Shadow of Suspicion
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Chronicles of Crime: Shadow of Suspicion

Shadow of Suspicion

Chronicles of Crime
Shadow of Suspicion
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The daylight shown down upon the illustriously lit palace of the queen of Equestria, as the fair and fair-minded Celestia looked over several papers upon her desk, the flowing pastel rainbow that was her mane draped around her like a cape as a non-existent eyebrow arched. She was intrigued by the latest developments in the investigation of a large rash of silver robberies…evidently "that" type of person had been accused and arrested as the culprit, though there was evidence to suggest he was merely a patsy for another.

In all fairness, Celestia had…unease…in dealing with "that" type of being. Not the ones whom she wished be in charge of the proceedings for defense and prosecution, no. But the defendant's mother had been…

She frowned. "I ought to be ashamed of myself. I can't hold it against him if his mother was a child of them." She insisted, putting her royal seal upon the paper with a single stamp, nodding firmly down at it and then tossing it into the magical fireplace as it was whisked away to the Ponyville authorities. Sheriff Applejack of the Ponyville Police Department would be quite pleased to hear that Celestia herself deemed the case worthy of her judgment. Then again, Celestia always ended up presiding over the cases, there was such a low crime rate in the land.

No, what would make Sheriff Applejack truly surprised was that Celestia wanted two very specific beings to take charge of the prosecution and defense…

…

… "So…"

The brown-haired humanoid looked towards the door of the detention center, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his Equestrian partner nodded firmly. "Nobody else wanted to come to his defense?" He asked, nervously rubbing his shoulder and the large pad/chest armor combination that mounted the large green and silver cape he was wearing, a fine addition to his already green and gold color scheme.

"Not a one." Shinedown T. Mare insisted, the sunset-toned stallion sighing as he bowed his head, the dark blue Mohawk of hair flopping down slightly as he shook it back and forth. "Poor little foal's got nobody." The blue-eyed Equestrian insisted.

The green-eyed humanoid rubbed his silver-gaunleted hands and then nodded. "Let's go meet our client, then." He told Shinedown, pushing the large set of double doors to the detention center in the Ponyville police department open. He made his way to one of two chairs that was situated just across from a separated section of the cell, with unbreakable enchanted glass showing their rather pipsqueaky client as he nervously tapped his trembling hooves together, the rooster-like little frock of hair atop his head bobbing as he stuttered, mumbling something to himself.

"Excuse me?" Shinedown asked. "You're the defendant, correct? We're the team who volunteered to take your case."

Their client blinked his sickly pale yellow eyes, his slimey-looking black fur bristling a bit before he finally spoke up in a wheezy, almost childlike voice. "I-I'm…v-very…very grateful, yeah, very…um…" He bowed his head a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "J-just fantastic, really, I…fine…"

"My name is Staccato Remiel. I'm a bioroid from the Peacekeeping Council of Special Investigations. We're in charge of investigating magic-related crimes, and you were accused of stealing silver to create portal magics. Is that right?" Staccato asked, folding his arms across his chest, over the insignia that glowed a faint white like a burning star. "Could you tell us your name and occupation?"

"I d-don't, that is, don't have-don't have a job, can't hold it down-I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T HURT ANYONE, I DIDN'T STEAL FROM ANYBODY!" Their defendant cried out, covering his face and banging his head into the desk the three were sitting at, Shinedown grimacing with each THRUNKA-THRUNKA noise that erupted from the other end of the glass. "…sorry. T-Told a little lie…"

"Your name, please?"

"…my mom called us all the same."

"What's that?"

"Squirt."

"Ohhhh." Shinedown slapped his forehead with a hoof. "SQUIRT? Oh, that is…ugh. I've heard bad names before but…Squirt? I am so, so sorry."

"I didn't steal that silver! I swear! I didn't steal anything! I DIDN'T STEAL FROM NOBODY!" Squirt yelled out, banging his head into the desk again.

"AH! Stop it! We believe you!" Staccato said in an exasperated tone, waving his hands in the air as Squirt finally stopped his headbanging.

"Sorry. Told a little lie."

"I can tell." Staccato said, his eyes slightly aglitter with silver light. "Your heartbeat increased, you began to sweat more, your nostrils flared…and above all…" He pointed squarely at Squirt. "Your Kokoro…the shining light of the heart, the aura of emotion that all living beings give off…it was laced with lies."

Staccato could see it clearly. The faint light that emanated from Squirt's body was flashing on and off, as if being choked by invisible hands that threatened to throttle it to death. Squirt tensed up before he finally let out a long, low sigh. "I…HAVE…stolen things. I woulda starved if I hadn't!" He said. "But I didn't steal any silver! I was at home. I was getting ready to ask a mare out."

"…what?"

"This really cute chick. I even made a poem for her. I make TONS of 'em." He said, suddenly whipping out a notepad and clearing his throat, holding the notepad slightly to the side as he raised one arm up dramatically and began to recite in a voice that would have blown Sir Laurence Olivier down. "I want her to kiss me! I want her to touch me! I want her to…"

"Yes?"

"…the rest is private." Squirt said quickly, putting the notepad away, Staccato wondering why it hadn't been confiscated as he updated the Court Record they'd brought with them to include the notepad full of poetry. Though, he supposed, if all that thing had on it was bad poetry, he couldn't see the harm.

"You make poems in your spare time?"

"Oh ALL the time when I'm at home in my flat! Course, the neighbors would break my door down if not for the fact that thing's the only thing of value." Squirt admitted sheepishly. "It's enchanted, see. It only opens for ME. Well, unless someone took the time to use a break-in spell, but I'm not worth it."

"You said you'd stolen things before. Why can't you hold down a job?" Staccato began to say, Squirt lowering his head in shame as Shinedown spoke up.

