Dante/Tempestus Scion (M41) {part 4}

This is part 4 of a short series

Part 1 https://www.reddit.com/r/PrimarchGFs/s/zqyxXEVOmL

Part 2 https://www.reddit.com/r/PrimarchGFs/s/k7REu3cbOr

Part 3 https://www.reddit.com/r/PrimarchGFs/s/4fX99ZVVBN

Dante passed through the halls of the Arx Angellicum on baal, making her way to the innermost sanctum. The place she was headed was one of the closely kept secrets in the imperium. Though the knowlege that sanuingia yet lived her location was kept in the strictest confidence. A secret shared only with the chapter masters of the blood angels. Dante had been here numerous times in her thousand years of service, yet she could not help the anxiety which spread through her bones. After Pidges near death and her brush with the black rage, Dante wanted to see her mother. The stress however began to build with every step. Shed walked this path many times. Whether it be to relay reports to her mother. To beg her to return to her place as the head of the legion. To ask for the emperors mercy..... To whine like a child. Dante regretted many things she shouted at her in the past.

It beguiled and frustrated her thinking back. Many a time had she pleaded with her mother to act. Yet she was always met with grim silence. To say she was wasting away wasn't incorrect. If one were to see her Sanguinia would look perhaps like one of the most realistic statues of the age, save for perhaps the custodes at the golden throne or whatever horrors the dark eldar fashioned out of their slaves. Perhaps however just as haunting. The mere sight of her almost made dante sick. She idolized the primarch as many in the legion had, yet to see her like this was, unnerving. When she'd finally found herself at the door that acted as the threshold, dantes breathing became heavier. She couldn't help but feel nervous for what she may be forced to do. But this was perhaps her best or worst idea. It donned on her that she should have perhaps told Pidge her plan.

Then again they may have tried to talk her out of it. She brought one of her hands up grasping onto several strands of noticeably shorter hair. The rest of those strands had been given to Pidge for luck in a previous endeavour, though she hoped that pidge may be wishing for her own luck this time.She took in a sharp breath and pushed the doors open. It felt like stepping into a graveyard. As always things were still, Sanguinia hadn't moved from the Stasis field. Hadn't taken a single step, her hair was matted, her eyes were sullen, dust covered her armor, Said once gleaming golden armor was now rusted over from the blood at the battle of Terra. From when she carried her Dove from the vengeful spirit. The blade in her hand was in similar disrepair. Long overgrown hair hung over Sanguinia's eyes. Though it was doubtful that a single strand hindered her vigil. She stepped close to the stasis pod holding her Dove. "Forgive me, mother, father."

Dante swung the axe Mortalis down, long before it could collide with Doves stasis pod, her axe was suddenly whipped in the opposite direction. Dante's whole body began to drift as well, through her peripheral she saw the hair over sanguinias eyes separate revealing bloodshot hateful eyes. Without another sound the primarch struck out several times, Dante used her jump pack to dash away in an attempt to avoid her mother's strikes. She however found herself pursued as the primarch was upon and ahead of the astarte within a breath. The primarch let out a banshees howl as she charged after her daughter her sword unleashing a flurry of strikes.

Dante moved around one of the tall pillars for cover. A boot from the primarch sank through the column connecting with dante, throwing her several feet away while it collapsed atop The Great Angel. The ruble shifted then blasted away as greying wings with blackened blood stains stretched wide for the first time in millennia. Dante had a moment to breath as the dust settled around the primarch. She was inwardly greatful that the primarch had allowed herself to degrade as much as she had. From tale and myth, Sanguinia should have taken Dante's head. A prolonged encounter would be disastrous. Her plan little more than a hope, would have to take all her focus now. She took the flask at her side and drank down the blood she received from her little Pigeon. Her jump pack fired as she flew in the direction of Sanguinia's dove.

The Great Angel intercepted her daughter preparing another flurry of strikes. When they near each other for close range combat Dante swung her sword in a descending arch. Before they met Dante let loose her axe. It flew into Sanguinias blade shattering it, allowing the axe to imbed itself in the primarch shoulder. The lord regent rushed around the primarch while she pulled the axe turning to swing on its owner. When Sanguinia spun around she'd already begun to swing the axe Mortalis. She let out another howl as the astarte suddenly spun around and dropped to a knee. The axe continued its descent, No matter what Dante believed she might have said, she had already seen proof that her mother would respond to none of it. Perhaps then the answer was to force her hand. Sanguinia still filled with anger was about to bring down her axe when all of the sudden, her momentum stopped.

