Chapters When the Moon was Put on Trial
A week later, it's finally the day of Luna's trial. There to defend her are the Mane Six. Celestia is over it as judge. The jury is equal parts unicorn, Pegasi, and earth pony. As everything is getting set up, the jury argues amongst itself.
"She almost put us in eternal night!" hollers a unicorn stallion.
"A nightmare monster consumed her soul, she didn't know what she was doing," cuts in another unicorn, this one midnight blue in color.
"She should still be punished. She was in control of her demons," responds a pegasus mare.
"Quiet! All of you!" hollers Celestia. "The trial hasn't begun yet. Hold your horses!"
A few hours later, the trial begins. "Luna, please state your case," says Celestia. She then whispers to herself out of earshot of the other ponies. "I'm sorry sister."
"Nightmare Moon wasn't fully me. I was consumed by envy, jealousy, grief and pain. As a creature that feeds off of these, the nightmare force took over my body and boosted my bitter feelings. I didn't want to cause eternal night. The nightmare made me do it against my will. My free will was gone. I was consumed. Consumed," cries Luna bursting into tears. Luna then steps out of the seat and goes back to the throne in the corner of the room and continues to cry. The next pony into the stand is Twilight Sparkle.
"Twilight Sparkle," says Celestia, "please state your name and how you helped to heal Nightmare Moon and get Luna readjusted as you saw everything first hoof."
Twilight nods and answers the first question. "Hello, my full name is Twilight Polaris Sparkle. I am the former student of Princess Celestia, Princess of Friendship, and the Element of Magic. When Nightmare Moon first returned to Equestria, I and my friends, the other elements faced her and used our elements to heal her and return her to being Princess Luna. Not long after, her full power was returned and she came for her first Nightmare Night post banishment. I showed her around and showed her that she was loved especially by all the little fillies and little colts. She is an inspiration and help to them. When she was possessed by Nightmare Moon, she was just that: possessed. She wasn't in her right mind. She was under the influence of the poisonous nightmare force. It was poisoning her mind. Can't you understand that? Why are we putting her on trial then? Ponies change. Ponies can change. Why don't you understand that? Why are you such fools? So blind to this?"
"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle," responds Celestia. "You may return to your seat." Twilight nods and returns to her seat next to her friends. Over the following hours, the rest of the Mane Six state their sides. "Well, thanks every pony for stating your sides on this. I need time to mull this over. Recess!"
The ponies then go on recess and a few hours later, the call is made and the ponies don't care for it. They feel like Luna got off Scott free because she's Celestia's baby sister.
"Of course Celestia would name her own sister innocent," grumbles a stallion named Gusty Gloom.
"I mean, if she was influenced by something else, she didn't technically do it," responds a unicorn mare named Glisten Glow.
All the ponies then part ways after talking over it more for several minutes. They then go into their own houses and don't come out for the rest of the night, locking their doors to show they don't want to be bothered.
"Those two may have a point," sighs Twilight as she and her friends walk by. "But she was punished. Do they not realize she was banished to the moon? All of this was so stupid."
"I agree," adds Applejack. "That's much worse punishment than being sent to Tartarus or the Canterlot Prison."
"It's just wrong that they'd turn on her so easily. Ponies can be so dumb sometimes," adds Rarity with a sigh.
"Mmhmm," adds Fluttershy. "What they did wasn't right. They shouldn't have put Luna on trial before her own sister. What did they expect to happen?"
"Well, at least it's all over," responds Twilight, "and hopefully it stays that way."
"Yeah, hopefully," responds Applejack. "I pray on my parents' stars that it stays that way."
