XIII - Death
The guard had never been so terrified in his life as he knocked on the door of the throne room. As he entered and laid eyes on Gallus, his hooves almost gave way beneath him. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Every fibre of his being urged him to turn tail and flee, but it was his unyielding sense of duty that compelled him forward. As he approached the griffon, he bowed lower than he had ever bowed in his life.
"S-s-sir, th-the... the P-p-princess has... has..."
Bullets of sweat formed and began to trickle down his forehead as he struggled to spit the bad news out. Gallus leaned forwards, brow furrowing in confusion.
"Pl-please... I didn't... I wasn't..."
"Spit it out."
"T-t-t-the p-princess has... escap-"
Before he could finish, Gallus flew to his claws with a roar and surged forwards, barrelling the guard aside as if he were made of paper. Not even waiting for an escort, the griffon tore through the doors and charged through the castle's corridors, a scream of fury tearing his beak open.
The shattered window had already been fenced off, of course. A legion of pegasi had been dispatched moments after the bungled escape, and were hot on the tail of the fugitive princess and heir abettors. There was nothing to be worried about, nothing at all. The Captain of the Equestrian Guard had assured the furious Gallus of these facts over and over till he was blue in the face, trying to keep unpleasant images of the dark, cramped cell that might well be his by the end of the day out of his mind.
He deigned to keep the truth - that the Princess had fled hours ago and would almost certainly be back in the Crystal Empire by now - to himself. Gallus was losing it, anypony could see that. He could easily decide to make an example of the Captain of his Equestrian Guard. Better to cover his flank.
To his relief, Gallus contented himself with bellowing himself hoarse and storming off. Then, when he was halfway out the door and the Captain could breathe a little easier, he paused.
"What about the others?"
The Captain was relieved to have some good news to report on, for once. "Still imprisoned in Canterlot Dungeon. I'll make sure their security is increased."
Gallus let out a low snarl.
"That won't be necessary."
Cozy despised rain. Unlike Equestria, where the weather was closely guided and organized by teams of pegasai, the Griffons had no such organization, and simply allowed the weather to roll over them, taking each day as it came. The rain was always thick and inescapable, seeping into the narrowest of cracks and soaking her makeshift encampments. She usually preferred to take a walk during such downpours, in the fruitless hope it would make her look less dishevelled - or at least clean off some of the filth she found herself universally caked in.
"Rain walking again? You'll get pneumonia, you know."
"Why, Chrysalis. I didn't know you cared."
"Actually, I think if she goes, we go with her."
As always, her former legionnaires were her constant companions.
"I'm just getting some air." Masked by the sound of the rain, she felt free to talk openly. "I'll be fine."
"It's your own lookout, kid." Tirek sounded glum. "But if this is all I have to look forward to, I wouldn't say no to an early exit."
"Speak for yourself, demon. As soon as I am returned to my glorious full form, I will return to my hive and conquer Equestria once and for all!"
"Your 'full form' is most likely mixed into cement by now. Mine too." Tirek chided her. "What body? What hive? Your changelings haven't known you for twenty-five years. Nothing remains for us, here or there. All we have is this, this half-life."
"I refuse to - I am the changeling queen! I have lived millennia and seen countless foes fall before my hooves! How dare you suggest I am culpable to the fate of a lesser mortal! I'm going to - "
"SHUT UP!!" Cozy roared, surging forwards and slamming her head against a nearby stall repeatedly, ignoring the pain as stars blossomed and burst before her eyes, only wanting the voices to be silenced, for the noise to end, for all to be peaceful once again -
Reeling backwards, she shook her head violently, trying to focus. To her relief, the voices had vanished once more. That didn't always work, but it was worth a few moments peace and quiet when it did. Steadying herself, she blinked slowly and tried to focus through the pain on her surroundings. The streets were deserted; nocreature had seen her.
That outburst might have placated the two of them for a while, but they'd be back, she had no doubt of it. It wasn't enough that she be endlessly haunted by fragmented remnants of her past. They had to be insufferable too. Bickering with each other, whining, complaining, sniping - it never ended. Even when she slept, they filled her dreams.
She'd had enough. She just wanted it all to end.
