> A Cold Ending. > by Knight of Crows > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The day was of the Grand Galloping Gala, knowing what this meant, a tall, hooded and masked figure moved towards the city it would be hosted. The event itself was of no importance to him, but the timing of it. There were others before it of course, but this specific one, what he knew was going to happen, is what made it so. Entering the city itself was easy, the ponies too lax and incompetent to care if they did notice him. All he had to do was wait until the right moment. *faint howling* "We're close, just wait a little longer." He covered the ethereal creature that poked its head out of his hood. Thanks to a few gifts from his allies, he was able to quickly enter the castle without the guards noticing. The closest he had gotten to being discovered was the occasional comment of how "chilly" it had gotten for a moment. An event like this won't usually have anyone flying around, save for one he thought of momentarily, he believed he could hide out above all the attendees in the ballroom where the announcement would be made. Night would fall and he would watch events unfold very closely, it was after all, one of the very few things he had been looking forward to for the past two years. The first to catch his attention was the Princess of the Sun herself. Once a sight to behold, now the world's greatest failure in his eyes. The Lunar Princess followed after him, the only one he couldn't decide if she deserves his wrath. Then one by one, the ones who made his life a living Hell would enter and mingle with other guests. Discord, the one ultimately behind the Hell Jason endured. Princess Twilight Sparkle, the hypocrite and most undeserving of everything she has. Rarity, the manipulative thief. Ironic, considering her Element. Fluttershy, the coward, and that's being kind to one who doesn't deserve it. Pinkie Pie, a child in the body of an adult, and that's putting it lightly. Applejack, the greatest liar of them all. And last but not least, Rainbow Dash, the boastful "hero" and reckless beyond compare. Hate, that was the only thing Jason could call what he was feeling in this moment. Hate for their hypocrisy. Hate for their arrogance. Hate for their ignorance. Hate for the wonderful lives they live after causing so much misery to himself and others. This Hatred fueled his gift as it fed his companion, and there would be so much more to create. "Soon enough, you will have a grand feast, and I will have my revenge at long last." Jason whispered to his companion as he watched the events unfold. Events would play out as he would expect between the aforementioned ponies and other guest. A few non-ponies, the Wonderbolts, and celebrities such as Octavia and Coloratora. He wasn't concerned about them though, only the ponies that taught him how to hate the world itself, of which most aren't present. Near the end of the yearly event, the attention of every creature present was called to Twilight, who stood with the other princesses by her side. "Hello, honored guests. I want to thank you all for your attendance. As you know, I have recently been on many quests with my friends, the elements of harmony, repairing, strengthening, and building friendships across Equestria. Outside of Equestria though, I've seen others who struggle to do the same, many struggle just to live. In response to this, to spread harmony and friendship to all, I give to you the School of Friendship!" Twilight declared, to which everyone there cheered for this news. Once it died down, she continued. "This school will have everything the students should need to excel and understand each other: Room and board, multicultural classes, and services and accommodations for all. Everyponies' needs will be met to ensure a safe environment for to prosper!" Cheering erupted once again, but near the end, it was silenced by an abrupt chill that passed by all creatures in the room. "You have a lot of nerve to announce such a thing, your Highness." Jason spat. "Who said that? Where even are you?" She asked as everyone looked around the room. It wasn't until Jason descended that everyone knew where it came from. "You don't need to be omniscient, and certainly not all knowing to know this school would be as much a failure as it would be a contradiction and detriment to everyone." Jason reached into his pocket, ready to pull out a gift from his allies. Another of the attendees, Chancellor Neighsay, stepped forward before speaking up. "I am inclined to agree with this...thing. When you proposed this school, I assumed it would be for the benefit of ponies. Having other creatures that prey on us is a recipe for disaster!" He growled. "What'd you say!" "How dare you!" "Yak will show puny pony disaster!" As many of the non-ponies voiced their disapproval, the creature spoke again. "You misunderstand my meaning. I'm not saying that in favor of you or anything. I'm saying that because your kind is ultimately the problem." Now the chancellor was confused along with everyone else. "I-I beg you pardon?" Instead of answering, the stallion moved closer, as did the mare. "But, I'll at least commend you for being upfront about your xenophobia instead of hiding it behind the guise of friendship and all that bullshit, of which they are the worst offenders." Jason pointed at Twilight and her friends. "I don't know what you are talking about, nor will I put up this slander against my character. I've always treated every creature with respect!" Twilight said, stomping her hoof. "I am living proof otherwise. I could point you to other cases as well where your kind has only created misery and said it was just. Allow me to show you a glimpse at what you and the rest of your town spent years doing to me." Jason removed his masked as many guests gasped, some even screamed and ran in fear. The elements stood stock still while a pale white skinned creature stared into each of their souls. He had messy grey hair. At least to the ponies, a stern look in his sapphire blue eye that could only be described to fit one word: Hate, pure and unfiltered, perhaps with a tinge of madness. But the scariest feature of this being in front of them was the jagged scar tracing over the left side of his face over a milky white eye. "Who-... Who are you?" She asked faintly. "You don't recognize me? That's fine, it has been a few years. For now though," Jason slowly stepped towards her "think of me as either your worst nightmare or your past come to haunt you, my dear princess." As Jason reached for her chin, Rainbow Dash flew in his face. "Hey! Back off-erk!" Jason grabbed her by the neck, his hand cold enough to freeze even a hot forge, and threw her to the side before pulling out an S shaped horn. Those who weren't focused entirely on defending Rainbow instead recognized the artifact, but couldn't stop him from blowing into it. The closest ones were forced to cover their ears, but once it stopped, they were surprised to see nothing happened. "The Gjallarhorn..." One of them muttered. "Now the fun truly begins." Jason cackled, his face expressing he was going to enjoy this. "Ah don't know what you think is so funny, your horn ain't done nothin'." Applejack got ready for a charge. "If that was supposed to deafen us, I'm not sorry to say that your plan failed." Rarity added as she lit up her horn. "Yeah, you big..." Pinkie was about to join in until the same combo she felt at Sugarcube Corner returned. It was much stronger now as Pinkie's breathing picked up. She looked up at Jason, focused completely on him. Her eyes widened as she gazed upon his form. She began to tremble and hyperventilate as she backed behind her friends and cowered under her hooves. "No, no, no, no!" This action did not go unnoticed. "Pinkie, what's wrong?" Fluttershy said. "No, no, no!" Pinkie muttered over and over. "Pinkie, what's gotten into you, darling?" Rarity asks, kneeling to her friend. "The horn!" Twilight realized. "It must be having some kind of delayed effect!" "Ah've had enough!" Applejack charged at him, but was quickly stopped by a blue aura. "You will be still!" Luna stated in a seething tone. "Princess Luna? What are you doing? Did that horn affect you too? Don't worry, we'll--" Twilight started. "You and the elements will do nothing!" Celestia spoke with authority. Before Twilight could respond, Cadence's horn emitted a bright light. When it faded, the crystal princess looked confused. "That's not