//------------------------------//
// The First Cross-Examination 
// Story: Phoenix Flight: Ace Attorney: Welcome to Turnabout! 
// by Magic Step 
//------------------------------//

This was it. Phoenix inhaled slowly. Time to do this.

The court stenographer floated a paper transcript of Applejack’s testimony over to Phoenix. He took it and looked it over. Nothing stood out as a contradiction but there were some points he thought needed clarifying, and hopefully through those the truth about what really happened could become clear.

Hopefully.

“So when was it you arrived at Pony Joe’s donut shop?” Phoenix Flight asked.

“Ah went straight there after my train arrived, so reckon it was kinda after 10:50,” AJ said.

That was before the shop was supposed to be closed, but it was much after it actually closed, Phoenix thought. “And how long were you there before the murder happened?”

Applejack just shrugged. “Ah didn’t have a watch; Ah ain’t much for technology. Maybe ten, twenty minutes?”

What an annoyingly large margin, Phoenix thought. Out loud he said, “So you say you left the shop and then the victim and the defendant ran past you. How far from the shop did you walk?”

“Not that far,” AJ said. “When they ran past Ah turned around immediately and Ah could still see the shop.”

“What about the ‘wares’ you were carrying? How bulky were they and where were they?” Phoenix asked.

“Nice try,” Applejack said, “but my wagon weren’t that wide; Ah could easily see the shop door when Ah turned around. The boxes didn’t block my vision or nuthin’.”

“Nice try?” Phoenix said.

“Got any other long shots, sugarcube?” AJ asked.

Do I seem that desperate already? Phoenix thought. He looked down at the transcript again, looking for another questionable point. There had to be something here…

“You say the two dashed past you; did you really have enough time to see both of them clearly?” Phoenix asked.

“Shure nuff sugarcube. Apples have given me eyes like a hawk,” AJ said.

“I’m pretty sure that’s carrots…” Sterling Scales muttered.

She’s telling the truth. She’s always telling the truth, Phoenix thought. Normally he’d be happy to meet a pony so beautifully honest. Now it was kind of frustrating.

“Y’all don’t believe me, then?” AJ asked the audience.

“I mean, are you sure you noticed any distinguishing features about the two ponies that ran past you?” Phoenix asked. “Because if you just saw two random ponies run past and then were told they were probably Twilight and Cinder, you might just think you saw those two specifically when you really didn’t see anything.”

“Hey, Ah mean what Ah say!” Applejack shouted. “Ah saw both of them clearly. Which do you want me to describe?”

“Well… are you sure the gray pegasus was my client?” Phoenix asked.

“Shure nuff. Ah saw his electric blue mane and three starred cutie mark clearly; they stand out in the dark,” Applejack said. “And you can add that to my testimony.”

“Noted,” Sterling Scales said.

The transcript magically shifted to include the new statement. Phoenix sighed in annoyance.

“You’re absolutely, 100% sure that there was nopony in the restaurant besides you and Twilight Sky and the victim?” Phoenix asked.

“Shure as a gal can be,” Applejack said.

“How sure is that?” Phoenix pressed.

“Listen, sugarcube, you got somethin’ specific to ask then come out and say it.” Applejack crossed her forelegs and snorted in annoyance.

“Fine. Did you check…” Phoenix rubbed his chin. “Under the tables?”

“Those are all one legged tables in the center ; t’aint nuthin’ could hide under them,” Applejack said.

“And as for the booths, nopony could comfortably crouch between the chairs and the legs, expect maybe a child,” Cross Examine said.

“…Behind the counter?” Phoenix pressed.

“Yup. Ran back there three times while I was chasing him,” Applejack said.

“…In the back?” Actually Phoenix had no idea if there was a back, but all food places had one, right?

“Locked,” Applejack said.

“L-locked?” Phoenix said. “Who locks an employee area?”

“Pony Joe’s has some rather… unique security measures,” Cross Examine confirmed, twirling a strand of mane around her forehoof. “The long and short of it is that nopony who’s not an employee can go through the door between the customer and employee areas unless the fire alarm is activated, which it wasn’t, and all the employees have alibis.”

“That’s quite extensive security for a donut shop!” Judge Sterling Scale’s eyes widened.

“Apparently one of their employees is ‘special,’ Your Honor,” Cross Examine said.

