Interlude: Imperator Omni-Occulis

“He stands eternally vigilant against our foes, His wrath upon the wicked steadfast and swift. He smiles upon the righteous, and grants blessings upon the mighty. Evil cowers at His name, and those who know His Truth are never in doubt. If our Emperor is with us, who can stand against us?" -Litany of Faith, 39M.459

"Omnipresent: Being in all places at all times."- Webster's Dictionary

It is a well known fact that the Emperor knew of everything that happened in his Imperium, from the actions of a single guardsman to the grandiose movements of entire crusades. This ability was granted via the connection to the Astronomicon, which guided humanity through his will. However, this was only what he could do through His old, dead body.

Over the years, and especially after Luna's return, Adam became increasingly aware that His senses were... magnifying. His new form, being almost complete, could not only pick up on activities on the castle, but around the world and even beyond it.

Recently, the Emperor had a reoccurring thought, an idea of sorts. These new forces, the followers of the Chief and Commander Shepard's men, came through their own portals, their own universes. Adam himself was now able to watch both His realm and that of His caretakers. So, why not look into these new worlds?

Deep inside the Tomb, He opened His mind, allowing the power to flow out of Him, letting the senses grow and expand and receive new information. His body clenched together in effort, responding in unison with His mental efforts. After a moment, Adam felt His Mind stretching out to all corners of this new multiverse. The process would've destroyed the soul of a lesser mortal.

As His mind expanded, multiple scenes played out before him...
________________________________________

Many floors above Him, in the Princess's chambers, Celestia had surrounded herself with five magical mirrors. Each one had an exact copy, which allowed for long distance communication between the various rulers of the races of Equestria. In each, the leaders of the non-pony kingdoms were before her:

Odin Alkala, the All-Father of the Dragon Fiefdoms; Okele Mbembe, Chief-Shaman of the Zebra Tribes; High-Lord Zechariah of Far Reach, King of the Twelve Griffon Kingdoms; Chief Thunder Hoof of the Buffalo Tribes; and Master Redclaws of the Combined Diamond Dog Packs. All were members of the Equestrian Protection Pact.

There had been a time when the changelings were also part of the EPP, but after Chrysalis' act of treachery, they had been quietly forced out. The whole point of the treaty was to be united, to train together and prepare for the day that their world would be threatened. You couldn't have a backstabber in your midst.

"Thank you, my friends," She began, "For meeting with me on such short notice. As I'm sure you are all aware, we've had some rather... abrupt developments."

"Indeed, Princess." Odin spoke, his tremendous size making his words sound like thunder. "All across the globe, my subjects have observed the four lights passing over the night sky."

"I take it that these are the ships hero your 'special guest', then?" Zechariah inquired, stroking his beak.

"One of them is." Celestia answered. "The other three are from different... places."

"Would they have anything to do with the Object?" Thunder Hoof asked. "Or the 'Man of Iron' your apprentices found?"

"Yes, they do." Celestia then gave the leaders a brief rundown of everything that had occurred in the past 24 hours, including the recent letters she had picked up from Trixie and Twilight.

"So," Redclaws concluded, his accent coming off as highly Stalliongrad-ish, "The big question is, should we begin the Dusk Contingency or not?"

The room was silent for a moment. The Dusk Contingency, a plan laid out 1500 years ago, was the EPP's response to alien contact, specifically aggressive contact. While Adam had made it clear that He wouldn't let His people attack, there were no promises that His enemies wouldn't be drawn to their world. The plan required that the entire planet, from the mightiest armies to the lowliest farmer or worker, be mobilized in some way, and to put all efforts into repelling the invaders. It also required, if the need arose, plans that would save whatever populations were left, and destroy Equestria to deny the enemy their world.

"In all honesty, yes." The alicorn answered. "While the visitors who are here now aren't threatening us, we all know of the threats that Adam warned us about. And who knows what other threats these new forces could bring with them."

