An Equestrian Freedom

by FullMetalFurbee

Chapter 13

Canterlot castle sat defensively inside its pink spherical barrier. The overhead view of the city was eerie. The royal guards were nowhere to be seen and the ruined buildings had simply been left to rot. Life seemed nonexistent in the once jubilant capital. Luna massaged her neck. She was eager to land after the long flight homeward. Yet, the now inhospitable Canterlot worried her. She glanced over her shoulder. The three passengers in back had fallen asleep.

“Are you there, Celestia? We've entered Canterlot airspace and are approaching the castle,” Luna said into a magic orb.

“Good,” was the only response she received.

“Sister,” Luna began, “where are all the guards? It doesn't feel right with the city this quiet.”

“Half the guards are evacuating the citizens of Manehattan and Baltimare. The other half are inside with me.”

“How come it has taken this long to evacuate the citizens? That should have been the first priority.”

“I agree. I'm at fault here,” Celestia revealed. “When the Halcyonites arrived, I panicked and sent the guards scouting for Gaius. I am still without success.”

Luna didn't like the feeling in her gut. “Celestia, maybe once we get back to the castle, I should take over the war effort for a little while. That would alleviate much of the pressure you've been under lately.”

A moment of silence followed. “What are you trying to say, little sister?”

Luna groaned. “Nothing, Celestia! Don't accuse me of anything when all I want to do is aid you in every way I can. You're getting a little paranoid, and I want to let you rest. Nothing more.”

“My mental status is fully intact. I appreciate your concern, but I cannot rest until Gaius is eradicated. It's my duty as not only a princess, but commander-in-chief to make sure my citizens are out of harms way. However I would greatly appreciate your help with other matters that need attending. Hurry back to the castle so we can discuss things further. I'm ready to get this country back on track. Are you with me?”

Luna gazed blankly ahead of her. “...They're my citizens too,” she said into the orb.

“What?”

“You said they're your citizens. They're my citizens too. I'm just as much a princess as you are, and we share the power in this nation...”

A sigh could be heard from Celestia's end. “Of course, Luna. You're right. I hadn't intended for you to take offense. You know as well as I do how confusing this whole situation is. I suppose that deep down I always knew Gaius would be back. I just... never wanted it to become a reality. Do... do you think I deserve this?”

The midnight alicorn narrowed her eyes as conflict churned inside her. “We all have to face our demons. At some point or another, we're all held accountable. The choices you made back then were wrong. However as long as I'm alive and breathing, I'll make sure you live to see another day. I will protect you to the end, my sister.”

“Thank you Luna. You mean a lot to me...”

“As do you, Celestia. Anyway, we'll be there soon. I'll talk to you then. Be safe.”

The vacant buildings continued to speed by. Luna gradually descended toward the dark cobblestone streets. Her only consolation was that Twilight didn't have to deal with the inner turbulence plaguing her and her sister. Such a sharp young mind shouldn't ever have to see her rulers such a mess.

The feeling of cool stone was wonderful to the hooves. The drawbridge to the castle and the impressive pink shield both stood about fifty feet down the street. She quietly unhitched herself and trotted around to the back of the chariot. Twilight and the boys were still sound asleep. She tucked her wings in and opened up the storage compartments to retrieve what little supplies they'd brought. As she rummaged through the container, she heard a distinct clicking sound.

That's weird, she thought. Is there some sort of extra compartment in here?

She lit her horn and peered deeper inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She heard two more clicks. They certainly weren't coming from the chariot. She stood up and turned around to identify the noises. Three armed soldiers stood with guns pointed directly at her. They weren't Equestrian.

No way... no way anypony can be that quiet...

“Looky here boys, we caught ourselves a princess,” one of the brutes remarked. He took his cigar out and tapped it on his gun, sending tiny embers floating down. Luna said nothing. She simply stood her ground and scowled at the Halcyonic troops.

The middle stallion took a step forward. “Alright then. Here's what's gonna happen,” he stated calmly. “You're gonna wake those three up, then you're gonna come with us. I'm sure Salvator would love to see ya.”

“Under what grounds are you commanding me?” snapped Luna in a hushed growl.

The stallion chuckled lightly. “One, we know ya ain't gonna kill us. That ain't your style. Your sister maybe, but not you. Two, we'll shoot ya dead before ya can even think about using that handy dandy horn of yours. These babies got hair triggers,” he explained as he waved his revolver around mockingly.