“Being a donut maker certainly does sound special,” Judge Sterling Scales said, staring off into the distance. “A chocolate cake donut sounds so good right now…”

“Ahem, if’n y’all’s done?” Applejack asked.

Phoenix felt his stomach flip. He turned to Twilight Sky and whimpered, “I… I’m out of ideas.”

“D-don’t say that!” Twilight Sky said, looking panicked.

“But I don’t think she’s lying,” Phoenix said.

“Nothing… nothing sounded like a lie to me either…” Twilight Sky said.

“But if she’s telling the truth, that makes you sound guilty!” Phoenix told him.

“But I’m not! I don’t know what happened; I really don’t! Youse gotta believe me!” Twilight Sky said.

“I… I do,” Phoenix said. He turned back to the testimony to look it over one more time. There had to be something here. Anything. Any kind of clue.

“Hold it!” he said. “You gave a description of Twilight Sky to prove you saw him when he ran past, but what about the victim?”

“Oh… yeah, the victim.” Applejack rubbed her chin and stared into space. “Well… to be honest, Ah didn’t see much of her. Just that she was grayish, and in uniform. Oh, but what really stuck out was the smell.”

“The… the smell?” Cross Examine said, twisting her face in disgust like she expected Applejack to make a crude joke.

Applejack nodded. “Poor gal smelled of cold coffee all over her. Like she was soaked in the stuff or somethin’.”

“Coffee all over her…?” That sure sounded familiar, Phoenix thought. “Aaah!”

“What is it, Flight?” Sterling Scales asked. “You look stunned.”

“At his defeat, no doubt,” Cross Examine said. “He’s out of ammo.”

“No, no I’m not! Hear me out.”

“Youse figured something out?” Twilight Sky whispered to him.

“Um. Maybe. If I go slowly, maybe I can figure it out.” Phoenix inhaled deeply and straightened up. All eyes in the court were on him and didn’t have the time to run his line of logic through in his head to triple check that it made sense, but he just had to go for it.

“So…” Phoenix swallowed. “That selfsame night, me and several other witnesses saw a certain other cop’s uniform get splashed all over with coffee, one Angel Star.”

Judge Sterling Scales groaned and rubbed his wrist at the mention of her name. “Never, ever try to shake hooves with that mare…”

“Seconded,” Twilight Sky said, looking down and wincing. “Crazy mare nearly broke my foreleg…”

“Angel Star took the coffee stained uniform and set it aside, but she forgot to take it with her when she left the donut shop.”

“The… the donut shop?” Sterling Scales said, blinking. “I’m confused; is that the crime scene?”

“The very same, Your Honor,” Phoenix Flight said. “The event I’m describing took place almost an hour before the crime. Meaning there was a spare uniform soaked in coffee lying around the donut shop to be taken.” He paused. “The, uh, uniform wasn’t found at the crime scene, was it?”

“It wasn’t in the report…” Cross Examine said. “Oh, no, no, no, you’re not suggesting…”

“I’m suggesting that the pony Applejack saw wasn’t the victim at all!” Phoenix Flight said. “It was another pony borrowing the coffee stained uniform to pretend to be the victim!”

“But… but who would do such a thing?” Judge Sterling Scales said.

“Why… the real murderer, of course,” Phoenix Flight said.

“Th-the real…?” Cross Examine stared at Phoenix in confusion.

“Think about it. The reason everyone is so convinced my client must be the guilty party is because the victim was seen running alive inside the restaurant with my client behind her, and was dead a few seconds later. But what if the victim was dead much earlier, and the real murderer just made it look like she was still alive? This changes everything!” Phoenix said.

“OBJECTION!” Cross Examine said. “Th-that’s just speculation-”

“Oh hush,” Applejack told Cross Examine. “Y’all’s fancy lawyer talk don’t mean nuthin’ to me but Ah can still tell you that explanation is a load of ponyfeathers.”

“Why…?” Phoenix said.

“Because Ah still didn’t see anypony inside the restaurant, neither a murderer nor a fake victim,” Applejack said.

“But you left the restaurant unguarded when you chased Twilight Sky out of it,” Phoenix said. “The fake victim could have lay there until you left…”

“Except the victim wasn’t fake.” Applejack’s expression shifted from confrontational to horror. “Ah saw the victim clear as day; must’ve been right after the blow was struck since they weren’t in the restaurant more than a second. Her skull was… cracked right open… and there was blood…” She shook her head rapidly. “Ah-Ah don’t wanna think about it, but that’s the end of it. The poor girl was dead then. And those two were the only ones who ran in, the only ones Ah found, and there weren’t no exits a fake victim could go through without being detected.”

