//------------------------------// // Turnabout Sorcery: Investigation ~ Refrain // Story: Never Too Clever // by Zennistrad //------------------------------// Locating the tower proved much easier than it had before, though not due to familiarity. Rubedo, much to Clover’s embarrassment, had steered him through the winding corridors of the palace almost the entire way through. Most of the time this was figurative, but in a few circumstances it had turned out to be shockingly literal. As they climbed up the stairs to the tower, Clover rubbed the back of his neck. It had continued to remain sore after one particularly labyrinthine stretch of corridors where Rubedo had forcibly grabbed his head and pulled it in the right direction. Geez! This doe might as well have the strength of three earth ponies put together! Finally, after an ascent that was just a tad longer than Clover would have liked, he and Rubedo arrived at the central common room. As Clover walked forward, his hooves fell sharply against the floor, their sound reverberating off the walls. “So,” said Rubedo, “what’cha come here to look for?” “A couple things,” Clover replied. “First, there’s a pretty important piece of evidence I’d like to look at again. I’d also like to speak with anypony that may be around, in case they know something.” “Sound like a plan to me!” Rubedo chirped. “So, who do we talk to first?” Clover tapped a hoof to his chin. “Well, that depends on who’s still here. We can’t leave Thicket, but I can’t imagine many people would like to just stay cooped up here forever.” Rubedo stared at Clover oddly. “Huh?” she said. “What’s a ‘people?’” “Oh, uh...” Clover’s eyes darted back and forth across the room. “It’s, um... a foreign word for creatures that talk. It’s, um, used in the southern regions of the Equus continent. You know, where the desert is.” “Wow!” said Rubedo. “You mean you’ve actually been to beastfolk territory? That’s amazing!” “Er... yeah, let’s go with that.” “Oh, hello Clover!” a soft, breezy voice suddenly called out. “It’s nice to see you again.” Pansy ~ Floral Spring Breeze Clover’s turned to meet the voice, and he found himself gazing upon field of soft pinks and yellows. As Pansy approached, he noticed that there was a slight spring in her step. Her smile radiated a cheerful warmth, standing in sharp contrast to the shaking, frightened pony that she was just a couple hours earlier. Looking at her, Clover couldn’t help but return the smile, and he felt a slight warmth to his cheeks. “Ah... hello, Pansy,” he said. “You’re looking pretty chipper right now. You know, considering the, uh... regicide.” Pansy flushed, a slightly deeper shade of pink coloring her face. She pawed at the ground, a single eye poking through her mane. “Oh, well... I was feeling pretty scared this morning. But, um... despite how terrible it is that this is happening, I’m actually kind of feeling better. I-I mean, not that it’s not totally horrible that Star Swirl’s been accused of murder, o-of course.” “Hey, nothing wrong with a positive attitude!” Rubedo piped in. “I’m Rubedo, by the way. Right now I’m helping Clover out. I take it you’re enjoying Thicket so far?” Pansy nodded, reaching out to shake Rubedo’s hoof. “Oh, yes! I was too preoccupied to get a chance to look at it yesterday, but it really is a beautiful city. And there’s so much food, too! I don’t think I’ve ever had a breakfast so filling!” Just then, a bubble of information Clover had stored away in his mind rose to the surface. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Cloudsdale’s been going through a food shortage lately, hasn’t it?” Pansy’s smile began to waver, curving downwards briefly. “Right... shortage.” Before long, however, it returned once again, and she looked Clover directly in the eyes. Though her left eye remained hidden beneath her mane, Clover could still perceive a gentle radiance beneath them. In his mind’s eye he could picture himself getting lost in the sea of pastel colors and fragrant scents... “Wow!” said Rubedo, her voice forcibly snapping Clover back to reality. “According to my heat sensor, your body temperature just rose by five degrees! That’s amazing!” Clover’s head whipped around to meet Rubedo. Sure enough, her necklace attachment had transformed into a strange, circular gold device. Rubedo grinned sheepishly as Clover shot her a glare, before turning back to Pansy. “Anyway,” said