//------------------------------// // Gathering Shadows 5 // Story: The Lunar Rebellion // by Chengar Qordath //------------------------------// After ensuring that the needs of our rescuees would be attended to, my fellow Ephors and I made haste to Manehatten. The Commander would need to know what had passed on the shores of Griffonia. News of our actions in Westmarch necessarily preceded us to the city, as tending to the needs of those we rescued merited our attention foremost. Our reception upon arrival was most unusual: I’ve become accustomed to being regarded with wary curiosity on those occasions when I have visited my groundbound kin. I suspect that they wish to know more of those who dwell in the clouds, but are intimidated by our weapons, armor, and fearsome reputation. This time, however, the ponies of Manehatten gazed upon us differently. The fear in their eyes was not quite so distant, yet this time it was mingled not with curiosity, but respect. I am sure that by now there were many colorful rumors flying about regarding the damage we had wrought ‘pon the griffons, and the events which provoked our actions. While nopony living in Manehatten, save the Commander herself, could actually remember the old days when the city had been under griffon occupation, a sort of collective memory lingered ‘mongst the inhabitants of the city. Though the earth ponies might fear our capacity for destruction, they were glad enough to see us turn it ‘gainst old enemies. None attempted to stand ‘tween us and the Commander’s offices in the chancellor’s mansion. In fairness, even without the infamy of our recent acts hanging heavily in the air, few would dare stand against four Ephors and their attending guards. ‘Tis a rather intimidating force. As we approached the Commander’s offices, my body grew tense at the sound of a griffon’s voice bellowing from within. ‘Twas easy enough to guess at what passed—no doubt an envoy from Griffonia was in the midst of making a great fuss about the justice we had wrought upon them. “We demand justice!” the hypocritical griffon thundered. “Does Equestria now attack our shores without provocation? Does the Queen have no respect for the treaty between our nations? Equestria must answer for this crime, or—” The envoy’s rhetorical efforts came to an abrupt end as my fellow Ephors and I entered the room, depriving him of the full attention of his audience. Between the various earth pony officials, the Archmagus and assembled unicorn courtiers, the Griffonian ambassador and his entourage, and our own group, the Commander’s offices were now quite crowded. For all the ridiculous pomp and pageantry of Canterlot, the Commander’s throne room was far better suited to accommodating large gatherings than the more modest offices which accompanied the position of Chancellor. The Griffonian ambassador was quick to seize upon our arrival for his next point of rhetoric. “So the criminals themselves now dare to show their faces here!” The griffon leveled an accusing talon at my fellow Ephors as well as myself. “These are the foul brigands who dared to come to our shores and do murder upon our subjects! I demand justice!” “If justice is thy desire,” Bright Charger answered him hotly, “then I would gladly offer thee or any champion thou might choose juris ungula.” The griffon took a half-step back at the naked threat in her words, and the pair of griffon knights accompanying him moved nearer their master. Not that a mere two griffons could do anything of significance to protect their master if matters came to blows. After a few tense seconds, the griffon ambassador opted for a return to verbal sparring over Bright’s offer of combat. “And now we see the nature of these pegasi laid bare: their only answer to the charges brought ‘gainst them is to offer threats of yet more violence, and this time ‘pon a peaceful envoy!” “So, ‘twould seem thou art a craven as well as a liar,” Bright countered. The ambassador and his guards stiffened at her words, which Bright did not fail to notice. “Have I given thee offense?” Bright feigned innocence whilst wearing a mocking smile ‘pon her lips. “If that be the case, then by all means dispute my words, and I should be quite willing to allow thee redress for thy grievances in battle.” For a second I hoped that the ambassador might be foolish enough to rise to the bait. If there was any point of commonality between griffon and pegasus, it was that ‘mongst both races there are few graver charges than that of cowardice. The ambassador’s cheeks flushed and his countenance grew wrothful, but to my faint dismay one of his protectors put a talon ‘pon his shoulder and whispered into his master’s ear. ‘Twas not hard to guess the content of his words, even if I could not hear them. Even I would hesitate to face Bright Charger in single combat, and I was no diplomat accustomed to sleeping in silk sheets and dining upon fine delicacies. A second later my stomach turned at the memory of just what delicacies the griffons had feasted upon. I wonder if this ambassador had indulged in such barbarism? If so, then juris ungula was a far better end than he deserved. I bore witness to one of the dozen instances in which Bright Charger engaged in a duel—a time when she dueled one of my own clan, in point of fact. I had not yet taken the mantle of leadership from my father at the time, but I was the ranking Kicker at the scene and thus expected to bear witness to the conflict. Spark Kicker was of an age where she was arrogantly certain of the rightness of her cause and her own invincibility. Bright was quick to disabuse her of the latter notion. (1) 1: While Shadow doesn’t specify whether this occurs before Bright Charger became an Ephor, it would be highly unusual for an Ephor to duel a common soldier. Social customs at the time allowed ponies to ignore any challenges from social inferiors, and no honor would be gained by victory. However, given what we see of her character, if Spark Kicker had offended her enough Bright Charger might well have taken the duel regardless of whether she gained any honor from it. It seems almost perverse of me to say so, especially in light of the fact that Bright’s opponent was a kinsmare, but my only sensation as I watched the duel unfold was one of respect and—if I am honest—awe at Bright Charger's brutal efficiency. Even against an arrogant whelp, she held little back. Thankfully, my young and foolish clanmate grasped how badly she erred before Bright had no choice but to claim her lifesblood. That Bright Charger could so effortlessly and decisively crush her opponent without even striking a fatal blow only offered further testament to her skill. Sadly, the Griffonian Ambassador was not so foolish as Spark Kicker. Once he had properly restrained his choler, he returned to his preferred weapons of rhetoric and wordplay rather than face Bright Charger on the field of her choosing. “Dost thou desire yet more death, Ephor? Was the infamous butchery thou didst inflict ‘pon Westmarch not enough to sate thy bloodlust?” He turned to face the Commander. “Your Majesty, surely you cannot intend to allow these crimes against decency and good order to pass unpunished?” The Commander remained silent for a long moment, carefully considering her answer at length before responding. “Equestria is a nation of laws, ambassador. Those who violate our laws will be properly punished, no matter what their station.” Despite the gravity of the situation, a part of me could not help but gratefully reflect that one of the advantages of the Commander dwelling ‘mongst the earth ponies was a distinct absence of the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice whilst in court. “I am glad to hear it.” The griffon gave her a respectful dip of his head. “Your reputation for just and fair rule is known even ‘mongst griffonkind. I am certain we can, as civilized beings, find a peaceful resolution to this matter.” “I am sure we can.” The faintest hint of a smile crossed the Commander's face. “Wouldst thou not agree that ‘twould be most appropriate for a nation which precipitated a series of attacks in violation of an existing treaty to provide compensation?” “That would be most fair,” the ambassador agreed. The Commander’s smile widened ever so slightly, and she gave a polite nod to the griffon. “At the very least, the offending nation should provide funds sufficient to cover the damages inflicted by the attack, as well as paying weregild to families of those slain.” (2) The Commander brought a thoughtful hoof up under her chin. “For a particularly severe offense, one might even discuss the matter of territorial compensation.” That remark prompted several murmurs from within the assembled crowd of dignitaries, presumably those who had not yet grasped what Commander Celestia intended. 