"STOP!" shouted a booming voice from above. It was Celestia riding her chariot, being pulled by four of her royal guards. They descended into the crowd. And Celestia herself legimately looked angry. Everypony started cowering as soon as they noticed it, and after the surprise subsided Harry did as well.
"You little thief," Celestia spat, "your little number's up. Somepony has stolen a golden seal from my castle's treasury. The past week we've been searching the castle and nothing turned up. Then this pitiful creature's plan became obvious. It was clever really, steal something from me and then leave the realm avoiding any and all punishment."
"I—I—I didn't steal anything," Harry mustered up. He wasn't used to anypony exploding in his face, so when Celestia herself did it then it really racked him with surprise.
"Oh no?" Celestia asked.
She closed her eyes and a spark of magic appeared out of the tip of her horn. Harry felt something burning his back, and the longer he waited the worse it hurt. He reached in and felt something. He pulled it out. Sure enough, it was the golden seal. In surprise Harry dropped it to the ground. As it clamored in the dirt, everypony got sight of it and the royal insignia embroidered on the front. There were gasps in the crowd
"Not a thief?" Celestia said.
"I—I—I didn't steal anything," Harry repeated. It was the only thing running through his mind. Celestia's gaze pierced any and all thoughts.
"A thief and a liar as well. The only question left is what to do with you. Stealing from royalty is a major crime and I assure you that you will be punished for it."
"Princess," Twilight said, emerging from the crowd. "I—I don't think Harry would have done something like this. He's never stolen anything before. Why would he start now?"
"The evidence is overwhelming, my faithful student, or perhaps you are suggesting that I am wrong?"
Twilight huffed out her chest. "I guess that I am."
The crowd exploded. There were shouts of anger, yells of surprise, and whispers of confusion. Somepony was talking back to Princess Celestia. Sure it was Twilight, but that wasn't something that anypony did.
"Alright then. If Harry didn't steal it, then who did? Remember, there hasn't been another visitor from Ponyville since you two. And trust me when I say that it was there before his visit."
"It... was me," Twilight said. "I stole it when you took Harry to talk with Discord. I thought I'd give it to Harry as a farewell present. If you need to punish somepony, punish me."
Silence surrounded the crowd. Pinkie covered her mouth.
"You are a terrible liar. No, I know who the thief is. Look closely at the seal," Celestia said as she levitated it up in front of Twilight's eyes. "There is not a single hoofprint on the entire object. Harry here has no hoofprints."
"Please, let me through," Fluttershy said, pushing her way through the crowd. She stood between Harry and Celestia. "I'm sorry Princess, but I don't care who you are. I'm not letting you touch my son. I don't care if he is a thief, a liar, or even a murderer."
"Fluttershy, every criminal is somepony's son or daughter. Just because he is yours doesn't excuse him for atoning for his crimes. Now step aside, my little pony."
Fluttershy didn't move. "I—I'll fight you!"
The crowd errupted in laughter. Fluttershy even got into a fighting stance. Celestia looked upon Fluttershy with her expression unchanged. For a moment nothing between the two changed. Harry put his hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. She looked to him.
"Mom, it's okay. I'll accept my punishment."
"But sweetie, you didn't do anything wrong."
"I know that, and you know that. That's all that matters. Please step aside. I don't want to think about Celestia hurting you," Harry said, and then he turned to Celestia. "I admit to any and all wrongdoing."
"As punishment for deceit and thievery—" Celestia began, but was interrupted by Discord.
Discord looked like he was having a blast watching the drama unfold. He was sitting on a rooftop, eating popcorn. He called out, his voice amplified so the whole crowd could hear—"Harry committed a crime against the citizens of Equestria, shouldn't they decide his punishment?"—to which the crowd erupted with them stomping their hooves down with cries of excitement. There were several suggestions that locked Harry and his family into fear, with agreement finally being public lashings.
