Over the roar of the showerhead, I could barely hear a conversation downstairs. A very loud conversation. The two voices were uncomfortably familiar. I quickly cut off the water and reached for the towel, fearing I was starting to overstay my welcome.
“—can’t stay here, Lyra,” Bon-Bon’s voice cut through the air.
I quickly dried myself off.
“Where else is he supposed to go? He can’t walk outside in broad daylight!” Lyra shot back.
I threw on my boxers and jeans, scrubbing the towel against my hair.
“You should have thought of that before you let him stay!”
The t-shirt fell over my head as my arms slipped through the sleeves. My fingers combed through my hair, and my new, clean reflection stared at me with those same, old eyes.
Trouble in paradise?
“Can it,” I muttered as I threw open the door.
“Bon-Bon, that isn’t fair! He hasn’t had enough time to rest,” Lyra’s voice shouted from downstairs. “We can’t just kick him out.”
“Yes, we can!” Bon-Bon argued. “The Princess is coming today, and Twilight is starting to panic. Were you even here the last time that happened?”
“Th-That doesn’t mean he has to leave.” Lyra was losing her ground.
“Yes, Lyra, that’s exactly what that means,” Bon-Bon pressed. Their voices had calmed down, albeit slightly. “As far as everypony knows, he’s a criminal. What do you think is going to happen if we’re caught harboring him? Everypony’s going to think—”
Her voice trailed off as Lyra stared past her, frozen in a wince. She followed her eyes and found me waiting at the base of the stairs, trying to look anywhere but at the two mares.
“Oh.” The silence hung in the air, heavy and uncomfortable. I built the courage to meet Lyra’s eyes. Her lips moved, but opted to clamp shut as she couldn’t find any words. Bon-Bon dared to break the silence. “How much have you heard?”
“Enough,” I said to the floor beneath her hooves.
“Then you understand the situation?” It sounded more like a fact than a question. I took in a breath and sighed, nodding my head.
“Hunter, wait,” Lyra begged, stepping out of the dining room. “It-It’s not as bad as it sounds. You don’t have to leave just yet. Twilight doesn’t know where you are.”
“But she has an idea of where to look,” Bon-Bon interjected. “She came into the shop and asked where you were. I told her you’d normally be in the park by now or grabbing lunch, but that’s only going to hold her off for so long.”
“Wh-What?” Lyra asked incredulously. “Why is she looking for me?”
Bon-Bon rolled her eyes. “Seriously?” she huffed. “Maybe it’s all those rallies you held about him. Maybe it’s all the posters you made. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re the only pony in town that even cares about him!” She froze, realizing what she had just said. Her eyes darted to me, but rather than the usual daggers they had a wary look. “That… was out of line,” she admitted, the floor suddenly becoming very interesting to her. She prodded at it with a hoof. “My apologies.”
I started to say something, but all that came out was a defeated sigh. I shook my head and turned to Lyra. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome here.”
“Just wait,” Lyra snapped. She glared at her housemate. “She didn’t mean it,” she challenged Bon-Bon, who refused to look her in the eye. With a satisfied nod, Lyra returned her attention to me. “Come on, Hunter, just think about this,” she pleaded. “If it’s really as bad as Bon-Bon said, you can’t go outside; you’ll get caught.”
“If I stay in here, we all get caught,” I countered, leaning towards her on the stairs’ guardrails. “And I’m not about to drag you two down with me. You’ve been through enough trouble putting up with me already.”
“I haven’t been ‘putting up’ with you,” Lyra said incredulously. “You’re my friend, Hunter. I’m not going to let you throw yourself out to the wolves.”
Well, if we’re being honest, I’m being thrown to the ‘wolves’ either way, I thought darkly. I suppressed a frustrated groan with a sigh and massaged the stress out of my head with a hand. “Alright. But I’m not going to stay here and get you in trouble,” I said with finality, looking to her. “What’s your plan?”
Lyra hesitated. She didn’t have a plan; I could see it in her eyes, but she was too stubborn to admit defeat. She turned to Bon-Bon, who had opted to rest in a chair as we talked. “Find Daisy or Noteworthy,” she said. “Tell them to get Zecora as fast as possible, and bring a wagon, too.”
Bon-Bon deflated and climbed back to the floor. “I guess it’s time for my early lunch break to end anyways,” she sighed in exasperation. She paused as she approached the door and turned back to Lyra. “I’ll send your message, to both of them if I can. In the meantime… just try not to attract any attention here, either of you.” The door closed softly behind her.
Lyra and I shifted under the uncomfortable weight of silence that filled the room. An inkling of fear flittered in the back of my mind. This could be the last time we see each other. The wrath of a Princess fed with misinformation was waiting for me in the town, and Twilight was bound to find me eventually. If Lyra’s half-baked plan worked, I’d be delivered back to the hungry maws of the timberwolves.
This very well could have been my last few hours.
The revelation hung over my head. I suppressed a nervous shudder and looked to Lyra. She laid on the couch in defeat, face buried into a pillow. My eyes flicked to the phonograph, its record still with the needle sitting patiently in the middle, and built up my determination.
This very well could have been my last few hours; I might as well make the most of it.
With the flick of a switch, the machine hummed to life. A song sluggishly pushed through the static, eager to play its soothing melody after being rudely interrupted.
I stole a glance behind me. Lyra pulled her head up from the pillow and looked at me tiredly. “That’s a little better,” I offered. I tried to smile, but it died before it ever touched my lips.
Lyra gave a weak smile. “You know, I was kinda surprised you knew how to operate that,” she admitted. “I bought it new from Canterlot. Are humans normally good with machines?”
“You could say that,” I chuckled halfheartedly, sitting down in the chair next to it. “My grandfather has one kinda similar from way back when. He always let me and my brothers take it out whenever we visited.” I reached over and flicked the switch, and the record came to a stop. “They don’t make these anymore back home; found better ways to record and play music. But it’s still nice going ‘back in time’ every now and then, you know?”
“You haven’t really talked much about your home,” Lyra pointed out. “At least, not outside of your stories. What was it like? How was your family?”
I hesitated, and a weak smile forced itself out. “Oh, I… They were great. Are great,” I corrected myself. “I could tell you stories all day about my father’s misadventures in cooking or the days I was in my mother’s class in junior high or how my brothers always find a way to get under my skin. But…” I shook my head. Memories were threatening to come back, along with the longing heartbreak that tailed them.
“Thinking about it all has been making me real homesick lately.”
Lyra didn’t say anything. For a moment, I thought that heavy silence was going to return, but she rose from the couch and gave me a bright smile. “Come on, let’s make some cookies.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
“Let’s make some cookies,” she repeated, already on her way to the kitchen. “It’ll be fun. And it’d be nice to give our friends something when they come to pick you up.”
