//------------------------------//
// The Trial 
// Story: What Changes May Come 
// by Bluegrass Brooke 
//------------------------------//

It was one of those days. A day so hot that the Manehattan asphalt bore resemblance to the lava pits of Tarterus than a pleasant thoroughfare. Even the cab drivers with hooves as hard as rocks were developing a jaunty prance known to locals as "heat flash." Stylish, showy to be sure but never a good sign. This coupled with the unrelenting sunlight and lack of breeze had sent any normal pony for shelter indoors. But Milo Coltfax was far from normal.

The dashing young stallion hummed merrily to himself, trotting across the road and into central park. Avoiding the rows of empty benches with grace, he made his way to a small decorative fountain. Sure enough, he caught sight of two mares reclined under the shade of a nearby tree. "There they are." Puffing out his chest to emphasize his new suit, he strode forward. "Morning, ladies!"

Starlight's worried expression vanished the instant she saw the stallion. "Milo, dear. How'd it go?"

"See for yourself." He levitated a slip of paper from his briefcase in front of the pair. 

The peach pegasus actually gasped. "Wow! That looks official."

Starlight rolled her amber eyes, ruffling Spice's pale blue forelock affectionately. "Of course it's official, Spice. You're looking at the newest prosecuting attorney in Manehattan." 

"Yup. And you can bet your bottom bit I'll be the best!" The stallion settled beside Starlight. A series of soft kisses on her muzzle followed this declaration. "But, I'm nothing without you, dear."

Starlight nickered, licking his ears affectionately. "Darn right, mister."

The puppy talk was starting to make Spice's head spin. Get a room already. Clearing her throat, she nudged Starlight in the ribs. "Star, the paper, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Starlight's face went the color of ripe tomatoes. "Dear, we've got a little dilemma."

"Dilemma?" Milo's eyes followed Starlight's to the newspaper resting between the mares' hooves. The article in question was taking up a good half of the page. "'Renowned Business Tycoon Storm Scribe Announces New Modeling Contest.'" Milo could not help but snort at that one. From the article's picture, the onyx stallion looked about as cheerful as a cat in a rainstorm. "What in Equestria is he doing hosting modeling contest? Wife shopping?"

Starlight sighed dramatically, "Hardly. It's a charity event, dear. And-" She glanced pointedly at Spice, "-we're thinking of entering."

"Really? But you've already got a great job with the agency." Milo gesticulated grandiosely, a wide smile across his face. "They even said you'd get your own feature in the next catalog."

Spice burst into a fit of giggles, and Starlight looked closed to mutiny. The unicorn cleared her throat, "Milo, if you can dream big, why can't I? I'm never going to move up the ladder modeling school uniforms for some backwards old firm."

"Yeah, it's pretty crummy. But, my job's not much better." The thought of spending the rest of her days sewing together other ponies' designs was maddening. Spice knew she had more talent than that. "So, we're trying for something really big this time."

Milo raised a skeptical eyebrow, "They'll let novices enter?"

"They'd better or I'm going to make them." Starlight's eyes flashed with the special kind of passion she saved for her big goals. "I'm going to become the top model in this city!"

"And I'm going to be the top designer! They can't stop us. Right, Star?" To Spice's disappointment, Starlight was no longer paying attention to her. Somehow, seeing her best friend laughing with Milo made her skin crawl. The way he smiled at her jokes, caressed her mane, and whispered sweet nothings into her ears, eyes full of longing. A sinking pit in her stomach formed as she watched him. Why can't he look at me like that? Shaking the thought away like a fly, she stood up.

Starlight gave a worried frown, "Going already, Spice?"

Spice's unconvincing laugh startled even herself. "Yeah, I've got to work on that dress of yours. It's going to be great, just wait and see."

"All right. And Spice-" Starlight flashed a genuine toothy smile, "-thanks for everything! Really, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Spice felt her cheeks heat up. "Thanks, Star." As she turned to go, she smiled at the stallion, "Congratulations, Milo. You deserve it."

Milo nodded, returning the smile. "Yup, and just you wait. Your turn's coming soon."

"Yeah." Though she wanted so badly for it to be true, Spice could not shake the sinking feeling in her gut. Her eyes drifted back to Starlight. The mare was beautiful, funny, charming, and popular. The only times Spice had ever been successful was with Starlight by her side. Sighing, Spice wandered back down the path. Someday soon she would prove her worth to everypony. And when that day came, Milo would be fawning over her.  

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Cheesie, you aren't going to believe this!" Pinkie slid into the hospital room, waving a letter wildly in front of her. 

Instead of sliding next to Cheese, she stopped inches from a rather irritable Nurse Redheart. The mare snorted disapprovingly. "Pinkie Pie, this is a hospital, not a racetrack."

"Sorry. I just got kinda excited." Pinkie glanced to the curtained off bed, "So, Cheesie asleep?"

"Well he was." Her unimpressed expression said it all. "If you want him to heal, you need to let him rest."

"Yeah, but this is super important." She placed her hooves on the nurse's shoulder, eyes pleading. "I'll be super quick, promise."

Redheart rolled her eyes dramatically, "All right, but make it quick." Accepting defeat, she strode out of the room. It would take more than she was capable of to separate those two. 

Pinkie trotted over to Cheese's bed and pulled back the curtains. Sure enough, the stallion was curled fast asleep on the covers. The IV's poking into his legs made him look like a science experiment. It did not suit him at all. As gently as she could, she shook Cheese awake. "Cheesie, come on. I've got something important to tell you."

Cheese blinked, trying to focus. "Pinkie? Geeze, you're up early."

