Blueblooded Bluebell

by David Silver


20 - Homecoming

"I was wrong," noted Starlight.

"Mm?"

Starlight inclined her head at Belle. "In my head, I'll just admit it. I heard of you as a stallion. I figured, somewhere, there'd still be, you know... stallion hiding in there." Blue looked a bit taken aback. "Sorry! I said it was a thought, and one you've dispelled. You fit your new form quite nicely."

"I should hope so." She raised a hoof to her own chest. "I feel more like me these days than ever I did before. Even in action, I feel I am drawing closer to the ideal 'me', and it is a journey I am glad to be on."

"Now that's a thought I can get behind. I... might have done a few naughty things... when I was lost... My self discovery had less bodily changes involved, but I completely get you otherwise." She nodded along with her mused thoughts. "But it was just as transformative, just... in here." She tapped herself on the chest. "Feel free to ask Twilight about it."

"Well, I did nothing 'naughty'," Belle scoffed. "Aside from give some rude mares what they had coming..." She glanced left and right. "Don't tell Rarity I said that. I forgave her and she I."

Starlight burst into laughter, her eyes on a window. "Hay, I think we're--"

"Canterlot," came a muffled cry. "Next stop!"

"Appears you were correct." Belle gathered her things and moved to the door, ready to disembark. "Thank you, again. You were a delight to work with and learn from."

"I learned a thing or two," she quickly assured. "We exchanged."

"Let us exchange more in the future," offered Belle with a warm smile.

They stepped off the train together, ready to leave the trip behind.


"We need to speak." Celestia looked down at Fancy, an imperious air about her.

"Any time, madame," he assured. "Though you have caught me at an awkward time, I do admit."

"Hmm?" Rare were the things that would make Fancy Pants even considering delaying. "Social function already underway?"

"Actually, yes." Fancy nodded firmly. "Just putting on the final steps to exact a little, as they say, tasteful revenge on a pony most deserving. You know how it is."

"I certainly do." Well, not exactly who had revenge coming on them, or why Fancy would need to exact it on them. "But I must ask you set it aside. I need an impartial juror."

Fancy's monocle threatened to fall from his face. "My word... I am at your service." Even as he sighed ever so deeply on the inside at the idea that he'd not be able to finish his plans. "What makes me an ideal juror?"

"You are a peer of the accused." Celestia began to turn away as if she had other things to get in order. "You will be the closest to being 'on my side', but you also have the greatest understanding of the situation. No other pony can serve this role better than you, I feel."

"If that is the case, I will do my best." Fancy set a hoof on his chest. Duty came before pleasure.


"Are you serious?" Star Swirl's face was that of a frown, almost glaring at Celestia with accusations unsaid.

Celestia smiled faintly. "Did you not ever miss it, the intrigue?"

"No," stated Star Swirl firmly, a faint shake of his head to go with it. "I very much enjoyed avoiding it, back then and now. You know that."

"I do know that," she confessed. "But the accused stands trial for very arcane crimes."

Star sighed softly. "I see then why you'd consider me. Is this old magic?"

"Ancient." Celestia inclined her head. "This is the sort of thing they'd worry about before you were sealed away."

"Right..." He stroked his beard slowly. "Then I will give my hoof. There are few others I can imagine that knew exactly what I know, not to brag."

Celestia smiled faintly. That was a little brag and she knew it. "Glad to have you."


She had planned to get a meal, say hello to a few ponies, and was undecided on teleporting or riding the train back. Either way, she did not expect Celestia to bar her way. "Hey Celly."

Ah, impertinent to a fault. It was exactly the quality Celestia had trusted. "Starlight Glimmer. I require your services. Equestria requires your services."

Starlight hiked a brow, her body leaning to the left a little as if sizing a way past her. "What for?"

"You are a pony that understands unsavory magic." Starlight wilted at Celestia's words. "I am not accusing you. Twilight stood over your punishment and reform, that is done. But another now stands accused, and I would have you stand in jury as a peer."

