//------------------------------// // Ch.17: Alicorn of Anarachy // Story: Tapestry: A World Apart // by Star Scraper //------------------------------// “No, secretary, I don't have any reason to suspect the Third Platoon did anything negligent, so I'm not going to back the internal investigation. I don't care what General Icewind thinks. I'll talk to her about it directly,” the Governor said to a stallion following her in a suit. She was walking out the front of the capitol building, approaching a boxy, rumbling, luxurious roofed automobile with a radio rig in the back. A small group of guards and servants attended her. A light blue pegasus stallion with a blue mane waited for her in the back of the car, wearing a guard officer uniform with a cap. The walled yard around the capitol building was an unusual, rich green of planted grass, lit with brilliant daylight hues from bright, full-spectrum lamps. Although the governor wore the same, formal, uniform navy blue dress she always did, her mane was done in unusual extravagance. Today was a special occasion. “But for now, I've got a unicorn spectacular to attend to. Good day.” She dismissed him with a hoof wave as an assistant offered her a coat. She put it on while she walked. She greeted the officer in the back of the car and sat next to him, “Afternoon, Nightgale.” The assistant closed the door for her. “Afternoon, Governor Spectrum.” She leaned forward. “Driver, we may now depart.” The car set off, and two teams of pegasi guards surrounding it took to wing and began escorting. She turned to Nightgale. “Now, let's get down to it, not a lot of time and they seem to drive these faster every year,” she remarked, then immediately dropped her levity, her voice hushing – though it didn't take much for it to be inaudible under the sound of the car's loud, banging engine. “What's the latest report on Night Owl?” she asked. “Not good. The Falconer met with Overlord. I'm not sure what to make of it, since there's nothing unusual anywhere else, except a slight change in the flight patrol assignments. I've taken to reassigning the air crews in response, so the air crews they wanted to escort you won't be the ones doing it. In addition, on the day of I can assign some of the high guard to the forty millimeter autoguns on the train.” She inwardly shivered at his initiative. So Major Crimson Fire personally changed the air patrols? Isn't that normal at this stage of planning? – but Nightgale wouldn't mention it unless there was something off about it. But what is worrying me is that Nightgale re-assigned the air crews on his own without running that by me, first. If Crimson Fire – especially with Colonel Icewind – are gonna pull something on me, I want to know now while Nightgale can counteract it, then I'll have clear proof to act against them with. So maybe I should let them do this, and trust in Nightgale's ability to respond and protect me. But I'm the governor. Can't I act against them now, even without that proof? Why am I waiting? This should be warning enough! This is dangerous! Am I scared to send more to the gallows? Even my direct enemies who seem to be plotting against me? But what if they're not? There's nothing in it for me to wait. I could easily have them both gone. But I don't want to kill them unless there's actually something going on. I don't want to set that example for the dome. She turned to him. “Sounds good. I'd also like you to come along, personally. I may be short on options to keep an eye on the dome while I'm gone, but I've given Captain Steelheart a special assignment. It's a bit different than his usual work but he's smart. I'm sure he can handle it if Falconer does anything funny while we're gone. I'd trust your skill with this job more, but I'd rather have you on the train with me.” He nodded at her. “Alright. Long as I get first class,” he joked with a half-grin. The ones who'd been in the invasion force always seemed the most fearless. But she wasn't ready to admit she was afraid by telling him to wipe the grin off his face. Certainly not to an ally she could trust. Mostly. But there still was something she could say. “Not to underplay how serious this is. That is extremely worrying that that happened...” she commented solemnly. He replied in kind, “So really no way out of this summit?” “Nope,” she shook her head. “The Supreme Commander himself ordered we attend it.” Something about new weapons' technology. “Now, about the Spectacular, I take it the preparations have gone smoothly?” “Yes, but I've been wanting to talk about that... as usual, the star of the show has been so drunk and drugged she could laugh through torture, and the crowd won't even be able to tell as long as the gag stays in.” The governor remembered how the prisoner would usually panic and struggle in their delirium, despite feeling no pain. Nightgale continued, “But really, what difference does it even make? Pain is in the memory, and they won't be alive to remember any mercy you did or didn't show them in an hour. And they're usually so terrified they'd might as well be in terrible pain. I think I'd rather die lucid and in pain than like that.” “You're an outstanding security chief, Nightgale, but I'm the governor, and I'm responsible for what happens to my ponies,” she answered with resolve, but turned away to look out the window and sulk. Is it really so