Deep in the recesses of her mind, Nightshade knew she could fantasize about committing horrible things to Erakis. But that would betray the real memory and knew there was no point in thinking about such possibilities. “What if” realities only made Nightshade more upset.
Erakis was a crimson thestral, his forehead having several creases due to his age. There were bags under his eyes, no doubt due to the lack of sleep; hard to believe anypony would gain any sleep when their final days were closing in. Erakis’ silver mane and tail were littered with many white hairs. Nightshade had seen portraits of his youth before, but the images of a bright, proud, and silver maned soldier did not reflect the pony in front of her.
Nightshade tried to bear down on Erakis by scowling at him. She wanted to show no fear and keep a good grasp of her wits. But in both of her peripherals, every eye watching blinked randomly, each one distracting Nightshade from her staredown.
“Make your peace,” Erakis spoke in a gruff voice while having the audacity to smile.
Nightshade’s facade fell and true rage ravaged her composure. She didn’t focus on Erakis’ eyes, oh no. But his smile. The smile that belonged to the pony responsible for everything. It took a lot of resistance to not strike him down then and there.
“You should fear your executioner,” Nightshade said through a clenched set of sharp teeth.
“I only fear her,” Erakis said, his eyes flicking past the mare for a moment.
Nightshade hated herself when she followed his gaze toward Nightmare Moon. Erakis still had some control over ponies as every eye around him blinked and stared at their mother. And Nightshade hated that.
“Why did you do it?” Nightshade asked while looking at Nightmare Moon. More anger stabbed into Nightshade because she didn't say it directly to Erakis. The day prior, she spent a good deal of time practicing that very question. In her mind, Nightshade made sure her stare would break Erakis. Instead, reality proved she couldn’t face him by simply having her eyes averted elsewhere.
“‘Why.’” Erakis echoed the first word of the question. “Such an interesting word.”
Carnation, Nightshade’s father, cried out in anger, “Answer her question!”
At once, everypony around the damned and executioner roared in agreement. Everything meshed into one noise. Only a few sentences were made out.
“Confess your crimes!”
“Traitor!”
“End him now!”
There was only one good thing Nightshade could find in the angry crowd, or rather, what she could not find: no teenager and younger was present. There were plenty of parents who simply wished to not have their children witness a public execution. It was a new experience for every thestral on the moon, some even speculating the sight of watching somepony die would cause heavy mental damage for a child. Thus, it was deemed necessary to withhold any youth from attending.
Nightshade knew firsthoof what it was like to watch somepony die. She never wanted her sweet, little sister to be poisoned by the vision. Nightshade always wanted Sugar to stay away from the nasty works of being a soldier. And Nightshade was happy when Sugar got her three sugar cube cutie mark. Never would Sugar be involved in dangerous and damaging affairs.
“SILENCE!” Nightmare Moon exclaimed. Her voice echoed across the terrarium multiple times, telling the crowd over and over she had heard enough. And her single word swallowed every voice like a candle sucking the air away from a candle, only leaving the single string of smoke to barely hint that it had any heat at all.
“I think ‘silence’ is a fascinating word as well,” Nightmare Moon said. “Don’t you agree, Erakis?”
Horror fell upon the damned thestral and the color in Erakis’ red face went pale. It was his turn to have a damaged facade. “Answer her question, Erakis? Why did you kill White Dwarf? Why did you create such a complex plot to end such an accomplished life? WHY-!”
And now, Nightmare Moon showed her pain upon her brow. The crowd watched their mother as if seeing a new color be conceived. Regret. Fear. Rage. Sorrow. Confusion. These were the emotions Nightshade picked out as she watched Nightmare Moon struggle to get her words out.
“Why would the greatest enforcer of my law commit treachery?” Nightmare Moon finally said.
Erakis' response was very low, but Nightshade easily caught it with her sensitive ears. The stallion, no longer gripped by silence, had the audacity to laugh. His volume increased just enough for most to hear him. Erakis laughed as if he heard a simple joke and merely chuckled to acknowledge its humor.
“Your laws are centralized in fear, Nightmare Moon,” Erakis said. “And being your ‘greatest enforcer’ of fear, it certainly was quite the experience to be in possession of such power!”
Erakis gave Nightmare Moon a hard stare, his slit pupil sharp and dangerous. “You use fear to keep everything on the moon in check. Even your precious White Dwarf was deathly afraid of making a wrong error that he made sure everything was correct, lest you strike him down for being simply flawed for a moment. Or!”
Nightshade watched Erakis slowly turn his attention to her. “Somepony speaks against you by questioning a decision you’ve made, be it big or small. All it took was one act of speaking against Nightmare Moon to set her into a fit of rage, didn’t it Nightshade?”
