Chapter 15
The four ponies dashed to the room, the narrow passageway echoing with the sound of hooves on stone as they went. Twilight Sparkle stopped, her gaze flashing wildly about the vacant room. In the next moment she could feel the others come up silently behind her. “I don’t understand it…” she shook her head, not even turning around to address her friends and the lone, silent guard. “How could this happen? This is why I wanted a guard in the first pla—”
The words died on her lips as she felt a cool breeze wafting over her, and looked up, cringing to see the curtains fluttering gently before a set of doors leading out to a balcony. Her face fell as she shook her head again, muttering darkly. “I should’ve known. Why didn’t I even think of that?”
“Do—do you think someone could have… taken her?” Fluttershy squeaked, swaying nervously form side to side.
Twilight shook her head. “No. Those doors lock from the inside. She must have left.”
“She can’t have just flown away! Where would she go?” Rarity strode forward, glancing from Twilight to the curtains and back again.
“And why?” Twilight added.
Rarity trotted over to the bed, lifting something off the surface in her magical field. Something crumpled and frail, a cold, grey blob hovering lifelessly in the air before her. Carefully, she unfolded it, and a sheet of newspaper took shape before her eyes. She scanned it quickly, her gaze narrowing as she did so. “Twilight? I believe I've found the answer to that question.”
“What is it?” Twilight went over to her friend, peering over her shoulder at the newspaper’s face. She blinked a few times, checking it again to make sure her eyes were, indeed, not playing a trick on her. “What? ‘New Evidence in Soarin’ Arrest Proves Allegations a Publicity Stunt’?” In one swift motion, she swatted the paper to the floor and turned away, pacing up and down the room, her face darkened. “Where did she even get a copy of the Equestrian Enquirer? And why would she take that trash seriously?”
“I think the more important question is where she might have run to, if she did indeed flee because of this.”
“Maybe she flew home?” Fluttershy suggested, stepping forward a little bit?”
Twilight sighed. “That’s a possibility. I still can’t believe she would run away over a stupid article. That’s just… not Rainbow Dash.”
Rarity shook her head. “Pain and fear can do strange things to ponies. I think we all know that for all her supposed bravado, Rainbow Dash has never been the best at dealing with her own emotions. I’m certain this whole ordeal has only made that worse.”
“Where could she have gone, though?”
“Wherever it is, we’re goin’ ta find her.”
The two turned to see Applejack step into the room, around Fluttershy. Behind her, Pinkie Pie remained out in the hallway; cast in shadow, her face an impenetrable mix of confusion and shock. Applejack glanced between Twilight and Rarity, her face grim yet resolute. “Right now.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded. “You’re right, Applejack.” She swiveled to the guard, still standing at attention just beside the door. “Alert the other guards. Get as many as you can. I want a search done of the castle, the city, and the airspace between here and Ponyville.”
The guard dipped his head once. “Right away ma’am.” He rushed from the room.
Twilight turned back, facing her friends once more. “Girls, I don’t know where Rainbow went, but she’s our friend, and if she’s not here, that means she might be in trouble. We’ve got to find her and bring her back.” She glanced from face to face. Applejack and Rarity both nodded to her. Fluttershy’s shivers had returned, though she swallowed and tried to hold herself steady. Pinkie Pie merely stared, unmoving, back at Twilight. “Right. Fluttershy, you and Pinkie Pie search the Castle Grounds. Maybe Rainbow Dash just went to clear her head in the gardens. AJ and Rarity, come with me. We’re going into town.”
In short order, and with no further discussion, the other four left the room, even Pinkie Pie rushing off as if imbued with a sudden fire. For one unbroken moment, Twilight Sparkle found herself in Rainbow Dash’s room, alone with her thoughts. She registered movement out of the corner of her eye, and glanced downward to see the wrinkled piece of newsprint, scuttling across the floor, borne on an intermittent breeze. She sighed before heading for the door.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash. Where could you have gone?”
====================================================================
Canterlot’s nightlife bustled around the three ponies as they roamed down a busy street, glancing every which way for a hint of a rainbow mane. All around them, ponies chattered, moving this way and that, diving in and out of late-night clubs, bars, and restaurants, none of them paying the group of friends any heed. Applejack sighed, suddenly stopping in her tracks. Twilight and Rarity paused as well, throwing questioning looks over their shoulders. “This ain’t workin’, Twi. How are we supposed to find one pony in a city o’ hundreds?”
“I know, Applejack, but it’s the best idea I’ve got right now.”
“We should split up an’ search. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
Rarity frowned. “Darling, I’m not so sure that’s such a great idea.”
“Come on, Rares. We ain’t getting’ anythin’ done this way, and Rainbow needs us right now.”
Rarity shook her head, gesturing with one hoof to the cacophony of sight and sound around them. “Has it occurred to you that three mares wandering a busy city alone at night might not be a very good plan?”
“Well it sure is a sight better than what we got goin’ on now.” Applejack replied, planted firmly in her place. “Ah figure with three ponies in different places instead o’ the same place, we’ll find Dash that much faster.”
Rarity cocked an eyebrow, but Twilight chimed in before she could say anything further. “You’re right, Applejack; Rainbow Dash does need us right now. We need to be using as many sets of eyes as possible.”
