"Alright, I'm here," Rainbow Dash announced as she entered the library through the window. "Let's get this party started!"
Twilight chuckled. Some day, she was going to have to teach that pegasus about doors. "Settle down, Rainbow Dash. Spike, show her Celestia's letter?"
Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were muttering to one another, while Fluttershy drooped a hoof around a downcast Sanguine and reassured her, "It'll be okay. Twilight isn't mad at you."
Twilight glanced at Fluttershy and Sanguine. Actually, Twilight was still ticked off - the time had given her anger a chance to simmer down, and for her to identify exactly why she objected so strongly to Sanguine's antics that morning. But Twilight would not let that anger control her, especially not on something this important.
Rainbow Dash fluttered down to Spike and glanced over the parchment he displayed to her. "Blah blah 'wrong' blah 'silly fillies' blah blah blah 'remand judgment'..." She blinked, then looked up at Twilight. "So she's yours now?"
Twilight nodded. "That's what this is about. Now that we're all here..." She walked a short distance away to an unoccupied part of the floor, then turned back and sat facing the crowd. "Spike, if you would?"
Spike cleared his throat. "Hear ye, hear ye! The court of Princess Twilight Sparkle is now in session! All be seated!"
Applejack sat down. "The who in the what now?"
The others followed suit except for Rainbow Dash, which earned her a glare from Twilight and a yank on the tail from Applejack, pulling the pegasus's rear to the ground. Rainbow Dash's protest died in her throat as a wave of raw power washed over her. Spike flinched, almost bowled over from the invisible but ineffable pressure.
Twilight now hovered, surrounded by a purple-white aura. Her eyes blazed like twin white stars, and her lips were set firm. Every strand of her mane and tail - no, every feather and strand of fur on her body seemed to radiate its own subtle power.
Fluttershy looked around. She could feel Twilight's presence in every direction, though she could not see where. Looking close, she noticed the room had gotten a bit darker, with occasional warps in the air, like short-lived watery prisms. Glancing out the window, she saw the effect was limited to the room. And while Fluttershy was no unicorn, when she turned her silent examination on the alicorn body in front of her, it looked empty somehow, as if Twilight was manipulating it from the outside. If it was Twilight that now filled the room, Fluttershy hoped Twilight could get back inside her own skin. She also hoped Twilight was safe to breathe, though none of her friends seemed to be immediately suffocating or coughing.
Rarity was of two minds. On the one hoof, the imperious look was actually not that useful for socializing. Useful for formal occasions, true, but usually when the subtleties of decor went right out the window. Twilight could be sitting in a pig sty and still command attention and respect like this. On the other, an aura like that would make a perfect accessory - if Rarity could figure out how to duplicate it without being disrespectful. She wondered if Twilight would be willing to pose like this while Rarity studied.
Rainbow Dash had been contemplating the kiss. The moment the wave hit, her wings went up and her mind went blank. Her intended retort left her mouth hanging open until Applejack nudged it shut.
Applejack gave a small nod of approval. It seemed that Twilight was finally starting to get comfortable with her new station. Now Applejack would see how she used her power.
Pinkie Pie got new inspiration for streamers. They would later prove essential in thwarting a changeling army attempting to devour all friendship, but that is another story.
"THE CONDEMNED WILL NOW STEP FORWARD!" Twilight's voice echoed, and none doubted it would have been audible in the middle of a stampede even if it somehow did not deafen. She pointed imperiously at a spot on the floor in front of her, where she projected a gently glowing purple circle.
Fluttershy leaned over to Rarity and muttered, "Pretty."
"Yes," Rarity muttered back, "but the Royal Canterlot Voice is a bit much."
"I'm sure it's for Sanguine's sake."
"Hmm, I suppose." Rarity leaned away to forestall any response. Even among friends, at a time like this such side conversations could be dangerous if carried on too long, and something in the air felt especially dangerous to Rarity just then.
Sanguine hesitantly stepped into the circle, head bowed.
"STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD," Twilight's voice boomed. While her lips moved, they were slightly out of sync, as if her mouth was just pretending to speak.
"Sanguine Spray."
Twilight's eyes were locked on Sanguine's, though it was impossible to tell where her pupils were pointed - or if she still had any. "DO YOU PLEAD GUILTY TO YOUR CRIMES, AND TO THOSE ACTS WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN USED FOR?"
"I do."
"UP TO AND INCLUDING, JUST THIS MORNING, AWAKENING THAT WHICH WAS NEVER TO BE AWAKENED, AND THE GENERAL DESTRUCTION ATTENDANT UPON ITS RECAPTURE?"
