Lumina Moondancer: Turnabout Attorneyby DiZ-037ChaptersCase 01-1: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Pre-Trial)Case 01-2: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Trial)Case 01-3: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Post-Trial)The Classroom Trial (Intermission)Case 01-0: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 0, Investigation)Case 01-1: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Pre-Trial)[Canterlot City Courthouse] [Defendant Lobby No. 2] [July 16th, 9:30] Deep breath in, then let it out. Deep breath in, let it out... This was it. Thirty minutes before my first real trial. Minuette's trial. I did my best to look collected, pacing back and forth in front of the window of the defendant lobby like I was trying to think. In reality, I was just trying to give myself something better to do than anxiously quiver. Minuette sat on a short sofa up by the wall across from me, looking about as nervous as I felt. Surprisingly, she wasn't making any overly energetic expressions, but by the way she fidgeted in her seat I could tell she was no more ready for what might happen then I was. Criminal trials had a maximum limit of three days, and they were fast paced and cutthroat. Apparently things had been different at the start of the century, but as magic and supernatural events became more commonplace, crime revolving around them did as well. Law inevitably adapted, bringing the legal system to become much more decisive. I thought it was really messed up, but that's how history tends to be a lot of the time. The role of a defense attorney was still clear though: Fight to prove my client's innocence. I just might've had more of a time window to work with had I been born a hundred years ago... I stayed up all of last night looking over the relevant reports and data regarding the facts of the case, and there was really only one point I had to argue, that Minuette was incapable of interacting with things affected by her magic. Everything else that was there easily supported an arguement of her having committed the murder. The most troubling bit of evidence was a note that the police found, a blackmail note clearly directed toward Minuette, accusing her of altering the times of a recent race? There were a few other documents recovered that seemed to back up that theory, suggesting that Indigo should've won, but as evident by her second place trophy, she didn't. Given the circumstances, it could be argued that she had a perfectly clear reason to want Indigo dead. I feel like those papers held the key to all of this. But if Minuette didn't alter the times, then who did? I stopped my pacing and turned towards Minuette. "You're gonna hold together for this, right?" After a moment of bringing her nervous shaking together, she flashed a calm, steady smile. "Yep! We've gone over everything already. I'm going to be called to testify and I'll answer questions as truthfully as I can, right?" I nodded. There was one other thing we went over. "Yes, and?" "And..." She thought for a moment, then brought her controlled smile back alongside a shaky thumbs up. "I won't speak out of turn!" I smiled too, if only for a moment. At least she had some measure of control of herself. "Good. Everything is already stacked against us, and it's just going to be me out there defending you. I'm going to be honest, I don't have a clear path to prove your innocence here, but I'll figure something out, I promise." Her smile faded a little, but she nodded her head in agreement still. "Right. I trust you, Lumi." A familiar, gentle voice sounded behind me from the doorway, nearly startling me to the floor. "With that attitude, I think you'll do just fine, Lumina." I knew that voice. I knew exactly who was behind me. A friend, my boss, really, she headed the law firm I was working under. But she was also my mentor, she tutored me through law school and took me under her wing. She had to take an emergency trip out of town this month, I didn't think I'd be seeing her again so soon. "Miss Tia?" I didn't need to turn my head for confirmation, but I couldn't help myself. Minuette looked over too, but wasn't as taken aback as I was. She was just as I remembered; tall, slender, wearing a muted orange suit jacket with a sun print along the chest that was immediately recognizable, as were the soft magenta slacks she wore along with them. Her long, faded pastel pink hair was pulled back today, falling in line with the formality she carried. Because of her trip, she wasn't there to celebrate when I took my licence exam. She got a call from an old friend, one she had some important business with. Called it "chasing a shadow", and although I didn't really understand the metaphor I didn't pry. It was her business, after all. I wrote to her about it though, sent her an overexcited email about how I'd got my badge and could finally claim the desk she'd prepared in our office room. She never got back to me though, I assumed she just didn't have the time at that point... But here she was now. Ms. Tia. "Surprised to see me again?" She smiled warmly, her eyes meeting mine in the familiar way of a teacher proud of their student. By the time the surprise of seeing her again faded, all that remained was a familiar sense of calmness. I didn't respond right away, I didn't quite know what to say. "I'd heard one of my proteges was about to defend her first client, not something I'd want to miss." "Protege?" Minuette tilted her head. "She taught you?" "Taught me everything I know about being an attorney," I nodded, my eyes not leaving Ms. Tia's. I was talking to Minuette, but I still was trying to process seeing my mentor again. "Things you can't learn in a classroom." Ms. Tia laughed softly at that. "Oh, I like to think I was just pushing you in the right direction. You're probably the brightest of my apprentices, and you did all of that learning yourself. I certainly didn't pass your exams for you." My eyes darted away instinctively, and I nervously scratched the back of my head. When she put it that way, it sounded a bit silly. Maybe her importance to me was a bit more overplayed in my head. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't always give myself the most credit..." "This is your client then, I'm guessing?" Ms. Tia looked to Minuette, who's anxiety seemed to be gradually pressing through her controlled, attentive look. "Ms. Chrona, right?" "That's me!" Minuette's bright smile returned for a moment as she gave a little wave. "If you're a friend of Lumi's you can just call me Minuette, though, Miss." "So you're here to wish me luck?" I asked. I might've sounded a bit ungrateful. Maybe I shouldn't have asked it like that. Ms. Tia gave a nod, though she looked like she had something else on her mind too. "Not just that," she explained. "I took the liberty of reading over the files of this case when I got back to the office earlier this morning... You left them on your desk. I wanted to offer to be your co-counsel for this, if you'd let me." My eyes met hers again. Again, I didn't really know what to say. The past day I'd spent stressing on my own, unsure if I was really getting anywhere with this. Any help was appreciated, but help from her meant more than words could say. "You'd do that?" Uncertainty was certainly present in my voice. "You don't think this is something I can handle on my own, do you?" "I think you're more than capable of handling this. I just think it's always good to have someone to rely on, regardless of the situation. This is the real thing, Lumina," She said. "If your client is innocent, this is your only shot to prove it." Giving Minuette another glance showed me a picture of her looking concerned again. It was hard to keep that smile on her face. "She is, I know she is," I gave her a nod. "There's no way she's guilty of murder." "I believe you," Ms. Tia said. "And I believe you can make the judge believe you too." "That's what it's all coming down to..." I closed my eyes for a moment, took a breath in, then let it out. The trial would be starting soon, we needed to get to the courtroom. "I'd gladly have you as my co-counsel, ma'am." Ms. Tia gave another soft laugh. "You don't have to call me that anymore. You never even had to call me that in the first place..." "Huh?" It took me a moment to register what she was talking about. Ma'am. "Oh... Sorry, ma'am..." !!! I guess I treated Ms. Tia with more formality than I realised. I have a lot of admiration and respect for her... "I suppose a little respect doesn't hurt anyone," She said. "Don't worry about it, then." Too late for that. She'd already brought it to my attention. There were other things I needed to be focusing on though... I checked my watch. Fifteen minutes until the trial began. "We should probably get down to the courtroom, then." The courtroom had a simple yet decorated layout. The focal point of the room was the judge's elevated bench, sitting before a depiction of a golden set of scales on the wall behind it. Sitting here, the judge could see over the entire room, and she would be able to direct the trial from an appropriate position. She sat ready, bifocal glasses high on her face and her greying hair neatly styled to the side. In typical judicial fashion she wore a plain black gown, and had no particular expression on her face. This seemed to just be another trial for her. I got to look up to her from her left side, where a table for the defense sat ready. Here, I had all the papers on the case organized and ready to go through as needed. Across the floor from me and to the judge's right was a similar table for the prosecution. Between us, off to the side and facing the judge, was a stand for any witnesses called, and closer to my side was the defendant's seat. Beyond that, wrapping the edges of the room, was the gallery, for any non-involved spectators. There were seats on the floor level as well as balcony seating, and they seemed halfway full today. It was intimidating, for starters. A bunch of people watching while my best friend's future was on the line? I'd done plenty of practice trials, but... nothing really could've prepared me for this. As I took my place at the defense's table, I looked over to Ms. Tia. She was right there with me, looking at the same scene I was. But she'd done this before, she could easily keep her cool. "Hey, just relax." She told me. She could see I was starting to unravel. "You've got this, and if that's not enough, I'm here in your corner." Minuette was patiently waiting in the defendant's seat as well, but something else was missing here. The trial started at ten o'clock, where was the prosecutor? He needed to be present for us to get anywhere. As my mind shifted to him, I pondered what he might be like. All I had heard of him was his name and his record. Princeton Blueblood, with a three year streak of guilty verdicts. What was this guy even like? What kind of person did it take to have a perfect record like that? After tossing those thoughts around for a few minutes more, the courtroom doors finally opened, and I realised that the universe always immediately answered your questions when the answers were unpleasant. I don't know how to accurately describe my first glimpse of Blueblood. To put it underwhelmingly simply, he seemed to just... glow, but in a really irritating way. He had positively shiny blonde hair, perfectly combed and styled. Too perfectly. The white suit he wore was almost obnoxiously eye-catching, with it's gold trim contrasting his black undershirt and blue bow tie, and then his rose- that rose running through the lapel of his jacket made for a look that screamed "I'm better than you". Who was this guy? He carried himself with his chin towards the sky like he was royalty, I wasn't even sure if he could see where he was walking. And his expression was just so... dismissive. He'd just got here and he already looked like he had somewhere better to be, and by the time he got to the prosecutor's desk he looked thoroughly done with everyone in the room. When his eyes finally did take in their surroundings, they did so through an aloof gaze, his face not showing anything in particular but still managing to radiate disdain. Needless to say, his arrival did not help my nerves. His eyes seemed to widen for a moment as he looked across to us, the defense, then they narrowed dangerously. He certainly wasn't looking at me... My eyes glanced over to Ms. Tia, and seeing her eyes locked in the same narrowed gaze confirmed my thought. "Do you know him?" I asked, quietly. "Unfortunately," she replied. "Disregard that though, you're the one leading the defense. He should be worried about you, not me." "Right..." "Mr. Blueblood," the judge addressed him as the prosecutor prepared papers at his table. "A pleasure to have you with us. You're right on schedule, as it's about time to get things underway." "Indeed." Yep. One word was all it took, but his tone of voice was exactly what I thought it'd be. Haughty. Condescending. Had a higher pitch than I was expecting, though. This was it. The trial was about to begin. Author's Note The style and rules of this world are solely based on the Ace Attorney series, so they won’t be congruent with real life legal systems. Anyone familiar with Ace Attorney would recognize this, but for those not, here’s your disclaimer. It’s more fun that way, really. Case 01-2: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Trial)Author's Note Foreword: The court trial chapters of this story will have different formatting from the others, with text alignment based on the speaker’s position in the room, testimony text highlighted in green, and objections presented in giant text. This is experimental and hopefully works to enhance the reading experience. Case 01-2: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Trial) [Canterlot City Courthouse] [Courtroom No. 3] [July 16th, 10:00] The judge's gavel struck, her swift motion calling all to silence and attention. "Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Minuette Chrona." From her right, Princeton Blueblood stood attentively. His finger idly played with the rose protruding from his suit as he stared across the room at us. He spoke with perfect confidence. "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." I, on her left, ended up nervously gulping. "The... er..." Focus, Moondancer. You've got this. "The defense is also ready, Your Honor." The judge took note of my stumble. "Ms. Moondancer?" "Yes?" Wait. That's the judge! Respect, show respect! "I- Yes, Your Honor?" "You seem quite nervous. I understand this is your first trial?" I nodded. "It is, Your Honor. And I am." "You understand that your actions will play a part in determining your client's fate today. For her sake, I hope you can keep yourself composed." Great, now the judge was worrying about me... "Thank you. I'll do my best, Your Honor..." "Very well..." The judge's attention switched over to Blueblood. "Would the prosecution begin with an opening statement, then?" "Of course." Blueblood cleared his throat. "On the night of July the fourteenth, Ms. Indigo Zap was found dead in her home, and Ms. Minuette Chrona—the defendant—was found at the scene of the crime near her body." He then gestured to his side, where a uniformed officer took the court's center stage. It was the same agent I met the day before. "SRAPH Agent Sweetie Drops, the leading detective on this case, will give further detail of the findings from the police department's investigation." The agent nodded. "Yes, sir." "The autopsy report states that the time of death was 9:45 PM," she began. "She suffered blunt force trauma to the head followed by lacerations from the glass of the clock. The victim died almost instantly." In a large, sealed bag, Sweetie Drops produced the murder weapon and placed it on the table, a hefty, silvery cup mounted to a base with a plaque screwed onto it. She gestured to it, presenting it as evidence to the court. "The weapon used was the victim's own second place trophy from the previous Spring Regional Track and Field event." "The victim was an athlete, yes?" "Correct, Your Honor," Blueblood interjected, "And a promising one at that. She planned to compete in the Summer Regionals next month... Oh, what a shame it is we won't be seeing that.." His tone shifted slightly as he feigned his disappointment, and then slipped right back into his detached demeanor. This guy. Agent Sweetie Drops continued her report. "Radiological examinations showed the victim was under the effects of a timeslow spell before being struck. Details of the spell in question are included in the police records." Details of the spell, huh? I wonder... I began to thumb through the records idly. "And you're certain it was from this incident?" "Yes, Your Honor," Agent Sweetie Drops nodded. "We radiation-tested the surrounding area in the crime scene to the body and got a match." "That is all, Agent?" Blueblood asked. "That it is, sir." "Then I believe the implications are obvious, Your Honor, clearly the defendant has abused her arcane talent to murder this... poor young woman." Tsk, yeah, don't even try to sound convincing. "Hmm. So it would seem." "And I'd also believe everyone in this room would agree," he added. "We all showed up, after all..." The judge didn't seem to be as perturbed by his behaviour as I was, but she didn't seem to be moved by his attempts at emotional appeal either. "Yes, but that's what were here to sort out, Mr. Blueblood. If that's all you have, the prosecution may call its first witness." "Of course, Your Honor. The prosecution would like to call Ms. Chrona to the stand." I looked down at the desk and spoke quietly under a sigh. "Here we go..." Ms. Tia nudged me. "Pay attention to what she says. You'll be given the chance to respond to the prosecution later." "I just hope Minuette remembers what we talked about before the trial." "I'm sure she'll do fine, she seems like she has a good head on her shoulders." She did, but... "She can get excited, and this prosecutor looks like he's about to push her buttons..." Minuette took her place at the witness stand, looking to Blueblood nervously as he gave his first question. "Let's begin with your name and occupation, for the record." "Minuette Chrona. I make and sell clocks with my father." "Ms. Chrona, you were found kneeling near the victim's body on the night of the murder. Would you mind explaining what you were doing at her house?" "Indigo called me over that night, she wanted to talk to me about something." "The two of you were close friends, yes?" "Yes, absolutely!" "And, do tell, what was that 'something' she wanted to talk to you about?" Minuette looked very uncomfortable to that question. She glanced over to me. As much as I wanted to step in here, I nodded, silently urging her to just tell the truth. She gulped. "Well... She wanted me to help her cheat in the next set of track races she was doing." The judge was the only one who looked surprised to hear that. "Oh my! She would do that?" "You are a time mage, correct? It would certainly be doable for you." Blueblood said, fiddling with his rose a bit more as he spoke. There was a very subtle accusation in his tone... "Such races often come down to the mere hundredths of a second, yes?" From my side of the room, I saw a fire light behind Minuette's eyes. "But I'd never use my magic for something like that!!" She shouted, crossing her arms and giving him a scowl. "I told Indigo to forget it! I ain't cheatin' for nobody!" "But yet, Ms. Chrona, it would seem she had proof against that claim, which leads into my second line of questioning..." Oh no, he was bringing up the blackmail letter... There it was, off of his side of the table came the note in question, preserved in a laminated film as he walked out from behind his table and waved it in Minuette's face. "Care to read this note to the court?" Minuette's eyes widened in surprise, then glared at him again. "You think this was intended for me!?" "We'll let the judge decide on that." In a panic, Minuette's eyes darted to me again, and I returned the panicked gesture. Luckily, Ms. Tia gave me a push in the right direction. "I don't think you want your client reading that..." I agreed. But a nod wouldn't do, I needed to make more distinct gestures to get my point across while I still had her eyes. I tapped the table, I adjusted my tie, then I tapped my glasses. DO. NOT. READ. Minuette's eyes changed, like she suddenly understood. "Okay. I'll read this as clearly as possible." !?!? I resisted the urge to facepalm. "Hmm," Ms. Tia commented. "Seems you need to work on your non-verbal communication skills..." Minuette, however, was already clearing her throat. "I know what you did, altering the time like that would get you in a lot of trouble if anyone found out." "I've got hard paper proof, too. But nobody has to find out, so long as I don't catch you doing it again." "So keep your little victory, we both know how you really got it..." "And the signature?" Minuette's tone dropped. "I Z" Blueblood turned away from the witness stand and held up the note, passing it to the judge for further examination. Looking over them, she gave her initial conclusion. "So the victim was blackmailing the defendant..." "Obviously. A clear murder motive." As he turned back to his table, I caught him rolling his eyes. "In addition to that note, the police found several documents confirming an alteration of several times of the last set of races..." He passed a beige folder of documents from his table to the judge for her to look over. More evidence. "Hey!!!" Minuette called out. "Nothing in that note addresses me! And that folder of papers were on the table when I showed up, but that note wasn't even there!" "A predictable reply, but we've arrived at my last question, Ms. Chrona..." Blueblood said, sounding prideful in the way he was making Minuette squirm like this. "If, as you claim, you weren't the one who killed her... Then would you explain to the court where you were?" "I..." Minuette looked down again, and then over to me. The look she gave me was almost... shameful? I took another deep breath. I think I knew what she was worried about. Still, I gave her a nod to tell the truth. Hopefully she knew that lying on the stand would only create more problems. "I..." She closed her eyes for a long moment. "I had to step outside. She was getting upset with me, so I put her in a time bubble and left the room." The judge looked intrigued, but also slightly lost. "A time bubble..." She repeated. "Could you better define that for us?" "Uh, yes ma'am, I- uh..." I took this time to interject. "If I may: Ms. Chrona is referring to the area that her temporal distortion affects. Her magic causes time to move at a fraction it normally does in a spherical area. A bubble, if you will." The judge nodded. "I see. So you admit to casting this spell on the victim when she got upset with you for refusing to cheat for her?" Minuette nodded. "Well, yeah... She was kinda.. scarin' me." "It would seem that Ms. Zap wasn't as good of a friend to you as you thought..." "Quiet, you!" Minuette snapped. "Me and her were besties, even if she is a bit hotheaded that doesn't mean we weren't tight!" Ugh, Minnie! That's only going to make you look worse... Her outburst set the gallery achatter, which was quickly silenced by three strikes of the judge's gavel. "Order! We will have order in this court!" There was a certain trill to her voice that brought all eyes to her when she raised her voice. "Witness, please continue." "I put her in a bubble and went outside. I was gonna let her go after I'd calmed down, but before long I heard the clock smash..." "And that's when you came back to see what happened?" She nodded. "Yeah. That's about it." Blueblood immediately stepped in before anyone could say anything else. "Your Honor, I'll put it bluntly..." He began, pulling his rose from his shirt and pointing to Minuette with it. "The defendant is lying." Silence washed over the entire courtroom. "WHAT!?!" Minuette usually could keep her cool, but that accusation made her lose it.. "How can you say that?!?" I almost lost my cool as well, but I felt Ms. Tia's hand on my tensing shoulder. "Hey, hang in there." She said. "Don't let him get under your skin too." "Right..." Wait, wasn't there something they were overlooking? There was one particular thing Minuette had told me the day before, and that I in fact found recorded in the police report. So I did the thing every attorney is supposed to do when they notice a fact has been overlooked. "OBJECTION!" "..." "..." The judge addressed me expectantly in my silence. "Ms. Moondancer, do you have some kind of problem with that statement?" "I uh..." I did have a problem, and I wanted to say why, but... I couldn't! It wasn't my fault, I felt my throat start to choke up! All of those eyes on me... "I... I do, Your Honor..." "Well, we're waiting, rookie." Oh, damn my nerves! Why now of all times? The proof was right there! "There's one piece of evidence that proves the defendant couldn't have hurt the victim..." Amidst the documents I was just searching, I pulled out a single page, titled 'SRAPH Arcane Analysis'. "Right here, it reads... 