Of all the places that one might expect to be crowded in the town of Ponyville, the town hall would not be one of them. To be sure, it was always thought of as an important building, but it truth all it was ever used for was as the personal residence of the Mayor, or as a stage for making announcements to the local ponies. Very rarely was it used for matters that all of Ponyville would gather to see, apart from the re-emergence of vengeful corrupted alicorns of course. But today was one such gathering, as every mare, stallion and foal had come from across the town to see an event that had caught the interest of many. In particular, their interest was gained by the fact that Twilight Sparkle, fourth alicorn Princess of Equestria, would be participating in it.
The ponies all packed in the building as tightly as they could, all wanting to see what was going on. The interior of the building had, by some unseen miracle, become completely refurbished from how most knew it. Now, it was, for all intents and purposes, a courtroom. There were stalls for the jury and a high stand for the Judge. Everything anypony would need to hold some kind of legal proceedings. Near the front of the crowd was a collection of mares, headed by Princess Twilight. Those beside her were her closest friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. All of them were noted and respected citizens of Ponyville, but there was one standing beside them that could hardly have been called that. It was a creature known as a draconequs, a strange combination of many animal parts. Discord, the recently-reformed lord of chaos.
The spirit looked around with a look of utter boredom, which was contrasted by that of the mares who stood beside him. They all cast nervous glances at one another, the air around them one of concern. The crowds behind them were al abuzz with chatter about what was going on, but all fell silent as the gathered ponies saw a burly stallion in a guard uniform step out before them and make a loud declaration.
"The Judge will soon be arriving. The trial of Discord will soon commence."
That statement, needless to say, got everypony talking, but it was Twilight who now seemed the most shocked, as she turned to her friends. They all shared similar looks of concern, and it was a sentiment reflected in Rarity's voice as she spoke.
"A trial? I just don't understand, Twilight. I know that Discord did some questionable things, but that was a long time ago. If a trial was going to happen, why didn’t it happen long before now?"
Twilight shook her head before replying.
"I don't know. Rumour has it that somepony of great influence has managed to convince everypony that a trial should be held. I didn't even hear about all this until yesterday."
Applejack raised an eyebrow at that before speaking.
"What about Princess Celestia? Didn't she, ya know, give Discord a pardon or somethin?"
Twilight shook her head yet again.
"I tried sending a letter to her, but there was no reply."
The young alicorn hung her head a little before continuing.
"I don't think we're going to get any help from her today."
The group all looked rather down upon hearing that, but the mood was somewhat spoiled by the sudden sound of laughter to their right. Turning, the mares all looked upon Discord, who was busy chuckling to himself before looking down at them.
"Oh! You should look at your faces! You have no idea how funny you girls looks when you're worried!"
Rainbow narrowed her eyes and flew upwards, right into Discord's face, pointing a hoof towards him before speaking.
"In case you haven't noticed, you in big trouble here. This is a trial! You know what that means, right?"
Discord snorted before replying.
"Oh please! Of course I know what a trial is! I'm just not worried about it."
Discord would have probably been given a second bout of anger from Rainbow, had it not been for the sudden appearance of a yellow hoof on her shoulder. Turning, Rainbow saw that it was her friend, Fluttershy, who was giving her a somewhat pleading look. The blue pegasus let out an audible moan before flying back to her previous spot, leaving Fluttershy to talk to Discord.
"Um, Discord? This is really serious. You could be sent away somewhere bad! You could have all sorts of horrible things said about you here."
The chaotic spirit looked down at his number-one defender before cracking a small smile and patting her on the head.
"I appreciate your concern, my dear. But I don't think I'm in any danger. After all, everypony knows I'm reformed and forgiven. For me to lose something like this, I'd have to be given a judge who's unbelievably biased and bitter."
Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again as her attention, as well as everypony else's, was diverted to the door adjacent to the Judge's stand, out of which came a loud and very angry-sounding voice.