2: A payment of blood money to the family of murder victims as compensation for their loss. The ambassador did a poor job of hiding the avarice that lit his eyes. “You are most wise, Your Majesty. I think that a territorial cession would do much to demonstrate that our nations are both committed to maintaining peaceful relations, and allow us to put this ugly incident behind us.” “Peace between pony and griffon has always been my desire.” Commander Celestia closed her eyes, seeming to be in deep thought. “When last our races went to war, I chose not to seek fresh conquests or empire, but rather to create the framework for a stable and lasting peace. War is a terrible thing, ambassador, and I would gladly sacrifice much to prevent it.” The ambassador was about to speak once more when the Commander held up a hoof to forestall him. “Such is my commitment to ongoing peace between our peoples,” she continued, “that I will grant thy nation this one chance to provide appropriate compensation to all the victims of the recent reiver attacks, and may even be persuaded to set aside the matter of territorial concessions—provided that the High King amply demonstrates his commitment to fulfilling Griffonia’s treaty obligation to prevent any reiver attack from reaching Equestria’s shores.” I must say, the slack-beaked expression of shock on the griffon’s face when the Commander closed the jaws of her verbal trap around him was most satisfying. Before the ambassador could recover his wits, Archmagus Sparkle stepped forward and produced a rather substantial scroll. “I have taken the liberty of preparing a list of damages and expected payments from all the recent reiver attacks. I am certain we can expect to receive the High King’s payment promptly.” Taking the list in his talon seemed to snap the griffon out of his stupor, and he let out an indignant squawk. “This is an outrage! ‘Tis Equestria that is in the wrong in this matter, not Griffonia!” He thrust a talon quivering with rage towards Bright Charger. “These ponies attacked Griffonia’s shores! Three of our coastal villages have been transformed into abattoirs! Over a hundred corpses were put on display in Clawburg, while the victims in Brefon were decapitated and their heads loaded on a cart and delivered to the High King himself! Most outrageous of all, in Lubeak the pegasus marauders dared to hang the Archduke of Westmarch as if he were naught but a common criminal!” Rather than dignify the ambassador’s words with a direct response or even bother listening to his continued ranting and raving, I turned to Steel Striker, a faintly mocking smile upon my lips. “Delivering the severed heads to the High King? A nice maneuver, but mayhaps a touch melodramatic.” Steel answered me with usual laconic flair. “Hanging an Archduke is not?” I conceded the point to him with a nod. “I feel rather inadequate,” Bright Charger groused. “When next I go into battle, I must make a point of finding some suitably dramatic display for my victory.” “At least the three of thee were able to participate in the battle.” Rightly heaved out a dramatic sigh. “Whilst I found myself confined to the reserves, denied the opportunity to gain honor and renown or make a suitable statement of my own martial prowess. ‘Tis likely the Griffonian Ambassador will not even think to demand my head on a platter.” We all shared a brief chuckle at that, then returned our attention to the ambassador, who seemed to be winding down his latest diatribe. “... and finally, Equestria must submit to a regime of inspection to ensure that there are no further preparations made for acts of unprovoked aggression against the peace-loving nation of Griffonia. These are the High King’s terms, Your Majesty. If you will not meet them, then I fear the consequences will be most grave.” By this point most of the ponies in the room were glaring at the ambassador with varying levels of fury and outrage. The two most notable exceptions were Archmagus Sparkle and the Commander herself. The former seemed entirely too pleased with herself, while the latter had adopted an expression of thoughtful silence that could not entirely conceal a certain sense of amusement. Clearly, they had something planned. After several long seconds, the Commander gave a nod heavy with weary resignation. “It seems that thou hast left me with no choice, ambassador.” She turned to the four of us, a merry light dancing in her eyes. “Ephors, I must ask thee to return to Cloudsdale forthwith and begin mustering the clans.” She turned to the others in her retinue. “Sunbeam, I trust you can see to readying the Royal Guard and gathering Unicornia’s levies. I am certain that Vice-Chancellor Fields can gather the earth pony militias.” The ambassador gave several confused blinks. “Your Majesty? I do not understand...” “It is not so complicated as all that.” The Archmagus shot a smile dripping with condescension and false sincerity at the griffon. “Thou hast just delivered an ultimatum to Her Majesty—one she has refused to accept. Thus, the natural result is that a state of war now exists ‘tween Equestria and Griffonia.” The ambassador’s beak opened and closed several times as he struggled to articulate a response to this latest development. Archmagus Sparkle used the opportunity to twist the knife. “I must say, this is an unexpectedly bold move. After all, the death of the Archduke has no doubt plunged Westmarch into a succession crisis. Mayhap even an all-out war. That is not to mention that thy current High King is both aged and heirless. Were I he, I might fear that my vassals would withhold their forces from the battlelines in order to better position themselves for the coming civil war.” She fixed the ambassador with a wickedly knowing grin. “I am sure the High King has accounted for those issues, though.” Damnation. If the Archmagus made a habit of destroying our mutual enemies so ably, I might begin experiencing some difficulty in hating her. The Griffonian ambassador finally seemed to recover his senses, and began hastily backpedaling, almost stumbling over his own words. “I did not—’twas not my intention to deliver an ultimatum as such, merely a statement of the High King’s position at this current point in the negotiating process...” “I am sure it was just our misunderstanding.” Archmagus Sparkle answered him with a deceptively friendly smile. “Just so matters are clear...” She produced another scroll to accompany the first one which listed the damages from the reiver raids. “This is an ultimatum. I believe thy High King will find our terms most generous, in light of the current political realities. As Her Majesty stated, we have even deferred on the matter of territorial compensation—provided there is no further reiver activity, of course.” The ambassador looked of the two scrolls, his wings steadily dropping downwards. “I ... yes, of course. I am sure you understand, Archmagus, that I must consult with the High King before I could provide a proper answer.” “That is only reasonable,” the Commander readily agreed. “I am sure a week will suffice to consult thy master and agree ‘pon thy response.” Commander Celestia fixed the ambassador with an uncompromising steely-eyed glare. “I would also ask thee to convey the following personal message to thy King from me.” She cleared her throat before proceeding, and I noted a subtle hint of the o’erwhelming aura of authority she sometimes carried. “Even now, I would gladly offer him my hoof in friendship; however, I am neither naive nor weak. It would be most unwise to mistake my desire for peace as an inability or unwillingness to wage war, should the situation call for it. Griffonia still bears the scars of my sister’s visit to its shores, and she is the younger of us.” She gave that fact a few moments to sink in before continuing. “Older ursas are more difficult to awaken, but when they are stirred from slumber there are far fewer options to appease them.” The ambassador swallowed and took an instinctive step away from the Commander, nearly stumbling over his own paws. After that momentary lapse, he forced himself to stand up straight and declared in as level a voice as he could manage, “I shall convey your message to the High King at once, Your Majesty.” Some shred of dignity salvaged, he beat a hasty retreat. All the ponies assembled in the Commander’s office let out a relieved breath now that the matter was resolved. The Commander offered her assembled aides a gentle smile and announced, “With that matter resolved, I would speak with my Ephors.” She cast a look about the crowded office and let out a low chuckle. “However, I think I must ask many of thee to find other tasks to occupy thy time, lest we all suffocate or crush one another. If all save my Grand Vizier, Vice-Chancellor, and the Ephors themselves would depart?” She phrased it as a polite question, but nopony thought to take it as anything less than a direct order, and all made haste to comply. Once all and sundry had departed, the Commander faced me, and I caught an expression ‘pon her face that disturbed me greatly. She was frowning, but worse was the displeased judgment about her eyes that put me in mind of a mother who had just spotted her foal sneaking treats. She looked at me not as a loyal and capable servant, but as if I had personally failed her. “Shadow, did I not make my wishes clear to thee when last we discussed the matter of the griffons?” Ah. ‘Twould seem that the time had come to discuss the matter of her orders. “Yes Commander, your orders were perfectly clear. However, it was the Ephorate’s judgement that, in keeping with the Fourth Axiom of—” “The Ephorate does not have the authority to override Her Majesty’s orders!” Archmagus Sparkle snapped, slamming a hoof onto the floor to emphasize her point. Beneath her anger, however, lay the hint of darkly gleeful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was far too pleased to see me being reprimanded by the Commander. “Fourth Axiom says we do,” Steel grunted in response. “You cite ancient laws written for ancient times.” The Grand Vizier made no effort to conceal the naked contempt in her voice. “Dusty old codes to match your dusty old institutions.” “That is enough, Sunbeam,” the Commander cut in. “I know well of thy desire to reform Equestria’s institutions, and thy efforts to convince me of the merit of thy cause have not gone unheeded. However, for now the law is as it is.” “Indeed it is.” Rightly spared a particularly disdainful look for Archmagus Sparkle before addressing the Commander. “To be clear, we invoked the Fourth Axiom upon learning that the reivers had taken captives in their most recent raid. Time was of the essence, and we could ill afford the delay of asking the Commander’s permission before acting. As it was, three of the captives were—” Rightly needed a moment to swallow gorge before he could continue. “Three