Never Too Clever

by Zennistrad

Turnabout Sorcery: Investigation ~ Bridge

It had taken several attempts at navigating the palace, and several mildly embarrassing iterations of asking the same guard for directions, before Clover could locate the Detention Center. It was at the lowest end of the palace — something that might have called a dungeon — but the dark, gnarling tunnels of roots were so complex that he could barely make sense of them, even with his horn illuminated to guide him.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the paths are changing when I’m not looking, Clover silently remarked. Though come to think of it, I wouldn’t put it past this place to actually do that.

With some effort, paired with a generous helping of blind luck, Clover finally managed to find his destination. Flanked on either side by armored guards was a door like a mithril cage, each shining bar inscribed with a multitude of thin protective runes. As Clover approached, both of the guards stiffened, each holding out a leg to block the door.

Before either of the guards could speak, Clover was already addressing them with a grin. “Not to worry, I have a permit.” He reached into his dimensional pocket with a spell, and held his attorney’s badge out in front of them. Both of the guards leaned forward, squinting as they read the inscription.

The left guard blinked, comprehension suddenly dawning on his face. “This just says—”

“I know what it says!” Clover groaned. “Look, Prince Aspen gave me special permission to defend Star Swirl in his upcoming trial. If it’s not too much to ask, could I please go in and speak to my client?“

The guards turned to each other, a sudden grin forming on each of their faces.

“You’re going to defend him?” said the right guard. “Good luck with that.”

A bead of sweat dripped down Clover’s forehead. “Hey, come on now...”

The left guard snickered quietly to himself. He turned towards his companion, and the two placed their hooves on a pair of slightly indented spots on the wooden door frame. The door slowly began to slide upwards, retracting into the roots above.

“Well?” said the right guard. “Go on in and talk to your client. I’m sure you’ll turn things around for him!”

“Yeah, thanks,” Clover muttered to himself, dejectedly limping into the Detention Center. And don’t think I can’t hear you laughing, jerks!

The interior of the Detention Center was far more straightforward than the labyrinth of roots, thankfully, being a simple round chamber with a rotunda of jail cells. There, in the farthest cell from the entrance, Clover could see the familiar hat and cloak slumping over a figure in the corner with his horn tightly bound. As Clover’s hoofsteps fell against the living wood floor, the figure turned to look. When the figure’s gaze feel on Clover, his eyes lit up, and he trotted to the cell bars to meet him.

“Clover? Clover, is that you? Oh, thank the heavens!” Star Swirl exclaimed. “Clover, you must listen! I’ve been falsely accused! You have to help me! I’m telling you, I haven’t—”

“Hey. Hey,” said Clover. “Calm down, alright? I know you wouldn’t commit murder like this.”

“You do?” said Star Swirl. He quickly followed up with a very loud and forced fit of coughing. “I mean, of course you do. Clover, listen to me. You must go and inform Empress Platinum of this at once! I am sure that once she hears about my predicament, she’ll arrange to have me set free, so that we may find the true culprit and bring them to justice!”

Clover raised an eyebrow. “And how exactly would she set you free, Master? If we refuse to respect Thicket’s sovereignty, it could lead Equestria on the path to war. We’re not exactly in a position with a lot of diplomatic leverage.”

Star Swirl went silent. He turned his head down, gazing somberly at the floor.

“Look, it’s going to be fine, okay?” said Clover. “We still have the trial coming up, and I intend to prove your innocence there. Everything will work out, I promise.”

Star Swirl looked up. His eyes once again brightened, but there was a quavering uncertainty written in the lines on his brow. “Do you mean to say that you’ll be defending me in court?”

Clover groaned internally. “Uh... yes,” he said. “I’d agreed to Prince Aspen to represent you, and, er... I don’t think I can take it back at this point. Not without losing my horn, at least.”

“He threatened to take your horn!?”

“I know it sounds bad, but hear me out!” Clover hastily replied. He closed his eyes, and sharp breath pushed into his lungs, before being let out in a heavy sigh. When he opened his eyes again, the lingering desperation was still apparent in Star Swirl’s face. “Look. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and I’m aware it’s not ideal for either of us when I don’t have a law degree. But right now, that’s just how it is.”

Star Swirl raised an eyebrow. “I must say, Clover, you certainly have an odd way of reassuring.”

Despite the circumstance, Clover managed a smile. “What can I say? I pride myself on doing things differently.”

Star Swirl didn’t answer. Once again he turned his eyes away, the wrinkles on his face brow more pronounced as his face adopted a deep, sorrowful frown. Though he was easily the living oldest pony in Equestria, now was one of the few times where Clover could truly see his true age etched within the lines on his face.

“Hey,” said Clover. “Star Swirl. Look at me.”

