Lyra Heartstrings: Ace Attorney

by DeiStar

Chapters

Turnabout Orchestra: Part I
Turnabout Orchestra: Part II
Turnabout Relaxation: Investigation - Part I
Objection!

Turnabout Orchestra: Part I

Turnabout Orchestra

*****

“I’m sorry, Octavia, but the members of the orchestra have been chosen.”

“N-no! Please! I’ve been practicing really, really hard these past few months! Give me another chance!”

The musical instruments were perfectly aligned in the corner of the music hall. After all, they needed a good rest. The concert earlier that night surely was long, yet a great success. Cellists, bassists, drummers, trumpeters. They all did a magnificent job in their performance.

“I know you’re very talented, darling. You were even selected to play for Princess Celestia’s royal symphony concert last month. However, I’m afraid you don’t meet the requirements to join Ponyville’s Blue Moon Orchestra. I’m sorry.”

“B-but why!? Y-you even said I’m very talented! Please! It’s been my dream to join this orchestra!”

“How about next December? Let me remind you that we let members go and pick new ones each six months. You could try then.”

“N-no! I-I’ve been waiting a lot for this. I can’t...”

The raindrops outside struck like little pebbles against the concert hall windows. That pleasant night blew a gentle, cold breeze across the room. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, illuminating the dark hall for a brief moment.

A unicorn lay on the floor, in front of the row of instruments. The life she once had within her body was now long gone. The only living soul in that room was a speechless, light gray mare standing right in front of her.

No! Please! You have to believe me! I didn’t kill her! It wasn’t me!

*****

“Oh, boy… I hope nothing bad happens today.” Vinyl was sitting on one of the lobby couches, breathing faster than normal. She couldn’t help but shiver on her seat. After all, it was her sister who was about to be sentenced for murder. She ran a hoof through her mane, messing it up even more. She was up almost the whole night trying to contact a lawyer to defend Octavia. The fatigue and anxiety was not a good mix for her. At least, for her own image, she could hide her weary eyes from public behind her shades.

“Uh, excuse me?” somepony said.

Vinyl raised her head and looked at the pony in front of her. She noticed the pony’s light aquamarine coat along with her pale cyan mane. It was Lyra Heartstrings, the defense attorney that was going to defend her sister. “M-Ms. Heartstrings!”

“Good morning, Ms. Scratch,” Lyra said, greeting her with a warm smile. “How are you today?”

Vinyl wasn’t sure why Lyra was in such a good mood, despite the fact that the trial was just minutes away. “Uh, I’m… I’m fine, thanks. I had a cup of coffee and a soda this morning before arriving to the courtroom,” she replied. That way, at least she could have the energy to witness the whole trial.

“That’s great. We’ve gotta keep up the good spirit,” Lyra cheered. She took a quick glance around the room. “So, where’s Ms. Octavia? Isn’t this the defendant lobby?”

“Oh, uh, I think she should arrive here soon. She was at the detention center this morning,” Vinyl said, looking at the lobby front door. The trial was about to commence and she was nowhere to be found.

“Well, it’s all right,” Lyra mumbled, taking a seat next to Vinyl. “She is charged for murder, after all. I’m sure her questioning took some time.”

“M-Ms. Heartstrings! My sister, she-she wouldn’t do something like this!” Vinyl removed her glasses and rested them atop her horn, revealing her worn, teary eyes to Lyra. The lawyer raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Tavi would never hurt anypony!”

“I know she didn’t do it, Ms. Scratch.” Lyra waved a hoof around. “I’m a defense attorney, and it’s my job to believe and trust my client until the very end. If Octavia didn’t do it, then I’ll do my best today in court to prove her innocence!”

Vinyl could feel her heart warming up a bit. She was touched by the attorney’s words, which clearly showed confidence and determination. No other lawyer in Ponyville agreed to help Octavia. The case appeared to be very simple, so they weren’t risking to lose. “Th-thanks, Ms. Heartstrings.”

“Heh, you can call me Lyra, if that’s fine with you.” She was an attorney, so she was used to formality. However, around her clients, she preferred to lighten the tension in the air. “So, do you have any details about the case?”

“Uh, yeah, Ms. Lyra,” Vinyl said, “I researched a little about the case before coming here. Apparently, the victim was a unicorn mare named Minuette.” Pausing, she bowed her head, before raising it once more. “But! It wasn’t Tavi! Honest! I don’t even know why they suspect her!”

“Okay, okay, I see you’re quite informed,” Lyra replied. “I myself don’t know why she became the suspect either, but I guarantee everything will become clearer at the trial.” As soon as she was done talking, the lobby front doors slowly opened, revealing three ponies on their way in. Two of them were Royal Unicorn Guards. The third pony, their prisoner, was the defendant Octavia.

“Tavi!” Vinyl exclaimed, jumping from the couch and running towards her. Her heart almost broke when she saw her sister wearing a pair of hoofcuffs on her front legs. The chain was long enough to let her walk small steps, but short enough to let her move her legs at will, thus, preventing her from running away.

“Hi there, Vinyl,” Octavia greeted her sister with a forced smile. She was devastated and scared in the inside, but she didn’t want to concern her with her own feelings. She was wearing her usual pink bow tie, and her mane and tail were perfectly combed. She cared about her own image. “How’s going?”

“Ugh! You had us worried! We thought you wouldn’t show up!” Vinyl nagged her, quickly gaining back her composure. “Eh, sorry, I got carried away… heh. You were being held in custody. Of course you’d show up.” Octavia only giggled, being joined by her sister.

Lyra stood up from her seat and walked towards Octavia to formally meet her. She recognized her. She was a somewhat famous cellist that would occasionally play in Canterlot orchestras. “Greetings. You must be Octavia, my client. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lyra Heartstrings, defense attorney and your… well… defense attorney,” she introduced herself, extending one of her hooves to greet her client.

“The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Lyra,” Octavia replied. She tried to extend her hoof, but the hoofcuffs forbade her from doing so. “Um, gentlecolts?” She turned her head and looked at the guards. Their horns glowed and the hoofcuffs around her hooves opened. One of the guards levitated them and placed them away. “Thanks.” She extended her hoof and shook Lyra’s.

“Well, perhaps we should start with you telling us what happened that night,” Lyra suggested, looking at Vinyl, who had put her shades back on.

“Uh, yeah. What happened, Tavi? Why would they arrest you for?” Vinyl asked. That was a question that was still bothering her.

“Well…” Octavia sighed, taking a few steps forward. “It happened last night at Ponyville’s Auditorium.”

“Ponyville’s Auditorium? What were you doing there last night?” Lyra asked.

“I went to meet with Minuette, the Blue Moon Orchestra conductor,” Octavia replied, “I talked with her because I didn’t get chosen to be the cellist for the Summer Orchestra.”

“I see. The Summer Orchestra, eh?” Lyra tapped her hoof on her chin. It seems like Octavia had a reason to kill the victim after all. Apparently, she didn’t get picked to be the cellist for this orchestra.

“The Summer Orchestra is a set of boring orchestra concerts that the Blue Moon has from July to December,” Vinyl interrupted, immediately receiving a cold glare from Octavia.

“Vinyl! The Blue Moon Orchestra is NOT boring!” Octavia exclaimed, with a frown on her face. If there was one thing she hated, it was Vinyl calling her music boring every time. “I don’t call your noisy ‘music’ boring, do I?”

“No, but you call it ‘noisy’, just like you did right now!” Vinyl replied back, clenching her teeth. If there was one thing she hated, it was Octavia calling her music noisy every time.

“Ladies, ladies, please… we can leave the musical arguments for later, okay?” Lyra stood between the two sisters, trying to bring back the order in the room. “Right now we were listening to what Octavia was doing the night of the murder, so please, continue with your story.”

“Thanks.” Octavia cleared her throat. “As I was saying, I was there. But I didn’t murder Minuette!” she assured, taking a quick breath. She was starting to worry. Right now, she had nopony in her side but Vinyl and Lyra.

“I know you didn’t kill Ms. Minuette, dear,” Lyra said. However, the most important question wasn’t solved yet. “Then, why are you the suspect? Why did they arrest you?”

Just when Octavia opened her mouth to answer Lyra’s question, the bailiff in the lobby interrupted her. “Excuse me. The trial is about to commence. The defendant is requested to get in the courtroom.”

Lyra grunted. Shucks! Now we’ll have to wait for the trial to know what happened. But if Octavia said she didn’t do it, then she didn’t. I just hope things don’t get ugly.

“Okay, Tavi. Good luck! I’ll be rooting for you!” Vinyl cheered her, with a smirk on her face. Octavia was now in Lyra’s hooves. Now it was up to her to find the truth to what happened that night.

“Thanks, Vinyl… I know everything will be alright.” She turned her head and looked at Lyra. “Okay, Ms. Lyra, I’m counting on you!”

Lyra nodded, with a confident smile on her face. “Let’s go. I promise to get you a not guilty verdict or else, I’ll turn in my attorney badge!”

*****

The courtroom was filled with all kind of ponies, who were going to witness the upcoming trial from their stands. They were split in two stands, one of each side of the room. The judge stand was at the bottom of the room, standing taller than the public stands, with Celestia’s emblem right in front of it. In front of each public stand, there were the defense and the prosecution table, facing each other for the upcoming battle.

The murmurs and whispers that came from the public were soon cut off by Celestia’s gavel, striking with might against the sound block of the table. Immediately, all eyes were fixed at the Princess of Equestria, who was going to be the judge for the trial.

Sitting on the defendant chair, was Octavia, the suspect. She was still nervous about the whole thing. She had been in courtrooms before, but she never expected to find herself in the defendant chair. Meanwhile, Lyra was already set at her table. She had some papers and envelopes scattered all over it. Vinyl was right next to her, since she let her be her co-counsel, so she could witness the trial from a better angle.

The prosecutor, on the other side of the table, had her own papers and envelopes perfectly fixed, unlike the defense attorney in front of her.

“Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Octavia,” Celestia informed, breaking the silence generated by her gavel of justice. “I must ask, are both sides ready?”

“The defense is ready, Your Honor,” Lyra affirmed. She had the necessary items for the case already. Files containing profiles, reports and such. She knew more evidence and reports would come up later at the trial.

“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor,” a pale cream-colored earth pony informed. She ran her hoof through her pink and blue, curly mane. “And it’s ready to prove the defendant’s guilt.” She shifted her glance at the attorney in front of her. “I hope you’re ready to lose, Lyree.”