I saw what she was doing; trying to give us something to do while we ignored the elephant in the room. But I couldn’t have been more grateful. “Right behind ya,” I chuckled, standing up from the chair.
Lyra hummed in thought from the kitchen. “Chocolate chip or peanut butter?”
I laughed. “You say that as if there’s a choice!”
<><><>
I was down on my hands and knees, busy scrubbing the flour-covered floor. It looked like a tornado had ran through the kitchen… twice. A fine film of flour coated the floor and countertops. Eggshells and yolk were splattered around the sink. We even spilled a carton of milk, which we spent an appropriate time mourning over.
And we were laughing the whole time.
“I swear, this has never happened to me before,” I explained.
Lyra scoffed jokingly, “Oh, I bet you say that to all the mares.”
I struggled to suppress a laugh, but a snort managed to escape. We weren’t sure how it started. Lyra would pin it on me for accidentally bringing an early winter while attempting to open a new bag of flour, but I would place my bets on the moment she “accidentally” spilled a second teaspoon of vanilla on me. Regardless, the room was a mess, along with us. There were still splotches of flour matted into Lyra’s coat, and my shirt still smelled eerily of vanilla. Lyra suggested we clean as much as we could while our spoils of war were still baking in the oven.
The sweet scent of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies hung in the air, replacing that horrible silence we chased away with our laughter. Even as I scrubbed at the tiles, I found myself asking the universe to let this last just a little longer. Just a little longer to delay whatever plans fate had waiting for me. Just a little longer to stay here with my friend and laugh and joke and not have a care in the world.
The oven buzzed, and we decided we had cleaned enough. I went searching for some oven mitts, but a metallic clang cut my journey short. I turned to find that the tray had “magically” moved from the open oven to the countertop. Lyra hummed happily as the cookies drifted into the air and arranged themselves neatly on a small plate.
“That magic sure is starting to look convenient,” I joked. “Picking up a fresh pan of cookies without getting burned and moving them to a plate so quickly. The possibilities seem endless.”
It won a giggle out of Lyra. “Come on,” she said, trotting out of the kitchen with the plate following close by. “Let’s move this to the living room.”
She didn’t have to say it twice. The plate drifted down on the coffee table, and we threw ourselves onto the couch and dug in. They melted slightly in my fingers and burned my tongue, but the peanut butter and chocolate taste was addictive. I had to force myself to hold back after the fourth, telling myself I was spoiling my lunch. But as I looked to the clock hanging on the wall, I realized this might very well be my last lunch for a while. As the somber silence crept back in my mind, I allowed myself one more cookie to chase it away.
A trio of sharp knocks echoed throughout the house. Lyra and I froze, staring at the door. The curtains to the front windows were still closed. We had no way of knowing who had won the race for my fate.
“Go to the kitchen,” Lyra whispered. “Just in case. Use the back door if you need to.”
I nodded and moved, my heart racing. I stole a glance behind me from the dining room, and Lyra tried to give me a reassuring smile from the front door. The knocks rang out again. Lyra took in a deep breath and turned to the door, and I hid away in the kitchen, praying for a miracle.
“Oh, hey, Twilight!” My heart stopped. “Want a cookie? I just made them,” Lyra announced proudly.
“Oh, thank you! I would love one,” Twilight replied. Her cheery tone put me on edge, but I didn’t dare attempt to steal a peek to the front door. “So, have you been here all day?” Twilight asked through a bite of cookie. “I didn’t see you at the park this morning. You normally have your little get-togethers on Thursdays.”
“Yeah, I figured I’d have a lazy day,” Lyra explained. I noticed a faint waver in her voice. A part of me knew Twilight caught it, too. “I’ve been having a hard time coming up with new ideas, but I think I have something planned for later this afternoon. Ooh, thinking about attending this time?”
I crept to the backdoor between the kitchen and dining room, careful not to make myself visible from the front.
“You know, after everything that’s happened these last couple days, I think I might just check it out,” Twilight said, her voice dripping with ulterior motives.
I pulled open the door and stepped outside—
Only to nearly stumble into Rainbow Dash. We stared at each other in shock, not sure we were really there. A second ticked by. I slowly stepped back in, never taking my eyes off hers, and shut the door, switching the deadbolt as an afterthought. Maybe she didn’t see me.
There was a heavy thump as something rammed into the other side of the door. I cursed under my breath.
“What was that?” Twilight piped up from the front door.
“O-Oh, that?” Lyra stammered. “Well, I, um…”
“It’s here, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouted from the back end of the house. The front door slammed shut. I ran back to the living room to find Lyra standing on her hind legs and propped up against it.
“We have a problem!” she exclaimed.
“I noticed!” I shot back. I whirled around the living room, looking for something to defend ourselves with.
“I may have slammed the door on her muzzle,” she squeaked. “She’s not going to be happy about that.”
A hoof pounded on the front door. “Lyra, open this door now!” Twilight’s voice filled the house. “The Princess is in town and wants to see the human. Let us in, and you won’t be in any more trouble than you already are!”
“You’re not laying a hoof on him, Twilight!” Lyra shouted back. “You’ve given Hunter enough trouble. Just leave him alone!”
“I don’t think egging her on is going to help,” I pointed out worriedly.
Another wave of pounding from the other side of the door. “Don’t make us break down this door, Lyra!” Twilight warned. “I’m giving you to the count of three!” I stared at Lyra in desperation. The look she gave me wasn’t very reassuring.
“One…”
There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
“Two…”
We had nothing to defend ourselves with. This was it. This was the end.
“Three!”
Lyra and I stared at each other for one last second before it all fell apart.
The door exploded in a torrent of wooden fragments as a blue missile shot through. Rainbow tackled Lyra with her momentum and pinned her to the floor, leaving her in a daze. Twilight leapt inside, and her crazed eyes locked on me. Her mane was a frazzled mess.
“There you are,” she sneered. “Rainbow Dash, go get the rope and a taxi. This won’t take too long.” Rainbow cast an uncertain look between her friend and the unconscious mare beneath her, but with a brisk nod she darted back into the streets of Ponyville, leaving me alone with Twilight. “I’ve been looking all over for you,” she said coldly. “Princess Celestia wants to see you, now.”
This is your chance, the voice whispered eagerly in my mind. Twilight took a step forward. I took one back. After all she has put you through, after all you have suffered; this is your chance. Don’t let her steal this from you, too. Stand and fight!
My heart raced excitedly. I bolted towards Twilight, and she dodged to the side. Leaping over the couch, I vaulted over the guardrails to the stairs, ignoring the flare in my leg as I raced to the top. With a loud pop, Twilight appeared at the top in a spray of purple sparks, crouched low to pounce.
