//------------------------------//
// Part 9 The Defense Part 2 
// Story: The Measure of a Dragon 
// by Zephyr Spark 
//------------------------------//

	Rarity and Applejack departed from Twilight’s house together. They agreed to space out their arrival from Silver Stone’s to avoid suspicion. The little filly could sense Twilight’s frustration with the science department, and she felt impelled to intervene. It wouldn’t do Dr. Saffron any good if Twilight declared war on the science department.
“Twilight,” the lavender alicorn turned to the little filly. “I know you’re angry at the department. I don’t blame you. But I don’t think disbanding completely it would be a good idea. I mean keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Plus, the department has done so much good for Equestria, and has for the most part tried to be ethical. They’re open to change, really! You know, that last reveal changed a lot of the scientists’ minds. They’re starting to think that only Dr. Saffron should have access to Spike, and the rest of the department should stay out.”
Twilight stared at the unicorn, studying her. She seemed like a well intentioned, honest child. But Twilight would have to see the science department change before her wrath was curbed. 
“Twilight, Spike. Just one second, I have one more thing to give you” Silver Stone turned to her saddlebag and levitated another book towards Twilight, “This is Dr. Saffron’s research journal. She took notes of all of the safe experiments she intended to conduct on Spike.”
Twilight skimmed through the journal, and Spike cocked his head with a question.
Not missing Spike’s cue, Silver Stone explained, “It was in the drawer with my parents’ journal. She already had several ideas of procedures to attempt on you and only added suggestions from other experimenters that she felt were ethical and productive.”
Twilight looked at the filly, wondering why she was doing all of this. Silver Stone looked down and fidgeted uncomfortably.
“It might not help your case,” she said, “but please know that Dr. Saffron never wanted to hurt Spike. The proof is in that journal.”
“She still has a lot to make up for in my books,” Twilight’s voice made Silver Stone wince, “but I’ll try to go easy on her.”
The filly nodded and raced to the courthouse. Twilight handed the journal to Spike, who looked up uncertainly. Why had she given this to him?
“Well, you’re the one she wanted to take,” Twilight stated. “You have a right to read this.”
The little dragon opened the book and read the experiments. If it weren’t for the fact he was at risk of being taken away forever, he would have found many of the proposed experiments intriguing. He actually would have liked to know the maximum temperature of his fire breath, or discover how long it would take him to grow wings. Spike never even considered how hard his teeth were, given that they could crush gems. The more he read these experiments, the more he realized how little he knew about dragons.
“Some of these are actually kind of interesting,” Spike admitted. Twilight gave him an incredulous stare. He shrugged, “I don’t know that much about dragons either. I wouldn’t mind learning how powerful my fire breath could become or my potential flight speed or even when I’ll grow wings. Of course, none of this matters if it means I can’t stay with you.”
Twilight nodded and took back the book, placing it into her saddlebag. The two left once more for the courtroom. As they walked through the streets, Twilight ruminated on that journal. She just didn’t understand. Why had Dr. Facts decided to give it to Dr. Saffron now of all times? Silver Stone said it was a way of showing Dr. Saffron’s morality and restraint was archaic, but Twilight had doubts. The journal undermined everything Dr. Saffron believed she was fighting for, so giving it to her in the middle of this trial was illogical. It could only push Dr. Saffron away from the case, giving her reason to doubt her cause. Unless that was what Dr. Facts was trying to do, there was no logical benefit. Twilight’s eyes widened with realization and she stumbled. Spike turned to look at his friend with concern.
“She’s playing us,” Twilight stood completely still, in the middle of the street.
Spike looked at Twilight puzzled, “What are you talking about?”
“Dr. Facts knew that Dr. Saffron would have a change of heart during the trial, she knew Dr. Saffron would send us the journal.”
Spike scowled, “Hold on, Twilight. You’re not making sense. How could Dr. Facts predict Dr. Saffron sending us the journal? And how is that playing us?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight responded. “But she has something planned. I feel it.”
Spike frowned thoughtfully. “Well, just don’t present the journal to the court.”
“I can’t,” Twilight paced anxiously. “This journal links Dr. Facts to the event all those years ago. I need it to show how her beliefs caused their deaths, and bring her into this trial.”
Spike shrugged helplessly, “Then don’t mention where you got the journal.”
Twilight gritted her teeth. “What else can I do?”
With that, the two marched on to the courthouse, racking their brains trying to make sense of this whole mess. They soon entered the courtroom, noticing most of ponies assembled were still present.
After putting her saddlebag on the defense table, Twilight and Spike took their places, noting that Cadence was absent from the prosecution stand. She glanced over to Dr. Saffron, who met her gaze for a brief moment. Try as she might, Twilight could not read the doctor’s thoughts. If she expected a smile or some thanks for the journal and documents, the doctor would find herself sorely disappointed. Twilight broke away from her gaze, but this time, did not scowl at the doctor, which the unicorn noticed.
Every pony seemed present. Spike noticed all of his friends from Ponyville, particularly Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack. Where were Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie? Well, Pinkie Pie was probably bringing Dr. Facts to court but what was Rainbow Dash doing now of all times? Did Pinkie Pie need some extra muscle? He considered that Rainbow Dash was a Wonder Bolt, or at least a Wonder Bolt in training, and Wonder Bolts were recognized as a branch of the military and police force. She could technically make citizen arrests on her own. Perhaps, she had Dr. Facts under arrest to prevent her escape? Spike didn’t know. When he scanned the many ponies present, he kept wondering why Shining Armor was not present, or at least visible.
The judge frowned at the vacant prosecution stand, “Where is the prosecution? We can’t resume trial without her.”
As if on cue, the tall, pink alicorn entered the courtroom and walked to her stand.
“Please forgive my tardiness, your honor.” Cadence said as she took her seat, “I had to take care of something.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed, wondering what Cadence could have been doing. The judge spoke and she returned her attention to his words.