"Then it is agreed." Okele declared. "All our forces shall be set for Code H-3." (Little known fact: not all zebras talk in rhyme. Only the nobility do so.)

"Before we wrap things up," Odin spoke, "I feel that we should clarify on something: Can we be sure that Adam and His people can be trusted?"

Everyone looked at the dragon, and then at Celestia. The alicorn raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't we?" Adam listened, partially to detect any mental control, and partially to hear their genuine concerns.

"Doesn't it seem a little suspicious that this deity, a being with supposedly cosmic levels of power, couldn't use that power to heal himself? That He had to come to our little world- to you and your sister, mere fillies- and ask you to make a new body for Him? How do we know He didn't just trick us into giving away our location for His armies?"

"Of course He wouldn't do that!" Celestia cried out. "All He has done for us is protect and guide us, while He has been sitting patiently for His body to be completed. All the good things that we have accomplished have either come straight from Adam, or from His council. By Tartarus, this very council was His idea!"

That was mostly true. It was originally His idea to unite all the races of Equestria under one banner, just to make them taken more seriously when they met the Imperium. However, after the Principality was founded, Luna pointed out that the other races may not want to join them. And since warfare was essentially a foreign and forgotten concept amongst them, Celestia believed that a loose alliance between the factions would be the best option.

"And besides that," She continued, "I have seen His heart, and I know what He is like. He wouldn't betray us, it's not in His character."

"That is what you said about Discord." The dragon countered. "And we all know how that turned out."

The room grew deathly quiet and surprisingly cold. Celestia narrowed her eyes at Odin, and her mane and tail began to glow slightly. "Odin," The alicorn growled, taking a few steps towards the mirror, "Let me be perfectly clear. Never, ever say anything bad about Discord again. What happened to him was not his fault, but of our enemy. And the same goes for my sister, and what happened to the Crystal Empire. And it would do you well to remember that lesson."

The dragon had enough grace to look ashen, and muttered, "My apologies, Princess. I meant no offense."

"Now, if no one has any other objections, I hereby declare this meeting adjourned. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must contact Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. There presence will be greatly needed."

With that, each of the mirrors went off, leaving the sun goddess momentarily alone. She lowered her head, blinking her eyes rapidly. Adam understood how she felt. The fall of Discord and Luna was hard on all of them, but Celestia had to pick up the pieces of the kingdom on her own. Having to do so after losing your sister and lover just added salt to the wounds.

Adam wished that He could've given her some solace and comfort on the actions of those days, that what happened was for the best. He couldn't, for this was nothing like what He went through.

At the Battle of Terra, when He fought and killed His son Horus, there was no regret or sadness in the decision. He knew that the monster that He was fighting wasn't His son, but an abomination that wore his skin. Slaying him was a gift to the universe, and putting him out of his misery.

That wasn't the case for His friends. When they were cast down, Discord and Luna were still very much alive, taking a bullet to defeat His enemies. The punishment given was way worse than what was deserved, and out of the many failures He had made in His almost immortal life, this one hurt the most.

Celestia regained her composure, and her horn glowed as she reached out for her niece...
________________________________________

Hundreds of miles away, in the capital city of the Crystal Empire, Cadence and Armor were sleeping in the Royal Suite, completely oblivious to the day's events.

Over the past few days- in fact, since they got married, as it was still their honeymoon- they had been working to free the crystal ponies from the dark magic that King Sombra had put upon them. Work was...tedious and slow, to say the least. In fact, the only major thing that they've achieved is reestablishing Cadence as the rightful ruler of the empire (though the name was deceiving; it wasn't so much an "empire" as a massive city, like New Mombassa, or the Imperial Palace). They both knew that they would need either both Princesses or the Elements of Harmony to break whatever curse was put on them.

Immediately, the Goddess of Love awoke from her slumber. Her aunt was calling to her. It must've been important, to wake her at this so late at night (locally, it was about 11 at night).

Yes, Aunt Celly, She replied telepathically, What's happened? Is something wrong?

