Chapter 16; Flying Blind
Chapter 16
Ink Scroll appeared calm as he strode across the solid oak floor of the courtroom, passing just before the witness stand several times before he turned to face it, a relaxed look alighting upon his features as he surveyed the pony giving testimony.
“Now, please, Mr. Nights. Would you care to explain for the court your involvement with the events in concern?”
Cloudy Nights returned the gaze with a bored expression. He glanced once at his watch before clearing his throat. “I am the manager of The Cloud Nine Inn, and I have been so for nearly twelve years now.”
“And your establishment is, I’m taken to believe, rather well revered, no?”
The greying pony snorted, leaning back in his chair with a dry chuckle. “You’d be making an understatement, then. My business is considered the premier hotel in all of Cloudsdale. None of the competition even comes close, and they know it. I’ve made sure of that.”
“Please, let us try to keep our focus on only what is pertinent to the case.” His admonition met with only silence, the lawyer turned and began pacing once again. He kept the tension in the room suspended on air as he slowly made his way back to the bench—all eyes rooted to his every movement—like a master conductor orchestrating his ensemble. He relished the feeling. “Now. So your hotel is a success, congratulations. I suppose that means you must receive many high-profile, well-known clientele, no?”
“Naturally.”
“Including the Wonderbolts.”
“Many times over.”
“Splendid. So I would not be wrong to say the Wonderbolts are regular customers of yours, especially between shows?”
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Cloudy Nights rolled his eyes. “No. You would not be wrong to say so.”
“Excellent.” Ink Scroll nodded his satisfaction. “Which brings us to the events that occurred almost four weeks ago. Would you care to illustrate for the court the proceedings of that day at your hotel?”
Letting slip a sigh, Cloudy Nights leaned forward and crossed his hooves upon the stand. “They booked several rooms for the night, almost the whole top floor was booked solid. Ostensibly, it was enough beds for every member of the team.”
“And what do you mean by that?”
“I mean exactly as I say. It’s what The Wonderbolts do; they book enough rooms for the whole team, but invariably most of them never even use them. They’ll spend the night at the bar.”
“The whole night?”
“Most of it, if not all. It’s a pattern of theirs—if they want to celebrate winning some competition, or putting on a good show, or whatever else. I’ve been around that block many times; like I said, they’re regular customers of mine.”
“And does this bother you? The late-night parties? The empty rooms? Surely there must be better uses for your hotel’s resources?”
“Of course it doesn’t bother me. It’s great business for both the hotel and the bar. That’s why I ordered the lounge stay open later that night. I knew there was going to be a celebration as soon as I caught wind that they were looking to sign a new member. That’s the pattern; a new Wonderbolt means extra revenue from alcohol sales. I consider it as good business as anything else. Of course, Spitfire wouldn’t confirm any rumors when she booked the stay, but I take high stock in the reliability of my sources.”
“Interesting. Is it normal for the team captain herself to reserve rooms?”
“Spitfire?” The businesspony waved a dismissive hoof idly before him, “She’s usually pretty good about giving a few days’ advance warning; face-to-face, even. I like that.”
“So you heard about this several days before the night in question?”
“Of course.”
“Surprising. I’m taken to believe Miss Dash was not inducted into the team until that morning, and yet you assumed there would be a celebration?”
“Listen. In my business, it doesn’t pay to assume things. I know things.”
“You’re saying you knew that Miss Rainbow Dash—”
“She was a shoe in. That’s what I heard the whole week prior; a shoe in.”
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Five-o-clock is always the most important part of any day. Long after the sun has risen, bathing Cloudsdale in its sublime light for the better part of the day before beginning its long journey beyond the western horizon. That’s when the day really begins. Then, working ponies kick off their shackles and stumble towards dusk, looking for rest, and weary travellers seek an end to their day’s journey. Then, the afternoon rush begins, the most vital time of day for any hotel, when guests looking to check in, rooms ready to be filled, and a staff ready to serve all converge in a mad scramble of activity and commerce.
Cloudy Nights cast his glance downwards, meeting his reflection in the varnish of the desktop. He flashed himself a grin. The surface was polished to a pristine mirror finish, as it always was, and everything was in place. Five-o-clock, time for the first guests to arrive. The day was about to start.
At first, only sporadic results—here, an affluent Manhattan or Canterlot family looking to spend a weekend in the city, there, a few businessponies, checking into their rooms before an important meeting. Small fodder, really. The big prize came almost an hour later.
At first sight, a few hushed whispers sounded around him before all fell to silence. The air in the room was still as everypony’s heads turned to fix upon the high glass doors, as if the empty lobby itself were holding its breath in anticipation. A group of ponies, dressed to the nines in Air Royal Guard service dress, sauntered in, their mere presence commanding attention. At their center, her eyes wide and wandering, her wings twitching and jittery with excitement, Rainbow Dash seemed overwhelmed, as if she couldn’t possibly mange to take in every single little detail of this novel experience, but was certainly going to try anyway.
Cool and collected, Spitfire stepped up to the counter, letting her sunglasses slip down her nose just enough so she could glance over the rim at the manager. “Everything ready for us, Cloudy?”
“Your rooms on the top floor are being prepared as we speak, and a section of the lounge has been reserved to your liking as usual, Miss Spitfire.”
“Perfect. Always a pleasure doing business with you, Cloudy.”
“Of course. We do value our loyal customers here at the Cloud Nine.”
