August 29th
Five sat quietly: three family and two friends to the girl whose life was being put on display before a jury – before the man who had destroyed her life multiple times.
Sly Defense had tried hard to defend his client Tripwire, casting doubt on Sweet Pea’s character, essentially trying to break down the girl’s past as a prostitute and drug user to cast absolute doubt on her accusations.
However Legal Means, the prosecutor backing Sweet Pea’s case, had a plan. The woman stepped forward, now ready to execute it: “You Honor, I would like to present this VHS tape to the court as evidence of the Defendant’s horrific actions…” She looked to those gathered in the courtroom, giving a sad look to Sweet Pea, knowing what was on that tape. But Pea sat there, resolute, and gave a nod—her bravery pushed Means’ actions now.
The judge motioned for the tape as Legal Means spoke once more. “Upon that tape is a recording of the Defendant, Tripwire, sexually assaulting Ms. Pea, at the tender age of nine. In graphic detail, may I add.”
The judge practically paled. “Court is in recess while I review this evidence. Given the nature of it… I will view it and pass the findings to the jury after we will reconvene in thirty minutes.”
Tripwire seemed to not care one bit, but with his legs in casts, he sat there in an orange prison jumpsuit, simply glaring daggers at Sweet Pea and her family the entire time.
Means brought Pea and her family to the edge of the courtroom as to give them privacy. Looking at Sweet Pea, she whispered, “You’re sure about this? I mean, that tape…”
In response, Sweet Pea nodded.
“Sweet Pea, I watched that tape,” Means reminded her. “I couldn’t sleep that night and I cried the next day over what happened to you. I’ve seen a lot of things over my career as an ADA, but that...that tape….”
“I know what he’s done to me,” Pea said in a tone that would not brook discussion. “They should too. You saw it and couldn’t handle it...so lets see how the judge fares.”
Lemony moved to just hug her sister, Buck joining in. Sugarcoat and Lemon both adding to the pile as Legal watched, a soft smile finding her face.
“Well at least you have a good family and friends. And well, if I know this judge… Tripwire won’t make it out of this courtroom here a free man after all he’s done.”
September 3rd
Just over three weeks had gone by since the attack, and Sweet Pea had settled back into what was her new normal life. And part of that involved close friends, including the girl currently clinging to her side as they cuddled up with a movie on the TV.
“I’m here for you, Pea, you know that?” Lemon looked up to her girlfriend, who nodded.
“We both are,” Sugarcoat agreed. “Though, I’m not going to kiss you, sorry.”
Pea laughed at that, then closed her eyes and rested her head against Lemon’s shoulder as they snuggled up on the couch. “I know, and thank you both for being there during the trial. That lawyer was a scumbag! I can’t believe he actually tried to defend Tripwire!”
Lemony just looked over from where she was cuddled up with Buck and smiled softly “Well, yeah, but it was his job, to defend those who don’t have the cash to hire someone better, or whomever the state says he has to defend, regardless of if they believe his innocence or not.”
Sweet Pea briefly thought about the lawyer she’d met in Canterlot – Cadance – and wondered if she’d ever had to defend someone she didn’t want to. Realizing that, Sweet Pea sighed, nodding. “Yeah, well… at least he’s put away now, and won’t be hurting anyone else.”
At least she hoped. Deep, in the back of her mind, that dark laughter could be heard still, the remnants of that darkness within her still toying at the edges of her mind, but had mostly gone silent since the events of the dance.
Pea pushed the sound aside in her mind, and just leaned over, pressing a kiss to Lemon’s cheek, causing the younger girl to blush up a storm.
“Love you, Lem.”
Lemon just smiled up to Sweet Pea, eyes meeting eyes. “Love you too, Pea.”
Pea’s phone chirped, and a single line of text could be seen on the screen.
“I’m glad you’re safe. Don’t worry about him anymore – he’s never going to harm anyone ever again.” The message was unsigned, but beneath it was an odd image: the picture of an eclipsed sun, its corona blazing.
Sugarcoat, enjoying some of the popcorn glanced over to Sweet Pea. “That’s, not your usual ringtone, is it?”
Pea blinked, Shaking her head. “No, no it’s not.” She’d been about to show Sugarcoat the message but it seemingly vanished from her phone before she could even hit the reply button. Despite this, she couldn’t help but smile. “But, I think it’s okay.” That symbol, after all, reminded her of a dear friend.
Laying in his bed, his legs still in casts, Tripwire grunted. Solitary was a bitch, the small cell so tiny he could barely move to use the shitcan they called a toilet in Marin Point Prison, California’s maximum security prison.
Still, his mind was free, and with that, he planned. He’d been given thirty years, and even if he made parole, he would still end up behind bars back in South Dakota. Supposedly he heard something about the two states making a deal where he’d serve his combined sentence here, but he didn’t give two fucks about that – he hadn’t planned to serve more than it took for his legs to heal.
