Life in Allspark Wells
Part 18; People Vs Aurochs Compost
Somewhere in Time and Space
As the thunder crashed around her, Apple Bloom found herself in a dark forest. 'What in…. How'd Ah get here?' The former farm girl thought to herself. She couldn't remember entering this forest, and she had no idea what she'd been doing before. Before she could ponder any further, Apple Bloom was startled by another, far louder crash of thunder.
"Gah!" The burgundy haired girl screamed as she jolted away, allowing her eyes to glance at the sky above her. Rather than the expected black of a night's sky, or even the occasional dark blue, this sky was an otherworldly purple. Looking up at the unsettling sky, Apple Bloom remarked, "That's odd. Ah've never seen a purple sky before."
Making her way through the dark forest, Apple Bloom couldn't help but ponder, "If there's thunder this loud, why isn't it rainin'?" Coming up to a small rock, the young girl sat down upon it as she sighed, "Ugh, Ah have no idea what's going on."
At that moment, the sound of a wolf's howl rang out, catching Apple Bloom completely off guard. She jumped up from her seat as she began to stammer, "Wh-wh-who's th-th-th-there?" For several moments, there was no response, only the uncomfortable silence that surrounded her. The former farm girl let out a gentle sigh of relief as she remarked, "Heh. Guess Ah'm goin' crazy."
Turning around as she began to walk away, Apple Bloom found herself face to face with two piercing white eyes glaring right at her. "Gah!" The former farm girl exclaimed as she stepped back in fear. Catching herself, Apple Bloom asked, "What in the…. Who are you?" She received her answer in the form of a hungry growl, followed by a series of fierce barks.
"Oh no!" Apple Bloom muttered to herself as she began to realize just what she was dealing with. "No. Please tell me that's not a…." Before she could finish, a large black wolf emerged from the shadows, flanked by two white wolves, one on each side. Snarling and drooling, the former farm girl could only back away as she called out, "Stay away. St-st-stay back!"
The three wolves continued to strut up to Apple Bloom, the two white wolves flanking her as the black wolf glared at her with hungry eyes. Starting to feel breathing increase, the burgundy haired girl gulped as she tried to say, "G-g-g-g-good b-b-b-boy." As she tried extend her hand, the black wolf tried to bite her, with the former farm girl barely able to pull her hand away in time.
Before she could even begin to consider what to do next, the black wolf leapt onto Apple Bloom, forcing her onto her back. As the fierce beast glared at her, the former farm girl screamed in fear. "Gah! Get off me!" She exclaimed as she tried to push the wolf off of her, only for the other wolves to stamp their paws on her hands, trapping her. It was now that the black wolf began to do something that caught Apple Bloom completely off guard.
The wolf began to lick her face.
"Egh. Gross." Apple Bloom groaned as the wolf continued to brush its tongue across her face. She continued, "Stop that! Stop that!" The former farm girl tried to raise her hands up to push the wolf away, but its two compatriots were still restraining them.
At that moment, the thunder returned, along with the flashes of lightning. For a brief moment, the black wolf transformed into an otherworldly monstrosity. Overcome with fear and horror, Apple Bloom found herself overcome with adrenaline as she finally managed to force her right hand free and, as the lightning crashed one last time, backhand the black wolf as she found herself awakening from her slumber.
Apple Bloom's Room
"Get off of me!" Apple Bloom screamed as she backhandedly slapped the creature that was now standing on her chest. As she opened her eyes, the former farm girl heard a pained whimper, followed by a loud thud.
Blinking as she returned to the land of the living, Apple Bloom realized that she was back in her bedroom. Looking over to the alarm clock on her nightstand, she found that it was about two in the morning. Sighing to herself, the former farm girl could only mutter, "Heh. Must have had another nightmare."
However, Apple Bloom was immediately distracted by the sound of something whimpering. "What in tarnation?" The former farm girl asked out loud as she rose up from her bed and made her way over to the source of the sound. There, she found a horrifying discovery.
She found Sparkplug lying on the ground.
"Oh no! Sparkplug!" Apple Bloom exclaimed as she tried to comfort the small terrier. When she extended her hand, however, Sparkplug leapt up and began to back away in fear. Seeing this, the former farm girl began to tear up as she apologized, "No, please! Ah'm sorry Sparkplug!" Despite her best pleas, the black terrier continued to whimper in fear and back away from her.