“I'll go with you, but let the others go. They have no business with you or Salvator. They're civilians,” Luna bartered.

“No can do, Princess. Boss says we're taking prisoners. We're just lucky enough to have found four at once. Not to mention, one of em's a princess!”

“You won't kill me. You need me alive.”

“Yeah,” said the stallion. “But not them...” He walked toward the chariot. Luna shifted anxiously on her hooves. The other two soldiers kept their aim focused intently on her. The apparent leader quietly climbed aboard the chariot and sat down next to Twilight.

“What's this little beauty's name?”

“You get away from her...” Luna warned.

The thuggish pony watched Twilight sleeping serenely. Her breathing was easy and natural. “Whatever. Her name don't matter. Looks like she's been through a lot lately. What are those bandages for? Broken ribs, back?”

Luna snarled. She could barely contain her explosive urge to destroy the stallion. Her mind screamed to take action. Yet she couldn't. She watched helplessly as the soldier held the barrel of his gun barely an inch away from Twilight's forehead. “By the looks of it, this poor girl's gonna be in a lotta' pain when she wakes up. If you don't wanna come with me willingly, I can always just put her out of her misery right now...”

“I'm warning you, back away from her,” Luna hissed.

“You're still resisting? Lord. What's it gonna take to convince ya of my seriousness?” He softly stroked Twilight's cheek with the gun barrel. She made a small noise but didn't stir. “These things have one hell of a hairpin trigger,” he whispered. “One little slip up...”

“Enough. Damn it, that's enough...” Luna breathed in exasperation. “Get off my chariot and we'll come with you.”

“Glad to see you're listenin' to reason.” With that, he stood and hopped down onto the street. “I gotta warn ya though – if ya try anythin' funny at all, ya know who's gonna die first.”

Luna breathed shakily as adrenaline paraded through her system. She stepped up to Twilight and gently nudged her. “Twilight,” she whispered. “I need you to wake up for me.”

As soon as her eyes opened, Luna held her face in place and refused to let her look away. “Look at me. Look at me, Twilight. We're all going to be safe as long as we cooperate. We've been caught by armed troops and they're going to take us to Salvator. I want you to comply without question. No matter what they say. They're waiting for us right now, and I'm about to wake Cian and Neeson. When I let you go, I want you to keep absolutely silent and stay right beside me. Do you understand?”

Twilight's heart was already pounding. She nodded fearfully.

“You'll be safe,” promised Luna. “Just keep quiet and do what they say. I'm going to let you go now, okay?”

Twilight nodded. Luna released her from her paralyzing gaze and quickly moved to the two males. “Cian, Neeson, wake up,” she whispered once more. Twilight watched her as she explained the bargain a second time. Cian swore harshly to himself and Granddad kept his head down.

“No no no...” Cian breathed. “We're in it deep now... What are we gonna do, Granddad?”

“Quiet, boy. We'll be okay. Don't panic.”

Luna slowly turned around and faced her foreign captors. “Okay. We're ready.”

“Wonderful,” the stallion said. “It's time to meet the King!”

---

A settlement of tents and roughly constructed shelters were erected on the outskirts of Canterlot. Halcyonic troops marched back and forth, transporting supplies here and there. Twilight couldn't help but admire the confidence displayed in building a base of operations just inside the enemy's capital city. She and her fellow captives were forced into a dark building equipped with only a telegraph station and a few makeshift jail cells. Luna kept silent and didn't struggle.

“Luna, we can overpower them!” Twilight pleaded. “Why are we just letting ourselves be taken captive?”

The princess remained unusually calm given the circumstance. “Trust me, Twilight. We will be fine. They won't hurt us.”

“That's not the point, we know where they are now! You can tell Celestia!”

The stallions watching them laughed at the sentiment. “Oooh, not Celestia! Oh no!”

“Shut up!” spat Twilight. “You better hope she doesn't find you and your little King! You'll be sorry you ever came here!”

The guards just laughed again and tightly chained the four. Suddenly, another soldier bolted into the room with an incredulous smile. “Hey! The shield around Canterlot Castle just disappeared! They're helpless as a baby! The whole place is in a chaos!”

“Fancy that!” remarked the stallion who was chaining Twilight. “Bet Salvator will be happy to hear that one!”

