In the dark of the Everfree Forest, a mysterious meeting was taking place…
Only the silhouettes of two ponies were visible as they faced off in the dimly-lit clearing; from their stance and demeanor, it was clear their discussion would not be a friendly one. “Time for negotiations…” one of the darkened figures broke the tense silence, addressing the other pony in front of him.
“Forget it! I’m NOT doing it!” the second pony refused in a very familiar female voice.
“Do it or ELSE!” the first voice threatened, showing her a large envelope.
“I don't care about that anymore… ” the familiar voice growled, her wings flared in anger. “Besides, I have a better idea!”
“WHAT?!”
“Enjoy this parting GIFT!” she sneered just before darting up into the sky to kick a hidden cloud, causing it to fire a lightning bolt down into the clearing with a bright flash and earshattering...
BOOM!!!!!!
The jagged stroke briefly but brilliantly lit up the forest, revealing the second pony to be a cyan-furred pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane…
Phoenix Wright - Turnabout Storm! (Opening)
Why did I become a lawyer in the first place...? Because someone has to look out for the people who have no one on their side.--Phoenix Wright, Turnabout Sisters
June 9th, 9:43PM
Mid-evening found Phoenix Wright, attorney-at-law, lounging on his office recliner doing some paperwork when his cellphone rang.
“Wright and Co. Law Offices, ‘defending you like its nuttin’, baby’!” Phoenix recited his slogan to the caller, hoping to be speaking to a prospective client. But as had been so often the case in recent weeks, he was disappointed. “No… sorry… I-I don’t need a vegetable dicer… I’m sure that… ugh…”
Phoenix turned his phone off and put it back in his pocket, mumbling to himself. “That stupid slogan Maya came up with must be making business this slow. I should really have it revised…” he grumbled. “Scratch that, I NEED to have it revised. What a ridiculous slogan! Who are we trying to attract, grade school students?” he wondered aloud, resolving to do so the next day and wondering how he would break the news to Maya, his teenaged assistant.
“I guess it’s a good sign though. The less people in need of an attorney, the less problems there are in the world,” he mused, trying to look on the bright side. “Unfortunately, sunshine and smiles don’t pay the bills.”
Phoenix stood up and stretched, feeling his shoulders crick. “Guess I can at least call it in early tonight.” No sooner had he resolved to leave when he felt something very powerful strike and grab hold of him, seizing the lawyer in an unseen grasp.
“ARGH!!!” he screamed, trying futilely to break free. “W-what’s going on?!”
Another strike hit him, this time on his head. He tried to ward off the invisible attacker, only to find…”I can’t move my body!” Wait, is my hand fading away?!
His vision became darker and darker, the room fading before his eyes. Getting… dizzy… am I… dying?
His strength depleted, he fell unconscious, succumbing to the unknown force.
June 9th, 9:45PM
“Ughhhhh…” Phoenix let out a groan, just starting to recover from his bizarre experience.
“Hey! Who the heck are YOU?!” an unfamiliar female voice broke the silence, ignoring his moan of pain.
Whose voice is that? he wondered to himself, still unable to see.
“For that matter… WHAT the heck are you?” the voice added.
What am I? What kind of question is that? Does she mean my profession? he thought, more confused than ever.
“I wanted the best attorney in Equestria, not some… porcupine thing!”
Despite his disorientation, the defense attorney couldn’t help but grumble over the insult to his spiky hair. Does my hair REALLY look like a porcupine…? he silently groused, realizing he could move again. My muscles are coming to; I think I can open my eyes… Phoenix slowly did so, only to be greeted by a much different place than his own office.
He was in a wide, multi-level room that looked like it had been hollowed out of the interior of a large tree. The space—a library?—was lined with well-stocked bookshelves seemingly carved directly out of the trunk; on the far end of the room was a loft with a bed small enough to fit a child. “Huh? Where am I?” he asked, not recognizing his surroundings. Suddenly, a small purple horse with a darker-striped mane and a single spiral horn on its forehead entered his view.
“Hey… you’re a human, aren’t you?” the equine asked in the same unfamiliar voice as before, studying him closely.
“Y-yeah, I’m a human…” he confirmed to the talking horse in front of him… at which moment his common sense finally kicked in. “WAIT! WHAT?!”
“A human in Equestria, that’s amazing!” the small horse said, delighted and intrigued.
Phoenix gaped. “Y-YOU’RE A TALKING HORSE!!” he blurted out, completely unable to accept what lay before his eyes.
“Excuse me! I am not a horse, I happen to be a pony,” the equine corrected him with a slightly offended air.
“Oh! Okay! A talking PONY! That explains everything!” Phoenix retorted, still freaked out over the creature in front of him. “I must be in a dream… a really REALLY bad dream…” he told himself, clutching his head.
The purple pony seemed almost amused. “I’m pretty sure you’re not, but… let’s conduct an experiment!” With that, she kicked Phoenix in the gut, hard.
“OW!! What was that for?!” Phoenix doubled over, grabbing his stomach and cringing in pain.
“You acknowledge pain; therefore that definitely means you aren’t dreaming,” she concluded with a satisfied grin.
Phoenix gave her a glare. This thing has a really sick sense of humor!
As the purple pony observed him closely, she noticed his royal blue business suit and red tie. “Wait… are you a defense attorney?” she asked, almost hopefully.
“Of COURSE I am!” he shouted, still curled up on the floor clutching his midsection. Why am I talking to it?!
“Oh… oops… my mistake,” the purple pony said almost sheepishly.
The human lawyer blinked at that. “What do you mean ‘Oops’?” he asked, certain he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Well I was performing a spell to call upon ‘The Greatest Defense Attorney in Equestria’,” she began to explain, continuing to study him curiously.
“What’s ‘Equestria’?” Phoenix demanded to know, struggling to sit up, his gut still sore.
“The name of this country!” she replied brightly.
Finally, Phoenix had had it. “But I’m not FROM this country!” he shouted at her, pounding his fists down on the wooden floor in frustration.
“I must have left out the ‘Equestria’ part when I cast the spell. I guess I called upon ‘The Greatest Defense Attorney’… period. Go figure, huh?” she offered with an embarrassed air.
Oh cosmos, you flatter me… he thought, deciding that certain honors he could do without. “Well can you please send me back? Like… RIGHT NOW?!”
“Sure thing!” she said agreeably, but stopped as if an idea had just occurred to her. “Actually… this is perfect!”
Phoenix had a sinking feeling in his still-sore gut. Oh, please don’t tell me this is going where I think it is…
“You see I am in need of a really good defense attorney.”
Phoenix let out a long sigh. Aaaaaand it does go where I think it is.
“And you just happen to be here…” she told him as if it were a coincidence.
He gave her another glare. “Actually you kidnapped me with your freaky spell, REMEMBER?” he reminded her pointedly.
“A minor setback…” the equine mare—a unicorn?—shrugged.
“MINOR!?!?” he shouted back at her.
“Yes… but would you be willing to represent my friend?” she asked, her manner turning more polite.
The human lawyer stared at her in disbelief. “Honestly… I’m still shocked that I’m talking to a purple hors… err… I mean, pony,” he caught himself. “Can you just send me home please… and get someone else to do it?”
The violet unicorn looked down, seemingly sad about something, “Look, I really need help… my friend’s life is at stake here…”
Phoenix rubbed his eyes. “Let me just get my head together; this is a little too much for me!” he replied, sitting up as the pain in his gut receded. “First off, who are you and where am I?”
She answered instantly, though it didn’t mean much to him. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m a disciple of Princess Celestia, the monarch of this land. I am chronicling the Magic of Friendship for her, and… you’re in the town of Ponyville!”
“’Celestia?’ ‘Magic of Friendship’? ‘Ponyville’…?” he quoted, more bewildered than ever. “Wait a minute! Are you saying there are MORE talking ponies?!” he asked her to clarify, trying not to freak out again.
“Mmm-hmm! Almost all of Ponyville’s inhabitants are ponies,” the violet unicorn assured him, which only made Phoenix even more uneasy.
“Oh joy, this just keeps better and better,” he replied sarcastically.
Just then, Twilight had an idea. “Hey, I know! Be right back!” Trotting off, she went to one of the book shelves and started to browse her books with her… magic?
Whoa, is she moving those books with her horn? Phoenix watched in astonishment as they hovered in midair, surrounded by the same purple glow that bathed her spiral appendage.
A minute later, she returned with something. “Found it! Here you go. You’re new here, so you can read this… uh… ‘detailed’ encyclopedia of the different ponies in Equestria,” she offered, floating a small book with a heart on the front to Phoenix.
Reluctantly, Phoenix took a look at the girlie-looking thing. “Hmmm… wait, it says ‘For Early Ages’ on the cover! This is a children’s book!” he shouted, slamming it down in anger for being treated like a kid with no sense at all… which in this new world, Twilight knew he was.
“Well you see… this stuff is kind of common knowledge around here,” she explained with a slightly goofy expression on her face.
Though still annoyed, Phoenix read the book—all twelve words of it:
The Filly’s Guide to Ponies• Earth Ponies founded land
• Unicorns use magic
• Pegasi soar through the air.
“You called this detailed? I read the book cover to back in ten seconds flat!” he told her in an irritated tone, adding the book to his inventory.
Twilight sighed and fell back on her haunches, seemingly saddened by something he said.
The human lawyer’s expression softened at that. “Hey… I’m… I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” he offered, trying to cheer her up. Should I have said ‘pony’ there I wonder…?
“No it’s not that, it’s my friend… I know she is not guilty but she is going to be punished for a crime she didn’t commit,” the violet unicorn explained, leaving Phoenix relieved that his comment hadn’t offended his only way home.
“What kind of crime is she being accused of?” he asked, the attorney in him now curious.
“Murder…” Twilight said quietly.
Surprise, Surprise, Phoenix thought.
“Murder never happens in Ponyville, or Equestria for that matter, so the punishment is very severe…” she added ominously.
“What is the punishment?” Phoenix asked, holding his breath, knowing what it would be in his world.
“Banishment,” Twilight answered sadly.
The human lawyer relaxed a bit. “Well that isn’t so bad compared to—”
“To the moon… or even to the sun,” she finished, causing Phoenix to gape anew. “I’ve convinced the Princess to go easy on her, but she will have no choice if the verdict ends up being guilty.”
And forget what I just said, sheesh! Being sent to the sun is ‘going easy on someone’? Remind me never to do anything bad in this place! he silently cringed. “So… uh… Twilight, do you know any details of the crime?”
She shook her head. “Not much… all I know is that my friend was spotted near the scene where the murder took place; that’s why she’s the prime suspect.”
“Where is she now?” he asked, already thinking that simply being near a crime scene was thin grounds for suspicion.
“In the Ponyville Detention Center,” Twilight replied.
“Have you spoken to her since?”
“I would, but the guards won’t let me in,” she told him, raising her large purple eyes to meet his.
“They won’t let you in? Why not?” Phoenix prompted.
“I can only get in there with a Defense Attorney… which is why I was trying to call one,” she explained.
Now fully understanding of her plight, Phoenix decided he could do that much for her, at least. “Okay then… since I’m a Defense Attorney let’s go to this detention center,” he offered, finally getting to his feet.
“Really? So you’ll take the case?!” she asked hopefully, but Phoenix raised his hands to keep her from getting too excited.
“Hey, hey… I haven’t decided on that part yet, I just thought the least I could do is help you get in to speak with your friend,” he clarified, not about to commit to anything.
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you for your kindness, Phoenix Wright.”
That sparked something inside the lawyer’s mind. “Uh… how did you know my name? I haven’t introduced myself yet…”
He caught a momentary flash of panic in the equine’s purple eyes. “Oh! Uh… I did… uh, a quick identification spell,” she explained.
“’Identification spell’?” Phoenix repeated, instantly suspicious.
“Yeah! An identification spell! Anyway, let me prepare a few things, then we can head to the detention center,” she said, trotting off to another room.
Phoenix watched her leave, his mind still turning. After I get her inside to talk with her friend, I’ll let her off easy and make her send me back home. There is no WAY I’m taking a case this weird! he decided, planning to make sure she sent him home in time for some dinner.
June 9th, 10:05PM
Phoenix walked alongside Twilight to the Detention Center, a bit uncomfortable at the attention he was receiving from other Ponyville residents. “I’ve never felt like such a minority in my life!” he whined as they neared their destination.
“Oh, it wasn’t that bad!” the violet unicorn suggested.
He gave her an incredulous look. “All those ponies were gawking at me the whole way here!” Still feeling out of place, he glanced back over his shoulder only to see even more ponies staring at and whispering to each other about him.
“Mr. Wright, humans have almost never been seen in all of Equestria,” she said solemnly. “In fact you may be the first one in Ponyville! You should be honored!”
Honored? Strolling around a town infested with candy colored equines? Yeah I’d feel honored if I was… oh I don’t know… A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL! he silently groused. “So how did you know I was a human?” he asked, curious.
“I read a lot!” she answered eagerly. “I’ve read almost every book in my library five times over and I’m familiar with a lot of different species: Chimeras, Trolls, Basilisks, Goblins, et cetera, et cetera.”
Wait?! You’re telling me she had read every book in that gigantic library FIVE TIMES?! he thought in disbelief.
“Anyway, we’re here Phoenix.”
Snapped out of his thoughts, Phoenix had no sooner looked up to see the Detention Center then the pair were greeted by two pony sentries, one black and one white, each wearing armor and headgear that made them look like the equine equivalent of Roman soldiers. Phoenix barely had time to register their presence before the first one spoke out.
“Halt! Only a lawyer can enter the Detention Center!” the white-furred pony guard announced in a thick, royal-sounding accent. A stallion, he was much bigger and brawnier than Twilight, his head coming up to Phoenix’s chest.
Twilight gave Phoenix a little shove forward with her hoof. “Well, go on…”
He gave her a momentary glare before looking back at the two guards uncertainly. “Uh… hey guys, I’m a lawyer…”
“Identification!” This time, the equally large black stallion spoke, snapping out the order in a very gruff voice.
“Ah… right here!” Phoenix reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a familiar and treasured object: An ornate silver medallion with a raised edge and a recessed symbol of judicial scales in the center. Never leave home without it! he thought, proudly showing his attorney badge to the two guards.
“What is that?” the white pony guard asked, looking at the odd artifact the man/creature was showing to them.
“Is that a toy? You look a little old to be playing with toys,” the black pony guard said sarcastically, sounding a bit irritated.
Next time, I’m leaving it at home! an embarrassed Phoenix thought.
“You cannot pass without valid Equestrian Identification,” the white pony informed him.
“But I don’t have any…” Phoenix protested.
“Then beat it, spiky!” the black pony dismissed him, shoving him back with a hoof to the chest and barring his entrance.
Frustrated, Phoenix turned back to the violet unicorn watching from further back. “Twilight, they’re not letting me in!”
“Oh! That’s right, Mr. Wright, I was suppose to give you this,” she replied, floating him something. “The princess ordered me to give you this earlier today. It’s a permit to defend in Equestria.”
“I see… wait…” Phoenix’s brow furrowed, his suspicions rekindled. “I thought you ‘accidentally’ brought me here. How could your princess have had that prepared for me?” he demanded to know.
Twilight appeared to briefly panic again before coming up with an explanation—or was it an excuse? “O-oh uh… what I meant was… I had my assistant Spike prepare it before we left,” she offered.
He gave her an askance look. “Spike? I didn’t see anyone else in that library,” he pointed out, more suspicious than ever.
“He was sleeping, it’s late as you can see; I had to wake him up and have him prepare it. That’s why it took a little while to leave. I’ll properly introduce you to him later…” she spoke quickly, trying not to give Phoenix a chance to interject again.
Phoenix raised a brow. “You prepared a permit in twenty minutes? I find that a little fishy…”
Twilight thrust the badge into his hand with her magic. “Save the questions for my friend, just take the badge!” she insisted.
This isn’t helping me accept your request, you know… Phoenix growled at the unicorn with his thoughts, examining the pink and frilly object in his hand. “A heart…” he said as he recognized the shape of the girlie-looking thing. I feel my masculinity going… going… gone…
Twilight grabbed his attention back. “Come on, hurry up! Visiting hours are almost over!” she reminded him, motioning up at the clock in front of the Detention Center.
Reluctantly, Phoenix went back to the two guards. “Okay, guys… here it is…” he flashed the heart-shaped pink badge. This is so degrading!
“Permission granted. You may enter,” the two armored ponies announced in unison, stepping aside to allow him access.
Relieved, Phoenix turned back to Twilight. “Phew… alrighty! Come on Twilight, you can go and speak with your friend now,” he invited, motioning her forward.
Twilight stayed where she was, sitting back and looking down at her hooves almost apologetically. “Sorry, Phoenix…”
“Sorry? About what?” Phoenix gave her a confused look
“I’m not allowed in. Only attorneys are allowed to speak with the suspects,” Twilight explained, leaving Phoenix with a sinking feeling in his gut.
“But you said…” he began to sputter.
“I know what I said…” Twilight cut him off in mid-sentence. ”I said that I’d talk to her… but it’d be better if you got all the details about the crime to make your judgment.” She looked towards the building, sighing as she continued. “Just please hear her out. If you still don’t want to do it after that…” she paused, as if making a hard decision. “Then I promise to send you back to your world.”
“But I…” he couldn’t continue, feeling trapped, knowing that if he did as she asked, he’d likely end up taking the case and wouldn’t back out until it was done. Should I really be doing this? Should I really be meddling in some other world’s affair? he asked himself. Maybe I should at least hear what this fuss is about… His decision made, Phoenix let out a huge sigh and gave the violet unicorn the answer she wanted. “Fine…”
Twilight stood up with a huge smile on her face. “Thank you so much Mr. Wright.”
June 9th, 10:15PM
Phoenix was escorted back to a dimly lit room filled with cubicle cells separated by clear partitions and metal bars; looking around, he was surprised at how similar it appeared to the detention centers he knew back home. “Okay… so where is Twilight’s friend?” he wondered aloud as he looked inside the cell blocks, belatedly realizing he had no idea what the violet unicorn’s ‘friend’ looked like… or even what her name was.
As he passed a particular cell, someone called out to him. “HEY!!”
Startled, Phoenix jumped as he looked back to where the voice came from. “Eh?! What did I do?” he asked the voice.
At that moment, a striking and exotic-looking equine appeared behind the cell partition in front of him: a winged pony with cyan fur and feathers, a prismatic mane and tail, and ruby pink eyes. “I don’t think they allow animals here; you should get out before they toss YOU in here too!” the pony prisoner told him. Judging from the voice and the owner’s softer-looking features, the human lawyer guessed the pony was female.
“Look, I’m not an animal, I’m a human being!” he corrected her, trying hard not to stare at the young mare, wondering if her mane was naturally all those colors and if her wings really worked.
“Oh… I’m not talking to you, I meant that THING on your head!” she said with a mischievous grin.
Phoenix began to grind his teeth at that. If someone makes fun of my hair ONE more time…
“So I’m guessing you’re my lawyer, huh?” the rainbow-maned pony asked, appraising him.
“Yes, Twilight Sparkle sent me.” Just after saying that, Phoenix caught himself. “Wait! No! I haven’t agreed to anything yet!” he protested.
The exotic-colored equine rolled her eyes. “Jeez, Twilight sure knows how to pick ‘em’!” she said in annoyance. “What are you doing here then?”
“I just want information regarding the crime you are being accused of,” Phoenix stated, all business as he pulled out his pen and pad to take notes. “Let’s start off with your name…”
She was only too eager to give it. “I’m Rainbow Dash, best flier in Ponyville! Soon to be a household name in all of Equestria! Line up for my autograph starts right over there!” she boasted, putting a front hoof to her chest.
Phoenix was unimpressed. Twilight Sparkle? Rainbow Dash? Is it me or are their names staring to sound like flavors of ice cream? “I’m Phoenix Wright. Best attorney in the… universe… apparently,” he replied, introducing himself back.
“Phoenix?” she looked up, tilting her head as she thought about his name. “Sweet name… but it could sound cooler…” she mused while studying his face.
“Uh… ’cooler’?” Phoenix had a bad feeling about what was coming next.
“I think I’ll call you… ‘Nix’. That sounds cool!” she pronounced, satisfied.
Inwardly, Phoenix sighed. Another strange name I can add to my nickname checklist! “Hmmm… so you’re an… earth pony, correct?” he guessed.
Rainbow Dash looked insulted. “What the HAY are you talking about? I’m not an earth pony! I’m a PEGASUS!” she corrected Phoenix, raising her voice at him.
“Uh… never mind that, why are you here?” he asked, flustered. It’s kinda sad I couldn’t get down a book with twelve words…
“Well, I guess I could tell you all I know…” she offered, turning serious again. “You see, last night, a pegasus named ‘Ace Swift’ was killed in the Everfree Forest.”
“Do you know anything about him?” Phoenix asked, jotting down the name.
“Sure do! He was a hot shot racer expected to win the Equestrian 500!”
“’Equestrian 500’?” Phoenix prompted.
“A grueling race for pegasi, enduring a five-hundred mile journey around Equestria. He was the top pick to win the whole thing. Don’t worry though!”
“Don’t worry? About what?”
“I still would have won even if he were still alive, HA!”
Phoenix rubbed his eyes at the gratuitous display of ego. “Let me guess, you were planning on entering that race as well?”
“Of course! The winner gets special lessons from The Wonderbolts!”
The human lawyer blinked at yet another unfamiliar name. “Who are ‘The Wonderbolts’?”
Rainbow’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t know who The Wonderbolts are? You living under a rock or something?!”
“Hey, I’m new here, give me a break!” Phoenix countered, increasingly annoyed.
Rainbow Dash let out a disappointed sigh before she explained. “THE Wonderbolts are only the most coolest ponies in all of Equestria! They are Princess’s personal aerial acrobatics team; the stunts they perform are nine degrees of cool!” she squealed like a teenage fangirl as she remembered the performances she’d seen. “You see, I’ve been trying to get in their group forever and the Equestrian 500 is my ticket to show off my slick moves to them. I’d do ANYTHING to get that chance!”
Phoenix cringed at that. Thank you for effectively establishing motive for yourself Ms. Dash, this helps your case SO much… “So how did this guy die?” he asked, keeping the thought to himself.
“Pony,” Rainbow corrected.
“What?”
“’How did this PONY die?’ is what you mean Nix,” she clarified.
Well EXCUSE ME, I didn’t take ‘Hooked on Ponyics’! he thought sarcastically, but kept his irritation out of his voice. “The point is, how did he die?”
Rainbow just shrugged. “How should I know? I didn’t do it…”
Phoenix was confused. “Then why did they take you in?”
“I just happened to be flying near the Everfree Forest that night… then those chuckleheads burst in to my house and brought me in here saying I did it!” she raised her voice a bit, getting visibly angry at being accused. “They even said that they had lots of proof, but I would never do that to another pony!” she insisted.
“They just took you in just like that?” A dubious Phoenix asked, thinking there had to be more to it than that.
Rainbow Dash looked down at that, her cockiness suddenly gone. “They said they’re going to banish me…”
“So I heard…” Phoenix replied, subdued.
“Everyone thinks I did it, everyone!” she said, tearing up. “The Wonderbolts probably hate me…” she wiped her eyes and looked up to Phoenix, “But you believe me, right?” she asked, all but begging him to say yes.
Though still uncertain, Phoenix obliged her. “Well… I-I guess… but not everyone thinks you did it…”
“Huh?” she gave him a tilt-headed look.
“Your friend Twilight seems to have faith in you, otherwise I wouldn’t be in this mess,” he told her.
She smiled a bit. “Heh, you’re right, I guess. Twilight’s a real pal! But what do you mean by ‘mess’ anyway?”
“You see… as you can probably already guess I’m not from Equestria,” he motioned down at his decidedly not-equine body and exotic attire to make his point. “Your purple friend pulled me out of my world because she accidentally called upon ‘The Greatest Attorney’… and that just happened to be me.”
Rainbow’s rose-colored eyes lit up at that. “AWESOME!!!! It’s only fitting that the best pegasus ever gets the best lawyer ever!” she boasted. “You were DESTINED to defend me!”
This one’s ego is larger than Detective Gumshoe’s appetite for instant noodles! Phoenix noted, his thoughts briefly going to the poorly-paid and slightly slow police detective he often worked with back home.
“Nix, as much as I hate asking for help…” Rainbow continued, looking like she was gathering herself. “Can you PAH-LEEES be my attorney?” she pleaded, showing a bit of her ‘cute’ side to him.
Despite her not-insubstantial attempt at adorability, Phoenix hesitated. I fell kind of sorry for her, she sounds like she’s telling the truth and I want to say yes… but should I…? “Well…” Just then Phoenix remembered something in his pocket. "Oh, wait a minute!” I believe her, but I need to be sure…
With that, Phoenix took out his Magatama: a small comma-shaped green gemstone given to him by Maya, his teenaged assistant. Functioning as his own personal lie detector, it allowed him to see if someone is hiding any deep secret in their heart from him.
“Is that a toy? You look a little old to be playing with toys, Nix,” Rainbow teased, looking at the strange green amulet the human lawyer was holding in front of him.
Phoenix ignored the barb. “Look, Rainbow Dash, I’m going to ask you this and I want you to tell me the absolute 100% truth!” he instructed her, holding the artifact right in front of the pegasus pony. “Did you have ANYTHING to do with the death of Ace Swift?”
Rainbow reacted with fury to the question, rearing up to slam her hooves down hard into the clear partition, making Phoenix flinch backwards. “I told you, I DIDN’T KILL ANYPONY!” she shouted, very upset.
Phoenix waited for something to happen with the Magatama… but nothing did.
“Huh?” Rainbow looked at the suddenly silent human lawyer.
Nothing… it’s certain then, she really didn’t do it… he realized, and with that, his mind was made up. “Okay Rainbow Dash…” he began, putting the artifact away.
“What? Why did you go all silent there?” she asked him, confused.
“I’ve decided to take your case, I trust you,” he announced, standing up a little straighter before his new client.
“YES! Alright! I know you can do it Nix!” she cheered, giving a hoof pump as she finally got her defense attorney.
“I suppose the first thing I should do is investigate the scene of the crime for some evidence to prove your innocence. Where was it again?” he asked her, picking his pen and pad back up.
“A clearing in the Everfree Forest,” she reminded him.
“’Everfree Forest’?”
“Yeah, it’s about fifteen minutes from Fluttershy’s house.”
“’Fluttershy’… huh…” he repeated, hearing yet another unfamiliar name. Probably another pony.
“Well good luck Nix, you may look a little strange but you’re okay in my book,” she commented.
Phoenix gave her a disbelieving look. I look a little strange?! Coming from the ‘Roy G Biv’ pony with wings, you looks strange even by PONYVILLE standards! “Oh… right, there was one more question I wanted to ask you…” he remembered, recalling something that had bothered him from earlier.
“Shoot!”
“What were you doing near the scene of the crime anyway?”
Rainbow Dash looked suddenly nervous. “Uh…”
“Well?” Phoenix waited for an answer, noticing her hesitation.
“I… I was practicing… for the Equestrian 500!” she finally answered. She had no sooner spoke than the Magatama reacted, revealing a series of chains and red padlocks surrounding the cyan pegasus. “Yup, that’s what I was doing… practicing for the big race!”
Phoenix nodded grimly to himself, his suspicions confirmed. Psyche-locks… you’re a bad liar… even without this thing I can tell you’re hiding something from me! “Look Rainbow Dash, if I’m going to defend you, you’re going to need to be honest with me…”
“I told you twelve times already, I didn’t do it!” she insisted again.
Phoenix shook his head. “I’m not saying you did it! I’m just wondering what were you doing near the scene of the crime?” he challenged, watching her closely.
“Uh… um… well… uh-oh!” Rainbow Dash struggled to find an excuse to not answer his question… finally coming up with a very weak one. “Looks like visiting hours are over! Catch ya’ later Nix!”
“Hey! No they aren’t! There’s still five minutes left!” Phoenix called after her, but Rainbow Dash had already headed back to her cell, disappearing into the darkness. She’s gone… oh well; I probably need more information to pursue that any further anyway. As long as she didn’t do it that’s all I need to know for now, he decided.
Putting his pen and notepad away, he got up to leave, intending to inform Twilight of his decision and begin an investigation to prove the poorly judged pony innocent of murder…
June 9th, 10:30PM
As Phoenix emerged from the detention center, he was greeted by the now-familiar face of Twilight Sparkle. “Phoenix! How did it go?” she asked expectantly.
Phoenix gave the violet unicorn the answer she’d been hoping for. “I have decided to represent Rainbow Dash.”
Twilight’s ears perked up and her purple eyes gleamed in gratitude. “Oh, thank you so much Mr. Wright!”
He gave her a nod of acknowledgement. “She said she didn’t do it, and I can’t turn my back on the innocent being punished for something they didn’t do,” he looked back at the Detention Center as he explained.
Twilight smiled at that. “You know… you share a very similar trait to Rainbow Dash, Mr. Wright,” she proclaimed.
He gave her a look. “I do? Am I really that obnoxious?” he asked, showing her a long face, worried he may be just that.
“No… you are very loyal,” she reassured Phoenix with a grin and chuckle, making his previous thought go away. “She may not have looked it, but Rainbow Dash is probably really scared about what is going to happen to her. So she needs all the support she can get right now.”
Phoenix thought about that. “Now that you mention it, she did seem awfully chipper for someone who’s the prime suspect of the murder,” he said, scratching his chin.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like…” Twilight said, sitting on her haunches and looking sadly at the ground.
He nodded slowly. “I have been in that place before,” he told her, eyes suddenly distant.
“’That place’?” she echoed, looking back up. “What do you mean by that, Phoenix?”
“I’ve been on trial for crimes I didn’t commit. I know how she probably feels.”
Twilight looked at him in surprise. “You have?”
Phoenix nodded and looked down at the ground, recalling all the times he was blamed for things he didn’t do, from childhood to adulthood. “It felt dark and lonely having nobody to turn to. Feeling as if the world was against me and nobody could help…” As he spoke, he went into a melancholic state, sitting down on a nearby bench as he recounted his story, a little low for him though it was. “Once when I was just a kid, my whole class accused me of stealing and we had this stupid ‘Class Trial’. The other time… was a little more serious,” he paused, seemingly reliving a painful memory.
“What happened?” Twilight asked, as Phoenix’s mind went back five years.
“I was framed for murder by someone who I thought cared for me,” he said sadly, causing Twilight’s mouth to fall open. “I learned the hard way appearances can be deceiving. But I was lucky enough to have friends who pulled me out of that darkness…” the human lawyer perked up as he recalled the friends and even former adversaries who had helped him through his trials, many of whom he had been able to help in turn. “A classmate stood up for me in school, and a rookie lawyer defended me at my murder trial, saving me almost in spite of myself,” he remembered. “It really touched me, what they did… their examples were the reason I decided to become a Defense Attorney.”
Twilight listened in rapt attention as Phoenix continued, the human lawyer sitting up straighter and his voice getting stronger as he went. “A Defense Attorney is someone who is there for you when times are grim. Showing that you have someone who trusts and believes in you—that you’re not alone. Smiling to the very end, no matter how bad things may get, working tirelessly on your behalf and not letting anything from lying witnesses to corrupt prosecutors stand in the way of seeking the truth.
“It’s the most frustrating job in the world sometimes—the hours are long, eyewitnesses often uncooperative… and you somehow never know where your next case or client will come from,” he told the violet unicorn with a slightly sardonic smile. Twilight grinned almost apologetically at that. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There’s no greater calling than being a defender of the innocent, and no greater feeling than uncovering the truth and proving your client innocent in court, seeing the joy and gratitude in their eyes as they’re set free.”
The violet unicorn was smiling by the story’s conclusion, sensing the human lawyer’s true strength and fighting spirit for the first time. “Mr. Wright… you know, I was going to study some law and justice books and be Rainbow Dash’s Defense Attorney myself if you declined,” she told him, very impressed. “But I see now that there is knowledge out there even books can’t teach. It was no mistake choosing you to be Rainbow Dash’s lawyer!”
Despite the compliment, Phoenix was caught short again. ‘Choose’? Didn’t you bring me here by accident? he asked her with his thoughts, increasingly certain that she knew of him long before he was dragged into this world.
“So, did you learn anything else from Rainbow Dash?” she asked before he could pursue the train of thought any further.
“Yes, she said the crime scene was in a clearing of the “Everfree Forest” near… ‘Butshersty’s’ house,” he recited, not completely sure about the name.
“Butshersty?” Twilight looked confused for a moment before it hit her like a brick. “Oh-OH! You mean FLUTTERSHY!” she exclaimed with a smile.
“Do you know the way?” Phoenix asked.
“Sure do!” she nodded eagerly.
“Let’s go then,” he told her, letting the violet unicorn lead him down the darkened street.
June 9th, 11:16PM
Phoenix followed Twilight out of town along a country road, eventually arriving at a very cozy-looking cottage fronting a vast looking forest a little further away. As they reached the side path that led to the front door, Twilight halted them both. “Phoenix, we should stop here.”
“Why is that?” He looked at the cottage and realized something. “Oh! This must be Flutterscotch’s house. We can probably question her to see if she saw anything last night,” he said as he glanced at the grounds around the house, noticing a lot of flower gardens and animal pens.
“Her name is Fluttershy,” Twilight corrected him again, distracting him from his sightseeing. “And those were my thoughts exactly. Please wait here for a minute,” she requested.
While Twilight went up to the front door alone, Phoenix looked around outside for a bit. The cottage roof and sides seemed to be partially covered in green moss, and there were several bird houses hanging from the trees. Nearby the cottage was a large chicken coop, next to that a small house where several more animals apparently resided. This pony must be a zookeeper or something…
Looking back to the cottage, she saw Twilight talking to a new pony standing on the porch. A pretty-looking yellow pegasus mare with greenish-blue eyes and a long pink mane and tail, she gasped when she saw Phoenix, shying away from him.
“Hey Fluttershy, meet Mr. Wright! He’s Rainbow Dash’s Lawyer.” Twilight introduced him to the canary-yellow pony, who was obviously a friend of the violet unicorn.
“Hello there, nice to meet you,” Phoenix came up and greeted her, trying to be friendly as possible, but the only response he got… was awkward silence. Not getting a reply, he tried to make small talk. “So… Ponyville is a really nice place, huh?”
Again… silence. Talk about quiet… she certainly lives up to her name!
The bashful pony went close to Twilight and whispered something in her ear, watching the human lawyer warily out of the corner of one eye. “Uh… oh… okay…” Twilight answered.
Phoenix became curious. “W-what’s she saying?”
Twilight looked uncomfortable. “She’s saying that suits and ties intimidate her.”
He gave the pegasus a sympathetic look. Trust me, they scare me a lot too! “And… uh… never mind…” Twilight held back the last thing Fluttershy said.
“Tell me! She can rest assured, she was nothing to fear,” Phoenix insisted, hoping it might be another piece of useful information regarding the case.
Twilight looked embarrassed, but did as he asked. “She says she’s afraid that if she gets too close… that, uh… pointy ‘beast’ on your head might… poke her eye out.”
Or so he thought… Seriously, the hair jokes are getting REALLY old! he grumbled under his breath. “So she’s not gonna speak to me?” he asked Twilight.
The violet unicorn was apologetic. “Sorry. She’s kind of shy.”
“No kidding.” He looked back again at the beautiful yet bashful pony beside her, her eyes almost completely hidden by her long pink bangs. At that point he gave up trying to talk to her, deciding they were just wasting their time. “Let’s go to the crime scene then, we’re not going to get any information here if she’s refusing to speak to me,” he sighed.
Twilight reluctantly agreed. “The crime scene is right over here, Phoenix,” she told him, leading him back to the main path.
“Okay,” he said, turning to follow her.
At the mention of his name, Fluttershy looked up in surprise and started to approach him.
“Huh?” Phoenix looked back, seeing the cute canary-yellow pony was coming closer.
“Uh… ‘Phoenix’?” she repeated tentatively, suddenly looking at him with less fear than curiosity.
“Y-yeah, that’s my name,” he confirmed.
Fluttershy began to talk to him, “Oh my… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know!” she apologized to him in a soft but beautiful voice. Phoenix almost melted over her cuteness, but he maintained his manhood strong and steady in the face of such overwhelming adorability.
“K-know what?” he said shakily, his ‘Cuteness Meter’ still pegged at ten.
“That you were a Phoenix! I have only seen one Phoenix in my life!” Her gorgeous greenish-blue eyes glittered, now greatly interested in him. “This is so great, you can speak!”
Though still very taken by her, Phoenix was increasingly confused. “Come again?”
“No wonder you look so homely and sick. Don’t worry though, soon you will be able to rise from your ashes into a beautiful bird of fire!” she reassured him.
Phoenix’s confusion was starting to override her cuteness. Did I just get insulted? “But I’m not a—”
”Phoenix!” Twilight interrupted him in a sharp whisper before he could finish his sentence.
“What?!” he looked back at Twilight.
“She’s speaking to you! Just go along with it!” she suggested strongly, making his eyes widen as he realized what she was thinking.
“Oh! That’s right…” He looked back at Fluttershy, drawing himself up a little straighter and giving her what he hoped was a winning smile. “Yup! I’m a Phoenix, Firefly!”
She gave him an odd look that quickly turned into another shy grin. “My name is ‘Fluttershy’, Mr. Phoenix. But you can call me whatever you want…” she cooed to him, her smile making him start to melt all over again.
“Ehh, right…” he said agreeably, trying admirably to maintain his professionalism. “So Fluttershy, I take it you know about your friend Rainbow Dash?”
“Yes I do… oh, poor Rainbow Dash… she must be so scared right now…” Fluttershy said, looking very worried.
“That’s why I need your help,” he implored her.
“How can I help Mr. Phoenix?” she asked eagerly, turning her big greenish-blue eyes back on him.
Phoenix gathered his thoughts carefully, trying to keep himself focused on the matter at hand and off the endearing equine in front of him. “You lived right next to the crime scene. Did you see anything suspicious last night?”
“Why… yes I did,” the pretty pegasus confirmed.
Sensing a lead, he got excited. “That’s GREAT! Tell me everything you know!” he instructed, pulling out his pen and notepad again.
“Well… I saw—” she caught herself. “Oops… oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Phoenix… the other ponies told me not to say a word to anypony about last night until I was on the ‘stand’,” she apologized, looking away from him. “Whatever that means…”
Phoenix’s eyes widened at the implication. “Wait a minute… you’re a WITNESS?!”
“I don’t even know what that is, Mr. Phoenix…” she said, completely oblivious to any and all legal terms… or so Phoenix thought.
You sure your name isn’t ‘FlutterNaïve?’ he asked silently, her cuteness factor dropping quickly in his eyes. “It’s okay; it’ll be our little secret. Just tell me what you saw!” Phoenix was persistent, anxious to know the facts straight from the horse’s mouth—or in this case, the pony’s mouth, he corrected himself.
“Come on Fluttershy, we need to know…” Twilight added in a kind but insistent voice, hoping Fluttershy would tell a close friend if not a stranger.
Fluttershy shook her head, looking downcast again. “I’m sorry Twilight, but I don’t want those ponies to get mad at me…”
Phoenix sighed and put his hand to his face, exasperated anew. Why can this never be easy? he asked the universe at large, deciding to try a different approach. “So what do you do here, Fluttershy?”
“I take care of my little animal friends, of course,” she said sweetly, batting her eyes at him.
His cuteness meter pegged again. “So you’re good with animals, huh?” he asked rhetorically. Just as I thought. I don’t find it surprising though, since she is… well… an animal herself… he thought, taken with her anew.
“Why yes! I can introduce you to them if you want…?” she offered hopefully.
Though tempted, he forced himself to say no. “That’s alright, we’re kind of busy,” he apologized, but meant it—he was an animal person himself, but knew he had a job to do first.
Fluttershy reacted badly when Phoenix said the word ‘busy’, suddenly fretting that she might be disturbing him. “Oh my! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you…”
Phoenix got a bit uncomfortable with her constant apologizing, unsure if he found it endearing or simply annoying. “I-It’s alright… no need to apologize,” he offered carefully, still looking and sounding confused.
“We have to get going, Fluttershy. We’ll talk to you later.” Twilight intervened, sensing that Phoenix was being entranced by the sight of Fluttershy in front of him, not knowing that he was in fact, an animal lover. But Twilight had something else in mind about him…
“Alright, bye Twilight! Bye Mr. Phoenix!” After bidding them farewell, Fluttershy went to the coop to check on her chickens.
Phoenix waved, forcing his eyes to leave her retreating form and turning them back to Twilight. “At least I got her trust; it will be a lot easier inevitably cross-examining her when we’re in court,” he noted, still somewhat taken with the demure pegasus. “Speaking of that… when is the trial anyway?”
“Tomorrow morning…” Twilight replied instantly.
“Oh… tomorrow morning…” Before he could say anything else, he was hit both by time and reality… HARD!
“TOMORROW MORNING?!” he yelled, making Twilight and Fluttershy jump, the latter giving a startled squeak. “As in… ‘tomorrow’ tomorrow?!” he tried again, praying he had heard her wrong.
“Yup, ‘tomorrow’ tomorrow,” the violet unicorn confirmed to his sinking heart.
“So I have only a few hours to gather evidence and present a case?!” he said to her, panicking at the realization that the trial was only a few short hours away. Phoenix, what have you gotten yourself into???
“Ohmygosh, I totally lost track of time! I’ve been trying to find a suitable lawyer all day long; I was going to give up after you!” Twilight belatedly realized herself.
Phoenix tilts his head. “Give up after me? You mean I’m not the only lawyer you’ve spoken with today?” he asked Twilight.
She nodded, sitting back and looking downcast again. “That is correct. All the pony lawyers I contacted declined though… as soon as murder was brought up,” she explained, a bit saddened by receiving so many refusals over the course of the day.
Phoenix quickly brought himself back under control, reminding himself that he couldn’t appear weak or worried in front of a client, witness, or potential assistant. “Don’t worry, murder cases aren’t anything new to me; I have a lot of experience with them. Rainbow Dash couldn’t be in any better hands,” he assured the violet unicorn, getting into the case more and the challenge of proving someone—or somepony—innocent once again!
“Thank you again for accepting this Phoenix!” Twilight told him gratefully. “But we better hurry to the crime scene though.”
“Right!” he agreed, falling in behind her again as they left Fluttershy’s cottage and headed down the main trail straight for the nearby forest.
So began the search for evidence and proof that whoever did the crime was still out there. Phoenix had to act fast, with the time of the trial approaching quickly. To find the true killer, he must…
Reach out for the truth!
June 9th, 11:30PM
Twilight and Phoenix entered the forest a short distance from Fluttershy’s cottage. As they walked along the path, the trees closed in and it became so dark Phoenix could barely see his hands in front of his face.
“Welcome to the Everfree Forest, Mr. Wright,” Twilight announced, the violet unicorn just a barely-seen shadow on the path in front of him.
“Kind of spooky,” Phoenix said nervously, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice and jumping at every unfamiliar sound.
“There are many deadly creatures in the Everfree Forest. Everypony tends to avoid entering here because of that,” Twilight noted matter-of-factly, sending fresh chills down the human lawyer’s spine.
“D-deadly… creatures?” he repeated, stammering at his own words. At that moment he felt something brush by him. “AHH!!! Something just touched my hand!!!” he panicked.
Twilight giggled at him, amused by his apparent fear of the dark. “That was just my tail. Don’t worry Phoenix, we’re not that deep. Most of the menacing things live MUCH further in,” she assured the human lawyer, trying to make him feel more comfortable.
“Uhh… oh… okay…” he said, thinking that with his manly and muscular figure, he was supposed to be the bravest and should be the one ‘protecting’ the smaller female pony, not the other way around! Come on! Don't be such a chicken, Phoenix! he ordered himself, trying to regain his courage and manhood.
Just then, the trees parted to reveal a small break in the woods, the moon giving just enough light to recognize it. “Look, there’s a clearing… this must be it,” Phoenix said, still nervous.
Twilight stopped and went silent for a moment, causing Phoenix to bump into her from behind, his hand brushing her hip and tail again before he backed off in surprise. “Hard to believe somepony died here,” she said, moving fractionally away and doing her best to ignore the contact, grateful Phoenix couldn’t see her blushing in the dark.
“Aren't there any Crime Scene Investigators (CSI)?” he asked Twilight, attempting to keep his voice casual and stay as close behind the violet unicorn as he could without actually touching her, the human lawyer trying hard to convince himself it was for her protection and not his.
“They’re probably all finished up,” she answered, getting a bit uncomfortable at his proximity.
Phoenix shrugged. “Bonus for me, I guess… let’s get down to work then,” he said, trying to sound easygoing, stepping up next to her. But before he could begin to investigate, his ‘common sense’ belatedly kicked in again. “But there’s one little problem… it’s WAY too dark here; I can hardly see anything and I don't have a flashlight,” he admitted.
“Let me take care of that…” Twilight offered, taking the excuse to move away from him. Not waiting for an acknowledgment, she trotted forward into the clearing and made her horn glow with a bright white light, illuminating the entire area.
Phoenix was very surprised, astonishment overriding his fear. It’s that horn again… it’s lighting up like a lantern! That must be really handy! he thought, wondering if he could have a horn like that… nah. “Good work, Twilight!” he praised, very grateful to be out of the dark.
He couldn’t see the violet unicorn blush anew in the light of her horn. “Alright! Let’s find some clues!” she shot up, excited to begin her first investigation.
She seems really eager to start this! Phoenix thought, a bit amazed at her activeness as he followed her into the clearing, her enthusiasm reminding him strongly of Maya at that moment.
“Hey look at this…” She trotted over to where an outline of a pony was visible on the ground. “Why is there tape all over the grass?” she asked the human lawyer, looking down at the oddly-shaped outline.
Phoenix knelt down beside it, knowing only too well why. “If it’s anything like in my world… this is probably where they found Ace Swift’s body.”
Twilight’s eyes widened and she felt her stomach lurch, the glow from her horn wavering for a moment. “Ugh… I think I’m going to be sick,” She turned away, her hoof going to her muzzle as if she was about to puke.
And all that eagerness seemed to go away in one fell swoop, Phoenix thought to himself with a quickly suppressed grin, grateful to be the ‘manly’ one again.
“Wait… the victim was Ace Swift?” Twilight asked him, doing her best to choke back the bile that was still trying to rise in her throat.
He nodded. “That’s what Rainbow Dash told me.”
“Ace Swift… hmm…” Twilight mused, eyes narrowed like she was trying to remember something, slowly forcing her nausea back to bay.
“It’s strange though… there’s no blood at all,” Phoenix noted, examining the ground around the outline. “Uh… ponies can bleed, right?” he asked uncertainly.
“Of COURSE they can!” she shot back in irritation.
Phoenix winced at her tone, belatedly sensing what a stupid question it was. “It’s just really strange that there’s a murder here but not a single drop of blood in sight,” he said, pointing out his first contradiction of the crime scene.
Twilight blinked, realizing the human lawyer was right. Then her violet eyes noticed something strange about the ground. “The grass is odd too… it’s all black…” she added, poking at it with her hoof, feeling it crumble instantly to powder beneath her blunt appendage.
Phoenix quickly turned his attention to what Twilight was referring to, experimentally patting the ground with his fingers, feeling the soot beneath them. “You’re right! It’s all charred and burned like… there was a small fire around the body.” Sensing its significance, Phoenix wiped his hand with a handkerchief before taking out his digital camera, snapping a picture of the charred area with the tape outline in it.
“’Steel Samurai’? That sure is an interesting-looking camera, Phoenix,” she said curiously, reading the label on the side.
“It’s not mine; it belongs to a friend,” Phoenix smiled, thinking he was going to have an incredible story to tell Maya when he finally returned home. That made him curious what Twilight would think of his world, wondering what he might share with her about it. Hey! Maybe I should tell Twilight about ‘The Steel Samurai’! Amazing how a kids show got so popular outside its targeted demographic…
“Hey, look there. That thing on the ground next to where the body was,” Twilight pointed to a small charred object, almost invisible against the burnt grass.
Phoenix picked it up and turned it over in his hand—a small and severely damaged L-shaped piece of metal. “It’s a… what the heck IS this thing?” Phoenix asked, showing it to Twilight.
The violet unicorn looked it over herself in the light of her horn before finally shaking her head. “I don’t have any idea.”
“Whatever it was, it’s totally burnt to a crisp,” Phoenix said, rubbing the rough surface and finding it flaking off beneath his thumb.
“Just like the grass…” Twilight noted.
Phoenix nodded in agreement. “This may be important evidence,” he pronounced, putting the odd object into a sealed plastic bag and adding it to his inventory. “Let’s look at the landscape over there.” He pointed across the clearing to where something seemed off to his eyes.
“Sure thing!” Twilight agreed, the unicorn and her lit horn following him to a small area at the left side the crime scene.
“What’s this…?” Phoenix asked, pointing down.
Twilight saw it too. “There’s an imprint of something in the dirt, something long…” she noted, her expression intent.
“That isn't what I find odd,” he shook his head.
“What do you mean?”
“Look next to it—someone obviously disturbed the dirt there,” he motioned to a scuffed-up area of ground.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Now that you mention it… this doesn’t look natural at all. It looks like somepony was kicking dirt all around in this area,” she agreed.
Phoenix pulled out his camera again to take a picture of the disturbed area. “See anything else suspicious?” he asked, looking around again.
Twilight directed his attention to the opposite end of the clearing. “Look at that tree way over there at the other end of the crime scene.”
Following her gaze, Phoenix saw it too—a freshly fallen tree. “It’s knocked down,” he observed.
“But look at the trunk! It suffers from the same burning as the grass and that object,” she pointed out.
“Can ponies breathe fire, or something?” Phoenix asked, jokingly.
“No, Phoenix. Dragons do that, not ponies…” she replied in perfect seriousness.
“Heh! Maybe a dragon really DID do all this,” he said, chuckling.
Twilight looked a bit unsure, as if she was considering the idea but finally shook her head. “That isn’t possible. Spike is the only dragon in Ponyville, and he was with me all night,” she said.
At that moment, it finally clicked in the human lawyer’s head that she wasn’t joking. “Spike… that’s your assistant you told me about…” he remembered, his eyes widening in fear. “Wait, he’s a DRAGON?! There really ARE dragons here?!”
“Why, yes…” she assured him, seemingly unconcerned.
Phoenix felt his legs going weak. “You said you wanted to introduce me to him…” he remembered, trembling a bit. “I-it’s quite alright, y-you don’t need to, he’s p-probably a really nice guy!” he stammered, trebling over his own words.
The ends of Twilight’s mouth crooked upward as she recognized his fear, guessing he thought her assistant was an enormous adult dragon instead of a mere hatchling. “Don't be so shy, Spike LOVES company!” she teased, struggling not to laugh as she watched him quake anew.
Phoenix gulped down his air, nearly choking over it. I really hope that doesn’t have a double meaning! he thought to himself, still shaking over the thought of a monstrous dragon living in Twilight's house!
Still giggling under her breath, Twilight turned her attention back to the clearing and the investigation at hoof. “Oh, Phoenix!” she called. “Look on that branch there, on that tree behind that fallen one.” He turned to see her pointing up with a hoof.
Squinting for a moment, he saw the strange dangling object too, a little indistinct in the light of her horn. “There’s something stuck on it. I’ll climb up and get it,” he offered, grateful for a new distraction and the chance to be useful.
Twilight stopped him. “No need, Mr. Wright,” she announced, using her magic to grab and lower the odd object, pushing it towards Phoenix.
Or you could just float it down… he thought to himself, still amazed at her ability as the object was guided into his hands, the violet aura dissipating as he took hold of it. “It’s a brown… feather…” Phoenix was a bit disappointed as he held it by the stem. “Well that was pointless, probably from a bird.”
Twilight walked up for a closer look herself. “No, it can’t be. No bird in Ponyville is this big.”
Phoenix studied it further, realizing she was right… the feather was quite large, almost as long as his forearm. “I know, maybe it’s the victim’s. He was a pegasus right? Maybe it’s from his wings?” he suggested.
His hopes were dashed as Twilight broke yet another of his theories. “Nope, this feather doesn’t belong to any pony either. Too big.”
Phoenix grunted a bit, trying to hide his disappointment. “Then we should keep it,” he decided, putting the feather in a fresh evidence bag. When it was sealed, he finally asked the question that had been bothering him all evening. “How do you DO that, Twilight?”
The unicorn gave him an odd look. “Do what, Phoenix?”
“I’ve seen you levitating things with that horn of yours. Not to mention you’re lighting this whole area with it this very moment,” he said, pointing to the long glowing protrusion on her forehead, his extended finger an inch from its tip.
Startled, Twilight jerked back from his finger. “It’s magic!” she exclaimed, blushing anew and forcibly reminding herself the human lawyer likely had no idea of a unicorn horn’s sensitivity… or the significance of touching it. It glowed brighter for a moment at the near-contact, its light taking on a slightly pinkish hue. “Levitation and illumination are two of the basic spells a unicorn can learn. W-why do you ask? Is there no magic in your world?” she asked in surprise, trying to keep the embarrassment out of her voice and force her horn glow back to normal.
Phoenix wasn’t sure what the color or intensity change meant, but noticed her unease and quickly pulled his hand back, making a mental note to be careful around her horn in the future. “Well…by magic, you mean like… popping rabbits out a hat and such… well yeah… there is… but basically there isn't…” he said, then remembered something else. “Actually, you might say there is…”
Twilight instantly perked up, her discomfort forgotten at the opportunity to be taught something new. “Please, do tell! You see, magic is sort of my bread and butter. I want to learn everything there is to know about it!” she implored the human lawyer, looking up at him like an eager student.
Though endeared by her enthusiasm, Phoenix hoped she wouldn’t consider him crazy for his next words. “Well, I have been able to speak to the dead via spirit channeling. That could be considered magic, I guess…” he offered tentatively.
“’Spirit Channeling’?” she repeated, intrigued.
“It’s when the spirit of someone who’s departed possesses the body of the living,” Phoenix explained. “I have used it to keep in touch with someone very dear to me,” he added, wondering what his late boss and mentor Mia Fey would think of this world and the case he had taken. I should get Maya to channel her just to ask!
“Oh, I get it…” she said, her mind visibly turning. Abruptly, an idea popped into her head. “Hey! Phoenix, can’t you do it right now? We can get Ace Swift in your body and ask who killed him!” she suggested, the violet unicorn eager to see a demonstration of the ability.
Though pleasantly surprised by her easy acceptance of the idea that one could talk to the dead, Phoenix was forced to disappoint her. “Heh, sorry, I forgot to mention that you have to be a high level spirit medium in order to perform the channeling technique,” he explained apologetically. “My friend is the one who normally does it.”
“I see…” replied a clearly disheartened Twilight, the violet unicorn disappointed at not getting to see an example of his ’magic’. “Thanks for the information though, I’ll definitely look into it more,” she said, at least happy to have something new to research.
His curiosity satisfied, Phoenix went back to the investigation. “Hmm… No decisive evidence yet, we still don’t know how this guy died… or clues of his killer.” Phoenix looked at the violet unicorn, a question suddenly occurring to him. “Hey Twilight, do YOU know anything about him?”
She searched her memories and nodded. “I know a bit of information about him.”
“Alright, every bit counts. As long as it helps us to solve this crime,” he said, taking out his notepad again.
Organizing her thoughts, Twilight sat down and began to speak. “Well… Ace was an athlete who got extremely popular around Equestria by winning every single event he’s ever competed in,” she said to Phoenix, watching curiously as he began to write, mildly fascinated by the precise motions of his hand.
Phoenix goggled, dropping his pen. “He won EVERY single event he’s ever competed in?!” he repeated, eyes wide with amazement.
“Yeah, he was that good…” she confirmed, then looked down at the ground, thinking of something else she’d heard about the late pegasus. “But with this streak of success he gained a few skeptics thinking that all his victories were a result of cheating and other dubious methods.”
Phoenix raised a brow as he picked the pen back up. “I’d probably think the same thing if I saw someone winning at everything they do,” he noted, giving a quick cough as he suddenly remembered that the same could be said about a certain other someone as well.
Twilight gave him an odd look, but continued. “He was supposed to be competing in the Equestrian 500 and was the racer expected most likely to win.”
Phoenix nodded, scribbling another note as Twilight surreptitiously watched his hands move, increasingly amazed at their utility, realizing his fingers were easily the equal of a unicorn horn for grasping or manipulating objects. “Rainbow Dash told me about that too. Unfortunately, it sets up a motive for her…” he said, not noticing where Twilight's attention was.
“What do you mean?” she asked, forcing her gaze away from hands, her horn momentarily glowing a brighter pink again as she had a sudden, quickly quashed image of his fingers wrapped around it… Wha...? where did THAT come from? she blinked, mildly disgusted with herself and glad the human lawyer didn't know what the hue meant. This is HARDLY the time, Twilight... she admonished herself sharply, resolving to lay off the romance novels Rarity had been lending her.
“Rainbow Dash said that she was planning on flying in that race as well and she seemed really… well… determined on winning it,” Phoenix remembered, wondering why her horn glow had changed color again.
Twilight grinned at that. “Yes, I remember her going around Ponyville bantering how she was going to be the one to take the gold,” she recalled, almost wistfully.
The dead serious look he gave her caused her smile to disappear. “If she were to rub out the guy most likely to win, she would have more of a chance of winning the whole thing herself,” the human lawyer declared, clicking his pen shut and putting his notepad back away.
Twilight was appalled. “But she wouldn't DO that!” the violet unicorn protested with a stomp of her hoof, eyes narrowed and jaw set in anger that he would even suggest such a thing, horn glow intensifying again and taking on an orange tinge.
Phoenix held up his hands placatingly, recognizing for the first time that the color of her horn’s glow changed with her mood, and the brightness with the intensity of her emotions. Orange means anger. So what did the pink glow mean, then…? “Yes, yes, I know… but we’re going to have to prove otherwise to those who probably suspect that in court tomorrow,” he clarified.
With that, Twilight deflated, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof, horn glow returning to normal. “Sorry, I guess you’re right,” she apologized, regretting her outburst, not understanding why she was suddenly feeling so flustered around the human lawyer.
He gave her a reassuring smile, making her cheeks flush again. “I can’t say that I’m satisfied with the evidence we gathered, but this looks like all we are going to find here…” Phoenix zipped his evidence bag closed, hoping it would be enough.
“The ponies investigating the crime scene must have taken all the important stuff,” she guessed, echoing the human lawyer’s thoughts.
“I'm sure that we will see it presented in tomorrow’s trial in one form or another. In any case, we should get some rest,” he suggested, feeling tired from the summoning ordeal and walking around the entire town for the past two hours… to say nothing of the fact it was now past midnight.
“What?! No studying or anything?” Twilight frowned.
He waved off her concerns. “Don't worry; I do it all the time. If I just keep my eyes set on the truth, everything will be fine,” he promised her, stowing his camera and evidence bags.
The violet unicorn still seemed dubious, sitting back down. “I hope you really ARE the best Defense Attorney, Mr. Wright…” she said, sounding unconvinced.
In response, Phoenix offered her a friendly hand up. Surprised, she accepted it, letting him pull her back to her hooves, Twilight marveling anew at how dexterous his digits were while Phoenix was surprised at the soft fur and slightly yielding forehoof he felt beneath his fingers. “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow,” he noted, resisting the urge to give the violet unicorn an affectionate scratch behind the ears, reminding himself that she wasn’t an animal despite outward appearances and he had no idea how she’d take such a gesture.
She nodded, her purple eyes lingering on his hands for a second. “You can sleep at my house. I have an extra bed for you,” she offered. Eagerly accepting, the exhausted human lawyer thanked her for her hospitality and let her lead him back out of the woods.
Trying not to crowd her again—easier since she was keeping her horn illuminated for the walk out, keeping both the darkness and his fears at bay—he walked behind her, lost in thought for most of the trip back. I still feel like I shouldn't be taking this case. Like I’m an outsider meddling in something that doesn't concern me at all… but at the same time I can’t turn my back on someone who’s being accused of a crime they didn't commit. That just goes against everything I stand for! the human lawyer reminded himself, having already decided on defending the falsely accused pony.
His gaze fell on Twilight for a moment, his eyes drawn to her exotic equine form, lingering on the odd but somehow apt starburst symbols on her hips. This whole thing is still really weird, talking ponies and all. But I promised I would defend Rainbow Dash and that’s what I’m going to do, he vowed as they exited the forest, passing back by Fluttershy’s cottage. To his mild disappointment, the bashful but beautiful pegasus pony was nowhere to be seen.
I need to bring my A-game tomorrow. Even with little evidence, I will find the truth and get Rainbow Dash acquitted of this murder, he resolved, wondering what would happen next…
They would both find out… the next day in court!
No matter how far you run…No matter how long you hide…
The Finger of Justice will never lose sight of you!
After Phoenix’s encounter with the ‘Fearsome Dragon’ known as Spike—who, to his great surprise (and no little embarrassment) was actually a small but sassy baby dragon even smaller than Twilight—he went inside the violet unicorn’s library house to rest, but his night was anything but restful…
June 10th, 9:45AM
“Coffee… need Coffee…” Phoenix sluggishly walked from the library to the courthouse, very hungry and sleep-deprived.
“I told you Phoenix, we didn’t have any!” Twilight reminded him, increasingly annoyed with the human lawyer.
“And that bed was way too small. I hardly had any sleep last night,” he added, still forcing himself forward despite feeling on the verge of collapsing.
“It wasn’t designed for someone as tall as you!” she shot back.
“And I’m starving…” he growled, as did his stomach.
“Spike and I offered you breakfast, but you wouldn’t eat it!!” she reminded him as they reached the courthouse, exasperated with his constant bellyaching.
“Sorry, but I don’t eat hay,” he groused, trying not to think he was hungry enough to eat a horse.
“Stop WHINING!” she ordered him in frustration as they entered the defendant’s lobby.
“I’m NOT whining, I’m COMPLAINING!!” he shouted back at her, completely losing his cool and causing the two white-armored pegasus ponies standing guard by the courtroom doors to look at him. Realizing he was making a scene, the human lawyer took a deep breath to get back his self-control and sighed. “Ugh… Sorry Twilight, I’m just a bit nervous,” he admitted, rubbing his bleary eyes. I feel such a rookie right now; I’m going to be the only human being in that court room, he knew, imagining a room filled with ponies and no single human being except for himself…
“I’m sorry, too… the feeling’s mutual,” she agreed. Twilight hadn’t gotten much sleep either, even before she had fulfilled an emergency late-night request from the Princess, though in her case it was more due to endless worry about Rainbow Dash’s trial mixed with an insatiable curiosity about Phoenix and his world, especially fascinated by his human form and the strange ‘magic’ he told her about…
Lost in their own thoughts, neither the violet unicorn or human lawyer noticed when Rainbow Dash snuck up to them. “HEY!!” she shouted, startling both of them.
“AHH!!” Twilight reared up in a panic, tripping over her own hind hooves and falling backwards into an equally frightened Phoenix, who screamed like a little girl as he was knocked over and Twilight fell into his lap, the pair instinctively clutching each other.
The two looked at each other in surprise, then separated quickly with badly flushed cheeks and muttered apologies. Can’t she just say hello instead of blurting out HEY like that?! Phoenix thought, still shaking from the adrenaline surge and embarrassment at suddenly finding himself with a pony in his lap. At least he was now fully awake…
Rainbow dash looked back and forth between the violet unicorn and human lawyer, giving them odd looks. “What’s WRONG with you two? I should be the one who’s jumpy right now!”
“Oh… uh… *ahem*… that’s right…” Phoenix said sheepishly, clearing his throat and looking back at Twilight, who was still blushing furiously, not meeting his eyes.
“So did you find any super-awesome proof to clear my good name last night?” the cyan pegasus asked, eager to hear their progress.
“Uh…” Twilight groped for an answer, still flustered.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘super-awesome’… we did get a tip off of who will be testifying as a witness today so, we got that on our side…” Phoenix offered.
“And who would that be?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Fluttershy…” Twilight finally found her voice again.
“WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, causing Phoenix and Twilight to jump anew. “Why is SHE testifying against me?! She better not say anything dumb!” the winged pony warned, an edge to her voice.
“Calm down, Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy wouldn’t do that…” Twilight assured her hot-tempered friend.
“Twilight, do you know what the prosecutor is like?” Phoenix asked smoothing out his tie and royal blue business suit in an effort to restore his dignity and remaster his nerves.
Twilight blinked at that, still trying to refocus after finding herself in the human lawyer’s arms. “The… prosecutor?! I forgot to look into that…” she admitted, a tinge of blush still present in her cheeks.
Phoenix turned away to spare her further embarrassment, still working on his own. Speaking of prosecutors… I wonder what Edgeworth would do if he were in my shoes right now? he wondered idly to himself, thinking of his former classmate, an accomplished attorney who was at once his greatest rival and best friend.
As if in answer to his unspoken thought, he had a sudden mental image of Ace Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth… dressed in his courtroom attire while frolicking with a trio of colorful ponies in a meadow, riding the back of one and prancing around like a little girl.
“This is just like that one episode of the Steel Samurai where he meets the Pink Princess!! WHEEEEE!!!!” Phoenix imagined him saying in a sickeningly sissified voice.
When the vision had ended, Phoenix had gone deathly pale, cringing and shivering. Doctor, I’d like the part of my brain responsible for that image lobotomized please…
“Does it really matter what the prosecutor is like?” Twilight said, interrupting his bad daydream.
Phoenix shook his head, both in denial and to clear it. “Save a few, most of the prosecutors in my world are always stuck up, smug and arrogant,” he told her, summarizing his experience with all the ones he’d faced.
Twilight smiled at that. “Don’t worry. I don’t think there is anypony in Equestria like that…”
At that moment, the room echoed with a very loud and mocking laugh. “HAHAHAHAHAAH!!!”
A startled Twilight seemed to recognize the voice, letting out a long sigh… “Oh… no…” she grimaced, putting a hoof to her head.
From behind Phoenix, a blue-furred unicorn mare with a striped lighter-blue mane appeared, wearing a gaudy star-covered violet cape and a pointed hat akin to what might be worn by a wizard. “We meet again, Twilight SPARKLE!” she said in a sneering tone.
“Friend of yours?” Phoenix asked Twilight, more bemused than intimidated. What’s with the get-up?
Before Twilight could answer, the blue mare did. “The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie is NO friend of Twilight Sparkle!” she introduced herself boastfully.
“What are YOU doing here, Trixie?” Twilight challenged the other mare.
In response, Trixie reared up on her hind hooves and spread her forelegs like a performer issuing an invitation to her audience. “Cone one! Come all! The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie will be displaying her PRODIGIOUS and CUNNING prowess as a prosecutor in the courtroom today!” she announced to the annoyance of all present; even the guards at the courtroom door looking irritated at her over-the-top antics.
“YOU’RE the prosecutor?!” Twilight asked in disbelief.
“Trixie is a mare of many talents. Does it really come as a surprise?” she answered before continuing on her boasting spree. “As soon as Trixie caught wind on one of your pathetic little friends performing such a heinous act, Trixie jumped all over the opportunity to humiliate them as you had humiliated me!”
“Who are YOU calling pathetic?!” Rainbow Dash demanded, turning red with anger.
“Oh? Are you mad?” she teased the cyan pegasus, “Don’t worry, The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie hears you’re going to be having a nice long vacation on the sun—that should get your mind off things!” she needled, laughing at her own lame joke… “Bon voyage!”
“Why you…” Blinded with fury, Rainbow Dash flared her wings and was about to attack the insulting show mare when Phoenix stopped her.
“Rainbow Dash, don’t let her rile you up; it could look bad for us…” Phoenix reminded her calmly, trying to set the volatile pegasus at ease.
Hearing his voice, Trixie turned her attention towards Phoenix. “And what in Celestia’s name are YOU supposed to be?” she asked with more than a hint of contempt in her voice.
“Me? I’m Rainbow’s Defense Attorney… Phoenix Wright,” he politely introduced himself to her, holding out a hand in greeting.
“What?! YOU?!” she laughed at the strange creature in front of her, making no move to return the gesture. “This should be easy if Trixie’s opponent is to be THIS hairless ape! From what Trixie has gathered you are only here because ‘Twilight Screw-up’ botched up a spell, HA!” she spat out, making Phoenix’s blood boil. “Trixie would NEVER settle for a wretched-looking creature such as yourself as a Defense Attorney… nor would Trixie blunder a simple summoning spell in the first place.”
With that, both Rainbow and Phoenix snapped, Trixie’s verbal bombardment turning the pair turned into a ‘Rage-Enhanced, Fury-Blinded, Anger-Fueled’ Human-Pony Combo. Seeing red, Phoenix set his jaw. “Actually, Rainbow Dash? Forget what I just said. Let’s go for it! Take her out and make it hurt!”
“Gladly!” Both Dash and Phoenix were about to gang up on the offensive mare when Twilight intervened.
“PHOENIX! RAINBOW DASH! STOP IT!” she yelled, using her magic to halt them in their tracks before stepping in front of the incensed pair and addressing the rival unicorn directly
”Trixie, I didn’t mean to humiliate you—please don’t take this out on my friends,” she pleaded, trying to stop her from assaulting them further with harsh words.
“Hmmph! It’s too late for that…” the blue mare said smugly, sticking her nose in the air. “Now if you’ll excuse Trixie, she must prepare for her GRAND debut as an EXTRAVAGANT and BENEVOLENT Prosecutor!” Already infuriated over her insults and how she always spoke in third person, Phoenix got really, insanely over-the-top pissed-off at Trixie, his fists clenched and eyes narrowed as he watched her depart.
Twilight looked at them both and sighed as she spoke. “Phoenix… you know what you said about prosecutors being stuck-up, smug and arrogant…?”
“Yeah?” he replied through gritted teeth, still glaring after the show mare.
“I guess we have those as well here in Equestria as well,” she said succinctly, a hint of worry in her voice.
“Who WAS that?!” Phoenix asked, his blood still boiling.
“She’s a traveling performer named Trixie,” the violet unicorn explained.
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “I kind of got her name down long time ago; she only said it… oh I don’t know… ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES?!” he yelled, letting some anger out of his system.
“Actually, she only said it twelve times, not a dozen…” Rainbow Dash obliviously corrected Phoenix, making her look idiotic to him.
“Rainbow Dash… twelve IS a dozen!” he lashed out, not even bothering to sugar-coat it.
The cyan pegasus frowned, trying to cover up the fact she suddenly felt like a total dimwit in front of Phoenix. “Oh, I didn’t know that… it would have been easier if you just said twelve,” she excused away the humiliating comment, but Phoenix just shrugged it off, too incensed over Trixie to care.
“Ugh, anyway… how did you know that prosecutor, Twilight?” Phoenix asked, hoping for information that might give him an edge over her.
“I didn’t know her as a prosecutor; I don’t even know when that happened…” she rubbed her head with a hoof as she began to tell the story to Phoenix. “She came to Ponyville a while ago… showing off her magical talents.”
Phoenix gave her an odd look. “Magical Talents? Like magic tricks? She kinda looked like a magician judging by the attire…” he noted, looked around to make sure Trixie wasn’t in earshot.
Twilight nodded. “Yes. Like me, she’s a unicorn and she had a habit for running her mouth about her magical abilities, claiming that she was the most magically gifted unicorn in Equestria,” she explains, strangely subdued as she thought back to that day.
“Running her mouth is kind of understatement… she seemed to have some sort of grudge against you. What happened?” Phoenix asked, wanting to know why the magician mare would act like such a… jerk!
Twilight chose her words carefully. “How should I put this…? I…”
“Twilight TOTALLY wiped the floor with that snob by fixing up a mess SHE caused!” Dash eagerly finished for her friend.
“W-well… yeah…” Twilight said sheepishly, not knowing if she was thankful for Rainbow’s comment or not.
“Trixie is just jealous because Twilight is better with magic,” the brash pegasus proclaimed, praising her friend.
Phoenix nodded slowly, imagining well how somebody—somepony, he corrected himself—like Trixie would take to being shown up. “’The mighty don’t flaunt their power. The sly eagle hides its claws.’” he quoted.
Twilight looked up at him in surprise. “Phoenix! I’m impressed; I didn’t know you were into proverbs!” she said, eyes glimmering a bit, looking at the human lawyer in renewed interest.
“Heh! What can I say?” Phoenix grinned, allowing himself his own minor boast. I should really tell her I just stole that one from a video game… he knew, but ultimately didn’t, deciding he liked the bookish unicorn thinking of him as an intellectual.
“So Nix, you think you can beat that stuck up braggart?” Rainbow Dash asked, increasingly confident about the outcome of the trial.
Phoenix stared at the cocky pegasus for a moment—talk about the pot calling the kettle black! “You didn’t do it right? I’m sure things will turn out fine,” he assured her, wanting nothing more than to prove Rainbow innocent so he could wipe that smug grin off Trixie’s face.
“This isn’t Mr. Wright’s first murder trial, Rainbow–he’s a professional. If anyone can get you out of this, he can. No substitute for experience!” she noted, looking up with pride at the human lawyer.
“Right!” Rainbow agreed.
Phoenix sat down on a plush lobby couch—still too low for him—taking a load off in the last few minutes before the trial. Stepping out for a moment, Twilight returned with a pair of apple turnovers—“compliments of a good friend,” she told him—which he wolfed down ravenously, finding them heavenly. The edge off his hunger, his focus sharpened and he began to look around. “There is something bothering me though, Twilight,” he told her, brushing some crumbs away.
She gave him a curious look, happy to have him at eye-level for a change. “What is it, Phoenix? You’re got getting cold feet, are you?” she asked as she saw him looking around the lobby.
He shook his head sharply. “No. It’s just … this court house looks almost exactly like the one in my world,” he said, scanning the room and checking every detail again. It was indeed just like the one he remembered from home; the only differences he saw were the two armored ponies replacing the armed human guards and the picture over the sofa on the back wall of some strange but striking dark-furred mare with a tiara-crowned head thrown back against a night sky; her starry, almost ethereal-looking mane partially obscuring the moon.
“Of course it does! It was inspired from human architecture,” Twilight told him, pulling his attention away from the odd image.
Phoenix blinked. “Why would it be inspired off of human architecture? Seems a little unnecessary if you ask me…”
She grinned at him. “Humans have a commendable sense of justice. The way you humans uphold the law is what must have inspired the designers of this court house. Our criminal justice system also resembles yours as well from what I’ve read, so you should feel right at home…” she promised.
He nodded, still a bit uncertain. “I just hope justice swings in our favor today.”
“Do you think the evidence we found will be enough?” Twilight asked.
“I hope so…” Phoenix replied, taking out his evidence bag and setting it down between them. As Twilight looked through the contents, something caught her eye.
“Hey, what’s this thing? I don’t remember us finding this yesterday…” she pointed with a hoof to an odd green comma-shaped gemstone with a hole in its center.
“Hey! That’s the toy you were playing with yesterday, Nix!” Rainbow said with a knowing grin, recognizing the object immediately.
“Huh? Oh yeah, that’s mine, I must have mixed it up in the evidence we found. AND IT’S NOT A TOY!” he shouted at her, emotions still raw from Trixie.
Rainbow was unimpressed. “Ha! Whatever you say,” she pretended to agree while still giving him teasing grin.
Phoenix struggled again to keep his temper in check, not helped by his lack of sleep. “Can you pass it over here, Twilight?” he asked her, holding out his hand. I should really keep a better eye on it. Maya will kill me if I lose it!
“Sure, here you go…” Twilight offered, eager to see his fingers grasp it again. As the violet unicorn enveloped it in her magic to float it over, the Magatama suddenly glowed brilliant green within her purple aura.
“Huh?” was all Phoenix got out before the Magatama flashed a brilliant white. “WHAT THE…?” he stumbled backwards and went blind for a moment; when his vision cleared he was lying on the ground again… and so was Twilight a few feet away.
“WHOA! You two okay?” a seemingly unaffected Dash said, having not seen the bright green light or flash.
“Phoenix? What was THAT?!” Twilight asked, pulling herself back to her hooves but drawing back from the mysterious artifact, the violet unicorn wearing a shocked expression.
“I-I don’t know! It’s never done that before!” Phoenix exclaimed, wide-eyed as he climbed back to his own feet.
Twilight stared warily at the strange object, now lying on the floor. “You still haven’t told me what that thing is yet. The light it just emitted; it felt… mystical…” was the only description she could come up with, the violet unicorn never having felt magic like that before…
“It allows me to—” he started to explain before he caught himself. Should I really tell her what it does? It would be awkward if I told her that I could see deep secrets people are hiding in their hearts… he worried, his mind turning.
“It allows you to what?” she prompted.
Deciding that revealing its true purpose could cause trouble, he made up a false one. “It allows me to have… good luck… it’s a good luck charm.”
“You say ’Good luck charm’—I say ‘toy’!” Rainbow snickered.
Phoenix grumbled, muttering inaudible obscenities under his breath. Don’t forget who’s defending you, Skittles! he thought to himself, wishing sorely he could say it out loud—then again, would she even get it if he did?
“Here’s your… ‘charm’, I guess we need all the good luck we can get today,” Twilight told him, picking the amulet up off the ground with her magic again. This time, there was no reaction.
“Right…” he said, holding out his hand for it.
Twilight floated the Magatama back to Phoenix, who pocketed it, still wondering what had happened.That was odd; it flashing like that when Twilight picked it up… it looks fine, just hope it still works! he fretted, only to shake his head.
“Are you alright? You look a little worried…” she asked, noticing his troubled expression.
He shook his head. “It’s nothing…” Eh… forget about the Magatama, I have bigger problems right now! Even with what little time I had to prepare… I’ve got to try my best for their sake!