As Apple Bloom realized that her beloved pet dog was now afraid of her, the bedroom door opened, revealing a concerned and confused Ironhide who promptly asked, "What in the hell is going on here kid?" Sparkplug immediately took the opportunity to bolt out of the bedroom, leading Apple Bloom to call out, "No! Sparkplug! Come back here!" The former farm girl tried to run past her uncle, only for Ironhide to ask, "Apple Bloom! What happened?"
Sighing as she began to cry again, Apple Bloom replied, "Ah…. Ah was havin' a nightmare where Ah was bein' attacked by wolves, an'….. and this wolf was lickin' me and Ah…" Finally losing what was left of her composure, the former farm girl tearfully lamented, "Ah must have hit Sparkplug in mah sleep!"
As Apple Bloom threw herself into her uncle, Ironhide wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug as he reassured her, "It's ok kid. I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt him." The burgundy haired girl shook her head as she retorted, "But Ah still hurt him!" Sighing to herself, she continued, "Ah… Ah gotta…."
Before she could continue, Ironhide placed his finger over Apple Bloom's lip as he told her, "Not right now. Right now, you need to get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow." The former farm girl wanted to protest her uncle's statement, but her exhaustion began to overtake her again. Sighing, Apple Bloom said, "Alright. Guess Ah'll see you in the mornin'?" The family patriarch nodded as he replied, "See you in the morning kid. I love you." Giving her uncle a small smile, the former farm girl replied, "Ah love you too."
Having bade her uncle a good night, Apple Bloom returned to her bed, crawled under the sheets, and drifted off back to the realm of slumber, all while Ironhide closed the bedroom door and thought to himself, 'Just one more day Apple Bloom. We get through tomorrow, and we can put this nightmare behind us.'
Early the Next Morning
Staring at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, Apple Bloom remarked to herself, "Heh. Never thought Ah'd be able to pull somethin' like this off." Indeed, the former farm girl was dressed in a dark red suit coat over a blue shirt, dark red pants, and her black dress shoes. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Still, never thought Ah'd have to be speakin' at a trial before."
Indeed, today was the big day. After nearly a week of preparation and anticipation, Apple Bloom and her family, as well as Dream Wave and Windshear's families, had united to pursue legal action against Mr. Compost for his carelessness and callousness, as well as the injuries he'd allowed everyone to suffer on the root and berry retreat. 'On one hand, Ah don't wanna seem to spiteful…' Apple Bloom thought to herself. 'On the other hand, Ah wanna make that asshole pay.'
The former farm girl was distracted from her internal monologue when her bedroom door opened, revealing Sideswipe, dressed in her dress shirt, pants, suspenders, and black oxfords. Walking up to her sister, the pale biker let out a whistle as she complimented, "Look at you. You're smoking girl." Apple Bloom let out a gentle chuckle as she replied, "Thanks Sideswipe. You sleep well?" Nodding, Sideswipe replied, "Like a baby." She then added, "I heard you screaming last night. Have another nightmare?"
Sighing, Apple Bloom replied, "Yeah. Ah…." Starting to feel her eyes water again, the burgundy haired girl cleared her throat as she continued, "Ah just had an unfortunately timed nightmare." Pulling her sister into a hug, Sideswipe reassured her, "Don't beat yourself up. I'm sure it was just a one-off incident."
At that moment, both girls' stomachs began to rumble, leading Sideswipe to say, "Come on. Ratchet is making biscuits downstairs. We're gonna need all the strength we can get for today." Feeling a sense of optimism wash over her, Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, "Yeah." She then followed her sister out of her room and towards the kitchen.
The Kitchen
Making her way to the dining table, Apple Bloom was greeted by the sight of Ratchet serving up some biscuits and sausage for everyone. Noticing the young girl, the former medic greeted, "Morning Apple Bloom. I trust you slept well." Sitting down at the table, the former farm girl replied, "For the most part. Ah had a…. a nightmare last night."
Bringing a plate with two biscuit halves and some sausages to the young girl, Ratchet apologized, "Sorry about that Apple Bloom. If it's about…." Hesitating as he struggled to find quite the right words, the old medic settled on, "…. About what happened over the weekend, I'm sure we can get schedule a therapist appointment." Reaching for one of the biscuit halves, Apple Bloom replied, "Thanks Ratchet."
