My head throbs in time with my heart as I’m surrounded by darkness. Charon, ferryman of the dead whispers in my ears as my head spins.

“You’re not meant for my boat yet young Centenal.” his, calm and raspy voice whispered. “You’re fate is in the hands of that bloody Chaos God.” I feel my face contort in pain as I feel something reach into my chest a grab my heart. “You will have your time. The Fates have your thread of gold ready and you cannot sway them as easily.”

“Jack!” Anna’s voice shouts in my head as I inhale about an oceans worth of air in a femtosecond.

My eyes dart around looking for threats. As the ocean sized breath leaves my lungs and I start to hyperventilate. I lay in a long tent with several other white and gray ponies lying on white mats groaning in pain. A yellow Pegasus with a long pink mane sits to my left bandaging my arm and a pale pink unicorn stands to my right, the aura around her horn fading. My chest shakes my abdominals tighten up. I look to the one bandaging my arm and she eeps, backing away from me quickly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did that hurt?” she asked in a timid voice that was barely audible.

“Unless you just reached into my chest and squeezed my heart I don’t think you did.” I say tightening the bandages around my upper forearm.

“That was me. You were bleeding badly and there was no time to summon a strong enough spell to stop you from dying.” The pale pink mare with the red cross cutie mark told me. “Really? I lost that much blood from a cut and an arrow?”

“You mean a gash and a toxin. If we hadn’t stopped your heart it would have gotten there before the doctor could counter the Manticore poison.”

“Really? Manticore venom? Wow. How many made it out of town?”

“Three hundred fifty.” Twilight said entering the tent. “Two hundred are injured.”

“Only two hundred? We should count ourselves lucky. What about the civilians.”

“Only one hundred.” Twilight said with her head hung low.

“I’m guessing Ponyville’s population was around eight hundred?” She didn’t respond. "Okay then. Where’s my armor and weapons?” I groan as I try to sit up.

“Oh no. You’re staying down for a few days.” Twilight said putting a stern hoof on my chest.

“Twilight’s right. You’re in terrible shape. You’re leg is terribly wounded and your arm is no shape to handle any weapons.” the yellow Pegasus told me.

“The leader is the reflection for the masses. If I’m out of commission, then so are they. If I can’t walk, I run. If I can’t run then I sprint. If I can’t do that then I’m dead. Now where is the my helmet, shield and sword?”

“You should listen to Fluttershy, Jack. She knows what she’s talking about.” Twilight said pointing to the mare that was patching me up before I woke up.

“If I were a normal soldier I would. But I’m here to do one thing, and that’s lead. I can’t do that from this mat. You want my help? This is what I have to do. Self-preservation isn’t a forethought right now.”

“I could tell when you sat back and let those troops try to kill you.”

That stung. Could she really see through people this well or am I just crazy. “Trust me, it’s inevitable.”

“You can-”

“Prolong it? That’s all a son of Mars can do.” I shove my way past Twilight and Fluttershy as I stand. “I have a lineage of blood and glory. Only our glory comes in death. Sons of Mars have short life spans. We’re either too reckless or too noble. Sacrifice is a part of our lives and there is nothing we can do to stop it.”

“You can. Everyone has a choice.”

“And when you’re a soldier you’re never guaranteed tomorrow! You either die out there or not. Simple as that. I have to live for today and look to the next to try and save it.” I spot my helmet, bag, left arm guard and right shin guard resting with my shield and sword at the front of the tent.

“Jack, you’re talking about suicide. Do you want to die?”

“I have nothing left Twilight! I’m talking to the love child of a Pegasus and unicorn for the Gods sake! I couldn’t be further from home with no way back. It couldn’t be a universe where Rome never existed. No it had to be this, fucking one!”

“Jack calm down!”

“No, fuck you Princess! The deal is either I die out here or I die in Canterlot. I might as well die a hero rather then a criminal. Even if I never lived as either.”

“Jack, there’s always a way. Don’t act like such a child!” That stops me short of my armor. “You think that just because you’re the only one that knows who we’re up against that you have to go through it alone. You’re a selfish brat! You’re right. You’re not fit to lead. I’m relieving you of your command and having you sent back to Canterlot.”

“You’re risking your country here princess.” I say still not wanting to turn to meet her laser like gaze.

“Spike.” The baby dragon gets up from helping a pony on the other side of the tent. I hadn’t noticed him. “Get two Pegasi ready to take Jack back to Canterlot and send a letter to Princess Celestia letting her know he failed. Tell her to send my brother here as soon as she can.”

“On it.” The dragon said quickly running outside.

“I’m your only hope here. I’m the only one that can kill him. Discord gave me a prophesy.” I say turning to meet her angry gaze.

“What are you talking about?”

“He said that a praetor shall die by the others hand for their selfish desire.”

“And yours is less selfish then his? You want him to die by your hand. You think you’re the best thing here? We can handle ourselves. My brother will lead us to victory.”

“Twilight, this is your last chance, either you understand that if you kill me then there is no hope for Equestria or you lose your only hope.”

