Ein Sof Zealotry

by ZhaoZoharEX

Chapter 29

At first, there was nothing. He would have remembered that time fondly later if he had the capacity to remember, for nothingness gave soon way to screaming pain. Literally screaming. His brain was filled with howling and shrieking as if he was caught in the middle of a hurricane.

Gradually the noise would fade, leaving only the pain and a feeling of loss behind. He lay there, completely limp, and searched for that missing bit, but it felt as if with losing it he also forgot it, like a dream after waking up. The difference was that unlike a dream, he sensed that something signified much more to him, an existential necessity. He of course realised that in much vaguer terms, for his thoughts remained scattered.

They say you can get used to pain. By no means does it mean you stop feeling it. It always prods on your consciousness, blocking you and harassing. But slowly it loses its novelty and if you are lucky, you become slightly detached, watching it as if it was happening to somepony else. You can develop even some degree of morbid curiosity.

His eyes forgot how to blink. He stared upwards, unmoving and unseeing. He couldn’t even guess how much time passed before his senses tiptoed back to him. He found himself on a soft surface, and material of the same texture was covering him. The fog before his eyes cleared only to give way to white surface of a ceiling. Light was surrounding him at all times. Soon his eyes went blind again, this time from lack of stimuli.

 Slow monotonous beeping was assaulting his ears, sometimes joined with hushed voices. He couldn’t concentrate on their meaning. There was a gap in his mind preventing him from comprehension. Yet somehow he knew they were talking about him and that they were worried.

As the pain dulled to such a degree that the signals from other parts of body talking about discomfort could make themselves heard, the idea appeared to him that he may adjust his position. Very carefully he tried inching his limbs around. Yet his efforts for gentleness fell short, a pang of pain surging through his left foreleg. Something was piercing his skin! Instinctively he reached for his magic to pull the offending object out.

The howling returned full force at that moment along with some pain, but what made him join in on the cry was neither of those. While he felt emptiness before, although vastly overpowered by suffering, it had nothing on this sensation for instead of a path he found something alike to wall of stone. Or rather a tomb wall, with hundreds of meters of rock in all directions.

His eyes bulged out in a utter horror, his mouth attempting to scream, although with how parched his throat felt the sounds he emitted very closer to wheezing, he remembered what he lost and despite the pain raised his hoof to confirm. Where his horn used to be, he found only a spiky stump, alike one left of a pine broken by a storm.

He vaguely noticed ponies swarming the room and pulling his hoof away from the stump, They laid him down to his original position and injected some clear fluid into the canila sticking from his forehoof, but he paid them no mind. He wasn’t screaming anymore. He was too deep in his mind to manifest his suffering physically.

Along with the realisation of his loss came the remembrance. He heard his smug words and saw Celestia drifting against him. From his subconsciousness rose her composed voice, although her words remained clouded. And there was more. His success in recent week, one victory after another against his political opponents, rise in influence and power all flashed in front of his inner sight.

Whatever injected him was taking effect. He was losing sight of the ponies around and even his mind was slowing down. But it couldn’t prevent one last memory, that of a kind, supportive, yet firm voice accompanying him during those weeks. It was thanks to its advice that he gained so much. There was no trace of that voice anymore. It forsook him.

He wasn’t crying as the darkness surrounded him, for the first time in eternity. Tears were the only thing he had left it seemed. He would have to be thrifty with them.

When he woke up again, he was feeling much better, that is from the physical side of things. They helped him sit up and he managed to feed himself, although a bit clumsily, since he was used to holding the utensils with magic, not with hooves. He paid special attention to restraining himself from any attempt to use magic. They didn’t need to warn him about that, he could deduce on his own just how much suffering it would cause him.

With the pain subsided, he could think much clearer and his thoughts drifted back to the voice guiding him. He didn’t know where it originated and at first he suspected himself going mad. But the voice knew things. It predicted the very words of nobles he was negotiating with, provided information he would never acquire on his own and slowly convinced him to cooperate.

Around the same time he started having unusual dreams. They varied in setting and subject, but always featured a glowing white figure with waving ribbons growing from its bag. She, for he was certain the creature was female, spoke to him of his past, explaining his mistakes and right steps, offering better future to him. He felt her care and resolve, wishing to please her with all his might, especially since she wanted his success. He couldn’t hear her anymore.

Three meals and one exhausted nap later they decided he was well enough to be transported. Not that he could walk on his own for too long, but not requiring medical supervision any longer. They drove him on the hospital bed into a chariot and then on a wheelchair. He recognised the place, although he never visited. There was only one place they could take him anyway.

Naturally, they would accommodate him in the most guarded section. Not that he would attempt to escape. Hay, he could barely move! But on some level such security could be taken as a sign of respect for the high profile prisoner. His cell didn’t have any windows as it was carved deep in the mountain, but he didn’t suffer lack of light. Along with glowing crystals in the walls, the room was illuminated thanks to a skylight, without a doubt tens or even hundreds of feet long.

He was spending time the same manner as the previous, lying on the hard bed and contemplating to the best of his ability just what went wrong. He wasn’t distracted from it with bodily discomfort; they provided him with enough food and despite the general idea of prison cells, water wasn’t dripping from the ceiling and walls and biting chill didn’t threaten to kill him before it was time.

They told him he would be executed for grand treason, although they could have saved that effort. He knew that well enough himself. After how things proceeded back then in the audience chamber, his fate couldn’t be different. He didn’t worry too much about that. With the emptiness he felt inside and with the cold stone surrounding his mind, he wouldn’t be willing to live anymore.

While the level of light in the room remained almost unchanging, he could tell by the small square of sky he could see how time was passing. Just as quickly as his remaining time was passing away, his feeling of betrayal was growing. He didn’t care that he was going to die. Death could under certain circumstances be a victory. But this one signified defeat. He deserved to win! That wonderful white pony told him so! Then why did she leave him?

He asked that question many times over the course of days and nights. He was asking and nopony would answer. He asked the last glimpses of light the day before his execution to no avail.

He couldn’t sleep that night. He was full of morbid excitement and half mad with anger and despair. He needed that answer! He jumped up, wrapped his hooves against the door and pressed his face against the barred window. “Why did you leave me?!” he shouted, his voice echoing in the empty corridors of the prison. The guards stopped reacting to his question a long time ago.

He trudged back to his bed and curled on it. “Why? Why?” Tomorrow he would be gone. If there was a right time to spend what he had left, it just arrived. “Why did you leave me?” He allowed his tears flow freely. Through them he could see that moon rose early that night and shone directly through his skylight. The crystals in the walls seemed to dim in shame from comparison with the bright square, encompassing the floor and bed.

“Was it really me who left you?” He knew that voice! He recognised the care and firmness from the past. He was waiting for it all that time! “Or did you forsake me instead?”

He fell from the bed from how fast he tried to stand up and used it to kneel down in front of her. Where only moonlight used to lay now stood the pony from his dreams, alabaster white, majestic and glowing. A richly engraved halo was slowly spinning over her head and her strange wings billowed in a nonexistent wind.

“Stand up, Sequoia Crown, for it is solely right of the Creator herself to request kneeling.”

“You returned to me at last, my revered guide!” He crawled forward, not heeding her command. Most of his animosity was forgotten, just like a foal runs to its mother for comfort after being scolded by her. “I feared you abandoned me for good!”

She reached down to him with a smile, honestly resembling a mother accepting that her foal can learn another day and still be loved, and stood him up. “I haven’t abandoned you at all, my dear Sequoia. It pained me as much as you not to speak with you, but it was not my fault.”

“But you promised that you would stand by my side every step of the journey,” he said with confusion. He leaned into the wing caressing his cheek, sighing from comfort. It was warm and awaking something deep within. When he was in contact with it, his loss of magic suddenly didn’t matter. He felt more whole than ever.

“I did, my dear Sequoia, and I would. Yet once you stepped from the right path, I could do nothing. It was you who abandoned me.”

“I tried as I could, mistress! I followed your advice! You told me I would rise to the top, that Equestria would follow my command because the princess mustn’t stay in power for the good of everypony. Where did I go wrong?”

“Do you really have to ask?” From the disappointment in her voice he started tearing up again. He failed her again! She would leave him again! Instead, she moved another wing to him, wiping away the tears. “To command a land doesn’t mean to become its ruler, my dear Sequoia. I never imagined you would replace princess Celestia. It is her fate to rule, as is of all alicorns, and only alicorns can change that. Under my guidance you would have gained influence in every aspect of the government, eventually deciding more affairs than the princess. But to think you could challenge her for a duel and win was a grave sin of pride. Nothing good rises from sin and I couldn’t step in at all.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” he wailed, not for a second questioning her word. What had been really said or implied in the past had no impact on truthfulness of her words to him. “They forced my hoof! I wished to act slowly and subtly, but with Celestia enraged from the use of power against that scum, I had to take action. It is all Blueblood’s fault, not mine!”

“Many serve the same goal as you, my dear Sequoia. That ‘scum,’ as you say, among them. You had part in their suffering as well, again thinking yourself better than them. Yet they will be judged the same way as you. Many of them aren’t half as weighted down with sin as you are. Pride rules you, even now.”

“I couldn’t know! If I knew of their task, I would have acted. Please don’t abandon me again. It is all Blueblood’s fault! He deserves punishment! He forced me!”

“Fear not, my dear. I will not abandon you. I will stay near till the end even though you won’t see me.” She took a step back from him, which prompted him to jump forward. He grabbed her forelegs, fearing she would leave. “I am not going anywhere, my dear. Not yet. In your time you were bringing me much joy. In this moment I would like to grant you joy as well. Tell me, what do you wish?”

He looked up to her with his mouth agape. She would fulfill him a wish! What should he wish? What did he want? Most of all he wished to prevent her from leaving. He didn’t want to be alone again. He was about to say it aloud, but then his thoughts returned to the time she wasn’t with him and suddenly he burned with hatred. It was Blueblood who chased her from him! He caused his suffering! Blueblood had to pay!

“I wish to see Blueblood punished,” he growled before he could stop himself. He was cursing himself the next second as the face of his guide and mistress turned sorrowful. He intensified his hold on her forelegs fearfully, but she lifted him with her wings and pressed him to her chest.

“My dear Sequoia. Despite all I am saying, despite all you learn, you still dwell on your pride instead of salvation.” She drove her wing over his back gently, not letting go as he sobbed. “Your wish will be fulfilled, he will suffer for his crimes before you are called from this world.” She carried him gently to the bed, just like foal after a nightmare. “But what you really wish is that I stay with you. I will for I know how much you cherish my presence. I will be gone when you wake up, but even then you will be not alone.” She settled down on the bed with him prodded against her side, and wrapped her wings around him.

He snuggled into her warm glowing skin and closed his eyes. “Thank you, mistress,” he muttered, half asleep already. “Will I see you again?”

“Maybe. We will see. Be patient.”

“I will. Goodnight, mistress “

“Goodnight, my dear Sequoia.”

The week following their arrival in Canterlot, Lightning Dust and Acrylic Canvas had quite a quota to fulfill before they could carry out their intended mission. Fortunately, it was no longer just the two of them. Static and his wife, both perhaps apprehensive at first, came to support their task. Said support was a boon that helped speed up the reconnaissance and preparation.

