It was the day after she had awoken and Gusty lay in her bed next to Bunker feeling pleasantly bloated. Having not eaten during her brief coma had taken its toll on her inhibitions and she had gorged until passing out. The swelling would go away by the end of the day of course, but the best side effect was the continued relief from that extreme hunger. Slipping out of the straw cot, Gusty pushed her front hooves out away from herself in a stretch. After overcoming the regular morning stiffness she trotted around the edge of the bed to prod Bunker awake.

Her husband groggily rolled onto the ground with a thump and laid spread eagle on his stomach. He mumbled incoherently from his position on the ground. His was a pitiful sight and Gusty chose to leave him lay. There was no sense in dragging a half-conscious stallion around Castle Manor when all she was going to do was talk with Gertrude. Exiting the room Gusty unsuccessfully fought off a yawn before turning to go towards the Long Hall.

It only took here a few moments to arrive at the Hall and only one more before she reached Gertrude. The Long Hall still remained a hub of activity as ponies and sheep conversed and ate.

“Good morning, Gertrude!” she called from behind the ever-vigilant wall of guards. They parted after she had spoken, and allowed her into the raised dais of charts and schemes. Walking up to where Gertrude stood next to Jarl MacGerson, she gave her past-daugther a curious look.

“Mmm.” Gertrude responded barely turning her face to her. Since Gusty had remade their acquaintance this was the least cheery and the oldest the Dame Ewe had ever looked. Taken aback, Gusty stood there unable to speak for a time. She found her words again, only by the concern she had for her friend.

“Gerty.” Gusty scooted close to the ewe and whispered into her ear with a lean, “What’s going on? You look terrible and are acting like somepony died.” she said. The Dame Ewe sighed deeply before placing a hoof on Gusty’s head and lowering her further down so she spoke into her ear.

“Aye if only lass. An investigation turned up most foul news.” she murmured before grunting despondently. “The anti-airship cannons that were sabotaged...were broken using Ovis magics. An’ only one other mage kennt where I hid them.” Gertrude finished. Gusty leaned up cast a disturbed look down to the Dame.

“A-and w-who was that?” she asked shakily.

“I already told ye who it be.” Gertrude’s words were broken and hollow. Gusty could see now that what she had attributed to stress and a bad mood was actually disbelief and sadness. Her past-daughter had always been a good actress when it came to hiding her emotions, and this time was no exception. It left Gusty feeling particularly unsettled, Gertrude had told her who was the last subject on the list. At this point it looked like open conflict could no longer be avoided leaving Gusty to sit silently, empathetically feeling the remorse of a mother torn between decisions.

Alongside her friend Gusty watched as MacGerson thought aloud over logistics and when it was best to strike the pirate stronghold. He was a smart ram, suggesting distraction and an attempt to lure out the brigands to negate the need for a siege. Nearing the end of his planning Zeccaran and Bunker finally appeared amongst the planners.

“So what’s going on today? Any new plans to get rid of the griffons?” Zeccaran asked striding up to them. Gusty looked her friend over consciously remembering how out of place the striped zebra was here in the Baylands and everywhere else for that matter.

“Nay.” Gertrude interrupted her thoughts. “The plan remain the same. I be thinkin’ over when to execute it.”

“Oh. I see. Well, whenever you give the word Lady Dame, we’ll see it through.” he responded with a kind solemness. Gusty wondered if Zeccaran had figured out the scheme. He probably had, for all his shortcomings and awkwardness, her zebra friend was extremely intelligent and seer-like. Zeccaran bowed before stepping aside remaining quiet as Bunker stepped up to give her a nuzzle. He gave the Dame a rather gruff good morning but otherwise remained looking at Gusty.

“You feel alright, da?” he asked with concern in his face. He said placing a hoof on the side of her neck. Gusty cleared her throat trying to overcome the foreboding sense tugging at her nerves.

“I’m doing well, thank you.” she said rubbing his hoof with her own. He nodded with an approving smirk and lowered his limb down. He stood aside and peered over to MacGerson who was still in his game of charades against the country map. A bit of a bustling turned Gusty’s attention to the ring of guards who were letting a small precession through into the planning dais.