“In any case, we can now resume the trial.” He looked at Twilight awkwardly, realizing he had not consulted with her to ask if she had more to argue, “Um, does the defense have anything else to present?”
“Yes, your honor,” Twilight alleviated the judge’s worries, as she rose. “The defense calls Dr. Saffron to the stand.”
To the surprise of many ponies, Dr. Saffron proceeded to the stand without objection. The judge was particularly startled by this and considered asking if she felt well. The doctor lifted her hoof.
“On the elements of harmony, I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth,” the doctor lowered her hoof and sat down.
Twilight approached the unicorn, “Please state your name and occupation.”
“Dr. Saffron, member of the Equestrian Science Department and leading scientist in the field of dragon research,” the unicorn responded, though she felt no particular pride in admitting to either.
“As a member of the science department, could you please tell the court what in your eyes qualifies as a being protected by Princess Celestia’s laws?” Twilight asked.
Considering the science department was undoubtedly watching her, Dr. Saffron carefully answered, “I suppose any being protected by Princess Celestia’s laws are under her rule. Dragons aren’t typically considered citizens because they live under their own laws.”
“Wouldn’t that make Spike a being deserving protection?” Twilight prompted her, “He takes messages directly from her and sends them to her. Not to mention, he has constantly obeyed her laws, never stealing or hurting any other pony. Even if other dragons don’t live under the law, Spike does. Should he be punished for their decisions?”
“Ordinarily, I would agree with you,” the doctor tried to hide that she completely agreed with the princess right now. “But Spike is still a dragon. Were he out in the wild, he wouldn’t be any different from other dragons.”
“But he wasn’t raised in the wild,” Twilight retorted, “I raised him here in Canterlot. He is different from other dragons. And you just admitted it.”
Dr. Saffron blinked and stuttered for a moment, gasping for a response. She had none. The unicorn nodded, “Yes, I suppose I just did.”
The unicorn turned to glance at Spike. At last, she decided to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. “I was too ignorant to realize it when we first met, but I can no longer deny that Spike is indeed unique, not simply compared to other dragons but to other creatures. I was wrong to treat him so poorly and assume I could own him.” She gazed at Spike and whispered one brief sentence, audible to the entire court, “I’m sorry, Spike.”
The entire court was silent, astounded. The scientists present were baffled; she had brought this case to court, was she now regretting her actions? Every Ponyville citizen was equally baffled but relieved that the doctor had apparently changed her mind. Twilight’s mouth was agape. She remembered Silver Stone said Dr. Saffron had changed her mind about Spike, but she never anticipated such a drastic change. 
“If you truly believe what you’re saying,” Twilight asked more as a pony to pony than a lawyer to a witness, “why didn’t you drop the case?”
Dr. Saffron glanced at Twilight’s saddlebag for just a moment, indicating she had the answer. The alicorn did not miss this and moved to retrieve the documents, stuffed in that journal. She handed them to the bailiff, who looked physically revolted by what he read. Taking the papers, Twilight placed them before Dr. Saffron.
“Could you please identify these documents for the court?” Twilight commanded.
The unicorn scowled, wrinkling her nose. “When I decided to pursue this case, many scientists were eager to perform frankly unorthodox and barbaric experiments on Spike. Before Cadence invoked that law, I was the one who would be overseeing any experiments performed on Spike, so naturally many scientists proposed various experiments to me. What you have here are the many proposals I rejected due to their cruel and unproductive nature. If you’d like a specific,” shifting through the documents, Dr. Saffron found that abominable proposal, “this document proposed dissecting Spike to study his anatomy.”
The entire courtroom winced, and several ponies felt sick. Spike’s hand rose unconsciously to his throat as he forced down his bile. All of Ponyville and the Crystal Empire were ready to break the skull of whatever scum proposed this, while many scientists looked aghast at the proposal. They all swore to have no idea of this proposal; some lied, but many more told the truth. Dr. Saffron placed the document back down and continued to speak.
“To answer your previous question, I did not drop this case because I didn’t want some simpleton destroying Spike or treating him poorly,” Dr. Saffron’s statement made Twilight’s eyes narrow. “And I didn’t drop it later because I was worried that might deprive you the chance to defend him.”
“I thought you wanted to understand dragons?” Twilight pointedly stated. “Why suddenly change your position?”
The unicorn narrowed her eyes in turn, “I want to understand dragons, yes, but not if it means destroying one and permanently separating him from his family. I believe that as a scientist, I am absolutely obligated to put my morality first.” Dr. Saffron’s gaze fell to the tabletop, ashamed. “Of course, I can’t say I always intended to let him stay with you. I had not realized how he truly views you as family until my assistant told me that he sees you as she sees me. That he needs you like she needs me. No good can come from separating the two of you. I see that now.”
Twilight did not turn around to the audience, but could sense the silver unicorn feeling proud of her mentor. She still would not go easy on Dr. Saffron, even though she seemed regretful.
“There’s something else I’d like to ask you,” Twilight continued. “You stated when Cadence invoked that law, your hopes of protecting Spike were foiled. Were you not aware she would present these documents to the court?”
Dr. Saffron shook her head. “I was dealing with all of the proposals and a certain journal when she received those documents. I can only assume Dr. Facts sent Cadence those documents, but I have no idea how he found them.”
Cadence nodded to confirm her statement, and Twilight pressed the point to see just how much Dr. Saffron really knew. “Dr. Facts? Can you identify this individual?”
Once again, the unicorn shook her head. “Dr. Facts is an alias. No pony knows who he really is; just that he has considerable influence on the science department and has been anonymously publishing books on various academic fields promoting his ideals.”
Twilight’s stared at Dr. Saffron, “And what exactly are his ideals?”
“In short, the ends justify the means,” the unicorn responded. Twilight believed she truly did not know Dr. Facts’ identity.
“Would you say the science department accepted this ideal?”
