//------------------------------//
// Part 3 
// Story: The Trial of Princess Celestia 
// by Mani-Roar 
//------------------------------//

Trotwell and his wary cohorts met once again in the backroom chambers. Although Rosencolt was conspicuously absent. 

"Dewey, you're the whip of the lower house. Do we still have the votes we need to depose Celestia?" Trotwell demanded. His attitude was much more fierce than the calm and reasonable facade he put on at the end of the trial day. 

Dewey was about to answer when the door to the judge’s chamber ripped open. There stood Marshal Rosencolt. His shoulders square and eyes forward like a model soldier. Everypony snapped their heads to face him and stared at him rather anxiously. It was difficult to discern if this was a friendly meeting, or if he had soldiers waiting behind him and they were all heading for the dungeon. For all they knew, the Marshal had come to an agreement with the Princess and their takeover was thwarted. Trotwell and Rosencolt stared at each other for a long time. Their matching expressions were cold and neutral. Both of them appeared to be calculating their next move like expert tacticians or grandmasters playing a game at the highest level. 

“For the republic.” Rosencolt finally spoke with a knowing grin. Trotwell laughed out loud. Everypony could hear the relief in his voice, though he would never admit it. 

“I thought you’d have nothing to do with it?” Ollivander remarked dryly.

“I thought you had lost your mind.” Rosencolt retorted. He quietly took his seat at the table. "That being said, I need you to explain your reasoning to me." The Marshal sat with elbows on the table, supporting his chin with his hooves. 

"My reasoning for what exactly?" Trotwell asked.

"You know exactly what I'm referring to. Why aren't you taking the Princess up on her offer? A full trial with the Upper House is what we wanted from the beginning. This trial may work, but there can be no legitimacy arguments if we bring back the Upper House. It's a stronger position." Rosencolt reasoned. 

"It's a greedy position." Trotwell countered. "We have enough legitimacy as it is. Celestia gave us that when she pled to the charges." 

"Including the murder charge? Nopony is gonna to buy a murder charge on the Princess." Rosencolt cocked his eyebrow.

"We don't need the murder charge to stick. Hell, we don't need any of the charges. Not even treason. We only need the deposition to go through and everypony to accept it." Trotwell rubbed his forehead. The stress of the trial weighed on him greatly. He still needed to play this one close to his chest. 

"So you'll vote with only the Lower House again? If I were a Celestia supporter, I would challenge the legitimacy of such a vote immediately." Rosencolt looked around the room. Nopony had any assurance on their face whatsoever. 

"Celestia's popularity is at an all time low. We have to strike while the iron is hot. If we delay for a full Senate trial, she may gain her sympathizers back. She's playing the humility card right now. The more she lowers herself, the higher her approval rate soars. Every time she admits wrong, the crowd eats it up and gives her more leeway.” He shook his head. “We may win the full trial, but we may very well lose if she has more time to prepare a defense. If we depose her tomorrow, she's no longer a Princess and we can establish the republic with or without a conviction or sentencing. Then her supporters can challenge the legitimacy but it will be with the momentum in our favor. It will be on them to undo the vote, undo the republic, and reinstate the Princess. However, most ponies will prefer to move on at that point. They won't want to continue rocking the boat, as it were. They will crave normalcy and stability, and the Republic will be the easiest path to do so at that point." Trotwell laid it all out on the line, catching and holding every gaze in the room. 

"I see." Was all Rosencolt had to say in response.

"Mills, do we have the votes or not?" Trotwell turned to him as he demanded. 

"I…" Dewey hesitated as he glanced wildly around the room. All eyes were on him except Rivenbolt who looked away.

"Yes." He finally admitted. "We do. By a landslide."

"Then let's get to it." Trotwell slammed the table in triumph. Rivenbolt flinched at the noise. "The Great Pony Republic commences tomorrow!" He said confidently. 

"All of you are insane!" Rivenbolt cried out. Everypony turned to look at her.

"None of this is what we wanted. It's not about who's in power, it's about what is best for Equestria. Celestia has agreed to what we asked for. You are the one who is greedy, Trotwell." Rivenbolt pointed directly at Trotwell. "What happened to you? To all of you? Have you no honor? Have you no shame?"

