| Crusading for a Turnabout - Part 5 | |
|---|---|
 ~Stop All the Clocks~ | |
| Date added | May 14, 2022 |
| Duration | 1:18:40 |
| Transcript | Available |
| Part of | My Little Ace Attorney: Elements of Justice |
| ⇐ Crusading for a Turnabout - Part 4 |
⇒ Crusading for a Turnabout - Part 6 |
Athena, Twilight, and their friends return to Twilight's castle to bring Spike up to speed on the case. Although Scootaloo and Turning Page have been found not guilty of murdering Royal Order, suspicion has now fallen upon Sweetie Belle and the mailpony Sugar Stamp, and Rarity is utterly distraught over her little sister's arrest. Rainbow Dash, still bitter that Sweetie Belle kept quiet about the night of the murder and did nothing to help Scootaloo since then, believes she deserves to be arrested. This causes a heated argument between her and Rarity, who is upset over Rainbow Dash's continued harassment toward Sweetie Belle and interprets her behavior as a declaration of Sweetie Belle's guilt.
When Applejack fails to break the two up, Apple Bloom angrily steps in, sympathizing with both but asserting that helping Sweetie Belle matters most. Athena and Twilight vow to defend Sweetie Belle in court as they did for Scootaloo and Turning Page, and they recap what they believe to have been Royal Order's movements the night he was killed:
- Royal Order teleported to Froggy Bottom Bog, where he was infected by poison joke.
- He cloned himself with the Mirror Pool; one Royal Order went to the Everfree Forest clearing, and the other to the Nightmare Night statue.
- As the first Royal Order made his way to the statue, Scootaloo crashed into him at the crossroads. He then made his way to the statue, where he was killed and his body was devoured by Timberwolves.
- The second Royal Order was killed in the clearing. His body was then transported to the Castle of the Two Sisters, along with Scootaloo's scooter and wagon, presumably by Sugar Stamp.
The group decides to question Sweetie Belle (as well as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon about the blackmailing scheme) and investigate the forest crossroads and clearing, while Applejack and Apple Bloom head home.
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At the detention center, the group is informed by one of the royal guards that Sweetie Belle is still being questioned by police. In addition, Scootaloo and Turning Page were picked up by Turning's mother Fair Devotion after their release from custody, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were bailed out by their wealthy parents, and Private Eye and his investigation team are currently tracking down Sugar Stamp. Rarity decides to stay at the detention center until the police are done interrogating Sweetie Belle (with Apollo volunteering to keep her company) while the rest of the group heads to Fair Devotion's house.
At Fair Devotion's house, the group checks in on her, Scootaloo, and Turning Page to see how they are faring after the trial's conclusion. Among the subjects discussed in the ensuing conversation include Princess Luna's vast pre-trial knowledge and counterproductive decision not to share any of it with the defense, the still-unknown identity of the anonymous tip that led to Turning Page being arrested, and Scootaloo's growing concern about Sweetie Belle and the overall nature of this case.
When the subject turns to Royal Order, Fair Devotion reveals that he only recently started having extended stays in Canterlot, but she is vague about the reason why. Royal Order even had a travel case with him during those extended stays, but it was seized by police as evidence. When Trucy notices a nearby calendar and makes a note of the current date – Hearts and Hooves Day – Fair Devotion mentions she and Royal would have had dinner plans that evening if not for the incident with Spoiled Rich and Royal's subsequent death. It is also revealed that Fair Devotion and Sugar Stamp are childhood friends.
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Next, the group stops by Diamond Tiara's house to speak with her and Silver Spoon. The two confirm what was already discovered during the trial to have transpired the night Royal Order was killed: a fight broke out when Scootaloo and Turning Page came to negotiate for Scootaloo's stolen belongings, Turning threw Diamond's tiara into the gorge, and Diamond and Silver discovered Royal Order's dead body after retrieving the tiara. When the group shares that Sweetie Belle has been arrested on suspicion of killing Royal Order, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon insist they do not know anything.
When the subject turns to Silver Spoon's glasses, she resents having to wear such bulky eyewear in order to see clearly. Athena sympathizes with her, having been forced by her mother to wear special headphones as a child to dampen her heightened sense of hearing. While she initially resented her mother for being forced to wear them, Athena later realized it was out of motherly concern. Silver Spoon also wishes her parents, who work at Ponyville Hospital, spent more time with her, but Diamond Tiara assures her as long as they are best friends, she will never be alone.
On their way out of Diamond Tiara's house, Phoenix mentions to the others that he noticed – and took a picture of – magazines in Diamond Tiara's trash can. These magazines are similar to the ones used to compose the blackmail letter, giving credence to the belief that Diamond Tiara planted the magazines in Fair Devotion's house.
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Finally, the group goes to the Everfree Forest to investigate the crossroads and clearing, finding Apollo there attempting to gain entry into the forest himself, but the guards refuse to let anyone enter until Private Eye returns from Canterlot. As the group discusses what to do next, Sonata appears. She quickly deduces that Athena intends to defend Sweetie Belle in court and offers her consolation for the mistakes she made during the trial (namely, falsely accusing Zecora).
Sonata relates to Athena the role she played in Turnabout Storm as the manager of star athlete Ace Swift and co-conspirator in many blackmailing schemes. Since the events of that case, Sonata turned her life around and, inspired by Phoenix, pursued a career in law to help those in need. Although she is unable to grant the group entry into the forest, she informs them that Private Eye has just returned from Canterlot – with Sugar Stamp.
Back at the detention center, Private Eye informs Athena and company that Sweetie Belle is once again being questioned, and he agrees to grant them access to the crime scene once their business at the detention center is finished. He also reveals that evidence found in Sugar Stamp's home confirms her connection to Royal Order's death. However, that evidence is currently in police custody, and any examination of it is ultimately pointless because Sugar Stamp has already confessed to murdering Royal Order. Private Eye also has no information regarding the anonymous tip or Royal Order's travel case.
With that, the group decides to speak with Sugar Stamp. She gives no clear reason for confessing to Royal Order's murder or even a motive for committing it in the first place. Because of this, the case is considered closed. Further questioning reveals that Sugar Stamp is very close with Fair Devotion (whom Sugar Stamp refers to by the nickname "Deva") and her late husband Royal Order, both of whom visited Sugar Stamp in Canterlot often and gave her emotional support ever since her husband died of a heart attack half a year prior.
All of a sudden, Apple Bloom bursts into the detention center to inform everyone of a break-in at Carousel Boutique. The group races to the boutique in the hopes of catching the intruder before they escape.
Trivia[]
- Guard #2's hostility was originally written as more subtle in this episode, but after fan reception to his character in previous episodes was largely negative, he was written to be even more hostile.
- Similarly, fan reception to Guard #3 (later named Cinnamon Swirl) was largely positive, resulting in her and Guard #1 (Sterling Spade) having expanded roles in this episode and the Bonds of Justice side-series.
- Athena mentions Jinxie Tenma, a central character in the Ace Attorney case The Monstrous Turnabout.