The unicorn broke her gaze for a moment, falling into contemplation. She considered all the proposed experiments she had read, both wise and barbaric, she considered Dr. Facts, a skilled but misguided professor, and then she considered the journal and her friends. 
“I wish I could say no,” the unicorn slowly met Twilight’s gaze. “But now, I’m not so sure anymore.”
Twilight decided it was time to make her first ultimate reveal. She retrieved the journal from her saddlebag, handing it to the bailiff. Dr. Saffron inhaled sharply, hoping her friends, Dr. Sapphire and Dr. Ruby, would forgive her for what she had to do, but then she remembered their actions. Once again, she wondered if she ever truly knew them. Twilight noticed Dr. Saffron's momentary reaction and considered how hard it must be for her to mar Silver Stone’s parents. Nevertheless, she placed the journal on the evidence table.
“Do you recall the incident that occurred with Dr. Ruby and Dr. Sapphire?” Twilight addressed the court. “The prosecution stated that a dragon the two had been studying was inexplicably provoked to attacking them, burning an entire forest to the ground with them in it.”
She took a deep breath, “For the longest time, every pony assumed this attack was random and unprovoked, but recently, their journal has been recovered, detailing exactly what happened.” She flipped open the journal; the spectators’ anticipation was palpable. “Thirty days before the incident, Dr. Sapphire added a powerful sedative to a dragon’s gem hoard, incapacitating the dragon for several hours. During this time, Dr. Ruby surgically removed several scales from the dragon to craft this journal’s binding.”
This statement triggered murmurings among the audience and left others in shock. The entire crowd felt revolted, scientists included who could hardly believe the esteemed and highly regarded doctors would commit such a heinous act. They all understood now why the dragon attacked them after waking up without his scales; he must have gone absolutely berserk.
“However, this event did not provoke the dragon into attacking.” Twilight felt the intrigue rise even further. What possible action could have been more enraging? Dr. Saffron knew, Silver Stone knew, Spike knew, Twilight knew, and they still had trouble believing it. Twilight flipped to the journal’s final pages. She took a deep breath.
“On the day of the attack, the professors collected several stillborn dragon eggs that were presumably left abandoned. Among these stillborn eggs,” The alicorn lifted her gaze to look at the little purple dragon at the defense table, “they tried to make off with the defendant’s living egg.”
Every pony reacted to this statement. Many mothers instinctively moved their front hooves over their hearts in shock, while many fathers unconsciously took aggressive stances by narrowing their eyes and gritting their teeth, as both confronted the imaginary ponies trying to steal their children. The scientists shook their heads in bitter disappointment with their colleagues or widened their eyes when they realized that their current knowledge of dragons came from these monsters, willing to kidnap an infant. All of Spike’s friends looked at him with pity, knowing ponies were to blame for separating him from his true parents. Dr. Saffron could only feel numb. She knew this had to be done; it was the right thing. Now, however, she had betrayed the memory of her dearest friends, of Silver Stone’s very own parents. The numbness faded, replaced with bitter resolve. These scientists were no longer her friends or Silver Stone’s parents, even in memory. Everything she believed in, everything that motivated her up to this point, all of it stood on false ground. Twilight however, did not intend to completely besmirch the professors’ reputation. She would trace the crime to its root. Dismissing the unicorn back to her place at the prosecution, she turned to keep Dr. Saffron in eyesight.
“But what if I told you that their actions aren’t entirely their fault?” Dr. Saffron looked at Twilight in confusion. Silver Stone blinked uncertainly. As far as they were both concerned, her parents willingly committed their actions that day, making them guilty. Every pony was on the edge of his or her seat now, wondering what else the alicorn had to reveal.
“Indeed, they performed their actions that day, but only because they were following some pony’s teachings.” Dr. Saffron narrowed her eyes, trying to discern what Twilight was telling her, or rather, telling the court.
“And what if I told you that this pony was their instructor during their time at the Canterlot Science Academy, who before retiring from her post to take up more quiet work, convinced them that the ends justify the means?” Dr. Saffron gasped. How could this be possible? Twilight shifted to the doorway where every head turned to see Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash leading in a green mare, who kept her face upright, proud, and arrogant.
“The defense calls Dr. Facts to the stand, or as she’s better known, Amber Heart, the Canterlot librarian.”
Cadence gasped as she recognized the mare who gave her those many documents at the library. She claimed a stallion gave her those documents, stating they were from the council to ensure justice prevailed. All along, she must have given those documents, possibly even fabricating them. As the mare reached the stand and half-heartedly swore the oath with a superior, smug smirk, the pink alicorn rose to her hooves.
“You? You’re Dr. Facts?” Cadence scowled, “You’re the one who’s been giving me all those fake papers?”
“Those papers weren’t fake, my dear,” Dr. Facts wore a smile that did not reach her eyes. “And yes, I found all those papers in the Canterlot Library long ago, specifically in the Council’s section.”
“You dare go behind the princess’ back to personally involve yourself in the law?” Cadence gritted her teeth, prepared to strangle the mare for putting her and Spike through so much agony.
“Please,” Dr. Facts condescendingly tilted her head. “I’m just a citizen trying to ensure due process of the law by contributing anything I can to this case. Since the beginning of their reign, the princesses have always had civil servants, assisting them and keeping them in order by maintaining awareness of the law. You can’t accuse me of wrongdoing, when I’m merely presenting the court with vital information. Though if you see my actions as unjust and believe I belong in prison, then you should bring every one of the witnesses to prison for,” the doctor paused, putting a hoof to her chin, mockingly, “what was it again? Oh yes. Providing evidence to influence the jury’s decision.”
Cadence could only glare at the mare. She was right. The princesses always had some ponies helping them in some way. Many experienced ponies offered their wisdom and counsel in extreme circumstances. No matter how much she wished it, Dr. Facts could not be imprisoned for providing evidence to a legal case.