As Sideswipe entered the kitchen, the pale biker called out, "Morning Ratchet!" Letting out a gentle chuckle, the former medic replied, "Good morning to you too Sideswipe. I take it you had a good night's rest?" The pale biker nodded as she replied, "Yeah. I'm tanned, I'm rested, and I'm ready to see that hippie get a great big wedgie!"
Before Ratchet could reply to the pale biker's enthusiasm, Ironhide and Chromia entered the kitchen, both dressed in formal outfits with the former speaking to someone on his cell phone. Raising his hand to the phone's speaker, the family patriarch reassured the other end, "Don't worry, we're making great time. We should be at the courthouse within the hour, ninety minutes at most."
Hanging up his phone, Ironhide noticed that his daughters were now awake and dressed. Smiling, he asked, "You two sleep well?" As Sideswipe nodded, Apple Bloom swallowed her mouthful as she replied, "About as well as Ah can be. Once we get this over with, the better." The family patriarch nodded as he replied, "Same here. I'm ready to put this nonsense behind us too."
Straightening himself, Ironhide began, "I just got off the phone with Sunbow. He and Dream Wave are already at the courthouse, and we'll meet them there in about an hour." A confused Apple Bloom asked, "Who's Sunbow?" Chromia spoke up with a gentle, "He's Dream Wave's father, and he's the one who's spearheading this."
Sideswipe lit up as she added, "Oh yeah! He's that guy who beat the shit out of Mr. Compost!" Chromia immediately turned to her daughter as she warned, "Language young lady." As the pale biker sighed before taking a bite of sausage, Apple Bloom asked, "So, when does the trial start?" Chromia replied, "In about two hours, but we need to be there early, so you two better eat up."
Hearing this, Apple Bloom shoved a full biscuit into her mouth as Ironhide reassured her, "Whoa there! We're not in that big of a rush!" As the former farm girl swallowed her mouthful, her uncle continued, "Though we do need to be moving in the next twenty minutes." Taking this in, the former farm girl continued to eat her breakfast.
She would be needing all the strength she could get.
Allspark Wells Courthouse, One Hour Later
"Wow." Apple Bloom remarked as she took in the sight of the building before her. After finishing breakfast, the family had made their way downtown, and now they were greeted by the sight of a large building made of golden yellow metal like most other buildings in town. What separated this particular building, however, was the grand analog clock on the front of the roof, tall pillars adorning the front façade, and a dark brown wooden door behind them. All in all, Apple Bloom thought to herself, "Forget courthouse. This place looks like a palace of justice."
As the group approached the courthouse's front entrance, they were greeted by another group of people. Among this group was Wind Shear, who was wearing a black suit dress, Dream Wave, who was clad in a dark blue dress whilst sitting in a wheelchair, and the same dark red man from several days earlier, wearing a white shirt and khaki pants. Looking this man over, Apple Bloom thought, 'Guess he's Sunbow."
Walking up to Ironhide, Sunbow extended his hand as he greeted, "Good to see you Ironhide. Right on time." Shaking his hand back, the former soldier replied, "We got here as quickly as we could. You ready to put that hippie down for good?" The dark red man smirked as he replied, "You better believe it."
As the adults caught up with each other, Dream Wave rolled up to Apple Bloom and greeted, "Hey Apple Bloom. Good to see you." The former farm girl nodded as she replied, "Same here, even if Ah'd have preferred better circumstances." Sideswipe then joined the two as she asked, "'Sup? How's your legs?" Dream Wave sighed as she answered, "They're doing alright, though they're still a little sore."
The three teens were interrupted when Wheeljack called out, "Come on you three! We're burning daylight!" Apple Bloom nodded as she placed herself behind Dream Wave as she said, "Come on. Ah'll push you in." Dream Wave smiled as she replied, "Thanks Apple Bloom." With this, everyone began to make their way inside.
The Courtroom
"No way! Someone broke his legs?" Apple Bloom asked Windshear. Nodding, the cream girl nodded as she replied, "Yeah. My parents told me he made bail a few nights back, but he showed back up at the police station with broken legs. He said that guy who saved you two and his buddies did it." Dream Wave let out a small chuckle as she replied, "Serves the cocksucker right."