Star Swirl’s brows shot upward, his attention immediately turning to Clover. Very rarely did Clover ever call his master by his full name. “Hmm?”

“Everything is going to work out,” said Clover. “I promise I’ll do everything within my power to set you free and catch the real killer.”

“Everything?” said Star Swirl. “You mean that?”

“Within limits,” Clover hastily added. “The point is, I’m always done my best to be whatever ponies need me to be. And right now, all you need is a good lawyer. I’ve never failed you before, and I don’t intend on doing so now.”

Slowly, the frown began to fade from Star Swirl’s face. Though almost entirely hidden beneath his massive beard, Clover could catch the subtlest hints of a smile.

“I can see that you won’t be backing out of this,” said Star Swirl. “But if this is what you wish to do, then I shall trust you as I always have.”

“Good to hear,” Clover replied. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions before the trial. Would that be alright?”

Star Swirl gave a nod. “But of course. If there’s anything I know that can help you case, I will be happy to tell you.”

“Great,” said Clover. A slight bubble of anxiety formed in the center of his stomach. He grinned sheepishly, placing a foreleg behind his head. “I was thinking maybe you can start by telling me, uh... when the trial is?”

Star Swirl’s pupils suddenly dilated. “You don’t know when the trial is!?”

“H-hey, don’t blame me!” said Clover. “I only just agreed to defend you thirty minutes ago!” Wait, crap. That makes me sounds even worse, doesn’t it?

Star Swirl briefly screwed his eyes shut, letting out a belabored, heavy breath, and looking as though here were barely restraining himself from hitting his head against the cell bars. “You are not quite instilling in me the utmost confidence, my young apprentice.”

Clover, for his part, responded by barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes. Despite being well into his fifties, Clover had never quite convinced Star Swirl to stop calling him ‘young.’ Though I guess it doesn’t help that I still look the same after so many years.

“But if you must know,” Star Swirl continued, “the trial begins this afternoon.”

Clover’s jaw went slack, and he felt his heart suddenly drop. “This... this afternoon!?”

“That is correct. More precisely, it begins when the sun is angled forty-five degrees above the western horizon,” said Star Swirl. “By our own system of timekeeping, that should be roughly four-thirty post meridiem.”

“This afternoon! Aspen, you devious little—” Before Clover could finish, he cut himself off, forcing himself to adopt what he assumed was the appearance of seriousness. “—I mean, of course.”

Star Swirl shook his head. “There is no need to downplay the severity of our situation, Clover. You will not have much time to prepare, so I implore you to make the best of it while you still can.”

“So I’ll have to work quickly. Got it.” Though if they’re measuring time by the sun’s position, maybe I could force the sun to stop moving until I’m ready? Wait, no, that’s a terrible idea. Ignoring the thought, Clover continued, “So since we don’t have much time, why don’t I cut right to the chase? I need you to tell me what happened last night. What really happened, I mean.”

Star Swirl hesitated. His eyes glittered gently under the room’s dim light. Finally, he began to speak.

“Since we arrived at Thicket, I have made... mistakes. I hold no illusions about that. The moment I laid eyes upon Queen Gladeroot, I so foolishly acted on my basest desires, and attempted to court her. This, as you imagine, did not end well.

“The night after our initial introduction to one another, I received a note. It told me to meet come to the courtyard after sunset, to meet in secret. I had assumed that the letter was from Gladeroot, but when I arrived, I had come face-to-face with King Cedarborn himself.

“His Majesty had caught on to my advances, and threatened to make war with Equestria if I did not desist. Knowing nothing good would come from continuing the conversation, I bid him farewell, and teleported back to my bedroom.”

Clover raised an eyebrow. “You teleported? Why’s that?”

“I... am not sure, in hindsight,” Star Swirl replied. “Perhaps in my anger, I wished to demonstrate to him that I was capable of feats far beyond that of any of his kind. Perhaps I simply wished to spend as little time beneath his gaze as possible. Regardless, I arrived in my chambers, and laid myself to rest for the night.

“To my utter shock, I awoke to find a contingent of guards surrounding me. Before I could understand what was happening, they restrained me and took me into custody for the murder of their king. I have been captive here ever since... and now, all I can do is wait, and hope to avoid the worst.”

As Star Swirl concluded his story, Clover was simply left to stare. Thoughts swirled throughout his mind as he pieced together the information he’d received.

“So, let me get this straight,” said Clover, thoughtfully tapping a hoof to his chin, “you actually were at the scene of the crime right before the murder happened?”

“That is correct,” said Star Swirl. “Everything that I have told you is the truth.”

So that means he doesn’t have an alibi then. That’s probably not good... “If that’s the case,” Clover continued, “then I’m going to have to look further into what happened that night. You said you received a note before the murder. Do you still have it with you?”