“I still think it’s best to stick together.”
Twilight sighed. “Normally, I’d agree with you, Rarity. But this is an extreme case. We don’t have the luxury of time right now.”
“Twi’s right. We’ve got ta get movin’.”
“Hold on now, just how are the rest of us supposed to know if anypony finds her?”
Twilight stopped for a moment, her gaze drifting ever so slightly upwards. “Get her back to the castle, then find one of the princesses. They can send a message for the rest of us.”
“Well, alright. But I won’t say I like this arrangement.”
Twilight nodded, “Neither do I, but finding Rainbow Dash has to be our first priority now. I don’t want to think what would happen if anypony recognizes her and starts hammering her with questions.”
Rarity winced. “She’s been front page news for weeks now. I fear that’s only too likely the case.”
“Then we’ll have to just hope we’re wrong.”
=====================================================================
From beneath the wide brim of her hat, Applejack’s keen eyes observed the city, sweeping from place to place, always searching. She had long since given up on the idea of finding Rainbow Dash out wandering the streets, and had taken to glancing through the windows of each building she passed, scanning groups of nameless ponies within, looking for her face to jump out from the crowd.
A flash of light from a darkened alleyway caught her eye, she jumped, turning anxiously, staring into the blackness, hoping against hope to see a pair of magenta eyes stare back out at her. After a few moments, she hung her head, turning away from the bleak alley. She watched only her hooves hitting cobblestone after cobblestone as she walked away, suddenly very dimly aware that she didn’t know where she was or what time it was, and that she didn’t care either.
“This ain’t gonna work, she’s gone.” She muttered to herself, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “She’s gone… she’s gone.”
She wasn’t paying attention. She ran into the stallion because she wasn’t paying attention.
“Hey. Watch where you’re going.”
She blinked a few times, shaking her head vigorously before looking up. “Ah’m sorry. Ah’m just lookin’ fer…” In that instant, Applejack’s words failed her, and he rolled his eyes, pushing past her. He was gone an instant later—off down the street, chatting with some other mare, as if he hadn’t even noticed; as if the run-in wasn’t even important.
And Applejack, still struck silent, rooting firmly in place on the street corner, knew that it wasn’t important; that he wasn’t important.
It was only important that she had looked up.
Across the street, a mass of ponies milled about outside a bar. Their backs to Applejack, their faces turned inward, pressed against the windows and crowded around the front entrance, nearly clambering over one another. Applejack blinked, feeling something stirring within her, some strange feeling that inexplicably, yet irrefutably, told her she had found exactly what she was looking for.
Slowly, silently, as if she were floating and the world around her suspended on invisible strings, she approached the crowd. She arched her back, craning to see over the tops of the others’ heads, but came away frustrated with only a passing glimpse of the building. Frowning, she lowered her shoulders, grumbled out a perfunctory “Excuse me,” and wedged herself in between the two closest ponies, ignoring their yelps as she muscled her way into the middle of the group.
With no regard for the protest raised around her, Applejack surged forward, soon finding herself at the tavern’s door. Unceremoniously, she barged her way inside, her gaze sweeping across the scene.
The bar maintained an obligatory, if uneasy, level of activity. Glasses clinked, the occasional drink was poured, but the expected low buzz of conversation was strikingly absent. It was surprisingly empty compared to the crowd outside, many members of which could be easily seen through the smoky, faded glass at the front of the room, still peering expectantly in, as if watching, waiting for something to happen inside. What few patrons were gathered in the bar itself, however, appeared subdued, many staring into their drinks or off into space, unspeaking, unmoving, and before she even saw it, Applejack knew why.
For one thing united nearly every pony within the establishment, mares and stallions, solitary and accompanied, drunk and sober. Between half-hearted sips of drinks or attempts at conversation, each face would turn—discreetly, as if they feared being caught—and steal a furtive glance toward the back of the room, where the bar met the wall. Their universal attention directed to a corner, cast in shadow, where a white unicorn sat, comfortably upon a barstool, staring defiantly back at them, and where a mess of rainbow hair decorated the dark mahogany counter.
Applejack was moving within the instant she had taken to survey the room, a dozen pairs of eyes tracking her. The unicorn jumped up just as she arrived, fixing her with a hard gaze, fire lit behind blood-red eyes. “Don’t go near her. She’s not answering any questions.”
For a moment, Applejack was floored. She froze, rock-solid against the wood floor, her eyes wide and locked with this stranger’s, suddenly conscious of countless gazes directed her way, but the moment passed. She saw Rainbow Dash, slumped in her seat, her body limp, head resting against the bar, cheek pressed into the polished surface, and her back to the world. Applejack felt her heart thudding at a furious pace deep within her chest at the sight of her broken friend, and she narrowed her gaze, glaring at the mare before her. “Listen, filly, Ah don’t know who ya think ya are, but—”
“This mare is a pony, not a museum piece for you and everypony else here to gawk at. She deserves her privacy.”
“And she just happens ta be mah friend, and Ah need ta git her someplace safe!” Applejack leaned forward, her face inches from the unicorn’s.
“And just how am I supposed to know you’re telling the tru—”
“Do Ah LOOK like Ah’m lyin’?”