In the center surrounded by four upset looking Ram Guards was Gabriella. She nearly growled as she walked, her face as stressed and angry as her mother’s. Making her way directly towards them she and her attendants stopped before Gertrude. Gusty watched on in silence as the heiress ewe stood still, staring at her mother. A part of Gusty had always known it would come to this moment. From the moment Gertrude had uttered that it was a family member she had known that a confrontation between her daughter and her spawn was inevitable. Gusty had done her best to ride out the waves of danger and conflict, hoping desperately for a different solution when she knew there was not one. But, one thing still held her aspirations for a peaceful solution, and that was Gabriella had no move left to make besides directly, in front of everyone gathered, attacking her own mother. Gusty prayed that the younger ewe’s sense of kin had not eroded entirely and in this next few moments she would placidly accept her fate.

Gabriella mumbled something incoherent. All gathered pursed their lips unable to hear what she had said. “Speak up daughter.” Gertrude interjected. “No need to whisper.”

“I said…” Gabriella paused, drawing a deep haggard breath, “Why do you keep me here in such company mother? You have already won.” Gertrude harrumphed and looked down from her throne at her daughter in pain.

“I know not what ye be talkin’ about, dear daughter lass.” she replied. She sounded confident but Gusty could see in her past-kin’s eyes the deep, crushing sadness of a suddenly childless mother.

“You don’t?! Pah!” Gabriella shrieked. “You play coy with me even now? Why?! I’m a damned traitor and you won’t do what you must?! Were all those things you taught me...lies?!”

A brief gasp finished its light echo and Gusty could sense all the eyes in the whole of the Long Hall looking at Gabriella and Gertrude and their golden fleece. The words being said were only a portion of the electricity riding through air and everyone present was ready to jump at the slightest motion. Gusty knew she was no better than the rest, her adrenaline sat precariously on a cliff’s edge ready to drop. The moment was only amplified by the silent head down response Gertrude was now offering.

“What would ye have me do?” Gertrude finally replied with a heavy sigh.

“Your job.” Gabriella gritted her teeth, her eyes bulging with her strain and anger.

“I can’t, my sweet little lamb. I could a’never perform such a punishment on ye.” the elder ewe responded her face even more strained than before. Gusty swallowed hard as Gabriella stomped her front hooves and lowered her head.

“Then there is nothin’ left. I’ll have to make you claim the victory you already have!” The heiress lowered her body further into a broad stance. A sharp pitched hissing filled the air in an instant, and bright light tinged a forest green radiated from Gabriella. Straining her eyes Gusty watched as the younger ewe aimed herself at Gertrude.

A beam of sparkling energy, mirrored with a swirling blob of shadow streaked towards the elder ewe. The magic itself seemed to suck the light out of the room as it traveled forward its clear malevolence drawing all eyes. In a strange contrast to the frozen room, Gusty marveled at the movement of Jarl MacGerson. Besides the ray of destruction he was the only other thing with the apparent ability to react. Even now as her mind tried to process the moment Gusty stood immobile, unready for the ultimate betrayal of Gabriella. Time itself seemed to agree with her and the instance would be forever cemented as one of the longest ever known.

MacGerson intercepted the beam and was knocked into Gertrude. The clatter of a ram and ewe being tossed into the wooden throne was overtaken as the room erupted into an instant fight. Two of the four guards that had been accompanying Gabriella had started firing kinetic bolts into the Ram Guard around the throne. Meanwhile all of the pony soldiers that were unicorns sent a wave of red stunbolts flying into everything. The explosion of color would have been rather beautiful and Hearth’s Warming themed had a great melee not started knocking over tables and bodies.

Gusty fixed her eyes on where Gabriella had been standing only to find a horde of ponies swarming with spears and magic swinging towards a retreating group of rams. Unable to even think about anything besides detaining the wayward ewe princess, Gusty cast a shield on herself. It was not a simple bubble instead a skin covering like the one she had used to fight MacGerson. Charging into the crowd a guttural below left her throat, her fury manifesting itself of its own accord. Some of the outlying soldiers dodged her charge but the rest were bowled over by her shield and her weight. She caught the barest hit of Gabriella nestled between a group of rams.

