//------------------------------// // Chapter 42: The Price of Safety // Story: Sun & Moon Act II: A Crown Divided // by cursedchords //------------------------------// “Making it to the top always requires sacrifices. Through a thousand years of Unicorn Kings and Queens that hasn’t changed.” - King Solaris VII That first night, after Celestia had slipped the letter under Gala’s door and made her way to Eridian, had been a difficult one. On the one hoof, it indeed should have been a night to celebrate. The long ordeal with her investigation into the saboteur was over, and that meant that once the construction project was finished a place would be made for her at the orchard. Soon enough Luna and the rest of the family could follow, and then they would truly be safe. Never mind that tonight was also the first time that she’d seen Luna in weeks. The young alicorn was bursting with questions the whole night, and her joy indeed should have been infectious. The food was all excellent too, of course. But at the same time, Trinity was there through it all. And knowing which name she had written on the letter made it hard to celebrate with her friend. For Trinity didn’t know, and indeed couldn’t be allowed to know, that come the next morning when she arrived at the estate, she would be greeted by Gala and a half dozen of his guards, ready to enact the justice that they felt she deserved. It still made Celestia sick to her stomach. At least that meant her excuse for going to bed early had been convincing. The next morning Celestia had as usual ridden down to the estate in the coach at an early hour, arriving well before the others. She had made her way straight to her office-tent, and had lost herself in the construction orders, even going so far as to hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign over the flap. She didn’t know when it had happened, but the general noise of the work outside had been unusually quiet today, and there were no callers at the tent flap. All the better for her to sit and think, as much as she wanted to avoid the subject. She had gone back and forth for a long time on which name she would give to Gala and Fastidious to be their saboteur. Which pony she would consign to an uncertain but probably quite short future. An innocent, in furtherance of the greater good that Trinity believed in, or the truly guilty party, in furtherance of her own standing with the Lord, and ensuring future safety for both she and Luna. She had known that she would regret either option, but in the end had decided that Gala’s offer was the better one. Safety and hope, with no strings attached. None of the uncertainty of working for this amorphous “Resistance” without knowing who was truly pulling on her strings. Instead she would have the chance to live her own life, and so would Luna and the rest. Every time that she looked back over her reasoning it seemed sound, likely the decision any pony would make, yet she hadn’t wanted to be there for the moment that Trinity was detained. She’d known that she wouldn’t be able to bear seeing her friend get taken away. It wasn’t until the Sun had dipped behind the clouds that there came a rustling by her tent flap, followed by the sound of the young Lord Fastidious clearing his throat. “Are you in there, Miss Celestia?” he called out. Putting away her parchments, she stepped up to the entrance and pulled it aside, revealing the young stallion standing in the darkened orchard, illuminated by a lantern carried by one of the estate guards just behind him. As usual, his mane was impeccably styled and his cape trim, and despite the evening chill he was looking chipper. “Indeed, my Lord,” she said, offering a small bow. “Please, come in and make yourself comfortable.” Fastidious nodded to the guard before ducking inside, standing in the open space as Celestia threw another log onto the hearth. The extra heat was hardly necessary as he was naturally wearing his ruby-lined coat, but he didn’t make any mention of it. He did wait until she was back behind her desk before speaking though. “First of all, on behalf of myself, my father and the rest of the estate, I wanted to congratulate you on finding our saboteur. You’ve succeeded where the both of us had already failed.” Celestia found that she could only smile thinly. “Thank you.” “As I understand, Trinity was one of your ‘trusted’ informants.” After a moment he chuckled. “I suppose that we’ve all learned lessons in that regard recently, haven’t we?” This time Celestia just nodded. “In any event,” he went on, “I’m here to tell you that the Appleton family honours our debts. You have done a great service to us, and thus you shall be compensated. I’m here to give you this.” He stepped forward, and drew a silver key out of one of his coat pockets. From the way that it shone in the light of the fire it looked new, but was otherwise quite plain, without particular ornament aside from an apple subtly engraved