I'm afraid it soon will, Celestia told her, her voice sounding heavy with sorrow. It's of the utmost imperative that you and your husband return to Canterlot, posthaste.

I'm afraid I can't tell you just yet. The Sun Goddess answered cryptically. I can't trust even mental communication at the moment. At much as it pains me to say this, you have to get out of the city now.

"But Celestia, we're so close to breaking the curse! Can't you send Luna or Twilight here, it'll be a quick fix, I promise!"

"I will not abandon my people again!" She shouted. "This is the first time I've slept in days! My spell is all that keeps them safe, and if the Heart of the Crystal Empire isn't found, Equestria is doomed to fall into darkness. Do you want Sombra to win?!"

There was a moment of silence, in which Armor finally gained full consciousness. Then Celestia told both of them, Go to the balcony, and look up. The newlyweds were confused at the request, but did as she asked them. In the night sky, they could see a massive star, half as bright as the moon itself, racing across the sky like a speeding Pegasus.

That is the Emperor's Wrath, Celestia explained, And that is a vessel more than capable of killing everything we love. I'm not forgetting about the crystal ponies; I'm putting the needs of the entire world first.

We are talking about every race on Equestria, Cadence! We need you and Armor back now! And if you don't come back, I'll teleport over there and take you home myself!

Cadence was stunned. In all the time that she'd known her, Celestia had only used that tone once before, when confronting Chrysalis. Whatever was going on, it must've been extremely serious. "What about Sombra?" She questioned, "He's still out there, and is still a threat."

You worry about a creature of shadow, a manifestation without substance or mass. Believe me, even when you leave, he won't do anything with the Heart, even if he finds it. And, if worst comes to worst... I know someone that even Sombra fears to trifle with. Come back home, Cadence.

Cadence lowered her head, acknowledging defeat. "Very well, Aunt Celly," She said, "We will be back soon." Armor could feel the sadness in her voice, and nuzzled his wife. "Its okay," He soothed, "We will come back, you'll see. I'm sure Celestia is just expanding the seriousness of the situation."

"I bet." She harrumphed. "And when I get to Canterlot, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."

Adam had to chuckle at that. The young goddess had spunk, no doubt about it, but she really had no idea what she was in for. He still didn't understand why the older Princesses didn't let her in on their secret about Him. Either way, she would soon find out.

Off in the corner of the room, a shadow pulsed and swirled, before finally fading into nothing. It was so small and brief, Adam almost didn't see it. He would turn His attention to it later.
________________________________________

Meanwhile, in a completely different galaxy, an ancient machine lurked on the other side of the Mass Relay. No, not one machine... many machines.

These synthetics, each the size of a small starship, were quite ancient. Certainly older than He was, possibly older than even the Necrons (although there was no concrete evidence yet to confirm it). But at the same time, they didn't seem nearly as threatening as His enemies, hardly even worth notice under proper circumstances.

They paraded themselves as the ultimate lifeform, the "Harbingers of Ascension", and their purpose in existence was to absorb or destroy all biological life, and it was something they had done for millions of years. These beings, who called themselves "Reapers", were the greatest enemy of Cmdr. Shepard and his universe.

Adam chuckled in spite of Himself. How quaint. He thought, These pseudo-Necrons think they are unbeatable, yet worry themselves over one man? Wait until they see a full-fledged Crusade have at them, and then they shall know true power.

There were three Reapers in the system, circling around a star fortress Shepard called a "Collector Base". Though made of metal, the ancient behemoths spoke on a telepathic level, and He could eavesdrop on their little conversation.

"What happened here, Harbinger?" Spoke the first one. "We prepare to begin our harvest, and already we've lost a base and a new Reaper. How did this happen?"

"It was He who Fights." Spoke the Harbinger, his voice dripping with venom and malice. "He and his followers managed to defeat my best warriors, saving all of his people from ascension. He defies us at every turn."

"'He who Fights'?" Asked the third, "Was it the human from the Citadel, the one who terminated Sovereign?"

