Harmony Doesn't Knock

by Amarandream

Inductive Reasoning

Icy Snow walked the long hall of cells, lit only be the occasional torch affixed on a wall sconce. Once, the prison was barely used. The Crystal Empire simply didn't have many prisoners. Sombra had little reason to imprison anypony either. He could just mind control those who didn't conform to his laws. Now, every cell was full, sometimes two or three ponies to a cell. The front half of the prison was filled with republican officers, suspected war criminals, and anypony who had refused to stand down when the war ended. The rest contained Sombra's remaining supporters. It was for one of these cells that she looked, all the way in the back, containing one of her and her sister's fiercest rivals.

The aging gray unicorn she sought grinned as Icy Snow approached his cell, showing off a perfect set of teeth and sparkling steel eyes that would have been charming if she hadn't known him. "Icy, Icy, dear, how are you? Fantastic to see you again by the way. You cannot imagine how I've missed our little chats."

Icy Snow barely restrained a groan, determined to make the conversation perfectly cordial despite Flawless's quirks. It was a rare pony that could get on her nerves, not even Starfrost had the talent, but Flawless was one howling blizzard of an exception. If he was simply antagonistic, that would be one thing. She was used to that from her sister. But no, he liked to taunt all while playing the innocent charmer. If she or—more likely—Starfrost, exploded in rage, he would take it as a personal affront. After all, he was only being polite. How she became his favorite victim, she couldn't say. Perhaps he liked the challenge. Starfrost was far too easy.

"Changeling got your tongue, dear? I know I can be quite stunning, but it is rather impolite to stare. Not that I mind too much." He gave her a wink and a wry smile.

"I was merely wondering why you called me here," Icy quickly recovered. "Surely you wanted more than just a 'little chat.'"

"More?" The unicorn flashed a lopsided grin. "I didn't know you were so interested, though I must say, I'm hardly surprised. You always had fantastic taste. Much better than that runaway wagon you call a sister. No offence."

"You know what I meant." Icy sighed, fighting back a blush. "This is hardly a social call, and if it is, I can always leave you here. Alone. No, you have some sort of business for me, don't you? I don't suppose you want to confess? No, knowing you, it's something you can offer in exchange for a commuted prison sentence."

"Hah! Don't make me laugh," he said with a smirk and a slight deepening of his accent. "I know Princess Cadance will never grant me less than a life sentence, and she has more than enough on my crimes to put me there without a confession. Though I suppose I can offer that if you ask nicely enough." He gave a wry smile that might have been attractive if it was worn by somepony else. "The main reason I asked you here, other than to enjoy the splendid company, is to help with an ongoing investigation. The one surrounding General Applethorn, to be specific."

Icy Snow blinked. "Wait. How did you know we're investigating Applethorn? We just arrived in the city. Most criminal proceedings haven't even begun yet."

"So I was right?" He grinned. "Perfect. That would have been embarrassing otherwise. Of course, I knew you and Starfrost just couldn't help yourselves. You two wanted an easy enemy to pin every non-Sombran atrocity on for when Princess Cadance arrives, am I right? Surely it would make her job easier, and she can feel free to raise you up as heroes without fear of some dark secret coming out." He met her eyes, still smiling, seeming to see right through her.

Icy shifted uncomfortably. She had fallen right into his trap, giving up information he had no right to know. He was half right on the reason too. Neither she nor Starfrost cared about being made a hero, but they did want to make her majesty's job easier. If Cadance could quickly pile a list of war crimes on Applethorn's head, it would help discredit his rebels and allow them to more easily suppress any republican sentiment still left in the country.

She sighed. "Okay, Flawless, you're right. But why do you want to help us? Surely there is something you want in return."

"Oh please," he spread his hooves wide, "I can't just want to help an old friend?"

Icy Snow raised an eyebrow. The two had never been friends. They just had the misfortune of meeting on opposite sides of the war many times over. He was clearly messing with her, as he did with seemingly everypony he met.

"Fine." He lowered his hooves. "I do want something. A nice feast before I'm condemned to a lifetime of prison food will do, so long as you join me for it. And a letter of well wishes from you and your sister, of course. I think I would like to hang it on the wall of my cell. Oh, and a kiss. On the cheek will do. I'm not a savage, after all."

She found herself grating her teeth. His last wish was literally just to mess with her one more time. "Anything else?"

"No, dear. That will be plenty." The grin was back.

