//------------------------------//
// The Trial 
// Story: The Piano Man: Act II 
// by The Sentient Cloud 
//------------------------------//

"Come in," I call in response to the quiet knock on my bedroom door, glancing in the mirror as Twilight pushes the door open and steps inside.

"Is everything okay in here?" Twilight glances at Rarity, who has been making sure that my suit fits just right. "It's nearly time to go."

"Everything's fine, dear." Rarity answers for me, smiling. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole 'Human modesty' issue."

"She's been turning around when I change." I elaborate, before adding; "Although back on Earth, it's customary to leave the room..." in a more quiet manner.

"Oh believe me, Jacob." Through the mirror I catch Rarity rolling her eyes and mouthing 'Unbelievable' to Twilight before she continues her response. "While I may not understand your need for privacy, I certainly respect it."

"Uh-huh," I grunt in reply, turning my attention from the image of her in the mirror to my own and tugging lightly at the tie around my neck. Its presence invokes memories that I'd rather leave where they are - and I doubt that I have to clarify which memories.

"Are you okay? Is your tie too tight?" Twilight asks quietly, having noticed my discomfort. "Or is it..."

"It's something else." I nod, taking a deep breath. "Don't worry. It's fine."

"You're sure?" the lavender mare creases her brow. "Do you feel unwell? Nervous? Dizzy?"

"None of the above." I sigh, waving the mare's questions away. "I'm just not that comfortable wearing a tie. Nothing to be worried about."

"Not com- oh." Twilight grimaces. "Uh... do you want to take it off?"

"It's fine." I repeat, putting a touch of conviction into my voice. "It's just a tie."

"I have to... agree, with Twilight." Rarity speaks slowly, without any conviction at all. "If you feel uncomfortable with the tie, I'd suggest that you remove it - even though doing so would absolutely ruin your outfit-" Rarity's sudden 'ourburst' is quelled by a sharp look from Twilight. "I mean; yes. You should value your comfort over your appearance."

"I'm leaving it," I deliver my ultimatum, closing the matter. "It's nothing major, and besides; it isn't a suit without a tie."

"It does suit you." Twilight notes, before both she and Rarity giggle quietly at the unintentional pun.

"Hardy-ha-ha." I mutter, looking down at my clothes. Twilight's right. My new suit fits me wonderfully, and Rarity picked the colors perfectly. It would look absolutely brilliant, if only I were a little less skinny... but that will come with time.

"Yo, you guys ready to roll?" Rainbow Dash calls from downstairs, where she and the others are waiting. "I can see the carriage!"

"Coming!" Rarity calls, putting a flutter in her voice. "Just one moment."

I adjust my tie a second time and then turn away from the mirror as the suite falls silent once more, touching at my temple to make sure that my circlet is firmly in place underneath my hair.
"Okay. I'm re- oh, Twilight." I shake my head at the mare, who immediately glances at Rarity in confusion. "Please tell me you actually slept last night."

"Uh..." Twilight smiles sheepishly while I take in the moderate shadows under her eyes. "Well, I got some sleep..."

I sigh. At least she doesn't look nearly as bad as she did the other day. "As long as you don't go kaput halfway through the trial. You said yourself that this is going to be a long day."

"I'll be fine." Twilight gives me what's best described as a look of helplessness. "I just didn't sleep well. Too nervous."

"I've managed to stop my moping." I comment as the three of us depart the room, trying to put a little 'laugh' in my voice so that it doesn't seem like I'm berating her. "So the least you can do is start sleeping properly."
Twilight has no answer for me as we cross the dining-room come tailor-store, leaving me to simply glance at Rarity, who has been awkwardly walking with us in complete silence. I'm finding it kind of odd that I've interacted with the other ponies so little. Twilight's whom I mostly 'hang out' with, followed by Rarity. Pinkie stopped by every now and then when I was in the clinic too... but the other three? I've barely talked with them at all over the past week. It's a little sad, but hey; it would have been pretty strange if we'd all just become instant best-friends.

On the note of underdeveloped friendships, I've only seen Spike a grand total of three or four times - and aside from the point where he was having to write down the story of my imprisonment (which is a pretty adult thing to subject a baby dragon to, by the way) - he's seemed pretty disinterested in me. I would have thought that he'd enjoy meeting another bipedal creature... not to mention that we're both the only representatives of our species around. Strange.

