//------------------------------// // 9: The Two Powers // Story: The Lawyer and The Unicorn (T-Rated Version) // by Firesight //------------------------------// Despite a generally good evening, Maya Fey found herself in a very brooding mood. Nick and Sparkle… they’re lovers now, she knew beyond any and all doubt as she went to bed that night, not long after the movie had concluded. In truth, she’d wanted to watch it as much for the three-hour distraction as to show their Equestrian guests some human cinema, happy to see Pearly sitting between the pair as they watched, being doted on by both. She’d sensed their consummation the previous night, faraway bursts of Equestrian magic registering on her mystical awareness like distant fireworks, and seeing them on arrival in Kurain had all but confirmed it when she saw their tired but happy faces and the loving looks Sparkle was giving him. Well, that’s it then… she sighed as she bedded down and switched off the light, staring up into the darkened ceiling. They did it, and… now what? She wondered again what it meant for her, what it meant for them, whether or not Nick was going to return to Equestria with her, never to be seen again. He would not so readily abandon you, Maya… she heard her sister’s voice reminding her, patient and reassuring in her head. And Twilight respects you and does not wish to hurt you. Can you not be happy for them, as a friend should? Sis! her eyes went wide with surprise—it was rare her sister’s spirit came to her, but under certain circumstances it was possible… and as she probed the surrounding ether with her mind, she realized that one such set of circumstances was met. Her mystical awareness sensed a great deal of spiritual energy in the vicinity, far more than was normal even for Kurain. The reason the village had been established in that particular mountain valley was because it was a natural locus of such power; a place where the boundaries between the physical and spirit planes were weak and it became far easier to channel spirits for it. It was also a two-way street in that spirits can and did cross over themselves, through dreams and sometimes even more directly. When the mystical mana levels were particularly high as they were then—and the Kurain technique had no means of predicting when such surges would occur—spirits were even able to physically affect the mortal plane. Though curious at the portent, Maya’s mind remained with Phoenix, just happy he and Sparkle were sleeping apart for their stay—she wasn’t sure she could take the magical bursts associated with their lovemaking at close range. She remembered Franziska’s words about being afraid of change and nodded ruefully to herself. I’m trying, Mia! But I can’t help it. I’m just so afraid of losing him… she told her sister again, curling up into a ball. Franny’s probably right… hell, I know she is, but… she exhaled softly again, wishing she could could just turn off her mind and all thoughts of the pair; even switch off her mystical awareness for the duration. But the heart knows what it wants, and mere logic and reason rarely dissuades it, Mia’s voice sounded again. Perhaps the question you must now ask yourself is… what do YOU want? Maya felt a phantom hand being placed on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, asking her to look inward. Why is Phoenix so important to you? What I want…? Maya’s brow furrowed at the odd question. I want… she started to reply, only to realize that the answer was not so straightforward, hidden behind layers of fears and worry. Her mind still processing the question, it was another hour before she fell asleep. Music: Sunrise Twilight awoke to the sun streaming through the open window. Her sleep had been somewhat fitful again for being in a new place and lingering restlessness brought on by the movie and the talk with Celestia that followed. It also didn’t help that the bed wasn’t the most comfortable—certainly nothing compared to her own or even Phoenix’s, though the latter had been made all the more cozy for his presence at her side. It wasn’t all bad, though. Her pillows, which she had originally found a bit lumpy, now felt very warm and soft, and she found herself nuzzled deep in between a billowy pair of them, breathing in their strangely familiar and reassuring scent. There was some thin pillow cover between her and the cushiony goodness but she nosed it out of the way, burrowing deeper between them, rubbing her cheeks into them, feeling strangely contented. “Comfortable, my student?” Celestia’s amused voice asked from just above her ear. Her eyes snapped open at the voice’s proximity… to find she had snuggled up to Celestia during the night, leg and arm now draped over her body… and her head was laying directly on her chest, squarely between her…! Twilight’s cheeks went instantly hot and she hurriedly began to pull away, stammering apologies, but Celestia just chuckled and restrained her with a gentle hand on her shoulder, indicating it was alright. “You started