Part III, Chapter 16 - Securing the Witness
Plea Bargain made haste upon exiting the courthouse. It was nearly suppertime, which meant that most ponies would be getting home from their day jobs and either themselves or the significant others who stayed at home would be preparing a meal for them or waiting to go have a meal out on the town. In the case of the filly's mother, he hoped for the former.
Making a quick stop at his office to take care of a few things, he then headed directly for the address that Raspberry had given him. As he walked, he drew up a list of questions that he wanted to ask her. He also was thinking of ways to persuade Mint Julep to allow her daughter to testify; the mare wasn't allowing it in fear that doing so would result in reprisal from the stallions and any accomplices that would assist them. That part of the process would be the most difficult hurdle to overcome at the moment.
After about ten minutes or so of walking, Plea had arrived at the apartment complex. The building was crafted from pieces of sapphire and amethyst, and went up about six floors, each having twelve apartments spread evenly across them. The apartment he was looking for appeared to be on the fourth floor. He took the stairs up and trudged across the balcony. He took the brief amount of time traveling to finish up the last few parts of his quickly conjured plan. He soon reached the specified apartment and took a deep breath, then knocked three times on the door.
"Who is it?" came a voice from inside.
"I'm here on an important legal matter, ma'am" Plea replied to the mare.
Two seconds later, a rather miffed looking mare opened the door and stared him down with daggers. "Listen, and for the last Celestia forsaken time, my daughter is not well enough to give any kind of legal testimony! She is seeing a psychologist to get over her fears of that horrible day and she still doesn't trust that it's me at night! She will not testify in that courtroom looking that bug in the face and have to relive those nightmares all over again! So, with all kindness that I can muster at the moment, please leave!"
The door was promptly slammed in Plea's face, causing the stallion to take a pause. She put up a good front, but he knew of a way he could at least get into the door. Again, he knocked on it three times.
Mint Julep again opened the door to tell the stallion to go away, but he beat her to the punch. "Ma'am, Raspberry has already spoken to me" Plea told her. "In fact, she insisted that I meet her at lunch time at her school. I went there and met with her and she told me that not only was she more than willing to testify, but that the only one keeping her from doing it was you."
Mint opened the door again to tell him to go away, but stopped the minute she saw the paper. It was a written note made by her daughter; she'd recognize the penmanship anywhere. The contents were straightforward: Raspberry identified herself, said she was willing to testify but her mom wouldn't let her, and it was because the stallions who "rescued" her had threatened her not to tell or else. Mint went from angry, to shocked, to fearful all in the span of just a few seconds. With no further argument, she undid the chain lock on the door and invited Plea to come in.
The apartment was bigger than some Plea had seen. The main room was the largest, and a counter divided the space into a sitting area and kitchen area. He could see a hallway with some doors along each side; bedrooms and a bathroom most likely. Mint walked away from the door and sat down on the sofa. Once sat down, she gestured for him to join her in another chair.
"I don't know what Raspberry told you," she began, "but she really hasn't been-"
Plea raised a hoof and cut her off. "Miss Julep," he interrupted, "Raspberry was not acting anything at all like foals who have experienced trauma like what she did. In fact, she seems to have gotten past it quite well."
Mint Julep glared at him. When she didn't offer a retort, Plea continued speaking.
"I'm going to cut straight to the point. You preventing your daughter from testifying has nothing to do with the changeling."
"How could it not?!" she asked indignantly, "My filly was almost taken by one of those monsters!"
Plea just looked at her for a second, then continued talking. "As I said, it has nothing to do with him."
"YES IT D-"
"This has something to do with the three stallions that came here to collect on your debts."
Mint was becoming more agitated, or at least that was what she showed outwardly. Inside, she was becoming more fearful. If this stallion went forward and investigated, then the stallions would assume she told on them, and terrible things would happen to her husband and Raspberry.
"I don't have time for-"
"I've already began looking into those stallions" Plea announced, playing the only trump card he had to play, and based on how the mare reacted, it had worked.