In an instant, her legs would carry her no further. She had just enough strength to limp towards the nearest wall before she collapsed under her own weight. The rain pounded down onto her, flooding her eyes and blurring her vision. She felt unbearably tired. It would be better to sleep now, during this small sweet moment of peace.
"Kalc muk. Kalc didum!"
Cozy struggled feebly as she was raised into the air by a rough pair of talons and shaken aggressively. Her eyes fluttered open and landed on the faceless helm of a city guard.
"Distay! Filly! You understand?" To punctuate his point, the guard shook her once again. "No sleep here! You go!"
He dropped Cozy, who landed in a static lump at his claws. When she remained motionless, the guard snarled and hefted a kick at her.
"Oruspru! You go or I kill you!"
Just do it, Cozy thought. Just do it or leave me be.
In the end, the guard merely scowled with disgust and spat at her before striding off. Cozy laid there for maybe five more minutes before slowly rising to her hooves. Blinking slowly, she caught a flash of her reflection in a nearby puddle. She looked awful, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It took her a few moments to realize what was wrong.
The amulet still hung around her neck, but the glass pendant had shattered into a thousand pieces. The enchantment had finally failed for good, and the filly staring back at her was no longer her alter ego, but a face she had almost forgotten. Her curls were gone, replaced by a limp crop of thinning, mud-stained turquoise hair, and her patchy pink mane couldn't be more matted if it tried, to say nothing of the patchwork of cuts and bruises woven into her mane. No wonder the guard hadn't recognized her.
It was only a matter of time before someone clocked her now. She just had to keep walking, and it would all be over soon.
In the end, it wasn't an overly-inquisitive bystander that stopped her in her tracks, nor was it her own sense of hopelessness and fatigue. It was a small rock, jutting out of the ground at just such an awkward angle to send her sprawling onto the ground. She made one final attempt to push herself to her hooves, before collapsing back onto her stomach and rolling onto her side. Her breath grew thinner and thinner as she felt the last ounces of strength she possessed drain from her.
The icy ground and freezing rain burned her skin like flames, yet this time her brain did not even react to the pain, did not scream at her to rise to her hooves and tread on once more. Though she felt acutely aware of the miserable stinging, it did not motivate her to save herself further torment, merely weighed her down.
As her eyelids fluttered and threatened unconsciousness, the two faces she last wanted to see faded into view. This time, there were no wise-cracks, no chest-beating. They looked... sad. Tirek knelt over her, a grim look adorning his features.
"I think this is goodbye, little filly."
"I... I don't..." Cozy's breath was raspy, and each word was forced out with considerable effort. "Am I going... going to..."
Chrysalis looked away, as if unwilling to face her. Tirek nodded.
"Yes." Unexpectedly, he let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry. It's not as bad as it sounds. Peaceful, even. At least, that's what I have been led to believe. I have never truly died."
"Me neither." Chrysalis couldn't keep the upset out of her voice. "It's been so long since I contemplated my own death. I did not imagine such a thing possible. Now it's here... I'm afraid."
"Do not be." Tirek rose to his full height once more, closing his eyes as if in contemplation. "Death does not stay it's hoof, without exception. The world hereafter brings me more concern. We did not live the best of lives, did we?"
"Worried for your eternal soul, demon?" Chrysalis broke from her stupor to jeer. "I have done nothing but provide for my hive. My conscience is clear."
"I confess I have much to atone for, and not enough time to do it." Tirek ignored the jibe. "Perhaps my brother will enjoy the fruits of his conviction after all. But such universal order is perhaps too much to hope for. Eternal oblivion would be more fitting, I feel, for all of us."
A silence fell amongst the legionnaires at Tirek's words, punctuated by shouting somewhere in the distance. Perhaps that guard had returned to harass her one final time, to make sure she would know no peace, even in death. Cozy's vision was slowly blacking out, her legs growing numb as the cold bit into them. All it would take was for her to close her eyes one last time, allow that cold hoof of death to close itself around her throat.
As her eyes closed for the final time, she felt those hooves wrap themselves around her form and lift her into the sky.
The door to the dungeon opened slowly with a finality that alerted Cadence to her fate before she'd even had time to open her eyes. Two Equestrian Guards entered, followed shortly behind by a tall, slender unicorn with handsome features and a perfectly styled mane gazed down at her with disinterest.