to cuddle up several hours ago. I allowed it because you were very restless and seemed to sleep better afterwards,” she explained. “Oh. Um…” Twilight began, keenly aware of where head was and cheeks were pressed, suddenly wondering if her mentor’s explanation was more the excuse than the reason. “I’m s-sorry. I guess the movie and our talk and…” she said a bit unsteadily. Her dreams had been unusually vivid, including a particularly memorable one of Phoenix riding into court on a horse, donned in the armor of Aragorn… followed by another of him as the blue pegasus from her romance novel swooping in to rescue her like a human ‘damsel in distress’ (which was a very odd and completely backwards phrase to her), his wings and mane suddenly turning to fire as he cut down her shadowy captors in a desperate effort to reach her. Well, at least THAT one was kind of interesting… she chuckled nervously, trying not to think of her compromising position with her teacher. In response, Celestia kissed the top of her head and gently stroked her hair. “It is understandable. The movie dealt with some… disturbing topics, after all,” she began, not immediately admitting that she, too, had a very restless night, including some very lucid dreams; her sleep had been filled with visions of past battles and events, students and lovers flowing freely through her head. She quashed thoughts of the latter before they could affect her in Twilight’s presence, reflecting anew how close she was starting to feel to her student for all she had now been able to share with her. Truly, I have never had a student like her… she thought and not for the first time, starting to sense the line blurring between them, feeling a moment of alarm at the thoughts suddenly running through her head unbidden. NO. That is not a path we can go down… she told herself again, reminding herself forcefully of what had happened the last time she had allowed that barrier to slip, immediately seeking a different topic to talk about. “On the subject of the movie, I couldn’t help but notice, Twilight… it is a minor thing, but… you seemed to react badly to the presence of the horses they were using,” she recalled, feeling her student immediately stiffen. “It also happened yesterday, when we saw the equines I assume they are using to help tend their crops and fields. Does their presence truly trouble you, my student?” Twilight turned tense. “Yes,” she said shortly. “I already had this discussion with Phoenix—in fact, that’s why he decided to make love to me as a pony last night,” she admitted, going on to tell the sun princess about their walk down the mountain and the mounted park ranger they’d encountered, causing Celestia to marvel anew. “I see…” was all Celestia could say even though her internal thoughts were ones of wonder. Well, then… you truly ARE special, Phoenix Wright, to do that for her—to worship her as a unicorn without any hesitation or regret, and all to reassure her that your love went far beyond simple appearance. I daresay precious few from either world would… she knew, reflecting again how lucky she was that Ferro was one of them. “Well, I understand your distaste, Twilight, but… you are wrong. Horses are not mindless or worthless. Far from it, in fact, as humans have amply demonstrated by all the ways they have used them over their long history. “I know it is hard to look upon them knowing they are what we once were, but in some ways, that makes it even more important that we do so. That we remember our roots,” she suggested, though Twilight still seemed unconvinced. Hmmm… they do have those workhorses here. Perhaps I should take Twilight to visit them later? she kept the thought to herself, resolving take some suitable treats with her for their coming magic lesson. There was a knock at the door, startling them both. “Princess? Miss Sparkle?” Maya’s voice called. “I know you went to bed late, so I didn’t wake you for breakfast, but… would you be interested in going into town for lunch?” “Thank you for the offer. We will be up shortly,” Celestia called back, then chuckled. “I fear I’m falling into some very bad habits, my student. I’m not used to sleeping in this late. Normally, by definition I rise with the sun,” she chuckled, trying to make light of their predicament, patting Twilight on the shoulder to indicate it was time to get up. “You said it,” Twilight agreed, amazed and appalled when she raised her head and saw from the wall clock it was after 11am, her cheeks still warm from where they lay. Keep on these odd hours, and it’s gonna be hard to readjust once we get back home! * * * * * After a lunch with their friends at a town ‘deli’ where Twilight found, much to her surprise, she greatly enjoyed a bowl of chicken soup and a ‘tuna salad’ sandwich—guess this body really is giving me cravings for protein! she conceded inwardly with a chuckle—Twilight and Celestia excused themselves, the latter explaining it was ‘time for their weekly magic lesson’ for which they required privacy, Maya directing