Focus returned as she saw her strike would tear Dante in half, but the strike would have gone further. "Lady Saguinia? .....Mother, can you hear me?" The Primarch of the blood angel looked at her daughter with a confused expression than to the now ruined chamber in which they resided. She tossed the axe to the side and moved to check the stasis pod. Dante let out a heavy sigh as the strain began to wash over her. At the same moment her mother loosed a similar sigh when the adrenaline and bloodlust faded, her eyes loosing much of their bloodshot demeanour. Pain and nausea rushed over the primarch, She hadn't used her body like that in years. She brought a hand up to hold her head as she tripped backwards falling into an uncollapsed pillar.

Dante moved to her mother immediatley trying to tend to the would dealt by Mortalis, "Forgive me mother... I was... I needed to speak with you." Sanguinia's eyes snapped to dante, "So you attempt to assault my Dove." Dante fell back a step before regaining her composure, "Yes, My Lady." Sanguinia Stared at the chapter master incredulously debating whether or not to flay her. Though after analyzing her for a moment, the primarch let out a hoasre chuckle. The answer far straighforward to the point of absurdity and looking upon her she could detect no malice. "Forgive me daughter i was.... Overcome." The said abashedly. Dante poke at her face trying to understand why she hadnt been at the very least slapped for her actions, "I understand the feeling mother." Sanguinia tried to stand on her feet again, instead she wobbled and she began falling to the ground.

Dante caught her mid fall, slowly ushering her to the ground. "My thanks, daughter I haven't been.... in the best of straits. Forgive me, I recognize you but am beffuddled at the moment. What was your name, my child?" Slightly giddy that her mother now responded she suddenly remembered her etiquette, she stood at attention and responded, " I am the acting chapter master of the blood angel's my name is-." "Dante." She tried not to let it show, but the shock was evident. "My child if you could, please remove your mask." Dante did as she was told. The primarch made a look of surprise before it shifted into a wisful almost regretful smile. "That should make it easier for you to speak in this suffocating place."

Dante moved the stasis pod, her hand passing lightly over the glass when sanguinia spoke, "The blow dealt by my sister was insideous. The attack was intended to be fatal to me. To my Dove....I was ready for my death. Id made peace with that. But this, I never even in some dark part of my soul could ever believe this could happen. Even through my foresight, such a thing was never a possibility." The astarte look ed back to Sanguinia, "But this stasis pod, is it meant simply to preserve them?" "Not entirely," Sanguinia began, "When my Dove was struck....much of them was lost, the stasis pod is meant to preserve them of course but." Sanguinia pulled a tube from its side and showed a place on her inner arm. "You're feeding them your blood but they're not an astartes would this even aid them?" "They have a gene-seed." Dante's eyes widened in shock as her primarch continued, "And they are also burdened with the red thirst." Dante looked between does stasis pod and Sanguinia, "How? Why?"

Sanguinia chuckled to herself before it descended into a coughing fit, Dante tried to provide assistantance before being waved off. "I asked them the same thing once upon a time. When I first learned of it. I cant even begin to explain how betrayed I felt. They did it for me, for you, for the legion." "But why?" "They promised me that they would find a means of curing the red thirst. But when faced with the decision of how they would procede, they conceded that they did it to themselves so they wouldnt have to expirement on myself or the legion. Another burden they took on for me. The gene-seed they fashioned by their own hand. "They sound-" Dante was cutoff as sanguinia huffed, "Insufferable, But that was something about them I cherished." Her wisful smile for a moment failed as she brought her hands up to cover her face. Taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Dante inwardly berated herself. She thought it was the same. The despair they each had. But her mother had loved more deeply and far longer than Dante had even been alive. Of course it wasnt the same. Her heart tightened realizing how little perhaps she understood, even now. "Mother if i may?" Sanguinia turned to her daughter having wiped her face, the wet tear streak contrasting with dust tha collacted, leaving a dark smear. "Why me? I've neared death on numerous occasions. And when it closed in upon me , I could hear your voice, I could see your face. Could you not have done this for others? Among Astares of the current era, I am one of the eldest, and I can feel it. Could this not be shared with others?"

