The tundras were covered with legions upon legions of ponies and deer in square formations accompanied by siege engines sitting behind them. Catapults, trebuchets, and even a few strange cylindrical objects surrounded by crystals. The only thing comparable was the Roman Legion, and even they weren't so numerous. Stelimus was standing behind everything on an incline for a reason that eluded him. His father was shouting something to his troops while the ponies were being cheered on by their own rulers. During these speeches, a thick white mist settled onto the field and a familiar, gigantic black figure emerged from it. The ponies and deer charged forward, attacking the creature while Grimliss and Effervescence charge forward, Anglacite following closely.
Soldiers were swiped away like toys by its massive arms and siege projectiles bounced off of its body like pieces of cotton. Effervescence was caught on the ground and smushed under foot while Grimliss was caught in midair and crushed by its massive grip. Stelimus couldn't believe what he was seeing. His own family, the lauded 'gods', crushed in mere seconds. He was too caught up in disbelief to register what was happening. The deer's stare was interrupted by Copper Blossom grabbing him and shaking him.
"Stelimus! We have to leave! We have to go!"
"But...My family...How?" Stelimus stared blankly at the giant while Copper started to shake him.
A shadow glared over the two and became smaller and smaller as time passed. Copper backed away in fear and started to look around, only to look up at the last moment and get flattened by a crystal cannon.
"No!" Stelimus shouted.
The giant was staring at Stelimus from across the battlefield. There was nothing left standing, and the grounds were littered with the broken and shattered remains of two armies as well as the bodies of two god-kings and the rulers of the Crystal Kingdom. The enormous behemoth started walking towards the young stag who, in a panic, created spirit-fire orbs to attack it, but they had no effect. By the time it was in arm's reach, it started to tremble and its eyes ceased to glow. Long, bony protrusions erupted from its body and split its abdomen in half. The protrusions were fingers on thin hands and attached to a terrifying creature that Stelimus' mind could not recognize, but its laughter was easy to associate.
"A dream within a dream? Or are you just hopping through time and space?"
"What are you?!"
"The idealism and idolism of the mortal plane always amuses, but when reaching out to this plane, many weak minds were found, but yours is the most familiar."
"Y-you didn't answer my question!" Stelimus was backing up away from the mass of darkness approaching him and averted his gaze.
"Yes. Fear. Phobias. Paranoia. It sustains. Continue like this and you won't see the missing piece of the future. Even false gods can die, but not all are so fortunate."
"Wake up!"
"What?!"
Stelimus bounced up in fright and looked around to see he was in a some room surrounded by crystal walls. His bed was a large, monarch style complete with rooftop, but there wasn't much else in there aside from Copper Blossom, Princess Cadance, and God-King Anglacite, and it was said God-King who woke Stelimus up.
"What's going on? When did we get here?"
"That is what I wish to find out. I learned that my own was wounded by his Aunt and somehow survived." Anglacite bellowed in laughter and patted his son on his back. "I knew you would be a true heir despite your shortcomings!"
"What?!" Cadance stepped up towards the stag until she was mere inches away from his face. "Your own son was nearly killed, by his own family no less, and this is how you react? How could you be so...heartless?"
The deer looked away and placed a hoof in front of the princess' muzzle. "Away from my face, pony-song. I have no need to explain the thoughts of my kind to you."
"That's no excuse for your behavior towards your own family!"
Anglacite lowered his hoof and slowly turned to face the pink pony, his eyes filled with rage. "And what would YOU know about family? What would YOU know about losing so many and living so long? Lives become trivial. Lives ARE trivial. Only those born with value deserve to live. Not the strongest. Not the weakest. Only those with value."
"What?" Cadance reared back.
While they bickered, Copper glomphed Stelimus and hugged him close. "I was so worried. I thought I was going to lose you!"
"What are you talking about? What happened? Where's my sister? Where's my armor and weapon?"
"Your sister is in intensive treatment for magical purification and recovery. She isn't doing very well, but the doctors say she should have died weeks ago. How she's still alive, they don't know."
"I need to go see her."
"No. Stay in bed. You're still being treated as well."
"What?"
Looking at his left foreleg, Stelimus could see that his arm had a tube going into it and feeding him nutrients as well as a large halo of floating, blue crystals draining something from him and gradually going from a pale blue to a sickly yellow-green.
"You and your sister were infected by some sort of contaminated magic. You'll have to ask the doctors."
"And what happened?"
