Author's Note

Hey, everyone! This story's almost done! One more chapter tomorrow and then I'm gonna get to work on the next one! Hope you've enjoyed it, and thanks so much for reading!

A Sentencing and a Reunion

Twilight, Starlight, and Shining Armor leapt down from the stomach of the great beast they had defeated. Slowly, but surely, it morphed back into the evil queen they all despised. Even in death, her snarl was enough to give them all a good fright. “Man,” Starlight breathed, “I know she’s dead, but…I’m still terrified of her.”

“Me too,” Twilight said, “but I think we have good reasons for it. She did force everypony into complete misery for years on end.”

They were joined by the two great mares, who smiled down at the heroes. They even had a kind face to share with Shining Armor, who awaited his punishment. He hoped that they would be merciful with him and take into consideration his turnaround. But, who am I kidding? He asked himself, I don’t deserve their mercy or kindness. I’m a treasonous pony, and I deserve to die. So…if that’s the sentence they think suits my crime…I will take it as a proper stallion, with honor and humility.

“Shining Armor,” Celestia said, “you fought valiantly in defense of The Town of Friendship, which means you defended the last remaining hoof hold in Equestria. We are extremely proud of you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Shining said as he humbly bowed, “your words are kind, and they do not befit a pony who has committed the crimes that I have. Please, I don’t deserve it.”

“Yes, you do,” the blue mare, whom Twilight deduced was Princess Luna, said, “you deserve a lot of praise for your decision to turn away from wrath and hate and embrace the purity that friendship and The Elements of Harmony have to offer.”

“Because of your decision to create new bonds with your sister and her friends, and because of your assistance in defeating Queen Lilly, we shall not sentence you to death for treason,” Celestia said.

Shining’s face broke out in a smile and he felt like dancing. He knew that their mercy was unwarranted, for after all, he had done terrible things, but that did not mean he was not thankful for it. He suddenly found himself bowing at their hooves and kissing them in a rather outrageous display. He stopped when he realized that they were both giving him odd looks.

“Forgive me, Princesses,” he said, “but I did not expect to live through the night.”

Celestia smiled. “It’s alright, Shining Armor. We’ve just never had somepony kiss our hooves before. We understand your enthusiasm, and we rejoice that you’ve made this decision. However, that gesture was rather…unsettling.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I won’t do it anymore.”

“Thank you. But we still need to punish you, and we feel like we have come up with the proper sentence.”

Shining Armor bent back a bit and his ears flattened against his head. He didn’t know what their proclamation would be, but it frightened him. He knew the punishment was coming, he was just scared that it would separate him from his foals for the rest of his life. If there was one good thing that had come out of his relationship with Lilly, it was the two of them. He loved them with all his heart, and they had been a huge part of the process of changing his heart.

“I humbly await your decision,” he told Celestia and Luna honestly.

“You will wait no longer,” Celestia said solemnly, “Shining Armor, you committed despicable, evil acts against your fellow Equestrians, and against us. You raped and murdered your mother, you murdered your father, and you attempted to rape your sister. There’s no telling how many innocent ponies you helped to toss into prison for crimes they did not commit. You served and defended an evil regime that threw ponies everywhere into a completely chaotic state. While you also helped defeat that evil, you still practiced it. Therefore, Shining Armor, for your deeds, we hereby sentence you to life in the dungeon of Canterlot without the possibility for parole.”

Shining’s heart sank. He didn’t question their decision, but he felt as if he had been stabbed with a myriad of incredibly sharp knives. He saw his foals flash before his eyes, and he felt tears form with each image. He suddenly sank to his stomach and began to cry. His fatherly side completely overtook his once insatiable lust for power, and all he wanted was to hold his children close. “Please,” he said as he looked back up at the reinstated rulers, “might I see my foals once?”

Celestia smiled again. “Of course,” she said, “they shouldn’t have to grow up without their father in their lives. You may see them whenever you wish, for we know that they are the future of our nation, and since you’ve redeemed yourself in the eyes of us and everypony else, you can help teach them about the value and wonder of friendship and harmony.”

“Yes!” Shining said as he reflected her smile, “I will! I promise, I will!”

