Ponyville Fire Department

by Rescue Sunstreak

34 - Trial (Part 2)

Day two of the trial opened to a frowning princess on her bench, with Cadence standing before her. To Cadence’s side was the defendant and his lawyer. It was pretty clear Twilight was not at all elated.

“Mr. Break, while the crown disapproves of this most strongly,” she paused. “It has no legal ground to stop you from defending yourself.”

Cadence stomped her hoof. “Your honor, this will make a—”

For perhaps the first time in her life, Twilight Sparkle cut her beloved fellow princess and former foalsitter off with a bang of her gavel, pointing it at her as she glared down at the pink alicorn.

“I will not have my rulings questioned,” she then laid her ears back. Clearly that was one of the hardest things to date she had to do. Both of the variable god-like alicorns watching from the side box had a slightly worried look, even Discord himself knew the pressure on one of his few friends, Twilight, was beyond measure.

“I am sorry, your honor.” Cadence said with her ears pinned some.

Twilight turned to look again at the unicorn with the broken horn. “You, however, will retain Mr. Affidavit as co-counsel and as your legal advisor. If I get so much as a whiff of you grandstanding or trying to subvert the will of the court, I will have you in irons, muzzled, and Mr. Affidavit will again be re-instated as your lawyer, am I very clear on this?”

The Defendant gave a nod. “Yes, your honor, very clear.”

Twilight, still frowning, nodded. “Very well, let’s get this underway then. Production, call your next witness.”

So it went, witness after witness came up and gave their views, opinions, and what facts they had. Doctors who spoke of the pathology of an arsonist, salesponies who had sold the balloons and chemicals to the defendant, a candle maker from Trottingham that brought with her a standing order, and proof of payment for hundreds of simple white fast-burning candles. Oddly, the defense let all of them pass.

Then came time for the crown to bring the pony element into it, to get the court to see the affect the count of murder in the first had on other ponies. So, with great reluctance, Cadence turned and called out.

“Diamond Tiara, please take the stand.”

There was a muffled gasp from many in the gallery. Her father almost stood and denounced the call, but a small pink hoof came to rest on his leg. “No, daddy, I need to do this... for Archer.”

Rescue could hear her tone, the determination in it. His ears lifted and he sat upright a bit more. Anyone looking around would spot the other fireponies in the gallery doing the same, along with the three other foals in their Junior Explorer uniforms.

Filthy looked at his daughter, then gave a nod and stood so she could slide out. She walked not with hesitation but with her head held high. The small pink filly’s uniform was as clean as could be, its buttons and badge gleamed with the light that caught it. For one tiny fraction of time, all watching where caught by a vision of the future, of who she would grow up to be. Luna sat up a bit higher at that moment.

The guard stacked a few pillows behind the small bench so she would sit up and be seen, then waited for the filly to climb up. She put her hoof out without being told and brought it to rest on the glass case with the flag inside it.

“I, Diamond Tiara Rich, swear an oath before all of Equestria to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth.”

The guard gave a nod, and stepped away. Cadence stepped over and smiled very softly.

“Miss Tiara, I am going to have to ask some very tough questions. If they become too much, you say so, and that guard there will escort you off and give you time to collect yourself. Okay?”

She lay her ears back, then gave a nod of her head. “I can do this, Princess Cadence.”

The pink alicorn cracked a little smile. “Now, for the record, state your name, age, grade, and because you are in the explorer's, your rank.”

The pink filly gave a nod. “My name is Diamond Tiara Rich, I am twelve years old, in the sixth grade at Ponyville Primary school. I also hold the rank of Junior Chief in the Junior Firefighter Explorers,” her voice was strong, sure, and confident.

Cadence nodded her head. “Very good, and if you would please, explain to the court what your relationship was with a Junior Firefighter First Class Archer. I know it is hard to talk about, but it will help.”

Diamond gave a little exhale, gathering herself and pushing down the sadness from the loss of a friend.

“I was her commanding officer in the Junior Firefighters, and I was her friend.”

Cadence lowered her ears slightly. “Could you tell us about her, what kind of pony was she, what did she want to do in life?”

For a good half hour, The pink pony lost herself to the story, telling of the pegasus filly. A few in the gallery sniffled, her parents both held each other as her mother bawled into her father's chest.