“Tsk, you just love to call me by my pet name, don’t you, Bonnie?” Lyra chuckled, looking at Bon Bon with a smirk on her face. “If you’re gonna use pet names, I’ll call you by your own, then.”

Bon Bon let out a faint snicker at the sound of her own pet name. She swiftly cleaned the smug on her face and replaced it with the toughest of looks. “Fair enough.”

“If both sides are done with their idle chat, I’d like to commence the trial,” Celestia interrupted, looking at the two mares below her. She was a princess with a lot of prudence and patience, but the trial had to start. “Well, Ms. Bon Bon. Your opening statement, please.”

“Of course, Your Honor,” Bon Bon said. She opened a folder on her table and checked its contents, giving it a quick read and closing it with her hoof. “Now then, I’d like to proceed with a summary of events on the day in question.” Her voice emanated confidence from it. “The incident occurred on Ponyville’s Auditorium. The murder victim was Ms. Minuette, the conductor of Ponyville’s Blue Moon Orchestra.”

“Ah, the Blue Moon Orchestra. I never missed a single concert. It’s a shame a tragedy like this happened,” Celestia commented. She was already invited to the next concert the orchestra was going to give.

“Well, yes,” Bon Bon said. “Anyway, next, we have a photo taken at the scene of the crime.” She searched around her pile of documents for it. Finally, she found it and showed it for the court. The photo showed the victim, lying on the floor with a small puddle of blood around her head. There were several chips of wood from big to small sizes scattered all over the floor and her body.

“Very well then,” Celestia said as she enveloped the photo with her magical golden aura and retrieved it from the prosecutor’s hoof, placing it on her desk. She looked at the photo and nodded. “The court accepts this photo to the record as evidence,” she confirmed, giving the photo another look. “Hmm… I can’t quite tell the cause of death from this photo. All I see is the victim lying there with many pieces of wood all over her.”

“That’s where I was going to go next, Your Honor,” Bon Bon claimed, looking around her pile of folders once again.

Lyra was quietly looking to what Bon Bon was bringing to the table. I assume the cause of death will now be revealed. I only hope that it doesn’t incriminate Octavia even more.

“Here. This is the autopsy record given to me by the police,” Bon Bon said, flashing a sheet of paper. “The time of death was last night exactly at 23:05. The cause was instant death due a blow to the back of the head with a blunt object.”

Celestia levitated the sheet and hovered in front of her to read it. “I see. A single strike… hmm… a horrible way to die. So, what was the murder weapon?”

“Ah, yes, Your Honor. If you read further, it clearly shows that the murder weapon was the defendant’s own cello,” Bon Bon said, pointing her hoof at Octavia, who gasped in surprise.

The public began to mutter after that last claim. It seemed like the defendant was guilty. After all, the murder weapon was her own instrument. The mighty sound of Celestia’s gavel echoed through the room, silencing the murmurs once again.

“So Tavi’s cello was the murder weapon. Now I see why they arrested her!” Vinyl commented, gazing at Lyra with a worried look on her face. The courtroom didn’t allow ponies with shades, so she had to take them off before entering. Rules are rules, after all.

“This is looking bad for us… very bad,” Lyra grunted.

“We can all assume that the defendant struck the victim on the night of the murder with her cello,” Bon Bon assured. She looked at Lyra with a smirk on her face. “Well? Does the defense has any comments?”

“Actually, the defense does,” Lyra claimed, slamming one hoof against the table with might. “What reason would my client have to do so? Why murder the victim in the first place?” It was a valid question. After all, in a trial, the motive is a fundamental reason. Surely the murderer had a good reason for his or her actions.

“Heh, that’s where I’m going next, Lyree,” Bon Bon chuckled, shifting her gaze at the Princess. “The defendant HAD a motive for murdering Ms. Minuette.”

“And what would that motive be?” Celestia asked, curious about the matter. Murder was a rare event in Equestria, so she was expecting a very good motive for it.

“Apparently, the defendant wasn't chosen to become a member of the Blue Moon Orchestra, which was directed by the victim, Ms. Minuette. She was hoping to enter as cellist, since that’s what she plays, the cello.” Bon Bon paused to check on more of her files. “The reason? It’s quite obvious. Filled with resentment, Ms. Octavia grabbed her cello and assaulted Ms. Minuette with it.”

“Hmm… I see. So the defendant had a reason after all.” Celestia looked at Lyra with a puzzled face. “This isn’t looking good for your client, Ms. Heartstrings.” She shifted her gaze towards Bon Bon. “Very well then, the prosecution may call its first witness. There… is a witness, right, Ms. Bon Bon?”

Huh? A witness? I should’ve seen this coming. Lyra bit her lower lip, awaiting for Bon Bon’s answer. The case was looking pretty bad right now, and with a witness, it could only get worse.

“That’s correct, Your Honor.” Bon Bon nodded. “If it pleases the court, the prosecution would like to call Ms. Octavia to the stand.” She looked at the defendant, inviting her to do so.

“What? The defendant herself? Would that be alright, Ms Heartstrings?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Normally, the defendants would not be called to the stand as witnesses.

Lyra looked over at her client, biting her lip and thinking. “Absolutely, Your Honor.”

Vinyl tugged on Lyra's leg. “Are you sure that's a good idea?” she whispered, looking up at her.

“I need more information if I'm going to piece together what happened that night,” Lyra replied, watching Octavia rise and walk to the stand. “Your sister is innocent, so the best way to prove her innocence, is by finding out what really did happen that night.”

“Very well then. The court calls Ms. Octavia to the witness stand!” Celestia struck her gavel.

With that, Octavia stood up from her seat and walked across the room to take the witness stand, which was right in front of the whole courtroom. She glanced around the room, fidgeting with her hooves behind the old oak stand, which had a reflective finish. Right now, it was the moment where she had to be the strongest ever.

“Witness, state your name and occupation for the court, please,” Bon Bon requested. One of the formalities of the prosecution is to always ask those two fundamental details to any witness who takes the stand, and Octavia wasn’t the exception.

“M-my name is Octavia, and I-I’m a cellist,” Octavia stuttered, looking at the prosecutor with concern on her face. She didn’t know what was going to happen next.

“Ms. Octavia. You do realize that you’re suspected in the murder of the conductor Ms. Min—”

“B-but I didn’t do it! I’m innocent!” Octavia exclaimed, immediately regretting her sudden outburst. She didn’t intend to yell, but she was tired of everypony accusing her of doing such a terrible act as murder.

“We’ll decide that at the end of trial. Right now, you’ll testify about what happened that night,” Bon Bon ordered. She had the most serious look Octavia ever saw on her life.

“I agree with the prosecution,” Celestia commented. “Witness, please tell us about what happened last night.”

“Y-yes, Your Honor…” Octavia mumbled. This was it. Everypony was going to know the truth once and for all, or at least, that’s what she was hoping for.

Witness Testimony

“Yes, I will admit that I was there. But, I didn’t murder Ms. Minuette! All I did was talk to her that night. After a while, I found her dead body lying in front of me. I was panicked, so I blacked out. When I woke up, the police had arrived, so I was immediately arrested.”

Princess Celestia took a few seconds to meditate the testimony in her head. “Hmm… so you were there, and you even interacted with the victim. Yet, you claim you didn’t murder her, is that right?” she asked.

“Yes! I swear I never touched anypony that night!” Octavia exclaimed. The murmurs echoed once again around the courtroom. They were quickly silenced by Celestia’s gavel.

“Of course, that’s just a pack of lies,” Bon Bon claimed, with a smile on her face. “But it’s not my job to expose the lies in a testimony, right, Lyree?”

“Tsk, your arrogance will cost you this trial, Bonnie,” Lyra claimed. “I’m aware of what I have to do next, and believe me, I’m not very comfortable with it.” And why would she? She was about to cross-examine her own client. She only hoped that she could find anything to turn this case upside down.

“What do you mean with that, Ms. Lyra?” Vinyl asked, completely oblivious about how the court worked. “Expose Tavi’s lies?”

“Something like that, Vinyl. After every testimony, the defense does something called a cross-examination, where we press on the testimony and check for any lies or inconsistencies,” Lyra explained. “The witness repeats his or her testimony in order to let us press or present evidence. In this case, I have to see if Octavia’s testimony is accurate. Usually, defendants are not called to the witness stand, so it bothers me to do it.”

“Ah… I see,” Vinyl responded, amazed by the loads of new information that she had received. “But, Tavi wouldn’t lie! Would she?”

“Of course not,” Lyra assured. She wouldn’t… right? She wouldn’t do this to me.

“Alright, Ms. Heartstrings. Please, commence with your cross-examination,” Celestia requested. It was about time to begin with the first cross-examination of the trial. The truth was about to be revealed.

Cross-Examination

“Yes, I will admit that I was there. But, I didn’t murder Ms. Minuette!” Octavia repeated her testimony.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “You say that you were there? But why? Why would you be there?” she asked. It was a question that was answered before, but more details wouldn’t hurt.

“I went there because I wanted to see if Ms. Minuette would let me join the orchestra. There were auditions going on, but… I didn’t make it,” Octavia explained.

“So, what happened next?” Bon Bon asked, indicating her to proceed with her testimony.

“All I did was talk to her that night. After a while, I found her dead body lying in front of me,” Octavia repeated herself.

“Hold it! You say that ‘after a while’ you found her body. What exactly does this mean? Did you leave the room at some point of the night?” Lyra asked. That seemed like a good reason to cast away suspicion from her, at least for now.

“Well, after she told me that I didn’t make it for the orchestra, I left the room, crying,” Octavia said, recalling the events from last night. “Around ten minutes after I left the hall, I realized I had forgotten my cello.” She paused and looked at the floor. The next part was something that would haunt her forever, regardless if she were found guilty or not. “When I came back, it was when I saw her lying on the floor…”

“So you left the room? How convenient, eh?” Bon Bon said. Those kind of testimonies were easily interpreted as lies. “Common lie somepony would say to escape of a jam.”

“Please, Ms. Bon Bon, let the defense handle this,” Celestia requested, receiving a simple shrug from the prosecutor. She rolled her eyes and indicated Lyra to proceed.

“Wait, what were you doing in those ten minutes before you went back to the crime scene?” Lyra asked.

