//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 - Judgment // Story: One or the Other // by Blind Alley //------------------------------// I had Apple Bloom on top of me. I was laying on my sister's couch in the boutique, pinned down by Apple Blooms amazing hips and wonderful mouth. I had a nice, big handful of her rump in one hand and was slowly sneaking the other one up her side towards her chest. Almost there. I was so close to finally getting my hands on those big, round, perfect-- “Sweetie Belle~! I'm hoooome~!” The door swung open and an avalanche of luggage poured into the boutique, followed by my sister. “I know I'm a little early but--” Apple Bloom and I broke our kiss and stared at my sister. She stared right back, mouth hanging open. “I--,” I looked between Apple Bloom and Rarity. “I can explain?” Rarity shook herself. To my shock, she actually smiled! “Well, I don't think that's really necessary, darling. It looks quite self-explanatory to me.” Apple Bloom slid off my lap so I could sit up. “You're… you're not mad?” Rarity brought her hand to her chest, fingers splayed out dramatically. “Mad? Sweetie, daaarrling, why ever would I be mad? I'm happy for you!” “You are?” Apple Bloom asked, just as surprised as me. “Of course I am! Oh, I don't care about that whole 'forbidden love' nonsense! If Princess Cadance doesn't see a problem with it, why should I? Love is love, darling.” I let go of a huge sigh and slumped back into the couch. “Wow, you have no idea how glad I am to hear--” “Hey, guys!” Scootaloo swooped in through the kitchen window and, before I had a chance to say anything to stop her, planted a big, long kiss right on my lips. “Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom shouted. I pushed her off as hard as I could. She flapped backward a few feet and glared at the two of us. “Hey, what gives?” Rarity's face had gone right back to shocked and, this time, it wasn't fading. Scootaloo took a hissing breath. “Oooooh. Oops.” “R-Rarity? I-I can explain-” Rarity's expression darkened along with the room. A rumble of distant thunder rolled outside. “Yes, yes you will.” The world plunged into darkness. A blinding spotlight snapping on directly over my head cast a small pool of light barely big enough for me to stand in. Three more snapped on over a tall, broad, wooden judge's bench where Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight sat on either side of Princess Cadance. “Sweetie Belle,” Celestia announced, “you stand accused.” “Two counts of corrupting friendships,” Twilight chimed in. “Four counts of indecent behavior, twelve thousand eight hundred seventy two counts of indecent thoughts, and one count of public indecency for showing up to court naked!” “Naked…?” I looked down and shrieked, hurrying to cover myself with my arms and tail. “How do you plead?” Twilight asked. “I-- what? What's going on!?” “I heard guilty, did you hear guilty?” “Guilty,” Celestia agreed. “Guilty,” Cadance boomed, voice like thunder. “Darn right!” Another spotlight snapped on over the jury box. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and half the ponies from school sat inside, all looking at me with disgust. “She went 'n corrupted my sweet little sister with her twisted wrongness!” “Dreadfully sorry about that, darling. I just cannot begin to imagine where she learned such abominable behavior.” “I'll throw her in Tartarus myself for what she's done to Scootaloo! Nopony makes MY number one fan lame and mushy!” Cadance raised her gavel high. “Sweetie Belle, you are sentenced to eternity in Tartarus with all of the other deviants. You will have a chance for parole after everypony you know and love is dead. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?” Tears dripped down my face, slow and steady. I tried to say something but words wouldn't come. I cried and begged soundlessly while their faces only became more and more disgusted. Cadance shook her head and brought the gavel down. “ENOUGH!” Pure, white light flooded the dark courthouse. The bench, the jury, everything was swept away in a flash. When it faded I was somewhere else. A quick glance down showed me wearing clothes again and no longer standing in a courtroom. Cool grass grew beneath my feet, the chirping of crickets drifted in the air, and the stars sparkled overhead. The moon hung midway up the sky, a tall, dark, winged figure silhouetted against it, drawing slowly closer. My stomach plunged deeper with every step she took closer down some kind of invisible staircase in the air. I was dreaming and I needed to wake up. I needed to wake up fast. Princess Luna was as regal as ever. Tall, though not so much as her sister, with a majestic wingspan and horn to match, and wearing an outfit I recognized as one that my own sister had made to suit her historical tastes. A old fashioned coat in midnight blue and trimmed with back, over a deep sapphire waistcoat embroidered with black and silver thread. Loose fitting black leggings lead down to knee high (black) boots with silver buckles. Lacy ruffles covered her chest, fastened to her collar with a black and white broach of the crescent moon. When her deep green eyes met mine, all I wanted to do was sink into the ground and disappear. “Er, hi, Princess Luna.” “Greetings, Sweetie Belle,” Luna answered, calm and collected and worrying, “it has been some time since I have sensed you in such distress in the dream world.” The corners of her blue lips turned up a little. “It's unfortunate that I seldom get to see so many I count as friends unless they are troubled. Still, even in retirement, I find I simply cannot help but intervene.” “Troubled? Me? No, no, I'm good. You should prooobably just wake me up now.” Luna's expression fell to a frown. “Sweetie Belle--” “Actually, I'll just pinch myself.” I dug my fingers into my left arm but felt no pain. “Come on! Come on! Aheh, um, aaaaany second now. Wake up--!” “Sweetie Belle,” Luna repeated, voice stern, “you cannot run away from what is troubling you.” “Troubling me? There's nothing troubling me. I'll just be going over, um,” I jerked my thumbs over my shoulder, “there.” “As you wish.” I turned away and came face to face with all the ponies from the courtroom. “Freak!” “Deviant!” “Hussy!” “Disgraceful!” “Naked!” I stumbled back and landed on my rump trying to get away as the mob advanced with torches and pitchforks raised high. A bolt of light blue magic swept them away just as suddenly as they'd appeared. “Being judged and berated by friends, loved ones, and figures of authority. Placed on trial, stripped of your dignity, clothing, and power of speech. In my