Spitfire rolled her eyes as she and the rest of the Wonderbolts strode away towards the lounge, a few loosening their ties in anticipation of the night to come. Rainbow Dash lingered behind the group, her eyes tracking to every inch of the high, vaulted cloud ceiling in unabashed wonderment. There was something strange about her, something puzzling, an almost childlike innocence that the manager felt almost as much as saw.
But yet, here was another customer, and he broke eye contact with the retreating performers, returning his attention to the work ahead of him. He had always been of the opinion that a manager’s place in a hotel was right behind the front desk. From here, he controlled the front of the house—keeping an eye on every employee, interfacing with every guest, keeping every facet of the operation running as smoothly his hoof across a silk duvet. After all, what better face to use as the face of his business than his own? Under his watchful eye, a steady stream of clientele flowed through the high vaulted lobby, a veritable cross section of the upper echelons of Equestrian Society. A dark-coated unicorn, hair slicked back and sporting a set of pristine, glittering gossamer wings and a gambler’s grin—his confident smirk borne of inherited wealth. A stoic, no-nonsense captain of industry, his gaze steely and cold, a jet-black, gold-accented suitcase held tightly at his side. A wizened old pegasus, a gruff tautness about his hard-set jaw and a blushing, smiling, giggling filly half his age hanging off his shoulder. They all had lives to lead. They all had secrets they needed kept. And each paid well to ensure they would be.
The night was winding down by the time a young clerk arrived for the late shift. Cloudy Nights stole a glance at his watch. Eleven-o-clock. Right on time, as should be expected. The manager allowed himself a small smile; everything running as smooth as silk indeed.
The path to his suite on the ground floor invariably took him past the arched double doors leading into the hotel lounge. Maybe it could just be chalked up to his perennially inquisitive nature, but it was a detour he could not resist taking.
In the daytime, the lounge was designed to be light and airy. Hoof-sculpted cloud columns set beneath soaring archways that raced their way up to a ceiling of wispy cirrus so thin it functioned as a skylight, letting the sunlight through the bathe the entire room. At night, however, the relatively low light of countless stars became scattered by thousands of tiny ice crystals in the same fragile, vaporous ceiling, setting the entire room alight in innumerable shafts of shifting dim light. The architecture had been tailor made to exude a sense of elegance, a grace and sophistication usually reserved for formal dinners and private dances, but which remained all the same for a group of unruly fliers and their post-tryout merriment.
As the doors swung open upon the scene, the first thing to catch Cloudy Nights’ eye was Spitfire, slumped glumly at one of the booths a good distance from the bar, her head cradled in her hooves. The air filled with the sound of clinking glasses as the manager strode over to her, casting only a fleeting sideways glance at the bar patrons. “Everything alright, Miss Spitfire?”
“Urrgh.” The mare groaned, picking up her head just enough to rest her chin on her fore legs. “Just… just feeling a bit under the weather, I guess.” She squinted her eyes shut.
“Had a bit much to drink, I presume?”
She grimaced. “I only wish. I haven’t even had a drop.”
“ No? Well then. I’m terribly sorry, Miss Spitfire. Must be that bug going around.”
“Great. This sorta thing never happens to me, either.” She frowned, casting a sidelong glance at her teammates while massaging her temple. “I think I’ll hit the sack. Sticking around down here probably won’t do me much good anyway.”
“The elevator's over—”
“I know where the elevator is.” She snapped. Just in that moment, a raucous cheer drew both ponies’ attention very suddenly to the bar, where the gathered Wonderbolts now raised their glasses into the air, singing their unanimous approval. At the center of the group, looking like she were lost to the world around her, Rainbow Dash had been pulled deep into a sloppy, drunken kiss by a stallion they quickly registered as Soarin’. It was far less than a glamorous sight. Spitfire grimaced. “Ugh. Now I just know I’m gonna hurl.”
==============================================================
“And that’s all you saw of the incident?”
“Nothing more. I don’t make it my business to snoop on other ponies, but from what I saw, it seemed innocuous enough.”
Twilight Sparkle sighed, glancing from the manager over to the jury and back again, and furrowed her brow. Ever since the opposing lawyer had finished his questioning, leaving only her and her cross-examination, she had been unable to produce any new testimony, or any nuance on the business pony’s story. She couldn’t afford to stay silent for long, however. Time to change tactics. “Well, I’d like to talk about the day after, then. How did the police investigation proceed?”
“Excuse me?”
“The police investigation into your establishment. Would you care to comment on that?”
“It went like clockwork. The Cloud Nine Inn always cooperates fully with the Equestrian Police.”
“Is that so?”
“Certainly.”
“Hmm… ok, then.” Twilight smiled inwardly, turning from the bench and pacing back to her table. As she stooped over it, leafing through a few of the papers she had prepared, she became acutely aware of a bead of sweat, slipping slowly down her face, right past her left eye. In the space of a few seconds, she was stuck between whether to wipe it away or leave it for somepony to potentially see. Then, there was the paper she was looking for, and she turned around, holding it in front of her, hoping no one was watching her all that closely. She coughed once, regaining her composure. “Really? Because I have a copy of the police report right here; and according to this, some of your employees were less than cooperative.”
