The Zodiac Empire

Chapter 18 - The Prince of Blood (Part 2)

Author's Notes: You'll understand the song I put above once you get to the end of the chapter ^_^

The prince of blood has shown his true colors! Echoed the voices in his head.

"I have to get out of here..." Silver told himself. Being cooped up inside the infirmary these past two days was having a toll on him, that must be it. He made his way outside and to Roosevelt's garden, where he found Quickfire drinking from a bucket of water.

"Quickfire, let's go." Silver mounted his steed and pulled at the reigns. Quickfire sputtered and began to walk. The prince didn't know where he intended to go, but some fresh air could surely do him some good.

As he rode through the city, the attention of every citizen he passed was drawn to him. Some whispered and pointed, as if he couldn't see them. Others bowed and greeted him like usual, but even from them, he couldn't feel the same respect and admiration he used to. It was as if they were greeting him solely out of fear.

It's the prince of blood! Die, you monster!

Silver brought a hand to his head. "Get out of my mind..." he whispered, but the voices didn't listen. They only grew louder and more frequent.

Monster! Murderer!

Silver began to wonder; what if Roosevelt was right? Could he have truly been losing his mind? No, that couldn't be! This was a hex put on him by the wizards, it had to be! But if that were the case, what if his meeting with Benevolence was caused by this same hex? He refused to believe that, but nothing made sense anymore. As he rode down an alley, his eyes spotted a reflection in an abandoned, shattered mirror that rested against the dumpster.

"Quickfire, hold." He dismounted and approached the mirror. The reflection he saw caused him to stagger back – it was the same demonic creature from his dreams, bathed in blood! "Y-You...you're not me!" Silver exclaimed, bringing a hand to his chest. The creature moved its mouth and brought a hand to its chest as well.

Silver laughed like a mad man. "This...this is just..."

Monster! Murderer! The echoing voices grew even louder, so loud that his head began to throb in a migraine.

"Shut up! All of you just shut up! You don't know a single thing about me!" Silver tossed off his helmet and pulled at his hair. The voices only continued to grow louder by the second. "Stop it!!!" he cried out. Unable to take it any longer, he smashed his head against the wall. His body reeled back and collapsed from the impact. Dizzy, all Silver could hear was the neighs of his panicking Pegasus as his vision faded away.

Silver felt as if he were being drenched in a lukewarm liquid. He slowly peeled his eyes open, but quickly squinted them back shut when they were greeted by a painfully bright, violet light. Moments later he opened them again and motioned to pull himself into a sitting position, but his body levitated up instead. Looking down, he saw a rippled reflection of himself in the small pond he floated over. He was himself again, but his body appeared in a translucent state.

"Is this..." he looked around himself. He was surrounded by nothing more than a thick, gray mist. A path of bright, violet light shone from straight ahead. Silver recognized this place – Limbo. Had Benevolence finally brought him back here? Just as he hoped, a booming, yet soft voice called out to him.

"Come, chosen knight."

Familiar with this voice from last time, Silver floated towards the source of the light. When he arrived, he stood before a ghost-like, translucent form of a Great Dane made up entirely of shining violet light. It smiled at him just like last time.