A carrier ship touched down in a grassy square across the street from a grand white building. With its polished marble staircase, ancient Roman-style columns, and blindfolded swordswoman statue, the courtroom certainly looked the part of a bulwark of justice. Luna quietly peeked out of a window and ducked back, feeling a headache coming on when he saw a small army of reporters filing out of a fleet of news vans.

"Are you sure you want to be here today, Commander? You seem a little tired. Why don't you go back to New Home to rest up? I'll make you some tea if you want."

Luna looked up from his mug of coffee, shook his head and insisted, "I'm fine. I just didn't sleep as well as I'd thought. Strange, it's never been like this for a whole week before."

Chara tugged on his arm.

"We know you had a pretty nasty nightmare last night. If this day's going to be hard for us, I'm worried it'll be absolutely unbearable for you."

(Do I really look so exhausted that the victim is trying to comfort me?)

"Oh, please. Today was going to be an ordeal whether I slept like a log or on one. They'll ask you to dig up painful memories, Chara, with the precision and grace of a sledgehammer. Now let's finish this before they figure out we're in here."

A cargo bay door hissed and opened, and out of the fog stepped the outlines of four monsters and three humans. As they crossed the asphalt, tons of reporters flocked over to the group and their fully visible, shiny, and smoky transportation and collided into a line of bailiffs. One of them motioned for the group to follow as their colleagues tried to part the sea of press hats and flashing cameras.

"Mr. Dreemurr! What do the monsters have to say now that they've finally returned to the surface? Do your subjects harbor any ill will toward humanity? What's your perspective on today's trial?..."

"If you'll just step this way, your Highness! I apologize for the commotion, but you can imagine that this is an extremely unprecedented trial. I can imagine the headlines already: 'Monsters Take on Humans in Pitched Legal Battle!"

"I'm surprised they aren't afraid of us. It looks like the humans have come a long way toward starting to trust us, Luna."

"...Will diplomacy prevail if you win the right to care for the human children? Will the war resume if Chara's parents are acquitted? Is it true that monsters have magic powers? And what about the rumors saying monsters can steal human souls? Where did the monsters get that spaceship?..."

"Or maybe they're asking a billion questions because they don't trust us. You can win the political and legal battles for rights and protection with time and effort, but you won't win the social battle for acceptance unless the press is on your side. I'll get them to quiet down, and then you can say a few words to them."

When the monsters made it to the highest step, Luna waved and jumped around until people started turning their heads in the right direction.

"Can I have your attention, please? As the King of the Monsters, I promise you that all of your questions will be answered at a later time. There will be a conference and we'll be glad to tell you all about the monsters there."

Everyone disappeared into the building, leaving the reporters clamoring outside of the polished wooden doors.

"Now if you could remove any metal you're holding onto and walk through these detectors, and then the courtroom will be right through the wooden double doors at the end of the hall."

The machine's operator gawked as a golden crown, two golden lockets, two knives, and a space pike made their way through the conveyor belt.

"No weapons in the courtroom, please."

Luna asked the four children "Why don't I hold onto these?" and dumped the knives and the spear into a wormhole leading back to the carrier ship for safekeeping. The actual courtroom was rather cozy compared to the hard exterior of the building, with blue carpeted floors and shined wooden walls. All of the furniture, including the judge's bench, jury box, lawyers' benches, and audience's chairs were made of the same mahogany. Even though the seats were packed with spectators and reporters, there were a handful reserved directly behind the prosecutor's bench.

"So how exactly do these trials work?"

"Chara's brother probably knows a bit more about human courts than I do, your Highness."

"The most important concept is that there is a prosecutor who tries to prove the accused's guilt and a defense attorney who tries to prove otherwise. Both lawyers present evidence, interview witnesses, and build their opposing arguments as the trial proceeds. The jury; that is, the twelve people in the seats off to the side, will decide if their accused peer is guilty while the judge oversees the proceedings and asks questions to clarify the arguments."

Anta concluded his little explanation with a subtle fist pump.

"It's a battleground like no other, and it works a lot like how our own courts used to. In fact, here come the lawyers now."


Devin Clark 40 AT 40 DF

*LV 3.

*Dark blue upright SOUL.