Starlight lifted an ear. "You want a naughty pony to judge other naughty ponies?" A little smirk spread on her lips. "That actually sounds kinda fun, sure."

"Marvelous." She turned onwards, her jury team coming together.


Luna peered at the three ponies assembled before her. "Fancy bows when you enter the room," she huffed indignantly. "How is he impartial?"

Celestia gestured to the noble of the three. "He may defer to me, as a matter of strict decorum, but he is chained not to me, but to that, decorum. Fancy does things properly, to a razor's edge." She inclined her head at him. "If he thinks I am wrong, he will speak, if the situation allows, and this is precisely the situation where he is not only permitted, but it is his duty. Aside that, he is a peer of the accused and you can't deny that."

Fancy cleared his throat softly. "Too right. Even if they are an associate of mine, if they have broken laws and deserve punishment, I will judge fairly."

Star Swirl frowned softly. "When do we get to the heart of the matter? What was done?"

Luna nodded at both Stars. "They're fine." She had no particular issue with either of them. "Very well... When do we get this over with?" She looked to her sister, an impatient air growing.

"Don't look at me that way, sister." Celestia smiled faintly, perhaps amused at her little sister's show of impatience. "The accused will be informed of what they--"

"No," cut in Luna flatly. "I will tell her directly. When and where do we need to be?"

Celestia inclined her head faintly. "Very well... If the others are agreeable, why don't we get this over with as quickly as possible to let them back to their duties?" The jurors appeared agreeable with that idea. "She is back, is she not?"

"She is." Luna nodded firmly. "She's at her room, no doubt... Which you did repair?"

"Completely," assured Celestia, though none of this was explaining anything to their jurors. "Go and fetch her and bring her here then, though we're moving to the throne room."

"To the throne room, got it." And off Luna went at a trot.

Fancy started to wonder. A female, just returned? Could it... No... Impossible. She had done nothing worthy of such a panel of jurors and the attention of both princesses. Surely it was some other ne'er-do-well he'd be judging.

All of them other than Luna went to the throne room, where a small stand had been constructed for them to sit in to the side and watch the proceedings. Starlight gave a soft huh. "I was never in one of these before. You two?"

"Once before," admitted Fancy. "Ghastly case, but justice was served in the end."

"Several times." Star Swirl nodded slowly, thinking into the distant past. "Ponies trusted me to have an even eye. Seems they still do."

"Even eye?" Then why was she there?! "I'll do my best."

"All we can ask." Fancy nodded with a gentle smile of support. "Consider the facts and judge fairly. That's it."

"Not like they destroyed Equestria or a maybe-Equestria," laughed Starlight a bit nervously as the two other jurors gave her a look. "Only theoretically!"

The door opened, admitting Luna with a comported Belle behind her. "As I said," she quietly spoke back to Belle, her face forward, eyes even with her sister. "I have brought Blue Belle to stand trial, and another to serve as witness."

Celestia inclined her head. "We have... you brought the demon?!"

"I did." Luna's horn glowed and Fire Paradox sprang into being with a bright smile. "Here she is. We have... an agreement. She will behave herself."

"If it means I get to do this." She trotted right for Celestia who recoiled, ready to defend herself.

"Boop." She poked the sun queen right in the nose before turning away. "I'm satisfied."

She glowed with golden magic, hefted up by Celestia and moved rapidly to the side. "You stay right there, in sight. Blue... Belle, step forward."

Blue walked forward, not a trot. "Princess Celestia." Not aunt or auntie, not that day.

"Baroness," she returned the favor of acknowledging a title. "Do you understand what you are on trial for?"

Two of the jurors shared glances, the third, unmoved by the reveal. Still, it was improper for jurors to start chatting after things had begun, and begun they had.

"I am told that my magic instructor is offensive, though the nature of that offense yet eludes me. She is a bit... rough, but she has proven skilled and fair." She raised a brow. "Did she insult somepony while I was away?"

Celestia raised a brow. "You can think of no other reason your 'instructor' might offend?"

Fire burst into a fit of giggles, clearly amused at the naivety on display.