"ALRIGHT! WHERE IS HE?!"
Discord' head snapped forward, his face drained of most of it's colour.
"I'm dead."
All of the crowd, including Twilight and her friends, watched as a creature, never before seen in Ponyville before, stepped out of the door and towards the stand. It walked up the stepped and looked out amongst the crowd, casting a rather disdainful glance at Discord after doing so. The guard from earlier stepped forward and addressed the crowd.
"All rise for the honourable...er..."
The guard's eyes shifted a little before he nervously leaned towards the new arrival and whispered.
"Um...your Honour? I don't think we ever went over what your name was."
The creature, which everypony now knew to be the Judge of this whole affair, looked down at the guard with a stern expression.
"You may simply refer to me as...the author."
The guard, understandably, gave the Judge a somewhat confused look before turning to the crowd once again.
"Yes...well...all rise for the honourable Judge...er...author!"
The ponies, all giving quizzical glances at each other for a few moments, nevertheless did as they were asked, and all stood up for a while before the Judge took a seat behind the stand, giving the rest of them silent permission to do the same. When all the ponies were properly seated, Twilight leaned in towards Discord before speaking in a hushed tone.
"Discord? What is a human doing in Equestria? And do you know him exactly?"
The spirit shook his head a little before speaking.
"Well, when it comes to him being here, let's just say that he can kind of be anywhere he likes, whenever he likes. And as for me knowing him? We've never met, but believe me...I couldn't have been given a worse Judge."
Twilight would have most likely enquired further about that, had it not been for the Judge in question suddenly speaking aloud once more, gaining her immediate attention.
"Will the condemned..."
The human then cleared his throat a little before continuing, his face bearing an unmistakeable smirk.
"My apologies. Slip of the tongue. Will the accused please step forward?"
Discord let out a groan before standing up and taking a step forward. The Judge glared down at him before speaking directly to the spirit.
"Discord, Lord of chaos. You have been charged with wilful actions that have harmed both the land and the ponies of Equestria. Actions that have hurt many, including those who have been chosen as your defence council."
The spirit raised an eyebrow at that statement before his eyes widened with realisation. Turning, he looked upon the mares behind him, all of whom shared his look of surprise. Clearly the Judge was referring to the six of them, which naturally came as a surprise. Nevertheless, Twilight, having composed herself quickly after this, gave Discord a short nod, letting him know that they had accepted this position. Nodding back, Discord faced the Judge again as he carried on.
"How do you plead to these charges?"
Discord puffed out his chest and tried to look as innocent as possible, before giving his reply.
"Not guilty, your honour."
The Judge narrowed his eyes a little before silently waving his hand at Discord, giving the spirit leave to return to his seat, which he did. Once Discord was back amongst his friend, the Judge turned to face the crowd and addressed them himself.
"Then this trial will now begin."
Discord glanced nervously at the mares beside him, all of whom were trying to give him encouraging looks, which did little to make him feel better. Twilight, having calmed herself from the revelation of her role in all of this, stepped up and spoke directly to the Judge.
"Your honour, if I may speak?"
The Judge nodded.
"You may, Princess Twilight."
Unlike the way he'd looked and spoke to Discord, the Judge's tone and mannerisms when speaking to Twilight were the complete opposite, polite and respectful. A far cry from the anger that had been in his eyes when Discord was before him. Still, it was an improvement in their fortunes, and Twilight was quick to use it. So, clearing her throat, she spoke up again.
"Your honour, my client's actions are not in question, Everypony is well aware of what he has done in the past. But he was given a royal pardon by Princess Celestia herself."
The Judge nodded at that.
"Indeed he was. Unfortunately, Princess, that pardon has been revoked. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say, your client has no legal protection here."
Looking somewhat nervous at that, Twilight began to fumble her words slightly before speaking up again.
"Then...let me contact her! I promise I can get this whole thing straightened out!"
Another nod from the Judge.
