Prince Hozho
by Roxas
Chapters
Chapter 1: Rivalry In Tartarus
"Hey, did you hear, Discord has been defeated, AGAIN!"
"He shouldn't even be our leader! He is pathetic and stupid, Abaddon should have took the throne when he had his chance YEARS ago!"
I hear these voices almost everyday with their small chat, but after hearing this arguing, something is up. I wipe my eyes and stand up in my cell. The two tall menacing serpent-demons look at me.
"What is it, prisoner? Has it been too long in here for you?"
"You'll NEVER get out. Hahaha!"
Their deep and hissing words, it's the norm. They hand me over my daily bowl of water, and I look in the reflection. My white body and my black mane glisten in the water. My deep red eyes glaring at myself. I take a sip, and look up and out. There they are, the gates I've been trapped in ever since they took me away from my father. They, the forces of chaos, are, and have been, led by Discord apparently long before I was fillynapped. From my cell in the tallest mountain, I can see the red sky, the demonic creatures, and the castle where Discord has reigned. Every day, the same sight. A while back, Discord was imprisoned in stone, but his astral body ruled on his throne he had me enchant.
But for the past few weeks, all I have been hearing is that he got imprisoned, again, and a bigger and badder demon named Abaddon should have rule. I have only see Abaddon once, and that was once when the old watch guard stationed on me gave me too much food one day, and threw him off the mountain. Abaddon didn't care, and he flew away, he's a massive thing, huge, muscular, big wings, a super demon. Every day, I'll think of a plan of how to escape and return home to my parents and my sisters.
As I get done my water, at the gates arrives a tired out hydra. The watch guards are laughing at the massive, green hydra with quite a few heads. It comes in, dizzy and uncoordinated. A few creatures aid him and bring him to some building. So once again, I'm bored. I head deep into my cell, where I have markings of the spells my father taught me. I never get to practice though, because the guards would flip out. There's one for melting, one for a light shield, and many others.
I sit down and study, wondering when I'll get out of here. Suddenly, I hear;
"Hey boss, watcha need?"
"QUIET! You serpents are going to the Everfree Forest tonight to take the spot of the Hydra! Get moving."
I'd recognize that voice, that's Abbadon. I quickly go to the front of my cage and peer into his eyes.
"The little Anticorn his trapped, forever! HAHAHA! Your mom and dad can't help you, that's if they were still around, and don't get me started on Celestia and Luna. HAHA!"
"Wait, what do you mean, 'If they were still around'? You mean..."
"Yep, your parents are GONE, G-O-N-E, gone, outta here."
"Wha- What... What happened!?"
"They sacrificed to keep us chaos trapped in this place, Tartarus. This happened mileniums ago, where have you been? Oh that's right, stuck in this cell, where you belong! Soon your sisters will be trapped here and Equestria shall be ours!"
"You won't get away from this... Luna will help me!"
"Haha, Luna's just getting off her feet from being imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years."
"Who did such a thing!? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?"
"We didn't do it, your oh so sweet sister, Celestia did. And Celestia can't help you either. Face it Hozho, you're gonna be here for eternity!"
"You won't get away with this! I know somehow, and someday, I'll be free again, and you guys are going down!"
"Says the flightless and powerless Allicorn. HA! Well, now that I've had a final farewell with you, time to dismiss and final farewell another!"
"Who else?"
"That fool Discord, his throne is as good as mine!"
Abaddon storms down the spiral trail and jumps off the edge, flying fast towards the castle. I can't believe it, mom, dad. They're... gone. And my sisters need my help! I know I have to help them! But how, how Hozho, HOW? I don't know, but this news is burdening me to a sleep. I go to my makeshift bed, and fall asleep. I'm weeping, and shed a final tear for father, and a final tear for mother.