Silence, the air heavy around them, the brazen, unabashed stares of onlookers focused upon them, a few heated seconds, and the stranger backed down. “Alright, alright, easy. She only just fell asleep.”
“What happened?”
The unicorn shook her head. “She was already half drunk when I got here. I recognized her from the papers, but I think plenty other ponies did, too.”
“What were they—”
“Questioning her, pestering her, offering to buy her drinks, everything. I got them off her back but they didn’t go very far.” The unicorn nodded towards the front of the house, indicating the crowd still loitering outside. “It’s disgusting. I don’t even know why she’s here, but she doesn’t deserve that.”
“She ain’t gonna be here for long.” Applejack walked over to her friend, nudging her lightly with her snout. “Come on, Dash. It’s time to get goin’.” The pegasus merely grumbled incoherently, twitching in her stupor. Applejack frowned. “Alright, Ah’ll carry ya.” Gingerly, the farm pony maneuvered herself beneath Rainbow Dash, gently lifting herself up between the stool and the bar so that her friend slid easily onto her back. Applejack grunted under the sudden weight.
Thrust awake with a jolt, Rainbow Dash draped herself over her friend, giggling as she did so. “Heh… Applesnack. Apple-Japple-Jack.”
Applejack sighed. “Had enough to drink there, Sugarcube?”
The inebriated pegasus shifted herself, very nearly falling off but finally settling in lined up with the pony beneath her, allowing her chin to rest on the earth pony’s neck. “I dunno. You ssshould ask Rainbow Dassh.”
“She seems ta be in a right state.” Applejack frowned, grimacing as her load shifted.
“Yeah, she’s in a pretty bad way.” The unicorn shook her head forlornly, “She had a rough night.”
“Well that ends here.”
“I like your mane, Applesack. It’s like hay… but you can’t eat it.” With that, the drunken pony buried her muzzle into her friend’s mane, lay still for several moments, and began snoring.
“Right. Let’s get ya out o’ here, Dash.” Applejack made her way for the door, striving to ignore the unbidden stares she received from around the room, but stopped suddenly. “Ah wanted ta thank ya, Ah don’t want ta think what would happened if Rainbow hadn’t had somepony lookin’ out for her.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Ah never did catch yer name.”
The other mare grinned, slipping a large pair of sunglasses down over shocking red eyes. “Call me Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch.”
Applejack nodded. “Ah thought ya looked familiar. And thanks, it really means a whole lot ta me.”
“Like I said, don’t mention it. I was just finished with a set at the club across the street and came here for a couple drinks when I saw her. I did what anypony would have done.” She paused, taking a moment to send a glare around at the remaining patrons. “Or, at least, I did what anypony else SHOULD have done!” She called, her scowl deepening as the others made pains to avoid her piercing gaze.
“Ah appreciate it anyway.”
The DJ pony shook her head. “I don’t get it—the way some of these ponies behave—like they have no decency left, no common courtesy. They treat her like a story out of the newspaper and nothing more. And if those stories are true…”
“They are.” Applejack nodded gloomily.
“Then she doesn’t deserve this. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”
The two trotted to the door, Vinyl using her magic to swing it open. The silent crowd parted ways a little, enduring scowls from both mares. Vinyl stepped out in front of Applejack, glaring at the assembled. “Alright, folks. Party’s over. Time to scram.”
It took a few moments more, but the crowd finally dispersed, some still taking a few backward glances as they stole away. Finally, the two mares relaxed, able to breathe easier. “Thanks for that.” Applejack readjusted so that Rainbow Dash’s weight was spread more evenly on her back, and the pegasus snorted in her sleep.
“No problem. Us mares have gotta stick together.” Vinyl nodded as they began walking, splitting ways. “Take care of yourself, and her too.”
Applejack simply nodded her reply, looking up to see the towering spires of Canterlot Castle not far in the distance. Undaunted, she set off into the cold night. The streets were dark and lonely; most of the city lay slumbering contently, unplagued by worries, not haunted by nightmares. Applejack wondered what held the mind of Rainbow Dash as she slept. She wondered if the pegasus could achieve just as sound a rest as everypony else, though she feared not. Applejack wondered what had driven Rainbow Dash to drink. She wondered if it drove away some of those dreams, if it helped take the pain away, or if it was just a way to escape. Maybe Rainbow Dash thought about it beforehand, or maybe she didn’t, and it just became an impulse; an urge she couldn’t control. Applejack craned her neck, twisting awkwardly to get a look at her friend, still dozing lightly upon her back as she walked. She wondered if the pegasus felt cold, or if she was too numb to feel anything at all. Outwardly, she looked peaceful.
Applejack sighed. “What Ah wouldn’t give ta know what was goin’ on inside that little head o’ yers, Dash. What Ah wouldn’t give.”
There were signs of the coming dawn by the time she reached the castle. She spoke briefly with a guard who promised to notify Princess Luna and have the others brought back for some much-needed rest. Then, after making sure Rainbow Dash was secure on her back, she climbed the long flights of stairs to reach their rooms.
The doors in Dash’s room had been closed. Gratefully, Applejack brought her friend in and laid her gingerly upon the bed. She stayed back a while longer, watching as the troubled pony’s chest rose and fell slowly, rhythmically. She fidgeted a few times as she lay. Then, feeling the weight of her own eyelids very suddenly and heavily set upon her, Applejack turned and headed for the doorway, ready to feel the comforting embrace of her own warm bed, but stopped when a voice called out from the dark.