Then, it was the defense's turn. Diamond tried her best to look the unicorn in the eyes as he walked up, speaking in a sickly sweet voice.

“Miss Tiara—”

Diamond cut him off. “That is Junior Chief Tiara.”

He gave a smile that said she had fallen into his plan. “Ah, yes, of course. Please, could you tell us a bit more about yourself? Perhaps you could speak to us about the seventy-two disciplinary write-ups for bullying, harassment, and using hurtful language at school?”

Cadence jumped up. “Objection!”

The unicorn looked up at Twilight. “Your honor, it goes to the witnesses credibility, and will go to show the opening statements of redemption and healing.”

Twilight let out a long exhale and tapped the gavel on the bench. “Overruled. Miss Tiara, if you would answer his question?”

She spoke, but with her teeth clenched some “I... had some issues with friendship and understanding. I was shown the right way to be, and all the others forgave me.”

His smile grew. “So, you found forgiveness, and made a better pony of yourself?”

Again her teeth still clenched. “Yes.”

“And do you think every pony deserves a chance to turn themselves around and be a better pony?”

Diamond was very quiet, glaring at the stallion who killed her friend. A stallion who was now twisting her words, twisting all her hard work and effort to be the pony she wanted to be all along.

Twilight said softly. “Diamond, you have to answer it.”

The filly gave a tiny answer. One no one could hear.

“Pardon me? I didn’t hear that, and I am sure the judge and gallery didn’t catch it.”

Glaring up at the adult unicorn, she spat out. “Yes.”

Her ears flattened, as he walked away. “No further questions.”

It was a dirty, underhanded, cold thing the former construction pony did, but it had its desired effect.

---

Recess had been called after that. Outside, Diamond was hemmed in by her friends. Scootaloo had made sure Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were outside as well. Getting them all together, Diamond found herself in a rather uncomfortable group hug of nine other fillies and colts. Rumble having gone and got Silver Spoon and brought her.

“Ya gonna be okay, Di?” the gray earth pony filly said in a soft tone, feeling her neck getting wet as the pink filly cried silently into it.

“H—he ma-made me b-betray Archer!”

Pip spoke up, the paint pony’s voice strong and sure. “No, he used you. No one here is mad at you, Diamond,” he then said in a much softer voice considering all their friends were around, “I... know I could never be.”

Diamond spun and grabbed the smaller colt in a crushing hug. However, he did not complain, and the look on everypony else’s face said it all. This was their moment, so he hooked his leg around her, and let her cry into his shoulder now. Making eye contact with Silver, his ears lay back as she mouthed silently to him “Thank you, Pip,” knowing the two of them needed each other.

---

A large group of stallions and mares watched the foals as they all huddled around their friend. It was, however, Archer’s mother who said softly. “Sometimes, I forget how much they all mean to each other. That my Archer was as big as part of their life as she was ours.”

She started to walk over, Dash made to stop her but Filthy Rich’s hoof halted her with a light touch. “No,” he shook his head.

The foals parted for the mare, tell she stood before Pipsqueak and the crying filly. Reaching down, she made eye contact with Pip, who gave a nod and let go just as she lifted Diamond up into her chest with her leg, pulling her close and pressing her pastel green face into the girls cheek.

“You did right in there, Diamond. You kept your beliefs and didn’t compromise to lash out at a pony who hurt you. A-Archer would have been proud of you... I know I am.”

Diamond could not hold back, she let out a sob and clung to the older mare. In turn, a mare, with a heart broken in two by the loss of her foal. Clung to the pink filly in her arms and cried with her, the kind of crying that needed to be done.

Dash glanced over at the elder Rich and said in a soft voice. “How did you know? How do you ever know what is right to do?”

He smiled a bit, a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“Rainbow Dash, when you wake up in the morning, what is your first thought?”

She glanced over at the orange and purple filly who was huddled close to Rumble. “Will Scootaloo be safe and happy today?”

He gave a nod. “Welcome to motherhood, Miss Dash,” the stallion said with a softer and warmer smile. “You learned in months what my wife never learned at all.”

The rest of the adults stood quiet, watching the next generation console and support each other, the pony way.