//------------------------------// // The First Testimony // Story: Phoenix Flight: Ace Attorney: Welcome to Turnabout! // by Magic Step //------------------------------// Everything was the same. Same courtroom, with its faux-gold opulent walls; same lawyer’s bench, with a nice table to slam on and cubbies underneath to store evidence, with an identical bench on the opposite side of the courtroom for the prosecutor, minus the defendant’s chair. In between the two, in front of the courtroom door, was the witness stand, a kind of semi-circular section of a wooden cage. Phoenix never understood why it was shaped that way. Even the prosecutor and judge were familiar; the former, Cross Examine, a unicorn mare with graying hair and a grass green coat and a cutie mark of some scales in front of a book; the latter, Sterling Scales, a unicorn stallion, chocolate brown with a golden mane and a cutie mark of silver scales. Scales tended to be really common in the legal world. Everything was the same except for the most important part. Mystic Faerie wasn’t there, and Phoenix was standing in her spot. And that was why Phoenix felt like he was going to die. His Honor Judge Sterling Scales banged his gavel authoritatively, hushing the audience. “Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Twilight Sky. Is the defense ready?” That’s me. That’s me this time. It’s my turn to speak. Oh my gosh oh my gosh help me I’m not ready “You… are not Teflon Slick.” The judge looked puzzled. “Er, ah, yes, I mean no, um…” Phoenix said. “I know you,” the prosecutor said suddenly. “Phoenix Flight. You’re that squeaky little colt who thought it was okay to shout ‘Objection’ all the time even though you were seven years old, but no one threw you out for disruption because it looked cute. Where’s your strong, masculine voice now?” Phoenix put his front hooves on the desk to hold himself upright so he didn’t faint again. His voice was failing and he couldn’t answer. “Phoenix… this is your first trial, is it not?” said Judge Sterling Scales. “Or are you holding the line for Mystic Faerie again?” “No, it’s just me,” Phoenix squeaked. “You’re starting with a murder trial right out of the gate?” Sterling Scales’ eyebrows shot up. “Quite an ambitious youth, aren’t you?” “Or very stupid,” the prosecutor grumbled. “You’re sure you’re willing to risk this?” Sterling Scales’ voice was gentle, like he was talking to a nervous child. Which he was. Phoenix bobbed his head up and down. “I’m ready.” “OBJECTION!!” the prosecutor shrilly cried, banging on the desk. “Your Honor, every defendant is entitled to a competent legal defense!” “I passed the bar, didn’t I?” Phoenix said, presenting his attorney’s badge. “True…” Sterling Scales said. “But this is a very serious charge your client is faced with. It’s not something to take lightly. If an innocent pony were banished to the stars because his defense attorney failed to put up a competent fight, it wouldn’t just be a blow struck to that one attorney’s career, but to the integrity of the entire legal system. Not to mention you seem to be very new to this case.” “I was hired ten minutes before the trial started…” Phoenix said, staring at the desk. “…Well. That’s another concern.” The judge slammed his gavel again. “To that end, I’m going to take the first few minutes of the trial to establish you fully understand the case. Do you understand?” “I understand…” That I’m about to faint again. Oh Celestia… “Stop looking so panicked,” Sterling Scales said. “We’ll start with easy ones. Do you know the name of the defendant?” Phoenix inhaled. Yeah, that wasn’t hard at all. “Twilight Sky.” Actually that was so easy it was insulting. “Good to know. Next question. Do you know the name of the victim?” “The victim…. was Cindy, a policemare, right?” Phoenix said. “ ‘Cindy,’ the prosecutor scoffed. “What a ridiculous name.” “…I’ll give it to you though,” Sterling Scales said. “But her full name will be used in this court for future reference.” “Full… name…?” Phoenix said. He hadn’t heard her called anything but Cindy, had he? He didn’t even know the victim’s name. He was so woefully underprepared… “Another question,” Sterling Scales said. “What was the cause of death?” This was it. The end of the line. Phoenix had absolutely no idea. He was going to get tossed out of court and his client was going to be found guilty and banished to the stars never to be seen again and Phoenix would live with that guilt for the rest of his life— “Mr. Flight, breathe,” the judge ordered. Phoenix gasped for air, feeling like he’d been drowning. “S-sorry.” “Cross Examine, you have a copy of the autopsy report, right?” Sterling Scales asked. Cross Examine leaned on her desk and folded her hooves like a petulant child. “Just my own.” “Bailiff, please borrow it for a duplication spell,” Sterling Scales said. The blonde-bearded bailiff from before took the document while Cross Examine glared at him; then he dashed out of the courtroom, muttering how he wasn’t sure how to feel about any of this. The need for leaving the courtroom was clear; for obvious reasons, the courtroom had magic dampeners built into the walls. Unicorns could still do telekinesis and other simple spells easily enough, and pegasi could fly, but high level magic or spells with a large area of effect or advanced weather manipulation would cause serious headaches or wingaches respectively. “But he failed the question!” Cross Examine said. “Mr. Flight, what evidence do you have?” Sterling Scales asked. “N-none whatever,” Phoenix said, lowering his ears. Sterling Scales turned to Twilight Sky. “You know that the state will supply a defense attorney at no cost to you?” “Wait, really?” Twilight Sky said, his eyes widening. “That creep Teflon lied to me!” Cross Examine ran her hoof through her mane and laughed. “The blind defending the blind…” Phoenix felt his cheeks grow deep red. So much for a courtroom debut… “Knowing this, do you still want to go through with this?” the judge asked. Twilight Sky looked at Phoenix, then back to the judge. “Yes. Phoenix is the only