"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. By the power invested in me by the Equestrian Grand Council's state of emergency, I summarily sentence you to death for the crime of conspiracy against the Equestrian nation. Your husband will share the same fate."
"Gallus too much of a coward to face me?" Cadence sneered. The unicorn ignored her.
"Your execution is scheduled for tomorrow. You will be taken from here to a lawful place of execution and hung by the neck until dead. May Providence have mercy upon your soul."
Cadence said nothing, merely stared downwards at her hooves. The unicorn turned to leave.
"Wait." A sudden thought struck her. "My daughter. What's going to happen to my daughter!?"
"Princess Flurry Heart has escaped captivity and is currently a fugitive from justice. When she is recaptured, she too will face the consequences of her actions."
Cadence's heart leaped in her chest even as the cell door slammed in front of her, and it took some self-control not to let out a cheer. Her daughter, her precious daughter, was free. She could die with a smile on her lips after all.
Cozy's eyes shot open.
Total blackness consumed her. Terror ripped through her as she felt her heart begin to race. Had Tirek been right? Was this death? An eternity imprisoned in a black void? Worse than Tartarus, worse than the meanest prison cell? She began to thrash around randomly, unwilling to believe or accept that she should have struggled so much and come so far just to be imprisoned like a -
Yet as her hooves swung around, they connected and struck solid matter, sending shocks of pain through her as she became suddenly aware that she was lying on... something. Something soft. A bed? It had been so long since she'd used one, she'd forgotten how luxurious even a simple straw mattress was compared to the hard ground.
Scrambling upright, she blinked rapidly as her vision adjusted to the pitch blackness of the area around her. Slowly, objects and shapes floated into view. A bed. A side table. A small cupboard. All the trappings of the mundane world slowly flooded her vision with wonderous clarity. Against every odd, she was alive.
But how? Where was she? Had she been abducted? A cold chill ran through her at the thought. She was in no shape to fight back against even the weakest adversary. Focusing her sights on a thin square of light that could only be a doorway, she tiptoed up to it as slowly as she could and cracked it open as slowly as she dared.
Nothing. An empty hallway.
Emboldened, she poked her head out through the door, then slipped through, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. It was in the bright light of the hallway that she first caught a glimpse of her hooves, causing her to jump backwards and crash into the door to the room adjacent to her own. Her usual pink fur had been replaced with a dark blue coat, and from her neck hung another amulet, a golden medallion with a thick gold chain.
She'd only known one unicorn capable of that kind of magic. A wonderful, beautiful thought flowered in her chest. Could it be -
As if to answer her question, the door she'd just knocked into swung open, revealing a rose-coated unicorn with short but unmistakable fire-yellow hair. Her amber eyes, though sunken into their tired sockets, glittered with new life as she stared down at Cozy.
"Luster!"
Abandoning all pretence, Cozy threw herself at the unicorn and crushed her nearest leg in a bear hug that nearly sent the pair of them crashing to the ground. Luster didn't say anything, merely leaned inwards and wrapped her free leg around Cozy.
When they finally broke apart, both of their eyes were glistening with tears. A million questions flew through Cozy's mind, and it seemed impossible to pick even one. In the end, Cozy opted to just gawp at her lost mentor.
Luster broke into a wide grin at the filly's reaction. "Been a long time, Cozy."
"I... how.. how did you..."
"Well, it wasn't easy. But it was worth it." Her eyes flickered downwards to the filly's emaciated form. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."
Ten minutes later, Luster sat opposite Cozy, wearing an amused expression as she continued to shovel a fourth bowl of oatmeal down her throat, pausing only to take the occasional deep breath or gulp down some more orange juice. Occasionally, she had to blink rapidly or punch herself softly in the thigh, unable to believe the evidence her own eyes provided, fearing she might wake up any moment from a blissful dream only to return to the harsh reality she'd just escaped.
Eventually, her spoon came back down with a final clatter. The pair of them stared at each other wordlessly for a few seconds before Luster burst into a fit of giggles.
"You looked like you needed that."
Cozy nodded slowly. "Luster... did... is Twilight... really... I mean, did you really... kill her?"