of the captives were eaten before Shadow’s rescue party could arrive.” “And in that much, all of thee have done well,” the Commander assured us. “I would not have my subjects perish horribly while it was within thy power to save them, even if it means going against my stated wishes. However—” I could not help a slight flinch at the emergence of that particularly ominous word, “—it is undeniable that thou didst vastly exceeded the mandate granted unto thee by the Axiom.” “Oh?” Bright Charger gave an angry flick of her wings. “Curious, then, that I would deny it.” Everypony in the room stiffened at that remark. It was one thing to debate or discuss matters with the Commander civilly, but Bright Charger had gone a step beyond that. Her words came hazardously close to outright insubordination. Commander Celestia focused her attention on Charger for several long seconds, then spoke with carefully measured patience. “I understand, Ephor, that the last few days have been most trying for thee. Allow me to make my meaning plain, then: in the rescue of the captives, I am well pleased with thy actions. However, all of thee did far more than was needful to accomplish this laudable goal. Three towns all but massacred? Bodies put on display? Trophies sent to the High King? Nobles executed like common criminals? These are not things I wish associated with Equestria. We should be above such acts of barbarity.” “The rescue of captives was never your true objective,” Archmagus Sparkle added scathingly. “It was merely the excuse you used to provide a legal cover whilst you blatantly defied Her Majesty’s wishes.” “If the Ephorate desires thy opinion, Archmagus, then we shall ask for it.” My voice came out in a tight, angry snarl. “As we have not yet done so, I would ask that you cease the flapping of your jaws and kindly remove yourself from matters that are none of your concern.” I was beyond all tolerance with the Archmagus’ constant intrusions into matters where she had no right or authority to involve herself. For one who had been so quick to bristle when she believed we had overstepped our mandate, she was quick enough to overstep her own. “Enough,” Commander Celestia snapped at the both of us. That chastisement completed, she addressed my fellow Ephors. “While Sunbeam’s words are too harsh, they are not devoid of truth. Thy operation shows all the signs of having vengeance as its primary goal, and rescue as a secondary objective. That is unacceptable.” “Not revenge,” Steel rumbled. “Justice.” “By law and treaty, the griffon reivers were outside any protection of law,” Rightly continued Steel’s argument. “However, it was clear the griffons had no intention of taking measures to rein in the reiver activity. Had we not acted, ‘tis likely they would have continued their attacks unabated.” Rightly respectfully nodded to Commander Celestia. “With all due respect, ma’am, the only way the threat could have ended is the way it did. Attempting to use diplomacy on the griffons to compel them to police their own shores was a vain hope.” “And one that cost good ponies their lives,” Bright Charger added. “One of the ponies they feasted on was a colt who’d not yet seen his tenth summer, Commander.” Once more, Sunbeam could not contain herself. “Art thou questioning Her Majesty’s policies? I know not how affairs are conducted in Pegasopolis, but in Unicornia—” “You will be silent, Archmagus!” I attempted to shout her down. “ENOUGH!” The effect of the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice was far worse when everypony was in a small office rather than the Commander’s throne room or outdoors. Even had we been inclined to continue fighting in the face of Commander Celestia’s manifest displeasure, we could hardly do so whilst the ringing in our ears had not yet subsided. Once the Commander judged that we had sufficiently recovered to hear her words, she continued. “I have made my position upon the matter clear; let there be no more debate or argument on it. The Ephorate has erred, but no government is flawless. There will be no dismissals, censures, or any other form of retribution on the matter. The Ephorate acted, and I have informed them of my opinion. The matter is now closed, and any further discussion of it will incur my displeasure.” After taking a few seconds to ensure that her message had been properly received, the Commander turned to her beleaguered Vice-Chancellor, Fertile Fields. I felt some sympathy for the poor earth pony—being caught between the jurisdictional struggles of pegasus and unicorn could not be an enviable position. “Fields, I would discuss the preparations for planting season with thee, whilst my more fractious advisors find some other activity to occupy their time.” The dismissal was clear, even if not explicitly stated. After our departure from the Commander’s offices, my fellow Ephors and I made a point of distancing ourselves from Archmagus Sparkle. This was partially done out of distaste for her, and partially so that we might discuss her. Rightly wore a troubled frown as he addressed me. “That is the same Archmagus Sparkle who is to oversee the investigation into the matter of Clippings?” “That she is,” I confirmed. “Trouble,” Steel Striker opined. None could dispute his assessment of the matter. “Commander Celestia places too much credence in the nag’s counsel.” Charger scowled back towards the Commander’s office. “Her words made it clear that we will know no peace so long as she continues to hold the post of Grand Vizier. And all Equestria will suffer for it.” “That seems likely.” A hint of a knowing smile played at the corners of my mouth. “Thankfully, I’ve already set my daughter to the task of finding a means by which the Commander might be persuaded to dismiss her.” That announcement met with approving nods from my fellow Ephors. “I shall make a point of assessing her current progress in that task.” I met with Gale the next day in one of Manehatten’s finer restaurants. One of the many advantages of having my daughter also serve as spymistress was avoiding the need for any subterfuge in our meetings. One could hardly find anything suspicious about a parent and child meeting to share a meal. I confess that I’d never had occasion to dine in Manehatten before. The restaurant chosen by my daughter, a place by the name of Bree’s Turnabout, seemed a fine enough choice. While the restaurant itself lacked the ostentatiously rich decoration of Canterlot establishments, the polished wood grain of the tables, softness of the carpets, and gentle gleam of brass lanterns all bespoke a comfortable, restrained sort of luxury. Naturally most of my fellow diners were earth ponies—mostly wealthy landholders, bankers, and traders from the looks of them. In the background I also noted a somewhat out-of-place family of middling position, who appeared to engaged in some celebration that no doubt occasioned an extra degree of luxury. The delivery of a large trencher stacked with a mixture of grilled corn and carrots drenched in a sweetly spicy sauce did much to elevate the eatery in my eyes. Unicornian cuisine has an unfortunate tendency towards preposterously small portions. No doubt because the Unicornian nobility rarely exerts the sort of efforts that would require a proper meal at day’s end. The earth ponies, with their roots firmly in the realms of farm and labor, at least knew how to provide filling food. Gale sat across from me, dining on her own equally substantial meal consisting of stuffed biscuits covered in thick, creamy gravy. She tore into it with the usual gusto of a mare who had not yet shed the appetites of youth, though I suspect the both of us might require an extra hour in training to shed the effects of this fine meal. At the moment I could not bring myself to be overly concerned about it. Once we’d consumed enough to sate our appetites for the moment, I set my mind to the business of the day. “How goes thy task?” Gale took a moment to wipe her hooves and dab at her mouth with one of the provided napkins before answering me. “Better than I had hoped, Mother. I think I have found all that you require, and more.” A fond smile crossed her face. “Young Midnight was most helpful in my endeavors.” “Truly?” I followed my daughter’s example in cleaning hooves and face. While earth pony cooking might be satisfying, the act of eating it could easily cause one to become somewhat befouled. “I had not thought that a mere child would be privy to the Archmagus’ secrets.” “She was not privy to any secrets as such,” Gale confirmed. “However, she was most eager to invite me to a tea party. Naturally, the event was hosted in her mother’s quarters at the Commander’s mansion.” My daughter grinned at me and took a long drink from her tankard of cider. “Have a care, daughter,” I gently chided her. “I would not have thee indulge too much. The brews of earth ponies are infamous for their potency.” Gale directed a most annoyed frown towards me. “I’ve had but a single tankard, and I am a mare grown. Thou needs not concern thyself that I am on the verge of becoming a drunkard.” I offered a noncommittal grunt and reluctantly conceded the matter with a nod. “Nonetheless, caution is advised.” “I shall bear thy advice close to my heart, Mother.” Gale lifted her tankard, I suspect at least partially to spite me. “In any case, young Midnight’s tea party provided easy access to the Archmagus’ quarters. ‘Twas a simple enough matter to disable what few defenses remained after that. Though sophisticated, they were not particularly dangerous. Most likely, she did not wish to have lethal trap spells where her daughter might trigger them with idle curiosity.” Gale offered a light smile and let out a soft peal of laughter before adding, “The tea party was most enjoyable as well. ‘Twas a most engaging tale of murder, deception, betrayal, and