"Love, Peace, Friendship"
Snowblossom clung to her mother’s skirts, doll clutched to her chest by the other foreleg, trying to puzzle out what the grown ponies were discussing.
“. . . telling you, we need to surrender! They’re almost to the palace gates! Perhaps they will give us mercy if we but—”
“No,” Valiant Wing, captain of the royal guard, cut in against their seneschal. “They showed no mercy to House Mareida, and they will not here. We fight to the last, and just hope Lord Flawless can arrive in time.”
Snowblossom looked up at her mother, Queen Radiant Hope, consort to King Sombra, protectress of the Yaket Range, warden of the Sombran Dynasty Plain, governor of the Crystal City, and guiding light of the Empire. Once, she was beautiful. So much so, in fact, that she was seen as the very image every high society mare in the empire should seek to model. Now, her once elegant sapphire dress, sewn by Suri Polomare herself—famed for being the only major fashion designer willing to do business with King Sombra’s regime—was wrinkled and stained with tears. Her turquoise eyes were red and puffy and there was a sag to her shoulders, making her deep purple coat appear wan. “Mother, what’s going on? I don’t understand. Where are Father and Silver Sword?”
The mare looked back down at her with a small, forced smile. “Your father and brother are . . . away. Do you remember what they said they were going to do?”
Snowblossom nodded. “They said they would protect the city. Are they not done yet?”
“No, dear, they are done. We shall probably see them very soon.” Her gaze wandered off, resting on the smoke-stained window.
“Your majesty,” Captain Valiant Wing said, giving a deferent nod to her mother. “With the king . . .” he trailed off, glancing at Snowblossom, “. . . not present, the decision rests upon you.”
Her mother blinked in surprise. “Do the generals not have anything to say on the matter?”
Valiant Wing let out a pained hiss. “Well, you see, the problem is—ahem, your majesty—that we do not have any generals left. Shadewind and Colthar have been laid to rest, Silvershot deserted, and Flash Sentry went turncoat the moment the King’s magic was dispelled.”
Her mother gave a resigned nod. “So, what do we have left?”
“A few hundred palace guards and a loose assortment of servants more interested in disappearing into a cupboard than fighting for the crown.”
As if on cue, one such servant entered, shaking as she held out a letter for their seneschal. The moment it was out of the young unicorn’s trembling magical aura, she gave a hasty curtsy and bolted from the room, not bothering to check if they needed anything else.
Snowblossom wondered why the servant was in such a hurry, not even offering to serve tea as was her duty, but quickly forgot about it in curiosity over the letter.
She let go of her mother’s skirts and approached the seneschal, letting her doll trail along the floor as she approached. With her free hoof tugging at his sleeve, she reared up onto her hind legs, trying to see the message. After all, Old Dusty just taught her all sorts of new letters but a few days gone, though Snowblossom wasn’t sure if she could remember all of them.
The seneschal gently pushed her away and read the letter to himself, twice over by the look of it. Finally, he glanced up at Captain Valiant Wing and Queen Radiant Hope, wiping sweat off his brow as he spoke. “Your majesty, it seems Lord Flawless was delayed by last week’s flooding. His army won’t arrive for another few days.”
An eerie silence took over. The grown ponies were at a loss for words, all waiting for somepony else to speak first. Snowblossom thought being quiet for no reason was stupid, so she decided to break the silence herself. “Mama, what does that mean? What are we supposed to do now?”
Her mother reached over and pulled Snowblossom into herself, stroking her pale blue mane with one quivering hoof. “It means, little dove, that we are out of time.” She looked up at her subordinates. “Raise the white flag. I shall treat with General Applethorn and his rebels personally. Perhaps I can convince him to offer some form of clemency.”
Captain Valiant Wing shook his head. “With all due respect, your majesty, that’s suicide. If we were treating with Celestia or Luna maybe, but these rebels aren’t so forgiving as them. I say that if we’re going to go down, we might as well give them a good fight before we do.”
The seneschal glared at the captain. “The only one committing suicide here is you. At least this way, there is a chance some of us may live. Surely, they have no need to cut down servants and foals, after all.”
Valiant Wing laughed, contempt for the other stallion heavy as a worker’s shackles. “You mean they might spare you? Bah, you’re craven as a diamond dog! The dirty mutts.”