'Due to only partially understood properties of spellcasting, a low-level caster of this timeslow spell cannot impart force on objects affected by the spell itself.'" Putting the page down, I slammed my hand against the table and pointed across to the prosecution. "In other words, if the defendant really did slow time down for the victim, she couldn't have applied any kind of force with that trophy!" Blueblood was taken completely aback. I must've taken him off guard. "Wha-" "Good job, Lumina!" Ms. Tia gave a simple nod and smile. "That's all you have to do right now—point out contradictions." Minuette smiled as well, realizing the contradiction present. "That's right, I can't interact with anything in the bubble!" After reviewing the same pages, the judge looked shocked. "Ah, I see the issue here. Mr. Blueblood, do you have a response to this?" It only took a moment for him to compose himself. "Haha..." He chuckled to himself. "It's a simple explanation, Your Honor... Our rookie seems to be slipping already." Please, what could he say? "Is it not entirely conceivable that the defendant simply ended the spell right before she attacked?" Oh. Right. How did I not consider that? "Please, Ms. Moondancer, how did you not consider that?" Ugh. The judge's eyes shut in understanding, her head lowering for a moment. "Hmm..." "Yes, that is entirely possible," she said. "Unless the defense has any evidence otherwise..." I frowned. "I don't, Your Honor..." I couldn't give up here, though. "But that's purely speculation, it doesn't prove the defendant is lying!" "Of course," The judge looked to Blueblood. "Likewise, the prosecution would have to produce some sort of evidence that contradicts the defendant's claims to prove that." "And indeed I can, Your Honor..." He had another trick up his sleeve... "I'd like to call another witness to the stand, one that saw Ms. Chrona at the scene of the crime!" What!?! Who else was there? There were no other reports of anyone else being at her house at the time... Unless... "Very well, Mr. Blueblood. Who is this witness?" A woman with a remarkably athletic build and a slightly impatient look on her face took the stand as Minuette returned to the defendant's seat. This witness wore a green track jacket with a yellow bolt pattern running down them and had spiky, slicked back golden hair, with even more golden highlights. "Witness, please give your name and occupation for the record." "Lightning Dust," she said, tapping her foot as she looked over the trial's participants unamused. "Professional athlete. Won gold in the Spring Regionals one hundred meter dash this year- This isn't going to take long, is it?" "Not at all, all we need is for you to recount what you saw the night of the murder." "Look, I don't want to be here all day..." Lightning Dust lifted her arm, showing off the blue glowing numbers on her digital wristwatch. "I have a workout alarm on my watch set for 11:30—that's about forty minutes from now—and if I'm not out of here by then..." "Oh, it shouldn't take that long at all." The judge gave support to this notion. "Very well, witness. Forty minutes is more than enough time to give a testimony. If we take longer than that, you may leave." Before she began, I started skimming over everything I could remember from Minuette's testimony. If there was any time it was relevant, it was about to be now. [Witness Testimony] [Lighting Dust] [---The Murder---] "So I was headed over to Indigo's house that night. I'd been a poor sport about my win over her and was feeling bad about it- I wanted to apologize." "I got there around 9:40, but someone else was already there. That kid there with the blue jacket. They were arguing about something." "I saw Indigo get all tense, and I thought I'd go in to calm things down. The door was unlocked, but when I went inside, that's when I saw it, she was dead, and the kid I saw through the window just a second before was gone." "I couldn't believe what I'd just seen, so I got out of there and called the police as soon as I could." "That's what happened." She concluded. There was Blueblood's smug smile again. "A rather clear testimony, no?" I was still in a bit of disbelief that the detail of there being a witness escaped my attention. How could I have not noticed that? "There was nothing about a witness in the police report!" "Ha!" Blueblood let out a condescending huff. "To be expected from an attorney of such low calibre. Do you not know the meaning of 'anonymous source'? She didn't want to be identified at first." The report did note that whoever called the police remained anonymous... But why would she step up now? The judge turned her gaze to me expectantly. "Now, Ms. Moondancer, you may proceed with your cross-examination." Ms. Tia again gave me encouragement. "Now's your chance to press her, Lumina. Review everything she's said, look at your evidence, then find a contradiction in her testimony." "There's a contradiction?" Her eyebrow rose slightly. "There has to be, if your client is really innocent." She was right. I turned to the witness stand, and looked Lightning Dust square in the eye. "Let's take it from the top, then, Ms. Dust." [Cross Examination] [Lightning Dust] [---The Murder---] "So I was headed over to Indigo's house that night. I'd been a poor sport about my win over her and was feeling bad about it- I wanted to apologize." Apologize, huh? "Were the two of you friends?" "I wouldn't say friends, but we've been competing against each other the past year. Had a bit of personal rivalry going on." "Yet you knew where she lived." "She's invited me for lunch a few times. She was a real people person." "Right..." "I got there around 9:40, but someone else was already there. That kid there with the blue jacket. They were arguing about something." "Are you certain of that time?" "Yes, I saw it on the big grandfather clock in Indigo's living room, and confirmed it on my watch." "The one on your wrist there?" She nodded, flashing her wristwatch again. "It's perfectly accurate, I make sure it is." "Sure. And did you hear what they were arguing about?" "OBJECTION!" "What point does this question have, Ms. Moondancer?" "Uh, well..." "Don’t waste this court's time with pointless questions." The judge nodded in agreement with Blueblood. "Is the reason they were arguing important to the case?" Way to put me on the spot... but I had a suspicion I needed to confirm or dispel. "It is, Your Honor." "Very well. Witness? What were the defendant and the victim arguing about?" "Something about cheating at the races. There was a big thing of papers on the table from what I could see. Probably whatever dirt Indigo had on her." That sparked notice from me. "I see. I think that's pretty important." The judge nodded. "Indeed. Please add this to your testimony, witness." Lightning Dust nodded "Of course, Your Honor..." "I don't know what they were arguing about, but I assume it had something to do with the folder on the kitchen table." "Okay," I began, taking the blackmail note from the available evidence. It was on a different kind of paper from the other documents, surely it would've stood out if it were on the table. I presented it to her. "This note, was this note among the papers you saw?" She glanced over it, but after another flash of nervousness she shook her head. "Uh, no, this one wasn't on the table." Minuette said she didn't see it beforehand, but it had to have come from somewhere... "Interesting. Moving on..." "I saw Indigo get all tense, and I thought I'd go in to calm things down. The door was unlocked, but when I went inside, that's when I saw it, she was dead, and the kid I saw through the window just a second before was gone." That. That statement right there, there was something wrong. "HOLD IT!" "You said you saw the defendant through the window, which window?" I asked. "There were two, one by the front door, and one by the back door." "OBJECTION!" "The defense is picking over irrelevant details!" "Hmm." The judge mused. "Do you really think this will lead somewhere, Ms. Moondancer?" I nodded, but tried not to look exasperated doing so. "Yes, Your Honor. These details will give a picture of what she might have or might not have seen!" "So, witness, which window was it?" "It was the window by the front door. Walking there from my house, that's the way facing me. I think the prosecutor had a good question, what does it matter?" "Yes, Ms. Moodancer," The judge added. "Did that question really give you any insight to this case?" "Yes, Your Honor, it did..." She said she saw it through the front window? That didn't add up... "I believe the witness is lying about where she was!" Lightning Dust's face momentarily shifted to shock, but then it settled on resentment. "What? How could you say that?" "That is a bold claim, indeed." the judge concluded. "Hmph! A baseless claim, if you ask me..." From the prosecutor's bench, Blueblood shook his head. "Baseless—Unless you have evidence, Ms. Moondancer? Because that's what we operate on here. Evidence." "I do, in fact..." I looked down at the papers on the table in front of me. I could see diagrams of the house, where the victim and suspect were supposedly standing, but I didn't need those to see the gaping hole in her statement. "If they were in front of the clock, you wouldn't have been able to see either of them. There's a wall separating the front entryway from the living room!" This time, the shock on Lightning Dust's face stuck around. "I- Well-" "That's ridiculous! They were arguing—They easily could've been moving around!" "Oh no, she identified the time as well. You could easily see that clock, since it faces the back window, as well as the kitchen table. The table was right by that window, too, that's why you saw that folder of papers so easily!" "So what if she did see in through the back window? What does that prove?" "It proves there's a contradiction in your witness's testimony, Mr. Blueblood." His right hand had been idly adjusting that rose on his jacket, but by the way it suddenly tightened and bent it out of shape I could tell he’d put two and two together. “!!!” I could hear Ms. Tia smiling with a wordless hum beside me. I was feeling confident. I had this. I just had to keep up the pressure. Blueblood bit his tongue and sneered at me. He knew I was right. "I suppose it does... If the court would allow, could my witness clarify this contradiction?" The judge gave Lightning a suspicious look, but then nodded her head. "By all means, please do..." "Right! Yes! I just forgot about what I did before I went in, that's all..." This time around, Lightning Dust looked a bit more frustrated with herself, rather than annoyed with the rest of us. She fidgeted with the band of her wristwatch as she began. [Witness Testimony] [Lighting Dust] [---Where I Was---] "So I heard something going on when I walked up on Indigo's house. Rather than go in the front right away, I went around to take a peek in the back to see what was up." "That's when I saw the kid in the blue jacket, the time on the clock, the papers, all of that. I could see the time clearly, too. Again, it was 9:40." "When Indigo froze up, the kid went for the trophy, and I took that as a cue to head inside and see if I couldn't calm things down." "But by the time I got in there, there was nothing I could do." "That seems like a reasonable alteration." The judge nodded. "Quite," Blueblood added. You're backpedaling now, aren't you? "Ms. Moondancer, your cross-examination." I nodded. I was starting to put a picture together out of all of this, but I needed to prove the pieces fit together. She lied about where she was, and she was bound to do it again... [Cross Examination] [Lighting Dust] [---Where I Was---] "So I heard something going on when I walked up on Indigo's house. Rather than go in the front right away, I went around to take a peek in the back to see what was up." Something seemed wrong about this statement, but I didn't have the evidence to make any claims. I let it pass. "That's when I saw the kid in the blue jacket, the time on the clock, the papers, all of that. I could see the time clearly, too. Again, it was 9:40." The time checks out... "When Indigo froze up, the kid went for the trophy, and I took that as a cue to head inside and see if I couldn't calm things down." But this? "HOLD IT!" "You saw the defendant take the trophy?" "Yeah, Indigo's silver from the Spring Regionals. The murder weapon." "While the victim was 'frozen up'." "Yeah." She glared. "What of it?" "I think that's impossible." "Wh-what?" Lightning Dust's hand nervously scratched at her wrist. "H-How come?" "It's right here..." I pointed to the layout of the house in the reports, specifically, to how close the victim was to the trophy shelf, where a circle outlined the area affected by Minuette's timeslow spell. "As we've established, the caster of a timeslow spell can't impart force on their target, and both the victim and that trophy shelf were caught in that spell..." The judge's eyes widened as she put together the logic of what I was saying. "Oh!" Again, I slammed both hands onto the desk for emphasis as I addressed the issue directly. "If she was casting the timeslow spell, Minuette couldn't have picked up that trophy!" The entire court was again thrown into a sudden chattering at this revelation! I smiled. That was definitely a powerful point, there was no way she could refute it. "Wait! I-" Lightning Dust's eyes widened, gripping her wrist tighter and cutting herself off. "Order, order!" The judge's gavel again struck loudly against it's post as she demanded the room's silence. "Given the facts of this case, what you say is undeniable, Ms. Moondancer. Does the prosecution have any response to this discovery?" Blueblood had very little to contest with, he was looking just as nervous as Lightning. "I, well, I-" He sounded as desperate as he looked bewildered. "I think... the witness... Yes, the witness can explain this perfectly, right?" "Uh..." Lightning Dust washed away her shocked expression and let her head drop, still tightly clutching her wrist in nervousness. But then, she suddenly came back up perfectly relaxed. "I can, actually, I just remembered something." "Yes?" The judge asked, rather impatiently. She seemed to be as tired of this witness's backpedaling as I was... "Right, so the very end of the trophy shelf was where the kid moved for. That's where the trophy was, after all!" Lightning Dust clarified, wringing her wrists with a look of clear regret on her face. "That must've been outside the reach of the... the spell." Was she starting to sweat? "Hmm..." The judge genuinely thought this over. "Ah, of course!" Blueblood nodded. "She must've known the radius of her spell. This does line up with the layouts we have..." Geez, did it? I looked over the papers again... "Very well then, witness." The judge said. "Add this to your testimony." "So the kid went for the very end of the trophy shelf. That's where Indigo's second place trophy was, and it was clearly outside the reach of her spell." Wait. "HOLD IT!" "Are you saying that the defendant just... ran around the victim?" "Uh, yeah." "Why would she not?" Blueblood asked. "She had all the time in the world..." "The prosecution does have a point." The judge agreed. "If the victim was frozen, it's not like she could stop her..." "And on top of that, the direction the victim was found facing implies she was struck from the direction of the kitchen table, and into the clock." Blueblood said. "Indeed it would seem she had to go behind her to knock her that way!" Did I just- Did I just bury myself? Ugh! "So, you saw that, then went inside..." "But by the time I got in there, there was nothing I could do." I didn't think it would lead anywhere, but there was one more thing I had to check... "You said, 'by the time I got in there'... What time was that, again?" "9:40, haven't you been paying attention?" My eyes widened... I had been paying attention, and I think Ms. Dust just made a fatal slip. The one piece of evidence that had been nagging me this entire trial was that blackmail note. Minuette said it wasn't there before, she said she didn't recognize it. The time discrepancy was one thing, but the motive seemed all wrong. But... "9:40, by whose time?" "By the big clock's time, y'know, the one that got broken?" Her reason for going to Indigo's house seemed fishy too... two rival racers, a time being messed with... but supposedly the one doing the meddling lost the last race? "You arrived there at 9:40?" "Uh, duh." She'd kept insisting on that time for some reason... Oh no, oh no. There was an issue here. Things were starting to line up in ways that I didn't like at all, and it all started with one question. What if that blackmail note wasn't for Minuette? "Are you deaf or something?" What if it instead was for Lightning Dust? Yep. That time window was all wrong. "OBJECTION!" "Your Honor, this statement clearly contradicts the time of death on the autopsy report by five minutes! That's five minutes sooner than it could've happened!" "Wait, what?" Right back into panicked mode Lightning Dust went. "Preposterous!" Blueblood exclaimed, "You're saying she saw the murder before it happened?" "No, I'm saying you saw the murder up close, close enough to see the time clearly on that clock..." I lowered my head, and looked into Lightning Dust's startled eyes and pointed right at her. "Because you were right there when it happened! Minuette didn't kill Indigo Zap, did she? You did!" Everyone in the gallery went wild. Blueblood looked like he was about to seize up. The judge was completely stunned. Even Ms. Tia held a look of reserved surprise on her face. But of course, Lightning Dust's expression hardly changed, she was still speechless. "O-Order in the court!" Another volley of gavel strikes rang out. "Ms. Moondancer, what would cause you to make such an assertion!" "There's no way Minuette could've done it at 9:45, she wouldn't have been there!" I declared, putting my hand down on the desk as I looked up to the judge. "OBJECTION!" "What reason would this witness have for murdering the victim that night?" That was the easy part... "It's simple, really..." I held up the blackmail note. "Think about it! "Keep your little victory, we both know how you really got it?" The judge was the first to speak up. "But what does that mean, Ms. Moondancer?" "Who went home with a gold trophy? A Miss Lightning Dust!" "Ack!" Lightning recoiled, tightly wringing her wrist as her story began to fall apart. I had her. I just needed to keep going... "And those documents prove the times were tampered with by someone... Someone who wanted said gold trophy!" "You're claiming that it was the witness that the letter was intended for?" The judge asked. "Exactly, Your Honor. She didn't go over to make amends, she went to take out a rival that had dirt on her! How else would she know right away what those papers were?" Lightning finally managed a retort, scowling as she gave an angered response. "Oh yeah? Well how did I do it, then? If I got there at 9:40 how did I kill her five minutes before she died?" Good question, but I think I knew the answer... "You didn't!" "What!?" "The victim died at 9:45, just as the autopsy report said..." "OBJECTION!" "Have you lost it, rookie?" Blueblood asked, half-concerned and half-enraged. "You've just contradicted yourself!" "No I haven't. There's a reason that Lightning Dust is so set on thinking she arrived at 9:40, and it's right here!" I pointed back to the house's layout. Again, I ran my finger around the radius of the timeslow spell, and it's proximity to Indigo's body. Then, I pointed to the clock itself. "If the victim was close enough to smash into the clock when struck..." Blueblood let out another desperate gasp. "Wait, you mean-" "Exactly! The clock would've read 9:40 for several minutes, because it was caught in the timeslow spell! Even if Lightning arrived at 9:45!" "Ahh! No! That's not-" "All she had to do then was take that second place trophy and do the job, all while Minuette was outside!" "Oh!" The judge looked like she was coming around to this revelation. "That would explain why she saw 9:40 on the clock face the entire time, yes!" Lightning Dust looked almost completely broken down. She desperately checked her wristwatch, and glanced up at me with scorn. "You forgot one thing!" She called out. "You need proof! You can't prove I had that trophy in my hand that night, you can't prove I hit her—not when I saw that I kid do it!" "She's... she's right." Blueblood finally got a hold of himself again. "Evidence! That's what we operate on here, Ms. Moondancer, not fanciful speculation! Without that this is all just meaningless conjecture!" Ah, I'd just blown through all of the evidence available... What more ammunition did I have? I felt that anxiety start to creep up on me again, I didn't know what to say and I didn't like the feeling. "So, Ms. Moondancer..." The judge jumped on board with the prosecution again. Was this not enough to convince her of anything? "Let's see your evidence, if you have it..." I didn't know if I did. "Yeah!" Lightning Dust growled. She looked down at her watch, and shook her head. "You've got 3 minutes until 11:30, and when that alarm goes off I'm out of here!" "I..." I glanced back to Ms. Tia, and when I did I was greeted by the most serious expression I'd ever