hopeless? If I don't hold Spectaculars, then national headquarters will just replace me with someone who will. I thought maybe I could take away that horrible suffering by drugging them, but am I just making it worse? Is there no hope – no way to make it better? When she heard his voice again, she blinked a few times to clear her eyes and face him again. “Well, as your security chief, I'm a bit concerned about your well-being is all. It's a needless risk to show compassion to our avowed enemies like that. Imagine if The Falconer found out.” “Some spectaculars, like this one, have much bigger, dirtier secrets than drugging the star of the show, Nightgale. You know it.” “Yes, but so does high command, and they approve of that. The populace must believe in our ability to win so they can have hope, and they need to see who is responsible for all that we must do. But drugging the pony? That serves no purpose other than some fleeting sentiment for a creature that won't exist in an hour.” “A pony,” Spectrum snapped. “And that's enough about this, Nightgale. Hatten may demand I have a preshow, but I can't, and I won't have it if I know they can actually feel it – not when these drugs exist. I don't care if they think my compassion is misplaced, you and I both know it isn't, and you know what it's like to lose ponies you're meant to protect. This is no different to me.” Now Nightgale turned away to think for a moment. The silence was thick, stretching long moments before he finally turned back to her. “I understand, actually. Or I did, at one point. I was only concerned for your safety is all. But... you're making me remember, I suppose, Governor. Remember some things I'd forgotten... And to think my stallions took the responsibility on willingly, but yours didn't? I apologize for overstepping my bounds.” “It's alright, I understand your intentions. Thank you for understanding.” She sighed quietly, then looked over at the passing buildings through her window. As her mind started to relax after the encounter, she felt a familiar twitch in her wings. Hardly a second passed before her eyes were closed, and she was imagining taking to flight over the rooftops, through the streets, doing rolls, climbs, stalls and dives through the black sky. As governor, I'm one of the few ponies who probably could get away with doing all those things, other than a soldier or policepony in combat. And yet, as governor, I also have a responsibility to appear dignified and not do something so frivolous and... Years of experience had given her the finely tuned skill of remaining sitting up, and her eyes even open while she snoozed. She was startled awake without making a sound, though sounds came from around her. “Snowfall, snowfall, snowfall! I repeat, snowfall, snowfall, snowfall!” crackled through the radio, sounds of gunshots audible behind the pegasus' panicked voice. Just a moment later the governor heard gunshots just a few blocks away with her own ears. She looked at Nightgale wide-eyed for a moment of disbelief, while his look was a more calm, though alert one. “Copy, unicorn prisoner has now been prematurely executed, repeat, unicorn prisoner is dead. All communications referring to 'unicorn' now refer to the one at large. Snowfall reporter, give us sistat, end,” a professional voice calmly replied. “We are engaging the unic- by the Azure skies! It's already gone! End!” He quickly cut off, leaving them in silence for a tense moment. The car came to a halt, the driver turning back to the two, “Orders, governor? Are we still-” The radio piped up again, “Unicorn is at city square! We-” he quickly cut off to static. “Pathhoof, sistat? What's the sistat!? End.” The other pegasus frantically replied. “Governor?” the driver asked again. “Take us to city square!” she immediately barked in response. “M'am!?” Nightgale startled. “You've got your gun, right? Got one for me, too?” Spectrum asked. The car started again, its engine sputtering to life and power, driving the machine far more quickly than before. He started as he pulled a pistol out from under his chair, “Uh – yes – but you should head back and let-” “No! I'm the only one who I'll let authorize a gem dust bombardment. I won't put that blood on your hooves,” she asserted. “And as I said, these civilians are my ponies. I'm the only one who orders them to die, it's my duty. If I fail to protect them all, then I'm the one who will answer for it.” They both knew high command couldn't care less about a few civilian deaths. They both knew she wasn't talking about that kind of responsibility. He pursed his lips for a moment, looking at her with narrowed eyes, then nodded understandingly. “Alright.” He offered her the pistol, and she took it, strapping it on her hoof. "I understand." She pushed on a button next to the radio set. “This is Governor Spectrum, in the loop. Starcreak Battery, prepare all two-twenty milimeters with UMAS rounds, but do not, I repeat do not fire without my explicit authorization. Set sights on city square. Chief of watch, just get me info on the unicorn's position, end,” she ordered the gem dust rounds loaded and ready. “Yes, governor!” came an immediate reply. Her ears perked as she heard screaming crowds draw nearer. She looked away from the radio to see crowds fleeing from where they were going. They stuffed the streets. Leaning in to the window, she could