Spike The Dragon: Ace Attorney

Spike stood proudly, his arm outstretched and his index claw pointing towards Mr. Cake. The response of the Courtroom was instantaneous.

Everypony was in an uproar, some siding with the defence and the others siding with the prosecution and witness.

"O-order! Order!" Shouted the Judge again as he slammed his gavel down, silencing the Courtroom. "Mr. Spike, what is the meaning of this?!"

"It's obvious, Your Honour - the victim Mrs. Cake was killed by none other than the witness of that stand!" Shouted Spike as he crossed his arms.

"Where's your proof?!" Snarled Snails, panicking and raging. "Proof is everything in the Court!"

"Yes, I too would like to see what evidence the defence has for it's claims." Said the Judge neutrally.

"Gladly, Your Honour!" Said Spike with a smirk. "This witness has given us a crucial part of the truth!"

"And what would that be?" Asked the Judge in confusion.

"The Sugar Cube Corner Customer List!" Replied Spike. "This contains all of the Sugar Cube Corner's customers for the past two months!"

"And just how is that relevant to this case?!" Asked Snails in rage. "This has nothing to do with the crime whatsoever!"

"That's where you're wrong! Look at the routine of the ponies each Monday!" Said Spike. "You'll be able to see that on every Monday at 10:00 AM Miss. Cheerilee buys cupcakes. Since Mr. Cake knew about her routine - it would've been easy to pin the blame on her!"

"ARGHHHH!" Screamed Mr. Cake as he grabbed his shoulder again with sweat coming off his face.

"This is absurd! Even with knowing her routine - there's no proof that he killed Mrs. Cake! You might've proven that it was possible for him to have framed Cheerilee but you haven't proven that he actually was the one to kill Mrs. Cake!" Replied Snails as he began sweating and shaking heavily.

"That's what I'm about to do!" Replied Spike with a grin as he revealed his next piece of evidence. "The bloodied glass shard!"

"But that has Mr. Cake's blood on not Mrs. Cake's!" Argued Snails desperately.

"And that's why it'll prove Mr. Cake's guilt!" Declared Spike, making Snails step back in shock and fear. "You see what I believe is that Mr. Cake attempted to kill Mrs. Cake - however he missed and shattered the window. Using this opportunity Mrs. Cake was able to grasp a piece of broken glass and stabbed Mr. Cake in self defence, however Mr Cake was able to stab her in the chest afterwards - penetrating her left lung and killing her!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Screamed Snails as he threw his paperwork into the air in a fit of anger.

The Courtroom exploded into shocked gasps and muttering.

"Order! ORDER!" Yelled the Judge. "I will have order in my Court!"

A heavy slam of the gavel silenced the Court the only noise being Mr. Cake's heavy breathing.

"Mr. Spike if this is the case - then where was he stabbed? Can you show us where?" Asked the Judge.

(Think, Spike.....What odd behaviour has Mr. Cake shown today....Of course!)

"Yes I can, Your Honour!" Replied Spike.

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Snails. "It's impossible for him to prove that! He's just making up random hypothetical situations."

"Objection overruled. Go ahead Mr. Spike." Said the Judge.

"Mr. Cake could you tell us why you are holding your left shoulder with your right hoof?" Asked Spike. "There would seem to be no reason to do so....unless it was damaged that is."

"N-no, you've got it all wrong!" Shouted Mr. Cake in anger. "True I had an accident with this shoulder but that was four days ago...it's completely irrelevant to this case!"

"What kind of accident?" Inquired Spike.

"I was making cupcakes in the kitchen and then I slipped and fell on a kitchen knife that must've fallen of the counter." Said Mr. Cake while wincing at the memory. "See?! It's has nothing to do with this case!"

"What did you do to that knife?" Asked Spike. "Did you put it away?"

"Hold it!" Shouted Snails. "This has nothing to do with the case!"

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Spike. "You're wrong this is the key to the entire case!"

"If you really believe so I will allow this to continue, however if this leads us nowhere prepare for a harsh penalty!" Warned the Judge.

"Thank you, Your Honour." Said Spike as he grinned. "Now tell me Mr. Cake what did you do with the knife?!"

"We threw it away - it would've been unhygienic to serve our customers with cakes but by a once bloodied knife." Replied Mr. Cake.

Slowly Spike began to smile confidently as he outstretched his arm towards Mr. Cake.

"If that's the case - that would explain the missing kitchen knife!" Shouted Spike.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Yelled Snails as he fell over.

The Court began to start another uproar.

"Order! Order in the Court!" Shouted the Judge as he slammed his gavel down, silencing the Court. "If this witness is to be believed then....the murder weapon wasn't the kitchen knife!"

"That's right, Your Honour!" Said Spike. "From this we can deduce that the witnesses testimony is filled with nothing but lies!"

"This cant be!" Yelled Mr. Cake as he gripped so hard on his wound it began to bleed again. "I still saw her! You must believe me!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Cake but the defence is correct, your entire testimony is riddled with holes!" Said the Judge.

"And the only reason for lying would be to cover up the murder!" Said Spike proudly.

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Snails with a smirk. "Without the knife your entire theory is blown out the window!"

"True but with all these contradictions....are we sure he even saw Cheerilee at all? After all if he was lying about the murder weapon he could be lying about what he saw!" Countered Spike.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Shouted Snails as he threw his paperwork across the Courtroom in a rage.

"The defence raises yet another good point." Praised the Judge. "This is not only harming the credibility of the witness but it is also making the defendant look less suspicious!"

"You can't hide from the truth Mr. Cake! ADMIT IT, YOUR TESTIMONY IS A COMPLETE LIE!"

Mr. Cake looked down as if accepting defeat. "I admit it....my testimony was completely," suddenly Mr. Cake raised his head and looked directly at Spike with narrowed eyes and a smirk. "True."

