Lumina Moondancer: Turnabout Attorney

by CrownofDissonance

Case 01-0: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 0, Investigation)

A broken clock, a temporal distortion, and a bloody trophy. A murdered athlete, and the prime suspect? My friend, a time mage.

Could Minuette really be a murderer?

I wouldn't believe it for a single second.

I took a deep breath, and spoke with all the poise and confidence I could muster.

"I'm here to see Minuette Chrona."

"The girl brought in yesterday for the murder of Ms. Indigo Zap?" A look of suspicion followed. "Who are you, exactly?"

The way that question was asked shook me. Who am I? Did I not look professional enough? My clothes were clean- I'd picked up my dark grey, perfectly tailored two piece suit from the dry cleaners the night before. I had my most professional looking white button-up shirt on beneath that, and I made sure my normally messy hair had been swept back and ponytailed into the most collected and presentable fashion possible. I had a tie that matched hair, the flat red color undercut by its brilliant amaranth, but accenting the brighter purple on my highlights. I'd used this expensive conditioner this morning, hopefully it was glowing brilliantly enough. If the top of me didn't look formal, my pitch black dress shoes were polished to a perfect shine, and my silver analogue wristwatch gave off of the impression that I had somewhere to be. 

At least, I hoped it did. I wore it because I did have places to be.

My nerves were getting the better of me, but I took another deep breath and calmed myself. I was taking this the wrong way. The only reason this receptionist asked who I am is because they have to, it's their job. There's a murder case going on! They can't just let anyone waltz in here demanding to see the suspect.

But I did have business here! I could easily prove that.

Finding my fingers nervously adjusting the frame of my squared glasses, I reached to the collar of my suit jacket where a small piece of metal was securely pinned. My badge, the signifier of who I was. Carefully plucking it off, I held it forward, feeling a wave of both excitement and anxiety try to push its way through my throat as I identified myself.

"Lumina Moondancer, attorney-at-law."

The receptionist looked surprised for a moment, and my mind immediately began to race. Was I about to be told off? This was the first time I'd ever had to present my badge like that on my own, I only had my badge for a little under a month, but I'd decided: I was going to defend her in court and prove her innocence. 

I'd heard about it the day before, about my friend Minuette being the only suspect at the scene of a murder, and how the victim was another of our friends from high school. I had no doubt she'd let me defend her, but I needed to talk to her first. That's why I was here first thing in the morning on the day before her trial. I know her, and I know she'd never do something like that. 

When the receptionist responded, I felt a splash of relief hit me.

"Very well. I'll have them bring her to the visiting room."

From my side of the visiting room glass, I saw a face change from utter despair to astounded hopefulness. Minuette Chrona used to be one of my closest friends, she was bubbly and talkative and friendly and not at all intimidated by my lack of such things. It had been some time since we last saw each other, so I was worried maybe she'd forgotten about me, or didn't like me anymore, but seeing her reaction to me banished any doubt about that.

"Moondancer?! Lumina Moondancer?! Is that you?"

I instinctively shrunk back a little as she immediately pressed her face up against the glass, deep cobalt eyes widened in amazement and peeking at me from between her mess of blue and white hair. This wasn't unusual for her, Minnuette was always animated, but I dont think I'd ever had someone this excited to see me in my life.

"Lumi! Oh, Lumi, you have no idea how good it is to see you again!" Any dread she was feeling before seemed to have left. "It feels like forever since we graduated and you went off to law school! Speaking of, you're all dressed up fancy now, which I'm guessing means you're here because of..."

Her tone slowed, her mood seemed to be evening out. She was back to looking concerned. Her face pulled away from the glass and she leaned back, properly taking a seat in her chair and playing with the sleeves of her long sleeved blue jacket. I took her trailing off as a sign to interject.

"Yes, Minuette. I'm here because of the murder last night-"

"Oh, I didn't do it Lumi!"

Her reaction was sudden again, pressing herself right back against the glass as she pleaded with me. I nearly jumped back a second time. "I swear I didn't do it! Everyone has been pointing fingers but it wasn't me, I just found Indie's body! Please don't be mad at me! She was our friend and someone... k-killed her..."