Mint didn't say anything. In all honesty, she couldn't. The stallion was already investigating the three stallions, and that would likely end in the guard being involved. They would be questioned at the least, and they would come after Raspberry for retribution. Any pretense of anger that Mint Julep had evaporated in that moment. Water quickly filled her eyes as she fell back into the sofa and began sobbing.
Plea looked at the mare with sympathy; he already had an idea of the kind of threat the three stallions had made against her and her family. He moved over next to Mint and placed a hoof on her back. "I know you're scared for your family, but I promise that nothing bad will happen to you or them. If you agree to let Raspberry take the stand, I can have you and Raspberry placed under protection, and your husband will have a guard watching him too. I don't want to see anypony hurt, but I can only make that request if you agree to cooperate with us."
"So please, let Raspberry tell her story to the court."
Mint sat there in silence for several minutes. Plea could tell she was weighing her options. As she was thinking, a familiar voice caught both of their attentions.
"Mom?"
Mint didn't react for a moment, but when she did, it wasn't what Plea was expecting.
"Raspberry!," she called out with an edge in her voice, "Come in here, please!"
A few moments later, the filly came into the room. As she came around the corner, she caught sight of her mother's eyes and almost immediately her ears folded down on her head.
"Young miss," her mother sternly scolded, "what did I say about talking to others about that day?"
"You said not to tell" came the filly's reply.
"Yes, I did." Mint says flatly. "Now, if I said that and you listen to and follow everything I say, why is this stallion here saying you want to talk about what happened?"
"Because I do!" replied Raspberry.
"Razzie, I told you-"
"No, mom!" Raspberry interrupts. "You want me not to talk because those mean ponies said they'd hurt us if we did. If we don't talk, they'll just keep hurting more ponies! Not to mention they want to get Mister Thorax in trouble!"
Mint puts a hoof to her head and sighs. "Raspberry, I know it's hard for you to understand, but what I'm doing and telling you to do is to protect you."
"My apologies for interrupting, ma'am," Plea says to Mint, "but if what your daughter has told me is true, then keeping quiet is probably the worst thing you could do."
The mare turns to him and looks at him in surprise. "I don't recall asking for your opinion" she responds with narrowed eyes.
"Then consider it free legal advice" Plea retorts, a small smile on his face. "If you give in and listen to what they told you, then you're giving them power over yourself and your family, and like your daughter said, it lets them stay free and on the streets of Equestria and this empire so they can keep hurting ponies, and some of them will get hurt much worse than you did."
"Again, I must implore you, let Raspberry testify. She can help make sure that the stallions causing trouble go away for a long time, and she can prove the innocence of my client."
"I wouldn't exactly call your client innocent, sir" Mint says a tad spitefully.
"Don't be so quick to judge" Plea countered. "I know what my client is, but I also know a lot of ponies that have openly vouched for him after interacting with him on a day to day basis. He may be a changeling and he may have been involved with what happened at the royal wedding, but that doesn't mean he's evil and wants to hurt us. All he really wanted was a chance to show he could do good and be trusted, so why make him suffer in a dungeon for something he didn't do?"
Mint kept trying to come up with arguments as to why Plea should just give up and leave, but the stallion had a retort for everything she had come up with so far. "You really want to see a changeling set free, don't you?" she asked him in an accusatory tone of voice. "That's your whole angle, isn't it? 'Look how good a lawyer I am! I got a changeling off the hook!'"
Plea had been relatively neutral since entering the apartment. This jab, however, appeared to get at the stallion just a bit. "I admit that my client being found not guilty would be a very notable accomplishment, but that is beside the point! You and I both know that Thorax didn't try to foalnap your daughter. She's even told me herself that, not only did he not do it, but he was the only one around that could help her, and he did just that!"
"Now, though, he is sitting in a jail cell where he may possibly be sent to prison for the rest of what is sure to be a short but agonizingly painful life, and you're going to sit there and keep your daughter from telling her story and making sure that those who are truly guilty are held to account, and you're doing all of this because you think those stallions will leave you alone if you do?"
Mint had no immediate reply to the accusation. In truth, she had no reply whatsoever. Hearing the whole situation out loud, and seeing her daughter with a look of determination on her face as Plea set the facts before her, Mint Julep realized then and there that nothing good would come from keeping Raspberry from telling everypony in that courtroom the truth. However, her motherly instincts still kept her from committing.
