Aries examined the blade carefully, seeking impurities in it's design...Truly the Mechanicum would glass this world out of jealousy if they knew it's populace was capable of producing such fine weapons with their magic.

A touch to the activation rune bathed the weapon in a crimson glow. He had argued against testing the weapon against a suit of Royal Guard armor, since he could kill it's wearer with a blunt stick, and instead made ready to slice through a pony shaped mannequin made entirely out of steel.

With deliberate gentleness, Aries moved the blade slowly towards the mannequin. The steel melted at the touch of the power field, allowing the sword to pass through without resistance.

"HUZZAH!" Luna shouted excitedly as she and the royal blacksmith observed the successful test. "A weapon worthy of a warrior of your caliber, is it not?"

"...Yes, a fine weapon indeed." Aries said, still wishing for an imperial weapon, but grateful that he was armed.

"Any ideas for a name?" The smith asked.

Aries deactivated the weapon and examined it again. It was crafted as a World Eater's weapon, but he did not wish to name a xenos blade in honor of his battle brothers, and he wouldn't stain it with a name from his treacherous father's ideals...so he named it for it's intent. "Warp Eater."

"Warp Eater it is, I hope she serves you well sir." The smith said, removing his hat and bowing to the astartes. "I'll fetch the sheath for you."

"There is no need." Aries said. Before the smith could reply, the space marine mag-locked the sword to his thigh.

"Huh, that's handy. Guess I'll keep the sheath for myself as a reminder, ain't everyday you make a magic sword after all." The smith stated to himself.

"Thank you for your part in the coming conflict Forge Fire. We pray these weapons never taste blood, but trust that they will save more lives than they end." Luna stated.

"That's my hope princess. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get started on the others." With that, Forge Fire took his leave. As did the princess and the World Eater, who at long last would meet the Planetary Defense Force.

Elsewhere

The training grounds where the Royal Guard do voluntary exercises with weapons and martial arts had never seen more activity in a thousand years than it did today.

Along with Buck Wild and Spitfire, Aries counted three ponies that he hadn't met...and one that he had.

"So, do you have your ticket?" Aries jibed at One-Way Express.

"As a matter of fact, I do...sir." The unicorn said, levitating a recruitment flyer for Aries to read. (Where did it come from?)

"Hmph, so you do...we'll see if you have the requirements before the day is done." Aries promised.

Aries turned away from the unicorn and headed to a pony he didn't recognize, but halted at the sound of buzzing. Turning to the sound revealed Pharynx. "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, we're still waiting for others to arrive, hopefully." Answered Luna while Aries made his way over to them.

At this, Pharynx grimaced. "Well, you can stop waiting on more Changelings. I couldn't get a single other Changeling to volunteer."

"I can't say I'm surprised. From what I've learned of your kind, you are a wolf amongst sheep." Aries stated.

Pharynx sighed. "I want to be mad at you disrespecting my people like that, but you're right."

The conversation was interrupted by wing flaps, given off by a half dozen dragons and a trio of griffins.

A griffin, who is recognized as Gilda, was the first to report. "Sorry, but these are the only griffins who care enough to try and enlist, there were a few others, but they're far too young."

"Fine then, it'll have to do." Aries said, disappointed, but again, unsurprised.

Gilda returned home while Ember made her report. "I managed to convince these five knuckleheads to chip in for the privilege of keeping anything worth pillaging off the demons."

"With their addition, we have fourteen volunteers...a good start I suppose, but it won't be enough." Aries stated.

"Oh, I wouldn't sell them short big guy." Before Aries could reply, Ember grabbed him by the hips and, to his surprise, lifted him off the ground, power armor and all.

"...Put. Me. Down." Aries demanded.

Ember did so. And just in time for the doors to open and accommodate the only strictly non-flying species of Equestria's allies.

Prince Rutherford walked ahead of ten yaks, jumping their numbers up to 24.

"Yaks come to fight demons until demons are gone. These elite yaks train under World Eater while rest of yaks train at Yakyakistan with each other." Prince Rutherford reported, his elite yaks giving an authoritative stomp in silent agreement.

