//------------------------------//
// You Are My Child and I Will Love You Forever 
// Story: Broken Blossom 
// by BronyWriter 
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The next morning saw Princess Celestia flying back to the palace in her chariot after a long day of interrogating newspaper offices for any possible source of the leak. Right now she just wanted to get to bed but there were a few matters to attend to with her sister whom had also been out searching for the culprit. 

The chariot touched down and Celestia gracefully stepped out of it before walking towards the entrance of the castle where Princess Luna waited with a grim look on her face and a pair of Lunar Guards flanking her. Celestia tilted her head in a nod, a gesture that Luna returned. The sisters met up just outside of the castle entrance. 

Celestia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I found the leak," she said. 

Luna nodded. "We heard. It was a Baltimare paper was it not?"

"The Baltimare Sun," Celestia confirmed. "It seems that one of their reporters has a contact in the Ponyville police department; one of the night janitors if I understand correctly."

"Both have been arrested?" asked Luna. 

Celestia nodded and beckoned for the two of them to walk back into the castle. "And the paper itself has been fined five hundred thousand bits."

Luna cocked her head. "A bit light for such a crime is it not?" she questioned. 

Celestia sighed. "I suppose it is," she agreed. "But when you consider that they will lose just as much when they recall all of the papers that they still can and they have to destroy an entire week’s worth of stories that dealt with the pictures, I think they will lose enough without us having to put them out of business."

The duo reached the throne room doors and Luna's guards opened the door for the princesses. "What of the other papers who printed such photos?" 

"That... is a complicated issue," Celestia admitted. "I have talked with many of the head of such papers and their reasoning was unanimous: they did it to protect their businesses. With such a crime still so fresh in the minds of our ponies, a story like that would sell thousands of papers and any paper that couldn't print the story would quickly find themselves in a state where they could not sell their cleaner papers so in a panic they obtained a copy of the photo from a Baltimare Sun paper and it spread like wildfire from there."

"I see." Luna stopped walking and turned to face her sister. "And their punishment?"

"Ten-thousand bits a piece," said Celestia. "Once more that is on top of all they will lose doing more damage control." Celestia shook her head sadly. "I believe this will affect the media in Equestria for a long time."

"Indeed, sister," said Luna. "Our ponies may find the need to obtain their news from The Foal Free Press as it seems to be the only paper that didn't commit such a transgression."

"It would seem that way, Luna," Celestia agreed. 

Both princesses were silent as they digested the words Luna had just spoken. Then, despite everything, Celestia's face broke out in a wide grin that she utterly failed to suppress. "This is not the time for jokes, Luna," she said.

Luna cocked her head and mirrored her sister's smile. "Oh? Then why do you smile as such?"

Celestia snorted and the first giggle escaped her lips. "Luna this is s-serious!" she said in her worst attempt to act serious in a long time. "We have a lot to do with this and we cannot... we... I..." With that both royal sisters broke out into hysterical laughter. Both nearly collapsed and they had to lean on each other for support. They laughed so hard that tears began streaming down their faces. 

Of course, both princesses knew that their laughter hardly came from legitimate joy but rather as a stress relief. However they pushed such thoughts aside as they had not laughed like that in a long time. With everything that they had gone through since the murders it seemed like an eternity had passed since they shared a good laugh together. 

Finally their giggled died down and the two wiped tears from their eyes, taking deep breaths as they did. "That really wasn't as funny as all that," Celestia chuckled. 

Luna snorted and got up off of her haunches. "Indeed not, sister, but... it was nice, was it not?" 

Celestia giggled and stood up next to her sister. "It was wonderful," she agreed. Her smile faded away as life rushed back into her thoughts once more. "I do wish it was a bit more lighthearted."

Luna sighed and put a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "As do We," she said sadly. "Particularly when We must attend to matters here in the castle."

Celestia grunted in agreement. "We do need to tell Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara that the perpetrators have been caught and sentenced."

The night princess’s face shifted to one of unease and she slowly took her hoof off of Celestia's shoulder. "That is the main order of business," she said quietly. "Something happened in our absence."

Celestia's eyes widened. "What happened? Are they hurt? Did they attempt to do something?"

"Silver Spoon is safe in her room and is being monitored by a therapist," said Luna gravely. "Diamond Tiara..." Luna looked to the floor and shook her head. "Diamond Tiara deduced that Blossom was in the castle and she hunted her down." Celestia gasped but Luna continued on. "She did not find the child alone; she was with her mother at the time. The sight of the two of them drove her mad it seems and she...she attempted to kill Blossom as retribution for her own foal's death." 

Celestia silently contemplated Luna's words for the briefest of moments before speaking up. "What happened?"