The victim in question was Indigo Zap, one of our former highschool classmates. I wasn't as close with her, but Minuette gave everyone she could as much attention as they'd let her, and Indigo loved attention. Naturally, Minuette got along with her much better than I did.

My expression flattening, I sighed. Seeing Minuette like this was tough, but I know she was telling the truth. As I collected my thoughts, I did my best to reassure her I wasn't mad.

"Minuette, I'm here because I believe you're innocent and I want to defend you in court tomorrow."

That seemed to work. She calmed herself down and looked very thoughtful at the proposal. "Lumi, you'd that for me? Oh, I'd be so grateful, I- How much will you run me for it? Name your price, I'll... I'll figure out some way to make it happen!"

"We'll sort that out after the case. This honestly isn't about the money for me, I..." I stopped myself there. There were some very deep reasons I chose this profession, but this wasn't the time to get into them. I'd just give her a simple version. "I became an attorney because... I know what it's like to be wrongly accused of something. Like you, right now. You always had my back, now I'm gonna return the favor for once."

That being said, I did have bills to pay, and I was working under my mentor's firm, but money was the last thing on my mind. Regardless, what I said seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled, nodding.

"Wow, Lumina, that's really nice of you. You sound a lot like Twilight used to, you know?"

"Yeah..." Twilight... My expression fell when I heard the name. Twilight Sparkle was a complicated acquaintance that we didn't have time to talk about. She'd left a profound impact on me and my friends during our childhood, she was the reason I even had friends at all as a little girl. She stood up for me when I needed it most. She showed me friendship. But then... She left without a word.

This wasn't the time to get hung up on a childhood memory. But truth be told, Twilight and I did have a lot in common.

"Maybe her idealism rubbed off on me."

"Well, in any case..." Minuette's shoulders fell into a relaxed position, and she smiled warmly. "Thanks. I'm really glad to have someone on my side."

"And I'm glad I can be here for you," I nodded. I hadn't ever done this for real before, but I kept my confidence strong. Minuette was innocent, but I had to prove it. "So can you tell me about what happened?"

Minuette nodded. "Yeah, I was over at Indie's place late  last night, she wanted to talk to me. I don't really remember what it was, but I remember her getting upset with me over... Something."

Her expression shifted subtly as she said that. Something? I let her continue.

"Something I said, probably. She had a short fuse, y'know?"

"You don't remember what it was?"

"It was something about the track race events going on here in Canterlot," Minuette's eyes looked down, and she scratched her head. Really seemed like she couldn't remember. "She ran in those, was hot stuff from what I remember, she even got second place in the Spring Regionals... the hundred meter dash, I think. Was showing off her second place trophy when I got there, let me hold it and stuff."

"I heard the trophy was the murder weapon?"

"Oh right, yeah!" Minuette looked back up, and she hurriedly resumed recounting her story. "Anyway, she gets heated so I decided to step outside for a few minutes, and... Uh..."

She trailed off nervously, so I asked another question.

"How long were you out there?"

"Oh, only five minutes or so. But then, I..." She trailed off again. I let her finish this time. "I heard glass smashing, from her big grandfather clock, so I went back in to see if she's okay and... That's where I found her body, and the trophy next to her, someone hit her with it, knocked her into the clock I guess, and..."

She didn't finish the sentence. Just took a sharp breath in and met my eyes with a horrified look. After a few moments, she blinked, then shook her head, like she was trying to get the image out of her mind. The look on her face was haunting. She had seen a dead body, it was understandable that she didn't have the words.

"Yeah. I uh..." She hesitantly continued. "That's what... That's what happened." 

I could tell it wasn't something she wanted to relive, so I didn't push her any more. It was a place to start, at least.

"Thank you, Minuette. I really wish we could be seeing each other again under better circumstances..."

"Awh, it's okay, even if I do get thrown in the slammer for this I'm glad I got to see you one last time!"

I don't know why, but upon imagining her being declared guilty, I spoke the first words that popped into my head with the utmost conviction.

