Upheaval: Breaking Point

Chapter 28: Laws and Punishments

The arrival of both Prince Terrato and King Fenrir to the battlefield brought mixed reactions to the ponies of Bastion City. As any settlement of the Barrier Lands would be, Bastion City was honored to receive its prince and, at the same time, terrified of the implications. It had been centuries since Terrato last entered a battle personally, but his last battle for FangBreaker Fortress still lived in infamy within the city's records. Ponies of the Barrier Lands often referred to "The Unyielding Gray Sentinel" when referring to their prince as testament to his role in protecting Equestria. "Harbinger of War", however, was just as accurate.

The Grand Meeting Hall was easily converted to Terrato's audience hall after the morning's incident. Inside, he stood at the center of the hall with Luna. Also part of the meeting was Dreadstep, Commander of FangBreaker's survivors, Snowsteam, the mayor of Bastion City, Galefeather, Commander of Bastion City's garrison and, curiously enough, Recruit Twilight Sparkle.

"Our supplies will hold us well into spring, your highness," Snowsteam reported. "Even with the additional ponies from FangBreaker."

"That may be because we are lacking in defenders," Galefeather added. "Even with the drafts, we will be sorely pressed to deal with a wolven army this size."

"I had expected that the city closest to Wolvengard to have more reserves," Terrato said.

Galefeather bowed low in response. "Forgive me, your highness. Yearly recruitment has been on a decline for the past few years."

"Convenient timing," Terrato muttered. "I'll leave the city's maintenance to the two of you. Keep those supplies guarded and the city safe. I don't want to hear about some 'accidental' fires or contamination. "

"Yes, your highness."

Terrato waved a hoof to dismiss the two. They bowed low and left the audience hall. With them gone, he turned his attention to Dreadstep.

"And there I was just days ago telling you how I don't need to be constantly breathing down your neck," Terrato said. "Sorry about that, Dreadstep, that was about as idiotic as asking 'What could possibly go wrong?'."

"I accept full responsibility for FangBreaker's loss, your highness," Dreadstep said as he knelt. "I am ready to pay with my life."

"And what could I possibly do with your dead body?" Terrato asked. "You wouldn't even make good catapult ammunition."

Dreadstep didn't reply.

"Enough theatrics. I'm not going to kill you, Dreadstep. Now, what's this I hear about saboteurs?"

"Special Operations has already started cracking down," Dreadstep said. "We've killed several of their cells and captured some of them."

"What have you learned?" Terrato asked.

"The traitors still have more cells within the city. From what we've gathered, this is another Black Rose rebellion."

Terrato still held the strand of hair in his hoof. He put it close to his nose and breathed in. He could smell perfume, a light scent of wildflowers growing on the peaks of the Western Barrier Land's verdant mountains. It was his favorite scent. Of course, she knew that. "Not just another Black Rose rebellion," he said. "We're dealing with Black Rose herself."

"Black Rose?" Dreadstep looked surprised. "As in the same Black Rose you killed centuries ago?"

"Yes, that same Black Rose," Terrato replied. "It's not exactly a popular name."

"I beg your pardon, your highness, but isn't she dead?"

"She was," Terrato said. "But the signs are here and I know her hoof-work. Keep your eyes open, Dreadstep. Ensure the loyalty of every pony investigating these traitors. I want them rooted out and hung before they get out of control. Treat this matter as urgently as you would those dogs just outside our gates."

"I will, your highness," Dreadstep said. The old earth pony matched Terrato's gaze without flinching, much to his approval. With Equestria's safety at stake, Terrato had little room for failure, but he had followed Dreadstep's career through victories and defeats and he knew that the commander will find a way to earn redemption from this loss. Even if it meant wading through the wolven as a final expiation.

"Big brother, who is this Black Rose?" Luna asked.

From her spot, Twilight Sparkle's ears perked at the name. Terrato's approval turned into irritation. Ever-curious Twilight Sparkle now wished to delve into Black Rose's story. He wouldn't have allowed her in here if he didn't have some business with her. He let out a sigh. "To put it simply, Black Rose was my Twilight Sparkle," he replied.

Twilight Sparkle raised her gaze. She looked in disbelief at Terrato, likely wondering if he was joking. Even Dreadstep leaned forward to hear well. Terrato decided to treat their eagerness as considering it an honor to hear the prince's own account of an important event. Not because they were annoying busybodies.

"What do you mean, big brother?" Luna asked.

"The analogy isn't perfect, of course, but it's pretty close. A long time ago, I discovered a unicorn mare with a ridiculous amount of potential. I took her under my wing and she became my protégé. Does that story sound familiar, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight nodded.

