//------------------------------// // 28: A New Day // Story: The Lawyer and The Unicorn (T-Rated Version) // by Firesight //------------------------------// Music: Finding Clarity Maya woke up feeling much better, more alive and refreshed than she could ever remember. Far from restless after her ordeal, her sleep was deep and her dreams, when they came, were intense—a happy side effect of being hit with the Elements of Harmony, Vinyl later suggested—alternating between serene and surprisingly sexual in nature. And yet, she felt no qualms or conflict over any of it. Her feelings and desires having been laid bare by the Elements, she was at long last at peace with them after months of hiding from it all, and her subconscious responded by freely exploring many different fantasies. Most of them had involved Nick, but Vinyl had also featured prominently as the young mystic had dreamt of making love to her Equestrian friend as well. Even Celestia had appeared in her dreams once as in it, Maya thanked her for her compassion and help by offering herself to the sun princess, who had only too happily took her up on that offer, showing her what an alicorn magic aura backed with a thousand years of lovemaking experience could do. The memories alone made her shiver, amazed at the difference in herself between today and yesterday. Wow… is there any friend I won’t make love to now…? Was the first thing Maya thought as she awoke to find the sun had risen on a new day. Her surroundings were the same as when she’d went to bed but the world was now somehow different for her, full of new hope and tantalizing new possibilities she found herself increasingly eager to explore. Still, that didn’t stop her from moodily reflecting on the previous day’s events as she emerged in her Kurain kimono to greet her pony friends in the morning, finding only Vinyl present and somewhat anxiously awaiting her emergence, a spread of light morning fare from room service courtesy of the Sun Princess delivered for them both. Celestia herself was missing, Vinyl explaining that she’d gone downstairs to get her a few things to wear from the gift shop for when she was transformed into a human. She was taking her time about it, however, and Vinyl shared her suspicions that it was so she and Maya could have some privacy. Just for talking or for something more? Maya wasn’t sure, a touch of color entering her cheeks at the memories of the dreams she’d had, seeing her friends in a whole new light. Still, there was a difference between fantasy and reality, and though now at peace with the former, she wasn’t sure she was ready for the latter. She also wasn’t sure she deserved any of it after her behavior the previous night, and said as much to her unicorn friend while they ate. “I just feel awful about what happened, Vinyl,” Maya admitted at one point as she helped herself to some melon, wishing some meat was present but knowing that Celestia had probably left it off the menu since Vinyl was still a pony. “I was jealous of Sparkle in the worst possible way and couldn’t even admit it because that meant admitting I liked Nick… and then I let that… that Nightmare thing use me and didn’t even care about the consequences. I nearly doomed both worlds just because I didn’t care about anything except getting back at Sparkle for something that wasn’t even her fault.” Vinyl’s expression softened as she poured some ‘champagne’ in a tall flute and mixed it with Maya’s orange juice on a suggestion from Celestia. A ‘Mimosa’, huh? Let’s see… she thought as she took her first sip and found herself surprised by the effervescent citrus flavor, the barest bite of alcohol coming through from the sweet bubbly wine. “Listen, Maya. You were up against an entity that’s been around for thousands of years and even once possessed Princess Luna. “The Nightmare specializes in manipulating ponies—and people—to her own ends and is damned good at it. She can use the power of dreams to see your inner fears and desires and then turn around and use them against you. That’s the essence of dream demons right there, and you don’t get to be queen of them without being the very worst of them. So there’s no shame in falling prey to her. Besides, you did fight her off at the end, filly.” She reminded her human friend. “With a whole lot of help…” Maya shook her head. “I mean if sis and Pearly hadn’t been there or you hadn’t tried to smack some sense into me… I don’t even want to think about what would have happened or what I might have done as… as Nightmare Fey.” She visibly shuddered as she spoke. Probably nothing, because you’d be dead, Vinyl didn’t want to say, remembering how the Nightmare promised she was only going to possess Maya long enough to make her escape… which likely meant she would have killed her human host just to spite Phoenix and Mia Fey. Barely knew you and came this close to losing you… she suppressed a shiver of her own. By the Moon, how does Luna do it? Deal with something so evil, and know that she once allowed herself to be possessed by it…? “Hey, enough of that, fillyfriend,” Vinyl pointed a hoof at her. “You held her off, and that’s no mean feat. You remembered yourself and your friends in time, and that’s what ultimately beat her, not the Elements,” she finished, but Maya still seemed unconvinced. “Maybe. But still, it feels like I made things worse, not better. I mean, even the spirits got a shot at her, but I didn’t do anything to defeat her. In fact, I helped her. Deep down, I knew she was using me, but… I just didn’t care. I was willing to do anything as long as it meant getting back at Sparkle. And how am I ever supposed to live that down, V-Jay? How can I look Sparkle or Nick in the eye after this?” She went downcast. The unicorn mare put a hoof on her arm. “Come on, Maya. Think about this. You saw how large that audience of spirits was last night. They were all victims of The Nightmare and you can bet most have stories like yours. What happened to you happened to countless others in the past, with one difference—you were able to hold off her influence at the end and give Twilight and her friends time