The Princess of Friendship
Memory dialogue will be in Italics and bold. Zebra rhyming is a hassle. I had to rewatch a lot of episodes for this one. 
[Canterlot - Luna's quarters.]
Several hoofs trotted down the halls of Canterlot palace. Cadance called for adjourning after Jason revealed his scarring. No one objected, and everyone left to digest today's proceedings. Everyone was deep in thought and greatly disturbed. Starlight looks between all her friends and the two princesses. The walk was silent from the courtroom, and Starlight couldn't stand it any longer. "Um, everypony. We need to talk about what happened back there..."
"Where should we start? The stuff about the scars or Princess Luna or..." Spike inquires, pausing as he looks at Princess Celestia.
"I don't believe it. The elements wouldn't change somepony like that!" Rainbow denied.
"I agree, darling. We would certainly know how such a spell is done," Rarity said.
"Do we? Do we know anything about the elements besides them looking like our cutie marks and some silly virtues?" Pinkie asks.
Rarity gasps at Pinkie's words. "Pinkie Pie! Don't tell me you agree with Chrysalis and that thing. Next, you're going to tell me you believe that slander he said about Princess Celestia,"
"Much of what Jason said shouldn't be taken at face value. Anypony can twist events with enough information. The real question is how much does this Jason Wright know," Twilight said. "In all honesty, he shouldn't have known half the things he said unless he was personally there,"
"That thing got to be lying somehow!" Rainbow asserted.
"He isn't a thing, Rainbow! He's a human!" Pinkie reminded vehemently.
"And what is that exactly?" Rainbow asks.
"I wish I knew. But he was so hurt. None of those wounds were fake. I think somepony's abused him," Fluttershy said.
"Like, who? Come on, girls. Think about it. That Jason thing--" Rainbow stops at Pinkie's glare. "That Jason Wright showed us a memory of him coming to Ponyvile. Who's to say he didn't go further than that and ran into some bandits?"
"That could be possible if the train between Canterlot and Ponyville is practically bandit-proof. No criminal would dream of robbing something close to the country's capital," Starlight shot down.
"Then, it must've happened later on. Or, you know, Chrysalis is messing with its head. I, Pinkie, promise that absolutely nopony from Ponyville did those things to him. Cross my heart--"
Pinkie's hoof shot out to grab Rainbow's before she could start the promise. "STOP!!!" Everyone stared at Pinkie's serious face in astonishment as Pinkie lets go. "Please, no promises this time,"
"Pinkie, what's wrong? It's just a standard Pinkie promise. This one doesn't even have cause to break. Ponyville is the friendliest place in Equestria," Rarity stated. "This Jason Wright is misinformed,"
"There can be no falsehoods when one wields the Gjallarhorn. It reveals the truth of everything. Even the lies we tell ourselves or the ones we don't realize," Celestia finally spoke.
"Are you talking about you suddenly remembering Jason at the end?" Cadance asks as Celestia nods. "What was that anyway? The spell was so weak that I couldn't detect any identifying markers,"
"I do not know what that was or where that magic originated. All I know is that what Jason has displayed is real. I did see him off to Ponyville three years ago. And for those three years, I'd completely forgotten he existed. His words were not slander because, under a critical lens, my decisions regarding the elements were flimsy and incompetent. My actions were neglectful..."
"I still say that's a bunch of pony feathers. Why is it an issue when everything turned out fine?" Applejack asks. "And why does this Jason fella seem so bent against us if you were friends?"
"It is the fact that my choices had a margin for error, Applejack. Yes, things turned out for the best, but there was a chance for things to fall apart. There should've been more careful consideration rather than blind faith," Celestia sighed. "As for our Friendship, I doubt we can use that term anymore. Jason's wounds tell all but the hooves that dealt them. The scar over his eye trailing down his body? A strike from a lightning bolt. The bruising over the abdomen? A shift kick to the ribcage caused that. And the welts came from rocks cruelly thrown at him. I do not know if the resident of Ponyville is responsible, nor would I believe it..." Celestia paused as she looked down in contemplation. "...At first,"
"At first? Excuse me, Princess, but even considering the possibility of anypony doing those things to Jason is wrong!" Twilight stated firmly.
Celestia turns to the group with an unreadable expression. "Then, I suggest you look into whatever magic left me and ensure it's not within yourselves. I fear a foul hand is at play. One that seeks to discredit us. In the meantime, prepare for the next day as best as possible. Jason's argument is compelling because he wields the truth. So, only the truth can prevail. Now, if you all will excuse me, I wish to speak with my sister alone,"
The group shares a look but honors the request as Celestia enters Luna's room. What awaited her was a sorry sight. Luna was not there, but evidence of her anger and frustration was. Several articles of clothing lay on the floor and were ripped apart. The vanity mirror was broken into pieces and shattered across the floor. Scanning the room for more clues, Celestia's eyes fall upon the empty case on the north wall. It was Luna's prized possession, gifted to her by one pony. Without a moment's delay, Celestia's horn glows as she vanishes from her sister's room. And reappear in the gardens. She walks a short distance past some shrubbery to find Luna sitting beside a cherry willow tree. At its base was a small tombstone. Celestia calmly walks up to her sister, noticing an obsidian blade in a sheath next to her hip. The two sisters exchange a brief second of eye contact. Celestia feels a new wave of sadness from the red, puffy, and tear-soaked look of her sister's features before they both glaze upon the grave. After several seconds of silence, Celestia spoke softly.
"He always loved this tree. I remember he took us here after our studies to meditate. He felt the calm rustling of the cheery leaves was good for focus,"
"...Indeed..." Luna's horse voice replied.
"That's the blade he gifted you after our graduation, correct?" Luna gives her a shallow nod. "He gave me a spot of ink and a feather. It was another lesson that you figured out before me. What was that proverb he said when he gifted it?"