Pinkie's hoof brushed his forelock back, "Nope. It's already nine, silly."  

"Really?" His throat felt incredibly dry. After a long swig of water, his eyes caught the note resting by Pinkie's hooves. "What's that?"

"Here." Pinkie presented the slip of parchment to him. 

Cheese's expression tightened. After reading and rereading the note, he looked up in disbelief. Of course he was glad that his father would be tried, but the circumstances were strange to say the least. "How? Mother's not going to testify."

"I don't know." Pinkie looked every bit as frustrated as Cheese. "All I do know is that we have to go to Canterlot." Her eyes caught his heavily bandaged limbs. "You going to be okay?"

"It's not a matter of okay or not." Cheese sat up slowly. "I'm not going to miss this for the world."

"Kay, that's what I thought." Pinkie stood, and glanced back at the door. "I'll talk to the doctors. There's an evening train to Canterlot we can take." The thought of dragging Cheese out of the hospital early did not sit well. But, under the circumstances, it could not be helped. "Can I ask the others to come?"

"Yeah." If this trial went south, he wanted their support too. But, it was a nasty business. "Only if they want to, Pinkie. Kay?"

"Kay." Pinkie leaned close, kissing him on the muzzle. "It'll work out. It's got to."

"Right." Every part of him wanted to believe Pinkie. But some part of him dreaded how his father would worm his way out of this one. Please, for once in your life, Father. Don't have a backup plan.

.……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Storm Scribe leaned against the wall of the cell, contemplating. There was something comforting about the even pressure of the stones pressed against his side. Judging from the lack of light and condensation, his cell was underground. The darkness seemed all too fitting for the situation.

His long sigh echoed around the chamber. It really was terribly dull. Tapping his hooves against the stones elicited a hollow knocking sound. He liked that. Again and again he struck them with as much force as he could muster. Sure enough, the sound of hoof beats and clanking armor came from behind the heavy wooden door. 

"Cut it out!"

Storm Scribe snorted sarcastically. My, what an original response. "I'm not tapping to hear the dulcet tones of my hooves you buffoon. When do you plan on releasing me? I've a company to run."

The guard went silent for a while. Then his gruff voice answered, "Trial's tomorrow, Scribe."

So soon? Trials took weeks to begin in Manehattan. For some reason, the princesses must have pushed it ahead. Certainly they might rush if they had excellent evidence, but that was hardly likely. What was more likely was that his men were pushing on their end, threatening to blow this into a media scandal. His face broke into a wolfish snarl. Just like I taught them. His harsh laughed bounced off of the walls. "Perfect! I'll be ready."

The guard's hoof beats faded as he returned to his post. Though he had not been prepared for a trial so soon, Storm Scribe knew it would work out. Starlight might think she had the upper hoof, but he knew where she stood. It was easy to break her if you knew where to apply the pressure. He would slip out of this just as he did hundreds of times before. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

"We're here! Wooopie!" Pinkie Pie hopped up and down on the platform, beaming back at her friends. They did not reciprocate her enthusiasm. Applejack and Rarity shared a nervous chuckle. Cheese attempted a smile, but it ended up as more of a grimace. Pinkie felt her stomach lurch at the sight. "Sorry."

Applejack smiled, patting Pinkie on the back. "It's all right, Sugarcube." 

Rainbow flew over, "Urgh! Can we get going already? It's like three in the morning. Nopony's even up yet." Sure enough, the darkened station showed no sign of life other than their group. It appeared that all of Canterlot was still asleep.

"Guess they aren't early birds." Cheese limped gingerly ahead. "I assume we're going to the giant castle?"

"Yup a doodles Cheesie." Pinkie hopped along beside him, careful to monitor the stallion's legs. The doctors had reluctantly agreed to release him early, on the condition that she was to watch him closely. Judging from his jerky movement, the medication was wearing off. 

The others followed suit, and they started out of the station onto the main road. Normally the fabulous store fronts would have had Rarity pausing to admire them, but not this time. They had a mission, and she was bound to see it through to the end. 

"Hey girls, wait up!" 

They turned around to see Shining Armor cantering towards them. The chinking of his armor echoed across the quiet street. "Glad I caught up with you. I wanted to meet you at the station, but I was a little late."

Fluttershy and Pinkie shared a confused glance. Cheese felt completely lost. "Just who are you?"

"Oh, sorry." He held out a hoof, "Name's Shining Armor. I'm captain of the guard and a friend of the girls."

"You're more than that." Rarity nudged the stallion in the ribs. "He's Princess Cadence's husband and Twilight's brother."

"Oh." Now he was starting to see the resemblance. If Pinkie's stories were anything to go by, he was a kind hearted, honest stallion. As his hooves were so sore, he settled for a jerk of the head. "Nice to meet you. I'm Cheese Sandwich. Or," He grimaced, "if we're being legal, Rory Scribe."

"Nice to meet you, Cheese." Shining Armor glanced at the thin framed stallion in front of him. For some reason, he had been expecting him to be his father all over again. Thankfully, that did not appear to be the case. But the state of his hooves were a bit off. From his days with the guards, he was rather adept at sensing pain. This stallion was in agony. It was a small wonder he could even stand. "Why don't we take you in the carriage?"

Fluttershy beamed at him. Though she had not said anything to the others, she was downright exhausted. "Oh that would be lovely."

"Great, come along."

They followed Shining Armor back towards the station. Pinkie hung back with Cheese. A broad grin stretched across his face. "He's really nice."

"Yup. He's Twilight's brother after all." Pinkie pressed closer to him. "You ready for this, Cheesie?"

"I guess." He shrugged, "I'm not sure I know what to be ready for."

