It began like any other day in Equestria, ponies peacefully living their lives, knowing that if any danger appeared, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends would keep them safe, never even entertaining the idea that something was out there that not even the Elements of Harmony could defeat...and yet there was.
As everypony lived their lives in blissful ignorance, fire rained from the stars, destroying cities and burning forests.
By either luck or fate, Ponyville survived, but as the Element Bearers rushed to gather the Elements of Harmony, they found them powerless, for the Tree of Harmony had been destroyed.
When the fire stopped falling, metal pods fell in their place, and from these pods came horrible monsters the size of minotaurs covered in blood red armor, bearing a mark on their shoulders of a black bird and a crimson tear.
The monsters were without mercy or weakness, but as all hope was lost, the Element Bearers heard voices, promising them deliverence in exchange for servitude, caught between annihilation and slavery, Twilight and her friends made a choice...a choice that changed everything.
500 Years Later
"...ilight...Twilight...HEY TWILIGHT!!!" Twilight awoke with a start before realizing the daemonic voice was only Spike.
"Oh, good morning Spike, did I oversleep again?" Twilight asked the massive dragon.
"You always oversleep, who was it this time?" Spike asked irritably, knowing that Twilight was either exchanging information with a sorcerer of Chaos, or fending off another daemon seeking to devour her.
"Oh, it was just Ahriman asking for assistance with a new attempt at curing the Rubricae, remind me to send Starlight when she gets back." She said as she trotted over to the mirror to brush the bedhair out of her everchanging mane, which swirled with the colors of the warp along with her tail, giving her an appearance reminiscent of the royal sisters as they once were.
She finished brushing her mane and shifted to brush her tail, giving her a clear view of where her cutie mark once was before it was replaced with the mark of Tzeentch.
"Gah, I'll never understand why you insist in trying to find allies among humans, you know they're all monsters, right?" Spike inquired as he stepped behind Twilight, she looked disapprovingly at his reflection, He, like all dragons, had been claimed by Khorne, and now stood taller than a space marine with blood red scales and burning red eyes and was far more blood thirsty than he ever should have been, but as Khorne held War, Rage, and Slaughter in his left hand, his right hand held Honor, Honesty, and Justice, and so Spike and Ember upheld their vows with Ember preventing dragons from attacking their allies, resulting in many civil wars, and Spike remaining by Twilight's side in damnation as he had in harmony.
"I know that you don't approve, but you and I both know that even with the gifts of the Dark Gods at our disposal, we'll need allies if we're going to defeat the Imperium." Twilight said, causing Spike to seeth in anger at the mention of those who made serving the embodiments of all they had once opposed a necessity.
"But that's neither here nor there, come on, let's go see if everypony's ready for the ritual." Twilight said as she headed out of her room, spike following behind her.
Outside of her castle, Twilight beheld the sight of Ponyville, ponies went about their lives, a few with daemon servants, most bearing the mark of Chaos Undivided, though some were marked by one God or the other.
The sky glew a bright orange in the light of the ever blazing sun, which reflected off the blood red waterfalls of Cloudsdale, along with the ever shifting walls of Twilight's Castle of Change.
Centuries ago, the sight disturbed Twilight, but now, she accepted this as a normal day in Equestria.
Twilight trotted off, Spike lumbering behind her, exchanging greetings with ponies and domesticated daemons as she passed, her destination: Rarity's boutique.
Twilight allowed Spike to go first, not for fear of Rarity herself, but of her clients.
And sure enough, a Daemonette of Slaanesh lunged at the dragon, who effortlessly caught it by it's throat and bit it's head off and spat it out, throwing the disappearing corpse aside without a second thought, until he beheld Rarity, then he had plenty of thoughts about the Daemonette he regretted killing too quickly.
"...You know...you c-could've...knocked..." Rarity strained through her injuries.
Twilight came in behind Spike and winced at the sight, she always believed Rarity had gotten the worst out of all of them, having been made into a Slaaneshi pleasure slave, who feels the worst of pain as the greatest of pleasure, and Rarity's new found masochism had been the salvation of almost every Slaaneshi Equestrian in the first century, especially Pinkie Pie, but Daemonettes were as cruel in spirit as they were in their actions.
"Oh Rarity..." Twilight said as she observed the fasionista, she was drenched in her own blood, slashed on every part of her body with the exception of the mark of Slaanesh on her flank, but that wasn't what crushed Twilight's heart, she had long since gotten used to this sight, as every Slaaneshi, even Pinkie, did such things to her, but they were always respectful and grateful for her, but this Daemonette did the one thing that no Equestrian did out of respect for the fasionista.
As soon as Rarity's injuries were too great for her to resist, the Daemonette cut off her mane and tail, before destroying every dress in reach.
Twilight casted a healing spell which enhanced Rarity's natural healing abilities turning required moments into seconds, healing all but her first scar, a three clawed scratch which was given to her by the Fleshlord itself, costing her an eye.
"Thanks Twilight, after violating my taboos, that harlot has no right to enjoy my agony, I'll be sure to give Spike a call if she's foolish enough to come back." Rarity said, earning a smirk from Spike.
Twilight glanced sadly at the remnants of Rarity's mane and tail, which was still scattered at her feet, even with the powers of Tzeentch, she still couldn't fix a pony's mane with magic, but Rarity was used to it after the first time, Pinkie Pie still had that Daemonette crucified in her Party-Planning Cave.
"Oooohhhh, that lousy-AAAHH!! she set me back months." Rarity said as she examined the damage done to her fashion line...ork skin was in style this month.
"Sorry Rarity, I guess we came at a bad time." Twilight said, rubbing the back of her head.
"Oh Pshaw, as if I'm going to put my whole life on pause every time I get violated by a daemon, I mean in the first 50 years that would've made sense, but it's been half a millennium for the Prince's sake, right Sweetie Belle?" Rarity turned her head towards her sister...or so she thought.
When the Blood Ravens sent the first wave, the remaining defenders set up a perimeter around Ponyville, only for the second wave to drop in behind their defenses, one of those drop pods landed directly on the school where the colts and phillies hid from the invaders...none survived.
Twilight reluctantly turned to the sight of Sweetie Belle's stuffed, mutilated corpse, she had long since determined that her soul was not bound within her corpse, and that the voice Rarity heard from it was no more than grief-stricken madness made permanent by either Tzeentch or Slaanesh, it was a madness that the others shared as well, though Applejack and Rainbow Dash only kept the skulls of their sisters.