“I was crying on a couch on the other side of the auditorium. I was really crushed, you know,” Octavia replied. She still remembered what seemed like the ten saddest minutes of her life. Her dreams and hopes were reflected on the tears of last night. “I was about to leave, but I realized I had forgotten my cello back at the hall, so that’s why I went back.”

“Okay, and after going back, you saw the body of Ms. Minuette, right?” Lyra guessed.

“Y-yes… well, not right away…” Octavia took a moment to recall the scene in her head. “The lights in the hall were on when I was talking to her. After I left and came back, the lights were off, so I couldn’t see a thing,” she said.

“There was a wicked storm last night. Maybe there was a blackout?” Vinyl asked. She felt her morning coffee was losing effect, as she began to feel more and more tired as the minutes passed. However, she had to stay strong, for Octavia’s sake.

“So, if you couldn’t see a thing… how did you see Ms. Minuette lying on the floor?” Lyra asked once again.

“Ah… it was because a lightning struck and illuminated the whole room for a brief moment. That’s when I saw her… and my cello…” she paused for a few seconds, taking a deep breath to continue. “My cello was shattered in several pieces. They were right next to Minuette’s body,” she muttered. She was still crushed that she lost her valuable instrument. But a chunk of wood and strings were not important, at least not now.

“The prosecution can confirm that there was a blackout in Ponyville’s Auditorium around that time. In fact, I have the record right here.” Bon Bon looked through her files and withdrew a file from an envelope. “The blackout occurred exactly at 23:10 on the night of the murder. And the lights were out for a whole hour. Strangely enough, only the lights of the main hall, the scene of the crime, went out. The rest of the auditorium was fine.”

Celestia retrieved the record from Bon Bon and looked at it. “I see. The autopsy can confirm that the victim died at 23:05, and the blackout in the main hall occurred just five minutes later.” She took a few moments to think about it.

Bon Bon nodded, confident that she had the case in her pockets. “So, as you can see… the defendant murdered the victim and proceeded to leave the room—”

“Objection!” Lyra yelled, slamming her hooves against the table with determination. “My client says she returned to the crime scene. If you recall her testimony, she said the lights were off when she returned. Now then, if she really committed the crime, why would she go back? What reason would she have?” Lyra asked. That was indeed an interesting point.

Bon Bon cringed, completely taken off guard. This time, the murmurs from the public grew stronger as they discussed what really happened that night. Celestia’s gavel roared across the room, claiming for order.

“This is a valid point, Ms. Bon Bon! Why would the defendant go back to the crime scene?” Celestia asked. Finally, it seemed like the case was starting to switch sides.

“W-well, plenty of reasons, Your Honor!” Bon Bon claimed, a bit concerned. Even she didn’t see that one coming, and it was her own evidence the one that backfired at her. “Maybe she realized her cello was the murder weapon, so she went back to clean the evidence!”

“Objection!” Lyra exclaimed. “If that’s true, then why would my client faint? The police can confirm that she was unconscious when she was found last night! She had no reason to—”

“Objection!” Bon Bon replied, with the same voice strength as Lyra. “If the lights were off, the murder would have occurred in the dark. Seeing her victim's body or her blood, may have been enough to make her faint”

“Tsk.” Lyra ran out of comebacks. She couldn’t deny the fact that a sudden burst of light, combined with a crime scene, would shock anypony. However, she refused to think that Octavia was guilty.

“This… this looks bad for Tavi,” Vinyl mumbled. She was still concerned about the new evidence that kept coming up from the prosecutor table.

I know there has to be some explanation to this, but I think Octavia has told us everything she knows. After talking with Minuette, she left the room. Crushed, she cried on a couch outside the main hall. Ten minutes later, she went back to retrieve the cello, only to find out the tragic scene, thus, fainting. Lyra recalled Octavia’s testimony in her mind. She still needed more information.

“Plus, the analysis made on the cello revealed that the defendant’s hoofprints were all over it,” Bon Bon commented, reading one of the papers on her desk.

“Well, of course my hoofprints were on it! It’s MY cello after all, I was playing it that night at the auditions!” Octavia claimed. She wasn’t still quite sure why hoofprints were relevant. Somepony with a little bit of logic could figure that out.

“A good point, Ms. Octavia, yes,” Bon Bon said, running her hoof through her mane. “However, that’s the problem. That only your hoofprints were on it. If anypony else did it, naturally, their hoofprints would be all over your instrument!”

“Ah!” Lyra cried. Things looked very, very bad right now. Bon Bon was going to get a guilty verdict, and she was determined to do so.

“So that’s even more reason to suspect the defendant!” Celestia said, closing her eyes for a bit to think about the matter. “I think I can hand down my verdict right now.”

“Not yet, Your Honor!” Bon Bon exclaimed. “The prosecution has one more witness. A witness that was at the main hall the night of the murder!”

“W-what!?” Lyra gasped, surprised by what Bon Bon just said. A witness? If the case was bad enough, a witness who was in the main hall wasn’t going to help much. “Witness you say?”

“Indeed, Lyree,” Bon Bon chuckled, looking at Celestia. “Your Honor, the prosecution calls Ms. Twinkleshine to the stand!”

Turnabout Orchestra: Part II

Lyra Heartstrings: Ace Attorney
Turnabout Orchestra

*****

Even if the trial that morning was just starting, Lyra could feel the pressure upon her shoulders. She was concerned about the upcoming witness that was going to take the stand. It was certainly not going to help the case get any better. The defendant was already charged with a motive, not to mention the murder weapon was only used by Octavia that night. Still, she knew that she didn’t do it. Right now, it was only a matter of proving it.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “Before you call the next witness, I have one last question for the defendant!” she requested. There was only one little thing she had to know before letting her step down the witness stand. Maybe it’s not important, but any extra nuggets of information would help me right now.

“Hmm… well, Ms. Bon Bon?” Celestia asked.

“Sure, why not? The defendant will be found guilty anyway.” Bon Bon rested her chin on her hoof, looking at Lyra with a smug smirk on her face. “Ask away, Lyree. To your heart’s content.”

What is she planning to do? Well, never mind that, I better go ahead and ask now that I have the chance. “Ms. Octavia. There is still one thing I don’t quite understand,” Lyra said, tapping her chin with her hoof. “If you recall your testimony, you said that last night, you only went to the auditorium to talk with the victim.”

“Yes, that is correct,” Octavia confirmed. She wasn’t sure what was Lyra implying, but she knew it could only be for the benefit of her case.

“However, you also testified that you took part of the auditions for picking up new members for the Blue Moon Orchestra,” Lyra said. She was now going to ask the crucial question. The one that was bothering for a while. “So? Did you play in the auditions? Or did you just talk with the defendant? Care to give us some more details?”

Bon Bon raised her head and looked at her rival with certain confusion on her face. “What are you implying, Lyree?” she asked. “That the defendant is lying or something?”

“N-no! I’m not lying!” Octavia claimed, keeping her voice from shouting. “I did play in the auditions. After that, the incident happened!”

“Well then… when did the auditions begin? And when did they finish? Please tell to the court everything you did that night,” Lyra requested. She doubted she would find anything useful from that information, but perhaps, something else happened that night.

“I agree,” Celestia commented, nodding. “The witness will testify about what she did the whole night. From the instant she arrived to the auditorium until her arrest.” She struck her gavel, giving Octavia the sign to commence.

“Y-yes, Your Honor,” Octavia muttered. She rolled her eyes and looked at her determined attorney.

Witness Testimony

“Last night, I arrived at the auditorium at 19:45, since the auditions began at 20:00. After my performance, I waited for the auditions to end so I could talk in private with Ms. Minuette. The auditions finished at 22:30, so I waited around thirty minutes to talk with her at the hall. As for what happened next, you know the rest.”

“Hmm… I see. So you were auditioning for the Blue Moon Orchestra.” Celestia meditated the testimony in her head. “Well, it clears the time gap between what you did between the audition and the incident. Okay, Ms. Lyra, your cross-examination, if you please.”

“Yes, Your Honor.” That testimony didn’t give me lots of answers, but I’m sure that if I press on some of those statements, I can milk some more information from it. Okay, Octavia. Here I come! Lyra nodded, noticing Bon Bon’s smug on the way. Bonnie, I’ll be the one laughing at the end.

Cross-Examination

“Last night, I arrived at the auditorium at 19:45, since the auditions began at 20:00. After my performance, I waited for the auditions to end so I could talk in private with Ms. Minuette,” Octavia repeated, unsure of what kind of contradiction would lie on her statement.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “You say you ‘waited’ for the auditions to end. Where exactly?” Lyra asked. I don’t see how this is relevant, but anyway.

“The lobby, just outside the main hall, of course,” Octavia replied. “I and the other ponies that went there took turns to perform. We were going inside one by one. After their auditions, everypony began to leave,” she explained.

“But, since you wanted to talk with Ms. Minuette, you waited for everypony to leave, right?” Bon Bon asked. It was not that hard to understand after all.

“Yes. After my cello audition, I left the room and waited outside the lobby,” Octavia replied.

“And then, what happened?” Celestia asked, indicating the defendant to continue with her testimony.

“The auditions finished at 22:30, so I waited around thirty minutes to talk with her at the hall,” Octavia repeated.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed once again. “22:30? Certainly, those were some pretty long auditions,” she commented.

“Yes. There are a lot of musicians who want to try their chance at the Blue Moon Orchestra, you know,” Octavia responded. The number of participants that went that night still amazed her. However, strangely enough, not a single one was a cellist. “I even heard they were going to replace their cellist soon, so that’s why I went to audition.”

“Hmm?” Lyra hummed. She wasn’t sure what she just noticed, but maybe it was an important statement.

“What’s the matter, Ms. Lyra?” Vinyl asked, confused about the attorney’s sudden reaction. “I-is something wrong with Tavi’s testimony?” she asked with concern.

“Beg pardon, the Blue Moon Orchestra was planning to replace its cellist?” Lyra asked. She somehow knew she had found a connection, but she still needed more information.

“Yes. I was the only cellist that auditioned that night. I don’t know why, since there were many other musicians auditioning for several places. But none for cellist,” Octavia explained. How was that and this related?

“It is indeed strange that Ms. Octavia was the only cellist who auditioned. And something sounds fishy about that rumor she heard about the orchestra cellist planning to be replaced and all,” Celestia commented, closing her eyes to rethink about the testimony.

“Just one more question. After you went back to the hall to talk with Ms. Minuette, were you carrying your cello?” Lyra asked. That was the last question she could come up with now. At least, she had a little more of information now.

