//------------------------------//
// of Equestria 
// Story: Justice 
// by ookacha 
//------------------------------//

"Bring him in." Called Celestia.

"Yes, your highness." Replied Noble Charge. "BRING IN THE PRISONER!"

The Throne room gates crashed open, guard ponies storm into the room into a circle formation. The crowds gathered on the outskirts, waiting for the appearance of the captured changeling. Eventually, a changeling entered the room with its head down, escorted by another guard.

A hush befell the crowd.

Celestia spoke first. "How do you plead?"

"Guilty." Replied the changeling.

"I haven't charged you with anything, how can you be guilty?" a smirk fell upon Celestia's face.

The changeling remained motionless. Quiet murmurs gathered through the crowd.

Celestia cleared her throat. "You are all called here today to witness the trial of this changeling." she announced. All eyes focused on the changeling. "Changeling, what is your name?"

The changeling looked up. "Which are you after? My cover name or my real name?"

Celestia thought for a moment. "Both, if you would be so kind."

"My names are Mark and Mole respectively." it answered

"And how did you come to get these names?" Celestia inquired.

"The first, was assigned to me by my general as a cover for an ordinary pony name, the second as a trait for my assigned position."

"Am I correct in assuming then that your role in the invasion was that of a spy?"

"Infiltrator, your highness."

Celestia nodded. "I see, thus brings us to our first crime. You are hereby charged with the acts of impersonation and public deception. How do you plead?"

"Guilty, your highness."

"Noble Charge?" Celestia inquired, looking at her present general.

"Hmm?" He replied. 

"Could you write these charges down?"

"Yes, your highness." he replied, taking a pen and paper out to jot it down.

Celestia nodded, focusing back on the changeling, the crowd refocused on the hearing.

"Mark."

The changeling looked back up. "Yes, your highness."

"As I understand it, you have also committed many other crimes. Would you be able to point them out to us?"

The changeling winced. "As you wish, your highness."

Celestia nodded and waved a hoof to tell him to proceed, as Noble Charge held his pen at the ready.

The changeling inwardly sighed. "I have kidnapped, stolen, assaulted, destroyed property of the general public, and evaded capture your highness. All of my own free will."

The crowd gasped and Celestia nodded. "And how do you plead to these charges, Mark?"

The changeling hung his head low. "Guilty, your honour." The changeling sighed again.

"Was there anything else you wish to add to the list?"

"No, your honour."

Celestia nodded again and the audience began to murmur amongst themselves.

Celestia called back for attention and the crowd complied. "It has come to my attention however, according to the royal guard, that you walked up to the castle gates, revealed yourself and willingly turned yourself in. Is this true?"

Mark looked up, a glimmer in his eye. "Yes, your highness."

"I see." Celestia replied. "Were there any accomplices with you?"

Mark put his head back down and sighed, thinking himself foolish to believe they would suspect nothing. "Yes, your honour."

"Was this all part of an elaborate plan to spy on us further still?"

Mark's head dipped lower. "Yes, your honour."

Celestia smiled. "Would you kindly tell us where they are?"

Mark looked back up ever so slightly. "I cannot your highness, I have not been briefed on such details."

Celestia looked at him quizzically.

Fully up-righting himself, the changeling replied "And even if I could, your highness, I at least have a sliver of loyalty to my hive. I will not betray those I care about, even if I have only met them 10 minutes prior."

Celestia straightened and nodded her head. "I see." 

Mark put his head back down.

"Noble Charge," Celestia inquired, "Do you have anything to report in accordance to what has been said? Is there anything out of place?"

"No, your highness. The changeling speaks the truth."

Celestia nodded her head and cleared her throat. "Bring in the first witness!" She announced.

A silence spread in the crowd, and the throne room gates crashed open for the second time that day, revealing an ordinary pony escorted by a regular guard. 

"Step forward." she announced to the duo.

They proceeded to take their place next to the changeling and his guard a few paces to the side.

Celestia acknowledged the pony. "Lemon Hearts, was it?"

"Y-Yes, your highness." Lemon Hearts stammered.

"It has come to our attention that you were the first to witness this very changeling during the Canterlot attack. Would you kindly relay the events that transpired from your perspective?"

