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// Prologue: "I! AM! FEAR!" 
// Story: MLDC Next Generation: Know Fear! 
// by Michael_Ravencroft 
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There was fire, a raging fire that spread through the border city of Stalliongrad. To the east was the Griffon Empire, were the race of half lion, half eagle war-like people resided. For years the ponies and griffons had shared a tentative peace. Neither one exactly on good terms, more or less tolerating each other’s existence. The Griffon Empire never fully challenged Equestria, the rulers of the kingdom, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, always kept their land safe. Threatening to unleash their great power upon the enemies’ should they dare cross them, and for years that has kept them at bay. But now things were different. 

Stalliongrad was burning to the ground; many of the city’s residence were either evacuated or slaughtered out right. The skies and ground were filled with griffon soldiers as they made their way through the city, furthering their path of destruction. Leading his contingent of soldiers was a large, sliver feathered griffon, with cold blue eyes, and scar running down his left eye. A strange apparatus was wrapped around his midsection, his wings folded against it, making a kind of clanking sound against his armor.  

His keen senses alerted him to the many sounds of the city. In particular, the sounds of ponies trying to flee from them, and it just so happened he heard some. The silver griffon’s eyes roamed to the right, staring at a building that had yet to be touched by the flames. He then pointed with two talons at the building, signaling for two of his troops to enter it. Two of the armored griffons rushed inside and immediately searched inside. 

“General Steel Wing.”

The silver feathered griffon turned to the soldier. “What is it?”

“We just got a report in. And…well, we’ve lost contact with the squad moving through Sector 48.”

“Nothing to worry about, the TeleCrystals have a limited range. After we get closer to the center of Stalliongrad we should regain contact with them shortly.”

“Yes sir.”

After a couple of minutes the two soldiers came out of the building, tossing a family of ponies at the ground before the large contingent of griffons. The first was a unicorn stallion, with his wife, an earth pony mare, and lastly, two foal fillies, both looking terrified at the sight of the griffons. The earth pony mare made her children stay behind her, while the stallion stood in front of them, acting as a shield between his family and the murderess griffon soldiers. 

“Take a good look here my soldiers. This is what we fight against. These lowly, weak, and insignificant ponies…” Steel Wing started to move towards the family, circling them menacingly. “They think themselves our betters, because of what they can do, and because they believe their great princesses will save them from all harm.”

“Just leave us alone, please, just let us go,” pleaded the mare. 

“They are not our betters, they are not our equals. They are nothing. We, my soldiers, are the superior race, the strongest and the swiftest, our mighty Empire as existed long before they were united, where we were always united, under our great Emperor!” 

“HAIL, HAIL, HAIL!!!” The griffon shoulders shouted in salute as they slammed their fists against their chest plates. 

“Ponies were put on this world to serve us! To serve as our labor, to serve as our slaves,” Steel Wing eyed the mare and fillies, a malicious smile crossing his beak, “and some will be put to service our needs as well.”

The unicorn stallion tensed upon hearing those words, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the fear in his children’s eyes, the fear of his wife, knowing exactly what kind of fate would await them, death would be a blessing compared to what the griffon was thinking. The stallion assumed an attack stance, his horn glowing with magical energy as he prepared to take on the griffon contingent and defend his family to the death.

“I will kill any of you who dare to touch my family!” 

Steel Wing’s menacing smile changed into a disapproving and annoyed glare. “Now see, my soldiers, this is what I speak of. They believe themselves so high and mighty, that even when faced with an overwhelming force, they still think themselves superior. As admirable as such a trait is…it is wasted on you and your kind.”

Steel Wing extended his two large wings. The stallion gazed upon them, for they were not normal wings. They were metallic, attached to some kind of special harness tied around his body. The metal wings bent and moved with amazing flexibility, showing off the many razor sharp panels that made up its feathers. Steel Wing’s metallic avian appendages caught the light of the fire, making them appear even more intimidating and terrifying.  

“Despite what you might think, I do have some honor, pony. I will give you one free shot, if you kill me then you and your family can go free.” Steel Wing looked to his soldiers. “Do you hear, none of you are to harm them should he prove victorious, that is an Absolute Order!”

