And They Shall Know No Fear

Tears were streaming from her eyes. Heart was pounding in chest. What she saw was disgusting. Thousands of ugly monsters, each more hideous than the other, marched in huge hordes through the lands of Equestria, killing and plundering, leaving nothing but death and ashes.

And no one and nothing could stop them. The pillars of ancient Equestria, the Elements of Harmony, as well as all the others who could fight fell under the heel of the invaders. Even the Discord Lord of Chaos couldn't handle them. A huge figure as black as night towering over the rest of the creatures literally gutted poor draconicus, taking away his powers. He fell to the blood-soaked ground and disappeared into oblivion, having managed to look at the cold corpse of his beloved Fluttershy.

The other five elements were also dead, some were torn to pieces, others were tortured for a long time, after which they were slaughtered like cattle. Cities were on fire, and those who survived the terrible massacre were shackled and enslaved. Events flashed by one after another, and in the end, the white alicorn screamed in terror. At the same moment, darkness surrounded Celestia. Unable to see even her own hooves, the mare instantly ignited her horn, releasing a magical golden aura. The feeling of emptiness and utter loneliness weighed on her. It was not clear if this was a dream, or if everything was happening in reality.

"It's terrible, isn't it..." a voice that seemed out of this world sounded like thunder in the mind of the former princess. "This is a common situation in our Galaxy. The world is being captured, recaptured, captured, recaptured, and so on indefinitely! In the case of you, everything will be over in two days!"

"Who are you?" Celestia cried out in fright, looking around, ready to attack.

"I have many names! And no less than a lot of titles! But if it's so important for you to know who I am, you can call me Emperor!" power of the Galaxy could be felt in the creature's voice. "And I'm here to help you!"

Celestia furrowed her brows in disbelief. "Help us?"

"Yes, princess! To help you! You see, the enemy that will attack you in the future is not from your world, he will come from another dimension where there is not a drop of hope, only fear and death!" stranger paused briefly and then continued. "And if you want to survive in this future, you need something more than the six elements of harmony! You need an army! An army that your world has never seen before! An army capable of fighting and winning for weeks! An army that will be your spear in the fight against the coming horrors!"

"Well, considering the future you've shown me, I doubt any army will be able to deal with these monsters! Even the Discord God of Chaos can't handle them!" there was still disbelief in pony's voice.

"He's not the god of Chaos, Princess!" unknown declares loudly. "He's only a pale shadow of the small power possessed by the true Chaos Gods! Besides, he's a creature of the same order as these creatures! His abilities are useless against them! You need a different approach, different forces! And I will share them with you! I will give you the power and knowledge to create an army! You will create an army! Protect this world! And your people will enter a new era of prosperity!"

"And what will I have to give in exchange?" wiping her tears, she asked. "Don't think I'm stupid! I have lived for more than a thousand years and I understand perfectly well that any help has its price!"

Stranger did not answer immediately, obviously considering the next words, and after a while he said: "I will indicate my price when I see fit, Celestia! Now accept my gift!"

As if from nowhere, a powerful stream of golden energy hit the mare! Throwing her head back and spreading her wings, Celestia slowly lifted off the ground, rising into the sky. A huge amount of information was being pumped into her mind, which would have driven an ordinary pony crazy, while her body was being pumped with a force that went beyond all bounds, capable of creating and crushing entire worlds.

After filling the alicorn's body with energy, the creature lowered him to the ground. From the information received, drops of blood began to appear from the princess' nostrils and eyes. Panting, she could barely stand on her hooves. So powerful was the power given to her.

"So... So much information..." Celestia said with difficulty. "It's just unbelievable!"

"This is only a small part of the knowledge that I possess!" he replied with all seriousness. "However, I can't help but note that you successfully underwent the procedure! Apparently you ponies aren't as weak as I thought!"

"How arrogant..." having recovered a little, the princess proudly straightened up. "In that case, show yourself! I want to see the one I made a deal with!"

"Are you sure you want to see my true face?" pony just nodded. "Well, as you wish, Princess!"

At the same moment, a bright flash lit up the space ahead. Through the light of a thousand suns, Celestia could see Him. A noble-looking man in a golden robe, whose head was decorated with a golden wreath, was slowly approaching her. It was only after he got close enough to get a better look that the princess realized his true size. A four-meter tall giant with the perfect features of a god stared at her impassively.

His gaze radiated confidence. Every muscle in his body was truly divine. His long hair was magically fluttering, just like the princess herself, as if in the wind, supported by a wreath. His whole appearance radiated an extraterrestrial awe. Unable to control herself, Celestia fell to her knees, as the creature who called himself the Emperor immediately got down on one knee and extended a helping hand to her.

"No, princess!" The Emperor stated firmly. "I don't want you on your knees in front of me!"

***

Equestria is the kingdom of little ponies. Created from the union of three seemingly different types of ponies, it quickly began to grow and strengthen, somewhere capturing, and somewhere peacefully annexing more and more new lands. The newly formed country was ruled by two sisters, day and night, sun and moon, opposites, complementing each other. It seemed that after a series of incidents, their sisterhood had only strengthened, but few saw the real picture. There was resentment and envy hidden in the younger sister's heart. Unnoticed in time, they turned into hatred and a desire to destroy her older sister in order to personally rule the kingdom.