lawyer who believes me.” Phoenix Flight smiled weakly at him. “Thanks, Light.” “Light?” Twilight Sky said, confused. “Mind if I call you Light?” Phoenix said. “Uh…guess not,” Twilight Sky said, blinking. “He believes you because he’s dumb and naïve,” Cross Examine said. “Now can we please get this trial over with? The preliminaries are taking longer than the actual evidence will!” You think this trial will be over in five minutes? Phoenix thought. I'm not quite that incompetent. “The bailiff should be back any moment now,” the judge said. After a thirty second eternity the bailiff ran back into the courtroom carrying two brown envelopes in his telekinetic grip. One he passed to Phoenix Flight. Phoenix flipped the flap open and slid out the autopsy report, scanning it. “The victim, Cinder Block—“ what a horrible name for such a pretty mare—“died of… a blow to the head,” Phoenix said. “The murder weapon was a metal pipe, a piece of the generator at the scene that was removed in an attempt to fix it. No saliva or magical trace detected so the attacker was holding it in their hooves, and the angle suggests the attack came from above…” Well, that sure sounded like a pegasus. Grounded ponies didn’t hold things in their hooves often, never mind swinging around weapons. “That’s correct. No further- I-I mean that’s all the questions,” Sterling Scales said, his former training as a defense attorney briefly showing. He fumbled his gavel. “The court accepts Mr. Flight as the defense attorney for this case. Prosecutor Examine, your opening statement.” Prosecutor Cross Examine looked down at her notes, twirling a lock of mane around one hoof. “Two days ago at 11:14, Officer Cinder was killed by a… th-the defense just mentioned that. Um. It was at Pony Joe’s Donut Shop, and, anyway, a civilian’s arrest was made by Applejack, a Ponyville resident who had business with the proprietor of the restaurant. Members of the Court may remember her as the Element of Honesty and one of the ponies who helped eradicate Nightmare Moon.” Eradicate doesn’t sound right, Phoenix thought. I mean, something was left behind, right? Princess Luna? What the hay happened there anyway? “As she was the one who made the arrest and as her honesty is confirmed via artifact, the prosecution sees no need to start with the preliminary detective’s testimony,” Cross Examine said, looking up from her notes. “We would like to begin with the testimony of Applejack, Your Honor.” Judge Sterling Scales nodded. “Go ahead.” This was it. Phoenix’s first cross examination. He’d watched Mystic Faerie do this so many times and done his best to learn all her tricks. It was all about finding little lies and contradictions. And for someone as honest as Applejack, any little lies would hurt like thorns in a jacket to Phoenix’s senses. He could do this. The orange cowpony trotted up to the stand, looking a little intimidated by the audience’s eyes all focusing on her. She stood in the wooden cage of the witness stand. “Name and occupation,” Cross Examine said. “Name’s Applejack,” AJ said, smiling. “Ah help run Sweet Apple Acres with my fa—“ “Thank you,” Cross Examine said. “Hey now, t’aint polite to go around interrupting ponies,” Applejack said, glaring. Judge Sterling Scales banged his gavel. “We can talk about Cross Examine’s manners another time. Now is the time for your testimony.” “Y’all hoity toity Canterlotians think y’all can do whatever…” AJ grumbled. “But fine. Anything to put this behind us.” She gave a cold stare to Twilight Sky. “Whadday’all need?” “Tell us why you were there and what you saw,” Cross Examine said. “Include all details you think are relevant. When you’re done that loudmouth defense attorney will attempt to pick apart your testimony and argue over trivial things.” “H-hey! That’s not fair!” Phoenix said. “Call them like I see them,” Cross Examine said, shrugging nonchalantly. “Oh, quiet up,” Applejack said. “Ah ain’t got all day. Can Ah jist start talkin’?” “Please,” Judge Sterling Scales said. “Ah was in Canterlot deliverin’ some Zap Apple jam to my friend Pony Joe,” Applejack said. “When Ah got there, the shop was already closed. Ah knew t’weren’t anywhere near closin’ time, so Ah hung around the door a while, confused. Ah’d finally given up and was tryin’ to take my wares back so Ah could find a hotel or somethin’, when suddenly two ponies rushed past me, a policemare on hoof and that defendant over there on the wing. They ran straight into the restaurant. Ah looked over, and very next thing Ah saw was the defendant holdin’ that poor policemare in his hooves, a bleedin’ wound in her head. Well, course Ah ain’t one to stand by and let such a thing happen, so Ah ran into the restaurant myself. But my attempt to grab him was as if Ah had four left hooves, so he got away and Ah had to chase him all around the restaurant. T’weren’t nary a soul in the place but me and him and the victim, may she rest in peace.” AJ took off her hat and held it over her heart. “Finally the varmint made a break outside. Creep probably thought he could shake me off in the sky, but he didn’t figure what a pro Ah was at the lariat, so I roped him and brought him down.” She turned to glare at Phoenix Flight. “Then this lawyer stepped in…” “Hey, why are you glaring at me?” Phoenix said. “I helped get the police fetched and I stopped Twilight from running away, didn’t I?” “And now yer standing there helping him run away legally,” AJ said. “Ah can’t stand ponies who twist words and try to make decent folk out to be liars and murderers out to be saints, so don’t you try any lawyerly nonsense with me, hear?” Judge Sterling Scales tapped his gavel politely. “Ah… Applejack, was it? Please understand, asking clarifying questions is the job of every lawyer, but if he gets out of hand with wild accusations, I’ll be here to penalize him.” “Well, yer honor, Ah hope you live up to your title and are an honorable stallion,” Applejack said, nodding to him. “Th-thank you; I try.” The judge coughed into his forehoof. “Now, Mister Flight, you may begin your cross examination.”