"The structure of his body and the color of his fur suggest recessive gene traits." Shinedown realized. "…but it's the eyes. The gateway to the soul. AH-HA!" He proclaimed, pointing dramatically with a hoof as Squirt cringed. "There are darkening SHADES present!"

Staccato looked closely through the glass. Sure enough, the eyes of their client were not of ONE shade of yellow, but several, all of them leading down to a dark shade of amber.

"You're part Changeling." Staccato realized as Squirt cringed again, banging his head into the desk and covering it as if expecting a bomb to drop as death from above. "Am I right?"

"…yessss." He muttered. "My mother was half changeling." Squirt admitted sheepishly. "NOBODY likes people with Changeling blood. The minute the average pony sees my fur color AND my eyes-"

"What about you?" Staccato asked, looking at Shinedown. "Your eyes are similar."

"Yes, but my fur color's radically different from a changeling. As is my body structure." Shinedown said. "Unfortunately for our client, he looks almost pure changeling, even if the color of his fur is just a genetic happenstance. It really is those sickly yellow eyes that make people suspicious…the Changeling race have been well documented as saboteurs, attempted invaders, criminals…the lowest of the low."

"I had to steal stuff or I woulda starved, I tell you! I even stole the enchanted door to the flat I've got! But I didn't steal no silver!" Squirt insisted, placing his hooves together and giving Shinedown and Staccato a pleading look. "You gotta believe me!"

"We do." Staccato said. "…your aura's clear. You're not lying about not stealing the silver. But…how can we PROVE it?" He muttered, rubbing his chin. "Back in Heaven, it was easy. Lies and falsities rang out like a dull bell. Down here it is far more difficult."

"In court everything will become clear, archangel." Shinedown said, giving a grin. "I'll go over the Court Record with you and nothing will take us by surprise!" He bragged, pumping his hoof against his chest as the two left the Detention Center.

"Hold on. The Court Record will only tell us so much." Staccato told him, holding up a hand. "We need to do some investigation of the most recent crime scene. In case you forgot-"

"I know, I know, you had to attend to Jellybean and didn't get time to look the scene over." Shinedown insisted as he chewed his lip. "But I've got time now. You add what Squirt's told us and showed us to the Court Record, I'll go look the scene over."

"But you'll be seen. The place is supposed to be off limits to everyone." Staccato informed the stallion, frowning down at his partner.

"Police tape and guards might keep others away…" Shinedown chuckled as he donned a black, wide-rimmed hat and a cape with a silver clasping amulet at the front, his fur darkened by what he was wearing as his blue eyes glittered like dark sapphires in the light of the detention center.

"But it won't stop…the SHADOW."

…

…the pretty little town of Ponyville was shrouded like the velvet cloak like the one the Shadow wore as he slunk through its back alleys towards the latest crime scene: the psychiatric hospital just outside the town limits, to the north. The moon cast the faintest glimmer of light through the cracks in a thick quilt of clouds, but the Shadow blended easily into the blackness around him as he slithered like a snake up to the side entrance, noticing the cordoned-off doorway which was being guarded by two of Celestia's personal guard.

This would be tricky. These people didn't scare easily like the average crook did. He'd have to rely on sneaking in another way…by not being seen at all, and distracting them to make acquaintance double-sure.

He concentrated, his lips slightly wettened from his tongue before he pursed them ever so slightly, rolling his tongue a little and letting out a very, very low whistle that soon rose and rose in pitch to resemble a brief flurrious zephyr of wind, the guards blinking a little as one spoke up. "I have to admit, I don't much like these kinds of jobs. Why can't we get the day shift? Chilly wind like this makes all my armor feel like I've got blocks of ice stuck to my body." He mumbled as his friend nodded, neither of them aware of the pony that was calmly walking towards them, ducking past them and now at the door.

Shinedown…no, The Shadow, snuck underneath the yellow tape that had been put over the entrance and tippy-toed through past some orderlies, making his way deeper and deeper inside the facility. It was well-kept for such a place, the walls and floors so well-buffed you could see your own reflection in them. But what he was looking for was-

There. Across the way. In a certain patient's cell. He snuck inside, repeating the whistle as he did so, the stallion within not blinking. This time he'd made that "White Noise" on just the right level, it was subliminal. As far as the pale-eyed little foal was concerned, there was nothing in the room.

The Shadow looked around. The police had used their yellow tape to block off the closet which had been broken into. And there were some black hairs left behind that he took notice of, a stark contrast against the bleach-white on the walls of the patient's Brainy's cell. Not that you could tell. There were more pinned up and tacked-to-the-wall puzzles, crosswords, word searches, sodokus, graphs and photos than at a police headquarters. It looked more like a creepy stalker's room than someone suffering from extreme psychological problems.

Luckily, the area close to the crime had been kept relatively clean. The books that had been scattered through the room were now neatly stacked in a large bookshelf to the right, with a long desk to the side that the patient, named Brainy, was sitting at. He was in the middle of finishing a Sodoku puzzle with a long white quill that had been freshly dipped into a nearby ink pot on the desk, the gangly, darkish grey/blue pony briefly glancing up and looking around.

He stopped, staring in The Shadow's direction, then frowned a bit.

"You." He said. "…of course. The Shadow, I presume?"

"…"

"One day I'll discover how one can engage the Sanguine Condition. "

Brainy, you haven't got a prayer. Shinedown T. Mare, aka the Shadow, sighed inwardly. Out of all the kids in town…this one was one of the most troubling. He was a brilliant, brilliant being, very intelligent, and he believed strongly in a higher power. Unfortunately, that higher power was himself. He was so immensely egotistical that it would have been funny if not for the fact that there was a fundamental issue with his brain. He was incapable of tact or compassion or humility. Only humble and introspective beings could look within and perfect the "Sanguine Condition" that allowed them to cloud mares minds so they couldn't be seen…and Brainy was "none of the above".

