After Discord

by Faindragon

Chapter 13

To walk towards certain death.
Can break down even the strongest of stallions.
To walk towards certain death.
Is to challenge yourself to stay on the path.
To walk towards certain death.
In the company of a friend.
That is to trust each other.

But do you trust him?

*^*

Lightheart laughed, a rich laughter.
“You are insane, my friend. They will reinforce the guards around the leaders, you can not hope to cross over that line into the gardens.”

I smiled at him.
“At that point of time do you not have to care about me anymore, I will be out of your mane.”

“I do not care about that!” Lightheart snapped. “I will not risk my own and my family’s life, and Corelight’s as well, just for you to go back in there and be caught!”

I looked at him.
“Do you not trust me Lightheart? If I can not enter the castle gardens when the guard is on high alert then how will I be able to enter the castle when the guards are on highest alert? No Lightheart, I must do this.” I said, making my point clear.

Lightheart opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Corelight.
“I believe him, he have to do this Captain. It is as he say, if he can not do it now how will he be sure to be able when he has to?” he said and turned towards me. “I will wait there. But now I believe its time for you to leave, or they will start to wonder. I will meet you there.”

With those words did he turn away.
“Can you trust him? Will he betray you?” the voice softly whispered to me.
“Get out of my head! Who are you?”

The voice was gone. This was really starting to making me worried. I turned to Lightheart.
“Lead the way, its time for us to walk towards the gallows.”

I smiled at his back as he started to walk.
“You can not trust anypony. You must do this on your own!” the voice whispered.
“GET OUT!” I mentally screamed back.

*^*

As soon as we had arrived up the stairs from the cells was the four guards there, surrounding us. Each of them had a brown coat and heavy iron armor. Lightheart exchanged words with one of them, to low for me to hear properly. I just stood there, waiting for us to move. I tried to look beaten, defeated.

“He have already betrayed us. He is talking with the guards about Corelight. They will kill him as well.”

I sighed.

“Get out of my head, you are not real, you are only my imagination.”

“Am I? Or are you?”

“What do you mean?”

The voice did not answer.

We started to move, the four guards standing close around me and Lightheart walking just in front of me. I smiled lightly where I walked with my head down. They had not even checked the chains to make sure they where fastened properly.

*^*

It seemed as if the entire population of Trotholm was here to watch the wanted criminal walk to the gallows. I could see fillies and colts hide behind their parents. Some of the older colts had a contest in who was the bravest by running as close as the guards, and thus me, as possible. Parents whispered to each other and some of the ponies even threw vegetables or spat in my direction. I played defeated.

“When we have escaped will we kill them all! They will pay for this!”
“No we... I will not! They do not understand what they are seeing, for them am I only a murderer.”
“You mean we are more than that?”
“I cleanse this city from the filth that covers it!”
“By killing the ponies you seem fit?”
“BY KILLING THE PONIES THAT ARE CORRUPTED!”
“Yea, the ones you seem fit.”
“That is not the point.”
“We are nothing more than murderers.” the voice said and giggled.
“Get out, you do not belong here! You are only my imagination? Are you not?”
The only thing that responded was a cold, grim laugh.

*^*

We had stopped on a slope just before the castle. I could see in front of me how the market spread out. Gallows had been built there and stood there alone. The market was crowded, ponies stood everywhere.

“All here for the show.”
“Shut up.”
“Why? We both know that it is true. Let us make this hilarious for them.”
“How could it be hilarious with a criminal, a murderer, walking up and putting a noose around his own neck?”
“Oh, so you confess that you are a murderer! But your point is valid. Hey, maybe if we balanced a ball on our muzzle, wouldn’t that be something for them to laugh at?”

The voice laughed.
“No ball, we... I are not here for that.”
“You are soooo boring. Why not give them a show?”
“I am here to escape, not to give them a show of any kind.”

The voice did not answer.

I looked at the sky, Celestia’s celestial eye was soon to set.

“Celestia, protect me with the final grace of your hour.
Luna, guide me during your hour, put my hooves right.
Celestial twins, make my decision simple.
Make sure that nopony who does not deserve it come to harm.
In your name will I do what is needed.
In your name will I cleanse this city.
In your name will I prevail!
For the twin goddesses.
For a Equestria in harmony.
For a Equestria in balance.”

The four guards and Lightheart looked at me.
“Are you ready?” Lightheart asked, his voice cold.

“If I say no will I be released then?” I asked, false hope in my voice.

“No.”

“Then I guess am as ready as I can be.”

In union did we leave the slope. The ponies on the market looked around, watched with big eyes as I, the wanted criminal, the murderer, walked the last way to the gallows. Some pointed towards me, a lot of foals stood on their parents neck and had now hidden behind their manes.

I was glad that I had not seen Honey here.

“She is already dead.”
“She is alive, I know she is.”
“It is only a father's wish that she is alive. How could she be alive?”
“Carrotrose will take care of her. I am sure of it.”
“Are we? The same Carrotrose that probably had to leave her tavern because of us?”
“Carrotrose would....”
“Why would she not hand over Honey? You have ruined her, how will she earn her bits now?”
“She would never betray anypony! She loves Honey as if she was her own!”

The voice laughed.
“It may be that way.”
“She is alive.”

*^*

We had entered the market square, the four ponies stayed behind, letting me and Lightheart walk by ourselves. The crowd just stared at me, some whispered to another, but the entire square was silent. I looked at some of the ponies there, working ponies that did not understand what was before their eyes. They only saw the picture the government had painted of me. And the one I had helped to paint with the blood of corruption. All of them wore hard faces, some even spat at me here.

“I still think we should give them a good show, give them something to laugh at.”