Artex walked briskly with Jason toward Town Hall,
"Alright, so do you understand what you're supposed to do? This is, fortunately enough, rather like a trial back on Earth."
Jason sucked on his teeth briefly then nodded,
"Yeah. I got it."
Artex nodded,
"Good. I'm going to see that regular Magistrates are appointed as quickly as possible after this is over. On the plus side, this should be a fairly straightforward case with a quick resolution." he stopped at the closed doors of Town Hall and held open the doors for Jason.
Inside the stage had been repurposed for use by the acting Magistrates. On the floor directly in front of the stage stood Captain Joyner and Calvin, both acting as bailiffs. The Rectifier stood near the doors waiting patiently and silently for the proceedings to commence. The Prosecutor stood on the left side of the room on the floor in front of the stage and the Defense and Tamika stood on the right. Eduardo stood in the back of the room to act as a magic nullifier and had already cast one of his wards on the floor. Razor Wit was already standing behind one of the three podiums on the stage and two others were set and ready for Jason and Artex. The event was a closed hearing so there were no others people inside Town Hall. The Magistrates were to stand for the entire duration of the hearing and the absence of others made the space feel abnormally empty. Everything was in place and ready.
"Like I said, should be quick and easy, open and closed." Artex snapped his fingers for emphasis, "Alright, let's do this."
* * *
(13 hours later, local time 11: 49 p.m.)
"So in closing," the Defense, law student Marcus Gainsworth, said exhaustively, "I believe you will agree that the woman of whom I am a legal representative, is indeed guilty of the crimes she stands accused of, however her fragile mental state marks her as being clearly rendered incapable of rationalizing her actions at the time of the incidents in question. Her irrational fear of Kavim and P.T.S.D. led her to the erroneous conclusion that the situation was in fact more perilous than it actually was and the inclusion of a Kavim as one of the arresting officers stands out as a truly distinctive catalyst in regard to the events in question. This being the case, I believe this woman would benefit from extensive but gentle psychological treatment in order to acclimate her damaged psyche to find the inclusion of Kavim during social interactions as acceptable, thus rendering her no longer a threat, but a productive member of society."
The three acting Magistrates looked at each other with bloodshot eyes and short tempers. Everybody in the impromptu courtroom was beyond eager to have the case over and done with.
Artex wasted no time in raising his hand,
"Acting Magistrate, Artex Rias, finds the suspect, Tamika Edison, guilty of all charges. Next acting Magistrate will state their decision."
Jason raised his hand,
"Acting Magistrate, Jason Campbell, finds the suspect, Tamika Edison, guilty of all charges. Next acting Magistrate will state their decision."
Razor raised her right forehoof,
"Acting Magistrate, Razor Wit, finds the suspect, Tamika Edison, guilty of all charges. All Magistrates will now convene privately and determine the best course of action for the case."
Razor led the procession down the stage to the floor then toward the direction of the stairs which would lead up to the second floor for deliberation.
The Rectifier quickly turned toward Captain Joyner,
"I need to join them to make sure they explore all possible options. Please, this is my job."
Mike nodded in acquiescence,
"Go ahead. Try to make it quick though. We need to sleep sometime tonight."
The Rectifier followed the two men and one mare up the stairs. Razor led them to the second floor, then the third floor, then to the roof. She trotted out to the center of the roof and plopped her flank down, looking expectantly at Artex, Jason, and the Rectifier. The two other acting Magistrates and one Rectifier sat down forming a square with Artex and Razor sitting across from each other and Jason and the Rectifier also looking at each other.
Artex took the lead,
"Alright Rectifier, you're the expert here. List all our options and we'll whittle down which ones we refuse."
The Rectifier bowed her head,
"As you wish, the decision is ultimately yours so long as you do not try to have her executed or set free without any sort of action." she shook her head, "The Defense successfully established 'Diminished Capacity' and you all agreed, so that limits what actions can be taken. One option is to force Tamika to undergo Mental Readjustment, another is to force her to undergo extensive therapy while being isolated from all Kavim, another is exile, or you could imprison her indefinitely. I would like to recommend the therapy or the Mental Readjustment, preferably a mixture of both."
Jason spoke up suddenly,
"What is Mental Readjustment?"