A subtle change came across Star Swirl’s face, his dim expression lightening. “As a matter of fact, I believe I do.” He reached with a hoof beneath the brim of his hat, and pulled out a simple scrap of parchment. “Here, take this.”

Star Swirl passed the note between the gap in the bars, and Clover grabbed it in his telekinetic grip. Wow. The guards must of been pretty sloppy to not take this, as he pulled the parchment to his eyes, they scanned over the message, hastily scrawled in black ink:

To the Grey Wanderer:

From the moment you arrived in Thicket, I knew that our fates were intertwined. Come to the courtyard after sunset, and we will together meet our destinies.

As he continued to stare at the message, the gears turned within his thoughts, until something finally clicked. “Hold on. I think I’ve seen this hoofwriting before.”

Star Swirl’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Y-you do!? You know who wrote it? Don’t just stand there, then! Out with it!”

Clover shook his head. “I didn’t say I know whose it is, only that I’ve seen it before. It’s probably been a long time since I’ve read this hoofwriting, so I don’t know who would have written it. But I think the fact that I recognize it makes one thing clear. This note was written by a pony.”

Star Swirl’s jaw remained loose, stunned into silence as his face flashed with multitudes of emotions at once. “Are... are you implying that I’ve been framed?”

“At this point, anything’s possible,” said Clover. “But it looks like that’s the most likely scenario here. And if that’s true, then I need to get to preparing my case right away. If the real killer is among us, then I need to make absolutely sure I have enough time to pin them down.”

Star Swirl removed his had, holding it to his chest in a deep bow. “You have my sincerest gratitude, Clover. For the sake of both of us, I wish you luck in your upcoming case.”

I think I’m going to need a bit more than luck to win this one, thought Clover. Thankfully, I’ve also got plenty of wit to spare. With a flicker of magic, Clover stashed away the note in his pocket dimension. “Don’t you worry, master. I promise I’ll have you out of here in no time.”

As he made his way over to the Detention Center’s entrance, Clover was suddenly brought face-to-face with a sight that stopped him in his tracks. More specifically, it was the door to the detention center, shut as tightly as ever. On the other side, both of the guards were looking inward, their quivering smiles showing barely-restrained snickering.

“Uh, hello? Sorry to bother you two, but do you think you could let me out?”

Both of the guards immediately burst into a hysterical fit of laughter, nearly falling over from the sheer force of their guffawing.

“Oh? What’s that? Does the poor widdle pony want to be wet out of his cage?”

“Oh man, I can’t believe you fell for it! You literally walked right into it!”

Clover’s body tensed. He grit his teeth, feeling a sudden, intense fire building within the core of his being. He pushed the emotion down, breathing out through a clenched jaw. “Har har. Very funny. Now, could you let me out? I have a case I need to prepare.”

“What’s that? You want us to open the door? Well gosh, I never would have guessed!”

“I don’t know, friend. Maybe we should let him out. Maybe we could get him to grovel for us!”

“Oh, that’s a good idea! Hey pony, why don’t you grovel for us? Let’s see you get on your knees and beg!”

As the laughter echoed through the rooted passages, Clover felt the annoyance continue to bubble upward within his chest, until at last it reached a breaking point. His mind turned itself inward, towards the crackling, radiant power at the core of his soul, and a change washed over his body.

Clover’s solidity melted away, becoming clear and translucent, like water. The guards let out a combined yelp as his aqueous form lurched forward, slipping and flowing through the bars of the door and gushing past them, to the passage beyond. Once he was past the doors, the water comprising him once again coalesced into the shape of a unicorn, and he looked upon both of the guards, both of them frozen in jaw-dropped astonishment.

“Wh-wha... bu... that’s...”

“Y-you can’t do that!”

Clover turned around, flashing a grin over his shoulder as he walked away. “You’re forgetting one thing, gentlestags. Facere possum quod volo.”

A part of Clover had worried that crossing the guards in the Detention Center would have earned him more trouble than he was already in, but thankfully those fears proved to be unfounded, at least for the moment. The guards, perhaps too stunned to do anything else, hadn’t bothered following him as he somehow miraculously managed to make his way out of the palace’s roots. Now standing in the one of the ground floor halls, Clover took the opportunity to collect himself.

Alright, so if my master was framed by a pony, then that means it had to be one of us that did it. But who?

The question lingered heavily on the edges of Clover’s mind. Puzzling out the mystery would take time, no doubt, time that he had precious little of. Assuming a meditative pose, he closed his eyes and shut out the ambient light, letting his mind be drawn deeper and deeper in the myth-woven fabric of the world. When his eyelids snapped open, three glyphs floated before his very eyes, their soft light matching the glow of his horn. As he stared at the symbols, a sudden realization dawned on him.

