//------------------------------// // Part 12 - Desperate Times... // Story: Phoenix Wright - Turnabout Storm! // by Firesight //------------------------------// Phoenix cringed as the Judge brought his gavel down again, much harder than before. “Enough! I’m afraid the defense’s line has run short. I believe we have now covered all alternative theories and all unanswered questions the defense has raised. Do you have anything else you would like to add, Mister Wright, before I hand down my verdict?” The Judge gave him one last chance before he brought the trial to an end and sealed Rainbow Dash’s fate. I’m going to lose if I don’t do something FAST! an increasingly desperate Phoenix realized. “Phoenix, there has to be something we can do! It can’t end like this!” Twilight said, having never thought it would come to the point that it had. I can’t lose Rainbow Dash! I CAN’T! she pleaded with whatever gods were listening. “I know, but I don’t have enough to go on! I need more time! I need more information!” he replied, hands gripping the edge of the rail tightly, his mind racing. “Please, Your Honor, put Mister Wrong out of his misery quickly. Trixie is actually starting to feel sorry for this hopeless defense team!” a now-relaxed Trixie said in a contemptuous tone, awaiting her final victory. Phoenix swallowed. There is one thing I can do. I didn’t want to do it earlier… but now I have no choice! he decided with a sinking heart. I need more time and evidence… and this is the only way to get them… he tried to convince himself as he prepared to resort to the very strategy he had refused to even consider only a minute earlier. The very strategy he swore he would not use. “Then as it would seem the defense has nothing more to offer, this trial is at an end,” The Judge pronounced solemnly. “The defendant will rise to receive—” “What, Mister Wright?” The Judge asked sharply, the look on his face telling Phoenix to make it good. "I am in no mood for trivial objections or stalling tactics!" Phoenix felt his guts clench as he said his next words. “Before you pass verdict, the defense would like to cast suspicion on another suspect, Your Honor!” he spoke quickly, fearful that if he thought about it too long, he’d lose his courage and couldn’t see it through. The Judge blinked in surprise. “Another suspect?” “Yes, that is correct, Your Honor,” Phoenix said, readying his final—and most desperate—card. And may the Courtroom Gods and Fluttershy please forgive me for it... “But who?” Twilight asked in confusion. “So is this the final bastion of a failed defense? Very well then, Mister Wrong. Trixie will humor you. Let’s hear it, then—just who is this mystery suspect?” Trixie goaded, knowing full well what the human lawyer was planning and at least mildly curious if he’d actually have the nerve to go through with it. Phoenix glared at the mare magician, wanting badly to blame her for what he was about to do but knowing it ultimately fell on him for not being better prepared for the case—or for her. “I’m far from being done, Trixie! The suspect the Defense accuses is the witness—” he paused, steeling himself and then pointing to the center of the courtroom pit. ”FLUTTERSHY!!!” “Huh?” Fluttershy blinked in confusion. Twilight gave Phoenix the same shocked look that The Judge and most of the gallery was. “Phoenix? What are you doing!?” Phoenix ignored her, afraid if he answered or looked Twilight in the eye, he’d lose his nerve and with it, his case. “Fluttershy is a pegasus; she therefore could have tampered with the cloud and the crime scene! Furthermore, her testimony was suspect; she herself stated she didn’t see Apple Bloom leave the forest when we all know she should have, and there was a very large time frame when she was alone! And finally, we only have her word that she heard the bolt from her cottage; her alibi remains uncorroborated!” Phoenix slammed his hands down on the desk, trying to sound assured and authoritative even as he didn’t believe a single word of what he was saying. Fluttershy gaped at him. “B-but I was watching the forest the whole time! I’m not l-lying…” she protested weakly, her lip quivering. “Heh,” Trixie chuckled, inwardly impressed that he’d actually gone for it, thinking perhaps she’d misjudged Phoenix Wright if he could really be that ruthless. “Fluttershy even has connections with my client; she could therefore have been the one who stole the