"What she wants--" I spread my hands, standing firmly on my new hooves. "--is a future that does not break with the removal of one pony. That is her wish. No matter how wonderful that pony may be, she is only one, and that is not the security she can live with."

Celestia slowly exhaled as the others muttered back and forth. "Is that all she truly wants? Since this is now brought to light, I have heard tale that she desires our heads."

I could guess who started that rumor, or at least who fed them carefully. "I think you would like her, once this issue is behind us." I set the scroll carefully down on the podium. "Keep one copy with any other outlawed spell, but send a few others to remote places. We will pray we never have a reason for it but we will be ready if we do."

Another of the council members, a male, nodded towards me. "You may sit," he dismissed. "Thank you."

Just like that? It was true, I had spoken my peace and planted seeds of rebellion against the idea of continuing the battle, but... I nodded to Easy and we made our ways to our seats, scroll in hand.

"The court calls for Water Lily, summon her at once," barked the same male, waving a hoof at the door beyond the crowd. The guards crisply saluted and several dashed off in search of the maid.

I hadn't mentioned her, or thought she'd be in court at all. I wondered how she would handle it, or what they even wanted to ask her. Easy nudged against my knee in several sharp taps of a hoof. "Ten bits she cries."

"I will not bet on a friend."

"Pfft, you won't put money down on her side? Coward." Her eyes rolled mightily.

Soft waved a hoof from my other side. "I will see that wager. The maids are quite trained in decorum."

Easy tilted her head. "Consider it done." Her voice betrayed that she did not expect him to hop in.

The doors swung open, a guard returning, then another, with Water Lily following behind with a worried expression. A third guard came in behind her as if to make sure she didn't go anywhere they didn't want her to go.

Celestia nodded towards the newcomer. "The court recognizes Water Lily, please step forward. As with Ian, you were sent on a task of some importance, and it is time you shared its results with us."

"Y-yes, Your Majesty." She bowed low towards Celestia, then began to walk purposefully towards the lowest stand for those not in the council that I had stood in a few moments before.

"Tell the court what you witnessed, of Ian's character and purpose. He is a stranger of every variety, with strange thoughts, strange origin, and of a strange species. What manner of pony did you witness?" She was facing Water Lily as she spoke, even if her words were all about me. "Do not embellish in any fashion."

Water sat down on her haunches and took a little breath. "What I saw was a scared pony, but one ready to walk despite it. What I saw was a vulnerable pony, without even fur to protect himself, but he fought when he had to and never entertained the idea of sacrificing someone else for his benefit. What... I saw was a clever pony, who wanted the truth and was ready to reach for it, even if it got him hurt." She looked out over the crowd, picking out my naked face among her furry peers easily. "What I saw was a fine pony."

What she saw was a new boyfriend, but I didn't raise that point. I mean, I was doing alright, right? I really did want the best for the world I had found myself in and I didn't want to hurt any of them.

Celestia nodded primly. "How did Mister Langerman come about his new... condition? Was it intentional?"

Water shook her head so quickly her ears flopped from the force of it. "I should have made the situation more clear, Your Highness. I failed to impress the danger of the plants we approached and its curse touched where he did not protect himself. It was my error." Her ears sagged low. "I failed in my task."

Celestia raised a hoof. "I will be the judge of that. When speaking with the mare that led the rebelling faction, were you present?"

She nodded gently. "Yes, I was there."

"What are your opinions on her?" prompted Celestia gently.

"She seemed agitated, but not altogether impolite." She raised a hoof to her chin. "If I had to serve her, I predict she would not be too troublesome. Independant, and likely to shoo me away as I worked, but not one to leave much work for me to do in the first place. I think she takes her role seriously, and seemed to care about the ponies that were around her."

Celestia smiled a little. "Exactly the manner of answer I was hoping for. Tell me, in your opinion, would she accept an answer of compromise?"

Water looked a little uncertain. "I... Mmm... I think... If it kept her ponies safe and didn't abandon what she wanted to do, she probably would." She tilted her head a little. "I am sorry, but I didn't entirely understand what it is she wants. Did she--"

Celestia raised a hoof for quiet, and Water silenced herself immediately. "The ponies who escorted you back to the castle, what happened with them? What manner of ponies were they?"

Water's ears perked up quickly. "They were ponies doing their job. You could tell they wanted to make her happy. They didn't care much about Mister Langerman besides what they were told to do. They were ready to do as they were told, and they have confidence in her ability to make decisions. I've seen that sort before..."

"Did they seem prone to violence?"

Water shook her head. "When the guards were ready to arrest them, they weren't fighting back. When they were let go, they left without saying unpleasant things."