Clover, “I’ve decided that I’m going to be representing my master in court later this afternoon. I came back here so I could do some more investigation before the trial.” Pansy’s eyes went wide. “Oh? Y-you’re going to be his defense attorney?” “That’s right,” Clover said, beaming. “I fully intend to have him acquitted as soon as possible. Trust me, this isn’t even on the top ten worst situations I’ve bailed him out of.” Pansy frowned. “Oh. Um... good for you?” “Is something wrong?” said Clover. “Ack! Nothing! Nothing!” Pansy hastily replied. “It’s just, um... I’m one of the witnesses?” “Oh,” said Clover. “Well, I suppose that would explain why you seemed so nervous just no — Wait, what!?” Pansy’s head turned toward the ground. “Please don’t be mad at me,” she said. “I’m just doing what I was asked to.” A deep knot began to form in the pit of Clover’s stomach. He closed his eyes, inhaling as clearly as he could through his nostrils, before pushing the breath out with a sigh. Okay, calm down. It was likely at least one of the witnesses would be one of us. No need to panic. Just think about this rationally for a moment. “I’m sorry,” said Pansy. “I really don’t want to see Star Swirl in trouble, I really don’t. I don’t think I have a choice but to do this.” “There’s no need to apologize,” Clover reassured. “Think of this way: if we want to clear my master’s name, we’ll need to find the truth. And if you’re a witness, that means you’ll be helping me with that. So don’t fret, okay?” Pansy hesitated. Multiple emotions flashed across her features, many of which Clover couldn’t quite name. Finally, her lips curved upwards, returning to the same gentle smile she’d always held. “I... suppose that does make sense, in a way. Thank you, Clover. I feel better now.” Clover returned the smile. He could feel a warmth spreading through his body as he met Pansy’s gaze, soothing the tensions that he’d felt just moments before. How long has it been since last we had a chance to spend quality time together? The last time I saw her was the raijū incident, and I barely had time to speak to her at all. “Listen, Pansy...” Before Clover could finish the thought, Rubedo leaned in between the two, waggling her eyebrows at Clover. “I bet you’re looking forward to cross-examining every part of her, right?” Clover coughed loudly, so hard that he very nearly choked on his own saliva. “Rubedo!” “What? Don’t lie! You totally are! Any creature with half a mind can see—” Clover stuck out a foreleg, holding his hoof to Rubedo’s face. “You’re not finishing that sentence.” Rubedo grinned. “Sure. Sure. I gotcha. Just leave the two lovebirds alone, right?” “Rubedo!” Pansy coughed into her hoof, an even deeper flush coloring her cheeks. “Um, anyway. Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about?” “Actually, yes,” said Clover. “First of all, I’d like to know what it is you’ll be testifying about tomorrow. It’d be helpful if I can get as much information from you as I can.” “Oh,” said Pansy. “W-well, uh... I’m not supposed to talk about that, actually. That mean prosecutor lady told me I couldn’t say anything about what I saw. Not until the trial, at least.” Crud. That figures, Clover bemoaned internally. If she can’t tell me about the night of the murder, then what can she tell me? As he pondered the question, it didn’t take long for an answer to present itself. “Well then, what can you tell me about the prosecutor?” “Miss von Ego? Well, um... she’s a unicorn, oddly enough. And I think she has something against Star Swirl.” Suddenly, Pansy let out a tiny gasp. “Wait! You don’t think she’s the one who did it, do you?” Clover shook his head. “I don’t think that’s very likely. I’ve heard about her from one of the detectives. She didn’t come here until after they’d sent word of Star Swirl’s arrest to Canterlot. There’s very little chance she’d have known about the murder beforehoof.” He paused briefly, letting his thoughts move forward just a bit further. “That said, I am curious why she’d have a grudge against my master. Do you know anything about why she’d want him prosecuted?” “Not really, no,” Pansy replied. “But, um... now that you mention it, I think I did hear her mutter something under her breath. Something about her mother.” Clover’s eyes went wide. “Her... mother?” “Yeah,” said Pansy. “I didn’t hear it exactly, but I think I got the gist of it. Something about promising to avenge her.” Right away, Clover could feel his heart jump inside his chest. “A-avenge?” “Wow!” said Rubedo. “That’s some juicy info! Guess we’re up against someone who’s really serious about this, huh Clover?” “I... yeah.” Dear Mithras, Star Swirl, what did you do!? “In any case, if you can’t tell us anything about what you saw the night of the murder, then I guess our best bet for now is finding out more about the prosecution. Did she tell you anything else important?” “No, I don’t think so,” said Pansy. “But, um... try not to make her too mad. She’s not a very nice pony.” “Er.. yeah. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” said Clover. “Anyway, I’d like to do some more investigating. Do you know where everypony else is right now?” “It looks like they all left, I’m afraid,” said Pansy. “Smart Cookie’s the only one that’s still here. You’ll probably be able to find him in his room.” “In his room, huh?” said Clover. “That’s good to know. I actually wanted to check that room out before I went to study for the case. In any case, thanks for the cooperation.” “Oh, you’re quite welcome!” said Pansy. “You’ve always been the unicorn I can trust. I hope things work out during your trial.” “And good luck with your testimony,” said Clover. “I’ll see you this afternoon, alright?” “Of course. You take care now. And it was nice meeting you too, Rubedo. I’m sure you’ve done an excellent job assisting Clover.” Humming a gentle song to herself, Pansy turned away, and turned to walk down the stairs. “It’s good to see that Pansy’s taking everything so well,” said Clover. “It’s been decades since the war. I was worried she wouldn’t be able to handle being so close to a deadly situation again.” Rubedo’s face scrunched thoughtfully. “She did seem pretty happy... and is it just me, or did she say something a bit strange just before she said goodbye?” “Strange?” said Clover. “How so?” “Hmm... You know,” said Rubedo, “now that you mention it, I can’t really put my hoof on it. I could just be imagining things.” Strange... why would Pansy say anything strange? “I’m sure if she’s seen anything unusual, we’ll hear about it during her testimony,” said Clover. “Right now, our priority is getting more information before then.” “Way ahead of ya!” Rubedo cheered. “Come on, then, let’s go! We’ve gotta hurry if we want time to prepare our case! Chaaaaaaaaarge!” “Rubedo, wait!” Clover called out, as Rubedo rushed forward without hesitation. “You’ve got the wrong door! That’s my room!” ———————— After the somewhat embarrassing incident, Clover had managed to get Rubedo to follow him back into the common room, where they proceeded into Smart Cookie’s room. He’d felt some trepidation entering the room at first, knowing what he might find on the other side, but he quickly put those feelings behind him. It was a simple bedroom with a few furnishings, most of them grown organically from the floor, just as much a part of the same living organism as the palace. On the far end was an open window, free of glass or decorations, which overlooked the courtyard where the murder had taken place. What drew Clover’s eye most of all, however, were the burning holes in the room. One was just beside the door, and another was lower in the opposite wall, directly above the floor beneath the window. As he passed through the door, Clover noticed the edges of the hole next to him were frayed inward, as though something had pushed the wood out as it traveled through, diagonally downward from the end of the room to the courtyard directly east of it. “Rubedo,” said Clover, “could you get a few of those photograph things of those holes? I have a feeling they’ll be important.” “You got it!” said Rubedo. Right away, she tapped her hoof to her necklace, and it transformed in a flash of light to a camera. She held it up to her eyes, and there were several more flashes of light as she took pictures of the room. Burning Holes updated in Court Record A series of burnt holes in the west tower’s interior, caused by an apparent projectile of very high temperature. The frayed edges show a trajectory towards the courtyard. “Excuse me. Do you want something?” Clover was pulled out of his thoughts by the voice. He looked forward, and saw a tan earth pony stallion standing directly in front of him. Smart Cookie ~ Waltz of the Stoic “Ah. Sorry, Cookie, didn’t see you there. How’ve you been?” “There’s