After about an hour cat nap, I wake up with a great idea. I quickly wake myself up, and realize something. There's no watch guards outside my cell, now is my chance! But will I be able to cast the spell? It's worth a shot. I go back to my wall of spells, and read the melting spell, it will work on anything unless it can catch fire. So I turn to the gate, and close my eyes. I concentrate on making the iron bars melt to the ground. I try, and try, and try. My horn feels funny, and there's a tingling all throughout my body. I open my eyes, my horn is glowing bright, and the bars are melting away.
I sprint through and look left and right, then I look down onto the castle. Discord's being drug out by demons, I get down and listen in;
"Wait until you get thrown in the Hole of No Return, you won't slow us down any longer!"
"PLEASE! Spare your royal king Discord! I can't go there, what if something bad happens?"
"Well this is your lucky day to find out!"
I guess Abbadon was serious about taking the throne, and Discord is being thrown into the Hole of No Return. I shouldn't be worried, but I care a little bit for some odd reason. I quickly rethink and look around again. The portal on the gate is almost closed as the serpents are walking out. This is my only chance, but I don't think I can fly. I close my eyes, and jump off the edge. I feel weightless and feel a breeze. I open my eyes and spread my wings. I can't believe it, I'm flying. I then remember one of my favorite childhood memories;
"Okay son, on 3, we're going to jump, spread our wings, and fly. Ready? 1, 2 , 3!"
"Daddy I'm doing it, hahaha! Look Celestia! Look Luna! I'm flying!"
I quickly snap out of it and dart to the gate.
"DON'T LET THE ALLICORN OUT!" yells Abbadon
Everybody focuses in on me as I dash through the air. Me and Discord makes eye contact. He words out something, I try to focus in. He then yells;
"Hozho, I'm sorry! I didn't me---"
He's cut off and continued to be carried by the demons. Everybody is throwing and shooting nets at me and the flight demons are taking off towards me. The portal is almost closed, and I know it's now or never. I make a dart, going my fastest, into the portal. I enter a state of anti gravity. I then see what appears to be apparitions, it's my mom and dad. They are smiling down onto me, and they say;
"We love you, son. Go, help your sisters and save Equestria."
"I love you to---"
They fade away mid sentence, and I come barreling out of the portal. It is much cooler and lively out here. It is dark out, very dark out. There's trees and grass and a night sky and clouds, I haven't seen this landscape for a long time. But I know anything is better than Tartarus. I look behind me, and the gate is there, but the portal is closed. I look in front of me, and see the 2 serpent watch guards walking. I try to stay out of sight.
Think Hozho, think. Where are your sisters, where do you go, think, think, THINK. I start going to the left and I step on a branch. Oops.
"Hey! Did you hear that?"
"Yea I heard that, what is it?"
They heard me, time to hide. I dive into a bush, and the two approach me. Right when the get close, I dash out, bucking one in the face and the other is about to swing at me. I close my eyes, prepared to get hit. But what's this? I open my eyes and see a shield of light surrounding me and the one stunned sitting there. I glide up and fly away as the other gets up. I fly over rivers, woods, and swamps for miles. I eventually get tired and I see a small hut in the distance.
I land and approach. I knock on the door and wait.
"Who will it be? Who is it I'll see?"
"I'm Hozho, I'm... lost you can say. Can I come in?"
The door opens and a striped, pony, I think, looks at me. She leads me inside and sits me down on a seat. I see laying on a bed a teenaged pony with a weird cutie mark. He is red, black, and white. Looks like he just got drug in a few hours ago, and looks pretty beaten. She comes back with a cup filled with water.
"I am Zecora, and who are ya?"
"I'm Hozho, I got lost in these woods. Would you happen to know who Celestia is or who Luna is?"
"The princesses!? Why yes I would, yes."
"I need to see them, let's just say, we three are real close."
"Well it is a rare occasion a pony gets to meet them. But they are up in Canterlot Castle, way past Ponyville. About a days travel with your wings, better rest here and get up and at 'em."
"Thank you kindly, Miss Zecora. Please awake me in the morning so I may make it to see them."
"Sure thing. You can sleep in the spare room, this pony here also sought out a place to rest."
"I noticed, who is he?"