I give a little shrug, pushing the matter from my thoughts as we rejoin the others on the lower floor of my suite, where Fluttershy and Applejack are sitting patiently on the center couches. Pinkie is in the kitchen, rabidly checking that she has all the food ready for tonight, while Rainbow Dash is floating restlessly by the doorway onto the balcony. That's pretty bad foresight on Dash's part, considering that she's restless to get going - and therefore condemn herself to an entire day in even more cramped confines.
The flying carriage that will take us down to the courthouse is pretty close, only about ten seconds away from reaching the large balcony outside the window. It's drawn by four of Luna's pegasi guards, and flanked by a further two on each side. Even though the first hint of the approaching sunrise is visible over the horizon, it would appear that the Lunar Guard is still on duty. I wonder if the Solar Guard shift compensates by running into the post-sunset twilight too, or if they are simply on only when the sun itself is visible. That might be something worth learning, considering how little I know about the royal guard.

"All that security seems a little... unnecessary..." I comment, eyeing up the creepy bat-wings sported by the stallions. "What's the worry?"

"It's probably just for show," Rainbow Dash replies in that odd call of hers that sounds kind-of like she's half-shouting. "Y'know. A little flexing here and there to show the public that stuff's happening."

"That also seems unnecessary." I comment, receiving no reply. It seems more likely to me that it's a precaution against any attempts to stop us from reaching the trial.
With this discussion also effectively closed, I simply shrug and move forwards, trying not to look at the admittedly intimidating pegasi as they pull alongside the balcony.

"Good morning, Mr. Lewis," the closest guard speaks in a gravelly tone, to which I respond with a simple 'Good morning' as the carriage itself also comes to a stop.
"We'd best get moving," the guard states calmly as he reaches out with one hoof, opens the door on the side of the carriage and unfolds the stairs for me. "So if you wouldn't mind, sir."

"Right." I nod, taking a step forward and mounting the first of the small steps.
In a quick fashion we all pile into the carriage, save for Rainbow Dash, who states that she plans to fly alongside instead.

The interior is best described as elegant, and slightly plush. The walls are studded and padded with a silky red fabric that bulges out slightly from the frame, while the seats are made from wood and augmented by grey cushions. It's actually very nice, in a simple style.
I find myself sitting opposite to Pinkie, Twilight and Rarity, and sandwiched between Applejack and Fluttershy  - the extreme latter-most of which looks rather fidgety. Maybe it's the menacing guards hovering just outside the window, or maybe it's... something else.

"Fluttershy, are you okay?" I whisper quietly to the pegasus, who gives a small start simply from the presence of my voice.

"Oh, yes," she replies in a voice timid and quiet enough to match my whisper. "I'm just... n-nervous."

"Of the trial?" I press quietly, now hoping to start bridging the extremely obvious gap between us.

"Y-yes." Fluttershy's voice drops to a volume so low that I can barely hear her. The very nature of her reply tells me that, one; It's not the trial, and two; I'm not going to get anywhere with this.

I sigh. "Fluttershy, once this is all done we're going to sit down and you're going to tell me why you don't want to talk to me."

"Okay," the mare squeaks so quietly and hesitantly that I'm not even sure that she's spoken.

I glance at Twilight, who just gives an almost imperceptible shrug, accompanied by a slightly less subtle shake of her head.

With a little sigh, I end my interrogation and settle back into my seat. This carriage isn't sized for humans, and I'm having to slouch in my seat so that I don't need to cock my head - and even while doing that, my head still touches the ceiling. It's not something I have any right to complain about, but after all the effort that's gone into making me comfortable, I'm surprised they sent a carriage instead of a chariot.
Just as a note; sitting in a flying carriage is wierd, and totally not what you'd expect. There's no bobbing, no swaying, nothing. If it wasn't for the startling view out the windows, you could have told me that it was on the ground and I would have believed you.

I'm still pondering this when I'm suddenly thrown through a slight loop. The image outside the window starts to rotate, while I am suddenly impacted by multiple light forces. There's the centrifugal force pushing me to the right as the carriage turns, the drop in my stomach as it descends, and the tiny force pushing me back into my seat as we accelerate. The reason this catches me off-guard is that the carriage neither banks for it's turn, nor tilts for it's descent. It's still perfectly level and stable, in a way that seems totally inappropriate for the movements it is making. This is something I've never experienced before, and while it isn't 'bad', I'd definitely tag it as feeling strange for the first moments. After that, I quickly get used to it.