been a murder,” Smart Cookie deadpanned. “What do you think?” “...Right. Dumb question. Sorry,” said Clover. “So, uh. It’s been a while since we’ve talked, hasn’t it?” “Maybe,” said Cookie. “I didn’t think I’d see you in a place like this again.” “Huh? A place like this?” said Rubedo. “You mean... your bedroom?” For the first time since they’d arrived, the slightest twitch of emotion tugged at the corners of Smart Cookie’s mouth. “...We were bored. It was a one time thing.” “Whoa! Hey! Hold on!” Clover interjected. “Let’s not go there. Please.” Dammit, Cookie, I thought we agreed not to talk about that! Rubedo’s eyes opened wider, a chord of realization ringing across her features. “Wait. You don’t mean you two—” “A-anyway! Moving on!” Clover interrupted. “I’m going to be serving as my master’s defense attorney for his upcoming trial. With that said, what can you tell me about the night of the murder? Were you one of the witnesses to the crime, by any chance?” Cookie turned his head around slightly, his eyes briefly drifting towards the window. “No. I can’t say I was.” “No?” said Clover. “But these holes show the projectile that killed Star Swirl must have gone through your room! How could you not be a witness?” “I was asleep the whole time,” Cookie replied. “I already told the prosecutor. I couldn’t have witnessed anything.” “You... you were asleep!?” “I don’t see how that’s surprising,” said Cookie. “You know I’m a heavy sleeper.” Clover immediately turned and shot Rubedo a glare. “Huh? What? Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t say anything!” “You were going to,” said Clover. “Now, as for you, Cookie... I already know Pansy will be testifying, but I also know there’s a second witness. If you’re not a witness, do you know who is?” Smart Cookie paused momentarily, looking subtly contemplative. “Hm. No. I can’t say I do.” Clover let out a heavy sigh. So much for that line of questioning, I guess... “Alright, fine. Is there anything else you think you could tell me, though? I really need to gather as much evidence as possible. Do you think you have anything that could help me out here?” “You sound desperate,” Cookie remarked. “I assume it must look pretty bad for your master right now.” A dull pain began to work its way to the front of Clover’s forehead. He pressed the tip of his hoof to the base of his horn, rubbing against the throbbing headache. “Just... answer the question, Cookie. Please. Do you have anything you can give me?” Besides a reminder why things never worked out between us, I mean. “Hmm.” Cookie paused again, and his brow furrowed in though. “Actually, yes. I believe I do. After I woke up this morning, I found something that wasn’t there the night before.” Bingo, thought Clover. “Alright, let’s see it.” Moving a hoof behind his head, Cookie reached into his mane and pulled out a large, tightly-coiled scroll. “Here. You can have it.” Clover peered at the item, and his curiosity flared to life, like a flame that flickered deeply within his mind. “A scroll? Do you know what it says?” “No,” said Cookie. “I never looked at it. It’s not important to me.” Clover’s horn glowed, and he pulled the item out of Cookie’s grasp. “Well, thank you anyway, Cookie. I’m sure this will be helpful.” “It’s no problem,” said Smart Cookie. “And I’ll see you at this trial today. Good luck getting your acquittal.” “Thanks,” said Clover. “Come on, Rubedo. Let’s see if we can get a better look at this scroll.” Giving his assistant a nod, Clover led Rubedo out of Smart Cookie’s room, and into the common room. There, he unrolled the scroll, taking a look at its contents. What he read there nearly made his heart skip a beat. CLOUDSDALE LEGION REGISTRY Name: [REDACTED] Height: 4’3’’ Weight: 112 lbs Wingpower: 13.5 wp ———— Name: Pansy Heartease Height 3’11’’ Weight: 104 lbs Wingpower: 12 wp ———— Name: Nimbus Dash Height: 4’1’’ Weight: 107.5 lbs Wingpower: 10.5 wp ———— Name: Flash Magnus Height: 4’2’’ Weight: 110 lbs Wingpower: 10 wp The list itself continued for hundreds more entries, but what caught Clover’s eye even more was what was written near the top. A hoofwritten equation in red ink: top speed = 45 x wingpower That hoofwriting! That’s the same hoofwriting I saw on Star Swirl’s note! Cloudsdale Registry added to Court Record A registry with height, weight, and wingpower information on every pegasus in the Cloudsdale Legion. Written in