“You’ve been trying to turn this case in your favor before the trial even started,” Cadence scowled. “All of the witnesses testified in court publicly; you handed me those documents that you found yourself. Why should you insist on anonymity while giving your horrible documents to me?”
The doctor shrugged, “Some of us prefer not to be at the center of attention. Besides, the witnesses testifying in court all had unique perspectives of certain events or misguided beliefs about that dragon,” she eyed Spike, looking for a response. When he gave no visible reaction, she continued, “Not to mention, those documents existed independently of me. Would you have preferred some pony to stand as a witness and explain every piece of evidence the prosecution or defense brought forth?”
Twilight cleared her throat, reminding Cadence this was her witness. As Cadence backed down, Twilight retrieved the confession from her saddlebag and handed it to the bailiff. She placed it on the evidence table and unrolled it.
“This is a full-confession written by Amber Heart, attesting to her actions as Dr. Facts,” Twilight felt unnerved by the green unicorn’s eerily calm demeanor. “In it, she explained that Dr. Sapphire and Dr. Ruby were her ‘prized students’ at the academy, and that she taught Dr. Sapphire and Dr. Ruby that advancements in science require sacrifice.” She turned to the unicorn, “Do you deny this?”
From the audience, Dr. Facts noticed that pink earth pony with a deflated mane staring at her fixedly with murderous blue eyes. Slowly, she lifted a cupcake in her right hoof, sending a wordless message to the defiant professor, reminding her that the pink pony could always make her fess up in public with her unorthodox methods. The doctor lost her arrogant smile for a moment and shivered with wide eyes, recalling how that insane pony made Dr. Facts reveal her secrets. She was not coerced to confess, but she really did not want to repeat that ordeal, or stare at that cupcake for another second. If that pony gave another six hour lecture on the tedious history of cupcakes, she would go insane. The doctor turned to Twilight.
“Yes,” her voice instigated several murmurs among the audience. “I taught them the importance of pursuing science at the academy. Being their mentor is what made me the first pony to legally inherit their research journal, when they perished. After all, their will designated I would receive their research. I do hope the court doesn’t intend to punish me for being so dear to them.”
Spike stared at this unassuming green mare, who wanted to separate him from Twilight. The purple dragon gritted his as he stared through narrowed eyes. The judge also narrowed his eyes as he noticed something inconsistent with the testimony.
“Wait a minute,” the judge frowned as the professor turned to him. “You’re saying that journal,” he gestured to the journal on the table, “belongs to you?”
Dr. Facts feinted her misunderstanding, “Why, yes. I own the journal. It’s been in my possession for over ten years now. Why do you ask?”
The judge scratched his bearded chin, “Why omit this journal in spite of all the other evidence you’ve contributed?”
“I didn’t want to present it because I was worried it would damage my dear students' reputation,” the doctor stated. “And I was so afraid it would cause every pony to view their daughter in some new light. She certainly didn’t deserve that.”
Spike clenched his fists and scowled. He was enraged that Dr. Facts had withheld this journal for so many years, while providing Cadence with necessary evidence to win her case. Worse still, she was completely justified in withholding the journal; no pony could blame her for protecting her student’s memory. All of these actions, no matter how provoking, paled in comparison to the one implied action that truly infuriated Spike. Yet, he remembered this was court, and he had no business speaking out of term. The doctor continued speaking, and Spike masked his discontent.
“Wracked with guilt from all these years, I sent the journal to Dr. Saffron a few days ago, so she could know the truth,” Dr. Saffron pursed her lips, fully aware the doctor’s true motives were far from benevolent. She just could not discern what Dr. Facts was trying to accomplish. 
Twilight recognized Dr. Saffron’s unease, and anticipated some foul scheming. She prepared to continue her examination, until the judge’s eyes widened and then narrowed. Twilight could only wonder what was bothering the judge now.
“If you gave the journal to Dr. Saffron,” he eyed the cream-colored unicorn and then the purple alicorn, “then how did it end up in court in the hooves of the defense?”
Twilight stumbled for a moment, and Dr. Facts leapt onto her hesitation.
“I suppose the only answer is that Dr. Saffron gave her the journal,” the green unicorn declared.
This prompted further murmurings from the audience that the judge could not immediately silence. Was it true? Had Dr. Saffron compromised her entire position and given Twilight the journal? The judge stared at Dr. Saffron with incredulous eyes. Ordinarily, he would have ordered the witness to refrain from forming their own conclusions, but this theory shook him to the core. The cream unicorn would not meet his gaze, knowing she was indeed responsible. Yet, she regretted nothing, and would have sent the journal again if she had to; perhaps this action compromised her position but Dr. Saffron reasoned it was the appropriate action given the circumstances. 
“Professor Saffron,” his mouth slightly gaped, “is this true?”
Dr. Saffron lifted her gaze to meet the judge’s eyes. She could have denied the claim, insisting her assistant stole the journal for them; she could even sense Silver Stone was about to admit before the court that she brought the journal to the defense. But a cross examination could reveal that she allowed the journal to be taken, which was practically as good as handing it over personally. Dr. Saffron would not allow Silver Stone to accept responsibility for her actions. As Silver Stone took a sharp inhale to declare her fault, the unicorn nodded her head and spoke.
“Yes, your honor. I gave the journal to my assistant and implicitly told her to deliver it to Twilight Sparkle.”
The silver unicorn in the audience stopped, in shock. What was Saffron doing? She couldn’t tell the court that she gave Twilight the journal to use; it would undermine her credibility as a professor, her eligibility as a member of the Canterlot Science Department, and the recent motion to overturn the department's claim to Spike, and simply grant Saffron custody. As further discussion rose from the audience, the silver unicorn’s eyes widened, as she realized what losing the last of these would mean for poor Spike. All the while, Spike looked at Dr. Saffron with growing admiration for the unicorn who accepted responsibility. Upon gazing at Dr. Facts, this admiration was replaced with disgust and loathing for the doctor who avoided responsibility all of these years. His musings were interrupted but not ended when the judge gazed at the unicorn in dumbfounded surprise.