I turn to look out the window as most of the ponies sitting around me break into discussion, quickly spotting our destination. It's not hard. The Canterlot Public Courthouse isn't as grand or imposing as Earth courthouses, due to fact that it's normally only used for mundane trials, but it definitely stands apart – what with it's more angular architecture, and the massive crowd of what look to be several thousand ponies standing outside...
The throng is being held back to give a reasonably sized semi-circle of space around the courthouse entrance, but even so it'll be a pain to run the media gauntlet. The only reason I can think of that we didn't just teleport inside is that we 'need' to make some sort of visual entrance, for simple publicity reasons. There might be some other reasons, I guess, but I haven't been clued-in. The only thing that's readily available at the moment is the fact that even if the trial is in closed-court, the entire thing will still be rife with ponies interested in the outcome.

'Ugh,' I sigh inside my head. 'I wish we didn't have to go through all this crap.


***


"Jesus, it's hot in here," I mutter, looking around the packed courtroom. "And loud."

We're located in the biggest courtroom the courthouses have to offer, which comes with spacious seating for the audience behind the desks for the prosecution, augmented with balcony seating that adds an extra half the ground floor's seating capacity. Today, however, the balcony has been reserved for the royal party, which comprises of Celestia and assorted members of the Equestrian government – which actually does have ranking members apart from the princesses.

The all-too-obvious reason that it's so hot in here is the dozens of ponies that managed to pile into the public seating. There are all sorts of faces among the crowd, from journalists and paparazzi vultures to members of the Wonderbolts (whom Rainbow Dash has yet to notice) to upper class Canterlot unicorns, many of which look extremely uncomfortable with their seating arrangements. There are even more ponies standing around the edges of the seating area, seemingly perfectly content to stand around all day in order to witness history in-the-making. Personally, I don't think it should be a public trial, but it doesn't seem that I have any say in the matter,
The judges haven't arrived yet, and for this reason Trixie hasn't been brought in by the guards yet either. Her family and lawyer are in place, though. The defense and prosecution are set up at desks on either side of the court – prosecution on the left and defense on the right – with enclosed seating boxes placed against their respective walls for the actual parties and their associates. In ours we have Cadance, the Elements of Harmony, Maneworthy, Detective Lockhooves, Thunder Glider and myself, while in the defense seating there are the Lulamoon parents, Trixie's sister and some other ponies I don't recognize.

I glance at the lawyers, who are all set up at their desks. They've got their papers out and their game-faces on. For the defense is the Lulamoon lawyer and a younger mare who I assume is his assistant, while the prosecution has two grey unicorns, one young and fresh-looking stallion that I was introduced to as 'Levy', along with an older and more weary-eyed mare named Raven. I don't know if multiple lawyers would be allowed in cases like this on Earth, but they appear to be allowed in Equestria.
Next, I turn my attention to the Lulamoons themselves. The family as a whole looks... haggard. Run down, for lack of a better word. Trixie's father looks like he's ready to pass out from exhaustion, and her mother looks like she's ready to cry – and despite this, she continues to frequently send me venomous glares. It's all no less pitiful and saddening than when they came and begged me to drop the charges – as if I could.

"They look awful," I murmur to Cadance, who is sitting on my left side. "I'm pretty sure that they've been trying everything they can think of to put an end to all this. By the looks of things, nothing's worked."

"I don't think anything could stop this trial before it went to court. The charges are too severe," the pink alicorn whispers back. I should add right now that she looks a lot better than when I last saw her. I'd pretty much describe her as looking how she did during the season two finale, but with a serious face to fit the circumstances. I'd dare say that despite her moral crisis following the Grand Galloping Gala, Cadance seems to have bounced back pretty well. It must not have been as serious as I thought.

A gentle touch on my right arm brings my attention to Twilight, who is situated closest to the defense table so as to have a good line of communication with them.
Rather than asking me a purposeful question, as I'd expect, the lavender mare simply gives me a slight smile. "Are you excited?"

"Uh, y-yeah." I stutter slightly, caught off-guard by casual nature of her question. "I'm just not looking forward to how long it's going to take."

The mare touches my arm again, giving me what I think is a reassuring smile. "It'll be worth it to see this all finished."