in its head. “This key will unlock a new chamber at the estate house, which is yours to use as you like. I’ve had it furnished as a bedroom, with enough space for perhaps a small studio, and you can even use it tonight, if you wish.” As he placed the key onto her desktop, there was a small glimmer in his eyes. “Quite the step up for a citizen of the lower city, I’m sure you agree?” Her eyes snapped up just as she had been reaching for the key, but Fastidious only laughed. “Yes, we found out about your little subterfuge. But don’t worry. The status of your birth counts for nothing here. Your service to the family dictates that you deserve this. From this day on, for all intents and purposes you are an Appleton, as if you had been born so.” This time the smile that came to Celestia was true and genuine, and she could not help but scoop up the key with her magic and grasp Fastidious’s hoof for a strong shake. “Thank you so much, my Lord Fastidious,” she said, giving him another deep bow to go with it. “I’m sure that you don’t understand how much this means to me, but it’s the world. Thank you, thank you ever so much.” She wanted to reach out and catch him in an embrace, but that was probably a little too much. Even so, she had finally done it. She had a home in a bright and safe place, and now all that was required was to prepare it for the others. Fastidious grinned back earnestly. “I’ve instructed the kitchen to prepare a celebratory meal tonight, and naturally if you will be staying the night then you would be welcome to join us. It is again quite chilly out, which will likely be none-too-comfortable in whatever shelter you have back in the city.” The offer sounded extremely tempting, but Celestia had to shake her head. “Of course I appreciate the offer, but I am afraid that I must decline, my Lord. There are many things that I must prepare now. And while my lodgings may not be grand, they will be quite comfortable enough knowing that I will soon be joining you here.” Knowing that she no longer had to keep her secrets took a big weight off of her shoulders as well. Her world would now be simple, safe and carefree. That alone was much better than the double life of being a Resistance agent that she would have gotten if she had stuck with Trinity. The young Lord nodded and took a step back, none the least bit offended by the rejection. “As you wish, I suppose. If you change your mind, I’m sure that there will be leftovers for you. Oh, and one more thing.” He had a bit of a twinkle in his eyes, at once just a youthful stallion around Celestia’s age, and not a Lord of the upper city. “I am not your Lord any longer, so I would ask that you please use a more familiar form of address. Just Fastidious will do from now on. The same goes for my father.” “Thank you, um…” It took her a moment to adjust the phrasing. “Thank you, Fastidious.” With one more nod, he walked over to the tent flap. “Otherwise I suppose I will see you in the morning, Celestia,” he said with another smile and wave. “Have a good night.” After she had answered he left, the sound of his hooves fading away toward the estate house as Celestia waited silently in the tent. A part of her wanted to dance for joy, but the tent was still a cramped workspace, not well-suited to that sort of thing. She could tell the others, and then they could have another celebration at home. A real celebration this time, that she could join in with a full heart. So for now she just quickly gathered up her things before going outside. With the Sun down, the night air was indeed chilly, but thankfully there was a warm breeze coming up from the south, which made the whole property quite pleasant, really. Here in the orchard, the sky overhead was clear, and in between the rows of trees Celestia could spy the twinkling lights of stars overhead, their silver light giving just a slight gleam to the leaves and apples around her. The smell was just as sweet and ripe as she remembered on the first day that she had come here, and now it was something she’d quickly need to adjust to. Seeing the warm lights spilling out of the windows of the manor made her somewhat regret that she couldn’t be in there, enjoying the heavenly food prepared for the occasion, and sharing the story of her work with Fastidious and Gala. But she did have a home to get back to, and quite satisfactory company to share it with. She saw Wickerlock and Capstan waiting for her by the gates, their gazes a bit downtrodden, which perhaps was to be expected. It would have been a tough day of work for them as usual, but they had yet to hear the good news. Celestia ran up to them, eager to share everything, but each of them only gave her a quiet greeting before turning to start the trek back into the city. She couldn’t wait to start her tale, though. “Wicker, Capstan, I just had a chat with Fastidious,” she began, knowing fully well that her excitement was coming out in the tone of her voice. “As