9th May 1009 ALB
Starry Eyes waited patiently at the entrance to the palace. Normally she would only start working from 10am. onwards, like most members of the party, but she had to deliver Posada´s offer to Hard Line and he always started work at 8am., something about discipline he said when asked about it. True to his words he arrived just on time. After Hard Line passed the Changeling detectors and guards, he noticed Starry. His expression shifted from his usual stern facade, to surprise, then shock and finally anger, before returning to his stern look to keep up the facade. He started walking straight towards Starry, seemingly becoming angrier with every step he took. Starry decided to met him in the middle and tried to calm him down by giving him a reassuring look.
Meeting in the middle, Starry extended a claw towards her comrade and friend, but Hard Line pushed it firmly aside, before seemingly exploding at her :
"So it has come to this, they send you, didn´t they? Couldn´t even look me in the eyes as they destroyed everything we, I fought for. So what, are you here to take my uniform, my party membership, my hopes and dreams? Know this, they can take it from my cold dead claws. Or are you trying to led me into some sort of trap, to put me in the royal dungeon. Crack is behind it right or was it that witch Skystar whispering words into Posada´s ears."
"No Hard Line, I have good news for you." Starry interjected while he was catching his breath. His rant made quiet the scene even despite the fact that most party members and guards were familiar with Hard Line´s paranoia and zeal. Starry signaled to the watching guards that everything was under control, before continuing: "Your Request to hold a seminar on revisionism has been granted."
"How did you know I requested..?" Hard Line asked surprised.
"I am an organiser, its my job to know these things. But your seminar can only happen under one condition, you have to talk to Posada before the seminar, she sanctioned it after all." Starry answered.
Hard Line hesitated and thought to himself. Maybe Posada wasn´t gone. Maybe he could bring her back, make her see the light, even if it failed he would get to hold his seminar. In the end, he would either win big or small. He answered with renewed determination: "I accept, I will sent you the details in a letter later. And I.. eh... I´m sorry about..."
"Its okay, you are concerned about the party, I understand. Posada is also concerned about it. I hope to see you in 4 days at the council meeting." Starry replied, before shaking his claw in goodbye and making her ways towards the break room for breakfast and a small nap.
11th May 1009 ALB
Waiting in front of her Office, Posada was starring at the nearby clock counting the minutes and seconds. Hard Line originally wanted to hold his seminar at 9:00 but even he realised that most of the party wasn´t in the palace until after 10:00, so he decided to talk to Posada at 10:00 and have his seminar at 13:00. The general secretary had been busy as well, installing a sound cushioning to her office walls and door, for sound privacy. A panic button beneath her desk, connected to a lamp outside her office, if the guards didn´t hear her and some personal preferences to her office, like a hat-stand and an inflatable pool, her water tank was too big for the door and too heavy for the floor when filled and the bathtub and shower weren´t comfortable enough to relax in when she was in her seapony form.
Posada wasn´t sure if he would show up, but tried to remain calm. After all he gave his word and he was, for most of the time, a seapony of his word. But eventually the pressure got to her and she decided to just lean against her office door, flanked by her guards, Guard Cyanterra to her left and Guardsmare Azurmar to her right, impatiently awiting Hard Line. Just as the clock struck 10 o´clock, Hard Line appeared from around a corner and give a nod to the general secretary.
"Hard Line, its good to see you" the gen-sec said extending a claw, which the zealot took, before both of them entered the office, the guards simply observing them.
Closing the door behind them, Posada gestured him to sit, which he did on the chair opposite of her´s, unlike Starry who took the armchair.
"So how was your week so far?" she began after sitting down.
"Lets cut to the important part." he said having none of the formalities or any small talk.
She just nodded and pulled out an amulet from a drawer of her desk. She spend the last two days searching and trading for it, a treasure left by the former royalty.
"This is a magical sound nullifier, it lets sound in but doesn´t let it out, it effects a space around the size of this room. Some unicorns can cast a spell that achieves a similar effect. I got it so we can talk freely and truthfully." Posada explained before pressing the button on the amulet and laying it on the desk.
Hard Line felt a small wave of magic go through his feathers before making an observation: "You still trust me enough to not be concerned about your safety right now. Or is this some kind of trick you are pulling on me, to record a confession?" His paranoia got the best of him again.
"Then allow me to show you my trust." she replied
"GUARDS, GUARDS, HE´S TRYING TO KILL ME, HELP!"