A few minutes later, the friends all enter Sugar Cube Corner and enjoy some sweets and chatter together before going upstairs to enjoy a nice sleepover to get their minds off the day's events. After the day's events, it feels like Equestria is tearing itself in three different directions and honestly that scares all of them, Twilight more than the rest of them. She can't help but feel unsteady, uneasy. Why would they turn on Luna now of all times? She'll have to look into it a little bit more, but that can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, she'll just enjoy the sleepover with her best friends the best she can. Tomorrow, she'll talk more with Luna and do more research on why the ponies are turning on their princess now when they never wanted to do so before. Something is up and Twi is determined to get to the center of it. Hopefully she can, but at the same time, she's worried maybe there was nothing else calling it and that's what she honestly fears the most.
When the Moon was Put on Trial
It's a few days after Luna's return to the kingdom and her throne in Canterlot when the complaints come rolling in. "Dear Celestia," says one letter, "why hasn't Nightmare Moon been punished for her crimes? She should be put on trial." "Nightmare Moon and Luna One in the Same: Exposed" says a paper. "Dear Celestia, Luna should be tried for her crimes as Nightmare Moon."
"What am I to do?" sighs Celestia. "I don't want to lose my sister again, I already lost her once. I don't want to put her on trial, turn against her. At the same time, the ponies deserve something to put their minds at ease. What to do? What to do?" Celestia then goes down to the library and into her secret chamber there. There, she sits and starts to think things over, with a few minutes later, tears streaming down her cheeks.
A few hours later, Luna enters Celestia's secret chamber. "I heard you crying, what's wrong?" asks Luna sweetly.
"The ponies want me to put you on trial, for what you did as Nightmare Moon and it's tearing me in two," cries Celestia. She then shows the letters and the newspapers to her sister. "For once, I don't want to give the ponies what they want. I dread it if I have to."
"Well, I don't mind it, if you can convince them I wasn't in my right mind and that it was the nightmare force controlling me, feeding off my anger and my envy. Then maybe they'll stop. Put me on trial, give them what they want," responds Luna.
"But I don't want to. I won't," responds Celestia still in tears.
"They're not going to pin me as guilty if you convince them it was the nightmare that had taken over me, both soul, mind, and body," responds Luna. "Don't worry. It's going to be fine." She then wipes the tears away from her sister's eyes.
"But what if I can't convince them that it was the nightmare that took over you? What if they think it was you and all you?" says Celestia, her voice shaking. "This trial could tear our kingdom apart, the unity of our land in two. I don't want to go through with this. I won't go through with this." She bursts back into tears. "I won't betray you like that. I can't. I can't lose you again. I won't lose you again."
"Ti," responds Luna, "it's all going to be okay. The trial isn't going to tear our kingdom in two or destroy our land's unity. I promise."
"I hope you're right," sighs Celestia. "I still don't like that we have to go through this. I've already lost you once. I hate that it might happen again."
A few minutes later, the two go up to dinner and discuss it with Twilight.
"You want to do what?!" exclaims Twilight absolutely losing it. "That's going to tear the kingdom in two and destroy peace and unity altogether!" She then continues to freak out and soon begins to hyperventilate. "This is a bad idea and it will backfire in both your faces."
"It may, it may not," responds Luna. "If we can convince them it was all the influence of the nightmare force, they will let me continue to walk free and rule over them. If not, my reign is over and so be it."
"Celestia, how are you okay with this? Luna, why are you doing this?" demands Twilight now shouting at the sisters. "Everything should've been fine once we saved you Luna. They should've accepted that it was the nightmare force as soon as we zapped it out of you with the elements. All of this is insane. Why is all this happening now? It doesn't make sense. I hate it! I hate it! You don't deserve to be going through this, Luna." Twilight then breaks down into tears. "Neither of you deserve to be going through this."
"I know, but it's our job to make the ponies happy," responds Celestia.
"And if it's a trial they want, it's a trial they'll get," adds Luna. "And they do kind of deserve it. After all, I did kind of almost cause eternal night and I would have if I had not been banished to the moon."
"Okay," sighs Twilight, "you two just be careful."