My body moved on its own, driving my knee into Twilight’s muzzle as I reached the top. She sputtered and fell back, giving me enough time to tackle her to the floor. I raised my fist, and it struck against wood as she disappeared beneath me.
Purple light flashed at the end of the hallway. Twilight’s horn ignited, and I barely managed to roll away as a beam of light erupted from her horn. The wall behind me groaned against the impact, a small dent molded in the drywall where the magic struck.
Her horn was charging again. I thundered down the hallway, hoping to reach her before the next blast, but she fired before I was ready. My legs flew out from under me as my chest took the brunt of the blast, and I struggled for a breath as I landed on my back.
Her hooves stamped across the wooden floor closer to me. I came back to my senses in time to see her standing over me. “We don’t have time for this,” she reminded me with a frown. “Are you ready to give up yet?” She relaxed slightly, but I still had some fight left in me.
I pivoted on the floor, sweeping my legs beneath hers and spinning to a prone position. She let out a surprised shriek and she fell and scrambled to recompose herself. By the time she was back on her hooves, though, she was already too late. I was low on all fours and lunged to tackle her.
She didn’t have time to react. My arm wrapped tightly around her neck, and I rolled us to the ground. She wheezed and kicked out against the open air, searching for leverage. Her head was locked in my arm as I pulled myself back to my feet, and her forelegs grabbed desperately at it as she dangled in my grip. My head was pounding heavily.
After all this time, the voice cooed. She finally found her Beast of the Everfree. Finish this.
“You just had to keep chasing me, didn’t you?” I hissed in her ear. “Why couldn’t you leave me alone?!” My arm tightened around her throat. She gave a panicked choke. Her horn ignited one last time, and my body felt as if it had burst into flames.
I stumbled back, numb to the world around me. Stars danced across my vision, and a sharp ringing drowned everything out. I kept my arm locked around the mare’s throat as best as I could, even as the world pitched backwards as guardrail pressed against my legs.
I fought for my breath as my back slammed into the first floor. Twilight fell out of my grasp as we landed, rolling to the couch that felt miles away. Everything felt so distant. The heavy crash of a door broke through the sharp ringing in my ears. My head rolled to the side to find Rainbow Dash helping Twilight back to her shaky hooves.
I had to move. The world shrank beneath me as I rolled to my hands and knees, and everything fell out of focus the moment I stood. There was shouting. Distant, but there. The world tilted back and suddenly lurched forward as I struggled to keep my balance. I stumbled forward and grabbed onto the coffee table for dear life as I fell on top of it. My breath was coming in shallow gasps again. I needed to focus; anchor myself back to the world before it all slipped away.
Something moved across my body, trailing around like a burning snake. It coiled around me tightly, binding arms to my body and my wrists together. I weakly thrashed against it, falling to the floor in the process.
An invisible force dragged me to the front door. Twilight walked next to me, exhausted, her horn faintly glowing. Rainbow Dash hovered anxiously over Lyra as we passed, prodding her shoulder testingly. A new wave of energy surged through me, and I kicked out, digging my heels into the ground as the wooden floor turned to well-trodden dirt.
An open carriage waited for us outside, painted a taxi yellow. The stallion at the front stared at me in shock and turned to Twilight, suddenly aware of his cargo.
“Town square, please,” Twilight requested tiredly. My bindings struggled to lift me with the invisible force and tossed me in the back. Twilight hopped in after me, and the carriage lurched to a start.
The carriage rattled with each rock and divot that struck its wooden wheels, and I felt every shake. I tried to sit up, but with a glare and a glow of her horn, Twilight pulled me back down by my restraints. I caught a hint of satisfaction in her eyes; she seemed to have found a loophole for her magic.
Ponies gasped as we passed by; some even cheered. The deeper we moved into town, the louder a murmur grew behind us. We were attracting a crowd.
Or a parade, the voice spat.
And Twilight has made us the guest of honor, I chimed in darkly. How sweet of her.
There was already a crowd congregated at the town hall when we arrived, and their numbers only grew as our followers flooded in. Two ponies stood on a raised stage, one of which stood out above them all.
Princess Celestia watched us quizzically as the taxi drew closer. I studied her, trying to read her thoughts. A part of me worried that she had forgotten our deal, or that she simply no longer cared. Our eyes locked for a moment, and hers seemed to ask for an explanation.
The crowd was antsy upon seeing me. The cheering began to spread for my punishment, and the pit of dread began to eat away at me. I was defenseless; nowhere to run or hide, even if I could.
I was ejected from the floor of the carriage and onto the stage at the Princess’ hooves. Twilight took her place by the Mayor’s side, brushing a few stray strands back into her mane. That glint of pride never left her eyes, and it made me sick in my stomach.
The Princess took a step back as I landed, regarding me with that same, confused look. “I must admit, I was hoping to see you under better circumstances,” she confessed, looking me over. “Is there a reason he’s… all tied up?”
“He was resisting arrest,” Twilight explained. “And he’s still dangerous. I didn’t want him to run away again.”
“Dangerous?” the Princess echoed. She threw me a cautious glance. “I thought he wasn’t going to be a problem,” she said, more directed to me.
“I wasn’t,” I growled, glaring daggers at Twilight. “Didn’t stop Twilight from making me one, though.”
“What was I supposed to do, pretend you weren’t still out there?” Twilight seethed. “After antagonizing all of us for so long? After stealing from my friends? Some ponies here can’t even sleep at night because they’re scared of you!” she exclaimed, throwing a hoof to the crowd. “And they’re all looking up to me to put an end to your reign of terror.
“You might have been able to trick Lyra and Zecora, you might have been able to fool some of my friends, but I know what you really are. You’re evil!” she declared, jabbing an accusing hoof at me. “And it’s high time you paid for it!”
The crowd cheered her on, and the conviction only burned brighter in her eyes. My vision tunneled around her as I grit my teeth. The nerve of her, acting so high and mighty after everything she had done to me. I stood to my feet, and the Princess put herself between me and Twilight, looking between us and the crowd as they cried for my downfall with a lost look in her eyes.
“Wait!”
Something ran into my side and wrapped her hooves around me. I nearly tipped over from the impact; the soft flutter of her wings was all that let me keep my balance. After shaking away the pink curtain that covered my eyes, I saw Twilight and the Princess staring at me and my assailant in shock. The crowd was silent.
“Please, you can’t do this to him!” Fluttershy pleaded. “You have it all wrong; he doesn’t deserve this!”
“Fluttershy?” Twilight spluttered, gawking at her with wide eyes. “What are you doing?”