“S-see?” Cross Examine said, rushing to take credit. “Just like I said! Your theory is wild and random speculation and doesn’t hold any water.”

Judge Sterling Scales closed his eyes. “It does sound like you’ve led us on a wild goose chase, Phoenix Flight.”

No! My beautiful theory! Phoenix Flight shrunk back and rested his head in his hooves.

“Do youse really think that’s what happened?” Twilight Sky asked Phoenix.

“I-I was so sure…” Phoenix whimpered.

“Well, Mister Flight? Do you have any problem with what Applejack said just now?” the judge asked.

“Just admit defeat; it’s for your own good,” Cross Examine said.

“Do I have any problem with…?” Phoenix lifted his head and thought through Applejack’s claim one more time. Ah saw them clearly and the girl had an injury on her

Phoenix banged on the table. “I do have a problem, Your Honor! The witness claimed that she clearly saw the victim. Your Honor, I was at that restaurant, and the power was out! You couldn’t see anything through the windows! So how could the witness clearly see anything, much less the injury?”

“Wha-?” Applejack reeled in shock.

The crowd muttered to itself, doubting the element of Honesty.

“Th-there’s an explanation!” Cross Examine stammered, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead.

“Then let’s hear it,” Phoenix Flight said.

“Um… er… Ah reckon Ah must’ve somehow…” Applejack muttered, turning aside.

“Then how?” Phoenix pressed, pointing a hoof at her.

“Stop it!” Applejack rounded on him and glared. Her eyes were dry but her voice sounded choked. “Ah tell you Ah can’t remember, what with seeing a poor gal die and having to recall all of it over and over and over and now you’re accusing me of lying and Ah just… Ah just can’t stand it…!”

Phoenix felt his extended hoof shake. Slowly, he pulled it back. “I… I know that feeling, Applejack. I know what it feels like to be accused of lying when you aren’t… it’s… it’s the worst thing in the world…” He stared down at the desk for a moment, ashamed of what he’d just pulled. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean you were lying, because I can tell you’re not. I just… I just thought you’d forgotten something… that’s all.”

Silence met him for like two seconds before Cross Examine, master of tact, shattered it. “And this has all just been a pointless sidetrack, so if we could have the verdict, Your Honor?”

“Yes… I can’t see that knowing will make a difference,” Judge Sterling Scales said. He raised his gavel. “This concludes the testimony of-”

“Hold yer horses,” Applejack snapped. “Ah said Ah’d tell the truth and the whole truth so Ah owe this lawyer here an explanation, so don’t you dare slam that gavel until Ah remember the light source, y’hear?”

“Err… I don’t really have grounds to stop you from testifying on that, no…” Judge Sterling Scales said.

“Thank you,” Phoenix told her.

While AJ thought, Twilight Sky leaned over to whisper to Phoenix. “Youse… really think the light source matters?”

“I honestly have no idea…” Phoenix Flight said.

“That seems to be a theme of youse’s lawyering style,” Twilight Sky said.

“Well that’s part of having the power to know that something is true but not knowing why it’s true…” Phoenix said mournfully.

“Lesse…” Applejack was muttering to herself. “Light… flash of light… light… lightning! That’s it!” She whooped so loud everyone jumped.

“What? What did you remember?” Phoenix said.

“Ah saw the scene when the lightning flashed,” Applejack said.

“L…” Cross Examine blinked.

“Li…” Sterling Scales stared.

“Lightning!?” Phoenix said. “But… but it wasn’t storming last night!”

“And no storm clouds were recovered near the crime scene!” Cross Examine said.

“Well, Ah’m telling ya, it was a bolt of lightning,” Applejack insisted. “Saw the blue line right behind the head of the pair even. Just didn’t put two and two together till now…”

“Wait,” Phoenix said, “was the lightning inside the building?”

Applejack rubbed her chin. “Oh, huh… come to think of it, Ah guess it was. Weird...”

Phoenix’s eyes stayed open, but it felt like the world faded to black as he focused on what it meant. Could it be…?