At that moment, the clock chimed ten and a guard at the door spoke out. “The Defense and its co-counsel are to make their way to the courtroom!” he announced, signaling that it was show time…
Twilight took a deep breath as Phoenix stood back up. “Okay, Phoenix. The trial is about to start. Do your best!” the violet unicorn offered a few encouraging words to the human lawyer, using her magic to straighten his tie and smooth out his re-rumpled royal blue suit and slacks before they went in. Surprised, he stood still for her efforts, his cheeks flushing a bit as felt the odd aura move over him repeatedly, half-thinking she was taking a little more time and effort than needed to merely make him presentable.
Finally, she stepped back and nodded, as if satisfied with her efforts. Was I just… magically felt up? Phoenix couldn’t help but wonder, giving the violet unicorn a slightly askance look. Putting the absurd idea out of his head as hard as he could—a little attention-starved, are we Phoenix? he thought derisively—he nodded back, putting on a confident air as he led Twilight into the courtroom to begin the trial.
Courtroom No.1
June 10th, 10:00AM
Twilight and Phoenix entered the courtroom to find the spectator galley filled with ponies of all different colors and kinds—unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi—but the human lawyer had no time to gawk as The Judge slammed down his gavel, signaling the start of the trial.
“Court is now in session, are both sides ready?” The Judge asked.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie was born ready!” Trixie boasted.
“The Defense is ready, your honor…” Phoenix replied automatically to the familiar voice. Once again, his common sense was a little slow on the uptake, only kicking in upon realizing the person—a human, not pony—presiding over the trial is none other than The Judge he argued cases in front of back home!
“YOUR HONOR?!” he shouted, belatedly recognizing the bearded old man behind the bench.
The Judge blinked in his own surprise. “Mr. Wright! Fancy meeting you here!” he said, recognizing the most well-known attorney from his court back on Earth.
“You know him, Phoenix? That’s GREAT!” Twilight said delightedly from the co-counsel’s position beside him.
Far from being delighted himself, Phoenix was completely confused… “B-but…but I thought…WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?” the dumbfounded lawyer demanded to know.
“Last night while you were in bed, the Princess contacted me about complications,” Twilight explained.
“Compli-cations?!” Phoenix repeated, turning towards her.
She nodded. “Originally Princess Celestia was going to preside as Judge, but the high council members were concerned that her verdict might be biased.”
“Fine, but… what’s HE doing here?!” Phoenix pointed to The Judge.
“I thought since we have a human Defense Attorney I’d get a human judge as well. So I summoned ‘The Greatest Human Judge’, and he’s a really nice guy! He took the whole thing a lot better than you did,” she told him, giving him a knowing grin. “I would have told you that I summoned him, but… I didn’t want to wake you.”
Phoenix stared at her openmouthed. “You’re kidding me…” he replied in disbelief, remembering his own experiences with The Judge, unable to believe that he could possibly be ‘The Greatest’! Are you sure you didn’t summon ‘The Ficklest Judge Ever’, Twilight? he asked her with his thoughts. Oh well… as weird as it is, he seems to always give fair verdicts. I shouldn’t be complaining. “But isn’t this princess the ruler of this country? Can’t she just say ‘Too bad, I’m doing it anyway?’ he asked the violet unicorn.
“Princess Celestia is our all-powerful ruler, yes, but… every political decision must go by the High Council First,” she explained to Phoenix. “They represent the best interest to the citizens of Equestria. Naturally this case went by them, and they wouldn’t allow the Princess to preside as judge…”
Phoenix let out a sigh. “That’s democracy for you…”
“Aren’t these ponies just remarkable, Mr. Wright? They have shown me nothing but a good time!” The Judge said, to some approving hoofclops from the audience.
“All they’ve done for me is make fun of my hair…” Phoenix muttered to an equal number of equine snickers.
“Enough with this idle chit-chat, Trixie has a trial to win!” the impatient show mare said, certain of the outcome.
“Oh! That’s correct; we have a trial underway. We’ll have to catch up later, Mr. Wright,” the Judge said, getting back to business. “I expect you are aware of the workings of Equestria?” he asked his fellow human.
“Eh… the workings?” Phoenix repeated, putting a hand on his chin in a pondering expression.
The Judge nodded. “You see, this world operates a lot differently from out world,” he began.
“Twilight Sparkle here showed me a bit… but I figured it’s almost like our world… just with talking ponies…” he suggested with a slightly nervous smile.
The Judge shook his head, “No, no! Mr. Wright! There are many amazing things these ponies do that are a far cry from the workings of our world!”
“This is why you should have STUDIED!” Twilight hissed from beside him, looking worried.
“Ugh… Could you tell me about these differences, your honor?” he asked the old man sheepishly, putting a hand behind his head and running his fingers through his spiky hair.
The bearded judge nodded. “Well, Mr. Wright, the first thing you should know is…”
The cry went up from Trixie. “It’s not OUR fault this bumbling buffoon didn’t do any research! We shouldn’t be holding up the trial because of HIS stupidity and negligence,” the unicorn prosecutor protested, leaning over her rail.
“HEY!” Phoenix shouted, his anger at her rekindled.
The Judge nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry, Mr. Wright, but the prosecution is right. You should have studied Equestria before jumping into this case,” he concurred, almost apologetically.
With that, Twilight gave Phoenix a VERY angry look…“Err—uhm… I’m… sorry?” Phoenix offered her, already sweating through his suit.
Twilight sighed, struggling to keep her anger over the human lawyer’s sloppiness in check. “I’ll try to keep you informed if we encounter anything that may work differently from your world,” she promised.
“Alright, thank you.” Phoenix was a bit relieved, though sensing he wasn’t out of the woods yet…
“The trial will now commence!” The Judge announced.
“Indeed, this drabble has wasted enough of Trixie’s time,” she said, wearing a very smug expression.
Phoenix ground his teeth again. That third-person thing is really starting to get on my nerves!
“Very well. The prosecution may make her opening statement,” The Judge gave Trixie permission to talk first.
“About time! The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie would like to start off by saying that the Defense had no chance of winning in this… Zero… Zilch… Nada… None!” she proclaimed arrogantly, raising her nose a little higher with each spoken synonym.
Phoenix stared at her in disbelief. “What kind of opening statement is THAT?!”
Trixie ignored him, acting like he was beneath her notice. “In fact Trixie finds it insulting she is not given a proper attorney to wage battle with. Instead, she is forced to deal with this idiot…” she said, insulting Phoenix in the courtroom to his face.
“What’s your PROBLEM?!” he demanded to know, infuriated anew by her attitude.
“Please refrain from personal attacks on the Defense, Ms. Trixie. Can you please just get on with stating your case?” The Judge said politely but emphatically.
Phoenix had never been so glad that The Judge was there to shut her up. There has to be a rule in the prosecutor handbook to be as unpleasant as possible! he growled to himself, thinking that if attitude alone were the deciding factor, Trixie would do well in the courtrooms of his own world.
“Hmph! Very well—Trixie shall DAZZLE and ENLIGHTEN you all on the events that transpired that fateful night!” she proclaimed theatrically, causing Phoenix and half the audience to roll their eyes.
“On June 8th at around the 20th hour, ‘Ace Swift’, a famous pegasus athlete, was murdered in the Everfree Forest. Unfortunately we don’t know why he was in such a place but the Ponyville police force found his body there. And with the evidence and an eyewitness account they were able to find his killer: Rainbow Dash!” Trixie announced, pointing a hoof at the angry cyan pegasus standing in the defendant box.
The entire courtroom of ponies started to talk under their breath, whispering their opinions back and forth to each another. “Can you please share with the court the evidence that points to Ms. Dash’s Guilt?” The Judge requested.
“Certainly!” Trixie said happily, retrieving her first piece of evidence.
“This is it, Phoenix!” Twilight said, her stomach in knots.
“We’ll finally have some light shed on what exactly happened!” Phoenix agreed, eager to learn more.
“Ace Swift was electrocuted and killed instantly as detailed in this autopsy report,” Trixie declared, her own light blue magical aura floating identical envelopes to The Judge and defense.
“Electrocuted? That is a peculiar way to die…” The Judge noted, opening the envelope on his bench as Phoenix and Twilight did the same with their copy:
Ace Swift Autopsy ReportEstimated Time of Death: 8:30PM - 9:00PM
Cause: Died instantly due to severe electrocution.
Burn mark on the back of neck: Unknown cause
This raised several questions in Phoenix’s mind. “Electrocution? But how? The crime scene was in a clearing. I saw no electronic devices or anything of that nature.”
“Let Trixie finish, you dunce!” the unicorn prosecutor interrupted. Phoenix let out a fresh growl of frustration over her treatment of him as she continued. “There was also a fresh sizable burn mark on the back of the victim’s neck. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the cause of it.”
A burn mark? Hmm… Phoenix thought, scratching his chin, his mind turning.
“It wasn’t the cause of death though. It was the electrocution that did him in. The investigators found decisive evidence pointing to Rainbow TRASH as the assailant in this crime,” Trixie announced with a rather evil grin on her face.
“And what was that?” The Judge asked.
“A storm cloud found right above the crime scene is what we believe killed Ace.” Trixie announced, matter-of-factly.
Phoenix voiced his first objection of the trial in dramatic fashion with a raised arm and pointed finger, announcing his protest of the evidence in a loud, clear voice. “A STORM CLOUD?! You call THAT decisive?! How could you place blame on my client for THAT?!” he demanded to know, slamming the rail with his hands. “Unless you are honestly suggesting Rainbow Dash can move clouds around and make them shoot lightning at will?” he mocked Trixie with his hands on his hips and a triumphant grin, certain he had the upper hand… only to realize the entire courtroom was staring at him in stunned silence…
A silence that stretched for many awkward and uncomfortable seconds. Why is everyone looking at me like that? he wanted to know, his triumphant smile starting to falter…
“Oh, Mr. Wright…” Twilight had face-hoofed herself, looking very embarrassed and disappointed.
He turned to his erstwhile assistant. “What’s her problem, Twilight? She can’t honestly think someone can control weather. It’s ludicrous!” Phoenix insisted.
Trixie responded before the violet unicorn could. “You have to be the biggest imbecile Trixie has ever laid eyes on!” she proclaimed.
“Mr. Wright …that’s a pegasus’s job here in Equestria… it’s sort of… what they do.” The Judge explained, sounding very embarrassed for him.
“Ugh… um… what?” Phoenix stammered, suddenly feeling beads of sweat rolling down his face and neck.
“They schedule and control the weather, Phoenix. When it rains, snows, hails…that is all the pegasi’s doing…” Twilight elaborated, her words causing the human lawyer’s heart to sink into the floor.
“Oh, sorry…my mistake.” Phoenix laughed it off nervously, his hand behind his head again.
“Trixie knew you were incompetent, but THIS? HA! This will be a walk in the park.” the show mare prosecutor again boasted, and this time, Phoenix couldn’t work up much anger at her knowing her ridicule was only too-deserved.
“The Defense will refrain from any more outbursts or they will be reprimanded!” The Judge further announced, driving the knife deeper
“Maybe you should have… oh I don’t know… STUDIED?!” Twilight piled on, giving him another very angry and accusing look.
“I said I was sorry!” he cringed; sure the violet unicorn wouldn’t even remotely think of him as an intellectual now…
“When a Pegasus sets off a cloud, the first bolt will always strike under it. This particular storm cloud bore hoof markings of the rainbow colored loser in the defendant chair,” Trixie announced.
Rainbow Dash stood up out of the defendant’s seat, fed up with the constant insults. “I’ll show YOU who’s a loser you two-bit FRAUD!” she announced, flaring her wings, ready to attack Trixie again.
The entire courtroom went into an uproar. “ORDER!! ORDER IN THE COURT, I SAY!!” The Judge pounded his gavel to silence the room. “The Defendant will remain seated for the duration of the trial!” he further ordered, motioning to two unicorn bailiffs to restrain the pissed-off pegasus, the pair holding her down with magic while they put wing and hoof restraints on her.
“This is a disaster…” Twilight said, face-hoofing again.
Clearly, Trixie didn’t think so. “Naturally, the body was discovered directly under the storm cloud in question. Trixie believes this is pretty open and shut case,” she concluded, looking immensely smug and satisfied with herself.
“As do I. There aren’t many ways to be electrocuted in the middle of the forest,” The Judge agreed. “Well, there was that one incident when I was camping with the bug zapper. It nearly fried my beard off!” he recalled, reminiscing on his own personal ’Electrifying Experience’.
I never saw The Judge as an outdoorsman… Phoenix noted idly. Gathering himself, he slammed his hands on the table yet again, trying to refocus. “I’d like to ask some questions!” he announced, forcing his voice to sound authoritative.
“Fine then, Mr. Wrong… ask away!” Trixie invited, giving him a contemptuous smirk.
“It’s ‘Wright’!” he corrected Trixie, wanting to beat her worse than ever but now knowing there was a long road to get there… and a large, self-dug hole to climb out of first. “First off, how were the police notified of the murder? It was in the middle of the forest, right? Who reported it?” he wanted to know.
Trixie shrugged. “It was quite peculiar, actually…” she said in a mysterious tone, leaving Phoenix itching to know more—maybe the pony who reported it had a connection to the crime?
He was about to find out…
At long last, Trixie revealed her findings… starting with how the police were informed of the murder.
“Prior to the crime, the police received a vague tip that wished to remain anonymous,” Trixie continued. “They are being questioned more thoroughly in the advent of the murder, though.”
“What was the tip?” Phoenix asked.
“All they said was, ‘Something big is going down in the Everfree Forest’!” the magician-turned prosecutor quoted.
“That’s it?” Phoenix was disappointed in the short and unreliable statement.
The show mare prosecutor shrugged. “Trixie told you it was vague. And due to the… ‘attitude’ of this anonymous tip, the police didn’t respond as quickly as they could have, since the tip failed to specify a time when ’something big’ was ’going down’,” she further explained.
“Isn’t that negligence?! They could have saved someone’s life!” Phoenix protested.
“This is true, Ms. Trixie. The police should have responded to this tip more responsibly,” The Judge backed Phoenix up for a change.
The mare magician was unperturbed. “If you were to meet this ‘Anonymous Tip’, you’d take them as seriously as the police force did. Any more questions, Mr. Wrong?” she asked, insultingly as ever.
“I told you, it’s WRIGHT!” he corrected her for the second time. “I do have questions regarding that cloud though… how many times did the storm cloud strike? I noticed two charred areas that were quite a distance apart from each other on the crime scene,” he challenged Trixie.
“Three times… after the cloud was activated by… heh… you-know-who,” she said with mocking glance at a now-restrained Rainbow Dash, who just glared. “The cloud operates by itself: gradually firing lightning wherever it wants, but never in the same place twice. It was large enough to hold three bolts of lightning,” Trixie noted.
“Three?” Phoenix pondered, his hand on his chin again.
“The first bolt was directly under the cloud where the late Mr. Swift lay. The second one… we don’t know where it hit,” Trixie admitted.
“Wait! Then maybe—” Phoenix began.
Trixie cut him off hard. “Trixie knows what you are going to say and it’s NOT going to work!”
“But—”
“The investigation team combed the entire perimeter of the crime scene and didn’t find any indication the bolt hit the ground or any trees in the storm clouds proximity. It’s truly a mystery where this bolt of lightning went,” Trixie conceded, shooting down his theory before he could even voice it.
Thwarted, Phoenix tried to change tactics. “Hey! Then, what if it—”
“Ace was also wearing a lightning-proof suit that protects the body from lightning—standard issue for all participants of the Equestrian 500. It protects the pegasi from lightning when flying at high altitudes. The only reason the first bolt killed him is because it was aimed with precision at one of the exposed parts… by Rainbow Trash!” Trixie asserted, causing the cyan pegasus to audibly snort in anger, pulling hard at her restraints.
Frustrated at her anticipating him yet again, Phoenix tried a third line of attack. “I think that—”
She was still one hoof ahead of him, cutting him off yet again. “If the second bolt hit Ace directly, it still would have touched the ground, leaving burn marks like one under the cloud. Even if he were struck while in the air,” Trixie concluded, and Phoenix finally fell silent under the weight of her very well-reasoned assertions.
“The prosecution’s logic is very sound so I must overrule the defense’s claims,” The Judge ruled as he hammered down his gavel, making the decision final.
“But… I didn’t get to say anything…” Phoenix complained, and meant it—quite literally.
“Fine, then… what were you going to say, Mr. Wright?” The Judge asked.
Phoenix could only give a goofy, freshly embarrassed smile. “Uh… exactly… what… she said…” he admitted, inwardly admitting that Trixie was proving a much more difficult adversary than he would ever have imagined.
“Then the defense’s claims have been DOUBLE-overruled!” The Judge hammered his gavel hard twice to emphasize the point.
“What about the third lightning bolt?” Phoenix asked, grasping for anything he could use.
“Since the storm cloud was important evidence, it was left on the scene undisturbed and the investigation team witnessed the final bolt take down a tree east of the crime scene, as Trixie will show you on this diagram of the clearing…”
Trixie’s horn glowed again with her trademark light blue aura. She levitated out a large, detailed map of the Everfree forest clearing from behind her rail and placed it on a mounting stand, releasing it and then picking up a long pointer in its place.
“Right here is where the first lightning bolt hit—directly above the body. We know it was set off at 8:40PM,” she said, the magically-controlled pointer tapping the spot in the clearing where Phoenix and Twilight found the tape outline.
“The second one is a mystery. We don’t know where it touched down but we are sure a bolt of lightning left that cloud at 8:50PM. The third bolt touched down at 11:35PM when the investigation team is on the scene so we can completely rule it out of the crime. It just took down a tree right here…” Trixie next pointed out a spot on the west end of the crime scene, exactly where Phoenix and Twilight saw a felled tree the previous night.
So that’s what happened to that tree… Phoenix realized as Trixie floated a smaller copy of the diagram over to him and Twilight.
“But how are you so sure of the time the first two lightning bolts touched down?” he wanted to know, studying the diagram more closely.
“We were able to use Cloud Ballistics to confirm the second bolt left the cloud at exactly 8:50PM,” Trixie told him.
Phoenix blinked. ‘Cloud Ballistics’…? You have GOT to be joking! the human lawyer thought in disbelief. I better not question it though; I don’t want a penalty… “And the first?” he followed up his previous question.
“That’s where Trixie’s eyewitness comes in!” she proclaimed theatrically, rearing up on her hind legs in delight and excitement over what she apparently thought was decisive testimony.
Twilight cast a worried look at Phoenix. “It must be Fluttershy…”
“Since the first bolt is manually set off by a Pegasus, Cloud Ballistics is unable to confirm when it was fired, but luckily, we have an eyewitness who saw it,” Trixie announced.
“I wish to hear the testimony from this witness. Please bring them out…” The Judge requested.
“Very well…” Trixie nodded to a unicorn bailiff, who went out and came back in a half-minute later, escorting an unseen somepony to the witness stand.
“State your name and occupation please…” Trixie asked calmly, though Phoenix, Twilight and even The Judge couldn’t see anypony in the witness box.
“Huh?” Phoenix said, breaking the awkward silence from the courtroom.
“Um… Where’s the witness?” The Judge asked, a bit confused.
“Ah’m down here!” A young, country-accented girl’s voice called, its source still unseen.
“That voice…” a surprised Twilight said, apparently recognizing its owner.
“Who is that? I thought Fluttershy is going to be the witness?” Phoenix asked Twilight, the human lawyer almost as confused as The Judge, who was only hearing a disembodied voice from the stand.
Twilight gave him an uncertain look. “I think it’s my friend’s kid sister. What does she have to do with this?” she wondered aloud.
Phoenix shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine…”
“Perhaps we should get some boxes for the witness to stand on…” Trixie suggested, which were promptly floated in by the unicorn bailiffs. “There, much better…” she pronounced, a smiling and very cute yellow young earth pony girl with a red mane and a very large pink bow now visible on the witness stand.
“Howdy!” the filly said with a friendly, eager smile, and a country accent.
The Judge predictably (to Phoenix) went ‘ga-ga’ over the sight of the cute little earth pony girl in front of him. “Awwww, aren’t you the most adorable little thing!” he told her, eyes going googly over her sheer cuteness.
“Now then, witness. State your name and occupation.” Trixie began again.
“My name’s Apple Bloom! And I’m a CUTIE MARK CRUSADER!!!” she shouted, loud and proud.
The Judge looked confused again. “A… cutie mark… what? I did my research of Equestria but I never came across anything regarding ‘Crusaders’.”
“Uh… What the heck is a “Cutie Mark Crusader,” Twilight?” Phoenix asked the violet unicorn to his right.
“It’s… um… it’s hard to explain,” she admitted to a still-baffled Phoenix before Trixie pulled their attention back to the case at hoof.
“We were informed by a resident of Everfree forest that this little filly was walking home the night of the murder. Sure enough, she witnessed the first lightning bolt,” Trixie explained. “The witness’s occupation doesn’t matter. What’s important is that she—”
Before Trixie could finish, the young earth pony cut her off. “What are you talking about? It DOES matter! As a Cutie Mark Crusader, it’s mah duty t' crusade my talents everywhere so Ah can earn mah Cutie Mark! Even if only one-third of th' team is here!” Apple Bloom insisted.
Phoenix rubbed his eyes and turned to Twilight again, confronted with yet another unfamiliar concept. “Ugh… I’m so confused. What on earth is a ‘Cutie Mark’? Is it a nickname of her boyfriend ‘Mark’ or something?” he asked, trying to make sense of it all.
Twilight smiled knowingly at that. “A Cutie Mark is a symbol ponies earn when we find out special talent. For example…” the violet unicorn shifted slightly to show him her flank, drawing his eyes to the starburst symbol on her hip. “The stars on mine represent my expertise in magic and love for stargazing.”
“That’s just… strange…” Phoenix said, tearing his eyes away when he realized she was blushing again as he stared fixedly at her flank. Then again… actually, I wonder what MY cutie mark would be? Maybe a hand pointing an index finger filled with righteous justice! THAT would be amazing! he said to himself, hands on his hips and chest puffed out as he imagined how proud it would make him, suddenly really into the idea.
For her part, Trixie was getting steadily more irritated the longer she was ignored. “Listen… sweetie. Your job is to testify just like Trixie told you earlier…” she reminded Apple Bloom, trying to get her back on topic.
To her frustration, Apple Bloom continued to pay her no mind. “Hey! What are you?” the young filly asked while looking at Phoenix, studying him curiously.
“Huh? Me?” Phoenix looked back at the young filly.
“STOP IGNORING THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!” Trixie demanded, irritation boiling over.
Despite the raised voice, Apple Bloom continued to ignore the incensed mare magician, staring at the odd bipedal creature in front of her. “Yeah, you! Ah’ve never seen anythin' like ya before!”
“I’m a human…” Phoenix replied, finally getting used to being gawked at.
“A human, huh? Is that your job?” Apple Bloom asked next.
He shook his head. “No, that’s my species. I’m a lawyer if you’re wondering what my job is…”
“A ‘lawyer’? What’s a lawyer?” she wanted to know.
“A lawyer argues points and theorizes to defend someone in trouble,” Phoenix explained to the young filly, trying to keep the concept as simple as possible.
She gave him an odd look. “Your job is to… argue?” Apple Bloom asked, seemingly making sure she heard him right.
Phoenix scratched his chin at that. “Well, yes… I guess it’s kind of like that…” he admitted.
To his surprise, Apple Bloom got excited. “Ah knew it! Ah KNEW it! There IS a cutie mark for arguin’! Wait till Ah tell Scootaloo! We were goin’ about it all wrong! We can be…”—she took a deep breath—“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER LAWYERS!!!” she announced, loud and proud once again.
Phoenix resisted the urge to facepalm. The future of criminal justice is looking pretty bleak right now…
“Witness! Let’s get back to the topic! Testify as to what you saw last night!” Trixie commanded, getting very frustrated with the young filly.
“No! I’m losing valuable crusading time ‘cause of you. This is BORING!” she complained.
Trixie fell openmouthed. “W-WHAT?!”
“Ah don’t have to listen to you! You’re that snotty showoff Applejack told me about!” Apple Bloom said, taking Trixie aback and causing roars of laughter to erupt from the audience.
“SNOTTY?! Why… you…” the show mare sputtered, nearing the verge of madness.
“You tell her, Apple Bloom!!!” another country-accented female voice called out from the audience, in between guffaws from the rest of the gallery.
I’m actually kind of enjoying this! Phoenix admitted to himself, unable to keep the smile off his face.
Trixie glared daggers at him. “The defense will wipe that stupid grin off his ugly mug and the witness will cooperate!” she demanded again, the face Phoenix was making and Apple Bloom’s insults giving her a serious case of anger management issues.
Finally, The Judge interceded. “Witness, can you please testify for us? Then, you can do all the crusading all you want. It won’t take long at all,” he reassured her in a polite, placating voice. “Besides maybe you’re a… oh! I know!! A CUTIE MARK CRUSADER WITNESS TESTIFIER!!!” he shouted just as Apple Bloom had.
This time, Phoenix DID facepalm. Your Honor… how much shame do you have left after saying something like that? he wanted to ask, certain that The Judge had completely lost his marbles.
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “Hey! Ah think you’re right, Mister! That cutie mark is as good as mine!” she agreed in renewed excitement.
Trixie cleared her throat, starting over. “Alright witness, tell everypony what you told Trixie earlier.”
“Fine then… CUTIE MARK CRUSADER WITNESS TESTIFIER!!!” Apple Bloom shouted for the final time before finally telling her story… the human lawyer and violet unicorn awaiting her testimony with baited breath.
What could it be? What would she say?
(To be continued… )
Phoenix and Twilight listened intently as Apple Bloom began her testimony…
-------------------------- Witness Testimony -------------------------- --Walkin’ Home-- “Ah went to Zecora’s place in the Everfree Forest to help her brew some stuff. After we were all done, Ah walked home along th’ pathway. Just then… Ah heard a lightning bolt. It was… 8:40… but it didn’t scare me! Then, Ah found my way out of the forest and went on home.”
The Judge nodded as Apple Bloom finished her statement, scratching his beard thoughtfully. “So there was indeed a lightning bolt around the time of death! Mr. Wright, this isn’t looking good for your client…” he pronounced gravely.
“Please, just let me cross-examine this witness, your honor!” Phoenix pleaded, wishing The Judge would refrain from casting aspersions on the defense’s case as he so often did.
“She’s a child, Phoenix. It might just be an overactive imagination,” Twilight suggested in an aside.
Phoenix scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. “I don’t think so. I think she’s being vague, if anything.”
Twilight gave him a curious look. “Vague? Meaning she’s not telling us everything?” she asked, uncertain where Phoenix was going.
The human lawyer nodded once. “Precisely! I don’t think this will be about finding a contradiction more than about digging out those extra nuggets of information,” Phoenix said with the certainty borne of experience, carefully reviewing in his head what he wanted to ask.
The Judge waited for them to finish their whispered conversation before he spoke again. “Alright, Mr. Wright. You may cross-examine the witness…”
Trixie stopped him before he could begin. “Before we start the cross-examination—Trixie knows all about sneaky underhanded defense attorney tricks! If you dare press this innocent and fragile child too hard… you will be punished!” she announced as if SHE were The Judge, leaning over the rail to make her point.
Phoenix fell openmouthed. “W-WHAT?!”
To his shock, instead of admonishing Trixie for usurping his authority, The Judge jumped on him as well. “She’s right! You better not hurt this sweet little one’s feelings, Mr. Wright! I know these tactics all too well! You will be forced to face consequences if you do!” he warned.
Children… the kryptonite of Phoenix Wright! he sulked to himself, wondering again why nothing ever came easy for him.
-------------------------- CROSS EXAMINATION -------------------------- “Ah went to Zecora’s place in the Everfree forest to help her brew some stuff…”
“Zecora? Who’s this?” Phoenix interrupted, hearing yet another unfamiliar name.
“She’s a zebra. A friend of mine who lives in th’ forest,” Apple Bloom replied.
Phoenix blinked. There are talking zebras here as well? Oh brother… he thought to himself, certain he had heard it all now. “And you were helping her brew potions? What kind of potions?” he followed up, wondering if he’d even understand if he was told.
The orange-eyed filly looked puzzled. “Ah don’t really know… she just told me to gather some flowers and plants outside th’ house,” she shrugged.
“The zebra told us she was making herbal ointments and medicines. Nothing out of the ordinary,” Trixie stated, eyes closed and nose in the air.
Phoenix resisted the urge to rub his still-bleary eyes. Now I really have heard it all… a zebra brewing potions is ‘Nothing out of the ordinary’? “So what did you do afterwards, Apple Bloom?” he asked, continuing the Cross-Examination.
“Well…” Apple Bloom moved on…
“After we were all done, Ah walked home along the pathway…”
Phoenix stopped her again. “You walked home all alone? I heard that forest was dangerous—definitely not the place for someone your age…” Phoenix knew, remembering how frightened HE was in it.
“Thank Heavens she is alright! There are terrible creatures in that forest!” The Judge noted, looking down with wide-eyed concern at the little filly in the witness stand.
Apple Bloom drooped her ears at that. “Truth is… Ah wasn’t supposed to be in there that late. Ah got grounded when I got home,” she confessed, looking chagrined.
Phoenix was unsympathetic. “Serves you right for breaking your curfew,” he scolded without thinking.
Apple Bloom began to tear up.
Phoenix panicked when he saw the lethal looks he was getting from the gallery. “AH!! I-I MEAN, YOU SURE ARE A BRAVE COOTIE MARK CRUSADER!” he all but screamed as he saw Judge raise his gavel with fire in his eyes.
“CUTIE Mark Crusader!” Apple Bloom corrected, now more annoyed than sad.
“Mr. Wright… you are treading on VERY… thin… ice,” The Judge warned him, gavel still poised.
Phoenix stepped back from the rail and turned to a concerned-looking Twilight. “I better be careful of what I say to her…” he belatedly realized, still trembling over his close call.
“Try not to be too hard on her, Phoenix,” Twilight pleaded, not wanting to see the young filly’s feelings hurt any more than The Judge.
He took a deep breath before speaking again. “I’m kind of on a handicap here—not being able to squeeze information as I would normally do with any other witness. But I have dealt with children in the past and I can do it again,” Phoenix promised, as much to remind himself as reassure Twilight.
The violet unicorn looked at him in fresh interest. “Oh, so you have children? You don’t really look like a father type…” she commented, seemingly appraising the human lawyer in a whole new light.
His eyes went wide at the suggestion. “N-no, I don’t have any kids! I mean I’ve dealt with children testifying!” he hastily corrected her before she got the wrong idea. Me with children… that’ll be the day!
The rap of a gavel jolted him out of his thoughts. “If the defense is done with idle conversation, please continue your cross-examination,” The Judge ordered. “And remember… gently, Mr. Wright. Or else, you will be hearing my gavel banging an unfortunate fate for you!” he warned, his tone very ominous and threatening.
Phoenix gulped hard, dripping sweat again, scared half out of his wits by the intimidating look The Judge was giving him. “Y-yes, sir!” The Judge is staring down at me like he has the intent to kill! he realized, half-wondering if he’d be sent to the sun for a penalty.
“Okay Apple Bloom. Please continue…” he composed himself, trying to keep his tone neutral.
“Just then, Ah heard a lightning bolt… It was… 8:40… but it didn’t scare me!”
“How did you know the time?” Phoenix asked her to clarify, not expecting she would be able to and he would have a new line of attack.
To his surprise, the young filly gave a prompt and authoritative answer. “Zecora’s clock said 8:35 when Ah left and Ah had been walking for about five minutes,” Apple Bloom answered his question with ease.
“That lines up perfectly with the time of death,” Trixie noted with a smug look, pleased that all the time she had spent in witness preparation had paid off—instead of poking a hole in her case, the human lawyer’s question had only reinforced it.
Though stung, Phoenix shook it off, quickly moving on. “Why did you say ‘it didn’t scare you’? No one asked you if it did…” he tried a new angle.
Apple Bloom suddenly looked evasive, a fact not lost on Phoenix. “Ummm… Ah…Ah… okay, maybe it scared me a little,” she allowed, hoping he didn’t push further.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “A little?”
“Yeah, just a little, no big deal…” Apple Bloom insisted, trying to win him and the rest of the court over with another adorable smile.
Though not unaffected, Phoenix kept his focus, shaking his head. “I don’t think you’re being honest with me, Apple Bloom…”
Trixie stopped him, leaning over the rail again. “Mr. Wrong is badgering this witness; who cares if the lightning scared her? Penalize him!” Trixie demanded, determined to bring Phoenix and Rainbow Dash down hard.
“She’s not giving us all the details as to what she saw!” Phoenix immediately countered.
The Judge closed his eyes and thought about it before finally giving a reluctant nod. “I’ll allow the defense to pursue this matter… but I’m warning you Mr. Wright…” he cautioned again, watching Phoenix like a hawk ready to swoop down on its prey.
“Y-yes your honor, I understand…” Phoenix swallowed, forcing himself to proceed. “Apple Bloom, you need to tell me the truth. Even if it may seem like it, this is really important,” he pleaded with the downcast young filly. “Someone’s life depends on you telling the truth!” he added when he didn’t get an immediate response.
Upon hearing that, Apple Bloom perked her ears up. “Someone’s… life?” she repeated, almost curious.
Phoenix nodded, sensing the nut start to crack. “Yes; if you don’t tell the truth you may be ruining an innocent pony’s life,” he told her, resorting to a strategy he had used with child witnesses in the past.
Apple Bloom looked downcast again. “Ah-Ah don’t want an innocent pony’s life to be ruined…” she finally decided, looking down and thinking about what she would say next.
“Then please tell us what really happened, Apple Bloom,” he asked again, more gently.
Defeated, the young filly finally gave up. “Fine. The lightning really scared me…” she admitted in a beaten and barely audible voice.
Phoenix nodded in sympathy, knowing how hard the confession was for her, trying not to think about how he would have reacted to a sudden lightning bolt in the dark forest the previous night. “Then what did you do?”
“The noise scared me and Ah ran off th’ path deeper into the forest,” she told Phoenix.
“You ran off the path?” he asked her to clarify.
She nodded. “Yeah and I kinda got lost in the forest. I was really scared…” the young filly admitted, shivering as she remembered her plight.
“The witness will amend this to her testimony,” The Judge ordered.
“Okay,” Apple Bloom agreed, once Twilight explained to her what The Judge meant by ‘amend’.
“After the lightning scared me Ah ran off the path and Ah got a little lost…
“How long you were lost?” Phoenix asked, hand on his chin again.
“I was in there for a really long time,” Apple Bloom replied.
“How long exactly?” Phoenix asked again, leaning over the rail intently as he waited for the answer. Apple Bloom became silent, and Phoenix did the same. They both stared at each other until finally…
“A REALLY long time!” the young filly gave another winning smile, as if believing she’d given the right answer.
Phoenix rubbed his eyes again. “Ugh… okay, let’s look at this a different way: what time was it when you got out?” he tried a new question.
Apple Bloom thought about that. “Hmm… well, my house is ten minutes away from the Everfree Forest. So I guess Ah got out of the forest at exactly 9:00,” she reasoned.
“Her family can confirm she got home at 9:10,” Trixie spoke up, perfectly happy to corroborate the testimony since it didn’t contradict her version of events.
“Interesting… so you were lost for twenty minutes. That’s quite a long time…” Phoenix mused, taking on a pondering expression once more.
She nodded jerkily, looking downcast again. “It was really dark in there. Ah couldn’t see anything…” she remembered, causing Phoenix to have a flashback to his own time in the forest, remember how relieved he was when they reached the clearing and Twilight lit her horn. “Ah could find my way out of the forest while on the pathway because Ah could feel the dirt road on my hooves. But once Ah was on the grass Ah couldn’t tell left from right.”
“So you just wandered around blindly for 20 minutes?” Phoenix asked, astonished.
“Y-yeah… Ah thought I’d be lost in there forever…” she visibly shivered, looking back on her ‘slightly’ terrifying experience.
“Do not fear little one! I’ll defend you from all those horrible monsters in that dreadful forest with my Gavel of Truth!” The Judge proclaimed grandly, raising his gavel high like a sword.
Phoenix couldn’t help but be amused at the image that brought to mind. The Judge versus the Everfree Forest—sounds like a title for a pay-per-view event! he chuckled to himself, thinking he might just buy tickets to such a spectacle.
“Ah was especially scared when Ah bumped into that thing…” Apple Bloom added.
Everyone in the courtroom blinked at once. “What?!” Phoenix asked in surprise, an intent tone in his voice.
“You… you bumped into something?” The Judge repeated, as curious as Phoenix was to know more.
Sensing the young filly’s testimony was heading off-script, Trixie tried to stop her. “Witness! This is the first time I’m hearing about this! Why did you not say anything to me regarding this earlier?!” she demanded to know, leaning over the rail and raising her voice again.
“Because Ah don’t like you!” Apple Bloom shot back. Trixie could only manage a strangled sound in response.
“Looks like Trixie is getting a dose of her own medicine…” Phoenix noted in an aside to Twilight, a hint of amusement in his voice.
When Twilight didn’t immediately answer, Phoenix turned to look at her and found she was staring fixedly at the other unicorn, her expression intent. “Did Trixie just…?” she trailed off in mid-sentence.
“What? What about her?” a puzzled Phoenix prompted.
“She just… never mind; it’s nothing important,” Twilight shook her head.
The human lawyer gave her an odd look. “If you say so, Twilight,” Phoenix dropped the matter, returning to the cross-examination. “I’d like to know more about this thing she bumped into.” Phoenix told The Judge.
“As do I; would you mind adding this to your testimony, dear?” The Judge asked, his tone gentle and almost grandfatherly.
“Not a problem!” Apple Bloom said agreeably, happy to comply for the nice bearded human, especially if it ended up getting her a cutie mark.
“All of a sudden I bumped into something…”
“You bumped into something? What was it?” Phoenix asked, wearing his hand-on-chin pondering expression yet again.
“Ah don’t have a clue… it was really dark; Ah couldn’t see anything.” Apple Bloom apologized, looking sad at her inability to answer.
“You have to know more about this!” Phoenix pressed as he leaned over the rail, sensing he was onto something.
“But Ah really don’t know what it was, Mr. Lawyer… honest!” she pleaded with him, tears welling in her eyes again as he pushed her.
“Leave her alone, you jerk! She doesn’t know what it was!” Trixie protested, less worried about Apple Bloom’s feelings then keeping from the human lawyer from pursuing a potentially dangerous line of questioning to her case.
Phoenix responded instantly with a raised arm and pointed finger. “This is important information! Just moments ago you said she never told you about this!” he remained vigilant.
“I am curious as to what she bumped into as well… objection overruled!” The Judge announced.
Trixie initially reacted to the sound of his gavel like a slap to her cheek, drawing back in surprise and giving a wounded squeal. “Hmph! If you enjoy pointless information… be my guest! I was probably just a tree or a rock. I think the defense is just hopelessly grasping at straws.” Trixie dismissed her small defeat, trying to salve her hurt ego by hurling additional insults Phoenix’s way.
Phoenix glanced at Twilight, seeing her staring intently at the other mare again. Why does Twilight keep randomly looking over at Trixie like that? I should ask her later… for now I have to focus on the matters at hand… he reminded himself, turning his attention away from Trixie and back to the young filly on the witness stand. “Alright, Apple Bloom… just like I asked you to think of a different way about how long you were lost, let’s think about this in a different way as well,” he proposed.
“What do you mean?” Apple Bloom asked, confused.
“What did it feel like? What did the thing you bumped into feel like?” he asked, trying to jog her memory.
“Hmmm…” Apple Bloom thought for a while and then… “Oh! That’s right!” she exclaimed, perking up and smiling.
“What is it, witness?” The Judge inquired.
“It felt alive… it wasn’t a rock or a tree!” she realized, her eyes wide.
“Alive?” Phoenix asked.
The Judge echoed him. “It was…’alive’…? Please explain how you were able to deduce this?” he prompted.
“I definitely felt fur when I bumped into it… and I could hear it breathing heavy like it was really tired,” Apple Bloom remembered.
“It was… breathing? Could it have been a wild animal?” Phoenix suggested.
“Ah’m not too sure; I know I heard it breathing heavy though,” Apple Bloom maintained.
“How did it react when you bumped into it?” Phoenix asked next.
She thought about that. “When Ah bumped into it, it kinda jumped a bit.”
Phoenix nodded at that. “I would probably jump too if something bumped into me in the dark.”
“As would I,” The Judge agreed.
“Trixie wouldn’t. Trixie is BRAVE and COURAGEOUS” the show mare boasted from the opposite rail, rearing up theatrically again.
Oh, SHUT UP! Phoenix shouted at her mentally, half-wishing he could gag the mare magician with her own pointy hat—of all the prosecutors he had faced, even the whip-wielding Franziska Von Karma hadn’t gotten under his skin as much as Trixie had.
“Almost right after there was another bolt of lightning,” Apple Bloom added.
“That must have been the second one…” Trixie said with a fresh grin, only too happy to chime in when Apple Bloom’s testimony matched her evidence and timeline.
“But th’ thing is… it didn’t scare me. Really, honest this time!” Apple Bloom insisted, and Phoenix sensed she was telling the truth.
“Why didn’t it scare you that time?” he followed up.
“Ah know this will sound strange, but… after it flashed, mah eyes kinda hurt for a bit,” Apple Bloom said.
“That’s not strange,” Phoenix reassured her, hand going back to his chin. “Anyone’s eyes would hurt if there was a sudden burst of light in pitch black darkness.”
She shook her head. “No, not that part, Mr. Lawyer, after that… Ah stumbled around for about a minute or two because Ah couldn’t open mah eyes. The flash of lightning made mah eyes sting, but when th’ hurting in mah eyes went away… Ah was outside th’ forest just like that!” she finished with another winning smile, to murmurs of surprise from the gallery.
“W-what?! But HOW?” Phoenix asked, sharing in the astonishment.
Trixie was doubtful. “There is only one way in and out of the forest and that is the entrance on the pathway. The trees surrounding the outer perimeter act as a barricade; you can only leave or enter the Everfree Forest from the entrance. Unless of course you’re a pegasus–then you could just fly out,” she said, making her deductions simple and irrefutable.
“That is certainly strange…” The Judge mused, scratching his beard thoughtfully again.
“How could you go from being lost to being outside of the forest just like that, Apple Bloom?” Phoenix was determined to find out.
She gave “Ah know it sounds weird… but it’s true! I was outside the dark forest after the lightning hit. I went straight home afterwards and I got home at 9:10 like I said before,” Apple Bloom swore.
Something clicked in the human lawyer’s mind. “Wait a minute… what did you just say?”
“I went straight home after ah was outside the forest… because Ah was… y’know… scared?” Apple Bloom admitted, cringing a bit.
Phoenix pointed directly at Trixie. “The prosecution has some explaining to do!” he announced to the courtroom, certain he had found something decisive.
“Hmph! What are you babbling about?” Trixie asked derisively.
“Apple Bloom claims she got out of the forest at exactly 9:00, when she saw the second bolt of lightning?” Phoenix restated.
“Yes? So what?” Trixie replied disdainfully, only to gasp and gape a second later when she realized what the human lawyer was getting at.
It was finally Phoenix’s turn to wear a smug grin. “I see you caught on—according to these ‘Cloud Ballistics’ you said the second lightning bolt struck at ten ‘til nine,” he reminded her, picking up the report and tapping it with his fingers, giving his own theatrical pause before be brought the hammer down. “So why did Apple Bloom see a lightning bolt TEN MINUTES AFTER THAT?!” he thundered, slamming his hands down on the rail again and sending Trixie into a state of panic.
“Uh… w-well uh… m-maybe…” the magician-turned prosecutor stammered, knowing that if the human lawyer succeeded in disproving even one piece of forensic or cloud ballistics evidence, it meant none of it could be trusted and her case fell apart.
“Cool!” Apple Bloom said, watching with great interest as the two attorneys argued, pointing and shouting back and forth at each other.
Finally having the advantage, Phoenix pressed his attack. “It couldn’t have been the third one since that one struck after 11:00PM!” he added, driving the point home with a raised arm and extended index finger.
“Ms. Trixie, this is a big oversight! Why is there a ten minute gap as to when the child saw the lightning bolt?” The Judge asked.
“I’M THINKING!!!! BE QUIET!!!” Trixie shouted at the bearded human, making him open his eyes wide.
“Oh… o-okay…” The suddenly cowed Judge agreed, leaving Phoenix wishing he wasn’t such a prosecutorial pushover. After a few more seconds, Trixie lifted her head. ”Alright, The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie is done thinking!” she announced, theatrically rearing up yet again.
“And?” The Judge prompted.
“Trixie wants the defense to explain what this means!” she passed the question to Phoenix.
This time, Phoenix gave her a derisive look of his own. “HEY! You’re just saying that because you don’t know!”
True to form, Trixie didn’t back down. “YOU are the one who brought up the inconsistency; therefore YOU should be the one to explain it!” Trixie reasoned, goading him with another sneering grin.
Seeing the mocking look on Trixie made Phoenix’s blood boil again, more determined than ever to put the infuriating show mare in her place. “Very well… There are two possibilities to this: either what Apple Bloom saw wasn’t lightning… or she’s mistaken on the time; that is, if your ‘Cloud Ballistics’ are accurate,” Phoenix proclaimed, giving her a mocking look of his own.
“They ARE accurate! To the second!” Trixie declared, giving him a glare. “And this filly’s family can confirm she arrived home at 9:10. So the prosecution is under the impression what little Apple Bloom saw was NOT lightning! That is Trixie’s GREAT and POWERFUL theory!” she announced grandly, rearing back on her hind legs again.
It was only at that moment Phoenix realized he’d been tricked. “W-WHAT!?”
“I can’t believe you fell for that…” a disbelieving Twilight said, facehoofing again.
Phoenix was completely flustered. “But-but-I-she-stole-I-I uhh…” he stammered, unable to accept he’d been so badly suckered by the mare magician.
“It could have been a giant illumi-bear the child bumped into or something of that nature; many animals in the Everfree forest have strange characteristics, including built-in lights,” Trixie went on calmly and smugly, knowing she was back in control. ”She probably bumped into it and just happened to be near the exit of the forest and stumbled out in her daze. The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie has explained the inconsistency in this witness’s testimony!” she finished with a flourish, detailing ‘her’ conclusions to the court.
“You sure are very bright, deducing something like that Ms. Trixie.” The Judge praised her.
“Naturally!” she boasted with a hoof on her chest, eyes closed and nose in the air.
Argh!! That was MY deduction! Phoenix wanted to scream, but knew from long experience it was pointless trying to convince The Judge of that fact. “There’s still a problem, your honor!” he started over, moving on to the next contradiction in line.
“What is that, Mr. Wright? Ms. Trixie seems to have solved the mystery of the time inconsistency,” The Judge said, believing she got all the details right.
“But another mystery comes from that!” Phoenix said, determined to turn the tables right back on Trixie.
“Do tell, Mr. Wright?” The Judge invited.
“The REAL second bolt of lightning—why didn’t Apple Bloom mention seeing or hearing that?” Phoenix challenged.
The Judge blinked. “Ah, you bring up a valid point, Mr. Wright. Witness…?” The Judge turned to Apple Bloom.
“Yes?” she asked, more than happy to answer his questions—he looked strange, but was so much nicer than many ponies she knew!
“Did you not see any lightning other than the one at 8:40PM that night?” The Judge asked Apple Bloom.
The young filly shook her head. “Ah only saw the one at 8:40 and th’ one after Ah bumped into that thing,” she claimed again.
“Hmm… This is very peculiar… Trixie, do you have an explanation for this?” The Judge turned his attention to his left again.
Trixie was again at a loss for words…”Umm… uh… The defense will~”
This time Phoenix was ahead of her. “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me… I’m not going to fall for that again! Besides, remember? It’s YOUR ‘GREAT and POWERFUL’ theory, after all!” he mocked.
If looks could kill, Phoenix would have dropped dead on the spot. “What do you take me for, a fool?!” Trixie demanded to know.
Phoenix couldn’t believe she’d given him such an easy opening. “Why, in fact, I do!”
Trixie gave a strangled sound.
“Low blow, Phoenix…” Twilight commented, trying to keep the smile off her face as she finally sensed the trial starting to turn in their favor.
“HOW DARE YOU!!!!” the show mare screamed in wounded pride, her horn starting to glow in anger beneath her wizard hat. Sensing the surge of magical energy, Twilight immediately charged her own horn, just in case.
“Mr. Wright, that was uncalled for…” The Judge scolded him.
Phoenix looked at him in disbelief, oblivious to the danger. “Hey… she’s been putting ME down all day long!” he complained.
“Trixie will show YOU, you spiky headed ingrate! Do you remember WHY this witness is testifying?” Trixie asked, her horn glowing brighter, finally getting Phoenix’s attention when it became visible right through her hat.
“Yes, to confirm the time of the lightning bolt striking,” Phoenix answered calmly in the face of the implied threat. He wasn’t sure what the blue unicorn could do to him, but noted Twilight had moved closer as if to protect him, her head lowered and own horn aglow, giving the show mare a steady stare.
Trixie’s eyes flickered to Twilight for a moment, knowing it was neither the time nor place to challenge the rival unicorn’s power, no how matter badly she wanted to strangle the infuriating human lawyer with his own necktie. Forcing herself to calm down, she powered down her horn, the mare magician reminding herself that while she fully intended to meet and defeat Twilight in a magical duel one day, it would be far more satisfying to best the human lawyer at his own game in a battle of logic and wit, winning the case and showing herself once again to be ‘the best at everything’—making her revenge doubly delicious for also defeating Twilight’s hired help. “Exactly! Which she did. Anything beyond that is trivial,” Trixie concluded, her arrogant smile reappearing as she imagined how much more glorious her eventual victory was going to be for the human lawyer’s presence.
To Phoenix’s great frustration, The Judge agreed. “Though it is suspicious… why this witness didn’t testify to hearing or seeing the second lightning bolt, the fact still stands: the initial bolt was set off at 8:40PM,” he concluded.
Phoenix sensed his turnabout slipping away. “But the second bolt—”
Trixie again didn’t let him finish. “You seem obsessed with that—perhaps the reason the witness didn’t hear it is that she was too far away. The clearing is 15 minutes away from the entrance. Maybe the sound didn’t have enough volume to reach that far,” she suggested.
The Judge thought about it and nodded. “I agree with the prosecution. The witness did what she came here to do. OBJECTION OVERRULED!” he announced loudly as he brought down his gavel, making the decision final.
“Argh! NO!!!!” Phoenix vented his frustration over losing yet another round to Trixie.
“Alright, this witness is free to go!” The Judge dismissed Apple Bloom, who remained the stand for a few seconds more.
“OBJECTION!! HOLD IT!!!” the young filly shouted just as she’d heard Phoenix and Trixie do, looking at her flank expectantly afterwards only to see… “Aw, nothing…”
Escorted out by a unicorn bailiff, the country filly left a bit disappointed and downcast and not getting her cutie mark, but for Rainbow, Phoenix and Twilight, the worst was yet to come…
The Judge looked almost disappointed as Apple Bloom departed, as if sorry to see the adorable filly go. “The witness brought up some interesting information, but does the prosecution have anything more regarding the defendant?” he asked Trixie.
“Trixie has this weather schedule…” she nodded, using her magic to pull out a sheet of paper from under her desk.
“Weather schedule? Like the forecast for each day? How is that evidence?” Phoenix asked, thinking it had to be bogus.
“It’s what the weather mare is given to know what weather to make in which areas of Ponyville,” Twilight explained succinctly.
Phoenix winced at the reminder of his own ignorance, and the extreme embarrassment it had caused. I forgot about that… I still can’t believe these ponies control weather… sounds like some sort of twist at the end of a Twilight Zone episode! he shook his head, half-thinking he should say there was no pun intended to the violet unicorn on his right.
“Lo and Behold!” Trixie reared up on her hind legs in her trademark performing pose again. “Rainbow Trash was scheduled to make several lightning storms at the eastern end of Ponyville; this is where she got the cloud from.” Trixie’s horn glowed, floating out a large map of the area from behind her rail and placing it on the mounting stand. It showed Ponyville in the east and the border of the Everfree Forest on the west edge of the map.
“The court accepts this as evidence,” The Judge said formally as smaller copies were floated to him and Phoenix. The Judge’s copy was deposited gently in front of him on his bench, while Phoenix’s flew up sharply at the last second and stuck itself on his face, to some snickers from the gallery. Growling under his breath, he peeled it off and showed it to Twilight so they could study it together.
Weather ScheduleRainbow Dash scheduled to create a thunderstorm at 3:00PM on the eastern side of Ponyville…
It’s really starting to look like Rainbow Dash did it… but I can’t give up! Phoenix thought, reminding himself that he had pulled out trials under equally bleak conditions before. “What about motive?”
“Hmm?” Trixie looked at him, putting on a disinterested air.
“I was told murder almost never occurs in Equestria. What could drive my client to kill another?” Phoenix challenged.
“Oh! That one is easy!” she replied with a dismissive wave of her hoof.
“Please explain, Ms. Trixie.” The Judge said.
“Both the victim and the defendant were to participate in a monumental race called the ’Equestrian 500’,” she began.
“Dammit! She knows!” Phoenix swore loudly, slamming his fist down on the rail.
“Phoenix! Language!” Twilight nudged him in admonishment, making Phoenix realize he’d just cursed out loud.
“Oh… sorry…” he winced, seeing some pony mothers in the gallery giving him reproachful looks as they hastily covered the ears of their foals.
“The victim, Mr. Ace Swift, has quite the record, completely undefeated in every athletic even he has ever competed in.” Trixie said, adding a bit of trivia to her statement.
“That is… impressive!” The Judge said, as amazed as Phoenix was when Twilight told him the same thing.
“Indeed,” Trixie agreed, taking on a haughty air again. “Now, Rainbow Trash was probably intimidated by this and decided to get rid of him like a coward, making it easier to win. She is the top pegasus athlete in Ponyville after all; she had a reputation to uphold. She could reap the spoils of the grand prize—flight lessons from her idols, ‘The Wonderbolts’,” Trixie recited.
“You have no proof that’s what she was thinking!” Phoenix disputed, though he knew it was in fact only too plausible—Rainbow Dash had admitted as much when he interviewed her.
“So? You have no proof that WASN’T what she was thinking,” she said dismissively. “Trixie doesn’t need to establish a motive. How should Trixie know why she killed him? The point is, Rainbow Trash did it!” she concluded, and Phoenix cringed to hear murmurs of assent from the audience.
“Let’s hear YOUR explanation of how the murder went down then!” the human lawyer dared the mare magician, hoping to pick holes in her theory directly.
Trixie grinned as if she’d been hoping he’d do that. “Very well…” she agreed, proceeding to outline her version of events.
“Rainbow Dash went to the Everfree Forest…”
“How can you be so sure she was there?” Phoenix challenged.
She gave him another contemptuous look. “Weren’t you listening to what Trixie said earlier? The cloud above the crime scene had her hoof markings. On top of that, some cyan-colored feathers were found around the clearing—three guesses who they belong to, Mr. Wrong!” Trixie taunted, causing him to grind his teeth again even as he spared a glance at the defendant’s box.
Rainbow Dash, what were you doing in there? he asked the sullen-looking pegasus silently, remembering her psyche-locks and wishing he’d had a chance to break them. “Okay continue,” he invited Trixie, who was only too happy to oblige.
“She saw Ace hanging around the forest for whatever reason…”
“Why would he be ‘hanging around’ that forest anyway?” Phoenix asked, pondering the question himself.
“That is of NO concern to Trixie!” Trixie countered, annoyed.
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous! He HAD to have a reason to go into that dangerous forest!” he pointed out.
“If you think it’s so important, why don’t you give us an explanation?” she dared him back.
Phoenix ground his teeth. “I… I don’t have one…” he finally admitted.
“Thought so… now let Trixie continue,” she asked in mock politeness, like she was speaking down to a recalcitrant colt.
“Do you think it’s important why he was in there?” Twilight asked Phoenix quietly.
The human lawyer nodded sharply, still seething at Trixie. “I know for a fact there must have been a good reason why he was in a place like that. I just don’t know why yet. I wish I had more time to prepare…” Phoenix said, cursing himself again for not taking better advantage of the time he had.
“It’s my fault for getting you in such short notice…” Twilight drooped her ears and head, feeling regretful at her own perceived negligence.
Seeing her sad face, Phoenix resisted the urge to give the violet unicorn a scratch behind the ears but did put a reassuring hand on her withers. “We’re not going to let that stop us though!” he promised her, giving the base of her neck a gentle squeeze, surprised at the silkiness of her striped mane.
“Right!” Twilight agreed, feeling her cheeks flush again at his unexpected touch, a wave of warmth going through her body. Sensing and taking strength from his fighting spirit, she stood up straighter again, determined to help the human lawyer however she could.
“Alright Trixie, continue your explanation,” Phoenix invited her, trying to show the mare magician some courtesy even if he never got any in return.
“Rainbow Trash saw him at the clearing and an opportunity to permanently retire him from the race, gathered some storm clouds, and…”—she conjured a small cloud above the center of the courtroom—“BOOM!!!!” fried Ace Swift…” she declared, illustrating her point with a small, magically triggered bolt of lightning that seemed to hit the floor in front of the defense rail with a sharp crack, causing Phoenix to flinch back. Twilight didn’t bother, knowing it was just an illusion—one of Trixie’s many stage tricks.
Phoenix pointed his finger at Trixie.
The show mare glared at him. “Don’t point that ugly sausage of a finger at Trixie!” she ordered, making the cloud vanish with another flare of energy from her horn.
Phoenix lowered his arm, deciding perhaps it was best not to provoke the mare magician if she could actually summon lightning. “You say Rainbow Dash scoped out the victim in the Everfree forest that night and saw the opportunity to murder him,” Phoenix summarized, ready to spring his trap.
“Are you deaf? Of course Trixie did! Trixie is always right!” she boasted.
Phoenix countered with a single word. “Blind…”
Trixie looked at him like he’d gone mad. “What? Blind is not being able to see; deaf is not being able to hear, you idiot!” Trixie said, getting agitated again.
He shook his head. “No, blind—that’s how I felt in that forest last night. I couldn’t see my hands in front of my face without a light source,” he recalled, causing Trixie to gasp and gape anew as she saw what he was getting at. “Even Apple Bloom testified how dark it was! So how could Rainbow Dash see Ace Swift in that darkness and plot to murder him on impulse?” he demanded to know. “Explain THAT, Trixie! That is… if ‘Trixie is always right’!” he mocked her, hands on his hips.
Trixie recoiled in shock, her pointed hat shooting off her head like a rocket as her magic misfired.
“You GOT her, Phoenix!” Twilight cheered, certain the trial was finally turning.
The human lawyer flashed her a grin. “I just have to keep the momentum on our side now…” he told the violet unicorn, newly confident.
“Is the forest truly that dark at that hour of the night, Ms. Trixie?” The Judge asked.
“W-well… yes…” Trixie was forced to concede as she pulled her hat back on, eyes darting nervously as she flailed mentally for an explanation.
“Then the defense has pointed out a flaw in your theory!” The Judge said, looking down at Trixie now.
“Why you… are you mocking me?!” Trixie glared at Phoenix.
“No, I’m just debunking your flawed theory!” he replied evenly, barely able to keep the grin off his face.
Her mocking smile came back. “Too bad Trixie has an explanation!”
“Care to share it with us?” an unimpressed Phoenix asked, believing he still had the upper hand.
“Rainbow Trash probably saw him enter the forest while he was still visible. Yes, that’s it!” Trixie nodded to herself.
“Hmm… That makes sense.” The Judge agreed, to no surprise of Phoenix—he knew from long experience how The Judge always seemed to latch on to the prosecution’s theories, unable to see the flaws in them without help. Case in point, Phoenix reflected, there was a particularly gaping hole in Trixie’s latest theory that even Twilight had seemed to spot, the violet unicorn giving him a knowing grin.
He grinned back, waiting for Trixie to finish digging her own grave. “She then followed him to the clearing and performed the dastardly deed. It is dark in there, yes, but if you follow somepony from the entrance, it would be easy to track them using your other senses,” the show mare stated, quite pleased with herself again.
“Sorry Trixie, but that’s impossible as well!” Phoenix informed her.
“What do you mean?!” Trixie panicked anew.
“You said Rainbow Dash was scheduled to cause a storm on the eastern end of Ponyville, where you say she got the storm cloud from,” he reminded her, slamming his hands down on the rail for emphasis. Next, Phoenix picked up his copy of the Ponyville Weather Schedule and showed it to her, pointing at the left edge of the map. “The Everfree Forest is in the west according to this weather schedule you yourself submitted to this court!”
“N-no!!” she gasped, seemingly sensing her case slipping away.
Scenting blood, Phoenix went for the kill. “There’s NO WAY my client could have flown to the other end of town and back to get a cloud while still tracking Ace in that dark forest!” he concluded to whispers of agreement from the audience, the human lawyer finally confident of victory.
“Mr. Wright is correct. I would take some time to travel back and forth between the eastern and western ends on the town,” The Judge concurred, coming around along with the gallery to Phoenix’s side.
“Heh…” Trixie suddenly relaxed, giving him an almost-chilling smile. “Thought you had Trixie there, didn’t you?”
Phoenix was caught off-guard by her sudden change in demeanor. “What?”
Trixie replied with a single word of her own: “Premeditated.”
The human lawyer’s mouth fell open. “You can’t seriously be suggesting…”
She nodded almost gleefully. “Yes, the defendant must have known he was going to be there, and unlike YOU, Mr. Wrong… Trixie has proof!”
She now had Phoenix’s full attention. “The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie would like to submit this evidence!” Trixie floated up a new piece of paper, sending copies to both The Judge and defense again. This time, instead of sticking it on Phoenix’s face, she impaled it on a surprised Twilight’s horn, to some muted chuckles from the gallery. A visibly annoyed Twilight popped it off with her own magic, floating it where both she and Phoenix could read it.
“Hmmm… ‘Missing Cloud Report’?” The Judge read the header.
“Go on; read the rest, your honor!” Trixie invited The Judge to recite the report out loud.
After scanning through it silently, he obliged her. “Storm cloud missing at 4:00PM from eastern end of Ponyville. Weather mare in charge: Rainbow Dash!” The Judge quoted.
“This can’t be!” Phoenix said in disbelief, feeling his victory yanked away as yet another wall appeared in front of them, realizing he had once again failed to give Trixie enough credit—she had clearly reserved her most damning piece of evidence for last, saving it for when it would do the most damage.
The look Trixie gave him said all too clearly that it could be, and was. “Take a guess where that missing cloud was found, Mr. Wrong!” the mare magician bade him, and Phoenix could only manage a frustrated growl in response, awaiting the inevitable. “Right above the Everfree Forest clearing!” the mare magician proclaimed grandly, the gallery around them erupting in whispered comments.
“My word! So the defendant placed it there earlier? This makes all the defense’s objections null and void!” The Judge pronounced, adding several more nails to the coffin.
Missing Cloud ReportA cloud Rainbow Dash was in charge of disappeared at 4:00PM on the night of the murder, and was found above the Everfree Forest clearing.
Trixie nodded eagerly. “The defendant knew Ace was going to be in that forest, so she placed the cloud in that clearing well in advance,” she proclaimed, certain that with her final, decisive piece of evidence, she had sealed Rainbow’s fate.
Phoenix slammed his hands on the table. “But how could she know he would be there?!” he asked, trying desperately to discredit her logic.
The light blue unicorn gave a long, drawn out sigh. “Trixie will say this again, Mr. Wrong… who cares? The fact is she did it and that is all that matters,” Trixie said, now confident of the verdict.
“What if some other pony moved that cloud?!” Phoenix asked, grasping at increasingly thinner straws, only to find that Trixie had an answer for that as well.
“If that were the case… yes, you could argue another pony moved the cloud. But the only two ponies in the clearing that night were Ace Swift and Rainbow Trash. Unless, of course, you have proof there was another, Mr. Wrong?” she asked, certain he did not.
Phoenix all but bit his tongue as he was forced to concede yet another round to the insulting mare magician. “I… don’t right now!” he admitted in dismay.
“Then it is to be assumed Rainbow Trash moved that cloud there in foresight Ace would be there!” Trixie concluded.
With that, The Judge brought his gavel down, ending the debate. “I’ve heard enough. With all this evidence supplied, I can safely hand down my verdict,” he announced.
“No, your honor! There still might be something we’re overlooking!” Phoenix pleaded, stalling for time.
“The prosecution agrees,” Trixie concurred, to everyone’s surprise.
Huh? She’s agreeing with me? Why? Phoenix wondered, instantly suspicious.
“Trixie still has some more evidence… this!” Trixie’s horn glowed again, and a large and somewhat charred-looking manila envelope floated up.
“What is that?” Phoenix asked, seeing a previously sullen Rainbow Dash suddenly perk up out of the corner of his eye.
“We found this in the victim’s saddlebags on the crime scene. A little burnt considering what happened, but the contents are still unharmed,” Trixie explained, a strange gleam in her eyes.
Rainbow Dash’s rose-colored eyes widened when she recognized the envelope. “Huh?! NO! Please put that away!!” she said in a scared tone, pulling at her restraints like she wanted to dash forward and grab the envelope from Trixie.
Trixie gave the cyan pegasus a very knowing and evil grin. “The contents of this envelope are quite shocking… no pun intended,” she announced, gleeful eyes falling on Phoenix and Twilight next.
“I’m begging you… PLEASE don’t open it!” Dash again implored Trixie, casting a pleading look at Twilight and Phoenix to stop her.
The human lawyer was forced to give his client an apologetic shake of his head, knowing he could not challenge the evidence until it was revealed. Whatever is in that envelope really has Rainbow Dash spooked… what on earth is in there?
“Fillies and Gentlecolts! Trixie will now reveal to the courtroom what secrets this mysterious envelope holds!” the show mare proclaimed dramatically, opening the envelope with a flourish of her magic, fireworks shooting out of her horn and going off over the center of the courtroom.
“Please don’t do it, Trixie!” Dash begged, drooping her ears and sounding ready to cry, leaving Twilight and rest of the gallery shocked to see the normally brash and proud pegasus pony reduced to tearful pleading.
For his part, Phoenix felt a fresh trickle of sweat down his neck as he observed Rainbow’s reaction. I have a bad feeling about this… I hope whatever is in that thing doesn’t hurt Rainbow Dash’s case even more! he thought, worried the envelope contained decisive evidence of her guilt. If it did, Phoenix knew it would be the end of the trial, and there was nothing he could do to stop it—the guilty verdict would come down, and he would have failed in his promise to protect an innocent pony.
All he could do was await the inevitable…
Phoenix held his breath as the envelope was opened.
Pausing dramatically, Trixie pulled out what looked like a series of large glossy photographs and began slowly floating them around the courtroom in a moving circle like a slideshow, giving everyone in the gallery a good look. As the images registered, pony and human jaws fell open all around the courtroom…
And then the equine audience exploded with laughter.
“Wow! Rainbow Dash, who would have thought!” a unicorn mare called out, leaning over the rail and nearly dropping out the stands, consumed by the laughing disease that seemed to afflict everypony in the courtroom.
“I didn’t know you were into THAT kind of stuff, Rainbow Dash!” an pegasus pony piled on, wiping tears from her eyes.
“M-My sides hurt!!” a guffawing earth pony stallion exclaimed from where he was rolling around on the aisle, having literally fallen out of his seat.
“My word… these are… c-certainly…” The Judges cleared his throat, trying admirably to maintain a sense of decorum. “Interesting… photographs…”
“Oh… dear…” were the only words came out of a shocked Phoenix, whose mind had nearly ceased functioning at the moment the contents of the photographs registered. He had felt his heart, brain and soul go straight down to the soles of his feet when Trixie had opened the envelope, certain it was the end of the case, but now… nothing in his entire career had prepared him for… the pictures!
“P-poor Rainbow Dash…” Twilight agreed, blushing furiously again but unable to keep from giggling herself as the images floated by.
For her part, a mortified Rainbow Dash sat very rigid, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed scarlet as she heard the ridicule rain down on her. “MY LIFE IS RUINED!!!” she wailed, forced to watch as her carefully cultivated image of ‘coolness’ was utterly obliterated in front of all her friends and fans.
“As you can see, the defendant has some very… bizarre tastes!” Trixie stated gleefully as she added fresh pictures to the magical slideshow, humiliating the cyan pegasus further as the laughter and comments erupted anew.
“Uhh… wait!” Phoenix snapped out of his reverie, reaching out to snatch a picture out of the air. His hand tingled as it disrupted her blue aura. “What was the point in showing these pictures? How do they relate to the crime in question?” he demanded to know, waving the crumpled image at Trixie.
As the guffaws from the gallery faded to scattered titters, Trixie turned her attention back to Phoenix, snatching the picture back from him and floating him and Twilight a complete set in a separate envelope. “They were in the victim’s bag, weren’t they? They are important evidence! Do you think Trixie would be so low as to show these pictures for the sole purpose of humiliating the defendant?” the mare magician asked, putting on a hurt look.
That’s EXACTLY what I think you did! Phoenix was all but certain, trying to force his mind back to matter at hand, certain he’d never get those images out of his head. ”What were pictures… uhh…” Phoenix hesitated to say it, “like… these… doing on the victim anyway?” he asked, motioning towards the envelope he’d been given.
“How should Trixie know?” the show mare shrugged, looking very pleased with herself.
You said these pictures were important evidence, and you’re not going to explain why? Now I KNOW you brought them out just to embarrass Rainbow Dash! Phoenix glared at her.
“In any case, uh… the court accepts these… um… photographs as… evidence,” The Judge said formally as he received his own copies of the pictures.
Embarrassing PhotosA dozen pictures of Rainbow Dash…
Why in her right mind would she be doing this…?
Photos found in the bag of the victim.
“After that little sideshow… can I declare my verdict now?” The Judge asked.
“Most certainly your honor!” an immensely satisfied Trixie said, sitting back and leaving Rainbow Dash to face her fate.
“Phoenix, do something QUICK!” Twilight pleaded, sensing the looming outcome of their case.
Phoenix looked sandbagged, his shoulders starting to slump. “To be honest, I don’t know WHAT to do! I’ve never encountered first degree murder with a storm cloud before!” he told her, feeling his last threads of hope starting to slip away. Every trick he knew, every objection he’d made, everything he had tried in the trial had been ineffective against Trixie, whom he was increasingly forced to admit was the equal or better of many prosecutors he’d known from home.
This time, it was Twilight who gave Phoenix fresh strength, putting a hoof over his hand as it rested on the rail. “You said you wing it all the time, right? Well, WING it!” Twilight implored him, her efforts and tone of voice suddenly and very strongly reminding him of Maya.
Remembering his teenaged assistant and knowing how disappointed she—and her older sister—would be if he gave up now, the human lawyer stood up straight again and squeezed Twilight’s hoof in gratitude, vowing one final, all-out effort to save Rainbow Dash. He took a deep breath, and…
“What is it Mr. Wright?” The Judge asked, ready to bring down his gavel for the final time.
“How are you so sure my… um… my client was at the scene of the crime? If I recall correctly, she was picked up at her house… not on location,” Phoenix groped, knowing this one slim thread was likely his last stand.
“Trixie already told you that, you imbecile! Her hoof marks were on the cloud and her feathers were all over the place. You don’t think that’s incriminating enough?” the show mare stood her ground, her insults pushing the the defense attorney's already-abused buttons more and more.
Phoenix bit his tongue to prevent a particularly ugly retort from escaping his lips. The human lawyer had never wanted to defeat someone—somepony—so badly in his life, but he forcibly reminded himself the object was not to beat Trixie but prove Rainbow Dash innocent, and that would be a little harder with the contempt citation his comment would have been certain to garner. “Yes, but the cloud could have been move by someone else and feathers could have been gathered from anywhere just as hair falls from your head. I may not have proof yet, but it is a possibility!” Phoenix insisted, making his appeal directly to The Judge. He might be fickle, but he’s also not one to leave any stone unturned before he pronounces verdict…
Seeing that The Judge was wavering again, Trixie let out another theatrical sigh. “Looks like this is going to drag out a bit longer,” she rolled her own violet eyes. “Trixie has another witness that can confirm that the defendant was indeed at the scene of the crime on the night of the murder.”
“This one HAS to be Fluttershy,” Phoenix guessed, wondering why she wasn’t summoned earlier.
Twilight nodded. “I wonder what she saw?” the violet unicorn asked, curious what her timid friend had been unable to tell them the previous night.
“We’re about to find out at any case…” Phoenix said, eagerly awaiting her entrance—as things stood, the case was all but lost; he knew his only chance was to find new contradictions in fresh testimony.
“The prosecution will bring out their next witness…” The Judge instructed, and Trixie again nodded to the unicorn bailiff.
It took several minutes of coaxing before Fluttershy finally came into the courtroom. Escorted by a large earth pony guard, she reluctantly entered the witness box, looking very afraid and uncomfortable to be the center of attention of so many other ponies.
“Witness, state your name and occupation,” Trixie directed.
Fluttershy didn’t respond. She was all but cowering under the stand, greenish-blue eyes barely visible over the podium.
“Witness! Get out from under there and state your name and occupation!” Trixie ordered more sharply, getting annoyed again.
“Fluttershy. I’m an animal caretaker.” Fluttershy’s reply was but an inaudible whisper.
“Can you please repeat that, young lady? I couldn’t hear you…” The Judge requested, cupping a hand to his ear.
“My name is Fluttershy,” she spoke again, and in fairness her reply was a little louder… by one or two decibels.
“Nope… still couldn’t hear you…” The Judge shook his head.
Watching painfully as Fluttershy struggled to speak, Phoenix got an idea. “Maybe I can milk this situation to our advantage,” he told Twilight in an aside.
“What do you mean?” she asked, uncertain what he was planning next.
Phoenix addressed The Judge directly. “Your honor! This witness clearly doesn’t have the ability to testify. Perhaps we should suspend the proceedings of this trial for another—”
Fluttershy instantly perked up on hearing his voice, suddenly standing up straight and speaking in a loud, clear tone. “Oh, Mr. Phoenix, you’re here! You haven’t died yet? There must be something very wrong… you look so frail and seem to be suffering more than ever right now...” she looked on him in concern, as if she was expecting him to burst into flame at any moment.
Phoenix couldn’t believe it. “You got the last one right…” he all but whimpered, wondering what he’d done to anger the trial gods.
“Mr. Wright, tell her to state her name and occupation, please,” The Judge asked Phoenix.
To Phoenix, that was just salt in the wound. “But that’s the prosecutions job! It’s her witness…”
“This witness was being difficult when Trixie is preparing her earlier as well,” Trixie noted, and for once Phoenix had no doubt the mare magician was telling the truth.
“Given the circumstance… just do it Mr. Wright…” The Judge ordered Phoenix.
Phoenix let out a heavy sigh, feeling incredibly put upon. “Fluttershy,” he accidentally addressed her by name. “Uh, I mean Witness—state your name and occupation please…” Phoenix directed, taking on the role of prosecutor. Never thought I’d be saying THAT line!
“I’m Fluttershy. I’m an animal caretaker,” Fluttershy introduced herself, smiling at Phoenix, who might have been taken with her anew if he was in a better mood.
“Is it true you saw Rainbow Dash leave the Everfree Forest two nights ago?” Trixie asked, but Fluttershy hid again at the sound of the show mare’s voice.
“Mr. Wright…” The Judge prompted.
Phoenix couldn’t believe what he was being made to do, already and seriously not enjoying it one bit. “Is it true you saw Rainbow Dash leave the Everfree Forest two nights ago?” he repeated the question in an almost groggy, punch-drunk voice. This kind of backfired on me… he noted. But then again, how was that different from anything else he had tried so far?
“Yes, she seemed to be in a hurry!” Fluttershy answered him, more serious now.
“So the defendant was indeed at the scene of the crime on the night of the murder. Witness! You will—” he trailed off when he saw her duck back under the podium again.
“Hrm… Mr. Wright, tell her she has to testify…” This time, it was The Judge who asked him to act on his behalf (Good Grief…)
Now I have to do YOUR job too, your honor? Phoenix wanted to scream. “Fluttershy…”
“Yes, Mr. Phoenix?” she perked back up instantly, smiling again and leaving Phoenix’s mind oscillating between the incredible awkwardness of the whole bizarre situation and her undeniable adorability and beauty.
He gathered himself carefully before speaking. “Can you please testify as to what you saw two nights ago when you saw Rainbow Dash leaving the forest?” Phoenix asked, thinking he should at least have a gavel in his hand if he was going to pretend to be The Judge.
“Umm… I don’t know what ‘testify’ means…” she said timidly.
Phoenix was ready to turn around and repeatedly bash his head against the wall behind him. “It just means, tell us what you saw last night.” he explained patiently, amazed he was able to keep his voice even.
“Oh yes, I can do that! Anything for you, Mr. Phoenix!” she promised, eager to be helpful to the human lawyer.
But would she be?
-------------------------------------- WITNESS TESTIMONY -------------------------------------- -- I’ll tell you all what I saw… if it’s okay with you… -- “It was during the night hours. I went outside to feed the chickens and the other ones. When I was near my chicken coop, I heard a lightning bolt in the distance and it scared me. After I finished feeding my chickens, I saw Rainbow Dash flying away from the forest like something was chasing her. I called out to her, but I don’t think she heard me. I looked up but saw nothing following her… that was when the police ponies arrived. They spoke with me, and I went off to bed at 10:30PM.”