*World-famous prosecutor smiling and waving to the cameras as if they were puppies. The bailiffs weren't joking when they said this case was high-profile.


Elena Rockefeller 40 AT 40 DF

*LV 3.

*Purple upright SOUL.

*Public defender. You wonder if she truly believes in her clients' innocence or if it's just part of her job.


"All rise. The First District Court of the United Nations of Earth is now in session, the Honorable Judge Thompson presiding."

Everyone rose from their seats as an elderly man in a charcoal grey robe entered from a side door and sat down behind the middle bench.


Gerry Thompson 31 AT 35 DF

*LV 2.

*Yellow upright SOUL. Quite appropriate for a judge.

*That gavel's probably worth a +1 AT.


The judge cleared his throat and, in an imposing voice, dictated, "Today's case is the United Earth Government versus Charlie S. and Clarine S. Teller. The charges are two counts of child abuse each and one count of attempted murder for Mrs. Teller. As you are all well aware, this trial will be different in that it will be the first to involve the citizens of the Monster Kingdom and I've made a special exception in allowing the proceedings to be televised. Before we begin, do the monsters have anything they would like to say?"

Everyone stared at the row behind the prosecutor's bench. The Dreemurrs whispered among themselves for a moment and then Asgore nodded and stood up.

"This will be the first time any monster has the privilege of witnessing the humans' justice system as well as the first time a monster will be involved in the legal process. Even though there are only two defendants behind that desk, it would be wise to remember that the future of our civilizations is standing trial as well."

"Indeed. The proceedings of this trial will affect human-monster relations for decades to come, so I expect everyone here to maintain the sanctity of the law to their highest ability. A 'good, clean fight,' as they say. We will first address the attempted murder charge brought against Mrs. Teller. Is the prosecution ready to deliver the opening statement?"

Mr. Clark shuffled some papers, stood up, and strolled into the middle of the courtroom.

"Yes, Your Honor. Two days ago, there was a confrontation between the Tellers and the monsters just outside of the Tellers' house. The topic of their dispute was over custody of the Tellers' two biological children, and with such a touchy subject, it was no wonder that the conflict escalated quickly. Several platoons of police officers were dispatched to the scene, but they were unable to curb the rising tension. The arguments continued until Mrs. Teller picked up a shotgun and fired multiple shots at that monster wearing the red scarf. Luckily, 'Luna' survived and is here to testify today. It is the prosecution's belief that Mrs. Teller fired with the intent of cold-blooded murder."

"I see. With over a hundred police officers present, it is an undeniable truth that Mrs. Teller discharged a firearm several times in an attempt to harm, erm...'Luna'."

The judge murmured something to himself and stopped to adjust his glasses, making sure that the words coming out of his mouth actually matched the file in front of him.

"Hmm…I think my old neighbor had a cat named Luna."

After everyone settled down, Mr. Clark asked a bailiff to wheel in a cart with the shotgun and several spent bullet casings wrapped in individual plastic baggies, explaining, "Luckily for us, the forensics team dropped everything they were doing to get this investigation done. The prosecution would like to present the firearm in question and its fired bullets. Forensics has already conducted a fingerprint test on the weapon and discovered a set matching the defendant's."

"The court accepts the weapon and bullets into evidence. Now, is the defense ready to give its opening statement?"

Mrs. Rockefeller stepped into the spotlight in an equally composed manner and said, "Yes, Your Honor. While the defense does not deny the fact that Mrs. Teller fired at that monster on that night, it claims that Mrs. Teller acted in self-defense. In other words, the accused was justified in her actions because the monsters posed a legitimate threat to the safety of her husband and children."

Luna made a face asking the equivalent of "On what planet was that self-defense?", only to be interrupted by Mrs. Rockefeller calling him to the witness stand. After pointing at himself for a second with "Me?" written on his face, the alien made his way over to a booth beside the judge's bench and waited as a bailiff approached the stand with a thick book.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Of course."

"Mrs. Rockefeller, you may proceed."

The lawyer walked to the stand, returned Luna's glare with her own, and asked, "Will you please state your name and occupation for the record?"

"My name is Luna. I am a…'detective.' Yes, that's it, a detective with a really fancy airplane."

"And you are a monster?"

"Either that or I'm wearing a very realistic goat costume."

