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Judge:
Wh-Who was that!?
Twilight:
It was me, Your Honor.
Phoenix:
(Twilight!?)
Twilight:
Prosecutor Blueblood, I want you to clarify something for me.
Blueblood:
Prince, ple-
Twilight:
Blueblood, you said Coco saw the special fabric on the night of the murder, and that's what prompted her to go through with her plan to kill Overall?
Blueblood:
Excuse me!? You are to address me as--
Twilight:
Is that what you're claiming or not?!
Blueblood:
Argh! Yes! That is what I am claiming! What of it?
Twilight:
Can you please show us the fabric you are talking about?
Blueblood:
Surely you must have seen it for yourselves? It was left sitting in the dressing room. But if you insist on seeing it again, I had it brought into court today. Here it is. Are you happy?
Twilight:
Heh, just as I had thought.
Blueblood:
Wh-What is that supposed to mean?
Twilight:
I believe Mr. wright can answer that for me.
Phoenix:
! (Of course! Thanks, Twilight!) What she means, Prince Blueblood, is that the fabric you presented to the court is not the special fabric that Overall made.
Blueblood:
What!? No, it has to be! Playwright confirmed it when we asked him! This fabric is what Overall was commissioned to make for the theatre.
Phoenix:
Then let me rephrase my response. True, that is indeed the special fabric Overall was working on for the theatre that night. However, the fabric that you presented... ...is currently INCOMPLETE!!!
Blueblood:
Wh-WHAT!?
Judge:
order! order!!! Prince Blueblood, what is the meaning of this!?
Blueblood:
I... I...
Judge:
I find it hard to believe that the defendant would've murdered the victim for a roll of incomplete fabric!
Blueblood:
Th-Then that's it! She must not have known it was incomplete!
Phoenix:
How is that possible? She and the victim not only worked together, but they LIVED together! There's no way she wouldn't have known what the fabric was supposed to look like!
Blueblood:
Rrgh! Well...maybe she thought she could finish the fabric on her own!
Phoenix:
Okay. Let's test that theory, then, shall we? Mr. Playwright!
Playwright:
Y-Yes?
Phoenix:
I recall you said something in your testimony earlier regarding the fabric Overall was working on that night.
Playwright:
He came onstage briefly to discuss something with me, and then he left right before the intermission ended. He said he and his assistant had to start working on coating a new sheet of fabric in paint.
Phoenix:
If you don't mind me asking, what exactly was this "paint?"
Playwright:
Fluorescent paint. The fabric was supposed to be covered in both that paint, and a touch of glitter.
Blueblood:
And what does that prove!? Miss Pommel would have known that - you said so yourself!
Phoenix:
It's not about whether or not she would've known about it, but whether or not she could gain access to it.
Blueblood:
What do you mean? She was going to inherit all of Overall's assets. The fluorescent paint and glitter would've been included in that as well!
Phoenix:
True, she would've inherited whatever Overall had left, but what about after she ran out?
Blueblood:
What!?
Phoenix:
This fabric was meant to be used in the next play at Bridleway Theatre. Naturally, that means Coco would've had to make more if she intended on using it in the contest. And making more fabric...means buying more paint.
Blueblood:
And how is that an issue? She would've inherited all of Overall's money. Buying a few cans of paint would've been nothing!
Phoenix:
Not this paint, I'm afraid.
Blueblood:
Explain yourself!
Phoenix:
Yesterday, when we were investigating the theatre, Rarity, one of the most fashion-forward ponies in Equestria, had a few things to say about this fluorescent paint.
Rarity:
Fluorescent paint? Such a thing exists? Where can I get this paint? It might help me in my business.
Rarity:
I still wonder where he got this paint. It must've been awfully expensive, especially since he used so much of it.
Phoenix:
If Rarity hadn't even heard of the paint, let alone considered it to be cheap, then I doubt this paint is anywhere near as accessible, or affordable, as regular paint. Even if Coco were able to find and buy some, do you really think she'd be able to do so before the contest deadline... ...or spend that much of her newly earned money on a chance that the fabric would be good enough to win a contest? If she lost, she'd have a very hard time making that money back.
Blueblood:
If you look at the fabric by itself, it's already relatively nice to look at, even without all the bells and whistles the victim added to it. She could've just entered the base fabric itself into the contest.
Phoenix:
Maybe so, but you can't deny that this evidence blows a hole in your theory that Coco killed Overall for this fabric.
Judge:
Mr. Wright has a point, Prince Blueblood. The motive you proposed isn't very persuasive given this new information. Do you have anything else against the defendant that proves she committed this crime?
Blueblood:
Hmph! Of course, Your Honor. I have yet to produce the most damaging piece of evidence to this court.
