//------------------------------// // Chapter 36: The Traitors // Story: Sun & Moon Act II: A Crown Divided // by cursedchords //------------------------------// “Discord’s great triumph was to create a world where there was no victory for us without defeat. Unfortunately, it took me far too long to understand that.” - Journals of High Princess Celestia (Vol. 1) By the time that Trinity and Celestia made it back to the estate, it had been far too late to even consider the journey back to Eridian, and so instead Celestia had retired to the quarters that Gala had provided for her in the manor. But in spite of the exhaustion that was resting heavy in her limbs, sleep proved elusive. The revelations of the past night were still running through her head, begging for a resolution. But there were still too many questions that she needed answers for. Naturally, she did now know the identity of the saboteur that Gala and Fastidious were searching for. Come the morning, she could go straight to the lord’s office, turn Trinity in, and collect the rewards that she had been promised. That was all that would have to happen, and she’d be able to put the whole business behind her. But Trinity had left just enough questions with her too. Why had her friend been so insistent that she ask about Quill and Screw? Was there something else there that Trinity knew while she didn’t? A secret that Gala was holding to his own? It shouldn’t take long to ask around the manor and find the answers. And then there was the deeper question. For even though she now knew that Trinity was an enemy of her employer, there seemed no doubt that the earth pony was most certainly still her friend. Without her intervention, the encounter with those Resistance agents would have ended very differently, of that Celestia was sure. That mercy was something that she was almost certain Gala and Fastidious lacked. Even what she knew of the prior record of their employees assured her of that. But what future did the course of cooperation with Trinity offer? More of the same, uncertainty and doubt made even more manifest since Trinity and the Resistance would control her fate. Yet even to counterbalance that was another question. For if Trinity truly was her friend after all, then why had she only revealed her true allegiance right at the last moment? Maybe at first their relationship had been purely platonic, but it didn’t take much thought to see how the details fit. How once Celestia had gotten a look at the estate’s finances, Trinity had often asked how they were doing. How she had occasionally disappeared to see to her private business at odd times. And of course how she had led Celestia on through her investigations, creating all manner of false leads and stopping her from ever seeing the truth. Trinity had used her to strike at Fastidious, and if it hadn’t been for their encounter in the bush, Celestia probably would never have known until her friend suddenly disappeared, off to another assignment somewhere else in the country. The logic always said that she should stick with her original plans, and finish the job that Gala had appointed her to. But at the same time Celestia was not the sort of pony to let a question go unanswered. Her boss could wait one more day before finding out the truth. Time enough to figure out what Trinity was trying to tell her. That resolved, Celestia did her best to snuggle into her bed and get some rest. It should have been easy; the bed was big and soft, warm with a wool blanket and a down mattress underneath. It was heaven compared to her arrangements back in Eridian. But tonight it may as well have been made of stones for all the good that it did. When the Sun finally rose the next morning, Celestia wearily got to her hooves and saw to freshening herself up for the new day. Naturally, after her night out in the wild, she hadn’t had time to clean her uniform or even fold it up properly, so it took a little doing even to get it remotely presentable this morning. Perhaps when he saw the state of the rest of her Fastidious would understand. Out in the halls, the manor was already coming to life, with the maids setting to the day’s cleaning with gusto, and Celestia didn’t have to go far to sniff the delicious aroma of breakfast being cooked in the kitchens. She made her way over there, and was delighted to find Fastidious alone in the dining room, wearing a scarlet robe with a grey cravat tucked neatly around his neck. The young lord looked to be just in the process of finishing up his own meal, but there was still a large pitcher of orange juice on the table in front of him. He looked up as soon as she came in, and wiped his muzzle off with a napkin. “Ah, good morning, Celestia! I hope that you slept well?” The question was cheerful, yet the lord’s face fell as soon as he saw her approaching the table. “I see. Burning the midnight oil then. In search of our mutual friend though, right?” “Of course, sir,” Celestia mumbled, still having a hard time navigating the fog in her mind. “It was a very long night.” A servant came in to clear the lord’s plate, and bobbed a quick nod as soon as her gaze fell upon Celestia. Fastidious started to pour out a glass of the orange juice, then thought better of it midway through. “Actually, I think you’ll need something a touch stronger this morning. Do we still have any coffee?” The servant gave him a nod before disappearing into the kitchen with the dirty dishes. After a moment Fastidious picked up the pitcher again. “Still, I suppose some juice is