Judge Celestia: Upon the Throne of Justice
Case #6: The Trial of Steel Wing (Part II of III)
Celestia stared at Twilight, quite honestly caught off guard. “Speak,” she said carefully.
“I must enter to the court that Steel Wing cannot enter a plea of innocent or guilty, as he is not fit for trial!” Twilight said, landing on all fours again with a triumphant smile. Steel Wing looked over at her, baffled. As did just about everypony else.
“For what reason?” Princess Celestia allowed. Her eyes flicked at Luna, who stood there scowling. “That is a bold claim, given his recent mobility and no clear form of insanity visible.”
“I would submit to the court that Steel Wing is,” Twilight paused, flipping through her paperwork. “Under-age!” she said. There was a long silence.
“…what?” Steel Wing asked, looking flabberghasted.
Celestia stared. As did Luna. As did the rest of the audience and Noble Cause too. Twilight coughed a couple of times, coming down from her high to speak seriously. “As everypony here knows, Steel Wing is an artificial pony. A golem, in fact. He’s made of black crystal, forged by the dark magics of King Sombra.” She gestured to him like he was a museum piece. “Given that Sombra attacked the crystal empire, failed, and had to come up with a new plan within the past three years, logic says that Steel Wing cannot be more than three years old. That makes him a minor!”
“…what?” Steel Wing blanched. “I’m older than that!”
“You think you are, but you’re not,” Twilight said. “May I elaborate?”
“I’ll allow it,” Celestia said carefully.
“A minor cannot stand trial in the royal courts of Equestria, or any other, and must have a volunteer, that’s me, represent them instead,” Twilight said, turning over a paper and offering it to Noble Cause. Noble went to fetch it and brought it to Celestia, who studied it carefully. “And, if you count his shattering as a death, then he is technically only six weeks and two days old. Making him still the age of minority.”
“I see,” the white alicorn said with a slight frown.
“Objection your Majesty, relevance to the case!” Luna snapped impatiently.
“Overruled,” Celestia said, “Relevance is not a given in court, it is a necessity to be voiced for clear understanding of the judge involved.” Luna scowled angrily, but made no rebuttals. “However, Twilight Sparkle, I will have you know I have sent foals to the gallows before.”
“Y-you what?!” Twilight said, “When?! How many?! Why?!” she looked horrified.
“Before the invention of psychological help, certain medications, councilling and other forms of help,” Celestia said, all too aware of the horrified looks she was getting, “I sent no less than seven foals to the gallows for murdering family members, playground bullies, and even younger siblings. Bad seeds that I could not find a way to help and redeem.” Celestia straightened. “Nowadays, of course, there are many forms of help that can remold a foal away from being a career criminal, but back then it was not so. A dark age.”
“E-e-erm…” Twilight was trying to maintain her posture and process all that.
“It is not something I’m proud of,” Celestia shook her head with a sad sigh. “However, in the eyes of this court Steel Wing has both the body and mind of a grown stallion. This is irrefutable, and he will therefore be tried as an adult.” Steel Wing gulped a little. “So I ask again, Steel Wing, how do you plead?”
“Er, guil--!” Steel Wing grunted when Twilight’s hoof rushed over his mouth. Celestia’s brow quirked. She whispered something furiously in his ear for several long moments. He looked disgusted at her, then he looked hurt, then he looked very upset and angry at her. She made a few harsh gestures, whispering rapidly while Celestia tried to maintain an air of patience. “Uhm… I plead innocent to all charges, your Majesty,” he said, the words very clearly not his own.
There was upset in the courtroom instantly. Ponies were stamping and shouting angrily, roaring obscenities and looked ready to pitch the very pews they sat on. “Order!” Celestia demanded, stamping a hoof several times. She flared her wings wide, to their full span. The sun coming in behind the throne cast a mighty shadow over half the room. The ponies quieted in fear, many ears turning back. “I will have order in this court room, or I shall send everypony out, dangerous pony in question or no,” that shut them up, and everypony quickly returned to their seats murmuring apologies.
