"You look nervous."
Twilight Sparkle tore her gaze away from the Court Record to look up at her friend and, she figured, co-worker. "A little", she replied, trying her hardest not to hyperventilate. "It's my first trial and I have to defend one of my closest friends! What if I don't find anything? What if she gets a guilty verdict and I will forever be plagued with the knowledge that I sent her to prison amd she hates me for the rest of her life?!"
"Ah, I remember my first trial too." Trixie said, a far off look on her face as her eyes trailed across the denfendant lobby.
"This IS you first trial, Trixie."
Trixie did nothing to meet Twilight's judgmental glare, instead opting to focus on the painting on the wall she found much more interessting. "No, but that's not the point."
She sat beside her on the couch, laying an arm around her friend's shoulder. "I will be by your side throughout the trial, Sparkles. Well, not exactly 'by your side' but you get the idea."
A smile danced across Twilight's lips and for a moment a flash of hope seemed close.
"Also Trixie believes that you worry far too much. Pinkie could never hate you like, at all. Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen her mad. Ever. And she won't be locked away forever anyway, just for a longer period of time and you can still visit if you mess up."
Trixie's well meant words did not come out as well as she had hoped, ruining the moment as Twilight let her head fall into her hands with a light smack. "She's gonna be so sad. And Rainbow's will hate me forever. I can already see their faces."
Trixie flinched, trying to come up with something else to say.
"Hello, Twilight", a calm yet assertive voice rang through the room. "I do hope I'm not late. Oh! Hello to you too Miss Lulamoon." Luna, Twilight's teacher and mentor, had entered and was now smiling at the two of them.
"I thought I might find you here, the bailiff are looking for you."
Trixie stood up from her seat, giving Twilight's shoulder one last squeeze before leaving the room.
The place where she sat moments before was now occupied by Luna who wore a worrysome look on her face. "Everything will be fine, Twilight. I'll be there if you have any troubles during the trial."
"I know, Chief. I'm just so worried." Luna nodded understandingly.
"If you're in doubt, simply stick to the basics. You remember those right?"
Twilight took a deep breath which she exhaled after a few seconds. "Always believe in your client."
The chief smiled proudly. "That's right. Now, how about we look over the file one last time, together?" The protégé nodded, opening the case file and starting to explain.
"Two days ago Soarin, a member of the Wonderbolts, was poisend. He is recovering in the hospital, it wasn't quite strong enough to kill him. The poison was inside a blueberry pie baked by my defendant Pinkamina Diane Pie."
"LIES!" A shrill voice yelled as the person belonging to it was escorted into the room. "I mean, I DID bake the pie but I did NOT put any kind of poison in it! That would ruin the good pie! And no one likes ruined pie." Pinkie Pie, owner of the voice, then gasped loudly. "But what if I did!? What if there is a clone of me and SHE put that poison inside there while I wasn't looking!?"
Twilight closed the court record and stood up. "Pinkie, cloning humans isn't scientifically possible yet."
Luna chuckled, remaining on the couch.
Pinkie wiped the non existant sweat off her forhead. "Phew! I guess that's a relief!"
The young defense attorney looked at the clock. It couldn't be long now until they'd let them in. "Pinkie, can I ask you something?"
"Anything!" Pinkie bounced back and forth on her feet, smiling brightly at her seemingly ignoring the fact she is accused of attempted murder.
Now Twilight's nerves were on edge, she felt almost bad, guilty even, for asking this. "Did you poison the pie?"
Pinkie seemed surprised. "Twilight-"
"Yes or no?"
"No." Pinkie looked into her eyes, her previous silly demeanour replaced with seriousness.
"Thank you."
A bailiff called them, telling them to enter the courtroom. Twilight walked at her mentor's side, the thought of her first trial wrecking her nerves. Pinkie in the meantime was escorted to her seat by two other bailiffs.
The judge cleared his throat and began talking. His deep voice intimidating Twilight. "We have gathered here today for the trial of one Pinkamina Diane Pie."
Trixie stood firm behind her bench and nodded. "The prosecution is ready, your honor." She took a bow.
A cold shiver ran down Twilight's spine as she struggled with her words. "Calm down, Twilight. This is only the beginning, you will do fine." Luna reassured.
Twilight gulped. "The- The defense is also ready your honor!"