to use the one weapon she couldn’t fight.” “The Elements of Harmony…” Maya said, shaking her head again in wonder at how it had stripped away all her surface doubt and showed her the truth that lay within her as effectively as any piece of evidence Nick could present in court. “Exactly. And besides, you’re wrong. You did help, fillyfriend…” Vinyl began with a sly smile. Maya looked up in surprise. “I did? How?” The pony DJ grinned like she’d been waiting for her human friend to ask. “I’ll show you…” Music: There in Spirit “With this!” Vinyl then levitated Maya’s smartphone off the nightstand and zapped it with her horn, causing it to start playing a song. “Remember this little number I helped you write, Maya? It was the same song I used to unite the dreamscape in Harmony and defeat The Nightmare’s dream demon army when they were on the verge of overwhelming us. I played this, and all the sudden we had no more fear and all the ponies they were attacking rose up to fight back. So it was you and your song of friendship that beat them, Maya. Not mine. Yours,” she emphasized. Though that weird human Pinkie helped too… how did she even know to find us there? “Wow… really?” Maya plucked her phone from midair to stare at the song display. “Really.” Vinyl grinned, releasing her magical hold on it, thinking that human electronics could make an excellent addition to her DJ ensemble. “So chin up and stop beating yourself up, Maya. I forgive you, and I know Twi and Phoenix do too,” she promised, to which Maya stared up at her friend with glimmering eyes… and hugged her hard, sniffling softly. “There’s a good filly,” Vinyl said, patting her on the back, holding her for the better part of a minute before they finally broke the embrace. So now that you’re safe and seeing things clearly, what say we celebrate properly now?” “Vinyl!” Maya all but squealed, but unlike the previous day, there was no fear or anxiety in her voice. Vinyl noted Maya’s change of tone and gave her human friend a lopsided grin. “I didn’t mean like that, fillyfriend… well, unless you want to, that is?” She gave Maya an askance and teasing look, delighting in her cheeks turning a deeper hue and noticing her shifting slightly in her seat. Well, will you look at that… I think she LIKES the idea now! “Well, um…” Maya squirmed a bit, realizing anew that part of her very much wanted to, but even with her feelings laid bare, she still didn’t feel quite ready to. “Yeah, um… maybe… we should talk about that first. Because, well, I um… have some questions…” she offered tentatively, fidgeting in her seat. “Okay?” Vinyl asked, dropping her teasing tone and giving her friend her undivided attention. “Well, guess the first thing I’d like to know is… if we did become, you know… lovers… what about Octavia?” Maya asked, having met Vinyl’s marefriend during a couple nights she’d stayed over with Vinyl in their odd home, split in half with markedly different decors that reflected their individual tastes and personalities. “Have to say, I’m not sure she liked me that much, and I don’t want to cause trouble between you two any more than I do now between Nick and Sparkle. So what would she say about you being with me?” Vinyl just grinned and shrugged as she drained her flute. “Same thing she always does. ‘Have fun’.” “Really?” Maya looked both dubious and hopeful. “Really,” Vinyl confirmed, pouring herself another glass of Mimosa, deciding she liked the sweet bubbly and at least mildly alcoholic beverage mixed with orange juice. “We’re ponies, Maya, and that means we’re generally a bit more at home with the idea of having multiple partners than I gather humans are. Granted, that’s more me than her, but one thing we figured out a long time ago is we gotta be ourselves. And for me, that means I’ve got my wild side and I imagine I always will.” “And for Octy…?” Maya asked, but Vinyl just shook her head. “Nah, she ain’t into the same scenes I am. When it comes down to it, she’s a one-mare girl, even though she knows I’m not. Our rule is that I can go out and have a good time if I find somepony special to have fun with, just so as long as I come back to her afterwards. And as much as I love that mare, I ain’t ever had a reason not to.” she popped another piece of melon in her mouth and took a fresh sip of her glass, turning her attention to a bagel next, sniffing at some cream cheese and then spreading it on. Maya deflated a bit at that. “So… then what am I to you, V-Jay? Just ‘somepony to have fun with’?” she asked, somewhat hurt. Vinyl gave her a reproachful look. “Give me some credit, Maya. I said somepony special. I don’t just jump into bed with anypony. I mean, there’s gotta be a connection first. Some kinda spark. And you know, it’s there with you. It’s in your music, it’s in how fun you can be, it’s all about how good a friend you are… at least when you’re not tying yourself up in knots over Nick.” Her tone turned teasing again. “Gee, thanks…” Maya groused, but if she’d learned nothing else about her Equestrian friend, it was that she spoke her mind and told it like it was. And besides, she’s right… just like she was yesterday and last night… “Do you have to be so blunt about things, V-Jay?” she asked, only half-annoyed as Vinyl chuckled. Not that I’m one to talk… “Sorry, bad habit of mine. Octy says that she’s never met anypony ‘so annoying and yet so endearing’ all at the same time. Guess you could say pushing buttons is a talent of mine just as much as my music.” “Well, you certainly pushed my buttons!” Maya rubbed her eyes. “Just what were you trying to accomplish last night, provoking me like that in the trial?” Vinyl grinned and shrugged. “Exactly what I did—get you talking and get you thinking. Make you mad and hopefully make mistakes. Makes it easier to point out all the ways you were rationalizing what happened and how many ways it was wrong. It’s a legal lesson I actually learned from Octy when I was first starting out. Figured if I did that, your testimony would be discredited and you’d come to your senses afterwards even if you hated me for it. Listen, I’m sorry to have put you through that, but