Posada screamed at the top of her lungs, breaking Hard Line´s stoic expression and possible his ear drums. After a moment of silence, Hard Line stood up with a dazed expression, walked towards the door, opened it and looked into the corridor. Nothing, no commotion, just the guards giving him perplexed looks. Closing the door and returning to his seat Hard Line breathed a sigh of relief, all the while Posada was smirking at him.
"So lets start talking about why were here, its obviously about your proposal and your future in the party, a future I want you to have." she explained.
"Yes but what future would that be? What future does the party have, we are being infiltrated by fascist and bourgeoisie. But we still have a chance to come back from this and achieve the world revolution." He replied with his usual zeal, making Posada roll her eyes.
"Hard Line for the last time, Im trying to built a better world for every creature, regardless of their past, built on equality, compassion and justice not vengeance." Posada answered annoyed, but using Starry´s words tried to get through to him.
"Exactly Posada, but the way we are going about it has led us to lose the purity of the party. How many of these newcomers believe in the cause or even understand basic concepts like the material conditions? Do you really believe your old friend Crack Lightning believes in equality for all creatures? If this continues those newcomers will outnumber us in our own party and then what? We will either be destroyed from the inside or we will be unable to make decisions and split apart into ineffectual parties, just like what happened in Stalliongrad or Skynavia, decades wasted with nothing to show." Hard Line spoke with such enthusiasm, it even surprised Posada.
He continued appealing to Posada with a never seen before compassion and in an almost begging voice spoke: "Posada, I too believe in a world for every creature, but its a world where every creature has to be behind the one cause, our cause. We cannot lose our identity or lose sight of our cause, like we have thus far, like so many have before us. There can be no compromise when it comes to justice, equality or the world revolution."
Posada closed her eyes and thought about his words. He wasn´t lying when talking about his believe or his perception of the state of the party. She even had to admit that he was right on some topics. But he was dreaming, dreaming about a dream that was built atop everyone who couldn´t immediately see or join the cause, his cause, leading to their exclusion in this new world. A dream only built on his ideas of the future, not on the ideas of everyone else and now it was time to wake him up.
"And who decides what the cause is? What happens to those who´s mind have been clouded or those who disagree with the methods. No method works for in every situation every time, what if for example Starry disagrees with liberating the workers of Equestria by force. And finally what if the people reject our cause." Posada fired back a line of questions, she knew Hard Line would either respond badly to or which would prove his hypocrisy.
"Marks and the people decide the cause through their and her wisdom, those that cant see that are obstacles in out path. They shall have no power in our future or place in our party. If the people resist our cause, then they have to be dragged into the future like children, and when we show them our works, they will realise how wrong they were. If Starry decides to be like those communalist in Skynavia, then she has no place in the party and is just another obstacle in our path, a party member with no use. Sure it would be painful to see her leave, but it would be necessary for the cause." Hard Line answered coldly.
"Then I have to say farewell Hard Line, following your own advice, your disagreement with not only the party but the people leave no place for you here. You destabilise the party with your hostile behavior towards fellow party members, causing strive in our nation and are hurting our international reputation with your constant unpopular request. Simply put, you are an obstacle, a party member with no use, pushing us towards infighting and wasted decades. While the real enemy is still out there you are fighting your comrades. But Im sure the people will understand and even admire you for all you did and for sticking to your ideals, even when they are against you. Its gonna be painful sure but we will cope, after all it is necessary for the cause." Posada said mimicking Hard Lines coldness and words.
"But that is not the future I want for you, I wa..." She continued, trying to get him to understand, before being interrupted.
"So that is it then, you used me, my words, my zeal, my influence, my passion for the cause, my sacrifices and now that you have your little birdie or your fascist roommate, your abandoning your true comrades like garbage. Just like HER." Hard Line said with ever growing anger, referring to his mother while slightly tearing up.
"Hard Line that is not what I meant..." She tried calming him down.
"Shut up! All I wanted was to ensure the revolution would triumph once and for all time. I wanted to bring Novo to justice to prevent a counter-revolution. Do you not remember what happened in Aquilia twenty years ago? The exiled royalty returned and restarted their reign of terror. Do you remember what Novo´s last order was going to be, do you remember what one of her former guards revealed and your little birdie confirmed. She was gonna massacre us, because her subjects had the audacity to strive for freedom. And you humiliated me for trying to achieve justice." His rant became so angry, at the thought of her betray, that his body started crying uncontrollably.
