//------------------------------// // Day 2: Trial: Four crimes, One Complicated Case // Story: Twilight Sparkle, Ace Attorney: Turnabout Smiles // by Animegx43 //------------------------------// February 13, 9:45 AM Ponyville Courthouse Defendant Lobby Well, here I go again. Back in a courthouse to defend a friend. Twilight thought. Twilight sat nervously waiting for the trial to begin, know fully well that the fate of her most cheery friend was at stake. With so much at risk, she couldn't help but be nervous. She didn't want to look scared while in front of Sweetie Belle, but she still couldn't help it. "Don't look so glum, Twilight." Sweetie Belle said. "We're only going into a trial. It's not like we're going to watch an execution...actually, I think I said that wrong." YOU THINK!? "Let me try again. By the end of today, Pinkie will be walking a free mare and the real killer will be locked behind bars." "That's not how the legal system works, Sweetie Belle. It's a lot more complicated than that." Twilight explained. "Are you sure? My friend let me played one of his video games where you play a lawyer that does exactly that." Maybe I should've picked an assistant who's past experience didn't come from a toy. As Twilight continued to prepare herself for the upcoming trial, she saw Star Cestus was getting ready as well. As soon as he saw Twilight, he walk over to have a pre-trial talk. Twilight could tell by just looking at him that he had quite a bit to say. "Hey Sparkle!" Cestus said as he walked by. "Would you like the good news or the bad news?" "Hi, Cestus. I'd rather end on a high note." Twilight said. "Well then, the bad news is that we finished the hoofprint analyst. As you probably have feared, the prints on the dagger was a perfect match for Pinkie Pie's prints, so it's been confirmed that she handled the thing." "Wow. That's REALLY bad news." Twilight said as she heard the guilty verdict in her head. "Please tell me you actually do have good news to go with it." "More or less. You know how we think Pinkie killed two other ponies? It seems Hope is missing a witness for one of them, and due to other reasons, he won't be saying anything about another." "Wasn't there three ponies?" Sweetie Belle asked. Cestus sighed when Sweetie brought that up. "Yeah, Hope can still talk about one of them. The first murder, in fact. All he has to do is link the murders up with this crime and prove that Pinkie was responsible for one of them. If its proven she was responsible for one crime, then it'll prove she did all four." Talk about an unfair advantage. In order to prove Pinkie's innocence, I'll have to debunk all four of the prosecution's claims. I don't plan on letting Pinkie down, but can this even be possible to pull off? "Oh wait, I lied. There actually is one more bit of good news." Cestus said. "I brought you some evidence that can help your case." "WHAT!?" Twilight shouted as she nearly fell over from shock. "Well what are you waiting for?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Hand it over. We're so desperate we'll take garbage as evidence." I wish she didn't just spoke my mind. Twilight thought. With a smile, Cestus gave Twilight a plastic evidence bag. Twilight had hoped to of been given something that would shine in beauty and prove her case once and for all. Instead, the bag contained an apple core, having been completely eaten. Not even Sweetie Belle thought they would literally be given garbage. "Cestus...I think that's your breakfast." Twilight said. "Oh no, I didn't eat this morning. This here is evidence that scared Hope Ray so badly that he actually lost his composure. He actually asked me to hang on to it since he didn't want to have it, so I thought you'd want it instead." Hope Ray wanted to get rid of vital evidence? But it's an apple core. Trash. What's so special about it? Apple Core was added to the evidence. "So what's the deal with it?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Is it magic? Poisoned? Does it have a built in dagger in it which makes it the real weapon?" "I actually have no idea. I walked in his office less than an hour ago and just gave it to me. It wasn't found in our investigation yesterday, so it's either brand new evidence or Hope just wanted me to throw out his breakfast." I hope Cestus is right. Could this really help out my case? Twilight still had a lot of questions to ask about the apple core, but because time was of the essence, all she could do was wait for the chance to use it. Since the trial was ready to begin, she had no time to think about it and had to worry about more important things, mainly Pinkie Pie. A long trial was ahead of her, so Twilight had to prepare herself for a tough battle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 13, 10:00 AM Ponyville Courthouse Courtroom 2 The time for the trial had arrived. Twilight and Sweetie Belle took their place at the defense bench