them towards a small forest clearing about half a mile up-mountain past the village fields and stables. When they arrived, they set their clothes aside and reverted their transformations so they could do the lesson in pony form, allowing Twilight to practice blocking the magical frequency she’d been broadcasting on while in it. To her surprise, her aura as a pony seemed far more powerful than it had been previously on earth, and she remarked as much to Celestia, pleased to discover she could even teleport a short distance for it. “Yes. It appears there are two powers at work here…” the sun princess noted as she looked around and tested her own aura, surprised at its strength as well. “Our magic, and… the other energy that pervades this village and the area around it. It would seem we can draw on it much as we can our own mana.” “Mystical energy,” was the only term Twilight could immediately come up with as they reached the small clearing that was their destination. “I’ve felt it before. Phoenix brought a little over with him in the form of his Magatama—that jewel all the Kurain girls and women are wearing around their necks. It seems to be a natural bat-er-y for it, and I saw Maya draw on its power to channel Firefly that one time.“ “Oh?” Celestia asked, her curiosity instantly piqued by the mention of her old friend and champion. “Yes. As near as I can tell, it’s a different form of magic, and not one we’re familiar with even though it can and does interact with our own. I accidentally absorbed some of it and found myself able to detect lies,” she remembered, going on to tell the sun princess about the ‘psyche-locks’ she’d been able to use to good effect during her solo investigation of Rainbow Dash’s case. “So its effects seem less direct than indirect, not unlike Lady Requiem’s spellsinging. And there’s another similarity to her power in that it seems to grant foresight and communication into more ethereal, even spiritual realms.” “Intriguing,” Celestia acknowledged, experimentally spreading her wings to attempt flight in the clearing and finding the level of combined ambient magic sufficient she could do so with relative ease, though she was careful to remain below treetop level and out of sight of prying eyes. “A different form of magic indeed, and one I would certainly be curious to learn more about, particularly if Lady Requiem is somehow tapping it… for that would imply it is available in our world as well,” she mused. “But that is question for later. For now, my student…” she trailed off meaningfully as she came back to earth and sat down opposite Twilight. “Let us make sure there are no further instances of broadcasting your passion, shall we?” She smiled wryly. “Right,” Twilight said, her cheeks going hot for a moment, but taking a deep breath and assuming a meditative pose opposite her mentor. Phoenix and Ferro spent the afternoon together, yet alone. With Maya in training and Twilight and Celestia off by themselves for reasons both seemed somehow reluctant to explain—and was it Phoenix’s imagination, or was Celestia acting a little oddly around him?—the two men spent the afternoon together over at Pearl’s school, where they’d been invited to discuss their professions with the students and then stayed to help the mixed-age pupils work on their studies. After walking Pearl home and giving her some brief help on her homework, Ferro decided he wanted to work out before dinner, and so did Phoenix—he’d been actually hitting the weight room pretty hard since Twilight had started her visits, wanting to look his best for her—so late in the afternoon they visited the village gym, or at least the closest thing Kurain had. The guest inn had few amenities for the most part, but it did have a small bedroom-sized workout area consisting of a few free weights and some cardio equipment—a couple old rowing machines and exercise bikes. The village also had a few riding trails meant for the horses but also used for dirt bikes, which Phoenix had occasionally availed himself of when he spent a weekend there. While they worked out, they talked, getting to know each other for the first time. Ferro, Phoenix was not very surprised to learn, was a former collegiate basketball player who had never played professionally except for a brief stint on a semipro team in Europe. “Long enough to learn it wasn’t for me. But I did have a physical training degree, and went back to school to get into coaching and conditioning,” he explained, going to on to say that with his looks, he had also been a movie extra and tried acting for a time before deciding he was more suited to ‘interpersonal trades’, which to him meant one-on-one work like physical training and massage. Well, he’s right about his looks… Phoenix thought, feeling a bit envious. Ferro was a tall, slightly graying black-haired man with Italian features, brown eyes and somewhat swarthy, weatherbeaten skin coupled with a hawkish face and nose. He had the right frame for his 6’9” size, neither skinny nor overly-muscled