intrigue. In the end, we discovered that Viceroy Stuffins murdered Lady Button Eyes upon discovering that their children were not in fact theirs, but the result of an incestuous affair between Lady Button Eyes and Lord Lordington of Lordsdale.” My daughter let out a sound half between a giggle and a snort, no doubt amused by her memories of the event. “The crumpets were also quite good.” It is perhaps a worrying sign that tales of young Midnight’s oddities no longer concerned me. My daughter seemed to be in a rare mood today. I could guess the cause of it, and it saddened me that I might be compelled to diminish her happiness. “I wonder if thou didst enjoy thy time with the Archmagus’ daughter overmuch? There are many hazards to building a friendship with the daughter of a current enemy.” Gale’s smile disappeared, and troubled frown took its place. After several long seconds, she spoke once more. “I’ve a thought, Mother. If we require leverage against the Archmagus, ‘twould not be difficult for me to remove her daughter. Young Midnight trusts me, and would accompany me if asked to do so.” Gale brought a hoof to her chin and musingly asked, “Could we even call it an abduction when the victim willingly follows her foalnapper?” She gave a quick shake of her head to cast the idle thought aside. “Regardless of the nomenclature, one can hardly deny that if we were to take possession of her daughter, the Archmagus would be far more pliable to our wishes. We could likely even have her agree to foster the filly to our care after the fact, just to maintain the appearance that all was proper.” (3) 3: At the time, it was not uncommon for noble families to send their children to live with another noble family for a few years. Sometimes this was done to secure alliances or build bonds of friendship. However, it was not unusual for such arrangements to also be little more than window-dressing for holding the child ransom, as Gale intends here. I let out an incredulous snort. “Thou cannot truly mean to suggest such a course?” My daughter met my eyes levelly, and there was no hint of levity in her gaze. When it was clear this was no jest, my own gaze hardened. “Neigh. I’ll not steal a child away from her mother simply to gain a political advantage.” I privately wondered if perhaps my daughter’s growing fondness for the filly had prompted this particular suggestion. Mayhap she secretly desired to claim young Midnight for her own? Damnation. Forty-three was too young for me to become a grandmother. Gale gave an agitated flick of her wings, clearly displeased by my refusal but not daring to say as much to my face. “I will abide by thy decision, Mother.” She returned her attention to her meal for several long moments then reached into her saddlebags a produced a bundle of scrolls. “I’ve prepared a summary of my findings for thy perusal. The first scroll contains all that I can prove to a reasonable degree of certainty, while the next three are things that are likely true, but cannot yet be proven.” I opened up the first scroll and scanned through its contents. Not all of it was immediately useful to my cause—Sunbeam’s various unethical political dealings were mostly likely an ugly fact of Canterlot politics. A new grand vizier would simply make different arrangements with different factions within the court. I would need something more to convince the Commander to set Archmagus Sparkle aside. Thankfully, further investigation of the documents showed that my daughter had provided the tools I needed to accomplish that task. While I am not normally inclined to o’erdramatic gestures, something as significant as attempting to the dismissal of the grand vizier of Unicornia necessarily required a certain degree of theatrics. Sometimes one must make certain concessions to one’s preferred methods of operation in the name of accomplishing one’s goals. I timed my arrival for the middle of one of the Commander’s meetings with several counselors within the earth pony government. Some of Gale’s findings promised to be most efficacious for bringing them into accord with the Ephorate on the matter of Sunbeam Sparkle. While the decision ultimately lay in the Commander’s hooves, ‘twas likely that the opinions of her unicorn and earth pony advisors would carry considerable weight in her final decision. And so, despite my distaste for such productions, I stormed into the Commander’s office, flanked by the looming presence of Sergeant Stalwart and Boulder. Once I was certain that my sudden entrance had captured the attention of all the ponies in attendance, I levelled a dramatic hoof at Sunbeam Sparkle and declared in a loud, authoritative bellow that would not be out-of-place ‘pon a battlefield, “Archmagus and Grand Vizier Sunbeam Sparkle! At this time and place do I accuse you of crimes both foul and infamous, and demand that you resign your position as a member of Commander Celestia’s government!” Though I’ve little taste for drama, I flatter myself that I’m reasonably accomplished in its production. ‘Fore anypony could offer comment ‘pon the charges beyond idle muttering, the Commander silenced all with a single glare. A moment later I heard her voice, though her lips moved not. I suspect she must have used some magical artifice to speak to me and me alone. “Shadow, I pray thee, let this matter rest. The pursuit of it can only end badly for all involved.” I was unsure if my spoke words would be conveyed to Commander Celestia alone, or if all and sundry would hear them and wonder at why I spoke so. Thus, I answered her with a mere shake of my head. Despite the Commander’s wishes, I could not let the matter rest. To abandon it now would effectively exonerate Archmagus Sparkle of the charges, and render the prospect of any further political action against her by the Ephorate all but impossible. ‘Twas too late to let the matter rest—battle was joined, and attempting to withdraw would only seal my defeat. There was nothing for it but to continue on until victory was claimed. Even the greatest victory Archmagus Sparkle could achieve in answering my charges could not match the success she would find if I surrendered entirely to her. I returned my full attention to my foe. If the accusation startled or disturbed Archmagus Sparkle, she gave no indication of it. “Crimes both foul and infamous, is it? My my, I have been busy.” While I did not rise to bait provided by her clear disdain, I felt my tail swish about in an annoyed flick. With a cold, mocking smile on her face, Sunbeam continued. “I wonder which rumors you’ve latched upon to accuse me. Hopefully not merely the usual sorts about me plotting to overthrow Her Majesty and claim the throne for my own. Those are so boringly conventional.” She gave a cavalier toss of her head, no doubt to show how unbothered she was by my claims. “Verily, one is hardly even a proper grand vizier until one has been accused of plotting treason ‘gainst the crown." She took several steps forward, placing herself nearer to me than I wished. “I much prefer the more creative tales of my misdeeds. So which is it to be, Ephor? Do I make blood sacrifices to dark powers simply to gain a foalsitter for my daughter? Use invisibility or transmutation spells to intrude upon the intimacy of other ponies? Snatch fillies out of their beds and bathe in their blood to maintain my youth and beauty? Engage in weeks-long debauch to drain dozens of young, virile stallions of their vital essences for my own empowerment?” Despite the utter absurdity of the charges, I could not rule out the possibility that one or more of them were true. Archmagus Sparkle let out a low laugh, and took another step towards me. “Or mayhap you have seized ‘pon the foulest rumor of the lot: that I am secretly a stallion who uses my robes to hide an organ of truly commendable size and girth. I can assure you, the last of these charges is utterly false.” She moved so closer her nose was near to touching mine, and her voice became a low, sultry whisper. “I am sure we could arrange a private inspection, if it is your wish to confirm my marehood. I assure you, it could withstand any measure thou might wish to take ‘gainst it to test its veracity.” The lewd invitation in her words discomfited me, which I must suspect had been Sunbeam’s goal from the first. I struggled to put her prurient words out of my mind and keep my attention focused ‘pon the matter at hoof. It did not help matters that she had made a mockery of my initial attempt to indict her. “The charges I bring to bear are no laughing matter, Archmagus,” I growled in an effort to return this conversation to its proper course. My words had at least one desirable effect, as they prompted Sparkle to withdraw to a more proper distance. However, she still retained that aggravating air of utter confidence about herself, wearing an easy smile as if my attempt to cast her from the Commander’s court bothered her not in the slightest. “By all means, Ephor, make thy charges known so that I might answer them and put your concerns at rest. ‘Tis likely this is but a mere misunderstanding, quickly rectified.” “That is unlikely.” I knew she held me at a disadvantage for the moment, but I hoped to regain the initiative as we moved from the preliminary skirmishing to the battle proper. However, that would require a swift and o’erwhelming strike to establish that this was no laughing matter. My initial intentions of raising the lesser of the two charges first were abandoned, and I moved directly to the true matter. “Sunbeam Sparkle, here before Commander Celestia herself and all who would bear witness to it, I do accuse ye of murder most foul. I charge that you did deliberately and with malice aforethought slay Bright Summer, a colt aged nine years at the time of his death. Do you deny it?” As I’d hoped, bringing the formal accusation to light