A Council rep was waiting at the docks when we got back to the city. Considering how long the three of us had been on Sweetash Isle cleaning up from the aftermath of my liberation crusade, they’d doubtless heard all about what happened. Not to mention Chainbreaker vanishing from the museum no doubt got their attention. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have summoned the sword. It wasn’t like I’d needed it to deal with a couple petty thugs.
The sword had me thinking about a few things. It’s not like there was anything weird about me getting righteously furious at someone enslaving kids, but it was hard not to wonder if the sword might’ve had an impact. The best guess we had for what exactly happened between Chainbreaker and myself was that I’d somehow absorbed the lingering essence of Torch and Ushabti hanging around the sword. Considering I’d used another one of Torch’s spells on the island, it was hard not to suspect I’d gotten more out of that than just a straight power boost.
Celestia told me she could sense parts of Torch and Ushabti’s magic in me. Now I was also pulling out some of Torch’s spells. Maybe Ushabti’s too, though I didn’t know much about what he could do outside of necromancy. However ... if I had their magic and was starting to cast their spells, it begged the question of what else I’d picked up from them.
Last time I’d been to Sweetash Isle, I’d seen indentured servants. I hadn’t been happy about it, but I also hadn’t torn through the whole island and needed to get talked down from lopping off the overseer’s head. It was hard not to wonder if de facto slavery pissing me off so much might be related to the fact that I’d absorbed the essence of a really fanatical abolitionist.
Of course, that left me with a lot of really worrying unanswered questions. If I’d picked up Torch’s hatred of slavery, what else might have changed in my mind? Not to mention that if I’d gotten things from Torch, I’d probably picked up something from Ushabti too. Ushabti’s legacy was a lot more ... complicated. I certainly didn’t like the idea that I might suddenly have the urge to raise up legions of the undead.
If I couldn’t even trust my head to be my own ... well that was a scary thought.
The existential crisis would have to wait until after I was done with the Council. I didn’t know how much they’d heard about what happened on Sweetash Isle, but I knew Silver Cane had plenty of money and connections. It was a pretty safe bet that she’d been telling anyone she could make listen that she was the innocent victim of an out-of-control Archmagus.
Puzzle was pretty sure we could keep that from being an issue. After all, we had overwhelming evidence and tons of witness and victim testimony to support our side of the story—one of the things that had kept us on Sweetash Isle for a couple days was thoroughly cataloguing all of it. However, if things went badly with the Council, it could make the whole process of bringing Silver Cane to justice a lot harder. She might even be able to get away clean, or at least with nothing worse than a slap on the wrist.
Especially since from what Puzzle told me, she had connections with his nemesis Cold Comfort. Puzzle was as certain as anyone could ever be that Cold had one of the seats on the Council, so it was all but certain that at least one of the members of the Council would be trying very hard to poke holes in our evidence.
Nothing I could do with that but roll with it. After all, he couldn’t undermine solid evidence. It might even work to our advantage. If all the evidence and testimony survived Cold Comfort, it would come out looking that much stronger.
Two guards were waiting for us when we got to the Council’s headquarters. It was rare to see any of the Council’s private security out in the open; they usually preferred staying in the shadows, or just hiding in plain sight. From what Puzzle said, half the paper-pushers in the building would pull concealed weapons the instant trouble started. The big guys in black full plate armor and carrying around very unconcealable halberds only came out when the Council wanted to make a point. I suppose I should be flattered they were going to all that trouble for me.
One of the guards spoke up as we approached. “The Council is in session. They’ll call for you when they’re ready.” The lack of any title when he addressed me immediately got my attention. Not that I was normally the sort to bite someone’s head off for not calling me Archmagus, but under the circumstances it felt more like a deliberate, calculated slight. What he said next made that seem even more likely. “Just you. Your minions will have to wait outside.” We all ignored Strumming’s outraged look at being called a minion. “I suggest you get comfortable. They’re very busy with important matters.”
Great. So it was some stupid power play. Make me wait outside for a couple hours just to say how very important they were, and how very unimportant I was. Those sorts of games always pissed me off, and after everything I’d dealt with on Sweetash Isle, I was in no mood to put up with them. “I’m going in now. Get out of my way.”
The two guards immediately crossed their halberds over the door. “The Council will call for you when they’re ready. For now—”
“I said I’m going in.” It felt a bit weird to try to intimidate a couple guys who were significantly taller than me, but I gave it my best shot. “Do you really think you can stop me from walking through that door if I want to? I’m sure you’re both very good with those halberds you’re hauling around, but ... well, you know who I am.”