Cloudy Nights stared down at the mare for a moment, blinked a few times, and then settled back into his seat with a frown. “I don’t know what you’re trying to insinuate here, but my employees are professionals. The idea that they’d have any involvement in this is…”
“I’m not insinuating anything. I can even quote right from this police report,” Twilight asserted coolly, rifling through the pages in front of her. “Officer Wing Beat, who authored the report, writes here that ‘several employees, the cleaning staff in particular, seemed tentative, hesitant, and even evasive when interviewed—as if they were afraid to divulge information.’ Would you care to comment on that?”
“I should think you would be quite nervous too, Miss Sparkle, should you suddenly find yourself interrogated by police over doing nothing more than your job. I see no issue here.”
“It’s this phrase ‘afraid to divulge information’ that concerns me. Tell, me where do you think that fear may have come from?”
“I imagine many of them may have thought they were risking arrest themselves. A hardly inconceivable notion.”
“Yet, Mr. Nights, what I find most puzzling is that this officer, who is undoubtedly a veteran of numerous interviews with witnesses at numerous crime scenes, marked such behavior as odd, and out-of-the ordinary. Now, what do you think made employees of your hotel act in such a way as to come across as strange to a veteran officer?”
The manager appeared to mull over his reply for a few moments, before slowly responding. “I don’t know what your officer thought he was seeing, but I can assure you I find any nervous behavior on the part of my staff entirely justified given the circumstances.”
Twilight Sparkle didn’t miss a beat. “Do you consider yourself a good manager, Mr. Nights?”
“My hotel has been constantly regarded as the top of its class for years under my direction.”
“And what about your employees? Would you say they could come to you with any problem? How do you strive to foster a friendly work environment?”
“I hardly see what relevance this line of questioning has to the topic at hoof.”
“I disagree. In fact, it seems to me that your relentless drive for perfection for your business has made your employees afraid to reveal anything potentially that might besmirch the good name of the Cloud Nine Inn. Even if what they know might help a police investigation. The officer mentions that they seemed unnaturally uneasy giving almost any information whatsoever, and that makes me think they must have feared for their employment. Would you disagree with this sentiment?”
“Absolutely. Having an observant and discerning staff is critical to the success of the entire business. I am fully confident that any member of my staff would come to me should they observe anything potentially damaging.”
Twilight flipped through the police report once more, before settling on a particularly satisfactory page. “Let’s talk about that observation. A key section of this report notes that the forensics team sent to your hotel was unable to glean any evidence from the rooms used by the Wonderbolts that night. The linens were changed, and the rooms essentially scrubbed clean.”
“Our cleaning staff is nothing if not thorough.”
“Right. The report also mentions that your staff seemed particularly unforthcoming about this process, and what they might have seen before cleaning. Do you suppose there might be any reason for this?”
The greying pony sat up straighter in his chair. “Look, my hotel caters to a clientele made up of the very wealthy and the very famous—ponies who will pay handsomely for their privacy. As such, neither I, nor any of my employees, are in the business of spreading rumors or creating gossip. I’ve seen it all, high-profile affairs, mistresses, and other untoward behavior. I know enough not to concern myself in these matters, and my employees know not to ask questions. It comes with the business. That’s how you build a reputation for yourself among these ponies, by keeping secrets. I’m sure my cleaning staff has seen plenty evidence of risqué nighttime goings-on. The trick is that they’re not fazed by it. Like I said, it all comes with the business.”
“So, would this culture of secret-keeping spread so far as to potentially cover-up, whether intentionally or not, evidence at a legitimate crime scene?”
The stallion took his time to craft an answer. Twilight could almost see his teeth gnashing behind his calm façade. “No. Not to the best of my knowledge.”
It was all she could do not to break out in a wide grin. She had him right where she wanted. “Mm hm. One final question. When a crime is committed, might your staff be too concerned with keeping secrets to say anything about it? To the police, or even to you?”
A smirk curled its way into the witness’s wiry mouth. “I should think the fact that my staff did not come to me with any such suspicion only casts doubt on such a crime ever having occurred.”
==============================================================
Twilight returned to her table, her face printed with ill-ease. Rainbow Dash caught her eye and offered a weak smile, still trying to ignore the burning sensation of hundreds of sets of eyes fixed on the back of her head. “You… you really had him sweating there.”
Twilight Sparkle sighed. “Yeah. I wish. I think he got the better of that last exchange. I should have stopped before the last question.”
“I think you did fine…” Rainbow Dash paused, something akin to a grin flashing across her features for a brief instant. “For an egghead.”
Twilight beamed, lifted by nothing more than the chance to see something more of the old Rainbow Dash shine through under such unimaginable pressure, even if only for a brief instant. “Well, don’t count your eggheads before they hatch.”
“So what happens now?”
As if in answer to her question, Ink Scroll strode up to the stand, immediately and silently calling all attention to him. “Defense calls Whiskey Sour to the stand.”
From somewhere off in the wings, a dull brown pegasus stallion with a neatly trimmed ruddy orange mane and coarse crop of a rough beard to match stepped up to the witness stand. Beady black eyes regarded the lawyer with a gaze that spoke of careful consideration and a measured confidence.
“You are Mr. Whiskey Sour, of Cloudsdale?”
“O’ course I am.”
“And you are aware that you are under oath; that you must speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“Aye. I understand.”
“Good. Now, you work as the bartender at Cloudsdale’s Cloud Nine Inn, correct?”
“One of ‘em, yes.”
“And you were working the night in question, were you not?”
“That’s right.”