destroyed the light mood Sunbeam Sparkle had hoped to create in regards to my challenge. Not even one such as her could make light of the murder of a colt younger than her own daughter. Where moments before the noble courtiers and earth pony officials had hidden laughter behind upraised hooves at her wit, now they murmured ‘mongst themselves and directed wary looks towards the Archmagus. As for Sunbeam Sparkle herself, her confident smile seemed mayhap a touch more brittle than it had been before, but far from broken. I had succeeded in striking a blow, but ‘twould take more to undo her entirely. “The charge is made, Archmagus. How do you answer it?” Archmagus Sparkle took a deep breath and slowly nodded. “There is but one answer I can give to this charge. What you allege is true. I did slay the colt.” Once more our audience began talking ‘mongst themselves, requiring the Commander’s intervention to silence them. The grand vizier wasted no time filling the silence. “However, in your commendable haste to see justice done, ‘twould seem that you have not learned all the particulars of this case.” Her smile and tone both grew coldly condescending as she added, “Though that is perhaps understandable that you do not know the particulars, given that the entire matter was handled with utmost secrecy. Thus, you might not be aware that young Bright Summer was the son of Spellfire, a rather infamous warlock responsible for more than a dozen murders and countless acts of black magic in Trottingham.” “What of it?” I demanded. “Magic runs in the blood,” one of the unicorn courtiers interjected. “The colt likely would have followed in his father’s hoofsteps had he lived. The foal of a warlock will fall into darkness himself, just as the foal of an artisan is best suited to following such crafts.” I fixed the Archmagus with a particularly baleful glare, making no attempt to hide the incredulity or contempt in my voice. “Regardless of his parentage, he was but a colt. You would truly murder a child simply for who his father was?” “Neigh.” To my surprise, Archmagus Sparkle spared an utterly poisonous look at a courtier who had spoken on her behalf. “I would never snuff out the life of a pony simply because of their bloodline. The colt’s death was simply a matter of ill fortune of timing and placement in the matter of my confrontation with his father.” “Do not speak as if his life was tragically snuffed out by an errant spell during a mage’s duel.” I produced the official records of the incident Gale had retrieved for me by means I thought it prudent not to question. “You snatched the child away from his mother, carved explosive runes into his flesh, and then released him in the hopes that your acts would draw his father to him.” I let out a disgusted snort. “I suppose you are proud of the fact that this scheme succeeded?” “I cannot say I am particularly proud of it,” Archmagus Sparkle answered dispassionately. “It was early in my career as a magus. The spellwork was sloppy, and my runes were poorly hidden and barely had sufficient yield to destroy my target. Not to mention that I clearly failed to dispose of all the evidence tying the incident back to me.” I readied myself for the Archmagus to produce some counterargument, some piece of evidence that might exonerate her, but there was nothing. She seemed fully prepared to confess to the murder, and offer no resistance to her removal. That troubled me—nothing that I had seen of Sunbeam Sparkle indicated that she would willingly accept defeat with hardly even a token effort to maintain her position. Though I could not shake the feeling that there was something yet to be revealed in this matter, some hidden card that the grand vizier had not yet played, there was little I could do to counter her at the moment. I would simply have to continue on my current course, and hope that when she made her move I would have the needed tools to counter it. I turned to the Commander. “In light of this revelation and the Archmagus’ confession to her crime, I ask that she be stripped of her titles and placed in the dungeons until such time as a trial can be convened to decide her final disposition.” To my immense surprise, Commander Celestia did not immediately agree. Instead she held her seat, her expression oddly subdued and her eyes not quite meeting mine. If it took so long for the truth to dawn, it was only because I found it so terrible as to be inconceivable. “You knew of this, Commander?” “I did,” Commander Celestia confessed, her voice quiet, but firm. “Sunbeam Sparkle’s actions have been known to me since before I named her Grand Vizier. The warlock Spellfire had already claimed more than a dozen victims, and was in the midst of preparing a dark ritual involving more than two dozen blood sacrifices, several of them fillies no older than Bright Summer.” Commander Celestia looked to her Archmagus, her expression unreadable. “I cannot condone her actions, but Sunbeam Sparkle succeeded where other magi failed and removed a grave threat to the innocent ponies of Trottingham.” I could scarce believe my own ears. How could Commander Celestia tolerate such actions? Sunbeam Sparkle was quick to use the opportunity that the Commander created for her. “I did murder, and I’ll not deny it. But I took the life of a single child to spare the lives of more than two dozen ponies, not to mention all the victims Spellfire might have claimed had he completed his dark ritual. Is it your contention, Ephor, that Bright Summer’s life was of greater value than all those lives?” Sunbeam Sparkle’s smile turned cruel and triumphant as she delivered the finishing blow to my cause. “Mayhap I should find the ponies whose lives my actions saved, so that you may tell them that t’would have been better if they had all perished. That it would have been the moral course of action.” Damn her. For a moment I was tempted to simply cut her down and damn the consequences. However, as discipline reasserted itself I found that I could not shake a truly uncomfortable face. I had no good answer to the Archmagus’ statement. If she had sacrificed one life to preserve many, then the ethics of the matter became far less clear. I am hard-pressed to craft a logical argument why ‘tis wrong to take one innocent life to save dozens ... yet in my heart, I cannot believe that such a thing is proper. I was also more troubled than I would care to admit by the Commander’s stance on the matter. She might say that she did not condone Sunbeam Sparkle’s actions, but the fact that Sparkle held the posts of grand vizier and archmagus told a different tale. With my cause now truly destroyed, the Grand Vizier took the opportunity to twist the knife. “While I could take offense at Shadow's accusation. I am both wise and magnanimous enough to understand that the Ephor was acting on incomplete information, and will not call for juris ungula. That is, if the majority opinion does not take my magnanimity as a sign of weakness or cowardice.” She directed a particularly vicious smirk towards me. “What think you, Ephor?” It might have been wiser to simply accept that my cause had been undone, but this latest provocation made wisdom fly from my mind. I would not concede the field to her, not while I still had weapons at my disposal. If I could not persuade the Commander to set Archmagus Sparkle aside for the murder of a foal, then her lesser crimes would likely make no impression. Thus, my only hope was set aside for the moment the matter of the Archmagus’ moral unsuitability and instead focus my efforts ‘pon more practical political concerns. “If her past crimes do not compel her removal, then mayhap her future actions will.” I began looking through my scrolls for the one I had in mind. Sparkle unsurprisingly attempted to strike down my effort before it could even begin. “I am to be removed for crimes I’ve not even committed? This is a most curious form of justice.” “You stand accused of no crime, Archmagus.” I located the appropriate scroll and provided it to the Commander. “However, what you intend to inflict upon Equestria is still something far too severe to be countenanced.” I could see that while I’d not yet begun to recover from the reversals Sunbeam Sparkle had inflicted upon me, I did at least have the attention of those in attendance once more. It was not all that I desired, but it was a start. “It is Sunbeam Sparkle’s intention, according to documents signed in her own hoof, to abolish earth pony democracy and the Ephorate, as well as significantly curtailing the political privileges of the Unicornian nobility.” Though I privately felt the last of those charges would serve Equestria well, I knew that it would appeal to none of the nobles in attendance. Archmagus Sparkle directed a particularly baleful glower at me, and her voice dropped to a furious whisper. “If you gained my plans in the manner that I think you did, then be aware that I have many means at my disposal to claim recompense. Do not think I am blind to your daughter’s efforts to steal the loyalty of my own.” I answered her in equally hushed tones. “If you so much as lay a hoof on Gale, I’ll claim your lifesblood for it.” The Archmagus answered my threat with a pleasant smile, as if the threat against her life actually livened her mood. “Well, in that case it is clearly to both our benefits that you no longer place your daughter in positions that might require me to defend my own interests. Would you not agree?” I had little choice but to nod and concede the matter. I would not foolishly send my daughter into the belly of the metaphorical beast. If Sunbeam Sparkle had deduced what role Gale fulfilled for me, then her usefulness as a direct agent against the Archmagus’ interests was largely at an end regardless. I am sure Gale could find ways of fulfilling her duties that did not place her near