The Stupidity of The Crimes of the Condemned and those who followed.

I sit on my throne waiting for the murderer of my nephew. He was killed a month ago by a creature not from this world, a "human" is what his kind is called. He somehow ended up in this world by complete accident and have no idea how. Four months ago, he spent the first two weeks near Ponyville, hiding from others and secretly stealing food until he was caught stealing apples from Applejack's Apple Stand.

Twilight and her friends brought him here to Canterlot to meet with me, he told his story about how his fishing boat capsize during a storm and the next thing he knew he was here in Equestria. After hearing his tale I offered him a place to stay in the castle so he can be granted Equestrian citizenship.

Through out the couple weeks of his stay, he spent time getting use to his new surroundings. The two of us would spend time together, getting know one another. I really enjoyed his company. He was nice, kind, and quite charming, I even consider him a friend. He made many friends in the castle, even Luna warm up to him quite quickly and the two of them became almost inseparable.

Despite being accepted by everypony and having a place among us, he would tell me how much he miss his family and friends, and that he wants to return to his home world. I promise him I would look into way to return him home and hopefully I will succeed in granting his wish to return to his life and love ones....But now that doesn't look like its ever going to happen.

The man I saw as my friend is now my prisoner, arrested for murder on the third degree. Their was a trial but it was an open and shut case. He was found by me, Captain Shining Armor, and a few other guards that night in Prince Bluebloods office. His clothes and hands were covered in blood, he was still holding the knife, and even confess to killing my nephew without the slightest bit of hesitation or regret.

When I saw Blueblood dead on the floor at that murderer feet; my heart broke. He wasn't the nicest pony and was dislike, No, he was hated by everyone who knew him. Of course I knew about his attitude towards others and I tried many times to get him to change his ways. I practically raised Blueblood since he was little, I thought him everything he needed know to be a proper prince. I never pressured him, and properly guided him down the right path, but somewhere along the way he grew bitter, selfish, and cruel. I don't know where I went wrong with him, more than once I tried to talk to him, wanting to know why he the way he is, but our conversations never went anywhere. But I never gave up on him. I always hope that one day he will learn the error of his ways. I prayed that the once kind hearted nephew I once knew when he was child would return someday.

But any hope of that was shattered the second The Prisoner took his life.

Blueblood may have been a hated pony, but he was still family. Despite the way he was, I still loved him and now he's gone, his second chance to change his ways stolen from him and it's all because I let that "MONSTER" into my home.

Anger couldn't even begin to explain how I feel right now as I wait for my guards to bring that "BASTARD" before me. The reason I call for this meeting was because I want to know why he did it. The prisoner have been interrogated multiple times since his arrest but they all ended the same, with him telling the same story and never telling the guards the real reason he killed Blueblood. This isn't even the first time he was broght before me. Once a week since his arrest he would be brought to the throne the room, where I would ask him the same questions; why did you do it? How could you do it? It wasn’t right, even for him. But he would never give me a clear answer. I grew more and more impatient with each attempt to get answers from him.