a fine place to start. We can’t talk about any business until I see that you’ve got your wits about you.” Indeed the juice didn’t do all that much to wake her up, but Celestia offered him the best smile she could muster anyway. “Thank you so much, my lord. What business did you have in mind?” “Everything, of course!” Fastidious replied, eager as always. “Beginning with the work that you’ve been doing out in the orchard. I’m sure that you’ve heard about it in the staff meetings, but we have a lot riding on this project of yours getting finished up. Hopefully everything is going well?” “Quite well, indeed,” she said, realizing that it was true. Either way things with Trinity worked out, the sabotage was about to stop soon. “I know that the schedules have slipped somewhat, but things are back in hoof now. We’ll be able to process much of the harvest through the new presses, I’m sure.” “Well, that is splendid. And I have to assume that your confidence in this regard means that our other enterprise is nearing completion?” In spite of herself Celestia couldn’t hold back a yawn that suddenly billowed up out of her chest. “Excuse me, my lord. Yes, as you surely know my adventures last night were in pursuit of that goal. I expect to have the perpetrator behind bars within the week.” Fastidious sat upright, his glass halfway up to his lips. “So soon? Forgive me, but your most recent report was not half so rosy as all that. We’ve had a major breakthrough then?” “I would certainly call it that,” she said, nodding. The conversation was starting to pull back the curtains behind her eyes, and the emergence of the servant carrying her mug of coffee and the plate of her breakfast helped a great deal. With one dainty sip, the strong beverage vanquished the last threads of her sleep. “If you don’t mind my asking, my lord, what sort of punishment do you intend on exacting upon our saboteur?” The young lord smiled knowingly. “That matter really is the purview of my father, but I can understand the curiosity. Naturally the first thing that we’ll want to do is interrogate them fully. A single agent is a reward itself, but if we can uncover more from them, we can strike an even harder blow against whatever network they represent.” Simple enough. Trinity naturally knew that already. “And what then?” “Well, it depends on the nature of the pony you bring in. If they are an agent of one of the other Houses, there are any number of things we might do, depending on how strong their loyalty is to their original employer.” The spark was lit in Fastidious’s eyes, even greater than his usual energy. Clearly this part of the lord’s life was the part he found most fascinating. “They could become double agents for us, or simply defect to us and spy on somepony else. Or, if they’re the obstinate sort, we hold them for ransom.” Celestia paused between bites. “Ransom? And the other Houses would pay?” “That’s where things really get fun,” he replied, rubbing his hooves together almost in anticipation. “Because then it’s all about how we talk when in amongst the court. Perhaps our enemies can be made to believe that their asset is on the verge of breaking, or actively hemorrhaging information. Or we might find out that the nameless pony in our cellar is actually somepony’s niece or nephew. That’s when the tricoins change hooves. But if we can’t find a buyer for them and we can’t get their loyalty ourselves, then we just have to kill them, unfortunately.” That word made Celestia choke for a moment, before she could recover herself and swallow. “Kill them, really? So simple as that?” The morbid subject didn’t seem to faze him for a second. “Not that we enjoy having to do it, but what option do we really have? We wouldn’t want to keep feeding them and trying to make something of them for too long, and clearly it would pose an enormous liability to let them go free. These risks are things that all of the agents understand. Even ours. We’ve had our fair share of untimely deaths over the years, but such things are just a part of life.” A part of life. Well, that was at least one thing that Trinity had told her confirmed. Buying a moment to think, she took another sip of the coffee. That was a fair trade-off to have to think about, but surely neither she nor Luna would ever end up in the spying business were they to reach into this life. Clearly there were other ways of getting by. “And pardon me, my lord, but is there anything different if our saboteur turns out to be a member of the Resistance?” He leaned back in his chair, stretching his forehooves up behind his head. “The Resistance. Is that what you are suspecting?” “Not as such, no,” she replied, settling back herself with the breakfast now done. “But it is one possibility. Gala mentioned that you’ve had run-ins with them before. I suppose there wouldn’t be any chance of ransom for them, would there?” “Absolutely not,” he said, shaking his head resolutely. “Even if those scum were willing to pay, well, we’d take their money obviously, but we’d report whoever we had contacted all of the way up the chain. And that is the usual practice,” he added. “If our saboteur is a Resistance agent, we’ll pump them for all of the info we can, but then we’ll give them over to Eridian. Let the King do as he will with his own enemies.” A tap on the floor near the room’s exit drew both of their gazes. Pure Fruit was standing there expectantly, his monocle freshly polished to a shining gleam, though it was a servant standing meekly next to him who had done the tapping. “A