Chapter 25

“When you guys said ruins, I imagined a small castle like the ones in England,” Matt said as he looked up at the crumbling spires and walls. “Not an entire city!”

“This was once the magic center of alicorn culture, if I remember correctly.” Twilight continued walking, unaware that the others had stopped. “Though I too thought it was nothing more than a large temple.”

Frederic covered his eyes, blocking the sun and giving him a clearer view of the spectacular city. “It is like Mecca to the Islamic.”

They all followed after Twilight save for Matt, who hadn’t moved. Bill looked back at the hesitant private and chuckled.

“Don’t tell me you’re wimping out, you little bastard!” He pointed at Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “These three have more balls than you!”

The fillies looked at each other in confusion then continued next to Frederic.

Matt shook his head violently and rushed to catch up. “Oh no-no! I was just admiring the ruins and architecture.”

“Right...” Bill punched Matt in the shoulder when he rejoined them. “The boy who is afraid of old cities.”

“Old, haunted cities,” Matt whispered to himself.

The older human still heard him. “There are no such thing as ghosts, you big baby.”

“There was no such thing as talking ponies and monsters either,” Matt replied flatly.

Bill nodded, accepting Matt’s point. “Very well, Shelly. But I think our little magic friends here will protect you from Satan.”

“Oh, ha ha.”

They eventually reached the grand archway that led into the ruins, where twenty-foot-tall crumbling statues of alicorns stood on either side like stone sentries. They paused momentarily; all of them except Pinkie Pie seemed slightly afraid of entering. Past the imposing arch, the city disappeared into darkness. Rainbow Dash quickly took the role of the brave one even though fear was evident in her voice.

“Are we going to go in or just stand here like babies?” She flew into the air. “Come on guys!”

Rainbow darted through the arch and disappeared into the darkness. Twilight and Pinkie chased after her.

“Dash!” the violet unicorn called. “Don’t go too far ahead!”

The three little fillies started to pull on Frederic’s pant legs. He chuckled and followed them.

“Come on, Frederic!” Scootaloo cheered. “Lets go exploring!”

Matt and Bill stared into the darkness where everyone else had vanished. The looked at each other with nervous expressions.

“Fuck it,” Bill said, and ran headlong into the city to catch up with the others.

Matt stood alone chewing his lip. Bill called out to him.

“Come on, ya little bitch!”

The loader sighed and shuffled behind them.

“I wonder if we will find ancient magic that will help us win the war?” Twilight mumbled to herself when the others had caught up.

“That would be cool,” Rainbow Dash replied in a whisper.

The crumbling structures loomed over them ominously, making the air feel stifled. The excited fillies no longer appeared to be as energetic and they lingered close to Frederic for comfort. The German held a small Pertrix flashlight in his hands. Bill and Matt followed suit and pulled out their curved angle-heads, both of which had been stolen from a supply dump in England due to a equipment shortage for their battalion. But most of the light came from Twilight’s horn which illuminated the surrounding area in a soft purple glow.

Matt looked up at what little sunlight managed to filter through the towering buildings. “Some of these things are bigger than the skyscrapers in New York!”

Something caught Rainbow Dash’s eye, and she darted into an alleyway. They chased after her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight hissed. “Stop rushing off! You're going to get us lost!”

The rainbow pegasus replied with a grunt, entered a building and looked around curiously. “I wonder what this place was used for?”

“It looks like living quarters,” Frederic answered. He passed through what was once a doorway and entered a small apartment.

“This tower is a giant apartment building.” Bill noticed Rainbow Dash messing with something and approached her. “What’s that?”

“It’s a stone figurine...” The pony picked it up and gave it to Bill.

The human turned it over in his hand. It was crumbling and ancient, but despite its age was clearly a stone representation of a family. The four alicorn figures that it made up were held together in a stony embrace. Bill stared at it sadly for a moment, wondering what these ponies were like in their own time, before putting it down.

“This place is so spooky!” Pinkie Pie said with a shudder, “And not the fun spooky like on Nightmare Night.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“What happened here?” Bill asked as they walked out of the building.

“I don’t know,” Twilight answered. “One day the alicorns just disappeared, leaving very few of their kind behind. I’ve been wanting to ask the princesses, but it didn’t feel appropriate.”

Frederic stopped abruptly and looked around. “Vere ist the young ones?”

The others halted and searched the area, but sure enough the three fillies had disappeared.

“Goddamn children,” Bill grumbled as he peeked his head into a window. “Can’t take them anywhere.”

