The banging of the gavel resounded in the courtroom.
“This court invites the prosecution to present its arguments,” intoned princess Twilight Sparkle from the bench.
I looked to my right. The counsel for the crown was a white-coated, blond-maned stallion who was very well dressed, and who obviously thought very well of his own looks. At the Casino I’d seen his type often enough trying to impress the mares – or any foal who'd listen – how rich, powerful and important they were. Apparently this self-centred blowhard called Blueblood was considered royalty, though he obviously did not possess both horn and wings. I guess standards in Equestria were a bit lower than in most worlds. In any case I suspected they didn’t have many choices of a crown attorney who wouldn’t be afraid to prosecute an alicorn princess, even one from a different dimension! rose and approached the bench
The stallion stood, glanced once uneasily in Luna’s direction, then resumed facing the bench. “Despite my auntie’s, er, I mean the counsel for defense’s plea, I intend to prove without the shadow of a doubt that this nasty invader –”
“OBJECTION!”
So that’s the famous Royal Canterlot Voice!
Luna rose. “The crown is characterizing my client an invader, which is pure conjecture! No such motivation has been established by either testimony or evidence!”
“Your honour,” replied Blueblood, “the testimony of the Unicorn Guard is unequivocal that their guardponies acted in response to a thaumic discharge event consistent with dimensional travel!”
“But that is not the whole of it!” shot back Luna. “The Guards’ report did indeed state the detected form of magic used, but they did not, and would not, offer any speculations as to the motivations behind the act!”
From the bench Twilight Sparkle nodded once beneath her powdered wig. “Objection sustained. The crown prosecutor is instructed to refrain from presenting any further unfounded speculation as fact, or from engaging in any name calling for that matter!”
Obviously flustered, Blueblood, swallowed once, and resumed speaking “– as I was saying, I intend to prove without the shadow of a doubt that… the defendant… came out from Aunt Celestia knows where, and did indeed, and with malice, cause massive damage to the good city of Trottingham, and even worse, to some poor, innocent foals who were on a class trip to that fair city. Projection, please!”
Blinds were drawn over the windows, and the lights in the courtroom dimmed. On the wall opposite the windows a large screen gently rolled down as the whine of a projector fan filled the room and an image in black and white appeared on its surface.
“These,” Blueblood said pointing to the screen, “are photos taken at the site of the defendant’s incursion into Equestria, more specifically in Trottingham’s Picalilly Circus, which I remind the court isn’t actually a circus, but rather a square, and, er, one that is round instead of actually square.”
The image on the screen looked across the square, showing in the foreground a scorched garden with some bushes still in flames, and behind them several buildings with damaged and burnt frontages, fireponies in the process of putting out some of the blazes while police directed traffic around piles of debris. In the foreground were a nurse holding onto a young dragon, and grouped around them a multi-species assembly of several beings of middle-school age.
“I would like,” said Blueblood will a scowl, “to point out the outrageous damage done to the façade of the historic Marrod’s department store, as well as some of the less important neighbouring shopping venues. Oh.” He shook his head and tsked loudly. “And the younglings, of course! The poor little beings with the misfortune of having a class trip including a visit to the historic Marrod’s, so rudely interrupted by this being from elsewhere, no matter her sordid motives.”
The screen flashed and showed a closeup picture of a young female dragon, frowning angrily as a nurse wrapped her in bandages. I had learned from Luna that this particular dragon was a student of the multi-species School of Friendship, founded by none other than the judge in whose hooves lay my fate: Princess Twilight Sparkle. When I step in it, I really step in it!
Blueblood was clearly working up to the climax of his opening argument. “This innocent young student was nearly burnt to a crisp by a blast emitted by the defendant!” He turned towards me and raised a hoof. “Make no mistake, this pony, despite her possession of both wing and horn, is no exalted alicorn princess, and upon her arrival in Equestria did engage in criminally reckless magical mayhem, causing heinous property damage and… hurt some poor kid in the process.”
It felt like every single eye in the courtroom focused on me. I saw little sympathy in those gazes, and I expected none. I had indeed made a mess upon my arrival, and no doubt now I was going to pay the price.