//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 : Don't forget // Story: The Khronos empire // by Cyrusquest //------------------------------// In the medical camp, Golden is starting to fidgeting then start fluttering her eyes open. She began to moan as she slowly sat up and get a bearing of her surrounding. "Uhhh...what happen?" she asked to no one then Nurse Gemstone approached her. "Oh, you're awake!" said Gemstone in Asian accent. "Where am I?" she asked as she tried to get up but Gemstone stopped her. "Hey, hey! Don't get up, kid! You still need recovery." she told her. Golden cannot protest as she still have pains in her joints. "Alright...so who saved me?" she asked as the last thing she remember was being captured by the Khronos Troop and passed out because of her broken hoof. Gemstone was doing the check-up but still answer. "Well, Discord." she answered and Golden become wide-eyed. "Ironic, isn't it? I need to go help the other patients. Stay in bed till I return and don't do something stupid." she said as if she read her profile then she left but Golden stop her. "Wait, is Zeus okay?" she asked as she remembered Zeus stay behind to stall Khronos. "I haven't heard that name but I'll be on the look-out for your friend." she replied. "Thank you..." she nodded. *I hope Zeus is okay. This is unbelievable...I shouldn't dragged him into this.* thought Golden as she felt very guilty of the events. #Insert Music: Tender Feeling by Sword Arts Online# 23 minutes had pass and Golden remain on her recovery bed as she played with her small purple crystal necklace, which she kept hidden within her mane. "Oh mother...father..." muttered Golden as she began to cry slightly but she shook it off. "No! I-I mustn't cry! I have to stay strong." she said as she place the necklace on the bed sheet. *I remembered my mother...Her name was Enchanting Star. She was a beautiful navy unicorn mare with long, poufy-ish mane and red eyes. Her Cutie Mark were blue four-pointed star with swirly translucent purple cloud beneath it. She was a very talented uniform with powerful magical aura, capable of performing several high-strength enchantments with ease. My Dad, Double-Edge, was a white uniform with a dark-blue flat mane, purple eyes and his Cutie Mark is a double-edge sword, which it's why he earn that name. He used to tell me stories about the wars he fought to protect our home and hilarious things he did when he was a filly. He was a paladin in the Royal Infantry but retired for his war injury, a shattered knee-cap of his right hoof.* A flashback began as Golden remembers her past. ________________________________________ #Flashback# We can see Golden Gleaming as a young Bright, happy, pouf y-maned filly with what seems to be the time of a bright future, celebrating with her family. Her Cutie Mark made her very proud and she had a good life...until the day she lost everything. The Khrono Empire came and began to slay every ponies in the streets. Her parents, thankfully, incredibly-careful ponies, as they placed a trapdoor in the corner of the main floor that transport anyone to the Everfree Forest. Enchanting Star looked out in the horror and lighten her horn. "Come on, we have to prepare ourselves!" she said as she ran around with her horn shining the darken area. Golden looked up at her mother with horror and amazement. She picked her daughter up with her telekinesis. "Come on, Golden." She said as Golden's mane glowed and become flat and sharp. "But Mu-" Golden began but her mother cut her off. "It's okay, Golden." she said and Golden gazed in surprised as her wings is surrounded by the aura, making the feather grew razor-sharp and can be easily regenerate once it thrown out. Golden know her mother never called her Golden and that cause her eyes to be filled with tears. Enchanting grabbed her sword and cast an enchantments on it, giving it an unbreakable blade that cannot be blunt. "Mum!" cried Golden as she heard the Khrono Troop's stomping hooves getting closer and screams filled in the air. "Shh, don't you worry." Enchanting Star comforted her as she placed the purple crystal necklace around her neck, which amplified the enchantments and placed her over the trapdoor. "You'll be fine." she said as Golden's eyes are filled with tears as she covered her hiding place with hay. "But...Mum...Dad..." she whispered, peeking out but not revealing herself. Enchanting didn't heard her as she and Double Edge grabbed their swords and she wore the armored leather while he wore his Paladin armor as tears filled their eyes. "You'll be fine..." whispered Double. The heavy footstep came and the door got smashed down. Khronos himself and a uniform entered the house. "Surrender or face