All around the room sat stacks of books and papers. Spread before her was every manner of law book and text she could get her hooves on. She had been at this since court had recessed and still had questions racing through her mind.
Opening her mouth, Twilight said in a tiny, almost hopeless tone. “Discord, I know you can hear me. Please, come talk to me.”
Silence for a few moments, then with a soft pop, a door came into existence where it was just air before. However, he did not come out of it with the fanfare and chaos of his usual entrances. Rather, it opened a bit and he wrapped on it with his clawed hand. Peeking around the door edge, he could see the state of the room. The candles burned down to nubs, the smell of a meal forgotten and coffee gone cold.
“Twilight, may I come in?” Again asking, rather than just intruding as was his normal.
The haggard-looking princess looked up and gave a half smile, but it was genuine as one can be.
“Please, I... I need to ask you something.”
Stepping in, none of the mirth of his usual demeanor, looking at the alicorn before him, seeing her mane not brushed, the sunken eyes, the clear signs she had been crying at some point. He shook his head a bit to see someone he called a friend in this state.
“I am sorry Pri—Twilight, but I can’t give you an answer to this. You have to decide. I have been forbidden to interfere in this trial both by Celestia, and by... well, greater powers than her.”
She nodded slightly and could see the worry on his face, which was much out of place. It made her smile just a tiny bit, to see someone once the very enemy of peace and harmony, now someone she thought of as a friend. A frustrating friend, yes, but a friend none the less.
“I know, Discord, and I won’t ask you anything that will cause a problem. But, I have a question. Please, if you can answer it, but... it... it is not an easy question.”
She slowly glanced up at the draconequus with her ears lowered.
“When you were stone, did you really hear and see everything? Feel everything, the passage of time?”
The lord of chaos himself was quiet for a time, looking back down at this pony who he could see such pain in. Then, slowly he sat down, looking across at her. His voice soft, quiet, not quite a whisper but close.
“Twilight, do you really want the answer to that?” as his lion paw reached out and cupped under her chin.
She gave a slight nod after a friendly nuzzle to his paw. “I do, I know it's not easy to talk about, and I know I am picking at a scab, but, please, I need to know.”
He grew quiet, looking off at the wall for what seemed like eons. Slowly he turned back to her and gave a slight nod of his head. He was more serious now than he could ever remember being. However, this was not a moment to be joked about.
“Oh, Twilight, how I wish I could undo the last year. To see you, to see all the girls, even Celestia torn as they are, to see you have to deal with the loss of your innocent views. It is something I truly wish I could take back.”
Looking away some, the tall draconequus tilted his head some. “Yes, every moment, for a thousand years I was aware. I could feel the snow in winter, the heat in summer. I could hear the ponies walk past, talking. It did not cause pain or discomfort, but sometimes I wondered if I would go mad—” he paused. “—madder than I already am.”
Twilight slowly nodded her head, then came around the pile of papers on the floor and hugged the god of chaos himself. A tight, trembling hug, speaking of her holding in many emotions.
“Thank you, Discord.”
He lay his head on the alicorn's back and hugged her tight. “I am sorry, Twilight, I really am.”
---
The defendant sat at his table, poor Affidavit sat next to him but silent. Across from them sat Cadence with her co-counselor. Behind them, the gallery was full to the brim, ponies had been allowed to take up standing room so as to fit more in.
Over in the royal box, Princesses Celestia and Luna both sat with Discord between them this time. The draconequus appeared oddly sad, and it seemed to observers that the sun and the moon were leaning a bit on him in support.
All heads turned as the door opened, and Bright Armor snapped to attention calling out. “All rise, her honorable Princess Twilight Sparkle’s court is now in session.”
Every pony, even the three in the royal box, rose to look, observing the purple mare walk in, head up, but looking exhausted and drawn out. The look on her face was one of resolve and resignation. Celestia almost said something, she wanted to go to her former students side and hold her tight. Although, this was a trial, and even that would shape the young alicorn for the centuries to come. She had to do this on her own.
Sitting down on the bench, Twilight looked up at the gallery, making steady eye contact with the worried faces of her friends first, then on to the fire pony and his mate, and lastly with the victim's parents. She took a long, deep breath and then a slow exhale.
“The defendant will rise and face me.”
The unicorn’s arrogant smirk fell some suddenly. This was it, and he was not quite as sure of himself. Standing, others took note that along with Affidavit, Cadence and the red crystal mare stood, too, all facing the bench now.
“I will read the charges, and the decision, then any sentencing. I will make this very clear. If I have so much as one outburst from you, Mr. Break, I will have you clamped in irons and muzzled and forced to stand there.”
She then changed her attention to the gallery. “I will not tolerate outbursts, you will all stay silent,” her eyes roaming from one side to the other of the room, even making a point to look Celestia in the eyes for a moment. “I will clear this court if I have to.”
Twilight grew quiet and flipped through pages, then looked up and locked eyes with the defendant. “On the charges of one-hundred and eight cases of Arson, the court finds you... guilty.”
The defendant’s ears went flat, behind him many started to chatter, a soft whispered drone. Twilight banged the gavel hard twice and the sound stopped.
