//------------------------------// // Twilight's Decision // Story: The Forgotten Exile // by Echo 27 //------------------------------// As Celestia turned her back on the scene, everypony was too stunned, too dumbfounded to do anything but stare in complete shock. Never, not in their lifetime, not in the lifetime of anyone they knew or anyone they would ever know, had there ever been a death sentence in Equestria. Twilight stared with the rest of the crowd, horror and guilt creeping into her as she regained control of her senses. No, she said silently. No, that didn’t just happen. She’s not going to kill him, she couldn’t! Cobalt Storm tried to rise to his feet, despite the bindings that tied his hooves. “Wait, what?” he asked. “Why? Why now? Tia, wait!-” A nearby guard took a spear to the back of his head and gave the sea-colored pony a hefty Thwack! across the back of the head, knocking him into the dirt, unconscious. There was a hustle of commotion as the squad of guards surrounded Cobalt Storm and began to beat him senseless, the sound of their hooves and weapons hitting their marks across the condemned pony’s body. Someone in the crowd screamed, and soon the entire town of Ponyville was in an uproar as everypony went this way and that, trying to find loved ones and hide, to get away from the violence that had slit the peaceful evening like a knife through flesh. Twilight was caught in the commotion and being pushed around, her lightweight frame doing her no favors as she tried to muscle her way through the crowd to reach Celestia, who was already walking back to her chariot. Rainbow Dash had taken to skies in order to get a good view of the scene, her vision darting between the beating Cobalt Storm was taking and the chaos below. Noticing the lavender mare’s preoccupation, she yelled down, “Use your wings, Twilight!” The Element of Magic was soon in the air beside her friend, scanning their surroundings. “Twilight, what just happened?” Rainbow Dash asked, staring at her friend confusedly. “I mean, Princess Celestia just ordered for him to be killed, right? I wasn’t imagining it.” “No, you weren’t,” Twilight answered worriedly. “Rainbow, I need you to do something for me. Find Spike and the others and head to the library, I’ll meet you all there.” As the mare of many colors dashed through the crowd to find the young drake, Twilight flew towards her mentor and friend, who was deep in conversation with her Sister of the Stars. “Princess!” Twilight cried, landing directly behind them. “Please, can you tell me what’s going on?” Luna glanced anxiously up at her older sister while Celestia stood eerily still. “Twilight, what is happening is none of your concern,” she said harshly. “Leave it be.” Twilight was taken aback by the abruptness of her mentor. She had always been gracious, always patient, always willing to explain things to the smallest detail until Twilight had understood. This was a complete reversal. And one that Twilight was not willing to stand for. “This is my concern,” she replied willingly. “Ocean Blue -I mean, Cobalt Storm- has been here in Ponyville for days and all that time he’s done nothing but help us. He’s my friend.” “Twilight, he is nopony’s friend,” Celestia said more forcefully. “You don’t need to know what he’s done, all you need to know is that he’s getting what he deserves.” “What he deserves?” Twilight echoed incredulously. “Princess, you just sentenced a pony to death with no evidence, no trial, nothing! You’ve caused the entire town of Ponyville to panic because of this.” Luna sidled next to her sister, whispering something in the Sun Princess’ ear. Whatever she had said, however, was unwelcome news. “It is not her concern, Sister,” Celestia replied acidly. “Yes, it is,” Twilight replied firmly. “He’s my friend-” “He is not your friend,” Celestia fired back venomously. “He’s a hero-” Twilight added more loudly. “He is no one’s hero,” Celestia snarled. “He saved pony’s lives!” Twilight spat, all respect and deference to her former mentor now forgotten. “And if I let him live, he will kill thousands more until the earth runs red!” Celestia raged, turning about for the first time and facing her former student. Gone was her wisdom and elegance, the courtly grace that had preceded her for so long. “Cobalt Storm is a lying, manipulative, traitorous murderer, and his return could mean the death of us all! And I, as Princess of this realm, will not allow that to pass!” Celestia turned her back on Twilight and stalked off towards her chariot, her younger sister in tow, albeit appearing to be extremely distraught. Twilight stood there seething, the whirlwind of emotions welling up within her like fuel for a fire. She felt enraged by Celestia’s injustice, horrified by the fate that was about to befall her l- her friend, and guilty because her own words had brought this fate upon him. A plan was beginning to formulate inside her magnificent brain, but only small inklings. First, she needed to talk to him again. Twilight found Cobalt Storm by finding a squadron of guards surrounding a house that had been commandeered, and she had a sneaking suspicion it had