Their eyes met for the briefest hint of a moment. Gusty watched as the ewe realised that she was going to be chased until caught. Gabriella screamed something to her cohorts and all the rams she had guarding her looked up to Gusty. Beams of energy started flying towards her and bouncing off her shield. Somehow this only made her more determined to press forward, even though she was without her sword or armor.

The group of rebels broke the encirclement of Stormwalker’s troops when what could only be described as a bomb exploded. Even though her shielding Gusty was knocked to the ground and almost had her lungs emptied of air by the blast. Recovering quicker than anyone else Gusty stood up to see only two rams and Gabriella slinking away from piles of unconscious bodies. Whatever had been triggered evidently was not meant to be lethal only exceedingly disorienting and it had worked, except it had not disabled her. She would prove that failure their undoing.

Gusty cast a fresh shield and dashed after the small band of rebels. Gabriella and her rams took notice as they turned to slip through a door. The two guards practically ripped the hinges out of the wall, one pushing Gabriella through the door and closing as he went. The other braced his legs and waited as she charged at him. In Gusty’s opinion it was a fool’s errand the ram could not slow down an alicorn, even one that was too upset to try and teleport.

Firing a stunbolt as she approached Gusty pushed off the ground with her legs. She flipped her wings out to keep the airborne from her jump. The ram meanwhile deflected the stunbolt, distracted by his own desire to remain conscious. Gusty swung her legs out twisting her body to let her weight and flight angle hit the unprepared guard. Her hooves hit his neck and face and he crumpled grasping at the affected areas. Now standing atop the fallen ram, Gusty blasted the door open with her horn, not bothering to waste time opening it. Through the portal she beheld a familiar hall, one that she had refrained from entering.

Memories of Gertrude’s childhood came flooding back and the pain of today’s events intensified all the more. Ahead turning towards the little room that was the residence’s private kitchen, Gabriella and her guards slowed to corner.

“Gabriella!” she shrieked as she charged after them. Gusty had to stop the younger ewe, if she escaped then full-blow war would start between the Ovis of the Baylands. That was what had always been at stake. She had known such, but until this moment it had not struck her with the same urgency until the threat of being unable to help reared its ugly head. Pressing forward she fought the urge to turn a look at the rooms she had once called home....

Home. This was her home. She knew it, every corner of it, and had slaved alongside like-minded kin to build it. Gusty had thought all of the rebellious Jarls had sided with her plan, that a single government would serve them all better. It had allowed trade to be established with Germane and Prance. But now it seemed that they had thrown that idea away. Gusty knew assassins or kidnappers had taken Gertrude...it was Gertrude she was chasing after right? Even if she was wrong the alicorn’s paranoia would not allow her stand idly at let the events come to pass.

Her heart pounded in her chest, everything she had worked for would amount to nothing if she could not reach Gertrude. A rebel ram stood in her way as she entered the kitchen, jumping she full on roundhoused him in the face. She could not hold back anymore the little golden darling ewe was the key to helping all the scatter folk of the Baylands. She charged forward through the kitchen her previous meal she had started long forgotten. Gusty pushed open the door that lead into the private garden of the residence. There amongst the other flowers Gertrude was held hostage by a pair of rams.

The two brigands charged at her, their horns lowered, but Gusty held her ground. Bracing herself she let the two fool’s bounce off her shield with heavy thumps. The one on her right recovered quicker and she made a sweeping kick with her back legs knocking him over as she spun. Wasting no time she jumped on his stomach, pounding him with her hooves and weight. She heard several ribs break and all the air exit the bastard’s lungs.

A roar made her look up to see the remaining ram charging her. She had just enough time to activate her telekinesis and stop him from hitting her. She lifted him up as he scowled and struggled, cursing her name and purpose. With a hardy spin and toss she flung the errant ram against the freshly built structure of the Castle Manor, his body going limp as he hit the stone. With nothing stopping her she rushed over to Gertrude and pulled her into a hug, exclaiming her joy.