Nopony spoke up in agreement with Rivenbolt, nor in the defense of Trotwell. He glared at her. His expression darkened. He wanted to argue back. He wanted to unleash his fury and declare her a traitor to his cause. However, all he said was,

"The future of Equestria begins tomorrow. If you want to remain stuck in the past, Rivenbolt, be my guest." Without hearing another word, Trotwell got up and exited the room. He knew better than to let his emotions get the better of him in such close quarters. Not when victory was so close in sight. He slammed the chamber door shut behind him, relishing in the loud and satisfying noise. To the ponies still within the room, the harsh sound reverberated in the tiny room and lingered for a few seconds, leaving an awkward silence in its wake. 

Rivenbolt stared long and hard at the closed door. Disgusted by Trotwell’s parting words, she broke the silence by tossing a gold medallion with a red ribbon onto the table. It clambered to a clumsy halt in a heap in the dead center of the table.

"Your brother's medal of honor?" Rosencolt looked surprised, but not as perturbed as a general normally would seeing the highest military honor being treated so poorly.

"It was awarded by a corrupt regime and means nothing to me." Rivenbolt stood up. She stretched her wings out to their full span and then whipped them back into place. It was a stretching exercise to keep pegasi wings loose and flight ready at all times. A practice she probably picked up from her brother as such an exercise was usually only practiced by soldiers and other professional flyers. 

"If you vote to depose without a fair trial, you're all no better than Celestia. In fact, you're something much worse. A bunch of power hungry savages who will stop at nothing to get what they want. At least Celestia believed in something more than power." Rivenbolt looked directly at Dewey as she spoke. "Friendship means something to ponies. At least it used to. But I guess we've forgotten that." Rivenbolt exited out the door just like Trotwell. Except she let the door close gently behind her. 

Slowly all the members of Trotwell’s inner circle got up and exited the room as well. Only Rosencolt and Dewey stayed behind. Both of them lost in thought looking at the abandoned medal of honor sitting on the table.

"What should I do?" Dewey finally said.

"Your duty." Rosencolt replied simply.

"I can't change the votes now, even if I wanted to. Everypony is behind Trotwell. And how couldn’t they be? Everypony is terrified to defy that guy. If I go against him…" Dewey stumbled,  but Rosencolt cut him off.

"He'll expose your expunged record and ruin your career." Rosencolt remained casual.

Dewey cowered slightly at how easily the Marshal had read him. "Hey, it may not be as big as losing a war or anything but my…" Dewey started, but the Marshal interrupted again.

"I do not take your career lightly. You've worked hard to get it." Rosencolt's eyes remained locked on the discarded medal. 

"Are you for or against the vote?" Dewey asked.

"I'm for Equestria." Rosencolt said confidently.

"Are you always this helpful?" Dewey asked, somewhat irritated. 

"When the Dragon army had Canterlot under siege, the Dragon Lord made an offer to us: surrender and receive amnesty, or resist and receive death. We chose death, and in doing so, we saved Equestria and lived to fight another day." Rosencolt looked directly at Dewey for the first time in the meeting. 

"Ok, well done, but this is a completely different situation. There's no clear 'bad guy' or enemy to fight. And I don't have an army that will follow me into combat." Dewey responded a bit perplexed. 

"Don't you?" Rosencolt raised an eyebrow and grinned. Dewey couldn't think of anything to say in response so the Marshal stood up and walked to the door.

"I don't envy your position." Was the last thing Rosencolt said before exiting, leaving Dewey alone in the judge's chamber. 



****



The 4th and final day of the trial began with hopeful optimism. Most ponies in the court audience assumed the court would come to some kind of agreement with Celestia’s offer from the day before. Especially after Trotwell’s softening on it at the end of the previous day. What they didn't expect was the ever determined Ollivander Trotwell to pounce on the court from minute one. He glared out into the courtroom. His determined gaze scanned the posh and influential public in attendance. Finally landing on the bound and chained Princess directly in front and below him. 

"Before this trial can continue, we must address the Alicorn in the room." Trotwell muttered mischievously. "As Princess, and therefore sole executive monarch, this court cannot ignore her privilege nor authority as such." 

