//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Honesty Is A Sin // Story: A Reaper's Travels // by KillerSteel //------------------------------// Respectful quiet, besides a few murmurs and whispers, filled the room as gentle candles burned in lanterns, masterfully crafted pedastals holding them up on designs of draconequui and alicorns, hooves and claws against the platform as if holding the weight of the world. Only a few ponies in the room paid these details any mind, however, most of the others staring up at the central platform of the room. An aged stallion made his way up to the platform, his flowing black cloak much too similar to something worn by a collector of souls, a white sash draped over his shoulders and holding the hood of the cloak back. Every clack of his hooves reverberated off the walls of the dimly lit courtroom, holding the attention of everypony there. Upon reaching his seat, he turned to the crowd as he sat down, heavily sighing before speaking. “Court is now in session against the accused, Rainbow Prisma Dash. She has been convicted of over seven hundred counts of murder in the first degree, as well as claims of supporting fanatical claims of genocide in order to ‘preserve the pride of Cloudsdale’.” He gently placed his forehooves on the desk in front of him, shimmering spectacles sitting on his nose. “Is the prosecution ready?” The prosecution, a sharply dressed grey stallion in a red suit, black tie tucked in under his jacket stood up behind his table, two ponies sitting beside him, mulling over papers. A team of professionals tackling yet another day of work, volumes spoken from the prosecution leader's disinterested look. “Yes, Your Honor.” A set of nods came from his equally dressed team, going over numerous pieces of evidence and reports that seemed to reach towards the ceiling. “We’ve been waiting for this.” “Indeed. And is the defense ready?” The solitary pegasus raised her head from the table and looked around. Finding nopony there standing up for her, nopony saying that they were ready to defend her innocence, she simply looked back at the judge and nodded, turning her eyes back to the table. “Very well. May we have the opening statement from the prosecution?” “Yes, Your Honor.” The suited stallion walked into the center of the courtroom, looking around at the ponies assembled there. “Thank you, ladies and gentlecolts, for attending this trial. We have come together to bring the accused, swiftly and absolutely, to justice. Her crimes sit on a stack of a height I’ve not seen in my entire career. Murder, assault, use of weapons, willingful genocide of colts and fillies just starting in their lives.” Gasps echoed around the room, but they seemed hollow, almost expectant of the charges. Rainbow’s ears drooped as her expression became more sorrowful, heart sinking under the weight of his words. “She may look regretful, truly sorry to have taken all those lives, but don’t believe that for a second! She is a heartless killer, and with your help, we will save many lives by seeing her put behind bars.” A murmur rose from the crowd as they all nodded and whispered their agreement in the statement, the prosecutor glancing over at Dash. He simply smirked before turning back to the judge, his expression becoming more serious. “Your Honor, we’ve a long line of witnesses who all have something to say against the defendant, as well as a stack of decisive evidence so high, it amazes me that this trial isn’t already over. If you’d allow me?” The judge nodded. “Call your first witness.” "The prosecution calls Scootaloo to the stand." The words drove a dagger into Rainbow's heart, her eyes going wide as she kept her vision fixed on the table. Her breath shook as a mare stood from the crowd and moved up towards the stand. Despite her hooves hitting the ground, no sound came from the ethereal image, her coat a ghostly light-blue, mane a flowing white mist on her head. She spared a glance to Rainbow before proceeding up to the witness' stand, sitting down and facing the judge. The prosecutor walked over to the stand, offering a sympathetic nod to the mare. "Name and occupation, witness. And do not be afraid to speak freely, you're among friends and protectors here." "Thank you... m-my name is Scootaloo, and my occupation is— well, was, student." She gulped a little and sighed. "Good. Thank you for testifying today, Miss Scootaloo. I am very sorry for your loss, but with your help today, we can put this criminal away and protect many more lives." "I know. Thanks for bringing me." "Mm. Please, tell the court of your ordeal, and don't leave out any details." The prosecutor took a seat and braced himself, taking a deep breath to steel his will. "Alright... it's a pretty hard story to tell, though," Her voice fell off with the last few words. She tried to stay strong among the crowd, a shiver running down her spine as she raised her voice again. "It started during my final exam for school. I was r-really nervous during it, since the judges could be very harsh in their scoring..." The prosecutor raised an eyebrow and levitated over a few documents from his team, giving them a quick lookover. "I understand that Cloudsdale has a near-perfect graduation rate, though." "Yeah, so you can tell why I was nervous. All those eyes watching you while you fly? It could shake up the best of pegasi." "Very understandable. Please, continue." "Right. Um... should I start from when I got there, or...?" The prosecutor gently shook his head. "From wherever you feel most comfortable." "Um..." Scootaloo turned her head slightly, aiming a fearful glance at the table in front of the rainbow-maned demon. "I'll... m-mind if I start after my two friends went?" "Your Honor?" The judge gently shook his head, offering Scootaloo a caring smile. "Take your time, my dear. You are under oath, however. Do your friends have anything to do with this case?" "I can answer that, Your Honor." The judge looked over at the prosecutor, the stallion fidgeting a bit with his tie. "The prosecution can confirm that beyond being victims of the defendant's crime, the exam attempts performed by Orion Starbelt and Aurora Borealis are not relevant to the case at hoof." "Very well. You may continue, witness." "Thank you." Scootaloo gulped, taking a deep breath. "Alright. My turn finally came up. I-I was nervous, but once I started flying, it was all pretty natural. Fly through the loops, break apart the clouds, then ascend and drop, right? Simple stuff." She looked down at the podium, her voice shaking a little. "But my focus isn't the greatest in the world... wh-what lead to me failing that exam was, well... seeing Aurora and Orion on their way back to the judge's platform. Aurora broke her wing during her attempt, and Orion failed the exam on purpose to help her. Seeing them like that... well, it broke my focus. Ran into one of the loops and fell to the clouds below." "I'm sorry to hear that." The prosecutor looked on at the witness with sympathy, bracing himself for what was to come. Things only got worse after this, after