see flights of pegasi in the sky above scramble towards the chaos. “Stop the car!” she ordered the driver, who immediately complied. The crowds gave a wide berth around the armed guards who hovered around the vehicle, weapons ready. “This is city square!” the same professional voice from earlier came back on, “I was knocked away in a kinetic attack, but I'm still capable. We have losses. The unicorn has wings, I report, the damn thing has wings! It's set a bubble shield over the body of the one we executed. City square is already almost empty. Advise UMAS salvos immediately, end!” Wings. Her pupils shrank – an alicorn!? If alicorns actually exist, then - ! She threw a hoof back to the transmit button, “Starcreak, you're cleared for a single UMAS shot immediately! I repeat, only one shot, get it out on City Square! End!” She didn't even stick around to listen for a response. Her wings were hungry for flight. She turned the latch on her car door and kicked it open, flared her wings, and once a few steps out of the car, shot into the sky. Startled guards immediately took off to escort her. Okay, let's see what you meant by 'almost empty'... Her heart pounded with both fear, and now thrill as she felt the air rush around her, and the skyline and streets sank below as she was freed from the cold, cobblestone streets. Only a few blocks away she saw the huge clearing in front of the large ministry buildings. In the grand square she saw the small wood stage and a distant glowing, magenta orb on it. By now, the clearing was empty of civilians except for a few that laid motionless – she guessed they must've been trampled. But for a moment, most of her forgot everything in this brief jaunt of freedom. She stopped flapping, letting herself go weightless for a serene moment as her flight peaked, then flipped backwards. She backflipped into a dive, streaking back to the car in a wild rush of speed, and flaring her wings out only at the last moment, smashing back onto the cobblestone too fast to feel good on her hooves. Her grin melted as she shook her head, and got back in the car, her focus immediately returning. A few civilians are probably injured, possibly even dead already. I already ordered one round... She bit her lip. They might survive that. Maybe even two. But this is possibly an alicorn! If they can't survive two UMAS rounds, that's a sacrifice I'll just have to make. If alicorns actually exist, this changes everything – for the entire world. Nightgale finally appeared back on the other side of the car, just climbing back in. “What's going on?” he asked intently. She pressed the transmit button. “Cleared for a second Unicorn Magic Area Suppression round, repeat one additional gem dust – UMAS round may be fired, try to airburst over the central gallows with it. Governor end.” After a second of pause, the mortar battery replied, “Roger, second shot fired! End. First shot... burst in three seconds – impact!” A few seconds later they heard the bang. “I wanted to see the square for myself,” she explained to her security captain, then reached in to the transmit button again. “All forces, this is Governor Full Spectrum again – take all measures to attempt to capture this unicorn alive. Remove horn on capture as per nightfall contingency, but I am placing a high priority on taking it alive! I repeat, capture alive at all costs!” The concrete floor, roof and walls of the hallway the governor walked down were painted white with an odd paint that glittered – a paint mixed with gem dust. Guards wearing uniforms with the same odd glitter flanked her on both sides, carrying rifles ready with specialty ammunition. Behind them was the face of a bunker they'd just come out from. Ahead, far down the featureless hall, a series of bars turned the dead end of the passageway into a cell. Long ago it had been designed to hold the most powerful wizards. Now unicorn captures were so rare in the dome it could be used for any unfortunate enough to be caught. The pony-like beast was stripped naked, gagged and blindfolded, each hoof clamped to the slanted wall with large, steel restraints. A rope around the neck also disappeared into a device with a turnwheel next to its body. They'd put a belted wing binder on it. Its forehead was bandaged and bloody from the horn removal. Nightgale is more qualified for this. He could easily get more information out of the beast. But they say it has wings! I can see the wing binders, but I have to see the wings for myself. I want to ask the questions. I want to hear its responses. Maybe I've not done interrogations like this before but I know my way around talking to a pony and trying to glean truth from them. And I worry Nightgale would get overzealous. I want to break this creature enough that it tells the truth, but not so much that it's totally ruined. Not if it may actually be an alicorn. She had seen the magenta glow herself, though from more than a mile away. And the reports confirmed it had instantly disappeared and re-appeared miles away. Only one other unicorn she'd known of had such power. The governor and her escort made their way into the cell. “Leave us,” she ordered the guards. “I wish to speak to the creature alone. You may watch from the bunker.” “Aye, m'am!” they nodded, leaving behind a cart with a whip, knives, a hammer and nails, some rags and buckets of water. They made