"It will." I return the smile, feeling suitably eased by Twilight's words. "So what's the most likely pun-"

A sudden gavel-slam startles me – and the rest of the courtroom – into silence, the sudden quiet layered with boundless levels of tension at what must be coming next.
The olive-coated court Bailiff stands next to the judges' podium, a magical aura enfolding both his horn and one of the three gavels sitting on the bench. His face is set in nothing less than a stern mask of professionalism as he scans the room. This is obviously a stallion that takes his job a bit too seriously... or maybe he's being extremely zealous for such an important trial. It doesn't really matter to me.

"This session of the Canterlot Supreme Court is called to order," the olive unicorn announces loudly, the aura surrounding his horn fading as he steps away from the judges' bench. "Her royal highness Princess Luna, the honorable Judge Sheckley, and the honorable Judge Griggs presiding. All rise."

The entire courtroom stands up in one loud movement as the left-hand, smaller door of the two set into the front wall opens and Luna enters the room, accompanied by two unicorns with grey coats. I want to guffaw at the fact that all three of them are wearing black judge's robes – which look completely inappropriate for Luna – but refrain from doing so. At least Luna isn't wearing one of those powdered wigs, although I can't say the same for the other two.
We remain where we are as the three slowly and poignantly file into the judges' podium and take their seats, before we reclaim our own. The podium as a whole is basically the same as the prosecution and defense boxes, except raised up from the floor and augmented by a witness box on the far right end along with a stenographers box on the left. Pretty much an elongated version of the 'standard' podium you'd find on an Earth television show.

Luna and the judges spend a few moments getting prepared – although what they're preparing is beyond me – before the princess looks up from her center position.
"Present the accused," she commands the bailiff, who in turn nods at a pair of guards flanking the double doors to the right of the judges' podium. The two guards salute in perfect union, before turning to face each other and slowly pushing the double doors open.

My breath catches in my throat as I lean forward in my seat. The number of emotions suddenly surfacing in my mind is unbelievable. Among all of those little indescribable feelings, there's also excitement, anticipation, apprehension, and a little bit of rage... but the most dominant of them all is... fear? I should have expected some irrational fear at being near her again, but I didn't think it would take root so easily. I guess I still have some pretty severe trauma. As clear-thinking as I am, that isn't stopping me from being hit by very irrational thoughts like 'Oh god, what if she attacks me again?'.
Through my peripherals I notice that Twilight and Cadance also appear to be leaning forwards in their seats. I wonder what they're thinking; how they're reacting. I can only guess at their thoughts.

The three of us - and presumably Rarity as well - continue to stare aggressively at the two doors as they swing open, revealing two creamy-white guards standing to attention on the other side...
And between them stands an azure mare with a silvery-white mane, a jagged stump for a horn and an expression of bleak hopelessness plastered across her face. She's missing her cape and hat, her mane is unkempt, and her downcast eyes look wearier than anything I've ever seen before.

The entire courtroom remains silent as the three ponies walk through the doorway and begin to move across the open space in the middle of the court, two of them marching slowly and the third plodding along in a disheartened way.

I fall back into my seat quietly, surprised at the image in front of me. I hadn't been sure what to expect from the mare's entrance. Silent defiance, open struggling, casual compliance... of all the possibilities, I had thought it least likely that she would enter so defeated. It was always a possibility, but I'd decided that it seemed so... out of keeping with who Trixie was. Looks like I was wrong.
And despite how pitiful the image is, it still fills me with disgust and loathing so intense I think I might cough up bile.

After a short interval, Cadance and then Twilight both also fall back into a normal sitting position, their faces comparable to mine. A brief movement to the right informs me that Rarity too had been leaning forward in her seat.
None of us take our eyes from the defeated mare being marched to the area for holding the accused. It's a seating area with enough space for four ponies, situated a meter further back along the wall from the defense's party, right alongside the table for the defense table. During the slow trip across Trixie keeps her eyes firmly fixed on the floor, not diverting her gaze even when Mrs. Lulamoon quietly calls her name.

The guards escort her to her seating and then take up positions on either side, which places Trixie directly opposite Twilight. She still hasn't taken her eyes off the floor.
And despite this display of complete resignation, I'm still disgusted. Every single movement she makes offends me.

The pressure of the atmosphere in the courtroom is unbearable. Nobody has spoken a single word since Trixie entered. It's Judge Sheckley that breaks the silence, as he begins to loudly read the charges.