all. "'Sorry' doesn't begin to cut it when I felt that metal hit me. It was like a slap across the face... but yeah. After that, we got taken to the carriage, which was being pulled by these four stallions. Don't remember them too well, but they were on the weather factory's payroll to move us." A shiver ran down her back, tail flicking as it hit the base of her spine. "They brought us to a meet-up with another carriage with a couple of black-suited ponies. And one of them was..." Scootaloo grit her teeth and closed her eyes, before her leg moved. A shaking hoof pointed back at the defendant, and the filly opened her eyes, a hint of malice hidden in her sadness. "Her." "The defendant was there to take you away?" "Take me to the factory, yeah. After that, it... it was a nightmare. I'd never seen so much machinery in my life, and when we finally got the auditorium, and, and I saw that gigantic machine..." Her body quaked, wings flitting, as if wanting to fly out and throw her away from this madness. "And all the foals, and then... and then that speech with everypony watching us..." Her breathing sped up, pupils shrinking as her mind flew back to those memories, wings twitching, begging to be used to get her out of the courtroom. A hoof landed on her shoulder, causing the pegasus to almost jump out of her skin. "Witne— Scootaloo, please, calm yourself. You're among friends here, protectors. You don't need to relive every detail." "I'm-I'm sorry, just... th-this is difficult." Scootaloo shuddered, turning her eyes down to the railing of the witness' stand. "I understand. Are you able to continue?" The prosecutor raised his eyebrow a little. The case was his from the beginning, but it was best to get all the facts he could out of his witnesses. "Um..." She gulped, taking a few breaths. She tried to speak, but only a small squeak escaped her mouth as she thought back to the horrors that occurred. The beatings, the crying foals, the announcement that they were all going to die... her forehooves cupped her temples as her ears drooped, eyes widening as she heard Orion's final scream, felt his blood patter over her coat. The filly shuddered and shook her head, clenching her eyes shut and sobbing. "N-No... I'm sorry, I-I can't do this...!" "It's alright. You've done more than what could be asked of you, Miss Scootaloo. Thank you for your time." The stallion gave her a sympathetic nod and looked over his shoulder. "Bailiff, guide her back to her seat, please. Your Honor, if it would please the court, we do have several more witnesses to call that can fill in the gaps." "Very well. Miss Scootaloo, you may leave the stand, and the court thanks you for your time and bravery." The judge offered her a smile as Scootaloo looked up at him, still quivering slightly. "Th-Thank you, Y-Your Honor... um... c-can I go home...?" She whispered, whimpering a little as she looked around. "Of course, my dear. I wish you a pleasant day, and a good future. Again, thank you for your time." Scootaloo simply nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. She looked back down at the floor and laid her forehooves on it, though the shivers never left her body. Tears fell from her eyes as the weight of her loss hung from a hook in her heart, threatening to rip the poor filly's very soul out. Orion... Rainbow looked over at the filly, still shivering in her seat, but thankful that she didn't speak further. It's too much for her to go through... thank Celestia she wasn't forced to speak more... She allowed herself a sigh of relief, but it only made it halfway before getting caught in her throat as another pony entered the small witness area. A familiar butter-yellow coat, a pink mane hiding the mare's features as she went over to Scootaloo, taking her in a gentle hug. Words were exchanged between the two before they turned to head back to their seats. Fluttershy? Rainbow's brow fell in confusion as she watched the two head back beyond the small fence separating the audience from the lawbringers, but she felt something deep inside harden as Fluttershy looked up to meet her eyes. Instead of a calm, collected look of sympathy that might've suited the shy pegasus, her eyes were filled with something much more painful. Malice. Rainbow felt a shiver race up her spine and her heart turn to ice as her eyes locked with Fluttershy's glare, powerful enough to cripple anypony. She shivered, shrinking under her friend's hateful leer before Fluttershy found enough mercy in her heart to break eye contact, letting Dash catch a breath she had no idea she was holding. Rainbow looked down as she exhaled, seeing her breath as a frigid mist. Woah... she... wh-what was that?! It's like she was t-trying to rip my throat out with her eyes! Once the small gate closed behind the two mares, the prosecutor stepped into the middle of the courtroom, looking over the ponies assembled. "Ladies and gentlecolts, just from this witness, you can see the damage the accused has done. We will now call our second witness to the stand, if it would please the court." The judge nodded, stroking his beard with a hoof. "Go ahead, Mr. Gate." Gate took a calming breath, a confident smirk appearing on his face for only a moment before vanishing under his professional guise. "The prosecution would like to call the Honorable Miss Twilight Sparkle to the stand." "Twilight?" Rainbow whispered as she raised her head and looked over at the gate, seeing the librarian open the gate with a flick of her horn and walk through. Surrounding her lavender form was a regal robe suiting a noble, royal purple with a gold trim and sash. It didn't look far from the judge's own garb, the only difference being their colors, and a large, five-pointed star on her back. Four sparks could be seen at its points. "Thank you for your time today, Miss Sparkle. We understand you have taken valuable time out of your day to do this." Gate bowed before the mare as a show of respect. "It's alright, Mr. Gate. I will sacrifice anything to make sure justice is served." Twilight's voice was calm and commanding, power laced into every word. The court audience seemed to sit up a little bit straighter as she spoke, Rainbow raising her head and ceasing her slouch, eyes focused on the mare. "And you don't need to bow to me. I may be the Princess' student, but we are all equal in the court of law." Gate stood back up and chuckled. "Well spoken, Miss Sparkle. Might you be able to fill in the gaps Miss Scootaloo was unable to in her trauma?" "I'm afraid I don't have all the details, but I was a part of the investigation into these activities, and luckily, Miss Scootaloo was able to divulge information to me. I realize this may be seen as speculation by the court, but if you would allow me to speak, I can provide evidence that proves all this to be true." The words rolled off her tongue as easily as items off a checklist. "Very well, Miss Sparkle. You may begin." With a nod from the judge, Twilight took a breath and began to speak. "That day was a true shock for us all, I assure you. To begin, Scootaloo had left