storm cloud as well as gathered loose feathers to spread around the crime scene!” Phoenix proclaimed. “But… but... I-I didn’t do that! ” Fluttershy insisted, starting to tear up. “Phoenix! Please stop this! She didn’t do it!” Twilight pleaded with him, trying to protect her friends—Dash is in trouble and now Fluttershy TOO? she realized, horrified at the thought he might make her lose them both! “But only the defendant’s hoof marks were on the storm cloud, Mister Wright! How do you explain that?” The Judge himself challenged. “Well, I’d be surprised if they weren’t there, Your Honor!” Phoenix responded immediately and for once in his own gut-turning scheme, truthfully. The Judge scratched his beard in confusion. “Hmm… I don’t follow.” “Simple! As noted earlier, Rainbow Dash was to put those storm clouds at the eastern end of Ponyville, according to this weather schedule!” Phoenix picked up the weather schedule Trixie had given him and tapped it with his fingers, making his point simple and clear. The Judge’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh! That’s right, you made that point before!” he belatedly remembered. Phoenix nodded. “So of course her hoof marks would be there—they were placed there in the course of doing her job! Fluttershy could have come and taken one of the clouds with the marks still on it, moved it, set it off and them wiped her own markings from the cloud!” he theorized, stopping short at a sudden worry. “That… is possible right?” he asked, looking around for support to everyone but Twilight, who was still staring at him in shock and the first hints of a quickly growing anger. To his surprise, it was Trixie who gave it. “For once, the defense makes a valid point. Yes, it is possible for a pegasus to wipe a cloud of another’s hoof marks,” she buttressed Phoenix’s arguments, wearing an odd smile. “And if a pegasus did not want their own hoof marks to appear on a cloud, they could simply blow it along with the wind generated from their wings.” Phoenix wasn’t sure why Trixie was suddenly helping him, but he couldn’t stop to think about it. “Then all the more reason to suspect her!” he raised his voice further and pointed at Fluttershy again. “I was home all day, though...” Fluttershy insisted again, looking frightened and bewildered at the accusations raining down on her. “Phoenix, you’re supposed to be defending my friends, not accusing them!” Twilight reminded him, increasingly aghast, her temper rising as he continued to ignore her. “But what about the dark forest, Mister Wright? How would this witness have been able to track the victim in it or see well enough to strike him with lightning?” The Judge used Phoenix’s earlier argument against him, but Phoenix had an answer for that, too. “She lives right beside it so it must be like a backyard to her. She can probably navigate it from memory, just as you can probably navigate your house with your eyes closed,” he reasoned, stating his claims without hesitation. “And we also don’t know that there wasn’t some kind of light source there! She could have brought a lantern! Or, she’s good with animals so maybe she convinced one of those ‘illumi-bears’ or other creatures to light up the scene for her?” he suggested a theory that he would have pounced on instantly if the prosecution had suggested it. He waited for Trixie to do the same, but no objection came. Not hearing one, The Judge closed his eyes, considering Phoenix’s words. “Hmm… this is a very bold claim, Mister Wright. This meek little mare looks like she wouldn’t harm a fly. So why would she frame her friend for murder?” Before Phoenix could answer, Fluttershy spoke up again. “It’s true! I have ten pet flies! Michael, Donna, Steven, Eric, Jackie, Winston—“ Phoenix cut her off before she could tug at his heartstrings any more—could she be any more adorable? “Easy! To cover her own guilt! Besides, as the prosecution has stated, why she did it is irrelevant; the fact still stands, she is just as suspicious as Rainbow Dash and certainly had the means and opportunity to commit the murder!” Phoenix asserted, now going all-out. “I-I can’t believe you’re doing this! I trusted you!” a betrayed Twilight accused, nearing the peak of her temper, wisps of smoke starting to come off her mane. Phoenix didn’t notice because he refused to look at her, keeping his eyes fixed on The Judge. “You’re going to need proof to accuse this witness, Mister