for it, and was a very handsome man by any standard despite being in his late forties. “So how did you meet the princess?” Phoenix wanted to know as he did some biceps curls, trying not to feel too bad at the observation that Ferro was pumping nearly double the weight. Guess he’d have to be big and strong to keep up with Celestia! Just hope I’m doing that well at his age… “In the course of my job,” he replied between reps, a smile breaking his lips. “I’d just started as a masseuse and spa worker over at the downtown Gatewater. Was going through a messy divorce about five years ago and I met her then,” he explained, his eyes going brooding for a moment. “She was staying alone at our hotel and a bit of celebrity—said to be rather reclusive European royal who rarely came out to play, but when she did, the staff always went to great lengths to help her because she was so generous with her tips, both monetary and… otherwise,” he chuckled. “So one day, she comes in for a deep tissue massage. Most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and it surprised me that I even noticed—I thought at that point I’d never be interested in one again after the way my ex-wife had hurt me,” he shook his head in amazement, causing Phoenix to nod ruefully to himself. “Long story there and I’d rather not tell it. “But anyway… despite what I’ve heard, I’m expecting her to be demanding and aloof, but it turns out she’s anything but. Very open and gregarious, and I’m talking to her as I’m working on her. She sensed I was down about something, asked what was bothering me, and wouldn’t really take no for an answer. Now, we’re not supposed to discuss personal lives with our clients—we’re there for them, after all, not vice-versa—but she insisted. And somehow, it all spilled out,” he admitted with a chuckle. “She went sad and said that ‘such a fine stallion’ as me ‘did not deserve to lose his mare and his foal.’ Naturally, I thought that was really odd wording, but I was just happy to find a sympathetic ear, and from a woman, no less. “And before you ask, no, nothing happened then. But she did inquire if I’d be interested in meeting… socially, asking me when I got off work. As you might imagine, that surprised the hell out of me—I mean, this gorgeous young lady asking me out? Figured it was a sympathy thing. So what could I say except yes? And the rest…” He closed his eyes and smiled. “The rest, as they say, is history.” “Surprised the hell out of me too,” Phoenix chuckled as he switched to triceps work, remembering with a shiver when Twilight had first offered herself to him. Wonder what would have happened if I’d given into her right then and there…? “So when did you find out she was…?” “On her third stay,” he laughed, racking his weights and climbing on an exercise bike. “By that time, we’re getting more serious as she’s inviting me to stay with her in her penthouse suite, though given her infrequent visits, that’s nearly a year and a half later. I get these occasional extremely generous gifts and very interesting letters from her in the meantime, scrolls penned in the most beautiful script, and then her last one says that there is ‘something she needs to tell me before things go any further’…” he trailed off meaningfully. This time, Phoenix laughed as he strapped himself into a rowing machine. “That sounds nice and ominous!” “I know, right?” Ferro laughed again as he fiddled with the controls and began to pedal. “So at that point, I’m thinking she’s going to tell me she’s a fugitive, she used to be a man… any number of things. The last thing I’m expecting when she shows up is to sit me down and tell me she is a princess, just not one from earth. ‘I am an ageless, 1800-year old Alicorn ruler from a world of intelligent equines called Equestria’,” he mimicked her voice and intonations surprisingly well. “And she goes on to say that she wields magic and can raise and lower her world’s sun and moon.” Phoenix burst out laughing again, picking up the pace on his rowing. “About to call for a straightjacket, then?” Wait… if she came here before her sister came back… who controlled the sun and moon while she was gone? his lawyer mind abruptly kicked in. “You said it!” Ferro rubbed his eyes. “By now I’m wondering what kind of crazy I’ve gotten myself involved with. I’m trying to be polite, but of course I don’t believe her! But then she says ‘seeing is believing’ and all of a sudden there’s this spiral-shaped gold glow coming from her forehead and she transforms into an alicorn right in front of me. So there I am, suddenly face-to-face with this winged white unicorn with flowing multicolored mane and large magenta eyes…” he rubbed his own eyes again at the memory. “So yeah… I’m not too proud to say I fainted.” “I can’t blame you!”Phoenix agreed, remembering how bad his own reaction had been on arrival in Equestria and seeing Twilight. “So what happened then?” “Well, I woke up to find myself on the bed staring this not-really-a-horse creature in the face. She calms me