The Rectifier seemed to almost smirk,
"It's a service provided by Rectifiers. They enter a mind and... basically adjust the mind to stabilize and help somebody cope with whatever traumatic event they experienced that was outside their control. For example: the service is never offered to mothers because they chose to become pregnant, whereas a Human who survived a massacre might be offered the service to help them adjust to life afterwards. It's effectively transplanting a coping mechanism into somebody's mind."
Jason nodded,
"What are the drawbacks?"
The Rectifier shook her head,
"There are none, but Mental Readjustment is not a perfect solution. For the individual to be healed of their condition they need therapy to learn to deal with the problem instead of just using a spell to take the problem away. The issue is still there and it needs to be solved so that the individual can have a healthy and balanced life." the Rectifier paused and bit her lip before continuing hesitantly, "There is another way, but I do not recommend it. I have the knowledge to completely erase the memory from Tamika's mind, but no Rectifier likes to do so. Fiddling around in anybody's mind is bad enough, but to completely rewrite an individual's memory... we find the idea counterproductive. Our society and every individual grows by having pain and moving past it by dealing with it. Removing the memory would deny Tamika the option of doing so, it would deny her the chance for growth. Besides, the events which traumatized her so, are commonly spoken of and she would learn the truth quickly enough then we might have a repeat of the incident which led us here."
The three acting Magistrates sat and pondered their options.
* * *
The two men and two mares came back down the stairs. The Rectifier trotted back over to Captain Joyner while Razor, Jason, and Artex took their places back behind their respective podiums.
Razor cleared her throat and began,
"We three acting Magistrates will now provide our recommendations of actions. Acting Magistrate, Razor Wit, recommends that Tamika Edison, lacking truly malicious intent, be provided significant professional psychological help and undergo Mental Readjustment to allow her to avoid isolation while going through therapy. She will not be permitted to carry a weapon for one year."
Jason spoke next,
"Acting Magistrate, Jason Campbell, recommends that Tamika Edison, lacking truly malicious intent, be provided with significant professional psychological help and undergo Mental Readjustment to allow her to avoid isolation while going through therapy. She will not be permitted to carry a weapon for a year."
"Acting Magistrate, Artex Rias, recommends that Tamika Edison, lacking truly malicious intent, be provided significant professional psychological help and undergo Mental Readjustment to allow her to avoid isolation while going through therapy. She will not be permitted to carry a weapon for one year." Artex took a breath then continued, "All Magistrates are in agreement. So let it be written, so let it be done. This trial and sentencing is finished. Tamika Edison is remanded to the care of Captain Joyner of the Community Welfare Guardians."
Mike wasted no time turning to the Rectifier,
"Rectifier, are you prepared to carry out the sentence?"
Tamika looked around in puzzlement and fear,
"What the hell is Mental Readjustment?"
The Rectifier spoke simply,
"The Rectifier enters and adjusts your mind to stabilize you and help you cope with whatever traumatic event you experienced. It's transplanting a coping mechanism into your psyche." the Rectifier nodded silently and trotted up to Tamika, "Lower your head and hold still please."
Tamika withdrew from the Rectifier, cringing as if the mare might bite her,
"Hell no! I'm not letting some freak mess with my head!" she yelled in Velensovth.
The Rectifier shook her and roller her unseen eyes,
"This will not hurt you at all. You will feel extremely fatigued and perhaps a little dizzy, but there should be absolutely no pain. Furthermore, should you wish to have the Readjustment removed at a later time, you may do so with the permission of your therapist. The rules and regulations for all Mind magic are extremely strict, especially to Rectifiers. Our services are designed to aid any who would benefit from such. Granted, occasionally the services are designated as mandatory, however we take no pleasure in meddling with the minds of others. An individual's thoughts are their own and we aim to respect that so long as one's ACTIONS to cause harm to others. As I said, the Readjustment may be removed at a later time if you are in a position to safely attempt to resolve the issue yourself. I would recommend working toward such a goal so that no magic manipulation remains in your mind." the Rectifier stepped back, "Do you understand these conditions and factors as I have stated them?"
"So, this can be... reversed?" Tamika asked shakily.
The Rectifier nodded,
"Of course. I would be more than happy to come back and do it myself. We are trying to help you. Do you understand what I explained?"
Tamika nodded,
"Y...yes."