"You are not-" I even caught myself saying it, but still went through with it. "Going to jail for this."

"Heh, I sure hope not..."

I stood up from my chair and smiled the kind of confident smile I knew she needed to see. I had a plan on what I might be able to do, but I'd need more information first. "Thank you for talking to me. Your trial is tomorrow, so I'm gonna spend today trying to see what I can do that might prove your innocence."

"So what, you're gonna be a lawyer and a detective?"

I nodded. "I'll have to be. Though I bet the police have already cleaned up the crime scene. Might as well check it out, though."

"Right!" She was back to smiling brightly again, but this time in a supportive way. "I believe in you, Lumina!"

I nodded. "I appreciate it."

I really did, more than she could ever know...

I was right. The police had long since set up their yellow tape around Indigo's house and were crawling about the place as they seemed to be wrapping up their investigation. As I approached from the back, I could see into a dining area with a big table, and then into a living room where Indigo's body had been outlined in chalk, and the tall grandfather clock that had been knocked over.

The clock, obviously broken, read 9:40. Probably the time it was broken. 

Mounted up against the wall facing the window was a shelf, I figured that's where Indigo's trophy must've been placed as several others were there too. 

Going around the front of the house, I could see the same area through a window closer to the front door, but couldn't see the living room due to the entryway's wall. I only took notice because two of the investigating officers in the kitchen saw me through one window, then again through the other, which prompted her to approach me.

"Hold it right there, this is a crime scene, kid!"

Kid? She couldn't possibly be much older than me!

The officer approaching me wore a navy blue uniform with an odd patch on her shoulder, not one of the CPD, but of a pair of what looked like angel wings? She wore sunglasses and had a soft blue and pink hair, slicked back so that the colors swirled together. 

"Who are you? What's your business here?" Her voice was immediately hostile, and the expectant foot tapping had me at a loss for words. 

"I-" I began, unsure of how to respond. 

"Yeah? Spit it out!"

I was locking up, my nerves were trying to get the best of me again! Not this time! As my routine went, I took a deep breath, adjusted my glasses, then made a motion to my badge as I gave my response.

"Lumina Moondancer, the defense attorney for the suspect of this case. I came over to familiarize myself with the scene of the crime."

A good response, I thought. Reasonable, but the officer dashed my confidence with a scoff. "Pfft. Save it, kid. You're a lawyer, not a private eye. You'll receive and review our findings in paper form when we're done."

I wanted to reply, to tell her that it's just more thorough that way, but I could only manage a weak sputter.

"Listen, pal—I'm the detective and you're the lawyer, you stay out of my way here, and I stay out of yours in the courtroom." I was taking a lot of it personally, but by the way this detective was talking she seemed to already be in a bad mood before I showed up. "Besides, I don't need any more non-specialists on a scene where an arcane crime took place." 

Wait, a what?

"An arcane crime?" I asked.

The detective rolled her eyes. "Your defendant used a timeslow spell during the murder. That's the whole reason I'm here leading the investigation and not some overzealous halfwit in a trench coat!"

Minuette? A timeslow spell? Why didn't she tell me that earlier? I honestly didn't know how to parse the sentence I'd just heard. "And who are you to tell me this?"

"Seraph Agent Sweetie Drops, supernatural investigator. If you don't know what that means, I'm a specialist."

I knew what she meant. "SRAPH." Short for "Supernatural Response and Protection of Humanity." I knew that name, and their insignia was indeed the gold and white angel wings. They're a federal agency that investigates and contains matters pertaining to monsters, magic, and anything else that might be too much for an ordinary responder to resolve. Usually they're smart guys in sunglasses and black suits, but sometimes they're just glorified cops, like this Agent Sweetie Drops.

Surprised as I was to see a SRAPH agent, I was more surprised at what she just told me.

"Minuette used a time spell the night the murder took place?" Obviously Minuette had been keeping that bit from me, but it didn't make it any less of a shock. She's one of the last people I expected to be able to use magic. Although, with another second of thought, it did make sense why she'd hide something like that.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Agent Sweetie Drops nodded, still looking annoyed, but I think she made the connection when she saw my face. Strangely, her hostility seemed to disappear. "You need to have a chat with your client, it seems."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I think so."

