Upheaval: Breaking Point
Chapter 47: Taking Stock
Applejack walked out of the Grand Meeting Hall, as uncertain of the future as she was when she walked in. Like Twilight, she had expected Prince Terrato to immediately lay out plans to get Princess Celestia's power back. When that wasn't the case, she was at a loss as to how to feel about him. Princess Celestia was his family. Family should come first. For him to set aside getting his sister's power back was difficult to swallow.
Yet, when Twilight openly protested against the prince's priorities, Applejack couldn't bring herself to join in. She was loyal to the princess. Twilight was even more so, but that didn't make her disloyal. Nevertheless, some part of her held back when Twilight spoke out. Was the difference in their loyalty really that much? None of her other friends had spoken out either. Perhaps, it was simply Terrato's intimidating presence, or none of them could match Twilight's devotion.
They were already splitting up to go back to their duties: Rarity was walking off with Spike on her back, Pinkie was hopping off to the kitchens, and Fluttershy looked about to leave as well. The only exception seemed to be Twilight, and that was because she wasn't around. 'Must have gone off to stay with the princess,' Applejack thought. She had to admire that about Twilight. Banishment, signing up for the Legion, and the loss of her teacher's power, didn't faze her loyalty one bit.
Speaking of loyalty, Applejack's gaze focused on the pony associated with that Element of Harmony. For the past two days, Rainbow had avoided her entirely. Rainbow's ability to fly gave her a distinct advantage, but it was a rare occasion indeed to be so frustrated by it. This was one such time. Trying to pin down one of Equestria's finest flyers in a busy city was nigh impossible. While all of them were still walking was a good chance. At the sight of her walking over, Rainbow was already about to take off. "Hey, RD!" Applejack called out. "You were uh…you were pretty awesome during that last fight!"
Rainbow hesitated: a good sign. Better than absolutely nothing. "You think so?" she asked cautiously.
The still-healing gashes around Rainbow's head made it difficult for Applejack to agree, but she forced down her concern like a one-too-many slice of apple pie. "Yup, without that Sonic Rainboom, we would have never beaten Nightmare Moon."
The corners of Rainbow's lips twitched briefly.
"Hey, Rainbow!" Scarlet called. "You up for tonight? Today's payday, and we can go for the really good stuff!"
Applejack ground her teeth as Rainbow started to pull away. "Wait just a golldarn--"
"No drinking for you tonight, Scarlet, I've got orders for you. Let's go."
Vanguard's voice was music to Applejack's ears. Deep, husky, ear-tickling music.
In contrast to that, Scarlet's voice was whiny, and grating. "But, Captain, it's payday! We're not under siege anymore, and Storm Brew's got a fresh batch of 'Good Stuff' lined up!"
"I said 'orders', Scarlet," Vanguard growled, "not 'polite requests'. Let's go."
Vanguard gave Applejack a quick glance, and a nod: his way for apologizing for Scarlet, she guessed. She replied with a smile, and a nod of her own, then turned her attention back to Rainbow. "Right, like I was-- Why are you looking at me like that, Rainbow?"
Rainbow smiled slyly. "I saw that."
It was the first smile that Applejack had seen from her friend in days, and it was the sort that she didn't really like. While the two of them were talking again, Rainbow was trying steer the conversation into other things. "Saw what?" she asked.
"You know what I'm talking about!"
When Applejack stared at her blankly, Rainbow's amusement turned into puzzlement. "You like Vanguard, don't you?" she asked.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Of course I like Vanguard. What kind of a silly question is that?"
Rainbow's jaw dropped for a second. "I mean...you really, really like him!"
Another blank response had Rainbow putting a hoof to her face. "Forget it. There's no point poking you if you won't squirm."
"You keep your poking to yourself, RD."
They walked on in silence. It wasn't long until they came upon the corner which would lead to Flight Dreadwing's barracks. Applejack had to say something now or waste this chance. "About the last fight--"
"It wasn't enough," Rainbow said quietly.
Applejack frowned. "What wasn't enough? Your Sonic Rainboom? But you broke through that wall!"
"I mean breaking the wall wasn't enough."
"Enough for what?" Applejack asked.
"Enough to…to…" Rainbow looked away. Her wings twitched with pent up energy. The temptation was understandable. It seemed so much easier to fly off. Rainbow pressed her lips tightly, and shut her eyes. "Enough to make up for what happened to you!" she blurted out.