At that moment, Ironhide walked up to the girls and pointed to something as he whispered, "Brace yourselves kids. Here he comes." Turning to see what her uncle was pointing to, Apple Bloom found herself staring at none other than Mr. Compost. The sickly green teacher was dressed in a simple suit, his normally unkempt hair was slicked back (revealing a noticeable bald spot), and he walked with two crutches in his hands, flanked by a gray man whom the former farm girl figured was his lawyer. All in all, Mr. Compost seemed surprisingly pathetic.
However, that did not stop Apple Bloom from feeling an intense sense of hatred at the mere sight of the man who had abandoned her and Dream Wave to her fate.
As she began to growl, Ironhide rested a hand on Apple Bloom's shoulder as he whispered, "Keep cool kid. We get through this, and we'll never have to worry about him again." Taking a deep breath, the former farm girl nodded as she replied, "And you just need us to tell the jury what happened?" Ironhide nodded as he answered, "Yup. One more battle." Feeling a small smile form on her lips, she replied, "Yeah. Once more into the fray."
At that moment, a deep voice rang out, "All rise for the honorable Judge Trademark!" As Apple Bloom and everyone else stood up, she glanced over at the judge, a tall and lean man with cold blue skin, pure white hair, piercing blue eyes, and a wrinkled face that told her that this was a man of no nonsense.
Nodding, Judge Trademark spoke aloud, "You may be seated." As everyone sat back down, the blue man turned to Mr. Compost as he sternly stated, "Mister Aurochs Compost, you stand accused of three counts of reckless endangerment of a child, as well as gross incompetence. How do you plead?" The sickly green teacher stood up, let out a nervous gulp, and tentatively replied, "Not guilty sir."
'Bullshit.' Apple Bloom thought to herself. 'After everythin' he did, he has the damn nerve to say he's not guilty?' Clenching her fist, the former farm girl desperately wanted call him out, but she remembered what her uncle had told her; 'Let him make an ass out of himself. He'll do the work for us.'
As Apple Bloom thought to herself, a man with dark gray skin, red hair, and clad in a black suit with square glasses, stood up as he asked, "Your honor, may I begin my statement?" Judge Trademark nodded as he replied, "You may Mr. Speed Dial." As this man made his way over to the jury, the former farm girl thought, 'Guess he's supposed to be our lawyer. Ah'm surprised this is the first time Ah'm seein' him in person.'
Turning to the box of twelve people, Speed Dial began, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we are here today due to one thing." He then pointed to Mr. Compost as he continued, "This past weekend, that man there took a handful of children up to Yellow-Steel national park. And in the span of twenty-four hours, one girl suffered an allergic reaction, one girl broke her legs, and two of them were nearly mauled by wolves!"
Speed Dial was interrupted by Compost's lawyer, who rose up as he called out, "Objection! That man is trying to lead the jury!" Judge Trademark banged his gavel as he called out, "Overruled!" Speed Dial nodded as he resumed his speech, "Thus, I want you to understand that that man there, though he may appear harmless, is a danger to his students, and should be removed from society."
As Speed dial returned to his clients, Judge Trademark turned to Compost and his lawyer as he asked, "Would the defense like to say anything?" Apple Bloom was able to make out her teacher and his lawyer discussing something, but she was too far away to make out just what they were saying. After a few minutes, the lawyer stood up, made his way to the jury, and began to speak.
"I do not envy you people." The lawyer solemnly said. "You have been asked to judge a man for tragic circumstances that were simply beyond his control." Before Apple Bloom could process this, Sunbow called out, "Like hell it was!" Judge Trademark took a gavel and slammed it on his podium as he barked, "Order! There will be order in this courtroom!"
Recollecting himself, Compost's lawyer concluded, "Thus, I wish to show you fine people that the tragic circumstances of this past weekend, though tragic, were not caused by my client."
Pausing for a moment, Judge Trademark nodded as he said aloud, "Very well." Turning to Speed Dial, he asked, "What evidence do you have against Mr. Compost here?" The dark gray man took a deep breath as he stated, "The prosecution asks Aurochs Compost to take the stand!" As the scrawny teacher rose up and began to nervously approach the stand, Apple Bloom couldn't help but think, 'Well, let's see how he does on the stand.'