“It hurts, AJ. It hurts.”
Concern drove her back to the bedside. She could just barely see her friend’s form in the darkness, but those magenta eyes were open, staring up at her from behind a hazy cloud of mist. “What hurts, Dash?”
“It won’t stop hurting. Why won’t it stop hurting, Applejack? Why? I… I don’t want to hurt anymore.”
Applejack laid a hoof over her friend’s forehead. It felt warm. She sighed, resting her chin upon the bed. She couldn’t think what else to do. “Ah know, Sugar. Ah know.”
=====================================================================
“Fillies and gentlecolts. This court will now come to session. Please refrain from speaking or making any noise that might cause a disturbance during these proceedings. The trial is now set to begin. Celestia willing, may justice be done.”
Twilight Sparkle shifted nervously in her seat, shuffling a few papers atop her desk as she sat, willing herself to remain calm while the judge spoke. She glanced to her side Where Rainbow Das sat, stock still, looking for all the world like she would enjoy nothing more than to crawl underneath the table and out of sight of the multitudes of ponies around them.
From above them, the Justice continued speaking, steely grey eyes flashing out of a crowd of hundreds. “Thank you for your attention. The case of Equestria versus Soarin’ Skies shall now officially come to order.” Gavel smacked wood once more, and the court reporter immediately began tapping away at his typewriter, a series of sharp, metallic clicks filling the air. “Is the counsel for the prosecution ready?”
A deep breath. Twilight stood. “Yes, Your Honor.” She sat down quickly.
“Is the counsel for the defense ready?”
Across the courtroom, behind a table almost identical to her own, Twilight watched as the slate grey unicorn opposite her stood. Ink Scroll directed his gaze towards the bench with a self-assured grin. “Yes, Your Honor.”
Justice Honor Bound nodded. “Very well, we shall proceed. The defendant, Mr. Soarin’ Skies, has been charged with one count of rape in the second degree and one count of sexual assault in the second degree. How do you plead, Mr. Skies?”
Twilight watched as the pegasus leaned forward, his expression unreadable, his demeanor calm and collected. “Not guilty, Your Honor.”
“At this time, Opening Statements will be read before the court by both parties. The prosecution will speak first.”
Twilight closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a few deep, calming breaths. This was it. This was her moment. She stood up, stepping out onto the floor before the bench, nodding up towards the judge, and then sweeping her gaze out over the audience. She suppressed the urge to gulp, and cleared her throat lightly, counting backwards from five in her head. “Thank you, Your Honor. May it please the court, friends, citizens of Equestria, fillies and gentlecolts of the Jury; we live in unsettling times. I cannot tell you how much it saddens me to think about the events that have transpired leading up to this trial, but I will do my best to explain them.
“As this case revolves around my client, Miss Rainbow Dash, I will begin with her. Rainbow Dash’s foremost passion in life has long been flying, and she has been recognized for her many achievements in the sport. She used to spend every chance she could get practicing, working on one routine or another. Imagine her elation, then, upon receiving the chance, nearly four weeks ago, to join the Wonderbolts, to make something that has been her greatest dream since foalhood a reality.”
Twilight looked out over the assembled again, marveling at the attention of so many ponies, focused on her. “Imagine that. Imagine a moment in your life when everything you’ve worked towards, every dream you’ve ever had, every ambition and every desire, is suddenly right there, right within your grasp. Imagine your excitement.
“Fillies and gentlecolts, I can’t tell you what ran through my client’s mind that day. I can’t begin to impart upon you the incredible emotional whirlwind she must have experienced as she went off to Cloudsdale, and as she finally achieved what she had worked towards most of her life. True success, achieving a life-long dream in such a way, is something ponies have to experience individually to truly understand. However, I can tell you that she visited me just afterwards, and I have never seen her happier. She came to share with me the good news, and I congratulated her. It was a simple exchange between friends, yet that was he last time I saw her before our lives were irrevocably changed for the worse.
“That night, she and the other Wonderbolts, including the accused, Mr. Soarin’, held an impromptu celebration in the bar at the Cloud Nine Inn, in Cloudsdale. Over the course of the night, my client became intoxicated, and was subsequently taken by the accused to one of the rooms the Wonderbolts had reserved that night. Therein, without proper consent and without regard for her thoughts, Soarin’ initiated sexual contact with my client in a debasing and violent manner, leaving her physically injured and emotionally scarred.”
She paused, watching the gallery for any visible sign of a reaction before continuing. “Mr. Soarin’ has pleaded not guilty in this assault. I will, however, endeavor to prove his guilt by presenting medical evidence, including the professional testimony of doctors and nurses, and by submitting the testimonies of several key witnesses to both the time leading up to this event and its aftermath. Through this process, I hope my client receives the justice she deserves. Thank you.”
The unicorn found herself sweating by the time she returned to her seat, and struggled to keep herself calm. Beside her, Rainbow Dash looked even more nervous, and Twilight felt a pang of sympathy for her. It was bad enough to be forced to endure the unwavering attention of dozens of apathetic ponies, but to have had such painful events recounted before such a crowd could only have been much worse. She reached out and grasped Rainbow Dash’s hoof, nodding in what she hoped was a reassuring way when she caught the pegasus’s eye.