"We will," respond the royal sisters. The two then walk out. "Hopefully this doesn't backfire in our faces," they say softly to each other as they walk down the hall to their rooms. The two then go into their separate rooms and turn in for the night.
Meanwhile, Twilight goes to the library to read to get the trial off of her mind. She hates that the sisters are going along with this. She knows they shouldn't be. It just makes her very uncomfortable. It makes her even more uncomfortable that her and her friends have to stand up for Luna and declare her innocence before all of Equestria. Twilight can't help but be both nervous and scared. How she's going to tell her friends, she does not know yet.
Over the following days, everything is getting prepped for the trial. Celestia is set to judge the trial against her sister which rips her heart in two. The Mane Six are set to defend Luna and testify to her sanity and the influence of the nightmare force on her behavior and actions. It's all to be set in the court room of the royal palace in Canterlot. Shining Armor and the royal guard are set to guard the palace during the trial. Everything is coming together perfectly, but at the same time, Celestia hates every single bit of it. She could lose her sister again and she doesn't want that to happen. "Please have her be proven innocent, under the influence of the nightmare, please, please, please," whispers Celestia to herself under her breath where no pony can hear. "I can't lose her again. I can't. I can't. I can't. I just got her back. I won't lose her again. I won't. I won't. I won't. She's the only family I have left. I can't lose her and I won't. I won't bring the gavel down against her. I know she's innocent. I wish every pony knew the same. All of this is nonsense and I just want it to end." Celestia then goes off to find her sister. A few minutes later, she finds her sister sitting alone in her room.
"The trial is only a few days away," says Luna to her sister, "and quite honestly, I'm scared. What if they do find me guilty? I don't want to become one of your stupid statues like you did with Discord."
"You're not going to be found guilty, I promise," responds Celestia. "We can easily prove it wasn't you. With the Mane Six's help, we can prove it was the nightmare force and not you."
"I hope you're right," sighs Luna. "I'm just glad mom and dad aren't here to see the ponies turning on us like this. I really and truly am."
"As am I," sighs Celestia. "They'd be so disappointed in the ponies just as I am with them right now." Celestia then begins to hum a lullaby to calm her sister down. After all, the last thing she wants is for her sister to be more stressed than she already is. After all, if Luna's not in the right mind, she won't be found innocent by their subjects.
When the Moon was Put on Trial
The next day, the trial continues and the two ponies from the previous day of trial, Gusty Gloom and Glisten Glow take to the stand to testify either for or against the Princess of the Night.
"Your honor, Princess Celestia, I am for Princess Luna," puffs up Glisten Glow. "The nightmare took over Luna's mind. It wasn't her fault. The nightmare was influencing her. She couldn't fight it. I am not only a magician, but I come from a line of healers and I've seen the effects of the nightmare before. They influence the mind, make ponies do things they don't normally do, transform ponies into monsters. This wasn't Luna who did all that. It was the nightmare."
"Thank you, you may return to your seat," responds Celestia. "I'm glad to have a professional's point of view on this." Glisten then returns to her seat.
Gusty then hops on his platform and lets it rip. "Luna and Nightmare Moon were one in the same. Luna's actions are the Nightmare's actions. We can't let her go unpunished. The nightmare isn't a drug. That's preposterous!" He then begins to riot and even lunges towards Celestia and Luna. This ends up causing the guards to drag him from the court room.
"Well, that pony is mad," says Celestia. "He'll be thrown in an asylum soon enough. He had no right to attack you, sister. Are you okay???"
"I'm fine," says Luna. "I'm just startled by it and flustered by it is all. I really need a breather."
"Recess!" calls Celestia. She then leads her sister into the throne room and gives her sister a bottle of water and a plate of pancakes.
"Thanks for this," sighs Luna.
"For what?" asks Celestia.
"Defending me against all these mad ponies. They want my head," responds Luna. She then embraces her sister in a hug.
"No problem, I'm not going to let them have your head, I promise," responds Celestia.
