Fallen Eagle

by Captain Alaska

When a mysterious craft crashes near the Ponyville Lake, Princess Celestia, Luna and 5 of the Mane 6 investigate and find a human near the wreckage. They promptly bring him to the hospital where he awakens frightened & alone. To help him adjust to their world, Applejack volunteers to take 'Cougar' in at her farm. But what happens when the two strike up a very close friendship?

88. Chapter 87: Dishonor's Reckoning

Fallen Eagle

Chapter 87: Dishonor's Reckoning

Hey guys, first off, even though we're in June, Happy 2021! I cannot apologize enough for how long this chapter took to come out. My IT class just demanded so much of my time that I could only work on the story in tiny chunks. Plus, you can already tell another reason it took so long to come out is the sheer length of the chapter, but it is for a VERY important reason. I can't thank you my readers enough for sticking by my story and patiently awaiting me to finally update, which I am thrilled to bestow upon you all.

And, a HUGE shout out to my editor, Picta Vulpes for his help on looking over the chapter for any and all errors and for being a great cheerleader to push me to keep working!

BladeWolf101: Oh, way back when this story was still young yeah I was thinking about it. However, the likelihood of that coming out is very slim to none to be perfectly honest.

The it: Indeed it is! I hope you enjoy it!

Anon: Yes, it is! And still is! :D

headreviewer mk2: Oh I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised :P

ShinyGiratinaA001: Well, yeah I'm doing as good as I could be. I'm still bummed this chapter took so long to come out, but hey, cool to so you update!

Shad03: Well, I'm very thrilled you gave it a chance and have been enjoying it. I do apologize (for the millionth time) for how long this one took :/

Orpheus Picaro: Hoping that's a good thing :D

Guest: Yup!

Tonybrony5685: Thank you very much! I do have plenty left planned, though we are getting ready to hit the final act!

Well guys, I hope you all enjoy!

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(Luna & Celestia's Throne Room; Ivan's POV)

After being led into the large, cavernous room where the royal sisters performed their public duties to Equestria, Glock halted our progress about fifteen feet before the pair of thrones perched a good height above the throne room. Celestia continued forward, spreading her wings and giving them a few flaps, helping the alicorn gracefully fly up and to her throne where she had the perfect view of the many subjects that she and Luna would usually meet and speak with on a normal day. Given the circumstances, however, only we, the selected few, were allowed the privilege to stand before one of the kingdom's two rulers.

I could not help but let out a sigh of disappointment as my eyes wandered to and settled upon the empty blue and silver throne beside Celestia. Despite the elder alicorn's assurance that Luna was still in good health, I still yearned to see my friend.

Sensing my slight dejection, AJ gave my hand a little nudge, shoving it aside and resting her head right into my palm. "She'll be fine, Sugarcube," she reassuringly whispered.

Letting out a hushed chuckle, I rubbed my fingers all over the mare's freckled cheek. "Thanks, hun," I replied, pulling her just a bit closer.

"Ahem," Celestia coughed and diverted our attention back to her. "Soarin, Rainbow Dash, you may join me," the alicorn smiled at the pegasus duo, gesturing with her wing to a spot next to her throne. With just the slightest hesitation, the pair both bit their lower lips, looked back at us and gave a nod before following Celestia's permission.

The two Wonderbolts ascended the stairs that led up to the pair of royal thrones, coming to a halt just one step short of the princesses' seats and turned to face the same direction as their ruler. Another pair of solar guards suddenly appeared from behind Celestia's position, taking points on either side of the platform, each guard grasping a spear with a hoof.

"I believe we are ready to begin," Celestia announced. Her long, spiraled and sharp horn glistened a brilliant gold, shooting off a wave of magical sparks into the air like an array of fireworks. Once the sparks had dissipated into nothing, the alicorn turned to Glock who was standing in front of a door that was off to the side of the thrones. "Glock, you may bring forth the prisoner for her hearing," she announced, her voice shifting in tone from her usual soothing cadence to a more authoritative and stern timbre.

"Yes, your majesty," Glock saluted, gripping the doorknob behind him with his wing and flung open the door to reveal not Spitfire like everyone was anticipating. No, this mare that entered through the doorway had crème colored fur, a chocolate mane and tail that were both professionally tied up in buns, giant glasses with thick, black rims, brown eyes, a pen and inkwell for a cutie mark and a red fluff with a white collar around her neck.

"Ah, thank you Pen Stroke," Celestia gratefully acknowledged her assistant as she carried over a small pile of paperwork to her princess. The Princess of the Sun's golden aura engulfed the papers, lifting them from Pen Stroke's own red magic and started leafing through them in order to familiarize herself with every last detail scribbled upon the pages before the hearing began. Pen Stroke bowed to Celestia and trotted around to the side of the golden throne, parking herself beside one of the guards.

"All right, come on. Don't keep the princess waiting!" A gruff, husky voice ordered from the room where Pen Stroke had just entered from. The distinct sound of shackles and chains rustling about, colliding with one another as a pony moseyed along filled the massive room, reverberating off the marble and stone surfaces.

"You don't have to push! I'm moving!" An impatient, raspy voice barked in response at the guard. The very air itself tensed up as every pair of eyes in the royal throne room were peeled to the holding chamber. Several of the Wonderbolts stood frozen, akin to the gaudy statues that decorated the throne room as they held their breath, awaiting the inevitable reunion with their once trusted leader who trained alongside them in their rookie days. Only now that once proud mare who bled with them, sweated with them, fought with them and protected Equestria's skies was now nothing more than a selfish, dishonorable monster whose own vision for the Wonderbolts were more important than what her entire team thought.

As the rustling of shackles grew louder, Spitfire's form emerged from the holding chamber's doorway. Having only seen her once during my own trip to the dungeons, she looked a bit worse for wear than the last time I laid eyes on her. Despite the fact that ponies serving time underneath the castle still received three meals per day, it did not appear that bathing was commonplace for the inmates. Physically, her body seemed healthy, but smudges of dirt and dust were tattooed all over her fur, darkening the brilliant golden coat of the ex-Wonderbolt. Her mane and tail, while not completely ratty, were plenty disheveled and messy, knotted up in several places.

I could only shake my head at the thought that in just the span of a year, this mare went from a clean cut, by the book commander of a country's Air Force to a dirtied, broken criminal that was only on the edge of being freed. In spite of Spitfire's attempt to deceive everyone in the room in believing she had any air of authority left to her name, no one was buying it. If I only had a single word to describe the mare shuffling towards us strapped to the gills in her shackled confinement, it would be pathetic.

'She should've just kept her mouth shut,' I shook my head a second time. As the guard who was escorting Spitfire to the designated spot for ponies to meet with the princesses, a quiet whimper managed to pry my judgmental gaze off the ex-Wonderbolt captain.

Before I was able to pinpoint the source of the gentle weeping, a second pair of forelegs snaked their way around one of my legs. At the same time, I could feel a pony burying their head into my side. Jerking my head down, I found Fluttershy hugging my left leg for dear life, her head plunged into my hip, muffling her whines as her body shivered.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" I whispered, daring not to divert Celestia's attention away from the important subject at hand. The sweet pegasus whimpered again, so I placed my hand on top of her soft pink mane and gently petted her as I would for Applejack, just hoping to pacify my friend. "What's wrong?" I asked.

My methods of trying to calm Fluttershy seemed to do the trick, at least for her shivering. The mare's body had ceased convulsing, but she still let out a few whimpers. With the hearing set to begin any second, and because I of course wanted to help a dear friend, I withdrew my fingers from petting the top of Fluttershy's head and cradled them around her cheek.

Appearing to get the hint, the Element of Kindness pulled her head away from my side, resting her chin on my hip and peering up. Shockingly, there were no tears pooling in her eyes as I was expecting when she looked up at me, but the poor animal lover had certainly been spooked by something. Her face's complexion had gone from buttery yellow to matching that of Rarity's fur, and her eyes more than revealed how disturbed she was by how small her pupils were.

"Fluttershy?" I anxiously whispered her name a second time.

The pegasus pony's eyes darted away, peeking at something behind me before returning to my own eyes. "I-I'm sorry Cougar," she quietly apologized. "I don't mean to bother you."

Curious at her behavior, and more so her apology, I looked in the direction that was stressing the animal lover out. All I could see, however, was Spitfire standing before Celestia and Luna's thrones, impatiently waiting for Celestia to finish leafing through her dossier.

Letting out a small chuckle, I looked back at Fluttershy, a reassuring smile curled up on my lips. "Hey, it's alright Fluttershy. Honestly, I did not expect Spitfire's presence to scare you this much, but I won't hold it against you," I promised while my fingers began to lightly dance around her cheek.

Still, despite my efforts, Fluttershy's stress remained at a constant. The mare pursed her lips, a thought boiling up at the back of her mind. And yet, as par for the course, she had trouble getting it off her chest. "Oh, it-it's not that she scares me," she gulped, her eyes slowly shifting from me back to the mare in question. "Although, I do kind of find her unsettling knowing that she put Rainbow Dash in the hospital for a few days," she shivered again.

"Oh…. well, I can promise you that she can't hurt anyone right now, especially you," I pulled my hand away from her cheek, my fingers tickling across her fur.

Fluttershy gave me a cute little pout as she felt my fingers cease their little massage. "It's not that either, Cougar. I know she can't do anything to anypony right now, but just seeing her like this…" she trailed off, her breaths turning ragged.

"What do you mean?" I shot the arrested mare another curious look. Sure, she did not look her best, but Spitfire didn't appear to be sickly, malnourished or anything that someone would find disturbing. The only thing she had on were shackles around her four legs as well as a large chain wrapped tightly around her midsection, holding her wings down so they could not budge and help her fly out of custody. 'Well, it is Fluttershy we're talking about,' I thought.

"It's just that, seeing another pegasus chained down like she is and unable to fly, oh!" Fluttershy buried her face back into my side to muffle her uncomfortable squeal.

Ohhhh. I suppose that could plausibly make someone feel uncomfortable. Heck, seeing pilots and soldiers being discharged due to injuries and unable to perform their duties was tough on me and my squadron when we were rookies, so I could at least empathize with the timid mare in that regard.

"Okay, but don't you only fly when you feel it's necessary?" I inquired, just trying to be sure I understood the full picture of what Fluttershy was saying.

She took in a deep breath and removed her face from my shirt. "I do, but that's my choice, Cougar. Right now, even though she IS a prisoner and deserves to be here, Spitfire can't fly," Fluttershy explained. "I understand why she can't, but it's still a bit unnerving to me," she took another peek at the chained-up mare before jerking her head in the other direction.

My heart still went out to the kind mare. Knowing her history and how she managed to change Discord's mind on friendship, trying to see the best in everypony could sometimes be a curse. The fact she had to see a fellow pegasus have something so natural and personal such as flying yanked away for the time being, even though the pegasus was a criminal, was just a tad disturbing. I put my hand back onto her bubblegum-colored mane and stroked it like I would for Applejack.

"Well then, I do believe we have everything in order to proceed," Celestia declared, breaking up the little moment between myself and Fluttershy. Continuing to levitate Spitfire's dossier within her magic, the Princess of the Sun tapped the papers on the floor beside her throne until they were perfectly even and cleared her throat.

Although we were situated on the marble flooring below the pair of thrones, I could still make out the tiny vein that throbbed on the side of Rainbow Dash's neck as she stared down the chained up pegasus standing before her.

"Spitfire, is there anything you wish to say before we officially begin your parole hearing?" Celestia inquired, her magic's golden shimmer lowering the folder of paperwork so that she could look the imprisoned mare in the eye.

The former captain remained silent. Spitfire's head cocked, moving from Celestia to Rainbow Dash and then Soarin to study the trio before turning back to cast a judgmental glare at the rest of us. Her fiery eyes quickly scanned across the row we had formed before pausing briefly when she got to me. Brows furrowing, she locked her gaze with mine, the both of us sizing each other up from the last time we had crossed paths. Spitfire would be the one to break first, resuming her scan on the rest of our group and acting as if she never stopped at all.

With a loud snort, she slowly refocused her attention back on the alabaster princess who was still patiently waiting for the mare to respond. "Yeah, I have a few actually," she retorted.

Celestia bobbed her head, granting Spitfire the time to ask whatever was on her mind.

"Firstly, where is Princess Luna? Is it not customary for both rulers to attend something as important as a hearing of a high-profile dungeon inmate?"

Celestia raised a hoof and opened her mouth to respond. However, before she could say a single word, she found herself cut off. Barely even a second had passed!

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of a hoof impatiently clopping against the floor reverberated off the cavernous walls, preventing Celestia from speaking. As if she were awaiting a late bus on the streets of Manehattan, Spitfire's left foreleg rudely tapped against the floor at a medium pace, or at least her hoof did due to the shackles that locked around her legs to prevent her from bolting.

I could hear Rarity let out a quiet harrumph at Spitfire's rude behavior towards Celestia, but the unicorn chose to say nothing to the imprisoned pony.

Trying to keep her regal composure, Celestia's muzzle closed, her lips pursed as she attempted to ignore Spitfire's hoof tapping. A flash of annoyance flickered in the alicorn's eye before she replied, her voice raised to compensate for the aggravating noise below.

"I apologize for Princess Luna's absence, Spitfire," she replied. Her voice held a modicum of irritability, yet her centuries of experience with overseeing courts, attending diplomatic meetings and even hearings such as this one helped the ruler to forge through Spitfire's brass attitude.

"However, she is unable to attend due to personal health reasons," Celestia briefly explained.

"Sick huh? Too bad," the Wonderbolt mare replied. "Hope she recovers," she added. I had to admit, Spitfire sounded a bit callous to me when expressing her condolences, but years of being a cog in the Air Force machine made me believe that was simply her militaristic demeanor shining through.

'I'll give her credit for that,' I thought to myself as I made a mental note.

"Why thank you, Spitfire," a small smile curled up on the alicorn's lips. "Now, your second question before we begin?" Celestia continued.

Spitfire quickly turned to look behind her, eyes locking on me for a second time.

'What?' I mouthed, eyebrows furrowing. A small amount of heat quickly encompassed my right hand; Applejack had let out a loud snort while Spitfire stared me down. I curled my fingers around the orange mare's ear, trying to calm her.

"Yeah," Spitfire turned back to Celestia. "What happened to him?" She gestured back to me with a jerk of her head. "Last time I saw him, he didn't have that gnarly scar decorating his face."

It took no time at all for Spitfire to get a response, but not from the pony that she had asked.

"Was that really called for?!" Rarity bellowed.

"Hey!" Both Starlight and Rainbow Dash screeched.

"Y'all better watch what ya say!" Applejack's hoof dug at the marble flooring.

"Spitfire!" Twilight shook her head.

"Order, order!" Celestia's Canterlot voice rattled the stained-glass windows surrounding the throne room. I winced from the strong acoustics the room offered, but it was certainly more than enough to silence the critiques that Spitfire was bombarded with.

Glock, all four hooves firmly planted on the ground next to Spitfire, turned his head to give everypony behind him a warning look so they would remain quiet.

"Please, do not interrupt like that again, my little ponies," Celestia sternly requested like a disappointed parent.

A wave of apologies nearly drowned the room, but the sparking of Celestia's horn brought silence back quickly.

"Let us commence your hearing, Spitfire," the princess announced, deciding to completely dismiss Spitfire's second question, her eyes drifting down to the folder still held within her magic.

