Part Eleven: Broken Dreams

“You are a monster.”

Excolotis stared at Celestia. The sky has heavy and black with storm clouds, and the ground was wet and sopping from the heavy rains that night. All around Excolotis were great black iron spikes, each stretching up nearly twenty feet above him. The corpses upon them had long since rotted, green and torn flesh hung in scraps from bones. The crows had fed well.

Rust red blood congealed beneath the pikes. There were hundreds, spread out in such a number that it resembled a forest more than anything else.

“You stand upon the blood soaked dirt of this ruined land.” Celestia said, her face calm and expressionless, “Castles plundered, kingdoms in ruin, servants destroyed, all consumed by the fury with which you sought to cover the world. Your bloody conquest having consumed hundreds of thousands, with countless villages razed to the ground and over twenty thousand impaled and prostrated by you and you alone, and all for your own sport, your own joy. What say you monster? What say you, monster, demon, devil conceived by the bleakest womb? What say you now, to justify your evil?”

Celestia stood upon the red earth, whilst Excolotis tried to think of the right words to say.

“Because,” said Excolotis, “That’s how our father made me.”

Celestia scowled, “You did not need to be like him.” Her horn lit up, and though Excolotis know what was coming next he couldn’t move fast enough. His feet caught in the mud, and sucked at his sabatons. The sudden stickiness made him fall to his hands and knees.

“But now you will be. How can anypony love you for what you have done?” Luna was staring down at him, seemingly making the world. Blood, dark and bruised, ran down her chest from a ragged and deep cut.

“You are just like him. Destroyer. Monster.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” shouted Excolotis, “I was possessed!” He scrambled to his feet, black steel scraping on wood and stone. He looked around at the courtroom, frightened and angry.

“Betrayer.” said Vigilance. “You betrayed us all.” He stepped forwards into the light, his head flopping drunkenly from a simple scrap of skin and muscle. Blood matted down his white fur, and his blue eyes were white and dead. “You slew those who were your friends, and turned against those who took you in and loved you. My family name shall curse you forever.”

“Betrayer.” “Monster.” “Demon.” “Murderer.”

Excolotis ran, shoving past the great wooden doors into the sunlight, and stopped before his father. “Welcome home son, you’re just like your old man. Now you’ll join me in my garden.”

Excolotis screamed as he turned to stone.

***

Excolotis woke up.

He was back in his quarters given to him by Celestia. He had fallen asleep. Someone was knocking at the door. With a grunt he swung his legs off the bed. “Be patient,” said Excolotis, “I’ll be there in but a moment.”

As Excolotis walked to the door, he let a sabre materialise in his hand.

He undid the top lock, slid up the bottom lock, and twisted the handle lock. He took the bronze handle in his hand, and slid down on the latch with his thumb.

He raised the sabre up.

“Excolotis,” said Twilight, “I’ve got your dinner.”

***

“Excolotis!” said Twilight, “Open up!” She banged on the door with a thump thump thump, frustration making her hit it far harder than was needed. In her purple magic was a silver platter; on it was fruit and bread heaped high, easily four ponies worth of food.  Twilight sighed when the door opened. In front of her was the room, but no Excolotis in sight. Twilight walked into the room,

“Excolotis?”

She turned as the door shut behind her with a click. Mailed fingers turned the lock with a soft clack, locking it behind her.

Twilight stared up into Excolotis’ face. His mouth was tight; his eyes narrow and suspicious. Light glinted off the sabre in his hand.

“Excolotis?” said Twilight, ‘What are you doing?”

“Be quiet and step back from the door,” said Excolotis, his voice low, “Don’t ask stupid questions, Twilight, just do it.”

“Excolotis,” said Twilight, “You’re scaring me...” she backed into the bed.

“Were you followed?” asked Excolotis, advancing on Twilight, “Did you lead anyone here?”

“N...No!” said Twilight, pressing harder into the bed, “It’s, It’s just me. I... I Promise.”

“Hm...” Excolotis turned to the door, “Get rid of the food. Is there a Soup House not far from here?”