Applejack's frown deepened. "Now listen here, you. Nopony ever blamed you for what happened to me. Especially not me!"
"I blame me," Rainbow retorted. "I messed up badly! I have to do something to make up for it, and the last battle wasn't enough!"
"And when will it be enough?" Applejack asked gently. "There ain't some dip stick you can use to tell if you've done enough."
"I'll…I'll just know," Rainbow insisted. "I have to go, Applejack. The Flight Captain's going to get angry if I'm late."
Applejack nodded. "Rainbow!" she called out at the last moment. Rainbow hovered in mid air for a second. "Stay with us tonight!"
Rainbow hesitated again, her eyes looking everywhere except at Applejack. "I'll try," she mumbled.
Applejack let herself smile. "I'll be waiting for you," she said. And Rainbow was gone. That was all she was going to get today, but she was glad that there was at least something accomplished besides a hoof to the face for either of them.
With Terrato's roar still ringing in her ears, Twilight walked next to the two princesses as they followed a pair of guards to their quarters. Prince Terrato had assigned them to the best room in all of Bastion City. Like all of Bastion City, even "the best room" was modest at best.
By the time Celestia was heading towards the bed, she was already having trouble staying on her hooves. Twilight and Luna stood by either side, ready to help when needed.
"The prince requests that you stay in this room until he gives the word otherwise, your highness," one of the guards told Celestia. His words were polite, but his tone underneath was flinty.
"What?" Twilight asked. "Is he going to keep her prisoner here?"
"We do as the prince commands, Legionnaire Sparkle," the guard replied. "You better remember that if you don't want another go at the whipping post."
"Twilight," Luna said sternly. She nodded at the guards. "Thank you. We'll do just that."
The guards bowed at Luna, then left. "We will remain outside your door in case you need anything," one of them added before closing the door.
Twilight was about to help Celestia lie down when Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight, what did that guard mean by 'another go'?" Celestia asked.
Twilight cursed silently at the guard's poor choice of words. "W-well, what he meant was--" She caught a passing glance at Luna. It only took that for Luna to remind her that the truth was the best option here. "That's because…that's because I've been whipped before, princess."
"Big brother was going to execute the pony who gave her the trigger, big sister," Luna hastened to add. "Twilight agreed to be whipped alongside him to save his life."
It was as if the few remaining marks of the whip along Twilight's back lit up for Celestia to see, glowing past even her mage-coat. She closed her eyes, expecting an angry outburst.
"I'm sorry," Celestia whispered.
Twilight opened her eyes, and looked up to Celestia's face. No outraged expression waited for her, only a pained look that made her chest ache. "Princess, you don't--"
"I ordered the division. Terrato did nothing more than enforce a law that I had set. I'm so sorry, Twilight."
Choking back a sob, Twilight stepped forward to hug Celestia, who returned the gesture tenderly. "Aren't you angry that I'm a legionnaire now?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
"No."
"But I...I did things that were expected of legionnaires. The things you feared would only turn ponies into monsters like the wolven!"
Celestia didn't answer right away. For a moment, both Twilight feared that she was angry now that she was reminded. Instead, Celestia stared ahead of her sadly. "A few days ago, some ponies attacked the Royal Palace," she said. "They killed some of my guards while they were trying to steal the Elements of Harmony. When I got to the Chamber of Harmony, and saw what they had done…" She paused and closed her eyes tightly for a second. "I was so angry that I…that I lashed out."
Celestia trembled slightly. Twilight could feel it in their embrace.
"I have never killed a pony of this world before. It happened so quickly that I couldn't help but be frightened."
"Princess…" Twilight said.
"But now I have done such a thing," Celestia said. She mustered a weak smile. "I've realized that I'm just as prone to anger and violence as any of my little ponies. Now that I've spent a little time talking to Luna, and Terrato, I see that I've been too hasty to judge." She pushed Twilight back gently to look in her eyes .
Twilight glanced away, afraid of what her mentor would find upon looking too deeply. She also didn't want to see the reaction. If Celestia were to turn away in disgust, or disappointment, she would crumble on the spot. When she finally forced herself to glance briefly, however, she found neither.
"I want to see for myself what happens out here, and to the ponies who live here," Celestia said. "I want to know if there is a truth to what Terrato had been telling me. I want to see everything first before making a judgment again."