time was short and I really didn’t have many other options, filly. And you know, you got every right to be upset with me for it.” Maya searched her feelings and found… “I’m not upset, V-Jay,” she shook her head. “Really, I’m not. After getting zapped with those… things… everything’s just crystal clear now. You were right all along. I like Nick. I like you,” she raised her eyes to her friend in an admission she couldn’t have made just eight hours earlier. “And, well…” she fidgeted for a moment, her eyes going furtive. “I wasn’t ready for everything we did before, but maybe now…” she raised her gaze to her friend meaningfully, both nervously and hopefully. Vinyl’s cheeks took on a hint of color. She suspected what Maya was trying to say, she also sensed that it wouldn’t take much a push to move her in that direction. The thought was very heady, and a variety of actions suddenly suggested themselves… but long experience and some difficult past lessons meant Vinyl Scratch also knew better than to do so. “Listen, Maya… I’d like nothing more than to be with you again, but if we do… it’s gonna be by choice this time. It’s gonna be ‘cause you’re well and truly ready, but… the fact that you’re hesitating at all means you’re not quite there yet, and anything short of that is just asking for trouble. So as much as I’d love to get my hooves and magic on you right here and now… I’m gonna say we should wait, fillyfriend.” She was gratified when Maya looked both disappointed and relieved, exhaling sharply. “You’re right, V-Jay. Guess you meant it when you said you were being the grown-up last night.” Vinyl smiled at that. “You’ve come a long way in a short time, Maya. And when we do it for real, I want it to be something special!” she said as she sensed a powerful alicorn aura approach and the room lock clicked, announcing Celestia’s return. “So tell you what—for now let’s have Celly make me human, and then head out and explore this town proper! After I learn how to walk on two legs again, that is!” she laughed, and Maya did too. “Seriously, walking upright is kind of interesting, but four legs is where it’s at, fillyfriend…” As Vinyl and Maya talked, Twilight and Phoenix were still asleep. Upon their return from the dreamscape, they had stayed in bed with blinds drawn, talking, snuggling but unable to sleep for hours, as after their close call both were simply too scared to close their eyes again for the irrational but still-potent fear they would find themselves back in the grips of nightmares… Or worse, in the grasp of The Nightmare herself. The pair clung to each other for the rest of the night, reassuring each other of their presence of love, but emotional and physical exhaustion finally caught up with them around sunrise and they fell asleep in each other’s arms. They did dream, but no nightmares found them as reassuring figures appeared to stand sentry over them, from the Bolt Knights to thestral Dream Guard members to even Princess Luna herself. “Fear not, Phoenix Wright,” she said to him at one point as he told her of his fears. “Thanks in large measure to thee, The Nightmare is no more, and neither she nor her demons will trouble thee again. Thou art under our protection, as is thy chosen mare,” she promised him, offering to arrange for him a dream of his choosing. He took her up on that offer, choosing one where he rescued Twilight like a damsel in distress from a romance novel, swooping in to save her on a pair of pegasus wings. It was nearly noon before the pair finally rousted themselves and Phoenix put some coffee and a late breakfast on. Upon going downstairs to the kitchen, they found several messages waiting by the dragonfire candle, scrolls containing more mirror spell crystals from Rarity saying they all wanted to make sure the pair were okay and to contact them as soon as possible. In response, Twilight wrote a brief note back asking them to wait a bit so she and Phoenix could wake up and eat first, promising they would talk in an hour. Their friends seen to, the pair then sat down to eat a simple but hearty breakfast of bagels, bacon and some scrambled eggs. The food was good and the pair ate ravenously for having had no appetite the previous night. They were just starting to clean up when the doorbell buzzed. “What the…” Phoenix turned to face the front door. “You don’t suppose that’s the Princess, do you?” Guess she decided to check up on us after last night… Twilight’s horn was visible for just a moment, a pulse of magic making itself known as she activated a minor spell. “No, it’s not the Princess. Or Vinyl or Maya,” she said. “There’s a single person outside, probably male.” “How can you tell?” In response, she gave the door an askance look. “Well, I couldn’t really before, but… I’m starting to be able to detect human auras as well as pony ones. They’re generally weak but they’re there. Maya and Pearly are easy to recognize because they’ve got that ‘mystical’ energy thing going. Vinyl has enough magic in her as a human to be obvious too, but whoever is out there doesn’t have either.” “Well, guess we should be polite and answer, then…” Phoenix shrugged, pulling on a shirt and waiting to answer until Twilight did the same. He had no idea who the mystery male could be, and normally might have been a bit more leery of an unexpected knock, but with Twilight’s magic backing him, he realized there was pretty much next to nothing to worry about. Other than demonic dream demon queens… he chuckled nervously while heading to the door. He opened it to find… “Edgeworth!” Phoenix exclaimed. Music: You Can Never Hide “So there you are, Wright…” his prosecutor friend said, noting immediately his undressed state. “I must say, you’re a hard man to track down. You weren’t at your apartment or your office, and I couldn’t even get hold of your assistant. I thought perhaps you’d been pulled to Equestria again.” “No such luck. So what brings you here?” Phoenix immediately invited him in. “Edgeworth!” Twilight’s voice called from the living room as he entered, then she appeared at Phoenix’s side. Edgeworth’s eyes fixed on her; Phoenix caught a brief