Trial of a Changeling

by twilightsparkle3562

Cries for Clemency

Chapter 15

"Cries for Clemency"

The trial was over and Kuwaga had been found guilty on all of his crimes. He had been sentenced to death by hanging and there was nothing that he could do anything about it. There would be no rescue and there would be no escape. All that Kuwaga could do was wait to meet his maker, however, Princess Celestia and the other princesses were now starting to question their own decisions, especially Celestia and Luna.

"Sister, I can't help but wonder," asked Luna as they all gathered in Celestia's private quarters. "Do you think we had done the right thing by sentencing a creature to death?"

"I don't know, Luna," replied Celestia, her voice lowered as she paced back and forth. "A part of me wants him to live, like Tirek in the depths of Tartarus. Killing this creature does not erase all that the Changelings had done, even invading Canterlot on your wedding Cadence."

Cadence sighed at this remark made by her aunt. Celestia was right, nothing could erase all the Changelings did on her wedding. They had to move on from all of this, one way or another.

"But, isn't there any other way to spare his life?" wondered Twilight. "Perhaps, we could just…"

"No, Princess Twilight," interrupted Celestia. "The only way his life can be spared is for somepony to come forward and cry for clemency."

"Clemency?" asked Twilight. "Why wouldn't we have anything to say about it?"

"Because we need to be persuaded," answered Luna. "What must be clear is that Kuwaga will never be free ever again and all that matters now is either killing him as planned or sparing his life and letting him rot in Tartarus for the rest of his life."

Just then, a knock at the door was heard and the two guards standing guard outside the quarters, opened the door and Private Centipede emerged on the other side. Taking off his helmet, he bowed to the princesses and rose back to his feet.

"Princesses," he said in his distorted voice. "I've come to ask for clemency for my former leader, General Kuwaga."

The princesses were confused by all of this as up until now, they had believed that Centipede was one of those who were crying out for Kuwaga to be killed.

"Why would you ask that?" wondered Twilight, confusingly as she walked up to Centipede. "As far as we are concerned, you felt that Kuwaga deserved to be punished for what he did while you were under his command."

"Because I am a changeling that doesn't believe in violence," replied Centipede. "Isn't that what Equestria is? A land full of ponies that don't believe in revenge and violence?"

"Unless if serious crime are committed, Private Centipede," interjected Celestia. "And in the case of Kuwaga, his crimes are greater than anything that is considered a normal crime. Why do you want us to spare his life aside from the fact that you don't believe in violence?"

Centipede knew that he was changing his beliefs, but it was a risk that he was going to have to take. After all, there was going to be some kind of consequences if Kuwaga was hanged in the center of Canterlot.

"If you kill Kuwaga," warned Centipede, his voice filled with fear. "Then when she learns of what happens to her best general, Chrysalis will vow revenge and no colt, mare and foal will be spared of her wrath. She will kill and will not rest until every single one of you is dead. Would you want to put that risk on your subjects or not?"

With each word that Centipede spoke, the princesses took into consideration what was being said. Centipede was right, they couldn't risk anything greater than the lives of their own subjects. Chrysalis had the power to invade numerous towns and cities throughout Equestria and given the fact that many ponies were still dealing with the aftermath of Tirek's rampage, it was something that they weren't going to take.

"We have seen enough blood split to last us a lifetime," remarked Luna to Celestia. "Perhaps sending him to Tartarus may not be a bad idea, sister."

Celestia carefully thought of what had just been said, for she knew that there were indeed going to be some angry ponies that would be upset with the decision to let Kuwaga live. Not only that, but the decision to kill Kuwaga would only add another pool of blood to Equestria's unwanted sea of red. At the same time, she knew that Tartarus was a place that would sometimes let its guard down.

"What if he decides to escape like Tirek did?" she asked to her fellow princesses. "I cannot let that happen again and I am sure you agree with me on that."

"I'm sure that Cerberus knows better than to leave his post," remarked Twilight. "We all know that he made the mistake once and will not do it again. He will most definitely not want to see you three end up in prison again."

Celestia carefully took in every single word that was spoken and she would have to put her trust in the system of keeping Kuwaga imprisoned forever. After a few moments, she sighed heavily and turned her attention back to Centipede.

"Very well, then," she said. "Clemency is granted. General Kuwaga's sentence will be changed from death by hanging to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in Tartarus."

Centipede sighed with relief at this and for a moment, it seemed like Kuwaga would serve out his sentence in the depths of Equestria's underground prison. But then, suddenly, the doors were banged on loudly and a pair of guards came running in.

"What is the meaning of this?" thundered Luna. "How dare you come in and scare us like that?"

"Forgive us, your highnesses," they cried, still trying to catch their breaths from all the running that they had done. "General Kuwaga…has committed suicide in his cell."

All four princesses gasped in shock as did Private Centipede. Racing down to the dungeons, they came up to the cage that Kuwaga had been in and a Canterlot doctor was in the cage looking down at the dead Changeling. Celestia darted into the cage and stood next to the doctor, who was holding what appeared to be a small syringe.

"It is poison, your highness," said the doctor, handing the object to Celestia and this made the elder princess feel angry at the fact that Kuwaga would do such a thing. Looking down at the dead Changeling, Celestia turned away and walked out of the cage, her eyes filled with rage at the fact that somepony would take the easy way out.

"You damn dirty bug!" she muttered, before using her magic to slam the cage door loudly as Centipede took off his hat in respect for his dead former leader.

General Kuwaga was dead, but the whole story was not over yet…

Comments

[changlinggod45]

so that hapend

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

So he took the coward's way out.

So much for all his blustering about revenge and stuff.

[Fireheart 1945]

7192742 Some would say it is revenge, as he chose a final defiance of the Princesses' power. Considering the threat of Chrysalis and her army, as noted by Centipede, it may well cause the war that Centipede wanted to avoid. And its hardly unique. Herman Goring took the same way out hours before he was to be hanged with 11 others as a result of the Nuremburg Trials.

I am not, and will not be, sanctioning suicide. This is meant as a historical record, nothing more.

[twilightsparkle3562]

7192904 As did Dr. Robert Ley, another German who did himself in before the trials.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

7192904 Hmmmm, good point, that.

And this is true. I've watched several documentaries about this over the years, so I'm well acquainted with what Goering did to escape the noose.

I am not, and will not be, sanctioning suicide.

Nor do I. It only causes more pain that it solves.

7192917 And Heinrich Himmler did the same thing when he was captured by (I want to say the British) Allied Forces right before the actual end of the the war in Europe.

A lot of Nazis chose to take that way out, rather than face justice from the Allied Powers.

[nioniosbbbb]

7192904 There was practically no future or moving on for these guys for what they did. It doesn't seem surprising to me. Suffering a slow death from age and boredom sounds like something that I wouldn't want to have in a million years. Most think of suicide as a way out. In this case Kaguya for all his might and stuff was looking for a way out. It's not something you condone or not... it is not in your power to condone or not. It is something however to understand.

If anyone did want to prevent this they would likely have to give Kaguya something to live for. I doubt he had anything.

Also I am sorry for mixing the name with Kuwaga.