seen from her. "You can still do this, Lumina." She said. "But..." I started. "I don't have any more evidence here, I..." "Evidence isn't always something that can be filed or categorized, the truth can't always be touched, but know it can always be shown!" What... what did that mean? Evidence that can't be touched? In my nervousness, I threw my head down on the desk before me, staring at my own analogue watch as the second hand ticked away all hope I had left... 5 seconds until 11:30. I was too late. "Well? What've you got, Ms. Lawyer?" Lightning Dust crossed her arms as she turned away. "Nothing!! You lose!" "Hmph. To be expected..." "If that's all, Ms. Moondancer," said the judge, "We will end this cross examination. If you can't prove that Ms. Lightning Dust directly committed this crime with something here in this court, then your hypothesis cannot hold weight." And there it went. It was now 11:30, and the witness was free to leave... But I had her figured out, and she knew it. She'd be walking away having committed a murder while my friend faced punishment she didn't deserve. "Now, if there are no further objections..." My world seemed to stop when I saw that hand hit 11:30, but it somehow still kept going. There was a wall clock in the courtroom, that clock said 11:30 too. That was that. I'd failed my friend. But something was wrong. Shouldn't Lightning Dust's alarm be going off right now? Shouldn't she be on her way out? Wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute. The judge lifted her gavel, and prepared to render her judgement... "After seeing all of the evidence, this court finds Ms. Minuette Chrona-" This was it. I had her. "O B J E C T I O N !" ?? !! "Lumina..." "Your Honor, there is one last piece of evidence that proves Lightning Dust struck the victim dead last night!" "I..." The judge, again speechless, took a moment to recover. "W-Well, then.. Let's see it!" "No, Your Honor, the cross-examination is over! Hand down your verdict as is!" "I can't, not if Ms. Moondancer really does have evidence! I must know, what is it?!" "What?!" Lightning Dust nearly screamed in retaliation. She was visibly shaking from my accusations, because they were right. "You have nothing left!" "I may not," I said, again taking her by her eyes and dragging her as far as my piercing gaze could manage. "But you do!" "I- I- I... What?" "That fancy digital wristwatch of yours is all the evidence we need!" "H-How?" "Yes, do explain!" The judge's eyes shot open as she leaned forward, she looked like she wanted to hear me out, but was still stuck in a state of disbelief. "You have an important alarm set for 11:30, on a watch that you claim you keep in perfect order!" "Wha- What of it?" Lightning Dust sputtered. "I do keep my watch in perfect order!" I pointed up to the clock hung on the wall before us. "It's 11:30 now... I don't hear anything!" "Ms. Moondancer," the judge asked. "What are you suggesting?" "Your Honor, if she really keeps her watch accurate, there's only one reason it's not going off right now!" "You don't mean-" the judge started. Lightning Dust gasped as the realization hit her. "Her watch is running slow!" I stood fully as I pointed to her, my confidence returning as every single piece of this mystery finally clicked together in my head. It felt incredible, exhilarating, and most importantly, I was saving my friend. I was proving Minuette's innocence. "Running slow, because you were at the scene of the crime last night, striking your rival with her own second-place trophy while she was caught in a timeslow spell—" "Wait, you're saying..." The judge nodded. "You're saying her wristwatch was-" "That's right, her wristwatch was caught in that very same spell!" Lightning Dust suddenly began to tremble, taking the witness stand tightly and grinding her teeth together as she began to vibrate with anger. She was unable to grip the fact that I'd figured her out. "NO! You couldn't possibly think that's true!" Lightning Dust said through a clenched jaw, rage seeping through each exhale as her twitching-eye death glare slowly pivoted to me. "Prove it..." "Easy." I concluded, a victorious grin on my face as I tapped my own watch. "Do you have the time?" !!! ...... !!!!!!!! "I... I..." She quietly choked, her hands balling into fists and her eyes watering. She looked down at her watch in horror. "11:29..." beep beep. beep beep. beep beep. "Ahhh! NO!" beep beep. beep beep. beep beep. "NO! NOO!" She clutched her wrist watch with far greater force than she did before, trying to muffle the unrelenting alarm that only served to signal her undoing. She tried and failed fumbling with the buttons, unable to silence the deafening broadcast of her guilt. The hand crushing her wrist squeezed tighter and tighter, until eventually she let go and slammed the shrieking siren affixed to her wrist against the witness stand, smashing it to pieces and finally ending it's piercing cry. "You couldn't outrun Indigo Zap and you couldn't outrun your crimes..." Anger, regret, and guilt all trying to force their way out of her at once, all she could do was look at me in disbelief. With a slight adjustment of my glasses, I stood and addressed her with a full sweeping point of a single index finger. "Smash that watch all you want, but the one who's really running slow... is you!" I was really proud of that line, I thought of it on the spot. By the way they all took in a final gasp of shock, the entire room seemed impressed, too. Lightning Dust disagreed, but she fainted before she could voice that opinion. The judge was the first to break the awkward silence that followed Lighting Dust being removed from the courtroom after her breakdown. "Well, that certainly went differently than expected. Mr. Blueblood, what is the state of Ms. Lightning Dust?" "Uhm, well..." He was quite shaken by what had unfolded. "She's still unconscious, Your Honor, but is in police custody at the moment..." "Very well... Ms. Moondancer?" The judge seemed to have some level of excitement in her after all that. "Yes, Your Honor?" Even with the pressure of winning the case over, I still felt a lot of nervousness. How do I carry myself after pulling off something like that? "I must say, that was impressive! Never have I seen such a thorough defense that also reveals the true culprit... Why, it's almost unbelievable!" "Uh," There it was again, right in my throat. I couldn't believe it either, honestly. "Thank you, Your Honor...? It was... nothing?" "D-Don't be a show off!" Blueblood saying that? Please.. "It's more of a formality at this point, but I believe I'm ready to hand down my verdict." With her gavel raised, the judge gave a short nod. "After seeing all of the evidence, this court finds Ms. Minuette Chrona..." "NOT GUILTY." I breathed a sigh of relief, and Ms. Tia hummed another wordless smile. "This court is now adjourned!" Case 01-3: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Post-Trial)After investigation, it turned out that Lightning Dust's wrist watch had an arcane radiation signature on it that matched up with what was found at the scene of the crime. Her house was searched, and they found corresponding documents in line with the race times being altered! She had an accomplice that changed her times and was holding on to the documents to keep their silence. Ironic, since the same threat of exposure was what drove her to be caught in the end... [Canterlot City Courthouse] [Defendant Lobby No. 2] [July 16th, 11:44] I was greeted by a big hug from Minuette as soon as she got back to the defendant lobby. "Oh, thank you, Lumi..." She said, though, not as excitedly as I expected she would. "It's no problem, really. Thanks for trusting me to help you," I replied, taken a bit off guard with how quickly she pulled away. Something seemed a bit off with her. "Are you okay?" "Yeah! It's..." She looked to the side, and her hands went back behind her back as she rolled on her heels. "It's just... Indie isn't coming back, and... well... This wasn't the first time she got upset with me. I really wish she was still here, so I could apologize for being in her way so much." I winced a little. Seeing what we'd learned about her over the past few days, Indigo seemed to be a drastically different person than Minuette thought. "Minuette, this wasn't your fault." I said. "I know, but... She didn't deserve to die..." Minuette said. "Especially after Lightning Dust cheated her!" I didn't want to straight out say it, especially considering that she'd just been murdered, but... "It doesn't sound like Indigo was treating you like a friend, Minuette. She was trying to make you do something you clearly didn't want to." "Oh..." Minuette's head fell. "You're right. B-But she's the last friend I've got, Lumi- and n-now that she's gone I don't got anyone!" From the couch in the lobby, I heard Ms. Tia speaking up with a knowing soft smile on her face. She'd been mostly quiet since we got back, aside from congratulations she seemed to be contemplating something, but now she had something to say. "I think you still have at least one person, Ms. Chrona. Someone that's believed in you as a friend all along." "Huh?" Minuette's head tilted to her, then to me. I looked to Ms. Tia with some confusion as well. "I think Lumina knows who I'm talking about," she said, giving me a wink. I do? Wait, duh, of course I do! I didn't even have to say anything. I just gave an audible cough and watched Minuette's eyes light up. "Oh! Right! You, Lumi!" "It might be a bit overkill to say it at this point," I began, pulling my shoulders in and giving her the best smile I could. "But at the very least, you've got me." That light in her eyes only grew. She trembled softly, and then she had to blink, after which she lifted the sleeve of her jacket to wipe away a few tears that were now trailing down her face. "Thanks for being my lawyer, Lumi. I really mean it. I don't know where I'd be without you right now, I- I... Just... Thank you." As she finished, I found myself feeling too many things at once to properly respond. I'd just won my first court case, solved a murder, and saved my friend all at once. It was a lot to take in, admittedly, I only hoped that Minuette could tell how glad I was to see her okay. "I gotta get going now." She collected herself rapidly, backing her way to the door before turning to leave. "I-I'll give you a call later, okay?" I only nodded, smiled, and waved. I hoped what I said helped her feel better. "Well now," Ms. Tia finally spoke as we were left alone in the defendant lobby. "Congratulations, Lumina. I knew you'd make an excellent attorney. It feels good, doesn't it?" "It's kinda stressful." I shrugged, letting out a heavy breath. I still felt all wound up. "If I failed Minuette, I don't know... I was really close to failing her." "But you didn't, you came through for her," Ms. Tia said. "You believed in her innocence, and that's what pulled you through to the truth. We don't always know if our clients are guilty or not, but it's our job to believe in them, regardless. You did good. More than you were supposed to." I nodded. I didn't really know what to say. "It's over now, you can relax." Ms. Tia put a hand on my shoulder, tilting her head in concern. "How about we go get lunch? I know a nice little cafe here in the downtown area, maybe we can take some time to catch up before we have to get back to business?" Yeah, lunch. I hadn't eaten today, that probably was contributing to my lack of mood. "I think I'd like that. Let's get out of here." As we left the defendant's lobby, I still had Minuette on my mind. Ms. Tia probably didn't know how important she was to me. It’d make for something to talk about on our way out. "Have I told you about Minnie, ma'am? Me and her go way back. She's part of the reason I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place..." Author's Note I’ve elected to keep this first case simple both as a test of what I can do with this story and to give any readers a taste of the kind of story I want to tell here. There may be gaps in the chapter releases, but I plan to keep them episodic in nature, so I’ll post an entire case to it’s conclusion all at once. It’s all still in the experimental phases, mystery/drama is a new genre for me, so excuse and adjustments I have to make as time goes on. I hope you’ve enjoyed this idea and it’s execution so far! The Classroom Trial (Intermission)[Canterlot City] [Rosemary Way Cafe] [July 16th] "So you and Minuette have known each other since grade school?" "Yeah, we grew up in Crystal City, actually. Graduated high school there, too." "That's right, I remember. Why move here to Canterlot, then?" "Well, that's another story..." Ms. Tia and I sat in booth seats up against the cafe's side window. I'd never been here before, but the place had a nice, quiet atmosphere, and the waitress seemed to recognize Ms. Tia as she took our orders. Strange, since the waitress seemed so much younger than her... “You know her?” "She was a student at Canterlot High," Ms. Tia explained as the waitress walked off back to the kitchen. "I was the principal there for a good while." "Really?" I asked, my mind instantly trying to figure out the time frame of her being both a principal and an attorney. "I guess you came back to law just in time to meet me, huh?" "I guess so, we met not even a year after I'd reopened my office." Her office. C&I Law Firm, our current base of operations. Ms. Tia had apparently been quite the esteemed attorney once upon a time, but from what I could tell she'd closed up shop out of nowhere. "About the office, ma'am—I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, why did you shut down in the first place?" Ms. Tia's eyes shifted at the question, letting herself fall quiet for a few long moments. She didn't look uncomfortable, but the way she leaned forward over the table and straightened her lips in thought was something I couldn't help but take note of. It seemed like a deeper question than I realised, but before I could take it back she responded. "I told you where I've been this past month, right?" Her eyes came up to meet mine, but they lacked any tension I was expecting. Ms. Tia had an impressive measure of control over herself and her expressions. "Going to see an old friend, right?" I asked. "I wasn't really going to pry, it's your business after all." I got the feeling that her friend, whoever they were, might have had something to do with why she shut her office down. Maybe I was getting a little too personal here. "I-It's okay, don't worry about my question." I quickly backtracked. "I'm just glad you're here again. I hope you and your friend got to get whatever it was that you needed done." "Yes. We did." Ms. Tia became very quiet again, but then smiled. "It's a lot like you and Minuette, I think. Seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time. Helping them out. Speaking of, she'll be okay, right? I know it can't be easy having lost a friend." There was definitely more to this than she wanted to talk about. We could easily talk about something else. "Minuette?" I replied, doing my best to roll with the sudden topic shift. "Yeah, I hope so. I'm going to call her again tonight if she doesn't get back to me before then. I hate to bring it up so soon, but we do need to talk about payment..." "Oh, no need to worry about that." Ms. Tia said with a single, soft laugh. "I spoke with her father this morning when I saw that you had taken the case. We've met on business before. He was more than happy to cover the costs of the work." I was surprised. My mentor knew my best friend's father? "Huh. Small world. How long have you known him?" Now, her eyes darted in the other direction as her tone became dismissive. "Oh, it was quite some time ago. I'd taken a case defending him over a murder accusation. Legal misfortune runs in their family, apparently." "Well, at least we're here to help them out, right?" "Right." As Ms. Tia nodded her agreement, a hesitation washed over her. Her fingers tapped against the table idly, I could tell something was on her mind. "So- er, Moondancer, you mentioned Minuette was part of the reason you wanted to become an attorney?" "Oh, yeah," I got the impression that, whatever it was on her mind, she was trying to suppress it. I supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell her the story as a distraction... "I wasn't very popular in school when I was a kid. There was this party I tried to throw once, I invited my whole class but only a few others showed up, Minnie was one of them actually but- I, well-" I stopped myself there. I didn't need to be stammering like this. That awkward party wasn't something I wanted to get into, nor was it really relevant to what I was trying to say. Ms. Tia, patiently following along, just waited for me to continue. "There was this one girl there that wore these fancy silver bracelets, she lost one at the party. The next day at school, I found myself the defendant in a little mock trial, because I was accused of stealing it." Retelling the story brought some of the shock and bewilderment I felt in the moment. I let out a breath to vent some of the emotion so I could continue. "Someone convinced my entire class it was me, even the teacher. I didn't, of course, but because everyone knew I threw that party, and everyone was just looking for an excuse to make the antisocial girl into the bad guy the one time she tries to make friends..." A look of concern spread over Ms. Tia's face. "They wanted to believe it was you, but that didn't make it true, did it?" I nodded. "Minuette was the first person to speak for my innocence that day. I thought I was going to have to apologize and make up for something I didn't do, but at the last minute, here comes Minnie telling the entire classroom off, and then..." Minuette pointed a finger at the rest of our classmates. "Hey, I was at that party, Lumi didn't steal nothin'! This trial is a sham!" The teacher looked mad at me, but in the way where she was trying to not look mad. I was trying to not to cry on my end. "I... I wouldn't steal from my friend... She's my friend, she came to my party!" Then, another voice came from the doorway. It was her. "OBJECTION!" "Oh, Ms. Sunny, you're here..." The teacher hadn't noticed her standing in the doorway. I hadn't either, I assumed she'd seen enough. "Do you have something to say about this?" "Uh, yeah. You can't just accuse someone of stealing without evidence. You want a trial? Trials have rules, and rule number one is that evidence is everything." She stood by my seat, and she was the one pointing to the rest of the class. She'd know all this stuff, her father was a lawyer too. "You're... defending her?" The teacher seemed taken off guard. "But it was your bracelet that was stolen, and it was-" "Of course I am." She scoffed at them. "What do you think you're doing? You're just gathering around one of your own classmates and picking on her? Seriously?" Amidst the slowly calming and clearly called out class, one other kid raised her voice in resistance. "Yeah. Because someone stole your bracelet, Sunny." "I said I lost it." "Look at her, do you really think she'd invite you to a party just to be your friend? Seems fishy to me." When Sunny looked at me, I just tried to look away, I think I was convinced I'd stolen it at the time. "Maybe if you went to her party, Sugarcoat, you'd know better." "Hmph. If you're trying to be like your father, it's not working." "Girls!" The teacher interjected. "Arguing is not getting us anywhere. Sunny, if you claim you just lost it, maybe we have been too hard on Lumina." "I still think she stole it, and the rest of the class looks like they agree." "Well then, I request permission to go and look for it at recess. The party was at the park across from the school's yard." "You can do that, Sunny," The teacher said. "As long you're back by the second bell..." "There was another girl that felt bad about not showing to my party. She went with Sunny, the two of them found her bracelet, and everything turned out okay in the end, all because one person stood up for me. They were some of my first friends ever, and they're mostly the reason I'm an attorney now." "That's quite the story." Ms. Tia seemed glad that the story had a happy ending. "How long ago was it, what grade were you in?" "Oh, I think it was fifth or sixth, we were really young." I said. "I can't believe they'd put you on a mock trial for something that simple." "Eh, well," I thought about how contrived it all was. Really did seem silly looking back on it, but that didn’t make it any less meaningful in the end. "That mean girl had it out for me, the whole thing was her idea. Despite how blunt she was, she was really, really convincing." "Seems like you've got a good friend in Minuette, at least. I see why you stayed up all night working on her case." I smiled. "She gets into trouble sometimes, but she really is a good person." "Indeed. Whatever happened to the other girl, Sunny? Your 'defense' for that class trial?" "Well, first year of highschool she was pulled to another school, I think, and then she started her career as an attorney after that." I said, a hint of guilt on my tone. "I fell out of touch with her. I fell out of touch with all of them." Ms. Tia seemed fixed on that, as if she recognized something in the details. "You said her father was a lawyer too? What was his name?" "I uh, I'm not sure. I don't think I ever met him properly." I tried to lighten the mood with a bit of humor. "What, you don't think you know another of my friends' parents, do you?" "Perhaps not, maybe it's just a coincidence," she said. "It's not important, anyway. After seeing you today, I think you've got a bright career ahead of you." "Everyone keeps saying that, yeah." Not that I didn't appreciate the praise, but I still felt like I didn't know much about what I was doing just yet. My first trial was amazing, but it was still just my first. "Confidence will come with time, I'm sure." Ms. Tia's supportive smile came back. There it was, she was back in her usual mentor mode again. Whatever she was worried about before wasn't on her mind now. Just in time for the waitress to come back with our orders, too. Author's Note Here’s a short intermission chapter inbetween cases. These will likely be plentiful as this story goes along, just little bits of backstory or interactions between characters while there’s no big case or court session going on. It’ll be similar to how the Different series was to Sun Never Sets, but more focused and relevant to the overarching plot of the story. Anyway, I hope this has been a suitable taste of what this project will feature down the line! Thanks to all of you that have made it this far. Case 01-0: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 0, Investigation)A broken clock, a temporal distortion, and a bloody trophy. A murdered athlete, and the prime suspect? My friend, a time mage. Could Minuette really be a murderer? I wouldn't believe it for a single second. [Canterlot City Detention Center] [Lobby] [June 15th, 8:00am] I took a deep breath, and spoke with all the poise and confidence I could muster. "I'm here to see Minuette Chrona." "The girl brought in yesterday for the murder of Ms. Indigo Zap?" A look of suspicion followed. "Who