“Get off me, ye crazy mare!” Gertrude proclaimed before giving her a solid punch with cloven hoof. Stunned by her daughter’s vile outburst she dropped her reflexively.

“How dare yeh call me by that name!” the little Gertrude continued to shriek, “I’ll ne’er be called a mother who betrays her oaths!”

Frighten and confused, Gusty looked at her young kin with as much pleading as she could. A bright flash of emerald light sprang from Gertrude and smashed into her, knocking her from her hooves. A brief blackness and suddenly the world refocused from the rusty edge memory. She rolled onto her side at stared pitifully at not her daughter, but Gabriella.

It had been another hallucination, leaving Gusty writhing in a deep emotional pain and fury. She had just managed to capture Gabriella, had stopped everything from happened, but now lay disabled, crying a the lost time and the defiant ewe’s words.

“It’s yer fault ya know!” she yelled at Gusty her own brogue shining through. “She’s treats me like a babe because of you!” Gabriella’s voice was not but a snarl, around her unnatural winds of magic began to spin as she lowered her head long enough to darken her face even further.

“Yeh, know how long I’ve been acting out? How long I’ve been trying to make her treat me like a normal ewe...a regular grown ewe with consequences? Ten years!” the heiress screamed, the magic around her intensifying. “An’ now after everything. The Griffons, the murder of dozens of innocent traders, an attack on our very capital, and me directly attack her. She sends you!” Pausing to heave angry raspy breaths, Gabriella cleared her throat in a lamentable cough. She had begun crying, out of anger or out of despair Gusty did not know.

“Because even now she would rather me be captured an’ slapped on the hooves, than to do what she should have done long ago, and punish me!” The hiss of the rushing air hit a fever pitch and Gabriella’s voice became more of a sharp wail than a yell. “Now begone! And let me leave this land and the ewe I once called mother!”

Standing up her fury and heartbreak for gertrude pulling her up Gusty ran towards Gabriella. Mind racing with thoughts on how to stop Gabriella from teleporting did the first thing that could work, a stunbolt. She fired the red sparkling spell only to watch it reflect off the shifting waves of magic around the rebel princess. Regardless of its ineffectiveness, Gusty had closed all the way to tackling distance and lunged. Just as she neared her quarry her body suddenly stopped mid-jump. She looked at Gabriella in total confusion, the young ewe glowing white hot from her magic. In an instant she disappeared and Gusty felt a massive concussion wave hit her floating body and toss her towards the castle.

Spinning and unable to control where she was being flung Gusty closed her eyes and tried to relax her body. It was her only remaining defense, especially because she would rather break a rib or two than a wing. Breaking wings was just that much worse. The thought was knocked out of her as she slammed against hard stone. Breath left her lungs but other than that moment of horror the blow seemed to have been mostly glancing. She nearly blacked out again however, as she felt gravity take hold and pull her downwards. Unfortunately, there was little she could do, as just trying to calm her brain and lungs from the lack of air took all of her control.

Sound returned after she hit the ground. Sharp pain in her side made her gasp hard enough to return her to normal breathing. Springing up, her rage building to a nearly uncontrollable level, she looked around. Stomping her hooves into the dirt with righteous anger, Gusty cursed her own mental weakness and Gabriella for her false words on Gertrude. A clamoring behind her made Gusty turn to look back at the door into the building. Zeccaran and Bunker alongside a mixed squad of ponies burst out of the door.

“Darling wife!” Bunker nearly growled as he sprinted up to her. “You go running off like banshee!” He looked her over with heavy scrutiny, interested in every out of place hair on her body. Gusty pushed him back from her lightly. She was no longer in the mood to be fawned over, even by her husband.

“I’m fine. How’s everything inside?” she asked shortly.

“Miss, we need to get back inside to help. You ran off before the area was secure, my squad was the only group that managed to follow.” One of the golden-clad stallion’s spoke up.