“Dozens of eye-witnesses, a still-living victim, and a self-loathing to boot, Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna coolly, looking across the aisle with a tired-looking frown. “How do you intend to win?” she lifted a hoof while Steel Wing looked at her, tracing the spot where he’d stabbed her in the breast. The fur parted and he could see the jagged, ugly scar underneath. Even the stitching-marks had not healed completely yet. He shuddered visibly, ripping his gaze off her.
“The defense is not at liberty to discuss its strategy with the plaintiff,” Twilight said, coughing twice. Luna frowned, but sighed patiently. This day was going to be ugly, then let it be as ugly as it could get. If Twilight Sparkle would stand against her, then let her try. It would make no difference.
“I will hear the plaintiff speak first,” Celestia said, “Then the defense shall make a rebuttal, then back to the plaintiff.”
“May we call a witness?” Luna asked, straightening her papers.
“You may,” Celestia nodded, “We’ve a stand set up for such a thing.” She gestured to the stand that Noble Cause had set up. “Who will you call into question?”
“I call Steel Wing, the accused, to the stand,” Luna said, gesturing to him.
“Very well,” Celestia nodded. Shining Armor, still hidden in the crowd, let the shield down. Steel Wing moved slowly on his crutches to the stand, where it reappeared just as strong as before. Twilight sat on her haunches, knowing now she could not speak except to object.
“May I approach?” Luna asked.
“You may,” Celestia nodded.
Luna came out from behind her plaintiff table, leaving her papers behind, “You are under oath, yes, Steel Wing?” she asked. He nodded twice, fiddling with his crutches so he could sit properly. Effectively being made of glass was not suiting him very well. When at last he was settled, trying Luna’s patience as he did, he looked up. She was quite near now, and he jumped a little. “How long did you work for King Sombra, Steel Wing?”
“I don’t know,” said the stallion miserably, turning his head to one side. Luna had gone right for the throat. “I have no memory of him, er, making me.”
“Were you aware of your ability to produce crystal weaponry from your very legs, like magic?” Luna wanted to know.
“No I wasn’t,” he said.
“Do you know what it feels like to be stabbed in the breast by your most trusted of servants?!” Luna demanded, leaning on the stand.
“Objection!” Twilight shouted from the defense table, “Hostility towards the witness!”
“The plaintiff will contain herself,” Celestia agreed. “Question, do not badger, Luna,” she warned.
“Very well,” Luna backed up a bit, walking from side-to-side, “Were you aware that you were a pegasus that could not fly?” she gestured to his crystalline body. The skeletal wings, even under the guise of flesh and feathers, had been too heavy to lift him.
“Er, it never occurred to me, no,” Steel Wing said.
“You never thought that for a moment?” Luna asked. “I see,” she paused for a time, carefully choosing her next question. “You must’ve missed a great many things, as a sentient golem in a fleshy disguise.”
“Objection!” shouted Twilight again. “Badgering and baiting!”
“The truth can hurt, I’ll allow it,” Celestia said.
“I imagine I did,” Steel Wing said cautiously, leaning on his crutches a bit.
“Do you know what pain is, Steel Wing? Can you feel it?” Luna asked. He nodded twice. “Did you feel anything when you stabbed me in the breast?”
“I don’t remember doing it,” Steel Wing admitted. “It’s like I wasn’t home in my own body,” his eyes saw the past. “One moment I was bringing you a case folder, the next I saw you being tortured by Sombra. I did what I could--!” Luna had already turned from him.
“Convenient,” Luna said with a sour expression. “You don’t remember doing it. Many ponies would try for an insanity plea with such a story. Too bad it’s already been thrown out.” Celestia glanced at Twilight, who was ruffling through her papers animatedly. The purple mare made no objections.
Luna continued, “Did you, Steel Wing, stab me in the breast under Sombra’s command?” She squinted at him and leaned on the stand. He leaned back a bit, his tail tinkling like glass under a mortar and pestle.
“I… I did, yes,” Steel Wing whispered, nodding once. There was a long silence of him staring at the floor.
“Yes, you did,” Luna whispered and then paused to let that sink in, turning and heading back towards her plaintiff’s table, “No further questions, your Highness,” she told her sister.
Celestia looked gravely at Twilight, who looked up suddenly, “Oh me now?” she said, leaping out from behind the defense table like she was about to be struck by lightning, “Her-herhm!” she cleared her throat. The solar Princess finally folded her wings to relax them. “Steel Wing, that’s your given name, right?”