“Should we split up?” Dash proposed.

“No!” Bill and Matt echoed. The others looked at them with puzzled expressions.
Matt continued, “In the movies and even in real life, when a group splits up people start to die.”
An image of one of her friends lying dead in the ruins flashed through Twilight's mind. “In that case, we had better stay together.” Twilight started walking and they followed.

After a good hour of wandering the city with little luck and becoming increasingly lost themselves, a small light appeared at the end of a wide street that Matt called Broadway and Frederic called the Dark Unter den Linden.

“Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom!?” Twilight called. The group started to run towards the light.

The light was emanating from a point within the massive doorway leading into a colossal building that sat directly at the end of the road.

“Twilight?” Sweetie Belle’s voice met their ears.

The three fillies galloped towards them. The young ponies around the group excitedly.

Scootaloo made a beeline towards Rainbow Dash. “We thought you guys were inside the building. That’s why we came here.”

“Why did you think we were in there?” Twilight asked.

“We heard voices..” Applebloom pointed through the doorway. “Lots of them.”

The color quickly drained from Matt’s face, and he turned and started to walk briskly away. Bill grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.

“Where do ya think you're going, ya little shit?”

The younger human struggled to get away. “I don’t want to have my soul claimed by the Devil!”

“I don’t hear any voices,” Bill pinned Matt to a wall. “It was probably their imagination.”

“Shhh!” Pinkie Pie stepped closer to the building, her ears twitching in every direction. “I hear them.”

Silence engulfed the group and they listened. A faint but easily distinguishable chorus of voices met their ears.

“It sounds like thousands of ponies are talking at once.” Twilight walked towards the building. “Lets go and investigate.”

“Click one in just in case,” Bill stated as he pulled the 1911 out of his belt. Two more metallic clicks filled the air as the humans armed themselves. Matt kissed his M3 and Frederic tapped his finger nervously against the side of his Luger, hoping Twilight would change her mind. But the purple mare continued. The rest of the group eyed the building nervously before pushing on into the structure.

The wide assortment of creatures and talking animals that sat across the table fascinated Patton. If this was not such a fragile situation, he would have been stopping by each one and asking about their history and culture. But alas, his curiosity would have to be restrained and a cold militaristic approach favored.

He sat on the left of Celestia with Luna on her sister’s right. Directly in front of the trio, watching them with cold eyes, was the Alicorn who called himself Blandire. Patton stared back with an equally cold look. Occasionally a whisper would rise from the opposing line of national leaders but silence took most of the air.

Blandire suddenly smiled. “It’s been a long time, princesses. I would love to chat and make up for the lost years but we have business to attend to. Shall we begin with the matter before us?”

Celestia nodded. Luna and Patton sat motionless. A knot formed in the General’s gut. This did not feel like a peace meeting but a court.

Blandire continued. “Both of you have escaped judgement for your crimes for more than a thousand years. The time has finally come for that to end and punishment to be decided.”

Patton decided to break his silence for the first time. “Let me guess, Mr. Bland, you are the judge with a hand picked jury?”

The alicorn raised an eyebrow in surprised, either pleasant or not, Patton could not tell. Blandire spoke a level, calm voice. “Ah, he can speak, your input will be interesting but useless. This is our world and our matters, not yours.”

The General was surprised. As far as he knew, nobody had informed them of what he was or where he had come from. He instantly put two and two together. “I take it that I am not the first to arrive in this place.”

“True.” Blandire nodded and smiled widely. “There was one other who came a long time ago, summoned by the very princesses that sit next to you. Let me guess, they never told you?. Which brings me to the next bit I want to say. Since this is our world and our struggle, you can be spared and allowed to leave.”

Patton shook his head and looked over at Celestia. She still faced Blandire but her eyes momentarily flickered in his direction. “I think I will stay here. I have too much invested here to not see it through and I think you're just talking out of your ass with this judgement shit.”

An angry murmur erupted from the creatures sitting across from them. A minotaur stood up and spat in Patton’s direction. “How dare you talk that way to a being of truth!”

Patton wrapped his hand around one of his revolvers as the minotaur went on. “If this was a council back in my nation you would have been torn apart!”

“Sit down cow-boy,” Patton growled.

The minotaur’s mouth dropped open. “How dare you call me that! Do you not know who-”

“Sit down, Bull King,” Blandires polite voice cut in. The minotaur complied and the alicorn turned his attention to Patton. “Very well, you have now tied your fate with theirs.”

“Understood,” the General replied flatly.