"Yes, the one called 'Shepard'. He has gone from a thorn in our sides to a substantial threat."

Adam was impressed by this. The leader of the Normandy fought these abominations, and won? Twice? Even in the Emperor's universe, it was unbelievably rare that one individual could accomplish such great feats, let alone a mere mortal like him. Shepard must've been a person of great will and power, a worthy asset for whichever side he fought for.

"No, Messenger." Harbinger answered. "He and his team managed to escape through the Escape Relay before my Collectors could catch him."

The third one made a noise that could've passed for an angry growl. "You let him pass through the one Mass Relay we never go through? The one Relay that leads outside the galaxy?"

"That is the one Relay that we haven't passed through in millions of years, where we literally know nothing, and you let him go?! Clearly, your time among the organics has weakened your intelligence."

"Do Not think for one moment that I will let him escape! I have already summoned both the remaining indoctrinated Geth and the Collectors to go through and eliminate him. And if all else fails, I will personally go and crush him myself if that is what is necessary!"

"You better, Harbinger. This 'Shepard' has put up more of a fight than many a race. He is not an individual to be underestimated."

"If it comes down to it," Messenger declared, "We will go along with you to eliminate him. Our forces are in the millions, and they can afford to wait a little longer if it means guaranteed success."

Adam focused His attention elsewhere. He had learned everything He needed from the monsters.
________________________________________

In the realm where the Spartan came from, the galaxy seemed rather... tranquil. Disturbingly so.

Now, the Empyrean was a dimension between dimensions, one that reached out to every world. It was more turbulent in some places than in others, but there was always some activity of some kind, whether by daemons or by mortals. Here though, the Warp appeared like a still, clear mountain lake. You could see for light-years in a given direction without seeing anything.

Adam was about to turn His attention elsewhere, when He felt... a malevolence. A dark entity that had been hiding in the shadows, it seemed. Searching for it, He found it was originating from a small starship, much like the one currently in orbit around Equestria. It struck Him as odd that such a presence should exist in such a barren landscape, so He came in for a closer look.

The ship was... surprisingly corrupted. Greenish-brown growths covered much of the inside and out, and what was once beautiful architecture was a dangerous maze of flesh-covered passageways and necrotized abominations. In the center of the ship was a massive tentacled abomination, a creature He detected having a psychic presence.

Curious, He mused, This monstrosity appears Nurglite in its corruption, but feels more akin to the Tyranids in nature. Secretly, He probed the beast's mind, and found it surprisingly knowledgeable. Whatever this thing was, it had been around in one form or another for thousands and thousands of years, and had brought down a culture almost on par with the Eldar. Adam managed to pick up two names: Forerunner, Flood.

This ancient plague, which called itself a "Gravemind", was deep in a rage, loathing the fact that it was the last remnant of the mighty horde, brought down twice by the "Iron Casket". Indeed, Adam saw that the Master Chief had proven time and again to be the greatest current threat to the Flood, rendering it nearly extinct. But, it knew that as long as one cell of itself existed, it would always come back. The Flood, like the Orks or cockroaches, could never truly be destroyed.

It listened to the various comlinks from the UNSC and the CAR, looking for a new place to spread and survive. Then, it picked up on something; two ships, looking for the Master Chief. Not only did they find him, they discovered... Something more. A world of non-militarized aliens, you say? A world far beyond the reach of the Reclaimers? Well, that's a prime location to rebuild, isn't it?

Slowly, the engines on the ship reactivated, and the ship came back to life. The Flood was on the move, and its destination was Equestria. But as dangerous as the Flood was, Adam knew there was a much, much more sinister force coming His way...
________________________________________

Despite all their well-planned machinations, their continual corruption and eternal combat against the forces of Order, the enemies of Chaos stood fast. And worst yet, their ancient foe, the Anathema, the Corpse Emperor, has begun to stir. A new vessel was being awarded to Him, and He stood ready to wage His war against the Ruinous Powers in person, once more.

