//------------------------------// // XXVIII - The Trial and Execution of the Traitor, Mortal Coil, Pt. 2 // Story: A Beginner's Guide to Heroism // by LoyalLiar //------------------------------// XXVIII The Trial and Execution of the Traitor, Mortal Coil, Pt. 2 I stood on the threshold of Burning Hearth, flanked by two very familiar and yet entirely unfriendly figures.  Jade loomed over me to my right, close enough that the frost on the outside of her armor was making me cold even through my jacket.  To my left, Silhouette was pressed tight against me. Somewhere behind me, in the midst of a throng of of crystal soldiers, Graargh was good for virtually nothing beyond the slightest bit of emotional support.  Though he still looked like Side Effect, the value of the disguise was completely lost.  A dozen spears pointed in the poor little guy’s direction made that much clear. Silhouette signaled her desire that we enter Cyclone’s castle by slapping me on my cutie mark.  Given her solid steel shoe, the blow hurt quite a bit.  “Get moving.” As my hooves began to carry me into the castle, I glanced over to the leader of the Crystal Union’s armies.  “You could’ve just asked.” “Wouldn’t have been as fun.”  Silhouette didn’t seem terribly like she was having fun despite the chance to physically strike me.  I caught at least two glances over my head up toward Jade, who for her part was fully distracted with the layout of the palace.  “For the sake of small talk, how’s River Rock?  Got frostbite anywhere fun?” “Small talk?”  I couldn’t help but scoff.  “Silhouette, just because we aren’t literally at blows doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what’s happening.  You’re trying to get me executed for something I didn’t do.” “Are you honestly trying to pin that on me again?” Silhouette rolled her eyes.  “Don’t get me wrong, I love not having to listen to him, but lo and behold another certain ‘necromancer’ won’t stop rambling on even when he’s literally standing on the gallows.” “Alright, Silhouette.  I’ll make you a bet: you admit your guilt, go hang yourself, and survive it somehow, and I’ll swear a vow of silence.” Silhouette chuckled.  “Coil, you’ve been such a pain in my flank that I’m halfway tempted to take up that offer.” “I’ll remember that.” I turned my head straight ahead and focused on walking. “You seem pretty confident Cyclone is gonna let you walk away.  I’ll humor you: the way Tempest put it, you aren’t welcome in Equestria anymore.  If he does let you walk, are you really just going to stay here?  Just freeze to death in the snow?” “No, I’m taking his daughter to Everfree City.” “You’re not afraid of the Butcher?  Or is she that hot?” I didn’t feel the need to answer. “Wait, did you not rescue your marefriend?  Is she still in Lübuck” “Gale went back to Everfree City with the Butcher.” Silhouette’s eyes went wide for a moment.  Then she blinked twice and shook her head.  “That your idea of a joke, Coil?” I took a moment of irritation to glare at her.  “Let’s be honest.  If I had told a joke, ponies would be pointing at you and laughing.  Perhaps not in present company, given you pay them, but at the very least you’d be suitably humiliated.” “Silhouette, is this ‘Gale’ somepony of importance, to garner Hurricane’s attention? Somepony I should be concerned about you having offended during your earlier pursuit?”  Jade’s voice cut into our quiet conversation like a blade. There was a subtle desperation to the way Silhouette fervently shook her head.  Her eyes widened, but her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “She was just some foul-mouthed thief Coil was rutting.  She stole Hurricane’s sword.” I felt my jaw go slack, right before I started laughing.  All the pieces seemed to fit together at once, and the picture this metaphorical puzzle revealed was of a surprising amount of trouble in paradise.  “You haven’t told her?” Jade stopped in her stride, turning toward us.  “Is this another of his tricks, Silhouette?” “I… I assume so,” she lied. I turned to face Jade.  “Your majesty, would you like to hear a joke?”  I waited a solid moment out of respect for comedic timing, during which Jade raised a single eyebrow.  “The ‘commander’ of your military forces directly attacked Queen Platinum’s only daughter.” Jade’s face tightened, and her eyes flicked toward Silhouette.  “Is this true?” “Your Majesty, I didn’t know… She was just some random pony trying to help Coil.” “With Hurricane’s sword.  Isn’t that just the best punchline, Your Majesty? The Union could have been at war with Equestria a few weeks ago.”  I kept my delivery flat, and I admit it almost certainly came across spiteful. “That will be quite enough, Coil.”  Jade passed a moment to glare at me before turning her attention to Silhouette.  “Return to the ship.” “Your Majesty, it isn’t—” Jade’s horn ignited, and she picked up Silhouette by her neck.  I watched the mare who had long been my antagonizer claw at her throat ineffectually, now no longer protected by the void crystal amulet that now burdened my neck. “You didn’t feel the need to explain this to me?” Jade shouted, point-blank into Silhouette’s face.  “My soldiers, fighting Platinum’s daughter on Equestrian soil?” “I… I…” I wasn’t sure if Silhouette lacked for words, or if she simply had no breath to wield.  Crystalline hooves and steel shoes clicked against her own stone coat to no avail. “If you’re so desperate for war, I’ll show you one myself!” I’d seen enough.  My hoof moved to my neck, and with a firm (and surprisingly painful) yank, I broke the thin chain holding the void crystal necklace completely.  On my bare hoof, rather than my jacket, I felt the stone burning and eating the little mana I had left, but I had no intention of holding it for long.  Rearing up, I stood tall enough to place the stone on Silhouette’s neck. All at once, Jade’s grip vanished, sucked into the stone.  Silhouette crumpled out of the air, landing beside me as my balance from rearing up failed.  The black gemstone and its broken chain clattered to the stones between us. “You’d interfere?  On her behalf?” “Believe it or not, Jade, I’m not Wintershimmer.  I don’t kill ponies, or let them die, because I happen not to like them.”  I caught myself shouting at Jade, and then fairly quickly realized that I didn’t care.  “And maybe it’s self-preservation at this point, but right now I’m a pretty big fan of fair trials over somepony getting choked to death in the street.  I also have the basic common sense to realize that Silhouette didn’t steal four candlecorns and go completely renegade on Equestrian soil.  At the end of the day, she’s a corrupt city guard with delusions of grandeur.  You, in contrast, are so damn horny for your precious Smart Cookie that you’re willing to risk your whole damn kingdom getting wiped off the map by the Butcher in exchange for a chance at revenge against somepony you think was a bit player in keeping him in a coma!  But here’s the dark secret, Jade: if I were really in on poisoning Smart Cookie, I’d have killed him, so the Union could have a real ruler again!” Jade’s eloquent, well reasoned response was to slap me across the face with the leading edge of her hoof.  Coming as it did from a crystal alicorn, the blow was strong enough to leave me in the dark, seeing only little blots of light that looked like stars.  Over the ringing in my ears, clear as day, I heard Jade speak.  “Back on the ship, Silhouette.  I do not wish to see you until we return to the palace.  We won’t be long.”  Then she glared down at me, her face the only visible thing in my still-swimming vision.  “I’ll bring Coil’s head.” Outside the warped steel doors of Burning Hearth’s throne room, the substantial force of Jade’s crystal escort ran into two familiar ponies. Blizzard’s eyes widened at our approach.  “Morty?  What are you doing here?” “And Queen Jade!”  That voice, disconcertingly well enunciated, spoke with a chipper tone at stark odds with Cyclone’s weary expression and scarred body.  “Welcome to River Rock.” Jade cocked a brow at that.  “I’m grateful for the warm welcome… Commander?” I felt a cold sweat slip down my neck, inside the raised collar of my jacket.  Angel was going to get me killed.  “I’m surprised you offer her such a warm welcome, Tsar.  Have you even met Queen Jade before?” “Silence, Coil,” Jade snapped.  “I won’t take more of your time than necessary, Cyclone.  The hour is late.  I came here seeking your permission, and perhaps your assistance in apprehending this criminal, who murdered a member of my own court and conspired to poison my husband.  