“Yes, I always carry my cello. I couldn’t leave it in the lobby. It could have been stolen, you know!” Octavia answered. Not like her cello could be stolen anymore since it was broken to pieces now.

“Heh, more reason to suspect her, don’t you think, Your Honor?” Bon Bon waved her hoof around with a mocking smirk on her face. The trial was going to be over soon, or at least, that’s what she thought. “Any more questions, Lyree?”

I think I’ve collected enough information from Octavia now. For whatever reason, she was the only cellist who auditioned that night. Also, seems like the orchestra cellist was going to be replaced soon. Could it be that those two events are related? Lyra closed her eyes and tapped her horn with a hoof. The case was not over yet, but she had nothing else to add. “No, no more questions. The prosecution may call its next witness,” she said.

“That’s my line, Ms. Heartstrings!” Celestia said, looking with certain discontent at the defense attorney, who giggled a bit. If there was something that she disliked, it was lawyers stealing her lines or doing her job. “Very well then, the prosecution may call its next witness!” She struck her gavel, indicating the prosecutor to continue. Octavia left the witness stand and proceed to take her seat back in the defendant’s chair.

“Okay, if there are no more interruptions.” Bon Bon gave Lyra a quick, suggestive glance. “The prosecution calls Ms. Twinkleshine to the stand!”

With that order, the doors behind the witness stand slowly opened. A white unicorn walked inside and looked around the courtroom, as if she were amazed by its size. After all, it was the biggest courtroom in the entire courthouse. She stopped looking around and finally took the stand.

“Witness, state your name and occupation, if you please,” Bon Bon requested. The formality to introduce the witness was still obligatory.

Twinkleshine ran a hoof through her curly, pink mane and smiled at Bon Bon. “The name’s Twinkleshine. As for my occupation, I’m a professional cellist,” she said.

Some murmurs and whispers were heard across the room. Once again, Celestia’s gavel silenced them. “Order! Order!” she exclaimed. “A cellist, you say? Just like the defendant?”

“Your Honor, please,” Twinkleshine said, shaking her head and waving her mane around. “Don’t compare me to that third-rate ‘cellist’ sitting on the defendant’s chair.” She slammed one hoof on the stand. “I am Twinkleshine! The star cellist of the Blue Moon Orchestra!” she exclaimed.

That last comment made Octavia grumble, clenching her teeth. That pony had the guts to call her a third-rate cellist, something that would piss anypony. Lyra, Vinyl and pretty much everypony in the courtroom were surprised about Twinkleshine’s occupation. However, Bon Bon was still smiling.

“Ms. Twinkleshine here witnessed what happened that night,” Bon Bon explained. “She will be the last nail of this case coffin!”

“Tsk. We’ll see about that, Bonnie,” Lyra said. So if she’s the Blue Moon Orchestra cellist… does it mean she’s the one who was rumored to be replaced? The pieces of the puzzle were slowly assembling. In just a matter of minutes, the real truth would come out to the light.

“Okay, if the witness is ready, please testify for the court about what happened last night,” Celestia said, striking her gavel.

Witness Testimony

“It was around 23:00 that night. I was busy in the storage room, helping Minuette to sort some musical instruments. After a few minutes, I noticed she was talking with the defendant. All of a sudden, she grabbed that cello of hers and struck her on the face. I was too scared to react. She ran away just seconds after assaulting her. Finally, I went to check on Minuette.”

“Hmm… so you were in the storage room of the hall?” Celestia asked.

“The main hall indeed has a storage room situated on one side of the room. The witness happened to peek through the door and saw the moment when the defendant struck the victim with her cello, right, Ms. Twinkleshine?” Bon Bon guessed. It was just like she had heard earlier. There were no possible contradictions.

“Correct, Ms. Bon Bon,” Twinkleshine replied, with a calmed smile on her face. “It was her, I tell you!” She pointed her hoof at Octavia, who clenched her teeth in anger.

“Vinyl, I think we’ve got her,” Lyra commented, looking around the scattered papers on her desk. I can’t believe she just made a mistake like that.

“What do you mean, Ms. Lyra?” Vinyl asked. She didn’t notice anything suspicious about her testimony. “I mean, Tavi is innocent, so there must be a lie hidden somewhere in there!”

“You catch on quick, Vinyl,” Lyra chuckled, awaiting for Celestia’s permission to begin with her cross-examination. This was it, the case was finally going to become clearer.

“Very well then, Ms. Heartstrings, your cross-examination, please,” Celestia said.

Cross-Examination

“It was around 23:00 that night. I was busy in the storage room, helping Minuette to sort some musical instruments,” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “Exactly what were you doing there?” she asked.

“I was just stacking and sorting instruments, you know. Trumpets, drums, cymbals, cellos, violins and—”

“Wait, did you say cellos?” Lyra asked. Something was fishy about that statement.

“Lyree, are you really that desperate to press on irrelevant statements?” Bon Bon asked, waving a hoof around with amusement. “I know what you’re thinking. Since there were no cellists, other than the defendant, auditioning that night, there shouldn’t be any cellos. Am I right?”

Lyra gasped, shocked by her rival’s claim. She hated to admit it, but she had read her mind. “Tsk. Very smart, Bonnie. And I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for that, right?” she asked. This was not over yet.

“The auditorium has its own instruments. It’s only natural for them to have cellos,” Twinkleshine stated. “I didn’t bring my own cello that night. I was only there to help Minuette with the auditions. Besides, that third-rate cellist was carrying her dusty, old cello around the whole night.”

She did let it behind when she left the room. That’s why she returned to the hall. Or at least, that’s what Octavia claims. “Okay then, what happened next?” Lyra asked, requesting Twinkleshine to continue with her testimony. Celestia was quietly listening to the argument.

“After a few minutes, I noticed she was talking with the defendant,” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “What were they talking about?”

“And how should I know? I was too far to hear what they were mumbling about,” Twinkleshine claimed. “Unless you’re implying I have a super ear or something.”

“Eh, no, of course not…” Lyra muttered. Well, that didn’t help much. Maybe I should just get over it. “Okay, please continue,” she requested.

“All of a sudden, she grabbed that cello of hers and struck her on the face.”

“Objection!” Lyra yelled, pointing her hoof at the witness. She strongly slammed her hooves on the table with confidence. Finally, she was about to unmask the lies behind Twinkleshine’s testimony. “So, you’re saying that Ms. Octavia grabbed her cello and struck Ms. Minuette on the face, right?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I saw. It was a very strong scene. I almost screamed when she did,” Twinkleshine said, shaking her head to wave around her soft mane.

“Is there a problem with that statement, Ms. Heartstrings?” Celestia asked, curious about the sudden outburst. The smirk on Lyra’s face was growing bigger and bigger.

“Bonnie, would you please be a sweetheart and read once again the autopsy record, for me?” Lyra said between giggles. Vinyl was still oblivious about what was going on, but if Lyra was happy for whatever reason, that meant she had an ace under the sleeve.

“My pleasure, Lyree,” Bon Bon said as she checked through a copy of the autopsy record. She placed it in front of the table and started to read. “The time of death was 23:05. And the cause was instant death due a single blow to the… back of… aah!” she exclaimed. Her face immediately frowned as her eyes went wide open.

“I see you noticed it too,” Lyra chuckled, wiping away the smile from her face and replacing it with the toughest of looks. “The witness claims the defendant struck the victim on her face, but that completely contradicts the autopsy report!”

“W-what!?” Twinkleshine cringed, nervously grinding her teeth. The public at the stands began to mutter. They were soon cut off by Celestia’s gavel striking several times against the table. Each strike mightier than the previous one.

“Whoa! That was intense, Ms. Lyra!” Vinyl said, amazed by how the attorney pulled out that objection. There it was, the contradiction in the testimony.

“Order! Order in the court, I say!” Celestia exclaimed. “Ms. Twinkleshine! What’s the meaning of this!?” she asked. It was clearly a severe contradiction. How could she claim such thing if the autopsy record clearly showed the opposite?

Twinkleshine was sweating. She wasn’t expecting her testimony to backfire at her after all. She closed her eyes to think about the matter. “W-well, I… you see,”

“Objection!” Bon Bon yelled. “Perhaps the witness is still a bit confused! After all, she witnessed a murder with her own eyes. Not only that, but a very graphic scene. It would be only natural for her to be shocked!” she claimed. It was the best thing she could come up with at the moment.

“Y-yes! It must be that… I-I’m sorry, heh,” Twinkleshine said, with a forced smile. Her sweating didn’t stop though.

Ugh… nice move, Bonnie. Lyra bit her lower lip. Arguments like that are tending to work almost in any case, since it involves the witness saying a faulty testimony due the shock.

“Hmm… that is a valid point. Witness, please, be more careful with your testimony! Please, tell us what really happened!”

“Y-yes, sorry, Your Honor,” Twinkleshine said, regaining her cool. She shook her head once again to wave around her mane. She liked showing off her pink locks to almost everypony. Even in court.

Witness Testimony

“Sorry for the silly mistake. Actually, the defendant struck Minuette on the back of the head. After committing that atrocious crime, she fled from the hall. I wanted to check on Minuette, but I was afraid that the killer could come back, so I waited around ten minutes to check on her.”

“Well, it seems like it was the defendant who did it after all,” Celestia commented. She still had her doubts, but for now, she had to hear more about the case.

“Of course it was,” Bon Bon commented, running a hoof through her mane. “Unless the defense has any comment to say?”

“I will during the cross-examination,” Lyra said, slamming one hoof against the table. Now then, I should reveal the lies hidden within that testimony.

Cross-Examination

“Sorry for the silly mistake. Actually, the defendant struck Minuette on the back of the head. After committing that atrocious crime, she fled from the hall,” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “So, she just struck her and fled?”

“Yes.” Twinkleshine nodded. “She stared at Minuette for a few seconds before running away from the hall. Just like a coward,” she said, glancing at the defendant.

“It’s the common thing any murderer would do. Flee right after committing the crime,” Bon Bon commented.

“Wouldn’t she stay to clean up the evidence?” Lyra asked. “It would have been wiser to stick around and—”

“Objection!” Bon Bon exclaimed. “We’ve already assumed that the defendant went back to the scene of crime to clean up the evidence, but failed because of her shock,” she remarked. “Enough of this trivial conversation. Witness, please continue.”

“I wanted to check on Minuette, but I was afraid that the killer could come back,” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “But the killer didn’t come back? Did she?” she asked. Something was faulty about her testimony. She knew it.