"W-what?!" Yelled Spike in surprise.

"The kitchen knife that I tripped on was thrown away, that much is true..." Said Mr. Cake. "But that doesn't change anything!"

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Spike at the top of his lungs. "Of course this changes the case! If there was no kitchen knife - you couldn't have seen the murder weapon!"

"The knife that I fell on and the knife that Cheerilee used to killed my wife are two separate items entirely!" Declared Mr. Cake, shocking the Court and causing another uproar.

"O-Order! Order!" Shouted the Judge as he slammed his gavel again. "What are you talking about witness?!"

"This!" Said Mr. Cake as he pulled out a small sheet of paper. "You see on March the 18th my wife realised that we were low on necessary items for our company and as it was Saturday it was our day off so she decided to re-stock. While she was at the store she also brought a new kitchen knife, seeing as we had disposed of our old one. That is the knife that Cheerilee used to kill my wife!"

"The Court accepts this as evidence." Said the Judge, deep in thought.

Shopping List (Lyra And Co!) Added To The Court Record.

Contents:

Cupcake Holders (2) - £4.00
Kitchen Knife (18 cm) - £1.99
Flavoured Toppings - £8.99
10 7 Up Cans - £5.00
10 Pepsi Cans - £5.00
10 Diet Coke Cans - £5.00
4 Bags Of Doritos - £8.00
Special Muffin Toppings - £9.00

Total Cost: £46.98
Total Payed: £50.00
Total Change: £4.02

(Wait...isn't that Lyra's company?)

"Now do you see it, Your Honour?" Asked Snails with a smirk. "This does not only disprove the Defence's theory by proving the witnesses injury was completely unrelated...it also proves that the witness wasn't lying!"

(This isn't good...not in the slightest...)

"Besides I couldn't have killed her in the way the defence describes at all..." Said Mr. Cake. "Because if I did then I would have blood on my clothes when the Police arrived!"

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "You could've washed the clothes before you called the Police because there was the 30 minute time gap before you contacted authorities!"

"Wrong about that too Spike." Said Mr. Cake. "I was comforting my kids who had awoken because of the loud noise as well."

"There were kids?" Asked the Judge, surprised and angry. "Why was this not stated before?!"

"The two twins, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake were both sleeping until they were awoken by, presumably the window shattering, they could be heard crying through-out the entire ordeal is what we were told by the witness." Replied Snails. "Besides the prosecution saw this as irrelevant information."

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "We could have them testify!"

"They are both too traumatised and upset over the murder of their mother to even speak with anypony else other than their father!" Said Snails with a shake on the head. "Only you would think of bringing two terrified children into Court to testify, Spike!"

The ponies in the Court began to boo at Spike, making him feel uncomfortable.

(Oh come on! That was blatant manipulation!)

"This trial seems to be awfully clear..." Muttered the Judge. "Well then if the Defence doesn't have any objection I believe it's time to end this trial. The defendant, Miss. Cheerilee is GUI-"

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike, cutting off the Judge once again and startling the Court. "Can I quickly go over the witnesses testimony one last time? Please, I beg of you!"

"Hmmm..." Mused the Judge as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"You can't seriously be considering the Defence's plea, can you?! There is no more questions to be asked, no more evidence to present and no more lies remaining!" Said Snails, desperately wanting to get this trial over and done with. "Let's finally close the curtain on this case and stop these false accusations!"

"While the prosecution does bring up several good points..." Said the Judge carefully. "I would like to be completely sure that there is no doubt left in my mind that the defendant is the murderer. So I will allow this one last Cross-Examination, however if the defence strays off topic then I will end this case!"

"Thank you, Your Honour!" Said Spike with a bow of his head.

"Now witness, would you please explain what you witnessed once more?" Asked the Judge.

"I guess I have no choice..." Said Mr. Cake with a heavy sigh. "Then again....it's not like it'll actually change anything..."

Witness Testimony
--------The Killer-------

I was asleep in my bed until I heard a loud scream coming from down stairs.

After realising that my wife wasn't next to me I immediately ran down the stairs.

What I saw was...horrifying. Cheerilee was standing in front of the corpse with a grin on her face.

She then ran out after she noticed me and I instantly tried to contact the authorities.

------End------

"Alright then...I believe I'm prepared." Said Spike as he smiled confidently.

"Heh...no amount of preparation will get you out of this one, Spike." Said Snails with a predatory grin on his face.

"Mr. Spike you may begin with your Cross-Examination!" Said the Judge. "And Mr. Snails, would you please stop insulting the Defence?"

"Yes, Your Honour..." Muttered Snails as he glared at the ground.

Witness Testimony
--------The Killer-------

I was asleep in my bed until I heard a loud scream coming from down stairs.

After realising that my wife wasn't next to me I immediately ran down the stairs.

What I saw was...horrifying. Cheerilee was standing in front of the corpse with a grin on her face.

She then ran out after she noticed me and I instantly tried to contact the authorities.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "How did the defendant run out?"

"She opened the door and ran obviously!" Retorted Mr. Cake with a roll of his eyes.

"Then you've just contradicted yourself!" Said Spike with his smile growing wider. "How could the defendant run out a door that was locked?! After all she did supposedly break the window to get in, correct?"

"ARGHHH!" Yelled Mr. Cake as he grabbed his left arm again.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Shouted Snails as he tossed his paperwork into the air again.

The Courtroom exploded into excited chatter and gasps of shock!

"O-ORDER!" Shouted the Judge as he slammed his gavel down. "This-this changes the entire case!"

(Once somepony has lied before they will continue to lie until they can no longer lie anymore!)

"If she broke in using the window, how could've she escaped through the door?!" Shouted Spike.

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Snails with a smirk. "Mrs. Cake's house key wasn't found on her corpse at the scene of the crime!"