Static, still clad in his uniform, exited the Canterlot Penitentiary after ending his shift  at four AM and began his trek home after he was let out of the gates. For security reasons, he was not allowed to start flying until he was off the property, but he took to the air once that threshold was met. On his way home, he passed over the old house that he and Golden Cage had lived in until just four days ago. It saddened him to have to let go of it, but times were changing and it was time to move on. Hopefully, the next occupants of the house would appreciate it as much as he did.

Until it was time to move out of the city, Strom and Typhoon were more than willing to offer shelter for all four. This is where Static landed as soon as his father’s house came into sight and walked in through the front door. “I’m home!” he casually shouted out of habit. The house seemed fairly quiet, though this would hardly be the first time he walked into an empty home.

Only, he knew the house wasn’t empty.

He sighed and walked to the bedroom where Golden was sleeping before he removed his soldier uniform, neatly folding it and placing it on the desk. He gave a gentle kiss on the cheek of his sleepy wife.

“I really miss you at night,” she moaned tiredly as she barely cracked one eye.

“Sorry, love. Been really busy lately, what with dad moving me to night shift. It will be over with soon though and we’ll have a wonderful new home, just be patient. I need to go downstairs and meet with dad and Dust. Think you can hold out for half an hour?”

“I’ll be waiting for you, my knight.”

Golden closed her eyes and buried her face into the pillow as she went back to sleep. Static would have liked to join her, having been missing her during the week as well. He knew he would get his chance soon though, he would need all the R&R he could get although the few hours left wouldn't allow him much.

His next destination was the basement, though he stopped when the basement door was locked for the third time this week. He banged on it hard until the voice of his cousin sounded from the other side.

“What’s the password?” Lightning Dust said in a way that her grin, while not visible, was still plainly obvious.

“Stop teasing me and let me down there,” Static responded with a frustrated groan.

“Password accepted.”

The door to the basement unlocked and the chuckling mare stepped downstairs with the stallion close behind. “Why do you keep doing that?”

“Hey, you did it to me all the time when we were kids. I couldn’t pass up a little payback.”

The basement of Strom’s house used to be a sort of a clubhouse for Static and his brother and cousin. As kids, they would always have a blast playing different games and pretending to be soldiers and generals planning for war. Static never thought that as an adult, he would be doing the same thing down here, only this time it was for real. However while Plasma was absent, their father wasn’t.

“There you are, son,” Strom greeted with a firm hoofshake. He was still wearing his lieutenant dress uniform while Lightning Dust was wearing a similar formal military uniform, albeit not sharing the Equestrian military seals.

“I feel a bit underdressed among us,” Static joked as he took a spot at the center table.

“Just be glad my dad isn’t here. He might just give you a reprimand,” Lightning said in an equally joking manner.

“Now that that’s all out of the way, have you anything new to share today?”

Lightning Dust pointed to the items to the middle of the table. There were three maps: a map of Canterlot city, a map of the underground tunnels, and a layout of the penitentiary. Each of them had chess pieces on them, quite a few more than what came with a regular chess set.

“Based on the recon you conducted for me during your night shifts, Strom and I think we’ve formulated the best possible way to go about this. First, we needed to worry about getting into the special housing unit where our friends are being held.”

Strom leaned in and pointed to the white knight pieces in strategic locations on the prison map. “I was able to convince some of our friends in the royal guard to support us internally. Those in the prison will subtly make way for our arrival without arousing suspicion. Those on the streets will look the other way when Miss Canvas carries out her part of the plan.”

Static nodded. He was very thankful for his parents supporting the cause as well with little reserve. His father’s position meant he had the power to reorganize patrols, at least to a degree. A few sections were out of his reach, such as Fiery Swirl’s guards around Prince Blueblood’s manor. However, Lightning Dust placed a lot of confidence in Canvas that she could handle it, so he had to trust them.

“Canvas has been surveying the city with Golden and Aunt Typhoon,” Lightning Dust stated. “They’ve found a few ponies that will help Canvas. A little bribe didn’t hurt.”

“Friend from Crystal Empire?” Static asked.

“Sometimes it literally pays to have friends in high places. I’m fairly certain Canvas won’t have any problem with the guards stationed around Blueblood’s house. Best case scenario, they’ll be absent from the premise entirely with Sequoia Crown’s capital punishment. If not, Canvas and the ponies she will collect will overwhelm them.”

“What if something goes wrong? Do we have a fallback?”

“The chance of things going wrong are minimal and manageable. Judging from the majority of royal guards aiding us, they aren’t exactly in a rush to protect Blueblood. Just in case something does go wrong though, I can have a few of our comrades take a covert escort formation. A lot of them will probably want to leave Canterlot anyway after this to avoid legal punishment.”

“Fair enough.”

Lightning Dust would further explain the plan. She used the white queen piece to represent herself, and the white bishop piece to represent Canvas. With all of the pieces, she would move them all over the maps to serve as visuals for her explanation. Static and Strom would add suggestions over the course of the meeting and by the end, the three felt as though they had covered just about everything. If something unplanned happened, they would have to improvise.

Static stretched his back and legs as they wrapped things up. He still was unsure if the mission was going to be successful, yet it was a bit early to say for sure. If Lightning Dust and his father were confident though, it shouldn’t be bad.

“I’m going to rest for a bit. I’m pretty beat,” he said standing up.

“Yeah, go ahead. Get as much rest as you can,” Lightning Dust replied cleaning up the table. “Once we start this thing, we’re not going to have many chances to stop for a while.”

With the go ahead to leave, the weary pegasus climbed back upstairs out of the basement and then up to the bedroom. He opened the door as quietly as he could so as not to wake up his wife. Golden however wasn’t sleeping anymore, though her eyes still said sleepy.

“Just couldn’t wait for me, could ya?” Static teased as he placed a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door before closing it and sat on the bed. Not a second late, Golden gently pulled him in and smooched him.

An elderly grey pegasus checked the plans laid in front of him again and then gazed over at the construction growing on the Canterlot Plaza. It was one of those moments when you try to put together a locker, ending up with a chair.

“What are you doing with those poles? Do you even know what we are building?!” He ran toward his workers who were about to affix a twenty feet pole to the anchors. You can’t exactly bore holes into the cobblestones just to keep a temporary scaffolding in place. “That’s twice longer than I ordered!”

“We thought that since we will be tearing it down in a few hours anyway, we could reuse the pole later. This way it has more chance.”

The pegasus shook his head in disdain. “It doesn’t matter how long this thing will stand. As long as it’s my work, it will be done correctly. Now cut it in half as I instructed.” He slowly walked around the growing wooden construction. Blasted thing. Building this nonsense would have been deep under his level say two years ago. But since his offsprings left for better life in the Empire, he had to take anything just to get by. Especially with these good for nothing apprentices.

“Put another diagonal pole over there. It needs to last at least a day,” he shouted at another of his workers. Strangely enough, even this one seemed reluctant to waste the wood. “They will pay us good for all the material. Even the advance we got would cover the expenses.”

That seemed to calm them a bit. Times were hard and lately the payments had been late. They understood though that they were in it together. They would stay loyal to the company, although mostly because they wouldn’t find another work. They tried. They all returned to the work with higher vigour and well so. The sun was about to rise.

Before it crested the horizon though, most of the construction was already standing, along with a small tribune for prominent spectators and mainly for the princess. To his surprise some of what he would qualify for the future occupants of those spots were just passing along. Three white unicorns, two mares and one stallion. What surprised him even more was that they wished him a good morning and one of the mares, the one with curled violet mane asked him for a business card. Maybe building this monstrosity would strike them a better job after all.

“Alright, pals, time for a break.” They all gathered next to a caravan they stored the tools in and occasionally slept in when it was needed to guard the building site at night. A barrel with burning wood formed the centrepoint of their small gathering, as the morning chill was permeating the air. Coffee was served in old cups, buy the chief builder’s wife. She wouldn’t let him go work so early without helping him at least a little.

“Damn this gallows,” one of the oldest workers muttered angrily and spat to the side. “You build it, you tear it down, no use of it whatsoever again. It was better back in my younger years.”

“What, did you have a portable set of gallows you could reuse?” the thrifty worker from before asked.

“Nah. We didn’t have executions.” They shared a laugh and the joker gulped down the rest of his coffee. “Tell your wife I said thanks for the coffee, Towering Pillar, alright?”

“You are welcome,” the mare in question said as she stuck her head out of the caravan. “But you should better get back to work. It’s almost eight.

“Already? We have to hurry, those boards won’t lay themselves!” They placed the mugs back in the caravan and sped up back to the gallows-to-be. At least here the careful planning paid off since they saved much time with pre-cut boards and properly sorted nails. Soon the only matter left to solve was boarding up the sides. It wouldn’t gave them a good name if a foal ran under there and get stuck. On the other hoof, who would bring a foal to watch an execution?

The works were nearing completion when one of his workers walked to him, fidgeting a little and digging with a hoof in the ground nervously before he actually addressed his employer.

“Ehm… Do you think I could leave a bit earlier, boss? I have somewhere to be.”

“Oh?” Pillar scrutinized his employee’s face, noting how he was avoiding eye contact. They knew each other for over a year and Pillar knew the worker was reliable. There was no reason to cause him difficulties, but some teasing was in order. “Meeting a young pretty mare, aren’t we?”

“Um, yes, boss. I kinda promised her to show up and didn’t think the work would take so long…”

“It wouldn’t have if someponies stopped stalling around and moved their lazy asses around a bit quicker.” Pillar shouted that in the general direction of other workers, getting an anonymous ‘For example you’ in response. He grinned at that brashness, appreciating a bit of familiarity with his employees, and then turned back to the pleader. “You can go. Leaving a mare waiting is like teasing a bear with a fish. They may decide to eat your ass instead.”

The relieved stallion ran quickly away, trying to ensure his boss wouldn’t have time to change his mind, and the others finished the gallows, in much more reasonable tempo. The moment they hammered in the last nail, they started packing everything and cleaning up the place. What they had left of the building wood would be loaded into two carts and along with the caravan dragged to their workshop slash warehouse to await the second phase of the contract.

Pillar decided to take a walk instead of travelling in the caravan. The day was exceptionally pretty for late November, most likely a commission from the princess herself. Or maybe the last wish of the condemned. Dying in the rain would depress everypony and the spectators would suffer more than the condemned too. As for Pillar, he didn’t need to see another bloodshed. What he witnessed from afar during the attack would suffice for him till the end of his days.

Although there was about an hour and half left before the spectacle would begin, many ponies were already heading in the direction of the Plaza to catch the best spots. They had some very morbid tastes indeed. But with them all gathered elsewhere, maybe he could take his dear Limestone Spears to her namesake boulevard for a walk. They would enjoy maybe the last sunny day of the year together.

Checking if the coast was clear around, Canvas peaked around the corner into a short passage leading from the backstreet into the heart of the buildings. The free space, originally unintentional in itself was turned into an oasis in the quarter overflowing with stone and enlarged. It must have been a wonderful and serene place back in its greatest glory. But just like for the whole quarter, those days passed.