their way back down the narrow hall. She nervously glanced down at the kit. Once they were all out of earshot, she approached and removed the alicorn's gag. It still just hung limply in its restraints. She waited for it to speak, first. She waited a long time. “A-are you still there?” the prisoner finally asked, then coughed. She speaks Delphinian. I speak it well enough that this should be fine. She briefly considered starting by mentioning the ponies that were dead because of the creature's appearance, but felt a pit in her stomach as she thought, it's a unicorn, it won't care if it killed ponies. She waited a few more seconds to make sure the prisoner didn't feel like she was answering it. “Listen, unicorn, you can either make this very easy for us, or very painful for you. I'm going to give you a chance to make it easy, though. We want to know a few things. Like what your purpose is here, and where you came from, and If more are coming.” “Rainbow Dash?” she asked. Spectrum growled. “Don't make up nonsense like that to test my patience... We have methods of torture that can make you beg for the mercy of death. I even brought some of the more lightweight ones with me. Have you ever been strangled until you convulse in agony? Had your hooves chiseled apart? I could put nails in you, right now.” The creature was shaking. “You-you wouldn't do that if I just tell you the truth, right? You sound just like a friend of mine. Rainbow mane and tail, magenta eyes, cyan, pegasus mare – loyal to a fault and loves nothing more than the thrill of flight. Do you look like that?” She looked at her despite the blindfold. “Rainbow hair...? Hah! Are you drunk?” she scoffed. It's a lucky guess. Has to be! What else could it be? Powerful wizardry? What am I saying - “lucky guess” - there's no way she just GUESSED that! Nopony has this freaky mane – who's also a cyan pegasus with magenta eyes and loves flight – but nopony even knows I love that! But why did she call me 'Rainbow Dash'? She felt herself shift on her hooves, glad the prisoner couldn't see her uneasiness. Spectrum continued, still putting confidence in her voice, “They were supposed to send a captain to interrogate you, beast, but I was curious to see and talk to you, myself, before you were completely broken into a sniveling mess. So here's your chance to impress me with something I like, or you may learn what it's like to have your hooves chiseled apart.” “I – you wanted to know what I want? If there are more coming? There aren't any more coming, no. I just came to save my friend, the other unicorn...” she answered honestly, fear hurrying into her voice, only to be followed by sorrow as she continued, “her name was Rarity... But I already failed at that... And I come from - … I come from a whole different world. Other friends of mine have other versions of themselves here, so, because you sound like a friend from that other world, I thought you might be her other version. I'm – I'm not good at lying, so I can't even lie to tell you something else. But why do you do this? Do you really think unicorns cause the winter? I'm not here to fight you, I'm just here to rescue my friend!” Its head bowed and voice lowered again. “My friend who's already dead. Now I just want to go home...” She's jabbering on with pitiful nonsense. No witch this powerful would be so naive! What a stupid act! I have to show her I'm no fool! The governor shook her head. “'Another world'? What does that even mean? I don't know if I like that answer... So let me ask another question, rope, knife, or nail?” “It – it means I got here through a book! I read a book to get here! I – either it's a fictional world we're in or it opened a portal or -” “Last chance. Rope, knife, or nail?” she calmly asked. “For what? What do you mean?!” she panicked, her breath quickening. “I told you the truth – it's magic, that's why you're afraid of unicorns, right!? So you have to know magic exists! I can't answer your questions if I don't know what you're asking!” “I'm partial to rope, myself, so I'll go with that one.” She reached and started turning the wheel next to the alicorn. The rope around its neck started to tighten. “Wait – wait! What are you doing!?” she cried, fighting her restraints furiously, helplessly. “That's the truth, I promise! How do I prove it to you?! What do you want?!” Her breath started to strain against the choke. “Just tell me wha – hck!” she started writhing against her restraints as her air was cut off, gagging one last time before the governor finally held the wheel in place tightly enough that she couldn't even sputter through it again. The creature's chest heaved wildly and it shook madly. All the executions I've seen were necessary. But is this? “How do I prove it to you?” A liar wouldn't give me a blank check like that! But such an outlandish story! And it's the first one she gave! It can't be true! I can't forget it's a killer. Being an alicorn doesn't change that. The only way to find out is to keep pushing. And once she's broken I can ask the real questions. But how far do I have to go? What if she really is from some peaceful shard-state and is broken already!? She speaks Delphinian – that language spread to a lot of shard-states, didn't it!? It would even explain that! By the Azure Skies! If she's from some shard-state or actually insane – is it possible this isn't all