//------------------------------//
// Part 5 The Prosecution 
// Story: The Measure of a Dragon 
// by Zephyr Spark 
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	Twilight woke from a sleepless night. If she could have her way, she would have stayed up all night preparing the case, but her friends insisted she needed her rest. Her parents accommodated all of them and helped out with the case as best they could, agreeing to serve as Twilight’s witnesses if necessary, and promising to be present for Spike. Twilight Velvet offered them breakfast, but none of them had a true appetite.
Twilight and her friends thanked them and proceeded out the door towards the Ponyville Courthouse, near the castle. She had rehearsed her argument a dozen times, trying to anticipate the prosecution’s most possible argument, so she could respond appropriately. Rarity had offered to testify on Spike’s behalf if they needed to demonstrate his truly selfless nature. If the circumstances called for it, Twilight would certainly take up her offer as well as similar offers from her friends.
As they approached the courthouse, Twilight turned to address her friends.
“Thank you for being here for Spike,” she began.
“Why wouldn’t we be?” Rainbow Dash interjected, “He’s our friend too. We’ll do whatever it takes to get him back.”
“Actually, that’s what I had to talk to you about.” Rainbow Dash confusedly looked at Twilight. “I need all of you to promise me you’ll be on your best behavior. No matter what happens, don’t be disruptive or hinder the prosecution. It won’t look good for our case if any of you are rambunctious.”
They all promised to be on their best behaviors, in their own ways. To be honest, Twilight was most worried about Rainbow Dash being recklessly boisterous or Pinkie Pie unintentionally blurting out something in the middle of the case. They both begrudgingly promised to keep quiet no matter what happened. With their promise, Twilight entered the courtroom and took her place at the defense stand.
Twilight gazed around the room. In the stands, she saw hundreds of ponies from Canterlot, Ponyville, and even the Crystal Empire. Among them were her friends, her parents, Mayor Mare, Cheerilee, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Big Macintosh, Moondancer, and countless other ponies they had befriended. All of them were here to support Spike, and serve as her witnesses if need be to testify Spike’s selflessness and heroism. She knew that Spike had many friends and admirers, but she never anticipated such a large turnout. She was grateful to know none of them had forgotten what Spike meant to them. Of course, some of them would also likely serve as Cadence’s witnesses.
The purple alicorn gazed to her right to see Cadence sitting pensively at her stand with Dr. Saffron beside her. Once again, Twilight pitied her mentor for having to take up this unbearable duty but admired the pink alicorn for doing it to give her the chance to defend Spike. This wasn’t going to be easy for either of them. Then, Twilight noticed several documents and books on her desk and became nervous, wondering what Cadence might reveal in this case.
The jury filed into their place and the judge rose to his seat. Thankfully, no pony on the jury was associated with the science department or even the council. Unfortunately, none of them knew personally what a wonderful dragon Spike was, and none of them would be persuaded without reason. Even more unfortunately, pony court was structured so the prosecution would present their evidence first, and give the jury a few hours to consider what they heard, before the defense presented and the jury took a few more hours to consider that evidence and deliberate. Twilight would have to make an impression on the jury after Cadence had the first chance to impress her evidence on the jury.
Spike was escorted to Twilight’s desk by two guards. After sitting down beside her, she inspected him like a nervous mother. Her inspection was cut short when the judge cleared his throat.
“Is the prosecution ready to make their opening statement?” the judge asked in an elderly voice that had seen many trials.
Cadence closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. This was going to be torture, but she knew she could not hold back. All she could hope was Twilight had a plan to outdo her. The pink alicorn nodded and rose to face the judge.
“Yes, your honor,” she spoke with noticeable pain. “Today, the prosecution intends to prove studying Spike is absolutely necessary, that dragons never had a place in our society, and ancient law confirms,” she almost choked on the words, “that Spike is undeniably property of the science department.”