“Fillies and gentlecolts of the jury, may it please the court, I plan to keep my opening statement short, simple, and concise.” Ink Scroll now held the floor, confident smirk never gone. “My client has been an upstanding citizen of Equestria his entire life. He has been an honorable role model, and has even given the best years of his life over to proudly and selflessly serve his country in the most elite wing of the Equestrian Air Royal Guard. He has devoted his life to others, and for that I believe we all owe him a debt of gratitude.
“However, in light of these recent events, my client’s reputation has become unjustly besmirched. What by all rights was a casual, consensual sexual encounter has been perverted and twisted by the prosecution, presenting a heinous accusation that is not only an affront to his character, but an attack on his honor and dignity. The only explanation for which being, through regret, shame, or something similar, this mare,” he gestured wildly at Rainbow Dash, who flinched, “has decided to render all blame for an otherwise innocent encounter upon my client, and has falsely brought the charges against him to clear her own conscience.
“My client is the victim here, folks. Justice can only come with his acquittal. Thank you.”
i can tell these next chapters are going to keep me quite angry
Looking good so far man. Lawyer speak looks legit to me, and I'm excited to finally see that asshat get what's coming to him.
How does one prove that the contact in this case was nonconsensual? I'm not saying I believe Soarin's case yet (because you never know with dramas if everything's as it seems), but that seems to be the dealbreaker in most shows I've seen (see, I have no idea how this all works too!).
I take it this is an alt-universe.
Because none of these characters are acting like themselves.
If there is one thing I must suggest to you, it is try to avoid making Ink Scroll the stereotypical ‘Bad Lawyer’, as in the slimy, corrupt, silver-tongues kind with no morals and ethics. So many of the opposing/defending lawyers in fiction get demonized simply because they’re defending the person who the reader/viewer already see as being guilty and thus the bad guy. It’d be much more satisfying for Ink Scroll, although cocky and sure of himself, to be a stallion who is still just doing his job, because even if many of us think Soarin’ is guilty, he is still entitled to representation and the chance to defend himself as everypony else. It’d make a great scene outside of the court for Twilight and Ink Scroll to be arguing about it.
Ink Scroll: Why is it, Ms Sparkle, that it is so impossible for you to accept the possibility that, hey, maybe my client COULD be an innocent stallion? Is that really so unfathomable to you?
Sure, the readers/viewers’ minds are pretty much made up and from what we’ve seen, it may look like Soarin is guilty, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Ink Scroll needs to be a Bad Guy because of it. Hell, at the end of it, he could maybe even congratulate Twilight on the way she handled herself and for putting forward a great case.
Still, those are just my ideas. Good chapter.
Dash... You bleeding moron...
Why would you do that... Still, at least Vinyl was there to help.
He needs to die. In a fire. With acid. And knives.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I fear that my knowledge of "lawyerspeak" is insufficient to guarantee realism, and that Twilight and Ink Scroll short speeches might not sound like anything an actual lawyer might say on a courtroom floor.
I used to worry about stuff like that in my stories. But I found even if you are vague and the writing is sound AND makes sense, then everything is fine. Not all readers want 100% realism or even facts, especially in Equestria. Not everything needs to be based on humans and our reality after all.
3056242 +1 dude.
I really want to crush Ink Scroll's head with my fists. But I won't do it yet, because I'm eager to find out how Twilight will drive him in the ground with her own fisted hooves.
Anyway. I'm loving it. Your lawyerspeak is much better than what I could ever do, even if I studied it. I'm eager to find out how this all unfolds.
As well, poor Dash. she must be hurting so badly if she escapes the castle to drink herself drunk. oh dear.
3056227
May Pinkamena skin him alive and devour his soul.
3056332
Full on Cupcakes?
I approve.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3056358
fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/140/7/4/zalgo_pinkamena_by_ask_zalgothehivemind-d65x4j0.png
Certainly
3056163
I think the rape of one of your closet friends might make you act a bit differently.
I fear that my knowledge of "lawyerspeak" is insufficient to guarantee realism, and that Twilight and Ink Scroll short speeches might not sound like anything an actual lawyer might say on a courtroom floor.
So, any thoughts?
*Points to Ponydora PrancyPants* Consultant? It's a long shot but you could always ask.
Then again, who says court proceedings in Equestria are the same as in real life anyway?
I hate to say it, but Twilight's screwed. Based on current evidence, this is a "he said/she said" scenario. There's little in the way of physical evidence as the rape test will only prove they had sex, and actually may end up working against Twilight if it shows that the encounter wasn't terribly violent (which it probably wasn't given the context). Both ponies have impeccable records so there's no chance Twilight can hit Soarin's credibility, and vice versa for the defense. Twilight's gonna have to rely on testimony which could prove perilous as the judge will likely keep it on a tight leash (no heresay, plenty of objections from the defense, leading the witness, memory problems, and, in a worst case scenario, perjury if the defense proves the witness is lying). As was seen in the Zimmerman case, witness credibility is just as important as the defendant/victim's. If Twilight's witnesses don't seem very credibile, all it'll do is bit her in the bottom.