"You're everything I had heard you were. Invisible. Untouchable." Brainy went on. "…I imagine…you're here to investigate the silver magnifying glass I kept on hand. Which was stolen just last night."

"The Shadow doesn't have to be told. The Shadow…knows." The Shadow said in his haunting, ethereal voice that seemed to come from all sides, wrapping around Brainy like an enormous hand that was tightening in on him. "The Shadow knows that young Squirt is innocent of the crime he's been accused of."

Brainy SNORTED, but then kept himself from continuing. "It doesn't matter whether he's guilty or not. He's a Changeling. He'll be found guilty."

"Why should him being a Changeling hold sway, child?"

"It shouldn't. But it WILL."

"The Shadow will make sure that doesn't happen."

"Fair enough, but I know who you are, you don't have to talk like a retard. Does the Shadow always refer to himself in the third person like a pretentious buck?"

"What is the difference between a duck?"

"...I'm sorry, what?"

"What is the difference between a duck?"

"That's a stupid question to as-ah. Touche." Brainy turned back to the desk. "But that bastard who took my magnifying glass? I want it back. I don't care if the Changeling's innocent or guilty, I just want it back."

"You can have it back once the investigation is complete and Squirt is free to go. But seeing as you're a potential witness to the crime..." The Shadow raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to know your movements on the night the magnifying glass was taken. The one thing I DO need to know with certainty is if you saw it stolen with your own eyes."

"I think the one thing you honestly want to know is "how did I know it was you"?"

"I'm curious. Mildly so."

"I have my ways."

"That's intriguing, I admit."

"But you're not impressed."

"Considering the people I work with daily...no. I do not impress easily."

"Fair enough." Brainy said, turning back to his Sodoku puzzle and redipping his quill into his inkpot. "The investigator who was here working for that prosecutor intrigued me…she too has THAT "Skill". I couldn't resist a chance to see it in action. That type of magic is unfettered and free of all constraints, I yearn to analyze it. Though personally I don't think much of her clothing choice. All Earth tones. She comes off as rather…plain…in appearance. She hardly makes an impression. Her ASSISTANT on the other hand…"

The Shadow frowned darkly. "The Shadow knows of HIM too. Serge N. Sprinklz. Released on probation as part of Celestia's campaign of reforming the criminal element."

"Oh yes. And he's thrown himself heavily into preparing an unassailable wall of testimony. Speaking of, and of what I was doing last night, I was sound asleep. Like MOST living things who get tired at nighttime. So no, I didn't see it get stolen, see?" He tapped the side of his own head with a growl. "Because if I HAD seen that thieving little buck, it wouldn't've been stolen, I'd've broken his bucking arm in half!"

The Shadow frowned a bit, grateful Brainy couldn't actually SEE him. "Well..." He thought it over and rubbed his chin. "...hmm."

"What?"

"That's maddeningly unhelpful. Ah well."

Shinedown had been secretly hoping you were awake but had seen someone else. Or that Brainy would have said he HAD seen him, which would have made the young colt an instant suspect. He turned back to the crime scene. "The security around here isn't the best. It wouldn't take much to break into Barking Asylum. The question then becomes "Who knew you had anything silver"? When did you first receive it?"

Brainy tilted his head back. "Oooo, let's see. My mum, for one, a few of my former older fellow students at the University of Canterlot …and of course, my mentor, Princess Celestia…the magnifying glass was a gift from the Princess, handmade by Elves. She IS quite a good mare, even if I may question her manner of government…oh, and the security staff here at the asylum checked the thing in too. But yeah, that's all I can give you on that. Is that helpful?"

The Shadow rubbed his chin. The Security Staff, eh?

"I'm guessing you suspect the staff. Well, Sheriff Applejack had the same idea…and the Prosecution is calling her as the first witness tomorrow."

"Oh. Buck."

…

…Ponyville District Court,
May 10th

"Are you sure you want to testify on his behalf?" Staccato inquired of the lemon-colored pony Fluttershy as she nervously looked down at the ground, bowing her head low as some of her fair pink mane drooped over her eyes.

"Y-Yes. I feel so AWFUL he hasn't got anyone sticking up for him. The court needs to…needs to know he's really not a bad person at all." Fluttershy insisted as she stood up and nodded firmly at the defense attorney, the two of them standing on the large red carpet in the defense lobby. There was a crimson bench with gold trimmings behind her, with a large portrait of the lovely Princess Luna over it as two guards watched them, flanking the door into the courtroom.

"You'll do wonderful if you just tell the truth, Fluttershy." Shinedown insisted, patting her on the back as he smiled tenderly at her, her daughter Jellybean "harrumphing" as she sat on the aforementioned bench and stuffed her face with a chocolate pudding cup she'd brought. Shinedown inwardly cringed over at her for a moment, thinking back to HIM.

She's too much like her damn father...that incompetent-

He had to get his mind off that big dummy. He turned to his partner, sighing a bit. "Stac. Listen. The prosecutor…"

"I…know." Staccato said, a stony expression flickering briefly onto his face as he folded his arms across his chest. "Serge. And you and he have histor-"

"I know." Shinedown mumbled. "…are we ready?"

"Let us begin." Staccato said, his cloak billowing out behind him as they made their way through the doors and into the courtroom, the white-furred angelic pony Princess Celestia sitting in the judge's chair and smiling down at them as the guards escorted in the defendant behind them, Squirt nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he walked.

The crowd was primarily made of ponies, the occasional gryphon seen here and there with the judge's assistant, Twilight Sparkle herself, standing at the witness stand with HER assistant, the little purple dragon Spike, who handed her several papers from a manila envelope he had as she briefly glanced them over for quick reference.

"Good morning Princess Celestia." Shinedown said respectfully, bowing his head along with Staccato as Squirt nervously bowed HIS.

"Um-er-g-good…good morning." He murmured up. "…I…I'd just like to say something."

