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- >"Princess, we cannot sit idly by any longer! We need to end this conflict!"
- >The stallion was practically shouting at Celestia
- >His armor rustled with every word he spoke
- >"You've seen what both sides have done! It's only a matter of time before they go all out into war!"
- >"We will not get involved, and that is final, commander."
- >Celestia's regal tone demands his respect
- >Her gaze falls upon the stallion
- >Demanding him to stand down
- >But instead, the stallion throws his spear across the floor
- >"The zebras have attacked and killed ponies! You saw the hospital! We can't let them continue on like that!"
- >"What happened at the hospital was not the work of the zebras, nor the gryphons. We have told you that already, commander."
- >From her seat next to Celestia, Luna enters the conversation
- >With a grunt, the commander continues
- >"Then what happened, huh? Are you gonna tell me all those ponies just fell over dead out of the blue?"
- >Both princesses merely stare at the commander in silence
- >"What aren't you telling me?"
- >Watching the whole scene unfold makes you uncomfortable
- >The air is thick with tension
- >All you wanted was to talk to Luna
- >You had no part in this
- >But apparently, the commander thinks so
- >He turns his head to you and points with a hoof
- >"And what about him? His son, the PRINCE, is missing! What the hell is going on here?!"
- >"Stand down, commander!"
- >"To hell with you! There's fighting out there, and all you do is sit here and watch! We need to help!"
- "Sounds like someone forgot who their commanding officer is."
- >The military pony instantly turns to you
- >"Why you-"
- >In mere seconds he has covered half the distance between the two of you
- >His hooves thunder on the floor
- >His eyes burn with anger
- >With great power, he leaps into the air
- >You raise your arms over your head in anticipation of the impact
- >A loud 'clonk' fills the throne room, followed by a 'thump'
- >The commander is lying on the floor, shaking his head
- >"Commander! Restrain yourself!"
- >Celestia has gotten up from her throne
- >She is slowly walking towards the two of you
- >The commander slams his hooves against the field between you
- >Staring you right in the eye as he does so
- >"If you as much as touch Anon, you will be stripped of rank and thrown out of the castle, do you understand me?"
- >He doesn't move his gaze from you as he answers
- >"Yes, ma'am."
- >"Go to the barracks and tell your men to stand down. We will not intervene. And if I see any of you leave the castle in armor, you will be treated as deserters."
- >Celestia is glaring down at the commander
- >Without a word, he turns and walks out of the room
- >The Equestrian ruler sits down next to you on the floor and sighs
- >"I'm sorry, Anon. Keeping ponies in check has never been this difficult."
- >Celestia stares at the main entrance
- >"I'm not used to these situations. I prefer the peace and quiet. All of this strife is... maddening."
- "Well, I'm not one of war myself. But is there truly nothing we can do?"
- >Celestia doesn't reply
- >She merely sits
- >You feel a gently hoof on your shoulder
- >Luna has joined the two of you in sitting
- >"Our forces would be able to quell the uprisings quite effectively. But-"
- >"But we will not involve ourselves in this. Not with military forces, at least."
- >Celestia sends her sister a sharp look
- >"Ponies have lived in peace for thousands of years under our rule, and we will not change that now."
- >Luna replies with a look of her own
- >"Do you not believe stopping the war before it begins is preferable? You know what happened when I took over. I am one pony. Do you want to see what happens when two entire nations go to war?"
- >Celestia gets up with a snort
- >"This entire ordeal will be settled through diplomacy, Luna. I refuse to send in the military."
- >"Maybe if you put an end to this, we could focus on more important matters!"
- >You step back at the sound of Luna's yelling
- >Her eyes burn brighter than Hell's fire
- >"Luna, there is potential WAR brewing. What could be more important than the safety of our subjects?"
- >"MY SON IS GONE!"
- >Luna's words echo through the throne room
- >Settling in the wind as they die down
- >"PUT AN END TO THIS SO WE CAN FOCUS ON FINDING HIM!"
- >Celestia doesn't even flinch at the yelling
- >She merely stares at her sister
- >"I would love to, Luna, but I can't, and you know that. Caesar has been gone for months, and you need to accept that."
- >The two sisters stare each other down
- >Like panthers ready to strike they stand
- >Waiting for the other to make a move
- >Their arguing had gotten particularly bad in recent times
- >It was scary to see them like this
- >The last time this happened, it ended with Luna's imprisonment
- >You couldn't bear to see that happening once more
- "Could we not send guards to look?"