Once Compost was seated on the stand, Speed Dial began, "Mr. Compost, please tell the jury why you brought all those teenagers to Yellow-Steel National Park last weekend?" Taking a deep breath, Compost replied, "I… I was taking my students on an extra credit trip I call the root and berry retreat." Nodding, the gray lawyer asked, "And what exactly does this "root and berry retreat" entail of?"
Briefly glancing over to his pupils, Compost replied, "Well, two times a year, I take several students on a magi…." Briefly pausing, he continued, "…On a trip deep into the forest to live off the land." Taking this in, Speed Dial continued, "I see. Now, if I may inquire, why would you feel the need to take students on such a retreat?"
Compost's lawyer stood up as he declared, "Objection! How could these questions possibly be relevant?" Judge Trademark replied, "Overruled!" He then turned Speed Dial as he added, "Please continue." Nodding, the dark gray lawyer continued, "As I was saying, what was the reason why you took those kids on this bi-yearly trip?"
Compost straightened himself as he explained, "Well, you see, I take students on the retreat because they failed a project I'd given them about how they can help our planet and environment."
As the two men continued their back and forth, Apple Bloom sighed as she whispered to Dream Wave, "Ah got a feelin' this'll take a while." The red-haired artist nodded as she replied, "Same here." Still, both girls knew they'd come this far, and the former farm girl took a deep breath as she whispered, "Still, we can't just drift off. We make sure we're alert for when we take the stand."
Some Time Later
"So let me get this straight." Speed Dial said to Wind Shear. "Compost reacted to your allergic reaction with such flippant carelessness?" As the cream girl nodded, she replied, "He did sir. He said that if I didn't want to risk another reaction, I would just have to either find something else to eat or go hungry." Both the jury and the audience let out gasps of surprise and murmured amongst themselves, all while Compost began to nervously sweat.
Satisfied, Speed Dial said, "Thank you young lady. That will be all." As Wind Shear stood up and made her way back to the others, the gray lawyer turned to the jury and asked, "Tell me, what kind of man acts with such callousness to a child, who's safety and welfare is his responsibility mind you, suffering an allergic reaction?"
As the jury whispered amongst themselves, Speed Dial then added, "My next witness is Dream Wave!" Judge Trademark nodded as he called out, "Will Dream Wave take the stand?" Hearing this, Apple Bloom got up and helped push her friend up to the stand before whispering, "You've got this." The red-haired artist gave a small smile as she replied, "Thanks."
Once Dream Wave was settled, Speed Dial asked her, "Tell me young lady, what happened to your legs?" Taking a moment to compose herself, the young girl explained, "Well sir, that night, I…. I had to relieve myself, if you catch my meaning…." Though a few members of the audience (and even one of the jurors) giggled to themselves, most people were able to keep their composure at the mention of "bodily functions."
Nodding, Speed Dial continued, "And how could relieving yourself result in broken legs?" Dream Wave answered, "Well, it was late at night, so obviously, it was pretty dark. It didn't help that Mr. Compost confiscated all electronic devices, including my flashlight." As the jury took this in, she continued, "Apple Bloom and I went outside the tent, and we immediately got lost. I tried to find my way to her, but I fell down a small a small cliff-ledge-thing." Dream Wave then looked down at her legs, now bound in casts, as she finished, "And that's when he abandoned us."
At that moment, Compost slammed his fist into the desk in front of him as he declared, "I was running to get help!" Somone from the audience shouted, "Keep lying to yourself you fucking coward!" Another voice, a woman's, decried, "How dare you!" As more people shouted, Judge Trademark banged his gavel as he declared, "Order! There will be order!" Once everyone began to simmer down, the judge continued, "You may continue young lady."
Sighing, Dream Wave continued with, "That's when we were surrounded by the wolves. For a moment, it looked like we were goners. Then, we were rescued by that Onslaught guy and..." Pausing a moment, she finished with, "I don't remember much after that. I passed out from the pain sometime later."
Speed Dial nodded as he replied, "That will be all. Thank you, Dream Wave." Dream Wave let out a sigh of relief as she replied, "Thank you." She then began to push her wheelchair back towards the others. Once she'd rejoined her friends and family, Apple Bloom whispered, "You alright?"