The guards shifted in place and traded a look. All things considered, they were doing a good job of not showing any fear, but they’d have to be stupid not to be a little worried. That hesitation was all I needed to make my move. A quick little burst of telekinesis swatted their halberds aside, and I moved through the doorway before they could gather their wits enough to stop me.
I stepped into the cool dark chamber, heading straight for the circle of light surrounded by the Council’s raised dais. There was a low buzz of conversation when I entered the room, but it cut off once they saw me. All thirteen of them stared down at me from behind their silver masks, and despite the lack of any facial expressions to read I could tell they weren’t happy. “If you think I’m going to stay outside waiting long enough for you to make whatever power play point you’re trying to make...”
One of them cut in before I could build up any more momentum. “We were working on the budget, Archmagus. Your matter can wait until its appointed time.”
One of the ones that I suspected was on my side cleared their throat. “We’ve been deadlocked for the last two hours repeating the same arguments we’ve all heard a dozen times before. We might as well break things up by changing the subject and taking care of something a bit clearer. Archmagus Shimmer’s matter shouldn’t be too difficult to resolve.”
The one in the middle, who I’d always gotten the sense was the closest thing the Council had to a chief executive, spoke up. “That is highly irregular.”
One of the others scoffed. “When is a crisis ever regular?”
“Even if that's true, we still don't want some upstart thinking she can barge in on the Council's meetings.” I got the sense that this member of the Council didn’t like me very much. The mask did a good job of muddying their voice enough to hide their identity, but it couldn’t hide the venom coming within that voice.
I scoffed and crossed my forelegs over my chest. “I don’t think I can barge in on you, I already have. If your time is so precious, save some of it by complaining less and getting down to business. Especially since what I’m here for is more important anyway.”
That didn’t make him any happier. “Your cavalier attitude is not appreciated. Just because you’ve manipulated your way into claiming the title of Archmagus doesn’t mean you get to just disrupt Council meetings whenever you desire. We rule Freeport, and so long as you remain here you are subject to our authority.”
I really wasn’t interested in getting into a prolonged horn-measuring contest, so I made a minor concession. “I have good reasons for being here. There’s a lot to cover, and by the time we’re done you might want to reassign some of the funds in your budget.” I conjured up a throne of solid ice for myself and got comfortable, setting Chainbreaker aside.
“The guards let her come in armed?” one of them groused.
My possible ally on the Council spoke up again. “It’s not as if taking the sword away from her would be anything more than a symbolic gesture. She summoned it all the way from Sweetash Isle, I doubt she’d have trouble getting it from a storage room. Not to mention she’s still an Archmagus without the sword.”
“Speaking of which,” the grumpy one cut in, “she pulled Chainbreaker from the museum, again. When we agreed to allow you to continue to have this connection to Chainbreaker, we did so with the understanding that it would only be used in an emergency. This marks the second time in as many months you’ve taken the sword from its rightful home—first to resolve a private family matter, and now for ... whatever madness you got up to on Sweetash Isle.”
There were so many things wrong with that I didn’t know where to start. The Council wasn’t allowing me to keep my bond with Chainbreaker, the sword was mine and they couldn’t do anything about it other than grin and bear it. As for the last time I’d called it, even if I had a big personal stake in the fight with Solar and Golden, they had been an Archmagus and a warlock who was pretty much on par with him. Freeport had a very legitimate interest in keeping that whole mess contained.
But there was no point going over all the old business. It would be far more productive to focus on the most recent problem. I reached into my saddlebag and pulled out a set of broken chains from the island. “I was putting it to good use this time. The sword was busy living up to its name.”
One of the Council members I hadn’t heard before spoke up. “By assasulting several Sweetash Isle employees and disrupting production? We’re almost to planting season, and it’ll be hard for them to get a new crop in the ground on time with all the damage you’ve done.” This new one sounded a lot angier than the members of the Council who didn’t like me on principle.
I scoffed. “You think those chains were cosmetic, or the only set? There are hundreds more from the island.”
The angry one scoffed. “Yes, sometimes owners and overseers have to enforce disciplinary measures against contract workers who won’t uphold the agreements they signed. What should they have done, allow the layabouts to not earn their keep?”
“Contract workers normally aren’t chained to their post,” one of the others pointed out.