right..." "What's not right, Cadence?" Twilight asks. "I just cast a spell that disrupts mind-altering spell craft. But nothing is affecting my aunts or even Pinkie Pie!" "There isn't any, Mi Amoré Cadenza. The only thing that did is force us all to play nice." Jason said cryptically. Princess Celestia signaled for everypony to stand down. "...Forgive the offense. What are your terms?" She asked. "A place to stay in the castle would be nice." With a resigned sigh, Celestia spoke. She signaled a couple guards over. "See to it that our guests are placed in the best accommodating room we have to offer," The two guards eyed each other before nodding and turning to the pair. "Follow us," Jason remained silent as he began to follow the guards. However, before he could leave, Chancellor Neighsay spoke up again. "Princess, what is the meaning of this? Why do you submit yourself to an obvious enemy? I demand an answer!" Many of the other ponies agreed with the chancellor's assessment. Celestia turned a sharp glare at the brazen pony, who recoiled. "I'd remember my tone when addressing the princess, Chancellor," Fancy Pants suddenly said. "H-how can you be complacent after what we witnessed?" "Simple, judging by the Princess's reaction to that Gjallarhorn, it must be an item of great significance. One that grants its wielder liberties that must not be violated," "Then, why are we finding out about this all-powerful horn now?" "I haven't the foggiest idea. Who knows how many mystical items that have been lost through the ages? All I know is that we should trust the only two ponies with any idea about what is happening," Fancy pants gestures to Celestia and Luna. "Thank you, Lord Fancy Pants. Rest assured. We shall release a statement on the matter tomorrow. Perhaps it best for everypony here to retire for the evening," Princess Luna said. "Excuse me, princess, but you cannot expect us to just ignore what that thing just did to Rainbow Dash!" Starlight said as she treated her frostbite as best she could. Realizing the damage, Celestia pointed to another guard. "Bring a medical team here immediately!" She ordered. "It ain't right! A monster like that goes free after what it did!" Applejack added. "Like you have any room to talk." Jason turned around walked back to them. "Freak, abomination, monster, I've heard it all from your kind. You do so love your labels and judge anything for any reason, and whatever falls in those categories is better off dead in your eyes. But tell me, if I'm a monster, what does that make those who did this to me?" Jason gestured to his face before gesturing to the rest of his body that was still covered. "What do you think lies underneath?" "What are you?" Twilight demanded an answer, which Jason ignored. "If I am a monster for wanting justice, what does that make you for turning me into one? I am no monster, but a victim. I am living proof of your hypocrisy, that everything you stand for is a lie, that you are traitors to your own ideals. Anyone else would've come for blood, I simply wish to see the truth come to light, for your arrogance, your true nature to be revealed to the world. Nothing will bring me greater satisfaction than doing equal damage to your reputations and Equestria's as a whole in one week, the damage you've done to me for years." Jason partially lied about his intentions, taking advantage of a feature regarding the Horn's functionality when not in use. "Jason Wright?" Discord whispered, his face as pale as a ghost as he finally realized stood before them. "So, someone does remember me? And of course, it would be the one I never even met before now. We have so much catching up to do, all of us. I'm looking forward to showing the world just how truly evil the its greatest heroes are. For now though, goodbye." Jason turned back to the guards and followed them out. "If the world seeks my destruction,..." "Then I'm taking everyone with me..." > Chapter 2. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason retired for the evening but kept a close eye on the ponies via the Windigoes. This act served two purposes: To feed/ empower them, and to ensure he would be informed of anything important. He could use the Horn instead, but this would work better for him and his plans. The next day, news of his stunt had spread like wildfire. Below the stage set up in Canterlot Square, reporters from various news outlets had arrived to get the scoop on the unknown creature and its accusations against Equestria's heroes, even rulers from other nations, the ones present at the Gala, had chosen to see this through. Ember, Rutherford, Gruff, Shifting Sands and his wife, Amira, Rain Shine, Novo, and Zullki. Most if not all of the leaders of Equestria's allies were present. It wasn't necessary, but it would still be beneficial to him. A bright flash went off and the Sisters stood with the Elements, Cadence, Spike, Starlight, and Jason to their sides. The crowd looked up at Jason with varying levels of fear or disgust. Some were hurling insults and calling him a liar, which incited others to do the same, forcing the guard to act as a barrier. Jason's disappointment quickly turned into anger and excitement though when a rock hit him straight in his good eye and knocked him down. The ponies on stage near him looked horrified until he started laughing while covering his eye, pretending to be injured. "I guess we're getting started sooner than planned. Just know, you brought this on yourself." Jason grabbed the Horn, but Celestia tried to protest. "Wait!" She tried to plead with him, but it was already too late. Moments later, a noble everyone on stage recognized appeared before them. "We are each the architects of our own demise. Hello, Jetset." Jason greeted the stallion, who looked around in fear. "W-what's going on? Why am I here? How do you know my name?" He asked. "Jetset, you fool..." Celestia groaned in frustration and disappointment. "You know, I would ask why you threw this, but I already know the answer. It's because I'm a monster, I'm not a pony, I'm a freak, it's almost always been one of those reasons with your kind, and not once did I verbally or physically retaliate. Now, I don't have to." Jason said cryptically. "What?" "Ssshhhsshhshsh... I want you to revel in this next part, for any second now, the Horn will reflect what you just tried to do to me, back at you. Having spent 3 years dealing with abuse like this, I can assure you, it's going to hurt...a lot." Jason smiled. Before Jetset could respond, his magic was sucked out of him by the Horn, causing him to collapse. His eyes and coat lost their color, and his cutie mark disappeared. His eye was then destroyed, a blood curdling scream erupted from him, causing many onlookers to avoid seeing or hearing it as best they could while others lost their last meal. "JETSET!" A mare cried out as she tended to her husband. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!!??" "All I did was stand here. He's the one who made the conscious decision to attack me unprovoked. Even if I did do anything, it would be self-defense. No, it was the Horn, it automatically makes the attacker incapable of causing harm and reflects damage. It basically forces everyone to play nice, which he didn't do. If anything, I'm the victim, I don't know why you're accusing me of anything when even a blind man could see your husband was clearly in the wrong." Jason tried to egg her on, but Cadence put a stop to this. "Will somepony please take him to a hospital?!" She ordered. "Oh, he'll be fine, being blinded in one eye won't be the end of the world. I would know." Jason brushed off the urgency. "It's not just the eye, you stole his magic! Like Tirek!" Twilight accused him, causing the crowd to gasp. "You're a fool if you actually believe that. If I wanted to steal magic, I've had plenty of opportunities to become the new God of this world. No, it was a reaction by the Gjallarhorn caused by his magically assisted assault against me. Had he waited for Celestia and Luna to address this, he wouldn't have become an example. You should be thanking me for my mercy. As the victim, I can decide how to punish him thanks to the Horn, but I'll let this one go." Jason didn't even glance at her as he corrected her. "What he speaks is truth, Twilight. The Gjallarhorn is a powerful artifact meant to force a peaceful resolution between the user and other parties. It's history dates back to when my sister and I were fillies." Celestia