"Can't help you there." Pinkie stuck out her tongue playfully and nudged him in the ribs. "I'm a party pony, not a lawyer."

"Yeah, and that's A okay with me. I don't want another Milo." He laughed a little, then lowered his head. "But, I'd still like you to meet him when this is all over."

Pinkie smiled, trying to picture the grouchy stallion Cheese had described. "Yeah, that'd be nice. We can do some of our party tricks and cheer him up."

"He'll need a lot of it." We'll need a lot of it. Whatever was coming tomorrow was bound to sting, but he would rather have it done and over with. He glanced over to Pinkie, admiring the way her coat shimmered in the lamp light. The sooner things get back to normal, the sooner we can move on. 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Superstition held that the dungeons of Canterlot castle were full of dark secrets from Equestria's past. As she stepped down the small stone steps, Starlight was starting to believe the rumors. The creeping sensation of dread filling her chest was proof enough of that. Still, it was not as though she were being locked up here. In fact, she was going down of her own choosing. 

A gruff voice came from behind, "Ma'm are you sure you want to see him?" 

Starlight selected a tone of mock indignation, "Why of course? What kind of wife would I be if I didn't at least speak to my husband before his trial?"

The guard gave an unconvincing chuckle. "Right."

Starlight bemoaned the excess baggage the Princess insisted on carting along. Ever since she had been "escorted" to the castle, her freedom became moot. At least she was permitted a small room above ground rather than a cold cell. Her few days here had not been entirely pleasant, but certainly more bearable than she had envisioned. And, after a little sweet talking, she managed to convince the higher ups to let her speak with Storm. 

Finally, after what must have been at least ten minutes of walking down the stairs, they arrived. Starlight observed the guard explaining the situation to his counterpart. After a mildly confused conversation, they agreed to let her into the hallway by the cell. The cell guard was quite adamant against allowing her in the same room. For her "safety" of course.

The heavy oak door swung open, and they allowed her to walk inside. Torch light flickered across the damp stone walls, painting an even more dismal picture of the place. There was only one door at the far end of the short hallway. With the air of royalty dismissing her caretakers away, she waved a hoof at the guards. "You may wait outside."

The cell guard looked mortified. "But—"

Starlight gave a high pitched giggle, "You can't imagine I'm going to release him after I took all the trouble of getting him here."

"I suppose not." He glanced at his fellow, calculating the risk. "All right. Call us if you need anything."

"Of course." Starlight's false smile broke the instant the door closed behind them. She gave an imperious jerk of the head before walking back to the cell door. 

A smooth, drawling voice came from behind the wood, "Do you intend on taking me out of here, scum or standing there all day?"

Starlight's high pitched laugh echoed across the stones. "Scum? Now, is that any way to speak to your wife?"

His voice changed to its most dangerous, icy tone, "What do you want?"

"A chat, dear. A chat." Her sides pressed against the wood. "I thought I'd speak to you one last time before your sentencing."

"You seem cocky." The clap of Storm's hooves against the floor indicated that he was standing just beyond the door. "You'll need more than your testimony to put me up, dear." 

"Oh, I've got my fair share of evidence. Even without the bit you incinerated." 

"Do you now?" He snorted indignantly. "I'd like to see this 'evidence' of yours."

"You will. And it will be quite condemning, I assure you."

Storm clapped his hooves so hard that the echo sent her ears ringing. "I'll end you once I get out. You hear me? You'll be finished!" 

"Another threat?" The flickering light dancing against her perfectly manicured hooves drew her attention. "Come now, Storm. You can do better than that."

His voice was venomous, "What makes you so confident? You've got nothing on me! Nothing. You try to get ponies to talk and they'll scatter like rats." 

Starlight snorted, rolling her amber eyes. "Playing that old card again? Even if you get out of the abuse charge, I've got other plans."

"Other plans?"

"Yes. I've been quite busy." She began to pace the hallway, admiring her own cunning. "I've been married to you for years, Storm. In all this time, don't you think I'd do my homework?"

"What are you getting at?"

"A pony as cutthroat as you doesn't get that way overnight. I've dug up some interesting tidbits over the years." The pacing stopped, and she leaned against the door once more. "For instance, the death of that brother of yours."

Storm's perfectly confident voice faltered, "It was an accident."

"Oh that's what I thought too. Until I dug a little deeper. Tempest was a rebel rousing drunkard, but he wasn’t stupid. From all accounts, he knew where his limits were." She paused, letting the words sink in. "Everypony at that party said that he had only a few beers. So tell me, Storm, how did a relatively sober pony fall from a balcony he never should have been on in the first place?"

Storm's breaths came in short and fast. Starlight knew she had hit her mark. It was time to drive in the stake. "Everypony knew you wanted your older brother's position in the company. You hated your father for favoring Tempest and placing him in charge of you. So you offed him." 

Starlight gave a cold, harsh laugh to rival Storm's. "And here's the best part. After you stole your brother's position, you had to find a way to usurp your father. But, you couldn't off him too, it would raise too much suspicion."

Storm's voice was icy, "You're making assumptions."

"Am I?" She pressed closer to the wood, savoring the panicked breathing of the stallion. "Funny that your father is declared clinically insane months after your company stops research on a drug that caused permanent psychosis. And don't even get me started on all your competitors that turned up missing."
Silence, glorious silence followed those words. Starlight listened to the breathing turn nearly into hyperventilation. "Face it, Storm. I've outfoxed you."

"You traitor." The words came out quiet, almost subdued. 

Another harsh laugh bounced off of the walls of the hallway. "Traitor am I? That would require being loyal in the first place."

"You wouldn't have dared."

