Ponyville District Court
June 10th, 1:15 PM
Twilight and Apple Bloom entered the courthouse lobby only to find it nearly deserted; just a few security ponies around plus a couple bored unicorn clerks behind the front desk. Frowning, she glanced inside the defendant waiting room for courtroom #2, but saw only the two pegasus Guardsponies that had been there originally.
Don’t those guys ever take a break? she wondered, certain they had the most boring post in Equestria.
“So why’d ya wanna come back here, Twilight?” Apple Bloom asked curiously.
Twilight didn’t reply right away. He’s not here. Where did he go? she wondered before turning around to answer the question, both aggravated and relieved Phoenix wasn’t there—she really didn’t want to see him just yet. “I just wanted to check on... someone. They’re not here, though. So let’s get going to Fluttershy’s house,” Twilight suggested, wishing she’d thought to tag Phoenix with a magical tracer when he arrived. Well, I didn’t think I’d have to keep tabs on him!
“Alrighty!”
“Oh! Ms. Sparkle!” A deep and somewhat gravelly voice called out just as they were turning to leave.
“Huh?” Twilight glanced back to see a tall and bearded human walking towards her. Oh! It’s the judge I summoned, she recognized as he stepped in front of her. “Hello, how are you, Your—” she suddenly stopped in mid-sentence “O-oh! I mean—” She took the archaic lawyering book back out of her saddlebag and read another bookmarked passage. “—’Greetings, noble bringer of unbiased justice and sage discerner of truth. How dost Thine Honor fare under these sultry summer skies’?” she affected an olden accent again.
“Uh… what?” The Judge raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Twilight’s cheeks flushed, starting to think that maybe Spike had been right after all. “Um… what I mean is, how are you enjoying Ponyville so far, um… Your Honor?” she asked, finally deciding she was only embarrassing herself with her attempts to quote the book.
He chuckled. “No need for such formalities, Ms. Sparkle. I’m off duty!” The Judge told her jovially.
If you’re off duty, why are you still holding your gavel and walking around in your robes? she didn’t ask out loud, then remembered that he’d come to Equestria with literally only his gavel and the robe on his back. “So what should I call you, then? You never did tell me your name.”
“Just call me ’Judge’,” he said while tapping his gavel lightly on the palm of his hand.
She raised an eyeridge at him. “Really? I wouldn’t like it if ponies just called me ‘Unicorn’.”
He gave her a grin, though it was a little hard to see under his beard. “I don’t mind! One short name. Like that pop singer! You know—‘Living Material World’!”
“’Living in a Mare-terial World’?” Twilight repeated while remembering a popular Countess Coloratura song from a year or two back, a sudden image of Rarity flashing through her head. “Hmm…” She pondered that for a moment.
“To answer your question, Ms. Sparkle—I’ve been having a marvelous time! To tell you the truth, I was itching from my seat waiting for the trial to be over just so I could explore more of what this wonderful world has to offer!”
Twilight was surprised. “So you really don’t mind being pulled into Equestria like this?” she asked further, remembering how in stride he’d taken being summoned—especially after as hard a time adjusting as Phoenix had!
“Well, that late-night cram session I was put through was a tiring task, and at this point I’m working on no sleep, but taking in the imagery and meeting the nice inhabitants of this world is well worth it!” The Judge proclaimed, and Twilight realized he meant it—he really did love Equestria! “Thank you very much for bringing me here!”
Both Twilight and Apple Bloom couldn’t help but grin at that. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Judge. But, um, why did you come back to the courthouse?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Well, in all honesty, I don’t have much else to do right now.” He sighed, sitting down on the nearest bench. “I’m waiting for some lunch and travel clothes before I go out again, since I’d rather not walk around in robes—they make me a bit too noticeable, and they drag on the ground and get dirty, after all. One of the bailiffs sent for both. I’m supposed to be visited by a local clothier shortly to take my measurements, and I’m promised some clothes ‘within two shakes of a lamb’s tail’ after that,” he quoted in some bemusement.
“I see,” Twilight kept the thought to herself that the tall bearded human would attract all sorts of attention anyway, guessing from the quoted phrase the ‘local clothier’ was Rarity. “If it’s who I think it is, I promise she’ll take good care of you, Your Honor.” And probably jump at the chance to design high fashion for a human judge!
