Gusty the Great book 1- The beginning

by Dianabel

Chapter 17: Secrets revealed

“Well, well.” Grogar said with a smirk. “Seems that my suspicions of you being a revolutionary backstabber were right.”

Gusty said no word. Fear completely paralyzed her for a moment. Grogar smiled amused as his bells glew.

“What´s wrong? Are you scared?” he teased her.

Gusty tried to run away but Grogar grabbed her by the neck with his magic and cornered her against the wall by slamming his hoof, making her gasp and whimper.

“How much do you know?! Who else is working with you?!” he asked in a demanding and scary tone while scowling.

“Nothing, I swear!” she replied while struggling to breathe.

“YOU LIAR!” he choked her harder with his magic. “Do you think me as a fool? I know you are here for something, otherwise you wouldn´t have entered in my study. So I´ll repeat. What is it that you know?!”

“I… I can´t breathe.” Gusty said.

“That´s the thing. The more you make me wait, the more I´ll strangle your neck until you stop breathing forever.” he strangled her a little more.

Gusty´s worst nightmare had come true. She had come at a point in which no matter what options were there for her, all of them would mean death. Majesty clearly stated that if she was discovered or betrayed her, she would not grant her protection anymore, leaving her at Grogar´s mercy, which everypony knew it was very few. But if she refused to speak, she would die immediately. None of the options granted her safety but only one could grant survival. And she didn´t have much time to think.

“Ok, ok. I´ll talk. But first release my neck.”

Grogar raised an eyebrow.

“You dare to give me orders?!” he ignited his horns to choke her more.

Gusty grunted as she struggled to take some air.

“No. But I can´t talk if you strangle me. I could know something important and have told Majesty through her messengers. And if you go on like this, I´ll die with my secret and maybe Majesty could attack you by surprise.”

Grogar looked away, processing Gusty´s words. He stared at her eyes with suspicion and hate. But surprisingly, the emperor accepted her request.

“Very well.” he stopped igniting his horns, releasing Gusty´s neck in the process.

Gusty fell to the floor. She gasped and coughed while massaging her neck. Then, she felt an aura of magic coming to her which tied her to the wall.

“I´m no fool slave.” he told Gusty. “I know that you´re not as innocent as you pretend to be. So I´m not letting you go until I have the information I need.”

Gusty simply sighed exhausted.

“You better start speaking now. Before I change my mind.”

“I don´t know much.”

Grogar frowned.

“That is not an answer. Rule number one of espionage: every detail is important. I´m pretty sure that self-righteous pretending queen told you that. Be more specific!”

With his magic, he applied strength to Gusty´s joints. She moaned.

“Ok, ok! I know what you said at the reunion. About the earth ponies and the pegasi. And the fact that you are suspicious of Majesty sending spies.”

“Did you tell her messengers that?”

Gusty nodded.

“How about here? How many times have you come here?”

“Once. Only now.”

“And what did you see here?”

“The map. And some sketches.”

“And lastly the bell.” Grogar finished for her. “What were going to do with it? Were you going to steal it?!” he asked full of fury.

“Nothing! I was just curious.”

“So you were curious… Of course. Fortunately for me, only I know how to use that object.” he said while looking at the bell. He turned back to Gusty with a malicious smile. “But I will show you what it can do, since that´s what you wanted to know.”

He took the bell with his magic and put it near Gusty´s face. In response, the unicorn pushed back her head against the wall, trying to get the most away from it as possible.

“As you´ve been told, I´ve used this object to kill and torture ponies like you. Bray didn´t mention this to you, but do you know which is the maximum offense in the castle? Touching the emperor´s bell. And you, my dear. You´ve just done that. Once, I´m done I will ring this bell and you´ll cease to exist. Pity, I didn´t want to do this you knowing that you have somepony to look after.”

Gusty widened her eyes terrified.

“I reckon to remember in one of our talks that you mentioned that you had… Two fillies without a father to protect them? Oh, you should have known that unprotected foals are easy target for slaves before joining Majesty.” his eyes shone as he said those cruel words.

Gusty´s breath fastened. She though that if she collaborated, she might have a chance to run away, as Grogar might order his guards to put her on dungeon. Unfortunately, it completely backfired. She didn´t have a chance to get out alive now. Celestia and Luna would be alone forever at the world´s mercy. Without noticing it, small gusts of wind appeared. Fortunately, Grogar didn´t seem to notice, as right now he was focused on making Gusty speak.

“But don´t worry, it´s a very fast death I swear. Besides, I´m still not done with you. Now tell me, who are you working with?”