Beautiful scenery was the last thing Canvas was seeking at the moment though. Her thoughts concentrated only on escaping for a second. The streets were crowded, each of her favourite spots teeming with ponies. Celestia’s generous idea of freeing ponies of work and school at this ‘Day of Sorrow’ as she dubbed it would help Canvas the Justice’s cause in the end, she knew that well, but Canvas the Pony was suffocating.

In the past few days she had hardly gotten any time to rest. When they weren’t planning with Lightning and her family, Canvas would roam the city on her own, preparing for her difficult task. Lightning couldn’t help her with that. Only the fulfillment of Canvas’ task would move the ponies into the position of balance Lightning mastered maintaining. What would proceed before that point, remained inscrutable for her.

In fact, so it did for Canvas. She took a lot of effort to understand what the inhabitants felt. She listened to their conversations covertly, their worries and few joys, and learnt just how insecure everypony was feeling. They feared another attack would come any minute. Once she ventured to the area of the attack herself, that fear suddenly started to make sense. She had walked across the battlefield, now thoroughly cleaned of most reminders, but the gruesome feeling remaining. She saw the damaged houses and jittery ponies gazing to horizon from the ramparts.

She also learnt how apprehensive the ponies acted toward everypony they didn’t personally know. She would have had huge trouble to even draw any attention from the passersbys with her preaching in that situation. If the direct path wouldn’t work though, she still had ways to secure herself listeners. Examples draw others in. She reached into Twilight’s funds and paid a random ponies a small sum to show up at Friday in the chosen place. Canvas wasn’t naive. She would never see them again like that, so they were promised the same sum after the gathering.

Such a dishonest way of gaining support didn’t sit well with her. Back in the day she would have had no difficulties getting listeners. Ponies used to be curious. Now they were scared. Indeed, she had no doubt what happened was an atrocity. As much as it pained her to admit it, the whole army of rebels should have been wiped out tens of miles away from the city. They would face consequences in the Empire. She would see to it. But the reason she would have to lay in Canterlot.

She did everything right, yet something remained amiss. She had always enjoyed talking to ponies, spending time in their company, and here she was, tired, hiding, fleeing from their temporal home just to avoid more discussions. Because despite everything she knew, she was far from sure about her role.

She ventured further into the small park, passing barren trees and cracked benches. In the end, maybe the time and forlornness helped the place to some deeper peace. The small fountain in the centre wasn’t flowing either, although the water present in basin promised it would again. For now, nothing was disturbing the calm surface of it, Canvas scrutinizing her reflection.

“I am going to rid Equestria of a bad pony. I should look forward to it. I should embrace the task at hoof. Why does it feel so strange then?”

What if I were to tell you that justice can be seen as revenge by the society?

For a second Canvas thought she saw her teacher’s face instead of her own in the water. The fleeting image burned deep into her mind, along with the words she was told all that time ago. She couldn’t but question her motives now. The moment she learnt who stood behind the atrocities, her resolve to punish them was solidified. Would she feel the same way if the culprit turned out to be a pony she never heard of before? How much of her motivation lay in the past?

One is motivated by virtue and the other by vice.

Of course her feelings were conflicted. She focused on her personal revenge and masked it as virtue. All this time she had been rejoicing on repaying the pain she suffered. But Blueblood wouldn’t stand in front of her that day for what he caused to her. Her selfish reasons had to stay away from the task, otherwise her efforts would be tainted. Could she promise that though? She wasn’t fit to judge him. Not yet. She would be though.

She hit the water surface with her hoof, sending droplet in all directions and causing rings to spread all across. Her reflection vanished. “You have been out there, Prince Blueblood, living comfortably all those years. Do you even remember who I am? Do you remember who you turned into a whore?”  

Of what importance is that to you? Why should I? Do you think you left any impact in my life?

In front of her inner sight Blueblood stood proud and regal just like the day she saw him for the first and last time. A smug smirk was playing on his lips. A pang of hatred shot through her whole being, but she contained it quickly.

“Every wrong leaves a trace in us, Blueblood. An ugly scar.”

Scars are easily hidden under the coat. You do that as well with yours.” The image stopped smirking, his eyes weary for a second before he composed himself. If I dwelled on every scar I bear, you wouldn’t be standing here today. I would have killed myself already alone.

“Don’t you feel slightest regret over the pain you inflicted on me?!”

And just what exactly did I do? I played you. I squeezed you, got everything I could and then left. It was your own fault in the first place. You cheated.

“Because you forced me to! I would have lost everything if I didn’t comply!”

You would have lost a competition and not even that is sure. Aren’t you proving today that not even prince can do everything he pleases without consequences? You ignored your rights and went down the easy path. Am I at fault? Like a wind breaking a tree. The tree should have grown stronger!

“You shouldn’t have done that. You chased me from my family.” Few tears fell from her cheeks down to the water and when it turned still again, Blueblood was gone. She gazed at herself, but younger. Like the day it happened.

“He didn’t do that. I chose to run instead of facing consequences.” She couldn’t believe those words were coming from her mouth. Time and time again she had pondered about her actions and secretly she admitted her failure, but she wouldn’t have said it out loud for the world. Until now.

“I ran, I caused pain to my father and nanny and threw everything away.” Relief washed over her with that confession. She was finally honest with herself. She could meet her past openly. And with this realisation she saw all that stemmed from her decision. “If I didn’t though, I would have never met Twilight and learnt of Ein Sof. I wouldn’t be here today and Blueblood would be free to cause even  more harm. I don’t need my personal revenge. Justice finds him instead.

She took few deep breaths and stood up, ready to get her peace. She closed her eyes. It had to be said.

“Prince Blueblood, you did the meanest thing that ever happened to me. But I forgive you. My heart will no longer be bound by that hatred. I forgive you, because I can. I am alive. Many aren’t and you will have to ask for their forgiveness personally. You brought me here. You brought Justice. And Justice acts without malice. Be in peace.”

A pair of hooves suddenly wrapped around her, causing her to panic a little, but when she felt dampness on her neck, she knew there was nothing to fear. Instead of pushing the pony away, she reciprocated the hug.

“How much did you hear, Golden?”

“I am sorry. I was looking for you and then I saw you talking to yourself passionately and somehow I couldn’t bring myself to break you out of it. And there were voices around. I couldn’t understand them. They were for you. I shouldn’t have listened.”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind you knowing at all. You were honest to me too.”

“Did he really do that?” Golden pecked Canvas on the cheek and then pulled away, wiping her tears.

“He did, but it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s in the past and has no effect on today.”

“You are a brave pony, Canvas. I am glad I know you.” She reached into her saddlebag and retrieved a small package from it. “Here. I brought a present for you. You are Justice, so you should look that way too.”

Journalism had changed. You didn’t have to work in that business to notice. All you had to do was take a look on the newspaper stand in the morning. The news about squirrels being rescued from certain death in brooks or a foal getting stung by a bee vanished entirely. Nopony specialised in tabloid anymore either. You can’t very well specialize in what everypony is writing and events of nationwide importance didn’t qualify as tabloid anyway.

The opportunities for quality investigative reporting were plentiful as of late. Compared to the tranquille years of relatively recent past, you could speak of a flood of life-changing events. All you had to do was come to the right place and reap the fat cheques for your writing. Many attempted that.

Gumshoe wasn’t afraid of competition though. Those incapable of prevailing on the market didn’t deserve to in the first place. Maybe that view on the matter stemmed from never suffering in that regard. He always found a way to beat his competitors. While his natural talent for uncovering secrets played a big role in his success, he wouldn’t get this far without being daring to the point of insolence. How else would you describe sneaking into the royal palace of Princess Luna to eavesdrop on the peace talks?

His work didn’t require that level of effort all the time though. He could bring the same news as his colleagues and still get it to the printing based just on his fame. Today was one of those days. The whole land was concentrating on Sequoia Crown’s execution. He wouldn’t be losing anything by covering it. All he had to do was get there.in time.

Sometimes the easiest things could turn out to be the hardest. When he was honest to himself, he didn’t have a single clue as to why Celestia proclaimed that day work-free, not to mention school-free. Did she want her subjects to make family trips to see a pony beheaded? Furthermore, just how was everypony supposed to get to the Plaza? He wouldn’t be surprised if the mouths of the streets leading there would get jammed from too many ponies trying to pass at once.

He sneaked nimbly between two slow-walking ponies and continued forward as fast as he could. They didn’t even notice him. Indeed, if he didn’t become a journalist, he could find a good job as a spy, or these days even an assassin. There are limits to every skill though, which he soon got confirmed. A huge group of ponies seemed to have gathered on a small square and destroyed any chance of getting through. He turned around to find a more viable path, but the escape route was cut off by the ponies arriving.

“So much for easy money,” he muttered to himself. He made few attempts to push through despite knowing the futility of his efforts. Once he gave up on the idea of getting to the execution, his mind turned to the obstacle in his way itself. Why would they gather here? No way could the entire distance to the Plaza be crowded like this. There must have been a reason.

He reared on his hind legs to get a better look at the gathering. As was expected in this part of the city, most of the ponies around belonged to the lower or at best the middle class. While those nearest to him looked about as confused as he felt, toward the other end of the square he could spot a number of rather contented faces casually watching the pile of crates in a small semicircle of free space in front of them. With no shops or warehouses around, it didn’t take a genius to deduce the crates had been brought there as a podium for somepony.

“Those ponies must have been paid to form a crowd in advance. Well played. Maybe this won’t be such a waste of time after all. It won’t make the front page, but at least I will not return with bare hooves.” Gumshoe changed tactics and instead of getting away from the gathering, he ventured further to its centre which, surprisingly, wasn’t half as hard. “Who could wish to address ponies so badly to expend so much money though?”

He didn’t have to wait for the answer too long. A crimson-clad figure emerged from the midst of the contented group. Whoever it was must have put the cloak on only seconds before making the move. Gumshoe wouldn’t miss such a distinct feature during the evaluation of the gathering. The cape leaving the face of the pony in shadows only supported that idea. They wanted to stay anonymous at all costs. As of late there was only one group of ponies who talked to big gatherings without seeking attention for themselves.

As that hooded pony climbed to the top of the pile, the ponies nearest to them bowed. “Yes, they are definitely paid. I haven’t seen anypony bow outside of the castle in ages,” Gumshoe mused and watched in bemusement as row after row bowed as well. “Like sheep. One starts running, the rest follows. Not to mention they got it all wrong. Speaker is not amused and Hexarete preachers never ask for reverence.”

“Please rise, equals don’t bow to each other. I am not a ruler.” The whole bowing ordeal, which Gumshoe refused to partake in, had at least that effect that the feminine voice carried over the heads of ponies unrivaled by any other. Somehow, Gumshoe didn’t doubt it would beat any noise even without that help though. Maybe those glowing eyes under the hood had something to do with it.

“I didn’t come to you today to boss you around or to gain favor. No, you get enough of that all the time from all sides. Today, I came to apologize to you.”

Indeed, that was a twist Gumshoe didn’t expect. Not just from a preacher. From anypony. He hadn’t heard an apology from a high standing pony since Princess Luna returned from her banishment. He withdrew his scroll and pencil and hurriedly scribbled down what he heard. A glance around revealed the rest of the listeners were equally out of concept from that statement though.

“Yes, I want to apologize for all the grief we caused to you. Although they misinterpreted them greatly, the ponies who attacked your city few days ago follow the same teachings as I spread. I stand here without defense, yet I would love to explain their deeds, before you decide my fate.”