"Potential isn't good enough a word," Terrato continued. "Everything that she did, she did perfectly. Every battle was a victory. Every campaign was a success. She had the ursans on the retreat, the wolven too scared to attack and the ophidites slithering into hiding. I was happy to delegate authority to her. At her prime, she ruled almost all of the Barrier Lands in my name."

"That sounds too good to be true," Luna said.

"All good things come to an end. Black Rose eventually decided that she didn't like Celestia's division. She expressed her disagreement and I punished her. Just like Twilight Sparkle, am I correct?"

Twilight nodded again. Her eyes told him that she wanted to know more. He had oversimplified. That should be obvious enough to everypony in the hall. To go into details would be painful. Even hearing Black Rose's name stirred up an old ache inside him.

"If things were that simple, we wouldn't be dealing with her now," Luna said. She shared the same look as Twilight Sparkle.

"Things…got complicated," Terrato said. His casual tone had disappeared and his melancholy deepened. "I had let Black Rose get too close. I trusted her too much and allowed her access to knowledge that she shouldn't have. The resulting mess shames me to this day. I had to put a stop to it. Unlike Celestia, I don't go for exiles and imprisonments. There was only one way to put an end to the matter."

"You killed her," Luna said. "But she survived that somehow."

"And now she's back," Terrato said. "If she plans to push through with her plans from before then her objective will be Celestia."

"What does she want with the princess?" Twilight asked.

Terrato shot her a stern look. It was becoming more and more obvious to him that Celestia spoiled this mare. She had no sense of when to speak up and when to sit down and shut her mouth. "Black Rose wants Equestria not just united, but united under her. To accomplish that, she plans to slay Celestia and absorb her power."

"That's impossible!" Luna said. "No mortal pony can hope to take on big sister! Just even thinking it-!" she stomped her hoof on the ground in anger.

Twilight quivered with suppressed anger as well. For once, Terrato approved. Despite being banished, Twilight Sparkle still cared deeply for her mentor and likely wished for the impending demise of any pony who dared to try to kill Celestia.

"What will you do now?" Luna asked. "You can't allow this Black Rose to even try!"

"Don't tell me things I already know!" Terrato said. "I will deal with Black Rose just as I have dealt with her in the past. Before that, I'm going to settle two matters right now."

Terrato's horn glowed with gray light as he unleashed his magic. Twilight gasped as she found herself high in the air, helpless in his telekinetic grip.

"Big brother, what are you doing?" Luna asked. She stepped forward to intervene, but a look from him made her hesitate.

"What's the matter?" Terrato asked Twilight. "Celestia's gifted protégé should easily break my magic, right? You certainly had no problems with my memory lock!" Twilight flailed helplessly in the air for half a minute before he dumped her unceremoniously on the ground. "Apparently, my analysis isn't entirely true. You can't break my magic, Twilight Sparkle. At least, not without help. You had a trigger that let you break my memory lock. What was it and who gave it to you?"

Twilight froze, then looked around. She stank of desperation. Terrato had half a mind to start beating her against the floor to set her straight. "I…I can't tell you, your highness," she said.

"Why not? " Terrato asked. "You have a working mouth don't you? So much for ponies being creatures of honesty then!"

"I was the one who told her, big brother!" Luna said.

"And how did you know where Twilight Sparkle had been up to? Celestia wouldn't have gone around blabbing about it! Obviously, it was because she showed you something she found!" Terrato turned towards the commander of FangBreaker's defenders. "Dreadstep, bring me the ponies who came in contact with Twilight Sparkle the first time she came to my realm!" he ordered. He quickly amended that order. "The ones still alive that is."

Commander Dreadstep bowed before hurriedly leaving the meeting hall. From her spot, Twilight quivered and closed her eyes. The sight of such quailing only grated on Terrato. Several minutes passed before Dreadstep returned with two stallions: a red pegasus and a black-barded earth pony. The two stepped forward and knelt before their prince. Terrato looked them over before speaking. "Let me get to the point," he told them. "Which one of you gave Twilight Sparkle the trigger to break my memory lock?"

The pegasus looked confused. He clearly had no idea what Terrato was talking about. The earth pony, on the other hoof, had no such problems. "It was me, your highness," he replied. "I gave her my legionnaire emblem to help her remember."

The upper corners of Terrato's lips curved slightly. "Lies from the chosen, honesty from a pony outside Celestia's realm. How about that? Take off the champron and tell me your name and position, legionnaire."

The earth pony quickly did as he was told. The champron fell to the floor with a clang. "Captain Vanguard Clash of the Northern Equestrian Legion, Special Operations, Third Squad," he said.

Terrato's eyes narrowed as he got a closer look. "I recognize you, Vanguard Clash. You're Sharpfangs's colt. I spared your grandfather's life and he repaid my trust by turning into a murdering rapist. Now, you've compounded some interest in that payment with betrayal. A pity too. That nightsteel fullplate barding you have on means you accomplished something truly meritorious for my Legion."