of today, I’ve officially become a member of their household!” Celestia raised up one of her hooves expecting a congratulatory tap, but there was none coming. Wickerlock did offer her a restrained smile, but Capstan didn’t react at all. Perhaps they hadn’t seen the implications yet. “Don’t you guys see? This means that I am now in. This isn’t just a temporary job anymore, it is going to be our new life! Right now there’s only space there for me, but soon enough I’ll be able to get Luna as well, and the rest of you too. We’re going to have to have a bigger party tonight even than yesterday’s!” That she was sure would get an excited whoop from both of them, but instead the uncomfortable silence only stretched out farther. In fact, judging from the set of his jaw Celestia guessed that Capstan was actually gritting his teeth. They were heading down the hill away from the estate now, and Eridian was already looming up on the mountainside, a formless darkness ahead, all except for the pinprick of light that marked the upper city. The wind out here was a bit more gusty, and Celestia sensed moisture on it. In the south, a familiar flash of purple lightning lit up the horizon. “Uh, guys? Is there something wrong?” For another dozen paces or so, there was still no answer. Wickerlock was avoiding her eyes, looking straight ahead at the road, nerves clear in the set of his brow. Finally, it was Capstan who spoke up. “You weren’t there to see them take away Trinity,” he said, the deepness of his voice showing his own tension. Celestia felt her happiness die away a bit. Of course they would want to know what had happened there. “Yes, she was the saboteur. I found out a couple of days ago.” “Good for you,” Wickerlock answered woodenly from beside her. “It doesn’t seem like you guys think so. I know, it came as a surprise to me too, but it made a lot of sense the more that I thought about it. It explains why she was always so curious about what was going on in Fastidious’s household, and why all of her advice to me on how to catch the saboteur ended up coming to nothing.” Celestia was hoping to see at least something of a smile from either of them, but it didn’t look like she was getting anywhere. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell either of you before, even during the party last night. I couldn’t take the risk that she would get away.” Capstan stopped in the road, so suddenly that Celestia nearly ran into him from behind. He turned around, and when Celestia saw his face all of her joyful mirth left her. The old pony was actually scowling at her, his ears laid fully back across his scalp. “You couldn’t take the risk that she would get away,” he said, the words dripping with hostility. “You had to make certain that our friend would be consigned to almost certain death at the hooves of those traitors.” “N-not certain,” she stammered. “Trinity was a Resistance agent, which means that she will be turned over to the King.” “Right,” he said, “because that somehow makes it better.” He snorted. “I can’t believe you. You knew she was Resistance, one of the few ponies in this world brave enough to be fighting back against the tyrant, and still you were willing to sign her death warrant?” “It wasn’t so simple as that. Trinity was using me to get at Fastidious, and that wouldn’t have stopped. Besides, somepony had to take the fall for the sabotage. If not Trinity, it would have been another innocent soul. I wasn’t about to live with something like that on my conscience.” Wickerlock cut in from beside her. “And yet you are willing to live with this? I’m sorry, Celestia, but I have to agree with Capstan here. Trinity was a friend, and an honest, courageous pony. She didn’t deserve this.” “Nopony deserves what she’s about to go through,” Capstan added. “Then what would you have had me do then?” she snapped, glaring at both of them. “I had to give the Lord somepony’s name, or else they would have grown suspicious of me.” Capstan shook his head. “Then you should have just walked away. Returned to Eridian, found another job, and forgot all about Fastidious and the rest of them. Gone back to the way that things were. Before we got wrapped up in relations with traitors and the Resistance.” “ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF!” Celestia roared angrily . “You make it sound so easy, that I can just drop everything because the way we were living before was preferable. If it weren’t for the Lords we would still be scraping by on boiled potatoes and rationed water, still living day to day on whatever work we could find. Are you honestly suggesting I simply go back to that, that Luna go back to that? What happens if we don’t find work, then what? I’m just supposed to accept that my baby sister and Rosy slowly starve to death simply to support some resistance that none of us even know for sure is what they say they are?” Celestia could feel her blood boiling as she stared the two ponies