“Oh no...” Luna whispered.

“What could that mean?” asked Neeson cautiously.

Twilight gulped. “Princess Cadance was keeping the shield up, I think. Something made her stop.”

“Perhaps the strain was simply too much on her body,” suggested Luna. “Her baby is due any day. I'm surprised Celestia demanded that she keep it up as long as she did, knowing of her pregnancy.” She summoned a magic orb. “Celestia? Is everypony at the castle alright? Why has the shield gone down?”

She didn't get a response.

“Oh dear.” She looked to Twilight. “I sure hope nothing terrible has happened. I've still yet to pinpoint the source of that horrible feeling that woke us up. For right now, my sister will probably put up some kind of barrier herself. I just hope Cadance, and especially Shining Armor, are alright.”

“I haven't seen or heard from my brother since all this started...” said Twilight hollowly.

Luna didn't reply. The troops hastily finished securing them and galloped out of the room to inform Salvator of the news. This was the second time Twilight had ever been shackled. She was held against a stone wall and suspended by her front hooves. Her wounds throbbed under the bandages. Unfortunately her back had torn open again and started bleeding down onto her flank. She grimaced and gritted her teeth. To her left were Luna and Neeson. To her right was Cian.

“Princes Luna, can you help me with the pain again?” breathed Twilight. “Agh... it's hurting a lot...”

“Yes of course,” said Luna. She summoned her magic and directed a healing stream around Twilight's midsection.

“Thank you,” said Twilight, still unsure why they were obliging Salvator's soldiers so wholeheartedly.

The four didn't speak much more while they waited for something to happen. None of them knew how long they waited. Luckily their scheduled visitor arrived without too much delay.

They saw the door open. In trotted a huge gray stallion. He was an earth pony, with a greasy black mane and mustache. His beady charcoal eyes scanned each of them for several seconds. He took a few more steps in and closed the door behind him. He had a half empty bottle of beer in his hoof. Twilight couldn't help but notice the cloying heat of the room. King Salvator remained silent, but affixed his gaze onto the restrained Princess Luna. His eyes seemed to narrow even further. He took his time approaching her. The expression on his face was impossible to read. Twilight's heart leaped as Salvator neared Luna.

Leave her alone! she wanted to shout.

She made a small noise of displeasure. The mighty King of Halcyon stood in front of the noble Princess of Equestria. The two kept eye contact for what seemed like minutes on end. Then, Salvator did something Twilight couldn't possibly understand. He leaned forward and wrapped his hooves around Luna in a full body hug.

“Luna...”

“Gaius...”

The two embraced for an awkwardly long time. Obviously there was an enormous piece of the puzzle that Twilight failed to see. Salvator unchained Luna, then her and Cian and Neeson. For some reason he kept fixating on Luna.

“How many years...?” he mumbled.

Luna managed a weak smile. Twilight swore she was on the verge of tears. “Centuries... It's been centuries...”

The two hugged again.

“Ya look good. Time's definitely been on your side,” offered Salvator.

A tear rolled down Luna's cheek. “I wish I could say the same. Your coat is gray now. Like ashes.”

“Aye. I've had better days. I just wish this little reunion could have been on better terms. Maybe in another life, everything turned out like it shoulda.”

“Yeah...” Luna said with a blank stare. “Wait a minute, Salvator-” she began. Suddenly she gasped in horror for seemingly no reason. She lifted a hoof to her mouth and pointed at the king. “Oh my god! Y-your wings! They're gone!”

He said nothing. Instead, he smiled back sadly. Now he looked like he was about to cry. “Aye...”

Twilight was hopelessly lost. Not one single thing either of them were saying made sense.

Were they involved romantically at some point? Of course he doesn't have wings. He's an earth pony...

“Er... I-I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but, can somepony tell me what's going on here?” Twilight asked sheepishly. “I thought his name was Salvator. Isn't he our enemy here? Why are you two acting like long lost friends?”

This seemed to reach through to the Salvator. He looked to Twilight and extended his hoof. “In a sense, you're right on both accounts. Allow me to officially introduce myself. My name is Salvator. I am the King of Halcyon. Haven't been called that other name in a real long time.”

Twilight was hesitant to shake his hoof. Her hostility was masked by the formality of her response. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Congratulations, kiddo,” Salvator piped. “You're a real modest one, ain't ya?”