"A blade is but an instrument to defend our ideals, yet a parchment is real power. A lesson in the ruling. To remind us to be prepared to fight for our homes and be mindful of the laws we govern. I remember it well. But, are these memories mine?"
"Of course they are--"
Luna's magic shoots outward as she flares her wings. Her eyes fade into a bright white as a whirlwind surrounds the two sisters. "DO NOT LIE TO ME! THOU USED THE ELEMENTS TO BANISH THINE MONSTER! THOU SENT A FOAL! BARELY OUT OF DIAPERS! TO DOETH WHAT THOU WAS TOO COWARDLY TO DO THINESELF! HOW LONG DID THOU PLOT WITH THINE LACKEY UPON MINE RETURN? AM I THE SISTER THOU WANTED? ARE MY THOUGHTS MINE ALONE OR WHAT YOU DEEM SATISFACTORY? WELL? HAVE YOU NOTHING TO SAY!?!"
"..." When Celestia remained silent, Luna unsheathed Starswirl's blade and pointed it at Celesta. Celestia's eyes shift from Luna's angry face to the edge. "...Why did you take this with you?"
"If I am a walking fallacy - a puppet by your design - I chose to make the only actual choice I have!"
"No, I do not believe that. If you genuinely desired an end such as that, you wouldn't have waited for me,"
"Perhaps another command set in place for your golem to make yourself look better. All hail Princess Celestia, the kind and sympathetic ruler of Equestria!"
Luna saw the hurt flash in Celestia's eyes before she grew more determined. "I will not deny you the choice between life and death. Just know I do not intend to let you go alone. I will shred myself from this mortal coil!"
"Why would you do such a thing?"
Celestia takes the sword in her magical grasp and sets it to the side before pulling Luna into a hug. "Because a thousand years without you was torturous with the slim hope for your return. I could not do so again if it were permanent! You are no puppet. You are my sister!"
Luna returned the hug as the two sisters cried into their embrace. "Perhaps this was the humans' plan all along. Divide us with a careful narrative and cherry-picked events,"
"You know such a thing is not feasible with that artifact. But, even more important is that I know Jason Wright,"
"How?" Celestia's horn glows as she shares what happened after Luna's departure. The memory of Celestia and Jason. The magic that dispelled from Celestia. And the reveal of his horrific scarring. "No, that cannot be. Ponies of this day and age would never be this cruel. And what of that magic that left you? What is its origin?"
"I wish I could tell you. All I can say is that some creature out there may be manipulating Jason's pain and our perceptions,"
"If nopony comes to mind, what shall we do?"
Celestia turns her gaze back to Starswirl's graze as she responds. "I don't know..."
[Canterlot Judicial Hall - Second Day of The Trial.]
The courtroom was a lot more subdued as everyone filed inside. No one made a sound as Jason and Chrysalis took their spot. However, the whispers and murmurs fell upon the returning Princesses. The two made their way to the bench. Luna stood in front of the Gjallarhorn as she touched it. There was a brief glow as Luna made a silent request. When the light ended, the Princess of the night looked a little more relieved. However, the real shock came as Celestia joined the elements on the defense's bench. Celestia ignores the whispering and glances over to Jason. Chrysalis smiled, whereas Jason didn't even look in her direction. Noticing the awkwardness of the room, Queen Novo spoke.
"Court has reconviened. Princess Luna. I take it you wish to rejoin as an acting Judge? Equestria still needs a representative,"
"Yes, I have gotten my personal affairs in order—no need to regale the previous proceedings. I have been informed already," Luna replies, taking back her seat. "Now, as I've come to understand, you claim that you received those grievous wounds. Can you explain how this occurred?"
Jason closes his eyes before casting a sideway glance at the elements. "My people have a saying: Never meet your heroes. We get so caught up in their ideals, platitudes, and moral grandstanding that we forget a crucial fact,"
"Which is what exactly?"
"That the person behind the heroes is not who you imagine. If there is one crime I am guilty of, it's forcing my expectation on others, thinking it to be reality. I brought it into their hype. I believed their lies!" Jason lets out another bitter chuckle. "Looking back, I can't believe how naive I was..."
"I don't think ponies that acted differently from your impression warrant hatred of all of them. Neither does the actions of a few individuals," Twilight said.
"Haha, the-the actions of a few? Spare me. Xenophobia thrives in your culture,"
"I can confidently speak for anypony here--"
"There. You just said it. Anypony. Nopony. Everypony. How can you claim different when even your speech patterns are exclusive? Are any of the judge's ponies? What about the two dragons here right now?"
"Humans have a point. But, Yaks say every yak when we around other yaks," Prince Rutherford said.
"The same goes for Griffin and hippogriffs," Grandpa Gruff said.
"And Dragons," Ember added. "Don't humans do the same?"
"Everyone. Everybody. Nobody. Anybody. No one. Anyone. People. I guess humans prefer more inclusivity in our speech," Jason said, earning a frown from the judges.
"Even so, as you just heard from several different creatures, admit to similar speech patterns. But it all stems from varying cultural differences, not xenophobia!" Twilight stated smugly.
"Can you say the same for Zecora?"
All the smugness turned to confusion as she responded. "Zecora?"
Jason pulls up one of the papers. "Isn't it true that a zebra named Zecora is a resident of Ponyville?"
"Yes, what does she have to do with anything?"
"She's here today as a witness," Jason smiles. As if on cue, the doors open as Zecora walks down the aisle. At first, the elements were glad to see their long-time friend before said friend shot a glare. Zecora stood in the middle of the room as Jason approached with the Gjallarhorn. "Can you please state your name and profession for the court?"
"My name is Zecora. This is true; I pour and mix potions for you," Zecora responds.
"When did you move to Equestria?"
