Echoes of the Ancient

by Wandering Axioms

Act 5.1

Act 5

What Lies Within

“The journey home was a long one...”

It was well into the early hours of the morning when the capital of Gryphonia was in sight once again. It wasn’t until the first light of the sun began to creep over the Eastern mountains when they reached the main gates at the foot of the mountain that Stormview was situated on. One of the griffins guarding the majestic wooden doors recognized the Lieutenant after a few seconds of bewilderment.

“L-Lieutenant!?” The young soldier exclaimed after having a look at his superior’s condition. “What happened to you!?”

“No time to explain, son,” Cadmus replied with an exhausted tone. “Let us in, I have to report to the King!” After tossing a concerned glance at the three foreigners he was escorting, the Lieutenant dismissed the guard’s worries. “They’re with me, don’t worry. Now get this damn door open!”

“Y-yes, sir!” The guard stuttered before lifting off into flight. When he was roughly ten feet in the air, he waved a clawed appendage in the air and shouted at the operators on the stone scaffold above. “Open the gate!” Several seconds passed after the two griffins atop the grand doors of the city vanished from sight. What followed was a loud rumbling as the gates slowly shifted open, revealing weathered stone stairs that would take them up the mountain and into the city. The stonework all had the same shade of pale green as the stone in the Parliamentary Hall.

The streets of the city were quite barren; most likely a normal trait at this early hour. The four companions made their way towards the bridge that led up towards the grand castle from where King Samran ruled. Albeit their trek was sluggish and unenthusiastic, considering what they’ve been through in the past several hours.

The King’s manse was built upon a separate collection of rocky spires, connected to the rest of the city by a bridge of the same stonework. The gates were raised, allowing the group access to the inner courtyard. They wasted no time, hurrying as quickly as their fatigued forms could up the stairs and into the entrance hall.

The guards eyed them as they passed; some with concern towards their condition, others with astonishment at the fact that their commander had returned. Aiden and the others paid them no mind, however as they made their way to the throne room. King Samran’s seat of power was vacant, as he was likely still asleep this early in the morning, but the throne room itself was still lit up by various torches along with the still present light of the moon that shone through the rectangular skylights above. The few pairs of eyes turned towards them, all of them belonging to more guards; Lieutenant Eva was among them.

“Cadmus...” she whispered as she stepped forward to examine him closely. She noted that the four of them were incredibly tired, the human’s clothes were filthy, and all of them had dirt caked in their manes and hair. “What happened to you?”

“We were at Silver River Mines,” the Lieutenant began. “We have to inform the King of what happened.” A look of deep worry still plagued his complexion. “But, did the civilian workers from the mines make it to the city?” Eva nodded, a bewildered look still on her face.

“Yes; all of the miners are accounted for and were escorted back to the city by two soldiers under your command.” She answered her equal with confidence. “None of them were harmed.”

“Good,” Cadmus whispered solemnly as he nodded back. “Now, we need to go to the King and tell him what happened with Vanguard and Elder Garand.” Eva’s eyes immediately went wide upon hearing the latter’s name.

“You found the Elder!?” She exclaimed, not realising that she probably just woke up everyone on the premises. Cadmus cringed at this sudden raise in her voice, to which she promptly whispered an apology. He immediately waved it off as no big deal.

“Go and retrieve his Grace,” Cadmus replied. “I’ll tell everything that happened then.” They saluted each other and she then went down the hallway to their left. While Cadmus sighed to himself, lost in his thoughts, Aiden and the others scanned their eyes across the throne room, taking in the surroundings.

It wasn’t all that different than Celestia’s throne room back in Canterlot, but the three of them couldn’t help but feel out of place here. “Speaking of which,” Aiden thought before speaking out loud. “Hey, Cadmus, where’s Princess Celestia?” The Lieutenant turned over with a reassuring smile.

“She’s staying here in the castle; in one of the best guest suites I believe,” he replied right before a thought dawned on him. “Speaking of which, I say she should also be told of what happened, don’t you think?” Aiden and the others promptly nodded to his inquiry. He turned over to one of the guards, standing at attention, motionless at the right hall entrance a spear clutched in his talons. “You heard that, Sergeant,” he called for the soldier’s attention, whom promptly nodded and made his way down the hall to the room that Celestia was staying in.

While waiting, Aiden allowed his eyes to explore their surroundings further. The throne room wasn’t quite as majestic as Celestia’s in his opinion. He shrugged lightly as he thought to himself: “Might be due to the fact that the Royal Palace in Canterlot is made out of mostly marble and precious metals...” Everything was made out of the green tinted rock that the rest of the city was made from, but was further styled with deep scarlet colored rugs and drapes of a similar shade decorated the windows that overlooked the dark city below.

Looking over to his pony companions, Aiden noted that they both looked as though they were about to collapse and shatter like glass from sheer exhaustion; he would’ve laughed at the looks on their faces, but he couldn’t exactly say that he was faring much better.

Lieutenant Eva returned with a tired eyed King Samran just behind her. Aiden had to try fairly hard to suppress laughter when his eyes fell upon the monarch’s bedraggled form; feathers sticking out in chaotic unkempt directions, his eyes still half shut. Despite the obvious exhaustion that was present in his eyes, there was, along with it, a profound sense of anger judging from the cross expression that he and Lieutenant Eva shared.

“She must’ve already told him about Elder Garand...or he’s just pissed about being woken up in the middle of the night.” Aiden thought to himself as he rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting for the other griffin to return with the Princess.

Aiden’s thoughts were confirmed when the King spoke after rubbing the dust and tiredness from his eyes. “The Lieutenant has informed me on the basics of what had occurred at the mines,” he said, his voice still holding onto the exhaustion that his eyes no longer showed. He shook his head at the thought. “I should’ve guessed that something like this would happen eventually.” He spoke in a whisper that still managed to carry itself through the large chamber for all to hear.

Lieutenant Cadmus saluted the moment the King entered the room, and addressed him appropriately. “Your Grace,” he began. “My most sincere apologies for interrupting your slumber.” He solemnly stated with a brief nod. Samran shrugged and grunted in response; not exactly a reply to be expected from royalty, but it was understandable given the circumstances. “I’ve sent for the Princess to be awakened as well; we’ll tell you everything that happened at the mines once she is present.” The King nodded once again, still half asleep as Aiden turned his attention down the opposite hallway to see a familiar face.