enough to the Archmagus to create the risk of retaliation. Commander Celestia interrupted our private conversation by pointedly clearing her throat. “Sunbeam?” She waved a hoof at the documents I had provided her. “What explanation wouldst thou offer for this?” Sunbeam directed a final smile at me, then stepped away. “I would say, Your Majesty, that there is nothing to explain. Is the document produced by the Ephor affixed with either of my seals of office? Is it an official government document at all? Even if the writing might resemble my own, is there any proof that it came from my desk? That I put those words to paper?” She turned on me with a polite smile, though I noted the vindictive fury hidden behind her eyes. “I am afraid I must ask the Ephor of this document’s provenance. How did you come to obtain it, that would make you so certain it is truly mine? What proof have you that I wrote these words?” Curse her. “A pony of good character secured them from Archmagus Sparkle’s personal quarters.” “Is that so? I must look to my defenses more carefully, then.” The Grand Vizier arced a single eyebrow. “I presume that this trusted source of unimpeachable character who somehow found herself breaking into my personal quarters uninvited would be willing to come before us and testify to her actions?” There was no answer I could give to that question. Producing Gale would do little to aid my cause, especially when weighed against the cost of publicly revealing her services to me. A spy whose identity was publicly known to all and sundry would find it extremely difficult to fulfill her duties. My ears fell flat as I answered, “I cannot produce the pony who obtained these documents.” “Well, there we have it, then.” Unfortunately, Archmagus Sparkle could not content herself with merely damaging my credibility, and chose to add an additional avenue of attack “Might I ask you, Ephor: does Pegasopolis have plans for the invasion of Griffonia? Not plans presaging an imminent strike, mind you, but simply plans for what to do if war should come?” “We do.” I could guess well enough what she intended, but I saw no way to escape the trap as its jaws slowly closed about me. “And what of the dragons? Changelings? Zebras? The return of the Crystal Empire?” From there the Archmagus named a dozen more possibilities. “The Ephorate maintains plans for as many conceivable military conflicts as possible.” Now that my mind was upon the matter, it might be prudent to look into whether we had a current plan for the assassination of the Archmagus of Canterlot. “Well,” Sunbeam Sparkle offered a patronizing smile. “Let us all be very grateful those plans have not been stolen by some reliable source, else you might be standing here in my place, accused of plotting to lead Equestria into wars of aggression.” “It is your contention, then, that these plans are of a similar nature?” I saw a brief moment of opportunity to salvage my cause and seized upon it. “Curious, that you know these plans and their nature so well when I’ve only shown the documents to Commander Celestia herself. Very curious. The only explanation I can imagine is that you authored them. Do you admit it?” The Archmagus’ self-assured smile slipped for the briefest of moments, and I reveled in that small victory. “I admit nothing.” A moment later she was entirely composed again, her momentary lapse already forgotten. “These documents of highly uncertain provenance simply represent somepony’s distant hopes, idle musings, or at worst a plan to be enacted if the current government should fail, not any sort of scheme on the verge of being inflicted upon ponykind unwillingly.” She turned to our small audience, a reassuring smile on her face. “Naturally, any change in the Equestrian government would only come after extensive consultation with the leadership of all three pony tribes.” The Commander pointedly cleared her throat. “I thank thee, Shadow, for bringing these matters to my attention. I hope—” the Commander took a moment to fix me with a rather pointed look, “—that thou shalt continue to act with the best interests of Equestria foremost in thy mind.” I felt a twinge of condemnation in her words—though she did not say it aloud, I could nonetheless tell that she felt I had failed to do precisely that. To her mind, I had allowed my personal dislike of Sunbeam Sparkle to o’ertake my duties as an Ephor. For her part, the Archmagus offered another friendly smile, as if we were two old acquaintances passing on the streets rather than bitter enemies. She struck no further blows. There was no need to. Truly, I despised that unicorn. Much to my displeasure, I could not return to Pegasopolis after the failure of my effort to depose Sunbeam Sparkle. However, with the Commander’s departure from Manehatten only two days away, it was expected that I remain in the city to accompany her on the journey. The flight to Cloudsdale was nothing terribly significant in and of itself, but it seemed proper that at least one Ephor remain in attendance. As I was already in Manehatten, that task naturally fell upon me. I occupied the intervening time by practicing my bladework to hone my skills—had they been slightly sharper, ‘tis possible my kin might have shed less blood ‘gainst the griffons. At least young Nimbus would survive her wounds, though ‘twas unclear if she would survive them in any condition to resume a warrior’s duties. What time was not occupied in training, I devoted either to reading or idle diversions. Manehatten was relatively unknown to me, and I found many uses for the Warrior’s Privilege. (4) Gale remained in the city as well, which provided me with some company, at least. 4: The Warrior’s Privilege was essentially an expense account for pegasi, so they could obtain goods and services while visiting earth pony and unicorn settlements. Moneyless societies do tend to have problems when it comes to dealing with ponies who expect to get paid. To my immense displeasure, the Commander was not content to simply arrange for carriages and directly depart for Cloudsdale. ‘Twould seem that her departure from Manehatten was an occasion, and must be celebrated with a parade of sorts. To compound my aggravation, I was expected to participate in this pageantry. I suspect Archmagus Sparkle might have arranged that—it had the smell of the sort of petty vengeance I expected from her. The parade itself was no small event. ‘Twould seem that the earth ponies had long-standing traditions regarding how precisely the parade was to be arranged, the order and dress of the participants, and how events should unfold during its course. Naturally, everypony of significance insisted upon participating as well. This sort of production struck me as atypical of the practicality I had come associated with earth ponies—I wonder if it was a sign of unicorn social influence? Or mayhap the earth ponies simply enjoyed the opportunity to step outside of their normal modes of existence. The procession was to begin with a number of jongleurs engaged in various displays for the enjoyment of the crowds, accompanied by acrobats and other showponies who served a similar function. Following them came a delegation from one of the more prominent farming families, bearing a number of banners displaying their family line’s proudest accomplishments... (5) 5: Shadow goes into quite a bit of detail on the specifics of the parade arrangements. While it provides a few interesting insights into earth pony social structure at the time, I have (over the strenuous objections of Twilight Sparkle) redacted that section of her memoirs because I found it incredibly dull and tedious for the casual reader. I will be doing the same thing with her orders of battle and operational orders—even though I personally found those much more interesting, one of my goals for the editing process was to make Shadow’s memoirs approachable for the casual reader. ... Finally, after the procession of the First Order of Burghers, dressed in their traditional robes of white and saffron alongside plumed hats of matching colors, came Commander Celestia and her personal retinue. I was to be included amongst their number, as I had no formal place in earth pony society. To my immense displeasure, that meant I would be in reasonably close proximity to Sunbeam Sparkle, though thankfully somepony possessed sufficient foresight to at least place us at as far a distance from each other as possible without being o’erly conspicuous about it. Thankfully, I had at least been spared from dressing myself in the sort of preposterous outfits that so dominated the procession. ‘Twas trying enough that I must needs participate at all—to do so whilst deprived of armor and blade would be intolerable. Gale, much to my envy, was not required to march in the procession. As my daughter, she had a right to do so—young Midnight would walk at her mother’s side—but there was no requirement, so my daughter had wisely refused the offer. The procession began simply enough; as the Commander’s party made its way out of the Chancellor’s mansion and began passing down the central thoroughfare, which would take us through the city proper before passing to the outskirts, where transport awaited us. To my distaste, the Commander had opted to take a carriage to Cloudsdale rather flying there under her own wingpower. I understand that she was accustomed to a certain level of luxury in Unicornia or ‘mongst the earth ponies, but for her be seen being carried to Cloudsdale rather than arriving under her own power would not be ideal. Or mayhap I was simply displeased because the carriage provided room enough for several nobles, officials, and her grand vizier to accompany her. I had hoped that the visit to Cloudsdale might spare us their presence. At least my daughter would be gratified to learn that Sparkle was bringing her daughter