down, demonstrates some of her magic and transforms back into a human so I can see it’s really her. We have a long talk. She says she understands if I need some time to process this; that ‘she very much wishes’ for me to be her lover but for that to happen, her ‘true self cannot be hidden’,” he recited, the memory as clear to him now as it was four years earlier. Wow… Phoenix blinked. I didn’t give Celestia enough credit. I kind of figured he would say she just jumped him right when she met him, but it sounds like she really took her time and tried to do things right… he realized, instantly raising his opinion of the sun princess by several notches as Ferro went on. “I got the feeling this was a conversation she’d had many times before, because she wasn’t put off by my negative reactions at all. She very patient with me, had an answer for all my questions, even anticipated all my concerns and doubts about ‘being involved with a pony’, pointing out that she was a sapient creature, not an animal, and that some even called her a goddess. And in the end, all I could think to ask her was… why me?” “And what did she say?” Phoenix asked between exhales and strokes on the rowing machine, pressing him not unlike he would a witness in court. The tall Italian fell silent for a moment, hitting a button on the bike to increase the resistance. “That she thought I was ‘a fine stallion who deserved far better than the treatment he got’. That she liked and appreciated how I doted on my daughter even though I didn’t get to see her that much, and that she was impressed by my ‘intelligence and emotional maturity’ despite all that had happened to me and that I could still smile at life in spite of it all. Oh, and that ‘there were few stallions who could meet her needs,’ but I was one of them. Really didn’t know what to say to that. In some ways, I still don’t,” he shook his head. “I mean… me, a regular guy, becoming the lover of an immortal, otherworldly equine ruler? Can’t say that was high on my bucket list.” They both laughed at that. “So now that you know my life’s story… what’s yours, Phoenix Wright? How did you get involved with Celly’s student?” the tall Italian wanted to know. “Well… it’s a long story.” Phoenix chuckled at the new nickname for the sun princess, thinking he’d have to remember it. “But if you really want to know…” he began to tell his new friend the tale of his stay in Equestria, starting with how he was summoned to defend Rainbow Dash. Their lesson done, Twilight and Celestia stayed and talked for a little longer, walking the path and admiring the natural scenery as ponies for a while before heading back the way they came. They transformed back into humans before returning to Kurain, and on their way back to the village they encountered the village horses grazing in a large penned field. There were four of them, a stallion, two mares, and… a young foal, who despite his early age was still nearly as large as Big Macintosh. The small equine herd looked up at their approach and began staring at them with their small offset eyes. Twilight cringed at their sight and scrutiny, and Celestia instantly noticed, steadying her student with a hand on her back. Time to deal with this, I think… “Twilight… come with me,” she commanded, leading her reluctant pupil towards the group, stopping at the fence that penned them. To Twilight’s surprise, it was not the stallion or mares that approached them, but the foal who trotted up and looked between the visitors curiously, glancing at Twilight but focusing most of his attention on Celestia. In response, the sun princess produced one of the apples she’d brought for their trip with a quick flare of magic. She offered it to the young colt, who seemed to be staring at her almost in wonder, leaving Twilight reflecting that he seemed to sense something was different about them, his eyes questioning yet reverent. But whatever thoughts were running through his equine mind, he accepted the apple eagerly, biting into it right in Celestia’s hand. “There’s a good colt,” Celestia replied, scratching the side of his head, causing him to lean into it slightly. “And what you’re thinking is correct, my student—he does know something is different about us. They all do,” she nodded up at the group, then turned away fractionally in what seemed vaguely pony body language, causing his herdmates to come clopping up as well, their horseshoes ringing hard as they impacted the ground. “They sense the magic within us, and it resonates within them,” she noted as they arrived. The stallion in particular stood tall and puffed out his chest as if to present himself to the sun princess, who smiled and rubbed his neck, offering him a hard candy. “And such a big boy you are,” she said appreciatively as he crunched loudly into it. “A fine stallion who takes care of his herd. You must be very proud of your family,” she pronounced, and he bowed his head as if he understood as the other two mares also gathered around her, each getting her attention in