With that, Celestia sent a messenger pony off to fetch Applejack and the two foals. When they arrived, their mouths opened wide in joyous elation and they ran into their father’s embrace. “My foals!” He cried, “oh, my foals! How proud I am of each of you!”

“Daddy!” The two small fillies cried over and over.

Twilight couldn’t help but tear up at the beautiful scene. The innocent and undying love of her nieces melted what was left of her brother’s stone heart, and she could tell that he had truly turned over a new leaf. It’s so wonderful, she said to herself, and I’m gonna be the best aunt those two could ever ask for!

She stepped forward and nuzzled the two. “Aunt Twilight!” Frostbite squeaked happily, “daddy’s back!”

“Yes, he is,” Twilight said, gaining more of a double meaning out of the young one’s words than even the filly could have realized. “He’s back in more ways than you could imagine.”

“Twily,” Shining said, using the special nickname he had for her, “how could I have ever turned my back on you?”

She smiled at him. “I don’t know,” she said, “but if there’s an upside to all of this, I now have two beautiful nieces.”

“Daddy?” Blaze asked.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“When can we go home?”

Shining’s face fell as he realized that he would have to explain to his daughters that he could never go home with them. He desperately looked into Twilight’s eyes, pleading with her to explain the situation. She read him like a book, and looked down at the fillies. “Listen, you two. Your daddy did some terrible things, and he’s been put into prison for the rest of his life.”

Their mouths fell open in shock and sadness. “Prison?!” Frostbite squeaked, “like…the place where all the bad ponies go?”

“I’m afraid so,” Twilight responded gently, “but there is a bright side here. Princesses Celestia and Luna have said you can visit him whenever you want to. He’ll never be out of your lives again.”

The two fillies threw their small hooves around their father, clinging to him as if their very lives depended on it. Even though they knew that they wouldn’t be cut off from him, they were still squealing with sadness about him going “where the bad ponies go” forever. Their tears were many and their caterwauls filled the cavern. Their screams came from a place of fright, and everypony felt incredibly sympathetic.

Twilight put her hooves around their small shoulders and tried to comfort them. “Please,” she said lovingly, “don't cry. You can still see him whenever you want.”

“BUT DADDY’S GOING WHERE THE BAD PONIES GO!” Blaze screamed, “HE ISN’T A BAD PONY! IT’S UNFAIR!”

“PLEASE, PRINCESSES,” Frostbite turned and begged, “PLEASE, SAY HE CAN COME HOME WITH US! PLEASE!”

“I’m sorry, my dears,” Celestia said with complete compassion, “but this is the way things have to be. You might not have known your father to be a bad pony, but the rest of Equestria can testify to his actions. I feel for you. Trust me, I do. I have seen foals separated from their parents before, and it breaks my heart. But your father made his choices, and he must answer for all of them. Your aunt will be your caretaker now, and I am sure she will pour all her love and light into your young lives.”

The fillies stopped crying and looked at Twilight. They loved her with all their hearts, too, even though they had only known her a short while. They felt a special connection with her, that all nieces and aunts share. Twilight smiled at them, and they calmed somewhat. But they were still very upset about their father’s life sentence. They wouldn’t let go of him, and he tried his hardest to console them. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so blunt with them, Twilight thought, but they deserved the truth!

She softly pulled them away from Shining Armor, and the looks on their faces betrayed their terror. They felt that they would have to go through life without either of their parents, and they were incredibly scared of what the future held. Frostbite, in particular, showed signs of nervousness and vulnerability. “Oh, my little nieces,” Twilight said softly, “everything’s gonna be alright. You’ll see. Your daddy might have to go away, but you’ll always have his love…and you’ll always have my love, too.”

“Really, Aunt Twilight?” Blaze asked.

“Really,” Twilight said as she smiled.

This seemed to calm the fillies as they turned to gaze at their father for the final time before Celestia and Luna led him away to begin serving his life term. He would be imprisoned in the town’s jail until Canterlot could be rebuilt and restored. Then he would be moved there to finish his time. The little ones couldn’t bear to see their father led off, and they buried their heads into Twilight’s shoulders.

“It’s going to be okay, my loves,” she told them softly, “your father’s devotion to you is absolute. We are a family now, and nothing is going to change that.”