“Why? You’re the one who brought this case to court on behalf of the science department,” the judge slammed his hammer to silence the crowd, still incessantly muttering.
“As I previously stated,” the unicorn met his gaze firmly. “I no longer falsely believe Spike is a monster. Claiming ownership of him by denying his uniqueness is the equivalent of slavery.”
“But you’re presenting this case on behalf of the science department. Is it really fair for you to ruin their goals with your own vendetta?” The judge sighed unhappily.
In light of the dragon’s recent testimony, he heard many scientists proposing that only Dr. Saffron should have custody of him rather than the department as a whole, should she win. Now, even that hope would be destroyed. He knew the law; he had to uphold it. With the science department’s claim on Spike, this case had become the science department against the little drake. To have one of their own betray their interests left one legal course of action. The law was very explicit: should a member of the science department betray the entire department’s interest in court, the scientist would be stripped of all rights and the department would instantly win the case. He had no idea how this law came into effect or why it was still present, but it forced him to make a loathsome decision.
“If you’re intent on sabotaging your own case, or rather the science department’s case, then I’m afraid I must rule in favor of the entire science department. As the scroll Cadence presented states, should a member of the science department betray the science department in court, the trial must end in the department’s favor. Spike will no longer be in custody of Dr. Saffron, but the property of the science department.” 
This prompted several ponies to verbally protest, most noticeably Twilight’s friends. As the judge tried to restore order, Dr. Saffron saw the smirk on Dr. Facts’ face; it brought to mind a chess player setting up their opponent and then ensnaring them. She studied this face curiously. She couldn’t help but marvel how the doctor guided this whole case to her satisfaction. It was uncanny.
The unicorn slowly grasped the whole of this situation. Dr. Facts had played her. When she sent that journal yesterday, it was not simply a mocking gesture. No, the doctor had the foresight to put herself in a perfect winning situation. She knew the unicorn would have a change of heart and send Twilight the journal. She knew Dr. Saffron would have to confess her actions, and that confession would ruin her position on this case, or more specifically, the entire science department’s position on this case. Once again, the doctor was exploiting more ancient laws.
“Objection your honor,” Twilight’s voice cut through the crowd. “This case isn’t about the doctor changing her mind or the science department; it’s about Spike.”
The doctor chuckled for a moment at this interfering alicorn. Watching her fumble was absolutely amusing to the doctor, as she had control over the entire situation.
“Actually, my dear, you’ll find the way one discovers information is vital.” Her calm demeanor silenced the spectators, “You received this information from unorthodox methods, namely a traitor of the science department,” she smirked at the unicorn whose face was downturned.
“Which under due process of the law means the prosecution was unfit to perform its duty, and the dragon goes to the entire department. As Saffron demonstrated, individuals alone are unqualified for experiments on dragons; they are too easily swayed by emotions. The beast is now property of the science department.”
Cadence’s eyes watered, Twilight’s heart skipped, Spike broke, realizing his life was over. Until, he heard a chuckle coming from the prosecution. Dr. Saffron rose with a confident smirk. Dr. Facts wasn’t the only pony who could play chess; the unicorn had anticipated the consequences of her actions, and did something even Dr. Facts couldn’t have predicted: the right thing.
“Funny you should call me a member of the science department,” the unicorn removed her glasses, to stare the doctor defiantly in the eyes. “I resigned from my post immediately after Spike’s testimony.”
The entire courtroom gasped. Silver Stone did a double take. Dr. Saffron valued her role on the department. She had worked years to achieve her position and receive recognition for her contributions. Yet, she simply gave it all up? Why?
“You can check the science department records. I put in my letter of resignation about five minutes before I had Silver Stone deliver the journal to Twilight,” the unicorn grinned at the wide-eyed, disbelieving doctor, satisfied to have thrown her so off balance. “My actions were not performed as a member of the department nor as the prosecution, but as a fellow pony intent on seeing justice. The science department was represented solely by the leading prosecutor Cadence, who had no involvement in, or awareness of, my actions.”
Spike and Twilight stared at Dr. Saffron in awe. She threw her entire career away for the sake of a little dragon she originally wanted to experiment on? Twilight and Cadence regarded the unicorn with gratitude, while Spike and Silver Stone regarded her with admiration. Dr. Facts barely suppressed her rage. How dare this impudent brat escape her machinations? Worse yet, she escaped by stepping down from a role most ponies only dreamed of. Did she really place so little thought on her role in the science department that she would throw it all away on the flip of a bit? And for what? Some monster that was responsible for the death of her friends? 
The doctor inhaled sharply, ready to counter argue. Then, she noticed the pink earth pony lifting another cupcake, unaware that the pony had bred in the doctor an unconscious, irrational fear cupcakes with her unorthodox methods. Somehow, deep down, she knew that cupcake in combination with that pink pony were to be feared. Dr. Facts found the words stuck in her throat under the pony’s gaze, and meekly sat down. Noticing this wordless exchange, Spike had no idea how she palled the doctor, but knowing Pinkie Pie, it couldn’t be rational.
Dr. Saffron turned to the judge, “The case is still on, your honor, and Twilight has the floor.”
The judge quickly nodded eager to see this case through, “Very well then. The case continues. However, should the jury rule in favor of the prosecution, Spike will be considered property of the entire science department, not custody of Dr. Saffron, who may not be retaining her title of doctor depending on science department's ruling. Otherwise, the defense may continue.”
As the unicorn judge sat down, Twilight nodded sourly and turned to the doctor, ready to confront the true mastermind. The doctor regained her posture ever so slightly, as she prepared to defend her stance. 