"Yes, I'm sure you could. Sadly, the two sisters are..." he began.
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"Tia! Why in the name of all that is good and decent did you drag me all the way to this Faust-forsaken desert?!"
"Luna, when one offers you a chance to find a long-forgotten warehouse filled to the brim with perfectly-preserved delicious cakes, you don't say no to that!"
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"...otherwise occupied," he concluded.
Twilight looked more than a little disappointed at that, but merely took a few deep breaths before calming herself and going back to join her friends. Watching her sit down, the Judge then spoke aloud yet again.
"Will the council for the prosecution please present their case?"
Discord and the mares turned their heads to the right, only now remembering that there was supposed to be a prosecutor in all this. However, their eyes widened with shock when they looked upon the one who would be opposing them. An older stallion with bright white fur and a blue mane, clad in the purple armour only given to Captains of the royal guard. They all knew who this was, but it was Twilight who spoke out after seeing him.
"Wha...brother?! What are you doing here?!"
Shining Armour turned to his sister, his face a little saddened.
"I'm sorry, Twily. But this is something I have to do."
Twilight shook her head frantically at this, but the potential brother-sister drama was rudely interrupted by Discord, who glanced angrily at the stallion.
"Well! I can't say I'm happy about this arrangement one bit! I mean, how can you turn against me after all the things I’ve done for you?"
Shining narrowed his eyes angrily at the spirit before speaking.
"You mean how you nearly destroyed my country, betrayed my sister and left my wife imprisoned in Tartarus?!"
The anger in Shining's voice was clear, as was the sudden feeling of nervousness in Discord as he slowly shrank behind Twilight, perhaps hoping to use her as a potential shield against her brother.
"Ah, yes, that. Um...forget I said anything."
Twilight afforded herself a face-hoof after this moment as Shining shook his head at the cowering spirit. The stallion then stepped forward and looked up at the Judge.
"Your honour..."
Then he looked upon the crowd.
"...mares and gentlecolts of the court. I stand here before you today to bring this traitor to our people to justice. This creature, who betrayed the trust we placed in him, who led our nation to the brink of ruin not once, not twice, but three times. I am here to prove to you all that this snake must not, and should not be allowed to roam free from this day forward!"
Twilight, as per her role, would have no doubt risen to make some kind of objection towards this declaration by her brother, had it not been for the sudden deafening sound of applause from the crowd gathered around them, which merely led her to slink back down into her chair. Glancing at her friends, it was clear to all of them that they were not the popular side in all this. Still, they had a job to do, and they weren't going to let a little thing like being in an incredibly unbalanced trial filled with people who hate their client slow them down. However, as the crowd continued to cheer, Pinkie moved closer to Twilight before whispering in her ear.
"You gotta admit, your brother's a really good public speaker!"
Groaning at that, admittedly correct, if ill-timed statement, Twilight merely banged her head on the desk in front of her. As the crowd died down a little, Shining cleared his throat before speaking up again.
"Your honour, I call my first witness...all the ponies of Equestria!"
Twilight leapt up at that.
"Objection! It is illegal for an entire group to be called up as witnesses in a trial. I respectfully ask that the honourable prosecutor be limited to one witness at a time."
The Judge observed Twilight carefully before letting out a deep sigh, after which he turned to look upon Shining.
"My apologies, Prosecutor, but he council for the defence is correct. As much as I would love for you to carry out your plan, I must abide by the defence's wishes in this matter."
Twilight couldn't help but smile at that. She'd won her first victory in this, however small it was. Looking at her brother, she saw that he too let out a sigh before turning around.
"Very well. In that case, I call my first witness...Braeburn Apples!"
Applejack's ears perked up upon hearing that, and she craned her neck above the crowd to see that, sure enough, there was her cousin, walking with great intent down the aisle of the court-room towards the witness stand. He stopped only briefly to give her a glance, in which he looked a combination of embarrassed and apologetic towards her. Applejack said nothing, merely giving her cousin a nod before the latter got up onto the stand. Shining approached the stallion and stood firm before being joined by the guard from before, who held up his hoof. It was a gesture that Braeburn imitated before the guard began to speak.