The seneschal gritted his teeth, his face going red with rage, which was really more of a purple, given his powder blue coat. “Now hold on just one minute!”
Snowblossom tried to block out the angry sounds they were making, and instead turned to her mother. “Mama, what does suicide mean?”
Though it seemed impossible, as deeply purple as she was, her mother’s face blanched the color of the Crystal Mountains in dead winter. “Well, darling,” she made out breathily, “it means that the action would be detrimental to oneself. That is, it would be unwise.”
“Oh. And raising a white flag is unwise?”
Her mother sighed. “No, honey, it just means that we’re done fighting. You want an end to the fighting, don’t you?”
Snowblossom took a moment to consider, then nodded. “I don’t like it when ponies fight. They’re always so mean. I don’t understand why.”
Her mother took her head in both hooves, looking her in the eyes like she did when she was angry, only it was not in anger that she spoke. “Sometimes ponies have a cause so important, they are willing to fight for it. Your father, for instance, was one of the greatest fighters on Equus.”
Snowblossom cocked her head to the side. “You mean he is one of the greatest fighters on Equus? Old Dusty said ‘was’ is for the past, ‘is’ is for the present.”
Her mother sniffled, wiping away her tears with an already damp sleeve. “That’s right, my little princess, he is the best. You’re so smart for catching that; I’m very proud of you.”
Snowblossom smiled at the praise, but it lasted only a moment before she frowned. “Mama, why are you crying? Is something wrong?”
Her mother nodded grimly. “Yes, sweetie, something is wrong. We’ve lost the fight. It’s okay though,” she took to stroking Snowblossom’s hair again, “I’m going to talk to the other side and get everything sorted out. You’ll see, everything will be just fi—” She burst into tears, startling Snowblossom and getting the attention of the captain and seneschal.
Valiant Wing quickly picked Snowblossom up and set her aside, whispering into her mother’s ear while the seneschal cracked open the door and spoke to the guards outside.
Snowblossom started to tear up too. “Mama? I don’t understand. Is everything really that bad? Can I help you? I don’t like it when you cry.”
When she didn’t get a response, she slid down the wall to the floor, wrinkling her nice, yellow dress in the process. Before long, she too was weeping. She didn’t understand it, but she knew something was deeply, horribly wrong. Her mother said they lost, but Snowblossom couldn’t remember why they fought in the first place. It was all so unfair.
The seneschal stepped away from the door, turning back toward the queen. “Your majesty, a banner of white has been raised and Applethorn awaits you at the gates. I’m told he is not a patient stallion. Shall I have him meet you in the throne room?”
The queen glumly nodded, then strode over and picked up Snowblossom in her bright blue magical aura, setting her atop her mother’s back and whispering in her ear, “It’s okay. I’m right here. Don’t cry; just focus on me.”
Snowblossom nodded and buried her face in her mother’s neck, letting her doll drop to the floor. Closing her eyes, she tried to forget about this horrible day. She hoped her father would come back soon. He always knew how to fix things. He would take just a moment to turn the problem over in his head before giving the order, and ponies would leap right to it. He was pretty awesome that way.
Before she knew it, her mother was setting her down atop the queen’s throne, a beautiful piece of gold and lavender silk. Meanwhile, the queen took the larger one of spikes and onyx, normally reserved for King Sombra. This elicited a confused frown from Snowblossom, who was never allowed near the thrones. Why was she allowed here now? Why did her mother take father’s place? She opened her mouth to ask the question, but was cut off when a tall stallion in a soot stained coat and stetson of celestial white burst through the doors unbidden.
The guards lining either side of the great hall leveled their spears at him, though he flashed only an amused smile their way before disregarding them entirely. Instead, he eyed the queen, who sat halfway between a defeated slouch and the more elegant posture Snowblossom was used to. Then, with a barely noticeable smirk, he strolled past the guards and up to the foot of the dais, revealing only a little swagger in the process.
His trot was stopped short by a warning glance from Captain Valiant Wing, but he seemed undisturbed by it, casually readjusting his hat to make the image stitched into its crown—a snowflake, the old symbol of the Crystal Empire—more easily visible. “I must say, your grace, I was quite pleased to find a white banner awaiting me. I feared I might have to do something less than wholesome in front of the young princess here.” He gestured toward Snowblossom, who responded by sticking her tongue out at him—mostly for using the incorrect form of address. Even she knew the queen was to be called ‘your majesty,’ not ‘your grace.’ That title was reserved for dukes.