Barring any sudden evidence (which wouldn't be admissible anyway since the discovery process is already over), or devastating testimony, I'm going with a Not Guilty verdict. There's just too much reasonable doubt in this thing.
Also, remember that the defense doesn't even have to prove Soarin's innocent. They just have to poke enough holes in Twilight's case to let the reasonable doubt flow through and the (hopefully) impartial jury will do the rest.
3056227>>3056297 What you forget is that this is Ink Scroll's JOB. He may not be the most pleasant pony, but Soarin needs to have a representative and defence, like any other pony. It's Ink Scroll role here to defend Soarin and pick holes in Twilight's case, and personality or not, he has to be hard and thorough. The main reason we hate him now is because we've only seen this from Rainbow Dash's side and it's been pretty much been decided for us that Soarin is already guilty, so logically, the person we see defending has to be 'bad' too. I just hate this cliche that the defending lawyer of the bad guy always has to be 'evil' too and not just doing his job and how 'doing it for the money' automatically means 'evil' too. Yeah, it's not the most honourable reason, but a lot of us do our jobs for their monetary benefits too and it doesn't automatically mean Ink Scroll can't do his job the slightest bit with integreity. I just fear the author is going to go down the stereotypical route, when just making Ink Scroll a normal pony who is just doing the job that somepony needs to do.
3057663
I know that.
Doesn't mean I can't say it.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3056976 I'm including Soarin and the rest of the Wonderbolts in this.
They aren't the Marines, you know.
3057856
Seeing as they haven't had a definite personality set (save Spitfire), I don't see how they could be OOC.
3057862 Soarin just wants pie.
And given the standards they're held to, I don't see them allowing this sort of behavior without severe punishment, especially given that more than half of them are mares.
Also, there IS something the Princess could do. The Wonderbolts are under her authority. She could make life very unpleasant for them.
I can give examples of how it's done in the US military, in corporations, in schools. There are many ways to make life a living hell for someone under you without violating a single facet of the law.
And I'm quite sure that, given that Dash is both a Bearer and a friend to her faithful student, Celestia would be using all of her very vast store of knowledge and experience to convince the Wonderbolts that they may want to fess up.
3057876
Well, We'll just have to wait to see what the results of the trial are; along with the aftereffects.
3057876
Basing an entire understanding of a character around him "wanting pie" seems like a flawed analysis. In short, there are many parts of Soarin' that we know nothing about. For example, his gluttonous devouring of the pie may represent how he is a pony who spends his life seeking pleasure, and it is not too far a stretch of the imagination to think that a gratuitous please-seeker might have a lot of casual sex.
Speaking of which, there's nothing in the military (either IRL or in my imagined version of Equestria) to prevent service members from engaging in casual sex, os long as it doesn't interfere with their duties.
So, until an impartial jury determines that a casual sexual encounter isn't what happened, Celestia's hooves are bound.
3058227 You're missing my point. Celestia's hooves are NOT bound. She, as highest authority over the military, can do many things to make life unpleasant if she decides she believes Dash.
That is an unquestionable fact of real-life as well. Such discriminatory tactics are put to use quite frequently, in virtually every sort of industry or government-associated position one can think of.
Celestia is both very old and very wise. I would imagine she has an immense arsenal of psychological weapons at her disposal in that area of attack.
Do not forget, an Element of Harmony is at stake here, the ultimate weapon of Equestria. Raping Dash is essentially akin to somebody breaking in and fiddling with the wiring of a nuclear missile. The higher-ups would take the matter EXTRAORDINARILY seriously. There would be unimaginable pressure being brought to bear upon the Wonderbolts by the crown. Good-cop, bad-cop doesn't even begin to describe the measures I'd expect to be employed. Gitmo detainees would feel themselves fortunate by comparison.
3058280 You have no point.
I get really sick of people arguing that the bearers are some sort of an untouchable god-tier set of ponies whose sole function is to serve as a WMD in the defense of Equestria, and anyone who might potentially had caused them harm is deserving of the worst form of torture because how dare these demi-gods be exposed to anything that might potentially harm their home-defense function (which is the only reason anypony should even care about them, right?). Nevermind that Soarin' might potentially have been innocent. Never mind that the justice system's sole function is to protect the innocent from undue punished.
No. Fuck that way of thinking.
3058343 And the innocent are obviously never unjustly punished.
I'm not saying what's right or wrong, I'm saying what Celestia COULD DO if she wanted to.
She has more than enough means at her disposal to force the truth out. It's clear that the Wonderbolts are not being entirely forthcoming, thus she must suspect that they do not wish something revealed.
Power has advantages if one is willing to use them.
You are also forgetting that the Bearers ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT to Equestria. Do you honestly think our government would just sit back and wait for due process if, say... terrorists were lurking about? Considering the NSA violations, which are now admittedly in the thousands, it's quite clear that SURPRISE!! governments tend to overreach their legal bounds when they feel it's for 'the greater good', whether or not they're merely using that as an excuse.
And lest we forget, the media often decides guilt or innocence long before the facts are known, and then incites the public (Duke Lacross Team, Martin-Zimmerman). And even when the facts do come out, the press usually sticks with their assertions, and complains about bias or some sort while the usual suspects get up and rant and rail and collect millions in contributions.