Twilight put the food on the bed, “Excolotis, what’s going on?”

Excolotis turned to look at Twilight. “I’m worried that there might be assassins.” he said, “I wouldn’t put it past frightened nobles to try to kill me.”

Twilight sighed, “Excolotis, there are no assassins. The last political assassination was nearly two hundred years ago. And that was with a strawberry tart. Turns out he was allergic. I’m not even sure if that was an assassination. Anyway, there are no assassins!”

“Seriously?” said Excolotis, waving about his sabre, “So all this time, I’ve been worried about something that wouldn’t happen?”

“Uh yeah,” said Twilight, leaning back from the slashing blade, “That’s... yeah pretty much... COULD YOU STOP WAVING THAT AROUND!?”

“Hm?” Excolotis looked down at the sabre in his hand, “Ah, right. Sorry.” he let it drop; it was gone before it hit the floor, “But seriously... No assassins?”

“No assassins.” Twilight frowned.

“What? Really?’ Excolotis cocked an eyebrow, “Not even sell swords? No faceless individuals in the night to slit my throat? Nothing?”

“Nothing!” Twilight snorted, “Is it just me, or is it that you are really excited over the prospect of would be killers sneaking in your room?”

Excolotis made a small whine, “...yeah, kinda sorta maybe?”

Twilight brought her hoof to her face with a soft clop, “Really? Oh for the love of... Whatever!” Twilight waved a hoof at the tray, “This is fine fruit, tasty and delicious, and I don’t see why you can’t eat it.”

“Yeah, ‘bout that,” said Excolotis as he lifted the dish tray, “Not that I’m complaining, but I need some meat in my diet, along with grains and vegetables, or I’m literally going to pass bricks. Seriously, I could build a house with it.”

Twilight groaned, “Fine, I’ll go back to the kitchens and get meat. Anything you want?”

“Oh, just some cold meats, you know?” Excolotis said, sniffing at a pear, “Ham, chicken, fish, that sort of thing. If a Gryphon can eat it, so can I.”

“Oh great,” said Twilight, “stinky, foul things on my back. Meat stinks! I don’t know how you can handle it.”

Twilight sulked over to the door, “Hey, Twilight?” said Excolotis, making her turn back, “Thank you. For being patient.”

Twilight smiled, “That’s okay,” she said as she shut the door behind her.

***

“Well this has got to be the biggest cock tease of all time,” said Rainbow, slumped over the library table, “Lyra, there’s a bit more to this story, right?”

“Hum, yes...” said Lyra, sliding a piece of old yellow paper onto the table. “While it’s true that Excolotis called Celestia Sister, it’s recorded in this journal fragment that the title bugged her to no end, and wasn’t used in official meetings. Probably a pet name or something that Excolotis used to annoy Celestia to no tomorrow.”

Rarity sighed, “Well that’s all well and good,” she said as she looked around the table at the six mares, “But I want to know, what IS Excolotis, exactly? Twilight called him the God of War.”

“That’s pretty accurate,” said Lyra, “He is that, but oddly enough, the moment Celestia took power, he stopped all attacks on Equestria. Wouldn’t go near them, and that was before Celestia recruited him.”

“So, basically, Excolotis was Celestia’s best bud,” Applejack said, “And they got on like me an’ Rarity; we argue and bicker, but truer friends you’ll never find.”

Rarity smiled at Applejack and nodded.

“That’s a fair way of putting it.” Lyra agreed, “Apart from the fact that for a while Celestia couldn’t stand him.” Lyra put another piece of paper on the table, “This is a really, really old meeting correspondence from the first few meetings, one of the few copies surviving the great fire of 3492. Gods but we never throw anything out, anyway, the point is that Celestia often refers to Excolotis as a… ‘Ill-humoured brute with a disturbing and frankly disgusting fixation on impalement.’ Not very flattering.”

“What I don’t get is this,” said Pinkie, “If Humans aren’t real, then why were you bouncing around like that?”

“Oh,” Lyra blushed, “I was talking about the paper and stuff. Bon Bon was convinced that I’d been ripped off when I bought those.”