“Master Applethorn, I fear I must seek terms of surrender,” the queen said, using a commoner’s title rather than that of a general. “You have us soundly defeated, and our capitulation was inevitable. I only wish for the chance to plead for my subjects.”
The rebel leader tipped the stetson back an inch, giving an amused raise of the eyebrow. “Plead for your subjects? Please, it is their support that put me here in the first place. The tyranny of King Sombra, and indeed anypony who thinks they deserve to rule over common ponies with absolute authority, is at an end. It is high time the ponies of the Empire had a say in things around here, free from your dear husband’s influence or even that of the remaining alicorns, no matter how benevolent their intentions. I will not harm your servants, but as for you . . .” He loosened his sword in its scabbard with one hoof, eliciting a dark look from Captain Valiant Wing.
Snowblossom gave a concerned look to her mother, who was shivering like she was caught in a blizzard yet sweating more than their fattest cook after the king ordered an impromptu feast. Should she do something to help her? She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly swallowed her tongue when her mother placed a gentle hoof on her withers, regarding Applethorn with a shaken yet still determined stare. “I . . . I accept the consequences of my family’s defeat, but I beg you, don’t let any harm come to my daughter. She’s only a foal, innocent in this struggle and ignorant of the ideologies behind it.”
Their enemy sighed, distracting himself with the straightening of his coat. “You understand the danger I’d be putting our new republic in, yes? Having the heir to the old throne around might give your remaining supporters some rather seditious ideas. Still, she’s only what? Four? Five? Six at most? No, not even that. Not yet . . .” He trailed off, rubbing idly at his muzzle with one hoof. “Hmm. It would be a shame to see anything untoward happen to one so helpless. Very well, your request is granted, if only because I have a soft spot for foals. She will be kept under my personal care until a proper home is found. I shall find another way to deal with the reactionaries.”
Her mother heaved a sigh of relief, slumping in her chair from exhaustion. “Thank you. May I assume your soldiers await me outside then?”
He nodded grimly. “The block has already been set up.”
Snowblossom frowned at her mother. “Mama, what does he mean? Why would they need a block? What’s it for?”
The queen stood and pulled her into a warm embrace. “It’s not important, sweetie. There’s just something I have to do.”
Snowblossom picked at a loose strand of cobalt hair clinging to her mother’s skirts. “Can I watch?”
“No,” her mother replied firmly, “you may not.”
Snowblossom frowned and looked up into her mother’s face, tears rolling from the queen’s sympathetic eyes. “Well, when are you coming back?”
“It may not be for some while . . .” She frowned, then bent down to face her daughter at eye level. “Listen, I need you to be strong for me, okay? Things might get tough for a little bit, but this stallion is going to make sure you’re taken care of. Do you understand?”
Hesitantly, she nodded. “I think so. You’re going on a trip then? Like when you visited Lady Mareida?”
Her mother nodded, the tip of her muzzle trembling. “Yes, it will be like that. Except this time, I may be gone even longer. Perhaps I can see Lady Mareida again while I’m there. I can tell her all about how big you’ve grown.”
Snowblossom smiled. “I like her. She’s so nice to me.”
“Yes, she wa—” her mother stopped to cough, “is. She is. Look, you know I love you, right? More than anything, in fact.”
Snowblossom nodded. “I love you too, Mama, but that stallion looks like he’s in a hurry. Should you really keep him waiting?”
Radiant Hope turned to face Applethorn, who was tapping one of his rear hooves anxiously. “Yes, I suppose it is time to go now.” She gave Snowblossom one last nuzzle, then released her. “Stay here, and be strong. You are going to be okay. Captain Valiant, will you watch after her?”
The captain gave a solemn nod. “It would be an honor, your majesty, just as it has been an honor serving you.”
She nodded back. “Thank you. Goodbye.”
And with that, she wiped her tears, held her head up high, and strode to the giant doors at the other end of the hall. Few of the royal guard met her eyes as she passed, and some even began to lay their spears on the ground. Most looked defeated, uncertain of what to do.