“It seems she did. After checking her body, I left the auditorium and called the police. I don’t know what happened after that. I was too afraid to enter back,” Twinkleshine claimed. The eyes of everypony in the courtroom were now fixed at her and her gorgeous mane.

“There was a vicious storm out there. Were you really under the storm the whole time until the police arrived?” Lyra asked. That’s not something anypony in their sane mind would do. Colds at this time of the year were bad news for anypony.

“Heavens, no! I was under the little roof at the front door of the auditorium,” Twinkleshine claimed. “I wouldn’t let my gorgeous make be soaked with dirty raindrops.”

Right, assuming rain water is dirty… “Anyway, back to the crime scene, when did you check on the victim?”

“I waited around ten minutes to check on her,” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Objection!” Lyra yelled, pointing her hoof at Twinkleshine. “Ms. Twinkleshine… your testimony is nothing but a house of cards!”

“W-what? What do you mean?” Twinkleshine asked. Drops of sweat began to drop from her forehead.

“Explain yourself, Lyree,” Bon Bon ordered, slamming one hoof against her table. Any objections had to have any reason behind them, so she was expecting a very good one.

“Your Honor.” Lyra shifted her gaze at Celestia. Twinkleshine had just made a fatal mistake, and she was about to pay for it. “If you recall the autopsy record, Ms. Minuette died exactly at 23:05.”

“Hmm, yes, that is correct,” Celestia affirmed. “So, what about it?”

“Easy, Your Honor. Ms. Twinkleshine just testified to the court that she waited around ten minutes after the murder took place to check on Ms. Minuette.” Lyra looked around her sea of sheets for a particular one. “Now then, if the murder took place at 23:05, that means the witness checked on Ms. Minuette at 23:15, right?”

“Y-yeah, I did. What about it, Ms. Heartstrings?” Twinkleshine asked. Her mane began to get a bit soaked and messy due the sweat coming out from it.

“Just spit it out already, Lyree!” Bon Bon exclaimed. She was getting annoyed of Lyra’s rhetoric questions. Her patience was also very short.

“Simple. What Ms. Twinkleshine just said… it’s… well… impossible!” Lyra claimed, slamming both her hooves on the table. I got you now!

“I-impossible?” Vinyl asked. She thought for a few seconds until the imaginary bulb in her head illuminated her mind. “Ah! You don’t mean… the blackout record!?” Lyra smugly nodded.

“The blackout record? The one that said that the lights on the main hall went off at… 23… aah!” Bon Bon grinded her teeth in anger and checked through the blackout record.

“Exactly.” Lyra flashed the blackout record to the court. “According to the blackout record, lights went off at the main hall at 23:10 because of the wicked storm out there. However, the witness just said she checked on the victim at 23:15! How in Equestria would she check on her in a pitch black room!?” She pointed her hoof at Twinkleshine, who cringed in fear.

The courtroom was filled with the murmurs and whispers from the public. They weren’t expecting a sudden twist of events like that. Celestia’s gavel of justice echoed through the room to restore order. The trial had to go on. “Order! Order! Order!” she commanded. “Witness! What is the meaning of this!?”

“I-I… didn’t… I mean… I…” Twinkleshine stuttered, unable to come up with an answer. Her once precious mane was now a pink mess all over her head. “The lights never went off when I checked on Minuette!”

“Then explain how you saw the victim at 23:15 when the lights were out since 23:10!” Lyra exclaimed. No way she can escape of this now!

“Objection!” Bon Bon exclaimed, pointing her hoof at Lyra. “Maybe the witness just miscalculated the time!”

“Objection!” Lyra responded. “She said she waited ten minutes to check on the victim, that means—”

“Objection!” Bon Bon replied. “She just thought she stood there ten minutes! Remember that she is still in shock from witnessing a crime with her own eyes!”

“Yes! And I’m certain that the lights weren’t out! Because when I checked on Minuette, I saw… that,” Twinkleshine claimed. She was still sweating like a pig. Her ear would occasionally twitch and her hind legs were shivering. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was completely nervous.

“That?” Celestia asked. “What do you mean, witness?”

“Heh… so it has come to this…” Bon Bon shrugged, placing a hoof on her desk. Everypony in the courtroom looked at her with confusion. “I was saving this for the last, and it’s time for it to make its triumphal appearance!” she claimed.

“W-what are you talking about? What were you saving?” Lyra asked. She knew that smirk on Bon Bon’s face. She was about to submit something big and it was going to be bad… very bad.

“This is the final evidence the prosecution will show to the court!” Bon Bon claimed, presenting a photo on her table. “Your Honor, if you please.”

W-what!? More evidence!? This can’t be good! Lyra bit her lower lip, awaiting for Celestia to reveal the contents of the photo. Vinyl looked at Lyra with concern. Where was the happy Lyra that was objecting just a while ago?

“Ah! This is… the defendant’s cutie mark!?” Celestia said, as she looked at the photo.

“The photo reveals the hoof of the victim tainted in blood,” Bon Bon said, withdrawing a copy of the photo from one of her folders. “Here, Lyree, I have a copy, just for you,” she said, placing it in front of her table.

Lyra swiftly enveloped the photo with her magic and dragged it across the room to see it by herself. “Ah!” she gasped. Vinyl gave a quick glance to the photo and gasped as well. Right in the photo, was Octavia’s clef cutie mark drawn with a trace of blood, connected to the tip of Minuette’s hoof.

“The witness will testify about this, immediately!” Celestia ordered. The scenario was pretty clear now.

“You see, Lyree,” Bon Bon chuckled, looking at Twinkleshine. “Now, testify for the court about what this bloody clef means, if you please.”

“Y-yes.” She wasn’t showing signs to be nervous anymore. Finally, her last testimony was going to give the guilty verdict to Octavia.

Witness Testimony

“I’m certain the lights weren’t out because I saw this bloody draw next to Minuette. It clearly shows she drew a clef with her own blood. With the last of her strength, she must have drawn it so they could recognize her attacker!”

“What now, Lyree? How can you possibly explain this?” Bon Bon ran a hoof through her mane. “It’s over. I won, you lost.”

“This seems convincing enough,” Celestia commented. “I think I can safely hand down my verdict now—”

“Objection!” Lyra exclaimed. She slammed her hooves against the table with anger. “Your Honor! There’s still a cross-examination I must realize!”

“Ms. Heartstrings… this case is extremely clear… I don’t think a cross-examination will—”

“Objection!” This time, it was Bon Bon who replied. “Let her do it, Your Honor. Nothing would please me more than a perfect victory.” She waved one hoof around. “But this will be your final cross-examination, Lyree.”

Lyra grunted. “Fine then, one cross-examination is all I need!” she claimed.

“Okay then, Ms. Heartstrings. Please, commence you last cross-examination.” Celestia struck her gavel, indicating her to begin.

Cross-Examination

“I’m certain the lights weren’t out because I saw this bloody draw next to Minuette. It clearly shows she drew a clef with her own blood,” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Hold it!” Lyra exclaimed. “Was it really the victim’s blood?”

“The police can confirm that the draw on the floor and the blood on her hoof were indeed from the victim,” Bon Bon commented, flashing the lab test report. “Needless to say, she was the one who drew it.”

“But why would she draw it?” Lyra asked, looking at Twinkleshine. That was the one-million bits question.

“With the last of her strength, she must have drawn it so they could recognize her attacker!” Twinkleshine repeated.

“Objection!” Lyra yelled. “This… is it,” she claimed. A smile grew on the face that was concerned just seconds ago. Her eyes beamed as she looked at the witness. It’s over, for you, Twinkleshine.

“What now, Lyree? Any final comments before I walk out of here as the winner?” Bon Bon smugly laughed, resting her chin on her hoof.

“Heh, Bonnie, this is a sad turn of events… for you,” Lyra claimed. Bon Bon’s smirk was wiped off instantly as she stared at her rival.

“Please, just explain it already, Ms. Heartstrings,” Celestia requested. The final objection of the final cross-examination. It was going to be finally revealed.

“My pleasure, Your Honor,” Lyra said. She levitated a sheet from her table and tapped it with her hoof. “The witness just testified the following: ‘With the last of her strength, she must have drawn it so they could recognize her attacker,’ correct?” She looked at Twinkleshine, awaiting an answer from her.

“Y-yes! Isn’t it obvious!?” Twinkleshine said.

“The only obvious thing is that your castle of lies has fallen down, and here’s why!” Lyra placed the autopsy record on her table. “The autopsy record!”

“What about it?” Bon Bon asked, checking her own copy to read it once again.

“With the ‘last of her strength’? Sounds weird to me,” Lyra claimed. The grin on her face grew wider each time she spoke. “Because right here, the cause of death confirms that it was instant death! Meaning that the victim DIED at the moment she was struck with the cello!”

“N-NOOO!” Twinkleshine cried as she slammed both her hooves against the stand.

“Objection!” Bon Bon yelled. “M-maybe the defendant drew—”

“Objection!” Lyra replied. “Oh, come on, Bonnie. Why would the defendant draw her own cutie mark with the victim’s blood? Why would she incriminate herself!?” She was on fire. She could feel how every single of her claims were super effective against her rival.

Bon Bon grunted. She couldn’t come up with something else. She looked at Twinkleshine, who was nervously clenching her teeth. “W-witness!”

“W-what is going on here!?” Celestia asked. She was as clueless as almost everypony in the courtroom.

“Ms. Lyra! What does this mean?” Vinyl asked. She could feel the case was going to be over soon, and Octavia was going to be free.

“I think I have an idea of what happened at the night of the murder,” Lyra claimed. Her eyes showed determination and courage. The events of that night were crystal clear now. It was now the time to finish it.

“Then please tell us what happened!” Celestia requested. She hadn’t seen any attorney so sure about herself before. It seemed like a burst of truth exploded in her mind.

“At the night of the murder, Ms. Octavia went to talk with Ms. Minuette. After the victim told her that she wasn’t eligible for the orchestra, Octavia left the room, forgetting her cello on the way. After she was gone, Twinkleshine seized the moment and murdered Minuette with the defendant’s cello!” Lyra explained.

“A-aaaaah!” Twinkleshine cried. The courtroom exploded in mutters and mumbles between the public. Celestia restored the order by slamming her gavel once again.

“Ms. Heartstrings! You mean you’re accusing the witness to be the murderer!?” Celestia asked, surprised about the turn of events. She couldn’t deny her logic had some sense.

