//------------------------------//
// A Royal Verdict 
// Story: Dimension Jumper 
// by redtau 
//------------------------------//

	My lawyer proved fairly adept at his trade and had used my shock to call for a brief recess. I sat on a bench outside the courtroom, surrounded by a half dozen guards, still staring at the photo. The Nightmare was still in me, sealed in some fashion behind a barrier created by the Elements of Harmony. I looked over my arms and even quickly peaked at my tummy, hoping that D and Machina were similarly sealed somewhere on my person. Unfortunately, if they were on me, they weren't anywhere easily accessible.

"I'm sorry miss, you can't approach this creature, she's dangerous."

I looked up to see a familiar grey wall eyed pony. "Hello Ditzy. It's probably not a good idea to be seen talking to me, I think a hearing is being set up about how you are my spy or something."

"I know. I had to come. To apologize."

"What do you have to apologize for?" I gave her a questioning look. 

"A lot." She took a breath, as if preparing herself. "You defended me. When everypony else seemed happy to look the other way, you stood up for me and made those bullies back down."

"It was the right thing to do."

"I know, but then- then you were a monster. You made fools of those bullies and I was the target of their revenge. The rumors they spread about me got me fired. I got cans and trash and poison joke thrown at me, and it seemed no one would listen to me."

"Those bullies have been picking on you for years." I told her, "And it sounds like everyone else was giving you a hard time before too. They aren't just going to stop because one person came to your defense."

She looked down, a little mad at herself. "I should have stood up for myself, but I just ran and hid. I couldn't take the abuse. Then, when I was down and beaten and just wanted to be left alone, you found me." she gave me a smile. "You came and gave me apples and a kind smile. You were on the run, hunted and persecuted more than I was. Even with all your worries, even after I was a coward, even after wishing we'd never met, you were so kind." Her eyes were glossy, like she was holding back tears. 

She stamped her hoof suddenly."I promise not to turn away again, not to give up on myself. After everything that you went through, all that was against you, you still took the time to give me all you could spare. You came to my aid, and were a good friend, and I will never deny that again. I'm going to work hard to be a better pony, and inspire others to do the same. If ever there is anything I can do, just let me know." She grinned and walked away.

I sat with a small smile on my face.

"Huh, crazy mare." one of the guards said, watching Ditzy go. "Who wants to be friends with a monster."

"I don't know if you noticed, but I can understand you right now." I said, suddenly right behind him. My breath was on his neck, and he spun to find me with an evil grin inches from his muzzle. My metal right hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed painfully. "I'm already being charged with something akin to treason, so don't think that adding to my body count is going to stop me." 

"NO! Let go of me! Heeeeeeelp!" The guard slipped from my grasp and ran, panic stricken down the hall. I just smirked at his over reaction.

"Don't do that." One of the other guards said.

"That 'crazy mare' just declared me her friend." I said, noting the guard was a pegasus. "I don't know how you do things around your guard house, Feathers, but where I come from, if you mess with a friend, you mess with me."

"I"m Feathers," another guard said, "That's Iron Shoes."

I blinked for a moment. Were the guards really that dense?. Sighing and shaking my head, I sat back down and waited for the trial to resume.





When I reentered the courtroom I saw the audience had been greatly reduced. All that remained were the Element Bearers, my doctor and a smattering of guards, including my two interrogators. There was a little bit of pomp as both princesses came back in and sat in their respective thrones.

"The pegasi guard have returned from the castle with your box." Princess Luna announced. "We have an accountant comparing notes and numbers but everything seems to match up."

"There are, however, a few questions." Princess Celestia said, leaning forward in her throne. "You mentioned that you were in Equestria by extraordinary means. I need you to explain that."

"Is it really that important to this case?" I asked.

The pegasus judge ruffled some papers and answered. "Originally, you were being tried as either a new creature of an undiscovered tribe or a unique product of the Everfree Forest. As such, you were afforded certain rights and liberties. If you are a foreigner, things may change."

"We don't really have any legal precedent for outsiders who don't come from recognized nations, especially in individual cases like yours." My lawyer explained. "Normally we encounter envoys, merchants or armies before we discover the nation they are from."

"Very well, I'm not from Equestria." I told court. "I'm not even from this world."

"Ha! Called it, she's an alien." I looked up to see the male interrogator agitating his female counterpart. 

She just rolled her eyes. "Shut up Castle."

"You are extraterrestrial?" Twilight asked, looking at me with some level of awe.