Luna set a hoof over her face. "My niece is a fool, not a villain." Blue colored dark red at that, but managed, barely, to resist biting back at Luna. "She had no idea what she was doing. I should have taken a closer hoof with her education, but I was busy with my duties."

"Your crimes do not absolve her." Celestia looked to Fire Paradox. "Since you brought her, let us hear her words. I call Fire Paradox to testify."

Fire stepped forward with a cocky smile. She had no fear, under the protection of Luna. "What is it?" She also had no niceties to offer Celestia.

"You stand in a court of law, demon. Though it against your nature, try to respect that." Celestia softly snorted in an equine way, giving Fire a glare. "And speak truthfully. What was asked of you? These pacts are not done in a void. What did you offer?"

"I offered to make his, back when he was a he, his dreams come true." A little smirk grew. "And I informed little Bluey that I did windows. That was enough."

Blue drove a hoof down with a loud clop, getting several glares. She crossed her arms and quieted to little grumbles.

Celestia raised a brow. "Truly, that was all you offered?"

"That was it. What, is dream fulfillment not enough these days?" She raised a hoof to blow a kiss towards Celestia. "Give it a try before you discount it."

Luna raised a hoof. "That is not enough to determine motivation. I have knowledge that proves it is not what you imagine this to be."

Celestia regarded her sister who had moved up to sit next to her. "Do you?"

"I do, but I will require Blue Belle's permission to speak it. This is confidential information, and I will not break my vows." She nodded with severity, unmoving on that point.

Celestia fixed Blue with a look. "Do you give her that permission? I can only assume this is some sensitive bit of psychological information gained from knowledge of your dreams. You are not beholden to allow it to be spoken, but we can't use that information unless it is presented."

Blue looked to Luna, not Celestia. "Thank you, Auntie, for respecting me enough to ask first. If it will help put aside this dreadful affair, please." She glanced aside at the guards. "One request. Could those not required for the proceedings leave for a moment while this is done?"

Luna lifted her shoulders. "I see no harm."

Celestia did not share that feeling. "We are in the presence of a demon. By your own research, she is very problematic and you would have me send the guard away?"

Star Swirl's horn began to glow. "I can send her home. Banishment spells are one of my specialties." Sending things to other realms a thing he had practice with. "If she tries anything."

Luna nodded to Star. "Excellent. We are safe, with one of our champions at the ready."

Fire gave Star a guarded look, but kept herself still and composed. She would not be so easily intimidated! At least while she was under the protection of a ruler of the land.

Celestia made a soft gesture with a hoof, dismissing her guards. "Step outside until called on." And they obeyed her, if hesitantly. They cast glances back at the dangerous pony, demon? Whatever that was. Celestia clearly was concerned about it, so they were too.

Luna nodded with growing confidence. "Very well... When last I saw any hint of such things... Blue Belle has no sexual desire." The jurors softly coughed almost in unison, though each with a slightly different reaction.

Fancy looked away, shame seen on his features.

Starlight looked like a foal just told something naughty, covering her mouth.

Star Swirl glanced off, perhaps the idea striking too close to home?

"As a result, there is very little chance she called Fire Paradox, that's her name, the demon's, for such purpose."

Fire rolled her eyes dramatically and raised a hoof.

Celestia raised an ear at the demon. "Thank you for asking to be addressed instead of just talking." She was clearly surprised such courtesy had been offered. "Do you have something to add?"

"Bluey is as cold as a rock." She flopped a cheek against a hoof. "Trust me, I tried that angle. I couldn't light that fire. They're nice, but not that way."

Celestia shook her head. "We will put aside any carnal misgivings. That isn't why we're here, really. This is about the pursuit of power through dangerous means." She thrust a hoof at Fire. "And you are a dangerous mean. Admit it."

"Guilty," she admitted without delay, her heart-tipped tail swaying sinuously. "As somepony else said, I am a sharp dagger, dangerous in the hooves of foals."

Luna frowned faintly. That was not what she had said!

Celestia nodded softly, looking towards the jurors. "As you can see, the baroness had ample opportunity to pursue education. Had she asked, I have a school for just such a thing."