"You're still new to this lawyer thing, aren't you?" Sweetie Drops asked. "Lemme guess, first case?"

I froze. How could she know that? Again, I was too stunned to speak, and she correctly read that as confirmation.

"Even if that girl didn't do this, and I don't know how that could be possible based on what I'm looking at, you're not going to last against the prosecutor you're up against."

"And who might that be?"

"Princeton Blueblood, a prosecutor that's had a three year hot streak, scoring guilty verdicts left and right without losing a single case. The guy's a pro, and will absolutely toss a rookie like you."

"Gee, it's not a contest..." I found myself nervously playing with my glasses again.

"It is to him. He'll be hell bent on proving your client is guilty, and based on everything I've seen, he's got a clean case for it."

"Mmhhrg," I grumbled, sighing. "Of course."

This agent was right. I was no detective, so I just turned to leave. I needed to have another talk with Minuette anyway.

"I need to speak with Minuette Chrona again."

"You again? There's a limit on how many times one person can visit in a day, Ms. Lawyer—especially on the weekends. She isn't the only person being held here and I don't think you're the only person who wants to see someone in there."

"Please, it's urgent, and I'll make it quick."

"Fine, I'll give you 10 minutes. That's until 10:15, then you'll have to come back tomorrow."

Tomorrow would be too late.

Minuette looked so happy to see me again, but I knew I wasn't looking the same. For the record, I wasn't angry at her, just concerned that she'd leave out such an important detail in her story. That, coupled with the fact that I had a time limit, meant that I had to get straight to the point.

I hoped I wouldn't sound too harsh.

"Alright Minuette, you need to come clean with me. Why didn't you tell me you used magic on the night of the murder?"

"Wha-!!!" She jumped back almost as far as I did when she excitedly greeted me earlier. I think I did come off as harsh, but I needed the truth if I was going to defend her. "How did-"

"I spoke with a detective at the crime scene. She's specially trained to deal with supernatural matters, and informed me that you used a timeslow spell during the incident." My expression didn't change. I didn't want to be the bad guy, but I needed to be as matter-of-fact with her as possible right now.

"I, uh... It wasn't relevant to the incident, I promise..."

"I didn't even know you were capable of magic, Minnie."

At that, she flashed a guilty smile. "Well, yeah, I'm from a family of time mages, we're called Timekeepers."

"Oh..." I almost wanted to laugh when I heard that, but I held my face still. Timekeepers. Of course... Her father was a clockmaker, and they have a family owned business that sells timekeeping devices. Clocks, watches, fancy hourglasses, stuff like that. An obvious occupation for a time mage.

"I'm not really that good at it, though. I can only slow things down in a small area for a bit. I can't rewind time or anything..."

It was a little hard to believe, the only mages I'd heard about were all high society types that had insane amounts of money to spend on learning stuff like that. Magic wasn't completely unheard of, it was just... Never really affected common folk. The only exceptions I could think of were the series of Canterlot High School incidents I'd heard happened almost a decade ago. 

Pushing the oddness aside, I accepted it. I checked my watch. I had to leave at 10:15, and it was going on the last 15 seconds of 10:11 now. 

"Look, they're only letting me talk to you until 10:15. I need to know what happened."

"I..." Minuette's eyes darted around to the sides nervously again. 

I checked my watch. 10:12. 

"Indie was getting upset with me, like, really angry. She started to scare me, so I froze time in a bubble around us and ran off."

"Around both of you?" I asked. "The time magic doesn't affect you, then?"

She shook her head. "No, time still goes normally for me. But I can't move or affect anything that's affected by the magic."

I realised something, and I think my eyes showed it. She couldn't have killed her if that was the case.

"This time bubble, when does it go away?"

"When I stop focusing on it..." Minuette started to slip into despair again. "Oh, Lumi, I didn't mean for her to get hurt... I was just gonna hold her still and leave so she could cool off."

"Did she know about your magic?"

"Yeah, I told her about it a while ago."