"...Promise me" she finally said to Plea.
"Promise what?" he asked her.
"I want you to promise me that you will get the protection that my daughter and husband deserve. Raspberry should be able to walk to school without fear of a pony waiting in an alleyway to grab her. My husband should be kept safe so he can heal and recover. Promise me, Mister Plea Bargain! Promise that you will keep my husband and filly safe...
...and I'll let Raspberry take the stand."
Plea smirked to himself. Mint Julep was finally seeing sense, and now he just needed to make sure that she, her filly and her husband were all kept safe.
"Already taken care of" Plea told the mare. "I arranged everything with the courts and they're sending two of their guards to come here and watch your apartment, as well as having one to escort Raspberry to school and anywhere else that she may need or want to go. I've also told them to send over a guard to watch your husband in the hospital. They'll be there until the trial is over with."
Mint took in what he said and gave a nod. "I don't want Raspberry telling you anything else until the guards get here" she informed Plea. "I want to make sure you keep your promise and aren't trying something."
Plea gave a nod in reply. "I can understand that. We'll wait until they get here before we ask any questions. Besides, I've also contacted a child psychologist to evaluate her and determine if she is mentally sound enough to take the stand."
Mint looked confused. "I thought you said you wanted her testimony?"
"I do" Plea replied. "However, I can't just make her get up there and start talking. A child psychologist has to evaluate her and sign off saying that Raspberry will be able to take the stand and testify, and that she won't suffer any undue harm from talking about the past events related to the crime. All of that is a formality in this instance, I'm sure, but it's still necessary."
Plea, Mint and Raspberry all sat down in the living room as they waited for the guards and psychologist to show up. In that time, Raspberry talked about her schooling, and Mint prepared a small meal for herself and the filly. She offered to make something for Plea, but he politely refused, saying that he had already imposed more than enough on the two.
A knock on the door was eventually heard. Mint Julep went to answer it, but Plea stopped her, going over to check the peep hole himself. Looking through it, he saw a pair of guards and a mare in a suit jacket with plain white shirt and paisley tie. Looking back and Mint and nodding, he opened the door to allow the three in.
"We're from the court's witness security division" one guard said to Plea. "Are you Mister Plea Bargain?"
"I am" Plea responded. "This filly is the witness in question. The mother is convinced that some ponies will cause harm to her filly or her husband if she allows her daughter to testify in court regarding the changeling trial."
"We'll make sure that she stays safe" the guard said as he looked at Mint Julep. "Please make sure to pass along any info that you have on the ponies threatening you to the main body of the guard. We don't take threats to the citizens kindly."
"I'll make sure that she does" Plea answers for the mare, then turns to face the mare that isn't a guard. "I trust you are the psychologist?"
"I am" the mare replies while sticking a hoof out. "Fugue State, at your service."
Plea raised an eyebrow. "Are you a relation of State Evidence, by chance?" he asks her.
"No" she replies. "The names are just a coincidence."
Plea nods, then makes a gesture to Raspberry. "This is Raspberry Mint. She's the filly that will be taking the witness stand sometime in the future, unless you say she isn't fit to testify."
Fugue gave a nod, then look at Mint Julep. "Ma'am, if you would allow me, I need to interview Raspberry in private and determine if she is able to give testimony regarding the crimes committed against her."
"Certainly" Mint replies, gesturing to one of the doors in the hallway. "That's the master bedroom. I think everypony should be comfortable in there."
"Thank you, ma'am" Fugue replies. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get started now. Raspberry, would you come with me, please?"
Raspberry nodded and the two went into the bedroom so they could speak privately.
Fugue closed the door as she examined the room. Fortunately, there were two vanitys in the room, one a pinkish color with flowers clearly meant more for mares, and a plain oaken one with a dark stain that was meant to appeal more to stallions. In front of each was a small stool where a pony could sit and use the attached mirror to adjust their appearance. Fugue took the two stools and sat them in front of the edge of the bed.
