In Celestia we trust

For a whole week, Twilight lived her life having forgotten almost all about the matter that had brought her to Canterlot. But having a break at some point in her daily routine, she suddenly remembered the existence of the academy of science and decided to go talk to Matt again. She wasn’t certain what to expect from such a talk, but was certain she couldn’t just avoid it forever. She could at least go apologize for her behavior the last time they talked together, even if she wasn’t certain her behavior could be blamed.

Figuring out if her behavior had been wrong was a reason good enough to go in the first place.

It took her a while, but she eventually found the academy of science and asked to see Matt. Very quickly, however, she found out that not only did nopony seem to know where he was, but all of those she tried to talk to were avoiding her and then fled.

“What is going on here?” she asked out loud.

“He was arrested.” told her a voice.

She turned back and faced a mare.

“He has been accused of treason against the crown.” the mare said. “Because he talked with you. He has been thrown in prison. That’s why he isn’t here and that is why everypony is afraid of you. They all think they will be thrown in a cell if they talk to you.”

“What?” Twilight asked in surprise and horror. “Treason? Why?”

“Because it is against the law to doubt the divine nature of the sun princess.”

Twilight simply couldn’t believe her ears. She couldn’t even remember such a law ever existing and even so, it felt completely absurd. Twilight didn’t want for the stallion to be imprisoned. Celestia hadn’t asked for the stallion to be imprisoned.
It then hit her. Of course: the only pony that could have taken such a decision.

But she could deal with the little sister later. The first thing Twilight wanted was to free Matt from his unjust chains. She thanked the mare and trotted to the dungeon of Selene, one of the night guard garrisons, where she had logically concluded Luna would have had her prisoner taken. Her reasoning proved to be right and upon her arrival and her demand to be taken to the imprisoned stallion, she got brought to a very depressed Matt who she startled by her sudden arrival.

“Here he is your majesty.” said the guard. “Poly Matt, earth pony, arrested three days ago for treason against the crown.”

“Your highness?” Matt asked, still not completely sure he wasn’t imagining it.

“Yes.” Twilight reassured him, before suddenly realizing: “Wait, your name is Poly Matt?”

A long awkward silence ensued, during which Twilight got the time to regret her question and Matt got the time to find out he was awake and the princess had indeed come to rescue him. Or maybe just to ask him about his name…

“With all due respect, isn’t there any more pressing matter than how I’m called?” he finally asked.

“Of course. Please excuse me.” Twilight apologized while blushing a little. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She turned to the guard and ordered that the prisoner be freed.

“I am sorry your majesty, but I cannot obey.” the guard responded, obviously very embarrassed to be in the position the princesses were forcing on him. “Treason is a very serious charge. I mean, he does deny the existence of her majesty princess Celestia.”

Twilight sighed. She had talked with Celestia and the princess herself had told her she didn’t mind Matt attitude at all. This was all a very obvious and stupid mistake.

“Alright.” she said, turning to Matt. “The easiest way to get you out of here is for you to admit that Celestia actually exists and then we can all go back home.”

Her tone had betrayed how upset she was about the guard stubborn behavior, a feeling that she was ashamed of at the very same time, because she knew the guard was merely performing his duty to the best of his capabilities. And no fate could be worse for a member of the night guard than to disappoint the night princess, so it was to be expected that they wouldn’t go against one of her instruction very easily.

Still, she knew it would be over very quickly if Matt just played along.

Of course he didn’t.

“I can’t do that.” Matt affirmed. “I am not a liar. I strongly believe that this Celestia everypony praises isn’t real. In fact, I know she isn’t real.”

Twilight facehoofed out of frustration. Now she had two stubborn stallions to deal with. Rarity was right: stallions did tend to make everything more complicated than it needed to be.

“Matt.” she began. “I talked to Celestia a few days ago, directly, in person. I can assure you she is very real.”

From the look she got from the stallion, she might have just told him that she had died a few days ago and come back to life only because she wanted pie. Her words had obviously sounded that crazy to his ears, even if pie is actually a very good reason to briefly come back to life.

One should never doubt the power of pie.

“You talked with Celestia.” Matt asked with a mix of incredulity and mockery.

“Yes. Just a week ago.” Twilight explained to him.

“You actually believe you talked, as in saying things and getting responses, with the princess of the sun?” he asked again, with this time mostly mockery over a huge layer of disbelief.

“Yes, I did.” Twilight assured him.

And she clearly remembered having spoken with Celestia, back during her visit in Canterlot.

“Sure you did!” Matt said with the tone one would use with a crazy friend.

His sarcasm angered Twilight. She had no reason to have to put up with such an attitude. In fact, she wasn’t certain to know why she was helping him in the first place. He was clearly being arrogant, he was stubborn and he was clearly ignoring the most basic facts about the world around him. Maybe being in a cell was actually the best for him. Or maybe she was just having those thoughts because she was very upset.

No matter what the reason was, she decided she had to do the right thing, and the right thing was to free him. He had done nothing wrong, at least as far as she could judge, and therefore had no reason to be held in a cell.

But if he wasn’t going to cooperate, she would have to take another approach.

She assured Matt she would get him out and left to go see the one pony that would help her achieve that goal: Luna.

“I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle.” the princess of the night told her after the informal formal greetings in the castle in Canterlot. “That pony is a threat to our society. His ideas are defying the existing order and therefore justice must be done before we descend into chaos.”

“Come on princess.” Twilight responded. “He did nothing wrong. He is stubborn, I’ll admit that, and frustrating, and clearly ignorant, but he is no threat.”

“Our judgment won’t change, Twilight Sparkle. We cannot allow to take any risk with such dangerous ideas.”

"Well, I won't change mine either." the purple alicorn replied. "There cannot be any good reason to keep a pony in jail who has done nothing wrong."

Twilight understood she wouldn’t convince Luna to change her opinion. Too much pride, or just incapacity to recognize having been wrong. Or the will to show strength in front of another princess and friend. No matter the reason, it was clear Luna wouldn’t allow herself to do any concession there.

This left only one way of action for Twilight. One she would have liked to avoid, but she was certain would work in her favor in the end. Because it was justice, and in justice right would always prevail.

“Very well.” she told Luna. “Then, as we two princesses disagree, I demand as the law states I can in such circumstances, that Matt be trialed by his peers.”

Luna stopped and thought deeply about it. It could be seen on her facial expression that she was considering the pros and the cons of allowing a trial. She was assessing her chances of her case being won with normal ponies judging and she must have found she had very good chances, as she just said, with a sigh and a smile:

“So be it Twilight Sparkle: we accept the trial.”

And as she said those words, her horn lit up and the cover of darkness fell over Equestria for the coming night.