A Different Kind of Homecoming
After about an hour of flying through the desert, Turrok reached the city gate and walls. Once there two guards approached him. Unlike the pony Royal Guard, that wore golden armor, changlings used armor made of titanium with an obsidian color. The golden armor is forged to be curved and smooth. While titanium armor is forged with short spines of along the shoulders and back, used to designate rank. He still was spiteful about the queen claiming that the use of armor in the invasion would be a gross misuse of resources. One of the many poor decisions with that incident, all because she wished to keep the metal for those who protected her. It made him all the more satisfied about the fact that she was the latest edition to the Canterlot Gardens. It also made him feel a little bit of regret for not seeing the statue first hand.
"Turrok Galvann, we have been ordered to escort you to the High Council chamber," one announced. The second pulled a pair of iron shackles and chained his forelegs together. "Just following procedure, we do not feel it to be necessary."
"I will have come willingly, I want to see this council as much as they wish to see me." He followed the guards as they walked slowly through the city streets.
They passed many buildings crafted from sandstone in square shapes. The street was immediately parted with citizens on each side of them. Some were shouting and insulting Turrok, but at least that many were shouting at the guards as well. Something that he might be able to use as leverage.
After dodging a few pieces of trash, the escorts took flight and Turrok followed suit. From the sky, most of the smaller buildings looked identical and systematically placed. One building stood apart from the rest, a large dome covered building where the council gathered. The council acted as a governing body for matters that concerned the people while the queen took matters that concerned the country. But since the queen was a decoration for the pony capitol, they were the new governing body.
"Galvann?" one guard called.
"Yes?"
"I know it's not my place to ask but... is it true?" one guard asked.
"There are a number of things you could be asking about, can you narrow it down?"
"Your father, was it true that he was... murdered?"
"Senti! Show some respect!" the other guard shouted.
"Sorry, Barri. But, I just want to know, you don't need to answer."
"Doesn't your council say what happened?" Turrok replied.
"That doesn't mean they are right," Senti replied.
"Very well. All I know about the incident is, my father lead a state for a number of years, and he would be hard pressed to die in a fire. I can't say for certain that his death wasn't more than an accident, but it was very suspicious."
"Hm," after a few moments of contemplation, he gave a nod before preparing to set down in front of the large building.
Through the doors, many changlings could be seen swarming through with stacks of papers, pens and other stationary equipment. When the escort was acknowledged and Turrok was recognized, the room was still. Not one of them daring to breathe, lest they break said silence.
After a few moments of painstaking stillness, the two guards continued with their prisoner following closely behind them. Once they left the room, everyone returned to their tasks and rushing to do errands. The three entered a long hallway with doors lining each side of it. At the end of the hallway was a pair of doors that reached the ceiling. No doubt that it was the council chamber.
They stopped at the large steel doors, they had intricate designs carved into the metal surfaces. Two guards stood attention and opened the doors slowly to reveal a large vacant space surrounded by several levels against the walls. A least a hundred seats filled these levels and each one was occupied by a councilman in a brown, hooded cloak. Adjacent to the door, a large seat comparable to a throne was occupied by an older changling. Despite his age, his voice was quite loud in the silent room.
"Turrok Galvann, so kind of you to return! Guards leave us, there are many matters to be discussed and they would be better to be between us!"
The guards took their leave, doors slamming hard enough to cause Turrok to jump. He scanned the room and saw the sheer number of glares and looks of contempt being directed at himself.
"Before I continue, it is only common courtesy that I give you my name. I am Korran Arbon, head of the Council of the People." He paused, waiting for a response.
"Am I suppose to be impressed?" Turrok asked.
"Oh please refrain from attacking my character. If you think you can wound with your words you are sadly mistaken. It does not matter what you're opinion might be, you are here to be tried for your crimes."
"Why do they matter? It seems that you've made your decision, just fit the noose around my neck. Or do you still wish to hold some facade of being fair and just?"
"There is no facade, everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves. You will be no exception."
"And just how would this 'trial' be held? And when would it happen?"
"You will explain what your life has been like these past few months to the council. We will find out just how much you have done against your people. We also will see just how much information you have given our enemies. If the crimes are unfitting for an execution, we will stay the hoof and simply hold you for the rest of your mortal days. As for the when this will be decided, tomorrow would be sufficient."
"And until then?"
"You will be held in the cells of this hall. No need to drag you to the prisons if we are just going to drag you right back."
"Am I to escort myself?" Turrok scoffed.
"Speak to the guards and you will be escorted there."
"Then I bid you farewell, Councilor." Turrok gave a slight bow and turned to see the doors swing open. Once he left the room, the doors swung shut behind him.
One of the two guards approached him. "Follow me," he ordered. With no hesitation, the guard led him down the hall to one of the many doors that lined the walls. The sign on the door read Restricted and the guard pulled out a ring of small iron keys and twisted one of the keys inside the lock. He pushed the door open and gestured for the prisoner to go inside. The room was occupied by a several spacious cells, all of them unoccupied. Another key was used to unlock the cell in the middle of the room and Turrok walked inside to hear the door click shut behind him, followed by the turn of the lock.
"May the gods be merciful," the guard said before leaving. It was a prayer for those who were going to face their own mortality in a short time. The door locked and he was left alone, the cells were bare of anything besides a cot and a bucket in the corner. Above him, a small square hole was carved out to act as a window. Three grey bars ensured anything bigger than a newborn changling would stay in the cell.
With nothing else to do, he simply lay on the cot and let his thoughts wander. The most prominent thing on his mind was that Korran Arbon. What was his reasoning for not killing on the spot? What would this trial accomplish? Is he really sincere about being fair and just?
Before speculation could begin, the door unlocked on the other side of the room. He sat up to greet this visitor and saw someone with one of the councilors in the dull brown cloaks enter.