"Can you explain to the court how you and your colleagues found yourselves in a suburban human neighborhood on that night?"

"Chara and Anta Dreemurr—"

"Please refrain from using that surname until the custodial dispute has been resolved."

Luna folded his arms and replied, "And so what if I call them a certain name? It doesn't change who was involved or what transpired that night."

"I understand, but—"

"Or are you afraid that name will convince the jury to come to its senses and side with the children?"

The judge looked over his bench and said, "The jury is instructed to disregard the previous statement. Witness, please do not pick fights with the counsel and just answer the question."

"My apologies, Your Honor. Now, as I was saying, Anta showed up at Mount Ebott to convince Chara to leave with him, but we discovered that both children were victims of abuse during their arguments. Anta fled in one of our spacecraft, so we had no choice but to pursue him to the Teller household. When we arrived, the Tellers burst out of their front door and pointed the shotgun at me. The police arrived momentarily, and after some more arguing, she fired at me several times."

Mr. Clark waved his hand in a flourish and added, "As you can see, Mrs. Teller had aimed her weapon with the intent to hit the monster. Why would anyone point a gun at anyone else if not to shoot them?"

Mrs. Rockefeller adjusted her glasses and firmly laid a hand on the witness stand.

"Witness, what you just said doesn't make any sense. If the defendant was actually aiming at you, then how is it that you're here, testifying before us, without an impact wound or even the slightest scratch?"

"Defense, the monsters you see today aren't the same monsters whom humanity defeated years ago. Is it not appropriate to assume they've gotten stronger and learned a few new tricks?"

"What kind of trick could possibly allow him to survive at such a close range?"

"Mrs. Rockefeller, the focus of the trial is not how the witness managed to dodge bullets. The relevant facts here are that Mrs. Teller aimed at the witness and attempted to shoot him with no provocation. In other words, this is the dictionary definition of a mens rea and therefore, Mrs. Teller is guilty of attempted murder!"

It was no great leap for the jury to understand Mr. Clark's claim, and hearing their murmuring brought a smug smile to the alien's face. However, the defender caught him off guard by having a cart with a familiar-looking weapon wheeled in.

"Not so fast, Clark. Defense Exhibit 'A'. Witness, isn't it true that you and your friends were carrying, um…'spears of various sizes'?"

"Yes, and judging by what happened, I'd say bringing them was the right idea."

"All the more reason the defendant had no reason to perceive immediate danger. They're just spears, Rockefeller, not machine guns."

"Are they just spears? If their weapons were unremarkable sharpened metal rods, the monsters would have been at an enormous disadvantage against firearms. The fact they wielded them anyway all but proves their weapons were at least as strong as guns if not outclassing them outright. Well, witness? Answer honestly, now, are those spears really 'just spears'?"

"…no."

"Your friends had their non-spears pointed at the defendant, didn't they?"

"Hmph. So, this is what you meant by self-defense."

"Answer the question, witness."

"Fine. Yes. Happy now?"

"Please describe your friends' weapons to the court."

Rockefeller had him caught in a snare made from words, and it was much too late to wriggle out of his own testimony now. However, characterizing their standard weapons as directed-energy doom staves would invite unwanted attention, incite fear—any manner of visceral reaction would certainly damage the monsters' image. After mulling it over, he settled on three words he hoped were neither too advanced nor alarming.

"They launch plasma."

"Plasma! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, wouldn't you be terrified if you saw a bunch of figures sneaking through the night holding that kind of space-age hardware? Mrs. Teller certainly was, and it's obvious she only fired because the combined sight of the monsters and their weapons panicked her!"

Over the rising murmurs of the jury, the prosecutor shouted, "But that argument holds for the monsters, who were just as startled when the defendant suddenly pulled a gun on them. The only difference is that the monsters had the restraint to not shoot anybody! How is it that the monsters felt calmer than the human on our own territory after all we did to them?"

"Order! Order! As the facts of the case stand, both parties had drawn weapons against each other. Whether this is a sufficient condition to claim justified self-defense will be left to the jury to decide, but I believe the defense has another claim they would like to present."

"Thank you, Your Honor. The defense would like to call Toriel Dreemurr to the stand."