widening of them as he beheld her human form, identifying her instantly even though she’d changed her hair black and eyes brown as a precaution. “Twilight Sparkle…” he recognized, staring almost agape at her, looking uncharacteristically unnerved. “I suspected you were here, but still, to see you as a human…” he rubbed his eyes. “Forgive my reaction. What brings you to our world?” he asked, recovering quickly. “Phoenix, of course!” She made a show of hanging off his arm, then gave him a wink and grinned, confirming her identity by reverting her hair and eye colors back to their normal bright hues, causing him to flinch again. “Rarity sends her love, by the way.” Phoenix had the distinct pleasure of seeing Edgeworth flush. “Yes, well…” he cleared his throat. “Since you present an opportunity, I will… write her a letter that you may take back with you, but for now, you may tell her that… her tea is missed,” he offered, visibly flustered. “Just her tea?” Phoenix smirked, and Twilight did so as well as Edgeworth flushed an even deeper hue. “So what brings you here, Miles?” he asked again as they sat down at the kitchen table and he put the coffeemaker back on. Edgeworth looked grateful for the change of subject. “I am here at the behest of a mutual… acquaintance…” he began carefully. “Von Karma asked me to check up on you, Wright. She left a message for me stating that she met you ‘and your new love interest’, and that there was ‘something very suspicious’ about her. She said she was worried about you and asked me to look into Miss Sparkle.” “Wow. Franny was actually worried about me?” Phoenix had to suppress a sudden memory of the Nightmare teasing him in Franziska’s form. I don’t think I’ll EVER see Franny the same way after that! “She went to great lengths to assure me that her interest in your safety is simply that of making sure she gets another chance to defeat you in court.” He rolled his eyes. “Though I highly doubt that, I did not press the matter, as she did seem genuinely perturbed. She said she’d had a ‘very disconcerting’ encounter with you, Miss Sparkle, that there was something ‘not right’ about you and asked me to investigate you. So dare I ask what you did to arouse her suspicions?” Twilight actually grinned. “Nothing except warn her that she was NOT to use her whip on Phoenix ever again, and well… I was angry enough after seeing her threaten him with it that I might have let her see my eyes glow.” She let them do just that as an example, causing Edgeworth to flinch again. “I wasn’t going to hurt her, of course, but well… we mares tend to be quite protective of our stallions.” She hugged Phoenix closer. Edgeworth actually chuckled at that. “Yes, well… as amusing as the thought of her reaction is to such a sight, I must strongly advise against such displays, Miss Sparkle. Equestrian magic is unknown here and its discovery could be… problematic. Which brings me to my second question…” he said as Phoenix poured him a freshly brewed cup of coffee and one for himself as well. “Von Karma also reported that your new love interest was the personal student of a minor European royal she knew and was surprised to encounter as well. So I must ask... is Princess Celestia here?” Twilight and Phoenix looked at each other before replying. “She is,” Twilight confirmed, deciding there was no point in hiding the truth from him if he’d already deduced it. “And Maya’s staying with her over at the Gatewater, I think it was…” And how the hay does that hotel chain exist in both Earth and Equestria…? she made a mental note to look into later. “She’s here on vacation, if you could believe that,” Phoenix added. “She’s disguised as…” “As Princess Celeste Alva of the minor European Principality of Equios, nestled deep in the European Alps on the Austrian/Swiss border,” he finished to the surprise of them both as he took his first sip of coffee. “Yes, I’ve been checking up on Equestrian interests on Earth ever since I learned about that bank you were paid from, Wright. Though I have found nothing untoward going on, it would appear that the Princess has a valid human identity and bank accounts, and is known well in certain circles for her beauty and philanthropy,” he noted, crossing his arms and tapping a finger on his sleeve. “Unfortunately, being under the Swiss banking charter as they are, there is no way to know what money goes in and out of her accounts.” And thus, you can’t figure out who her agents are or what they’re doing… Phoenix suppressed a smirk. “…Which brings me to the question of you, Miss Sparkle.” Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a human identity of your own here? It could be problematic if you are put in a situation that demands one.” Twilight’s eyes went wide as if she suddenly remembered something. “Oh! That’s right. The Princess gave me this…” her horn flared and a small booklet appeared in her hand. “She said it worked as a valid identity card on Earth.” “An Equios passport…” he recognized, opened it and then frowned. “And stamped by customs showing entry at Los Angeles International Airport? Wright, this is fraud!” Phoenix was unimpressed. “Oh, come off it, Edgeworth. Just what are she and the Princess supposed to do? They arrive via magic and we don’t exactly have cross-dimensional customs!” “Be that as it may, I do not like the idea that they can just appear anywhere they want at any time, Wright. No offense, Miss Sparkle…” “None taken,” Twilight chuckled. “And in fairness, we really can’t. I can only make the trip during certain trans-dimensional ley line convergences, which happen at most monthly. The Princess is more powerful and can travel any time she wants, but her vacations are just a once-or-twice a year thing and even with her power our arrival points are actually quite limited. We can’t just appear anywhere we want on a whim, if that’s what you’re worried about.” “I see.” Edgeworth considered her words carefully. “That does match up with what I read about magic during my time in Equestria. Still, I would appreciate it if you advise the Princess that I would like some warning when she is coming to this city so