*smirks* I know very well how the real world works.
Lawyer-speak seems legit to me.
Also, Vinyl cameo? *yay*
It was a nice bonus for it to fit into my head-canon of her personality.
Am I the only person who hears that one southern lawyer's voice from My Cousin Vinny when Inkwell speaks?
Seriously though. I hope that Twi can pull through I mean it's a tragedy in that Dashie will be broken, mentally scarred, and will probably never feel safe around stallions again. A problem that will carry through for the rest of her life. But too see the trail fail would be too cruel. Although a guilty verdict would have huge repercussions to the Wonderbolts, the Royal Air Force, and their fan base for a long while. Not to mention destroying Soarin's life in a Tragic way as well. So technically a Tragedy tag can be kept without making Rainbow Dash suffer the wrath of a rapist [and if Spitfire is any indication a Serial one at that] who is now seen as innocent in the eyes of the law and knows where she lives, where she sleeps, and has easy access to her at the time of his choosing should he want revenge for damaging his reputation.
The opening statements look pretty good, but you forgot to mention the witnesses. Normally you say who you're going to bring to the stand, and what they will be trying to prove. There's also a point where you're supposed to counter the argument made by the opposition, and bring out any negative facts they will try to use against you. You kind of did it with ink scrolls, but not at all with Twilight. Finally, and this is the most important. You need to introduce yourself and everyone/ everything you are planning on using during the trial. So, as I said before give a brief statement of each witness and what they will prove, say your name and your clients name, and give a brief overview of all the evidence you have and what it will be used for. I say this, because according to ink scroll's opening statement it is only him and soaring vs the prosecution. He never once mentioned any witnesses, or evidence he may have to prove Soarin's innocence. If Soarin really is his only witness, then he might as well give up because he's going to lose.
Of course I give you a lot of credit. You did a pretty good job with the opening statements for someone without any law experience. Just be extra careful with the closing statement, that's a very important part of the trial and needs to be done right.
Edit: I hope this helps you, and if you have any questions over court procedure feel free to ask me. I'd love to help you make the court process as realistic as possible.
3058590
You know very well how the real world works? Good. So we're going to pretend that Equestria doesn't work that way, K? Celestia is going to care more about fairness, truth, and justice than punishment and exerting her will. Her concern is going to lay with Rainbow Dash as a Pony, not as a strategic asset that she only might need for an attack that likely won't happen.
We're going to live under the fantasy that Equestria is a sort of perfect world, without constant paranoia, without corruption, and without senseless malevolence.
3059268 If Equestria was a perfect world, the whole situation with Rainbow Dash wouldn't have happened. I seriously hope you find someway to make Soarin found guilty and that the bastard gets what he deserves.
3056208 While that might make sense, he's already established as a sleazebag who doesn't care that Rainbow Dash MIGHT have actually been raped and has the nerve to flirt with Twilight like it's no big deal. Gonna be kinda hard to rewrite him now.
Get some lawyers to get an insight of what the normal court presissiur is done, than write your experience.
I'm expecting Spitfire to show up unexpectedly and put herself in a situation where she has to choose between loyalty to her team or loyalty to the law. She's been given brief but powerful development in the few scenes featuring her, and it's clear that she has something inside that's clawing its way out. Perhaps she's been a witness to such corruption within her own team, and this entire situation with Soarin' and Rainbow is what will finally push her over the edge to rest on one side or the other.
I found the Lawyer talk to be quite sound in all honesty, my only experience being TV shows that I have watched pertaining to the area of law (Suits, Franklin and Bash, etc.). I found it very believable and thoroughly gripping. To which I say, more please :3
3059268 And yet they have rape. They have ponies who lie, ponies who cover up.
So, not exactly a perfect world. Much more like ours.
3059749>>3063695
"Perfect world" was more hyperbole. Sure, there's still going to be crime.
But, there will be no constant paranoia in government, which means no spying, no unnecessary force, and no circumventing the justice system for a personal agenda, which was my main point.
3065248 Uhm... crime tends to beget those very things in law enforcement and government, even the most well-intended, for the simple unequivocal fact that criminals lie.
I fear that my knowledge of "lawyerspeak" is insufficient to guarantee realism, and that Twilight and Ink Scroll short speeches might not sound like anything an actual lawyer might say on a courtroom floor.
I think the only pony you need to think about when doing "lawyerspeak" is ink scroll, remember Twilight as been a so called lawyer for a month and as such she is not going to have the speak as this is her first case (unless she`s been doing to a few trials in between everything else)
She knows a lot from the books and with the trial setting and with Ink scroll`s trial experience, she is going to get a few things wrong that ink scroll will pounce on.
but that will make for an interesting read as it as been so far, keep it up and I look forward to the next chapter.
P,S, just because Ink scroll is defending a (add swear word) does not mean he`s the same, just means he got paid to do his job as a defence lawyer.
Not bad. Although if as many ponies know of the case as indicated by their reaction to Rainbow showing up at the bar, they may have the court of public opinion on their side. Hmm.
You pulled off the lawyerspeak pretty well. If I were to give any advice, it'd be to make Twilight more nervous and unsure of herself. This is her first case, and she can't afford to lose it. No pressure.