report, my lord,” said Fruit, “if you are finished with your breakfast.” “Naturally,” Fastidious returned. “In a moment I will be with you.” He began gathering up his things from the side of the table. “I hope that you’re not worrying too much about the fate of the scoundrel that we’re about to bring in,” he said earnestly, a warm smile showing off a flash of bright white teeth despite the prior grim discussion. “There’s no room for benevolence in our world, certainly not where our enemies are concerned. But once this project is finished, we’ll have to talk some more about your compensation. Maybe we will find a permanent place for you here, just like Mister Fruit.” Shaken slightly but still in control, Celestia smiled back. “I would appreciate that very much, my lord.” “Good luck, then,” he said, taking one last look around the table before trotting off down the hallway. Watching him go, Celestia savoured the last few sips of her coffee, thinking about the conversation. So if she did turn Trinity in, she wasn’t necessarily sending her friend to the gallows, depending on what exactly the King did with the Resistance agents that he received. Though if a pony like Fastidious could speak so casually of execution, surely Discord could hardly be more merciful. Then again with him it was impossible to tell. All in all, she still didn’t have much of an idea what to do. But now the morning was a little further on, and she had work to do. A day’s worth of personnel records and manifests would at least give her more time to think the matter through. Leaving the plates and cups still on the table, Celestia started making her way back through the house. Through a small window in the hallway, she could see that the Sun was well and truly risen by now, and the orchard outside was getting lit up in a golden hue. The dew on the leaves caught the light and gave each tree a perfect wreath of silver, and the sight was enough to take her breath away. So much so that she didn’t notice Gala turn the corner in front of her until he had cleared his throat. “Celestia?” The chipper voice of the old earth pony cut through the still air of the house easily. “Good to see you up. It looks to be a marvelous day, I think.” She gave him a quick bow. “I think so too, Mister Gala. I was just on my way out to the site.” “Marvelous,” he replied. “Perhaps I shall join you then. The fresh air will likely do me some good.” Of course, she could hardly refuse. As he fell into step with her, Celestia noticed that uncharacteristically there were a couple of buttons undone at the top of his shirt. “You’re fresh out of bed, sir?” she asked. “Hmm? Hardly,” he said, sounding distracted. “As always, I was up with the Sun. I’ve been down in the cellar, seeing after the business of Mister Screw. Naturally you understand then why I’d appreciate the fresh air.” Screw. Another name that Trinity had brought up last night. While she hadn’t seen the old mechanic around lately, she’d assumed that he was hard at work keeping the old presses active, as he’d always been before. Yet her friend had seemed to know that something else was afoot. “My apologies, but what business are you referring to?” They had come to the front door, and a servant opened it for them as they approached. The outside air was tinged with a crisp moisture, the result of that dew on the breeze, and it had a distinct note of chill to it, even though Celestia knew it would be plenty warm by midday. “Well, it’s a bit of a shame, really,” Gala said as they crossed out onto the drive. “We recently found out that he has been acting as an informant for another House.” He looked over at her. “I know that there was no love lost between the two of you, but I knew him for quite a few years, and thought him a friend.” “So what of him now?” He sighed, but instead of sounding sorrowful, Celestia noted more than a hint of betrayed anger simmering in his words. “Last night, we spoke for a long while about why he did it, who he met, how. That sort of thing.” It didn’t go past Celestia that they were exactly the sorts of questions Trinity would be getting asked very soon, if she were captured. And Gala would probably be the pony asking those questions. “Was he cooperative?” she asked, doing her best to sound nonchalant and keep the unease she was feeling out of her voice. “No,” he said. “But I can be very… persuasive, when I need to be.” After a moment of uncomfortable silence between them he blinked and seemed to come back to himself. “But we should not talk of such things on a fine morning like this. Tell me, how are things progressing on the project?” Over the tops of the trees, Celestia could see the big timber beams jutting up proudly, with the first few of them now being prepped to have the roof put on. It was easier to slip back into professionalism when she could talk about her work. “We’re still on schedule, which means I expect to have the new presses operational within the month. That means we’ll be on line with about a third of the harvest left to go.” Gala nodded. “Outstanding. It really is going to be a sight by the time that it’s done, isn’t it? Why, we’ll have to think about getting a plaque made up to commemorate all of the effort that you’ve put into making it a reality.” “Oh, that’s hardly necessary,” she said. “You and your son have been too kind to me already.” “Nonsense!” he declared. “As you well understand, we were in rough shape before you came along, and for a moment things were looking bad indeed. If we do manage to make it through this harvest, the