“Objection!” Bon Bon shouted. “But there were no hoofprints on the cello other than the defendant’s!”

“Objection!” Lyra responded. “Well, obviously only the defendant’s hoofprints are on it!”

“What… what do you mean?” Bon Bon asked.

“Twinkleshine is a unicorn! Therefore she could have levitated the cello with her magic and slam the victim with it! After committing the crime, she had to pin the guilt on someone else! That’s when she thought of drawing the defendant’s cutie mark with the victim’s blood!” Lyra explained. She had the whole scenario in her mind already. The witness was going down, and she was going to get Octavia a not guilty verdict.

“Y-yeeaaargh!” Twinkleshine moaned. Her mane rustled wildly as she slammed both her hooves on the stand. “V-very impressive!” she exclaimed. “What an open imagination you have, Ms. Lyra!” She looked at her with disgust. Some locks of her pink mane were covering part of her face. She was breathing heavily, twitching her ear every few seconds. “But tell me, what motive would I have to commit the crime? Why would I kill my own conductor?” She thought she could come back with a question like that, but the only thing she received was a snicker from Lyra.

“Pretty obvious,” Lyra said. “Recall Octavia’s testimony! There were rumors that the orchestra was going to replace its cellist. In other words… they were going to replace YOU!” She pointed her hoof at the witness. There were no traces of doubt on her own face. Every claim she threw at her was packed with justice.

“N-noooo!” Twinkleshine slammed her head and hooves against the stand. She raised her head and looked at the attorney with a wicked smile on her face. “But then, why would I kill the conductor? Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill that cellist sitting on the defendant’s chair!?”

“Not a chance,” Lyra claimed. “As we know, Octavia failed to impress Minuette, so she couldn’t join the Blue Moon Orchestra. However, you knew about her intentions. You knew that Minuette was looking for cellists to replace you! So, in order to keep your spot in your precious orchestra, you got rid of your only obstacle!” She slammed her hooves on the table harder than any other time. “Admit your guilt, Twinkleshine! Last night, you murdered the conductor of Blue Moon Orchestra, Minuette!”

Vinyl, Bon Bon, Octavia and Celestia were looking at the argument with mouths agape. None of them said a word while Lyra was accusing the witness. The courtroom had a few seconds of silence until a faint snicker was heard from the witness stand.

“Heh heh…” Twinkleshine chuckled. Her face was still facing the stand. “Hah hah hah heh heh heh” she laughed, raising her head from the stand and looking directly at Lyra. “L-Lyra… Heartstrings…” she muttered. “Lyra! Heartstrings!” she repeated, with a louder tone. “LYRA! HEARTSTRINGS!” she yelled. She smashed her head against the stand once again, quickly raising it just to smash it again. “Lyra Heartstrings! Lyra Heartstrings! Lyra Heartstrings! Lyra Heartstrings!” she shouted as she kept slamming her head against the solid stand. She finally raised her head and looked at the ceiling. “LYRAAAAAA…” she screamed. Her voice began to fade away and she collapsed on her back. She was done. The real culprit was found at last.

Bon Bon was still looking at Lyra with disgust on her face. “I… I can’t believe this!”

*****

“So… Ms. Bon Bon. What ever happened with Ms. Twinkleshine?” Celestia asked. The order was finally restored. Just a minute ago, the bailiff retired the unconscious unicorn from the courtroom.

“She was arrested and taken away, Your Honor,” Bon Bon confirmed. She still couldn’t believe that she had lost the case. And it was her own evidence that backfired at her. She looked at Lyra, giving her a smile. “Nice job, Lyree. You beat me fair and square.”

“You did a great job too, Bonnie,” Lyra admitted, returning the smile. She quickly looked at Vinyl, who was still shocked about the whole thing. “See? I told you everything was going to be okay!”

“Y-yes… thanks… Ms. Lyra,” Vinyl said. She felt her eyes were getting teary. She only wanted to run and hug her sister like she had never done before. It was over, at last.

“Well, it seems like the truth has came out at last. I, myself, didn’t expect the witness to be the real murderer,” Celestia commented. “Very well then, the case seems to have come to a close. I find the defendant, Ms. Octavia… not guilty!”

Lots of streamers and confetti popped out from the party balls hanging on the ceiling on the courtroom. The crowd cheered for the innocent verdict. It was something to celebrate, after all.

“The court is now adjourned!” Celestia informed, striking her gavel for the last time.

*****

“Tavi!” Vinyl cried, squeezing her sister with all her strength. “I was so worried! I don’t know what I’d have done if you were found guilty!” She tightened her hug. She was not going to let go.

“Urk, Vinyl! You’re… hugging… too… hard!” Octavia whimpered. Vinyl released her from her hug and looked at her with a giggle. She took a deep breath and shared the laugh with her sister.

“I’m glad for you two,” Lyra commented. Walking towards the two mares.

“Ms. Lyra! None of this could have been possible without you! Thank you so much!” Vinyl exclaimed. She was so glad she was the one who took on their case when everypony else turned their backs on them. It seems like she was the best option, after all.

“I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Ms. Lyra,” Octavia said, extending her hoof to shake the lawyer.

Lyra’s usual aquamarine cheeks turned into a bright, red color. “Aw, it was nothing, really.” She extended her hoof and shook Octavia’s. “It was my pleasure defending you today.”

“Well, well, seems like you’ve made new friends, Lyree,” somepony said. The three mares turned their head and looked at the mare in front of them. “Hey,” Bon Bon greeted.

“Ms. Bon Bon! What are you doing here?” Vinyl asked. She thought she had left the courtroom still upset about her loss. Was she there to say a few words to them?

“I just came to apologize… for… you know, accusing you of murder,” Bon Bon said, trying to avoid eye contact with Octavia. She was too ashamed of her loss, and even more to look at the mare she was trying to find as a murderer.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Bon Bon. You were only doing your job! I’m not upset,” Octavia claimed, giving the prosecutor a warm smile. Bon Bon finally looked at her and returned the smile. It was good to see that everypony was getting along.

“You were pretty good at court, Bonnie, but I was better!” Lyra said, pressing a hoof against her chest.

“Heh, I couldn’t expect less from my little sis, after all,” Bon Bon said. The last few words caused a unison gasp from both Vinyl and Octavia. Did she really just say ‘sister’?

“W-what!? Ms. Bon Bon is your sister!?” Vinyl asked, looking at Lyra with a surprised look on her face. How could that even be? All the time, she thought they were fierce rivals.

“You didn’t know? Heh, sorry, I think I should’ve told you,” Lyra chuckled. “Yes, Bonnie is my big sis. We’re both lawyers. The only difference is that she is a prosecutor attorney, while I’m a defense attorney.” She extended one hoof and rested it on her sister’s neck. “But I just kicked her flank in court today! Didn’t I?” Octavia and Vinyl still couldn’t believe what was going on. However, Octavia was the first to laugh.

“Two sisters that have something in common, while having something totally not in common. Sounds familiar, eh, Vinyl?” She looked at her sister, who quickly understood the question.

“Yeah! You and I are musicians, yet, you like boring music, and I like the cool stuff!” Vinyl claimed, levitating her own shades from her face and placing it on her sister’s face. “Congratulations on your victory today, sis.”

“My music can be boring… but it’s not noisy like yours!” Octavia claimed, pausing for a few seconds. “Couldn’t have done it without you, sis.”

A few seconds of silence surrounded the defendant’s lobby, until Lyra finally broke it. “Alright, everypony! How about if we go for something to eat? Lunch’s on me!” she chirped. The three mares nodded in agreement. The trial had been long and they needed a good meal to recharge their energy.

“I’ll get my revenge, Lyree, just you wait!” Bon Bon joked as they began to walk out of the courtroom.

“By the way, Ms. Lyra, you seemed to be very clumsy today,” Vinyl commented, immediately making all the stares to be fixed on her.

“Vinyl! Don’t be rude! She did her best today at the trial!” Octavia nagged her sister. She couldn’t believe she would call her clumsy, when she discovered the truth behind Minuette’s murder.

“No, no. I don’t mean that. I mean, before the trial, you didn’t even know why Octavia was the suspect. Basically, you went blind into the courtroom.” Vinyl explained, receiving a snicker from Lyra. “You even said you were to give up to your attorney badge!”

“I know, I know,” Lyra chuckled. “But remember that I’m a defense attorney. My job is to believe my client until the end, that’s why I still went through the whole trial, even if the odds were against us,” she explained, shifting her gaze towards Bon Bon. “Don’t you think so too, Bonnie?”

“You’re crazy, you know. Swearing to quit your job if you lose the trial,” Bon Bon replied. Even she wouldn’t do something as reckless as giving up her prosecutor badge if she didn’t win a trial.

“Well, that’s how I roll,” Lyra claimed. “I might not be as organized or professional as other lawyers, but that doesn’t stop me from doing what I love, and that’s defending ponies when they’re accused of a crime.”

Lyra received a chuckle from Bon Bon. Her little sister still had some things to learn, but she was sure she would discover them by her own. Right now, her stomach was growling.

After a while, the two pairs of sisters left the courthouse. They laughed and joked at each other. It was going to be a tasty lunch. A lunch served with justice. Lyra saved not only one but two ponies’ lives today, and that was the best reward she could ask for.

My name is Lyra Heartstrings, Ace Attorney. Whenever somepony needs my services, I’ll do my best to defend them until the end. Octavia and Vinyl can now sleep in peace, knowing that justice was well served. But this is not the end. I’m sure there will be more cases in the future, but for now, I’m starving! Oh, seems like they’ve picked the most expensive restaurant in Canterlot, and I said that lunch was on me… hee hee…

“Objection!”

Turnabout Relaxation: Investigation - Part I

Turnabout Relaxation
*****

July 24th, 07:30 AM
Heartstrings & Co. Law Offices

“Papers… papers… more papers.” Lyra slammed her head against her desk. It sure was fun to go inside the courtroom and do her job, but the whole parcel also came with doing plenty of paperwork. The mountain of folders and sheets decorated her desk rather nicely, several of them scattered on the floor as well as some scrunched balls of paper overflowing the trash bin next to her desk. It was yet another busy day of work at the Heartstrings & Co. Law Offices.