Nightshade was tempted to answer out loud, but she was afraid of others hearing her personal thoughts. Because he was right. Fear did rule alongside Nightmare Moon. However…
“Answer. The. Question.” Nightshade demanded. She took a few steps to get within reaching distance. “Go about your shaming of my mother another time. Why did you do it?”
Erakis snorted, “But you cannot deny the truth. Look at how Nightmare Moon is using this public execution to set an example-”
The bottom end of the spear Nightshade was holding smacked the stallion in the cheek, sending him sprawling to the ground. Somepony behind her made a grunt in pain. Nightshade looked back and saw Red struggle to stay still. Despite Erakis’ crimes, Red couldn’t bear seeing his father be hit like that. His mother clung onto him, whispering words into his ear.
“Get up!” Nightshade growled, tapping the spear’s butt on the stone ground. “And answer my question!”
Erakis grunted a laugh and said, “Does it feel good to wield that power of fear?” His volume continued to increase, “Beat me into the ground! Taste it! Make me fear you!”
Nightshade wanted to express every ounce of anger in her soul upon the stallion. In her hooves, the spear was more than an execution tool, it was a device of torture. She could easily poke small holes into Erakis until he begged to be offed.
But Nightshade pondered his words. She delved into how Nightmare Moon used fear to maintain order, and how Erakis used the same tactic.
Was Nightshade known to others as a tool of terror?
No, she was not. Nightshade knew that she could begin walking down that path of fear. But two ponies came to mind as she delved further into the question.
The first was Sugar Crush, her sweet, little sister. Never once had Nightshade asserted her big sister role to make Sugar truly be afraid of her. Nightshade did like to tease Sugar, no doubt. It was only natural for older siblings to do that. But Nightshade never bullied her sister. Just the thought made the thestral want to vomit.
The second pony was White Dwarf. Even with his presence gone, Nightshade loved him with a deep passion. She tried to find moments when White was afraid of her. The only moment Nightshade could find was when he forgot her birthday. The sheer audacity that stallion, not remembering such an important date! When the time came for her nineteenth birthday, Nightshade was on the tips of her hooves in preparation for a surprise from White. But that day came and went without a single acknowledgment. And a week of an upset mare began. Nightshade felt a little guilty because she abused his emotions by pretending to be upset with him after day two, but he needed to be taught a lesson.
But did he truly fear her? Of course not. And would he ever want to fear his lover? The upset mare week was a testament to how much he hated it.
Nightshade somehow wanted to believe White would approve of beating Erakis into the ground. But that would not be within his character. Whenever White would duel anypony during combat training, he knew when his opponent was beaten. When they yielded, he stopped. And whenever somepony would pick on someone weaker, no matter if the oppressor was mare or stallion, White would ward them off with impressive skill, one time taking on three with a shortsword. Yet, even when he showed even those three off, he showed mercy.
Instead of using the spear to retrieve Erakis’ answer, Nightshade wanted to try a different approach. “I must admit I do miss White,” Nightshade said aloud, speaking to the ponies all around her. “Who among you misses him as well? Raise your hoof if you do!”
The mass of ponies turned and looked at one another as if the question was too alien to understand. Nightshade looked back at Nightmare Moon and the ponies around her. If the crowd won’t interact with Nightshade’s question, surely Nightmare Moon and those most affected would coax somepony to raise a hoof.
Red was the first to raise his hoof. It was slow and his arm shivered as he held it up. His eyes, however, stared at the ground, and streams of tears followed where he looked. Red’s mother nuzzled his cheek with her own and shared her own sadness with him, raising her hoof in the process.
Carnation, Nightshade's father, rose his hoof next. He did his best to hold a strong expression, but his tears betrayed him. Nightshade couldn’t help but smile. Even when Carnation wanted to lament, he couldn’t resist looking intimidating and unhurt.
Nightmare Moon soon followed with her own hoof. Her wrist twinkled with a bedazzled bracelet forged in silver and dark gems. And just like the previous three, she too wept in front of her children.
One by one, though it was not much, thestrals began to raise their hooves. Nightshade recognized most who finally answered her question. Many were guards, soldiers enlisted into Nightmare Moon’s ranks. Only a select few Nightshade were not as familiar with, but they knew White all the same, and that’s all that mattered. Several of the blackmailed ponies held their hooves high. As with the crowd, there were some that Nightshade did not recognize. That fact didn’t matter to her. What did was she had everypony’s hearts, not their anger.
The moment of lament made Nightshade strangely joyful. She was happy to see ponies that were affected by White. He truly had an impact on their lives to make them weep. And it made Nightshade proud to have such a prestigious stallion fall in love with her.
Nightshade looked at Erakis and saw him scowling at the crowd. His pupils darted here and there, never waiting longer than a second.
“I am sure all of us are waiting with eager anticipation, Erakis,” Nightshade said. The silence around her was broken by a sniffle here and there, but aside from that, nopony dared to interrupt; not even Nightmare Moon.
