Emeris reaches the front of the room and faces the crowd.
"Citizens of Equestria. There is no doubting the tragedy that has befell your great nation. Over these last few months, your people have suffered more than ever before. You have watched your cities burn, your people slain and stood by as certain death marched its way onto your doorstep." He keeps his hands behind his back. His tone is friendly, but inquisitive.
"May I ask why you're still here? Did you suddenly fight back and retake your lands? Did the princesses, powerful as they are, conjure incredible magic to repel your invaders? No. It was none of these. The monsters you've been running from are too numerous and bloodthirsty. Do not mistake my words for even implying any inaction on your part. You've all done the best you could, the best anypony could even dare ask for! You had a war dropped on your lap. You encountered an evil so malicious, that not even Sombra or Discord would dare speak its name." He looks down at the ground and shakes his head, as if he was sharing in the pony's pain.
"No matter how hard the Og Nag pushed, no matter what they took from you, there was something else here. Us. Taraska. We fought for you, we protected you. There is no getting around the facts though. Yes, we unintentionally brought them here. The details of which have been kept from most of you, but I will share them with you now. Taraska, on the brink of destruction, chose to make the ultimate sacrifice for the other kingdoms of our realm. There was no stopping the Og Nag. You may not believe it, but the beasts from our world were far worse than what you've faced here. Time was running out and no kingdom had an army large enough to challenge these monsters. So Taraska made a deal with our only remaining allies: the Drakur. Taraska would provoke the Og Nag into a massive assault, then detonate what we thought was a bomb, dealing a massive blow to the Og Nags numbers." The room is entirely silent. Even Celestia herself watches Emeris with intrigue. I raise an eyebrow and shift a bit.
"Where we came from, magic was as big of a fairytale as peace. The only magic we had seen, were massive orbs that suddenly fell from the sky, annihilating entire cities in the blink of an eye. At the time, we had no reason to suspect that the orb we had stumbled across was anything less than a weapon. So we hid it away at the top of our castle, with plans to detonate it at the last possible second, when every Og Nag in the region was on our doorstep. As the Og Nag banged on the door to the very last room where the orb was held, we hit it with a hammer. We said our goodbyes to loved ones that were already dead. When we awoke, things that had not been seen in decades were of abundance here. Fresh grass, sunlight, birds, animals and best of all; silence. You ask why we fought? Because before us lied something that had to be a dream. For that dream, we would die fighting. We knew what the Og Nag could do, what they could take from you. Not a single Taraskan was willing to let that happen." Emeris turns to Celestia.
"Will you permit me to invite a few of our guards in?" Celestia nods eagerly. She motions at two pony guards who open the double doors. Emeris waves a hand and a dozen of our infantry fill the back area. Emeris crosses his arms and stares down the aisle.
"We put our very lives on the line. We died to stop them before, and now we were willing to do it again weren't we?!" The soldiers, including Lucretia and myself, give a loud "Aye!" in response that echoes through the chamber. Emeris walks back and forth again, not taking his eyes off our infantry.
"The very idea that we could save peace was all the motivation we needed! We would never stand by and watch another nation fall!"
Another resounding "Aye!"
"Heads will roll, bodies will litter the battlefield, because the Taraskans do not sit by as the innocent are murdered do we?!"
"Aye!" Lucretia and I both stand up. Emeris nods a few times. He begins pointing to civilians and Taraskans alike as he talks.
"No matter how hard they try!"
"Aye!"
"No matter what beats they bring forth from the abyss!"
"Aye!"
"We will not fall!"
"Aye!"
"We will not give in!"
"Aye!"
"And we sure as hell don't sit around as a bunch of ugly freaks think they can take our home! Do you hear me!?"
A mix of civilians and Taraskans alike erupt in cheers. Arms are raised and every pony in the room leaps as high into the air as they can. Emeris goes quiet and a look of sadness crosses his face. The cheering dies down as the audience quietly begs for his next words.
"But such efforts have their cost. War is a disease. It is the greatest poison of all society. It takes its toll on you. How do you think it feels to never let down your guard or it may spell certain death? None of us here have had peace. Our kingdoms have always been front and center for conflict before we were born, before our parents were born, before their parents were born. We don't know how to stop being soldiers. We're used to any conversation turning into a scuffle. Yes, we're angry, we're tired, but worst of all, we're jealous. Can you blame us?"
Most of the ponies either shake their heads or mutter "No."
