//------------------------------// // 33 - Trial (Part 1) // Story: Ponyville Fire Department // by Rescue Sunstreak //------------------------------// Twilight looked up at her mentor and fellow princess, her ears back, then over at the other two in the room. Princess Luna was looking on with a slightly sad look, Cadence’s face filled with worry for the youngest among them. “A-are you sure?” She asked, looking back up at the alabaster princess. She shut her eyes as the elder's hoof rested on her shoulder. “Yes, Twilight. This act has happened in your domain. As princess in Ponyville, it is your duty to sit judgement during the trial. Your understanding of Equestrian law is unrivaled even by the leading judges and lawyers in Canterlot. I know you can do this” Luna spoke next. “Twilight, thou art fair and just, and even if thou has personal feelings about this pony, thou will set them aside for their right to a trial.” Cadence moved some, nuzzling her sister-in-law. “This is just another test in your life, Twilight.” The purple alicorn again closed her eyes and reopened them, staring down at her hooves, flicking her gaze about from left to right a few times as she thought about what was being asked of her. She lifted her head and rose to all four hooves, wings spreading just a bit and head coming up. “I will do it. It is my duty to the ponies of Ponyville, and Equestria... but, it won’t be easy.” Celestia, with a knowing smile on her muzzle, gave a nod. “It never is, Twilight Sparkle, it never is.” --- The trial took a month to prepare, between getting the prisoner healed up and able to take his defense, finding a lawyer that would defend him, and collecting every last bit of evidence. It had been decided that Cadence would stand as prosecutor for the crown. Across from her would be a lawyer from Canterlot, a unicorn named Affidavit Apple, and as it turned out, a fourth cousin to the Element of Honesty. One of the few unicorns in the Apple family, in fact. Twilight’s castle had been cleaned out for the trial. What was once the main room and greeting area was now set with tables and benches. In the front sat Twilight up on her throne, moved from the map room for this. A wide bench before her, a gavel and lamp set on the bench, along with many quills and sheets of paper. At the two tables to the left and right, facing Twilight, sat Cadence with her co-counselor, a crystal pony by the name of Ruby Law, the brick-red mare's hair done in a bun, her tail folded and held with a band. A set of glasses on her face as she went through stacks of folders and papers. The other table held Affidavit and his client. The unicorn’s broken horn was covered with a ivory sheath to keep the raw exposed insides protected and sealed. It was the only visible mark remaining from the fight. The courtroom benches filled to the brim, so much it had been decided only ponies who had been directly affected by the accused would be allowed in the court. This meant right up front sat Archer's parents, holding each other. Next to them sat eight other ponies, two couples, and the rest singles. All victims, all were to testify if called. Included in the audience, Rescue and Ailan sat quietly, along with Applejack, and several other of the firefighters. Each of them bracketed a colt or filly, all wearing their Explorer dress uniforms. Pipsqueak sat between Ailan and Rescue, Diamond Tiara right next to him and her father directly behind them in the next row. To Rescue’s side sat Rumble with Applejack and his brother Thunderlane behind him. Last was Scootaloo, to Ailan’s side with Ice sitting beside her. Behind her sat Rainbow Dash. “Your honor, again, I object to the presence of the Elements of Harmony and the young Junior Firefighter Explorers, It could be seen as—” Twilight turned her head to look down from the bench at Affidavit and cut him off. “Mr. Apple, the court and the crown has made it quite clear they have a legal right to be here. Need I quote Equestrian law sections one-two-one-three point-three to sections one-two-one-three point-nine to you word for word?” He sat back down. “No, your honor. I withdraw my objection.” A slight noise made the alicorn look over to the left side of the room. A box-like area had been roped off, where The princess of the Sun and Moon sat, listening carefully. Next to them sat one that would make any pony a bit nervous. The very representation of chaos himself, Discord. It seemed the powers that be in the universe wished this even to be observed and had chosen him because he knew the pony races well. Twilight gave a slight smile at the nod her former teacher and mentor gave, and looked back to the room. “Prosecution for the crown, you may make your opening statements” Cadence stood, her wings fluttered a little before settling back into her side. Walking out into the open area between the tables and bench, she was quiet for a time before turning to look at the room and all the ponies, the representatives from the Griffon Empire, the Minotaur Empire, and even Yakyakistan. She exhaled a bit and shook her head. “Where can I start? How many lives have been disrupted by the defendant’s actions? How many paths of destiny were changed and corrupted, all because of the actions taken?” She began, turning and peering over the crowd once more. “The defendant will tell us he is sick, he will tell us he did not mean to hurt anypony. His lawyer will tell us he needs help, that he didn’t know what he was doing,” she turned and a small box levitated up off the prosecution table and over to her. It opened up and a simple match