The Rectifier continued her questions,
"Do you have any questions or concerns about the procedure, your rights as a citizen of Equestria, the effects of the procedure, or how it will affect you?"
Tamika shook her head again more firmly this time,
"No."
The Rectifier nodded,
"Very well. Lower your head please, my horn must touch your forehead. All Rectifier mind affecting spells are touch only so that everybody knows when we are and are not using Mind magic."
Tamika sat on the floor instead. She looked at the Rectifier uneasily, almost shaking. The Rectifier stepped toward her, horn lowered. At that point Tamika was shaking from her mental state and being so close to a Kavim, but she held still, barely. The Rectifier's horn lit up and she touched her horn to Tamika's forehead for only the most brief of moments before she pulled back and extinguished the glow around her horn.
Tamika looked up with a questioning expression,
"Are... are you going to do it?"
A ghost of a smile floated around the Rectifier's lips,
"I already did. Readjustment is one of the most common spells for us. I have used it thirteen times in forty-seven years of executing my office." a small smile briefly appeared at the corners of the mare's mouth, "How do you feel? Are you still afraid of us?"
Tamika peered intently at the Rectifier then slowly smiled,
"N...no... no I'm not." she smiled almost tearfully, "Thank you." she suddenly reached out and pulled the Rectifier into a firm hug.
The cloaked mare's expression was one of strained patience,
"You are most welcome Tamika Edison. Do remember though, magic is not a solution for everything. It can be used as a temporary treatment, but unless powerful magic is used and made permanent, the effects can fade with time and suitable events." she raised her left forehoof and placed it on Tamika's right shoulder, "Please, for yourself, work toward confronting the problem on your own terms. In the future, there may be others who will suffer from the same thing, learn how to deal with your issue so you can help them. I will arrange for a small cabal of licensed Psychologists and Psychiatrists to open practices here in New Humansville. It seems that there are problems here that we, as a species, have caused you and I will see that issue resolved. Do not worry, the crown will be paying for them since they are partially responsible." the Rectifier lowered her hoof and bowed, "I thank all of you for your time and I sincerely hope there are few such needs for those in my line of work to attend trials here in New Humansville." a genuine smile appeared on the Rectifier's muzzle, "I think I may ask my family to move here. You Humans are not too bad, and that's coming from a Pony who doesn't like many others." and with her peace spoken, the Rectifier departed, closing the front doors of Town Hall behind her.
Captain Joyner sighed,
"Glad that's over." he turned and headed for the doors, "Let's get everybody in here so they can sleep."
Artex, Jason, and Razor descended from the stage,
"Yeah, and Razor and I can go to Canterlot. The Princesses offered for us to stay in the palace for some kind of meeting tomorrow."
* * *
Razor Wit yawned hugely as she and Artex rode their sky chariot toward Canterlot. The night was cool and clear. The stars shined down brightly on the world below and the view of the night sky was enchanting. Razor enjoyed seeing all that stars, but worry was gnawing at her mind. Artex had been acting strangely the entire ride. He was pensive and quiet, staring out at nothing as if the horizon held some deep secret he wanted to puzzle out. He had been chewing his cheek again and Razor knew it was a sign that he was preoccupied and worried about something. The look of intense contemplation on his face spoke of a war being waged behind his eyes and Razor worried for him.
The tan Unicorn mare looked her companion up and down thinking about him as an individual, not just a Human, 'He has his problems, but then again who doesn't. He's so quiet about his feelings and he internalizes so much, it's not healthy. Had he been born a stallion, he would be about as desirable as they come. He has a maturity about him well beyond his years, he is curious but open-minded enough to stay teachable and learn new things. I have to admit on an intellectual level, I find him more than simply appealing. He is emotionally hurt, but he doesn't let that stop him. Those are admirable qualities in anybody. If only he had been born a stallion I would be all over him. He was born as a Human though. I know his body has been changed, but I'm having trouble getting around his appearance. What has your mind so occupied Artex?'
Meanwhile Artex was waging a battle of his own, 'What do I do? What is the right thing to do? Do I hold true to my own kind and deny the changes within, or do I pursue a relationship with one of the Kavim? I don't even know what my own kind IS anymore. I've always found women attractive, but now it's like that choice has been ripped from me. Who knows, maybe now that I'm only compatible with Kavim... would it be a sin to be with a Human woman now? I just don't know. I've always tried to live justly and do the right thing, but now I don't even know what the 'right thing' is anymore.' his eyes briefly flashed over to Razor.