"Please have a seat, Raspberry" she instructed the filly, who walked over and sat down on the pink stool. Fugue took her seat on the other and levitated off her saddlebags. Reaching inside, she produced a writing tablet and a pencil, as well as a sharpener with a small cup affixed to it to collect the shavings. The mare used the sharpener to give the pencil a fresh new point, and with everything ready, she prepared to interview the foal.
"Raspberry," Fugue began, "my name is Fugue State, and I would like to talk to you about the attempt to foalnap. Are you okay with talking about that?"
"I am, Miss Fugue" replied the filly.
"Okay, that's good. Now, if you feel uncomfortable talking about anything, I want you to know that we can stop talking whenever you like. Do you understand?"
"I do."
"Good. Now, would you please tell me what happened that day?"
Raspberry took a breath, then began telling Fugue State what happened.
"It was a Saturday, and I was with my special tutoring class."
"What do you do at your tutoring class?"
"It's kinda like a really shrunk down school day. It only lasts for about three hours. We spend an hour or so on different subjects, and it's never the same ones every time. That day, we did math, science, and writing."
"Are any of those your favorite subjects?"
"No, not really. I always liked art class more. I like having the freedom to make stuff more than memorizing a bunch of numbers and formulas."
"What about writing? Isn't that kind of like art?"
"Not the writing they teach us. It's the really stuffy kind of writing like what I think business ponies would use. They teach us about writing sentences and words like prepositions and pronouns and adverbs. I can't just make up a story and write it how I want to write it."
"That doesn't sound very fun."
"Not really, but some of my friends are enrolled in that class too, so it's extra time I get to spend with them."
"So you enjoy going to that class because you can spend more time with your friends?"
"Yeah, I do."
"That's good. Friends are a great thing to have, especially when you experience something uncomfortable and you're not sure if you can talk to your parents. Do you ever feel like that sometimes?"
"No, at least, until recently."
"Oh?" Raspberry's remark had caught Fugue's attention.
"My daddy got hurt at his job and had to go and stay in the hospital. They said it was really bad and he was going to take a while to recover, but he couldn't go back to work doing what he did."
"What did your daddy do?"
"He made buildings with other ponies. He was helping move some heavy crystal blocks when one fell on him. It crushed him up really good from the flanks down. The doctors said every bone from that point down to his legs was broken. He probably won't walk again for a whole year."
"That's terrible!"
"Yeah, but the doctor also told my mom that my dad was so hurt that there's a chance he might not get to make another foal with her anymore."
"That's not good at all. Did your parents ever talk about having another foal?"
"No. My mom and dad always laugh and say they couldn't make a better foal than me."
"I'm sure they're right. Now, let's continue with the events that day. You went to your classes and you were leaving. What happened?"
"After I left school, I walked with my friends for a little bit before they had to split off and go to their own homes. I kept walking and was heading towards the big market near the castle, but then a big red stallion walked in front of me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He was smiling, but it wasn't a happy smile. It looked really creepy, and I got a really bad feeling about him, so I looked around to find a place where I could maybe go and hide from him."
"Did you find a place?"
"No. He was fast and the only place I could go was an alleyway. I got as far as to where the alley went around a building and I was stopped by a unicorn. He was watching me with a similar smile to the red stallion."
"And they cornered you?"
"Yeah. I called out for them to leave me alone, but they just kept coming closer. The unicorn was preparing some kind of spell, but a shout stopped him."
"Who was shouting?"
"Mister Thorax."
"Mister Thorax?"
"Yeah, the changeling the princess said wants to be friends with ponies, even after all the bad stuff the other changelings did. He told them to leave me alone and started walking towards them."
"Why was he walking towards the three of you?"
"I wasn't sure at first. A part of me was scared he was gonna drain away my love for my mom, dad and friends, but then I saw the look in his eyes."
"What kind of look did he have?"
"He was mad. REALLY mad, and he was mad at the stallions."
"Why was he mad at them?"
"Because they were being mean to me! They were trying to do something bad to me and he didn't like that they were trying to do that."
"What did the stallions do when he started walking towards them?"
