The Final Resolution
Verko had gone from standing irately at his window to watch the battle to standing with his back to the wall beside the window so he could occasionally peak out before quickly moving back out of sight. The last thing he wanted was to be struck by an arrow, spear, or magic bolt that came zipping through his window. He had been so sure that the combined forces of his hired muscle, slave guards, and slave owning citizens would be enough to send the attackers all to Hellgates. However, as the battle ranged on below, even from his own ivory tower could Verko see that his side was loosing.
Verko body suddenly convulsed violently, causing him to slide down the wall and land on his rear. He cursed Tempest Shadow's name a bit, then let out a far more venomous stream of curses on the ponies and hippogriffs. He eventually managed to refocus his attention on his current predicament. It was clear to him that his criminal empire in Klugetown was finished. From his high vantage point, he witnessed the ponies take over the slave compound, and he knew that any slave strong enough to work would also be strong enough to fight, making his current situation all the more hopeless.
Verko slammed his fist into the wall behind him before heaving himself back up onto his feet. The only option he had was to simply leave Klugetown and start his plans anew somewhere else. He smiled as he recalled his special escape tunnel, and his own personal secret airship waiting at the other end of it.
"A mole-rat lives to run away. . .so he can scheme another day!" he said gleefully as a wicked smile grew on his face.
Verko swiftly shuddered the window, and then ran right towards a wall-safe on the other side of the room. He opened it and proceeded to load his pockets with coins and gems. He cackled to himself, finding joy in the fact that those meddlers couldn't get rid of him so easily. He was a mole-rat of means who could make it pretty much everywhere with his wealth and cunning.
"Verko. . .the world's greatest criminal mind!" he praised to himself as he shoved a claw full of bits into his pocket. Already he had plans to hire on whatever criminal element was sure to exist in whatever city he decided to settle down in. Then maybe dig up some blackmail worthy dirt, and he'd be in business again in no time.
It wasn't long before Verko's pockets were full, but the wall safe was still packed with valuables. Verko frowned at this, and sighed as he shoved a few important deeds and other documents into his top hat. It hurt to leave behind any of his wealth, but he'd grabbed enough, and his secret airship also had a stash of loot for such an emergency. Verko turned to leave, but paused when he finally noticed that his Abyssinian slave Sola was in the room with him, silently standing behind him the whole time.
Recognizing an opportunity for an elegant solution, Verko gave the slave a curt not and pointed to the safe. "Slave! Gather up as much of the contents in the safe as you can and follow me."
Sola didn't move a muscle.
"Move!" Verko demanded.
Sola still did not move. She merely stood with her arms behind her back; and a cold, hard stare on her face.
"Have you gone simple?! Carry out my orders, slave!" Verko spat furiously.
Sola's gaze didn't change as she continued to start at Verko, then she moved her left hand from behind her back, revealing that she was holding Verko's coiled up scourge.
Verko blinked in surprise at the sight of his ornate weapon. He briefly looked towards his desk, realizing he had left the scourge there earlier. He then glared his loathing and rage at the slave and said viciously, "You filthy, disgusting, worthless little thief! Give that back to me!"
". . . . .Yes," Sola finally said, and with a flick of her wrist she uncoiled the four-tailed scourge, the four bits of sharpened stone on the end seeming to glint like the diamond on the handle. "I'm going to. . .give it to you," Sola said smoothly, the loathing in her eyes clashing with her eerily calm demeanor.
Red in the face and still enraged, Verko took a step forward and held out his hand, saying, "No more games, slave! You are mine, and you will obey me! You have no life of your own! You exist to serve me! You are PROPERTY! Get your filthy paws off of my-!"
It was at this moment that something happened that finally caused Verko's cruel, craven spirit to fail him.
Sola smiled the biggest, most satisfied smile Verko had ever seen.
And Verko began to scream.
General Seaspray took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could no longer hear sounds of battle echoing through the streets of Klugetown, for they had finally faded away. Now there was only the sounds of moaning from the inured as they were being tended to, of buzzing from the flies gathering around the bodies of the dead Klugetowners as they waited to be carted off to be burned, and of joyful weeping from the freed slaves being escorted to the allies' airship.
However, Seaspray did not smile. He simply stood firm in the street, and watched as hippogriffs and ponies alike followed proceeded to restore order to the defeated city.
"General Seaspray."
The hippogriff felt a feeling a deja-vu as he spoke without turning to look at the newcomer, "Tempest Shadow, what do you wish to report?"
Tempest stood perpendicular to him, taking a brief moment to take in his right-side profile, and she said with regret in her voice, "Minimal causalities on our side. About 13 pegasi and 6 thestrals were slain by arrows. Some hippogriffs were seen getting shot down as well, but I assume you've already received a report about them from one of your own soldiers. On the ground, 11 earth ponies and 3 unicorns were lost. As for the wounded, we've got 89 ponies altogether. There's no doubt that they'll recover. The Abyssinian Capper received a minor injury as well. The Elements of Harmony, as well as Princess Twilight's unicorn student and dragon assistant, were all unharmed."
General Seaspray nodded silently, urging Tempest to continue.
"Every Klugetowner guarding the slave compound was slain," Tempest said in a serious yet slightly bitter tone, "Same goes for Verko's hired muscle. Klugetowners with families had barricaded themselves in their homes. Most of the older slave owners fought back and ended up all dying in their attempt to torment their slaves another day."
