Lightning Bolt of Rome

by CrackedInkWell

Chapter XVI: In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

The kneeling man turned around. Looking through the net, Lightning Bolt saw that he was an elderly man, wearing a robe that was plainer than the other humans on the surface. Around the man’s neck was a white shawl that had two lines of thread stitched in to form the same cross symbol that hung on the wall.

“How did you get him?” the elderly man asked as he stood up.

“He was on the street being escorted by two Praetorian Guards,” his abductors explained. “Some of us saw it as the perfect opportunity to remove this false idol from their eyes.”

“Who are you?” Bolt asked, trying to sit up. “What do you want with me?”

The old man looked up at the ceiling, seeming to ignore his question. “Ask and you shall receive. It seems as if the King of Kings has answered our prayers.” He turned his attention back to the pegasus. “As for who we are, you stand before the head of the one, true faith. Followers of the beloved Anointed One who leads his people out of the darkness of this world. I am the earthly Shepherd of the believers of Jesus Christ, and you are the cause that has led many of my flock to go astray.”

‘Oh joy,’ the Solar Captain thought, ‘I’m the prime target of a cult.’ “Hey, look, I’m not looking for any trouble.”

“Trouble?” Papa Anacletus raised an eyebrow. “Do you realize what trouble you have given us since the day you arrived? Followers abandoned the faith by the score when rumors spread that you have fallen from the sky. Our numbers have decreased dramatically. Our church needs believers to keep the flame of truth alive without some demon deceiving them.”

“What in Celestia’s name are you even talking about?” Bolt questioned as he tried to find an opening in the net. “I came here by accident. You, humans, were the ones claiming that I was Jupiter, even though I kept telling you all that I’m not.”

The head of the church knelt before the pony. “But were you not the same creature that, on Capitoline Hill, claimed that you were Jupiter, King of the Gods?”

“That was because I was frustrated with everypony not believing me even though I told them time and time again that I’m not your Jupiter.”

He scoffed. “Jupiter? Our God? What trash! The ‘God of the Skies’ is not the true God that we worship! Our God is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob. He is the one that has come to Earth to show us the true way, away from the blasphemy and perversions of this world.”

“Did you miss the part where I said that I’m not really Jupiter?” Bolt deadpanned.

“We already know that you are not him,” one of his captors spoke.

Bolt sighed in relief. “Finally, someone that actually believes--”

“You are a demon,” said his other captor.

The pony blinked inquiringly. “What?”

“Do not lie,” Papa Anacletus told him. “How else can a creature like you fly like the birds, move clouds across the skies, and send lightning and rain upon the city?”

There was a pause before Bolt spoke again. “Are you bucking kidding me?”

“What do we with him now?” one of the captors asked.

The old man thought for a moment. “As of now, we can’t keep him here, as the Romans will no doubt be looking for him. If we are caught with him, they will have every one of us sent to be fed to wild beasts as punishment. Our Almighty knows we have already suffered much as is.”

“Would it be best to kill him?” The question filled the stallion with dread.

Papa Anacletus shook his head. “Do you not remember the great commandment? Thou shalt not kill?”

“And yet, our God permitted the slaughter of whole cities at his command, did he not?”

The other foalnapper agreed. “Like he commanded Joshua to bring down the walls of Jericho, or when the Kings of Israel were told to crush other nations and not to spare any living thing.”

“That is true.” Anacletus looked through the opening of the tiny church and spotted a stone coffin with pagan symbols. “I need some time to think. For now, put the demon in that coffin for the time being and I shall pray to Jehovah to ask for guidance on what the fate of this creature shall be. Once you shut the lid upon him, mark that coffin with the sign of the cross so that he may not escape.”

Lightning Bolt was once again dragged along the floor, being brought to the sarcophagus. The two men swiftly lifted him up and tossed him in with a decades-old skeleton. “Hey, wait! Don’t leave me in here!” His captors shoved his head in and closed the heavy lid, leaving Bolt alone in the dark.

Although it was hard to see in the pitch-black coffin, the pegasus managed to get the net untangled and off of him. He stumbled around blindly over the bones, trying to use his strength to push the stone lid off. But no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t budge an inch. “Hey!” Bolt shouted. “You can’t keep me in here! Is anypony there? Hello? Hello?!”

_*_

“HOW COULD YOU LOSE A GOD?!” Titus screamed at the top of his lungs. The two guards that were put in charge of escorting Jupiter tried as best as they could to stand solemnly amidst the scolding of a Caesar. However, that didn’t mean that they weren’t scared out of their wits for what the Emperor had in store for them. Titus’s face was turning as violet as his robe. “IN FACT, WHO DID YOU EVEN LOSE HIM TO?”

“Sire,” one of them said, “we were ambushed and taken completely by surprise. However, we do know who has taken him.”

“Who?”

“We believe it was the Christians,” the other guard spoke.

“How do you know?” the Emperor questioned. “As weird as they may be, this doesn’t seem like anything they would do.”

“This says otherwise, Caesar.” One of the guards pulled out a simple string necklace that had a cross made out of sticks. “I pulled this off of the neck of the ones that attacked us.”

Titus snatched the tiny cross from the guard’s hand and examined it himself. He shook his head. “Oh… just when I thought that they could not do anything more revolting, but this… this is the final straw.” He looked over his guards with a stern look. “This does not excuse what has happened. For this mistake, when the Amphitheatrum Caesarium is complete, you will be going straight to the lion’s den for all to see.”

The Emperor called for the rest of the guards to arrest both of them. Once they were dragged away, Titus ordered for an emergency search party. “Search everywhere! Search the apartments, the temples, and the sewers! Go into the countryside if you have to, and leave no cart unturned! If anyone refuses to have their homes or cellars searched, have them executed on the spot! Jupiter is missing and must be found!”

_*_

“Our Father who art in heaven,” Papa Anacletus murmured softly before the makeshift cross, “hear my prayer, I beg of you. You know very well that since the death of Papa Peter and Papa Linus, the responsibility has fallen upon my shoulders as a Roman seeking repentance. Lord of the Universe, I have wished for your flock to grow and multiply under the grand truth that you have set forth from your prophets and our one true savior. I confess I am having some difficulty with this since your followers have turned to the pagans because of a false god; a child from the Father of Lies to turn away from the truth. However, Lord, I have good news: we have captured the demon and now seek your wisdom to determine what we must do with him. Shall we show him kindness as Jesus Christ has done, or shall we take responsibility and put him to death? Answer my prayer, O’ Lord of the Universe, for we still rely on you to guide us. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

Now, Papa Anacletus waited amongst the flickering candles and the muffled cries of the Pegasus.

Comments

[batran]

PRAETORIANS TO THE RESCUE!

[Solemn Vigil]

“HOW COULD YOU LOSE A GOD!” Titus screamed at the top of his lungs. The two guards that were put in charge tried as best as they could to stand solemn amidst the scolding of a Caesar. However, that didn’t mean that they were scared out of their wits for what the Emperor had in store for them.

i.imgflip.com/13exq8.gif

[JohnIsOffline]

Now, the Papa, the Pope Anacletus waited amongst the flickering candles, and the muffle cries from the Pegasus in the stone coffin.

LOL!!!!

[German Kaiserreich]

god damn it christians

[Rocky Runner]

Christians, what are you doing? Christians... stahp...

[Brony_Commissar]

Cesar died 40 years before Christ was born.

[BurningSkies]

6578521
Ikr

[SolitariLupus]

7857536
Caesar was a title/rank, not just a name.