“Normally,” the calmer one who still didn’t like me agreed. “But we’re not here to second-guess the managerial practices of individual plantation owners. For all we know, these bindings might only be used for unusual and extreme disciplinary matters. Do you have any evidence that these chains are anything more than—”
I didn’t let them finish whatever point they were about to make. I could’ve argued with my words, but sometimes a dramatic action is a lot more effective. I pulled out a second, child-sized set of chains and tossed them down next to the first. “Are you still okay with letting Silver Cane run her plantation however she wants?”
After an almost painfully awkward silence the calm grumpy one finally spoke up. “What does this prove? That one of the disobedient contract workers had an especially frame and thin limbs? Perhaps the worker suffered from dwarfism, or—”
“Oh, spare us those desperate rationalizations,” one of the others cut in. “Those are obviously made for a child.”
Next was the one who seemed to be on my side. “I trust you wouldn’t be making such accusations without substantial evidence to back that claim?”
The angry one cut in before I could actually take advantage of the opening. “Yes, there are children working that plantation. Sweetash Isle is giving those children room, board, and three square meals a day, not to mention practical work experience. The alternative for most of them would be to live on the streets. Is that what you want?”
I glowered at that masked face. “Funny, most people wouldn’t be so eager to defend child slavery, especially when the Council got its start as an organization dedicated to the abolition of slavery in Freeport.”
“You’re mischaracterizing what happened,” the angry one snapped at me.
“Last I checked, we didn’t put free children in chains,” my ally shot back.
“We should consider this matter privately,” the one in the middle declared.
“It’s far more trouble to exclude the Archmagus from the conversation then catch her up whenever we have a new question,” one of the others countered. “And it’s not as if it’s any secret to her that we have our own individual thoughts and opinions.”
“And it’s not like I couldn’t break into your private link if I really wanted to,” I pointed out. Granted, that was a bit of a bluff; while I was good, mental magic wasn’t my forte, and I’d never really tried breaking into a secure telepathic link before. No reason to let them know I wasn’t completely sure I could pull it off, though.
“That would be very unwise,” one of them warned me.
There was a bit of an awkward silence, and then the one who didn’t like me said something that surprised me. “I’m curious to hear what she has to say as well. We can always expel her from the room once we’ve heard everything we need from her.”
That seemed to settle the debate, at least for the moment. One of the others got back to the matter at hoof. “One has to wonder what Torch would think of these ... employment practices.”
“This is a farce.” The angry one looked around the room. “How long will we sit here and listen while she’s slandering the owner of Sweetash Isle? It’s not as though the other plantation owners are all that different in their practices. Sometimes contract workers are unable to fulfill their terms of service, and the obligation passes on to the next of kin.”
“They don’t use chains,” one of the others shot back, and it was hard to miss the angry edge in their voice. “At least, they’re not supposed to. And they definitely aren’t supposed to be using child labor and putting them in chains. Our laws are quite clear on that matter, as well as the whole concept of debts transferring to the next of kin—especially children! That was something I thought we were all well aware of and agreed upon.”
A suspicion that had been brewing in the back of my mind for the last couple minutes came into focus, and I decided to act on it. “You’re right, the Council doesn’t endorse that kind of thing.” I fixed my eyes on the angry one. “But you do, don't you, Silver Cane?”
I sent Chainbreaker slicing for her mask with a simple telekinesis spell. It was a bit risky to use the sword, but I wanted something dramatic enough to make an impression, especially since those masks almost certainly had some kind of spell to keep them from getting tugged off with a simple telekinesis spell. Besides, I knew the blade well enough to take out the mask without slicing through half her face in the process.
Right after the sword hit I teleported without even stopping to consciously think about it. About half a second later I realized why I’d done it, as two crossbow bolts that were practically crackling with energy hammered into the icy throne I’d prepared for myself. The impacts shattered the ice completely, and I could feel the magic radiating off the crossbow bolts. Mage-killers, probably something the Council’s hidden bodyguards loaded up specifically for my visit. That was a bit of a problem, considering they probably had more than one bolt apiece, and I had no idea where the snipers were.
My ally on the Council bolted up. “Hold fire! She’s not hostile!”
“‘Not hostile’?!” Silver repeated incredulously, trying to hold the shattered remnants of her mask in place. “She attacked me! Kill her!”
“Belay that order!” the one the middle commanded. “Stand down!”
One of the others turned to Silver. “If she’d wanted you dead, all she needed to do was extend her swing by a few centimeters. She only damaged your mask and your pride, that’s not worth starting a fight over.”
“Though that was very unwise,” another member of the Council growled. “If you’d misjudged your swing or dodged a bit slower we would be having a very different conversation.”