along, even if she must now step more carefully lest she draw the Archmagus’ wrath. Regardless, the parade began smoothly enough. Everypony remained in their assigned place and role, and the crowd cheered enthusiastically enough as the festivities proceeded. Everypony was appropriately delighted by the Commander’s presence. But therein lay the problem: the cheering of the crowd as the Commander passed by was appropriate. What would be expected of ponies seeing Celestia herself in the flesh. It was wholly lacking in the sort of wild enthusiasm that accompanied true joy. The ponies cheered for her, but there was some other element underneath the celebrations. ‘Twas not a thing I could easily put into words, but my instincts warned me that something was amiss. As we proceeded along the parade route, the mood of the crowd slowly grew uglier. Many ponies still cheered for the Commander, but I began to notice ponies who were conspicuous by their silence. I could hear murmuring from within the crowd, not so much distinct words as dark undercurrent hidden behind the joyful cries of patriotic earth ponies. As we continued to proceed, the mutters increased in volume and frequency. I departed from my assigned post in the processional order and made my way as discreetly as possible to the Commander’s side. I wasted no time getting to business, but dropped my voice as low as I could whilst still being loud enough to be heard over the crowd. “Commander, something is amiss here. I think it would be wise to depart before the situation escalates.” Commander Celestia shot a faint frown at me, and I wondered if mayhaps I had not yet been fully forgiven for my recent display ‘gainst the Archmagus. At length she answered me, “I am aware of the situation, Shadow. A hasty departure would only serve to call more attention to the matter, and quite possibly provoke the crowd. My presence serves to restrain any impulses that might otherwise move them to unwise action.” Before I could ask to what she referred, a lone voice cried out loud enough to be heard over the crowd. “Murderer!” “Foal-killing nag!” Another accused. “Tyrant!” Added a third. Those words broke what control the crowd maintained. I’d seen a similar thing ‘mongst soldiers. None wanted to be the first to break ranks or ask for terms, but once a single warrior did so, all those whose courage was already wavering would be quick to follow that example and cast their own discipline aside. In the same way, as soon as one pony dared to give voice to the cause of the crowd’s discontent, all those who had been struggling to restrain themselves cast that restraint aside. From the cries of the crowd, ‘twas not hard to guess at the target of their ire. ‘Twould seem that while Sunbeam Sparkle had succeeded in persuading the ponies within the Commander’s office that her crimes merited no punishment, but the common pony in the streets remained unconvinced. I think it telling that the average farmer and tradespony has more good sense than those who claim posts of leadership in Unicornia and ‘mongst the earth ponies. The situation did make me wonder at just how the common earth ponies on the street had learned of the recent charges against the Grand Vizier, however. The Commander’s private office at the Chancellor’s mansion was hardly a public venue, and I’d certainly not planned to make the Archmagus an object of public ridicule—I simply wished to remove her from a position where she could be a threat to Pegasopolis and Equestria. However, there’d been no shortage of ponies in the office, any one of whom might have been moved enough by the charges to bring them out into the court of public opinion. Mayhaps one of the earth pony politicians or unicorn courtiers might have seen an opportunity to cause Sunbeam Sparkle public embarrassment in order to undermine her and advance their own goals. There was one other possibility which I could not ignore: Gale was naturally aware of Archmagus Sparkle’s crimes, and I certainly could not rule out that she possessed the skills needed to unleash that information to the public in a way that could bring the populace to a boil. Not to mention that she had been lingering in town, and made a point of not attending the procession herself. However, Gale would not undertake such a measure without first consulting me, and she hardly needed an ulterior motive to absent herself from a piece of pageantry that I myself would have avoided if I could. Archmagus Sparkle did her best to ignore the jeers of the crowd, holding her head high as more and more ponies called out against her. I confess that I found it difficult not to feel a certain sense of satisfaction in witnessing the spectacle. Seeing Sunbeam Sparkle brought low, faced with the fury of the hoi ponyoi, and exposed to all for what she really was. I confess, after the failure of my efforts in court I had almost begun to wonder if Equestria had gone mad, and I was the only sane pony left who could see the Archmagus for what she truly was. I felt vindicated, seeing how hated she was by the earth ponies. Commander Celestia did not share my feelings on the matter, gazing out at the restive crowd with a troubled frown. After taking a moment to set aside my admitted bias and consider the matter outside of the cathartic joy of seeing Sunbeam Sparkle so publicly chastised, I grasped the reason for her concern. Regardless of her or my feelings regarding Sunbeam Sparkle, the fact remained that there was a large and increasingly agitated number of ponies surrounding the Commander’s entourage. Whilst the Archmagus might be the sole target of their ire for the moment, large mobs of angry ponies are not known for being restrained, and if their fury should explode fully the results would be general chaos. A moment later another unpleasant fact struck my mind as I spotted a smaller, dark blue filly huddling against her mother, a frightened tremble running along her spine. Whatever my feelings on Sunbeam Sparkle, they did not extend to her young daughter, and ‘twas not a kind thing to make her bear witness to this spectacle. The sight confirmed in my mind that Gale could not have had a hoof in orchestrating this demonstration—given her fondness for the filly, I could not imagine my daughter knowingly causing her such distress. I decided upon my course. “Commander? I think it would be wise to disperse the crowd before the situation escalates any further.” ‘Twas unfortunate that I did not have a dozen good Kickers to hoof to managed the task, but between the Manehatten militiaponies serving as the Commander’s guards and the local gendarmes, (6) there were slightly over a hundred earth ponies to hoof. That would have to suffice. 6: The local earth pony law enforcement organization at the time was the Manehatten Civil Guard. As the name indicates, they were a civilian organization rather than the military gendarmerie favored by both Pegasopolis and modern Equestria. Civilian law enforcement was common amongst earth ponies and unicorns at this time. “Commander,” I urged her when she did not immediately agree. “Give the word and I’ll put an end to this now. Better to have a few cracked skulls now than risk an all-out riot.” “Neigh, Shadow.” I was surprised at the heat in her voice. “I will not condone violence against ponies simply for expressing their opinions. Especially not ‘mongst the earth ponies, who have long-standing customs allowing for freedom of speech and expression. As with the griffons, thou art too quick to see violence as the best solution to thy problems. We must be better than that.” The rebuke stung me, all the moreso because it was undeserved. Did the Commander truly think me some bloodthirsty warmonger? Though in truth, there was some parallel between the two situations: with this crowd, as with the griffons, a quick and decisive application of force might be the best way to cut short any escalation of violence. Despite her words to the Griffonian Ambassador earlier, I was beginning to think that the Commander loved peace too much to see that sometimes force was a needful solution to the problems of leadership. However, the Commander’s orders were clear, and so I reluctantly stayed my hoof even as the cries of crowd grew louder and louder. It felt wrong, to watch from the sidelines as the situation slowly deteriorated, but I did not wish to press matters with Commander Celestia any further than I already had. ‘Twas undeniable after her last remark that I was in disfavor with her, and any further urging to take action would like only result in further distancing myself from her. Then ponies of the mob went from words to actions. I did not see who threw the first piece of refuse. Within such a large, milling crowd ‘twas not difficult for a single pony to go unnoticed. I suppose that in the end, it mattered little. The rotten egg shattered against a magical shield before it came within a hoof’s length of hitting the Archmagus. For a moment I dared to hope that a single egg might be the end of it—that the sight of the egg breaking harmlessly against a shield built by what was by definition the greatest living unicorn mage might deter the crowd from any further displays. What point would there be to throwing refuse at a pony who would never be struck? However, the sight of the first failed assault only seemed to fire the passions of the crowd even further. Soon more eggs, spoiled vegetables, and even what I was reasonably certain were empty jugs of spirits all went flying towards the Archmagus, only to break upon her shield. The last of those objects worried me—there were few things more troublesome than an angry mob of ponies, but an angry and drunken mob of ponies was one. ‘Twas past time to take measures to contain the crowd. “Commander!” I urged her. “You must act!” “Be silent, Shadow!” As I’d feared, my words had done