Spitfire scoffed, but with little say in the matter, she chose to go with the flow if only to get the hearing over with. Glock then faced forward yet again, his eyes peeled on the several ponies above him, waiting for if and when Celestia gave him an order.

Looking up from the dossier, Celestia looked to her right and gave a nod to Pen Stroke. The parole hearing officially began; the unicorn assistant unraveled a fresh sheet of parchment, uncorked a bottle of ink and dipped a quill into the glass bottle, placing it upon the parchment.

"Spitfire, former captain of Equestria's Wonderbolts, you are here today because you have served the mandatory sentence of one year in the castle dungeons for the crime committed against your fellow squad mates," Celestia began. Pen Stroke's quill frantically scribbled away, documenting every word her princess spoke.

Celestia continued.

"And as such, you are in position for being released back into Equestrian Society. However," the alicorn glanced at Soarin and Rainbow Dash, "we must determine if you truly understand the weight of your actions and if you personally believe you are ready to face and correct the mistakes of your past." Pausing, Celestia bowed her head, keeping her eyes firmly locked onto the pegasus as her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you remember why you were sentenced to the dungeons last year?" Celestia questioned as her magic shuffled around a few papers on her side.

Spitfire remained quiet and still, not saying a word as Pen Stroke's frenzied writing filled the void.

The shackles that bound Spitfire's legs together suddenly rattled as she shuffled about in her spot. "Well…yeah," she said incredulously with a cock of her head. "Who could forget what sent them to prison of all places?" Spitfire annoyingly shook her head.

"And that reason was?" Celestia dismissed Spitfire's bothered attitude, trying to help the mare stay focused. At least that is what I concluded the princess was attempting.

With another shake of her head, and a presumable roll of her eyes, a short of patience Spitfire replied, "I framed Soarin over there as a pegasus who was taking steroids so I could get Rainbow Dash as a replacement on the Wonderbolts. Then when she found out and threatened to expose me, we got into a little scuffle and I was charged with assault and planting false evidence to frame a pony."

"A little scuffle?!" Rainbow and Spike bellowed at the same time.

"You put her in the bucking hospital for Celestia's sake!" Spike continued, angry smoke billowing from his nostrils. The drake clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles audibly clicked and cracked.

"Spike!" Twilight scolded as Celestia shot daggers at the young dragon.

"Rainbow Dash, please remain calm or else you will not be able to help me," the alicorn reminded the steaming pegasus.

Through clenched teeth and a seething, fiery rage that was turning her cyan face crimson, Rainbow snorted and plopped down onto her haunches. Body trembling, the Wonderbolt bowed her head until her multi-colored mane blocked her eyes.

Breaking off his concentration from watching his former superior officer, Soarin stared at his marefriend with pained eyes. Without a second thought given, the stallion trudged over to Rainbow Dash, blanketing a wing over her torso and pulling her in close.

"And you were worried I was going to cause a ruckus, right?" Spitfire scoffed, taking in a little joy at how several members of the group were having difficulties keeping their emotions in check.

Although reluctant, Celestia agreed with Spitfire by giving the pegasus a nod before shooting another displeased glare to Twilight's son. "Spike…please," the alicorn warned. The dragon's fangs dug into his scaly lip while he folded his arms across his chest, trying to keep his eyes off Celestia's disappointed gaze.

"Now then," an exasperated Celestia refocused her attention on Spitfire. "If there are no further interruptions, you acknowledge that you attempted to incriminate a fellow Wonderbolt, one that you've known for years since flight school, by planting steroids in his locker, correct Spitfire?"

The only thing Celestia was met with was a nod.

Celestia's magic thumbed over a few pages in the file until she found what she was looking for. "And please remind everypony present just why you went as far as to betray an old friend the way you did." The alicorn's voice dropped a few octaves, losing any hint of the comforting warmth I had come to know it by.

"Really?" Spitfire answered. "What's the point of that exactly? Everypony here already knows the story, except maybe for scar back there," she jerked her head in my direction.

I could only roll my eyes at her rather piddling attempt mock me. 'At least fucking try,' I thought. From below, I could hear Applejack's hoof twisting and digging at the floor, trying to refocus her anger elsewhere for fear of Celestia dismissing her from the room. I reached over and gently rubbed her ear in between my fingers.

A pang of anxiety had fallen into my stomach. I knew AJ was sometimes prone to act before thinking, yet I couldn't shake the possibility that this abrupt surge in her anger was the beginning of her pregnancy playing havoc with her mood. There was no way in Hell I could or would blame her for that, however. All I could do was play my part in helping Applejack keep her cool, if only for her sake as well as our baby's.

Thankfully, my efforts paid off, at least for the time being. AJ's hoof gradually ceased digging at the marble, her nostrils contracted, and I could feel her body loosen up as I twirled the tip of her ear in my fingers. Our gazes locked in the reflective surface of the throne room floor and we exchanged comforting smiles to each other.

In the reflection, however, we could also make out the frown that decorated Celestia's muzzle. Tearing away from the floor, the look of disappointment on the princess' face as she stared at Spitfire was a bit unsettling. Her magenta eyes darted from the dossier and back to the golden pegasus below.

"Former Captain Spitfire, if you wish for this hearing to end on a positive note for yourself, may I recommend following procedure and not hurling insults at the others who are attending?" Celestia sternly raised an eyebrow.

Spitfire groaned. "Okay, fine," she quickly shot me a look and, with a roll of her eyes, uncaringly remarked, "sorry," before facing Celestia once more.

"Whatever," I muttered under my breath with a cross of my arms.

"I did it because it was the only way at the time to get Dash recruited from the Reserves to the main Wonderbolt Squadron," Spitfire explained. "Nopony was due to retire soon to free up a slot on the team. Even Silver Lining over there still has at least a good two to three years left in him."

The veteran Wonderbolt shook his head, having difficulty merely looking at his once trusted Captain.

"Things with the squadron had grown pretty stale. We'd just gotten Rainbow Dash into the Reserves, and because of her popularity both as a flier and an Element of Harmony, she was exactly what the group needed to boost our team spirits as well as Equestria's morale after the whole Tirek incident nearly wiped us off the map."

Celestia tapped her chin with her hoof, taking in Spitfire's explanation. Her eyes shifted back to the thick stack of papers hovering mere inches away. "And you couldn't have simply dismissed someone from the Wonderbolts instead of trying to frame a fellow teammate? One that, as seen in your own dossier, you graduated flight school with?" The alicorn's ethereal magic flipped the folder around so that we could see a picture of both a, presumably, teenage Spitfire and Soarin embracing each other in a hug, diplomas gripped within their wings and Wonderbolt insignias proudly pinned on their uniforms.

Truthfully, there was a bit of bias coming from my end, but my heart sank, and my anger sparked a bit hotter at this revelation. Going through flight school with Adam only made us grow closer together. The long hours on the simulators each day and soaring through the air faster than the speed of sound as we trained to defend the skies was a truly special bond that only a select few could relate to.

Learning that Spitfire and Soarin had, in a sense, experienced the same thing, only for the former pony to stab the latter in the back for a mostly selfish gain made me sick to my stomach. For a moment, I hoped the mare would turn around again just so she could see how disgusted I was. Would she have cared? Most likely not given her initial responses to Celestia's questioning. That did not matter to me, though. The only accomplishment would have been a mere personal comfort if I had managed to make the pegasus feel uneasy, maybe even force her to stumble and listen to Celestia as the alicorn spoke with her.

However, even as my eyes zeroed in at the back of Spitfire's head, movement out of the corner of my eye helped to extinguish the rage welling up within me. The poor stallion's head hung low, his muzzle only centimeters from the ground as his clenched eyelids tried to hold back the tears welling up within his green eyes. Although not gone completely, my anger softened, and I shook my head in shame. 'You're here for Soarin and Rainbow Dash, asshole!' I berated myself for allowing personal feelings to get in the way of what my friends and I were truly present for. Feigning a scratch, I held my head in my hand, rubbing at a temple to help calm myself.

Up above, fury still boiling on her face, Rainbow Dash yanked her gaze away from Spitfire and threw a wing around her coltfriend, holding him close and wiping away the few tears that had slipped from his eyes.

"Apologies, Soarin," Celestia lowered the folder out of view, casting an empathetic look toward the stallion. Pen Stroke's quill feverishly scribbled away on her parchment paper, doing her best to keep up with everything being said. Once caught up, Celestia continued. "Now, your answer, Spitfire?" She requested.

"No, it wasn't that easy, your highness," Spitfire shook her head. "Like I already said, nopony was due to retire, nor did any of them have any current strikes on their records. And none of them were on probation for any ill behavior or insubordination. Dismissing any of them out of the blue, even for somepony as desirable as Rainbow Dash, would've caused more confusion and possible backlash from too many parties to have been a viable idea."

Celestia slowly squinted until her eyelids appeared to shut, at least from the distance we were standing below. The alicorn then slowly proceeded to cock her head. "So, your idea was to frame one instead and paint him as a dishonorable wingpony that besmirched Wonderbolt tradition?" The tone in her voice reminded me all too well of Stinger reprimanding anyone who broke his trust. Disappointment dripped heavily from each word of the princess' question, like a mother who had caught their child shoplifting from the store.

"Well, it wasn't exactly pleasant to come to that decision, princess," Spitfire seemed to fidget a little in her chains. However, it was still far too early to tell if it was due to Celestia's words managing to cut through Spitfire's cocky façade, or if it was simply the pegasus constantly adjusting to having her entire body bound down. "If I could have simply dismissed Soarin for any other reason, I would have, but that just wasn't the case. Had I gone that route, then the faith and trust in the Wonderbolts could've been shaken, making everypony think we're easily replaceable." The shackles bounding Spitfire's legs rattled and creaked as she reoriented herself to face Soarin. "It was tough to do what I did, but it was also something I felt was necessary, especially with Tirek's attack being so recent and fresh in everypony's minds. An Element of Harmony coming into the Wonderbolt Ranks, replacing the co-Captain of the squadron after the kingdom was nearly lost to a rampaging magical psychopath just felt like the perfect punch Equestria needed to look toward a brighter future, especially after that same Element of Harmony helped to stop Tirek."

Celestia had nothing else to say. Through pursed lips, a frown spread across her muzzle. "I believe I have nothing else to add for the opening statements," she peered over at Pen Stroke, awaiting her assistant to complete her recording. The scroll that the cream-colored unicorn had been working on was already teetering over the edge of the stairs.

"Actually, your highness," Spitfire remarked.

Celestia inquisitively raised an eyebrow but nodded for Pen Stroke to continue her writing. "Do you have something else to add before we begin the evaluation, Spitfire?"

"Yes, forgive my confusion, but I recall you asking the same questions as last year before you and Princess Luna sentenced me to twelve months in the dungeons. May I ask why you're asking them a second time?"

In spite of the major displeasure Celestia felt toward one of her subjects, the regal pony stayed true to the thousands of years of experience gathered from dealing with ponies such as Spitfire. Lowering her eyebrow, Celestia nodded. "Why of course you may, Spitfire. I'm simply trying to be thorough for the sake of the record."

The pegasus leered over at Pen Stroke and uttered, "I see."

Celestia continued. "And I'm also attempting to uncover if your answers now are consistent with what you provided us a year ago," she explained. "I can say that so far, you're being accurate and honest," the Alicorn mustered up a grateful smile. Though, I could still see that little bit of disappointment lingering in her body language.

"In addition, considering your answers are still honest and you're not attempting to embellish, at least not thus far, it instills me with some hope that perhaps you're ready to own up to your actions." Her smile slowly faded as she pursed her lips. I could barely make out the faint line of her upper teeth biting down on her lower lip. "However, we will be able to determine that after we obtain more information from you."

Having never attended a parole hearing before, I was curious as to what questions Celestia could prod Spitfire's brain with. Aside from a cliché and rather obvious question like, 'Do you feel sorry?' I really couldn't think of what to ask the mare to see if she truly understood the magnitude of the shit she pulled.

Spitfire clicked her tongue several times, bobbing her head as she contemplated Celestia's answer. "More info, huh?" Spitfire repeated, to which Celestia nodded. The princess' magic leafed through a few more papers before Spitfire added, "All right then, ask away, your majesty." Her tone appeared to come off as confident yet less cocky and snarky than when she had originally been marched into the throne room.

Unfortunately for the pegasus, the chorus of hushed distrustful snorts and scoffs among the gallery of attendees proved that she definitely had a mountain to climb if she were to win anypony over.

Looking to my left, I locked gazes with both Twilight and Pinkie, a twinkle of uncertainty in our eyes. As much as we all believed in second chances and helping others see the error of their ways, it was a unique situation before us, and I couldn't blame anyone there for their response to the pony at Celestia's mercy. Ultimately, we wanted more than anything for Soarin and Rainbow to be comfortable with whatever decision Celestia came to, but if we were to continue trying to help others learn from past mistakes, we couldn't wish for Spitfire to fail lest we become two-faced. It appeared that the two mares shared my thoughts.

"Very good," Celestia's velvety voice killed our little exchange. With nothing we could say, the three of us gave one another a simple, understanding nod and hesitantly tuned back into Spitfire's parole hearing.

Atop her throne, Celestia gently lowered the thick folder to the ground with her magic. A lone piece of parchment remained levitating before the tall alicorn, her eyes scanning over whatever was written down. At the same time, Pen Stroke had paused her scrawling to flip to a fresh sheet, staying on top of every minute detail that the unicorn could spot between Celestia and Spitfire's exchanges.

The mare quickly scribbled something else down before stopping again to keep her eyes peeled on Celestia, nearly stabbing her quill through the parchment paper as she prepared to resume copying down every word her princess spoke. She almost reminded me of a drag racer eagerly anticipating the second the red light gave way to green so they could mash down their gas pedal and get a good launch from the starting line.

"First and foremost," Celestia declared, eyes peering over the top of the paper as she read, "do you, Spitfire, feel as though the sentence you have served fits with the crime you committed?" The princess looked up from the list of what I assumed to be filled with all the questions she, and presumably Luna, yearned to ask the pegasus. Her understanding yet stern gaze remained glued on Spitfire as she patiently awaited an answer.

For a few moments, the only sound that could be heard within the cathedral-sized throne room was Celestia's magic as it hummed away, holding her parchment in mid-air while Spitfire formulated a response.

"I mean…" Spitfire trailed off with a shrug, "sure?"

Celestia wasn't exactly pleased with the reply she was given. Her stern gaze flattened as she sighed, pursing her lips. "Could you please be a little more thorough with your responses, Miss Spitfire? I would like to be able to take the most accurate and fair course of action in my judgment at the end of your hearing. Guesswork such as what you've given cannot help me on that path."

"Alright, alright," Spitfire conceded, taking a moment to think harder about her response. She attempted to raise her left foreleg, possibly to tap her chin, only to stumble a bit as the shackles did their job in preventing her from moving too far. With an annoyed grunt as she resituated herself, even waving Glock away as he attempted to help her regain balance, Spitfire replied, "It's just that, don't expect me to say it was the perfect sentence and that you and Princess Luna were so smart to give me a year in the dungeons or anything cheesy like that."

"Believe me, I wouldn't dream of it," Celestia shook her head. I could not even imagine the hundreds, potentially thousands, of ponies that would have attempted to pull that crap on Celestia over the centuries. In fact, the alicorn sounded almost relieved that Spitfire was not going to try and go for that cliché nonsense.