"Wouldn't I? You know, Milo's much better in bed than you are." She giggled, a wide smirk stretching across her face. "You should have seen how quick he was to have an affair. Like a starved dog."

A thud sounded as Storm fell to the stone. "Why?"

"I wanted to toy with him, and," She contemplated lying, but there really was no point in hiding it. "he was the only stallion I ever really loved. You just had more money."

"How long?"

"A few months. Then, just like before I dropped him. The next day, I let our little excursion slip to his wife." A wolfish snarl spread from ear to ear. "You should have seen the look on Spices' face. Priceless. She ran out and left him in the middle of the night. The guilt nearly drove Milo mad." 

Starlight paused, listening to the silence once more. "So you see, Storm, there's really very little you've ever had control of." She turned, walking back down the hallway. "I'll see you in a few hours!" 

Letting the door slam behind her, she came face to face with the guards. They looked overly anxious. Her personal shadow glanced nervously over her, "You all right Ma'am?"

"Just fine." She started towards the stairs. "I need some rest before the trial."

"Yes Ma'am."

As they climbed, Starlight contemplated their conversation. Why she was ever intimidated by Storm was a mystery. He was easier to read than a picture book. Whatever comes today, I've won. Remember that, Storm.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Pinkie, dear. Do you want anything from the kitchen? Fluttershy and Applejack are downstairs already."

Pinkie looked blearily up from the bed, focusing on the white unicorn leaning over her. "Turn off the lights."

"It's sunlight, darling. You'll have to take that up with Celestia." Rarity's eyes darted around the opulent bedroom that served as their home base. After their early arrival, they had all returned to bed. Now that it was a reasonable hour of the day, she expected a little more enthusiasm. Her eyes met Rainbow's, "Rainbow dear, do you want anything?"

She waved a hoof from her position on the couch. "Naw, I'm trying to get some Z's."

Rarity turned back to Pinkie. The mare was curled up next to Cheese, tail intertwined with his and heads resting next to each other. It really was precious, and she felt rather guilty for disturbing them. "Pinkie, you didn't answer."

"Urgh." Once again she raised her head and regarded Rarity. "I'm good."

"You sure? The trial's in a few hours."

Her azure eyes grew wide with shock. "What?"

"Yes, Shining Armor told us earlier. Remember?" She raised a hoof to Pinkie's forehead, checking the temperature. Satisfied, she made to speak but was distracted by Cheese twitching in his sleep. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah. I gave him his medicine when we got back. It makes him sleepy." Pinkie yawned, lowering her head to the covers again. "Makes me sleepy watching him being so sleepy."

"Uh-huh." Rarity sighed, "Will he be functional for the trial?"

"Uh . . ." Pinkie had not considered that little detail. Cheese had been so out of it from pain, that she went ahead and gave him the full dose the doctors told her to. Maybe she should have toned it down a bit. She gave a sheepish grin. "I think?"

"All right." Rarity winked slyly. "We'll figure out something later if need be. I'll bring you back something from the kitchen."

"But . . ." There was no point in arguing with Rarity. So she settled back down next to Cheese. His breaths were still raspy, and it worried her. They should not have forced him to go so soon. She nuzzled his cheek, whispering softly, "It'll be okay, Cheesie. It'll be over soon." 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The long hallways of Canterlot Castle brought back plenty of happy memories for the Elements of Harmony. It was in these stain glass halls they had helped saved Equestria after all. But Cheese could not feel the same way. He had never been inside a castle before, let alone the Princess' castle. For the life of him, he could not understand why all his friends were so comfortable. 

They were making their way to an obscure chamber that was rarely used. It was there the trial would take place. Pinkie marked step with Cheese, careful to provide support when his legs bothered him too much. She caught on to his frequent glances around the hall. "Nervous, Cheesie?" 

"Well yeah." He grimaced, "Why'd it have to be in a castle?"

"Are you scared of castles?" Fluttershy flew over, looking him over as though expecting him to start screaming.

"No! Of course not!" Rolling his eyes, he snorted indigently. "It just makes me uncomfortable. Like I'm not supposed to be here. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Nope, Cheesie. We've been here loads of times!" Pinkie gesticulated grandly, spinning on her haunches. "We're buddies with the Princesses. Right, girls?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow pounded the air with a hoof. 

Cheese gave a quiet chuckle. "I guess you're right." 

They turned onto a side hallway, and another. It took a while, but they finally arrived at a pair of massive wooden doors. The doors were so highly polished that they reflected the sunlight like a mirror. Cheese turned to his friends, all smiling encouragingly. It was now or never. Whatever lay behind those doors, they would face it together.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Twilight tapped her hooves nervously on the wooden chair. Beside her Celestia sat as stoic as her castle guards. Luna and Cadence shared a look of fierce determination. It appeared that every princess was ready for this trial but her. She glanced around at the empty courtroom seats, and back to Celestia, "Are there any ponies coming to watch, Princess?"

Celestia looked down at her former student giving an encouraging smile. "This is a closed trial, Princess Twilight. I've permitted your friends to come in support of Cheese, but I do not wish to have the public involved."

"Yes, tis a nasty affair and the subjects at hand may be too much for the public to take." Luna glanced towards the side chamber and watched as a slender unicorn mare was walked in, flanked by two castle guards. They stood her in front of the princesses. The normally placid expression on Luna's face was replaced by one of loathing. "Starlight. So good of you to come."

"Princess Luna." Starlight made a low bow, staring up at the elevated platform the four alicorns were seated on. A turn of her head revealed no other ponies in the room. "Where is the jury?"