“He isn’t evil! He’s not some terrible monster!” Fluttershy exclaimed, clinging to me closer.
“What?” Twilight recoiled slightly, her gaze flicking between us uneasily. “What are you talking about? After everything that’s happened, how can you really believe that?”
“He was just scared!”
“Of what?!”
“Us!”
There was a moment of silence as her words seemed to sink in. She took a shuddering breath and continued.
“That night, when he first showed up, I… I saw it in him. He wasn’t out for blood; he was looking for a way out. He was lost and scared and had no idea what was happening!” She let herself off me and put herself between me and Twilight. “And then, when we followed him into the Everfree forest, we fell from the sky and… and I got hurt. He actually helped me!”
“Then what about all of the thefts? Stealing from Applejack?” Twilight demanded, gesturing her hoof at me. “That wasn’t exactly ‘good’, was it?”
“He was starving!” Fluttershy countered with a frown. “I’m not saying what he did was right, but he was only doing what he felt he needed to survive! And besides,” she shot me a small smile before going on. “He defended the foals at the field trip a week ago. I was there, I saw how hard he was working to keep the foals and the rest of us safe from the timberwolves! I spoke to him, too! He isn’t a monster! He’s just… lost.”
A voice spoke up from the crowd. “She’s right! I’ve talked to him, too!” Daisy’s head poked up from the onlooking sea of uncertain faces. She pushed through the crowd with a courage I had never seen in her before and climbed onto the stage, taking her stand next to me. “He invited me and some other ponies to his place the night before the field trip. We talked and laughed and he told us stories about his home. He isn’t evil, trust me! We just need to give him a chance.”
Twilight looked desperately over the uneasy crowd, her support crumbling around her. Another mare broke from the crowd, and for a moment, Twilight seemed hopeful. But as Applejack trotted up to the stage and pulled her in close, she began whispering something in her ear. Twilight took a step back, and then another, looking as if something horrible had just dawned upon her.
Applejack looked heartbroken. She gulped down whatever fear was weighing down on her and looked to Celestia. “Princess?” she asked sheepishly. She pulled down her hat, resting it respectfully against her chest. “Ah think we may have made a mistake.”
The Princess rose a curious eyebrow. “Care to explain?”
She hesitated, turning to me and then the confused crowd behind her. With an absent nod, she cleared her throat and replaced her hat on her head. “Hunter ain’t the varmint we thought he was,” she opened, looking to her princess. “But… we never gave him the chance to prove it. When that storm rolled in from the Everfree, nopony knew what was going on. Rainbow saw him stumblin’ out of the forest while she was makin’ sure everypony was safe and indoors. We thought he was another crazy critter that lived there; figured he’d just go back after a while. But makin’ him out to be a monster and treatin’ him like that…” Her voice trailed off. I glanced up, and our eyes met. “We may have forced y’all to act like something you ain’t.
“Applebloom and her friends told me everything ‘bout the field trip,” she continued. “Hunter here threw himself in harm’s way just to keep ‘em safe. Hay, he even gave up his chance to go home just to make sure my sister could come back to hers.” The crowd murmured to itself behind me in confusion. Celestia and Twilight looked surprised, and the latter took a step back in shock.
“Ah think Hunter has some good in him; he’s just been down on his luck, is all,” Applejack explained. “If we give him a second chance, and if he gives us one, too, Ah think we’d all get to see that.” Daisy gave me a nudge and a proud smile, pulling me out of my surreal trance. Was this really happening?
“I see.” Princess Celestia kept her calm composure as the truth violently unfolded before her. She looked upon me with a new, softer regard, and her horn began to glow. “I don’t believe these are necessary anymore,” she said matter-of-factly as the ropes binding me unraveled themselves. I was speechless, looking between her and the mares that stood up for me.
“Twilight, could you gather your friends and the mayor and wait for me inside the town hall?” Princess Celestia requested with a warm smile. “I feel there are some things we need to discuss.”
“But-But, I…” Twilight sputtered.
“Now, my faithful student,” the Princess pressed, her smile faltering just a hair.
Twilight reeled back. There was a flash of light, and the mare disappeared in a shower of purple sparks. Applejack looked between me and the Princess uncomfortably before lowering her head and heading to the building behind us. Celestia stopped her with a hoof as she passed.
“Not you, Applejack,” she said softly. “I believe you have learned your lesson. You and Fluttershy are free to go.” Applejack hesitated, her eyes lingering to the building her friend disappeared to. But with a nod, she stepped down from the stage and vanished behind the anxious crowd. Fluttershy and Daisy stood their ground next to me, a slight tremor coming over them. With a reassuring smile from the Princess, though, they recovered and helped me back to my feet.
Celestia turned to the crowd, who watched her expectantly. The confusion in the air was overwhelming. Here they had arrived expecting for a monster to face trial. I supposed they were simply shocked as to who the monster came to be.
“My little ponies,” the Princess opened regally. “I am so thankful you have all gathered here today. Since the three pony tribes founded this great nation, Equestria has become a beacon of Harmony and acceptance, and I fear we may have forgotten our roots. This human has been torn from his home, and when he came to us in need, we turned our backs upon him, going against the very foundations of our nation. He has wrongfully fallen under many hardships here.” She paused, turning to me with sorrowful eyes. “And I fear I may have been among them.”
The crowd gasped as their princess gave me a short bow. “I can only hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us,” she said softly. The Princess rose and faced the gawking crowd. “Let it be known that on this day, Hunter the Human has been pardoned of any ‘crimes’ he has committed against this town, for we have unjustly committed crimes against him. If anypony objects, please speak now.”
The town murmured uncertainly amongst themselves, but no one dared speak out. With a satisfied smile, Celestia spoke again. “Then I am happy to conclude this impromptu trial. I hope everypony has a wonderful day.”
The crowd began to disperse, albeit hesitantly. I don’t think any of them were certain of what they just saw. Hell, even I was struggling to keep up with the turn of events. The Princess turned to me with an inviting grin.
“Could you join me for a small walk?” she asked hopefully. I looked to Fluttershy and Daisy for support, and they offered timid but reassuring smiles. Taking a breath to compose myself, I nodded and followed Princess Celestia as she stepped down from the stage.
I wasn’t sure how walking with royalty was supposed to work. I waited for her to speak first as I self-consciously overthought each step. Tiny rocks bit into my bare feet, but I restrained my winces of discomfort. Walking out in Ponyville in broad daylight was putting my nerves on end. The ponies’ gawking as we passed by did little to help; even less so when they bowed to the Princess. I noticed something was troubling her, but it wasn’t my place to pry. After all, she invited me for this walk; I could only imagine it meant she had something on her mind.