"However it wasn't found on Cheerilee either when the Police arrested or you would've already brought that up!" Countered Spike, making Snails step back in surprise and anger. "Didn't think I would realise eh?"

"The Defence, once again has raised a good point." Said the Judge. "Do you have anything to say about this Mr. Cake?"

"Actually, I do." Responded Mr. Cake. "My wife's key was stolen the day before the murder. If we assume that the window was shattered by a missed strike from Cheerilee - similar to the Defences theory - then we can assume that the door was unlocked with my wife's key that was stolen by Cheerilee before the killing began."

(Mr. Cake would've been better off being a lawyer...)

"However can you prove that your wife's key was stolen before the murder?!" Asked Spike with his arm outstretched towards Mr. Cake.

"N-no...I cant...Not physically anyway..." Said Mr. Cake. "Wait! She does have a friend she told, Rarity the local fashionista."

(R-Rarity?!)

"Hold it!" Shouted Snails. "The prosecution would like suggest that we take a fifteen minute recess while the authorities bring Rarity in for a testimony."

"I see no reason not to." Said the Judge as he nodded his head. "Very well, this Court will take a fifteen minute recess while the witness is being brought in. Court will reconvene when the witness is ready to testify, until then Court is adjourned!"

March 21, 4:31 PM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No.6

"I cant believe how nerve-racking that was...." Muttered Spike as he sat down on the red couch.

"That was amazing, Spike!" Said Cheerilee. "You were great out there, seriously! How did you do that?!"

"Oh...um...I just thought outside the box..." Said Spike with a sheepish smile.

Cheerilee giggled at that. "Wow...never would've thought that my advice could've helped you this much."

"Good job, Spike. You were great out there!" Said another female voice from behind them. It was Princess Twilight.

"Oh! Princess Twilight!" Said Cheerilee as she bowed to the purple alicorn. "I swear I didn't do it!"

"It's alright, I know you couldn't have committed such a terrible crime." Said Twilight reassuringly. "Although Pinkie is going to be heartbroken when she gets back from Manehatten."

"Yeah....you're right about that." Said Spike solemnly before he quickly turned to Cheerilee. "Wait! What was you doing at the time of the crime?"

"Well...if you're referring to when Mrs. Cake...died then I would've been getting ready." Replied Cheerilee, cringing at the mention of Mrs. Cakes death.

"Ready for what?" Asked Spike.

"To go out. I live on the other side of town so it takes a thirty-minute walk to get from my house to Sugar Cube Corner." Explained Cheerilee. "I took a coat with me since it was raining."

"Wait...what colour was your coat?" Inquired Spike as be rubbed his chin in thought.

"Navy blue." Replied Cheerilee. "It was really expensive actually."

"But if you were wearing such a dark coloured coat....then how was Mr. Cake able to see you?" Asked Twilight. "Because you must've had your hood up, right? If the house was dark then...how did Mr. Cake see your face clearly enough to identify you?"

"I never entered the building." Replied Cheerilee. "That's what I kept telling the Police but they wouldn't believe me! I arrived at 10:30 AM to buy my cupcakes- where they arrested me on the spot. They believed I was going back to kill the remaining witness."

"Why didn't they bring that up in the Court?" Asked Twilight curiously. "That would've given them an advantage - unless there was something that would cast suspicion off of Cheerilee."

"Wait...why did you arrive at 10:30 AM anyways? I thought you normally arrived at 10:00 AM?" Questioned Spike.

"It was because I encountered an old friend of mine on the way there. It was Berry Punch. She was wearing a hood similar to mine but black. She stopped and talked to me for a bit and I lost track of time." Said Cheerilee. "You don't believe that she could've been connected to the murder....do you?"

"Possibly." Said Spike, rubbing his chin again. "This case is very strange after all."

"What direction was she coming from?" Asked Twilight.

"The direction? South I believe." Said Cheerilee.

"And what direction was Sugar Cube Corner from there?" Asked Spike.

"South-east." Responded Cheerilee softly as her eyes widened in realisation. "Now that I think of it...I could see the outline of something sharp in her pocket...."

"Then she definitely had something to do with this case..." Said Twilight. "If Rarity doesn't bring her up in her testimony then you might want to call her up as a witness."

"Yeah...I'll keep that in mind." Responded Spike with a nod.

Berry Punch Added To The Court Record.
Berry Punch's Black Coat Added To The Record.

"Hold up!" Shouted a feminine voice, making everybody turn towards the source.

Standing in the doorway was a white coated pegasus mare with a light blue mane and tail but she didn't seem to have a cutie mark.

"Who are you?" Asked Spike in confusion, never seeing this mare before.

"I work at Lyra And Co!" Said the mare, "The names Light Dash! I one of the mares that were working during the day Mrs. Cakes brought that list of items on that sheet of paper! In fact I served Mrs. Cake herself!"

"Really? Do you have anything important to tell us?" Asked Spike as a look of anticipation formed on his face.

(Please be good! Please be good! Please be good!!!)

"Well of course I do! Why else would I be here?!" Questioned Light Dash aggressively. "Well other then the trial that is..."

"Please tell us!" Begged Spike pulling a puppy dog look.

"Dammit! Cant say no to that face, not even as a joke!" Said Light Dash with a heavy sigh.

(Who would've thought those days in the Human World could've been so useful?)

"The day that Mrs. Cake brought all these items was on...the 14th of March!" Declared Light Dash, shocking those present.

"Wait...what?!" Shouted Spike, his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Yep! Dropped a bombshell on ya, huh?" Light Dash giggled for a little bit. "Anyway, that evidence must've been altered by Mr. Cake to shift the blame on Cheerilee. I've even got a copy of the real one here!"

Shopping List (Lyra And Co!) #2 Added To The Court Record.