Judge:
I-is that so!?
Phoenix:
(So we're finally going to see what he was talking about earlier.)
Blueblood:
Indeed, Your Honor. And I'll have Playwright explain what I mean.
Playwright:
Huh? Me?
Blueblood:
Witness, when you found Miss Pommel on the catwalk that night, did you notice anything odd about her?
Playwright:
Well, as I said earlier, she seemed rather dazed...
Blueblood:
And what about her hooves? Did you notice anything in particular about them?
Playwright:
Oh! That's right!
Judge:
What is it, witness?
Playwright:
Miss Pommel's forehooves...when I discovered her on top of the catwalk...they were covered in glitter!
Phoenix:
WHAT!?
Judge:
The defendant's forehooves were covered in glitter? What does this mean?
Blueblood:
Allow me to explain, Your Honor. Recall that Miss Pommel and Mr. Concept were working in the dressing room prior to the crime. During the course of their work, the defendant must have gotten her hooves covered in glitter.
Judge:
Oh! So the glitter marks on the fabric roll...!
Blueblood:
Precisely, Your Honor. They were left behind by Miss Pommel when she used it to hit the victim.
Phoenix:
No...this can't be...
Blueblood:
And now, the prosecution would like to submit our final piece of evidence - the noose.
Judge:
The noose itself?
Blueblood:
The court is no doubt aware of the fact that this is the noose used to hang the victim to death. Though I have yet to reveal a crucial detail concerning this noose. We have discovered that, just like the fabric roll, there are traces of glitter on it.
Twilight:
T-traces of glitter...
Blueblood:
Considering that there was only one conscious pony on the catwalk that could've committed the crime, the only logical inference is that Ms. Pommel is the culprit. But knowing that she had glitter left on her hooves and that there was glitter on both the fabric roll and the noose, it has become crystal clear... ...that Ms. Pommel was the one who knocked the victim out, wrapped the noose around his neck, and killed him!
Phoenix:
NGH!
Judge:
That seems to be very decisive evidence! The one who touched the rope was Miss Pommel herself.
Rope updated in the Court Record.
Blueblood:
Of course. There's no other way it could be anypony else. I presume a guilty verdict is in order, Your Honor?
Judge:
It would seem that way.
Phoenix:
But what about the motive!? It's unlikely that Coco would've killed for a fabric that she had no reliable way of reproducing!
Blueblood:
You're still obsessing over that? Perhaps she merely killed him for his other designs, or maybe just his money? The defendant has a laundry list of potential motives, attorney. That fact doesn't disappear by virtue of you pointing out that the completed version of the fabric was not at the theatre that night, you know.
Phoenix:
!!!
Blueblood:
Besides, who can say for certain what was going through that demented pony's head that night? For all we know, the defendant may have a motive beyond our wildest imaginations. What matters, though, is that all of the evidence points to her as the one responsible for this crime. The glitter on her hooves, the fabric roll, the noose itself, and being found at the scene with no chance that anypony else had slipped away unnoticed.
Playwright:
...
Blueblood:
All of it points to one simple conclusion: Coco Pommel murdered Overall Concept in cold blood!
Judge:
Order! Order in the court! Mr. Wright.
Phoenix:
Yes, Your Honor?
Judge:
Prince Blueblood has presented a very convincing case, even if the motive is somewhat unclear at the moment. I'm afraid, if you have nothing further to add, then I will have no choice but to end the trial. This is your last chance, Mr. Wright. Do you have anything else to present to this court to counter the prosecution's claims?
Blueblood:
Hmph. Of course he doesn't. If he did, he would've presented it a long time ago.
Phoenix:
(This is it! If I mess up here, the trial's over. I need to present something that casts significant doubt over Blueblood's claims. And I believe he may have unintentionally given me just the hint I needed.) Your Honor, I do indeed have something to present to the court at this time.
Blueblood:
What!? How could you possibly--!?
Judge:
Now, now, Prince Blueblood. Save your surprise for AFTER you've seen what it is Mr. Wright has to present.
Blueblood:
Grrr...
Judge:
Mr. Wright, please present this piece of evidence to the court.
Phoenix:
Yes, Your Honor.
Judge:
Is that...a torn piece of fabric?
Blueblood:
Really? That's it? That's your "big" piece of evidence?
Phoenix:
Perhaps not in terms of its physical size, but certainly in the hole it'll create in your argument.
Blueblood:
Rgh! Cease your smug little remarks and explain, human!
Phoenix:
(You're the last pony I want to hear that from, Blueblood!) Very well. We found this ripped piece of fabric during our investigation of the stage. It was right below the center of the catwalk.