Trotwell glanced at the empty seat on his left where Rivenbolt sat the previous three days. As if on cue, the courtroom doors opened. And, to his utter surprise, Rivenbolt came marching down the center aisle towards the hearing area. Seeing that it was Judge Rivenbolt, the Bailiffs immediately allowed her to pass into the main area. She wasn't wearing her judge’s wig or robe, and didn't approach the bench to take her seat. Instead, she sat down next to the Princess. Together, they now shared the defendant bench.

"Riven?" Celestia asked somewhat confused. 

"If the Princess is to go to prison today, then so will I." Rivenbolt turned to face her Princess. "I'm sorry, my Princess. Please forgive me." She pleaded to Celestia. 

The Princess smiled back at her and nodded her head.

"Thank you." Was all Celestia replied as she glared defiantly at Trotwell.

Trotwell diffused the situation with a light tapping of his gavel. Not wanting to give either of them the satisfaction of their kindhearted moment. "We seem to be short a judge once again." Trotwell’s eyes found Rosencolt sitting studiously in the first row. "The court hereby appoints Marshal Rosencolt to the role of judge, once again." He pointed his gavel at the General. 

However, Rosencolt merely shook his head and remained seated. 

Celestia laughed out loud.

"Ha, he has more sense than to sit next to you again." The Princess chided, and Trotwell let his anger slip onto his expression. 

Dewey Mills was starting to feel a bit foolish. He was now the only "judge" in the courtroom actually wearing a robe and wig. One by one, customs and traditions were falling by the wayside. 

"Blast!" Trotwell shouted rather unprofessionally. "Fine. Then on to business it is. In order to properly conduct the trial of a monarch, she must first be removed of her royal privilege. I move that parliament vote to depose the Princess at once!" Trotwell slammed his gavel down to the collective gasp of most of the ponies in attendance, including Celestia. 

"You haven't the authority!" Celestia shouted.

"How many times need I remind you, Princess? You gave this court the authority. And you will abide by its ruling and the ruling of Parliament." 

"Without the Upper House there is no quorum." The Princess argued.

"The Upper House was duly expelled due to inaction during a time of crises. As is law by Equestria's parliamentary legal code in the Luna rulings of 6 C.E." Trotwell smugly replied.

"This is madness. You're a criminal!" Celestia pointed accusingly at Trotwell. 

"Says the criminal." Trotwell coldly commented. 

Celestia turned to look at Rivenbolt. The shock on the Princess’s face begging the question, "Did you know he was going to do this?" 

Rivenbolt's somber and worn out expression answered a solemn "yes." It didn't sour their reunion by any means, but it certainly gave context to just how far things had gone. Trotwell was a loose cannon that even his own allies could no longer predict or control. 

Rallying the room, Trotwell called to begin the vote.

"Parliament, we'll go by District. On the motion to depose Princess Celestia as monarch of Equestria, yay or neigh." Trotwell began calling out representatives one at a time as each member cast their vote verbally in the courtroom. 

The voting proceeded just as Dewey had reported. The votes were overwhelmingly in favor of deposing the Princess. A few dozen votes in, and the writing was already on the wall. 

Celestia stared down at her shackled hooves. The last few days of the trial had been horrendous, but it was now that she felt truly despondent. Her ponies didn't want her anymore. She was unwelcome in her own homeland. What would she do now? Would she travel? Be a vagabond? Would she linger in Equestria to be balked at and whispered about as she passed by? She was easily the most conspicuous pony in Equestria, there was no chance of blending in. How would she move on from the shame of being deposed? An ancient, wise, and infinite ruler reduced to a laughing stock. A parody of her former self. She could impose her will and force back control of the government, but at what cost? A single pony’s death from civil war wouldn't be worth restoring power. At least, not to her. Her thoughts turned to Edenborough and the forewarning of the attack. Had she gone too soft? Was her blindness a liability to her own kind now? Perhaps they were right to depose her. An entire village wiped from the map. One pony’s death was too many, yet she could live with so many dying from her inaction? No. She wouldn't fight it. Whatever happened next, she would have to accept it. Perhaps one day, when the time was right, she would return. However, right now, in this moment, as the votes tallied against her, the pain was too sharp. It stung as hard as banishing her own sister. Only now she was the nightmare that must be sent away. 