Silence reigned over the gathering. Be it expectations, indifference or fear of a trap, something was preventing the ponies from taking any action. The preacher was lucky she arrived so long after the battle. During the first days she would have been shredded to pieces.

“Thank you for giving me the chance,” she reiterated after a short wait. “I deeply appreciate it. You prove to me that your hearts and minds are stronger than those of the attackers. You are free of rashness and weigh every option first. The same couldn’t be said for them. They set on their journey to rescue our brethren from unjust imprisonment. Nopony should suffer for their beliefs on the whim of self-inserted authority. Nopony should watch idly as injustice roots all around. They decided that along with this, the culprits should be punished.”

She encompassed the square with an outstretched hoof. “This city holds much evil within its walls, as well as the gravest prison. My brethren moved through the land in this direction, aiming to defeat both, and they got blinded by this intention. They did horrible things to you and to others, but not out of malice. They followed an ideal of giving ponies fair life in peace and equality. Many of you share it.”

Small murmur rose from the ponies around, Gumshoe’s trained ears filtering the more important remarks. They didn’t sound malicious at all. The preacher couldn’t know that though, so Gumshoe understood the worried deep breath-in as she sat down and spread her forelegs wide. Gumshoe caught a glimpse of her fur color, rich magenta soon vanishing underneath the cloak again.

“They did wrong and they are suffering for it. They will meet even harsher punishment. Yet their hearts are pure. Free yourself of hatred you feel for them. Relieve both your souls and theirs of that burden. And if there is no other way to appease your righteous anger, here I am, a willing sacrifice.”

At first nopony moved. They were gazing at her, sitting there quietly, ready to face her demise as she promised. He couldn’t see her face, but somehow knew she was at peace. For her, no outcome held mysteries. There was no fear. Then the ponies started bowing again. Slowly, one by one, not in organized lines like before. They were giving her their forgiveness, each in his own time. Suddenly even Gumshoe felt the urge to bow to her, but he justified it to himself as a necessity for staying undercover. She humbled herself in front of them and thus she won their hearts.

At long last, when all the ponies joined in, the preacher bowed as well. “Thank you,” she whispered, but everypony could clearly hear her. Those two words contained relief, hope and satisfaction, not just hers, but theirs as well. They all stood up together and Gumshoe expected the gathering to disperse, but the preacher remained in her place.

“I asked you forgiveness for my brethren and myself since I could carry the guilt for what they did. They weren’t the only ponies who caused your grief during the attack though and I can’t act for him. He didn’t wrong just you. Many of the victims of his malice are no longer in this world.”

So this was where she was going with all of her efforts. In the end, she would preach just like every single one of her ‘brethren’ as she called them. Gumshoe couldn’t deny her bravery, but still felt slightly disappointed. His report wouldn’t carry half the importance it would if it stayed only with the apology. Still, he would at least stay till the end.

“When violence befalls ponies, the attacker is not the only one to blame. If somepony had means to prevent harm and didn’t use them, they carry the same responsibility. You suffered because one pony decided to allow it.” The intently listening ponies started shifting in beginning excitement. Everypony knew who she was talking about. Everypony felt that injustice. She was merely voicing their feelings. “The word has it that pony prioritized his personal comfort to safety of everypony, the protection at risk of many instead of the other way around. He chose wisely when he ordered the death of my brethren, but they didn’t deserve to suffer so much either.

The participants of the attack, my brethren, are either dead or in deep dungeons. They are paying the price for their crimes. But this pony stands without punishment, happily continuing his carefree life. He must be tried and if found guilty of what he is accused of, he must be punished.”

Gumshoe looked around in agitation. Did they really get convinced so quickly? Judging by their loud cheering, they were. On the second thought though, maybe they had that conviction in them all along, the preacher only enticing it to the surface. Either way, things were getting heated quickly.

“Bring Prince Blueblood to me on Limestone Boulevard. There he will be interrogated and judged. Either he will justify his actions, or he will get his rightful punishment. Either way, justice will be met today.”

She pointed to the street leading in direction of luxurious parts of the city and the crowd began moving. Nopony was staying behind. Gumshoe saw that even the ponies he uncovered as paid assistants were marching with the rest of them, fully determined to help. He made another attempt to get free, to escape the crowd, but it carried him like a tide carries a small pebble.

This couldn’t go unanswered, could it? Somepony would step in and stop that madness! His hopes rose when he spotted few guards a bit further down the street. Not enough to stop the crowd, but they could always call for reinforcements and stall long enough to divert the worst, right?

They did nothing though. They stood there with horror etched in their faces, and tugged at their spears. The weapons wouldn’t budge! They were standing on the blunt end and thin roots were running in all directions from them. Reluctantly the spearheads would fall off, pushed off the handle by young branches.

The crowd ignored the guards’ struggle as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Gumshoe gazed at the powerless guards with pleading eyes as he was passing along them, but he couldn’t get out of the stream. He would have to witness everything.

Once he reached that realisation, it was a matter of his journalistic professionalism to push through his fears and apprehension. He quickly scribbled down what he saw happen to the spears and continued taking notes. After all, if he had fled from unexpected events in the past, he would have never reached such outstanding position in his branch.

For the second time, Lightning Dust was approaching the prison at eight AM. This time, she was walking with Strom and Static in the convoy along with four other royal guards and a prison escort wagon. She herself was dressed in the armored uniform to blend in with her allies.

“Geez. I never thought of how uncomfortable this armor is. How do you guys do it?”

“You get used to it after awhile, cuz. We’re almost there. Once we clear the gates, make a beeline to the tunnel entrance while the officers are distracted with Sequoia's transit. Dad says there should be friends down there that will help you.”

Lightning Dust nodded and patiently waited for them to approach the gate. Strom was on point and when he got close, the gate officer closed the distance. “Lieutenant Strom, sir,” he said flashing a salute.

Strom held out his ID and security pass. “I’m here for the death row inmate. Her majesty wants him transported to Royal Plaza.”

“Very well, go on in. Perhaps he’ll be an example for the rest of those snakes up there.”

The convoy moved in once the chain link gates opened. Lightning Dust was careful to keep her face hidden from the eyes of the guards; even if most of them were likely in on the plan, there was no point in taking chances. Though barely moving her head, her eyes were still free to scan the entire right side of the prison courtyard, aside from a few one story buildings and sheds obstructing her vision. The wagon stopped in the center of the yard and Strom made exactly three flutters with his wings, a signal to his niece it was time to split from the group.

After this signal, the convoy’s sides fanned out to mask the stray movement of the mare as she cantered behind the building to the northeast. Once she confirmed nopony was inside, she opened the door and locked it behind her before closing the shade of the window next to it, moving to the steel door on the opposite wall. There was an audible tapping on the other side.

“Over here!”

Lightning Dust was quick to open the door to reveal a bulky brown unicorn guard on the other side, holding a recently lit lantern on his saddle. “Why hello there, Mr. Prometheus. Giving that fire to the mortals, are we?”

“Very funny. C’mon, we need to hurry. The others will be ready soon. I don’t want to be around here when the warden makes his inspection.”

“Copy that.”

The unicorn gave his lantern to Lightning Dust, hanging it on her own saddle. “These tunnels are a convoluted mess, but when you work down here long enough, you get a sense of where you need to go. Your friends should be at the end of the northwest quadrant. Getting them out of their cells and down here shouldn’t be an issue. We’ll have to make a detour or two, but I’m sure we can get everypony out of the city if we intersect into the sewer system. It’ll be cramped, but it’s the safest route.”

“After we do this, make sure you don’t stick around for long. I’ll do the best I can but if you get caught, I won’t be able to help you.”

“Any family members were evacuated well in advance, I’m sure we can handle this just fine. Worry about the noncombatants. Oh and by the way, if you see Scales, tell him I said thanks.”

Lightning nodded. Guess he made an impression on this guy. Even behind bars, their words inspire. She stayed quiet for most of her trip through the somewhat spacious concrete tunnels. It was surprisingly well lit at the moment with magic powered light crystals, though that would change soon when the grid would be deactivated.  As she walked with the unicorn, she would catch glimpses of other guards, who would nod in acknowledgement upon making eye contact. Lightning Dust would use this to determine who was friend and who was foe.

The two soon came to an isolated room, a sort of break room where other ponies were waiting for them. All of the nodded once they saw Lightning Dust.

“All of you be ready to go in the next twenty minutes,” the unicorn guard commanded. “When the lieutenant gives the signal, I will need that grid deactivated fast.” He then turned to Lightning Dust. “The outage should shut off the primary locking mechanisms on the cells. From there, we’ll be able to open them manually.”

“Gotcha. You all know who to free right? Be careful you don’t release the wrong prisoners. I want to be in and be out within ten minutes at the most.” Lightning Dust took a seat near the door. And now we play the waiting game.

The Blueblood mansion tended to be quiet in the morning. Whether this was because the master of the house rarely got up before ten or because the servant staff had a tendency to leave during the first week of employment, it was unclear. However, that was not necessarily a bad thing. Not when your mistress was yearning for some bonding.

Blueblood lay in his bed, slowly waking up to the small amount of movement next to him. His mare sat next to him wearing a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head, just fresh out of the shower with her namesake coat still gleaming from the water and shampoo. As he glanced over to see the stunning image beside him, the sultry look Ruby gave him was a profound indicator of how the day was going to start. Sometimes, it’s good to be prince.

Ruby used her magic to remove the towel from her head and leaned in closer to her mate’s face, during which the stallion caught a whiff of the pleasant aroma of her shampoo. As she laid down, her hoof started to gravitate under the covers while she planted a soft kiss on his neck.

“So soon after showering?” Blueblood calmly said as he used his own magic to disrobe Ruby.

“Nothing wrong with getting dirty after getting clean,” she teased. “Fridays are meant for winding down after all.”

The couple spent close to thirteen minutes of kissing, caressing, and teasing, oblivious to the sounds of banging and yelling coming from the outside. It was easy for them to write it off as construction or ponies gathering for Sequoia's execution. Perhaps a bit early for that, it was still a ways away before the time would come. It wasn’t until the sound of broken glass that Blueblood stopped and really questioned it.

“Did you hear that?” he said sitting up. “That didn’t-”

“It was probably just a wine glass. You know how clumsy and useless those stupid earth pony servant are,” Ruby said nonchalantly as she waved her hoof. “C’mon, I know you want something more interesting.”

Ruby pushed Blueblood back down on his back and crawled under the covers as she lay on his chest and licked her lips. Not too long did they get to enjoy themselves before the sound of stomping hooves radiate through the house. It was far too much stomping to just be the servants, not to mention the abnormal amount of speech. While Ruby clearly didn’t give a care what else was going on, focusing only on their moment, Blueblood was growing increasingly concerned.

His concerns ended up being justified when the noise came closer to the bedroom and he could clearly hear the destruction of his house. Blueblood pushed Ruby off, much to her chagrin of being denied her pleasure, and went to check the hall. He immediately regretted this decision as he was instantly pushed back onto the ground.