After Fluttershy finished her statement, Trixie gave a huge smirk that ran throughout her face. “HAHAHAHAHA! If that isn’t an airtight testimony, Trixie doesn’t know what is! And by Rainbow Trash’s own friend, no less!” she said, gleefully smiling all the way.
“FLUTTERSHY!!!” a shocked Rainbow Dash shouted from the defendant’s box, a look of betrayal on her face.
Fluttershy finally noticed Rainbow Dash to the side. “Oh! Hi Rainbow Dash!” She greeted her friend with an oblivious smile and friendly wave of a wing.
“Very well, Mr. Wright, your cross-examination, if you please…” The Judge waited.
“Did you see anything odd there, Phoenix?” Twilight asked.
He turned her testimony over in his mind a few times, only to finally shake his head. “Not really… Trixie’s right; it’s kind of airtight…” he reluctantly admitted.
“Then… what do we do?” Twilight asked, wondering how the human lawyer would handle their latest setback.
His answer came from long experience. “Poke holes in it until it isn’t airtight anymore,” he told her, adjusting his mental strategy accordingly.
The violet unicorn grinned. “That’s the spirit! I just hope Fluttershy isn’t lying about anything…” Twilight said, a worried look passing over her equine features.
I actually hope she’s lying so I have something to work off of! Phoenix didn’t say, though he couldn’t honestly imagine that she was.
-------------------------------------- CROSS EXAMINATION -------------------------------------- It was during the night hours. I went outside to feed the chickens and the other ones…”
“So… you say you went outside to feed your chickens and ‘the other ones’. What do you mean by that?” Phoenix asked.
“I’m… taking care of a lot of exotic animals right now,” Fluttershy said with a fresh smile that was doing its best to break through his bad mood.
“I see. How did you acquire them?” Phoenix followed up, trying to get her to elaborate more, remembering his strategy—the more details she gave, the more things he had to pick at until he found something.
“A zoo in Fillydelphia is, well, renovating, and they needed a place for all the animals to stay while they do it,” she explained. “They… heard about my talent with animals, somehow, and they came to me and asked me to take care of them. O-of course I said yes, since they had lots of birdies and critters that I’ve never seen before, and I always like to meet new animals…” she added with a wistful look.
“How long have you had these animals?” Phoenix asked, feeling his cuteness meter start to spike again.
“Three days now,” Fluttershy replied with another smile, turning her greenish-blue eyes back on him, seemingly doing her best to melt his heart anew.
“Is it hard taking care of them all?” Phoenix wondered, going a bit off topic, asking more out of his curiosity than for the sake of the case.
Trixie stopped Phoenix before he could say anything further, and for the first time she mimicked Phoenix by raising a foreleg and pointing her hoof at him. “What, pray tell, does this have to do with murder?” she demanded to know.
Phoenix put his hand behind his head, wearing a goofy grin. “Well… I kind of like animals too, and…”
“Stop going off topic, you incompetent fool!” Trixie berated him.
Phoenix felt a growl building in his throat, his better mood ruined. I REALLY hate you Trixie, you know that? he told her with his thoughts, suppressing a sudden image of the mare magician hogtied and gagged with her own cape and hat. I better keep note of these exotic animals though, something about it… he decided before continuing with the cross-examination.
When I was near my chicken coop, I heard a lightning bolt in the distance and it scared me.”
“You heard thunder while you were in the chicken coop?” Phoenix asked.
“Well, it was lightning…” Fluttershy clarified.
“No, Fluttershy… thunder produces the sound, not lightning,” Phoenix corrected her.
“Wrong again, Mr. Wrong…” Trixie said, in her now-familiar mocking tone.
“For the last time, Trixie, it’s ‘Wright’. Would you please stop calling me that?” Phoenix said, completely fed up with the mare magician.
“Actually, here in Equestria, lighting is what produces the noise when it strikes the ground,” Twilight informed him.
Phoenix felt his cheeks flush and fists clench at having his ignorance of Equestria exposed again, doubly so for it coming from Twilight, who he couldn’t be mad at. “Ngh… That wasn’t what I wanted to ask, anyway. What time was it when you heard it?” Phoenix asked, forcing himself to relax.
“8:40PM, on the dot,” Fluttershy responded instantly.
The human lawyer was surprised to get such an authoritative answer. “That’s quite exact. How are you so sure?”
“It’s the time I feed my chickens every night!” she replied brightly.
“Feeding chickens… at night?” Phoenix repeated, not sure what to make of that statement.
“Midnight snack! I couldn’t send them to bed without one, what if they starved to death while they were sleeping!?” Fluttershy said, shaking in fear at the thought.
“Oh my! I never realized the importance of midnight snacking!” The Judge commented, resolving to start eating them himself.
“That’s our naïve Fluttershy,” Twilight noted in an aside, her tone one of embarrassed amusement.
And that’s my clueless Judge! Phoenix replied with his thoughts, careful not to say it out loud. “Are you positive it was lightning you heard and not something else?” he asked.
She nodded jerkily at him. “I’m sure it was lightning, because the sound of lightning really frightens me! I remembered getting scared when I heard it; I nearly dropped all of my chicken feed!” Fluttershy recalled.
“This lines up with the time of death, and when the initial lightning bolt was set off,” Trixie noted.
After I finished feeding my chickens, I saw Rainbow Dash flying away from the forest like something was chasing her. I called out to her, but I don’t think she heard me.”
“How long did it take you to feed your chickens, Fluttershy?” Phoenix asked.
“Um… about 15 minutes…” Fluttershy estimated.
“And you’re saying you saw Rainbow Dash fleeing from the forest at that time?” Phoenix wanted to make sure.
She nodded again. “Yes! I thought there was a ferocious creature chasing her, judging by how fast she was flying…” the pretty pink-haired pony insisted, leaving Phoenix to reflect that he hadn’t actually seen a pegasus fly yet and still had a hard time believing they could—folded against their sides, their wings seemed far too small for such a feat!
“What did you do then?” he asked next.
“I called out to her at the top of my lungs to see what the problem was,” Fluttershy remembered.
“And she just ignored you?” Phoenix asked, sparing a glance at the rainbow-maned mare in the defendant’s box, who looked to him like she just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.
“Yes, I don’t know why… I yelled so loud, at the top of my lungs, like this…” Fluttershy inhaled sharply and let out her loudest shout… “Rainbow Dash? What’s wrong?!” she called out in a barely audible voice.
The entire gallery facehoofed with a series of loud smacks. “Yeah… I haven’t the faintest idea of how she didn’t hear that…” Phoenix deadpanned, thinking that no matter how cute or endearing the pegasus pony was to him, it didn’t change the fact that she was hopelessly naïve and more than a little oblivious. “So, you didn’t see anything chasing Rainbow Dash?”
“Yes, I watched the forest until the police arrived, but I didn’t see or hear anything come out of it after Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy confirmed.
Phoenix fell silent, brow furrowing in concentration.
“What is it, Phoenix?” Twilight asked.
“I think I just found a contradiction,” he announced.
“A contradiction? You mean, Fluttershy is lying?” Twilight asked in disbelief, scarcely able to believe her timid friend was capable of such a thing.
Sensing Twilight’s doubt, Phoenix chose his words carefully. “I don’t know why, but something she said is impossible.”
“Impossible?” Twilight echoed, not knowing what the human lawyer meant.
“Your honor, can you please have the witness amend that statement to her testimony?” Phoenix requested.
“Hmmm… I don’t see why not. Witness, please add your previous statement to your testimony,” The Judge instructed.
“Umm… okay…” Fluttershy acceded, finally not ducking for cover at the sound of another voice.
I didn’t see or hear anything else come out of the forest that night…”
“Fluttershy, are you absolutely sure about this?” Phoenix asked, leaning far forward over the rail at the pegasus pony, looking as if he was getting ready to pounce.
She gave him a puzzled look. “I’m sure; not a peep or pony came out of that forest until the police came and spoke with me. Then I went to sleep at 10:30PM,” Fluttershy said, smiling again by the end of her statement.
“Eep!” Fluttershy hid from Phoenix, startled by his sudden outburst.
“Mr. Wright, please don’t frighten the witness,” The Judge admonished.
Phoenix felt chagrined at seeing Fluttershy’s reaction, giving another goofy grin. “Right… sorry, but there’s a contradiction in this testimony!” he informed The Judge.
“What contradiction? Everything she has said meshes with the evidence to a T!” Trixie insisted.
“No, there’s one thing that isn’t right,” he shook his head. “Fluttershy—you said you watched the forest until the police force arrived, correct?” Phoenix restated.
This made Fluttershy a bit scared, causing her to hide under the table… again… “Y-yes, did I do something wrong? I’m sorry if I did…”
“Uh… no need to be sorry…” he told her, deciding at that moment her endless apologies were less endearing than annoying. “But you didn’t hear or see ANYTHING come out of the forest?” Phoenix asked again, making sure he heard it right.
“I didn’t see or hear anything else come out of the forest that night…” she swore in her trademark tinny voice.
With that, Phoenix turned back to The Judge. “Then there’s clearly a contradiction here… actually, TWO!” he corrected himself.
“Please explain what these contradictions are, Mr. Wright,” The Judge instructed.
“Fluttershy should have seen someone leave the forest… the previous witness—Apple Bloom!” Phoenix announced.
“Oh! That’s right!!” The Judge remembered, and Trixie was caught so off-guard that her magic misfired again, sending her pointed hat shooting back into the rafters.
“But, I-I didn’t see Apple Bloom… I-I promise!” Fluttershy hid under the table again.
Phoenix didn’t really think she was lying, didn’t want to scare her or push her like this, but he knew he had no choice—something didn’t add up, and for Rainbow’s sake he had to find out what. “You see, Fluttershy… you HAD to have seen Apple Bloom if you were really watching the forest all night! The prosecution even confirmed that there’s only one way in and out of the forest… and that entrance is right by your cottage!” Phoenix recited.
“Ngh!!” Trixie couldn’t believe it—she almost had the victory, but now sensed it slipping out of her grasp just as she was about to take it home…
“I don’t understand… why would Fluttershy lie like this?” a bewildered Twilight asked, increasingly concerned for what would happen to her if she was.
Phoenix spared the violet unicorn a glance. “I don’t know either, but we’ve got to pursue this issue, otherwise we’re cooked,” he told her before turning his attention back to the pink-maned pegasus cowering behind the stand.
“I-I don’t know why, but I didn’t see her…” Fluttershy insisted, looking more and more uncomfortable and afraid the harder Phoenix pressed her.
His heart went out to her; he hated doing this to her, but the human lawyer did not—could not—relent. “It’s not just that; there is another thing, Fluttershy—you also stated you heard nothing as well. Earlier I was told lightning makes a noise when it hits the ground in Equestria,” Phoenix recalled.
“Yes, that is right, Mr. Wright!” The Judge agreed.
“Then why didn’t Fluttershy mention hearing the second bolt of lightning?” he asked, pointing a finger at Trixie. “Fluttershy says she watched the forest until the police arrived, and they witnessed the third bolt take down a tree firsthand. The second lightning bolt is unaccounted for!” Phoenix went all out.
“I only heard one bolt of lightning, though…” Fluttershy said timidly, looking ready to run away.
“Maybe she just forgot it!” Trixie suggested, glaring at him.
“She stated the first bolt of lightning scared her, from which can conclude that every bolt of lightning could have been heard from Fluttershy’s cottage. It’s very clear that this witness is afraid of lightning!” he proclaimed. And everything else, for that matter…
“Yes, it’s true, lightning scares me! It is so loud and scary—like that voice you just did, Mr. Phoenix!” she said, cowering behind the stand again.
Phoenix mentally promised to apologize for his rough treatment of her later. “There you go, Trixie! She would have remembered the second bolt of lightning frightening her if she had heard it!” the human lawyer said triumphantly, hands on his hips. “Also, let’s not forget, Apple Bloom didn’t mention or hearing this lightning either, now that we know that the lightning could have been heard from that far away!” he further noted.
“The defense has a point,” The Judge said, nodding thoughtfully.
“Heh, and Trixie thinks the defense has nothing!” Trixie dismissed The Judge’s statement with a toss of her head.
The Judge looked taken aback. “Excuse me?!”
She ignored him, addressing Phoenix directly. “So what? She didn’t see Apple Bloom; what does that prove? Do tell, Mr. Wrong! Trixie is all ears…” Trixie said, mockingly conjuring up a hearing funnel to some laughs from the audience.
Phoenix slammed his hands on the table in exasperation, freshly infuriated at her for not taking him seriously. “It questions the credibility of your witness! You said it yourself; there’s only one way in and out of that forest!” he glared at her.
“Remember another thing! Anything beyond Apple Bloom said after the time she heard the lightning bolt is irrelevant!” Trixie immediately countered, leaning over the rail to glare back.
Phoenix didn’t back down. “You can’t say that this is irrelevant information when your witness didn’t see your other witness leave the forest!” he insisted.
“Then tell The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie WHAT it means!” Trixie shouted. “Trixie knows one possibility, but that’s up to you to say what it is, Mr. Wrong! That is, if you have the GUTS to!” the mare magician goaded.
Phoenix felt his guts clench, knowing what the possibility was… and suddenly getting a very ugly idea of how he might use it. “I… I… can’t.”
“Heh… though so,” Trixie dismissed him, all but calling him a coward.
“What is she talking about, Phoenix? You know a reason Fluttershy didn’t see Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked, looking at him curiously.
Phoenix hesitated, suddenly unable to look the violet unicorn in the eye. “I-I do, but… I can’t say it…”
“Why not?” Twilight asked, confused.
He shook his head sharply, refusing to even entertain the strategy that was still trying to suggest itself. It was obscene, it was wrong, it was the antithesis of everything he stood for as a Defense Attorney… “I just can’t, Twilight. I’ll be safe and use the other contradiction as my stead for now,” he told her, terrified of what she’d think of him if he explained what he had in mind.
Shoving the scheme as far from his thoughts as he could, he turned back to Trixie. “Fine, forget that! We can’t overlook this second bolt of lightning, though! It could have been the real cause of death, making this all just an accident!” Phoenix reasoned.
Trixie sighed, as if she was tired of being made to suffer fools. “Didn’t you hear Trixie earlier?”
“Huh?”
“Lightning doesn’t hit the same spot twice in Equestria, just as you can’t divide by zero; the body was found directly under where the first bolt struck. Not to mention the odds of a stray bolt of lightning hitting the victim by chance are highly improbable, especially since he was wearing a lightning-proof suit,” the mare magician told him with a smug and satisfied grin.
Phoenix turned to Twilight again. “I remember her bringing up this ‘lightning-proof suit’…” he recalled, hoping she could elaborate.
Twilight nodded. “It’s what the pegasi wear when working with weather. Or in this case, a modified version designed for large scale races where they may encounter dangerous weather conditions,” the violet unicorn explained.
“How exactly does the suit work?” Phoenix wanted to know.
“It’s a two-piece suit, worn at the head and body. The fabric is made up of an effective insulator that protects pegasi from being harmed by lightning,” Twilight described.
The human lawyer was confused. “Then… how did he die if he was wearing this suit?”
“There are some parts of the body that the suit does not cover—namely, certain parts of the head and neck,” the violet unicorn answered. “A precise, aimed bolt could still him in the sweet spots, which is what Trixie is basing her claims on,” she further noted, letting Phoenix mull it over for a few seconds.
“But it’s still possible for a random bolt to hit him in one of the exposed spots!” the human lawyer asserted, turning back to Trixie.
The show mare gave a slow, scornful shake of her head. “I’m surprised you haven’t realized it yet, Mr. Wrong…”
“Huh?”
“You have been babbling about Trixie’s witnesses not seeing the second bolt of lightning so much that you seem to have forgotten… this second bolt seems to not exist at all! Trixie will be sure to have a chat with the pegasi who gave her these Cloud Ballistics to confirm it, Trixie assures you,” the show mare stated, seemingly taking every opportunity she could to say her own name. “But even if we take your silly theory into consideration… the odds of him being struck down by a random bolt of lightning are too low to be believable without having some sort of concrete proof!” she concluded.
The Judge nodded in agreement. “The prosecution’s logic is very sound; the chances of a lightning bolt killing the victim by chance are too small to hold water in this court without any proof, considering the protection he was wearing. OBJECTION OVERRULED!” he announced with another sharp rap of his gavel, to Phoenix’s sinking heart.
“No!” Phoenix exclaimed. Every time I make an objection she has it refuted just like that!
“Ha! Too bad, Mr. Wrong…” Trixie rubbed it in as The Judge favored her yet again…
The human lawyer was rapidly running out of options as Trixie defeated yet another of his arguments. It wasn’t looking good for Phoenix and company; he knew that unless he turned things around quickly, then the fate of Rainbow Dash would be sealed…
Phoenix cringed as the Judge brought his gavel down again, much harder than before. “Enough! I’m afraid the defense’s line has run short. Do you have anything else you would like to say, Mr. Wright, before I hand down my verdict?” The Judge gave him one last chance before he brought the trial to an end.
I’m going to lose if I don’t do something fast! an increasingly desperate Phoenix realized.
“Phoenix, there has to be something we can do! It can’t end like this!” Twilight said, trembling in fear for the fate of her friend.
“I know! But I need more time! I need more information!” the human lawyer replied, hands gripping the edge of the rail tightly, his mind racing.
“Please, Your Honor, make this quick; Trixie is starting to feel sorry for this hopeless defense team,” a now-relaxed Trixie said in a contemptuous tone, awaiting her final victory.
Phoenix swallowed. There is one thing I can do… I didn’t want to do it earlier… but now I have no choice! he decided with a sinking heart. I need more time and evidence… this is the only way… the human lawyer tried to convince himself as he prepared to resort to the very strategy he had refused to even consider only a minute earlier—the very strategy he swore he would not use.
“Your Honor!” Phoenix shouted, a little louder than he meant to.
“Yes, Mr. Wright?” The Judge asked, the look on his face telling Phoenix to make it good—that he was in no mood for trivial objections or stalling tactics.
Phoenix felt his guts clench as he said his next words. “The defense would like to cast suspicion on another!”
The Judge blinked in surprise. “Another… suspect?”
“Yes, that is correct, Your Honor,” Phoenix said, readying his final—and most desperate—card.
“But who?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“Is this the last bastion of Mr. Wrong? Haha, let’s hear it—who is this mystery suspect?” Trixie goaded, guessing what the human lawyer intended to do and curious if he’d actually have the guts to go through with it… certain she’d win either way.
He glared at the mare magician, wanting badly to blame her for what he was about to do but knowing it ultimately fell on him for not being better prepared for the case—or for her. “I’m far from being done, Trixie! The suspect the Defense accuses… is the witness…” he paused, steeling himself.
FLUTTERSHY!!!
“Huh?” Fluttershy said, not knowing what’s going on…
Twilight gave Phoenix the same shocked look The Judge and most of the gallery was. “Mr. Wright! What are you doing!?”
Phoenix ignored her, afraid if he answered or looked Twilight in the eye, he’d lose his nerve. “Fluttershy is a pegasus; therefore she could have tampered with the cloud and the crime scene. And let’s not forget, there was a very large time frame where Fluttershy was alone! She even stated she didn’t see Apple Bloom leave the forest when we all know she SHOULD have!” Phoenix slammed his hands down on the desk, trying to sound assured and authoritative even as he didn’t believe a word of what he was saying.
Fluttershy gaped at him. “B-but I was watching it the whole time… I’m not lying… ” she protested weakly, her lip quivering.
“Heh…” Trixie chuckled, inwardly impressed that he’d actually gone for it, thinking perhaps she’d misjudged the human lawyer if he could really be that ruthless.
“Fluttershy even has connections with my client; she could have been the one who took the storm cloud my client was scheduled to set off, as well as gathered loose feathers to spread around the crime scene!” Phoenix proclaimed.
“I-I didn’t do that… ” Fluttershy said, starting to tear up.
“Phoenix! Stop this! She didn’t do it!” Twilight pleaded with the human lawyer, trying to protect her friends—Dash is in trouble and now Fluttershy too? she thought, horrified he might make her lose them both!
“But the defendant’s hoof marks were on the storm cloud, Mr. Wright… how do you explain that?” The Judge himself challenged.
“I’d be surprised if they WEREN’T there, your honor!” Phoenix responded immediately.
The Judge scratched his beard in confusion. “Hmm… I don’t follow…”
“Simple! Rainbow Dash was to put those storm clouds at the eastern end of Ponyville, according to this weather schedule,” Phoenix picked up the weather schedule Trixie had given him and tapped it with his fingers, making his point simple and clear.
The Judge’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh!”
Phoenix nodded. “Of course her hoof marks are there—she was just doing her job! Fluttershy could have come and taken one of the clouds with the marks on it, set it off and them removed her own markings from the cloud…” he theorized, stopping short at a sudden worry. “That… is possible right?” the human lawyer asked, looking around for support.
To his surprise, it was Trixie who gave it. “Yes, one could wipe a cloud… of their hoof marks…” she buttressed the human lawyer’s arguments, wearing an odd smile.
Phoenix wasn’t sure why Trixie was suddenly helping him, but he couldn’t stop to think about it. “Then all the more reason to suspect her!” he raised his voice further.
“I was home all day though… ” Fluttershy insisted, looking frightened and bewildered.
“Phoenix, you’re supposed to be defending my friends!” Twilight reminded him, increasingly aghast, her temper rising as he continued to ignore her.
“What about the dark forest, Mr. Wright? How would this witness have been able to see in it?” The Judge asked, using Phoenix’s earlier argument against him, but Phoenix had an answer for that, too.
“It must be like a backyard to her… she can probably navigate it from memory, just as you can probably navigate your house while your eyes closed,” he reasoned, stating his claims without hesitation.
The Judge closed his eyes, considering Phoenix’s words. “Hmm… This is a very bold claim, Mr. Wright; this meek little thing looks like she wouldn’t harm a fly… why would she frame her friend?” he challenged Phoenix on motive next.
Before Phoenix could answer, Fluttershy spoke up again. “It’s true! I have ten pet flies! Michael, Donna, Steven, Eric, Jackie… ”
The human lawyer cut her off before she could tug at his heartstrings any more—could she be any more adorable? “Easy! To cover her own guilt! Besides, as the prosecution has stated, why she did it is irrelevant; the fact still stands, she is just as suspicious as Rainbow Dash!” Phoenix asserted, now going all-out.
“I-I can’t believe you’re doing this! I trusted you!” a betrayed Twilight accused, nearing the peak of her temper. Phoenix didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes fixed on The Judge.
“You’re going to need more proof to accuse this witness, Mr. Wright. Do you have any evidence that can place her on the crime scene?” The Judge asked.
He nodded. “In fact I do, Your Honor… this!” Phoenix reached into an evidence bag and pulled out the large brown feather he and Twilight had found in the forest the previous night.
The Judge raised a white eye brow. “A feather? Does it belong to her?” he asked, instantly recognizing that it could not since the color was not hers. Hand tightening on his gavel, he prepared to come down on Phoenix hard if he made such a ridiculous claim.
But the human lawyer was cleverer than that. “No. I found this feather at the crime scene. It’s way too big to belong to any bird or Pegasus pony in Ponyville,” he explained.
“Then just what are you getting at Mr. Wright? How does this relate to the witness?” The Judge demanded to know, looking down at Phoenix with narrowed eyes.
“Fluttershy!!” Phoenix called, pointing over the rail at her.
“Y-yes, Mr. Phoenix?” she said tentatively, peering out at him fearfully.
“Do you allow any of your exotic animals to go in the Everfree Forest?” the human lawyer asked.
Her greenish-blue eyes widened in horror at the suggestion. “Oh, no! It’s much too dangerous in there! They’re kept locked up tightly when I’m not playing with them…”
Phoenix nodded, as if in satisfaction. “As I thought! Fluttershy stated earlier she’s caring for animals not native to Ponyville; this feather could belong to one of them. It could have been brought there unintentionally by Fluttershy as she framed my client!”
A new voice shouted.
Phoenix was silent.
The Judge was silent.
Trixie was silent.
They all looked to where the objection came from…
To the violet unicorn standing at Phoenix’s right.
“This can’t go on!” Twilight said, unwilling to stand by and see more of her friends hurt, even it meant standing in the line of legal fire herself.
“The… defense is objecting to… ITSELF?!” The Judge asked incredulously.
“YES!” she spat out. “Mr. Wright doesn’t know what he’s talking about! His words are nothing but slander and lies!” Twilight said, fuming with anger at Phoenix… and at herself for trusting him—liking him!
“Twilight!” Phoenix was also surprised—he’d half-hoped she’d be able to figure out what he was doing without him telling her, but realized too late he had underestimated the strength of her protective instincts… and her bonds with her friends.
It was Trixie’s turn. “Zip it, Twilight! You’re only his co-counsel, and nothing more! Discrediting an attorney like that will get you held in contempt!” she warned the rival unicorn.
Twilight glared at her. “You’re a hypocrite! You’ve been degrading him all day long!” she reminded the show mare.
“And that is all,” Trixie turned her mocking grin on Twilight. “Trixie just called Mr. Wrong names—never once did Trixie accuse him of lies or slander, which is a serious accusation!” she countered.
The Judge agreed. “You are right as always, Ms. Trixie. Another outburst by the defense’s co-counsel and they will be held contempt of court!” The Judge threatened.
“B-but…” Twilight slumped where she stood, falling silent as the endgame played out.
Phoenix managed the barest of glances at her. Trust me, I don’t want to do this, Twilight… but it’s the only way I can buy more time! he mentally apologized, already regretting his choice and swearing he’d make it right… somehow.
“Back to the matter at hand… I still have a hard time believing this little pony would do something like this…” The Judge challenged.
Phoenix kept his voice strong even as the rest of him was shaking, the human lawyer horrified at what he was doing to one of the most beautiful, adorable and innocent creatures he’d ever met. “The evidence speaks for itself, Your Honor! This feather puts Fluttershy on the scene of the crime!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the rail to make his point. “I demand further investigation to see if this feather belongs to any of Fluttershy’s animals!” he finished, starting to feel faint.
The Judge closed his eyes again, pondering Phoenix’s request. “Hmmm… Ms. Trixie, what is your opinion on all of this? You have been surprisingly quiet regarding of all Mr. Wright’s claims,” he said, turning to the blue unicorn on his right.
Trixie was all but lounging back in her seat, looking like she’d been enjoying every second of the scene she’d just witnessed. “You know what?” she began, eyes closed and wearing an odd smile. “Trixie agrees. Fluttershy is suspicious,” she concurred to The Judge’s evident surprise.
Phoenix stayed silent as Trixie spoke. “The investigation team did indeed see this feather on the crime scene. We brushed it off as a plain old bird feather, but as Trixie’s feeble opponent pointed out… it does seem kind of big up close, and with this information regarding these zoo animals… it does seem to cast suspicion over this witness,” Trixie smiled unpleasantly at Fluttershy, causing her to cringe.
“You are aware we will have to suspend the proceeding until tomorrow for further investigation…?” The Judge reminded her.
She gave him a sharp look. “You don’t think Trixie knows this? Another one of Twilight Sparkle’s little friends in the slammer is reward enough for Trixie today. Two for the price of one, as they say!” she punctuated her statement with a cackle before turning her attention back to Phoenix. “And Trixie has YOU to thank, Mr. Wrong! You’ve made this experience much, MUCH more fulfilling. Perhaps Trixie will give you a voucher for her next performance,” she suggested, and proceeded to do just that, filling out a quick note and floating it over to him, stuffing it into his breast pocket.
Phoenix remained silent, holding himself rigid and expression fixed in the face of the looks he was getting from Twilight, Fluttershy… and almost everypony else in the courtroom.
With both the prosecution and defense in agreement, The Judge had no choice but to accede to Phoenix’s request. “All proceedings for this case will be suspended until tomorrow. Bailiff, please take the suspect into custody for questioning,” The Judge reluctantly motioned to a large earth pony bailiff, who slapped a hoof cuff on Fluttershy and gently led her away with a parting glare at Phoenix.
“Wait, w-where are you taking me? I wouldn’t do that to anypony… Twilight! Mr. Phoenix! Help!” Fluttershy called out to her friends to rescue her, but all a heartbroken Phoenix and Twilight could do… was watch…
“Phoenix… how could you…?” Twilight whispered after Fluttershy had disappeared, tearing up as she talked.
The shellshocked human lawyer had no answer, standing frozen in place, eyes staring straight ahead. What… what have I done?
“I expect both sides will gather more evidence for tomorrow,” The Judge snapped him out of his reverie.
“Trixie shouldn’t need to if they are planning on keeping that second-rate lawyer over there!” the mare magician mocked him one last time. This time, Phoenix remained silent and still, accepting her abuse and thinking he deserved far worse.
“Court is now adjourned!!” The Judge brought his gavel down with a sharp rap, ending the day’s proceedings.
The events that had transpired in the trial were most unexpected, forcing Phoenix to resort to the boldest, yet most devastating gambit he had EVER attempted… buying time for his falsely accused client, but at a terrible price.
Will Twilight ever trust Phoenix again? Is Fluttershy really a suspect? Will Rainbow Dash yet be proven innocent? The answers to such mind-boggling questions are shrouded in darkness as Phoenix goes in deeper to find the facts…
AND REACH OUT FOR THE TRUTH!!!
Phoenix stood frozen in place as the courtroom emptied, the ponies in the gallery giving him glares and nasty comments as they left.
The human lawyer was aware of none of it. All he could think of was the frightened, bewildered look on Fluttershy’s face as she was led away, the reproachful look of the Judge as he was forced to order her held for questioning, Trixie’s glee as she thanked him for doing so…
And the shock and betrayal in Twilight’s eyes as he turned on her friend, lying through his teeth to accuse Fluttershy of the murder.
He’d done the only thing he could think of to prolong the trial and prevent a guilty verdict, but knew it should never have gotten to that point—he’d come in unprepared and given unquestionably the worst courtroom performance of his career, even going back to his very first one. He’d never been more ashamed than he was at that moment, and was suddenly glad Maya wasn’t there to see what he had done...
To say nothing of her older sister.
Mia… what would Mia think of me now? he wondered, closing his eyes and remembering...
3 years earlier
“My name is Phoenix Wright and I’M FINE!” Phoenix shouted.
“My name is Phoenix Wright AND I’M FINE!!!” he shouted louder…
“MY NAME IS PHOENIX WRIGHT AND I’M FINE!!!!!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Just then, the door of his office burst open and a tall, beautiful woman entered, dressed in a rather revealing black business suit accented with a tan scarf and a comma-shaped gemstone worn as a pendant around her neck. “Phoenix, are you okay?” asked Mia Fey, the head of Phoenix’s law firm.
The rookie attorney looked up in surprise. “Oh! Hey, chief. I was just practicing for my very first trial, which is tomorrow,” he added needlessly—she knew perfectly well he was making his court debut as a defense attorney the following day. “The guys back in law school said this tape would really help me out…” Phoenix explained, a little sheepishly.
Mia sighed in relief. “Thank goodness! When I heard the screeching coming from the office, I thought someone was murdering you!” she teased, crossing her arms and putting on an amused grin.
Ugh… that wasn’t screeching, that was step four! Phoenix said to himself.
Mia chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll need this exercise tape. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” she reassured him, leaning over to remove the tape from the recorder. “The suspect—he’s your friend, right?” she asked him.
Phoenix nodded. “Yeah, he’s my friend… but…” he trailed off.
“But, what?” she prompted him, arms crossed and a hand on her chin.
“He’s, well…” he couldn’t say it.
“Yes?” Mia waited patiently.
Phoenix sighed and finally gave up the answer. “He’s kind of an idiot…”
She gave him an odd look. “That’s not a very nice thing to say about your friend.”
Phoenix shook his head and sat down heavily on the office couch, all his anxieties rushing back. “No, I really mean it. He thinks passing the 8th grade is a credential; he even got the report card framed and everything,” he explained, trying not to roll his eyes.
Mia gave him a sidewise look. “So? What are you getting at?” she asked him, an odd smile on her face.
He glanced up at her. “I mean, what if he really killed that woman? What do I do? Do I still lie and try to defend him, or should I side with justice and let him be punished…?” Phoenix sought advice from Mia, an accomplished attorney who had not only once defended him but had also given him his first job upon graduation from law school, taking him on as a junior partner when nobody else would give him the time of day.
Mia put a hand on his shoulder. “Phoenix…” she started, as Phoenix remained downcast. “Don’t stress yourself out so much. Tell me… what do you think?” she asked, returning to the question Phoenix himself had asked earlier.
He looked up in confusion. “Me? What do you mean?”
“You, as Phoenix Wright, not as a Defense Attorney: do you think your friend killed that woman?” Mia asked him point-blank.
Phoenix didn’t have to think about it for very long before shaking his head. “He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed… but I don’t think he has it in him to kill anyone,” he decided, not immediately realizing he had just answered his own question.
Mia smiled at that, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “There you go!”
He blinked in surprise. “Huh?”
“Go off that. You have to believe in him; it’s your job to. Cast all that doubt aside and pursue that truth. If you do that, nothing can stop you,” Mia promised him, sounding like the wise mentor and experienced attorney she was.
“The truth, huh?” Phoenix said, mulling over her words, feeling some of his anxiety start to recede. “Thanks, Chief. I’m still a little nervous, though…” he admitted.
“Don’t worry, we all go through it,” she grinned, though Phoenix couldn’t imagine the confident and self-assured Mia Fey ever being nervous about anything.
“Hey, um… do you by any chance know who the prosecutor is?” Phoenix asked his boss.
She looked surprised by the question. “The… prosecutor?” Mia thought for a bit. “I believe it’s Winston Payne. You know… ‘The Rookie Killer’?” she said in a slightly teasing tone.
“R-Rookie Killer?” Phoenix repeated in disbelief, the answer not helping his nerves. I don’t like the sound of that title!
“Not many rookies take the prosecutor into consideration. Why did you want to know something like that?” Mia asked her junior partner curiously, pulling up a chair and sitting in front of him.
“No reason, I was just curious…” Phoenix replied, looking downcast again.
“You seem more disappointed than curious,” Mia noted, crossing her legs and studying him carefully like she would a witness in court.
“Nah… forget about it. I’m just a little out of it right now,” Phoenix insisted. In response, Mia leaned over and gave his knee a squeeze, reminding her new junior partner that she would be right there next to him, standing at his side in the co-counsel position to advise him in court the next day.
The memory faded and Phoenix opened his eyes, realizing he was now standing alone in an empty courtroom, his cheeks wet.
I’ll never forget what you taught me and everything you did for me, Mia. But somehow… I highly doubt you’re looking down at me smiling after what I did today.
June 10th, 11:55 AM
“Twilight!” Phoenix called after the violet unicorn as she walked towards the courthouse exit, her equine head bowed low in sorrow. “Twilight, please! Just let me explain…” he pleaded, catching up to her in the middle of the entrance lobby, putting a hand on her shoulders.
She threw it off hard, all but flinging it away with her magic. Surprised, he drew back as she turned her head fractionally towards him, just enough that he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Phoenix… I was wrong about you…” Twilight choked out, her words hitting the human lawyer like she’d kicked him in the gut a second time.
“Twilight wait! I—” Phoenix tried again, but the violet unicorn trotted away without another backwards glance. Exiting the courthouse, she disappeared from sight, emphatically closing the lobby doors behind her with a flare of her horn, leaving the human lawyer abandoned and alone.
His head slumped as the full weight of her rejection hit him, leaving him leaning on a column for support. She’s gone… oh, who am I kidding, she’s right… I did absolutely TERRIBLE in there! Now two of her friends are suspects; what do I do now? he asked himself, feeling unspeakably awful about Fluttershy. He found another bench in front of the column and sat down on it, off his feet for the first time in several hours. I don’t have any leads at all, nobody to turn to. I’m all by myself… which means, I can’t even get back home… his thoughts fell silent for a moment, the human lawyer hunched over and brooding, his forehead resting against his palms.
Abruptly, he sat back up. “No! No. I can’t think that way! I’ve got to stay diligent. I said I’d clear Rainbow Dash’s name, and I bought her another day. I can’t let it go to waste…” he reminded himself, determined to make maximum use of the time he’d won, trying not to think again about the cost. “But, where do I start…?” he wondered out loud, getting some odd looks as well as angry stares from passing ponies as he talked to himself in the lobby, the human lawyer certain that after what he had done, he no longer had a single friend in Equestria.
At that moment, a bright pink earth pony with a very fluffy mane and tail appeared in front of him.
“Hey, Mr. Frowny-Wowny. What’s the matter?” she asked, quite bubbly for someone who just met a total stranger.
Phoenix blinked and looked up at unfamiliar equine, swearing he could hear an odd but upbeat and catchy tune that almost seemed to be carried in with her. Huh? Where did she come from? She smells like cotton candy… the human lawyer sniffed the air, suddenly and not unpleasantly reminded of the fairs he’d attended as a kid.
“Cotton Candy?” The new pony looked puzzled for a moment. “Oh! You must have smelled the shampoo I’m using!” she said, running a hoof through her floofy hair.
“Oh… that explains it, then…” Phoenix shrugged, his common sense kicking in a little late yet again. “Wait! Did I just say that, or think tha~…?” his brain tied itself in knots over the question, and all he could suddenly think to ask was…
“Who are you?!”
“I’m Pinkie Pie of course! Party Thrower Extraordinaire!” the pink earth pony introduced herself with a bright smile. “But, I can’t talk right now! I’m looking for something…” she said, closing one eye and squinting the other like she was peering through a magnifying glass.
“What for?” Phoenix asked warily.
She looked around again. “Some other ponies said there was a spiky-headed monster in here! I can’t seem to find it anywhere though… you’d think it would stick out like a sore hoof! Have you seen it?” Pinkie asked in perfect innocence, apparently not realizing that the ‘spiky-headed monster’ was right in front of her…
Phoenix let out a long groan with a sigh at the end of it. Anger starting to boil over again, he stood up and walked a couple steps away from her, his fists clenched.
Her expression dropped a bit. “Does that mean… no?”
Phoenix had finally had it… he slammed his fists into the column and kicked the bench he was sitting on in frustration, knocking it on its back. “GAH! I’m getting so sick of this place!” he yelled, startling Pinkie Pie and several pony passerbys.
“Hey! Put that frowny upside-downy!” Pinkie implored with a fresh smile, trying to cheer him up.
Embarrassed by his outburst, he righted the bench and sat back down heavily on it, clutching his head in his hands. “How can I? I did such a lousy job in court today, and Twilight probably hates my guts for what I did,” Phoenix vented, thinking that the violet unicorn had every right to—he hated his own guts for what he’d done to Fluttershy, certain he would never live it down.
“Hey, you know Twilight? Me too!” Pinkie exclaimed.
He looked up in surprise. “You know Twilight Sparkle?”
She nodded eagerly. “Yep! We’re the bestest of best friends!” Pinkie proclaimed, but then looked behind her. “Oh, that reminds me! I’m supposed to go to court today, and cheer for Rainbow Dash! Sorry, gotta run!” The pink earth pony went bounding down a corridor using a springing gait, all but bouncing on all four hooves as she moved.
“But you’re...!” Phoenix called after her, only to trail off when she came bounding right back.
“Oh, I’m already here! YAY!” she squealed, rearing up in excitement on her hind legs.
“I hate to break it to you, but you’ve missed the trial.” Phoenix said, not sure what to make of her antics. Of all the pastel grass-chewers I’ve met, this one is definitely the weirdest! he thought to himself, only to remember… ah! I better be careful, I think she can read minds!
“Is Dashie okay?” Pinkie asked, dropping her distinctive smile long enough to look concerned.
Phoenix blinked at that, never having heard that nickname for the cyan pegasus before. “For the time being, yes. The trial is being postponed. I’m actually Rainbow Dash’s lawyer, Phoenix Wright,” he introduced himself.
To his surprise, the pink earth pony seemed genuinely impressed. “OOoooooOoooohhhh… neato! So what’cha doing now, Feenie?” Pinkie asked, coming up with her own nickname for Phoenix.
Phoenix was startled by that. “‘Feenie’? T-that’s~…” the human lawyer couldn’t finish his sentence, remembering painfully the last person who had called him that… and what she had done to him. “Never mind,” he shook his head sharply, not wanting to dwell on that unhappy chapter of his life again. “Well, I don’t know what I should be doing right now, to be honest. I have no leads at all…” Phoenix told her, slumped over in his seat while looking down on the floor, at least happy to have a friendly ear, even one that belonged to an odd pink pony.
Pinkie studied the human lawyer for a moment, seemingly trying to figure out what would cheer him up. “Why don’t you… go talk to Dashie about the trial?” she suggested, sensing that he was the kind of person who needed to be doing his job and making headway to be happy.
The human lawyer looked up sharply at that. “Wait a minute… she had psyche-locks!” he remembered.
“Psyche-locks?” Pinkie tilted her head curiously, getting an awfully sweet smile on her face. “Is that some kinda breakfast cereal? Sounds yummy! Is it made with real locks and not grossy-wossly artificial locks?” she asked him eagerly.
Phoenix had no idea how to answer that, but was genuinely grateful to the pink earth pony for snapping him out of his funk. “Thanks for the advice, erm… Pinkie Pie. I’m gonna go to the detention center now!” he announced, getting up and walking away with purpose, leaving a beaming Pinkie behind as he exited the court lobby and headed across the cobblestone street.
June 10th, 12:00 PM
It took Phoenix less than a minute to walk to the Detention Center, given the facility was just across the plaza that fronted the courthouse. The two white-furred male pegasus guards let him in with a minimum of hassle this time, though his ears flushed when he heard them snickering over his heart-shaped Equestrian Attorney Badge behind his back.
His embarrassment was only deepened as he was escorted down the hallway by two uniformed earth pony stallions to the partitioned meeting room where Rainbow Dash would be waiting for him. They looked very odd to him wearing just police uniform shirts and ties; it seemed to Phoenix that what they were wearing only drew attention to what they weren’t... and the human lawyer found himself wincing as their ambling movements drew attention to certain... attributes their tails didn’t fully hide as they walked in front of him. Phoenix was relieved when they left him outside the meeting room and their hindquarters weren’t staring him in the face any longer.
Smoothing out his suit and re-cinching his tie, he took a deep breath before going in. I really hope she isn’t mad at me after what happened, Phoenix worried as he turned the doorknob, afraid Rainbow Dash would be just as upset at him over Fluttershy as Twilight was. But then…
He entered the meeting area only to find the pegasus pony thrashing about, throwing a tantrum on the other side of the glass as he entered. “No, no, no, no, no, no! no! NO! NO! NO!!!” she said over and over, kicking the walls behind the partition and wailing. She nearly startled the human lawyer right out of his shoes when she abruptly spotted Phoenix and stared at him, bug-eyed and giving him the longest face he’d ever seen.
“R-Rainbow Dash?!”
“I-I can’t bear to live anymore! Throw the book at me! L-let them send me to the sun! THERE’S NOTHING LEFT FOR ME IN EQUESTRIA!!!” Dash broke down and cried, completely beside herself.
“Rainbow Dash, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!!!” Phoenix ordered. She must still be upset over those… uhh… pictures… he guessed.
Rainbow blinked her watery rose-colored eyes at him. “Easy for YOU to say! Now the Wonderbolts will NEVER let me in! Ponyville is gonna laugh at me forever!” Dash sat back and buried her head in her hooves, trying to hide her tears.
“They weren’t… that… um… bad… r-really. I’m sure everyone will forget it by tomorrow; I guarantee it!” Phoenix said, trying to calm her down. Then again… there’s no way anyone’s forgetting images like those! the human lawyer knew, certain if he’d ever be able to get them out of his own head!
“You… you think so?” Dash said, still sniffling lightly, wanting badly to believe him.
He tried to give her a grin that was both wry and reassuring. “I know so! I’m always right; my name IS Phoenix ‘WRIGHT’ after all…”
Somewhere outside, a rimshot played.
Dash gave him a glower. “That… wasn’t… funny…” she told him, her voice low.
Phoenix shrank back at the look on her face. Ack! I thought it was!
“Thanks for trying to cheer me up though, I appreciate it,” she told him sincerely, sitting on her haunches and favoring him with a weak smile.
“You’re welcome.” Phoenix acknowledged.
“By the way…” Dash added in a mild tone, giving him a sidewise look.
“Yes, what is it?”
Rainbow Dash flared her wings in anger, rearing up and slamming her hooves into the clear partition separating them, causing it to rattle hard and Phoenix to flinch back.“What was that TERRI-bad performance in court today?! Were you TRYING to get me sent to the sun? I could’ve done a better job defending MYSELF!” Dash blasted him, instantly changing her attitude.
“I-I… uhh…” Phoenix could only stammer as Rainbow continued to berate him.
“Every defense attorney must suck horse apples, if YOU’RE supposed to be the best one!” she went on angrily, causing Phoenix to cringe at the image THAT brought to mind, especially with the memory of two stallion hindquarters fresh in his head.
The human lawyer held his hands up in placation, resolving to wash his brain out with bleach the first chance he got. “Look, I know I screwed up, but I’m going to make it up to you and Fluttershy tomorrow!” Phoenix promised.
To his surprise, Rainbow seemed to only get angrier at the mention of the pink-haired pegasus. “Fluttershy?! HA! She got what she deserved! After she betrayed me like that!” Dash said dismissively.
The human lawyer’s jaw fell open. “Hey! It tore me up having to do that! It was the only way I could save you! Fluttershy didn’t betray you!” Phoenix insisted, now getting angry himself—how she could even think that of such a kind and adorable pony was beyond him.
Rainbow wasn’t having it. “Give me a break! This is the thanks I get for all those times I stuck up for her sorry flank?!” she protested.
“She was just telling the truth,” Phoenix said through clenched teeth, seething at the cyan pegasus for thinking the worst of her friend.
She gave him a disbelieving look. “Truth? You proved she was lying though, she didn’t see Apple Bloom!” Dash argued, flaring her wings in anger again.
Phoenix bit his tongue before he said something he regretted, trying to force his thoughts back to the matter at hand. “But she wasn’t lying when she said she saw you leave the forest… you were there, weren’t you?” he challenged, making Dash fall silent for a bit.
“Whatever! We are ex-friends as of now!” Dash dismissed him, leaving Phoenix wondering how Twilight could ever have called the pegasus pony loyal. “I could tell you were trying your hardest to defend me, even if you did do a crummy job,” she added.
Gee, thanks… Phoenix thought sarcastically, but knew he deserved it.
“She pretty much said: ‘Yup! Rainbow Dash did it!’” the cyan pegasus mimicked Fluttershy’s voice for a moment, somehow making her mane style match as well. “What kind of friend does THAT?” Dash continued to protest, visibly grinding her teeth together.
With the possible exception of a former client named Matt Engarde, Phoenix had never wanted more to reach through a partition and throttle someone. “Rainbow Dash, for the last time… she was just telling the truth of what she saw!” he said in strained patience, his anger sharpening his focus. “Actually, that brings me to why I’m here…”
Rainbow gave him an odd look. “What? Why ARE you here?” she asked.
Phoenix covertly pulled out his Magatama, holding it hidden in his palm. “The truth. I want to know what you were really doing near the Everfree Forest the night of the murder.”
In Phoenix’s vision, the space around Rainbow Dash became dark as several rows of chains, guarded by three distinctive red psyche-locks appeared before the cyan pegasus. “Ugh, I told you already, I was practicing for the race!” she stuck to her alibi, unaware of the phantom chains and locks surrounding her.
Phew… it still works after that incident this morning… Phoenix thought in relief, remembering what had happened in the courtroom lobby before the trial.
As Twilight enveloped the Magatama with her magic to float it over, the gemstone artifact suddenly glowed a bright green within her violet aura.“Huh?” was all Phoenix got out before the Magatama flashed a brilliant white. “WHAT THE…?” he stumbled backwards and went blind for a moment; when his vision cleared he was lying on the ground again… and so was Twilight a few feet away…
Phoenix was still unsettled by the memory; it had felt like a blow to the head when the Magatama had flashed. What was that all about, anyway? Ugh, forget about that! It still works, and right now that’s all that matters! he reminded himself, setting his sights on the three red psyche-locks before him.
Okay, there they are. Time to break ‘em!
[Locks Left – 3]
“Sorry, but I don’t believe you, my little pony. Not for a single solitary second,” Phoenix crossed his arms.
Dash gave him a glare. “You’re my lawyer and you don’t believe me? THAT’S reassuring…” she said sarcastically.
Phoenix stood firm, ignoring the dig. “Let’s play a little game, Rainbow Dash… I’m going to guess what you were really doing near the crime scene that night, and you’re going to tell me if I’m right,” he declared.
She gave him an incredulous look. “You go right ahead and do that… but I’m sticking to my story,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes almost smugly.
At that moment, Phoenix decided he’d be able to wipe at least one smug look off one pony’s face that day. “I don’t think you were practicing at all; I think you were doing something FAR more important,” he claimed.
“L-like WHAT?!” the cyan pegasus asked in annoyance, flaring her wings again.
“Like, oh I don’t know… meeting someone?” Phoenix guessed, making a show of scratching his chin thoughtfully.
Rainbow suddenly looked nervous. “Uh, I-I… uh… uhm… I mean… who would I be meeting at the forest at that hour? Nopony every goes there willingly,” she pointed out.
The human lawyer immediately turned her own argument back on her. “Then why were YOU ’practicing’ there if no one ever goes in there willingly?” he countered.
Dash’s eyes widened; the pegasus pony starting to sweat. “U-uh… w-well…”
Sensing he was on the right track, Phoenix pressed harder. “I know there was someone else in the forest the night of the murder.”
Shaking off her nerves, she challenged him directly. “Put your money where your mouth is! Who do YOU think I was meeting?”
“Ace Swift!” Phoenix instantly answered, causing Rainbow to stiffen in shock. “The fact that your feathers were found all around the clearing proves you were there last night!”
“!!??” Rainbow’s jaw fell open in disbelief, unable to do anything but gape at him.
“And who else was in the clearing last night…? The victim, of course! You needed to be there to see him. You also told me ponies avoid going in there. So I’m willing to bet he wanted to meet with you in private… and what better place to pick than the middle of the forest nobody ever goes into?” he reasoned.
“Ahhh!! NOOO!!” Dash screamed as one of the psyche-locks broke.
[Locks Left – 2]
Though visibly flustered, Rainbow tried to recover. “I-I mean… ah, no, you’re wrong! H-he was just competition. Why would I want to meet him? I have better things I could be doing!” she groped for an excuse, trying to sound confident but failing badly.
He raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”
Her eyes got evasive again. “I don’t know… napping? Something like that.”
Oh, please… Phoenix thought, rolling his eyes, thinking the cyan pegasus was one of the worst liars he’d ever met. “Maybe he had something you wanted,” he suggested, watching her carefully.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m saying that maybe he had something important to you, something you’d move heaven and earth for,” Phoenix elaborated.
She gave him a wary look. “I’m a pretty self-satisfied pony. I’ve got everything I need… well, besides fortune and glory, and I don’t think he could give those to me. What could he possibly have that I’d want?” Dash asked, not sure what Phoenix had in mind.
“I’m glad you asked that, Rainbow Dash…” Phoenix grinned, showing her his teeth for a moment, belatedly realizing it might be considered a threatening gesture among ponies.
“Y-you are?” Dash said, tilting her head at him, otherwise unperturbed.
He nodded “There is one thing that you absolutely needed that I know he had...” Phoenix said, reaching into his evidence bag.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dash said carefully while looking at the ceiling, hoping he might give up if she played dumb long enough.
“The reason you went to go meet him is…” Now was the time to reveal it…
“THESE!” Phoenix pulled out the large manila envelope Trixie had given him, stuffed full of evidence—aka ‘The Pictures’.
Dash’s mane and tail spiked upwards like she’d been shot through with lightning herself and her wing feathers splayed hard in fear. “AHHHH!! Put those away before anypony sees them! Please!” she begged him, recoiling from their presence.
Phoenix didn’t immediately, even going so far to pull out one of the pictures and slam it on the front of the partition, image side facing her through the clear barrier. “Even now, your anxiety shows you absolutely didn’t want these pictures floating out and about!” the human lawyer noted, keeping the photograph in front of her face.
Rainbow Dash shrank back from it, eyes wide. “Yes, yes, yes, you’re right! I was meeting him about these! Can you please just put them away? Now?!” she pleaded, all but cowering before the image Phoenix was holding up before her.
With her admission, the second lock shattered.
[Locks Left – 1]
Phoenix put the photographs away, vowing to never look at them again if he could help it. “This brings us to the money question… why did he have these pictures?” the human lawyer asked, almost rhetorically.
“Who knows? He’s dead, what a bummer, guess we’ll never know!” Dash said in a feigned nonchalance that would have fooled nopony, let alone an experienced attorney.
“I actually think I know why,” Phoenix said, having reached the conclusion on his walk over to the Detention Center.
“Y-you do?” Dash said, scarcely able to believe he’d been able to figure out as much as he had.
“Yes, I can think of one reason why he’d want to meet you over these pictures like this…” Phoenix fell silent for a moment, leaving the cyan pegasus in suspense. “He was blackmailing you, wasn’t he?”
Rainbow Dash seemed to deflate at the word. “Blackmail…” she trailed off meaningfully, looking almost forlorn.
Phoenix nodded slowly to himself at her reaction, knowing he’d hit the bull’s-eye. “I’m willing to bet my attorney badge he wanted you to toss the Equestrian 500,” Dash remained silent as the human lawyer continued his speculation, watching him out of the corner of her eye, a sad and defeated look on her face. “I was told of ponies suspecting him of foul play in the wake of his success. He was probably threatening you to let him win the race?” Phoenix suggested, leaving the cyan pegasus speechless.
Several seconds passed before she could talk again. “Wow…” she said at length, now staring at him in utter awe, rose-colored eyes fixed on him.
“Hmm?”
For the first time since Phoenix had known her, Dash let out a bright and friendly smile as if a great weight had been removed from her shoulders. “You’re… really good!”
And with that, the final lock… broke!
The psyche-locks broken, the chains that surrounded Rainbow Dash retracted and disappeared from Phoenix’s vision, leaving her secrets exposed. “It’s true… Ace was trying to force me to drop out of the Equestrian 500,” the cyan pegasus admitted, finally opening up to the human lawyer.
Phoenix nodded in satisfaction, reminding himself to thank Maya and Pearl again for the artifact that had assisted him in so many cases already. “How did it start?” he wanted to know, returning the Magatama to his inner jacket pocket.
Dash took a deep breath, as if steeling herself before she began her story. “I got home two days ago and saw this letter on my doorstep,” she told him, passing a piece of folded parchment through a slot at the bottom of the partition.
Blackmail Letter found by Rainbow Dash on her doorstep
“I’ll let your secret out if you don’t drop out of the Equestrian 500. Meet in the Everfree Forest clearing 8:35 PM for negotiations.”
Rainbow waited for Phoenix to finish reading it out loud before she continued. “At first I didn’t know what secret it was talking about… but attached to the message was one of those pictures…” she said, cringing anew at the memory.
Against his better judgment, Phoenix decided he had to ask. “About those pictures… w-why are you…?”
Dash didn’t let him finish, rearing up and slamming her hooves into the partition again at Phoenix’s chest level. “IT’S A HOBBY, ALRIGHT!? I BET YOU HAVE SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET TOO, MR. 20-SOMETHING-WHO-PLAYS-WITH-TOYS!” she yelled at him, eyes livid.
“Okay, okay! I won’t ask about them anymore!” Phoenix promised, holding up his hands in placation, trying to calm her down again. “Do you have any idea how he got them?” he asked, reflecting that he did indeed have a skeleton or two of his own…
She shook her head violently, still riled up. “I have no clue! My best guess is that jerk was stalking me, trying to get dirt on me,” Dash snorted as she finished the sentence, Phoenix realizing that it was the first time he’d seen an actual equine mannerism similar to the horses he had known in his own world.
“Rainbow Dash…” the human lawyer began, knowing it was time to broach a difficult subject.
“Yeah? What is it?” she looked up at him, taking on a human-like lounging pose with her hooves behind her head.
“I want you to know that I trust you, and I’m going to need you to trust me when I ask you these next series of questions,” Phoenix said to her.
“Huh?” she tilted her head.
“I know you may be scared this will make you look guilty, but I know you’re innocent.”
Dash’s ears perked up. “I-I’m not scared…!” she insisted.
Phoenix gave her a level look, knowing his next question would severely test that statement. “Why did you move that cloud to the crime scene and set it off?”
Dash froze for a moment, finally releasing her held breath with a heavy sigh. “B-but… I-I… I didn’t…” she tried to deny in a weak and shaky voice.
Phoenix almost went for the Magatama again, but realized there was no need—all she needed was a gentle nudge, nothing more. “Please Rainbow Dash… you can trust me. I swear I won't think any differently of you in light of what you tell me—I know you didn’t kill him,” Phoenix reassured her, needing to hear her side of the story.
Dash let out one last heavy sigh. “Okay… I’ll tell you…” the cyan pegasus decided, sitting down on her haunches as Phoenix took out his notepad again and clicked his pen open, listening attentively. “I did move the cloud there and I did set it off. I just want to give him a scare, that’s all!” she hastened to add.
“A scare?” Something clicked inside of Phoenix’s head. “So you really did preposition the cloud over the forest clearing?” he asked, scarcely able to believe Trixie had actually been right about that.
She nodded, looking with some interest at the thing he was writing with—it wasn’t a quill, and she didn’t see him dip it in ink, so how did it work? “As soon as I saw the requirements of the blackmail letter, I knew it was Ace, and that all those rumors about him were true—he’s a blackmailing cheater! So, I set up the cloud over the clearing earlier that day with the intent of declining his little offer,” Dash proclaimed, pawing angrily at the floor with her hoof and glaring at something in the darkness behind Phoenix, as if remembering her meeting with Ace.
Phoenix was surprised. “So you weren’t going to drop out in spite of him leaking the pictures?”
Dash looked up sharply at that. “NO WAY!” she shouted, taking Phoenix aback. “I’m not going to let some LOSER have his way with me, even if it meant those pictures getting out! I have too much pride for that!” she told him, flaring her wings and thumping her hoof to her chest.
Phoenix couldn’t help but grin at that, deciding the cocky and occasionally obnoxious pegasus pony had some redeeming features after all—the courage of her convictions not least among them. “I find that really admirable…” he told her, and meant it, offering her an approving grin.
She blushed a bit. “Heh, thanks… this is also my first year competing in the race; I just reached the required age to participate. I’ve been way too anxious to just drop out! R.B.D spells VIC-TOR-Y!” Dash boasted, her old self reemerging for a moment.
“You sure you can take 500 miles? It’s longer than it sounds, you know,” Phoenix asked, curious to know if she was built for that kind of distance… or had trained for it.
She looked surprised by his question. “There’s some checkpoints along the track set up so the racers can have some R&R, but that’s a little problem I keep having. There’s no doubt I’m fast, but I tire out along the way; I’m not used to flying that long,” she admitted.
“In races like these, you should pace yourself accordingly. Don’t go fast right from the start; save your energy for the home stretch,” Phoenix told her, drawing on his own experience from his high school track team… and legal career. “Kind of like how I don’t present all my evidence right from the start,” he further noted, remembering bitterly that Trixie had used that very tactic against him by withholding her best evidence until the very end.
Rainbow seemed to consider his advice. “I’ll try to keep that in mind,” she promised.
Phoenix was starting to think that when—not if, but when, he forcibly insisted to himself—he got Rainbow Dash acquitted, he might want to stick around to watch the race. “But let’s get back on topic, shall we? I’m supposed to be your lawyer, not your coach.”
“Riiight…” Dash said, nodding. “Anyway, I wasn’t planning on killing him, just to give him a bit of a startle… you know, just kicking some dirt on his face for messing with me?” she explained, waiting for Phoenix to nod his understanding before going on. “The cloud shoots a lightning bolt directly under it when activated. I mess around with ponies by scaring them with clouds all the time, but I got an extra big one in his case, to make the sound as loud as possible,” she added. “I guess it was a little dangerous getting one that big…”
“So it didn't hit him when you set it off?” Phoenix had to ask, jotting down another note.
She shook her head sharply. “No! I made sure it wasn’t over him!” the cyan pegasus swore. “Even though it was dark out, like you said in the court today, I could see that the bolt didn’t even come close to touching him. When the lightning bolt lit up the area, it made him scream like a little girl and left a really sissy look on his mug. You should have seen it; it was priceless!” Dash said, nearly laughing. “Then I just hightailed it out of there as fast as I could.”
That’s probably when Fluttershy saw her, Phoenix noted to himself, the dots starting to connect in his head. “Why didn’t you tell anyone about this blackmail earlier?”
Her expression dropped again. “I didn’t want anypony to know about the blackmail… because… you know… they would wonder what he was blackmailing me with…?”
“I see…” Phoenix nodded slowly. Then those pictures would get out anyway… he realized, starting to understand how trapped she must have felt.
“You believe me, right? He was absolutely fine when I left, I swear!” Rainbow Dash said to Phoenix, rose-colored eyes tearing up again, all but begging the human lawyer to say yes.
Phoenix didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I believe you,” he reassured her, locking gazes with the cyan pegasus to let her see it in his eyes for herself. “Though more questions arise from this…” he told her, scratching his chin.
“More questions?” Dash asked, tilting her head at him again.
He nodded. “Questions like—how did he end up dead directly under the cloud?” Phoenix wondered aloud. “I was trying desperately to convince the court that it was the second bolt that killed him. That would make this all an accident, since you have no control over it. But then we have that ‘Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice!’ thing that Trixie was talking about.” Phoenix said in a deliberately bad imitation of the show mare’s voice.
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed, swearing she’d get back at the mare magician for all her insults if it was the last thing she did… even if she had to do it from the sun. “That’s true. It’s a new type of storm cloud the pegasi are using to protect ponies from situation like this. Since it can’t hit in the same place twice, they can just stand under the cloud after the first bolt,” Dash explained.
“So the safest place is under the cloud…” Phoenix realized in wonder. “That’s really something; the weather just works by itself where I live,” he reflected, thinking of the unpredictable weather patterns back home—he’d gotten soaked by a surprise downpour while walking to work without an umbrella the previous week; he still wasn’t happy about the dry-cleaning bill for the mud that got splashed on his suit by a passing car.
She looked almost wistful at that. “I kind of wish it worked that way here; I’d have a lot more free time on my hooves so I could perfect my ’Sonic Rainboom’ or my ’Fantastic Filly Flash!’ Dash pumped her chest in pride as she announced her signature moves.
Are those dance moves or something? Phoenix wondered, his mind going in some decidedly odd directions over the second name she gave. His eyes widened at one such image, which he quickly purged—he’d clearly been hanging around these ponies too long if he was thinking things like that! “From what I hear, you’re also the weather manager. I need some information regarding how the lightning here in Equestria works,” Phoenix stated, flipping over a page of his notepad, vowing a rush order on the brain bleach when he got home.
She looked at him curiously, putting her hooves behind her head again in a lounging pose. “What do you need to know?”
Phoenix couldn’t understand how she could hold that pose on just her two hind legs. “Well, is it true the bolt causes the noise?”
“Yeah, it is,” the cyan pegasus nodded, falling back to all fours and putting on a thinking face, her eyes tilted towards the ceiling as she tried to remember things she normally never thought about. “I don’t know how it works exactly, but I’m pretty sure when it touches the ground or anything attached to the ground, like, say, a tree… it sends out vibrations which makes the ‘boom’.”
The human lawyer had a hard time accepting that. I’m no meteorologist, but I’m pretty sure lightning doesn’t work like that… then again, I keep forgetting that I’m in a land full of magical talking ponies who can manually change the weather! “Is there anything that could prevent it from making a sound?” he asked next.
She thought about that. “I suppose if it hit something small in the air that was close enough to the cloud… yeah, it wouldn’t make a sound… and I know what you’re thinking, but that couldn’t happen,” she anticipated his next question.
“Why not?”
“That itchy racing suit.” Dash said, making an annoyed face and scratching motions with her hooves.
“Oh, right... I remember that being brought up. That's that lightning-proof suit you pegasuses wear for the race, right?” Phoenix recalled.
“The plural is ‘pegasi’,” Dash corrected before going back on topic. “I totally hate wearing that thing, but in the air… you’re pretty much invulnerable to lightning.”
“Weren’t there some exposed parts on it though?” he asked, remembering what Twilight had said during the trial… suddenly seeing her tear-streaked face again.
“Yes, there are… but while you’re in the flying position those parts are covered up. They’re only exposed while you’re on all fours and grounded,” Dash detailed. At Phoenix’s request, she drew a rough illustration of the suit in the flying and walking positions on a piece of notepad paper he passed her through the slot, showing how a small ring of the neck just above the shoulders was exposed when grounded. Phoenix was surprised—and a little put off—that the cyan pegasus held his pen in her teeth as she drew, while Dash marveled at the fact that unlike a quill, she didn’t have to dip it in ink; it just drew a continuous line as long as she kept it pressed down… and best of all, it didn’t leave pieces of feather in her teeth!
The sketches complete, she passed the pen and paper back to him, only to go downcast again. “This is sounding more and more hopeless for me the more I think about it…” Dash realized, a single tear running down her cyan-colored cheek.
Though mildly annoyed at the saliva and toothmarks on his gold-inlaid burgundy-colored ball-point pen—a very treasured token of respect given him by Miles Edgeworth—the human lawyer’s heart went out to her at that moment; he realized that for all her confidence and cockiness, the cyan pegasus was genuinely scared of what would happen to her. “Try to cheer up, I’ll find out what really happened and get you out of here!” Phoenix promised, wiping the pen clean with his handkerchief and making Dash smile a bit.
“Thank you, Nix.” she said, feeling a little better and putting her hoof against the glass partition, deciding that despite his odd appearance and his poor trial performance, the human lawyer was all right.
Phoenix had seen other ponies greet and say goodbye to each other with a bump of their hooves on the walk over, and he guessed she wanted to do the same. “Okay, Rainbow Dash, I’m gonna go do some more investigating in light of this new information.” he said, pressing his fist against the partition opposite her hoof.
Rainbow smiled at that, sensing that after his rough start Phoenix was beginning to catch on to things. She was even starting to genuinely like him, and found herself hoping she’d have the chance to show off some aerial moves to him later. She couldn't yet do her Sonic Rainboom on cue, but she could at least perform her Fantastic Filly Flash—bet he'd really like to see that! she grinned at the idea, imagining his reaction.
“Alright, Catch you later…” Dash said as Phoenix started to turn away, but then…
“Oh, wait! One more thing…” Phoenix stopped in his tracks.
“Yes?” Dash asked, looking up at him again.
“Pinkie Pie. I bumped into her after the trial… I’m guessing she’s a friend of yours. She wanted to cheer you on in court today, but sadly, it seems she was late,” Phoenix said. He wasn’t sure he should say more, but decided he had to ask: “Is she always that… uh… l-loopy?”
Dash gave a sad but knowing smile, wishing the pink earth pony was there to cheer her up with her endearing antics and delicious sweets, wondering if she’d ever again have the chance to enjoy her parties or just plan a prank with her. “Heh… yeah, that’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” she confirmed with a chuckle.
“Okay, just thought I’d let you know. Well, goodbye, Rainbow Dash.” Phoenix was about to leave again, when…
“WAIT!” Dash shouted, nearly making Phoenix jump out of his suit.
Geez, I just can’t leave this place! “Yes, what is it?” he asked, turning back to her.
“Here, take this…” Dash said, passing Phoenix an odd-looking and rather over-sized key through the slot.
“A key? What is it for?” Phoenix asked, picking it up, thinking it looked like a house key from a century past… and belatedly wondering where she had kept it.
Dash gave a look Phoenix could only describe as seductive yet mischievous. “Ace’s hotel room,” she told him with a very smug look, tossing her head and running a hoof back through her shock of multicolored mane hair.
Phoenix gaped. “W-WHAT?! How did you get this?” he demanded to know.
“I was angry when I thought he was stalking me, so I snuck into his hotel room to find dirt on him! It was under the mat… what a stupid place to leave your key, huh?” Dash said, grinning at her own cleverness.
The human lawyer went silent, his mouth still wide agape. “Yeah… stupid place…” he agreed weakly. Note to self: Put key to office in different hiding spot! he resolved, adding the key to his inventory.
Key to Ace’s HotelA key to the hotel Ace Swift was staying at while in Ponyville…
“I wasn’t able to find anything good in there, but maybe you can!” Dash hoped.
He nodded. “Where’s the hotel?”
“He was staying at the ’Hay and Stay Hotel’ while he was in Ponyville. It’s a little past Sugar Cube Corner. Just have Twilight show you where it is!” Dash instructed.
Phoenix’s expression dropped at the mention of the violet unicorn. “Twilight…” he said almost forlornly, seeing again the hurt and sorrow in her big violet eyes, not understanding why her rejection hurt him so much—in some ways, even worse than what he’d done to Fluttershy.
Recognizing his suddenly sad look, Dash tilted her head. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
Realizing he was starting to brood again, Phoenix shook it off before turning back to her. “O-oh, nothing. Thanks Rainbow Dash, this will really help my investigation!” Phoenix remarked, pocketing the key and trying to focus on the task at hand—finding out what really happened in the forest clearing and proving Rainbow Dash innocent.
“Goodbye, Nix! I just know you’ll find some super awesome evidence this time around!” Dash said expectantly, pressing her hoof against the partition again.
He returned the gesture. “I promise I’ll get you and Fluttershy out of this mess,” he vowed, swearing to himself again that he would make everything right and apologize to both Twilight and Fluttershy before all was said and done
Dash’s expression darkened. “Fluttershy… I told you, I don’t care about her,” she said with a grunt and scowl.
She’s still really angry about that testimony Fluttershy gave… Phoenix recognized, hoping she’d be able to forgive her friend in time… hoping Fluttershy and Twilight would forgive him in time, or he’d never be able to forgive himself.
With a parting fist-to-hoof bump through the clear partition, Phoenix left the Detention Center with a new lead, ready to resume his investigation… one step closer to finding the real culprit and solving the mystery once and for all…
June 10th, 12:30 PM
Phoenix exited the Detention Center to find the midday sun shining bright against a pristine blue sky—a far cry from the smog and haze that too often choked the air of his city from home. Looking up, he noticed a few fluffy clouds hanging overhead, some of which he swore were moving in different directions from each other. Shrugging it off as another magical feature of Equestria—having witnessed one seeming-impossibility after another, he’d given up being surprised by such things—the human lawyer checked his wristwatch and found it was now well-past noon; with daylight burning, he had to get moving on his investigation.
“Okay, but where should I go first…? Back to the forest, or to the hotel room?” Phoenix pondered out loud, looking out over the court square. There were several vendor stalls set up hawking various wares around the periphery, and some kind of performing troupe was putting on a show with music, magic and juggling by the fountains in the middle of the plaza. The human lawyer was still getting gawked and glared at by the locals, but he no longer cared that much, having found renewed purpose and a fresh lead.
“Hello again!” A familiar voice called out to him from behind, but Phoenix didn’t hear, lost in thought.
“I would be a lot easier to go to the forest, since I know the general direction and I might find some new clues with the sun out…” he mused, favoring the idea since it wouldn’t be dark out and he wouldn’t need Twilight’s magic to see by. Twilight… he thought again, wishing the violet unicorn was still there with him. Even aside from the help and protection afforded him by her wondrous magic, she’d proved an excellent assistant and sounding board, a more mature-version of Maya in so many ways. If she could just channel Mia, she’d be the full package…
“Helllllo?” the voice said, but Phoenix was still unaware of it.
He shook his head, trying not to start dwelling on the violet unicorn again. “Then again, I already found a lot of evidence in the forest already… probably wouldn’t be much new there,” he reasoned, wondering if the hotel would be the better option.
“Knock, knock… Feenie!” the voice called out again, still to no avail.
“Although… would going in his hotel room be considered breaking and entering? I’ll have a bit of trouble finding it without someone guiding me, anyway…” he thought, wishing he had someone to show him around, even if it wasn’t Twilight. Just then, the sharp whistle of a party horn blasted through his ears. “AHH!” he yelled, the loud noise causing him to jerk away and drop to the ground.
When his eyes had refocused, he saw a familiar pink pony standing over him, a wide grin on her face. “Got your attention now!” she said, giggling.
“Oh, you’re… Pinkie Pie,” Phoenix remembered, as he picked himself up off the cobblestones.
“Yup-a-roonie! That’s my name!” the bubbly earth pony said as she reared up happily on her hind hooves; the small performing troupe on the other side of the plaza striking up a new but catchy tune as she did so.
“What are you doing here?” Phoenix asked, standing up and brushing the dust off his suit, hoping he wouldn’t have to get it dry-cleaned again—that was so expensive!
“I followed you! The guards wouldn’t let me in though, so I talked to them while waiting for you!” she explained. “Right, boys?” Pinkie grinned back over her shoulder to the pair of white pegasus sentries standing at the doorway… except they were no long standing. One was propped back against the wall looking in an almost-catatonic state, a thin line of drool connecting his snout to his belly, while his partner was huddled on the ground with his hooves clamped hard over his ears, eyes shut tight and gritting his teeth as if in pain.
“Oh, for the love of all things holy… please… take her awaaaaay!!!” he begged Phoenix, all but crying.
“Uh… why were you following me?” Phoenix asked Pinkie, giving her a wary look, not sure he wanted to know what she’d done to the guards.
“’Cause I need help finding something!” Pinkie replied.
Phoenix rubbed his eyes. “Look, the spiky-headed monster they were talking about is—”
“Oh! I gave up trying to find that a loooooooong time ago,” she interrupted him in mid-sentence. “It’s probably just somepony’s overactive imagination! I need to find something I lost about a week ago,” she clarified, looking to and fro.
“What did you lose?” Phoenix asked, tilting his head curiously at the pink earth pony, still not sure what to make of her.
She gave him an almost conspiratorial look, motioning him to move closer and bend down. “It’s a SECRET!” Pinkie whispered in his ear, barely audible.
Phoenix fell silent for a moment, more than a little confused. “So you want me to find something… but you won't tell me what it is…?” he summarized, starting to understand why the guards had cracked. Pinkie’s logic was clearly in a class of its own…
“Correct-a-mundo!” Pinkie said, beaming.
“That makes no sense!” Phoenix complained, but then got an idea. Wait a minute… “Actually, uh, Pinkie Pie?”
“Yes?” she said eagerly.
“Do you know where ‘Sugar Cube Corner’ is?” he asked.
Pinkie grew an even larger grin on her face. “OOoooohhh… You want to bake cupcakes with me at Sugar Cube Corner! Mr. and Mrs. Cake always let me help out, now I have an assistant! YAY!” she cheered in excitement, rearing up again.
The human lawyer was so dumbstruck by that logical leap that he was tempted to make an objection, but Pinkie gave him no chance, continuing on her tangent without pause. “You know how to make cupcakes, right? It’s okay if you can’t, I can teach you if you don’t know… it’s really, really, REALLY easy!” Pinkie said, then sucked up a huge amount of air aaaand~~
“First-you-preheat-the-oven-to-350-degrees-and-line-the-cupcake-pans-with-paper-liners-then-you-toss-flour-sugar-baking-powder-and-salt-in-a-mixing-bowl-add-shortening-milk-and-vanilla-for-flavor-and-taste-I-personally-put-in-a-little-bit-of-candy-as-well-to-make-them-sweeter-beat-for-one-minute-then-scrape-the-side-of-the-bowl-with-a-spatula-we-want-to-salvage-as-many-cupcakes-as-we-can-from-the-mix…!”
Phoenix felt the bottom of his jaw drop away, amazed and appalled that she could talk that fast without even having to come up for air the whole way! And every single word she said at that speed hit his head like daggers jamming through his ears, causing his brain to start to shut down rather than try to process it all, giving the human lawyer a strong urge to clamp his hands over his own ears just as the second guard had done… lest he end up in a catatonic state like his partner!
“That’s NOT what I meant…!” Phoenix shouted to break her stream of consciousness before it could claim him too, thinking he now knew what the term ‘talk your ears off’ truly meant. “I was wondering if you knew where the ‘Hay and Stay’ is. It’s a hotel? I heard it was by there,” he quickly interjected before she could start up again, trying to spare himself more ‘verbal’ pain…
Of course I know how to make cupcakes; what does she think I am, a hobo? Phoenix thought derisively, wondering where the sudden image of himself wearing a hooded sweatshirt and playing poker in a dive bar while sipping grape juice came from.
“Yessiree! I know where it is!” Pinkie confirmed, at least momentarily distracted from the subject of cupcakes to his great relief.
“I need someone to escort me; would you be willing to do that for me, if I find your missing… uh… thing?” he asked politely.
“Okie dokie lokie! On one other condition!” Pinkie said to Phoenix.
“Name it!” the human lawyer said, standing up straighter. This is going to be easier than I thought!
“You have to tell me…”—the pink pony paused dramatically before rearing up—“a funny joke!” she said, making Phoenix’s eyes go wide.
Of all the things she could have asked, that was what he was least prepared to do! “W-what?! Why do I have to do that?” he stammered.
“I don’t wanna hang around with some big party-pooper-frowny-stick-in-the-mud. Show me you have a sense of humor Feenie-weenie!” Pinkie said, giving him a sweet but expectant smile.
“Do I really have to do this?” Phoenix said, lowering his face then looking up to the sky, now seeing several clouds look like they were being pushed together.
In response, Pinkie let out a ridiculously toothy smile followed by a distinctive smirk. “MMmmmmhhmmmm…”
Phoenix sighed, long and hard. Well, she seems really easy to impress anyway… “Okay. This is a really good one Pinkie Pie!” he announced, forcing a smile.
“Tell me! Tell me!” Pinkie said in excitement, jumping up and down.