Tempest then smiled ever so slightly as she continued, "However, a number of them were willing to let their slaves go. One of the Klugetowners, a female named Vera, is acting as a spokescreature for them all. They want a chance to make Klugetown a better place now that we've cut out all of its tumors."
Tempest was fully smiling now, and she declared, "All in all: we've won."
General Seaspray merely nodded in response.
"You aren't smiling," Tempest remarked. It wasn't a question or a challenge or any sort of judgement. It was merely a statement that she had stated.
"War is something I could never get any sort of satisfaction from," Seaspray said sternly, "Nor do I believe any other creature should. Nevertheless, this was my duty. Our duty. Something had to be done, needed to be done. Pure and simple. Where there once was injustice and evil, is now liberty and freedom."
There was a moment of silence, and then Tempest walked over and stood beside the hippogriff general.
Desiring for there to be more conversation between them, Seaspray asked, "And what of this Verko character?"
Tempest shifted on her hooves nervously, and she was thankful that the pair weren't looking at each other as she said with slight embarrassment, "I. ..wanted to take care of him myself. . .so after setting up a slave safe house with Vera. . .I made a dash for his residence."
Seaspray shook his head and said, "Going at it alone? Quite a foolish move, my dear Tempest."
The unicorn felt her cheeks heat up, much to her embarrassment. What's more, she couldn't determine if her blushing was due to her foolishly reckless action, or the fact that Seaspray had called him his "dear." Nevertheless, she continued, "Well, I found him. . .strangled with his own scourge."
Seaspray breathed out slowly and said, "By one of his own slaves, no doubt. Ironic, yet perhaps he got off easier when one considers the scope and duration of his crimes."
At this, Tempest Shadow finally turned to look at the hippogriff. ". . .His clothes were thoroughly shredded, and his entire body was covered in deep, bleeding cuts," Tempest said in a near whisper.
General Seaspray smiled.
While the bodies of the foes, including those of Mori, Dorf, and Verko; were consigned to massive bonfire lit a mile away from Klugetown; the bodies of the fallen pony and hippogriff freedom fighters were reverently carried back into the airship, where they would be magically preserved so they could be taken back to Equestria or Mount Aris respectively for their proper burial. It was a sad affair, seeing the bodies of such brave champions of good being carried past after they had given their lives to come to the aid of the oppressed and condemn their oppressors.
All thoughts of an after battle victory party were wiped from Pinkie Pie's head because of this. However, her cheerful demeanor was restored nearly instantly when it occurred to her that there was a group that needed smiles more than anycreature else right now: the newly freed slaves.
And so, below deck, in a section of the airship that purposely kept empty to accommodate the transport of Klugetown's slaves, Pinkie Pie proceeded to do her good work. The liberated creatures were treated with cakes and treats that brought tears to their eyes, and were treated to music that made their spirits soar. The amazing party pony regaled the freed creatures with tales of how much the world had changed for the better. Stories of new foods, movie theaters, arcades, holiday celebrations, and of course Princess Twilight's School of Friendship and the wonderful new union between the races of the world excited the imaginations of the freed creatures. She assured that those who wanted to go home would be home soon, and those who did not remember their homes would be given all the help they needed to find their place among their kind.
However, two of these freed slaves were more interested in hearing things from a certain other pony. That being said, Applejack was so ecstatic and excited that she was nearing Pinkie Pie's energy level. Applejack went on and on, telling her parents about the dear friends she had made, the adventures they'd had, and the things she had come to learn about running the farm, the Apple and Pie Families, and family in general. She also hinted at how Applebloom had gotten her Cutie Mark in a big, big way, but resolved not to reveal it so that the youngest member of the Apple Family could tell the tale herself. This left Bright Mac and Pear Butter filled with suspense and anticipation, and all the more eager to finally return to their dear sweet home of Sweet Apple Acres, and their all the more precious family. Again and again, Pear Butter spoke of how she just wanted to hold her precious little Applebloom again; and Bright Mac kept assuring her that she would, while also expressing a desire to see the big strong stallion Big Mac had become.
All the while, Applejack forced herself to keep the news involving the Apple Family's new connection to Sugar Belle and Grand Pear a surprise.
As for the remaining Klugetowners, a new deal and a new plan was made, overseen by General Seaspray and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Slavery was officially abolished in Klugetown, and Vera was unanimously made Mayor of Klugetown. It was an honor that Vera was quite hesitant about taking, but when Tempest Shadow spoke of Vera's actions during the battle, Twilight wasted no time in assuring the new mayor that she was just the creature for the job. And so, being a concerned citizen who really wanted to make things better, Vera accepted.
And so, at long last, with a battalion of guards staying behind to ensure that order would be restored, the airship finally took of to Equestria, a land of both friendship and of hope, a land from which a greater power resides which will always be there to strike down those who do evil anywhere on the planet.
And so, any of you who value friendship and see it's limitless potential, I welcome you to become a part of this wondrous land that embraces the fact that Friendship is Magic. It's gates are always open.
The End
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Don't worry! A sequel is in the works!
It's always good to see unfinished business taken care of. Well done.
Quite the conclusion for both Verko & this story, well played!
Looking forward to see what the sequel to this one brings, for a certain country pony that is!
Gave this story a look after TCC56 mentioned it in Broken Stems, and I have to say I enjoyed it quite a lot. Looking forward to the sequel!
:)
Ah the typo faster than a roadrunner more wiley than a coyote. Able to appear between the the push of the publish button and the appearance on the screen. Good story sequel looking good to.
However, as the battle ranged on below [raged ] ?
Verko swiftly shuddered the window, [shuttered ]