began. "Back before the unification of the pony tribes, a unicorn noble, Snively, stumbled upon a farming community near where he planned to build an outpost. The farmers were ill prepared for the winter and lacked any effective form of defense. Seeing their desperation, he offered them a deal that the village leader, Merry Gold, knew was too good to be true, and asked for a week to give an answer. She prayed to Faust and was given the Horn." Luna continued. "Despite not understanding the significance of the Horn, she took it with her to the meeting, and was met with a contingent of armed guards, who would punish resistance with death. Seeing she had been betrayed, she blew into the Horn." Celestia neared the end. "Long story short, he lost his magic, and his guards basically killed themselves because the Horn reflected the fatal injuries against Merry back at them, and he was forced into offering a fair deal." Jason said impatiently. "Then what about Rainbow Dash when you attacked her?" Rarity asked. "That was before the Horn was blown, so it doesn't count. Though it does have more functions than the ones mentioned. If one attacks the other, the victim can do as they please as they are no longer protected by it. If I so desired, I could've sentenced Jetset to death for his little stunt. I could've swung the axe myself, ordered him to poison himself, or even made him jump into a fire." He explained and ended with a threat. "That would be murder! How can you even talk like life has no meaning to you?!" Fluttershy surprised him by yelling this accusation. "Let's answer your question with another question. Do you know the reactions everyone had the first time I was struck by lightning? Fun fact, lightning becomes increasingly dangerous the less magic a creature has, humans have none by the way,-" "Then explain what you did to Dash." Applejack interrupted, demanding an answer. "You mean when I basically froze her neck? That was magic, but it wasn't mine. It was however, controlled by me and supplied by another who shall remain anonymous for now. Now, as I was saying," he turned his attention back to Fluttershy, "they cheered on my attacker, who you know personally, all before dumping me in the Everfree Forest after I lost consciousness. Try three years of being on the receiving end and tell me how much you still value life. Besides, the laws of God are higher than Mortals, given the Horns involvement, it would've basically been authorized by Faust." "I must ask you refrain from such a thing. We should get this along, what is it you wanted by using the Horn?" Celestia asked. "Simple, I want to put everyone who has wronged me on trial for the entire world to see, even for crimes they didn't commit against me, and pass judgement as I see fit. That includes the Elements, the entirety of Ponyville, and Celestia." He answered to everyone's shock. "That's ridiculous! We've never committed any crimes, much less hurt anypony!" Twilight claimed in outrage, the crowd supporting her. "You'll be eating those words soon enough, and by the end of this, you'll understand what I mean when I say 'I'm taking everyone with me'. Until then, I hope you can come up with a good defense, and I don't just mean a legal one." He made no attempt to hide his excitement before he departed back to the castle. > Chapter 3. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, the courtroom was full of activity as the defendants, now with a shivering Rainbow Dash, and the plaintiff moved to their respective sides. The ponies who were already inside primarily consisted of news reporters and nobles who jeered at Jason until he showed them the Horn. The judges consisted of the rulers from every other country that was represented at the Gala, even Celestia. "No matter. Let's start with you." "I thank you all for attending this tribunal. As the offended party called this court session in Equestria, I will preside as the leading judge. Any questions?" Celestia began the proceedings. Twilight instantly raised her hoof. "Princess, in the interest of fairness, why are you presiding? Wouldn't that spark a potential conflict of interests?" Celestia nods in understanding. "If this was a standard trial, then yes, but that is not the case for a tribunal. It is a meeting of the world leaders, who will also act as judges, to hear a grievance that could potentially affect their kingdoms. As such, these proceedings will be transmitted live to the other domains so that there is no fallacy or undermining of the ruling. Now, will the plaintiffs please announce their names, species and aim for calling this tribunal." "Jason Wright, human, and I want those who wronged me to face punishments of my choosing, including crimes against others, when I inevitably prove their guilt. Before we get started though, I have to do one thing." "And that is?" Luna asked. Jason grabbed the Horn and lights began shooting in every direction, creating projections of the trial as far as the eye could see. "Now we don't even need the press because everyone in the world is getting a front row seat. You're welcome." "You believe the Elements have harmed a never before seen creature?" Celestia asked skeptically. "'Believe'? One has electrocuted me multiple times and another shattered my ribs. So, unless my memories have been altered, which the Horn would've corrected already, or unless I found myself in another Ponyville with perfect look a likes, I don't just believe, I know they're guilty. But since you're obviously interested in defending them, let's start with you!" Jason smiled. "And what would you accuse me of?" "Criminal negligence to start. Does the rise of Nightmare Moon ring a bell? You brushed her off on even the littlest things and waited until after your sister snapped before trying to be the big sister." "You should know speculation such as that holds no weight in a trial." She tried to steer him away. "See, that's a fun feature about the Horn. It is either your equivalent of Google, not that you would know what that is, or it is sentient, hence how I can see into the past with it. Though, it did require relevance to this trial since I couldn't use it to answer other questions. See for yourself!" "Luna, we've been over this. The answer is no." Celestia is seen speaking to her sister as if her word is law. "I will marry him regardless. I am your equal and I won't let you take this from me!" "If he doesn't die in battle first, you'll see him and all your descendants die like the rest of them. It's not worth it!" "Nopony ever comes to my court unless they hope I'll grant a request you already denied. Nopony ever even glances at my night I spend so long trying to decorate, even offering a means of helping them find their way when they're lost in the dark. Even when I help them overcome a nightmare or use their dreams to find and save them in the real world, they thank you! Most don't even acknowledge I exist and the ones who do seek to exploit me! It's been this way since we were crowned!" Luna vented. "You're exaggerating, our subjects respect and love you as much as I do." Celestia denied her claims. "You couldn't be any more wrong. When I've finally found somepony who appreciates me as much as my night, your first thought is to deny us the chance of being together. I've stayed silent on everything else, but not this." "You'll regret it later." Celestia warned. "Does any of this sound familiar? What was his name again? Thorned Shield?" Jason asked. He saw Luna trying to restrain herself after seeing a memory be weaponized against her sister, but he chose to ignore her and focus on Celestia. "... It does." She admitted. "Princess?! "Aunty?!" Cadence and the Elements loudly said in disbelief. "We were still a young and relatively weak nation, we couldn't afford personal attachments to the very subjects we may have had to sacrifice the next day to defend ourselves from traditionalists who still believed the Unification was a mistake, or outside threats." She tried to justify herself to the court. "Regardless, you'll say that to your own sister when she's already compromised by the ignorance of your subjects, but you never said anything like this to Cadence. Believe me, I checked. Why don't we go to the next memory?" Jason said with excitement before showing Luna standing in front of a tombstone, rage and grief evident on her in this scene as Celestia looked down upon them with a neutral expression. "Please, not this one?!" Luna pleaded with Jason