Nobody else shot at me, so I suppose the ones who didn’t want me dead were winning the argument. It was hard to say for sure, since after that they started communicating over their private magical connection. Judging by the faint wheeze of sound coming from Silver’s damaged mask, I’d been right about the enchantment being tied to the mask. It made me wonder what the range on those was, and whether the Council could actually meet and discuss things without all being in the same room. Maybe some of the Council members in the room right now were actually just proxies or body doubles.
Thankfully Silver Cane herself was here in the flesh. She didn’t look all that impressive with her mask in pieces; she was an older earth pony mare, with her wrinkled face seemingly stuck in a perpetual scowl as if all the world had gone out of its way to offend her. Granted, she had a lot of good reasons to be unhappy right now, not to mention directing just all that anger straight at me. “You’re going to pay for that,” she snarled. Without the mask, her voice had a faint rasp to it that spoke to many years of hard living, and bitter anger in her tone came with a natural ease that made me think it was pretty much her default voice.
“Am I?” I pulled out the last piece of evidence I’d brought into the chamber. “I have sworn statements from several of your victims. Puzzle and Strumming collected hundreds more, and if need be we can bring all the witnesses here to have them testify.”
“Lies!” Silver snapped. “She must have bribed those people to say whatever she wanted them to say. She has more than enough money to pull that off.”
“A quick check of my financials and theirs will disprove that,” I pointed out. “Though if you don’t trust the witnesses, we've also got quite a bit of paperwork with your signature and seal on it.” I shot a cold smile her way. “Word of advice: don't make your accountant feel unappreciated and underpaid. He was more than happy to turn over all the records out of pure spite, instead of doing something foolish like trying to destroy all the evidence that could implicate you. Employee loyalty is a valuable resource.”
“Forgeries,” she shot back. “Made up by disgruntled and disloyal employees trying to shift the blame to me to save their own necks.”
The Council member I thought was on my side spoke up. “I think our experts are more than capable of reviewing the evidence and determining its authenticity. From the sound of it, Archmagus Shimmer has an impressive amount of it.”
“Impressive that she managed to assemble so much proof so quickly,” the one that didn’t like me shot back. “Legitimate investigations of that scale normally take quite a bit longer. But the Archmagus no doubt knows just how severely we would punish her for fabricating evidence against a member of the Council.” That last remark barely avoided being an outright threat, but the meaning behind it was clear enough.
One of the others shrugged. “Her track record has been vexing but reliable. Launching an unprovoked attack on a plantation and fabricating vast amounts of evidence against a member of the Council would be unusual, especially when there would be no clear motive to go to such extreme lengths. So far as all of us are aware, there was no prior enmity or even notable interaction between the Archmagus and Silver.”
“Not on her part,” my adversary agreed, “but the Archmagus is not a one-mare operation. One of her associates like Puzzle Piece could have a hidden agenda that requires Silver’s removal from the Council. It would not be the first time he told a few lies to set events in motion, and fabricating evidence is certainly within his capabilities.”
I snorted. “Puzzle’s good, but he couldn’t whip up hundreds of witnesses and mountains of paperwork without any evidence of foul play. The only way that much evidence comes to light is if it’s the truth.”
Silver snorted. “Or Puzzle and rest of your minions came up with all of this obviously fake evidence ahead of time. I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but it’s not going to work this time.”
“If it was all fake, then that should be obvious after a cursory investigation,” my ally on the Council pointed out. “Though personally, I don’t think the Archmagus would be so sloppy, and I doubt Puzzle would take that kind of risk. He’s very good about giving us reliable information, isn’t he?” Their masked face turned towards the Council member who’d been trying to poke holes in my story. After a couple seconds, the skeptic just grunted and nodded.
“And we could always send investigators to a few of her other plantations,” one of the others suggested. “It’s only prudent to inspect the rest of her holdings after such a damning accusation, if only to clear Silver’s good name.” That remark hung in the air for a few seconds before they rather pointedly asked, “The investigation would clear your name, wouldn’t it?”
Silver Cane didn’t say anything, but her perpetual scowl got a bit deeper.
I let that silence last long enough to make it clear she didn’t have an answer before moving on. “I’m sure the Council and Silver’s legal counsel will have plenty of time to review the evidence before the trial. We’ll be more than happy to turn everything over to the prosecutor.”
“What?!” Silver scoffed and shook her head. “A member of the Council going on trial?! That’s utterly absurd!”