The tan mare was watching him intently and once his eyes fell onto her the two of them locked eyes and held their respective gazes for a few moments. Artex noticed her posture, the set and angle of her ears, and her expression, 'She's thinking about something too.'
He turned back to face the front, breaking eye contact with the Unicorn mare, 'She's been with me from the beginning and I have to admit if she were a Human woman I wouldn't think twice, but the fact is she isn't a woman, she's a mare. Even just thinking about it makes me feel wrong when I consider her as a romantic possibility. People always say it's not what's on the outside but what's inside that counts. Then again I bet they never had to face a decision like this. The question is so simple, but the answer is complex.'
He pondered the problem more in depth for several minutes, changing the direction of his thoughts from Razor to Kavim females in general, 'Was Mario right? Am I just over thinking this? Is the answer really so simple? CAN it be simple in a situation like this? The Ponies seem to have accepted it as a foregone conclusion that I'm going to marry one of them, but what about the other Humans, my friends? I'm supposed to represent their best interest, but how can I do that if I betray my people by marrying outside my own species? The question is 'would it be a betrayal? In the end I have to consider everyone around me, not just myself.' he sighed regretfully, 'It was one thing when I was talking about it with Celestia, I never thought it would affect me though. I'm such a hypocrite. I go and I push for the law that allows this and here I am in a mental quandary!' he balled his fist then relaxed his grip, 'You know what, I'm just going to bite the bullet here. Everybody is already willing to go along with this. Fuck it, I'm going to start looking for a four-legged bride... brides, plural I guess.' at that thought he wiped his face with his right hand, 'Hell, this is going to be an experience.'
* * *
Artex and Razor watched tiredly as the flight team descended into the Royal Palace Sky Chariot Reception Atrium. The Atrium was an elevated area of smooth white stone roughly a League square and bordered by well constructed stone guardrail and a single walkway which led into the Royal Palace. The team landed and the Human and Pony disembarked quickly. Ten Guards patrolled the perimeter of the Atrium and a single brilliant yellow Earth Pony mare with a blaze orange mane and tail wearing Royal Livery waiting patiently by the sole bridge that ran from the Atrium to the Palace proper.
Artex and Razor silently approached the yellow mare while the mare smiled brilliantly,
"Welcome Emissary," she said with an accompanying bow, "I'll guide you to your rooms. A paige will retrieve you in the morning." she turned and began trotting along the bridge, still talking, "If there is anything you need, a servant and a Guard will be stationed outside your doors all night. Of course if you have any questions right now I'll be more than happy to answer them."
Artex blinked owlishly at the illuminator crystals that dotted the walls of the hallway as they made their way to their rooms. Thankfully there were few Ponies still awake so the trio walked, largely unmolested, through the ancient Palace. Doors leading to various unknown rooms lined every single hallway. They walked down a dizzying series of long, nearly identical hallways until the yellow mare came to one hallway lined with more ornate doors.
She stopped in front of one room that had a Guard and a servant already in front of it and stopped,
"This is your room Mr. Emissary. Please make yourself at home." she turned to Razor next, "If you will please follow me miss, your room is the next one down."
Artex opened the door, completely ignoring the Guard and servant, and entered the room. Illuminator crystals shined white light all around the room, bright but not overpowering. The room itself was an ideal example of understated refinement. The roughly queen size bed was a canopy type but instead of brilliant, frilly colors and lace, the bedclothes were ice white. The room was a pleasant cream color and a wooden bedroom set lined the walls. The dimensions of the room, Artex guessed, were thirty feet by twenty feet with a ten foot ceiling. The chest of drawers and the vanity were set along the right side of the room and the dresser and writing desk were on the left. A single door in the rear of the room drew Artex' attention.
He made for the door and opened it. A bathroom lay within and to his delight, it had one of the new model toilets which were comfortable for both Kavim and Humans. The bathtub was big enough to fit an Alicorn and fresh linens lay on a stand just inside the door right next to the sink. Even more impressive was the wooden handled toothbrush sitting on the sink, right next to a small pick and a small box of some sort of powder. Artex availed himself of the facilities, showered, brushed, and folded his clothes then headed for the bed. He was ecstatic to be able to sleep in the nude since he didn't feel comfortable doing so if Twilight was going to be around.