"Mr. Galvann, I wish to speak with you," she spoke, approaching the cell.
"Well, I've got nothing better to do, Ms..."
"Chitin. Kara Chitin."
"So, what can this traitor and prisoner do for you?" he asked.
"I need your help," Kara admitted.
"How could I help you?"
"I need you to kill Korran," she whispered.
"...Come again?" he attempted to process her request. She wants me... to kill the Head Councilor...?
"I need your help to remove Korran from the council."
"Before we go into any further about this... request, what could you give me in return?"
Kara pondered for a moment. "How about your freedom?"
***
"You three are crazy if you think I'm not coming."
"Ah'm comin' too."
"Me too, we can't let those meanies hurt him."
"If you really do insist on going, I'm going with you."
The four put their hooves down to punctuate their point.
"This is a first contact scenario, we need to extend an olive branch if we are going to get him back," Dusk explained.
Before he could continue further, the door to the library flew open revealing a very worried Celestia. "Good, you're all still here."
"Mentor? What are you doing here?"
"Stopping you from doing something extremely foolish. You all cannot go get Turrok back, I won't allow it."
"So what can we do?" Rarity asked.
"Nothing," Celestia answered simply.
“You know what will happen to him right?”
“My answer remains the same.”
"You cannot be serious, Princess! After all of the good he's done, how he kept us safe and protected the town in exchange for a soft bed, you are content to let him go home and be executed!?"
"It's out of my hooves, I will not send my people into a war over a single changling. I am telling you to give up this fool's errand. And release that assassin, he's of no use to us."
"No..."
"Rarity, I'm sorry but-"
"NO! You are simply telling me to forget about him! To act like he never existed! To completely ignore all of the good he's done! And to that I say no! I'm sorry but, with or without your approval I will get him back!"
"I can't afford to lose any of you over this!" the Princess shouted. "I understand that he has done a lot of good and doesn't deserve his fate. But all of you are important and I can't have you risking your lives like this. This country needs you, all of you, to be here."
"Then I'll go, I'm not important."
"Dusk, no, you are important. I don't want you going there, I mean it."
"Why not? I don't have an element, I can handle myself and I would be the most prepared to do this."
"I. Said. No."
"Give me a reason."
"Because I'm not going to be the one to tell your family that you died on some hopeless suicide mission to try to save a dead changling!"
"You don't know if that is the case."
"I don't have to, I can dispatch a group of guards to keep you here if need be. Don't leave the country, or I will be forced to track you down myself." She stormed out of the library and slammed the door behind her.
"I've never seen her that... emotional," Twilight commented.
"So, do we stick with the plan?" Rarity asked.
"The plan is done, we aren't going."
"Don't you turn your back on him as well!"
"If we go, we just get dragged back here and placed under constant watch. We can't do anything more, we just have to hope he can find a way out on his own."
“You have to…” she pleaded.
“No. No I don’t.” He turned away, refusing to make eye contact.
“You owe this to him! Did you forget that!? After what you did!?”
“Rarity, please back off,” Fluttershy requested, putting herself between the two. “He doesn’t need this right now.”
“No! He does need to hear this!” The unicorn pushed passed the pegasus. “After what you did in Canterlot!? You owe him for killing his brother! You took his last family member! You cannot just ignore that fact!”
“...Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I know that I’m a murderer!? That I killed a kid, not a soldier, not a monster, but a kid! That no matter what I do I can never make things right! I couldn’t save his brother and I can’t save him!”
“What’s stopping you from trying!? The Princess!? Or your fear of disappointing her!?”
“Rarity enough! He can’t do anything for Turrok so stop screaming at him! Who are you to judge him? Who are you tell him what he needs to do? What gives you the right!?” Fluttershy noticed Dusk shaking and calmed down. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine, I just need… I just need to get some... get some air.” He made his way out of the room quickly.
“Are you satisfied Rarity? Did screaming at him do any good for you? Was he a good enough punching bag?” She left to find Dusk before getting a reply.
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That ending kinda pissed me off with Celestia and Fluttershy arguing with Rarity. Rarity is right in so many levels its not even funny. There just mad she has a point and they can't argue it.
3161506
I agree. The Mane Six are her Trouble Shooters, after all. There is trouble brewing, so why doesn't she let them go shoot it?
I liked the drama at the end, I want more of it please.
This was a good insight to what may come in the next few chapters. Note that it is "out of my hooves" not "not of my hands". But besides that it's all very cool and my imagination won't stop! Your stories inspire me and I hope to read more fro you.
Sincerely,
Soulyman
How did I not see this? I have made this mistake no less then three times I think, and I preread this chapter twice. How did I not catch this?
And it's not a flop, like you said. Two out of five just don't agree one hundred percent with you, but that's gonna happen some times when you publish a chapter.
3161733I thought they already one the war...
Dude..... Epic story. Really want to see how this turns out. Really like the idea of a changeling disobeying an unjust order. Chrysalis was being a total power hungry bitch. Hope to see more soon! :)
Well, Initially I was just going to do a comment on how well you did, but I think zarose about summed it up... I mean in previous chapters there were noteworthy things with mentioning, but I'm sure others just beat me to that too. Nonetheless great story, and do post more of it soon.
3615824 Thanks, I know I haven't updated in a while and I am sorry. I just started college recently and it's a little bit heavier a workload than I am used to. After next week I know I can get back on it.
3616867
Well then I look forward to your next chapters, but if you apologize to anyone for the time between updates, it should be an apology to those who have waited, I only came across your story a day ago, whereas other read your chapter months ago.
Handy for me though because I get to have a short waiting time.
ADD MORE CHAPTERS!!!
3161506 I agree on rarity being 100 percent right