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// 188 - Justice 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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Princess Celestia stood in resplendent finery. Bedecked in jewelry with a carefully etched frown, she was everything anypony could expect from an angered ruler, ready to dispense judgment. With wings spread, she leaned forward slightly, looking over the room.

Trembling before her was Samantha in the stand of the accused. Her hooves were secured to the floor. A thick band was secured around her horn, also bolted to the floor. There was no escape for the guilty.

It was all.. archaic. There was a time when such proceedings were far more common, but Celestia had been successful in banishing most of them. Her nation was a peaceful one. It was because of that peace that she had to rise that day. That she had to hold her wings out and gaze down at the trembling unicorn before her. "We will begin the proceedings. As is customary, we will hear all sides before rendering judgement."

Silver was there, beside Night. They were married to the accused, but were not permitted to approach her, or lend any support beyond being there. Despite the grimness of the situation, both held their heads high and didn't cause a stir. Silently, she made a promise to show her thanks to them later. The little coos of their young occasionally caused one or the other's eyes to dip towards them, but even they, little ones, could feel the gravity and didn't make too much fuss.

There was a large contingent of lunar ponies, their eyes on Luna who sat behind Celestia. Luna, her sister, just as helpless as Silver. She was the alleged victim, but she could only speak when called on. This was her show... Her display. She would make it a good one. "Before we start, is the accused aware of the crime placed on her head?"

"I... attacked..." Samantha shrank before Celestia's withering glare. "I..."

"You allegedly assaulted my sister. The weapon was that of potentially lethal injection." Celestia raised herself higher. "Are you aware of the gravity of this crime?"

Samantha's trembling only grew worse. She glanced over at Silver and Night, pleading silently for them to do something, but they couldn't do anything.

"A common pony who assaults royalty can be sentenced to many things." She leaned in over Samantha. "Including death. You stand accused of one of the most grave crimes we have name for."

Samantha's lower jaw trembled as she choked out, "I'm sorry!" She collapsed where she had stood. "I'm sorry!"

Celestia raised a hoof and a guard stepped forward, silencing Samantha and holding her until she fell still. 

"Before we decide on such sentence, we will hear all sides. Let us begin at the source. Will the victim, my sister, take the stand?" She gestured with a wing at the empty space beside and in front of her.

Luna rose stiffly before she stepped down from the royal section to the witness stand. She cleared her throat before she nodded. "Present."

"Luna, do you swear on harmony itself to speak the truth, unvarnished and naked, so that justice might be done this day?"

A soft tremble ran through the Princess of the Night. "I do."

"Then tell us, in your words, the events of that day."

Luna gathered herself up. "I had spoken hastily to the accused's partner, leaving him shaken. It was an unkind statement. The accused demanded to know the exact nature of what I said. When slow with revealing the precise nature, she threw two darts at me. I deflected the first, the second struck true. I was robbed of consciousness soon after."

Celestia nodded slowly. "Very well. Were you aware of the danger of the attack leveled on you?"

"I... was not."

Celestia waved Luna away. "That will be all."

"Wait!" Luna leaned towards Celestia. "I have mo--"

"That will be all." Celestia frowned. "You have given your testimony. Unless there is more to be learned about that precise event?"

"... No..." Luna rose and stepped slowly from the stand as Celestia took in a slow breath. 

It promised to be a trying day. "We summon the presence of the attending physicians."

The familiar forms of the nurse and doctor who had seen to Luna rose from the crowd and approached the bench. Celestia nodded to each of them. "Do you swear on harmony itself to speak the truth, unvarnished and naked, so that justice might be done this day?"

They did. "Starting with the doctor, will you give your description of the events of the day in question?"

The doctor nodded at Celestia. "As you wish. Luna was hurried in, carried in the field of Ambassador Silver Watch. He arrived with the accused and we began immediate triage. The physical wound was small, barely of note, but it hardly needs to be large to deliver a toxin." He took a breath. "The accused provided the list of the ingredients used in her attack, allowing us to concoct a counter-agent as quickly as possibly. We believe there is no long-term damage."

The nurse nodded. "That about covers it. The accused was not pressured or coerced into saying what she did." She gave Samantha a hard look. "She might learn something from this. I be--"

"We are asking for what you have seen, not your opinions. Do you have any other facts to share with the court?"

"No, Your Highness." She bowed and the doctor was moments behind. They were dismissed and departed.

Celestia called forward the guards that performed the arrest. "How did the accused behave?"

One of the lunar guards dipped his head. "Your Highness. She came with us willingly and without complaint."

The next were the guards that watched her in the jail. Many sneered at her. "She's loony, crazy... She would stare at nothing and mumble to herself. She kept asking for paper," insisted one of the guards. "I don't get it..."

Another guard stepped forward hesitantly. "She's... She was a model prisoner, besides her requests, Your Highness. Even... presented with an opportunity for escape, she remained still and compliant."