"So, what brings you to my boutique, I know it isn't the latest in Slaaneshi fashion, although I do have a few Tzeentchian robes you might enjoy, and some Khornate armor that would make Spike look absolutely menacing." Rarity claimed proudly.
"Pretty sure that I would make the armor look menacing." Spike snorted.
"Actually, I was making sure that you still remembered the plans for tonight." Twilight explained.
"Oh, of course darling, wouldn't miss it for anything less than a visit from the Prince of Excess himself, and I already reminded the others as well."
"You did, but I thought Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were off world." Twilight inquired, before remembering that Rarity could carry her thoughts to their minds, a gift from She Who Thirsts.
"Oh they are, Pinkie Pie is throwing another party for Fulgrim with DJPON3 and Rainbow Dash's warband is carving cutie marks into those good for nothing Blood Ravens, hopefully Angelos won't get away from her this time." Rarity's friendly smile devolved into a scowl as she spoke of the Chapter Master of their mortal enemies, her glass eye seemingly becoming darker.
"Oh, but now that I think about it, Applejack said she might run a little late, hard day on the farm." Rarity said.
"Oh no, I need everypony for this, if Applejack's got too much work to make it, then we'll just have to take some work away from her, come on Spike." Twilight turned to head out, Spike nodding and following in her wake.
"Have fun darling, I'll just salvage what I can from these dresses." Rarity called out, already knowing that she would need to ask Rainbow Dash to go ork hunting again.
Elsewhere
Applejack bucked with as much strength as she had left, killing two more Bloodletters and sending their corpses crashing into those behind them as Big Mac charged their lines with a large battle axe.
Gee, Khorne sure sent us a bushel to harvest today. Applejack thought to herself as she looked upon the battlefield that was once called Sweet Apple Acres, after Applejack and her family became champions the Blood God, the family farm became a spawning pit for Khorne's daemons and Applejack and her family had to slaughter them until they stopped spawning, the pit stopped early today, but it had to have released three times the normal amount of Bloodletters and behind them came two Bloodthirsters.
Big Mac already dealt with one of the Greater Daemons, but now the other was directing traffic.
"Man, we got our work cut out for us, huh Applebloom?" Applejack asked the skull that hung by her side.
"... Heh, Yeah I know, I need to quit belly aching and get back to work...I have no earthly idea what Granny Smith would say if she could see me now." Applejack replied to what was asked of her by Applebloom's voice, reminiscing at the mention of Granny Smith who had a heart attack on account of the invasion, she had been one of the luckier ones who died that day.
Applejack focused on the next pair of Bloodletters who charged her, three of them.
As they closed the distance, Applejack calculated the amount of force with which to hit the center daemon to ensure that the other two would be stunned by the force of the impact long enough for her to buck a second time.
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!
Applejack and the daemons looked to the source of the battle cry in time to see Spike crash into the Bloodletters.
The berserk dragon tore one of them in half before claiming it's sword and cutting down the other two before the first daemon bled to death and returned to the Warp, taking it's sword with it.
"SPIKE!!" Applejack recognized Twilight's voice before she turned to her and saw her summon a daemon weapon, a great sword forged from a Lord of Change, and throw it to her assistant.
The sword shifted in Spike's hands becoming single edged, double edged, smooth, serrated, thin, wide, short and long, but none of this mattered to Spike who simply swung it to and fro, butchering Khorne's daemons in Khorne's name, knowing that Khorne cares not from whence the blood flows, only that it flows freely.
"Well...guess I get to take a break, but I'm guessing that you didn't come here just to help me with my chores." Applejack said as Twilight approached her.
"Actually, that's exactly what I came here for...Rarity told me that you might not be able to make it on time because you had so much on your plate, I didn't realize just how true that was...until I saw the Bloodthirster." Twilight confirmed.
"I never said I wouldn't be there Twi, I just said I'd be running a little late." Applejack deadpanned.
"Late is unacceptable, you know how crucial this is, I need all of you present and accounted for." Twilight chided her honest friend.
"Well, I guess it don't matter now, I'll probably be early." Applejack said, pointing a hoof at Spike as he beheaded 5 daemons at once, before discarding the sword and cracking his knuckles as he stared down the Bloodthirster, who snorted in contempt.
"You dare challenge me unarmed?" The Greater Daemon asked the dragon.
"As if I need a weapon to fight a coward who hides behind a wall of weaklings, at least have the spine to die like Khorne's servant." Spike retorted.
The daemon roared with rage and bellowed out a stream of Warp Fire.
Spike countered the Daemon's flame with his own, the dragon's burning breath steadily overpowering that of the Bloodthirster and enflaming it's face.
The Greater Daemon thrashed about wildly in shock and pain, unable to comprehend how the fire within Spike could burn hotter than the fire within itself.
Spike took the opportunity to unfold his great wings and take flight, landing on the thrashing daemon's shoulders and grabbing it's horns.
Spike held on until he could steady himself in spite of the Bloodthirster's thrashing, unbothered by the heat of his own flames, before finally finding enough purchase to twist, breaking the daemon's neck.
The Bloodthirster fell to the ground and began to dissappear, but not before Spike pulled it's head off it's shoulders with a victorious roar, offering the skull to Khorne.
The corpse behind him vanished, but Spike was shocked to realize that it's head had not.
Spike looked to the head in confusion, and saw that it's flesh had disappeared with it's body, leaving only the skull.
With shocking realization, Spike lowered the skull, turned to the sky, and bowed at the mental image of the Lord of Skulls looking down upon him from His throne.
Spike held the skull over his shoulder and retrieved Twilight's daemon sword and walked back to the group who were applauding his victory.
"HOO-WHEE! I've been keeping these varmints down for half a millennium and Khorne ain't never let me keep a skull." Applejack exclaimed, proud of the dragon's accomplishment.
Spike beamed with pride, until a sound made him feel stupid.
"Ahem." Spike froze and turned around to look eye to eye with Big Mac, who fought off the last of the Bloodletters while Spike fought the Bloodthirster.
"Oooohhhh, sorry Big Mac." Spike said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hey, that's on me too, I shouldn't have stopped to talk to Twilight until the job was done." Applejack added with her head down and her ears lowered.
"Eeyup." Big Mac confirmed Applejack's statement and stared a hole through her...until salvation came.