extermination!" The uniform said in a scratchy voice yet his mouth didn't move when talking, making Golden and Double Edge realized that it's a mechanical being. Unfortunantely, Enchanting Star didn't notice his tone as she grabbed her sword with her aura and rushed in, with her husband trying to stop her but failed as the sword she struck with bounced off the titanium exterior skin of the unicorn and he began to advance. "Solution: Exterminate!" It then fired a negative magic beam that struck Enchanting Star and instantly killed her. Double Edge recoiled and Golden stifled a gasp as her pupils shrunk to slits and her eyes watered more. "NO! HOW DARE YOU! I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A ONE-WAY TICKET TO HELL!" yelled Double Edge. Khronos smirked as his robotic creation replied. "Does not compute. Death is unavoidable for you and your mate." Remain standing by, Kronos engaged Double Edge in a duel, clashing and parrying until Khrono swiftly end Double Edge with an impale, making him scream as he pulled his sword out. "All too easy." sneered Khronos then glanced at his robotic creation. "Search for survivors." he said. "Searching..." it shouted as it start scanning the area. Golden know that's her cue and quickly used the trapdoor to enter a dirty underground tunnel and make her way to Everfree Forest, running and flying until she reached the ravine holding the Tree of Harmony and the now-broken bridge to the Castel of Two Sisters. She was too exhausted to fly to the castle so she galloped down the ravine and land in front of the Tree of Harmony. She climbed to the top and curled up within the branches as she finally let her tears flow, replaying the horrible fate over and over again, camouflaged within the Crystal Branches, safe within the Everfree Forest. She made a poem within her mind to help pass time.. "Alone Sad and alone and afraid and undone Unknowing of the destiny ahead. As the thoughts of the moment , filled her head one little filly, her thirteenth birthday that day A beautiful party , crash in terrible ways . A young filly's innocence crush 'n beyond repair " She cried herself to sleep. #End Flashback# ________________________________________ It's not fair..." muttered Golden as she is starting to fill her mind with anger. "Well, I suppose somepony woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!" joked a sarcastic yet elegant voice. "Uh?" blinked Golden as she looked at the source of the voice and saw the infamous Lord of Chaos, Discord. She remained blinking in surprise of seeing the Lord of Chaos himself and Discord noticed that. "What? Cat got your tongue?" he quipped as he held up a domestic cat holding a tongue in its mouth then threw it outside as he crack a smile. "What the-?!" blinked Golden as she saw that but quickly shook it off and answer. "No, I'm just surprise that you saved me. I mean, you saving ponies?" "I know that is very unusual thing coming from the Lord of Chaos but by hanging out with the Mane Six, and the betrayal of that centaur buffoon, made me understands the meaning of friendship, loyalty, joy, etc." he said as he sat down on the chair with a glass of water. "Hmph! Guess there were not all just stories." scoffed Golden as she make herself comfortable in her bed. "Oh?" he chuckled. "How did you really met the Mane Six?" she asked. "Well, I shall start at the very beginning." Discord pulled out a book and his reading glasses materialized from thin air. "Long, long time ago. In the galaxy far, far away!" he began and Golden couldn't help but giggle. Discord explains his whole life story, including when he first battle the Mane Six and befriending them. ________________________________________ On the other side of the camps, Zeus was being treated and heal by two healing uniforms. However, Zeus is still struggling, thinking he's still in the battlefield. "I...I m-must stop K-Khro...no... I c-can...fail my fri...end..." he moaned in pain. "Calm down, your friend is okay. Nurse, help me seal these wounds." he ordered. "Yes, doctor!" nodded the nurse. Zeus' mind is still progressing, thinking he's dying and is about to give in but reacted by his determination and finally woke up. He open his eyes and tried to stand up but had slight sluggish as he searched around. "Where's Golden Gleaming?" asked Zeus. "Wha-Who?" he asked. "Never mind, I'll find her!" he said as he ran off and the nurse tried to stop him but failed as he start searching tents after tents for his best friend, calling her name again and again until Gemstone noticed him and told the nearby nurse to attend her patient as she approached him and stopped him. "Wait! Are you Zeus?" she asked. "Yes?" he asked but kept scanning the tent for his