“As I have been attended to quite grandly, I have no doubt about that, Ms. Sparkle! I do wonder if she’ll give Mister Wright the same treatment,” he mused, stroking his beard idly as Twilight’s mood and expression instantly dropped. “Then again, I doubt he’d bother. I never see him in anything but his royal blue suit anyway, and no doubt he’s out busy investigating. I saw him speaking with another pony that had hair as gravity-defying as his own out in the lobby after the trial adjourned.”
“I see,” Twilight replied again but more shortly this time, wondering who the other pony was. “Even if he is investigating, you won’t be seeing him in court tomorrow. I’m actually going to be taking over as the defense attorney when the trial resumes,” she told him.
“Yeah! And Ah’m helping her investigate!” Apple Bloom added, making The Judge turn his attention to her.
“Awwwww! It’s the adorable little witness from earlier!” he remembered, getting down on one knee. “Hello, young filly! Would you like to play with my gavel?” he offered, holding it out to her.
Apple Bloom’s orange eyes lit up with delight. “Would I?! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CHIEF JUSTICE!” she shouted loud enough to make Twilight wince again. Grabbing the gavel in her mouth, she started running around with it banging it on everything she could from the wooden bench near the entrance to the floor beside Twilight’s hooves.
*Bang, bang—BA-ba-bang BANG!*
“Ah! Don’t bang that thing near me!” Twilight jerked back her hoof as Apple Bloom moved perilously close for a moment, relieved when she moved off into the middle of the lobby.
“So you’re taking over the defense, then?” The Judge scratched his beard, a note of surprise in his voice. “Hmm… Mister Wright was never one to give up, but I suppose it’s none of my business.” He shrugged, watching Apple Bloom play.
“Your Hon—er, I mean, Judge—may I ask you a question?” Twilight inquired, waiting for his nod before continuing. “I’d like to know why you were being so hard on us in court today?”
“What do you mean?” The Judge turned back to her, looking genuinely surprised by the question.
“Well, it just seemed like you were out to get us. You sided with Trixie most of the time. You also threatened to hold me in contempt of court,” Twilight reminded him, the barest note of accusation in her voice.
“I apologize if that was your impression, Ms. Sparkle, but you see… it’s my job,” The Judge explained, clasping his hands in front of him. “Please don’t think I was siding against you out of bias. In fact, I didn’t care much for that prosecutor’s attitude right from the start, but the logic and the evidence she supplied was much more compelling than yours,” he told her apologetically. “I wasn’t playing favorites, I assure you.
“And as for the contempt citation—I realize that emotions can get heated in the midst of a murder trial, given the high stakes involved. That’s why I gave you a warning and not an actual penalty; I understood you were upset and just trying to protect your friend,” he remembered. “But it’s also my job to keep a cool head and ensure that the rules of the court are followed, and that includes not allowing unsupported accusations against your fellow counsel that could potentially damage your client’s defense. Please don’t take it personally, Ms. Sparkle.”
Despite his reassuring tone, Twilight’s temper flared. “’Unsupported accusations’? You really think he wasn’t lying when he accused Fluttershy?” she challenged.
The Judge considered his next words carefully, stroking his beard as he thought. “Without interjecting myself where I should not, I will simply say that in my experience, Mister Wright has good reasons for everything he does… though I grant they often don’t make much sense at the time. So I would encourage you to hear him out before you take rash action, Ms. Sparkle,” he suggested gently. “That said, be assured that should I find his reasons were not good ones when court resumes tomorrow, then he will incur not just a contempt citation, but referral to the Equestrian Attorney Misconduct Board for a knowingly false and malicious accusation of a witness.”
“I see,” Twilight nodded, surprised and a little deflated. She’d thought of The Judge as being a little goofy and too easily influenced, but she was also learning he could be surprisingly persuasive and eloquent when he wanted to be. But I still don’t know what ‘good reasons’ Phoenix could have had for turning on Fluttershy like that! There AREN’T any! she insisted to herself, unswayed.
“May I ask you something as well, Ms. Sparkle?” The Judge stroked his beard again in a gesture that Twilight was coming to realize meant he was deep in thought, or otherwise had something on his mind.
“Yes?” Twilight looked up at him.
“I couldn’t help but notice all your criminal justice laws are very similar to ours. Is there any reason for that?” he asked curiously.
She smiled a bit wanly at that. “Phoenix Wright asked the same question this morning. And the answer is that we feel that humans have a commendable sense of justice and justice system—one we thought was worthy of emulation. Consider it a compliment, Your Honor,” she told him. “So, what are you going to do now? You’ve got nearly a whole day before court reconvenes,” Twilight noted as she stowed the olden book.