"It was many moons ago—a great distance to travel for those in the know. A new beginning I seek, to carve my path, but I discovered most citizens to be rather daft," Zecora touches the horn, and memory is displayed. It showed her leaving the lands of Zebrica and entering Equestria. She passed by many villages, but the reception was the same. The ponies cast wary glances at Zecora's cloaked figure. Even in cases where she reveals her face, she is regarded with suspicion and unease. It continued until she entered Ponyville. "Ponyville is where I finally settled. But, I discovered the ponies there were easily nettled. Screams and despair followed me like a ghost. Ponyville was not a gracious host. Every time I sought supplies, the shops were closed off from my curious eyes,"
The memory continued to show the resident of Ponyville locking their doors and shunning Zecora, who did nothing except paw at the ground. Jason couldn't resist shaking his head at the reaction. Especially at Pinkie Pie, as the memory showed her screaming evil enchantress before running off. "Look at the reaction of the so-called friendship capital of Equestria. Even from one of its national heroes. Zecora, when did you meet Twilight and her friends?"
"The day was the tenth of December. It's hard not to remember. These pony folk came to the forest with paranoia and fear, as if I would strike at one they hold dear," Another memory played with the elements confronting Zecora in the Everfree forest with Applebloom.
"Applebloom! You get back here right now!" Appleack said in the memory.
"Beware. Beware, you pony folk, Those leaves of blue are not a joke!" Zecora warned.
Everyone saw Applejack scoop up her sister while disregarding Zecoras' warning about the poison joke. "You-You keep your creepy mumbo jumbo to yourself, Ya hear!"
The rest of the elements said words supporting Applejack as Zecora warns them again as the memory concludes. "Beware, beware!"
"You know, when someone tries to warn others, they do it for your benefit. Instead, we see Zecora receive scorn and disparagement," Jason said.
More murmurs erupt at what Zecora showed, causing Applejack to shield herself with her hat as she was the antagonist. The elements received a harsh glare from Judge Zekia. Twilight quickly got up and moved to Zecora. "Hold on. That's only when we first met. I will admit that the first impression went poorly, but things got better. Watch!"
The horn glows again as Twilight and Spike walk into Ponyville. The two notice something amiss with the empty streets until Pinkie calls them over to Sugarcube corner. From there, Twilight's memory played out as Jason remembers the episode, with Twilight being skeptical of her friend's overreaction to Zecora. Jason smiles inwardly as he knows Twilight would go for full context to support her cast, not that she could lie. It worked out as he hoped it would, as the judges frowned at the words of each element. Looking over to the defendants made Jason smile wider. Rarity bit her lip nervously at her part in insulting Zecoras' stripes and her overly dramatic fainting from the cultural differences. Applejack buries her face deeper into her hat. Her words made her appear ignorant and insensitive. Fluttershy shies away during her portions of the memory as she is less intuitive than Applejack. Rainbow groans as she drags a hoof down her face at the unflattering display of herself. And Pinkie closed her eyes and covered her ears when her song played.
"And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil stuff! She's so evil I wrote a song about it!"
"Here we go!" Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes.
"She's an evil enchantress. She does evil dances. When you look into her eyes, she puts you in trances. Then what would she do? She mixes up an evil brew. Then she'll gobble you up in a big tasty stew. So, watch out!"
"That is quite enough! Your memories display nothing but your friends messing up!" Zekia scorns. "And you!" The zebra judge points at Rarity. "The stripe on our hide is a mark of pride! How can one so fair speak ill and foul air?"
"I-I, well-- It was a mistake! I didn't--"
"And you!" Zekia thrusts his hoof at Pinkie pie, who winces as if she was hit. "Your song spreads lies and distrust. An apology is an absolute must!"
Pinkie gave another shudder, prompting Rainbow Dash to speak up. "Hey! Back off. Pinkie was being herself. We made up with Zecora afterward," The chromatic soon regrets this as the zebra judge continues to glare at her.
"It is plain to see that you three disgust me!" Zekia said, pointing at Rainbow, Applejack, and Fluttershy.
Twilight winces as she looks to the courtroom. Everyone shot her friends disapproving looks. It was true. Her memories of those events did nothing but cast doubt on her friends. Sensing this, Chrysalis decides to sit the pot. "Good job, Princess. So far, you've managed to prove your friends are everything we said, being that they are ignorant specist. Quick to judge and insensitive. All the while casting yourself in a favorable light. Are you looking to cast them aside for a lighter sentence?"
"N-No! The court must understand everything that led to one of the most important lessons I learned. The lesson I planned to teach at my school and share with every creature!" Twilight said.
Twilight touches the horn again and displays the effect of the poison joke, as Zecora warned. The memory continues as the afflicted ponies traverse the Everfree and burst into Zecora's home while breaking items from her homeland. It was only when Applebloom returned with the ingredient for a cure that everything settled down. After Zecora explains the misunderstanding, Twilight and the others return to Ponyville to clear the air about her. The memory ends with everyone sharing a laugh in the spa. Twilight then produces a paper and reads it aloud.
"After that day, I wrote this to Princess Celestia. Dear Princess Celestia, my friends and I learned a vital lesson this week. Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, funny, or scary. But you have to look past that to learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care about covers. It's the contents of a pony that count. And a good friend - like a good book - will last forever. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,"
There was a round of applause as Celestia, Luna, and Cadance smiled at the lesson. Zekia's scowl softens somewhat as the judges all nod in approval. That is until Chrysalis begins coughing and hacking up a lung. "Oh, I am sorry. I was choking on all the dribble you were spouting. How can you make a creature that feeds on love itself sick to its stomach at the display?"
"Maybe because you don't truly understand love despite needing it!" Cadance spat.