are you, exactly?" The way that question was asked shook me. Who am I? Did I not look professional enough? My clothes were clean- I'd picked up my dark grey, perfectly tailored two piece suit from the dry cleaners the night before. I had my most professional looking white button-up shirt on beneath that, and I made sure my normally messy hair had been swept back and ponytailed into the most collected and presentable fashion possible. I had a tie that matched hair, the flat red color undercut by its brilliant amaranth, but accenting the brighter purple on my highlights. I'd used this expensive conditioner this morning, hopefully it was glowing brilliantly enough. If the top of me didn't look formal, my pitch black dress shoes were polished to a perfect shine, and my silver analogue wristwatch gave off of the impression that I had somewhere to be. At least, I hoped it did. I wore it because I did have places to be. My nerves were getting the better of me, but I took another deep breath and calmed myself. I was taking this the wrong way. The only reason this receptionist asked who I am is because they have to, it's their job. There's a murder case going on! They can't just let anyone waltz in here demanding to see the suspect. But I did have business here! I could easily prove that. Finding my fingers nervously adjusting the frame of my squared glasses, I reached to the collar of my suit jacket where a small piece of metal was securely pinned. My badge, the signifier of who I was. Carefully plucking it off, I held it forward, feeling a wave of both excitement and anxiety try to push its way through my throat as I identified myself. "Lumina Moondancer, attorney-at-law." The receptionist looked surprised for a moment, and my mind immediately began to race. Was I about to be told off? This was the first time I'd ever had to present my badge like that on my own, I only had my badge for a little under a month, but I'd decided: I was going to defend her in court and prove her innocence. I'd heard about it the day before, about my friend Minuette being the only suspect at the scene of a murder, and how the victim was another of our friends from high school. I had no doubt she'd let me defend her, but I needed to talk to her first. That's why I was here first thing in the morning on the day before her trial. I know her, and I know she'd never do something like that. When the receptionist responded, I felt a splash of relief hit me. "Very well. I'll have them bring her to the visiting room." [Canterlot City Detention Center] [Visitor Room] [June 15th, 8:07] From my side of the visiting room glass, I saw a face change from utter despair to astounded hopefulness. Minuette Chrona used to be one of my closest friends, she was bubbly and talkative and friendly and not at all intimidated by my lack of such things. It had been some time since we last saw each other, so I was worried maybe she'd forgotten about me, or didn't like me anymore, but seeing her reaction to me banished any doubt about that. "Moondancer?! Lumina Moondancer?! Is that you?" I instinctively shrunk back a little as she immediately pressed her face up against the glass, deep cobalt eyes widened in amazement and peeking at me from between her mess of blue and white hair. This wasn't unusual for her, Minnuette was always animated, but I dont think I'd ever had someone this excited to see me in my life. "Lumi! Oh, Lumi, you have no idea how good it is to see you again!" Any dread she was feeling before seemed to have left. "It feels like forever since we graduated and you went off to law school! Speaking of, you're all dressed up fancy now, which I'm guessing means you're here because of..." Her tone slowed, her mood seemed to be evening out. She was back to looking concerned. Her face pulled away from the glass and she leaned back, properly taking a seat in her chair and playing with the sleeves of her long sleeved blue jacket. I took her trailing off as a sign to interject. "Yes, Minuette. I'm here because of the murder last night-" "Oh, I didn't do it Lumi!" Her reaction was sudden again, pressing herself right back against the glass as she pleaded with me. I nearly jumped back a second time. "I swear I didn't do it! Everyone has been pointing fingers but it wasn't me, I just found Indie's body! Please don't be mad at me! She was our friend and someone... k-killed her..." The victim in question was Indigo Zap, one of our former highschool classmates. I wasn't as close with her, but Minuette gave everyone she could as much attention as they'd let her, and Indigo loved attention. Naturally, Minuette got along with her much better than I did. My expression flattening, I sighed. Seeing Minuette like this was tough, but I know she was telling the truth. As I collected my thoughts, I did my best to reassure her I wasn't mad. "Minuette, I'm here because I believe you're innocent and I want to defend you in court tomorrow." That seemed to work. She calmed herself down and looked very thoughtful at the proposal. "Lumi, you'd that for me? Oh, I'd be so grateful, I- How much will you run me for it? Name your price, I'll... I'll figure out some way to make it happen!" "We'll sort that out after the case. This honestly isn't about the money for me, I..." I stopped myself there. There were some very deep reasons I chose this profession, but this wasn't the time to get into them. I'd just give her a simple version. "I became an attorney because... I know what it's like to be wrongly accused of something. Like you, right now. You always had my back, now I'm gonna return the favor for once." That being said, I did have bills to pay, and I was working under my mentor's firm, but money was the last thing on my mind. Regardless, what I said seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled, nodding. "Wow, Lumina, that's really nice of you. You sound a lot like Twilight used to, you know?" "Yeah..." Twilight... My expression fell when I heard the name. Twilight Sparkle was a complicated acquaintance that we didn't have time to talk about. She'd left a profound impact on me and my friends during our childhood, she was the reason I even had friends at all as a little girl. She stood up for me when I needed it most. She showed me friendship. But then... She left without a word. This wasn't the time to get hung up on a childhood memory. But truth be told, Twilight and I did have a lot in common. "Maybe her idealism rubbed off on me." "Well, in any case..." Minuette's shoulders fell into a relaxed position, and she smiled warmly. "Thanks. I'm really glad to have someone on my side." "And I'm glad I can be here for you," I nodded. I hadn't ever done this for real before, but I kept my confidence strong. Minuette was innocent, but I had to prove it. "So can you tell me about what happened?" Minuette nodded. "Yeah, I was over at Indie's place late last night, she wanted to talk to me. I don't really remember what it was, but I remember her getting upset with me over... Something." Her expression shifted subtly as she said that. Something? I let her continue. "Something I said, probably. She had a short fuse, y'know?" "You don't remember what it was?" "It was something about the track race events going on here in Canterlot," Minuette's eyes looked down, and she scratched her head. Really seemed like she couldn't remember. "She ran in those, was hot stuff from what I remember, she even got second place in the Spring Regionals... the hundred meter dash, I think. Was showing off her second place trophy when I got there, let me hold it and stuff." "I heard the trophy was the murder weapon?" "Oh right, yeah!" Minuette looked back up, and she hurriedly resumed recounting her story. "Anyway, she gets heated so I decided to step outside for a few minutes, and... Uh..." She trailed off nervously, so I asked another question. "How long were you out there?" "Oh, only five minutes or so. But then, I..." She trailed off again. I let her finish this time. "I heard glass smashing, from her big grandfather clock, so I went back in to see if she's okay and... That's where I found her body, and the trophy next to her, someone hit her with it, knocked her into the clock I guess, and..." She didn't finish the sentence. Just took a sharp breath in and met my eyes with a horrified look. After a few moments, she blinked, then shook her head, like she was trying to get the image out of her mind. The look on her face was haunting. She had seen a dead body, it was understandable that she didn't have the words. "Yeah. I uh..." She hesitantly continued. "That's what... That's what happened." I could tell it wasn't something she wanted to relive, so I didn't push her any more. It was a place to start, at least. "Thank you, Minuette. I really wish we could be seeing each other again under better circumstances..." "Awh, it's okay, even if I do get thrown in the slammer for this I'm glad I got to see you one last time!" I don't know why, but upon imagining her being declared guilty, I spoke the first words that popped into my head with the utmost conviction. "You are not-" I even caught myself saying it, but still went through with it. "Going to jail for this." "Heh, I sure hope not..." I stood up from my chair and smiled the kind of confident smile I knew she needed to see. I had a plan on what I might be able to do, but I'd need more information first. "Thank you for talking to me. Your trial is tomorrow, so I'm gonna spend today trying to see what I can do that might prove your innocence." "So what, you're gonna be a lawyer and a detective?" I nodded. "I'll have to be. Though I bet the police have already cleaned up the crime scene. Might as well check it out, though." "Right!" She was back to smiling brightly again, but this time in a supportive way. "I believe in you, Lumina!" I nodded. "I appreciate it." I really did, more than she could ever know... [Canterlot City Upper Residential District] [Indigo Zap's House] [June 15th, 9:15] I was right. The police had long since set up their yellow tape around Indigo's house and were crawling about the place as they seemed to be wrapping up their investigation. As I approached from the back, I could see into a dining area with a big table, and then into a living room where Indigo's body had been outlined in chalk, and the tall grandfather clock that had been knocked over. The clock, obviously broken, read 9:40. Probably the time it was broken. Mounted up against the wall facing the window was a shelf, I figured that's where Indigo's trophy must've been placed as several others were there too. Going around the front of the house, I could see the same area through a window closer to the front door, but couldn't see the living room due to the entryway's wall. I only took notice because two of the investigating officers in the kitchen saw me through one window, then again through the other, which prompted her to approach me. "Hold it right there, this is a crime scene, kid!" Kid? She couldn't possibly be much older than me! The officer approaching me wore a navy blue uniform with an odd patch on her shoulder, not one of the CPD, but of a pair of what looked like angel wings? She wore sunglasses and had a soft blue and pink hair, slicked back so that the colors swirled together. "Who are you? What's your business here?" Her voice was immediately hostile, and the expectant foot tapping had me at a loss for words. "I-" I began, unsure of how to respond. "Yeah? Spit it out!" I was locking up, my nerves were trying to get the best of me again! Not this time! As my routine went, I took a deep breath, adjusted my glasses, then made a motion to my badge as I gave my response. "Lumina Moondancer, the defense attorney for the suspect of this case. I came over to familiarize myself with the scene of the crime." A good response, I thought. Reasonable, but the officer dashed my confidence with a scoff. "Pfft. Save it, kid. You're a lawyer, not a private eye. You'll receive and review our findings in paper form when we're done." I wanted to reply, to tell her that it's just more thorough that way, but I could only manage a weak sputter. "Listen, pal—I'm the detective and you're the lawyer, you stay out of my way here, and I stay out of yours in the courtroom." I was taking a lot of it personally, but by the way this detective was talking she seemed to already be in a bad mood before I showed up. "Besides, I don't need any more non-specialists on a scene where an arcane crime took place." Wait, a what? "An arcane crime?" I asked. The detective rolled her eyes. "Your defendant used a timeslow spell during the murder. That's the whole reason I'm here leading the investigation and not some overzealous halfwit in a trench coat!" Minuette? A timeslow spell? Why didn't she tell me that earlier? I honestly didn't know how to parse the sentence I'd just heard. "And who are you to tell me this?" "Seraph Agent Sweetie Drops, supernatural investigator. If you don't know what that means, I'm a specialist." I knew what she meant. "SRAPH." Short for "Supernatural Response and Protection of Humanity." I knew that name, and their insignia was indeed the gold and white angel wings. They're a federal agency that investigates and contains matters pertaining to monsters, magic, and anything else that might be too much for an ordinary responder to resolve. Usually they're smart guys in sunglasses and black suits, but sometimes they're just glorified cops, like this Agent Sweetie Drops. Surprised as I was to see a SRAPH agent, I was more surprised at what she just told me. "Minuette used a time spell the night the murder took place?" Obviously Minuette had been keeping that bit from me, but it didn't make it any less of a shock. She's one of the last people I expected to be able to use magic. Although, with another second of thought, it did make sense why she'd hide something like that. "Yeah, that's what I said," Agent Sweetie Drops nodded, still looking annoyed, but I think she made the connection when she saw my face. Strangely, her hostility seemed to disappear. "You need to have a chat with your client, it seems." "Yeah," I nodded. "I think so." "You're still new to this lawyer thing, aren't you?" Sweetie Drops asked. "Lemme guess, first case?" I froze. How could she know that? Again, I was too stunned to speak, and she correctly read that as confirmation. "Even if that girl didn't do this, and I don't know how that could be possible based on what I'm looking at, you're not going to last against the prosecutor you're up against." "And who might that be?" "Princeton Blueblood, a prosecutor that's had a three year hot streak, scoring guilty verdicts left and right without losing a single case. The guy's a pro, and will absolutely toss a rookie like you." "Gee, it's not a contest..." I found myself nervously playing with my glasses again. "It is to him. He'll be hell bent on proving your client is guilty, and based on everything I've seen, he's got a clean case for it." "Mmhhrg," I grumbled, sighing. "Of course." This agent was right. I was no detective, so I just turned to leave. I needed to have another talk with Minuette anyway. "I need to speak with Minuette Chrona again." "You again? There's a limit on how many times one person can visit in a day, Ms. Lawyer—especially on the weekends. She isn't the only person being held here and I don't think you're the only person who wants to see someone in there." "Please, it's urgent, and I'll make it quick." "Fine, I'll give you 10 minutes. That's until 10:15, then you'll have to come back tomorrow." Tomorrow would be too late. [Canterlot City Detention Center] [Visitor Room] [June 15th, 10:05] Minuette looked so happy to see me again, but I knew I wasn't looking the same. For the record, I wasn't angry at her, just concerned that she'd leave out such an important detail in her story. That, coupled with the fact that I had a time limit, meant that I had to get straight to the point. I hoped I wouldn't sound too harsh. "Alright Minuette, you need to come clean with me. Why didn't you tell me you used magic on the night of the murder?" "Wha-!!!" She jumped back almost as far as I did when she excitedly greeted me earlier. I think I did come off as harsh, but I needed the truth if I was going to defend her. "How did-" "I spoke with a detective at the crime scene. She's specially trained to deal with supernatural matters, and informed me that you used a timeslow spell during the incident." My expression didn't change. I didn't want to be the bad guy, but I needed to be as matter-of-fact with her as possible right now. "I, uh... It wasn't relevant to the incident, I promise..." "I didn't even know you were capable of magic, Minnie." At that, she flashed a guilty smile. "Well, yeah, I'm from a family of time mages, we're called Timekeepers." "Oh..." I almost wanted to laugh when I heard that, but I held my face still. Timekeepers. Of course... Her father was a clockmaker, and they have a family owned business that sells timekeeping devices. Clocks, watches, fancy hourglasses, stuff like that. An obvious occupation for a time mage. "I'm not really that good at it, though. I can only slow things down in a small area for a bit. I can't rewind time or anything..." It was a little hard to believe, the only mages I'd heard about were all high society types that had insane amounts of money to spend on learning stuff like that. Magic wasn't completely unheard of, it was just... Never really affected common folk. The only exceptions I could think of were the series of Canterlot High School incidents I'd heard happened almost a decade ago. Pushing the oddness aside, I accepted it. I checked my watch. I had to leave at 10:15, and it was going on the last 15 seconds of 10:11 now. "Look, they're only letting me talk to you until 10:15. I need to know what happened." "I..." Minuette's eyes darted around to the sides nervously again. I checked my watch. 10:12. "Indie was getting upset with me, like, really angry. She started to scare me, so I froze time in a bubble around us and ran off." "Around both of you?" I asked. "The time magic doesn't affect you, then?" She shook her head. "No, time still goes normally for me. But I can't move or affect anything that's affected by the magic." I realised something, and I think my eyes showed it. She couldn't have killed her if that was the case. "This time bubble, when does it go away?" "When I stop focusing on it..." Minuette started to slip into despair again. "Oh, Lumi, I didn't mean for her to get hurt... I was just gonna hold her still and leave so she could cool off." "Did she know about your magic?" "Yeah, I told her about it a while ago." I checked my watch again. 10:12. "I have one more question for you, Minuette," I said. I didn't know if I had enough time to get an answer, or if she even would, but a picture was starting to form in my head. All I needed to do is prove she didn't do it, but right now it seems like she had a clear motive if Indigo was being aggressive with her, if she felt threatened enough to use her magic... "Yeah?" "What were you and Indigo talking about that made her get that upset with you?" Minuette's eyes widened, and she inhaled so subtly I would've missed it had her lips not moved. Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall behind me, it was 10:13. I looked back, and seeing it brought its ticking to the front of my attention. I almost missed the subtle hand movement she made, and the short blue flash behind her eyes. My brow raised. "What was that?" "I... You only have two minutes left, I need more time to explain..." The ticking sounded slower... Was she...? "Are you slowing time around us now?" "No no, just around that clock." Her eyes pointed out the clock again. "Look, Indigo wanted to win the Summer Regionals really badly, and... And... She wanted me to help her cheat." Say what?!? "Because she knew about your time powers." "Yeah, yeah, but..." "But you didn't want to do that, did you?" "No. She kept trying to make me feel bad about it, because we were friends, and she kept saying I owed her... but I couldn't do it." Her head fell into her hands, and her breathing quickened. "When whoever killed her did it," Minuette's voice became very soft, very regretful. She wasn't crying, but she sounded close to it. "Indie wouldn't have been able to fight back, because I had her in that bubble..." "But that doesn't make it your fault-" There was the sound of a door opening behind me, and I heard the clock start to tick normally again. "Ms. Moondancer, your time is up here." A security guard had come in. They were right, my time was up, but I wasn't going to leave Minuette like this. I checked the clock on the wall again. Thanks to Minuette's manipulation, it still read 10:13. "That clock says I have two minutes still." I said. The guard narrowed their eyes, looked at me, and then smirked. "Okay, but wrap it up." Then, they left the room. I breathed a sigh of relief. It worked. "Is that clock still going to work right?" "It'll run slightly slower until they fix it, but after that it should be fine. Digital ones are even worse, they can get really out of sync if you don't reset them. "Well, that's good. No harm done in the long run..." I had to take her word, she knew more about clocks than me. "But like I was saying, it's not your fault if someone else killed Indigo. I know you're innocent, there are some things that don't quite add up here and I think I know how to prove it... And if there were no other witnesses, that's all I have to do." I might've been overstating things, but it was encouraging to hear my own confidence here. I didn't quite know where the inconsistencies were, but I could definitely put together a defense once I saw the police reports. "Yeah. I guess I'll let you go now." She said, a small smile returning to her. It was 10:14, and the second hand was passing the 20 second mark. "Thank you for telling me all that. Trust between attorney and client is essential. You told me you believed in me earlier today, and I want you to know I believe in you too." Her smile widened, and she looked to be hopeful again, just like she was when I arrived. "Awh, thanks. Forget that formal 'attorney and client' stuff, we're friends, we really should trust each other. I'm sorry I held back with you... I just thought me and Indie were friends too." I didn't want to leave on a bad note like that. "Don't worry. We'll find the truth of it all by tomorrow, I promise." She laughed a little. "Heh. You really do sound like Twilight, you know." And with that, I said my goodbyes and left. The clock in the room said 10:15, but my watch said 10:17. On my way out, I acted like I was fidgeting with it. I needed to make sure I wasn't going to be questioned about it, so I asked that same guard a question as I was leaving. "Uh, hey, do you have the time?" "Yeah, it's..." They checked another clock in that room. They waited for the second hand to cross the top mark of the clock before replying. "10:18." "Ah, your clock in there is running slow, I guess. Sorry about that." "No issue, ma'am. Not your fault we don't keep them in line here. I'll let someone know to fix it." With that off of my mind, I thought about what I would do with the rest of my day. I needed to get the police report, but I had the rest of the evening to come up with a defense. And I think I knew where I'd start with that. Author's Note Our story begins. Moondancer in the role of the rookie attorney and a murder case in desperate need of solving.