He shifted on the bench behind him; Twilight belatedly noticed there was an odd-shaped hoofmark on the back like somepony had kicked it over in anger. “I must admit, I don’t really know. I would like to explore and do enjoy a spot of sightseeing sometimes. Are there any good tourist attractions here, Ms. Sparkle?” The Judge asked her.
She considered that, only to shake her head. “In Ponyville? Not really. This is kind of a quiet town,” Twilight admitted, sitting back on her haunches and thinking. Well, at least aside from the occasional evil Alicorn takeover or Ursa Minor rampage! With that, she had a sudden idea. “Actually, here’s a thought: would you like to go to Canterlot, Your Honor?
“Canterlot?” The Judge instantly perked up and got very excited; he’d already seen the tall but distant mountainside spires of the Equestrian capital and had been very curious about them. “Yes, very much!”
Twilight smiled at that. “In that case, I’ll write the Princess to ask if you can be given a private tour once the trial is over. And for now? Why not head over to Town Hall? Mayor Mare is very nice, and I’m sure that if you ask her, she’ll assign somepony to show you around town and be your guide for the day. Just tell her I sent you, and she’ll give you the VIP treatment!” Twilight promised, writing out a quick note for him, noting not for the first time that being the personal student of the Princess did have its perks.
“Thank you, Ms. Sparkle! That is very gracious of you!” The Judge accepted the note and nodded his thanks. “I rather hope I can stay longer than the trial, actually. I just got back from the Equestrian 500 starting point and I’m now very curious about the race. I even got this program!” The Judge showed her a foldable scroll-written pamphlet that contained information about the upcoming race.
Twilight’s ears perked up. “A program? May I see that for a second?”
“Of course!” The Judge offered the pamphlet to Twilight, who took it in her aura to inspect its contents.
Upon opening it, the first thing Twilight saw was Rainbow Dash’s name with the words ‘Subject to change’ written beside it. Her lips tightened at the sight. It really rips me up seeing that! she thought, but was caught short when she noticed that Ace Swift was still listed as well. “Huh? Why is Ace still on the roster?” she wondered aloud.
“That’s because his death is being kept hush-hush,” The Judge replied. “There are gag orders on all the media, too. The reason is that we don’t want to spook the other racers. The organizers were worried about mass dropouts of the competitors and spectators if they thought racers were being targeted by the murderer.”
Twilight blinked at that, making a connection she hadn’t before. “So everypony knows about the murder, but they don’t know who the victim was! In fact, even I didn’t know who it was until the night before the trial...” she began, only to trail off when she remembered it was Phoenix who had informed her of the victim’s identity while they were investigating the crime scene.
She began brooding again for a moment, but thankfully nopony noticed; the few ponies in the entrance hall had their attention on Apple Bloom, who was now pretending she was The Judge on the bench by gavelling away on the top of the lobby desk, shouting “OBJECTION OVERRULED!!!” at the top of her lungs. Twilight was shaken abruptly from her thoughts by the filly’s outburst and cleared her throat before returning her attention to The Judge, “My apologies; you were saying?”
“You are correct, Ms. Sparkle,” he nodded. “To that end, every member of the gallery has been sworn to not speak of the events that transpired in the courtroom today. For that reason, I ask that you keep discreet about the identity of the victim as well,” he requested.
“A-Alright!” a still-flustered Twilight stuttered, realizing that vital information had come a little too late. Ngh! I accidentally told Cruise Control! she realized, cursing herself for breaking case confidentiality when she shouldn’t have. Wait—now that I think about it, Cruise Control ALREADY knew that Ace Swift was dead! But how? I didn’t see him in the courtroom today! she wondered, only half-listening as The Judge continued talking.
“—And as race registration remains open, this program is going to be updated daily until the race,” The Judge concluded, bringing her attention back to the present.
As he finished his sentence, Twilight spotted something peculiar in the program. “Judge, what’s with this empty slot here—number three?” she asked, turning the program back to face him.
The Judge bent over to have a close look, all but squinting; Twilight was getting the distinct impression he was nearsighted. “Oh! Yes, there is a strange story about that. I overheard the registration staff say that one of the racers signed up, then dropped out the next day.”
“Dropped out?” Twilight repeated, giving The Judge a surprised look.
“Yes, that’s correct,” he nodded. “He’s from another city—Manehattan, I believe it was. Why would he fly all the way out here to register, and then drop out?” The Judge wondered aloud.
“Manehattan?” Twilight suddenly remembered the city mentioned during an earlier conversation with a very odd pegasus. “Wait—Judge, was this racer’s name ‘Cruise Control’?” she suggested.