friend. "I know where she is." she answered. "Really!?" "Yes really!" Gemstone took Zeus to the tent where Golden Gleaming is. He was very relief and turn to the nurse. "Thank you uh..." he began. "Gemstone." she answered. "Thank you Gemstone." he said. "You're welcome." she smiled as she left. Zeus was glad to see her okay and was surprised to see Discord. Golden turned around and was happy to see Zeus but shocked of what became of his wings. "Z-Zeus..." she muttered. "I'm glad you're all right." smiled Zeus as he placed his hoof on her mane. He noticed her eyes glancing at his back, he looked over at the sealed wing joints. He turned back to her. "Hey don't worry about it. It's not your fault. In every battlefield, there are bounds to be some sacrifices." he reassured her and Golden replied. "I know!" she looked away. "The most important thing is being alive and not six feet under." said Discord as he placed the ruler on the ground and marked six feet. Golden and Zeus looked at him with wide-eye. "Ooookay?" he said while raising an eyebrow. "I think we need to find the Mane Six so they can defeat Khronos." he suggested. "Sure that could work but where they could be?" she asked and Zeus began to think. ________________________________________ #Insert Music: Anakin's Betrayal of Star Wars Episode III# At the outskirt of Crystal Empire, Khronos and his troops stopped at the hill top, observing the city from afar. "Captain, bring the Princess to me!" ordered Khronos, no longer bearing injuries from Celestia. "Yes, my Lord!" saluted the captain before heading to the armor truck and open the door. "Come on, Princess!" he scolded. "NO!" she refused as she tried to fight back but got restrained since the collar took away her alicorn powers then was taken to Khronos. "What do you want!? Gloat about how we lose to you!?" she asked. "No, I want you to look at your home." he simply said. "Why? To remember it what it used to look like before you conquer it and change it to your liking?" scoffed Cadance. "Not exactly. I want you to remember it, so you can be tortured by this moment of your life forever. Knowing that you couldn't do anything to protect your home. BEHOLD! CRYSTAL EMPIRE FINAL MOMENTS!" he yelled. "WHAT!?" gasped Cadance before she was pinned to the ground on her knees. "What are you implying?!" she asked. "Why don't you watch it instead?" he said as he hoof-pointed at the kingdom. Not from far, she can see a bomber plane flying above it. "No..." she muttered. The bomber plane dropped a nuclear bomb fused with energy-based explosive. Once it impact the street, it created a massive explosive wave that engulfed the whole Crystal Empire, burning and disintegrating everything in the form of a growing plasma dome. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Cadance as she looked away with a breakdown but Kronos forced her to keep watching her kingdom in flames and the screams of agony and pain from many ponies echoes through the sky until the dome slowly fade away and the kingdom are completely glassed. "I hope you enjoyed the view, my princess! Now, no pony shall dare to oppose me and if they challenge me, I would gladly accept their challenge." Khronos sneered as he walked away. "Now there's nothing left for me..." sobbed Cadance then glanced at Khronos. "Why are you doing this?!" she asked in a broken voice. "I want the world to fear me, to know I'm unstoppable! When-" Cadance cut him off. "YOU ARE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM! SOMBRA, CHRYSALIS, TIREK, THE NIGHTMARES! YOU THINK YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE BUT I HEARD CELESTIA PLACED YOU ON A STAND-STILL! YOU ARE NOT UNSTOPPABLE! IF CELESTIA CANNOT STOP YOU, THE MANE SIX WILL!" yelled Cadance with courage. "EVIL NEVER LAST LONG! AND YOU MADE ONE MISTAKE: YOU LET TWILIGHT AND HER FRIENDS LIVE!" she growled. A Khrono Trooper was about to punch her in the face but Khronos stopped him and gave her a death glare. "From everything you've seen... Don't you think it would be logical for me to plan that, no? I have planned this for years! I am not going to be defeat by them. I could kill you now but..." he paused. "But what!?" she hissed. "I prefer that you live in suffering. Eventually that will affect your potential. Believe me, I know it. I once met the Princess of Love that was before you. She was a bit like you." he turned to his troops. "Take her away. When you return to Keuriseu, take her to the dungeon and break her spirit!" he ordered. "Yes, my Lord!" he saluted and approach Cadance. Khronos, however, began to see what Cadance said was true. He shouldn't had let the Mane Six live. "I must find the Princess of Friendship and end this once and for all." he frowned.