“On the charges of fifty-seven counts of attempted murder. The court finds you... guilty.”
She could see the defendant's legs tremble at that, but he remained standing. Again, the drone started and again the gavel brought the sound to a stop. Twilight cleared her throat and changed papers before her. Once more her eyes locked with the defendant's eyes.
“On the sole count of murder in the first degree, with the added charge of depraved indifference, this court finds you...”
The purple alicorn’s ears dropped to her head, before she spoke in a cold tone. “Guilty.”
A loud sob echoed from the gallery, even a glance said it came from the heartbroken mare, mother to Archer, clinging to her husband now. Cadence gave a little noise of shock, but kept herself in check. Celestia and Luna both made no noise whatsoever, but their heads turned to the defendant. A sad, almost look of pity on their faces. The gallery itself started up again, this time with louder whispers.
The defendant, however, simply stared at the purple mare, unable to give any real response yet. Guilty, he was found guilty, not the charge of not guilty by reason of insanity but, guilty.
Twilight banged her gavel hard, anger in her tone. “I said, shut up!” the gavel paid the price as on the fifth slam down, it snapped away from the handle, the head bouncing off the bench over her right side, to clatter to the floor behind her. She stood up on all fours on the chair, but her glare was at the defendant.
“You will all keep your mouths shut!”
Only the soft muted sob of the mother was to be heard, and Twilight figured that she could let go. Even Discord was a bit shocked at the outburst from the mare at the bench.
“Mr. Break, I spent the last twenty-point-two-seven-five-one hours reading every text in the land. Your crime is so callous, so cold, it's like it has not been seen in over three hundred years!”
She breathed out as she relaxed a tiny bit. The defendant still stood there, trembling now.
“I looked at every law, every ruling ever made on this. By all rights, the court should sentence you to hang by the neck.”
Celestia herself started to stand, opening her mouth but a hoof pointed at her. Her former student’s eyes locked on her suddenly. “Not a word,” never had she spoke like this, never had anyone seen Twilight so angry. In truth, one had, but that one was now locked in a cage in Tartarus for the rest of eternity.
Looking back to the unicorn defendant. “However, two hundred years ago, Celestia and the Noble Assembly outlawed capital punishment,” she sat down again, but her eyes never left the broken stallion.
“This court, having found you guilty of the crime of murder, sentences you to the only thing it can. On the rise of the sun tomorrow, you will be locked in stone for the duration of not less than one thousand years.”
Point Break sat down, eyes wide, with a thud. Unable to speak, unable to look away from the judge now. In the gallery more than one sob ripped out of pony. Cadence silently stood perfectly still as tear ran down her cheek. Not for the punishment, but for her friend, her sister in law to have to go through this.
Celestia and Luna remained silent, but Discord did not. He let out a sound that Fluttershy, even in her tears, knew. He had made it when she held him after his betrayal and his begging her forgiveness. Suddenly, he disappeared with a pop. That had Twilight look over and sigh very softly.
Looking out at the gallery, she spoke once more. “Guards, shackle the defendant and take him to holding. Court is adjourned,” banging her hoof twice on the bench. She turned and started to head out again, alone, head down. Not many saw five mares slip out the side, nor did anyone take note that both Celestia and Luna, along with Cadence were no longer in the room.
Just the fact that a unicorn was having iron shackles attached around his fetlocks, and the fact he no longer smiled. He looked as broken as his horn.
---
It was a long day, and a long night. Few ponies in Ponyville, and in fact, all over Equestria once the news spread, slept. Some from shock, some from a understanding this was a milestone in history. A few, piled up around a purple alicorn who had sobbed herself to sleep, could not join her in slumber.
“P-Princess, is there any other way?” spoke a white unicorn, the Element of Generosity herself, from where she lay near a dark alicorn. Luna looking on quietly at the sleeping princess, having gone into the dream realm and ensured she would have a dreamless sleep.
“I wish there was another way, dear Rarity, but a princess has made her choice and declared it. A crime has happened and now, the punishment must come,” said the alabaster alicorn lying near Twilight, one wing over her like a blanket. Under her other wing, the pink alicorn of love, who had found a moment's sleep herself.
Applejack with her hat off, one hoof touching the little dragon who had cried himself to sleep, pressed up tight underneath Twilight's wing.
“Things... ain’t gonna be the same no more, are they?”
Celestia shook her head softly. “No, my dear Applejack. Our Twilight has taken a large step in growing up, a painful step. She will need all of you now more than ever before.”
Rainbow Dash, who for once was not asleep, was just lost in thought as she herself lay near Fluttershy, keeping the light yellow pegasus mare under her left wing. She wanted so much to go to her home, to see and hold her daughter, but, Twilight needed her now.
“We will be there for her no matter what, Princess.”
At that, the white alicorn gave a soft nod with a smile as she looked down at the rainbow-maned mare. “Of that, my little pony, I am sure without an ounce of doubt in me.”
All still awake blinked as from the corner of the room where a pink mare slept, the sound of a muttered voice spoke. “Mmm, rock candy cupcakes!”
Luna muttered very quietly. “That mare worries even me sometimes.”