on the left side of the court area while Hope Ray arrived to take his spot on the opposite side. To the left side of Twilight's station was the judge's seat, which once again had The Doctor sitting there to act as the judge. To her right was the witness stand, but nopony was there at the moment. Surround them all were four sections of seats for the public to watch, one behind Twilight and Sweetie Belle, one behind Hope Ray, and two behind the witness stand. and they were all filled up with ponies to watch the trial. With all of the important ponies there, the trial was ready to begin. "Court is now in session for the trial of Pinkamena Diane Pie." The Doctor said. "Feels good to be back with my gavel in my hoof." "The defense is ready, your honor." Twilight said. I still wish I knew how he knows the Princess so well. If I remember, it's how he got the judge job in the first place. "The prosecution is...as ready as it can get." Hope said. "Hmm? Are you saying you're not quite ready yet?" The Doctor asked. "And where's the defendant? I can't see her." "That's the problem. An incident occurred this morning and the accused is being questioned about it, but the police has been having trouble talking to her. She'll be a little late today." Late for her own trial? I wonder what happened? Twilight thought. "I know it's a bit unorthodox, but I'm certain that for now, we can hold the trial without Miss Pie. She'll be arriving very soon whether the police makes progress or not." The Doctor had to think about Hope's request, as, like Hope said, it was unorthodox. Fortunately. an odd request wasn't out of the question for an odd pony like The Doctor. "Very well. If the defense doesn't have any objections, then you make proceed with your opening statement." There wouldn't be enough time to get any extra information. May as well roll with it. Twilight thought, seeing no point in stalling for time. "Very well. I'll begin." Hope said, who was ready to start his opening statement. "Two days ago at Sweet Apple Acres, the defendant, Pinkie Pie, was found stabbing a little girl name Apple Bloom. As bad as this crime sounds though, it is the least of the problem. Over the past six months, there have been three murders, all three performed in the exact same manner. This trial is not just about whether or not Miss Pie tried to kill the girl, but is also to decide if she killed those three other ponies." All of Ponyville's citizens were under the impression that the trial was for the attempted murder of Apple Bloom, so it became a shock to the gallery when they heard that Pinkie Pie had possibly killed three other ponies. Twilight and Sweetie already knew that much and were, for the most part, unfazed. The Doctor, on the other hand, was unconvinced. "Can't say I liked your opening statement." The Doctor said. "This trial is for the attempted murder of Apple Bloom, is it not? You would need some solid evidence to link it with a murder, let alone three." Hope, in response, lower his head and shook head in disagreement. "It seems you've been misinformed, your honor. This trial is to decide whether or not Pinkie Pie is a serial killer and not just a filly abuser." "It still sounds harder to swallow than a pear muffin. You'll need concrete evidence to support such a claim." "Very well then." Hope said as he prepared his next move. "I now call the head of the investigation as my first witness." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As promised, a familiar small, red stallion took the stand. While Star Cestus was did what he could to help Twilight, he still worked for Canterlot's police, so by default, he was working for Hope Ray and against Pinkie Pie. "Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court." Hope requested. "Inspector Star Cestus. I'm acting as the head detective on this case." Cestus said. "Hi again, Twilight." "Huh? Oh. Hi, Cestus." Before any socializing could start between Twilight and Cestus, The Doctor slammed his gavel down to interrupt them. "I know when a friendly conversation is about to start when I see it. I'd love to join in, but we hear the details of the incident first. More specifically, the one from two days ago." "Oh, sorry pal." Cestus said. "First, look at this diagram." "This here is a rough sketch of the barn's interior, where the crime took place. Ponyville's police and the residence of the farm confirmed that all the windows and the back door was shut, so there was only one way in and out. The victim's sister saw the crime happen inside the barn, so it's obvious the defendant committed the crime, and thus, is the serial killer we've been after." "This court will accept this diagram as evidence." The Doctor said. Barn Diagram was added to the evidence. The Doctor thought about Cestus's statement, and both agreed and disagreed with it. "It does seem clear that Miss Pie is the culprit, but I still don't see how she's a serial