"Let me just say, yeah, I suppose it was fair enough. Considering I tried to frame Soarin and then actually fought with Rainbow Dash to hide the evidence, I think I was treated fairly when you and Princess Luna made your decision," Spitfire determined. "And I wasn't mistreated by the guards if that's what you're wondering," she added.

Celestia seemed to go even paler than her alabaster coat. "I would certainly hope not!" She cried out, momentarily losing her cool, regal demeanor at the very thought. Blinking, Celestia cleared her throat, eyes darting between Glock and the other guards stationed around the throne room. Both guards situated on either side of her and Luna's thrones, the pair guarding the giant throne room doors as well as Glock shook their heads, confirming Spitfire's assertion.

"Very good," Celestia fluttered her wings. She sighed, calming herself until she was prepared to recommence with the list of questions in her usual, collected manner. "Back to the question at hoof, thank you for a more thoughtful answer," the princess replied with an appreciative smile toward the imprisoned mare. "That will certainly make things a bit easier when the time comes at the end of our meeting."

Spitfire nodded, naturally wanting to keep the momentum up so that Celestia could reach the end of her questions and decide what to do about the mare's progress to see the error of her ways. If she made any at all, that is.

Taking Spitfire's cue, Celestia's eyes drifted back down and scanned the document. "Now secondly, have you actually learned anything about yourself during your incarceration?"

The left ear on Spitfire's head twitched. "Learned anything about myself?" She repeated, quietly sucking on her lower lip.

"Indeed," Celestia confirmed. "Princess Luna and I were keen to know if a year by yourself has allowed you prominent time to think and reflect about the kind of pony you truly are," she explained.

Celestia's words drew a dull hum from Spitfire's muzzle, and her tail flicked back and forth as she took the time to think about her answer. "To be honest, there's really not much else to think about when you're stuck inside a cramped cell in a musty dungeon."

The princess bowed her head, shooting the pegasus a knowing look. "I can agree with that sentiment, having been thrown into Tartarus during Tirek's second attack on Equestria," Celestia replied before adding, "even if my imprisonment was nowhere near the length of yours."

"Right," Spitfire nodded, "I would have to say that I realize now how much of a lie I am, your highness."

"A lie?" Celestia blinked. "Could you please elaborate on that, Ms. Spitfire?" She politely yet curiously requested, albeit more curious about Spitfire's response rather than confused.

"Well, thinking back, I really was looking out more for my own ego rather than the team's well-being. I convinced myself that the Wonderbolts needed an extra boost in morale that it really didn't need."

"Oh?" I could barely make out the tiny smirk etched onto the corner of Celestia's muzzle, but it was there. The alicorn was holding back the pride she felt for her subject finally reflecting on herself and what she had done. The only question was, could Spitfire keep it up and really PROVE to us she had learned the ramifications of her actions, or was it too early to tell?

"Yeah," Spitfire corroborated. "Then I used the whole Tirek incident to further justify my thinking before I forgot what it really means to be a Wonderbolt: To be a role model for Equestria and put everypony else, especially my own squad mates, ahead of myself. And before I knew it, I was planting steroids in a squad mate's locker."

In the reflection of the floor, Spitfire faced her mirrored doppelganger before quickly looking back up at Celestia. "I was selfish," she bluntly admitted yet said nothing else. Celestia patiently waited to see if the mare had anything else to say before proceeding.

"Is there anything else you wish to add?"

"No, your majesty," Spitfire said with a slow shake of her head. Celestia refused to press further on, deciding that she had gotten perhaps more than enough information for her question. She politely thanked Spitfire for her answer with a nod and tore her gaze away from the golden pony.

Celestia's magenta orbs retreated to the list in her magic's grasp, meticulously selecting her and Luna's next question of choice. We were too far away to see just how many questions the sisterly duo had written down for the occasion. I honestly wish I could see how many they wanted to ask. Was the entire page filled, or were there only a chosen few that they worked tirelessly on that could help provide them the best feedback from Spitfire?

The questions swirling around my inquiring mind came to a halt once the princess finally decided upon her next question in line. After taking a swig of water from a glass that had been hidden from view, Celestia proceeded. "Before I ask the following question, I want you to know that Princess Luna and myself do not wish for you to believe that we assume you to be a lost cause by any means," she said, attempting to reassure her subject. "Please, do not take this personally. This is just something we ask nearly everypony that has to be brought forth for a hearing such as this."

"Uh, okay?" Spitfire replied quizzically. "Please ask away, your highness."

A small wave of relief made itself known on Celestia's mouth. The alicorn smiled down at the pegasus, eyes darting between her and the parchment. The smile, however, disappeared as she opened her mouth. "Now then, what guarantee do I, Princess Luna and all of Equestria have that you will not reoffend?" Celestia questioned, keeping up her professionalism.

Despite the roll the two mares had been on regarding their questions and answers, Spitfire appeared to lock up, taking longer to think of her response than the previous two questions. For a moment or two, all eyes within the throne room were fixated on Spitfire, waiting for her next move. "Uhhh," she finally killed her silence, "can I ask for a clarification on what you mean, Princess Celestia?" The mare requested.

"Of course. What would you like clarified, Spitfire?" Celestia obliged.

"It's just that, are you two wondering if I'll commit the same crime, or commit an entirely different crime in general?"

"Ah, apologies for the confusion. My sister and I were hoping to know if we had any assurance that you will not commit another crime if you are released, any crime at all. Be it another round of assault or even something as minor as petty theft," she explained.

Spitfire nodded, finally understanding just what the question meant. "I see. Well, I'm sure you've heard hundreds of other ponies swear to you that they wouldn't go back to crime upon release," she rhetorically scoffed.

"More times than I can remember, yes."

Spitfire's hoof pawed at the floor. "Guess this is going to be a bit harder to answer, but like I said about my reasoning for trying to force Soarin out of the Bolts and Rainbow Dash into the Bolts, I want nothing more than to keep Equestria's morale up. What I did was stupid, thoughtless, self-centered and ended up costing me the trust of my teammates. Instead of doing something to help the country I love, I ended up putting a black eye on one of its proudest assets," the mare's head slowly sank.

"I understand that I can't turn back the clock and prevent myself from bucking up everything I worked hard toward," she admitted. "However, even though my chapter as a Wonderbolt was prematurely ended because of a massive lapse in judgment on my part, I still want to do what I can to keep Equestria's morale up; committing another crime just isn't an option for me. I give you my word, or whatever is left of it, that I won't do anything to harm another pony or break any law, your highness. If I am able to, I want to build back the trust with Equestria that I pissed away and give private flying lessons to any pegasus that will have me as their instructor."

I did not expect Spitfire to have any sort of plan for what to do as a job once she was released. Of course, being in the Wonderbolts again was out of the fucking question, but being an instructor was something practically embedded into her DNA at this point. It made sense she still yearned to do something that involved coaching pegasi on improving their flying abilities.

Peering over, I could see several members of the Wonderbolts having a difficult time processing their former captain's wish. It was hard to blame them, though. Knowing that the last time she was an instructor…. well, look where we were. Fleetfoot was having a hell of a time even looking at Spitfire. Her lower lip was stuck out in a pout as her eyes kept darting around the room every time she tried to focus on the chained-up mare. Eventually, the light blue pegasus sighed, shaking her head.

Misty Fly and the Streak Twins were having an idle conversation amongst themselves, though it appeared each of them were trying to figure out whether they could support Spitfire's decision.

As for Silver Lining, the oldest member of the Wonderbolts could only stand there and stare at the younger pegasus he used to call captain. The years of experience behind his eyes dealing with dozens and dozens of other ponies in the squadron showed that he was willing to at least listen to Spitfire, but she would have to pull off a Hail Mary throw if she were going to earn his trust back. His tired eyes still held a fair bit of disappointment and resentment for the mare, but I could also see a stallion that would give someone a fair shot if he felt they deserved it. Whatever else Celestia had in store for Spitfire would probably help determine that.

Speaking of the princess, she tapped her hoof to her chin, taking a bit more time in order to contemplate the rather meaty answer Spitfire had given. "You know," she pulled her hoof down, "not many ponies even bother with coming up with a plan to win back the trust of their community," Celestia said. "Most give either of us a promise to be an upstanding citizen, which is not a bad notion in of itself, but then they'll just blend back into society with a normal job and try to forget they ever committed a crime. Hearing that you not only have a plan to support yourself but also try to give to your community is a promising sign, Ms. Spitfire," Celestia smiled at the mare.

Spitfire's shackles once again jangled as she attempted a small bow for her majesty. "Thank you, Princess."

Celestia patiently waited in silence for Spitfire to get up from her bow until both mares were looking at one another eye to eye. Using the opportunity, Celestia grasped the cup of water in her ethereal magic beside her throne and gulped down the remaining contents. As the cup was emptied, the mare politely dabbed a napkin against her mouth before proceeding with her next question. Surprisingly, at least to me, it would turn out to be her last one.

"Final question," Celestia announced as she looked down to her parchment. Not knowing how long I had until she read it, I quickly stole a glance from Twilight in the hopes I could see her reaction to the number of questions that the Royal Sisters had drawn up.

Alas, there was not much of a response to decipher from the lavender mare. The Princess of Friendship was merely deep in thought; she had her chin cradled in her hoof, bottom lip stuck out and her eyes narrowed at the flooring. It was also too difficult to tell just what she was thinking so hard about; I abandoned my pursuit and refocused back on the events unfolding before us.

Still, even though I trusted Celestia to make the right choice based on the information gathered from Spitfire's answers, it was hard to shake the feeling of uneasiness that there were only four questions that both rulers decided upon for the hearing. I guess I just expected it to be lengthier like every meeting my squad and I had been a part of.

"Ms. Spitfire," Celestia continued, "do you feel remorse for your actions from that night?" The alicorn's golden aura gently lowered the parchment to floor before gradually dissipating into the air. Celestia herself narrowed her eyes, intently studying Spitfire for every move she made and every word she uttered. It was almost an icy stare that contrasted with the princess' warm and patient demeanor she normally exhibited. However, there was no way I could fault her; she had just asked what could very well be the most important question on her and Luna's list. Even though Spitfire's previous answers had appeared to earn some goodwill from Celestia, this answer in particular could easily make or break the pegasus' fate.

"Remorse?" Spitfire muttered. She gingerly tapped her hoof in a restrained melodic beat, unsure of how to proceed. "Is…is this a rhetorical question, princess?" The mare gave a shake with her head, cocking it as if to emphasize her confusion.

"No," Celestia simply answered. "Princess Luna and I are quite serious. It may seem to be a rather obvious question, but we are interested in if you honestly believe you are remorseful for your crime or are you simply remorseful for the fact your crime was unmasked," she explained, her eyes growing narrower by the second.

'God damn!' I thought, feeling the temperature dropping from where I was standing.

"So, please tell me, are you truly remorseful for your transgression?" Celestia repeated, not saying another word as she kept her narrowed gaze peeled directly on Spitfire's shackled form.

With no other noise to pollute the air, it was easy to hear Spitfire's audible gulp. Celestia had her on the ropes now; the mare knew that herself. She tore her gaze away from the alicorn and looked down at the mirror image of herself in the polished marble flooring. Whether it was to think hard about her answer or merely to escape the imposing stare of the Princess of the Sun was unclear.

Spitfire, however, stared back at her reflection for a fair bit of time. Celestia, still the benevolent leader underneath her currently strict exterior, said nothing in order to rush an answer out of Spitfire.

"Of course," came the subdued response. "I honestly don't know how else to put it, your highness," Spitfire gradually raised her head back up until she was again eye to eye with Celestia. "I know I've ruined everything I've worked hard to accomplish, and that I'm never getting it back!" She spat, her hoof stomping down upon her reflection.

"My old life? It's over; I understand that," Spitfire huffed, getting herself worked up rather quickly. Suddenly, the pegasus swiveled around without warning, making almost everyone in the audience jump at her abrupt actions.

Moving rapidly, Glock raised a spear and pointed it directly at Spitfire while the two guards near the thrones leapt into the air with a powerful flap of their wings. The pair also pointed spears in Spitfire's direction, ready to bolt in case she became violent.

Poor Fluttershy gripped my leg so hard it went numb, her wings covering her eyes.

However, Spitfire remained perfectly still like an untouched pool of water. Not even her eyes moved as she stared at seemingly everyone in attendance. "Th…that's what you all wanted to hear isn't it?" She finally whispered. "That I bucked up? That I'm an embarrassment to the Wonderbolts for what I did? Well, you're right," Spitfire admitted, still refusing to even blink as she stared us all down. "I'm just a big fat, bucking black eye on the Wonderbolts' legacy. There wasn't a second that went by when I was in that dungeon that I didn't think about everything I lost because I was an idiot," the mare fell onto her haunches, or as much as she could with her hind legs also shackled together.

Although she wasn't trying to harm anyone, Glock still rushed to her side and helped her to stand up. "No," she shook her head, "I'm not just an embarrassment, I'm a disgrace," Spitfire corrected herself with a shake of her head.

Everyone was left in silence; Fluttershy removed her wings from her eyes and released her death grip on my leg. As the feeling returned to my appendage, Glock took the opportunity to assist Spitfire in turning back to face Celestia. The pegasus made no attempt to either resist against the guard's actions nor add anything to her response to Luna and Celestia's question. Even Pen Stroke had ceased her writing, her eyes darting from Celestia to Spitfire to see who would speak first.

With Spitfire finally facing the correct way again, Celestia spoke. "Is there anything else you'd like to add, Ms. Spitfire?" She softly asked, her icy stare having melted with the pegasus pony's mini outburst, replaced with her gentle and supportive demeanor.

Spitfire took in a few breaths to calm herself before shaking her head, "No, Princess Celestia," she replied. "I apologize for losing it back there," she added.

"Oh please, do not apologize for that," Celestia assured the mare with a wave of her hoof. "I've seen plenty of stallions and mares over the centuries have difficulty holding their emotions together. You certainly will not be the last," she said, her horn reigniting with magic as she picked up Spitfire's dossier.

"Well, if you have nothing else to add, then- "

"Wait, Princess," Rainbow Dash's scratchy voice interjected. All eyes focused on the pegasus mare that surprisingly held her anger in check ever since Celestia gave her a warning. I had to give Rainbow credit for that little victory.

"Oh! Yes, Rainbow Dash?" Celestia lowered the folder, a smile curled up on her lips at her subject.

"If it's okay, there's something I'd like to ask Spitfire," she requested, falling upon her forelegs to bow for the alicorn she fought to protect. There was no resentment nor malice to be found within Rainbow's voice. In fact, the Wonderbolt was rather quiet and polite with her appeal. It could have easily been chalked up to her not wanting to disappoint Celestia again, but it could also be genuine so as not to give Spitfire any grounds to refuse to provide an answer. Then again, hearing Rainbow forcing herself to be this subdued despite the anger coursing through her veins was a little spooky.

Celestia tore her gaze from the Element of Loyalty and set her sights on the former captain down below. "It is perfectly fine with me, Rainbow Dash," the princess announced, causing the mare to push herself back onto all four hooves. "However, I will leave the final decision up to Spitfire since she is the pony you wish to ask."