The God of War wanted to summon a Black Crusade (possibly led by Eliphas, if necessary), take out both the Emperor and His newfound allies. Khorne had already begun summoning his forces, gaining strength as his followers went and spilt blood in his name.

The God of Change countered, saying that it wasn't possible yet. There was something about that world, something about the equines, that kept all but the most powerful of daemons from breaking through. The magic they used, their Harmonics, was somehow a natural repellant to the Warp. Tezeentch had looked for a way through for many millennia, but had yet to find any meaningful way for an army.

The God of Entropy suggested that an effort be made to corrupt the ponies. Either through mental corruption or through use of agents, if enough of them fall for Chaos, perhaps the natural field could be weakened, and a work-around could be achieved.

The God of Lust silenced the idea, saying that such a plan was unattainable. In order to send in agents or an army, you'd still need a way to get in. And furthermore, Slaneesh wanted their champions to go in, to lay the groundwork for the invasion. Problem was, who could possibly be able to turn these feeble mortals, and still lead the new Black Crusade?

Two voices spoke up, filled with darkness and hate. The dark gods (and Adam) turned their attention to the speakers, and gazed upon two equine-looking daemons. One absorbed light all around it, and somehow struck Adam as being very, very familiar. The other was smaller, but much more potent.

Hail, lords, The bigger one greeted, I am Khazarni, and this is my associate, Khazukull. We have been to the worlds of the Ponies, and we know how they think. Lord Tezeentch, my king, I know of ways to defeat these false gods that protect the Living Corpse, for I have done it many times, in many different realms.

O She Who Thirsts, The little one cried, her voice filled with agony and ecstasy, My master, nothing would give me more pleasure than to slay those who blasphemy your name, and wear their flesh as a trophy, to gain strength from their deaths. You seek a way into the land of our foes? Talk to the Druchii, the Dark Eldar. They know the workings of the Webway better than anyone in your service. Convince one to find a way into Equestria, and from there, make them open a portal for me and 'Zarni.

Once that's done,Khazarni continued, We can begin showing them your light. We know that you will ask for champions for Khorne and Nurgle, and it just so happens we know two such individuals just perfect for the task. Once that's done, we can open a bigger portal, able to let in daemons, hordes... and your Astartes and Primarchs.

The gods expressed their approval in their own ways. On one world, a race on the verge of space flight engaged in nuclear and global wars, spilling its blood on all corners of their planet. On a cardinal world, a high ranking official asked for better luck, and was turned into a chaotic abomination. On an Exodite world, the remaining Eldar were discovered by their darker kin, and were slaughtered in an orgy of masochism and rape. And on a newly conquered Tau world, a plague that mutated flesh and reawakened the dead spread like wildfire, consuming everyone in a matter of hours.

Adam knew all that would follow: Oracles among his sanctioned psykers would see visions of war and death, of Chaos on the move; Various Farseers among the Eldar Craftworlds would see all possible futures being bottlenecked into very few possible futures, their options limited to a growing sense of "do or die"; The Tau, while not connected to the Warp, will have a sense of approaching doom, and will obviously be concerned about that fallen world; and most importantly, besides the plan that He could overhear, He knew the Ruinous Powers would do everything they could to make sure Equestria died (with Him on it).
________________________________________

In Ponyville, everypony had gathered for a rather important town meeting. It had been, beside the Summer Sun Celebration and Discord's Reign, the most significant day in most of their lives. Three different First Contacts with powerful galactic forces, all in the same day?! Who's important now, Canterlot and Cloudsdale elitists?!

The Element-Bearers and their friends were all gathered in the center, discussing what had happened to each of them. It was a general consensus that Shepard's people and the UNSC-CAR were the most trustworthy (though Gilda had some unspoken reservations about Garrus- something was off about that one). The Imperials, however, seemed a little shady, a little scary (Though Fluttershy seemed okay with Longinus, and when Derpy delivered her letter, she said the same for the Guardsmen). Either way they looked at it, they still needed orders and confirmation from Celestia.