"He is Roxas, he doesn't know who he is or what happened to him. Very strange happenin'."
"Very, well thank you, Zecora."
I go to the spare room and rest, All I can dream about are my parents and my sisters. I can not wait, and I'm extremely eager to see them again. But I also think about Discord and his fate, and why he told me he was sorry. Why would he be sorry? Who knows, maybe Celestia or Luna will. All this thinking, I just go into a deep slumber.
Chapter 2: The Forbidden Dance? Where Is the Strongest Spell?
"Wake up, it is morning, the sun is shining."
Zecora awakes me and has a cup of something in her hoof. She hands it to me.
"Ummm, what is this?" I ask
"It is tea, silly."
"What is, tea?" I ask, even more confused
I take a sip, and it's like water, but has a flavor to it. I guess being locked away for years on end really takes a toll on how much you know. I wipe my eyes, and go out to the living room. I see that pegasus pony again, sleeping. Roxas... He looks beat, I don't think he should be waked up yet. I sit down and finish the tea. Zecora hands me a map, showing me to fly over a place called Ponyville, and then to go to Canterlot from there.
"Thank you, for everything, Miss Zecora."
"It was nothing, come back and visit again, ya hear?"
I wave goodbye and go out the door. I can now see paths leading out the forest with the sunlight. Blue sky, white clouds, everything I remember. But wait, what happened to those serpents? I have to see my sisters first. I start flying out and arrive in an open field. Flowers, animals, and butterflies frolic in what appears to be spring weather. I land and look up. Whoosing across the sky, I see a light blue pegasus pony storm through the air, leaving a rainbow streak behind her. I didn't think it was possible to fly that fast. I fly up and try to catch up.
"Hello? Yes, could you point me out to where, uh, Ponyville, is?" I ask
"Uh sure, and um, who are you? I never seen you before" she replies
"Let's just say I have connections with the princesses. Now my matter is urgent, and I need to see them at once."
"Wait a sec, you're an allicorn too? Well fine, I'll show you Ponyville, catch up with me if ya can! Haha."
She flies off fast and with no hesitation. Confused, I look around and I guess she wants me to follow. I speed up also. We go in loops and spirals and other unnecessary tricks. She's laughing the whole time, going faster and faster. I can barely keep up, but still trail behind. She looks ahead and turns back and says;
"WATCH OUT!"
I look in front of me as she loops around a tree. I go speeding into it head first. I fall on the ground, and I don't remember much after that. I awake in a quaint, small house filled with little critters and a delicate yellow pegasus pony.
"Ar--- Are you, okay, mister?" She says as soft as anything
"Yeah, I believe I'll be fine, some blue pony flew me through to here right into a tree."
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." The blue pony says
"Who are you two?" I ask
"I--- I'm, Fluttershy. And thi--- this is Rainbow Dash."
"Who are you though?" Rainbow Dash says
"I'm Hozho, the brother of Princesses Clestia and Luna."
"WHAT!!!" They both explain loudly.
"We were separated when I was growing up, Luna was a little filly then. I got ponynapped and sent to Tartarus by Discord." I reply
"DISCORD!?" They both say in confusion
"We defeated him only a few days ago!"
"That explains it, he ruled Tartarus ever since father and mother accidentally created chaos. I was born to promote harmony between peace and chaos, to keep a balance. Celestia and Luna were born to take control of the cycles, as I were to create peace between the two. But, Discord has been overthrown last night. Now, enough small chat, I need to see Clestia and Luna!"
"Shucks Twilight, I never seen another allicorn except for the princesses." A country like accent proclaims
"Yea that's craaazy talk, and I know crazy." An energetic voice says
"I hope he's a prim and proper one." A sophisticated voice says
"Now come on guys, let's see if Dash is telling the truth." A little dragon says
"A DRAGON!!! AH!!! HE ESCAPED TARTARUS!!!" I yell
The group enter the house, they are teenaged and one is purple with a twilight star similar to a nebula formation of a mark, and she has a baby dragon on her back. The other is a orange pony with blond hair and an apple mark. The other, a pink pony with balloons as her mark. And finally a classy white pony with proper purple hair with a diamond mark.