"Oh, princess," Twilight said joyously. "I knew you'd understand!"
Even Luna smiled. "You should get some rest, big sister."
Celestia nodded, and lay on the bed. The furs disconcerted her a little, but she quickly settled down. With one more fond glance at Celestia, Twilight went over to Luna, who was sitting by a desk with a book. "You should be resting too, your highness," she said. "You really exerted yourself in that last fight."
"I'll be fine, Twilight," Luna replied as she turned a page. "You should be going. You have other duties as a legionnaire, and playing nursemaid to two princesses is not one of them."
"I will," Twilight replied. She looked over Luna's shoulder. "Doing some reading, your highness?" she asked. "Where'd you get those?" She looked at the title on the cover: Barrier Lands Law.
"I had some of the guards get them during my last visit," Luna answered. "This wasn't how I wanted it to do so, but I knew this was going to happen eventually. Now that the division is over, I want to be prepared to rule over a united Equestria with my siblings. Understanding the laws that Terrato laid down should help."
"Sounds like a good plan," Twilight said. "I'll be going then, princess." She didn't hide her admiration. She hadn't thought of things like that. The three siblings ruling together in a single Equestria…she had almost forgotten that the division's end should be a good thing. Her smile lessened when her thoughts turned towards Prince Terrato. Even now, he confined his sisters to a room and planned things without them. If there was going to be a chance to unite Equestria, he was needed.
The medical ward was quiet by the time Fluttershy made it back. After the initial rush of injured, the activity had slowed down to a peaceful crawl. She was thankful for that much. Doctor Redbrand had given her an earful which the other medics thought was too light after what they had gone through. For today, she hoped that he was in a better mood. He was sitting quietly by his desk from afar. There was that morose expression on his face again. It might actually be better if he was angrily shouting at ponies. Whenever he quieted down, he had that depressed expression which only served to highlight every line on his face. She was about to see if there was something she could do for him when she passed by Headwrap and Kneescrape, two of the senior medics.
"Mail's finally here!" Headwrap said with a grin. He held up a bundle of letters. "First, its payday. Now, we get all our mail in one go!"
"Good thing the damn siege didn't last long, or we'd have a mountain of them to sort out," Kneescrape muttered.
Headwrap looked at Fluttershy, and smiled. "You expecting mail, Fluttershy?"
"She's from the Heartland, idiot," Kneescrape said. "How is she supposed to get any mail?"
"I would love to get some mail, though," Fluttershy said. "Did you two get any?"
"Looks like I got one from my sister," Headwrap said. He held out the envelope triumphantly.
"Doubt I'd get any from my family," Kneescrape muttered. "Probably one from that mule, Goldtouch, hounding me over my debt."
"Here's one for Redbrand," Headwrap said.
"Throw it away!" Kneescrape grumbled. "It's probably his nag wife bleeding him dry again. Tell him that it must have gotten lost during delivery. You'd be doing him a favor."
Headwrap shook his head. "No way. If he finds out he'll saw my legs off."
"Doctor Redbrand has a wife?" Fluttershy asked.
"Not exactly something he likes to bring up," Headwrap replied. He shot an annoyed glance at Kneescrape before turning towards Fluttershy. "You're always on his good side, you can give this to him."
Fluttershy nodded, then took the envelope in her mouth. While the two continued to sort through the mail, she headed for Redbrand's desk.
"About time you came back!" Redbrand snapped at her as soon as she came closer. "Your pay's here." He gestured towards the pouch of bits on his desk. "What's that letter you've got there?"
Fluttershy placed the envelope on the desk. "It's from your wife!" she said with some enthusiasm. Despite what Headwrap and Kneescrape were talking about earlier, receiving letters from loved ones should be a good thing.
"Bah! The money's on the way as it always is!" Redbrand groused. He opened the envelope, glanced at the letter, then tossed it into a nearby waste bin. "I don't know why she has to waste time and paper reminding me every month."
"Aren't you happy that your wife sent you a letter?" Fluttershy asked.
"Ever been married, Fluttershy?" Redbrand asked. When Fluttershy shook her head, he snorted. "Thank your Princess Celestia or whoever. Nothing sours things between ponies like marriage." He waved a hoof dismissively, and looked away. When Fluttershy didn't leave, he frowned. "What do you want now? A raise?"