“What in the world?! How did you-”

The obscenity he was about to shout was cut short with a pitchfork pointed right at his most vulnerable weak spot and he promptly shut up. Ruby was caught off guard by this sudden influx of strangers entering the bedroom. At first she was more angry than anything that ponies were seeing her without any clothes, as she was almost never seen in public without some kind of expensive garment. But then she saw the weapons being pointed at her and her lover.

“What the hell is going on?! Why are all of you scumbags invading our home!?” she demanded. There unfortunately was not much she could do to defend herself in this situation. Though she was a unicorn, she did not know any spells that would be appropriate for self-defense, not even so much as a weak barrier spell, much less teleportation.

A brown earth stallion walked past the subdued Blueblood with a few other stallions of the same race. “Dove Ruby and Prince Blueblood. Your presence is required downtown. If you refuse, we will take you by force.”

“You think you can order moi around? A lowly earth pony like you?”

The haughty mare was then restrained against the wall and a hard punch was delivered to her stomach. It was pain that she had never felt before. Nopony ever had the nerve to physically assault her before today, let alone break into her home. As she was being overpowered by ‘peasants’ too, it was a punch to the gut in more ways than one.

“Yes. I do. And it’s exactly that kind of behavior that got you into this situation.” The group placed restraints on both unicorns, including those on their hooves and horns. Blueblood remained surprisingly calm in all this. He was clearly flustered, but he was not struggling like Ruby was to get away.

“My father will see to it that you pay for this! And don’t you realize who you’re dealing with? Did you forget that his aunt is Princess Celestia?! One word and she’ll have your asses on those gallows too!”

“Is that word going to come from beyond the grave? Look, nopony is going to save you, so shut up and cooperate or we will make this much more difficult for you.”

Ruby did not cease though. She continued threatening and swearing as she and Blueblood were led downstairs and outside the mansion. Finally, the brown stallion had all he could take and he took a small piece of rope and tied it tightly around Ruby’s muzzle. While she still muffled angrily, he took satisfaction in her frustrated flailing. The look of humiliation on her face was priceless as she was donned a dirty burlap sack.

“Alright gang. We need to move fast. We only have so much time. Move out!”

Her cell was cold. Not in the sense that the temperature itself was frigid, as it was actually rather stuffy due to her struggling against her restraints. The atmosphere left a very hostile impact on Canopy. A lot of ponies, inmates and officers alike, did not treat her kindly, nor did they treat the survivors any better. The inmates were understandable. They were usually here for a reason. It was the officers and their malice or indifference that scared her more.

She lost track of how long she had been here. A majority of her time was spent anchored to the wretched wall on a length of chain just long enough to reach the door when her meals came. It was uncomfortable, but at least she was only cuffed  at her hind legs. During her early days in the special housing unit, she would be pulled out to be interrogated. Those were some of the most emotionally stressful moments in her entire life, and at one point it was physically stressful when a guard resorted to abuse. This stopped after the second day, but it was torment that would stay with her for a long time.

But the biggest scar wasn’t the bruising, nor the fragility in her legs from the violence. It was the fact that she was directly responsible for causing this mess. She had nopony but herself to blame for the situation she was in. It was her fault that so many ponies lost their lives to all the violence. Most of her friends were among the statistics. Of all the survivors, why was she one of them? Her beloved brother saved her life, but at what expense she did not know. However, she feared the worst.

And Rice…. He was gone forever.

Not a single day went by that Canopy didn’t shed tears over this fruitless idea. If it was possible, she would turn back time so that she could slap herself for even suggesting it in the first place.

“Why didn’t I just wait?...” she mumbled to herself through her tears. “Why didn’t I follow Lightning Dust’s advice? I’m sorry Rice…. Arc…”

The thought of spending the rest of her life in this prison presented conflicting feelings to the pegasus. Very few ponies ever want to be incarcerated for life. It was their very freedom being taken away from them and for an energetic pegasus like her, that was the ultimate punch to the gut. It was a life sentence, a fate crueler than death. Yet in the wake of her actions, perhaps this was where she belonged. Did she really deserve to be free for all the blood on her hooves?

Her thoughts were interrupted when the lights of the unit when out. No way it was already time for lights out, it was only morning. If not for the accursed chain holding her back, Canopy would have jumped up and glanced out the small window at the steel door. It was too dark to see what was going on anyway, though some faint but persistent noises aroused her suspicion further. All she could hear was the distinct sounds of metal against metal. It was the all too familiar sign of a struggle.

The metallic sounds ceased abruptly when a powerful smack collided with one of the living bodies outside. It was the sounds of masculine grunts hitting the walls that allowed her to determine it was the guards being on the receiving end. There was no doubt now: it was a jailbreak in progress.

“Canopy? You’re in there, right?” calmly asked a familiar voice. Canopy’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Surely it couldn’t be…

“L-Lightning Dust? Is that…?”

“Stand to the side.”

Canopy quickly obeyed and all she could hear was a clanging sound before the steel door was penetrated by what appeared to be a thick gold spear. Only, it wasn’t a spear at all as the supposed spearhead separated into three claw appendages and quite literally shredded the cell open, tearing the door off its hinges. Lightning Dust walked on her hind hooves with large gauntlets covering her forehooves. The red and gold plating irradiated the cell with a dim green glow with about the luminosity of a large candle, the citrine and emerald orbs on the wrists being the source of this light.

“I’m sorry it took so long, Canopy,” Lightning stated, kneeling down before the slightly startled pegasus. The rescuer adopted a look of concern when she got in closer to cut the chain and caught a glimpse of the signs of abuse on Canopy. “Oh my goodness, you don’t look well. Static wasn’t exaggerating about those interrogations. Can you stand?”

“Y-yeah. It l-looks worse than it really is.”

Canopy wasn’t entirely truthful with her statement. She wasn’t crippled by any means, but there was a stiff pain when she tried to bend her swollen limbs to stand. It did not help that her previous sitting position had cut off circulation in her legs.

Lightning Dust flexed the wrist of her right hoof and the gauntlet on that corresponding limb reverted back to the size of the bangle that she wore. She then used that free hoof to aid the struggling pegasus to the point where she could stand upright. Despite some initial trouble, she was on all fours and would be walking out of the open cell on her own, albeit with a slight limp.

“Hey, are you sure you’re alright? The pain isn’t too much for you?” Lightning asked growing increasingly concerned about her comrade, as well as the integrity of the mission.

“I’m fine. I’m just… I was only…” she stammered on the verge of breaking down. “I was just scared. I had so much on my mind.” Canopy attempted as best she could to fight back the inevitable sobs as Lightning wrapped a wing around her. “I’m sorry, general. I was foolish to do what I did. I… I let everypony down. Arc...”

“I can’t deny your actions, but you did it with the best of intentions.”

“No… I-”

“Sorry, we don’t have a lot of time to waste. I could use your help freeing the others though. I’m sure your brother would like to see you again too,” Lightning smirked.

Canopy wanted to protest, but she ended up simply nodding and looked around to the other cell doors in the unit. The fact that she saw so many guards and officers working to free her brethren confused her. Why were they doing this and how did Lightning Dust get this much help? From law enforcement no less. Perhaps she shouldn’t complain. She was free from the horror and so were her brethren.

There unfortunately wasn’t much she could do in her tender state. Her legs were only strong enough to support her weight, not move the weight of a steel door more than a few centimeters. Still, she did the best she could despite her current condition. One by one, she proceeded to help free her fellow ponies who had been imprisoned for false crimes or overzealous actions.

The curious thing about this whole situation was the guards who were assisting her, both prison patrol officers and royal sentinels. She didn’t recognize any that gave her hell from before during interrogation, but that didn’t do anything to explain why they were part of the rescue party in the first place. If anything, they should have been trying to stop the attempt. Again, she couldn’t complain nor was she willing to. It just felt… odd.

That awkward feeling soon passed when she came to one particular cell with Lightning Dust and a blue pegasus guard who she had seen from time to time pass by her cell. Unlike the others, this one had a medical chart on the door. Nopony present could make out the jargon, but it was an indication that the pony behind this door required special attention.

“Hey Static, can you help me with this?” Lightning Dust said to the male pegasus.

“Wait, why do you need my help? Can’t you pierce steel with those things?” Static retorted as he eyed the illuminating gauntlets.

“Uh, yeah. I meant after I get the door open,” Lightning responded flatly.

“Oh. Ohhh, okay sure.”

“Stand back you two.”

Lightning Dust reared and assumed a front stance, the claw of her left gauntlet clenched and the right extended flat. She then started to retract her right hoof back slowly, as if preparing for a lunge. This was a good indication for Canopy and Static to stay clear. Faster than the blink of an eye, the lightning pegasus delivered a spear strike against the steel door, puncturing it with ease while being careful not to overdo it. With her claws penetrating the door just enough, she bent the tips of her weapon to create small hooks that imbedded into the opposite side and it was simple enough to break the lock when she jerked her hoof back. From there, it was easy enough to open the door.

After the whole three seconds elapsed, Static and Canopy - to the best of her ability - opened the now mangled cell door. The interior did not differ much from the other cells in the unit, aside from the absence of chains and shackles as they were not needed for this inmate. It was the unconscious prisoner himself laying on the prison bed that held Canopy’s attention, particularly the brace on his torso. She knew the olive coat and dark gold mane anywhere, those that were similar to her own.

“Thats…”

Canopy moved closer to get a better look at the pony. She didn’t want to get her hopes up before she knew for absolute certain that he was who she thought he was. By all accounts, the body build, the mane, and the race all pointed to the optimistic answer. When his cutie mark was illuminated by Lightning Dust’s gauntlets, there was no doubt.

“Arc… Oh Arc, you’re alive!” Canopy wrapped her hooves around the stallion’s neck in a sobbing embrace. “I’m sorry, Arc! I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

Canopy would have sobbed for eternity if Lightning Dust didn’t put a hoof on her shoulder, once again removing the gauntlet on said hoof. “It’ll be alright, Canopy. He’ll be alright.”

“But it’s because of me he ended up like this in the first place. How can I face him again after that?”

“Trust me. He’s family.”

Static stomped his hoof a few times to get their attention. “Assuming we even have the time. Sorry, but we’ll have to worry about this later. The deadline is drawing close.” He stood closer to the bedridden stallion and carefully attempted to hoist him onto his back. Though Arc wasn’t exactly light as a feather, Static was no weakling in terms of muscle. He was a soldier after all and he had lifted heavier things.

“Please be careful with him,” Canopy pleaded.

“No worries, m’lady,” Static winked.

Just about every other target were rounded up by this time. There was not a moment to spare, they needed to head out now if there was a chance at a stable getaway. Everypony could feel that tension as the escape party led back into the underground tunnel system. WIth so many ponies, the corridors quickly became cramped.

“Listen up, guys,” Lightning Dust said just loud enough for the group to hear without yelling. “I’m going to need everypony’s cooperation on this. We’ll be traversing these tunnels for a good while. I assure you we’ll find the exit, but until then, we need you to stay calm. If you stray from the group, I won’t be able to help you.”

A silent nod followed the group. They already knew the stakes of this situation. If they wanted to live to see the light at the end of the tunnel, they needed to stay together. There was safety in numbers. The threat of imminent danger hardly faded though. This was still home territory for the enemy and though a few of the ally officers knew the route, there were known unknowns that could be lurking around any corner.