Wright. Do you have any evidence that can place her on the crime scene?” The Judge asked. He nodded. “In fact I do, Your Honor—this!” Phoenix reached into an evidence bag and pulled out the large brown feather he and Twilight had found in the forest the previous night. The Judge raised a white eyebrow. “A feather? Does it belong to the witness?” he asked, instantly recognizing that it could not since the color was not hers. Hand tightening on his gavel, he prepared to come down on Phoenix hard and order his immediate arrest on contempt charges if he made such a ridiculous claim. But his fellow human was smarter than that. “No, Your Honor. I found this feather at the crime scene. It’s way too big to belong to any bird or pegasus pony in Ponyville,” he explained. “Then just what are you getting at, Mister Wright? How does this relate to the witness?” The Judge demanded to know, looking down at Phoenix through narrowed eyes. “Fluttershy!!” Phoenix called, pointing over the rail at her. “Y-yes, Mister Phoenix?” she said tentatively, peering out at him fearfully. “Do you allow any of your exotic animals to go in the Everfree Forest?” he asked. Her teal eyes widened in horror at the suggestion. “Oh, no! It’s much too dangerous in there! They’re kept locked up tightly when I’m not playing with or feeding them!” Phoenix nodded, as if in satisfaction. “As I thought! Fluttershy stated earlier she’s caring for animals not native to Ponyville; this feather could belong to one of them! Perhaps it just got stuck to her fur or mane and was brought to the scene unintentionally as she framed my client!” A new voice shouted. Phoenix was silent. The Judge was silent. Trixie was silent. They all looked to where the objection came from. To the extremely angry unicorn standing at Phoenix’s right. “This can’t go on!” Twilight said, unwilling to stand by and see more of her friends hurt, even if it meant standing in the line of legal fire herself. “The defense is objecting to… itself?!” The Judge asked incredulously. “Yes!” she spat out. “Mister Wright doesn’t know what he’s talking about! His words are nothing but slander and lies!” Twilight said, fuming with anger at Phoenix, and at herself for trusting him—liking him! “Twilight!” Phoenix was also surprised, flinching from the look in her eyes—and had they glowed red for just a second? He’d half-hoped she’d be able to figure out what he was doing without him telling her, but realized too late he had underestimated the strength of her protective instincts, and her bonds with her friends. It was Trixie’s turn. “Zip it, Sparkle! You’re only his co-counsel, and nothing more! Discrediting an attorney like that will get you held in contempt!” Twilight glared at her. “You’re a hypocrite! You’ve been degrading him all day long!” “And that is all.” Trixie’s grin turned mocking. “Trixie just called Mister Wrong names and questioned his competency—never once did Trixie accuse him of lies or slander, which is a far more serious accusation!” she countered. The Judge agreed. “You are correct as always, Ms. Trixie. if there is another outburst by the defense’s co-counsel, they will be held in contempt of court!” The Judge threatened. “B-but…” A deflated Twilight slumped where she stood, falling silent as the endgame played out. Phoenix managed the barest of glances at her. Trust me, I don’t want to do this, Twilight. But it’s the only way I can buy more time! he mentally apologized, already regretting his choice and swearing he’d make it right. Somehow... “Back to the matter at hand… I still have a hard time believing this little pony is capable of something like this, Mister Wright!” The Judge challenged. Phoenix kept his voice strong even as the rest of him was shaking, horrified at what he was doing to one of the most beautiful, adorable and innocent creatures he’d ever met. “The testimony and evidence speaks for itself, Your Honor! Her whereabouts are unaccounted for during the time of the murder, and this feather potentially puts Fluttershy on the scene of the crime!