Needless to say, Rainbow Dash's face fell at this revelation. My heart went out to the poor mare; she had to bite her tongue in order to even stay in the throne room for the hearing itself. Now she was swallowing THAT along with her own pride to simply ask Spitfire whatever was gnawing at the back of her mind. Yet, the fact that she could be denied that if the very same mare refused to give her permission had to be maddening. I could only hope and pray that IF Spitfire refused, which she had every right to if she so wanted, that Rainbow wouldn't lose her temper.

"O-Okay, Princess Celestia," Rainbow Dash gulped and stepped forward. Both mares, not having spoken with each other in over a year, locked eyes. Unfortunately for Rainbow, the cards were in Spitfire's hooves, meaning that she could wait as long as she wished for Rainbow to say something first.

Rainbow's body shuttered and heaved with each shaky breath she took. Her mouth opened and shut several times in a row, proving that she was finding it difficult to speak to the pegasus without her boiling rage to fuel her. Noticing this, Celestia opened her left wing, blanketing it over her loyal subject and proceeded to stroke the mare's back ever so gingerly.

Rainbow looked up at Celestia's comforting gaze and took in a slow, deep breath. Having found a source of comfort as well as encouragement, she gave the princess an appreciative nod. "S-Spitfire?" She stammered, turning back to face the pony that had caused her, Soarin and the rest of the Wonderbolts so much anguish.

Spitfire remained silent, whether she was having difficulty finding the right words or to gather her thoughts I couldn't tell. The duo both respectively held their ground, gazes locked. I doubted that Rainbow had the patience to call Spitfire's name again if the imprisoned mare refused to answer, but that no longer mattered when Spitfire finally replied, "Yeah, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow exhaled; her body slightly relaxing as Spitfire took a few steps closer herself, stopping when Glock marched in tandem with her and loudly cleared his throat when he felt she had gone far enough. Acknowledging the guard's warning, Spitfire added, "What's on your mind?" There were no hints of sarcasm or annoyance in the fiery mare's voice. Spitfire sounded one-hundred percent genuine in her response. Rainbow Dash caught onto this; she stood up proud and straight, yet her eyes narrowed as she stared down her former captain and mentor.

"Look, I know you've served your time in the dungeons, and you claim to be remorseful for what you did last year," Rainbow began, "but there's just one thing I want to know about the time you've spent down there." She said.

"What's that?" Spitfire raised an eyebrow.

Rainbow looked over to Soarin, who had a mixture of both pain and sorrow etched onto his face. "In the entire year you spent down in the dungeons, have you thought even once about Soarin?" She asked, slowly rotating her head back toward Spitfire.

This question seemed to catch the pegasus off guard. Both of Spitfire's ears flattened against her skull; I could see her eyes widen and her mouth go just slightly agape in the floor's reflection. Yet, Rainbow Dash pressed on, leaving Spitfire no time to even think to respond.

"Do you actually care about what you did to him or the Tartarus you put him through?" She added. Her lips pulled back, revealing both rows of her clenched, gritted teeth as she flared her nostrils in a silent snarl.

Spitfire spent the next moment or two in a haze. The mare didn't say anything in response, nor did she move all that much beyond the occasional twitch of her head as she attempted to shift her gaze away from Rainbow Dash. Each time she did, however, Spitfire ended up gluing her gaze onto the cyan mare above for a brief second, almost like she was stricken with the thousand yard stare.

"Well?" Rainbow impatiently asked, her hoof digging into the scarlet carpeting of Celestia and Luna's throne stairway.

"Now Rainbow Dash," Celestia's wing gently slapped against the smaller pony's chest. "It's not fair to force an answer out of somepony like this," she advised. Her frustrations still in the driver's seat, Rainbow snapped over to Celestia before the realization hit her.

"Sorry, Princess Celestia," she quickly apologized, her body loosening up as she leaned back.

All of a sudden, Spitfire loudly exhaled with a shake of her head. "O-Of course I have, Rainbow Dash!" She exclaimed, blinking rapidly while ignoring the small discussion between Celestia and Rainbow. "I ruined our entire friendship and possibly even hurt your trust you have in other ponies! Is there anypony in Equestria that couldn't have that knowledge slowly eat away at them for a year?!" Spitfire paused, taking in several deep breaths as every eye in the room fixated on the mare.

She proceeded to focus her attention on Soarin before continuing her rant of an answer. "I'm sorry for what I did, Soarin. Really, I am! If there was ANY way I could go back and prevent myself from doing it, I would," she stopped to gulp, yet continued on talking a mile per minute. "I mean… come on, how in Tartarus could I NOT think of him when my actions to get him kicked from the Wonderbolts is a major reason why I was put down there?"

Spitfire finally ceased her ranting, huffing and puffing to catch her breath like a chain smoker who had just ran around a block. No one had anything to say in response to the emotional dump Spitfire had laid on all of us. Even Pen Stroke who had consistently kept pace with the entire hearing thus far was silent; her quill frozen on the parchment before her.

"Is that all, Spitfire?" Celestia broke the silence, snapping Pen Stroke back to reality. The assistant scrambled to jot down everything Spitfire had said.

A loud scoff from Rainbow Dash interrupted any chance Spitfire had to respond to Celestia. The Wonderbolt spun around, almost stomping her way back to Soarin. Before she reached her coltfriend, however, she shot her majesty a quick look, saying, "I've heard all I need to hear, Princess." Everyone watched as Rainbow joined up with Soarin, slumping against him and wrapping a wing around his body, eyes glued to the carpeted stair below.

"I uh, I guess that's it, Princess," Spitfire replied.

Celestia did not respond to Spitfire right away. The alicorn took a solemn look at the two pegasus ponies comforting one another, clearly pondering what to do as she gently rubbed her chin with a hoof. As Pen Stroke's scribbling died down, possibly for the last time if I had to guess, the princess huffed and cast her gaze back down below.

"Very well," she acknowledged Spitfire's answer. "Since there are no further questions remaining on the agenda," her attention turned to her coltfriend stationed next to Spitfire. "Glock, would you kindly take Ms. Spitfire back to the holding room while I reach a decision?" The mare quickly returning to her regal and professional demeanor.

"Of course, your highness," Glock bowed. The stallion pointed with his spear back to the door from where Spitfire had emerged.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," Spitfire didn't hesitate to follow his order.

Celestia waited patiently for the duo to exit the throne room before proceeding. As the door shut, the alicorn turned to another guard. "Remington, would you please fetch Wadsworth? I do believe my guests would like some refreshments for the deliberation."

"Yes, your highness," Remington obliged without second thought. The stallion saluted his majesty, turned tail and galloped his way out of the throne room. The massive doors clanged shut as he exited, the noise reverberating around the room.

Celestia let out a massive sigh, stretching out her hind legs as she stood up tall. Her wings even spread open to their full span, blocking Rainbow Dash and Soarin from view as she popped all her stiff body back into a comfortable place.

"Well then, that was certainly," she paused, thinking of the correct word to use, "interesting," Celestia clicked her tongue. Pen Stroke trotted over to the taller mare, handing over the entire scroll she had written for the alicorn to look over. From how much she had jotted down during the hearing, I wouldn't be surprised if Pen Stroke had enough for half a novel already. Celestia thanked her assistant, wasting no time in unrolling the parchment.

"Now comes the hard part," Celestia sighed yet again as she lowered Pen Stroke's record.

"So uh," I scratched the back of my head, unsure of what to do now. From my understanding, only Rainbow and Soarin, and possibly Twilight, were to help Celestia decide what to do with Spitfire. In fact, I was surprised we were still here and that Celestia hadn't politely shooed us out of the throne room if only to give some privacy to herself, Rainbow, Soarin and Twilight. Not to mention, an easier time to think.

"Everythin' alright there, Sugarcube?" AJ asked, having taken notice of my hesitation.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little," I trailed off. A million things darted around through my head, making it difficult to think. "Well, I don't know hun. There was definitely a lot to take in."

Applejack huffed. "Yer tellin' me."

"I guess I'm just a little lost on what to do now," I shrugged.

"Lost on what exactly, Cougar?" Twilight inquired before approaching the two of us.

I turned to face the Princess of Friendship. "Oh, I just assumed that we were here to just support Rainbow Dash and Soarin. I don't know if Celestia wants the rest of us to stay now or if she wants us to leave while she speaks with the two of them and maybe the rest of the Wonderbolts," I explained. "Oh, and maybe you since you're a princess too," I added.

Twilight tilted her head. "Hmm, I didn't exactly clarify that with Celestia before things began myself," the alicorn rubbed her wing against her chin.

As it turned out, we didn't need to even ask for an answer.

"Oh, anypony who wishes to contribute a thought to the deliberation is more than welcome to," Celestia cut in, apparently having overheard our conversation. The princess then suddenly took flight, gracefully gliding down to the floor below. "So long as they are polite and objective in their answers, they may stay," she clarified as her massive wings folded back against her torso, the scroll containing the record of the hearing still held within her magic.

"Anypony?" Rarity repeated, only to leave the rest of the room in total silence, save for the gentle hum of Celestia's magic.

Those of us in attendance gradually froze in place, eyes slowly darting around to meet the gazes of others. This was going to be fascinating.

*Ten minutes later*

With a few castle servants bringing in several trays of water and small cucumber sandwiches, the almost uncomfortable silence within the throne room had been flooded with the quiet chewing and gulping of its occupants. I liked to believe that the majority of us were simply happy to have something to keep our mouths busy before Celestia officially began the deliberation, which was due to start any second.

As I slowly brought a goblet of water up to my lips and took a slow, long sip, I kept bouncing my gaze from one member of the group to another, taking note of their body language. It seemed that most were simply torn on what to think and had trouble putting their thoughts into words. Several members of the Wonderbolts had a hard time keeping still; they had a difficult time keeping focused and would trot back and forth in circles, only making passing remarks to one another as they thought.

In fact, had it not been for Twilight and Celestia engaging in conversation, the entire room would've been almost completely devoid of words. Without the saving grace of the cucumber sandwiches, some ponies would more than likely still be chewing on their lips until they bled.

Unfortunately, Rainbow and Soarin still appeared a tad distraught from Spitfire's answer to Rainbow's question before the hearing came to a pause. Aside from sharing brief words with Celestia, the duo remained quiet themselves.

A gentle poke to my side snapped me from the trance I was in. I peered down, only to meet with Applejack's gaze. She had a curious yet concerned look on her face. "Hey hun," she greeted as I lowered the goblet from my mouth, "is there somethin' eatin' ya? Yer a bit quieter than usual."

"You mean like almost everyone else here?" I shrugged and took another quick look around the room.

AJ popped the remnants of a cucumber sandwich into her mouth before nodding. "Eeyup. Ah just thought you'd at least have somethin' ta say about this is all."

I pondered her words for a moment. As I drifted off into my thoughts, the memory of interrogating Etherea came rushing back. "Normally yes, but I'm just…honestly kind of torn, Applejack," I admitted.

"You too, huh?" AJ's face fell as she sighed. "This one's a bit tougher than Ah thought it'd be, Sugarcube. Ah'll give ya that."

"Eeyup," I replied, feeling a bit more of the Apple family rubbing off on me. "I'm also a bit doubtful about staying here while Celestia hosts the deliberation."

"What do ya mean, Ivan?"

"Well, I don't really have any experience with something like this. The closest thing would be the time we interrogated Etherea," I explained. The fur on AJ's back immediately stood straight up from the mere mention of her name.

"Yeah, Ah get what ya mean," AJ let out a snort, the puff of hot air from her nostrils tickled across my hand.

I raised the same hand and placed it on the back of her neck, stroking it gently. "Right, so I'm just not sure how helpful I can be to Celestia, not to mention help with a decision that'll bring some peace of mind to Soarin and Rainbow Dash," I added.

Applejack let out a little chuckle and leaned into my hand. "Ah understand, Sugarcube. An' it doesn't really help that this ain't as cut 'n dry as some of us woulda liked. All Ah can really say is if ya want ta stay, just be as honest as ya can if the princess asks fer yer input," she advised, proceeding to cap it off with a gentle patting of my back.

Before I could say anything else, however, Celestia beat me to the punch. "Attention everypony," she announced, "I would like to ask you all to please gather round; we have some very important matters to discuss."

'And another round of awkward silence,' I thought, watching as several muzzles pursed their lips tighter than a sour candy. Still, despite the uncertainty drowning the room, everyone did as their princess requested, gradually chewing up the rest of their snacks and emptying their goblets before approaching the alicorn in a semi-circle.

As several servants quickly gathered up the drinkware, Celestia continued. "Now before we begin, I would like to reiterate what I said previously. Anypony and everypony is welcome to stay if they are comfortable, even if you have nothing to say. However, anypony that is rude, disruptive and ignores the objective of this discussion will find themselves barred from the throne room for the remainder of the day," she warned. "Is that clear?"

Celestia was met with a round of over a dozen nodding heads. Though Twilight, still retaining that proper and professional demeanor around her former mentor, verbally replied, "Yes, Princess."

"Very good," Celestia smiled. "Furthermore, Pen Stroke's record of the hearing is readily available for anypony who wishes to read it in case they need an accurate refresher of events." The very record in question was scrolled up neatly within the alicorn's golden aura right next to her. "Are there any questions before we proceed?" Her magenta eyes scanned each and every one of us, searching for any sign that someone had something on their mind.

After a moment had passed and no one raised a hoof or claw at Celestia's offer, the princess gently hummed, "Very well. Let us begin!" With that, her magic unraveled the transcript of the hearing, and she continued. "Now then, I understand that some of us here had difficulties controlling themselves during the hearing," the mare paused, causing several members to look away from their princess uncomfortably, "however, I am looking for one-hundred percent honest answers when I ask all of you what you thought of Ms. Spitfire's answers. Do you all truly feel that she has spent her year in the dungeons realizing the error of her ways and is ready to re-enter Equestria's society?"

The only answer Celestia received was the sound of hooves shuffling against the floor and some quiet mumbling under breath, just as I feared. Even Twilight was still having to take her time and think about everything she had gathered during and after the hearing. Then again, we only had been granted a ten-minute break once Spitfire was sent back to the holding chamber outside the throne room.

"Princess?" Twilight raised her wing into the air.

"Yes, Twilight?" Celestia replied, seemingly happy to get a response of any kind.

"I was only curious, but what's your opinion on the answers that Spitfire gave you and Rainbow Dash?" The Princess of Friendship inquired. I was honestly taken aback at her question. She had spoken for a good bit with Celestia while we were all taking some time to cool off and reflect on the hearing, but I was certain that that had already been discussed between the two! If it hadn't, my only guess was that Celestia had taken the time to mull it over herself before she started the deliberation.

"Hmm," Celestia nibbled on her lip, "well, I have not reached a decision, not yet of course," she answered. "However, as of now, based on everything I've heard from Ms. Spitfire, I do believe that she is on the right path to redemption," Celestia announced. Several Wonderbolts, plus Trixie and Spike, just shook their heads in disagreement, but none spoke out about it. "Unfortunately, I also think she requires a little more time to truly reflect on her actions and push herself over the edge to become an upstanding citizen of Equestria once more; I'm just not sure tossing her back in the dungeon is the right way to go about it."

Celestia looked a bit uneasy as there seemed to be a mixed consensus harboring within the room. "What do you all think?" She reiterated, hoping to get an actual answer instead of vague body language.

