//------------------------------// // 35 - Trial (Part 3) // Story: Ponyville Fire Department // by Rescue Sunstreak //------------------------------// Day three, and it was easy to tell the trial was dragging on everyone. Well, everyone but the defendant, who sat with a cocksure smirk on his muzzle as he waited for the trial to be called to order. Cadence looked over at him, a slight frown on her face, deep in her gut she felt he had some kind of trick planned. She wondered what could he have up his sleeve to make him smirk and be so arrogant. For his part, Point Break just gave a smile, even lifting a hoof to wave over at the pink alicorn, knowing full well it would drive her up the wall, that was half the fun. Glancing over at the lawyer next to him, he pondered a bit. However, he had no time for that as a gavel banged twice, the purple princess calling things to order. “The defense may call its first witness.” Standing and picking up a paper, he held it out to the guard who looked, then lifted an eyebrow at the two names on it. “Your honor, my first witness is a cross examine of Chief Sunstreak.” Quite a bit of muttering and talk erupted from the gallery before the gavel came down with a bang to silence the room. The guard looked up at his princess and gave a nod, then put the paper up on her bench. Turning to the room, he called out. “Chief Rescue Sunstreak.” The big draft stallion stood and made his way for the front. Once more in his dress blues, he approached the bench, hearing the alicorn speak as he sat down. “You are already under oath, just to remind you, Chief Sunstreak.” He gave a nod and looked the defendant in the eyes. “Good morning, Chief Sunstreak. I just wanted to bring you up to clarify a few things with you. If you would please, tell the court. What is your current status?" Rescue frowned some. “Active Chief.” He gave a nod. “I see, and have you ever been suspended before?” Growing silent again, he looked out at everyone looking back at him, eyes returning to the defendant a moment after. “Yes, three years ago.” The defendant faked a little gasp. “You don’t say, and why would that be?” Again, Cadence stood. “Objection!” Like before the broken unicorn looked up at the judge alicorn. “Goes to credibility of the witness, your honor.” A slight nod. “Overruled, continue.” Rescue’s eyes narrowed some, he decided to just be upfront with the truth. Better that than have ponies find out by rumor. He let his eyes slide to Applejack, who gave a nod to him. Her approval meant a lot to him. “I was involved in an accident during a call out. I was drunk on duty, and due to my inebriated state, I caused the wagon to slide in a turn and flip onto its side.” Again a mocking fake gasp emanated from Point Break. “And was anyone hurt during this event?” He grew quiet, and looked down at his hooves. “Yes, Firefighter EMT Flashpoint, my partner at the time. He broke his hip when the wagon smashed into him as it rolled.” Looking up at the judge then back to the big dark pony on the stand. “And where is this firefighter now?” “He was retired from the department, he runs a bar in Canterlot.” Now that smirk came back. “So, you were drunk and caused an accident that took the health of a fellow firepony. Tell us, Chief, how is it you are here now, as Ponyville’s fire chief?” Like the pink filly before him, he found himself clenching his teeth now. It didn’t take a scholar to see the game the arsonist was trying to pull. “I joined a help group, got sober, was reinstated and was offered this position as a way to get me away from the influences of Canterlot.” He smiled and leaned on the side of the stand. “Is that so? And, Flashpoint, he of course is no longer a friend right?” Shutting his eyes, Rescue wanted ever so desperately to punch this pony in the face. “We are friends, he forgave me at the same time the rest of the department did.” The pony perked his ears. “Oh! So, you did something that caused a fellow pony to be injured bad enough that his livelihood was taken, and yet he forgave you? I would say friendship and harmony won out, wouldn’t you?” Before Rescue could answer, he waved his hoof. “No further questions for this witness,” walking back to his seat. Cadence said in a grumble of a voice. “No follow up questions for this witness.” It was clear that the pink alicorn was pissed. The son of a demon was making a damn good case for no punishment of his crimes, and worse. There was nothing she could do, he wasn’t leaving any doors open to crush his cross examinations. Now, the guard looked quite upset, most of the gallery could see it. As Rescue walked past him to his seat again, the unicorn guard said in a quite tone, muttering something. The defendant just smiled. “Please, call my next witness.” Now it was Twilight that frowned. She picked up the paper at the corner of her desk, as she did, saying, “Bright Armor, please call…” her mouth snapped shut and her head spun to look at the defendant. “Approach, now!” Cadence got up, as did Point Break, and trotted over. Twilight lowered her voice and brought her head down closer to the two ponies. “I warned you, Mr. Break, if you—” Point Break cut her off. “Your honor, it goes again to the opening statements. I should not be punished for actions I was not responsible for. I am a sick pony. Harmony and friendship must win out.” Cadence looked confused. “Your honor, Twilight, what is...” she blinked as the paper was thrust out. Two names on it: Rescue, and… “I see,” she recovered some but her ears stayed