I may see to her security… and that of her current paramour, Mister Ferro Stabile.” He arched an eyeridge at them as he revealed just how much he knew. Vintage Edgeworth… pretty much impossible to hide anything from him! Phoenix couldn’t help but grin. “The Princess can take care of herself, but… I’m sure she’d appreciate the thought,” Twilight granted with a glance at Phoenix. “Thank you,” He took another sip of his coffee, then looked them both over. “So is there a reason you two look so exhausted, and not, I daresay, in a good way?” He arched an eyebrow at them again, his powers of observation as inescapable as ever. They looked at each other again before replying. “Well, we had kind of a rough night…” Twilight admitted. “Oh?” “Yeah. Something… happened,” Phoenix rubbed his hand behind his head. “Never mind what, but the upshot was that Twilight and I had an argument, and went to bed upset.” “It was my fault. I thought I’d hurt him, so then this ancient dream demon called The Nightmare tried to take advantage of that to possess me in my sleep,” Twilight picked up the tale next. “But Mia appeared to challenge her, angel wings and all, so we ended up having a trial in the dreamscape for Twilight’s soul,” Phoenix followed up as Edgeworth simply stared at them. “It was the same entity who once possessed Princess Luna and turned her into Nightmare Moon,” Twilight noted ruefully, her memories of cold despair still fresh, making her shiver. “Maya and all my friends got pulled in too, and the Nightmare tried to stack the deck by having an evil version of Phoenix as co-counsel and Trixie Lulamoon preside as judge,” she recited without a hint of humor or irony. “But Trixie turned out to be a surprisingly fair judge, and Mia’s power as an ascended spirit made all the difference. It was one hell of a trial, Edgeworth, filled with angels and demons, a slew of departed spirits and even using memories and romance novels as evidence. But we won in the end. The Nightmare’s gone now. Slain by her former victims,” he said in great satisfaction, wondering if he’d get the same feeling from watching Dahlia’s eventual execution. They say vengeance doesn’t solve anything, but I swear I’d just about throw the switch on her myself… Edgeworth stared at them for a moment more. “I don’t think you’re joking, and I find that very worrisome…” “No joke…” Phoenix rubbed his eyes. Any other time, I’d enjoy teasing him with this, but for how close I came to losing her… “In the end, I had to prove that our love was real. And I did it!” he proclaimed in great pride and satisfaction as he took Twilight’s hand. “You really did, Phoenix,” Twilight nuzzled him and squeezed his hand back. “You proved the impossible and made me see it. And without that, Celestia knows what would have happened…” She shivered as he kissed her forehead. “I will neither ask, nor pretend I understand.” Edgeworth rubbed his temples this time. “But regardless, I am glad to see you both well and gratified to see that you are getting along so… warmly. And as I have met you, Miss Sparkle, I believe I would also like to meet the princess before she departs, if at all possible.” “I’m sure that can be arranged. So in the meantime, what you are going to tell Franziska?” Phoenix asked. He drummed his fingers on the table a few times before answering. “That I checked into her claims and found your ‘mysterious love interest’ to be nothing more than a charming young lady with an odd name, hailing from the same small European Principality that Princess ‘Celeste’ comes from. That whatever she thinks she saw was probably a simple function of the odd energies of Kurain village than anything else. That place has been known to cause heightened emotions and even hallucinations in the past, after all,” he shrugged and sipped his coffee. “It has?” Twilight blinked. Huh… considering how I offered myself to the princess and nearly lost my temper with von Karma, maybe it affected me too…? “And you think that’ll satisfy her?” Phoenix was very dubious, knowing how Franziska became when presented with contrary evidence or otherwise thought something was being hidden from her. “No, I do not, but it is not something she can pursue right now. She is currently in the middle of a major Interpol investigation, and I am currently pursuing one of my own regarding a recent arson and art smuggling ring,” Edgeworth told them, crossing his arms and tapping a finger against his sleeve again as he so often did. “Still, I would advise against antagonizing her, as once her current duties are complete, she may well decide to look into Miss Sparkle on her own.” Well, by the time she does, Twilight will be gone… Phoenix shrugged, deciding he’d come up with a decent cover story later. “I’ll think of something. In the meantime, thanks for coming by and letting us know. And if you haven’t had lunch yet, we’ve got some leftover breakfast if you like?” He motioned to the remaining bacon and eggs. “With regrets, I must decline as I am due at the arson site shortly. Regardless, I assume this rather opulent villa was paid for by the Princess?” He looked around. “That it was,” Phoenix confirmed. “She wanted to do something nice for us both, so here we are!” “Actually, you should stick around at least a few minutes, Edgeworth,” Twilight told him as the antique wall timepiece chimed one o’clock. “We were about to contact my friends, and I know they’d love to see you!” He looked up in confusion at that. “Contact them? How?” “By mirror spell,” she explained, then saw his uncomprehending look. “Well… maybe it would just be easier to show you…” she floated up one of Rarity’s crystals, and then touched it to the large living room mirror. The surface shimmered and resolved to Twilight’s basement lab, scattered around the floor and benches of which were Twilight’s friends, all looking very anxious and somewhat sleepless, talking in low and worried tones with each other. “Hey! There she is!” Spike spotted first, running up to the portal. “Girls!” Twilight called in delight. “Twilight!” They all called back in relief, immediately gathering around the mirror on the other end as Edgeworth could only stare at his former Equestrian acquaintances in shock. “Hey, is that Edge?” Rainbow suddenly recognized. “Miles!” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Lady Rarity…!” he gaped, then gave her a hasty bow, which she blushed and returned. “I’m not a princess, darling, but I certainly don’t mind you treating me like one! It’s so good to see you again!” She batted her eyes at him, causing him to blush and Spike to glare. “And… you as well…” he said in flustered tones again, at which point Phoenix took pity on him. “Tell you what, Edgeworth, if you want to talk to Rarity separately, just take this upstairs to the bathroom mirror.” He tossed him one of the two communication crystals they’d received, this one blue. “Just touch it to the mirror, and once she does the same with its companion crystal on her end, you two can have a private chat,” he promised as Rarity picked up a matching blue one with her magic on the other side. “Oh. Well… I see…” he said, though it was clear he really didn’t as he gave the others a brief greeting and went upstairs along with Rarity on the other side of the mirror, the latter promising she would return to speak with Twilight herself. Music: Through the Looking Glass “So, cuttin’ right to the chase here… are y’all okay?” Applejack asked in concern on behalf of everypony, to which both Twilight and Phoenix nodded, the latter standing behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders but otherwise letting her speak for them. “I’m fine, really. Just… disgusted at myself for how weak I was…” she had to look away at that despite Phoenix squeezing her shoulders. “I’m really sorry I put you through all that.” Applejack shook her head sharply and put her hoof down hard. “Now none of that, Twi! You went up against the same saddle sore that took over Princess Luna once, except you beat her, so there ain’t no shame in what happened.” “Yeah, but would you guys mind explaining what did happen?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We got there late and didn’t exactly get the the full story in the trial!” Twilight glanced up at Phoenix briefly, who nodded cautiously. “Well… we had a fight over… that transformation you saw,” she grimaced, deciding to Phoenix’s relief not to mention what else had happened. “When we saw it, he thought I’d deliberately broken my promise to not use magic on him, and in all honesty… so did I. I thought I’d hurt him, I thought I’d lost him, and… well, you know the rest.” She had to look away again as her friends nodded in sympathy. “It was my fault too, Twilight. I completely overreacted to… what happened and it only made things worse.” Phoenix rubbed his head. “Dude, how could you not overreact to that?” Rainbow stuck her tongue out. “Seriously, you with pony equipment is one image I’m never getting out of my head!” “Rainbow!” Fluttershy scolded, while Applejack just shook her head. “Speak for yourself, marefriend. What I saw looked mighty fine!” she tipped her hat to Phoenix, who blushed. “Well, reckon you ain’t the only one who overreacted. Can’t say I was all that happy to be foalnapped by a buncha bat ponies right out of my own apple orchards, but reckon they didn’t deserve that beating I gave ‘em either. Didn’t give ‘em a chance to explain and I’ll have to find a way to apologize to ‘em later,” Applejack admitted. “Speaking of which, forgot to ask… how were you already there, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked. “My Pinkie Sense, of course!” she said brightly. “When my tail points to the west, it means somepony’s being possessed!” The others gave her a look. “Pinkie, Zecora came by. She wants her schtick back!” Rainbow quipped, to which Pinkie could only giggle. “Oh, um… but are you okay, Mister Phoenix?” Fluttershy asked, to which he could only smile. “Oh, I was so worried about you…” Phoenix blushed while Twilight and her friends giggled… except for Rainbow, who stared at her in disbelief. “I’m fine now, Fluttershy. In fact, I’m some ways I’m glad it all happened.” Phoenix bowed his head as he spoke. “Glad?” the others chorused while Twilight nodded her agreement. “Glad.” Phoenix closed his eyes and exhaled softly, giving Twilight’s shoulders another squeeze. “I know how it sounds, but by attacking Twilight, The Nightmare forced us both to face our fears that our love might not be real. More to the point, she forced me to face some long-standing demons I’d had regarding… relationships and women. But thanks to her, now we know what we feel is real. And we’re inseparable for it.” He reached down and kissed her. “Huh? You guys seriously thought it wasn’t real after how gaga you’d been acting over each other?” Rainbow Dash asked in some disbelief, to which Twilight and Phoenix could only grimace. “Well… there was always this nagging doubt for both of us that it was only my magic somehow making him like me. I guess The Nightmare saw it and exploited it,” Twilight answered, rubbing a hand behind her head. “Well, y’all know better now,” Applejack pointed out. “And talk about confronting yer demons, y’all had to face a real one there!” “But you kicked her flank!” Rainbow made punching motions at the air. “That was epic when you took her down, Twi!” “Thanks, Rainbow, but it took Phoenix, Mia Fey and all of you to get me to that point.” She turned her head to the side and reached up so she could kiss Phoenix’s hand. “Mia was right all along—I had to be shown the truth and believe it before I could find the strength to beat her. And Phoenix showed me that truth! But still… I feel really bad for putting him and the rest of you through all that. So… thank you all for being there for me,” she raised glistening eyes to her friends and put her human hand against the mirror as they did the same back from the other side with their hooves. “As lost as I was, I still knew you all were there somewhere deep down. And in the end, it was you being there that gave me the strength to hold her off and finally fight back, not just for Phoenix but for all of you.” “That’s what friends are for, egghead!” Rainbow Dash said, to smiles and sounds