A growl rumbled in Erakis’ throat. Then a second growl escaped through his bared teeth. And finally, the third growl came, and his entire face was filled with hatred.
“Red!” Erakis shouted.
Red twitched at the sudden call and snapped his attention at his father. “What?” Red bluntly asked.
“I am ashamed to have you as my son! In fact, I renounce you as my son!”
Red’s ears fell down as Erakis’ disowned him. The crowd stirred with confusion, not sure what caused the comment. As for Red’s mother, she stepped in front of her son as if to shield him from the words. “And I renounce our marriage!” she shouted back.
Erakis shook his head. “Oh you poor, misguided mare. How could you stand there and not be upset at Red? How many times has he failed to bring our house’s name to the highest standard? First, he let that uneducated farm-hoof, White, to surpass him! Then, Red refused to win Nightshade’s heart, and instead, once more, let White best him!”
Erakis glared at Nightshade, his slit pupils dilating to a near razer-thin line. “You let yourself fall in love with a farmer boy! A low-life! One who’s house paws at the dirt, while mine is among great soldiers!”
It was hard for Nightshade not to spear Erakis as he went on his tirade. Besides, she was getting the answer she needed to hear. That did not make listening to Erakis easy.
Erakis spun around to shout at the crowd. “You all disgust me! Ponies of lower houses need to learn their keep! You allowed White to make you all look like idiots! Even Omnibus, head of his own house, let his prestigious son be surpassed by a farmer!”
Nightshade looked for Omnibus in the crowd, but he kept himself well hidden. Erakis continued, his words honed in on Nightshade, “This wasn’t a personal matter between you and I! This plot I had against White was beyond petty emotions!”
His voice grew louder as his face grew more hysterical. “I was sick of listening about White! Everypony was so proud of his accomplishment, how he never let his status pin him down! He’s the reason why other lower houses are now allowed to try for Nightmare Moon’s guard if they so choose! Neigh, I say! Neigh! I wanted to tear down those pillars he brought! And I wanted to drag all I could with me if I was found out!”
Erakis spun around to see his victims. “All of you are guilty of crimes! Adultery! Bribery! Theft! Assault! I should have turned you all in to be punished to the highest degree! But I think bringing light to all makes this trial all the more satisfying!”
Erakis started shouting at the crowd again. “Are you happy with your answer? You must be brimming with joy now that the truth is out!”
“No, we are not!” Nightshade interjected.
Erakis faced the mare with a maniacal expression. “And why is that?”
“Because a well-beloved pony is no longer here because of you.” Nightshade pointed her spear at Erakis’ bare chest. “You shame other houses, but in return, you dragged your own house in the mud."
Nightshade looked into the crowd. "Though, I have a feeling your name will be scrubbed off of every book mentioning your name. And I think Omnibus and his house, despite being outperformed by a farmer, will be more than happy to do that for me, for us all.”
Fear quickly grabbed Erakis by the throat. “You wouldn’t do that to me-”
Nightshade was done listening. And her spear did quick work to end Erakis.
***
Nightshade held out her arm, mimicking the thrust she made that pierced Erakis’ blackened heart. Mineral watched her body rise and fall as she heaved breaths of air from her muzzle. The character Erakis was no more. And yet, Mineral felt that horrible ghost, death, swimming around him and the others. Mineral knew how cold that ghost could be. But to look at somepony who ended a life via execution made it difficult for him to look at Nightshade.
Saradiamond and Steadfast kept looking at anypony and everything except for Nightshade. Mineral couldn’t blame them either. To know that Sugar’s sister actually killed somepony was certainly an interesting sensation. The sensation was not comfortable, to say the least.
Rarity had the courage to face Nightshade while wearing a pained expression. Spike was doing his best to keep his wits, but Mineral saw the hero shiver. Pinkie Pie had her eyes clenched shut and ears pinned all the way back. Mineral didn’t blame the wielder of laughter for being upset about execution.
Morganite was the only pony calm about the situation. She was still Nightshade’s pillar, still clinging to the thestral’s arm and stroking it from time to time. Mineral pondered how their talk prior to coming to the stadium went. He could only assume.
“How… did it feel?” Steadfast asked at a near whisper.
Nightshade slowly pulled back her arm and let out a heavy sigh. “Horrible,” she said. “I screamed after Erakis fell to the ground. Seeing his eyes opened wide as he laid their-”
“Stop!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. She shook her head rapidly as tears flaked off her cheeks. “Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! I can’t take all of these upsetting backstories!”
Rarity was quick to move toward Pinkie Pie, but Steadfast was faster. The golden steed marched toward her and took a pink hoof. “Neither can I!” he said. “Allow me to be your anchor!”
