... Of Two Evils

by Ponycletian

8

Concord waited for somepony to speak up, given that he had just revealed details about Equestria’s founding that had been lost to history since the dissolution of his empire. the only pony to show any significant reaction was Twilight Sparkle, who turned towards Princess Celestia and addressed her rather than Concord. Twilight said anxiously, “is what he said true, Princess, about how you came to control the Sun and the Moon, and that you went to him for help?”

Concord was pleased when Celestia confirmed sullenly, “yes, Twilight, it’s true. We did go to Concord for help against Discord,” her voice became almost pleading, “there wasn’t anything else we could do. Discord was destroying everything our parents had built, and if he hadn’t been prevented from meddling with the Sun and Moon, then there may not have been any life left anywhere. We had no choice Twilight.”

Twilight looked like she would be sick, but continued with her question anyway, saying “and what about what Concord said before he was healed?” She paused, as if hoping that she wouldn’t have to finish her question, but when Celestia didn’t show any hint of comprehending what she was alluding too, she had to continue. “Concord said that you attacked him, imprisoned him, without giving him a chance to stand down...”

Celestia, realizing what her student meant, felt both ashamed and saddened, and said in a subdued tone, “yes, we did imprison him without warning him first.” Her voice lifted defensively as she continued hurriedly, “but that was our only choice. Since he returned, he has been acting nice, look at him now, this was what he was like all the time. Ruthless, cold, distant,” she said this last like a curse, “and if he had realized that we could stand up to him, then there was no telling what he would do. He hadn’t known about the Elements of Harmony, so we only had that one chance to stop him.”

Twilight and her friends seemed to be being won over by her impassioned arguments. Concord had to admit that she played for sympathy far better than he had. He decided, therefore, to change the topic. He needed to remind the elements that he was the wronged party, that they had abused his trust, not the other way around as Celestia would have them believe. He actually felt a slight twinge of remorse when he considered what he was about to do, but it was swiftly brushed aside. He asked, tone still frigid and formal, “Ms. Sparkle, would you kindly ask the Princess how she managed to gain access to me without arousing my suspicion?”

Twilight was clearly worried about what she might hear, her mental image of Celestia had already taken a severe beating, and she wasn’t sure if she could stand any more. But despite her trepidation, she nodded to Celestia, urging her to answer. It was at this time that she noticed Princess Luna, who had curled up into ball and had turned away from the rest of the group.

Celestia felt her heart sink, and she was unable to think of any way out of the question. Quietly, tremulously, she said, “Luna wrote a letter asking if I could accompany her to one of their nightly meetings.”

She stopped at this, hoping that that would suffice, but Concord didn’t let her off so easily. He asked, “do you remember what my response was?”

Celestia nodded, but couldn’t bring herself to say it, the words catching in her throat.

Concord however felt no such discomfort, and said clearly, in a ringing voice, “Of course I have no objection to ‘tia’s attending our meeting. It has been far too long since the three of us got together informally, and I look forward speaking with you both. Eternally yours, Concord.”

Concord’s spirits rose as he saw the effect that this recitation had on the Solar Princess, how she lowered her head still further, unable to meet the eyes of either Concord, Twilight, or any of the elements. Concord followed this victory, voice still steady, “and when you confronted, alone in my personal study, wielding the Elements of Harmony, did I lift so much as a hoof in my own defense, did I make any attempt to stop you or harm you?”

Celestia could only shake her head as Concord’s words brought memories of that night flooding back to her, making her relive one of the worst nights of her life. The worst had been the night of their parent’s death, which had shattered her hopes for a peaceful and happy future with a happy family. The second night had been the night when she had been forced to banish her own sister, the only remaining member of her family and her closest companion for a thousand years, to the moon, knowing that she was not strong enough to undo the damage that she was largely responsible for. The night of Concord’s imprisonment was third, for although she had realized that it was necessary, for what they risked through inaction was the future of all life, for there would be no stopping Concord if he refused to step down. They had the chance to ensure that all creatures could live free, happy lives, without being subjected to the rigid and invasive policies that Concord implemented. But even knowing that it was necessary, that the stakes were too high to take any chances, it had hurt her, and Luna especially who had been genuinely close to Concord, to betray his trust, his friendship, like they had.

Concord realized that he had made his point, that he had thoroughly exposed their treachery, their betrayal, and that the elements, even if they did not like him, were more doubtful now than they had been at any time before that imprisoning him was right. Concord realized also that if he continued to attack Celestia and Luna this remorselessly, persisted in forcing them to relive this traumatic experience in front of those ponies who they respected and whose opinion they valued, then he would lose any sympathy they had for him. For Luna, these six were the ponies that had rescued her from her despair and isolation, and who had brought her back from a nightmarish imprisonment within her own mind. For Celestia, these six ponies were the ones who had returned her sister to her, alive and well, and were the successors to the Elements of Harmony. And in Twilight Sparkle’s case, she was the only pony in living memory who had gotten so close to the Princess personally and Celestia truly seemed to cherish their relationship. He had made his point, so it was time to move on.