Celestia looked just as exhausted as the rest of them; her flowing mane seemed to look bedraggled, which Aiden found rather cartoony, considering the nature of it. Cadmus smiled weakly as the Princess joined them. He thanked and dismissed the guard that escorted her, and it was just the Princess, King Samran, Eva, Aiden and the others in the throne room.

“Good morning, Princess,” King Samran said, weariness still present in his voice. “I hope you had a pleasant rest?” The Princess audibly breathed, her eyes still closed.

“I’ve had worse nights, your Grace,” she murmured in a barely audible tone. She shut her eyes tight before opening them wide, trying to wake herself up. She looked over to Aiden and her other faithful subjects, and smiled warmly at the fact that they were safe. “But, please, let us get to the purpose of our sudden meeting.” King Samran nodded and gestured over to his trusted Lieutenant. Cadmus cleared his throat before he began his explanation.

“Before I begin, I should point out that I remained on the surface for the most of the time; for most of the details, I will have to ask the others,” he pointed at his companions with a talon, “For further information.” As he stepped forward, he began his summary of the events. “When we arrived, I went through with standard procedure, ordering my troops to secure the perimeter, while securing the nearby barracks. I took our friends here into the depths of the mines to search for any survivors that could’ve been trapped down there; we split up, and it was only about fifteen or twenty minutes later when a large earthquake shook the area, separating us.” He paused for a moment and looked over at the others, apparently waiting for one of them to pick up where he had left off.

“Earthquake?” King Samran asked while scratching under his beak. “Odd; we are nowhere near any sort of fault line.”

“Yes,” Aiden sighed before clearing his throat and resuming the summary. “Tempest Runner, Night Step, and myself were isolated from the others after the earthquake caused a tunnel collapse, and the only way we could go was further into the mines. After our descent, we soon entered a ruined human installation, apparently of the same construct as the civilization that built Taotras.”

“And this is where you encountered this ‘Vanguard’ individual?” Samran questioned. Aiden nodded immediately.

“I confronted him in a large containment chamber, where he had hoped to release another Forerunner.” That got both of the monarchs’ attention. “So apparently, my assumptions were correct.” Aiden crossed his arms as a moment of silence followed, both of the leaders apparently in deep thought.

“Tell me, Aiden,” Celestia began. “Did you fight him?”

“No, we held hands and danced the tango while he held a rose between his teeth...” Aiden was perfectly aware that now was most definitely not the best time to be joking around; he answered in a straightforward manner, despite the sarcastic side of his personality wanting to emerge like whenever he gets down on his luck...which, come to think of it, is just about all the time as of late.

“Yes,” Aiden answered truthfully. “We fought, but there wasn’t much I could do against him.” He looked over to the Princess with a reassuring grin to counter her worried frown. “But I managed to hold my own; much better outcome than our first encounter. I made well on my escape and began to search for Night Step and Tempest, whom I got separated from before the fight began.”

Aiden paused to look over at them, taking note of the exhausted expressions that they shared. They both looked as though they were struggling to simply stand up. The lad returned his attention to the Princess, when Cadmus resumed their summary.

“This was around the time that Elder Garand arrived,” the Lieutenant stated. “He provided me with a document that bore your own signature, Sire,” he looked over to King Samran with a confused look. “This document stated that he was to be placed in charge of the relief efforts around Silver River Mines.” The King gave a look of disgust.

“I signed no such document!” He exclaimed. “I would never entrust that old fool with the lives of civilians, or the lives of Gryphonian soldiers! Not in the mental state he was in!” He shook his head at the very idea of someone forging his signature and scowled at his trusted Lieutenant, clearly believing that he deserved some blame in this. But that thought seemed to be quickly replaced as he shook his head again; his right claw balled up into what resembled a fist before he let out a deep sigh, allowing it to return to the ground.

“No; no, I am to share the majority of the blame,” Samran declared in a solemn voice. “I knew that Garand was becoming progressively more unstable; I knew that he resented me since the day I took the throne.” He shook his head, continuing to wallow in his self blame. “I should have known that he would eventually try to do something drastic, but forging my signature and leaving one of my top Lieutenant’s to die?” He looked towards the Princess, whose face only expressed neutrality, then back at Cadmus.

“Lieutenant,” he said in a tired whisper, turning his head towards Aiden and the others. “All of you,” the thought of Garand’s betrayal and the extreme fatigue was making it difficult for him to speak at a steady pace. “I cannot even begin to express how sorry I am that the four of you had to endure this.” He turned his gaze over to Celestia. “Princess,” he sighed, trying to collect himself. “I will need some time to think about...” he paused for a moment, averting his gaze from all the other faces in the room. “Well, a lot of things, really. It’s the middle of the night, and this news hasn’t helped my fatigue whatsoever.” Celestia nodded, her eyes closed.

“I completely understand, your Grace,” the alicorn replied. “I concur that some sleep would do us all well.” She looked over to her three subjects, taking the distant, tired expressions on their faces as a sign of agreement.

To Aiden, sleep was the most attractive sounding word in the English language at the present moment. “We do have some other guest rooms for them to stay in,” Samran replied to Celestia’s suggestion. “Lieutenant,” he continued, turning his attention to Cadmus. “I believe that the four of you have more than earned a restful slumber; I’m sure you hold no objections?” The Lieutenant immediately shook his head.

“No, your Grace,” Cadmus said, letting a tired laugh escape his mouth. The King nodded as he stepped aside of the passageway he came from.

“Well then,” the monarch smiled softly. “By all means, allow me to show you to your lodgings.”

---

The four of them were exhausted beyond any form of expression; Night Step, still completely drained from the giant teleportation spell he performed, combined with walking the entire stretch back to the city easily rendered him the weariest. Tempest Runner at least managed to let out a simple “Good night,” before shuffling his way into his guest room. Aiden gave an absentminded nod and waved without looking away from the door to his own room, right between the two ponies’ rooms.

His tired vision rejoiced at the sight of a rather grandiose looking bed; a deep crimson red cover draped over the sides of the mattress, all of which was supported by a metallic frame. The feeling of his fragile body collapsing onto the welcoming bed was simply heavenly, and sleep seemed to be right around the corner.

It felt like only a few fleeting seconds had passed before Aiden awoke to the sound of a gentle voice calling his name. He was on his stomach, face shoved into one of the two pillows; his body felt like a giant lead weight.

“Aiden,” the familiar voice of the Princess whispered as he felt her hoof nudge him slightly. He managed to reply with a halfhearted groan, muffled by the pillow. “Come on,” she ushered once more with her hoof. “Get up.”