Twilight and Spike stared at the trembling alicorn. Her statement hurt them as much as it hurt her. Dr. Saffron tried to look on impassively, but felt slightly unnerved at the many ponies glaring at her and how Cadence stated Spike belonged to the science department, rather than simply her. The last thing the department needed to believe was they had complete control over Spike. Cadence gritted her teeth and walked to the witness stand.
Her voice projected to every corner of the court, “The prosecution calls Mayor Mare to the stand.”
The mayor knew this was coming. She had been notified to report as a witness, and sadly, had no way to refuse. She only hoped Spike could forgive her for whatever she was forced to say. The mare rose from her seat and made her way past the seated observers to the witness stand and took her seat.
She raised her hoof to recite the oath, “On the elements of harmony, I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.”
“Please state your name and occupation,” Cadence instructed the mare.
“My name is Mayor Mare,” the pony responded, “I serve as the mayor of Ponyville.”
“Tell me Mayor Mare,” Cadence began, “how long have you known Spike?”
“I’ve known him since he and Twilight came to Ponyville on the Summer Sun Festival, though I’ve never had the chance to know him personally,” she explained. “Every pony knows Twilight and Spike by reputation at least.”
Cadence nodded and continued unhappily, “Can you report what exactly transpired on his first birthday in Ponyville?”
Spike winced at the unpleasant memory. Twilight narrowed her eyes, wondering where Cadence was going with this.
“Well,” the mayor quickly tried to think of a way to word the events without placing any blame on the little dragon, but could not. “Ponies gave him birthday gifts and he began to grow in size until he became larger than a building. Fortunately, he was able to bring himself under control and return to normal size.”
“So you’re saying he went out of control when he grew?” Cadence had to seize the opportunity to press forward.
Mayor Mare flustered as she realized the unintentional implications of her statement. She quickly backtracked, “Yes, he was out of control but he soon came to his senses and shrunk back down.”
Cadence nodded, “How was he out of control exactly?”
“He was taking belongings that weren’t his,” the mayor responded, “and it made him grow unnaturally until he could not think clearly. What happened that day was not his fault.”
“You’re saying he had control at some point?” Cadence once again had to seize on the mare’s babbling before she could backtrack.
“I don’t—,” the mayor calmed herself and regained her composure, refusing to let Spike down once again, “I’m not sure. I only saw him as a fully-grown dragon rampaging through Ponyville. I heard about events from Twilight when it was all settled down.”
“Twilight’s been taking care of Spike for more than ten years now. He’s been living in Ponyville and Canterlot for years.” Cadence wasn’t asking, she already knew this, “and no pony was prepared for this?”
“No pony really knows that much about dragons,” Mayor Mare tried to cover for Spike, “so it’s not really any pony’s fault.”
“How much did it cost to repair the town afterwards?” Cadence asked.
The Mayor pursed her lips. She really wasn’t sure the exact cost, but it was very expensive. “I’m not sure I could give an estimate. The cost was hefty, to say the least.”
“Do you believe this incident could have been prevented” Cadence continued, “If you or any pony had known about dragons and their growth?”
Mayor Mare sighed, “Yes, I suppose it could have been. But no pony blames Spike for what happened that day.”
“And they shouldn’t,” Cadence’s agreement caught the Mayor off guard, “it was their own lack of knowledge that allowed this catastrophe to transpire.”
Cadence dismissed the Mayor, who gave Spike a sad look begging his forgiveness before returning to her seat. She then turned to address the jury.
“This incident demonstrates a crucial reason why we need to understand dragons immediately,” Cadence kept her voice emotionless but was clearly in pain, “when ponies don’t understand how dragons behave, the events can be catastrophic and lethal. Luckily, Ponyville was able to rebuild, but how many incidents such as these have to occur before we take action?”
Twilight rose to object, “Objection, your honor. Historical documents indicate that dragons seldom attack ponies or any non-dragon creature unless provoked. Furthermore, the defendant did not injure a single pony during this time.”
Cadence coolly met this objection by retrieving a scroll from her desk and laying it on the evidence bench, “True, documents will indicate such incidents are few. But other documents reveal those few incidents can be remarkably violent.”