Really, though, the story is looking damn fine. Big improvement over the first few chapters. You're getting better, BN. Looking forward to seeing where this ends up.
Well that's a good start. I'm going to mirror my earlier comments. Someone said this and I think they've hit it right on the head.
Boom. Not guilty based on reasonable doubt. Twilight's got her work cut out for her if she wants to win this.
Much happier with this one than the last one. I'm a fan of the defence lawyer, I'm hoping you don't make him a complete twat. Someone's got to defend the murderers, rapists etc. (Not that I think Soarin raped her, I believe he's innocent, because that's fun.) Just because you're doign it doesn;t make you a bad person.
Still that aside, something else is bothering me from the last couple of chapters. You'd think I'd already moaned enough but it seems not.
To a citizen of Equestria, the fact that Celestia herself appointed a judge to oversee a case involving someone who has close ties with her (not to mention the prosecution, the judge and witnesses!) would smell incredibly fishy. While the judge doesn’t get to decide the final verdict, he or she does have a lot of sway over the jury along with control over the general courtroom. Now it doesn’t matter whether or not Honour bound is unbiased and completely honourable, the fact of the matter is that Celestia has pulled some highly unethical moves to guantee him there. Ink scroll has some merit to go off when he says there might be some conspiracy going on. If word got out that Celestia herself appointed the judge ti the case she could be losing a lot of faith from her followers. I mean, after all, how can they expect a fair trail if they go to court if she's is being seen as potentially 'rigging' a trial herself?
Of course that’s is a bit out of the scope of your story but it’s worthwhile to think about how hypocritical she seems to be. At the beginning she goes on about how it needs to be a fair trial but then she goes and elects her own judge! Whatever his leanings are, Celestia is pushing things that she thinks will help the prosecution win in a case that is currently pointing the other way. Before someone jumps on me and says, “But rape!”, there is no evidence (that we know of!) that suggests it was non-consensual. Lots of bad guys get away with crimes but don’t forget that a lot of good people get punished for something they didn’t do.
As my aunt says" "This smells fishy and I'm not eating it."
I might be overly critical or knit-picking on this point but it’s a really big deal when people start messing with the legal system.
Great, Now I’m over analysing a story. I surely have better things to be doing with my time.
3071492
I'd never really thought about it that way. To my headcanon, Celestia appoints a Judge to all major criminal cases in the Canterlot Court.
it would be a funny twist if none of this happened and rainbow was just delusional.
Now who shall walk out with victory!!?
Soarin' the rapist bolt
or
Dash the trumatized victim
To Be Continued...
dun dun duunnn
I will be honest, I hoped that the pony who protects Rainbow in the bar is a guy. An outsider who only saw her suffering and stands between her and the crowd. It's not like I don't like Vinyl but, well, look at my avatar and take a guess. Still, the fact that only mares protect her and even the part where Vinyl says “No problem. Us mares have gotta stick together.” made something twist in my stomach. In my mind she added in a whisper, "because we can't trust the guys". I guess I just missed that it was a mare who walked to Applejack. In a blink of an eye, probably. Otherwise I had that twist before she gave Applejack her name.
I don't ask for much. I think the story is well written, it got a nice setup, but still I don't like it how gender-onesided that story presents me. Really, it's almost stereotype in my eyes.
I just wish that one, only one Stallion showed up who seems to not fit in thier little group, but they figure out that they can trust him. It had given that story some more life.
Anyways, I'm will continue to read the updates, because I want to see how the trial ends and how much Twilight have to suffer before some plot twist comes by and, oh look, everyting turns out fine. No, I'm not kidding, I have that feeling already, because clichés.
Clichés everywhere.
I'm not a bad guy, I just don't like too many clichès. Really, they give me the creeps.
3182936
But his story is better than mine, he should be the celebrity... what I'd give to have this premise for a story, and it's pretty haunting how accurately he's portrayed rape. As a healthcare professional, I'm used to people idealizing what's actually a violent crime.
(okay, I'm going to go back to being narcissistic now, but BronyNeumo deserved kudos for pulling this off the way he is.)
Vinyl has magenta eyes, just in case you haven't been paying attention to the show since the S2 finalie lol, it pains me when, if done knowingly chose to have her with red over canon magenta, I see no reason why to deny that clear fact
I cannot wait for the next chapter! I'm debating writing my own version until the real one is released!
Because men only care about themselves.
3267742>>3164886
Please bear in mind that the opinions expressed by various characters do not necessarily reflect those of the author. What I am trying to do is portray a wide variety of reactions to such an event as rape, and like it or not, the viewpoint that "Us mares (women) have gotta stick together.” is a very common response to an emotional tragedy that affects females proportionally far more than males.
I'm not saying at all that this is a viewpoint I agree with, and I don't, but to not give it justice as a legitimate ,realistic reaction in a story surrounding such a topic as rape would, I believe, reflect poorly on my portrayal of such a heavy-hnaded subject matter.
3268983
Oh I perfectly understand that, I was not bashing you but rather Vinyl.
While I do agree that it affects women more than men but men are victims, too. In our military for example, men make up most of the military's sexual assault cases, even though they are less likely to report their assaults. The Pentagon survey found 13,900 male victims. But 76% do not file complaints.