“I uh, sure, I think so...” Twilight was still trying to comprehend all the intricate relationships going on. Her hate for the alcohol smelling king wasn't helping.

“I guess she ain't a talker, huh Luna?” Salvator slurred. “She can't seem to answer a simple question.”

“She's just lost,” said Luna. “With perfect reason to be. There's a lot she doesn't know yet.”

“There's a lot we don't know either, Your Majesty,” added Cian from the other side of the room.

Salvator looked over to him and Neeson. “You two are Halcyonites!”

Neeson tipped his hat. “Aye. Born and raised. My name is Neeson, and this here is my grandson Cian.”

Salvator belched and said, “You two aint' in my army. What are ya doin' way up here in Equestria?”

“Honestly Your Majesty, I don't even know anymore,” Cian said. “It's a long story.”

“Fair enough then. I suppose that ain't too important at the moment. Right now I'm gonna return your belongin's and catch up with my dear friend Luna. Get in here!” he shouted.

The door opened and a soldier brought the sack containing the books Twilight found. He handed it to Salvator who extracted the tomes. “Here are your books back. Sorry my boys ransacked your ride. Can't be too careful.” He looked at the spellbook and whistled. “This! This book! I never thought I'd see this damnable book again! This is what started it all!” He handed the book to Twilight. “We'll talk about that real soon. As for the time bein', I might as well fill everypony in. Luna, how much do these poor clueless ponies know?”

“Not enough,” she admitted. “I can't say for sure.”

“Well then, I'll start with something that apparently not even you were aware of. Aye, my wings are gone. Have been for hundreds of years.”

Luna looked worried. “Why? What happened?”

“You were born a pegasus?” Twilight asked suspiciously.

“Sure was. In fact...” He turned sideways and knelt down in front of Twilight. “Go ahead. Feel.”

The thought was grotesque. Salvator's coat didn't exactly have a healthy sheen to it. “Uh...”

“Go ahead. What kinda king would I be if I can't prove what I say?”

Twilight hesitantly rested a hoof on his back where the base of a wing would be. Sure enough, she felt a bony lump hiding under the skin. Instantly she reared back in disgust. Salvator just laughed and got back up. “I don't miss 'em! I love bein' an earth pony. Wanna feel, Luna?”

She was still shocked. “No, I... What happened?”

“Well it's an interesting story,” Salvator went on. He extracted the journal from the bag and began handing it over, but halted. “What the hell is this, then?” He glanced at the ancient journal. He leafed through the pages. “No way...” His eyes narrowed “This can't be...”

Twilight watched him like a hawk. “How do you know King Sombra? Do all criminals pen pals with each other?”

Salvator looked up from the pages. “Where did you find this?”

Again, confusion settled in on Twilight. “Far north, somewhere outside Neighpal.”

“I know how much he meant to you,” Luna said softly. “Have you heard anything about what happened in the Crystal Empire?”

“Celestia got to him?”

Luna bit her lip and looked down, avoiding his gaze. “No. I mean, recently. The second time.”

Twilight had a sinking feeling in her gut.

Does she mean – what we did?

Salvator sighed and sat down in the dirt. “No, and I don't wanna know. Thinking of him scorches my heart to this very day. Sombra was my best friend in the entire world. He was with me since the very beginning of Halcyon. Whatever you're talking about, I know it ain't good. I'd prefer to keep my memories of him as pleasant as possible. The only thing I wanna know is, if he died, was it a good way to go?”

Neither Luna nor Twilight uttered a single word.

Salvator understood. He got back to thumbing through the journal. “Well alright then. That answers that. Actually, it looks like the old bastard wrote about the day I lost my wings. It's all right here.”

“He did?” Luna asked. “I'd quite like to know the story, and I'm sure Twilight and the others would as well.”

“Aye, let's hear it,” agreed Neeson. “This King Sombra character sounds intruigin'.”

“Stop calling him that. Sombra wasn't no king!” Salvator suddenly snapped.

“What? Of course he was. He was the menace who terrorized the Crystal Empire!” Twilight argued.