The pink alicorn unraveled the scroll, “Your honor, I present this evidence: a document describing beings recognized as Equestrian citizens and dragon encounters that lead to unfortunate consequences.” She stared at the contents and gritted her teeth.
“Nine years ago, Dr. Ruby and Dr. Sapphire were leading researchers studying dragons in the field,” Twilight noticed Dr. Saffron blink, her eyes betraying a moment of recognition. “Their research is the only basis for our knowledge of dragons. And that research though profound, is minuscule, as their lives were cut short when they were caught in a forest fire started by a dragon they had observed. This fire nearly exterminated entire species of animals, wiped out an entire ecological system, and orphaned their little filly.”
Spike’s eyes widened and he stifled a gasp. These professors must have been Silver Stone’s parents. They matched the description and their demise was uncannily similar. Twilight turned to see Spike’s moment of surprise before motioning to remain quiet as possible. Some of the jury exchanged glances. Few of them had heard of Dr. Ruby and Dr. Sapphire, but they all recognized the dangers dragons posed when they could not be controlled.
“No pony knows what caused this attack,” Cadence continued. “These ponies had been safely examining dragons for years without any severe altercations. Therefore, we can only surmise it was an unprovoked attack.”
“Objection, your honor,” Twilight once again interrupted. “If there are no existing reports regarding the incident, then it’s unreasonable to assume the dragon suddenly attacked. For all we know, some accident may have sparked a misunderstanding.”
“And what possible misunderstanding could cause the dragon to burn down an entire forest?” Cadence challenged back, “Any accident on the part of these professors that provoked the dragons simply proves there are cultural and social barriers between dragons and all other creatures that cause strife. We could hypothesize all day what happened, but we may never know. This incident proves one important point: conflicts between dragons and ponies are astronomically lethal, and won’t be stopped unless we can understand these …” Cadence choked on the word. She could not say it. She didn’t believe it for one second. But she knew the council was watching her. If she stopped now, Spike was gone forever without a fight, “these beasts. ”
Twilight scowled and once again had to object, “Objection, your honor,” she had almost lost some respect for Cadence after calling Spike a monster. “The defendant is no monster; he is a baby dragon that has never willingly hurt another being in his life.”
Cadence had anticipated this objection and sadly prepared her counter-objection by retrieving another scroll with the royal seal. “You just admitted he is a dragon. Dragons are not among creatures officially recognized by Equestrian law,” she opened the scroll, her heart breaking with every second. “The beings officially recognized as Equestrian citizens are those who have accepted Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s rule and entered her kingdom, such as ponies, donkeys, griffons, minotaurs, and zebras to name a few. Dragons have never lived by any law but their own: survival of the fittest. When Princess Celestia offered the dragons a place in her kingdom nearly a century ago, they refused, wanting no part. When she called every creature under her reign to resist the forces of Nightmare Moon, dragons were the only creatures not to answer the call. They were content to let the world fall into darkness, so long as they kept their treasure.”
“Objection,” Twilight was getting irritated with all this information and could only wonder if this was from the so-called “Dr. Facts”. If she ever found him, she swore to find out why he stuck his nose into this case.
“The prosecution’s statement is clearly a fallacy. Spike is not like other dragons; he has lived under Celestia’s law since his birth. Why should he be punished for the actions of other dragons?”
“This isn’t about punishment,” Cadence responded unhappily as she retrieved yet another scroll. “This is about bridging the gap between not just ponies, but all of Celestia’s citizens and dragons, which can only be accomplished through these experiments.” 
“Two centuries ago, a griffin stole a small gem from a dragon’s horde, not realizing this seemingly insignificant gem held some ritualistic significance to the dragon. In retaliation, the dragon laid waste to Griffinstone. Had the griffon known that a dragon would seek revenge over one little stone, perhaps this fiasco would never had occurred.”