killer." "That won't be an issue for long, your honor." Hope said. "The inspector has prepared a testimony that will make everything clear to all." The judge is still not on his side. Maybe I can milk this. Twilight thought. Before the testimony started, she slammed her hooves down on the table to get the court's attention. "You seem very confident considering you're one step away from a penalty. Maybe you'd be willing to risk a big one?" "The defense is right. You are making a huge claim." The Doctor said in agreement. "If this testimony doesn't hold water, I will have to hold you in contempt." "Very well. I'll accept the risk." Hope said, not being the least bit intimidated by such a threat. "Observation #4: A princess will try any desperate attempt to keep control of the situation, even when they don't have control at all." Gah. Does this guy EVER lose his cool? And will he EVER stop insulting me? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --Testimony: Linking The Crimes-- -It's important to note that Pinkie Pie has been the main suspect of all four crimes. -The key component of these crimes are the murder weapons, all of which are identical and custom made. -This black dagger here was the weapon used on Apple Bloom and is one of the weapons I just mentioned. -As if that's not enough, her hoofprints have been identified on this one, thus telling us what we already know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, that certainly does link up the crimes." The Doctor said. "Hold on, Twilight. We already know that." Sweetie Belle said. "How can that make the judge agree with him so fast?" "We already knew that, but the judge didn't know." Twilight explained. "And after hearing that in testimony form, it sounds much worse." "Then what do we do now?" "Well now I get to cross-examine Cestus. Hopefully we'll be able to dig out some extra information from him." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --Cross-Examination-- It's important to note that Pinkie Pie has been the main suspect of all four crimes. HOLD IT! "Why had Pinkie Pie been the main suspect for so long?" Twilight asked. "In all three of the murders, she had a connection to the case. In fact, the first and third murders were surprisingly similar." Cestus explained. "Similar? How so?" "They took place at a concert. I guess Pinkie is a fan of the guy, which is unfortunate since the last two concerts she went to see had murders. Can't be good for the pal's reputation." A concert, huh? Pinkie always has been a music lover. Twilight thought. "What about the second case? What does it have in common with the others?" "Well, you see pal--" OBJECTION! "Inspector, have you forgotten already?" Hope asked. "Oh, right. Sorry, but by the order of Princess Celestia, all information regarding the second murder is being kept confidential unless it absolutely must be shared." Cestus said, narrowly avoiding trouble. "I suppose it would be difficult to go against this nation's ruler's wishes. " The Doctor said. "Objection sustained." Why is it being kept a secret to even the trial? It must've been particularly bad or something. Twilight thought. Since there was nothing else Twilight could gain from the subject, she had no choice but to continue her cross-examination in the hopes to learn more. The key component of these crimes are the murder weapons, all of which are identical and custom made. HOLD IT! "How do you know they're all custom made?" "I've had all of Equestria combed in the hopes of finding others. All we found was some blacksmiths who found the craftsmanship to of been too finely done to of been mass produced. They're pretty sturdy too, so they weren't cheaply made." "I'd like to see these weapons myself." The Doctor requested. This black dagger here was the weapon used on Apple Bloom and is one of the weapons I just mentioned. HOLD IT! "Where did you find the dagger anyway?" Twilight asked. "I got it from Ponyville's police, but they insured me that it was found right on the crime scene. Seems that the culprit dropped it after the witness caught her. I've got it right here." As soon as Cestus brought out the dagger, Sweetie Belle turned away as she refused to see Apple Bloom's blood again. Twilight didn't want the dagger to haunt Sweetie Belle for long, so she went straight to the questions. "Have these daggers been left behind during the murders too?" "Yeah, it's how we know they're connected." Cestus answered. "It seems to of been a habit of the killer's." "And what about Pinkie? Where was she?" "We believe she ran out of the barn as soon as the witness ran in to save her sister. It makes senses since I'm sure she didn't want to get caught." So Pinkie was never there when the police showed up. I better keep that in mind. Twilight thought. As if that's not enough, her hoofprints have been identified on this one, thus telling us what we already know. HOLD IT! "I'm certain that Pinkie Pie