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the rail to make his point. “The defense demands further investigation to see if this feather belongs to any of Fluttershy’s animals!” he finished, starting to feel faint. The Judge closed his eyes again, pondering Phoenix’s request. “Hmmm… Ms. Trixie, what is your opinion on all of this? You have been surprisingly quiet regarding Mister Wright’s latest claims,” he said, turning to his right. Trixie was all but lounging back in her seat, looking to Phoenix and all present like she’d been enjoying every second of the scene she’d just witnessed. “You know what?” she began, eyes closed and wearing an odd smile. “Trixie agrees. Fluttershy is suspicious,” she concurred to The Judge’s evident surprise. Phoenix stayed silent as Trixie spoke. “The investigation team did indeed spot this feather on the crime scene, hanging in a tree. We brushed it off as a plain old bird feather, but as Trixie’s feeble excuse for an opponent pointed out, it does seem too big for the local fauna up close, and coupled together with this information regarding these zoo animals? It would seem to cast suspicion over this witness and warrant further investigation.” Trixie smiled unpleasantly at Fluttershy, causing her to cringe. The Judge sighed at that. “You are aware we will have to suspend the trial until tomorrow for that further investigation?” he reminded her, wondering why his court always seemed to attract the most convoluted cases and flamboyant attorneys. Unaware of this thoughts, Trixie gave The Judge a sharp look. “You don’t think Trixie knows that? Another one of Twilight Sparkle’s little friends in the slammer is reward enough for Trixie today! Two for the price of one, as they say!” she punctuated her statement with a cackle before turning her attention back to Phoenix. “And Trixie has you to thank for this, Mister Wrong! You’ve made this experience much, much more fulfilling! And for it, perhaps Trixie will give you a voucher for her next performance!” she suggested, and proceeded to do just that, filling out a quick note and floating it over to him, stuffing it into his jacket pocket. Phoenix remained silent, holding himself rigid and expression fixed in the face of the lethal looks he was getting from Twilight, The Judge, the bailiffs… and almost everypony else in the courtroom. “Very well,” The Judge stated reluctantly, knowing that with both the prosecution and defense in agreement, he had no choice but to accede to Phoenix’s request. “All proceedings for this case will be suspended until tomorrow. Bailiff, please take the suspect into custody for questioning.” The Judge reluctantly motioned to a large uniformed earth pony bailiff, who slapped a set of hoof cuffs on Fluttershy and led her away as gently as he could with a parting glare at Phoenix, one shared by most ponies of the gallery. “Wait, w-where are you taking me? I wouldn’t do that to anypony! Twilight! Mister Phoenix! Help!” Fluttershy called out to her friends to rescue her, but all a heartbroken Phoenix and Twilight could do was watch. “Phoenix… how could you?” Twilight whispered after Fluttershy had disappeared, tearing up as she talked. But the shellshocked human lawyer had no answer, standing frozen in place, eyes staring straight ahead. What… what have I done? “I expect both sides will investigate the scene further and gather more evidence for tomorrow.” The Judge snapped him out of his reverie. “Trixie shouldn’t need to if they are planning on keeping that second-rate simian of a defense attorney after such a pathetic performance!” the mare magician mocked him one last time. But this time, Phoenix remained silent and still, accepting her abuse and certain he deserved far worse. “Nevertheless, I expect the question of the feather to be resolved by the time we reconvene, Ms. Trixie. And Mister Wright...?” He turned his gaze onto Phoenix, his eyes narrowing dangerously and voice trailing off ominously. Phoenix closed his eyes, then opened them again, guessing what was coming. “Yes, Your Honor?” He forced his gaze up towards the bench and it was all he could do not to flinch from the look he saw in The Judge’s eyes. “I hope for your sake that something comes out of your claims. For if not, this court will take a very dim view of you falsely accusing an innocent pony… and impose a very severe sanction for it!” he warned. Unable to reply, Phoenix could only nod his understanding. The Judge stared at him reproachfully for another moment before raising his head to address the entire court. “As I think both the prosecution and defense now understand what is at stake and what is expected, our business is concluded for the day. Court is now adjourned!” The Judge brought his gavel down with a sharp rap, ending the first day of the trial.