Blandire quickly returned his attention to the sisters. “Without further interruption I shall now list the crimes which you will be punished for. The nations of the Gryphon Empire and the Labyrin Kingdom set forth the charges stating your regime has brought famine to their lands due to your overzealous use of weather manipulating magic.”

The minotaur that had been called a cow-boy by Patton thumped his chest and a griffon, wearing what reminded Patton of a 18th century French uniform, bowed his head.

Blandire continued. “The dragons believe that you have stolen their ancient resting grounds and they are now forced to remain in their overly crowded lands fighting amongst themselves for survival.”

A small humanoid dragon ground his teeth together and a puff of smoke rose from his nostril.

“The Diamond Dogs state that they were forced to remain underground, living in appalling conditions. The list goes on but I am anxious to hear what you have to say, Celestia. You have been quiet the entire time.”

The older Princess sighed. Patton could hear a mix of painful emotions in her breath. “There is nothing I can say that will change your minds. These accusations will neither be affirmed or refuted by me. All I wanted was the safety and happiness of my ponies. You are set against me and this judgment can not be averted.”

“You came here knowing that you and your sister were never leaving.” Blandire shook his head and looked at Patton. “And they dragged you into this.”

“But those accusations by these nations are not what you really want vengeance for, is it.” Celestia’s voice was calm yet threatening. “Say it, Blandire, son of Gold Breath, say why you hate me so.”

The dark alicorn's mood changed so rapidly that Patton sat back in his chair, shocked. Blandire stood, his eyes wide, teeth bared and his words full of hate.

“You killed them! All of them!” He leaned closer to Celestia. “Almost every stallion, mare and foal murdered! Like so many candles in the wind! You and your sister killed them all!”

Patton snapped his attention to Celestia and Luna. The older sister remained motionless but her eyes filled with tears. Luna’s face remained hidden under her mane.

Blandire’s rage continued. “All for what? To create the Elements of Harmony? Were the lives of our friends and family that worthless to you? Were the lives of your mother and father? My family? My children?”

“It had to be done,” Celestia whispered through the tears. “We sacrificed our future so the younger races could survive.”

“You sacrificed our future!” Blandire spat. “No more lies!”

“I am sorry that you lost everything dear to you.” Luna looked up, her eyes also filling with tears. “I regretted it too and turned against my sister but I understand now that it was necessary. Please, will you understand?”

“Only the alicorns that were away or performing the spell survived,” Blandire sat back down, his rage cooling but still evident under the layers of self control. “I should have brought my family with me when I was searching for a new home. But that is in the past and I will have my justice now.”

“The only one you should hate is Discord.” Celestia looked the opposing alicorn in the eyes. “He was the reason why it was necessary.”

Blandire ground his teeth together. “Says the mare who trusted him even after he showed his true colors. You might even do it again if you had the chance.”

“That has nothing to do with this.” Celestia’s mood became hostile. “I will say no more. Let your judgment be complete then.”

“Very well,” Blandire nodded. He motioned for the six minotaurs in the doorway. “The style of your executions has yet to be decided.”

Celestia turned to Luna and whispered. Patton could barely hear what she said.

“Goodbye my sister and good luck. You know what to do. Perhaps we will see each other again.”

Then all hell broke loose. The minotaurs started to move forward menacingly. Patton kicked back from the table, yanking both his revolvers and opening fire at the approaching guards, hitting four of them. Patton grimaced, knowing that the guns he held contained only four more shots each. The small Colt 1903 in his hip pocket held eight, but getting to it in time would be next to impossible.

The stained glass windows behind him shattered and ten grey ponies in violet armor charged in. They protectively surrounded Patton and Luna who were now backing away from the table. The general was surprised to notice that each of the new arrivals had a pair of bat wings. Clearly they were Luna’s personal guard coming to rescue their princess.

Celestia remained motionless in her seat. Patton spared a surprised glance in her direction, wondering why she didn’t try to flee as well. Before he could make another move, the room suddenly disappeared, swallowed in a brilliant, white flash.

“It’s like a cathedral in here,” Bill whispered. “But far larger.”

The dark interior of the temple pushed down on them even though it was so spacious. Massive pillars held up the domed roof and the marble floor shone in the lights.

“How is this still standing?” Twilight murmured to herself. “This place is ancient.”

“Magic,” Matt replied with a hint of humor.

Twilight shrugged. “Perhaps. This place is filled with abnormal amounts of magic.”

“Do you hear the voices clearer now?” Scootaloo pipped up.