I will not be denied the answers I seek, oh so help me Faust, I don't know what I do.

~~~

The door to the throne room open and The Captain of the Royal guard, Shining Armor step inside. Bowing and then stood to attention before addressing me.

"Your Highness, I have brought the prisoner!"

"Bring him in Captain!"

Shining Armor bow once more before stepping out of the throne room. Not long after he did, the large double doors open and soon The prisoner step inside, walking up to stand before me.

I remain stoic and showed no expression, but the rage inside me grew the second I saw him enter the room. The memories of our time together once again filled my mind. The talks we had, the laugh we shared, we may of knew each other for a short while but I still consider him a friend and someone I could trust. "What a fool I was!" I put too much trust into a stranger and my nephew paid the price. But despite the prisoner actions and refusal to talk, I can clearly see he is obviously hiding something, that and I wondered how he was able to kill Blueblood in the first place. Their is no way he could of succeed in beating him in a fight let alone killing him. I plan to get the answer to these questions no matter what.

When the prisoner got close enough I notice his wounds and bruises. It's obvious he took a beating from the guards before he was brought here but I chose to ignore it...for now.

He stood a few meters from the steps leading up to my throne, standing their battered, bruised, and motionless. He doesn't even bother to look me in the eye as if he was ashame to, but I know he have no shame at all.

“I still dream of him, you know.” Celestia said in an icy tone. “But every time I wake up I’m reminded of the being who took him from me. I knew he was troubled, we all did, but for you to do such a terrible thing? How could I have not done something to prevent the one who took him away?” He doesn't respond to me so I continued. “You stand before me, beaten, bloody, and bruised, yet I feel no more sympathy for you as the day you first came to this world. I never try to have these thoughts, but sometimes I wish you had drowned and not appeared here in this world. Perhaps then he would still be here and you would be dead.”

I don't truly mean what I just said and it hurts to say it, but my anger towards him just grew as I glared down at this piece of shit.

“You continue to not speak, but what if I were to make you?” Celestia wonders. “If you do not give me the answer I desire, I shall have you thrown back in your cell without food or water until further notice. That way, you can waste away properly like the filth you are.”

Celesita stands from her throne and calmly walks down the small staircase and towards The prisoner. She stops just a few feet away and uses her magic to forcefully make him look up to her. Her eyes, those beautiful magenta eyes, filled with nothing but hate and sadness, stared back at him.

“To think, I wanted to be your friend and you mine. What a disgusting thought to be friends with a creature like you. Now answer me this, human, why…why did you do it?”

“…Regret.”

“Excuse me?”

“…Regret, forgiveness, redemption, closure, answers, truth, lies, revenge, justice.” I list off. “That’s what we humans go through when caught in a situation like this. Regret, to be sorry about and mourn. Forgiveness, to pardon one’s actions. Redemption, to save one from sin. Closure, finding peace for one’s soul. Answers, what we all want in life. Lies, what we do on a daily basis. Revenge, the practical justice. Justice, the fake peace-of-mind. You ask me why I did what I did because you think that it’ll give you closure as to why it happened, despite your newfound hatred for me. My fate was sealed that night when I was caught. I’m now paying for my crime, probably for the rest of my life as long as I remain in this world. You want to know why I did it? Well too bad, I’ll take my reasoning to the grave. You want justice? Then let me rot in that cell where I’ll continue to be beaten to a pulp every day. Even if you did force the truth out of me, I doubt you’d understand anyway. But I will tell you one thing about my crime, Princess Celestia.”

“And what is that?”

“That I have no regrets whatsoever. That if I were to go back and do things differently, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Because that’s my justice and my closure that I and I alone am satisfied with. No amount of torture, abuse, neglect, or any form of punishment you may try and inflict on me will ever get me to regret my actions or even bother to seek forgiveness when there’s none to spare.”

He took a step forward to look me deeper in the eyes.

“I killed your nephew, and I’m damn proud of it.”

Silence....

The tension in the room was so thick you could literally cut it. All the guards expected to see Celestia burn the prisoner alive on the spot, but she was holding herself back.