“Wonderful. Now, as long as we’re on the subject, I’d like to talk about your boss for a moment. Do you and your colleagues find Mr. Nights to be an approachable pony? Do you feel he fosters an open and honest work environment?”
Without missing a beat, the witness’s eyes found those of the stallion in question in the crowd. He furrowed his brow, remaining silent while he endured the look his boss cast him.
“Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough.” Ink Scroll continued even without receiving an answer. “Do you feel that—say you discovered something potentially harmful to the hotel, evidence of some crime, perhaps—you would be comfortable to approach Mr. Nights with your concerns without fear of termination or other repercussions?”
He was silent again; his gaze shifting from the manager to the lawyer and back again. He kept a gruff indifference about him.
“Please answer the question, Mr. Sour.”
“Mr. Nights is a fair an’ honest stallion, and I trust him.”
“Excellent. Thank you.”
==============================================================
In a way, the bartender appreciated the odd hours and long nights of his job more than most other ponies would. He didn't mind sleeping through most of the day to pick up a shift in the early evening. The night served as a kind of inspiration to him, and from his place behind the bar he could look up through the thin ceiling and see an endless black sky painted overhead. While the days in the pegasus city were bright, noisy and hectic, the nights offered a reprieve, cool, slow, serene, a time for quiet contemplation.
At least, when the bar wasn’t filled with rowdy patrons, and the Wonderbolts were certainly no exception. Whiskey Sour had plenty enough experience dealing with the brash fly-ponies to know just what to expect when Cloudy Nights informed him of having booked the lounge for them. He only hoped they would stumble off in a drunken stupor early enough to allow him at least some peace and quiet.
“Barkeep!” A raucous voice called, sounding like an off-tune instrument shattering the perfect symphony of his quiet night. “Put a round on me to start. We got a lot of celebratin’ to do.”
Whiskey looked up from a glass he had been absently polishing to see the group smartly clad ponies stream in, the one who had called to him from the door heading straight for the bar.
“Hold it, Soarin’.” The big stallion paused as one of his companions came up from behind him, reaching out to roughly slap his back. “I got this round, old friend. This is for all the good years.”
Soarin’ flashed the other a wry smile. “On you, eh Rapidfire? Goin’ out with a bang?”
“Somethin’ like that. Just wanted to thank you crazy featherbrains for the best years of my life.”
“Don’t mention it.” Soarin’ laughed, trotting off to take a seat with the rest of the team. He plopped himself down just next to a rather skittish-looking rainbow-maned pegasus, throwing his foreleg around the mare’s withers and pulling her up against his side. A furious blush broke out on her cheeks. “Just don’t forget this party isn’t just for you, old-timer!”
A chorus of cheers arose from the assembled ponies, though none noticed their captain wince at the noise, taking the opportunity to fall back to one of the booths across the lounge.
Rainbow Dash retreated back to her own chair as Soarin’ finally released her, coughing a few times and trying to hide the growing reddish tint on her face. The older stallion chuckled warmly and thumped her shoulder with a hoof. “Whaddya say then, kiddo?”
“Nothing, I mean… wow. This is just… wow.”
“Struck speechless, eh?” Soarin’ laughed, gesturing to the bartender to get the first round started. “Don’t worry. We’ll see if a few drinks won’t loosen that tongue right up. Let’s get a few beers over here to start!”
As the night and the alcohol poured on, tongues certainly did become looser, and inhibitions lower, and the mare was laughing and joking with the rest of her newfound teammates. The drinks kept coming as the hours slipped away, and she soon found herself leaning up against her neighbor just to keep herself upright.
On Soarin’s other side, Fleetfoot giggled, lightly prodding his shoulder. “Don’t look now, you big lug, but I think you two make a pretty cute couple.”
“Really?” The stallion snickered, his gaze sweeping up and down the cyan mare’s lithe form. “I might jussst have to do somethin’ ‘bout that.” He deftly ran a hoof through the younger mare’s mane, bringing her to stir and look up at him—or at least tried to. It seemed a struggle for her to focus her pupils correctly, and she eventually settled to return a half-glazed stare back up at Soarin’. Soarin’ flashed a drunken grin her way. “I can’t remember if I ever told you… what pretty eyes you have.”
For some reason, she seemed to find this funny to no end, and broke out in a fit of giggles that descended into an inelegant combination of a snort and a few hiccups as she tried to maintain some control. “F-fanks.”
“Tell me shomethin’. Are you… are you feeling the same thing I’m feeling?”
“I don… buh. Wuh—”
He didn’t even let her finish. In the next instant, his muzzle was pressed up against hers. Her eyes flew wide for the briefest of instants, as if a sudden moment of clarity had snapped through her. And then it was gone. Her eyes slid closed, and she just fell into the kiss, her body slumping against his as if no longer under her control.
A drunken cheer rose up around them, and the bartender turned away, focusing his attention back on polishing glasses. And he just shook his head.
==============================================================
“So, let me get this straight,” Twilight Sparkle strode briskly past the witness’s stand, making a concerted effort not to let the impassioned rage nipping at her conscious slip into her speech, “You stood by and watched as the defendant made to kiss Rai—my client, without her having given any sort of consent?”
“I make a point not to involve meself with the affairs o’ hotel guests, but that is what I saw, ma’am.”
“And did you think… at any point, did the thought ever occur to you, to intervene?”
“No. Like I said, it aren’t my job to involve myself with hotel guests. Outside o’ a dangerous situation, I’m just not supposed to.”
