//------------------------------// // Noble Noble // Story: Clear Truth: Ace Attorney - The Timed Turnabout // by Dapper Guy //------------------------------// "Well, Mr. Truth. I must say that without a doubt, you are the tenacious stallion I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” said Fancy Pants, grasping Truth’s hoof in a firm hoofshake while Truth himself stood dumbstruck. For how could he not be? Fancy Pants, one of the most influential ponies in Equestria, one that even he had heard about, was shaking his hoof. A long drawn “Uhh…” was all that came out of the defense attorney’s mouth as Fancy continued talking about the trial. “Absolutely splendid performance, no matter what everypony was saying in the courtroom! Your drive, your passion, it was better than any play in the Royal Canterlot Theater!” congratulated Fancy Pants. Adjusting his cuffs, in an oddly similar way like Waltz, Fancy Pants released his death grip on Truth’s hoof. “Sorry, Mr. Truth. Let my emotions get the better of me for a moment.” “That’s, quite alright.” Truth felt his knees clicking together as Fancy Pants, of all ponies, complimented him. “Well, it’s not every day I meet a famous entrepreneur.” Spike pushed his sundae bowl towards Fizz Pop as he walked up to Truth’s side. “Truth, you know him?” “Who doesn’t know him? His face decorates half of Manehatten! Not to mention the building I work in,” answered Truth. Everywhere in Manehatten, from tabloids, to street posters and even at some restaurants, the name of Fancy Pants was well-known, even to a small-time lawyer like him.. “So, Mister- Fancy Pants waved a hoof. “Please, no need for such formalities between friends, Mr. Truth. Just call me Fancy, or Pants preferably.” I can die happy now! squeed Truth inwardly. “Well, Pants, what brings you here today?” Out of habit, Truth pulled out his notepad and flipped to a fresh sheet. He was positive that his ears didn’t deceive him when Fancy Pants said that he had a role in all of this. Removing the glass monocle from his eye with magic, Fancy Pants placed the eyepiece into his coat pocket. Twiddling with end of his moustache, he gave Truth a warm smile. “Mr. Truth, I’m the second owner of the Jeweled Juice Bar. My now deceased friend Clear Aspect was my business partner.” “That’s right,” added Fizz Pop with a mop in hoof. The scent of industrial cleaner was released in the air, making Truth wrinkle his nose. “Didn’t see you there, Fancy. What gives? Didn’t want to see my funeral played out?” Fancy Pants shot Fizz Pop a dreary look, the dry humor in the bartender’s words making his finely, combed mustache stand on end. “Fizz, dear boy. You need to seriously work on your barside manner. It’s even drier that your martinis. Also, I just got back to Canterlot after a short goodwill trip.” “You were out of Equestria?” Truth pulled out his pencil and began writing away. “How long have you been gone, Pants?” “A week -- no more, no less. However, it seems that’s more than enough time for one of businesses to nearly go belly up as it were.” Running a hoof over his moustache, Fancy Pants began to tug on the end, as if he was deep in thought. “Mr. Truth, can you tell me everything that happened?” As Truth retold all the details, Fancy Pants remained outwardly somber, yet judging from how his moustache raised and drooped, it was clear to Truth how strongly the story impacted him. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. What in Equestria is Waltz thinking this time?” “You know Waltz, Fancy?” said Spike. “Indeed I do, my young dragon friend. My circle, more aptly labeled as ragtag groupies and sycophants, is wide.” Fancy spat the words with venom, the disdain clear in his eyes. “Waltz is a slave to high culture, like most ponies you’ll find here in Canterlot. We’ve crossed paths before and he’s taken every chance to try and get a hoofhold on my good side.” Shaking his head with disdain, Fancy Pants refitted his monocle back in his eye. “We’re getting sidetracked here. Truth, is there any possible way I could help you?” Pondering to himself, a sudden idea burrowed its way into Truth’s mind. “Pants, you just said that you were business partners with Aspect. Can you think of anypony who may want to murder him?” Truth stood idly by as the dapper stallion chewed the inside of his cheek as he mulled over Truth’s words. “Revenge is a poison, Mr. Truth. One bitter drink I wish to never taste. I can think of a few ponies who might consider it but none with the actual guile to attempt it.” Fancy Pants’ cherubic demeanor was gone, a business pony’s unflappable visage taking its place. “Then can you think of a reason why somepony would then?” The continuous empty answers spurred Truth forward, but as they piled up, the bleaker the outcome grew. I need something, anything at this point! Fancy Pant’s muzzle twitched fiercely, almost as if a dog had bitten him. “There was one pony, although for Celestia’s sake, I can’t remember. Hair Bloom? Air Loon?” The unicorn stallion knocked against the wooden floor in a rapid manner as his face began