“Here goes! Why do they call me ‘Phoenix Wright’?” Phoenix asked Pinkie, hearing a well-timed drumroll being played by the performing troupe across the plaza.
Pinkie looked towards the sky to think for a bit, then back at him for the answer. “Hmmm… I don’t know, why?” she asked, eagerly awaiting the punchline.
“Because, I’m always… ‘WRIGHT’!.”
The troupe drummer played a rimshot.
A great silence fell upon the pair. The ponies around them went silent, including the guards behind him; suddenly the only sound was that of crickets chirping while the wind blew with a cold breeze, sending a tumbleweed rolling by…
“That wasn’t funny…” Pinkie declared, her trademark smile dropping. “So… do you have any better ones?”
After his first ‘doozy’ of joke had fallen flat, Phoenix thought it was hopeless but went for it anyway, trying a different approach. “Well, uh… This one time I crossed-examined a parakeet! What's the deal with that?!” he grinned goofily.
Again… silence…
I guess you had to be there… Phoenix cringed after failing to even get a chuckle. This is a lot harder than I thought… I’m a lawyer, not a comedian! he complained with his thoughts, but tried one final joke. “Umm… did you know I had the entire l left side of my body cut off once? Don’t worry… I’m all ‘Wright’ now! Heehee… hee… hee…”
Pinkie remained silent, and so did the troupe drummer. The pink earth pony looked about to say something when her attention was caught by Phoenix’s suit collar. “Oh hey, what's that?!” she pointed with a hoof to his left jacket lapel.
“This? Oh… it’s my Equestria Attorney badge. That’s how I got in the detention center.” Phoenix said, taking it off and showing it to her.
To his shock, Pinkie began to giggle, her eyes going wide. “Oh, wow! That’s the GIRLIEST thing I’ve ever seen! That must have been the reason why you were pretending to be so bad at telling a good joke! To build up to flashing that ridiculous-looking thing!” Pinkie reasoned, breaking out into full-scale laughter. “Oh, you sure are a knee-slapper, Feenie!” she told him between guffaws as she rolled on the ground in front of him, laughing hysterically.
Phoenix watched her in disbelief, his ears and cheeks burning with intense embarrassment and humiliation at the effect the silly-looking badge had on even the flimsiest ponies he met. I really feel like sobbing to myself in a dark corner right now…
Trying to salvage what little remained of his dignity, he sucked it up and repeated his original request: “So, will you show me where this hotel is now?” he all but pleaded, but Pinkie still laughed and laughed… leaving Phoenix uncertain if he should be glad that he made her laugh or just depressed over how…
“Uh… P-Pinkie?” Phoenix tried again as her laughs died down to few scattered titters.
“Oh right! The hotel is THIS waaaay!!” Pinkie stood up and bounded off like a gazelle, leaving the human lawyer behind.
“Hey! Wait up!” Phoenix yelled, running after her as she took off across the plaza, the pink earth pony springing impossibly high with each four-legged leap she took…
Despite his determination to resume the investigation and visit the hotel room immediately, Phoenix found his attention—and appetite—drawn by the enticing aroma of sweets and coffee coming from a cottage that looked like it had jumped right out of the pages of Hansel and Gretel, made to look like it was constructed completely from candy. An overhead sign announcing it to be the aptly named Sugar Cube Corner, Phoenix found his mouth watering as they passed it—he hadn’t a proper meal, just a pretrial snack since arriving—and Pinkie noticed, all but shoving him inside.
Inside, he met the proprietors—a pleasant blue-and-beige earth pony couple with brownie and baking cutie marks unimaginatively but appropriately called The Cakes, who plied him with fruit and pastries as a thank-you for defending Rainbow Dash. Pinkie got into the act too, all but stuffing a pair of her pink-frosted cupcakes in his mouth, insisting he try them.
To his surprise, they were unquestionably delectable—the best he’d ever had—and he also had to admit the coffee was light-years better than the cheap stuff he normally got at the courthouse and police station back home. This place could give the coffee houses back home a run! he realized as he started his second cup.
Sated and feeling more himself than he had all morning—did his sleep deprivation have something to do with his poor trial performance as well?—he followed Pinkie another block to their original destination, polishing off the coffee and licking the frosting off his fingers as he went.
June 10th, 12:53 PM
“Daaaaa da la~ dada daaa da da daaat da daa… … Dat daa~ da daaa…”
That song she’s humming sounds, really, really familiar… Phoenix realized as they reached the Hotel, tossing his empty cup in a wastebasket by the front door. He was sure he’d heard that tune before, but for the life of him couldn’t remember from where…
Entering, they walked down a corridor, dodging a couple unicorn cleaning crews until Pinkie spotted the room number they were looking for. “Lookie! Here’s that room!” Pinkie announced, jumping up and down in excitement.
Phoenix took out the key that Rainbow Dash had given him, but hesitated at using it. “Hmm… Do you think we’ll get in trouble for going in his room without asking?” he asked Pinkie, having second thoughts.
“Don’t be such a chicken, Feenie! Gimme that key!” the pink earth pony snatched the key right out the human lawyer’s hand, shoving him back as she did so.
“H-hey! We can’t just~” Phoenix tried to reason with her to wait, but it was too late; Pinkie already had it in the lock, leaving the human lawyer openmouthed as she worked it—how could she hold something like a key with her hoof?
Oblivious to the impossibility of what she was doing, Pinkie turned the key. “We just stick it in here aaaaand…” The lock clicked open and she turned the doorknob, entering immediately as soon as the door swung free. “We’re in! Pinkie Pie, Master of unlocking!” she boasted, and quite proud of it…
I really hope I don’t get sent to the sun for this! Phoenix gulped to himself, sweating a bit as he stepped through the open door.
As Phoenix examined the hotel room, the first thing he noticed was it had two small single beds against the back wall, which struck him as odd as he thought the only occupant of the room was the victim. Two large bookshelves mirrored each other on the facing walls of the small room, each filled with an array of different volumes. As he scanned a few of the spines, he wondered why there would be so many books in a simple hotel room and guessed it was due to the fact Equestria didn't have television or internet, so the books simply substituted for that in the bizarre world he now occupied… which, the more he thought about, almost struck him as an early 20th century analog for his own in terms of architecture, technology and décor—the apparent ‘Stallion of Liberty’ picture on the back wall notwithstanding
On the right side of the room, Phoenix noticed a wooden ladder propped up against bookshelf; looking at it made him feel homesick for some reason. Towards the front; an ornate but single table stood with a few papers—or was it parchment?—lying on top of it, breaking the theme of twin furniture the room seemed to have.
“Seeing as he’s dead, surely he won't mind if we look around?” Phoenix asked rhetorically, which made Pinkie raise an eyeridge.
“My name is Pinkie, not Shirley!” she corrected, causing Phoenix to blink. “What are you trying to find here anyway, Feenie? A magical stone? A secret chamber? A prisoner? A cup? Maybe something you ordered? Oatmeal?” the pink pony rattled off a list of random, but strangely familiar references.
Phoenix shook his head to clear it, having a hard time following her quick changes of subject. “Oatmeal? Why would anybody want to find oatmeal?” he asked, wondering why he had the odd feeling that she’d forgotten to mention a Prince when she ran off her otherwise nonsensical list.
“Duh… when they’re hungry!” Pinkie said brightly.
Phoenix was starting to get exasperated, rubbing his forehead and letting off a huge sigh. “No Pinkie Pie, we’re trying to find clues that relate to the crime,” he explained.
Her expression dropped. “So, no oatmeal?”
“No oatmeal…” Phoenix confirmed, trying not to roll his eyes.
“Awwwww…” Pinkie wailed in dismay, falling back on her haunches and putting on a pouting face.
Phoenix didn’t understand how her mind worked, and wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “I want to try and be out of here fast as humanly possible, okay? I don’t want to be caught by anyone,” he added, looking around nervously.
“Alright! I’ll try to be as fast as PONY-ly possible then!” Pinkie remarked, causing Phoenix to let out another huge sigh.
Maybe it was a mistake taking her in here along with me… he was starting to think, even if he had gotten some excellent coffee and cupcakes out of the deal.
Just then, Pinkie noticed something on the corner of her eye. “Look Feenie, a step-ladder! Is that a clue?” she asked in excitement, bouncing up and down again.
Somehow, he didn’t quite share the thrill of her ‘discovery’. “One: that’s not a clue. Two: that’s not a step-ladder, it’s a ladder,” Phoenix enlightened her.
“There’s a difference?” Pinkie asked, head tilted in confusion.
“There’s a BIG difference!” Phoenix proclaimed, a pet peeve of his having been triggered. “A step-ladder has an A-frame that folds while a ladder is flat like that one. It really bothers me when people don’t know the difference!”
She gave him another cockeyed look. “I still don’t see what the difference is… I mean, you still step on it, right? Wouldn’t it be a STEP-ladder then?” Pinkie reasoned.
“How can I put this in a way you’ll understand…?” Phoenix wondered aloud, looking up and scratching his chin. “It’s like cupcakes and muffins.”
“Cupcakes and Muffins?” Pinkie tilted her head again.
“Exactly! Both look kind of the same, but they’re totally different, like ladders and step-ladders…” he began, groping for an effective analogy. “Cupcakes have frosting on them, like how step-ladders have a folding frame on them, while the muffin is plain, like the ladder is flat,” Phoenix tried, hoping the odd comparison would make sense to the pink pony’s decidedly odd mind.
To his surprise and relief, Pinkie seemed to understand. “OOHHH! I think I get it now! Like hacksaws and saws!” she said, making a surprising comparison of her own. “Why do they call them hacksaws anyway?”
Phoenix was caught off-guard. “Huh?” he asked, suddenly feeling an odd and unpleasant tingle, like a chill going down his back…
Oblivious to his discomfort, she continued on. “I don’t get it… it doesn’t hack; hacking is what you do with daggers and axes… AND KNIVES!!” she exclaimed, never losing her smile, like she was discussing a subject she really liked.
Phoenix had a sudden and very strong urge to back away slowly, the hairs on his neck sticking straight out. “Uhhh… yeah…” he said agreeably even as he felt something… unspeakably grim… in the air around him; he swore the temperature of the room had dropped ten degrees as she spoke. Okay, seriously, she’s freaking me out now…! he said to himself, unable shake the feeling that Pinkie had a… hobby… he really didn’t want to know about.
“But you sure know a lot about ladders, Feenie! Are you sure you’re a lawyer and not actually a ladder connoisseur?” Pinkie asked, her normal aura returning to his great relief.
“It’s just common sense!” Phoenix said with a sigh, very happy to be back on the previous subject. “I find it annoying that a lot of people don’t know the difference between the two,” he added, but then something clicked. “Wait a minute, wasn’t the victim a pegasus? Why would he need a ladder anyway? He could just fly up to get the things he would need a ladder for,” he reasoned.
“Maybe he was superstitious and didn’t want bad luck!” Pinkie suggested, still all smiles.
He gave her a look. “Keeping a ladder doesn’t prevent bad luck… you GET bad luck for walking under a ladder,” he corrected her, but the pink earth pony had already been distracted by something new, reaching down to pick something up off the wooden floor.
“What about this? Is ripped-up paper good luck?” Pinkie asked, showing him a piece of partially crumpled-up parchment held in her hoof.
“It’s a ripped-up piece of paper… why would it be good luck?” I need an aspirin… he thought, feeling a headache coming on the longer he spoke to Pinkie.
“Guess you’re right, it just says a bunch of mumbo-jumbo on it anyway…” she said, squinting an eye at it.
That caught Phoenix’s attention. “Mumbo-jumbo? Let me see it…” he held out his hand, still marveling how she could hold something in her hoof as she passed it to him. Un-crumpling it as best he could, he read it aloud:
“This is a letter stating my permanent Leave of Absence. After the Equestrian 500 is over, I can no longer work for you. We made quite a team but I~” the words ended at the edge of tear. “Then it cuts off. The rest must be on the other half! Pinkie! You found a clue!” Phoenix announced, scarcely able to believe it…
“Is that good luck?” she asked.
“No! W-well… yes… kinda… good job, Pinkie!” he praised.
“YAY!!!” Pinkie jumped for joy.
Torn Resignation LetterSomeone was planning on quitting something after the Equestrian 500. The other half is missing.
“It would only make sense that Ace wrote this, since it’s his room, but… who was he writing it to?” Phoenix scratched his chin, pondering.
“Maybe he~” Pinkie began to suggest, only to gasp loudly when her tail started to tremble. “OH NO!!”
This made Phoenix jump in surprise, his shoulder accidentally banging one of the bookcases. “Ssshhhh!!!! We aren’t supposed to be in here, remember? What’s the problem!?” Phoenix asked, sticking a finger in front of his lips and steadying the bookshelf with his other hand.
“My tail’s twitching!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Phoenix blinked at the nonsensical statement, not understanding why he was still surprised at anything she did or said. “So? My foot fell asleep, but you don’t see me freaking out,” Phoenix retorted, but before he could say anything more Pinkie dove head first under the table and stayed there.
Why is she hiding under that table? “Pinkie Pie, stop fooling around and~” he was cut off as something large suddenly tumbled off the top of bookshelf and hit him right on his huge noggin. “OW!!” Phoenix let out a cry of pain, cringing and clutching at his head while the object that hit him tumbled to the ground, the human lawyer falling to his knees beside it.
“See? I warned you!” Pinkie admonished, crawling back out from the under table.
“W-what?! You didn’t say anything that something was going to fall onto my head!” Phoenix said, spitting out each word through pain-gritted teeth.
“Sure I did! I said my tail was twitching. That means something’s gonna fall!” Pinkie claimed as if it was self-evident, making Phoenix even more annoyed.
“That’s ridiculous! You can’t tell me you can make predictions like that based on body spasms!” Phoenix shot back, while Pinkie Pie was studying the fallen object–a very thick book.
“So, what’s that book say?” she asked, unperturbed.
“You mean the thing that fell on my head?” Phoenix said grumpily, picking it up and looking at the cover with one hand while the other still rested on his head, rubbing the growing lump there. “It seems it’s some sort of an advanced spell book,” he told her, trying to force his crossed eyes to focus.
“Hey Feenie! Do you think you can cast a spell? I can’t since I’m an earth pony,” Pinkie asked hopefully, wanting to see his human ‘magic’.
He looked at her like she was nuts. “Of course not! I’m not a magician! I can’t read it anyway… I only know it’s an advanced spell book because I saw Twilight reading a book just like it this morning, and I asked her what it was,” he explained. “The text isn’t in English. The characters are in weird hieroglyphics like Twilight’s book,” Phoenix further noted as he flipped through the pages, finding something interesting about halfway through. “Huh? Look at this…” he said, lowering it so she could see.
Pinkie leaned over to see. “Continue from here, third line,” she read the short handwritten message, written in ink on the upper left corner of the left-hoof page.
“Seems someone scribbled a note here,” Phoenix mused, his head starting to throb.
“You can get in big trouble for writing on hotel’s books like that!” Pinkie noted, a tut-tutting sound to her voice.
Phoenix shook his head, aggravating his pain. “No, I don’t think this is the hotel’s book. Twilight said these advanced spell books are only available in Ca~… Can~… nyee~~” he finally gave up, unable to remember what that place was. “I forget the name, but it starts with a hard ’C’ as I recall…” Phoenix said.
“Cookie?” Pinkie blurted out.
“No…”
“Carrot?” she tried again.
“No…!”
“Corkscrew?”
Phoenix’s headache was getting worse. “No! No… just, stop guessing. The point is; this must be someone’s personal book…”
Advanced Unicorn Spell BookA book found in the victim’s hotel room. There is a small handwritten note scribbled on one of the pages.
“I better put it back on the shelf…” Phoenix decided, trying to find where the spell book had fallen from.
“It was all the way up there,” Pinkie pointed up to the top of the bookcase.
“I can reach it…” Phoenix looked back and stretched his body up high, suddenly wondering why the ceilings were so high when ponies were so short. “Almost… got… it!!” he said, standing on tiptoes. But then…
RRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“GAAHH!!!” NOOOOOOoooOOO!!!” Phoenix shrieked.
“Didn’t you tell me to be quiet a second ago? Practice what you preach!” Pinkie scolded.
“I ripped my suit!” Phoenix whined, putting the book on the second shelf instead of the top one.
Pinkie’s eyes went wide. “Ooo… you’re right; you have a big hole in your armpit! Should have used the step-ladder instead of reaching so high,” she admonished him in amusement, her advice coming a little late.
“It’s a LADDER!” Phoenix said, fuming in frustration and anger. His head hurt, he was a pariah in Ponyville, Twilight hated him, Fluttershy was probably cowering in a jail cell, he was stuck with an oddball equine… and now on top of everything, he’d torn his favorite suit! “You don’t realize how BAD this is! I can’t walk around with a big rip in my suit!” Phoenix whined, pinning his arm to his side to try and hide the tear.
“No use crying on spilled milk! Or ripped armpits!” Pinkie pronounced with a fresh smile on her face. Phoenix could only groan in response, experimentally pinning his arm to his side to try cover the tear, wondering if he’d be able to hide it for the duration of his time in court the next day. Suddenly, Pinkie piped up again. “Lookie! It’s Rainbow Dash!”
The human lawyer’s head shot up. “Huh? Where?” he asked, looking around but not seeing the cyan pegasus, unable to fathom why she would be walking free.
“Right here on the table!” Pinkie pointed to another piece of parchment as Phoenix walked over to have a look. Scanning it, he realized it was a roster of names, written in very elegant cursive handwriting:
List of several names, including Rainbow Dash:• Rainbow Dash - 8:35
• Lenora
• Cruise Control
• Danger Zone
• Loop Deloop
• Steel Wing
• Morhaymoto
• Leroy Wingkons
• Alucard
• Hotshot
• Hurricane Wind
“Well it’s her alright…” Phoenix mused, tapping the name at the top of the sheet. “What is this? It looks like some kind of list,” he asked Pinkie.
“Maybe it’s a party invite!” the pink earth pony guessed, getting excited again.
Phoenix would have rolled his eyes if his head didn’t hurt so much. “Do you know these other names are, Pinkie?” he asked, showing her the list.
She ran down the list and shook her head. “Nope, doesn’t ring any bells… Rainbow Dash is the only name here I recognize!” Pinkie replied, her eyes widening as she had an idea just as fast as a lightning bolt. “Uh-oh! I have to find who these other ponies are!”
“Why?” Phoenix asked, confused—one thing he was starting to get about the pink earth pony was that she always had a reason for saying or doing something, even if it didn’t make much sense to him.
“I throw a party for every new pony in Ponyville!” Pinkie exclaimed, following that up with a very loud gasp of air. “That reminds me! I haven’t thrown a welcome party for YOU yet! I’m sorry Feenie, I just haven’t had the time today!” Pinkie apologized, making a huge fuss over it.
“Uh… that’s alright…” Phoenix offered carefully, giving her a sidewise look and noticing the pink pony suddenly seemed almost saddened—the first time he’d really seen her lose her smile. She seems so upset about it… he recognized, feeling an odd pang of sympathy for her as he returned his attention to the list.
“Look next to Rainbow Dash’s name… it's a time: ‘8:35’.” Phoenix observed, pointing at it.
Pinkie’s eyes got wide. “I was right! It’s a party invite! “Rainbow Dash party at 8:35! I’ll try not to be late this time!” she promised, her smile returning as quickly as it had left, the pink earth pony rearing up again, this time in giddy anticipation.
Phoenix was forced to disappoint her, tapping his fingers on the low tabletop as he thought. “I don’t think so. I think I know what this is now…” the human lawyer said, starting to get a nasty suspicion about the purpose of the list. What is it with Pinkie and parties, anyway? he additionally wondered, finally making the connection between her three-balloon cutie mark and what he was starting to gather was her favorite activity.
“You know? Tell me! Tell me!!” Pinkie implored him, bouncing excitedly on her hooves again.
Phoenix gathered his thoughts carefully. “I’m not completely positive, but I think it’s a~” before he could finish, someone spoke over him from the doorway.
“And just who are you two?!” asked an impossibly familiar voice.
Phoenix froze. OH NO! WE’RE CAUGHT!!! he shouted in his mind, certain they were dead meat…
“Why are you snooping around my room?” An impossibly familiar voice demanded of the two intruders. A voice that belonged to someone Phoenix admired, respected… and had been murdered nearly three years earlier. His legs suddenly feeling like jelly, he turned around slowly… and his jaw dropped.
Standing in the entryway was Mia Fey, alive and well, and dressed like she was ready for court.
“Ch-Chief?!” Phoenix croaked out, all but ready to faint.
Mia gave him an incredulous look, crossing her arms and raising a hand to her chin. “Chief? I should have the police book you two and have you thrown in jail for breaking and entering!” she threatened, not even flinching upon saying the words.
“I-I… uh…” Phoenix suddenly couldn't speak, his shock total. This can’t be Mia! It just can’t be! he knew, but the evidence of his own senses said otherwise, telling him that his old lawyer, chief and mentor was somehow standing directly in front of him.
“We’re room service!” Pinkie said with no second thought, putting on the closest thing she had to a straight face.
Despite his disbelief, Phoenix winced. Do you honestly think she’s going to fall for that?
“Do you honestly think I’m going to fall for~!” as Mia began to echo his thoughts, her eyes locked on him, as if in recognition. “Wait a minute… I know who you are…”
“It’s me, Mia…” Phoenix said, tapping both hands to his chest, giving her a warm smile
She gave him an odd look back. “Mia? My name is Sonata…” she corrected him.
“Sonata?” Phoenix repeated, uncomprehending. His vision swam for a moment and when it had cleared again, the human woman in front of him had changed into an unsmiling bespectacled gray unicorn pony with a chestnut mane and tan eyes, an eyelike cutie mark adorning her hips.
“Did I stutter? Yes, that’s my name,” Sonata exclaimed, giving him an unamused glare.
Despite her transformation, Phoenix continued to gape. It’s not her… but the resemblance… it’s uncanny! he realized, both the mare’s voice and the manner in which she carried herself very strongly reminding him of Mia Fey.
“Name! Now!” she ordered, levitating up a piece of parchment and quill, dipping the latter in ink.
Despite his shock, Phoenix automatically obeyed Mia’s voice. “Phoenix Wright.”
“Pinkamania Diane Pie, Party Thrower Extraordinaire!” Pinkie chimed in, leaving Phoenix surprised to hear her full name.
Sonata gave a nod, not looking that thrilled at having guests… particularly uninvited ones. “As I thought. You’re the human lawyer from the trial earlier…” she said, looking over him with a mixture of curiosity and contempt.
Phoenix continued to gawk, unable to shake the eerie feeling he kept getting from her. I can’t get over this… she looks exactly like her… if she were a pony! he said to himself.
The grey unicorn's tan eyes narrowed when she noticed Phoenix gaping at her. “Can you stop staring at me like that, please?” she requested.
“What’s the matter Feenie, cat got your tongue?” Pinkie asked with a giggle. “That would hurt because a cat has claws and your tongue is really sensitive…” she noted with her tongue hanging out, accidentally biting it as she finished talking… “Ouch!”
Sonata flicked Pinkie a glance, nothing more. “I knew Rainbow Dash was guilty, but it didn’t even look like you were trying in court today,” she said, turning her attention back to the human lawyer before her.
“Who… exactly… are you…?” Phoenix finally managed to ask, the blood still drained from his cheeks.
The grey unicorn gave him annoyed look, like she was the prosecutor and he was the suspect. “I’m the one who should be asking questions here! Seeing as you two are the ones who broke into my room, I’m also betting you’re the one who stole the key two days ago!” she snapped.
Phoenix was confused. “But… isn’t this Ace Swift’s room?”
She looked surprised at that. “Oh, you’re here about him? I see…” Sonata dipped the quill in ink again and started writing a new line.
“We were just investigating his hotel room for clues. This is his room, is it not?” Phoenix presumed.
“Hmm?” Sonata gave him a glance, looking up briefly from her writing. “Oh… yes, that is correct.”
Phoenix had finally gotten over his shock enough to spot a contradiction in her words. “You just said this was your room though… what are you? His girlfriend or something?” he suggested.
Her tan eyes narrowed and pinned his brown ones with a glare. “That’s strike one, Mr. Wright. I suggest you not strike out anymore,” she warned him, an undercurrent of anger in her voice.
Gah! I better not get on her bad side! Phoenix realized, sensing his question had hit a nerve. “Uh… sorry…”
“Actually I’m—or should I say, WAS—his manager, given the circumstances,” Sonata announced.
“His… manager?” Phoenix blinked. Upon hearing that, the human lawyer suddenly got an image of Adrian Andrews, the vengeful but easily manipulated business manager of a former (and for Phoenix, a very hated) client named Matt Engarde. This is getting weird…! “I’m sorry about what happened…” the human lawyer offered, putting a note of sympathy in his voice.
To his surprise, she barely reacted. “Don’t worry, I got over it pretty quickly. Besides, justice will be served. Your client will be punished for her crime,” Sonata promised.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash didn’t do it!” Phoenix protested, thinking the grey unicorn was being a little too cool about it.
She gave him a disbelieving look. “Anypony with half a brain can see that she did it, Mr. Wright. Look at all the evidence stacked against her. No matter how you look at it, she was the one who activated the cloud and killed him,” she stated simply. “Your little feather theory may have bought some time—I’ll give you credit for that, at least—but she is going to be found guilty tomorrow morning. I assure it,” Sonata proclaimed, confident and convinced.
Phoenix drew himself up straighter. “I believe in her, and I’m going to defend her to the very end. No matter what you say,” he countered, realizing that the similarities to Mia apparently ended with mannerisms and voice—Mia would never have gone against a defendant.
She seemed almost angry at his statement. “And that’s why you’re going to lose! From what I’ve gathered, you’re not even from Equestria. Why place loyalty in a pony you hardly know?” Sonata challenged.
Phoenix crossed his arms. “Did I stutter? I said, because I believe her. She didn’t do it!” The human lawyer returned Sonata’s words like a catapult launching a fireball back at a stubborn fortress.
Sonata grumbled as his riposte struck home, turning fractionally away from him. “So arrogant… just like that prosecutor…”
He raised an eyebrow. “You mean Trixie?”
“Yes. Her.” Sonata replied in short, clipped tones.
The human lawyer knew resentment when he heard it, whether it came from a pony or person. “What do you have against her?” he asked.
She gave him a look. “I wanted to prosecute this case, but that pig-headed showmare beat me to it,” Sonata explained, begrudging Trixie for beating her to the punch.
The human lawyer was surprised by that, but it made some sense to him—she does seem a lot more qualified to be a prosecutor than Trixie, he had to admit. “So wait… you’re a prosecutor as well as a manager?” Phoenix added.
Sonata nodded. “Ace and I are from Canterlot, Equestria’s capital,” she told him, finally jogging the human lawyer’s memory on where the book came from. “Most of the unicorns there are ‘jacks-of-all-trades,’ so to speak. We take on as many jobs as we can to flourish our intellect and magical abilities,” the grey unicorn continued to write as she elaborated.
Pinkie was impressed. “Wow! I didn’t know that! I should take another trade. Maybe bowling? No Creative Writing? No! NO! How about SCUBA DIVING??” she shouted in excitement, making Sonata lose her train her thought.
Pinkie, it doesn’t look like she shares your enthusiasm… he told her through his thoughts; Sonata looked like she didn’t know what to do with the hyperactive pink pony any more than Phoenix did. “So Trixie is from this… ’Canterlot’ place then?”
Sonata gave an almost-disgusted nod. “Yes, she is. I was in Ponyville when the murder took place, so there wasn’t enough time for me to go to Canterlot and execute the procedures to prosecute this case. Trixie must have already been there when she heard about it…” she guessed. “How foolish, taking a case over a silly little grudge… it’s funny really. Part of me actually wants you to best her,” the gray unicorn mare added, giving the human lawyer an unpleasant smirk.
Who has the grudge now? Phoenix didn’t ask out loud.
“I actually know quite a bit about her… care to listen?” Sonata offered, which perked the ears of a wrong person… or rather, pony.
“OOooooohhhh… a story! I love stories! I’ll tell you the one where me and some guy in a blue suit broke into somepony’s room and rummaged through their personal belongings! It’s a classic!” Pinkie declared, leaving Sonata with a blank, silent stare.
Pinkie, for the love of god, SHUT UP! Phoenix screamed at her mentally, ready to strangle her on the spot. “I-if you wouldn’t mind… I wasn’t told much about Trixie,” he accepted Sonata’s offer with a slightly nervous voice, hoping to both cover up Pinkie’s complete lack of tact and to gain an advantage on the mare magician when the trial resumed the next day.
Sonata nodded, putting her quill and parchment down as she started her story. “I was classmates with her when I was but a foal; I attended the same magic classes as her,” she began.
“Were you friends with her or something?” Phoenix asked.
The grey unicorn raised an eyeridge at that. “No. I kept to myself as I do now. I only consult those who are worthy of my time,” she said with a slightly haughty air.
Phoenix cringed when Pinkie spoke up again. “Hey, you know what that means, Feenie? We’re both worth her time! Here I thought she wouldn't like us for breaking into her room!” the pink earth pony remarked, which made Sonata fall silent again, her eyes and lips narrowing into a thin, angry line.
Every time you speak, she makes that glare icier and icier! Phoenix said to himself, feeling a fresh trickle of sweat down his neck, certain she was going to call the police and order their arrest at any moment.
To his relief, she did not… at least not yet. “Continuing…” Sonata said, picking up where she left off and pointedly ignoring the pink earth pony. “The Trixie you saw in court today is how she is all her life. An arrogant boaster, a show-off. I hate that type…” she said, letting Phoenix see the anger in her eyes. “She was the top of my class. As much as I hate to say it, she’s better than me, despite me being older… well, when it comes to magic anyway,” she hastened to add.
“Ahh, so you’re just jealous then!” Pinkie piped up.
This time, Phoenix couldn’t hold back. “P-Pinkie! Is your brain the size of a chewed bubble gum?!” he demanded, unable to contain himself any longer.
Pinkie gave him a puzzled look back. “I don’t think so! If it were bubble gum it would probably stick to the inside of my head don’t you think?” she said with a smile, believing she was being perfectly logical.
Phoenix tried one last time to contain her overtalkative tongue before it got them both thrown in jail. “Argh!! Pinkie! Just. Stop. Talking. Please!” he begged the pink pony, trying to silence her by raising his hands up, open-palmed, making shoving motions towards her with each word he spoke.
“Okay, I’ll stop talking…” Pinkie said, seemingly understanding his gesture, but then… “Ah! Whoops, sorry, I spoke! AH I SPOKE AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AHH!”
Phoenix let out a combined pained, frustrated, and depressive groan, his headache getting ever worse… just as he was about to give up, he noticed Sonata was also wincing like she was in pain, almost cringing.
“Huh?! Are you okay?” he asked the grey unicorn, now in concern.
She nodded, quickly regaining her composure. “Yes… excuse me. Anyway, I’m not jealous. In fact, unlike Trixie, I’m striving to become better with magic, not just going around town showing off a bunch of cheap parlor tricks,” she took pains to distinguish. “You should earn attention for the actions you do, not what you claim you can do,” Sonata said, her haughty tone returning, spoiling what might have otherwise made a very good life lesson.
Phoenix was unimpressed, less due to her argument than the attitude with which it was delivered. “So, just because she was a show-off in school, you hate her? Sorry, but that’s a little bit shallow if you ask me,” he rejected her reasons, unconsciously taking on Mia’s crossed-arms/hand-raised-to-the-chin pose as his former chief did when she was considering something.
She raised an eyeridge again. “But is it? Do you think she’s qualified to be prosecuting? You saw how she acted in court today. No professionalism at all…”
Phoenix shrugged, not wanting to admit how badly Trixie had gotten to him—that was another mistake he made during the trial, he was slowly coming to realize; losing focus and making the trial a personal war between him and Trixie instead of about defending Rainbow Dash. I wasn’t professional either, he had to admit, but couldn’t to her. “I’ve had worse in the courtroom… toupees, birds, whips…” he recalled.
Sonata looked startled at that. “Whips?” she repeated, giving Phoenix an awkward look.
“Uh… don’t ask.” Phoenix answered with a slightly pained expression, remembering one of his own courtroom rivals. A prosecuting prodigy who prided herself on perfection, the stunning but severe Franziska Von Karma could have been a dominatrix if her legal career hadn’t worked out; her ever-present whip lashing into defense attorneys, detectives and witnesses in equal measure to keep them in line. Phoenix still had the welts from the last time he faced her, and, just like her legendary father, she didn’t take losing well. “As long as Trixie’s getting the job done, I don’t see anything wrong with it…” he told the grey unicorn, since to say differently was to make excuses for his own poor trial performance. “Why do you want to prosecute this case so badly, anyway? I know you were his manager, but still...”
Sonata gave him a level look. “Because if things were going my way, the case would have been closed by now,” she told him. “Cold, hard, swift justice. That’s the way I work.”
Phoenix shook his head, ignoring the pain it caused him. “That’s not being a Lawyer is about, Sonata,” he said, deciding that if she believed that, she definitely wasn’t Mia.
The grey unicorn rolled her eyes. “Then what is it about Mr. Wright? Sitting back and letting a dangerous felon of the hook scot-free?” she challenged.
“No, it’s about finding the truth…” Phoenix said simply, hoping Mia’s own words might break through to her if Sonata really was somehow her.
“The… truth?” Sonata repeated slowly, raising her brow a bit.
“Attorneys aren’t meant to uphold justice; we’re to work to the best of our abilities to guide it, and seek out the truth,” he told her, reflecting it had taken him a long time to truly understand that, and he still occasionally needed to be reminded of it.
She stared at him for several seconds before replying. “You have quite the ideals, Mr. Wright. I don’t know what kinds of trials and tribulations you’ve been through, but you’re not changing my opinion. Rainbow Dash is guilty, and that’s all there is to it,” Sonata said with finality as she pointedly turned away from him, her mind seemingly made up.
Phoenix knew a lost cause when he saw it, so he tried a different approach. “If you don’t mind me asking, what does the eyeball stand for?” Phoenix asked, pointing to her hip.
Before she could answer, Pinkie spoke up again. “It’s her cutie mark! It must mean her special talent is poking ponies’ eyes out with that horn!” she guessed, making Phoenix do another facepalm.
We are so dead! Phoenix said to himself, bracing himself for Sonata’s long-delayed explosion and “I have had it with you two!” speech, but instead… she was cringing again. What the heck is wrong with her? “Uhh… are you okay? You look like you’re in pain…”
Sonata looked up to him, trying but not quite succeeding in hiding it. “Yes, I’m fine…” she insisted, still grinding her teeth. Her horn flared for a moment, and she was finally able to recover her equilibrium. “But no… my talent is perception and having a keen eye for detail,” the grey unicorn explained, giving Pinkie an unamused look. “For instance, Mr. Wright… you have a headache, as demonstrated by your constant squinting and slightly unfocused eyes. It was caused by that spellbook that fell off the top shelf when you bumped the bookcase, as shown by the fact you replaced the volume one shelf lower because you couldn’t reach up that high,” she announced, causing Phoenix to gape, but Sonata wasn’t done yet.
“You’re also desperately trying to change the subject, hoping I forget that you broke into my room, indicated by your nervous breathing patterns and the sweat trickling down your forehead and neck,” she further noted, causing Phoenix to pray his deodorant hadn’t conked out as well. “Finally, you’re trying to cover up that embarrassing rip in your jacket armpit sustained when you tried to return the book to the top shelf. I could tell by how firmly your left arm is pressed against your body compared to your right one,” she recited, satisfied.
A sandbagged Phoenix stared at her in disbelief. I think the term Maya would use is… I got served…
Sonata then turned her attention to Pinkie, almost reluctantly. “And her… she’s…” Sonata gave a little pause, seeing Pinkie with a silly but cheerful smile on her face. “She’s thinking about ladders…”
Pinkie’s eyes widened in amazement. “Wow! How did you know? You must be psychic! But I was actually thinking about step-ladders.”
Phoenix facepalmed again. “It’s a ladder!” he corrected her again. “And even I could have gotten that one! Throughout the conversation you keep looking at it!” he told her before taking a deep breath, turning his attention back to the grey unicorn. “But, Sonata, can you tell a little bit more about Ace?” he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders in a surprisingly human gesture. “What’s there to say? He was good at what he did…”
Good at what he did? Yeah… sure. That creep was blackmailing Rainbow Dash! Phoenix thought, hoping her perceptive powers meant she could give him some insights on the late pegasus and perhaps some new leads. “What about your relationship with him? As his manager, I mean…” Phoenix quickly added before she could jump on him again for implying she was his girlfriend… or was it marefriend?
The grey unicorn instantly fell silent, her eyes looking away from his.
“Well?” Phoenix prompted.
“Th-that's none of your business!” a suddenly defensive Sonata snapped at him.
For a second there she kind of hesitated. Perhaps I should press this further… “I want to know, Sonata. What was it like being Ace Swift’s manager?” he asked, but her only answer was the same secretive silence as before. Playing a hunch, Phoenix crossed his arms and surreptitiously reached inside his jacket for his Magatama. When he touched it, he immediately saw the familiar chains began to coil around the gray unicorn, a total of four red psyche-locks materializing to guard them.
“I told you Mr. Wright: it’s none of your business!” Sonata repeated, keeping her mind to herself.
And Bingo was his name-o! I knew there was more to you than meets the eye! Phoenix nodded to himself; the human lawyer’s vision going back to normal as soon as he took his fingers off the gemstone.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to attend to. I would appreciate it if you would leave my room post-haste,” she ordered them both, turning away and going to the desk in the near corner.
That’s odd… didn’t she say she was gonna have us arrested for breaking and entering? Phoenix was grateful she hadn’t, but still found it strange, knowing she wouldn’t have simply forgotten to despite all his efforts to distract her. Hell, she said as much…
Not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, the human lawyer moved to obey, pulling open the door, though he had to reach down a bit for the knob and duck his head slightly to step through. “Alright, let’s go, Pinkie Pie,” he told her, holding the exit open for her.
“Yup-yup!” Pinkie said, bounding out happily.
“I wish you the best of luck on your investigation… you’ll need it,” Sonata said as they parted ways, though given her deadpan delivery, Phoenix couldn’t tell if she meant it or not. “Oh, and Mr. Wright?” she floated him a bottle of aspirin out of the bathroom, depositing it in his hand. “Given your companion, I think you need this more than me,” she told him, leaving the human lawyer wondering if she meant the gesture more as a kindness to him or an insult to Pinkie.
As the hotel room door closed behind him with a final flare of her magic, Phoenix knew that something was up… the case was getting deeper and deeper the further he ventured into his investigation, and he sensed Sonata was somehow part of it—even aside from the psyche-locks and the ominous list Pinkie had found, the grey unicorn was simply too cool about Ace’s death and too insistent on Rainbow Dash’s guilt, never mind her uncanny resemblance to Mia.
He knew he would likely have to confront Sonata again later when he had more information, but in the meantime, there were other, more pressing matters to attend to…
June 10th, 2:00PM
Phoenix stumbled out of the hotel breathing heavily, feeling shaky from the blow to his head and Sonata’s browbeating. “Phew! I was sweating bullets back there. She’s quite intimidating, for a pony,” he said, finding another bench and sitting down, soaking in the deliciously cool breeze washing over his perspiring face and body.
“I didn’t find her intimidating. I tried to make her smile! How do you think I did?” Pinkie asked expectantly, sitting on the ground beside him.
Phoenix gave her a wan look. “Uh… don’t quit your day job…” he recommended, studying the old-fashioned aspirin bottle Sonata had given him. Deciding she wasn’t likely to be poisoning him, he popped a couple of the pills. To his surprise, they worked almost instantly, his headache disappearing in a matter of seconds, leaving the human lawyer wondering what they were… and what side effects they might have; he had a sudden urge to check behind him to see if he’d sprouted a tail.
“Okay! Wait... what is my day job, anyway? Throwing parties is more of a hobby…” Pinkie said, raising a hoof to her chin as if pondering a deep question, not getting the expression.
Phoenix had given up trying to understand her tangents. As his headache lessened, his irritation with the pink pony ebbed as well; he admitted that despite her antics and the close call with Sonata, she’d been a genuine help to him—she’d not only got him lunch and guided him to the hotel room, she’d found at least two potentially major pieces of evidence, even if he didn’t fully understand the significance of them yet. “You know, Pinkie, you still haven’t told me… how did you manage to miss the trial?” he asked her, rubbing his scalp beneath his hair, feeling the lump from where the book had hit him starting to recede as well.
“I slept in!” she replied brightly, without a hint of shame or regret.
Phoenix fell silent. “That’s it?”
“Is something wrong?” Pinkie asked, hopping up on the bench beside him and giving him another tilt-headed look.
“No, I guess I was just expecting a better reason than that…” he said truthfully, resting on the bench for a moment before deciding on his next move.
To his surprise, she gave him an explanation that made perfect sense. “I have a bad habit of being late; that’s why I don’t plan parties too far in advance. I’ll just be late and miss out the fun! So I just throw them whenever I want!” Pinkie proclaimed, with a huge smile to match her outgoing personality.
Phoenix studied her for a moment, starting to think that perhaps the pink earth pony wasn’t so bad after all. “That says a lot about you… I thought you were a bit annoying at first, but I can see now that you’re just, uh…” the human lawyer paused, trying to find the right words. “A free spirit! Your heart’s definitely in the right place though; you remind me a lot of a girl I know,” he told her with an almost wistful grin, thinking Pinkie and Maya would get along swimmingly.
Her cheeks turned a deeper pink. “Awwwww… thanks Feenie!” she said with a sweet smile, surprising him with an affectionate and unmistakably equine nuzzle of his cheek.
Said cheek warmed at that. Well, at least one pony in this world likes me! he thought, deciding to reach up and chance a scratch of her ears in return. Her eyes widened and then narrowed in pleasure as she felt his hand find the sensitive flesh at the base of her ears, marveling at what he could do with his fingers. Suddenly disinclined to move, she lay down on the bench beside him and rested her head on his leg. Though a little discomfited by that, Phoenix decided to just go with it—if nothing else, he’d finally found a way to keep her quiet for a bit!
They stayed like that for several minutes as Phoenix enjoyed the first real moments of relaxation he’d had in Equestria since arriving, the human lawyer idly running his fingers through her mane hair—it even almost felt like cotton candy!—Pinkie all but melting under his ministrations, humming to herself happily, blue eyes closed. These ponies may not be animals like the horses I know, but they’ve still got the weak spots of one! Phoenix noted, gratified. For her part, Pinkie was in heaven as he expertly worked between her ears, thinking she was going to have to throw him one of her extra-super-duper-special-parties for this!
“So… what do you think happened, Pinkie Pie?” Phoenix asked after another minute had passed, looking up at the sky again and noticing a large cloud positioned to the south of the town, seemingly growing by accretion as smaller ones were pushed into it.
“Hmm?” Pinkie almost sleepily tilted her head up at Phoenix.
“The crime I mean… what do you think really happened?” he clarified, trying to see what was pushing the clouds together. Are those pegasi? he squinted at the small multicolored dots he could just see darting around the main cloud periphery.
“Let me think… OH! OH! OH! I KNOW!” she blurted out, pulling his attention back down.
“Hm?” Phoenix prepared to hear what’s on Pinkie’s mind…
“Maybe… just maybe… Rainbow Dash…” Pinkie paused dramatically, rolling over onto her back but keeping her head on propped on Phoenix’s leg. He stiffened a bit at her pose, mildly relieved her fluffy tail was pushed up between her legs, covering up what might otherwise have been seen.
“Yes…?” Phoenix held his breath, wondering if he was about to regret asking, trying not to look down her belly—personal modesty was apparently an unknown concept in Equestria, he was quickly learning.
“Maybe she has an evil twin sister nopony knows about! Yeah! So there are two Rainbow Dashes! One good and one evil!” Pinkie proclaimed, certain she had it.
Even after all he had seen and heard from her, Phoenix was still struck speechless for a moment. “Double Rainbow Dash?” was all he could say, thinking that he wasn’t certain this world could accommodate two of the cocky pegasi… or two Pinkies, for that matter!
“All the way! That would be so intense!” Pinkie claimed further, splaying her fore and hind legs in excited gestures while still looking up at him from her back.
Phoenix sensed there was little point in trying to reason with her, but tried anyway, deliberately looking away as he spoke. “Don’t you think someone would notice two Rainbow Dashes by now? All those colors, they’d stick out. An evil twin sister nobody knows about doesn’t seem plausible,” he logically analyzed her speculation, though he did find himself amused at a sudden image of an orange-furred version of the cyan pegasus with a mobster-like scar on her face…
She shook her head, her fluffy mane brushing over his lap, giving him a squint-eyed look. “No, Feenie, I think I’m onto something here! We have to find that bad Rainbow Dash before she strikes again! Let’s call her… ‘Wob Niar’!” she declared.
“’Wob Niar’? But that’s just~” Phoenix gave up at that moment, letting out another sigh. Why am I even arguing about this? he wondered, turning his attention to her chin. She fell silent again as her mouth lolled open, all but drooling as he scratched there—she had no idea that could feel so good!
As she leaned her head back further to stretch out her neck and chin for his pleasuring fingers, her slitted eyes suddenly spotted something approaching. “Hey, Feenie! Look there!” Pinkie pointed with a hoof behind her.
“Huh?” Phoenix looked to his left where she was pointing and his jaw dropped open yet again upon seeing a grey pegasus with a blonde mane flying—yes, flying!—towards them.
“Hey! You two! Did you by any chance receive a letter not posted to you?” the newcomer asked, coming to a halt and lighting in front of them, her wings folding to her sides.
Phoenix was doubly surprised—it was the first time he’d actually seen a pegasus fly, and by her… “WHOA! I-I-I-I… EYES!” he exclaimed, seeing her yellow-orange pupils were pointed in two wildly different directions.
“Huh?” The grey pegasus started to hover in place with a forehoof touched to her chin, a confused look on her face.
“Uh… have you seen an optometrist about that?” he suggested weakly, unable to look away.
“Op-tommy-trist?” the gray pegasus repeated, clearly not knowing what the word meant.
“Feenie!” Pinkie elbowed him sharply in the stomach with the knee of her foreleg, a warning note in her voice.
“OOF! O-oh, I mean eye-I mean… uh… m-me no see letter?” Phoenix finally managed to spit out some words.
“That's just great…” the pegasus pony sighed in disappointment, taking on a drooping pose as she hovered.
“What's the matter?” Pinkie sat up and asked her.
She rolled her eyes—sort of. “Some airhead gave an important letter to the wrong pony and I’m trying to track it down…” the grey pegasus replied while Phoenix continued gawking at her, unable to look away. I can’t stop looking into those entrancing eyes… can she see all around her? Maybe she can even see through the very fabric of time and space! he reasoned.
As he stared, she turned his attention to him, lighting on the ground again. “Hey! I know you!” The grey pegasus said, taking a close look at the weird-looking pony… or rather, the person she remembered from the trial.
The human lawyer grinned at that. “Hmph, Guess my reputation precedes me!” Phoenix said with a little boasting in his voice, thinking that given the pegasus mare’s apparent slowness, she’d be impressed by him. “I’m Phoenix Wright, best attorney in the~”
She cut him off before he could finish, rearing up and splaying her wings in excitement. “You’re that big loser lawyer from Rainbow Dashie’s trial!” she teased, causing Phoenix’s jaw to drop open again.
Pinkie jumped up and down in excitement on the bench beside him. “Hey! You’re famous, Feenie! I wish I could have seen you in action!” the pink party pony said, suddenly wishing she hadn’t overslept.
I think the word you’re looking for is ‘infamous’, Phoenix facepalmed, relieved Pinkie hadn’t been there or he feared he really wouldn’t have a single friend in Equestria.
The newcomer didn’t let up. “Remember the part when you didn’t know pegasi can move clouds? Oh, how I laughed and laughed!” the skew-eyed pegasus mare giggled, a goofy and silly look on her face.
Except I wasn’t laughing… the human lawyer cringed, his ears and cheeks burning with remembered embarrassment and humiliation at getting dressed down by The Judge, Twilight, and Trixie in turn. “Look, I was just under-prepared. And in case you haven’t noticed by me not being a pony, I’m not from around here… who are you anyway?” he asked the ditzy-looking pegasus—there really wasn’t another way to describe her, he mentally apologized.
“The name’s Derpy Hooves!” she told him, offering him a hoofbump.
Phoenix was appalled. That’s kind of a cruel name! he thought as he returned the gesture. “Well, Der~”
“Feenie! No! Stop!” Pinkie cut Phoenix off with a hoof over his mouth before he could say anything else. “Uh, give us a second, will you?” she said to Derpy, who didn’t seem to mind.
Phoenix was confused as Pinkie insistently dragged him twenty feet away by his jacket sleeve, leaving him wondering again how in the name of Equestria she could grip something with her hoof? “What's wrong, Pinkie?” Phoenix asked, bending down and whispering when she motioned him to.
“Don’t say her name!” Pinkie warned him, also in a whisper.
Phoenix blinked again. “Huh? Why not?”
“Because she’s really, really, really, REEEAAAALLLLY sensitive about it! Don’t say her name, whatever you do!” she warned him again.
“I think it’s kind of a harsh name, but she seems okay with it. Listen to that upbeat oblivious voice!” he motioned over to Derpy, who was humming a happy little tune to herself.
Pinkie shook her head sharply. “No, no, no, no, no! Just trust me on this one,” she insisted.
Phoenix let out another sigh. He still didn’t understand, but if Pinkie of all ponies was telling him this, he decided there was probably a good reason. “Fine, I don’t see what the big deal is though…” he whispered back before turning back to the grey pegasus mare.
“Okay! We're done!” Pinkie calls out to Derpy.
“Right-O!” Derpy shot back.
“Well, Der~… er… I mean… blonde-maned pony…! What did you think of the trial?” Phoenix asked, as she resumed her hovering, her powers of flight fascinating him anew.
She gave him an odd look, hovering again. “Blonde-maned pony…? Didn’t I tell you my name?” Derpy squinted at Phoenix, almost looking offended.
“Uhh… I… uhh…” he glanced at Pinkie, who gave him another sharp, almost pleading shake of her head.
“Yes?” Derpy awaited his reason…
“I… uh…”
“Yeeeesssss?” she challenged, now hovering nose-to-nose with him and starting to look angry.
Come on, Phoenix, say something, anything! he told himself. “I… uh, really l-like your mane…?” was all he could come up with.
Her misaligned eyes lit up at the compliment. “Oh really? I did it up all nice this morning!” Derpy tossed her head to flick her mane back and forth, showing off how silky smooth it was…
“Yeah, it really looks… good…” Phoenix agreed quickly, relieved it had actually worked.
Derpy beamed. “Thanks! I’d say something about your hair, but it really just looks like you stood in front of a fan for a long time!” she grinned causing Phoenix’s feelings to sink like a rock
Is this what I get for being nice? he groused, wishing he could find just ONE pony who liked his hair… but that was a forlorn hope, he was only too certain...“I’d like to hear about what you thought of the trial… since apparently you were there?” Phoenix asked her again, suddenly wondering what her multi-bubble cutie mark was supposed to mean.
She nodded. “I was there alright! It was… oh! Hey! I know. I’ll tell you in poem! I’ve been told I’m a really great poet when reciting the mail carrier code.” Derpy claimed.
“What…?” Phoenix raised a very skeptical eyebrow, bracing himself for something very bad…
Derpy flung her mane to the side, cleared her throat and recited a rhyme:
If you want my opinion, you really did suck.
Mister Beard was indecisive and fickle,
Fluttershy seems like she is in quite the pickle.
Little Applebloom heard that first bolt touch the ground,
But why didn’t the second bolt make a sound?
The prosecution’s put-downs were quite rich.
But honestly, she was being a big stuck-up…
Meanie…”
“Bravo! That was really good!” Pinkie praised, rearing up and clopping her hooves together appreciatively.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Derpy tossed her head to and fro, like she was accepting acclaim from an adoring audience.
For his part, Phoenix was surprised and genuinely impressed. “Actually, it really wasn’t that bad…” he admitted, finding it a little cutting but an otherwise excellent lyrical summary of the morning’s events. True, the insults were there, but he no longer really minded—he did suck during the trial, and there was no denying it, even to a pony like Derpy. Things will be different tomorrow, he promised himself again.
“I better be off now… I’ll be in deep doo-doo if I don’t find that letter!” the skew-eyed mail mare told them both, flaring her wings and preparing to leave.
“Bye!” Pinkie said to Derpy, waving a hoof at her.
“Bye!” she waved back. “Oh! And by the way, I should warn you two—there’s a nasty unicorn calling ponies terrible names out and about,” Derpy said ominously, sitting back on her haunches with a distressed look like she’d already been on the receiving end of the name-calling.
The human lawyer’s lips tightened at that. I have a feeling that’s our lovely prosecutor… he guessed, not sure what he would do if he encountered Trixie outside the courtroom… or worse, what she might do to him without Twilight’s protection.
She nodded, satisfied. “Just thought I’d warn you. See ya!” Derpy said, flying off to find her misplaced mail.
“So, did you get what you wanted from that hotel?” Pinkie asked as the odd grey pegasus passed out of sight, hopping back up on the bench to place herself more at his standing level.
“Yeah, it should come in handy tomorrow,” Phoenix replied, reviewing the resignation half-letter and list of names that Pinkie had found. “I still wonder why Sonata didn’t have us arrested though…” he pondered, scratching his chin again.
“Maybe she likes you!” Pinkie suggested—he was so funny and so much fun to hang around with, how could anypony NOT like Feenie, the pink party pony wondered, especially given what he could do with his hands and fingers? Wonder how else he could use them…?
“I… highly doubt that; she was shooting daggers at me with her eyes.” Phoenix remembered, suppressing another shiver.
Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Oooo… I must have been looking the other way when that happened! That must have been so cool! I wish I could shoot daggers from my eyes!” she said with a wistful grin.
To his surprise, Phoenix found himself more amused than annoyed by the party pony’s antics now. I think she’s actually kind of growing on me! “It’s a metaphor, Pinkie. But it sort of does look that way… just look at my suit!” Phoenix checked the rip on his underarm, feeling quite depressed about it.
“You’re still upset about that?” Pinkie asked, not understanding why he was making such a big deal out of it.
“Of course I am! This is the only one I have on me! I can’t walk into court with a ripped suit; I’ll look so unprofessional…” Phoenix said, almost mournfully.
“You could just go naked like me…” Pinkie suggested in perfect seriousness, making the human lawyer’s eyes bulge out.
“GAAHH!!! ARE YOU CRAZY!? I’m not gonna show up in court NAKED!” he yelled at Pinkie through bright red cheeks, suddenly reliving a recurring nightmare where he’d done just that… as well as another variation where he made an objection only to realize he’d forgotten his pants.
“Why not? Everypony else does it!” Pinkie noted, wondering why he always wore clothes and suddenly curious about what he looked like under his suit.
“Uh… it’s…” Phoenix had no idea how to explain human nudity taboos, but fortunately, he didn’t have to as Pinkie had another idea.
“Oh! Hey! I know who can fix that for you in a jiffy!” she remembered.
“Well, it’s better than going to court in my birthday suit…” he muttered, still feeling a little freaked over the suggestion. “Okay, then—who can fix this for me?”
“Rarity can!” Pinkie replied immediately.
“’Rarity’?” he repeated, trying to picture the pony that would possess such a name. “I guess we can make a detour to get this repaired. I feel awkward with this hole in my armpit,” Phoenix said, raising his arms and looking over his ‘hole’ of a problem…
“Carousel Boutique is over yonder, Feenie! VROOM VROOM!!!” As Phoenix watched, Pinkie raced off down the street like the Road Runner would out of the old cartoons he had watched as a kid…
“H-HEY! Stop running ahead of me like that!” he called after the speeding pony, just hoping that this ‘Rarity’ really could get his suit patched up before the trial restarted the next day…
June 10th, 2:20 PM
Despite his best efforts and constant calls for her to slow down, Phoenix fell behind the pink party pony as she bounded along, finding it all he could do to keep her in view. Spotting her as she entered a circular two-story building that he couldn’t tell from the outside was a home or business, the human lawyer finally stumbled into inside a minute later to find Pinkie already there, a bell going off as he opened the door. “What took ya, Feenie?” a smiling Pinkie asked in perfect innocence while lounging on a plush purple couch reading a fashion magazine, leaving Phoenix no idea whether she was playing a joke on him or not.
As he caught his breath, he scanned the interior, realizing it was a place of business—a dressmaking shop of all things; very odd, since he’d rarely seen ponies wearing clothes outside of uniformed guards (he cringed again at the memory of what their uniforms didn’t cover). On the periphery of the room, he saw several carousel ponies stuck on an iron poles like on a merry-go-round back home—clearly the inspiration for the name of the shop—and that the entire interior was very tastefully appointed in a pink-and-purple motif, filled with mirrors, frilly decorations and dressy décor.
Wow, this place is really… posh. Probably reflects the owner's personality… Phoenix gawked, gazing upon the fabulousity before him. To his surprise, he also noticed entire chests full of what appeared to be precious stones, containing everything from rubies and emeralds to diamonds and other valuable gems that were very rare back on earth. Remarkably, whoever ran the business appeared to actually use them in her dressmaking, judging by the displays in the front window, leaving him wondering how anyone—anypony, he’d get it eventually, he promised himself—could afford to be so generous.
Just then, a white-furred unicorn mare with a violet mane and tail entered the parlor from an adjacent room. “Oh? Visitors,” she said with what he could only describe as an upscale, cosmopolitan accent and a friendly smile.
Phoenix’s eyes widened when he got a good look at her. WHOA! A marshmallow pony! was the only description he could come up with of the unicorn mare in front of him, admiring her immaculate white coat that had the exact same color and texture of his favorite childhood confection, her impeccably groomed and curled violet mane and tail, and three-diamond cutie mark adorning her flank.
The white pony’s smile disappeared as she recognized Pinkie, almost sounding disappointed. “Oh. It’s just you, Pinkie Pie, and…” her sapphire-blue eyes widened when she spotted Phoenix. “OH!”
“That’s Feenie!” Pinkie introduced him with a nod.
“WAAAHHAHHAHHH!!!” the white pony shrieked at Phoenix, taking a step back from him as if recoiling in fear.
Phoenix stiffened at that. “Wh-what’s the matter?!” he asked, uncertain what set her off—he’d been gawked at plenty, but he hadn’t yet encountered a pony actually afraid of him!
“That… that hair!” she said, gaping at his head.
Phoenix sighed and his shoulders slumped, deciding there was no point in fighting it. “Go ahead… just make fun of me… I’ve actually gotten used to it,” he told her in resignation. “So what’s it going to be this time? ’Why is there a hedgehog sleeping on your head?’ That one’s always a classic.” he suggested bitterly, remembering a particularly hated insult he heard constantly from his law school classmates in college.
To his surprise, she batted her long eyelashes at him and gave him a winning look. “Make fun of it? Whatever do you mean? I think it’s FABULOUS!” she proclaimed with a starry-eyed smile, leaning forward and stretching her neck out as if to get a closer look.
Phoenix fell speechless for a moment, his jaw dropping open. “Huh? Y-you mean… you like it?” he asked her, certain he’d heard her wrong.
“Like it? Like it? I LOVE it!” she announced, raising her hoof to her head as if to shield her eyes from being blinded by its sheer fabulousity. “It’s so dynamic! So intense! So DARING! It just screams at me… uh… what's the phrase I’m looking for…?” she pondered while examining Phoenix.
“Uh… ‘Take That’?” Phoenix offered the phrase, feeling almost heady.
She blinked. “Take that? YES! It screams… ‘TAKE THAT world! I can handle anything you send my way!’ she proclaimed with a puffed-out chest, and Phoenix all but swore he could hear a dramatic musical score playing in the background, standing up a little straighter himself for it. “Why, you MUST tell me who does your hair! I’d like to use the style on some of my customers!” the white mare implored him, genuinely thinking it was the most outstanding hair/mane style she’d ever seen in her life.
“I sort of just style it myself in the mirror,” Phoenix replied with a goofy grin and hand behind his head, feeling his cheeks warm at the praise behind heaped upon him.
“Then you have natural talent at this!” she told the human lawyer, all but fawning over him.
“Heh, thanks, uh… you’re making me blush!” he told her giddily, his cheeks now fully flushed from her constant compliments.
“Oh, and that MARVELOUS royal blue suit of yours! I’m more partial to purple myself, but after setting my eyes on such a sophisticated, elegant suit like this, I might change my mind!” she told him, circling the human lawyer to look at it from multiple angles. “It has so much character in it! It boldly proclaims to the world…” she trailed off again. “Uh… help me out here! What’s the way to say it?” she again asked Phoenix for advice.
“’Hold it’?” Phoenix suggested humbly.
Her sapphire blue eyes widened. “Why, yes… THAT’S IT! ‘HOLD IT! I’m a figure of great importance and you WILL listen to what I have to say!’” Phoenix felt his chest puff out and heart swell in pride at her endless flattery, seeing himself just as she described—a righter of wrongs, a finder of truth, a defender of justice and protector of the innocent. Without thinking, he put his hands on his hips, baring his armpits just as Rarity was walking around his left side.
It was then she noticed it… the one thing that all tailors feared to see happen to one of the most magnificent pieces of clothing they had ever seen in their lives. “WAIT! WHAT’S THIS?!” she gaped.
“What’s wrong?” Phoenix asked, worried he’d somehow offended her.
“THERE’S A GIANT HOLE IN YOUR SUIT!!!” she shouted in horror, pointing with a hoof at his armpit.
“Yup! Yup! That’s what we came here for, Rarity!” Pinkie said to the white pony, confirming to Phoenix the identity of the white unicorn mare before her. The human lawyer decided that the name definitely suited her—between her looks and evident personality, she was a rare one indeed!
Rarity started pacing back and forth for a moment, almost fuming. “This will not do! This will simply NOT do at all! We can’t have you walking around with this GAPING hole in your suit! It’s an undignified spit in the face of fashion!” the white unicorn mare pronounced, sounding just like a true fashionista.
Her vehemence caught him off-guard. “Really? I don’t like this hole either… but it isn’t that big…” Phoenix suggested, but the dressmaking mare shook her heard sharply, her jaw set in a determined line.
She shook her head sharply. “No! No! It’s positively HUGE! Give it here RIGHT now; I MUST fix your suit!” she demanded, her horn flaring in her own distinctive sapphire-blue aura, startling the human lawyer by beginning to undress him, popping the buttons on his suit front and all but yanking the jacket off his back. For a single, panicked moment he thought she wasn’t going to stop there, but once the jacket was off she merely floated it away, positioning it over an elevated work area in the corner. “And since you’re such a sharp dresser and a fantastic stylist—I’ll do it free of charge!” she announced, pulling several drawers and containers open with her magic, pulling out various implements and assembling them by his waiting jacket.
“Okay, if you're offering,” Phoenix wasn’t about to argue with someone who could unclothe him with a mere thought, letting the fashionista pony do her thing. Good thing I hadn’t torn my pants as well…! he thought a little nervously, having sudden visions of himself stripped naked in her zeal to repair his clothes...
“Now Mr. Feenie, let’s talk! I would very much like to know more about you! I do enjoy some friendly discourse while I’m working.” Rarity offered as she got started on her sewing, Phoenix watching in fascination as she expertly threaded a needle with her magic, even though her eyes were on him and not on her work.
“But you’re sewing… don’t you need to concentrate?” he asked, concerned she’d butcher his suit if she wasn’t giving it her undivided attention.
She gave him a reassuring grin. “Stitching is second nature to me, and this is such a simple job. Multitasking is my middle name after all!”
“Really? I always thought it was ‘Tabitha’,” Pinkie recalled, as Rarity visibly rolled her eyes for Pinkie not getting the verbal figure of speech.
“Okay, then!” Phoenix found a low stool and sat down on it to watch the show, amazed at the display of choreographed needlework he saw before him, the white unicorn seamstress simultaneously holding up and moving his jacket and several sewing elements independently at once, repairing his suit with a practiced, precise dance of needle, fabric and thread. Her magical aura was a sapphire-blue that matched her eyes and cutie mark; it struck him as odd but apt how the apparent ‘color’ of unicorn magic tended to match their appearance in some way. “Oh and… please don’t call me ‘Feenie’. One pony calling me that is more than enough…” Phoenix winced, wishing he never had to hear that nickname again. Well, maybe it’s okay coming from Pinkie…
Rarity gave him an inquisitive look. “What shall I call you, then?” she asked.
“My name is Phoenix Wright, Attorney at Law,” he introduced himself formally, giving her a short bow, resisting the temptation to give her a business card.
Her eyes went wide in recognition. “Oh, I see! So you must be the human attorney Twilight hired!” Rarity guessed.
Well, I’m a hairless ape wearing a business suit… what else COULD I be? “Yeah, that’s me,” he confirmed, keeping his thoughts to himself.
“You have been quite the talk of the town since this morning,” Rarity started to relate the gossip she had heard, looking upon him with great interest.
“I have?” he held his breath, certain it wasn’t in a good way.
She nodded. “Very much so! News around Ponyville travels exceptionally fast, being so small and such. I’ve heard that Twilight actually brought you here from a whole other world!” Rarity said in excitement.
Phoenix swallowed at that, hoping she hadn’t also heard what he’d done to Fluttershy, lest she take it out on his suit… or on him. “Yeah, that’s true.” Phoenix confirmed with a cautious nod, watching in rapt fascination as the needle continually darted in and out of his jacket armpit, already having worked halfway through the length of the tear.
“Oh, how rude of me, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Rarity. Or ‘Miss Rarity’ if you prefer…” she said, sketching a bow to him in return and offering him her hoof in greeting.
Instead of simply bumping it, the human lawyer grasped it gently and bent over to lay a kiss on it, somehow sensing that was the more apropos greeting for the pony… no, the lady before him, he quickly corrected himself. “Very nice to meet you, Miss Rarity,” Phoenix responded politely, giving her manicured hoof a squeeze before releasing it. He was momentarily worried he’d gone too far with the gesture, but to his relief, Rarity looked both surprised and charmed at his actions, a hint of a flush in her white cheeks. “I have to say, of all of Twilight’s friends I’ve been introduced to… you seem the most mature,” he admired her, noting her effortless elegance and poise, to say nothing of her passion for her work. She was certainly easy on the eyes too, even for a pony…
Her blush deepened at that—how did ponies actually blush through their fur, the question finally occurred to him? “You don’t say,” she found her voice again, still getting over the shock and delight of being given a royal greeting—by a human from a different world, no less! “Well I must admit there's no surprise about that. While many of my friends may act barbaric and immature—no offense Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said in aside to her earth pony friend.
“None taken!” Pinkie replied from the sofa with her signature smile, giggling a bit at her friend’s reaction, knowing that by treating Rarity like a princess, Phoenix had just made a friend for life.
“Rarity, on the other hoof, conducts herself like a proper lady…” the elegant unicorn mare announced, taking on a regal pose. And it’s so her, Phoenix couldn’t help but think, having no trouble seeing Rarity as the talk of the town, a girl on the go… the type of pony everypony should know, the phrase somehow suggested itself, the human lawyer surprised that he could come up with such a smooth-sounding rhyme.
“But back on the subject of this ‘other world’ you’re from… Could you do me a favor, Mr. Wright?” Rarity asked her otherworldly guest.
“And what would that be?” Phoenix asked curiously, thinking that he certainly owed her one for her flattery and generosity in fixing his suit.
“Are there ponies where you come from?” Rarity asked.
He blinked at that, uncertain why she would be asking. “Yeah, there are…”
“Excellent!! Before you go back—to your world I mean—I want to give you some of my concepts!” Rarity stated.
“Your… concepts?” Phoenix gave her a slight sidewise look, waiting for her to elaborate.
She nodded. “Yes. For you see, I am a designer and an entrepreneur of sorts. I would like you to give my work to some of the ponies you know and ask for their opinions on them. This could really help me expand my business!” she told him, touching a hoof to her chest. “Please do tell them to be honest though, I really need some constructive criticism,” Rarity asked the favor, a bit excited and nervous upon doing so.
Phoenix hesitated. “I’ll have a little trouble doing that…” he began, not knowing quite how to explain there was something different about the ponies of his own world, namely… “They don't talk.”
Rarity looked shocked at the news, raising a dainty forehoof off the floor, looking frozen in mid-step. “They don’t talk? My word… what a strange world you come from, Mr. Wright. Mute ponies… and none of them can fly or use magic?” she asked further.
He shook his head, feeling embarrassed. “They don’t do that either… they just sort of sit in petting zoos and perplex. And they kinda smell…” Phoenix hated to burst her bubble, but also didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t keep.
Rarity looked like she wasn’t certain what to think. “My, my, my. Perhaps they just need a highly cultured pony from Equestria, such as myself, to teach them some proper manners and etiquette,” she suggested, taking on a regal pose again.
“Or a rockin’ party to liven ‘em up!” Pinkie suggested as well, a sudden explosion of confetti erupting from somewhere behind her.
“Yeah, sure…” Phoenix realized he wasn’t going to be able to make them understand how the horses of his world weren’t intelligent without a lot of additional and occasionally uncomfortable details, so instead of trying to explain he simply changed the subject. “So if you’re friends with Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie here… you must be friends with Rainbow Dash?” he asked Rarity
Her expression dropped a bit. “Why, yes. Yes I am, Mr. Wright,” the white unicorn mare told him, suddenly subdued.
“And you’re aware of what's happening to her right now?”
“Yes, I am…” she confirmed with a slightly sad look on her face.
“Don’t worry Rarity! Feenie and I are hot on the trail of “Wob Niar”!” Pinkie announced, standing up and saluting like a soldier.
“’Wob Niar’?” Rarity tilted her head while Phoenix facepalmed.
“Yeah! It’s Rainbow Dash’s evil twin sister that nopony knows about!” Pinkie claimed, still stuck on that ridiculous story that she made up (or maybe not).
Rarity looked surprised. “Rainbow Dash has a twin sister? I didn’t know that…”
“Of course you didn’t! Didn’t you catch the “nopony knows about” part? You’re a pony and you don’t know, see?” Pinkie said, trying to make more sense of it than it could possibly could.
“Pinkie… there is no evil twin sister!” Phoenix insisted before turning back to the fashionista. “But Rarity… I don’t recall seeing you at the trial today. Were you there?” he asked, certain he’d have remembered seeing such a striking pony in the gallery.
The unicorn mare suddenly wore a chagrined look. “I wanted to go to the trial, really I did, but I couldn’t make it…” she told Phoenix, looking downcast.
“Why not? Pinkie Pie was late and missed it because she slept in or something; I’m sure you have a better reason?” Phoenix asked a little over-dramatically.
“Heeeeey!” Pinkie yelled, almost feeling insulted. He gave her a quick wink to tell her he was teasing.
Rarity smiled a bit, but only briefly. “Well, you see… I was expecting a package today that I’ve been really anxious to get my hooves on,” she began.
“What was it?” he asked, genuinely curious—given her obvious generosity and fastidious attention to detail, she didn’t seem the type to neglect her friends.
“A shipment of imported perfume. It was supposed to be here on my doorstep this morning. So I went to the post office to ask why it hadn’t arrived, expecting to be in and out in two shakes of a lamb’s tail,” Rarity explained.
Phoenix winced, guessing he was about to hear the Equestrian equivalent of a post-office horror story. “And it didn’t go that way, I’m guessing…”
“No…” Rarity fell silent for a moment, only to slowly begin to turn red; Phoenix had a sudden and very uncomfortable feeling like he was staring down the throat of a volcano about to erupt. But even forewarned, nothing in his entire life or career as an attorney had prepared him for what happened next…
“THE LINE WAS SO LONG! IT WAS HOT AND STIFLING, NO AIR CIRCULATION WHATSOEVER! SOME FOAL WAS CRYING AND BLUBBERING THE ENTIRE TIME! THE ENTIRE TIME! ‘WAHHHH! WAHHHH!!’! I TRIED TO LOVE AND TOLERATE IT, BUT IT WOULDN’T STOP!!!!!!”
Phoenix was nearly knocked backwards off his stool from the sheer force of her verbal explosion, listening in aghast amazement as she continued—he had never heard any person or pony complain and WHINE as much as that!
“THERE WAS ONLY ONE PEN, AND THE PONY IN FRONT OF ME WAS WRITING A NOVEL OR SOMETHING WITH IT! I WAS SITTING THERE FOR HALF AN HOUR WAITING FOR HER TO FINISH SO I COULD SIGN THE DUMB PAPERWORK THEY WANTED ME TO SIGN! WHY AREN’T THERE MORE PENS!? TELL ME, WHY… AREN’T… THERE… MORE… PENS!!?? IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DREADFUL! I NEVER WANT TO SEE THAT PLACE AGAIN!!!!!”
I think I’m gonna need to change my pants now… Phoenix thought weakly as Rarity finished her epic rant. The human lawyer was in a state of shock and terror at the intensity of her outburst, fearful not just for himself but for the fate of his suit, noticing the needle was darting about and through it more sharply and quickly now.
But as quickly as the white unicorn mare had lost her temper, she regained it, clearing her throat and continuing on calmly. “*Ahem* Excuse me, yes, I got a tad frustrated and lost my composure while waiting in that line. All I wanted to do is inquire where my package was…”
A TAD?! It sounded like you were having an aneurysm!! Phoenix sat frozen in place, afraid to move, not certain the coast was clear. He glanced over at Pinkie, who looked remarkably unperturbed, even nodding in mild amusement like she’d seen this from Rarity before.
The Fashionista pony began to pace again, her hoof-falls coming heavier in reflection of her anger. “Once you’re in that line, there’s no going back! It’s like they intentionally trap you! Forced to endure that tedious slow-moving line, watching ponies write their life stories with that ONE PEN—WHY DON’T THEY STOCK MORE PENS?!” she began to rant again, stamping her hooves down and making Phoenix cringe as her aura picked up a pair of sewing scissors, certain his beloved blue suit was about to get cut up into ribbons. “But the worst is yet to come! They said they didn’t receive my perfume, making my trip all in vain!” Rarity announced with a dramatic facehoof, rearing up into an almost bipedal standing position.
“Wh-what do you mean by that?” Phoenix asked warily, a trickle of sweat going down his cheek as he watched the scissors cut off the end of the thread right against the fabric of his suit.
Rarity took another deep breath before continuing. “It was imported from across the sea. They said the shipment never arrived in Ponyville,” she explained.
“That’s a shame…” Phoenix said, not sure whether he felt more sorry for her of whatever hapless mail pony she’d berated for it—Maya and even Pearls sometimes whined to get their way, but Rarity was clearly in a class of her own!
She gave him an incredulous look. “A ’shame’? A SHAME?! I wasted an entire hour of my life at that horrible post office! That is why I missed the trial! Naturally I complained; I was so angry! I can’t believe them! The NERVE! Nopony should ever have to be put through the ordeal I have to suffer! I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy!!”
“Are you at least getting some form of compensation for this?” Phoenix hoped, thinking he might wish Rarity on some of his own…
She deflated at that. “No, not at all… at the very least, they said they’d put in another shipment for me. It will take another week to get here, though,” Rarity frowned at her misfortune… but then her eyes lit up as she got an idea. “Oh, I know! Mr. Wright, how about I give you a copy of my invoice?” she suggested, floating something out of what looked like a random pile of papers on a table that almost looked like some kind of arts-and-crafts area for children, slightly out-of-place in the otherwise impeccably organized store.
Already on edge, Phoenix tensed further upon hearing the word ‘invoice’. “What? I thought you weren’t charging me?” he started to panic, certain she wouldn’t accept his world’s currency and not even knowing what passed for money in this one.
She looked startled. “Oh! No. No, no, no. I mean the invoice for my perfume.”
That just confused Phoenix even more. “Why would I need that?”
“You are a lawyer, correct? Perhaps you can use it to sue that horrible post office for the emotional agonizing and distress I was put through today!” Rarity suggested as she floated the invoice to Phoenix, letting it settle in his lap.
“Uh… sure,” Phoenix decided he had best take it, lest he get assaulted with another terrifying rant or more irritating and outrageous whining. Then again, he thought, he did have constant money issues and civil litigation seemed to be where the real money in the legal business was found…
“You’ll show them, Mister Wright! THAT will teach them to put out more pens!” Rarity stated in satisfaction, making Phoenix give her a placating smile.
“Riiight…” he said agreeably, trying to mollify her. “So, tell me more about this perfume you ordered…?” he asked her, suddenly thinking that if he did need money before leaving this world, perhaps he could negotiate a settlement with the shipping company for her and settle his debts that way?
The fashionista pony perked up at that. “Oh my gosh, it is simply to die for, Mr. Wright!” she said, her expression turning almost dreamy. “Though, I’m not that familiar with its scent yet. It’s a rare fragrance after all. ‘Like morning dew on a blooming rose’—that's the slogan!” Rarity proudly announced.
Well, it’s certainly better than the slogan Maya thought up… Phoenix conceded, while somewhere at Earth… Maya’s ears starting burning while she ate a hamburger for lunch, certain Nick was thinking ill of her slogan. The teenaged spirit medium immediately vowed to march down to his office the next day and give him a piece of her mind for it… then channel her big sister Mia so she could as well!
Back in Equestria, Phoenix wondered why he had a sudden bad feeling about back home. “And you’re getting a whole shipment of it?” he asked Rarity, thinking she would have to be quite rich to be able to afford so much of that rare perfume. Then again, she does have all these gems…
“Just one bottle actually…” Rarity corrected.
Phoenix was surprised at that. “I’m looking at the invoice here and that’s a lot of zeroes for one bottle,” he told her, tapping the piece of parchment, wondering what the Earth/Equestrian exchange rate would be for a ‘bit’.
