A Reflection of sorts

by thetaleweaver

The Falling of the Axe

It had been hours since Edgar learned that he was a condemned stallion. The rage he felt had subsided long ago, and since then he merely hung his head, waiting for his end to come. Not even the beauty of the moon's light shining through the barred window above his cell.
"What will happen to Nimba and the foal?" he asked himself, out loud. Suddenly, something popped up in front of the window, blocking the moonlight. Edgar noticed this, and turned his head towards the window to see a figure outside his cell.
"You won't need to ask that, sir. You won't be in here much longer" called out a familiar voice.
"C-Colin?"
"Were you perhaps expecting Princess Celestia?" he retorted, snidely.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to tell you that Nimba is alright, and that we'll be here to bust you out tomorrow night. I'd do it tonight, but my friend, Gladstone, won't be here until tomorrow. That, and they were out of files at the general store".
"It won't matter, Colin. I know what fate has in store for me already".
"What do you mean? Mr. Gladstone has a wagon, and he owes me a favor. I talked to him about it three days ago, he said he'd bring you and Nimba to a town far away from here. You and her can have a new start in a new-"
"It won't matter because I'm being executed tomorrow morning, you nimrod!" he exclaimed, tired of hearing his colleague ramble on. Hearing this caused Colin to recoil with shock.
"Executed? Over what?"
"The kidnapping and murder of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Blackmoor II, among other things".
"That can't be! They're still alive, Edgar! As a matter of fact, they are a few cells down from you".
"Valorous must not have executed them yet". Edgar turned around and walked to the bars of his cell. He noticed that there was only one cell next to his on both sides, as well as doors on both ends. The door to the left was comprised of iron bars, much like the cells that lined the walls of the hallway. The door to the right, on the other hand, appeared to be made of solid steel. "From my cell, which direction was theirs?"
"To the right, Edgar. Why, what's wrong?"
"And there was a barred window as well?"
"Yes. Please, tell me what's going on!"
"I have three simple requests for you Colin. Please honor them. First of all, I want you to go to my home and get a file from Nimba".
"I can't believe I didn't think to do that earlier. I'll get right on it!" he claimed as he prepared to fly away.
"Hold it! I'm not done yet. Next, I want you to promise me that you'll help Nimba with the foal, no matter what happens".
"Y-You mean 'Nimba and I', right?" questioned Colin, nervously.
"Finally, I want you to make sure Gerald and Elizabeth escape from the city".
"I can't do that, Edgar. I won't let you die because of that scum!"
"As much as I want to get out, I can't do it at the cost of two innocent lives. Valorous' grudge is with me, not them".
"But Edgar, we still have time! I can retrieve the file and have both of you out in no time!"
"If I'm missing in the morning, who is to say that Valorous won't execute them?" Upon hearing this question, Colin stepped away from the window, and the sound of his hoof striking the wall rang through Edgar's ears.
"Fair enough. I'll honor your wishes, but you better not think for a minute that I've given up on you! You're just as innocent as the Blackmoors are, and I will make every effort to get you out as well!" said Colin, remorsefully. As he began to run towards the street, he heard a pony call out to him.
"That's far enough, Mr. Linshire!" called out a stallion from the shadows. He stepped into view to reveal that he was an earth pony, and bore the armor of the city guard. Edgar saw this occur, and slumped over in his cell, fearful that the Blackmoors would still suffer as he would. He listened intently for signs that nothing had gone wrong, but heard nothing. Unsure of what to make of the silence, he opted to get some sleep.
The sound of the cell door opening caused Edgar to stir, as he opened his eyes to find Valorous standing over him. He quickly stumbled to his hooves and engaged the captain in eye contact.
"That was quick. Are you ready to face the music, Brickmason?" asked Valorous, smugly.
"Let's just get this over with, we all have better things to be doing" retorted Edgar, bitterly. Valorous bound shackles to Edgar's legs, and led him down the hall and out the barred door. They were now walking through the lobby as several guards that were present glared at them. "Where exactly is this affair going down, Valorous?" he asked, confused as to why they were leaving the station.
"Town Square. Everypony in town will be there, Edgar. They'll be there to see you pay for your crimes". He then turned his head back towards the lobby and motioned towards a guard, who disappeared into a room behind the desk. The guard came back out, a large axe on his back. The doors opened, and the resulting burst of sunlight blinded Edgar as he attempted to follow his captors. As his eyes adjusted back to the outside world, he noticed many of the townsfolk staring at him. Some of the faces he saw reflected sadness, whilst others seemed to display a sense of betrayal. He searched the sea of faces to find Nimba, but saw no trace of her. Soon, they arrived at the square, and Edgar was forced to place his neck on a wooden block. Valorous called forth the citizens of Manehattan as the other guard levitated the axe above the chopping block.
"Ponies of Manehattan, we are gathered here today for the execution of our former mayor, Edgar Brickmason. He was condemned to execution based on several charges, those being: Two charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder, embezzlement of taxpayer's bits, and using said funds to fund a mercenary group to overthrow the Equestrian government! Before we drop the axe on this loathsome fiend, does he have any final words?" he asked, turning to Edgar as he finished.
"Why do you insist on fooling the town like this? Why would I want to overthrow the government? Sure, I'd have the entire kingdom, but I'd also have the responsibilities that come with it! Not to mention, I'd likely be hated anyways for staging a coup against the ruler who has watched over the land as far back as anyone can remember. And while I did dip a bit into the public funds, it was to fund a group of ponies to promote further peace between the three races. I thought their presence would be pretty obvious, given the fact they've been in the gazette as often as they have. And where is your proof that Gerald and Elizabeth Blackmoor are dead? Has there even been an autopsy, Valorous? How many of these ponies actually know that they are 'dead'? Your plan to get rid of me is more porous than imported cheese. Of course, I really don't care anyways. After all, I know for a fact that the Blackmoor's are both safe right now, as well as anyone else who might have had to suffer the same fate as me. And what is that fate, some may ask? Dying because of a reason, which in all honesty, amounts to a heaping mound of road apples in the end. So you know what? Drop the axe! Just know that you've failed in your endeavor!" said Edgar, in a mild rage.
"Defiant to the end, I see. It's a shame, really. Had political power not corrupted you, I'm sure you would have been my right hoof, Brickmason. That doesn't matter anymore" retorted Valorous. He then turned to the guard and nodded his head. Edgar looked up and saw the axe rise up into the air. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact that would sever his ties to the mortal world.
"Nimba... Please be safe" prayed Edgar in his mind, as he felt a small burst of wind rushing above his neck.