"Yes?" Celestia asked tenderly, raising a nonexistent eyebrow as she put her hooves together.

"…-I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T HURT ANYONE, I DIDN'T STEAL FROM ANYBODY!" He yelled out, covering his head like he was expecting someone to bash him with a frying pan. "…forgive me. T-told a little lie."

"He's gonna get found guilty in two minutes, isn't he?" Spike whispered to them as Twilight sparkle elbowed him to quickly shut him up, making him squeak a bit.

"He's HARDLY telegenic." A white-furred pony in the crowd remarked, sighing as she shook her head back and forth, her purple hair flopping. "Just LOOK at those limping, drooping eyes. And such a DRAB color scheme to his hair. Has he never heard of conditioner?"

"Rarity, please, you're going to make the defendant cry." Twilight whispered swiftly as she cleared her throat. "All rise for the honorable Princess Celestia, who shall be giving her fair and benevolent judgment during this solemn occasion!"

Everyone immediately stood up and saluted the princess as she waved a golden-clad hoof in the air, motioning for them all to sit as she now stood up herself, turning to look at the door from which the prosecution was now entering. "Ah, I see our prosecuting council has arrived?"

Shinedown and Staccato, who had now moved to THEIR side of the court with the defendant, had unreadable faces as their opponent stood across from them. A dark green-furred pony with even darker green hair, wearing a tannish/cream jacket that had so many pockets in it Geraldo Rivera would have proclaimed he was unworthy to be in this pony's presence. His eyes were a deep and rich brown color, and he had the same fine body build as Shinedown did…but there was just something…off.

Looking at him you couldn't quite tell, but…it was as Twilight had told others. As if the face Serge N. Sprinklz had on was…like he was wearing a mask. A mask that fit his face perfectly, but it was still a mask.

"…Serge." Shinedown thought to himself. "…so. On opposite sides in a court…"

"Well, my sister, Trixie Lulamoon Mare and I lived on the outskirts, with our parents supplying the town its much-needed water. Unless you count the pond we all liked to play at. It was about half a mile outside of town, north of the town square." Shinedown began, rubbing his sore itches again, suppressing yet another sneeze. "It was like something from a Norman Rockwell painting."

"Really?"

"Reeds, frogs, the mandatory tire swing. I wouldn't let a good pond go to waste! Anyhow, I used to spend a lot my childhood around there with Serge N. Sprinklz." He went on, his hoof curling slightly into a fist, over and over. "We'd go there in the spring and wade up to our knees, looking for pollywogs. Heh, Trixie would get SO mad, I'd come back home and track mud, coming back all soaking wet and dripping in the room we shared…ahhh." He leaned back in his bed, his eyes misty with old memories. "Back then, Serge…he was like the older brother I never had."

"…go on." King said, noticing the curling-up hoof.

"When I six, I thought he was a grown-up. Of course, he was twelve. Everyone liked him. I mean, he used to steal his dad's "Stars and Stripes" and we'd read all these neat little stories about wartime heroes. In the dark, of course. That's why I don't know anything about the military." Shinedown laughed before he began scratching heavily at his chest again. "GRRGGGH. I hate this!"

"Sounds like quite the guy. Did you ever get mad at Serge?"

"What? Nah. When I was a little filly, he saved my life!"

"The defense is prepared, your honor." Staccato announced. "We're ready to make our opening statement. Unless…the prosecution wishes to go first."

Serge ruffled his vest as he shrugged. "MY opening statement is well prepared, but…the defense can go first. I can afford to be generous since it's MY witness we're calling first."

Celestia looked at Serge. N Sprinklz closely before giving a polite nod. "Very well. Will the defense speak?"

Shinedown stared over the court, his normal composure breaking slightly as his eyes began to mist up. "Y-Yes, of course, your honor." He murmured, looking from Serge to Celestia. Try not to think about it, he kept thinking to himself. Try not to think about what happened. Now he's just some guy…

"Sounds like quite the guy. Did you ever get mad at Serge?"

"What? Nah. When I was a little filly, he saved my life!"

"Realy?" King asked, looking surprised as Shinedown went on, nodding eagerly…but stuttering.

"When I was seven, we were on a pond, THAT pond, a-and, and we went fishing together and-and I fell outta the boat." Shinedown said, tapping his hooves together, his voice becoming quieter, almost childlike. "I-I caught a lungful of water, sank right to the bottom but Serge pulled me outta the water, I-I almost DROWNED!"

"You must have been terrified." King admitted, a glint coming to his eye. He was getting somewhere.

"I blacked out. Ugh, I came home smelling like a wet burlap sack. I'd be dead if Serge hadn't helped me into the water."

An OPENING. "Oh? Into the water?"

Shinedown blinked suddenly, a confused expression flittering across his face as King rested his hands in his lap. "What? Oh, no, I mean into the boat, out of the water. What does it matter?"

"Well, you've mentioned water a few times. Swimming in cold sweat, tidal wave of pain, "all washed up"…tell me. How'd you get into the water?" King wanted to know, his golden/yellow eyes focusing in on Shinedown as the stallion rubbed his head.

"Well, I put my fishing rod down on this blue wooden seat in the middle of the boat, and I stood up to get some more bait."

"I see. And then?"

"And then...then I went into the water, and then there was laughing before I went in, then I didn't hear anything, I couldn't SEE anything, just...just all water...I tried to scream, and nothing came out! Then somebody grabbed me and yanked me out."

"But how did you get into the water?"

…

…Sheriff Applejack tilted her hat down a bit as she nodded at the court. The tannish-brown-furred and blonde-maned Sheriff smiled as she took off her court fully and bowed. "The court is open tah acceptin' what I've got?"

"Which is?"

"Testimony taken from the resident at Barking Asylum, Brainy, who had his silver magnifying glass stolen, coupled with records of that there magnifying glass being checked in by the security staff. And don'tcha go forgettin' that there chunk of boot I found."