"Sweetie Belle defended her child and injured Diamond Tiara. She suffered from a pair of black eyes and a couple of bruises. Both Sweetie Belle and her foal are safe and are under guard in another room. Diamond Tiara is in the dungeons."

"I wish to see her at once," said Celestia sharply. "I need to understand why that happened."

"Of course, sister," said Luna. "I will follow your lead. If you wish we can contact Captain Shining Armor who was the arresting officer."

Celestia waved a hoof and began walking towards the dungeons. "Later we shall question him and Sweetie Belle on what transpired, but I would like to talk to Diamond Tiara first."

Luna nodded and the duo walked through the palace towards the dungeons. Neither had been there for a long time and both wished that it would remain that way. Even Rarity hadn't been transferred to the palace dungeons when she had been captured. But now they had to deal with an attempted murder, a crime that, as rare as it was, usually resulted in life in prison. Considering the circumstances, neither princess was certain of that sentence. 

When they reached the dungeons, Princess Celestia used her magic to unlock the main door and she stepped aside to allow Luna to enter first. She followed her sister inside and shut the door behind them before walking down the rows of cells to get to the one Diamond Tiara was being held in. 

They did not have to search long as they spotted a cell about five away from the door with a guard posted in front of it standing at attention. He bowed when he saw the princesses approach. "The prisoner is in there," he said, pointing to the cell behind him. "She's..." The guard glanced back uneasily. "It's best if you see for yourself."

Celestia and Luna stepped in front of the cell and looked inside. What they saw made their stomachs drop. Diamond Tiara was sitting on the bed, her head and ears were drooped and she wasn't moving. Her breathing was very light and if one didn't know that it was a live pony, one would swear it was a statue. 

However despite the tragedy of the sight what shocked the princesses the most was a set of bruises that had begun to form on her right foreleg and side. They shone through her pink coat as if they were stains. The picture was completed with a cuff attached to her right hind leg that chained her to the wall. 

Princess Celestia pointed to the chain. "Is that really necessary, sergeant?" she inquired. 

"I'm afraid so, Princess," said the guard. "It isn't because we're worried that she'll escape but rather for her own protection. She kept throwing herself at the bars and that's what those bruises on her side are from." 

Princess Luna opened her mouth to respond but Diamond Tiara's voice, weak but sharp nonetheless, cut through the conversation. "You can stop talking about me like I'm not right here. I can hear everything you're saying."

Princess Celestia shifted her eyes back to the broken mare and stepped closer to the cell. "Miss Tiara I'm..." She sighed and shook her head sadly. "You know why you are here do you not?"

Diamond Tiara gave a barely perceptible nod. "I'm here because I saw that foal and tried to kill it." 

Luna's face hardened. "Joyous Blossom is not an animal, Diamond Tiara."

Diamond Tiara's face snapped up, revealing for the first time the wounds Sweetie Belle had inflicted upon her. "Oh I think you're quite wrong there, princess," she growled. "I think she is cut from the same cloth that her mother and aunt were and they were both animals, right?" 

"Rarity and Sweetie Belle were not and are not animals!" growled Luna. 

"They killed ponies!" screeched Diamond Tiara as she jumped off the bed. "Rarity butchered so many ponies you're still not sure how many unsolved disappearances were caused by her. As for Sweetie Belle, she killed my daughter!" Diamond Tiara's face hardened into a glare that would have made Discord uneasy. "Do they really sound like ponies to you?"

"And if they are not then you sunk to their level by attempting to kill an innocent child," said Celestia. 

Diamond Tiara threw her head back and let out a joyless cackle. "Innocent? Do you really think she's innocent?" She took a step forward. "By merely being related to those two vile animals she's the farthest thing from innocent."

Celestia frowned. "Miss Tiara I--"

Her words were cut off by a snarl from Diamond Tiara as she jumped towards the bars. The chain attaching her to the walls went taut and she was caught in midair. She fell to the floor with a loud thud and a cry of pain. Before either princess could do anything about it, the enraged mare was back on her hooves. "WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL HER?!" she screamed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL THE ANIMAL THAT BUTCHERED MY DAUGHTER?!"

"Miss Ti--"

"Don't even bother answering, we all know why!" she screeched. "It's because she had ties to the Elements of Harmony who had ties to you!"

Luna glared at Diamond Tiara and walked directly next to the bars. "Rarity was an Element of Harmony and she was executed for her crimes. Sweetie Belle's punishment was within the legal boundaries."