It was Rosencolt's words that echoed the loudest in her mind. "You don't represent us." Had she really lost touch with everypony? She thought her young subjects were short sighted and anxious because they could not see the bigger picture as she could. When in reality she looked so far forward that she had ignored the struggles and problems right in front of her. The problems that her subjects bore the brunt of the consequences for, and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Edenborough wasn't her only sin, it was just a symptom of what she had become. A damning example of the results of her inaction. 

Rivenbolt watched as tears gently poured down Celestia’s cheek. Despite all the time she had spent by the Princess’s side, this was the first time she had ever seen her cry. She wanted to reach out with her hoof and comfort her, but felt that she didn't have the right. She had worked so long and hard to bring about this result. This was the final outcome she had helped Trotwell accomplish. Now the fruits of her labor had come to fruition, and it tasted foul. 

"Dewey Mills of Fillydelphia's 3rd district." Trotwell called the young judge's name. Even though he sat on the bench, he still had a vote as a representative. 

Dewey looked soberly at his hoof. In it he held Captain Star Strider's medal of honor. The one Rivenbolt had abandoned yesterday. He gripped it tightly as he stood up to cast his vote. His robe and wig laid sloppy on his head and shoulders, like a child wearing a Nightmare Night costume. His heart was pounding as he felt the sweat building up on his back. 

"I have something to say." Dewey stated, looking over at Trotwell.

"We need your vote, not a speech, representative Mills." Trotwell spat back, annoyed. 

"It's important." Dewey insisted, but Trotwell was having none of it.

"We don't have time for such things. If you want to abstain, you are free to do so." Trotwell ordered.

"I do not abstain. And you're gonna hear what I gotta say and like it." Dewey didn't know where he was pulling this bravado from. However, he knew if he didn’t say what was on his mind today, he would regret it for the rest of his life. 

"What did you say to me?" Trotwell craned his neck to look up at Dewey where he stood next to the seated head judge. Dewey could see the bald spot on the back of Ollivander’s scalp. Trotwell's expression was livid and bright red.

"I grew up on the south side of Fillydelphia. Things weren't always so great in my neck of the woods. Work and living conditions were some of the worst in all of Equestria. It was hard, but we got through it together, as one community. As I grew up, I started getting ideas about fixing up our side of town. Somepony suggested that if I was so smart, I should run for office. So heck, I signed up and ran for office against a guy who was supposed to beat me in a landslide. The campaign was hard, but I won. I guess I wasn't the only pony in South Filly who wanted change. I worked to get our concerns heard in Parliament. I was told I had no seniority and that I had to wait my turn. I needed to get in with the right ponies. It was hard, but I got our voice to be heard. We brought changes to South Filly. Well, today the game is the same, but the scope is much bigger. Now we gotta do what we can to make things better for all of Equestria. And if we're gonna do it, it's gotta be the hard way. But more importantly, it's gotta be the right way. Right now, it seems like the best idea anypony's got is to ditch our Princess and blame all our problems on her. Well I say that's the easy way. I don't know what the future may hold. And I'm not smart enough to have the answers for fixing our problems. But whatever we do, we'll do it together, as one community, one Equestria. We'll do it the hard way. But more importantly. We'll do it the right way."

Dewey looked down at Princess Celestia. Even in her chains, she was still the brightest image of royalty and magic. He believed in her. In turn, she returned his gaze probably for the first time. Dewey was one of the many ponies that had become invisible to her. She had ignored the needs of ponies like him for too long.

They shared a knowing smile. 

Dewey raised his head high. "On the vote to depose Princess Celestia: I vote neigh." Dewey looked directly at Trotwell as he said it. "That's all I have to say. On with the next vote." Dewey waved his hoof dismissively as he sat down.

"Dewey," Trotwell began, seething through his teeth. "You… you traitor!" He spat as the vein on his forehead pulsed. 

"Oh what are you gonna do? Fire another judge? Get on with the vote already." Now that Dewey had thrown caution to the wind, his confidence was through the roof. Although his heart was still pounding.

Trotwell carried on with the vote. Name after name he called, asking for their vote. However, Dewey had underestimated his influence on the voters. The house whip had just openly defied the party vote. 

