Twilight's Trial (Starfleet Season 3)
Author's Note
Thought I'd post this while I'm still too busy to make more of my regular fics (Yugioh E-Quest is so demanding)
Twilight's Trial
Admiral Lightning Dawn blasted bits of the Uniforce at the barrier he was trapped in, with all his might. Raven’s uniforce magic was far stronger than his own, making it hard to break through.
Meanwhile, Captain Twilight Sparkle, stubborn as a mule, continued to battle with Raven outside, despite everyone’s constant warnings and orders not to engage such a powerful enemy she couldn’t hope to defeat herself.
“I won’t let you hurt Celestia!!” she yelled as she continued to attack the evil assassin, but Raven skillfully dodged and blocked her every punch and kick as if it were all a game… and finally socking her hard in the face, sending her tumbling through the air and slamming hard into a tree, snaping it’s trunk upon impact.
“Twilight!!” Lightning called.
Twilight’s power armor had malfunctioned and de-energized, thus leaving her extremely vulnerable as Raven began to approach her, looking to finish her off.
“No!!” Lightning shouted as he pounded at the barrier. His golden horn began to glow brightly…!
Twilight, now finally realizing the danger she was in, fruitlessly tried to zap at Raven with every ounce of magical strength she had, but the evil creature just kept on coming forth like an oncoming train being pelted at by mere pebbles.
Finally, she had Twilight in her grasp-- grabbing her by the neck and lifting her effortlessly off the ground and glaring at her.
She growled softly but deeply, “No one… I mean NO ONE is going to stop me from destroying Celestia and avenging my husband!” Her evil eyes began to glow with dark aura as she charged up to shoot for the kill “…Especially not a pathetic wimp like you!”
Twilight could see the end coming before her eyes, and it would have been her finish… when suddenly…
…A bright flash of light shone from behind. Raven looked round and saw a big blast heading straight for her, forcing her to zip out of the way, and Twilight got struck.
“BLAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!” Twilight wailed and screamed as her body sparked and jolted with magical bolts, and she exploded-- magically shrunk down to a few inches tall and encased in capture-sphere.
Raven reappeared high above the ground, and she saw…
Lightning had managed to break through her Uniforce barrier, and shot his capture-blaster, intending to hit Twilight all the time and imprison her.
Lightning glared up at the evil assassin, not bothering to go after her due to being obviously outmatched, and Raven decided she’d had enough.
“Consider yourselves lucky!” she warned “The next creature that dares get in the way of my revenge will not be so fortunate.”
Then she was gone, vanished into thin air.
As outraged as Lightning was, he couldn’t worry about her now. He had another hard task ahead of him, and that was to bring Twilight, still in the sphere, back to the palace per his orders.
He glared at his tiny friend inside the sphere and stated officially, “Captain Twilight Sparkle, by order of their royal majesties, I hereby place you under arrest.”
Twilight couldn’t believe this was happening, and before she knew it…
…She was in a detention cell, stripped on her Starfleet equipment, and an enchanted lock around her horn to block her normal magic, now awaiting a court martial for her serious insubordination.
Someone entered the cell block, and the guards parted for none other than Queen Celestia, who had come with a tray of food for Twilight.
She hated to see her student behind bars like this, but she didn’t bother to show it, for she was very upset with her and gazed at her with a look of extreme disappointment.
Twilight couldn’t stand any of this. Her own beloved teacher treating her like a common criminal and locking her up like this.
“How can you, of all ponies, do this to me?” she asked for the umpteenth time.
Celestia shut her eyes tightly, trying to suppress her inner sadness. “I don’t like this anymore than you do, but breaking rules can never go unnoticed… not even for you, Twilight.”
Twilight’s clenched fist quivered. “So, this is the thanks I get for trying to protect you? Something that no one else seems to be doing or caring about?!”
Celestia shook her head, “It matters not how honorable your intentions were this time. You were told many times not to go after Raven. She is far more devious and formidable than any enemy we’ve faced, even my own best spells were not enough to hold her at bay. How could you have possibly stopped her?”
At this point, every word she said pieced through Twilight like a burning knife. She finally understood how powerless she really was… but was still upset that no one would understand her reasons for doing what she did.
“I thought you had faith in me.”
Now Celestia felt she couldn’t stay much longer, and she turned her back on her, cringing very heavily at what she was about to say next…
“…Having faith in someone and knowing what they are capable of… does not always mean they will succeed.”
Twilight really felt that one.