It was not my intention to act without consulting you, but when he appeared to us on our way to see you, I took the opportunity to apprehend him.  Do I have your blessing to deal with him?” Blizzard, to her credit, seized the initiative before Angel could give away his pathetic imitation of the fiery warlord of River Rock.  “Father, you can’t do that!  Morty would never murder somepony.” “Your daughter speaks on matters she knows very little about.”  Jade shook her head.  “I called up the victim’s soul, and even he condemned Coil.” “What?”  Blizzard looked at me, wide eyed and disbelieving. I could only offer a shrug and a nod.  “Can I at least make my case, Tsar?  I’d love to at least have a trial, even if it is coming after my first execution.” “That seems like a fair proposal,” Blizzard added.  “Father, maybe we should head into the throne room instead of standing here in the hallway where we could get interrupted.” “Oh?  Oh, yes!  Quite.  We are right here after all.”  Angel turned, placed a massive red hoof against an even larger steel plate, and utterly failed to open the door.  “Just… give me a moment…” “You must be tired, Father.  Are you feeling ill?  Here, let me.”  Blizzard stepped in front of Angel’s imitation of her father, and lowering her shoulder, slid open the door. Burning Hearth’s main throne room was much the same as it had been the last time I’d seen in, accompanied by Tempest and Gale.  The only major difference, in fact, was that once Jade’s entourage had filed fully into the room, it proved much more crowded.  Angel walked his knock-off Cyclone over to the throne at the far side of the room, and there sat with a stiff posture that in no way resembled a pony that had ever sat in a throne before.  Nor, were I being completely honest, did he in any real way resemble how a pony might sit at all.  His hind legs hung off the bottom of the seat in an entirely unnatural way, so that his back was completely vertical, in line with the throne’s cushion. If he’d had a spine, I knew it would have been ruined. “Now, Your Majesty,” he began with his fierce enthusiasm at being ‘helpful’ shining through his every syllable, “You say that Morty murdered Master Wintershimmer?” Jade tilted her head with a scowl.  “I did… but I don’t recall saying his name...” “We discussed it earlier,” I cut in briefly.  “You recall my explanation?  About how it really was an accident, even if Wintershimmer didn’t think so at the time?” “Oh, of course!  Yes, now I remember.  Your Majesty, I’m afraid you can’t take him.  Coil is free to go.” Jade took a huge stride forward, fury on her face.  “Cyclone, what game are you playing?” “Father made his decision, Your Majesty,” Blizzard replied. From somewhere behind me, near the doors of the room, I heard a despair-inducing voice speak up over the rising spirits.  “Have I, Blizzard?” “Father?!” “Commander Cyclone?” Jade spun around.  “What is the meaning of this?” I, in contrast, took the opportunity to skip shock and confusion and jump to the logical conclusion of the whole scenario.  “Shit.  Angel, step out of the throne before you drop all the snow.  It wouldn’t do to be convicted of murder, impersonation, and upholstery vandalism all in one day.” Cyclone walked toward the front of the room, brushing heavily against me as he moved.  Only in retrospect am I able to find it funny that he was wearing a sleeping cap and bedrobe.  At the time, I was merely terrified by his presence as he removed the personal garb.  His eyes, scarred though one was, tracked Angel as his stone and golden halos shot out of an identical copy of the stallion’s body, which subsequently collapsed into colorless snow. Jade growled.  “You impersonated Cyclone with your rock?” “To be entirely fair, that had nothing to do with you, Jade.”  I rubbed a hoof against my chest.  “And before you ask, Tsar Cyclone, it was just to help Blizzard.  We assumed if ‘you’ were already accompanying her, the guards wouldn’t feel the need to go wake you.  I was just looking out for your sleep schedule, you understand.” Cyclone snorted.  “I see.  Blizzard, I will deal with you later.  Guards!”  At Cyclone’s bellowed ordered, two soldiers stepped into the already crowded throne chamber.  “Escort my daughter to her quarters.” “Father…” She swallowed, building up her willpower. “I have no intention—” The conflagration that rose up from the throne made me wince back not only from the flash of light, but from the sheer heat present.  Despite his display of magic, Cyclone’s voice walked the thin border between disinterest and outright rage.  “I do not care what your intentions are, Blizzard.  You abandoned our family and your home.  You will remain in your quarters until I summon you.” Blizzard closed her eyes.  In spite of the wrinkling of pure hatred on her brow and muzzle, she only said “Yes, Father.”  Her hooves were heavy when they carried her toward the doors out of the throne room.  She didn’t even lift her head to look at me.  But as she passed by, I felt the need to whisper “I’ll keep my promise.” The problem is, I didn’t believe myself. Before she’d left the room completely, I let my eyes slip onto the terrified soldier in the middle of Jade’s entourage, and to the small stone floating near my shoulder.  “Graargh, you can drop the illusion I cast on you.  Do you understand?”  He looked at me with a cocked brow, and I struggled to remember his words.  “I want you to stop playing pretend, understand?  Then you Angel, please go with Blizzard.” Angel obeyed my command silently.  Graargh was less willing, as Side Effect’s form was consumed by green flame.  A moment later, as the crystal guards simultaneously jumped back and pointed their spears closer, the familiar bear cub surrounded by spear points called out.  “Bad pony still try take you, Morty!”  He roared his own ursine name, and then added “not go!” “Graargh, Blizzard needs you.  Please.”  I took a moment to walk toward the the little bear, pushing away a few spear points as I did.  One of the crystals glared at me, to which I rolled my eyes.  “He’s like a six year old foal, you idiots.  You ought to point your spears at me.” They obliged, and I rolled my eyes.  Neverthless, I was allowed to approach Graargh. My friend—no, if I’m being honest, by that point he was more like a little brother—nuzzled into my neck, but he still hung his head as he left, and lingered just a moment in the doorway to glance back at me.  I forced a smile in reply, but it was as hollow as the hole in my gut. When the doors finally closed, we were left in the silence of a smoky room that seemed dominated more by Cyclone’s silent glare than by any of Jade’s soldiers. We waited what must have been a minute before the pegasus spoke up.  “Why are you here, Jade?” I actually saw a blood vessel in Jade’s temple pulse.  You might think this is a relatively trivial level of stress, so let me remind you that Jade’s skin was made of gemstones.  She wasn’t your dad’s ‘pissed off’. “Do you actually know this unicorn?” Cyclone leaned back in his throne and nodded, his bum wing sliding over the side of the seat.  “He calls himself ‘Morty’.  He ran away with my daughter.  He also brazenly threatened my life.” “He killed my court mage.  And he poisoned my husband.”  Jade frowned.  “I came here to ask your permission, and perhaps your help, apprehending him.  When we encountered him in the street, though, I felt it was wise not to let the opportunity escape us.  I still came here for your blessing, instead of executing justice in the street.” The red pegasus frowned.  “You brought a substantial force onto my land.  You should have contacted me first.” “My apologies, Commander—” “I’m not interested in apologies.”  I dared to let a little smile slip onto my face.  Was Cyclone really on my side?  “I’ll need reparations.  Food, in particular.  In exchange, I’ll forgive the offense, and you can keep the colt.” “What?”  I stepped forward.  “Hold on, Tsar.  With all due respect… which I suppose isn’t that much, given that they call you ‘the Betrayer’… you aren’t even going to ask me if I actually did it?” Cyclone shook his head.  “If you had proof of your innocence, I would have already seen it.  It’s your testimony against Jade’s—a Queen against a colt who ran off with my daughter, to say nothing of your treatment of Gale, and the way you dare to speak to my face.  Guilty or innocent, your death will save the lives of far more ponies here in River Rock.  Guards, restrain him in the dungeon until I can negotiate—” I lit my horn, not even sure what I was going to cast.  Jade’s hoof struck my neck before I could even build up enough magic to make up my mind.