Rarity nodded, “Thank you for your time, and I hope we didn’t put you too much out of sort with all that.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” smiled Lyra, “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got to help Octavia prepare for a performance.”

After Lyra had left, the Rainbow turned back to the table, worry across her face, “Right. All those in favour of heading to Canterlot to make sure Excolotis doesn’t hurt Twilight, raise your hoof.”

Rarity and Pinkie raised their hooves.

“I don’t know,” said Applejack, “Excolotis probably isn’t that bad, I mean, he was nice before.”

“I think that we should still be there, just in case,” said Rarity, “I mean, he probably is gentle, but I don’t want to see Twilight hurt because we weren’t there for her.”

“C’mon!” said Rainbow, “I’ve seen fighters before, and that Excolotis fellow is definitely a fighter. I know he’s going to cause trouble.”

“How hold on Rainbow,” said Fluttershy, “That’s a bit unfair; we haven’t even given him a chance.”

“We need to give him a chance,” agreed Pinkie, “But it’s best if we are there and not needed, rather than not there and needed, right?”

“Fine,” said Applejack, “we’re heading to Canterlot, happy?”

***

Celestia sighed as she looked at the paperwork on her desk. There was always more and more of it every day. Most of it simply needed her hoof print to finalise it, and as such, it often wasn’t hard. But it was dreary, and more than once a certain blonde noble had tried to sneak in basic education cuts or tax breaks for the rich.

“Can’t fault Blueblood,” she mused, “It’s underhanded, but not illegal. And say what you will, he’s loyal to the crown.”

Every night it was the same boring issues; petty things that had been discussed that morning and inane ordinances that had been examined and fufilled that required her royal hoof of approval to be finalized. It was mundane, but she took pride in the fact that every night the stack of paperwork was always finished. When the next night the stack returned taller than before, she nearly always felt a twinge of rage.

“I just cleaned this desk!” she had once said to Luna, making herself laugh, “Can’t it stay clean for five minutes?! I’ll need a maids dress at this rate.”

Celestia stomped her hooves into two inkpads on either side of her desk; one red, the other black.

A form for finalizing pay checks for that financial year? Pass. Black hoof. A firm smack of her hoof and a black hoof print later, the form was out of sight, out of mind.

A form for Unicorn/Earth/Pegasus segregation in the guard? Denied. Red hoof. Another smack with her red painted hoof and again it was forgotten.

A form requesting investigators to deal with an unknown monster responsible for the deaths of missing workers found at Ponyville Lake?

Celestia blinked. The form lifted up in her golden aura as she read the form proper. Seven Griffins from Canterlot Smelting District reported missing after selling nearly all belongings? Seen heading to Ponyville with military grade weapons and armour? Celestia settled back in her chair as she kept reading.

Without moving her eyes from the form, she pulled a rope next to her desk.

A few moments later, a blue Unicorn trotted in. “Yes Princess?’ he said.

“Could you please go find the official reports for the missing griffins found dead at Ponyville Lake?” Celestia asked, “I think I know what caused these deaths...” She tapped at her desk thoughtfully with a hoof.

The maid sighed, and Celestia withdrew her hoof from the wood as if it had grown red hot instead of simply red.

“Oops. Well I’m sure that red comes right out.”

***

“Seven dead griffins!” Celestia said, throwing a thin file down onto the bed, “Seven dead! You haven’t been here two days, and I’ve got seven dead griffins to deal with.”

“I don’t see what the problem is,” said Excolotis, taking a bite from a pear and standing slightly behind Celestia, “They were bandits. Why should anyone care what happens to them? I took them off the road at least.”

Celestia kneaded her temples with a hoof, “You just can’t kill... we haven’t had Banditry for nearly three hundred years. At least tell me you didn’t start the fight.”

“No.” Excolotis said, “They showed up looking for a fight, and I gave them one.” He sat on the bed and began to flip through the file.

“Still,” Celestia said, “Was it absolutely important that you kill them like that? The morticians say it’s like assembling a puzzle! They’re not certain what leg belongs to which victim. Not to mention the mess.”