She sniffed at the air, and then sniffed again, slowly leaning closer to me. I respectfully inched away with a couple of strides. “Is that… vanilla?” the Princess asked, pulling her head away.
I blinked, and as memories slowly clicked back in place, I bit back a groan and inspected my shirt. “What? I thought I washed that all out,” I hissed to myself. Sure enough, the faint smell of vanilla lingered over a nearly invisible spot. The Princess regarded me with an amused and questioning smile, and I tried to hide my embarrassment behind a nervous chuckle.
“I was, um… making cookies with a friend a while ago,” I explained. “I guess baking never really was my strong suit.” If we weren’t walking, she might have suppressed a giggle with a hoof, but for now, her grin would have to suffice. “We still have some left over,” I offered, remembering the royalty that was my company. “Um, you can have some, if, y’know, you want.”
The Princess chuckled and nodded her head. “Thank you,” she smiled. “I might need something sweet after I speak with my student.” That somber silence began creeping back in, stealing away Celestia’s smile until it was all but gone. It seemed to be following me lately, and it loomed over our heads. I couldn’t find the courage to break it, and the Princess appeared to be struggling underneath its weight as well.
“Where were you this morning?” the Princess suddenly asked. “You weren’t at the hospital when I arrived. Was something wrong there?”
I nearly tripped. “What?” I asked, unsure if I heard her correctly. Did royalty have a sense of humor? “You’re… You’re joking, right?”
We paused, and she gave me a look of innocent curiosity. “It was difficult to find an explanation with the staff,” she explained. “They seemed a little… embarrassed when I tried to pry. I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation.” She leaned in slightly with interest, cueing me to continue.
“I was locked in the basement,” I continued cautiously. “Drugged to sleep most the time there. Woke up and found myself chained to the bed. I… honestly don’t remember most of it.”
Whatever smile was left on her face vanished as I spoke. She blinked in disbelief. “You weren’t,” she said, as if saying so would have made it true. I didn’t reply, and she shook her head. “No, you couldn’t have been. I told them not to…” Her voice trailed off. “Twilight wrote to me of her plans to move you in a cell when the hospital was done with you. I told her to keep you there, that I wanted to see you before any verdict was made,” she explained. “I didn’t want you to leave, but she wasn’t supposed to turn the hospital into a prison.”
She deflated slightly and continued walking. I followed next to her side, a small distance away. “This was never meant to go so far out of hoof,” she sighed. “I should have told my student of our deal; I hoped she would solve this situation more peacefully. She has grown up so well since I sent her here. All the friends she’s made, the lessons she’s learned; I thought they would have helped.” Whatever ghost of a smile that had formed as she reminisced disappeared from her. “Maybe she isn’t ready just yet,” she said softly, more to herself.
She straightened up, taking a breath to collect herself. “I intended for this to be a test for her, to see if she could forgive. It was wrong of me to use you as the test, though. That was my mistake, and you have my deepest apologies for it.” She paused expectantly, searching me for a reaction. I buried my hands in my pockets and kept my eyes glued to the ground, not wanting to promise anything I didn’t mean. She sighed in defeat, discovering I wasn’t going to reply. “Were you at least treated well?” she pressed.
“Besides the ‘chained to the bed’ part?” I asked, earning a wince from the Princess. I bit my tongue, hoping to not let any more venom slip out. “The staff was… alright,” I admitted, thinking of Redheart. “One of the nurses risked her job to help clear my conscious. That was nice of her.” I kicked a rock along the path with us for extra company. “The interrogations could have been better, though.”
Though my eyes were focused on the stone, I could feel hers boring into me, searching for answers. As memories from yesterday flooded in, I gave the rock a stronger kick than intended, and it veered off to the side, abandoning me with the princess of this world. “Didn’t know tickling could actually turn into torture after a while,” I said bluntly.
She stopped dead in her tracks. “They didn't.” I paused a few steps ahead of her, trying to look anywhere but at her incredulous eyes. She shook her head in disbelief. “Hunter, you have my word, this will not go unpunished; they will understand what they did wrong. Nopony should have to go through what you have during your time here.”
Something stirred in my chest; something I didn’t know how to react to. What was I even supposed to say to that? As satisfying as it was to hear that Twilight and her friends were going to be punished for what they did, it still didn’t change the discomfort in the air, in the eyes of the ponies watching us from the streets, from their homes. It still didn’t change the fact that it all happened in the first place.
The Princess seemed to read my mind. “Allow me to offer compensation for your troubles,” she said as we continued, although it sounded more like an order than a request. “Whatever it takes to make your stay here more comfortable. You have more than earned it.”
I couldn’t hold back the look I shot her. “My stay here?” I echoed in disbelief. I shook my head. “No offense, Your Highness, but I don’t want to stay here. I’ve got too many bad memories of this place. Isn’t there… I don’t know.” I tried to look anywhere but at her, and all that greeted me was the wary eyes of Ponyville. I shook my head and turned back to her. “Isn’t there somewhere else?” I asked, wincing at what I was about to say. “Somewhere without, well, ponies?”
Celestia frowned. “Please, I want you to understand, this was all one horrible misunderstanding; one I could not apologize enough for, but Twilight’s actions do not reflect the rest of Ponyville.” She gave a knowing smile and added, “Something I feel you have already learned.”
I hesitated, but figured I’d bite. “What do you mean?”
“You have found friendship here,” Celestia said, almost in wonder. “Despite the thistles of fear and hate my student has sown, you planted a seed of friendship, and it has blossomed beautifully; in the mares that stood up for you so bravely when everypony else stood against you; in a nurse from the hospital that imprisoned you.” She paused, then added, “In the ponies that have been following us since the trial.”
I hesitated. “What?”
We stopped again, and the Princess motioned her head back. I found a small group of ponies peeking around one of the buildings. They froze as we made eye contact, and Daisy, Noteworthy, and Fluttershy timidly ducked back behind the building. Lyra and Zecora lingered, offering nervous smiles and waves, as if they had been caught with their hooves in the cookie jar. The corner of my lips tugged up, and I waved back.
“How did you know?” I asked, not taking my eyes off them.
“You do not rule over a country as long as I have without knowing when you are being followed,” the Princess pointed out, turning to smile at our followers. She pulled in a breath and let it out contently. “They would miss you if you left so soon, and I feel you would, too.”
I hesitated, looking between her and my friends. A defeated sigh overtook me. “I would,” I admitted. “But I have to get back home, too. My family…”
The Princess extended her wing and rested it on my shoulder. “I know,” she nodded. “I will do everything in my power to help you return. I will send my guards out to the forest in search of this… space ship, I’ve heard?”
It took me a second to process what she said, and a small chuckle escaped me. “No, no, it’s not a ship,” I shook my head. “It’s… it’s a portal, I think. Somewhere in the Everfree.”