Twenty minutes of anxious walking passed before a rear officer noticed a troubling noise far behind them. He looked back over the long void that they had crossed before and though it was faint, he could see a light. The light of a patrol’s illumination magic. And it was slowly growing in size.

“Code six!”

Lightning Dust, who was flying with her gauntlets to give light to the group, looked back and saw the faint light approaching much faster than she would have liked. She quickly bolted to the rear and firmly planted her hooves about two meters behind the party and waited for the opposition to approach. As they did though, the headcount grew to a frightening ten guards giving chase.

Canopy could see the reluctance in Lightning’s eyes as she looked back at the group. She was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. She was hoping her task didn’t have to involve bloodshed. But given the nature of her heritage, perhaps it was inevitable. Nopony in her family lived a life free of conflict. Nor did anypony else for that matter.

There was no way to avoid it now. The least she could do was ensure the safety of her comrades, if only for a short moment. She closed her eyes and a breeze manifested behind her. That small zephyr soon transformed into a squall as a ring of sparkling dust formed a translucent halo, the dust giving shape to an otherwise invisible corona.

Lightning Dust assumed another front stance, similar to the one she had in freeing Arc. But something more intimidating cloaked her this time. As the enemy guards drew closer, the howling of wind grew increasingly louder, as did the force of the gale itself. Everypony, Canopy included, instinctively held on to each other and onto the pipes that ran along the tunnel to keep from getting knocked off their feet. The approaching guards became affected as well with their advancing becoming slower, losing control over the powerful wind tunnel this had become.

In the blink of an eye, Lightning lunged in a blistering velocity that closed the ten meter distance with a hard smack to one guard’s stomach. He was instantly incapacitated with enough pain to make him pass out. Lightning followed suit with subsequent takedowns. They did not stand a chance against an enemy who was seemingly unaffected by the forceful maelstrom, but used its force to her advantage.

With all guards either stunned or unconscious, Lightning Dust shifted back towards her own group and let the remaining winds she could muster push the guards back into the complex from whence they came. She was breathing slightly harder, but she otherwise looked uninjured.

“Run! It’s only a matter of time before they bring reinforcements. We need to get out of here now, double time!”

There was a second long delay before everypony started back in their original direction, only this time sprinting with their lives dependant on it. Every second counted down here, and now it was essentially everypony for himself. Once they turned the final corner, it was a straight up five-hundred meter dash for freedom. Nopony would dare slow down by this point with the threshold so close.

Lightning flew along with the herd, staying in the air should she need to defend them again. It was no surprise her speed would allow her to keep up with the group, but she stayed toward the rear to keep an eye on her cousin and the twin pegasi. Canopy was clenching her teeth. The pain in her tender joints was extremely uncomfortable, but fear was dominating her will to give into to exhaustion.

Static however was struggling to keep up. Arc’s weight was taking a toll on Static’s stamina. It didn’t matter how strong he was, Static could only sprint for so long with the cargo on his back. He was slowing down and falling behind, worrying his cousin greatly.

“Keep going, cuz! We’re almost there!”

“I’M TRYING THE BEST I CAN, OKAY?!”

Lightning didn’t doubt that in the slightest, but unfortunately it wasn’t meeting her expectations. With every inch he fell behind, desperation replaced hope for the three pegasi, especially for Canopy who did not want to lose her brother again. But it was what her idol said next that really sent her over the edge.

“Static! We need to leave him behind! Don’t fall behind!”

Canopy could not believe it. Was Lightning really telling him to drop her brother? To feed him to those vultures? After all that effort to get him out, she was willing to let him go back? “NO!” she shouted in retaliation. “YOU CAN’T DO THAT! I WON’T LET YOU DO IT!”

“Canopy, I’m sorry. I really am, trust me. But Static can’t run like this and Arc can’t even walk. I know your brother is important to you, but-”

“Lightning Dust, I swear to the Creator herself, if you leave him behind I will NEVER forgive you!”

Canopy was understandably angry and it pained Lightning Dust to see her fury over this. They were presented with a Mortan’s Fork, this was going to hurt regardless of the outcome. But she couldn’t let it register on an emotional level. Setting aside the fact that her own family member risked imprisonment and death if he fell too far behind, he was a vital asset who could provide strategic support in the future. Arc could not.

“I stand by my logic, Canopy. If you have to resent me for making this choice… So be it.”

The olive pegasus gained a horrified look on her face. It was happening all over again. She was losing control of the situation and she would lose her brother, most likely for good this time. An angry tear leaked from her eye as she shot a glare at Static, who did not know how to react. He didn’t want to drop his cargo until he knew for certain what was going on. It was order nopony wanted to see happen.

Which is why Canopy decided to take back control.

Canopy moved closer to Static and he braced himself for some sort of spiteful shove, but to his surprise she stopped short of affecting his movement. Instead, she got as close as she could and was actually attempting to yank Arc off his back. “I’m not leaving him behind. If you won’t get him out of here, then I will. I’m NOT letting him die!”

“Canopy! You’re in no state to carry him!” Lightning Dust said utterly disturbed at her ludicrous decision. “You’ll fall behind-”

“You don’t understand what it’s like to lose the closest friend you’ve ever had so just SHUT THE BUCK UP! Maybe I’ll fall behind, but if I have even the slightest chance of seeing him live… so be it.”

With that, Canopy’s brother was resting on her own back. She had severely underestimated the added strain that this would entail, not just in her hooves but it wasn’t until now that she realized how bad off the bones in her wings were and with his weight exerting pressure on them, it became absolutely unbearable. But there was no turning back now. She was determined to see this through to the end. Even if she would be left behind by her former idol, she would at least die by Arc’s side.

Boot camp was nothing like the marathon she was running. Every burning muscle in her body, every bead of sweat that dripped down her face, nothing from her crying body would deflect the sheer force of will that kept her going. She was overclocking herself harder than she ever thought possible. This was the tour de force of her life.

Static regained a second wind. Though he could never hope to be as fast as his all-star cousin, he took advantage of the lack of weight and took flight to relieve the fire in his legs. Both he and Lightning Dust were honestly shocked to see Canopy keeping pace with them as if she was in top shape.

I’m sorry this had to happen, Canopy.

At last after so much exertion, the end of the road. They and everypony in the group crossed the mouth of the tunnel into the light of the outside. They stood far below the train bridge that led into the city they fled and once the last pony exited the tunnel, Lightning Dust used her gauntlets one last time to slice the pipes and supports of the entrance and soon after, the mouth of the system caved in and sealed it.

Everypony wheezed and gasped heavily, promising themselves never to take oxygen for granted ever again. The only pony not absolutely fatigued was Lightning Dust who was well used to pushing her limits. This was nothing for her.

“Take a small rest, then do what you can to make your way back to the Empire. I’m confident Canvas will hold most of the attention. You did very well everypony.” She turned to the officers and royal guards who aided today’s efforts with a genuine smile. “Thanks guys, your help was very much appreciated and I assure you will not go unnoticed.”

The officers knew it was safe to rest for awhile before they needed to head out with their new friends. But staying in this particular spot wasn’t wise. Prior to this day, they had stashed camping supplies and tents halfway towards the north side of the mountain. They planned on distributing a bulk of this equipment to the now fugitives for their journey back home. After a brief rest to recover, the group headed towards to the rendezvous site.

Static grew anxious during the walk, constantly training his eyes above to the city of Canterlot. What was happening up there he wondered. Likely, nopony would pay much attention to the jailbreak given the imminent executions, but what about the aftermath? His family was still up there, how long would it take for him to see his beloved again?

“She’ll be just fine, cuz,” Lightning wrapped a wing around him. “I promise you, Canvas is much tougher than she looks. Golden will be safe with her.”

The assembly of nobles on the tribune was sitting silently, occasionally peeking at Celestia in the middle. Their faces were remaining painfully expressionless to the point of resembling badly crafted masks. When they were unfortunate enough to meet her eyes, they nodded with utmost respect and quickly averted their gaze.

It was the wrong kind of respect though. The one that grew from fear, not love or reason. They were scared the would be the next in Sequoia’s place or that Celestia wouldn’t be appeased with disassembling Dominion and would orchestrate further repercussions. She never wished for them to fear her, but if she were to choose between disrespect and this, she would act the same again. In the end, she wasn’t even sure they ever addressed her with loving respect in the first place anymore.

Representatives of all noble families were present. They all had been given invitations worded rather clearly as a demand for attendance. But even if they hadn’t, Celestia assumed, they would have showed up nonetheless. They wouldn’t miss the death of their rival for the world, not to mention risk being seen as not agreeing with it. The only exception to that were Twilight Velvet and Night Light. They sent a word that enough gruesome things had happened and they didn’t feel a need to witness another. They ignored all invitations from Celestia’s side though, so there was no surprise.

One more noble was missing at the occasion, the one who didn’t even receive invitation. While watching the fate of those who dare stood up against Celestia had a chance of teaching Blueblood a valuable lesson, Celestia assumed so would the real punishment. He would never hold an important office again and she would order him to help the citizens deal with the fallout of his recklessness. But to allow that, the anger of the ponies would have to be quenched. She hoped today would help with that.

The grave occasion and their animosity wouldn’t stop the nobles from flaunting their wealth around though. They were all wearing luxurious gowns and suits, many of which were newly crafted as her friend Rarity confirmed to her. The jewellery covering their necks, ears and hooves would be enough to stop the blade as well. Celestia remembered her decorative yoke doing that service to her a long time ago in one of the battles during uniting of ponykind.

Speaking of Rarity, Celestia was eternally grateful for her company. Following the return of Fancy Pants, more ponies found their way back into Celestia’s circle of friends, and along with the two previously named Fleur Des Lee was sitting by her side as well. In their company, Celestia didn’t care about the rest of the haughty nobility around.

It was almost time and she spotted the guards escorting Sequoia to the gallows. They had to use the handles of their spears to force the gathered ponies out of the way. It looked like half of canterlot yearned to see the spectacle, pressing on the wooden construction like a python choking its prey. Not that long ago Celestia would have laughed in the face of anypony who would expect such bloodlust in the hearts of ponies.

By the old tradition, they gave Sequoia’s brown cape girded with a rope as a sign of his loss of status. The hood was hiding his face until he climbed up to the platform, accompanied by two guards. The executioner, clad in a similar cape, only black, stepped to him and pulled the hood back.

Sequoia hardly resembled the proud stallion he used to be. Celestia was receiving reports about his state, but the change still took her by surprise. His cheeks had lost all shape, falling in like on the skeleton and he had bags under his eyes. The jagged stump of his horn served as a symbol of his guilt, punishment and pain at once. He ignored both the executioner and the sword lying nearby, his eyes were roaming over the gathering instead until they found what they sought and to Celestia’s surprise his lips curled into a soft smile.

She followed his gaze to its target and the expression quickly found its justification. Pine Diadem stood among the regular citizens, his violet cloak differentiating him from the mass of mostly naked ponies. He was muttering something, back in the overall commotion Celestia would have trouble hearing him from a yard away, not to mention fifty. Despite how heavily the situation must have weighed on him, he held his head high and when he felt Celestia’s eyes on him, he returned the gaze.

Although he wouldn’t hold the noble title for much longer, he reacted just like the others, giving her a nod. In his there was no fear though. He acknowledged the punishment of his father and the consequences it had for him. But you don’t simply forgive those who kill your family, no matter how just the reasons.