Appleton family is going to have you to thank. Only name your price, and I’ll do my best to see it granted.” There it was. More than just a hope. A future for her, and for Luna, as well as for Wicker, Capstan and Rosy, all of them. Not aspirational, not an interpretation of words read between the lines. Gala had said it, right out. And all she would have to do was reach out and take it. Well, that and send Trinity off to whatever fate awaited her in Eridian. “Thank you, sir,” she said, giving him a quick, but deep bow. “From the bottom of my heart, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of the generosity your family has shown me. But again, we can worry about rewards once the project is finished.” “Of course,” he said. “Remember to let me know as soon as you get a lead on our mutual friend. Come tomorrow, once my business with Screw has been properly terminated, I’ll be ready to receive them.” Celestia gave him a quick nod, and then with a last deep breath, Gala turned around and headed back into the house, leaving her with her thoughts. It had been another revealing conversation, if not necessarily definitive. But something in the way that Gala had said it told her that his methods of persuasion were probably more than just verbal. Trinity didn’t deserve to go through something like that. But too, he had removed all doubt as to the reward she was being offered. A creak from the direction of the gates announced the first arrivals of the day’s shift, Trinity and the rest of her family among them. She locked eyes with her friend from across the yard, and Trinity simply beckoned her over with a casual wave, a bright smile on her face. Wickerlock and Capstan were looking less upbeat, though each one offered at least a small smile as she came over. It took Celestia a moment to remember that the last time they had spoken would have been the argument last night. “Hey, Capstan, Wicker,” she said, as sincere as she could muster. “Listen, about last night, I’m really sorry for getting mad like I did. You guys were right; I have been going too hard on this investigation.” The two of them exchanged what seemed a meaningful look, and then Capstan gave her a square slap on the back. “Hah! Good to see that you’ve come to your senses again. Rosy was beginning to think that you weren’t coming back!” “Well, she needn’t worry. Tonight I’ll be joining the three of you back in Eridian. And we’ll have that celebration, with whatever Rosy can work out.” Wickerlock gave her a gentle hug. “I’m sure that Luna will be happy to hear that too. But what about the investigation? I thought that the lord was getting impatient to have things ironed out?” Celestia knew that Trinity was walking behind them, and could almost feel the intensity in her friend’s stare. “It’s still coming along,” she said, making sure to choose her words carefully. “Maybe we’ll have some answers soon, but like I said you guys were right. I was just taking the whole thing way too seriously.” “Okay then,” he said, sounding uncertain and giving her an earnest look. “So long as you think this is all right. As much as we want to see you home, you know that we’d never want to jeopardize your position here for that.” “Oh, I know,” she said, “and I appreciate the thought. But I think we can all agree that I could use a little rest on this file.” “Darn right,” Capstan affirmed. “It’s bad enough that you’re working for these traitors in the first place. It’s even worse if you’re going to work yourself to death over it. Let’s not look this gift horse in the mouth, Wicker!” The younger stallion nodded at that, and as the group came up on the build site, Wickerlock and Capstan waved again before moving off to find their teams and get to work. Trinity, though, stayed behind. She didn’t say anything, but only motioned for Celestia to keep walking, on into her private tent. The earth pony pulled the flap closed behind them. “Good morning, Celestia,” she said, setting herself down on the crate. “I’m willing to bet that you probably didn’t sleep very well. I suppose I’m sorry for that.” Celestia busied herself setting the kindling and lighting the fire on her hearth. Maybe if she didn’t look at Trinity much, her friend wouldn’t notice how uncertain she was. Once it was done, she sat down at her desk. The clipboards from last night were still arrayed there, sheets of parchment with the inventory lists of all the tools ready to go. “You’re right, I am tired. But I don’t blame you for that. I had a lot to think about, that's all.” “I understand,” Trinity replied, holding her hooves to the fire as soon as it had properly caught. “You’re not the first pony I’ve met in your position. On my last assignment I was working an asset who was a lord’s grandson, if you can believe that.” “An asset?” Celestia let her ears drop back, already not liking the possible implications. “I had hoped that maybe we could keep using the word ‘friend’.” “Sorry. That’s Resistance-speak. I hope you realize that we’re still close, though. Here, let’s get that first business off of your chest right away.” Trinity got up and walked to the desk. She pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment, then wrote a name down across the top. “Good old Quinn. We’ve had eyes on him off and on over the course of the whole project anyway. It shouldn’t be too surprising to the estate when you turn him in.” Seeing the name written out suddenly brought the gravity of what was going to happen directly to her. All she would have to do was slip this paper