"Y-yes, your highness." Lemon Hearts quivered. "I-it was a seemingly ordinary day, Minuette and I were out in the park, practicing this spell from this book we found, when all of a sudden these black things started attacking Captain Armour's barrier. Minuette and I were scared half to death, so we ran into the first house we could to run away from these things, but before we could get there, one of the changelings stopped us in our tracks. It bared its fangs and started attacking. It hit Minuette first and knocked her out cold. I just ran away, trying to hide from the changeling. Thankfully it never found me."

Celestia nodded in understanding. "And if you were to press charges, would you say the changeling assaulted you?"

"Y-yes, your highness." She replied.

Celestia focused her attention on the changeling. "And how do you know it was this changeling in particular?"

The changeling wilted under Celestia's gaze.

"I remember that face very clearly princess," She looked over to the changeling as it looked back, and shivered. "And it still frightens me."

The changeling turned away and bowed its head.

"Mark, what do you have to say in your defence?"

The changeling remained silent.

"Changeling, I demand you look me in the eye!"

The changeling gulped and looked up at Celestia.

"What do you have to say in your defence?"

"N-nothing, y-your honour."

"Very well." Celestia answered. The changeling lowered its head. "Bring in the next witness!" She yelled.

Trumpets sounded and for the third time, the throne room gates crashed open, revealing Alicorn Princess Twilight herself.

"Step forward, Twilight."

Twilight nodded and walked to her spot designated a few paces from the changeling.

The changeling looked over and Twilight sternly looked back. The changeling gulped again and stared back down at the floor.

"Twilight, in your battle for the elements, do you recall seeing this changeling among the masses?"

Twilight pondered a moment but soon spoke up. "Yes I do, your highness."

"Is there anything in accordance with what you saw that this changeling has not fessed up to?"

Twilight recalled to her time in battle. "No, your highness. I remember this changeling destroying Ponies' houses, I remember it helping it's kin back to their hooves and I remember it briefly disguising itself and flying away, but other than that I cannot say."

"Thank you Twilight. Mark, is everything said in accordance to what you remember?"

The changeling winced again, it's head still hung low. "Yes, your honour."

"Prove it." Demanded Celestia.

The changeling quizzically looked back up to Celestia, but then hung his head back down. "As you wish your honour."

Everyone in the room waited patiently for him to begin.

The changeling inwardly sighed. "After we broke the barrier, it was my duty using my knowledge of the layout of Canterlot to strike the garrisons your guard were preparing in. Along the way however, many guard were already in the air, and firing spells from the ground, felling many changelings in the area. Not wanting to draw the fire to myself, I opted out of it and started terrorising the townsponies below." the changeling said, nodding to Lemon Hearts. "Once I had knocked a few out, I saw guard starting to come in, and I figured that if the guard were here, there wouldn't be many left at the garrison. So I took flight and made my way over there. After dodging a few spells and weaving through a few pegasi, I finally made it to the garrison to find that it was locked. Looking around for something to break it with, I saw changelings scattered everywhere, lying on the floor, helpless. I started helping them up, smashing into ponies houses to hide them from the current battle. When I saw what was making the commotion, I saw her highness Princess Twilight fighting off our troops single-hoofedly, ten to one, and figuring we had no hope in winning I donned a disguise and fled the battle."

A cry of outrage was heard behind the throne room door, everyone stopped and stared at it, but it didn't budge. Eventually everyone refocused their attention on the hearing at hoof.

"Is this all?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, your highness."

"Very well. Bring in the final witness!" She bellowed.

For the fourth time, the throne room doors slammed open. revealing hers truly, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, surrounded by a platoon of soldiers.

She scanned the room and found the changeling, staring intensely at it, giving him the most serious gaze she could muster.

Celestia stared at the Princess, mad as ever ."DROP THE DISGUISE CHRYSALIS, YOU ARE NOT FOOLING ANYPONY."

Green flames shrouded Cadance and revealed the being of no remorse, Chrysalis, still staring furiously at the changeling.

Mark quivered under the gaze Chrysalis gave him, realising how long she had been staring. Chrysalis was absolutely furious.

Chrysalis started. "HOW DARE Y-"

"SILENCE!" Yelled the even louder Celestia.

"WITNESSES AND THE ACCUSED, STAND TO THE SIDE. CHRYSALIS AND GUARDS, STEP FORWARD AT ONCE."

The guards stood to attention, pushing Chrysalis into position. When Celestia gave the nod, they all stood still and resolute, determined to keep Chrysalis in line.