"What have you done...?" Fluttershy asked to Discord, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
Harry found himself shackled to a platform in the center of town, with all four of Celestia's guards surrounding him. There was a crowd there, removing any sense of guilt Harry had for leaving this place. Celestia walked onto the platform.
"Harry, son of Fluttershy, has been found guilty of the crime of theft and deceiving royalty. The punishment, by public opinion, lashings. I agree. Harry, I allowed you a way back to your world and you repay me like this. I am done offering you anything but punishment. I am indeed sorry to harm Fluttershy's son, but perhaps next time she'll teach you not to steal from royalty."
"Don't talk about my mother that way," Harry spat. "She raised me just fine. It's not her fault I live a cursed life. Here's an idea: why don't you end it for me?"
"What?" Celestia asked, and stepped back.
"You heard me," Harry shouted. "Kill me, right here, right now. I'm sure the crowd would love you for it, more than they already do, your infallible highness. They love seeing me in pain and misery. I guess you do too."
"What do you mean?"
"It probably wasn't the smartest idea to let Discord out of your sight and earshot. All of those years you could have done something, you just sat and waited for something to happen. Congratulations, the experiment is a success, I'm a miserable pile of filth."
"You will be silent," Celestia said as her horn began glowing.
The second she got close to him, Harry spat in her eye. Her horn glowed brighter and she shot a beam of magic at Harry. The crowd-goers could tell that that wasn't the normal lashing magic, and that the spell wasn't supposed to last so long. When the magic disapated, it appeared that Celestia granted Harry's last wish.
The crowd was silent. Completely silent. Did Celestia really do that? Had she done that before? Would she do that again? Fluttershy ran out of the crowd and clutched Harry. His eyes wouldn't open no matter how hard she tried to make them. Fluttershy looked to Celestia. Her eyes were enveloped with flame.
"Stand down. Do as your Princess commands of you," Celestia demanded.
"You aren't my Princess any more. I hope that golden seal was worth it. You can take this back too," Fluttershy said. She took her element from her saddlebag and tossed it at Celestia's feet. "I don't want it any more."
Fluttershy lifted Harry onto her back and walked down the stairs of the platform. She stopped in front of the first pony she saw. She didn't know his name or where he lived, but she did know why he was here.
"Harry is dead now," Fluttershy said to him bluntly. "How much better is your life?"
"I—I um..."
"Come on, the answer has got to be easier than that. You were standing in the front row. You wanted to see Harry suffer the most, didn't you? Did you enjoy yourself here?"
"Um... no..."
"Oh come on. I saw you earlier calling out Harry's sentencing. Tell me, what was your favorite part? Or did you enjoy it all the same?"
"Why are you calling me out? Everypony else treated Harry the same way."
"Yes they did. Now answer my question," Fluttershy said. She didn't move. Nopony did.
"I'm sorry, alright! I'm sorry!"
"That's nice. Now answer my question," Fluttershy replied.
"I guess... when they dragged him up," the pony said, trying to back away.
"To be beaten severely? So the thought of the pain about to be inflicted on him made you happy. It's nice to know what kind of pony you are."
Fluttershy turned to another pony as the other one ran away. This new pony cowered backwards. Some ponies tried to leave, and others watched on in a confused mire of emotions. Fluttershy lowered Harry off of her back.
"Tell me, what does this look like?"
"It... looks like your... son?"
"This is not my son. This is a corpse," Fluttershy said. "But yes, it used to be my son. Does this corpse make you happy?"
"No."
"But you wanted it. You were in his class. He told me a lot about you. You can have it, if you still want it."
"No, thank you."
"You've been waiting for this for at least ten years. It would be so horribly rude of me to deny you something you've waited so long for. It's yours, to keep. Unless somepony else wants it," Fluttershy said, turning to the crowd. They stayed silent. "Nope, it's yours."
"I never wanted it," the pony cried out.
"Then what did you want? Him to be like you? Him to torment somepony else every day at school. I can't see it any other way. This is clearly what you wanted. Why don't you want it now?"