---

Starfrost pushed back the flap of the medical tent and stepped inside. A line of cots was set up in a row with injured ponies being tended to by a single field medic. The lack of a read doctor was just as much a sign of the Crystal Army's strained resources as the presence of only one medic, though they had more than enough common foot soldiers to spare two for guarding the entrance. It wouldn't have been necessary if the injured were Starfrost's troops, but this tent was specifically designated for treating wounded republicans.

The medic saluted as soon as he looked up from his notes long enough to notice her presence. "Oh, General, I didn't see you there. What can I do for you, ma'am?"

Starfrost looked back and forth along the line of patients. "I'm looking for a pony by the name of Redwood. Would he happen to be here?"

The medic nodded. "In the back. If you'll follow me, ma'am." He turned and began plodding down the isle of beds.

The two arrived at the last bed. It's owner was, unsurprisingly, given his name, a red earth pony with a tree for a cutie mark. His head was wrapped in bandages, but one eye and his muzzle was left exposed. He looked bad, but was thankfully awake.

"You are Redwood, correct?" Starfrost prodded when he gave no indication that he noticed her presence. "I have some questions to ask you regarding the Mareida family."

He slowly blinked, then sluggishly shifted his head to face her. "Redwood? Uh, yeah, I think that's me. Yeah, I know the Mareidas. They had a dog. Sir Whines-a-lot."

Starfrost grimaced, turning to the medic. "Uh, is he okay? He's acting kind of strange."

"Well . . ." the medic hissed. "He does have a teensy bit of brain damage. And by that, I mean that his long term memory is slow to recall and his short term is completely shot. He also seems to have trouble evaluating the importance of any given fact compared to any other."

Starfrost groaned. "Ugh. That's just my luck. Okay, I want you to write down everything he says. I'm sure I can get what I need out of him, one way or another."

"Wait. Who're you ponies?" Redwood looked back and forth between them, mouth hanging open, a bit of drool dribbling out. "Where am I?"

Starfrost didn't facehoof, but she very much would have liked to. She didn't have time for this. "You're injured but under care, my name's General Starfrost, and I need to know about the Mareida family. They died. Can you tell me about how that happened?"

"Starfrost? Applethorn said you wouldn't help, that you hated republicans almost as much as communists."

She sighed. "That's not, strictly speaking, true, but there's no time for that. Answer my question. The Mareida family. How did they die?"

"Um." He frowned. "We . . . I mean they, killed themselves before we could arrive. Yeah, they were afraid. They screamed. Their dog whined."

"Enough about the dog." She leaned in to a mere few inches from his face. "My reports speak quite vividly of how they died. Now, somehow I greatly doubt that they would have hacked their own foals up with machetes—or themselves, for that matter. What—"

"What do you mean? What's the matter?" he interrupted, catching Starfrost so off guard that it took her a second to realize he was referring only to the end of her sentence. Everything else had been forgotten.

This time, she really did facehoof. At least she'd gotten far enough to hear his lie for herself. She had to check if Applethorn just made up that part or not. "Okay." She took a deep breath. "Take three." She gently grabbed him with one foreleg, sure to get his attention. "The Mareida family was butchered by your soldiers. I know that for a fact. Who gave the order? Was it you, or did it come from higher up?"

"No, no, no." He shook his head, though not in a very wide arc with her hoof around his neck. "I never wanted to. They were afraid. They screamed. Their dog whined." Tears came to his one uncovered eye. "I had to. Orders are orders. You don't disobey . . . who are you?"

"GAAAH!" Starfrost screamed as she ripped her helmet her helmet off with one hoof and threw it across the tent, eliciting a shocked squeal from the medic. "Okay. That's it!" She grabbed Redwood with both hooves and hauled him up, bringing him nose to nose with her furiously scrunched face. "The Mareida family was butchered. Your soldiers did it. Who gave the order? WHO?"

"I . . . I didn't." The stallion was actively crying now. "He said we had to. He said they were evil ponies. He said he'd killed me if I talked."

"Who? Please, listen to me," she pleaded. "Who said this?"

"Applethorn. I . . . wait, where am I?"

Starfrost sighed and released him. It was nothing more than the rambling testimony of a brain damaged pony, but it would have to be enough. It wasn't proof of anything, of course, but every scrap of evidence helped. Regardless, despite his involvement in the murders, it was useless taking Redwood to court. He'd already received punishment for his crimes, and it was inside his own mind. The medic's notes on his bedside claimed he was unlikely ever to recover.

"Starfrost, are you finished up in here?"