...I have literally no idea what any of these mean.

Clover groaned, feeling a sudden throbbing at the edge of his temples. “Of course it wouldn’t be that simple,” he mumbled. Dismissing the runes, he stood up to his hooves. Absent any easy answers, he figured, the next thing to do would be to search the crime scene.

And so, to the crime scene he went... eventually. Navigating the palace proved to be just as much of a pain as ever, and he dreaded to think about how much time he was wasting in his search. He soon managed to make progress, however, coming to find the hallway to the courtyard’s entrance. Sunlight filtered through the arched doorway at the end of the corridor, where beyond clover could catch a subtle glimpse of the courtyard beyond.

He had little attention to spare for the scenery, however, as just in front of the arch was an altogether different spectacle. Two stags in helmeted armor surrounded the entry on ether side, as Clover would have expected, but much more unexpected was the young adolescent doe that was heatedly accosting them both. She was a petite creature, the top of her head only just reaching to Clover’s front shoulders, but her tiny frame was more than compensated for by her apparently boundless energy, her shouting arguments echoing through the corridor. Her body was a robust maroon, with white underlining her belly and flecks of white spotted onto her tail. Though her colors were mostly subdued in comparison to the brighter reds seen in some ponies, she was still far more vibrant in comparison to the other deer Clover had seen, both figuratively and literally. She was wearing a thin-chained necklace, with a distinct attachment hanging from the bottom. It was a piece of gold shaped into a loop with a cross sticking out from below — the alchemical symbol of Venus, the elemental essence of earth.

“What do you mean you can’t let me in!? How can I possibly be an investigator if you won’t let me investigate!? What kind of sense does that make, huh!?”

“Ah,” said the left guard, “I’m sorry miss, uh...”

“Rubedo! How could you not know my name? I’m already almost an official court alchemist! Being an investigator’s no different from an alchemist, isn’t it?”

“W-well, yes, it is,” said the left guard, “and you’re not even actually a court alchemist yet.”

“Well how am I supposed to become one if I’m not allowed to get any hooves-on experience?” Rubedo complained. “Are you saying I need experience to be an alchemist, but I also need to be an alchemist to get experience? That isn’t fair!”

“Look, miss Rubedo,” the right guard chimed in, “I can appreciate your uh... enthusiam, but you really do need to leave this to us. This is an important case, and we can’t let ourselves get distracted.”

“But you’re not even doing anything! You’re just standing there! Ugh! I give up!”

With a frustrated flick of her tail, Rubedo turned away, not even paying attention as she walked straight into a collision course with Clover. Only at the last moment, just as Clover had begun to step to the side, did she take notice of him. Almost immediately, a starstruck glow appeared within the pupils of her eyes.

Rubedo let out a gasp. “Oh! Oh... Oh my gosh! You’re Clover!”

“Er... yeah,” said Clover. “What about it?” Who is this kid? Why is she looking at me like that?

“What about it? What about it?” said Rubedo. “Are you kidding? You’re the apprentice to none other than the Grey Wanderer himself! I’ve heard so many stories about you and your master working together to save the day from the bad guys! Heck, you get to study alongside the most brilliant scholar of sorcery known to the world! What isn’t there about it?”

Clover raised a hoof in front of him. “Whoa, okay. Settle down, miss. I don’t want you hyperventilating on me.”

Rubedo gave a slight pout. “Hey, I’ll have you know I haven’t hyperventilated in three weeks! But that’s besides that point! You’re exactly the deer I needed to see right now!”

Clover said nothing. He stared, eyes partially closed at precisely the angle needed to convey what he was feeling at that moment.

Rubedo’s pupils dilated in sudden realization. “Oh. Oops. You’re not a deer, are you?”

“Not at the moment, no,” Clover remarked.

“Probably just force of habit,” said Rubedo. “You’re actually the first creature I’ve spoken with that wasn’t a deer. And not just any creature, either! With a scholar of your reputation by my side, I can finally prove the Grey Wanderer’s innocence!”

Clover blinked, mentally going over the words to make sure he’d heard them right. “Er, come again? You don’t think he did it?”

“Of course not!” said Rubedo. “Do you have any idea just how much we could learn from him? Just imagine what we could accomplish if were to combine his knowledge of magic with my own knowledge of applied alchemy! Why, I bet together we could lead Thicket into a brand new golden age! He has to be innocent! He must be!”

“I’m, uh, glad you think so,” said Clover. Geez, does this kid ever say anything that doesn’t end in an exclamation mark? “But don’t you think,” he continued, “that it’d be better to prove his innocence before worrying about alchemy?”