- >Both princesses look to you in surprise
- >But at least they listen
- "If you don't want them fighting, couldn't we have them look for Caesar?"
- >Celestia sighs and stands down
- >"It is a reasonable request. But Equestria is enormous. And he is one simply satyr. For all we know, he could be hiding in a cave in the Everfree Forest."
- >You walk closer, eyes locked with her as you do
- "But can't we try? This is our son we're talking about it."
- >Celestia shakes her head slowly
- >"However much I wish to refrain from military involvement, we need our troops ready, just in case."
- >She looks to you with old and weary eyes
- >"I cannot spare enough men to make a valuable search."
- "Celestia, he is my son. My SON."
- >She smiles weakly at you
- >"I know. And I care about him deeply. But my hooves are tied, Anon. Sometimes, one has to make difficult choices. And I have made mine."
- "Can't we make a deal with both sides? If we provide them with food or, or medical aid, they could help us find him."
- >With slow and heavy movements, Celestia shakes her head
- >"High Warlord Half-Beak and King Vox have both made it clear ponies are not to involve themselves, or we will become a new target."
- >Before you can protest, she continues
- >"Even if we simply wish to help."
- >Behind her, you see Luna nodding slowly
- "I hope they wipe each other out."
- >You feel ready to punch someone
- >Absolutely wreck their shit for hours
- >The anger burns within you with blinding fury
- >Lucky for them, there are no gryphons or zebras here
- >"Anon, please"
- >Celestia's hoof lands gently on your shoulder
- >"I know this is difficult. I know exactly what you're going through. And no matter how insane I might sound, you have to wait. For now, you have to let Caesar go."
- >Her eyes are vast and deep, yet determined
- >She gently shakes your body as she finishes
- >Like a father awkwardly congratulating his son
- >Just like you used to do
- >"I know Caesar is your world. But my world is in trouble, and I need to fix those problems before I can save yours. It's my duty to ponies everywhere."
- >In the background, you see Luna's eyes welling up with tears
- >She turns around and slowly walks toward the hallway
- "Then I will go find him myself."
- >Celestia rears back in surprise
- >"Anon, I don't-"
- "I don't care what you think. He's my son, and he's out there somewhere."
- >You walk past Celestia and call out to Luna
- >She turns to face you, her eyes wet with grief
- "I am going to go look for Caesar. Will you join me?"
- >"I... I want nothing more than to join you."
- >At least someone here is sensible
- >"But I can't. I can't leave my duties."
- >You feel the slight hope in your body disappear instantly
- >"Anon, I w-want to find him. I w-want him b-back."
- >Luna yells out into the throne room
- >A scream of anger and frustration
- >After emptying her lungs, she looks to the floor
- >"But I can't. Please, find him. And be safe, my love."
- >She looks up and rushes to you
- >In an instant, her lips and pressed against yours
- >As if magical, she pours her passion and sorrow through her lips
- >Passes it on to you
- >For minutes you kiss, before she finally lets you go
- >You say no goodbyes before leaving
- >You intend to come back with Caesar
- >Getting to the hospital took a while
- >It was a ways off from the castle
- >But here you were
- >Lone man at the empty building
- >Dust and cog webs were all over the facade
- >No one had been inside since the inspection took place
- >Decayed flowers lie in piles at the front door
- >It takes you a while to open the door
- >In the end, you had to kick it in
- >It felt wrong, but it was your only option
- >The halls are dark and damp
- >Not a pony in sight
- >You go to the wall and flick a switch
- >The lights do not even flicker
- >With no source of light, you move on
- >The place has been abandoned for months, but you tread carefully
- >Something about hospitals and darkness made you feel uneasy
- >Slowly, your eyes get used to the dark
- >It becomes easier to see, but it is still not optimal
- >At least you can find your way around the place
- >You reach the flight of stairs and ascend them slowly
- >Some of the steps screech as you step on them
- >As they echo through the halls, the noise is twisted
- >It sends shivers down your spine
- >Wanting not to stay here for too long, you hurry up the remaining steps
- >The hallway is long and so very dark
- >You have to get close to every door to see the numbers
- >151
- >152
- >As the chairs come into view, you gulp
- >This was the final resting place of Trixie the unicorn
- >You force your eyes away from the chairs and face the door
- >Behind this door it happened
- >With shaking hands you open up
- >It creaks as it slides open
- >Empty and dark it remains
- >You slowly walk inside
- >Nothing seems out of the ordinary
- >Except for the missing satyr and mare
- >For now, you force back the waves of sorrow
- >You look around in the room
- >You check every nook and cranny
- >In the bed, behind the radiator, everywhere
- >But despite your best searching, you find nothing
- >No note, no hairs, nothing
- >You slump down onto the bed
- >All this room contains is memories of horrible occurrences
- >The tears are coming
- >You cannot help but cry as you sit there
- >But you don't want to be here
- >Anywhere but here is better
- >With blurry vision, you run out of the room
- >As you zoom down the stairs, the tears become many
- >They drip and crash against the hospital floor as you run for the exit
- >As the sun beams down upon you, you let it all out
- >With powerful stomps, you smash the flowers
- >The wall feels your fury too, as you punch it
- >No one can help you
- >Caesar is gone
- >There are no clues to his whereabouts
- >You are to sit idly by and wait
- >All the while he could be dying out there
- >No one can help
- >In this time of chaos, you are alone
- >Of chaos
- >Discord
- >You entire body is burning as you look upon the statue
- >Underneath you, your legs are threatening to give up
- >But you keep yourself up
- >For there is yet one possibility you need to explore
- >No matter how crazy, you have to try
- "I am Anon, husband of princess Luna. I have never met you, only heard stories of you."