not been done so by the occupants of the home. However, that was immaterial at the moment. She needed to speak with Cobalt. The guards stood attention at the door and beneath each window on the house, meaning that Cobalt was alone inside. Instead of giving him a chance to physically fight back, they had merely locked the doors on him. Twilight was pleased, because it meant the plan that she was forming could actually work. “No one is allowed in, ma’am,” the squadron captain said firmly, raising his wings to bar the way. He was a tall pegasus, a dull granite-grey coat. “I need to speak to the prisoner,” Twilight said determinedly. “No one is allowed in,” the captain repeated just as firmly. “Captain, I demand to be allowed in. I have every right to speak to the prisoner,” she replied. “No one allowed in,” the captain stated. Twilight’s patience, already wrung dry by Celestia’s fury, broke once more. She reared up to full height, unfurling her wings like a pair of feathery lavender flags. “Captain, I am a royal Princess of Equestria and I demand to speak to the prisoner! You will allow me in NOW!” The act worked. The captain moved out of the way in a steady crawl, his once stern gaze now fearful and tense. Twilight did not descend to thank him, merely walking through the doorway. She found Cobalt Storm in a nearby room on the main floor, the east side of the house. The room had been stripped bare of all furniture and niceties, leaving the room abnormally spartan. He was resting in the corner, a trickle of blood creeping down across his right eye, which had swollen shut. At the sound of her hoofsteps across the hardwood floor, he gazed up with his one good eye which widened at the sight of her. “Twilight!” He said, trying to rise to his feet and stumbling, a number of bruises working their way up his legs and across his body in a horrific, lacy pattern of blue and purple hoofmarks. “Don’t, don’t,” she said soothingly, settling down beside him and stretching her feathered wings gently across him. “I can take away the pain of those, if you want.” Cobalt shook his head. “No, it’s alright,” he replied. “I’ve had worse. Just haven’t been awake for very long.” Twilight gazed at him worriedly, her own heart hurting. Every moment she spent looking at him made her realize how badly damaged he was. The guards had been uncharacteristically brutal in their treatment of him, beating him and even drawing blood. What had Celestia said to convince them this pony deserved such treatment? “What are you doing here?” he asked, shaking his head in an effort to rid himself of the blood on his face. “I doubt this is a social call.” “I’m here to check on you,” she replied. “Cobalt, what on earth is this about?” “It’s between me and Celestia,” he replied. “It’s a long story, that’s all.” “But surely you don’t deserve this!” Twilight said vehemently. “She had no right to subject you to this kind of treatment! It’s unlawful in every way.” “Celestia’s a Princess,” Ocean Blue responded, his eyes misting over in sadness. “We both knew what we were doing. She made her choice, so now I have to accept it.” “But to put you to death,” Twilight said breathily. Cobalt Storm’s expression crumpled in thought. “I can’t explain that one,” he said. “She had me at her mercy before and let me live, so I don’t know why she demands my blood now. She’s worried about something, but I don’t know what.” “So you don’t know why?” Twilight asked. “Hmm…” She took to pacing the room, pondering whether she should reveal her plans or not. She decided the former. “I’m going to get you out of here,” she declared. Cobalt Storm froze, his crystal-blue eye wide. “No, you musn’t,” he warned. “Celestia would hunt you down and kill you just like she plans to do to me. Abandon that road.” “And let her kill you? No!” Twilight protested. “Celestia wouldn’t let you get away with it!” Cobalt pressed. “Please, Twilight, stay out of this. Keep yourself safe and alive, I beg you.” Furious at Celestia, upset at Cobalt Storm’s sentence, upset by his calm, and humbled by his thought for her safety, Twilight kissed him. It was a rushed affair, a quick, fierce press of her soft lips against his scarred pair. A moment that she hadn’t meant to release from the most private corner of her brain, but had come up in the heat of the moment that had been wrought by her storm of emotions. As she broke apart from him, Cobalt Storm simply stared. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. At that moment, Twilight regained control of her senses and felt hrself blushing a deep crimson. “I’ll be back,” Twilight whispered, and turned to leave. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts and ideas, and it would take some time to bring them under control and focus them into a workable plan. Hopefully, by the time she arrived back at the library, her plan would have formulated. Her mind was so occupied she didn’t hear the disappointed groan that came from the stallion she was leaving behind. Twilight was pleased to see Rainbow Dash had been successful in finding the girls and bringing them together. Good. She would need their help. “Twilight, finally!” Rainbow Dash declared. “What took you so long?” “You know what’s goin’ on, sugarcube?” Applejack queried. Spike came forward and gave his oldest friend a quick hug, peering up at her. The two knew each other so well, words could often get in the way. One look was all he needed to know her intent. “Are you sure about this?” he said under his breath. “Positive,” she muttered back. Spike nodded slowly, looking wary. He understood the implications of what they were about to do. “Umm, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “Do you know why Princess Celestia was so angry?” The lavender mare shook her head. “Point-blank refused to tell me anything,” she answered. “But the verdict stays: Cobalt Storm is going to die at sunrise.” Pinkie Pie’s jaw dropped with a Clunk! to the floor, her usually energetic manner stunted by the sudden turn of events. “But, but, but…” she sputtered, for once struggling to find her voice. “But WHY??” “Didn’t you hear her?” Rainbow Dash replied bluntly. “Twilight said she doesn’t know!” “I was able to talk to him for a moment,” Twilight continued. “He doesn’t know why she’s putting him to death, either. Something’s not right about this whole thing.” “So, what are you goin’ to do?” Applejack asked. “I’m going to break him out, and I need your help.” Twilight hadn’t meant to put it so bluntly, but the words had been that way all the same. The reaction from her friends, however, was more varied than she had wished. Rainbow Dash looked excited, Spike was wary but nodding his head, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie looked anxious, while Applejack and Rarity were more disconcerted. “What’s wrong?” she asked, challenging the farm mare. “Well,” Applejack began tentatively, averting her gaze. “Why should we help him? Ah mean, Princess Celestia ordered this. Doesn’t she know what she’s doin’?” “She knows what she’s doing, but she’s the only one who does,” Twilight replied, forcing herself to remain calm. “She won’t tell Luna, she won’t tell me, not even Cobalt knows why this is happening. It’s like she’s out for some personal revenge!” “Did Cobalt ask you to do this?” Applejack pressed. “Is this his idea?” “No, it’s mine,” the young alicorn responded. “Cobalt actually… he didn’t want us risking ourselves to help save him.” “Maybe you should listen, then.” Twilight’s blood boiled, and it took every bit of her strength to keep calm and not shout curses at her friend. “Twilight, are you-” Rarity hesitated. “Darling, are you quite certain you’re not letting your emotions get in the way of your better judgment?” “What does that mean?” Twilight protested. “Well, we… we all noticed how, well… I mean, you did spend a lot of time with him over the past few days, and we all thought that maybe you were thinking of him as more than a friend.” “And you weren’t?” Twilight spat. Frustration was making her rude, but at the moment she didn’t really care. “Yes, I was, and I’m embarrassed by how much a fool I was acting,” Rarity said, nodding slowly. “I had hoped my whole ordeal with Trenderhoof had made me more cautious, but apparently…” Rarity took a deep breath. “Twilight, I just want to make sure you’re not doing the wrong thing.” “I know I’m right!” Twilight exploded, desperation driving her anger. “Do you all remember when Queen Chrysalis impersonated Cadence? I was the only one who knew something was wrong, not even Celestia knew something was wrong! Well, something’s not right about this, and I know we need to save him! Please, I need your help, I need you to believe me! He’s my- he’s my friend, and if I let him die, I’ll have to live with that forever. Please, for friendship, we have to do this! I need to do this, I have to make things right!” She stood there in silence, her gaze drifting down to the floor at her hooves. Her chest was heaving with emotion as she tried to catch her breath, hoping beyond hope she hadn’t just turned her friends against her. Applejack and Rarity exchanged a quick glance, their focus constantly shifting between Twilight and the others. After a few moments of tense silence, Rarity stepped forward, taking a deep breath. “Alright, darling,” she stated. “What do you have in mind?” Twilight peered out from her hiding place within the bushes, waiting with bated breath. She was near the corner of the house where Cobalt Storm was being kept, watching the guards perform the usual rotation. Any moment now, and the guards would rotate position and allow her a small opening. Any moment now, Rainbow, she thought. Come on, be ready! The guards saluted as their captain passed by, checking security on the house- BA-ROOM! There was a thundering crash to the southeast of Ponyville followed by a massive dustcloud that burst into the open sky. The guards surrounding the house began to race away, but the captain called three back, ensuring that a small portion of the security around the building remained. Now Rarity and Applejack, she said silently. Another blast in the distance, this time to the east. There was the sound of thundering hooves in the distance accompanied by a loud chorus of baleful moos. The cow herd was doing their best to