He rolled over onto his back slowly, letting out a deep sigh. He heard a soft giggle come from her before his eyes opened completely, revealing the pure white alicorn standing at the side of the bed, smiling back at him. “Five more minutes, Mommy,” Aiden said while curling into a little ball and pulling off the look of a reluctant child, all while grinning like an idiot.

“Funny,” she said, retaining her amused smile. “Come on, now; it’s a long way back to Canterlot, and I would like to be there before nightfall.” Aiden sat up at those words stretching his arms out until he heard his shoulders make a soft pop. He scanned the room he had spent the night in; considering that he was too exhausted to take in his surroundings the previous evening; sunlight poured through the windows to his left. Judging on the height of the sun, it was likely almost noon.

With one swift motion, Aiden swept his legs over the edge and stood up as the Princess left the door open slightly on her way out. After giving his neck a stretch, he was on his feet, following the Princess out.

“So, what time is it?” The human asked as he closed the door behind him, mentally voicing his thankfulness that he had no possessions he had to carry with him.

“Nearly eleven,” she replied as they proceeded down the hall. “Tempest Runner is awake, but I’ve decided to let Night Step sleep in a little longer, considering how exhausted he was after casting that spell.”

“What about Cadmus?” Aiden asked.

“The Lieutenant is speaking with the King right now; he’s just filling him in on the remaining details on what happened.”

“I see,” Aiden sighed right before letting out a yawn. “And when do you plan on heading back to Canterlot?”

“I was hoping before noon, but that seems unlikely by now.” Aiden’s thoughts drifted on to far away things as the conversation died out. He contemplated on their next course of action upon their inevitable return to Canterlot; what they were going to do about the Thorn, Vanguard, the other Forerunners. He deeply longed for there to be a simple panacea for all of his problems.

They emerged into the main hall of the castle; Samran’s guards were making their daily rounds as Tempest Runner waited patiently on a wooden bench by the wall. Aiden smiled, throwing a small, casual wave in his friend’s direction, to which the pegasus gladly returned with a timid wave back with his hoof.

He approached the bench and went to sit with him, hands tucked away in his pockets. “Sleep well?” Tempest inquired when the human planted himself to his right.

“I slept,” Aiden replied, tossing his head back as he let out another yawn. “Not certain that it would constitute as ‘well,’ because I’m still really tired.” His yawn proved to be contagious, as Tempest followed with one of his own before voicing his opinion.

“I know what you mean,” he sighed. “I still feel exhausted, every muscle in my body feels like jelly, I’m practically wasting away from starvation,” he paused as he rolled onto his side and placed a hoof over his belly. “I didn’t have anything to eat since we left Canterlot, aside from that mug of cider from yesterday morning, and there’s no doubt I worked off every single calorie of it from all that running away we did yesterday.”

“Yeah,” Aiden chuckled at a new thought. “If we did something like that everyday, we might be able to score it as supermodels!” Tempest scoffed at first, but couldn’t hold back a smirk at the idea. Even Celestia, whom he thought had moved on without him, giggled at the very idea.

“Yeah, right,” he laughed. “I don’t think I’m quite tall enough for that. Plus I doubt that I could deliberately starve myself for extended periods.”

“Speaking of which,” Aiden added, placing a hand over his rumbling stomach, while it violently demanded to be fed. He looked over to the alicorn, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “Hey, Princess, I know you wanted to be out of here by noon,” Celestia nodded and gave her agreement before Aiden even finished his request.

“The castle chefs are in the kitchen, preparing meals for the rest of the staff,” she said. “I’m fairly certain they won’t mind cooking up a little something for you both.” This earned a hopeful smile from both of them. The human and pegasus smiled at each other briefly, optimistic toward the thought of getting a hot meal in both of their bellies before setting out on the cold way back.

“Sounds good,” Tempest commented, standing up before he hopped onto the floor a few feet away. Aiden wasted no time in following him.

“Which way to the dining hall, Princess?” He asked. She pointed towards the hallway immediately to their left, then the one on the other side of the throne room.

“Either way will take you there; it’s impossible to miss,” she replied. “I’ll go wake Night Step in the meantime.” Upon her leave, the human and pegasus anxiously made the trek towards the northern end of the castle’s lower floor, where the dining hall was located.

“Oh, boy,” Aiden thought to himself. “I can’t wait to get to taste some meat! Fish, chicken, pork...beef is outta the question I guess,” he shrugged as he remembered that cows were sapient in this world. “Plus chickens are birds, and griffins are...half bird...that would be like a human eating a chimpanzee, or something.” That took another potential choice off the menu. “And it would be just my luck that they’re a culture that considers pigs to be ‘unclean’ and don’t eat them either.” He shrugged. “Fish and chips it is, I guess...”

The dining hall was just as lavish as the one in the Royal Palace, with fancy drapes hanging over the windows, obscuring the sunlight from outside. The long rectangular table and chairs were made of a dark polished wood, and the plates and silverware were set. Servants were rushing to and fro, trying to get final preparations set for what would actually be lunch for the King and his constituents, given how close to noon it was.

“Can I help you, milord?” A voice to Aiden’s right asked. He suppressed the instinctive urge to jump at the sudden presence, looking over to see a middle aged male griffin carrying an empty platter. “Anything you need?”

Aiden pointed over to Tempest. “We’re just here to get something to eat before the Princess decides to head back to Canterlot,” he replied. The servant nodded.

“Very well, milord,” he said. “I’ll see what the chefs are working on right now; perhaps they’ll be able to fix something up for the two of you.” Aiden and Tempest seated themselves next to each other, waiting for the servant to return.

“What’s our move once we get back to Canterlot?” Tempest asked as Aiden began rhythmically drumming his fingers on the table. Aiden shook his head slowly, grasping at the first answer that came to mind.

“I suppose we need to find more powers for the Thorn,” Aiden said, lifting his left arm slightly. “You and Night Step both saw what it was capable of at a basic level; my newest power allows me to slow time, so God only knows what else this is capable of.”

“I guess we’ll find out once you learn to actually control it,” Tempest scoffed.

“Yeah,” Aiden laughed while grabbing his left wrist. “If that’s even possible; I’m fairly convinced that this thing is self aware and will only work when it wants to.”

“Threaten to cut it out when it doesn’t do what you say,” Tempest jested. Aiden gave a half hearted chuckle at that, picking up the fork at his placemat and making a stabbing motion at his hand.