"Oh Big Mac, I couldn't help but see Spike take down that Bloodthirster and realize that you finished early, want something to occupy your day?" Suger Belle called out, showing off the mark of Slaanesh on her flank.
Big Mac froze up, looking back and forth as his Khorne given rage demanded vengeance for this slight, and his love for Suger Belle wrestled within him, until his love won out.
"We'll talk later." Big Mac promised Applejack before zipping off.
"Heh, well unless you need anything else, I think I'll head to the Spa until it's time." Applejack said, the Ponyville spa had a relaxation plan for anypony regardless of their patron god, and Applejack adored the blood steam treatment.
"Oh, you should take Rarity with you, she had a bad day." Twilight said.
"Another Slaaneshi barber?" Applejack guessed, Twilight nodded and Applejack shook her head.
"I'm on it, see you at 6." Applejack said as she headed out.
"5!" Twilight called behind her before she and Spike headed back to their castle.
Elsewhere
On the other side of Ponyville, on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, was a plague ridden animal sanctuary, filled with diseased animals so rotten that they should have died from their infections long ago, yet not only did they endure their suffering, they accepted it.
Every rotting, diseased creature went about their business in the undead garden as though nothing was wrong, for Nurgle, the God of Death and Decay had given them that which the cultists of Slaanesh pursue eternally and never achieve, satisfaction.
At the head of the sanctuary stood a cottage of decayed wood, the door opened, revealing a pegasus whose yellow coat parted for foul boils ready to burst with pestilent fluids, and whose pink main and tail was slick with sickly green slime, and whose flesh was the home of numberless maggots and parasites, all of whom she cared for with a mother's gentleness.
Fluttershy smiled at the sight of the happy infant flies playing around and within her decaying body, the majority of which swarmed around the mark of Nurgle on her flank, as well as the sight of the diseased creatures who called her sanctuary home.
Though it was now a plague ridden swamp rather than the beautiful sanctuary Fluttershy created all those years ago, it was still a sanctuary, creatures wrought with despair would come to Fluttershy to learn of Nurgle's content, but those who felt that were ready to endure the madness once more would return to the Everfree Forest...after partaking of Nurgle's most cherished gift to Equestria, the Tears of Isha.
A lake that began in Fluttershy's sanctuary and flowed into the Everfree Forest, making the once feared forest the one piece of Equestria that remained untouched by the Ruinous Powers.
Many a daemon attempted to conquer or destroy the forest, but the Equestrian cultists did not plead to their gods to spare the Everfree, instead they proved their right to cling to this last reminder of better days.
Every day, as daemons charged the forest, the ponies of Nurgle endured their assault until their allies relieved them, at which point, the sorcerers of Tzeentch demonstrated their mastery of manipulation by forcing the daemons to fight amongst themselves, at which point, the berserkers of Khorne smashed into the daemons like a vengeful hammer and broke the assault, at which point, the routed daemons who attempted to flee are then captured by hedonistic servants of Slaanesh and crucified at the forest's borders and tortured for the Dark Prince's amusement...many daemons have called their way of worshipping the Dark Gods blasphemous, while the Equestrians argue that there is no wrong way to worship Chaos, if the Dark Gods agree with one side or the other, they gave no sign.
Fluttershy wandered around the pestilent sanctuary, simply enjoying her home until it was time to join Twilight and the others, when suddenly, an old friend appeared to visit her, a daemon with the body of a Bloodthirster, the limbs and breasts of a Keeper of Secrets, the head and neck of a Lord of Change and the signs of infection from the diseases carried by a Great Unclean One.
"Why hello Fluttershy." Discord called out in a voice that reeked of mischief, uncaring for the fact that he was now surrounded by territorial Nurglites, football sized daemons that waddled on two legs, while Nurglites could be called the least aggressive daemons of the immaterium, these Nurglites have been trained as guard dogs by their leader.
Angel strode to the head of the pack, proudly swishing the cape of his rabbit sized Commissar outfit that Rarity had made for him, and pointing at Discord with the sharpened bone that was once his left fore paw.
"Come on Angel, you remember Discord, don't you?" Fluttershy asked in a pleading voice while Angel turned to her with an arched eyebrow, while his caretaker had only changed in appearance, Angel had become a genuine cultist of Nurgle, and only showed contempt to any who rejected His gifts.
The battle of wills ended with Fluttershy victorious, the disgruntled diseased rabbit lowering his ear and a half in defeat, before he turned and squeaked to his Nurglites who stood down.
Angel squeaked again and they snapped to attention, another squeak, and they turned in unison, and a final squeak sent them marching, their waddling feet hitting the ground in cadence with Angel's goose steps as he squeaked out Left..Left..Left Right Left...
"You do know that as soon as he enough Nurglites under his command, he plans to conquer Equestria right?" Discord asked his eldest friend.
"Don't worry, the one time I found him trying to keep creatures from drinking Isha's tears, I gave him The Stare and made him behave, and it works on Nurglites too." Fluttershy dismissed Discord's warning.
"If you say so, but enough about Monty Python, how are you doing?" Discord changed the subject.
Fluttershy wanted to question Discord's nickname for Angel, but chose to ignore it. "Oh, it's uneventful, I'm just biding my time until it's time to meet with the others."
"Oh, well if you're looking for a little excitement, I could bring us over to Pinkie's little Shindig, her parties became so much more enjoyable over the last 500 years." Discord said, snickering to himself.
"No thanks, I don't think a follower of Nurgle would be welcome on a Slaaneshi planet crawling with the Emperor's Children." Fluttershy mumbled while putting her slimy mane in front of her sickly face.
"Oh poo, you may not believe this Fluttershy, but you're actually more of a shut in now than you before you got brainwashed by that walking bl-" Discord's next word was forgotten as he erupted into a coughing fit and spat out blood.
Fluttershy gasped in shock, and when Discord recovered, she scowled at him.
"Are you still thinking like that, I haven't been brainwashed Discord, Nurgle showed me the folly of despairing over what happened, Equestria was doomed from the start, everything that lives will die, if I was the pony I was before, then I would never be able to get over what the Blood Ravens did to us, and I never would have accepted what we did to save Equestria, or what my friends have become, is that what you want, for me to abandon my friends and save myself, because Isha's Tears are right there, they'll remove Nurgle's Blight from me, but they won't fix my friends, or Equestria." Fluttershy said sternly without shouting.