"Despite our differences, we've done our best to care for you, to get to know you. This war wasn't fair to you, it wasn't fair to anyone! Once again, the Taraskans are called to fight, after seeing their very dreams laid before them! Once again we must go to battle, knowing the person standing next to us might never stand there again. Imagine getting to know someone, their hopes and dreams, their hobbies, even their family. After a battle is over, all that can become just another story. You never see that person again, never hear their voice, never ask them another question, and never see them go home. Many of which had sons and daughters waiting for them, that will always have half a home now that their parent is gone. In some cases, those children will never know the feeling of security that is instilled in us by always having parents to watch over us. They grow up, seeing other children the same age running and jumping into the arms of the two people that have always been there. They ask why and there's never an easy answer.
What do you tell that child? That their parents died because nations don't know how to get along? Those people who don't come back will never know the warmth of a bed, they will never eat another hot meal surrounded by their friends and family, they will never be present for another wedding. They'll never be in a new photo, or in a new story. Because for them, that story is over...forever. And after all that, the loss, the suffering, the agony, the dread. We're expected to keep fighting. Day in and day out. That pain always lingers. The threat of it happening again is always present. Could you go on silently without speaking to anyone? Of course not. But how do you form a friendship with someone that could die any minute? How much or how little do you tell them, knowing that their soul may be snuffed out forever? Is it a waste? Is it worth it? No one has ever been able to answer that. Yet here we are. Doing our best. Some of our best soldiers are the most tormented souls. Take these words to heart: you do not know what eternity feels like until you've lost someone."
Emeris looks over at Lucretia and me. She has her nose and mouth covered with her hands pressed together. Tears form in her eyes as she nods at Emeris.
"I know we're not an easy bunch to get along with, but damnit we're trying. This is new for us too. We don't want you to become like us. We want to watch you grow and learn like any precious life should. Maybe it's too late for us, but it's not for you. We want you to succeed. We need you to keep going. It can't all be for nothing. And that's all I really wanted to say. Thank you." Emeris bows his head and an eruption of applause makes the room almost deafening. Celestia does her best to keep it together, but after a few seconds, she too is hunched over in uncontrollable tears.
Emeris goes silent and walks back and forth a few times as his eyes scan the audience. It was still complete silence except for a few sniffles. Every mouth in the room hung open in shock. Lucretia leans over to my ear.
"I just realized they never heard our little story before did they?" I shake my head at her and go back to watching Emeris, who turns to face Toe-Tapper.
"Sir, may I ask you to recall your first interactions with the Taraskans? What happened after Lucretia dove over the safety of her own units to rescue you?" I can hear Dandy growl from across the room. Emeris was destroying him at his own game. Toe-Tapper looks at the ground again.
"Well...two soldiers escorted us back to Princess Luna. She carried us to Canterlot then returned to Ponyville." Emeris nods while walking. His demeanor is completely relaxed as if we were all sitting around a campfire, telling stories.
"What did Ponyville look like during the attack if I may ask?" Toe-Tapper scans the room.
"It...It was in ruins. Windows were broken, doors were completely unhinged, and stuff was everywhere. It was complete panic." Emeris pauses and looks at the ground.
"If we're conquerors, why would we let future cities be destroyed? Would it not have been simpler to have slain the Og Nag away from the town without damaging the property? We were as shocked about the Og Nag as you all were. Where we come from, Nova, the Og Nag did not use strategy. They never retreated unless there were only half a dozen remaining. Yet when we woke up, there were reports the Og Nag had fled the city in droves of thousands. We didn't know what to make of it. During the First Battle for Ponyville, the Og Nag split up and hit us from two fronts, using their heaviest infantry to assault from our weakest point. This strategy was simple, yet they had never done anything else, but rampage with huge numbers. Our highest ranking members were clueless as what to make of it. The message was clear though, something else had control."
I hear whispers in the audience. How did they not know about Zaran? Had there never been a report filed? Had they never been briefed? Emeris lets the suspense fill the air for a bit, just like when he'd tell stories to our soldiers at dinner.
"That something was Zaran. A creature from another universe that fed on negative energy and was capable of unfathomable horror, both on and off the battlefield. He alone is responsible for what the Og Nag are doing to us. Zaran is still a huge mystery to us. Are his motives as simple as power? No one really knows." Emeris looks back to Toe-Tapper.
"Toe-Tapper, I'd like to change the subject now. Would you mind...recounting your conversation with Dandy? Let's start with when he was first speaking with you about Ponyville." Toe-Tapper's eyes bulge and his head snaps downwards.