“Aggh, get outta me, you fucking glowing parasite!” He said nonchalantly before setting the fork back where it was. “Like that?” He asked Tempest while leaning back on his chair.

Tempest nodded, and probably would’ve given a thumbs up if he had fingers. “Perfect audition, Aiden.” Someone to Aiden’s left cleared their throat, trying to earn his attention. It was the servant, only now he was without the platter.

“The chefs are most willing to prepare something for you,” he said. “We have everything you could name: pastas, salads, wines, shellfish; what would you prefer?”

“What kind of shellfish do you serve?” Aiden asked, determined to get some meat in his stomach.

“Lobster, oyster, shrimp, prawn,” the servant said, scratching a talon against his chin. “Just name whatever you’d like; chances are we’ve got it. We typically don’t have guests, aside from members of Parliament, and they’re all quite familiar with our menu.”

“I see,” Aiden replied, wondering if they knew of the dish he was thinking of. “Do you have lobster thermidor?” The griffin smiled and nodded. “They know of a late 19th-century French dish...I said I would no longer be surprised by anything...” Aiden was really just glad to have something familiar in front of him.

“Of course, milord,” the servant said. “One lobster thermidor,” he looked over to Tempest. “And for you, good sir?”

“A steamed vegetable salad would be nice,” he said.

“Anything to drink?”

“Chardonnay would be nice,” Aiden said, repositioning himself in his chair.

“I’ll have tea,” Tempest answered.

“Understood, sirs,” the servant bowed. “I’ll have your drinks out momentarily.” And with that said, he was gone again, leaving the human and the pegasus alone.

“So,” Tempest began, a new tone of seriousness to his voice. “In all honesty, where do we go from here? Where do you plan to find more of these powers? What about the other Forerunners; will Vanguard try to release them too?”

Aiden bit his lip, thinking as hard as he could on these questions. “Tempest, in all honesty, I’ve just been encountering these new powers by nothing more than sheer fucking coincidence...”

“Coincidence?” Tempest echoed. Aiden paused for a moment, still biting his lip, before nodding.

“Yeah...” he whispered.

“You just happened to find an advanced, ancient superweapon in the heart of the Everfree Forest, and you just happened to keep finding new powers for it in the same place where we just happened to cross paths with Vanguard again at the moment when we need them?” Aiden frowned at Tempest’s brief spiel.

“What are you trying to say?” Aiden asked.

“There’s no such thing as a coincidence this big, Aiden,” Tempest replied. “In my opinion: I think you’re being led down a path.”

Aiden blinked at that. “A...path?” He shook his head. “Who? Who is leading me? And where, for that matter?” Tempest shrugged.

“There are hundreds of religions and faiths practiced throughout this world; my guess is, whichever higher power happens to be real.” He shrugged again. “Or maybe it’s something we haven’t guessed at yet, who knows? As for where, I probably know less than you.”

Aiden remained silent only for a moment. “If there’s only one thing that I know for certain, it’s the fact that I know next to nothing,” he sighed. “I have a vague idea of what the Thorn is capable of, I have a weak grasp on what the Equinox is, I only have a faint guess at what Vanguard’s ultimate goal is.” He shook his head, looking away from his friend for a brief moment. “I guess that there’s one thing that I’m beginning to understand.”

“And what is that?” Tempest asked.

Aiden frowned, resting his left arm on the table. “What’s going to happen will happen, regardless of how I try to avoid it.” He said. “There’s no dodging the fact that I have to kill Vanguard, but that’s not what I’m afraid of.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Aiden seemed to gain a distant look in his eyes. “The visions I’ve been having in the Equinox are not visions; they’re real. The nightmarish ruins of Canterlot; that was a look into Equestria’s future,” He closed his eyes, a look of anger coming over him. He had sworn to the Princess that he would be willing to sacrifice anything and everything to defy a future such as that. But how could he even hope to stop something like that himself? “Am I really the best hope that Equestria has? Hell, the best hope that this entire world has?” He shook his head, almost baring his teeth. “I can’t hope to defy something like that...”

The servant returned, interrupting the conversation between them. “A bottle of our finest chardonnay,” he said, lifting a dark green bottle off of a platter and placing it in front of him. “For our bipedal friend,” he continued placing a wine glass next to it. “And for the brave Corporal, herbal tea.” He said, placing the hot beverage right in front of the pegasus.

“Thank you,” Tempest said.

“Certainly, sirs; your orders will be finished momentarily.” And with that, he was gone again. Aiden poured himself his first glass of chardonnay, being certain to go easy on the booze this time around. As he took the first, cautious sip of the white wine, he turned towards the doorway that connected the dining hall to see the sulking form of Night Step, slowly sauntering his way to the chair to Aiden’s left, the one to his right being occupied by Tempest, in an almost instinctive fashion.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Tempest said as Night Step passed. The tired mage offered little more than what sounded like a monotone grumble. The mage sat himself down in the chair, resting his chin on the table, and closed his eyes instantly. Aiden and Tempest could’ve sworn that he was instantly asleep once again.

“Sleep well?” Aiden asked. Night Step opened his mouth, ready to speak, only to let out a flurry of raspy, phlegmy coughs. Aiden leaned away, not wanting the unicorn’s germs to get on him.

“I think I caught something,” he said simply while sniffing.

“You don’t say,” Aiden thought with a frown.

“Does something like this normally happen if you overexert yourself?” Tempest asked.

“Yes,” Night Step replied, his right ear twitching. Aiden looked up to see a servant, this time a female griffin, bringing a platter with both of their orders.

“Could you bring us a glass of water for him?” The human requested, pointing a finger at the sickly unicorn. She nodded wordlessly, placing both of their meals in front of them.

“Oh, boy,” Tempest smiled, taking a whiff of the appetizing bowl of vegetables, bread, and spices in front of him. “This looks delicious,” he looks back to the servant. “Thank you, so much!” The griffin nodded her head and smiled, the only acknowledgement she gave for his kind words before taking her leave.

Aiden picked up his fork and immediately dug in. The taste of meat gracing his tongue was a blessed relief at this point, coming off an almost completely vegetarian diet. “Do you want anything to eat, Night Step?” He asked, looking over to the mage.

Night Step made another noise that resembled little more than another unintelligible grunt, his nostrils flaring as he heaved out a heavy sigh. “No,” he replied. “Thanks for getting me some water, though.”

“Sure thing,” Aiden nodded, taking another bite out of his meal. As the servant returned with the glass of water, Celestia entered the dining hall alongside King Samran; Lieutenant Cadmus followed them in. He lifted a hand up to wave at them. Cadmus gave a happy wave back and moved to sit next to Tempest.