“Sombra was not a king! Nor was he a menace! I woulda' gladly given him my throne if he'd asked for it, but that ain't how it turned out. I'll have to translate his journal out of my own language. Excuse me if I make any grammatical errors,” said Salvator. “First you, Luna, now memories of Sombra. I'm turnin' into an emotional mess.” He took a swig of beer. “I'm so sorry, my friend... I never should have sent you to that wretched place... Anyway, here goes.” He lifted the journal and started reading.

---

She banned it all. Guns. Foreign trade. Free speech. Religion. Knowledge. Truth.

I seem to remember that on that first fateful day, the mutual feeling shared among us was a blend of uncertainty and hopefulness. Hundreds of us boarded the boats. We weren't criminals. Many of us had families and children. We had simply been dealt a cruel hoof by fate. The crushing force of Celestia's oppression was too much to bear. As the great ships began their ultimate departure from the Equestrian shore, I made the acquaintance of two such individuals whose only crime was defiance. Their names were, if memory serves me, Geiborg and Kaladbolg. The two unicorn brothers operated an arms depository in Canterlot's bustling commercial district. When Princess Celestia issued the ban, they rigidly asserted their rights to their business. Instead of using violence, they employed bureaucracy and kept themselves afloat by exploiting loopholes in the laws. The two seemed to know what they were doing. However, the good Princess grew weary of their superior legal skills and selected them for exile. That was the final word.

I also remember the first time I laid eyes on the Gaius. As we colonized Wintershore and forged the nation of Halcyon, the choice to elect him King was unanimous. This decision was not solely due to his deep blue blood, but his overwhelming sense of character. I digress. He stood at the tip of the bow and looked out over the ocean. His silver coat shimmered in the misty spray, and he held his wings out proudly to embrace the crisp wind. The sheer confidence of his stature was enough to impress me. Surely everypony aboard the boats was well aware of his identity, but that didn't answer the question – why? Why him? Why exile Gaius? The entire nation gasped when the news of his sentence leaked. Many of us questioned Celestia's mental integrity after that.

Humbly I approached him and introduced myself. Being only a modest clergypony, a chance to meet somepony like Gaius seemed once in a lifetime. He looked down and asked me my name. Sombra, I replied with a bow. He smiled and clasped me on the shoulder. “It's so boundless,” he said with a point toward the waves. “Tell me Sombra, where do you want to go?”

“I couldn't possibly say,” I told him. “Equestria was my home. My entire life's work is there. Any identity I had is already miles behind us.”

“The feeling is mutual. What was your profession?”

“I'm a pony of faith and thought. I devote my days to the church and my own philosophical pursuits.”

Gaius nodded and kept gazing at the sea. “I'll tell you what, Sombra. I'll build us a new Equestria. I'll build us a nation of true freedom where everypony is entitled to his own beliefs. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful,” I said despite my uncertainty. “That sounds wonderful.”

We talked for many days during the voyage. I learned of Celestia's corruption, and the extent to which she'd go to ensure her seat on the throne. We talked about philosophies, geopolitics, and a whole plethora of controversial topics. I felt like I'd befriended a celebrity. Technically, I had! There was a great sense of pride when Gaius first referred to me as his friend.

Yet the trip was anything but easy. Unto infinity we sailed, reduced to directionless satellites drifting. Many of us on board resigned ourselves to the fact that we may have been witnessing but the first trial in a long string of misfortunes. Gaius did all he could to keep us in high spirits. He promised us that once we found a land to truly call our own, all of our problems would vanish. We grew dependent on his confidence to guide us through the sojourn. When our rations grew short, he helped us divide and distribute what we had. When somepony fell ill, he sat by their bedside and bolstered their spirit. Quite candidly, I believe we would have perished on those boats if it weren't for Gaius. Because of him, we finally landed on the steep rocky banks of what would later become Wintershore. We were finally at our new home. We were finally free.

That was almost ten years ago. The speed at which we built the city was incredible. Of course, it was all do to Gaius' steadfast leadership. There were several native pony tribes already living on the continent, much to our amusement. Luckily we weren't barbaric enough to try and force them out. Instead we attempted to learn their culture, and they ours. We took on their language and adopted it as the new official tongue of our new country. Of course, we retained our Equestrian tongue and passed it down to our children. Fluency in both languages became doctrine. Anyway, in exchange for peace and privacy, the tribes agreed to let us build our city and call the country whatever we wanted. Apparently there existed no international exchanges between the tribes, as they tended to keep to their sacred grounds. It was no wonder the land hadn't technically been documented.