"Trixie A. Lulamoon, you stand accused of; one count of kidnapping, one count of unlawful imprisonment, one count of criminal negligence, one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, four counts of assault and battery, one count of intent to commit murder, four counts of attempted murder, and one count of high treason. How does the defense plead?"

I grimace in anger as the charges are laid, with each one reminding me of a different moment of my imprisonment. My nose hasn't even set fully straight since my escape. I wonder if that can be corrected with magic.
The only thing that surprises me is that there isn't anything in there about the herbs she was taking during most of my captivity... after all, it is right there in her journal. The only reason I can think of is that maybe whatever she was taking was legal.

"My client pleads not guilty to all charges," the Lulamoon's lawyer announces immediately, not even pausing to glance at Trixie. I hadn't been entirely sure before now whether Trixie had been allowed to see her family, but it looks like she's at least met with her lawyer.

The silence of the audience is broken by a rolling wave of a murmur, although I can't fathom why. Was anyone actually expecting her to plead guilty? That wouldn't be at all fitting with the Trixie I was subjected to.

"Order!" Griggs slams his gavel, bringing silence to the hall. That seems a little unnecessary, considering that it was only a murmur. "The prosecution will now make its opening statement."

And just like that, the trial is underway; a slow countdown to Trixie's sentencing.

I sit back in my chair, staring at Trixie with as much disgust as I can muster.
We're going to be here a while.


***


I have no idea how long we've been here. It's mostly been an endless march of evidence, first from our side and then from Trixie's. The evidence from the defense was lackluster from the very beginning, and the entire process has been so monotonous that I've literally lost track of how many intermissions we've had – and I can feel a headache coming on. Someone also really needs to tell me why there are no clocks in here.
I am in dire need of a watch.

"The prosecution..." Judge Sheckley turns his gaze to the two crown prosecutors as the Lulamoon's lawyer finishes delivering his evidence and sits back down. "...is at this point asked for full statements from the plaintiffs. Do you have any to produce?"

Even as the judge is halfway through his request, I feel my headache suddenly flare. What was simply a dull throbbing being suddenly accented by a stabbing pain. At the exact same moment I become aware of the almost indescribable feeling of pressure building behind my forehead. Both sensations fade quickly, but remain present at the forefront of my mind.
I take a slow breath, wanting to turn to Twilight and tell her that something's happening, but instead finding myself unfocused and unable to concentrate past the strange pressure behind my forehead. It's exactly like when Trixie was controlling me, except this time I'm not being forced to do anything.
It instills me with an instant state of panic.

"Yes, your honor," Raven responds, her voice sounding muted and dull compared to what it should be. "The prosecution calls Jacob Lewis to the stand."

With my summoning to the witness stand comes another, even more painful flare to my headache, complete with a torturous rise in the pressure behind my forehead. This time, however, these awful sensations are accompanied by voices. They're distant, difficult to hear, and completely indistinguishable from each other... but they're there.

'Okay, something's definitely not right here. There's something in the way...'

'Just keep at it. Whatever's blocking us can't hold up. As long as he changes his testimony, everything will be fine.'

'Arwell, it's looking stressed. Keep as much pressure on as you can. We don't want it alerting anyone.'

'But he isn't moving. Won't that give us away?'

'Just keep trying. This is our only chance, and we can't stop now.'

Cadance turns to look at me, raising an eyebrow.
"Keys?" Her muted voice echoes for no apparent reason. "Are you going to testify?"

Sluggishly, I turn to look at her. The magical circlet around my head is starting to vibrate, and it's getting really hot. I can't even force myself to concentrate on Cadance's words, my mind is so clouded. It really is like being possessed by Trixie all over again, except this time I still have control; I'm just suffering a mental assault so heavy that I can't really do anything.

A hoof lands heavily on my shoulder. My mind can't recall who's sitting directly behind me in the second row, but the following voice is male.
"Hey. You okay?"

Ignoring the voice, I turn my limited focus towards standing up. I have to testify while I still can – while I still have control of my own body.
With much, much effort, I manage to lean forward and rise from my seat. It seems that almost every eye in the courtroom is on me. It must be extremely obvious that something's going very wrong at the moment. The ponies sitting around me also stand up, their faces becoming concerned.

This is very, very bad. They're trying to stop me from testifying – or change my testimony. I have to get up there before anything happens. I have to testify before they stop me. I have to speak while I still can.

"Keys?" Twilight's faint voice questions, her hoof falling lightly on my arm. "What's happening?"

