Chapter 17
A fog settled into Canterlot overnight, leaving the morning cold and damp with a dreary mist, as if a pallor had settled over the entire city. Twilight Sparkle shivered slightly as she descended from the carriage, her breath hanging lazily before her in the still air. Already, they were out, flocking the steps of the courthouse like so many pigeons—held back only by the stoic presence of several Royal Guardsponies, their stern faces keeping watch over all present. It didn’t take long for the assembled press to catch sight of her carriage, and a chorus of popping flashbulbs and shouted questions rang up in the silence as her friends grouped up behind her. The mare sighed, still feeling a twinge of headache, and stepped forward. “Well, let’s get this over with.”
Silently, she took to the front of the group, and her friends fell in step behind her, the five of them forming a tight circle around Rainbow Dash as they strode for the steps. The tension among their company was palpable; Twilight could sense the frustration brewing behind her as they worked to keep their tongues and tempers held in check. They approached, and the din of questions rose louder, and the lights seemed to flash even faster the closer they got. The Royal Guards bunched up around them, resolutely leading the group through the sea of curious press.
They reached the doors without incident, a staid guard sergeant nodding towards them as he held the towering entrance open. Another guard escorted them to the slumbering courtroom, and Twilight could let out a relieved sigh. The room was empty, as she had hoped, giving her plenty of time to set up uninterrupted. She looked over to her empty desk as Rainbow Dash quietly took her seat.
It was then when she realized she had left her briefcase in the carriage. She silently cursed herself, before uttering a quick “excuse me” to her friends—now seated in the gallery just behind the desk—and heading for the door again. She was already in the hall and had reached a full gallop when a voice from behind her brought her skidding to a halt. A glance backwards revealed Pinkie Pie, looking shaky and ill at ease as she caught up with her friend. Concerned, Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Pinkie? What’s the matter?”
The mare took a scant few seconds to catch her breath before looking the unicorn straight in the eyes. “I want to help.”
Twilight blinked, taken aback. “What?”
“I want to help.”
She gazed sincerely at her friend, Twilight returning the look with some trepidation. “I’m not sure I quite understand. You want to help with what?”
“A Pinkie Pie is supposed to stand by her friends, and I haven’t done a very good job of standing by Rainbow Dash.”
“What? But that’s ridiculous, Pinkie! Of course you have. You’ve been a huge help!”
“Oh yeah? Name one thing I’ve done besides stay quiet and hide in Sugarcube corner.”
Of course, even put on the spot, Twilight could have said any number of things, and she knew so, too. But as her mind flashed from ‘You’ve been there for moral support’ and ‘Just being near her is enough to show you care’ to thoughts of her missing briefcase and ‘Oh my gosh what if the carriage left already?’ all she could manage was a thoroughly unconvincing “…uh?”
“Exactly. And what is a Pinkie Pie if she’s all quiet and useless? Well, I’m not going to be Quiet Pie or Useless Pie anymore. From now on, I’m going to be Helpful Pie. So what can I do to help Dashie?”
Twilight sighed. “I don’t know, Pinkie. I guess you could comfort her, but there’s really nothing left to do except finish the trial. It’d be nice if my case had some stronger evidence, but—”
“Right, evidence. Gotcha.” Pinkie sprang to attention, a new vigor seeming to flow through her.”
“Wait, I didn’t mean—”
“Don’t worry, Twilight! I’ll look for clues and report right back to you!” The excitable pony grinned, silencing her friend’s objections and producing a bowler hat and pipe from seemingly nowhere. “Detective Pie is on the case!”
Before even getting the chance to sneak a word in edgewise, Twilight was left to watch as her companion bounded away, around a corner and out of sight. She briefly considered calling after her, trying to convince her that she wouldn’t be able to use any new evidence in court anyway, but thought of the all-important briefcase occupied her once more, and she ran to retrieve it instead.
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Upon her return, she found other ponies had already begun to trickle into the courtroom. The jury, she noticed, were taking their seats, a sure sign that the court would come to session in a few short minutes. Rainbow Dash glanced at her as she took her seat, setting the wayward case down in front of her. “Where’d Pinkie run off to, Twi?”
The unicorn sighed, “I wish I knew. She was upset about not being that big a help, then she said something about looking for clues and ran off.”
The pegasus tried a smile. “So she’s just being Pinkie Pie?”
Twilight chuckled. “Pretty much. I hope she gets back soon, though.”