Case 01-1: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Pre-Trial)[Canterlot City Courthouse] [Defendant Lobby No. 2] [July 16th, 9:30] Deep breath in, then let it out. Deep breath in, let it out... This was it. Thirty minutes before my first real trial. Minuette's trial. I did my best to look collected, pacing back and forth in front of the window of the defendant lobby like I was trying to think. In reality, I was just trying to give myself something better to do than anxiously quiver. Minuette sat on a short sofa up by the wall across from me, looking about as nervous as I felt. Surprisingly, she wasn't making any overly energetic expressions, but by the way she fidgeted in her seat I could tell she was no more ready for what might happen then I was. Criminal trials had a maximum limit of three days, and they were fast paced and cutthroat. Apparently things had been different at the start of the century, but as magic and supernatural events became more commonplace, crime revolving around them did as well. Law inevitably adapted, bringing the legal system to become much more decisive. I thought it was really messed up, but that's how history tends to be a lot of the time. The role of a defense attorney was still clear though: Fight to prove my client's innocence. I just might've had more of a time window to work with had I been born a hundred years ago... I stayed up all of last night looking over the relevant reports and data regarding the facts of the case, and there was really only one point I had to argue, that Minuette was incapable of interacting with things affected by her magic. Everything else that was there easily supported an arguement of her having committed the murder. The most troubling bit of evidence was a note that the police found, a blackmail note clearly directed toward Minuette, accusing her of altering the times of a recent race? There were a few other documents recovered that seemed to back up that theory, suggesting that Indigo should've won, but as evident by her second place trophy, she didn't. Given the circumstances, it could be argued that she had a perfectly clear reason to want Indigo dead. I feel like those papers held the key to all of this. But if Minuette didn't alter the times, then who did? I stopped my pacing and turned towards Minuette. "You're gonna hold together for this, right?" After a moment of bringing her nervous shaking together, she flashed a calm, steady smile. "Yep! We've gone over everything already. I'm going to be called to testify and I'll answer questions as truthfully as I can, right?" I nodded. There was one other thing we went over. "Yes, and?" "And..." She thought for a moment, then brought her controlled smile back alongside a shaky thumbs up. "I won't speak out of turn!" I smiled too, if only for a moment. At least she had some measure of control of herself. "Good. Everything is already stacked against us, and it's just going to be me out there defending you. I'm going to be honest, I don't have a clear path to prove your innocence here, but I'll figure something out, I promise." Her smile faded a little, but she nodded her head in agreement still. "Right. I trust you, Lumi." A familiar, gentle voice sounded behind me from the doorway, nearly startling me to the floor. "With that attitude, I think you'll do just fine, Lumina." I knew that voice. I knew exactly who was behind me. A friend, my boss, really, she headed the law firm I was working under. But she was also my mentor, she tutored me through law school and took me under her wing. She had to take an emergency trip out of town this month, I didn't think I'd be seeing her again so soon. "Miss Tia?" I didn't need to turn my head for confirmation, but I couldn't help myself. Minuette looked over too, but wasn't as taken aback as I was. She was just as I remembered; tall, slender, wearing a muted orange suit jacket with a sun print along the chest that was immediately recognizable, as were the soft magenta slacks she wore along with them. Her long, faded pastel pink hair was pulled back today, falling in line with the formality she carried. Because of her trip, she wasn't there to celebrate when I took my licence exam. She got a call from an old friend, one she had some important business with. Called it "chasing a shadow", and although I didn't really understand the metaphor I didn't pry. It was her business, after all. I wrote to her about it though, sent her an overexcited email about how I'd got my badge and could finally claim the desk she'd prepared in our office room. She never got back to me though, I assumed she just didn't have the time at that point... But here she was now. Ms. Tia. "Surprised to see me again?" She smiled warmly, her eyes meeting mine in the familiar way of a teacher proud of their student. By the time the surprise of seeing her again faded, all that remained was a familiar sense of calmness. I didn't respond right away, I didn't quite know what to say. "I'd heard one of my proteges was about to defend her first client, not something I'd want to miss." "Protege?" Minuette tilted her head. "She taught you?" "Taught me everything I know about being an attorney," I nodded, my eyes not leaving Ms. Tia's. I was talking to Minuette, but I still was trying to process seeing my mentor again. "Things you can't learn in a classroom." Ms. Tia laughed softly at that. "Oh, I like to think I was just pushing you in the right direction. You're probably the brightest of my apprentices, and you did all of that learning yourself. I certainly didn't pass your exams for you." My eyes darted away instinctively, and I nervously scratched the back of my head. When she put it that way, it sounded a bit silly. Maybe her importance to me was a bit more overplayed in my head. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't always give myself the most credit..." "This is your client then, I'm guessing?" Ms. Tia looked to Minuette, who's anxiety seemed to be gradually pressing through her controlled, attentive look. "Ms. Chrona, right?" "That's me!" Minuette's bright smile returned for a moment as she gave a little wave. "If you're a friend of Lumi's you can just call me Minuette, though, Miss." "So you're here to wish me luck?" I asked. I might've sounded a bit ungrateful. Maybe I shouldn't have asked it like that. Ms. Tia gave a nod, though she looked like she had something else on her mind too. "Not just that," she explained. "I took the liberty of reading over the files of this case when I got back to the office earlier this morning... You left them on your desk. I wanted to offer to be your co-counsel for this, if you'd let me." My eyes met hers again. Again, I didn't really know what to say. The past day I'd spent stressing on my own, unsure if I was really getting anywhere with this. Any help was appreciated, but help from her meant more than words could say. "You'd do that?" Uncertainty was certainly present in my voice. "You don't think this is something I can handle on my own, do you?" "I think you're more than capable of handling this. I just think it's always good to have someone to rely on, regardless of the situation. This is the real thing, Lumina," She said. "If your client is innocent, this is your only shot to prove it." Giving Minuette another glance showed me a picture of her looking concerned again. It was hard to keep that smile on her face. "She is, I know she is," I gave her a nod. "There's no way she's guilty of murder." "I believe you," Ms. Tia said. "And I believe you can make the judge believe you too." "That's what it's all coming down to..." I closed my eyes for a moment, took a breath in, then let it out. The trial would be starting soon, we needed to get to the courtroom. "I'd gladly have you as my co-counsel, ma'am." Ms. Tia gave another soft laugh. "You don't have to call me that anymore. You never even had to call me that in the first place..." "Huh?" It took me a moment to register what she was talking about. Ma'am. "Oh... Sorry, ma'am..." !!! I guess I treated Ms. Tia with more formality than I realised. I have a lot of admiration and respect for her... "I suppose a little respect doesn't hurt anyone," She said. "Don't worry about it, then." Too late for that. She'd already brought it to my attention. There were other things I needed to be focusing on though... I checked my watch. Fifteen minutes until the trial began. "We should probably get down to the courtroom, then." The courtroom had a simple yet decorated layout. The focal point of the room was the judge's elevated bench, sitting before a depiction of a golden set of scales on the wall behind it. Sitting here, the judge could see over the entire room, and she would be able to direct the trial from an appropriate position. She sat ready, bifocal glasses high on her face and her greying hair neatly styled to the side. In typical judicial fashion she wore a plain black gown, and had no particular expression on her face. This seemed to just be another trial for her. I got to look up to her from her left side, where a table for the defense sat ready. Here, I had all the papers on the case organized and ready to go through as needed. Across the floor from me and to the judge's right was a similar table for the prosecution. Between us, off to the side and facing the judge, was a stand for any witnesses called, and closer to my side was the defendant's seat. Beyond that, wrapping the edges of the room, was the gallery, for any non-involved spectators. There were seats on the floor level as well as balcony seating, and they seemed halfway full today. It was intimidating, for starters. A bunch of people watching while my best friend's future was on the line? I'd done plenty of practice trials, but... nothing really could've prepared me for this. As I took my place at the defense's table, I looked over to Ms. Tia. She was right there with me, looking at the same scene I was. But she'd done this before, she could easily keep her cool. "Hey, just relax." She told me. She could see I was starting to unravel. "You've got this, and if that's not enough, I'm here in your corner." Minuette was patiently waiting in the defendant's seat as well, but something else was missing here. The trial started at ten o'clock, where was the prosecutor? He needed to be present for us to get anywhere. As my mind shifted to him, I pondered what he might be like. All I had heard of him was his name and his record. Princeton Blueblood, with a three year streak of guilty verdicts. What was this guy even like? What kind of person did it take to have a perfect record like that? After tossing those thoughts around for a few minutes more, the courtroom doors finally opened, and I realised that the universe always immediately answered your questions when the answers were unpleasant. I don't know how to accurately describe my first glimpse of Blueblood. To put it underwhelmingly simply, he seemed to just... glow, but in a really irritating way. He had positively shiny blonde hair, perfectly combed and styled. Too perfectly. The white suit he wore was almost obnoxiously eye-catching, with it's gold trim contrasting his black undershirt and blue bow tie, and then his rose- that rose running through the lapel of his jacket made for a look that screamed "I'm better than you". Who was this guy? He carried himself with his chin towards the sky like he was royalty, I wasn't even sure if he could see where he was walking. And his expression was just so... dismissive. He'd just got here and he already looked like he had somewhere better to be, and by the time he got to the prosecutor's desk he looked thoroughly done with everyone in the room. When his eyes finally did take in their surroundings, they did so through an aloof gaze, his face not showing anything in particular but still managing to radiate disdain. Needless to say, his arrival did not help my nerves. His eyes seemed to widen for a moment as he looked across to us, the defense, then they narrowed dangerously. He certainly wasn't looking at me... My eyes glanced over to Ms. Tia, and seeing her eyes locked in the same narrowed gaze confirmed my thought. "Do you know him?" I asked, quietly. "Unfortunately," she replied. "Disregard that though, you're the one leading the defense. He should be worried about you, not me." "Right..." "Mr. Blueblood," the judge addressed him as the prosecutor prepared papers at his table. "A pleasure to have you with us. You're right on schedule, as it's about time to get things underway." "Indeed." Yep. One word was all it took, but his tone of voice was exactly what I thought it'd be. Haughty. Condescending. Had a higher pitch than I was expecting, though. This was it. The trial was about to begin. Author's Note The style and rules of this world are solely based on the Ace Attorney series, so they won’t be congruent with real life legal systems. Anyone familiar with Ace Attorney would recognize this, but for those not, here’s your disclaimer. It’s more fun that way, really.
Case 01-2: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Trial)Author's Note Foreword: The court trial chapters of this story will have different formatting from the others, with text alignment based on the speaker’s position in the room, testimony text highlighted in green, and objections presented in giant text. This is experimental and hopefully works to enhance the reading experience. Case 01-2: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Trial) [Canterlot City Courthouse] [Courtroom No. 3] [July 16th, 10:00] The judge's gavel struck, her swift motion calling all to silence and attention. "Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Minuette Chrona." From her right, Princeton Blueblood stood attentively. His finger idly played with the rose protruding from his suit as he stared across the room at us. He spoke with perfect confidence. "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." I, on her left, ended up nervously gulping. "The... er..." Focus, Moondancer. You've got this. "The defense is also ready, Your Honor." The judge took note of my stumble. "Ms. Moondancer?" "Yes?" Wait. That's the judge! Respect, show respect! "I- Yes, Your Honor?" "You seem quite nervous. I understand this is your first trial?" I nodded. "It is, Your Honor. And I am." "You understand that your actions will play a part in determining your client's fate today. For her sake, I hope you can keep yourself composed." Great, now the judge was worrying about me... "Thank you. I'll do my best, Your Honor..." "Very well..." The judge's attention switched over to Blueblood. "Would the prosecution begin with an opening statement, then?" "Of course." Blueblood cleared his throat. "On the night of July the fourteenth, Ms. Indigo Zap was found dead in her home, and Ms. Minuette Chrona—the defendant—was found at the scene of the crime near her body." He then gestured to his side, where a uniformed officer took the court's center stage. It was the same agent I met the day before. "SRAPH Agent Sweetie Drops, the leading detective on this case, will give further detail of the findings from the police department's investigation." The agent nodded. "Yes, sir." "The autopsy report states that the time of death was 9:45 PM," she began. "She suffered blunt force trauma to the head followed by lacerations from the glass of the clock. The victim died almost instantly." In a large, sealed bag, Sweetie Drops produced the murder weapon and placed it on the table, a hefty, silvery cup mounted to a base with a plaque screwed onto it. She gestured to it, presenting it as evidence to the court. "The weapon used was the victim's own second place trophy from the previous Spring Regional Track and Field event." "The victim was an athlete, yes?" "Correct, Your Honor," Blueblood interjected, "And a promising one at that. She planned to compete in the Summer Regionals next month... Oh, what a shame it is we won't be seeing that.." His tone shifted slightly as he feigned his disappointment, and then slipped right back into his detached demeanor. This guy. Agent Sweetie Drops continued her report. "Radiological examinations showed the victim was under the effects of a timeslow spell before being struck. Details of the spell in question are included in the police records." Details of the spell, huh? I wonder... I began to thumb through the records idly. "And you're certain it was from this incident?" "Yes, Your Honor," Agent Sweetie Drops nodded. "We radiation-tested the surrounding area in the crime scene to the body and got a match." "That is all, Agent?" Blueblood asked. "That it is, sir." "Then I believe the implications are obvious, Your Honor, clearly the defendant has abused her arcane talent to murder this... poor young woman." Tsk, yeah, don't even try to sound convincing. "Hmm. So it would seem." "And I'd also believe everyone in this room would agree," he added. "We all showed up, after all..." The judge didn't seem to be as perturbed by his behaviour as I was, but she didn't seem to be moved by his attempts at emotional appeal either. "Yes, but that's what were here to sort out, Mr. Blueblood. If that's all you have, the prosecution may call its first witness." "Of course, Your Honor. The prosecution would like to call Ms. Chrona to the stand." I looked down at the desk and spoke quietly under a sigh. "Here we go..." Ms. Tia nudged me. "Pay attention to what she says. You'll be given the chance to respond to the prosecution later." "I just hope Minuette remembers what we talked about before the trial." "I'm sure she'll do fine, she seems like she has a good head on her shoulders." She did, but... "She can get excited, and this prosecutor looks like he's about to push her buttons..." Minuette took her place at the witness stand, looking to Blueblood nervously as he gave his first question. "Let's begin with your name and occupation, for the record." "Minuette Chrona. I make and sell clocks with my father." "Ms. Chrona, you were found kneeling near the victim's body on the night of the murder. Would you mind explaining what you were doing at her house?" "Indigo called me over that night, she wanted to talk to me about something." "The two of you were close friends, yes?" "Yes, absolutely!" "And, do tell, what was that 'something' she wanted to talk to you about?" Minuette looked very uncomfortable to that question. She glanced over to me. As much as I wanted to step in here, I nodded, silently urging her to just tell the truth. She gulped. "Well... She wanted me to help her cheat in the next set of track races she was doing." The judge was the only one who looked surprised to hear that. "Oh my! She would do that?" "You are a time mage, correct? It would certainly be doable for you." Blueblood said, fiddling with his rose a bit more as he spoke. There was a very subtle accusation in his tone... "Such races often come down to the mere hundredths of a second, yes?" From my side of the room, I saw a fire light behind Minuette's eyes. "But I'd never use my magic for something like that!!" She shouted, crossing her arms and giving him a scowl. "I told Indigo to forget it! I ain't cheatin' for nobody!" "But yet, Ms. Chrona, it would seem she had proof against that claim, which leads into my second line of questioning..." Oh no, he was bringing up the blackmail letter... There it was, off of his side of the table came the note in question, preserved in a laminated film as he walked out from behind his table and waved it in Minuette's face. "Care to read this note to the court?" Minuette's eyes widened in surprise, then glared at him again. "You think this was intended for me!?" "We'll let the judge decide on that." In a panic, Minuette's eyes darted to me again, and I returned the panicked gesture. Luckily, Ms. Tia gave me a push in the right direction. "I don't think you want your client reading that..." I agreed. But a nod wouldn't do, I needed to make more distinct gestures to get my point across while I still had her eyes. I tapped the table, I adjusted my tie, then I tapped my glasses. DO. NOT. READ. Minuette's eyes changed, like she suddenly understood. "Okay. I'll read this as clearly as possible." !?!? I resisted the urge to facepalm. "Hmm," Ms. Tia commented. "Seems you need to work on your non-verbal communication skills..." Minuette, however, was already clearing her throat. "I know what you did, altering the time like that would get you in a lot of trouble if anyone found out." "I've got hard paper proof, too. But nobody has to find out, so long as I don't catch you doing it again." "So keep your little victory, we both know how you really got it..." "And the signature?" Minuette's tone dropped. "I Z" Blueblood turned away from the witness stand and held up the note, passing it to the judge for further examination. Looking over them, she gave her initial conclusion. "So the victim was blackmailing the defendant..." "Obviously. A clear murder motive." As he turned back to his table, I caught him rolling his eyes. "In addition to that note, the police found several documents confirming an alteration of several times of the last set of races..." He passed a beige folder of documents from his table to the judge for her to look over. More evidence. "Hey!!!" Minuette called out. "Nothing in that note addresses me! And that folder of papers were on the table when I showed up, but that note wasn't even there!" "A predictable reply, but we've arrived at my last question, Ms. Chrona..." Blueblood said, sounding prideful in the way he was making Minuette squirm like this. "If, as you claim, you weren't the one who killed her... Then would you explain to the court where you were?" "I..." Minuette looked down again, and then over to me. The look she gave me was almost... shameful? I took another deep breath. I think I knew what she was worried about. Still, I gave her a nod to tell the truth. Hopefully she knew that lying on the stand would only create more problems. "I..." She closed her eyes for a long moment. "I had to step outside. She was getting upset with me, so I put her in a time bubble and left the room." The judge looked intrigued, but also slightly lost. "A time bubble..." She repeated. "Could you better define that for us?" "Uh, yes ma'am, I- uh..." I took this time to interject. "If I may: Ms. Chrona is referring to the area that her temporal distortion affects. Her magic causes time to move at a fraction it normally does in a spherical area. A bubble, if you will." The judge nodded. "I see. So you admit to casting this spell on the victim when she got upset with you for refusing to cheat for her?" Minuette nodded. "Well, yeah... She was kinda.. scarin' me." "It would seem that Ms. Zap wasn't as good of a friend to you as you thought..." "Quiet, you!" Minuette snapped. "Me and her were besties, even if she is a bit hotheaded that doesn't mean we weren't tight!" Ugh, Minnie! That's only going to make you look worse... Her outburst set the gallery achatter, which was quickly silenced by three strikes of the judge's gavel. "Order! We will have order in this court!" There was a certain trill to her voice that brought all eyes to her when she raised her voice. "Witness, please continue." "I put her in a bubble and went outside. I was gonna let her go after I'd calmed down, but before long I heard the clock smash..." "And that's when you came back to see what happened?" She nodded. "Yeah. That's about it." Blueblood immediately stepped in before anyone could say anything else. "Your Honor, I'll put it bluntly..." He began, pulling his rose from his shirt and pointing to Minuette with it. "The defendant is lying." Silence washed over the entire courtroom. "WHAT!?!" Minuette usually could keep her cool, but that accusation made her lose it.. "How can you say that?!?" I almost lost my cool as well, but I felt Ms. Tia's hand on my tensing shoulder. "Hey, hang in there." She said. "Don't let him get under your skin too." "Right..." Wait, wasn't there something they were overlooking? There was one particular thing Minuette had told me the day before, and that I in fact found recorded in the police report. So I did the thing every attorney is supposed to do when they notice a fact has been overlooked. "OBJECTION!" "..." "..." The judge addressed me expectantly in my silence. "Ms. Moondancer, do you have some kind of problem with that statement?" "I uh..." I did have a problem, and I wanted to say why, but... I couldn't! It wasn't my fault, I felt my throat start to choke up! All of those eyes on me... "I... I do, Your Honor..." "Well, we're waiting, rookie." Oh, damn my nerves! Why now of all times? The proof was right there! "There's one piece of evidence that proves the defendant couldn't have hurt the victim..." Amidst the documents I was just searching, I pulled out a single page, titled 'SRAPH Arcane Analysis'. "Right here, it reads... 