Sanguine winced, but had to admit to herself that "general destruction" was accurate. Who knew a cabbage could do so much damage? Although perhaps the things she knocked down and over in her eagerness to catch it had contributed. "I do."
"KNOW THAT JUDGMENT UPON YOU IS OURS NOW." Twilight pointed to herself. "WE DECIDE IF YOU SHALL LIVE OR DIE. WE HAVE OBSERVED YOUR ACTIONS SINCE YOUR ARRIVAL, AND WE KNOW YOUR HISTORY. WE HAVE JUDGED YOUR ATTEMPT AT REHABILITATION, ITS SUCCESSES AND ITS FAILURES. WE KNOW YOUR HEART." She looked across her friends, noticing that Rainbow Dash was building tension despite having her tail held down by Applejack. "WE RESCIND CELESTIA'S COMMANDS UPON YOU, STARTING WITH HER FORBIDDANCE OF SUICIDE. YOUR SENTENCE IS..."
Sanguine gulped.
"...COMMUTED."
Rainbow Dash's retort - a defense of Sanguine against the inevitable execution order - finally broke free of her stun just as she processed Twilight's words. A moment of desire to charge forward, followed by a moment realizing she should stop because her defense was no longer relevant, wound up planting her face on the floor.
"YOU ARE FREE TO GO. THE COURT'S SECRETARY SHALL NOW INFORM CELESTIA AND LUNA THAT YOUR PAST CRIMES ARE BEYOND FURTHER JUSTICE."
Smiling, Spike pulled out two small prepared scrolls and incinerated them, one at a time.
"THIS COURT IS ADJOURNED!" Power washed back into Twilight, as if she was inhaling the very fabric of the universe, and soon she was a normal alicorn sitting on the floor again.
Sanguine just stood there, uncertain if she should faint.
"Yaaay!" Pinkie ran up and hugged Sanguine. "You beat the rap!"
Sanguine blinked. "You're...letting me go?"
"Mm-hmm!" Twilight nodded. "I don't think you're a danger to anypony. Not any more than most ponies, anyway."
"But...but I'm..."
"In control, aware of your flaws, and ready to live as normal a life as you can have," Twilight listed. "Any pony you might kill is honestly at risk of...well, let's just say your actions will result in a net gain to the welfare of all ponies involved, compared to what would happen if you did not intervene, and leave it at that."
Pinkie, still hugging Sanguine, gave Twilight a look. "That's a mouthful. Why not just say she'll make things better?"
"Th...thank you...Twilight!" Sanguine once again found herself on the cusp of tears.
Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. "There's just one problem: adventuring isn't a steady career. What will you do for bits?"
"Actually ah had an idea on that," Applejack noted. "Appleloosa's sheriff's an Apple, an' we'd traded letters before. He's been pressin' fer a bounty system t' be set up, so's we can do more'n chase criminals outta one town only fer them to show up in another. Turns out that necromancer'd been up to a few other dirty deeds. Ah hinted to th' sheriff that Sanguine here was a little more responsible than she let on. He says there've been other problems of late, but he won't get into details. Sanguine, if'n ya head down there th' sheriff says he's got a bounty payment waitin' fer ya - an' he's got a few more cases he'd like yer help with, if ya got a nose fer varmints."
"And I hope you don't mind," Rarity added, "but I took the liberty of finding buyers for those ursa claws you knocked free the other day. Can you imagine, a diamond dog came to me and confessed a certain weariness about dealing with nothing but gems all day? Naturally I've taken a cut for my work, but how does ten thousand bits sound as a starting nest egg?"
Sanguine squeaked.
Rarity tilted her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"
"T, ten thou..." Sanguine stammered. "I've never had that much money in my life!"
"Well now you do." Rarity's adventures, when they resulted in financial gain, often resulted in gain for more than just her, so she had had practice informing ponies that they were suddenly wealthier. "Certain exotic bits can fetch a very high price if you know the right buyers. It's an uncertain market - one day you might strike it rich, the next the very same things won't fetch a single bit - but I would be happy to discuss if you, err, just happen to acquire exotica in your travels. But please keep it to the clean things: if you want to offload blood and meat I highly recommend you look to griffon merchants."
Sanguine nodded.
"Sorry to cut the week short," Twilight noted. "But...weeell...let's just say I'd like you out of town by sundown, so you don't become 'necessary' again."
All six ponies gave her a confused look.
"Luna found out. She's going to-" was all Twilight got out before Applejack started hustling Sanguine out the door, and the last three words were only squeezed in because it took that long for Applejack to move.