//------------------------------// // Alone // Story: The Public Life of Sweetie Belle // by BronyWriter //------------------------------// The police station doors burst open once again that day, startling the ponies in the waiting room. Sweetie Belle's parents hurried into the station, Sweetie Belle's mother sporting a look of fury masking intense emotional pain. "Where is she," growled Sweetie Belle's mother. "Where is my daughter?" "Pearl, please calm down," mumbled Sweetie Belle's father. "We won't get either of them out of here by acting rashly." Sweetie Belle's mother wheeled around and fixed her husband with her fiery glare. "I won't let this happen again!" she cried. "I will not let Princess Celestia put another one of my children down like an animal!" Suddenly Sweetie Belle's mother felt a comforting hoof on her shoulder and she wheeled around to see Applejack behind her, looking grim. "Ah know this is hard," she said quietly. The distraught mare fixed Applejack with her glare. "You have no idea what this is like! You have no idea what it is like to find out that another one of the foals you carried in you and raised from the first minute of her life is going to be put down just like her older sister for protecting her own child!" "Now hold yer horses, we don't know if anypony's gonna get executed," said Applejack. "We don't even know who they said did what. If it was just Sweetie Belle protectin' Blossom then maybe they'll get to go home." "But I want them to come home now!" wailed Sweetie Belle's mother. "I won't let Princess Celestia kill another one of my children!" "Miss Pearl, I must ask you to calm yourself," said the familiar serene voice of Equestria's sun goddess. Instantly the ponies in the room bowed low to her as she walked in, all except Pearl whose glare returned. "Where are they," she said. "Where are my daughter and granddaughter?" "We are still determining a few more aspects of the case," said Celestia. "Do not worry for Twilight is taking care of Blossom." "I don't want that librarian taking care of her, I want her home safe with her mother!" Pearl commanded. "Pearl, please," said Sweetie Belle's father. "They're doing all they can, don't make it--" "If I want to hear a word you have to say I'll ask for it!" screeched Pearl. Pearl wheeled back to Celestia. "I won't let you do it! Do you hear me? I will not let you put another one of my daughters down!" "Now hold on, sugar cube, we don't even know if Sweetie Belle did anything wrong yet," said Applejack. The apple farmer looked up at Celestia. "Ah take it that's what ya came out here to discuss with us, am Ah right? Celestia nodded. "If you could all sit down, we have a lot to discuss." The gathered ponies went to their seats as Princess Celestia walked in front of the group. Magnum wrapped his forelegs around Pearl's shoulders and tried to calm his livid wife down. "Are they okay?" Scootaloo blurted out. "Did you do anything bad to them?" "No harm has befallen either Sweetie Belle or her foal," reassured Celestia. "And you won't hurt them," said Pearl angrily. "Don't you dare hurt them." Celestia looked sadly at Sweetie Belle's mother. "I'm afraid we've come to a few conclusions," she began. "Firstly, forensic evidence has revealed that the killer of the two foals was indeed Sweetie Belle." Pearl let out an audible whimper and tears began falling from her eyes. "Unfortunately I think you all know our laws regarding non self-defense based killing." "Execution," whispered Applejack. The farm pony felt something wrap around her waist and she saw that Apple Bloom had gripped her tightly and buried her head in her sister's shoulder. "Isn't there another way?!" said Scootaloo frantically. "You can't kill her, you just can't! She was just protecting her foal!" "Murder is not the correct way to protect from verbal abuse. If she had merely taken her child out of the woods and gotten the foals in trouble then this wouldn't be happening. As it is, Sweetie Belle is guilty of murder." "But she was just trying to protect her child!" wailed Pearl. "You don't have the right to snuff her life out for that!" "Please be calm," said Celestia. "My sister and I have taken into account the rather special circumstances of this case. We will not execute Sweetie Belle unless we feel that we legally have no other choice. I'm sorry, but we cannot bend our laws for your daughter." Sweetie Belle's mother let out another wail and buried her head in her husband's shoulder. The rest of the room looked like it was going to burst into tears as well. "What's going to happen to her if you don't execute her?" asked Fluttershy. Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. "My sister and I have decided that if we do not choose execution for Sweetie Belle, then she will have her horn removed and she will be institutionalized, probably for the rest of her life." "NO!" screamed Pearl. "She'd die in there! Don't make her go through that!" "If she exhibited good behavior then she would be allowed visits from all of you and her child. I'm sorry but those are our choices." "But ya don't need to put her away forever!" said Apple Bloom. "S-She ain't crazy!" "But she committed murder," Celestia replied. "Should I ignore that fact and let the two of them go home? What then of justice? Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are distraught enough without having to live with the fact that I let the mare who murdered their children go free. As much as we all here despise it, and do know that I hate this as much as you do, justice must be served." The room fell into silence as the ponies digested Celestia's words, save for the sniffling of Fluttershy, Pearl, and Apple Bloom. Nopony knew what to say. Each and every one of them could only sit there and think about the fact that for the second time in their lives, they would lose a loved one. Finally Fluttershy spoke up. "What's going to happen to her foal?" Celestia sighed and glanced over at the door she had come through. "It has been decided that my sister and I will take care of the foal, no matter what is chosen." Pearl's eyes snapped up and she fixed Celestia with her furious expression once more. "NO!! YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM BOTH FROM ME, FROM US!!!" she screamed. "I'm sorry, but we have made our choice." Rainbow Dash frowned and flew up in Celestia's face. "Why?" she growled. "Why do you have to take them both away? What could you have to gain from taking her to live with you as opposed to letting her grandparents or Twilight or Fluttershy or even the Apple family take care of her? Why does it have to be you?!" "Rainbow Dash, you forget yourself!" said Celestia, a slight bit of the even sorrow giving way to sharpness. "My sister and I would not do it if we did not think that it was absolutely necessary for the safety of the foal and those around her!" "Twilight could keep her safe, Applejack could keep her safe! Why do you have to be the one to take her?" questioned Rainbow Dash. "My sister and I have our reasons," said Celestia. "We ask you to please respect them." Celestia scanned the group sadly, hoping that one of them would find it in themselves to believe her when she said that she had the best interests of both of them at heart, but none did. They either looked angry or unsure. Celestia sighed once more. "Do not mistake me; she would not be a prisoner. She will want for nothing." "'ceptin' her mother," grumbled Applejack. "What would you have me do, Applejack?" asked Celestia. "Would you suggest shutting her off to the world in Twilight's library or your farm or should she go back to the school where her mother murdered her classmates? What would you have me do?" "Ah guess in the end it'd come down to the fact that if you take her to Canterlot, she ain't gonna grow up right no matter what ya do," said Applejack. "No matter what, she's out a mommy to take care of her, somepony who actually loves her. Ah don't reckon she'll feel that way 'bout you." "Applejack if I knew of any other way I would take it, for all of this. The fact remains that our laws state that Sweetie Belle must be punished by death for what she did. My sister and I will try to find a way to avoid that if we think that is best. We cannot change the law just for Sweetie Belle's sake. By killing two foals who weren't even physically attacking her child, she committed murder. I'm sorry but I cannot ignore that and neither would you in my position." "Ah guess you ain't changin' yer mind 'bout this then, are ya?" Celestia shook her head. "I'm sorry, Applejack. What would you have me do?" "It wouldn't matter what Ah have to say now would it?" Applejack stated. "Sweetie Belle must endure a harsh punishment for what she has done," said Celestia. "Otherwise what of other distraught mothers who see their child is being bullied? Should they look at an easy punishment that Sweetie Belle received and say that it would be worth murder?" "Ah guess not," mumbled Applejack. "Ah still think yer makin' a mistake, takin' her foal like that." "We have our reasons," said Celestia. "Please accept them." Celestia looked towards the door once more and shook her head. "I must take my leave now. I'm so sorry for all of this." The room remained silent as Princess Celestia walked back through the door. She only walked a few feet before she met up with Luna once more. "You did not tell them the real reason," Luna observed. Celestia shook her head. "They didn't need to know. It would have hurt them too much." "Are you sure this is the wise move, sister?" asked Luna. "It is prudent to keep an eye on the foal as she may very well exhibit the traits of her aunt and mother, but does that mean taking her to Canterlot?" Celestia nodded. "I'm afraid so," she said. "It may only be for a short time while we determine what the foal is capable of and if she would do something like that for any reason. Clearly we would not keep her forever." "And if we did not feel the need to keep her longer?" "Then we would give custody of her over to the Apple family I think," Celestia mused. "And if I may hazard a guess, that is the most likely outcome of this. The niece of Rarity or not, I do not feel that she has the drive to kill inside of her, despite what she said when we questioned her." "But we must make sure," stated Luna. Celestia nodded as the two came to the room containing Twilight and Blossom. "Yes, we must make sure."