“So at no point did you consider this situation dangerous?”
“No disrespect, ma’am, but I work in a bar. That right there, what happened between those two, I’ve seen it a thousand times before, and I’ll see it a thousand times again ‘fore my time’s up. Doesn’t even make me raise an eye anymore, it’s just a part o’ the job.”
“It doesn’t concern you to see a mare, in your own bar no less, inebriated beyond the point of coherence and potentially beyond the point of safety, become the target of a sexual advance against her judgment and will? This doesn’t bother you?”
“I don’t mean to seem callous, ma’am, but it’s just like I said. It weren’t nothing I hadn’t seen before, and nothing I won’t see again.”
“Do you consider it an important part of your profession to prevent customers from making brash decisions while heavily intoxicated?”
“For my job, what I’m supposed to do is serve drinks. Aside from that; I’m supposed to be invisible. That’s what customers expect. O’ course I’ll cut them off if they’ve had too much, but otherwise, I’m not to interfere. What they do is their business.”
Twilight Sparkle fell silent for a few seconds, regarding the gruff, detached stallion with a keen eye. “Are you married, Mr. Sour?”
The stallion paused, considering her with a guarded look. “Divorced, actually.”
“I see. I’m sorry to hear that. How about a family; do you have any children at all?”
Another pause. “I got a daughter. She’s off at University in Manehattan.”
“Right. Now tell me, if you please. What if that had been her? What if your daughter had been at the bar that night? Would you have liked what you saw then?”
“No, ma’am. I can’t say I would.”
“I didn’t think so, Mr. Sour. I don’t think you would have liked it at all.”
=============================================================
Evening fell over the city like a blanket. In another bar, many miles from Cloudsdale but just across the street from Canterlot Courthouse, Twilight Sparkle nursed a gin and tonic and a headache. She had come to the Crowne Tavern in pursuit of salvation, something to wash away the bad taste left behind by the trial’s first day and make her feel somewhat herself again. Half a drink and half an hour had only bought her a raw dose of self-doubt.
What could she have done differently? What should she have pressed harder on? What shouldn’t she have asked? The questions swirled about in her mind, ducking, dancing every which way, impossible to keep track of. She stared down at her drink, absently watching the ripples that scattered across the surface with every little vibration, unable to take a sip.
She knew she probably should have just gone back to the castle, and that her friends were probably wondering where she had gotten to, but she needed to be alone. Somewhere, in the back of her mid, she knew it would be better to get some rest to prepare for the second day of the trial, but she needed to clear her head first.
In another moment, a voice rose up over the din of the bar, right behind her. “Well, I must say. Quite the surprise to see you here.” Twilight groaned, immediately recognizing it without even turning around.
The mare propped her head against with a hoof as Ink Scroll occupied the seat next to her. “The feeling is mutual.”
“Oh, no. I’m here after every case of mine. This old place is my favorite spot to unwind after a long day.” He glanced down the bar, “Speaking of which—Oi, Blue!” he called, catching the burly bartender’s eye. “I’ll have the usual. And a second of whatever she’s having, on me.”
Twilight winced. “Oh, please. Don’t even bother.”
“Come now,” the lawyer chuckled. “I’m just trying to be sociable. I fear we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof earlier.”
“And whatever gave you that impression?”
He smirked. “Beats me. I thought I was a pretty likeable guy.” Twilight shot a frown at him, and the stallion’s grin faded. He paused for a second as the drinks were delivered, looking pensive. Then he sighed. “Can I be serious with you here, for just a moment, would you listen?”
“It might be a nice change of pace.”
“Ok, look. I don’t really know what idea you have of me, but I meant what I said the other day. I’m really not a bad guy.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Do tell.”
“Honestly. It may seem strange, but this…” he gestured to himself, “All of this; the fancy suit, the jokes, the strutting around the courtroom like I own the place, it’s all for the jury’s sake. It’s a part of the job, nothing more.”
“Why do I find that so hard to believe?”
“Believe it or don’t, all I’m saying is it’s just a job.”
“Do you like what you do? You know, the representing criminals and liars, the ruining ponies’ lives?”
“You have a sharp tongue, Miss Sparkle. Don’t look now, but you might make a better lawyer than you might think.” He chuckled briefly, “In all seriousness, though. I was impressed today. You’re doing remarkably well, especially for a rookie.”
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
He shrugged. “It pays the bills. But there’s a certain sense of justice to it, too. That’s what I like most. A lot of your ‘criminals and liars’ get pre-judged by the court of public opinion before they even get a fair trial. It’s nice to now that they have somepony to turn to who can help make their story heard and stand with them. I like being that pony.”
“Even though sometimes they really are just criminals?”
“I’ve been wrong a few times. But I’m right more often than that.”
“Not this time.”
“No?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Let me ask you a question, Miss Sparkle.” He countered, stroking his chin in thought. “Do you really, truly, find it so impossible, so inconceivable, that my client could in fact be the innocent victim of a misunderstanding?”
“You didn’t see Rainbow Dash when she came home that night. You couldn’t possibly understand her pain. He’s absolutely guilty.”
“See, I’m not saying that you, or your friend, are lying, but don’t you think there is a possibility this whole situation could have been misinterpreted? We know they both got fairly drunk, so let’s say something happens that she regrets. But, maybe through a hazy memory or intense shame, she chalks the incident up as a rape, and my client gets unfairly blamed. I’ve seen it happen before.”