Surprisingly, the first one to speak up in response to Celestia was Trixie of all ponies. "Your highness?" The illusionist raised a hoof. An infectious, silent awe spread across the room as multiple pairs of eyes widened. No one said a thing as Trixie patiently awaited Celestia's acknowledgement. The alicorn, though not as shocked as everyone else, nodded her head. The mare lowered her hoof.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie knows a thing or two about redeeming yourself in the eyes of others," the unicorn shot a smile to Starlight who was standing beside her. "However, Trixie thinks Spitfire was merely putting on a show for you all. It seems that Spitfire was only giving you answers that you wanted to hear and possibly even rehearsed them enough down in the dungeon until she could say them convincingly. That last question by Twilight's friend, Rainbow Dash, really caught her off guard; it appears she didn't plan for a question like that."

When Trixie had nothing else to say, Celestia's feathers stroked her chin, pondering what the unicorn had to say.

"I hate to agree with Trixie," Spike jabbed his thumb in the aforementioned pony's direction, "but I think she's right. I've picked up on a lot of body language cues over the years as mom's assistant. A lot of what Spitfire was doing, to me, seemed exaggerated to gain herself some sympathy points. Like Trixie said, that last question looked like it did her in. I'm just not convinced she's actually sorry." The drake folded his arms across his chest as Twilight frowned at her son. It wasn't a frown of anger, more so a frown of disappointment.

"Well, hold on now," Starlight interjected, taking a few steps closer to the center of the semi-circle. "Trixie, I know you're taking this whole redemption thing seriously, and I'm glad you are," Twilight's pupil put a hoof to her best friend's shoulder, "but don't you think we should at least try to give Spitfire a chance like we were given?" She asked, staring deep into Trixie's eyes.

Trixie's face faltered a bit; Starlight's plea had softened her stern expression. "But Starlight," Trixie began, for some reason darting her eyes over to me, "she was incredibly rude to your friend Cougar!" The illusionist pointed a hoof in my direction.

Honestly, I was bit taken aback at the mention of my name. I didn't know whether to feel humbled that Trixie was showing this amount of care towards my feelings or a bit weird because she and I haven't interacted very much since she became Starlight's friend.

"You even called her out on what she said!" Trixie pointed out as Starlight continued trying to reason with her.

The reminder made the light purple mare go silent, and her foreleg slipped from Trixie's shoulder. Trixie stared at Starlight and gently readjusted her magician's cape, patiently waiting for a response to her point.

Starlight let out a heavy sigh, "Look…I-I know she said some very hurtful things to Cougar, and that really didn't do her any favors with anypony here," she gestured to everyone else present, "but based on her answers to the princess' questions, I have to agree with Princess Celestia."

Trixie pouted a little while the look of disappointment on Twilight's face was exchanged for a look of pride at her student's reply. Starlight then continued. "I just think with what Spitfire said, she really acknowledges and understands the harm she caused and wants to work hard to regain the trust of her community and maybe even her squad mates if they're willing. Someone who says all of that, a-and the way she said it," Starlight began to stutter as she tried to find all the right words, "t-to me, sounds like someone who just needs somepony to believe in them." The mare blinked hard, looking her best friend with a plea in her eye.

With a heavy sigh, Trixie tapped a hoof against the floor. A pang of anxiety washed over her face as Starlight never looked away from her friend. "I-I'm sorry, Starlight," the blue mare stepped closer, throwing a foreleg gently around Starlight's back, "but I'm just simply not convinced. I know how difficult it was for the both of us to convince others we were attempting to turn over our lives, and I genuinely want to believe Spitfire is remorseful, but I'm sorry," Trixie reiterated, hugging the other unicorn, "I think she's just putting on a show in hopes it would sway everypony here."

A look of dejection etched itself onto Starlight's face, yet the mare failed to hesitate, instead choosing to return the hug that her friend had given her. "Don't apologize, Trixie," she replied, her small frown turning back into a smile. "If that's your opinion, I can respect it, even if I disagree."

The two squeezed each other even harder before pulling apart. "Ahem," Celestia cleared her throat, garnering the attention of the pair of friends. "I find your views on this subject interesting, Starlight. Do you mind if I ask you for a further opinion?"

Starlight's eyes enlarged and a single bead of sweat streaked down the side of her face as the mare was suddenly a subject of interest for Princess Celestia. The unicorn quickly cocked her head over to her teacher, searching for any guidance. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at Starlight's sudden anxiety but nodded and gestured to her own former mentor.

Gulping, Starlight spun around in her spot until she was giving Celestia her complete, undivided attention. "Y-yes, Princess?"

"Do not fret, my little pony," Celestia chuckled as well. "I'm merely curious if, based on your beliefs of Spitfire's hearing, you suppose she's remorseful enough to be set free after today?" The alicorn quickly switched back to business.

Starlight gradually sank to her haunches, a hoof gently rubbing at her chin. "Oh. Well, I'm pretty much on the same page as you are, your highness," the mare gave a quick bow with her head. "While I think she is on the right path, I also think that she just needs a little bit more time to fully grasp her lesson, but I'm afraid that if we just throw her back in the dungeon, it could backfire," she explained.

"Backfire?" Celestia repeated, her eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Interesting, what do you mean by that?" She asked.

Starlight blinked several times, sighing as she formulated her thoughts. "I can't tell the future, of course, but I have a bad feeling that if we simply toss her back into her cell, she could instead grow resentful and stray away from her progress," the former villain replied. "However, I don't believe she's ready to be integrated back into free society just yet. Unfortunately, I'm not really sure what we could do for her," Starlight pushed herself back onto all four hooves, bestowing an apologetic bow to her princess.

"Very well," Celestia gave an exhausted sputter, though she kept her warm, calming smile plastered on her muzzle, "I thank you for your answer, Starlight."

The mare in question said nothing in return, choosing only to gradually backed away, still maintaining her bow until she was side by side with both Trixie and Twilight before resuming her stance.

Twilight, meanwhile, beamed with pride, blanketing and squeezing a foreleg over her student's back, loudly whispering, "I'm so proud of you!" The unicorn smiled back nervously at her mentor before her cheeks turned a light shade of blue. Gasping for air, Starlight rapidly tapped at Twilight's foreleg for her to let go. "Oh! Sorry!" The alicorn immediately withdrew her leg, allowing Starlight's face to return to its regular light purple hue.

"Well then," Celestia tapped her front hooves rhythmically against the floor, doing her best to think of where this was heading, or if we would come up with a workable solution at all today. "It appears that we are still at quite the deadlock. Both arguments I've heard are fair in their own rights," she smiled at Starlight, Trixie and Spike. "Despite how convincing and well thought out some of Spitfire's answer were, I cannot ignore her peculiar reaction to Rainbow Dash's question. On the other hoof, that does not necessarily mean she simply rehearsed the other answers, and that she truly might need a little more time to really understand the pain she put Soarin through," the alicorn pondered aloud, tapping a quill against her chin.

"Is there anypony else that would like to add their thoughts?" She continued, looking for more answers to help her form a fair decision. "Based on what I have gathered from Spitfire's answers and the arguments so far, I am further along to making my decision, but to be as fair as possible, are there any others that would like to share their thoughts? Any at all?" Celestia offered anyone the floor.

The only reply she received was the shuffling of hooves. Clearly, there were a few among us that believed in a different notion than the other two, but unfortunately, it appeared that fear of possible disapproval from others kept them silent. Celestia's face fell as she looked between those of us who had yet to speak up, but still said nothing.

Personally, I was still torn; I could see where Trixie was coming from. A year is more than enough time to rehearse both a verbal and physical response to questions such as those in order to appear convincing. And yet, a part of me felt that her answers were indeed genuine, but that she might need a little more time to actually think about Soarin and what she put him through. After all, I was granted a second chance to see how much life was worth living by…. something. It'd be incredibly unfair if I just wanted to send Spitfire back to rot in her cell without considering all possibilities.

All of a sudden, "U-Uh, princess?" Came the meek voice of Fluttershy tearing into the silence. All eyes darted to the buttery, pink-maned pegasus who had a shaking wing raised in the air. The poor thing was trembling so much that I was sure a few feathers would be shaken from her wing.

"Yes, Fluttershy!" Celestia cheerfully called upon the animal lover. When Fluttershy did not respond to Celestia right away, the princess took notice of the smaller mare's more anxiety-stricken state. Smiling, Celestia calmly assured, "Don't be nervous; I promise that nopony here will shame you for your answer," she swore, shooting a quick look around the room.

Gulping, Fluttershy copied Celestia's movements, her apprehension appearing to increase. However, as her gaze landed on Celestia's comforting face, the buttery pegasus bit her lip and swallowed her fear and anxiety. Her body slowly came to a rest as she gently breathed in and out through her nose like someone doing yoga. "I-I think Spitfire can be set free," her cloud soft voice stated firmly.

Several pairs of eyes widened at her statement, yet no one said anything in protest. A few, myself included, leaned in closer, intrigued by Fluttershy's opinion while others cocked their heads in puzzlement, patiently waiting for the pegasus to explain herself.

"Oh?" Celestia remarked, the only one present who dared to utter a sound. Curiosity seeped from the much taller mare. Although she was happy to hear opinions from any of us that offered, it must have been disheartening and even a little exhausting to have to consider the negative opinions from those like Trixie and Spike. With Fluttershy holding onto the more positive thought that Spitfire could be set free, it appeared to have sent a jolt through Celestia's body. "Please, do tell, why do you think that Spitfire should be released, Fluttershy?" Celestia grinned at the Element of Kindness.

"Well, I can acknowledge that she was really rough around the edges when she first came into the throne room, but after she listened to your warnings and calmed down, I really think she exposed how much her time in the dungeons changed her," Fluttershy began. "And I think the only way she can embrace her clean slate is to get back into society and start working towards her goal of helping give younger pegasus ponies private flying lessons."

The mare paused, her confidence slightly wavering as a twinge of fear that someone would object filled her body. After seconds of silence and an encouraging nod from Celestia, Fluttershy gulped again before continuing. "Th-think of it like trying to let an animal you spent a longtime nursing back to health go back into the wild. It's hard to make that decision to let them go when that constant thought that you could do so much more for them eats away at the back of your head. Spitfire's given up a year of her life to reflect on her poor decision, and from what I've heard of her answers, how she said them and how she acted when giving them, I think she's fully realized the error of her ways."

Fluttershy began to pace around the semi-circle, doing her best to fight back the anxiety that hovered over her head as she looked into the eyes of everyone as she spoke. "How can we really allow her to prove herself to be willing to turn her life around if we never let her go? She's been cooped up in that cell for the allotted time that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna assigned her. To me, she sounded and looked remorseful, even with how mean she started off and what she said to Cougar. Spitfire showed how vulnerable she's become and understands how much she's lost and the pain she put Rainbow Dash and Soarin through. So, I say again, I think she's ready to be set free," Fluttershy finished right back to where she started, standing next to me. The only difference being she stood a little taller and prouder with what she had to say rather than meekly and afraid of having such a polar opposite opinion to others here.

"Very interestingly put, Fluttershy!" Celestia complimented. "That's an intriguing way to look at it," she mulled, her magic pulling up the records of the hearing to look them over again.

Although I had to applaud the animal lover for willing to standing by a pretty controversial opinion, I personally couldn't fully agree with her. There was just something that didn't sit right with me about Spitfire's final answer. I was even more surprised that Fluttershy didn't mention anything about it in her explanation of why Spitfire should be released. However, I wasn't going to hold that against the mare; she still brought up a good point about trust and how we had to give Spitfire the chance to prove and show us she's telling the truth about her remorsefulness.

Even more surprising, though, was seeing others around the room agreeing with Fluttershy. Based on how the vehement attitude targeted at Spitfire towards the beginning of the hearing, I was sure there wouldn't be many who thought she should be let go. Sure enough, Pinkie Pie, Lullaby, Silver Lining and Fleetfoot all nodded in agreement with the Element of Kindness' argument. Pinkie Pie even surprised Fluttershy by throwing a foreleg around the buttery mare, squeezing her in a proud hug until poor Fluttershy's face turned purple.

"Oops! Sorry, Fluttershy!" Pinkie apologized and released her friend's neck. The Element of Laughter chuckled and rubbed the back of her head as Fluttershy gasped for air, her face eventually returning to its yellow complexion. And, although not nearly as rough, Lullaby, Silver Lining and Fleetfoot silently marched over where Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were, standing around the duo in solidarity with their opinion.

Unsure, I stole a glance at the remaining Wonderbolts on the other side of the semi-circle. Thankfully, none of them were glaring daggers or shaking their heads in disgust at their fellow squad mates making their opinions known. They did, however, shoot them apologetic looks, as if they were sorry that they didn't see eye to eye on the subject.

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy! Didn't you hear Spitfire's jumbled answer when I asked her about Soarin?" Rainbow's scratchy voice suddenly cut into the quiet atmosphere that had engulfed the room. The strange thing is, Rainbow Dash didn't sound angry nor enraged as one would think; she merely raised her voice a tick and slowly approached her fillyhood friend. If I had to guess, she almost sounded like she were begging Fluttershy to see it from her own perspective.

Since it was Fluttershy that Rainbow was addressing, the mare jumped a tad at her slightly raised voice, yet she didn't cower away as her old friend stopped only several hoof steps away. Again, Rainbow asked, "Didn't you hear how much she stumbled with her answer? She didn't think once about how she hurt Soarin! That's why it was so hard for her to come up with a response!" Rainbow explained.

Fluttershy's eyes shrank slightly. Even though she had come across as confident in her opinion, having such a close friend completely disagree with her was still forcing her timid nature to surface. It also probably didn't help that Spike, Trixie and several Wonderbolts nodded in agreement with the Element of Loyalty. However, after her body trembled for a brief second, the animal lover took in a deep breath and calmly replied, "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but I just don't see it that way. I heard her mention both your name and Soarin's name several times during Princess Celestia's questioning," she corrected her friend. "She didn't seem to struggle very much then. In fact, she was very distraught when she had to recount those moments where she damaged her trust and friendships with you both, not to mention the rest of the Wonderbolts and all of Cloudsdale as a result."

Rainbow Dash simply shook her head, letting a quiet growl of frustration to escape her lips. Fearing that she might've upset her, Fluttershy continued, "I-I mean, that to me at least makes sense. She was probably confused why you asked your question when she mentioned the incident already," she explained. "That and Spitfire was already on edge from the emotional trip she took in such a short amount of time."

When Rainbow looked up at Fluttershy and still didn't say anything right away, the latter mare's color slightly drained from her face. Gasping fearfully, she opened her mouth, preparing to apologize, "Rainbow, I-I'm sor-" was all the shy mare got out before her friend put a gentle hoof over her mouth, silencing Fluttershy.

"No, Fluttershy. Please don't apologize," Rainbow Dash pleaded with a shake of her head. "I promise I'm not mad at you. I-I….I'm just," the Wonderbolt struggled to explain, opening and closing her mouth several times, but the she just couldn't find the right words. Her cyan hoof gently slipped from Fluttershy's lips, slapping against the marble floor with an echoing smack. "Rrrrrggghhh!" A frustrated Rainbow growled at herself.

Fluttershy shrank down from the small outburst, but she still refused to retreat from Rainbow, her need to stay by her friend's side overpowering her fear. Upon seeing the kind mare cower away from her frustrations, however, Rainbow Dash quickly took in a breath to calm herself and expel her built-up irritations before they accidentally came out directed at Fluttershy.