Adam considered these other factions. Shepard's team and the "Cerberus" group that worked with him were a weak but interesting bunch. The Commander and his followers were out for the protection and survival of the entire galaxy and its people, while Cerberus seemed to worry about Humanity alone. The UNSC and their xeno friends, on the other hand, were not here for any conflict, and only wanted a peaceful interaction with the equines. However, if these groups were to meet each other -or His soldiers, for that matter- without proper guidance and introduction, it could lead to a very... unnecessarily violent conflict.

At around 7:30, all the Ponyvillians all sat down, and awaited Twilight and her friends to make an announcement. Twilight approached the podium, and began, "Thank you for coming, everypony. Now I realize that today has been... a strange one, even by our standards. But, rest assured, we do have the situation under control, and this time there no need to panic and/or run for our lives."

There was a good-humored laugh all around. It was a general rule of hoof that whenever some big event transpires, the locals would automatically panic and run around for their lives. It was something of miracle that nothing significantly bad had happened yet, for they would more than likely be dead.

"Yes ma'am." The little dragon answered. Shifting through his "pockets", he pulled out the scroll he had received through his magical fire-mail. The unicorn grabbed it with her magic, and opened it in front of her. She read aloud:

You have received one of the greatest blessings a species can receive: The knowledge that you are not alone in the universe. To be the first ponies to encounter not one, but three different alien groups, is feat that has never happened before, and most likely will never happen again. Your actions will talked about for generations to come.
I am well informed about each of the visitors, why they are here and what they can do. Fear not, my loyal subjects, for they are not a threat. They do not come for conquest, but for peace, for a retrieval of fallen heroes, and a respite from a battle well-fought. Do not give them a reason to fight, and all shall be well.
However, there is one thing you need to do.
While we know all three groups, they do not know of each other. If they were to meet each other outside of the right circumstances, it would not end well them, and especially not for us. Thus, my one request for you, my subjects, is to make sure they do not see each other. Not until we can arrange a proper introduction under our terms, our conditions, on the hopes of establishing a more... complete peace.
Hold on to the values and truths we have always treasured, my little ponies, and force of darkness and evil shall ever defeat us.

The town hall was filled with a solemn silence, upon hearing the words of their Princess. Although many had seen her visit their town on the business of the Element-Bearers, they had never heard a more beautifully put and eloquent statement before. As she finished reading the letter, Twilight paused, and then made a little statement of her own.

"My friends, we know what lies before us. We now know how to proceed, and what we must do. We may not have been prepared for this, but by Celestia, we shall not fail. We shall stand strong, stand brave, and we will Pass! This! Test!"

A riotous cheer rang out, and the ponies clopped in riotous applause. Adam chuckled at the display. While they didn't know the full extent of what they were going to face, He knew they had an inner strength that would not falter. He had been among them long enough to know that these peaceful herbivores were not afraid to fight, to stand up for what was honest and good. Naive as they may be, it was entirely possible that if left on their own, they could develop into a mini civilization that would give the Tau a run for their money.

It occurred to him that the ponies reminded him a lot of Luna (or perhaps it was the other way around). She was naive at times, overly optimistic of the nature of the universe at large. Both Tia and Luna -but more so Tia- believed that their way, the "Way of Harmony", was what would end up saving His galaxy. It did bother Him on how it seemed rather similar the Tau's philosophy of the Greater Good, which ended up corrupting them to fit their needs.

But, at the same time, Luna and her people lived by the rules they set. When they say they're going to help you, they do it. When they make a promise, they keep it. And even though the Princesses have faced many foes in their life, the sisters were always willing to forgive and forget, to move on and rebuild broken bonds.

Simply put, ponies were what Adam wanted His people to have been, in a perfect world.

Adam saw Luna gazing at the moon upon her balcony. He knew her well enough to know that it was her place of solitude, where she could go and vent without fearing about eavesdroppers- except for Himself, of course. She seemed remarkably sad, as if finally showing a deep-seated anguish. She held herself low, and her eyes were puffy and red. Had she been crying?