"Spike, I would recommend using that as your ace in the hole." Said Twilight. "Try and squeeze as much information out of them as possible then present this and blow them away! They would be too deep in their lies to backpedal then!"

"I like your thinking Princess!" Said Light Dash with a giggle. "Destroying the enemy using psychological tactics! Genius!"

"How is that psychological? All she is doing is saying that we squeeze information out before delivering the final blow." Said Spike, tilting his head in confusion.

"Because she would be using their own words against them, duh! By making them dig themselves so deep with their own lies and then using that evidence to prove they're nothing but liars will completely destroy their credibility!" Said Light Dash.

"Huh...I didn't actually think of it like that..." Said Spike with a sheepish smile.

"Well I did explain my plan similar to Light Dash." Argued Twilight with amusement in her voice.

"Jeez! And here I thought that you lawyers are smart!" Said Light Dash with heavy sigh.

They all began laughing as a bond of friendship was formed with this new pony.

"Oh yeah! Almost forgot. On the same day of the murder a customer called Berry Punch brought these items and I thought it looked quite suspicious!" Said Light Dash, quickly giving another piece of paper to Spike.

Shopping List (Lyra And Co!) #3 Added To The Court Record.

Contents:

Rope - £5.99
Gloves - £3.00

Total Cost: £8:99
Payed: £9:00
Total Change: 1p

(That's it...Berry Punch it's certainly involved somehow. This just seals the deal.)

"Well...I'll be off then! I'm late for work after all!" Said Light Dash before she ran out of the Court, waving at them as she left.

"Goodbye!" Said the three.

"Well then...things are becoming more clearer." Said Spike with a confident smile on his face.

"You really think so?" Asked Cheerilee with a raised eyebrow.

"I know so." Replied Spike with his confidence back in full.

Cheerilee saw how confident he was and smiled back, relief and happiness washing over her. Twilight saw this and couldn't help but smile before she began trotting off.

"Where are you going?" Asked Spike, tilting his head once more.

"I've got a meeting with the other Princesses." Responded Twilight. "Tell me what happened when I get back! Bye!"

With that universal departing word she trotted out the doors and flew through the sky.

"The Court will now reconvene. All ponies, please enter the Courtroom!" Shouted the Bailiff.

(Let's do this!)

The Judge slammed down his gavel, silencing anypony that was talking. "The trial of Miss. Cheerilee will now continue. Is the Prosecution ready?"

"Yes, Your Honour." Replied Snails, smirking confidently.

"And the Defence?"

"Ready, Your Honour." Said Spike with his own confident smirk.

"Very well, Prosecution you may now give your opening statement." Said the Judge as he leaned back in his chair.

"The Prosecution would like to call Miss. Rarity to the stand." Said Snails.

(Here goes nothing....)

A white coated unicorn mare with blue eyes, purple mane and tail and three blue gemstones as a cutie mark was on the stand with a smile on her face.

(I wonder if Rarity has changed since I've been gone...)

"Witness, state your name and occupation please." Said Snails smugly.

"Ugh!" Yelled Rarity as her expression turned into a grimace. "Your clothes...they don't fit you at all!"

(Yep....same old Rarity.)

"Hey! I spent good money on this!" Said Snails with his nose high up. "The outfit that I'm wearing suits me perfectly fine."

"I hate to hurt you feeling darling...but they look hideous!" Said Rarity. "The suit is black and your coat is yellow! Not to mention your mane! It's green! None of them fit together!"

"Silence!" Shouted the Judge as he slammed his gavel. "Your discussion on the Prosecutor's clothing can wait until the trial is over, is that understood."

(The Judge sure is scary when he's angry.)

"Y-Yes, Your Honour." Said Rarity nervously.

"Good. Now witness state your name and occupation for the record." Said the Judge.

"My name is Rarity, I am Ponyville's local fashionista and Element Of Generosity." Said Rarity.

"I believe you saw Mrs. Cake on the 19th of March, is that correct?" Asked Snails.

"Yep, I was going to buy some cupcakes for me and Sweetie Belle but then Mrs. Cakes told me about what had happened." Said Rarity. "I decided to chat with her for a bit longer."

"Yes, she was talking about losing her house key, is that also correct?" Asked Snails.

"Again you are correct." Said Rarity. "I'm guessing you want me to testify about my conversation?"

"Yes, I would." Said Snails with a smirk. "Go ahead witness, tell us about what you discussed."

"Very well..." Began Rarity.

Witness Testimony
-----The Conversation-----

I was looking to buy cupcakes for me and Sweetie Belle, so I naturally went to Sugar Cube Corner.

Before I could buy my items, I was stopped by Mrs. Cakes who said she wanted to speak with me in private.

She then took me to the kitchen and told me about her missing keys. She said, "On Tuesday the 18th I was walking home,

On the way back I bumped into an old friend. We talked about current events before I walked home.

When I got home I realised I had lost my keys. I couldn't find them anywhere - no matter how hard I backtracked.

It was as if they vanished." She told me this because she trusted me. That is all.

-----End-----

"The Defence can now Cross-Examine the witness if they want to do so." Said the Judge.

"Gladly, Your Honour." Said Spike with a smile.

"Wait...Spikey-Wikey is that you?!" Shouted Rarity in realisation and surprise.

"Uh, yeah....but I'd prefer you'd call me Spike in the Court." Said Spike while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Wow! Those years at The Canterlot Law School really paid off, huh?" Said Rarity while she was giggling. "You're so tall and professional that I hardly recognised you!"

"Well...I had my growth spurt there and I have to be professional....it is a part of the job, y'know?" Replied Spike with a chuckle.

"You got to study at The Canter Law School?! That's no fair, I had to study in Manehatten's sad excuse for a law school!" Complained Snails.

"Silence!" Shouted the Judge again. "If you do this again Miss. Rarity I will have you taken off the stand to be questioned by the Police, do you understand?!"