My name is Lyra Heartstrings. I’m a defense attorney, and apparently, the best one around these parts. Well, at least that’s what everypony says. I’m kinda new, but I think I’ve got the hang of it. Recently, I had a certain case involving two sisters. The youngest, Vinyl, requested me to defend her sister, Octavia, who was being charged for murdering a pony. In the end, I managed to prove Octavia’s innocence and even bring the culprit, Twinkleshine, to justice.

But that’s not the end of it…

Lyra levitated a cup of coffee she had on her desk and gave it a sip. She looked down at the papers and sighed, putting down the mug.

After the trial, I started hanging out with Vinyl. She’s a really nice mare. She works as a DJ-for-hire for parties and stuff. I don’t really enjoy those noisy events, but I don’t mind. However, as far as I know, she and her sister don’t have steady jobs, since they are simple musicians. With the trial and everything that happened, Vinyl told me their economic situation was going through hard times. They’re now working extra hard to rise from the bottom and start fresh again. And that’s when I asked Vinyl if she wanted a job as—

The silence in the office was killed by the wooden door slamming open. A white unicorn stepped inside with a cheerful smile. “Good morning, Lyra! Here’s your number one attorney assistant, reporting for duty!” Vinyl Scratch dragged a hoof to her forehead and saluted.

My assistant... Lyra sighed, not surprised by the sudden outburst. “Morning, Vinyl. How are you?”

“Doing great! I got hired for a party, tonight!” Vinyl glanced at Lyra’s desk. “Yuck. You gotta do all that paperwork?”

“That’s nice, Vinyl, and yes, I have to do all this paperwork.” Lyra smiled at her, levitating her cold cup of coffee. “And that’s where you come in, my lovely assistant.” She winked.

“Wh-what? No way! I’m so not touching any of those files!” Vinyl shook her head. “What if I mess up and you send the wrong file to the wrong pony?”

“Relax,” Lyra chuckled. “All you have to do is sort these files by name in that locker.” She pointed her hoof at the pile of papers, then to a locker on the other side of the room. “It’s easy.”

“All right, that I can do... I hope.” Vinyl stared at the chaos Lyra called an office. For some weird reason, it reminded her of her room; stuff scattered everywhere, with barely any space to walk around the room. “Hey, wanna go get some daisy burgers downtown when we’re all done here? I go to this place every week. They make the tastiest, most succulent burgers in Ponyville.

“Well, I could really go for some burgers. Count me in.”

Vinyl , my assistant. At first, she didn’t seem to be so willing to be an attorney’s assistant, but I guess she feels the need to pay me back for what I did for her and Octavia. It’s been a month since that trial, and Vinyl has been working for me for the past three weeks. I say she’s already gotten the hang of it. Maybe I should tell her that I like my coffee with extra sugar. Anyway, I haven’t had any cases since Octavia’s trial, but all this paperwork is driving me crazy…

“Hey, Vinyl?”

“Hmm?” With her magic, Vinyl slid a folder labeled with the letter ‘A’ inside the locker. She turned her head and looked to her boss.

“Have you ever gone to Ponyville’s Spa?”

Vinyl levitated a bunch of sheets and separated them from each other. “Well, I’ve gone with Octavia before. Aloe and Lotus are so friendly, but, I mean… I don’t really have the money right now for a hooficure or something.” She placed the files down for a second and looked at Lyra. “Why do you ask?”

“Uh… no reason. It’s only that I’ve had lots of work lately, and I could really need some pampering.” Lyra took another sip from her cup of coffee, cringing thanks to the cold, bitter substance.

“Why don’t you go with Bon Bon? She’s your sister, after all.”

“Well, Bon Bon isn't very fond of spas or anything like that; she prefers to take care of herself instead of letting somepony else do it. She’s a kind of proud mare, you know.” Lyra stretched her body. Even though her chair was as comfortable as it could be, sitting there for hours could get tiresome for her legs, flanks, and so.

“Ah, I see. Octavia is something like that, although she sometimes lets me brush her mane.” Vinyl continued with her work, placing files starting with the letter ‘B’ on one side and putting the other files away for further organization.

“Plus, Bon Bon is always very busy down at the Canterlot High Prosecutor Offices. So I was thinking that maybe we could go and get ourselves a relaxing, special treatment. What do you say? Don’t worry, it’s all on me.”

“If it’s your treat, sure, I’m in. But only if we can stop by that burger joint later!”

“Right, right.” Lyra finished her coffee, staring at the now empty mug for a few seconds.

Since Vinyl began working here, we’ve gotten to know each other better. Sure, when we first met, I thought she would be just another client and she would carry on with her life. I wouldn’t say Vinyl is only my assistant, but rather…

My best friend.

“Yo, Lyra. You okay? You seemed to be in a daze for a second.”

“Eh?” Lyra tilted her head up, meeting eyes with Vinyl. “No, no. I’m okay. Let’s get to work, then! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go fetch those burgers!”

“All right!”

But little did I know about what was going to happen later that day…

*****

July 24th, 10:28 AM
Ponyville Square

“Do you really have to carry those shades with you everywhere, all the time?” Lyra walked along with Vinyl down Ponyville. Their work at the office was done, at last. In the future, maybe she could avoid all that trouble by sorting her documents and not have her office look like a sea of papers. The question Lyra asked broke the silence both mares had established since they left the office.

“Yup. I love them. I only take them off when I’m going to sleep or take a shower,” Vinyl said, tilting her head for Lyra to get a better view at them. “They’re special, you know. They were a gift from… somepony.”

“Oh, was it a gift from a special somepony?”

“No. It was a gift from… my mother.” Vinyl tilted her head down, stopped walking and stared down at the ground.

“Is something wrong?” Lyra noticed Vinyl’s voice changed for a moment. It wasn’t her common energetic and enthusiastic voice.

“No… nothing. I’m okay. Let’s go,” Vinyl said with her usual voice back. She smiled and resumed her movement.

Ah, okay.” Lyra returned her stare at the road. She noticed the streets weren’t as busy as usual. Some stands were closed and only two or three ponies would occasionally appear and disappear between the streets. “So how’s Octavia? Doing well?”

“Yup.” Vinyl nodded. “Even though she lost her cello in that incident, she managed to buy a new one, with some help from me. But lately, she hasn’t been playing a lot.”

“Hmm? And why’s that? Did the incident cause some sort of controversy around her?”

“No, no, that’s not it. She hasn’t been playing a lot since, well, playing a cello doesn’t put a lot of food on our table, and we are kinda at the bottom of the chasm.”

“So, she got herself a new job or something?”

“Yeah. You might not know, but Octavia is an expert in forensics. She’s crazy about it, you know. She’s an expert in toxicology. She can identify every kind of toxic or poison faster than a sonic rainboom.”

“Oh, that’s interesting. So I get she got a job in some lab or something?”

“Yes, in the police department forensics laboratory. Pretty cool, right? She got the job two weeks ago, and even if she’s a rookie, the pay is really good, and she’s already dating somepony from there.”

I’m glad they’re both supporting each other to rise from the ashes. I wonder if I’ll see Octavia in the courts now that she has a job in the police department. “That’s nice. I’m happy for you two.”

“Thanks.” Vinyl looked to her left and noticed they had arrived at their destination. “Hey, look. We’re here.” She pointed her hoof at the spa. A thin trail of steam rose from a chimney.

Both unicorns walked towards the building, only to be greeted by a sign hanging in front of the door. The word ‘closed’ marked in red wasn’t something pleasant to see for mares who wanted to have a nice day of relaxation.

“Aw, damn it. It’s closed!” Vinyl stomped on the ground, not too hard. “Huh? But there’s steam rising from the chimney. Who in their sane judgment would leave a building with a lit fireplace?”

“Well, you said it. It’s steam. Fireplaces produce smoke, not steam. I’m sure it comes from the spa’s sauna room. They have a chimney inside the room to release the steam once the sauna is no longer being used. Question is: if they’re closed, then why is steam coming out from the room?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it was open a while ago and they closed for a while?” Vinyl looked closer at the sign. It didn’t only say it was closed, but it had the spa’s schedule written below.

“Unlikely.” Lyra joined Vinyl and looked at the sign. “It says they open every day from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It’s 10:40 AM right now, and sauna sessions last at least an hour or so. Plus, I think it’s highly unlikely that somepony would come this early to get a sauna treatment with this heat.”

Vinyl raised her hoof and knocked the door. “Hello? Is anypony there?” she called, but received no answer. She knocked again. “Hellooooo!?”

“This is weird.” Lyra tapped her chin with a hoof.

“Huh? What do you mean? They’re just gone. Maybe they’ll come back later.”

“No, that’s not it, Vinyl.” Lyra tilted her head up and looked at the still rising trail of steam. She was a curious pony. As an attorney, she needs to have this high sense of curiosity, even to the smallest things. “If nopony’s here, then who released the steam from the sauna room? Even more important, who set the sauna in the first place?”

“Now that you say it. Well, what if they set the sauna, released the steam, and then left?”

“That is a possibility, yes.” Lyra looked back at the front door. “However, even if a customer did come at 10:00 AM, when the spa opens, why would he or she leave so soon? And why would the twins Aloe and Lotus do as well?”

Vinyl looked around the street, noticing somepony on the other side of the road. “Hey, look. There’s a pony running an apple stand over there.” She pointed her hoof at it. “Maybe we could ask her if somepony came or left.”

Lyra looked at the pony and recognized her. She was an orange earth pony, famous for her tasty apples down at Sweet Apple Acres. Judging by the lots of apples on top of the stand, and the several buckets around it, she didn’t seem to be selling a lot. “Ah, that’s Ms. Applejack. Good idea, Vinyl. Maybe she could answer our questions.”

Both mares walked across the street. Applejack had her head resting on one of her hooves, looking up at the sky as if she were waiting for something to happen. She didn’t notice the incoming unicorns until she heard Lyra’s voice breaking the silence of the morning.

“Good morning, Ms. Applejack.”

Applejack rolled her eyes down and looked at the two unicorns in front of her, offering her trademark smile. “Well, howdy, Ms. Lyra. How are you this mornin’? Are you here to buy some delicious and fresh apples from the farm?”

“I’m doing well, Ms. Applejack,” Lyra replied. “And no, sorry. We’re not here to buy apples, as delicious as they are. We’re here, hoping if you could please help us with something.”

“Aw, shucks. What can I help you with, then?”

“We were wondering if you have seen anypony go inside or out the spa,” Vinyl said.

“Well, we first need to know how long you’ve been here, of course,” Lyra added.