Dream Wave wiped a tear from her eyes as she replied, "That was…. Scary but satisfying." Her father walked up to her and rested a hand on her shoulder as he complimented, "I'm so proud of you sweetheart!"
At that moment, Speed Dial said aloud, "I have one more witness I wish to call. The defense calls Apple Bloom to the stand!"
Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom began to approach the stand. As she looked around, the former farm girl was able to get a glance at her family watching her from the prosecution. She could see Ironhide, Sideswipe, Chromia, Ratchet, and Wheeljack all giving her reassuring nods and thumbs up. Feeling a bit more confident, the former farm girl made her way up to the stand and sat down.
Walking up to the young girl, Speed Dial inquired, "I have been informed that you had a rather rocky relationship with the defendant, is that true?" Nodding, Apple Bloom replied, "Yes. Mr. Compost was kind of…" Hesitating for a moment, she finished with, "Kind of a hard ass." Once again, people began to snicker amongst themselves, leading Judge Trademark to warn, "Please use proper terminology young lady."
As Apple Bloom nervously nodded, Speed Dial continued, "The reason I ask this question is because of the events of the previous Monday. Please tell the jury about the environmental project that resulted in you needing to go on this trip in the first place."
Sighing, the former farm girl explained, "Yes. Ah'd done a report on how the environment could recover from the effects of war and how weapons can be repurposed for environmental purposes." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Can't say if it really deserves a perfect A plus, but Ah'd like to think it was worth a passin' grade. Of course, Mr. Compost said it was horrible and…."
Pausing for a moment, Apple Bloom continued, "But when this other kid named Oak Leaf started ramblin' on and on about how the best solution would be to kill people off…." She was interrupted by Judge Trademark warning her, "We are not here for your petty issues with other classmates."
Catching herself, Apple Bloom apologized, "Sorry sir." Speed Dial then added, "So obviously, there was a lot of tension between you and Mr. Compost here, was there not?" The former farm girl nodded as she replied, "Yes." Speed Dial then continued, "So, tell the jury about the trip in general. Tell them about how the trip went and how he acted."
At that moment, Apple Bloom replied, "Heh, where do Ah start? He dragged us up to the middle of nowhere, let us go hungry, not to mention blamin' Dream Wave for fallin' and breakin' her legs." She then paused for a moment before continuing, "And when he confronted us, he started lashin' out at Dream Wave about gettin' herself hurt, and when we heard the wolves, he just bolted away." Sighing, the former farm girl added, "Just as Dream Wave said, the only reason we're alive is because Onslaught just happened to be boar cullin' nearby."
As the jury took this in, Apple Bloom continued, "Now, most of what happened next isn't too important. Onslaught and his buddies took us to their tent, helped set Dream Wave's legs, called mah uncle Ironhide, and just sorta kept an eye on us for the rest of the night. The next morning, when we got out of the forest, we ran into him and the others." Feeling her fists clench, the former farm girl continued, "That's when Compost started chewin' us out for gettin' one of the wolves killed and bein' "enemies of the environment," and that sort of stuff."
Speed Dial then asked, "That was the last you saw of him before today, correct?" Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, "Yes. Last Ah saw of Compost was him gettin' arrested, Ah think." The gray lawyer nodded as he said, "Thank you Apple Bloom. That will be all."
"Wait!" The former farm girl called out. As everyone found themselves caught off guard, Apple Bloom asked, "Your honor, may Ah say somethin' to Mr. Compost?" Shaking his head, Judge Trademark replied, "No statements not related to the trial itself may be said until closing statements." Taking this in, Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, "Very well."
Once she'd rejoined her friends and family, Ironhide pulled his daughter into a gentle hug as he said, "You did a good job kid." Apple Bloom hugged her uncle back as she replied, "Thanks."
Speed Dial then continued, "Now then…."
Later That Day
Struggling to stay awake, Apple Bloom looked up to the analog clock above Judge Trademark's podium, noticing that it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon. 'Sheesh. We've been here for almost all day.' The burgundy haired girl stretched her arms, making sure not to hit Dream Wave or Wind Shear. As she began to yawn, however, the red-haired artist tapped Apple Bloom on the shoulder as she said, "Hey, I think the jury is done."