Blueblood:
I fail to understand how this relates to anything discussed thus far.
Phoenix:
Well, how about we let the one who requested the fabric explain it to us, then.
Playwright:
Huh? M-Me?
Phoenix:
Playwright, you were the one who asked Overall Concept to make this fabric, correct?
Playwright:
Yes. We needed it for our next play.
Phoenix:
For your next play. Meaning none of the costumes for the play on the night of the murder used this fabric?
Playwright:
That is correct.
Judge:
Where are you going with this, Mr. Wright?
Phoenix:
It's simple, Your Honor. If the fabric wasn't being used on the night of the crime... ...then why did we find a piece of it on the stage afterwards!?
Blueblood:
That piece of fabric could've found its way there at any point. It's impossible for you to prove when exactly it wound up there!
Phoenix:
I may not be able to prove the exact time it ended up on stage, but I can definitely prove it was after the play's intermission.
Blueblood:
H-How!?
Phoenix:
Recall Playwright's testimony for a moment. He had this to say about what was happening on stage during the 15-minute intermission.
Playwright:
Well, they had to completely clear the stage of all the props, as well as any debris that could cause problems for the actors on stage, mainly tripping hazards.
Blueblood:
The stagehooves had to... clear the stage! NO!
Phoenix:
If this piece of fabric had been on-stage before intermission, it would've been cleared off by the time the second act had begun. After all, there's no way Playwright would've allowed for anything less! Am I right, witness?
Playwright:
Absolutely. It's out of the question that I would have let the play continue if something like this was still on-stage. I mean, it could've distracted the audience, or ruined the concentration of one of the performers!
Phoenix:
So you see, Prince Blueblood, there's no way this piece of fabric was on the stage before the intermission.
Blueblood:
The victim came onstage during the intermission to talk to Playwright about the fabric. It's possible he could've accidentally dropped that piece on the stage then, and it simply went unnoticed because the stage had already been cleaned!
Phoenix:
Sorry, but that's also impossible.
Blueblood:
Wh-Why is that?
Phoenix:
Let's go back to Playwright's testimony one more time.
Playwright:
He came onstage briefly to discuss something with me, and then he left right before the intermission ended. He said he and his assistant had to start working on coating a new sheet of fabric in paint.
Phoenix:
If you examine this fabric closely, you'll notice that it's covered in glitter. Not only that, but if we were to turn off the lights in this courtroom, I'm sure you'll realize that it's also covered in fluorescent paint. However, according to Playwright, Overall didn't start covering his fabric in paint until AFTER he had come on-stage.
Blueblood:
RGH!
Judge:
Then...what does this mean, Mr. Wright?
Phoenix:
This piece of fabric proves two things: the first is that someone brought it up to the catwalk during the second act of the play.
Judge:
The...catwalk?
Blueblood:
And what ridiculous train of logic are we meant to board to arrive at that conclusion?
Phoenix:
Well, there's simply no other way for it to have landed on the stage, right? No one could've brought it to the stage directly without being seen, so the only conceivable option must be that it came from above.
Blueblood:
Tch! ...Fine! And what's the second thing that piece of fabric supposedly proves?
Phoenix:
Isn't it obvious? It proves that, at the theatre that night, there existed at least one sheet of Overall's special fabric that had been completed!
Blueblood:
That's...ABSURD!
Blueblood:
But-But how is that possible? I thought the police only found one sheet of the fabric, and it was the incomplete version!
Phoenix:
Which can only mean that the other sheet was stolen from the theatre that night! A third party must have escaped with it!
Blueblood:
You are either desperate beyond belief or have gone completely insane, human attorney! There's no way a third party could exist!
Phoenix:
Well then, why don't you explain what this means, then? This piece of fabric clearly proves that the completed fabric was there at the theatre that night, so why didn't the police find it!?
Blueblood:
Hmph. Simple. The defendant had hidden it prior to the crime. She must have been planning to steal the one sheet of fabric all along. When Overall Concept saw that it was missing, THAT'S when Coco attacked him. I suspect she hid it in a spot where none of us could even find it, which is why it is still missing, even now.
Phoenix:
That's impossible. The discovery of a piece of fabric on-stage proves that it was out in the open somewhere. The stage was cleared in preparation for act two. The fabric must've been taken either on or above the stage during the second act of the play. Otherwise, we wouldn't have this piece with us today. In fact, Playwright, I need you to clarify something for me.
Playwright:
And what would that be?
Phoenix:
After the crime occurred, was there someone watching the stage at all times?
Playwright:
Yes, there would always be somepony either on or watching the stage. The fabric would've been noticed if it was brought on stage at any given moment.