"They just watched him for a second at first. I think Mister Thorax was hoping that him being there and being a changeling would be enough to scare them, but it wasn't. The red stallion said something to the unicorn and started walking towards Mister Thorax."
"Did he try to fight Mister Thorax?"
"He tried to tackle him, but Mister Thorax ducked out of the way. The red stallion slammed right into the corner of a dumpster and fell down like he got the wind knocked out of him. I think he did, because the dumpster made a loud "BANG!" noise when he hit it."
"So the red stallion tried to tackle Mister Thorax, but Mister Thorax got out of the way and the stallion slammed into a dumpster. What did the unicorn do?"
"He wasn't afraid, even after seeing how quick Mister Thorax dodged the big stallion's tackle. Mister Thorax was still glaring at the unicorn, but the unicorn said he should've minded his own business."
"Did the unicorn do something to Mister Thorax?"
"No, but there was another unicorn in the alley I didn't see at first. He was green like the dumpster, so I didn't notice him there. He shot a spell at Mister Thorax and knocked him out."
"So this green unicorn knocked out Mister Thorax?"
"He did, and then the other unicorn put a sleep spell on me, and when I woke up, I was being carried into my house."
"So, somepony carried you home?"
"Yes."
"And who was it that took you home."
"The three stallions!"
Fugue was a bit perplexed by this statement. "Why would the three stallions that were going to do mean stuff to you take you home?"
"Because the green one works for another pony. My mom got a loan from somepony named Mint Eagle. He gave her the money so I could keep going to my tutoring class on the weekend, but he is really strict on getting paid back."
"Really strict? How strict?"
"Mommy doesn't think I know, but one of the last times I went to school before that day, I came home and she was crying. I asked her what was wrong, but she told me to go to my room until lunch was ready. When I came back out, she told me a friend of hers had their own mommy die, and my mommy couldn't go to be with her friend."
"That sounds terrible! Did your mommy go and see her friend?"
"She didn't go. There was no friend."
Raspberry then got up and walked over to the pink vanity. Sitting on the tabletop was a wooden box with a small brass lock on the front; Fugue recognized it was a jewelry box. The filly then opened the lid and revealed a series of earrings on either side, but the center had three hooks for necklaces. One slot in the middle was empty.
"My grandma gave my mom a present when she married my dad. It was a special necklace that she wanted her to have. She said it was an heirloom passed down in her family, and that the gemstone at the center came from the very same stone as the Crystal Heart. It was the most special piece of jewelry to her, and now it's gone. Those stallions took it when mommy didn't give them enough money!"
"So, those mean stallions just came into your house and stole your mom's most prized jewelry because she didn't have enough money to pay back her loan?"
"Yeah, but that's not the only thing they did."
"Really? What else did they do?"
"When they brought me back, mommy made me go to my room, which I did, but I didn't shut my door. I could hear them talking."
"What were they talking about?"
"The stallions were trying to make my mom pay her loan again, but they weren't nice about it. They hit her, and threatened her with more violence if she didn't pay."
"Did she pay them?"
"I guess, but I remember one of them getting nervous about the guards coming to check on me. The one stallion told my mom he'd count her payment as enough if she lied to the guard and said I was too scared to talk."
"Did she lie to the guards?"
"She did. I figured out why a few days afterwards."
"How did you find out?"
"I was taking the trash down to the building dumpster, but when I took it out of the can in our house, I saw some pictures, and one was of me with a crossbow loaded and pointing at me!"
Fugue didn't respond verbally. She wrote down everything she heard on the pad. A part of her was surprised at the recall of the foal, but another part questioned the veracity of her claims; the changeling Thorax was found without his magic suppression ring on his horn.
"Okay, I think that about covers your story", Fugue said to Raspberry, "but now I'd like to talk about the three stallions you said were being mean to you. Can you describe them for me please?"
"The big red stallion was an earth pony. I think he had a hammer or something for a cutie mark. Then there were the two unicorns. The one was a regular unicorn and had some sort of whip thing for a cutie mark, but the other was a crystal unicorn, and he had a pair of dice on his flanks for a cutie mark."
Fugue wrote down the descriptions, already aware that they matched the stallions who had already testified against Thorax.