"Extra-dimensional." I corrected. "I'm an employee of the ARCO corporation. They send inter-dimensional explorers like myself to other lands in search of cultural expansion, wisdom and energy."

"Energy?" The earth pony judge asked.

"When we arrive, we are not entirely in sync with the dimension around us. We require a token or anchor, usually something given freely from the local populace, to keep us from wandering between dimensions." I realized I was reciting from the company manual at this point. "The anchors are taken back with us when we go home, and ARCO is able to draw a surprising amount of energy off of the dimensional displacement."

"Isn't that dangerous for the dimensional integrity?" Twilight asked, sounding worried.

"ARCO has been running for most of a decade, and only after nearly three decades of research. We have yet to encounter any dimensional damage, even on the few tests where we were trying to create it." I shrugged. "As powerful as ARCO might be, it has it's limits."

"You have such an anchor?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Yes, a single bit, given to me in friendship by the filly Twist."

"Couldn't you just give it up? You would leave this dimension and be drawn towards home."

"That would be akin to saying 'I'm on a ship lost at sea, but if I jump off and start swimming I'll find land.' Not every world is habitable, and there are... things in the dark places." Despite the warmth of the courtroom, I felt a chill pass over me.

"Perhaps," Princess Celestia said, "You should tell us the whole story. Starting with how you got here."

"Well, ARCO uses conversion pods. It's a metal box, a little bigger than a small closet. The pods are used to breach the space between dimensions and help acclimate our bodies to the local environment." I waited as the information sunk in. "Mine arrived deep in the Everfree, ejected me early, and exploded. From there-"





"And that's when I started ranting. I didn't realize Princess Luna had cast a translation spell upon me until you, um, corrected my behavior."

It had been almost four hours. I was made to go over a number of things several times, including my interaction with Nightmare. More than once there had been giggles, and somewhere in the gallery a pen was scratching away furiously. There had been numerous questions, a few outbursts and a lot of apologies. Princess Celestia almost had to pin Twilight Sparkle to the floor when I mentioned the ancient library. 

The judges had been talking quietly to the Princesses throughout and had passed notes between each other. Shortly after my story ended the three judges passed folded pieces of paper, their pending decisions, up to the princesses. Celestia and Luna read them quietly and turned, talking softly to each other. The two stopped and bowed their heads in thought, utter silence filling remainder of the courtroom.

The pause was growing long and disturbing, and I watched the stone faced Princesses for any sign of a decision. After what felt like half an hour, Princess Luna looked up.

"We believe all that thou have told us," Princess Luna said, "And we find that thou are not guilty of any theft or assault."

"That being said," Her sister added, "You have painted yourself rather skillfully as a villain, and we cannot simply allow you to walk free. There are political ramifications, other minor crimes of harassment that you have admitted to, and the issue of the Nightmare." Princess Luna looked down and away at this. Princess Celestia sighed. "It is therefore with a heavy heart that I banish you. You are henceforth not to set foot in any pony town without at least a trio of guards and a formal release from me or my sister."

I hung my head at this, but there was not much I could do. I had dug my own grave, and it was easier to get rid of me then it was to quickly correct all the work I had done.

"What will you do with her then?" Twilight asked. "Are you going to throw her into the Griffon Kingdom? The Dragon Lands? You can't give her to the Diamond Dogs, they will just enslave her. And the Badlands." There was a shudder in her voice. Something was in the Badlands, something that made the Princess's favorite student, a unicorn that lived on the edge of the Everfree Forest and fought gods of night and chaos, worry.

"We would not dream of it." Princess Luna said. "Sarah will be returned to her house."

"Home? I don't have a home. The only place I lived was in your ancient castle."

"As it happens, I've been looking into restoring that old place." Princess Celestia said with a mischievous smile. "Possibly as a museum. I've been stockpiling funds for such a project, and will need to hire someone to assist and manage. Preferably someone who has recent knowledge of the castle and has even begun a little repair work already." 

A smile crossed my face as I realized what they were planing. It was brilliant! I would be safe, with room and board, while the Princesses saved face and could take their time in correcting the damage my villainous career had caused.

"Thou will not go alone." Princess Luna spoke, bringing my attention back. "A few guards will be stationed to watch over the construction and thou. The Everfree is a dangerous place, and we will not allow our little ponies to work without proper protection."

So that was it? "Banished" to the castle I had called home for a while now, and granted the tools, materials and manpower (pony-power?) to fix it up? All while being guarded and babysat by Equestria's elite guard, allowing the princesses to fix my public image? All in all, things were great.