turn. Uncomfortable, Twilight kept her distance and did not approach the fence, amazed that Celestia was willing to interact with them so readily. “But… princess…” her cheeks were hot. “They’re not…” uncharacteristically flustered, Twilight didn’t even know what she was trying to say. “Not what?” Celestia asked her gently, not bothered by their close presence or gamey smell at all. “What are you afraid of, my student? The echo in your heart of past times? The reminder of what we once were?” she suggested casually, causing Twilight to look away. “There is no need for such fears. For if they are once we what were… do they not have the same seed of magic and friendship within them as we? Is their potential ultimately not as great as ours? And why would humanity have bonded with them so readily if they were simply worthless beasts?” she asked gently but pointedly, the foursome now pressing close to her, as if to soak in her presence and the magical radiance they could somehow sense. “They do have a certain intelligence that goes beyond simply animal needs, and it is that intelligence that humans have prized as much as their size and strength—they can be bonded with, trained and taught to accept a rider, and all they ask for in return is to be taken care of and treated well. Do not think of them as mere beasts, Twilight, for that is an insult to them… and ultimately us as well. Humanity in fact owes much of their development as a race to them, for your own history books will say they made transportation and trade possible to early humans, as well as providing the means for large-scale agriculture and early industry,” she pointed out as her student remained silent, reflecting that Phoenix had said much the same thing. “They are our roots, Twilight, and one we should freely acknowledge and pay homage to. They are also friends of humanity, and in that…” she trailed off to look pointedly at Twilight. “In that, they are actually ahead of us, and something we as ponies should yet aspire to be.” * * * * * Twilight was still somewhat off-kilter as the group sat down for dinner an hour later. As with the previous night, the meal was delicious for vegetarian fare, but the unicorn’s thoughts kept drifting back to the horses she’d seen. They seem happy enough, she silently granted, but can non-sapient creatures actually feel happiness…? “So, Princess, would you be interested in seeing the second movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy?” Maya asked, breaking Twilight’s train of thought. “And for our Equestrian guests, this one even has a lot of horses in it!” “Certainly,” Celestia replied with a smile, though she didn’t miss Twilight tense. “Goodness knows, I can’t just stop with one! I must watch it through to the end, and see how everything is resolved!” Everyone else chuckled, although Maya noticed Twilight’s laughter was somewhat forced. “Something wrong with another movie, Sparkle?” “Oh! No, it’s not that, Maya,” Twilight hastened to assure her current hostess. “It’s just… a little personal issue, that’s all.” Celestia shook her head and put down her fork, resting a hand on her student’s shoulder. “Twilight... are you still so uneasy around the horses of this planet?” she asked gently. Phoenix went startled while Ferro and Pearl blinked in confusion. “I… I know they shouldn’t bother me, but… seeing them, it just…” Twilight shook her head jerkily, fumbling for words on how to describe it. Maya, however, nodded knowingly and grinned. “Ah... the Uncanny Valley at work, I see.” This caused everyone else to blink and stare at her. “I’m sorry, what’s this ‘uncanny valley’ you speak of, Maya?” Celestia asked. “Last I checked, we were in a mountainous area.” The young mystic shook her head. “I’m not talking about a geographical valley, Your Highness.” She retrieved a pencil and some paper from a nearby cabinet, sitting down between their Equestria guests as she drew a pair of perpendicular lines on the paper, labeled the intersecting point as ‘0%’, and the extremes on each line ‘100%’. She then labeled the lines themselves; the horizontal line she labeled ‘Similarity’, the vertical line ‘Familiarity’. “Okay, let’s think of this as a linear graph,” Maya said once she was certain she had everyone’s attention. “The horizontal axis represents how much something resembles a human. The vertical axis, in turn, is how familiar with and accepting of it we humans are.” She started at the ‘0%’ point, and started to draw a gentle exponential sloping line; as it grew on the ‘Similarity’ axis, so too did it grow on the ‘Familiarity’ axis as well. “You’re noticing a pattern here, I hope?” Twilight, now that the subject was being broken down in scientific form, nodded. “The more something resembles a human, the more accepting of it you are,” she stated looking over the graph. “Right,” Maya said. “But watch this.” As the line neared 100% on the ‘Similarity’ axis, Maya suddenly brought it down in a steep dive on the ‘Familiarity’ axis, dipping below the horizontal axis