Posadas claw was hovering beneath her panic button. Just one press and no more Hard Line in her life. Posada was tempted and was starting to becoming just as furious as Hard Line by his continuous screaming and some of his baseless assertions of her.
"I wanted equality for every creature, not just most, like those pony princesses who abandoned the Thestrals for over a thousand years. But you invited those harmonist into our party, into our future and for what. To impress Skystar so you can become queen by marriage? Or is it to impress you fascist friend who only wants equality for his kind. You know the Changelings want to fed all of their kind too and they do this by enslaving other creatures, so maybe you and you friend Crack should join Comrade Chrysalis" He repeated some of the words she used against him at the council, back at her.
"Kelp Strand that is enough, I will never betray the revolution or myself by doing that." She replied desperately, calling him by his hated birth name.
He however, was still ranting: " Or better yet, join Comrade Storm King! He spread his revolution all of over.."
Posada slammed her claw onto the desk, hard enough to break him out of his mad rant and to crack pieces of her desk off. Using the same movement to push herself to her hooves, Posada clawed at her uniform, tearing her collar open and a couple of buttons off, while her cap flew off her head. She revealed with her torn uniform aside, her most prominent scar, on the right side of her neck, all while starring down Hard Line with pure hate.
Hard Line had only caught glimpses of the old scar in the past, but now it was on full display, while its owner was starring down at him in a way he never imagined possible. Seeing the scar Hard Line realised how little of physical pain he knew and how terrified he was at the pain she had received. Disgusted at the scar, but more importantly at himself, he averted her gaze and starred apathetically at his hooves and the carpet of the room.
Posada sat down again, but it was Hard Line who broke the silence:
"You were right, I betrayed the people, I turned on my dear comrades, on you and called poor Starry useless. I am the obstacle, I should just get out of the way and leave." He stood up, continuing to avoiding her gaze and walked towards the door.
Before he could open it, a claw grabbed him from behind.
"I never wanted to throw you out of the party, I just wanted you to be a part of our future society, for you to give me a chance to proof you wrong, to pave a way into the future and for you to let go of your hate and start anew, just like this nation. I always want to help every creature, leave no one behind, neither former royalty nor fascist. The stalliongradian revolutionary memorial has a motto written on it, that I will always remember: "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten", and while it does refer to the dead revolutionary, I think it applies to all living creatures and past events." Posada said with tears in her eyes. He turned and saw the gen-sec in a broken shape, her uniform was torn, her hair messed up and her face was full of sadness, before she embraced him and he hugged her back.
Minutes later they broke the hug and sat back down.
"I promise that I will no longer stand in the way of the party, I may disagree sometimes but I will no longer cause tension or doubt the will of the people. You are right there are bigger problems out there and as long as you lead, I will know the party is in good claws or fins." Hard Line said with a new zeal.
"I appreciate that, but I need to ask you for a favor. At the upcoming council meeting I want you to say something similar to the party. Of course with more pride and dignity, and less sadness. It will show your real strength, to accept your own mistakes and to overcome them for the good of the people, the party and our future, and at the same time amend the rifts in the party." She said putting her claw trustingly over his claw and looking him in the eyes.
"I promise to do that, but you have to stop humiliating me in front of the party" He answered and she agreed with a nod. The tension had vanished from the room, Posada looked at the clock, 10 past 11, 11:10.
"Good, now I know you have a seminar in two hours and some of it might be a bit outdated now, how about you run it by me and we will improve it together? You know my talent for convincing rhetoric." Posada asked him with a smile.
"I love to" Hard line replied in a friendly tone, and they started working.
One and a half hours later they were done, Hard Line with new gained confidence in his own worth and Posada relieved of her fear of the party breaking apart. She was wearing her cap again and she changed into her spare uniform, which she kept in the bathroom, when she opened a drawer and pulled out the unopened aquilian wine and two normal glasses.
"How about we drink to the future and our place in it." She proclaimed. Hard line giving an approving nod but insisted on pouring for himself. However after Posada poured for herself, he grabbed the cork, closed the bottle and pocketed it.
"You really should take better care of yourself, drinking isnt healthy for your mind or body, but don´t worry I will redistribute this wine accordingly". He said smugly, before deactivating the almost forgotten sound amulet and making his leave. Before opening the door he stopped and said: "Thank you Posada, for not giving up on me."and then started running off, hoping he still had enough time to set up the seminar, leaving a flabbergasted but smiling Posada behind.