Ponyville about two years prior to her final exam, having to finish her schooling before attending this graduation ceremony. Rainbow Dash, her closest friend, was training her in flight, braking and air control, trying to get her up to speed on modern flight techniques and skills so she might pass her exam. I can prove this with about thirty six eye-witness testimonies, twelve of which are available to the prosecution at any time." Twilight looked over at Gate, receiving a nod from the stallion. "It's true. Twelve of the audience members right now can testify to the truth of this matter, claiming to have all seen Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo training together several times a week. All their stories match up as well." Gate and Twilight looked up at the judge, who simply nodded. "The record shows that these testimonies were accepted by police, and do check out. Efficient as expected, Miss Sparkle." "Of course," Twilight said matter-of-factly, before continuing on after another breath. "These lessons involved many advanced techniques, and I'd witnessed many of the lessons myself. Come the day of the exam, I was confident that she would pass, and had calculated her day to the minute. She would go to her classes at seven forty-five AM, a ceremonial practice would occur at Cloudsdale Flare Trail High School as per tradition involving an assembly for all graduating students where they would receive a speech from their teachers at an outside colosseum. After which, the exam would commence, as foals were called up one by one to display their skills. At the latest, I'd calculated that Scootaloo would arrive back home by six PM that same day, and I'd set up the time table for a celebration to fit that time." "Though Miss Scootaloo never arrived?" Gate raised his eyebrow, sitting by his desk as his team passed a few documents to him. "She didn't. It wasn't until that night that I'd heard anything regarding her, and it was from Her Highness, Princess Luna, instead of the accused. I was told that Scootaloo had failed her exam and..." Twilight took pause, steeling herself before speaking. "Was killed for it." "Would you fill us in on details regarding this, please?" Gate spoke as he looked over a document in his hoof, leaning slightly to the side. Twilight's stance barely shifted as she spoke, eyes fixed on the prosecutor. "Right. Thus far, we'd believed that Cloudsdale had a tradition of upholding their pride in skill, and regarded those that failed the final school exam to be unable to carry out the tasks expected of them. As such, they were banished to Camp Earthbound, never allowed to serve in any weather-patrol or control related task or career, and were expected to either live out their lives in poverty, or join the Royal Guard." Her brow fell slightly. "Worst case scenario, I would have seen Scootaloo joining the Guard, along with an influx of mares and stallions." "I'm sure she would have been a proud soldier." Gate placed the document back on the desk. "But that doesn't quite connect to the case, Miss Sparkle." "Simply covering the facts, Mister Gate. Continuing, we'd expected that, after this exam, the students that failed it would be sent to that camp. If Scootaloo didn't return home, then I would have made the trip there to ensure she had a friend nearby. This didn't happen, as evidence would suggest. Everypony was anticipating her success, however, so at two PM on the dot, the party was ready to go." Twilight blinked, stance remaining as neutral as ever. "Four hours passed before ponies started to worry, me especially. At first, I put it down to calculation error, until around ten PM, when three ponies appeared at my door. One of them was the defendant, the other two, escorts of hers." "Escorts, you say? Might we have their names, Miss Sparkle?" Gate looked over at her, his team now sitting at attention, no longer constantly mulling over reports. The entire court was focused on the mare at the center of the room, and it wasn't far off to say she liked the attention. Her happiness didn't show through her mask of professionalism, however. "Their names are Luna, and Reaper." Twilight's ear perked as some of the ponies in the audience started whispering to each other. "I'm aware of the implications of a Princess visiting in the middle of the night, escorting the defendant from work, seemingly. A point to say about the defendant's work schedule is she works about seven or eight months a year in Cloudsdale, then returns to Ponyville for a vacation of sorts. During said vacations, she was as normal as anypony else, but I will speculate that there were breaks in that schedule where she returned either earlier or later than the pattern suggested. During these times, something definitely felt off about her, and she would spend most of her time at home." "Hmm." Gate rubbed his chin a bit before looking up at the judge. "If I might implore the court, Your Honor, this name 'Reaper' intrigues me. The pony named that may have something to do with this case." "You suspect he's not simply a bodyguard to Her Highness?" Gate turned and nodded to the judge, looking pensive at his own claims. "I've my suspicions, Your Honor. It's just something I'd like to confirm." He turned back to Twilight and scanned the crowd behind her, searching for a pony possibly dangerous enough to suit the name 'Reaper'. "Miss Sparkle, if you could inform us as to this pony named 'Reaper'?" Twilight nodded, responding as evenly as ever. "Not to worry, Mister Gate, Reaper doesn't have much to do with this case beyond being the defendant's escort alongside Princess Luna. Her Highness confirms this." "I will seal the facts later, I suppose. Thank you." Gate and Twilight nodded to each other. "Apologies for the interruption, do you mind continuing?" "Not at all. To continue, when the three ponies arrived at my library, I was obviously confused as to who would be arriving at my door so late at night. When Rainbow revealed herself, she brought to light quite a few things I hadn’t known before. She refrained from informing me of critical details to the investigation, but she did tell me one fact that supports what happened.” “And what was that, Miss Sparkle?” The judge raised his eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, examining the noble’s expression with aged eyes. Despite the entire courtroom sitting at full attention and hanging on her every word, Balance wasn’t so easily shifted. “She informed me of her crime.” Twilight’s expression faltered only slightly as she looked down at the pedestal the judge was seated at. After a short pause, her voice came smooth as the rising sun. “She confessed to killing Scootaloo.” At that moment, the courtroom burst into a roar, ponies standing up and letting their rage be known to everypony else. “She confessed?!” “Why are we holding a trial!? This is absurd! Give her the life sentence!” “Lock the criminal up! We have all the evidence we need!” The racket carried on as pony after pony shouted their condemnations and threats to the defendant, Rainbow curling up