The griffons all made a grunting sound as they pounded their chests once again, affirming they understood. An Absolute Order was the same as an order from the Emperor; it could not be broken, no matter what. It was something that was deeply ingrained into the soldiers of the Griffon Empire from day one of training.

The unicorn stallion charged his horn, building up all the mana within his body, tapping into his reserves, knowing that his family’s lives were on the line. With one powerful burst, the unicorn unleashed a beam of pure magical power at Steel Wing. The griffon’s metallic wings quickly folded in front him, forming a shield. The beam struck the wings, but there was no explosion. Instead the beam seemed to fall apart, turning into particles that dispersed into the open air. The stallion ceased his attack, completely drained of all magical energy. 

“Now it is my turn.”

Steel Wing extended this right wing and slashed horizontally, the motion was so quick, that the only thing that indicated that he moved was the sheen of the metal. At first nothing happened. The unicorn’s family and soldiers wondered if Steel Wing had even done anything at all. That was, until the stallion’s horn fell off from his forehead. Sparkling ichor bleed out, the physical manifestation of magical energy. The stallion started to wobble, his knees weakening as he felt the energy, literally, pour out of him. With an evil sneer, Steel Wing brought his next slash with his left wing. This one did more than cut off the remainder of the horn, it took off everything else. 
The mare and fillies watched in horror as the stallion’s head fell from his body, landing on the ground as his eyes rolled in the back of his head. The headless body fell over and gushed out blood from the open wound, gathering into a pool along with the blood from the severed head. The fillies screamed and cried in sadness, the earth pony mare was crying, and trying to keep herself from completely breaking down. 

Steel Wing then turned to his soldiers, “Now, You four,” he pointed with his wing at a group of four griffons in his ranks, “take them, and enjoy the pleasures they provide. The rest of you, we march on to the center of Stalliongrad!” 

The four griffons started to move towards the mare and her children. She knew she stood no chance against these beasts, but she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to do everything in her power to keep these filthy beasts from touching her daughters. 

Just then something happened. From high above, four yellow stars appeared. The griffons and ponies looked up at the sky and wondered what they were. At that moment the four stars descended upon the four advancing griffons. They were each skewered by four large, yellow, jagged bladed spears. The griffon soldiers, Steel Wing, and the mare, all stared wide eyed at the sight. The four griffons, coughed up blood, writhing in agony from being pierced before they each gave up, and died.

“What…Who…WHO DID THIS!!!?” Steel Wing shouted in anger. 

The four spears disappeared into particles of yellow light, allowing the bodies to slump to the ground. From out nowhere, powerful explosions discharged behind Steel Wing. The griffon commander watched as his soldiers were thrown from the detonations, while eithers were vaporized on the spot. Many of the griffons broke ranks, trying to stay out the line of fire, even though they knew not where the attack came from. 

Before they could rally a defense, arrows made of yellow light shot forth from out of nowhere. They whistled as they flew through the air and pierced the helmets and chest plates of many of the griffons. They all dropped to the ground, forty warriors, all dead in a matter of seconds. There were only three left. Steel Wing glanced about, noticing that the mare and fillies had not been hurt.

That’s when the commander saw something in the distance. A yellow light made its way towards them. Something was wrong about his light, it radiated a strange power, of that he was certain of. As the light got closer, Steel Wing was able to make out what was coming towards them. It was a pegasus pony, clad in golden armor, with a black mesh-like underclothing. The pony had metallic, golden wings, a strange insignia upon its chest plate, and on its right bracer was circular ring, glowing with power. The pegasus wore a golden helmet, obscuring the face. The whites of the helmet’s eyes glared daggers at the griffons. Steel Wing could feel a strange sense of terror coming from this pegasus pony, something he never felt.  

“What in Tartarus are you,” demanded Steel Wing. 

The pegasus halted in its tracks, appearing as if they were thinking it over. 

“What am I? I am justice! I am a defender! I am your worst nightmare come to life!” The pegasus’ body then erupted with a powerful golden aura that brightened the night. “I! AM! FEAR!”