“Good morning, everyone,” King Samran said, while he and Celestia sat on the opposite side of the table. “I trust that you’ve all had recuperative rests?”

“Most of us, your Grace,” Aiden replied while gesturing to Night Step, who had already drank at least half of his water. “But I must commend your chefs, because this thermidor is simply spectacular!”

“Ah, you have good taste, my friend,” Samran said. “Now then, I’ve spoken with the Princess here,” the two monarchs exchanged glances. “In regards to the threat that Vanguard and the Forerunners pose to both of our nations. We’ve agreed that this threat transcends any previous grievances we’ve had with each other in the past.”

“Indeed,” Celestia continued. “King Samran and I have agreed to contribute to mutual defence.”

“But do keep in mind, Princess, that with Elder Garand hoping to lead a rebellion against me, I will likely be unable to follow up on our agreement.” He shook his head. “Not until Garand has been apprehended and brought to justice for his treason.”

“Fair enough,” Celestia nodded. “Just make sure that he is apprehended quickly.”

“Don’t worry; I’m having the dukes of the other cities informed that he’s wanted for treason.” He smirked. “He won’t be hiding for long.”

Aiden had finished feeding his ravenous stomach by the time the two monarchs had finished conversing with each other. He sat back, letting out a sigh of content. “Yeah,” he thought. “That’s definitely sitting well.” He suppressed the urge to let out a guttural belch, given the fact that he was in front of royalty.

“Gods above,” Tempest laughed. “You’re done already?”

“Hey, I hadn’t eaten a thing since we got here,” the human replied. “I’m entitled to indulge myself at least this once.”

“True,” the pegasus nodded before going back to his salad.

“When will we be setting out, Princess?” Aiden asked.

“Hopefully it’s shortly after you both finish eating,” she replied. “But, please; the last thing I want is to rush you, especially after what the three of you have been through together.”

“I don’t feel rushed, Princess,” Aiden answered, taking another sip of his wine. “Repeated daytime drinking,” he thought as he eyed the nearly empty glass, thinking back to the cider incident the other day. “That’s how far down I’ve come, huh?” He looked over to the pegasus. “Do you feel rushed, Tempest?”

“Hmm?” The pony tore his face from the bowl, his mouth still full of greens. He merely shook his head before going back to his meal.

“See?” Aiden smiled back at the alicorn. “And I don’t think Night Step will object.” He looked to his left, only to find the unicorn resting his chin on the white tablecloth, his eyes closed, and breathing through his barely parted lips. “Aww,” Aiden thought with a smirk. “He looks so peaceful...” He turned back to Celestia. “No objections here, your Majesty.” He stated before finishing his wine.

“Very well, then,” she nodded.

“Princess,” Samran called. “If you don’t mind, there are some final things I’d like to discuss before your departure.” Again, Celestia nodded and stood up with the griffin King. She looked over to her subjects.

“We’ll be in the main hall if you need us,” she stated before following the King out, leaving Cadmus with them. The Lieutenant sat in the chair right across from Aiden, a smile playing across his complexion as the voices of the monarchs faded into the distance.

“Hey,” the officer said to the three foreigners.

“Hey,” Aiden mirrored the word back at him, while Tempest nodded at the Lieutenant; Night Step, however, was still too exhausted to give anything more than a low mumble as a response.

“We make quite the team, huh?” The griffin said.

“Yeah,” Aiden chuckled. “I suppose we do; though, I hate to think of what our chances would’ve been if we hadn’t bumped into each other.”

“No need for chivalry,” he replied. “I may have found the way out, but you’re the one who fought off those monsters; I doubt that I would’ve been able to handle something like that.” Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, thinking to himself.

“Still don’t really know how to get the Thorn to work when I need it to,” He thought to himself. “Thanks,” he said, accepting the Lieutenant’s praise. “But really, I doubt we would’ve made it without these two,” he pointed at the two ponies at his sides with his thumbs. “Chances are, we would’ve been buried alive were it not for them.”

“Aye,” Cadmus replied. “I’ll gladly drink to that.”

“You guys still owe, me,” Night Step managed to say clearly, giving a smug grin with his eyelids still shut.

“True,” Aiden nodded. “How can we ever repay you, oh great and powerful Night Step, for saving our sorry asses?” The unicorn lifted his head up and forced his eyes open. He seemed to think about it for a few seconds before nodding to himself and giving an answer.

“Cake,” Night Step replied. “A big cake with my face on it, showing off how awesome I am and how I am the only explanation necessary for why unicorns are the true master race.”

“Fat chance,” Tempest scoffed in a teasing manner, putting emphasis on the first word. Night Step only blew raspberry at the pegasus, telling him exactly what he thought. Aiden shook his head at their usual bickering, yet appreciated that it was at least all in a friendly way this time.

Tempest and Aiden finished their meals, and the four of them returned to the main hall, where Celestia and Samran were waiting for them. “Ah, there they are,” Samran said, as the two of them were finishing their conversation. “I trust that the food was satisfactory?” The King asked.

“Yes, your Grace,” Aiden replied. “Thank you very much.” The monarch shook his head and waved a hand dismissively.

“Think nothing of it,” he said. “It’s the very least that I can do at the time being to repay you three for risking your lives in the search for answers.” He gestured to Celestia. “Your Princess and I have discussed the nature of how this cooperative defence between our militaries would pan out. Once our little rebellion problem has been dealt with, I’ll send word for a meeting to be held; next time in your city, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“I look forward to it, Samran,” she nodded. She turned back to her subjects. “Now then; Aiden, Tempest, Night Step; I trust that you have everything that the three of you need?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Tempest confirmed. “We’re all ready to leave.”

“Excellent,” the Princess nodded before she looked over to the King. “Now, your Grace, I really shouldn’t be keeping you from your duties any longer.”

Samran returned his gaze to Celestia, kneeling before her. “Of course; it’s been a pleasure, your Majesty.”

“Likewise, my friend,” she returned. And with that brief exchange, King Samran left to return to his daily responsibilities as the leader of a nation.

---

The Lieutenant had journeyed with them to the airpad just outside the city walls; Celestia was already seated in her chariot, with the two Royal Guard pegasi ready to depart at any time. It was approaching noon, yet the sun was heavily obscured by a thick veil of clouds; it appeared as though it would begin snowing at any moment. As they stood under the archway that led to the airpad, Aiden and his accomplices turned to their new griffin friend. Silence followed for a few moments, save for the sound of the city around them; the Lieutenant shrugged.