Not long after, with the jurors, defense, and the day’s assembled audience having taken their seats, Justice Honor Bound emerged from a back room and took up his position behind the bench. A few resounding smacks of his gavel brought the low buzz of hushed conversations to silence. “This courtroom will now come to order. Mr. Ink Scroll, you have the floor.”
“Thank you, Your Honor.” With a flourish, the stallion strode from his desk and took to the floor, gesturing rapidly up towards the witness stand “Defense calls Mr. Rapidfire to the stand.” On cue, a large, yet wizened looking Wonderbolt made his way to the stand. “Are you aware that you are under oath, Mr. Rapidfire?”
“I am.”
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Celestia?”
“I swear.”
“Good. Good good good. Now, you have recently retired from the Wonderbolts, is that correct?”
“That is correct.”
“And how long had you been a Wonderbolt?”
“Going on twenty years now. I’ve given my life to this team and loved every minute of it.”
The lawyer pony nodded. “I see. Twenty years seems a long time for such a strenuous position.”
The veteran flyer chuckled. “What can I say? It takes a toll on the body, but I loved doing it, and management seems to think I was still useful.”
Ink Scroll nodded. “Getting down to the heart of the matter, then. I am given to understand that you were present at the bar on the night of the events concerned, correct?”
“Yes. We were all there for a few drinks. It was a celebration of sorts.”
“For your upcoming retirement?”
“That, and the introduction of our newest member.” He gave a gesture over towards Rainbow Dash, who seemed not to acknowledge it, though Twilight could have sworn she saw something flicker behind her friend’s eye. Shame? Anger? It was gone before she could even think.
“Could you please describe for the court, in your own words, the events of the night in question?”
The pegasus shrugged. “What is there to tell? It was a night out for drinks with the team. We’d done it countless times before.”
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“On you, eh Rapidfire? Goin’ out with a bang?”
“Somethin’ like that. Just wanted to thank you crazy featherbrains for the best years of my life.”
“Don’t mention it, old-timer.”
Rapidfire smiled. If there was one thing he knew he was going to miss about his team, it was Soarin’s laugh. The younger stallion had always been so mirthful, so enthusiastic and gregarious. Always ready to crack a smile or a joke, he often seemed the life of the whole team, especially when they had their rough patches. To an outside observer, Soarin’ might even seem uncommitted, but Rapidfire knew, as did the whole team, that he was as dedicated and determined as they.
A smile on his face, he fished out the necessary bits for the bartender and received his first mug. As he brought the frothy mixture to his lips, his eyes swept out over his teammates—his family. They were already starting on their own first drinks, chattering and sipping amongst themselves like a gaggle of college fillies. He would miss this, oh how he would miss this. Silently, he tipped his mug to his teammates and took a long drink, letting the familiar sensation of warmth course through his veins.
He finished with a sigh just in time to notice Fleetfoot start in on her second drink. “Sure are puttin’ em’ away tonight, eh Fleety?” He laughed.
The mare socked him lightly on the shoulder in response. “You know not to call me that, Grandpa. Besides, it’s a celebration. I got a right to cut loose.”
“Alright, but you remember last time. Wouldn’t want a repeat of your own introduction celebration now, would we?”
Her face immediately scrunched up in disgust. “Ugh. Don’t remind me.” She took another swig. “What about you? Not gonna live it up a little for old times’ sake?”
He shook his head, chuckling. “Not me. I’d rather like to keep my wits and my dinner about me. I’ll stick to paying for everypony else’s poison, thank you very much.”
“Suit yourself,” she shrugged, continuing with her drink. She turned to scan down the bar at their other teammates. “Say, how about Rainbow over there? She seems a bit shy, especially considering this is her party.”
“Star-struck is more like it. Happens to all the rooks, even you, as I recall. Wait ‘til she has a few drinks in her. That’s how we took care of you your first night.”
Fleetfoot grimaced. “You keep bringing that up. You know I don’t like that.” She finished off the last of her second drink and hopped down to the floor, a noticeable sway in her step. “I’m gonna head over where everypony’s having fun. You can sit here and be boring all by yourself.”
He saluted her with his mug. “Have a good time, Fleety.”
She spun around and he laughed, half expecting to be hit again. Instead, she threw her forelegs around him for a brief moment. “Happy retirement, you old coot. Things won’t be the same without ya.”