“Not as absurd as a member of the Council engaging in slavery,” my ally shot back. “I think we can all agree that something must be done about this. In the past this Council has overlooked the ... personal foibles of its members, but if we allow this to stand then we have no standards at all.”
The one in the middle tried to take control of the situation again. “These charges will need to be fully investigated, after which time we will hold a formal proceeding laying out the evidence, during which Silver will have the opportunity to defend herself and face her accusers. Though the actual details might vary, that sounds very much like a trial.”
“Have you all gone mad?!” Silver shouted, slamming her hooves down on the dais. “Putting a member of the Council on trial ... what will that do for our image of unity and incorruptibility? No, we’ll do what we’ve always done when one of our members has a personal failure exposed: bury it and buy the silence of those involved.”
My eyes narrowed. “My silence isn’t for sale, and the same goes for a lot of your victims. You're going down.” I smirked at her. “You see, while I wasn't sure if you were actually on the Council or not until I got here, I knew you had connections. I knew you might try to find some way to bury this. It’s why Puzzle, Strumming, and I came up with a backup plan. If I’m not happy with how this ends, all my evidence goes straight to the press.”
“Are you trying to threaten the Council?” the one that didn’t like me demanded.
I shrugged. “If that’s what it takes to make sure Silver’s victims get justice? Yes.” I took a deep breath and made sure to keep any anger out of my tone. “I’d rather work with you. It makes the process smoother for everyone and saves us all a lot of headaches. But I’m not letting Silver just cover this up and walk away clean.”
“Preposterous!” Silver shouted. “We’re the Council! Freeport is ours, and nobody can come into our city—our very chambers—and make demands!” She shot me an especially venomous glare. “You think you’re so smart, but you have no idea who you’re dealing with. If the press tries to publish this we’ll shut them down! We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.”
That didn’t go over so well with the rest of the group. “We’ve shut the papers down for national security and to keep the peace, not to cover up the crimes of one of our own, especially since it would be blindingly obvious to all the newspaper publishers that we were trying to cover up a scandal. Maybe some of the papers would go along with it, but all of them? You know half the journalists would start salivating at the chance to reveal a government coverup of a major scandal like this.”
I shrugged. “I’m sure you also know that even if the Freeport newspapers don’t run the story, the Equestrian ones will. I have just a few connections that could make sure that happens.” Not that I loved the idea of asking Mom for help on top of asking her to meddle with Freeport’s internal politics, but it was in the name of a very good cause.
“Perhaps we can’t bury the story, but we could always get out ahead of it,” one of them pointed out. “Part of why the membership of the Council is secret is precisely so we can handle situations like this. Silver Cane, prominent landowner and businessmare, can go on trial for her crimes without a single soul outside this room ever knowing that she once wore one of our masks.”
“While some degree of secrecy might be for the best, we run the risk of diminishing Torch's legacy by not taking action,” my ally pointed out. “Freeport has a long history of regimes built upon good intentions collapsing into corruption and ruin. The Council will not fall prey to the same cycle. Perhaps it is time we all accepted slightly more transparency, if only to ensure that none of our members can become so corrupt again.”
“That seems like a matter for future discussions,” the one in the middle declared. “For now, let us settle the matter of Silver Cane.” There was a brief buzz in the air as they presumably voted on her fate. Then the center one announced the decision. “Guards, arrest Silver Cane. Her Council rank and status are hereby formally suspended, and she’s to be held in one of our cells until such time as we finish a preliminary review of the evidence.”
Silver blinked in shock, the shattered remnants of her Council mask tumbling from her hooves. “You ... you backstabbing treacherous bastards! You can’t do this to me! You think you can just sacrifice me?! I’ll drag you all down with me! Don’t try to pretend you’re so much better than me! You think I don’t know all your dirty little secrets? None of your hooves are clean!” She leveled an accusing hoof at me. “Even if I don’t take you down, this sanctimonious nag will come for you next!”
My ally shrugged. “I haven’t enslaved anyone. I’ll take my chances.”
One of the others shrugged as well. “You wouldn’t be the first criminal in Freeport to throw out wild accusations and claim to know the identities of members of the Council. Whatever you say will just get lost in all the noise.”
Silver turned to her last hope, the one member of the Council who really didn’t like me. “Tell them to stop. We have to show them that Sunset can’t get away with this. They can’t beat us if we stand together, you’ve got leverage against them. Damn you, Cold, help me!”