“As I was saying, Amber Heart,” Twilight refused to call the elderly unicorn Dr. Facts and strengthen her with that mythos, “the real issue here is how owning Spike is a practice that has been condemned since the time of Starswirl and Clover the Clever, who wrote your twisted law centuries ago. The real issue and ethical dilemma in using this law to justify the science department owning Spike, which in itself, can be translated to a universally abhorred crime. A crime that we believe violates intrinsic, natural rights that every living creature is entitled to; I’m talking of course about slavery. Tell me, do you not believe owning Spike is slavery?”
Her six friends leaned forward nervously. They knew that whatever happened next could determine the jury’s ruling. Each of them hoped Twilight could succeed. The doctor steadied her pulse and responded.
“Owning that,” she looked at the dragon with distain, “that thing is not nearly the same as slavery. It would be owning a pet, which I can assure you, only fanatics detest.”
Spike felt his blood boil not only at this statement, but an underlying assumption that no pony seemed eager to inspect. He knew that speaking out of term would not do them any good, but the more he ruminated on this assumption, the more irate he became. Despite sharing her friend's frustrations, Twilight maintained her calm attitude.
“Why is that?” Twilight asked. “Is there something drastically different about the defendant from any other pony that makes him nothing but an animal?”
“Of course,” the doctor smirked, “he’s a dragon. Those monsters have never been a part of Celestia’s kingdom. They’ve always kept to themselves, attacking any pony at the slightest provocation –“
“We’ve already proved dragons seldom attack without provocation and can be negotiated with, even by a timid pegasus,” Dr. Saffron interrupted the doctor, despite the judge’s cross stare. “We’ve also been given reason to believe that dragons prefer solitude than to mingle with monsters such as us. Given that, I suggest you refrain from referring to dragons as violent beasts.”
The judge hammered his gavel once again and the unicorn apologetically nodded. “The prosecution, err, the, Dr. Saffron is correct, Miss Amber Heart. Kindly refrain from referring to dragons as monsters or anything in such light.”
Twilight once again gave the unicorn a thankful smile, before turning to the doctor. Rankled but undeterred, the doctor continued her speech.
“Dragons are not recognized as Equestrian citizens; the defendant is a dragon. It seems to be a pretty closed case to me.”
Twilight stared at the unicorn intently, “Even if we were going on the misguided assumption that all dragons are mindless beasts, you’re forgetting one crucial fact: this case is not about all dragons, it’s about Spike. He’s already demonstrated that he isn’t so different from any other pony or Equestrian citizen; he can value objects for their personal value rather than their monetary value, he can take up tasks simply for diversion, and he can feel love. What was it Dr. Saffron said?” She turned to the court record, though she already knew the answer. “‘Claiming ownership of him by denying his uniqueness is the equivalent of slavery.’ Now tell me Amber Heart how do you reconcile this with your stance? Hmm?”
The doctor snorted. “If it appears to demonstrate similarities to ponies, it is simply because it is imitating them. Having grown up beside ponies, it can replicate what it visualizes ponies doing, but it doesn’t naturally possess these qualities itself.”
Spike gritted his fangs every time the doctor called him “it”, but remained outwardly impassive as he reflected on the one fact that kept him furious. Twilight admired Spike for remaining so calm; it would make her case all the more credible. 
“You’ll have to do better than that, Amber Heart. All ponies and creatures learn by imitation; babies learn by imitation of their parents and eventually attain these things themselves.” She gave the doctor a condescending smirk of her own, “Unless you’re saying ponies and dragons are the same?”
“Of course not! How can you ignore all the differences between dragons and ponies? Ponies don’t have scales, fangs, or the ability to breathe fire.”
“You’ve only listed physical traits.” Twilight turned to the court. “It’s undeniably true there are physical differences between ponies and dragons, but aren’t there physical differences between every species in Equestria? There are even physical differences between ponies. So just how much do these physical differences separate us?”
Twilight went to her saddlebag and pulled out a red, shiny apple. As the bailiff inspected it, every pony wondered what she could possibly have planned now. Twilight placed it before the judge.
“Your honor, would you please take a bite of this apple?” The judge frowned, glancing from the alicorn to the apple. “I promise you this is all to make a point.”
The judge shrugged. Who was he to complain if he could have a little snack in court? He levitated the apple to his jaws and took a bite, savoring the sweet flavor. As he swallowed the apple, Twilight placed it back on the evidence table.
“Your honor, could you please describe how this apple tasted?” Twilight prompted him.
“Well,” the judge considered how he would describe the taste of an apple, “I would describe it as crisp and juicy.”
“Would you agree that the physical traits of this fruit mark it as an apple?”
“Yes, of course,” the judge still couldn’t see her point.
Twilight turned to the apple. Her horn shimmered purple as she prepared her spell. In a beam of magic light, the apple was replaced with an orange that had identical bite markings as the apple. After explaining she transformed the apple into an orange, she levitated the fruit once again towards the judge and instructed him to take another bite. Shrugging, the judge complied.
“How would you describe this orange’s taste, your honor?” Twilight prompted, “And do its physical features make it an orange?”
“It’s citric, a mixture of sour and sweet,” the irritated judge responded. “And yes, its physical features make it an orange. Really Miss Sparkle, I don’t see the point to all this.”
Twilight patiently explained, “Your honor, this fruit was previously an apple. It had no intelligence or self-awareness, only its physical traits that marked it as an apple. Since it did not have any sentience, when I changed it into an orange by altering its physical traits, its change was complete; no trace of the original fruit remained. As an object, this item’s physical traits define it as either an apple or an orange. This all proves one thing, your honor: physical exteriors are adequate to describe objects. We can use magic to change the physical traits of objects, thus changing their entire identity. However, physical exteriors do not have the same worth to living, sentient beings.”
The alicorn shifted her gaze away from the judge. “Now, if I changed a pony to say, a breezie,” she turned to Amber Heart, “would such a change be like this apple becoming a fruit?”
The doctor narrowed her eyes, weary of a possible trap. She responded, “Yes, the pony’s physical exterior would be altered, no longer designating it as a pony.”
“So you’re saying ponies are objects?” Twilight stared the doctor down. “That physical changes would completely alter them as beings because they have no sentience or inner self?”