“Ah, my mistake,” Celestia smiled, retracting her wing. “Do you remember where?”
“I can’t say I do,” I admitted with a shrug. “It’s been so long. I remember… I think it was bright; a lot of colors flashing when I came through. You can’t miss it.”
“Well, that might complicate some things, but the information will help,” Celestia confessed. “Don’t worry, I will send my best to search for it. The Everfree is vast and dangerous; it will take time, but if you stay here, I can arrange an escort the moment I hear something.”
I sighed in relief. For the first time in a long time, I was starting to feel hopeful again. The promise of returning home never felt more real. “Thank you,” I smiled. “You have no idea what that means to me.” Celestia grinned, but it looked as if something was still troubling her. I decided to bite the bullet and ask. “Something wrong?”
She didn’t answer immediately, carefully trying to word it in her head. “Would you want to be present for my… talk with Twilight and her friends?” she asked. “Your input would be valuable. After all, you know more of what they did than me.”
I hesitated. The thought of sweet justice was tempting, but my eyes trailed back and found my friends again. There was a tug at my heart, and I let out a sigh.
“I would love to,” I confessed. “But I think I’d rather be with my friends right now.” A grin was creeping up on me. “It’s been a long day, and I think we have some celebrating to do.”
The Princess nodded solemnly. “Of course. Don’t let me keep you.” She took a step forward and turned to me. “Enjoy your time with your friends, Hunter,” she winked. “You’ve earned it.”
I hope its a sweet punishment, May god have mercy, because i won't. Anyway great chapter
I'm willing to bet that even with the punishment twilight and the reminder of her friends won't totally learn their lesson. I feel it would be more interesting to have Hunter win over the town while others are a bit horrified that their heros would do such things. A sort of poetic justice.
Rainbow could get her wings clipped or bound or some such for a while.
Nothing permanent, though.
Rarity... she didn't really do... ANYTHING. Just bought into the fear.
As for Twilight, I'd say the best way for her to be punished would involve being forced to be around Hunter while dispelling the stories that paint him as a villain until HE decides she's earned his, or until the Princess says she can, depending how long it's dragged out for.
I really hope the punishments aren't terribly severe, like Twilight no longer being Celestia's student, or Rainbow getting clipped. One fic that particularly left a bad taste in my mouth was the "How Many Lovers Have You Made Today" fanfic particularly for this very reason.
Never forget that Celestia is a reasonable ruler. She would most definitely hand out a punishment for this, but a brutal cruel one like in the above mentioned fic? Nah.
Make the punishments reasonable and have a lasting point, but try not to make it cruel, or a type of punishment that would drastically change their lives in a negative way. (Twilight no longer being Celestia's student, or Dash getting banned from her dream) I don't think I could continue reading the fic if you went that far.
For Pinkie, I would tell her, get her to understand that she used her special talent, and Element- Laughter, to inflict pain onto a creature that was in desperate need OF a genuine laugh. After that, banish her to her family rock farm for a month or so. While knowing and living with what she's done would be bad enough, having to explain such a thing to her family (for whom she threw her very FIRST party), Maude especially, would be even worse. Add in a royal ban on confectioneries and parties, other such things, and you have a pretty good punishment. Think of it as a House Arrest, or taking her freedom to exercise her special talent.
For Twilight, I'm going to have to think a bit on that one.
What a heartbreaking chapter, it was bloody marvelous.
This is going to be great, people getting what they deserve in response to being horrible people is my jam.
Now I want some jam.
hmm, I think him being himself pushing all the wrong the others painted him proving there wrong as would be a unique punishment but a restraining order might help.
also twilight on supervised probation and maybe they all be evaluation by the laws to understand how wrong she and the others acted against a sentient being treated equally by the law for their actions, kind of disturbing how she can easily abuse her status and title to get away with that mob mentality effect without anyone telling her no to demanding the police, civilians taking the law into their hands have mixed results after all so maybe Celestia limiting her power as a princess and reminding her and friends a hero status shouldn't give you a free pass every time you mess up or power to decide what right or wrong there not the judge so someone should arrest them if they dare pull that stunt again public disorder is serious cause seriously Equestria has way too many species and cultures that probably make humans look tame in nature maybe and wars have been started by less.
Pinkie can't throw parties for a month.
8335304
So...a months worth of house arrest... for tickle torture? Wow. Ok I'm not trying to justify things here, but be real: how do you think most people would react to a weird, eldritch like (humans in their cartoon world would look extremely graphic and scary), alien walking up to them? What with an open hug, and lets be friends? Naw brah. We would likely do what the ponies did and chase it off.
Now imagine this thing attempted to kill your friend, and kidnapped the other. Regardless of who was right or wrong, would you really expect any sane man to go "It's all good." Nope, most people would probably get pretty pissed if that happened.
Never forget that for all the ponies did to Hunter, they were acting the way most would to an eldritch alien. Never also forget that these ponies have been shown repeatedly to act highly irrational, and borderline psychotic in times of extreme stress.
Author I implore you yet again: Make the punishments fair for both parties, without being overly cruel. Remember, there are two sides to every story, a different perspective, a different mind, a different view.
8335303
I think people forget that it's a burden not to forgive and especially to not accept forgiveness from others, I heard of plenty of cases of people refusing to forgive or accept forgiveness from another and it ended up just hurting everyone involved, and how they wish they could go back and set things right.
I say for a punishment have the guilty party not be able to do what they love for a month, then have everyone try to start over from a clean slate or just below a clean slate, the sins haven't been forgotten but they can try to earn back Hunter's trust and have them at the very least be neutral to each other, they won't be all lovie dovie but they won't be hostile either, just kinda, meh I guess.
8335383
A month of house arrest for torturing an innocent seems like a fair trade.
Actually feels like a steal for the guilty party.
If de talk about losing something you love, then it will either be returning spike to canterlot and losing custody of him forever, or not being the ponyville lybrarian anymore, along not being officially celestias student for 3 months, and for the drugs, communitary service in the hospital for a month.
Celestia should make Rainbow's wings disappear for a week. Take always Twilight eyesight so she can't read for a week or make every book blank while she looks at it. Pinkie should not be allowed to throw Hunter's birthday party. Rarity must go out with Prince Blue blood again. Just adding some spin to it lol
punishments ideas:
3 weeks with out flying (or wings) for RD
3 weeks with out magic, books and spike for Twilight
3 weeks with out site for rarity, she will be in a world with out beauty or petty things
3 weeks with out being pinkie (or pink/happiness) for pinkie pie
personally painful punishments
Twilight should have Pinkie's party canon blasted in her face when she opens a door (any door), kind of like how Hunter had it when he first tried to enter her library.