"Oh, Luna," She murmured, the alicorn's voice filled with sorrow, "When are you ever going to pony up and tell him?"

"Every time an opportunity presents itself, you pass it by as if it were of no consequence. Why? You can't say because it wasn't mutual, because you've never asked him. You can't say that there are no common interests, because you so much about each other."

Is she talking about... a paramour? The language and emotion seemed to be pointing this way. But then that raised all new questions; Who is this individual? Where did Luna meet him or her? And why haven't I been told of this?

She breathed, an almost whimpering sound. "You know you can trust him. He has always been there for you when you needed it. When you came back from your exile, he was the first to welcome you back. When you made your first appearance at Nightmare Night, he was the one to encourage you the meet the populace of Ponyville."

Oh, it must be one her guards. Adam concluded. Tia never phased them out of service. One of them must've gotten ideas to "aid" in her in her reintegration efforts. Whoever this pony is, they must be pretty clueless to not notice her feelings.

"And," She continued, "That first night we went stargazing. Ah, I was almost sure he felt something for me, too." Her eyes went to two constellations on wither side of the moon. "Luna Nike." She quoted. "Imperator Dominatus." Victorious Moon, All-Powerful Emperor. Those were the constellations that Adam and Luna made together. He remembered that night...
________________________________________

The dark blue alicorn sat on the balcony, a glowing green orb floating next to her. While the Emperor couldn’t move His body, He was still able to project himself as a ball of energy, which allowed Him to go about wherever the Princesses went. And if anypony ever asked about it, the alicorns could always say that it was a new light-spell they were trying out, and no one would be the wiser.

"Thanks for coming out tonight, Adam," Luna chirped, almost bouncing with excitement. "It always so lonely up here; Celestia sleeping at night, Discord sleeping wit- I mean, sleeping as well."

It’s quite alright, Luna, The Emperor told her, I don't sleep anyway. It’s a luxury I haven't been given in a very long time.

Not to contradict you, my dear, but in truth, you can't imagine it. Nor would you want to.

There was an awkward pause there. Nothing really brings down a conversation like remembering the friend you’re talking to is a slowly rotting vegetable a universe away.

Luna got up in position, striking a dramatic pose, her hoof up and horn up in the air. "Feast your eyes on this."

Her horn began to glow a cosmic blue, no sign of struggling on her face. However, Adam could feel the change of energy in the air, an oversaturation of magical energy surrounding them. He looked up the night sky, and was, for lack of a better term, impressed.

High above them, new stars were appearing below the moon, popping into existence like passing through the evening fog. They twinkled with the freshly discovered vigor of life, dazzling and bright as any star could hope for. Luna's horn grew brighter, a little more effort given. Slowly- but certainly noticeably- the stars began to move.

With the clarity and grace of a true artist, Luna moved the stars, twenty in all, into a new constellation. It reminded Adam of the Constellation Orion, only instead of a shield, the figure had five stars in the shape of a hand or a claw.

Luna blushed. "Its you," She explained shyly, as if it were a big secret, "The right arm is holding your sword, and the left arm is the claw gauntlet thing you showed me. I'm thinking of calling it 'Imperator Dominatus'."

All-Powerful Emperor? Adam laughed. Well, that's certainly very sweet of you, but I don't think anyone- anypony, rather- would know what it’s supposed to look like. None of your kin have seen a human before, so far as I'm aware of.

She harrumphed, which struck the Human God as immensely adorable. "Well," She challenged, "If you think you can do better, why don't you?"

Luna made a "go ahead" gesture. With a little effort of will, the green orb shifted into the form of the Emperor. It was transparent, like a hologram or a ghost, but His energy was more consolidated. Luna stared at Him, wide-eyed. "Whoa." She gasped.

Indeed, His image was 12 feet in height, twice that of Celestia. The sisters hadn't seen Him in real life, so when they crafted His new body, they only made it a few feet taller than themselves. He was, well, rather intimidating.