Just as Dream Wave had said, the jury made their way back to their box as one of them prepared a piece of paper. Noticing this, Judge Trademark inquired, "Has the jury reached their verdict?" The lead juror nodded as he replied, "We have your honor." Presenting his piece of paper, he read his verdict out loud.
"On the three charges of reckless endangerment of a minor, we the jury find the defendant, Aurochs Compost, guilty on all counts."
Taking this in, Apple Bloom let out a deep sigh of relief. 'Ah can't believe it.' She thought to herself. 'Guilty.' Feeling her lips form a small smile, the former farm girl looked over to her friends to see their reactions. Wind Shear was also smiling while Dream Wave leaned back into her wheelchair, letting out a sigh of relief of her own.
Turning back to face Judge Trademark, Apple Bloom heard him request, "Will the defendant please rise?" When Compost stood up to face the judge, the imposing blue judge scorned him with a stern speech.
"I have listened to the girls testify against your actions, and I can say that you should be ashamed of yourself. Your actions have left scars, both physical and mental, on them, and the blame solely lands on your shoulders. Do you have anything you'd like to say?"
Wiping his eyes, Compost replied, "I am truly sorry that these incidents happened under my watch. I wanted to help my students appreciate nature and our beautiful planet, but instead, it seems they may turn their backs on the lessons I tried to impart on them."
Hearing her teacher say this, Apple Bloom thought to herself, 'He's not really sayin' this, right? He can't be tryin' to pin the blame on us.' But here he was, trying to deny his responsibility. Unable to contain her frustration, the former farm girl called out, "That is bullshit!"
Judge Trademark Immediately called out, "Order!" He then banged his gavel as he warned, "You will remain civil in these proceedings young lady!" As Apple Bloom sighed and sat down, he turned back to Compost as he sternly continued, "However, I must remind the defendant that your views on the environment is not what is on trial. Your behavior is, and it is clear that your behavior is completely, unacceptable!"
As Compost took this in, Judge Trademark declared, "Seeing this, I sentence you to thirty years imprisonment, with the possibility of parole only available after you have served twenty years." He then banged his gavel, sealing the former teacher's fate.
Hearing this, Apple Bloom thought to herself, 'Thirty years…. That… That sounds pretty fair actually. Ten years for each of us.' After all, she may have hated him, but she figured that he wouldn't be spending the rest of his life behind bars. Given everything, she couldn't help but feel that thirty years was a fair enough punishment.
Compost, on the other hand, began to beg, "You can't do that! I have so much to do! To spread the word for our planet's wellbeing!" His pathetic pleas were falling on deaf ears, however, as Judge Trademark continued, "That will do! I sentence you to serve thirty years imprisonment! You will be remanded to the proper authorities and transported to the Iacon State Medium security facility."
As the police began to approach Compost, Apple Bloom called out, "Wait! May Ah say somethin' to him?" This time, the blue judge replied, "You may. Make your peace." Turning to face her former teacher, the former farm girl began her speech.
"Mr. Compost. When Ah started this semester with you, Ah figured you'd just be a bit of a hardass, the stern but fair teacher. Even considerin' how you failed all of us while passin' someone for callin' for eugenics could be… somethin' Ah'd just look back on in a decade and laugh off. But what you did to us, to me…" Feeling herself begin to tear up again, Apple Bloom continued, "You abandoned us to those wolves! You abandoned us! And that…. That is somethin' Ah can't ever forgive. Ah'll never forgive you for that."
Collecting herself, Apple Bloom turned to Judge Trademark as she said, "That's about it sir." Nodding, the judge turned to Compost as he ordered, "Guards, get him out of my sight."
With that, Compost was escorted out of the courtroom and, as far as Apple Bloom was concerned, out of her life.
As the blue judge continued to speak, Apple Bloom found herself zoning out. 'Heh, guess that took the wind out of me.' The former farm girl thought to herself. 'Just gotta stay strong enough to make it home.'
After all, there was still a bit of legal jargon everyone would have to get through.
Iacon High, Several Days Later
Stepping out of her uncle's van, Apple Bloom turned to Ironhide as she replied, "See ya later uncle Ironhide. Ah love you!" Giving his daughter a reassuring nod, Ironhide replied, "I love you too kid. Stay safe." As he drove off, the former farm girl straightened her messenger bag, took a deep breath, and made her way to the front door of her school.
