Another day nearer the battle,
So drink up lads, and look brave,
For another day nearer the battle,
Is another day nearer the grave.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The warning came only a few minutes ago, and already the minotaur armies were marching. Warband Steelbone was one of the last companies to receive word of the invasion, and the commander was furious. Chieftain Steelbone himself was walking the camps clad in full armor, yelling belligerently, and making threats with his axe. The weapon had a crude beauty, a, single blade about two feet long, and a foot from the haft to the apex of the deadly curve, it was wrought from pure iron, and was sharpened unevenly, making it look as if the edge was beaten from the blade itself. His armor consisted of little more than thick sheets of random metals attached to a stiff leather carapace. Each plate was at least 5 inches thick, and the chest piece was a full foot thick, and entirely steel with the chieftain's own broken bone sigil in the center.

"Pick up your lazy asses and move! You aren't soldiers, your cows! Hell, even the cows move faster than you sniveling, less than intelligent, rocks!" This was followed by a snort, and some kind of guttural roar.

"We're moving as fast as we can, shut up!" This shout came from a half dressed minotaur with only his leggings on, and thus was not very intimidating.

Steelbone's hoof flew forward with such force that the bone shattered, and the shin plate cracked. Then the axe started to fall, and there was a metallic ringing as the flat of the axe rendered the challengers horn into nothing but shards. The other minotaur's head snapped around, and his body spun to match as he sprawled out on the ground.

"Get my whip!" The chief bellowed.

The beaten soldier was was restrained by his comrades, face down over the top of a bench. Steelbone's servant hastily presented him with his whip. The weapon itself looked like something out of a book of torture. The sickening aesthetic of the braided leather was matched only by the horror caused by using it. The leather was four feet of glossy black, with barbed steel hooks along the length stopping about a foot from the bottom and the tip, which had a tiny steel mace head, half an inch across, and razor sharp.

The crack of thunder was heard as the whip sliced through air and flesh, faster than could be seen. The sound echoed through the swiftly packing camp, and everything seemed to stop and watch as screams echoed eleven more times, and thunder twenty-nine times after that. After a score and a half of lashing the only thing left of the now dead challengers back was maimed flaps of skin, and carved vertebrae.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The ponies of Ponyville were in a state of panic. The royal guard had showed up to their town with the injured in tow. The stories were that the princesses had sent a small force into the Everfree, with the hope of gaining information. Unfortunately all that came back were horror stories of killing sounds, and metal giants. Princess Twilight had returned with the carnage that was left of the scouting party. She stumbled through town, her fur matted with dry blood, and locked herself in the library. After a few days Twilight called all the remaining soldiers to her, and told them to mix some things together and build walls. These walls were rocky and pale, and made of single slabs of stone. Rockcrete, she called the material. It was mush stronger than any other building material on hand, and it was at least a few feet thick. Effective enough to stop just about anything on the planet. The citizens of Ponyville felt much safer after this new addition, but the princess also started to recruit unicorns. For what reasons, they didn't know, but it was never a question they bothered to ask when ponies started getting killed for simple things, like being sick, or having sex. The entire town was put to work eventually, and one day, seemingly at random, the elusive princess Twilight walked out of her tree.

"The Ruinous Powers have turned their gaze to the rock we call home, and they seek to destroy us. I have seen the end of this struggle, and the turning point is here. Ponyville shall be the last bastion of light against the darkness. You are no longer free, for freedom is now dangerous. There shall be a cataclysmic meeting of powers on this planet. Powers of all kinds, shall do battle. Great war machines shall battle dragons, silent soldiers shall kill those that have forgotten them, and the two greatest brutes shall meet in open combat on plains of fire. Only behind these walls can the ponies survive, and until our time comes, we can do nothing but watch."

The crowd sat in shocked silence for a while, until someone yelled out in protest.

"She's gone mad!"

He was killed immediately. He just crumpled to the floor, like his body shut down.

"She murdered my husband!"

A mare yelled, as she rushed to her lovers dead body. She collapsed on top of him.

"Why are you doing this to us?" Yelled another stallion cried out.

"For the good of the planet." was the only answer she gave before walking inside, and closing the door behind her.

"I refuse to be enslaved!" Shouted a female voice from the center of the crowd.

And suddenly it erupted into violence. Rocks flew threw the air and bounced harmlessly of air, the unseen walls of psychic energy not budging in the slightest. Royal guard shouldered their way into the crowd, and put down anyone spreading dissent.This madness went on for only a few minutes until it was silenced by an unending, unwavering, primal roar.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Author's Note

for all you Slaanesh worshippers out there ;)

All constructive criticism is accepted.