//------------------------------// // Trial of Stars // Story: My Little Star Butterfly // by Omegathyst //------------------------------// "Now, this will trial will not determine if Star Butterfly is guilty or not, but rather instead it will take account of all possible witnesses so we can take note of how many crimes and what crimes she has done besides brainwash Princess Twilight Sparkle. And then me, my sister Luna, Twilight, her friends, and several of our most trusted guards will hold a discussion on what punishment is suitable-" Star put her hooves over her ears, the speech from Princess Celestia was driving her mad. It was the day of the trial and they were all in a courtroom, where Star had a unicorn guard on either side of her ready to take her out if she tried to attack. She flinched as she saw the group of witnesses was a big group, she saw Starlight Glimmer, Gilda's brother Grunt, the Mane 6, and... Marco. Marco had told on her? He was willing to rat her out? I thought he would at least be my friend here...I've messed things up too badly, of course he wouldn't want to be my friend. "Starlight Glimmer, you may take the podium." Princess Celestia announced. Star recognized the pink mare she had tried to attack, thinking she was still evil. But all the ponies in the courtroom didn't glare at her but just looked on as she walked to the podium and were ready to listen. She must not be evil anymore. Ugh! Why didn't I check if any of the villains reformed? "I was just walking around in Ponyville when I saw her leap into my line of sight wielding her wand." Starlight explained. "I asked her if she was Twilight's new student and she responded with throwing a Wildfire spell at me." Princess Celestia looked shocked and Princess Luna wrote notes furiously on her paper while whispering something in her sister's ear. Grunt came up and his talons clawed the podium as he explained when Star had tried to attack him and his sister. The Mane 6 came up and gave their accounts of Star's and Twilight's behavior when the former brainwashed the latter. Finally, Twilight Sparkle took the podium. Star felt her hooves shake and looked to the Princess with pleading eyes, her tail tucked in her legs. "...Do you remember humans, Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked, teasing the subject. "Yes, I do." "Well, when one uses the brainwashing spell and goes into the mind of it's victim, they appear in their original form." Twilight explained. "Star? Would you care to say it yourself or shall I?" Star looked away and her legs felt close to buckling beneath her as she slowly shook her head. "Everypony, Star Butterfly was originally a human." Twilight announced. Gasps were heard all over the room and Star could hear dozens of ponies writing diligently, and she glared as a photographer snapped a picture of her. "Marco?" Fluttershy whispered to the stallion next to her. "Does that mean...?" "Yes, I was a human too." Marco answered. He was surprised to see no shock in her eyes, but those beautiful emeralds just stared back at him. He almost forgot that they were at his friend's trial. And that after Twilight's account, he would be next. "No human child has crossed over to Equestria before." Princess Celestia said. "Where are your parents Star Butterfly? Do they know you're stirring up trouble in Equestria?" "I had a pair of Dimensional Scissors!" Star blurted. "Some stupid pony took them! Please, I just wanna go home!" Marco felt his heart break as he saw Star slam her head on the table and proceed to sob hysterically. He saw the photographer roll his eyes and write in a notepad. Meanwhile, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy looked shocked as they watched her break down. But Applejack and Rainbow Dash showed no sympathy for his friend, but simply looked bored waiting for the trial to continue. I can't even tell if any of them will want to spare her. I don't want Star to get hurt, she's my friend! Marco no longer felt sure that he could follow through with his confession, and his hooves began to shake and he felt sweat in his mane. Fluttershy noticed this and placed her hoof over Marco's. "Don't worry, you just need to reassure them that you didn't help Star in her crimes." Fluttershy told him. "You don't have to tell them everything." "But it's important!" Pinkie whined. "What else are you hiding?" "He's not hiding anything else." Fluttershy snapped. "Marco, you're up." Marco looked at Star, who was now looking up with terrified and tearful eyes. "Princess Celestia, Luna, I never assisted her in her crimes." Marco assured them. "I'd...I'd rather not comment on my knowledge of them." "That'll be alright Marco, we have more than enough information." Princess Luna told him. "But were you human as well?" "Yes." Marco admitted. "Thank you, you may leave the podium now." Princess Luna said. Marco saw most of the ponies leave as the discussion was about to begin, he saw the unicorn guards lead Star back to her cell and he felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned around to face a guard. "We're going to ask you to leave, the discussion is private." The guard told him. "Okay." Marco sighed. He hoped that Star's punishment wouldn't be too severe. He waited on a bench in the castle hallway for quite some time alone till two griffins sat on the bench with him. "Hey, are you okay kid?" The female one asked him. "Not really, my friend is in really hot water." Marco replied. "I'm worried that she might get hurt." "That bitch is your friend?" The male griffin growled angrily. "She nearly killed us!" "Don't call her that!" Marco yelled. "Who even are you two?!" "I'm Gilda, and this is my loudmouth brother Grunt." Gilda glared at her brother and he shrugged. "We're sorry you're upset." "Thank you." Marco sighed with relief. After what seemed to be a long time, another guard walked to them. "We have decided, and all of you may return to the room to hear Star's punishment." The guard said. Marco noticed that the guard looked angry and that definitely made him curious as to why. He and the griffin siblings followed the guard into the room. He saw Twilight whisper "Trust me" to Celestia and Fluttershy walked to him smiling. "I think we found a solution you'll certainly like." Fluttershy told him, smiling brightly. A solution....I'll like? But it's a punishment, how could I like it? "We have decided that Star Butterfly will be taken into training under Twilight's wing." Princess Luna announced. "She has a lot to learn before she's brought back to her parents, and we want to make sure is cleaned of her harmful ways before we return her to the human world."