Gusty was so focused on her thoughts that she didn´t hear Grogar.

“Mare? MARE!” he yelled at her as he slapped her face, making the small gusts of wind disappear.

“Ah!” Gusty exclaimed in pain.

The, she whimpered as he pulled her mane.

“Answer what I just asked you!”

“What did you just ask?”

Grogar pulled her mane harder.

“Who is working with you?”

Gusty widened her eyes. That´s exactly the only question she couldn´t answer. Sure, there was Glory but she hadn´t spoken to her or maybe she was innocent.

“I… I don´t know.”

“What do you mean with you don´t know?”

“Majesty didn´t tell me their names or or how they looked like, I can´t answer that question!” she replied anxious.

“What about those two unicorns you´re always with?”

“They are just two friends I made here. They have nothing to do with me. Please, don´t hurt them!”

“We´ll have to see if that´s true.”

“What are you going to do with them?”

“I´m going to interrogate them. If they are innocent, then neither them or you have nothing to fear.”

“But you´re keeping Majesty´s rebellion a secret! And not only hers, the pegasi´s and the earth ponys´ as well. You wouldn´t want them to know, would you?”

Grogar gave out a small chuckle.

“Then in that case, I´ll have to kill them. Did you really think that would stop me?” he shook his head. “No ma´am.”

Gusty gasped. Slowly, anxiety built in her and her breath fastened again.

“I´m truly sorry, but this is your own fault. Your two friends are going to die and your precious little fillies, unable to defend themselves are going to be at the cruel world´s mercy. All for what? Because their mother was stupid enough to listen to a scammer that could easily see that she was desperate and took advantage of her and made her do as she pleased.”

Grogar´s words pierced her heart, as she knew that he was right. This was all because of her. She started crying.

“No. This can´t be happening, this can´t be happening.” she whispered to herself as she hyperventilated.

“It is happening. And there´s nothing you can do about it. At least have some dignity not to cry. You´ve made a fool of yourself already.”

Gusty didn´t listen to him. She was still denying the situation by repeating to herself her words. Emotions had completely taken over her mind. So, gusts of wind started forming.

Grogar noticed a small breeze caressing his mane, which estranged him since the window was closed. Though he didn´t give it much importance, as he deduced it was due to an airstream in the corridor. But when they got stronger, he knew something was off. He looked all around his study, trying to figure out if there was a hole on the wall or the ceiling. But then, he got his answer when he saw Gusty. The more she cried, the stronger the wind. He widened his eyes in shock, not realizing that he had freed her.

When she hit the floor, the winds stopped. She panted heavily and stared at Grogar confused, wondering why he had unstrained her. Seeing him shocked surprised her. It reminded her that despite the fact that he was merciless and a tyrant he was still a sentient creature.

“So it is you…” he muttered as he threw a deadly scowl at Gusty.

“What?” Gusty asked confused.

He didn´t answer. Instead, he ignited his horns and fired magic. Gusty closed her eyes, as she thought that strike was directed at her. However, nothing happened to her. She opened her eyes and saw the bell glowing. When it rang, it released a black and yellow beam of magic. She jumped away before it reached her. Gusty stared horrified, as it had done a huge hole on the wall.

“This is what the bell does.” Grogar told her. “And what it will do to you!”

He fired magic at her again but once again, she got away. She ran to the door but Grogar caught her on time.

“You are not going anywhere!” he exclaimed as he threw her against a bookcase.

She grunted as her back hit the bookcase and fell to the floor. As it was a heavy blow, Gusty had difficulty breathing. But as much as it hurt or caused breathing, she couldn´t stay there. So, slowly she tried to get on four but Grogar put his hoof on her cheek, pressing her head against the floor.

“Will you stand still?!” he exclaimed as he kicked her stomach.

Gusty´s writhed in pain as Grogar hit her. Once he saw that she barely able to move, he chuckled.

“Cannot move anymore, huh? I´ll admit, you put up a good fight. But let me tell you a tiny detail.” he approached his head to her ear as he pressed her head harder. “You can´t get rid of me.”

As Grogar took his hoof out of her head, Gusty moaned.

“Pathetic. Just pathetic.” Grogar said.

Despite her state, Gusty had one thing clear in her in mind: she couldn´t die. Not until her daughters had grown to hopefully start living a beautiful life. Yet she was too weak to fight. Her muscles ached too much. She looked at her horn, which indicated her that her only option was magic.

She noticed a chain on a torch, which gave her an idea. But she had to act quick, Grogar was preparing the bell. As fast as she could, she ignited her horn, took the chainm wrapped it around Grogar´s forelegs and pulled. As a result, Grogar fell.