You never gave him a chance in the first place.
Hmm, For Pinkie, Make her watch as someone else throws a party for hunter, likely Lyra,
For Twilight, most likely a report on how much hes not a monster by getting to know him.
Rarity and rainbow, havn't got a clue beyond Rainbow enduring a tickle torture session or wearing a 'frou frou' dress to hunters party.
8335410
I tend to be a forgiving person, sure I get pissed faster than the normal person, but beat me, or insult me, and it'll wash over me in an hour or so. You'd have to truly an deeply wound me on a personal, and emotional level to earn my hate and un-forgiveness.
That being said the ponies haven't done anything like that. Sure they drugged him, and forced him in the forest, but thats all physical. Now granted I'd probably want to beat them senseless after all this, and maybe it'd take a few weeks to earn my full forgiveness, and I'd probably make them feel like asses every chance I got for a while, but none of their actions fall under irredeemable in my book.
In the end while what the ponies did was bad, people like to forget how horrifying we'd look. They are a clean bright cartoon with lower dimensional qualities. Can you imagine if you saw a higher dimensional alien knocking on your door? Well the ponies here can because thats exactly what happened.
In the end the ponies were defending themselves like normal people, yes they overreacted, It doesn't help that they react to stress badly, and Hunters actions made him look worse.
Punishments like the ones you talk about sound perfect for both sides: not too cruel, but not too light.
Dude's definitely not like me man. I wouldn't be caught dead in that town if I could help it. It would definitely take more than old SunnyD saying "But you probably have some friends here so now you have to stay." Nah... they can visit me in therapy if they want though! (Although on a serious note. It would probably be wise for Hunter to go to some therapy given he sounds like he's become paranoid, he's in a different culture with different customs, and probably has some wicked PTSD to boot. Just a suggestion.)
8335415
Can it even be called torture? They didn't do it to the point of physical pain, gave him time to rest when it became too much, and Hunter considered it more childish and embarassing than anything.
Honestly the closest thing about it you can call torture, is that is tickles against his will, which is pretty much how normal tickle "torture" works in the first place.
The funny part is that if hunter actually knew how to talk that would have been solved on the second day.
8336749
See thats exactly why I can't pin all the blame on the ponies. There was massive miss-communication for both sides. Hunter had dozens of chances to explain to at least one of the M6 his side of the story thoroughly, yet instead he didn't take those chances, ran off, and got more ponies pissed off.
Take chapter 3, he had Fluttershy, he could have tried explaining himself, and begging her to explain the situation to her friends; snuff out the embers before they turned into an out of control inferno. But nope he did none of that, and what happened? The embers became an inferno.
My point? Everyone in the story needs to work on communication skills.
Great chapter! I discovered a few typos, but nothing major.
I'm really interested to see how Celestia handles this talk with Twilight and co.
8335383 (i'm gonna try to answer as much as I can, but I'm playing a mad game of catch-up with all these comments)
Hey, don't worry; I'm not planning on going overboard with these punishments. I agree with that 'two sides to every story'; I actually keep a web chart on a separate page at times keeping up with all the other characters and how their perspectives might be rolling when I write
Writing this story in first person is becoming very 'love-hate' for me because I'm stuck with portraying Hunter's perspective all the time, but at the same time, I'm loving it because people don't always get to see the second side of the story. We get stuck with a biased view that we as an audience know is either right or wrong (because I'm a sucker for dramatic irony).
Back to the punishments, though; like I said, I'm going to try to stay away from overly cruel (and feel free to call me out if you think it gets that way). Like you said, this was all due to a miscommunication, and Celestia is reasonable. She'd understand that, but there still needs to be repercussions and lessons learned. I'm gonna try to aim for that sweet spot you mentioned later, "not too cruel, but not too light."
8336912
Man, I was really slackin' on the spell check this chapter. Thanks for the help! They oughtta be fixed now
Thank God! Seriously have you seen some of the punishments suggested? Clipping Rainbow, perma-banning everything that makes Pinkie happy, BLINDING Twilight, AND taking away Spike to add insult to injury? Who the fuck (pardon my French) do these people think Celestia is? A tyrant? She let Discord betraying the whole damn country off with a slap on the wrist. Hell he didn't even get a slap in the first place.
In the end they genuinely thought they were defending themselves. Punishment of some kind is definitely needed, but of these kinds? Fuck. That.
8337059
Well, they're ideas, and I appreciate them
It's nice being able to gauge what other people are thinking is appropriate, and some of them have given me a few ideas for Pinkie already, which is great because she was the only one I felt I was really struggling with.
8335109
I agree. She has some apologizing to do herself but isn't sorry at all.
Regardless of what the punishment Twilight & the others have in store they should be forced to undo the damage they caused. To tell the town that during a wild storm a lost and confused traveler wandered to their door and they attacked him unprovoked because he wasn't a pony, chasing him out of town. They then proceed to lie to the entire town saying he is a monster, preventing him from any ability to gain food or shelter. Not only this, but not once did they ever try to actually solve it with diplomacy.
Also in hindsight it makes the seperation of Gilda/Dash look different, I think.
8337297
Technically I don't think The M6 realized they were lying. They genuinely thought he was a monster. So while they were lying , I don't think it was to cover truths up, but trying to genuinely warn ponies about Hunter. And Considering how zenophobic/superstitious ponies tend to be, I find it no suprise they would easily buy into The M6's claims....just saying.
8336749
Pretty much.
8337023
No problem, man!
Empathy spell? Make her feel how he felt? Lost, alone, hated, feared, hunted, and despised? How agonizing her "friendly tickle torture" really was? Not by putting her directly in Hunter's place (since Celestia wouldn't torture, even by proxy, one of her ponies) but instead have her sort of experience all of the above by having her placed in Hunter's position and aware of his thoughts and feelings as a sort of "second-person observation?" (Aware of exactly what he's feeling but not feeling it herself.)
The above would likely need tweaking to align with your world's limitations on magic and how it affects Hunter as well as what Celestia would allow (and what Hunter would allow since doing it as I described would likely require letting them in his head/memories.) Maybe get Luna involved and she can do something roughly equivalent less intrusively via dreams?
Though honestly I'd say all the Mane Six need this treatment (besides Fluttershy.)
Otherwise; make her realize what she finds fun or enjoyable can be the opposite for others? (Luna Eclipsed/Nightmare Night, "Evil Enchantress Song," the "tickle torture incident," etc?)
Damn, but again that needs to happen regardless as part of rehabilitation, otherwise she'll just do it again next time.
Umm... Uh...
The Cakes! Forbidden from babysitting? No too light/relieving her of a chore is the opposite of punishment.