The doctor gritted her teeth, wrathfully. “They might be the same on the inside, but on the outside, they would be completely different. You can’t ignore physical exteriors.”
“Actually, it seems to me that we have to,” Twilight met the doctor’s vengeful stare. “With magic, I could alter anything’s physical exterior at will. I could change you into a dragon, the judge into a griffon, or,” she turned to glance at Spike briefly, “the defendant into a pony. Yet, none of that would change anything about your inner selves.”
Twilight addressed the entire court once more, “Physical exteriors only define half of what we are; like a fruit, they designate our species, our height, our outer appearance, but like this fruit, they can easily be changed. Our physical features do not reveal who we are inside; my purple fur doesn’t tell you that my favorite sorcerer is Starswirl the Bearded. The judge’s horn doesn’t tell you that he likes the taste of apples. And the defendant’s scaly body, fangs, and fire breath can’t tell you how he loves Power Ponies, how he enjoys cooking, or how he has a crush on Rarity.” 
Spike blushed when Twilight brought up his crush again, but he was not angry this time; he knew she had to make her point. She turned to Dr. Facts, who seemed noticeably tense.
“If you want to prove Spike is not on the same level of sentience as ponies, you cannot do so by examining his physical features, which can be changed at will thanks to magic and naturally through the process of aging: you have to provide some inner sight to all beings recognized by Princess Celestia’s law that goes beyond physical.” Twilight challenged her. “Otherwise, Spike is no different than any of us internally, making an attempt to own him essentially the same as a pony owning another pony: slavery.”
The doctor blinked, constructing an appropriate response. “All citizens under Princess Celestia’s law, accept her rule. Dragons have not.”
“I believe we’ve already stated this trial is about Spike, not all other dragons. He has not only accepted her rule and obeyed her laws, but serves as her messenger to communicate with me. And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the many ponies such as Sombra or Starlight Glimmer who refuse accept the Princess’ rule yet are still recognized as ponies.” Twilight took particular satisfaction at Amber Heart’s furious eyes. “Stop stalling and give an answer. What is something that internally marks all of us?”
The doctor leaned back in her chair, contemplating. Finally, she spoke, “Responsiveness and reactivity. We are fully aware of our surroundings and can interact with our environment.”
“So you’re saying we’re self-aware?” When the doctor nodded, Twilight turned to Spike and asked, “Spike, what are we doing right now? Why are you here?”
“We’re at court to see if the science department can own me or if I can stay with you,” Spike quickly responded. Twilight paced away from the doctor.
“’We’, ‘me’, ‘I’,” she emphatically listed Spike’s pronouns. “Sounds pretty self-aware to me. And what comes with responsiveness? The ability to learn, intelligence? The defendant can master complicated tasks requiring advanced cognitive processes and learn from experience. And how about morality?”
Twilight stopped pacing to meet the doctor’s gaze, “Where to start with morality? After his greed rampage, Spike appeared to feel guilty; he helped to clean up his mess and make amends for his actions. He stopped Rarity’s rampage even though he was afraid of hurting her feelings and alienating her forever. Or how about when he saved the entire Crystal Empire instead of himself? Should I mention how he saved every pony at the Equestrian Games by melting a massive, falling block of ice? If Spike is a beast as the science department wants to believe, why is he going out of his way to save others? Why does he go beyond bestial instincts? What does that make him?”
The doctor rolled her eyes. “It might seem to care about other now, but when it grows up, that thing will be no different from any other dragon: a monster. Really, experimenting on him now is justice.”
He had been sitting calmly in the defense table the entire time. He could take her constant disrespect to him, Twilight, and the entire court. Being called property had stopped offending him so deeply. He could even tolerate being called a monster. But that one comment that indicated the doctor wrongly believed she was above reproach, sent Spike over the edge. He rose from his seat, slamming his hands on the table.
“Look who’s talking.” Every pony turned at the sound of his voice. Twilight gave him a reprimanding glare, but he didn’t care. Some pony had to chew out this self-righteous hypocrite. The doctor rose from her seat, answering his challenge.
“What did you say, dragon?” She snarled at this little beast that dared to disrespect her. The dragon folded his arms, bitterly.
“You want to know something?” He almost choked as he let loose the very concern grasping him since the doctor began her testimony. “I can forgive you thinking I’m something that can be owned like a pet, I can overlook you giving Cadence all that stupid evidence, I could actually thank you for encouraging your students to steal dragon eggs because it lead me to Twilight, I can even forgive you for calling me a monster.” He pointed an accusatory finger and growled, “But I can never forgive you for claiming Dr. Sapphire and Dr. Ruby were your prized students, when you didn’t think twice about their orphaned daughter!”
Every pony in the court stared at the dragon stupefied. The real issue bothering him was Dr. Sapphire’s daughter? Why? This statement startled Amber Heart. She had no ready response. No way to answer him. Spike’s eyes watered angrily, but Twilight, sensing an opportunity, motioned for him to continue.
“If you really cared about Sapphire and Ruby, you wouldn’t have left Silver Stone on her own. She’s one of the sweetest, kindest friends I’ve ever had; she didn’t deserve to be orphan. Why was it then, that Dr. Saffron adopted her, not you? Didn’t you say Sapphire and Ruby mattered to you?” He glared at the doctor with burning rage, smoke rising from his nostrils. “Don’t talk about justice, you hypocritical monster. Dr. Saffron did this for justice; she wanted to honor her friends’ memory by protecting their daughter and preventing another conflict. You’re doing this for revenge. If her parents mattered to you for even a second, you wouldn’t have let some other pony fill the role of family to her while focusing on orphaning me!”