"D...Dandy was really pushy about you all being monsters. When I first talked about Ponyville, he'd finish my sentences a lot. He always made me feel like I was in shock and couldn't think straight." Emeris cocks an eyebrow at Toe-tapper.
"Would you mind giving us an example?" Tapper rubs his hoof against the front of the seat.
"Well, when I said I couldn't remember what happened after the house, he kept saying stuff like 'They kidnapped you remember? Surely you'd remember your own daughter being taken!' and I'd always feel like I was stupid for not agreeing with him. Every time I said something he didn't like, he'd tell me I wasn't remembering correctly because I was traumatized. He just...whenever I wanted to take a break he told me my testimony would save Equestria and would get me to keep talking. I just…" His eyes start watering, so he shuts them. He starts shaking his head in small, rapid snaps.
"He kept pushing for hours and hours and he'd never let me go and I just…" Tapper goes quiet, but his heaving shoulders say everything we need. Emeris shakes his head sadly.
"You know what I'm going to do for you Tapper? I'm going to let you leave." Emeris stands to the side and stretches his arm towards the aisle.
"Thank you so much for your testimony. Isn't he brave everyone?" The ponies nod and stomp their hooves. Tapper climbs down and gives Emeris a quick smile of gratitude before disappearing into the crowd. Emeris claps his own hands as he gradually turns to face the princess.
"I apologize, I don't mean to be redundant, but would you mind if I end my turn by giving Captain Lucretia another round of questioning? I promise I'll be brief your highness." Celestia nods and I can almost see her restrain a smile. Part of me wondered how long it's been since she was last treated like royalty. Lucretia gets up and almost runs to the throne. She clenches her hands anxiously while trying to keep her steps at a normal pace. She plops down into the throne and folds her hands in her lap, like a child about to hear an amazing story. She beams up at Emeris who gives her a satisfied nod.
"Captain Lucretia, I have just a few simple questions for you. First off, when you arrived here, what was the first thing you noticed?" Lucretia bites her lip and narrows her eyes a bit.
"It would have to be the sunshine. Back on Nova, my primary responsibility was to watch over the night guard. So when the sun was finally out, I'd have to sleep through it. During the day, it was almost always blocked out by smoke, well enough of it that you couldn't enjoy its rays. I was also stuck inside a lot going over defensive strategies." She looks across the crowd.
"You really have no idea that being able to see the sun every morning is a gift. When I was little, I loved bathing in the sun when I could. It was always so warm and inviting." Emeris turns and motions to the crowd with an inviting hand.
"That's fair isn't it? Is your sun not gorgeous? And it's ruler not equally as gorgeous?" He turns to Celestia and gives her a small smile while cocking an eyebrow. The crowd giggles as Celestia's cheeks grow red.
"Captain Lucretia, one last question. I want you to imagine that the war is over. Everything has been rebuilt and life has continued. What would you do then?" Lucretia's eyes bulge and she blinks several times.
"I...I don't honestly know. I...I've always wanted to be a teacher. I've had a fondness for children for the longest time." Emeris clasps his hands in front of him and gives a small shrug.
"You wouldn't want to keep being one of Taraska's finest?" Lucretia's mouth bunches up to the right with embarrassment.
"I'm...actually sick of violence to be honest. I mean I'd keep my armor just in case, but...I'd love to have a normal peaceful life. It would be fantastic to not have to look over my shoulder, or worry about planning what to do next." Emeris and Lucretia lock eyes quietly for a bit, once again pausing for effect.
"Well Lucy you may just get that chance." Once again Emeris turns to the audience and offers his hand towards Lucretia.
"Captain Lucretia everypony." He gives a few small applause that the crowd copies. Lucretia almost skips back to her seat. I can't help but look behind me at Dandy. I stare at him and his face that's turned an infuriated red. For a brief moment, his eye sockets get abnormally dark but return to their normal color. Was that normal? I had never seen a pony do that before. He gets up and walks out into the aisle, keeping his head down but still watching forward. Emeris keeps his head tilted up just a bit. To everyone else, he looks confident. I knew full-well he was trying to be as smug as possible to Dandy.
As Dandy stands at the front of the room, I see his right eye twitch when he sees every pony is talking excitedly to each other. He was clearly hoping to play on their fear and anger. Emeris had just seriously impacted that. He clears his throat loudly and the crowd goes silent.
"I would like to call to the stand...Princess Cadence, and Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard!" The room comes alive with simultaneous gasps. Dandy turns to me with a smirk on his face.
"As well as Princess Luna herself; the pony who asked for this trial to begin with." The room goes dead silent.