"Ignore her, Cadance. She's probably upset that her latest scheme to hurt us is failing," Twilight said, turning to Zecora. "It's alright, Zecora. I know these two brought you into this as a pawn in their game, but it doesn't hurt our Friendship,"
Twilight places a hoof on the zebra's shoulder. But, to the young alicorn's shock, Zecora bats it away. "As always, Twilight, the obvious answer escapes your sight. The lesson you learned that day is a good one indeed. Unfortunately, it was one you did not heed,"
"What are you talking about?"
Zecora narrows her eyes as she touches the Gjallarhorn again. The memory was one of her entering Ponyville for one of her visits. As she walked the road, she heard a commotion. Moving to investigate, she gasps at the sight of Jason Wright running through the market. His appearance was far more worn than he is in the present. She could see a mob of ponies chasing him down while throwing various items at him. The zebra gasps again as one of the ponies scores a hit with a rock, causing Jason to trip and tumble. Horror itched itself on Zecora's features as she got closer and listened to what the mob was saying.
"You bucking freak!"
"We told you we don't want a monster like you here!"
"Crawl back to the Everfree!"
"What were you doing behind my store!?"
Every cruel word had a rock accompanying it as the mob peppered Jason with them. The human tried to shield himself as best as he could. "Please, s-stop. I was just hungry! That's why I was going into the trash! I didn't mean--"
"Oh? Were you hungry? More like you were stealing from me. Or maybe looking to hurt my foals!" Twilight and the others gasp at the sight of Mr. Cake leading the mob. "But don't worry. We've got something for you to eat..." The mob of ponies gathered several trashcans and emptied their contents. Mr. Cake grabbed a hooful of trash, as did the others. "Here! It's on the house!" The pelting resumed as Jason entered the fetal position. Several bits of old and spoiled food stained his clothes, while more rocks were thrown. It lasted several seconds before Jason managed to scramble to his feet and run off into the forest. The ponies even cheered at their accomplishment as the mob dispersed.
Zecora's eyes widen further as she sees Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy walk right by the event as if nothing happened. Zecora quickly rushes to them and speaks in a panic. "Twilight! Has your sight gone bad? The citizens of Ponyvile have gone mad!"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Twilight asks.
"A creature I have never seen just suffered something most obscene. Rocks and perishables were thrown freely. The creature ran in terror. You must believe me!"
"Oh, don't worry yourself about it, Zecora. There's been an infestation as of late," Twilight said.
"Thanks for the info, Z. I'll be sure to have Wynona on guard duty in case the varmint comes around the farm," Applejack said.
"We should have the guard stationed around town—anything to spare us from its unsightly presence," Rarity stated while throwing her nose in the air.
"I'd wish it would just go away," Fluttershy said with a shudder.
Zecora could only mimic a goldfish at the acidic words of her long-time companions. "Are you alright, Zecora? The girls and I were heading to the spa. Do you want to join us?"
"No, no! I must go!"
The memory ends with Zecora fleeing from the elements and Ponyville. Once again, the courtroom fell silent. The three princesses' mouth's nearly hit the floor. The remaining defendants were rendered speechless. Meanwhile, Twilight took things the worse. She backed away while her pupils shrank. Her gaze shifted from the stone face of Jason Wright to the scowling visage of Zecora. She tried to speak, but her voice failed her. It was as if the memory version of herself stole her voice away.
"..No! That was-- I don't. Zecora, you believe that I would never..." Twilight squeak. Any explanation for what they saw eluded her.
Zecora merely shakes her head as she turns away from Twilight and faces Jaason. "If that is all you will have me say, I wish you a good day..."
Jason nods as Zecora leaves the courtroom. Jason looked down at the stunned Twilight as he spoke. "That happened a week after our first meeting. The garage and rocks were the tamest part of my Ponyville experience. It gets so much better later on,"
"Y-You must've done something. Ponies wouldn't just do those things,"
"Oh, yeah, I did something. I knocked on your castle doors,"
"What? That can't be all!"
"But that is all," Jason touches the Gjallarhorn again. "You weren't the worst, Twilight. But you were the first. Everyone else followed your lead. Your crimes would be reckless endangerment. The counts are Ponyville's population,"
Another memory displays Jason arriving in Ponyville. Stepping off the train, Jason shields his eyes from the sun before taking Ponyville and all its splendor. His smile was wide and broad as he watched the ponies go about their daily routines. Jason spotted the castle of Friendship in the distance. He walked at a brisk pace, not noticing ponies starting to take notice of him. The resident sat back and watched as Jason made it to the castle doors and knocked. Moments later, Twilight Sparkle answers the door. Twilight's eyes widen as she looks Jason over before she frowns. Jason, on the hand, was starstruck at meeting the Princess of Friendship in the flesh.
"Wow. It's you. Um, hello, I'm Jason Wright. And--"
Twilight's hoof shoots up sharply, prompting Jason to look down in confusion. "Sorry, I am not in the mood to deal with any more humans. Goodbye!"
The castle doors slam in Jason's face as he flinches away. Turning around, Jason sits on the steps, scratching his head in confusion. "I guess she's busy right now..." At this time, Jason notices all of Ponyville staring at him. For a second, he could see all the colorful rainbows shift into an ominous shadow. Ignoring this, Jason gets back up and tries to approach the citizens instead. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a motel?" His question went ignored. Jason tries again with another group. "Do you know where I can stay for the night?" Ponies started giving Jason a wide birth. He saw mothers usher their foals away. There was even a nasty look shot at him. Soon, Jason was the only one standing in front of the castle with a perplexed look. "Huh?" The memory soon fades with Jason walking away from the castle.
"And that's on my wonderful journey started,"
"Twilight...?" Spike squeaked out, unable to process what he's seen and heard. Twilight looks at Spike with shock and a little fear.