Luna raised a hoof. "A school for foals, Sister dear. Hardly befitting a completely grown adult pony."

"Order." Celestia rang her horse shoe on the ground. "Let us speak one at a time, hm?" She looked to Blue. "Why did you not seek more... conventional... education?"

"If Twilight could manage it, then how hard could it be?" argued Belle. "I was a fool, of course. I realized after the fact that magic is quite complicated indeed. Miss Paradox drilled me on the points when I feel certain I would have otherwise given up. She knew I was an adult, and treated me like one, except when I was making a foal of myself, and she was not shy to remind me of that fact either."

Fire snickered softly, not arguing anything said.

Luna waved at Belle. "She was attempting to educate herself, not look for shortcuts."

"Teaching yourself magic is exceptionally dangerous..." Celestia looked to Star Swirl. "You are an expert on such matters. How dangerous is this?"

Starlight thrust a hoof up suddenly.

"Yes?"

"I taught myself magic and it all worked out." She puffed out her chest confidently.

"You threatened the future and past of Equestria, and almost killed Twilight several times." Celestia inclined her head. "Not the endorsement you were going for."

Star Swirl cleared his throat. "Teaching oneself magic is possible for those strongly enough motivated. Ethics tends to be what can fall to the wayside without other ponies present to instill such things."

Starlight went red and shrank a little, called out on her spotty past. Blue remained sitting up tall.

Luna smirked softly. "I would like to call another witness forward."

"Another?" Celestia raised a brow. "Were multiple demons summoned?"

"Just the one, sister," assured Luna. "But there are other ponies that can stand witness."

"In the interest of the juror's time." Celestia waved a hoof towards them. "Let us not turn this into an excuse to call ponies far and wide."

"Of course not," assured Luna. "The first is right here. I call Starlight Glimmer to testify." There was no rule that a juror couldn't be called to speak.

Starlight pointed at herself, confusion on her face. "Me? Um, alright." She stood up and vanished, appearing just outside the juror's box. "What's up?"

"This is highly irregular," noted Celestia. Against the rules, no, but she could still point that out.

"You selected the jurors," reminded Luna. "It is not my fault they may serve equally as well as witnesses. Starlight Glimmer; you have experience with the defendant, do you not?"

"Yeah." She nodded towards Blue. "We just went to my old home in Sire's Hollow."

"Did you speak of arcane matters during the trip?" A safe question. The idea of Starlight not bringing up spellcasting with a fellow wizard was an odd one.

"Sure did," she quickly confirmed. "I learned a few new spells, and so did she." Starlight looked towards Fire. "So, um, sorry for not knowing but... what is she that's so dangerous?"

"I am the one asking the questions," reminded Luna. "Though you bring up an excellent point. Outside of a small selection of ponies, it is unreasonable to assume any given pony knows the threat of Fire Paradox. Though alarming to some, none immediately thought she was a threat."

Celestia's horn glowed, a book lifting into view. "I would interject."

Luna graciously allowed it with a twirling hoof. "Please, but then I must finish my questions."

"This is the book the defendant used to summon Fire Paradox." She set it down heavily. "It warns of exactly why one should be wary, at best, when using magic from within it. Despite that, she went ahead and did it."

Luna raised a brow, looking to Blue silently.

Blue had the presence to blush and look ashamed. "I was excited to try a real spell, Auntie. I went directly for the part that had magic in it and..."

All ponies save Blue Belle placed a hoof over their face. Luna cleared her throat. "That aside, may I proceed?"

"Please," sighed out Celestia. "That you have been foalish is, at the least, beyond argument."

Starlight was grinning like an idiot. "You started with a teleportation spell?" She saw Luna giving her a look. "Sorry, please, go on."

"Summoning magic is not teleportation," advised Luna. "You have seen the mirror portal. Consider a spell of a similar effect, drawing creatures from another reality entirely."

"That's not better," Starlight quietly grumbled.