“No. Not Rainbow Dash. You don’t even know her! How could you possibly try to say that…”
The lawyer held up his hooves. “Easy. All I’m saying is there’s enough grey area for me to argue reasonable doubt, and I think, in the end, the jury will agree.”
“For her sake I hope you’re wrong.”
“Well then, a toast.” He raised his glass; Twilight made no move to reciprocate. He shrugged, “May justice prevail.” In one fluid motion, he tossed his drink back, smacking his lips as he did so. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Sparkle.”
She waited until the sound of him leaving faded away behind her, and then the faint ringing of a bell signaled his exit. She let out a deep sigh, letting her head fall so her chin rested upon the smooth, polished mahogany surface. For a long while, she stared at the pair of glasses sitting before her, one half emptied, the other full. Finally, she nudged them aside. They wouldn’t have done her any good anyway.
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Mr. Nights is lying through his teeth and Ink Scroll is a snake.
I'll say it again if I need to.
~Skeeter The Lurker
GOD DANG IT MOAR
It's obvious the staff is covering for them. Their jobs were probably threatened, and there was probably a lot of bribery going on. This whole thing just makes me want to rip Soarin to shreds.
I rejoice at the path you chose to take Ink Scroll. The fact that that you indeed heard our output and did not make Ink Scroll an asshole just because he's representing Soarin' is wonderful and very realistic. Twilight's observation is correct, but the same could be said about her and Rainbow Dash. I think you are toying with our preconcepts here, since we're biased into supporting Rainbow even when we can't actually prove it.
And I like it! A lot! If I may, the comments are as much a part of this story as the writing you did itself. It shows just how much you got your readers involved and also shows what I stated above. You deserve a pat on the back and a healthy, yet tasty, breakfast in bed. Some cigarettes too, if you're into them.
Take your time, Neumo. If all the next chapters are as good as this one, the wait will definitely be worth it.
AHHHHHHHH FEATURED!!! CONGRATULATIONS :D :D :D
And so we arrive at the heart of the legal quagmire. If two ponies get drunk, and getting drunk removes both their abilities to give consent, and they have sex, did a rape occur and if so, who committed it? The more light gets shed, the more reasonable doubt is revealed.
I'm still dying to see how this all ends, because honestly the writer wants you to believe the characters we're more familiar with are innocent, but that's just it, does the author of this story see our current suspect as guilty? Or will he throw a curveball, maybe it was Rapidfire, for all we know, it was Fluttershy (Stay out of my shed). These kinds of stories are the kind that keep me thinking about 'what if' instead of 'this is going to happen'.
I would have a hard time rating this story, or giving it any critique because I find little to nothing wrong with how it has been told, the plot (no pun intended, so don't even try) is a classic crime drama, court drama and mystery with a few twists thrown in, at one point we all suspected someone who was working with Twilight, now I see this as highly improbable... even if this Inkwell guy can be kind of a douche, he's a good representation of a defense lawyer and I'm satisfied with his response in the latest chapter.
Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see more of this.
9.5-10/10 so far, I can't bring myself to say 9.5, but I never give 10s... this one is making me consider giving my first.
MOAR!
Law and Order: SVU + Ponies = a great, if disturbing, story. Who knew.
Seriously, though, this is really good. I think you balanced the POV's and flashbacks just fine - at least, nothing felt off to me, and it all seemed to flow coherently. I quite like what you did with Ink Scroll - he's doing his job the best way he knows how. He doesn't have any personal attachment to those involved in the case like Twilight (or even the reader) so it makes sense that he takes the stance he does, even if he can come off as a smarmy jerk sometimes.
But still, given what we know so far - Rainbow basically passed out. If one drunk person is unconscious (or as good as) and the other is still cognizant enough to function (ie, kiss or go further - we still don't know how Rainbow got up to a room with Soarin) then its very clear that anything that may have happened after that point was automatically against Rainbow's consent. Even if she was half conscious and somehow ended up alone in a room with Soarin "of her own free will," if she gave any indication that his advances were unwelcome at any point in time, and he continues regardless, then its rape.
So basically, I still suspect the crap out of him.
Anywho, loving the court drama angle, and I look forward to the next bit, whenever its ready.
I mean can anypony see that the Staff is covering this up for the sake of their jobs....fore shame on them for not doing the right and honest thing.
Be sure to type a little slower. A common mistake when typing fast is to say "form" instead of "from"
please update when you can as this is one heck of an interesting story
Thank you SO much for posting! Loved this chapter a bunch and can't wait for the next ^.^
3504495 Well, I guess we won't know until we go further into this story.
3504495 Like this?
fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/334/5/2/kanye_west__jay_z__rainbow_dash__and_rarity_by_deddsett-d5moowj.jpg
You don't give yourself enough credit. I enjoyed this chapter and I'm glad that this story didn't die. Please take however long you need to wirte. It's worth waiting for a story like this.
I agree, it was worth the wait and you shouldn't doubt yourself. I can't wait to see how this ends.
3495270
your bullshit detector didn't go off at Whiskey Sour's answer towards Mr. Nights "being a approachable pony?"
I only point this out since the cleaning crew are the ones that will help make or break this case (seeing as how they just may know more then they are letting on) and if they are in fear of serious repercussions from their boss, it only makes sense they would try to hide the truth. First thing Twilight has to do is break down Cloudy Nights lies with the first round of questioning (wonder how many rounds Twilight has?) so she could put the screws on them all the harder under re-examination. How she does this, I'm left wondering...