"Now then." Celestia soothed, keeping her temper in order, "What have you to say in the matter Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis, for the first time since entering the room, took her eyes off of the changeling, and casually flicked her gaze to Celestia.

"This 'Changeling', is a fool and a traitor. He is guilty of all charges presented to him."

Celestia shrugged. "We have already deduced that yes, is there anything else you have to say on the matter?"

"Other than the fact he shall be punished dearly when we get back to the hive? Yes." Chrysalis started. "He is a coward, hiding away from the heat of battle should it turn the worse for him, this is not what the changeling army is about. The changeling army is about conquering or being conquered, none of this self-preservation nonsense. What gives him the right to think himself better than the rest of us? Why should HE be allowed to live the life of luxury while the rest of us are imprisoned, or worse, killed?" Chrysalis turned her attention back to the changeling, and started to erupt.

Celestia saw this however, and cast a spell on Chrysalis' mouth, removing her vocal chords for the time being.

"Firstly," Celestia spoke, "We do not kill in the land of Equestria."

"Secondly," She spoke with hesitance.
"Mark," She uttered, "What do you have to say in your defence?"

A sad gaze fell upon the changeling's face, and he could not bring himself to lift it up to face either of their highness's.

Twilight turned to Celestia. "Celestia, if I may?"

Celestia nodded. "Go ahead, Twilight."

Twilight calmly trotted over to the changeling, standing directly in front of him. She then cast a bubble surrounding them both, silencing them from the rest of the world.

"Mark," She asked, sincerity in her voice. "Would you like to be friends."

The changeling hesitated, but looked up, and noticed they were in a bubble of silence. But the main thing he could only really focus on were those eyes. Those honest, pure, velvet eyes.

Realising it was Twilight he was talking to, the changeling recollected itself and responded.

"No" it firmly answered, hanging its head back down.

"Oh? and why is that?" Twilight asked, dispelling the bubble.

"I do not deserve a friend such as you." It answered, keeping its head hung low. "After all that has happened, you are willing to forego all our past transgressions, and ask to be my friend. I cannot say I would ever do the same. You do not deserve a burden such as me."

Celestia smiled. "Is that all you wish to ask, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded and started heading back to her position. "Yes, your highness. That is all."

"Very well." Celestia replied, giving a small nod to Twilight, who in turn, gave a small nod back.
Celestia then turned to her general. "Noble Charge, could you please hand me the charges?"

"Yes, your highness." He responded.

"Changeling, I demand your attention again."

The changeling looked up into Celestia's eyes.

"To conclude this session, we have found Mark the Changeling guilty of all crimes of" She cleared her throat. "Impersonation and public deception, kidnapping, robbery, assault and battery, vandalism, terrorism and evasion of capture." Celestia smirked, and the changeling hung its head down a final time, ready to accept whatever justice demanded.

"I hereby drop all charges and punishments, wherein. Court dismissed."

All eyes but Twilight's and Noble Charge's fell on Celestia, perplexed by what she had just decreed. Even Chrysalis had stopped her fuming and focused on what was transpiring. Twilight and Noble just smiled, scanning the room to amuse themselves with the funny faces the masses had on.

The changeling looked up, baffled. "I'm sorry?"

"Mark, you are free to go." she responded, disintegrating the paper she had in her magic.

At these words, the guard beside the changeling, still unsure of himself, stepped to the side, allowing the changeling free passage through the door.

Mark noticed this. "Uuh.. hehe, your Highness, what is the meaning of this?" he asked, completely baffled.

Celestia stepped down from her throne and confronted him. "Mark," she started. "Equestria is a land of second chances. Don't stuff this one up."

"B-but, what about what I did? What about all the trouble and pain that I caused? Surely I must be punished for something."

Celestia smiled for the umpteenth time that day. "Maybe you should, but that's what grace and mercy are for. What kind of leader would I be if I weren't merciful. What kind of pony would I be if I weren't gracious or forgiving. What kind of creature would I be if I didn't understand."

Mark just stood there in silence, staring into space. "But what do I do, your highness?"

Celestia shrugged. "I don't know, but you can start by calling me Celestia. Court is dismissed, and titles are only there for etiquette."

Mark continued to stare into space, but Celestia just leaned down closer, barely an audible whisper could be heard as she said, "I think Twilight will know what to do."