"They're... tr-trying..." I manage to force the words from my mouth in a crude mumble, taking one lurching step forward as the mental assault on my mind continues. Unfortunately, there's no walking room where I'm stepping; only a stomach-high wooden barrier separating the prosecution box from the rest of the court.
With no grace whatsoever, I flop straight over the barrier, landing on my side in the open space between the judges' podium and the seating area. The action is accompanied by a collective gasp from the courtroom, which is barely audible through the haze clouding my mind.
I must testify. I have to, or else Trixie will lose the trial.

'Tarturaus! Do something! Try harder!'

'What the hay are we supposed to do?! We're blown!'

'I'm pouring as much as I can into it! What the hay is going on?!'

The soft voices whisper through my head as I lie on the cold floor, mumbling quietly and incoherently as the heat from my circlet becomes unbearable. There's shouting in the courtroom now – still dull and muted – and I can see multiple sets of hooves as the ponies from the prosecution box rush out onto the court. I'm immensely relieved to see a set of purple hooves appear in my vision as Twilight quickly moves to my location. She can help me testify.

Of course it's then, without warning, that my small circlet suddenly stops vibrating for a second, and then snaps.
Two separate pieces go flying off my head, one shooting straight upwards and the other skittering across the floor. I have no clue where they come to a stop, as my mind is immediately and brutally assaulted by the voices.

'SOMETHING'S HAPPENED. WHAT'S GOING ON?'

'NOT GOOD! IT'S SCREAMING!'

'WE'RE COMPLETELY BLOWN! BREAK OFF!'

Another moment passes before the unbearable presence in my mind disappears entirely, lifting both the fog and the pain from my thoughts in one wondrous moment. I immediately realize that I am indeed screaming; A constant shout tearing from my mouth as I rest on the wooden boards of courtroom.
The noise dies in my throat almost immediately as the voices recede, leaving me lying limp on the floor and sucking in great lungfuls of air. 

There's complete silence in the courtroom for a few seconds before the audience breaks out in a mass of commentary, a blanket of noise accented by a few stallions shouting. I can't make out a word of it.

Twilight's legs shift to the side as Maneworthy appears and drops to his knees in front of me, a look of absolute horror on his face.
“Keys!” His horn lights up, gently rolling me off my side and onto my back. “What the hay just happened?!”

“Ugh...” Now having caught my breath, I raise both hands to rub at my eyes, and then my temples. It feels amazing to be back in control of my body again, despite the headache. “Three... Christ, three unicorns – I think. Hell, my head's pounding.”

“Three unicorns?” Maneworthy's face once again appears in my field of vision. “Okay, listen. Just wait a second while I check you.”

“No, no.” I raise one hand, using the other to push myself into a sitting position. “There's no time. There were three unicorns, at least. I'm sure of that much.”
A quick glance around shows that I have the entirety of the defence box around me, augmented by several guards that appear to be warding off the trial's spectators. Even as I look, the three judges begin banging their gavels and ordering everyone back to their seats.

After a brief pause, I continue. “A group of unicorns, trying to make me change my testimony. I heard their voices. One called another Arwell.”

The guards glance at each other upon hearing my words, before immediately moving away to find the perpetrators. That's fine, considering they no longer have to hold back the receding crowd of shocked ponies.

“Okay, while they do that...” Maneworthy holds up one hoof. “Let's do a basic check-up. Everything else can wait until after that. Just follow my hoof.”

“Right,” I sigh, beginning to track the doctor's appendage as he moves it from left to right-

“Your honors!” a sudden shout rings out, quieting the extreme noise levels of the room.

Maneworthy halts his examination as we all turn our attention to the source of the noise; the unsure looking Lulamoon lawyer, who is now standing on his chair in order to be seen and heard properly.

“My client would like...” The stallion glances at Trixie's parents, both of whom are still seated, and seem extremely surprised by his announcement. “...to change her plea.”

“What?” I voice my disbelief loudly as I immediately get to my feet, although nopony in the silenced room acknowledges it. Instead, I look directly at Trixie.
And for the first time in this entire Trial, she's looking straight back at me. Her eyes are sad, and her face as a whole is completely downcast. All it does is fill me with more confusion. What's going on? Did she plan for this?
“What...” the words escape my mouth a second time, albeit much quieter than before. This makes no sense. How does this help her?

“My client...” Trixie's lawyer glances at her one final time. “Pleads guilty on all counts.”