“I guess this is it for now,” he said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Tempest nodded wordlessly.

“I guess it is,” Aiden replied before extending a hand out. “It was nice getting to know you, Cadmus,” he smiled as the griffin accepted the gesture.

“Yeah, I am quite a charmer, ain’t I?” The Lieutenant unabashedly admitted with a laugh as Tempest and Night Step went to exchange their own farewells. “Shame we can’t get a picture together.” This managed to get smiles from the three of them.

“See ya around, Lieutenant,” Tempest laughed.

“I would hope so, kid,” the officer replied, patting the pegasus on the shoulder. He moved on to Night Step. “Take care of yourself, my friend.”

“I will,” a sickly Night Step smiled as the two of them exchanged farewells with a hand/hoof shake.

“What are you going to do now?” Aiden asked. Cadmus shrugged again.

“Well, I’ll be returning to my usual duties, but first thing’s first,” he paused, holding up a talon. “The refugees from Silver River mines had to be evacuated here, along with several civilians that have been displaced from the surrounding villages. With the risk that those tremors pose, the rural terrain around the mountain is simply not safe.” He nodded with a smile. “Stormview is the closest city, so chances are I’ll be helping, along with the rest of the city guard, as much as we can.”

“Hopefully they can get back to their homes soon,” Tempest said with a worried frown.

“Yeah,” Cadmus sighed, looking back into the city he kept watch over. “You’re not the only one hoping for that.” He turned back to them. “But, I think we’ve kept your Princess waiting long enough. It’s about time you guys got on your way, otherwise you’ll never make it home.”

Night Step said nothing more as he turned and began moving toward the chariot, while Aiden and Tempest gave their last farewells to the griffin. Aiden stuffed his hands in his pockets as he and Tempest turned to follow Night Step.

Aiden almost came to a complete halt when he felt something cold and metallic in his left pocket. Letting out a curious hum, he pulled the unknown object out, revealing it to be the necklace he had found in the caves. Holding it in his palm, while the chain dangled between his parted fingers, he could’ve sworn that the sapphire in the center of the amulet was staring back at him.

“Holy fuck,” was the only reaction his mind could conjure at first. “I can’t believe I still have this thing after everything that’s happened...that’s nothing short of a God-given miracle.”

“Something wrong, Aiden?” Tempest’s voice called, snapping the human’s mind out of its surprised stupor. The man turned a hundred and eighty degrees again, calling for the Lieutenant’s attention.

“Hey, Cadmus!” He yelled, holding his left arm out, showing off the necklace. “Wait up!” The griffin’s ears noticeably twitched at the sudden call of his name, causing him to turn back to his friends with a look of confusion. Confusion turned to curiosity once he took note of the piece of jewelry in Aiden’s hand.

“What is it?” Cadmus asked as Aiden approached, still holding the necklace out. The human looked to the amulet as he came to a stop, only a few feet away from the Lieutenant, as he let out a deep breath.

“I can’t believe I’m just now remembering this,” Aiden sighed while shaking his head before opening his palm. Cadmus tilted his head as he stared at the odd little trinket.

“What is it?” Cadmus asked.

“This thing,” Aiden answered, lowering it down slightly to the Lieutenant’s eye level. “I found it in the mines, before the tunnel collapse.” He paused before extending his arm out further, waiting for Cadmus to do the same, though the griffin seemed as though he didn’t entirely understand what his friend wanted.

“You,” Cadmus whispered, narrowing his eyes. “You want me to take it?” Aiden nodded.

“Yes,” the human answered, extending his arm out as far as it would go, now merely inches from Cadmus’ already outstretched talon. The Lieutenant looked back at the necklace for a moment before opening his palm and taking the trinket into his hand.

“You also would like me to return it to its owner?” The Lieutenant guessed, holding the amulet in one hand and the apex of the chain in the other.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Aiden replied with a nod. Cadmus again returned his gaze to the man in front of him, an understanding demeanour on his face. The griffin officer nodded his head to confirm it.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do; the workers from the mines are all present and accounted for; or so I’m told; so I think I’ll be able to find the right one.”

“Thank you, Cadmus,” Aiden smiled as he backed away. Night Step was already on the chariot, with Tempest Runner standing only a few feet from it; both of them, along with the Princess were looking back at the exchange going on between the two new friends. Aiden threw one last departing wave in Cadmus’ direction, to which the Lieutenant gladly returned.

Aiden sat himself down next to Tempest, just like he did on the way to Gryphonia. Night Step sat across from them, while Celestia sat in the large space adjacent to them, in a regal looking throne clearly intended for her.

“What was it, Aiden?” Celestia inquired with her usual gentle voice.

“Nothing too important,” Aiden smiled, shaking his head. “Just something I felt obligated to do.”

“Very well then,” she replied before raising her voice for the other two pegasi to hear. “Let us be off!” They responded immediately, their wings flaring as they trotted forward, pulling the chariot with them.

---

As a gentle afternoon flurry of snow descended on the city of Stormview, the young griffin named Klein quietly shuffled his way through the crowd, ignoring the voices of his disgruntled co workers. The initial confusion and chaos had died down, and he had to hand it to the city guard and military; they managed to get things under control relatively quickly.

A relief camp was set up in the worker’s district, which was rather open and had more space than any of the other city districts to set up tents. The miners and displaced civilians were all provided with a place to rest and a warm meal. “I guess that’s one thing I should be thankful for,” Klein thought. The mood of the miners had surprisingly become more positive as the hours passed, despite the initial despair that he and everyone else felt when the fact became obvious that their place of work was no longer on the map.

While many of the other miners had begun socializing, some even playing simple games with cards or marbles, Klein remained solitary, since he knew none of these individuals on a truly personal level. Something that caught his eye, however, was a gathering of several griffin and Kobosian miners around a larger tent, close to the center of the camp.

There seemed to be a loose sense of order about it; the individuals closer to the tent seemed to form an organized line of sorts, while those who were further away were crowded into a chaotic mess. Klein tilted his head as he began strafing around the crowd, trying to discern what the fuss was about. He caught wind of a guard trying to get the workers to form an orderly line; something about storage and retrieving lost possessions.

“Please; I must ask that everyone form a straight line!” The guard futilely shouted over the roar of the crowd around them.

“What’s going on here?” Klein asked another griffin miner at the back of the gathering.

