I sat completely still, my fingers crossed as sweat ran down my brow. My eyes were shut, and I was praying silently to whatever deity was out there.

"We the jury," said the foreman, "find the defendant guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree."

I leapt to my feet, outraged.

"That's a load of shit, and fine you know it!" I screamed.

The court was filled with whispers and murmurs as the judge banged his gavel.

"Order in the court!" he yelled. "I know this is hard for you, but the jury has spoken. Now sit down."

I glared at the judge, my fists clenched.

"Easy there, pardner." a gentle voice to my side said. "It's bad enough Geo's goin' ta jail without you makin' a fuss."

I clenched my teeth before letting out a defeated sigh.

"You're right, AJ." I replied. "I don't want to do something that'll end in me sharing a cell with him."

I sat down and Applejack laid a comforting hoof on my shoulder.

The judge cleared his throat and turned to face Geo, who was standing in the dock with his head bowed, his hands and feet shackled to the Royal Guard on either side of him.

Behind him was his wife, Twilight. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and this is the last thing she needed.

"The fact that you took another life so willingly means I need to make an example of you." said the judge solemnly. "That said, I hereby sentence you to fifteen years imprisonment."

A collective gasp erupted from the ponies in the room. A clearly shaking Twilight slowly stood up.

"But he's going to be a father soon!" she pleaded. "You can't do this to him ... to us!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Sparkle," the judge replied, his cold gaze meeting hers, "but I cannot be seen to let him off with this."

Twilight sat down, wiping away her tears with a hoof.

"I understand you are upset about this, but he did kill somepony."

"If he hadn't have killed him," I shouted, "that maniac I called a brother would have killed me!"

Another gasp, and I cursed under my breath. It would seem I forgot to tell everypony who Derek really was.

"He was yer brother?!" Applejack said, aghast.

I sighed.

"He was." I replied. "But what's done is done."

Applejack looked as if she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet. The judge looked at me.

"You've already told me your version of events, Mr. Adams." he said. "But my judgement is final. Fifteen years."

He raised his gavel and was about to bang it against his desk when a voice rang out across the courtroom.

"Overruled!"

More gasping as the judge furiously scanned the room.

"Who dares intrude on my court?!" he shouted. "And what gives you the right to overrule me?"

"I do, with my right as Princess."

As we watched, Princess Celestia entered the courtroom. There was no gasping, just a stunned silence as everypony bowed.

"P-Princess Celestia?!" the judge sputtered, finally lost for words. "I mean no offence, your Highness, but I cannot allow this."

"You can, and you will." Celestia replied. "I know what this man did was wrong, but he did it with goodness in his heart. He was protecting a friend."

"He still killed him, though!" the judge spat, almost forgetting who he was talking to.

"If Geo hadn't have done what he did, both he and John would have died, and we would have a deranged man on the loose." Celestia replied, her voice still gentle in the face of the judge's rage. "It is for this reason that you are to reduce the charge to manslaughter, and let me handle his punishment."

The judge looked into Celestia's eyes.

And relented.

"Very well." he said. "By order of the Royal Court, the charge of murder is hereby commuted to the lesser charge of manslaughter, and Geo's punishment is now left to Princess Celestia."

He banged his gavel and left.

The courtroom erupted into cheering. The guards undid Geo's shackles and he rubbed his wrists before turning to Twilight and kissing her tenderly.

"Well ain't that a surprise?" Applejack said. "Princess Celestia must like Geo more than the rest of us do."

I chuckled.

"It would certainly seem that way." I replied.

Applejack sighed contentedly.

"Well, Ah don't see a reason fer us ta stay here any longer." she said. "Let's leave 'em to it. Ya comin', John?"

I looked over at Geo and Twilight, their tongues still down each others throats while Celestia looked on, clearly waiting for a chance to speak to them both.

"Sure, AJ." I replied. "Let's get something to eat."

"All right, pardner," she replied, "but y'all are payin' fer it."

I smiled. She had no idea how I felt about her, and I was too much of a coward to tell her. I already told Geo about how I felt, and he told me to go for it.

And I wanted to. More than anything. But a small voice in the back of my head kept telling me otherwise.

"She's the Element of Honesty, and you're a former spy. How can someone who lied for a living be with somepony like her?"

I shook my head to clear the thoughts from my head as Applejack looked at me in confusion.

"Ya okay, sugarcube?" she asked.

Her green eyes were locked onto mine, making me feel as though she was looking into my soul.

"I'm fine," I said. "Just some bad memories."

"About Derek?" she asked, the concern in her voice apparent.

"Yes," I replied, "about Derek."

Applejack cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. I was lying, again, and she knew it.

"Do ya want ta talk about it?" she said.

I shook my head.

"No," I said, "not just now. It's a bit soon."

Applejack tore her gaze away from me and nodded.

"All right, darlin'." she said. "In yer own time. Now come on, mah belly is growlin' worse than Big Mac when he don't get his mornin' coffee. Let's get ta Sugarcube Corner."

I smiled and Applejack left the courtroom. I followed her.

As we walked, I was thankful she didn't have eyes on the back of her head. My brow was damp with sweat, my eyes were darting around inside my head, and my heart was beating in my throat.

Dammit, I loved her.

Leaving the courtroom, I looked up at Celestia's sun, as it hung lazily over the town. It was then and there that I made a promise to myself.

That I would tell Applejack how I felt.

And to hell with the consequences.