"I know, I know, it's just, if this had happened 600 years ago, I would've welcomed our new lords and masters with open arms, after all they turned Equestria into my idea of paradise, but it wasn't 600 years ago, it was 500, and you taught me the value of friendship, and all I can think is that your home looks more chaotic than my home, I still have every poisonous plant that you gave me, and every suit Rarity sowed from Drukari pirates and Tyranid Hive Tyrants, and all the intriguing books that Twilight acquired from Magnus and then finished in a day, this place is home for me, but it's your home." Discord lamented.
"It was never going to last Discord, everything comes to an end, I wish that you could accept this change and move on." Fluttershy said, placing a hoof on the spirit of disharmony.
"...so do I, you make it look so peaceful." Discord said half sarcastically.
Elsewhere
The Emperor's Children have long since learned that not even a hundred Noise Marines reinforced by ten Noise Marine Dreadnoughts could drown out the symphony of the Dubstomp Titan piloted by DJPON3...so now 500 Noise Marines with 60 Dreadnoughts challenged the Equestrian music maestro.
The cacophonous sound of the sound based weapons that can melt a man's brain and separate the atoms of adamantium and ceramite clashed against the thunderous bass cannons that could shake mountains into dust in a mad symphony of destruction.
Millions of Slaaneshi daemons and mad cultists flocked to the battlefield, some keeping a safe distance while others proudly died from the intense vibrations that caused their organs to explode.
It made no sense to the Noise Marines how the xeno within the converted Imperitor Titan could hold them at bay with so flawed a symphony, it was obvious to their ears that something was missing, was the unicorn within a rank amateur, no, impossible, Slaanesh would never allow such a creature to pilot a Titan, the only conclusion was that the alien was holding back, this infuriated the Noise Marines, causing them to play louder, cheered on by the other space marines of The Emperor's Children who demanded to know what DJ hid from them...with one exception.
Far from the Slaaneshi music concert, the Daemon Primarch Fulgrim swayed his head to and fro, Slaanesh permitting him to hear what was unheard.
Within the Dubstomp Titan's control room, the white furred unicorn who bore the mark of Slaanesh and had dyed her lightning blue hair a Slaaneshi purple launched her attacks in cadence to another instrument, an instrument as alien to the third legion as the sound it made, a cello.
It was broken, it's strings having been reattached after the base of the weapon had been struck with a bolt round, the hole was left unrepaired, as the blood stains were left uncleaned.
Fulgrim tuned out the sound of the battle, not even caring that DJ's sonic attacks complimented the instrument she played, he focused all his senses on the Symphony of Sarrow.
However, Fulgrim was torn from the song by the second most unnerving sound he had ever heard, he could always hear the voice of Slaanesh when her attention was on him, and right now, she was snickering, a stifled laughter that came from anticipating something humorous that had yet to happen, a sound Slaanesh made more often since 500 years ago, a sound that was often followed by the first most unnerving sound he had ever heard.
...oing...boing...boing...boing
Fulgrim turned to the sound and snarled at the sight of the Dark Prince's favorite Equestrian, Pinkamina Diane Pie, her friends all call her Pinkie Pie, but Fulgrim would never be friends with that thing.
"Oooohhhh Fuuuulllllllgriiiiiiimm..." The xenos called out as she finally stopped bouncing and trotted towards the Daemon Primarch.
"I have no interest in assisting your foul schemes Pinkamina, begone."
The pink coated pony only smiled wider, half of it's face hidden beneath it's smooth mane. "Oh, I'm not here to ask for help, I have Lucius for that, I'm here to give you a cupcake that I made Just. For. You. Heeheeheeheehee."
Fulgrim raised an eyebrow at that, he knew that each of this creatures pastries were made specifically to torture the consumer in the most agonizing way possible, but Fulgrim felt all pain as pleasure, surely Pinkamina realized that she had no means of making him suffer.
Then Fulgrim remembered Slaanesh's snickers of anticipation, but wouldn't be shaken from the fact that he couldn't be made to suffer, but if the Dark Prince actually believed that this creature could do such a thing, then perhaps by disproving it, Pinkamina would fall out of Slaanesh's favor and Fulgrim would be rid of his newest, most infuriating rival.
"Very well Pinkamina, give me the pastry." The xenos presented the cupcake, a vanilla pastry topped with lavender and dark purple frosting with sprinkles cut into the mark of Slaanesh.
Fulgrim removed the thin piece of paper that covered the bottom of the small cupcake and popped it into his mouth.
It had a pleasant taste to it, and the texture was satisfying, Fulgrim finished chewing the treat and swallowed, and it is at this point that the sprinkles dissolved.
Fulgrim grabbed at his throat as the serpentine tail that replaced his legs when he ascended to daemonhood thrashed about to and fro.
Fulgrim spat out the remnants of the cupcake that remained in his mouth, but he was too late, the poison burned his throat and stomach and no amount of spitting could stop it.
After half a minute of internal burning, Fulgrim shoved his tail down his throat and regurgitated the thrice damned cupcake.
Fulgrim was down on his fore arms, coughing and spitting and breathing heavily as Slaanesh howled with laughter, after Fulgrim recovered, he realized that Pinkamina was laughing just as hard as their patron god.
As much as he wanted to slaughter the accursed creature, he needed to know what in the galaxy could cause him pain so that he can destroy it or turn it against his rivals, the one who rolled on the ground before him in particular.
"What. Was. That poison." Fulgrim demanded.
Pinkie Pie curled a hoof inward, beckoning him closer, when he complied, she whispered something into his ear...something that made him stick his tail down his throat a second time to be sure that none of the foul substance was left within him.
When he recovered, he looked upon the laughing earth pony with sheer terror. "How...HOW IN THE PRINCE'S NAME DID YOU COLLECT BONE DUST FROM MY FATHER!?"
Pinkamina stopped laughing and shrugged. "It's me Fulgrim, don't question it."
With so unsatisfying an answer, Fulgrim was consumed by his fury and lunged at the Slaaneshi party pony who, thanks to Slaanesh amplifying her reality warping abilities, pulled a warp portal out of nowhere, closing it after Fulgrim went through.
Fulgrim rubbed his head and looked at what he ran into...only to find the equally confused and then suddenly vengeful eyes of Leman Russ...Slaanesh was laughing her ass off.