familiar handwriting is the formula “top speed = 45 x wingpower” “What is it?” said Rubedo. “It’s something juicy, right? Something that can turn this trial around, I bet!” “I...” A lump began to form in Clover’s throat. If this means what I think it means... No, focus! Focus! “I hope so. Right now though, I think we should begin studying for the trial. I should have everything I need for now, I just need to know how the procedures work.” “Sounds good to me!” said Rubedo. “But, um, before we start researching... there’s one thing I was wondering.” “Yeah?” said Clover. “How many of the other Founders of Equestria have you bumped uglies with?” Clover’s jaw dropped so fast that he could almost hear it hitting the ground. Still dumbstruck with shock, he reached for the first response that his brain could conceive of. “OBJECTION!” ———————— Clover had spent the remainder of the morning researching the ins and outs of trial procedure, with Rubedo thankfully helping him sort through the massive archives of the palace library. To his surprise, however, the legal proceedings were far less complex than he had anticipated. By all accounts, the rules and laws that governed them seemed to function more as guidelines than anything else. That makes things easier for me... but that also means the prosecution has even less reason to play fair. Crap. I’m in really deep, aren’t I? His studies carried him well into the afternoon, but by then they had mostly devolved into practicing theatrics. Poses, pointing, shouting ‘objection’ in just the right way seemed to be of more importance than the actual laws that he was fighting for. After a particularly embarrassing practice incident got him permanently banned from the library, Clover was left with just enough time to travel to the court. The courthouse itself was a separate building, some ways away from the palace. Thankfully it had turned out to be far less labyrinthine, a building of similar size and shape to Equestria’s courthouses, though grown organically from yet another tree. The living wood making up the building was more worldly, the extravagant whites and golds of the palace replaced with simple browns and greens. Courtroom Lobby ~ Interlude of Trials The Defendant’s Lobby was itself a small room. Clover had arrived there just in time to meet Star Swirl, his horn still restrained in a clasp as he stood by the pair of guards that accompanied him. As Clover approached, Star Swirl glanced at him, a gentle spark of hope shining within his pupils. “Ah! Clover, you’ve made it! I was beginning to worry if you were really going to go through with this. This is quite out of your range of expertise, after all.” “Maybe,” said Clover. “But I’m capable of a lot of things most ponies don’t know about. And right now, I think I have everything I need to build your case.” ...I think. I probably shouldn’t tell him I’m kind of winging it here. His thoughts didn’t continue, as his attention was pulled away by the very loud sound of heavy breathing just beside him. “Hah... Hnhnnh... I-I... Clover!” Rubedo called out in a stage whisper. “What do I do!? The Gray Wanderer himself is standing right in front of me! I literally can’t handle this right now!” “H-hey, calm down! Deep breaths!” said Clover. “Just relax. It’s fine. Ah, sorry master, this is Rubedo. She’s my legal assistant for this case.” “Your assistant?” said Star Swirl. His eyes widened briefly, once again twinkling gently under the light. “Ah... I see.” He turned to Rubedo, and gave her a short bow. “In that case, Rubedo, you have my deepest gratitude. As I understand it, my apprentice could always use some help.” Rubedo’s entire suddenly froze. Her legs shivered gently, then started to tremble beneath her. “H-he... he thanked me. The Gray Wanderer thanked me! I... I...” With a soft sigh, Rubedo’s eyes turned back into her head, and she promptly keeled over and fainted. “Ah!” Star Swirl exclaimed. “Clover, is she alright?” “I, um... I think she’ll be fine, master,” said Clover. All that for a back-hoofed compliment? “I see,” Star Swirl replied. “Clover, listen to me. If you fail, and I am found guilty—” “Hey. None of that,” Clover interrupted. “You won’t be found guilty. I won’t let that happen.” Star Swirl’s lips gently curved upwards, into a smile. “Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such a loyal apprentice. Thank you, Clover. I will never forget all