Once she was gone, Applethorn motioned Snowblossom to follow him, setting off for the nearest hall at a trot. Not wanting to upset her new caretaker, Snowblossom quickly followed after, sparing only a quick glance to make sure Captain Valiant Wing was coming with.
Strangely enough, Applethorn peaked into many rooms before finally finding one he liked—and when he did find one, it was an armory of all things. Snowblossom didn’t know why he would go there—she herself only visited it with her brother—but she followed him in without question. Only Captain Valiant Wing remained outside, though it took a few words from Applethorn and the arrival of some soldiers to keep him out. She didn’t recognize their uniforms, and for some reason, Valiant Wing didn’t seem to like them.
Once she and the stallion were alone, he pulled two stools into the center of the room and sat atop one, motioning her to the other.
Snowblossom sat and smoothed out her dress, waiting for the stallion to tell her what he wanted. She didn’t have long to wait before a clatter and the sound of grunts interceded from the hallway outside. What could that possibly be? She began to stand up, only for the stallion across from her to motion her back down.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Probably just your captain and my soldiers engaging in some contest of bravado or another. You know how us stallions are, always wrestling and getting rowdy and such.” He let out a reassuring smile.
Snowblossom eyed the door for another moment, then hesitantly nodded. “Right, I suppose that makes sense. I mean, Silver Sword did the same thing. Didn’t you want to talk to me?”
“Of course.” He pulled a crossbow off a nearby hook and began to idly string it. “I hope these recent events haven’t been too distressing for you. Uh, that is, I hope you are not sad.”
“Well, my mama seemed really sad, but I suppose she never did like to travel. I’m sort of confused by it all, actually. Aren’t you supposed to be my enemy?”
He laughed. “Why, of course not! You are young, and lucky enough to not have time for enemies. I merely wished to return the power of friendship and harmony to this fair nation, and allow the common ponies to direct its use. Do you understand?”
She frowned. “I think so, but my father always said common ponies don’t know how to rule, that they need us to do it for them. That's how Equestria's always done it, right?”
He chuckled again, picking up a bolt and placing it in the crossbow’s flight groove. “Your father was very misguided, and besides, somehow I think he wouldn't want you looking at Equestria as a model. Which they aren't, mind you, but that's a unique situation. Right now, I need their support, and I have far too many cousins down there anyway. I would hate to cause a rift in the family." He blinked, as if realizing he had said too much. "Anyhow, your father's influence seems to have affected you a great deal, just as it brought this nation to ruin. Fear not though, I shall handle the situation. I’m going to make everything better.”
She smiled. “Well that’s good. Are you going hunting?” She gestured to the crossbow, a device designed to be strapped to the leg and fired from a cord pulled by one’s teeth.
“No, princess, I am not,” he said grimly. “It’s much closer to target practice. Now, I would like you to close your eyes and imagine where you are most content, the place that makes you feel warm and safe and happy. Can you please do that for me?”
She cocked her head to the side at the odd request, but decided she would be better off just doing it. After all, she didn’t want to anger the stallion who was supposed to take care of her.
“That’s right, eyes closed,” he said, a soft, winding noise drifted to her from his direction.
Snowblossom smiled. She was at the dinner table, surrounded by her family. Her brother cracked jokes while studiously directing attention away from his academic performance; her father spent half his time writing letters to some noble or another and the other half individually inquiring about each family member's day; her mother fretted over Snowblossom’s poor etiquette, rolling her eyes whilst hiding that small smile of hers every time her father said, "bah, let the foal be a foal." More than anything, she loved her family, loved sitting with them at this table. There was nowhere else she felt more safe, more happy.
And that was when she knew it; everything was going to be just fine.
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If you wanted me to root for the rebels, you failed miserably. Radiant deserves death, as does Sombra. The comic didn't help either of them.
But then you murder in cold blood an innocent filly, whose only crime is who she's related too...
Yeah. FUCK the Crystal Empire. It doesn't deserve the right to exist now. It's replacing one tyranny with another. At least Sombra was open about his.