briefly, before rising back up just as steeply in time for both axes to top out at 100%. This caused a few blinks from the group. “Why the sudden dip in the graph, Maya?” asked Phoenix. “That dip is called the Uncanny Valley, Nick,” Maya explained. She began to label certain points on the line with words; things like ‘toy robot’ and ‘bunraku puppet’ were on the initial slope, ‘human’ was at the 100% mark, and at the bottom of the dip was ‘moving corpse’. She then made a box with an arrow pointing to the dip, labeling the box ‘Uncanny valley’. “The basic idea is this,” Maya went on. “At a certain point of similarity, whatever it is we’re looking at is very similar to a human, but just different enough for the resemblance to an actual human to be disquieting or, well, uncanny. It’s why some people are scared of clowns or zombies, or other things that are mostly but not entirely human in appearance.” The penny dropped for Celestia, understanding dawning in her normally magenta eyes. “Ah, now I understand,” she said. She took the pencil and another piece of paper, making an identical graph. On it, though, she labeled points like ‘toy pony’ and ‘windigo’, with ‘pony’ at the 100% point, and ‘Horse of Earth’ at the bottom of the dip. This caused the light to go on in Twilight’s head, too. “You mean… my negative reaction to the horses here is just because I’m seeing something that’s uncannily similar to, but not quite a pony?” “Exactly!” Maya said with a nod. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I personally don’t like zombies.” “Really?” Phoenix asked, bemused. “I never would have figured.” “I don’t think you should,” Twilight mumbled, suddenly remembering the terrifying tale Apple Bloom had once told her. It couldn’t have been real, could it…? Maya cringed a little. “Well… it’s a combination of the Uncanny Valley, and well… the fact that zombies are a sort of perversion of what we of the Kurain technique can do.” Twilight nodded slowly. “I think I understand. You allow spirits to enter your bodies to allow others to speak to the departed. But a zombie is a corpse brought back in a parody of life.” Ferro chuckled. “Well, I honestly doubt you have to worry about zombies, Miss Fey. They’re just myths, after all.” “Yeah, well…” Maya began dryly, not noticing Twilight tense. “That’s what I thought about unicorns, too.” The table fell silent at that point. “So, how about that movie?” asked Phoenix, in a far-too-cheery tone. “I’ll make the popcorn!” Maya shot him a grateful look, and stood up to go to the movie shelf. “Let’s see… here we are!” Twilight noticed that this volume of the movie was in a red case, rather than green as Fellowship of the Ring had been. “Hm… ‘The Two Towers’?” she read aloud with a blink. “That’s a bit of an odd name. What two towers is it referring to?” Maya snickered. “The funny thing is, Tolkien admitted at one point he didn’t quite know himself. The general consensus, though, is that it refers to Orthanc, the tower of Saruman in Isengard, and Barad-Dûr, the tower of Sauron in Mordor.” She popped the disc into the player. “I think this is where the story really gets going.” Celestia laughed. “It’s a shame I can’t show these to Firefly. She’d have loved these stories, I think.” “Really?” Twilight asked, puzzled. “Wouldn’t she have gotten tired of battles after all the war she fought, though?” Celestia’s smile grew a bit wry. “That’s the thing about Firefly. She was a warrior, born and bred. While she eventually settled down to raise a family, she always told me that she still hungered for the thrill of the fight. I’d wager my crown she’d enjoy watching the battles, and picking apart strategies.” Maya looked contemplative… then she grinned. “Well then, princess… who’s to say you can’t find out?” Without waiting for a response, her magatama glowed. The last time Twilight had seen Maya channel the spirit of a pony, it had taken a few seconds for the transformation to occur. This time, however, the change was nearly instantaneous, perhaps for the fact she had a great deal of ambient mystical energy to draw on in the village. One moment, Maya was standing there, the next, a visibly confused pink pegasus mare with a blue mane was trying to untangle herself from the restricting robes that she’d found herself in. “What in Equestria—?” the pegasus sputtered, caught off-guard. Maya’s channeling had happened so suddenly, she was still on her hind legs and began to topple over awkwardly. Phoenix darted forward and caught her before she could hit the ground. “Easy, there, Captain Firefly. Maya’s channeling you again,” he explained. Firefly blinked a couple of times, focusing on the taller human. “Phoenix Wright?” She looked confused for a moment, then her eyes cleared and she sniffed at the air, her wings flexing for a moment as if to take in the breeze. “Ah… we must be on Earth. The atmosphere here seems so… chaotic.” That, or you’re standing underneath a ceiling fan! Phoenix didn’t say as he helped her to her hooves. Celestia was staring