Family Begins With You

by Jmaster49

Arc XXVII Episode XI: Calling Witnesses

Meanwhile, at Aidon’s home…

The shadowman had brewed himself a cup of black coffee and turned on the television. It had automatically been interrupted by the court proceedings being broadcasted live.

“We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news as the Apple v. Pear case begins.”

“PBBFT!” Aidon spat his coffee into the sink upon hearing the reporter on TV and turned around to watch. Sure enough, there was live camera feed of the courtroom being broadcasted to him on TV--and likely to a lot of others around the state.

“Oh no…in Equestria, we’d have just decided this with a simple execution. But here? The legal system is such a tangled web that there’s no telling how Applejack is going to react.”

Suddenly, he’d start hearing his home’s telephone ring. He picked it up and answered. “...Hello?”

“Aidon? It’s me, Jascha,” his old friend spoke over the phone, “Are you currently watching the court proceedings on television?”

“Yeah I am,” Aidon replied, “Why? What’s going on?”

“That woman…” Jascha muttered, “She’s part of the reason why my daughter is in an asylum as we speak.”

“What?!”

---

At the courthouse…

“Order,” the judge called out, “Applejack. Take your seat, please.”

Every officer in the room was prepared to draw their weapons and restrain her if need be. But thankfully, Applejack complied and picked up her chair before sitting in it, leaning backwards as she tapped her fingers on the table in front of her.

“...My apologies,” she muttered under her breath.

Keiji scratched the back of his head and continued with his spiel. “Er…so anyway. The potion I created allowed us to see the Zarin compound via a distinct trail that led us right to your apartment in the middle of the city. Proving that you purchased and owned it.”

“Bullshit!” Pomme screeched in retaliation, “There was loads’a them crackheads in my place. You can’t prove that that shit was mine!”

Keiji put his hands together at his fingertips. “So you admit that there was a drug trafficking system in your home? And you just somehow didn’t manage to figure this out?”

“Who knows what they was cookin’ up in there?! I sure as shit don’t!”

“Order,” Judge Vera commanded, “Thank you, Mr. Ketsuki. Now, Ms. Bartlett--would you like to call for your own witness?”

As Keiji hopped back over to his seat, Pomme would speak, “I call my pa to the stand.”

Sure enough, Grandpear was indeed present. The older gentleman needed a cane in order to walk up to the witness box before he was able to speak.

“...In all my years I swore to myself I’d never return to a courtroom…” he grumbled in disappointment. “I loved all my kids. I really did. I initially was against the idea of Pear Butter and Bright Mac getting together. But…I never realized how much they loved each other until they were gone.”

Guttersnipe would approach the gentleman and ask, “Mr. Pear. Did you have any knowledge of your daughter or anyone else in your family harboring ill-will towards Pear Butter and Bright Mac’s relationship? Or was everyone able to accept it immediately?”

“Europa wasn’t built in a day, missy,” he replied with a sigh, “Of course I knew many of ‘em didn’t wanna see ‘em together. But there wasn’t nothin’ I could do about it. At the time, I knew it was their lives and they had the right to be with whoever they wanted’ta be with.” He looked over in the direction of the Apple Family. “...it wasn’t until I had a heart-to-heart with ya’ll that I realized how important that was.”

Applejack gave a small, relieved smile, Applebloom wiped her face to dry up her tears, Big Mac simply sighed with his arms folded, and Granny Smith nodded in agreement with Grandpear’s words.

“So you were aware that there was still some animosity among your family,” Guttersnipe went on, “At any point, did you ever get the feeling that your daughter would desire to kill them?”

“No,” he replied as he shook his head, “She never gave me that impression--”

“AHA!” Pomme shouted from her seat, “I told ya’ll. Ya’ll ain’t got shit on me!”

“Order,” the judge interrupted her and looked over at Grandpear. “Continue, sir.”

“...That’s all I got,” he admitted with a sigh, “I don’t know what all she’s got herself mixed up in. But if she’s found guilty, then I’m gonna be disappointed. Well…even more than I already am, anyway. Can’t believe she still hasn’t let it go after all these years…”

The older gentleman got up and returned to his seat. Judge Vera would then look at Applejack and her side of the room. “Would you like to call your own witness now, Ms. Jack?”

“I would. I’d like’ta call one of our pa’s old friends: Burnt Oak.”

The dark-skinned man with an unmistakable handlebar mustache and a cowboy hat stood up and made his way over to the witness booth. Guttersnipe would then question him as she did to the previous witness.

“Alright, Mr. Oak. Have you ever caught the feeling that someone in the Pear Family was conspiring to kill your old friend?”

“...I always had it in the back’a mah mind,” the man began, “Considerin’ the worst-case scenario should someone wanna try and stab my partner in the back. Whatever sick, twisted individual thought that was a good idea must’a been mighty foolish.”

Guttersnipe raised a brow and questioned him further. “That’s an interesting way of putting it. Why do you think that, sir?”

“Cuz,” Oak continued, “Whoever thought they could dissolve the Apple Family by killin’ my pard was plumb loco. All it did was force his kids’ta saddle up and become stronger once they was gone. Can’t imagine bein’ raised by just a little lady all on her lonesome was that easy. No offense, madam.”

“None taken, dear,” Granny replied, “Yer right. It was hard. Harder than pickin’ apples on a cold winter’s night with no flashlight I tell you what.”

The DA mulled over his statement before asking him another question. “So what you’re saying is that the culprit’s attempt to divide the family failed miserably, correct?”

Pomme’s facial expression changed to visible confusion.

“Darn tootin’,” Oak replied, “Mac had’ta age much faster and grew up just as strong as his old man. If not stronger. Applejack--I mean, do I even need’ta get into it? She’s not even a fully grown lady and she’s already saved the world many times. And little Applebloom is a prime example of how kids mature so fast nowadays. She and her friends have helped loads of other kids they age figure out what they wanna do with their lives.” He chuckled. “Brings a tear’ta my eye. It’s like watchin’ nieces and a nephew become they own people.”

His entire statement brought grateful, bashful smiles to the Apple kids…

But for Pomme, it brought nothing but disgust and anger. She grit her teeth once Oak had finished his piece. His words must have resonated on a personal level with her.

“...Objection!” she called out, and caught everyone’s attention. “Them little inglorious bastards are a byproduct of a mix between two families that ain’t shoulda never interfaced! That’s malarkey is irrelevant and ain’t got no bearin’ on the current situation! Little shits shouldn’t even be here…”

SHOOM!

Applejack’s patience had run out. Before anyone could blink, she had practically teleported over to that side of the room and grabbed Pomme by the collar of her jumpsuit. “Keep mah family's name out yer damn ugly mug!”

“Applejack, stand down!” Officer Pale shouted from his end of the room as he approached her.

The tension in the room started to rise once more as everyone stared at them both.

Pomme smirked at Applejack, mouthing off to provoke her further--seemingly unafraid of the superhuman young woman. “Go on. I’m sure yer bastard pa ain’t raise no pussy. Hit me. Or are ya as spineless as he is?”

“...”

Comments

[Fetch]

Applejack: I do apologize for what you all are about to see. But I cannot let such insults against myself and my family go unanswered. *Applejack's geode glows as she punches Bartlett clear across the courtroom and nearly through the wall.*

[Jmaster49]

11394986
Oh how we wish!