Twilight stood up and stepped forward. "Your highness-!"

"Quiet!" Terrato boomed, causing the floor and the walls to reverberate. "You may be Celestia's favored student in the Heartland, Twilight Sparkle, but you're a bottom-rung legionnaire here! Now sit still and let me lay down my laws!"

Twilight fell on her tail, stunned and shaking. Whatever protest she had was drowned out by the blast of sound. The entire hall fell silent at Terrato's thunderous outburst. After a few seconds, he spoke again. "Tell me, Vanguard Clash, how is spreading information about the Barrier Lands to the Heartland classified as a crime and what is the appropriate punishment?"

"Spreading information about the Barrier Lands to the Heartland is considered treason, your highness," Vanguard replied. "To be punished by death through hanging."

"Smart boy," Terrato remarked. He turned his attention to Dreadstep. "What are you waiting for? Hang him."

"Hanging?" the red pegasus exclaimed. He flew up and was about to charge when Vanguard caught him and forced him down to a kneeling position. "Hanging? Then you'd better hang me too if the captain's hanging!"

"Your highness!" Dreadstep protested. "Vanguard Clash is one of our most reliable legionnaires. Perhaps-!"

"He made a clear confession and the law is even clearer," Terrato interrupted. "I didn't open this matter for debate, Dreadstep."

"Big brother, let us hear him out, at least!" Luna said.

"Fine. Explain yourself, Vanguard Clash. Why did you give her a trigger to break my spell?"

"I have no excuses, your highness," Vanguard said. Even with his fate already laid out before him, he spoke in a calm tone. "I gave her the trigger so she may remember everything that happened to her."

"At least somepony is trying to make this easy," Terrato remarked.

"Your highness, please!" Twilight cried out. She stood in front of Vanguard's kneeling form, her forelegs outstretched in a futile attempt to defend him. "There's nopony more loyal to you than Vanguard! He doesn't deserve to die for what he did!"

"Did you do it to break my sister's barrier because you opposed the division?" Luna asked desperately.

"No," Vanguard replied. "I did it for Twilight Sparkle's sake. That's all."

"This pony is loyal to you," Luna said. "The battle will be hard enough without us hobbling ourselves like this."

Terrato didn't reply at once. Instead he looked Vanguard over, who did not so much as flinch from the scrutiny. He was beginning to like how this developed. "I will accept that what you did was a horribly stupid mistake, Vanguard Clash," he finally said. "One born of temporary insanity. I can relate to that." He glanced at Luna. "I will consider the facts that the damage did not spread beyond Twilight Sparkle and her friends, that you intended the damage not to spread, that my little sister has some interest in keeping you alive, and that we do need every loyal pony alive. In light of all these things, I am compelled to change your sentence from a traitor's death by hanging to a slap-on-the-fetlock public flogging."

A collective sigh of relief escaped Luna, Twilight, and Dreadstep.

"Sixty lashes will do."

"Your highness, that is still a death sentence, a much more painful death sentence if I may add!" Dreadstep said.

"True," Terrato said. "Forty is the limit so we don't kill them. I will allow Twilight Sparkle to take as many as she wants from those sixty and apply them to herself." He raised an eyebrow as his gaze swept his audience. There was no reason to punish Twilight Sparkle for her part in this whole mess. Celestia had already banished her. That should be punishment enough. But the Twilight Sparkle also left Celestia in despair. He felt that he should take some measure of vengeance just for that. More importantly, Twilight Sparkle was currently showing something that he could admire. He was willing to bend the law to see just how far she would go to protect the things she cared about. "Is that satisfactory?" he asked as he stopped on Twilight.

"I will take half," Twilight replied without any hesitation.

Finally, the mare did something that didn't give Terrato the urge to smear her on his hooves. "There you go," he said to Dreadstep. "Thirty each. A slap on the fetlock for treason. Now get out there and enforce my will!"

With one more bow, almost everypony left the meeting hall, leaving Luna alone with Terrato. "Is there no mercy at all in you, big brother?" she asked.

"That was mercy," Terrato replied. "They're alive aren't they? You have to temper your mercy with some sort of justice or you'll never get any laws respected. Now, it's time I settle the other matter. You've done plenty in my realm, Luna: you secured Twilight Sparkle and her friends, you've made an attempt to negotiate with Fenrir, and you blotted out the full moon to suppress the enemy. There can only be more fighting at this point and I can't have you involved in this. It's time you went back to the Heartland."

"What?" Luna asked. "No! I can still do much here! I can fight!"

"If you so much as kill a single wolven, Celestia will never forgive me."

"Why does she get to decide what I can and can't do?"