She turned to find Icy Snow waiting at the tent's entrance. "Yes. Walk with me."

She stepped past, heading back toward the Crystal Palace. "Well, I learned that Applethorn ordered the butchering of the Mareida clan, just as expected. The only problem is that the source can't exactly be called super reliable. What about you? Did Flawless have anything useful to say, or was it just him being him?"

"Both." Icy shook her head to herself, keeping pace at Starfrost's side. "He had information about Applethorn, but it came with a price. A price I was willing to pay. You're supposed to write a letter of well wishes with me, by the way." Icy Snow glanced over, no doubt taking note of Starfrost's grimace. "Don't worry, since I made the deal, it's only fair I write it myself. We can just have you put your name on it."

"Thanks." Starfrost smiled at her sister. "Well, don't hold me in suspense. What was the information?"

"Applethorn ordered his forced to destroy the dams about a week's trot east of here. The recent flooding? Yeah, that wasn't just a structural failure. It was caused by revolutionary forces. Apparently, he did it to slow down Flawless and prevent his army from reinforcing Sombra here at the Crystal City in time. Thousands of innocents died as a result."

Starfrost smiled. "Excellent."

"Excellent?" Icy said incredulously. "It's horrible!"

"Uh, right," She quickly corrected. "Really, it's a tragedy. Truly terrible." She took a breath, waiting just a beat before speaking again. "But you have to admit, it's quite useful. Did he have proof?"

Icy sighed. "Yes. He gave details on the damage to the dams as well the locations of any documents his forces hid away when they surrendered. His army's scout reports on the disaster should be among those. I've already sent some of our pegasi out east to collect them and bring them here, posthaste. My investigators have also convinced the tutor of Sombra's children to talk about Snowblossom's disappearance. He is an old gelding named Dusty, and he's waiting for us in the armory where the filly was last seen."

"Good. We sho— wait." Starfrost abruptly spun to face her sister directly. "Did you say gelding?"

Icy nodded grimly. "Correct. Apparently Sombra wanted his children's educator to be more docile."

"Ugh." She shook her head. "As if we needed any more reason to hate that monster. Come on, let's go see this gelding then."

---

Starfrost tried very hard not to glance between Dusty's legs out of sheer curiosity, something Icy Snow didn't seem to have a problem with at all. The prude. It was hard not to let one's mind wander when their supposed source of information was rambling on about how he was so glad that good old fashioned monarchists had driven the republican rabble out, trying and failing to ingratiate himself with the new regime. Though Starfrost wanted to yell at him to get to the point, her sister merely nodded along and subtly pushed him in the direction of the investigation.

“. . . and that’s when I was finally allowed back in to clean, and I noticed a few drops of blood on the floor.”

Blood? Starfrost snapped back to attention. It seemed Icy had finally gotten him on topic.

“So,” he continued. “I asked them about it and they said it was from an accident, that their cleaner must have missed a spot. So, I went ahead and cleaned the rest up for them. I got in there real good with bleach too. Didn’t want to leave anything behind. That would be downright unsanitary.”

Starfrost groaned, and she could have sworn Icy almost did the same. The old fool just admitted to tampering with evidence. She would have believed he was intentionally deceiving them, except there was a certain genuineness to his apparent senility that made her actually believe him. Regardless, he was as useless as winter gear in Saddle Arabia.

“You know what? I think we have what we need. You can go.” Starfrost gestured to the door.

"Oh." He looked back in forth between them in confusion. "Okay then. I sure hope you two nice ladies find that sweet little filly. I would hate to think something bad might have happened to her. In the meantime, I'll make like a foal and head on out." He chuckled to himself as if he hadn't just told one of the most cliché jokes ever, then made for the exit.

Starfrost shut the door almost on top of his tail. "Is it just me, or is everypony we meet an active detriment to our sanity? Icy?"

She looked over. Icy Snow was staring at the armory's small window. "What is it, Icy?"

"Applethorn claimed that Snowblossom must have climbed out through the window." She glanced to Starfrost. "Now, while that window might be large for a foal to squeeze through, somehow I have trouble imagining anypony, let alone a foal, getting that high unaided. Any higher and it would be on the ceiling. I suppose the weapon racks could work as a boost, but they're so heavy it would take two or three good stallions to move one."

"You're right. Combine that with Dusty's claims of blood and we can make a serious argument that Applethorn was lying. It still doesn't make for sufficient evidence to convict him of murder though."

At that moment, one of Icy's agents entered with a salute and a report held in a turquoise magical aura. "Ma'ams, you're going to want to see this."