“I killed your nephew, and I’m damn proud of it.” Those words, and the fact that he spit them into my face only filled me with even greater rage than I ever felt before. I wanted to hurt him badly. I thought about throwing him through the window, the throne room is pretty high up but not high enough that the fall will kill, a broken limb or two would no doubt be the worst of it. As much as I wanted to and I soo wanted to, I held myself back, it wasn't easy but I did it.

When I was training to be a princess, one of the things I was thought was to never let my feelings cloud my judgement or I could make mistakes would regret. Luna banishment was one of those mistakes.

Once I calm myself just enough to think clearly, I turned to two of my guards standing off to the side and spoke.

"YOU TWO!" Bellow Celestia catching the guards attention.

"Yes your highness."

Celestia turned her attention back to the prisoner, her glare filled with nothing but hate as she stared him down.

"Take this piece of SHIT out of my sight." Celestia glared harder as she spoke through gritted teeth. "Before I do something I might regret."

"As you wish your highness." The two guards walk up to the prisoner and quickly escorted him out of the throne room and back to his cell in the dungeons.

After the doors closed Celestia sat back down in her throne, using Cadances breathing technique to try and calm herself. It help a little, and she was able to think more clearly and focus her mind on another problem.

"Shining Armor!" Celestia called out. "Step forward please, their something we need to discuss."

The Royal Captain walk up to the throne until he was standing directly in front of the small set steps. He gave the Princess a quick bow before speaking.

"Yes your highness?"

"Tell me Captain, why did the prisoner look like he got into fist fight with a train?" Celestia asked in stern tone.

Shining Armor was a bit afraid to answer her question but held himself up and spoke.

"Forgive my lack of oversight Princess. Two guards under my command, decided to depense thier own brand of justice by beating him without mercy before I caught them in the act when I went to retrieve the prisoner." Shining Armor gave an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry I didn't see this coming sooner your highness."

Celestia sigh, with a hand on her forehead, slowly shaking her head in disappointment. "I do not blame you Captain." Celestia brought her hand down to lay on her arm rest. "Theirs no way you could of known. Their actions towards the prisoner is unexcusable, I may hate him with ever fiber of my being, but I do not condone such acts to be committed." Celestia gave Shining a serious look. "I expect these guards to be punish for their actions, Captain, and make sure the other guards know that any violence towards the prisoner will also be met with severe punishment."

"Yes your Highness, I will spread the word as soon as possible....Is their anything else your highness?"

"Yes! Make sure a doctor patch up his wounds and make sure that he continues to get his three square meals a day also."

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, confused at the sun princess last order. "You still wish to feed him, your majesty...b-but earlier you said-"

"I know what I said." Celestia interrupted. "I was only trying to scare him, in order to get him to talk, but that obviously failed. I have no intention to starve him, or hurt him, just keeping him lock up for years on in for his crimes is enough." Celestia begins to speak in a more serious tone. "I will not stoop so low that I would torture this man for what he has done. Now don't get me wrong I'm still filled with nothing but rage for that murderer, but I will not let my anger take control of me, no good ever comes from that, plus it go against the very nature of who I am and make me look like a monster." Celestia took another deep breath to calm herself. "If you don't have anymore questions, Captain that would be all."

Shining Armor bowed once more and proceeded to leave the throne room. After he left Celestia continued to sit in her throne. She had no other royal duties left todo, having finished all of it before talking with the prisoner again. So she just decided sit there all alone in her throne room as she reminiscent on past events leading up to this.

She remembered the days she spent with the human; short as they were, you couldn't tell if a guy like him would ever hurt a fly let alone murder someone. So why did he kill Blueblood, was it purely out of spite, no, that doesn't make any sense. They just met for the first time that night; Celestia sure of it. She could understand Blueblood giving him a hard time like he does everypony else. But you don't see Rarity slitting his throat when she first met him at the grand galloping gala a few months back.

Something is definitely isn't right here and it's clear he's hiding something, the only question is "what?" As Celestia tries to figure out this riddle plagueing her mind, she barely notice the main doors opening and the white unicorn mare approaching till she was standing right before.

"Raven!" Celestia said; surprised and happy to see her secretary and friend. "Its good to see you!" Celestia paused for a moment. "Is their anything else in need of my attention?"