“I hear something but it doesn’t really sound like voices anymore,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Sounds more like a small waterfall is in here somewhere.”

Matt tripped on a pile of rubble and fell, letting out a high scream as the floor rushed up to meet his face. His M3 went sliding across the ground and into the surrounding darkness.

“Jesus Christ almighty.” The Virginian roughly picked the younger man up. “I can’t take you anywhere, can I? Now we need to find your fuckin’ gun.”

“Eh thunk eh bruck muh nose,” Matt whimpered as he wiped blood from his face. “Whah does bad sturf alwahs heppen to meh?”

Frederic held out a roll of gauze to the wounded human. “Because you are an idiot.”

“Exactly,” Bill laughed. “Fred, I like you more and more.”

“Please don’t call me Fred.”

Pinkie’s voice called from the darkness. “I found his gun.”

“Oh great.” Bill walked towards the party ponies voice. “The insane one has a weapon now.”

They found Pinkie standing at the base of a large platform with two sets of stairs leading up the sides. Matt picked up his gun and looked up with the others.

“It’s an altar of some sort,” Twilight said absentmindedly as she walked up the steps. “I think I know what this place is.”

The others followed up behind her. A stone slab twenty feet high rose out of the darkness in front of them. On it was six different symbols. The cascading sound of voices seemed to be emanating from it.

“These are the ancient symbols for the Elements of Harmony.” The purple mare put her hoof against it. “I think this is where the Elements were created!”

“Cool,” Matt muttered as he walked around it. He quickly discovered a small stairway that led down into the lower parts of the temple. Without looking back he wandered into the darkness alone.

“I wonder how they did it,” Twilight was still talking aloud to herself.

“It probably took lots and lots of magic,” Sweetie Belle said in awe.

Bill looked around. “Where the fuck did our pet dumbass go?”

“He disappeared behind the rock thingy,” Pinkie bounced to the rear of the slab. “Matt!”

The chamber was suddenly filled with a brilliant white light that faded almost instantly. The humans and ponies looked around their dark surroundings but saw nothing.

A familiar commanding voice cut through the darkness. “You owe me many answers, Princess. First of all, where are we?”

“I don’t know where we are at,” Luna’s voice replied. “I sent us wherever Twilight Sparkle was. Apparently she is in a dark room in...”

Her voice trailed off. Twilight shrieked when Luna appeared out of the darkness directly in front of her.

“Why are you here!” the alicorn demanded. Luna’s guards followed by Patton came up behind her.

“I-I am sorry.” Twilight cowered back. “I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to come here.”

Luna’s expression softened and tears started to form in her eyes. “It’s alright, Twilight Sparkle. Today has been a dark day and seeing this place again is extra painful now.”

“Princess?” Twilight stepped closer to Luna. “What happened? What is wrong?”

Luna shook her head and looked up towards the ceiling. “I fear my sister is gone, or soon will be.”

Twilight could not believe it “Princess Celestia can’t be dead! No. You must be mistaken!”

“I hope that I am.”

“That is another thing that is bugging me,” Patton stepped forward. “Why didn’t we bring Celestia with us?”

Luna remained silent for a while before answering. “She told me not to.”

“Why?” Twilight interjected.

“I don’t know,” the princess paced back and forth. “She always had her own plans and maybe she thought she could save us by offering herself up to appease Blandire’s anger. But I don’t know. I think there is more than just anger driving him.”

“Hey guys!” Matt appeared at the top of the stairs giving no heed to Luna or Patton. “You need to see this.”

“Not now, Private Novack,” Patton growled.

Matt went white in the face, noticing Patton and Luna for the first time. “Sorry sir, but this is important.”

Patton didn't become a senior leader by ignoring his subordinates. Any soldier who believed something strongly enough to brave Patton's fearsome reputation clearly had an important point to make. He gestured for the Private to lead on.

Matt disappeared back into the stairway. The others followed after him until it opened up into a small underground chamber with rocky walls. In the middle was a polished stone sarcophagus with a granite block at the head. On it was inscribed a name and citation.

Patton read it aloud. “Here sleeps Robert Edward Lee, General of the Army of Northern Virginia. Brought here as a savior, he will return home when the beings of this world have come to live in peace.”

Author's Notes:

I know many of you are going to ask. Why Lee? First of all, I love Robert E Lee. One of my favorite Generals of all time. Second of all I needed an English speaking General that could have communicated with the alicorn's when he first arrived. Alexander the Great, Sun Tzu, Horatio Nelson and a few others were considered. Me and Totalynotabrony settled on Lee.