Judge, Jury, and Executioner
"Ok Fluttershy, you're up." A man with the name Fluttershy didn't catch, ushered her through thick wooden doors. The pale yellow girl shuffled through, frowning when she saw the judge sitting impassively. The yellow girl knew that she was going to be placed in front of a judge, yet what she wasn't expecting was a judge she knew personally.
Fluttershy made her way to her attorney, a man who goes by Civil Case, and sat down next to him. He had short-cut green hair with light gray skin; his pierced blue eyes held intelligence useful in his profession. He proudly wore a suit with Lampyrisma stitched on one of the sleeves. The two of them turned to look at the person who started this all; Posey.
The judge whacked the gavel, yelling for, "silence in the court!" She waited for the audience to fall silent before continuing. "The prosecutor claims that the defendant has taken her husband's life. The husband was also the defenda..."
"OBJECTION!" Fluttershy stood up, her eyes blazing in fury. She quickly spoke before the judge could interrupt her. "How dare you, Sunset Shimmer. How dare you claim to be a judge and butt into my life! I am..."
"OVERRULED!" Sunset whacked the gavel many times, her teal eyes cold and heartless as she stared at her old friend, as if daring her to speak out of turn even more. Fluttershy stared back, then opened her mouth as if to say something more, but her attorney stopped and whispered something to her. It was enough to calm her down "As I was saying, the husband was also the defendant's landlord. The defendant claimed to not have enough money for the monthly rent but she promised to deliver within a week. However, in the next three days, the prosecutor finds her husband on the floor, dead."
Fluttershy swallows, and even though she knows she didn't do it, and her attorney has enough evidence to prove her innocence, she is still scared. The way Sunset described it, it sounded super suspicious. She gritted her teeth, still furious that Sunset, of all people, would come back just to judge her!
"If the defendant could bring a witness to confirm your claim." Everybody in the courtroom moved to see who Posey would bring forth. An old woman shuffled forwards and took her place. She wore a red dress that complimented well with her pale orange skin and off-white hair.
"State your name for the record." Sunset's voice seemed to boom throughout the courtroom.
"M-My name is Cookie." The woman replied, her voice wavering a bit.
"Do you swear to tell the truth. the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you Celestia?" Still that booming voice, cold and unwavering.
"C-Celestia?" Cookie sounded confused and she wasn't the only one. Mutterings could be heard of 'who is Celestia?' and 'what does that have to do with anything?'
"Silence in the court!" Sunset whacked the gavel a couple times until the room quieted down. "Do you swear to tell the truth?"
"Y-Yes."
"Can you briefly describe what you saw on the night of the murder." It wasn't stated as a question, and Cookie seemed to shrivel up at that.
"I saw sh-shadows flickering at the neighbours. Human shaped shadows. So I went over t-to look, wondering who it might be. I s-saw her trying to open a door. It took only a m-minute and she slipped in."
"Does the defendant seek to deny this act? I remind you that you are under oath."
Fluttershy's attorney stood up, folder in hand, and spoke calmly, "my client does not deny this statement. She was indeed trying to open the door into the house of her landlord. However it was not to commit murder, it was to return a jacket he left at her house when he asked for the rent. He was alive and quite hungry when Fluttershy came over. She didn't stay long."
"Clarify what you mean by 'hungry'."
"The landlord was in the process of tearing open a box of pop tarts." Fluttershy unconsciously nodded, agreeing with what her attorney was saying.
"Does the prosecutor deny what has been stated?" Sunset turned her head slowly and deliberate, as if trying to extend the trial.
"I-I did find a box of pop tarts on the counter...but she must've don...!"
"Does the witness deny what has been stated?" The heads turned silently at Cookie, who shook her head tentatively. Sunset asked for the action to be written in the record before asking the old women to leave and return to the audience.
"Does the prosecutor wish to bring forth a second witness?" Sunset's teal gaze burrowed deep within both Posey and Fluttershy.
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Fluttershy sighed as she leaned against a wall, her yellow hands pressed against her equally yellow head. The whole trial lasted another three hours; because Posey kept on bringing in more and more witnesses, they never seemed to stop coming. When Posey finally stopped bringing in people, the Jury proclaimed Fluttershy was innocent, and Sunset announced that this trial was over. Posey was livid and stormed out of the courtroom, almost slamming the doors, before realizing how disrespectful that would be.
