>"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.