"S-Spike. T-That wasn't me! I would never--" The Gjallarhorn glows briefly as Twilight stumbles. And, much like with Celestia, a burst of magic leaves Twilight's body. The young alicorn looks at Jason with new clarity before the shock sets, and she back peddles. The action does not go unnoticed by the court. "I-Its you...!"
Jason smiles at Twilight as he spokes. "So, are you ready to deal with me now?"
"H-Hold on a second. I understand that was bad and flat-out rude. But those ponies wouldn't resort to what Zecora showed us just because Twilight wasn't feeling friendly," Starlight said cautiously.
Jason looks her way with a slight scowl. "If the Princess of Friendship doesn't want to be friends with you, why should anyone else? I bet you are so proud of your little minions. They probably couldn't shit without your say-so!" Jason spat, his anger slipping out. All the ponies recoiled at the foul language.
"Jason, why didn't you try and contact me?" Celestia asks pitifully.
"Why didn't you ever come to visit?" Jason counters, causing Celestia to flinch as the attention is back on her. "To answer your question, though, I didn't have access to any quills, parchment, or even the dragon voicemail over there," Jason points to Spike, earning an arch brow from Ember. "I slept on a bench on my first night there. No one would hire me while they were too busy running away and shunning me. So, that meant no bits to travel. I was pretty much a bum by the end of that first week,"
"What did you mean by dragon voice mail?" Ember asks. "What's voice mail? What does it have to do with the hatchling?"
"Ah. Voice mail is a device in my homeland. It saves messages from other people that you can return at your convenience. You see, I wasn't the only one Twilight brushed off. Her so-called number assistant suffers from it too,"
"No way!" Spike said, placing himself between Twilight and Jason. "Twilight's never done anything wrong to me!"
"Is that right? Funny, I was going to call you as another witness. Well, let's go back to Zecora for a second. We saw that Twilight had the same book for the cure in her library. We saw Twilight admit that she did not look into the book because it was too weird. Now, as her assistant, did you find that book?"
"Y-Yes,"
"And what did she do?" Jason subtly points to the Gjallarorn to make sure Spike understands his position.
"She said that the book was a bunch of hooey..."
"Completely dismissing your input,"
"That doesn't make Twilight bad. Everypony can be thoughtless sometimes!"
"Sometimes? What about using you as her message and voicemail? Isn't it true that you send letters between Princess Celestia and Twilight through dragon fire?"
"Yes, so what?"
"Wait! What? How is that accomplished? Show me!" Ember said, landing in front of Spike. Spike nervously nods as he touches the horn next. Here, many memories of him sending letters through dragon fire. "Enchanted flames. It's real?"
"Um, what?" Spike asks in confusion.
"Spike. Enchanted flames are the rarest skill a dragon can have. It's a bloodline trait to the arcane dragons. They were the only dragons able to use magic as the ponies did. Father said the last of the dragons died out. Why haven't you told me?"
"Isn't that obvious? It's a security risk. Spike has a direct line to Equestrian royalty. Who wouldn't want such a valuable asset? That's another hallmark of Celestia's negligence and Twilight's recklessness. Using and endangering a child's life to political rivals," Jason said.
"You're twisting things!" Spike called out. "I never told her because it feels like bragging. It was never a big secret anyway. I did it all the time in front of ponies. It's never put me in any danger!"
"So, you can confidently say there have never been any drawbacks to writing and receiving a message?"
"W-Well, there was this one time when Discord escaped, and Celestia kept sending all Twilight's lessons to help her..."
"And how did that feel? Since it's coming out of your stomach, wouldn't that be a choking hazard?"
Spike was looking more and more nervous. "I couldn't move or keep food in my stomach for a few days," Spike shakes his head as he glares at Jason. "No, it was the only way to help after Twilight got corrupted by Discord!"
"The hero of the nation got corrupted? If that can happen, how can anypony entrust their safety to her?" Chrysalis stated.
"Urgh! No, watch!" Spike touches the horn, and the events of return to harmony play out. From Spike's perspective, all the element bearers with their colors faded act as the opposite of themselves. Ember let out a snort of disapproval as a sleeping Spike had water dumped on him. The fight over the elements guidebook. How Spike was trampled over as the group left the library, and how the elements of harmony failed to work because the girls were too corrupted and Spike wasn't Rainbow Dash. Spike saw that the judges were unmoved, but the scene quickly shifted as the letters Spike heaved inspired Twilight to try and save her friendships. Thus, one by one, Twilight uncorrupt her friends and confront Discord, and they defeat him and save Equestria. The memory moves to a ceremony in the throne room with Celestia presiding.
"We are gathered here today to honor once again the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord. And saved Equestria from eternal chaos!" The memory ends with Celestia immortalizing the element bearer's accomplishment on a stained glass window.
"See? If it weren't for those letters, Discord would've won!"
"But, what did you prove? Do the ends justify the means? All I saw in that memory was that Twilight forgot her important lessons again!" Jason said.
"Ah, no! She--"
"--She was quick to give up on her precious friendships, which caused her corruption in the first place. Discord didn't graft a new personality on any of the defendants. These were aspects of their character that were already inside each of them. He just brought it to the forefront. Twilight looked at her friends at their worst and decided to give up and leave Ponyville. What kind of leader is that?! One that forgets the lessons she preaches and goes back to being apathetic towards others!?"
Spikes starts to back away as Jason steps forward. "No! It isn't like that!"
"Except Twilight doesn't need the spirit of disharmony to make her indifferent, does she? Wasn't there a time when she mistreated you?"
Spike almost said no until a memory flashed, and he winced. "Please, don't make me say it. They didn't mean it,"
"They didn't mean what, Spike?" Ember asks.