"There is no jury in a royal trial, Starlight." Celestia waved to the guards to stand Starlight to one side of the courtroom. The princess regarded the mare. For somepony about to confess her sins to the rulers of Equestria, she was exceptionally calm. A loud creak at the far end of the room drew her attention. She watched as a lanky orange stallion limped down the hall, flanked by the Elements of Harmony themselves. "Girls, it has been a while."

"Heya, Princess!" Pinkie hopped up and down, until a sharp "try to be serious" look from Applejack brought her back to reality. "Ooopsies. Sorry your majesty."

Celestia chuckled softly, "Of course. Why don't you come up front?" Her hooves gestured to a row of seats where a jury would normally sit.

As they walked over, Cheese locked eyes with Starlight for the first time. "So you're here, Mother. I never thought you would testify."

"Looks can be deceiving, Rory." Starlight huffed, turning her head away from the stallion though her eyes still tracked his pained strides. It was surprising to see that he was still so badly injured. Surely he should have recovered by now.

The princesses were every bit as surprised by Cheese's condition as Starlight. Twilight looked extremely worried. Forgetting herself for a moment, she blurted out, "Cheese! What happened to your legs? I thought they were getting better."

"Oh." He glanced down at the bandages. "They got infected. I had to go to the hospital." The sight of all four rulers of the country staring back at him brought back all of his childhood shyness. Lowering his head submissively, he followed Pinkie to the bench. 

For a while they waited in silence, then the loud clanging of armor announced the arrival of the prison guards. The side door once again swung open and Storm was led in by none other than Shining Armor himself and four castle guards. Chains encircled Storm's legs and a strange blue cord of magic surrounding his horn indicated it had been neutralized. Shining nearly dragged the onyx unicorn to the foot of the platform. "I've brought him, your majesties."

"Excellent." Luna gave an uncharacteristic smirk of triumph. Then, seeing the chiding look on her sister's face, she mediated her reaction. "Storm Scribe, we meet at last."

The unicorn shot a venomous look at the alicorns, causing Twilight and Cadence to cringe a little. "Your majesty." Instead of a bow, he gave a decided jerk of the head before allowing himself to be led to the opposite side of the floor as his wife.

Celestia sighed, staring down at all of the ponies gathered before them. This was bound to be unpleasant. But, they had to get started. "As most senior member of the Royal Council, I shall begin this trial to address the abuse of Rory Scribe by his parents Storm and Starlight Scribe. Witness, take the stand."

The reality of her decision washed over Starlight then. If she confessed, it was all over, there was no turning back. Seeing the expectant looks of the princesses reminded her of that. But the die was cast, she must accept whatever came now. Slowly and gracefully, she strode into the witness stand. 

"State your name for the Council."

"Starlight Scribe, your majesty."

"You have come to us to accuse your husband of child abuse, and to confess your own part in it, have you not?" Celestia's eyes locked onto Starlight's, expecting some resistance to the second bit.

Starlight took a deep breath and nodded. "I have, your majesty." 

"Very well, you may start from the beginning." She turned to the guards and the group of friends. "Will you bear witness to these confessions?"

A universal nod of approval followed this. Satisfied, Celestia turned back to Starlight. "You may proceed."

They were all prepared for the unicorn to speak in such a matter as to make herself appear blameless. What they heard was anything but that. Starlight spoke in a perfect, quiet monotone. "You ask me to start at the beginning. That is difficult, as I do not know when the beginning was. I married Storm," She jerked her head to the stallion shooting daggers at her, "to get ahead in life. There was no love. I cared as little for him as I imagine he cared for me."

Those words stung Cadence like a slap to the face. "You married somepony you held no affection for? Why?"

Starlight shrugged, "He had money. As I was saying, I agreed to be his trophy wife so that he could gain public support. It was a descent deal. A career of successful modeling for showing up to his functions and pretending to care for him. If that were all he asked, I thought I should be well off indeed." 

Her amber eyes flickered to her son before returning to the princesses. "One day he decided that he wanted a foal. I never did, and told him as much. I am not the mothering type. But," Inwardly, she cringed at the memory, "what Storm wants he gets, and I had no say in the matter."

Cadence gasped, clutching her mouth with a hoof. Shining Armor looked close to strangling Storm. 

The scene did little to stir up Starlight's emotion. "I had complications after giving birth, and so Rory was taken away before I ever saw him. When I came around, I learned that Storm had not bothered to come and see either of us. That was fine by me." 

"He didn't bother to see his own son?" Cadence looked thunderstruck, "Was there any reason for it?

"Oh, he had a company to run. Isn't that right, Storm?" Starlight glowered at her husband. Clearing her throat, she continued, "But, I finally got to see Rory. I thought he would look like his father, but I was mistaken."

Cheese cringed, knowing what was coming next. It was always that way with mother. Pinkie stroked his back gently with a hoof, calming his nerves in an instant. 

"Unfortunately, he took after my father. An earth pony colt. Knowing my husband, I was afraid. But I hoped that once he saw the child he would see reason." There was a long pause where Starlight merely stared at the floorboards. Taking a deep breath, she continued in a subdued tone. "When he finally did come to see us, he was quite angry at me for being so sick. I showed him Rory, expecting him to show at least some emotion. Do you know what his first words to me were?"

Starlight's harsh, cold laugh echoed in the court room. "'Drown it!'" Her eyes flashed with anger, and she stamped a hoof against the floor. "I gave him exactly what he wanted, and this was how he thanked me."

"Don't lie to them, Starlight. I never wanted a damned earth pony for a son." Storm snorted indigently, "Why should I thank you for that?"

"Silence!" Luna stood, navy magic swirling around her now. "You are not permitted to speak." 