"Mr Apples. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing BUT the truth, so help you Faust?"
The stallion nodded.
"Ah'm an Apple, friend. We're always honest!"
The guard looked up at the Judge, who simply nodded at that, before moving away from Braeburn and back to his post. Shining, having been silent this whole time, began to address the witness.
"Mr Apples, can you please describe, for the court, the events that took place a few months ago, during the incursion of Tirek?"
Braeburn cast yet another glance at Applejack before looking back at Shining. Twilight and the others knew what Braeburn was going to say. Indeed, they knew what ALL of Shining's witnesses were going to say. But they had little choice but to wait until it was all over before they made their case. And so, they simple sat back, alongside their nervous-looking chaotic friend, and listened as the evidence against them began to grow.
"Well, Sir...it all began when I was out in the apple orchards..."
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"...and as soon as I lost my flight, I crashed straight into the ground! Afterwards..."
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"...then my horn wouldn't even light up Not even a flicker! I tell you it was like..."
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"...he just roped us together! Like animals! Then his best buddy, that Tirek monster, he just came and..."
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"...I swear it felt like I was wearin nothin at all! Nothin at all! Nothin at all!"
"SIR!!! Could you PLEASE stop shaking your flank in the courtroom!!!"
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Twilight and her friends listened with a great deal of difficulty as mares and stallions alike came in their dozens and gave perhaps the most damning testimony they'd ever heard about anything. With every pony that spoke, they felt their chances sink lower and lower. Eventually it reached a point where Twilight started rubbing her temples in frustration.
"Ugh! How are we going to get out of this?"
Before Applejack or any of the others could respond to that, Twilight was taken aback by the sudden arrival of Pinkie to her left, who whispered into her ear like before.
"Don't worry, Twilight! I think a cop-out is going to save the day!"
Twilight, looking upon her friend in the same manner she normally did, merely groaned at that before banging her head on the table over and over. Thankfully, this was brought to a swift end as the latest of Shining’s witnesses left the stand. With that over and done with, the stallion stood before the Judge, who himself was looking rather ragged after having to hear so many stories.
"I believe that is all I need, your honour."
The judge shook his head to try and wake himself up after that before speaking.
"Um...yes! How many witnesses was that? I lost count after the first three hundred."
Shining glanced over to Discord and scowled at the spirit.
"Enough, your honour. It was enough."
Discord shot back an equally disdainful look as Shining made his way back to the prosecutor's stand. Casting a nervous look at her friends, Twilight's attention was then drawn to the Judge, who spoke out in an authoritative tone.
"Will the council for the defence please present their case?"
Twilight took a deep breath before taking a stand and walking before the Judge.
"Your Honour...our case is a simple one. While it is true that Discord committed the actions of which he stands accused, it must be said that he was manipulated by the true villain in these circumstances. The magic-stealer, Tirek. If it wasn't for that monster's influence, I have no doubt that Discord would never have gone back to his old ways."
She turned and looked over at Discord before continuing.
"It should also be noted that Discord himself was a victim in all of this. When Tirek was done with all of us, he turned his foul powers on Discord also, taking his chaotic magic and leaving him for dead."
The young Princess looked back at the Judge, eyes filled with determination.
"Your honour...he has already been punished for the things he has done in the past. He lost his freedom when he was imprisoned in stone. He lost his power to Tirek. He even, for a time, lost our love and respect when he turned against us..."
Discord lowered his head, ashamed at those words as Twilight continued.
"...he doesn't deserve to be punished further."
The Judge was silent as he watched the alicorn, as was Shining. They both kept their eyes on her as she walked back over to the defence’s stand, before sitting down beside Discord and her friends. It was here that the Judge, who had been listening patiently to all this, lifted up a piece of paper to his face and began reading intently. After a few moments of silence, he eventually spoke up.