In the meantime Sequoia walked over to the block and turned to the tribune as the herald climbed up to the platform from the other side.

“Sequoia Crown,” the herald shouted over the noise, his voice magically amplified, “you have been found guilty of grand treason and attempting coup, punishment for which is death. Do you wish to say anything before the sentence is carried out?”

Sequoia took few steps toward the tribune and bowed deeply. Then he looked up at Celestia. “I do, your highness. I wish to say that I did wrong and that I deserve the punishment you are giving me. My mind was clouded with vanity and ignorance. You are the true ruler of Equestria.”

While the words were pleasing to her, they also disturbed her greatly. The guards told her that his sanity vanished along with his magic, yet here he was talking clearly as day, fully aware! What was more, there was not a trace of pleading in his tone. What was going on? Celestia spread her wings and drifted down to the platform, causing a lot of confusion on the tribune. Halfway down she realised just how similar her moves were to her confrontation with Sequoia during the audience, but he didn’t cower at all this time.

“I appreciate your statement, Sequoia,” she said quietly, just for his ears, “yet they make me wonder. Don’t you fear death? Don’t you wish to stay alive?”

“There is no need for fear when you know what lies ahead, your highness. And I lost my right to live with that deed.”

“You must at least feel resentment toward me then.”

“Why should I? I have only myself to blame for what befell me. I respect your judgment, your highness and find it fair. Live well and please forgive me my foolishness one day.” He spoke evenly, serenity in his face changed by the past suffering. Celestia didn’t do anything when the guards motioned Sequoia to the block, the stallion complying without resistance. She just stared after him. Absolute acceptance of his fate was the last thing she would expect from that proud noble. He placed his head in position and the executioner prepared the sword, waiting on her signal.

For that you are sentenced to death. The judgment is to be executed immediately.

Death! Death! Death!

She place her hooves over her ears, trying to shut out the chanting that assaulted her, but there was no escape. They weren’t coming from the crowd around. She heard them inside her head.

Death! Death! Death!

So much hatred pulsed in those words, many ponies uniting for a horrid cause, demanding blood. That wasn’t how her subjects used to act. That wasn’t how she used to rule. The executioner was lifting the sword...

Death! Death! Death!

“No!” she shouted and the executioner froze in the middle of the deadly move. “As the one who you trespassed against, I deem you suffered enough. You are granted royal pardon and are to be set free!”

From the corner of her eye she spotted Pine Diadem pushing his way through the confused crowd and toward the steps to the platform. She turned to the crowd and lifted one forehoof to get their attention. “Death is only the last solution and as long as any other option stands, we should prevent losses of lives. Because death only results in more death and the circle never breaks. There will be no bloody spectacle today and hopefully in the future!”

Pine reached the top of the steps and embraced his father with tears in his eyes. The elder stallion reciprocated the gesture, but there was no relief in his expression, just tiredness. Celestia sat down, watching in turn the ponies starting to leave the plaza and the reunion of the two unicorns when Fiery Swirl approached her from the side.

“Your highness, we received reports of breaking riot in the area of Limestone Boulevard. Permission to step in?”

Pine and Sequoia were leaving the platform, the younger stallion supporting his father in his fragile walk, and the executioner was putting his blade into a wooden case, carefully covering it with silken blanket.

“Your highness?”

“Permission granted. But the use of deadly force is not authorized.”

Life had a nasty way to turn the tables on ponies sometimes. One way you are enjoying a peaceful morning with the prospect of spending all of your passion with your lover, the next… The next your hooves are shackled and you are led like some filthy criminal through the city. Blueblood never suspected it would come down to this. Why should he?

At first he thought maybe this whole mess was just a part of the punishment aunt Celestia prepared for him. She sported a fairly odd sense of humor, not to mention judgment of what was appropriate. That hope faded quickly though. The mob around him was hissing with hatred and several times somepony called out for his death.

The few guards they met on their journey didn’t make the impression of saviors either. As bizarre as it was, they were trying to wrestle young trees bristling with leaves from the ground. Under different circumstances Blueblood would have laughed at that sight to no end. But joviality leaves you quickly when you are surrounded by armed rabble, bound and escorted somewhere. He would prefer them sprinting to his rescue, especially if blood of those ruffians would be shed in the process. Alas, for that task there would have had to gather much greater number of guards.

They actually should have been around and they should have been carrying spears! Why didn’t the guards have spears? A glimpse of sunlight sprung into his eye. It didn’t reflect from any window or mirror. No, the rays were playing on several shards of metal among the roots of the tree that grew in the middle of the pavement. Blueblood shuddered as he realised the tree couldn’t have been called that just few minutes ago.

He couldn’t count on the help from outside and his own chances for breaking free drew desperately close to zero. With his appendages bound so tight that he could barely walk and with his magic blocked, what could he possibly accomplish? He was no master of escapes. Not to mention that he couldn’t leave Ruby behind, even if he could save himself. He loved her truly, and his momentary satisfaction with her being kept quiet couldn’t change any of that. He couldn’t think in the atmosphere of never-ceasing stream of insults toward the mob she would spew. In this point he could find a common ground with their captors, although it would hardly help him in bargaining freedom.

According to his cutie mark he excelled at finding ways and he proved that on many occasions throughout his life. The problem was, sometimes the way he found wouldn’t follow his wishes, leading where he needed to be instead. There was no path of escape and from what he gathered he wouldn’t live for too much longer. He could attempt to protect Ruby though. And he definitely should cherish the few remaining minutes.

He stepped to the right and pressed his side against Ruby’s. The mare had been tugging at her restraints and muffling through her forcibly closed lips the whole time since they left the manor, but as their fur touched, the noises stopped and she stiffened a bit, but eventually relaxed and leaned into him. She was trembling and whimpered a little, letting Blueblood know she was more scared than enraged at the moment.

“It’s a beautiful day,” he whispered directly to where he expected her ear so quietly, nopony in the mob would hear. “You wouldn’t find a single cloud in the sky. The houses glow with alabaster and the shopkeepers put the flowerpots out for the day. Do you smell their sweet scent?”

She nodded slightly and took a deeper breath. She always liked flowers and whenever Blueblood wanted to brighten her mood, he would order a huge bouquet for her. That wouldn’t suffice today, not in this mess. He sighed and nuzzled her over the sack on her head. “Everything will be ok, Ruby. We will get out of this. Don’t worry, they won’t hurt us.” She trusted him. The trembling almost stopped. He just wished he wasn’t consciously so blatantly lying.

They arrived to the lower part of Limestone Boulevard and the castle came to view. According to the legend, which for Equestria equalled history since eyewitnesses of events a thousand years gone still walked among ponies, the whole boulevard was transmogrified from one massive piece of limestone found during the prospector works for the new seat of the crown. Celestia herself turned the stone into the forward-most beacon of the castle representing her power and glory. While the fortifications had been removed with the growth of the city, the statues remained from those old days. Blueblood had an unnerving feeling that the statues were watching him intently, full of expectation.

Other than that, he could be certain of quantum of eyes gazing at him. The mob that assailed his manor apparently hive off a much larger group that was waiting here. Most ponies gathered in the upper part of the boulevard, in front of two massive statues of a pegasus and a unicorn, one of their hooves outstretched so that it pointed at the castle for the spectator. While they didn’t have their regalia, everypony knew they were meant to depict Princess Platinum and Commander Hurricane. The only reason why they didn’t was the affair earth ponies would start for the absence of their founder. The truth was, nopony knew how Chancellor Puddinghead looked or if they were even real.

A swift in his posterior snapped Blueblood from his memories of school years studying to the harsh present. Ruby at his side, they were made to walk down between two rows of ponies. Nopony said anything, nopony was shouting, they were just gazing at them and once the group would pass, the ponies would follow behind them.

As they neared the statues, the ponies stopped forming the orderly lines along their path. They had been clumped in a circle around something and engrossed to the point of not noticing the newcomers until the brown stallion that announced Blueblood the arrest called out to them. As the group parted, a single pony was revealed in the centre of a wide empty space. Crimson cape on which Blueblood’s trained eye noticed a silver embroidery of branches, leaves and scales around the rim. They were holding a short spear in on hoof, similar to those of royal guards, but with living tendrils with leaves entwining it.

“Who is the other pony you brought?” they asked with a feminine voice. Blueblood could swear he had heard it before, but if his life had depended on it, he wouldn’t have remembered where. That didn’t make any difference though.

The brown furred ringleader of the mob stepped forward and bowed to the hooded figure. “We found her with him. It’s his whore.” That woke Ruby to another fit of squeals and muffled attempts to curse, despite her honor being the last of their worries. The stallion saw it similarly as he nudged her in the side forcefully. “You were whoring with him.”

The hooded figure, apparently their leader, nodded slowly. “Remove their restraints.” As nopony made any move to obey, reluctantly stepping on the spot instead, the leader tapped impatiently with the spear against the ground. “They won’t make any attempts for escape. Will you?”

Soon enough both Blueblood and Ruby stood free once again, or at least without direct impediments to their movement. Indeed, neither of them attempted even the smallest spell. They remembered too well what happened to Sequoia. As for running away, they could have as well tried digging a tunnel through the cobblestones under their feet.

Still, now that he could stand with dignity again, Blueblood regained some of his confidence. “You broke into our house, dragged us across half the city in bounds and now hold us against our will. I demand an explanation,” he said, doing his best to hide any traces of fear and worry in his voice. He must have admitted to himself that his situation hardly entitled him to demanding anything though.

“And the explanation you shall get. Prince Blueblood, you have been accused of gruesome misdeeds against ponies and of abuse of power bestowed upon you. Are you aware of any grounds for such grave claims?”

Of course he was. That was what Celestia wanted to punish him for. Could it be in the end that she was behind all of this? “I have always done only what I deemed best. Some controversion can’t be avoided. Look, if auntie Celestia hired you for this, tell her that I will be more careful next time, okay?”

“Rest assured that Princess Celestia has nothing to do with this trial.” The leader gazed over to the castle, shaking her head in disdain. “We gathered here today because she failed to take action. We have been told that you led the defense of Canterlot against the recent rebel attack. Do you wish to deny that?”

How could he? By that time it was common knowledge that he was the one in charge of military actions that day. “No, I indeed acted in that position.”

“Is it true that during the attack siege weapons had been used against infantry and that lives and property of innocent citizens were deliberately put in danger?”  

Again, what would be the point of denying anything? He gave the orders and these ponies, whoever they were, knew it perfectly well. They had all the facts and the result was clear already. He tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat as he realised the faint prospect of death he had suddenly turned to cold certainty. He nodded.

“Did anypony else partake in the deed, be it by advice, aid and abet or directly?”

He was doomed. But that didn’t mean they should get anypony else. He wouldn’t give them the pleasure. “No, it was my sole initiative.”

“What are you talking about?! We-” Ruby exclaimed, but a firm but covert stomp by his hindhoof silenced her quickly. It was too late though as the leader’s attention shifted to Ruby.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, nopony else carries the responsibility for what happened. It was my decision and I stand by it,” he stated firmly, gazing intently to where the leader’s eyes had to be hidden. She was returning the stare and he thought he saw a weak glow in them.