“Killing is a bloody business,” Excolotis said, holding up a photograph, “I don’t get why you’re surprised. Truth be told, I think you’re overreacting.”

“Excolotis, look,” sighed Celestia, “I can keep the press off your back, and I’ll bury the reports. But please promise me you won’t go killing anything else!”

“Well why not?” Excolotis snorted, “If these idiots come to me and want my head on their wall, I don’t see the issue with painting the ground with their blood. Makes the grass grow, doesn’t it?”

Celestia breathed in, held the breath for a few moments, and then let it out out, “Just promise me that if you get attacked again, you’ll find a guard to help instead of ripping them apart.”

Excolotis flipped the folder shut, “Okay, Sister, for you.”

“Don’t call me that.” snapped Celestia, “You know I hate it.”

Excolotis sighed, “We have the same father, you and I.  We’re family.”

“That... thing!” spat Celestia, “Is not my father!”

“Sorry,” said Excolotis, “I shouldn’t be dragging it all back up. It doesn’t matter whether or not we’re family, I still love you. You’re important to me, you know that?”

Excolotis picked Celestia up putting her on his lap, and hugged her tight, “You know how it always is,” he continued, “I am your red hand; from now until the end of time, I am yours to command. I may not be able to stop you hurting, and I can’t figure out so much about what’s right or wrong, but one thing I do know, is that I can punish those that hurt you. And I promise; you’ll sleep all the sweeter for knowing that I’ll be there to bring terrible vengeance upon anyone who is stupid enough to do you harm.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?” Celestia squirmed out of the hug, and dropped down to the floor, “You mean well, and I don’t hate you, but you only know how to kill and I’m not certain that you can do what’s right.”

“But that’s why you’re here,” said Excolotis, “You’re the one I rely on to show me the right path. I’d be lost without you to show me the way.”

“I know,” smiled Celestia as she put a hoof on Excolotis’ knee. “You’d be lost without me.”

“Too right,” Excolotis laughed. “But changing the subject... when were you going to tell me about your injuries?”

Celestia smoothed her face into slightly puzzled neutrality, “I’m sorry?”

“Your back is stiff,” Excolotis said, running a hand down Celestia’s spine, “and I know for a fact that you’re taking pain killers. Your stride has a slight limp, though you hide it well, and I’ve noticed that you keep yourself tense.”

Celestia looked at Excolotis. She sighed and nodded her head.

“I have three damaged vertebrae in my thoracic curve, and another six in my lumbar curve, when a great enemy of mine forcibly bent my back backwards into a curve. I also have a number of slipped discs in my spine, and I am on painkillers. I have injections every morning when I wake up and every evening to keep inflammation down and to alleviate pain, with tablets to top myself up whenever the pain gets worse.”

“I can tell you that I’ve had my femur, tibia, and kneecap shattered since I last saw you last,” she continued, gently pulling her leg out to the side, “My scapula and humerus in my front left leg are...”

“It was Luna who did this to you,” Excolotis interrupted, “When the Nightmare took hold of her.”

Celestia turned to look at Excolotis, her eyes glinting. Her horn glowed, and golden ropes wound themselves around Excolotis’ neck, squeezing hard enough to make the flesh of his neck bulge. Excolotis’ eyes widened, and he rushed forwards, grabbing Celestia by the horn and throat and bowling her over, pushing her head against the ground.

A thumb pushed against Celestia’s throat just left of her windpipe made her gurgle, and the magic around his throat vanished. “Don’t overstep.” he croaked, “If you think that I’m going to hurt her, you’re stupider than anyone’s ever guessed.”

He let go of her, and fell down heavily onto the furs, his arm propping him up. Celestia coughed, and got to her hooves, “No,” she said, looking down at him, “You wouldn’t, would you.”

“I thought it might be the same,” whispered Excolotis, flopping over onto his back, “But it will not be the same, will it? Not ever.”

“No,” Celestia shook her head, her expression hard, “It won’t.”

Excolotis stared at the ceiling as she shut the door behind her.