Luna stepped down and passed a surprised-looking queen of the monsters, whispering, "I don't like her, I don't trust her, and I can't understand how she could vouch for those two without some dirty trick, but no matter what, she can't change the truth."

Toriel sat down behind the stand, placed a paw on the thick book, and swore to tell the whole truth.

"Please state your name and occupation."

"My name is Toriel Dreemurr. I am the queen of the Monster Kingdom."

"Were you present with the previous witness on the night in question?"

"Yes."

"The officers told me about an interesting sight they had. They, naturally, confirmed you were there, but they also said you had a glowing ball of fire above your hand. Can you elaborate on what they said?"

Toriel produced an identical fireball right there in the courtroom and calmly explained, "All monsters are capable of using magic."

"What you are saying is proof positive that all of the recently freed monsters do indeed possess magical powers. Are you absolutely sure of this?"

"Yes."

Toriel could have sworn she heard a cracking sound, but the only one dying in the courtroom was the second greatest rumor surrounding the mysterious monsters from underground. Magic was as real as the chairs under the jury's rear ends and a few living, breathing examples were mere feet from them.

"Can you describe in detail how your magic works?"

"Objection! This court doesn't have time for a full-blown documentary about the monsters!"

"I agree with the prosecution. Regardless of the technical details, the queen's testimony has revealed that she produced a fireball in her hand on the night of the incident. The king has already explained that he will answer questions specifically about monsters at a later time."

Rockefeller looked disappointed, but continued, "Nevertheless, fireballs work like fire balls, right? You were going to attack the Tellers with magic, weren't you?"

The words fell like torches onto the carpeted floor. Each second of stunned silence felt like an eternity and each stare burned like sunlight through a magnifying class. The entire courtroom hanged delicately from a single thin rope caught in the glass's focus.

"It wasn't like that. I just wanted to keep my family safe—"

(I just wanted to keep her safe!)

"How incredibly convenient. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the only reason the witness would need to have a fireball on that night is to lob it right into someone's face! It doesn't matter how many guns were there and who they were pointed at because the monsters are the equivalent of living weapons! With their magical powers, they could have attacked the Tellers whenever they wanted. Clearly, Mrs. Teller was observant enough to understand the imminent danger and did what she had to do to protect her own family."

The rope snapped.

"No! Wait! I didn't want to hurt anyone!"

(No! Wait! I didn't hurt Chara!)

"I object! The defense is slandering the witness!"

"You had the equivalent of an incendiary device in your hand, witness, and that's an undeniable fact. If you weren't going to burn somebody, then what else were you going to possibly going to do with it?"

"You have to believe me! Monsters would never try to hurt people!"

(Please believe me! I'd never try to hurt my best friend!)

Points and whispers became cascades of shouting and bickering. Toriel couldn't pick out complete thoughts from her spot behind the stand, but most of the twelve people hastily shifted their gazes away from her pleading eyes every time she glanced at them.

"You were going to kill her if things didn't go your way, weren't you?!"

"Chara! Run!"

"No! Asriel! Chara! Wait!"

Several clacks from the gavel echoed around the wooden walls interspersed with shouts of "Order!," but it was a single desk slam followed by a forceful "Enough!" from the prosecutor's bench that quieted the courtroom down. During the commotion, Luna had made his way out of his seat and whispered something into Mr. Clark's ear.

"Excuse me, witness, that is the prosecutor's bench."

The goat monster started to apologize again, absent-minded expression as if he had been caught escaping a zoo enclosure, but Mr. Clark stood up and claimed, "It's all right, your Honor, I've decided to retain a 'consultant' in case matters of magic are brought up again."

"I'll allow it. The defense may also retain a consultant if it so desires."

One-third publicity stunt, one-third cover for the monster, and one-third tactical one-up against Rockefeller, who no monster on the face of the universe had a vested interest in aiding. Either way, the prosecutor was happy to have another resource and the goat detective was happy to help put the Tellers away.

"While you were all embarrassing this courtroom in front of our guests, one of the monsters has brought up a flaw in the defense's argument. A 'fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of magic,' if you will. The prosecution believes it is necessary for Mrs. Dreemurr to provide a brief expert testimony in order to clarify the proceedings."

"Very well then. I ask everyone to listen carefully and without interruptions. This court will not tolerate another episode of mayhem, nor will it allow all monsters to be unfairly defamed."