"So what's this…um…court record thing?" Squirt nervously asked as Spike hopped down from Twilight's side and pulled out a small badge, a heart-shaped thing that glimmered as several images began to appear before Squirt's eyes.

"It contains all the evidence both the prosecution and the defense has submitted to the court, whilst also collecting the important profiles of individuals who were involved in the case. See, there's you!" He told Squirt, pointing with a claw as Shinedown nodded.

"Everything that we need is put into the Court Record. I…um…also added your notebook." He added nervously as Squirt let out a loud groan. "Look, hopefully we won't even need it."

"Your name and occupation, if you'd please." Serge said, turning around dramatically and facing the wall as he held his head up high, eyes closed.

"Name's Applejack of the Apple family. I'm current Sheriff of these here parts." Applejack told the court as she took her hat off and spun it around on one hoof before flipping it up into the air and onto her head.

"My life is ruined."

"And you're here to testify about the crime scene and what was found there, correct?"

"Reckon' course!"

"…what?" Serge opened a single eye, turning back to look at her as Celestia blinked a little in confusion.

"Ya reckon? Of course!" Sheriff Applejack said as she held up her badge, tapping it as a magical aura began to surround it and a faint pinkish mist began to rise into the air, forming an image of the crime scene from a bird's eye view.

WITNESS TESTIMONY

"Everyone get a good look at this here layout; the door's to the northwest, and it's the only entrance and exit. The inhabitant of the cell of the crime scene was a-sawin' logs that night, so he didn't see a dang thing. The thief evidently started this crime spree a month and a half ago, stealing anything silver they could get their hands on and selling it to a REAL specific buyer. And until recently we didn't have a clue who it was, but now we've got decisive evidence provin' it was the defendant!"

"Well?" Staccato whispered at Shinedown as Shinedown looked Sheriff Applejack over, his dark blue eyes tightly focused.

"…she's…being honest." He insisted. "I didn't see her get nervous once."

"You're POSITIVE? You aren't reading anything from her?" Staccato whispered back.

"Body posture, sweating, twitches, rapid eye movement, little "quirks", all reveal when somebody's not sure of something. And Sheriff Applejack was cool as a cucumber just now."

"So she's not keeping any dark secrets. Fine. We'll just get what information we can."

"Press and Object. Our two greatest weapons." Shinedown insisted. "Squeeze every little tidbit that we can use to add to our arsenal!"

WITNESS TESTIMONY

"The thief evidently started this crime spree a month and a half ago, stealing anything silver they could get their hands on and selling it to a REAL specific buyer."

"HOLD ON!"

Staccato rubbed his chin as he furrowed his brow. "Who is this "specific buyer"? Clarify for the court."

"This girl." Sheriff Applejack said, tapping her badge as an image of a pinkish-haired human female popped up in the air, with large tufts of hair shaped like bull horns who had on a dark sorceress's outfit. "Jinx. Terrorist, criminal, one bad, bad person. Reckon she's on the Top 10 Most Wanted every other month fer somethin'."

"I guess it isn't surprising that…nevermind." Rarity mumbled over in the jury box.

"Well, now, I dunno if you can really say what I think yer implyin'." Big Mac added from HIS point over in the jury box. "Ain't HIS fault his kind just get naturally drawn to that stuff."

"Yeah, it's second nature, we should give him a break…I mean, no, wait, that's not what I mean, I mean…OHHH." Vinyl groaned as she covered her face with her hooves, almost crushing her sunglasses.

"All the jury thinks Scratch did it just because his kind are usually doing stuff like this." Staccato mumbled.

"They really have such a low opinion of Changelings. He was practically doomed before he walked in. We need to create a new "idea" of the defendant…we need to get people to see him as Scratch the PONY, not Scratch, just another Changeling thief." Shinedown reasoned.

"But remember what she said…"

"And until recently we didn't have a clue who it was, but now we've got decisive evidence provin' it was the defendant!"

"HOLD ON! Sheriff. Why arrest Squirt? What puts him at that scene?" Shinedown asked as Applejack tilted her hat dramatically, shadows being cast across her face as her tone became serious and deadpan.

"I takes mah cases seriously, pardner. Lemme tell ya what puts him there. For starters, we got us a witness who saw him there, we've got hair samples from the crime scene I done put in the Court Record that test for Changeling blood…"

Shinedown visibly flinched, gritting his teeth as he reeled back, panting slightly, his Mohawk hanging low as Staccato clutched at his hair. "WHAAAAA??!?!?"

"Yeah, and that, along with the fact Squirt ain't no model citizen…" Applejack pointed an accusatory hoof at Squirt, as the sound of a bullet firing seemed to ricochet through the court. "If that don't paint a pretty picture, I don't know what DOES!"

The crowd murmured amongst each other as Squirt banged his head against the desk he was at over and over again. "I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T HURT ANYONE, I DIDN'T STEAL FROM NOBODY!!"

"Poor child." Celestia said gently, a sympathetic look passing over her face as Serge suddenly out a THRUDDA-SLAM of his hooves as he slammed them into the desk, everyone yanking their head in his direction.

"Please! PLEASE! Let us have order! We're not barbarians here! Let's not jump to conclusions like some mob!"

"He hasn't a prayer." Rarity whispered to Fluttershy as she hung her head, shaking it back and forth, several others in the jury nodding in agreement.

"What else can we expect from…those people?"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Mommy, are changelings bad people?"

"Ugggghhhh. My…life…is…over." Squirt said again, looking like he was about to burst our crying.

"Stop it." Shinedown said suddenly as Squirt looked up in surprise, the stallion folding her arms across her chest. "Stand tall, Squirt. If you're innocent, we'll find out. There will be time for tears later."

"…I…"

"You only get so few chances to become a man." Staccato agreed, putting a hand on the colt's shoulder. "This is one of those times. Don't duck away from this."

