Coerced Decisions
Valiar grumbled under his breath as he trotted along with his platoon. Cursing the weight of his runes as they pulled down upon his chest and back. He and his troop had been trotting around the Canterlot Mountainside for hours as part of their morning conditioning, and Celestia's sweet ass did he hate it! At least the sun was shining again today, though he knew that the days of slippery slopes were to come.
It wasn't so much the exercise in and of itself, but the fact he was being told what to do with order that damn near made his ear drums bleed. Sargent Steel Hammer was far worse an instructor than any of his teachers in Anti'arch. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was missing the offensive side of his runes, the red stallion was certain he'd have blasted the burgundy earth pony off the face of the earth six times over.
Especially after, what his new squad mates affectionately refer to as, the burrito incident.
The good news was that they were on their way back to the barracks, the bad news was that after that, he'd be going to visit Shining Armor for his "special" training. None of the other members of the squad ever much spoke to him, so that much was a positive at least. Oddly they never much talked to each other at all outside of Hammer barking orders and encouragement.
It did make some sense, considering the majority of Celestial Guards stood as still as statues most of the time, but this kind of silence just seemed unnatural.
Once they'd finally made it back to camp, the others dressed up for combat training, while Valiar made way for the castle proper. The private court yard seemed to be the favored sparing ground for the young captain. But he couldn't complain though, better to get thrown onto soft grass than unforgiving cobble stone.
"You're late." He heard. As expected, Shining was standing at the ready, fully adorned in his violet armor. His face was neutral, but the tone of his voice spoke volumes to his disapproval.
"Sarge took us an extra mile, sir."
"I don't want excuses." Shining replied calmly, pulling a nap sack from his side and tossing it to the stallion. "I want results."
Summoning the strength of Diak, Valiar lifted the bag and smiled at what he saw. Blaze, the Rune of Energy! Out of all twelve of his weapons, this was by far his favorite. And since he had the runes that allowed him to: Levitate, produce shields, amplify, store mana, and analyze, and the rune that protected him physically, he might have a shot at this sparring session.
Declining the training armor provided for him for the third day in a row, Valiar smirked as he summoned out his runes and began their circling around him in an almost protective barrier.
Today would be different.
"Go!" Shining barked, charging forward.
Immediately the stallion put his favorite magic tool to use and set the others fell to the way side, save his personal protector. Focusing, the rock began to glow and a fine beam of red energy blasted forth, headed straight for his opponent.
Shining smirked and teleported just as the beam was about to make contact, he appeared right behind Valiar and attacked, though it wasn't his hoof this time, but an energy blast of his own. His efforts were met by the protecting stone as expected and deflected the magical beam right back at the guard captain.
A small pink shield intercepted the blow and dissipated the attack just as quickly. His efforts were rewarded by a swift buck from that left a nice crack in the captain's defenses.
"Trick's getting old, Cap'n." Valiar taunted, having jumped across the yard. He summoned five of his runes and with a mix between the amplification and energy, released an onslaught that he hoped would obliterate the bubble shield Shining had grown so fond of using.
"You idiot!" Shining called before charging his own beam and unleashing his magic to intercept. To Valiar's shock and enthrallment, Shining's magic seemed to be just enough to match his own as the two spells colliding in a collision that sent shock waves through the court yard.
The red stallion licked his lips, taking great enjoyment from the fight, though his happiness was short lived as Shining let out a cry and his magical efforts doubled down, beating back his own spell at an alarming speed. Thinking quickly he switched out his Energy rune for his Shield and with the help of Amplification, had just enough power to hold back the blast that surly would have meant his death.
Valiar cursed the dust that had formed from the explosion and growled. He set forth Analysis to get a better vantage point and use his magical link to find his opponent. Before the black rock could even reach the appropriate height, Valiar felt a teleporation spell discharge behind him and turned just in time to see his protection Rune engage yet another energy beam, though this one was much stronger and overpowered the stone, slamming it into Valiar's chest and sending him skidding through the grass.
"What the hey are you trying to do? Blow up the castle!" Shining decried, marching after his subordinate "Do you realize what would have happened if that mega charge of yours hit my shield? I'd be dead right now!"
Valiar got to his hooves and eyed his proclaimed mentor. "You said you wanted results, didn't you?"
