//------------------------------// // Give Me All Your Dockets // Story: It's A Wonderful Case // by Winged Cat //------------------------------// After heading back home to wash off the blood (and any grime or disease the changeling might have had on her) and returning to the market district for a late lunch, it was getting toward sunset by the time Prince Blueblood finally made his way to the courthouse for his afternoon rounds. It was an imposing building, angular stone with few windows and a set of columns in front reminiscent of some titanic jail cell door, with a set of scales emblazoned up top, supposedly the cutie mark of one of Celestia's first advisors who had authored much of Equestria's first post-Discord legal system under Celestia's authority. Not that Canterlot had many criminals, since those who wished evil and were competent enough to achieve it also tended to know better than to be obvious enough that the law could intervene. This only made Canterlot's law enforcers all the more eager to prove themselves when they did catch a criminal. Such as the guard pegasus from earlier, who was waiting in the lobby as Blueblood walked in. He had been scratching an itch under his helmet while sitting behind a desk, but at his visitor's approach he let it go, causing the helmet to slide ever so slightly askew, which only got worse when he nodded. "Hey. I was getting worried you weren't coming by." Bluebood impulsively righted the guard's helmet before seating himself on the opposite side of the desk. "Unlike some ponies, I do not neglect my duties. Today's misadventure was but a delay. Still, I do have other places to be shortly, so let us get on with it. What cases need attention?" It was Equestrian law that, while parties to a lawsuit could bring their own lawyers, each case before a court would have a prosecutor and a defense, each of whom had passed tests and was certified to practice law in Equestria. Cases without both attorneys would have one, or if necessary both, provided from volunteers, though the amount of compensation they received caused some to question if "volunteer" was the right term. This was how Blueblood earned a majority of his income of late. It was simple truth that to survive in Canterlot one needed a source of income, just like how clear day skies were blue and fire was hot. Besides, taking these cases often sent comforting tingles through his compass rose cutie mark. The guard spread three large manila envelopes on the table. "Most of today's cases were already claimed. First come first serve, you know the rules. I would've started closing up already, but we've got an attorney coming in from Ponyville so I'm open until she gets here. Anyway, first one." Opening the left envelope, the guard pulled out a mostly blank form with a picture of a scarred and withered old crone of a pony. "Open defense action by old mare Murray." Scanning the sheet, Blueblood did not hide his puzzled expression. "I don't see a charge. What's she defending against?" The guard shrugged. "There is none. I'm guessing this is just in case she gets sued. If nopony takes her up on it, the action expires tomorrow at noon." "Far be it for me to impede justice from following its proper course, even if that course is straight to the garbage bin. I'll pass. Next?" It took a minute for the guard to stuff the form back in, close the left envelope, and open the more substantial middle one, only pulling the forms a third of the way out, but enough to show pictures of royal guards inspecting a road. "Merchants of Miller Street against the guard investigators. Apparently there was a crime scene which needed the street closed off for a while, and they're suing over lost profits. They've got a prosecutor, just needs a defense." Blueblood recoiled as if the envelope contained plague in raw, concentrated form. "Why hasn't this been assigned to the guards' council? She's supposed to get first pick of anything involving her." The guard winced. "Technically she did, but she's out sick today, and sent a note asking if we could hold it for tomorrow. Technically I'm not allowed to 'hold it'..." "...it's just that she threatens to skin alive anypony who interferes in her cases. Pass, and please advise that lawyer from Ponyville to pass on it too. Next?" "I was planning to." The guard stuffed the middle envelope again and closed it. Only once it was packed away did Blueblood return his hooves to the table. "You're already involved in this last one, actually. So'm I." Opening the right envelope, the guard pulled out three sheets and a mugshot of the changeling who had looked to him for refuge. "Ah, yes, the one Spitfire had arrested for murder. Surprised they turned the paperwork around so fast." Blueblood inspected the forms. "Hmm. This is highly irregular. A murder investigation without a body?" If the guard had winced in sympathy earlier, a different emotion drove him to squeeze both eyes shut now. "They found...pieces...of the victim. They think the changeling ate the rest of the victim's body, or turned it to dust. Or maybe she blew up the victim: the remnants were in a rough circle around a pony-shaped crater in the road, but nopony heard an explosion in that area at that time." Blueblood spread the papers and double-checked them. "According to this, they only found feathers and blood." "Too much to be healthy. Spitfire says the changeling killed Rainbow Dash, a junior Wonderbolt under her command, and the lab confirmed the feathers and blood found at the crime scene match Miss Dash's. The changeling wouldn't give a name, so we're calling her Ling for now. Technically there's a kidnapping charge too, but they're only prosecuting for murder. Spitfire says she last saw the victim this morning. They had an argument, so Spitfire suggested they take a break for an hour. That hour passed, then another, so Spitfire was about to go looking for her when Ling showed up. Ling claimed to have taken the victim hostage and offered to lead Spitfire to her. Spitfire figured it was a trap so she tried to ambush Ling, but she says Ling got away and killed the victim. The case got here late in the day, and for some reason nopony who was left wanted to touch it." Bluebood reached for the quill he knew was holstered on the desk's side. Many unicorns preferred telekinesis, but he was able to hold a quill in hoof well enough to write with. While the result was exhausting if used for long stretches of writing, it did make for a nearly impossible to forge signature, and all he had to do was sign his name on the appropriate line. "That would be because only the hangers-on, who talk about service but don't actually take many cases, remained. None of them would dare defend a changeling, understandably so, but neither will they commit to a case if they don't know who will be defending. Pah!" He shook his head. The guard rolled his eyes. "If you say so. Not that I don't believe you, but...umm, anyway. Ling was bleeding so they got the doctor after locking her up. Doc couldn't find any wounds, so she guessed it must've been under her chitin. He sprayed Ling with a disinfecting coagulant and said that was all he could do short of surgery. Nasty stuff: I got a whiff of it and some of my feathers fell out." "Right. Anyway, looks like this is my case now. I'll interrogate the prisoner in the morning." Bluebood was about to sign on the prosecutor's line when his cutie mark flared in pain briefly. He frowned, twisting and pulling his forehoof back a bit to get a look, when suddenly the pain went away. Shrugging, he signed then put the quill away, eyes drifting from his cutie mark to the front door behind him. "Ooo...kay, yes, I guess it is your case." The guard shuffled the forms back into the envelope. "I mean, I figured it was the only one of the three you'd look at but still..." Blueblood waved his hoof dismissively as he noted the length of shadows outside and calculated that the sun was now setting, even if he could not directly see it. "Yes, yes. I've signed. Like I said, I'll be here in the morning to interrogate and start my investigation, but for now I have places to be. Good evening."