to not force everyone to relive this memory. "Sure! Just as soon as my own nightmare finally ends after five years!" Jason continued to let the scene play out. "Don't you say it..." Luna said to her sister. "I don't need to. Your fiancé or not, we have a duty to uphold. We can't afford to appear weak now of all times." Luna snapped to her sister. "He would've been your brother-in-law and that's all you have to say?!" She screamed at Celestia. "He knew exactly what he-" "He joined the Royal Guard to serve his country! To serve me! He was supposed to just discover why the Crystal Empire has been silent recently, not to be burned alive by an arrogant dragon. I'll see to it myself that monster's head rolls!" "You will do no such thing. You wouldn't be able to track it in-" "No." Luna interrupted again. "No?" "You won't deny me this. You would do everything in your power to deny me a chance at love, you will not deny me justice!" "I will because thanks to a visitor from the Empire, we now know why it's been silent. You will focus on this, then you may do as you wish with the dragon. If you find it that is." "How could anypony be so heartless?" Cadence asked in disbelief as Celestia looked down in shame. "Oh but wait! There's more!" Jason switched the scene to the Sisters battling Sombra in his palace. Luna was incapacitated not too long after the fight started, but Celestia fought on against him with her golden halberd. "It seems even the Gods lack purity in their hearts. I can taste your wrath. And it is delicious." Sombra taunted as he pressed down on her weapon with his scythe. "I fail to see the relevance of their invasion against Sombra in this trial." Cadence interrupted. "Fine, ruin the fun. After the failed and arguably unjustified invasion against Sombra, Celestia failed miserably to see the signs that would end with Nightmare Moon." Jason summarized. "'Unjustified'?! He enslaved everypony in the Empire!" Twilight slammed her hoof down. "Yeah! We did everypony a favor getting rid of him!" Rainbow added. "So, by law, what should've happened instead? He arguably suffered as much as I did." Jason asked. "He was evil from the start. He got what he deserved." Spike joined, but Jason didn't even spare him a glance. "That doesn't answer my question. But fine, let's be specific: By the laws back then, what would've been the punishment for years of neglect, reckless endangerment, and attempted murder? Because that's what the Empire is guilty of." "That's not possible." Cadence refuted. "Sombra was taken into the Empire by its previous ruler, Amoré. Every Crystal Fair, he would become ill, and it only got worse every year until he almost died, but was saved by a pony who would become the student of the Diarchs. Her name was Radiant Hope." Jason showed the bond the two had, looks of shock and disbelief were on the faces of every creature present. "I know of her, she was one of the greatest healers in history." Twilight remarked as Jason continued. "Unfortunately, the next Fair was coming around and she wasn't there to save him, so he fled. Out in the tundra, he learned that he wasn't a unicorn, but an umbrum, and that's why the Crystal Heart was so dangerous to him." "You mean it was killing him from the start?!" Cadence asked in shock. "That is what I said, yes. After stealing the heart and deciding to free the rest of his kind from their prison, he was confronted by Amoré herself, who revealed she knew exactly what he was from the start. And like any competent ruler would do," Jason said sarcastically "she waited until after he learned that she's been letting the Empire slowly kill him his whole life, she waited until after his only friend and savior was no longer around before trying to help him, whatever her definition of that included. And what was it you said when you told Twilight about him?" "King Sombra, a unicorn whose heart is as black as night." "Monsters aren't born, they are made. So, I'll ask again. What's the punishment for child endangerment, criminal neglect, endangerment later, attempted murder, and enabling an entire empire to do it? Sombra enslaving the Empire, by law, was an act of mercy. Him killing Amoré? Self-defense. Usurping her throne? Who better to rule and pass judgement than the only one who hadn't broken any laws? The umbrum are another matter entirely, but you invaded for history's largest jail break. By law, whether they knew or not is irrelevant, every single pony in the Empire is a criminal, and there is no statute of limitations for murder or accessory to it." "You can't just imprison and enslave an entire country. Now, can you get on with the relevance to the trial?" Cadence rushed. "How do you fail so spectacularly that you not only lose an entire empire to who should've been a novice at leadership and battle, but you don't even notice the growing seeds of darkness in Luna's heart as a result of your failure? Not to mention all the wasted lives for a cause you had no business fighting for?" "He was powerful enough to hold his own against two battle-hardened alicorns, he was far from a novice in battle, and their alleged crimes or not, we couldn't stand by and let our allies suffer such an injustice." Celestia tried to justify her actions. "You didn't answer how you didn't notice Nightmare Moon until it was too late. When he incapacitated you in that fight, you saw it, or at least her betrayal. You saw it, you ignored it, and then you tried to kill her! Your own sister!" Jason accused, but Luna stomped hard enough to crack the floor. "Nightmare Moon was my fault and mine alone, and she only did what was necessary for Equestria!" Luna defended Celestia as Jason looked at them with amusement. "Wrong. Sombra left a gift of sorts in you, feeding your negative emotions. If Nightmare Moon was going to happen regardless, he accelerated the process immensely with his dark magic." Jason played the rest of that scene. Luna had just been struck with dark magic. Her eyes glowed green as purple mist seeped from them. Her breathing became heavy, as though one had just witnessed true horror, but then she began to laugh instead, which startled Sombra. "You think you've found an ally in darkness. Do you even comprehend the powers you were gifted with? The very same powers I was born into." Luna turned to face him, her eyes turned serpentine in appearance, and her grin only added to her increasingly intimidating appearance. "Where do you think the shadows all go to hide from the precious light? Just who do you think stands against them?" Luna asked as she approached, stopping by his scythe. "What you possess is a mere fraction of their might. The same might I stand unyielding against each and every night." "Stay back!" Sombra shot a magic bolt at her, but she deflected it with the scythe that just as quickly changed to resemble a crescent moon. "You are nothing compared to them. You are nothing compared to me!" Luna dashed towards him turning into Nightmare Moon by the time she had him pinned to the wall. "You claim to know fear? I shall show you true terror!" "What are you?!" Sombra asked fearfully. Nightmare backed away for a moment before raising her scythe. "Hmph... I... Am a Nightmare." Every creature, even the sisters looked on in disbelief at what they just witnessed. "And despite the fact you could've been saved, the Element Bearers case in point, her first response was to launch you to the moon where if it weren't for the power of those divine relics, you would've died. The temperature is far enough below zero to freeze you instantly, and there is no oxygen in space. She could've saved you, but instead, she gave you a death sentence that you survived. Can you just feel the love?" Jason finally got to his point. The room began to feel hotter, but he paid it no mind, though he did enjoy every other creature becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "Princess, I must ask you to restrain yourself. Not every creature here can withstand heat like Dragon Lord Ember." Grandpa Gruff tried to bring Celestia back to her senses. The heat was reduced immediately afterward. "My apologies, it won't happen again." Celestia apologized. "How can you stand there and make these accusations? There has to be some kind of trick you're using to not make the Gjallarhorn respond to your lies!" Twilight accused. "The Horn prevents us from lying, but not from being wrong. However, I've already used it to learn the information used in this trial so far, even Luna