- >The statue doesn't move
- >Obviously it doesn't; it's a statue
- >But you continue anyway
- "My son, the prince, is gone. I want him back. No matter what it takes, I want him back. I will do anything you ask of me, Discord. I don't care how bad you may be, I just want my son back."
- >For moments you stand there, watching the statue
- >The only sound in the air is that of birds chirping
- >Little by little, the hope in your heart disappears
- >With a sigh you turn to leave
- >But a voice fills your mind
- >"Anything?"
- >You spin around, trying to locate the source of the voice
- >There are no other ponies in sight
- >With no other possible option left, you turn towards the statue
- "C-Can you help me find my son?"
- >You watch the statue with great care
- >Although you have not seen him, you have heard tales of Discord's power
- >The things he is capable of is the fuel of nightmares
- >But the statue does not move
- >No magical glow, nothing
- >"Yes."
- >You breathe slowly and deeply
- >All you need is concentration and focus
- >This guy can't play tricks on you
- "And what do you want in return?"
- >Once again you watch the statue for minutes
- >Either he is weighing his options or it takes a great deal of power to speak through his prison
- >Whatever it is, you wait
- >"I want freedom."
- >That did seem like an obvious trade
- >But as far as you knew, he was sealed through the use of the Elements of Harmony
- >And there was no way you were convincing them to release him
- >Celestia might be able to
- >But you know how she speaks of him
- "And how would I do that?"
- >A devious laughter echoes through your mind
- >Slivers through your body
- >"Destroy Celestia, and my prison, too, shall be destroyed."
- "Yeah, how about fuck no?"
- >The laughter continues
- >Like echoes through a cave
- >Ricocheting off your skull
- >It grows louder and louder
- >Consuming your entire body
- >Frozen in place you stand
- >Watching the godforsaken statue laugh
- >And the laughter never stops
- >It creeps through your bones
- >Into your arms
- >To the tip of your fingers
- >Filling every part of your mortal body
- >This laughter of a god unknown roars
- >Drowning out the world around you
- >You fall to your knees in front of him
- >Watching him with fear in your heart
- >But his laughter does subside
- >Slowly it fades
- >Leaves your body
- >Only to be replaced by words
- >"I would give you your son first. You would have to do nothing for me before finding your long lost. This I swear to you."
- >That sound good
- >You could get your son back
- >Just like you wanted to
- >But the god of chaos would help you before getting anything
- >That simply sounds too good to be true
- >There is no way this guy is telling the truth
- >His laughter felt bad enough as it was
- >You'd hate to see what he could do once free
- "I don't trust you."
- >With those words, you turn to leave
- >But the moment you take a step, you feel pain
- >Agonizing, burning pain
- >Searing through all of your body
- >And with it comes the laughter
- >It accompanies pain like a joyful traveler
- >As you scream out at the top of your lungs, the laughter intensifies
- >You scratch and itch every part of your body
- >Nothing you do makes the pain fade
- >It comes from deep inside
- >Coursing through you like an venomous flood
- >In one instant, it all disappears
- >All you can hear is a faint and distant panting
- >You lie there in the grass, until the panting turns to words
- >"I need you. I will help you get your son back, I promise. You risk nothing. I will be in my prison until you act... Please."
- "I made a terrible choice."