A question she'd asked herself for years now. In truth no answer would be satisfied for the multitudes that fell around her. She still wished to hear from her own mothers lips the answer. The primarch looked at the blood on her hand for a long moment, clenching her fist. She had an answer, but perhaps she too was unsatisfied with it. "As much as I wish I was Dante, I am far from all powerful, my flawed sight shows I am, far from omnipotent. My power to restore is limited and finite. I myself dont understand it." "Then, Why me mother?" Dante took a step closer entering her mothers gaze. The primarch's smile became wistful again as she answered ,"faith."

Dante wasnt sure what answer to expect. She looked at her primarch in bewilderment trying to process it. "I.......I dont undertstand." Sanguinia let out a labored sigh, "Look upon me Lord of Angels, do I appear as some great angel to you? After the heresy, after Dove, I lost faith. Faith in my strength to protect everyone I loved. Faith in mine own mind which disturbed the gene-seed and cursed my children to experience the moment which brought me the most dread. Faith in my own spirit which watched my Dove crumple before me in an act of love that broke my heart forever." Dante's shock became more evident on her face as she listened. "When I descended the stairs behind you and interred my Doves body, I contemplated if it I was fit to lead my children. Deciding I wasnt, I chose to remain. I used my foresight to see the possible branches of the future and I chose to put my faith in a daughter of mine who could prevail, who could inspire, who could be the kind of person I wish I was, again. I chose you." Dante was reminded of the words her Dove spoke to her when she was her lowest. Words that she'd engrave into herself that kept her afloat. "Could you not bestow your dove with this blessing rather than I, mother?"

Sanguinia's eyes darkened as her fist clenched tighter, forcing more blood from her palm. "Something I considered once I learned I could. The stasis pod protecting them does not allow changes of any kind, time, decay, death. But should I attempt to, that would mean I would need to shut off the stasis field. Doing so would put them at risk. This isn't a power I can practice with and if I fail again. There won't be enough time to reactivate the stasis field before they are gone, again." The primarch turned from her daughter her tone becoming sour. What struck her more was that Dante could hear the contempt in her voice. Not for her daughter, but for herself. She didn't trust herself enough to even try. Dante questioned more harshly than what she intended, "You're frightened you'll fail?!?!" Sanguinia rounded on her daughter her eyes barely holding back tears as they stood almost nose to nose. "OF COURSE I AM!!!" Dante took step back out of suprise at the outburst.

"My sister, whom I loved, skewered them in front of me. They almost died because of me. I spend every moment staring at them because if I close my eyes....." She took a deep breath as she moved back to the stasis pod, "If I close my eyes, I'm scared they will be gone. That once again they'll slip through my fingers like so many grains of sand, again. My dove sacrificed so much for me, over and over and over again, yet I could never reciprocate as much as I desired. I always thought we'd have more time, but now it feels as though I wasted every moment we were together." Dante wanted to leave. The air that encompassed this place for thousands of years began to set in again. Choking...strangling, the anxiety and pressure expanded to degrees, which made it difficult for her to speak, to even breath. Her heart tightened again.

Dante tried to speak up and comfort her primarch numerous times. The only thing that came to mind was the sensation of when she was taken with the blacke rage. "Its an ocean." Dante took a moment to collect herself. While she wanted to help her mother she had to caution herself about getting swallowied in her despair.

"I.... made.... a.....friend, recently." Dante managed to choke out as her cheeks got redder, "This friend, I can't even describe the things they've done for me. When I met them, I felt like I was at the end of my rope or rather very near. But the more time I spent with them. Things seemed....brighter. That rope I held onto felt... just a little longer. Not long ago, they almost died. When it happened , I... I didn't even realize it at first. Part of my mind refused to see it. But once it sunk in I felt..... alone. So painfully alone. I lost myself to the rage and I realized how small my thinking was. I realized something that made us similar but different. For many years, I was ready for my end. I know that sensation. But what I felt when I thought my friend died. The sorrow I felt when the rage took over. You're drowning mother. You have been drowning for so long. Even if there were light, it could not pierce the veil of loathing you've placed over yourself. You blame yourself for what happened to your Dove. If Im being honest, when I came to visit you before, I never understood. Even now, just remembering the sorrow you felt chills me to my bones. I don't think I could have withstood that level of gloom."