Raven Inkwell smiled while adjusting her glasses. "No ma'am, all today's official duties have been met. I'm just here to see how your holding up?" Raven ask with both sincerely and worry on her voice.

Celestia gave a small smile at Raven cocerns for her. "Thank you, Raven. I'm doing my best to hold myself together." Celestia smile slowly fades. "But my last encounter with the prisoner, almost made me snap."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

"He spat in my face saying he's proud for killing Blueblood!"

"Did he ever said why he killed him?"

Celestia shook her head. "No, he still won't answer my question. I know he's hiding something, but he refuses too talk." Celestia sigh. "We're not getting any where with just asking him. If he won't talk willingly, then he leaves me no choice but to used the truth spell on him."

Raven gasped.

The truth spell can get anyone to spill beans once their under its influence. Though you can try and resist the spell forcing you to speak the truth, it will cause immense pain if you do. Celestia only orders the spell to be used when its absolutely necessary; never abusing it, and only herself, Luna, and those she can trust knows of it, and the only one, besides the princesses, that can perform the spell is Shining Armor. Who was taught by Celestia herself on how to do it. The spell does not exist in any book, only in the minds of those who know how to perform it and is kept secret from the public for obvious reasons.

Raven calm herself from her shock before speaking. "I understand, It's the only way we'll ever get the truth out him." Raven paused. "When will you perform the spell?"

"I'll give it another week before I ask The Captain to do it. Right now I'm giving the prisoner time to heal from his wounds that two of my guards inflicted on him."

Raven widen in surprise. She was shock to hear that the princess would show mercy to the one who murdered her nephew.

"You truly are as benevolent as they say your highness, showing such mercy, to a murderer no less!"

Celestia let out deep sigh as she frown at her secretary words. "I'm not perfect Raven, I to have my flaws and make mistakes like anypony else. I am showing mercy yes, but I'm still filled with nothing but pure hatred and rage towards the prisoner and not just because he murdered Blueblood, but because I let him stay in my home, because I wanted to help him, be friend him. I trusted him and he betrayed that trust by showing his true colors, and I don't know WHY?"

Celestia was panting hard after her rant. The anger and sadness clearly showed on her face. Raven stood their frozen, she didn't know what to do in this situation. She wants to help Celestia she really did, but how?

Raven watch as the anger in Celestia eyes faded, letting her sadness take over completely. Tears began well up in her eyes and leak down her face as she covered her eyes one hand while openly crying once again for the lost of her nephew.

"W-Why?" Celestia croak. "Why did he kill him? Why won't he just tell me his reason? Why does I feel he suddenly hates me now? Why? Why? WHY?" Celestia emphasize each "Why" by banging her fist on her arm rest, as more tears streak down her face.

The sight of The Princess crying before her broke The young Secretary heart. She could only imagine what Celestia is feeling, having lost a family member. Even if he was cruel jerk that everypony hates, He was still family and Celestia loved her family.

A thought ran through Raven head. It might not heal Celestia wounds instantly but it is a start at least. Raven slowly ascended small steps to Celestia throne. Taking a page from Twilight book; once she was in distance Raven lean forward and hug the The sun princess stroking her back trying to calm the crying alicorn.

Celestia accepted Ravens hug as she cried into her shoulder, hugging her back. She was so happy to have good friends like Raven and a friend was definitely something she needed right now.

Minutes pass with Celestia sobbing being the only sound that was heard in the throne room. Raven gave the princess all the time she needed to just let out all her frustrations, just happy to give the matriarch somepony to lean on. After a couple more minutes passed. Celestia broke the hug and dried her tears with a tissue she materialise out of thin air before deposing it with her magic.

Her job complete. Raven back up carefully down the steps to stand in her orignal spot in front of the princess.

"Thank you Raven, I needed that." Celestia said with a smile.

"It's no problem Celestia, I'm just happy I could help in someway."

Celestia stood up from her throne. "You me more then you know. I really needed a friend right now during these trouble times and you provided just that."

Raven blush at the praise. "I'm always here when you need me Celestia."

Celestia nodded. "Would you like to join me for some tea? I could use some relaxation to keep my mind off things for awhile."

"I would love too!"

Raven and Celestia left the throne room and headed straight for Royal tea room. They chatted and laugh on the walk there. Celestia putting the troubles of todays events behind her for now, as she just want to enjoy a quiet evening with her long time friend.