“These folks are anxious to get their stuff back,” the older fellow answered in a gruff tone of voice.

“Same for you?” Klein replied.

“Yep,” the griffin heaved a bored sigh. It was clear enough for Klein that this griffin was not exactly in the mood for small talk with a complete stranger, so he allowed the conversation (really, it hardly even fitted the word, “conversation”) to die out.

The sound of wings flapping at a near distance away got a firm hold on Klein’s attention.

---

Lieutenant Cadmus landed right before the entrance of the tent; where all of the personal effects that were recovered in the barracks were ready to be distributed to their owners...well, more like to the first individual to lay claim to said object. One of his sergeants noticed him from the tent’s entrance.

“Good afternoon, sir!” The soldier shouted over the crowd as he gave a quick salute. Cadmus returned with one of his own before stepping around the crowd to get a better look at the entrance.

“Good afternoon, Sergeant,” the Lieutenant responded as he threw a glance back at the anxious members at the back of the crowd. “I trust that all goes well?” The sergeant nodded.

“About as well as one would expect, given the circumstances.” Cadmus looked back to the pile of objects that have been recovered; these included books, clothing, jewelry, and even a few records (a rare thing outside of the cities, seeing as how electricity had only been introduced a few years ago).

Cadmus raised an eyebrow as he returned his attention to the Sergeant. “How long do you think it’ll take before you guys get all this stuff out of here?” The Sergeant let out a huff, looking back at the disorderly pile of lost objects.

“I can’t really say, sir,” he replied. “We’ve been out here for a few hours already...”

Cadmus looked over as a Kobosian claimed a series of three adventure novels from the pile. “I see,” he answered in a soft manner as the Kobosian left, throwing a few thank yous over his shoulder at the guards. The Lieutenant reached for the satchel slung around his waist; he opened it, and pulled out the silver necklace with the sapphire in the middle of the amulet.

He got his first good look at the back of it; there was an inscription of some sort. An image of a three headed dragon or serpent was at the top, while at the bottom there was a phrase in quotations, though he didn’t recognize the language. In between the image of the serpent and the quote, right in the middle of the amulet was another logo. It appeared to be a simple circle at first glance, but upon slightly closer inspection, Cadmus could make out what looked like a griffin’s hand holding on to what appeared to be a Kobosian’s arm by the elbow.

This made Cadmus think that it was maybe a symbol of fellowship between the miners, until he noticed that the Kobosian part of the circle was holding onto what looked eerily similar to a human hand. It didn’t seem as rugged as the griffin section; Cadmus could even make out the nails, going off of what he saw on Aiden’s hand. Each of these limbs took up a third of the circle, with the human hand holding onto the griffin, also by the elbow.

“Something for the pile, Lieutenant?” The Sergeant inquired, breaking Cadmus from his little trance. The Lieutenant looked at his subordinate.

“I, uh...” he stammered at first, looking back at the necklace in his hand before nodding. “Yeah, yeah,” he continued holding the amulet out. “I think I know who owns it, though...”

“You do?” The Sergeant asked, giving his superior a look of sheer shock.

“Yes,” Cadmus answered, his mind wandering back to the young miner he encountered in the mines. “What was his name?” He asked himself, giving a small scowl. “Something that began with a K, or a C...” He handed the amulet to the Sergeant.

“Who exactly am I looking for?” He asked the Lieutenant once the necklace was in his talons.

Cadmus sighed softly. “A young griffin lad,” he said. “A few years older than Garret,” he said, using his son for reference. “I’d say around twenty or so. His name began with a K.”

“That’s not a whole lot to go on, sir,” the Sergeant replied with a frown.

“Let me finish,” he gently answered, holding a talon up. “He said that it was an heirloom handed down to him by his mother, who passed away some time ago.” The Sergeant nodded, holding the amulet up.

“There’s no guarantee that he’ll even come here,” the Sergeant said, looking at the amulet. He turned back to Cadmus and nodded once. “But I’ll see what can be done, sir.”

“Good, that’s what I want to hear,” the Lieutenant nodded as he showed himself out of the tent.

---

Klein thought that he recognized the guy; he wanted to go up to him, he wanted to thank him for helping him and the rest of the miners. But the second the thought came to him, the Lieutenant flapped his wings and was in the air in a matter of seconds. Klein looked around, seeing that the crowd was thinning out, as some simply wanted to get out of the cold and the snow, which was coming down at a heavier rate.

“No way I’m giving up my spot now,” Klein thought to himself, shaking off a thin layer of snow that had covered him. “Do your worst, nature!” As the line continued to get shorter and shorter, so too did the pile inside the tent. In all honesty, he didn’t know what he expected to find. Perhaps it was because he really had nothing else of true value to him.

“Next,” one of the guards called as an older griffin walked away with a pair of gloves. There were seven individuals in front of him still.

“Next,” the guard called again, as a disappointed Kobosian walked away empty handed. Klein leaned to his right, seeing that the only things left in the pile seemed to be books and clothing.

“Next,” the guard sighed, clearly tired of the tedious process. Five people still in front of him.

“Next.” Klein looked down toward the ground at his talons.

“Come on, let’s get on with it,” the lad anxiously thought.

“Next.” Three people left; Klein tuned out the spiel that the guard gave to every person in line when their turn came. At this point, he was walking forward subconsciously whenever he heard that four letter word.

“Next.”

“Next.”

“Next.”

“Good afternoon, sir,” the guard at the table to his right said. He held a quill in his left hand as he was writing on a piece of parchment. “What items would you be hoping to reclaim today?” Klein couldn’t answer his question, for his attention was drawn to the griffin standing in between him and the pile.

Strung around this griffin’s neck, was a silver amulet.

---

Evening had come quickly; normal, though, considering how deep into the Autumn season they were. The cold seemed to follow them South, along with a brazen snowstorm. Canterlot was simply beautiful, though, with the lights shining through every window as the flakes of snow came down.

Aiden sat in the music room within the Royal Palace, back to sharpening his skills as a pianist; Moonlight Sonata once again, which Aiden deemed appropriate (and it was among his favorite pieces). He wished that he had some sheets to work with, rather than having to go by memory.

Frustration had once again gotten the better of him after twenty minutes of trying to remember each individual note. He got the beginning movements in C-sharp minor down, but...