Spike looks between Jason and Ember with tears threatening to spill. "I-It was during winter wrap-up when I fell asleep on a patch of ice. Twilight told me after it melted, I fell into the freezing water. The girls were laughing when I caught a cold..."
Spike looks down in shame as Celestia and Luna gasp. Ember's features morph into a full scowl as she faces the defendants. "You all laughed at him?! Don't you know we dragons a cold-blooded?! He could've frozen to death!" None of the elements could offer any rebuttal, as even Celestia gazes at them in disbelief.
"I find it funny that the supposed studious mare missed the most basic facts about dragons, like how cold weather makes them sleepy. Yet, she still took you outside, didn't she?" Spike could only whimper at Jason's questioning. "Are you even getting a proper diet? You're a dragon. That makes you a carnivore. It must be hard getting any protein without any meat from herbivores,'
"I-I eat plenty of gems,"
"A gem-based diet isn't good enough, Spike. It's like candy to dragons, but it helps sharpen our fangs. Their reflective surfaces prevent lava and fire from damaging our stomach lining. We need protein from the meat we get from hunting game in the Everfree or fish," Ember informs.
"So, who's to blame for this error in judgment? The mentor or the student and caretaker?" Jason gestures to Celestia and Twilight.
"Alright, that's it!" Twilight suddenly shouted. She trots up and pulls Spike behind her. "You can say all you want and twist facts to make me look irresponsible, but I won't allow you to bully Spike!"
"Tsk. You've been doing that his whole life,"
"And what about you, human? You're trying to make yourself out as the victim here. But I remember precisely what spawned my reaction towards you that day—members of this courtroom. Don't let what you've seen so far fool you. This creature is not a wounded animal but a far worse predator than any of the ones gathered here. Look at this!"
Twilight touches the Gjallarhorn again, and another memory plays. This time, it showed Twilight stumbling out of a statue in front of a school building. Jason instantly knew what he was seeing. It was the Equestria girls' universe. The gallery and judge were put off by the uncanny resemblance to Jason's species. "What you see is a mirror world where I suspect you came from, Jason. This place is a high school for teenage humans. I say mirror world because, in this realm, they are Equestrian counterparts here," Twilight noticed the confused expressions of everyone in the court. "Doppelgangers?" Still, everyone was confused. "Um, twins? This world had twin look-a-likes of us," Finally understanding, everyone nods. "Now, I entered this world to regain the lost element of magic from a thief. I blended in with the teens, and I even met the human version of my Equestrian friends,"
The memory confirms this as Twilight meets up with the human element bearers in a launch room. "But, this is where the real horror started!" Jason had to admit that he didn't know what Twilight was trying to show. All the memory was showing was a typical lunch day. "See? Look at the food they are eating! Bacon! Pork chops. Ham sandwiches. Steaks! These human versions of us were butchering sapient creatures! They're cannibals!!!" The courtroom occupants let out several gasps of horror. Jason covered his face with his hands while Chrysalis looked worried for the first time. Twilight smiles triumphantly as she continues. "After I discovered this, I quickly left the room before I could eat anything. From there, I took back the Element of Magic and went through the portal. Is it any wonder why you got such a reception? When you're kind butchers innocents so freely? Why else is there a portal between our worlds that opens every few moon cycles? Ponies and humans are not meant to coexist!"
"That is a rather severe revelation!" Queen Novo said.
"A scary one at that," King Shifting Sands said.
"Even our griffins don't eat anything that can talk back," Grandpa Gruff said.
"Nor dragons," Ebmer said, eyeing Jason warily.
The judge agreed as Twilight smiled at the other defendants. "Ha! What do you get to say to that?" However, Twilight's smile faded when Jason began laughing. A deep belly laugh left him doubled over as he wides away tears. "What's wrong? Do you realize your plot failed and lost composture?"
"Oh, wow. I needed that. I can't believe that's what you thought this whole time. Whoo!"
"Stop with the bravado. It's over! every creature here knows you are a monster now!" Rainbow said.
"Then humor the big bad monster for a little bit. What's the acceptable meat of non-sapient creatures the predators of this world can eat?"
"That would be fish. While most animals retain a level of sentience and intelligence - to the point where they can process and express pain - fish do not," Luna educates.
"Okay, that's how it is for all animals in my world," Jason said.
All the wind from Twilight's sails left her. "That's impossible! You came from that mirror world. That's the only realm with humans in it!"
Jason rolled his eyes and touched the Gjallarhorn as he spoke. "I did not come from the world that you visited, Twilight. The humans of my world are not counterparts or twins to your world. I came from a different Earth entirely. There, we are the only creatures capable of expressing intelligence and wisdom,"
Another round of gasps went off as the Gjallarhorn did not react. Therefore, Jason was not lying, causing Twilight to stammer. "But, but, but--"
"I bet you thought you had something there, didn't you? It's a shame you didn't stick around in that mirror world. You might've learned that humans are omnivores. That means we can eat meat and plants, as long as it's not hay. See?" Jason opens his mouth, allowing Ember to look at his teeth.
"He has fangs and molars in the mouth," Ember said with an undercurrent of relief.
"There was something else that you said too. That humans and ponies cannot coexist?"
"..." Twilight was less sure of her position now and stayed quiet.
"Well, luckily, I have another witness to disprove that statement..." Jason gestures to the double doors again as they open. Another pony came walking, though. She was a mare with bright amber fur and a two-toned mane of red and yellow. Celestia's eyes shot wide as she stared at the estranged mare's stern features. "Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court,"
"My name is Sunset Shimmer. I was formerly Princess Celestia's first protege,"
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Yes! This is getting better!
The queen has arrived! Here we go!