"I just wish everypony could see what I saw." She finally said to quell her friend's fear. Rainbow did her best to offer Fluttershy a comforting smile to prove she wasn't angry, but the stress that the poor Wonderbolt was experiencing only granted her the energy to express a half-smile.

Despite clearly showing signs that she still was concerned with Rainbow's emotions, Fluttershy swallowed that anxiety and did her best to return the smile, asking, "Well, what exactly did you see, Rainbow Dash?"

"For starters, she had an easy time mentioning Soarin only because she was talking about how she bucked over her OWN career," Rainbow explained, her use of an expletive garnering a raised eyebrow from Celestia as she peered around the parchment in her magic's grip. Rainbow Dash didn't notice or care, so she continued. "You didn't notice that Spitfire didn't solely talk about Soarin until I had to ask her about him? When she didn't have herself to talk about and fall back on, she struggled like crazy to get a straight answer out!"

Fluttershy tapped her hoof against her chin. "I-I guess I didn't think of that," she admitted. "Still, she was still answering a question from Princess Celestia on if she was sorry for her crime. I think admitting what she did and explaining how it ruined her own life and severed her friendship with Soarin was a good sign that she's really sorry for what she did and wants to correct that mistake."

Rainbow Dash merely shook her head. "I just don't know Fluttershy. I was skeptical of her answers until Princess Celestia let me ask my own question. When Spitfire had to actually think about the tartarus she put Soarin through, framing him; getting the Wonderbolts and their fans to turn their backs on him, she fumbled harder than a rookie Hoofball player. All I saw then was a mare who was only sorry that she got caught, not sorry that she hurt an innocent stallion who shed blood and sweat with her at flight school. She doesn't give one flying feather about Soarin; that's why I don't think she's as sorry as she claims."

Fluttershy's pupils shrank to about half their size, leaving the mare at a loss for words. It was evident that the two were simply never going to see eye to eye on the subject, no matter how much they tried to explain themselves. Thankfully, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were friends and could see past their different opinions. The animal lover, though disappointed she failed to win Rainbow over, still hugged her longtime friend, which the Wonderbolt was more than happy to return, though I suspect it was the comfort a friend that Rainbow Dash was seeking.

"Well then," Celestia audibly sighed. "That was an interesting discussion. Is there anything else anypony would like to add? I'm still not quite ready to reach a decision yet," she requested.

"I would," a firm voice said immediately, leaving virtually everyone no time to even think of Celestia's request. Twilight stepped forward until she was at the center of the semi-circle and turned so she could look everyone else in the eye. I felt a tiny surge of relief when I saw that it was Twilight who had something to say. A more objective voice was something that we sorely needed for this, even if I had to agree that some of the arguments presented were very good.

"Oh, Twilight!" The Princess of Friendship's former mentor exclaimed. "Please, do go on," the taller alicorn gently lowered the records to the floor.

"Of course, Princess Celestia, there's just something I've been wanting to get off my chest ever since the hearing started," the lavender mare solemnly announced, looking down at her reflection in the floor with a disappointed look on her face.

'Oh shit,' I thought once I saw her reflection, the relief quickly deflating from my body.

Continuing to stare at her mirror image, Twilight finally shut her eyes and performed the breathing technique that Cadence had taught her before fixating her gaze back on the group, a more flat expression having replaced her disappointment. "Look everypony, I understand how frustrated most of us are right now. It's hard having to face somepony that hurt two of our friends so much and one that turned her back on her own teammates. And I don't blame anypony for feeling angry toward Spitfire, but we can't lose sight of everything we've built up the past few years together. Giving somepony a second chance to better themselves and learn from their mistakes is one of, if not the most important lessons we've learned as friends. If we allow our anger to turn into hostility, if we begin to WANT Spitfire to fail, then we're turning our backs on what it means to be an Element of Harmony."

Twilight paused, focusing her attention on Rainbow Dash and Soarin. "Believe me, I'm still angry myself for what she did to you two, but I also want to help give Spitfire the tools to atone for her actions and become an upstanding citizen of Equestria once again. I can't force anypony here to change their opinion, but all I can ask from everypony is to please think of ways to help Spitfire improve herself, even if you think she was only putting on a show for Princess Celestia."

'Damn,' I thought as Twilight concluded her incredibly heavy speech. She had definitely taken her role and the lessons she'd learned to value, there was no doubt about that. Even me, who was siding more with Starlight's line of thinking, felt the weight of Twilight's words. What really impressed me with her speech was how genuinely from the heart it was; the mare never once attempted to guilt anyone, force them to change their minds nor so much as demonize anyone who still distrusted Spitfire. That had to have been building up the moment Spitfire was first yelled at by a member of the group at the beginning of the hearing.

Although she believed every word she said, the poor alicorn still appeared uncomfortable having to say them to some of her friends who didn't see things the way she did. I could no longer see the gleam of interest and truth-seeking twinkling in her eye. All I could see was the harsh pain of having to remind some of us to not let our personal feelings cloud our judgment; Twilight was desperately trying to not sound like she was accusing anyone of failing to be objective in their thinking. Ears drooping, lips pursed and eyes pleading, Twilight cast her look around the room, hoping that her words would be taken to heart.

"Tw-Twilight," Rainbow Dash stuttered through her slacked jaw. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Your highness!" A guard's gruff voice unintentionally silenced Rainbow before she could respond to her friend.

Celestia dropped the records to the floor, peering around Twilight and Rainbow Dash to see which of her loyal Solar Guards required her immediate attention. "Ah, Spear Tip, how may I help you?" She regally greeted the stallion that was quickly trotting through the massive throne room.

Spear Tip saluted his princess as he stopped by her side, taking in a quick breath. "Princess Celestia, your nephew Prince Blueblood wishes to enter and observe the deliberation. If it is alright with you," the guard announced, lowering his hoof from his forehead.

The stunned and quiet group regained the ability to move about and speak, letting out a collective sigh as Blueblood's name was mentioned. In all fairness, I had to admit the former spoiled brat was still making strides to become a better stallion and prince to Equestria. However, he was still making strides; his lack of experience with something as important as this deliberation coupled with his tendency to slip back and make callous, condescending remarks for seemingly fun had the chance to derail the progress we had made.

Unfortunately, that was not up to us. "Oh!" Celestia exclaimed in surprise. "Well, we are nearing an end," she chewed on her lip, "but this could be valuable experience for Blueblood." The princess silently debated herself the pros and cons of allowing her and Luna's nephew to join in for the final moments of the deliberation. No one dared to interrupt her as the gears in her head turned away, going over every minute detail of her decision.

"Very well," she finally said. Without looking, I could feel half the eyeballs in the room roll with her choice. "Send him in please; I will bring him up to speed," Celestia held up the massive scroll.

"Yes, your majesty," Spear Tip bowed before turning around and galloping his way to opposite side of the throne room. As the guard opened one of the doors, he announced at the top of his lungs so that we could hear, "Announcing Prince Blueblood of Equestria!"

"Just what we needed," Rarity snorted and adjusted her curled mane with her magic, trying to keep herself occupied.

Trotting through the doorway was indeed Blueblood. However, instead of a condescending sneer etched on his face, the unicorn stallion had a happy smile on his lips as if he were genuinely happy to see his Aunt Celestia. 'Maybe he is,' I thought to myself. In fact, Blueblood didn't appear to have any regal attire on at all. He looked like pretty much every pony present instead of a royal, minus the cutie mark of course.

Still, very few attempted to be positive about the change in the situation, most opting to ignore the stallion as he greeted his aunt with a hug. "I do hope I'm not interrupting, Auntie!" He said apologetically.

"Of course not, nephew. We were just a little stuck on where to move forward with Spitfire now that she has finished her sentence. How is my sister?" Celestia explained, quickly changing the subject, letting us know that Blueblood had apparently been with Luna this entire time.

"Oh, Auntie Luna is simply fine; still a little upset that she couldn't make it to Spitfire's hearing today. Although, her cravings are acting up again. I'll have to go down to the Canterlot Market later and fetch her some more Donuts from Donut Joe's," he rambled, eyes shooting down to the huge scroll of information in his aunt's magic.

Rarity's magic slowly dissipated as her jaw went agape. She hadn't really interacted much with Blueblood since his return; her skepticism about his turnaround was still fairly high. "W-what is happening?" She whispered under her breath, almost scared at how polite the unicorn was coming off to Celestia.

Celestia let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Blueblood. Now then, I take it you were curious about the deliberation?"

"Ahem," the prince cleared his throat, "yes, I was. Although, what's this about you all being stuck with what to do?" Blueblood inquired, observing both the scrolls within his aunt's magic as well as the occupants of the room.

"Well, you see Blueblood, we have unfortunately hit a little snag with how to proceed with Ms. Spitfire since her time in the dungeons is up. We've reached quite the disagreement," the mare explained.

Blueblood pondered on this for a moment. Something was clearly on his mind, but it appeared he was hesitant to spitting it out if his shuffling hooves were any clue. It was easy for the prince to tell that barely anyone in the throne room was thrilled he had arrived, save for Celestia. Even though she, Twilight and I were more understanding of his progression, how would his presence affect the flow of the conversation? And to add to that, would anyone else really have the patience to give him a fair shot to speak? At last, however, the stallion made his decision. Blueblood swallowed his pride and apprehensions, taking the plunge. "Is there, perhaps, anything I could do to help?" He politely yet nervously asked.

"I don't really see how considering you only now showed up," Fleetfoot scoffed, barely acknowledging the stallion.

A chorus of dismissive and impatient nods and, "Mhmms," from the majority of the room's populace agreed with Fleetfoot. This, obviously, did not go unnoticed by Blueblood. The stallion's glee upon seeing his aunt had been flushed away by his worries of everyone's distrust towards him. I think Celestia, Twilight, Rarity and myself were the only ones who did not verbally agree with the Wonderbolt. Though in Rarity's case, the fashionable unicorn was still quite shocked at how polite and helpful Blueblood was acting.

"I suppose I deserve that for my past transgressions," Blueblood sighed. "Well, if I cannot help, then I suppose I'll return to Auntie Luna's chambers to keep her and Uncle Checkered company." Despite physically showing he was disappointed that practically no one wanted him around, Blueblood did his damndest to keep his head high and leave with dignity and respect for everyone else's wishes. Luckily for the prince, his aunt was having none of it.

"Actually, Blueblood," Celestia started, her magic materializing around her nephew's tail, gently tugging him back so he would be unable to leave. "If you are wishing to lend a hoof, then I would very much appreciate another mind to probe," the princess released her magical grip on the stallion's tail, holding the records up for the stallion to see.

I could almost smell the gears turning in everyone's heads, almost as if they were about to explode. As much as they still distrusted Blueblood, no one was going to dare question Celestia, especially if it was concerning her nephew as well her searching for another avenue to help with deciding Spitfire's fate. All those who wanted Blueblood gone could do was either avoid eye contact with the stallion or give in the stink-eye.

"Uhhh," Blueblood couldn't help but sneak glances at those who clearly showed their disproval, "if it's okay with you, auntie."

"Of course! What better way for you to hone your leadership skills than helping with a situation like this?" Celestia smiled. "Now then, after much discussion, it seems we have come to a crossroads of three general opinions," she explained.

"Oh, and what would those be, auntie?" The stallion sat down on his haunches, looking at the scroll that hovered within his aunt's magic. Suddenly, the magic on Blueblood's horn lit up, encompassing the scroll as Celestia's own magic fizzled away so that her nephew could read the record for himself.

Celestia sighed, "Well, you see, there are some here who believe that Spitfire has not learned a thing during her incarceration and was simply putting on an act; some think that she's learned quite a bit, but she still has a way to go and are lost on what do with her now," she explained.

"And the rest?" Blueblood pulled away from the scroll with a raised eyebrow.

"Simple. They believe she's ready to re-enter society and start with her clean slate."

"Hmm, she wants to start her own private flying lessons for younger pegasi?" The young prince mumbled, his hoof poking at the scroll. "Hmph, after what she pulled, she's lucky if any pegasus ponies give her the time of day," he chuckled.

"Blueblood….remember to stay objective, nephew," Celestia warned, her cheery voice dropping to an octave closer to her sister's.

"Right, sorry auntie," Blueblood gulped. Everyone remained quiet as Celestia guided her more inexperienced nephew through the record as well as her own notes to help him get caught up in order to help us. In fact, maybe this newfound silence could help some of us think over everything that had transpired more clearly. Thankfully, nothing had gotten very heated; we weren't fearful of anyone throwing fisticuffs, but the stress of the entire morning was, without a doubt, starting to get to some of us.

As I took a quick look at some of my friends standing on either side of me or Applejack, I was unable to hold back a chortle as I came upon Rarity, still slack-jawed, almost like she was stuck in a trance at Blueblood's near 180 from how she'd known him to behave.

"Everything okay there, Rarity?" I gently poked the fashionista's shoulder.

"Eep!" She let out a subdue cry of surprise, her body shuttering from the contact as she was broken from her daze. Pulling my hand back, I jerked my head back in the direction of Celestia and Blueblood, concerned that I'd interrupted them. When the two relatives didn't acknowledge Rarity's outburst, I sighed and turned to the mare I had accidentally startled.

"Sorry about that Rarity, you just seemed to be staring off into space there," I whispered, letting out a nervous chuckle, rubbing my neck with my free hand.

"No, it's," Rarity took in a breath as she calmed herself, "it's quite alright, Cougar. I know Blueblood had gotten some proper discipline for his actions from King Gryffindor's military, and that he was improving himself with the help of the Royal Sisters, but I just cannot believe how far he's come!" The Element of Generosity whispered back in astonishment. "I never thought he'd be so…caring towards Princess Luna or happy to see Princess Celestia, let alone willing to contribute to something as important as this!"

"Heh, yeah," I had to agree, chuckling at the situation that would have been unthinkable around the time of the Grand Galloping Gala. It was simply astonishing how much had changed over the course of a year when I thought about it. "Do you trust him to participate in this, Rarity?" I asked. Even if Celestia had already decided that her nephew could and would stay if only to gain experience for future royal duties, I was curious to hear from someone who had real personal experience with the stallion, even if it was all negative.

"Well, given my past history with him, I would be lying if I said I had no qualms with Princess Celestia's decision," Rarity admitted, biting her lip.

"Hmm?" Applejack chimed in, peering around my waist at her friend when she mentioned the magic word. "What are you two on about, Ivan?" She asked with a poke to my back.

"Oh, nothing much, AJ," I stroked her ear with my fingers. "Rarity just looked like she'd seen a ghost when Blueblood came in and I was asking her if she was okay with him being here."

"I was merely shocked at how much he's improved since his return from his Griffonstone banishment is all, Applejack," Rarity flicked at the curl in her mane. "I didn't expect him to have turned the tables this much given how much of a spoiled brute he used to be." Rarity's eyes narrowed at the two horrendous memories she had with the prince, her body shuddering as she tried to shove them back out of her mind.

Applejack let out a quiet snort, "Yeah, Ah'll have ta give ya that one, Rares. Ah honestly didn't think he had it in him ta show any care fer anypony else, but those griffons sure have a way with whippin' anycreature into shape," she agreed.

"Heh," I snickered, "that's the military style, girls," I grinned and gently scratched the back of AJ's neck. "In all seriousness though, girls, do you really think Blueblood could actually end up helping us here?"