Pinkie Pie slammed herself into Steadfast. The stallion staggered two steps backward but regained his stance. The mare lamented aloud, her crying lightly clapping off of the hollow stadium.
“No more!” Pinkie Pie cried. “Why! Why is there so much sadness with this friendship problem! Why must there be so much hurt! Why! Why!”
Pinkie Pie’s legs started to lose strength, but Steadfast kept her standing with one arm. “Be strong,” he said to her.
Steadfast’s words were not heeded and she sank further. “...why?” Pinkie whimpered.
“I don’t know,” Nightshade answered. She blinked once and was staring hard at Saradiamond. “Why is such a fascinating, damning word.”
Saradiamond winced at the bitter gesture. “You have something to tell me?”
“Many things,” Nightshade growled. “A lot of why questions.”
Morganite chimed in, “Nightshade, don’t do anything rash!”
Nightshade didn’t listen. “Answer these in order: Why couldn’t you look past Mineral’s mistake, but instead, berate him over something that was out of his control? Why do you behave like a hypocrite in front of me, saying that White’s death was not my fault, but blame Nebula’s death on Mineral?”
Saradiamond clenched her jaw, but that kept her from speaking. She looked away from Nightshade, but the tears betrayed her. The instant Saradiamond’s ears fell back, Nightshade pursued with a harsher tone, “No words? How about you tell me why my story is the exception here? Why did you stand over Nebula’s grave and poison her memories as you attacked Mineral-”
Two voices rang out. “ENOUGH!”
Nightshade flinched as both Rarity and Mineral glared at her. Pinkie Pie was no longer crying, her breathing being the only remnant of her sadness. Aside from that, nopony was happy with Nightshade’s words. Nightshade looked pained when Morganite shook herself away.
Mineral and Rarity’s eyes met. Mineral nodded, then gestured his head to Nightshade. Rarity faced Nightshade who kept staring at her upset friend. “I side with Pinkie Pie on all of this tragic past. I think we all understand one another at this point. But I will no longer stand by while anypony blames another for any tragic loss, be it Nebula or White. And I won’t have you, Nightshade, be a hypocrite, either!”
No longer held by Morgainte, Nightshade looked lost. “How can either of you two stand up for Saradiamond?” She directed her confusion at Mineral, “After all she did, you defend her?”
“I can say the same about you and Princess Luna,” Mineral answered. “Despite how Princess Luna was Nightmare Moon, and despite how she was the one who… ended White, you still loyally stand by her side, correct?”
“Yes,” Nightshade weakly answered after a short pause.
“Why?” Mineral asked.
“It’s complicated…”
Saradiamond snorted, “How amusing!”
“I didn’t finish my story!” Nightshade snapped back.
Mineral hushed both mares and rose a hoof to keep them from adding words. “Indeed, it is all very complicated,” Mineral said. “You can tell us the last bit of your past later. Right now, I want to tell Saradiamond personally why my complicated emotions make me stand up for her, alone.”
Mineral slowly faced Steadfast and said, “Along with you. Since we are less angry at each other, we can try to settle this feud. Together.”
Pinkie Pie gasped, her sadness evaporated by the proposal. She looked up at Steadfast, eagerly awaiting the inevitable yes-like response. “I would be a fool to pass this up," Steadfast said. "Wouldn’t you say, Saradiamond?”
Saradiamond didn’t speak, but she did nod. Saradiamond lowered her head to let Spike crawl off of her. He moved carefully to not pull her mane in the process. When Spike stood on his own, Saradiamond asked him, “Am I a hypocrite?”
The hero thought for a moment, shifting around in the uncomfortable air. “I think it’s time to not ask me, but them,” Spike said.
“Yes,” Steadfast spoke. “I have a lot to say.” Steadfast did not wear his shining grin, but bore a bold, neutral expression.
He tried to move, but Pinkie Pie still held him down. “You can do this,” she said with a smile. “Go be their anchor this time.”
“Hehe, I will make my attempt.”
Mineral, Saradiamond, and Steadfast told the others they would be sitting in the shade on the far side of the stadium. With several nods and hoofshakes, the three were off.
“It’s been so long since we’ve walked together like this,” Steadfast said, beaming at his friends.
To his surprise, they were both smiling at him. But something was off about their grins. “Since when have you been interested in Pinkie Pie?” Saradiamond asked.
Steadfast blushed but kept his smile. “Since she became an influence to help my friends.”
“Don’t dance around the question,” Mineral said, pressing harder into Steadfast. “Are you fond of her like I am to Sugar?”
That time, Steadfast let his smile waver as his face turned redder. “Let’s focus on our issue first,” Steadfast said.
Mineral turned around to see how those they left behind. Suddenly, Morgainte broke off from them in a brisk walk, while Nightshade chased after her.
“I agree with him,” Mineral said, though he was interested in what transpired not even a minute of departing from the group.