“It’s very long lasting, you see. The aroma lingers for days. One bottle can easily suffice for a year’s worth of use,” Rarity explained.
“You wanna wear perfume, Feenie? You know that’s for girls, right? I guess it would go with that badge you have,” Pinkie teased him back, causing Phoenix to groan again.
Rarity’s blue eyes locked on to his left jacket lapel. “You mean… this?” she raised the collar enough to present the heart-shaped badge pinned there.
He looked at it and sighed. “Yeah… that’s my Equestria Attorney Badge. Please tell me at least YOU think it looks as good as my hair and my suit?” Phoenix all but pleaded with her, hoping that if she loved his suit and hair, she might actually compliment the badge as well…
His heart sank when he saw her hesitate, like she was trying to find a way say something tactfully. “Compared to your suit and hair…” she paused, trying to find the right words only to realize there really were none. “Eh… the pink is too much, honestly…” she shook her head apologetically.
Phoenix ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. Even the citizens of this place can see this thing looks embarrassingly stupid! he growled to himself, vowing that before he left Equestria he’d have some choice words with whoever had made it for him. “And no, Pinkie, I didn’t want to wear the perfume! I was just wondering why it’s so darn expensive!” he proclaimed, but before he could turn and give the question to Rarity, she interrupted Phoenix herself.
“Now look at that! Your suit is as good as new!” Rarity floated him back his suit jacket, holding it up in the air like it was on a hanger.
Relieved, he reached up to grasp it, feeling a slight tingling sensation as his fingers passed through her visible aura—it wasn’t unpleasant, just a little odd, almost like a low-level electric current playing over his skin.
Her sapphire-blue aura dissipated as he accepted it, holding up the sleeve to study her work. “Oh wow! You did a really good job patching it up! I can’t even see where you sewed it!” Phoenix praised the talented young dressmaker for her outstanding skill on the needle and thread—if he’d had to have the job done back home, his tailor would have told him to leave it overnight and charged him an arm and a leg for it!
She blushed a bit at the compliment, picking the jacket back up with her magic and opening the front so he could simply turn around to put it on. “Please do take better care of your suit in the future, Mr. Wright. But if you have any more problems with it, don’t hesitate to come to me! I would be more than happy to take on such a fine work of art again!” she offered, completing her service by simultaneously running several lint brushes over suit and slacks.
He nodded quickly, wishing he could come to her for all his clothing needs at that point, idly wondering if Twilight could open a permanent portal between his office and Equestria so he could have all the good coffee, cupcakes, and suit-making services he needed. True, he’d have to endure an occasional rant from Rarity or randomness from Pinkie, but as he thought about it, he realized they were good people… er… ponies… and their personality quirks really weren’t much worse than those of the folks he knew back home. Wow… I think I’m actually starting to like this place! he abruptly realized. Of course, he’d have to make amends with Twilight first… “Thank you, you really helped me out of a jam. This is the only suit I have while I’m here in Equestria, you see,” he told her as she slipped his arms into the jacket, pulling it on.
Her eyeridges shot up. “Your only one?” Rarity repeated, then gasped. “IIIIIIDDDEEEEEAAAA!!” she exclaimed, making Phoenix start again. “How about I make you another one? Perhaps I can encrust the lapel with some rubies! Red and blue go well together, but topaz and amethyst might bring out the color of your eyes…”
Phoenix was about to say no, insisting she’d been generous enough and courtroom attire was generally too conservative to allow for him wearing a gem-encrusted suit (Redd White’s outfit at Maya’s murder trial notwithstanding), but Rarity didn’t give a chance. “Maybe some sunglasses would match the… dare I say it, ‘pizazz’ of that hair of yours! Royal blue really is your color, but maybe we can give you a suit of a nice purple or lavender! As I said, purple is my favorite color and you would look simply ravishing in it…!” she kept going on and on, clearly lost in the world of her own imagination, leaving Phoenix wondering whether she was trying to dress him for a trial or a date.
After a minute of non-stop stream-of-consciousness from the unicorn fashionista, he finally realized that she wasn’t going to stop and he wasn’t going to be able to get a word in edgewise. “Uh… she seems to have gone off on a tangent?” he turned to Pinkie, who at that moment seemed to him the saner of the two ponies.
To his surprise, she gave him a rather wry and knowing look. “Yeah… she’ll probably be like this for the next hour or so,” the pink pony spoke from what sounded like long experience as Rarity kept her monologue going in the background.
“Oh well… I don’t know where we should go next, though,” Phoenix wondered aloud as he refastened his jacket buttons.
“Fluttershy’s cottage!” Pinkie said immediately.
Both the answer and the certainty with which she delivered it caught him short. “Fluttershy’s cottage? Why do you want to go there?” he asked her curiously. It wasn’t part of the crime scene, and—his accusation of Fluttershy aside—he didn’t expect they would find any evidence there.
“I don’t want to go there, the script of the story says we go there to talk to someone, and then something strange happens!” she explained.
Yet again, Phoenix was caught off guard by her seemingly nonsensical statement. “Script? What script?” he asked, feeling like his head had just been yanked 180 degrees around.
“Duh! The one the author is following!”
Phoenix felt his headache starting to come back again. “Pinkie, what on earth are you talking about? What author? Like, those people who write novels or books?”
The pink party pony nodded eagerly. “Correct-a-mundo! I didn’t look too far into it since I don’t like spoilers. Y’know, they kinda ruin the fun of the story.”
Phoenix felt utterly lost. “What? You’re completely going over my head…” he complained, having no earthly (or Equestrian) idea what she was blabbering about.
In answer, she suddenly pulled out a modern human computer tablet from behind her back and made several rapid motions with her hoof across it, like she was flipping through the pages of an e-book. “Right here! It says I should be going to Fluttershy’s cottage so that’s where I’m gonna go! You should go too because it says you think: ‘Why does she always run ahead of me like that? I better follow her though’ and follow me!” she quoted. “Seeya there, Feenie!” With that, Pinkie stowed the tablet (where?) and took off, bounding out the door.
“Pinkie Pie! Wait!” Phoenix called out, but she was already out the exit and halfway across the road. He had to sigh at that, wondering if he’d ever fully understand her. Why does she always run ahead of me like that? I better follow her though… he decided, but then…
“W-WHA~?! HOW DID SHE DO THAT!?” he gaped.
With his mind slightly screwed… Phoenix ran off after her.
June 10th, 2:50PM
Phoenix finally caught up with Pinkie Pie at the fence of Fluttershy’s cottage five minutes later. Along the way, he noted the cloud he was studying earlier was now raining over the southwest part of Ponyville; he could feel a cool, moisture-laden breeze coming from that direction. Wow… they really DO control the weather! he marveled, taking a minute to catch his breath and watch the pegasi work.
Arriving at the country cottage, Phoenix was puzzled to find it unattended. I expected there to be police here looking into that feather, he thought as he turned to Pinkie Pie, who was idly but happily sniffing the well-tended flowerbeds that surrounded the house. “Why did you want to come here again?” he asked her slightly breathlessly, thinking he could forgo his gym workouts and just chase Pinkie for exercise.
The pink earth pony thought for a bit before answering. “You know what? I forgot!” she giggled.
Phoenix gave her a look, his irritation starting to grow again. “So, you just brought me here for no reason?” he asked her, annoyed at being pulled on a wild goose chase. He was about to say something more when a voice broke his train of thought.
“HEY! YOU!”
Phoenix froze when he heard an extremely familiar accent, quickly spinning around to see who was calling him. “Huh?”
“What in tarnation do you think yer’ doin’?!” His jaw dropped yet again when he saw yet another impossibly familiar person from his own world, this one an excitable young woman with an orange afro, green jacket and a white bandana who went by the name of Lotta Hart.
“N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT YOU!” Phoenix yelled, stumbling backwards in shock. A loudmouth with a short temper, Lotta was a tabloid photographer and wannabe photojournalist who had an annoying knack of being the wrong place at the right time and whose pictures had been at the center of several of his cases, causing him no end of grief. Alternating between shameless gold-digging and only occasionally being helpful, Phoenix generally avoided her like the plague.
His vision swam again, and just as Mia had turned into Sonata, Lotta turned into an unsmiling freckle-cheeked orange earth pony mare wearing a Stetson cowboy hat. “You got some serious horse apples showing yer face ‘round these parts after what ya’ did this mornin’! Why’ ah oughta’ knock you upside the head!” she declared while glaring at Phoenix, her accent sounding uncannily like Lotta’s.
“O-oh, you’re not-” he stammered in relief, picking himself back up off the ground. Another mistaken identity! he thought, trying to come up with an apology for his overreaction.
She didn’t give him a chance. “So tell me Mr. ‘Fancy Pants’ Lawyer… where do you get off goin’ ‘round accusing sweet-little-heart-a’-gold Fluttershy like that?!” she berated him in her country accent, anger flashing through her brilliant green eyes.
Phoenix was getting nervous. He’d gotten plenty of dirty looks, but no pony had actually confronted him over Fluttershy… until now. “Accusing Fluttershy? Well I-”
“Ferget it,” she cut him off with a wave of her hoof. “Ah already know why y’did it!”
Phoenix was flustered. “But you just said~”
“Ya’ did it t’buy Rainbow another day, didn’t’cha’?” she suggested.
Phoenix could only manage a weak nod, brushing himself off. “Well, yeah… I didn’t want to go and blame Fluttershy, but if I hadn’t, Rainbow Dash would be getting a really strong tan right now,” he said, offering up a weak joke.
“Ah know that! But lyin’ is still lyin’!” she said, pinning Phoenix with a soul-piercing glare.
He swallowed at the look she was giving him; despite his larger size she had the look of a workhorse, one strong enough to do some serious damage to him if she wanted to. And that was to say nothing of the massive russet-colored earth pony stallion standing next to her regarding the human lawyer with a mixture of curiosity and disdain, eying him over the hayseed in his mouth. “It’s what’s called a white lie… the ones that are for good intentions?” Phoenix offered, giving the pair a leery look.
The country mare was unimpressed. “Ah’m sure Fluttershy doesn’t appreciate yer… ‘white lie’,” she snapped back, making him feel ashamed and guilty over accusing the pink-haired pegasus all over again.
“Ah… look, I’m really sorry I did that to her, okay? Believe me, I didn’t want to. It wasn’t even really a lie; I just proposed the possibility of questioning Fluttershy’s alibi,” he rationalized, trying to make himself feel better more than the mare scolding him.
“Ali-bi?” The orange earth pony tried to repeat the unfamiliar word while tilting her head over, only to shake it as if to clear it. “Hey! Stop tryin’ t’ use yer fancy silver-tongue lawyer speak t’ confuse me!” she ordered the human attorney, looking even more annoyed with him.
He held his hands up in placation. “In any case, I’m going to make everything right tomorrow. By the way, you’re Applebloom’s sister, right?” Phoenix observed.
Her eyeridges shot up in surprise. “Huh? How‘d’ja know that?” she asked, tilting her head at him once more.
“Take a wild guess, pard’ner.” Phoenix mimicked her accent---he’d heard it often enough from Lotta to be able to.
Understanding dawned on her. “Oh, right, the accent… is it really that noticeable?” she asked with a wan grin, only to be caught short. “HEY! Are ya makin’ fun of the way ah speak?” she asked angrily, taking another step towards him.
His eyes widened at that. “N-no, of course not!” Phoenix assured her, deciding it would best to change the subject. “But who is this with you?” he turned his attention to the large red earth pony stallion with a sandy blonde mane standing beside her. He was wearing a yoke and pulling a cart loaded with what looked like a dissembled market stand and several baskets of produce—apples, carrots, celery stalks, colorful flowers too… he cataloged.
“I’m Big Macintosh… her brother…” the stallion said in a very deep, slow, but suave tone of a voice that Phoenix immediately thought would have the local ladies swooning over him if he were human. Wonder if it’s same for the mares here? Bet he has farm fillies and schoolteachers falling for him all the time… he guessed, feeling somewhat envious.
“Oh! So you’re siblings,” Phoenix had already guessed as much, noting the similarity in accent and cutie marks; the orange mare had three small red apples adorning her flank while the red stallion had a single large green apple that looked like it had been cut in half.
“Eeyup…” Big Mac replied in a very languid drawl.
“You BETTER make everythin’ right tomorrow. Or like Ah said, Ah’ll knock you upside the head!” the mare threatened, taking another step towards him.
Phoenix held up his hands defensively, afraid she wasn’t going to wait that long. “Don’t worry, me and Pinkie Pie here found some evidence that’s definitely going to come in handy.”
“Yup, that’s right, Applejack!” Pinkie confirmed, telling Phoenix the name of the orange earth pony.
Applejack turned her attention to her pink counterpart. “That reminds me… why weren’t ya’ at the trial today, Pinkie Pie? Between you, me and Rarity, Ah’m the only one who showed up,” she asked.
“I slept in!” Pinkie replied brightly, just as before.
The country mare fell silent waiting for Pinkie to say something more… “That’s it?” she finally said in disappointment, having—much like Phoenix when he was told—expected an explanation just slightly more profound.
“Yup!” Pinkie confirmed, never losing her grin.
“Dag nabit! Ya gotta have a better excuse than that!” Applejack sighed, shaking her head over Pinkie’s air-headedness as Phoenix nodded in agreement.
“Oh? Okay! I slept in an extra, EXTRA bunch!” Pinkie said with an extra, extra bright smile.
Applejack gave an extra, extra weary sigh.
“We spoke with Rarity… and she kind of… uh… got held up in traffic,” Phoenix offered on the fashionista’s behalf.
The country mare drew herself up straight and tall. “That just goes to show ya that Applejack is the most dependable pony there is! Always there rain or shine! Ah even got ah trophy t’ prove it… right Big Mac?” she asked, crossing her left front hoof over her right in what looked to Phoenix a very proud pose.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac confirmed.
A trophy for being dependable? Phoenix got a little depressed at that. I wish I had a trophy… I never even got one when I was in Little League… the human lawyer reminisced, thinking that the plaque he got for perfect attendance in grade school didn’t count. “So I know you’re Applebloom’s elder sister… but I don’t know anything about you besides that,” Phoenix noted, having only heard her name, not her background.
The orange earth pony mare grinned and drew herself up tall. “Name’s Applejack! Proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres!” she announced as proudly and nobly as she could, raising a hoof to tilt her Stetson hat to him in greeting; Phoenix all but swore he could hear a violin in the background playing a catchy country tune as her theme music.
“Sweet Apple Acres?” the human lawyer repeated, wondering if all the place names in Equestria were so self-descriptive.
“Oh yeah, y’all not from this neck of the woods, are ya’? It’s an apple farm run by the Apple family ten minutes due south of here,” Applejack said, nodding in the direction of the farm to Phoenix’s left, where the rain was still falling.
With a name like Applejack, I guess she was set up at birth to be put in that business! Phoenix thought, taking a liking to the orange earth pony despite her initial hostility. She was proud and plainspoken, seemed honest to the core, and he found her directness very refreshing—being a lawyer, it was all too often a rarity in the people he worked with or represented.
“Ah’m not here to talk about that though; have y’all seen that sister of mine?” the farm filly asked them both.
Phoenix shook his head. “No, last time I saw her was when she was on the stand today.”
“I’ve been with Feenie all day—oh! Except when I was asleep, then I was with General Cake and Major Muffin!” Pinkie declared.
A glance at Applejack told him she didn’t know what the party pony was talking about any more than he did. “Major… Muffin?” he had to ask, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Pinkie nodded eagerly. “I had a dream… where I was commanding a battalion of sweets fighting off an army of salad, asparagus and broccoli. It was like ‘Nutrition vs. Sweets’. I didn’t know which side to enlist on at first, but I ended up going to the tasty side! It was a grueling war, many gumdrops and chocolate chips lost their lives… but we TRIUMPHED in the end!” Pinkie detailed her dream, which just about turned Phoenix’s mind to mush.
Freud would have a field day with Pinkie Pie! the human lawyer knew, thinking the legendary father of psychoanalysis could have written entire books on her… or would have quit in frustration and disgust to become a bicycle salesman instead. “So, why are you looking for Applebloom?” Phoenix asked Applejack, deciding to return to a saner conversation.
The farm filly gave him an annoyed look. “She’s supposed to be servin’ her groundin’! Y’know, after going in that forest so late?” she clarified, waiting for Phoenix to nod his understanding. “But that little troublemaker ran off as soon as she was excused from th’ trial! She was supposed t’ wait for me!” Applejack shook her head in anger. “Oh, and by the way…” she paused as if remembering something. “Ah have t’ thank ya’, Phoenix Wright,” she said, suddenly favoring him with a smile.
He gave her a wary look. “Thank me? Weren’t you just threatening to ‘Knock me upside the head’ just a minute ago?’ he reminded her.
She shrugged. “Yeah… Ah still wanna do that… but Ah have to thank you for getting my little sister t’ tell the truth on that there stand this morning,” the orange earth pony explained.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.
You sure have an extensive vocabulary there, Big Macintosh, Phoenix noted while glancing at Applejack’s larger yet less talkative brother, idly wondering if they’d let him have an apple or carrot off the cart he was pulling—the sweets and coffee he’d had for lunch had been filling, just not that nutritious.
“Ah don’t know if Twilight told ya’, but Ah represent the ‘Element of Honesty’ and Ah would like t’ see mah kin follow suit, if y’ know what Ah mean.”
He really didn’t. “’Element of Honesty’?” Phoenix tilted his head at her.
“Yup! Mine’s Laughter; it’s like the best one ever!” Pinkie chimed in. “What’s the matter? Do you want an element too, Feenie? We can think of one for you!”
“Huh?” the party pony had completely lost him again.
“Uh, sugarcube… Ah don’t think it works like that…” Applejack offered on his behalf, but Pinkie had already taken the idea and was running with it.
“Hmmmm… what element could you be…” Pinkie studied him closely, a pink hoof on her chin. “OH! OH! OH! I got it!” she stood up with a salute. “Phoenix Wright, with his nifty do, represents the spirit of…” she paused for dramatic effect…
“HAIR GEL!!”
Phoenix’s face flushed again. No comment.
Sensing the human lawyer’s irritation, Applejack changed the subject back to her sister. “Ol’ beardy came by the farm and told me n’ Big Mac that he saw Applebloom with Twilight,” she remembered.
“’Ol’ Beardy’?” Phoenix grinned when it clicked who she was referring to, thinking he’d have to remember that one. “Oh, you must mean The Judge.” Wonder what he’s doing wandering around this place? Knowing how easily he’s amused or distracted, he’s probably having the time of his life here…
“Yeah. Him. Nice feller, that one. Ah wonder what Applebloom is doin’ with Twilight, though…” Applejack mused, sitting back on her haunches for a moment.
“Yeah, that’s a good question. Last I saw of her, Twilight she was peeved as you were at me about that little incident in the courtroom,” Phoenix told her a little sadly, crossing his arms and leaning back against a fencepost.
To his surprise, the orange earth pony gave him a sympathetic look. “Ah, she’ll get over it…” Applejack assured him, getting back up and walking towards the human lawyer. “That is… if you HONESTLY intend on setting things right… RIGHT!?” she emphasized her last word by poking a hoof into his midsection, just above his belt.
Phoenix swallowed another oof, wincing as she found the spot that Twilight had kicked the night before. “Of course I’ll set things right!” he promised her, resisting the urge to rub his abused belly, putting on a goofy grin. “My name is Phoenix ‘WRIGHT’ after all…”
Back in the court plaza, another rimshot played as the troupe began their next show.
His expression dropped as Applejack gave him a disgusted look. “That… wasn’t… funny…” she informed him with a scowl; he thought he might have seen Big Macintosh roll his eyes as well.
“Yeah, Feenie, you really need to have more variety…” Pinkie added, almost apologetically.
Am I the only one who thinks that joke is funny? he asked himself in frustration, thinking that if he ever had to leave his law practice, stand-up comedy probably wasn’t the way to go. Might be able to make a living as a poker player, though…
Applejack stepped back from the human lawyer, as if to study him. “Ya know… Ah may want to knock ya a new one… but Ah’ll be rootin’ for ya anyway. You’re Rainbow’s only hope right now and Ah hate to see her get banished… she doesn’t deserve that,” she told him, looking very sad for a moment.
He nodded, drawing himself up straighter. “I know for a fact that she didn’t kill anyone, and no matter what, I’ll make everyone see the truth,” Phoenix swore, promising to stick with his client to the very end.
“That’s the spirit! You maybe ain’t as bad as Ah’ made ya’ out t’ be,” Applejack said with a smile and an approving nod.
“Thanks,” he told her, starting to hope that maybe he could win folks back over after what he’d done that morning. “Actually… I’d like to confirm something, Applejack,” Phoenix said, going to a new topic.
“Shoot, pard’ner,” she said expectantly.
“About Applebloom… did she really arrive home when she said she did?” he asked, hoping for a no answer—then he’d be able to challenge Trixie’s timeline again.
To his disappointment, she nodded. “Yep! Ten after nine, that’s when she got home. She got a scoldin’ from Big Mac and me fer goin’ into that forest so late,” Applejack noted.
He raised a brow at that, glancing again at the quiet earth pony stallion. A scolding? From HIM? What did he do; ‘Eeyup’ her into submission?
“Why’d’ya ask?” Applejack said, pulling his attention back to her.
He sighed and rubbed his head. “It’s just that this… ‘second lightning bolt’ has been plaguing my mind. How is it both your sister and Fluttershy didn’t hear or see it?” he wondered aloud.
Applejack nodded slowly at that. “Ah was thinkin’ that Ace Pegasus fella intercepted it before it touched the ground, but… that makes one o’your, uh… ‘contra-fiction’ doohickeys…”
“Contra-fiction’? Oh, you mean contradiction…” Phoenix corrected her.
She nodded. “Yeah! One of those! Couldn’t have hit him because o’that suit.”
Phoenix nodded back, taking Mia's trademark crossed-arms-with-hand-on-chin pose. “I was thinking the same thing, but according to Rainbow Dash, that suit makes you completely invulnerable to lightning while in air…”
“Not t’ mention it would have made a sound, and left a mark, if it hit him on the ground where he was vulnerable… ugh!!!” Applejack shook her head to clear it. “All this thinkin’ makes mah head hurt…” she told him, taking her hat off and rubbing her forehead with a hoof for a moment, showing a mane of flowing blonde hair tied off at the end with a single red ribbon. Phoenix was surprised how much her appearance changed by removing the hat, instantly turning the farm filly from a workhorse into something much more unmistakably feminine…
His eyes widened when he realized where his thoughts had gone. Okay, I really HAVE been in this world too long! he decided, half-thinking he should visit an adult nightclub when he got back just to purge his mind of ponies. He’d just have to make sure Maya or Pearls didn’t find out…
He shook his head hard at that, disgusted with himself anew—focus, Phoenix! “I couldn’t hold a match to the prosecution today, but things are going to be different now that I’ve had time to get a better grasp of the situation,” he reassured the cowpony—was that even a word?—of the upcoming return to the trial.
Putting her Stetson back on, she stared at him for a few seconds before nodding, apparently satisfied with the determination she saw in his face. “I’m gonna hold ya t’ that, ya’ know. And speakin’ of that… you GOTTA show that stuck-up attention horse a thing or two fer me!” Applejack ordered him.
“’Attention horse’?” Phoenix tilted his head.
“You know… that no-good blue snake-in-the-grass!” Applejack gave him another clue, which only confused Phoenix further for a moment… but then it clicked.
“Oh! You mean Trixie!” he realized, thinking that ‘attention horse’ was a little too close to a certain other term… which as far as he was concerned fit the mare magician just fine.
“Yeah… her,” Applejack confirmed his guess with a scowl on her freckled face. “She’s a grade-A example of what lyin’ will lead to! Her fibbin’ and pony tales caused that big ol’ Ursa to come a-stompin’ through Ponyville,” she told him.
“Twilight told me a bit about that…” he vaguely recalled from before the trial, scratching his chin and wondering what the full story was.
“Ah can’t stand her!” she told him, stomping a forehoof hard enough that Phoenix could feel vibrations in the ground. “Ah was biting mah tongue every time she opened that big blue mouth of hers in the trial today!”
His lips tightened at that. You and me both! “I’ve noticed Trixie has that effect on a lot of ponies in these parts,” Phoenix noted dryly, remembering how many times during the trial he wanted to stuff something in her big blue muzzle to shut her up.
Applejack’s answer was an angry equine snort. “Ya know she’s jus’ doin’ this whole thing because she’s all salty with Rarity, Twilight, Rainbow and Ah.”
That caught Phoenix short. “Wait a minute… I knew she had a grudge against Twilight, but why you and the other two?” he asked curiously.
“Last time Trixie was in Ponyville, she was showin’ off and braggin’ like she was the bee’s knees. So the others n’ I called Trixie out on her hooey!” she told him. “Turns out we were right—she wasn’t ‘great or powerful’ after all; Twi ended up provin’ that!” Applejack remembered with a grin.
She went on to tell the human lawyer the full story of how two impressionable young colts named Snips and Snails had lured a monster called an Ursa Minor out of its cave in the Everfree Forest, leading it all the way back to Ponyville just so they could see Trixie defeat it like she claimed she could. To the surprise of nopony except Snips and Snails, she could not, but fortunately Twilight could, saving the town and sending an exposed and humiliated Trixie on her way. Ah still reckon Twi should’ve given Snips ‘n’ Snails more punishment than a magical mustache, though… Applejack thought.
Phoenix was wearing a broad grin by the time the story ended, wishing he’d been there to see the show mare be shown up; also starting to understand how powerful Twilight truly was if she could pull off a feat like THAT! Special girl, that one… she’ll make some stallion real lucky someday… he mused almost sadly, his smile vanishing, silently praying for the chance to make amends to her.
Applejack’s voice snapped him back out of his reverie. “…so when she got on the stand in the trial today, I told Applebloom to call Trixie out if she gave her a hard time.”
His grin instantly returned. “Oh, so you’re responsible for that!” he said in delight, offering her a fistbump in respect and gratitude.
“Guilty as charged!” Applejack admitted proudly, standing up straighter and puffing her chest out a bit as she returned the gesture, hitting his knuckles with her hoof hard enough to sting him a bit.
Phoenix gave a little chuckle, suppressing the urge to wince—her hooves felt like solid rock, unlike Twilight and Rarity’s slightly yielding ones. “That was pretty entertaining, watching Trixie get verbally served by a child. Certainly brightened up my day!”
“I know, right?” Applejack agreed with a satisfied grin.
“I have to ask, though… isn’t Trixie a performer? I mean, isn’t she supposed to show off and blow things out of proportion?” he mused. “I don’t think the ‘Decent and Sort-of-Powerful Trixie’ would really attract a crowd. Not defending her or anything, as there were times I wanted to smack her upside the head,” Phoenix hastened to add through narrowed eyes, grinding his teeth as he remembered her behavior before and during the trial… but it was only in his imagination that he was running her down like a rodeo steer, hogtying the infuriating show mare with her own cape, silencing her insults with a gag made from her own pointed hat.…
Applejack shook her head. “No, you don’t understand… remember how she was calling you ‘Mr. Not Right’ today? It was like that, only on a stage,” Applejack tried an analogy.
Phoenix shrugged. “Actually she was calling me ‘Mr. Wrong’. You know, because it’s the opposite of ‘right’ and~”
“Same difference!” Applejack cut him off, not wanting any more headaches. “The point is, it was just as unbearable, except she was doing it to everypony, not just you!” she explained. “And that’s why I want ya’ t’ do your best, Phoenix Wright! Show her what Ponyville is made of! Prove Rainbow innocent and rub it in that smug, snotty show-off face of hers!” Applejack ordered him, giving the cart a sharp kick with her back hoof. To his surprise, a pair of apples launched themselves right out of their basket and arced lazily into his hands.
He had no idea how she’d done it, but at that moment didn’t care. “Deal!” Phoenix immediately agreed, crunching loudly into one of them, his eyes widening as the crisp, sweet taste hit his tongue—just like the other food he’d tried since he’d been in Ponville, it was easily the best apple he’d ever eaten.
Applejack smiled at his reaction, deciding the human lawyer couldn’t be that bad if he appreciated her plump, juicy apples. “Let’s shake on it!” the farm filly offered.
“Okay!” Phoenix said, putting the other apple in his pocket and raising his right fist, only to pull it back when Applejack spit on her hoof and offered it to him.
“Well? Go on,” she offered her dripping hoof.
Phoenix crossed his arms. “I’m not touching that hoof…”
“Why not?” Applejack asked, looking almost insulted.
“Because there’s spit all over it…” Phoenix said it straight, letting his distaste be heard.
Applejack scowled, lowering her hoof. “You’re just as prissy as Rarity! Don’t want to get your fancy-pants lawyer hands dirty, eh?”
Phoenix sighed… “I think we can conclude this agreement with a nod.”
She rolled her green eyes. “Pfft… fine, then. Ah best be moseyin’ on now, pard’ner! Gotta find that lil’ filly… I’m goin’ ta go check Twilight’s place—may as well stay in town until the rain shower’s done anyway,” she decided. “Listen… if you two see Applebloom, can y’all tell her t’ go on home? Ah don’t want her runnin’ out and about with murders happenin’ and all. She’s with Twi’ though, so I suppose I shouldn’t be worried…” Applejack mused.
“Yeah, we’ll be sure to if we see her,” Phoenix promised, with Pinkie nodding in agreement.
“Thank ya! Oh! And remind me t’ give ya that knock upside the head when I’m not so busy. Later!” she said, turning on her heel.
What a pleasant way to say goodbye to someone… Phoenix said to himself as he watched them go, not sure he’d be looking forward to their next encounter. “Goodbye, Applejack. Goodbye… Big Macintosh…”
“Eeyup…” Big Mac bade him farewell, then headed off along with her sister Applejack, pulling the cart behind him leaving Phoenix alone with Pinkie Pie once again.
“Was that the reason you wanted me to come here, Pinkie? To speak with Applejack?” Phoenix asked, giving her the other apple as he continued to eat his own.
In yet another seeming impossibility he was coming to associate with the party pony, she tossed it into the air with her hoof and downed it in a single bite. “No, it wasn’t that. There should be another reason… OH, HERE IT COMES!” Pinkie looked up towards the sky.
“Huh?” Phoenix quickly reacted and looked up as well. But then…
“Ehem!” she coughed.
“What's coming?” Phoenix asked, still looking up, not seeing anything except a couple pegasi still shuttling pieces of cloud around.
“I coughed!” Pinkie replied.
He didn’t know what to say to that. “Okay, and…?” Phoenix looked back at her.
“That means something strange is going to happen!” Pinkie claimed as if it was self-evident, just as before with her tail twitch.
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “Pinkie Pie, we’ve been through this already. You can’t predict things based off of…”
At that moment, HIS CELLPHONE RANG!
“What? WHAT?!” Phoenix went pale, automatically going for his left pants pocket.
“Oooo… what’s that?! I’ve never seen one of those thingies before!! That’s a catchy tune!” Pinkie said with a huge smile, grooving to the Steel Samurai theme song he used as a Ringtone.
Phoenix pulled his phone out and held it in a shaking hand. “B-but that’s impossible! How can someone be calling me?” he asked, more than a little freaked.
“So what do you do with that thing anyway?” Pinkie asked curiously.
He stared at it like it might bite him. “I guess… I just answer it…” Phoenix said, deciding it was the only thing he could do. I hope trans-dimensional calls don’t hurt my phone bill… he forced some humor in his thoughts as he warily answered the call. “H-hello?”
“Phoenix Wright…?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.
“Yes, that’s me…” Phoenix replied, very leery.
The voice went silent.
“Who is this?!” the human lawyer demanded
“A concerned friend…” came the answer.
“A concerned friend?” Phoenix repeated the voice’s claim so Pinkie would hear.
“A friend? Tell them I say hello!” Pinkie requested, but Phoenix just ignored her.
“Tell me, how and why are you phoning me?” the human lawyer demanded to know.
The voice on the other end avoided his question. “I want to help you…”
“Help me? How?” Phoenix asked.
“I want to help you win the trial tomorrow… I have evidence that can clear your client,” the voice said.
“What?! Are you serious?” Phoenix’s eyes widened, his hand gripping the cellphone tighter.
“Yes. I want you to meet me at the clearing where the crime took place,” the voice instructed.
He nodded eagerly. “Alright, I’ll be right there! Pinkie, we have to~”
“Alone!” the voice added before he could complete his sentence.
“Huh?” Phoenix was instantly suspicious.
“We must meet alone. There’s no other way I can see you…” the voice warned.
“Why?” Phoenix asked, but the voice remained silent. “I might get lost if I go there alone,” he protested.
“Do you want my help or not?” the voice remained firm.
At that moment, Phoenix knew he was faced with two equally bad choices… either let Pinkie come with him and risk not getting the information he needed, or come alone and risk of getting lost or killed by the various creatures living in the forest—or by his mysterious caller, who might or might not be on the level.
Turning it over in his head, he reached his decision. “Okay! Okay! I’ll go alone,” Phoenix agreed reluctantly, reasoning that for the sake of Rainbow Dash, he had to take the chance and that going to the clearing during the day was safer than at night.
“Good… I’ll be waiting for you. You made the right choice, Phoenix Wright!” The voice promised.
He didn’t feel that reassured. “Tell me though… who is this?” Phoenix asked, but the voice didn’t reply.
“I’ll be waiting for you…” the voice repeated before hanging up, not answering his question.
“Who were you talking to, Feenie?” Pinkie asked as Phoenix returned the phone to his pants pocket, the human lawyer lost in thought.
This seems a bit shady. Someone wants to meet me alone in the forest. He said he wanted to help me, but how was he calling me anyway? Equestria doesn't seem to have cell phones… the human lawyer’s mind raced, only coming up with more questions instead of answers.
“Feenie?” Pinkie nudged him, a hint of worry in her voice.
He shook his head, unable to look at her. “Pinkie… I’m sorry, but I have to go solo here.”
“Huh?” she tilted her head.
“I got a lead that could win me the trial tomorrow, but whoever I was speaking to wants to meet me alone.”
She didn’t look any more happy about that than he was. “That sounds kinda suspicious,” she noted, which for once she was right in Phoenix’s speculation, but then… “WAIT, I KNOW WHO THAT WAS!” Pinkie shouted.
“Really? Who?” Phoenix asked in surprise, thinking she’d overheard and belatedly recognized the voice.
“Yes! IT WAS WOB NIAR! Planning to do something nasty!” Pinkie announced.
His hopes sank along with his shoulders. “Pinkie, there is no Wob Niar! Besides, this person was male and said they wanted to help me,” he told her, exasperated anew.
“Oh? They did? Then that changes everything!” she said, her smile returning. “Alright! I’ll wait for you by the entrance,” she promised, escorting him down the path as far as where the woods began.
Poised at the forest edge, Phoenix found the entrance staring at him like a gaping maw, ready to swallow him up should he go inside. “I’ll be right back out; the pathway more or less leads to that clearing, and the sun’s still out. I shouldn’t have trouble navigating myself through,” he reasoned, as much to fight his own fears as to reassure Pinkie, resting a hand on her withers, trying to take some strength from her presence.
She nuzzled his side. “Be careful in there, Feenie. It’s pretty dangerous,” the pink earth pony warned him in genuine concern.
He swallowed, really not wanting to go. “Okay, I’ll be right back. Promise,” Phoenix said, giving the back of her ears a parting scratch. Mustering his courage, he took off at a brisk walk down the path into the woods, his mind full of worry and doubt.
The mysterious caller’s promise seemed too good to be true, but with the fate of his case and client hanging in the balance, Phoenix judged it a risk worth taking to prove Rainbow Dash’s innocence and to show Trixie that a human in Equestria is more than meets the eye…
June 10th, 3:10 PM
Despite nearly getting lost on the way—he swore the bushes and grasses had somehow filled in since his last visit, doing their best to hide the path—Phoenix finally reached the clearing where the crime took place, skirting a patch of strange blue ivy-like vines and flowers by the entrance that made him uneasy for some reason. Surveying the scene, he noted that nothing had been disturbed since his last visit; the tape outline of where the body was found was still there, as was the scuffed-up area of ground to the left.
“Hello? I’m here!” he called out from the entrance, but no one answered. Walking to the center of the clearing, he looked over the strange and nearly dark forest that surrounded him… the eerie and foreboding atmosphere of the place hardly lessened by it being daytime.
So where is this mysterious ‘friend’ of mine? He said he’d be waiting for me… Phoenix remembered, his mind starting to wander and wonder… who was his enigmatic informant? “It’s me, Phoenix Wright! You said you wanted to help me!” he called out once more, but only silence answered his call.
Is this someone’s idea of a prank? Phoenix was starting to get frustrated; half-thinking he was being played for a fool. Hey, I know! I’ll just hit the redial button on my phone… he had the sudden inspiration, pulling it back out of his left pants pocket to do so. But when he clicked it on he heard no dial tone, only an annoying beep with an accompanying “No Connection Point” message on his phone display.
What? Th-then how was he able to call me earlier? he protested mentally, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation for such an anomaly. “Maybe all these trees are just interfering with the signal…” he suggested to himself without really believing it, falling silent as the wind suddenly picked up in a chilling breeze that sent a shiver down his spine.
He bit his lip at that. Even in the daytime, the forest was undeniably spooky, playing on his fears and phobias anew, but he sucked it up as best he could, determined to do it for Rainbow Dash’s sake. Still… he couldn’t stay there forever, and after twenty minutes of waiting, he was getting antsy. I’ll wait five more minutes, then I’m leaving… this is getting creepy… he finally decided as the hair on his neck stood on end, finding himself jumping at every little sound he heard, missing Twilight’s protective presence, horn and magic more than ever.
Unknown to the human lawyer standing on the middle of the clearing, a dark shadow was carefully circling around him, slowly creeping up behind him. At first it was sneaking, moving cautiously hoof by hoof. Then it was walking… then trotting… then it ran towards Phoenix in a full gallop as it broke into the clearing, its hoofed feet touching with the ground with impossible lightness, leaving no track or noise until…
WHAM!!!!
“Ugh!” was all Phoenix managed as he was knocked out cold by a blow to the head, the human lawyer barely aware of himself falling, hitting the ground by the tape outline of Ace Swift’s body.
“Uhhh…” Phoenix groaned as he slowly came to, finding himself lying on a damp patch of ground by a large tree.
“My head…” he moaned, raising his hand up to feel a fresh lump on the back of his skull where he was hit, his vision blurred and head throbbing. “Did anyone get the license plate number of that truck?” he wondered out loud, sitting up shakily, struggling to regain his senses.
A surge of adrenaline sped up the process when he didn’t recognize his surroundings, finding himself in much smaller and darker clearing bordered by bushes, vines and trees with no obvious way out. “Where am I?! I’m still in the forest, but I’m not in the clearing anymore!” he realized in alarm. “Damn it! It was a trap and I fell for it! Now I’m lost!” he swore, cursing his lack of sense in falling for an obvious ambush… Pinkie was right for once, there was something fishy about the call earlier but he didn’t listen… why didn’t I LISTEN???
Fear rose within him; his heart was pounding hard in his chest. This must be how Apple Bloom felt the other day; even though the sun is still out I can hardly see! he abruptly understood, trying not to panic, struggling to his feet. Looking down, he saw his suit was a mess, covered with dirt and loose brambles; his slacks were also torn in at least two places as he’d clearly been dragged at least part of the way. Rarity is going to kill me for this! the odd thought crossed his mind, a fresh sense of unease gripping him.
Wait a minute… as his vision cleared, he noticed that his jacket was open and all his pockets had been emptied, turned inside out. “WHAT!? WHERE IS IT?! ALL MY EVIDENCE IS GONE!” he slammed the tree trunk with a fist in frustration, realizing at that moment he’d been lured in for that purpose, regretting ever more his choice to enter the forest alone.
The sudden sound of rustling underbrush and crackling twigs told him he had much more immediate concerns than stolen evidence. Phoenix froze, eyes darting back and forth; he was unable to see what was making the noise through the thick underbrush, but he could tell it was getting closer.
“H-hello?” he called out tentatively, but instead of ponies… the silhouettes of four menacing figures emerged into the small clearing in front of him… eyes glowing green against the dark backdrop of the woods, growling hungrily.
His guts clenched in fear as he beheld the monstrous wolf-like creatures; their bodies appeared to be made entirely of leaves, twigs and branches but that just made them all the more horrifying. “Ah!” Phoenix stumbled backwards, backing himself up against the tree, quickly realizing there was nowhere he could run. “N-nice puppies!” he tried to soothe the beasts down, but he didn’t know what he was going to do if he was couldn’t persuade them not to make him their next meal. One option still remained, and that was to climb the tree behind him, but… there was no time left.
I’m frozen in place… I’m too scared to move… THEY’RE GOING TO ATTACK ME! he realized as the pack closed in, the lead wolf ready to pounce.
In that moment, the human lawyer was certain he was dead. “NO!” he shouted, raising his arms in what he knew would be a futile effort to protect himself. Just as he was about to accept his fate, his vision flashed white as a shaft of light speared into the clearing; he beheld his salvation in a blur of pink and yellow as a pegasus pony came darting down as if borne by the beam, planting herself between him and the monsters menacing him.
“H-huh?” As his vision came back, he was stunned to see… “Fl… Fluttershy?!”
“You should be ashamed of yourselves! Picking on poor innocent defenseless Mister Phoenix like that!” the pink-haired pegasus pony fearlessly faced down the four beasts with flared wings and lowered head, speaking with a fierceness and fire Phoenix would never have dreamed she was capable of. He couldn’t see her face, but as she turned her gaze on each of his assailants in turn, the wolves recoiled, shrinking back from her, whining softly.
“You are all acting like a bunch of big, mean bullies! What would your mothers think if they saw you behaving this way?” she demanded, picking out and pinning the apparent alpha wolf with her… stare?
Phoenix watched openmouthed as the wolves cowered before her, beginning to back away in respect and fear. He briefly caught the corner of her eye as she turned her attention to a flanking wolf, and the human lawyer flinched hard from the sheer power of her gaze, suddenly understanding why the beasts couldn’t attack—her stare was terrifying in its intensity, feeling like a force of nature bending the forest creatures to her will.
I… I don’t believe this… this CAN’T be the same timid little pony! Phoenix watched in disbelief as she cowed the entire pack, the four large wolves now cringing in fear, prostrating themselves before her.
“Now, I want the four of you to go back home and think about what… you’ve… done!” Fluttershy scolded them, a stomp of her hoof with her final word sending them scurrying. The beasts whimpered and ran off into the darkness with their wooden tails between their legs… never to be seen again.
When they were out of sight and sound, Fluttershy turned to him, her gaze back to normal while Phoenix was still gaping at her, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. “That was close, Mister Phoenix… those species of lupines are called Timberwolves, and they’re known to rip their prey apart within a few seconds,” Fluttershy informed him.
The badly shaking lawyer slowly regained his composure, leaning on the tree behind him for support. “Fluttershy, th-thank you… you… you saved my life!” he said in gratitude, amazed a pony so shy could be so fierce.
She gave him a knowing grin. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that… even if you had been killed, you would have come back to life from your ashes more magnificent than ever, right?” Fluttershy said in perfect innocence, and it finally clicked somewhere in the back of his mind that she actually thought his name meant he was he was the mythical bird of fire that died and was reborn from its own ashes… a creature which apparently existed in this world.
“Uh… yeah…” Phoenix just went along with it, afraid of losing her protection if he didn’t—hopelessly naïve she may have been, but helpless she clearly was not. Even more than that, she had saved his life when she had every reason to hate him, and he knew it now fell to him to make amends… to ask forgiveness for something that in his own mind was utterly unforgivable.
Closing his eyes, he knelt on the ground before the pegasus pony, getting on her level, bowing his head to her. “Fluttershy, p-please listen…” he all but begged her, his voice quavering badly.
She nodded and stood silent, waiting.
“The reason I accused you in court earlier… I know you didn’t do any of that garbage I was spouting; I just needed another day to clear Rainbow Dash’s name, and casting suspicion on you was the only way I could think of to keep the trial going,” he told her, tears in his eyes as he remembered again the frightened, bewildered look on her face as she was led away for questioning, begging him for help he could not give.
“Though I had good intentions—I was trying to save Rainbow—I did it at your expense without your say in the matter. I’m very, very sorry I did that, and I wouldn’t blame you if you h-hated me for it…” Phoenix said, tears streaming down his cheeks as he finally gave voice to his long-suffering conscience, trying to clear the gutter of guilt from his mind.
Fluttershy stared at him for several seconds before replying; Phoenix was afraid to open his eyes for fear of what he’d see on her lovely face. Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on his chin, her hoof raising his head up to meet hers. His wet eyes opened to find himself staring into her beautiful greenish-blue ones, deep pools that shone with nothing but concern and compassion. “It’s alright, Mister Phoenix. I forgive you,” she said softly, giving him a gentle smile.
He stared at her in stunned disbelief, barely daring to believe it. “Y-you forgive me, j-just like that?” he choked out.
She moved closer in response and swept a broad yellow wing over him, brushing his head and cheek with her soft feathers; Phoenix felt like he was being touched by an angel. “Yes. Because I believe in you, Mister Phoenix. That’s why I came here to look for you. To make sure you were safe,” Fluttershy said with her sweet little voice that was to Phoenix a beam of light breaking through his greatest hour of darkness.
“You’re far too kind,” he barely managed through his tears, reaching up to grasp her hoof in both his hands, feeling unworthy of her rescue and the forgiveness she was blessing him with… thinking that simply calling her ‘kind’ didn’t even begin to describe the incredible, wonderful pony before him.
Fluttershy stayed close to him while he slowly regained his composure; it took another minute before he was able to speak again. “But Fluttershy… wh-what are you doing here? I thought you were arrested,” he asked her, failing to remember what she said earlier about coming in to find him… his traumatized mind still reeling from his close call.
“The police let me go…” Fluttershy answered simply, stepping back from him and letting him gather himself.
He had recovered enough of his faculties to know that didn’t make sense. “They let you go? But I thought you were a suspect…” Phoenix said, his mind coming up with some slightly nonsensical theories why they would have… a catch? A trap? Did Trixie arrange this attack? he suddenly wondered, not sure if he’d put anything past the grudge-driven show mare.
“I don’t know why, they just said I didn’t have to stay anymore and let me out,” Fluttershy explained patiently.
His conscience soothed and his mind settling back down, his attorney instincts were starting to kick in again. That can only mean one thing… the feather didn’t match any of her animals… he realized as Fluttershy continued with her story.
“When I got home, I saw Pinkie Pie standing by the entrance to the forest and I asked her what she was doing. She said you went here all alone. So I got worried and I came in here to find you!” she explained further.
Phoenix closed his eyes at that, realizing he owed the pink earth pony yet again. Thank you, Pinkie Pie! “Did you by any chance see anyone else in here while you were looking for me?” he asked, finally able to stand up again—with the help of the tree to lean on.
To his surprise, Fluttershy shrank back from him. “No… I didn’t… um… sh-should I have seen someone? You know, like how I should have seen Apple Bloom that night? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do something wrong again…” Fluttershy said, cringing like she was in court again, shaking like a leaf in fear.
Phoenix stared at her cowering form, the ghost of a smile touching his face. It’s funny how she just took on a pack of savage wolves, and then goes right back into submissive wimp mode! “No, it’s okay…” he reassured her, hands raised and palms out. “It’s just that… someone knocked me out and put me in the middle of the forest,” he explained, sitting on a tree stump. It was dirty, but considering the shape his suit was now in, it didn’t matter.
Her eyes widened at that. “Oh, my… that’s not very nice…” Fluttershy remarked in a prize understatement.
“On top of that, they stole all the evidence I was going to use to defend Rainbow Dash in the trial tomorrow,” Phoenix continued, slumping over and burying his head in his hands, thinking his life was saved but his case was now lost—all the progress he had made undone by a single foolish decision. What the HELL was I thinking, coming in here alone…?
Fluttershy suddenly looked confused. “Um… but Twilight said she was going to defend Rainbow Dash tomorrow,” she remembered.
The human lawyer looked up sharply at that. “Huh? What?”
“She talked with me at the detention center earlier and told me to forget about you.” Fluttershy timidly responded.
Phoenix had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Oh, no… I hope she’s not doing what I think she is,” he began, but knew there was only one possible explanation. “She’s going to fire me for what I did to you and take over the defense! Trixie will eat her alive if she tries to defend Rainbow Dash!” Phoenix clutched his head, having one more major issue to deal with on top of the ton of problems he already had.
She gave him an odd look. “Trixie? Are you talking about that blue unicorn in the wizard outfit?” Fluttershy asked, remembering the not-so-nice pony that had interviewed her after the murder and been in the court the next day, constantly shouting at her to state her name and occupation.
He nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah, I was barely holding my own against her and I have experience. Twilight won’t stand a chance! I have to get her to reconsider,” Phoenix knew.
“I’m sure if you tell her what you told me she’ll change her mind,” Fluttershy suggested.
He shook his head. “I don’t know… she was pretty bummed out…” Phoenix told her, thinking he’d almost rather face the Timberwolves again than a betrayed and angry Twilight.
“She’s my friend. I’ll help you explain it to her,” the pegasus pony offered, flaring her wings protectively and putting a hoof on his knee.
“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Phoenix said in heartfelt gratitude, reaching out to squeeze her hoof again. “Hey, wait a second! I just thought of something…” he had a sudden brainstorm.
“What is it, Mister Phoenix?” Fluttershy asked curiously, sitting down on her haunches in front of him.
“You said Pinkie Pie was standing by the entrance, right?”
“Um… yes…?” she confirmed.
“Well, whoever knocked me out would have to leave through the entrance, since that’s the only way out!” he realized.
Her greenish-blue eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, I see now! Since Pinkie Pie is waiting by the entrance…”
“Pinkie Pie will probably see whoever attacked me exit the forest!” Phoenix finished, standing back up, finally feeling able to walk again.
Fluttershy got up as well. “I’ll show you the way out. You were right about that this morning, you know…”
“Huh?” he looked at her in confusion.
“Even if I may not like visiting it much—this forest really is like a backyard to me,” she told him with a wan grin.
Phoenix cringed again, remembering that observation had come in the middle of his attempt to accuse her, meant more as a rationalization than something he really believed. “Alright, lead the way!” he told her, letting her guide him out of the foreboding forest.
As Fluttershy navigated him out of the dark and misty woods, Phoenix just wanted to see the light of day, and Pinkie Pie in that order… hoping against hope the party pony had seen his unknown assailant leave the woods and he would be able to recover his lost evidence. As he walked, questions were running through his mind—who had attacked him? How had they called him? Why had they gone after his evidence and left him for dead? Was he getting close to a truth somepony didn’t want him to find out?
Just as before… more questions were piling up instead of answers, but for now, the human lawyer was just grateful to be alive… vowing he’d never think ill of Fluttershy again.
June 10th, 3:45 PM
Fluttershy and Phoenix had just reached a narrow side trail when they both heard something—or somepony—coming quickly up the path, just out of sight around a trail bend. “Do I hear galloping?” the human lawyer asked as the distinct four-beat gait noise got louder.
“It’s not me…” Fluttershy stated, stopping beside Phoenix.
“It’s getting closer…” Phoenix swallowed, still on edge.
“I can see somepony coming this way,” Fluttershy announced, and Phoenix could see indistinct movement behind the brush that hid the bend as well.
What if it’s the one who attacked me? I really hope I don’t have to fight a pony! Phoenix tensed and clenched his fists, readying to meet a charge. As the galloping pony came into sudden view, Fluttershy was surprised and Phoenix was stunned as her identity was revealed to be…
TWILIGHT!
The violet unicorn skidded to a stop in front of them, her eyes wide as saucers, the saddlebags she was carrying flying right off her back from the sudden stop. “Fluttershy? Ph-Phoenix?!” she recognized the pair in shock, breathing hard like she’d ran the whole way there.
Phoenix felt his legs go weak at the sight of her. “Uh, heya...” was all he managed to say, giving her a weak wave.
The violet unicorn didn’t answer except to pant and stare dumbly at the two of them… leaving it to Phoenix to finally break the awkward silence. “Twilight, please listen… I know you really must not like me after what I did today, but I can explain,” he bowed his head to her as Fluttershy stepped in front of him protectively, flaring her wings and speaking directly to her friend.
“Mr. Phoenix was only trying to help, Twilight. He never meant to hurt anypony,” the pretty pegasus defended him.
The violet unicorn’s eyes locked with those of Phoenix for a second, just long enough for the human lawyer to see the jumble of emotions there, anger, confusion and relief all present at once. “Let’s go back to the library; I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay in this forest,” Twilight suggested between breaths, picking the saddlebags back up with her magic and placing them on her back.
“Yeah, I agree” Phoenix said dryly, thinking he was going to forever be seeing the Everfree Forest in his nightmares… and Fluttershy in his dreams. The three of them immediately left the woods, Fluttershy behind and Twilight in the lead, the two bracketing the human lawyer like bodyguards as they went out.
June 10th, 4:05pm
Despite Twilight’s desire to return to the library immediately, they stopped by Fluttershy’s cottage after they left the forest so she could treat Phoenix’s head wound.
Once she had him inside, the pegasus pony clucked over him like a mother hen, giving him an icepack and a herbal balm which she mixed into a cup of surprisingly good tea. While she ministered him, Twilight sat silently a respectful distance away, giving the human lawyer an occasional concerned look or glower, quickly averting her eyes whenever he turned her way.
When Phoenix idly mentioned that he wished he had more of the medication he’d taken earlier, the violet unicorn got an alarmed look, searched her saddlebags and pulled out the pill bottle Sonata had given him.
Though confused as to why she had it, he confirmed he had taken two of the pills. Twilight was aghast, telling him it was not ‘aspirin’ but a heavy prescription painkiller that had a stiff dose of magic attached. It worked almost instantly, but also had side effects ranging from excessive mellowness to impaired decision-making, and she wasn’t at all happy he had taken it without consulting a doctor… or her. '
Phoenix gave her a goof grin but was inwardly chagrined. Just been one bad choice after another today. Wait… did taking that stuff affect my decision to go into the forest? he belatedly wondered, also remembering how mellow he’d felt immediately after popping the pills, having few qualms about having Pinkie’s head in his lap.
His immediate injuries taken care of, he stepped outside at Twilight’s request, sitting on the porch sipping his tea while the violet unicorn spoke to Fluttershy alone. To his surprise, a dozen or more of her animals approached, everything from birds to bunnies peering at the human lawyer curiously. A couple of the more adventurous ones even came up to him, a squirrel going so far as to sit on his knee. Enchanted, he gently rubbed and scratched its ears, wishing he had something to offer them, though he noticed a white-furred rabbit off to the side giving him a decidedly dirty look.
Ten minutes later, Twilight and Fluttershy emerged onto the front porch, Fluttershy giving him a reassuring smile while Twilight seemed to him like she was still wasn’t sure what to think. The pink-maned pegasus gave him a small care basket full of her garden-grown vegetables and some additional herbs to take with tea later on. He thanked her, apologizing again and telling her truthfully he thought she was the most kind, beautiful and wonderful creature he’d ever met. She blushed at his compliments, rearing up and opening her forelegs as if to embrace him, flaring her wings for balance. Delighted, he got on his knees to return the hug, his left hand caressing the area beneath her right wing while his right ran gently but reverently through the gloriously soft feathers of her left.
He didn’t see her eyes widen in surprise but heard her sudden, shuddering breath. “EEP!” she gasped and pulled away from him, her wings suddenly going stiff as boards. The pegasus pony stared at him wide-eyed, her yellow cheeks flushed as pink as her hair, then ran back inside her cottage and slammed the door, leaving Phoenix taken aback and bewildered.
What? What did I…? he looked at Twilight for an explanation, but the violet unicorn was likewise blushing, looking at him in a mixture of anger, embarrassment and… jealousy? “Let’s just go to the library before you get into any more trouble, okay?” she suggested with very strained patience, leading him on a very silent and awkward walk back into town.
June 10th, 4:53PM
Arriving at her library home, Twilight sat the human lawyer down on the lounge sofa and gave him a brief overview of pegasus anatomy, emphasizing how… sensitive their wings and flight muscles were and that they were not to be touched ‘without express permission’; Phoenix read between the lines and was horrified to realize that by running his hands over them, he had in effect felt the shy pegasus up.
Profusely apologizing, he played a hunch and asked her if the same held true for unicorn horns, remembering her reaction to him almost touching it in the clearing the previous night.
The sudden flush of her cheeks answered for her; she looked away in renewed anger and embarrassment as a pink glow briefly enveloped her horn. That sparked another set of memories; he recalled how her horn aura had gone pink at least twice after he had nearly touched it, and how she was acting almost flustered around him afterwards and several times that morning before and during the trial. His eyes widened—wait… does that mean Twilight…? he couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought; the two dropping the subject in mutual discomfort.
Composing herself, Twilight floated him her saddlebags, telling him she and Pinkie had caught his assailant as he had tried to exit the forest, and she had recovered his possessions and evidence then. He was very relieved to have the Magatama back, returning it to its customary place in his inner jacket pocket, not noticing the violet unicorn eying it suspiciously as he did so.
Finally, the moment he had been both praying for and dreading arrived. Phoenix apologized for his actions at the trial, explaining his reasons and rationale, detailing everything that was going through his head at the time and emphasizing how ashamed he was of himself for it. Twilight listened silently, never interrupting, sitting down on a rug in the center of the room but looking away, keeping her ears instead of her eyes trained on him.
Ten minutes later, he had reached the end of his story. “So… that’s why I did that. I know it wasn’t fair to Fluttershy, and I hated myself for doing it—I still do. But if I had just sat there and done nothing… Rainbow Dash would have been found guilty right there on the spot,” he concluded, feeling numb.
“I see…” Twilight finally spoke, still looking away, her voice betraying no emotion.
Phoenix took a deep breath, uncertain whether she had accepted his explanation or not. “So… do you still want to fire me?” he asked her directly, deciding to force the issue.
Twilight’s head shot up. “H-how did you~”
“Fluttershy told me,” Phoenix said simply, leaning forward on the couch. “Look… I can't complain if you do—I certainly deserve it after this morning. But I have to warn you… Trixie is one tough customer," he told her. “I underestimated her. Despite all my experience, she managed to trump everything I threw at her. In fact… she could have easily overruled my feather theory, since it was all just theory,” he knew, shaking his head slowly.
“Wh… What?!” Twilight looked back at him in shock.
“I have a feeling the only reason she let me to do that was to see another of your friends in jail," he nodded grimly. “She’s going to go all-out tomorrow. So if you’d like to take over… I have to warn you about that,” Phoenix informed her, giving the violet unicorn a level look.
Twilight looked visibly confused, sitting back heavily on her haunches and looking down at the floor. “I… I don’t know what I should do…” she admitted, her eyes glistening.
He felt a pang of sympathy for the violet unicorn, resisting the urge to go over and comfort her—definitely not a good idea at that moment, he knew. “Twilight… if you really want to defend Rainbow Dash, at least allow me to do one more thing for you,” Phoenix offered, opening his palms to her.
The violet unicorn looked up at him in surprise, blinking back tears. “You still want to help? Even after I brought you here against your will? Even after... nearly dying? Even after I was going to fire you?” she asked in disbelief.
He nodded, standing up straight as he answered, clasping his hands in front of him and suppressing a shiver at the memory of his close call. “I’ll do everything I can to help someone who is being accused of a crime they didn’t commit, whether that’s as the defense attorney, co-counsel, or just sitting in the gallery and offering moral support,” he told her fervently. “I know for a fact Rainbow Dash didn’t do anything wrong. And I know of a certain pony who knows a lot more than she’s letting on,” he claimed.
Twilight nodded slowly at that. “Actually, I do too…” she began, an odd undertone in her voice. “Phoenix, tell me… that thing you mixed in the evidence before the trial this morning… that wasn’t a good-luck charm, was it?” she asked, giving him a slightly askance look.
“Why do you ask?” Phoenix responded curiously, his hand going to his chin.
She watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye as she said her next words. “Let’s just say I’ve been seeing a lot of locks today.”
Phoenix gaped, stumbling backwards and nearly barely losing his balance. “Ngh... locks and… chains?” he suggested weakly, feeling suddenly faint and leaning on a bookshelf for support.
Her head shot up. “See, I knew you knew!” Twilight rounded on him. “What was that thing and what did it do to me?!” the violet unicorn demanded to know, approaching him almost menacingly, her head lowered and horn pointed at him.
Phoenix took an involuntary step backwards and held up his hands, suddenly feeling like he looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. “Okay! Okay! I’ll be honest… because if I don’t… I bet you’ll see them around me…” he gulped, going to his inner jacket pocket with a shaking hand.
“I’m listening…” Twilight sat down in front of him as Phoenix took out his relic, the tone of her voice telling him in no uncertain terms to make his explanation a good one.
Gathering himself, he held the comma-shaped gemstone in his palm and knelt down before the violet unicorn to show her.
“You see, it’s called a ‘Magatama’,” he told her, choosing his words carefully. “It’s a tool I use… to see if people are hiding deep secrets from me. But don’t get me wrong! I only use it when I’m investigating crimes,” he quickly added.
“‘Deep secrets’?” Twilight repeated, giving it—and him—a sidewise look.
He nodded. “Think of it as kind of a mystical lie detector. If someone’s keeping a deep secret or hiding the answer to a question, psychic barriers called ‘psyche-locks’ will appear in front of them; the more locks, the deeper the secret,” he explained. “If you break those locks using proof and evidence, chances are the person—or in this case, the pony—will spill the beans.”
“Interesting…” Twilight said, nodding to herself as if something suddenly made sense to her, studying the artifact curiously.
’Interesting’? I thought she’d be mad… Phoenix thought, infinitely relieved she wasn’t.
“What about black ones?” the violet unicorn asked him.
That caught Phoenix’s attention. “Black ones? What do you mean?” he asked her, hand on his chin again.
“There were…” Twilight stopped in mid-sentence as Phoenix raised an inquiring brow. “Never mind,” she shook her head. “So, do you know how that thing’s power got transferred to me?”
He shook his head, relieved she had accepted his explanation so readily—then again, what choice did she have when she didn’t see psyche-locks materialize around him? “Not a clue… It probably had something to do with the way it reacted when you picked it up,” he theorized.
Her horn flared and she cautiously picked the Magatama up, turning it over and probing it gently with her magic. It glowed a weak green within her violet aura, but didn’t flash like it had that morning. “Hmm… I’m sure I can figure out how to return the power it gave me if needs be… but I need this ability right now,” Twilight said, floating it back to him.
He nodded, standing back up and returning the relic to his inner jacket pocket. “Okay. But…” Phoenix decided it was his turn to get some answers. “Since I told the truth and apologized… I expect the same from you.”
“What?” Twilight said, tilting her head up at him.
He crossed his arms, taking on a more stern expression. “You’re not a very good liar, Twilight Sparkle. From the very beginning, I could clearly see that you bringing me here was no accident. You summoned me here on purpose, didn’t you?” Phoenix confronted her.
Her eyes widened, the violet unicorn looking away in telling guilt. She looked as if she was fumbling for a denial for a moment, only to go downcast, sitting back in defeat on her haunches as she realized there was no point. “I’m… that bad at lying, huh?” she asked, her voice wan.
“Yeah, you’re about as thin as Kleenex,” he told her bluntly but not meanly, belatedly wondering if she'd even get the reference. “I mean—’identification spell’? I know you have magic here and all, but that sounds like something a third-grader came up with. I didn’t need the Magatama to know that isn’t a real spell,” Phoenix told her.
Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at that. “I was told not to say anything… but I suppose I owe you an explanation…” she decided, taking a deep breath as if to steel herself. “Princess Celestia herself told me to summon you and play dumb,” she confessed, looking forlorn.
Phoenix studied her, sensing she was telling the truth; her cheeks seemed to flush a little deeper under his scrutiny. “So you knowing my name, and having that badge prepared…”
She gave a jerky nod. “Yeah. She did all that. But I swear, Phoenix... I didn’t know you were going to be a human from another world!” the violet unicorn insisted, turning her purple eyes back on him.
Phoenix actually deflated at that. That’s a bummer… so I’m NOT the greatest defense attorney in the universe? Darn! I was starting to like that title… he thought in dismay, but also reflecting that he would have had to give the title right back after his poor performance that morning. “But… how does your princess even know me?” he wondered, scratching his chin again.
“I’m a bit sketchy on that detail as well…” she gave him a slightly exasperated look, which Phoenix took to be directed at the princess, not him. “I, too, found it really odd how she knew so much about you and how she was boasting about how good you were. Yet… you acted as if you never met a pony in your life before me,” Twilight recalled.
The human lawyer leaned back against a bookshelf, having yet another mystery added to his list. So how DOES this Princess character know me? I think I’d like to have a chat with Her Highness about this… he thought, idly fingering the attorney badge that had apparently come from her. If nothing else, I’d love to tell her what I think of THIS thing!
“Well, I certainly don’t like the fact I was being deceived by you… but I thank you for telling me the truth,” Phoenix said to her in relief, grateful there were finally no more secrets between them.
“I apologize; I was just doing what the Princess told me to…” Twilight closed her purple and eyes and bowed her head in contrition. “Now all of a sudden I feel really bad for lying…”
He couldn’t help but grin at that, having to catch himself from putting a reassuring hand on her withers. She seems genuinely sorry about it. If I want her forgiveness, I shouldn’t hold it against her… perhaps I should just change the subject. Going back over to the sofa, he started looking through her saddlebag, seeing what she had collected during her own investigation over the past day. “Hmm… so this evidence you found; seems you had a good turnout…” the human lawyer’s eyes widened when he found a piece of torn parchment. “AH!!!”
Twilight started. “What’s the matter?”
“THE OTHER HALF OF THE LETTER!!” Phoenix shouted, holding it in a shaking hand.
“The other half of the letter…?” she repeated, then her eyes widened and she took an almost stalking pose, staring at him from a crouch, her forelegs splayed wide on the floor. “WAIT, YOU HAVE IT!!??” she shouted back.
He nodded quickly. “Yeah, I found it with Pinkie Pie today!” Phoenix dug through the saddlebag containing his evidence until he found the matching piece he was looking for. He gave Twilight his half and let her take hold of it, the violet unicorn connecting the two pieces together with her magic as she read it:
Full Resignation Letter:
“This is my letter stating my permanent Leave of Absence. After the Equestrian 500 is over, I can no longer work with you. We made quite the team, but I can’t live with the guilt any longer. I can’t keep helping you ruin other’s lives. It saddens me beyond belief that we must part ways, but I must say farewell. Goodbye Ace; may our paths cross in the future.”
She looked up when she was finished, finding the human lawyer silent and seemingly deep in thought.
“Someone was quitting their job?” the violet unicorn asked him.
“Yeah… and I think I know who,” Phoenix informed her, nodding slowly to himself.
“Who?” she prompted.
Phoenix shook his head. “I’ll tell you once I confirm my suspicion. You said you had someone to talk to, right? Perhaps we should go our separate ways again,” he suggested.
For a moment, Phoenix thought she was going to object, but the violet unicorn relented. “You’re right. Come back here once you’re done though… you were attacked, after all…” Twilight reminded him, her voice betraying some concern for the human lawyer.
“You have my word…” Phoenix promised. Pausing only to splash water on his face and put his abused suit as much to rights as he could, he left the Library and headed for the place he knew his answers lay. For there was only one pony who could have written that note, only one mare who knew Ace Swift near or far…
His Manager…
June 10th, 5:25PM
Five minutes after leaving the library, Phoenix arrived at the Hay and Stay Hotel and asked the surprised earth pony mare at the front desk if Sonata was still staying there. Told she was, he immediately walked to her room, leaving instructions to call the police if he didn’t return in fifteen minutes. Pausing at her door to smooth out his suit again—he was dreading taking it back to Rarity in the shape it was after the attack—he knocked on her door, waiting for Sonata to answer it.
It didn’t take long. “Hello?” the grey unicorn answered, opening the door with a flare of her horn. Her mouth fell open and eyes widened as she recognized Phoenix, looking almost speechless for a moment.
“Hello, Sonata.” Phoenix greeted the grey unicorn over crossed arms with a slight smirk on his face. “Surprised to see me?”
“What do you want?” Sonata asked in a bit frustrated, almost leery tone.
“I just wanted to talk… that's all,” Phoenix said, ducking his head to step inside, trying not to be too confrontational. He half-thought she might have been involved in the attack on him, but lacking evidence—just giving him some exotic pain pills that might or might not have affected his judgment wasn’t proof—he couldn’t pursue that.
Her surprise gave way to annoyance. “I already spoke to you, Mister Wright. Can you please leave? You should be grateful I didn’t tell the police about you and your pink friend’s intrusion today,” Sonata reminded the human lawyer, almost glowering at him.
He shrugged at that. “Funny you should say that… because I was wondering why you didn’t,” he mused, taking on his pondering pose. “After all… if you did have me arrested, there would be no defense attorney tomorrow. Meaning, Rainbow Dash would be most likely found guilty…” he recited. “In other words… exactly what you want?”
Sonata remained silent, not rising to the bait.
“I’m not here about that though; I just wanted to talk to you about a question you were avoiding earlier,” he went for his inner jacket pocket, knowing it was time to force the issue. “So tell me, Sonata… what was it like being Ace’s manager?” Phoenix asked as he grasped his Magatama.
When he touched the gemstone artifact, the distinctive chains immediately reappeared, coiling all around the grey unicorn, guarded by four red psyche-locks.
[4 Locks Remaining]
Sonata ground her teeth, unable to see the invisible bonds. “I don’t know how things work in the human world, but here in Equestria, a question like that is none of your business, Mister Wright…”
“It is if the answer directly affects my case and client,” the human lawyer replied evenly. Now let’s see what you’re hiding, Sonata… he thought as he readied to start his own unique brand of interrogation, vowing to show the grey unicorn how observant and perceptive he could be. “By the sound of it… it seems it wasn’t good at all…” Phoenix guessed.
“I-I can’t believe this! Shouldn’t you be investigating the crime? Why are you bothering me with your annoying questions?” Sonata demanded in an irritated tone.
“Because I think you have something to do with all of this,” Phoenix said directly.
“Really? Me?” Sonata said, putting on a dumbfounded air. “Then tell me, Mister Wright… why do you think I’m involved with this crime?” she challenged him.
He grinned at that. “I’ll show you why, Sonata…”
Phoenix revealed the resignation letter to the grey unicorn mare. “This look familiar to you?”
Sonata’s flinched in very telling surprise. “Where… where did you get that?” she gaped, looking caught off-guard.
Her reaction was not lost on Phoenix. “It seems someone who was working with Ace was planning on quitting after the race,” he noted dryly while Sonata fell silent. “And I think that someone is YOU, Sonata,” he announced, holding the pieced-together parchment with his left hand while tapping it with the fingers of his right. “After all, you’re the only one working with Ace in Ponyville at the moment, and quite frankly, you don’t seem too torn up by his death. Or was his passing actually a relief…?” he suggested.
She gave a frustrated growl as the first lock broke with a sound of breaking glass.
[3 Locks Remaining]
The grey unicorn mare gathered herself carefully, drawing herself up straight before turning fractionally away, closing her eyes and putting on a haughty air. “Hmph! You think I wrote this? I’ve never seen this letter before. For all you know it could been mailed here by Ace’s butler,” she dismissed him.
Phoenix resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The butler did it? Really? he thought derisively, before remembering that in the Matt Engarde case… the butler really had. “No, I don’t think you wrote this… I KNOW you wrote this,” the human lawyer shot back at her claim, making a mental note to check on the progress of Edgeworth’s Shelley de Killer investigation when he got back home—Maya was still having nightmares about the hired assassin; he’d abducted and starved her for days, using her as a hostage to force Phoenix to defend a clearly guilty Engarde… on Engarde’s own orders. Phoenix had eventually lost that case to Miles Edgeworth, who had worked with him behind the scenes to prolong the trial long enough to save Maya, but it was a blemish on his record he was only too happy to have.
“Care to explain how?” Sonata raised a skeptical eyeridge, pulling him back to the here and now.
“My pleasure,” he nodded, putting his previous case out of mind, resolving to give Maya a big hug and treat her to her favorite hamburger restaurant as soon as he got back home. “You see, it’s very simple, actually. We can just compare the writing on this letter to something for a fact I know you did write.”
Sonata gasped.
“And I have it right here…”
Phoenix reached up to the top shelf and pulled down the tome that had fallen on his head earlier. “This unicorn spellbook I found in this very room,” Phoenix proclaimed.
She gave an incredulous look. “Are you saying I wrote this book?”
“Of course not,” he answered evenly. “But this book has some interesting characteristics… I can’t read a single word of it,” he admitted, flipping through the pages of hieroglyphic-like symbols, looking for one page in particular.
She rolled her eyes. “Then why are you showing it to me? It probably belongs to the hotel,” the grey unicorn suggested.
He shook his head, having already argued the point with Pinkie Pie. “No, it doesn’t belong to the hotel—I know a unicorn who reads a book just like this, and she says it is only available in Canterlot—the place you say you’re from,” Phoenix dismissed her explanation out of hoof.
Sonata sighed. “Whatever… fine, it’s my book… so what exactly are you trying to prove here?” she asked, taking an air like she was being forced to suffer fools.
“Like I said, I can’t read any of the characters written inside these pages…” Phoenix stated as he found the page he was looking for. “Except for these!” he turned the book around so she could see.
Sonata’s eyes widened. “Ah!”
“’Continue from here, third line’,” he quoted the handwritten annotation. “I can read that note scribbled on the page… you couldn’t find a bookmark, could you Sonata?” Phoenix guessed, closing the tome.
The grey unicorn was starting to look frustrated and angry, but Phoenix wasn’t too worried—he’d taken precautions; even if she was involved in the earlier attack on him, she had to know that if she did something to him here, there would be no way she could escape suspicion—and that she’d be absolutely no match for Twilight’s power. “I’m sure if we compare the writing in here to that letter, we’ll get a perfect match,” Phoenix continued, unafraid.
The grey unicorn hissed her air out through gritted teeth. “Ugh… fine! I wrote the letter!” she confessed angrily as another lock broke.
[2 Locks Remaining]
“But… you still fail to prove any relevance to this,” Sonata started again, sounding like the prosecutor she claimed she could be.
“Hmm?” Phoenix raised a brow.
“So I was going to quit. So what? Why do you think I have something to do with this?” Sonata protested.
In response, Phoenix picked the letter back up, quoting directly from it. “’I can’t help ruin others’ lives.’ I wonder what that could mean…?” Phoenix wondered out loud, making a show of taking his trademark pondering expression, his hand on his chin and eyes looking away as if in deep thought, to Sonata’s immense annoyance.
Abruptly, he grinned. “Well, I won’t play dumb, because I know EXACTLY what this little statement means…”
The atmosphere suddenly dropped and went silent as Phoenix brought out the packet… that contained… Rainbow Dash’s~ ((NO!!))
Sonata recoiled from the manila envelope. “Is this some kind of joke? Why are you showing me these pictures?!” she demanded, her voice almost trembling.
Taking a deep breath, he scattered the photographs on the room table, face up, watching her reaction carefully. She flinched hard when they came out. “I found out earlier today from my client that Ace was doing something very wrong to her…” Sonata kept silent, pointedly not looking at the pictures—he could hardly blame for her that; he was doing his best not to look at them either. “And I think you know all too well what it was! You were in on this blackmailing business, weren’t you? It fits perfectly with the context of your resignation letter!”
Sonata was speechless… “Ugh!” The breaking-glass sound of another shattered lock was only heard by Phoenix.
[1 Lock Remaining]
Taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself again… but was not entirely successful; Phoenix noted her lip was quivering and voice was starting to sound shaky. “You certainly have a wild imagination, Mister Wright. Blackmail? Really? Even if your client was being blackmailed… what makes you think Ace and I were behind it?” Sonata questioned his accusation, forcing a disbelieving smile.
He crossed his arms. “I know it’s the truth, Sonata.”
“Is that so?” she snatched the letter from him with her magic and made a show of scanning it top to bottom. “I don’t see ANYTHING mentioning blackmail on this letter of mine,” Sonata pointed out, turning it back to him.
“And these pictures of my client?” he motioned to the table, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.
She shrugged. “Maybe Ace just needed a good laugh at his competition to get in the right mindset.”
Oh come on, you can do better than THAT, Sonata! “I don’t think so. ‘Ruin other’s lives’ kind of fits the description of blackmail,” Phoenix immediately countered.
She resorted to a lawyerly denial. “It could mean anything! You have no proof Ace and I were blackmailing anypony,” Sonata said, not budging.
Stubborn as a mule, aren’t you? he asked her mentally, suddenly wondering if there were intelligent donkeys and mules in Equestria as well. “Actually, I do,” Phoenix announced, causing the grey unicorn to start.
“How?” she asked in disbelief, still trying to evade the human lawyer… but Phoenix was too close to the truth and too sure of the facts to be denied.
“We just have to use this…”
Phoenix showed Sonata the blackmail letter he got from Rainbow Dash. “This is the letter Rainbow Dash was blackmailed with, demands right from the horse's mouth… if you’ll excuse the expression,” he said confidently.
She looked almost offended at that; Phoenix was starting to realize how insulting calling a pony a horse in this world really was. “Like I said… there is no way you can prove Ace or I wrote this; it doesn't even have a name on it!” Sonata reminded him
Phoenix was ready for that. “I don’t need a name, there is an easier way to find out who wrote this!” he announced.
“Wh-what?” Sonata stuttered, caught off-guard again by his claim.