With pain in her heart, Celestia had to make a difficult decision. Imprison your own sister on the moon for a thousand years... Indeed, few people could put the interests of their subjects above the family. Therefore, those few officials who were privy to the "Celestial Guardian" project had many questions about the future army. Would these test-tube-grown soldiers betray Equestria's interests? What happens if Celestia herself decides to surrender to the darkness and turns her "children" against her former subjects? Highest officials of the city gathered in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, sitting at a rectangular table decorated with gold ornaments, discussed with Princess Twilight and her mentor the risks associated with the future of the army.

The meeting also discussed the huge costs of arming and equipping future soldiers, which were decently large. There was also a question of the secrecy of the project. Due to the sheer scale of the work and the involvement of an increasing number of pony workers, persistent rumors began to spread, and with them spies from seemingly friendly kingdoms who were eager to learn about the work that was unfolding throughout Equestria.

Celestia assured the audience that there was nothing to be afraid of. All attempts at espionage, sabotage and sabotage were stopped in a timely manner, which means that finances are nothing compared to the safety of ordinary ponies. Officials were less optimistic. Throughout the meeting, Twilight unhesitatingly supported her mentor, like a faithful daughter supports a loving mother, which somewhat annoyed some.

"Celestia!" finally, Fancy Pants got up from his place in the center on the other side of the table. "We all understand how you care about the fate of Equestria, even after retirement! Our ancestors served you even before we were born, and we all love you, but still, some of us have doubts about your "visions..." Don't get me wrong, we trust you, but our embezzlement figures suggest otherwise!

"As I said before, embezzlement is nothing, Fancy!" Celestia continued to nobly defend her position, although it was obvious that she was a little tired of arguing. "The future of Equestria ponies should be a priority for all of us! And believe me, what I saw almost drove me crazy! If we don't create an army on time, the consequences will be fatal! Both for us and for our whole world!"

"Let's say you're right, Celestia..." another official from the left took the floor. "However, don't we have Chaos Lord Discord as our allies?" As far as I remember, he can destroy entire armies with a snap of his fingers! Wouldn't it be more logical to ask him to help us? After all, you were the one who insisted on his rehabilitation!"

"Believe me, if I had confidence that Discord would cope with the impending threat, I would have done so, but in my visions he was defeated, deprived of his powers and sent into oblivion!" calm words of the former princess sent chills through the audience. "An enemy that will attack us of the same order as him, with all due respect, he will not be able to help us! We need something new! Something that will cause fear among the invaders, no matter where they come from! Warriors I've created will be the best at everything! Neither diseases, nor vices and infirmities will stain them! They will use such tactics, strategies and machines that no enemy will defeat them in battle! They will become a ray of light in the pitch darkness, even when the word hope loses all meaning!"

"Your words are beautiful, Celestia, but we all want to see it in practice!" Fancy took the floor again. "How long will your "children" mature?

"Two days!" Celestia's calm words echo throughout the room so that everyone in the room can hear them. "And you will see all their splendor!"

A note of disbelief could be seen on the faces of those present, although no one would openly call Celestia crazy, it was clear how the once loyal lackeys, ready to bark on command, had lost all remnants of reverence for the alicorn of the sun. There was a tense silence, which Princess Sparkle dared to break. "Well, if no one else has any questions, I declare the meeting closed!"

Watching the ponies coming out, one could hear in their whispers not only doubts, but also discontent. Both Celestia and Twilight tried to ignore them, as these corrupt bureaucrats would soon have to fulfill their role in the grand plan, and then disappear into the background of future events.

As soon as the doors closed, the calmness left Celestia's face. "How they piss me off..."

"I don't remember them being like that... rebellious..." Twilight hugged Celestia with her wing, bringing a smile to the alicorn's face."

"They think everything has changed, Twilight," Celestia hugged her student back. "Since I left and you came, a young and inexperienced princess, then now everything is possible for them! What fools... They don't even realize that their time has passed... Soon, we will change Equestria! We will no longer need bureaucrats greedy for power and money! Soon we will put my children in the place of each of them! Just imagine, Twilight! The pony that was created to protect the ponies will control them! They will give their all for the sake of the welfare of ordinary ponies! They can't be bribed, because I'll give them everything they need! It will be useless to promise them even more power, because their life will be service! And it will be impossible to intimidate those who are not capable of experiencing fear!"

The reverence mixed with determination could be clearly heard in Celestia's voice. Like a little filly, Twilight listened enthusiastically words, swallowing them one by one. Without asking questions or demanding answers, she was ready to fulfill any request of her teacher, no matter the price! For the lavender mare, the princess has always been more of a God than a mere pony with status. And now that Equestria's fate is hanging in the balance, she's ready to put everything on the line because her mentor said so! Her Teacher! Her Goddess!