“ARGH!” he exclaimed.

Taking advantage that he was on the ground. Gusty got up and rushed out. Grogar destroyed the chain with his magic and frowned when he saw that Gusty wasn´t in the study anymore.

Gusty ran and ran around the halls all that her body let her. When she felt her body didn´t have the strength to carry on she sat down where nopony could see her. She put her hooves on her temples. What was she going to do now? She had betrayed Majesty so she didn´t have her protection. Either that or she would kill her herself. The only thing she could do was fleeing Grogar´s empire but that was impossible.

“Why am I such a fool?” Gusty asked herself as she hugged her knees and broke down in tears.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice talking to her.

“Gusty?”

Her ears perked up. She turned around and saw Buttons and Fizzy. The latter shook her hoof energetically.

“Girls!” she whispered as the two unicorns ran to her.

“Oh ma cherie, are you alright?” Buttons asked Gusty. “You´re full of bruises! Specially your neck.”

Gusty massaged her neck. It still hurt and from what Buttons just said, it had left a mark. She looked away.

“Here, take some water.” Fizzy offered her a canteen.

“Wh-What are you doing here?” Gusty asked them.

“Finding you silly!”

“But… how did you find me?”

“Oh, it was easy really. We just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that.”

Gusty sighed sadly.

“Just kidding! We managed to get out of the worker´s chambers and looked around the castle. Although I am bit mad for what you said.” her tone turned more serious.

“Me too.” Buttons added. “So, care to explain about it?”

Gusty was about to push them away, but right now they were the only ones who could help her.

“I had to. I did it to try not to put you in danger. Because… I need to tell you a secret.”

The two unicorns gasped in surprise.

“Whoah!” the two exclaimed in unison. They looked at each other.

“Did she really just say that?”

“Yes!” Fizzy exclaimed excitedly.

“But you can´t tell anypony!” Gusty clarified.

“Of course! Don´t worry, I´m not a chismosa.”

“Chis what?” Gusty asked while raising her eyebrow.

“That means that she won´t tell your secret. And neither will I. So fire away!” Buttons said in excitement.

But just when Gusty was about to open her mouth, another spoke.

“THERE SHE IS!”

The three unicorns turned around and gasped when they saw Grogar with some guards. Seeing that Grogar was wearing his bell, Fizzy and Buttons hugged each other.

“Take her.” he ordered them.

The guards took Gusty. Buttons and Fizzy tried to reach their hooves for her.

“What about them sir?” a troggle asked him.

Grogar looked at the two unicorns, who shivered in fear for his stare. Then, he looked at Gusty.

“Take them with the other vermin. All of them have to learn a lesson.”

“Let´s go!” a guard yelled at them as she poked them with the spear.

Grogar and Gusty observed how they left. Fizzy and Buttons looked at Gusty with concern.

“Turn around!” the troggle ordered them.

Gusty sighed in relief. At least nothing would happen to them.

“As I said, if they have nothing to do with it, then they have nothing to fear.” he told Gusty. “But don´t cry victory yet. We still have to see if they are innocent.” he turned to his guards. “Move!”

---

Once they got to the unicorn crowd, the troggle pushed them. She laughed when she saw how Fizzy fell. Buttons frowned at her while helping her friend.

“Are you ok?” Buttons asked Fizzy.

“Hm… Yes and no at the same time.”

“Well, she did push you hard.”

“Oh, you´re talking about the fall.” Fizzy thought aloud. “Nah, about that I´m good. I´m talking about Gusty.”

“Oh…”

“On one hoof I´m happy that she was willing to open to us but on the other hoof… What are they going to do to her Buttons?”

“From the looks of it, nothing good. Otherwise they wouldn´t have gathered all of us like this.” she said worried while looking at the crowd.

“Hey!” a voice called them.

Their ears perked up when they saw who was calling them.

“Glory! What a surprise!” Buttons exclaimed.

“Where were you?”

“Why would you care where we are?” Fizzy asked naïvely.

Buttons poked her.

“Ouch! I mean… Good to see you!”

“Well, since you´re close to the mare they´ve framed, I thought that you were with her.”

“Yes, but for little time.” Buttons replied.

“Do you know why they are framing her?”

“For accidentally using magic. Didn´t you watch how she moved the beds?” Fizzy asked surprised.

“Of course. But do you know if it´s because something else?”

Buttons and Fizzy shared confused looks.

“Hmm… No that we know of, no.”

“Ok. Thank you.” she nodded her head and left.

“What was that about?” Fizzy whispered at Buttons´ ear.