“Very well then.” The leader turned her back at him and walked in direction of the castle until she stood between the statues’ pedestals. Then she faced him and the mob again. “Prince Blueblood, you have been found guilty of abuse of power, acting against the interests of citizens and of crimes against ponykind. For that you are sentenced to death.”

With those word she slammed her hooves into the ground and the stone changed. A slender limestone spears shot from the cobblestones and the statues inviting toward the castle were suddenly barring the path toward it. They were probably meant to do so from the beginning of their existence.

“The judgment is to be executed immediately. We will grant you a last wish though. What should it be?”

“Let Ruby be!” Blueblood demanded, this time with full right and full authority.The leader seemed to jerk a little at the sound of the name, but she hid it quickly with a nod.

“She is free to go and nopony will attack her. You have my word.”

Two pegasi flanked him and grabbed him under the armpits. This was it then. He would get impaled by some rabble based on a self-appointed court. Actually, that would flatter them too much. This had nothing in common with proper court hearing. They were just playing pretend really badly, giving nice facade to bloodlust. Did that matter to him though? Not really. The spear would tear him all the same.

He didn’t live a bad life. For himself, anyway. He enjoyed all of it and made the most of every pleasure available. He had a nice manson, lots of money, partied hard and had a great lover. He didn’t want to lose it, but he would, very soon. They already lifted him several feet in the air. The mob started chanting ‘Death, death, death!’

What even happened after death? Where would he come? Would the afterlife resemble this life? Was there even any? The notion of nothingness was the drop that overfilled the glass of his self-control. Desperate fear took over. Fear of unknown and loneliness. How would Ruby feel when he would be gone? Where was she?

He spotted her backing toward the wall of ponies. They stepped away from her path, truthful to their leader’s promise. Wild panic was written in her face, her bulged eyes jumping from one pony to another like those of cornered animal. She was at the brink of galloping away…

“Please Ruby! Don’t leave me alone!” he cried out. She looked up at him for a second, torn between running and obeying his very last wish. Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes as she shook her head and sprinted away. “No! Ruby!”

She left him. She could have stayed without danger, but she abandoned him in his darkest hour. As if an iron vice clenched his heart. He had nopony now and soon he would lose himself. He went limp in the hooves of his carriers, now hovering above the spear that would end him.

“She abandoned the pony who was willing to sacrifice himself for her rescue,” the leader’s voice came from below. “May she be paid back the same from everypony, alone and without help from now on. I am here and you won’t be alone. Know this, Blueblood. When you come to the last judgment, your misdeed toward me will not weigh upon you. May the decision be just.”

The spear pierced through his body in the same moment as the memory of where he knew the mare from. She may have forgiven him, but the pony he knew then wouldn’t do this. She changed and he could only theorise if he had part in that.

The pain coursed through his every limb and the loss of blood made him feel very cold. He felt his heartbeat getting slower and more labored, just like his breath. It could have been much worse, he thought. The pain faded away slowly, his mind becoming drowsy and slow. The chanting vanished as well as any other sound and his sight was getting dimmer. The last thing he saw of the world was the blue sky and the glitter of sun on armor in the distance.

As the pegasi released their grip on Blueblood, to Canvas’ eyes he remained in the air unmoving for a split of second before the gravitation took hold of him. As if in slow motion she watched him falling, the needle-sharp tip of the spear connecting with his stomach just under the ribcage. The blood stained his pristine coat around the wound, more and more of the limestone vanishing inside him, until the now bright red tip resurfaced from his neck where it met the back, few crimson droplets following in its waky.

An eternity later his heart remembered its task and pumped, sending more blood from both unnatural orifices like horrific fountain. The ponies gathered behind Canvas bursted into victorious cry, venting their pent up frustration and anger, but Canvas kept staring up at the body still sliding down slightly. She found his eyes, tears in their corners and eyelids quivering in pain. His jaw was clenched almost to the point of breaking, but he wouldn’t make a sound. She was so engrossed with him that she didn’t notice where the initial burst of blood was heading until it connected with her cape, face and hooves. She lifted the hoof to her eyes in inspection, the droplets glistening in the sun before they soaked into her fur.

“Your blood is on my hoof, Prince Blueblood, and I carry it proudly. Whether you can say the same for your soul, you will soon find. Farewell.”

The world returned to its normal speed and the commotion around. She span on the spot and slammed into the ground with her spear three times. “Enough!” she shouted, her voice rising over every other sound. The ponies went silent immediately, as if all sound was stolen from them. Eyes of all concentrated on her.

“He met the highest punishment in our power and is no longer of this world. He paid the highest cost for the suffering he caused and the bill is settled. You are not to feel resentment or contempt for him any longer. Find peace and let go of the past.”

“The scars don’t heal that easily. We will have to live with what he did,” the brown stallion who made himself the leader of the group bringing Blueblood and to some extend her second in command protested in disdain.

“Will dwelling in anger change any of that though? When you buy bread, would you pay the merchant twice? Or when you break a window, would it be just if you had to bring a new one and pay its price to the damaged on top of that? Don’t demand second suffering from malefactors with your rage. For the same rage could harm yourself when the judgment comes.”

They fought a short battle of stares and wills before the stallion bowed his head down and the rest of the gathering with him. “I am sorry. I will try to take your words to heart.”

“Then start right away with him.” Canvas pointed up to Blueblood, although what carried that name no longer resided in that body. The stallion’s eyes followed her hoof and he stepped a bit forward.

“There is no debt between us, Blueblood. Rest in peace.”

 A commotion rose in the distance at the opposite end of the boulevard and quickly spread through the group. “The guards are coming! There’s a lot of them!”

“What shall we do?” the brown stallion asked, breaking from his coming to reconciliation with the wrong suffered. “We could fight them. There is enough of us and you could escape, mistress.”

“They didn’t commit anything bad. They don’t deserve to die and neither do you.” Canvas reared on her hind legs and just barely caught the glittering of golden helmets in the distance. “Disperse and never mention you were here. They won’t chase after you.”

“But what about you?”

“They won’t catch me, don’t worry about it. And even if they did, what you learnt today will stay with you. Now go!”

Canvas watched them hurriedly comply her command, she herself remaining unmoving for a bit longer. The guards needed to see her first for her plan to work. A faint glance would suffice though, just for them to learn they were following a pony in red cape.

She waited until the guards reached the middle of the boulevard before she pranced on her hind legs and took off into one of the streets crossing it. The wind was whizzing around her as she galloped, trying to vanish from the sight of the guards for long enough to remove her cape, effectively disappearing from the world for them. In the streets of Canterlot that didn’t pose much of a problem. All she needed now was a convenient side alley and-

Somepony slammed into her from the side and even though she kept her balance, the speed was lost and they knocked the cape from her head as well. Before she could break into gallop again, the pony lunged at her again.

“You are not going anywhere, you murderer!” they shouted as they were about to pin her to the ground, but she nimbly moved to the side in a half-pirouette, letting them slam hard into the wall instead. That momentarily dazed them and Canvas used the opportunity and her own momentum from the evasive move to buck them in the hindquarters with all she got. A loud crack resounded in the street and the pony fell to the ground.

Canvas took few deep breaths and took a better look at the assailant for the first time. She was almost sure she saw that grey unicorn with sunglasses for cutie mark in the gathering. He must have anticipated her path of escape. Despite the clattering of armor of the guards getting near, she stepped to the immobilized stallion and put her mouth next to his twitching ear to ensure he would hear her.

“I don’t know who you are and I respect your choice. But cross our path one more time and I will aim for your head.”

“Murderer,” the stallion wheezed and attempted to spit under Canvas’ hooves.

“Justíce.” She didn’t have time to say more as the spotted the guards turning the corner about hundred yards from her. She pulled the cape back on in case the stallion wasn’t in the state to tell them how she looked, but that was more of a wish than possibility. She would have to outrun them by a long stretch to hide in Strom’s house safely. With her training she should manage.

She made it about halfway to the house when she spotted Golden galloping in the opposite direction. The petite mare was trying her best to move at her top speed and signal Canvas to turn left at the same time. Although it confused Canvas greatly, she followed the signal and turned into the perpendicular alley, crouching behind a dumpster. Golden arrived few seconds later, gasping for air.

“Guards… They blocked the path… They want to cut… you off!”

“Do you know of other hiding place?” Canvas asked, supporting the tired mare.

“No. And they know what you look like. I heard them talking.” Golden’s laboured breathing somewhat returned to normal. She took the cape from Canvas, folded it and put into her saddlebag. “We need to hurry. They are closing the downtown!”

“You should return home. I will manage.”

“No! I’m going with you. I know the city better than you do.”

Evaluating the determined frown on Golden’s face Canvas gave up any attempts at convincing her otherwise. They started running again, but the escape was getting more difficult with every second. The number of guards in the streets was growing and the fleeting mares had to take every opportunity at hiding they could.

Fifteen minutes later they just barely managed to slip behind a pile of crates when a squad unexpectedly marched from behind a corner. “Phew, that was close,” Golden remarked and pulled herself up to check the situation.

“We need a hideout soon. They will hunt us down otherwise. How does it look out there?”

“No guards in sight. But wait, some stallion is waving at me. I think he wants us to follow him.” That got Canvas’ attention and she joined Golden on the crates. A brown unicorn with greying mane was indeed waving at them, trying to stay out of sight from the sides, but the moment Canvas took in his face, she slid back into their temporal hiding spot, covering her face with her hooves. Golden joined her a second later, prying one of the hooves away to look Canvas in the eyes. “What’s wrong, Canvas? Do you know that pony?”

“I… I do,” Canvas whimpered, “We can’t go with him.”

“Why not? Who is it? Is he dangerous?”

“No! He wouldn’t hurt anypony ever!” The sudden burst made Golden jerk back, but she wouldn’t let the matter go, motioning Canvas to continue. “That is Star Chamber. My father…”

Golden brightened up considerably at that, proving to Canvas she didn’t understand at all. “Then we are saved! He will help us!”

“Can’t you see that I can’t go with him?!” Canvas started backing in the opposite direction than her father probably still waited. “I disgraced his family and ran away! I caused him and Nanny so much pain! He must resent me for it…”

“Then he has strange way of showing resentment!” Golden shot back, but then changed tactics and sat down calmly next to Canvas. “Look. It happened a long time ago. He had enough time to get over any disgrace. If he even felt any to begin with. Did you ask him?” Receiving a shake of head in response, Golden gave Canvas a victorious smile. “I didn’t think so. Parents don’t hate their foals, Canvas. It is you who resents yourself for what happened.”

“M-maybe… But-”

“No buts! You convinced yourself that you were a horrible pony. But you are not! I have known you only for a few days, but I can tell already.” Golden stretched to her and pulled her into a light hug, one from which Canvas could easily escape if she chose so. She didn’t want to at all though. “You forgave Blueblood what he did to you. Now you need to forgive yourself, Canvas.”

Golden was right. Didn’t Canvas tell those ponies they shouldn’t punish anypony twice for the same? She suffered a lot for how weak she was and compunctions had been chasing her for all those years. Wasn’t it enough? Didn’t she deserve a chance? She pulled away from Golden and started walking toward the exit of the alley. She was prepared to face the hardest leap of faith of that day.