He held up a hoof as Sandy Tail opened his mouth. “It's plain that Princess Celestia had her reasons for choosing Lyra Heartstrings as a companion on her journey, and I would imagine—without putting words in the Princess' mouth—that her ability to modify spells as the situation demanded was a compelling reason. It's clear, even to myself, how useful that might be in an unknown situation. Yet, I ask you this: in your time competing, did you ever get the sense that Lyra was willing to bend the rules to her advantage?”