'Due to only partially understood properties of spellcasting, a low-level caster of this timeslow spell cannot impart force on objects affected by the spell itself.'" Putting the page down, I slammed my hand against the table and pointed across to the prosecution. "In other words, if the defendant really did slow time down for the victim, she couldn't have applied any kind of force with that trophy!" Blueblood was taken completely aback. I must've taken him off guard. "Wha-" "Good job, Lumina!" Ms. Tia gave a simple nod and smile. "That's all you have to do right now—point out contradictions." Minuette smiled as well, realizing the contradiction present. "That's right, I can't interact with anything in the bubble!" After reviewing the same pages, the judge looked shocked. "Ah, I see the issue here. Mr. Blueblood, do you have a response to this?" It only took a moment for him to compose himself. "Haha..." He chuckled to himself. "It's a simple explanation, Your Honor... Our rookie seems to be slipping already." Please, what could he say? "Is it not entirely conceivable that the defendant simply ended the spell right before she attacked?" Oh. Right. How did I not consider that? "Please, Ms. Moondancer, how did you not consider that?" Ugh. The judge's eyes shut in understanding, her head lowering for a moment. "Hmm..." "Yes, that is entirely possible," she said. "Unless the defense has any evidence otherwise..." I frowned. "I don't, Your Honor..." I couldn't give up here, though. "But that's purely speculation, it doesn't prove the defendant is lying!" "Of course," The judge looked to Blueblood. "Likewise, the prosecution would have to produce some sort of evidence that contradicts the defendant's claims to prove that." "And indeed I can, Your Honor..." He had another trick up his sleeve... "I'd like to call another witness to the stand, one that saw Ms. Chrona at the scene of the crime!" What!?! Who else was there? There were no other reports of anyone else being at her house at the time... Unless... "Very well, Mr. Blueblood. Who is this witness?" A woman with a remarkably athletic build and a slightly impatient look on her face took the stand as Minuette returned to the defendant's seat. This witness wore a green track jacket with a yellow bolt pattern running down them and had spiky, slicked back golden hair, with even more golden highlights. "Witness, please give your name and occupation for the record." "Lightning Dust," she said, tapping her foot as she looked over the trial's participants unamused. "Professional athlete. Won gold in the Spring Regionals one hundred meter dash this year- This isn't going to take long, is it?" "Not at all, all we need is for you to recount what you saw the night of the murder." "Look, I don't want to be here all day..." Lightning Dust lifted her arm, showing off the blue glowing numbers on her digital wristwatch. "I have a workout alarm on my watch set for 11:30—that's about forty minutes from now—and if I'm not out of here by then..." "Oh, it shouldn't take that long at all." The judge gave support to this notion. "Very well, witness. Forty minutes is more than enough time to give a testimony. If we take longer than that, you may leave." Before she began, I started skimming over everything I could remember from Minuette's testimony. If there was any time it was relevant, it was about to be now. [Witness Testimony] [Lighting Dust] [---The Murder---] "So I was headed over to Indigo's house that night. I'd been a poor sport about my win over her and was feeling bad about it- I wanted to apologize." "I got there around 9:40, but someone else was already there. That kid there with the blue jacket. They were arguing about something." "I saw Indigo get all tense, and I thought I'd go in to calm things down. The door was unlocked, but when I went inside, that's when I saw it, she was dead, and the kid I saw through the window just a second before was gone." "I couldn't believe what I'd just seen, so I got out of there and called the police as soon as I could." "That's what happened." She concluded. There was Blueblood's smug smile again. "A rather clear testimony, no?" I was still in a bit of disbelief that the detail of there being a witness escaped my attention. How could I have not noticed that? "There was nothing about a witness in the police report!" "Ha!" Blueblood let out a condescending huff. "To be expected from an attorney of such low calibre. Do you not know the meaning of 'anonymous source'? She didn't want to be identified at first." The report did note that whoever called the police remained anonymous... But why would she step up now? The judge turned her gaze to me expectantly. "Now, Ms. Moondancer, you may proceed with your cross-examination." Ms. Tia again gave me encouragement. "Now's your chance to press her, Lumina. Review everything she's said, look at your evidence, then find a contradiction in her testimony." "There's a contradiction?" Her eyebrow rose slightly. "There has to be, if your client is really innocent." She was right. I turned to the witness stand, and looked Lightning Dust square in the eye. "Let's take it from the top, then, Ms. Dust." [Cross Examination] [Lightning Dust] [---The Murder---] "So I was headed over to Indigo's house that night. I'd been a poor sport about my win over her and was feeling bad about it- I wanted to apologize." Apologize, huh? "Were the two of you friends?" "I wouldn't say friends, but we've been competing against each other the past year. Had a bit of personal rivalry going on." "Yet you knew where she lived." "She's invited me for lunch a few times. She was a real people person." "Right..." "I got there around 9:40, but someone else was already there. That kid there with the blue jacket. They were arguing about something." "Are you certain of that time?" "Yes, I saw it on the big grandfather clock in Indigo's living room, and confirmed it on my watch." "The one on your wrist there?" She nodded, flashing her wristwatch again. "It's perfectly accurate, I make sure it is." "Sure. And did you hear what they were arguing about?" "OBJECTION!" "What point does this question have, Ms. Moondancer?" "Uh, well..." "Don’t waste this court's time with pointless questions." The judge nodded in agreement with Blueblood. "Is the reason they were arguing important to the case?" Way to put me on the spot... but I had a suspicion I needed to confirm or dispel. "It is, Your Honor." "Very well. Witness? What were the defendant and the victim arguing about?" "Something about cheating at the races. There was a big thing of papers on the table from what I could see. Probably whatever dirt Indigo had on her." That sparked notice from me. "I see. I think that's pretty important." The judge nodded. "Indeed. Please add this to your testimony, witness." Lightning Dust nodded "Of course, Your Honor..." "I don't know what they were arguing about, but I assume it had something to do with the folder on the kitchen table." "Okay," I began, taking the blackmail note from the available evidence. It was on a different kind of paper from the other documents, surely it would've stood out if it were on the table. I presented it to her. "This note, was this note among the papers you saw?" She glanced over it, but after another flash of nervousness she shook her head. "Uh, no, this one wasn't on the table." Minuette said she didn't see it beforehand, but it had to have come from somewhere... "Interesting. Moving on..." "I saw Indigo get all tense, and I thought I'd go in to calm things down. The door was unlocked, but when I went inside, that's when I saw it, she was dead, and the kid I saw through the window just a second before was gone." That. That statement right there, there was something wrong. "HOLD IT!" "You said you saw the defendant through the window, which window?" I asked. "There were two, one by the front door, and one by the back door." "OBJECTION!" "The defense is picking over irrelevant details!" "Hmm." The judge mused. "Do you really think this will lead somewhere, Ms. Moondancer?" I nodded, but tried not to look exasperated doing so. "Yes, Your Honor. These details will give a picture of what she might have or might not have seen!" "So, witness, which window was it?" "It was the window by the front door. Walking there from my house, that's the way facing me. I think the prosecutor had a good question, what does it matter?" "Yes, Ms. Moodancer," The judge added. "Did that question really give you any insight to this case?" "Yes, Your Honor, it did..." She said she saw it through the front window? That didn't add up... "I believe the witness is lying about where she was!" Lightning Dust's face momentarily shifted to shock, but then it settled on resentment. "What? How could you say that?" "That is a bold claim, indeed." the judge concluded. "Hmph! A baseless claim, if you ask me..." From the prosecutor's bench, Blueblood shook his head. "Baseless—Unless you have evidence, Ms. Moondancer? Because that's what we operate on here. Evidence." "I do, in fact..." I looked down at the papers on the table in front of me. I could see diagrams of the house, where the victim and suspect were supposedly standing, but I didn't need those to see the gaping hole in her statement. "If they were in front of the clock, you wouldn't have been able to see either of them. There's a wall separating the front entryway from the living room!" This time, the shock on Lightning Dust's face stuck around. "I- Well-" "That's ridiculous! They were arguing—They easily could've been moving around!" "Oh no, she identified the time as well. You could easily see that clock, since it faces the back window, as well as the kitchen table. The table was right by that window, too, that's why you saw that folder of papers so easily!" "So what if she did see in through the back window? What does that prove?" "It proves there's a contradiction in your witness's testimony, Mr. Blueblood." His right hand had been idly adjusting that rose on his jacket, but by the way it suddenly tightened and bent it out of shape I could tell he’d put two and two together. “!!!” I could hear Ms. Tia smiling with a wordless hum beside me. I was feeling confident. I had this. I just had to keep up the pressure. Blueblood bit his tongue and sneered at me. He knew I was right. "I suppose it does... If the court would allow, could my witness clarify this contradiction?" The judge gave Lightning a suspicious look, but then nodded her head. "By all means, please do..." "Right! Yes! I just forgot about what I did before I went in, that's all..." This time around, Lightning Dust looked a bit more frustrated with herself, rather than annoyed with the rest of us. She fidgeted with the band of her wristwatch as she began. [Witness Testimony] [Lighting Dust] [---Where I Was---] "So I heard something going on when I walked up on Indigo's house. Rather than go in the front right away, I went around to take a peek in the back to see what was up." "That's when I saw the kid in the blue jacket, the time on the clock, the papers, all of that. I could see the time clearly, too. Again, it was 9:40." "When Indigo froze up, the kid went for the trophy, and I took that as a cue to head inside and see if I couldn't calm things down." "But by the time I got in there, there was nothing I could do." "That seems like a reasonable alteration." The judge nodded. "Quite," Blueblood added. You're backpedaling now, aren't you? "Ms. Moondancer, your cross-examination." I nodded. I was starting to put a picture together out of all of this, but I needed to prove the pieces fit together. She lied about where she was, and she was bound to do it again... [Cross Examination] [Lighting Dust] [---Where I Was---] "So I heard something going on when I walked up on Indigo's house. Rather than go in the front right away, I went around to take a peek in the back to see what was up." Something seemed wrong about this statement, but I didn't have the evidence to make any claims. I let it pass. "That's when I saw the kid in the blue jacket, the time on the clock, the papers, all of that. I could see the time clearly, too. Again, it was 9:40." The time checks out... "When Indigo froze up, the kid went for the trophy, and I took that as a cue to head inside and see if I couldn't calm things down." But this? "HOLD IT!" "You saw the defendant take the trophy?" "Yeah, Indigo's silver from the Spring Regionals. The murder weapon." "While the victim was 'frozen up'." "Yeah." She glared. "What of it?" "I think that's impossible." "Wh-what?" Lightning Dust's hand nervously scratched at her wrist. "H-How come?" "It's right here..." I pointed to the layout of the house in the reports, specifically, to how close the victim was to the trophy shelf, where a circle outlined the area affected by Minuette's timeslow spell. "As we've established, the caster of a timeslow spell can't impart force on their target, and both the victim and that trophy shelf were caught in that spell..." The judge's eyes widened as she put together the logic of what I was saying. "Oh!" Again, I slammed both hands onto the desk for emphasis as I addressed the issue directly. "If she was casting the timeslow spell, Minuette couldn't have picked up that trophy!" The entire court was again thrown into a sudden chattering at this revelation! I smiled. That was definitely a powerful point, there was no way she could refute it. "Wait! I-" Lightning Dust's eyes widened, gripping her wrist tighter and cutting herself off. "Order, order!" The judge's gavel again struck loudly against it's post as she demanded the room's silence. "Given the facts of this case, what you say is undeniable, Ms. Moondancer. Does the prosecution have any response to this discovery?" Blueblood had very little to contest with, he was looking just as nervous as Lightning. "I, well, I-" He sounded as desperate as he looked bewildered. "I think... the witness... Yes, the witness can explain this perfectly, right?" "Uh..." Lightning Dust washed away her shocked expression and let her head drop, still tightly clutching her wrist in nervousness. But then, she suddenly came back up perfectly relaxed. "I can, actually, I just remembered something." "Yes?" The judge asked, rather impatiently. She seemed to be as tired of this witness's backpedaling as I was... "Right, so the very end of the trophy shelf was where the kid moved for. That's where the trophy was, after all!" Lightning Dust clarified, wringing her wrists with a look of clear regret on her face. "That must've been outside the reach of the... the spell." Was she starting to sweat? "Hmm..." The judge genuinely thought this over. "Ah, of course!" Blueblood nodded. "She must've known the radius of her spell. This does line up with the layouts we have..." Geez, did it? I looked over the papers again... "Very well then, witness." The judge said. "Add this to your testimony." "So the kid went for the very end of the trophy shelf. That's where Indigo's second place trophy was, and it was clearly outside the reach of her spell." Wait. "HOLD IT!" "Are you saying that the defendant just... ran around the victim?" "Uh, yeah." "Why would she not?" Blueblood asked. "She had all the time in the world..." "The prosecution does have a point." The judge agreed. "If the victim was frozen, it's not like she could stop her..." "And on top of that, the direction the victim was found facing implies she was struck from the direction of the kitchen table, and into the clock." Blueblood said. "Indeed it would seem she had to go behind her to knock her that way!" Did I just- Did I just bury myself? Ugh! "So, you saw that, then went inside..." "But by the time I got in there, there was nothing I could do." I didn't think it would lead anywhere, but there was one more thing I had to check... "You said, 'by the time I got in there'... What time was that, again?" "9:40, haven't you been paying attention?" My eyes widened... I had been paying attention, and I think Ms. Dust just made a fatal slip. The one piece of evidence that had been nagging me this entire trial was that blackmail note. Minuette said it wasn't there before, she said she didn't recognize it. The time discrepancy was one thing, but the motive seemed all wrong. But... "9:40, by whose time?" "By the big clock's time, y'know, the one that got broken?" Her reason for going to Indigo's house seemed fishy too... two rival racers, a time being messed with... but supposedly the one doing the meddling lost the last race? "You arrived there at 9:40?" "Uh, duh." She'd kept insisting on that time for some reason... Oh no, oh no. There was an issue here. Things were starting to line up in ways that I didn't like at all, and it all started with one question. What if that blackmail note wasn't for Minuette? "Are you deaf or something?" What if it instead was for Lightning Dust? Yep. That time window was all wrong. "OBJECTION!" "Your Honor, this statement clearly contradicts the time of death on the autopsy report by five minutes! That's five minutes sooner than it could've happened!" "Wait, what?" Right back into panicked mode Lightning Dust went. "Preposterous!" Blueblood exclaimed, "You're saying she saw the murder before it happened?" "No, I'm saying you saw the murder up close, close enough to see the time clearly on that clock..." I lowered my head, and looked into Lightning Dust's startled eyes and pointed right at her. "Because you were right there when it happened! Minuette didn't kill Indigo Zap, did she? You did!" Everyone in the gallery went wild. Blueblood looked like he was about to seize up. The judge was completely stunned. Even Ms. Tia held a look of reserved surprise on her face. But of course, Lightning Dust's expression hardly changed, she was still speechless. "O-Order in the court!" Another volley of gavel strikes rang out. "Ms. Moondancer, what would cause you to make such an assertion!" "There's no way Minuette could've done it at 9:45, she wouldn't have been there!" I declared, putting my hand down on the desk as I looked up to the judge. "OBJECTION!" "What reason would this witness have for murdering the victim that night?" That was the easy part... "It's simple, really..." I held up the blackmail note. "Think about it! "Keep your little victory, we both know how you really got it?" The judge was the first to speak up. "But what does that mean, Ms. Moondancer?" "Who went home with a gold trophy? A Miss Lightning Dust!" "Ack!" Lightning recoiled, tightly wringing her wrist as her story began to fall apart. I had her. I just needed to keep going... "And those documents prove the times were tampered with by someone... Someone who wanted said gold trophy!" "You're claiming that it was the witness that the letter was intended for?" The judge asked. "Exactly, Your Honor. She didn't go over to make amends, she went to take out a rival that had dirt on her! How else would she know right away what those papers were?" Lightning finally managed a retort, scowling as she gave an angered response. "Oh yeah? Well how did I do it, then? If I got there at 9:40 how did I kill her five minutes before she died?" Good question, but I think I knew the answer... "You didn't!" "What!?" "The victim died at 9:45, just as the autopsy report said..." "OBJECTION!" "Have you lost it, rookie?" Blueblood asked, half-concerned and half-enraged. "You've just contradicted yourself!" "No I haven't. There's a reason that Lightning Dust is so set on thinking she arrived at 9:40, and it's right here!" I pointed back to the house's layout. Again, I ran my finger around the radius of the timeslow spell, and it's proximity to Indigo's body. Then, I pointed to the clock itself. "If the victim was close enough to smash into the clock when struck..." Blueblood let out another desperate gasp. "Wait, you mean-" "Exactly! The clock would've read 9:40 for several minutes, because it was caught in the timeslow spell! Even if Lightning arrived at 9:45!" "Ahh! No! That's not-" "All she had to do then was take that second place trophy and do the job, all while Minuette was outside!" "Oh!" The judge looked like she was coming around to this revelation. "That would explain why she saw 9:40 on the clock face the entire time, yes!" Lightning Dust looked almost completely broken down. She desperately checked her wristwatch, and glanced up at me with scorn. "You forgot one thing!" She called out. "You need proof! You can't prove I had that trophy in my hand that night, you can't prove I hit her—not when I saw that I kid do it!" "She's... she's right." Blueblood finally got a hold of himself again. "Evidence! That's what we operate on here, Ms. Moondancer, not fanciful speculation! Without that this is all just meaningless conjecture!" Ah, I'd just blown through all of the evidence available... What more ammunition did I have? I felt that anxiety start to creep up on me again, I didn't know what to say and I didn't like the feeling. "So, Ms. Moondancer..." The judge jumped on board with the prosecution again. Was this not enough to convince her of anything? "Let's see your evidence, if you have it..." I didn't know if I did. "Yeah!" Lightning Dust growled. She looked down at her watch, and shook her head. "You've got 3 minutes until 11:30, and when that alarm goes off I'm out of here!" "I..." I glanced back to Ms. Tia, and when I did I was greeted by the most serious expression I'd ever seen from her. "You can still do this, Lumina." She said. "But..." I started. "I don't have any more evidence here, I..." "Evidence isn't always something that can be filed or