down, both of whom seemed to lose a fair amount of their prior bravado when reminded of Luna. For a moment, Celestia thought she’d finally managed to get through to them. Sadly, Capstan took a step in toward her, his eyebrows drawing down. Despite being years her elder, he was a bit shorter than her, but Celestia still took a step back against the intensity in his glare. “I knew it!” he said. “You’ve fallen in with them. You’ve started to believe their lies, to believe that somehow, in spite of their support for our tyrant King, and in spite of what they’re going to do to Trinity, that they deserve our respect. Maybe even our fealty, like the noble lords of old! You think that it’s okay to step on the heads of the smaller ponies around you, if it means that you get to enjoy the allure of the bright light at the top of the mountain?” She found her resolve and drew up to meet him, a few teeth bared as a snarl appeared on her lips. “This was never all about me! I’m going to make a place there for all of us, and Luna and Rosy too! And yes, I’m willing to do what it takes to get by in this world, the same way that we did before, and the same way that Gala and Fastidious do. Trinity was the one who made her choice and decided her cause was worth endangering the livelihoods of not just Gala and Fastidious, but every pony who relies on the work provided to stay alive!” “And so she deserves to die?” Capstan yelled, just inches away from her face now. “For having the courage to do the right thing in a world that seems to have forgotten what that means?” By now Celestia was truly beyond angry and fed up with listening to this. “Do I want her to die? No of course not, I never wanted that. But I won’t sacrifice a chance for my sister to have a happy, prosperous life, nor those of all the other staff.” Celestia stayed staring at him for a moment, her breath coming short and quick and her pulse pounding in her ears, until it was Capstan that pulled back. His ears were still down, but he took a deep breath and seemed to calm himself. Gesturing to Wickerlock, he turned around and took another step toward Eridian. “I’ve heard enough,” he said, loud enough that she could hear. “You ought to head back, Celestia. Back to your friends, the traitors. There is no place under our roof for allies of the King.” “Is that so?” she retorted, her confidence remaining strong. “Then I suppose when I come around with the invitations for you all to stay with me at the orchard then you’ll be saying no as well?” “Yes,” he replied, his voice quieter but still hard as granite. “You may take Luna as you like, but none of us will follow. We prefer to make our living honestly. Come along, Wicker,” he added, turning to the other stallion and waving him on again. “There’s a storm blowing in.” Wickerlock hesitated for a moment beside her, his eyes darting between her and Capstan’s receding back. Celestia leveled her glare at him, and he sighed. “I’m sorry, Celestia,” he said, his disappointment clear. “I hope that things work out for you and Luna.” Then with a turn he broke into a canter to catch up with Capstan, whose form was already receding into the darkness ahead. “You’re both making a mistake,” she called after them, the fire of her anger still burning in her, nearly as bright as her joy had been as they had started out. “I won’t spare a look back for either of you!” The wind gusted from behind her, snatching her words away and blowing them toward the horizon. Wickerlock and Capstan were gone, swallowed up by a suddenly dark night as more lightning flickered in the south. They would probably both get drenched in the storm long before they had a chance to reach Eridian. Meanwhile, Celestia had only a short walk back to the estate, where she would be welcomed to a warm dining hall, a sumptuous meal, and a relaxing evening. She couldn’t believe their foolishness. What would happen to Trinity was a tragedy, but it was a justifiable and unavoidable one. They couldn’t honestly expect her to turn down the chance for a better life, not when she had worked so hard for it, and come this close. And for what exactly? For a group of ponies perfectly willing to destroy the lives of others for some vague cause? She sniffed into the darkness. It was their loss if they didn’t want to come with her. It would mean more of the good food for her and Luna. By the time that Celestia made it back to the estate’s front gates, the wind had intensified, and the first droplets of rain were tapping against the palisade. The guards opened the gate immediately upon seeing her brooch, and so too did the ones on the manor’s front door. Over the threshold, the world was indeed bright and cheery again. The servants by now knew her by name, and they gave her cheerful greetings as she passed. It was enough to wash the tension and the anger from Celestia’s heart, and in the warmth of the house she allowed herself to smile again. In the big dining room, the whole of