He laid out his clothes on the top of the chest of drawers then slipped under the crisp covers and fell right to sleep.
* * *
Artex awoke the next morning to the sound of somebody knocking at the door to his room,
"What?" he yelled petulantly.
The yellow mare from the night before poked her head into the room,
"There are messages for you from the Princesses. Will you be joining them for breakfast?"
Artex yawned and stretched,
"Yeah, stay by the door and wait for me to get dressed."
The yellow mare stepped into the room and closed the door behind her,
"Um, if I may be so bold sir, the Princesses tones seemed to indicate that breakfast was going to be a very casual event. I don't think you need to dress up."
Artex opened his mouth to tell the mare to leave, but thought better of it and shrugged,
"Alright."
He slipped out of bed, completely naked and stretched a second time while the yellow mare looked on with wide eyes,
"Oh, oh my..." she sputtered, "Perhaps clothes would not be a bad idea after all." she averted her eyes from Artex', 'Morning Glory'.
Artex smiled smugly but played it off,
"First you say that clothing was optional, now you say it isn't," he turned to her and planted his fists on his hips, his 'pointer' at her eye level and aimed right at her, "Which is it?"
The mare backed up a step,
"You should wear clothes sir!" she said loudly, "I was mistaken!"
Artex smiled and nodded,
"Very well, please wait outside the room while I dress and close the door behind you."
The yellow mare left the room quickly and closed the door just as fast and Artex began to dress. He enjoyed a hearty chuckle at the mare's ignorance as he slipped on his boxers, socks, shirt, and pants. He decided to forego his hatchet/hammer and other things, it was only breakfast after all.
He walked to the door and pulled it wide. The yellow mare was standing just to the right of the door talking to Razor. The two mares looked up as Artex stepped out, the yellow mare's face was still bright red and Razor shot the man an irritated glare.
Artex openly rolled his eyes,
"Alright, I apologize for that little display in there, but you shouldn't assume anything about Humans."
The yellow mare nodded her head still blushing furiously even though her eyes kept nervously darting to Artex' crotch,
"Y... yes... yes sir."
"And would you kindly stop glancing at my pants? If you liked to that much..." Artex began.
"Enough!" Razor snapped, "Artex, be nice! This poor mare was surprised and now what is she supposed to think? You're the first Human she's ever met."
Artex crossed his arms,
"Fine," he knelt down to be eye level with the mare, "I apologize ma'am. I was just trying to have a bit of fun. I really would appreciate it if you didn't look at my groin anymore though."
Razor patted the mare on the shoulder,
"Alright then, we don't want to keep the Princesses waiting. Lead on please."
The yellow mare wasted no time in leading Artex and Razor toward the Private Royal Dinning Hall.
The trip took several minutes and Artex and Razor Wit were well and truly lost. They came to a set of tall, double door made of, what looked suspiciously like, black oak. The mare stopped in front of the doors and motioned for Artex and Razor to enter.
Artex grabbed one of the humongous steel ring handles and pulled mightily. The door slowly opened and Razor trotted inside. Artex entered the room and pulled the heavy door closed, 'Damn thing looks like it's more than a foot thick.' he ruefully rubbed his shoulder, 'Feels like it too.'
He looked around the room and was surprised to see that the dining room was actually fairly small. The room itself was less than fifty feet long and maybe half that length in width, though the high vaulted ceiling made it appear larger. There was a perfectly polished cherry wood table dominating the center of the room with a score of comfortable looking chairs set all around it. The chairs were obviously built for the Kavim frame, but Artex was used to sitting on such things.
Celestia and Luna, as well as one other white Unicorn stallion were already sitting in chairs. The two sisters stared openly at Artex and the Unicorn stallion had his jaw hanging nearly down to the floor.
Artex froze as he registered the stares,
"Um... good morning?"
Celestia was the first to recover,
"How... how did you move that door?"
Artex turned his head, looked at the door, then looked back to Celestia,
"With... muscle?" Artex replied.
Celestia shook her head wildly,
"That door is normally opened by Earth Ponies. Unicorns have to use magic to do so."