Also, if we're bringing Spike Into this a reminder that, in addition to blatant abuse, it's 100% canon that he was raised in the Sparkle house alongside Twilight and Shining, but Velvet and Night Light refused to treat him as their third son but just simply a project Twilight brought home from school. Despite Spike being clearly upset over it, the show refused to give closure on it and, as usual for Spike, his entire story was an afterthought for the crew who thought Quibble Pants, Starlight, and Sunburst were more important in terms of having a "patching it up with family" episode.
Twilight is learning a hard lesson about making judgment about others. She assumed that except for the shapes of everything it was the same way as back home. If she had bothered to research anything besides a yearbook she would have learned a lot about humans.
Would Jason also point out all the times the girls excluded Spike hard from the fun/adventures they had so many times and from their bond?
And the fact he is seen as a pet by the mirror since he was a dog in EQG?
Uh oh! This meatball is getting awfully spicy all of a sudden! Now that Shimmer is on the prowl, I can't imagine Twilight's position being very tenable.
On the other hand, I'm very heavily suspecting something is manipulating prior events. Probably Discord. He's been that factor in the other non-canon endings.
The gates of Tartarus are being opened and I'm loving it.
Yes! Sunset Shimmer
What is this an alternate ending to?
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The ending universe
Oh, man. It's getting better.
Amazing chapter!
Sunset Shimmer is in the house! Can't wait for the next update.
More more more more
MORE
Everything is crumbling down for the supposed "Elements"
And the so called "Princess of Friendship" is having a very rude wake up call for her complete idiocy and unbelievable poor intellect for her jumping to conclusions about humans
And now a certain bacon-hair Pony makes her unexpected appearance. Revealing herself as a, forgotten, former protege of a certain Sun Princess and about to lay in on her time as a human, along with being friends of the EqG.
I cannot wait to see her tear into Twilight and her "friends". (And maybe Celestia?)
"If they weren't meant to coexist, then why does the portal still exist? By your logic, its very existence is a potential world ending threat if humans are as barbaric and evil as you say. I think that counts as another charge of criminal negligence on your part, especially if you'd let a 'cannibal' like me roam free in your town for years!"
"Besides, alleged crimes in another world that you know nothing about would hold no weight here unless those crimes were committed against a native from here and vice versa. And the fact that thief went unpunished for their crimes in both worlds only adds to your charges, especially if the perpetrator was originally from this world because then you may very well have let a murderer go free."
"Let's not forget that even Zecora has shown that you and your friends didn't just know about what happened to me, you all practically encouraged it when you weren't doing it yourselves! Given the fact you didn't even attempt to 'send me back', that's not just racially motivated criminal negligence, that's reckless endangerment against me and your entire town. If I was half the monster you think I am, you would've been dinner in the first week. How many 'innocent creatures' with intelligence comparable to everyone here can you prove I've killed or eaten?"
"How about Spike's testimony? That's child neglection, child endangerment, probably even classifies as child abuse, and borderline, if not slave labor. By all means, keep talking, I'm eager to see how long your list of crimes can get."
It just got so much better
Seems like in this AU Equestria Girls was pretty much skipped and Twilight just went and took her Element back. Really anticipating Sunset's testimony and how she reacts compared to Endings and Beginnings.
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Tried to find that Kylo Ren “MORE!!” Meme but couldnt link it for some reason.
Oh wow didn’t see that twist at the end coming, Twilight thought she was gaining steam only to realize she fell into a hole. There’s also the question of whether or not the animals of the EG world are smart (I doubt it), hopefully that’s researched or touched on again. I’m hoping this doesn’t end with a syrupy sweet ending, having Twilights school dreams destroyed before they could even begin would be a great punishment. Along with Ponyville ending up a town of pariahs like in a similar story, maybe with out the destruction…. But more of a Detroit (or Detrot!) vibe signaling their best years are long past.
Oh the next chapter is gonna be good…
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https://www.fimfiction.net/group/203371/the-ending-verse/folders
Here you go. Ending is the main story.
Man I love seeing twilight getting grilled into.
But I cant wait to see applejack and rainbow on trial personally
oh and fluttershy as the saying goes "there are two types of evil in this world, those that commit horrid acts, and those that watch horrible acts being commited and doing nothing."
I know jason would hit applejack where it hurts, her parents.
I mean how would applejack's parents react to what she has done, I think they would disown her on the spot
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Some good stories there.... l really wish the Crow would be continued, really liked that one
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I imagine Rainbow is actually going to be quite brutal. If she denies her actions, or what she would've done, either the Horn will force out the truth, or she'll be told to hit him with lightning to prove how dangerous her actions were by suffering the damage in his place before or after everyone is shown the memory.
As for Applejack, considering how hard her kicks are and all the protection humans don't have compared to ponies, that's assault with a deadly weapon if not attempted murder (I figure since professional boxers legally have their fists registered as such, it would apply here). Then there's that comment with Winona, if Jason was ever attacked by it, that dog would have to be put down because that's a fault of the owner, not Jason. Let's also not forget she just watched as he tried to kill himself. That I believe would've been negligent homicide under the circumstances.
Aw yes give them enough rope to hang them self as they say
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I don't know about negligent homicide. In many of the stories, Applejack did save him from killing himself. Plus, are you in any way responsible if someone else kills themselves and you see it? Suicide is a personal choice.
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Spike didn't gain any intelligence until he was hit the way that stray magic from Equestria. So, it's safe to say the animals are like ours.
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I think legally if you are in a position to stop it, it is your responsibility, especially if in this case, you are a significant enough contributor to that mental/ emotional state, it is your rope they are using and they are basically doing it on your property. There's evidence to suggest negligent homicide as well as assisted suicide/ I believe that counts as 3rd degree murder, or the attempt of in this case. At the very least, she would've been responsible for the wrongful death of Jason.
It's one thing if you look up from the street and see a guy about to jump off a building, it's another when you and the entire town put someone through Hell, and your first and only response is to ask "why?"