"Magic doesn't work like some kind of secret weapon that monsters can spring onto unsuspecting victims whenever they feel like it. It flows through our minds and bodies like blood, and it changes as our minds and bodies change. Magic is weaker the less we wish to fight, and it would take nothing less than a life-or-death situation for a monster to be able to strike with deadly force. Even in those extreme circumstances, most monsters are still extremely hesitant to fight and won't react with their full power."

"I object. The defense questions the credibility of this expert testimony. How can we trust someone so closely involved with the case to be unbiased?"

"Hmph. Did you forget this case is being televised around the world? I have no doubt some of the monsters are using their freedom to enjoy a spot of TV, and I'm sure any of them would be willing to come here and confirm Mrs. Dreemurr's explanation. Witness, did the defendant ever point the shotgun at you?"

"No."

"Do you understand now, Rockefeller? Based on the testimony regarding who the guns were being aimed at, the witness's life wasn't directly being threatened. Her fireball would not have been strong enough to place the defendant in imminent danger and therefore, Mrs. Teller has no basis to claim self-defense!"

"But a fellow monster's life was indeed being threatened. Given the emotional stress posed by the situation and the witness's status as a queen and a mother, it's entirely possible that seeing a fellow monster in danger would have been enough to make the fireball lethal. Besides; Mrs. Teller didn't know about this caveat to magic and had no choice but to assume the fireball was deadly. Even if the monsters weren't looking to harm the Tellers, the defendant had no choice but to believe otherwise, and therefore, the claim of self-defense still stands!"

Murmurs. Clacks. Even though Toriel looked like she saw Chara's ghost, Mr. Clark didn't seem nearly as worried as someone whose entire premise had been overturned.

"This line of questioning has hit a standstill and new facts need to be considered. Witness, please testify about what happened after you produced a fireball."

"After a few tense moments, a small army of police officers arrived and drew their guns. Everyone was talked into lowering their weapons at about the same time, and the arguments continued. All of a sudden, Mrs. Teller picked up the shotgun and fired."

Toriel didn't understand why the court fell silent again, nor did she understand why Mr. Clark and Luna were beaming while Mrs. Rockefeller looked flustered.

"This is the end of the line, defense. Would you care to explain the significance of that piece of testimony, or will I?"

"Ngrk..."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we've now unearthed the final piece of information this case is hiding from us. While it is true that the defendant had her weapon drawn against the monsters' own variety of weapons, the actual act of firing the shotgun did not occur until the monsters had lowered theirs and police officers had surrounded the house. In that instant, Mrs. Teller had absolutely no reason to suspect a threat of immediate violence from the monsters, and therefore, this incident was not a matter of self-defense!"

"But we've seen that all monsters are capable of magic in lethal proportions. Even with weapons lowered, they could have attacked at any moment!"

"That's speculation!"

Clack.

"It seems the court will need more information in order to continue the proceedings. Witness, did anything else happen during the incident?"

"No. Between Anta, the chase, the guns, the police, the arguing, and the shots, nothing else happened."

"Then with all the details clear, I am ready to bring this trial to a close. Does either counsel have any final remarks regarding the case?"

"No, Your Honor. The prosecution believes it has made the invalidity of self-defense clear."

"The defense still believes it has sufficiently established a valid claim to self-defense."

"Very well then. As all of the facts have now been examined, I will now summarize what I believe to be the sequence of events that transpired on the night of the incident. First, Anta entered the Monster Kingdom with the goal of convincing Chara to return with home with him, fleeing with one of the monsters' spacecraft when Chara refused. The monsters followed him to the Teller household, and they and Mrs. Teller drew either firearms or fireballs against each other. The police arrived soon and everyone was convinced to lower their weapons, and after more disagreement, Mrs. Teller fired her weapon at one of the monsters. These events have been confirmed by multiple police reports, which will be made available for the jury during deliberations. As it now stands, the jury's first duty is to evaluate whether Mrs. Teller's actions were justified under the principle of self-defense. This court will reconvene after a thirty-minute recess in order to address the remaining charges. Witness, you may now step down from the stand."

"Toriel! Are you all right? You looked like you were going to faint up there."

"I'm fine, but...where are Asgore and the children?"