a smile full of nostalgia, full of deep emotion, and laced with a rare, fleeting sense of total relaxation.
"Let's go, brother," Guilliman said, clapping Sanguinius heavily on the shoulder.
Sanguinius gave a slight nod.
The two Primarchs turned in unison and strode toward the exit. The legion commanders filed in right behind them. Cogboy took the lead, guiding their VIP guests down to the streets.
When they stepped out of the Parliament Building and onto the lantern-lit avenue, the massive crowd naturally parted to let them through. But there was no panic. No fear. The citizens just stood by the roadside, throwing curious, friendly looks at these heavily armored giants from the stars.
Suddenly, a pack of kids broke out from the crowd. They sprinted right up to the towering Ultramarines and Blood Angels bringing up the rear, eagerly trying to hand over mooncakes and little handmade gifts.
Marius Gage's stone-cold, battle-hardened glare instinctively made a few of the more timid kids take a couple of steps back.
But Nassir Amit's savage, rugged face somehow had the exact opposite effect. A few of the braver kids practically swarmed him.
"Mister, you're so huge!"
"Is that armor real?"
"Can I touch it?"
Amit totally froze. The future Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers found himself completely and utterly out of his depth. He stared down at these kids who barely reached his calves, looking into their wide, innocent, intensely curious eyes.
The corner of his mouth gave a hard twitch.
Then, very slowly, the massive warrior dropped down to one knee. He held out a single, heavily armored finger, letting the bravest kid poke his ceramite plating.
"Whoa, it's so hard!!" the kid gasped in awe.
A wave of warm, good-natured laughter rippled through the surrounding crowd.
Watching this, Sanguinius's smile deepened. He stood back up to his full height and looked up at the sky.
Those two moons were still rising. The Crimson Moon like blood, the Silver Moon like frost. They played off each other in the dark canvas of space, showering the city with silver light. Bathing the laughing crowds. Bathing this absolute miracle that Crimson Dawn had forged.
Sanguinius's lips barely moved. His voice was a whisper so quiet that only he could hear it.
Titus...
This time... I forgive you.
Next time we meet...
Don't forget your promise.
You're sitting down to have a drink with me, and you're going to properly apologize.
The night breeze swept past, catching his golden hair.
In the distance, the festival music swelled once more. The melodic tune echoed endlessly through the night air.
"Say goodbye before the dawn...
Smiling with tears running down our faces...
Go and embrace the better tomorrow... that you deserve..."
The crowd completely erupted into cheers.
Cogboy watched the towering backs of the Astartes, his smile growing even wider. He tilted his head up to the twin moons rapidly approaching fullness. The Crimson Moon and the Silver Moon. Their light spilled across his face, making his mechanical optics gleam brightly in the dark.
--
Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy. Isstak II.
[The Emperor is Nothing But a Corpse] stomped out of a deep, pitch-black cave. He glared at the desolate wasteland in front of him, then looked up at the towering hive spires stabbing into the sky in the distance, letting out a vicious curse.
"Finally on the freaking ground."
"HALO dropping from the orbital spaceport still takes way too much mechanical skill. Especially on a trash-heap planet like this. Way too much industrial debris in the atmosphere."
"Still, at least I finally made it to a hive world with a decent population."
[The Emperor is Nothing But a Corpse] licked his lips, his eyes locked on the distant hive city. "Heh. Finally. Time to let loose and do my thing."
A nasty, psychotic sneer slowly twisted across his face.
"Everything is going exactly according to plan, you dumbasses."
"And to all those braindead idiots playing lapdog for the Four Gods... just you wait!"
"Once I pull off this mass sacrifice and lock in that god-tier power, I'm going to slaughter every single one of you. I'm going to farm you until your Imperial Coins are completely drained."
"I'm going to make you quit this freaking game."
As he ranted, [The Emperor is Nothing But a Corpse]'s vicious eyes grew redder and redder, burning with a sickening, unnatural light.
He began to mutter under his breath.
"Blood for the Blood God."
"Skulls for the Skull Throne."