of agreement from the others. “We got your back, always!” she pounded a hoof on her chest, causing Twilight to smile, feeling tears of joy glimmering in her eyes again. “And we can’t wait for you to be back! We’ll throw a massive party once you’re here! Pinkie Pie jumped up and down like her legs were on springs. “You are coming back, aren’t you Twilight?” Spike asked somewhat nervously, wringing his paws for a moment. “Oh, Spike…” She turned to him, suddenly remembering what The Nightmare said about how her scribe had been afraid of being abandoned. “Of course I am! I’d never leave my number one assistant behind!” She smiled. “I love Phoenix, but I love you too. And you know what? I’ve just decided that next time I come to Earth, you are coming with me!” she promised, causing Spike’s eyes to light up and the rest of her friends to speak up. “Hey now, we wanna come visit too, egghead! See what this weird world you’re in is all about!” Rainbow reminded her, taking another look at the villa living room behind her before reverting to form. “Besides, what world is complete without the utter awesomeness of Rainbow Dash?” she put her a hoof to her chest. “Bombast aside… I’ll second that!” AJ popped up. “Ain’t no world that an Apple can’t make better! And if I say it, it ain’t no lie!” she exchanged a high hoof with Rainbow. “Oh, um… I might like to come too… if that’s okay with you…” Fluttershy suggested tentatively, but Twilight wasn’t sure whether it was due to uncertainty over visiting such a strange place or that she was hoping to see Phoenix again. One more thing we’ll have to talk about eventually… “Oh! Oh! I wanna go too! I wanna visit Maya and see what the party scene is like there!” Pinkie added in her usual over-the-top excitement, leaving Phoenix wondering if Earth could take her presence. “Don’t worry, girls. You’ll all get the chance to visit…” Twilight promised with a glance at Phoenix, who whispered a reminder in her ear, “…but I think Phoenix is right and not all at once. It’ll have to be one at a time to make sure he’s not overwhelmed. We’ll figure out the order later… but for as patient as he’s been and as much as I’ve been taking him for granted of late, Spike goes first!” she announced adamantly, causing the scribe to smile and sniffle. “I know Maya will love showing you around, Spike,” Phoenix confirmed. “And she’s got a large comics collection for you to look through too!” “She does?” Spike all but rubbed his paws together in glee. “Can’t wait!” “Oooo! Speaking of her, how’s Maya?” Pinkie asked while the others took on somewhat sour looks. The change in attitude wasn’t lost on Phoenix. “She sent me a message this morning that she and Vinyl were okay, but beyond that, I don’t know, since we’re not gonna see them again until tomorrow,” Phoenix explained. “But you’ll be happy to know that when we do meet up, we’re all going to a big fairgrounds right next door!” “Lots of games and junk food, Pinkie Pie! And they’ve got a big Mare-is Wheel out there too!” Twilight grinned. “Oh! Oh! Are you guys gonna ride it? You have to ride it!” The party pony started jumping up and down again. “Promise, Pinkie,” Twilight chuckled, and with that, her mood turned more reflective. “So, uh… enough about us; how did your little duel go, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, turning to her hovering friend. Instead of answering with a boast, Rainbow’s eyes went evasive. “Oh. Well, uh…” she rubbed a hoof behind her head. “Yeah, they might’ve been a little tougher than I thought…” “A little?” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ain’t no two ways about it, Twi. We got our flanks kicked something fierce…” “Aw, come on! We got a couple good shots in!” Rainbow tried to protest, but Applejack just shook her head. “Ain’t no sense lying to ourselves, Rainbow! They beat us bad,” Applejack fired back. “Hay of a thing. They took us back to the time of the war and gave us Stalliongrad as a battleground. Ain’t no lie to say it was brutal. Gives me new respect for my ancestors, that’s fer sure.” She took off her stetson and rubbed her eyes with a foreleg. “Worst part was, those ‘red talons’ or whatever told us everything we did wrong afterwards and what to work on. Even said they’d come back and give us another go once we’d gotten better if we wanted. Ain’t sure I wanna take ‘em up on that or not…” “But you girls are okay?” Twilight asked in concern, to which both nodded vigorously. “Now don’t you worry none, Twilight. I mean, sure, getting stabbed with a sword in a dream is still one HAY of a shock—” Applejack shivered as she remembered waking up afterwards in a cold sweat and a fluttering heart “—but what don’t kill ya only makes ya stronger, right? Reckon it’s also the best training you could have!” “Maybe, but it sure wasn’t fun,” Rainbow grumbled. “I just don’t get it, though. I’ve got Firefly’s blood, I’m wicked fast, I’m the same age she was during the war, I can even do the Sonic Rainboom… so how come she could take them and I can’t? How come I’m not as good as her?” she asked almost forlornly. Phoenix chuckled while Twilight outright laughed. “Firefly wasn’t born that way, Rainbow. She didn’t just turn twenty, put on her wingblades and was suddenly the best warrior in Equestria. She had many different trainers and had to learn as she went. She had to earn her skills and she suffered many setbacks and defeats along the way,” the latter told her friend. Rainbow looked shocked at that. “She did?” “She did,” Twilight suppressed another chuckle. “May interest you to know that Maya channeled her a few days back, so the Princess could see her again. And she told us a story that the first time she challenged her drill instructor, she got her flank kicked even worse than you,” she explained, noting how her pegasus friend suddenly looked almost thoughtful and spotting an opportunity for it. “And you know, Rainbow… there’s a book that tells the story of her rise and how she became the soldier and warrior you know in the leadup to the war. Spike, you know what book I’m talking about?” She turned to her scribe. “Oh, you mean Rise of