“Believe me, I’ll miss this more that you’ll miss me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She smirked, trotting away once more. “Just don’t get all sentimental on me.” Giggling, she squeezed herself between Soarin’ and another teammate further down the bar. “Hey, Bartender! Let’s get some shots over here!”
Rapidfire shook his head. Fleetfoot was still the same old Fleetfoot. His eyes swept the bar once more and fell upon Spitfire, occupying a table on the far side of the room, her head resting on the wood surface. He strode over to her. “Everything alright, Cap’?”
She groaned. “I wish. I’m feeling out of it already and I haven’t even touched a drink.”
“Anything I can do?”
She shook her head, but smiled. “Always the night in shining armor. What’ll I do without you?”
“Probably lose control of the whole team without a veteran to keep them in line.”
“Hardy har. Thanks but no thanks, Rapidfire. I can take care of myself. You go have a good time. It is your last night, after all.”
“Feels a little surreal, that way.” He got up to leave. “Feel better, Spitty. Don’t want you to miss out on all the fun.”
“I think a little peace and quiet will do me some good. Get on outta here.”
With a mock salute, he approached the bar once more.
“Oh, and Rapidfire?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. For everything.”
“Don’t mention it.”
A drinking contest had broken out by the time he returned, with a series of shots lined up before both Fleetfoot and, to his great surprise, Rainbow Dash. He walked up to Soarin’, seated between the two mares, and thumped him on the back. “You supervising these little shenanigans?”
“Hey, it was Fleetfoot’s idea, not mine.” Soarin’ shrugged and returned to watching the two mares as they downed shot after fast shot, neck and neck. “First one to finish the row wins. Watch.” With a thud of glass on wood, Rainbow Dash slammed down her final glass, a distinct rosy tinge now spreading across her cheeks like wildfire. “Winner!” Soarin’ declared, grasping her hoof and holding it high above their heads. “See, old-timer? All in good fun. Besides, anything to get this one to loosen up a bit, am I right?” He released the mare’s hoof, only to give her a good-natured thump on the shoulder. She grinned.
“Aww yeah. You… you guysh are the bessht.”
“See,” Soarin’ laughed, “we’re the best! Now why don’t you have a few drinks and get in the spirit of things?”
“One’s good enough for me.”
“Where’s that party animal Rapidfire I used to know?”
“This old liver’s had enough of that life.”
“Oh, well.” Soarin’ returned to his charge, roughly pulling Rainbow Dash to his side with a fore leg around her withers. “More for us, then!”
And that was the way things progressed for most of that night. Rapidfire watched as Soarin’ and a very unbalanced Fleetfoot, along with a few others, coaxed Dash through a few more drinks, as she went from tipsy to nearly incoherent. Then it came as no surprise when Soarin’, his hooves all over her most of the night and fumbling a bit himself, brought the young mare in for a landing, and pressed his lips up against hers. Fleetfoot led the others in a cheer that rang out through the whole bar, and Rapidfire just shook his head, chuckling to himself and smiling the whole time.
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“So, the initiation of contact came without Rainbow Dash’s consent, then?” Twilight Sparkle held the floor, pacing before the witness chair and firing question after question at the ex-Wonderbolt.
“I don’t think I’m qualified to make that assessment.”
“In your humble, personal opinion then.”
He shrugged. “Technically, I believe both she and Soarin’ were well past the point of informed consent.”
“But she drank more than Soarin’ that night, didn’t she?”
“That’s correct. But they both drank significantly.”
“And he was more coherent than she at that point, isn’t that right?”
“Relatively speaking.”
“Your Honor, I’m afraid I must object.” Ink Scroll called over from his desk. “Relative coherence is not a legally-recognized distinction. Such a subjective measure can’t be used to compare my client and Miss Dash.”
Twilight rounded on the stallion. “It’s an observation the witness—your witness, mind you—is fully entitled to make and report as a part of his testimony.”
“If both were beyond the point of consent, there is no further distinction made by the law. Neither can be considered any more or less coherent than the other.” He countered.
“The observable fact remains that Soarin’s blood alcohol content would have been far lower than my client’s at the initiation of contact.”
“Not only is there no physical evidence of that, but the legal fact remains that two ponies, both beyond the legal limit, are considered able to give the same amount of consent; that is, none.”
“Despite your client both being of higher body mass than mine and not having partaken in any drinking contests, which would lead to a lower level of impairment.”