"Don't give me that!" spat Diamond Tiara. "If I had done what she did for the exact same reason I'd be in the ground right now, to Tartarus with the feelings of my child!" Princess Luna opened her mouth to angrily retort but Diamond Tiara's rage continued. "You didn't kill Sweetie Belle because you know her and her family! Even though Rarity was a serial killer she was an Element of Harmony and like family to you! You knew the family well and if you had even the slightest reason to not kill her you would take it despite the fact that my baby never even touched that bastard foal of hers!"

"You go too far!" snarled Princess Luna. 

Princess Celestia put a hoof on Luna's shoulder and shook her head. "Let me talk to her."

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, Princess, please do talk to me, I'd love to hear your explanation of why you twisted the law to keep that butcher alive. I wonder if you regret not doing the same for that sister of hers. You made every effort to avoid killing sweetie Belle, but would you have done the same for me?"

Princess Celestia took a few steps closer to the bars and gently motioned for Luna to back away. She sighed and sat down on her haunches in front of the door. "Diamond Tiara I know that you are in a lot of pain," she began, "please know that this situation has been hard on all of us. Do you think that Sweetie Belle is not being punished for what she has done? She has had her horn removed and she will remain in a mental institution for the rest of her life on top of the fact that she can rarely see her daughter."

"Oh really? Then what were they doing yesterday? She seemed to be having a pretty good time with her spawn." Diamond Tiara's face twisted into a mocking pout. "Oh but poor her that she only gets to see her foal every once in a while. That's way worse than me never getting to see mine for the REST OF MY LIFE!!!" 

At that a sob escaped Diamond Tiara's lips and her legs gave way, putting her on the ground once more. She whimpered and weakly raised her head to make eye contact with her ruler. "Please," she whispered. She pleadingly reached a foreleg out to Celestia. "I...I know I was wrong to attack her a-and I'll take my punishment for that, but please... give my baby justice."

Princess Celestia looked silently down at Diamond Tiara for a moment before sighing. "I'm sorry, Diamond Tiara. We have passed down the judgment that we did for a reason." 

Diamond Tiara simply stared at Princess Celestia with wide, watery eyes, hardly moving while she registered her words. "Y-You aren't gonna..." Before either princess could do anything, Diamond Tiara leaped to her hooves with a snarl and lunged at the bars. Once more her chain prevented her from reaching the bars and her chained leg snapped back as the chain went taut. Diamond Tiara fell to the ground, squealing in pain and clutching her hind leg. 

Celestia's eyes widened and she quickly got to her hooves and turned to the guard. "Get a medic down here at once! I think she's dislocated her leg!" The guard saluted and ran out of the dungeon. Princess Celestia exchanged a worried look with Princess Luna before she opened the cell and removed Diamond Tiara's leg cuff. "Diamond Tiara, you need to keep still. It will only hurt worse if you move."

Diamond Tiara continued squealing in pain and thrashing about. "Golden Necklace I'm sorry!" she wailed. "Mommy's sorry that she couldn't get her! Mommy's sorry that she didn't get her for you!"

Princess Celestia ignited her horn and placed a freezing spell on Diamond Tiara that stopped the thrashing. Diamond Tiara continued sobbing and apologizing to her foal. Her lack of movement did prevent her from aggravating her leg any further and she had managed to calm down slightly by the time a duo of medical ponies had come with a stretcher. They gently placed Diamond Tiara inside and began transporting her to the medical wing, leaving the two princesses alone in the dungeons.

Princess Luna's gaze was fixed on the entrance to the dungeon while Celestia was looking sadly at the floor. "Luna what have we done?" she whispered. 

The night goddess swiveled her head in Celestia's direction. "What do you mean? Do you believe we have erred somewhere?"

A single tear dripped from Celestia's face and splattered on the floor below. "That is where I feel I am lost: I do not know if we went wrong somewhere."

Luna walked over to her sister and gently placed a wing over her shoulder. "It is her comments about your emotional involvement with these goings on that are striking closest to home," she observed. 

Celestia nodded and wiped her eyes with her wing. "Yes," she said. "I want to pretend that my judgment of Sweetie Belle was not clouded by my emotions but rather my drive to see justice done on all sides but..."

"You are unsure," Luna finished. 

"Yes," said Celestia. She took a deep breath and shakily got to her hooves. "My perspective on the matter is that I did not wish to perform an execution, particularly when I had ordered one merely twenty years before. Before Rarity's death I had forgotten how much pain it brought, executing one of my subjects. I did not wish to be reminded of that so soon and under such circumstances. In regards to Diamond Tiara's accusation that I would not have expended such efforts to avoid her execution if their roles were reversed... I would like to believe that she is mistaken. I would not wish to see her dead any more than I wished death upon Rarity, despite her heinous crimes."

Luna rose to her hooves and nuzzled her sister. "We know, sister," she muttered. "But if you could return to that time would you have ordered Sweetie Belle's execution?"