Elsewhere
Explosions drowned out the screams of the dying and the roars of the vengeful as Rainbow Dash tore through the sky of an imperial colony, taking apart the enemy's air support while Starlight Glimmer devastated their armor and Garble slaughtered the infantry.
Rainbow Dash barrel rolled under a burst of fire from an imperial Thunderbolt gunship before flying above it and crashing onto it with her Power Hooves, Equestrian made parodies of space marine Power Fists that were charged with unicorn magic, while they held a far weaker charge and didn't pack as big a punch, Rainbow's Power Hooves were charged with Starlight's Tzeentchian magic, which changed the material she was striking into something less durable, allowing her to cut the Thunderbolt in half.
As she continued to Dog Fight with the Imperials she kept her subconscious attention on the ground, and saw Garble was, once again, ignoring the more resilient Guardsmen for the sake of easier targets, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, knowing that becoming Khornate only made him worse of a bully than he already was.
She also saw Starlight rear up on her hind hooves before releasing one of her strongest energy blasts which disintegrated a Baneblade in one shot...before putting her hat back on.
Rainbow's heart trembled at the sight of Trixie's torn hat, she was never the show pony's biggest fan, in fact she found her unimpressive, but she didn't deserve to die, none of them did, and yet the Blood Ravens slaughtered them, punishing them for the crime of not being human.
Rainbow was torn from her thoughts when she realized the Tears had returned, a gift from Khorne to ensure she never forgot or forgave her enemies, tears of blood that blurred her vision and made her see every battle as the Death of Harmony.
As she tried to wipe the blood from her eyes, she beheld a very different sight.
The assault on the imperial line was now a desperate defense against the Blood Ravens mortal servants, Starlight and Garble's defensive lines both threatening to be overrun, their enemies hell bent on slaughtering the frightened civilians behind them, Blood Raven drop pods falling behind the enemy lines, Rainbow Dash needed to make sure that the defenders on the ground were ready for those monsters when they arrived.
Rainbow dived, aiming straight for the remaining armor, a rainbow color cone appearing at the edge of her Power Hooves that narrowed more and more as she descended, until, a foot from the ground, as she turned to fly horizontal against the ground in the midst of the enemy armor, Rainbow Dash seemed to explode as a rainbow colored sonic boom originated from her, her Khorne enhanced strength increasing the destructive power of the Sonic Rainboom to the point that the line of Chimera transports, Basilisk Artilleries, and Leman Russ Tanks were completely devastated save for 6 on the end of the blast zone.
Rainbow Dash ran to meet Starlight and warn her about the Blood Ravens while other unicorns dealt with the last armor, taking a slight glance upward to ensure that she wasn't immediately needed.
She was relieved to see a changeling transform into a two headed Heldrake and devastate a squad of fighters single handedly while covering a squad of griffons and hyppogryphs who, thanks to their posable fore limbs, used stolen/modified lasguns and bolters to strafe the enemy infantry alongside dragons who filled the imperial trenches with vengeful fire.
Rainbow Dash made it to Starlight and tried to warn her. "Reform your line Starlight, we don't have much time befo-" Starlight put a hoof in Rainbow's mouth to cease her explanation.
"Rainbow, you were crying again." Rainbow Dash's wings flinched as she suddenly remembered the nature of this battle.
"Ooohh, right.." Rainbow Dash hung her head, embarrassed that she broke formation...again.
"It's okay, the others seem to have the sky under control, and now that their armor has been dealt with, we can pick up Garble's slack." Starlight conforted her friend and commanding officer.
Rainbow wiped the Tears from her eyes again, the only remnants being the bloody streaks that came from her eyes to below her lower jaw, Starlight was correct, they only faced guardsmen, but this did not comfort Dash, for the sole purpose of this raid was to draw out the Blood Ravens that they knew to be in this region of space, and yet the only space marines in sight were Starlight's Rubricae, a gift from Ahzek Ahrimen.
Rainbow Dash returned to the sky, destroying a Valkyrie that was attempting to deploy reinforcements while Starlight directed the Rubricae to drive the final nail in the resistance's coffin.
Rainbow Dash and the other flyers headed to the governor's estate, caring little for the shuttles evacuating civilians.
Rainbow Dash slammed through the front door and charged the last line of defenders, going straight for the Commissar and driving a Power Hoof through his heart, the rest of the Guardsmen proved themselves cowards...except one.
Rainbow Dash dodged the lasbolt that was fired at her and turned to see a fresh recruit, a mere boy between 15 and 17 years-old firing at her madly. "DIE YOU ALIEN BASTARD! DIE!!!"
Rainbow dodged this way and that, she would've killed him and been done with it, but for the look in his eyes, the same look that she gave the Blood Ravens when they destroyed Equestria and forced herself and the others to serve the Ruinous Powers just to survive, she hated the imperium, but she knew that it was a shattered empire, but she also knew that this planet regularly did business with Blood Ravens and that yet this boy fought as though he were a member of the 18th legion which Rainbow Dash had begrudgingly come to respect...after they passed her test.
The Guardsman's gun ran dry, but before he could reload, a griffon slammed him to the ground and aimed it's bolter at the boy's head.
"NO!" The griffon turned to Rainbow Dash with a look of confusion on it's face.
"If he wants a piece of me, then I'll let him have it, stand aside." Rainbow Dash ordered, shooing the griffon away with a hoof.
The griffon removed itself from the guardsman and rejoined the sacking of the estate, the guardsman glared hatefully at Rainbow Dash.
"Oh, and just to give you more incentive..." Rainbow Dash turned to side and the guardsman's glared increased tenfold as he saw the mark of Khorne on the pegasus' flank.
The guardsman took a breath, drew his knife, and began to pray for strength from the God Emperor, a being that Rainbow Dash learned that the humans of the imperium revered as much as the more peaceful Equestrians had revered Princess Celestia.
Rainbow Dash allowed the human to pray for strength, passing the time by praying to Khorne, she asked nothing of Him, only thanking Him for what He had already given and once more confirming that, by her word, her Loyalty was His.
The guardsman finished his prayer and Rainbow finished hers, the two warriors taking stances, waiting for the other to strike, until they charged each other at once.
The guardsman stabbed at Rainbow, but the pegasus dodged it easily and kicked the knife from his hands and knocked him to the ground. "Is that all you got, I expected a real fight from the only human to stand his ground." Rainbow Dash taunted him as she gave him room to get back to his feet and reclaim his knife.