"Is that why you drink so much and look sad so often?" Fluttershy asked.
"Terrato grind me, you're a stubborn filly!" Redbrand pulled out his flask, and opened it only to catch a disapproving look from Fluttershy. He lowered the flask, and scowled. "You're cruel for keeping an old pony from the few comforts he can afford."
"You know that it doesn't work."
"And do you have an alternative?" Redbrand snorted again. Before he could take a drink, Fluttershy moved closer, and around his desk. A moment later, she had her forelegs around him.
"I'm sorry about your wife." Fluttershy said softly.
A moment of silence passed. Redbrand put the flask aside. "I don't see what you're trying to do besides ending up smelling like a brewery on fire."
Hearing no protest, Fluttershy stayed that way for some time.
"Don't they have some other pegasus for this?" Scarlet protested. "Why am I always getting tagged for special deliveries?"
"Because you're the best pony for the job," Vanguard replied. "These orders need to get to our agents down south as soon as possible, and you're our fastest."
Scarlet grinned. "Not for long!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vanguard frowned. He already knew the answer.
"You saw it, Captain: that sparkly, flashy exploding thing that Rainbow Dash did!"
"I believe it's called 'Sonic Rainboom'." Vanguard replied. He had asked Twilight about the move a day ago. He was certainly impressed, but it also made him worry for this very reason.
"She could beat me in a race," Scarlet said, his face now serious. "A fair race. If she did that Sonic Rainboom, she'd blow past me!"
Vanguard matched the serious tone with his own. "And if she fails like Overcast, are you going to go into a rage, and beat her half to death?" he asked. "I'm not letting that happen again. If it does, mark my words there will be no cover up this time."
"There won't be a next time," Scarlet replied. "I know she can do it. Even Tailwind knows she can do it!"
"Take your weights off," Vanguard ordered. "We need you at your fastest."
With a shrug, Scarlet undid the straps on some of his barding, revealing a large strip of padded cloth wrapped around his torso. A few more straps, and the cloth fell to the ground with a heavy, metallic clank.
Vanguard eyed the heavy metal bars grimly. The pavement had vibrated on impact. "Do not goad her into racing you, Scarlet," he said. He gripped Scarlet by the harness. "I don't care if she stands a good chance at beating you. I'm asking as your friend, and ordering you as an officer. If you race and, she gets hurt, I will tie that noose around your neck myself."
"Okay, Captain. If you're that serious about it, I won't."
Vanguard let go. "Good. One more thing, no more heavy drinking with her."
Scarlet stomped a front hoof. "That's just unfair! We're just having good times! It's got nothing to do with racing!"
Vanguard let out a sigh, and patted Scarlet on the shoulder. "I know. I know you mean well by being friendly, Scarlet, but your friendship is…well, like Storm Brew's 'Strong Stuff'. Not everypony is capable of dealing with it."
Scarlet's lower lip stuck out. "Rainbow Dash can."
"No. She can't. She's like that filly who goes into a bar, and pretends like she can hold her liquor while the rest of us laugh. Keep some distance from now on, alright?"
Scarlet deflated when he replied. "Alright, Captain. I'm taking off now."
"Right, be on your way."
Vanguard blinked once, and Scarlet was already gone. He tried to scan the sky, but he didn't even catch a silhouette. 'Of all the pegasi in Equestria to be gifted with that speed, why did it have to be you, Scarlet?'
With Scarlet dealt with for now, Vanguard went on with the rest of his duties.
The sun was setting, and Applejack was heading back to her shared quarters when she heard a familiar, deep-voiced growl of a voice call out her name. She turned around, a smile already on her lips. "Howdy, Vanguard," she said as he walked up to her. "You done for the day?"
"Almost." Vanguard said. "I was thinking of getting a drink. Would you like to join me?"
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "That's not Special Operations talk for catching more criminals is it?" she asked.
"No." Vanguard chuckled. "There's going to be actual drinking involved this time. Scarlet did mention that Storm Brew has a new batch of 'Good Stuff'."
"I reckon I can stay for a spell, and be back to wait for Rainbow in time," Applejack said. They turned at one corner. "By the way, thank you kindly for dealing with Scarlet earlier."
"Did you get to talk with Rainbow?" Vanguard asked.