Shining Armor knocked him unceremoniously to the ground, pressing a hoof into the stallion's chest. Satisfied the scene was over, Celestia waved a hoof at Starlight to continue.

"Storm made his intentions clear. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to do just that." 

"How dare you!" It was Cadence's turn to stand. "What kind of mother would want to kill their own foal?"

Starlight gave another of her cold laughs. Her eyes locked onto Cadence's. "You are young and naïve, Princess. Why do you cling to the assumption that the instant any mare births a foal, she has an undying, unfaltering love for it?"

The pink alicorn lowered her head, fidgeting with her hooves. "It's natural." 

"Natural! Ha! Don't make me laugh. I never wanted that child in the first place. What is more natural? Loving some creature I was now burdened with or wanting it out of my life?"

Cheese gulped, fighting back the tears. It hurt, though he knew his mother had always felt that way. He wanted to shout at her like the others, but could not. Instead, he burrowed his head in Pinkie's chest. Pinkie stroked his mane gently, whispering encouragement. 

Celestia sighed, looking sadly at the mare. "Why did you let him live then?"

"Guilt. It is as simple as that. I knew from the moment he was born he I could never love him, and Storm made it clear that he would never stoop so low as to care for him." The unfeeling monotone returned, "So, I took it upon myself not to let him die at the very least. I took him home, and hoped that in time, I would at least be able to tolerate his presence."

"The first few months were tricky. Storm seemed to think it a game to try and kill Rory behind my back. I could never leave Rory alone with him." Starlight glanced at Storm, with an unimpressed expression. "There was one time, he got sick with colic. I was directed to give him some medication for it. But, as days went by, he only grew worse. One night, he nearly stopped breathing. I took him to the doctor, and, after examining the medicine, they learned it had been replaced with household cleaner. It was Storm's doing of course."

Luna gaped in wonder at the stallion now standing reluctantly between the guards. Never had she met a pony who would try and hurt a little foal. She turned back to Starlight. "What else?"

"I often caught him attempting to suffocate Rory. Every time I would demand an explanation, he would walk away as though nothing happened." Starlight sighed, "After some months, he seemed to accept the fact that I was keeping him. For a few years after that, he was satisfied to simply ignore the child. Four years later, we learned I would never have another foal, and that's when it started."

"Rory was far too energetic, and that irritated Storm. He was always saying that children should be seen, not heard. I attempted to reprimand the colt, but he was hopeless. That's when Storm decided to punish Rory himself." The mare levitated an envelope to the princesses. "I took some pictures back then."

Twilight leaned in, staring at the pictures. They were anything but pleasant. Bruises, cuts, and black eyes marred the face of the tiny colt in the majority of the photos. 

Celestia's voice shook ever so slightly, "How did you hide this?"

"I kept him home from school. When his teachers would ask, I would tell them he roughhoused with his friends. But," Her eyes flickered to Storm and back again, "it soon got out of hoof. So, I convinced Storm of an easier way."

"An easier way?" Cadence followed Starlight's gaze to a small crate in the corner of the courtroom. The guards retrieved the crate, dropping it down in front of the platform. "Open it."

Nodding, they kicked open the crate to reveal a long, black box. Cheese sat bolt upright, shaking as he stared at it. Pinkie tried to get him to snap out of it, but it was hopeless. 

Starlight strode from the witness stand to the box. "You see, princesses, there is more than one way to punish a child." Her horn touched the heavy lock, and a loud clink echoed around the chamber as it snapped open. The lid raised, revealing the marred interior of the box. "It was simple really. Lock Rory in here when he misbehaved. It worked quite well."

Luna stood, striding down the stairs to look inside. It was indeed the same box from the dream. To her horror, it was still crusted with blood and there were even more marks than before. Her voice was not nearly as calm as her sister's, "How long?"

Starlight glanced at her child, intrigued by his reaction. It was the exact same reaction he gave as a colt. "Generally I put him there overnight. But, if he had done something to irritate Storm, I would keep in in the whole day. It locks with magic, so there was no chance of him escaping."

"The whole day?" Celestia strode down the stairs, followed by Cadence and Twilight. For a while, all she could do was stare. Finding her voice, she turned to Cheese. "Cheese, is this true?"

"Yes." His eyes darted over the box as though it were some poisonous reptile. "Longer sometimes."

"Longer?" Cadence rounded on the unicorn. "How much longer?"

"It was not of my choosing. But," She gave a sidelong glance at Storm who was watching with a calculating expression. "there were a few times when I left for business, I had to leave Rory with Storm. One particular time, I returned to find that Rory was in the box. After removing him, it was apparent he had no water for quite some time. You will have to ask Storm how long that was, but my guess was three days."

"Three days?" Twilight gave a weak shudder, staring at the wooden box then at the onyx unicorn with the unfeeling eyes. "He could have died."

"Naturally." Starlight shrugged, walking back to the witness stand. "I presume you wish me to continue, your majesties?"

"Yes." Celestia waved her on, returning to the platform once more. 

"Well, the box did the trick, especially in the first year or so. But, as time went on, it became apparent that he was getting stronger. Rory is an earth pony after all. If I let him continue as he was, he would have tried to fight back against Storm." Starlight began to twirl her mane absent mindedly. "Storm would not have held back in retaliation, and could have easily killed him. That would be a messy affair to sort out, and my reputation would have been ruined. So, I decided to starve him."

Cadence's eyes swam with anger. "You starved him so your reputation wouldn't be ruined?"

"Yes I did. It only took a few weeks to figure out how much I could get away with. I gave just enough to keep suspicion away while keeping him weak." Starlight glanced at Cheese who was shooting daggers at her. "Unfortunately, it had some unintended consequences. Of course he became even more submissive, but he also grew dull in the head. That was difficult to explain."