Artex shrugged,
"You know what?" he began while planting his fists on his hips, "After everything else that's happened on this crazy ass world, I'm just going to go with it. It's probably another side effect of the blood transfusion. I'm hungry, what's for breakfast ladies?"
The white Unicorn stallion picked his jaw up off the floor and looked Artex up and down,
"I can only HOPE you're the Emissary." he said loudly.
The Human man bowed at his waist,
"Artex Rias at your service." he straightened up and continued, "Your guess is correct, though I am only one half of the team." he gestured to Razor Wit, "This is Razor Wit, my social guide to Equestria. As yet I have not chosen any other staff members. Who might I be addressing?"
The Unicorn stallion straightened up in his seat,
"Blueblood, Prince of Equestria."
Artex' eyebrows rose,
"So you're married to Celestia or Luna?"
Blueblood sprang to his hooves,
"PRINCESS Celestia or PRINCESS Luna, thank you very much! And no, I am their nephew."
Artex held up his hands,
"Hey, settle down there your highness. I'm on a first name basis with Celestia and Luna so cool it." while Blueblood sputtered indignantly, Artex continued, "If titles mean so much to you, I can use yours, but Celestia and Luna have never asked me to be so formal with them and it's not your place to be offended for somebody else unless they're being insulted, so knock it off."
Blueblood opened his mouth angrily but Artex cut him off,
"And before you go making threats and so forth, you would do well to remember that I'm a Royally Appointed Emissary and I have a certain amount of Diplomatic Immunity." he placed his hands on the table and leaned over it, "I know the law and my rights."
Celestia cleared her throat,
"Artex would you please be polite to my nephew? I asked him to join us so he could experience a bit of culture."
Artex leaned off the table and straightened his shirt,
"Of course, provided he keeps the infantile outbursts to a minimum."
Blueblood's face was a shade of crimson that Big Macintosh would envy. Nevertheless he sat back down and took a deep breath.
"So, what's for breakfast?" Artex asked.
Luna smiled mischievously,
"Whatever you want."
Artex raised his left eyebrow at the lunar Alicorn,
"Are you sure you mean that?"
Luna's smile widened,
"Of course, but you might want to wait until our other guest arrives."
As the words finished leaving her lips the heavy oak double doors thumped, then vibrated, then went silent. A few moments later a portal appeared in front of the door and Chris Vacca stepped through.
"Hey there Queenies!" he addresses loudly, then he spotted Artex, "DAN!"
The two men walked toward each other and engaged in a hug. Chris tightened his arms and picked up Artex, chuckling the whole time. When Chris set him back down, Artex then picked up Chris like he weighed nothing at all.
"Hey, put me down man!" Chris yelled.
Artex smiled evilly as Chris squirmed in his brother-in-law's hold. Artex tossed Chris toward the floor playfully. Just before Chris hit the floor, a portal opened up in the stones and Chris fell through. Luna failed to notice the other portal open above her head until Chris landed bodily on her back.
Luna let out a surprised and undignified squawk as Chris's heft flattened her to the seat of her chair. The room went dead silent as Chris and Luna attempted to untangle themselves. Celestia was having a great deal of trouble keeping her mirth at bay while Blueblood and Razor looked on in absolute shock.
Chris's voice called up from the tangle of arms, legs, and wings,
"Wow, I didn't think YOU would be the first Pony I ended up on top of! I didn't know you cared so much Luna." he quieted down for a moment as they both grunted, attempting to get away, before Chris spoke again, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."
"CHRISTOPHER!" the force of Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice threw Chris off her and towards a wall.
Before he hit the wall, he opened another portal and went through. An exit portal appeared on the floor and Chris came flying out of it. The portal closed behind him and he hit the ceiling then fell back to the floor with a heavy thud.
Staggering to his feet, Chris mumbled,
"Hehehehe, just like the game. Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out."
Celestia could hold back no longer and burst out laughing. She laughed and hee-hawed until she fell over onto the table gasping for air and holding her sides. Blueblood and Razor looked utterly mortified, while Luna ruffled her feathers and sat up, attempting to regain some minuscule measure of dignity.
Deciding to break the atmosphere, Artex spoke up,
"Do the chefs know how to prepare bacon?"