I checked my watch again. 10:12. 

"I have one more question for you, Minuette," I said. I didn't know if I had enough time to get an answer, or if she even would, but a picture was starting to form in my head. All I needed to do is prove she didn't do it, but right now it seems like she had a clear motive if Indigo was being aggressive with her, if she felt threatened enough to use her magic...

"Yeah?"

"What were you and Indigo talking about that made her get that upset with you?"

Minuette's eyes widened, and she inhaled so subtly I would've missed it had her lips not moved. Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall behind me, it was 10:13. I looked back, and seeing it brought its ticking to the front of my attention. I almost missed the subtle hand movement she made, and the short blue flash behind her eyes.

My brow raised. "What was that?"

"I... You only have two minutes left, I need more time to explain..."

The ticking sounded slower... Was she...?

"Are you slowing time around us now?"

"No no, just around that clock." Her eyes pointed out the clock again. "Look, Indigo wanted to win the Summer Regionals really badly, and... And... She wanted me to help her cheat."

Say what?!?

"Because she knew about your time powers."

"Yeah, yeah, but..."

"But you didn't want to do that, did you?"

"No. She kept trying to make me feel bad about it, because we were friends, and she kept saying I owed her... but I couldn't do it."

Her head fell into her hands, and her breathing quickened. 

"When whoever killed her did it," Minuette's voice became very soft, very regretful. She wasn't crying, but she sounded close to it. "Indie wouldn't have been able to fight back, because I had her in that bubble..."

"But that doesn't make it your fault-"

There was the sound of a door opening behind me, and I heard the clock start to tick normally again. 

"Ms. Moondancer, your time is up here." A security guard had come in. They were right, my time was up, but I wasn't going to leave Minuette like this. 

I checked the clock on the wall again. Thanks to Minuette's manipulation, it still read 10:13. 

"That clock says I have two minutes still." I said.

The guard narrowed their eyes, looked at me, and then smirked. "Okay, but wrap it up."

Then, they left the room. I breathed a sigh of relief. It worked.

"Is that clock still going to work right?"

"It'll run slightly slower until they fix it, but after that it should be fine. Digital ones are even worse, they can get really out of sync if you don't reset them.

"Well, that's good. No harm done in the long run..." I had to take her word, she knew more about clocks than me. "But like I was saying, it's not your fault if someone else killed Indigo. I know you're innocent, there are some things that don't quite add up here and I think I know how to prove it... And if there were no other witnesses, that's all I have to do."

I might've been overstating things, but it was encouraging to hear my own confidence here. I didn't quite know where the inconsistencies were, but I could definitely put together a defense once I saw the police reports. 

"Yeah. I guess I'll let you go now." She said, a small smile returning to her. It was 10:14, and the second hand was passing the 20 second mark.

"Thank you for telling me all that. Trust between attorney and client is essential. You told me you believed in me earlier today, and I want you to know I believe in you too."

Her smile widened, and she looked to be hopeful again, just like she was when I arrived. "Awh, thanks. Forget that formal 'attorney and client' stuff, we're friends, we really should trust each other. I'm sorry I held back with you... I just thought me and Indie were friends too."

I didn't want to leave on a bad note like that. "Don't worry. We'll find the truth of it all by tomorrow, I promise."

She laughed a little. "Heh. You really do sound like Twilight, you know."

And with that, I said my goodbyes and left. The clock in the room said 10:15, but my watch said 10:17. 

On my way out, I acted like I was fidgeting with it. I needed to make sure I wasn't going to be questioned about it, so I asked that same guard a question as I was leaving.

"Uh, hey, do you have the time?"

"Yeah, it's..." They checked another clock in that room. They waited for the second hand to cross the top mark of the clock before replying. "10:18."

"Ah, your clock in there is running slow, I guess. Sorry about that."

"No issue, ma'am. Not your fault we don't keep them in line here. I'll let someone know to fix it."

With that off of my mind, I thought about what I would do with the rest of my day. I needed to get the police report, but I had the rest of the evening to come up with a defense.

And I think I knew where I'd start with that.