Firefly? Yeah, that’s in the biography section,” Spike confirmed, heading upstairs to get it. “Ugh. Reading?” Rainbow stuck her tongue out. “Now hold on a sec… how’d you know so much about the Bolt Knights if you hadn’t read about them?” Applejack asked as Twilight heard footfalls from upstairs, announcing Edgeworth’s impending return. “Oh, that’s easy.” Rainbow waved a hoof from her hover. “Dad took me to the Wonderbolts museum in Cloudsdale a bunch of times when I was just a filly. He read me the captions, bought me some toys, and we saw all the movies, too!” “Well, her autobiography has a lot of her story the museum and movies don’t. And I really think you might like it, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “You like Spike’s comics, right? Well, that book’s got just as much action as them and tells the story of all the original Bolt Knights, not just her,” she explained as Edgeworth reappeared behind her and Rarity did the same on the other side of the mirror, the former looking quite flushed and the latter looking quite happy. “Welcome back, Edgeworth,” Phoenix couldn’t help but tease. “Any reason your cheeks are as red as your suit?” he asked to the giggles of Twilight’s friends. “All right. What’d’ja do, Rarity?” Applejack smirked at her friend. “A lady never tells, Darling!” She looked very pleased with herself as she tossed her exquisite mane. “And I certainly won’t…” Edgeworth could barely mumble. “As gratifying as it was to see all you again, I’m afraid I must take my leave,” he announced with a bow towards the mirror. “Don’t be a stranger, dear! Mister Wright now has the means to keep in touch with our world!” she pointed out as the image suddenly shimmered and began slowly closing in from the edges—Rarity had said in the note she sent the gems with that Vinyl Scratch had found a way to boost their magic, but they could still only power such a spell for so long. “Oh! And in the nick of time, then! Twilight! Mister Wright! Be well and keep in touch! We’ll contact you again tomorrow! Until then, ta-ta!” she shouted frantically through a narrowing field of vision, the image of Equestria suddenly withdrawing as if into a deep tunnel until the entire mirror surface rippled and by the time it was smooth again, it only showed their reflection. “Okay, what did she do, Edgeworth?” Phoenix turned to his friend with a lopsided grin. Edgeworth could only clear his throat. “I really should be going…” he insisted. “It was… good to see you and your friends again, Miss Sparkle. And I believe you are still owed a rematch in chess?” He quickly changed the subject, giving her a short bow. “I’d love one! So if you’re available before the princess and I leave in three days, you’re more than welcome to come by.” She materialized the chess set box they’d found in a closet. “Not as nice as the set I gave you when you left Equestria, but it should do!” “I believe I will bring that set with me, as I have not yet had the chance to use it. Though as it now sits on a table in my office, Von Karma saw it and found it rather… odd, asking me if I was ‘into equines’.” Twilight and Phoenix looked at each other and exchanged a smile, each thinking the same thing. “And did you tell her only if they had an immaculate white coat with sapphire blue eyes, an exquisite violet mane and an exacting eye for detail?” Phoenix asked with a smirk. Edgeworth flushed again as Twilight giggled. “You two are enjoying yourselves far too much,” he finally said, making a Herculean effort to recover his composure, crossing his arms and tapping his finger on his bicep once more. “Miss Rarity is… a special lady, certainly. And I admit I was impressed with her eye for detail and deductive abilities when we investigated the corruption of the Equestrian prosecutors’ office. However… though I believe her to be an… admirable mare, I do not feel it appropriate to engage in more… personal pursuits with her,” he said carefully. Phoenix thought of teasing him further by telling him they knew what happened with him and Rarity under the influence of Pinkie’s party punch, but decided against it—for now! “Your call, but ‘special ladies’ like her don’t come along too often, Edgeworth,” he reminded him, emphasizing his statement by holding Twilight close and kissing her. “You really should give her a chance like I did for Twilight.” “Seconded!” Twilight said as she gave him a second, and deeper kiss. Edgeworth stared at them for a moment, then gave them both a short nod and bow. “I must be off. Good day to both of you, Wright and Miss Sparkle. I will return this weekend to meet the Princess and have our chess match if possible.” “See you then!” they said together, seeing him to the door and then waving goodbye. Once the door was shut behind him, Twilight turned to Phoenix. “So… how long do you think it’ll be until he gives in to Rarity?” Phoenix grinned at that. “Edgeworth is stubborn but not immovable. It took me a few cases to crack him, so I imagine it’ll be the same for her. I’ll give him six months before surrender.” “Six? Rarity’s plenty stubborn too, and has lot more experience with stallions. Three at most!” she rejoined with a grin of her own. “So… now that all that’s taken care of, what do you want to do today?” Twilight asked, putting her arms around his shoulders. Though tempted to suggest staying in for some lovemaking—he half-thought she was hinting at it—Phoenix decided that it was still best to wait for a bit so soon after the previous night’s events, as they were still tired and at least somewhat rattled. “Well, how about this: since we’re still worn out, why don’t we nap first, and then… since we’re going to do the fair tomorrow, why don’t we head into the city today so you can see the courthouse where I argue cases? And after that…?” he grinned and showed her his credit card. “And after that, we’ll come back and spend the evening in town, including dinner and a trip to that big bookstore down the street?” he suggested meaningfully. Her eyes lit up. “You certainly know the way to my heart, Phoenix Wright!” She kissed him again. “So let’s get that nap and get a fresh start…”