She read further down the scroll, “And twenty years ago, a donkey was injured after trying to return a baby dragon to its family because those dragons only saw him as a thief. He was in a hospital for two years, during which time his wife and child constantly fretted over his well-being. Although he has recovered, he may never walk again. If he had some way to communicate with those dragons or make them understand his intentions, perhaps they would have received him as a friend. If he had understood dragon body language, social patterns, or behaviors, then his act of kindness would not have endangered his life.”
Finally, she traced down to the bottom of the scroll, “and a few years after that, three adolescent zebras unknowingly took shelter in a dragon’s cave and came too close to his treasure. Only one zebra escaped to tell the tale. Ladies and gentle colts of the jury, encounters with dragons are indeed few as the prosecution stated; however, the truly violent encounters leave cities decimated, lives ruined, and families broken.”
The jury soaked this information, acknowledging that many of these events were indeed rather dire. At the slightest provocation, dragons could apparently be unintentionally riled to violence. Even Twilight had to admit these encounters led to rather extreme outcomes. Still, she would not back down, not with Spike’s freedom on the line. Given the chance, she could prove dragons were not always the greatest danger to Equestria.
Cadence grimly continued, “Now that we have a baby dragon, we have not merely an obligation, but a duty to assure the families and the broken that no more will suffer.”
She turned to gaze at Twilight and Spike, wistfully. Cadence could only wonder if they would ever speak to her after this. She seriously doubted their friendship would endure.
“The defense has stated that the defendant is not like other dragons,” Cadence turned to Spike. “Now the prosecution intends to determine how true this statement truly is, and calls Spike to the stand.”
Exchanging a look with Twilight, Spike gulped nervously before walking to the stand. After taking a similar oath as the mayor had, Spike sat down. Cadence retrieved a small green emerald from her table, placing it in plain view for all the court to see. After the bailiff inspected it and confirmed it was indeed an emerald, Cadence handed it to Spike, who held the stone between his clawed hands. She turned to the court.
“Among other abilities, dragons are the only creatures capable of crushing gems with their bare teeth,” Cadence explained to the court before turning to Spike. If Twilight had not told Pinkie Pie to be on her best behavior, she would have objected that Maud Pie ate gems all the time. “Kindly show the court your capability to devour this gemstone with no ill effects,” she instructed the dragon. 
Spike found his appetite very absent as he studied the gem. Twilight was absolutely prepared to object, until she realized that there was no basis for her to oppose this. Begrudgingly, she nodded to Spike, indicating he had to go forward. He placed the emerald in his mouth and tried to chew it softly, but in the silence of the courtroom, this sound was very audible and made many ponies wince. He slowly swallowed it, feeling the crushed gem slide down his throat. 
Cadence then retrieved a bar of metal with her magic and handed it to the bailiff to assure this was indeed quality metal, before levitating it before Spike. Her eyes betrayed her heart breaking on the inside with every second. Yet, she refused to let the council see her hesitate. She once again turned to address the courtroom.
“Dragons are also the only creatures in all of Equestria capable of producing fire through their mouths,” she once again turned to Spike. “Please melt this metal with your breath.”
Spike frowned but opened his jaws to produce a small but powerful burst of flames. The metal slowly bent under the heat, shriveling, and warping until it curved and liquid drops fell onto the floor. He closed his mouth and stared at his work. He never really considered how dangerous his fire breath could be and reminded himself why he could never use it against a foe else he might end their life. If he tried to ward of a changeling during the invasion some time ago with fire, he could have easily inflicted fatal injuries. He had restraint and was a natural pacifist, but other dragons had no such qualms. His ponderings were interrupted when Cadence placed the deformed metal onto a table and proceeded to speak, levitating yet another scroll.
“The official records of every creature in Equestria describe dragons as fire breathing, gem-eating, scaly beasts fond of hoarding riches and living largely in seclusion. The defendant is clearly a dragon. He can consume gems with no adverse affects, breath flames capable of melting metal, has a body covered with scales, and clawed talons. Any differences between him and other dragons in the wild can only be attributed to his being raised in Canterlot, are negligible and essentially non-existent.” She gritted her teeth and bit back her tears, knowing she would never be forgiven after her next statement. “Dragons are by definition beasts with abilities and physical features not found in any other creature.”