“Your Honor,” Phoenix Flight said, “this comment has revealed a new suspect to us. One that we cannot afford to overlook.”

“Is this another long shot…?” Sterling Scales asked nervously.

“No, this time everything will be explained, Your Honor!” Phoenix Flight said. “The other pony who could have committed the crime is Shocking Snap!”

There was a surprisingly large amount of murmuring in the crowd; apparently Shocking Snap did have some name recognition. Even the judge and Cross Examine looked uncomfortable.

“Who?” Applejack asked.

“A paparazzi who gained electric powers in a power plant accident,” Phoenix Flight said. “One of these powers was the ability to turn her whole body into electricity and climb up wires. The effect is identical to a lightning strike, but would be indoors.”

“Ah!” Applejack said.

“OBJECTION!” Cross Examine said. “How do you know there were wires in the donut shop that led to the outside?”

Phoenix glared at her. “That’s a dirty trick and you know it. Anyone who’s been in there has seen the generator Pony Joe uses. It has a lightning rod to collect power from storms. Naturally, this means there’s a wire connecting the inside and the outside.”

“Urk…” Cross Examine groaned.

“Your Honor, an hour before Cinder died, she came to the donut shop and mentioned to her colleagues that she was looking for Shocking Snap. Shocking is a potential suspect we cannot possibly ignore, and while that possibility remains, I hold it’s impossible to deliver a verdict!” Phoenix Flight said.

“Agreed,” the judge said. “Cross Examine, Phoenix Flight, you will be given one more day to look into the possibility of Shocking Snap’s involvement.” He banged his gavel. “Court adjourned for the day.”

Cross Examine shot Phoenix a death look as she headed out. The bailiff led Applejack off, possibly to finish the paperwork for officially entering her testimony.

Phoenix slowly sunk to the ground and curled up into a fetal position. “I thought we were done for…”

“We? What’s all this we stuff? I’m the one going to be banished if youse fail,” Twilight Sky said. It didn’t sound bitter though. “Why youse so worried about a pony youse met yesterday?”

Phoenix uncurled a little. “Because I know you didn’t do it. And even if I don’t know you… I still know how it feels.” Phoenix stood back up. “Well… stay strong, and I’ll try and have this wrapped up in tomorrow’s trial, okay?”

Twilight Sky bobbed his head. “Youse really think Shocking Snap did it?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all,” Phoenix huffed. “You lived in Las Pegasus; you must’ve heard the stories of all the crimes and heists she’s done, and… and ponies she’s hurt….”

Twilight Sky bobbed his head again. “Rumors here and there… How’d’youse know about her though?”

“She’s… my sister-in-law,” Phoenix said. “I don’t want to talk about it, just… take care of yourself and I’ll try to visit later today, okay?”

“Okay.” Twilight Sky paused. “That was… amazing what youse did there. I’m sorry for doubting youse.”

“Well, I didn’t know I could do that either,” Phoenix said, smiling sheepishly and trying to make it sound like a joke.

“Prisoner 2100273!” Justice Bright ran up. “Ready to return to our helpful correctional facility?” He grinned brightly.

“The one where an inmate said he was gonna bash my head in for not knowing who he was?” Twilight Sky asked as they walked off.

“Oh, Latchkey is all bark and no bite; I assure you our guards are highly trained…” Justice Bright’s voice faded as Phoenix headed in the other direction, toward the court doors.

“Niiiiiiiick!”

Phoenix whirled around in time to see Faerie Dust dive out of the audience box to glomp him from several feet up.

“Dusowwwwwwwwwww!” Phoenix wailed as she knocked him to the ground.

“Oh no!” Faerie Dust scrambled back off of him. “I wasn’t thinking, I’m so sorry!”

Phoenix felt his side carefully. “I think my feathers spared my ribs… the wing might be broken but I can’t really feel it…” He stood up. “Look before you leap next time for my sake please…”

“I just had to catch you before you left! I saw the whole thing!” Faerie’s eyes gleamed. “You were fantastic, Nick! I can’t believe you could pull off such a turnabout!”

“Ah… th-thanks, but it was really just luck…” Phoenix said. “I wish I’d had more time to prepare…”

“Well, now we can have that!” Faerie Dust slung a foreleg around Phoenix’s shoulder. “Let’s go to the crime scene right now! I promised Cindy I’d be back for her after all.”