The member of the Council who had just been confirmed as Cold Comfort didn’t say anything for several seconds, just slowly leaning back in his seat. When he finally spoke, it was without the benefit of his mask’s voice-altering spells. Probably because he wanted to make sure Silver could hear the contempt in his voice. “You say you have evidence you could use against other members of the Council. Quite a bold claim. Let this one guess: you did something terribly gauche like a little safe in your bedroom, hidden behind a painting of the Battle of Two Magnuses. The combination for the lock would be something sadly predictable, like 6-46-32? Perhaps you think you have something in there that gives you leverage. Who can really say what you might have in this hypothetical safe? For all we know, it could be completely empty. It’s not like you check it all that often.”
Silver flinched and opened her mouth a few more times, trying to come up with some way out. Nothing happened, and eventually she slumped down into her seat. She didn’t even try to resist as the guards took her into custody.
Once she was gone, I cleared my throat. “I’ll have Puzzle provide you with a copy of everything we have. Is there anything else the Council needs from me?”
“That will be all for now,” the Council’s unofficial leader announced. “We have a great deal to discuss about Silver’s upcoming trial, not to mention filling a new opening in our ranks if she’s found to be unfit for her office. As well as all the usual matters involved in actually running Freeport.”
“Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention,” Cold Comfort added, though he hardly sounded grateful. “We won’t forget this.”
My ally cleared their throat. “One final matter: we trust you’ll return Chainbreaker to its proper place until the next time circumstances demand its use? And that you will continue to exercise the proper degree of discretion in using it?”
“Of course.” I took a deep breath. “Well, then I will leave you to your work. And ... I would like to thank the Council for doing the right thing.”
It feels like they let sunset off a little easy...
What's this at the end?
10109193
That looks like Google document notes. Probably unintentionally copied over to FimFiction.
Was pretty certain Cold Comfort was on the Council from Tears, now its just been confirmed.
I doubt Silver will make it to trial. Cold Comfort likely had connections to the whole thing, given the way she was asking for help. Though Cold would likely kill her just for the exposure rather than for any connections.
Even if she does get killed before trail, Silver's deeds will not go unknown. The people of Freeport will know everything that has happened. Given the current discontent with the Council, given that Sunset has Chainbreaker, and given that she does have allies on the Council, civil war would happen, and pretty much in Sunset's favor. Here comes Archon Sunset!
I think you forgot to edit out the notes
10109197 10109212
Well I feel silly now.
10109197
As the person who wrote the notes, I can say that, yes, a mistake.
Nah, if you need to break chains in Freeport go full thematic.
The throne may be a bit much.
Yep.
Oh good god.
Then maybe we need another abolitionist rebellion.
That kind of escalates things.
It's probably worth doing just to be thorough.
Freeport really isn't authoritarian enough to properly shush this.
Nice.
Oh shit! Welp, she's boned.
So, the start of this chapter really hammers home the fact that our little Sorceress has multiclassed into Hexblade Warlock.
10109192
I don't think she's gotten off yet, more likely the stage has only just been set. It remains to be seen what Silver and Cold (and possibly others) have in store for her. Even something as simple as her prosthetic golem has been mentioned as skirting the Council laws at best and could certainly be used as fuel against her in a counter trial or as a way to diminish the value of her testimony as a character witness, not to mention some of her methods in carrying out her duties that could be used to slander her (mind magic, destruction of property, etc.).
10109192
They have no choice. Sunset and her Council ly hit the nail on the head. The current government was formed to combat slavery. Now one of its own members was not only practicing slavery but CHILD slavery. That would not go over well if went public. Face it the Council has failed in its job
10109215
You are too late. We know your secrets. The Bell cannot be unrung!
But yeah, Sunset kicked ass here. While I'm sure things will kick back, I'd be very surprised if Silver Cane has a real shot as getting away with anything.
Reading how Sunset slowly turns from a bratty teenager, to a full fledged Magus is really fascinating.
Not many fanfics, or even printed books, get character progression as enjoyable as you did. Thank you!
I get the feeling Silver Cane will not be graceful in defeat.
Man, never thought I'd ever find myself cheering for Cold Comfort, but here we are.
10109562
I think the ship sailed on that when she started threatening government cover-ups and tried to blackmail her fellow councilors.
Well...that was ballsy. Sunset is definitely more impulsive than usual. It seems to have worked out for now, though. I imagine Puzzle will be pleased to know about Silver and Cold. Yeah he suspected Cold for a while, but it's nice to have confirmation.