"There's one last question I'd like to ask you" she said to Raspberry. "Did any of the three stallions do anything to you that made you feel uncomfortable or scared, besides cornering you in that alleyway?"
"No."
"None of them tried to touch you in a way that you didn't want?"
Raspberry looked confused for a moment. "You mean did they try to 'court' me?"
Fugue looked a bit uneasy to hear a young filly speak in such a blunt way, but she nodded.
"No, they didn't" Raspberry responded.
"Okay, I have all that I need" Fugue told the filly with a smile. "Let's head back out into the living room."
Mint and Plea both sat alone in the living room; the guards assigned to watch the mare and filly having left to take up their posts. Mint had made some chamomile tea to settle her nerves, while Plea chose to go over the notes he took from today's portion of the trial. As he did, he kept a small smile on his face; having Raspberry as a witness greatly helped his and Thorax's chances of winning the case.
The sound of a latch clicking caught the attention of both ponies, who turned to see Raspberry walk out of the room, followed immediately by Fugue State.
"Raspberry," Fugue spoke, "Would you please go wait in your room for a moment? I'd like to talk to Mister Plea Bargain and your mother."
Raspberry nodded and walked into her bedroom, the door closing behind her with a click. Fugue turned and headed out into the living area, where she was greeted with looks from both Mint and Plea.
"I've concluded my interview and analysis," she told them, "and I don't believe her giving testimony will cause any trauma or harm her mental state in any reasonable way."
Plea breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
"However," Fugue continued, "I must recommend she be examined by a mage for any potential mind control charms that may have been placed on her."
Mint looked rather concerned. "What do you mean 'mind control charms'?!"
Fugue let out a breath as she elected to sit down. "Your daughter's story is rather remarkable," Fugue explained, "but I'm afraid it may have been a fabrication placed in her brain by the changeling."
This remark caused Plea to become a bit upset. "My client has done nothing of the sort" he said rather tersely.
"I'm sure that you don't believe he did," Fugue conceded, "but the facts of the case, as I understand them, are that your client was found unconscious without the suppression ring on his horn. It is entirely possible, as much as you wish to deny it, that your client cast a very quick charm on her without anypony noticing before he lost consciousness."
Plea wanted to argue that point, but he didn't have anything to retort with. In his mind, he saw this as a potentially good thing, as it would likely be a point driven by the prosecution, so thinking about how to counter it now would help his case greatly later.
"As it stands now," Fugue concluded, "I see no reason to keep her from testifying. I'll submit the paperwork tomorrow. Make sure that State Evidence gets the opportunity to interview her."
"State will get the opportunity to speak with her" Plea replied. "I have all the necessary paperwork ready to go for the morning."
Fugue gave a nod and then turned to Mint. "I recommend that I be there when State questions Raspberry" the psychologist told the mare. "The prosecution can be a bit forceful with their questioning, and that can make foals give untrue answers without meaning to."
Mint gave a nod. "When she comes for the interview, I'll get in touch so I can have you at the interview. May I have your contact info?"
"Certainly" Fugue said with a smile, fishing out a business card and presenting it to the mare. "This is the address for my office. If I'm not there, then my secretary will know where to reach me."
"Thank you" Mint said to her as she took the card.
"You're welcome" replied Fugue. "If you would excuse me, please, I have one final appointment at my office before I can go home for the day. I should hope to see you and Raspberry soon." With that, the mare left the apartment.
Mint then looked at Plea. "So she gave Raspberry the O.K. to testify on the witness stand" she stated, though it came out sounding more like a question.
"She did," Plea replied, "and she also offered to sit in on the interview with State Evidence to make sure she isn't overwhelmed."
"Is that a normal thing to happen?" she asked Plea. "Asking enough questions to overload a foal and get them to lie by accident?"
"I wouldn't call it normal," Plea admitted, "but it has been known to happen. It's the worst in cases where the foal in question was... touched, in certain ways."
Mint realized what the stallion meant and had a shiver go up her spine. If that had actually been the case, she probably would've pounded those stallions into pulp.