After a long pause, she continued, "It worked for a time, but I could never control Storm. There were days I thought it would be better if I simply lost him. When he was young, I would 'forget' to pick him up from day care or take him to the park and walk away. But somepony always caught on." She stamped her hoof against the floorboards again. "When he grew older, I could no longer do that. After he ran off, it was like a dream come true. I did not even so much as call the police. I was free, and Rory undoubtedly was better off." 

"That's it then?" Luna stood glowering at the mare like some distasteful piece of trash. "Your child went missing and he did not even care to search for him? You wanted him gone?"

"Yes. I do not know how I could make it any clearer your majesty. I never wanted Rory, and I never loved him." Starlight turned, walking out of the witness stand and to the guards. "You asked me to testify, and there it is. I shall speak no more."

Celestia gave a long sad look before turning to Shining Armor. "Bring Storm here."

"Yes Ma'am." Shining Armor dragged the stallion unceremoniously to the witness stand. After locking the chains to a ring on the floor, he stepped back. 

A deathly serious expression stretched across Celestia's face. "You will speak and give your explanation for this. Though I doubt any explanation will ever be sufficient."

"Very well. As my wife," He spat the word like a curse. "was saying, I have never cared for the child. The reason is simple. An earth pony has no place living amongst unicorns." Storm's silken voice was nauseating to the alicorns. "I had every right to put that creature," He jerked a nod to Cheese, "in his rightful place. You of all ponies should know this."

"What are you implying?" Luna's tone was so dangerous that even Celestia felt nervous. 

"I thought you would remember from our conversation, princess." Storm let out a cold laugh, eyes sparkling with a manic glint. "We unicorns are the dominant species here! The other races should bow before us. So tell me, why should I stoop so low as to care for a lowly earth pony? Ludicrous! He deserved to die! I was simply helping nature along."

The alicorns sat in stunned silence. Celestia had never heard such bigotry in centuries. She stood so quickly that the guards bolted to even tighter attention. "Am I to understand that you hold no remorse for your actions? That all these accusations of Starlights are true."

"Of course they're true! Why should I deny it? And then that scum," His eyes flickered to his son, "had the nerve to stand against me as an equal. Well, I would have none of that!" The mania began to spread across his face and he gave another high pitched laugh. "I thought that fire my men set would have burned him alive, but I had no such luck." 

Silence filled the courtroom at this. There was no kindness in this pony's heart, no forgiveness. Celestia turned to Cheese, "Do you have anything else to add before we move to the sentencing?"

"No, Princess." His eyes glanced between his parents, "I believe you've got a good picture of them."

Celestia nodded, and turned to her fellows, "Come, we will discuss the sentence."

They watched as the Princesses left the courtroom. Everypony grew silent. There was nothing left to discuss.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

As soon as the door slammed closed, Luna gave a frustrated shout. "He must pay! I will have him drawn and quartered for this!"

"Sister, calm yourself." Celestia looked around the small chamber, motioning the others to sit. "We must discuss this logically, not on emotion."

Luna stared incredulously at Celestia. "Not on emotion? Sister, do you not see what kind of pony he is?"

"I know, Luna, but we must remain calm. Cadence, what are your thoughts?"

Cadence was shaking like a leaf. After hearing the testimony, she felt dirty. "They must be punished."

"And they will, Cadence." Celestia looked to Twilight who appeared to be in the most control. "What is your suggestion?"

Twilight closed her eyes, pondering. Everything about this situation just felt wrong. Why would anypony want to hurt Cheese? To think that one pony could cause so much grief for him was nauseating. There was no punishment that seemed fitting enough. Then it came to her. "We can drain his magic. I've read some books on Tirek's magic before. It was said that he could drain magic with his own. Couldn't we mimic that?"

Celestia and Cadence shared a look of astonishment. It was a brilliant idea. Celestia nodded. "That might be possible. However," She noted Luna's disappointed expression, "there is an easier method."

Luna looked up expectantly. Would Celestia allow it? "Sister?"

"Yes, Luna." Celestia placed a wing on Luna's back. "I believe this one time, we will use the old punishment."

"The old punishment?" Cadence glanced at Twilight who looked every bit as confused. "What do you mean?"

Celestia stared out the small window of the chamber, watching the ponies below. "Unicorns are able to use magic because of our conduit. Do you have any idea what that conduit is?"

Twilight hopped up and down like a school yard filly. "It's our horns, right?"

"Correct." Celestia turned back to them, eyes filled with determination. "Now tell me what would happen if we were to remove that conduit."

Twilight's face fell in an instant, and she slunk into a submissive pose. "You don't mean—"

"It is necessary, Princess Twilight." Her gaze turned back to her sister, "Luna, will you do the honors?"

"With pleasure sister."

"Wait a minute." Cadence raised a hoof, glancing at her fellow royals. "I don't think a simple horn removal is going to stop a maniac like Storm Scribe. He needs more punishment than that!"

"Of course, and he will receive it. A quick death would be no punishment at all." Celestia began to pace, thinking to all the conceivable ways to accomplish their goal. "Perhaps Storm needs a taste of his own medicine."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The princesses strode into the silent courtroom, determination plastered on their faces. Shining Armor saluted them, dragging Storm forward. Celestia stood, glowering down at him. "Storm Scribe, for the charge of abuse, the Counsil finds you guilty on all accounts. Your bigotry is a disgrace to Equestria, and will not be tolerated. There is no punishment worthy of your crimes, but we shall try."