in shock for several moments before she composed herself, allowing her hair to change to its flowing, pastel-hued nature. “You always were good at sensing air currents, Firefly.” “My Princess!” Firefly gasped as she recognized her regent in human form, and attempted to bow, only to realize she was still tangled in Maya’s robes. With a little help from Phoenix, she finally wriggled free of the confining kimono and paid her respects properly, bowing low before her regent. “You’re doing well, I hope?” Instead of bowing back, Celestia knelt down before Firefly and drew the somewhat startled pegasus into an embrace. “Very well, indeed. It’s so good to see you again, my noble captain.” Firefly awkwardly returned the hug, unused to such displays of affection from her sovereign. “M-my princess, please... we are in public!” “Oh, come now, Firefly, we’re not in Canterlot’s throne room right now,” she teased. “We’re among friends in a remote village on Earth, and the last time I saw you was at your state funeral. So let us not stand on ceremony now, my old friend!” she held the pegasus mare tightly, tears of joy in her eyes. Though touched by the Celestia’s reaction, Phoenix also felt a moment of amusement watching the famous warrior try to force herself to relax in the face of her regent’s heartfelt affection. “As… as you say, Celestia,” Firefly finally managed as the embrace was eventually broken and hasty introductions were made, the pegasus mare looking on Pearl with particular interest, her initially uncertain expression softening at the sight of the young human girl who bowed before her. “I am honored to meet you all, and I am very happy to see you as well, My Princess. But why have I been brought here to Earth? And why are you here as a human?” she looked around in confusion again at the unfamiliar setting. “The last time I was on Earth, ‘twas as a scout, and the humans were… barbaric. I must say, this is not what I expected to find again,” she said as she took in the well-appointed room and unfamiliar technology. “Scout?” Phoenix asked, puzzled. Celestia nodded. “After the war with the Gryphon Empire, I dispatched Firefly as a scout to Earth, looking for possible settlements for Equestrian refugees.” She grimaced. “Her report was… discouraging.” Firefly nodded. “I witnessed humans eating their own horses or otherwise fighting over the barest scraps of meat, wantonly stealing and killing each other often without any regard for friendship or family…” she said simply, her nose crinkling in disgust. “In my report, I described humanity as irredeemable savages abandoned by Harmony that we should avoid at all costs. For what kind of race does that?” Something clicked in Phoenix’s mind. “Wait… Princess, do you know when, exactly, you sent Firefly to Earth?” Celestia looked thoughtful for a moment. “I believe was the year 1316 of your common era.” Phoenix nodded. “Thought so. You most likely went to Europe, Firefly, and thus were witness to the Great European Famine.” Firefly’s eyes widened. “Famine? You mean… that wasn’t normal?” Ferro shook his head. “Not at all. It was our dark ages, yes, but that was a particularly desperate point of our history. A series of very bad weather years caused crops to fail and mass, continent-wide famine resulted. Eating animals, even our own pets and work animals, was for many the only way to stave off starvation. People did what they had to just to stay alive,” he said as Twilight listened, aghast. Phoenix noted her reaction, deciding there was no point in sugarcoating the truth. “We can’t grow food like earth ponies can. Especially back then, we were dependent on good growing conditions to have enough grain harvest to feed everyone. And when it didn’t happen…” Phoenix trailed off meaningfully, his hand giving Twilight’s a quick squeeze out of Pearl’s view. And then the black plague came... The pegasus mare looked chagrined, her feathers drooping. “Well… that certainly puts things in perspective. Methinks ‘twas foalish to say that humans were ‘uncivilized, uncultured barbarians who can’t tell the difference between a household pet and food’ in my report,” she recited sheepishly. Deciding the gloomy atmosphere was getting to be too much, Pearl broke in. “Hey! Didn’t we bring Ms. Firefly here so she could watch The Two Towers with us?” Firefly blinked in confusion at this. “Watch… Towers?” A quick explanation of what was to happen was provided, as was a recap of the first movie’s events. True to her nature as a military pony, Firefly listened attentively throughout the summary like she was receiving a pre-battle briefing. “I see… well, then! If we’re to watch this ‘movie’, shall we get started?” she said brightly. “’Tis been far too long since I’ve seen battle, and I admit, I’m curious to see how humans depict warfare in fiction.” “Let’s hope you aren’t terribly disappointed, my captain,” Celestia said with a grin as Phoenix pressed ‘play’ on the remote control, hurrying to the kitchen to prepare some microwave popcorn to share.