The two mares exchanged curious glances, simultaneously biting their lower lips in the process. "I'm…not too sure myself, Cougar. As astonishing as it is to admit, even though he has vastly improved his attitude and etiquette, I really think Princess Celestia is just taking advantage of this opportunity in order to provide him with an extra lesson on what being a royal leader is truly about," Rarity surmised. "I mean, she clearly did not expect him to show up."

"Yeah, Ah'd have ta agree with Rarity, Sugarcube," Applejack nodded. "She'll probably let him ask us a few questions ta get a better idea o' where we're at an' if any of us have gotten second thoughts since we started debatin' here," she said, her hoof rubbing under her chin. "Then she'll take back over; Ah doubt she'll let him take the reins at all. That Blueblood might be turnin' over a new leaf, but ya don't wanna give someone like that too much room too fast; ya never know how much it could cause 'em to take three steps back."

"Right," I agreed and cast a glance back toward the unicorn in question. Not a lot of time had passed since the day Blueblood had slipped back into his old ways of thinking when he off-handedly compared Spike to a monster all because he was the same species that had played a large role in Luna's kidnapping. Even though I had a rather explosive chat with the prince about his words, there was still a chance that the old Blueblood lingered within him and could pop up at any second.

I trusted that Celestia knew how much room to give him while he was here, but with the amount of work he had to go until he was officially a new stallion, I couldn't help but be skeptical of the young royal. "But hey, if this can help Blueblood continue to become a better pony than he used to be, then yeah, I'm fine with him taking part," I added, "even if he doesn't really do anything to help us come to an agreeable solution with Spitfire."

A gentle tapping at my left side forced me to tear my gaze and thoughts away from the two regal ponies still quietly conversing with one another. "Speaking of which, I do hope I'm not prying too much into your personal opinion, Cougar," Rarity began as I was met with her ocean blue eyes, "but I was rather curious, what do you think should be done with Spitfire? Since you don't have any prior contact nor conflicts with the mare before today, that is." Her hushed voice asked.

My face scrunched up as I pondered the fashionista's question. Darting my eyes between Rarity and Applejack, I thought back to the beginning of the deliberation to the short pause we had now found ourselves in the middle of. From every argument I had heard to thinking through all of Spitfire's answers, nothing much had really changed my mind from when AJ and I discussed the situation right after Celestia had ended the hearing. It sucked that I didn't really have anything to offer in terms of helping not only the princess come to an agreeable decision, but also making sure that Spitfire's fate would bring Soarin and Rainbow Dash peace of mind.

Sighing, I removed my cap and ran my fingers through my hair. "Honestly, Rarity, I really don't know yet, even with everything we've heard from Spitfire and the arguments debated with our friends," I shook my head before replacing the cap. "All I can really say is I agree the most with Starlight's position."

"You too?" Rarity blinked in surprise. As I nodded, the mare sat back on her haunches, rubbing a hoof at the side of her head. "Ah well, as shocking as it may seem, I have to side with the two of you as well. I myself am simply drawing a blank on how to go about dealing with Spitfire. Believe me, when she first stepped into the room and proceeded to hurl insults at you, I wanted her to be cast back into the dungeons until her mane turned grey!" The usually polite and professional mare snorted, emitting a hot steam that hit my hand. "But as Celestia succeeded in getting Spitfire to calm down, I couldn't help but feel she was genuine in her answers to the princess," Rarity sputtered.

"Well, Ah guess that makes three of us," Applejack chimed in, her hoof tapping in a rapid pace. "Or, four Ah s'pose," she corrected herself as she looked over to Starlight Glimmer. "Everypony that the princess has had speak their minds has brought up some solid points. Ah thought Ah was just plum stuck before this all started; now Ah'm more lost than a blind mouse in a corn maze," she snorted. "That varmint Spitfire might be finally seein' how she done screwed up, but Ah'm not sure settin' her free is the right call."

"Yup." I agreed. "Then again, tossing her back in at this stage could implode all of her progress."

"Oh indeed," Rarity added as she stared at her reflection in the floor. Her horn ignited, smoothing out some stray strands of her mane. "Not to mention, we still have to take Rainbow Dash and Soarin's well-being into consideration. We want them both to feel comfortable with whatever decision the princess comes up with."

"Well, o' course," AJ agreed, "but Ah'm sure Princess Celestia'll come up with the right idea on how ta handle that Spitfire," my girlfriend proudly whispered and shot a confident glance towards the royal in question.

"So, do you have any suggestions of your own, nephew?" Celestia asked out loud, breaking up the silence that had been infecting nearly everyone for the past few moments.

Perplexed, I gave a gentle shake of my head. I honestly didn't expect Celestia to give Blueblood the spotlight and suggest what course of action should be taken. I mean, I understood her desire to further the stallion's molding to become a better royal for the sake of Equestria, but I didn't believe she'd allow him this much room for growth potential. Then again, she was still in control and would, no doubt, have control over the final say since Luna was out of commission for the time being. Whatever he came up with, surely his aunt would either politely dismiss it and explain why it wouldn't work.

Unsurprisingly, I was not the only one caught off guard by Celestia's offer to Blueblood. While no one protested, it was clear by nearly everyone's faces that very few were open to the idea of giving the formerly spoiled prince the spot. Twilight was one of the few exceptions, offering up a more intrigued look than one of either shock or confusion.

Among those that were surprised was actually Blueblood himself, though that could be attributed to the air of skepticism that permeated the room since Celestia offered him a chance to stay and look over her notes. The prince looked uncomfortably around the room, taking in every look of confusion and doubt before glancing back to his aunt.

"If you are certain, auntie…" He merely said, sounding as if he wanted to slink into the background and leave everything to Celestia.

"Oh, fear not, Blueblood," the alicorn draped a wing over the stallion's back. "It's simply a suggestion; if you have nothing to say or don't wish to impose, I will not force you. There is still a valuable learning opportunity to be had even if you wish to remain by my side and merely observe the rest of the deliberation," she smiled warmly toward her nephew.

"O-Okay," the unicorn turned back to the alicorn's notes. "Well, I can't find it on your notes nor from your assistant's records of the hearing, but has anypony suggested leaving a guard with Spitfire for a couple of months as she's released back into Cloudsdale?" Blueblood asked his aunt, trying his best to ignore the several skeptical glances from the others. "Then after that amount of time, you can review her behavior and decide if she doesn't need the watch of a guard anymore?" He added. Little did the prince realize that the atmosphere of the throne room was about to majorly shift.

Everyone, even the handful of guards keeping watch at the exits, suddenly became a singular entity. The eyes of over a dozen ponies, a dragon and myself widened like we'd stumbled across the Ark of the Covenant. Time had practically ceased as we had to begin wrapping our heads around the idea that Blueblood of all ponies had proposed.

"Um, Auntie, is everything okay?" Blueblood gently touched his aunt's shoulder. Unsurprisingly, the Princess of the Sun was as awestruck as the rest of us, though she was able to react much more quickly than everyone else.

Blinking, Celestia picked up the scroll that Pen Stroke had painstakingly written during the hearing and, presumably, traced back to the questions she and Luna had prepared, going over Spitfire's answers once more. "Auntie?" Blueblood asked again, fear gripping the edge of his voice as worry for his aunt's non-verbal answer plagued the stallion.

Fearing that he'd done something wrong, the stallion put Celestia's note taking scroll back onto the floor in front of her. Biting his lip, Blueblood stammered, "I-I apologize for-"

"Why didn't I think of that?" Celestia barely whispered under her breath, unintentionally cutting off her nephew. Thanks to everyone else's shock, we could hear the alicorn clear as day. "This might just be the answer everypony has been looking for!" She suddenly exclaimed, lowering the parchment from her still stunned eyes.

"O-oh?" Responded a very confused Blueblood. "I was simply thinking out loud, auntie," he said.

Feeling excited, Celestia turned to her nephew. "Be that as it may, Prince Blueblood, but I believe this idea is something we can work with to make everypony pleased."

Before she could even ask us what we all thought of the idea, Spike was the first to snap out of his stupor. "Uh, look no offense to you, Princess Celestia or Blueblood for that matter," the dragon began, his eyes darting over to Twilight who gave him a nod of approval, "but I just have to ask, how in Tartarus did you come up with that idea, Blueblood?" He pointed a claw toward the unicorn.

"Spike…." Twilight frowned and smacked his claw down with a swat of her hoof.

"Oh no, no, it's quite all right, Princess Twilight," Blueblood cleared his throat. "I'm well aware of how everypony and everycreature feels about me," he shot me a quick glance as well. "However, I can answer his question. You see, the griffons employed the same basic idea when auntie Celestia and auntie Luna shipped me off to Griffonstone. During hours of physical training and labor, I was under watch from several of King Gryffindor's highly entrusted generals. Yet when those times were over, I was assigned a different guard for the rest of the day to keep a watch on me wherever I traveled throughout their kingdom. I was merely suggesting an idea similar to that for Spitfire. Give her the freedom to move about Cloudsdale or throughout Equestria as she wishes, but have a guard accompanying her the entire time in case she reverts back to her old ways," the prince explained.

"And YOU, came up with it?!" Rainbow's voice screeched in disbelief.

"Rainbow!" Twilight scolded, glaring angrily at the pegasus.

"Please, calm down everypony," Celestia intervened yet remained her calm and collected self, her voice not raised at all. "I am just as shocked as the rest of you are," her gaze rotated around the room as everyone eventually came down from the surprise of a lifetime, "however, I must ask that you please give my nephew the respect that you would give everypony else in this room. He understands the mistakes he's made in the past and is working his tail off to rectify them; all that I ask is for you to be fair," the alicorn threw a protective foreleg around her nephew. "In fact, I am honestly considering employing his idea," she added, "granted that at least most of you are comfortable with it."

Apologetic looks soon appeared on Spike and Rainbow Dash's faces; several others joined them for how they blatantly ignored Blueblood's presence upon his arrival. Yet, no one said a thing directly to Celestia herself. Whispers began to consum the room as numerous discussions took place over the validity of Blueblood's proposed plan.

"Well now," AJ removed her Stetson and scratched at her mane, "Ah hate ta admit it, but Ah think that there plan o' Blueblood's just might work out."

"You read my mind, hun," I agreed. "I just hope others think it'll work. I think Rainbow Dash might be on board for it if her shock tells us anything."

"Hmm," Rarity tapped her chin as she studied the group, "you may just get your wish, Cougar. It appears that most everypony here seems to be reacting positively to it," the mare said.

Upon checking out the several discussions taking place within the half-circle, it appeared that the body language of those willing to take part in their talks were much more relaxed and comfortable versus the rigidity and stressed body language during the deliberation. In fact, I could spot confident grins on the muzzles of several participants, namely Twilight, Starlight, and a few of the Wonderbolts.

The whispers continued for a few moments, and though it was difficult to pick out exactly what everyone was saying due to overlapping conversations, I had a confident feeling that at least there was a majority consensus building up. I was perfectly fine with the idea myself. Giving her a little freedom but with fair limits at the same time was, in my opinion, the best way for Spitfire to prove she's genuinely sorry for what she's done and to show us she can be integrated back into Equestrian society.

"Sorry, Princess," Spike and Rainbow Dash simultaneously apologized, breaking up the cycle of whispering that had encompassed the room.

"I thank you, but I do believe there is somepony else that is owed an apology," Celestia replied and gestured over to Blueblood with her wing. The dragon and Pegasus shifted gazes from their beloved princess to the regal unicorn still seated beside her. Although they appeared to be truly sorry for their attitudes, it was still a little bit of a challenge for the duo to apologize to Blueblood given his history.

Nonetheless, Spike and Rainbow Dash swallowed their pride and, once again, simultaneously said, "Sorry Blueblood."

"It's just…you know," Spike added with a wince to his face as he felt his mother's eyes boring into the side of his head.

Sighing, Blueblood mustered up a smile and replied, "It's quite all right. I suppose I've earned doubt for my past behavior; I can only hope to one day earn the trust of Equestria's citizens."

"Look, it'll take some time to get used to this new you," Spike confessed, "but yeah, it's not really fair to dismiss you when you're really trying to be better, especially when trying your best to help us with this," he added. "So, again, sorry for how I treated you."

"Very good!" Celestia beamed as Blueblood's smile widened. "Now then, since you've all had time to digest Prince Blueblood's idea, and based upon the looks of surprise he was met with when he proposed said idea, is this a possible plan that all of you are comfortable with?" The princess asked, steering the conversation right back to business.

Unfortunately for Celestia, she wasn't exactly met with a straight response. A chorus of, "Umms," and "Uhhs," mixed with vague answers such as, "Maybe," assaulted the alicorn's ears. I don't believe anyone meant to talk over one another, but eventually it was difficult to hear a coherent answer from anypony. To me, however, it appeared that some were only giving an answer because Celestia asked, even if their thoughts hadn't been completely processed as of yet.

"Okay, okay, settle down, please!" Celestia requested with a raised hoof. As if she hit the mute button, those who were still talking found themselves silenced, waiting for what their princess had to say. "I brought that on myself for not asking for one answer at a time, I suppose," Celestia chuckled at her own mistake, trying to assure her subjects that she was not upset nor disappointed at them. Taking in a deep breath, the ruler announced, "If there is anypony who would like to explain how they feel about letting Spitfire free with a guard to escort her, please, do not be afraid to speak up," she offered with a smile.

Unsurprisingly, Twilight was the first to volunteer. The Princess of Friendship took to the center of the semi-circle, clearing her throat. All eyes fell on her as Celestia remarked, "Ah Twilight! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter. Please, proceed."

"Yes, Princess Celestia," Twilight replied. "I know I do not have the final say on the subject, but after listening to everypony's arguments and weighing the pros and cons of Prince Blueblood's proposal, I believe that this would be the best hoof forward on helping Spitfire become an upstanding pony once again," she began, beginning to trot around the half-circle so that she was able to make eye contact with every single one of us.

"Pairing her with a guard no doubt helps us to make sure Spitfire remains on her best behavior if we fully release her from the dungeons, rather than simply letting her go on her own and checking in periodically with her. In addition, the guards taking turns swapping shifts can easily report to Princess Celestia the progress that Spitfire makes with her interactions with the populous….or decline if indeed her words today turn out to be untrue," Twilight frowned.

"Nonetheless, the most important aspect that this plan offers is giving Spitfire the freedom to move about Equestria if she so chooses and to start her private flying tutorship, just with the watchful eye of Celestia's guard. In short, this should help us not only see if Spitfire is being truthful in her answers to Princess Celestia, but it also helps give her a clean slate to integrate back into Equestria and try to turn over a new leaf instead of simply throwing her back into a cell."

As Twilight paused, several members of the group took the opportunity to assess her argument. Hooves tapped chins or the marble flooring, hushed conversations cropped up and silent thinking took over from the lavender mare.

"I'd have to agree," Starlight Glimmer's voice spoke up, the student of Twilight's taking a few steps forward. "I mean, I know it's not exactly like your plan, Blueblood," she pointed a hoof at the prince, "but Twilight gave me the same chance to better myself after I tried to ruin her life by messing with the space-time continuum." The unicorn put her hoof down and smiled at her mentor. "I'm allowed the chance to go out to try to make new friends and build a trust with the ponies of Ponyville and maybe even help somepony with problems of their own. And so far, it's worked!" Starlight exclaimed, turning to smile at Trixie.