- >You speak to yourself
- >But Discord's voice rumbles in your skull
- >An impending roar of fury
- >Before he can resume his torture, you get up
- >Despite weary and exhausted legs, you run
- >You run faster and further than you ever have before
- >But as you run, Discord's voice echoes through your mind
- >"Know that there is nothing you can do."
- >As more and more distance comes between you and the statue, the voice diminishes
- >"Nothing you can do..."
- >Into the castle you run
- >Down the hall at the highest of speeds
- >"Nothing..."
- >You end up in a random hallway when your legs give up
- >On your knees you lay, panting and sweating
- >Discord's voice is long gone
- >But his words still echo
- >Still they run through your thoughts
- >With a groan, you drag yourself to a nearby chair
- >You slump into it and breathe
- >All you can do is focus on breathing
- >Calming down your body and mind
- >You bury your face in your hands
- >Discord could go to hell
- >There was no way you'd do anything to harm Celestia
- >"-poor zebras are getting slaughtered."
- >From down the hall comes voices
- >Regular, comfortable voices
- >"Yeah, I wish we could help."
- >"Do you think the stories are true?"
- >"Saladin? No, they couldn't be."
- >"But you've heard what has happened. It could be-"
- >"There's no way. The gryphons are just better suited for combat is all."
- >Two guards appear from around the corner
- >A young recruit and an older sergeant
- >The recruit was probably on his first route
- >You reach out to them
- >It takes all of your strength to simply lift your arm
- >But you need someone
- >Anyone
- "The God of Chaos is in my head, help!"
- >The two guards immediately notice you and run over
- >"Sir! What's wrong?"
- >The sergeant has thrown his spear away
- >All of his attention has gone to checking your body
- "Discord he... spoke to me."
- >"Sir, Discord is imprisoned."
- >The sergeant stares at you before placing a hoof on your forehead
- >"You might need to see a doctor, sir."
- >You shake your head and brush away his hoof
- "He spoke to me, I swear it."
- >"I'll notify Celestia right away."
- >Behind the stallion, the recruit salutes before running off
- >"Are you all right, sir?"
- >You close your eyes and inhale slowly
- "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
- >The sergeant goes to pick up his spear
- >As he returns, he stands next to the chair
- >"I'll stay here until you get better, sir."
- >You simply nod and exhale sharply
- >"With respect, sir, I'm sorry for your loss."
- "Yeah..."
- >You take a moment to just breathe
- >Let all of your body get calmed down
- "Caesar would have made a grand soldier."
- >The sergeant chuckles
- >"I'm sure he would, sir."
- >Silence creeps upon the two of you
- >The stallion merely does his duty as he stands there
- >Guarding you, a member of the royal family
- >Despite all of your years in the castle, you never got used to this
- >All you are is a man
- >Just a man
- >You have no magic, no powers
- >Yet these guards protect you like an national treasure
- >And such the silence grows awkward
- >At least to you it does
- >After the ordeal with Discord, you want comfort
- "So, what's the news on the war?"
- >The sergeant raises his eyebrow at the question
- >"Well, it's not really war yet, sir."
- >A deep sigh fills the air
- >"But the poor zebras are getting destroyed. Remote bases go silent without warning. It's only a matter of time before they are pinned in a corner."
- >You look up to him in confusion
- "If the gryphons are attacking, why hasn't this evolved into full-scale war?"
- >The sergeant shrugs
- >"There's no evidence of gryphon involvement. It could have been bandits for all we know. Stories have started to go around. Some ponies say it's a small unit led by a great soldier. Others say it's a plague of some sorts."
- >You chuckle lightly at his words
- "One small unit doing so much. Heh. Sounds like a Roman Emperor I know."
- >The sergeant smiles warmly at you
- >It was rare to see any of the guards smile
- >Usually they bore the standard, neutral facial expression as always
- >It was nice to see one of them show some emotion
- >"Roman, sir?"
- >Once more you chuckle
- "The Romans were people from my world. They had an empire spanning far and wide long ago."
- >"Like the Crystal Empire?"
- >You nod slowly at the sergeant
- "Yes, but far larger and more powerful."
- >The sergeant whistles quietly
- >"Wouldn't that have been a sight?"
- >Before you can answer, a new voice calls out
- >"Anon."
- >You turn your head to see a white pony approach
- >Beside Celestia are two guards
- >The recruit and a third, unknown guard
- >Once she reaches you, she signals for the guards to leave
- >The sergeant smiles once more before continuing down the hall
- >"The young recruit told me everything. How are you feeling?"
- "Like shit."