“Ah, let me think.” Applejack dragged a hoof up her chin and rubbed it, rolling her eyes up. “Well, I’ve been here since 8:00 AM, as usual. I come here every day to sell some of my apples.” She returned her stare at Lyra. “However, since I’ve been here, I’ve only seen Ms. Aloe leavin’ the spa.”

“So you saw nopony coming inside? You only saw Ms. Aloe leaving the building?” Lyra asked.

“Yup. I’m sure nopony went inside that spa. All I saw was Ms. Aloe leavin’.”

“And when did you see her?” Vinyl asked.

“Ah, now that’s tricky, Okay, umm... I think it was about thirty minutes ago, yeah.”

“So Ms. Aloe left the spa around 10:10 AM, yet nopony went inside at least since 8:00 AM.” Lyra couldn’t help but think something was weird about that matter. If Ms. Applejack’s story is to be believed, what could Aloe possibly be doing for around three hours? If nopony else went inside, then why was the sauna room recently used? Maybe Aloe used it? “Just one more question, Ms. Applejack.”

“Yes, Ms. Lyra?”

“Do you see that veil of steam rising from the chimney?” Lyra pointed her hoof at it. Applejack looked at it for a second and nodded. “Do you recall how long has the chimney been spitting the steam?”

“Ah, yeah. I thought that was smoke when I first saw it.”

“Hey, me too!” Vinyl chirped.

“Anyways, I think the steam has been risin’ for like fifteen minutes now. I wonder why?” Applejack could know everything about farms, but she was completely oblivious at understanding how a spa works, since she seldom goes to it, anyway.

“It’s 10:45 AM now. That means the sauna room was used until 10:30 AM.”

“Yup, seems about right,” Applejack said.

“However, that leaves us with a huge problem.” Vinyl and Applejack looked at Lyra with puzzled looks on their faces. “Aloe left at 10:10 AM, yet the sauna room was still being used until twenty minutes later, when the steam rose. The question is: who opened the chimney to release the steam if Aloe had already left?”

“Maybe her sister? Even if nopony came inside since 8:00 AM, the twins probably were already there even before Ms. Applejack set up her stand,” Vinyl commented.

“Didn’t you just knock the door? Nopony answered, meaning nopony else but Aloe was in the spa since 8:00 AM. If nopony is there, then who released the steam? That’s the thing bugging me.” Lyra returned her gaze at the building. Just what the hay is going on in here?

“Well, that’s very weird. Are y’all detectives investigatin’ or somethin’?” Applejack asked.

“No. We came here in hopes to get ourselves a nice spa session, but it was closed,” Vinyl responded. “I didn’t think it would bring up all this mess.” She looked at Lyra, remembering about the promise she made earlier in the morning. “Oh, hey. If the spa’s closed, can we go to the burger joint now? I’m really, really hungry!”

“Oh, sure.” Lyra smiled and stared at Applejack. “Thanks for your time, Ms. Applejack. See you around later.”

“Later, Ms. Lyra, and Ms. fancy-shades. Have a nice day!” Applejack waved a hoof as both unicorns walked away from the stand. She sighed, resuming the position she had before she was interrupted.

“So, Lyra. What are we gonna do about the spa thing? Who do you think released the steam from the sauna room?”

“Eh, I don’t know, Vinyl. I think it’s not important now. Although I’d like to talk later with Ms. Aloe, just to know what happened there.” I want to know what happened there. Nopony was inside for two hours but Aloe. She left the building with the sauna room being in use. However, why was it being used if nopony was there? Who or what could possibly release the steam from the room twenty minutes after Aloe left? Well, whatever’s going on, I’m going to find out.

*****

July 24th, 2:15 PM
Heartstrings & Co. Law Offices

“Whoa, I’m stuffed! Those burgers were really something.” Vinyl was lying on an office couch, rubbing her tummy with a hoof. “We should go there more often!”

Lyra was sitting on her desk, staring at nothing in particular. Her gaze shifted from the wall to the roof, then to her desk, then to the wall again. She tapped a hoof against her horn. What if somepony went inside the spa before 8:00 AM? Then again, nopony answered when Vinyl knocked the door. Was it really because nopony was there, or maybe that pony didn’t want to open?

“Lyra?”

Now that I think about it, If there was somepony else in the spa besides Aloe, it would make sense that the steam was released from the sauna. However, why would that pony refuse to respond to our call?

“Hey, Lyra!”

It’s also a fact that Aloe was in the spa at least from 8:00 AM until she left at 10:10 AM. But why would she leave ten minutes after they were supposed to open? Well, not like I know how they operate, but it seems a bit weird to me. I might be overthinking things, though. There is a perfectly logical explanation for all this, and I want to know what is this all about.

“Lyraaaa!” Vinyl stood in front of Lyra’s desk and slammed her hooves against it.

“Ahh!” Lyra jumped on her seat, eyes going wide open. She blinked and looked at Vinyl and the smirk she had pasted on her face. “Wh-what?”

“What’s the matter? You seemed to have your head in the clouds,” Vinyl chuckled. “Are you still thinking about what happened back at the spa?”

“Y-yeah. It’s still bugging me. I can’t help but wonder what happened there.”

“C’mon, it’s probably nothing. I’m sure we’re just overreacting. I think we should focus on something else, don’t you agree?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Lyra let out a faint sigh. Maybe I should listen to Vinyl and let it go. But I really want to know what happened there! I keep getting this strange sensation that something’s wrong, but why?

Out of nowhere, the door knocked. Both Lyra and Vinyl stared at it, wondering who could be. A client? Mail delivery? Somepony else? “Please, come in,” Lyra requested. Immediately, the visitor opened the door and stepped inside. Lyra’s eyes widened as she recognized the pony that came in. “Wh-what? Ms. Lotus!?” What’s the meaning of this? What is Ms. Lotus doing here? Could her reason for visiting be related to the spa somehow?

“H-hello, Ms. Lyra, i-is it?” the spa pony stammered. She was breathing quite fast, her mouth twitching constantly. The slightest of shivers ran through her body, noticeable by the trembling on her hooves. It didn’t take a scientist to realize she was nervous.

“Ms. Lotus? What are you doing here?” Vinyl asked. As Lyra, she was a little astonished about the sudden appearance of the pink half of the Spa Twins.

“I… I need help, please!” Lotus didn’t hesitate to shout that out. She didn’t seem to be joking, given the tone of her voice.

“Calm down, Ms. Lotus. Please, tell us what’s the matter,” Lyra said. She stood up from her desk and walked in front of the anxious mare.

“M-my sis… Aloe… she was…” Lotus stuttered, gulping to contain herself. “She… she was arrested this morning.”

“Wh-what!? She was arrested? Why?” Lyra was taken by surprise. I knew something had happened down at the spa! “Why did they arrest her!?”

“The charge… was murder.” Lotus bowed her head. “S-somepony was killed there.”

“A m-murder?” Vinyl felt chills running down her spine. ‘Murder’ wasn’t exactly a word she liked to hear a lot, not since her sister’s trial. Lyra’s suspicions had become true. All this time, something was going on at the spa.

“Who was murdered?” Lyra asked.

“I-it was one of our most loyal clients, Ruby Facets. She was at the spa, going through a special course of our relaxation program. I don’t know all the details, but I do know her body was found in the spa, most specifically, in the sauna room.

“And Aloe was arrested for this? Why?” Lyra asked.

“Because she was the only pony in the spa when the body was found, and not only that, but she was lying unconscious inside the sauna room, along with the dead body,” Lotus explained. Her voice seemed to be a bit calmer, but anypony could notice she was still trembling like a scared kitten.

Wait. Aloe and the victim were the only ponies in the spa? Didn’t Aloe leave the spa at 10:10 AM? Could it be that she came back? And if she did, why would she be lying unconscious in the sauna room? Argh, so many questions! It’s the most confusing story I’ve heard in a while, and it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. “So… where is Ms. Aloe now?”

“She woke up a while after the police arrived. They took her to the detention center. I wanted to go visit her, but they told me I should go and find an attorney for her. So that’s why I came here.”

“Wait, and who called the police? Who discovered the body and Aloe in the sauna?” Vinyl interrupted.

“I… I don’t know. When I came back to the spa, the police were already there, investigating. They had already taken Aloe and some officers were chatting with somepony across the street. I think it was Ms. Applejack.”

So it seems like Applejack is a witness. But... was she being completely honest? Did nopony go inside the spa since 8:00 AM? Did Aloe leave the building at 10:10 AM? I will have to go talk with her about the matter. “We went down to the spa around 10:40 AM. When did you arrive and find the police?”

“I came back around 11:15 AM. That’s when the police were already there. They told me they received the call around 10:55 AM, from an anonymous pony. An officer told me they arrived at 11:00 AM. It was then when they broke inside the spa and found both Ruby and Aloe.”

“I see. So the police came like 15 minutes after we left. And I guess Ms. Applejack stayed there until the police arrived.” However, that doesn’t explain how Aloe teleported from the outside to inside the sauna room. “Right then, I think I should go talk with Ms. Aloe about this.”

“Huh, and what about me?” Vinyl asked.

“You stay here with Ms. Lotus and do the paperwork to appoint me as Aloe’s defense attorney. I will go down to the detention center. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you so much, Ms. Lyra. I know you can save my sister. She wouldn’t do something like this.” Lotus smiled. She wasn’t shaking anymore. Her voice even sounded more friendly and warm than it had when she first entered the room.

“I’ll prove her innocence, don’t worry.” Her head turned towards Vinyl. “Vinyl, I trust you with the paperwork. I’ll be back later.”

“Gotcha, Lyra. Take care.”

With that, Lyra stepped outside of the room, motivated to find the truth behind the whole mess. Her first stop was the detention center, where she would talk with Aloe about the events that took place that morning.

I need to find out what really happened in there, and Aloe is the only one who knows the answer. Ruby Facets… What reason could anypony have to murder her? I’m afraid I’ll also have to check the crime scene after I’m done at the detention center.

After all, I have already found the first contradiction.

Objection!

How... how could this happen?
Bon Bon... my own sister...
She didn't do it. I just know it!

Ms. Lyra? Is there anything I can do to help?

Vinyl... please find out everything you know about this mysterious prosecutor.
If the rumors are true... they say she hasn't lost a case ever since she started with her career.

You can count on me. We'll save Bon Bon! You'll see! Just like you saved Tavi!
We'll make that mean prosecutor taste her first defeat!

Lyra Heartstrings: Ace Attorney - Justice For Everypony