basically confirmed it with the scene at the grave." Jason denied the accusation. "He speaks the truth, Twilight. As for your insinuation that I tried to kill my own sister-" "'Insinuation'? Your intent doesn't matter when the result is the same. Believe it or not, your sister should've died up there for a crime that there's a fair chance she wouldn't have committed otherwise. A crime that would've caused mass genocide, mind you. Humans discovered that ages ago. So, I have to ask. You were clearly able to save her, why didn't you?" "Now back up just a minute, what was that about genocide?" Applejack asked. "Simple. Plants need sunlight. No plants means herbivores like you die. No herbivores or plants means carnivores and omnivores die. No cycle of night and day means one side of the planet inevitably becomes a scorching wasteland while the other side becomes a frozen tundra." Jason explained. "Surely magic would've found a way! We wouldn't let that happen!" Luna tried to argue. "And how many would've died before then? Either from the temperature or when everyone tries to find the 'sweet spot' to not burn or freeze and is fighting for space and resources? Assuming your would-be subjects accept your rule that is?" Jason continued with his line of questioning. "ENOUGH!!!" Celestia shouted with the Royal Canterlot Voice. "I am the one on trial here! You have no reason to villainize a pony you already proved was innocent!" "I didn't prove her innocent, so much as I did the extent of her guilt. You're the one who villainized her though. History all but forgot she even existed. You let her become a foal's tale that struck fear into the very subjects she was supposed to rule over, and when she came back, what did you do while a friendless introvert known as Twilight was off to 'make some friends'?" Jason focused on her. "'Friendless introvert'? I'll have you know I had some before Ponyville." Twilight took offense to this. "We both know that's bullshit. Even if you did consider Minuette, Lemon Heart, and Moondancer to be your friends, you never acted like it. You valued reading and studying more than even their birthdays. Does that sound like a friend to you?" "I-... But-... *sigh* no." She shied away. "I thought so. My question still requires an answer. Where were you and what were you doing when Twilight saw the signs of Nightmare's return and you brushed it off to tell her to 'make friends'? You were next seen after Nightmare had been defeated. What's up with that?" "I think we deserve an answer as well." Grandpa Gruff spoke. "If what the human says is true, Nightmare Moon was a threat to ever living creature in the world, but there was never any news of your involvement. Surely, she came seeking revenge?" "I-... I couldn't do it. I couldn't fight my own sister again, so I let her banish me to the moon. I had faith in Twilight, and I needed to experience for myself what I subjected her to." Silence. That was all that could be heard as everyone looked at Celestia with disbelief. Baffled at how she could endanger everyone for her sister's sake. "So, in other words, you bet the entire world on a gamble and just admitted to recklessly endangering everyone on top of failing to act against an enemy? Assuming your world is as populated as the one I come from, yes, I'm an alien, that's over seven billion people you would've killed by proxy. But now that begs the question: Why didn't you try to bring her back and save her? Even if the Elements were useless to you, you still could've found Bearers sooner. There are plenty of magic artifacts in the world too, one of them probably could've done it. Hell, you could've probably found someone who could drain magic similar to Tirek and worked with that. There were better and safer options than 1,000 years of isolation with no livable heat, food, or water, then essentially killing her when she returned!" Jason listed the alternatives as realization dawned on everyone's faces. "I am still very much alive! Yes, it was... Unpleasant, but what's happened to me is in the past now." Luna tried to defend her sister. "When people suffer mind altering illnesses that can be cured, they tend to suffer permanent damage if it went on too long without treatment. You suffered as Nightmare Moon for 1,000 years, all of which in solitary confinement. Let's list the effects that is known to have, according to human studies: Depression Poor sleep quality Impaired executive function Accelerated cognitive decline Poor cardiovascular function Impaired immunity, which you are 1,000 years behind on There's also increased risk of dementia Anxiety Paranoia Similar brain shrinkage to Alzheimer's Spending so long up there where sound doesn't travel, you should've forgotten how to speak because you shouldn't have heard anything, leading to a sensory overload upon your return You should've also forgotten how everyone looked and sounded. Anyone else would've become feral if they were lucky." "How are you not making this up?!" Twilight tried to draw his focus away, but he paid her no mind. "You may have been influenced by dark magic, but you still believed everything was your idea. How do we know you are Luna and not something else? At this point, Nightmare Moon should've been permanent, but here you are. It does beg the question though, are you Luna from before Sombra, or are you truly just a 'balanced' Nightmare Moon? Perhaps the Elements did a reset of sorts. Perhaps they purified you. Or maybe they killed Nightmare Moon in some way and replaced her with you." Jason continued. He was fully intent on putting her through an existential crisis, knowing this method would hurt her and Celestia by extension. "... No. I am Princess Luna. Princess of the Moon, Guardian of the Dreamscape, and sister to Princess Celestia! I am not some fake!" She shouted as she backed away. "Well, unless Faust wants to grace us with her presence, we'll never know." "I-... I must recuse myself as a judge. I need time to think." She said with tears in her eyes. "Luna, wait!" Celestia tried to reach out to her, but she teleported before she could. Without turning to Jason, she asked, her voice cracking while doing so. "What could my ponies or I have possibly done to you for you to possess such hate and cruelty?" "It'd be faster to list all the things that so called 'Friendship Capital" hasn't done to me. Of the things it has done, by your own laws, I was allowed to kill a lot of them in the act of self-defense on multiple occasions, and not once did I verbally or physically retaliate. Let's start at the beginning:" Jason played memories of his departure from Canterlot, surprising the courtroom with images of him without his scars or other disfigurements as he was seen having a friendly conversation with her. He looked genuinely happy, a complete contrast to his current angry and miserable self that only shows signs of happiness now when others are suffering. "You know, I'm nervous. I can't stop my hands from shaking." "Oh? Well, if your hands need something to occupy themselves, my ears are more than up to the task," Jason leans in and scratches behind Celestia's ears as she sighs contently. "If you lead with this, I am sure no mare would resist you." "Ha! A bit early for that. But, still, I'm about to meet my heroes. I don't know what to say. It feels like I got butterflies doing gymnastics in my stomach," "I can think of somepony who might be able to help with your shyness. Don't worry, Jason Wright. Ponyville is the friendship capital of Equestria; after all," "Did you officially call it that, or is that Twilight's doing." Celestia tilts her head up playfully in thought. "It would seem you already know. Regardless, I'm sure Twilight and her friends will welcome you just as I have. Don't forget to Wright." Celestia winks at her little pun. "Later, Princess Sunbutt," Jason waves as the two share another laugh while Jason boards the train. Once again, silence hung in the air, every creature shocked by how different the human was before. Some though looked horrified by the fact he could speak so casually to the Princess. "What was that?" Celestia faintly asked. "The last time we saw each other, before you let me walk into a town that should consider itself lucky that I didn't burn them all alive for the Hell they put me through. Killing all of them indiscriminately would've been the greatest mercy they don't deserve." Jason clenched his fists, causing them to bleed. "You know this psycho?!" Ember