“Just like before… let’s compare the writing style on this blackmail letter to your letter of resignation,” Phoenix took the two sheets of parchment in opposite hands, looking back and forth between them, comparing what he saw. Grinning in satisfaction at his findings, he placed them on the table side-by-side. “The writing styles seem to match up perfectly, Sonata. Would you have any idea as to why?” the human lawyer asked mildly, but the grey unicorn remained silent, the final lock still stubbornly intact.
Just one more push, Phoenix thought. “And finally, there’s this…”
“I found a list of names on your table with ‘8:35’ written next to Rainbow Dash… the same time requested to meet her on this blackmail letter,” Phoenix brought out his last piece of evidence. “Hard to call it a coincidence when that’s the same time Ace was meeting Rainbow Dash in the forest, don’t you think?
Registering his final blow, Sonata closed her eyes in defeat. “Well done, Mister Wright. I guess there is no way for me to deny it any longer…” the grey unicorn conceded as the final psyche-lock shattered… and the chains retreated out of sight.
[All Locks Neutralized]
With that, the room became strangely silent. Phoenix and Sonata exchanged glances at each other, the atmosphere turning almost awkward. “Uh…?” the human lawyer began, unnerved by her apparent lack of concern.
“Problem?” Sonata asked, raising an eyeridge at him but otherwise sounding perfectly calm.
“Shouldn’t you be worried?” Phoenix asked.
“’Worried’?” Sonata actually giggled; Phoenix didn’t find the sound friendly at all. “Whatever should I be worried about?” she asked the human lawyer with a toothy and unpleasant smirk.
He drew himself up straighter, pointing an accusing finger at her. “I found you out! You were blackmailing my client! That’s a CRIME, Ms. ‘Cold, Hard, Swift Justice’!” Phoenix flared up.
The grey unicorn was unperturbed. “Do you remember what I said earlier, Mister Wright?” Sonata asked.
“Huh?”
“You asked me about my talent—my eye for detail. It’s what I’ve been using the whole time Ace and I have been doing this,” Sonata proclaimed. “For example… in the days I studied Ms. Rainbow Dash I could see that she had quite an ego and reputation. That’s why I took those photographs of her, knowing she would protect her image above all else and do anything to prevent the exposure of her little… hobby,” she began, wincing again at the memory. “As it happened, we had quite the lucrative business, Ace and I. We had several gamblers placing large sums of money on him after we… had our way with the potentially tough competition, then split the money 50/50 on top of what he was awarded for winning,” she detailed the blackmail scheme with a dauntingly straight face. “That’s why your client was targeted—Ace thought her a threat to him after her performance at the Cloudsdale Young Fliers’ Competition.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” Phoenix asked in confusion, uncertain why she’d be giving him so much ammunition he could use against her in court.
The grey unicorn took on a haughty pose again, closing her eyes and turning slightly away from him. “To prove that I’m not worried at all. You see, I can get anyone—person or pony—to keep their mouth shut once I find out what makes them tick. And you, Mister Wright, are no exception,” she declared, a clearly smug grin on her face.
“Wh-what?!” Phoenix’s eyes grew wide…
“I’m not worried in the slightest, because you’re not going to tell a soul about this,” Sonata informed him flatly.
Phoenix looked at her like she was nuts. “You're WRONG! I’m going to tell the police about this right away!”
Sonata turned away from him fractionally once more. “With my conversations with you, I can tell you hold your loyalty in your client in high regard,” she noted with another smirk.
“So what? You can’t take that away from me!” Phoenix crossed his arms and smirked back.
“Or can I…?” Sonata countered in a mild voice, turning back to him and giving him an almost-chilling smile, making Phoenix lose his own. “If I so much as even catch wind of you uttering the word ‘blackmail’ to anypony… I’ll report what you and your little accomplice did earlier,” the grey unicorn mare threatened.
That caught Phoenix short. She must mean how me and Pinkie broke into her hotel room…
“You had no jurisdiction searching my hotel room, and you and that pink pony left prints all over the place. I can have you both charged with trespassing, breaking and entering, and theft of personal property,” she recited. “Again, I don’t know how things work in the human world, but here… such transgressions carry a substantial penalty; you’ll no doubt find it a difficult defending your client from a prison cell,” she noted idly, causing the human lawyer to gnash his teeth. "In short, Mister Wright… I have more than enough evidence to take you and your friend down with me. It would be troublesome if information regarding my dealings got out and you want to defend your client, correct? So it seems we’re at a stalemate.”
Phoenix felt sandbagged. “Why didn’t you report me earlier?” he wanted to know, his voice suddenly weak.
She gave him an almost lazy shrug. “Simple. Like any good prosecutor or poker player, I held my cards until I could use them to maximum advantage. So do we have a deal, Mister Wright?” She nodded in satisfaction when Phoenix didn’t answer. “I’ll take your silence as a yes. Don’t worry; I’ll be at the trial tomorrow to make sure you keep our little secret to yourself…” she assured him. “In any event, this conversation is concluded!”
With that, her horn flared and Phoenix’s eyes widened when he realized she was picking him up, moving him outside the door; though he did notice the effort seemed to be severely straining her, judging by her gritted teeth and suddenly ragged breathing. Surprised, he stumbled backwards when her aura let go, dropping him a foot to the ground.
Grimacing like she was in pain, Sonata followed up his ejection by magically tossing all his evidence out into the hallway, shoving the envelope full of pictures into his stomach, a light sheen of sweat suddenly visible on her forehead. “I’ll let you have these back… they’re just reminders of a life I’d like to leave, and little good they will do you now,” the former manager of Ace Swift stated, sounding slightly out of breath; Phoenix thought she might have been trembling a bit. “Goodbye, Mister Wright. Please go away and don’t come back…” she ordered him, trying not to wince as she closed and locked her door with a final flare of her horn, leaving a stunned Phoenix outside.
Startled and a little scared by her actions—it was only at that moment he understood he had no defense against unicorn magic and there were likely any number of things she could have done to him—he gathered up the pieces of evidence, leaving the same way he came in. Looks like I ended up on the same boat as all her other victims… Phoenix said to himself as he left the hotel, his own limbs shaking a bit in lingering fear. Ugh! What do I do?! Though this seems important, how does it even fit in with anything??? the human lawyer pondered on a bench outside the hotel, not seeing how the blackmail scheme tied in with the murder, except as a possible motive for Rainbow to have committed it… which didn’t help him at all.
And what’s with her pain, too? Why does Sonata need those pills? he wondered, noting the strain using her magic had apparently caused her. He took some comfort from the fact that there apparently were limits to what she could do; in hindsight it looked like all she could actually manage was to pick him up and move him a few feet. Maybe the heavier something is the more difficult it is to manipulate? he reasoned, noting he’d mostly seen unicorns moving small objects, not big ones. Should probably ask Twilight exactly how magic works…
Regardless of the answers, Phoenix felt frustrated as he began the walk back to the library through the early-evening bustle of Ponyville, pointedly ignoring the gawks and angry looks he still got from the residents. Though victorious in making Sonata confess to the blackmail scheme, he now had an even more intractable problem; he had gone through all the hard work on squeezing information out of the grey unicorn mare only to end up unable to use it. Even though he had found some answers… still more questions were piling up.
With the new information regarding Ace Swift and the extortion racket he ran revealed, Phoenix knew he had to hatch a plan to get around Sonata’s threat and somehow find the link from the blackmail scheme back to the murder before he could use it to defend Rainbow Dash. But in order to come up with that plan, he had to first go back to the Library and consult with the one pony who shared the same ability he did…
Finding the truth…
June 10th, 6:10PM
After a stop by the Carousel Boutique found Rarity not at home—her younger sister, an adorable curly-haired filly named Sweetie Belle, told him the fashionista pony was having dinner with a prospective client and wouldn’t be back until late—a brooding Phoenix returned to the Twilight’s treehouse library home to find it empty.
Seems Twilight isn’t back yet. Better not tell her about Sonata, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Not only for my sake, but for hers as well, he decided as he ducked his head to go through the front door, mental and physical fatigue starting to catch up to him—he’d been in Equestria less than a day, but after everything that had happened and all he had been through, it may as well have been a week.
Walking to the kitchen intending to turn Fluttershy's vegetables into some dinner, the human lawyer was stopped short by the unexpected sight of a bird sitting on a perch in the middle of the room, eying him curiously. “Hey! An owl!” Phoenix exclaimed.
“Who,” the owl responded.
He gave it an odd look. “You, you’re an owl!” Phoenix replied.
“Who?” it repeated, almost sounding like it was asking a question.
“You mean, ‘Who am I?’” he guessed. “I’m Phoenix Wright… with a ‘Ph’ and a ‘W’.”
“Who,” it kept saying.
Phoenix frowned. “You know… you make Big Macintosh look like a blabbermouth.”
“Who,” it said again, at which point Phoenix gave up.
Shortly after, a small bipedal green-and-purple reptile appeared at the upstairs rail, wearing an apron and holding a mop. “Oh, you're back!” the strange creature greeted him a wave from the edge of Twilight’s bedroom loft.
Phoenix looked up at him in recognition. “You’re… Spike, right? I remember meeting you earlier,” he said as the baby dragon came downstairs, the human lawyer feeling embarrassed anew over his initial fear of him. When I heard he was a dragon, I thought he’d be a monster, but he’s just a little guy! he mused as Spike approached him; even counting the ridge scales on his head he barely came up to the human lawyer’s waist.
Spike rolled his slitted eyes. “Yeah, I remember you too… you were being a big drama queen this morning,” he reminded Phoenix in an annoyed tone, who winced and nodded ruefully.
“Sorry about that. Getting one hour of sleep and having no dinner or breakfast will do that to you,” he apologized, thinking that for a creature that was supposed to be a baby, he had the intelligence and attitude of a teenager—and a rather sassy one at that. “So what's this owl doing here?” Phoenix asked, nodding at the bird before him.
“Oh, that’s Owlowiscious. He helps Twilight with her late night study sessions, since he’s nocturnal…” Spike explained. “Basically, I help Twilight during the day and Owlowiscious takes over at night.”
He nodded his understanding. “Owlowiscious, huh?” Phoenix scratched his chin while studying the domesticated avian closely…
“Who!” the bird acknowledged.
“You, you’re Owlowiscious!” Phoenix said to the owl.
“Who.”
Spike chuckled. “Sometimes I keep at it hoping he’ll say ‘What’, ‘Why’, ‘Where’ or ‘How’,” he told Phoenix, who chuckled as well.
“So you’re Twilight’s scribe,” he remembered, resisting the urge to pat the baby dragon on the head—he was just too cute in that apron.
He nodded eagerly. “Yup! #1 Assistant Spike at your service!” he said proudly, putting his hands—yes, actual hands—on his scaled hips.
“Who!” the owl said yet again; Phoenix swore he heard an annoyed note in her hoot.
Spike apparently did as well. “Oh? So are you. Actually… would you mind being the ‘#1.5 Assistant’? I mean that’s still number one… sorta. It’s just that ‘#1 Assistant’ sounds better on me!”
“Who,” the owl apparently agreed.
“Me.”
“Who.”
“Me! Spike! You know my name!”
Spike, you're not gonna win this argument… Phoenix knew, sitting back down on the sofa, taking a load off and studying the hollowed-out interior of the tree that was Twilight’s home. “Have to say… Twilight wasn’t lying when she said she likes reading if she lives in this library. It’s like a bookworm’s dream come true!” Phoenix noted, looking over her huge living room filled with stacks and shelves of books all around.
“Oh yeah! And you don’t know the half of it!” Spike snickered. “Let me tell you, Twilight’s a total nerd!”
“Excuse me?” an annoyed voice asked, startling them both; the two spun their heads to see Twilight had just walked in the open front door.
The baby dragon cringed at the glare Twilight was giving him, putting on the silliest grin he could muster. “Oh! You’re back, Twilight! I… um… uh… I was just on way to… um… organize those awesome books my intelligent and smart friend reads! Uh… later!” he raced towards the next room, where even more stacks of books lay upon the floor…
Phoenix stifled a laugh at Spike’s silliness, turning his focus back to the violet unicorn. “So… did you find out what you needed to know?” he asked her, standing back up and respectfully clasping his hands in front of him.
She gave him a satisfied, if slightly distracted nod. “Yes. I have to say, your Magatama’s power is amazing. I’ll fill you in about what I learned tomorrow. I have a good idea who’s behind all of this,” Twilight announced, looking deep in thought, starting to head upstairs.
Phoenix nodded. “Okay…” he began, only to be caught short as he read between the lines. “Wait… so you’re not firing me?” he followed up, holding his breath.
She stopped and sat down, looking away from him again. “I’ve thought about it a lot… and I realize now that you mean well,” she began. “What happened this morning is as much my fault for yanking you from your own world against your will and giving you no time to acclimate or prepare for a trial in this one,” she admitted. “What you did wasn’t fair to Fluttershy, but what I did wasn’t fair to you either… so it wouldn’t be right to hold it against you. And if what you say is true… you stand a better chance against Trixie than I do,” the violet unicorn conceded.
He relaxed at that, sighing with relief. “Thank you, Twilight. You made the right choice.”
“You’re welcome. But Phoenix…?” she trailed off, looking fractionally back at him.
“Yes?”
Abruptly, she turned and lunged at him, rearing up and shoving the startled human lawyer against a bookshelf, her hooves against his shoulders and head coming up to his chest, her purple eyes glowing red and piercing his brown ones with a soul-freezing stare that could rival Fluttershy’s. As a frightened Phoenix watched, her horn began to glow orange—a color he recognized as one borne of anger—and realized with a moment of panic her aura was pinning him in place, putting him completely at her mercy.
She let his situation sink in before she spoke, apparently making sure she had his full attention. “These are my friends, Phoenix,” she informed him, a low, dangerous edge to her voice. “I love them all and I’d do anything to protect them; they are NOT to be used as pawns in a legal war between you and Trixie!” the violet unicorn warned him with a sharp shake, the glow in her eyes ominously intensifying for a moment, causing his eyes to widen and heart to freeze. “The thought of losing Rainbow is hard enough to bear, but when you accused Fluttershy… I thought I was going to lose HER too!” she told him, voice wavering and eyes glistening, the red glow suddenly faltering. “I now understand why you did it, and accept that you had no choice. But please… don’t EVER…! pull a stunt like that again without running it past me first… understood?” she ordered him, emphasizing her final word with another sharp shake of his shoulders.
Taken aback and more than a little afraid, a stunned and speechless Phoenix did the only thing he could think of. With great deliberateness, he reached up to gently grasp her hooves in his hands, swallowing as he did so. “Y-yeah… I won’t, I promise,” he said a little unsteadily, giving her blunt appendages a squeeze, finally understanding exactly what the violet unicorn had been going through and how fiercely protective of her friends she really was. “I shouldn’t need to do anything like that again. From here on out… my only purpose is to get Rainbow acquitted and to find out what really happened in that forest that night,” Phoenix pledged to her, more determined than ever to put an end to the shroud of secrecy and deceit that hung over the case and lay bare the truth.
She studied his face carefully, as if trying to gauge the candor of his words. He met her intimidating red-eyed gaze as evenly as he could, determined to show her that he meant what he said. Apparently accepting his words as genuine, she finally nodded in satisfaction and released him from her aura, her eyes and horn glow returning to normal, to his immense relief. “I-I’m sorry… I… I didn’t mean to scare you…” she apologized. “It was just… I had to get that off my chest,” she told him, now leaning on him heavily and looking strangely spent.
He felt his fear ebb at that, his heart starting to slow back down. “It’s all right… I’ll be the first to admit I deserved that,” he replied, giving the violet unicorn a wan smile and another squeeze of her hooves, marveling again that they were slightly yielding, completely unlike the hard hooves of his world’s horses. “This hasn’t been one of my better days,”—there’s a prize understatement—“and I don’t think I have any right to ask this of you, but… please forgive me?” he beseeched her, bowing his head before the violet unicorn.
She finally favored with him a warm smile, though he noticed her gaze flicker to his hands on her hooves for a moment. “Fluttershy forgave you… so I guess I can too. The Princess also said I can trust you, and that everything would be fine if you were here,” she told him, leaving him wondering again how Twilight's 'Princess' knew of him. Abruptly, she started to tear up again, her big, purple eyes drawing the human lawyer into their depths. “Phoenix… please save my friend!” she begged him.
His heart all but melted at that; he reached around to gently hug her head to his chest, being careful not to touch her horn. “I’ll try—no. I won’t let you down this time!” Phoenix promised, vowing to be worthy of her... worthy of her trust, he belatedly appended his thought. Though initially surprised, her eyes going wide as he moved to hug her, Twilight did not resist, slowly relaxing into the embrace. “I’ll prove Rainbow Dash innocent, and neither Trixie nor Timberwolves will stop me,” Phoenix swore to her quietly, running a comforting hand through her soft fur and silky striped mane, feeling the violet unicorn trembling slightly beneath his fingers. For the first time since he had been in Equestria, he felt like a man again, giving strength and comfort to his… mare?
“Th-thank you,” came Twilight’s quavering voice, and with that, the human lawyer and violet unicorn held the embrace, unable or unwilling to let go of the other until…
“Oh, get a room, you two!” Spike called down from the second floor, causing them both to blush and pull away.
“Who!” Owlolicious added, looking at them curiously; Phoenix could have sworn the avian was smiling out of one corner of his beak.
Still blushing, Twilight pushed back from him and dropped to all fours, sitting down and rubbing a hoof behind her head, looking almost sheepish. “Um… th-thank you. That spare bed is in the same place,” she said, turning away from him. “Try to get lots of sleep this time, okay? I’m pretty tired after all that’s happened today. Investigating sure takes a lot out of you,” Twilight yawned, stretching out slowly before him, her tail rising momentarily as she did so.
“Tell me about it…” an equally-flustered Phoenix agreed with her, rubbing the back of his own head, trying not to glance at her briefly-exposed hindquarters. Did… she do that deliberately?
“I, uh… think I’m going to bed early…” Twilight announced, her cheeks still flushed, seemingly unable to look the him in the eye.
Phoenix’s cheeks were warm as well. “Alright. I'm probably going to crash soon too,” he said in sympathy, and he wasn’t just saying it—it was nearly six hours before his usual bedtime, but after as little sleep as he had gotten the previous night, he didn’t care.
“Good night,” Twilight called to him, then trotted upstairs to her upper-floor bedroom loft. A sandbagged Phoenix watched her leave, his eyes drawn to the exaggerated movement of her hips—or was he imagining it?—quickly tearing his gaze away when he saw Twilight look back at him. Finally, she disappeared into her room, leaving Phoenix alone… and brooding, the human lawyer longer able to deny what he was thinking and feeling.
He sat back down on the sofa trying to make sense of it, his head clutched in his hands. Did he like Twilight? If so... why? He’d only known her a day and she’d all but kidnapped him, dragging him unwillingly into her world, lying to him in the process. But for that, she’d also quickly become his guide and friend; he had come to appreciate her intelligence and talents, fascinated by her ability to wield magic and exotic equine form. But that in turn begged the question: was his attraction to her just an odd adjunct of his interest in animals—and to think of the violet unicorn (or any other pony) that way was utterly insulting—or something more?
The more he thought about it, the more he was certain it wasn’t a simple matter of her being a pony—if it was, he’d be falling for every mare he met. If he was being fair, he’d certainly noticed other ponies, like Applejack or Rarity, he'd ended up with Pinkie's head in his lap at one point, and he half-thought he might have some kind of crush on Fluttershy, especially after her rescue of him.
But with Twilight… it was different. Far from being the ‘total nerd’ Spike claimed, Phoenix could tell the bookish unicorn was smart and savvy, a very strong-willed and fiercely devoted friend who could accomplish miracles with her magic, simple in her appearance but not unattractive for it... qualities that meant he’d be no less smitten if she were human. When she rejected him after the trial, he’d been hurt as much as when he got stood up at his junior prom in high school; he’d wanted nothing more than her forgiveness and the chance to win her trust back. But now that he’d apparently gotten it…
He sighed at that, his tired and slightly overwhelmed mind reminding him that regardless of the fact she was a pony, getting romantically involved with a client was a VERY bad idea. But then again… Twilight wasn’t so much his client as his temporary assistant and co-counsel (which hardly made it better), though comparing her to Maya wasn’t fair to the violet unicorn in the least. Other than the fact she couldn’t channel Mia, Twilight was far more mature and capable; with a little training and seasoning he had no trouble seeing her as full-fledged attorney who could do well even in the courtrooms of his world.
Much as he did in court when he was having trouble discerning the truth, the human lawyer tried looking at the situation from another angle—did Twilight really like him? The evidence certainly suggested yes, between her odd behavior, pink aura, and the all-too-equine displays she'd made at the end of their conversation… though much as it was for him, he doubted she herself fully understood why.
He shook his head at that. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in a long time—no surprise, considering what his last one did to him—and he had never dreamed he might find a new one in a world of intelligent equines. Never mind the fact she was a pony, not a person; never mind what their respective societies would say about it… was such a thing even possible…?
Finally, his thoughts trying to head down paths he wasn’t anywhere near ready to go, he shook his head, deciding that regardless of the answers it simply wasn’t the time or place to pursue them. “Business first, Phoenix,” he thought out loud, reminding himself that he had a client to defend and a case to win, resolving to put whatever was happening with Twilight out of his head until after the trial was over.
Heading for the kitchen, Phoenix fixed himself a salad made from Fluttershy’s basket vegetables, mixing a simple dressing of oil, vinegar and spices he found in the pantry—once again, he’d rarely tasted better carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, or radishes—and ate a couple slices of bread and butter that Spike said he’d picked up earlier that day just for him, enduring no little ribbing from the scribe for hugging Twilight. After washing it down with a fresh cup of herbal tea prepared for him by the baby dragon (who heated the kettle by breathing fire on it!), he went up to the spare bedroom he hadn’t been able to get any sleep in the night before. The way his eyes were starting to flutter, he suspected that wasn’t going to be a problem this time around… though he was worried about nightmares after his experience in the Everfree Forest.
If I have them, at least let Fluttershy rescue me in them again! he silently prayed to whatever Gods of Equestria were listening. That in turn reminded him that he owed the shy pegasus pony a second apology, this time for inappropriate touching. He sighed and rubbed his eyes at that. It was a mistake borne of ignorance, but he knew that was no excuse—after seeing how Twilight had reacted to her horn nearly being touched, he should have guessed that wings and associated areas were off-limits for pegasi as well. I'll find her tomorrow and apologize personally, I promise...
As he began to undress, undoing his tie and then pulling off his suit jacket and slacks, his thoughts turned back to Sonata and the extortion scheme she had detailed to him. This whole situation with Sonata is bugging me. Not only her blackmailing, but her appearance… is it only a coincidence she looks like her? Or is she somehow really Mia? he wondered, half-hopefully—for if she was, it might yet be possible to reach her better nature.
He shook his head at that. Twilight says she may know who’s behind the murder… maybe I should just wait until morning instead of stressing my brain about this, he decided, resolving to put both the case and violet unicorn out of his head until the next day.
Carefully draping his suit over a chair—a slightly pointless exercise considering the shape it was now in—he pulled off his dress shirt as well, which he noticed had been stained with sweat. Hope I can get these laundered and my suit repaired before court tomorrow… he prayed, still dreading what would happen when Rarity saw it again.
He sighed at that, pulling off his socks, now stripped to his undershirt and boxers—with Twilight around he’d go no further than that. Wishing he could do something more than just wait and sleep, he pulled the mattress off the bedframe and laid it on the floor instead, extending its length with cushions stolen from the library lounge—that way, his feet wouldn’t be awkwardly hanging off the edge and he might be able to get at least half-comfortable. Abruptly, he stopped. “Wait a minute…” his brow furrowed with a sudden idea, getting up and going to the rail overlooking the living area. “Hey, Owlowicious!” he called downstairs. Swiveling his head to face the human lawyer, the owl immediately flew up and lit on the rail beside him, waiting. “Do you think you could do me a couple favors?”
“Who,” the avian gave an apparently affirmative response, listening while Phoenix explained what he wanted, waiting as the human lawyer wrote out a letter with his pen on a spare piece of parchment he found on the room’s desk. “Do you understand?” he asked the owl, handing over the message.
“Who!” Owlowicious gave him a nod, taking the note in his talons and flying off into the evening out an open window, the sky turning orange as sunset approached.
After the owl was out of sight, Phoenix pulled his room shade and settled down in his improvised bed, reflecting on the day’s events. It had been a rough day, beginning with his poor preparation and trial performance followed by a near-deadly decision to go into the forest alone, but he’d also learned a lot; with the new evidence and information he’d uncovered, the pieces of the puzzle surrounding Ace’s murder were still a little scattered but coming together bit by bit. He just had to find the remaining connections when the trial resumed or things might turn for the worse even more…
He swore that would not happen; both for Rainbow’s sake and the fact that he would not—could not—let Twilight down. Until then, however… all he wanted to do was sleep.
Satisfied he’d done all he could, Phoenix lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket over him. His head on the pillow and feet resting on the lounge cushions, he closed his eyes and was snoring softly less than a minute later.
*Before Phoenix’s Arrival… *
Location: Library…
Time: ???
One Day after the crime took place...
It had not been a good day, and the next one promised to be even worse.
Rainbow Dash was in a holding cell accused of murder, her trial scheduled to begin the following morning and Twilight’s increasingly frantic efforts to find a lawyer willing to represent her had gone for naught. “I’m sorry, Princess,” the violet unicorn apologized to the guest in her home, her head bowed low in failure and regret, an unusually unkempt pile of parchment at her feet.
“So not one of them accepted?” a second, much taller pony asked, looking down at her protégé in some dismay. She was a very large and regal figure, her pristine alabaster coat contrasting with an ethereal, pastel-hued mane and tail that waved about as if in an unseen breeze, a broad and stylized sun-shaped cutie mark adorning her hip. Her size, massive wings and long horn marked her as an Alicorn—the greatest of all pony races, combining the traits and abilities of Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns into one mighty creature—and she spoke in a soft, gentle voice that bespoke of great wisdom and compassion born of a thousand years of life.
She was Celestia, the ageless and majestic Princess of the Sun, ruler of Equestria, and mentor of Twilight Sparkle.
“No, Princess, all ten of them refused when they heard the gravity of the case…” a very downcast Twilight confirmed, motioning with a hoof at the scattered letters on the floor around her. The princess looked troubled as well, looking down at the floor, frowning slightly. “But… there is another option…” the violet unicorn perked back up, sweeping the debris aside with a flare of magic from her horn, making her mentor look back to her.
“And what would that be, Twilight?” Celestia asked solemnly, her broad wings flared and twitching in the only outward sign of the emotions she was feeling.
“I could study the law and defend Rainbow Dash myself,” she offered, standing up straighter to present herself. “I’m sure I’ve seen a book or two on Equestrian law in the library. I’ve read them once or twice to get the gist of how our law works, but… I can study harder and become a lawyer!” Twilight suggested, a note of eagerness in her voice.
The Sun Princess regarded her student quietly for a moment before replying. “You think you can become an adequate lawyer in just a day?” Celestia asked with a slightly tilted head; Twilight recognized her teacher’s tone as one of mild reproach, gently informing her student she could not.
The violet unicorn lowered her ears slightly at the implied rebuke. “I have to try… you and I both know Rainbow Dash would never murder another pony,” Twilight reasoned, feeling that she had to do something to save her friend.
Celestia turned away, her troubled look returning. “You have to understand, Twilight… this is not a matter to be taken lightly. I have every bit of confidence in you, my faithful student, but we need to find somepony with the experience to handle this properly,” she said.
“But Princess, there’s nopony else LEFT!” Twilight said in panic, fearing that the monarch of Equestria was asking for the impossible and Rainbow Dash’s fate was sealed.
To her surprise, the Sun Princess raised her head and smiled. “There is someone else I have in mind,” Celestia announced, an odd glint in her violet eyes.
“Who?!” Twilight demanded to know in an almost-shrill voice. Some… ONE? she later wished she had asked.
“Get ‘Phoenix Wright’,” the ruler of Equestria directed, folding her wings at her sides.
Twilight tilted her head in confusion “’Phoenix Wright’?” she asked, repeating the odd and unfamiliar name.
“Yes, I know him. He is an excellent lawyer… perhaps even the greatest defense attorney there is,” Celestia claimed.
Twilight’s hopes soared. “The greatest defense attorney in Equestria? That’s GREAT! How do I get hold of him?” she asked in excitement, eager for instructions.
Celestia chuckled at her student’s enthusiasm, giving the violet unicorn a smile Twilight could only describe as coy. “There are a few things you should know about him…” she began, an odd, almost teasing tone in her voice. “First, you’ll need to summon him. A standard summoning spell should suffice, but when he arrives… he’s going to act a bit odd and look a bit strange. He may even overreact, but try to bear with him no matter what happens,” the Sun Princess instructed in a slow and almost motherly voice, like a parent telling her young foal how to care for a new pet.
The violet unicorn was puzzled, both by the instructions and the manner in which they were given. “Um… why would I have to summon him? It takes a lot of magic to do something like that,” she noted, thinking it was also very rough and disorienting on the targeted pony when they weren’t expecting it.
Celestia's grin seemed to get a little wider. “He’s rather… hard to get hold of. Summoning him to you and speaking with him directly is the best course of action,” she explained cryptically, an almost-mischievous gleam in the violet eyes—at least, the one unhidden by her long flowing bangs.
Twilight felt increasingly lost, almost feeling like the Sun Princess was playing a prank on her. But why would she at a time like this? “I’m… a little confused, Princess. Why would he overreact?” she wanted to know, but to her growing frustration, Celestia went on like she hadn’t spoken at all.
“Just stroke his ego a bit. Tell him you accidentally summoned ‘The Greatest Defense Attorney Ever,’” she suggested. “That should win him over. He should be like putty in your hooves after that,” she added, a sly but knowing grin on her face.
I’m no expert, but the way she’s acting isn’t very Princess-like! Twilight thought, getting a little exasperated by her mentor’s apparently-deliberate coyness. “This is still really confusing… are you sure he’s really THAT good?” the violet unicorn asked.
“I have complete confidence in him,” Celestia assured her student, flaring her broad wings again in an impressive and majestic display.
Twilight gave the Sun Princess a sidewise look. “And… you’re sure he will accept the murder case? Not many ponies will…”
“He’s… not a stranger to murder cases. I’m positive he’ll accept,” Celestia replied, refolding her wings but still wearing her odd smile.
“Alright, if you say so Princess…” Twilight accepted her suggestion reluctantly, still uncertain.
The Sun Princess nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. I’ll start preparing the paperwork assigning him as Rainbow Dash’s lawyer,” Celestia told her student, raising her forehoof as if she was about to leave, but Twilight stopped her before she could.
“Um… with respect, Princess… aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself? We haven’t spoken with him about the crime yet,” Twilight reminded her Alicorn mentor, who brushed it off as if was unworthy of concern.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure he won’t turn down somepony who is undoubtedly innocent,” the Sun Princess promised. “You do believe Rainbow Dash is innocent, right?” she asked Twilight directly, turning back to her prized pupil and looking her in the eye.
“Of COURSE I do!” the violet unicorn declared vehemently and without hesitation, raising her voice to try to prove to the Princess she truly believed her friend had nothing to do with the crime.
Celestia was unruffled. “As do I. So… there is nothing to fear,” she said softly, looking satisfied.
Why is she so calm, cool and collected about this pony? an increasingly bewildered Twilight wondered , but decided she had to trust her teacher for the time being. “Okay, I’ll have faith in this ‘Phoenix Wright’ if you do, Princess…” she said, not entirely convinced.
Celestia gave an approving nod. “You won’t be disappointed. Everything will turn out fine as long as he is here. I regret I will be unable to stay and welcome him, but I have business to attend to in Canterlot now, my faithful student. I wish you the best of luck with the trial,” Celestia said, flaring her wings and raising a forehoof as she readied to depart.
“Thank you, Princess…” Twilight said formally, briefly bowing before her monarch. “But one more thing, if I may?”
The Sun Princess looked back at Twilight, tilting her head curiously. “Hmm?”
The violet unicorn hesitated—she didn’t want to point what she was thinking out, as it came perilously close to accusing the Sun Princess of lying, but felt that she had to. “There are almost no murders in Equestria’s history. The worst we get are thefts and burglaries and those hardly warrant trials and lawyers,” Twilight noted carefully.
Celestia lowered her head and closed her eyes, looking sad for a moment. “Yes, that is true. This is the first murder in a very long time during my peaceful reign over Equestria…” the Sun Princess acknowledged with a solemn air.
“But that’s just it…” Twilight said, her brow furrowed as if something didn’t make sense. “You said a minute ago that the defense attorney ‘Phoenix Wright’ has been in murder cases before, but… how can that be if there hasn’t been a murder in Equestria for centuries?” she pointed out. “Doesn’t that… contradict what you said?” she offered carefully.
To her annoyance, Celestia merely chuckled, looking very amused. “Very good, my faithful student. I can already see you’ll get along with Phoenix quite well…” she said, giving her pupil a strange, knowing grin.
Twilight gave the princess an askance look back. “Wh-what does that mean? That doesn’t answer my question…” Twilight persisted, but instead of responding, Celestia materialized something with a flare of magic from her horn.
“Here, Twilight. Take this,” the Sun Princess floated her student a small heart-shaped pink crest.
Hey! Why is she avoiding my question?! Twilight thought, studying the odd object the Princess had given her. “What is… this?” the violet unicorn asked in a distasteful tone, taking it in her own aura.
“It’s an Equestrian attorney badge. He’ll need it; please be sure to give it to him…” Celestia informed her, the mischievous gleam in her eye back, as if she was playing a joke that only she knew the punch line of.
Twilight regarded the heart-shaped object in distaste. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing this cheap looking trinket—it looks like something a kindergartener would make! she decided, grateful it wasn’t for her. Wait… if he’s a lawyer, shouldn’t he already have one of these? she wondered, but something told her she’d just get another evasive answer if she asked. “Understood Princess…” Twilight nodded, though she really didn’t.
“Very well. I must take my leave now, Twilight. Oh… and one more thing…?”
“Yes?” Twilight’s ears perked up.
“Please don’t tell Phoenix Wright I asked you to call him…” Celestia directed.
Of all the instructions she’d been given, Twilight thought that made the least sense at all. “Why not?” Twilight asked the Sun Princess… but her only response was several seconds of silence followed by another coy grin.
“You certainly are curious, aren’t you? Goodbye, Twilight,” Celestia bid her prize pupil farewell with a Cheshire-cat grin, teleporting out in a flash of light before the violet unicorn could interject again; Twilight swore she saw the Sun Princess wink just before she disappeared.
Twilight’s muzzle fell open. Dah!! She did it AGAIN! Why do you always have to be so cryptic, Princess? she mentally asked her mentor in frustration, sighing and rubbing her head with a hoof, floating the badge over to a nearby table and leaving it there. “’Phoenix Wright’… what a strange name,” the violet unicorn thought out loud, trying and failing to envision the pony who had it. “Guess I should prepare the spell to summon him… now where’s that book?” she started pulling random texts off the shelves with her magic, floating them in a circle around her head. “I think it was… oh yes. Super Spectacular Stupendous Spontaneous Summoning Scripture Signals and You,” she remembered, dropping the other books and pulling a new one off a shelf on the opposite wall.
Hearing the all-too familiar clatter of falling texts, Spike came in from the kitchen and groaned in dismay when he saw the mess, starting to pick the scattered books up, grumbling under his breath. Barely aware of his presence, Twilight reviewed the spell and made a checklist of the reagents, dispatching the baby dragon to gather them while she began using chalk to draw a summoning circle on the floor.
An hour later she was ready. Here goes nothing! she thought, gathering herself carefully as she prepared to perform the ritual. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and channeled magic through her horn, funneling it through the reagents into the summoning circle. The lines began to glow with the same violet hue as her aura, energy dancing as she felt the spell take hold of its target, starting to pull him towards her across the intra-dimensional divide. She could feel an odd resistance, like he was fighting it and the distance he had to come was far greater than she had planned, so she channeled more magic into the effort, hoping it didn’t leave her—or him—too badly drained afterwards.
Well, Mister Wright, I apologize in advance for bringing you here like this, but my friend’s life is at stake! she thought as a form began to take shape within the circle, though at first glance it seemed rather large for a pony.
I just hope you really are as good as the Princess says…
The courtroom can be a cold battlefield alright… especially for a beginner.--Diego Armando, Turnabout Beginnings
The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over.
--Godot, Bridge to the Turnabout
June 10th, 11:55 AM
(After the first day of the Trial)
Twilight Sparkle was beside herself.
How… how could he? was the only coherent thought she could form as she left the courtroom, tears welling in her eyes as she remembered the bewildered, terrified look on Fluttershy’s face as she was led away, wondering how it could have all gone so wrong…
How she could have been so wrong.
“Twilight!” she heard Phoenix calling after her, but the violet unicorn ignored the human lawyer, continuing her slow walk towards the exit, her head bowed low in sorrow. She heard him running after him in his odd bipedal manner, finally catching up to her just short of the courthouse doors. “Twilight, please! Just let me explain!” he pleaded, putting a hand on her shoulders.
She threw it off as hard as she could with a flare of her magic, turning her head fractionally back towards him, just enough to let him see she was crying. “Phoenix… I was wrong about you,” was all she could choke out.
With those words, Twilight Sparkle abandoned the human lawyer, her head bowed low and tears streaming down her cheeks as she exited the courthouse, a second flare of her horn emphatically slamming the doors shut behind her. How could the Princess have recommended him? How could I have trusted him? How could I have LIKED him? she asked herself over and over, unable to remember the last time she felt so betrayed.
As she walked back home, her shock and sadness gradually gave way to anger; the violet unicorn was incensed by the time she arrived back at the Library. “I can’t believe what he did, accusing Fluttershy like that!” she vented to Spike with an angry snort, pacing back and forth in agitation. “It’s true what they say about lawyers, Spike! They’re a bunch of heartless liars!” And I thought he was different...
“But didn't the Princess…” her scribe began to remind her.
She cut him off hard. “Yes, I know! She requested that I use him! She said he was ‘The best there is’!” Twilight quoted sarcastically, wondering what in the name of Equestria Princess Celestia had been thinking, now certain her mentor had indeed been playing a prank by ordering her to summon the human lawyer. Was this just a big joke to her? Well, I’m not laughing, and neither is Fluttershy, Princess! she thought angrily, vowing to make her displeasure known in her next friendship report letter—which she was now terrified would be about what it was like to lose a friend.
“But he’s a human…” Spike reminded her, though what little he knew of their race came from Lyra, a slightly (and on occasion annoyingly) human-obsessed unicorn who was hardly an unbiased source.
She stopped her pacing and looked up sharply at that. “I didn't know he would be a human and from another world no less! Why didn’t Princess Celestia tell me that? And how does she even know him anyway!?” Twilight ranted, grinding her teeth together in anger.
“If you trust the Princess, shouldn't you trust him?” her scribe suggested tentatively, trying to remain reasonable in the face of Twilight’s fury, cringing a bit at the wisps of smoke he noticed were starting to come off her mane.
The violet unicorn shook her head vehemently. “No, Spike! He’s no good! Oh Celestia, you should have seen him! He was at poor Fluttershy’s throat, accusing her of the murder and framing Rainbow Dash for it!” she snorted angrily again. “Anypony with a single solitary brain cell can see Fluttershy would never do anything like that!”
Spike had to agree. “Yeah, no offense… but I think Fluttershy would lose a fight against a terminally ill graham cracker,” he acknowledged, making placating motions with his paws.
She stomped her hoof, hard, putting a divot in the floor and causing Spike to jump a bit, the baby dragon watching her nervously. “I wanted a good lawyer to defend Rainbow Dash, not to shift the blame to another one of my friends! And that’s why I’m going to follow through to my original plan!” Twilight announced, standing up straighter and suddenly wearing a determined look, the wisps of smoke vanishing as her anger gave way to resolve.
“And that is…?” Spike prompted, giving her a sidewise look. He’d seen that expression on Twilight’s face before, and knew little good usually came of it—the last time she had it, she had spent days obsessing over Pinkie Pie’s predictive powers, determined to disprove them but only ending up in traction for it when the contents of an aerial moving van fell on her head. Never mind what happened when Pinkie’s final prediction came true… he remembered with a shiver, suddenly thankful that as a dragon he was fireproof. But the library isn’t…
Twilight stood up taller. “I will be taking over as the defense lawyer in this case!” the violet unicorn declared proudly.
Far from being impressed, the baby dragon resisted the urge to facepalm. “YOU? A lawyer?” he said in a slightly sarcastic tone. “Do you even know anything about being a lawyer?” Spike asked her pointedly, already knowing what the answer was.
“Yes! W-well… a little!” Twilight began, but stopped short as Spike gave her an annoyed look that told her she wasn’t fooling anypony. “Okay! Okay! I don’t know much! But if Trixie managed to do it, so can I!” she insisted. “Besides, it didn’t seem all that hard… I just have to point out the flaws in information. I’m good at stuff like that!” Twilight speculated…
Spike was unconvinced. “I think there’s more to it than that…” the baby dragon said, making the point that being a lawyer likely wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.
The violet unicorn conceded that much, at least. “You’re right… that’s why we'll have a good look through with this…” Twilight pulled a book off a shelf from the library’s foreign section and showed it to her scribe.
“What's that?” Spike asked in curiosity, looking at the unfamiliar text.
She blew the dust off the cover before speaking; it was clearly a very old book. “’How to be a Lawyer in 24 hours’,” Twilight read the title.
Spike blinked. “Well, that’s certainly a conveniently titled book…” he said, suddenly wondering if Twilight was playing a joke on him—surely nothing could be that contrived! “And just where did it come from?” he asked suspiciously, never having seen it before.
She hesitated before replying. “This book is from across the sea,” Twilight answered a little reluctantly as she started to flip through the pages.
“Across the sea…?” Spike repeated, his brow furrowing. “Wait… that’s where all those weird ponies and humans live, right?” the scribe asked, looking up to Twilight with an odd, uncomfortable look on his face.
Twilight looked uncomfortable herself. “They aren’t weird, Spike! They’re just…” she trailed off as she turned the page and found an illustration.
Spike waited for Twilight to finish her sentence, but she never did… “They’re just what?” he finally prompted.
Twilight turned the book around for Spike to see an old picture of two ponies, not at all like the ones in Equestria, paired with a strangely familiar yet markedly different baby dragon. “Uh… really… happy…” she finally forced some words out.
The baby dragon shook his head, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu as he saw what might have almost been an alternate version of himself. “They’re way too frolic-y for me…” Spike said, turning away in distaste from the book and sitting down on the floor, finding the picture almost too painful to look at.
They lapsed into uncomfortable silence, only broken when Spike decided to ask… “So, uh… how do you plan on doing this whole lawyer thing anyway?”
Twilight lit up at that. “I’m glad you asked that, Spike!” she said, eager to tell her strategy. “I brushed up on the criminal justice laws this morning with Phoenix and it turns out that the laws are pretty identical to his, despite him being from another world… I got most of them memorized!” she noted, her thoughts turning back to the human lawyer at his mention. Strangely, what stuck out most in her memory was watching him pick up and turn a single page of the book using two fingers and a thumb, marveling he could control his digits independently like that…
Her eyes glazed and aura briefly turned a more pinkish hue as she began to have ideas about how else he might be able to use his fingers; aghast, she purged the unwelcome but strangely compelling images as hard as she could. Where is that COMING from? she demanded of herself, disgusted—Lyra was the one with the hand and finger fetish, not HER!
Spike shook his head, unaware of where Twilight’s thoughts had gone. “But that’s just laws and stuff; being a lawyer is a totally different thing!”
Twilight gave a slightly nervous chuckle, trying to shove the human lawyer as far from her thoughts as possible. “That’s why this book should provide me with all the details I need to become a good lawyer!” she proclaimed, struggling to keep her cheeks from flushing, a task made considerably more difficult when she suddenly remembered ending up his arms that morning after Rainbow had startled them both… AARGH! She gritted her teeth, half-considering using a memory erasure spell on herself to get him out of her head.
The baby dragon gave her a skeptical look. “I don’t know, Twilight. It looks kind of… ancient,” Spike noted, seeing the layer of dust on the old and musty book Twilight was holding in her aura.
Twilight was caught short. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with it being a little old?”
Spike gave her a sour look as he opened the book to a random page and read one of the passages on it. “’Smite thy prosecuting knave and make the whelp feel thy wrath of the glorious voice of justice’?” he recited in a disbelieving tone.
Twilight fell silent upon Spike’s reading of the verse, not knowing what to say. “Okay… so maybe it’s a little outdated…” she conceded.
Spike gave her a look. “A little outdated?” he asked in a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes.
“Okay! A LOT outdated, but it will have to do!” Twilight pouted, though Spike preferred pouting to ranting and risking her potentially fiery temper.
“Okay, then… so what’s it say to do first?” the baby dragon humored Twilight, knowing that when she set her mind on something there was usually no dissuading her regardless of whether it was a good idea or not.
“Let’s see…” Twilight flipped back to the beginning of the olden book, looking for the first step; she had to skim through the archaic, almost poetic text several times before she finally found an appropriate verse. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “’Consult with thy accused in melancholy, lifting wisdom from thy plea of innocence’.”
Spike facepalmed. “Oh brother…”
Twilight winced as well at the archaic wording, but refused to let go of her decision to use the book. “It must mean… go speak with Rainbow Dash… but I can’t,” Twilight sighed.
“Why not?” Spike asked.
“They won’t let me speak to Rainbow without an attorney badge,” Twilight pondered, then suddenly… “Ah! That’s where you come in, Spike!”
He raised his scaled eyeridges at her. “Me? What do I do?” the baby dragon asked, certain he wasn’t going to like what came next.
“I need you to write an appeal to the Equestria council to appoint me as Rainbow Dash’s lawyer while I’m gone,” the violet unicorn instructed her scribe.
Spike gave her another annoyed look, crossing his arms in disgust. “Oh, nice, Twilight! Make me deal with those huffy-puffy suits! Hmph!” the baby dragon grumped, noticing Twilight preparing to leave. “Wait, where are you going?”
“To the detention center…” she replied, pulling on her saddlebags, filling it with parchment, quills and ink. How did that weird quill of Phoenix’s work anyway…?
“But you said you needed a badge to get in there,” Spike reminded her.
She shook her head. “Correction: I only need one to speak with Rainbow Dash as she’s the primary suspect.”
“Then who~” his eyes widened as understanding dawned. “Oooh! Fluttershy, right?”
She nodded quickly. “That’s right. Since she’s only a potential suspect right now, they’ll be much more lenient with visitors,” the violet unicorn noted, floating the how-to tome back up and turning to the next page of text. “And after I’m done with that, according to the book I should… ‘Scour the land high and low for evidence pertaining to the guilty culprit with aid of thy loyal assistant at thy side’,” she quoted, taking on an archaic accent that would have sounded pretentious on anypony except perhaps Princess Luna.
“Cliffnote: Preferably a female adolescent,” Twilight belatedly spotted the fine print at the bottom of the page, thinking that was odd and more than a little creepy.
Spike clamped his hands over his ears. “Please, Twilight! Stop talking like that! Somehow it physically hurts me…” the baby dragon pleaded with a pained look.
Twilight ignored him, pondering the wording. “It must mean investigate…” she guessed, closing the book and putting it in her saddlebags.
Her scribe perked up at that. “Oh! Oh! Can I be your assistant? Detective ‘Hard-Boiled’ Spike, reporting for duty!” an excited Spike offered, saluting and twinkling through his big dragon eyes.
She shook her head. “Sorry, Spike, but I need you to write that appeal for me. Besides… I don't think I need an assistant for this. This book is more or less just guidelines,” she told him, certain she could get along without one.
“Come on, Twilight! Pleeeeease?” Spike begged her, immensely preferring the idea of doing something cool like detective work to staying home and doing chores… or worse, dealing with Canterlot bureaucrats.
“Sorry, Spike, but you’re needed here,” Twilight apologized again, making him pout a bit. She felt sorry for her scribe, but knew something that might cheer him up. “Hey, maybe when I’m done… I’ll come home with a nice big sapphire with your name on it?” she offered.
The gemstone-eating baby dragon instantly changed his expression. “S-sapphire?!” He took on a begging pose and stuck out his tongue, all but drooling at the thought of eating one of his favorite crystal treats. “’Stay at home’ Spike, reporting for duty!” the scribe announced with a huge and eager grin on his face.
I knew that would work! the violet unicorn thought in satisfaction, allowing herself a brief smirk which quickly disappeared as she thought of something else. “Oh, and Spike? If Phoenix comes by here, I want you to tell him to stay at the library until I get back. I don’t want him causing a ruckus in Ponyville.” He’s done enough damage for one day… she knew, deciding to stay away from the human lawyer until she’d cooled off a little more, worried about what she’d say or do to him if she saw him too soon—mares didn’t harm stallions, but after his betrayal, she was sorely tempted… which just made her odd infatuation with him all the more unwelcome and infuriating.
“Yes, sir! Err~ Ma’am! Sir-Ma’am!” Spike fumbled with a proper title.
Protocol? He’s really getting into this! Twilight gave her scribe an approving nod and smile, vowing not to think about the human lawyer again. “Alright, Spike. I’ll see you later!”
“Goodbye, Twilight!” Spike waved to his friend with a huge grin in his face, anticipating a wonderful evening meal.
June 10th, 12:34 PM
It took Twilight less than five minutes to walk to the Detention Center, just missing Phoenix and Pinkie Pie as they left the plaza.
When she arrived, she noticed there was a minor commotion outside; one of the pegasus guards was huddled in a corner sobbing and inconsolable, babbling something about an evil enchantress who put him in trances while his partner was lying on the ground in a fetal position sucking on his hoof like he was a foal again; the pair attended by a pair of pony paramedics who looked like they weren’t sure what to do. Oooookay, then…Twilight decided not to ask questions, slipping by the scene quietly and presenting herself to the replacement guards at the entrance.
Announcing that she wished to visit Fluttershy, the violet unicorn was given permission to enter the detention center, escorted down the slightly dark and musty hallway to the meeting area by a trio of unicorn and earth pony stallions, two in front and one behind. With two male hindquarters in her face, she found her eyes drifting beneath their tails more than once… and wondering how human anatomy would compare.
Shocked again at where her thoughts were going—after what he’d done, she sure as Tartarus wasn’t interested in Phoenix in THAT way (not that I was BEFORE either! she quickly amended the thought)!—the violet unicorn was led to a doorway, with instructions to keep her visit brief and given the admonition to use no magic while inside. As she entered, she felt a magical dampening field wash over her—an annoying but sensible precaution, she conceded, though it would make the task of taking notes more difficult.
Twilight looked around the meeting room, though there wasn’t much to see except for a series of partitioned booths, separated from the other side by what she could sense was some enchanted glass. So this is what it looks like in here… not really what I was expecting. I was thinking it would look a bit more gritty and dark! she thought, realizing she’d probably been reading too many detective novels.
Twilight walked past the row of booths until she spotted a huddled shape on the other side of the one… and it gave a familiar gasp. “Fluttershy!” the violet unicorn exclaimed as she approached her imprisoned friend.
“Um… h-hi, Twilight…” the shy pegasus pony said in a near-whisper as she moved out of the shadows, her head bowed and her ears drooping, greenish eyes filled with fear and sadness.
Using her hooves, Twilight pulled the book out of her saddlebags with her mouth, put it on the floor and flipped it open to a bookmarked page with her hoof. “’Fear not fair sir or maiden. Thy defender of truth hath cometh to comfort ye in thine time of need in the elegy of this foul dungeon!’” she quoted, affecting an olden accent again.
Fluttershy’s facial expression went from scared and depressed… to just plain confused, the yellow pegasus visibly trying and failing to parse the statement, leaving Twilight in an awkward position…
After staring at her friend for a few moments more, the violet unicorn closed the book in frustration and spoke normally. “Don’t worry… I’m going to get you out of here, Fluttershy!” Twilight promised, returning the lawyering guide to her saddlebag. This book must’ve had the most pretentious author ever! “You’ll be happy to know that I am going to be taking over as the defense attorney for this case…”
The yellow pegasus looked surprised at that. “What happened to Mister Phoenix?” Fluttershy asked in her trademark timid voice, but Twilight scowled upon hearing his name, her lip tightening and ears lowering.
She closed her eyes at that. “Just… forget about him,” she said, directing the statement as much to herself as to Fluttershy. “We don’t need him; I’ll clear both of you myself,” Twilight promised.
“I-if you say so… thank you…” Fluttershy said tentatively, still looking uncertain.
I better change the subject, she decided, both for Fluttershy’s benefit and her own. “So how’s it going?” she asked, shrugging off her saddlebags and taking out a piece of parchment and quill, getting a sharp reminder of the dampening field when she reflexively tried to use her magic to levitate them and felt a moment of painful feedback through her horn—she knew she could probably overcome it if she didn’t mind the pain, and could probably even cancel the spell, but the unicorn guards would sense it and kick her out if she tried. Fine. I don’t need magic… Fumbling a bit, she managed to get a saddlebag pocket open and dump its contents out in front of her, positioning a piece of parchment and an inkwell on the floor in front of her. “Are they treating you well?”
“Th-they’ve been questioning me about that feather.” Fluttershy said softly, visibly cringing at the memory of her interrogation.
Twilight nodded in sympathy, sitting down on her haunches. This is what you did to her, Phoenix! Are you happy now? “Do you really think it came from one of your animals?” she asked next.
“I don’t know… I don’t think so…” Fluttershy said softly, very much wishing she could leave with her friend.
“I know you didn’t do it, but it’s odd to see a feather like that in Ponyville,” Twilight mused, finally getting the inkwell open by holding it with a hoof while the turned the top with her teeth.
“There is something strange about it, Twilight,” Fluttershy noted, trying not to gawk at her friend’s awkward efforts—she clearly wasn’t used to writing manually.
Twilight’s curiosity was piqued. “Strange? What do you mean?” she asked quickly, now fumbling for the quill.
Fluttershy’s brow furrowed. “There’s something strange about the feather… It feels like I’ve seen it before…” the timid pegasus said uncertainly, her greenish-blue eyes looking up at the ceiling like she was trying to pin down an elusive and possibly unpleasant memory.
Twilight tilted her head. “You’ve seen it before? So it really DID come from one of your animals!?” she asked, scarcely able to believe Phoenix could have been right about that.
She hesitated before speaking. “I really don’t know… I can’t put my hoof on it, but I feel as though I know where the feather came from,” Fluttershy offered tentatively.
Twilight rubbed her head with a hoof, feeling a headache coming on. “Fluttershy… if this ends up having come from one of your animals, you’ll be in more trouble…” she reminded her fainthearted friend, who cringed and gave a frightened sound. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that!” she quickly backtracked. Great, now I’m apologizing like her!
“Look… let’s talk about the trial, Fluttershy…” Twilight changed the subject, moving to a new topic. “There were some odd things you brought up in your testimony,” she said, placing the quill in her mouth so she could jot down some notes. Ick… how do earth ponies and pegasi write like this? I’m getting feathers in my teeth! she grimaced, lowering her head to dip the quill in the inkwell. It took her three ties to succeed.
Fluttershy lifted her head up to look at Twilight. “Odd?”
Twilight nodded, struggling to write a line. “As much as I hate to say it… you should have seen Applebloom leave that forest,” she told her through the gritted teeth that held the quill, scowling anew at the memory of who had uncovered that contradiction. Just… forget about him, Twilight! You don’t need him, and you’ll have recovered enough magical energy to send him back home by this evening! Then you won’t ever have to think about him again! Are you sure you were watching the woods all night?” Twilight asked further.
The yellow pegasus nodded almost imperceptibly. “Yes, I watched it all night but I didn’t see Applebloom leave it,” Fluttershy insisted on her alibi.
Twilight gave a heavy sigh, losing hold of the quill in her teeth when she did so, watching helplessly as it fluttered down to her hooves. “Fluttershy, she got home that night. And you HAD to have seen her if you really were watching the forest all night like you say,” she said in annoyance, both at her friend’s answer and at her own fumbling to pick the writing implement up with her hoof again, struggling to dip it in ink. It only took her two tries that time, but she got too much ink on it; it dribbled black spots over the paper as she raised it back up to her mouth.
Fluttershy began to tear up… “I’m sorry… but I didn’t…” she said, cowering like she was in court again, half-afraid Twilight would accuse her as well.
Between her struggles with the quill and the lack of answers, Twilight was getting more than a little frustrated. Ugh! This makes no SENSE! How did Applebloom get out of the forest without being seen? Perhaps I need to have a chat with a certain little filly today… she decided, jotting another note along those lines.
“It’s okay, Fluttershy. I’m sure there is a logical explanation to this,” Twilight claimed, trying to calm down and re-dip her quill—it took two tries again, but at least she got the right amount of ink on that time. “So why were you watching the forest all night anyway?”
Her shy friend had an answer for that, at least. “I wanted to see what was chasing after Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy explained, looking up at the ceiling again.
Twilight raised her head up and nodded thoughtfully, not noticing that the motion spattered a few drops of ink over her chest and forelegs. “I guess it makes sense. Rainbow Dash is never one to run or rather fly away from anything. I’d probably be curious as well,” the violet unicorn agreed, jotting another note and wincing when she saw how poor her penponyship became without her magic. I swear, I’ll never get on Rainbow’s case for poor hoofwriting again…
“Yes; that’s why I watched all night. I wanted to know why she was flying so fast…” Fluttershy claimed.
She paused to dip the quill in ink again, pleased that she did it on the first try. See? Nothing to it! “Then there is that issue with the lightning, Fluttershy…” Twilight brought up next. “You’ve GOT to tell me you heard two bolts of lightning?” she all but pleaded her friend to say, looking up at her sharply and sending fresh spatters of ink flying.
Fluttershy looked crestfallen again. “I only heard one bolt of lightning at 8:40. I’m sure of it…” she timidly but emphatically stuck by her trial testimony.
“But that doesn’t make any SENSE!” Twilight stomped a hoof and raised her voice a bit in frustration, not noticing the impact sloshed a small amount of ink out of its well, the black fluid running under her hoof.
The shy pegasus cringed. “Um… I-I’m sorry, I really didn’t hear it…” she started to tear up again.
Twilight forced herself to calm down, her own emotions still raw and not helped by the frustration over trying to take notes without her magic. “You don’t need to say sorry, I believe you…” Twilight reassured her friend, trying to force a smile, realizing a piece of a feather was stuck between her teeth. UGH!
“Oh. Sorry for saying sorry…”
I feel like putting my face in my hooves right now…Twilight said to herself, but settled for rubbing her temple again. “Just more and more questions come from the testimony you gave. It’s so mysterious…” she noted in frustration.
“Just like that paper I found…” Fluttershy noted, giving Twilight an odd look like she wasn’t sure whether to mention something or not.
“Yeah, just like that…” Twilight agreed before she belatedly realized the import behind the words that came out of Fluttershy’s mouth… “Wait—paper? What paper?”
“I found a letter outside my house the morning after the murder. It might have come from the forest,” Fluttershy revealed, her greenish-blue eyes repeatedly flickering to the side of Twilight’s head.
Twilight sat bolt upright, her purple eyes wide and jaw falling open, the quill falling from her mouth again. “Why didn’t you SAY anything about this? That paper could be evidence!” she knew.
Fluttershy cringed again. “Um… because I didn’t want to bother anypony about it…?” she offered meekly.
“Fluttershy…” Twilight sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her head again, still not noticing the spilled ink on her hoof. “Where is it right now?”
Twilight didn’t understand why Fluttershy briefly blushed and hurriedly looked away. “It’s on the table next to my front door, but it looked like somepony ripped it in half.”
“Do you remember what it said?” Twilight asked, jotting down another messy note. Soon as I’m out of here and can use my magic again, I’m rewriting these notes more legibly and burning this sheet! No WAY I’m letting Spike or anypony else see this!
Fluttershy seemed to be almost-helplessly staring at Twilight’s face, her cheeks flushing again as she did so. “It was really short. It said something about saying goodbye and it sounded really sad,” Fluttershy frowned, feeling sorry for the one who wrote the letter… thinking that that the pony was in some sort in a depressed state and wishing she could have helped.
I have to see this paper! Twilight knew. “Fluttershy, I’m going to your house to get this letter you’re talking about,” she announced, removing the quill from her mouth and capping the ink bottle, noticing some had spilled and gotten on the tip of her hoof. Great. Now I have to clean up, too… she stifled a groan, trying not to be too obvious about spitting out the pieces of feather in her teeth.
“Okay, um… Twilight, while you’re there, could you feed my animals for me?” Fluttershy asked.
“Sure thing…” the violet unicorn happily accepted, grateful she could do that much for her, at least.
“And… tell Angel Bunny why I’m not home?” Fluttershy added, though Twilight had the impression she was originally going to say something else.
“Yeah, I’ll do that too…” she agreed, though in truth she didn’t much care for the little white rabbit, who could be unfriendly, possessive and greedy, and didn’t always treat Fluttershy the best. ‘Angel’ my furry flank…
“And um…” she trailed off, looking embarrassed.
“Yes…?” the violet unicorn prompted when her shy friend didn’t finish.
She opened her mouth twice, only to close it each time. “N-nothing. Thank you, Twilight,” she gave up, looking away, her cheeks flushing again.
Twilight didn’t understand why Fluttershy was blushing, but decided it wasn’t important. “Remember what I said, Fluttershy. I’m going to get you out of here! I Pinkie Promise!” Twilight proclaimed, going through the motions of making the party pony’s oath, ending with her sticking a hoof against her closed eye. For the first time all morning, Fluttershy smiled, almost looking like she was trying hard to suppress a giggle.
Well, at least I cheered her up a bit… the violet unicorn decided as she left the meeting area, already planning her next move, not understanding why the guards seemed to be stifling snickers of their own as they led her back out…
June 10th, 1:00PM
Twilight was lost in thought as she was escorted out of the meeting area, though she found it more and more difficult to concentrate on planning her next move when the guards kept giving her amused glances, looking like they were finding it increasingly hard to keep from laughing.
Okay, and just what’s so bucking funny? she wondered in exasperation as they reached the front lobby and she went to sign out. She finally realized something was wrong when the clerk behind the admissions desk took one look at her and started giggling as well, the unicorn mare taking pity on Twilight and floating her a vanity mirror. A sinking feeling in her stomach, Twilight took a look in it…
And gaped as she realized her head, chest and forelegs were spattered in ink, including two particularly large smears from when she rubbed her face and temple offset by a comically blackened right eye from giving Fluttershy a Pinkie Promise!
The secret out, the guards could restrain themselves no longer, rolling on the floor laughing hysterically as she dashed to the little filly’s room to wash it off, ears burning with embarrassment.
Ten minutes later, she emerged with a clean coat—it had taken no small amount of soap and magic to get all the ink off—but could do nothing to hide her bright red cheeks as she made the long walk out of the Detention Center through the lobby, eyes fixed straight ahead, enduring a steady stream of whispered jokes and stifled snickers from the guards and workers as she went. She would have teleported directly outside if she could, but the Detention Center had an enchantment that prevented that to keep unicorn prisoners from escaping.
Struggling to compose herself, Twilight trotted down the stairs out into the plaza. Okay… inkstains aside, I’m not doing so bad…. I found a brand new piece of information all by myself! she boasted to herself, still feeling flustered. HA! See, this lawyering gig isn’t so hard after all! I just have to slip in Fluttershy’s cottage and snag that piece of paper she was talking about… she planned, not paying attention to her surroundings. There probably will be a lot of police and investigators around analyzing the animals, but they shouldn't mind me…
Lost in thought and lingering embarrassment as she pondered her next move, the violet unicorn didn’t see the other pony coming her way until she accidentally bumped into her.
“Ah!” Twilight nearly fell over her, but just managed to maintain her balance.
“Excuse me…” said the unfamiliar mare, giving her violet counterpart a briefly annoyed look before closing her eyes and stepping around her.
“Right, sorry…” Twilight apologized as the other mare went on her way. Who was that? I’ve never seen her before… she wondered, not recognizing the bespectacled but immaculately groomed dark grey unicorn mare with tan eyes and a luscious chestnut mane. Certainly would have remembered somepony with an eyeball cutie mark, she mused, wondering what special talent it signified.
“Hey, Twi!” A young voice broke into her thoughts.
She glanced down to see a familiar yellow-furred filly with a red mane and tail and wearing a large pink bow standing next to her. “Huh? Oh, hi Apple Bloom,” she nodded distractedly, watching the other mare head up the street. She’s headed towards Sugar Cube Corner… she doesn't exactly look like the type who’s into sweets… Twilight thought, not able to put her hoof on why the gray unicorn made her feel uneasy.
“Whatcha doin’? Ya seem really deep in thought…” Applejack’s younger sister asked curiously.
“Oh, it’s nothing… I’m just conducting an investigation, that’s all,” Twilight answered automatically… and then all but bit her tongue as Apple Bloom’s orange eyes widened with excitement.
“INVESTIGATION?!” the young filly yelled in delight.
Twilight cringed. “I-I mean N-NO! I’m not doing anything like that! Just another boring day in Ponyville for me!” the violet unicorn laughed nervously, making perhaps the worst poker face in history.
But the cat was already out of the bag, and Apple Bloom wasn't so easily dissuaded. “Let me investigate with ya! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR!!” she proclaimed herself at the top of her lungs.
Oh NO! What have you DONE, Twilight?! The violet unicorn suddenly wished she could go back in time ten seconds to slap a hoof over her mouth, vowing to someday invent a spell that would allow her to do just that. “Um, Apple Bloom… don’t you have friends you could be playing with instead?” she suggested hopefully.
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nope! They’re all in school. Ah got a day off because of the trial!”
Twilight was in disbelief. “You have the whole day off from school because of THAT?! I would have put in magic kindergarten if I missed a day of MY classes!”
“Magic Kindergarten?” the country filly tilted her head.
Twilight sighed. “Yes, Apple Bloom. Magic Kindergarten is a real place and you WILL be sent there at the first sign of defiance,” she explained, rubbing her head again, doing a double-take when she suddenly worried there could still be ink on it.
“Ah might help you, having the day off and all,” Apple Bloom said, but Twilight wasn’t interested, knowing all too well how the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ help had turned out in the past…
“Look Apple Bloom… this is grown up work; nothing a little filly like you should be doing,” she tried desperately to reason with the young earth pony.
“Please Twi, Ah’ll be a big help! Ah promise!” she insisted, looking downcast.
Twilight put her hoof down. “The answer is no, Apple Bloom!”
“Pleeeeeeeease~” the young filly said, putting on her cutest, saddest face.
The violet unicorn was unmoved. “No means NO!”
“Plleeeeeeaaaaassee~” she tried again, redoubling her efforts, looking as adorable as she could.
“I said~”
“PLLLLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSEEE!!!” Apple Bloom kept pestering her, her voice growing more piercing and grating.
UGH! It’s like talking to a WALL! A very loud and shrill WALL! Twilight thought, resisting the urge to clamp her hooves over her ears, thinking that the young filly’s nagging could give Rarity’s whining a run. Oh, wait! “Hey, Apple Bloom… I know how you can help me!” Apple Bloom's ears perked up eagerly. “I want to discuss what happened in court today with you.” I had to speak with her anyway, might as well get it over now…
The young filly's expression dropped. “No!” Apple Bloom shook her head sharply, taking on a pouting look.
Twilight’s muzzle fell open. “What? I thought you wanted to help me?”
Apple Bloom looked angry. “Ah said Ah wanted t’ INVESTIGATE, not answer some borin’ ol’ questions! Let me investigate with ya, otherwise… Ah ain’t TALKIN’!” the young filly announced with a scowl, sitting down on her haunches.
Twilight’s eye twitched. Grrhh! Why you little~! she said to herself, trying to contain her frustration while attempting to persuade the young earth pony. “Apple Bloom, I really need to talk to you about the testimony…” she asked politely again, but the filly's only reply… was silence. “Apple Bloom?”
The two stared at each other, each waiting for the other to give in first. But after several minutes, Twilight realized she wasting valuable time, finding herself left with a single inescapable option… “FINE! You can investigate with me!” Twilight surrendered.
Apple Bloom smile grew wide. “YAAY! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR!!” she bellowed again, literally jumping for joy.
I can’t believe I caved in to her demands… Twilight grimaced, imagining herself tearing up like a waterfall through her thoughts. “NOW can you tell me about what you said in court this morning?” the violet unicorn asked again in badly strained patience.
“Sure thing Twi! Whaddaya wanna know?” Apple Bloom said, all eagerness again.
The violet unicorn let out a heavy sigh as she got her quill, ink and parchment back out, trying to refocus her thoughts, half-thinking she could get the information and make an excuse to break her promise afterwards. That lasted until she suddenly saw Pinkie Pie’s head emerging from a nearby barrel behind Apple Bloom with an angry, warning look, mouthing ‘FOREVER!’ at her before sinking back down and disappearing.
Twilight swallowed hard. How does Pinkie DO that? she wondered for the millionth time, though after her disastrous—and rather painful—experience with trying to disprove her Pinkie sense, the violet unicorn knew she’d probably never know. Focusing instead on a mystery she COULD solve, Twilight began to interview Apple Bloom, holding the quill and parchment up with her magic. “Well, first off… what you said in your testimony is kind of… um… well, impossible,” she told the young filly, not happy that she had to draw on one of Phoenix’s observations.
“But Ah was tellin’ the truth. Honest!” Apple Bloom insisted.
Twilight gave her a skeptical look, casting a wary glance back at the barrel. “Fluttershy told me that she was watching the forest all night, and I don’t think she was lying.”
“So? What does that have t’ do with me?” the country filly asked.
“She said she didn't see you leave the forest… where exactly were you when you got out?” Twilight wanted to know.
“Hmm…” Apple Bloom thought about that for a moment. “After the big lightning… or whatever it was… Ah was blinded by the flash and stumbled around a bit. When Ah could open mah eyes, Ah was little ways away from the pathway on the outside of the forest,” Apple Bloom recounted, elaborating on her trial testimony.
Twilight recognized at least one new piece of information in her statement as she jotted it down. “This flash of light that you thought was lightning, Apple Bloom… what was it like?” she followed up.
Her yellow brow furrowed as she tried to remember. “It was like a camera flashing in mah face. Ah thought it was lightnin’, but it’s strange… it didn’t make any noise,” Apple Bloom recalled.
“Why did they bring you in to testify anyway? Wouldn't Zecora have been a better choice? She lives in the forest after all,” Twilight mused.
Apple Bloom shrugged. “They were going t’ get her instead o’ me, but she went t’ sleep after Ah left. She was really beat from brewin’ potions all day with me.”
“And NONE of the lightning woke her up?!” Twilight asked in disbelief, her quill pausing in mid-word.
“’About the lightning, you should ask the filly and zookeeper for I am a heavy sleeper’.” Apple Bloom quoted Zecora, pulling off a surprisingly passable imitation of the zebra mare’s voice.
Geez, Zecora must sleep like a rock… the violet unicorn thought as she finished writing her latest note. “Did you see anything else strange in the forest that night, Apple Bloom?” she asked.
“Nope!” Apple Bloom said quickly, only to remember there was indeed something else. “Oh wait. There was ONE other thing…”
Another piece of information somepony decided not to share… Twilight sighed to herself in annoyance. “What was it, Apple Bloom?” she asked, quill poised again.
The country filly rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. “Ah didn’t think this was important, but a little after the first lightning bolt scar~”—Apple Bloom caught herself before continuing—“er… made me jump a little…”
You’re not fooling anypony…! Twilight restrained an eyeroll. “Yes? What happened?”
“Somethin’ fell from the sky!” Apple Bloom said with a little smile, thinking that this might be important to tell.
“What was it?” Twilight asked, trying not to sound too excited.
She thought for a moment, only to finally shake her head. “Ah don’t know. It happened a few minutes after Ah was runnin’ away~ er, Ah mean~ WALKIN' away from the lightnin’ bolt. So Ah didn’t bother lookin’ at what it was.”
“Do you remember where it fell?” Twilight hurriedly jotted down the information.
“Sorta…” Apple Bloom said a little tentatively. “Hey! Ah know! Ah’ll take ya there! See, Ah TOLD ya Ah’d be a big help!” she said with a big and eager grin.
Whatever she witnessed must tie in with this somehow… Twilight sensed, thinking that that against all odds the filly might actually be leading her to something interesting. “Okay Apple Bloom. I know I really shouldn’t be doing this, but… I’m going to take you into the Everfree Forest with me,” she cringed internally, knowing what Applejack’s reaction to that would be. “I want to see where you saw this object drop from the sky.”
“YAY! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR!!” She yelled out again… Making Twilight wince, her hooves clamping over her ears an instant too late.
My poor eardrums…! Twilight consoled herself as she rubbed her abused aural appendages after the shout. “But first we have to stop by Fluttershy’s cottage. There’s a torn paper at her door I have to retrieve.”
Apple Bloom nodded, but then thought of something else. “Oh! Twi! Since Ah’m helpin’ ya out… can ya go to the park with me and help me out with somethin’?”
The violet unicorn shook her head as she re-stowed her parchment, ink and quill. “No. I don’t have time for that,” Twilight told her, knowing that she had much more important things to do… like prove Rainbow Dash innocent!
“Fine. Then Ah’m NOT showin’ ya where that thing dropped then…” Apple Bloom said, giving the violet unicorn a smug, mischievous grin.
Twilight ground her teeth again, knowing she had little choose but to accede to the conniving foal’s demands. “OKAY! We’ll go to the park after we go into the forest!” she spat out the promise, suddenly wondering how effective a lawyer she could be if she couldn’t even deal with one little filly…
“Thank ya so much!” Apple Bloom smiled with joy.
‘Thank you?!’ You didn’t give me a CHOICE! Twilight thought in frustration, deciding the only thing she could do was make the most of it. “So besides that… have you noticed anything else strange these past few days?” she asked in casual conversation, thought she didn’t really expect an affirmative reply.
To her surprise, she got one. “Oh yeah, Ah did! It was Rainbow Dash!”
Upon hearing that, Twilight’s ears perked up. “Rainbow Dash? What about her?” she stopped and asked immediately.
“Two days ago, when Ah was on mah way to Zecora’s house, Ah saw Rainbow Dash…”Apple recounted, flashing back to that very moment…
Entrance to Everfree Forest ~4 hours before the murder
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Apple Bloom called out as she noticed the cyan pegasus pushing a large cloud above the entrance to the forest, waving a hoof at her in greeting.
To her surprise, instead of waving back the cocky pegasus cringed at the young filly’s voice, her tail spiking in fear. “AH! That’s not me, I swear!” the winged pony stammered, looking almost panic-stricken. “Oh, it’s just you Apple Bloom…” the weather mare said in relief after she glanced back.
“What’re you doin’ with that big ol’ cloud? Ain’t the storm suppose ta be on the other side of Ponyville?” Apple Bloom pointed out, very curious what the popular pegasus was up to.
Rainbow Dash looked strangely nervous, her eyes darting back and forth. “Uh… look kid. Just pretend you never saw me, alright?” she told the young filly, bolting into the forest before Apple Bloom could reply.
“… and then Ah saw her go into the Everfree Forest with that cloud. She looked kinda worried about somethin’. Ah was gonna tell everypony about that today, but Rainbow Dash told me t’ pretend like Ah never saw her… so that’s what Ah did!” Apple Bloom smiled at Twilight, as if seeking praise for keeping her promise.
Praise was the last thing on Twilight’s mind, her heart sinking as she realized the import of what the young filly had witnessed. Oh no! Rainbow Dash really DID bring that cloud there, just as Trixie said! she realized in shock, the violet unicorn finding herself with sudden and very unwelcome doubts about her friend’s innocence, nervously wondering what other purpose the cyan could have had in moving the cloud into the forest. Rainbow Dash wasn’t really planning on murder somepony with it… was she?
Apple Bloom’s smile dropped when she saw the worried expression on Twilight’s face. “Twilight? What’s th’ matter?” she asked in concern.
Her voice snapped Twilight out of her brooding. “N-nothing. Let’s stop wasting time here and go to Fluttershy’s cottage to get that letter,” Twilight suggested, setting her jaw and telling herself as forcefully as she could that Rainbow might be cocky, obnoxious and even occasionally arrogant, but she was also the Element of Loyalty and categorically wasn’t a killer. There HAS to be a logical, reasonable explanation for what she did!
“Alright! To Fluttershy’s cottage!” The filly said, skipping on ahead and not looking where she was going.
“Apple Bloom, SLOW DOWN!!” Twilight called after her, but it was too late—the young filly ran headlong into a pegasus pony, sending them both down in a tangle of wings and limbs.
Twilight rushed over to see if they were alright. “See, Apple Bloom? You need to watch where you’re going…” the violet unicorn chided the young filly, picking her up with her magic.
“I-I-I’m sorry for bumping into you!” The male pegasus said in a panicked tone before Apple Bloom could reply.
Twilight looked at the unfamiliar male, helping him up with a quick burst of magic from her horn. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault…” Twilight assured the other pony, getting a good look at him for the first time. He was a dark blue pegasus stallion with an athlete’s build and a light grey mane, wearing a set of flight goggles that sat high on his forehead over a pair of a green eyes.
“ARE you sorry?! I don’t know!” The pegasus stallion asked, an odd expression on his face.
“What?” Twilight said, tilting her head at him.
“NOOOO!” he flared his wings and yelled into the sky. “You have to actually mean it when you’re sorry! YOU HAVE TO MEAN IT! SAY IT WITH LOTS OF REMORSE!” he berated himself, dropping his wings to his side as a dumbfounded Twilight looked on. “I’M SORRRRY!!” the pegasus stallion all but screamed, raising his head and flaring his wings again. “NOOOOO…”
For her part, Apple Bloom seemed amused. “He’s funny! He’s like a character in like one of those storybooks!” she giggled.