The guardsman paid no heed to the Khornate Equestrian's words and simply charged forward, at a slower pace to keep an eye on Rainbow's moves.
Rainbow Dash moved to flank him and the guardsman kicked out, the blow struck home, but Rainbow Dash took to the sky to regain her senses from a safe distance.
"Not bad, I think I'm done toying with you." Rainbow Dash said as she struck from the air, landing a barrage from every direction until he was unable to stand and fell to his hands and knees.
Rainbow Dash landed in front of the guardsman as the last once of strength left him.
Propped up on one fore arm and panting with exhaustion, the boy looked up at the pegasus with a hateful expression, not a drop of fear within him.
Rainbow Dash smiled at the sight. "Not bad kid, you passed the test."
The guardsman only narrowed his gaze. "I will never betray the Emperor scum."
This actually made Rainbow Dash chuckle a bit. "Hahahaheheh, that wasn't my intention kid, you see, I tend to be too arrogant and cocky for my own good, and when I encounter a rival that I like fighting, I take them with me and spar with them in my free time, and your welcome to try and kill me as much as you want, and if you succeed, the others have orders to set you free, and your welcome to let another slave go free in your stead." Rainbow explained.
"You would ask me to surrender!?" The guardsman said, enraged, his fury drowning out his exhaustion enough that he could put one foot on the ground.
"No, I'm asking you if you want to fight again, if you ever surrender, if you ever plead for mercy, or show fear, then you'll die, slowly and painfully, fed to the Pegasus Device, understood?" Rainbow Dash asked, wondering if she should explain the nature of the Pegasus Device, a machine that once ground gems into a special liquid called Specture that was used to create rainbows, but now made rainbows from the blood of captured enemies, mortal and daemon alike.
The guardsman narrowed his gaze, seeing the other aliens that had gathered to watch, some of them have found their own rivals, who were rounded up and guarded by the large reptilian xenos, but were unchained. "...Your overconfidence will be your death, alien."
Rainbow Dash smiled at the human as he walked towards the other rivals. "The name's Rainbow Dash, what's yours?"
"Private Tonius Alder, 52nd Rodierus Regiment."
The rivals were held in the first room while Rainbow Dash proceeded onward, she expected to find that the estate had been taken, only to find that the Governor had his own personal void shield around his quarters.
"Oh what the hay, I thought we would've been done by now." Rainbow Dash.
"We're trying ma'am, but void shields are tough to crack." A dragon she didn't know answered her.
"Uhh, did any of you think to look up?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically as she pointed a hoof to an overhead vent just big enough for ponies to crawl through.
"Oh, uh..heh heh..." The dragon scratched the back of his head.
Rainbow rolled her eyes and flew up to the vent, smashing it open with her Power Hooves and crawling inside, other pegasai following behind her.
Rainbow Dash started to hear voices, no doubt the Governor calling for backup, though it was weird that he had taken so long.
Rainbow Dash crawled closer...and closer...until she could make out what they were saying...her anticipation was immediately drowned out by rage.
"HOW!? AFTER ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU!? HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!!?" The Governor shouted in confusion.
"We have learned of these xenos attacks, and the damage is always minimal, they are simply trying to lure us into a fight, and you will not suffer enough losses to warrant our assistance." A cold hearted voice replied, it wasn't Angelos, Rainbow Dash had heard his voice before, it had to be a Force Commander.
"But they are SLAUGHTERING US!!? HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT!?" The Governor held his ground.
"The guardsmen shall be replaced within weeks, and they never kill civilians, even as sacrifices to their wreched Gods, they will leave you alive, and leave when they learn that we're not taking the bait, just keep your head down until then." The Force Commander said.
By this time, Rainbow Dash had found a vent leading into the main room and, without a second thought, smashed it down and zoomed right up to the monitor to shout at the Force Commander. "YOU COWARD!!!"
The Governor retreated before realizing that he wasn't being attacked, and the remaining guardsmen aimed their weapons at the pegasus, but couldn't fire before her kinsmen came through the vent and engaged them, but none of this mattered to Rainbow Dash.
"Hmph, so it is you, the Equestrian Avenger, Rainbow Dash..." The Force Commander said coldly, staring hatefully at the xenos before him.
"YOU COWARD!! HOW DARE YOU!! YOU KNEW THAT WE CAME TO PICK A FIGHT WITH YOU, AND YOU JUST WANNA LET YOUR FRIENDS DEAL WITH IT THEMSELVES BECAUSE WE DON'T KILL ENOUGH OF THEM!?" Rainbow Dash shouted, incapable of comprehending such a thing.
"Those humans are not our...friends..." The Force Commander began, shuttering at the use of such an unfamiliar word. "They are servants of the imperium, and they died doing their duty, they knew what they signed up for, and they are easily replaced."
Rainbow Dash grew more and more furious with every word the Blood Raven said. "WELL, IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT IT, THEN WE'LL JUST KILL EVERY SINGLE IMPERIAL ON THIS PLANET IN THE NAME OF THE EQUESTRIANS YOU BASTARDS MURDERED!!"
"Hmph, if I am given evidence that such lives are at stake, then I suppose I'll have to respond." The Force Commander actually sounded annoyed by Rainbow's threat.
"Wh-WHAT, you're daring me!? they mean that little to you, ARE YOU THAT MAD!?" Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it, anytime in the past that Rainbow Dash had attacked an ally of the Blood Ravens, their Chapter Master had always led the charge to defend them, as much as she hated him as a murderer, she had come to respect him as a warrior, but this Force Commander was nothing like him.
"And yet it seems that the lives of your kin mean very much to you, tell me alien...are you that weak?" And with that, the Force Commander disconnected the signal, leaving Rainbow Dash to comprehend what he just said to her.
When her brain caught up with her ears, Rainbow Dash attacked the monitor in a blind fury, destroying everything within reach and letting out a scream of pure rage, that filth had pushed all of her buttons and denied her the chance to destroy him, her fury was beyond description.
Somewhere in the confusion, the void shield had been brought down, allowing the others to join them.
When she finally settled down, Starlight approached her. "This is your warband Rainbow Dash, what are your orders?"
Starlight asked per protocol, but she knew the answer just as well as Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow turned and looked at the Governor, he had placed himself between his family and the warband, trying to look as brave and fearsome as an unarmed man could against an army of dragons, griffons, changelings, and less intimidating but equally dangerous creatures.