Phoenix:
That settles it, then. This indicates that the fabric HAD to have gone up the catwalk once the second act started, which means Coco couldn't have hidden the fabric beforehand. It must have gotten torn somehow, and a piece fell to the stage below!
Blueblood:
You've forgotten that if somepony went up that catwalk with that fabric during the second act, they would've been spotted holding it by Playwright or the stagehooves on the right wing of the stage! If that fabric glows in the dark, then it should've been almost impossible to miss. But none of the theatre staff have said anything about seeing somepony carrying a glowing sheet of fabric up the catwalk.
Phoenix:
(He's right. Even if you take the stagehooves out of the picture, Playwright definitely would've noticed if the victim had been carrying that fabric.) Then I'll propose another theory.
Blueblood:
Another theory?
Phoenix:
Playwright said in his testimony he only got a small glimpse of Overall running up the stairs.
Blueblood:
Correct. And what of it?
Phoenix:
Well, what if there was somepony ahead of Overall? Then Playwright wouldn't have been able to see them, meaning a third party could have been involved from the start!
Playwright:
!?
Blueblood:
Oh, please! Like that's even possible!
Phoenix:
What do you mean?
Blueblood:
If this third pony exists, then how did miss Pommel not see them? If she was following Mr. Concept the entire time, there's no way the defendant would've missed this third pony escaping. At the very least, she should have seen them on the catwalk. Yet has she mentioned such a thing? No. So, how do you explain that, attorney?
Phoenix:
Actually, it's quite simple.
Blueblood:
Simple? Hmph, this should be good.
Phoenix:
When I spoke to Miss Pommel, she told me that she had been suffering from memory loss and headaches. I believe it's possible that during the crime, she was knocked unconscious by this third party, and the headaches and memory loss was the side effect from her being knocked unconscious.
Blueblood:
Do you really expect me to believe the nonsense you're spouting!? You do realize that you're speaking for the defendant, right? She's obviously lying to save her own flank! Even if she were hit on the head hard enough to leave a bruise, what makes you think that this incident happened that night, and not the day before?! And what kind of weapon would this mystery third party have used to knock her out?! I demand you show evidence that she was struck on the head the night of the murder!
Phoenix:
Gladly! Here it is!
Judge:
The fabric roll?
Blueblood:
And how does this prove anything?
Phoenix:
Before the trial started, we noticed that there was some glitter stuck in her mane. I believe this is the result of being struck by the fabric roll!
Blueblood:
How in Equestria would that result in glitter getting stuck in her mane? Splinters and wood chips, maybe, but certainly not glitter!
Phoenix:
Well, as you pointed out, there are traces of glitter on the roll. What if some of it ended up in Coco's mane as a result of getting hit with it?
Blueblood:
Preposterous! The glitter on that roll came from when the defendant held it in her hooves to attack the victim !
Phoenix:
Can you prove that that's the exact scenario that caused the glitter to end up on the roll?
Blueblood:
W-Well, no, but how else could it have gotten there?
Phoenix:
Let's stop and think about where this roll came from - the dressing room. I think it's very likely that the roll could've gotten covered in glitter there.
Judge:
What do you mean, Mr. Wright?
Phoenix:
Here's what I think: Coco and Overall were working in the dressing room prior to the crime. During the course of their work, they must have scattered glitter around the table, where this roll may have been sitting. In fact, yesterday, when I investigated the dressing room, I found a can of glitter that clearly showed signs of spillage, sitting right next to the other roll of fabric. After this third party stole the sheet of fabric, they were spotted, and ran off. Overall must have grabbed the nearby fabric roll as he gave chase, likely hoping to use it to stop the thief. However, once he reached the top of the catwalk, he tripped, and dropped the roll. The thief took advantage of this, and used the roll to knock out both Overall and Coco, who had followed her teacher up the catwalk in pursuit of the thief.
Blueblood:
That sounds absolutely ludicrous.
Phoenix:
But can you deny the possibility?
Blueblood:
With ease. First off, even if this third party managed to make it all the way up to the catwalk without being spotted by Playwright... ...how would they have managed to get down without being seen by the stagehooves in the left wing? Not to mention, if the fabric roll left glitter in Coco's mane, then why didn't it also leave glitter in Overall's mane when he was knocked
unconscious?
Phoenix:
Well, you see, that's...that's...um...
Blueblood:
You see, Mr. Wright? Your theory makes absolutely no sense. It's inconceivable that a third party could exist, because there's no way they could've escaped without being spotted by Playwright or the stagehooves!
Phoenix:
(Gr! He's right! How am I supposed to prove that the third party was able to get away when the left side of the stage was being watched? And I don't even know where to begin with Overall's mane!)
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