"Y-yes, Your Honour!" Said Rarity, giving a salute out of fear.

"Now then the Defence will commence with it's Cross-Examination. Any more interruptions like this will end this trial!" Said the Judge. "Do you understand?!"

"Understood, Your Honour." Said Spike giving a bow of his head. "Now then let's begin..."

Witness Testimony
-----The Conversation-----

I was looking to buy cupcakes for me and Sweetie Belle, so I naturally went to Sugar Cube Corner.

Before I could buy my items, I was stopped by Mrs. Cakes who said she wanted to speak with me in private.

She then took me to the kitchen and told me about her missing keys. She said, "On Tuesday the 18th I was walking home,

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "Did Mrs. Cakes say where she was walking home from?"

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Snails. "It was obviously from the Lyra And Co! shop, the same place she brought the murder weapon."

(Should I reveal my ace in the hole yet?...No. I'll wait it out for now.)

"Actually she didn't say that she went to the Lyra and Co! store at all. She said she was at Bon Bon's Sweet's and she was buying sweets to treat Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake." Said Rarity.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "If that's the case then we can safely say that she was nowhere near the Lyra and Co! shop then!"

Snails simply shook his head. "Are you forgetting about the receipt? That's more than enough proof to prove she did go there!"

"The Prosecution is right. Well, what does the Defence say to this?" Asked the Judge.

"The Defence would for the witness to continue with her testimony." Said Spike.

"Heh...looks like you cant always find a contradiction." Said Snails with a smirk.

(I cant wait to take that smirk off your face...)

"Then she said..." Continued Rarity.

On the way back I bumped into an old friend. We talked about current events before I walked home.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "Did she say who this friend was?"

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Snails. "She can tell us all of friends that the now deceased Mrs. Cake once had, it wont change a thing."

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Spike as he slammed his hands on his desk. "Knowing who this pony was will help us see this case more clearly! This pony is the key to the entire case!"

"OBJECTION!" Shouted Snails. "You've made that same claim before and look at where it has sent us! We are pulling random bystanders into this mess just for making conversation with the victim! If we continue doing this we'll end up harassing the public!"

"Hmmm...the Prosecution raises a good point." Said the Judge before he turned towards Spike. "If you truly believe that this is the true key to the entire case then proceed but if these leads us nowhere I will deliver my verdict and end this trial. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Honour, thank you." Said Spike as a confident grin grew on his face. "Now tell us Rarity - who was the pony that Mrs. Cake conversed with?"

"I'm.....not sure." Said Rarity with her hoof on her chin.

(Huh? Oh no....this is bad...)

The Judge slowly looked at Spike, disappointment and anger in his eyes.

"Please Rarity try to remember!" Said Spike. "Something...anything!"

"....I believe she said something about...berries?" Said Rarity, her tone unsure and confused.

The confident smirk returned full power. "Then we've got another suspect!"

"W-WHAT?!" Screamed Snails as he threw his paperwork all over the Courtroom again.

The Court began to cause another uproar, making the Judge slam his gavel.

"Not again...Bailiff! If somepony talks again slap them, twice if needed!" Demanded the Judge, making silence resonate through-out the Courtroom. "Now them *ahem*...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"It's impossible for you to have made a conclusion from such a vague answer!" Argued Snails pitifully.

"Wrong! There is a pony named 'Berry Punch' who was wondering in the streets after the corpse was found!" Said Spike, his arm outstretched once again. "The reason why my client arrived at the scene at 10:30 AM was because she got caught up talking to Berry Punch."

"So what?! What does any of this mean?!" Snarled Snails in anger.

"Well considering my client claimed that Berry Punch had a suspicious looking sharp object in her pocket and that she came to her from the direction of Sugar Cube Corner - I'd say that this means she's a possible suspect of murder!" Declared Spike with his arm outstretched.

"Then how did she get the keys?!" Argued Snails.

"Well if we think back on what Miss. Rarity here said, When I got home I realised I had lost my keys. I couldn't find them anywhere - no matter how hard I backtracked. This means that after their conversation Mrs. Cake couldn't find her keys at all even though she backtracked. Meaning, that Berry Punch could have taken the keys when Mrs. Cake turned away!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Shouted Snails as he threw his paperwork into the air.

"That was simply divine, darling!" Said Rarity with an ecstatic grin on her face.

Somepony in the Court began to speak but was quickly slapped by the Bailiff.

"Hey...that hur-"

SLAP!

"Good job, Bailiff!" Said the Judge, happy at his silence. "I should do this more often!"

"First Mr. Cake and now Miss. Punch?! Will these accusations ever end?!" Shouted Snails furiously as he regained his composure.

"Not until the truth is revealed!" Responded Spike, making Snails step back in shock once again.

"The Defence has provided us with another suspect!" Said the Judge. "I want this suspect to be brought into the Courtroom immediately! Until then we will have another rece-"

"Don't bother. I'm already here." Said a pony as she stood up. The pony was purple and had a purple mane and tail, similar to Cheerilee. Her eyes were lavender and intimidating. Her cutie mark consisted of a strawberry leaning against some grapes. It was Berry Punch! "It's time this circus of a trial came to an end anyway."

The Judge looked at Berry Punch. "Then I'm assuming you're the one they call Berry Punch, correct?"

"That is correct, yes. I'm guessing you want me to testify?" Asked Berry Punch as she casually walked down the stairs.

"You are correct. Please take your position at the witness stand." Said the Judge.

"Very well..." Muttered Berry Punch as she walked towards the stand.

"Witness, name and occupation." Said Snails angrily, not pleased that the trial wasn't going in his favour.

"I am Berry Punch, I used to run Berry's Beers but now I'm just an alcoholic mother living on benefits...." Snarled Berry Punch.