Once the trial had been concluded, Apple Bloom spent the rest of her fall break decompressing and generally relaxing. Sleeping in, helping around the chop shop, taking care of Sparkplug (who eventually forgave her), playing video games with Sideswipe, and even hanging out with her friends, the former farm girl found herself enjoying the last few days of freedom she had before she had to return to the monotonous grind of school. Of course, now that she was back, she found herself asking, "Ah wonder what happens now that Compost is gone?"
As she entered the school and made her way through the halls, Apple Bloom noticed that, for the most part, everyone was just minding their own business. Letting out a gentle chuckle, the burgundy haired girl remarked to herself, "Guess Ah shouldn't have expected a parade, but at least there's nothin' like the first day."
After a few minutes, Apple Bloom made it to what had been Compost's classroom. Opening the door, the former farm girl found that, though most of her class was already there, there was no teacher. Walking towards her desk, one of her classmates asked, "Hey Apple Bloom! I heard something happened on the root and berry retreat. It true Mr. Compost got fired?" Nodding, the former farm girl replied, "Yup. He…. Ah don't think we'll be hearin' from him in a while."
From behind her, Apple Bloom heard the sound of Oak Leaf's voice called out, "Well that's just prime." As the olive boy made his way to his desk, he grumbled, "He's my favorite teacher. Can't believe that…" He turned to Apple Bloom as he continued, "Somone got him fired."
Glaring back at Oak Leaf, Apple Bloom warned, "You better not be implyin' Ah got that asshole fired! He got himself fired when he abandoned Dream Wave and Ah to the wolves!" The olive boy simply glared right back as he remarked, "Maybe you two just proved you're too much of an environmental detriment."
Before either teen could say anything either of them could regret, the entire class was caught off guard by the sound of an old voice saying, "Well then, so you are among my pupils for the remaining half semester?" Turning to see who it was, Apple Bloom was greeted by the sight of a familiar face.
There, walking into the classroom, was a man with purple skin, gray hair with long sideburns, a dark purple suit, and most importantly, a single red eye and an eyepatch over his left eye, and a prosthetic left hand that had two fingers and a thumb. As the man walked past her, Apple Bloom found herself thinking, 'Is that who Ah think it is?'
Turning around to greet his pupils, the one-eyed man introduced himself, "Greetings and Bienvenu. I am Shockwave, and I shall be your teacher for the remainder of this semester."
As Apple Bloom took this in, one of the other students asked, "What? What happened to Mr. Compost?" Folding his arms, Shockwave answered, "Compost was relieved of his duties due to his actions on his little root and berry retreat. He will not be back." He then held his mechanical hand behind his back as he added, "I will also be nullifying the project he assigned beforehand. I know many of you put a lot of effort into your assignment, but given the circumstances, I have deemed it necessary to wipe that little slate clean."
Though some students groaned in annoyance, Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief as she whispered to herself, "Well, what do you know. Guess it means that F is gone. Looks like Compost really is gone after all." Though the former farm girl was satisfied with this statement, Oak Leaf groaned, "Oh come on! That's not fair!"
Hearing this, Shockwave walked up to the olive boy as he sternly warned, "Actually, there is something I need to address." As Oak Leaf found himself starting to sweat, the one-eyed teacher warned, "I do not know what possessed you to dedicate your little speech to advocating eugenics, but I assure you, you and I will be having a little chat after class. Am I clear?" All the olive bully could do was meekly reply, "Yes sir."
Clapping his hands together, Shockwave switched his attitude as he declared, "Now then, let us begin today's lesson." As the one-eyed teacher began his lecture, Apple Bloom found herself feeling optimistic to the future. She was free of Mr. Compost, the failing grade of his project was rescinded, and she even witnessed Oak Leaf getting put in his place.
'Of course, not everythin's perfect.' Apple Bloom thought. 'Ah still have nightmares, not to mention Dream Wave's legs.' Still, she'd dealt with nightmares before, and Dream Wave's legs would eventually heal. Smiling to herself, the former farm girl continued, 'Still, Ah got a feelin' everythin's gonna be just fine after all.' And so, pulling out a pencil and starting to take notes, Apple Bloom found herself looking forward to what the week had in store.
After all, the first day back from fall break was something of a new beginning, and what better place to experience a new beginning that a place like Allspark Wells?