"Very well then." The judge once more turned his gaze to Trixie, whose extroverted personality managed to hide her own nervousness. "Prosecutor Lulamoon please give your opening statement."
She cleared her throat and turned on the holograms, pulling up pictures to further illustrate what she is saying. "Two days ago nearing sunset, the Wonderbolts finished rehearsing a routine and went to their locker and changing room. Inside was a poisened pie located on the bench in the middle of the room. This pie was then eaten by our victim, Soarin and baked by the defendant, Miss Pie. The police suspects her of attempted murder on Rainbow Dash, who the pie was originally for. The defendant's motive is suspected to be an unhealthy obsession with Miss Dash as she is away for longer periods of time due to her Wonderbolts schedule." Trixie frowned, looking guiltily at the holograms presented.
Pinkie jumped up in her seat and began flailing her arms. "I don't have an unhealthy obsession! I'm not some kind of thriller psychopath!"
"Would the defendant please remain seated." The judge rubbed his temples, he had no time to deal with that type of trial this early in the morning.
Trixie didn't know that despite her outburst, Pinkie didn't hold anything against her, it was her job after all.
"You may call your first witness." The question was directed at Trixie, who asked Pinkie to testify. She agreed to do so although she, as the defendant, didn't have to.
"Please state your name and occupation, Miss Pie." The judge commanded.
A smile spread on Pinkie's innocent face. "My name's Pinkamina Diane Pie, I work at Sugarcube corner! A bakery in a small town not far from here!"
"A bakery?" The judge questioned.
"Eeyup!"
The judge shook his head and and proceeded with his spiel. "Anyhow, defense? You may now question the witness."
"Right." Twilight began to think about her options. "Pinke, what did you do the day the attempted murder took place?"
"Well I got out of bed first-"
Luna was quick to interject. "Miss Pie, I believe Sparkle did not mean the full day, if you understand."
"Thanks Chief." Twilight whispered.
Pinkie 'oh'-ed and nodded. She then began to tell her tale.
Defendant Testimony: The Rainbow Pie
"So I just finished baking the most amazing blueberry pie with a rainbow crust to congratulate Rainbow for her 73rd training with the Wonderbolts! The training grounds are not far from the town but still quite a distance to go by foot. So I was very excited when our mail person came by and offered to carry it there for me! If I paid and packed it into a box that is, because that's how the postal service works. But it was so nice of her to offer anyway! The rest of the day I spent at Sugarcube Corner with Gummy!"
Twilight stared at Pinkie with a semi shocked expression. "You didn't deliver it yourself?"
"Well, I had work to do. All those delicious baked goods aren't gonna sell themselves, you know?" Pinkie replied matter-of-factly.
The prosecution snapped loudly, levitating a piece of paper, a signed statement to be precise, beside her. "Pinkie has indeed been in Sugarcube Corner all day as this statement by Mr. Carrot Cake, one of the owners, confirms. I questioned him myself. It's true she used the postal service to deliver the pie."
Twilight noted the statement was now added to the Court Record. She looked at her Chief hopeful.
"You're doing good so far, but I don't think you can get much more out of this." Was all she had to say to fill Twilight with an inch of confidence.
"Any further questions?" The judge asked the two of them.
They both shook their heads no.
"The great and- uh- I mean the prosecution calls their first witness to the stand."
The judge simply nodded.
The witness stand was now occupied by a laid back young woman with blonde hair that was silcked all the way back who was previously waiting outside the court room.
"Witness, please state your name and occupation."
"Lightning Dust." The girl announced proudly, driving one hand through her hair. "I work in a pharmacy in Canterlot."
"Would you kindly tell the court about the events of the day you delivered the pie?" Trixie snapped her fingers once again.
Witness Testimony: Delivery Service
"I was in the locker rooms of the Wonderbolts to refill the medicine cabinet when I watched someone enter through the front door with a pie. It was most definitly the defendant, Pinkie Pie. She put the pie on the bench and left without a word. I had a delivery to make so I didn't pay it any further mind. I found out later that one of the star Wonderbolts had been poisened with it."
"A medicine cabinet?" Trixie questioned her, a weird look on her face. Lightning Dust nodded.
"Yep, it's on the opposite side of the door."
Twilight closed her eyes in thought. Luna on the other hand could only smile.
"Defense, you may now cross examine the witness."
The defense nodded in response. "I'm not sure but...", Twilight directed at her mentor. "Something seems... off."