If there had ever been a time for Concord to show a compassionate, caring side, then this was it, and Concord knew it. Relaxing his posture, softening his expression, and letting a hint of sorrow enter his voice, he said, “I understand that you were only doing what you felt you had to do. I understand that you felt frightened at the prospect of my refusing to step down, I understand that you only wanted to do what was best for Equestria. And I will tell you what I told Luna, shortly before I restored her broken connection to the Moon.”

He started to close the distance between himself and Celestia, who had started trembling earlier but was calmed by his words. Luna also, who had been sobbing quietly, returned to a seated position, and watched as Concord drew closer.

“What I told Luna was, that I knew that you were doing what you thought you had too, what you thought was right, and that I was largely to blame for your not trusting me, and that I forgive both of you, and hope that you can do the same for me.”

Celestia was stunned by these words, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of conflicting emotions. On one hoof, she felt an incredible sense of relief, like the weight of a mountain had suddenly been lifted from her back. Concord was forgiving her, he said that he understood why they had done what they had, why they felt it was necessary, that he was partly, if not mostly responsible for their mistrust. While on the other hoof, she was incredulous. She and Luna had betrayed his trust, imprisoned him in stone for 1500 years, and systematically dismantled everything he had worked for during five centuries of constant conflict, and he simply wanted her to believe that he was over it, that he held no grudge or desired revenge. He must think that she was a newborn foal if she would fall for such an obvious ploy. While Celestia was struggling with these opposing sentiments, Concord turned to Twilight Sparkle, intent on pressing his growing advantage.

He had closed the gap between himself and Celestia as by the time he finished speaking, and turned now towards Twilight Sparkle. Lowering himself to the ground, so that his head was roughly level with Twilight’s, her being on a cushion giving her some added height, he said in a respectful tone, “and to you, Ms. Sparkle, I must give my deepest thanks. I know that you originally removed the Element of Magic at Celestia’s request, but that you have not replaced it speaks volumes. That you have been willing to trust me this long, despite all I have said and what you have heard, means more to me than any words will ever be able to express. All I can say is that anypony able to call you a friend is truly blessed.”

Since he was already lying on the ground, he did not have much room to work with, but when he finished speaking, he lowered his head until his muzzle was touching the ground as a sign of respect. Twilight was speechless, as was Celestia, who had recognized, in this moment, that further debate about his sincerity was meaningless. There was no way that she would be able to convince anypony that he deserved to be imprisoned now. Concord had won his argument, and perhaps it was for the best. If he was being sincere, if he truly did mean everything he had said, then to imprison him again would be the definition of evil. And so long as he seemed genuinely willing to let bygones be bygones, she didn’t see any reason why she couldn’t let go of the past as well.

Concord lifted himself slowly from the ground, and walked over to Princess Luna who was smiling wryly. She stood as he approached and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “why didn’t you give that speech first, it would have saved a lot of time and sorrow.”

Concord returned a smile of his own, although his was tinged with a hint of sadness, and whispered back, “you know as well as I do that they had to learn about last time. My whole argument hinged on my not having done anything truly wrong, on my being imprisoned, not for a crime I actually committed, but because of the possibility I might commit a crime. But if it makes you feel any better, I do wish that I could have convinced them without bringing any of that up, for your sake at least.”

Luna, still smiling, whispered, “it doesn’t make me feel any better, “and she grinned wider when she saw his face droop a little, “but not for the reason you think. Whatever ‘tia may believe, I know you wouldn’t have made us relive that if you didn’t have to. Cruelty for its own sake never was your style.”

Celestia was growing impatient, not liking the way her siblings were having a whispered conversation less than a meter away. She may have been willing to give Concord a chance, but such secrecy was causing her paranoia to rear its head once more. Clearing her throat, she said in a mock serious tone, “come now, children, is there something you would like to share with the class? It is impolite to whisper like gossiping school fillies in the company of guests.”

Everypony laughed at this, including Concord and Luna. Luna blushed at having been called out on her foalish behavior, but Concord took the statement in stride, saying warmly, “but ‘tia, what could possibly be the harm in a little gossip between friends? It has been a terribly long time since I have had anypony to talk to after all.”

Celestia was annoyed by his playful tone, and said seriously, “the possible harm is not the point, you are still a Prince of Equestria and should act like it, and besides, it is a little early to start celebrating isn’t it, considering that nothing has been officially decided.” When Celestia said the word “celebrating,” there was a sudden pop which was followed by a stream of multi-colored confetti. With reflexes that managed to impress even Concord, the white unicorn, Rarity, lit her horn, and held the disturbing pink pony down while the orange earth pony hastily stuck a hoof over Pinkie’s mouth to keep her quiet. Applejack said in a hushed, but insistent tone, “tha Princess said it’s a too early ta start partyin’ Pinkie, so hush.”