Forbidden from being alone with minors? Would be a punishment since it would curtail/impede her parties but feels a bit too much like she's been found a pedophile instead of a sociopath.
Lecture from Maud?
I'm just really confused right now.
Don't get me wrong, the story is great, I absolutely love what's going on and that's not the confusing part.
How often does this get updated? I feel like I've read it before. Is it a rewrite or just a slow story I completely forgot about and somehow didn't bookmark?
Regardless, I really like this and I can't wait for more!
...
Did... Did I just break 1,000 likes?
i.imgur.com/zYTRP.gif
8337059
Nah I wasn't trying to be a dick with the punishments if you were refer to me in the comment just joking around I didn't think he going to take them seriously and do it
8338681
I wasn't referring directly to you. Though I agree with the guy who suggested forcing Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie, possibly Rarity, to feel his emotions. Constantly being connected to Hunters hatred would be a great way to show just how badly they screwed up. They'd feel his resentment almost constantly, and force them to think hard about what they did.
A great and to the point punishment, that doesn't have to ruin a major part of each ponies life, yet still shows them what they did was wrong on a big level. Often these types of punishments are better than taking anything away, because it makes the punishee feel horrible to the point where they likely won't do it again. Discord makes for a great in-show example.
8338698
funny enough I'm a law student, honestly if I were to punish them I would something like community work or even build a house for Hunter while not being able to use magic or wings, then again I don't how that would work. In real life, jail time yep that's how it usually done, however it's a story with magic so let the imagination run wild I still think inflicting a spell, so yes, Twilight can't see book pages only is a good idea or that Pinkie can't throw Hunter's Party is a good idea. It's world with magic so I just run wild with ideas. I just saying don't take it so personal if I present on idea that might come as cruel because in perspective it may or may not depending on the person. As for the torture thing yeah I don't know I thought they were just being silly, or maybe that's just how it was written didn't think of it.
8338698
also yeah I think connect their minds to an emotional level is a good idea it will also move the plot forward with the dark persona Hunter has or the hate he feel for them especially Twilight
8338724
My bad, I naturally take things more personally than neccecary, hence my comment about getting upset easily. I guess I tend to jump the gun and run with my emotions, getting hung up on, and worrying about the little things. Honestly, it isn't something I'm too proud of.
Wow. All I can say is... FINALLY!!! After all the crap Hunter had to go through, he's finally getting some vindication!
I'm a little disappointed that Hunter opted out of being present when Celestia gives Twilight and her friends a stern talking to, but I get that he would want time away from those who persecuted him most.
That being said, I would definitely love to see a side chapter on the "discussion". I want to see how the ponies get knocked down a few pegs, especially Twilight. Considering she's the one who has hounded Hunter the most, and because she always trying to make Celestia proud, I want to see how utterly devastated she's going to be when she finds out just how disappointed Celestia is in her. Is it wrong that I'm getting some grim satisfaction in seeing Twilight and the others getting what's coming to them?
Anyway, as for punishment, I really don't have any ideas, other than something that will hurt the ponies' pride. So, whatever you come up with works for me.
Now, while things seem to be looking up for Hunter, from what I know from the events of the first chapter, I know that it's not going to be sunshine and rainbows from here on out.
Great stuff. Looking forward to what comes next.
Don't worry Hunter, you may be trapped in stone with Discord for some reason, but at some point "Keep Calm and Flutter On" will happen. You...you are going do a sequel bonus chapter based on this after all is said and done right? RIGHT?
8339551
I'm considering it
8335304
Perhaps with Pinkie, realizing that she used her element to cause pain would be enough. We've all seen in the show how emotional she gets when she thinks she's done something wrong.
8335222
Rainbow getting her wings clipped might be a bit excessive, but at the same time could be seen as fair. She wouldn't have a way to her home, however, and I doubt Celestia would force her to be unable to go home. Although that would be another punishment right there, Hunter was unable to return home, so give them a little piece of the same cake right? I wouldn't think Celestia would do that though, she's too optimistic and cheery in the series. With the way that we've seen Hunter is, I could also see him forgiving Rarity because, as you said, she didn't do anything except for get scared and lash out because of it.
Another idea for Twilight would be that Celestia would force her to make a complete writeup of both the Human species (with supervised talk sessions), and of Hunter's side of the story. I would suppose she would be happy with the punishment, but at the same time she would get to learn everything that Hunter had to live through.
8335660
100% truth
8341357
Would it REALLY be that hard to have other pegasi shift her house to ground level while she's unable to fly?
Well I can safely say this story has been quite good. Binge read the whole thing from the start and it was exciting the whole way through.
I saw you were wondering about the punishments for the rouge elements and I've seen a few of the suggestions that people have made. I caution you not to do anything too extreme. Celestia wouldn't do anything that might damage their ability to serve in their capacity as Equestria's 'win button' and I doubt she would do anything like clipping RD's wings for example. Perhaps RD should be fired from her job on the weather team and given a permanent black mark on her record so that any aspirations of becoming a Wonderbolt will stay exactly that. As for Pinkie... perhaps revoke whatever gives her the ability to just run around and throw parties at a whim? There has to be somekind of license or permit for that. I doubt she'd be fired from SCC as that's more of a deal with the cakes than anything.
Now Twilight is the tricky one. As I said before Celestia isn't going to do anything to break up the elements so forcing her to move or anything like that is just silly. Perhaps make her attend some ethics seminars or something? If it were up to me I'd make her go to a shrink. Her manic obsessive disorder might be entertaining and make her character more interesting but it's a big problem for a future head of state to have.
Anyway good luck on your future writing!
I didn't think it would all end, just like that.
8341909
Nah thats too harsh on Rainbow. Twilight did worse and you suggest she gets an ethics seminar, while Rainbow gets banned from her dream? Too extreme. (rhyme totally intended)
And we can't just fire her, she seems to be the only one capable of getting the pegasi organized properly.
8342804
I mean yeah your probably right on it being a bit too harsh, just trying to think of some more options. Though I don't think her being fired isn't too harsh. There are plenty of competent ponies on the Ponyville weather team. (or at least you'd think so)
8344019
8344019
Well like I said I don't want punishments that could be a blemish on their lives. Taking something highly important to them like their jobs, or dreams will just make them resent Hunter even more. They need to be punished in such a way that it shows them what they did was wrong, not tells them.
Punishments like taking something away will make them feel bad, but mostly because they lost something, and not because they genuinely feel sorry about their actions, thus they don't get the lesson.
Discord getting betrayed is almost a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He was upset because he knew he screwed up, and basically betrayed everypony he cared about for nothing. He saw what he did was wrong, and this allowed him to change permanently.