Twilight and all of her friends in the courtroom were more than willing to dispute that claim. The purple alicorn wanted to object, but how could she? Cadence was correct; he might not hoard gems or live in isolation, but these were due to growing up amongst ponies. Any other dragon might have turned out similarly in the same circumstances. Spike was physically a dragon in every sense of the word. Cadence leaned close to Spike.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” her very soul aching to see the purple dragon actually meet her eyes after everything she had done to prosecute him. Cadence dismissed Spike back to his seat. Her eyes turned to the final, most crucial pieces of evidence.
Trembling, the pink alicorn levitated the final, most vital scroll to the table as well as the book. She pursed her lips and steadied herself with deep breaths. After this, there would be no turning back. She would undoubtedly be alienated from Twilight and Spike. She gazed at them both then turned her gaze to the parchment and book now resting on the evidence table. For a moment, she stared dully at them, cursing their mere existence. After sharply inhaling, she unraveled the scroll. Her tongue pressed the roof of her mouth to suppress her distress. At last, she spoke.
“The Science Department of Equestria has existed before Celestia’s rule, functioning as a branch of pony government under the likes of Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She had never heard that the science department had been around for so long, much less under Starswirl the Bearded. The scroll had a mark of authenticity, so this was all true. She still did not understand one thing. Where was Cadence going with this? The purple alicorn had a feeling she would soon find out.
“Since this time, the department has been relegated to minor roles of government, ceding most of its power to the princesses. However, there are many practices and laws established by the department that the princesses have never officially altered, which serve to keep a restraint on the princess’ powers and prevent a complete monarchy.” 
Cadence felt all eyes upon her. Many of her old friends stared at her, wondering what she would declare now to punish Spike. Many scientists observed this scene with varying emotions. Some felt eager to remind the populace their role in power, other unknowing novice scientists looked on, curious what possible rules were being referred to, but a small few including Dr. Saffron not only realized what ancient, long-forgotten laws were about to be invoked, but also what it truly meant for the little dragon
Cadence broke down inside, but through sheer will power, remained outwardly impassive even as she destroyed Spike’s life, and in effect, her life as well.
“The most prominent law, remaining in effect, is ‘all objects, relics, and animals discovered by the science department are property of the science department.’”
Twilight’s eyes widened, as she began to put the pieces together and deduce what was in the book. Spike blinked uncertainly, but noticing Twilight’s tension, became very unnerved. Cadence opened the book to that terrible page. For the first time the entire trial, she shed her long restrained tears.
“Twelve years ago, under the science department, Dr. Ruby and Dr. Sapphire found several stillborn dragon eggs, and one live egg. This egg was the same egg the defendant hatched from. He is by definition property of not merely Dr. Saffron, but the entire science department.”
The courtroom became deadly silent. Every Ponyville and Crystal Empire citizen present recoiled in horror. Every pony who knew Spike personally was outraged and almost in tears. Twilight’s heart nearly skipped a beat. She looked at the little dragon beside her, and saw his broken expression. Spike felt numb. The law specifically gave him no choice. He had to submit. Twilight couldn’t give up.
“Objection, your honor,” Twilight finally broke the silence, “the defendant is no longer in his egg, so he cannot be considered property.”
It was a weak objection and Twilight knew it. Cadence turned no longer hiding her teary eyes.
“None of the reptiles or birds the department found are still in their eggs. That doesn’t make them any less property,” Cadence trudged back to her stand.
Before her face fell into her hooves in despair, she choked out five little words, “The prosecution rests, your honor.”
Dr. Saffron could only watch helplessly as Spike slid from her protective custody as a volunteer, allowed to visit his friends when he desired, to the entire science department, bent on using untested methods on their newest lab rat.