Concord grew serious immediately, and a tense silence descended over the group, except for Pinkie who seemed to want to keep talking despite the hoof covering her mouth. He nodded solemnly and walked over to stand in front of Princess Celestia once more. He lowered himself into a bow befitting of a pony awaiting the Princess’ decision about his guilt or innocence. Celestia, gratified by this decorous behavior, adopted the familiar role of a ruler dispensing justice. In a lofty, clear, and official sounding voice, she said, “Prince Concord of Equestria, please rise and receive your Princess’ judgement.” Concord rose, but kept his head lowered to a point below that of Celestia’s who had not risen herself. “I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, find you innocent of any crimes against the Kingdom of Equestria. However, due to the history and reputation you acquired prior to your last imprisonment, you will not be able to resume, immediately at least, your former position and duties as a prince. The terms of your release will be negotiated at a later time, but until then, go in peace.” The formal part done, she said immediately in a lighter tone, “not really, you need to stay here until we decide what to do with you.”

Everypony laughed at this, even Celestia, realizing that the hardest part of the process was over. For better or worse, Concord was here to stay, and she could only hope that this decision was not going to spell ruin for them all.

Finally, the decision pronounced, Concord said, “now, I do believe that this is the appropriate time for celebrations.” He forced himself to grin, to cover up the grimace that had formed, when he saw Pinkie Pie bounce more than a meter in the air, and hover there for nearly 5 seconds, feet flailing, as a startled Applejack stared confusedly at the spot where Pinkie had previously been anchored.

Concord turned away and did his best to ignore the antics of the pony that he decided to rename, mentally at least, Discolight, since she was just like Discord in temperament, only less destructive. So far.

As he looked around, he saw something that made him laugh, and declare cheerfully, “it appears that the preparations have finally been completed on my cake. How serendipitous. It is ready just in time for the party.”

For indeed, rolling towards the group was a large, five layered cake. He turned to the rest of the ponies, and noticed Celestia eyeing the cake greedily. He couldn’t bring himself to tell everypony the line that occurred to him at that moment, but he thought that the setup was just too perfect to pass on it entirely. Making his way over to a still smiling Luna, he whispered, “forgive me, but I do believe that I am about to both have my cake, and eat it too.”

And with those words, and a wry chuckle from Luna, the two joined the group around the cake.

Author's Note:

I will not deny that this chapter is somewhat unusual. I had originally intended for Concord to continue explaining the history of Equestria and his war with Discord, but then I realized something. My whole moral case as to why Concord should be let free was based around the idea that he was not guilty of the crime he was imprisoned for, since Luna and Celestia struck before he could act one way or the other. I had also meant for the argument that would win the mane six over to Concord's side to be that Luna and Celestia had gone to Concord for help, and that they had then, after he had spent centuries working tirelessly (literally, since as I said in chapter four, he didn't eat or sleep for that entire time) to do as they asked, betrayed him for doing too good a job. The thing I realized is that by cutting off where I had in chapter 7 part 2, I had already introduced all the requisite information for this to play out, so all that was needed was for Twilight to put two and two together. So I hope that you enjoy, and if you have any questions, complaints, niggling concerns, or an inexplicable desire to shower me with praise, don't hesitate to do so, especially for that last one.

P.S. There should be one last chapter, detailing the celebration, or providing some detail, since as I'm sure you've noticed, ambient details aren't my strong point, and the discussion about how to dispose of Concord and the reasons why he must be handled that way.

P.P.S. Here is some music that I feel represents Concord's personality rather well.

Comments

[Chucklespie]

I’ll be honest I loved everything about the fic but the ending, it was a fun read on the Moralities of Warfare and what exactly made you a monster or if someone should even be called a monster for doing what others had set them out to do.

But if this Guy’s supposedly order incarnate how in the hell does he just accept all this, Order demands Justice and what celestia and luna did was a direct attack on Order. Not only that I don’t understand why he would ever trust them again. Despite an understanding of why they did what they did, that does not excuse the fact that they put an otherwise innocent man who did what his job entitled him to do which was “keep as many ponies alive and end the conflict with minimum casualties in any way he deemed possible” makes me mad. The fact They put him under 1500 years of imprisonment with no penalty. Like if he at least went “I forgive but I cannot forget.” or “if you want to come over for tea or crumpets I’ll always be happy to oblige but if you ever invite me anywhere you’ll be sorely disappointed.” Like I wasn’t expect the incarnation of Order to start yelling and scream but I was at least expecting him to drive home his lost in faith with the sisters. He said he’s a pony with emotions that he’s good at hiding so it feels really odd for him to just let it all go. Still everything until that point was Ok.

Towards the end Though my general emotions were I dislike Order for being overly forgiving, I understand but dislike the main cast for their biased view on Order, I hate the sisters for putting a man in power then putting them in a closet like a freaking used rag and I dislike how we never got into short the story is but I’d still favorite, comment, and follow.