After all, he busted out of prison before, he could do so again. And when he was done, he’d find his Sweet Poon again and let her know who owned her. But now, he had two more on the list: that bitch Sugarcunt, and their fuckbuddy, Lemon Twat. He was going to get all three of them, no matter how long it took, and when he was done, they would either beg him to kill them...or beg for more.
He smiled. All he had to do was heal.
However, a light suddenly flashed in the room, brighter than a star, so much so that he had to shield his eyes. When the light went away, he saw a young woman floating above him, her red-and-gold hair radiating pure power. She looked porn star perfect, but despite the situation, Tripwire couldn’t imagine getting in between this girl’s thighs.
Not with the cold fury in her cyan eyes, a burning so powerful it made him wilt.
“You don’t get to hurt anyone anymore,” she said simply, as if it was a natural law. She lit on the ground and part of him wondered if he was going mad: a girl, clearly tailor-made for fucking, and somehow, he was afraid of her.
“I guess your niece really did a number on your legs, didn’t she?” the stranger asked.
“Who the fuck are y––” he began, but she raised her finger and he found he could no longer speak.
“Who am I? You can call me God,” she said, a cruel smile coming to her face. “Perhaps not the Abrahamic one, but one all the same. And my adorant called.”
“Adorant?” he gasped, the brief lock on his speech having vanished.
“She isn’t a worshipper – I don’t want those – but she cares about me all the same, and so it suffices,” the girl said in a mysterious tone, a riddle that no mortal could answer. She walked over to where he sat and conjured a chair. “You hurt her. You took what you had no right to. You destroyed her and only now is she living the life she deserves. You committed murder – and I’m not talking about whatever lives you took, as you will pay for those. No, you murdered the girl Sweet Pea could have been, and though she will find herself anew in the years to come, you still took that life and there will still be a reckoning.”
Tripwire laughed. Goddess or not, she had no right to tell him what to do with what he owned. “And once I get out of here, I’ll do it again. And to Sugarcunt and Lemon Twat, too. Hey, maybe I’ll even get that woman that’s raising Poon and fuck them all on that man’s body.” He gave her a grimace. “All I have to do is get out.”
“Then today is your lucky day,” the flame-haired deity replied, “for today, you are leaving.” Seeing the curious look on his face, she laughed. “Oh, no one will know. When they come here in an hour, they’ll find that you hung yourself, and you will be reported as dead. But you and I know you won’t be.”
With her hand, she clawed open reality and tore a hole, revealing hell. “You are going to a prison where none escapes. You should be honored – you will be the second human to ever sit in the bowels of Tartarus.” Her eyes flickered with a burning light.
“The second?” he asked, just as the world became filled with darkness.
When he came to, he screamed. He was no longer human, but instead had been turned into some kind of horse, his hands having turned into forelegs, covered in a coat of muddy brown. He sat in the middle of some sort of circular room, with a flickering shield around the whole of the rotunda. Seated in the corner was a forlorn unicorn, whose horn had been covered with some sort of metal, but Tripwire ignored that for now.
He walked up to one of the shields and saw his reflection: a stallion, with a brown coat, short dark gray mane and tail, unshorn hocks, a flaming ordnance shell branded onto his flanks and indigo-hued eyes, one marred by a scar. He then heard a snap and fell to the ground; he snarled and looked at his hooves, which were now encased in glowing, iron manacles – hobbles.
“Welcome to hell, Mr. Tripwire.” He turned to see a maize-colored unicorn with wings, and the same hair color, and somehow, he knew it was the goddess. “Virgins are allowed a wish from a unicorn,” the mare said. “In her heart, Sweet Pea is still that, even if she doesn’t realize it. Her wish in her heart of hearts was to be free. I’ve given that to her.
“You murdered the child Sweet Pea was. Yet she has grown and has the love of family, friends and a devoted paramour. I have just murdered you, Tripwire. Let’s see what you end up with.” Nothing more to say, she walked away, his screams ringing in the distance.
As she came out of Tartarus, the doors closing behind her, Sunset changed into her human form and conjured a snack for Cerberus, reaching over and petting him.
“I’m not even going to ask why you’re here.” Sunset turned to see Princess Twilight approaching. Her fellow alicorn’s duties now included being the warden of Tartarus, which meant that new prisoners were her responsibility.
“Twi, let’s just say that there are humans that deserve this place more than even the worst we can give them. Today, I put someone there because he deserved it. I’m not going to justify it to you or anyone else. All I’m going to say is that I did it to protect a friend.”
“I understand,” was all Twilight said. “But...how did you get here without using the mirror?”
Sunset laughed and snapped her fingers, opening a new portal. “That’s the prerogative of the Alicorn of Earth,” she said, reaching over to hug her friend briefly before going home.