"Phew, judging is hard." Fluttershy tensed, and slowly turned to the speaker as she walked up to her. Sunset Shimmer, freshman bully, leader of their friend group for the rest of high school, and now judge. Would the surprises ever cease?
"Sunset Shimmer." Fluttershy tried to put as much venom in her voice. It didn't work out so well. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing. Just catching up with an old friend." Sunset shrugged and leaned against a wall.
"NO. You know something. Why are you smiling? In what sense is all of this, funny?" The yellow girl waved around, gesturing to everything.
"Oh, nothing." The orange girl's gaze had a far away look. "Just nostalgia, I suppose."
"Nostalgia, eh?" Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something else, but Sunset interrupted.
"Yes nostalgia. You say I know nothing of pain and loss, of crumbling dreams." She forced Fluttershy's eyes to her own. "I am the best person to know exactly how you are feeling. Our other friend's too. I think you need to let a little more kindness into your heart. Help others like you used to do, not degrade them. We all miss our quiet friend in the corner."
Something inside the yellow girl broke like a dam. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, hiccups bursting out of nowhere, as Fluttershy hugged Sunset with all her might. The older girl smiled as she hugged back, not caring that tears and snot were now smeared across her shirt.
"You know, I think Pinkie can use some Kindness." Sunset murmured after a while.
"Why? Fluttershy wiped her nose, and looked up, familiar concern in her green eyes.
"She's had a rough time in Las Pegasus. Where do you live? I need a place to sleep." Fluttershy looked taken aback from Sunset's abrasiveness, then noticed the gathering darkness. Then started walking, gesturing for her to follow.
"Bullshit!"
"Language! Fluttershy, of all people, how are you the one to use profanity? What would Rarity say?" Sunset put her hand over her mouth, but Fluttershy couldn't tell if it was mock outrage or not.
"Tell me what you're doing here, or else I'll...I'll..."
"Do what Flutters? Punch me, curb stomp me, or put me in a headlock? Face it, you haven't been doing well since Rainbow Dash left." Sunset spoke, not unkindly, which took Fluttershy off guard. For a second.
"Don't talk about that bitch. She abandoned me when times got tough. I heard she did the same with Twilight." Fluttershy huffed, turned around and started to march in the direction of her home.
"What about your other friends?" Fluttershy stopped, then frowned. "What about us 'Shy? We were here too. We supported you with your own animal shelter, we supported you when you almost lost your house, and we would have supported you with all the other things."
"Oh, you think you're so high and mighty, because you went to law school." Fluttershy whirled around, a snarl on her normally kind features, and thrust her face into Sunset's. "You know nothing of pain. You know nothing of losing someone you care about, of watching your entire dream crumble before you because of some cruel joke. WHY ARE YOU SMILING?"
Sunset only continued to smile, tilting her head. "Oh please, do go on. I know nothing and tell me of your woes."
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When Fluttershy woke up, she felt an enormous weight lift off her shoulders. She breathed in some fresh air with a smile, opened the window, and waved to her neighbor. She relished the confused smile he gave back in return, and Fluttershy hopped down the stairs.
Then a thought struck her. She forgot about Sunset! Fluttershy started freaking out and hopped down the stairs faster. She must be hungry; she doesn't know where the bathroom is, did she sleep well? The moment she touched the floor, Fluttershy took off to where Sunset was sleeping on the couch. Or...where Sunset was supposed to be. In her stead it was a black phone and a note saying Sunset had business elsewhere. Somewhere in Hayvard.
Fluttershy picked up the phone, a little confused as to why Sunset would leave behind something so valuable. Then she opened it and almost dropped it in shock. The screen opened up to a list of contacts. Contacts of her friends. She grabbed her pet bunny, Angel, and gave him the biggest hug possible.
And that hug? That hug was the warmest one, Angel had ever gotten.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this different style. Instead of a chat like the previous three, we have an exciting trial! I had to research how trials work and I sincerely hope that I did it justice.
My kudos go out to Blu, my good friend and somewhat of an editor. Kudos to all of you guys for readin' this, much appreciated.