cause a ruckus. “Help! Pu-leaze, somepony help!” Rarity cried, positively dragging herself across the road to the remaining guards. “What’s wrong ma’am?” the captain inquired. “It’s a disaster!” the fashionista moaned. “A positively dreadful catastrophe, complete chaos, what utter ruin is about to befall Ponyville-” “Ma’am, please tell us what’s going on,” the guard captain cut through, ending Rarity’s long list of adjectives. The alabaster mare gave the captain a sour glance but deigned to give a response. “That horrible stallion inside that house has sent an entire herd of bovines to attack Ponyville! Just listen to them! They’ve gone utterly mad.” “That’s not possible,” the captain replied calmly, “as the prisoner has not left this building since his incarceration.” To Rarity’s credit, she did not let this detail slow her down. “But you haven’t been here as long as he has! He’s been consorting with them in an attempt provoke a rebellion against Princess Celestia! And now look!” At this, the guards took Rarity’s words a little more seriously. “You three, deal with this mess,” he ordered. “I’ll remain here and guard the prisoner.” Twilight, still well-hidden within her clump of bushes, began to sweat nervously. She had predicted this might be an issue, but had hoped that this last resort option wouldn’t have to be utilized. Now, it seems, that moment was upon her. Sorry, she thought, charging her magic. With a violet burst, a massive prism bolt of energy struck the corner of the house, blowing a massive hole the size of a manticore and knocking the guard captain off his feet. As wood siding and paneling fell to the ground in a dust-ridden heap, the youngest princess of Equestria rushed out of the shadows and dashed into the now-sagging house, praying the second floor would hold out for a moment longer. Cobalt Storm stood there in the midst of the maelstrom, hacking on the silt and soot that now permeated the air like a noxious cloud. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted her. “What in Equestria are you doing?!” he sputtered, his gasping coughs preventing his outrage from ever escaping the depths of his throat. “No time!” she gasped, noticing the guard was already rousing himself from his unconscious state. “Hurry, I could only buy us so much time, we need to go!” The bruised stallion, his weariness forgotten, rushed to his feet and followed the lavender princess to safety, a strange look still hidden in his eyes. Twilight was curious as to what was wrong, but now wasn’t the time. It was a chaos and havoc that would have made Discord proud. The southern end of town was smoking from whatever diversion Rainbow Dash had enacted and, judging by the sounds, the herd of cows had not ceased their aid. The plan Twilight had formulated had gone off without a hitch, and now it was time to go. With a burst of magic that lit up the night sky like a firework, Twilight gave the signal it was time to go. The odd pair reached the northern edge of town and headed toward a small patch of trees, the foliage obscuring them from view. Inside the clump were Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, the former greeting them with an enthusiastic hello and the latter with a small smile. Cobalt Storm stood there with an appalled expression covering his bloodied features. “What did you do?” he whispered furiously. Twilight responded, “We sprung you out, like I promised.” “Something I explicitly told you not to do!” Cobalt snarled. “What possessed you to think that was a good idea?” Twilight was taken aback by the sudden harshness with which he addressed her. He had been so calm and collected since she had first met him, now he seemed out of control. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “What’s wrong?!” Cobalt flared, his rage rising as he saw Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash materialize from the foliage, dusty and worn. “It was bad enough that you got yourself involved, but what made you think it was a good idea to involve your friends? You just committed an act of treason against the High Princess of Equestria and had six other ponies go right along with it! You’re dead!” “What?” “You heard me,” he said, positively spitting with fury. “You’ve just made yourself an enemy out of the most formidable and dangerous pony in all of Equestria. She has it out for me, and now she’ll do the same to you. Celestia isn’t going to rest until she finds all of us. And make no mistake, she will kill all of you.” The full reality of her actions suddenly came crashing down on Twilight, and her jaw went slack as the weight hit her like a ton of bricks. She should have just done all this on her own, forget the consequences. Now the lives of her friends were at risk. “We need to go,” Cobalt Storm ordered. “Now.” “Wait, where are we goin’?” Applejack demanded. “The only place in the entire world where Celestia could never find us,” Cobalt Storm answered. He turned and faced her. “If you think you can survive without my help, you’re crazy. You may be tough, but you’ve never lived out in the wildlands before. And right now, it’s my job to keep you alive, so come on.”