“Hey, don’t knock alchemy!” Rubedo huffed. “Just look at what it’s accomplished for us! Growing crops, shaping homes out of trees, warding the city against the Everfree’s inclement weather... heck, it even helped me shed my antlers!”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant!” said Clover. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with pursuing the advancement of alchemy, just—” Just then, something stood out to Clover’s attention, and his thoughts immediately focused in on it. “Wait, shed your antlers? But I thought...”

Clover couldn’t finish his sentence before his thoughts outpaced them. His eyes trained towards the necklace Rubedo wore, on the attachment hung across its chain. The symbol’s surface was bright and reflective, its edges smooth from many repeated polishings.

Rubedo, oblivious to Clover’s observations, angled her head slightly to the left. “You thought what?”

“Ah, nevermind,” said Clover. “Probably not my place to pry.”

“Pry about what?”

“L-look, let’s not worry about that now, okay?” Clover hurriedly replied. “You want to prove Star Swirl’s innocence, right? I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re trying to be an investigator.”

“Yup, you got it!” said Rubedo. “Too bad none of the jerks around here will let me, though. Can you believe it? It’s like they all want him to found guilty or something!”

Er... should I tell her that they probably do? Clover thought. He tapped a hoof to his chin, his lips tightly pursed in contemplation. Hey, hold on a minute... if she’s trying to investigate, maybe she could help me out with a few things. I’m probably going to need all the help I can get, after all.

“Hey, what’cha thinking about?” said Rubedo. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

Clover’s lips turned upwards, into a smile. “Actually, I do. As it so happens, I’m also looking to get Star Swirl acquitted. How would you like to help me out?”

Rubedo’s jaw hung loose, her eyes going nearly as wide as dinner plates. “Ohmigosh! You... y-you want me to help you!? Really!?”

“That’s right,” said Clover. “And I just so happen to exactly what we need to conduct a proper investigation. Take a look!”

With a flicker of his horn, Clover summoned his attorney’s badge from the pocket, and hovered it directly in front of Rubedo’s face. Rubedo in turn gawked at the badge, staring upon it in starry-eyed wonder.

“Ohmigosh! A real attorney’s badge! That must mean...” Before she could finish, Rubedo stopped herself. Abruptly, her awestruck gaze turned into a half-lidded, deadpan glare. “...wait, seriously? That’s how you’re presenting it?”

“Er... yes?” said Clover. What did I do wrong now!?

“No! No, no, no!” said Rubedo. “If you have that badge, then that means you’re an attorney! You can’t just lazily hover it out in front of you like that, for crying out loud! You have to present it with passion! Energy! Gusto!”

Suddenly, Clover could feel droplets of sweaty moisture dripping down his forehead. “Er... gusto?” How in Tartarus am I supposed to show a badge with ‘gusto?’

“Yeah! Gusto!” said Rubedo. “You’re supposed to thrust your badge forward with all your might and yell ‘TAKE THAT!’ Every attorney worth their salt knows that! Here, you try it!”

“Uh, I don’t know about this...”

“Come on, just try it!” Rubedo insisted. “Let’s hear you give a ‘TAKE THAT!”

Clover let out a sigh. I’m not getting out of this one, am I? Forcing aside his own reluctance, he pulled the badge back, and prepared to present it again.

“Er... Take That!” said Clover, thrusting the badge forward.

“Louder!”

Again Clover pulled his badge back, and thrust it forward. “Take That!” he yelled.

“Louder!”

For a third time, Clover pulled his badge back and presented it, thrusting it forwards so hard that it nearly gave him whiplash. “TAKE THAT!”

“LOUDER!”

Clover let out an exasperated groan. Gah, seriously? How much more does this kid want from me? Letting in a deep breath, he pulled back his badge again, and prepared once more to present it. Steeling his nerves, he drew forward all of the rapidly-depleting enthusiasm he had left...

...

....

.....

The force of the shout was so intense that Clover could feel the ground rumbling beneath his feet, and the silence that followed it was even more deafening. Rubedo stared with her dilated to pinpricks, her ears splayed back and her fur frazzled, as though swept backward by a powerful gale-force.

In a puff of embarrassment, Clover’s badge was sent back to its pocket dimension. “Er... sorry?”

Within moments, the cheerful grin returned to Rubedo’s face. “Wow! Talk about chords of steel! You, uh... might want to dial it down just a little bit, though.”

“Yeah... probably a good idea,” said Clover, wincing. “So, um... I guess our next step would be to investigate the crime scene, right?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Rubedo replied. “And with an alchemical investigator like me by your side, we’ll have it figured out in no time!” Rubedo paused, and a sudden comprehension dawned across her features. “Oh, oops! I almost forgot to introduce myself! My name’s Rubedo, but you probably figured that out already, huh?”

“I do pride myself on being observant,” said Clover. He reached out with his hoof, holding it out in front of him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rubedo.”