Applejack let out a sigh. "A little. It's going to take more than a talk or two to patch things up, but I'm just glad we took a step forward today."
"Good. I hope you don't take this against Scarlet. He means well. He just...perceives things differently."
Applejack nodded. They finally reached Storm Brew's new brewery. They had just walked through the free-swinging double doors when a white unicorn mare with a bright purple mane that look like she had just been struck by lightning leaped over the counter. "Vanguard!" she called out. "I knew you'd come for this batch! Where's Scarlet, and that new drinking buddy of his?"
"They're not coming, Storm Brew, we'll have some of that 'Good Stuff' though," Vanguard replied.
Applejack looked at Vanguard. "That's Storm Brew?" she asked. "I thought he-- I mean she--"
"Was some crusty, old, bearded stallion?" Storm Brew asked. "I get that often." She showed them over to the counter just as some more ponies stepped into the building. It wasn't long until both of them had a glass of the clear, crackling liquid.
"Is this going to shock me like it did Pinkie if I drink it?" Applejack asked. She looked at her drink as if it might explode.
"Only if you gulp it down," Vanguard replied before taking a sip. "This is a drink made for moderation."
Applejack took a sip, and grimaced, expecting an electric shock anyway. When none came, she licked her lips, pleasantly surprised at the tingly feeling in her mouth. "She wasn't kidding with the name," she said. "This is good stuff!"
"And another convert joins up!" Storm Brew laughed. "I don't know about all the things I keep hearing about the chosen, but I know for sure that you have good taste." She looked over to Vanguard. "Figures you'd go for an earth pony!"
"I get enough of that from my mother, Storm Brew," Vanguard replied.
With another laugh, Storm Brew left them to tend to the other customers. Vanguard unfastened his champron, and set it on the bar. Applejack found herself staring. Vanguard wore his barding almost all the time so the sight of his face left her feeling…odd. His black, curly mane remained carefully arranged despite being trapped in metal for long periods of time. A few locks proved rebellious, and peeked down his eyes. Her hoof moved on its own to brush them away. With a frown she consciously set it on the bar. 'What in tarnation…what was that all about?'
They quietly sipped their drinks for a while. "So how are you holding up?" Vanguard asked.
"Holding up? What do you mean? My injury? It's fine. It doesn't hurt at all."
"I mean about Twocolt. You were friends right?"
Applejack stared at her drink for a moment. "I should just be happy that his highness decided not to hang him," she said with a wistful smile. "That's good enough, right?"
"True," Vanguard said with his own wistful smile.
They were quiet again. This time, it was Applejack who broke that. "So you need something?" she asked.
Vanguard raised an eyebrow. "A relaxing drink not enough?"
It was Applejack's turn to chuckle. "Not for you!"
"Alright, I'll get to it. I spoke with Commander Dreadstep today. You and the others are going to stay grouped as a squad to make use of the Elements of Harmony whenever they're needed. I'm to lead this squad whenever it's deployed in battle."
"So...does that mean you got promoted?" Applejack asked. She didn't like the idea of the Elements of Harmony being "deployed". It just didn't seem like what ponies should think about doing with them.
"More like a re-assignment," Vanguard replied. He took a sip from his glass, and set it down. "I assume that this squad is only needed for Nightmare Moon and possibly Black Rose."
"So why'd you need to talk to me about this?"
Vanguard looked at Applejack carefully. For some reason, she couldn't match his stare. It was the eyes. His wolven-eyes seemed too intense today.
"I need a vice-captain for this squad, at least. I was thinking that you should take that position."
"Me?" Applejack asked. "But...but why not Twilight? Her magic's a lot more useful and stuff!"
"It's not power or utility I'm looking for. It's restraint. That's why I want you."
Blood rushed to Applejack's face. "Couldn't you have said that some other way?" she muttered.
"Well?" Vanguard asked.
"I…uh…well, okay, Vanguard Clash. I'll do it."
Vanguard smiled. "Thank you. That puts me at ease a bit."
Applejack emptied her glass hastily. The tingling sensation turned into a jolt that almost made her jump from her chair. Some of the liquid got caught in her throat, making her splutter. "Heh…all your dramatic talk's getting me flustered," she said. To make things worse, Vanguard put a hoof on her back, forcing her to hide her face.
"Take it easy, vice-captain," Vanguard said. "We've got work tomorrow."