more and more with the verbal beating getting more enraged. “Order! I will have order!” The judge smashed his gavel on his desk, the cracks of wood against wood splitting the shouting. The noise died down to manageable whispers, then finally died out with a final crack from the gavel. “This is a trial to decide whether the defendant is guilty or not, not for everypony to make random accusations without all the facts being laid out.” Twilight sighed a little and nodded. “Thank you, Your Honor. Continuing, she did confess to me, but I refused to believe it. Despite two weeks of investigating, we,” Twilight’s voice fell off, losing its strength. “Still haven’t found a body. Despite that, Rainbow’s confession, on top of numerous witness claims, provide more than enough evidence.” Balance sighed a bit, leaning back to his proper sitting posture. “We will decide that in due time, Miss Sparkle.” “Of course. That’s all I have to say, Your Honor.” Twilight ended her words with a nod. Balance nodded back, keeping his professional expression unshakeable. “Thank you, Miss Sparkle. You may leave the stand.” With that, Twilight turned about-face and walked out, bypassing the frightened pegasus without a glance. Even so, Rainbow’s eyes were set on Twilight’s face, trying to seek out some compassion, some fleeting sympathy for her case, even after it had been destroyed in front of her. If there was a case to destroy in the first place. The room remained silent with the soft ‘click clack’ of Twilight’s hooves, even spending a few moments more in a held breath as she took her seat. The atmosphere relaxed with the noble finally seated, and Gate adjusted his tie. The silence was thankfully let go with a cough into his hoof. “The prosecution has two more witnesses to call, Your Honor. If you’d allow me?” Balance nodded, gesturing for the prosecutor to go ahead. “Very well, Mister Gate.” “Right. The prosecution would like to call Miss Rarity, who was the first mare to meet with the defendant on the night of the crime.” Rainbow’s ears perked at the mention, some little speck of hope reaching up from the dark. Rarity. She’ll help, won’t she? Her eyes turned back to the crowd to see her friend getting up from her seat and moving forward, only something was strange about the typically haughty, snooty mare. Her nose was turned up slightly, sure, but her eyes seemed sorrowful, and covering her bright, alabaster coat was the black dress and smock of a funeral-goer. Her trot was slow and purposeful, finally coming to a stop at the witness’ stand. Gate’s mouth opened, only for him to be cut off by the mare. “Your Honor, I’ve a request.” Rarity’s voice came through as strong as ever, a few ponies sitting up a bit straighter. The judge raised his eyebrow, perplexed. “Very well. What’s your request?” “I would like to defend Miss Dash.” Gate blinked hard at the words, baffled by the request. “I’m, I’m sorry, Miss Rarity, what? You want to defend the defendant?” Rarity remained unmoved, keeping her focus on the judge, as if the prosecutor wasn’t worth her glance. “This case is hardly fair as she doesn’t have a defense to speak of. It’s only right to give her a chance.” Gate cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, furrowing his brow a bit. “That isn’t really how it works, Miss Rarity.” Rarity’s eyes turned to the prosecutor, cold as ice as she spoke. “As I understand it, a trial is to have a judge, a prosecution, and a defense. This began without a critical part of the process, and I intend to fill the gap.” Gate could feel the venom dripping from Rarity’s voice, her pointed glare forcing him back. She turned back to the judge, regaining her modicum of decency and poise. “Your Honor, is there a problem with this?” “Miss Dash entered this trial without a defense, Miss Rarity, and thanks to Miss Sparkle’s testimony, we see this was for a reason. I don’t see a point in allowing you to defend her, unless you have a strong case to support her innocence?” "I do, Your Honor. Something about my meeting with the defendant, now my client, felt quite off." Gate raised his eyebrow, looking from Rarity to Rainbow, then back again. "And what would that be, Miss Rarity? I believe the evidence we need has already been submitted—" "My testimony is still valid, and I need to put this point forward." Rarity lowered her brow slightly and leered sidelong at Gate. "And if you would cease your interruptions, I could /get/ that point forward." With a sigh and a nod from the prosecutor, as well as a slight roll of the eyes, Rarity took in a breath and levelled her voice. "I will be honest in that Twilight's claims are... true. But one fact has been left out in the confession laid down by my client." "And what would that be?" Balance placed his hooves together and raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued by the point. "Rainbow Prisma Dash was not in her right mind during the, er... crime. When she was speaking to me, she was clearly guiltful of her actions, and even under certain stresses, she never backed down from her confession. The point I'm putting forward is during her confession to me." Rarity shook her head a little and sighed. "It's dreadful that things came to this... but she was under the influence of a chemical substance given to her by her employers." "A chemical...? What?" Gate blinked and went back to his table, quickly shuffling through a set of files. "But... wait, here it is. Blood tests, presence of... a psychosis-inducing substance? Yes, and this was present in many of the other arrests as well." "Indeed. I put forward that Rainbow merely acted under the influence of this drug, and cannot be claimed willful and wanting in this crime. She wasn't in the right state of mind." The court filled with murmurs and whispers between the ponies of the crowd, all rather concerned with the turn of events. Rainbow's own heart lifted, and she sat up a bit straighter, unable to hold down the growing smile on her face. Until a certain voice rose above the crowd... "Rarity! Are you crazy?!" Rarity jumped at the outcry, spinning around and facing the crowd. "Huh? F-Fluttershy, what are you doing—" At that moment, a butter-yellow pegasus rushed onto the floor, face to face with the unicorn and steaming with rage. "You come up here and try to support the innocence of a murderer, and you're asking ME what I'm doing!?" "Fluttershy, dear, calm down!" "No!" Fluttershy shrieked and stomped the floor, teeth grit hard enough to scrape fragments of bone off. "I'm not going to calm down when one of my best friends, one of the Elements of Harmony, sticks up for a killer!" "She's not a killer, Fluttershy!" "Then explain why Scootaloo's dead! Why all those other foals are dead!" Fluttershy's voice rose with every word, snorting hard. "Tell me who did it if it wasn't Rainbow!" "She wasn't thinking correctly, Fluttershy!" Rarity responded, trying hard to match Fluttershy's sheer volume and power. The court rose up as well, getting into argument after argument about what was going on, but it all drowned out in Rainbow's mind, mixed