the staff was assembled, and they were already quite dug in to the feast that had been laid out before them. Yet there was a place made for her, marked by her nameplate, with a glass of sparkling apple juice and a big plate ready to be heaped with food. “Ah, Celestia!” Fastidious called from the head of the table, the first to notice her entrance. The rest of the staff turned to give her a look, yet this time it was not the dour glares of her first staff meeting, but a selection of warm faces that she saw. The only one missing was Gala, who would usually have the right-hoof place beside his son. “You have changed your mind, I suppose?” She offered him a small bow and a grin. “The weather outside has taken a turn, indeed. I thought it best to accept your gracious offer after all, my—,” she stopped herself. “Fastidious.” “Superb,” the young Lord called, and then got to his hooves, hoisting aloft his glass. “Friends and family, ladies and gentle-colts, a toast please to the mare of the hour! With Celestia’s help the orchard is at last free of that wretched Resistance, and back to full operation. To the Appletons, to the King, and to Celestia!” “And to Celestia!” came the answering call from around the table, as the glasses were clinked together and several long draughts of sparkling juice were taken. Indeed, it was only an instant before Celestia was taken in by the celebratory atmosphere. The drink flowed freely, and the conversation turned to her at once. Everyone at the table wanted to hear the story of how she had managed to find and root out the saboteur, and Celestia found herself telling all of it, including her encounters on the hillside with Trinity’s collaborators, and even how Trinity had tried to turn her in the end. They all scoffed and sneered at every development, and drank her health and the health of their host at the end. By the time that it was done, and most of the household had taken their leave to take their coaches back to the upper city, Celestia was contentedly sipping some tea when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she found Gala standing there, as trim and proper as usual, the starched wings of his collar standing at attention like soldiers, and the tips of his mustache curled neatly at either side of his nose. “Good evening, Mister Gala,” she said, bowing to him as usual. “And you, Miss Celestia,” the old stallion returned. “My sincerest apologies that I could not join in your celebration, but I am afraid that I had some business of my own to attend to. Tying up the last loose ends.” He gave her a knowing grin, and Celestia guessed what he was talking about. The thought still brought a flutter of nerves into her stomach, much as she tried to keep them down. “Has she been cooperative?” she asked. Gala shook his head. “I am afraid not. Our mutual friend is one tough customer, but I was hoping that with your meal done you might perhaps be able to provide some help in that regard.” Celestia was taken aback. He was asking for her help with an interrogation? “Mister Gala, I’m not sure how much help I would really be in something like that. As I understand, it’s your area of expertise.” “Quite right,” he affirmed, sounding proud. “But you have proved yourself most capable at every task we’ve seen you do so far, and I don’t believe that you’ll need to get your hooves dirty, as it were. I was thinking of maybe a softer touch. You and Trinity were close, correct?” He took a step back and gestured off down one of the hallways. “Hm. Once upon a time, I suppose.” Celestia wasn’t quite sure how Trinity would react if they were to meet again, but her friend surely knew that she was the one who had turned her in. “I doubt that I’d get a particularly warm greeting now.” The old earth pony chortled in spite of the morbid subject. “Very true, yet still a familiar face can do wonders, and it’s not very often that we get the chance to make use of it. My specialty has always been in the somewhat more coercive means of interrogation, but on occasion we get prisoners who are quite resistant to my methods. Much better to just have a friendly face offer a way out than to have to break a pretty face, eh?” They had come into a portion of the manor that Celestia had never visited before, tucked away in a corner of the western wing. The hall was lit by a couple of lamps high on the walls, casting dark shadows across the wooden floor, and occasionally lit up in flickers of purple whenever the lightning struck outside. Gala came to a slim doorway and withdrew a silver key from around his belt. The doorway opened up to a set of narrow stairs leading down into an inky blackness. The cellar. Where Gala had concluded his business with Quill, and with Screw. And now with Trinity. Celestia knew that she didn’t want to see what lay at the bottom of these stairs, but the elder Lord was looking at her expectantly, so she picked up a lamp with her magic and started making her way down.