"Well, when that giant worm-thing your sister and you came in burst through the ground of the town square -destroying many houses and tossing others in a hole- it spat you two out, but you were unconscious, then it disappeared back into its hole. It was...fairly gross. Everypony called for help and you two were taken here."
"Here? Why not the hospital?"
"We didn't really know what to do. It was all so sudden, so we brought you to the tower. Then, well, you know the rest."
"And my stuff?"
"Oh, it's right there against the wall," the mare pointed to a pile of white armor.
"Huh. It is."
The two said nothing until Anglacite broke the silence and walked away from Cadance.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Cadance commanded.
"I'm going to take my own bone and velvet to his people to be treated there."
Stelimus raised an eyebrow. "And what about Yolumay?"
"Yolumay?"
The young stag sat up. "Yes, Yolumay. Your daughter? The one you tossed onto her aunt and nearly killed her because of it?"
Anglacite shrugged in response. He seemed genuinely confused. Stelimus' face started to turn red although he didn't have time to explode before a doctor came into the room by literally kicking the doors down. He was a very burly stallion of massive proportions. He towered over Cadance but didn't quite reach Anglacite's height. He wore a white coat that wasn't even button shut and, so, drooped to his sides and nearly got caught under his hooves with every step he took. His coat was a sickly brown and his tail was a contrasting, bright purple. His eyes were the same color as his mane. Judging by the bulges under his coat, he was also a pegasus. The most notable thing about him is that he wore a puffy white wig akin to those worn by nobles in Europe during the eighteenth century, and it was well kempt, too!
"He will be going nowhere." Anglacite had no time to say anything before a patch of surgical was applied to his mouth. "His condition is dire despite him feeling well about it."
"But I-Wait, how--"
The doctor turned towards the princess of love and handed her a note he hid in a pocket inside his coat. "Princess Cadance, I will need you to assist the general of the Crystal Guard and help control the female deer."
"Why? What's wrong with her?" Stelimus asked.
The doctor cleared his throat and adjusted his wig. "Unlike you, she is...extremely 'energetic'. Almost half of the ER staff has been knocked out simply from exhaustion or by having their heads rammed through the ceiling." He turned around and looked at Anglacite struggling to take the tape off his mouth. "You deer don't exactly have high regard for ponies, do you?" He lift an eyebrow and peeked at his patient from the corner of his eye.
The room started to get colder as frost grew along the walls and started to crack the crystal. A shattering noise was heard coming from the tape on Anglacite's mouth, and the doctor had no time to comment on it before the god-king whacked him with his leg with such strength and ferocity that the good doctor found himself flying through several crystal walls.
"DRILL PICK!" Cadance shouted in horror and chased after him.
"Hmph. Serves him right for trying to humiliate me." Anglacite snorted then turned his gaze to his son. "If you have a chance to perish, then I will leave you in the care of these..." He looked around, taking in his surroundings. "Ponies," he spat.
He left shortly after and Cadance came back in holding the doctor in a field and placed him carefully on the ground. He held a foreleg to his chest and gasped for air while Cadance consoled him.
"Are you okay, Drill Pick?"
"Aye. It's a good thing you're such a quick shot with your barriers. I think he might've broken a rib or...twelve."
"Oh no. We need to get you to the hospital immediately!"
"I would rather we go to the beauty salon."
"What? Why?"
"Because he ruined my wig." Drill Pick pushed out a pouty lip and started to tap his wig.
Cadance chuckled calmly and started to relax. "You know, you're lucky I'm so good at creating barriers." She turned towards Stelimus and her mood swam towards the deepest depths. "And you."
"What 'And you'? Are you going to blame me for the behavior of my dad? Oh, I'm SO sorry. I forgot I control the minds of everyone." Stelimus reached under his pillow and pulled a hoof out with nothing on there. "Here's the controller for his collar. I set it on 'edgy'."
Copper giggled and Cadance rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to thank you for not being like your family. You're the first of that family that I've known which hasn't been extremely violent and-or rude towards ponies."
"Oh." Stelimus leaned back and calmed down. "Sorry."
"I've also met the rest of your family and I really don't know what you did but your uncle has become a lot more joyful and kindly than he used to."
"Really? How was he before?"
Cadance looked worriedly away and put a hoof gently to her teeth. "Eeeehhh, I'd rather not say. He wasn't violent, sure, but he was...distant. Yes. Distant. That's the best adjective."
"I see."
"So, Doctor. What's wrong with my Stely?" Copper rubbed her head in Stelimus' neck.
"'My Stely'?" Stelimus was perplexed.
"Well, and it's the same issue as with his sister, but--"