“Then let’s go!” Gusty shoved past the group of idle ponies and started a quick trot back through Castle Manor. They passed through the guest wing and stood peering into the Long hall quickly. There was still a decent amount of fighting, but with her blood boiling over Gabriella’s betrayal, she was about to put an end to it. Her ears caught slew of slurring and cursing, from atop her toppled throne Gertrude hurled spells into the melee below her. Her fury erupted and she started a charge before even commanding the soldiers to follow.

No longer measuring her strikes Gusty repeatedly charged and fired her horn as she ran towards the crowd. It seemed that more than the initial few turncoats that helped Gabriella escape, were now present. In fact the only Ovis that were not actively fighting the Equestrian Special Force were trying to desperately pull Gertrude down from her perch and into cover. This simply made Gusty’s charge all the easier and brutal.

Her first blast connected with a large ram and sent him flying, blood and broken bones spattering his nearby compatriots. The other shots from Gusty’s first volley went high, just over the heads of the crowd.. She had reached the fight now, but did not slow to punch or kick. Instead Gusty snapped her wings out and entered shallow flight stepping on as many traitors’ necks as she could on her ascent. It put a few more combatants out of commission. Turning to levitate as many of the poor fools as she could with her magic, Gusty watched the party that had come to fetch her slam into the fight.

The stallions in the mixed group refused to use lethal force, striking with stunbolts, batons, or sapps. Gusty did not understand their mercy, but they were not under her command. Seizing the opportunity, she let a copious amount of magic well up in her horn before flinging out the iron psychic grip of her telekinesis. She managed to snap up every Ovis that still stood, pulling them up to her height in the air. The collection of ewes and rams, those that could look at her in their frozen stasis, had their eyes widen to an extreme.

They had realized their folly too late, however, and with a flick of her head she sent them flying into a wall. There exploded a chorus of screams and shrieks of agony, accompanied by the disgusting sound of flesh being lacerated and bones breaking. But, Gusty was not done, and her fury was not yet quenched, so she still held the unlucky host hostage. Another flick of her neck this time to the opposite wall caused another wave of disturbing proclamations of minds and bodies. Finally, pulling her quarry back into the center of the Long Hall she flung them down to the ground, their screams much subdued on their third impact.

Gliding down and landing amongst the ponies, Gusty drew in a deep breath. Around her the Equestrian Special Force all slowly backed away from her, their eyes betraying their fear. Three of them stood their ground, and with her rage subsiding, Gusty recognized the faces of Bunker, Zeccaran, and Stiff Inspection. The adrenaline broke and she was suddenly panting and kneeling, her husband and friend next to her. She pushed them away, the heat from their bodies aggravating her.

“M-move.” she stammered, nearly in tears. She had to reach Gertrude to make sure she was still safe, her paranoia insatiable. Forcing Gusty to partially believe that somehow between her outburst and when she had seen the Dame Ewe atop her throne something more had happened. Both Zeccaran and Bunker followed her past the bodies of moaning Ovis, their hooves tracking the wanton blood.

Behind them Stiff Inspection began barking out shaky orders. The bustle of hooves sloshing through the gore made her stomach churn. “T-Tend to the wounded! Equestria will not allow the death of any Ovis i-if it can be h-helped!” the young stallion ordered, his voice getting grittier as he spoke. She knew what she had just done, at least in the logical part of her brain, but it proved difficult for her emotions, even with all the evidence behind her. She had not unleashed her fury in such a manner since she had met Stormwalker. He, however, was significantly more durable than the poor folk she had mained. The thought froze her in her tracks, as she desperately worked to regain control of her stomach and her mind.

“Gusty, are you alright?” Bunker asked cautiously. He rarely spoke her name, out of respect or some sort of language tick. However, when he did, it meant he was saying was imperative to both her and himself. She shook her head in response, unable to answer with words. Bunker nodded back to show that he understood. Her husband was smart; he knew what was best ways to help her, and right now that meant staying silent and supporting her.