"Alright witness, testify to what happened on the night of the murder." Said the Judge. "Say anything you heard, saw or did during the situation."

"If that's what you want...." Said Berry Punch with scowl. "It wont do you any good though..."

Witness Testimony
-----Night Of The Murder-----

I was walking down the streets, all alone....just drinking like everyday.

Suddenly I hear screaming coming from Sugar Cube Corner.

I looked in through the smashed window and saw Cheerilee killing Mrs. Cake.

I ran...scared and confused so I went home.

Then I drank myself to sleep.

-----End-----

"The Defence can now Cross-Examine the witness is they wish." Said the Judge.

"Gladly, Your Honour." Said Spike with a nod of his head.

"Then you may begin." Responded the Judge.

(This is it! The final Cross-Examination!)

Witness Testimony
-----Night Of The Murder-----

I was walking down the streets, all alone....just drinking like everyday.

Suddenly I hear screaming coming from Sugar Cube Corner.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "Did the scream sound female or male?"

"Female." Responded Berry Punch coldly.

"Continue then." Said Spike.

I looked in through the smashed window and saw Cheerilee killing Mrs. Cake.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "If you were there then you must've saw the murder weapon, right?"

"Yes, it was that kitchen knife you keep talking about." Said Berry Punch.

"Then that's a lie." Said Spike with a confident smile.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Berry Punch with a raised eyebrow.

"This sheet of paper right here is what I'm talking about!" Said Spike as he revealed the true receipt of Mrs. Cakes shopping.

"Huh? Isn't that the receipt from Lyra And Co! for Mrs. Cake's shopping?" Asked the Judge.

"What does this have to do with her statement, in fact this even supports it!" Said Snails who began to laugh.

"Actually the one you're talking about is right...here!" Said Spike who showed of the forged version.

"Wait...what?!" Shouted Snails in surprise. "That cant be right....there should only be one copy!"

"You're right...there should be only one so that means that one of them is fake!" Said Spike. "Check the dates on both! Mr. Cake claimed that his wife brought the murder weapon on the 18th of March but the mare who works at the store Light Dash that was working there that day brought me a copy of her receipt on the 14th of March!"

"And?" Asked Berry Punch. "Who's to say that Light Dash didn't forge this?"

"W-what?!" Shouted Spike in shock.

"You heard me. Do you have any proof that it isn't forged?" Asked Berry Punch. "Because if not - you're wasting everypony's time!"

(Th-this is bad! I didn't expect her to think of that!)

"If you don't have any form of evidence to prove your claim is false then why don't we continue on with the testimony?" Asked Berry Punch.

"F-fine..." Muttered Spike.

"Excellent..." Said Berry Punch with a smirk.

I ran...scared and confused so I went home.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "Shouldn't you have ran into a certain pony?"

"If you're referring to what you said earlier...that Cheerilee talked to me? Then I'll have to ask you...where is your proof that she talked to me?" Asked Berry Punch. "If all you have is simple words and not evidence....then I suggest you keep your mouth shut!"

"The witness raises a good point!" Said the Judge. "Do you have any counter to that Mr. Spike?"

"N-no, Your Honour." Said Spike. "Witness....please re-do your testimony."

"Gladly." Said Berry Punch smirking again.

(I need to figure it out! C'mon what did Cheerilee tell me that could come in handy now?!)

I was walking down the streets, all alone....just drinking like everyday.

"Hold it!" Shouted Spike. "What was you wearing at that time?"

"A black coat...why?" Asked Berry Punch.

Spike grinned confidently. "Because then you're nothing but a dirty liar!"

"Huh?! What are you talking about?!" Snarled Snails in surprise and anger.

"If you truly didn't talk to Cheerilee...then how come she told me that you were wearing a black coat?!" Shouted Spike as he outstretched his arm towards her.

"Again, those are just words. Do you have any proof that she said that to you?" Asked Berry Punch.

"Actually, Princess Twilight was a witness to the conversation!" Said Spike, cringing at the use of Twilight's full title, knowing that she hated being called that.

"A princess?!" Shouted the Judge. "There would be no better pony you could get a testimony from!"

"Except we wont get a testimony from her." Countered Berry Punch.

"Huh?" Muttered Spike in surprise.

"She's in a meeting, correct?" Asked Berry Punch. "How will we gain a testimony from a Princess that is at a Royal Meeting which by under any circumstances cannot be interrupted? The answer is, we cant. We don't know how long it'll take for the Princesses to wrap up their meeting, meaning it could be days. Not to mention I have a ticket for a holiday and with this little suspicion on me...I'll be able to leave by tomorrow."

(This is bad...really bad...)

"So then why don't you finish with this stupid line of questioning...it's not like it's getting us anywhere." Said Berry Punch. "Besides Cheerilee's name was still written on the wall."

"I'm afraid the witness is correct. You don't hold much evidence against her at all. Most of it is circumstantial or just plain words, none of which is any real evidence in a Court." Said the Judge. "I believe it's time we end this once and for all. I find the Defendant, Miss. Cheerilee to be...."

(Is there really nothing that I can do? Is it all over? Is there really no more evidence to present?...Oh Celestia...it really is over....)

"Hold it!" Shouted a male voice.

"HUH?!" Shouted everypony, making some receive slaps from the Bailiff.

A Royal Guard officer was there standing next to a white coated stallion unicorn with purple glasses and grey mane, tail and beard he was also wearing a lab coat that covered his cutie mark.

"I am X-Ray, I run the forensic operations and we have found some interesting marks on the dead body of Mrs. Cake." Said X-Ray with a chuckle. "There appears to be rope burn all around the neck. We are not sure why though as the murder weapon was clearly the knife..."

"What does that change?" Asked Berry Punch. "The murder weapon was the knife and I saw Cheerilee use it. That's all what matters!"