“I’ll take that chance. You have to swear on the River Styx that you won’t try to escape or hurt anypony on the way to Canterlot.”

“You don’t trust me?” Twilight only stares me intently as though she wants me to burst into flames. “I swear on the River Styx and my honor that I won’t harm anyone or try to escape on the way to Canterlot.”

“Their ready.” Spike said sticking his head into the tent.

“Let me get my armor on and I’ll be on my way.” I say starting to tie my arm guard to my left arm.

Once armored up I step outside and see the chariot waiting on me. Only two Pegasi were hooked to the chariot and none waited on me next to it. I feel the troops stares as I approach the back end of the chariot with my head hung high to try and leave some state of professionalism to my appearance. I step in and put my shield on my back before facing the crowd in front of me.

“Strength and Honor. May your Gods guide you to glory.” I tell them as the chariot pulls away into the sky.

I watch the large camp they built fade away under the trees as the Pegasi fly me east past the outskirts of Ponyville. I see the fires blaze, the smoke rise and the scorpion catapults launch massive bots at us. Wait what?

“Bank right!” I shout.

I’m too late. A scorpion bolt prices the Pegasi on my right, killing him instantly. The rest fly over our heads as the chariot does a Dutch roll before making a beeline for a barn outside of Ponyville. The Pegasi that was still alive shouted in protest as he tried to either pull up or unhook his harness, I couldn’t tell which. Regardless, his efforts were futile, he slammed headfirst into the side of the red barn. The sound of his neck snapping and his skull caving in was drown out by the splintering of wood and the chariot crashing through behind him. A chunk of wood hits my helmet and my eyes shut on impact. I feel my body get thrown like a rag doll through a hay bail and into the dirt.

My eyes hurt as a they try to open. The pain pulsing through my body is almost unmistakable. A bruised rib and a sprained right ankle. It’s luck that’s all that happened. My neck could have been broken. Something’s off, my eyes are open, I can see the lids, but my eyes are rolled back. Am I passing out? Hell no. I shut my eyes and bite back the pain as I get to a knee. I open my eyes to find my shield lying unbroken against the wall adjacent to me with the chariot, along with it’s two dead drivers, laying overturned outside another hole in the wall made by the chariot going though the other side.

I feel at my side and find that my pack and sword stayed with me through the crash surprisingly. Just as I get to my shield a hear a sword leave its scabbard.

“Well, well, well.” Cipherus says putting his sword to the back of my neck. “Come to unconditionally surrender?”

I can’t turn. If I do I risk having my throat slit. “You wish Cipherus.”

“They what is the leader of the most pathetic army in the world doing flying around here?”

“What? Can’t I just drop in and say high to my half brother? Why do I need a reason?”

“Because I know you. And you’re up to something. What were you doing?”

I guess I’ll die either way. “I was on my way back to Canterlot to meet with Princess Celestia.”

“Ah, yes. One of my troops told me about that. The city on the mountain and the ruler of the land.”

“The chariot’s intact Cesar.” one of his men said.

“Good. Then this’ll work perfectly. You’re going to be my ticket into that city.”

“And what makes you think I’ll do that?”

“Because you’re in no position to do otherwise. Besides, if I didn’t need you, do you think you would be alive right now?”

“Awe, and here I thought you were just being generous.”

“For you it is mercy.” I feel the tip of his blade back away and I stand to face him. His dark brown eyes were cold and calculating. His ebony sword still pointed at my throat. “I will be hiding behind the guard of the chariot and two of my soldiers carry the chariot up to the city. You will show us where to land and once I’ve taken the castle, my army will arrive by train to take the rest of the city. And then, no one can stop me from taking over the rest of this place and create The New Rome. A Rome where I am her God!”

“Since when where you one to monologue?”

“Silence!”

“You know just because you think you’re the next Romulus doesn’t mean you have to talk like that. We were both born in the twenty-first century ya know?”

“I said silence! You will stand at the helm and be my ticket into the castle.”

“You expect them to let you walk right in?”

“I expect you to kill them all.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I swore on the River Styx that I wouldn’t kill anyone until I had an audience with Celestia.”

“Did you now?” He pressed the tip of his blade against my jugular hoping to make me break. He should have known better. I lay my chin on the blade and stare into his eyes, begging him to. He smirks at me then takes the blade away from my neck. “Well then, I guess I’m going to have get my hands dirty.”

“Can’t soil what has never been clean.” I look over to the chariot and watch as two centurions flip it and two Pegasi take the golden armor from the two ponies that were suppose to see me to Canterlot.

“It would appear it is time brother. Shall we?” He motioned his blade to the doors of the barn he had entered through. “Don’t forget your shield.”

I turn around and throw it onto my back with my right hand. It hurts to bend over as the pulsating pain in my ribs grows. I hobble over to the door where the chariot is already waiting on us.

Author's Note

Nexus: Okay, why doesn't he just take Jack's armor and lead it in himself?
Me: Because of Discord's prophecy.
Nexus: I may be you but that doesn't mean I know what the damn thing means.
Me: Well too bad then. You'll have to wait until we get to that bridge. Now hush, the next Chapter is starting.