10345680
The only one you're supposed to root for here is Snowblossom. Everypony else is in the wrong and are generally bad, despite any good traits they may have. My sentence about the good and bad being flipped applied more to the original story and is only referring to their traditional roles, not that they are actually good ponies. Also, I haven't read any of the comics. Sorry about that, but comics just bore me. As for replacing one tyranny with another, Applethorn isn't a tyrant, though he certainly is a murderer and a liar. He definitely is a bad person in many ways, but he would go on to establish free elections.
10345750
I did root for Snowblossom for sure, so glad I did that right. And that doesn't justify murdering a filly. No matter what excuses you come up with (in story, or just as the author).
So I can't like this. Heck, I can't even try and see it from the other side. Leave Snowblossom alive, and it's a different story.
10345804
Fair enough. It certainly is unpalatable for some people to read. I usually don’t feel too bad about fictional characters dying, but I get it, it’s not what you want to hear. Fundamentally, this is a tragedy, and I’ll admit that I knew it would make some people feel awful. I’m sorry you had a bad experience with the story.
Something Tells me, Celestia and Luna, as much as they hate Sombra, would really not like it if a foal (Even if it is Sombra's foal) being killed.
10345853
Absolutely correct. I imagine if and when they learned of it, they would have quite the reaction.
I'm hoping once word gets out that the General and those that collaborated with him did, they would be tried and at least sentenced to life in prison. To kill a tyrant is one thing, to kill an innocent makes you no better then the monster you fought so hard to defeat.
10345944
Very true. Keep in mind that this general is a revolutionary, not part of the official Equestrian military apparatus. Equestria keeps a much better hold over its leaders than some angry imperial citizens who think they can rule themselves. These guys just got some material aid from them to defeat Sombra. There is a reason Applethorn very subtly hints that Equestria might be next, at least if not for the fact that he would have to fight members of his own family.
Reminds me of how the Bolsheviks murdered the Tzar and his family. Something tells me that Celestia and Luna will not be happy whatsoever when they learn that Snowblossom, who was an innocent, was executed.
10346009
Yep. Given the feedback I've received however, I have elected to change this from "Completed" to "Incomplete." People want to see the consequences, and now they will. Also, any story that needs to be explained or defended by the author is clearly poorly written. Hopefully my new chapter, which I will release within the next few days, will solve these issues. For anyone who actually thought it ended well, I'll make sure to mention that the second chapter is optional. This new chapter should also show off a new character that I'm probably going to use in a future story.
Depending on the reception I get, I may also upload an alternate version of the story with a happy ending. We'll have to wait and see about that one though.
What makes Applethorn so repugnant is his lack of remorse. He deliberately leads a young filly to her death, and cheerfully kills her without hesitation.
I doubt he’ll stick around long. The Sisters won’t be pleased to hear about these executions. I think they have space in their garden for an extra statue...
Good writing, though. It reminds me of some of those twist stories like “The Lottery”, but at least here you can see it coming.
10346036
Thanks for the feedback! I try to paint my characters in shades of gray, but Applethorn was definitely on the darker end. He was supposed to be a strange mixture of unapologetic murderer and stalwart defender of liberty, but one of those came through a lot stronger than the other.
I also really wanted it to be seen coming, because I wanted the reader to think there was some way out, have hope that maybe Snowblossom might still make it, only to have that hope utterly and ruthlessly crushed.
As for Applethorn getting his comeuppance, I’m still trying to decide if it should be Celestia and Luna or what remains of the legitimate Crystal Imperial government-in-exile that takes him down. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, but people can feel free to give their opinions on it in the meantime.
10345958
Except Celestia and Luna are on a completely different level compared to Sombra. They're not perfect by any means, and they'll more than likely agree with that. But they're not tyrants.
Even if someponies in Equestria think they are, I seriously doubt there's enough to raise any kind of rebellion army, let alone hold off those that love the sisters.
Let alone even thinking they can kill either one of them.
10346966
I completely agree with everything you just said. Celestia and Luna are great rulers. There definitely would never be enough support among the Equestrian populace to even get close to removing them from power, but that’s never stopped ideologically extreme fools from trying it anyway.
As much as I disdain foal killing, Applethorn was right in saying that if an heir lives then Imperial counter-revolutionaries have a platform to run on. So short-term this will generate outrage from the less extreme revolutionaries, long-term it will prevent counter-revolutions.
This has the same vibe as "Steiner's attack didn't go through"