Spike and Amber Heart remained standing, neither refusing to back down. The doctor would not allow this arrogant little beast insult her any further, nor would the dragon allow this two-faced, heartless monster to shirk responsibility while claiming her motivations were pure. Yellow pony eyes faced green reptilian eyes. Every other pony vanished, every sound faded to a slow hum, until the two only recognized their opponent. This trial was no longer a battle between pony and dragon; it was not a battle between anything that physically existed in the natural world. It was now a battle of interests, punishment versus freedom, of goals, revenge versus justice, and of lives, for those lost versus the ones still living. 
Slowly, their senses returned. The ponies immediately around them appeared in the darkness. Soon the courtroom came into view, along with the audience. Finally, their voices and the sounds of everything else returned. Yet, the two never broke the gaze. Until the purple alicorn forced them both down with her magic. She moved to address to the jury.
“Spike even made friends with the assistant of the pony who brought him to court in the first place, even though they should be enemies,” she turned to Dr. Saffron. “Wouldn’t you agree, Dr. Saffron?”
The unicorn nodded, “Yes, my perspective has certainly been widened through their bond. Spike is just as capable of forming and valuing friendships as any other pony. He truly understands what it means to be loyal and how to love.”
Dr. Saffron and Twilight both moved their gaze to Spike. The unicorn’s lips turned upwards, into an admiring, humbled smile, “It’s true Spike is going to be vital in bridging the gap between our species. But if the best place for him to do this is by his friends, who taught him how to value friendship and constantly provided him with family and love, then that is where he belongs.”
The unicorn’s statement truly seemed to resonate with the jury. Many of the ponies nodded, acknowledging her reason. If this dragon, no, if Spike could find camaraderie with ponies who should have been his enemies because his friends taught him the meaning of friendship, then the best place for him to serve as an ambassador between ponykind and dragons was beside his friends. Twilight sensed the change in the jury and decided to capitalize on their sentiments. She walked in front of the doctor, determined to end this trial in Spike’s favor.
“Now, we previously established that slavery is wrong because it violates intrinsic, natural rights that every creature is entitled to,” Twilight paused for effect. “But we could also say we believe no pony can own a creature with a soul, at least that’s what many philosophers believe each of us possesses. They hold that the soul defines who we are, what we believe, and most importantly, that the soul maintains our eternal, intangible, individual essence. So if you deny Spike’s uniqueness, his inner being, his very soul, by calling him property you are in effect permitting slavery.”
“That thing –,” the doctor pursed her lips and slowly gave a smirk, “you can’t prove it has a soul.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Twilight’s agreement wiped the smirk of the doctor’s face as she viciously pressured Amber Heart, “but then again, can I prove any one of us has a soul? No, science and magic are not capable of proving or disproving the existence of a soul. Can I show that there’s more to any being than meets the eye? Of course I can; I’ve already done so with Spike. He understands the value of friendship and love, and can even befriend those he should despise. If I changed Spike into a pony and his inner self was no different than from when he was a dragon, would that demonstrate he had a soul? I don’t know, do you?”
Amber Heart stuttered, uncertain how to respond. Twilight grimaced and turned to the judge, “Do you?” 
The judge shook his head. He had no idea where to begin with this question. She shifted to the jury, “Do you?”
None of the jury could meet her gaze. Twilight softened her frown and faced the entire audience, “Do any of you?”
Silence permeated the entire courtroom. No pony, pegasus, unicorn, scientist, or alicorn was capable of answering this question. They all turned to look at Spike, wondering how they could evaluate something beyond their own comprehension, beyond time and space, possibly beyond existence. When the silence became overwhelming, Twilight faced the jury for the last time.
“We’ve all been skirting around the basic issue of this case: how do we judge another being; what makes them constitute as another being or simply as an object? By what we can see on the outside, or what we find inside when we look closer?”
She stared each of them in the eye, “What shows you more about who Spike truly is? His physical exterior, which can be easily altered through magic or worn down with age? Or his inner self? And if he indeed has an inner self and you refuse to acknowledge it, then we are undoubtedly the monsters that dragons believe us to be. After all, what kind of creature with an ethical soul would condemn another to slavery? Ladies and gentle colts of the jury, I implore you: make the right choice; not only for our future and for Spike’s, but to prove justice exceeds revenge. And to prove that a soul, indeed does exist in all of us.”
Emotionally fatigued, Twilight trudged back to her stand and nearly collapsed in her chair. She turned up to the judge, “The defense rests, your honor.”
Awoken from his spellbound trance, the judge quickly nodded and slammed his gavel, prompting the jury to disperse and consider everything they had heard. One by one, the ponies filed out from the jury stand into a backroom, where they would contemplate the evidence and testimony for several hours before deliberating.
Two of the royal guard marched towards Twilight. They motioned for Spike, asking if he would like them to escort him back to the castle room to await the verdict. Smiling at their courtesy, he gave Twilight one final embrace that he hoped would not be the last, hopped out of his chair and proceeded with the guards towards the door.
“Um, excuse me,” Spike stopped and shifted his head to the source of the voice. He saw a yellow unicorn, who he recognized as the scientist who objected to him swearing on the elements. The guards glared at him, but Spike told them to calm down. He was willing to listen to the scientist. Being called a monster couldn’t hurt him much more anyways.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for speaking out against you during the trial,” the unicorn quickly stuttered, before awkwardly turning to walk away. 
“It’s fine,” Spike assured the unicorn, who gawked at him with surprise. He had not expected to receive much less deserve forgiveness.
“I understand why you did it. I’m sure it wasn’t out of spite so don’t sweat it. Anyways, I’ve gotta go back to my sweet little house arrest in the luxury castle until some pony comes to get me.” Spike waved a farewell to the scientist and went with the guards out the door.
The scientist stared at him dumbfounded, until he recognized a cream-colored unicorn and smaller silver unicorn trot to his side gazing at Spike as he departed. They both stared at him until he exited the door. Slowly, the older unicorn smiled.
“He’s really something else,” she whispered, so softly only those beside her could hear.
“Yeah,” the silver unicorn nodded. The two departed from the courtroom to await the jury’s decision.