That caught the odd pony’s attention. “Y-you really think I can have a book written about me?” He asked Apple Bloom, folding his wings back to his sides.
“Yeah! For sure!” Apple Bloom replied quickly.
What kind of book is THAT? ’Psychiatric Help 101?’ Twilight wondered, having to catch herself to make sure she didn’t say it out loud.
“You’re right! Maybe I can get a biography or something written about me; it’ll be a bestseller!” The stallion said but then his expression suddenly dropped again. “Ngggh~ NOO! Then everypony will think you’re egotistical! YOU CAN’T HAVE A BOOK!” he ranted.
Twilight felt very creeped out, several unpleasant thoughts crawling through her head like ants. Is he… yelling at himself? One a scale of one to ten, he’s twelve on the weird-o-meter! she said to herself, then slightly nervously went to ask his name. “Who… are you?”
His manner changed again. “The name’s Cruise Control! Nice to meet you, ma’am!” he said politely, holding out his hoof.
Though surprised at his sudden change in mood, she bumped it in greeting. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and this is Apple Bloom, pleasure to meet~” Before Twilight could finish her sentence, Cruise started ranting yet again.
“Uuuuhhh NOO!! You just called her ‘ma’am’; that’s like saying she’s OLD! Didn’t Mom tell you, ‘NEVER ask a lady her age’?! THAT’S JUST RUDE YOU BLOODY IDIOT!!” He harangued himself. “Though you didn’t exactly ask her age, you sort of just implied it… I’M STILL SORRY!!!!” he added as an afterthought.
I retract that… he’s a FORTY-SIX on the weird-o-meter! Twilight thought, suddenly wondering if she should make a call to Ponyville Hospital and tell them to bring a straitjacket.
“Ah have never seen you in Ponyville before, mister?” Apple Bloom said to Cruise, unperturbed by his strange antics.
He looked down at the young filly, breaking out in a warm smile. “That makes sense, since I’m not from here. I just flew in today!” he claimed.
“So you’re just visiting or something?” Twilight asked, giving him an askance look.
He shook his head. “No, I’m here to compete! The starting line for the big race is in Ponyville this year,” Cruise replied.
Understanding dawned on Twilight. “Ah! I see. So you’re in the Equestrian 500,” she realized, thinking that the flight goggles should have been a giveaway.
“Yup! That’s right! I just came in today from Manehattan! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD THEM THAT EARLIER!” he shouted again as he finished his first sentence.
Twilight cringed. “Geez! Calm down! It’s alright!” Twilight said, noticing he was s starting to attract attention from passing ponies.
“I was betting Rainbow Dash would win! She was representing Ponyville after all!” Apple Bloom claimed, which only set Cruise Control off again.
“NO! WHY CAN’T YOU SUPPORT ME!? I’M TRYING TO WIN TOO!” he cried out, all but wailing.
Apple Bloom! He CLEARLY has self-esteem issues! Twilight shot the filly warning look before turning her attention back to the odd pegasus. “So Mister Cruise… you’re from Manehattan?” She asked, hoping that was a safe subject to ask.
“Mmhmm~ Yup!” Cruise replied quickly, smiling again.
“Really? How good a racer are you?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Pretty good…” he said with an almost-sly grin, which quickly was subsumed beneath a fresh mortified look and another explosive outburst. “NO! Don’t lie you loser! You do awful, HORRIBLE, ATROCIOUS! Last place EVERY TIME!!” he proclaimed, getting more and more agitated.
“Every time?” Twilight tilted her head, thinking nopony could possibly be THAT bad…
“Every time! DEAD LAST!!!” he confirmed, falling to the ground in frustration and covering his head with his hooves.
“Awww, I’m sorry~” Apple Bloom said in pity.
“Thank you…” Cruise said, looking up briefly, but then… “Nggghhh~!”
Here it comes…! Twilight braced herself.
“NO!! Now YOU’RE pitying me! I feel so sorry for myself. Don't worry; you’ll do better this year… AH! NO! Now YOU’RE pitying you! YOU MUST LOOK SO PATHETIC IN FRONT OF THESE TWO!!!!” he cried, curling himself into a ball on the ground
“Ah don’t think you're pathetic. Ah know just how you feel.” Apple Bloom said in sympathy, but then gave a frown. “Ah can’t do anythin’ right either—Ah don’t even have a cutie mark yet! And what’s worse, mah big sister is mean to me all the time! She grounds me and makes me do a bunch of lame chores! It’s like she doesn’t even care about me at ALL!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, stomping her hoof in resentment and anger, leaving Twilight wondering where that particular outburst had come from.
Cruise’s expression changed instantly, the male pegasus becoming very serious and solemn. “Don’t say that…” he stood up and instructed the young filly, his voice quiet. “Older siblings always care of the well-being of their younger brothers and sisters…” he told her in a strangely fervent tone.
The pegasus stallion noticed Twilight giving him a peculiar look. “O-oh I mean~ Yeah, the Equestrian 500 sure is a tough race to compete in.”
Cruise Control’s abrupt change in attitude was not missed by the violet unicorn. What was that about? He just… completely 180’d there… she asked herself curiously, suddenly wondering if the male pegasus was putting on some kind of act.
She’d barely had time to form the thought before his mood changed again. “Don’t worry about me, though… things will be different this year!” he promised, wearing a confident smile for the first time.
“You plan on winning?” Apple Bloom grinned back.
He nodded quickly, giving the young filly's mane an affectionate ruffle with his forehoof. “Exactly! Let’s just say a big burden is off of my shoulders…” Cruise said, now sounding very self-assured like he was a whole different pony.
“Are you talking about Ace Swift? Him not being there will take off some of the pressure on the racers.” Twilight noted, having a hard time keeping up with all his mood swings.
“Ace Swift?” Cruise looked at Twilight, his smile dropping instantly.
“You know, the undefeated pegasus that was going to represent Canterlot?” she reminded him.
“I know who he is…” the stallion answered in a low and measured tone.
“Then you probably know what happened to him?”
He nodded once, his lips tight. “Yes, I do. He’s dead as a doorknob and to be perfectly honest… that jerk got what was coming to him. I hope it was painful…” he said, his eyes narrowing.
Twilight was appalled, her mouth dropping open in shock. “What?! How could you SAY something like that! An innocent pony was KILLED!”
“INNOCENT?!??!!” Cruise exploded, his face suddenly contorted in fury. “He was~! Ngh…” Cruise caught himself and made an awkward face, while Twilight watched him in silence, awaiting the inevitable. “NO! YOU’RE RIGHT TWILIGHT SPARKLE! I SHOULDN’T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT! It’s very unbecoming of me!” the male pegasus said in a panic-stricken voice, shaking as he ended his rant and sentence.
Twilight gave him a sidewise look, sensing he was hiding something behind his latest outburst. “Cruise Control? Do you have something against Ace Swift?” she asked.
The pegasus stallion fell silent at the question, looking like he was groping for a response. Then all of the sudden… everything in the violet unicorn’s vision except for Cruise himself went black. Huh?
*BANG!* *CLANG* *rattle* RATTLE* *clang* *Bang* *rattle * *BANG!!!!”
As the shocked violet unicorn watched, a series of large chains appeared out of nowhere and began to noisily coil around the male pegasus, followed by three large red padlocks materializing in front of them.
“NO! Of course not! I RESPECT MY FELLOW RACERS!” Cruise yelled again, but Twilight wasn’t listening—she was staring in alarm at the mysterious locks and chains before her.
“WHAT… WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE?!” Twilight shouted as loud as Cruise had, rearing up in fright and making kicking motions with her hooves like she was trying to ward off an attacker.
The male pegasus gave her an odd look. “What the heck are what?” Cruise asked, sounding genuinely confused.
“THOSE CHAINS AND LOCKS!!!!” she yelled, motioning around him with her hoof, her purple eyes wide and darting, near panic.
“What are ya talkin’ ‘bout, Twilight?” Apple Bloom asked in the same confused voice as Cruise.
For once, Cruise Control looked to be at a loss for words, staring at the violet unicorn for several seconds before giving a careful reply. “I’m afraid I don’t know what locks and chains you’re talking about either! But don’t worry… I don’t think you’re crazy or anything!” Cruise said to Twilight… and just like clockwork, his rant started up again. “Nggh~ NO! You do think she’s crazy! DON’T LIE!”
This harlequin is calling ME crazy?! “You’re telling me… you two can’t SEE them?!” Twilight asked in disbelief—they were as clear as day to her; she experimentally tried to touch one only find that her hoof passed right through! She recoiled in shock at that. They’re not tangible? What ARE these things? she thought, trying not to freak—she had never seen or heard of magic like THIS!
“Twi? Are ya feelin’ alright?” Apple Bloom asked in concern.
“I…” Why don’t they see them?! the violet unicorn demanded to know, tentatively using her magic to probe the odd aura she sensed coming from them and finding it strangely familiar. Wait, I KNOW this! This feels like~ she remembered what happened in the last minutes before the trial.
“Hey! That's the toy you were playing with yesterday, Nix!” Rainbow said with a knowing grin, recognizing the comma-shaped object immediately.“Huh? Oh yeah, that’s mine, I must have mixed it up in the evidence we found. AND IT’S NOT A TOY!” he shouted at her… “Can you hand it over here, Twilight?” he asked her, holding out his hand.
“Sure, here you go…” she offered. As the violet unicorn enveloped the gemstone in her magic to float it over, it suddenly glowed brilliant green within her purple aura.
“Huh?” was all she heard Phoenix say before the artifact flashed a brilliant white, emitting a burst of mystical energy that knocked her backwards. “WHAT THE…?” Overwhelmed by the power surge, she felt herself falling and went blind for a moment; when her vision cleared she was lying on the ground again… and so was Phoenix a few feet away.
Something tells me that wasn’t just a ‘good luck charm’. But… what does this MEAN? Twilight pondered, finally starting to calm down, still staring at the ghostly chains.
“I'm sorry Twilight Sparkle, but I was on my way to register for the big race! It’s in two days you know! It was nice meeting you!” Cruise looked anxious to part company, not waiting for a response before starting up the road.
“Yes, it was nice meeting you, too…” Twilight replied shakily, not paying much attention to his words, watching the locks fade out as he moved away.
“Bye bye mister~!” Apple Bloom waved over at Cruise as he started walking off, but not before he started ranting again.
“NO! What if you’re late and they disqualify you for being tardy?! THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE WOKEN UP EARLIER TODAY…!” he kept at it until he was out of sight.
“There he goes… He’s still talkin’ to himself…” Apple Bloom noted, looking down the road as other ponies gawked at Cruise, several taking an involuntary step back from him as he continued to loudly berate himself.
Twilight barely heard her, her eyes still wide. What was that lock business about? What ARE they? And why do I feel the need to break them? her mind raced, knowing she just experienced something extraordinary. Or maybe the better question is… HOW do I break them? Do I need a key or something? What made them appear like that? She asked herself, finding no immediate answers… but realizing there was someONE who might have them.
“Twi?” Apple Bloom poked her in a foreleg, breaking her out of her trance.
“Oh! Sorry… I kind of zoned out there, didn’t I?” she blinked. “Okay, listen… before we go to Fluttershy’s cottage, I want to… check something, Apple Bloom…” she announced, a reluctant tone in her voice.
“The Park?” The filly suggested in excitement, hoping they were going there first.
Twilight shook her head, her brow furrowed. “No, I just want to see… something…” the violet unicorn said with a calm she wasn’t feeling, her insides churning at the prospect of what—who—she needed to see. He HAS to know about it… she said to herself, just hoping she could restrain herself in his presence long enough to get answers.
“Okay, lead the way Twilight!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, as Twilight led them back towards the courthouse, her insides churning…
She was dreading having to speak with Phoenix Wright.
June 10th, 1:15 PM
Twilight and Apple Bloom entered the courthouse lobby only to find it nearly deserted; just a few security ponies around plus a couple bored unicorn clerks behind the front desk. Frowning, she glanced inside the defendant waiting room, but saw only the two pegasus guards that had been there originally. Don’t those guys ever take a break? she wondered, certain they had the most boring post in Equestria.
“So why'd ya wanna come back here, Twilight?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, thinking that the violet unicorn almost seemed to be searching for somepony.
Twilight didn’t answer right away. He’s not here… where did he go? she wondered before turning around to answer the filly’s question, both aggravated and relieved the human lawyer wasn’t there—she really didn’t want to see him just yet. “I just wanted to check… something. It’s not here, though. Let’s get going to Fluttershy’s house,” Twilight suggested, wishing she’d thought to tag Phoenix with a magical tracer when he arrived. Well, I didn’t think I’d have to keep tabs on him…!
“Alrighty!”
“Oh! Ms. Sparkle!” A deep and somewhat gravelly voice called out to Twilight just as she was turning to leave.
“Huh?” the violet unicorn glanced back to see a tall bearded human walking towards her. It’s the judge I summoned, she recognized as he stepped in front of her. “Hello, how are you~” she suddenly stopped in mid-sentence…” O-oh… I mean…” the violet unicorn took the archaic lawyering book back out of her saddlebag and read another bookmarked passage. “’How doth thy bringer of unbiased justice and truth fare under these weary summer skies’?” she asked, affecting an olden accent again.
“Uh… what?” The Judge raised his eyebrows in confusion, unsure of what Twilight had just said.
Her cheeks flushed. “Um… what I mean is, how are you enjoying Ponyville so far… uh… Your Honor?” Twilight said, finally deciding she was only embarrassing herself with her attempts to quote the book.
He chuckled. “No need to call me that. I’m off duty!” The Judge told her jovially.
If you’re off duty, why are you still holding your gavel and walking around in your robes? she didn’t say out loud. “So… what’s your name anyway? You never told me,” Twilight asked.
“Just call me ’Judge’,” he said while tapping his gavel lightly on the palm of his hand.
She raised an eyeridge at him. “Really? I wouldn’t like it if ponies just called me ‘Unicorn’.”
He gave her a grin, though it was a little hard to see under his beard. “I don’t mind! One short name. Like that pop singer! Y’know… ‘Living Material World’!”
“’Living in a Material World’?” Twilight repeated, a sudden image of Rarity flashing through her head. “Hmm…” she pondered that for a moment.
“To answer your question, Ms. Sparkle… I’ve been having a marvelous time! To tell you the truth, I was itching from my seat waiting for the trial to be over just so I could explore more of what this world has to offer!” The Judge replied to her previous question.
Twilight was surprised. “So you really don’t mind being pulled into Equestria like this?” she asked further, remembering how in stride he’d taken being summoned—especially after as hard a time adjusting as Phoenix had…
“Well that late-night cram session I was put through was a tiring task, and I’m working on no sleep, but taking in the imagery and meeting the nice inhabitants of this world is well worth it!” The Judge proclaimed, and Twilight realized he meant it—he really DID love Equestria.
She couldn’t help but grin at that. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, but… why did you come back to the courthouse?” Twilight asked curiously.
“I wanted to speak to Mister Wright.” The Judge replied, causing the violet unicorn to fall silent and her smile to disappear. “You see, I wanted him to accompany me while I hit up some tourist spots. I suppose he’s busy investigating though,” he presumed, stroking his beard idly. “I saw him speaking with another pony that had hair as gravity defying as his after the trial ended. I came back hoping he’d still be around… you haven’t seen him, have you?”
“No,” Twilight replied shortly. “I’m actually going to be taking over as the defense attorney when the trial continues tomorrow.”
“Yeah, and Ah’m helpin’ her investigate!” Apple Bloom added, making The Judge turn his attention to her.
“Awwwww! It’s the cute little witness from earlier!” he remembered, getting down on one knee to speak with the young earth pony. “Hello little one! Do you want to play with my gavel?” he offered.
Apple Bloom's orange eyes went wide with delight. “Would I?! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CHIEF JUSTICE!” she shouted loud enough to make Twilight wince again. Grabbing the gavel in her mouth, she started running around with it banging it on everything she could from the wooden bench near the entrance to the floor beside Twilight’s hooves.
*Bang, bang~ BA-ba-bang BANG~!*
“Ah! Don’t bang that thing near me!” Twilight jerked back her hoof as Apple Bloom moved perilously close for a moment, relieved when she moved off into the middle of the lobby.
“So you’re taking over the defense?” The Judge scratched his beard, a note of surprise in his voice. “Hmm… Mister Wright was never one to give up, but I suppose it’s none of my business…” he shrugged, watching Apple Bloom play.
“May I ask why you were being so hard on us today?” Twilight suddenly asked.
“What do you mean?” The Judge turned back to her, looking genuinely surprised by the question.
“Well… it just seemed like you were out to get us. You sided with Trixie most of the time. You also threatened holding me in contempt of court…” Twilight told him, a note of accusation in her voice.
He shook his head. “I apologize if that was your impression, but… you see, Ms. Sparkle, it’s my job,” The Judge explained. “In fact, I didn’t care much for that prosecutor’s attitude right from the start, but the logic and the evidence she supplied was much more decisive than yours,” he told her, almost apologetically. “I wasn’t playing favorites, I assure you.
“And as for the contempt citation… I realize that emotions get heated in the midst of a murder trial, particularly given the high stakes involved. That’s why I gave you a warning and not an actual penalty; I understood you were upset and just trying to protect your friend,” he remembered. “But it’s also my job to keep a cool head and ensure that the rules of the court are followed, and that includes not allowing unsupported accusations against your fellow counsel that could potentially damage your client’s defense. Please don’t take it personally, Ms. Sparkle,” The Judge concluded, bowing his head and clasping his hands in front of him.
Despite his reassuring tone, Twilight’s anger flared. “’Unsupported accusations’? You think he wasn’t lying when he accused Fluttershy?” she challenged.
The Judge considered his next words carefully, stroking his beard as he thought. “Without interjecting myself where I should not… I will simply say that in my experience, Mister Wright has good reasons for everything he does… though I grant they often don’t make much sense at the time. So I would encourage you to hear him out before you take rash action,” he suggested gently.
“I see…” Twilight nodded, surprised and a little deflated. She’d thought of The Judge as being a little goofy and too easily swayed, but she was also learning he could be surprisingly persuasive and eloquent when he wanted to be. But I still don’t know what ‘good reasons’ Phoenix could have had for turning on Fluttershy like that. There AREN’T any! she insisted to herself, unswayed.
“May I ask something, Ms. Sparkle?” The Judge stroked his beard again in a gesture that Twilight was coming to realize meant he was deep in thought or had something on his mind.
“Yes?” Twilight looked up to The Judge.
“I couldn’t help but notice all your criminal justice laws are very similar to ours… is there any reason for that?” he asked curiously.
Twilight had an answer, though she didn’t find it a very comfortable one. “Maybe it’s because they were adapted from the humans who live in another country across the sea. Might just be a coincidence, though… I hear the humans there are a lot different from you, just like how the ponies over there different from the ones here in Equestria.”
The Judge looked surprised at that. “Different ponies? How so?” he asked.
Twilight tried to speak, but she didn’t know the right words to say… “Um… they’re just really… different…” she almost grimaced, showing him another picture out of her lawyering guidebook.
To his credit, The Judge didn’t flinch when he saw the photograph, which was more than Twilight could say the first time she’d laid eyes on it. “I… see…” the bearded human offered carefully, not knowing what else he could say to such an image.
“So what are you going to do now?” Twilight asked as she stowed the book, knowing he had nearly a full day before court reconvened.
He sat down on the bench behind him; Twilight belatedly noticed there was an odd-shaped hoofmark on the back like somepony had kicked it over in anger. “I don’t really know… do you know any good tourist attractions, Ms. Sparkle?” The Judge asked her.
She considered that, only to shake her head. “None off the top of my head,” Twilight admitted, sitting back on her haunches and thinking that perhaps she could arrange a trip to Canterlot for him after the trial. Certainly plenty to see there!
When she suggested just that, The Judge got very excited; he’d already seen the tall but distant mountainside spires of the Equestrian Capital and very much wanted to go. Twilight promised she would write the Princess to ask he be given a private tour, suggesting that for now he head to Town Hall and ask the Mayor’s office if somepony could be assigned to show him around Ponyville and be his guide for the day. “I know Mayor Mare; she’ll give you VIP treatment,” the violet unicorn promised.
The Judge nodded his thanks. “I rather wish I could stay longer than the trial, actually… I just got back from the ’Equestrian 500 starting point and I’m now very curious about the race. I even got this program!” The Judge showed her a foldable parchment-written pamphlet that contained information about the upcoming race.
Twilight’s ears perked up. “A program? Can I see that for a second?” she asked.
“Of course!” The Judge offered the pamphlet to Twilight, who took it in her aura to inspect its contents.
Upon opening it, the first thing Twilight saw was Rainbow Dash’s name… with the words ‘Subject to change’ written beside it. Her lips tightened at the sight. It really rips me up seeing that next to her name… she thought, but was caught short when she noticed that Ace Swift was still listed as well. “Huh? Why is Ace still on the roster?” she asked The Judge.
“That’s because his death is being kept hush-hush,” The Judge replied.
Twilight blinked at that, making a connection she hadn’t before. “Everypony knows about the murder… but they don’t know who the victim was. In fact, I didn’t even know who it was until the night before the trial...” she began, only to trail off when she remembered it was Phoenix who had informed her of the victim’s identity while they were investigating the crime scene. That sparked another unwelcome series of memories of him brushing her hip and later nearly touching her horn, the changing color of her aura repeatedly betraying to the human lawyer what she was thinking… or would have if he’d understood its meaning…
Thank Celestia he didn’t… she bit her lip, suppressing a shiver at the knowledge that they were all alone out there, unlikely to be seen or disturbed. Because if he did, then he might have… her eyes glazed over at the thoughts suddenly running through her mind.
“Is something wrong, Ms. Sparkle?” The Judge’s voice broke the spell.
“Huh?” Twilight blinked, snapping out of her sudden reverie. It was then she realized to her horror that her aura had gone bright pink again and anypony around could notice. AAAAGGH! she recoiled, trying to override her arousal and force the fantasies back to bay, appalled with herself anew. I do NOT have a crush on him! I DO NOT! she told herself over and over, trying to rekindle her anger at what he had done to Fluttershy, doing her best to blame recently-read romance novels given to her by Rarity for what she had been thinking. Rainbow’s about to be sent to the sun and you’re daydreaming about hornplay with the human lawyer who betrayed you? REAL nice, Twilight! she berated herself in disgust, her aura color returning to normal.
“S-sorry… got a little distracted for a second,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof and looking around in alarm to see if anypony had noticed. Fortunately, her little display seemed to have gone unseen; the few ponies in the entrance hall had their attention on Apple Bloom, who was now pretending she was The Judge on the bench by gaveling away on the top of the lobby desk, shouting “OBJECTION OVERRULED!!!” at the top of her lungs. “M-my apologies; you were saying…?”
“Uh, Yes…” The Judge cleared his throat. “Every member of the jury and gallery has been sworn to not speak of the events that transpired in the courtroom today. I ask that you keep discreet about the identity of the victim as well,” he requested.
“A-Alright!” a still-flustered Twilight stuttered, realizing that vital information had come a little too late. Ngh! I accidentally told Cruise Control! she realized, cursing herself for flapping her tongue when she shouldn’t have.
“The reason being is that we don’t want to worry the other racers. It may give them the idea if they become too good the murderer will go after them next!” The Judge explained.
“I see,” Twilight nodded in understanding, but her brow furrowed again as she remembered…. when I think back to it, Cruise Control ALREADY knew that Ace Swift was dead. But how? I didn’t see him in the courtroom today… she wondered, only half-listening as The Judge continued talking.
“…and this program is going to be updated daily until the race,” The Judge concluded, bringing her attention back to the present.
As he finished his sentence, Twilight spotted something peculiar in the program. “Judge, what’s with this empty slot here—number three?” she asked, turning the program back to face him.
The Judge bent over to have a close look, all but squinting; Twilight was getting the distinct impression he was nearsighted. “Oh! Yes, there is a strange story about that. One of the racers signed up… then dropped out.”
“Dropped out?” Twilight repeated, giving The Judge a sidewise look.
“Yes, that’s correct,” he nodded. “He’s from another city… Manehattan, I believe it was. Why would he fly all the way out here to register, and then drop out?” The Judge wondered aloud.
“Manehattan?” Twilight suddenly remembered the city mentioned during an earlier conversation with a very odd pegasus. “Wait… Judge, was this racer’s name… ‘Cruise Control’?” she suggested.
His eyes widened in recognition. “Why yes… I believe it was!” The Judge confirmed her guess.
Twilight stared at the program, her brow furrowing again. “But he told me he just got in today and was going to register for the race,” she said, confused.
The Judge raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. “No… that can’t be the case. He’s been in Ponyville for two days now according to this program,” he noted, stroking his beard again. “Strange that he would register, drop out, and then go register again. Maybe he’s just really indecisive on whether he wants to compete or not. It’s just like me; I can’t decide whether I want diet cola or normal cola sometimes…” The Judge mused.
Twilight nodded politely, having no idea what ‘cola’ was. “Uh… yeah. May I keep this program, Judge?” she asked politely.
“Absolutely, Ms. Sparkle! It’s the least I can do for bringing me to this magnificent world!” he happily agreed, as Twilight put the program into her saddle bag…
Equestrian 500 ProgramA program with information about the Equestrian 500
“This might help a lot! Thank you very much,” Twilight said in gratitude, a smile on her face.
The Judge bowed to her, very pleased that he could help out the violet unicorn who had brought him to Equestria even in the slightest. “It was no~ uhh…” The Judge stopped in mid-sentence; Twilight looked up to see he was frozen in place staring nervously at something.
“What’s the matter?” she tilted her head at him.
“It’s that pony over there…” The Judge motioned to somepony behind Twilight, his eyes wide.
When Twilight turned to see who he was pointing at, she saw a chestnut-colored earth pony stallion with a dark brown mane, light blue eyes and an hourglass cutie mark. “Him? What about him? He’s a clockmaker. He has a shop in town,” Twilight remembered, though she had noticed he seemed to keep odd hours and hang around with that strange skew-eyed mail mare a lot…
“He’s been eyeballing me since the trial started. He’s making me kind of nervous,” The Judge said, a hint of trembling in his voice.
She gave him an odd look. “Why don’t you just ask him why he’s doing that?”
He looked almost fearful. “That’s the thing… I feel as though I’ll create some sort of paradox if I do!” The Judge said, almost trembling on his words.
Twilight blinked at the slightly nonsensical statement. He’s supposed to be the best human Judge? she wondered while doing her best to keep a straight face.
“I know! Maybe he’s just admiring my beard…” The Judge speculated, making a show of stroking it proudly.
“Uh… yeah! Maybe…” Twilight smiled agreeably if a little sheepishly.
“Well I better be going to Town Hall now… Oh! ” The Judge was about to leave when he remembered something important, going over to Apple Bloom and kneeling down before her. “May I have my gavel back, dear?”
“Sure thing!” the sated young filly returned his symbol of authority, looking very happy to have wielded an actual Judge’s gavel.
“Goodbye Judge…” Twilight said, giving the tall bearded human a smile. It’s still awkward calling him that in a casual conversation… she thought to herself, but conceded that for all his quirkiness, he was actually a pretty nice pony… er, person, she corrected herself. At least there’s ONE nice and sincere human around… she growled internally, eyes narrowing in anger.
“I’ll see you in court tomorrow. Good luck on your investigation!” The Judge waved at Twilight, as he left the courthouse and headed off into town.
Twilight returned the gesture distractedly. I’m starting to become suspicious about this ’Cruise Control’ character. I need to find him and speak with him about this… she decided, still coming up with more questions than answers.
“So are we goin’ to the forest now, Twilight?” Apple Bloom nudged her, breaking her train of thought.
The violet unicorn grinned a bit at that. “You’re really anxious about going there, aren’t you?”
She nodded eagerly “The sooner the better! Ah should get my cutie mark as soon as Ah show ya the thing that fell from th’ sky!” the young filly smiled and jumped around excitedly.
Twilight thought that was unlikely, but wasn’t about to say anything. “Alright, let’s go then…” she said, leading Apple Bloom out of the courthouse.
June 10th, 1:25PM
After a stop for lunch at one of the plaza food stalls—candied carrots and hay fries for Apple Bloom (“Ah don’t ALWAYS have to eat apples ya know!” she told the surprised carrot vendor) a sunflower sandwich and tomato soup for Twilight—the violet unicorn and country filly headed east for Fluttershy’s Cottage, skirting the edge of the cloud they could see the Ponyville weather team assembling over the southwest part of the town. The Weather Schedule called for a three-hour shower over Sweet Apple Acres and the adjoining farms that afternoon to give the thirsty fields and orchards a drink, but they didn’t care to be caught under it.
They arrived at Fluttershy’s Cottage minutes later only to find police officers all over the premises, scouring the ground trying to catch and corral Fluttershy’s numerous chickens and other birds for examination.
“Look at all the police, Twi!” Apple Bloom gawked at all the uniformed ponies, some of whom had noticed them.
“They must be trying to find a match up with that feather,” Twilight guessed, hating the sight of so many strangers going through Fluttershy’s home and traipsing through her flowerbeds as they chased her loose animals, the violet unicorn angry at Phoenix again for inflicting this on her.
“That reminds me…” Apple Bloom said softly.
“Yes? What is it Apple Bloom?” she asked, starting to head up the side path towards the cottage.
“What happened to that nice lawyer guy you were with during that trial?” the young filly wanted to know, trotting alongside her to keep up.
Twilight abruptly stopped walking, all but freezing in mid-stride. “Apple Bloom…”
“Yeah?” The filly looked up to Twilight.
“Don’t talk about him, please…” she requested, an edge to her voice, trying to force back the unwanted emotions that were trying to rise to the surface again.
“Huh? But why?” Apple Bloom wanted to know.
“I just don’t want to talk about him, so DROP IT, okay?” Twilight snapped at the young filly at little more sharply than she meant to.
The filly cringed slightly at her tone. “O-okay…” she said in a low voice.
“Let’s just get what we came here for…” Twilight resumed walking towards Fluttershy’s cottage. ’Nice lawyer guy’… that’s a laugh. The violet unicorn snorted to herself, thinking that the laugh was on her for bringing Phoenix to her world in the first place. He’s made a royal mess of things, and you’re going to be getting a royal earful next time I see you, Princess! she silently promised.
“You said there’s a letter or something in Fluttershy’s house right? Let’s go get it!” Apple Bloom said excitedly… but before either pony could take another step, a familiar and unwelcome figure materialized in front of them with a bright flash of light, blocking their path.
“STOP RIGHT THERE! No civilians on the~” a very haughty Trixie announced as she teleported directly front of them, only to be caught short in surprise when she saw who she was talking to. “Oooooooo! Why look who it is!” the blue unicorn said with a mocking grin.
Twilight’s lip tightened upon seeing the show mare. And just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse…
“It’s Twilight Snarkle!” Trixie taunted, laughing at her own joke.
Twilight gave the other unicorn a cockeyed look. Seriously? ‘Twilight SNARKLE’? Really? That’s the BEST you could come up with, Trixie? she thought derisively, less insulted by the slur then by how unimaginative it was. “I’m not here to argue with you, Trixie… I’m just here to take care of something and then I’ll be on my way,” Twilight promised, trying to step by her, not interested in an altercation.
Trixie, however, had other ideas, teleporting back in front of her. “We’ll just see about that. Trixie notices you’ve taken up babysitting,” she said with a disdainful nod at Apple Bloom. “Trixie doesn’t really blame you, today’s defeat being SO humiliating and all…” she added, as arrogant and boastful as ever.
“Hey! I’m not a BABY!” Apple Bloom protested.
“And YOU! Don’t think Trixie forgot what you said in court today!” Trixie turned her attention on her former witness, glaring down at her. “You tell AppleSMACK-TALKER if she has something to SAY to Trixie, she should say it to Trixie’s FACE instead of forwarding insults through a RUG RAT!” she all but snarled at the young filly.
Apple Bloom glared daggers at the blue unicorn while Twilight felt her own anger start to flare again, wisps of smoke starting to waft off her mane. Deep breaths, Twilight… deep breaths… the violet unicorn told herself, trying to maintain her composure and keep her potentially fiery temper under control. “You didn’t defeat anything, Trixie. The trial was postponed until tomorrow,” she stated calmly, trying to defuse a potential confrontation before it began….
An effort made all the more difficult as Trixie laughed in her face. “The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie begs to differ! Once we find out where this feather came from, one of your friends will be getting a swift guilty verdict!” the show mare cackled while Twilight quietly smoldered. “Oh, and give Trixie’s regards to that doofus human lawyer of yours. So where is he, anyway?” she made a show of looking back and forth. “He couldn’t cut it in a courtroom, so maybe he belongs in the bedroom instead?” she all but leered.
Twilight’s mane and tail instantly ignited at the unspeakable insult; a throwback to olden pony times when stallions were thought of as little more than property, useful only in the fields as workhorses… or in the bedrooms as breeding stock. “SHUT UP!!!” the violet unicorn yelled, eyes red and hair ablaze as white-hot flames crept over the remainder of her purple fur—how DARE Trixie speak of her stallion like that!
Both Trixie and Apple Bloom recoiled in surprise from her fierce and fiery outburst while Twilight was equally shocked at her own reaction, quickly restraining her increasingly volatile magic and emotions… glad she was in the street where nothing could ignite, though she noted half-melted cobblestones under her hooves. Argh! I can’t let her get under my fur like this! Twilight reminded herself, struggling to control her temper. Or HIM either! He’s NOT my stallion! He’s not even A stallion! she insisted, sitting back and clutching her head in her hooves, trying to drive her warring emotions away.
Trixie gave a slightly more nervous laugh, making a mental note to brush up on ice magic and various anti-fire enchantments before her inevitable duel with the violet unicorn. “Trixie struck a bad chord, didn’t she?” she gave an unpleasant grin, lowering her head and charging her horn, readying her own protection spell just in case Twilight well and truly snapped.
Twilight set her jaw, focusing all her frustration and anger on the blue unicorn. “Forget him, Trixie—I’m going to be your opponent tomorrow… or right NOW if you like! Duel me! We’ll SEE who wins!” she glared at the rival unicorn, matching Trixie’s lowered-head pose and pawing at the ground angrily, daring the show mare to challenge her right then and there.
Trixie hesitated, her expression dropping and lavender eyes betraying no little fear as they went wide; several police ponies overhearing the exchange and stopping to watch. “So what are you waiting for? We’ve got plenty of witnesses… if you win, I’ll announce that you beat me and you get your guilty verdict and your reputation back; if I win, you drop the charges against Rainbow Dash, set Fluttershy free and don't ever come after me or my friends again.
“So forget the trial; we'll settle this right now! What do you say, Trixie?” Twilight goaded, her eyes glittering even though she knew the outcome of such a duel was uncertain at best—the violet unicorn was already partially drained of her power after two costly summoning spells the previous night, and much of the rest had just been used up in her explosion of temper. The fiery form she took was very powerful but exhausted her remaining magical reserves rapidly; if Trixie DID challenge her to a duel at that moment, Twilight sensed the blue unicorn was likely to win it. I don’t CARE! If there’s any chance I can save Rainbow Dash, I’ll TAKE it!
Caught off-guard by the all-or-nothing offer, Trixie regarded Twilight warily for a moment, gauging her chances and finding them wanting. She’d worked hard to improve her abilities after the Ursa Minor debacle, but after the display she’d just seen—emotion-driven elemental magic was something only very powerful unicorns could pull off—the mare magician knew that no matter how good she’d gotten, she simply couldn’t match the rival unicorn’s raw power. Maybe I could get a little outside help… the blue unicorn thought, deciding to research talismans and other magical artifacts to see if there was something out there that could give her the needed boost.
“Oh, please. Do you think I’m a FOOL? Why should I risk a certain victory for a merely likely one?” Trixie covered her fear and nervousness with a smug look and practiced bravado, feeling on far safer grounds with a courtroom confrontation than a potential magic duel that wasn’t at a time and place of her choosing. “Don’t worry; you’ll get your challenge eventually, but for now… I’ll settle for beating you in court!” she cackled.
Twilight sneered at the cop-out, though she was inwardly relieved as Trixie started up again.
“So you say you’re taking over the defense? HA!” the show mare laughed at the idea. “Trixie understands WHY you ditched that worthless human,” she began, thinking better of another insult when she saw Twilight’s eyes narrow and mane begin to smoke again, “but unfortunately… you’re still going to lose, whether the feather matches any of these animals or not. The magnificent prosecutor Trixie will see to it one of your snot-nosed friends will get an all-expense-paid one-way ticket to the sun!” the blue unicorn announced confidently with an emphatic stomp of her hoof.
“W-what does she mean, Twi?” Apple Bloom asked curiously but from a safe distance, half-hiding behind a rock.
Twilight visibly deflated, sounding strangely subdued to the young filly after her earlier flash of temper. “If the feather matches one of Fluttershy’s animals she will be seen as guilty as Rainbow Dash…” she knew, trying to keep herself from tearing up at the thought.
“But… what if it doesn’t match any of these animals?” Apple Bloom asked again, staring at the violet unicorn warily, in awe and a little afraid of what she’d just witnessed. Wait’ll I tell the other Crusaders about this! They’ll NEVER believe what Twi can do!
“Then we will be left where we were before Fluttershy was accused… with The Judge about to hand down Rainbow Dash’s verdict…” Twilight explained, her eyes closed, trying not to think about what came next.
“In other words… Win-Win for Trixie!” the blue unicorn finished for her, raising her head and de-charging her horn, deciding the danger of a duel had passed. “Trixie doesn’t mean to toot her horn but… ‘Toot-Toot!’ Trixie really puts the ’pro’ in prosecutor!” she boasted even more.
Twilight’s lip curled at that, her emotions slowly coming under control. You really have the audacity to call yourself a ‘pro’ trotting around in that tacky wizard outfit? the violet unicorn said to herself, looking Trixie over from hat to hooves.
“That isn’t FAIR!” Apple Bloom said, stomping her hoof and looking downcast as her ears drooped, tears welling in her own eyes at the thought of losing the cyan pegasus forever. What’ll that do t’ Scootaloo? she suddenly wondered, worried about her fellow Cutie Mark Crusader, a young and an as-yet flightless pegasus filly who worshiped Rainbow Dash.
Trixie gave Apple Bloom a bitter look. “Life isn’t fair, little filly, especially when ‘Purple Pests’ come along! But then again… Trixie’s horoscope did say purple would be her unlucky color,” she claimed, making Twilight give her a funny look.
“You do know that you’re wearing purple, right?” Twilight pointed out her cape and hat, which made Trixie’s smile drop and head spin 180 degrees…
“Uh… what Trixie meant was the horoscope said YOUR particular shade of hideous purple would be unlucky!” she quickly backtracked, looking suddenly flustered.
Twilight stifled a grin at that—the horseshoe’s finally on the other hoof! “So how did you become a prosecutor, anyway?” she wanted to know, neither unicorn mare noticing Apple Bloom quietly slipping away.
Trixie gave her an odd look. “That really isn’t any of your business, dorky bangs. Trixie merely saw an opportunity and seized it ’Carpe See-um’!” she mangled the old idiom as she reared up theatrically on her hooves.
Twilight rolled her eyes. It’s ’Carpe Diem’, genius! she said to herself. And NOPONY disses the bangs!
“This investigation won't be much longer, anyway. We’ll get confirmation on exactly what this feather came from soon,” Trixie announced.
“How?” Twilight asked in surprise—she’d been hoping it would take days to get an answer, which would mean she had that much more time to investigate and gather evidence… as well as study law books in advance of her taking over the defense.
Trixie regarded the rival unicorn for a moment before her mocking grin returned. “I guess it doesn’t really matter if The Great and Powerful Trixie shares this with you…” she shrugged. “Since this town is out in the boonies and has no proper science division… we can’t get the feather thoroughly analyzed.”
THE BOONIES?! Why!~ You!~ AAARGGGH!!!!!~ Twilight struggled not to let her temper take hold of her again, finally understanding why Phoenix and Rainbow had so much trouble keeping their cool with Trixie—the blue unicorn was effortlessly infuriating and seemed to have an innate ability to find and push the buttons of the people and ponies she met, turning their anger and outbursts to her advantage, letting them trip over their own emotions. And I nearly fell into the same trap by trying to get her to duel me… she belatedly realized, suddenly sensing how low her magical reserves had fallen at that moment and how poor her chances really were. Thank Celestia she didn’t…
Trixie grinned as she realized she’d again gotten under the rival unicorn’s fur. “Some of the most highly educated and prestigious zoologists are coming in from Canterlot to examine it for us. By the end of the day, we’ll know EVERYTHING there is to know about this feather. Then you can say goodbye to one of your criminal friends. Oh, ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’,” Trixie quoted theatrically, raising a hoof to her head like she was performing in an opera.
Twilight closed her eyes at that. “I have a question, Trixie,” she spoke, feeling a strange serenity descend over her—it seemed that her earlier display of temper had vented much of the excess emotion and anger-tainted magic she had been trying to bottle up, and she was now feeling much better for it… calm and in control despite the fresh bombardment of insults on her friends by Trixie. Guess I just needed to burn it off… and what better way than by LITERALLY burning? she half-joked to herself.
“What is it? You want to know why Trixie is ten times smarter, beautiful and all around better than you?” Trixie suggested, nose in the air and hoof on her chest as she spoke.
Twilight stared at the other unicorn for a moment, finally able to look at her objectively and see how she was using threats and insults to cover up her own insecurities. “Why do you have such a grudge against me? And don’t tell me it’s that whole Ursa Minor thing… I know it’s not that,” Twilight said definitively.
Trixie stared at her in surprise for a moment before speaking. “What are you talking about? Of COURSE it’s that!” the blue unicorn insisted, glaring at Twilight through narrowed lavender eyes. “You ruined my career, Twilight Snarkle! Do you know how many heckles I get now? Or how many tomatoes I get lobbed at me when I show my face on stage because of you?!” she recited, sounding increasingly upset.
Twilight sat down on her haunches, studying the rival unicorn closely. “See… I can tell that’s not it, because you’re speaking normally,” she presumed, unconsciously taking Phoenix’s hoof-on-chin pose like she'd noticed the human lawyer did when he was thinking about something.
“What?” Trixie asked, giving her an askance look, unsure of what the violet unicorn was getting at.
“I noticed it several times in court today…” Twilight said, flaring her horn to replay a memory from the trial, including…
“Witness! This is the first time I’m hearing about this! Why did you not say anything to me regarding this earlier?!”
“And then there was…”
“Hmph! If you enjoy pointless information… be my guest! It was probably just a tree or a rock. I think the defense is just hopelessly grasping at straws…”
“Or just a minute ago…”
“Oh, please. Do you think I’m a FOOL? Why should I risk a certain victory for a merely possible one?”
Twilight nodded in satisfaction, grateful she could at least pull off low-energy spells like memory playback… even if she could only manage the voice and not the surrounding scene. “You see? When you get emotional, unsure or nervous, you say ‘I’, ’Me’ and ’My’ instead of ‘Trixie’. You could say it’s a nervous habit, akin to how some avoid eye contact or blink frequently when lying…” Twilight observed.
Trixie blinked. “What are you talking about?! I’m not lying!” she snapped back… but…
“You said ’I’ instead of ‘Trixie’ again…” Twilight pointed out, a dry note in her voice.
Now it was Trixie getting steamed. “Argh! SHUT your mouth!” she ordered, a sudden chill in the air around her; for a moment Twilight swore she could see her breath like it was winter.
Twilight didn’t back down, wanting to know why the mare magician was so bent on destroying her bonds with her friends. “So tell me Trixie... what’s the REAL reason you’re doing this?”
“I… uhh… I…” Trixie looked at a loss for words for a moment, like she was groping for an explanation… finally slurring out some backtalk. “I told you! It’s about that stupid, overgrown, flea-ridden bear!”
And then it happened…
*BANG!!* *RATTLE* *RATTLE* *RATTLE* Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!*
The air around the mare magician seemed to darken as a series of large chains plus several locks materialized in front her, much as had happened previously with Cruise Control. This again… Twilight said to herself far more calmly than before, but then she noticed there was something different…
The locks were black.
Wait a minute… no, this ISN’T the same! she realized, and that it wasn’t just a change of color either. These locks… they FEEL different from the ones Cruise Control had. Filled with anger, hate, despair and sadness… so much sadness… Twilight began tearing up the longer she stared at them.
Trixie’s expression dropped, her eyes going wide as she saw tears start to roll down Twilight’s face.
Ugh~ W-why am I crying? I’m sad but I don’t know why… Twilight didn’t understand, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of sorrow and pity for Trixie… and despite all her insults and all she had done, a desire to help the deeply wounded show mare. These black locks are depressing me. It’s… it’s overwhelming… she thought, but was unable to turn away.
“Ha! Got something in your eye, ‘Cry-light’? Or did Twixie hurt your widdle feewings…?” the show mare suggested in baby-talk, grinning evilly as she mocked Twilight once more.
Twilight barely heard her. I… I don’t want to break these locks… I wanted to break the ones around Cruise, but I’m afraid what will happen when I break these ones… do these locks guard something in a pony’s heart? If that were true… that means Trixie… she couldn’t complete the thought.
As Twilight continued to stare at her, Trixie lost her smug smile, the other unicorn’s gaze starting to make her uncomfortable. I know she doesn’t like me after what happened the last time she was here, but these emotions I feel right now… there’s no way it’s just because of THAT! It’s something else… but that was the first time I met Trixie in my life; what else could I have DONE to her to bear these awful feelings? Twilight pondered as her sight returned to normal.
Trixie was getting flustered by Twilight’s steady, teary-eyed stare. “You’re creeping me out! SAY something!” the mare magician demanded in a loud voice, breaking Twilight’s trance.
The spell finally broken, Twilight turned away, wiping her eyes. “Oh. Uh… sorry, Trixie, forget it. You’re obviously not going to tell me anything,” she somehow sensed to be true.
Her smug grin returned. “For once, you’re right. Trixie need not share her vast endless wisdom with the enemy! Anyway, it’s been fun chatting with you over the demise you’ll face at Trixie’s hoof tomorrow, but Trixie must offer her CUNNING intellect to the investigation team!” Trixie mocked.
Her emotions now spent from her earlier flashes of temper and the effect of the phantom locks, Twilight didn’t rise to the bait. “I wish you luck with that, but I warn you… I’m not going to let my friends down, Trixie. I believe neither of them did it and I’m going to get to the bottom of this and solve the whole thing myself,” Twilight proclaimed, determined to beat Trixie at her own game—not for the sake of besting her, but for the simple sake of her friends.
The show mare was unmoved. “Prepare to be disappointed then, Twilight Snarkle…” Trixie hissed out the slur, not letting her glare up.
“Whatever you say…” Twilight shrugged, starting to walk past the show mare up the path to Fluttershy’s cottage. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I have some things to do here…”
She didn’t get very far before Trixie again teleported in front of her, blocking her path. “Don’t think so!” the mare magician intoned almost gleefully.
“What?” Twilight looked at Trixie who was giving off a smug smile.
“~The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie!~ is the head of the investigation team and Trixie doesn’t want any civilians on the premises!” she all but sung her name.
“But… I’m the Defense Attorney! I have the right to investigate!” Twilight claimed.
Trixie gave a derisive snort. “Oh, really? Let’s see the badge, then…” she ordered, smiling as wide as she possibly could, knowing that the violet unicorn couldn't yet have such a thing.
“I-I don’t have one yet!” Twilight admitted.
The show mare gave a look of mock sorrow. “Oh! Too bad… I guess you don’t get to investigate. Go play lawyer somewhere else!” Trixie said, not budging from the path to the cottage.
No! I need to get that letter! a panic-stricken Twilight realized, groping for any excuse she could to get in. “Please Trixie… I-I need to feed the animals inside. Fluttershy asked me to…” she tried, but Trixie dismissed her reason out of hoof.
“We already took care of that. All of the animals have been properly fed.” Trixie shot back, making Twilight grunt in dismay. “Trixie isn’t going to repeat herself… SCRAM!” she ordered the rival unicorn, pinning her with an intense glare.
Twilight turned around and made to leave. I’ll just sneak in quickly while she isn’t looking, the violet unicorn began hatching a plan though her thoughts, but Trixie was ahead of her yet again.
“Oh, and by the way…? Don’t even THINK about trying to sneak inside either. Not unless you want to join your friends behind bars…” the mare magician said warningly, seemingly reading Twilight’s mind.
The violet unicorn briefly considered trying to teleport, only to realize she was too drained of power to attempt it… and even if she could, Trixie would sense it instantly if she did.
Realizing it herself, the mare magician gave an evil chuckle. “On second thought… yes, Twilight Snarkle. Try sneaking in,” Trixie all but dared the rival unicorn, causing Twilight to fall silent in frustration.
“Ciao! See you in court tomorrow. The MERCIFUL Trixie will try and make it as quick and painless as possible,” Trixie promised, as teleported back to the investigation, loudly ordering the detectives and forensic specialists on site to arrest Twilight if she entered the premises.
“I couldn't get it…” Twilight sighed in disappointment, sitting back down on her haunches in defeat.
“What’s the matter Twi?” Apple Bloom came up next to her.
She shook her head. “Forget it, Apple Bloom…” Twilight went downcast.
“Huh?” The filly tilted her head.
“I’m clearly not cut out for this stuff. I was in over my head. That letter could have given us an edge and I failed to get it,” she admitted, feeling numb. Now what do I do…? she asked herself, horrified to think that she might need to find Phoenix; she wasn’t ready to face him—or whatever it was she was feeling for him—yet.
“Oh… ya mean this?” Apple Bloom took something out of her little bag with her mouth, showing it to Twilight.
“Huh? What’s that?” Twilight saw her with a torn piece of parchment in her mouth.
“It’s that letter you were talkin’ ‘bout.” Apple Bloom said around the paper.
Twilight’s face instantly lit up in surprised and delight.“WHAT!? How did you get it?!” the flabbergasted unicorn asked, marveling at the unexpected turn of luck.
Apple Bloom grinned broadly. “I went in Fluttershy’s house and got it while you were talkin’ with Trixie!” the young filly announced, making Twilight smile widely.
I… I don’t believe it! Twilight thought, tears welling in her eyes. “Apple Bloom, thank you SO much!” the violet unicorn said in appreciation, sweeping the young filly close and giving her a heartfelt hug, thinking she might have just saved Rainbow Dash.
Apple Bloom blushed at the show of affection, a little embarrassed by the display. “See I TOLD ya’ I could help!” she reminded the violet unicorn, proving her point earlier.
Twilight nodded a little ruefully “I’m really sorry for doubting you…” she said, giving the young filly another squeeze and ruffling her mane affectionately with a hoof, giving her a kiss on forehead before letting her go.
“It’s no problem…” Apple Bloom insisted, hoping nopony was looking at them. “Oh! Anything there yet?” the young filly asked as she was released from the embrace, trying to look at her hip.
“What?” Twilight asked.
“On my flank! Did I get a cutie mark for doing that?” Apple Bloom struggled to contort enough to look at her rear hip.
‘Uh… no,” Twilight replied, and after what the young filly had accomplished, she felt genuinely sorry for it.
“Awww…” The filly looked down in disappointment.
You’re still obsessing over that I see… she mused, but could hardly blame her for it—Twilight still well-remembered how delighted she had been the moment she'd received her cutie mark. “Can I see that letter, Apple Bloom?” she asked for the piece of torn parchment, reading it aloud after being passed it… though she quickly realized she seemed to only have the latter half of the letter as the first legible words picked up in mid-sentence:
“-Can’t live with the guilt any longer. I can’t keep helping you ruin others’ hopes and dreams. It saddens me beyond belief we must part ways, but I must say farewell. Goodbye Ace; may our paths cross in the future…” Twilight finished the note, though it didn’t make much sense to her.
“What does all that mean?” Apple Bloom said curiously.
Twilight read it over twice more, mouthing the words to herself but still not able to discern their meaning. “I’m not sure, but this is written out to the victim. Sure doesn’t look like Rainbow Dash’s writing…”
Apple Bloom gave her a curious look. “How do ya know it’s not her writin’?”
Twilight blushed as she remembered her struggles to write without her magic that morning… to say nothing of her ink-stained appearance afterwards. Least I gave the guards and Fluttershy a good laugh… “Rainbow Dash’s writing is, well… messy,” she grimaced, silently admitting that the cyan pegasus’ hoofwriting was at least better than her manual efforts.
“This, however, is written very neatly and formally… like it was written with magic,” the violet unicorn reasoned, knowing that there were very few earth ponies or pegasi that wrote such fine cursive script—they normally used block letters instead, which were easier to make legible when writing with a quill in their muzzles. Besides, ‘neatly and formally’ are two adverbs that describe anything but Rainbow Dash, Twilight added to herself as she floated the letter into her saddlebag.
Torn Letter:Half of the letter written out to the victim.
“I know we were going to the Everfree Forest, but I want to lay low for a while,” Twilight decided, watching the ongoing investigation, not sure whether she more hoped that they would or would not find a match for the feather—either way, at least one of her friends was likely to be found guilty; Trixie had been right about that much.
“Sooo… we’re goin’ back t’ Ponyville, then?” Apple Bloom asked, falling in beside the larger unicorn mare as Twilight began to walk away.
She nodded. “That’s right. Trixie doesn’t know about this letter so let’s hurry and vacate the premises. We could get into trouble is she finds out we took this.”
“Alright Twi’! Let’s go to the park now! It’s a shortcut anyway!” Apple Bloom suggested.
“Apple Bloom, we don’t have ti~” Twilight began only to hesitate as Apple bloom stared at her expectantly. She did get the letter for me… Twilight reminded herself, deciding it was only fair to return the favor. “Okay, let’s go to the park. You said you want me to do something for you there?”
“Yeah! You’re the only one who can help me!” Apple Bloom said with a big smile on her face.
Twilight wasn’t sure what that meant, but nodded. “Alright then… but it has to be fast.”
“Thank you, Twilight!” Apple Bloom nuzzled her, the pair heading back towards town.
June 10th, 1:48 PM
Twilight and Apple Bloom arrived at Ponyville Park after a twelve-minute walk, taking a more circuitous route to avoid the growing raincloud to the south. What kind of world must Phoenix live in that they don't control the WEATHER? Twilight wondered in disbelief, still angry at the human lawyer for not knowing such a basic fact of pony life.
She put the thought aside as they entered the modest but well-maintained park. Filled with manicured lawns, meticulously maintained flowerbeds, ornate fountains, shady trails and two sports fields, Ponyville Park was a place meant for ponies to relax and play, though being the middle of a workday, there weren’t many about. The park was bisected by a small river, a pretty-looking stone arch bridge connecting the south and north wings over the wide but deep stream dotted with a few lily pads.
On the north side of the bridge they saw Lyra and Bon Bon sitting together on a bench, which in and of itself was no real surprise. The unicorn and earth pony mares were normally inseparable; the latter running a confectionery while the former was a musician of some renown... though she was better known for her odd hobbies and habits, including an almost-obsessive interest in humans. Case in point, Lyra was sitting on the bench in a human-like manner—a rather odd and awkward pose for a pony—while Bon Bon was lounged out beside her roommate normally, reading a book and giving Twilight a brief wave of greeting as she noticed the violet unicorn.
Saw those two in the gallery at the trial, Twilight remembered as she waved back. Figures Lyra would be there—not like she’d pass up the chance to see an actual human! Surprised she hasn’t tried to talk to Phoenix directly yet… she mused, telling herself the mint-colored unicorn mare was welcome to him.
Casting aside the oddly uncomfortable idea, she again read the torn letter that Apple Bloom had obtained for her from Fluttershy’s cottage, still marveling that the young filly had been able to snatch it right under Trixie’s nose. Well, when your nose is stuck that high in the air it’s kind of hard to see beneath it, Twilight reasoned, not sure if she more hated or wanted to help the show mare after her experience with the strange black locks.
She shook her head at that, not paying attention to her surroundings as Apple Bloom led her along. Can’t worry about Phoenix or Trixie now, she reminded herself, rereading the letter again. I thought this would have been a bit more decisive… she wished, especially after all she and Apple Bloom had gone through to get it. But beggars can’t be choosers, I guess. Still, I can’t make heads or tails of what it means…
“It’s over here on this bridge!” Apple Bloom snapped Twilight back to reality.
“Huh? Oh, right… you wanted me to do something for you here…” she said, shaking her head to clear it and stowing the letter as the young filly led her onto the small span.
“Look down there in the water…” Apple Bloom leaned over the rail as she pointed out something with her hoof, but Twilight couldn’t actually see much since the stream was in constant motion and a bit murky despite its blue shining look.
“I don’t see anything…” Twilight shook her head, unable to pick out anything except than their own distorted reflections.
“Really squint yer eyes. It’s down there pretty deep…” Apple Bloom instructed.
Twilight did just that, focusing her eyes through the murk… where she caught a glimpse of something long half-buried in the mud, glinting in the sunlight through the ripples of the water.
“I see… some… thing,” she shrugged, not able to tell what except that it might have been metallic from the way the sunlight was occasionally glinting off it.
“Yeah. Sweetie Belle and me saw it yesterday when we were walkin’ home from school!” she told her.
Twilight turned to the young filly. “Okay… so what exactly you want me to do here?” she asked curiously.
Apple Bloom gave her an odd look. “Whaddaya think? Pull it out with that magic o’ yers!” she exclaimed.
Twilight blinked. “Why do you want it?
“Weeeell~” Apple Bloom thought back to several days earlier…
Ponyville Park June 9th, 3:10pm
School had let out only ten minutes earlier, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had already made their way to the park, ready and eager to make their latest attempt to gain their cutie marks—water skiing; they were waiting for Scootaloo to show up with her scooter, rope, and a pair of purloined boards from a construction site, intending to have the pegasus filly pull them through the stream from shore. While they debated who would get to go first, they noticed something in the water beneath the bridge.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom nudged her friend who was next to her. “While we’re waitin’, let’s make a bet!”
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle looked at her fellow Cutie Mark Crusader curiously, wondering what the earth pony had in mind.
“Whaddaya say we try to pull that thing out o’ th’ water!”
“Oh! That sounds fun! But how are we gonna get it? Look how far it is down there…”
“We can make some fishin’ rods. All you need is a stick and rope, right?”
“And maybe a banana as bait!” Sweetie Belle snickered at her own suggestion.
“But let’s make it more interesting…” Apple Bloom said with a grin. “The one who snags it first gets a bowl of ice cream from th’ loser!”
Sweetie Belle’s pale green eyes lit up at that, a spark of magic coming off the tip of her horn. “Okay! You’re on Apple Bloom! That ice cream is as good as mine!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed as the two fillies went through a complicated Cutie Mark Crusader hoof-bumping ritual as a sign of their agreement…
“So we came back after dinner, but… we just couldn’t get it with those fishin’ rods we made,” Apple Bloom admitted, not wanting to admit how badly the water skiing attempt had gone; she’d ended up sore and covered in mud from so many collisions with the river bank… except for the time she’d somehow ended up in a tree. “So that’s why you’re gonna be mah secret weapon Twi~!” she announced with a satisfied grin on her filly face.
Twilight fell silent, hoping for more reason than that… but nothing else was said by the young earth pony. “That’s it?” the violet unicorn asked in disbelief.
Apple Bloom nodded eagerly.
“Let me get this straight…” Twilight started, rubbing her head with her hoof. “You brought me here to pull that thing out of the water… just so you can extort a bowl of ice cream out of Sweetie Belle?” she asked, angry at being pulled off her investigation for such a trivial and self-serving reason.
“Eeeyup!” Apple Bloom said, echoing the favorite phrase of her big brother, Big Macintosh.
Twilight was less than thrilled with the farm filly. “You can’t do that Apple Bloom! That’s cheating!”
Apple Bloom lost her smile. “Aw, c’mon, Twi, Ahm grounded. Ahm not gonna be gettin’ any ice cream for weeks!” she reasoned, her eager look turning to a pleading one. “’Sides… you still need mah help t’ find that thing that fell in th’ woods, right?” she tried again.
The violet unicorn glared daggers at the young earth pony, fed up with her constant conniving. “Your sister is the Element of Honesty. How honest are you being right now, Apple Bloom?” she asked pointedly, causing the young filly’s eyes to widen and her ears to go flat. “I’ll take it out so you can see what it is, but I’m NOT giving it to you just so you can unfairly win a bowl of ice cream from Sweetie Belle!” Twilight said, her stern and angry expression making clear that this time, she wouldn’t be changing her mind about it.
“Aww…” Apple Bloom said sadly, but did look genuinely chagrined.
Twilight stepped up to the bridge rail, looking down and examining the water, giving it a leery look. It’s down there pretty deep, and my magic is pretty exhausted from using two summoning spells in the last twenty-four hours and then going full fire on Trixie… but I THINK I can muster enough power to haul it up… she told herself, taking a deep breath as she prepared to cast what little was left of her magic. Just have to focus… she thought, her horn flaring weakly, purple eyes narrowed in concentration and strain.
It wasn’t easy. She needed to see something in order to act on it with her aura, and water distorted sight and distances, making it difficult to do so—doubly so when her energy was at low ebb. She grimaced with the effort, groping at the muddy bottom with her magic, feeling her power only sluggishly respond. A bit to the left… a bit to the right… with several movements in the water and careful navigation… she finally felt her aura take hold of the thing and yanked it free of the mud. “Got it!” she announced as it broke the surface of the water with a loud splash, revealing the object before their eyes.
“Ooohhh! It’s a~?!” Apple Bloom trailed off in confusion, having no idea what she was looking at.…
Twilight didn’t know either. “It’s a… long stick of some kind…” she stated the obvious, turning it over once—and even THAT was difficult in her current low-power state. The object might have been metal, but it was so caked in mud she couldn’t tell; the violet unicorn sighing with relief as she released it from her aura, setting it down on the floor of the bridge. Haven’t felt this weak since after taking care of that Ursa Minor! she thought, remembering how much energy she’d expended dealing with the beast and how drained it left her afterwards.
Apple Bloom spotted something on the end of the wet stick as Twilight lowered it. “Hey Twi, look on the end of it—there’s a ‘P’.” the young filly noted.
Twilight looked where she was pointing and sure enough… there was a distinct pink letter P capping one end. “You’re right… but whatever this thing was, somepony really did a number on it. It looks all burnt,” she noted, experimentally poking the rodlike object with a hoof and realizing the brown covering wasn’t mud—it was seared and flaking metal, already rusting from exposure to the water. “Wait a minute…” her brow furrowed, a stray memory clicking—haven’t I seen something like this already? Twilight asked herself, flashing back to when she and Phoenix were investigating the forest clearing the previous night…
“Hey, look there. That thing on the ground next to where the body was,” Twilight pointed to a small charred object, almost invisible against the burnt grass.Phoenix picked it up and turned it over in his hand—a small and severely damaged L-shaped piece of metal. “It’s a… what the heck IS this thing?” the human lawyer asked, showing it to Twilight.
The violet unicorn looked it over herself in the light of her horn before finally shaking her head. “I don’t have any idea.”
“Whatever it was, it’s totally burnt to a crisp.” Phoenix said, rubbing the rough surface and finding it flaking off beneath his thumb.
This looks just like that metal thing we found by the body. Could it be…? Twilight speculated…
“What's th’ matter?” Apple Bloom asked, wondering why the violet unicorn was in deep thought once more.
Twilight didn’t immediately reply; her brow furrowed as she sensed the potential significance of her find. “Um… I think I’m actually going to keep it,” she announced, making Apple Bloom drop her jaw in surprise.
“Hey! You just want to keep it so y’ can get free ice cream from Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom shouted, getting mad.
“What? No I don’t! It could be evidence for my investigation!” Twilight tried to reason with the young filly… but she continued to rant.
“You completely ripped off mah idea! Ah hope you choke on that ice cream!” Apple Bloom said, fuming in anger.
How could anypony possibly CHOKE on ice cream? Twilight thought, rolling her eyes as she placed the strange stick in her saddlebag, leaving half its length poking at an angle out of the back corner.
Burned Stick:A metal stick with the letter “P” on the end of it.
“Uh, Twi~”
“Yes, Apple Bloom?”
“Somepony is coming this way real fast!” Apple Bloom said, backing up a bit, her eyes wide.
Twilight quickly turned in the direction the young filly was looking, seeing a somewhat familiar pegasus approaching quickly, swooping down at a dangerous velocity out of the sky. Huh? Who’s that? Wait… isn’t that~
Suddenly, a grey mare with distinctive googly eyes flared her wings and landed awkwardly on the bridge, stumbling to a stop and only barely keeping her hooves before tripping over a slightly protruding stone and flopping down beside them. “Special Delivery!” she announced as she stood back up, as if a crash landing was perfectly normal for her.
“For me?” Twilight asked, but wasn't sure if the mare was looking at her directly. I can’t tell if she’s looking at me or Apple Bloom…?
“Uh-huh! For you!” The odd mailmare confirmed, rummaging through her mail carrier saddlebags.
As she did so, Twilight remembered something. “Hey, wait a minute! You’re that mail carrier who dropped all that stuff on me! That hospital bill wasn’t cheap you know!” she recalled angrily.
“Ah think I know who you are! You’re uh… Ditzy Doo, right?” Apple Bloom guessed.
The mailmare shook her head. “Nope, my name is Derpy. Derpy Hooves! Try not to forget it; a lot of ponies do…” she corrected Apple Bloom.
“I’ve seen you a lot in various places. I think I even saw you at the trial today, but we were never formally introduced,” Twilight said, offering her hoof.
“Yeah... I see you all the time but I’ve never actually met you.” Apple Bloom added, remembering how the strange skew-eyed mare always seemed to be in the background somewhere but was rarely seen up close.
Derpy shrugged at that, returning the hoofbump, though her own hoof nearly missed Twilight's. “Well, you know the life of a mail carrier… I get around a lot,” she said, her eyes turning topsy-turvy, somehow rotating independently in their sockets.
Twilight flinched a little at that. “But I’ve only seen you delivering once, Derpy Hooves… and that was when you sent a bunch of junk plummeting on top of me!” she reminded the grey-furred, blonde-maned pegasus mare, the violet unicorn certain she’d’ve been squashed flat by the anvil or piano if it hadn’t been for the reflexive use of her magic.
“Everypony makes mistakes! And please get my name right, it’s Ditzy Doo…” she said, seemingly changing her name back to the one she was first called.
Twilight became dumbfounded… “But you just said~”
“I have a special delivery for you in any case!” the mailmare said, cutting Twilight’s words off completely as she retrieved something from her mail carrier saddlebags. “Here you go!” she said as she passed Twilight a…
Muffin:
It’s a muffin. Very high in fiber. Not much to say…
“A… muffin?” Twilight tilted her head in confusion as the mailmare took out a small notepad and a quill.
“Yup! Can you sign for it here, here… and here,” Derpy Ditzy said, tapping it at several points on the pad with her hoof.
“Who sent me a muffin?” Twilight asked her as she reluctantly signed the notepad, using the small container of ink provided.
The mailmare shrugged “I don’t know. Check the return address, that’s what it’s for,” she reminded the violet unicorn.
But no matter how Twilight looked at the muffin, she couldn’t see anything on it. “There is no return address. There’s not even a NORMAL address! And it’s not packaged! How did you even know it was for me?” she started to complain rather than just receive the darn thing.
Derpy Ditzy dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hoof, taking a hovering pose and crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Please don’t complain. I’m but a lowly mail carrier; you can take it up with the post office if you have an issue,” she directed. “On second thought, don’t. There’s a lot of chaos ensuing there since the other night. The last thing they need is another problem on top of the others.”
“There’s a problem at the post office?” Apple Bloom tilted her head.
If it happened around the time of the murder, it could be another lead, Twilight hoped as she put the muffin on her bag, not sure if she trusted eating it for its source. “Can you tell us what’s going on, Ditzy Doo?”
The mailmare gave off a sigh and a disgusted look. “Why do ponies have such a hard time remembering my name?”
“Huh?” Twilight tilted her head.
“Please try to remember this time; it’s ‘Derpy Hooves’ with a ‘D’. You’re starting to hurt my feelings, Twilight Sparkle,” she said with a frustrated frown on her googly-eyed face.
Twilight fell speechless, staring at the other mare openmouthed.
“So you want to know what’s going on at the post office?” Derpy Ditzy Derpy asked.
“Uh, sure, if it’s not a problem…” the violet unicorn said leerily.
“It IS a problem. It’s TOP secret! I’m not supposed to tell anypony,” she claimed.
Twilight grunted in frustration. This is getting us nowhere!
“But you two helped me out so much… I think I can tell you!” the mailmare smiled.
Huh? How did we help her? This pony is so daft! Twilight said to herself, but whatever works, she decided… “If you wouldn't mind, Derpy.”
“Ditzy…” she corrected with an angry glare. “Well, let me start off by telling the code of the mail carrier. It’s a poem we’re forced to memorize and recite proudly at the beginning of each new day.”
Now she wants to recite a POEM? Twilight thought in disbelief. “What’s this have to do with~”
“Ahem~” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy cut the violet unicorn off again with a throat-clearing noise, tossed her mane back… and then began her poem: “No letter shall go undelivered rain or shine! No canine shall prevent us from reaching the mailbox! All packages must reach their destination!” She finished her recitation without a flinch.
“That was wonderful!” Apple Bloom cheered, clopping her hooves together
“Thank you! Thank you!” the blond-haired pegasus pony said, tossing her mane once more for her loving fan.
Please… that was the corniest thing I’ve ever heard! Twilight said to herself, restraining another eyeroll. “So what’s this have to do with ‘the chaos ensuing’ at the post office?”
“Post office?” The mailmare repeated like she’d never heard such a thing.
“Yes! You said you were going to tell us what was going on at the post office!” Twilight reminded her in an increasingly exasperated tone.
“Oh! Oh-right-right!” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy said, belatedly recalling what she had told them. “You see, it DOES have to do with the code.”
“That nice poem ya told us?” Apple Bloom said.
That wasn’t a poem! It didn’t even rhyme! Twilight protested to herself, but didn’t say it out loud
“Yes, the latter part of it: ‘All packages must reach their destination’,” The grey pegasus mare quoted again.
“Oh! So somethin’ didn’t reach its destination?” Apple Bloom guessed.
The mailmare nodded sharply. “Indeed! We’ve had incidents in the past where packages have been delivered to the wrong ponies…” she claimed.
“Gee, I wonder who’s responsible for that…” Twilight deadpanned, but her sarcasm was lost on the blond-maned mare.
“Not a clue. We usually get those problems sorted out fast though,” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy stated. “But this was a shipment imported to Ponyville from overseas.”
“What was the shipment?” the violet unicorn asked.
“I can’t tell you that!” The mailmare snapped, squinting her eyes and raising a forehoof in a halting gesture. “It’s top secret! A local pony wanted to import it here and boy was she mad when she didn’t get it today!”
“What do you mean? Who was this pony?” Twilight asked curiously.
The mailmare crossed her forelegs over her chest and shook her head. “It’s~”
“’Top secret’! we know!” Apple Bloom and Twilight finished her sentence in unison.
“See! You’re learning!” The mailmare smiled. “I can tell you, though. I heard she was down at the post office yelling and screaming up a storm about it. She was causing quite a scene today.”
“So this was all happening during the trial, I guess?” Twilight speculated, half-thanking it sounded like something Rarity would do and abruptly wondering why the fashionista pony hadn’t been at the trial. Come to think of it… only Applejack showed up! she realized, a little disgusted with Pinkie Pie and Rarity for not being there. They better have a HAY of a good excuse…
Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t witness it because I was at the trial myself, but my fellow mail carriers told me all about it,” the mailmare sighed. “In the end she didn’t get her package and she was furious. I heard my boss was cursing about the ’Griffon Express’ not delivering the package to us.”
“Griffon Express?” Twilight repeated, her violet brow furrowing.
The mailmare sighed once more as if she was being forced to explain something that was self-evident. “That’s the company that ships overseas and stuff, y’know from ‘The Griffon Kingdom’—that place far up north of Ponyville?”
“I KNOW where it is!” Twilight said, annoyed at being spoken down to. “What I mean is, why didn’t the Griffon Express deliver this package?” she clarified.
The odd grey mare gave her a cockeyed look—no mean feat since she was already that way to begin with. “How the hay should I know? I told you I’m but a lowly mail carrier. I only deliver stuff around Ponyville,” she huffed.
And despite the small population, you still manage to mess it up! Twilight didn’t say out loud.
“All I know is… the Griffon Express didn’t show up when they were supposed to.”
“When was it they were supposed to deliver the package?” Twilight asked further.
“Let me take a gander at my handy-dandy schedule.” The mailmare grabbed something else out of her mail carrier saddlebag and read it, first with one eye, then the other. “Hmm. Two days ago, it was supposed to reach Ponyville mail sorting at 10:00 PM sharp, then delivered at 9:30 AM today,” she noted as she scanned the schedule, alternating which eye she was using to read.
“The time it was supposed to be at Ponyville! That’s near the time of the murder!” Twilight noted, the odd coincidence ringing a loud bell in her head. It’s NOT a coincidence! she was strangely certain, suddenly wanting to find the thing that fell in the woods more than ever.
“Hey! You’re right,” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy agreed, putting on a thoughtful expression—or as close as she could manage.
“Ditzy Doo, can I borrow that schedule? Maybe I can use it in court tomorrow when defending Rainbow Dash.” Twilight asked politely.
The mailmare sighed again, starting to sound annoyed. “Say it with me~ “Der…py… Hooves!” It’s not that hard to remember! It’s only three syllables, eleven letters, two words. I do my best to remember all the names of the ponies in Ponyville. You should do the same, Twilight Sparkle!” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy said in a saddened tone.
What is this wonky Pegasus’s problem?! Twilight was ready to scream, unable to understand how the mailmare’s mind worked. Hey, I know! “So… I’m confused… is your name Derpy Hooves or Ditzy Doo?” Twilight asked boldly.
The violet unicorn grinned in satisfaction when the blonde-maned pony didn’t answer, falling silent and seemingly looking down at her hooves in confusion. Ha! I got her! She can’t answer it! Twilight grinned to herself, thinking that she trapped the mailmare in her own game. But then…
The googly-eyed grey pegasus mare started to tear up. “Now you really hurt my feelings. Why are you calling me harsh names like that? My name is ‘Bright Eyes’,” she sniffled as she sat down on her haunches, staring at Twilight with a pained look on her face. “You’re just like every other pony! Making fun of my eyes! I can’t help it if I was born with them!” she began to cry.
“Twilight… how could you say such a thing?” Apple Bloom asked, looking in sympathy at the hurt mailmare as she sobbed in front of them.
Twilight almost bit her tongue at that. “Wh-what?! I’m not making fun of her. She just keeps changing her name on a whim!” she protested.
But as quickly as Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy Bright Eyes started to cry, she stopped, the mailmare perking up like nothing had happened. “I would love to give you my schedule as evidence though!”
“Huh?” Twilight tilted her head in confusion at the sudden change of attitude, thinking the mailmare could give Cruise Control a run for mood swings and unexpected outbursts.
Oblivious to the violet unicorn’s thoughts, Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy Bright Eyes went on. “Court dramas, I adore them! The suspense! The tension! The judge is about to lay down the guilty verdict… then out of nowhere, when all hope seems lost, the purple-horned attorney uses Bright Eyes’ valuable turnabout schedule!” she monologued, lost in her own imagination. “The courtroom gasps in disbelief. ‘My gosh, Bright Eyes is amazing!’ chirps one pony. ‘She can deliver the mail any day!’ a hunky stallion says while holding a rose in his mouth! The unbelievable becomes believable, lies become truths, truths become lies!” The mailmare reared up in excitement as she completed reciting her made-up legal thriller.
Way to ham it up! Twilight thought to herself, rolling her eyes again. And who would ever title something ‘turnabout’, anyway…?
“Besides… I have an extra one anyway,” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy Bright Eyes added as she passed the piece of parchment to Twilight with her mouth
Mail Schedule:A shipment from the Griffon Express. Never showed up two days ago at 10 PM.
Twilight rolled it up and slipped it into her saddlebag.
“Thank you Ms. Bri~ uh… Ms. Mailmare!” Apple Bloom said, catching herself in time, not wanting to further hurt the pegasus pony's feelings.
“Aww, no problem little filly!” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy Bright Eyes said cheerfully, giving the young earth pony’s mane an affectionate fluff with her hoof.
I see Apple Bloom caught on… Twilight thought in silent praise, thinking the young filly was certainly getting her quota of mane ruffles that day. Guess cuteness still counts for something in this world…
“Here! I have a surprise for you!” The mailmare shot up in excitement, addressing Apple Bloom.
“I like surprises!” the farm filly said eagerly as the mailmare took something else out of her bag.
“Here you are! A nice scrumptious muffin!” the skew-eyed pegasus announced, presenting Apple Bloom with an envelope.
The farm filly frowned at that. “Uh… but this is~”
“No need to thank me. Enjoy!” The mailmare said smilingly, sticking the envelope in a confused Apple Bloom’s mouth.
“But Bright Eyes, that’s not a~” Twilight began, only to have her words interrupted by the mailmare’s angry snort.
“Okay that’s it!” Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy Bright Eyes cut the violet unicorn off in irritation. “You obviously aren’t too bright if you can’t remember my name!” She stomped her hoof angrily, flaring her wings as she prepared to take off. “I’ve gotta go now! You’re holding up Ponyville’s mail!” she berated Twilight.