“I have no idea. But it´s weird that she talked to us about Gusty.”

“Maybe she´s involved in what Gusty is involved in?”

“Very likely.”

Their conversation ended when the emperor entered. Everypony immediately bowed. Fizzy and Buttons gasped when they saw Gusty.

“Slaves.” Grogar spoke. “Some of you are old, many others are new. But all of you know what the rules in this castle are and what happens if you disobey them. Well, apparently there´s a pony who didn´t listen.”

Grogar nodded at the guards to throw Gusty in front of him.

“This unicorn is a traitor to us all. She has used magic and has entered my study. And worse, she dared to come near my bell.”

Everypony gasped. Glory´s unicorns murmured between themselves whereas she covered her mouth. Buttons´ and Fizzy´s mouths hung in shock.

“You can thank her if I give you more working hours or harden your tasks.”

Gusty stared at Grogar. He knew he wasn´t to be trusted, but she didn´t expect him to say something like that. Suddenly, the other unicorns started yelling at her.

“You fool!”

“Idiot!”

“We´ll break our backs because of you!”

Fortunately for her, not all of them were yelling at her. Buttons and Fizzy stared worried. Glory and her unicorns didn´t say a word either. All of them knew that none of them were truly angry but they were also afraid what Grogar would do to them if they didn´t yell.

And not only were those ponies worried about her. Drog, who happened to be around, also looked in horror.

Gusty looked down humiliated. She closed her eyes. Grogar smiled satisfied.

“But don´t worry. She´ll be punished. But also take this as a reminder and a warning of what happens when you betray the empire.”

Gusty watched horrified at how Grogar touched his bell, preparing to fire at her. This was it. The moment she was going to die. But ponies had to know why she died. Not because she didn´t want to think she was the cause of harder working conditions or more hours or work, but because they deserved to know the truth.

“Can I say some last words?”

Grogar raised his eyebrow. Everypony looked at each other, curious about what she had to say. Glory and her unicorns, however, were worried.

“Tell me she´s not going to do what I think she´s about to do.” a stallion whispered in her ear.

“No, you may not.” Grogar denied her request with a tone that warned her to be careful with what she was saying.

But that wasn´t going to stop Gusty from talking.

“The emperor is hiding information from you! His empire is not as invisible as it seems!”

Grogar widened his eyes. He frowned.

“You´d better shut your mouth right now.” he threatened her.

“There are secret rebellions that have already taken back their respective territories.” Gusty kept explaining. “I am part of one of those! Particularly Queen Majesty´s.”

Everypony was confused by those declarations. Buttons and Fizzy looked at each other in shock. Glory and the other unicorns working for Majesty gasped. They had mixed reactions, from anger to shock.

“Oft, we´re so dead.” Glory said afraid, with her two hooves joined in front of her mouth.

“There´s also a prophecy that says that he will be defeated!”

“Silence.” Grogar´s tone grew angrier and angrier.

“So you see, he´s not untouchable. Deep down he´s just a vulnerable creature like the rest of us!”

“SILENCE!” Grogar commanded.

From the anger, his horns ignited and blasted the wall. Had it not been that she ducked, Gusty´s head would have flown off. He grabbed her by the neck and choked her. Fizzy and Buttons gasped horrified.

“Gusty!” Fizzy exclaimed while running to her, but Buttons stopped her, as she didn´t want her to get hurt.

“You said enough.” Grogar said to Gusty as he raised her to get a better aim.

As soon as the bell ignited, Gusty closed her eyes. But just when he was to ring it, he felt a lashing on his back which caused her to release it. Gusty coughed when she was back on the floor.

“WHO DID THIS?!” Grogar asked to every creature in the room.

Although the primary suspicions would be the guards, since they were the ones in charge of whipping slaves, Grogar saw Fizzy holding some sort of water whip. Buttons stared at her in shock, with her eyes quite widened and her mouth hanging.

When she noticed Grogar staring at her, she stopped igniting her horn, so the water fell. She laughed nervously.

“Agüita?” she said while showing Grogar her canteen.

Author's Note:

I might not celebrate it (european here) and I know it´s a little too late but I hope you had a great Thanksgiving

Comments

[The Background Conquerer]

Oh boy!!! Things just got worse and scarier!!! Keep going with this story!!!

Even though South Africa doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, I'm still willing to give you a late Happy Thanksgiving greeting.

[Dianabel]

11064642
You know how the saying goes, things are going to get worse before they get better.

I don´t celebrate Thanksgiving either, but many people in this site do so I wish them a happy late Thanksgiving.