"…alright." Squirt said, his voice now less nervous as he sat back in his chair and put his hooves in his lap.

"Always a pleasure to be in y'all company, ladies and gentlecolts." Sheriff Applejack insisted. "But besides what I jes' mentioned, there's THIS." She held up a badly-burnt letter, waving it in the air. "It was found in a trash can in the bathroom way at the bottom. Orders to steal silver. And it mentions the thief being "my little changeling friend"…"

She then frowned darkly and Shinedown saw an angry tic coming to her forehead. "And our…our decisive witness makes it look even worse for your client."

"I take it you don't like the witness."

"…I got my reasons. I'll just…submit this thing to the Court Record, shall I?" Sheriff Applejack asked.

"Very well! The court accepts this into evidence." Princess Celestia announced as Staccato took the time to analyze the letter himself.

He recognized something. The seal at the bottom. It had been almost utterly burnt away but…it resembled a large, ornate "C". The family seal for the "Cobbletrot" line.

"Pipsqueak Cobbletrot ordered it stolen?" Shinedown realized.

"HOLD ON!" Staccato cried out. "What about the defendant's home? Didn't you search it too to see-"

"Look, there was plenty of stuff in that house. We even caught him napping on the couch when we FINALLY broke through that enchanted door. But as for "if there was any evidence there to prove he wasn't where he insists he wasn't", well…I got bad news fer ya." Sheriff Applejack sighed. "…we found ol' Brainy's silver magnifying glass at his house. By a big ol' statue of a Grandpappy Time."

Staccato reeled back, putting an arm over his face and cringing hard. "GRGGGGHH! That's…that is not good…" He mumbled as the court welcomed the magnifying glass into the Court Record…and Pipsqueak Cobbletrot would take the stand after a ten minute recess.

…

… As Squirt sat in the lobby, head buried in his leap, hooves over his head, Shinedown tried to comfort him as Staccato spoke with Sheriff Applejack about the new evidence that was to be erected in the Court Record, the only thing left that could POSSIBLY clear Squirt...his notebook full of poems.

If they could just get SOMEBODY to admit that Squirt had been at home and making bad songs, get SOME proof that he'd been there, they would be alright. But despite them suspecting plenty of people HAD heard Squirt belting out passionate but very poorly composed lyrics along the lines of "Damn, you's a sexy chick", his heartfelt ode to a Gryphon shopkeeper in town, the evidence was clear...nobody wanted to fall on that grenade.

"There's only one other thing we can do. That's castin' suspicion on somebody else. And I got this here letter." Applejack said, holding her badge up as the court record showed off the poorly-burnt letter...with Cobbletrot's name scribbled at the bottom along with a reference to "acquiring special items" and a reference to "that lovely sorceress lady".

"Am I to guess that you're trying to throw that blame on ME, ma'am?" Pip's voice rang out, Mr. Cobbletrot making his way towards them, both hooves resting atop the top of his cane as he tilted the black top hat he was wearing briefly at the two law enforcement officials. "Now, now, let's all be civilized heah. I was perusifyin' at me house."

"...you mean reading."

"Yes, classic literature, mind you."

"CoughcoughYour Leg ExtenderandYou..." Sheriff Applejack said under her breath, making Pip blush.

"Listen, DEARIE." Cobbletrot hissed, lighting up a cigar and taking a puff, tiny wafts of smoke rising up past his black top hat, his eyes slits. "I'm only doin' this out of courtesy, you got that, bastard? Don't think you've got any idea about what I am and what I do." He told them, pointing at Squirt. "I just want that little c--t tossed it for stealing my sister's silver cigarette holder."

"But you hate your sister. You spent two days in the clink for screaming things outside of her house and throwing things at her window-" Shinedown began to say.

"Look, SHADDAP. It's the principle of the thing! You really wanna call me up to the stand, fine. I'll enjoy wiping that s—t-eatin' grin off yer ugly face." Cobbletrot laughed.

FIVE MINUTES LATER…

"Witness. Name and occupation if you please." Serge N. Sprinklz insisted, once again not looking at the witness, but having his eyes closed as he kept his back turned on all others.

"I'd appreciate you looking me in the eye when you-"

"And I in turn would appreciate you telling me your name and occupation first. See how this works?" Serge said cheerily, his voice sweetness and light as Cobbletrot's angry glare turned into a more whipped expression of submission, cringing a bit as he looked away, his fairly wide-brimmed black top hat sliding slightly off his head. He re-righted the shirt he was wearing, hoping his tuxedo wasn't being soaked in sweat from his nervous state at taking the stand, and cleared his tiny throat.

"Name's Pipsqueak Cobbletrot the Third. SIR." He added darkly. "I'm just an honest businessman. As for what I do…well, what?! You 'aven't noticed the enormous freakin' nightclub that's been in the center of Ponyville for more than 10 years? I own the 'Bloody Hooves'!...ya twat." He muttered, the last two words quieter than the others.

"Oh, yes, THAT eyesore. I was wondering what that smell of day-old beer and vomit was." Serge remarked as Pip bit into his cigar and angrily growled.

"Now if you could talk about what you SAW last night?" Princess Celestia requested, her voice solemn.

"And can the defense request that the witness will keep his big, jingoistic prejudices under control?" Staccato demanded.

"Say that again?!"

"Watch your mouth." Princess Celestia said calmly, Cobbletrot quickly becoming cowed as his hat visibly popped off his head for a moment and he sheepishly ducked low behind the witness stand.

"Y-Yes, yer honor, I-I'm sorry, I...er...that is...kinda nervous. Had a lotta things on my mind. Like all those sexy chicks down at the Bloody Hooves. I've gotta sort through new hires and they're all such wonderful people its just so HARD to tell one I can't hire them."

"But they're all the same. Don't you have a thing for redheads in tight-fitting-?" Squirt began to say.