- >Celestia smiles and lowers her head to yours
- >"A blunt way to put it."
- >Her horn lights up
- >A strange warmth runs atop of yours kin
- >It is there for just a second before fading
- >"Well, it seems you are fine. He hasn't cast any spells on you."
- >You chuckle quietly at that
- "That's good."
- >Celestia looks into your right eye
- >Stares into it like she can see something
- >For minutes she gazes at your eye
- >But she speaks not a word
- "What are you doing?"
- >Celestia doesn't reply
- >She merely looks for a few more moments
- >"Checking if you were under his influence, which you are not."
- >She gives you a warm smile before finally relaxing
- >Seems you were fine, after all
- >"But the fact that he spoke to you concerns me."
- >Her brows are slightly furrowed as she speaks
- >"Discord is supposed to be imprisoned. He should not be able to speak."
- >She moves close to you and smiles
- >"What happened to you, Anon?"
- >You sigh heavily before speaking
- "I thought Discord could somehow help me find Caesar, so I went and spoke to the statue. That's when all of that occurred and why you and I speak now."
- >Without even looking at her, you can feel Celestia's condescending stare
- >Like a mother scolding her child
- >"Discord never leads to anything but trouble."
- >You nod slowly
- "I know."
- >"Anon, he can't help you."
- >You keep looking at her hooves
- "He told me he could help me find Caesar."
- >"And yet you didn't accept his help."
- >You sigh heavily and finally raise your head
- >Celestia isn't staring at you
- >She is smiling, just like she always does
- "He asked me to destroy you in order to free him in exchange for his help. I couldn't do that. Ever."
- >Celestia chuckles at that
- >You raise an eyebrow at that
- >Death wasn't exactly funny to you
- >"I know you wouldn't. Even in desperation, you are a kind person."
- >She unfolds a wing and drapes you in it
- >"I know you miss Caesar. And so does Luna. But not even Discord has power to bring him home. You just have to stay strong."
- >You feel a tear creeping down your cheek
- >She was right
- >Discord was just a dirty, lying scumbag
- >You wrap your arms around her and hug her tight
- >"Go and keep your wife company. She needs you. More than you know. And know that she loves you."
- >You nod slowly into her fur
- "Thank you."
- >As the months went on, things got worse
- >Canterlot wasn't the same place it was before
- >Fear ruled the ponies' lives
- >Fear of the impending war and its consequences
- >Smiles faded and frowns reigned supreme
- >There was no reason to leave the castle anymore
- >The outside world had become a harsh place
- >A strange and barren wasteland
- >Stories of the conflicts reached every corner of Equestria
- >The zebras were slowly losing their temper
- >Although no links to gryphons were found, most everyone knew they were behind the attacks
- >Yet the war didn't come
- >It was held a bay for more than a year
- >And it was a year you spent mostly in solitude
- >With only Luna left, you hadn't much to do
- >Although a member of the royal family, you were useless
- >So in the castle you walked
- >Day out and day in
- >Walking slowly down the halls
- >Trying to initiate conversation with the guards
- >But even they were distant
- >Focused on their duties to the princesses
- >But all of it escalated in the winter
- >One morning was hectic
- >Guards were running down the halls
- >Orders flew through the air
- >Frantic words and nervous gazes filled the castle
- >You stop a guard, demanding an explanation
- >"King Vox's daughter has been assassinated. He has declared war on the gryphons."
- >No more words were spoken before he left
- >You were left standing in the hallway
- >Simply staring at the frightened ponies around you
- >Useless as you were, you walked back inside your home
- >Inside your home, you look around
- >Everything is a mess
- >Empty bottles fill the desks
- >Trash and old food is overfilling the trash bins
- >With a sigh, you leave it all as is
- >You go to the table and pull out a chair
- >The sun hasn't even risen yet
- >Only the winter darkness remains
- >You put the chair in front of the window
- >The landscape is white
- >So very white with beautiful snow
- >You sit down and watch it
- >The trees are gone
- >Devoured by the whiteness in the world
- >As if Celestia herself has covered all of Equestria
- >But you know she is in the throne room
- >Possibly shouting orders at guards
- >Luna would be helping, of course
- >Your wife was good in these situations
- >The mere thought of her brings a smile to your face
- >As you watch the snow, you feel happiness
- >It's beautiful
- >Just like your wife
- >And although your soul had grown dark
- >You still love her as much as ever
- >You would never leave her side
- >The two of you were together in this
- >Forever and always
- >"Hi, dad."
- End of part 5.
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