experience, these are elements common in the nightmares of those who fear condemnation and judgment due to who they are. The details of what you fear being discovered are not entirely clear to me, but the prominence of Cadance, the remarks of your sister and the sisters of your friends, as well as your own desire to flee from me, despite your subconscious calling for help across the dream realm and welcoming me in, suggest a few possibilities.” I folded my legs under myself and huddled miserably on the grass. There was no getting out of this. “Please don't hate me.” Footsteps approached and stopped right next to me. Luna lowered herself down, settling cross legged on the grass in a way that looked weirdly casual for a princess. “I did not come to pass judgment on you, Sweetie Belle,” she said gently. “I have seen into the dreams of many who fear judgment for who they are or for what they want. They have ranged from the merely unconventional to the truly dark, but I do not judge them. Not here.” Her hand brushed my chin, guiding my face up until our eyes met. “Nopony, no creature, not even the most powerful spirit, can truly control their innermost desires.” She pulled her hand back. “Even those who conquer them do not choose whether or not to have them in the first place. All we can do is try our best to live with them, and to seek out help when we cannot do so alone. Nopony is an island, Sweetie Belle.” I looked back down at the grass in front of me, ears limp. “Promise you won't tell?” “Your secrets are safe with me, so long as they pose no dire threat to Equestria, and so long as keeping them won't cause more harm than help.” I sighed. That was an honest answer and I knew it was the right one. I've tutored creatures on the dangers of blindly keeping secrets. “I'm, um, well, there's this pony. That I like. She's… a she.” Luna said nothing so I pressed on. “And… so is the other pony that I like. And they're… mybestfriendsandIthinkI'minlovewithbothofthem?” I turned my head just enough to peek at Luna out of the corner of my eye. She looked… surprisingly calm, actually. “Hmm. I cannot say I expected this, and yet I also cannot say I find it surprising.” “You're… not mad at me?” Luna's eyebrows went up high. “Why should I be mad?” she asked, unwittingly echoing my nightmare. “Because-- because-- they're mares?” She shook her head, her otherworldly hair rippling in sparkling waves. “It is true that, in my era, such things were more than frowned upon. It took me some time to adjust, but I find the modern world is a more joyful place for the change. I doubt very much that you would be shunned for such a thing today.” “Because they're mares?” I tried again. “Y'know, two of them?” “You are hardly the first young pony to be caught between two love interests, Sweetie Belle. Were I not sworn to secrecy I could tell you a story about… a certain somepony's misadventure many, many years ago.” I scrunched up my forehead trying to think who she meant. “…Starswirl?” Luna blinked at me then threw back her head and laughed. I scratched my head just behind my right ear awkwardly, waiting for her to stop. Did that mean I was right or really, really wrong? It took her a minute or two to calm down and wipe the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I cannot wait to tell Celestia that. May I please tell Celestia you said that? I promise I won't say it was you.” “Um… okay? I guess?” “I apologize, I was simply imagining Starswirl as-- ahem, never mind. Where were we? Ah, of course! You are hardly the first young mare to be torn between her love for two ponies.” “But what am I going to do? How can I make everypony happy? I don't even know how they feel! We're supposed to talk it all out tomorrow, but I'm so scared that everypony will find out and hate me for it. I don't know what to do!” “You are planning to talk with them both tomorrow?” I nodded. “Both of them together?” Nod. “And they're aware of this and each other's involvement?” Nod-nod. “Then I would say you are handling this beautifully so far.” “I'm… what?” “I admit that I'm not the Princess of Love, but to me it sounds as though you are facing the situation honestly and honorably. I have certainly heard of ponies handling similar circumstances far less gracefully.” “Er, does that still count if I sneaked out of bed last night to make out with one of them during our sleepover? And then secretly made out with the other one this evening after she secretly made out with her this morning?” Luna blinked several times, ears flicking and mouth slightly open. “Ah, well, that is… slightly more complex than usual. But do not despair!” she added while I cringed. “I still believe that discussing it openly between the three of you is the correct thing to do. Although I would advise against further 'making out' until you come to a resolution.” “But what should I do? Who should I pick? What if they want each other and not me? What if--” “What if Equestria is overthrown by the Diamond Dogs with my sister as their queen? You can chase 'what ifs' forever, Sweetie Belle, and they shall lead you nowhere. Focus on the things you know. You have family who love you, friends who adore you, and at least one Princess who is proud of you. When the moon rises tomorrow, these will all still hold true.” “But-- but how can you be sure?” She smiled at that question. “Because I know you and your sister, and I know your friends and their sisters. They, and you, are all good ponies who have faced far worse than a love triangle without being torn apart. Unless you truly believe that you being torn between two mares is finally going to accomplish what even Discord at the height of his villainy could not?” I hunched my shoulders. “I guess it does sound a little dumb when you say it like that.” She smiled and patted me on the back. “You will be alright, Sweetie Belle. Be honest with them, be honest with yourself, and do not fear the road less traveled.” I heaved a sigh. “I just wish I could get it over with.” “You will not have long to wait, it's nearly dawn.” She stood and brushed her leggings off. “Both of us must be going, I'm afraid.” I got up too, straightening my skirt along the way. “Thank you, Princess. I think I really needed to talk to somepony about this.” “It is my privilege to help my subjects-- my former subjects when they are in need. Feel free to let me know how things work out. I would enjoy some happy correspondence.” “What if it's not a happy ending?” “Then I will be glad to lend you an ear. For now…” Soft, white light bloomed around us, gently washing away the grassy field, the stars and, finally, the moon. “It is time to wake up.”