The Cupcakes Incident

The 'Cupcakes Incident' is the very first story arc of the My Little Pony: Ace Attorney series. The arc loosely follows the events of the popular Friendship is Magic fanfiction, Cupcakes, by Sgt. Sprinkles.

Origin of the Assistant
About a year after the arrival of Phoenix Wright to Ponyville, an incident involving Jade, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy became a serious problem. It began when the 'Bloodmare' Jade had moved into town following Sexy Leotard  to bring her and Rainbow Dash (the two had an unresolved breakup following their high school graduation) back together. Their attempts were successful, and Jade had moved into town to be with her lover.

However, there was a problem: Fluttershy, the gentle and kind pegasus, was visciously in love with Rainbow Dash. When she learned of the two becoming a couple, she became enraged and jealous to the point of becoming a violent mix of hatred and revenge. She personally threatened Jade to leave Rainbow Dash alone, or something would happen. Jade, not believing Fluttershy to actually act upon her threat, ignored her completely. Days later, Fluttershy attacked Jade and made clear her threat once more. Jade, now sure that the pegasus had the physical strength to actually hurt her, decided not to take any chances. She decided to tell her girlfriend, Rainbow, about Fluttershy's threats and attack. Unfortunately, Dash doesn't believe her. Indeed, no matter who Jade would go to, it was impossible for anyone to truly think that the innocent little Fluttershy could do such a thing.

Jade eventually goes to Applejack for advice. While skeptical, the earth pony informs Jade that the best way to fend off a threatener is to beat them at their own game. Fight back. Jade takes this advice, and sees to it that Fluttershy catches her and Rainbow Dash together as a way to get the pegasus to meet her in private again. She takes the bait, and she follows Jade into the Everfree Forest to tell her off once more. Jade taunts her, until she attacks again. Taking AJ's advice, Jade retaliates and injures Fluttershy greatly. The pegasus runs off in fear, and Jade claims a victory.

However, things quickly take a wrong turn. With everyone already thinking Jade was acting crazy with her 'ridiculous' accusations of Fluttershy, the aformentioned pegasus uses the bruise and markings from Jade's attack on her to her advantage. She tells everypony that Jade had attacked her in the woods, and the entire town is quick to believe her. Eventually, Jade is regarded as dangerous and borderline psychologically damaged. Outraged, Jade demands to be taken to Fluttershy to fully explain things. Phoenix and Twilight, whom had called the authorities after learning of her 'attack' on Fluttershy, decide to give Jade a chance, and they take her to Fluttershy's cottage. While there, they leave the two alone to discuss things.

Inside the house, Fluttershy taunts Jade. She tells her that she had won, and that no one would ever believe her anymore. She would have Rainbow Dash all to herself, while Jade rots in an insane asylum for something she hadn't done. Enraged, Jade viciously beats Fluttershy. To her dismay, Twilight returns to check on the two, and witnesses the attack. Now positive that Jade was a dangerous lunatic, she calls for Phoenix, who quickly has the pony arrested and thrown into a truck guarded by police, to be taken away and brought to an insane asylum. While being hauled away, she sees Rainbow Dash one last time, but unfortunately, the pegasus also believes that the asylum would be best for her. Jade is taken away, truly falling into madness after all these events.

While waiting for the truck to take her away, Jade is visited by Pinkie Pie. The party pony asks Jade if she would like to help her around the bakery.

The Beginning: Pinkamena's Descent
Pinkamena Diane Pie was the local sugar-loving social earth pony. She was the one destined to possess the Element of Laughter, something she was sure to live up to. She loved parties and sweets almost as much as she loved her friends. Well before Phoenix Wright had moved into town, Pinkie had worked at Sugarcube Corner as a baker. She also lived there with the Cakes, and they made delicious baked goods for all of Ponyville. Sugarcube Corner had a basement where supplies (such as flour, sugar, etc.) were brought in boxes to be unpacked. It was very empty, though large. Pinkie had often commented that it was big enough to have a party in, an idea she never really acted on.

Then came a day where the Cakes were out of town. They hadn't been out together in a while, and needless to say, they wanted some alone time. With Pinkie running the bakery, everything was going smoothly... until nightfall of the Cakes' first day out. Working alone and putting supplies away before going to bed, Pinkie came across a strange shadow in the wall of the basement. Curious, she went in for a closer look, only to be seized by a skeletal hand and dragged through. She screamed, but no one heard her. No one came to help.

She ended up in a cellar of sorts. A torture chamber, to be precise. Scared and confused, she's soon approached by a black furred creature with a skull for a head. He tells her his name, Detritus, and informs her that she is his prisoner. He refused to answer any of her questions. All she knew was that he had chosen her for a specific reason, and that she would be there for a long, long time.

Indeed, she was. Months upon months had passed. Pinkie was tortured daily by Detritus' closest assistant, Red Edge. The malicious servant had starved her frequently, only to feed her pony flesh and organs when she was about to fall apart from hunger. Too hungry to care, she often ate the bodies of her own kind just to satiate her stomach pains. She lived in horrible conditions for so long, it was only a matter of time before something in her brain snapped. And it did. Months of being treated this way by Red Edge broke her mind. Eventually, she began to anticipate the punishments from Red Edge and the guards, often giving them specific orders of where she wanted to be hit. She grew so used to the taste of pony flesh that it became her favorite food. She eagerly awaited feeding time, as she knew she would get some tasty new organs to munch on. Red Edge soon introduced a number system in order to see which deceased prisoner would be Pinkie's new dinner. She made a game out of the system, often guessing which fellow prisoner would be her next meal.