"You are in my realm, Luna!" Terrato said with a glare. "Here, you will respect my decisions. If you want to help, blot out the full moon from the Heartland. I need you to stay by Celestia's side in case Black Rose tries anything!"

"No!"

"Don't argue!" Terrato roared. He quickly checked himself. "I need to be assured that Celestia has a sibling by her side. I can't do my duty while constantly having to worry about her!"

"Then go to her side!" Luna insisted. "Or better yet, have her come here and stay by yours!"

"You already know why I can't do that," Terrato said softly.

"You say that big sister won't forgive you if you let me fight, but the truth is that she's never forgiven you for going out to fight yourself. She's afraid of what you've become. Isn't that why you never visit her in the Heartland?"

Terrato didn't reply. Luna's eyes widened.

"Is that why you let Black Rose get so close?"

"Not another word, Luna," Terrato growled. "Or I will show you what exactly I've become."

Luna began to walk out of the hall to leave her brother alone. Before she walked past the doors however, she turned around one last time.

'How can we mend the rift between the Heartland and the Barrier Lands if we can't mend the rift between you two?'


The walk from the Grand Meeting Hall to the main plaza was a short one. A short one, at least, for most ponies who had the leisure of not expecting something horrible once they reached their destination. For Vanguard Clash and Twilight Sparkle, the walk felt like a humiliating parade that had no end in sight.

"Thirty lashes!" Vanguard said. "Thirty lashes for something you had no part in!"

Walking next to Vanguard on her way to the main plaza, Twilight Sparkle frowned at him in response. "No part in?" she asked. "What was that 'for Twilight Sparkle's sake' you were talking about? The last time I checked, I'm Twilight Sparkle!"

Vanguard shook his head. He had been stripped of his barding which Scarlet had taken for safekeeping. The red pegasus had been overjoyed that his captain wasn't going to hang and had flown off promising to have a bottle of booze ready to help with the pain. Around him, the guards that accompanied them made no reaction towards the bickering between him and Twilight. A group of curious citizens was now following the odd procession down the street. "At least change it to twenty for you and forty for me," he said. "I've been under the whip before while your back is as fresh as a newborn's."

"It's thirty for the both of us," Twilight insisted. She put on a brave front, but the thought of what was going to happen made her quail inside. Vanguard was right. She had never been whipped. She had never even thought that such a thing could happen. Now, she was going to take thirty lashes in a single day. Part of her wanted to back out and just pray that Vanguard could take sixty lashes. Another wanted to take his offer and have the number reduced. Between the two, a third one remained steadfast. 'Thirty,' she thought. 'Thirty is fair.'

The two of them stood at the edge of the city's main plaza. By the time they got there, they were already being followed by a crowd. "Twenty five, thirty five," Vanguard suggested.

"Stop haggling like you're buying vegetables!" Twilight whispered harshly. Vanguard's offers were weakening her resolve. She had to stop him before he succeeded. She looked over the crowd and wondered if any of her friends was going to watch. "It's thirty-thirty and that's final!"

They were led to a spot with several wooden posts jutting from the ground, then prodded to take their positions. Both of them were given coiled bits of rope. Taking her cue from Vanguard, Twilight placed hers between her jaws, trying to ignore the thought of other ponies having done the same to the unwashed piece of rope. She reared up, hugged the pole, and swallowed as she saw a pair of earth pony stallions walk into position while holding coiled whips. Two more ponies came up and bound their forelegs securely to the poles.

The time between her biting into the rope and the first lash stretched out to breathless eternity. Just as Twilight was starting to think that there was something wrong, the first lash struck her between her shoulders.

The suddenness of the strike nearly made her drop the rope. Searing, white-hot pain lanced through her back and buckled her legs. Tears sprang from her eyes. She nearly fell to the ground, but she remembered that that was just one. There were twenty-nine to go. She glanced over at Vanguard just as he took his first. He clamped hard on his rope, but his face didn't even change expression when he was struck.

Twilight braced herself just in time for the second strike. 'Two,' she thought. A third one struck in rapid succession. She felt something trickle down her back. The fourth one struck low. Through the haze of pain, she realized that it had struck her cutie mark. Were the star symbols going to be forever marred by a scar? The fifth and sixth strikes burned the thought out her mind along with anything else she could think of. By the tenth, or at least she thought it was the tenth, she was no longer sure if she was counting right. She cried out between her teeth. Her jaws were clenched so tightly that she feared that the bones would shatter. The pain sapped the strength from her forelegs. There was a fire raging on her back, an unrelenting blaze that tore off shreds of her skin and flung them away with smoking hooked claws. Her forelegs let go at one point, but the ropes held her in place securely. Her vision dimmed and she gazed at Vanguard weakly, her mind still making futile attempts to recall just how many she had received and how many more were coming.

The lashing continued anyway.