with the bashing of a gavel... the only two voices that registered at all were of her two friends. The one protecting her, and the other... "I don't care! Because of her, because of that stupid pegasus, over three hundred foals are never going to see their families again! You could tell me that it was her evil half-sister, and I STILL wouldn't care! She killed them! She stood there and watched as they got grinded up in that massive metal abomination!" Fluttershy turned and glared daggers at Rainbow, the sheer malice sending the rainbow-maned pony tumbling from her chair. "You did it, Rainbow Dash! And there's no turning from it!" Rainbow couldn't stop her trembling as Fluttershy approached, the air of a murderous predator all around her as her hooves grew in power with each stomp. "You did it. You killed them all. Nothing can take you away from that, and nothing will make you that innocent little pony we all thought you were!" "F-F-Fluttershy, stop! You-You're scaring me!" Rainbow squealed as the wood literally broke under Fluttershy's final stomp, tucking her tail between her legs. "YOU SHOULD BE, YOU MURDERER!" The courtroom fell into silence with the shriek, all eyes set on the furious pegasus. The flames on the candles seemed to go out, the temperature in the room dropping further and further under the frigid hate of the gentlest pony in Equestria, or, whatever malicious entity currently wore her form. "You should be scared of me! Of every single pony in this room! You know why!?" "Wh... w-why...? F-Fluttershy, please, stop..." "No. You should be scared of us, because every single pony here? They all lost somepony. They all lost their daughters, sons, brothers and sisters, all because of a stupid exam, led by stupid teachers, where the failed students are killed by stupid, prideful monsters." Fluttershy's glare intensified, almost strong enough to blow a hole in Rainbow's head. "And they want for you what they want for every single other pony who was a part of all this. The death sentence." "Wh-What? W-Wait, Fluttershy, please, y-you don't need to kill me! I'll cooperate! I'll t-tell them everything, I'll confess to everything! Just, please, don't hate me!" Fluttershy's face softened into a look of cold hate, frowning. "I'm way beyond that, Dash. I'm this close to strangling you in front of everypony, just so they can see your dead body and actually sleep at night." She took another step forward, a cruel grin appearing on her face. "In fact, I should. It'd let them all enjoy the peace of mind that the murderer of their children, of their families, is long gone from this world..." "Fluttershy! Wait! STOP!" Rainbow could only scream as her best friend lunged at her, as her hooves locked around her throat, and with the pressure of a hydra's jaw clamped around her windpipe... Only to have the pressure leave her, Fluttershy yanked off and dragged away by the bailiff. "Stop! Let me go!! She needs to die, everypony needs to see it!" "Shut it! There aren't gonna be any more murders on my watch!" The bailiff barked back, Fluttershy thrashing as she was pulled along by her tail. Eventually, a slam of two doors silenced the screams and fuming wails, leaving a stunned crowd, and a horrified Rainbow Dash, in bitter silence. Judge Balance finally regained his balance with a heavy sigh, wiping his brow slightly. "Right... Miss Rarity, um, your defense?" Balance blinked and scanned the platform, finding no white mare in sight. With a hum of thought, he leaned forward slightly, finding a hint of purple tail out from under the defendant's bench. He simply shook his head at the sight and, with a single half-hearted crack of his gavel against the pedastal, all focus was back on him. "Apologies, everypony. The mare will be dealt with by the police... as for this trial, I believe we have everything we need for a verdict, and I've all I need for a sentence." He turned and looked over at Rainbow, huddled up into a ball in the corner with a hoof over her neck, traumatized. "Erm... Miss Sparkle, if you're still present - apologies for this outburst, and subsequent request - might you help Miss Dash to the witness' stand?" After a time, the noble stood up and walked towards the platform, a few glances paid along the way back to the double doors, as if a demon of a pony might break through them and try to kill everypony. "Right, of course. And don't apologize, Your Honor, happy to help." She walked over to Rainbow and held a hoof out. "Come along, Rainbow Dash." Still breathing heavily, Rainbow looked down at the lavender hoof, then traced it back up to her friend, setting her eyes on the purple orbs of the noble. In those pupils, so full of knowledge and patience, there sadly wasn't a speck of sympathy to be found. Rainbow's ears drooped and she took Twilight's hoof, being hauled up and guided over to the stand, where she would hear her fate be spelled out to her. "Rainbow Prisma Dash, this court finds you guilty on three hundred seventy nine counts of first degree murder, criminal negligence, traitorous acts towards your country and your Element, and gross misconduct in the company of minors. You are hereby sentenced to a quadruple life sentence in the maximum security area of Manehatten Holding, without parole or appeal. Court is adjourned." With a final crack of the gavel, Rainbow's fate was sealed, and all she could do was fall onto her rump, hide her face behind hooves, and cry her heart out. The dark of the library’s main lobby greeted Rainbow silently as she opened her eyes, still feeling a thin stream of tears running down her cheeks. A few blinks helped clear away the mist, but the misery in her heart clouded everything else. That’s how it’d end, huh? A life sentence, with my friends either hating me... or trying to hurt me. Not like I don’t deserve it. After a minute or so of soaking in the warmth of the blanket over her, Rainbow lifted her head and scanned the room. It was early in the morning, rays of the sun starting to peek in through the windows, revealing a midnight-blue alicorn sleeping in a chair, and Reaper flopped on the floor, snoring for all he was worth. Rainbow scoffed at the sight, mumbling about his laziness before hauling herself off the couch. Every hoofstep felt tied to a ball of lead as she dragged herself to the kitchen, the mother of all headaches pounding away in her head. "Need some water..." Her voice was barely louder than her leaden, soft hoofsteps, but she held enough strength to get a glass and fill it with water. Her drinking was labored, like her stomach couldn't take anything into it, not even the life-giving substance passing her lips. Several times, a ghost would flash into her mind and flip her stomach upside down, forcing her to put the glass down and take a few dry gulps to calm down her upset gut. Still, with enough effort, the water ran down her throat and cooled her body, the headache thankfully ebbing to the point where she could think straight. Leaving the glass next to the sink, she went over to the table and hopped up on one of the chairs, staring down at