"As I was saying, you two spent time together, teaching and learning. What sort of magic user did Belle strike you as? They say it takes one to know one. Was this another potential problem waiting to happen?"

"Her?" Starlight waved grandly at the baroness. "She spent the whole time working her flank off making her ponies happy and getting it done! I mean, we did all our magic stuff on the train there and back. While we were 'on the job', she didn't have any time, or desire, to talk shop about spells."

Luna raised a brow. "Fascinating, but let's stay focused." That faint smile was all the hint she gave that the news made her proud. "During the magic exchange, what manner of magic user did she seem to be?"

"Excitable." Starlight started tapping her hooves as she counted. "Eager, knowledgeable, generous with her knowledge and eager to learn. She's exactly the kind of pony I like in an arcane peer."

Celestia tensed faintly, realizing the error she had made in juror selection.

Luna nodded, confidence building. "Did they seem like a pony that flaunted the rules?"

"They weren't all that shy about little things." She held up two hooves close together. "We picked a lock to get into a silo, but that was for their own good, promise!"

Celestia raised a brow. "Two mischievous arcanists got along famously. Sensible."

"We--"

Luna cut off Starlight, a hoof extended. "Let us return to civility. So then, you mentioned she was assisting 'her little ponies'?"

"Oh, yeah. She's baroness." She snort-laughed at that. "Can you imagine, I had a baroness and never knew it? Well, she is, and she came in and got right to work helping everypony out as best she could."

"Hardly the typical action of the usual infernalist," noted Luna meaningfully. She turned towards Fire with a grin. "Is this the behavior you've been teaching?"

Fire turned a little green in the cheeks. "Gag me!"

"Later, if you wish." Luna turned away from the startled demon. "Did she abuse her newly found royal powers?"

Celestia raised a hoof. "Objection! Her usage of royal powers is not in question, and she gained no new royal powers to abuse."

"In that you are wrong, sister dear." Luna shook her head softly. "Identifying she was a landed noble, in addition to her royal status, gave her additional power and responsibilities. Her behavior towards them is quite revealing as to the base nature of the pony being accused."

Starlight extended a hoof towards Blue Belle. "Hey, if Twilight didn't already own me, I wouldn't be unhappy having her for a boss mare."

Luna snorted gently. "As if either could actually command you. Still, thank you. Your answers are revealing. You may take your seat, unless my sister has questions to add?"

Celestia considered a tense moment. "When practicing spells, did the defendant use them in odd ways?"

"Odd ways?" Starlight blinked confusedly. "Not really?"

"I don't mean spells for odd things, but approaching them in odd ways." She brought up her hooves to pantomime. "Unlike you or Twilight."

Starlight stroked her chin a moment before she perked up. "Oh yeah! She reads runes oddly, each one having a meaning. It's such a strange way of looking at it. Imagine if every letter of the alphabet meant something!" She snorted in a chuckle. "My mind hurts thinking about it, but she pulls it off."

Celestia clucked her tongue against her teeth. "How... unusual..."

"How dated," corrected Luna. "You should remember, sister mine, such were more popular habits long ago, before our... falling out."

They were not as fresh for Celestia as they were for Luna. Celestia frowned softly, thinking back on it and dredging through a millennia of memory. "Were they? Hm." She had long ago forgotten those meanings herself. "Was she given to leaps of vanity?"

Luna looked perplexed at the question. Starlight nodded though. "Oh yeah, she liked wearing nice big fluffy dresses and got upset when they get dirty. Not obnoxiously or any--"

"--I see," cut in Celestia. "Would that be more in line with you?"

Fire perked at being addressed. "What? If you're going to be somewhere, be noteworthy, and sexy if you can help it." She buffed her hoof on her chest. "Ain't nothin' wrong with that."

Luna waved for Starlight to return to her seat. "That there are any similarities with another creature, good or bad, is not the question we are here to answer. Speaking of that, I have a question for you, sister."

"Hmm?" Celestia's attention was squarely on Luna. "What would that be?"

"What happened to the letters?" Luna pointed to Blue Belle. "She had sent some, I hear, concerning her barony. What were they about?"