3519725
How exactly will the cleaning crews make or break it? The case is all about consent, and whether either Dash or Soarin were able to give it. Unless the cleaning crews followed the two around and could show that Soarin held Dash down against her will, they're pretty useless.
The best they can do is show that they cleaned up evidence, which, given the fact that they couldn't know a crime occurred, isn't illegal. That evidence won't magically come back. Alternatively, they could show that hotel management and the Wonderbolts tried to cover it up, but that has two issues. 1) Twilight would have to show that Soarin was directly involved in the coverup, as the defense could argue that Spitfire, in her flu-compromised condition, simply panicked and, far more severe, 2) the witness would have to admit to committing perjury. Admitting to committing perjury essentially destroys any credibility you have.
It's moot anyway. Twilight can't call any "surprise witnesses" (other cleaning staff) (the discovery phase of the trial is over). If she did, then the defense could request a mistrial, or, if Soarin was convicted, he'd have a big fat juicy appeal sitting in front of him. She could recall the witness, but again, that presents the perjury problem.
This is shaping up to be an interesting story. Especially because it's updating (presumably) again. Don't worry, you hit the nail on the head. Great chapter. Please, new chapters would be appreciated.
I wish applejack had been raped, as then you could just use the element of honesty excuse
3499464
For shame? If your job and, by extension, your entire livelihood, your family if you have one and your otherwise stabilized life were threatened like that, you'd probably do the same thing. I'm not proud of it, but if it means that my entire life isn't upheaved in one fluid motion, I'd probably be covering some tracks, too.
That's the thing about blind justice; She can't read faces to tell if someone's lying and occasionally swings her sword in the wrong direction.
But Soarin's still got a death sentence hanging over his head if the courts don't punish him for this. Hooray for sharp objects!
3552316
Okay then, how would anyone tell their children of how their parent LIED TO KEEP THEIR JOB!!!
3557050
Why would you tell your kid about that? Do you want to prematurely destroy their childhood? It takes time to get used to stuff like that.
If you're implying that the parents would be proud to have done such a thing and would happily explain it to their kids, let me reiterate: It's not something they do by choice. If the parents told the truth and got fired, who would suffer? Not just them, but their children. As in, the same ones who would have parents who lied to keep their jobs.
When faced with the potential prospect of losing the income necessary to pay the bills, buy food and keep a roof over their heads of, again, not just themselves, but their family, their hands (or hooves) are tied. And if you think that they can just 'get a new job' how many places are both looking for work and ready to hire someone who's resume can be summed up as either 'housekeeper' or 'bartender?' On top of that, those jobs don't pay much, so they probably won't have enough savings to simply budget and wait for a new job opening to come up. Plus the uncertainty of getting said job, since someone is pretty much never the only applicant when a job is offered.
Yes, the parent will probably end up lying. But do we really need to bring a kid into all of this? If so, why?
3557209
The reason the kid is involved is because of the whole moral/inspirational aspect of being a parent. Let's say the kid looks up to the parent and then they learned about this, what will the parent do next to justified their actions, as well as brining up the child in question ?
3557417
Thanks to the 'lovable' little area of morality that's gray, it's unlikely that the kid will understand why the parent did what they did. At best, the parent will have to admit what they did and try to explain it to their child, but it may or may not go through, depending on the kid's maturity.
The best the parent can hope for is to get the child to see it from their point of view, likely with the 'sometimes you do bad things for good reasons' excuse. Preferably, they'll hug, the kid will forgive their parent, the mood in the house will be somber for a day or two and everything goes back to normal.
At worst, the kid will be angry for a while until they figure out that life isn't as black and white as our younger selves like to believe. I just hope the kids aren't too young to be exposed to stuff like that.
To author please tell me when the next on is coming out because this story is the best of all story's ive come across.
3526109ya know I never thought of that
There are a few flaws and plot hax but overall it's a decent story.
3692120
Really?
You wouldn't mind pointing them each out individually, would you? Because, as no one else has seen any, if you don't bother being specific, there's nothing I can do to fix them.
3695594
Sure I do not mind pointing them out.
This is one of the few that stands out to me and kinda bugs me because that is not really how a case system works. For example when you are called for jury duty it takes three days to pick them because the attorneys will take turns picking out people that won't cause a bias vote in the end. If the case is about a elderly murder, the attorney will send the elderly people home. Because they do not want them to sympathy the victim. So having a close friend as the defendant kinda mess up the whole system a bit. But than again I do not know the system in equestria so I may be totally wrong.
3696337
But, in the same respect, let's say I'm looking for an attorney in the real world. I could pick the most expensive one, some guy I've never met before, out of the hopes that they would be the most likely to win the case for me.
Or, let's say I have a friend or family member who is a practicing attorney and is also willing to give e a cut rate, or I just happen to trust them more. I can still pick them as my attorney, as it's ultimately my decision.
kay this story is pretty good. vyer itnersted in how it is going out............ kinda question celestia being incapable of diong anything. i would imagine she would have some form of loophole to exploit if circumstances prevent the ruling to be fairly carried out.
am wondering how there could be that major a doubt in teh case. if soarin didn't rape her then someone did. it was less her getting confused and more someone actually assaulted her. mistake sex does not end with the victim injured, bruised, and bleeding like that, even if she was a virgin. let alone that level of traumatized.
only other possibility i can think of is that someone assaulted rainbow dash afterwards. but who?