Oh, let me fix that. Adam adjusted the illusion, bringing it down to her eye level. Better?

The Emperor turned His attention to the night sky. In His universe, only the most powerful of psykers- particularly the Eldar- had the power to move stars. But in this world, it seemed to be decidedly easier -Luna wasn't more powerful than He was, but if she could move multiple stars with ease, than so could He. While Chaos magic wasn't well suited for constructive purposes, with His new Harmonic powers it wasn't impossible. He held an image in His head, and summoning His might, He raised His arms and the sky began to change.

On the other side of the moon, many stars appeared, shining in different hues of orange and blue and gold. Though the Emperor's image looked strained, the stars actually moved faster than before. The stars, this time numbering around fifty, aligned in a much more intricate, glorious shape. When He finished, the image of a majestic alicorn with a flowing mane was formed. Luna struggled to keep her mouth closed.

"Whoa," Luna gasped, practically speechless. "That looks...looks... beautiful."

They sat there together, admiring their work. The Man and the Alicorn raised the moon together, and the creatures of Equestria admired the new displays given. It would go down in local history as one of the most beautiful nights of the Pre-Nightmare Era.

After an hour, Luna spoke up; "Adam?" He noticed that she had somehow gotten closer to Him, completely without notice. Yes?

"You've told us long ago about how your Empire grew. How your people went about expanding by, well..."

And you worry that when my people come, they will enslave or exterminate your people. Luna looked into His eyes and nodded.

You need not worry about it, my dear. Your world will not fall. I won't let them destroy all that you and your sister have accomplished.

"But why?" She asked. "I know you wouldn't lie to us, but why wouldn't you do to us what you've always done?"

That was actually a very good question, one that Adam was ashamed to say He didn't really think about. But, after a moment's thought, He said, Well, there are a couple of reasons.
1) All the xenos that we had exterminated or had been fighting had been a threat to us. They had betrayed our kind during the Age of Strife, leaving us to die had I not interfered. You and your sister, however, haven't even entered the space age yet.
2) Your people have an ability that's very rare in realm, and that is that you repel Chaos, keeping your world pure. In all honesty, you have more to give us than we can give you, and that is beating our greatest enemy.
3) I'm not a Tzeentchite. You have saved me from an eternal unlife. I owe you a debt; A debt I may never be able to pay off, but a debt nonetheless. Regardless of what happens, I will honor that debt.
And 4) Well, I'm not ashamed to say you are the cutest xenos I've ever seen. The universe would be a much sadder place without you.

Luna had nuzzled His hand- a typical sign of affection and friendship among the equines- and He scratched her ear. But the biggest reason, I think, is that you've given me and my kind something we haven't had in thousands of years.

Luna had rested her head on the railing, and sniffled. "I just wish I could just say those four words." She whispered. A lone tear ran down her muzzle. Adam was about to reach out and comfort her, somehow, when she spoke again. Saying the four most important words in the history of the new multiverse.

In a voice softer than Fluttershy's whisper, she murmured, "Adam, I love you."

His ears didn't deceive Him. As far as He knew- which, admittedly, was a lot- there were no ponies ever who had that name. Things started to click then- That moment during the Ceremony, the night of stargazing, the time with the Chief, and a dozen other moments. It was so blatantly obvious. And yet somehow, with all his knowledge, and all His experience with women for thousands of years, the Emperor had remained amazingly dense when it came to Luna.

My people can't find out. That would be grounds alone to disobey on instinct and kill everyone. Its one thing to work with xenos under my orders. It’s another thing entirely to work with xenos that have attractions with humans. I have to keep this a secret and just let Luna down easy. She may take it hard, but she's strong. She won't hold it against me.

Wait a moment, why is this even an issue? Why should I be concerned about hurting her feelings? She is a friend, nothing more or less. It’s not like I have any feelings for her, do I?
...
...
...

Peace and Isolation

by McKnight93

Interlude- Imperator Omni-Occulis