Promise

I stand in the middle of the dimly-lit atrium, surrounded by every single one of my peers. Seated in the jury are familiar faces, and some not so much. Either way, every face carries the exact same expression of hatred or disapproval; it’s difficult to tell the difference. They all mumble and mutter to each other without breaking eye contact with me, as if wanting me to know that they are in fact talking about me. I never thought I’d be here in this situation, I’ve been told and I’ve been warned, but this seemed inevitable. Her Majesty herself, Princess Luna, steps up to the podium ahead of me. Two guards adorned with sapphire-tinted armor stand beside her at the podium, staring me down with such intimidation. I’ve never felt so insignificant and hopeless in my lifetime, like a moth caught in a spider’s web. A moth could flap its wings and perhaps even break free, but there’s no escaping what’s in store for me here. “I would like to now bring this court to order,” says Princess Luna. Instantly, everypony in the jury silences. She then looks me dead in the eyes, making my stomach twist and turn. “I’m assuming you already know why you’re here, correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I mutter.

“And you are aware that we’ve numerous discussions regarding your recent affairs.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You’ve been warned time and time again; I’ve shown you just about every ounce of kindness I could, and yet, here we are. As if all of that meant absolutely nothing to you.”

“That’s not true, Your Majesty.”

“Well, that’s what it seems like to me. Now, it appears I have no other choice than to enact the proper repercussions. Which, again, I’m sure you were aware of.”

“I’m aware, Your Majesty.”

“There’s just one thing I need from you before we get to that.”

“. . . Like what?”

“An explanation. You did wrong, you knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway. Despite everything you were told, and had every last rule laid out to you, you still disobeyed all of it. Not once has anypony gone against The Counsel’s laws; not once. So, please, just tell us why ‘you’ did. Help me, and your peers, understand why you willingly put yourself in this situation. You’ve been hiding this for so long, and I know that there’s something you’re not telling me.” I can feel everything suddenly getting warmer, and my legs are beginning to tremble. “I can see you’re frightened, but I need you to remain calm. Gather your thoughts, and just tell us. If there ever was a time to speak your mind, now would be that time. Otherwise . . . my guards will escort you to your chamber where we will carry out your punishment.” I bite my lip, pondering to myself if whether or not it’s even worth going through the trouble to explain it to her. “. . . How does somepony like you come to this? You showed so much promise. I saw a future much brighter for you than this.” I lower my head as guilt completely overtakes me, unable to utter a single word. “Not only that, but she too has been put in a desperate situation. Did you not take her into consideration when you made your choices?” Stunned by her question, I raise my head as anger washes over me.

“How could you even ask that? She’s the only thing that matters to me. She’s the reason I’ve done what I’ve done. My whole purpose in life is to ensure that she lives hers as happily as she can be. Making her smile and being by her side wherever she goes . . . that’s the most important thing to me. I suppose it’s something you nor everyone else in this room can ever understand.” The jury gasps from my retort, and Princess Luna looks on confused but intrigued. “You want an explanation? You want to know why I did this? Well, I suppose there’s no better place to start than the beginning. . .”