"Heh, excellent. You've done well Prince Rutherford." Aries stated while Luna spoke some last words with Ember who then headed home.

"Of course yaks did best, yaks are best at war." Rutherford responded arrogantly.

"I have to disagree with that, but your forces will have their chance to prove themselves in training." Aries replied.

Prince Rutherford snorted, but said nothing more as he turned and left.

When the doors closed behind him, the yaks disbanded their formation and started mingling with the other aliens as more wingflaps brought forth seven hippogryphs.

"You must be Aries. Commander Sky Beak reporting." The lead hippogryph said with a salute, bringing his taloned forelimb to his forehead.

Aries responded by slamming his fist to his chest. "Well met Commander, will you be joining us or are you just here to present the volunteers?"

"The latter I'm afraid. Queen Novo needs me whipping the rest of our military into fighting shape. These boys are just here to show Equestria that we stand with them, even if the fighting gets so bad that we cannot send further reinforcements."

"Understood, inform your queen that her contribution makes 30...to the first response." Aries spoke loud and clear. It was a start, but it wasn't enough. And Sky Beak knew it too.

"I...I see. She will be informed sir." And with that, Sky Beak departed.

A few more charitable minutes later confirmed that there would be no further recruits today. And so it began.

Luna stood back to observe. "INTO FORMATION!!" Shouted Aries.

World Eaters are not the most uniform legion of the astartes, but even Aries visibly cringed at the embarrassing display before him.

The yaks, the hippogryphs, Spitfire, and Pharynx did well. But the griffins, the dragons, Buck Wild, One-Way Express, and the yet unnamed ponies took a total of 30 seconds to fall into formation with the more uniformed recruits falling out to point them in the right direction...if not lead them there.

Aries brushed it aside, he was neither of the Ultramarines, or The Emperor's Children. These xenos were here to kill Daemons, not look good doing it...but it was really bad.
"You're purpose is to fight and kill an enemy that has no interest in mercy. Not in receiving it, certainly not in showing it." Aries began. To which the more militant volunteers responded with: "SIR YES SIR!" Some of the more civilian volunteers echoing it after.

"To that end, there will no formation drills, no uniforms save the armor and weapons being built for you, and no necessity for proper procedure." Aries continued.

"SIR Yes si-" The reply died down when the more civilian volunteers realized that the militant ones just nodded in understanding.

"You are here for one purpose...To learn how to fight." At this, several volunteers started getting confident. Others mentally prepared themselves...and one of the unnamed ponies raised a hoof. "May I be excused?"

This resulted in laughter from the dragons and the griffins...they didn't laugh for long.

A black glow enveloped everycreature laughing before they were lifted into the air, slammed together, and slammed onto the ground. "CAN IT YOU KNUCKLEHEADS!!"

Aries observed the unicorn that launched the attack and saw that she looked almost exactly like the one who wished to leave.

"Come here, both of you." Aries said to the aforementioned unicorns. They both cringed but came forward expecting to be in trouble.

Aries examined them. The timid one had a yellow coat, blue eyes and a black mane and tail that was long and smooth.

The other had a black coat, red eyes, and a yellow mane and tail of the same length, but stood up in spots, giving it a 'spikey' look.

And both ponies had a black and yellow insect as their cutie-mark, The former's being herbivorous and the latter's being carnivorous.

The two unicorns came to stand before Aries and the more confident one bowed her head. "I'm sorry sir, I just couldn't stand to let those jerks laugh at my sister like that. It's not her fault."

Aries tilted his head. "Isn't it? She signed up, she came to fight, and she lost her nerve. How is it not her fault?"

"Because I begged her to come with me, and promised that it would be fun." The unicorn replied.

"Fun? you are going to be fighting for your very right to live, the enemy will stop at nothing to kill you...and you thought she would have fun?" Aries pointed at the more timid unicorn to emphasize his point.

"Well...I thought that there would be other jobs. Ya know like, I'm a fighter and she's a healer, that kinda thing." The pony replied.

"There will be, and the enemy will try to kill them so they can't heal you anymore, which is why you will all be fighters first and foremost." Aries replied.

"...Ooohhh, sorry sis." The unicorn replied. "It's okay." The other replied.