One by one the representatives fell in line. The neigh votes came in one after another. With each vote cast, Trotwell’s face grew paler. When the final vote was cast, Trotwell gently laid his gavel down and said,

"52 yay to 198 neigh. The vote fails." He uttered barely above a whisper as he ran his hooves through his wavy hair. He looked out into the courtroom where everypony could see it was over. Everypony was seconds away from leaping to their feet and applauding. 

Trotwell was finished. His gambit had backfired. Instead of disgracing the Princess by dethroning her, he had instead obliterated the authority of his own court. He could convict Celestia of blowing up the sun, it wouldn't matter. Nopony would take any ruling from this trial seriously anymore. 

"We're adjourned." Trotwell could barely speak the words. His anger was gone. All that was left was the crushing defeat of his failure. He couldn't bring himself to blame anypony but himself. He had flown too close to the sun and gotten burned. A sun that was raised everyday by Equestria’s sovereign Princess. 

Dewey, Rivenbolt, and Rosencolt had tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen. He hadn't even fully taken over the government and he had already made the same mistakes he accused Celestia of making.

The Bailiff stepped forward and removed Celesia’s cuffs and chains. And the Princess stood up to her full height without their weight.

Ollivander looked up at the Princess and, for once, there was no malice or anger in his eyes. "Princess, I ask that you only punish me, and me alone. Everything was my doing, my planning, and my treason. Rivenbolt, Rosencolt, Dewey, and everypony else are clean in this regard. I ask that you let me take full responsibility." 

Celestia glared back at Trotwell for a long time. The dead air in the courtroom grew stale as the two main players of this power struggle locked eyes for what felt like an eternity to everypony else in the room.

"Nopony is going to prison." Celestia finally said although her expression had not yet softened. "As tempted as I am to throw you in the dungeon myself and melt the key, well…" She looked directly at Dewey Mills

"That would be the easy way." Celestia smiled at the young representative and he returned it, although a little bashful. 

"I know I have made many errors in my time as ruler. Not the least of them have been suffered by this generation. It is clear to me now that nopony is fit to rule a kingdom such as Equestria alone. I am proud to remain your Princess, my little ponies, but I cannot do this alone. I need help. And I need to listen." Celestia reached over and gently grabbed Rivenbolt's hoof. The former judge accepted and squeezed back. She looked up at her Princess and smiled softly. Her pain wasn't gone. The loss of her brother in Edenborough was still fresh in her mind, but the healing was starting. 

"Ollivander Trotwell!" Celestia called his name like a school teacher does to a misbehaving student. Perhaps some habits were too hard to break. Trotwell sat quietly and gave her his undivided attention. He was willing to go to prison for his cause and was instead caught blindsided by amnesty. An amnesty he would not have given in return, and for that he felt ashamed. 

"Will you help me forge a new Equestria from the fires of this conflict?" The Princess asked him.

"You would accept my help? After everything I've done?" Trotwell responded, a little bit confused.

"I heard you had an idea for a pony Republic. Please tell me about it." Celestia requested. 

Trotwell cleared his throat. For the first time in four days, he was a bit shy about speaking in public. 

"Well, perhaps not a full republic, but rather a constitutionally limited monarchy." Trotwell countered. Perhaps compromising wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. 

And so the Rebellion of 481 ended. Not a drop of blood was shed nor a single sentence carried out. Yet the ripple effects of this conflict was sure to shape Equestria for generations to come. Never again would a single monarch be responsible for all pony affairs alone. The burden would be shared by many. The collaborative effort of each generation would work to make Equestria greater for the next. The magic of friendship would prevail over all those who would bring discord and strife. It didn't matter if such strife came from within or from without. Friendship ruled Equestria. 



Twilight Sparkle looked up from the book as she closed it shut.

"The end." She said with a smile. "Well, what did you think?" The Princess asked her young student.

"I dunno, kinda anti-climactic, don't ya think?" Luster Dawn was reclined in a lounge position which was impressive considering the limitations of the chair she was sitting in. 

"Seriously?" Twilight asked with annoyance written all over her face.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding it was nice." Luster backed off. "It certainly wasn't what I expected." 

"Me neither." Twilight shook her head. "But the constitution and government they formed is still the very same one we live with to this day. The same laws and limitations that Celestia was bound by, I am as well. So I guess the short answer to your question is, no, a Princess cannot simply do whatever she wants." 