3774222 [youtube=6VX7U2eL5m4]
3865851
It's a bit of a given, really.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Ok, skipping through all the comments because I know you bastards spoiled the entire damn story, even though I'm on the most recent chapter.
This is a hell of a story to come back to. Even though I'd put it down a long time ago, it sucked me right back in as soon as I started reading again. Magnificent, absolutely magnificent work, Neumo. Mighty glad this is the story I decided to make my first read after such a long hiatus.
Wonder how this is gonna end, though... Christ, this'd fit into one of my own stories, but I'm worried about writing an arc around this since I really doubt I could do it justice. This is just plain art.
*Glances around.*
So, anyone gonna make this into a PyWright case? Seriously. Even though it'd be majorly story driven from the start, the case itself'd be fucking TENSE.
3867819
Indeed. Wonder how PyWright works, actually? Heh. We could actually probably make this into a case for that...
Oh lordy, the tension. Wonder whose perspective it'd even follow, though? Phoenix Wright games rarely follow other perspectives than the main character.
3869959 Well, tragedy doesn't have to mean that the end is tragic. Just that tragedy happens within the story.
3522084
Gotta love these kinds of stories, right?
3495270
There is one question I've got, though. Varying blood chemistry between Rainbow and Soarin' might shed some light on how much alcohol they both consumed.
What if there was a difference? What if Soarin' could really be proven to still be sound of mind? If there WAS a significant difference between their alcohol intakes (such as Soarin' holding back while he kept Rainbow going on her own drinking), that could throw some doubt on reasonable deniability.
There's still so many questions though! Still, I figure the blood chemistry path could at least reveal something. And if this is anything like what we've seen in Phoenix Wright, Twilight's only got two days more to convince the judge, and the jury...
Hoo boy. Can't wait to see where this goes! But all the same.
Christ... this may really just be a misunderstanding. Rainbow and Soarin' just having some drunken fun, and Rainbow regrets it. Wait... didn't this rape allegation begin with her friends anyway?
Oh shit.
3870338
Unless a blood alcohol test was performed immediately--which it wasn't--there's no way of determining the levels of alcohol in their bodies as the body filters the alcohol out. Even if they did, perform a test, impairment isn't determined by the alcohol level. It's a good indicator, but it's not absolute. Some people can have a .16 level, and still be perfectly lucid and coherent.
Barring some kind of magic (memory spell, honestly spell, etc) which would probably be highly unethical and not be authorized by the court system, there'd be no way of determining what really happened that night, given the impairment of both and Dash's seeming acceptance of Soarin's overtures. Hence, the reasonable doubt.
3870338 3873789
^This.
Basically, all the court has to go on is witness testimony on how much Soarin' and Dash drank, although I imagine the hospital would've run a BAC test on RD when Twilight brought her in. Although, given that she didn't reach hospital until a few hours after the incident occurred, I'm not sure how reliable those results would be.
Speaking of which, I'm in the final look-over mode for the last chapter, so I'll send it off to my editor hopefully soon and with any luck have the next part out by Monday.
3873789
I both love and hate how Twilight's case is basically hanging by a thread, and everything regarding plausibility is completely up in the air. So many different interpretations to this case and the events that brought it to light!
Still, there's gotta be some way... hmmm... the case does stink of reasonable doubt. Is there an angle Twilight could look at the case from? Rainbow wasn't injured beyond her hymen being broken, witness testimony thus far has linked her to being (though not reasonably lucid) inviting of Soarin's advances. This really does hinge on a witness saying they saw or heard something different.
Could be anyone, though, and even then, it would probably just create more rumors... but, but, if a witness did come forward with a different story, and had reasonable clout behind it, it might throw the others off.
Doubt this story is gonna have a happy ending (damned Tragedy tag), so I figure this case is as good as done. Still, the tension is there, and it's wonderful.
3874247
Awesome. I need more reasons to stay by the computer at lunch. And the 'last chapter'? Is the court case only going to last another chapter or two, or have you just been holding out on us :p?
3875305
My mistake, should be read as "latest" chapter.
3875667
No worries. Can't wait to see it. You got a solid plan all the way up to the end, or are there still some grey areas?
3875746
I know where I want to take it and the major events on the way there. There are a few ideas I have that I'm not sure will resonate well, though, so I'll have to work out those kinks as I come to them.
3876088
I figure an author does more ironing out the kinks in their story than actual writing sometimes. At least that's what it feels like when I'm writing.
3875305
Except that couldn't really happen. The discovery phase of the trial has ended. During discovery, both prosecution and defense submit a list of the witnesses they want to call to the other. They then "depose," or interview the witnesses of the other side for hours, trying to poke holes in their story, get them to flub up, etc so that they can have something to use during the actual trial.
If Twilight were to use a "surprise witness" the judge would have two options. Either 1) Refuse to let the witness testify as the discovery phase is over, or 2) Let the defense depose the witness, a process that takes weeks. The defense would have ample time to counter the witness' testimony/poke holes in it during those weeks of deposition.
If the judge does neither, than the X Circuit Court of Appeals will probably play a major role in the sequel (assuming there is a sequel, of course).
3876088
Oh god, it's Exit Through Canterlot all over again. My jimmies are ready for a jostling.