His eyes widened in recognition. “Why, yes. Yes, I believe it was!”
Twilight stared at the program, her brow furrowing again. “But I was talking to that very pony just a few minutes ago, and he told me that he just got in today and was going to register for the race,” she recalled, confused.
The Judge raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. “No, that can’t be the case. From what the staff said, he’s been in Ponyville for at least two days now if he was added to and then removed from the program,” he noted, stroking his beard again. “Strange that he would register, drop out, and then go register again. Maybe he’s just really indecisive on whether he wants to compete or not? It’s just like me; I can’t decide whether I want diet cola or normal cola sometimes!” The Judge mused. “Then again, they keep changing their mind whether the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks are bad for you.”
Twilight nodded, even though she had no idea what ‘cola’ or ‘diet drinks’ were. “Uh… yeah. If it’s okay, may I please keep this program, Judge?” she asked politely.
“Absolutely, Ms. Sparkle! It’s the least I can do for bringing me to this magnificent world!” he happily agreed, as Twilight thanked him and put the program into her saddlebags.
“This might help a lot! Thank you very much, Judge,” Twilight said in gratitude, giving him a short bow.
“My pleasure!” The Judge bowed back to her, very happy to help. “It was no—” He stopped in mid-sentence; Twilight looked up to see he was frozen in place, staring nervously at something. “Uh-oh!”
“What’s the matter?” She tilted her head at him.
“It’s that pony over there!” The Judge motioned with his head behind Twilight, his voice quiet but eyes wide.
When Twilight turned to see who he was indicating, she saw a chestnut-colored earth pony stallion with a dark brown mane, light blue eyes and an hourglass cutie mark. “Him? What about him? He’s a clockmaker. He has a shop in town,” Twilight remembered, though she had noticed he seemed to keep odd hours and hung around with a strange, skew-eyed mailmare a lot.
“I like him. He sounds a bit funny, but he’s a real nice pony!” Apple Bloom added, rejoining the pair.
“Are you sure? He’s been eyeballing me since the trial started. He’s been making me kind of nervous,” The Judge noted, a hint of trembling in his voice. “Even approached me and asked if I could bring him a ‘proper British Breakfast’ from Earth sometime.”
Twilight gave him an odd look, having no idea what a proper Bittish breakfast was and why he couldn’t get one in Equestria. “Why don’t you just ask him why he’s doing that?”
He looked almost fearful as he replied. “That’s the thing—I feel as though I’ll create some sort of paradox if I do!”
Twilight blinked at the slightly nonsensical statement. He’s supposed to be Phoenix Wright’s favorite Judge? She kept the thought to herself while doing her best to keep a straight face.
At that moment, a uniformed bailiff stallion called to The Judge, holding a lunch basket in his mouth. “Oh! My meal has arrived. I’d best eat and get myself some new clothes, and then I’ll be off to Town Hall!” With that, he turned to Apple Bloom and knelt down before her. “May I have my gavel back, dear?”
“Shore thing!” the young filly returned his symbol of authority, looking very happy to have wielded it.
“Goodbye, Judge.” Twilight gave the tall bearded human a smile. It’s still awkward calling him that in casual conversation, she thought to herself, but conceded that for all his quirkiness, he was actually a pretty nice pony—er, human, she corrected herself. At least there’s ONE nice and sincere human around! she growled internally, eyes narrowing in anger at the thought of Phoenix again.
“I’ll see you in court tomorrow, Ms. Sparkle. Good luck on your investigation!” The Judge waved at Twilight as he left the courthouse and headed off towards Town Hall.
Twilight returned the gesture distractedly. I’m starting to become suspicious about this ‘Cruise Control’ character. From what The Judge said, he outright lied to me at least once, and he knew something he shouldn’t have? I need to find him and speak with him more about this! she decided, reflecting in some frustration that thus far her investigation had turned up more questions than answers. Well, sometimes you can’t find the answers until you know the right questions to ask!
“So are we going to the forest now, Twilight?” Apple Bloom nudged her, breaking her train of thought.
Twilight grinned at that. “You’re really anxious to get there, aren’t you?”
She nodded eagerly. “The sooner the better! Ah should get my cutie mark as soon as Ah show ya the thing that fell from the sky!” the young filly smiled and jumped around excitedly.
Twilight thought that was unlikely, but wasn’t about to say anything. “Alright, let’s go then,” she said, leading Apple Bloom out of the courthouse.