asked. "No, this is the first time I've-" Celestia flashed yellow for a moment before falling to her knees, the Gjallarhorn absorbing a little magic from her, but her appearance and health didn't change at all. She looked up at Jason with recognition and the shock, the heartache evident on her face amused him as much as it fueled his anger. "By Faust! Jason Wright, what happened to you?!" "As I said, it would be faster to list all the things the Elements and the rest of that town didn't do to me. To give you an idea though..." Jason removed his robes, his body was a road map of pain. The scarring over his left eye traveled down the left side of his torso, left arm, and lower back. A purple and black discoloration of skin stared angrily over his right abdomen. And several more minor welts and bruises decorated his upper right pectoral and right arm. The judges gasped as he did full turns with his arms stretched out for all to see. The Elements did a complete 180 for the duration of his display, shock and horror on the ones who didn't faint at the sight. The rest of the audience had similar reactions. "You want to know why I hate you and the rest of your kind so much? It's because contrary to what you might say, Harmony is a luxury exclusive to you. Your kind is nothing but a cesspit of sadists, liars, cowards, traitors, thieves, and hypocrites. You left me alone with them and I woke up to reality and found it to be a never-ending nightmare. I am living proof of this, and I have plenty more evidence to suggest such in regards to your kind's treatment of other non-ponies. Griffons, zebras, dragons, even changelings, and it's all thanks to this." Jason tapped the Horn. "Your kind is the scum of the earth, and I'm so very eager to prove just how much you deserve what comes next." > Chapter 4. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason once again used the Wendigoes to keep tabs on the Elements and the Sisters. Once upon a time, he wouldn't have dreamed of finding joy in the suffering of others. Now? To know that he nearly broke Luna to the point of taking her own life and by extension, Celestia's, he was more than satisfied with the results of the first day, having almost toppled a government with mere speculation alone. He was content with the results of the first day. As the courtroom filled once again with the same occupants as before, he decided on his next victim as Luna rejoined the judges: The Princess of Friendship herself. "You say that you received those wounds. Could you elaborate?" Luna asked. "There's plenty of time for that. All you need to know at this time is that there is only one wound that wasn't inflicted on me by a resident of Ponyville, but we'll get to that later. And by the time we're done, you will understand why I believe your kind to be a blight on the world." Jason vaguely answered. "You can't seriously hate an entire race because of a few xenophobic individuals." Twilight said. "'A few'? If this were a trial by law that only used the Horn as evidence, there isn't a prison in the world with enough cells for the guilty. It would actually make more sense to just put the entire town on lockdown and sort out the innocent from the guilty. Your culture, your race thrives on xenophobia. All evidence needed will be provided as the trials go on." Jason claimed. "Even I must ask how you've come to this conclusion, Equestria has been nothing but fair to us griffons at least in trade and treatment of our emissaries." Grandpa Gruff said in a questioning manner. "All evidence will be revealed over the course of the trials. But if you want one example to start, how about a zebra shaman named Zecora? For years, she's lived in the Everfree, but her stripes of all things and the way zebras are known to speak, terrified the town to the point of locking themselves away from the 'evil enchantress'." Jason replayed the memory of this before skipping to when Applebloom tried to follow her. "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!" "And what did Zecora get for trying to warn them about poison joke? False accusations of cursing them, kidnapping the child with the intent to eat her, and they wrecked her home." Jason continued to play those memories, prompting Zekia to become enraged. "Our speech and stripes on our hide are marks of our pride!" Zekia said with a glare. "But we made up with Zecora afterward." Rainbow tried downplay the incident. "And it all lead to one of the most important lessons I've ever learned, one I planned to share with everypony at my school!" Twilight played the memory of her friendship letter to Celestia, in which she learned to never judge a book by its cover. The crowd cheered as Jason looked at her unamused. He played the memory of when he first met her in response. 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!" "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of all the bullshit you were spouting a moment ago, about not judging others based on their appearance." Jason countered. "Twilight?..." Spike looked at her in disbelief. "What?! No... That-... I wouldn't-" The Horn glowed and Twilight stumbled before looking back up at Jason with recognition. "It's-... It's you!" "Hi! Not that you'll get the reference, but think of me as a monument to all your sins. Here's another example of your xenophobia towards me." Jason Wright is seen running through the market. His appearance was far more worn than he is in the present as a mob of ponies is chasing him down while throwing various items at him. One of the ponies scores a hit with a rock, causing Jason to trip and tumble. "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. Jason paused the memory for a moment. "I didn't even know Zecora was there until I started reviewing all of these memories" Having witnessed such an atrocious display, Zecora's eyes widened 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 Ponyville 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 mouths of the other princesses nearly hit the floor in shock after the display, the rest of the Elements had similar reactions. Twilight tried to speak, but couldn't find any words to say as she backed away, as if trying to hide from the accusatory gaze on her. "And that was after my first week in your 'loving' town." Jason added. "That can't be right. Ponies wouldn't just do something like that without reason!" Starlight claimed. "Well, I never stole, vandalized, threatened, attacked, trespassed, insulted, or even talked back to anyone in a confrontational manner. The fact the Horn isn't reacting is proof enough. All I did was exist. Why wouldn't I be public enemy number one when even the Princess of Friendship wanted nothing to do with me?" Jason asked. Her silence afterward telling him all he needed to know. "Why didn't you try to contact me?" Celestia asked. "Because no one would sell me writing materials, the dragon mail was unavailable thanks to Twilight, and because no one would hire me, I was homeless within a week and had no means of travel." Jason answered. "'Dragon mail'?" Ember quoted. "Spike's flames can send and receive messages, which is something she uses often. When he's not basically being ignored or treated like a slave." "Nopony has ever done either of those to me!" Spike denied his poor treatment. "You don't go to school, you don't eat a proper diet by dragon standards, you have no friends your age because your chores take up all the time you aren't simping for another pony, and your chores consisted of cleaning and organizing an entire library, now an entire castle. By the way, you're the only one who works there. If that doesn't break any labor laws under normal circumstances, I don't know what does." Jason listed. "THEY WHAT??!!" Ember shouted in rage. "It-it's really no big deal. I-" Spike tried to calm her, but she would have none of it. "She makes you work that entire castle by yourself?!" "It's really not-" He tried to get out. "Your diet? What have you been eating this whole time?" Ember demanded another answer. "G-gems. I-" "Spike, gems are like candy to dragons. They harden our teeth and increase our resistance to lava and fire. You need meat. And this 'dragon mail'? Show me." Spike did as she said and showed her how he does it. "Enchanted flames? Why didn't you tell me?" She asked as calmly as she could to the hatchling. "Nopony ever asked. It's really not that-" "Spike, enchanted flames are a bloodline trait exclusive to arcane dragons, who my father said