A small vein began to protrude on his forehead, to the left of his horn. That was not a good sign."The entire point of you being here is your lack of control and irresponsibility, you featherbrain!"
Valiar groaned and rolled his eyes, "than what was the point of letting me keep Enhancement? The entire point of that Rune is to enhance any spell that it's used with!"
It didn't make much sense to the mage, his runes each had a very specific purpose. Each one was either a direct or support magical tool. Enhancement was one of his most powerful, yet in and of itself, it was little more of a threat than any other thrown rock, but matched with any other spell? It was a very effective means of making an otherwise mundane and ineffective attack utterly devastating.
Though, if the steam coming from his mentors ears were any indication, that wasn't the response he wanted to hear. "I WANTED you to learn restraint!" He barked, eyes witching and snout scrunched in a fumming grimace.
Shining was quickly growing impatient, not enough to outright abandon Valiar of course, but this was his third failure in a row in terms of tests. The first day they'd attempted simple meditation and hoof to hoof combat. Though, it was soon undeniable that, unlike most of the mages of Anti-arch, Valiar wasn't as disciplined in either patience or physical fighting. Strange enough to prompt a letter of inquiry for his personal files from the Temple.
The second day, he tried a more compassionate approach, as suggested by his lovely and overly compassionate wife to be. This, also ended in a resounding failure.
The test was simple, attempt to befriend the mage and gain his trust through communication and gentle words to see how he would respond. The result? Said red stallion looking at the guard captain as if he had grown a second head and a laugh that would haunt the good pony's sense of humility for years to come.
The training session yesterday was absolutely merciless, yet the healing magic of his rune returned the pony back to peak physical condition, rendering the entire painful lesson utterly pointless.
But he was determined, despite his insubordination and utter lack of respect for authority, Shining knew that Valiar was both capable of being a great asset to the kingdom, and far too much a liability to let leave his sight. To give up on him would be to a catastrophe in the making, and Shining, as a servant to said kingdom, would sooner die than allow such a an asset to become a threat.
Though, he couldn't waste all of his patience on today, there was still a certain brown and black anarchist that required his attention.
Sin sighed, growing bored with the staring contest between himself and Shining Armor. Apparently, the guard Captain had come to offer him a plea deal to avoid the actual trial in a few days time. Though the Federalist was skeptical, if plea deals in Equestria were anything like the Federations, than he was better off spitting in the stallions face and getting one last threat in for good measure.
"Before I make the offer, I've got a question and I need you to be totally honest." Sin nodded. "When you said that whoever's threatening Luna wasn't above bringing down the entire country, were you serious, or just trying to get out of telling me the truth?"
The two held eye contact for a few tense moments of silence. Sin knowing that his answer wasn't going to make the captain happy, but he had to tell the truth.
"Fact of the matter, Captain, I don't think you'll believe me either way. But if you want to hear the truth from me, than here it is: I don't much mind Equestria's ruler." He stated honestly, his typically bored or annoyed tone replaced by one of relinquishment. "I've got some reservations about the honesty of both Luna and Celestia, but thousands of years of life will inevitably lead to lies of some kind to maintain order. Chaos is simply within our nature."
"As far as I know, you've been honest with me, so I'll do the same in return. The organization that is involved here has destroyed very powerful citizens in my country. Citizens protected by literal personal armies with no blood shed. Make no mistake, they are quite capable of it... capable in some of the worst ways possible. " His voice dropped to a low, disgusted and abhorrent tone. "Things that still make me want to commit suicide after seeing."
That was enough to make Shining recoil. It wasn't a lie either, once you see pictures of three younglings being held by Triple M. griffon agents, you don't really get over that.
Thankfully, Shining appeared much more agreeable now. His scowl replaced by a look of mild sympathy. "Alright, let's say I believe you. What should I do?"
"For now, you must do nothing overt. If I were you, I'd find out why Luna was so insistent on her sister not finding out about her partnership with-" he stopped, realizing he was about to say the name. Though, a bit of though convinced him that it didn't matter at this point if Shining knew or not. "With the Triple M. Corporation."