Starfrost returned the salute. "What is it?"

"Our team found a body that we think might be Snowblossom's. Word of it first came from the palace seneschal, who admitted to seeing some of the revolutionaries haul something out wrapped in a rug. Our search led to an old storehouse not far from the palace. It was already burned when we arrived, but we went ahead and cordoned off the area to prevent further meddling. The site is set up for your arrival now."

She turned to Icy. "Come on then. This might just be exactly what we're looking for."

The two walked out of the room, down the hall, through the palace doors, and two blocks down. There, they found the storehouse, kept restricted to the public just as the agent said. Upon entering, they quickly found the charred corpse of a filly wrapped up in what remained of an equally charred rug. The skeleton was completely blackened, but had the look of something burnt fairly recently.

Starfrost frowned. "It's beyond recognition. Do you think there is any way to prove this is Snowblossom?"

Icy shook her head. "No, but we can build evidence. This body is the perfect size for a filly her age, and what little remains of that rug matches those found on the palace floors. You put that together with everything else we collected, and I think Princess Cadance will be more than satisfied." She sighed. "Still though, I'd hoped we wouldn't be finding this."

Starfrost nodded. "I know. Let's get this report written up and have it waiting when the princess arrives. Then we can be done with this whole mess. The ministry of propaganda can handle it from there, and by the time it's through with them, it will have thoroughly marred all republicanism within this country for years to come."

---

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza set down the report and looked at the two officers standing at the foot of the throne room's dais. The first was General Starfrost, leader of the valiant rebels to which she owed her crown. Though prior to Sombra's takeover, Starfrost had been a perpetual pain in her flank. She still wasn't sure if she would allow Starfrost to maintain her position as highest officer of the Crystal Empire's military. She could express her gratitude for recent events by promoting the mare to field marshal, or she could do perhaps the more sensible thing and give Shining Armor the position, now that he was ready for a return to service. He would be much easier to work with than her, but it would also feel like a betrayal of the general's loyalty and devotion to the cause.

The second pony was Colonel Icy Snow, who just a few years ago, Cadance had assigned as acting head of the Crystal Intelligence Services. Given her exemplary service, she was inclined to grant her the position on a more permanent basis. That was less of a toss up than the Starfrost question, as Icy Snow had always been an absolute pleasure to work with—even if she lacked the raw tenacity and battlefield prowess of her sister.

In addition to taking back the capital, it seemed the two had come with a solution to the republican problem, though Cadance was hesitant to mention just yet that she already had an entirely different solution in mind for said problem—mainly because it was not a solution they, mainly Starfrost, were bound to like. It was certainly a much gentler approach than they suggested.

She cleared her throat. "I must say, the things you describe here are quite disturbing, but I have some problems with your sources. Redwood's claims are almost totally inadmissible on account of his current condition and I am skeptical of this Flawless's motives, even if backed up by his army's reports. Are you sure that Applethorn is responsible for every one of these things?"

"We can never be sure, your majesty," Icy Snow spoke, "but we have more than enough reasons to believe he is. Regardless, the presence of a body gives us very good reason to believe he murdered Snowblossom. According to our reports, no other fillies of the same size disappeared around that time period near that location. With the rug we found at the scene, we are reasonably sure it's her. That should be enough to pronounce him guilty. The rest is merely a bonus."

"I see. And what does my military high command suggest I do with such a dangerous criminal?"

Starfrost stepped forward, smirking. "Why that's rather simple, your majesty. Lop his head off, of course. It's no less than they did to Radiant Hope."

"What?" She gasped. "You can't be serious. An eye for an eye has never been our way, nor should it be. This must be a time of healing, and we will not begin that by making his supporters bitter or by betraying our values."

"Fine." Starfrost shrugged. "Send him to Princess Celestia then. She can turn ponies to stone, right? I mean, I think that's what she did to Discord. Frankly, I could use a new statue for my garden. Once I get a garden. To be honest, I have a bit of a brown hoof."

Cadance shook her head. Starfrost would defend to the death any loyal citizen of the Empire, but she was frustratingly flippant toward the lives of anypony not under her jurisdiction or directly allied to her. This was exactly why she didn't believe Starfrost's claims of being reformed, especially since the only thing that changed was how vocally she supported conquering their neighbors. If she were not so loyal, and indeed useful, Cadance would have removed her from service long ago. As it was, she had been relegated to a relatively unimportant border garrison until Sombra took over. Though it was exactly that distance that allowed her to avoid being mind controlled.