“Likewise!” said Rubedo. She reached out with her own forleg and grasped onto Clover’s hoof, shaking it up and down vigorously. An airy giggle bubbled up from her voice as she pulled away, grinning widely. “Ohmigosh, I just shook hooves with the Clover the Clever! This is so amazing!”

“Hey, don’t mention it,” said Clover. “I just hope you’ve got plenty of that energy to spare for the case. Let’s go in and see what we can find.”

“Okie dokie!” Rubedo chirped. “Lead the way!”

As Clover turned and approached the guards, both of them stiffened. “Gentlestags—”

“We heard you,” said the left guard. “Trust me, we heard you.”

“Just go in,” said the right guard. “No need to present anything to us. Please.”

Er... okay? Clover ultimately decided not to question it. As the guards stepped aside and allowed them to enter, he turned around and shot a suspicious glance at Rubedo.

“See? What did I tell you?” said Rubedo. “Being loud is useful!”

Clover winced, feeling another bead of sweat form on his forehead. “Yeah... sure is.”

Under ordinary circumstances, the courtyard of the palace would have been just as breathtaking as the rest of it. Arranged in a circular space was a garden with a single gazebo and a small pond, surrounded on all sides by trees. The trees sprouted a broad range of greens, browns, and auburns, their leaves seemingly not caring for the seasons as they painted the scenery. Their earthy yet vibrant colors contrasted sharply against the pristine white architecture surrounding it, yet the flowing curves and arches of the palace remained just as alive as anything contained within. The center was surrounded by an arcade of of flowing arches and sturdy columns, and a similar walkway protruded from the palace’s second floor, forming a twin set of walkways that circled around the garden’s circumference. On far end, the west tower of the palace loomed in the near distance, and diagonally beneath it the outer walkway extended into a balcony that overlooked the courtyard.

As impressive as the architecture was, it was undermined by the half-dozen guards that were milling about the center of the courtyard, where the white wooden floor of the walkway gave way to simple dirt paths through the grass, winding through the trees an. Clover could clearly make out hoofprints in the nearest dirt path, leading directly towards a conspicuous set of scuff marks near the courtyard’s west end. If he squinted, Clover could vaguely make out the burning hole left the tower wall, pointing toward a similar burning hole in the balcony, which in turn pointed directly toward the scuffing.

Just as Clover took a step toward the dirt path, he was immediately stopped in his tracks by an angry shout.

“Hey! Hold it right there, pal!”

Running out from the garden was very large stag, dressed in a long coat that covered his torso and extended its tail past his abdomen. He was almost comically broad-shouldered and square-jawed, to point that rivaled King Cedarborn himself — though he carried none of the elegance of movement, each of his legs seemingly working without knowledge of the others. Clover flinched as the deer came barreling towards him, coming to an abrupt halt a mere split-second before they would have collided with each other.

“Just what do you think you’re doing!?” the stag shouted, launching flecks of spit into Clover’s eyes. “Didn’t anydeer tell you this is a crime scene!?”

“I’m, um... aware of that, yes,” said Clover. Just what is up with this guy, anyway? I thought deer were supposed to be graceful! “Look, understand you’re busy and all, but I need to do some investigation of my own. Here, TAKE THAT!”

With a flicker of his horn, Clover produced his attorney’s badge and presented it, before stowing away again. As the badge was brought to his eys, the stag’s eyes lit up with recognition.

“Hm? A defense attorney, eh? Guess that changes a few things. Still can’t let you get any closer to the crime scene, though.”

“What?” said Clover. “But the badge says—”

“I know what it says, pal. It’s just a motto. You got privileges now, but there’s still rules you gotta follow.” Apropos of nothing, a massive, toothy grin split across his face. “Anyway, the name’s Eucalyptus. Investigative Constable Eucalyptus. Pleased to meet you!”

“Clover the Clever,” Clover replied, reaching out to shake the massive stag’s hoof. “You know, it might be easier if you just called yourself a detective. Wouldn’t be quite as much of a mouthful.”

“A... detective?” Eucalyptus stared, dumbstruck, only for an understanding to dawn on his face one moment later. “Oh! You mean like a guy that detects evidence! Perfect! Now, if only there were a shorter word for Eucalyptus...”

...Should I tell him that there is? Disregarding the thought, he continued, “Well Detective, you can worry about that later. In the meantime, would you mind if I asked a few questions?”

“Sure thing, pal! Fire away!”

“So, uh, Detective,” said Clover. “What exactly is it you do around here, anyway? Murder aside, I wouldn’t have guessed there would be much crime in Thicket.”