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth...but someone else spoke up. "Isn't it obvious, we're going to butcher these worthless humans and use their corpses to make alters for Khorne."
Rainbow Dash turned to the sight of Garble walking towards the governor with a Khornate ax in his hand, and flew between them. "NO! that worthless Commander isn't coming to save them, we have nothing to gain from killing them."
"Sure we do, we have Khorne's favor, He doesn't care where the blood comes from, and do you really think He's going to be happy with just those lousy guardsmen?" The arrogant dragon argued, cruel Equestrians were as rare as admirable chaos space marines, and yet both existed, as Garble proved.
"Besides, you promised Khorne blood in exchange for vengeance, do you think he's going to wait on you before He collects his due, and I'm not willing to lose all that He gave me just because you're not willing to kill a few stupid humans." Garble pressed on...until Rainbow Dash relented.
"...You're right Garble, Khorne needs more blood." Garble smirked at her before puffing his chest out.
"Of course I'm right, I'm always ri-" Rainbow Dash slammed Garble to the ground and brought her Power Hooves down on him once, twice, thrice.
The dying dragon's last sight would be the cyan coated pegasus standing over him, her face stained with his blood.
Rainbow Dash turned from the worthless dragon and looked at the governor, his wife, and their two daughters, they were so young that if they had been ponies, they wouldn't be expected to have their cutie marks yet.
"...They should've helped you...why did they abandon you..." Rainbow Dash asked, hoping for an answer.
The governor kept his arms up, forming as great a barrier with his body as he could and glaring at Rainbow Dash with a hatred that she knew all too well, for she had brought death to his world as the Blood Ravens had brought death to hers, all for nothing. "...I don't know...I don't even know who that marine was, he must have been promoted recently.
That was a kick to the gut for Rainbow Dash, she had killed a Force Commander 3 months ago, it would make sense that with her raids adding to the Blood Ravens work load, a promotion would've been given out more hastily. "...You know that if you stay here, they will assume we made some sort of deal and execute you for heresy."
"Yes, I am aware that you have killed us alien." The governor said with disdain, his wife began to weep and his children began to panic.
"You're right, I got you into this mess, it's only fair that I get you out." Rainbow Dash replied.
"And how do you propose we do that, give ourselves to your thirsting gods?" The governor inquired coldly.
"No, I'm proposing an exodus to the Tau Empire." Rainbow Dash explained, getting the governor's cold gaze to falter in confusion.
"Why would the Tau help us, and how would we even get there?" He asked.
"There's an Ethereal who owes me a favor after I saved him from some Blood Ravens, to answer your second question, our psykers can open a portal from planet to planet." Rainbow Dash explained.
The governor's cold gaze returned. "You expect me to tell my people to walk through a WARP PORTAL!?"
"No, we'll round them up and send them through, I know what they'll think, I know what you think, but the fact that I can make you go through rather you like it or not means that I have no reason to lie to you, but it's your choice, you can stay here and be punished for my crimes, or you can live on, I suggest you think of them before you choose." Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at the Governor's children.
5 Minutes Later
The unicorns made quick work of teleporting themselves and others all around the planet and rounding up civilians and cowardly guardsmen to be teleported to Starlight's interplanetary portal, several of them fought back and had to be wrestled into the portal, but once they saw that the Equestrians who dragged their fellows through the portal returned unharmed, they seemed to mellow out near the end.
The guardsmen that were taken as slaves were also released, all...except one.
"You sure you wanna do this kid?" Rainbow Dash asked Tonius after he stated he wanted to remain.
"I have sworn to destroy you alien, and I will keep that promise." Tonius insisted.
"Well, alright then, but don't think that just because you deserve the win means I'm gonna easy on you.
Tonius nodded and headed to the Khornate slave pens, awaiting the end of the exodus and the return to Equestria.
Rainbow Dash left the rest in Starlight's and went to check on Scootaloo, she always hated having to leave her little buddy behind, but she wasn't to risk anything happening to her, she'd go crazy.
Elsewhere
"Are...You...SERIOUS!?" Twilight imposed fear in her left and right hooves as only she could.
When the Blood Ravens brought death and destruction to Equestria, before the first whisper of the Dark Gods was heard, the royal sisters succumbed to their rage and pain and reaped vengeance from the invaders as their darker selves, Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker.
After Equestria became a Daemon World, Twilight spent 5 years trying to defeat them without killing or banishing them, her new Tzeentchian magic proved enough to enslave the mad alicorns, but she could never afford to treat them as the admirable beings they once were, as they proved every time she started to.
"Three rules...just three simple rules that you have to follow...would either of you care to recite those rules." Twilight gave a cold glare to the fallen alicorns, both of whom had a Tzeentchian spell on their horns, preventing them from using magic, and astral chains around their wings, preventing them from flying.
The two of them were as low to the ground as they could be, looking less like power hungry tyrants and more like foals being scolded by their mother.
"Uhh...D-don't try to kill each other." Nightmare Moon stuttered out.
"Be k-kind to every creature." Daybreaker added.
"And perform our duties as our former selves would." They said at the same time.
Twilight closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. "...So how in the Antepath's name is starting a fight in the middle of New Canterlot and injuring no less than 23 ponies while rendering 56 homeless following EITHER OF THOSE!?"
To Twilight's unsurprised disappointment, the two sisters pointed hooves and tried to shout over each other, Twilight endured this madness for all two seconds.
"ENOUGH!!" Twilight electrocuted both alicorns with a non lethal amount of Warp Lightning.
"I don't have time to deal with this right now, but when I do deal with it, I'll deal with it the hard way." With that, Twilight lit up her horn, and from the shadows stepped two Rubricae.
Unlike Ahriman's Rubricae that Starlight had as bodyguards as long as the Equestrians sought to help cure them, Twilight had learned how to cast Ahzek Ahriman's accidental curse intentionally, over the course of 500 years, less than a hundred Blood Ravens had been taken captive, like all captives, they were divided into equal numbers for the four cults, and all of those given to the Tzeentchian cult were made into Rubricae, their bodies turned to sand, their minds shattered, and their souls imprisoned within their armor that can only be made to move with one's mind, rendering them puppets to any sorcerer capable of pulling their strings.