"However, if you didn't see the rope then your testimony is flawed!" Shouted Cheerilee from the defendant stand. "That would also mean that Mr. Cake's testimony is flawed too!"

"The defendant is right!" Said the Judge. "This certainly changes things!"

"No it doesn't. If there was a rope...then that also destroys Spike's theory on what happened as well." Said Berry Punch.

"Not exactly....not if you were the killer anyway!" Said Spike with a grin.

"W-what are talking about?! Of course it destroys your theory!" Said Snails in desperation.

"No. If we were to look at this, then the entire murder would look differently!" Said Spike as he pulled out another receipt - this time it belonged to Berry Punch. "This is your shopping is list, is it not?"

Berry Punch's eye's widened in shock and fear. "W-where did you get that?"

"From Light Dash. She said that your items that you brought were really suspicious." Said Spike with his confident grin growing wider. "Which include gloves and....rope!"

"That would explain the rope burns!" Yelled X-Ray.

"If we were to combine the fact that you might've taken Mrs. Cake's key....then we can assume you attempted to kill her with the rope!" Said Spike. "Not only that but by showing this evidence it also shows that Light Dash does not have a reason to forge the evidence...she wouldn't put somepony in danger as she reported this just out of pure reasons that they were 'suspicious items'!"

"Y-you bastard!" Yelled Berry Punch, snapping out of her calm and collected state as she punched the table repeatedly.

"Just admit it Berry Punch...you killed Mrs. Cake!" Shouted Spike with his arm outstretched towards Berry Punch and his index finger pointing at her.

"Heh...heh...heheheheheheheh!" The laughs were at first quiet but they began to become louder and more deranged as they went on and the source of all this was..... Berry Punch.

"W-what's so funny?" Asked the Judge in fear and shock. "This is no laughing manner!"

"Isn't it...heh...obvious?" Asked Berry Punch, while still giggling. "Spike...heh...claims that I attempted to killer her using a rope but if that's true....heheheheh...then why is the window broken and why is there a hole in her chest?!"

(So this is her true colours...)

"The witness raises an...eh...good point?" Said the Judge with an uncertain and scared tone. "So what evidence do you have to counter this argument, Mr. Spike?"

"I...uh...I...I'm..." Said Spike, stammering his words.

"What's the matter, no proof?" Asked Berry Punch sarcastically before laughing hysterically. "Heh...heheheheheheh! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"That laugh..." Whispered Mr. Cake. "It was....of course.....how was I so blind?..."

"YOU HAVE NO PROOF WHATSOEVER!" Said Berry Punch sadistically before laughing again.

"OBJECTION!" Shouted....Mr.Cake?! "There's something I have to confess to you all....I...I TAMPERED WITH THE EVIDENCE!"

"What the?!" Shouted the Judge in surprise.

(He's actually...confessing?!)

"I remember it all now....my mind had blocked it away but I truly remember it all." Said Mr. Cake softly. "The other bloodied shard of glass in her mouth...the black coat...I remember it all now...I thought it was Cheerilee...they looked so similar so that's why...I FABRICATED THE EVIDENCE!"

"No...not now..." Whispered Berry Punch, quickly losing her sadistic smile. "It cant be...."

"I was the one who messed with the shopping list and I was the one who wrote Cheerilee's name on the wall...that's why it took me so long to call the authorities." Confessed Mr. Cake. "And that laugh. I remember hearing it...seeing her hunched over my wife's body. That laugh was sadistic and her eyes filled with such madness....as if layers upon layers of malice had folded into one."

"Y-You bastard!" Shouted Berry Punch at Mr. Cake.

"I pushed such a horrid image out of my mind. Eyes that looked like they belonged to the devil himself. Insane...lavender eyes..." Said Mr. Cake with a smile of true happiness on his face. "Looks like....you wont get off free. You will be punished."

"So what?!" Shouted Berry Punch. "In case you haven't forgotten that bastard's entire testimony was filled with nothing but lies and besides, he just contradicted himself! He claimed he saw me....but he didn't see the rope! Why would I even need to break the glass if I was planning to kill her with rope?!...Oh and the biggest contradiction is this...I HAVE NO MOTIVE!"

"But why would he lie about something like this?!" Questioned the Judge.

"Isn't it obvious?! He wants to blame me! He must have rope in his house somewhere so he could've easily hid it! Besides, confessing to tempering with evidence is nowhere as bad as get a death sentence!" Shouted Berry Punch as she became louder and more violent with each word. "SEE HE HAS A MOTIVE TO LIE...I DO NOT!!!"

(Hold on...let's look through everything and make a conclusion!

So Berry Punch goes and buys gloves and rope.

Next she enters the house using the key she stole off Mrs. Cakes!

Then using the rope Berry Punch places it around Mrs.Cakes neck and attempts to kill Mrs. Cake through strangulation.

In an act of survival, Mrs. Cakes broke the window and used a broken shard to cut the rope off!

After that she drops the glass shard to the floor. Then Berry Punch picks the glass shard up.

She then proceeds to stab Mrs. Cake through the chest - ripping through the flesh and piercing Mrs. Cake's left lung!

Berry Punch then uses this situation to take the rope and put it in her coat's pocket!

(And that's why when Mr. Cake saw Berry Punch she was hunched over!

After she flees...Mr. Cake blames it on Cheerilee as Berry Punch and Cheerilee looked the same and even wore the same coat - yet it was so dark out the colour didn't matter!

So using Mrs. Cake's blood, Mr. Cake writes Cheerilee's name on the wall! He also uses this situation to mess with the receipt of his wife's shopping list!

It was all so he could make sure the true culprit got what they deserved, however he subconsciously blocked Berry Punch's lavender eyes out for the trauma they gave him!

Then she fled the scene had a lengthy conversation with Cheerilee so it would seem that Cheerilee was trying to kill the the only remaining witness!)