categorized, the truth can't always be touched, but know it can always be shown!" What... what did that mean? Evidence that can't be touched? In my nervousness, I threw my head down on the desk before me, staring at my own analogue watch as the second hand ticked away all hope I had left... 5 seconds until 11:30. I was too late. "Well? What've you got, Ms. Lawyer?" Lightning Dust crossed her arms as she turned away. "Nothing!! You lose!" "Hmph. To be expected..." "If that's all, Ms. Moondancer," said the judge, "We will end this cross examination. If you can't prove that Ms. Lightning Dust directly committed this crime with something here in this court, then your hypothesis cannot hold weight." And there it went. It was now 11:30, and the witness was free to leave... But I had her figured out, and she knew it. She'd be walking away having committed a murder while my friend faced punishment she didn't deserve. "Now, if there are no further objections..." My world seemed to stop when I saw that hand hit 11:30, but it somehow still kept going. There was a wall clock in the courtroom, that clock said 11:30 too. That was that. I'd failed my friend. But something was wrong. Shouldn't Lightning Dust's alarm be going off right now? Shouldn't she be on her way out? Wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute. The judge lifted her gavel, and prepared to render her judgement... "After seeing all of the evidence, this court finds Ms. Minuette Chrona-" This was it. I had her. "O B J E C T I O N !" ?? !! "Lumina..." "Your Honor, there is one last piece of evidence that proves Lightning Dust struck the victim dead last night!" "I..." The judge, again speechless, took a moment to recover. "W-Well, then.. Let's see it!" "No, Your Honor, the cross-examination is over! Hand down your verdict as is!" "I can't, not if Ms. Moondancer really does have evidence! I must know, what is it?!" "What?!" Lightning Dust nearly screamed in retaliation. She was visibly shaking from my accusations, because they were right. "You have nothing left!" "I may not," I said, again taking her by her eyes and dragging her as far as my piercing gaze could manage. "But you do!" "I- I- I... What?" "That fancy digital wristwatch of yours is all the evidence we need!" "H-How?" "Yes, do explain!" The judge's eyes shot open as she leaned forward, she looked like she wanted to hear me out, but was still stuck in a state of disbelief. "You have an important alarm set for 11:30, on a watch that you claim you keep in perfect order!" "Wha- What of it?" Lightning Dust sputtered. "I do keep my watch in perfect order!" I pointed up to the clock hung on the wall before us. "It's 11:30 now... I don't hear anything!" "Ms. Moondancer," the judge asked. "What are you suggesting?" "Your Honor, if she really keeps her watch accurate, there's only one reason it's not going off right now!" "You don't mean-" the judge started. Lightning Dust gasped as the realization hit her. "Her watch is running slow!" I stood fully as I pointed to her, my confidence returning as every single piece of this mystery finally clicked together in my head. It felt incredible, exhilarating, and most importantly, I was saving my friend. I was proving Minuette's innocence. "Running slow, because you were at the scene of the crime last night, striking your rival with her own second-place trophy while she was caught in a timeslow spell—" "Wait, you're saying..." The judge nodded. "You're saying her wristwatch was-" "That's right, her wristwatch was caught in that very same spell!" Lightning Dust suddenly began to tremble, taking the witness stand tightly and grinding her teeth together as she began to vibrate with anger. She was unable to grip the fact that I'd figured her out. "NO! You couldn't possibly think that's true!" Lightning Dust said through a clenched jaw, rage seeping through each exhale as her twitching-eye death glare slowly pivoted to me. "Prove it..." "Easy." I concluded, a victorious grin on my face as I tapped my own watch. "Do you have the time?" !!! ...... !!!!!!!! "I... I..." She quietly choked, her hands balling into fists and her eyes watering. She looked down at her watch in horror. "11:29..." beep beep. beep beep. beep beep. "Ahhh! NO!" beep beep. beep beep. beep beep. "NO! NOO!" She clutched her wrist watch with far greater force than she did before, trying to muffle the unrelenting alarm that only served to signal her undoing. She tried and failed fumbling with the buttons, unable to silence the deafening broadcast of her guilt. The hand crushing her wrist squeezed tighter and tighter, until eventually she let go and slammed the shrieking siren affixed to her wrist against the witness stand, smashing it to pieces and finally ending it's piercing cry. "You couldn't outrun Indigo Zap and you couldn't outrun your crimes..." Anger, regret, and guilt all trying to force their way out of her at once, all she could do was look at me in disbelief. With a slight adjustment of my glasses, I stood and addressed her with a full sweeping point of a single index finger. "Smash that watch all you want, but the one who's really running slow... is you!" I was really proud of that line, I thought of it on the spot. By the way they all took in a final gasp of shock, the entire room seemed impressed, too. Lightning Dust disagreed, but she fainted before she could voice that opinion. The judge was the first to break the awkward silence that followed Lighting Dust being removed from the courtroom after her breakdown. "Well, that certainly went differently than expected. Mr. Blueblood, what is the state of Ms. Lightning Dust?" "Uhm, well..." He was quite shaken by what had unfolded. "She's still unconscious, Your Honor, but is in police custody at the moment..." "Very well... Ms. Moondancer?" The judge seemed to have some level of excitement in her after all that. "Yes, Your Honor?" Even with the pressure of winning the case over, I still felt a lot of nervousness. How do I carry myself after pulling off something like that? "I must say, that was impressive! Never have I seen such a thorough defense that also reveals the true culprit... Why, it's almost unbelievable!" "Uh," There it was again, right in my throat. I couldn't believe it either, honestly. "Thank you, Your Honor...? It was... nothing?" "D-Don't be a show off!" Blueblood saying that? Please.. "It's more of a formality at this point, but I believe I'm ready to hand down my verdict." With her gavel raised, the judge gave a short nod. "After seeing all of the evidence, this court finds Ms. Minuette Chrona..." "NOT GUILTY." I breathed a sigh of relief, and Ms. Tia hummed another wordless smile. "This court is now adjourned!"
Case 01-3: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 1, Post-Trial)After investigation, it turned out that Lightning Dust's wrist watch had an arcane radiation signature on it that matched up with what was found at the scene of the crime. Her house was searched, and they found corresponding documents in line with the race times being altered! She had an accomplice that changed her times and was holding on to the documents to keep their silence. Ironic, since the same threat of exposure was what drove her to be caught in the end... [Canterlot City Courthouse] [Defendant Lobby No. 2] [July 16th, 11:44] I was greeted by a big hug from Minuette as soon as she got back to the defendant lobby. "Oh, thank you, Lumi..." She said, though, not as excitedly as I expected she would. "It's no problem, really. Thanks for trusting me to help you," I replied, taken a bit off guard with how quickly she pulled away. Something seemed a bit off with her. "Are you okay?" "Yeah! It's..." She looked to the side, and her hands went back behind her back as she rolled on her heels. "It's just... Indie isn't coming back, and... well... This wasn't the first time she got upset with me. I really wish she was still here, so I could apologize for being in her way so much." I winced a little. Seeing what we'd learned about her over the past few days, Indigo seemed to be a drastically different person than Minuette thought. "Minuette, this wasn't your fault." I said. "I know, but... She didn't deserve to die..." Minuette said. "Especially after Lightning Dust cheated her!" I didn't want to straight out say it, especially considering that she'd just been murdered, but... "It doesn't sound like Indigo was treating you like a friend, Minuette. She was trying to make you do something you clearly didn't want to." "Oh..." Minuette's head fell. "You're right. B-But she's the last friend I've got, Lumi- and n-now that she's gone I don't got anyone!" From the couch in the lobby, I heard Ms. Tia speaking up with a knowing soft smile on her face. She'd been mostly quiet since we got back, aside from congratulations she seemed to be contemplating something, but now she had something to say. "I think you still have at least one person, Ms. Chrona. Someone that's believed in you as a friend all along." "Huh?" Minuette's head tilted to her, then to me. I looked to Ms. Tia with some confusion as well. "I think Lumina knows who I'm talking about," she said, giving me a wink. I do? Wait, duh, of course I do! I didn't even have to say anything. I just gave an audible cough and watched Minuette's eyes light up. "Oh! Right! You, Lumi!" "It might be a bit overkill to say it at this point," I began, pulling my shoulders in and giving her the best smile I could. "But at the very least, you've got me." That light in her eyes only grew. She trembled softly, and then she had to blink, after which she lifted the sleeve of her jacket to wipe away a few tears that were now trailing down her face. "Thanks for being my lawyer, Lumi. I really mean it. I don't know where I'd be without you right now, I- I... Just... Thank you." As she finished, I found myself feeling too many things at once to properly respond. I'd just won my first court case, solved a murder, and saved my friend all at once. It was a lot to take in, admittedly, I only hoped that Minuette could tell how glad I was to see her okay. "I gotta get going now." She collected herself rapidly, backing her way to the door before turning to leave. "I-I'll give you a call later, okay?" I only nodded, smiled, and waved. I hoped what I said helped her feel better. "Well now," Ms. Tia finally spoke as we were left alone in the defendant lobby. "Congratulations, Lumina. I knew you'd make an excellent attorney. It feels good, doesn't it?" "It's kinda stressful." I shrugged, letting out a heavy breath. I still felt all wound up. "If I failed Minuette, I don't know... I was really close to failing her." "But you didn't, you came through for her," Ms. Tia said. "You believed in her innocence, and that's what pulled you through to the truth. We don't always know if our clients are guilty or not, but it's our job to believe in them, regardless. You did good. More than you were supposed to." I nodded. I didn't really know what to say. "It's over now, you can relax." Ms. Tia put a hand on my shoulder, tilting her head in concern. "How about we go get lunch? I know a nice little cafe here in the downtown area, maybe we can take some time to catch up before we have to get back to business?" Yeah, lunch. I hadn't eaten today, that probably was contributing to my lack of mood. "I think I'd like that. Let's get out of here." As we left the defendant's lobby, I still had Minuette on my mind. Ms. Tia probably didn't know how important she was to me. It’d make for something to talk about on our way out. "Have I told you about Minnie, ma'am? Me and her go way back. She's part of the reason I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place..." Author's Note I’ve elected to keep this first case simple both as a test of what I can do with this story and to give any readers a taste of the kind of story I want to tell here. There may be gaps in the chapter releases, but I plan to keep them episodic in nature, so I’ll post an entire case to it’s conclusion all at once. It’s all still in the experimental phases, mystery/drama is a new genre for me, so excuse and adjustments I have to make as time goes on. I hope you’ve enjoyed this idea and it’s execution so far!
The Classroom Trial (Intermission)[Canterlot City] [Rosemary Way Cafe] [July 16th] "So you and Minuette have known each other since grade school?" "Yeah, we grew up in Crystal City, actually. Graduated high school there, too." "That's right, I remember. Why move here to Canterlot, then?" "Well, that's another story..." Ms. Tia and I sat in booth seats up against the cafe's side window. I'd never been here before, but the place had a nice, quiet atmosphere, and the waitress seemed to recognize Ms. Tia as she took our orders. Strange, since the waitress seemed so much younger than her... “You know her?” "She was a student at Canterlot High," Ms. Tia explained as the waitress walked off back to the kitchen. "I was the principal there for a good while." "Really?" I asked, my mind instantly trying to figure out the time frame of her being both a principal and an attorney. "I guess you came back to law just in time to meet me, huh?" "I guess so, we met not even a year after I'd reopened my office." Her office. C&I Law Firm, our current base of operations. Ms. Tia had apparently been quite the esteemed attorney once upon a time, but from what I could tell she'd closed up shop out of nowhere. "About the office, ma'am—I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, why did you shut down in the first place?" Ms. Tia's eyes shifted at the question, letting herself fall quiet for a few long moments. She didn't look uncomfortable, but the way she leaned forward over the table and straightened her lips in thought was something I couldn't help but take note of. It seemed like a deeper question than I realised, but before I could take it back she responded. "I told you where I've been this past month, right?" Her eyes came up to meet mine, but they lacked any tension I was expecting. Ms. Tia had an impressive measure of control over herself and her expressions. "Going to see an old friend, right?" I asked. "I wasn't really going to pry, it's your business after all." I got the feeling that her friend, whoever they were, might have had something to do with why she shut her office down. Maybe I was getting a little too personal here. "I-It's okay, don't worry about my question." I quickly backtracked. "I'm just glad you're here again. I hope you and your friend got to get whatever it was that you needed done." "Yes. We did." Ms. Tia became very quiet again, but then smiled. "It's a lot like you and Minuette, I think. Seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time. Helping them out. Speaking of, she'll be okay, right? I know it can't be easy having lost a friend." There was definitely more to this than she wanted to talk about. We could easily talk about something else. "Minuette?" I replied, doing my best to roll with the sudden topic shift. "Yeah, I hope so. I'm going to call her again tonight if she doesn't get back to me before then. I hate to bring it up so soon, but we do need to talk about payment..." "Oh, no need to worry about that." Ms. Tia said with a single, soft laugh. "I spoke with her father this morning when I saw that you had taken the case. We've met on business before. He was more than happy to cover the costs of the work." I was surprised. My mentor knew my best friend's father? "Huh. Small world. How long have you known him?" Now, her eyes darted in the other direction as her tone became dismissive. "Oh, it was quite some time ago. I'd taken a case defending him over a murder accusation. Legal misfortune runs in their family, apparently." "Well, at least we're here to help them out, right?" "Right." As Ms. Tia nodded her agreement, a hesitation washed over her. Her fingers tapped against the table idly, I could tell something was on her mind. "So- er, Moondancer, you mentioned Minuette was part of the reason you wanted to become an attorney?" "Oh, yeah," I got the impression that, whatever it was on her mind, she was trying to suppress it. I supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell her the story as a distraction... "I wasn't very popular in school when I was a kid. There was this party I tried to throw once, I invited my whole class but only a few others showed up, Minnie was one of them actually but- I, well-" I stopped myself there. I didn't need to be stammering like this. That awkward party wasn't something I wanted to get into, nor was it really relevant to what I was trying to say. Ms. Tia, patiently following along, just waited for me to continue. "There was this one girl there that wore these fancy silver bracelets, she lost one at the party. The next day at school, I found myself the defendant in a little mock trial, because I was accused of stealing it." Retelling the story brought some of the shock and bewilderment I felt in the moment. I let out a breath to vent some of the emotion so I could continue. "Someone convinced my entire class it was me, even the teacher. I didn't, of course, but because everyone knew I threw that party, and everyone was just looking for an excuse to make the antisocial girl into the bad guy the one time she tries to make friends..." A look of concern spread over Ms. Tia's face. "They wanted to believe it was you, but that didn't make it true, did it?" I nodded. "Minuette was the first person to speak for my innocence that day. I thought I was going to have to apologize and make up for something I didn't do, but at the last minute, here comes Minnie telling the entire classroom off, and then..." Minuette pointed a finger at the rest of our classmates. "Hey, I was at that party, Lumi didn't steal nothin'! This trial is a sham!" The teacher looked mad at me, but in the way where she was trying to not look mad. I was trying to not to cry on my end. "I... I wouldn't steal from my friend... She's my friend, she came to my party!" Then, another voice came from the doorway. It was her. "OBJECTION!" "Oh, Ms. Sunny, you're here..." The teacher hadn't noticed her standing in the doorway. I hadn't either, I assumed she'd seen enough. "Do you have something to say about this?" "Uh, yeah. You can't just accuse someone of stealing without evidence. You want a trial? Trials have rules, and rule number one is that evidence is everything." She stood by my seat, and she was the one pointing to the rest of the class. She'd know all this stuff, her father was a lawyer too. "You're... defending her?" The teacher seemed taken off guard. "But it was your bracelet that was stolen, and it was-" "Of course I am." She scoffed at them. "What do you think you're doing? You're just gathering around one of your own classmates and picking on her? Seriously?" Amidst the slowly calming and clearly called out class, one other kid raised her voice in resistance. "Yeah. Because someone stole your bracelet, Sunny." "I said I lost it." "Look at her, do you really think she'd invite you to a party just to be your friend? Seems fishy to me." When Sunny looked at me, I just tried to look away, I think I was convinced I'd stolen it at the time. "Maybe if you went to her party, Sugarcoat, you'd know better." "Hmph. If you're trying to be like your father, it's not working." "Girls!" The teacher interjected. "Arguing is not getting us anywhere. Sunny, if you claim you just lost it, maybe we have been too hard on Lumina." "I still think she stole it, and the rest of the class looks like they agree." "Well then, I request permission to go and look for it at recess. The party was at the park across from the school's yard." "You can do that, Sunny," The teacher said. "As long you're back by the second bell..." "There was another girl that felt bad about not showing to my party. She went with Sunny, the two of them found her bracelet, and everything turned out okay in the end, all because one person stood up for me. They were some of my first friends ever, and they're mostly the reason I'm an attorney now." "That's quite the story." Ms. Tia seemed glad that the story had a happy ending. "How long ago was it, what grade were you in?" "Oh, I think it was fifth or sixth, we were really young." I said. "I can't believe they'd put you on a mock trial for something that simple." "Eh, well," I thought about how contrived it all was. Really did seem silly looking back on it, but that didn’t make it any less meaningful in the end. "That mean girl had it out for me, the whole thing was her idea. Despite how blunt she was, she was really, really convincing." "Seems like you've got a good friend in Minuette, at least. I see why you stayed up all night working on her case." I smiled. "She gets into trouble sometimes, but she really is a good person." "Indeed. Whatever happened to the other girl, Sunny? Your 'defense' for that class trial?" "Well, first year of highschool she was pulled to another school, I think, and then she started her career as an attorney after that." I said, a hint of guilt on my tone. "I fell out of touch with her. I fell out of touch with all of them." Ms. Tia seemed fixed on that, as if she recognized something in the details. "You said her father was a lawyer too? What was his name?" "I uh, I'm not sure. I don't think I ever met him properly." I tried to lighten the mood with a bit of humor. "What, you don't think you know another of my friends' parents, do you?" "Perhaps not, maybe it's just a coincidence," she said. "It's not important, anyway. After seeing you today, I think you've got a bright career ahead of you." "Everyone keeps saying that, yeah." Not that I didn't appreciate the praise, but I still felt like I didn't know much about what I was doing just yet. My first trial was amazing, but it was still just my first. "Confidence will come with time, I'm sure." Ms. Tia's supportive smile came back. There it was, she was back in her usual mentor mode again. Whatever she was worried about before wasn't on her mind now. Just in time for the waitress to come back with our orders, too. Author's Note Here’s a short intermission chapter inbetween cases. These will likely be plentiful as this story goes along, just little bits of backstory or interactions between characters while there’s no big case or court session going on. It’ll be similar to how the Different series was to Sun Never Sets, but more focused and relevant to the overarching plot of the story. Anyway, I hope this has been a suitable taste of what this project will feature down the line! Thanks to all of you that have made it this far.