The both of them stood in silence again and for a moment Dante feared that her mother had fallen back into retitence again. "Your friend, tell me, how do they make you feel?" Dante looked up in surprise. "Annoyed, frustrated, safe.... They make me want to see tomorrow. Ive told them every dirty truth I possess. And they accepted it. They didn't judge me or spurn me. They waited and they listened. "As she continued, Sanguinia's smile shifted more to content one. "It sounds like you found yourself a good one." Dante's cheeks blushed again as she touched the place where her hair was cut while thinking of Pidge. "You said you trusted me, to take over and lead the blood angels when you were gone. I'm asking you to trust in me again. Trust in your daughter"

Sanguinia looked at Dante for a long moment. There was doubt, unease, aphrension. But ever so slightly was a glimmer of something she'd not felt in years. She took a deep breath before placing her lips on the glass above where doves lips lay. She didnt speak a syllable. Dante heard her speak a thousand words pleading for her Dove. Sanguinia prepared herself hesitantly. Of course she would, This was little more than a coin toss.

She injected the needle into her arm and watched her blood flow towards her Dove. She was about to disengage the stasis field, stopping right at the button. "I can't say what may happen. Should this succeed it may take whatever grace was given to you. Are you sure Dante?" When she first put forward the idea, dante considered what could happen to her. If it could only be given to one person, could this finally give her an end she'd sought. Those thoughts vanished as she realized, she wasn't that person anymore. When the button was pressed alerts and alarms began to blare.

A Pulse Oximeter hooked up to doves stasis pod began to sound in long stretched beeps to indicate Doves slowing pulse. The container began to prick and prod at dove injecting them with, pain relievers, antiseptics, stimm and various other drugs. Biochemical Rejuvenation began attempting to restore their organs and seal the gaping whole in the center of their chest. All the while the alarms blare and their pulse continued to slow. Sanguinia held their hand all the while praying. Her hopes before did nothing and that had broken what spirit she had left. But Dante was alive. She'd save one of her children from systems away somehow. She could only hope that it would happen again.

Anticipation and waiting would always be the worst part of any endeavour she realized but perhaps worse was when nothing came of it. The oximeter sounded in a long drawn whine. The primarch dropped to her knee's, crushed. All the hope and expectation, and she was right. She failed, failed when it mattered most. She felt the melancholy and misery well up prepared to rip her apart. 'Beep' It all stopped. 'Beep' 'Beep' Sanguinia dragged her eyes from the floor to the oximeter. 'Beep' 'Beep' 'Beep'. Her gaze drifted to the body of her Dove as she watched their chest slowly rise and fall. Her eyes widened as she looked back at her daughter, to find her lying on the floor.

There was a sweet smell in the air. Not the scent of blood but something more fragrant. Eye's fluttered open slightly, straining at the light. Then an awkward crunch that drew attention. In the bed next to Dante Pidge was sitting back taking a bite of an apple. Their face scrunched after they took another bite. "If you didn't like it the first time, why did you take another bite?" Dante asked weakly.

"I've never had apples before, I didn't know they were sour." Pidge froze glancing up at the astarte, they stared at her for a long moment before a smug smile spread across their lips. "Pidge, whats so funny." Pidge began cutting up one the apples they had, "Oh nothing, just finding it a little ironic that I'm no longer the one who nearly got themselves killed." Dante's cheeks puffed out as she turned away ," three to one, I dont think you have the right to judge me." She felt something wet pressed against her cheek. She turned back finding pidge holding out one of the apple slices. "Pigeon do you know-."

"The primarch of the 9th legion wanted to express her gratitude in person. Though none of us knew when you would finally awaken." Pidge took a moment to take another bite forcing their face to scrunch again. "She said you saved her Dove." "Are they-" "In recovery, but they are alive. They wanted to thank you as well." Dante was overcome with a wave of relief. She wasnt sure what to adress first. Pidge was alive, sanguinia was back, Dove was back....She was alive. Pidge's hand was place again her face. "This is good news right, why do you look so confused?" Dread crept into her bones life far to often in the world was too cruel. "Pigeon is... Is this... a dream? Am I really....still here?" Pidge's face shifted to an expression of suprise than to a smile. "Don't worry Dante, everything's all right."

Reader please leave a comment so I can gauge level of interest or to stop bothering people with these