under Gala’s office door, maybe with some evidence written on it. The next day, Quinn would be hauled off for questioning, dealt with by Gala or Fastidious, made to answer if he could. However, since he obviously couldn’t, there was only one thing that could happen. “They’ll kill him,” she whispered, her throat suddenly dry. Trinity nodded knowingly. “Yes. But it’s better him than us. You can pick another name if you’d prefer.” “Another? No!” Celestia sputtered, for a moment unable to put a sentence together, as if her brain had disconnected itself from her mouth. “Are- Are we seriously just going to condemn an innocent pony to die?” “Yes we are,” her friend replied, stone-faced. “What else did you think would happen?” “I don’t know!” She couldn’t believe that she was the only one seemingly with any doubt over this. “We’re both going to have to live with this on our conscience. Do you not care about that?” “I do!” Trinity replied, a bit louder but still without much emotion. “Look, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s the only way that this can end, and when you’re in the Resistance, things like this are just a part of life.” A part of life. An echo of a phrase separated by maybe only half an hour, yet a world apart. Maybe it didn’t matter which side she was on. The war would still be a part of it. Maybe Trinity was still her friend, but she was just as much the Resistance operative she had been last night. Taking a deep breath, Trinity crossed behind the desk, bent down, and took Celestia around the shoulders with a forehoof. “Hey,” she said, forcefully but not as a command. “Celestia, look at me.” A part of her wanted to turn away, to deny that she was in this horrible position and refuse to take part in it. But obviously Celestia had to comply. In Trinity’s face, she at first saw only a reflection of Gala: the same impossible hardness, as if only ice ran in her veins. Yet, deep in her friend’s eyes, she did see a hint of something else. “I’m very sorry that I put you in this position,” Trinity began. “This sort of thing should never have to happen, and if there were any way to prevent it, I would.” She paused, glancing down for a moment before continuing. “But we’re fighting a war. I’ve been a part of it long enough, and said good-bye to enough friends, that the thought of more death doesn’t move me the way that I know it should. I hope that you won’t be in this with me long enough for you to lose that. But we’re in an impossible situation, and there’s no way out that doesn’t end in somepony getting turned over to the lord. You understand?” She understood, even if it was hard to accept. Because she could tell that Trinity really did mean it. And that threw another complication into her mind just as she’d thought that the decision had become obvious. “I see, Trinity. I see.” “Good,” her friend said, standing up once again. “Like I said before, you’ve got a good heart in you, and I envy you for still knowing what that feels like. In their world, death is cheap, and while in ours it’s sometimes necessary, it’s never something to be taken lightly. Now, do you know what you have to do?” She didn’t know, no more than when she had gotten up this morning. Even so she nodded, knowing at least that she couldn’t let Trinity see her wavering any more. Deliberately, Trinity arranged the parchment and ink well on the desk, with a fresh quill laid beside them. “Take the parchment out to the manor at the end of the day, then come back to Eridian with us. Like you said, tonight will be a great night to celebrate.” She offered a thin smile, which Celestia couldn’t quite return. Then she stepped out. The ink that marked Quinn’s name burned at the top of the parchment, seeming two feet tall to Celestia, taking up the whole of her desk. Hurriedly she shuffled it under something else. She could at least draft some memos for now, and deal with that business later. Celestia had the envelope tucked into one of her cloak’s inner pockets when she finally left the tent that evening. The Sun was well on its way down now, casting long shadows over the orchard, and that cold wind was back, rustling in the leaves of the trees. Those leaves were by now well on their way to turning red, orange, and yellow, the colours standing out boldly in the fading light of the day. In front of the tent, the building site was taking shape nicely, the paving stones that would make up the floor now mostly laid in, the support beams all up, the first beginnings of rafters forming in their assembly area nearby. The last shift was just now getting off the site, and Celestia saw Trinity in the distance. The earth pony gave her a grinning wink, but she only turned away, and started the long walk up to the manor. As the shadows grew longer, the detail of that great old building leapt out to her. The sharp spires of its roof, where the wings of the building came together, jutted up like pointed spears in the sky. The crimson siding looked darker in the fading evening light, like dried blood caked all over. Yet too, warm light spilled out from some of the windows, inviting, peaceful, and calm. The guards at the door gave her gentle nods, and over the threshold the world was bright again, full of life. Each of the servants gave her a bow as she passed them, and they even made way for her in the hall. Finally she came to the door to Gala’s office, and pulled the envelope out. Celestia took a deep breath, and slid it under the door. Heaven help her, but maybe someday she’d be able to live with her decision.