the plaid table cloth, slowly following the black paths strung together between red roads surrounding white blocks. Like the roadmap of a city, uniform and bland. What am I gonna do? With how Fluttershy reacted, and Rarity, and Twilight... even Squ— Her mind stalled on the familiar nickname, almost causing her to gag by just how awful it felt to think it. Scootaloo. It's like Fluttershy said... I'm a murderer. A cold-blooded waste-of-space murderer. How could I possibly break all this to my closest friends, let alone everypony in town? Her eyes lifted slowly to the window in the wall, the night sky still visible beyond the dark pink drawn by the morning sun. How can I tell anypony...? It'd just hurt them... it'd hurt me...) "What're you doin' up?" The voice caused Rainbow to jump and whip her head around to the doorway, seeing the black-cloaked spirit leaning against the doorframe, shining blue eyes locked on her own magenta orbs. She slowly calmed down and looked back at the table cloth, sighing as her ears splayed back. "I can't do this, Reaper." Rainbow shook her head and closed her eyes, slouching. "I just... can't hurt them with this." "So that's it? After a dragon strangles you and your friend beats you up, you quit?" Reaper groaned and rolled his eyes. "Spine of a skiyer, I swear." His words lead into silence, Reaper looking at the other side of the doorframe. He furrowed his brow after a while, mouth tilting up at the side. What, no retort? No insult in return? Just... quiet? He looked back over at the table to find Rainbow simply staring at the table, a grim smile on her face. "...Yeah. Yeah, Reaper... that is it. That's all I've got." She chuckled with all the enthusiasm of somepony having their throat slit. "I give... I can't do it. I just can't tell them..." Reaper blinked, staring at the pegasus for the longest time. After a while, he simply shook his head and moved off the doorframe, walking over to her. "So, in that case..." "Lock me up." Reaper raised an eyebrow at the words, staring incredulously at Dash. "What?" "You heard me, Reaper. Lock me up. Put me in a cell and throw away the key. Bury me in Canterlot's dungeon and never let me see Celestia's sun again." Rainbow's mane threw a shade over her eyes, the smile growing slightly. "I'm a killer, after all... I'm a danger to everypony around me. I belong in jail." Reaper scoffed, smirking a bit himself. "This is kinda creepy coming from you, lady." He placed his hands on his hips, looking down on her with all the confidence of an executioner. "And why should I, when I could just take you out now?" Rainbow's next words set Reaper's smirk into a faltering frown, as his brow furrowed hard. "If you don't... then I'll just do it myself." The room fell into silence again as Reaper's hands fell to his sides, honest surprise on his face. A scowl soon crossed it, before it faded into a simple frown, voice dripping with resentment. "So ready to throw yourself off a cliff, huh?" "I killed over three hundred fifty kids, Reaper... and I remember every single one. All their faces... all their voices..." Rainbow's hooves rose up to her temples, pressing down as she curled up and placed her elbows on the table, trembling. "I remember them all... and their screams rip through my head like a drill... they're gonna drive me insane. I can't add my friends, my closest friends' voices to that pile... I'm... I'm too close to the edge as is, I can't do it...") Reaper folded his arms and turned, leaning on the table with his hip. "So you're just gonna go quietly into the night, is that it? Leave all your friends behind?" "It's all I can do, Reaper." "And leave them without the truth?" "Somepony'll tell them. It doesn't have to be me..." "They'll wonder why you're gone." "Who cares?" "They do." Rainbow's teeth grit, snorting a little. "So what? Why do I have to tell them? Just because I made a promise?" Reaper shrugged, keeping his voice as level as ever. A smile even crossed his face, the kind of smile a used car dealer wore at the end of a sale. "I'd say that's pretty good reasoning, if friendship's anything to believe." Rainbow's hooves fell to the table as she looked up at him, brow furrowed behind her mane. A glare so powerful, that it only put more force behind her words. "I. Don't. Care. I don't care about holding this promise anymore. I don't care about telling everypony! It's just... it's better they don't know." "Hmph. From a brave pegasus to a little, whiny brat, huh?" "You try killing so many kids and see how you like it." Rainbow's eyes widened as a sick smile crossed Reaper's face, his eyes lighting up in good memory. "Oh, but Miss Dash... I have. In the employ of the Princess, I've killed a whole lot more ponies than you could ever hope." His smile faded into a frown as he looked away, exuding disinterest. "It's gotten to the point where I don't feel it anymore. But at one point, I did feel how you do, so I can understand where you're coming from." Rainbow's body shook as her wings flitted, suddenly feeling the weight of being around a serial murderer. "You've killed... kids?" "Kids. Adults. Grandparents. Families. Murdered, killed, slaughtered, genocided if you think it's a word. It's part of my work... something I've been doing for a long time." Reaper hefted himself up onto the table and sighed, placing his hands on the table. "Murder's a hefty crime, Rainbow. And you can't just let it get swept under the rug. Like any crime, you need a way to repent, especially for one this big. If you can't tell your friends, then come up with something else." "What're you talking about?" "I'm saying, if you can't fulfill this promise... try one you can achieve." "Why's a killer telling me this, anyway? Wh-Why're you even with the Princess...?" Reaper smirked, chuckling. "Live long enough, and you just might find out. But for now, start thinking on how to make it up to everyone you're abandoning. If you come up with something good... maybe Miss Scootaloo will back it up." With a smooth motion, he hopped off the table and headed back into the lobby, sitting down in one of the chairs. Within seconds, the droll of his snore filled the air once more, and he was out. Rainbow's eyes followed him with every step, his words rolling in her head. She turned back to the table after the sound of his snoring hit her ears, and her eyes half-closed in thought. "Find another way, huh?" Her hoof brushed over the cloth of the table as she pondered, focusing on the patterns in front of her. “Another way... some way I could let them all know at once, without having to tell them.” She leaned over and placed her head on a raised hoof, her heartbeat gently thumping in her ears. But how can I manage that? What could I do? I can’t just write out a letter saying I’m sorry... Her eyes lit up at the thought, passing the words through her mind a few more times. A letter? A letter... a written confession. She blinked and looked up towards the window, peering outside into the street beyond. “That’s it...” She whispered, sitting up straight and allowing a small smile on her