was brought out. “But, we know better, don’t we? The crown will show that one-hundred-and-eight times, that we know of, he willfully lit the flame that burned homes, destroyed families, and killed a young filly at the cusp of her growing to adulthood.” Each word she spoke, she struck a match and let it fall to the floor to snuff out and trail smoke up into the air. Over and over she struck them, and by the time she got to number twenty-seven, every eye in the room was on the defendant who was almost quivering each time she did it. Affidavit stood. “I object to this display!” Twilight gave a nod. “The prosecution has made its point, move on.” Cadence looked back over her shoulder and up at the judge, then nodded. “I have nothing more, your honor,” walking back to the table, matchbox in tow. A pile of wood matches lay where she had stood. The broken unicorn's eyes locked on them, unaware that every eye in the room was on him. Affidavit stood and looked to his client. Exhaling, he nudged the unicorn pony to get his attention. That had the desired effect of breaking his look at the pile of wood on the floor. Walking out, the stately pastel-yellow stallion shook his head. “Is this what Equestria is? Is this what we want? Fear, hate, a lack of compassion?” He said, nudging the pile of matches on the crystal floor. “My client is not Sombra, he is not a warlord. He is a sick pony who needs help. The defense will show that all of the acts he is accused of, are not of his own volition. That he deserves compassion and understanding, not punishment.” Turning to look at the crowd and seeing many hateful and dirty looks. He was, however, prepared for that. He knew he would get them having to defend this guy. “How can we punish someone who does not understand what he did was wrong? How can we punish someone who has already been punished?” Pointing over to his client, “He will never again know the touch of magic, forever blocked to him by a broken horn. Is that not enough? He deserves a chance to get healed, to find harmony and friendship again. Isn’t that what our country, our princesses, tell us we all deserve?” Without a word more he turned and walked back to his table, hearing the gavel behind him bang twice. “The crown may call its first witness.” Cadence stood and looked back. “The crown calls Station Chief Rescue Sunstreak to the stand.” One guard near where Twilight’s bench was called out. “Station Chief Rescue Sunstreak, approach and be sworn to oath.” Rescue stood and walked along the aisle and to where the small raised platform was next to the bench of the judge, sitting down as the guard walked over, holding a small Equestrian flag folded inside a glass case. “Place your right hoof on the flag, and repeat after me. I, state your name, swear by the honor and duty to Equestria, to tell the truth with no reservation or withholding.” Rescue did as told, swearing his oath with no reserve, not a flinch or a glance away. Cadence came forward and looked him in the eye. “For the record and the court, please state your name, rank, and occupation if you would.” The big draft stallion gave a nod. “Rescue Sunstreak, Chief of Ponyville Fire station One, and acting Fire Marshall of Ponyville.” She gave a nod. “I see, and you have been with the Equestria Fire Department for how long?” He gave a slight smile. “Twenty years now. Today in fact” He happen to catch a look from the pink party mare in the audience watching. He gave a slight grin knowing she would be throwing him yet another party soon. Again she gave a nod. “Congratulations on that milestone." she smiled "Please, explain to us what all of this is,” carrying over a huge stack of folders from her table to the small bench table before him, forcing him to have to look around the side to see everypony watching and listening. “These are reports and evidence we used to track down the arsonist.” So it went, question after question, answer after answer. Rescue sat up on the bench for three hours, going down every last bit of evidence. Not a few times did the defense object, some to be overruled some to be upheld. Twilight glanced up at the windows and then banged her gavel after Cadence had said she was done. “Let's take a recess, everyone return at one, and we will continue.” --- Poor Rescue had sat on the stand the entire time, being cross-examined by the defense on details here and there. It seemed silly, but, a pony's freedom was nothing to take lightly. Now he was sitting on the sofa at home, his shirt open, dress pants and coat tossed over the back of one of the chairs. Ailan was pressed to his side out of his dress uniform, and around them sat friends. The foals were all asleep, Rumble snoozing pressed to Scootaloo, her face pushed into the crook of where his front legs and chest were. His head on top of hers and one wing over her lightly. Thunderlane was resting on his belly over near them, Pip and Diamond were slumped over, Diamond’s head across Pip's back as her father sat next to them, quietly watching them sleep. Rainbow glanced over at them sleeping from the chair she was half sacked out on, giving a long exhale, “Will every day be like that?” Rescue glanced over at the mare and gave a soft nod. “I... think it's going to get worse, Dash, and I worry they may get called to the stand.” Every parent there exchanged looks, all understanding how traumatic this might become for the foals. “I hope you are wrong,” Filthy Rich said as he again glanced down at his daughter, sleeping in peace with the colt. “For their sake Rescue, I pray you are wrong.” Rescue hoped he was too.