"General, we cannot simply make statues of everypony who commits a major crime. Celestia is not a gorgon, ever eager to expand her collection."

Starfrost sighed and for a moment it even looked to Cadance like she was going to roll her eyes. "You are, as ever, quite correct, your majesty. I suppose he will face a life behind bars then? It's a bit of a boring punishment for my taste, but I suppose it will suit your purposes."

"I imagine you are correct," Cadance nodded, "but I will need to speak to him first. Later though. Something must be done about his revolutionaries, and I do not intend to simply disgrace them with propaganda as your report advises. Their viewpoints are valid, and must be heard. I will unite this nation through love and compromise, not by spreading slander and browbeating any potential opponents into submission."

She could see Starfrost's jaw tighten at her words, but what the general said was not at all what she expected, party because it was unlike her and partly for the radical change in direction. "Your majesty, when you pronounce Applethorn's sentence, I must ask that you also give one to me." The mare met her in the eyes, standing tall and firm while somehow maintaining a countenance of respect and even repentance. "I directed aid to Applethorn's rebels. I didn't need to do this, but it did make things easier for a time. I fear many ponies have died as a result. The floods, the Mareida deaths, Snowblossom, those who died defending the city from us—all of it couldn't have happened if not for my actions. For that, I must pay. After all, I am reformed, and it is the right thing to do." She gave a soft smile.

The princess found herself in shock. Starfrost was requesting punishment? Among that pony's many flaws, narcissism was not one of them, but it was still the first time anything like that had happened that she knew of. Even after almost starting a war with the yaks, Starfrost had been outwardly apologetic but not truly remorseful. Cadance was still fairly sure the general wanted to take control of the Yakish range for their mines. Still, maybe she had worked to change herself more than the princess gave her credit for, even if only by a little bit.

"General, you don't need to do that. Your actions were understandable, given the desperate situation. You could not have known what would happen. In fact, if you hadn't sent them those supplies, we might still be at war with Sombra right now. You are a hero, whatever you had to do to get here."

"Respectfully, your majesty, we aren't giving Applethorn that leniency, and I'm sure many see him as a hero too. Besides, I'm not naïve, I knew exactly what might happen. In fact, I fully expected there to be collateral damage. I counted on using it later to disgrace them."

Cadance sighed. Starfrost was once again putting her in a very difficult position, albeit in a much different way than usual. She needed every loyal officer she could get for the coming days, and Starfrost's status as a war hero would make Cadance extremely unpopular if she were to make any kind of pronouncement against the general. If she were to offer punishment, it would have to be relatively lenient, yet deeply unpleasant for Starfrost. Otherwise, the general might claim that she was going too easy on her or, on the other end of the spectrum, Cadance might face public backlash.

The Princess smiled. If she knew Starfrost, this would be perfect. "Very well. I hereby am restricting you to administrative work for the next three months. In that time, you are to take up the position of head clerk here in the palace. All paperwork done within the building is to pass directly through your office. Additionally, your pay will be docked and any promotion opportunities you would have otherwise had as a result of your actions will be forfeited. You will still receive the medals you are due, however." There, just like that, she’d also solved the problem of who would be made field marshal. It would be Shining Armor.

Starfrost's eye twitched at the mention of that much paperwork, but to her credit, she quickly fell into a gracious bow.

“Now, if you will excuse me,” Cadance added, “I must address my little ponies. They deserve to hear from their ruler.”

The princess rose from Radiant Hope’s throne, her own throne having not yet been tracked down from wherever Sombra put it, and strode to the massive double doors of the palace’s entrance. Colonel Icy Snow and General Starfrost seamlessly joined her at the left and right flanks respectively, though remained several steps behind. When the doors opened, she was met by a massive crowd of ponies, many of whom were waving the purple and white banners of the Crystal Empire. Though they had not been there when she entered the palace, she knew it was hardly spontaneous. She had spied Icy Snow giving the orders to gather them and pass out flags when she first arrived.

"Ponies of the Empire," she announced, addressing them with the royal Canterlot voice to reach those in the back—a technique taught to her by her Aunt Luna, "today is a momentous occasion. After years in exile, the legitimate government of the Empire is restored and the Tyrant King defeated." She paused while the crowd cheered. "It is with great pride that I stand here today, humbly thanking the saviors of this nation. All of us owe the mares and stallions of the armed forces our deepest gratitude, and we owe General Starfrost here even more for leading the free ponies of our nation in my absence." She stopped once again to allow the ponies to cheer their soldiers and General Starfrost, who merely smiled and waved back to the crowd.