to burst into crimson. “Whatever his name was, that bothersome pony had some vendetta against Aspect himself. One that he never let even me in on.” Fancy Pants groaned in a vexed manner. “Curse it, I’ve lost it. Right on the tip of my tongue, it was. The only thing I can recall was that a little over a year ago I walked in on a particularly nasty fight between him and Aspect. The mad colt practically shoved me aside as he stormed out the door, cursing up a storm on some failed project of theirs.” Truth bit down on his cheek at the rare sight of Fancy Pants, playcolt extraordinaire, so flustered and at a loss for words. Guess it was too much to expect, he did just get back. Despite gaining nothing substantial, Truth felt a modicum of satisfaction that Fancy Pants was willing to help. “Do you at least remember what they were fighting about, Fancy?” Nibbling on a polished hoof, Fancy Pants closed his eyes in thought as he tried to summon the memory. “A few, choice words caught my notice, the Canterlot Children’s Charity, being one of them since I’m such a strong advocate for it.” “That’s the biggest charity event in Equestria if I’m not mistaken.” One of the biggest donation drives in Equestria that came once a year, raking in million, if not billions, of bits. Several, foals of varying age and background would be placed in schools to help further their lives. Posters, magazines, anything with ink on paper advertised this specific annual fundraiser. “Right you are, Mr. Truth. I don’t do it for the press but I would be a liar to say that I don’t enjoy having my picture in the newspaper. So many little fillies and colts don’t have the chances I was given growing up. An education and a chance to shine is one I firmly stand behind.” Fancy Pant’s eye carried a small twinkle as he looked on as if he remembered something from a long time ago. “Oh, that right! I never did answer your question, Mr. Truth,” exclaimed Fancy Pants. A light, gold shimmer wavered in front of Truth’s face followed by a sudden pop. A violet sheet of paper hung, suspended in the air, close enough for Truth to read. “This may help you in court tomorrow.” The violet sheet shimmered with a soft glow, the light reflecting off the small golden crowns and drinking glasses dotted over it. On the header of the advertisement was Jeweled Juice Bar, written in green and purple. Several pictures of ponies with varying drinking glasses in hoof were all smiling up at him, almost as if they were looking at him right now. Scrawled at the very bottom of the flyer was ‘Fancy Pants Inc.’ Fancy Pants pulled out another flyer and passed one to Fizz Pop. “Any tourist that’s ever come to Canterlot knows of the Jeweled Juice Bar. Recently, Aspect and I had toyed with the idea to turn it into a restaurant chain. We decided to expand our business ventures to every part of Equestria.” Jeweled Juice Bar Flyer Promotional ad given by Fancy Pants. Reason why Aspect wanted Fizz Pop’s bar. “We had the face for it, now all we had to do was find somepony to manage everything.” Taking a moment to pause, Fancy slapped a hoof against Truth’s flyer. “We planned on having Fizz Pop give us the bar, make him the face of our operation and drop off a few bags of bits to him as we three made the J.J.B. global.” Staring down at his flyer, something sparked inside Truth’s mind. “So, what Aspect called Fizz Pop that day was to set-up all of this up?” The sudden revelation hit Truth like the Friendship Express. “Correct. Aspect told me two weeks ago that he set a date to meet with Fizz to discuss the terms. Looks like now, however, we may never see our dreams come true.” Fancy’s words slashed deep into everypony and drake present as he threw a few more flyers to the ground. Letting out a deep sigh, Fancy Pants’ radiant visage seemed to dim as his inner fire fizzled out. “I wish I had known,” spoke up Fizz Pop. His eyes were glued to the sparkling flyer, pressing a loving hoof over it. Fizz Pop seemed to be lost in his own world as he remained glued to the promise of wealth and publicity. “To think, Aspect and I were going to share a bottle of booze for the first time in years.” That’s interesting. “First drink in years, Pops?” The comment struck a nerve to Truth as curiosity took over him. “Remember that picture Waltz brought up in court? After that little fiasco snaking its way into the papers, Aspect never picked up another bottle. Not surprising really.” Wadding up the flyer, Fizz Pop tossed it aside and into the garbage bin. Truth felt his mind swimming as all of the new information flowed into him but couldn’t properly analyze it. There may be more than meets the eye in this case. “I appreciate your time, Pants,” thanked Truth. “Do you plan on showing up in court tomorrow?” “I suppose that wouldn’t be a terrible idea. I’d like to see this play reach its climax.” “Ugh, now you sound like Waltz,” gagged Spike, pointing a clawed digit towards his open mouth. Giving Spike a reprimanding glare, Truth allowed him to climb aboard his back. With one final hoofshake, the two made their way out the door.