In Ponyville, the searches had ceased. Her friends had accepted that she was gone. Not even Princess Celestia could locate the party pony. She had disappeared from the face of Equestria, and any plans to find her were eventually abandoned. It was over. Pinkie Pie was gone. Unfortunately, the opposite was true. She was alive, and she was bloodthirsty.

In Detritus' chambers, a day came where he decided to pay his number one prisoner a visit. He saw the state Pinkie was in, and applauded Red Edge for an effective job. Detritus' motives were never explained to Pinkie. All that she knew was that the supposed 'Elements of Chaos' demanded it, but she had no idea what he meant by that. Either way, the time had come to release Pinkie Pie back to her home town of Ponyville. She was unhappy about the idea; she had grown to love her miserable life in the torture chamber, and she loved the new food she was given. And that was when Detritus pitched an idea:

"Oh c'mon, don't be so glum. Think about it; does this fantastic lifestyle really have to end?"

He told her what she should do. Since she was so hooked on the taste of pony flesh, she could easily just encorporate ponies into the Sugarcube Corner menu! All she had to do was disguise it a little bit, and her customers would be none the wiser!

She loved the idea. But she knew she had to be careful. One wrong move and she would be discovered, and who knows what would happen to her if she were caught. She decided on using Red Edge's number system as a means to randomizing the next pony she would bake. It was a win-win situation: She would get to give them the joy of partying with her and then let them help their friends by feeding their empty bellies! Perfect!

She was quickly brought back to Sugarcube Corner, where she emerged with a false image. To keep anyone from suspecting her of what she was about to do, they needed to believe that she was still the lovable Pinkie Pie who was innocent and kind. And they did. She lied, telling them that she had been kidnapped by Diamond Dogs and had to fight for months to get back. They bought it, and they welcomed her back with hugs and smiles.

Pinkie got right to work. Soon, reports were floating in from all over Equestria, and there wasn't a single town or pony that didn't know about it: The massive disappearences around the little town known as Ponyville. No one suspected a thing, and no one had ever thought to check the basement of Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie Pie was hard at work, feeding Ponyville new and delicious baked goods every day.

A Team Effort
In the present day, the mysterious disappearences of many ponies was still problematic. The crimes were never solved, and residents were vanishing on a daily basis. It eventually becomes the exact reason why Phoenix Wright had moved into Ponyville in the first place: To investigate and end the strange case of the missing ponies.

With Phoenix now in town, the case had become mainstream again. The search for the truth had once again begun. Pinkie now needed to be more careful than ever with Phoenix in town, as she knew he'd be hot on her tail if she slipped up.

One fateful day, she had learned that Jade, a pony who had recently moved into town, was losing her mind. Interested, she decided to look further into the matter. She found out just what was going on, and came to the conclusion that Jade needed her help. While waiting to be taken to the insane asylum, Jade is visited by Pinkie Pie, and is asked if she wants to help cook some cupcakes. Unsure of what was going on, but eager to get out of having to go to an asylum, Jade accepts, and Pinkie shows her the ropes.

Jade is gone now. Her mind is just as broken as Pinkie's. The two work together to bake and create new tasty treats, and the rate of disappearences doubles. It isn't long before Jade asks Pinkie something: Was it possible to disregard the random number system for just one occasion? Pinkie agreed to the idea, and asked what the occasion was. Jade explained:

"Revenge on that yellow-furred bitch."

The Bloody Finale
Jade wanted Fluttershy to pay for turning her into what she'd become. The trash needed to be thrown out, and it was finally garbage day.

Jade captures Fluttershy and brings her to the basement. Pinkie ignores the scenario, busy making a new 'dress' out of pony skins. Jade then proceeds to injure Fluttershy with many small slices across her skin, though she does nothing fatal. When the pegasus finally bursts into hysterics and begins shouting apologies, Jade lets her go, stating that she wasn't a killer. That was Pinkie's job. Fluttershy escapes, though now mentally scarred.

It isn't long before the pegasus tells her then girlfriend, Rainbow Dash, exactly what happened. Shocked, Rainbow warns Phoenix ahead of time and visits the bakery herself, allowing Wright ample time to alert the authorities. Meanwhile, before Dash arrives, Pinkamena is tricked by Jade into lowering her guard. She kills the insane party pony, and bakes her into her own special cupcake. She sees Dash outside of the bakery and decides to get ready for another scare session.

After catching Rainbow by surprise, she attaches her to the table below the basement. She angrily shouts at Dash, hating her for not believing that Fluttershy had threatened her and allowing her to be taken to an asylum. After a long and emotional arguement, Rainbow Dash is finally released, and she heads outside. Jade follows, only to be greeted by Phoenix Wright, holding a pistol in his hands and aiming at her. Ready to die, Jade leaves herself open, and Wright has no choice but to shoot her.

The mysterious disappearences were finally solved. The horrible truth was too much for even the strongest of ponies, and the healing that was required was long and hard. Fluttershy went on medication for her mental trauma, and Rainbow Dash would forever have that memory with her. All of Ponyville took time to heal, but eventually, it did. Peace returned to the town, and the Cupcakes Incident was finally over.

A long while later, both Pinkamena and Jade would be revived as clones by Dr. Mint. The two would however lose their psychotic personalities and return to the form they were before the incident. However, the two still have memories of the event, and they both now do anything they can to keep themselves from reliving that terrible time.