is not the pony your after, so it's impossible for her hoofprints to be on the dagger. OBJECTION! "I believe I gave you a copy of the hoofprint records the other day." Hope said. "You should have everything you need to compare the prints this instant. In any case, the forensics team have confirmed it was the defendant's hoofprints." Grr. If the police says so, then I can't argue. But how the heck could Pinkie Pie's hoofprints be on there. Twilight thought. As The Doctor was finally up to speed, he banged his gavel to put an end to the cross-examination. "That's quite enough." The Doctor said. "We may have strolled off topic, but the prosecution has made its claim. This court agrees that the attack at Sweet Apple Acres is indeed connected to the past murders. "That's not all your honor. I have proven that it was Pinkie Pie who committed the crime at the farm." Hope said, which was followed by a single hoof slamming on the table. "Ergo, the defendant is our serial killer!" As Hope made his point, the ponies in the gallery began to burst into an uproar, talking about what they were hearing with one another. The Doctor had to bang his gavel three times to make the court silent again. "Order! Order in the court." The Doctor said. "Boy I sure missed saying that." Not good. At this rate, a verdict will be handed down before Pinkie can even show up. Twilight thought in fear. Then, to get everypony's attention, she slammed both of her hooves on the table. "What about these murders then? We've heard so much about them and yet so little. " "I suppose that is important to know." Hope agreed. "Very well, but keep in mind that I can only share so much. Inspector, you know to say." "Right. Let's start from the beginning." Cestus said. "Like I said before, the first murder was at a concert of some sort, located at Manehatten. The victim was a mare named Copycat. Funny enough, she bared a striking resemblance to Miss Pie." Cestus said as he laughed at the irony. "I'd like to submit the victim's autopsy report as evidence." Hope said as he handed out the report with his magic. Copycat's Autopsy Report was added to the evidence. Twilight and The Doctor began to read the report to get a better understanding of the murder. It was stated that after the victim was stabbed on the left side of her neck, she died from blood lost. "This murder occurred at a concert filled with ponies." Hope explained. "No one claimed to of seen the actual murder, but countless eye witnesses acknowledges that both the victim and the defendant were standing right next to each other beforehand." "And that's why Pinkie wasn't arrested, wasn't it? No one saw the actual stabbing?" Twilight asked. "Correct. It was strongly believed that she did it, but there wasn't enough evidence to prove. Of course, there was nothing to prove her innocence either." As things started to look bad for Pinkie, the gallery started to speak up again. Twilight could hear that, despite the lack of evidence, the ponies were believing that Pinkie really was the killer, thus adding more pressure to Twilight. "Because the second murder is being kept silent, I'm not aloud to talk about it." Cestus said. "I myself am not ready to talk about the 3rd murder since it requires a special witness who has yet to show up." Hope said. "For now, the farm attack and the first murder should be enough." "It would be best if we kept focused, so I support the idea of just talking about the two crimes for today." The Doctor said. "Although, I'm not quite sure how much there is to talk about. As soon as the defendant arrives, I feel ready to hand down the verdict. I feel confident that it was indeed Miss Pinkie Pie who tried to murder the child." "Not so fast! We haven't heard enough about that attack!" Twilight said. "You have a witness who claim to of seen Pinkie? Well then, let me cross-examine her!" While the case looked as good as over, The Doctor nodded in agreement. "I guess it would be too soon for me to stop playing judge. VI agree. Let's see your witness, Hope Ray. For now, I'd say it would be a good idea to focus on the crime that happened at the farm. Should we run out of things to say about it, we'll continue with the concert murder." "Very well. I will call my next witness up right now." Hope said, who showed no sigh of annoyance from Twilight's request. This guy knows what he's doing. He's had everything prepared perfectly so far. He likely knows everything Applejack will be saying when she takes the stand. I shouldn't of expected any less than a pony who's an actual lawyer. This is where the battle will actually begin. With the first real witness ready to take the stand and a highly competent lawyer pulling the strings, Twilight had to brace herself, for things were ready to go from bad to worse. Because of the unpredictability and complexity of the case though, she was worried if winning it was even possible, even with what was at stake.