10109522
I could be wrong, but I think the Council was still in power in the stories where Sunset is Archon. They come to some sort of agreement to share power. Granted it's a different universe, but IIRC in "Come and See" there was a line in Sunset's narration in the first chapter about needing to convince the Council to help Equestria? And she was Archon in that story.
The Council is really letting sunset off the hook for the assault of a member as well as threats against the state? Council is looking very weak right now.
10109893
The council is weak. Sunset kinda has them by the balls. Either deal with Silver Cane or I expose the Council covering up slavery, the very thing they were founded to fight against. Sunset might not get wholly off, there will likely be consequences, but they are stuck fighting on her terms at the moment.
10109893
um they are weak, have been for awhile by the simple fact they get in a fuss when she uses Chainbreaker. and with this she really has them by the ball. as the other guy said. the council was FOUNDED to end slavery and not only is one of the members doing slavery she is doing CHILD slavery. which is probably the worst form of it. that goes public not only would many Freeport citizens will be up in arms but so would Equestria. and note Freeport is very reliant on trade for economy and a major trade partner stopping in protest is a major blow. As Sunset admits she rather not relky on it but being the daughter of Celestia gives her alot of power.
Wait. You mean to tell me that the corrupt spy master couldn't be trusted in your time of need? Especially after you outed him as a Council member in front of one of his enemies' friends? Who would have thought!
Whether you like him or not, Cold Comfort would be classified as a spy master in a D&D or Pathfinder game.
Two confirmed, one 99% sure, and ten to go. I wonder how many more will be cleared out by the time Sunset ascends to Archon.
Why do I have a feeling Silver will not survive the coming days? And as much as the Council seems to be doing the right thing at the end certain members are going to probably attempt to get petty revenge else there own failures come to light.
Interestingly though, they had guards ready already that were probably there before she barged in. Ones that were prearmed with mage killing weapons. Were they set up as a just in case or a possible way of keeping Sunset silent if she did not 'play ball'.
Now that there is an opening the Council should definitely offer Sunset a seat as a member. Considering how much of a threat to their authority she has become that seems like a good way of reining her in. Sunset would probably accept too, as it would provide her the means to start fixing Freeport.
Well, that went pretty smoothly for Sunset. Perhaps too smoothly but then Silver Cane was probably a lower ranking member of the council. Not that the Council has official positions but there's a clear hierarchy. I didn't expect Silver herself to be on the Council (considering her penny-pinching) but then that's the greedy rich for you.
I'm not sure if Silver will make it to trial but then the bigger issue might be that Sunset has challenged Cold's power base, if not the entire Council. If she decides to start going through all the plantations with Chainbreaker, well, the Council might not be able to stop her. And that's on top of worrying about Torch and Ushabti's personalities possibly mixing with hers. Not like Sunset can go to some other specialist to help her sort through her mind for new influences (bonding with Chainbreaker isn't exactly a well understood process).
At least that's a few more ponies freed now, but I almost wonder if Sunset has bitten off more than she can chew. Good thing the Council chambers don't have a teleportation blocking field although I almost expect they'll add that to the security measures after this. And maybe hire a few more magekillers too while they're at it.
"Do you know who I am?"
Considering this is the second time you've had to say this in this story... No, they don't. But they will.
10109283 Unfortunately for the Council, some of the most damning of such accusations (especially the Mind Magic charge) were performed during Council ordered operations (Sunset took out Metal Morm on a Council contract), so bringing them up (especially since its been a few years after the event for some of them) would make the Council look even worse.
10109680 I think that is Torch's influence. Sunset really needs to see a skilled exorcist and make sure her thoughts and impulses are her own and not the result of ancient ghosts lingering in her head.
10032422
We're omnivors, monkeys. Of course we have weird tastes. X)
Oh, that ship has long sinced sailed. Glory to the Archon.
Indeed, this might be the crack in a hoof of clay that culminates in bringing down the entire statue. We'll see how it goes from here, but this could very well be the beginning of the Council's end. Especially if ther's more of Torch in Sunset's head than she realizes. Nothing spells the end of a regime's legitimacy than the founder decrying their actions.
10111651
I'd expect that she'd have the ability to mount a good defense and mention mitigating factors such as what you just mentioned, I'm just saying that an attempt will likely be made regardless of how well it pans out for them.
At this point Sunset has enough power to just throw out the Council and install a monarchy.