"Princess Twilight, it's my understanding that when Tirek made his offer of an alliance to Discord, he was in a weakened state, correct?"
Twilight shifted nervously from one hoof to the other.
"Well...yes, but..."
She was prevented from continuing as the Judge spoke up again.
"So in truth there was nothing Tirek could have none to threaten or coerce Discord into joining him at the time the alliance was made, correct?"
"Yes, but..." Twilight began.
"In short, Princess, had it not been for Tireks' betrayal of him, Discord would have most likely been content to simply carry on, allowing both you and Equestria to be brought to ruin."
Twilight opened her mouth, ready to speak in Discord's defence, but after everything she'd seen today, the countless witnesses that spoke out against him, the fact that her own brother was trying to make sure that he was condemned, even the fact that the Judge himself seemed set from the start to have Discord brought down, she felt defeated. She hung her lead low and remained silent. The Judge, seeing this, merely let out a sigh before putting down the paper.
"I am sorry, Princess. But I must do my job here."
His tone, as well as his expression, soon became one of contempt as he turned to face Discord.
"Discord, Lord of Chaos...step forward."
The spirit gave a fearful look to his colleagues, each of whom seemed similarly down like Twilight, before letting out a defeated sigh. Standing, he walked in front of the Judge, almost afraid to look him in the eye. But he didn’t need to as the Judge's voice was loud enough to be heard regardless.
"You have been found guilty of all the crimes of which you stand accused. It is therefore my duty to inflict upon you the highest punishment one can receive in a court of Equestria. I sentence you to..."
Discord shut his eyes tight, as did the other mares, as they readied themselves to hear what terrible punishment would be cast upon their friend. However, as moment by moment passed, no words came. Slowly, they opened their eyes and looked upwards, where they saw a sight they had not expected to see. The Judge was there, gavel in hand, ready to hammer it down as per tradition during the sentencing process. But beside him, hanging onto the edge of the Judge's stand, was none other than Fluttershy. The timid yellow pegasus was looking at the Judge, her eyes looking even larger than normal, which was saying something. The Judge meanwhile looked to be a combination of nervous and confused as he continued to stare right back at her.
"Um...can I help you, Miss Fluttershy?"
But Fluttershy said nothing, instead continuing to stare at him. The Judge shifted nervously in his seat, trying his best not to look her in the eye. There was something about those eyes. They were just so big! So adorable! So innocent! He couldn't bring himself to feel angry or bitter about anything as he looked into them, not even Discord. He seemed to struggle with finding his previous, resolute self, but the continual barrage of adorableness from Fluttershy was proving too much, as evidenced by the way the gavel was starting to shake in his hand. The small pegasus didn't say anything, instead letting out a low speak-like sound, not unlike that of a sad and whining dog. This combination of the sound and the eyes was proving too much for the Judge, who let out a loud struggling sound before growling angrily.
"Argh! Alright! I give up! The accused is cleared of all charges! He may go Free!"
Before anypony could react to this, the Judge looked once more upon Fluttershy, his expression more annoyed than anything.
"Now would you please stop doing that?!"
It was here that Fluttershy finally reacted, smiling widely at the Judge before flying back to her stall, where her other friends, including Discord, stared at her with mouths agape. The Judge began to walk away from the stall, enduring many "boos" from the crowds, not to mention a look of disbelief from Shining, who simply banged his head against his table in frustration. With the Judge gone, Twilight, her mouth still hanging open, looked at each of her friends, who made it clear that they too could not believe what had just happened. It was a sentiment reflected in Twilight's tone of voice as she tried her best to get out a coherent sentence.
"Wha...what...what just happened?"
Pinkie Pie, as always, appeared out of nowhere, rested a hoof upon her alicorn friend's shoulder, and spoke to her with a smirk on her face.
"Told ya! Cop-out!"