The lawyer pony continued to direct his attention to the bench. “Your Honor, there is no legal precedent for such a distinction to be made.”
With all eyes in the room firmly upon him, the justice sighed. “Objection sustained. Let the record show that, based on witness testimony, neither party could give legal consent.”
Twilight frowned, but returned her attention to the witness. “No matter. Mr. Rapidfire, I‘d like to go a point you made earlier, that it did not surprise you when the sexual contact initiated. Could you elaborate on that?”
The witness shrugged. “Soarin’ has always been somewhat of a mares’ stallion. You could say it’s one of his weaknesses or one of his strengths, depending on how you look at it.” He paused for a moment, looking pensive. “For as long as I’ve known him, really, he’s been able to charm almost any mare he decides to. Watching him do it that night just didn’t come as a surprise. I’d seen him do the same plenty of times before.”
“Interesting. So, with such a reputation, do you likewise find the charges brought against him realistic? Perhaps he’d gotten so used to getting what he wants with mares, that he drove Rainbow Dash to do the same against her own desires?”
“Absolutely not. The Soarin’ I know is a right and honorable stallion. He can be a comical guy, but he’s still serious when he needs to be. I have no doubt that every one of his relationships, however brief, has been consensual.”
“You don’t find his behavior, convincing her to drink heavily so as to lower her inhibitions and, as you put it, ‘having his hooves all over her’ for much of that night, to be the least bit predatory?”
He shook his head. “If anything, it was Fleetfoot really convincing her to drink. And if she didn’t like having his hooves on her shoulders before she really stated drinking, she sure didn’t show it.”
“Alright, then. That will be all for now, Mr. Rapidfire. Thank you.” Twilight waited a moment for the stallion to leave the stand before making her next move. “The prosecution calls Miss Applejack to the stand.” Quickly, deliberately, Applejack got up from her place in the audience and strode to the witness box. “Applejack, do you understand that you are under oath?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“Ah do.”
“Right. Now, Applejack. Could you please explain your involvement in the case at hand?”
“Rainbow Dash is mah best friend, and Ah was one o’ the first ta see her after she escaped from that that hotel.”
“Could you explain for the court what you were doing on the night in question?”
Applejack knew Twilight was already painfully aware of every detail she could give, but preceded anyway. “Ah was at her house with some close friends, preparin’ a surprise party for her to celebrate her becomin’ a Wonderbolt.”
“Could you tell me how you felt at that time?”
Applejack shrugged. “Excited, Ah suppose. It was a real big moment fer her, so we couldn’t wait for her ta get home. Turns out we were up pretty late, until about four in the mornin’, when she finally did. The house was all dark so she couldn’t’a known we were there, and when Ah saw her she… she just looked like she’d flown home straight through a storm.”
“And do you remember what happened next?” Twilight spoke quietly, knowing full well that the events of that night would be seared into their memories for the rest of their lives.
“She just stood there so long, lookin’ pale as a ghost and pretty sick, too. Ah couldn’t believe it. Ah don’t think any o’ us could. She just seemed so confused… so confused and hurt, and then she ran. She ran right past us, and Ah was so surprised that I just ran after her, without even thinkin’ about it. She ran upstairs, and Ah was right behind her, and right before she closed the door t’ her room, that’s when Ah saw what had happened.”
It was all Twilight could do not to choke on her words. “And what did you see?”
“She was hurt real bad, bruised and bleedin’ somethin’ bad, right in… in the place where ya never want ta see a mare bleed from. Ah was… Ah just didn’t know what ta think. Here she was, right in front o’ me, mah best friend, and plain as day, somepony had taken advantage o’ her. Ah knew it, and Ah couldn’t believe it.”
Calm. Composure. Breathe. Remember what Celestia said. Don’t fear the word. “Are you positive that what you saw was the result of a rape?”
Applejack nodded, swallowing hard. “There weren’t no other explanation that woulda made sense for what Ah saw. The blood all over her leg, the awful bruises, Ah knew it right away.”
Good. Breathe. Nice and easy. It’s over. “Thank you, Applejack. I now bear my witness for cross-examination.”
Ink Scroll took to the floor, first taking a long moment to look over the country mare. “Well then, Miss… Applejack, is it?” She remained silent, giving only a curt nod. “Do you have any medical experience, Miss Applejack?”
“Aside from tendin’ to some o’ the animals on mah farm, no, Ah can’t say Ah do.”