“Yes?” he asked.
“Who gave you that name? Your mom and dad, right?” Twilight wanted to know.
“Er,” Steel Wing paused, swallowing a little, “I… I guess so,”
“Really? Well if Sombra forged you out of dark crystal, like a golem, how do you have a Mom and Dad?” She pressed.
“I… I…” Steel Wing suddenly looked very upset, and his eyes glistened. There was a pregnant silence, and he suddenly put his face in his hooves. “But… But I…” he trailed off.
“You don’t have a family,” Twilight said. “When was the last time you ate something, Steel Wing?” she switched subjects. “Or better yet, pooped? Have you ever pooped before?”
“Objection, relevance!” Luna snapped.
“Building to a point!” Twilight said over her shoulder. Celestia nodded her assent. “When did you poop last, Steel Wing?!” she demanded, thrusting a hoof at him.
For all his being upset, the stallion had to answer, “I… I guess I’ve not pooped before.” Precisely half a dozen guards in the audience chortled to themselves.
“You don’t eat, you don’t poop, you have no family!” Twilight said, “I imagine you don’t age, either!” she stopped for a moment to let that sink in. “Can we actually call you a pony?” she asked. She checked Celestia’s expression, which was one of morbid interest. “In fact, can we call you more than a tool?”
“I’m not a tool, I’m me!” Steel Wing said, aghast at her.
“You’re a tool!” Twilight insisted, turning about. “You were forged in magic and fire and stone, like any weapon or woodcarving axe!” she produced a paper of facts and figures. “I have the recipe right here, how to make a golem pony! How to make you, Steel Wing! I could make a dozen of you with the proper materials!” Twilight gestured for Noble Cause, who delivered said paper to Celestia.
Princess Celestia took it, looking it over. While golem-making was not illegal, it was greatly frowned upon in most circles. Sombra had changed the formula to give his own golem self-awareness and sentience for its undercover mission, which was a code that had taken Twilight some time to crack. But she’d done it, and now here he was. On paper, Steel Wing could be reduced to numbers, ingredients, and raw materials. Celestia suddenly saw where this was going.
“I must therefore ask you, Steel Wing,” Twilight said, returning to the stand as she spoke. “If you’re not a pony, but an artificial construct, can you be blamed for what you did?” she didn’t wait for him to answer, but returned to the defense table. “No further questions.” Steel Wing would’ve been pale and sweaty if he had the ability to be so, for he slumped in his chair. He’d not been prepared for this, Twilight was pulling subjects that he wasn’t ready to face. No family? Never eating? Was he immortal, as long as he was in one piece? He felt… well, he wish he could’ve felt ill. He slumped harder when Luna re-emerged to question him again.
“I will remind the court that we are not treating Steel Wing as a minor, as he has the mind and body of a stallion,” Luna said half to Celestia and half to the audience. “And yet we bend the rules a bit further by saying surely he is not a pony at all? Poppycock!” she snapped, turning about to accuse him. “You are not a knife, nor a sword, nor a crossbow! You will not walk free simply because you are artificial!” he wilted at her words. “The moment you took that stand, took the oath to tell the truth and nothing but you willingly allowed yourself to be treated as a living, sentient being! Do you disagree?!” she demanded.
“I… no,” was all Steel Wing could manage, for he was trembling before he fury.
“You may have saved my life, my little monstrosity, but it was not before you stabbed me, threw me down some stairs, and aided in my nation-wide-broadcasted torture! Do not think you will be without punishment!” Luna said, impassioned. Even Twilight dared not interrupt this tirade. “No further questions!” she returned to her own side of the aisle.
Steel Wing was trembling hard, and couldn’t pull his eyes from the floor. “I must find myself in agreement with Luna,” said Celestia, sitting upright, “This court will not bend one rule and not the others. Steel Wing is not only an adult in mind and body, but in philosophical stature. He is for all intents and purposes, real, and will be treated as such.”
“The defense would like to make a demonstration!” Twilight put in. “I will prove that Steel Wing is neither a real pony nor anything more than a very smart weapon in the shape of a pony’s body!”