"HEY PONY!!" The group turned to see that the dragons and griffins had recovered and were looking for payback.

"WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! CALM DOWN EVERYCREATURE! LET'S LET ARIES HANDLE IT!!" Shouted the last unnamed pony, trying to diffuse the situation.

The lead dragon was about to retort when- "No, let them fight."

Everycreature, including Luna, turned to look at Aries. "What did you say?" Asked the younger princess.

"This is the sort of training I had in mind. So yes, let them fight." Aries replied.

"Uh, isn't that a bit much for one pony." Pharynx chimed in. Not liking the odds of a single unicorn against seven creatures that were larger, more aggressive, and pissed off.

"If everyone here attacked her at once, myself and the princess included, it still wouldn't convey how hopelessly outnumbered we'll be, you must all learn to be an army in your own right." Aries explained.

The more militant creatures suddenly got nervous. The last pony, a pegasus, taking flight without even bothering to ask. But the dragons and griffins were either unfazed or just didn't pay attention as they started advancing.

"...hmph. Fine, you idiots want a fight that bad, I'll give you one." The unicorn rolled her neck and trotted to meet them.

"FIGHT!" Shouted Aries, compelling the more aggressive creatures to charge.

The unicorn teleported behind them as they leaped into a dog-pile.
She gathered energy into her horn and blasted the whole group, causing to fly everywhere.
A dragon recovered in midair and shot a fireball at her opponent.
The unicorn threw up a shield just in time to deflect it, but the blast concealed the dragon so the pony didn't realize that she was charging.
The dragon smashed into the shield like a wrecking ball, shattering it like glass and knocking the pony to the ground.
The unicorn tried to get up, but one of the griffins pinned her down with his talons.
The dragon advanced, cracking her knuckles and laughing arrogantly.
She pulled her fist back.
The unicorn gritted her teeth.
The blow came down.

SMACK

The unicorn opened her eyes in shock and saw Spitfire hovering over her. The dragon out cold. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL ME, THEN FINE! BUT I DIDN'T SIGN UP TO WATCH A PONY GET MAULED!!" She shouted at Aries, who had done nothing to stop this.

"You make it sound she has to fight alone...I was wondering when the rest of you would start training." Aries replied.

Spitfire blinked in shock, completely caught off guard.
She only came to her senses when the other dragons and griffin, who had finally recovered, ambushed her.
Their victory was short-lived, as everycreature watching decided to involve themselves in the melee, turning the tide.

Aries watched on, unsurprised though still disappointed when two dragons and one griffin cried out about 'fairness'. He would see them gone when training was over for the day.

"...Are you still here?" Aries asked to the timid unicorn who was watching the spectacle beside him.
She jumped at his voice being directed at her and hesitantly answered. "S-sorry sir, I..I just..."

"I have no interest in your excuses. Either leave or participate. I don't care which, but if you stay, you are committed. I won't let you back out again." Aries stated.

The unicorn hesitated, turning from the battle to the exit and back again before finally screaming out. "I'M COMING JACK!!" And throwing herself into the melee in a berserker's frenzy.

Luna walked up to stand next to Aries. "Who are those two?" Asked the World Eater.

"A pair of twins who are attending my sister's school for gifted unicorns: Yellow Jacket and Honey Bee." The princess replied.

Aries turned back to the brawl and saw the two sisters standing tall, each using an unconscious dragon as a club. "Hmph, well if nothing else, this will be amusing."

And so the training began...

Author's Note

Sorry about the delay, I spent my Saturday watching Detective Pikachu (great movie) and had to write after work.

Okay, so the PDF has begun it's development, and none too soon, for Chaos will soon stir.

And on that note: There is a rumor coming down the pipe that my Khornate Champion of choice may or may not be getting redeemed in an episode or two. If so, good for him, but I'm keeping him evil in this story because he is too good as a Khornate Champion.

And of course, Grogar...I don't know if I'm going to include him or not, but only because I've decided that I'm going to make this a series rather than just one book, and I'm considering using him for a bigger conflict later down the road. We'll see what happens.

Okay, that's all I got, see you all next time.