The people no longer trust the Council and she has enough money to bribe a considerable amount of the police force whose only loyalty really is to pay. Even if she can't bribe them she can send Puzzle to start sending a message to the people for the overthrow at X date and they love her at this point so much that they would be willing to die for her to see her as queen. If Puzzle and by extension Sunset is caught the Council can't kill her, though they may be able to kill Puzzle, because she is so popular and loved that she will become a matry and the Council will definitely be overthrow. If they send her to an abandon island then we have a Napolean situation where she will still be able to take over.
At this point Sunset holds all the cards and the Council may try to make her one of them but if she's smart she'll refuse. This is not to say Sunset wants a violent popular takeover but the mere fact that it's a possibility and one she would almost certainly win means if she plays her cards right and the Council acts intelligently she can become ruler of Freeport bloodlessly. Which as we know is her destiny.
10112735
Not quite. If she tried a play like that, Cold Comfort is just one of the council members whose capabilities we already know, and he alone is a significant threat. His abilities in espionage, manipulation, and planning are on par with Puzzle’s. If she tried something, he would likely go into hiding and set up assassination after assassination attempt at Sunset and everyone she cares about- potentially including less defendable targets, like her apprentice. It’s also worth noting that while she can survive several dozen attempts, it’s always a risk, and one mistake could be the death of her at any moment. She’s not the sort to plan everything ahead perfectly, like Puzzle is, so she’s particularly at risk. She cannot take over safely until his threat has been mitigated. And that’s just one council members. We have no idea how powerful the rest of the council is, and them being unknown threats, we have to assume Cold Comfort is the minimum threat level of the bunch. Attempting a takeover would be a pyrrhic victory at best, and suicide at worst.
10124051
Good point I didn't think about individual Council members abilities only the political situation as a whole. Still she has an overwhelming advantage and would only be weakened by joining the council
10125425
I don’t think she should join the council, no. I think Puzzle should systematically discover and remove the threat of every council member one by one until Sunset can take their hollow shell out to pasture as a public front as she creates her own monarchy.
Two are known and one is being dealt with. Good progress, if you ask me.
10125625
Agreed, of course the problem with Monarchy is succession. Even if Sunset chooses a good heir, and her heir chooses a good heir, if that or a future ruler though good chooses a bad heir then everything falls apart and we have a system worse then the council.
Okay finally caught up. Have to say, that went better than expected, but I'm still waiting for the other horseshoe to drop.
Trouble ironing out the budget, huh? No surprise there. My estimation of the integrity and competence of the Council as a whole has actually been raised a touch by knowing Cane made it that far and Freeport hadn't collapsed yet. Even from a purely amoral perspective, her business practices provably aren't cost effective. (I'd guess she slightly resembles Ephemera in mistaking a willingness to cross boundaries as a sign of greater intelligence.) This raises an obvious concern: while she'd make a useful idiot for almost anybody, Silver Cane shouldn't have anything Cold Comfort really wants that much and managing her must be a royal pain. And I have trouble imagining she's been on the Council long enough to have been part of getting him in and he owes her favors - the reverse scenario is far more likely. So what's in it for him?
Best case, her mismanaged, untracked resources were a good place to put elements of his plan to cut and run from Freeport. (He must have one. He might plan to burn the city as he leaves, but he clearly doesn't have any real civic pride or desire to die defending his interests in Freeport. It doesn't matter in his case he thinks things are still under control - he'd be this assured partly because his escape is laid out.) Worst case... well, that's actually pretty bad. Cold already appears to have a viewpoint somewhat alien to his subspecies, who are usually the first ones to empathize how much they do not treat other people as an expendable form of food or money. While it's obviously hard for the Masks to cover all the scattered islands, the most recent infiltration by Chrysalis we know of was on Silver Cane's property and we now know Cold does not simply turn a blind eye to his allies' holdings and affairs. (I can understand the exasperation which led to his statement to her, but it was still a serious slip of the tongue.) Tenuous, still, but this would be a very good time to introduce proof - even the smallest bit, really - that Cold actually has been doing his job to keep the Old Mind out.
10131329
Silver Cane didn’t own the island until after Chrysalis infiltrates it. She bought it after Chrysalis was defeated there by Puzzle and Sunset since Chrysalis had killed the previous owners.
10131961
Sorry. Temporarily forgetting that was clumsy of me.
10132756
No problem
Part of what Silver Cane said was correct, from the feel of things. Sunset will eventually be coming for some if not most of the other Council members, even if she's just following small issues that eventually reach to the top. Sunset is a wild card in the political game the Council plays, and a huge risk; my money is on her either being invited to fill Silver's seat or becoming the target of problem solvers.