"I would honestly be all for giving Spitfire the same treatment, though maybe in that two month window, she could either write a letter to Princess Celestia or even visit with her to talk about her progress?" She suggested with a grin to the princess.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow at Starlight's notion. The alicorn mare then rubbed a gold-plated hoof under chin, "While I'm used to receiving letters and visits on the progress of certain ponies, I believe having different guards chaperone Spitfire around during different times of the day is sufficient enough, Ms. Starlight. The difference between your situation and that of Ms. Spitfire's is you are actively learning how to properly build and maintain friendships and report to Princess Twilight. You don't have a guard watching your every movement all day; you have a bit more leniency your way as well. In addition, you willingly gave yourself up to Princess Twilight while Ms. Spitfire….did not," Celestia frowned.

"Besides, I trust my guards to send my sister and myself accurate reports of Ms. Spitfire's behavior. Perhaps at the end of this experiment, I'll have a meeting with the mare for an overall discussion, but we still want to give her the chance to prove her truthfulness," she concluded, letting her hoof fall back to the floor with a clack.

"Oh, okay. That makes sense, I suppose," Starlight copied Celestia's earlier movement and rubbed her chin as well.

"Now then, Ms. Lulamoon," Celestia continued, surprising the mare she had called out. Trixie blinked, shifting her eyes from side to side, unsure of how to respond. "Since you were firmly confident that Ms. Spitfire was merely putting on a show for us and didn't think it was warranted for her to be released, what are your thoughts on this potential idea?" The princess inquired.

The showmare blinked yet again. "Well….even though Trixie holds firm on her opinion, she does like the idea that at least a guard will be watching over Spitfire should she do anything wrong. It could help steer her in the right direction to actually being sorry for what she did to Twilight's friend. Believe Trixie, she still thinks anypony can turn over a new leaf, but she's still skeptical about Spitfire's motives," she explained. "Plus, if Starlight believes this will work, then Trixie is willing to give it a chance," the magician smiled at her friend who happily returned the expression.

"Very well, then!" Celestia replied cheerfully. The Princess of the Sun then focused her attention on the pony that held the polar opposite opinion of both Trixie and even Spike. Despite this, Celestia's cheerful demeanor never once wavered. Her royal professionalism was held front and center, including her respect for differing opinions. "Now, Fluttershy," she began as the mare in question gulped from having the attention of everyone shone onto her, "I understand that you feel that Spitfire serving her allotted without further incident should warrant her release."

"Uh...umm," the animal lover stammered, "well, yes, your majesty. N-Not to mention that I think her answers to your questions were genuine."

"All right then," Celestia offered the nervous mare a comforting smile, "do not be ashamed of your opinion, please," she added. "However, what are your thoughts on having a guard watch over her throughout the day and night? Do you believe this could harm her trust in us to prove she's genuinely apologetic for her actions?"

The nervousness that previously decorated Fluttershy's face gradually melted away, scrunching up as she pondered both Celestia's question and the events of the entire day. "Well, it could," she began. Several of the ponies who had already spoken their minds about Blueblood's proposal cocked their heads, intrigued by what their friend had on her mind. "This sort of reminds me of what you asked of me with Discord a few years ago, your highness."

Celestia chuckled, "Another reason why I believe this could work for Ms. Spitfire. The only reason it didn't cross my mind this time around is due to the different circumstances," she explained.

"Oh of course, princess, but I am just a little concerned that having a guard overseeing her every step of every day for two months could intimidate her and unintentionally prevent Spitfire from even trying to go out and re-establish trust with the ponies of Cloudsdale," Fluttershy countered with a hint of worry clinging to her words.

"I see," Celestia said, taking Fluttershy's concerns into consideration. "Well, I can assure you that Princess Luna and I shall select the best Solar and Lunar guards for the occasion. They will do their best to not only keep a close watch on Ms. Spitfire, but they will also allow her the same breathing room that you allowed Discord when you assisted him in seeing the value of friendship. In fact, to qualm any worries you have, Fluttershy, I will have Ms. Spitfire sign off on the guards' reports before they trade shifts so we can confirm that she feels comfortable with the chosen guards. Would that help you feel better?" She smiled at the timid pegasus.

"Hmm, maybe. I just really don't want Spitfire to take it the wrong way and close herself off from Cloudsdale while she has a guard with her," Fluttershy replied, looking apologetically at Celestia like a puppy that had been caught rooting through the trash.

Suddenly, Flash Sentry approached the Element of Kindness, putting a gentle hoof on her back. "Hey, it's okay, Fluttershy," he assured her, "look, remember, I used to work alongside dozens of Solar Guards every day when I first transferred from the Crystal Empire. Would it help if I assisted Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in selecting guards that are better suited to dealing with citizens?" He offered as he patted the animal lover's back.

"We will accept any help we can get," Celestia chimed in.

Fluttershy looked between the two ponies offering her a remedy for her worries. Gradually, a small smile crept onto her muzzle as she picked her head up. "Y-Yes, I think it would!" She exclaimed. "And they would actually help her out with mending the trust between her and Equestria instead of hovering over her waiting for her to mess up?" She asked, just to be sure.

"We'll select those that have the best rapport with the kingdom's citizenry, you have my word, Fluttershy," Celestia assured her.

Fluttershy's smile grew wider. "Then yes, I think this could work just as well as it did with Discord!" She exclaimed.

"That wasn't exactly smooth sailin' though," Applejack said under breath.

"Very good," Celestia beamed. Letting out a great sigh, the princess then turned to her right to the two ponies whose opinions would probably make or break the decision to follow through with Blueblood's idea. "Now, Rainbow Dash and Soarin," the alicorn paused, "based on everything you two have heard today and everything you have attributed to the conversation, would releasing Spitfire back into Equestria with different guards accompanying her throughout the day sit well with the both of you?"

The Wonderbolt couple exchanged a glance, sighing heavily as the morning's activities were still taking a huge toll on them mentally. Both pegasus ponies were sluggish in their movements, bags were beginning to take form under their eyelids and their ears hung limply on the sides of their heads. Nonetheless, the duo mustered up smiles for one another and nodded as Soarin gestured towards Celestia with a jab of his head.

Rainbow acknowledged her coltfriend with a quick peck on his cheek before stepping forward. "I'll be honest, princess. At first, I just wanted Spitfire thrown back in her cell after she slipped up and let us know she didn't think about Soarin at all down there. But after what Twilight reminded us of and Blueblood giving us this idea," she said, facing her coltfriend and then the aforementioned prince, "I'm on board," the Wonderbolt confidently proclaimed. "I'm still pretty angry for what she did to Soarin and the trust she destroyed with our squad mates," the mare snorted yet took several deep breaths to keep her emotions in check, "but if we try this and Spitfire can actually show some legit improvement and finally understand how much she hurt Soarin, then I think this is the best shot we have."

Exhaling, the Element of Loyalty proceeded to turn to her oldest friend, a look of sorrow on the cyan pegasus' face. "And….Fluttershy may be right about how thinking of how hurting Soarin could have been too painful for Spitfire," she admitted. "This could really help give Spitfire the opportunity to show she is sorry for how she hurt Soarin, but that'll take some time," Rainbow threw a foreleg around a now smiling Fluttershy.

"Very well," Celestia smiled at the display of friendship before her. "Soarin, are you in agreement with Rainbow Dash?" She asked of the Wonderbolt captain.

"Yes, your highness," Soarin bowed, "I think this is the best path for all of us to take. It'll take a while for that night to stop hurting all of us, but like Princess Twilight said: I want to see Spitfire improve too. If she can show improvement and work hard to rebuild the trust with pegasi of Cloudsdale by the time this is over, then I'm willing to fully forgive her," he admitted.

The majority of the Wonderbolts concurred with their captain, nodding in agreement or sounding off with an, "Mhmm." A few of them still found themselves to be undecided, but none showed to have zero faith in the idea.

Happily sighing, Celestia stood up from her seated position, stretching out her slender legs, "Very well," she proclaimed. "I think we have our answer then, unless there are those who disagree with the plan?" She asked one more time to be sure.

When no one spoke or made a motion of disagreement, Celestia annouced, "Glock, would you please bring Ms. Spitfire back into the throne room?"

The guard bowed to both his marefriend and princess before trotting his way over to the holding room's door. "We're ready," his voice reverberated around the cathedral-like room as he stepped aside to allow the chained pegasus entry back into the throne room.

The rustling and clinking of chains grew louder as Spitfire stepped forth, following beside Glock as he escorted her over to our group. "Oh, Prince Blueblood," Spitfire exclaimed, "this is a uh..surprise," she remarked as Celestia and her nephew stepped aside to allow both Spitfire and Glock to enter into the middle of the group's semi-circle.

"Greetings, Ms. Spitfire," Blueblood replied as politely as he could.

Spitfire only responded with a singular nod to the prince, keeping her eyes and ears peeled on Celestia as the alicorn neatly tucked the day's records into Spitfire's dossier. Her magical aura engulfed the folder and lowered it beside Celestia until it rested gently to the floor.

"You wanted to see me again, your highness?" Spitfire bowed as much as she could.

"Yes, I have some good news for you, Ms. Spitfire," Celestia said, pausing to allow the golden pegasus to stand up. I could see a small twinkle in Spitfire's eye along with her lips curling up at the mention of good news.

"Oh?"

"I believe you'll be happy to know that we've," Celestia blanketed a wing over Blueblood's back and proceeded to gesture to everyone with her hoof, "decided to release you, but on one condition."

Spitfire's slight grin grew before quickly faltering. "One condition?"

"Indeed. Although you will be granted your release back into Equestrian society, we here believe it will benefit yourself and us if we have guards stay with you for at least a two month period of your release," Celestia explained, "with different guards exchanging shifts throughout the day and night," she further specified.

"Guards?" Spitfire cocked her head. "Any particular reason why?" She asked, annoyance creeping up at the back of her throat.

"Well, there are a few of us who believe you should be able to be granted your freedom to prove your word that you are indeed apologetic for your actions and want to redeem yourself. However, there are still several who aren't quite convinced, yet at the same time didn't believe sending you back to your cell would help anypony. Therefore, the extra precaution of guards escorting you around Equestria made them feel this would be the best alternative."

"Rest assured, you will NOT be confined to your home. You will still have the freedom to move about as you wish, just with guards keeping watch who will report your daily routine back to myself and Princess Luna. Then following a month or two, we will make another decision as to whether or not you can have your guards removed and be trusted to run your private flying classes, which we will assist with should you ask for it."

Spitfire let out a quiet groan, soaking in Celestia's offer to finally leave the dungeons for good and work on restoring herself back into society. It clearly was NOT what she was hoping for based on her body language from what I could tell. However, the mare let out a defeated sigh, clicking her tongue.

"Well, there's really no point in complaining about it, but I do want more than anything to redeem myself for being a bucking selfish idiot, so I understand your decision, your highness, and I thank you for the opportunity to do so," Spitfire bowed yet again.

"Excellent, and thank you for being patient while we discussed our options," Celestia too bowed to her subject. "Now then, please go with Glock back to the holding room where we will prepare you for release and select which guards will be assigned to accompany you," she requested.

"Of course, your highness," Spitfire replied, giving us all one last look. "Thanks for giving me a chance, everypony," she said as Glock nudged her to move. As she began to move, Spitfire slowed, calling out, "And Soarin…..I'm sorry," she apologized before picking up the pace and trotted alongside the guard.

As the door to the holding room shut again, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. "Oh my, I simply must get outside and move!" Rarity remarked as she stretched her back and popped her legs.

"Yeah, I haven't been this stiff in awhile," one of the Streak twins stretched out his whole body like a dog.

"Hmm, perhaps we should have Brunch outside?" Celestia offered. "I wish to thank you all for being such a big help for this decision since Princess Luna could not be here today. Plus, the fresh air can help us all decompress."

"I think that's a fine idea, auntie," Blueblood replied, giving his aunt a hug, which the alicorn happily returned. "And I can bring Auntie Luna some food when everypony departs."

As happy as I was that an agreement concerning Spitfire was reached, being reminded that my friend was still absent made my heart drop a little. "Hey Blueblood?" I called out to the unicorn.

"Yes, Cougar?"

"When you bring Luna her food, can you tell her I said hi?" I asked the stallion.

"I shall, Cougar," the prince chuckled. "I must say, I find your unique friendship with my aunt to be quite...charming."

"Thanks, I guess?" I replied, caught off guard by his remark.

"Oh Applejack, Cougar!" Celestia exclaimed. "May I have a word with the two of you, please?"

"Well, o' course, princess! Don't have ta ask us twice," AJ obliged, waiting as the alicorn approached.

"What can we do for you, Celestia?" I asked, standing at attention for the Princess of the Sun.

"First of all, again, thank you so much for your help today, even if it was more of a moral support for your friend," Celestia began.

"Yeah, can't leave a friend hanging," I nodded.

"Friends gotta stick together, no matter the situation," AJ agreed.

"Secondly," the alicorn's lips pursed, "I-I just want to apologize again for how the events of the Summer Sun Celeb-"

"Now hold it right there, yer highness," AJ held up a hoof, silencing the princess. I was a bit taken aback at how abrasive she was with Celestia, somepony whom she looked up to and respected on the same level as her Granny Smith. "Look, Ah appreciate yer apology, but there ain't a need fer one. 'Taint yer fault mah kin tossed us out like last week's garbage. You 'n everypony else did all ya could ta cheer me 'n Ivan up after what happened; that's credit worth takin', not how somepony else treated us," she firmly said, having none of Celestia's apology.

"Yeah," I nodded, the memories of both Julia and Heirloom as well as our friends came rushing back. "There's no reason to blame yourself, Celestia. I'm just humbled to have good friends like you, the girls and Spike as well as the best girlfriend I could ever ask for," I slung an arm around AJ and pulled her close.

"Very well," Celestia said, dropping the subject. "I just feel awful about what happened."

"It's all right, yer highness. If anythin', it just strengthened everypony's relationship," AJ snaked a foreleg around my waist and pulled me in close as well.

Celestia sputtered. "Very well, though, I still wish to reiterate, if there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask," she bowed her head. "Please, though, will you join the rest of us outside for some Brunch?"

"We'd be honored, Celestia," I bowed my head toward the royal alicorn.

"Right, we can take this chance ta start plannin' fer the Apple Family Reunion in a week," AJ mentioned, which brought me to a crashing halt.

The anxiety about meeting the rest of the Apple clan and explaining that AJ and I were expecting a child suddenly returned. Even with Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom swearing to stand behind me when the time came, I just couldn't rid the nightmare from the back of my mind.

"Hey Applejack?" I asked, trying to mask the stress from my voice.

"Yeah, Sugarcube?" My girlfriend stared up at me with her emerald irises.

"I was thinking, even though we already sent out the invitations, do you think we can invite one more pony to the reunion?"

"Uh, who were ya thinkin', Ivan?" AJ raised an eyebrow, though not sounding against the idea.

"Well…." I began, turning to Pinkie Pie.

End Chapter 87.

---

So, again, I apologize that this took eight months, but I really hope the end product makes up for it. Combined with my IT classes, I was really critical of myself for each interaction of each character for such an important chapter to the story that I was worried about messing it up, which is why it took so long to complete. And, for a second time, thank you SO MUCH to Picta Vulpes for being the amazing editor that he is!

Next Time: Ivan, AJ, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie tackle the Apple Family reunion where huge news is dropped...