you’ve done for my sake.” “I’m just doing what needs to be done, master,” Clover replied. “Rubedo, are you alright?” “Huh... what...” Rubedo slowly climbed up to her hooves, still wobbling from the effort. “I... I think so, yeah.” Clover gave Rubedo a smile. “Just let me know if anything becomes to overwhelming, okay?” “It’s okay. I think I’ll be fine,” said Rubedo. Immediately after, her face split open into a massive grin, her eyes sparkling with wonder and excitement. “But ohmigosh, did you hear that!? He thanked me! The Gray Wanderer himself thanked me!” Suddenly, the door to the courtroom opened, and a stern-looking bailiff, dressed in a deer guard’s uniform, gestured at Clover to follow. “He’ll have a lot more to thank you for after today. Now come on, let’s go in.” Court ~ The House of Law As Clover led Rubedo into the courtroom, he turned around and gave Star Swirl a nod, leaving him behind with the guards. What he saw next, however, he couldn’t have been prepared for. The courtroom itself was unremarkable — apart from every part of it being made of a single living tree, and the roof being made from branches that allowed sunlight to filter in. A number of deer sat in the audience seats, looking over the room from a set of balconies that were grown into the upper levels. But most strangely, sitting in the judge’s bench was a motionless bipedal figure grown from living wood, with a large of leaves and twigs extending from his chin. “A... a treefolk?” Clover stammered in disbelief. “The judge is a treefolk?” “Of course!” said Rubedo. “His Magistry Judge Greenbeard has presided over our courts since time immemorial. You didn’t know?” Huh. I didn’t think treefolk cared for the matters of other creatures. Clover shook his head. “We can worry about that later. For now, let’s just go out there and prove his innocence.” Rubedo gave Clover a mock salute. “Aye-aye, captain!” As Clover finally took his place at the defense’s bench, the Judge’s eyes began to brighten, and the previously unmoving body shifted and straightened as it became instilled with life. As Clover looked at him, he began to notice that the Judge’s body seemed to grow directly into the bench he was sitting on, and by extension the rest of the building. “Court is now in session for the trial of the Gray Wanderer,” said the Judge. “Are the defense and prosecution ready?” “The, uh, defense is ready, Your Magistry,” said Clover. “But, uh...” As his sentence trailed off, his eyes turned to the as-yet-unfilled prosecution’s seat opposite him. “...where is the prosecution?” “Do not be hasty, Mister Clover!” the Judge chided. “I am sure the prosecution will arrive on their own time.” What? Wasn’t this trial supposed to happen on a schedule!? “Um... be that as it may, Your Magistry, I was under the impression that we can’t have a trial without our opening arguments. So, if the prosecution doesn’t arrive soon, I’d like to request that—” Clover never had the time to finish his sentence. He was immediately distracted by a sensation that only a unicorn could perceive, his thaumic sense picking up on a powerful surge of magic. Illusory smoke began to flood into the room from the Prosecution’s Lobby, leaving the air quality untouched yet blinding him with a thick cover of vapor. “M-Mister Clover!” the Judge exclaimed, “What is the meaning of this!?” Von Ego ~ Sterling Silver Moonlight “Fillies and gentlecolts! Deer of all ages!” A loud female voice boomed through the courtroom, its volume enhanced with even further magic. “Put your hooves together, for ze star of ze trial has arrived!” The illusory mist surrounding the prosecutor’s bench parted, revealing the image of a mare. She was a unicorn with a coat of eggplant purple, her cutie mark a smattering of cobalt blue and bright yellow stars. She wore a white tunic with long cobalt-blue sleeves, a spade on its left foreleg and a club on the other. Her short silver hair parted down the middle, revealing a cobalt-blue domino mask. “Born of ze noblest of noble house, descended from ze highest of heavens to deliver a spectacular, dazzling trial like no other, presenting to you... ze one... ze only. Ze Grand and Almighty... Kluge! Von! Egooooooooooo!” Clover let out a loud groan. A cascade of sweat began to drip down his forehead. He turned to Rubedo, and the two of them shared a look. “Um, Clover? This is going to suck for us, isn’t it?” “...Eyup.”