Finally able to move again, Gusty stalked up onto the raised dias and over to the overturned throne. Royal Guard stood behind the broken structure huddled around the sounds of crying. Rounding the chair, Gusty placed a hoof on the nearest ram, he turned to face her briefly, pain and confusion evident in his face. Stepping aside once he saw her, he let Gusty and her party into the tight circle. There, cradling the broken body of a very dead Jarl MacGerson, sat Gertrude the Golden, face covered in tears. Gusty released a deep sigh of relief. All that mattered was that her old daughter was safe, and that the threat had been eliminated.

She slipped down to her kin and wrapped the small ewe in her wings. It was the best comfort she could give Gertrude. For this level of betrayal, all Gusty could offer was her presence and the occasional hoof stroke of Gertrude’s fleece. The Dame Ewe remained sobbing into MacGerson’s remains and her wings for a length of time Gusty could not describe. The feeling of hollowness in her chest increasing she held Gertrude tighter hoping to have at even the smallest portion of her emotions return. Eventually, her past daughter slowed her sniffling and tears. The sound of hooves pulled Gusty’s attention up to the gathering of guards.

Stiff Inspection stood at attention before the Rams and her companions, looking down to Dame Gertrude with heavy bags under his eyes. He removed his helmet respectfully before clearing his throat enough to where Gusty felt the ewe in her wings shift to look at him.

“Lady Dame…” the pegasus paused, “While it is certainly not the best time, I am required to inform you that due to this attack from within your own court, Equestria will no longer be able to keep this force stationed here.” he stated gravely.

“W-what are ye sayin’ lad? Wha’ happen’d to Captain Garrison?” Gertrude hoarsely questioned.

“My apologies, Your Eminence. Captain Garrison is amongst the slain. I am the next in command, Lieutenant Stiff Inspection, ma’am,” the stallion replied stoically.

“Oh.” was all the Gertrude managed to respond with.

“I was informing you that this special forces unit: The Equestrian Special Guard Service, must return home, as this is no longer strictly a Griffon Empire plot. And as to not display a high level of hypocrisy on the international level, the unit will board the Midnight Onyx, and await her departure once our negotiators, Gusty Twilight and the vessel’s private captain, Zeccaran, conclude their business. This unit will no longer be able to offer you protection as a result. I’m sorry,” He answered with a deep bow of his head.

“Ack. Begone then. And tell Celestia I understand her position,” Gertrude retorted meekly somewhere between a grumble and a sob. She leaned against Gusty’s wing a few stronger sniffles coming out as she did.

“An’ begone with the rest of ye too! I want nobody present save the Equestrian Diplomats!” Gertrude suddenly squeaked from her position. Around her Gusty watched her guards give each other nervous looks before retreating from the dias and forming a loose barrier a good distance from them. Stiff Inspection flapped his way further down the hall to where a number of ponies had formed ranks. Bunker and Zeccaran stayed nearby as they had been ordered.

“A bubble if ye would, mum.” the golden ewe murmured. “Like before all this happened…” Gusty obliged her daughter’s request without a word. Once the sound shield was up Gertrude released a rattling sigh and stood up from where she was nestled.

“Mine friends…” she looked to each of the ponies around her. “Mother…” Gertrude paused for a while looking down.

“I hath a simple request. A t-t-t-terrible request…” she broke into a few haggard sobs and stopped herself from stuttering.

“Gerty…” Gusty stood to snap up her kin in a hug again but was halted by the ewe when she raised a hoof.

“I must ask ye to enact the laws of the Baylands...I cannot fathom the deed mineself.” She paused and looked at Gusty, rather she looked through her. The Dame’s face was of a hard, sad ewe that had seen too much hardship, a leader broken upon the ideals she so desperately clung to. Gertrude cleared her throat one last time.

“Find mine daughter, mine...mine ex-daughter, and end her. Spare her and her pirate crew no mercy, no quarter. See that this civil war never happens. I-I...I cannot ask this of anyone else...an’...an’ I cannot speak of it again. I-it hurts mine heart too great.” Words spoken the Golden Dame turned her face to the floor to stare at Jarl MacGerson. A new waterfall of tears fell from her face and she plodded daintily up to the slain body of the ram that had saved her and placed her face against his side.