“Then what exactly makes you qualified to distinguish injuries caused by a rape from those caused by anything else?”
“It don’t matter. What Ah saw was plain as day. Any other pony who saw that would tell ya the same thing.”
“Yet Nopony else did see it, did they?”
“Not right then, no.”
“So we only have your testimony to go by.”
“Are you tryin’ ta suggest Ah’m lyin’, Mr. Scroll?”
“Oh, no. Merely trying to ascertain whether, from your… uninformed perspective, you might have mistaken Miss Dash’s injuries for something they were not.”
“If you’re tryin’ ta say Ah;m lyin’, ya better just come out and say it.”
“Perhaps injuries caused by something harmless?”
“Ah know what Ah saw.”
“They would certainly be indistinguishable from injuries caused by a perfectly innocent, if somewhat blundering and rough, sexual encounter.”
“Ah know what Ah saw.”
The stallion sighed. “Of course. No further questions. Defense calls Miss Fleetfoot as it’s next witness.”
A quick change left the witness stand occupied by a petite pegasus mare dressed in her Wonderbolt best. After prompting her through the required oath, Ink Scroll proceeded directly to his questioning. “How long have you been a Wonderbolt for, Miss Fleetfoot?”
“Three years now.”
“Good. And I imagine you’ve enjoyed the time spent so far?”
The mare nodded. “It’s been like a dream come true.”
“Indeed.” The lawyer paced across the courtroom, taking a good look at the jury before returning his eye to the witness. “I was wondering what you could tell the court about my client.”
“Soarin’? Honestly, he’s a real character. He’s definitely the biggest jokester on the team.” She shrugged. “He’s just a funny guy who loves to make others laugh. And he’s a great teammate. He was the one who really got me comfortable when I was just starting out.”
“And does this joking nature reflect on his moral standing at all?”
“Oh, no. He can seem like a complete goofball at times, but he knows when he needs to be serious, too. He just loves life. That’s how I could best describe him.”
“So you’re saying that he is a trustworthy stallion?”
“Of course. I have absolute confidence in him.”
“What about those who say he has a weakness for mares? Is there any substance to that statement?”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a weakness. It’s just a part of him loving life.”
“Could you explain that, please?”
The young flyer shrugged again. “I don’t know. He likes being with mares, just like he likes a lot of things. And, speaking honestly, he’s pretty attractive. A lot of mares like him, and he likes them, so it’s a win-win.”
“So would you say, for example, that to have several relationships within a short time would be fairly standard for him?”
“Yep. One fling here, another there. None of them ever really mean anything.”
“Fairly casual?”
“Absolutely. He’s a very laid-back kind of pony when it comes to these things. Like I said, it doesn’t really mean anything. That’s why it didn’t surprise me.”
“Why what didn’t surprise you?”
Fleetfoot gestured towards Rainbow Dash. “When she threw herself on him.”
Twilight jumped from her seat as suddenly as if it had caught fire. “That statement is completely unfounded and has been refuted by several other witness testimonies!”
“Miss Sparkle, I believe you’ll have your chance to cross-examine the witness soon. For now, I shall refrain from drawing any conclusions.” Ink Scroll quipped, gesturing towards Fleetfoot. “If you would continue your story for the court, Miss.”
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It had taken most of the night, but the atmosphere in the ordinary hotel bar was finally becoming something like the nightclubs Fleetfoot was far more accustomed to. Or, maybe it was merely the multiple drinks coloring her senses. Nonetheless, she leaned back, closing her eyes to drink in all the sensations. The enticing scent of booze mingled with sweat licked at her, and a familiar heat coursed from her chest to her face and out to the very tips of her hooves. The only thing missing was the deep, bone-jarring beat of some indiscernible music to reverberate through her body, melting her cares and all conscious thought away.
She swam forward through the morass to claim another sip. Somewhere, a dim flicker of awareness told her she would be feeling all of this come the next morning, but it was quickly snuffed out. Such was how these rare occasions played out for the young flyer; when the demands and stress of her fast-paced work afforded her an opportunity to cut loose, she grabbed on and rode it for all it was worth.
Fleetfoot glanced over, her vision drifting in and out of focus, to see the team’s newest member, and a heretofore-unknown fierce competitor in the arena of liquor-based sports, collapse heavily against Soarin’s side. “Hey… hey, Soarin’…” the mare snickered breathily, swallowing the hiccups that came with her uncontrollable burst of giggles. “Don’t look now, you big lug, but I think you two make a pretty cute couple.”