down. “The crown can not think of any legal reasons to object. No matter how much I wish to on a personal level." Twilight leaned back up and glared at the defendant, then gestured, “Return to your seats.” She sat quiet for a bit. This had the effect of more quiet speaking from the gallery and the gathered folks watching. Even in the royal box, one could see the two princesses and the Lord of Chaos whispering together in confusion. “Bright Armor, call the next witness,” Twilight’s voice came soft but clear. The poor stallion looked up. “D-do I have to?” She gave a sharp nod. “Bright Armor, call the next witness,” she stated again. He squeaked and his voice came out broken, cracking, the pitch going up and down like a foal going through puberty. “Pri—” he coughed. “Princess Celestia.” The gallery erupted into a chaos of yelling, shouts, and anger. The defendant just sat back with a smile, Affidavit holding his head in his hooves. In the royal box, Discord let out a laugh and clamped his lion like paw over his mouth. Luna’s head snapped around and she was glaring death at the defendant. Oddly, Celestia didn’t look at all upset or surprised. She stood, and lifted her hoof to the room, even with Twilight banging her gavel over and over. That one act alone silenced the whole court. Head up, mane blowing in the ethereal wind of mana that flowed in the world, the solar princess walked for the booth. Poor Bright Armor was almost shaking, and so she stopped and leaned down, whispering something to him no other could hear. The effect however was instantaneous. His head came up and he snapped back to attention with a look of pride and determination on his face. Sitting, the large alabaster alicorn gave a nod, the guard turning and holding out the glass-encased flag. She needed no prompting as she set her hoof atop it. “I, Princess Celestia Sol, swear an oath to the truth before all of Equestria.” The guard gave a nod, and secretly a smile to his princess before turning back to his place. The defendant rose and walked across to his witness. Not a hint of being nervous as he did, rather he had the most arrogant of smirks on his face. “Good morning, princess, if you would just for the record, state your na—” Cadence cut in with a dark tone in her voice. “I think we can wave that, I do believe everypony here knows exactly who she is.” A pause and a look over her shoulder as the Yak in the room gave a snort. She blushed lightly. “Sorry, everybody, force of habit” fixing her little Faux Pas. The defendant gave a nod. “Very well, I will not object to the Crown’s stipulation,” turning to look at the large white alicorn. “Princess, if I may ask. What is your view on ponies in general?” She tilted her head, ever the master of politics and diplomacy herself. She could see where he was going with this as clear as the water in the royal pool. “Well, my little pony, I view all as the same, not just my ponies, but the griffons, the yak, our friends from all over. They are all good at heart.” He smiled a bit, leading the princess where he wanted. “So, you feel every pony is good, what about the ones that do bad. Let's take, oh, Discord as a example.” This earned a dark look from the chaos god, one that was not friendly in any way. However from the gallery a little throat cleared and his head turned, to see Fluttershy shake her head. He gave a tiny sheepish smile and a nod back to her. “Discord is a friend, yes, it is true he caused us many problems. However, he is reformed, and has sworn his power to the side of good. True, he has faltered a bit, but he has been forgiven and helped back up again.” Again, his smile stayed wide, arrogant as could be. In a smug tone he gestured to himself. “And do you believe everypony, sorry, everyone, can be redeemed like that?” The alicorn of the sun pondered for a moment more then gave a nod of her head. “I do.” Again the gallery erupted in sound, as murmurs and talking started up. Twilight banged her gavel four times and looked back down at her mentor. “No further questions of this witness, your honor.” Cadence stood and walked over, she gave a soft smile to her aunt. “Princess Celestia, please tell us, in the last thousand years, how many murder trials have happened in Equestria?” She pondered a bit. “As I recall, only eight. This will be the ninth one, only counting the last thousand years.” At this the Princess of Love gave a smile. “And, of them, when was the last one, and what was the sentence if I may ask?” Celestia grew a little darker, her face more serious and thoughtful. “About three hundred years ago, a stallion who murdered his wife,” she paused. “He was sentenced to hang for that was the punishment at the time.” A few gasps, after all no execution had happened in the memory of anypony in the room short of the two older alicorns and the chaos god. Exhaling slowly, she gave a soft nod. “Thank you, that will be all,” returning to her seat. Twilight gestured. “The witness may step down. Does the defense have any more witnesses to call?” The overly-confident unicorn shook his head. “No, your honor, the defense rests." With a long exhale, Twilight was quiet for some time before she spoke in a most serious tone. “Court is in recess while I deliberated over the evidence and transcripts. Court will again be in session tomorrow at noon,” banging her gavel. Her friends could see the weight on her as the purple alicorn came down off the bench and walked away through the doors at the back, behind her bench. All of them worried about her now.