"Despite these victories," she continued, "there is still great work to be done. Even now, investigations are being carried out against those suspected of war crimes, engineers are being sent to examine destroyed railways, and medical professionals are being hired to treat the Empire's many wounded, regardless of who they fought for. This is a time of healing. To that end, I will meet with the remaining leaders of the republican movement to discuss the future of our government. I have heard your cry for liberty in the face of an oppressive regime such as Sombra's, and I ask you to help me ensure your freedoms are never taken away again. We will begin by expanding local elections, and from there, leap into places new and as yet unknown, but not scary in the least.

"Only together can we move forward into this new era, restoring friendship and harmony to a broken nation. This is a project that will never end, for we must always be improving upon ourselves, but I firmly believe that it will lead us to the highest of heights, never seen before in the Empire. This is, has, and always will be the Empire of Love, and I thank you all for the part you play in that. Forevermore, the Crystal Ponies will stand together in fellowship, a shining beacon of the best Harmony has to offer!"

The crowd's cheers were thunderous, the drumbeats of an army marching into a new age.

---

Applethorn walked the final stretch to his cell, where he was likely to spend the rest of his life. Escorting him was the newly promoted General Icy Snow, official director of the military branch of the Crystal Intelligence Services. He couldn't say why somepony so important would want to escort him themselves, but he doubted the reason would be pleasant for him.

They stopped at a cell in the very back of the prison, already occupied by a gray unicorn stallion just reaching his later years. At present, he was simply leaning against the back wall with his eyes closed.

"Hello there, Flawless." Icy Snow smiled. "I have a cellmate for you. Do treat him well, won't you?"

The stallion opened his eyes and flashed an eerily perfect grin. "Oh, you do know how to treat me, dear. Worry not, I am sure him and I will get along just fine. We'll tell stories, have long chats, and be the very best of friends in no time."

The general's smile grew. "Just what I was hoping for. Have fun, you two." She gently pushed Applethorn inside and locked the cell behind him, then left without another word.

Applethorn watched her leave for only a moment before turning to the stallion. "That name, Flawless. Do I know you?"

"Well, I would think you should." He smirked, stepping up to stand next to him. "Say, why don't I tell you a tale? It's one you'll love, I'm sure. You see, it is about a rather horrific flood, and what I did to the ponies sent to cause it."

Applethorn eyes widened as he gulped down something inexplicably stuck in his throat. Oh, he definitely recognized this stallion, and just then, he would rather have been anywhere else.

Comments

[Vailen]

Personally, I think Applethorn got what he deserved

[Amarandream]

10362017
I’m glad you agree. I spent a long time struggling to decide just how harsh his fate should be. I figure what I ended up giving him was about as bad as I can make it without it being cruel and unusual punishment or too vindictive for Cadance to agree with.

[fechlin]

10362017
While I do find Applethron's actions to be quite unnecessarily brutal, I find them to be quite understandable when put into the context of the war they were fighting. While yes, blowing the damn did lead to countless deaths, it did serve it's intended purpose of delaying monarchist forces. When it comes to Snowblossm's murder, at least it destroyed any chance for a counter-revolution.

[Amarandream]

10362141
I’m glad we have such a wide variety of viewpoints here in the comments. I hate when things are too cut and dry, black and white.

[NCR Brony 256]

This is a good story. Good story telling, realistic/interesting characters, and a good plot. Unfortunately, this story wasn't for me (too bittersweet for my liking). Regardless, I do think this story deserves more likes and views than it has been given thus far. I may not be a fan, but that doesn't mean other people wouldn't enjoy it.

[Amarandream]

10362404
Well thanks for the sentiment! I'm sorry it wasn't for you, but I'm glad you stuck with it long enough to give a good, honest opinion.

[DefiantPosition]

Wow a great story. I the atmosphere in the first chapter was really well described and it is probably what has happened in irl revolutions. Personally I do hate it how Applethorn got off so easy with the murder of a child but Cadance's decision does make sense and is probably the best choice.

[Fecyrineu]

I feel kinda bad for the average revolutionary. Their leader was bad, but the average revolutionary fought to free themselves from Sombra's tyranny and estabilish a free democratic republic, but then the monarchists show up at the end and are like "Too bad, you're getting an autocracy whenever you like it or not."
Well, at least an autocracy with local elections is better than nothing.