"So I gathered. Although, you know, you could have just said that." Luster Dawn cheekily chided. Twilight narrowed her eyes and glared at Luster. 

"But, what I want to know is what happened at Edenborough? What about the Griffins?" Luster added enthusiastically. 

"Celestia told me that she and Marshal Rosencolt went to have another meeting with the Griffin King." Twilight looked lost in memory as she recalled. "She told the King, Fierce Talon, that if he didn’t leave the city at once and pay reparations to Equestria, she would lead the army into battle herself to take it back. And she wouldn't stop at the border."

"Woah! Now that's a change in attitude." Luster remarked. 

"Yep, Celestia said Rosencolt just stood there with his mouth gaped open. He couldn't believe what he heard. Although later Rosencolt denied that his mouth hung open." Twilight giggled at the thought. 

"What did the Griffin King do? Was there another fight?" Luster asked. Twilight shook her head.

"Nope. The Griffin King panicked. He dropped to the floor and begged Celestia for forgiveness. The border returned to where it was and the Griffins paid a handsome amount for starting the conflict. So much, in fact, it helped restimulate the struggling Equestrian economy.” 

"Wow so Celestia took care of two birds with one Griffinstone." Luster smiled deviously at her own pun. 

"Har, har." Twilight rolled her eyes. She was gonna make a sarcastic reply, but Luster's face looked troubled. "What's wrong?" The Princess asked.

"Nothing, it's just, well…" Luster wasn't sure how to word what she was feeling. "I mean the book says friendship won in the end, but how can it? How can ponies just go back to being friends after a rift that big?" Luster sighed. Twilight simply smiled.

"Here look at the book." Twilight handed Luster the book and she read the front cover out loud.

"Ollivander Trotwell and the Rebellion of 481. A tale of perseverance and friendship by Rivenbolt." Luster Dawn gasped at the author. "Wait, Rivenbolt wrote this?"

Twilight nodded.

"Yes. And everypony involved gave their perspective so that she could write their point of view. Healing Equestria and teaching future generations reunited them in friendship." The Princess added.

"That's why you like this book so much. That's why Celestia wanted you to hear it." Luster replied. 

Twilight nodded. She wondered if it was, perhaps, too soon. She wasn't sure if Luster Dawn was prepared to deal with the weight of what her role would be for Equestria. Twilight prepared herself for Luster to ask the hard questions. 

“Do I still have to give an oral presentation on Popular Sovereignty?” Luster asked with a disgusted look on her face.

“Not if you answer one question.” Twilight responded. Luster Dawn groaned. 

“Another pop quiz?” Luster complained as she rubbed her forehead with her hoof. Twilight giggled as she nodded.

“What is the point of being a Princess?” The Princess asked her star student. 

Luster thought about the question for a moment.

“It’s to make sure that, no matter what happens, friendship carries on.” Luster responded. She was uncharacteristically sincere in her answer. 

“Why is friendship so important?” Twilight followed up.

“I thought it was supposed to be only one question?” Luster asked in her usual sarcastic tone. Twilight narrowed her gaze.

“Boy I sure do love long, dry, boring, oral presentations.” Twilight fired back.

“Ok, ok I’ll answer.” Luster put up her hooves in surrender. “It’s important because it doesn’t really matter what the exact structure of a government or society is. If it’s based on friendship and equal representation, it’s likely to succeed.” She reasoned. 

“Very well said, my faithful student. You pass.” Twilight said, beaming with pride. “Well, I think that’s sufficient for today.” She turned to leave the study room.

“Wait, Princess, there’s one more thing I wanted to ask about.” Luster called out to her teacher. 

This was it. The moment Twilight had been waiting for. It was finally time to discuss the future. Time to confront the destiny that awaited her young protégé, just as she once did with Celestia years ago.

“Yes, Luster Dawn, what is it?” The Princess asked with much anticipation. 

“Did Rivenbolt ever get her brother’s medal back from Dewey? Seems like something you’d wanna have back now that everything was hunky dory.” Luster casually inquired. 

Twilight smiled brightly. Either Luster hadn’t put the pieces together yet, or she wasn’t ready to face it. 

“Yes, she got the medal back.” The Princess answered. 

Twilight knew she would need to be patient. Which was completely fine with her. After all, as Princess, she knew that everything would eventually come together in due time. 



The End