She didn’t bother to listen to his response. Truth be told, she was starting to feel a little out of it. But that didn’t stop the bubbly smile from breaking out on her face when, what seemed not a moment later, her teammates crashed together; Rainbow’s mouth suddenly swallowed by Soarin’s powerful jaw.
That master stallion had done it again. Another party, another cute mare successfully wooed. Rainbow Dash's position was certainly an enviable one—one that Fleetfoot herself had occupied not a few short years ago. Not that she was jealous, no, that time had passed. Now it was the newcomer’s turn, and by Celestia she was going to be shown the night of her life!
It was then that Fleetfoot raised her forelegs to the air and let out a drunken “WOOOOoooOOO”—a chorus echoed by several of her teammates at the bar, all of whom were more than familiar with Soarin’s long history of casual flings.
When they broke apart, Rainbow Dash descended into a fit of giggles. “You… you taste funny.”
For some reason, this remark sent a good number of the bar’s patrons, even Soarin’, as he hid behind a deepening redness across his face, into peals of laughter. Rainbow Dash, however, merely stared weakly ahead; seemingly unsure of what exactly was so funny.
She continued to stare, clearly not focused on anything, until the chatter died down. Soarin’, wiping the last vestiges of froth from his mug away from his mouth, set the emptied vessel down onto the bar and slipped a hoof beneath Rainbow’s chin once more. “I think we… ssshhould take this upstairs. How ‘bout you?” He slurred, leaning in close to her again.
She was panting; her eyes crossing as she tried to center her attention on his looming face. “Sshounds like fun. Fuunnnn…” That seemed answer enough for Soarin’, who quickly captured her in another sloppy kiss. Fleetfoot was beside herself with mirth. She couldn’t pretend it was the most elegant conquest she’d seen of Soarin’s, but it was certainly something if not graceful. Maybe cute, in its own clumsy, bumbling way.
The next thing the mare knew, Rainbow Dash had attempted rather poorly to dismount from the bar, and without the support of anypony to hold her weight up, collapsed into a heap on the floor. Soarin’ followed her, stumbling sheepishly but somehow managing to keep his hooves beneath him. He approached Rainbow Dash with that ever-confident grin returning to his face. “D’ya need sshome help?” She nodded weakly.
With a few minutes struggle, the stallion managed to slip Rainbow Dash onto his back and stand, knees wobbling noticeably. Nodding a final adieu to his compatriots, and still swaying heavily, he managed to find his balance. She draped across his back, the pair stumbled out of the bar, making quite the display, and Fleetfoot just laughed and laughed.
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Twilight Sparkle breathed easily as she took her seat next to Rainbow Dash. The trial had certainly exhibited its longevity, with hours having passed already and it looking increasingly likely to extend to a third and maybe more days. Still, despite the weariness felt in body and mind as she sank gratefully into her seat, she couldn’t help but think that she had finally gotten her bearings and was making some headway with her case. After Fleetfoot gave her testimony, Twilight’s cross-examination had been swift and calculating. She had cut right to the heart of the matter; pointing out that several aspects of the young Wonderbolt’s testimony—crucially, the idea that Rainbow Dash had initiated the intimate contact—had been contradicted by other, soberer witnesses, and getting the mare to admit that she had probably been intoxicated enough to misremember certain details.
Coming off of that success, Twilight had felt emboldened. A sense of overwhelming confidence carried her through the next few testimonies. Fluttershy gave a fearless account of her tie spent alone with Rainbow Dash; providing the jury with what Twilight hoped would be a window into her friend’s inner turmoil. Rarity had followed, offering her own view of Rainbow’s suffering. Ink Scroll dismissed their stories with little in the way of questioning. For their part, the defense had merely secured the testimony of a few remaining Wonderbolts, all of whom served merely to corroborate the story of what happened at the bar while providing little to no nuances of their own. Now, Twilight felt everything starting to line up seamlessly for her.
Detective Bright Star had been her star witness—expertly leading her and the court through every stage of his investigation. As she took her seat, leaving him for cross-examination, she felt her lynchpin was in place and lined up perfectly in her sights, and Twilight Sparkle was bowling for a strike.