"Off indeed." Luna agreed. "Go on, why don't you ask the witness about it?"
Twilight Sparkle opened her court record, searching for that one piece of evidence she had just recieved. She took a deep breath and shouted "OBJECTION!", while banging one fist on the table. "Miss Dust, you said you saw the defendant?"
Lightning Dust nodded affirmativly.
"That's, uh, that's impossible." Twilight struggled to remain calm.
The witness raised a brow, visibly confused. "What do you mean?"
Trixie, catching onto what Twilight was refering to, snapped and projected a hologram of Mr. Carrot Cake's statement. "I believe Sparkles is refering to this?"
"Exactly!" Twilight said, pointing her finger at the hologram. "Mr. Cake said that Pinkie hadn't left work at all, she delivered the cake by mail!"
Lightning Dust's eyes widened. "But- but... but that's not... I was sure it was Pinkie...", she muttered something unintelligable, as if trying to reason with herself how she managed to overlook such an important detail. A lightbulb went off in her head and she exclaimed. "The note! There was a note on the pie! It had her name on it, I must've mistaken the person coming in because of it."
"A note?" Twilight tilted her head, confused.
Trixie, finding out that snapping was actually calming her down, pulled up a photo of the pie, one slice missing with a note attached directly to said pie. The box it was in seemed budged and you could see torn apart pieces of tape on the sides. "Pinkie left a very sweet note for Rainbow Dash. Poetry only rivaled by my own."
Pinkie jumped up in her seat. "Oh, yes! I wanted Dashie to know for sure that I made it with lots of love!"
Twilight could swear she heard someone with a raspy voice Aww-ing in the audience.
"And that's how I knew." Lightning Dust was proud of herself, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk.
"But it was attached to the pie."
"What?"
"Miss Sparkle, what do you mean?" The judge eyed her curiously.
Twilight cleared her throat before repeating herself and Lightning only blinked. "So?"
Even the judge gasped as he realized what the young defense attorney meant.
Twilight pointed at the picture, specifically the torn pieces of tape. "Miss Dust, the pie was inside a sealed off box. If you were really minding your own buisness you couldn't have seen the note, or even the pie as you said earlier for that matter!"
Lightning Dust began to shuffle her feet, her grin turning into a scowl.
Twilight recieved an encouraging pat on the shoulder from her mentor. "You almost got her, Twilight."
"Maybe the delivery guy opened it?" She grit her teeth.
The defense shook her head. "You said yourself that she put it down and left." She decided to press on. "You couldn't have even known that there was a pie in the first place. For all you know it was just a box!"
"I told you already.", Lightning Dust gripped the sides of the witness stand. "I saw the news! I know she was poisened with the damn pie!"
Trixie bit her tounge, her face mimiking a similar look of confusion as Twilight, only more exxagerated. "'she'?"
Tapping her foot, annoyed, Lightning Dust crossed her arms. "Rainbow Dash! She died, didn't she?"
All of a sudden the courtroom went silent. All eyes trained on the now very uncompfortable person in the witness stand. "What do you guys want!?" She barked at the audience
Her face suddenly paled, draining of all color and her eyes grew wide when she her eyes fell on a certain prysmatic haired woman sitting in the middle row of the audience, having watched the entire trial since the beginning.
"It seems", Luna chuckled. "As if the witness has gotten some important facts wrong."
"Dashie's not dead!" Pinkie declared jumping up and down in her seat.
The Chief, uneffected by Pinkie's outburst, continued. "The reason is: Why?"
"Because it was you that poisened the pie with the intention of murdering Miss Dash!" Twilight slammed her first on the table so hard one would be afraid she'd leave a dent.
Trixie was now sitting on her table, cross-legged and snapped her fingers triumphently. "You saw your opportunity when you restocked the medicine cabinet and realized you could pin the blame on the defendant!" She shook her head slowly and gestured to the defense. "The question is, why? What's her motive?"
For a moment, Twilight seemed stumped. What motive could Lightning Dust have had?
She struggled and stammered before her mentor Luna spoke up for her.
"I believe the police would have to investigate this matter further. As we have a new suspect to this case."
"Right." The judge cleared his throat. "Miss Lightning Dust you will be held in detention for the time being."
Lightning Dust looked like she was about to burst, her face red with anger. She yelled. She yelled loud insults at Twilight, Trixie, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and even Luna and the judge. She had to be forcefully removed from court.