The reason for my reminiscence is that of worry and mild shock. I sit here in my study, writing these words by candlelight. I worry about my dear friend Gaius. His sanity has come under scrutiny and I continue to pray for his well being. So much has changed in the past day that my head is still reeling. The deviation from routine began last night at about this time. I was mirroring my actions now, writing a new sermon in this very seat. There was a light knock at my door.

“Come in,” I answered. Unusual for somepony to need me at such a late hour. It was not a repentant soul at the door, but one of King Gaius' personal bodyguards. Immediately I stood at attention in the presence of authority. “Is everythin' quite alright?” I asked with a hint of worry. “Is this regardin' the King?”

“Yes,” stated the thuggish stallion. “Don't worry. Gaius just wants to see ya. He asked for ya by name.”

I took a few moments to collect my thoughts. “Yes, of course,” I said finally. The fellow lead me out into the quiet nighttime streets. We trotted along the cobblestone at a brisk pace. It was a cold, patriotic night in Wintershore.

“If you don't mind me asking,” I mused. “What's the urgency? Why did the King send ya to personally escort me?”

“Dunno. Didn't tell me anythin'. Probably just wants ya safe, is all. You're worth a lot.”

I chuckled. “I suppose so. Is Gaius at home?”

“Nah, he's shut himself up in the bar. He called me upstairs but wouldn't let me in. Told me what to do through a closed door.”

This troubled me. Gaius wasn't usually one for secretive behavior. Something must have happened. We entered the desolate bar. Very few patrons remained at this time of night. A stallion sat here or there, drinking quietly in the hazy darkness. We brushed past the bar and made our way up a set of stairs. The air was thick with a pearly smoke and overwhelmingly muggy.

“My King, I've brought Sombra,” announced the bodyguard through the door.

“Thank you! Go home and get some rest,” said Gaius. “Sombra my friend! The door is unlocked. Please come in!”

I nodded to the guard and opened the door. The room was a small lounge of sorts with several couches and a wood table. Wisps of smoke billowed out into the hall as I stepped in. Gaius sat lazily on a couch with two giggling mares. They took heavy hits off of a slender pipe and passed it to the King. I couldn't help but blush at such immorality.

“Sombra. The pony of the hour. Come and take a seat,” bade Gaius with a wheezy laugh. He put the pipe to his lips and inhaled deeply. The mares sighed in opium-induced complacency and nuzzled themselves up against the King. I sat opposite him on a vacant couch and looked awkwardly at my hooves. My discomfort must have been painfully obvious.

“Hey,” said one of the mares with a wink.

“Be nice,” said Gaius. “You two get outta here. You're makin' my friend here uncomfortable.”

“Bye Gaius,” they said flirtatiously. They trudged out of the room.

“Will they be alright getting home?” I asked.

“Sure. Why wouldn't they?” retorted Gaius.

“Well,” I said testily. “They're high on drugs and extremely vulnerable. You should know better than to associate with... questionable company like that. You could catch a disease.”

“You're just a worry-wart. Stop worryin' so much. Besides, I can do whatever I fancy. Ya want a hit?” He offered me the pipe.

“No, Gaius.”

“Suit yourself. But look, there's a reason I called ya here tonight. I'm sure ya must have expected as much. Therefore, let me start by apologizin' for draggin' ya up here into my den of sin. Now, I've been doin' a lotta' thinkin' lately. Do ya know how long it's been since this great nation was forged?”

“Of course,” I said. “Almost ten years.”

Gaius set his pipe down, indicating he was attempting to be serious. “Right. Be that as it may, I can't help but feel that we're still bein' haunted by Equestria. Celestia's influence is still here. Particularly in me. She's cursed me, Sombra. When I look in the mirror every morning, I see what she's turned me into. It makes me sick. Are you followin' me?”

I fidgeted nervously. “I'm afraid not.”

“Well, that's alright. I've been contemplatin' this for a long while now and I've come to my decision. Tomorrow is the day that I remove the last trace of my previous life. There's only a single thing tyin' me to my past.”

“Please don't do anything rash,” I started. “You're my best friend and I care greatly about you. Don't do anythin' to jeopardize yourself. What exactly are you plannin' on doin'?”