Celestia spread her wings wide. "Very well. These do not sound like brigands to me. I motion that Mister Langerman not be prosecuted for his actions. It is entirely reasonable to ensure the safe travel of one who has done the same for you, and most unbecoming to have a pony arrested for the crime of seeing you to your destination."

One of the council-mares raised a hoof. "A question, for the maid. Miss Lily, was an agreement made between that mare and Mister Langerman?"

Water tilted her head a little, looking uncertain.

Celestia nodded softly. "Speak honestly. The truth, unvarnished, is what we desire."

"V-very well. Yes. She asked that he display a scroll with some sort of spell on it." She scrunched her nose a little. "I didn't understand what was so important about it, but she said he should show it, and that she didn't want him to stay there." She glanced in my direction. "Did he?"

The councilmare shook her head. "It is not your place to ask questions."

Water quickly turned red. "My apologies!" She dipped her head low, abashed at her lack of decorum.

The same mare looked to Celestia. "I second your motion."

"Thirded," agreed the stallion.

"Motion is carried. Ian Langerman will not be held in contempt for his actions." With a gavel wrapped in her golden magic, she struck the railing that partially surrounded her. "You are dismissed, Water Lily."

Water Lily's eyes grew amazingly wide, tears starting to form as she trembled.

Celestia realized her error swiftly. "You may step down, Water Lily, and resume your duties."

Water's blush returned with a vengeance. She quickly scurried down from the stand and rushed from the courtroom towards the comfort of the job she knew much better than the strange workings of the court.

"Ten bits for me," whispered Easy.

"She only began to shed them when she misunderstood the command entirely. She performed quite well," argued Soft just as quietly.

"She still cried," Easy crossed her forelegs with a confident smile. "Open and shut, ten bits."

Bits floated in front of me, passed from a mildly annoyed loser to the grinning winner of the bet. I doubted ten bits meant all that much to Soft. It was likely the principle of the thing that bothered him.

Celestia gestured with a wing in my direction. "That leaves us with--"

A voice cried from the crowd, "when do we get to our concerns?"

"We waited a long time to get on the docket," agreed another, unhappy grumbles spreading.

Celestia grit her teeth. "Be that as it may... this is not a matter to be delayed any further." She stood up, towering over all the other ponies present. "I motion that the scroll containing the celestial alignment spells be given to each grand city numbering at least one million ponies. Should a city reach this number in the future, they will be entrusted with a copy, to be safeguarded by its governing body in the unfortunate event that it is required."

The councilmare frowned at the idea. "That number is too small and will send it to too many places. It should be at least double that!"

The stallion nodded softly. "That would be best. I second two million."

Celestia looked like she was barely resisting putting a hoof to her face. "How absurd of me, yes, two million. Motion carries?"

The other two nodded and she slapped her gavel on the railing. "That is only one city at present, but more will come over time, harmony allowing. Let the new law be recognized." Her eyes swept over the gathering of ponies. "Dispatch word of our decision across the country, that all will know of the decision made today. I hope this is the end of these... troubling times."

A mare in the crowd stood up, waving a hoof wildly. "Can we start on the docket now, please?"

The matter of the civil war was allowed to be put to the side. In came the rush of little ponies with little problems and big voices. Their problems, perhaps, could be abated if the war was well and truly over. It seemed surreal to me. Was that all it had taken? They could have settled on it so much earlier, without all the violence.

Of course, they might have done exactly that, if someone hadn't chucked a spear and started the war. I had research to do. Since my job in the court was done, I rose in a crouch and began slipping away. I could hear the clip-clop of hooves behind me.

When I emerged from the court, I turned to look at Easy, but it seemed that Soft had also followed me. "Not interested in the rest of court?"

He shook his head. "You are far more intriguing. You moved with a clear purpose, and I would love to know what that purpose is. Congratulations on your exoneration."

Easy shrugged softly. "When he gets an idea, he starts chasing it. What's on your mind, Boss?"

I marched through the halls of the castle, the two following me on either side. "Soft, maybe you know, but how common is spear use?"

"The guards always carry one, it seems." His tone implied he was curious where I was headed with the question.

"Was the councilpony in charge of war a guard before?" I glanced back at him, though still walked.

"Indeed he was." He nodded softly. "Quite an upset, a guard advancing to a council position. Doesn't happen that often."

The pieces were coming together nicely... "Do they have any contests, the guards that is?"

He shrugged softly. "I don't know that, I'm afraid. Is that what we are to find out?"

"Precisely." I grinned a little as we approached the library. It was time to make like Twilight and read a book.

Author's Notes:

What is it Ian wants to find out?

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