Celestia called forward Nefertari. "Ambassador, it is your right to refuse this call. We can't make you testify or even appear in this room against your will. Do you understand that, and do you consent to it?"

Nefertari nodded. "I am aware of my rights, but thank you for making it clear."

"Good. It is known that you and the accused are aware of one another. As a neutral third party, will you speak of her character?"

Nefertari raised a brow even as her claws dug into the soft wood in slow curls. "She is as my people would call 'touched by the sun'. As an unformed infant, she gazed into the bright face of the source of all life, and it dazed her soul. She is blessed, having seen what few others do, but it has left her rattled and malformed of mind. She is of pleasing temperament, despite her insanity."

Murmurs spread through the crowd. Was that damning or not? What a curious character witness that was...

Nefertari was allowed to return to her seat, for Silver to be called forward. "Ambassador. The accused has obvious relation to you. Despite that, I insist that you speak the truth, even if you feel it damages her chances. If you have any faith in harmony, in myself, you will trust us with it. Do you agree to this?"

Silver gave as firm a nod as he could, even if he was trembling faintly. It was nowhere near as bad as the almost-jangling shaking of Samantha. "I swear."

"Good. Tell us what happened that day, in your words."

Silver took a slow breath. "I saw Luna, in my dreams. She did say something that left me shaken, but I tried to put it out of mind. I was awake, the foals were crying, so I went off to check on them. I heard a thump, came back, and there was Luna on the ground. Night and Samantha were there... She was surprised and said what she did, using far too much even for a pony of Luna's size and power, so... I ran off with her and took Samantha with me to the infirmary."

Celestia nodded. "You said she seemed surprised?"

Silver licked over his lips. "She--"

A pony rose in the crowd. "He should only say what he saw!"

Celestia nodded. "There will be order in the court, but they are correct. Thank you, Ambassador."

Silver was excused, and returned to sit beside Night.

A guard advanced and placed a dart before Celestia. Her horn glowed as she hefted up the small thing in the air. "This is the weapon used to injure my sister." She looked down at Samantha. "Do you argue this?"

"N-no..."

"You used it. Do you argue this?"

She shrank towards the ground. "No..."

"It seems a matter of guilt hardly needs to be reckoned. Let it be known to all that the accused is guilty. Guilty of assault, of attacking my sister." She frowned at Samantha even as she withered in place. "Do you have anything to speak in your defense?"

Samantha pushed up, even if she was shaking like a leaf already freed from its tree. "I'm sorry..."

"I don't think you are."

Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd.

"I don't think you even can be. You don't know remorse." Celestia pointed at Samantha with a mighty hoof capable of demanding the end of her life. "In your own words, what did you do wrong?"

Samantha blinked softly. "I should have used truth serum, given the si--" She was drowned out by a sudden chorus of hisses and boos. A rotten tomato was hurled from the crowd at Samantha's back and she yelped in surprise.

Celestia's magic wiped the mess from Samantha's fur. "Let it be known that I, and I alone, shall render judgment. Samantha, you are guilty. Do you argue this?"

"N-no..."

Celestia gave a slow nod. "The fault cannot be yours."

Samantha blinked softly.

"You are guilty, but you cannot accept responsibility."

The crowd blinked with her. What was Celestia saying?

"You are mad. Insane. 'Touched by the Sun.'" Celestia spread her wings even wider. "You are a menace to others, and yourself. Do you argue this?"

Samantha's lower lip trembled as tears ran freely from her eyes. "I didn't mean to..."

Celestia extended a wing and gently brushed tears from one of those eyes. "Of course you didn't... No mad pony does. You cannot be trusted. For your own good, you must be watched over and kept from harming yourself or others. Ambassador Silver Watch has failed in this task." She cast a withering look at him and he jumped in surprise. "Sister, this pony is sick, and a danger. Who would you trust to keep her from harming others?"

Luna blinked out of the daze she was settling into. "I-I accept this."

Celestia raised a brow. "Do you understand what you accept?"

"I will keep her from harming herself, or others." She drew herself to her full height, seated on her haunches as she was. "I accept her as my ward, and understand her mental condition."

Celestia's eyes returned to Samantha. "You are hereby ward of Princess Luna. You will obey her every command, to keep yourself and those around you safe." She thrust a hoof suddenly, inches from Samantha's face. "If she declares it, your life is forfeit. Those touched with lunacy are to be cared for, but there are limits."

Samantha began to shake less despite the direness of the declaration. "I'll be good, promise." She turned to Luna and dipped her head. "I'll do whatever you want." At that moment, she would have even agreed to remove the trackers from Luna... but only if asked specifically.

Celestia snorted softly. "I would see you punished for your crimes, but even I cannot order such against the improperly handled mad. Sister, she is now your responsibility. This case is complete." She brought down a hoof with a loud clang, closing the book on the matter.