Gaius fiddled with his wings and picked at his feathers. “I can't tell ya. Ya wouldn’t approve. The reason I summoned you here is because I need your support. I know all that religious stuff is real important to ya, so I was wonderin' if ya could pray for me or somethin'. After tomorrow, my life will become exponentially more difficult. I can't see my future. If somethin' happens to me, I just want to know I'm square with whoever's up there watchin'.”

“I'll assist ya in any way possible,” I told him. “Just please, promise me. Promise me ya won't do anythin' to harm yourself. Especially out of spite. Whatever this 'thing' tyin' ya to your past is, I'm sure there's a more productive way of dealin' with it. Promise me you'll be safe.”

Gaius smiled politely. “Thank ya, friend. Goodnight.”

I stopped briefly. “Gaius...”

“Come to the square tomorrow at noon.”

This annoyed me. Of course he wouldn't listen to reason. His seething hatred for Equestria had been the source of problems in the past, and I didn't anticipate this time would be any different. I exited the dingy bar without another word and returned home. Sometimes Gaius thought up fantastic ideas that just weren't practical enough to bring to life. I had immense trust in him, but not when he acted on such fickle compulsion. Sometimes he just liked to run his mouth off. Little did I know exactly how serious he was.

---

I awoke late with little time to eat or prepare for the day. Slumber had successfully eluded me due to the worry seed of Gaius' cryptic declaration of freedom. It was only ten minutes before noon when I finally made it out the door. Many others joined me in the street leading into the heart of the city. Fillies, colts, mares, stallions, everypony was already gossiping eagerly as they trotted along. How he spread the news of his appearance in less than twelve hours was far beyond me. Now I wasn't one to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help overhearing several curious theories about the event.

The King himself is there? Yup! I wonder what he's doin'? I dunno, but I hope it's good news. Maybe the city is gettin' better heaters? Hah. That'll be the day. Think there's been some sort of discovery? A feat of engineerin'?

A modestly sized mob had gathered at the theatrical stage in town square by the time I arrived. They all stood rigidly with eager eyes turned toward the stage. I supposed that any time Gaius ventured out into public was reason enough to try and see him. The citizens buzzed with speculation as to what this particular performance would be. I trotted up to the corona of the crowd and politely tried to make my way to the front. Gaius' words from the previous night still had me worried, but I clung to the hope that this would only be a fundraiser for the military or something of similar respects.

The buzz at the front was more of a constant drone. Several bodyguards occupied the stage and I tried to grab their attention by shouting. The fellows couldn't possibly hear me over the din of the crowd. I stood on my hind hooves and waved my arms dramatically.

“Hey! What's goin' on?” I called.

Much to my luck, one of the guards recognized me and came to the edge of the stage. He towered over me and offered a hoof up. “Sombra! Would you like to come up? I'm sure the King would greatly appreciate your presence!”

I gave him my hoof and he hefted me up easily. “What's this all about?” I barked.

“None of us know! Gaius has been disturbingly quiet for the past few hours.”

“Oh my. That certainly doesn't sound healthy,” I thought out loud. “Do you know where he is?”

“Yes,” said the bodyguard. “He's backstage grooming himself. You can go on back if you want. Maybe you'll get some answers out of him.”

“I sure hope so,” I replied. I peeled the curtain away and entered the backstage area. Sure enough, Gaius sat idly in front of a mirror, giving careful attention to his luster. He glanced behind himself in the mirror and saw me.

“Sombra. Thank you for coming, my friend. Now that you're here, we can begin,” he said calmly. He stood up and clasped me on the shoulder. Somepony handed him a plastic megaphone.

“Wait wait! What is this?” I demanded.

“No time for words. Just follow me,” he ordered.

I knew I was going to regret this. We reemerged onto the stage and were greeted by a tidal wave of cheers and applause. Gaius ate the attention up. He was miraculously charismatic on stage. He waved and bowed, soaking in the praise like a sponge. A band I hadn't seen earlier played bombastic tunes in an effort to keep the crowd going. I was half expecting a parade to march by.

The King stood patiently until the roaring citizens got tired of cheering. He bowed once more then raised the megaphone to his lips.

“My good people!” he howled to the masses. “Your King is ever grateful for your presence! As many of ya know, we've stood together as our own great nation for almost ten long years now!”

More whistles and cheers arose.

