“Has the jury reached a decision?”
The courtroom was silent. Stepping forward from a group of ponies, a fancily dressed unicorn looked up at the towering alicorn mare with a long, flowing mane.
“We have, your majesty. The jury finds the defendant… guilty!”
The courtroom fell into an uproar, with all eyes glancing at a tall, white stallion. His hooves were chained together, and his face emotionless. The alicorn stomped her hooves fiercely, demanding silence.
“I thought as much…” She blatantly stated as she looked down at the sinister stallion who sat quietly in front of the courtroom. His glare was gut wrenching, but it did not bother the alicorn.
“For the crimes you have committed against Equestria, the land I protect; I, Princess Celestia, banish you to the Everfree Forest!”
The courtroom began to chatter anxiously again, but it was short lived at the hoof stomping of the Princess.
“I am not finished!” She continued. “You have brought nothing but hatred, pain and suffering to anypony you interact with, Slender Mane. I can tell you why that is your name, and it isn’t because you were born without a mane at all! It’s because you hardly have the right to call yourself a pony, or an Equestrian for that matter. You lie, you steal, and you even kill for your own gain! Only a small, slender part of yourself could remotely be considered a pony; you’re an animal!”
Princess Celestia’s horn began to glow a bright white. The courtroom was silent as Slender Mane looked up in defiance.
“You have brought so much destruction upon others, and now it shall come crashing down upon you. From this moment on, you shall only be treated with hatred and fear. When others look at you, they shall flee before your hideous face, and you won’t be able to look away. That’s right; you will be forced to watch as the others show their disgust: You will be an outcast. Anything you do will be treated with horror and rejection.”
The Princess had never been so furious, and nopony blamed her. The other ponies only sat in pity, watching the criminal receive his well deserved punishment.
“Unlike yourself, I am going to be merciful and give you a second chance. This is not an eternal punishment, but you shall remain under this spell until your heart has learned to love, and to care, and all signs of your former self are gone. Only when you can show kindness, and be shown kindness in return will you ever be free of your prison.”
Slender Mane only glared in silence. He had done many horrible, horrible things, and he knew well he deserved a fate far worse than death. He spat at the Princess’s feet regardless and shouted.
“Do your worst, oh powerful one!”
The courtroom was enraged, and ponies began to climb over the railings to reprimand the stallion for his highly disrespectful deed. The Princess and the stallion locked eyes as Celestia’s horn glowed blindingly bright and the stallion vanished…
The ponies stood baffled. The unicorn who had spoken earlier couldn’t help but inquire the Princess’s decision.
“Your grace… I think your decision was more than fair, but… I must ask…” He began.
“Yes, it is possible.” Princess Celestia interrupted. “Only a pony of his exact opposite, an Element of Kindness, could ever be able to shown love to such a monster. It may take years, it may take millenniums, but if his heart is in the right place, that’s all that matters. He’ll be free someday, and until then, the citizens of Equestria should stay out of the Everfree Forest, as they always have..."