died out ages ago. You're the last known member of a powerful bloodline." Ember interrupted again. Jason saw this as an opportunity to steer the conversation towards his over-usage of his flames. "It should be obvious. He's a direct line to royalty, who's to say someone won't send a bomb in the mail, or impersonate any known users and use it against them in other ways? It's another example of negligence and recklessness. Afterall, what would happen if any rivals got a hold of him?" Jason said. "That's not it at all! It's not even that big a secret, I do it in front of others all the time, and there's never been any danger." Spike claimed. "So, what do you call what happened when Discord broke free and Celestia kept sending letters through you to a corrupted Twilight?" Jason played the memory of how the Elements became corrupted, their attempt to stop Discord, and how Twilight had given up until receiving her friendship letters. "How did that feel?" Spike grew nervous before answering. "I couldn't move or hold down any food for days. But it was the only way to help so they could stop Discord!" "After Twilight forgot all her friendship lessons, again. She has a habit of doing that. All it took for her to become corrupted was to give up on her friends after seeing them at their worst one time, which wasn't even their fault. Some leader, some friend she is. Then again, I shouldn't expect less. You're mistreated all the time." "You're wr-" "What do you call this?" Jason replayed when Spike fell asleep on a patch of ice during winter-wrap up, falling into freezing water, and the Elements laughing as he caught a cold. Ember's face became a full scowl as she saw this. "You laughed at him??!! He could've died!! Dragons are cold-blooded, you fools!!" Ember shouted, she almost sounded ready to kill someone herself. "I find it ironic how the most studious mare probably anyone here can think of was so ignorant of a trait shared by most if not every reptile in the world. No offense to any dragons or other applicable scaly creatures. Then again, it shouldn't come as a surprise when you look at his upbringing." Jason led on. "That's it!" Twilight slammed her hoof down. "You can say whatever and twist facts around as much as you want, but I won't let you bully my little brother! I remember precisely why I slammed the door in your face all those years ago, and I don't regret that one bit." Twilight played the memories of her visit to the human world as she narrated. "My crown containing the Element of Magic was stolen and taken to the human world. I chased after her and found myself in front of a school with human versions of everypony. When I reached the cafeteria, I saw the horrors your kind is capable of. Trays with bacon, steaks, ham, your kind butchers and eats sapient creatures like it's nothing!" Everyone gasped in horror as Twilight pointed out the lunches many humans had. "Is it any wonder why I reacted as such? You're all cannibals!" "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." Ember said, eyeing Jason warily. "Ha! So, what do you have to say to that?" Twilight smiled with the rest of the defendants as if she just won the case. "... Well, first off, your kind has been bullying Spike his whole life. Second, what you mean to tell me is that you admit to the charges and want to continue proving my point?" Jason asked with a bored expression. "What are you going on about?" "Twilight, both in that world and the one I come from, humans are the only sapient life. Cows, pigs, horses, zebras, yaks, dogs, the ones in those worlds are animals. They can't speak, read, write, or express pain, wisdom, or intelligence in any capacity similar to any creatures in this room. In fact, that worlds version of Spike for example is as much an animal as Applejack's dog or Pinkie's alligator." Jason explained. "I-... What? Wait, you didn't come from that world?" Twilight's face changed to one of uncertainty as she noticed the Horn didn't react. "Besides, humans are omnivores. Some humans choose to live on vegetarian diets while others will refuse anything that came from another living creature, such as milk or eggs. I could've been one of those humans, and you would still be standing there trying to justify starting the systematic abuse I've lived through. But let's say you are right about humans, you still proved my point." Jason ignored her question. "I made a mistake, but what do you claim I proved?" "Regardless of mine or the diet of humans, you just admitted to judging me before getting to know me, resulting in Ponyville following and going beyond your example that day. You still failed to inform the town or take preventative measures against the 'murderous cannibal', who you basically allowed to roam free, unsupervised, for three years. Does that sound like something a Protector of the Realm or a Princess should do?" Jason asked. Every creature in the room turned their gaze to her, similar to how they did upon the revelation of Celestia's plan on Nightmare's return. "I-" "That's three years the 'murderous cannibal' spent being harassed, beaten, and almost killed on multiple occasions by multiple assailants when the 'monster' in question did nothing to warrant such responses. Theft? Assault? Rape? Kidnapping? Murder? Vandalism? Fraud? Treason? I did none of those things. As for you? Negligence in failing to protect the town. Negligence in failing to inform the town of the danger. Negligence in failing to protect a legally innocent creature from unlawful acts that could've very reasonably provoked a violent reaction. And reckless endangerment for every pony who took part in such acts without knowing the 'risks' involved. Thank you for admitting to some of your crimes, but we still have quite a list to go. Some will be revealed during your friends' turns" Jason interrupted. "B-but I..." Twilight couldn't find the words to defend herself or admit she was wrong, not that Ember would give her the chance. "What were you saying about Spike being bullied his entire life?" Ember growled. "Spike, do you know how you came into the possession of ponies?" Jason asked the hatchling. "They said they found my egg alone-" "Spike, there is always some trusted dragon watching over eggs. They're never unattended, even single dragons will carry the egg with them or hide them in safe and unreachable places while searching for food." Ember told him. "The reason you came into the possession of ponies was because they're the ones who orphaned you!" Jason said excitedly. "They WHAT??!!" Ember roared, nearly burning the crowd. "The ponies who brought his egg to me had served the crown faithfully for years. Other guards spoke highly of them for their honorable conduct and efficiency. Even I must question this." Celestia said. "Then let me show you." Jason touched the Horn again to replay the day Spike was found. A squad of royal guards is seen in a small cave overlooking a town, speaking to a large dragon that resembled Spike. "We are not here for trouble, we are only passing through. Once my mate returns, we'll be gone." The dragon spoke, her voice neither threatening nor fearful. "Well, you don't have a choice in the matter. Your mere presence is scaring the town, lizard. You can either leave now, or we'll make you." A light purple unicorn stallion with a blue mane and a wall behind a shield for a cutie mark gave her an ultimatum. "Wait, that's our grandfather!" Shining Armor said. 'He had been awfully quiet until now.' Jason thought. "Grandpa Shield Wall?" Twilight confirmed they knew him. 'Of course he would be named something like that.' Jason thought again. 