"Promise?"
"Promise." The two share another hug before Celestia goes to call the end of the recess.
A few moments later, everypony re-enters the courtroom. Several more ponies give their testimonies either for or against the defendant. Celestia is starting to think that this trial against her beloved sister will never come to an end.
When the Moon was Put on Trial
Back in the court room, the next pony takes to the floor to give their input on the trial of Princess Luna. "Honestly, this is insane, preposterous," says the pony, who is none other than AJ, who Twilight had run off to grab during the recess. "I, Twilight, and the others were there to heal her from that monster. While y'all didn't see it with your own eyes, we did. We saw as the nightmare left her and as Celestia embraced her in tears and forgave her. The nightmare is a parasite that was harming the princess, torturing her for thousands of years, but has never returned to take over any of the other princesses. Luna is no longer a threat. She's changed. She's clean, cleansed. Drop this trial, immediately, it's insanity."
"Thanks Applejack," says Celestia with a smile and a tear rolling down her cheek, "you may return to your seat." AJ obliges and returns to her seat next to the other five.
Meanwhile, Cadence has to step out as the trial has put her daughter in tears and she has to comfort her. She then begins to cry herself as she hands the small filly to Shining. "I can't believe these ponies are trying Auntie Luna for something the Nightmare did all those years ago in the past. I can't bear it. I just can't bear it anymore."
"I know, my love," says Shining as he takes his wife in an embrace. "Once you collect yourself, you should share your thoughts on the situation. That's what both your aunts need right now, and you know that."
After awhile, Cadence finally gathers herself and takes to the podium to defend her aunt. After a breath, Cadence begins to speak. "When Auntie Luna wasn't around not long into my princesshood, I didn't quite understand or grasp why. Eventually, Auntie Tia broke down and finally told me the truth. Now, I feel it's a truth I knew I should hear. Back then, I didn't think it was relevant after that day. Now, today, says otherwise. 'Oh Cady,' Celestia told me. 'I had to banish Luna to the moon as the Nightmare had taken over her. Corrupted her. Don't worry, someday the prophesied one will come and will heal her, set her free.' She then took a then crying me outside where an ice cream vendor was selling ice cream in the castle gardens and bought us both ice cream and explained it a bit more to me. I was crushed. Several years later, my sister in law and her friends set Luna free from the Nightmare. I do believe Auntie is truly free of it and that it's not coming back anytime soon. Now if you don't mind, I have a filly to return to."
"Of course, thanks for the testimony, my precious girl," responds Celestia as she dismisses Cadence back to Shining and a now sleeping Flurry Heart.
It's definitely been another good day of testimonies. Tomorrow, they will come to the final verdict.
When the Moon was Put on Trial
The next day, everypony is called back to court and Celestia gives the final verdict. "AJ, Cadence, all of them are right, this is ridiculous. Why are we doing this? The nightmare is no longer part of my sister and who she is as a pony and as a ruler. That's in the past. My sister is not that monster anymore. This case is dismissed. Luna is innocent, end of story." Celestia then runs off the stand and embraces her little sister in a hug.
"Thanks," cries Luna, "thanks for taking my side. Having my back."
"Why wouldn't I?" responds Celestia. "You're my baby sister and I'm not losing you ever again."
Meanwhile, elsewhere, newspapers are printing the story out the wazoo. "TRIAL OF THE MOON PRINCESS RESULTS IN INNOCENCE AND DISMISSAL." It sells out across Equestria and everywhere else within the day to the point they continue to print the story across the entire week so everypony can read and learn the results.
As for the princesses, they head off on a vacation together for a little bit leaving Twilight and her friends in charge. After all of this, the two realized they need to spend more time together and get to know each other more. For the two, there's a great relief that the kingdom is still united after such a trying time. More importantly, for Celestia, she's glad she didn't have to banish her sister again. To her, that's all she could ever ask for.