nothing but further diminish me in the Commander’s eyes. “Sunbeam Sparkle’s shield is more than capable of weathering a few eggs and rotten tomatoes. Let the crowd have this harmless display to give vent to their anger, rather than pushing events to the point where true violence will erupt.” “As you wish, so shall it be, Commander Celestia.” I saluted her, making a point of doing so as correctly as possible. I would not gainsay my duly appointed Commander, but there are many ways for a soldier to make her opinion known whilst remaining wholly proper and respectful. ‘Twas an irony, that Sunbeam Sparkle’s efforts to cast me from the Commander’s favor had resulted in placing me in a position where I could not take a course of action that would surely benefit her now. I was also less than convinced that the mob’s actions were wholly harmless. While the Archmagus’ shield held the projectiles at bay easily enough, one could scarce imagine what her young daughter felt, trapped inside a magical shield as a crowd of ponies hurled abuse at her mother. Then, as I’d feared would happen, matters escalated beyond throwing harmless refuse to something more dangerous. Some enterprising or particularly drunken and foolish pony had succeeded in prying loose a paving stone, and promptly hurled it at the object of their hatred. While the attack might well have been lethal had it struck, the Archmagus’ shield was more than capable of withstanding the crude projectile. However, when the stone struck her shield it shattered, sending small shards of stone flying in every direction. Thankfully, most of the ponies in proximity to the Archmagus, including myself, were wearing heavy armor that easily deflected a few bits of stone. One, however, was not. The stone chip struck Commander Celestia ‘pon the cheekbone, coming entirely too close to her eye in the process. The resulting wound was little more than a scratch, but as wounds to the face are wont to do it bled far more fiercely than a minor, shallow cut should. An instant later the Commander stomped a single hoof, and a shimmering golden barrier sprang up ‘tween our procession and the mob. I do not know whether she erected the barrier with the intention of blocking further attacks, or if she sought to shield her riotous citizens from the inevitable reprisal of her justifiably furious guards. Most like, she acted to fulfill both goals in a single decisive move. Whatever the case, the crowd slowly settled into shocked silence as the ponies espied the Commander’s injury and word of what had passed spread. ‘Twould seem that the Commander had indeed found a way to quell the riot that did not involve forceful suppression or simply allowing the crowd to give vent to their fury. After several long moments, I spoke the first words that came to my mind. “Commander, you are bleeding.” ‘Twas a foolish thing to say, but my mind seemed incapable of conjuring anything more fitting to the occasion. “Indeed I am, Shadow.” Commander Celestia turned to me, her expression unreadable even as blood continued to trickle down her face. “Thou needs not be concerned. ‘Tis a minor wound, and one easily healed once I wish to do so.” For a moment I wondered at why she might allow herself to continue bleeding freely, until I remembered the effect that seeing her wounded had upon the mob. A wound quickly healed and cleaned is a wound quickly forgotten. ‘Twould seem she intended to shame the crowd by forcing all to be witness to the damage their unthinking fury had wrought. The procession passed in silence all the way to city’s outer limits, whereupon the Commander finally chose to heal her injury and remove the blood from her face. Several flight carriages were already waiting to take the Commander and those ‘mongst her retinue who cared to follow her and had gone to the effort of securing thunderforged horseshoes to Cloudsdale. To my displeasure—but not surprise—Sunbeam Sparkle was among their number. As she was about to board the carriage, the Commander signalled for me to join her. Though I am no expert in the protocol surrounding such things, the looks I received from the other ponies made it clear she offered me a high honor. In truth I found little appeal in riding ‘pon a gilded platform, but I would not offend her by refusing. Even when I disagreed with some of her choices, she remained the Commander. After we were underway, the Commander’s horn briefly glowed, and I felt some magical spell settle over us. Though I obviously lack the magical arts of a unicorn, I’ve always possessed a better understanding than most of basic spellcraft, and identified it as some manner of privacy spell. I turned to the Commander to await her words. After several long moments of silence, the Commander spoke in a curiously subdued tone. “I spoke unkindly to thee, earlier. I know thee well, Shadow. I’ve known thee since long ‘ere thou wert born. Thou art not one to shed blood wantonly, and ‘twas unfitting that I should state otherwise.” She bowed her head ever so slightly to me. “Thou—You, have my deepest apologies.” I was rather stunned at this sudden and unexpected degree of respect. Commander Celestia spoke to me not as a leader to a subordinate, but as an equal. ‘Twas most unusual, and more than a little unnerving as well. “Commander, no apology is needful. You did succeed in resolving the matter with only the barest of bloodshed.” A hint of a smile appeared on the Commander’s face as she turned to me. “I ask two things of you, Shadow. First, that you stop being so humble and accept the apology of one who has erred. Second, that when we speak in privacy, you dispense with ceremony and simply call me Celestia.” The latter request caught me sorely unawares. I had thought myself in her disfavor, and now she would accord me honors that were unheard of for any other pony? My surprise must have shown ‘pon my face, for the Commander let out a faintly amused sigh and waved her last words away. “I spoke too soon, ‘twould seem. Fear not, we can approach such matters gradually—we will have time enough. I would not have any unsuitable distance grow ‘tween us.” I confess that I could hardly follow her train of thought in this, but I could glean the most important facts from her words. Commander Celestia seemed aware of my fears that I had fallen out of her favor, and intended to reassure me that such was not the case. “Thank you, Commander.” She favored me with another smile. “You need not thank me, Shadow.” She delicately cleared her throat, and her voice regained an element of command to it that had been absent from our more private exchange. “I would ask a boon of thee, Shadow: inquire as to the wellbeing of Archmagus Sparkle and her daughter. If I were to leave this carriage and do so myself, ‘twould cause far too much disruption.” I did not look forward to any interaction with the Archmagus, but I will confess a certain concern for her daughter, at the least. Young Midnight still unsettled me, but ‘tween my daughter’s own fondness for her and my memory of her terror at the mob, I felt it proper to at least inquire as to her health. Thus, I took wing and made my way to the aerial chariot containing Sunbeam Sparkle and her daughter. The Archmagus appeared as proud and haughty as ever—one would scarce imagine that just a short time ago she was being pelted with refuse by a jeering mob. Her daughter, by contrast, had settled against the sides of the chariot, lying curled about herself and trembling. Sunbeam Sparkle deigned not to notice me until I cleared my throat to demand her attention. “Commander Celestia wishes to inquire as to the wellbeing of you and your daughter.” The Archmagus made a neutral sort of noise in the back of her throat, and then without even glancing to her daughter answered. “We are well enough after such an experience.” Her eyes then narrowed, and her voice dropped down to a furious whisper. “Why does Her Majesty continue to favor you so, even after you cast defiance into her teeth?” I could hardly answer her question when I had wondered at the Commander’s actions myself, so instead I answered her question with another. “One might as well ask why she continues to retain your services even after your wickedness has become plain for all to see.” “A question with an easy answer,” the Archmagus scoffed. “Her Majesty is a good and noble pony, but there are times when goodness and nobility are not virtues in a ruler, but vices. There are times when one must act dishonorably, even foully, for the betterment of all ponykind. That is why she retains me. To do that which she cannot. To plunge my hooves deep into every manner of foulness needed to maintain the peace, so that she might keep hers unsullied.” Much as I disliked her answer, I could not gainsay it. ‘Twas not dissimilar to how the clans handled disciplinary matters by having a designated disciplinary officer to serve as a focus for any antipathy from unruly soldiers, ensuring that any punishment they earned would not make them love their leaders any less. I would not be surprised to learn that in Unicornia the blame for every unpopular decision made by the Commander was laid at the grand vizier’s hooves, and every success Sunbeam Sparkle managed was credited to Celestia. If I continued this train of thought, I might cease finding her so easy to despise. While ‘twas undeniable that she provided the Commander with some useful services, ‘twould not do to forget that she would unashamedly murder a foal to advance her cause. I was about to return to the Commander’s side when young Midnight spoke in a voice that seemed even flatter and more emotionless than was the norm for her. “I think 'tis strange. Many name Her Majesty as like unto a goddess, but when the rock cut her she bled like an ordinary pony.” For some reason, those words struck me as far more ominous than they seemed.