Sin gave a quick synopsis of hiding their name, during his trial when Luna sent a clear signal that she didn't want him exposing his secret. It probably wasn't near the dramatic ordeal he'd been making it out to be, but for the sake of him being right, he kept things dramatic. Triple M. had a way of cutting deals with those in power and keeping their claws around them. "Eventually someone will have to meet Luna in private and tell her to take whatever hit she's going to take to be rid of Triple M. when the time is right." Replied Sin with absolution. "I'm not sure why she doesn't want anyone to know about her affiliation with them, but the longer she's involved, the longer she'll suffer for it."
He saw Shining Armor pull out a quill and parchment but asked him not to write it down. Such writing is evidence that could be used to convict the princess should Triple M. get their hooves on it.
"Alright, thank you for your cooperation." Shining thanked solemnly. "Now, as far as your plea deal is concerned, I was going to recommend that you be placed in the dungeon for a few months. However, after speaking to both Uppity and due to your cooperation and honesty here today, I've decided a more lenient punishment would be in order."
"And that would be?"
During his conversation with both Uppity and Celestia, the issue of his anti-social tenancies became a reoccurring theme. They thought that it was due to his isolation that he held so little respect for life and the rights of others. Both mares argued in his favor that he wasn't a bad sort, but that he was just damaged by the world and that he needed both rehabilitation and resocialization.
Sin's eyes narrowed under his goggles as the pit in his stomach began to grow. "What are you getting at?"
Shining cleared his throat and pulled out another parchment, a made up contract. "Your plea deal, should you choose to accept it, will be that you are no longer allowed to live in the Everfree forest and that you are to reside in Ponyville, no more than half a mile from the town center."
... "Not guilty, take me to trial. Ten years in the dungeons, please." Sin blurted after collecting his jaw from the floor.
No way, no way in hell was he going to live among others. He hated other ponies, yea he could be civil and what not when he needed to be, but for the love of Tapio he found them annoying. All they ever did was talk, talk and talk some more about menial crap he couldn't give a damn less about. Sentencing him to a time where he'd have to interact with them on a daily basis? He'd rather have a noose around his neck and tossed into the gates of Tatarus.
"Now before you answer, I've been told that you'd first need to speak with your council." Declared the captain, a small smile of satisfaction pulling at his lips.
"No I don't. I'm pleading not guilty, right now."
"Uppity, he's all yours."
Sin watched with contempt as the alabaster stallion walked out of the room, replaced by the orange mare who'd kept him company for the past three days.
She sat down at his bedside and pressed her lips. "Ok, so I know what you're going to say-"
"Not. Guilty!"
"-but hear me out."
Speaking to his sense of freedom and anarchy, Uppity asked if his misequinthropy was justified. Equestria was different than the Federation, his anger towards the Federalists had no baring here, since he'd made multiple statements about the extraordinary differences in culture.
"Yes, I did say pony's here seem more friendly and honest, but I have no interest in associating with them all the same."
"Why not?" Sin didn't have an answer for this. His general hatred of others, save a select few, had no holding in this land. Though, his personality was solidified, he simply had no interest in being around others in the way that he was being coaxed into. He'd lived his life on his own for a long time, and that's just how he liked it.
"And that's the problem." His councilmare pointed out with her eyebrows fully extended. "You've been alone for so long, you don't even remember the good parts of being around others ponies. I promise, we're not all bad and air headed as you think we are. I mean, you gave me a chance, didn't you?"
Two choices that can be made here, say that he didn't mean a word of kindness he'd given her and completely destroy her spirit and trust, or admit that she was right, and move on from that.
... ... Fucking Tyken and his ill timed plan to make him start caring about his friends!
Sin glared at the young mare, hoping she'd back down and not force him to answer, but she stood as firm on this issue as with every issue the two disagreed upon. Which was pretty much everything in the world.
"Why are you putting me in this position?" Sin sighed in defeat. He didn't have it in him, he'd backed himself into a logical corner, and just couldn't bring himself to hurt her after everything she'd done for him.
His irritation was quickly replaced by surprise as he felt her hoof softly bop his nose. "Because I care about you, of course." She declared, an unusually chipper smile adorning her face.
Well, as much as he wanted to say otherwise, Sin reluctantly accepted the plea deal. And just as quick as he answered, he found himself crushed in the embrace of the unicorn mare, much more happy for his decision than he was. He'd never say it out loud, but for the first time in what had to be years, he felt a warm sensation in the cold pit of his heart from the mares... comforting embrace.