“Very well,” said Celestia, “You must prove to me and to the court without a doubt that Steel Wing is completely artificial, Twilight Sparkle,” she paused to lift a hoof them put it uneasily back down. “If you cannot do that, I will have to pass judgment for attempted assassination and conspiracy against the crown, as he has already admitted to doing so before us.”
Twilight gestured for Steel Wing to leave the stand, and he did so after receiving a nod from Celestia. When he’d reached the magic circle and the barrier had come back up, Twilight was fishing in her briefcase. She pulled out a pair of earmuffs, putting them over Steel Wing’s ears so he couldn’t hear. “I will now show the court that Steel Wing can be controlled, with dark magic, to do anything I please. He is only sentient and autonomous when he is not being directly interfaced with by a unicorn or other magic user.”
“I’ll allow it,” Celestia said, leaning forward a bit.
“As you can see, he can’t hear me now, so anything I say will not matter,” Twilight said. “But add a bit of magic…” she paused to concentrate. Green flame and magic arched back and forth, congealing onto her horn in a sickly green aura. Her eyes bled purple steam and glowed green themselves. “Steel Wing, kill Princess Celestia!” she commanded. There was a crowd-sized gasp.
Steel Wing launched himself forward, forgetting his crutches and smashing himself into the barrier that held him at the defense table. Cracks bloomed across his face and granulites of crystal rained to the floor. Roaring and snarling like a mangy mountain lion, he scraped and clawed at the force field with his hooves, hatred and malice laced across his carved features. Princess Celestia was taken aback.
“Steel Wing! Sleepy time!”
Steel Wing halted, ears drooping. His head bobbed down and he went into a tranquil sleeping-on-his-hooves stance. There he stood for ten seconds and silence, just breathing. He wasn't even panting from his physical assault of the barrier, trying to get to Celestia. His tail twitched now and then, as though swatting dream-flies.
“Steel Wing! Lift the table!”
Snapping back to consciousness when the arc of magic hit him, the golem pony took great offense to the table next to him. Dashing to it he lifted it with his front legs and stood impressively on his back legs. Crackling and popping, his frail body shuddered under the weight.
“Whoops, uhm… uhm… put it back down!” Twilight amended. He did so with a crash, and papers went everywhere. Still under strain, the purple mare made a whipping motion with her head. Steel Wing sat as though stupefied, a blank expression on his face. Then, the spell ended.
“Wh-what? How did I get over here?” Steel Wing wanted to know. He gave a sudden, belting cry of pain, “Where are my crutches?! My legs are on fire!” he shouted, lowering himself to clutch at his legs and belly.
Celestia was stunned and said nothing while Twilight went to fetch Steel Wing’s crutches. “He may look real, and sound real, and feel real,” Twilight said seriously. “But he’s not. You can make him with those facts and figures, and you can control him like a puppet with the right spells.” She didn’t look happy about what she was saying, but it was true. “The fact that we treat him as real is just playing into his programming. He is a golem. A tool, and nothing more. And, unless the court of Equestria is willing to accuse a knife of stabbing somepony, he must be found innocent. Or rather, not tried at all because knives are neither innocent nor guilty.”
Princess Celestia sat back in her throne, a rare thing to see. It was a lot think about, really. She looked over at Luna, who seemed to be fighting a mental battle as well. Their eyes did not meet, and Celestia didn’t dare make it so. “I… I have decided,” Celestia began, but then folded a bit. “I have decided a one-hour recess.” She stamped a hoof, then turned from the throne to the judge’s chambers. Noble Cause followed and the courtroom erupted into gossip and conjecture.
Twilight stood with Steel Wing, who looked horrified as she filled him in on what had happened. He would’ve struck her on the head, but his fragile legs wouldn’t let him. He leaned heavy on his crutches, feeling the new damage on his face. The purple mare promised to try and find something that would hold him together better, sweeping up the bits that had fallen with her wings and a piece of paper. Crystals could be grown, after all, perhaps he could be a bit taller!
Across the aisle, Princess Luna looked at them. She was so angry, but at the same time she understood. It was a horrible, gut-churning feeling. Indecisiveness reigned in the courtroom, and all across Equestria as ponies argued about Steel Wing’s fate.
To be Continued…
End of Part 8