Eucalyptus frowned, pausing to rub his hoof behind his antlers. “Well pal, you’d be right. Truthfully, I don’t usually do much. There’s so little trouble with the law around these parts that they barely have any use for us. All the guards you see around the palace are really just there for decoration.” He sighed, and briefly looked off to the side. “And when there are crimes, they’re always really petty. Like ‘stealing a hairpin’ kinda petty.”

“So I take it this is the busiest you’ve been a while, right?” said Clover.

“Oh yeah! Absolutely!” Eucalyptus exclaimed. “This is the first murder Thicket’s had in centuries, and I get the chance to work on it! Isn’t it great? Er... not that I think it’s great the king was murdered. You know what I mean.”

I’ll, uh, just give you the benefit of the doubt there, thought Clover. “So they placed you in charge of the investigation?”

Eucalyptus frowned again. “Well... strictly speaking, no. That would be the prosecutor for the case, Miss von Ego.”

Almost immediately, Clover’s eyebrows reached towards the sky. “Von Ego?” Weird, that sounds kind of like a noble house. Definitely not one I’ve heard of, though. “Alright, now I’m curious. Who is this prosecutor?”

Another wide grin spread across Eucalytus’s face. “Well pal, you ain’t gonna believe it, but she’s actually a unicorn just like you!”

Clover gave a repeated series of sharp, hacking coughs, so startled that he nearly choked on the air he was breathing. “I-I’m sorry, what!?”

“Yeah, I know,” said Eucalyptus. “I could hardly believe it either. We sent a messenger falcon to Canterlot to inform them of the Grey Wanderer’s arrest, and they sent word back that they’d be sending a lawyer to defend him. But when she got here, she said she wanted to prosecute instead! Weird, huh?”

Clover’s mouth worked silently, trying its best to find the words to express emotions that far outpaced them. “But... why? My master’s one of the most trusted and revered ponies in Equestria! What kind of unicorn would possibly want to see him convicted?”

“Beats me, pal. All I know is, she seems to have some kind of vendetta. Given she lied to your Empress about her intentions, she’s definitely got guts.” Eucalyptus’s eyes darted around, his tall and broad frame becoming noticeably less sturdy, as though anticipating a threat that wasn’t there. “And don’t tell her I said this, but she’s got a real mean streak, too. You’d better watch your back if you’re going up against her. She’s out for blood.”

Clover blinked rapidly, clearing his mind of the distracting emotions that raced through it. Eventually, when the shock wore off, a dreadful clarity began to form. Stars and stones, he’s terrified of her. What did this mare even do to him?

“No need to look at me like you feel sorry for me,” said Eucalyptus. “If you’re really defending the Grey Wanderer, you should be worrying more than anything about him. You’re probably better off trying for a plea bargain.”

With how angry His Highness is, I’d be lucky even getting that, Clover silently mused. “I’m aware that my master’s in a tight spot, Detective. That’s why I’m defending him. What can you say about evidence against him so far?”

“Well,” said Eucalyptus, “I don’t think I can rightly tell you everything just yet, but between you and me, it’s not looking good for him. His hoofprints are at the scene, so we know he was here. Our alchemists have also detected trace amounts of thaumic charge in the atmosphere, something only a unicorn’s spell could create. Plus there’s the holes in the west tower, which all point directly from where he had to have been standing at the moment of murder. All the evidence is basically saying that he did it.”

Clover felt a weight pressing down on his chest. Gah! That thaumic charge must be from when he teleported! Why did you do that, you old coot!?

“Oh!” said Eucalyptus. “And I almost forgot! We also have two witnesses!”

A jolt of panic ran down the length of Clover’s spine, electrifying the hairs on the back of his neck. “T-t-two witnesses!?”

Eucalyptus frowned again. “Aw, come on, don’t give me that look. It’s just procedure, you know. No hard feelings or nothing.”

Clover held his eyes shut, breathing in a deep breath through his nostrils, before releasing it through his mouth. The panic had disappeared, but the weight on his chest was still there. “Alright. Alright. Fine. Can you tell me who the witnesses are, at least?”

Eucalyptus shook his head. “No can do. You’ll have to wait for the trial.”

“Great,” Clover deadpanned. “Is there anything else you can at least tell me about? Maybe something about how the murder happened?”

“Sorry, pal, I’m afraid...” Eucalyptus paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Actually, yeah! I think there is something after all! Here, take this.”

Reaching into the collar of his coat, Eucalyptus pulled out what appeared to be a large, green, and rectangular envelope — closer inspection revealed that its surface was composed entirely out of woven leaves. Its end was left open, perhaps by mistake, revealing a single slip of parchment. As it was passed to him, Clover reached out with his telekinesis and grasped it, pulling out the parchment and idly peering at the writing on it.

Hmm... it doesn’t say anything I haven’t probably already figured out, thought Clover, but this could come in handy later. Pushing the parchment back into the envelope, he poofed the item away, storing it with the rest of his belongings.

