A lone cloaked figure sat in the middle of the universe’s largest courtroom, awaiting judgement for the worst of crimes.

Two Emissaries of the Goddess of Life were standing on the right side of the court, their heads held high and their eyes fixed on the pony in the center.

Two Emissaries of the Goddess of Death were standing on the left side of the court, their bodies hidden by their black cloaks. Their hood was not on, allowing all to see their bowed heads and the blue blindfolds covering their eyes.

In front of the room, sitting on their thrones, were the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Death; the former’s head was held high, the latter’s was bowed down.

The courtroom had no walls; it went on and on, in pitch-black darkness, for as long as it was needed. There were no benches either, for the dead needed not sit.

Circling the ponies and the courtroom were the souls of the long-dead, their essences represented as millions upon millions of multicolored translucent teardrops. To count how many there were would take an eternity, but all that mattered was that each and every one was victim to the worst crime in the universe.

The Goddess of Death stood up, head still bowed. A scythe appeared next to her, and only then did she rise her head, at the same time as the Goddess of Life bowed hers and looked away.

“The Trial of The Realms begins…!”

She paused, and her ears lowered.

“...Now.”

Somewhere far away, inside a castle high above the clouds, a lavender unicorn’s eyes fluttered open, taking in the light after having danced in hooves of darkness incarnate. She sat up on the bed, and looked around to find herself in a beautiful garden.

What a beautiful place, she thought, at the same time as, inside the courtroom, the one who’d offered her the chance to gaze at such a place now rose to stand trial.