I'VE GOT IT!

"No....It had to be you, Berry Punch! There was no one else it could've been!" Said Spike with a steely resolve. "Allow me to tell you my Conclusion!"

"W-what are you rambling on about now?!" Shouted Berry Punch. "Prosecution, say something!"

Snails was silent for a while before he chuckled. "I'm not the best pony in this planet...and I'll never claim to be but I will not defend a scumbag like you! You've proven your true nature and you're up against the wall - all that is left for you is....death."

"W-What?! No!" Shouted Berry Punch. "You useless maggot!"

"My Conclusion goes like this - You brought some gloves to hide your hoof-prints and you brought the rope to use as the murder weapon then you used the stolen key to unlock Sugar Cube Corner's door. Once you were in you crept up behind Mrs. Cake and wrapped your rope around her neck and attempted to strangulate her to death." Said Spike with a smirk on his face. "However, there was a problem and she had broken the window and used a broken glass shard to cut herself free from the ropes, once she did she also let the glass drop from her mouth out of pure exhaustion, then you picked up the glass shard and used it to kill her by stabbing it through her chest. Afterwards, you collected your cut rope and put it in your coat pocket, only to be seen by Mr. Cake and because you were putting your rope away, you looked like you were hunched over. Then a plan formulated in your head. You then looked into his eyes and ran away, with the glass shard and later bumped into Cheerilee who you held up to arrive late to make it look like she was there to kill the last and only witness, Mr. Cake. However, the plan worked even better than you thought and Mr. Cake had made false evidence to pin the blame on Cheerilee as you two look the same - you two even had the same sort of coat!"

"N...No....T-that's all lies! ALL OF IT!" Shouted Berry Punch in a frenzy as she punched the table over and over again, faster and faster. "I STILL HAVE NO MOTIVE!"

"That won't work anymore!" Shouted Spike. "I know your motive...it was obvious from the very beginning. Your company Berry's Beers collapsed due to the shortage of customers...making your life a living hell and the company that took all those customers was Sugar Cube Corner!"

"H-how did you...?" Stammered Berry Punch in shock and fear. "N-NO! THAT IS ALL LIES!!! ALL OF THIS IS LIES!!!"

"There are no more lies!" Shouted Spike as he outstretched his arm towards Berry Punch one more time, he could've sworn that he saw a bright bullet come from his index claw. "THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!!!"

The bright bullet made contact with Berry Punch's chest ripping right through her and destroying a black heart covered in chains and locks.

BREAKTHROUGH!

Berry Punch looked down at the ground, her eyes widened in fear and shock of being found out. She remembered it all just like Spike described it...all the death..all the planning...all the madness...for what? A stupid grudge that truly meant nothing!

Berry Bunch reared her head back and released all of her emotions in one final scream...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream hurt everypony's ears, it was even threatening to break the windows in the Court.

Once the scream was over Berry Punch collapsed on the stand and the Guards arrested her unconscious body and also arrested Mr. Cake for tampering with a crime scene which he happily accepts.

"At least the nightmare is over now." Was all that Mr. Cake said with a smile on his face.

The Judge sat in his chair, almost paralysed by the events that took place right before his eyes. Slowly a smile tugged at the sides of his lips but he managed to keep a straight, neutral face.

"That was the most interesting case I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of in years." Said the Judge with a heavy sigh. "It's almost a shame to see it end - the event was horrific but the ending of the trial was one of the happiest that I've ever seen. Now then it is time for my verdict. I declare the defendant, Miss. Cheerilee to be NOT GUILTY!"

Everypony began clapping and cheering for the end result. The case was finally over and they could rest.

March 21, 5:20 PM.
District Court.
Defendant Lobby No.6.

"That was amazing, Spike!" Said Cheerilee as she hugged Spike. "You was able to find the truth even in the most dire of times!"

Spike chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well...you know me, cant let a bad guy get away."

"That was simply splendid, darling." Said a familiar voice from behind Spike.

Spike turned around quickly and saw Rarity standing there. "Rarity?! I thought you left after your testimony?"

"No, darling. The case was so intense and exciting that I couldn't help but watch." Said Rarity with a chuckle.

"Yeah...I'll have to admit that was truly something to see." Said an even more familiar voice.

(Snails...)

"You really did better then a rookie should've done!" Said Snails. "You're definitely gonna get promoted! It's a shame though..."

"Huh? What's a shame?" Asked Spike has he tilted his head.

"My cutie mark." Responded Snails. "I thought that it could've mean more things then how slow my thought process is...like I thought it meant slow and steady wins the race or something along those lines. Guess I was a fool to think that, huh?"

"Not exactly." Said Spike as he rubbed his chin in thought. "If X-Ray didn't come in or if Mr. Cake didn't confess then I would've lost for sure. But because of pure luck I won. You almost beat me there Snails. You had me stuck quite a few times. It almost gave me a migraine to overcome some of them."

"Heh....you really are nicer then I gave you credit for, you know?" Said Snails with a chuckle. "I was always egotistical and cruel to the Defence attorney's in the past because I saw them to be just as bad as the criminal they we're defending. Yet, you proved me wrong - you saved a falsely accused mare and at the same time discovered who the real killer is? That is amazing."

"I used to have the same views on Prosecutors. I used to believe that they accused the innocent and bullied them so they can get more money. Guess I was wrong as well, huh?" Said Spike with a chuckle of his own. "Let's go celebrate this...c'mon!"

"Yeah!" Yelled Everypony and left to join him.

(I'm not sure what that bullet was...I'm equally not sure on what I saw either. However, I can rest for now. Just knowing that the criminal of a truly terrifying crime is in prison truly puts me at ease. For now I'm going to have some fun!)

"Too bad...that it won't last for long...."

THUNK!!!

END OF Turnabout Beginnings.