face. “A written confession... with that, I could pass the news along to everypony. To Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, and everypony else. At least then, I wouldn’t have to be around...” Her smile faded at the thought, eyes turning back down to the table cloth. “Just... hoof them the letter, then run away with my tail between my legs.” She sighed, ears drooping. “I’m such a coward... can’t even fess up to my own crimes.” Her eyes closed and she grit her teeth, crumpling the table cloth under her clenching hoof. “Maybe I should just go away... never see them again...” “That wouldn’t be much better, would it?” Rainbow gasped at the voice, spinning around to face the source as her eyes shot wide. Sitting there in the door frame was a sight all too familiar to her. “Scootaloo?” “Yeah. I’ve been following you all since you started...” Scootaloo sat down and leaned against the door frame, brushing some purple locks out of her view. “You’re brave, Rainbow... you took responsibility and confessed to your friends.” “It’s not enough, though. I promised I’d confess to everypony... to Twilight, Fluttershy, AJ, all of them. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, too.” Dash turned her eyes away from her little sister, staring down at the floor as she hung a foreleg over the back of her chair. “And even with that, I can’t work up the spine to do it...” Scootaloo shook her head, looking on at Rainbow’s forlorn expression. “Murder’s a difficult crime to confess to. You’ve already done it for Spike, Rarity and Pinkie, right?” “Yeah, and Spike and Pinkie threatened to kill me. Pinkie even tried to.” Rainbow furrowed her brow and shook her head, dejected. “What would AJ do? Twilight? And I couldn’t bear to confess to Fluttershy... she can barely handle one of Pinkie’s pranks. How would she react to me confessing a bunch of murders?” “Probably the same way I would.” Scootaloo jumped at the new presence while Rainbow just grit her teeth harder, eyes closing as she turned her head towards the window. She just let out a defeated sigh as the lavender mare walked into the kitchen, stopping a distance away from Dash. Twilight simply looked over the beaten pegasus’ mane, trying to sound as neutral and level as possible as she spoke. “Princess Luna told me everything...” “She did, huh?” Rainbow moved her foreleg off the back of the chair and placed it back on the table in front of the other, leaning on her legs as she looked outside. “Guess she did the job for me...” “Why’d you do it, Rainbow?” Twilight furrowed her brow slightly, a frown growing on her face. “Why’d you kill them? Turn them into rainbows? Even agree to do all this in the first place?” “...Couldn’t say. It was a long time ago when I was offered the job, and like a smart bunch of crooks, they started me off easy.” Rainbow brushed a hoof back through her mane, sighing. “Clean-up duty, managing doses... the grunt that ran around and did stuff.” “That doesn’t answer the question.” “I’m trying to answer it, Twilight... though, while I do.” Dash raised her head, sitting up a little more straight. “I know this is crazy, and I know you’ll say no... but can you help me with writing something?” Twilight’s eyes widened slightly at the request, jaw hanging for a moment before she shook her head and spoke. “What?” “Writing something? Write what, Rainbow?” Scootaloo blinked in confusion, walking up beside Rainbow. The spectre sat down next to her idol, looking up at her. Rainbow took a breath, and furrowed her brow as she put some proper authority into her voice, ears perking up as she spoke. “A letter. Five of them. And each one’s gonna be addressed to a different pony.” Twilight sputtered, brow shooting down as she glared at her ‘friend’. “W-Why would I help you write letters? Why would I—” “Because it’s the only way to do this, Twilight. You already know about my crimes... and this is how I’m gonna atone for them.” Twilight snorted, raising her voice. “No! What’re these letters even going to accomplish!?” She blinked as Dash barely moved from the words, an eyebrow rising slightly as she heard the mare’s next words, Scootaloo watching on with rising interest, as well as worry. “They’re going to accomplish everything I promised...” Dash turned back to Twilight, a firm fire in her eyes as her brow furrowed, a purpose finally having settled in her mind to bring everything to a close. “And they’re going to be addressed to five ponies specifically. You’re one of them.” “Why me?” Twilight raised her eyebrow fully, relenting. “Because you’re one of my friends, and one of the ponies I still need to confess to. And I am going to confess to you... and you’re going to write that confession down, and copy it.” Rainbow’s leer softened, her frown quivering slightly as she maintained her composure. “And the copies are gonna go to Fluttershy, AJ, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Twilight’s own expression softened as her ears splayed back. “Fluttershy? And both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?” Rainbow shook her head. “No. One for Fluttershy, and one for both of the Crusaders.” “Then what about the last one?” “That one’s gonna be addressed to your brother.” Twilight’s eyes widened in shock as Rainbow mentioned her brother. “Shining Armor... I’m confessing to him, and turning myself in.” “Confessing to him?” Twilight furrowed her brow slightly at Rainbow. “Yeah. Confessing to you guys is because you all deserve to know what happened. Confessing to Armor is because the country deserves to know what happened...” Rainbow looked back to the window, staring up at the sky. “The world deserves to know what happened. I don’t want to take any more lives, and I don’t want them to be able to.” “Rainbow...” Scootaloo looked on at the same spot in the sky as her idol, smiling lightly. She looked back at Dash, nodding. She placed a hoof on Rainbow’s and leaned up, the mare turning to face her. “This takes a lot of bravery, Rainbow Dash, and I’m glad to see that hasn’t gone anywhere.” Rainbow’s ears drooped as she looked on at the ethereal little sister she used to have, a solemn look on her face. “It’s never gonna be enough... but I want to give back to you, and to everypony else. I know I’m taking the coward’s way out, but...” “Rainbow, you’re doing what you need to. It’s not telling it to their faces, and I know that seems like running away in your eyes... but they need to know. They need to know, and you’re not leaving them out.” Scootaloo smiled brightly and squeezed Rainbow’s hoof gently, her gentle gaze set on the saddened eyes of her big sister. “You’re keeping your promise... and with your help, nopony will ever fear the exam again.” Rainbow looked back up at her, and nodded gently. “Right. Thanks...” “Um... you’re welcome?” Twilight tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrow, confused as to why Rainbow was talking to thin air. “Yeah.” Rainbow looked back to Twilight as an orange shimmer appeared in the air for just a moment, Twilight blinking in surprise at the spectre. “Twilight, I need your