'You wouldn't take your offspring and leave your mate behind. He won't be more than a few hours, why must you make this difficult?" "Frankly, that's not our problem. What is our problem is that you're taking up residence where your kind isn't welcome. Leave, or your mate will be coming back to a corpse and a shattered egg." Shield threatened. "Try it!" She snarled, her body became coated in light blue flames as they spread around the edges of the cave. "Try it, and there won't be enough left of you for a funeral. Succeed, and you'll burn with the rest of that town!" "Of course, you non-ponies always choose the hard way. Kill her." Shield immediately conjured a barrier around his squad to protect them from her flames before conjuring six more to cover her head and her limbs, locking them in place and extinguishing her flames due to a lack of concentration. "What the-?" The dragon flailed around as best she could, but the unicorn's magic held strong, "Now, let's bring that head down." Shield slammed her head down hard enough to daze her as his companions walked towards her. "Stop... Please?" Spike didn't want to see anymore of the incident, but Jason continued. "You deserve to know, so you will." The dragon thrashed around, but the shields held strong even against her fire. The guards were merciless in her execution. Once she stopped clinging to life, they turned towards her egg and her hoard. "Well, boys, I think we just earned a massive bonus." Shield looked at their work with satisfaction. "What about the egg?" One of the others asked. "Smash it, sell it, makes no difference to me." He answered. "I've never seen a dragon manipulate flames like that before. Do you think it was a special breed?" Another asked. "Wouldn't know, it's not like our libraries have anything about these overgrown lizards besides 'they breathe fire, raid our towns, and have massive hoards of treasure'. Now start looting, otherwise I'm taking your cut." Shield ordered. The princesses couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Spike was at a loss for words, completely silent, save for the occasional choked sob. "He was my hero, my inspiration for joining the guard..." Shining had to make an effort to keep his food down. "He said he saved that town though." Twilight said with tears in her eyes. "What about her mate? What about Spike's father?!" Ember at this point could only be described with one word: Vengeful. "He came back, found his mate dead, egg missing, and immediately knew the ponies were involved." Jason answered as he skipped forward to the dragon's attack on the town. A black dragon with grey spines and red eyes is seen flying over the town. His body covered in blood red flames as he is seen attacking the inhabitants indiscriminately. This continued until he was shot out of the air by a ballista, pinning his wing to his abdomen, sending him crashing into another building. As the guards neared, the building erupted in flames that were quickly spreading to others nearby. "Blood will have blood." He growled before continuing his onslaught. Jason ended the memory as he saw no reason to continue it, then looked up at Celestia. "13 guards and 51 civilians died. 36 injured, and 19 of them suffered life changing disabilities. The hoard was worth less than the cost of medical bills alone. You arrived later that week to commemorate the local guards who 'valiantly saved the town'. Upon seeing the 'recovered' egg, they 'gifted' it to you. You even signed the petition for a monument to be built as a reminder of that day. Nothing from the hoard was used for the town or the victims." He continued, fully intent on feeding Ember's rage while at the same time, ruining the Sparkle family. "Where is he??!! Where are those cowards??!! I'll incinerate them myself!!!" The dragoness roared. "So, what was that about 'honorable conduct and efficiency'?" Jason asked. "Because murder of an endangered species BECAUSE of their race, grand theft, obviously withholding income information, and kidnapping with intent to sell, resulting in a father going on a blood rage and causing more murders and property damage in retaliation sounds like the exact opposite of both to me. If that's what you call 'honorable', then I dread to see the opposite." "I assure you, every one of them will be punished to the fullest extent of the law." Celestia swore. "Have fun with that because it only gets better! They're living out their retirement like kings thanks to the stolen hoard from an innocent family they massacred. And Spike? You took it a step further by basically denying him a future! First you ponies orphaned him, stole his inheritance, then you signed his life away and made him a fucking house pet! And if you call him an animal because he's a dragon, then have fun charging those guards for murder when your laws basically classify it as animal abuse!" Shining was still reeling from the truth of his idol, but Twilight, with tears in her eyes, tried to comfort a sobbing Spike as she turned her attention to Jason. "He. Is not. A pet! He is my little brother, and nothing will change that!" Jason responded by pulling up another memory of Celestia signing adoption papers for Spike as the family pet. "Your parents and princess would beg to differ." Jason commented. "But-... Princess?" Twilight looked up at Celestia, who looked down in shame. "I couldn't grant him citizenship due to the laws that are still in effect. It was the only way he could legally remain in Equestria, and I believed the Sparkle family most suited to raise him as their own, having hatched him." She explained. "And it accomplished nothing but subject him to years of abuse and neglect by the very family that killed his own in cold blood. In fact, I already checked myself using the Horn, but he was nothing more than a means to an end to them. He's lucky to even be alive what with the MANY times he should've been put down by law, like the several house fires and the neighbor's dog he maimed as a baby, which Twilight Velvet bribed for silence despite that one, unknown to her, being in self-defense, or the property damage from his greed growth in recent years" Jason listed as he showed the memories. "He was just a baby; I couldn't imagine the trouble being any greater than the foals they already had, much less pose any significant danger." Celestia became increasingly alarmed, both by the revelations and Ember's growing rage. "You're free to ask Night Light and Velvet when you next see them. The only reason they kept him despite how costly or unsafe he was to keep around was for Twilight and Shining to stay close to the crown and look how their patience and tolerance paid off! One became a national hero, a princess even, and her brother climbed up to Captain, even marrying your niece! They played the 'Game of Thrones' and won by doing nothing but feeding him gems and bribing the neighbor!" Jason mocked how poorly her plan worked. "You-. I-... Nothing. Nothing that you've said! Nothing you've shown! It can't be true! Why didn't you send Spike out? What do you gain from hurting him?!" Twilight questioned as she denied the evidence. "Nothing but the truth can be spoken when the Gjallarhorn is in effect. As for why I didn't send him out? Because he deserves to know who took his real family, his future, away from him. He deserves to know his life was a lie, that he was never truly loved. Because hurting him also hurts you, and there's only one thing that could make me happier: To see this world come to an end, for it is not worth existing." Jason looked down at Spike, who was trying to block out everything said. "It's another reason why I called you out on your school. We'll get into details later, but non-ponies are second class at best, and dragons especially, your school would've been a glorified zoo if not just illegal." "You're hurting him because it hurts me?! He's innocent in all of this! And you say you're not a-" "'Monster'? Is that what you were going to say? I never claimed I wasn't a monster, but I did basically say three years of abuse and two more of nightmares, blindness in one eye, occasional muscle spasms, the constant pain I'm in, even breathing hurts, and other physical disabilities thanks to what the ponies I truly admired, the town I loved, did to me, all with smiles on their faces, turned me into one by your standards. You wanted a monster, but you've never actually seen much less read about one. I'm no monster..." Jason walked towards her and looked her in the eyes. "I'm so much worse. I am what you made me. You overestimated humanity's tolerance and capacity to forgive. But your biggest mistake? Underestimating our capacity for malice and the lengths we'll go to get what we feel we're owed. And I am owed so very much." Jason glanced at Spike before walking back to his original position. "It's time for a short break. We'll continue in an hour if there are more charges to be brought forth against Twilight Sparkle. Otherwise, we'll move on to the next defendant." Celestia announced. "There are more, but yes, that's enough for now." Jason decided to give everyone a moment to let this new information sink in. As he turned to leave, he stopped by the exit. "Can you hear it?" "Hear what?" Cadence asked. "Hehehehe... Nothing you need to concern yourselves with at this time." "The Howls in the Wind."