The judge rubbed his forhead tiredly. "Miss Pie, I hope you understand that although you are no longer a main suspect we'll still have to keep you detained for a few more days until you can go home."
"Aw..." Pinkie, having replaced Lightning Dust's place on the witness stand, frowned deeply. Then, she went back to smile brightly again. "Alright! As long as I can get back to work and see my friends again I'll be a-okay!"
Trixie seemed happy for the fact that she had just lost and bowed triumphently while Twilight was just relived that she would not have to feel the wrath of two of her friends.
And Luna, Luna was proud of her protégé for finding the truth of the trial with minimal difficulties.
"I hereby find the defendant, Pinkamina Diane Pie", The judge seemed to be relieved, too. "Not guilty. Court is adjourned."
Back at the defendant lobby, Twilight was struggling to breathe as Pinkie almost crushed her ribs with a tight hug. "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! YOU'RE THE BEST, TWILIGHT!"
Trixie gave her a light punch on the shoulder. "Nice performance, Sparkles! Your presentation could use some fine tuning but we'll work on that."
Once Twilight was able to breathe again she recieved another, slightly harder punch on her other shoulder.
"Nice job, pal." Twilight figured Rainbow Dash must've snuck her way in. "Gotta say, I didn't expect Lightning Dust to be bitter enough to kill me. You think you know someone." She shook her head in disappointment.
"Oh, yeah!" Pinkie chimed in. "How's Soarin doing? I hope he's alright! You're lucky you didn't get to eat a slice, it could've killed your small petite little body" She patted the top of Rainbow Dash's head playfully as if to remind her of her height.
As the three friends were talking and catching up, Luna and Trixie sat on the couch standing at the wall, just out of their earshot.
"It's good to see you're doing well, Trixie. I thought you may take a while longer to get back in court."
The prosecutor waved her hand as if to say it was no big deal. "Oh, it was no big deal." She looked at Twilight and her friends. "I couldn't let Twilight have to face anyone else from the prosecutor side. Have you ever been there? Those guys are madmen!"
Lune gave a smile. "I know. I have trials of my own, remember?"
Trixie leaned back and let herself sink into the fabric as she nodded. "You're right, by the way. I'm not going back in court for a while longer. This was an exception." Luna understood.
"On the off chance that you are intrested, I'm picking up the case again. I could use someone like you to help me in the investigations."
A sigh escaped Trixie's lips. She pondered for a moment before shaking her head.
"Alright, if you change your mind you can let me know." Luna stood up from the couch. "Twilight will have some paperwork to do at the office, you should get going aswell. I hear Miss Shimmer doesn't take kindly to tardiness. Do you want me to deliver a message?"
"Ask Twilight to tell me what she wants from Soba's Noodle stand." Trixie picked up her coat and briefcase, making her way out of the courthouse without another word.
Back with the group, Rainbow and Pinkie had a small drama about not liking pies which thankfully was resolved in a few minutes.
"I can't believe you would go through that for me! Actually no, I totally can!" Pinkie exclaimed, hugging her friend just a little too tightly.
Rainbow laughed in reply.
Twilight smiled as she scanned the room, disappointed as she noticed Trixie had already left. But she didn't mind, she probably has some work to do at her office. She also noticed some policemen standing by the door, one of which was tapping his foot impatiently. "Pinkie, I think the guards are waiting for you."
The baker looked up and frowned. "Awww... but I don't wanna leave yet! Even if I have to..." She hugged Rainbow even tighter.
"Pinkie, air!"
Realizing she was once again almost crushing someone's ribs, Pinkie loosened her grip and decided to instead give her chormatic haired friend a drawn out kiss on the cheek before skipping away with the officers as fast she could.
"Holy shit." Was all Rainbow could muster.
"Twilight!" The young defense attorney's attention was brought back to her mentor. "You did fantasitc today. I'm very proud of you."
Twilight could almost feel her chest exploding with happiness as she split a grin from ear to ear. "Thanks, Chief!"
That day, Twilight won her first case of many. It was the start of a long series of trials and tribulations with its own ups and downs that she would have to face when the time comes. But in the end, she kept an upbeat, happy demeanour for the rest of that first day.
"Also Trixie asked what you wanted from Soba's Noodles."
"Oh, that comical bitch!" Twilight cursed. "There's only one thing on the menu!"