"Please never ask me that again," said Celestia sharply. "I do not wish to dwell any more on whether or not I should have killed her." 

"Very well, sister," she said quietly. Luna took a deep breath and looked up at the dungeon entrance. "Would it be prudent to inform Silver Spoon that those responsible for the pictures have been caught and punished? I think it would do her good."

Celestia nodded. "I think that would be best. Faust knows that somepony needs some comfort right now." 

With a murmur of agreement from Luna, the royal sisters exited the dungeons and went to the apartment that they had arranged for Silver Spoon. When they arrived they knocked on the door and they heard a small 'come in' from inside the room. Luna opened the door and the royal sister's walked in to see Silver Spoon sitting on the bed. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened and she ran over to the sisters and threw herself at their hooves. "Don't kill her! Please don't kill Diamond Tiara!"

Princess Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder. "Miss Spoon--"

"S-She wasn't thinking, that's all!" Silver Spoon wailed. "She's not a bad pony; please don't kill her!"

"Miss Spoon we will not execute Diamond Tiara," said Princess Celestia. 

Silver spoon's head snapped up and she scrambled to her hooves. "You won't?"

Princess Celestia shook her head. "We have seen her mental state and we feel that imprisonment would be counter-productive. She will be sent to an institution in Fillydelphia where she will be given the finest medical treatment in Equestria. We agree that she was not in her right mind when she tried to kill Blossom."

Silver Spoon's eyes started watering. "Is she gonna be there forever like Sweetie Belle?"

Princess Celestia sighed and sat on her haunches next to Silver Spoon. "I don't know. We'll have to wait and see." 

Silver Spoon nodded and sat on her haunches as well. She looked down at the floor, tears dripping from her eyes. "It's just that... I don't think that seeing Sweetie Belle and Blossom... happy like that was good for her."

"How did you feel about that?" asked Celestia. 

Silver Spoon raised her head. "Honestly? It was one of the vilest and most painful things I could have imagined. To see the mare who murdered my foal happily playing with her own was..." Silver Spoon sniffled and shook her head. 

"You hate her," Celestia observed. 

"Of course I do," said Silver Spoon quietly. "And I think I'll hate her for the rest of my life."

"Do you think that I should have had her executed?"

At this Silver Spoon's eyes widened and to the surprise of both sisters she vigorously shook her head. "No, I don't!" 

Celestia raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Why not?"

Silver Spoon hesitated a moment before answering. "Too many ponies have died because of all of this. Killing Sweetie Belle won't bring my foal back." Silver Spoon sniffled and wiped her eyes. "She was just scared 'cause she thought that m-my foal was gonna hurt hers. It was my fault that they were in the in there first place!" Silver Spoon's voice became steadily more hysterical as she continued on. "I-If I had asked Fire Ruby where she was going instead of letting her go out with Golden Necklace right after that brat had gotten the both of them expelled t-then she'd be alive right now and Sweetie Belle and her foal wouldn't be going through this. Nopony would be going through this!" 

Princess Celestia scooted closer and extended a wing to wrap around Silver Spoon. "You couldn't have known that they would have done that."

Silver Spoon shook her head and began sobbing. "It's all my fault!" she wailed. "All of this! If I had just paid better attention, if I hadn't let my daughter get influenced by Diamond Tiara and Golden Necklace, if I had told her that she couldn't go out that day then none of this would be happening!" Silver Spoon threw her head back and let out a tortured wail. "It's all my fault! Everything is my fault!" 

Princess Celestia pulled Silver Spoon into a comforting hug and stroked her mane. "You couldn't have known any of this would happen. How could you? Your actions did not influence the actions of others. If you had prevented your child from going out that day or even forbidden her from seeing Golden Necklace again then they still would have found a way to get their revenge on Blossom. It was the decisions of others that led us to this point, not you."

Silver Spoon cried into Celestia's chest. "I just want my foal back," she sobbed. "I wanna hold her and tell her that it's all going to be alright. I wanna tell her that Mommy has her and she's safe now."

Celestia sighed and wiped away the first traces of tears from her own eyes. "That's actually something that we wanted to talk to you about. The ponies who printed the pictures of your foal, we caught them. They are going to be punished for what they did." 

Silver Spoon slowly nodded. "Okay," she mumbled. 

"Is there anything else we can do for you? I know that... we can't do much, but what can we do for you?" 

Silver Spoon sniffled and pulled herself out of the hug. "I...I think I just need some time alone. A lot of time."

Celestia rose to her hooves and nodded. "Very well. If you need anything at all..." Silver Spoon nodded and turned away from the goddesses.