“…Just be thankful you are still alive right now. I know I am.” Then she left, leaving Twilight to softly bewail her predicament.
It wasn’t long before the trial was held. Grand Ruler Celesto presided with Celestia.
Lightning, and all the others were there, including Cadance and Shining Armor.
Shining Armor could hardly bear to see his kid sister on trial like some criminal, but he knew the regulations.
All the others felt just as horrible for Twilight, but none as deeply as Lightning.
“Captain Twilight Sparkle…” Grand Ruler declared “You have been found guilty on the charges of…
-Gross insubordination
-Willfully defying orders
-And endangering yourself against procedure.
…Is there anything you wish to say before sentence is passed?”
Twilight stood tall but miserably on the stand. Everyone gawked at her with sad feelings, and Twilight’s mind was going crazy!
“Just that I was only trying to look out from my beloved Queen and Teacher, and I was only trying to protect her from an evil that threatens her life, which none of you seem to be doing well.”
“…No. I have nothing to say.”
Spike held himself as hard as he could to stop himself from bursting out crying in a courtroom like this.
Many others felt the same.
With a very heavy heart, his majesty declared. “You are a fine soldier, and you have served us well before, and apart from this you are also a wonderful friend to me, to my wife, and to your fellow comrades.
However, despite all this, I cannot allow my personal feelings to affect my legal decision when regarding the law and the seriousness of these charges, and protocol must be followed accordingly.”
He paused, summing up all his courage. “You are hereby stripped of your rank. You are relieved of all duties-- both Starfleet and sociable-- and placed under house arrest. confined to Golden Oak Library, with limited visiting hours and scheduled delivery of food and supplies until further notice, pending another hearing.”
He banged his gavel with his eyes shut tightly. “Court adjourned!”
The entire court fell silent with sadness. Celestia felt her heart broken in half, the other friends all felt crushed, and a single tear fell from Twilight’s eye.
After Twilight went home, Lightning and Starla sat on a park bench in New Ponyville.
Many passersby gave Lightning a strange look, be it they were angry at him for arresting Twilight-- still not understanding the full seriousness of the situation, or they did understand but still hated what he had done though they knew the laws.
No one proceeded to balk at him or anything, fearing they would land themselves in trouble too.
As much as Starla didn’t like what happened she tried her best to comfort her fiancé, “Lightning, you did the right thing. Any one of us wouldn’t have done differently. It’s all part of the whole Starfleet package.”
While Lightning had to agree, he shook his head. “That doesn’t make it any easier, nor does it make the pain hurt less.
Having to arrest a fellow officer, a dear friend…?! It’s things like this that make the job hurt. It makes you want to just cut your losses and hang up your uniform.”
He bowed his head and ruffled his fingers through his mane in soft but painful frustration.
Anyone could see that he was in no condition to get married to Starla like this. She felt no different than he did, especially since she wanted Twilight to still be her mare of honor.
Right now, nobody would really be up to caring about all that until this all got sorted out.
“So that’s it then,” she decided “…Wedding’s off for now.”
Lightning reluctantly agreed, and they embraced each other.
As for Twilight, she sat miserably at home, unable to leave the premises. The entire tree was shrouded in a forcefield cast by Starfleet which only prevented her from leaving, but not anyone else.
Her horn was still locked and her magic was useless. This was to prevent her from trying to teleport, or bring the barrier down herself. She had no powers at all. She couldn't even do card tricks. She was also not allowed to practice other forms of magic, like potions, or incantations. If she got caught doing so, she would be in more trouble than ever.
This was very hard for a creature like Twilight; her whole life was all about Magic, Friends, and devotion to Starfleet and protecting people. Now she couldn't do any magic, she couldn't try to help protect the world, she couldn't even go outside and had limited interactions with her friends.
Oh, she had her books, and she could read to her heart's content, but even that became boring, pointless, and even annoying that she couldn't study magic well and not be able to practice it with her horn locked.
Her friends came by during visiting hours, bringing her groceries, or just hangout for a while. This was the most she could get out of her life while entrapped.
Lightning didn’t come, still trying to find the courage to face her after arresting her, and she herself still finding the courage to truly talk to him.
Spike was the only one permitted to stay since he lived with her, and Twilight’s motherly rights to him were not cut off.
“Twilight?” he said to her. “I’m with you all the way, you know that right?”
She tearfully hugged him. “Thank you, Spike.”
Spike hugged her back, wishing there was something he could do.
Who knew how long Twilight would have to remain a prisoner like this and be allowed to go outside and rejoin the force.
Only time would tell.