"HEY! How dare you sully my good ladies's names? THEM, the sexiest of all chicks!" He proclaimed, waving his staff in the air. "I put a lotta thought n' effort inta how I dress my girls, mate! Don't go bein' disrespectful! Those're all just rumors, don't you go believin' 'em!"

"Now then. Will the witness testify...withOUT expletives...as to what he was doing on the night of the crime?" Serge inquired.

"Nothing he said in the lobby was true. It was all falsehood and deceit. I could see it in his Kokoro." Staccato thought to himself. But he kept quiet on THAT, and calmly asked Cobbletrot to testify. "Go ahead, Pip. We're listening." Staccato said, frowning intently, thoughts racing as he looked back over at Serge, who gave him a smile.

"But how did you get into the water?"

"I-I stood up!" Shinedown said, gesticulating with his hooves. "And he was kidding around...."

A look of of slow, dawning horror came over his face as the levee finally broke and he let out a scream.

"...................he PUSHED ME!" He howled, holding the sides of his head. "AAAUUUUHHHH! AUHHH-HAAAAHH...WHY DID HE DO THAT?!? I LOVED HIM, I LOVED HIM-I...I HATED HIM! WHY DID HE PUSH ME?!?" Shinedown screeched, Fluttershy listening in from out in the hallway, holding her hoof up to her mouth in horror.

King just sat there, letting Shinedown get out the sound and fury within as it tumbled out from his mouth, as loud as a foghorn before the stallion finally managed to calm down somewhat, his every word tainted with near-uncontrollable sobs.

"I g-got back in the boat...he said to me "Y-you're so clumsy, if it weren't for me, you'd be dead". And I THANKED him! He pushed me in the water and I hated him so much for that and all I could do was thank him!?" The stallion managed to gasp out in between sobs.

"Why do you think you couldn't say you hated him?" The serpent anthro asked gently.

"I couldn't say that, I couldn't even think that, I loved him." Shinedown whispered. "I LOVED…him…loved him…"

…

…WITNESS TESTIMONY

"It was hot that night and I'd been having a lot to drink, so I went out for a walk, thinking, ya know, the air would do me some good. I passed by Barking at, oh...11:23. It was then I noticed somepony leaving out the back. I noticed because there was this shining light coming off them from the moonlight."

"Hmm." Staccato rubbed his chin. "…very well…"

"At night, of course, it was dark, especially in the part of town where Barking Asylum is. Are you certain you can identify the pony or creature leaving the asylum?"

"Ah 'course I can. Dark fur, dark hair, kinda skinny figure, sickly yellow eyes…in short, 'e looked like the defendant."

"HOLD ON!" Staccato cried out, slamming his fists into his palm. "Why didn't you interfere?"

"Because I was still drunk as a SKUNK." Cobbletroy snapped at him.

"Fair enough. What happened when you returned to the Bloody Hooves?" Serge requested, turning around again, arms held behind his back.

"Well, get this? My brother, Porker, told me my sister had been robbed?"

"Is this true?" Celestia inquired. "Ah, yes, I see it in the court record. A cigarette holder?"

"Yes ma'am. Her silver cigarette holder, something given to her by our aunt." He pointed his cigar squarely at Squirt. "An' that lil'…SQUIRT…stole it her like the little coward 'e is!"

"And where IS this cigarette holder now?" Celestia inquired.

"He nicked it already, I'll wager." Cobbletrot snapped.

"...something's off about this." Shinedown murmured. "...but I don't know what..."

"Lemme tell you all, tonight...I'm holdin' you accountable for my poor sister's lost cigarette lighter. That thing meant the world ta her." Cobbletrot snapped at Squirt, who buried his head in the desk and again and groaned. "And if I can't get it back, I want somethin' a' equal value. Like that stupid giant clock I saw you got. That hourglass is small but the sands are gold, ain't they?"

"And you're positive it was the defendant?"

"Do you see me lookin' at him? You already know I'm gonna accuse him."

"Well, we DID find was the magnifying glass...in Mr. Squirt's home, in case you forgot. It took time to get in through the enchanted door, I must say..." Twilight admitted. "But I cracked it! Here are the crime scene photos that we took." She went on, holding up a hoof with photographs in them to Staccato as he looked them over, Shinedown scanning them into the Court Record.

"The court accepts them into evidence."

Shinedown blinked, looking back from the Court Record to Cobbletrot before an idea slowly began to form...and he whispered in Staccato's ear.

"Look at Squirt's house. Look at that "statue"…"

Staccato began quickly shifting from the crime scene photographs to Cobbletrot to the letter they'd found before finally nodding, turning to Cobbletrot.

"I passed by Barking at, oh...11:23."

"You're sure you saw the defendant. You're sure you were walking by Barking at exactly 11:23 last night."

"EXACTLY."

"OBJECTION!" Staccato roared out, pointing dramatically with his finger. "I find that hard to believe!"

"Hard to believe? That ain't my problem, its the tru-"

"I'm sorry, that was poor word choice. I should have said IMPOSSIBLE." Staccato said, holding up the letter. "Because we found this badly burnt letter at Barking Asylum in a guard's locker. And we found it had your signature on it...along with what can be clearly recognized as a desire to acquire silver."

Cobbletrot's stogie burst in his mouth as he let out a gasp, his hat flying up into the air as he reeled. "GAH! Wh-what?! I...er...that..."

"He's down, but not out. He's got that defiant look in his eye..." Shinedown murmured. "I think he's got an excuse for even that."

"So I asked a guard to find me some silver. My sister lvoes silver stuff. It's why she's got that specific lighter." Cobbletrot said. "I'm just an' honest businessman."

"Don't you hate your sister? She's put up a restraining order against you for throwing stuff at her house. And calling her…um…well…" Shinedown cringed as he looked over a police report he'd brought with her.

"What's this word mean?" A young pony in the jury asked, pointing at it as Rarity blushed.

