Internecine

The Trottingham Independent

Broadsheet edition, 7th January 2489

Equestrian scholars agree new foal protection laws

By Glory Whisk

Canterlot, Equestria — Following the recent attack in Equestria on a Trottingham-born minor named Pipsqueak wherein both parties were charged with the offence of ‘corruption of the fundamental innocence of the immortal soul of the minor’, the legislative branch of Equestria—known locally as the Council of Scholars—has agreed a new set of foal protection laws absolving victims of rape by other minors of committing a crime.

Elder of Celestia Grayhoof Starswirl, the highest-ranking scholar in the Council of Scholars, has been quoted as saying that ‘this set of contradicting law is a disgrace to the dignity of our judiciary and to the consistency of Clarity.’ Clarity is the official name for the system of legislative reform practised by the Equestrian government.

Under the provisions set by the First Judicial Conference in May 23, however, no acts by the head of state can be applied retroactively whether in favour of or against the accused and as such Pipsqueak will be facing a hearing by the Canterlot Primary Tribunal next morning.

Most former cases regarding the offence were settled out of court, due to social pressures in Equestrian society; due to the dual criminality of the case, however, both parties are deprived of their right to manage their legal affairs and the state must force a prosecution.

Tensions are mounting as Trottinghamians are calling the prosecution ‘barbaric’ and are calling for its immediate dismissal; Equestrian law, however, does not permit the judge to call nolle prosequi, owing to the 892 Conference on the Rights of the Aggrieved.

Pipsqueak’s mother, having boarded a transport heading to Canterlot, was unavailable for comment at the time of writing and all other involved parties have refused interview. The other party in the case is as yet unknown, although she is believed to be a pegasus pony.

Useful notes on Ponyville:

Ponyville, where the crime occurred, is a prosperous suburban commercial district to the south of Canterlot with a hold on all commerical traffic running from Southern Equestria and is known for being the sole settlement directly remaining over the West Bank due to its defensive position near the Everfree.

It is currently forbidden from taking taxes from passing convoys and as such derives the plurality of its income from agricultural produce. Despite being a predominantly earth pony town, it is noticeably diverse and has some of the lowest crime rates in Southern Equestria.

Perhaps for this reason, all Elements of Harmony are known to have taken up permanent residence. This includes the instigator of the reform, Element of Magic Twilight Sparkle, who is also an official trainee legislator and the personal student of Princess Celestia.

—

“Sister.”

Celestia looked up from her papers to see a dark blue hoof coming towards her face; she moved as soon as it caught her eye, and it barely grazed her.

Her composure did not falter, and she took a deep breath as she peered at her sister’s furious visage. “You appear to be out of practise, Luna. What’s the matter?”

She pulled her hoof back quickly, but her attempt failed to dampen her anger. “Pretend not, sister,” she said, and her voice turned venomous. “Pretend not before me.”

She sighed and put one of her hooves up against her forehead. “What do you expect me to do?”

She shifted herself up on her hind-legs, pushing her arms hard up against her sister’s shoulders. “Do not be coy with me, sister. I care not if thou art disposed towards taking my power from me—I do not care for such petty things. I will push the stars and pull the moon as I always have. But do not bring this child under your twisted justice for the sake of our petty games.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

She snorted in disgust. “I attempted to pardon Pip, sister. I was told that Royal Decree forbade it. Of all things, my intelligence mayn’t be mocked.”

“Luna,” Celestia said, shaking her head, “I can’t give pardons either. I stopped myself from doing that four hundred and thirty-six years ago.”

Luna found that it was her turn to be surprised. “Fewmets, sister. Thou wouldst not do something so foalish—I would never do something so foalish, so blind—without the world at my throat.” She gritted her teeth. “Why, sister?”

She sighed, gently pushing Luna from her—she stumbled a bit at the rejection of her gesture—and standing from her throne as she walked towards the nearest window. “I had a friend, Luna.”

“Everypony in the world is thy friend, sister.”

“I had a personal friend who was convicted of a terrible crime.” She looked down at her own hooves. “I could not pardon him for it in good conscience, and I knew that I would try.”

“So thou hast removed thy right of pardon—our right—because thou wert too weak to hold power? For some petty mortal?” She was practically seething. “And now thou hast condemned a foal innocent only of victimhood to imprisonment for the crime of being attacked? How couldst thou?”

She spoke heavily. “I have made many, many mistakes. Some of these mistakes have killed thousands. We have all made mistakes. Do you think that I do not regret this one? This oversight?”

“You cannot simply make an amendment to the Judicial Convention? You cannot simply repeal the royal edict?”

“A royal decree has never been repealed. I cannot overturn the entire legal system for a single foal, Luna. You know that. I never repeal them for a reason; I'm not infallible. Nopony is.”

“If thou art not infallible, perhaps thou shouldest not have thy position of infallibility, sister; this innocent foal has suffered by your foalishness, now, just as so many have.”

Looking back, Celestia might have said that her visage had splintered for the first time in decades.

“I can’t believe it.” A laugh issued from Celestia’s throat, a hoarse one; she turned around to her, showing a bitterly merry face. “I can't believe it. You would say that to me, spitting gum from a house with sugar walls? If not me, then who? You, the infallible Nightmare Moon?”

Luna stood in shock, and Celestia knew immediately that she should not have spoken.

They looked at each other for a while.

“I am not infallible,” she finally said, and turned around, walking towards the door. “And I never have pretended to be.”

She did not look at her as she pulled the tiara from her head and threw it to the floor. It bounced and landed upside-down on the carpet.

Celestia stared at her retreating flank until she was out the door, closing it behind her.

“That fat-headed, irrational mule,” she said, and decided not to speak further.