some stupid ruse!? She quickly glanced around, trying to figure out who to order to make it stop, only to realize it was her own hoof on the wheel. She let go, the rope loosened. The alicorn coughed, breaking down into uncontrollable sobbing. I can't do this. What the hell was I thinking? That I'd interrogate the alicorn myself? I was just so damn eager to talk to it! Why am I shrinking now! I know what this thing did, whether or not it's an alicorn! "You can save your sympathy card, beast! Nine of my ponies are dead because of you!" "Wh-what?" it broke through its sobbing. "Two of the guards you knocked off the gallows died. Seven other ponies were trampled in the panic you caused. You knew the guards would die from that fall - you probably hoped for it, didn't you!?" genuine anger came into her voice. "I - I didn't mean to - I can't... I'm sorry." It bowed its head. "'I'm sorry' doesn't cut it for this! Not for those you've killed today or the millions who've died in this endless winter because of you!" She glanced away, biting her lip, trying to hold back her rage from getting her off-track. The prisoner just started crying again and muttering, "I - I didn't mean to, I was only trying to save my friend..." And just like that, the governor's anger melted. You risked killing a few who were trying to kill your friend to save that friend, huh? If you didn't knock them away, they would've killed you. But now look at you, you killed a few to save others, and only ended up killing many times more than you would've saved, even if you got away. She understood the misery on the prisoner's face. She immediately knew the tears were real. At least I know I've saved tens of times as many as I've killed. Unless I'm wrong, and you're an alicorn. She glanced back at the bunker far behind her. They don't know what I'm saying up here, do they? She turned back to the prisoner. They can see me from back there, but with my back to them, they can't lipread me, even if any of them could even lipread... “I want to know why – or how, you're an alicorn. That's all. Are you really an alicorn?” the governor asked. “Y-yes!” she croaked. “I – I am!” she cried out. The governor took off the alicorn's wing binder and looked at the wings. “W-what do you want with my wings?” she asked, her voice trembling, her wings flexing anxiously. “Leave them limp,” the governor commanded. She obeyed. But in the off-chance she's not just pulling me through a ruse... She seems to be an alicorn after all. So there is a chance she's sincere. I can't stomach that. I'm a horrible interrogator. Maybe I won't get far with torture, but if I can feel the proof, myself... She carefully examined the wings with her hooves. She could feel them tremble, and every so often flex a little and relax, as though the alicorn were terrified and working hard to keep them limp. They're even tactile. If it is an illusion, they're no cheap illusion. But then again, this is one that could cast shield bubbles. But again, again, she was actually flying, at least according to the reports. I want to see her demonstrate her ability to fly. I'll draw the line, there. If she can fly, they're real. But that is extremely dangerous, and I can't let the ponies here know about this. I have to tell them it's an illusion. Until I know for sure it's not. If it's not, then... Then that changes everything. She looked up at the tear-stained cheeks above the chaffed neck. Could it really be possible that at one point in our past alicorns – that Celestia and Luna – that Equestria actually existed? But then what hope is there for the world? The very legends are restricted knowledge. If we keep having to torture innocent fillies like this to keep the world alive, then is it a world even worth existing? She bit her lip. What am I going to do with her, then? I think – I think those wings are real. If they're real, then... Then she's part pegasus, and that means she's a 'she', not an 'it'. But – I can't be sure until we make her prove her ability to fly! But we'll need a lot of special restraints to do that safely. Yes, we can use something like a gallows. A noose to force her to fly, but she also needs to be restrained to the ground so she can't fly away. But then we'll also need blood samples, tissue samples – are the wings some sick chimeric amalgamation from another pony's body? Or are they her own? Are they natural, or magic? I'll have to be careful in how I get the sample. I don't know how that's done or how much I'll need or who I'd even be able to send it to to analyze it. And then there's that damn summit I have to leave for tomorrow morning. Damn, of all the times! If I leave her here Icewind will surely cut her wings off and have her executed like any other regular unicorn would be – or worse, just burn her to hide the evidence that alicorns may exist. That's the smart thing to do. That's what I should do. I shouldn't even think of undermining my own party, my own authority and the rule of law that holds this world together by asking if alicorns can actually exist. But if they do... Then I don't care if it kills us all. This has to stop. If Clover the Clever's journal is true, and Ironhide's accounts really are all lies – if he really did lie, and alicorns really can, and do, exist... Then everything we've built this party on is a lie, and it should crumble down. And it will mean I've