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(Giving credit where it's due, for all her other sins, Applejack actually didn't just watch as he tried to kill himself. She did actually try to stop him with her lasso, which is probably why he's still alive in this version. In the original, he shrugs off her rope and dies anyways.)
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It's more than that, it kinda leads to a possible conclusion that Spike was absent in adventures because he worked as the Ponyville Librarian in Twilight's stead most of the time whenever she was absent. He can't accompany on her adventures, he can't do his own stuff either, because he has to do Twilight's job for her while she's out having a picnic or something idk.
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Could've sworn she just watch until the rope snapped in most of them. In the original, there's actually no mention of trying to save him. Whether the author goes with one or the other is up to them.
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(That's fair, it's been around long enough and redone enough that there can be multiple interpretations, and ultimately we'll find out what the version is for this story. In the original though, she did try to stop him with her lasso, right before asking him "why", and he shrugged the lasso off after he gave his reply.)
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Will that be pointed out too that Spike is unfairly labled as a non sapient being?
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Is that from no man’s country or is that canon?
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The issue with Equestria Girls
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It will be satisfying seeing Ponyville lose its title as the Friendship Capital that Twilight and the others love calling it, and the foreign leaders to tell Twilight that their citizens will not attend her school if she still does get it open.
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Remember that scene from the Incredibles, where Mr incredible save that suicide jumper, then the same guy sued for "ruining his death." It could be like that. If you help someone during a suicide attempt and they get hurt because of you, then I think that makes things murkier.
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I would expect the Good Samaritan laws to protect you though. I mean, if you crack someone's rib during CPR, that's an accident when attempting to save someone's life. You cannot be sued or criminally charged for it. There are limitations of course, you can't just remove glass from someone's eye for example, but you can restrain them if necessary until professionals arrive to safely remove, and possibly save the eye.
It's been a long time since I watched Incredibles, so I don't remember that, but in the real world, I don't think that would even reach a judge, partially because any sane person would look at him and say he's an ungrateful shit or he planned it. Having a few million is going to buy distractions, not cure suicidal depression or whatever, he would probably still attempt it even if he won. If he doesn't, then he had no intention of dying in the first place, so the lawsuit itself would've been illegal.
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She didn't necessarily try to stop him though. Yes, she did lasso him, but that wasn't to stop him from killing himself, that was just to buy enough time to ask him why he was doing it. She was trying to understand, but that's really it. It's open to interpretation, but it's implied he was successful in the original, before the canon sequel was published that is.
11491737
(Hmm, I have a different interpretation of Applejack's intention, however fair enough. Ultimately then, it'll just depend on how it's interpreted here. And either way, there's still plenty of crimes she's committed to pin her to the wall over.)
Seems this story is going to be far broader than I thought, as it's not just Jason lambasting the Mane 6 for what they did to him, but for their moral and ethical failures in general which I think lends itself to the story's overall strength as it shows how they could very well have done all those things to the human unlucky enough to try and start a life for himself in Ponyville with all their other failings. Also appreciate that you're drawing from multiple iterations of the Ending story as opposed to just leaning on one of them. That being said, this recent chapter has me asking some questions about the narrative, like:
Did Zecora try to find Jason after she saw what Ponyville did to him? They both lived in the Everfree, I can't imagine that they wouldn't have crossed paths at some point. Did they become friends?
Were Twilight and her friends really so dense that they didn't notice Zecora not coming into town anymore for three years and still thought that they were friends with her? Did they never once ask why she never came around anymore?
How did Jason and Chrysalis manage to contact Sunset Shimmer for her testimony? Did Twilight trash the mirror to try and get rid of it? How exactly did events branch with Twilight just grabbing the crown and ditching the alternate Earth?
I hope you have answers to these questions, and I'm looking forward to reading more.
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With Zecora, I thought I did a good job implying she went after him. But I plan to expand on that.
With the elements, I believe they are acting somewhat strangely. Like, there's an outside force muddying their better judgment.
😉
With Sunset, well, that will be explained in her chapter.
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Considering she only read one book in the episode despite sleeping on a bed made of books and that was a yearbook for the school. Not exactly a ton of information in there there is a chance that animals are much like the ones in our world.
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That's what I figured; it certainly explains why Jason seems more level-headed despite his anger in this situation as opposed to him being on a full blown "burn them all" war path like he was in A New Ending. And that definitely piques my curiosity in what exactly drove him to attempted suicide or if there's been a deviation there too. But I don't expect you to you too much of your hand in the comments section; I'm sure I'll get my answers in the story soon enough!
Appreciate you taking the time to reply, and I'll be looking forward to the next chapter!
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Imagine how she would react to just how dumb some animals are, working on a ranch I saw a lot. Some pigs will literally roll over on their piglets, crushing them to death, and not even react. Naturally it depends on the breed of course, but it’s more common then people think sadly.
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media.tenor.com/0engAwwUVF4AAAAC/more-kylo-ren.gif
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Exerpt from this page...
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-massachusetts-crime-teen-texting/massachusetts-manslaughter-conviction-upheld-in-teen-texting-suicide-case-idUSKCN1PV1SV
11492591
Exactly. Legally speaking, if someone does it and there's proof you told them to do it, that's murder.
Oooh this chapter was really good. Can't wait to see what Sunset has to say. Dis gone be good.
Assuming this takes place after No Second Prances, I would love to see how Trixie was treated being brought up.
Not only was her public image ruined, her wagon was destroyed and vandalized, she was also driven to suicide when her only friend left her because Twilight didn't want her to be friends, despite "forgiving" her.
11493631
Hmmm...makes you wonder what events Jason might have altered thanks to his knowledge of the show.
Also, if he really wants to smack it to Twilight and the ponies, what will happen if he reveals the upcoming split between ponies that leads to Gen 5?