Twilight kept them as bodyguards, but also used them for menial tasks, fixing broken homes, rescuing cats in trees, playing with foals, all in the name of tormenting and degrading her Blood Raven slaves, and to add insult to injury, their armor was repainted, the base a dark purple, the trim a light lavender, and the insignia, Twilight's lost cutie mark.
Twilight turned her back as the Rubricae dragged the fallen alicorns away, the had learned not to complain...or so she thought.
"Twilight, you're not really going do this to me, are you?" Daybreaker asked...in Celestia's voice.
...Dead...silence...the only sound...was Nightmare Moon struggling against the Rubricae in a mad, desperate effort to put as much distance between herself and her sister as possible.
Spike facepalmed as Twilight slowly turned to face Daybreaker, her expression was one of pure shock and sorrow, with a hint of tears in her eyes, it is in this moment that Daybreaker realized that she just made a very big mistake.
"...how...how dare you..." Twilight's expression did not change, one would think that she would soon break down and cry...until she reared back.
HOW DARE YOU!!!
Twilight's fore hooves hit the ground and her horn exploded with Warp Fire, drowning the fallen alicorn with multi color daemonic flame.
Daybreaker screamed in agony as the Rubricae that held her melted from the flames of the immaterium.
Spike counted down three...two...one, and grabbed Twilight by the throat as gently as he effectively could and brought her ear to his mouth. "If I let you kill her, you'll regret it for eons, if not eternity."
Spike put her down gently, Twilight looked at Daybreaker, who was barely alive, and only because of her attachment to the sun.
She then looked to the Rubricae that she destroyed, she berated herself mentally, they were too rare for her to disintegrate one like she was a Khornate sorcerer.
Finally, she looked at the Rubricae that held Nightmare Moon, whose eyes went back and forth between her sister and Twilight, afraid that she would be next.
Twilight focused her mind on the Rubricae, and voiced her mental order. "Get them...OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!"
The Rubricae walked over to Daybreaker and scooped her up, the fallen alicorn crying out in pain at the contact to her fresh burns, and proceeded to the castle's dungeon.
As soon as the Rubricae had left the room, Twilight threw herself at Spike and wept like a newborn.
Spike may be less caring than he once was, but his Khornate honor demanded that he comfort the being he had pledged his mortal life to, and so he embraced her smaller form and stroked her main, he said nothing, for there was nothing he could say.
Everyone lost someone during the Death of Harmony, the CMCs, Pinkie Pie's family, Fluttershy lost her animals, until Nurgle revived them.
But Twilight only lost friends of friends, everyone knew personally, everyone she loved truly, they were all still alive...except one.
Everypony and their allies mourned the royal sisters, and when Queen Chrysalis, who had become a rival champion of Tzeentch, dared to say that she lost less than anypony else, it was only time Spike saw Twilight turn someone into a Chaos Horror.
Spike only ever moved to glance at the clock make sure that they still had time, and twenty minutes later, Twilight had recomposed herself. "Thanks Spike, I'm sorry that I put you in such an uncomfortable position."
Spike waved it off. "Don't mention it, anyone who says they're too tough to be soft really means they're too afraid to show weakness, I can show people my weak spots as much as I want, and they still can't hit'em."
Twilight giggled as Spike started flexing and showing off, only to stop abruptly when he cuaght a scent, or rather, a stench.
"Looks like it's time." Spike said as Twilight began to smell it as well, the smell itself sickened and revolted her, but the meaning behind the smell excited her.
Twilight used her magic to open the doors as Fluttershy walked in, dripping pus and decaying flesh as she did. "Good afternoon Twilight, it's wonderful to see you again." Fluttershy said with a smile that would've been sweet if it weren't for the maggot that had just bloomed into a bloat fly and emerged from it's burrow in Fluttershy's face, causing fresh blood to join the river of bodily fluids that soaked her from snout to tail.
"Hey Fluttershy, long time no see, come have a seat." Twilight said, gesturing to her old seat around the long dead Map of Friendship, which Spike laid a towel on.
"Oh, why thank you." Fluttershy said as she took her seat, and no sooner than she did, Applejack and Rarity came through, taking care not to step in Fluttershy's fluids.
"Howdy y'all." Applejack said.
"Oh, I hope we're not late, are we?" Rarity asked while fiddling with the Mohawk that she wore any time her mane was cut short.
"Nope, you're right on time." Pinkie Pie announced from her seat, her sudden appearance scaring Spike and Twilight out of their skin, Fluttershy just accepted it.
"Oh, that's good." Rarity said and happily trotted over to her seat followed by Applejack.
As soon as they took their seats, a Warp Portal opened up and from it came Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer. "Sorry if we're late, you wouldn't believe what those good for nothing Ravens did this time."
Everypony bristled at the mention of the Blood Ravens. "Oh, I swear that every time I start to think those ruffians have shown us the worst that they have to offer, they do something worse just to prove me wrong." Rarity groaned while washing out her glass eye in a glass of water, she then replaced the pitch black orb in her scarred eye socket.
"Alright, enough about those worthless brutes." Twilight said, waving them off. "We have greater concerns today."
Everypony nodded, and the ritual began...but it was no ritual of Chaos, or ritual of magic, it was a ritual in the sense that the former Element Bearers took this one day from every month to honor the past.
Twilight's horn glowed, and in a bright flash of warp colored light, the dull grey slab that was once their call to duty was covered in a bright blanket hoof-stitched by Rarity with their cutie marks on each panel, upon the blanket was the finest pastries Pinkie Pie could make without booby-trapping and apples from the last apple tree on Sweet Apple Acres, as a sapling it was planted over Granny Smith's grave and any Bloodletters that dared to threaten it were still bound in the barbed wire fence that protected it, only Twilight's magic could touch it.
"Alright Rainbow Dash, now you can tell us how your raid went." Twilight said, beginning an exchange of information about their day, anger over Rarity's violation, cheers for Spike's trophy, nods of sympathy for Discord with slight snickers at Angel's show of force against him that turned into hysterical howls of laughter at Pinkie Pie's prank, and howls of rage and disgust at the Force Commander that Rainbow Dash encountered with nods of approval at the death of Garble and exclamations of interest in Tonius, and finally tears of sadness at the unfortunate event with Daybreaker, each retelling of the day's events led to alternative conversations about similar situations from times recent and ancient, and through it all, Twilight sent a prayer of thanks to Tzeentch that in spite of all that had changed, all they had suffered, all they had lost, the Archetect of Fate had allowed their friendship to remain...Undivided.