Gusty had heard her past-daughter’s words but could not accept them. Already seeing the pain in Gertrude now was more than enough the reason to try and redeem the wayward Princess of the Baylands. Gusty swore to herself she would find a way, even though she did not like the idea of helping someone who was willing to kill her own mother. The alicorn looked up at her companions briefly. Zeccaran’s face was dark with a grim determination Gusty could not place. She turned to her husband to see his face sad and empathetic, he motioned for her to comfort Gertrude some more, a notion she agreed with.

She sat back down with a bit of an ungraceful thump and leaned down next to Gertrude. She placed a hoof on to Gertrude’s back and gently asked if she would not mind having the shield lowered. Her daughter shook her head smally.

“No, mum, leave it up. I’m not ready yet.” she whispered to Gusty. Remaining silent she just kept her hoof on Gertrude’s back trying to find something to say. Eventually, her curiosity go the better of her and Gusty asked a question she knew was loaded with emotion, if only to help Gertrude cry out her bottled feeling more and help her relax.

“You are awfully torn up about losing him, Gerty, why?” she asked quietly. Gertrude stiffened briefly, and a few powerful jerks of her neck from forced heavy breaths followed, but she managed to answer..

“He was...j-just...just a friend. A good friend” Gertrude bleated. Her soft voice and sad face broke Gusty’s heart. She bent down and cradled her daughter again. The ewe hugged onto her and her fallen companion.

“He died….he died because of me!” she shrieked, breaking down into even more pitiful fits of tears.

“No, Gertrude. Don’t say that. He did what he did for the greater good. Even with your fleece had Gabriella hit you it wou-” Gusty was cut off.

“No! Tha’s a lie! He died in vain! In vain! Because...b-because Gabriella is right… I can’t do mine job.” Gertrude stammered uncontrollably. Gusty felt her chest tighten. She had not believed the rebellious heiress. She could not have believed her, neither she could believe what Gertrude was saying now.

“Gerty…” she murmured with a horror in her voice.

“I c-could’a never...n-never done what I was supposed to...to have it buildin’ all these years…” Gertrude paused long enough to cough and draw new haggard breaths. “I never earned this crown ye gave me, mother! I n-never deserved it….I learned everything about family and rulin’ from you. But I never learned why ye were harsh when I misbehaved...w-why...tha’ consequences make a ruler….a leader. It took me losin’ everythin’ to understand...an’ now...now she’s gone... forever…I can’t take back what mus’ be done now...I-it’s too late...I haff to do it now...I haff taho rule...and reap what I sowed….an’ everything will have been my fault….MacGerson...the Griffons...mine own daughter…” The Dame Ewe broke down into unintelligible blathers as Gusty squeezed her against her chest.

But, Gertrude was wrong. If she had never understood the importance of consequence, of sacrifice, between a monarch and a mother, the it was she, Gusty that had failed. She began to cry with Gertrude instead of just trying to comfort her. This loss, Gusty felt it deep in her soul, that she had had something beautiful, but had unwittingly ruined it long ago. And now, her actions in the past had destroyed the lives of two otherwise wonderful ewes.

Her current companions looked on in sorrowful confusion, ignorant of her true emotions. Neither would have been able to help if they had known. Even If Celestia was here, all she would have told her that she had no control of what had happened to her and how it affected her behavior.. Luna would have said it too, ready to pull up an number of numerous examples. Stormwalker would have said nothing and just tried to cuddle her with his wings regardless if she bit him. How terrible it was that even the other immortal beings of the world could not begin to comprehend the pain, even though one of them managed to know what to do. The thought made her tears become sobs, because in the end, it was Gusty Twilight that was one that was broken on the will of others and the loss of all the family she once had. This tragedy was merely a potent reminder. She just hoped the sound barrier would hold long enough for her to recover.

Next Chapter: Act 2: Chapter 12 - Cracked Perseverance Estimated time remaining: 15 Hours, 25 Minutes