"Who in Equestria would want a corpse?"
"Yes, who? Fine, if you don't want it, I'll give it to somepony else."
The pony ran away. Fluttershy lifted Harry back up and walked over to a sky blue pegasus with a pink mane.
"Hello Lofty. Those are two beautiful foals. Do you want to see my child?" Fluttershy asked, dropping Harry in front of her and her two childen. "Remember the date you had? Pinkie told me of all the fun you two had—a fancy dinner with a fireworks show afterwards. My memory tends to slip, did you have fun?"
"Um yeah..." Lofty said, eyeing the corpse.
"That's nice. I always wondered why you didn't have more. You seemed like such a sweet couple, but I see that you've found love elsewhere."
Lofty didn't answer.
"Oh I see. How awkward. Do you enjoy being a mother?"
"O-of course I do. What kind of question is that?"
"What do you think about the stallion who gave you those two beauties?"
"What do you think? He ran away from me and left me to raise them on my own."
"You must have seen something in him. Perhaps it was his long, flowing mane? His high status? Or maybe he just had a long tail?"
Lofty blushed. "P-please leave me alone."
"We're just having a pleasant conversation. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"You're creeping me out."
"Am I? I'm sorry. I just get curious with the ponies my son takes a fancy in. Like I said, those are two beautiful fillies and I'm sure you'll do fine with them. Every good mother takes their children to public acts of torture."
Lofty left with her children, and Fluttershy looked at hers. The crowd didn't disperse. It almost seemed like they were waiting for who would be next. But nopony was next. It was just Fluttershy and Harry. Princess Celestia came up.
"I am sorry Fluttershy."
"Then tell me what you would have done differently."
"I wouldn't have let my anger get the best of me," Celestia said.
"Wrong answer."
A pony climbed out of the crowd and tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder. She didn't recognize him either. What did he want? Another verbal thrashing? He didn't speak for a moment, and just took a moment to look at the body who lay before him.
"I wouldn't have teased him in school. Heck, I might have even been his friend. I guess I was scared of being bullied too. I truly am sorry for your loss."
"I would have said yes to a date with him. I always thought he was a nice guy. It's just..." said another pony.
"I would have let him in my store."
It seemed that the remainder of the crowd had something to say. They each brought in different memories. They almost made Fluttershy smile, but the sight before her didn't change. That would be the only thing that could have changed it. When ponies stopped playing with "what-if's" Fluttershy asked Celestia the question again. Her answer changed.
"I wouldn't have done anything different," and she said it with a smile.
Fluttershy was ready to go off the handle again, but she felt something moving in her hooves. Harry was... moving his hand? Harry groaned and sat up, opening his eyes. Fluttershy searched her mind for all of the explainations in the world, but couldn't find a single one; not that she cared. She hugged Harry harder than ever before.
"I'm... alive?" Harry asked, realizing what was going on.
"You were never dead," Celestia replied with a smile. "The spell I cast on you only made you appear dead for a brief time. I'm sorry I had to make you go through that Fluttershy."
"But, I don't understand," Fluttershy replied. "What was the point of all of this?"
Discord slunk out of the shadows, and walked up to them bouncing a golden seal in his hands.
"It's like I said, sometimes the worst thing you could do to somepony is give them exactly what they wanted. And you thought it would never work," Discord said smugly to Celestia. Some ponies noticeably cringed at those words.
"What worked?" Harry asked, rubbing his back. It felt like somepony had dropped him off of something and he had landed on a rock. Then Harry noticed one of his classmates walking up to him. He slunk into his shirt.
"Hey Harry," he said, "I know you probably hate me, but hear me out. Maybe we could get drinks sometime, on me. Just think of it as my way of... saying I'm sorry. For everything." There were several other sorry's in the crowd.
"Okay, what happened when I was out and what version of Equestria did I wake up in?"
"The one that you deserve," Celestia whispered in his ear.