help with this. You know I’m not a good writer, and I wanna make sure this is read clearly from the first go. Five copies of the letter to be delivered to Armor, you, Fluttershy, AJ, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. That’s all I need... and then I’ll leave.” Twilight blinked at her, ears drooping slightly as she looked into Rainbow’s eyes. Purpose shined brightly in them, her brow furrowed and a confident smile on her face. She’s really set in this... she’s murdered so many ponies, and she still looks like she can make everything right. She sighed slightly before nodding. Her horn flared up with a purple aura, and several pieces of parchment, as well as an ink pot and quill, popped into existence next to her. She set quill to ink and retrieved the first piece of parchment, laying the rest on the table as she walked over to it and sat down in her chair. “Alright, Rainbow. Start from the beginning.” Rainbow nodded, and as she spoke, Twilight acted as her scribe, writing down every last thing she said. “I, Rainbow Prisma Dash, confess to crimes committed in the employment of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation's Cloudsdale-based weather factory, called the Rainbow Factory. During my employment there, by order of supervisors and upper management on the second floor, I've killed no less than three hundred twenty eight foals, and assisted in the murder of a hundred more. I have also aided in cover up operations, using my rank in Equestria's circles to better assist the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation in hiding the deaths of these foals by giving them a route into newspapers and prominent government figures' own social circles. I confess and plead guilty to every crime, and will fully accept my given punishment from the court." Twilight finished up the letter, looking it over a few times. “This is... surprisingly well worded of you, Rainbow.” “I can’t write, but ponies’ve always told me I’ve got a way with words.” Dash scoffed a little, smiling grimly. “Guess that’d be why I got brought on as one of their cover-up artists.” “Mm. Alright, I’ll copy all this down and send you all on your way.” Twilight set to work writing everything down, making sure to copy each word exactly. “I’ll deliver these myself, Twilight. Just keep one for yourself.” Rainbow looked on at her friend, getting a curt nod in return. “And... I’m sorry.” Twilight didn’t even look up from her letter, eyes half-lidded in focus. “Sorry can’t make up for this, Rainbow. It never will... and you know that.” Rainbow looked down at the table, nodding. “I do, yeah.” “But...” Twilight stopped writing, looking up at Rainbow and placing her quill back in the ink pot. “I will say this. Confessing to your crimes, and helping Armor with catching the others... there’s a lot of criminals out there who would turn tail and run after doing even a fraction of what you did. Nopony’s ever going to forgive you... but they will be brought closure at the very least.” “That’s all I can do, Twilight. And leave some room on the letters, there’s some notes I wanna send along with all these.” “Sure thing. Just give me the notes after I’ve copied everything down.” “Right...” The two worked long and hard on the letters, Rainbow conveying special messages to the recipients of the letters, and with the copying completed, she set out with Reaper and Princess Luna to hoof-deliver the letters to their recipients. The first pony visited was Fluttershy, her letter left in the mailbox on the road and a swift leave made by Rainbow Dash to insure she was never seen. The next was Applejack’s house at Sweet Apple Acres, two of the letters delivered to Apple Bloom with regret in Rainbow’s eyes. A promise was made to give one of the letters to Applejack, and for the other to only be read when Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were together, before Rainbow made her leave. The look of horrendous regret in her eyes was all the news Apple Bloom needed to know the letter was dangerous, but she kept to her promise anyways, meeting with Sweetie Belle later that day. Twilight sat on her couch, the sun hanging off to the side as the afternoon drew close to evening, and she looked out her window to see Rainbow, Reaper and Princess Luna walking down the street like a funeral march, ponies all around looking on at the strangely robed figures. Nopony stood in their way, but the murmurring and questions of their purpose rose up amongst the villagers. She merely looked back down at the letter in her hoof, unravelling it and beginning to read it aloud to herself, only pausing at the note which seemed all-too-new there. “Wait a minute... I didn’t write this.” She furrowed her brow and looked down at the note, a little P.S written in striking font and with no concept of space management or cleanliness. “Note for Twilight Sparkle: Twilight, I know there’s no way I could ever make this up to anypony. I know it’s impossible to bring back all the lives I took, and all the families I destroyed, whether I was in my right mind or not. Those crimes are what I’m going to confess to in court, and I’ll take any and every punishment they give me. I know I’m never going to see you again, so I just wanted to say this. Before I met you, I was an egotistical, stubborn donkey’s butt of a pegasus. I was mean to ponies, I always gave my accomplishments the spotlight before anypony else, and I hurt more ponies than I even knew could be hurt. But when you came into my life, along with Rarity, and AJ and Pinkie Pie, you all changed me. You showed me what it meant to have a group of friends to depend on. Fluttershy’s always been good to me, but I never told her anything past little problems I was having. Boy trouble, or stress, or just being mad about something. She was always there, but having you guys around, I had a way to talk about my bigger problems. Whether I was good enough to be a friend, what my Element meant, and even learning about friendship itself. I know I can’t say sorry. But I want to say thank you, for always being there for me, and for the rest of us. I know we never really got along, Twilight, but you’re one of the best friends I’ve had in my whole life, and even though I know you hate me now, know that I’ll always hold you close to my heart. Have a good life, Twilight. And sorry for writing this behind your back... I didn’t want the goodbye to be longer than it was. With a whole lot of love and pride, Rainbow Prisma Dash.” Twilight leaned back in her couch, staring at the note in the letter. Rainbow... ohhh, darn it, Rainbow... She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, placing the letter on her lap as she stared into the darkness behind her eyelids. There in her sight sat a proud Rainbow Dash, relaxing in her tree as she always did, flashing that confident grin at her. The image faded away as Twilight opened her eyes, and the tears that were held back for so long finally began their rolling down her cheeks. “You can’t be forgiven... but I know you’ll be a great help for Shining. Good luck...”