"Well you see my young foal, when a stallion and a mare love each other very much-"

"Furthermore...I think we can prove you weren't there at all that night."

Cobbletrot's smile sunk. "Whuh?"

"OBJECTION!" Serge roared out, slamming his hooves on the desk. "The witness might have been drunk last night, but he still could make out the defendant! HE'S not the one on trial here!"

"Perhaps he should. We've reason to believe that he was actually involved in these thefts...or rather, trying to frame Squirt for them."

"What proof do you have of that?" Serge snapped, Cobbletrot regaining his composure.

"Cobbletrot, recall your earlier testimonies. You made frequent references to sexy chicks. You spoke of how "tonight, I'm accusing you"..."

"Where is all this going?" Serge wanted to know.

"You just relax. I'D like to find what's going on too." Celestia insisted. "I assume the defense has a point they'd like to make?"

"The point is this...COBBLETROT WAS IN THE DEFENDANT'S HOUSE." Shinedown proclaimed. "He was there when Squirt was composing the lyrics in THIS notebook! Look at them and think about what Cobbletrot's already said to us!"

Staccato folded his arms across his chest with a proud grin. "Weasel out of THAT...Pipsqueak."

"You gotta be KIDDIN' me, kid." Squirt began to laugh, his head thrown back as he cackled. "I mean, REALLY? All that stuff's a coincidence! I know he said he was workin' on that thing in his house, but so what?"

Staccato and Shinedown were quiet. That was right. Keep going, you stupid idiot…

"I'd be more entertained looking at that giant clock o' his and watching the seconds tick by in its hourglass than-"

"You saying things that match poetry and songs that the defendant's been writing…that IS coincidence. But you remembering a very specific time that fits with something in the defendant's house…and something you just said earlier."

"What're you-ULP." Pipsqueak Cobbletrot the Third paled.

"You mentioned an HOURGLASS. You were referring to that "Grandfather statue", right?"

"Yeah, you can see it in that court record-wait." Serge blinked. "WAIT. That photo was JUST shown to the court." He said, the jury looking the court record picture over, seeing the Grandfather Time statue, which was holding a small hourglass in its hands with golden sands inside, a tiny little magical display number at the bottom reading "11:23". "…nobody knew until just now it could work as a clock!"

"But HE knew. And look. The thing's permanently stuck at 11:23. I guess while you were waiting for Squirt to fall asleep, you kept looking back to that clock. The time must have been burned into your head…that and the bad poetry he kept trying to practice." Shinedown told him.

"I believe the term is check…and…mate." Staccato finished, arms folding across his chest. "You were there. And I'll bet if we checked the crime scene AGAIN, we'd find hair that matches your own…wouldn't we? Now…I doubt you have an explanation for that.

"…no. But I do have this to say." Cobbletrot muttered, his face burning angrily as he whipped out a small gun from the holster in his hat, shooting at his stomach as everyone gasped in surprise…

The bullet bouncing off and striking Cobbletrot's hat off.

"Um…I'm made of METAL." Staccato said quietly, pinching the space between his eyes as Cobbletrot angrily screeched, leaping on him and beating him savagely in the face as guards rushed forward to pull him off.

"YA STINKIN' LOUSY-I'M GONNA BURY YOU!"

"Get that ruffian OUT OF MY COURT!" Princess Celestia demanded. "That's as good as a signed confession in my book!"

CObbletrot sneered darkly over at Squirt as he was dragged out of the courtroom. "YOU BETTER B--KING CRY!! YOU'RE GOING TA DIE, YOU HEAR ME!? I GOT MEN INSIDE THOSE PRISONS, AND THEY'RE GONNA GET YOU! THEY'LL GET YOU EVERY DAY YOU BLOODY-GAAAAAH!!!"

THOOM. The door slammed shut.

…

…Pipsqueak had been tied up and incarcerated in the lobby, with Jellybean lurking nearby behind a potted plant…and she was afraid as all heck. Pip had said he'd squeal on Jellybean helping him steal things if he was found guilty of the crime himself, and now Shinedown was walking over to him right now! She had to make her move!

"I really want to thank you. There's MORE than reasonable doubt to the whole case. Now Squirt's got an alibi in you..."

Pip glared darkly, about to open his mouth when...

"And you have an alibi in him."

Pip's mouth shut. "...what?"

Jellybean blinked. Wait, what?!

"Well, we have evidence of you asking guards to steal things and plans to sell them to Jinx...but we've no proof that they're the ones who actually stole them. Or that you actually sold them. Nothing proves you were there the night it was stolen. It's all circumstantial except for you planting stolen evidence. Not enough to really convict you on anything else. Of course..." He turned to Jellybean. "We still aren't sure who, specifically, STOLE all of the silver. Trying to find out THAT is a separate investigation on its own."

Shinedown brushed some of his hair back. "I'm only going to ask once. Whatever Jinx offered you...it isn't worth it. Just stop before it's too late." He said, turning to Jellybean. "...both of you." He added quietly, pulling out a small silver spoon, Jellybean's eyes going wide.

"H-How...did..."

"I found it in your room, Jellybean. Under a pile of trash in your garbage can. Clever hiding spot. And I'm going to submit it as being turned in by an "anonymous donor"...with me conveniently finding it at Fluttershy's house. Which is SOMEWHAT true."

"…always…you always have to do this? Have to…have to be lookin' out for me." Jellybean mumbled.

"I won't tell Fluttershy what you've done." Shinedown said gently, putting a hoof on her shoulder. But this time Jellybean didn't try to scream at him or shove him away. "And I know your dad's coming back to town next week, but I won't tell HIM either. There's only one thing I want you to do. " He told her dramatically, his eyes shining a bit like sapphires in the light of the lobby.

"What?"

"Go to your room."

"...WHAT?"

"You're GROUNDED, little missy."