“I think that’s all I can do for you right now,” said Eucalyptus. “Good luck with your trial, alright? And sorry that you couldn’t see our beautiful city under better circumstances.”

“That’s okay, Detective,” said Clover. “This should be all I need right now. And I’m sorry about your king.”

“No problem! You take care, alright?”

Clover turned away and made his way back to the courtyard entrance, the thoughts of the conversation still freshly lingering on his mind. He’s a bit too friendly for a deer that put my master behind bars. And just what in the nine realms of Tartarus is going on with this prosecutor? As he continued, however, another thought rose unbidden to the surface. Wait. Where’s Rubedo?

“Hi Clover! How’d it go?” his answer immediately replied.

Clover almost jumped from where he was standing, and whipped around to see Rubedo directly behind him. Even more strangely, the gold attachment to her necklace had completely transformed, becoming a large wooden contraption shaped like a box, with a glass lens on the front and a small horizontal slit near the bottom. “Gah! Geez, don’t startle me like that. And just what the heck is that thing you’re wearing?”

“Oh, this?” said Rubedo, gesturing to the bizarre contraption. “It’s an invention of mine! My necklace is infused with Venus-elemental alchemy that lets me transform it into a wide variety of tools I’ve designed. This one’s called a ‘camera!’ Isn’t it neato?”

“Uh... sure,” said Clover. “What does it do?”

“It takes photographs!” said Rubedo. “Just point it at something and pull the trigger, and you have a perfectly replicated image of what you’re looking at! Minus the color, of course, but I’ll figure that out someday. Check it out!”

*SNAP!*

“Gah!” Clover cringed at the sudden, blindingly bright flash of light, instinctively shielding his eyes with a foreleg. “Cut that out!”

The box gave out a whirr, and spit out from its slot a square piece of parchment, where a black-and-white portrait of Clover grossly recoiling was printed on the front. Rubedo grabbed the parchment and inspected it with a grin. “Yup. That one’s definitely going in my collection.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to be doing that more than once.”

“But it’s a vital part of our investigation!” said Rubedo. “While you were busy chatting with that big doofus, I went to the crime scene to snap some pictures!”

“You... snuck onto the crime scene?” said Clover. “Aren’t you worried we could get in trouble for that?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Rubedo reassured. “The guards’ main evidence is prints in the dirt, and I don’t have to worry about disturbing those. We deer are so light on our hooves that we don’t leave any trails behind, even in snow!”

Hard to imagine that oafish detective being light on anything. Clover shook his head, breathing out through his nostrils. “Alright, might as well see what this ‘photograph’ of yours is. Let’s just hope they don’t ask what you had to do to get it.”

“Sure thing!” said Rubedo. “Most of them weren’t any good, but I did get one that’s particularly juicy. Take a look!”

Rubedo reached out behind her neck and pulled out another photograph from a place Clover couldn’t see. He grabbed onto it with his telekinesis, and examined it more closely. His eyes widened at what he saw.

The photograph, seemingly taken from atop a tree, showed Star Swirl’s hoofprints leading west, towards the scuff marks. Notably, the hoofprints lead directly up to the scuffing, but there were no prints leading away from it. Even more notably, however, was that the scuff marks in the dirt were clearly much shallower than Star Swirl’s hoofprints, as four hoofprints could still be visibly seen within the center of the scuffing.

“So?” said Rubedo. “What do you think?”

Clover hesitated, pondering the information. Finally, he spoke. “I think you may be on to something here, actually.”

Rubedo gasped, her eyes shimmering with an starstruck sheen. “Ohmigosh? Really?”

“Well, I’ll have to convince the court that this invention of yours is reliable evidence,” said Clover, “but if this is a perfect image of the crime scene, there’s definitely something fishy going on with it. Thank you.”

“Wow!” said Rubedo, “I never thought I’d say this to a creature as famous as you, but you’re welcome! And don’t worry about proving how photos work. I’ll just bring out my camera in court and snap a photo of the judge! Then he’ll see how great my evidence is!”

Clover suppressed his reaction just soon enough to stop himself from grimacing. Oh no. What have I done!?

Oblivious to Clover’s thoughts, Rubedo pressed a hidden panel on the side of her camera. It glowed with golden light, and the reverted to the golden symbol it once was. “So, now that we’re done here, what do you want to do next? The trial’s not going to be for a while. Maybe we could study for the case?”

Clover paused, rubbing a hoof to his chin. I’d like to spend at least some time studying how to practice law. That said... “...Actually, no. There’s one other place I want to look before we start preparing for the trial.” His eyes turned westward, towards the tower that loomed above. “We need to investigate where we were staying last night.”