“Detective Bright Star,” Ink Scroll started, pacing the floor before the bench in his usual manner, “allow me to begin by inquiring as to how you were assigned to lead this particular case.”
Bright Star shrugged, looking the lawyer in the eye. “Fairly standard procedure. Just the same way as a lead would be selected to any other national case.”
“Interesting. So you don’t suppose you were chosen for any particular reason?”
“None comes to mind.”
“Your longevity, perhaps? Maybe the Princesses consider you more trustworthy than some of your peers?”
“I doubt that. There isn’t another detective I know who the Princesses couldn’t trust with an assignment like this.”
“Maybe not for trust, then, but for intuition. The Princesses must suspect you might do a better job than others.”
“That seems like rather a stretch.”
“You don’t possess any certain skillsets that might make you more adept at cases of this very… particular nature?”
“If I do, I couldn’t tell you.”
“Surely, Mr. Star, you don’t expect me to believe that you were chosen entirely at random to lead an investigation of such import?”
“There are very few of us detectives so highly regarded as to be considered for leads on any national case. Of that group, I don’t consider myself any higher than any of my peers.”
“Aha. And there we reach the crux of the issue. You’re part of The Equestrian Royal Police’s elite.”
“You could choose to look at it that way.”
“Which of course, begs the question of why you were assigned to this case, when many of your peers are tasked with bringing down high-level corruption and sorting out entrenched organized crime rings from Canterlot to Manehattan.”
“I don’t believe I need to remind you that the plaintiff is a national hero and your own client a member of an elite Guards branch.”
Ink Scroll waved his hoof. “Oh, yes. Yes, I do tend to forget. Still, it seems such a lowly case for an officer of your stature.”
“It sounds to me like you’re driving for something but keep winding up empty-hoofed.”
“An officer of such high stature, whose own unique set of life experiences gave him the ambition and the determination to reach one of the highest ranks possible in the Equestrian Royal Police.”
“Just what are you getting at?”
“Did you ask for this case?”
“What?”
“It’s a very simple question, Mr. Star. Did you ask to be assigned this case?”
“Of course not.”
“Really? Now I find that quite surprising. Are you sure?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You can’t think of any reason, any reason at all, you might have for pursuing a case of this nature?”
“Why should there be?”
“No personal qualms, no ideological cornerstones, that would make you consider this very particular case so worthy? Nothing that might have led you to presume guilt, and disregard any evidence that might speak to my client’s innocence, in dogged pursuit of his unjust arrest and detention without bail?”
“You’re really reaching here.”
Ink Scroll blinked. “Oh. Why, silly me. I didn’t realize. I’ve gotten ahead of myself. Just where are my manners?” The dapper stallion spun around and approached the defendant’s desk with quick, brisk steps. He began rummaging through a smattering of papers laid out on the surface. “You see, I was just so hard-pressed to not see the connection. I thought that it just couldn’t be a coincidence. Now where is it?” He continued his rummaging before coming to a sudden stop. “Aha! Here it is.” He cleared his throat, holding up a faded newspaper. The detective just stared at him, unblinking. “This front-page article here. From some twenty years ago, I see. The mare Daisy Star, recently the plaintiff in her own sexual assault case, was found dead of self-inflicted hanging at—”
“OBJECTION!” Twilight roared, awful realization dawning on her entirely too late. The sounds of the courtroom ground to a sudden halt, every pair of eyes suddenly trained on her as she could only look from the lawyer to the detective and back again. Her breaths came shallow and ragged, each in quick succession with the next.
Justice Honor Bound, who had been watching the exchange unfold with wary gaze, found himself leaning forward in his seat as he stared at the mare. “Miss Sparkle?”
“That… newspaper… was never presented… as evidence… during the discovery process.” She iterated, struggling to keep her voice under control. She knew it wasn’t enough. She silently cursed herself. The damage had been done.
“Objection sustained.”
With a flick of his head, Ink Scroll flung the old newspaper over his back, it’s faded pages scattering across the dusty floor. “Mr. Star. In light of certain events, which I will assume to be general public knowledge, I’m afraid I must ask you again. Is there anything in your history, anything at all, that might make you pursue my client in a manner outside the bounds of your authority?”
Bright Stare matched the lawyer’s gaze, a glint of fire in his eyes tempered only by the icy sheen of hardened steel. “You’re unreal.”
“Your answer, please.”
“Of course not.”
Ink Scroll smiled. “Thank you, detective. That will be all.”