Luster's expression soured immediately. "Yes. I didn't mean to. It was a mistake. It was self-defence. But yes, I killed her."
"But... how could you?"
"It was after you'd been taken away. I confronted Twilight about your disappearance, and when she refused to tell me where you'd been taken, things just..." She sighed. "Things got out of control. I'd give anything to change what happened, but I can't."
Cozy had hoped for a more satisfying answer, but she trusted Luster. Luster, who had always shown her infinitely more care and empathy than Twilight. Cozy was certain she would never lie to her.
"What about you, Cozy? How did you escape from Discord?"
Cozy quickly launched into a brief account of her time since leaving Canterlot, how she had slipped through Discord's clutches and found herself living on the streets of Griffonstone, omitting the gorier details. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Luster.
And yet, through it all she concealed her biggest secret. She had to, of course. Telling Luster about Tirek and Chrysalis would only worry her. Besides, she hadn't seen either of them since she'd passed out hours ago. Maybe they'd go away on their own.
Luster listened to her story with a kindly expression on her face, punctuated occasionally by brief flickers of shock or sadness. At the end, she placed her hoof on Cozy's head and ruffled her mane.
"It's all behind us now, Cozy. I promise, you don't ever have to be alone again."
The words alone sent a wonderful, warm sensation shooting down her spine. "What now? I mean, we can't exactly go back to Canterlot."
"I agree. I was thinking about applying for work with the Imperial Court. Obviously, I'd understand if you wanted to leave this city and never look back, but unicorns, especially magically gifted ones, can make a good bit of money working for the Emperor. Right about now, it's the only choice I have left."
The idea of spending the rest of her life in Griffonstone filled Cozy with disgust. "What about what I want?"
"Well, when you're old enough to decide for yourself, you can go wherever you want. But you're just a filly, Cozy. I'm sorry, but I can't just let you wander off on your own. Besides, what else could I do?"
Cozy considered the question. "What about the Crystal Empire?"
"We're supposed to be incognito, Cozy. I can't spend the rest of my life in disguise, and neither can you. It would only be a matter of time before someone realized who we really were, and what then? We'd never know a peaceful moment again." She laid her hoof atop Cozy's in what she hoped was a reassuring move. "Ponies won't just forget my name. Here, we have the best shot at a new life."
Cozy still didn't look happy. Luster sighed and withdrew her hoof. "What do you want, Cozy?"
"I want to go home."
In that moment, she was once more that tired, scared little filly Luster had once known.
"I know. I do too. But we can't."
"Why? What have I done wrong? I did everything you and Twilight told me, I didn't get in trouble, I didn't even try to run away!" Her voice rose slowly in volume until she was practically shouting, causing Luster to whip her head around in alarm. "It's not fair!"
"Cozy, calm down." Luster hissed under her breath. "Look, if you go back to Equestria right now, you'll wish you hadn't. Do you know what they did to Tirek and Chrysalis?"
Cozy nodded, the furious expression on her face never waving.
"Then you understand how things work over there now. I don't know if you've been keeping up with the news, but things are set to turn very nasty between Equestria and the Crystal Empire, and I want you to be as far away from that as I can manage. If I thought there was even a sliver of a chance that I'd get a fair hearing, we'd both be on the train back tonight. But right now I need you to be strong. Okay?"
Cozy nodded, bitter tears streaming down her cheeks. Luster paused, then ruffled her hair once more.
"Look on the bright side. No more nights on the street. When I'm on a court mage's salary, we should be able to afford whatever we like."
Luster left Cozy in the enormous but assuredly-gentle hooves of Yasha and Yula before she set out for the Imperial Palace. Cozy looked taken-aback and not a little bit intimidated by the presence of the two enormous Yaks, but agreed to stay with them after Luster assured her they were gentle souls under the mass of fur and muscle.
It took her no time at all to find the Imperial Palace, which towered over every other structure in the city and vyed with the ugliest amongst them for sheer architectural monstrosity. Though it was not literally made of the skeletons of vanquished foes of the Griffons as the legends said, it would most likely have been an aesthetic improvement if it had been. As it stood, the obsidian, steel and crystal obelisk seemed to gaze down at her with distain, as if disgusted by her audacity in gracing it's very presence.