Case 01-0: The Last Minute Turnabout (Day 0, Investigation)A broken clock, a temporal distortion, and a bloody trophy. A murdered athlete, and the prime suspect? My friend, a time mage. Could Minuette really be a murderer? I wouldn't believe it for a single second. [Canterlot City Detention Center] [Lobby] [June 15th, 8:00am] I took a deep breath, and spoke with all the poise and confidence I could muster. "I'm here to see Minuette Chrona." "The girl brought in yesterday for the murder of Ms. Indigo Zap?" A look of suspicion followed. "Who are you, exactly?" The way that question was asked shook me. Who am I? Did I not look professional enough? My clothes were clean- I'd picked up my dark grey, perfectly tailored two piece suit from the dry cleaners the night before. I had my most professional looking white button-up shirt on beneath that, and I made sure my normally messy hair had been swept back and ponytailed into the most collected and presentable fashion possible. I had a tie that matched hair, the flat red color undercut by its brilliant amaranth, but accenting the brighter purple on my highlights. I'd used this expensive conditioner this morning, hopefully it was glowing brilliantly enough. If the top of me didn't look formal, my pitch black dress shoes were polished to a perfect shine, and my silver analogue wristwatch gave off of the impression that I had somewhere to be. At least, I hoped it did. I wore it because I did have places to be. My nerves were getting the better of me, but I took another deep breath and calmed myself. I was taking this the wrong way. The only reason this receptionist asked who I am is because they have to, it's their job. There's a murder case going on! They can't just let anyone waltz in here demanding to see the suspect. But I did have business here! I could easily prove that. Finding my fingers nervously adjusting the frame of my squared glasses, I reached to the collar of my suit jacket where a small piece of metal was securely pinned. My badge, the signifier of who I was. Carefully plucking it off, I held it forward, feeling a wave of both excitement and anxiety try to push its way through my throat as I identified myself. "Lumina Moondancer, attorney-at-law." The receptionist looked surprised for a moment, and my mind immediately began to race. Was I about to be told off? This was the first time I'd ever had to present my badge like that on my own, I only had my badge for a little under a month, but I'd decided: I was going to defend her in court and prove her innocence. I'd heard about it the day before, about my friend Minuette being the only suspect at the scene of a murder, and how the victim was another of our friends from high school. I had no doubt she'd let me defend her, but I needed to talk to her first. That's why I was here first thing in the morning on the day before her trial. I know her, and I know she'd never do something like that. When the receptionist responded, I felt a splash of relief hit me. "Very well. I'll have them bring her to the visiting room." [Canterlot City Detention Center] [Visitor Room] [June 15th, 8:07] From my side of the visiting room glass, I saw a face change from utter despair to astounded hopefulness. Minuette Chrona used to be one of my closest friends, she was bubbly and talkative and friendly and not at all intimidated by my lack of such things. It had been some time since we last saw each other, so I was worried maybe she'd forgotten about me, or didn't like me anymore, but seeing her reaction to me banished any doubt about that. "Moondancer?! Lumina Moondancer?! Is that you?" I instinctively shrunk back a little as she immediately pressed her face up against the glass, deep cobalt eyes widened in amazement and peeking at me from between her mess of blue and white hair. This wasn't unusual for her, Minnuette was always animated, but I dont think I'd ever had someone this excited to see me in my life. "Lumi! Oh, Lumi, you have no idea how good it is to see you again!" Any dread she was feeling before seemed to have left. "It feels like forever since we graduated and you went off to law school! Speaking of, you're all dressed up fancy now, which I'm guessing means you're here because of..." Her tone slowed, her mood seemed to be evening out. She was back to looking concerned. Her face pulled away from the glass and she leaned back, properly taking a seat in her chair and playing with the sleeves of her long sleeved blue jacket. I took her trailing off as a sign to interject. "Yes, Minuette. I'm here because of the murder last night-" "Oh, I didn't do it Lumi!" Her reaction was sudden again, pressing herself right back against the glass as she pleaded with me. I nearly jumped back a second time. "I swear I didn't do it! Everyone has been pointing fingers but it wasn't me, I just found Indie's body! Please don't be mad at me! She was our friend and someone... k-killed her..." The victim in question was Indigo Zap, one of our former highschool classmates. I wasn't as close with her, but Minuette gave everyone she could as much attention as they'd let her, and Indigo loved attention. Naturally, Minuette got along with her much better than I did. My expression flattening, I sighed. Seeing Minuette like this was tough, but I know she was telling the truth. As I collected my thoughts, I did my best to reassure her I wasn't mad. "Minuette, I'm here because I believe you're innocent and I want to defend you in court tomorrow." That seemed to work. She calmed herself down and looked very thoughtful at the proposal. "Lumi, you'd that for me? Oh, I'd be so grateful, I- How much will you run me for it? Name your price, I'll... I'll figure out some way to make it happen!" "We'll sort that out after the case. This honestly isn't about the money for me, I..." I stopped myself there. There were some very deep reasons I chose this profession, but this wasn't the time to get into them. I'd just give her a simple version. "I became an attorney because... I know what it's like to be wrongly accused of something. Like you, right now. You always had my back, now I'm gonna return the favor for once." That being said, I did have bills to pay, and I was working under my mentor's firm, but money was the last thing on my mind. Regardless, what I said seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled, nodding. "Wow, Lumina, that's really nice of you. You sound a lot like Twilight used to, you know?" "Yeah..." Twilight... My expression fell when I heard the name. Twilight Sparkle was a complicated acquaintance that we didn't have time to talk about. She'd left a profound impact on me and my friends during our childhood, she was the reason I even had friends at all as a little girl. She stood up for me when I needed it most. She showed me friendship. But then... She left without a word. This wasn't the time to get hung up on a childhood memory. But truth be told, Twilight and I did have a lot in common. "Maybe her idealism rubbed off on me." "Well, in any case..." Minuette's shoulders fell into a relaxed position, and she smiled warmly. "Thanks. I'm really glad to have someone on my side." "And I'm glad I can be here for you," I nodded. I hadn't ever done this for real before, but I kept my confidence strong. Minuette was innocent, but I had to prove it. "So can you tell me about what happened?" Minuette nodded. "Yeah, I was over at Indie's place late last night, she wanted to talk to me. I don't really remember what it was, but I remember her getting upset with me over... Something." Her expression shifted subtly as she said that. Something? I let her continue. "Something I said, probably. She had a short fuse, y'know?" "You don't remember what it was?" "It was something about the track race events going on here in Canterlot," Minuette's eyes looked down, and she scratched her head. Really seemed like she couldn't remember. "She ran in those, was hot stuff from what I remember, she even got second place in the Spring Regionals... the hundred meter dash, I think. Was showing off her second place trophy when I got there, let me hold it and stuff." "I heard the trophy was the murder weapon?" "Oh right, yeah!" Minuette looked back up, and she hurriedly resumed recounting her story. "Anyway, she gets heated so I decided to step outside for a few minutes, and... Uh..." She trailed off nervously, so I asked another question. "How long were you out there?" "Oh, only five minutes or so. But then, I..." She trailed off again. I let her finish this time. "I heard glass smashing, from her big grandfather clock, so I went back in to see if she's okay and... That's where I found her body, and the trophy next to her, someone hit her with it, knocked her into the clock I guess, and..." She didn't finish the sentence. Just took a sharp breath in and met my eyes with a horrified look. After a few moments, she blinked, then shook her head, like she was trying to get the image out of her mind. The look on her face was haunting. She had seen a dead body, it was understandable that she didn't have the words. "Yeah. I uh..." She hesitantly continued. "That's what... That's what happened." I could tell it wasn't something she wanted to relive, so I didn't push her any more. It was a place to start, at least. "Thank you, Minuette. I really wish we could be seeing each other again under better circumstances..." "Awh, it's okay, even if I do get thrown in the slammer for this I'm glad I got to see you one last time!" I don't know why, but upon imagining her being declared guilty, I spoke the first words that popped into my head with the utmost conviction. "You are not-" I even caught myself saying it, but still went through with it. "Going to jail for this." "Heh, I sure hope not..." I stood up from my chair and smiled the kind of confident smile I knew she needed to see. I had a plan on what I might be able to do, but I'd need more information first. "Thank you for talking to me. Your trial is tomorrow, so I'm gonna spend today trying to see what I can do that might prove your innocence." "So what, you're gonna be a lawyer and a detective?" I nodded. "I'll have to be. Though I bet the police have already cleaned up the crime scene. Might as well check it out, though." "Right!" She was back to smiling brightly again, but this time in a supportive way. "I believe in you, Lumina!" I nodded. "I appreciate it." I really did, more than she could ever know... [Canterlot City Upper Residential District] [Indigo Zap's House] [June 15th, 9:15] I was right. The police had long since set up their yellow tape around Indigo's house and were crawling about the place as they seemed to be wrapping up their investigation. As I approached from the back, I could see into a dining area with a big table, and then into a living room where Indigo's body had been outlined in chalk, and the tall grandfather clock that had been knocked over. The clock, obviously broken, read 9:40. Probably the time it was broken. Mounted up against the wall facing the window was a shelf, I figured that's where Indigo's trophy must've been placed as several others were there too. Going around the front of the house, I could see the same area through a window closer to the front door, but couldn't see the living room due to the entryway's wall. I only took notice because two of the investigating officers in the kitchen saw me through one window, then again through the other, which prompted her to approach me. "Hold it right there, this is a crime scene, kid!" Kid? She couldn't possibly be much older than me! The officer approaching me wore a navy blue uniform with an odd patch on her shoulder, not one of the CPD, but of a pair of what looked like angel wings? She wore sunglasses and had a soft blue and pink hair, slicked back so that the colors swirled together. "Who are you? What's your business here?" Her voice was immediately hostile, and the expectant foot tapping had me at a loss for words. "I-" I began, unsure of how to respond. "Yeah? Spit it out!" I was locking up, my nerves were trying to get the best of me again! Not this time! As my routine went, I took a deep breath, adjusted my glasses, then made a motion to my badge as I gave my response. "Lumina Moondancer, the defense attorney for the suspect of this case. I came over to familiarize myself with the scene of the crime." A good response, I thought. Reasonable, but the officer dashed my confidence with a scoff. "Pfft. Save it, kid. You're a lawyer, not a private eye. You'll receive and review our findings in paper form when we're done." I wanted to reply, to tell her that it's just more thorough that way, but I could only manage a weak sputter. "Listen, pal—I'm the detective and you're the lawyer, you stay out of my way here, and I stay out of yours in the courtroom." I was taking a lot of it personally, but by the way this detective was talking she seemed to already be in a bad mood before I showed up. "Besides, I don't need any more non-specialists on a scene where an arcane crime took place." Wait, a what? "An arcane crime?" I asked. The detective rolled her eyes. "Your defendant used a timeslow spell during the murder. That's the whole reason I'm here leading the investigation and not some overzealous halfwit in a trench coat!" Minuette? A timeslow spell? Why didn't she tell me that earlier? I honestly didn't know how to parse the sentence I'd just heard. "And who are you to tell me this?" "Seraph Agent Sweetie Drops, supernatural investigator. If you don't know what that means, I'm a specialist." I knew what she meant. "SRAPH." Short for "Supernatural Response and Protection of Humanity." I knew that name, and their insignia was indeed the gold and white angel wings. They're a federal agency that investigates and contains matters pertaining to monsters, magic, and anything else that might be too much for an ordinary responder to resolve. Usually they're smart guys in sunglasses and black suits, but sometimes they're just glorified cops, like this Agent Sweetie Drops. Surprised as I was to see a SRAPH agent, I was more surprised at what she just told me. "Minuette used a time spell the night the murder took place?" Obviously Minuette had been keeping that bit from me, but it didn't make it any less of a shock. She's one of the last people I expected to be able to use magic. Although, with another second of thought, it did make sense why she'd hide something like that. "Yeah, that's what I said," Agent Sweetie Drops nodded, still looking annoyed, but I think she made the connection when she saw my face. Strangely, her hostility seemed to disappear. "You need to have a chat with your client, it seems." "Yeah," I nodded. "I think so." "You're still new to this lawyer thing, aren't you?" Sweetie Drops asked. "Lemme guess, first case?" I froze. How could she know that? Again, I was too stunned to speak, and she correctly read that as confirmation. "Even if that girl didn't do this, and I don't know how that could be possible based on what I'm looking at, you're not going to last against the prosecutor you're up against." "And who might that be?" "Princeton Blueblood, a prosecutor that's had a three year hot streak, scoring guilty verdicts left and right without losing a single case. The guy's a pro, and will absolutely toss a rookie like you." "Gee, it's not a contest..." I found myself nervously playing with my glasses again. "It is to him. He'll be hell bent on proving your client is guilty, and based on everything I've seen, he's got a clean case for it." "Mmhhrg," I grumbled, sighing. "Of course." This agent was right. I was no detective, so I just turned to leave. I needed to have another talk with Minuette anyway. "I need to speak with Minuette Chrona again." "You again? There's a limit on how many times one person can visit in a day, Ms. Lawyer—especially on the weekends. She isn't the only person being held here and I don't think you're the only person who wants to see someone in there." "Please, it's urgent, and I'll make it quick." "Fine, I'll give you 10 minutes. That's until 10:15, then you'll have to come back tomorrow." Tomorrow would be too late. [Canterlot City Detention Center] [Visitor Room] [June 15th, 10:05] Minuette looked so happy to see me again, but I knew I wasn't looking the same. For the record, I wasn't angry at her, just concerned that she'd leave out such an important detail in her story. That, coupled with the fact that I had a time limit, meant that I had to get straight to the point. I hoped I wouldn't sound too harsh. "Alright Minuette, you need to come clean with me. Why didn't you tell me you used magic on the night of the murder?" "Wha-!!!" She jumped back almost as far as I did when she excitedly greeted me earlier. I think I did come off as harsh, but I needed the truth if I was going to defend her. "How did-" "I spoke with a detective at the crime scene. She's specially trained to deal with supernatural matters, and informed me that you used a timeslow spell during the incident." My expression didn't change. I didn't want to be the bad guy, but I needed to be as matter-of-fact with her as possible right now. "I, uh... It wasn't relevant to the incident, I promise..." "I didn't even know you were capable of magic, Minnie." At that, she flashed a guilty smile. "Well, yeah, I'm from a family of time mages, we're called Timekeepers." "Oh..." I almost wanted to laugh when I heard that, but I held my face still. Timekeepers. Of course... Her father was a clockmaker, and they have a family owned business that sells timekeeping devices. Clocks, watches, fancy hourglasses, stuff like that. An obvious occupation for a time mage. "I'm not really that good at it, though. I can only slow things down in a small area for a bit. I can't rewind time or anything..." It was a little hard to believe, the only mages I'd heard about were all high society types that had insane amounts of money to spend on learning stuff like that. Magic wasn't completely unheard of, it was just... Never really affected common folk. The only exceptions I could think of were the series of Canterlot High School incidents I'd heard happened almost a decade ago. Pushing the oddness aside, I accepted it. I checked my watch. I had to leave at 10:15, and it was going on the last 15 seconds of 10:11 now. "Look, they're only letting me talk to you until 10:15. I need to know what happened." "I..." Minuette's eyes darted around to the sides nervously again. I checked my watch. 10:12. "Indie was getting upset with me, like, really angry. She started to scare me, so I froze time in a bubble around us and ran off." "Around both of you?" I asked. "The time magic doesn't affect you, then?" She shook her head. "No, time still goes normally for me. But I can't move or affect anything that's affected by the magic." I realised something, and I think my eyes showed it. She couldn't have killed her if that was the case. "This time bubble, when does it go away?" "When I stop focusing on it..." Minuette started to slip into despair again. "Oh, Lumi, I didn't mean for her to get hurt... I was just gonna hold her still and leave so she could cool off." "Did she know about your magic?" "Yeah, I told her about it a while ago." I checked my watch again. 10:12. "I have one more question for you, Minuette," I said. I didn't know if I had enough time to get an answer, or if she even would, but a picture was starting to form in my head. All I needed to do is prove she didn't do it, but right now it seems like she had a clear motive if Indigo was being aggressive with her, if she felt threatened enough to use her magic... "Yeah?" "What were you and Indigo talking about that made her get that upset with you?" Minuette's eyes widened, and she inhaled so subtly I would've missed it had her lips not moved. Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall behind me, it was 10:13. I looked back, and seeing it brought its ticking to the front of my attention. I almost missed the subtle hand movement she made, and the short blue flash behind her eyes. My brow raised. "What was that?" "I... You only have two minutes left, I need more time to explain..." The ticking sounded slower... Was she...? "Are you slowing time around us now?" "No no, just around that clock." Her eyes pointed out the clock again. "Look, Indigo wanted to win the Summer Regionals really badly, and... And... She wanted me to help her cheat." Say what?!? "Because she knew about your time powers." "Yeah, yeah, but..." "But you didn't want to do that, did you?" "No. She kept trying to make me feel bad about it, because we were friends, and she kept saying I owed her... but I couldn't do it." Her head fell into her hands, and her breathing quickened. "When whoever killed her did it," Minuette's voice became very soft, very regretful. She wasn't crying, but she sounded close to it. "Indie wouldn't have been able to fight back, because I had her in that bubble..." "But that doesn't make it your fault-" There was the sound of a door opening behind me, and I heard the clock start to tick normally again. "Ms. Moondancer, your time is up here." A security guard had come in. They were right, my time was up, but I wasn't going to leave Minuette like this. I checked the clock on the wall again. Thanks to Minuette's manipulation, it still read 10:13. "That clock says I have two minutes still." I said. The guard narrowed their eyes, looked at me, and then smirked. "Okay, but wrap it up." Then, they left the room. I breathed a sigh of relief. It worked. "Is that clock still going to work right?" "It'll run slightly slower until they fix it, but after that it should be fine. Digital ones are even worse, they can get really out of sync if you don't reset them. "Well, that's good. No harm done in the long run..." I had to take her word, she knew more about clocks than me. "But like I was saying, it's not your fault if someone else killed Indigo. I know you're innocent, there are some things that don't quite add up here and I think I know how to prove it... And if there were no other witnesses, that's all I have to do." I might've been overstating things, but it was encouraging to hear my own confidence here. I didn't quite know where the inconsistencies were, but I could definitely put together a defense once I saw the police reports. "Yeah. I guess I'll let you go now." She said, a small smile returning to her. It was 10:14, and the second hand was passing the 20 second mark. "Thank you for telling me all that. Trust between attorney and client is essential. You told me you believed in me earlier today, and I want you to know I believe in you too." Her smile widened, and she looked to be hopeful again, just like she was when I arrived. "Awh, thanks. Forget that formal 'attorney and client' stuff, we're friends, we really should trust each other. I'm sorry I held back with you... I just thought me and Indie were friends too." I didn't want to leave on a bad note like that. "Don't worry. We'll find the truth of it all by tomorrow, I promise." She laughed a little. "Heh. You really do sound like Twilight, you know." And with that, I said my goodbyes and left. The clock in the room said 10:15, but my watch said 10:17. On my way out, I acted like I was fidgeting with it. I needed to make sure I wasn't going to be questioned about it, so I asked that same guard a question as I was leaving. "Uh, hey, do you have the time?" "Yeah, it's..." They checked another clock in that room. They waited for the second hand to cross the top mark of the clock before replying. "10:18." "Ah, your clock in there is running slow, I guess. Sorry about that." "No issue, ma'am. Not your fault we don't keep them in line here. I'll let someone know to fix it." With that off of my mind, I thought about what I would do with the rest of my day. I needed to get the police report, but I had the rest of the evening to come up with a defense. And I think I knew where I'd start with that. Author's Note Our story begins. Moondancer in the role of the rookie attorney and a murder case in desperate need of solving.