“For almost ten years I have valiantly served as your king, but I still bear the mark of an exile! We all do! We wear this mark like a cross - it's our burden to carry! Well my people, I'm done bearing this cross! Today I will banish the last remnant of Equestria from our land and we will truly call ourselves Halcyonites! We will rid ourselves of the great iconoclast! The heretic! The deceiver!” He pumped his hoof in the air joyously and let out a rallying yell. I was captivated by his utter confidence. Nopony knew what he was talking about, (including me) but we were lost in the hurricane force of his words. Several bodyguards walked out onto the stage. Two of them carried an enormous Halcyonic flag which they unfolded and held up above their heads. The other stallions held two glinting cleavers used for cutting meat. The image didn't register in my mind. I figured I must have been imagining things. Unfortunately, this was not so. They held the blades low to the ground so the audience wouldn't notice. Once I realized they were real, I instantly thought of assassins.

“Gaius!” I cried hastily. I ran to his side and yanked his shoulder. “Gaius, those stallions have knives!”

He turned to face me. An odd smile formed on his lips the likes of which I'd never seen. A cold wind blew across the now sunny stage. “I know,” he said. “I know.”

“Everypony, let's hear it for Sombra!” he shouted.

My cheeks burned as the crowd showered me in applause. I didn't know if I was expected to actually do anything, so I just stood there beside Gaius like a nitwit.

“We're lucky he's here!” continued the King. “We're gonna need all the prayers we can get today! Many of ya are wonderin' exactly what I'm gonna do. Rest assured, I've thought my choice through and fully accept consequences. You see, a king should not put himself above his subjects. Even if he's superior by birth. I reject my superiority! It's a curse from my heritage!” He motioned for me to step aside. I backed away and he powerfully threw open his wings. The wind from his feathers was enough to send ripples through the flag and curtains. “Today I humble myself and become a ruler that truly knows the pain of his citizens! Today I reject the last part of me that hails from Equestria, a nation of oppression!”

The two bodyguards walked forward with the cleavers.

“Many of you will question my actions today,” he yelled. “Rest assured, I do it for freedom and humility! I do it for our country! I do it to spit in the face of the land that cast us out like common criminals!”

The stallions stood beside him now. I could only gawk as the paralyzing horror inside me mounted.

“I implore ya, if ya have small children, have them look away!”

The crowd murmured both in worry and excitement. The guards looked to the King for guidance. Clearly they were hesitant about their assigned task. “Ready?” said Gaius to the guard on his left. The stallion mumbled something I couldn't pick out. Ever so slowly he lifted his blade high into the air. Gaius continued to stretch his wings, letting his feathers catch the cool breeze.

“No more talk! It's time to do this! As God as my witness, I swear vengeance on Equestria! Are ya listening, Celestia? This one's for you! Do it!” he screamed.

The guard hammered the cleaver down in a perfect chop right into Gaius' wing. The metal sliced straight through with a quick snapping noise. Gaius screamed and fell to his knees as his monstrous wing dropped onto the stage, pumping spurts of blood out of the base. The crowd screamed in terror. Gaius clutched his shoulder, and screamed through clenched teeth. A red patch widened on his back and ran down his side. “The other one! Quick!” he forced out. The other guard raised his hoof but shuddered in hesitation. “Do it! Now!” screamed Gaius in agony. He swung into the wing but hit it at an odd angle. More blood bubbled out of the wounded appendage. Gaius couldn't speak because his body was in such a wrenching anguish. “Oh shit! Shit!” exclaimed the guard. He desperately swung the bloody blade again. This time it struck correctly and shore the wing right off the bone. Gaius swung woozily from side to side as his blood slowly drained onto his fur and subsequently onto the floor. The other stallions rushed forward with the flag and wasted no time in tightly wrapping the crippled king in the fabric. He looked close to fainting. His chest heaved and his eyes were closed tightly. Nopony knew what to do. He turned to one of the guards supporting him and painfully whispered something in his ear. The guards carried him to the front of the stage, where he shakily held the megaphone up again. The entire crowd was dead silent. The only noise in the whole city was the light flapping of the flag in the wind. Gaius shuddered violently, but somehow managed to speak through the pain.

“On this day, I am reborn! I am no longer Gaius, hailing from Equestria! Today, I am Salvator! Founder, King, and savior of Halcyon!"