“Fuck!” Aiden cussed as he couldn’t think of what came next. Turning his attention to the clock on the wall, which read 8:37. He was still rather exhausted from the previous day of nonstop marathon running, so he decided that an early rest would help get him back on some sort of schedule. Then again, it wasn’t like he had to wake up for school or work in the morning, so it wasn’t really of any consequence, but still, he just despised the idea of waking up after ten in the morning.

Aiden’s steps echoed through the empty hallways of the Palace; he just hoped that he wasn’t disturbing anypony’s rest. The wind and snow pelted against the windows, as if demanding to be let in. The horizon had a very dull pink light illuminating its edges. Upon entering his room, he saw that there was something laid upon the foot of his bed. It was a pair of white nightwear, comprising a long sleeve shirt and pants. On top of it was a note, written in pretty cursive.

Had something made for you to wear to bed;

hope it’s more comfortable than what you always wear--

-Princess C.

Aiden smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift. Indeed, upon touching the clothing, Aiden felt like he would have the first full rest in a long time.

He went into the bathroom after slipping his boots off, giving his sore feet a chance to breathe. His reflection in the mirror looked just as disheveled as ever, only minus the facial hair this time. He tugged at a few strands of hair before letting them fall back against the side of his face, thinking of how much he could use a haircut.

He turned his attention from his face to his hands, giving a surprised grimace at how long the nails have become. It was a miracle that he hadn’t caught them on something. He brought his left hand up to his lips, biting at the nail on his index finger; knowing that ponies didn’t have nails, he figured he would find nothing in the bathroom that he could use.

As he moved from one finger to the next, he noticed that the Thorn began to glow. This caught him by surprise, as he brought his left hand out in front of him, slightly afraid that the ancient super weapon might burn his face off if it was that close.

“Now you decide to turn on?” Aiden asked the thing, knowing full well he wouldn’t get a response. He frowned deeply at the thing, shaking his head. He looked back at his reflection with a blank expression being given back to him. He returned his gaze to the Praemian Thorn, facing the back of his hand up. The usual glyphs of the weapon were illuminated, but the rings on the knuckles that represented his powers were dark. “Huh, that’s kinda weird...usually this means something bad is about to happen.” He looked back to his reflection, sighing...

It didn’t move. His image in the mirror was still staring at him blankly, the left palm facing up. Aiden’s head jerked back at the subtle abnormality. His reflection failed to repeat the action. It just kept staring at him, its soulless eyes locking on to his. Aiden was quite certain that he had enough at this point, he just wanted to shout “Nope!” and walk out of the room, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The dead gleam in the eyes of his reflection had captivated him; he simply couldn’t look away, as though a demon had possessed the mirror, and the scourge had spread to his body through his eyes.

“Apparently I can’t even think without jinxing the situation,” Aiden thought as his hand left hand moved toward the mirror against his will. When his skin met it, the surface rippled where it touched, as if it were a pool of water. His reflection, still staring at him with a blank death stare, mirrored this action.

Aiden felt the reflection’s hand make contact with his own. The Thorn began to glow brighter once this happened. The human bit his lip, wanting to look away from what would happen, but his body simply wouldn’t obey. The reflection tilted its head, and Aiden did the same. The Thorn grew even brighter; brighter than it ever was before. His eyes felt like they were on fire, since even they refused his brain’s orders to blink. His hand began to go numb from holding it up for so long.

Suddenly, he was given control of his body again, his hand fell back to his side as the Thorn went to rest again. His eyes were given the relief that they demanded as they began blinking uncontrollably; they even began to water up slightly. He looked back up to the mirror, and as he expected, his reflection was normal again, mimicking his actions perfectly.

Aiden closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. “I’m going to bed,” he stated flatly as he opened his eyes, though no one was around to hear. He turned back to the bathroom door, and turned the knob. Opening it, he saw nothing.

Absolutely nothing; there was nothing on the other side of the door. Aiden’s eyes nearly widened at the sight of the pitch black void before him, as though the entire universe suddenly just shrank, and comprised entirely of just this little room. They would’ve likely popped out of his skull, if he wasn’t already accustomed to this sort of thing happening to him in the late hours of the night.

Looking back at the mirror, Aiden saw that his reflection was now looking back at him with a smile. Not an evil or devious smile, but rather a smile that conveyed anxiousness or mild excitement. A few moments of silence passed. The reflection extended an arm out, pointing out the open door to its right. Outside the door on the imposter’s side was his bedroom.

The reflection uttered a single word: “Go.” The word echoed through the void. Without saying anything else, the imposter of Aiden walked slowly out of the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind it with a loud bang.

Aiden turned back toward the void that waited for him. With little hesitation, and admittedly little thought, the man pushed himself out, into the blackness.

Author's Note:

Yes, I'm completely aware that I'm slow with updates. Please just bear with me; between school, work, and a bunch of other shit, free time to write is anywhere between nil and minimal.

Comments

[Ablesoap]

What he really saw in the void i.imgur.com/49cVk9b.gif

[GordonFreebrony]

So did aiden just travel to another dimension SG-1 style? or has he been replaced with a doppelganger and is now dead in the void?

[Cades]

Aiden is smoking some serious shit.

[Veile]

Worth the wait it twas.

[Veile]

Did I miss something? Are you busy or did you just straight up get tired of writing.
Cuz pal, I will wait forever.

[Wandering Axioms]

5315692 Well, a little of both, unfortunately.

I'll try and get back to this story when I can, whenever I have the time and motivation to do so.

[Veile]

5316798 I understand, glad to hear it's not dead.
Well, I'll be eagerly awaiting.

[71M073J]

Well... this story sure outweighs its 'hiatus' status...
I'd love to see more, hopefully it isn't dead.

[golden spectrum]

This was great, also i am like number 666 but its dead now and i has a sad

[Josiador]

I know the soldier from the cover image is from a web comic, but I'm having trouble remembering the name, and it's really bothering me.

[Dunkle Dank]

10697716
I'm pretty sure I know which one you're talking about too. I don't remember its name. But they were in a post-apocalypse wasteland (not world. it ended with some dudes getting out of the historical preservation site being their hellish home) The comic started with some soldier asking why he and another soldier was there. And they had to kill people of different colors. They were either red or blue and had to kill yellow and another color as well. Not racist just their team colors and armies.

They go into the underground attempting to escape and see horrifying monstrosities aswell.

I loved it. But I can't remember the damn name.

[Josiador]

10734852
Found it yesterday, actually. Gone With The Blastwave.
http://www.blastwave-comic.com/index.php?p=comic&nro=1

[Dunkle Dank]

10735001
Thanks, man. It's been bugging me.