killed a hundred thousand ponies for a lie... But I have to know. I have to prove those deaths meant something! I have to prove this is or isn't an alicorn, but I can't just ignore it! If these are pegasi wings torn from some innocent victim then it'll prove we're justified, too! Her eyes lit up, then quickly darkened again with a slight bow of her head. But it'll also prove this is such a terrible world that the purges really were necessary for survival... “What-what are you looking for?” the alicorn finally asked as the Governor held one of her wings in a long silence. The governor snapped out of her thoughts. “How'd you get those wings?” she asked, and started putting the binder back on the prisoner's wings. She didn't resist. “Princess Celestia gave them to me. In-in another world,” she added, her voice still shaking in fear. Princess Celestia!? Weren't alicorns supposed to be immortal? The governor paused in her work, going wide-eyed and fumbling with her mouth as she lipped the words to herself. Princess Celestia? In... Could she not only have actually existed – but still be alive somewhere? Can alicorn magic do that? Make other alicorns? She thought for a moment longer, then pity finally won out. She continued strapping the binder back on the prisoner. I'm a magistrate for buck's sake, not a sergeant, or a captain. This is ridiculous, I should've just sent one of the interrogators. She's beating me, her captor, at a psychological game. I know it. But... I can't bear the slight possibility she's not even playing one. Maybe she killed some ponies... But can I blame her for those who were trampled? Can I blame her for blowing guards away? And I saw her tears when I told her... She cares, and that makes all the difference. She cares, so she's not a creature I can keep doing this to. She finished with the binder, then spoke barely above a whisper, “Look, unicorn, whatever your name is... Do you even have a name?” “T-Twilight Sparkle.” “Twilight, maybe this is some reverse psychology trick you're playing, pulling an act so stupid that I wouldn't believe you'd try to pull such a stupid act and I'd believe you – or maybe you're trying to look so damn pathetic we'd go easy and let you off light, but whatever it is, it's working. Because in the off-chance you are being sincere, I'm going to tell you this – we're done for now. And – and in the off-chance you actually are...” she froze on the words. Am I seriously considering this likely enough to even mention it? “...innocent. I'm sorry. And there's nothing I can ever do to make it up to you, what we've done to you and your kind. The only thing I can do to set things right...” Damnit, I'm being diplomatic, not torturous! I'm not here to win her favor, I'm here to make her piss herself in terror! But I've already started saying it! I'll look a fool if I don't finish. “-is find out. If you are truly innoce-” “I AM!” she cried out with such soul, terror, and desperation it made the governor's ears fall flat. I'm done. I'm not a stronger pony like Nightgale. I can't handle this. I want to talk to Veil about this. Then I'll come back. She reached up and pushed the alicorn's chin up to close her mouth. Her own voice was still hushed. “Then I'll see what I can do. Until then, not another word to anypony.” She replaced the gag on the alicorn. “I have my ways of learning the truth. I'll flay your skin off if you've lied to me, so here's your last chance – did you lie to me?” The quaking alicorn shook her head. “I'll find out if you did, beast. In the meantime, you'd best not even move your head around. The guards tend to be a bit antsy around anything you do. I've once seen a unicorn shot for sneezing.” Though I'm leaving out important details from that story... Without another word, she took the cart and left, locking the cell closed behind her, and returning to the bunker. “I've gotten what we need for now. This one's an important mine of information. Don't kill it. You have no reason to even touch it without my authorization, or the punishment will be severe. And the wings are probably an illusion, pay no heed to them,” she told the guards, hiding her real emotions with many years of skilled practice. "From me directly, this great order thanks you for your bravery and devotion to doing your part to the letter. Every cog drives the machine." "Every cog drives the machine!" the guards echoed with a salute. "For spring to come," she added. "For spring to come!" they echoed again. "As you were." She left, her own guards following her. As she made her way out of the prison, she was lost in thought. The blood of almost two hundred thousand stains my hooves. A hard, but honorable duty to preserve the last flicker of life in the world, if she's a fraud, and alicorns don't actually exist. But it also means the world really is so terrible that it was necessary. I can't bear that thought. But if she's really an alicorn, and Celestia does exist, then my role in The Vanguard is a major part of why the world is like this. Then all that death was for nothing, meaning I've committed an unnecessary atrocity, and everything I've ever fought for... I've been on the wrong side. Me, my father, Nightgale, Steelheart... Misled by a lie. I can't bear that thought. But it also means the world isn't a terrible world where what I did was necessary. I'm not sure which I'd rather believe.