"Well," Plea continued, "I am afraid that I must be going. I have a lot to do to make sure Raspberry can be considered an eligible witness, but your agreement to her testifying certainly helps things along. Thank you for your cooperation."
Mint was still thinking when Plea was talking to her. Absently, she just gave a nod, not having paid full attention to what he had said. It was only when he got to the door that she had come out of her thoughts.
"Mister Plea Bargain" Mint called out to the stallion, who stopped and looked at her. "Do you really think the changeling is innocent?"
"You mean Thorax?" he asked, to which Mint nodded. "Initially, I didn't completely think so. After having seen all the evidence and talking to so many witnesses, I am convinced he didn't do it. Now, though, I have to convince the jury beyond reasonable doubt."
Mint considered what he told her and gave a nod. "Good luck to you" she told him.
Plea smiled and gave a nod, then left the apartment. Now outside, the stallion made haste to get back to his office. He had to submit his paperwork to the clerk in the court by the end of the day tomorrow if he wanted any chance of being able to call Raspberry by Monday.
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Plea is a rock star, he's going above and beyond for Thorax, I wouldn't be surprised if they become friends after the trial.
But something happens to Thorax?! Our cinnamon roll?! Noo!
11379443
I said interesting, not bad
Fucking finally, about time someone has let that filly speak up.
I mean, fair enough. I'd probably make the same stipulation myself.
Professional writing, as they call it in the biz, and it really is very dry and unexciting writing. When studying for my bachelor's in English, one of my professors urged me to change my emphasis to focus on professional writing, on the argument it'd open more career paths for me. And he was probably right, but I told him upfront that was not a form of writing I enjoyed, so what was the point of pursuing it if I didn't take any joy in doing it?
Point is, I get where Raspberry (and I suspect, in turn, the author) is coming from on this.
This is a rather specific detail to single out like this. Now I'm wondering if it's deliberate for some plot point later on...
Well, since the guards bafflingly decided to all but turn a blind eye on them doing that anyway... (yes, I'm still a little bitter that happened
)
Again with the "anything that doesn't portray changelings as uber evil must be due to their mind control" assumption! Look, if I were to claim the same thing about our three stallions that aggressively and in every circumstance as has been done about Thorax, y'all would think I'm talking nonsense because assuming that in every instance defies believability, so it's kinda patently ridiculous that none of you are stopping to consider that the same reasons arguing that against the three stallions ALSO applies to Thorax...or really any changeling, for that matter.
Good grief, the blind biases of these ponies sometimes are truly astonishing. I keep wanting to be like Tempest Shadow and shout in their faces, "Open up your eyes!"
Fortunately, none of them were that stupid.
It'll be a waste of the court's time and money because anybody with a brain could already tell you that there is none...but I can concede why legal precedent would necessitate it anyway in these circumstances, plus it would both help to strengthen Raspberry's testimony even further, AND preemptively stop State from just claiming "oh, she's just mind controlled, pay her no attention" as we know she likes to do, and who wouldn't want that at this point?
I am sort of looking forward to that, actually, and not for the reasons you'd think (well, okay, I am sort of looking forward to her realization that her entire case is going up in smoke, but it's not the only thing), because I am quite certain State's been lied to by her clients as well, and I am immensely curious how she'll react to that and whether or not it'll change her approach on how she chooses to defend their case moving forward. She would be legally obligated to keep trying to defend them, yes, but she may not be motivated to keep bringing her A game on it, as I think even State has some standards on how low she's willing to stoop to win a case. So I can't help but wonder if this may cross a line for her too. It can be hard to tell with lawyers sometimes.
But even if she does choose to keep turning a blind eye to her client's lies, she's still going to have to recognize that her chances for winning this just got a LOT narrower, if not become a lost cause depending on the court's reaction after Raspberry testifies, and that could affect how she proceeds with her arguments as well.
We shall see.
...also, we're quite lucky our baddies didn't seem to have the foresight to keep Raspberry's place under observation just in case precisely this happened so they could preemptively act accordingly. Which, in retrospect, was probably quite stupid of them, but admittedly, I can't quite bring myself to care, considering everything they're going have coming to them as a result.
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Oh, okay