As she approached, two burly griffon guards blocked her path. One barked a harsh insult in Griffionian.
"Do you kiss your mother with that beak?"
The guard who had flung the insult glared at her, taken aback at being understood by a pony. The other one let out a bellowing laugh.
"She's got your number, Grythe. You'll have to keep an eye on this one." He turned back to face Luster, a friendlier expression on his face. "Well, there's only one reason unicorn ponies have to visit the palace. Follow me, I'll take you to meet the arch-mage. If you impress him, and the Yubazi of the Guard likes you, you're in."
The Yubazi turned out to be a grizzled old griffon with fewer feathers than teeth - which wasn't saying much. He pecked around her as if she was an academic curiosity, eyes occasionally boggling in what looked like shock. For the briefest of moments, Luster was worried she would be recognized, but if the Yubazi had figured anything out, he kept it to himself.
The arch-mage, a middle-aged unicorn with a shaved mane and cobalt coat, arrived less than ten minutes later, and wasted no time in putting her through her paces. First, a series of transformations, each successively more difficult, which took more out of her than she had expected. Then a string of complex teleportations, curse-breaks, and finally a pop quiz on theoretical knowledge. At the end, he gave a curt nod of the head.
"Not the best, but better than most. I'm willing to offer you a probational three-month contract. If you don't manage to screw it up, we'll look into placing you permanently into whatever department fits you best." When Luster said nothing, he raised an eyebrow. "Well?"
"I... I mean... I accept!" She flustered, taken aback at the speed of the offer. "When... uh, when do I start?"
"Tomorrow. Nine in the morning, and don't be late. See the court Haznadar about your salary. Six thousand coins a month is the usual starting salary plus a 500 coin advance paid today. Is that acceptable?"
Luster's voice caught in her throat. "Wow. I mean, yeah. It's acceptable."
"Good. Yubazi, do you agree?"
The Yubazi nodded slowly. "I agree."
"Then we're done here. What was your name, again?"
Luster was so nonplussed that she almost gave her real name. "Golden Sun. I studied at Canterlot - "
"I don't care where you studied. Academic snobbery doesn't count for much here in the real world, I'm afraid." There was a slight edge to the arch-mage's voice. "That will be all. I'll see you tomorrow morning. You can escort her to the Haznadar now."
Within ten minutes, Luster found herself outside the palace once more, this time with a back-breaking bag of gold coins tied to her back. A wide grin split her face in two as she felt the gold clink together with every step she took. Though the sun was setting as the day died, somehow the world seemed just a little brighter than it had this morning.
Her husband had already fallen by the time Cadence was ushered into the execution hall. A thick, taut rope dangled through an ominous trapdoor. She forced her attention away from the grotesque scene, and thought of her daughter. In attendance was Gallus, a mare she didn't recognize, and the unicorn stallion who had read her sentence.
As the noose was laced around her neck, she fought to keep her legs steady underneath her. Gallus jerked his head towards the stallion, who stepped forward.
"Do you have any final words?"
Cadence looked past the stallion and gazed straight at Gallus.
"Justice will prevail."
The sound of a shutter gave way to weightlessness and the roaring of air in her ears as her entire world was entombed in shadow, then went black.
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Is it wrong that I’m kinda hoping Gallus ends up being killed?
Oh wow no happy ending for Shining or Cadence? Damn i thought they at least would be kept alive as prisoners or something
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why would it be?
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Didn’t really think it was but I figured I’d ask anyway.
It's very nice to see Cozy and Luster finally reunite, even if I'm still expecting something to go horribly wrong with them. Shame it was marred by the execution. I certainly hope that Cadence's final words will come true. It's only a matter of time before Gallus faces a full-blown rebbelion at this rate.
Interesting to see Tirek thinking like this. I hope he and Chrysalis at least live long enough to hear about Gallus's downfall for a bit of closure.
Wouldn't even be the first time something unfair happened to her. Poor filly.
Celestia and Luna are crying in their graves on how Twilight let Equestria become and are disappointed with her actions
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No, especially how the other members of the Young 6 who might be horrified by how their friend became
Had me going for a minute.
Imagine if the Legion saved Equestria and Luster became Princess.