"You're afraid, of a baby dragon?" The purple one says
"He must have came from Tartarus! All the dragons did ages ago!" I exclaim
"Calm down Hozho, these are our friends, meet Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity." Rainbow Dash says
"Pleasure to meet you, and you are?" Rarity says
"I am Prince Hozho, brother of the princesses. I need to go to Canterlot." I say
"WHAT!!!" They all exclaim
Over the course of minutes I decide again my backstory to them, and they decide to take me through Ponyville to Canterlot. All the other ponies assimilate into Ponyville and they call for the local, uh, train, to come get me. I ride on the train, and by the time I get off, I arrive at the palace I grew up in. The same statues, building structure, everything was still here.I enter inside and the guards approach me.
"Who are you, and what is your business here?" One says
"I am Prince Hozho, I am here to speak with Celestia."
"How DARE you say the princess' name directly! Such nerve!"
"I am her brother."
"Nonsense! You are a mad man."
"Please I beg you, just run word and---"
I'm interrupted by another guard informing the guard talking to me of my arrival. He has a letter in his hand and it has a mark of the royal family on the bottom. They lead me through the great enterance hall, up to the stairs. They then take me to the hall for the throne room. I see Celestia and Luna, all grown up, awaiting for me.
"Br--- Brother! I thought we'd NEVER see you again!" Luna cries out as she sprints towards me and hugs me
"Brother! You have returned! This is grand!" Celestia exclaims as she hugs me.
We are all three in tears of joy, once again reunited. I never thought I'd see them again, but I swore to myself if I ever did, I would take good care of them.
"I heard somebody say mother and father...were...sacrificed to save Equestria...is this... true?" I weepingly ask
"Yes Hozho. King Nebula and Queen Galaxia, or mother and father, sacrificed themselves to seal the Gate of Tartarus to keep the forces of chaos contained while the harmonizer, or you, were captured. We missed you so much brother, and I'm out of words to say, there's no word to describe the joy of reuniting." Celestia says
"Something crazy happened before I escaped. Abaddon, a demon, took the throne in place of Discord, and Discored was throne into the Hole of No Return. But he also said he was sorry to me... I found that very odd, seeing as though he imprisoned me for so long."
"I feared this day would come, I kept this book a secret even out of my most faithful students' reach. The day when Abbadon would rule Tartarus and attack Equestria. He must be stopped, but for no, we unite together again after hundreds of years have passed."
"Celestia, WHY did you send Luna to the moon. I thought that you could keep the peace! I'm disappointed!"
"It's my fault brother. I became greedy and corrupted. I'm so sorry for what I did, but we resolved it." Luna says
"Okay, well first is first, Celestia, give Luna the power of the moon cycle back. It will kepp the harmony."
"Fine." Celestia says, as she glows her horn and a large amount of energy flow from her to Luna
After that, we went to the living quarters, and our family picture still hangs over the fireplace, all 5 of us.
"So our parents were King Nebula and Queen Galaxia. Explain that.
"Queen Galaxia created Equestria and filled it with life and ponies and friendship and magic. King Nebula Created the stars, the aspects of night, and one day, chaos, to keep a balance of power." Celestia says
"So we are the last 3 descendants. I promised to myself, every single forsaken day, that I would do my job completely, but more importantly, I would take care of my sisters."
"Tonight, there is the forbidden dance of mysticism. A dark and evil gathering of chaos ponies, we need you to infiltrate, and learn apparently, the strongest spell. I do not know what it is, but it is worth it, considering you barely have any experience. It is one of the most delicate pages of the Mare Bible, so retrieve it, and consume it. Come back when your done." Luna says
She gows her horn and I am instantly transported to the enterance of a cave. What a rude way to welcome back your brother, but this is the only chance we'll get to get it. I go inside, and see strange symbols, similar to the code of Tartarus. Who knows what awaits me in my first act of duty...