Cheese glanced nervously at Pinkie. They had been seated in silence for the short time the princesses had been gone. The alicorns looked furious, and he wondered just what kind of punishment they would find sufficient for his crimes. 

Celestia sighed, shaking her head sadly. "We cannot tolerate any unicorn with such notions of supremacy. All the races are equal. That is the very essence of the harmony our country is founded upon. In light of your failure to see the value of earth ponies, the council has decided to remove your horn."

Storm began to flail madly. Shining Armor gripped him tighter, wincing a little at the thought anypony getting their horn knocked off.

Celestia continued as though nothing had happened. "The dungeons of this castle are deep. Down in the old vaults, there is a dark chamber cut from the earth. It is so small that one cannot stand or turn around in it and no light pierces it. It is there you will live out the rest of your days. We can only hope you learn to find remorse, but I do not believe that possible." She nodded to the guards, "You may take him."

Storm flailed, fighting as the guards went with him. "No! No! You can't do this to me! We are the dominant race! How dare you!"  

"How dare I?" Celestia's expression grew dangerous. "How dare you treat your own child so shamelessly! May Tartarus take you Storm Scribe." She waved her hoof at the guards. "Get him out of my sight! 

"Yes Ma'am." Shining Armor personally dragged the panicking unicorn out of the room. After the door had slammed shut, an eerie calm fell over them. Celestia turned her attention to the now quivering unicorn before her. "Starlight, your crimes are severe, but in a different way than your husband. The council has agreed to allow you to be tried separately in Manehattan."

"Thank you." Starlight bowed low.

Celestia waved her hoof again, and the guards escorted Starlight from the chambers. Luna stood, following them out. Satisfied, Celestia stepped down from the platform and over to Cheese. "I fear I have little justice to offer you."

Cheese shook his head. "No, I'm just happy they can't hurt anypony ever again." He sunk into a low bow despite the searing pain in his legs. "Thank you for listening, your majesty."

Celestia nodded sadly, and strode out of the room, flanked by Cadence. As soon as she was gone, Twilight dashed over to them and threw her hooves around Cheese. "You okay?" 

"I guess." He felt his face heat up at the sudden display of affection. Pinkie's eyes were boring into him like daggers. As tactfully as he could, he pried the mare off of him. "Uh, thanks for worrying."

"That was downright despicable if you ask me." Applejack stamped a hoof against the ground. "I'm just glad it's all over."

Rainbow's eyes flashed fiercely. "Yeah that jerk got what he deserved." 

"I agree." Rarity began leading the way out of the chamber. "Let's get something to eat, shall we?"

"Uh huh!" Pinkie jumped into the air. "I brought cupcakes!"

Cheese smiled admiringly at Pinkie. "That's my girl. Lemon?"

"Of course, silly. And raspberry for Rarity, and poppyseed for Fluttershy . . ." She went on a several minute rant about all the cupcakes she thought to back and why. 

They all laughed together at that. Typical Pinkie, sweeping away the tension like a cloud of dust. In that brief moment, all the fears and worries Cheese had felt that day melted away. That was Pinkie's magic, and Cheese would not have traded it for all the gold in Canterlot.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Luna waved the ax in the air, testing its point in the torch light. It was plenty sharp enough. Ever since she had returned from her banishment, she had to accustom herself to the new laws. In the past, it had always been her duty to see punishments through. And now, for the first time in centuries, she would be able to do that duty once more. 

Looking around the dimly lit chamber, she noted the guards tightening the straps on the device. They glanced back at her on occasion with obvious "are you sure about this" expressions. Luna strode forward to double check the wooden contraption. It was designed to hold a pony so fast they they could not move even a fraction of an inch. The flat board in front allowed only a unicorn's horn through, pressing their head against the back of it. A perfect position for dismemberment. 

Luna smirked in triumph at Storm's panicked expression. "Seems I have won after all, Storm. Are you ready?"

Storm attempted to struggle, but the guards had done their job well and he could not so much as twitch in the constraints. Shining Armor stood beside Luna, "Are you sure about this, majesty?"

"Oh yes, Captain. Quite sure." Luna started to walk slowly backwards, and position herself in front of the prisoner. "Have your men stand back. Head wounds do tend to bleed profusely."

"Right." Gritting his teeth, Shining Armor motioned his guards to back off. He stood to the side, watching Luna with apprehension. 

With  a practiced precision to rial any guard in Equestria, Luna brought down the ax with her magic. A blood curdling scream resonated around the chamber, causing the guards to cover their ears. Shining Armor stared in horror at the prisoner's head. Where his horn had been, there was a bloody hole. "Princess? Should we take him to be treated?"

"No." Luna's voice was icy and firm. She tossed the severed horn to the corner like a piece of trash. "Take him to the dungeon. He is to suffer for his crimes."

Shining Armor backed slowly away, nodding. "Of course, Princess."

.................................................................................................................

Starlight lay on the opulent bed, contemplating. Tomorrow she would be carted off to some dingy Manehattan cell where she undoubtedly would be convicted on all accounts. At least, that how everypony envisioned it to play out. But she would not allow it to end that way.

No, she would make her own fate as she had done her whole life. Sighing, she opened the end table drawer, and drew out a small black bag. In it was the key to her freedom. Lighting her horn with her amber magic, she opened it and drew out the glass bottle. The small vial was filled with clear liquid. Carefully, she drew out the syringe and filled it with the liquid. Just two shots. Two shots and she would be set free forever. 

Gritting her teeth, she injected the first syringe, then the second. It filled her with a pleasant sort of warmth. It was fitting that her last free action be this. Whatever came next was of her own design. What a blessed feeling that was.