“But~”
“No buts! I don’t feel like speaking with you anymore. You can’t even remember my name after I told you like a million times! Good! And! Bye!” With that, Derpy Ditzy Derpy Ditzy Derpy Bright Eyes (?) stormed off, flying nearly out of sight before turning back to give them a friendly wave… just before hitting a tree.
I was right all along… Ponies in this town really ARE crazy! Twilight decided, feeling the remembered impact of the giant anvil on her head again before turning back to Apple Bloom. “So who’s it for?” she asked as Apple Bloom took the little white envelope out of her mouth and held it in a hoof, staring at it.
“It’s for… somepony named ‘Lenora’.” Apple Bloom read the address.
“Lenora?” Twilight tried to recall a pony by that name, to no avail. “I don’t know anypony goes by that name… but it sounds somehow familiar…” she looked at the muffin she was holding and then back at Apple Bloom. “I guess this muffin belongs to you… let’s trade,” the violet unicorn offered, passing Apple Bloom the muffin with her magic—she could manage that much, at least—while Apple Bloom gave the letter to Twilight.
As Apple Bloom began to eat the muffin, Twilight read the address written on the back of the envelope. “It says this ‘Lenora’ is at town hall.” Upon further inspection, Twilight saw something surprising. Wait a minute… this has the Canterlot royal seal on it. Did the Princess send this? she suddenly wondered.
“Well, if we know where she is, why don’t we go deliver it to her then?” The little filly suggested as she finished off the nice scrumptious muffin, but Twilight thought otherwise.
“Apple Bloom, I really don’t think we have time to do that. We need to get to the forest to find that thing you saw fall and we can’t keep getting distracted like this.” Twilight said impatiently, getting sick of being sidetracked so often. First by phantom chains, then by Trixie, then by a bucking stick in stream, now this… what’s next; I have to go rescue a proverbial stallion in distress from the clutches of an evil sorceress and her unwilling male minion? she thought derisively—doubly so when her mind immediately dredged up the idea of the ‘stallion’ being Phoenix and ran with it… imagining him menaced by sorceress-summoned monsters and her showing up to save the day, the human lawyer so grateful for her rescue that he swept her close and…
Her eyes glazed, her cheeks flushed and her aura would have gone pink again if she’d had more power. Oh, COME ON! she berated herself angrily, vowing to lay off the romance novels Rarity had been sharing with her.
“But what if it’s important?” a downcast Apple Bloom worried, not seeing Twilight’s cheeks flush, the young filly afraid that the letter wouldn’t get to its rightful owner.
That made Twilight think again. “Well, I guess it does have the royal seal on it…” she admitted, thinking that if it was official correspondence from the Princesses, then it might well be as important as Apple Bloom suggested it was. “Okay, fine,” she gave in, but swore to herself there would be no further distractions afterwards. And no more fantasizing about Phoenix either!
“Yay! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER LETTER DELIVERER!” Apple Bloom shouted loudly, making the nearby Lyra and Bon Bon look over at the two.
“I thought it was private investigator?” Twilight teased, wincing again at her volume while glancing over and offering Lyra and Bon Bon a silly what-can-I-do smile. She saw the two giggle in return; Lyra looked like she wanted to come over and talk, but Bon Bon said something that stopped her. She probably wants to know more about Phoenix, Twilight knew, but the violet unicorn had neither the time nor inclination to indulge her. “Anyway… Town Hall is just over there, so let’s go over and find this Lenora,” she instructed, vowing to be in and out as quickly as possible.
“Okay!” Apple Bloom smiled as they headed down the street towards Town hall…
Knowing that they were getting sidetracked again, Twilight just hoped that the letter truly was important, or she might be just wasting time on something trivial instead of investigating. I'm really eager to find whatever Apple Bloom heard fall in the forest, she thought to herself. Just hope it's worth it after all this...
Only time would tell the outcome of the whole fiasco…
June 10th, 2:15 PM
Twilight and Apple Bloom arrived at Town Hall shortly after leaving the park, stopping only briefly at her library home to check with Spike to see if Phoenix was there.
Told he was not, Twilight was relieved she didn’t have to speak with him yet but also starting to worry, wondering where he was and what trouble he might be getting into given his demonstrated ignorance of Equestria. Whatever he’s doing, I just hope somepony is keeping an eye on him… she thought, allowing herself a moment of concern for the human lawyer as she and Apple Bloom entered the seat of Ponyville government.
Looking around, the violet unicorn couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu, thinking back to the events that had happened the first time she had stepped inside those walls… Kind of funny, but I haven’t actually been in here since Nightmare Moon attacked. I wonder why we don’t hold more events in this place? she wondered as she cast her gaze about the spacious and well-lit grand hall, noting several seasonal banners hanging from the ceiling… and a stepladder that seemed almost randomly placed in the middle of the floor.
“Heeeeeellllloooooo!!! Lenora!!!! We have a letter for youuuu!” Apple Bloom bellowed, her voice echoing throughout the cavernous interior.
“Apple Bloom!” Twilight quickly shushed the young filly with a hoof over her mouth. “This is Town Hall; you’re supposed to be quiet!”
“Oh! Sorry,” Apple Bloom cringed, realizing her mistake when she saw other ponies glaring at her.
“We should probably ask the mayor where this ‘Lenora’ is…” Twilight told her. Always better to seek help to find someone than to wander aimlessly trying find them yourself, right?
As the two began to head for the mayor’s office, Apple Bloom noticed something. “Hey, Twi! Look! A ladder!” she said, pointing to the one Twilight had seen earlier.
“That’s a stepladder…” Twilight immediately corrected her, noting the folding design and A-frame. Why don’t ponies ever know the difference between the two…?
“So? What’s it matter? Ya need to stop judgin’ things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions, Twi! What if we missed a big clue because we were too absorbed in small semantic distinctions like that?” Apple Bloom asked out of nowhere… making Twilight drop her jaw in surprise.
Wha…? Where did she learn all those big words? “Uh… I’m less concerned with what it’s called and more concerned with why it’s just sitting in the middle of the room like that,” Twilight countered, seeing no possible purpose for it being there.
“Wrestlers use ladders like that one all th’ time,” the filly noted, remembering a recent FTW [Federated Tour Wrestling] ‘Rumble Royale’ circuit event she, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had snuck into on the outskirts of Ponyville several weeks earlier… wondering again who was the big masked russet-colored stallion with the green leotard who said very little but clobbered everypony who challenged him in the ring. Simply calling himself “Big Red,” both he and his signature “Cider Press” and “Hayseed Haymaker” moves had quickly become fan favorites… and the CMC had promptly spent the next several days after school trying to copy them.
Twilight gave a slight sigh, rubbing her head in exasperation. “Don’t tell me you actually watch that garbage, Apple Bloom. It’s all staged and fake!” the violet unicorn pronounced.
The comment stopped Apple Bloom in her tracks. “HEY! Don’t call wrestling garbage! And so what if it’s fake? Most of th’ books YOU read are fake!” the farm filly retorted with a stomp of her hoof, sounding genuinely offended.
Twilight took offense herself to that statement, stopping and turning back to face the young earth pony. “There’s a big difference between reading a well-written and engrossing work of fiction and watching two ponies barbarically beat each other senseless with a stepladder!” the violet unicorn insisted while Apple Bloom just rolled her eyes and snorted… before suddenly getting a very knowing and evil grin.
“A ‘big difference’, huh? Is that why ya been readin’ all those mushy ro-mance novels Sweetie Belle says Rarity gave ya then?” she challenged, giving the unicorn mare a mocking look.
Twilight’s eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed hard at that, suddenly and somewhat frantically wondering how Sweetie Belle had found out and who else she might have told… “That’s… just for my friendship research,” she stammered out.
Apple Bloom’s grin got even more lopsided. “’Friendship research’, huh? Sure it ain’t ‘cause they’re ‘well-written’ and ‘in-grossing’?” the farm filly all but taunted, making kissy sounds and causing Twilight to flush even harder.
“Finally! I have been waiting here forever,” a female voice said from behind them, ending the conversation to Twilight's great relief.
Startled, the violet unicorn turned around and her jaw dropped, her embarrassment instantly forgotten as she beheld the exotic creature in front of her. The newcomer wasn’t much bigger than an average pony but could never be mistaken for one, given her massive brown-feathered wings and large eagle-like head and beak, the former covered with white feathers and capped with an oddly-adorned red headband. Her upper torso and the talons at the end of her forelegs were avian but her hindquarters looked like they belonged to a lion, brown fur covering powerful, muscular haunches and large feline paws, all complemented by long tufted tail trailing behind her.
Ohmygosh! A GRIFFIN!!! Twilight realized as she gawked at the creature in front of her.
“So, where’s the Princess at? Are you two her messengers or something?” The blue-eyed griffin female asked curiously, looking back and forth between them.
Despite her predatory appearance—griffins were hunters and meat-eaters, which was an occasional point of contention and mistrust with the herbivorous pony races—Apple Bloom stepped closer for a better look, her orange eyes wide. “First a human, and now a griffin? Ahm seeing a lot of new creatures Ah ain’t nevah seen before today!” the young earth pony said in amazement.
The griffin looked down at Apple Bloom and smiled warmly, the corners of her beak turning upwards. “Can’t say I know what a ‘human’ is, but I’m glad to see I don’t frighten you like some other foals I’ve seen,” she said, rewarding the young filly’s curiosity with an affectionate scratch behind the ears. Apple Bloom’s smiled and closed her eyes in enjoyment, the young earth pony pushing her head up into the griffin’s finger-like talons. “You… okay?” The eagle-headed creature asked Twilight, who was still staring at her open-mouthed.
“Oh! S-sorry, yes. I-I’m just a little bit shocked. griffins come in and out Ponyville shipping stuff sometimes, but I’ve never had the experience of speaking to one,” she explained, only to remember… okay, except for that one time… she conceded, though she’d done her best to forget the visit of Gilda, Rainbow Dash’s ex-flight school classmate and now-former griffin friend.
“Shipping? You mean the ‘Griffin Express’? Funny you should mention that, since I work for them!” The griffin drew herself up proudly, closing her eyes and scratching her chest with her talons.
“You work for the Griffin Express?” Twilight asked in surprise, remembering what Derpy/Ditzy/Bright Eyes had said about them losing a package around the time of the murder.
“Yup, but I’m on sort of a vacation right now. My name is Lenora,” the griffin female introduced herself, offering her forefoot in greeting to the two ponies in front of her, holding her paw level but curling her talons inwards so as not to appear threatening.
Twilight politely bumped her closed talons with her hoof; she’d heard somewhere that griffins normally greeted each other with a mutual clasp of the foreleg but modified the gesture for dealing with ponies, which had no talons with which to clasp or defend themselves with. “I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is Apple Bloom,” she introduced back.
The griffin gave them both a nod of acknowledgment. “Very pleased to meet you Twilight Sparkler and Apple Bloom,” Lenora said in response, sitting back on her haunches.
“It’s… um… Twilight ’Sparkle’…” the violet unicorn corrected, making Lenora stare at her in silence for a bit. “Hey!” Twilight abruptly remembered something, taking out the pamphlet that The Judge gave her earlier and opening it. Her eyes scanned the race roster again, stopping at contestant #4… “I knew I’d seen your name before! You’re on this program for the Equestrian 500!” Twilight realized.
Lenora grinned at that, flaring her large wings and sketching a small bow. “You didn’t think it would be all ponies flying in that race, did you?” she asked with an almost-coy grin.
“Actually, I did. I don’t usually pay attention to the race,” the violet unicorn admitted.
Lenora chuckled at that. “You and your little pony pals may be faster and more nimble, but us griffins have much stronger wings and a lot more stamina,” she boasted a bit… unlike somepony who boasts a lot, Twilight made the distinction in her mind between the griffin female and a pony like Trixie. “It’s why we’re the only ones who can ship items overseas.”
Twilight shrugged. “I never said I was faster. I don’t even really care either,” the violet unicorn responded, pointing with a hoof to her head. “Did you not notice the horn protruding from my forehead? Or my lack of wings?” she pointed out somewhat dryly. What does she think I am, an Alicorn…?
Lenora gave her a reproachful look. “Well you should! It’s a gathering of Equestria’s best aerial athletes! You don’t have to be a pegasus to show a little patriotism, Twilight Sparkler,” Lenora scolded her, once again saying Twilight’s name wrong.
The violet unicorn let it go, not wanting to get into another argument over names so soon after dealing with Derpy/Ditzy/Bright Eyes. “I’m too busy to be concerned about the race anyway. I’m a lawyer!” Twilight announced, drawing herself up a little straighter.
“You’re a lawyer?” Lenora repeated, giving the violet unicorn a leery look.
“Yeah,” Twilight confirmed.
There was a period of silence as the violet unicorn and griffin female exchanged stares… the awkwardness finally broken by Twilight. “What's the matter?” she finally asked.
Lenora blinked and looked away. “Oh… sorry. I just had the strange feeling you were going to obnoxiously flash something in my face to prove it,” the griffin female explained, thankful she didn’t have to witness something like that.
Twilight’s cheeks warmed again. Actually, I WAS going to do that, but then I remembered I don’t have a badge yet… she admitted to herself somewhat sheepishly, belatedly remembering that the badge was that horrid heart-shaped trinket Phoenix hadn’t looked too pleased to wear.
“So if you’re a lawyer… I’m betting you’re defending that newbie racer who killed a pony the other day?” Lenora speculated.
Twilight’s mane would have started smoking again if she had more power. “She happens to be my friend, and she didn’t do it!” the violet unicorn responded in anger, causing the griffin to glare at her for a moment.
“Jeez, chill! I’m only going off what I heard,” Lenora said, letting some annoyance seep into her own voice… making Twilight bite her tongue on her sudden outburst.
“Uh, sorry…” the violet unicorn gulped, realizing that between her encounter with Trixie, conflicted feelings for Phoenix, and fear for the fate of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, her mind was still in some turmoil. “I apologize, it’s just… it’s my friend on trial, and I’m trying to defend her,” she explained, relieved when Lenora gave an understanding nod. With that, Twilight remembered why they were at Town Hall in the first place. “Anyway, the reason we wanted to speak to you was about this…” Twilight went for her saddlebag, shrugging it off her back so she could look through the pocket manually—she didn’t trust her magic to lift anything bigger than her quill or a piece of parchment at that moment.
“Yeah! We’ve got a letter for you!” Apple Bloom announced, jumping up in excitement.
Lenora perked up and smiled. “Really? Thanks! Though you two don’t exactly look like mail carriers,” she noted.
“We’re not—the local mailmare accidentally gave us a letter posted to you,” Twilight explained, wondering how any mail got delivered properly with Derpy/Ditzy/Bright Eyes around.
Lenora closed her eyes, tsk-tsking as she gave them another smug look. “The ‘G-E’ would never make a mistake like that. We’re proud and reliable! We’ve even got a poem we recite at the beginning of each day. Please allow me~” Lenora said, standing up straighter and clearing her throat.
NO! Not another half-baked mail carrier poem! Twilight begged mentally, to no avail… expecting something even worse than the last as Lenora began.
Jumping into action whenever duty sings.
The Griffin Express will greet you with a smile when your doorbell rings...”
Lenora stood up tall and gave what almost looked like a salute as she finished, standing at attention and holding a paw horizontally over her broad feathered chest.
“Wow, that was even better than th’ last one!” Apple Bloom clopped her hooves with glee upon hearing such a masterpiece. “Ah think Ah need to make a poem for the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” she added, yellow brow furrowing as she started to think of what their poem might sound like.
Twilight relaxed a bit as she finally pulled the sealed message free of her saddlebag. It was still pretty bad, but at least this one actually rhymed… she admitted, reluctantly conceding that it wasn’t too shabby… “Here’s your letter, Lenora…” Twilight passed the letter to Lenora with her still-weak magic, the griffin female gladly accepting it.
“Thank you,” Lenora acknowledged as she broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment… “Let’s see here… ‘Sorry, but the princess is in another castle.’ Huh?” the griffin female tilted her head in confusion.
“Wait… ‘The Princess’? As in Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked suddenly.
Lenora didn’t answer immediately, looking deep in thought as she pondered the message’s meaning. “Hmmmm… hmmmm~ OOooohhh!! Oh well,” she shrugged at length.
“Huh?” Twilight waited expectantly.
“Oh… well you see, there’s a bit of a dispute over the race route this year—the griffin leadership doesn’t want the course going through our territory,” Lenora explained. “I personally don’t mind because I’m flying in the race anyway.”
“I see… but what’s this have to do with Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked further, sitting down on her haunches.
“As the sole griffin entrant in the race, I was to meet her to negotiate a compromise. Her schedule was uncertain, so I’ve been waiting here in Ponyville for the past three days. Your Princess was kind enough to let me stay at Town Hall, though I think I make the mayor and some of the other ponies nervous,” Lenora chuckled a bit.
Twilight frowned a little at that, wishing more ponies would look past superficial appearances and diet—as far as she could tell, the griffin was very friendly and personable. I wonder if everypony’s avoiding Lenora because they remember how obnoxious and bullying Gilda was so they assume Lenora’s the same way? “So technically that would make you some sort of ambassador…” Twilight suggested.
Visibly surprised by the suggestion, Lenora considered it and nodded. “Never thought of it that way… but I guess I am. The Griffin Kingdom may be part of Equestria, but it runs under a completely different government,” she noted, causing Twilight to remember some reports of recent tensions between the kingdoms, centered mostly on various trade disputes—for as much as she enjoyed research and studying, geopolitical intrigue had always been a topic she avoided, seeing how little Princess Celestia enjoyed dealing with it.
“So, what does th' letter say?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, looking over the letter she gave to her earlier.
Lenora read further before answering. “Apparently, the princess is in Germaney in some other political meeting so she can’t come here right now. However… she completely re-routed the race. It goes around the griffin Kingdom, so… I guess that means I’m a free bird,” Lenora said with a smile as she folded the letter, stowing it in her satchel.
“I take it you’re going to practice for the race, then?” Twilight asked as Lenora started to stretch out, flaring her large wings filled with oversized brown feathers… leaving the violet unicorn wondering why the sight of them seemed to be tugging at her memory.
The griffin nodded. “Probably. To be perfectly frank, I’ve been going stir-crazy being cooped up in here so long and I could use the exercise. I have been competing in the Equestrian 500 for four years now, you know,” she said, making some flapping motions, briefly hovering off the floor before alighting again.
“Are ya any good?” Apple Bloom wanted to know.
Lenora beamed at that. “Of course! I got second place last year,” she announced proudly, giving the young filly another quick scratch behind the ears.
“Not bad! I’m guessing Ace Swift came in first?” Twilight guessed, but at the late pegasus’ mention, Lenora’s expression turned from a pleasant smile… to a brooding and bitter frown.
“Can we NOT talk about him please?” the griffin female requested, a sudden edge to her voice, blue eyes glinting with anger.
Her change in demeanor was not lost on Twilight. Is it just me or do not many ponies—or griffins—like Ace? Twilight asked herself, sensing she shouldn’t have said Ace’s name in front of her. “It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to,” the violet unicorn quickly backed off… but then thought of another pony she had met recently. Hmm… they’re both racers. So maybe she knows something about him?
“Lenora… what can you tell me about this other pony in the race named ‘Cruise Control’?” she asked.
To her surprise. Lenora’s ears and mood perked up instantly at his mention. “Cruise Control? He’s here?” she said in some surprise, the timbre of her voice almost approaching excitement. “Oh, I’ll gladly talk about him!” the griffin smiled like she was being invited to reminisce about an old friend.
Though she thought the griffin female’s reaction was a little odd, Twilight let it go. “Great! What can you tell me about him?” she asked as she took back out her quill, ink and a fresh sheet of parchment, holding them at the ready to take notes. She found it nearly impossible to keep it all floating at once in her low-power state, so she laid the ink and parchment on the tiled floor and concentrated her remaining magical energy on the quill.
Lenora gave the arrangement a confused look, but didn’t ask. “I know a lot about the other racers. I’ve competed against just about all of them before. But Cruise…”—she paused, her blue eyes going almost misty for a moment—“he has a pretty depressing story,” Lenora said, shaking her head sadly.
“I don’t think ‘depressing’ is the right word,” Twilight corrected. “I think ‘off his rocker’ is what you’re looking for,” she suggested, vividly remembering the young stallion’s constant ranting and raving.
“Oh. That…” Lenora sighed and rolled her blue eyes, sitting back down on her haunches, her head low. “That’s all just a façade. I suppose he thought is he was to become a loser, he might as well act like one,” she shook her head in disappointment.
Twilight was surprised. “Wait… you’re saying that whole awkward personality is just an act?” she asked the griffin female, wondering if Cruise was faking a dual personality as an escape or an excuse… and either way, from what?
Lenora nodded almost grimly. “Yes. Don’t let that routine of his fool you. He’s actually good—really good! I can personally vouch for that,” she said almost wistfully, her eyes going distant for a moment. “He’s a very gifted flyer who did exceptionally well on the Manehattan racing circuit—even the Wonderbolts were interested in him once,” she remembered, causing Twilight and Apple Bloom to gape in surprise; the violet unicorn especially having a hard time seeing him as Wonderbolts material given his frequent self-berating outbursts, feigned or no.
“Ya mean he tried out for the ‘Bolts but didn’t make it?” Apple Bloom asked, but Lenora shook her head.
“I mean he didn’t try out for them at all,” the griffin corrected the young filly, a sly smile on her beaked face. “They recruited him, but he turned them down flat because he just wanted to race and didn’t want to be away from~” she cut her own sentence off abruptly, as if catching herself from saying something she shouldn’t.
Twilight caught her hesitation, certain the griffin she was holding something back. “Away from what?” she prompted as she finished writing a note.
“Nothing, sorry,” Lenora shook her head and looked away, at which point Twilight’s vision went dark again and a few chains materialized in front of the griffin female, guarded by a single red lock.
Twilight looked at it in frustration. Okay, I’ve GOT to find out what these things are! She knew, realizing she increasingly had no choice but to find and talk to Phoenix again, regardless of whether she felt ready to or not.
Lacking answers about the locks, Twilight moved on. “So if he’s so good… why does he do so badly in the Equestrian 500?” the violet unicorn asked, her quill starting a new line. “He says he comes in dead last every time…” she added, remembering what Cruise had said to her about his endless losses in the race.
Lenora turned downcast again, the locks disappearing with the change of subject. “He’s been acting like that ever since the accident his sister had,” she said.
“His… sister?” Twilight repeated, her quill going motionless.
“Yeah, he has a little sister… a bit older than that filly with you,” the griffin female said, nodding over at Apple Bloom, who was sitting back on her haunches listening.
“What happened to her?” the violet unicorn held her breath.
Lenora hesitated for a moment as she glanced at Apple Bloom, looking like she wasn’t sure she should tell the story with the young earth pony present. “She was pushing her limits, flying at a dangerously high altitude near Cloudsdale. But she was too young and her wings weren’t strong enough so… well, she fell,” the griffin said sadly, choosing her words with care.
“Is she alright?” Twilight asked, now wearing a concerned look on her face.
The griffin female tried to phrase her response so that only Twilight would understand. “She’s in a deep coma in the extensive care unit. No one knows when she’ll wake up,” she said carefully, making the violet unicorn understand why she was reluctant to say more in Apple Bloom’s presence.
“That’s terrible…” Twilight said, suddenly feeling deep sympathy for Cruise Control as she came to understand his awful plight.
“After her fall, Cruise took her to a hospital in Canterlot. I’ve heard it’s the best one there is,” Lenora noted.
Twilight was caught short again. “Wait a minute… I used to live in Canterlot and you’re right—it IS the best hospital in Equestria. But… it’s only open to nobles and Canterlot citizens and he said he’s from Manehattan. So… how did he get her in there?” Twilight wondered aloud.
Lenora’s expression turned almost angry again, a frown creasing her beak. “I have a good idea how he pulled that off…” she said under her breath but didn’t elaborate, and something in her blue eyes warned the violet unicorn not to ask. “Like you said, that hospital’s medical practice is the best in Equestria and if she’s transferred to a lower class facility…” she paused for a moment, glancing at Apple Bloom again. “You probably know what’ll happen…” she said meaningfully, locking her eyes with Twilight.
The violet unicorn went silent at that, understanding what the griffin female was saying only too well.
Lenora went downcast again. “Cruise and I used to be… very good friends, but he’s grown quite distant since the accident,” she noted sadly; when she turned away for a moment; the violet unicorn thought she saw a glistening in the griffin’s blue eyes.
Twilight hesitated, but decided she had to ask. “Lenora… I think Cruise Control may have some information that can help my investigation,” Twilight said to her. “My friend’s on trial for murder, and her fate may depend on what he knows. Do you know how I can get him to talk to me?” Twilight beseeched the griffin female.
Lenora sighed and shook her head. “Like I said, he’s become pretty distant from me. I wish I could help you, Twilight Sparkler.”
“Sparkle…” Twilight corrected reflexively, which only made Lenora sigh again. Her expression turning thoughtful for a moment, the griffin female went for the small satchel she wore on her left flank.
“Here. I can offer you this, at least,” Lenora began, rummaging through her satchel’s contents before plucking out a single photograph with her talons, starting at it almost mournfully for a moment. “I don’t know how much help it will be, but… this is a picture of him and his sister that he gave me some years back,” she announced, passing the violet unicorn a small photo of two ponies, one of whom was a younger, happier-looking Cruise Control.
Sibling PortraitA picture of Cruise Control with his sister, who is currently a comatose patient at Canterlot Hospital
Twilight accepted it gladly, vowing to repay the griffin for her kindness another day. Guess Gilda wasn’t so representative of griffins after all! “You think this will get him to talk to me?” Twilight asked.
Lenora’s answer was carefully noncommittal, not wanting to make promises she couldn’t keep. “I really don’t know, but… it’s worth a shot, right?” Lenora smiled wanly, hoping that she had helped a bit.
“I guess so…” Twilight nodded, deciding it was better than nothing… long shot or no, I’ve got to take every opportunity and chance I’m given…
“I hope you manage to help your friend,” Lenora said solemnly, offering the violet unicorn a parting bump of her talons.
“Thank you,” Twilight nodded her head, returning the gesture with a grateful smile. “I’ll get this picture back to you if I can.”
“Thanks, Twilight Sparkler,” Lenora smiled back, then looked longingly out the large back window. “Since I don’t have to stay in Town Hall any longer, I think I’m going to mingle around the starting line and take a few aerial laps around Ponyville once the shower has cleared. If you need to find me, I’ll be bunking at the Hay and Stay with the rest of the race participants from here on out. Come by and tell me how your conversation with Cruise goes, if you can…?” she asked, turning towards the door.
“Will do, goodbye!” Twilight waved at her, lost in thought as she watched the griffin female head for the exit. She was a bit shady on the details and I know there’s at least one thing she’s hiding from me… but I think I’m beginning to understand what’s going on here… she nodded to herself. Turning to Apple Bloom, she noticed the farm filly looking sad about something, seemingly blinking back tears.
“What’s wrong, Apple Bloom?” she asked, hoping the young earth pony hadn’t understood too much of the conversation about Cruise Control’s sister.
Apple Bloom looked at her, then back down. “Oh… it’s just… Ah couldn’t imagine if Applejack was in the hospital like Mister Cruise’s sister…” she sniffled, saddened by that thought alone.
“I know…” Twilight nodded, pulling the young filly close and hugging her tightly. “It makes you appreciate the things you have now. You never realize how important somepony is to you until they’re gone…” the violet unicorn trailed off, tears welling in her own eyes as she contemplated the possible loss of Rainbow Dash… or Phoenix, not understanding why she was getting an increasingly uneasy feeling about the safety of the human lawyer.
She shook it off, telling herself it was just her imagination, though more and more she was realizing that she was going to have to talk to him sooner rather than later. “Hey, let’s try to cheer up. I'm not going to prove Rainbow Dash innocent and you’re not going to get your private investigator cutie mark sitting around feeling sad,” Twilight said, tilting the young filly’s chin up.
Apple Bloom perked up at that. “You’re right, Twi!” She said, orange eyes looking up at Twilight’s purple ones in renewed determination.
“That’s my little pony!” Twilight grinned, ruffling the filly’s red mane. “Alright! No more delays. Let’s go to the forest, for real this time…” Twilight proclaimed as they started to walk out of the Town Hall.
“Alright!!” Apple Bloom said in delight, falling in beside Twilight as they left for the forest together…
With her first investigation starting to make headway and seemingly going well, Twilight hoped to find more clues in the forest—namely the ‘thing’ that Apple Bloom heard fall from the sky.
With her will to seek out the truth and save her friends, would she find the decisive evidence she needed? Or would she find something… unexpected instead?
June 10th, 2:45 PM
It was only mid-afternoon, yet already the path through the Everfree Forest was growing steadily darker as the sun moved off its zenith, disappearing behind the high canopy of trees as the two ponies delved deeper into the woods.
Now well off the relative safety of the path, Apple Bloom looked around a particular area she dimly remembered from the previous night while Twilight kept watch, fearful of encountering everything from manticores to timberwolves and uncertain if she could defend herself and Apple Bloom if one should appear. Applejack had once told her the beasts of the Everfree didn’t usually come that close to the edge of the woods outside of zap apple season, but… there’s a first time for everything, the violet unicorn worried as she watched Apple Bloom continue her as-yet fruitless search.
“I think it was over here…” the farm filly said uncertainly while looking at a nearby bush, but then… “No, wait! It’s over here…” she tried a different hedge, making Twilight wonder if the search was worth it… or just a further waste of time.
She’s been dragging me around this forest for twenty-five minutes… the violet unicorn thought with a groan, getting more irritated and anxious the longer the wait dragged on.
After several more minutes of walking around and inspecting seemingly random bushes—and at least one close call with a hidden thicket of Poison Joke—Apple Bloom stopped near a large tree. “Ah! It was right here! I remember now!” she claimed.
“This is where you saw that thing fall from the sky?” Twilight asked skeptically, wanting to make sure the young earth pony wasn’t mistaken this time around—she’d already made that claim two or three times already!
“Yeah! Ah’m sure it was somewhere around here,” Apple Bloom insisted, though she didn’t sound entirely certain.
“I hope this is worth it…” Twilight muttered under her breath as she began to help the farm filly search.
“Alright! Ah think it fell somewhere around this here bush!” With that, Apple Bloom dove into the underbrush, rustling the leaves as she went.
“Apple Bloom! Don’t go off by yourself!” Twilight called out, but the young earth pony had already disappeared into the bushes… and soon the rustling stopped. “Apple Bloom?” the violet unicorn began to worry. “Oh great~! APPLE BLOOM!” she called out frantically, but there was still no answer. Twilight was about to plunge in after her but…
“I FOUND IT!!!” Apple Bloom leaped out of the bushes with a triumphant yell, causing the older mare to rear up in fright.
“AHHH! Don’t scare me like that!” Twilight scolded, startled by the farm filly’s sudden reappearance and loud shout.
“Sorry~” Apple Bloom cringed, dropping the object she’d been holding in her mouth at her hooves.
I’m never having foals… Twilight decided, certain they'd be the death of her if she did.
Apple Bloom showed Twilight what she found, motioning to the floppy brown leather object with her hoof as it lay on the ground between them. “Here’s that thing I saw fall from the sky, Twi!”
Twilight looked at it curiously. “It seems like some sort of bag… or satchel…” she deduced, seeing it was a pouch sealed with a single thick strap, poking at a bulge and feeling something solid within. “Hey… didn’t Lenora have a bag like this?” she flashed back to the griffin female at Town Hall, remembering her taking the photograph of Cruise and his sister out of a very similar satchel strapped to her flank.
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “Oh, yer right! And Ah could tell there was somethin’ inside this when Ah was carryin’ it! This must be the package the Griffin Express lost! Let’s open it!” the young earth pony immediately suggested, but Twilight said otherwise.
“Apple Bloom! We can’t just go through somepony’s belongings like~” but before the violet unicorn could finish Apple Bloom had already pulled the strap free of its buckle with her teeth and was nosing around inside.
“Ooooo! Lookie, it’s a bottle!” the young filly announced, pulling it free with a hoof to show Twilight.
Well, I tried… Twilight sighed, deciding that with the cat out of the bag there was no point in not taking a closer look. “A bottle… of what?” the violet unicorn asked curiously, seeing a small but rather ornate glass flask with some kind of purple substance inside, capped with a small blue crystalline cork.
Apple Bloom turned the item to look at it from various angles. “Ah don’t know… there ain’t any label…” she said, checking every inch of the bottle but failing to find anything that indicated what it was.
“Give it here, Apple Bloom,” Twilight asked, the filly passing it to her. Holding it in her own hoof as she didn’t fully trust her power in the woods even under good circumstances—the wild energies of Everfree Forest tended to have odd effects on her magic, she had noted in the past, making her spells more powerful but also much harder to control—she examined it herself and confirmed there wasn’t any sort of identifying mark on the bottle. That’s strange… she’s right; there isn’t any label on this. Looks like there’s some sort of liquid inside… she noted as she shook the bottle, watching the purple-colored fluid it contained slosh back and forth.
“Do you know what it is, Twi?” Apple Bloom said.
She shook her head. “No I don’t. Can you check to see if there’s maybe a shipping manifest in the satchel?” she asked.
Apple Bloom blinked. “Huh?”
Guess there are some big words she doesn’t know… “Check the bag for a piece of parchment or something that might identify this,” the violet unicorn clarified.
Apple Bloom did as she was asked but found nothing, shaking her head. “Okay, then let’s try this…” Twilight trailed off as she popped the blue crystal cork loose. “Let’s give it a whiff, maybe I can identify it by smell…” With that, she took a tentative sniff of the strange substance… but then… “Nghh… uhh… AHHH!!” Twilight recoiled, dropping the bottle; Apple Bloom barely caught it before its contents spilled out. “M-MY NOSTRILS!!!” the violet unicorn cried, stumbling backwards, tears of pain streaming down her cheeks.
Apple Bloom watched her with frightened look on her face. “Twi? What’s wrong?” she asked in alarm.
“What’s wrong is… it smells like… concentrated used kitty litter!” she nearly retched, attempting to choke back the bile rising within her throat.
Apple Bloom had a hard time believing that was possible. “It kinda looks like Grape Juice. Yer sayin’ it smells THAT bad?”
“It’s smells WORSE!” Twilight gagged again, rubbing her nose with her hooves and trying to get rid of the putrid stench by inhaling the aroma of some nearby wildflowers, even chancing putting her nose near a poison joke bloom because she knew its odor was so strong. What a waste of time! Here I thought this would be case-breaking evidence and I just ended up losing my sense of smell!! she cried to herself, now rubbing her nose into a patch of dew-laden moss as Apple Bloom looked on, the young filly carefully picking up the bottle and doing her best not to inhale the odor herself, holding her breath as she recorked it.
As much as she thought it was worthless, Twilight decided to take the bag and bottle along, both because she didn’t want to leave the woods empty-hooved, and in case it wasn’t just… trash.
Satchel:A bag Apple Bloom claimed to have seen fall down from the sky the night of the crime.
Stinky Bottle:An unlabeled bottle filled with foul-smelling purple liquid.
“Awww~” Apple Bloom sighed, seemingly saddened by something.
“What’s the matter?” Twilight asked, finally able to breathe again, blinking the remaining tears out of her eyes as she stuffed the satchel into her own saddlebag; scrunched up around the bottle it barely fit in one pocket.
“I didn’t get a cutie mark for being a private investigator,” Apple Bloom said in disappointment, motioning back to her still-blank flank.
“Yeah… that’s too bad…” Twilight said simply, trying not to hurt the young filly’s feelings by saying something… logical. “Come on Apple Bloom, let’s get out of here,” she instructed, turning to head back to the main path and out of the foreboding forest.
“Ah wonder what an ‘Investigator’ cutie mark looks like anyway?” Apple Bloom asked idly as she fell in beside the violet unicorn.
Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know… maybe a magnifying glass?” she suggested, starting to walk.
Hearing that, Apple Bloom looked away from Twilight, her eyes going very distant as she seemed to remember something. “That reminds me, Twilight…” she looked back at the violet unicorn, hesitating before she continued. “Do ya remember what happened the last time we went into th’ Everfree Forest together?”
Twilight’s froze at that; a surge of fear and anxiety gripping her. ”Apple Bloom, that was just your imagination!” the violet unicorn snapped back—that was not a story she cared to remember while in the middle of the forest. “Or it was just the wild magic of the woods making you see things. Zecora warned us about that, remember?”
Apple Bloom vehemently shook her head. “But I was THERE, Twi! There was a village, and partyin’, and then those ponies tried to~”
“I refuse to believe in such things!” Twilight cut the farm filly off sharply, an edge to her voice. “The next day I went and checked the area you were in myself and found nothing but trees as far as the eye can see!” the violet unicorn reminded herself as much as Apple Bloom, trying to erase the very disturbing story the young earth pony had related to her some months earlier from her mind.
Apple Bloom fell silent at that, looking very troubled. But it DID happen… Ah wasn’t just seein’ things; they were real! Why won’t anypony believe me? she thought in frustration.
“Look… just remember to stick by me no matter what this time. No wandering off by yourself like you did then, okay?” Twilight went close to her, nuzzling her a bit. “Applejack would never forgive me if anything happened to you,” she added, worried that she was going to be in serious trouble with Apple Bloom’s older sister just for taking the young filly into the woods in the first place.
“Okay~” Apple Bloom agreed weakly, hugging the violet unicorn back.
Twilight squeezed the filly close again and brushed her mane a bit, trying to comfort her—and reassure herself; the first time she’d heard Apple Bloom relate that impossible but horrifying tale, she’d had nightmares for a week. “Hey, cheer up! Even if it was just your imagination or the forest making you see things, that’s a good thing. Maybe you can write a story about it?” Twilight suggested.
“A story? Really?” Apple Bloom said, perking her ears in interest.
Twilight nodded. “Sure! A lot of writers base stories off personal experiences. I’m sure you can write a good story about yours!” she said. “Who knows… maybe your cutie mark will be in writing?” she added with a grin, seeing Apple Bloom’s orange eyes light up at the idea.
“Thanks, Twi! Reckon I’ll do that!” the farm filly said with a sparkle, picking herself up with a big smile on her face. Think Ah’ll call it… ‘The Story of the Blanks!’ she decided, certain it would be better-written and more ‘in-grossing’ then some mushy and disgusting ro-mance novel… if nothin’ else, it’d sure give Rainbow Dash’s scary campfire stories a run…!
But Twilight wasn’t as happy as Apple Bloom was, the violet unicorn letting out a big sigh as they continued to walk back to the path. “Well, this journey proved to be fairly fruitless…” she said, pausing to scratch the back of her head.
Apple Bloom’s shoulders slumped at that, the filly sitting back on her haunches. “I’m sorry, Twi. I really thought it’d be somethin’ important,” the farm filly apologized, looking downcast.
Seeing her contrition was genuine, Twilight nuzzled her again. “It’s alright, Apple Bloom. You have been a big help, and we found a plethora of other things that may be useful tomorrow,” she noted, motioning with her head to her now-full saddlebags.
“Thanks, Twi! So what’cha wanna do now?” the young earth pony asked, making a mental note to ask Applejack what ‘plethora’ meant when she got home. Ah learn so many new words being around Twi!
Twilight had already thought of that. “I want to go speak with Cruise Control again. I’m sure he knows something about Ace,” the violet unicorn was certain.
“Didn’t he say he was gonna go register fer the race?” Apple Bloom remembered, sticking very close to Twilight as she had promised.
“You’re right…” the violet unicorn nodded. “We should start looking for him by going back to town and heading for the starting line where the Equestrian 500 will begin,” she began to reason, only to freeze, thinking she’d heard something in the bushes; the memories of the tale Apple Bloom had told and the knowledge that her magic was likely too weak and unstable to defend them against any real threat causing her anxiety level to surge again. “Come on, Apple Bloom—we got what we came for; the sooner we get out of this forest the better!” Twilight started to pick up the pace as she heard whatever was in the woods start to come closer.
She didn’t know what the noise was and didn’t wait to find out. The forest boosting her power, she decided to chance her magic, using her aura to levitate a startled Apple Bloom onto her back. Telling her to hold on, she ignored the young filly's protests and ran back to the path leaping hedges and logs as she went.
She sped up even further upon reaching the dirt trail, heading out of the forest at a full gallop, not slowing until the exit was in sight.
June 10th, 3:20 PM
As an out-of-breath Twilight put a slightly annoyed Apple Bloom down near the entrance, the young earth pony spotted a figure standing on the path just outside the woods.
“Hey, who’s that?” Apple Bloom pointed out to Twilight.
“Somepony is by the exit…” Twilight belatedly noticed, still panting lightly as they got closer. Only two miles and I’m out of breath? Maybe I should get out of the library more often… she thought, resolving to start exercising as the figure at the entrance started blurting out words and gesticulating wildly…
“Feenie! You’re finally back! I thought you’d never come back and you'd be stuck in there forever or something and your ghost would haunt the forest like~ WOOoooooOOOoooOO~~!”
“Uh… Pinkie Pie?” Twilight raised an eyeridge as the pink party pony came into full view. What’s she doing out here?
Pinkie saluted like a soldier. “Oh! Twilight? You’re not Feenie! Guess I gotta keep waiting, then!” she said, her chin up high and her gut sucked in like she was a royal sentry standing at attention.
Twilight and Apple Bloom shared an odd look. “Forgive me for asking, but… what are you doing by the Everfree Forest, Pinkie?” the violet unicorn finally caught her breath enough to ask, not entirely certain she wanted to know the answer.
“Just wait’n for my friend!” Pinkie said with a smile and a wink.
“Yer… friend?” Apple bloom asked before Twilight could.
“Yeah! He’s~ HEY THAT’S IT!” Pinkie blurted out upon seeing something familiar, pointing to Twilight’s saddlebags.
“Huh?” was all a dumbfounded Twilight could get out, looking back over her shoulder to see what Pinkie was referring to.
“You found my THING, Twilight!” the party pony reared up on her hind hooves in delight.
Twilight felt another headache starting to come on. “Pinkie, can you start making some sense please…?” she requested before belatedly remembering from whom she was requesting it. On the other hoof… look who you’re asking, Twilight…
“You found my GOLF CLUB! I’ve been looking for it for DAYS!” Pinkie claimed, plucking out the burned metal stick from Twilight’s saddlebag and hugging it affectionately.
Twilight stared at it in disbelief, sharing another glance with Apple Bloom. “You’re saying this miserable looking stick… is a golf club?” the violet unicorn raised an eyeridge, not sure why Pinkie Pie would invent one… the nearest golf course she knew of was in Canterlot, quite a distance away.
Pinkie winked again as she held the stick up for inspection. “Twilight, let me introduce you to my very first invention! This is the Pinkie Iron Mk. V!” the party pony claimed as she raised it up proudly, holding it high for the two ponies to see.
Twilight heard something peculiar in what Pinkie said. “If this is your first invention, what happened to Mk. I through IV?”
“Yup! Fine piece of work if I do say so myself!” Pinkie said, not really answering Twilight’s question.
Twilight sighed, and instead of pursuing a pointless conversation turned her attention back to the ruined rod. “It’s all burnt and the end is broken off… if it really IS a golf club,” the violet unicorn said, examining it in front of Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re right! Somepony broke it!” she said, turning a suspicious gaze on Twilight. “Heeeeyyyy! Did you break my golf club, Twilight?!” she demanded to know, giving the violet unicorn an askance look.
“Huh? N-No! Apple Bloom and I found it in the lake at the park. I don’t even PLAY golf!” Twilight explained, careful not to say something Pinkie might misinterpret.
Pinkie Pie looked confused at that. “At the park? That’s weird, because I lost the Pinkie Iron in the forest a week ago. I wonder how it got into the lake?” Pinkie recalled, taking a hoof-on-chin pose that very much reminded Twilight of Phoenix, causing a bit of stir in the violet unicorn’s thoughts.
“What?”
“I was golfing in the forest a week ago when I lost grip of the handle while I was giving her a swing and it went flying. Whoooosh!! Just like a bird!” Pinkie said as she recalled what she was doing in the forest, smiling as she told her story.
Twilight gave her another look. “Why would you go golfing in the forest? With all those trees around, wouldn’t it be a little… counterproductive?” she asked. What would each hole be; a par-FIFTY?
“Nyaaa~I wanted a challenge!” Pinkie answered with a squeak and a shrug.
Twilight gave up looking for a rational answer on how she was playing the game, focusing instead on the one curious question lingering in her mind. “So you lost the golf club a week ago? That’s really strange. How did it get in the lake and why is it so busted up?” she pondered.
Pinkie looked down at her golf club, her smile turning into a sad frown. “Why would anypony break my poor little golf club? It didn’t do anything to anypony!” she said almost sorrowfully, cradling and nuzzling it like it was an injured foal.
Twilight shared another look with Apple Bloom. “This is awfully suspicious. Pinkie, since it’s broken… may I keep it?” the violet unicorn requested politely, more certain than ever it was somehow significant.
The party pony seemed to think about that for a few seconds. “Nyaaa~I guess so! I’m already making mental blueprints for ‘The Pinkie Iron Mk. VII’!” she announced, standing up on her hind hooves and putting her front hooves to the sides of her head, smiling blissfully at whatever new idea she’d come up with.
Whatever goes on in that head of hers, keep me out of it! Twilight decided as she returned the burned and battered rod to her saddlebag, thinking better of asking Pinkie why she was skipping the Mk. VI.
The Pinkie Iron Mk. VWas originally called The Pinkie Iron Mk. V. Lost in the Everfree Forest about a week ago.
The ‘golf club’ safely stowed again, Twilight turned her attention back to Pinkie Pie. “So, how long have you been waiting for your friend? It’s not very smart going in the Everfree Forest alone,” she noted. To say nothing of going in with a young filly without most of my power… she somewhat ruefully admitted to herself. “Trust me, I ended up turning into a life size lawn ornament the one time I went in there by myself,” Twilight shivered as she recalled the incident with the cockatrice. It was a bad memory indeed, and the first thing she did after her close call was devise an enchantment to defeat its ability to turn living creatures to stone, though she hadn’t needed it for her latest forest foray since the half-chicken, half-snake monsters were nocturnal. Good thing, too, because I don't think I could have cast it...
“About forty minutes. He said he wanted to meet somepony at the clearing in there.” Pinkie simply said, standing watch over the woods entrance again.
Forty minutes? In there alone? she shivered. Whoever this stallion is, he’s either very brave or very stupid… “Who is this friend you’re waiting for anyway?” Twilight asked, barely hoping she might get an actual answer from her.
“He’s~” but before Pinkie could answer, another pony came galloping out of the woods, colliding with Twilight, who let out a loud shriek!
“GAAAHHH!!” Twilight fell into a tangled heap along the mystery pony, the contents of the newcomer’s saddlebags spilling out all over the grass and dirt path. “HEY! Watch where you’re going!” she scolded, picking herself up with Pinkie’s help and using her tail to brush some dust off her flanks, hoping the glass bottle inside her own saddlebags hadn’t broken from the impact or she’d probably have to burn them to get rid of the smell…
“I’m sorry!” A familiar male voice shouted back.
When Twilight’s vision cleared, she looked up to see… “Cruise Control?” Twilight recognized in surprise. Was THIS who Pinkie Pie was waiting for?
“Hi again, Twilight Sparkle!” Cruise greeted her with a grin, only to abruptly change his tone again. “WHY DID YOU SMASH INTO HER YOU IDIOT?! She’s right! WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING!” Cruise berated himself.
Apple Bloom spotted the former contents of his saddlebags lying scattered on the ground and started to gather them up. “Ya dropped all your things! Ah’ll help you pick them up!” the promised, starting off by picking up a small book.
“Thank you!” Cruise said gratefully, but then… “Ugghhh~ NO! YOU SHOULD BE A RESPONSIBLE ADULT AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS! Not force a little filly to pick up your things!” Cruise ranted.
I REALLY don’t want to deal with this again! Twilight said to herself as she rubbed her forehead, dealing with the sudden comeback of her headache. But then again… I wanted to talk to him anyway; I guess now is as good a time as any…
“Um, I’ll help too…” Twilight offered as she began helping Apple Bloom pick up the strewn items on the ground, which included several very odd objects she’d never seen before—a silver medallion with scales, a colorful metallic-looking object with a series of numbered buttons the size of a small brick, a thick leather wallet of an unfamiliar design full of colorful cards (what’s a VISA? she wondered) and rectangular pieces of very intricately decorated paper. “Besides, I wanted to talk to you about a few things, Cruise,” Twilight said as she used her magic to collect the oddly disparate items in a neat pile, planning to put them all inside the bag after she and Apple Bloom had gathered them all up.
Cruise looked noticeably uneasy at the suggestion. “I can’t! I’m in a big hurry!” the pegasus stallion said anxiously.
Twilight raised an eyeridge at that, next picking up a pill bottle. Whoa… that’s a powerful painkiller! What’s Cruise taking this for? “A big hurry? What were you doing in the Everfree Forest anyway?” she asked curiously, continuing to collect seemingly random pieces of paper and other items while Pinkie looked curiously over her shoulder, examining the stuff she was picking off the ground.
“WOW! That stuff you’ve got looks a lot like the stuff I found with Feenie today! Like there’s a ripped up paper, the room key, the pictures of the unicorn book, the list with Rainbow Dash on it…” Pinkie said before Cruise could answer.
None of it made sense to Twilight, but one thing the pink earth pony said did cause a little click in her head. “’Feenie’?” Twilight's brow furrowed a bit upon hearing the unfamiliar name… something about it kept tugging at her mind, but she was unable to put her hoof on why. Not sure who that it is, but Pinkie’s definitely not talking about Cruise…
“I was just~ uhh… I felt like taking a stroll!” Cruise said, his eyes going evasive as he answered Twilight’s earlier question.
“A stroll… through the Everfree Forest?” Twilight asked him, giving him a sidewise look and starting to grow more suspicious. “And why not just fly?”
Cruise seemed to grow even more nervous the more she pressed. “Uh, wings tire out easy you know!” he added, forcing a smile then looked at Twilight and Apple Bloom who was still picking up his stuff… “I really need to get back to town! Could you please give my stuff back now? Please?” the male pegasus requested in a tone approaching panic, his wings and tail twitching noticeably.
Just as Twilight had finishing gathering his things together, she noticed one final item that had fallen out of his saddlebags, glittering in the grass—an odd comma-shaped gemstone with a hole in the center, glowing a weak green in the sunlight. Huh? That looks like… she picked it up with her magic, only to drop it immediately when she sensed a familiar form of mystical energy emanating from the object.
Apple Bloom stopped what she was doing and looked over to the violet unicorn, who was now standing rigid, her eyes fixed straight ahead. “What’s the matter, Twi?” she asked in concern.
At that moment, an icy ball materialized in Twilight’s stomach. With great deliberateness that belied her suddenly churning insides, she turned to ask Pinkie Pie a single, very difficult question… “Pinkie,” she started, struggling to keep her voice even. “Is your friend’s name… Phoenix?” she held her breath.
Pinkie immediately flared up with a smile. “Yup-yup! I just call him Feenie though!” She said, then jumped in delight. “Wow, Twilight! How did you KNOW?! You must be psychic like that pony Feenie and I met earlier!” Pinkie said in the most delightful and happy tone she could muster…
But Twilight was neither happy nor delighted as she looked at the ‘charm’ then back at the male pegasus. “Cruise, if you have all of his stuff… then that means…” Twilight slowly turned towards him.
Cruise Control began to back away in very telling guilt. “P-please! I had to!” he spat out.
Twilight rounded on the blue pegasus pony, her head lowered and horn hard aglow, aura tinged a fiery orange instead of her usual purple. “What… did… you… DO to him?!” the violet unicorn demanded to know, approaching the male pegasus menacingly in a low crouch, anger and fear over the fate of the human stallion giving her renewed strength. If he’s hurt him, I swear I’ll…!
His eyes went wide at that, fearfully eying her glowing red irises and the wisps of smoke that were starting to come off her mane. “Please, Twilight! I-I’ll tell you where he is! Just give that stuff back to me and let me go!” Cruise begged, only then fully realizing the gravity of his situation.
Twilight didn’t bother to listen to the male pegasus and instead turned her head fractionally to the side. “APPLE BLOOM! Go to Fluttershy’s cottage and get one of the police there!” she ordered, not taking her eyes off the blue stallion. “NOW!” she shouted when the surprised young earth pony didn’t immediately move.
“Huh? Okay, right!” Apple Bloom immediately rushed back towards the cottage.
“N-nooo! Please! I can’t go to jail!” Cruise pleaded, flaring his wings like he was about to take flight. Twilight immediately restrained him; she didn’t have enough power to paralyze the male pegasus but could at least pin his wings to his sides, preventing him from escaping by air.
“Don’t even THINK about running away! There are two of us and only ONE of you!” Twilight bluffed, just hoping the sight of her glowing horn, red eyes and smoking mane would be intimidation enough to keep him there until the police arrived, knowing that if the male pegasus tried to gallop off she wouldn’t be able to stop him. Pinkie, on the other hoof, was still obliviously rummaging through the pile of possessions that Twilight and Apple Bloom had gathered.
“Oooo… look, there’s Rarity’s paper thingy! And that neato song-maker of Feenie’s! You really DO have a lot of similar things!” she said cheerfully while continuing to dig through the pile, now examining the strange object with all the buttons, trying to figure out how to make it sing again.
“PINKIE! For Celestia’s sake! He attacked Phoenix in the forest and took his things!” Twilight spelled it out to the party pony, who quickly changed her attitude.
Pinkie’s eyes widened and smile dropped; her hair suddenly falling flat to the sides as she finally comprehended the situation. “He… hurt… Feenie?” she whispered, the ‘song-maker’ falling from her hoof with a loud clatter. With that, Pinkie jumped up as high as she could and landed on Cruise’s back, using her greater earth pony weight and strength to pin the lighter, hollow-boned pegasus stallion to the ground. “Don’t even THINK about movin’, BUCK-O!” Pinkie glared at the male pegasus, her voice as sharp as a knife.
Cruise froze at that. “Please…” he struggled to no avail… caught between Pinkie’s weight and Twilight’s magic, he was trapped and had nowhere to go.
Excerpt from Twilight’s personal journal, written three days later: The police arrived, and with both mine and Pinkie’s testimony, they arrested Cruise Control on the spot and gave me the stolen items. But it wasn’t over yet… Cruise admitted he knocked Phoenix out and left him in a small clearing somewhere southwest of the crime scene.
And now I had to find him… before something ELSE did…
Twilight watched as a broken and unresisting Cruise Control was led away in hoof and wing cuffs by an Earth Pony detective and two unicorn deputies. They promised to dispatch police pegasus ponies and the weather patrol to search for Phoenix, but they wouldn’t arrive for at least twenty minutes, leaving Twilight badly torn over her next course of action… she knew she’d be taking a terrible chance reentering the woods alone and with her power so weak, but she was also fearful Phoenix didn’t have that long.
Every minute in there is another minute that some forest monster could find him… the violet unicorn knew, swallowing as she reached her decision. “Pinkie, I know you want to help look for ‘Feenie’, but I need you to take Apple Bloom back home. It’s not safe for her out here…”
Pinkie nodded, her hair floofy again and trademark smile back on her face, to Twilight’s relief—she’d only seen the pink earth pony in that angry, flat-haired state one other time, and would be happy if she never saw her like that again. “Okie Dokey Lokey! Oh, that reminds me! Your sister is looking for you, kiddo...” the again-party pony recalled, passing the message on to Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom’s orange eyes went wide. “Oh NO! She’s gonna give me trouble fer running off!” the farm filly knew, cringing at the thought of what would happen when she got home. I don’t wanna be lectured by Big Mac again!
“What are you doing to do, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, looking concerned.
The violet unicorn’s guts clenched. “I’m not waiting for the police. I’m going back in there myself to find Phoenix,” she managed, her calm voice belying the trembling of her legs.
“Oh! When you see him, tell him that I had a BLAST with him today! We should do it more often!” Pinkie requested, back to her old self, shining her bright smile at Twilight.
That’s IF I see him… Twilight swallowed as she turned to go back into the Everfree Forest, carefully gathering her courage and what little remained of her magic, not sure if she was more afraid that she wouldn’t find the human stallion… or that she would; her mind dredging up nightmare images of the state she would find him in…
“Twi?” Apple Bloom interrupted her brooding thoughts, walking up to the violet unicorn. “When ya see that nice human lawyer guy again… could ya tell him Ah’m sorry Ah lied this mornin’?”
Twilight hugged her tightly. “Promise,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “And you were right, Apple Bloom—you were a big help to me. Thank you,” she kissed the young filly on the forehead before letting her go.
“Bye-Bye, Twilight!” Pinkie waved as she and Apple Bloom parted company with the violet unicorn, heading south for Sweet Apple Acres.
As she took her first few tentative steps into the forest, the violet unicorn began to dwell on what she had done to the human lawyer, an avalanche of emotions starting to pour out of her. What was I thinking abandoning him like that? The Judge was right; I should have at least heard him out… when I didn’t, he must have tried to investigate without me! Oh, this is all my fault for leaving him alone! I HAVE TO FIND HIM! Twilight knew as she stepped deeper into the woods, starting to pick up her pace.
Oh Celestia, PLEASE let him be all right! she said a silent prayer to the Sun Princess, her walk quickly turning into a trot, then a canter, and finally a full gallop as she raced for the forest clearing… in search of the missing Phoenix Wright.
June 10th, 3:45 PM
Twilight searched the Everfree Forest high and low for Phoenix, to no avail.
Reaching the crime scene clearing to find nothing except a fresh imprint in the dirt and an ominous series of drag marks, she plunged through the bushes on a southwest heading, discovering a very narrow and rough trail hidden behind the immediate brush line that continued on in that direction. Surprised—that path wasn't on any forest map she knew—she galloped down it, searching as she went.
Her legs were on fire and her heart was pounding in her chest, but she didn’t relent her pace, desperate to reach the human lawyer before it was too late. No sign of him anywhere… she realized, almost crying, looking frantically for the smaller clearing Cruise had said he left Phoenix in. I pray to Celestia he isn’t~ but before she could finish the panicked prayer, she rounded a curve on the narrow trail to discover that she was about to crash into…
Phoenix HIMSELF with Fluttershy beside him!
She skidded to a halt in front of the unlikely duo, her eyes wide and jaw agape. “Fluttershy? Ph-Phoenix?!” she recognized the pair in shock, her saddlebags flying right off her back from the sudden stop. B-but how did she get out… and wh-what’s she doing with HIM? Twilight asked herself in complete and utter confusion.
Phoenix and Fluttershy looked just as surprised as she was. “Uh, heya…” the former managed to get out in a shaky voice, giving her a very tentative wave. Twilight didn't answer except to stare dumbly at the pair, panting hard and unable to speak. The human lawyer was a mess, his suit covered with dirt, leaves and brambles; there were at least two jagged tears in his left pants leg and several visible scratches on his face.
Despite his condition, he closed his eyes and bowed his head to her, putting his hands in his pants pockets in an apparent effort to master his nerves. “Twilight, please listen… I know you really must not like me after what I did today, but I can explain,” he began as Fluttershy stepped forward to interpose herself between them, flaring her wings in front of him like a protective shield. “Mister Phoenix was only trying to help, Twilight. He never meant to hurt anypony,” she addressed the violet unicorn in a quiet but surprisingly adamant voice.
Fluttershy’s… DEFENDING him? Twilight thought in disbelief, her breathing starting to slow. She locked gazes with the human lawyer for a moment, seeing lingering fear and nervousness in his eyes; the violet unicorn uncertain if she wanted more to hug or throttle him at that moment. “Let’s go back to the library; I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay in this forest,” Twilight suggested between still-ragged breaths with a wary glance at the woods around her, picking the saddlebags back up with her Everfree-enhanced magic and placing them on her back.
“Y-yeah, I agree” Phoenix said in a dry and slightly fearful tone, his eyes darting about nervously like he’d just had a very close call. The three of them immediately left the woods on the same trail Twilight had entered, Fluttershy behind and Twilight in the lead… the two mares instinctively taking a protective formation around the human stallion as they went out.
June 10th, 4:05 PM
As anxious as Twilight was to get back to the library and get Phoenix somewhere safe, Fluttershy insisted that they stop at her cottage so she could tend his injuries.
Sitting him on her living room sofa, she gave him an icepack for the back of his head where Cruise had apparently struck him, offering the human lawyer a cup of tea to sip while she fawned and fretted over him, sitting beside him and dabbing at the scratches on his face with an herbal balm, constantly asking him if he was all right.
For her part, Twilight kept her distance, drinking some water and finding her emotions oscillating between enormous relief that he was safe to renewed anger at what he had done that morning, not understanding how Fluttershy could have forgiven him so readily… or why Phoenix was suddenly acting so grateful and deferential to the pink-maned pegasus, his manner almost reverent as she attended him. What the hay HAPPENED back there? the violet unicorn wondered, feeling oddly envious of the attention he was giving her friend.
She’d gotten at least a partial story from Pinkie Pie on how he’d ended up in the Everfree. He’d apparently received a ‘call’ from somepony—likely Cruise Control—that said they’d wanted to meet him to offer him evidence, with instructions to come to the forest clearing alone.
The violet unicorn shook her head at that. He went in there by himself with no magic, no protection at all… walking into a likely trap just on the off chance it WASN’T? she thought in disbelief, trying to figure out if he was very brave or very stupid. It doesn’t MATTER! Stallions aren’t supposed to put themselves in danger like that! she protested, the reflexive mental reminder that he wasn’t a stallion holding less and less weight with her. I don’t care WHAT he is, he’s not familiar with this world and still shouldn’t be…
“How are you feeling, Mister Phoenix?” Fluttershy’s demure voice pulled her attention back to the present, the pegasus pony now working on a cut above his eye.
He gave her a grateful smile, tilting his head up so she could have easier access. “Better, thanks. This tea is great. Wish I still had those pills, though…” he noted idly, removing his icepack long enough to feel the lump on the back of his head.
Twilight’s brow furrowed at that. Pills? Wait a minute… another wave of worry consuming her, she searched through her saddlebags until she found the pill bottle she’d recovered from Cruise Control.
“You mean… these?” she asked, showing him the container, holding it up in her aura.
He gave her an odd look. “Uh… yeah? I thought they were aspirin. I had a headache earlier, and they worked great! Can I have more?”
Twilight loudly smacked her hoof to into her forehead, exasperated beyond all measure. “Phoenix… this isn’t ‘aspirin’, it’s a heavy prescription painkiller!” she informed him. “It’s only supposed to be taken after severe injury or surgery! The reason its works so well is because it has a strong spell attached; the problem is the side effects—it dulls your wits as well as your pain!” she spelled it out to him.
“Oh, uh… I didn’t know that,” he said with an embarrassed and goofy grin, having the look of somepony—someone, she corrected herself—who was just happy to be alive.
“It’s written right on the side!” she told him, turning the bottle to show him the fine print. For Celestia’s sake… have you no bucking sense at ALL????
Fluttershy concluded her treatment of him a few minutes later, telling him to keep his wounds clean and use the icepack off and on as needed. With that, Twilight stood up. “Phoenix… would you please step outside for a few minutes? I’d like to talk to Fluttershy. Alone, if you don’t mind,” she said, her tone of voice making clear it was less a request than an order.
Phoenix looked at her, quickly reading between the lines. “Yeah. No problem,” he agreed, getting up and walking across the living room, ducking his head to exit out the front door and taking his tea with him. When the door had closed behind him, Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who was studying her curiously.
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” she asked, reassembling her first-aid kit and returning it to its normal perch on the kitchen wall by her icebox.
Twilight stared at her normally-timid friend in disbelief. “How can you treat him so nicely after what he did to you?” I mean, there’s kind, and then there’s just stupid…
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked in perfect innocence, turning her teal eyes on the violet unicorn.
Twilight gave her an incredulous look. “You know perfectly well what I mean!”
“Mister Phoenix was only trying to help, Twilight,” Fluttershy told her again, getting out a small woven basket from one of her cabinets.
“Help?” the violet unicorn echoed, her jaw falling open. “Fluttershy, he LIED! He tried to pin the murder on you! You spent half the afternoon in jail because of him, and Rainbow Dash is STILL a suspect, so whatever he was trying to do didn’t work! How can you forgive him after all that?”
“Because he told me why he did it and apologized,” Fluttershy answered softly but succinctly, as if that was the only justification needed. “And because I believe in him,” she added, turning away and taking flight to gather some garden vegetables from the upper shelves of her pantry, hovering and looking them over in the light of an open window to see which were the best.
“Fluttershy…” Twilight facehoofed again at her friend’s naivety. “He’s a lawyer, you can’t trust anything he says!” she all but shouted, thinking if she’d learned nothing else from the morning’s fiasco, she’d learned that.
Fluttershy shook her head, continuing to gather an armful of produce, holding it in the crook of her foreleg. “He was shaking and crying, Twilight. And I saw his eyes. I could tell he meant every word of it.”
Twilight was caught short. Crying? Phoenix? she thought, scarcely able to imagine such a thing. “Fluttershy… what happened out there?” she had to know, motioning out the window towards the forest, her voice suddenly subdued.
The pink-maned pegasus locked eyes with her, answering with a single word that made Twilight’s blood run cold. “T… Timberwolves?” the violet unicorn swallowed hard
Fluttershy nodded grimly as she landed and began filling the basket with the selected vegetables. “Yes. There were four of them, Twilight. If I had arrived a minute later, he would have already been reborn.”
Twilight was chilled to the bone by the blandly-delivered statement, not certain if she could have handled a full pack of the magical beasts if it had been her there instead of Fluttershy, even with the forest boosting her remaining power. Thank Celestia Fluttershy found him first! She’s only told me about her stare, I’ve never actually seen it in action… she mused, feeling an odd pang of jealousy at the realization that Fluttershy had gotten to rescue a proverbial stallion in distress, not her.
Her eyes went wide at that, then closed in renewed disgust. Dammit, ENOUGH, Twilight! Get those bucking romance novels of Rarity’s out of your head and STOP THINKING OF HIM LIKE THAT! she ordered herself again, trying to keep her ire at the human lawyer kindled. “Well, that explains it then! He was afraid of losing your protection, so he just told you whatever he thought you wanted to hear!” she put her hoof down.
Fluttershy studied the violet unicorn for a moment, not understanding why her normally logical and good-natured friend was so insistent about clinging to her anger and thinking the worst of Mister Phoenix. “We talked afterwards, yes. He feels awful about what he did and he wants your forgiveness, Twilight. Why won’t you give it to him?” she asked plainly, rising to a different shelf to collect tea leaves from an urn.
Twilight was caught short, not knowing how to explain everything that was going through her mind. “Because… after what he pulled this morning, I don’t trust him,” she finally got out, looking away. And because I don’t trust myself around him…
Fluttershy looked down at her from her hover, then across the room towards the front door. Seeing something of interest, she took a short flight through her high-ceilinged living room to one of the big porch-facing windows and hovered in front of it. Grinning at what she saw, she motioned Twilight over.
When the violet unicorn arrived and peered out the window, she saw Phoenix sitting down on the porch steps with his tea. Remarkably, a dozen or more of Fluttershy’s animals had gathered close around him, studying him curiously. As they watched, a squirrel climbed onto his knee and the human lawyer started gently scratching its ears, speaking softly to it.
Fluttershy smiled at that. “My animals like him. They wouldn’t if they didn’t trust him, Twilight. And they wouldn’t trust him unless he could be trusted,” she noted in satisfaction, returning to the kitchen.
Twilight nearly pointed out that Angel Bunny didn’t, the white rabbit standing off to the side of the porch with his forelegs crossed and a sour look, but that was hardly a fair comparison—Angel didn’t like anypony.
“Fluttershy… look… he’s not from Equestria, okay? I had to summon him from his own world last night because I couldn’t find a pony lawyer who would take Rainbow’s case,” she said, trying a different tact as she followed her friend back into the kitchen. Maybe she’s only being nice to him because she still thinks he’s an actual phoenix? Twilight wondered, deciding not to disabuse her of that notion, not knowing how she would take it. “So he’s not like the… phoenixes here and you shouldn’t treat him like a… like that,” she said, having to catch herself twice from saying stallion, some part of her realizing that she was saying it as much for herself as for Fluttershy.
But to her frustration, the pegasus pony just shrugged it off, now gathering herbs from her kitchen window planter. “So he’s not from this world. What difference does it make?” Fluttershy asked, catching Twilight short again. “He’s trying to help Rainbow Dash, just like you are.”
Her jaw set at that. “And how was he ‘helping’ Rainbow by accusing YOU, Fluttershy?” the violet unicorn challenged.
Fluttershy looked away for a moment, then back at her. “I think you should ask him yourself, Twilight,” she told her simply, sitting down and giving the violet unicorn a surprisingly level look. “I don’t think you’ll believe it coming from me.”
And you think I’d believe it coming from HIM???? Twilight wanted to scream. “Look… even if I accept that he was genuinely trying to help Rainbow and didn’t want to hurt you, he still did what he did without asking your permission! And that’s NEVER right!” she pronounced, certain she was on very firm ground with her latest argument.
But instead of being convinced, Fluttershy looked confused at that, her yellow brow furrowing as if something didn’t make sense to her. “But… you said you summoned him from his world,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, so?”
“So, well…” Fluttershy looked like didn’t want to say what she was thinking, but finally worked up the courage to do so. “Doesn’t that mean… you didn’t have his permission to bring him here?” she suggested nervously, remembering what the violet unicorn had once told her about summoning—how it was generally only done in emergencies when there was no other way to contact somepony or get needed help… and how hard it was on the one summoned when they weren’t expecting it.
Twilight shifted uncomfortably as she sensed what her friend was getting at. “B-but that’s n-not…” she stammered, unable to complete the sentence, surprised at how her own argument had just been turned back on her—by Fluttershy, of all ponies!
“It’s… n-not?” Fluttershy asked in her own shaky voice, visibly swallowing as she forced herself to confront her unicorn friend. “But I mean… um… you said that he did it to me without permission, and that was wrong, but, um…” she paused, gathering herself carefully before continuing. “Isn’t that… kind of… what you did to him?” she pointed out timidly, cringing a bit as she spoke.
Twilight had no reply.
June 10th, 4:25 PM
Their talk concluded, Fluttershy went outside to give Phoenix the small gift basket full of her herbs, tea leaves and vegetables, holding it her mouth as she fluttered over to him. Setting it down beside the human lawyer, she told him to take the herbs in tea at dinner, promising they would help him sleep and heal.
Phoenix accepted it gladly, getting down on one knee to thank her again for saving and forgiving him, bowing his head and telling her that he thought she was most kind, beautiful and wonderful creature he’d ever met. Oh, gag me… Twilight couldn’t help but think, rolling her eyes derisively. Laying it on awful thick, aren’t you Phoenix? she wanted to sneer, doing her best to ignore a fresh wave of jealousy at the attention he was lavishing on her pegasus friend.
Fluttershy’s yellow cheeks visibly flushed at his flattery; she reared back on her hind legs to embrace him, flaring her large yellow wings for balance. His eyes lit up in delight at the offer and he moved to hug her, the tall human lawyer sitting up on his knees so they would be roughly the same height. As he wrapped his arms around her, Twilight’s eyes went wide as she watched him caress beneath her right wing with one hand while running through the feathers of her left wing with the other, causing the pink-haired pegasus to take sharp, shuddering breath.
“EEP!” Fluttershy finally found her voice, pulling back from him and giving a startled squeal. Aghast, she stared at him in shock for a moment, her face badly flushed before she turned around and ran inside, her suddenly—and very embarrassingly—stiff wings scraping the sides of the entryway before she got through and slammed the door shut behind her.
Still on his knees, a dumbfounded Phoenix stared after her, turning to Twilight as if to ask for an explanation.
The violet unicorn glared at him, her own cheeks flushed scarlet; if she’d had the power she would have been hard-pressed not to yank him off her friend and fling him halfway across the yard. “Let’s just get you home before you get into any more trouble, okay?” she grated out, leading him back to town.
June 10th, 4:53 PM
The instant they entered the library, Twilight pointed with a hoof to one of the lounge sofas, ordering the human lawyer to sit down. He hastened to obey, sensing her anger and looking at the violet unicorn in some nervousness as she glared at him anew from the middle of the room. “Twilight, I-I don’t understand… what happened back there? What did I do?” he asked her, all but pleading for an answer.
She stared at him in disbelief. “What did you do? You touched her WINGS!” she told him as if it were self-evident. Seeing his uncomprehending look, she realized he honestly didn’t have any idea of what he’d done wrong. Back off, Twilight—he’s didn’t know about your horn, so why would he know about wings?
She took several deep breaths before continuing. “Look… Phoenix… pegasus wings are very… sensitive,” she offered carefully. “Touching a pegasi’s wings or flight muscles has certain… implications; you don’t ever touch them without… their owner’s express permission,” she finally got out, embarrassed at having to explain such a thing.
He fell silent at that, parsing her statement carefully; his brown eyes widened in horror as understanding dawned. “Wait. You mean when I… that was…” he got a mortified look. “Twilight… I am SO sorry!” he slumped over on the sofa, his hands on his head in shame.
“Tell her, not me!” the violet unicorn bit out, looking away from him.
“I will, I promise…” he quickly replied, sounding genuinely ashamed and chagrined. Abruptly, he looked up as if something else had just occurred to him. “Twilight… does the same hold true… for unicorn horns?”
Caught off-guard by the question, her cheeks flushed hard again; she could feel her aura going pink and couldn’t stop it, cursing herself for the thoughts and feelings that were causing it. Looking away in anger and humiliation, she didn’t see Phoenix’s reaction, but when she heard him fall silent and shift uncomfortably on the couch, she knew the secret was out. Just bucking great… she swore, resolving to return Rarity’s romance novels as soon as possible—they’d caused her enough embarrassment for one day!
“Here. These bags contain your possessions and evidence,” she announced in an effort to change the subject, sliding her saddlebags across the floor to him with her magic. “Pinkie and I caught your attacker as he came out of the woods and recovered them then,” she added, trying to recompose herself, wondering if she would ever feel anything other than angry or awkward around him again.
“Thank you,” he told her, seemingly as relieved as she was to leave the previous topic behind. Searching through the pouches, he gathered the wallet, medallion, and the small button-studded plastic brick to place back in his pockets. She then watched as he seemed to be slightly frantically searching for one final object, sighing with relief when he found it; her eyes narrowed as she saw him transfer the green gemstone into a hidden pocket on the inside of his jacket.
An uncomfortable silence fell over them both. “Twilight… will you allow me to explain why I did what I did this morning?” Phoenix finally asked.
She stared at him for a moment before nodding once, her mouth set in a thin line. Fine. I’ll give him the chance for you, Fluttershy… she decided. But if he lies again…
He did not, at least that she could tell. The human lawyer spoke for ten straight minutes, giving a detailed account of what had happened during the waning moments of the trial and what he had been thinking, apologizing repeatedly for having to take such drastic action and emphasizing how ashamed he was of himself for it. Her emotions still in turmoil, she listened quietly but wouldn’t look at him, sitting well away from him on a rug in the middle of the room, keeping her ears instead of her eyes on him.
Finally, he reached the end of his story. “So… that’s why I did that. I know it wasn’t fair to Fluttershy, and I hated myself for doing it—I still do. But if I had just sat there and done nothing… Rainbow Dash would have been found guilty right there on the spot,” Phoenix concluded, his voice sounding numb.
“I see…” was all Twilight could manage to say, her carefully neutral tone belying an intense internal debate. All that was just to BUY TIME? she thought in disbelief, not certain if she accepted his explanation. It sounded plausible, and if that had been his intention it had certainly worked with no lasting harm to Fluttershy, but… if he’s capable of a lie like that, how can I believe ANYTHING he says…?
The silence between them stretched for nearly half a minute before Phoenix broke it. “So… do you still want to fire me?” he asked her.
Twilight was startled, her head coming up in surprise. Huh? “H-how did you~”
“Fluttershy told me,” came the simple reply, the human lawyer leaning forward on the couch and resting his forearms on his legs, clasping his hands between them. “Look… I can’t complain if you do—I certainly deserve it after this morning. But I have to warn you… Trixie is one tough customer. I underestimated her,” he said, a rueful tone to his voice. “Despite all my experience, she managed to trump everything I threw at her. In fact… she could have easily overruled my feather theory, since it was all just theory,” he knew, shaking his head slowly.
“W… what?!” Twilight looked back at him in shock.
“I have a feeling the only reason she let me to do that was to see another of your friends in jail,” he nodded grimly. “She’s going to go all-out tomorrow. So if you’d like to take over… I have to warn you about that,” Phoenix informed her, giving the violet unicorn a level look.
Twilight was stunned by the news. Trixie would go to THAT length just to hurt me? she reeled, her resolve and confidence melting away as all the sorrow, hate and anger she sensed from the black locks came rushing back. “I… I don’t know what I should do…” she admitted, sitting back heavily on her haunches, her eyes glistening. She wanted comfort, needed comfort, needed someone to tell her everything was going to be fine… because at that moment, she no longer believed it herself.
Phoenix looked like he was considering going over to her for a moment, but didn’t, remaining on the couch. “Twilight… if you really want to defend Rainbow Dash, at least allow me to do one more thing for you,” he offered the violet unicorn, opening his palms towards her.
The violet unicorn looked up at him in surprise, trying to blink her tears away. “Y-you still want to help? Even after I summoned you against your will? Even after… nearly dying? Even after I was going to fire you?” she asked in disbelief—nobody could be that noble!
He nodded, standing up straight as he answered as if to present himself, clasping his hands in front of him. “I’ll do everything I can to help someone who is being accused of a crime they didn’t commit, whether that’s as the defense attorney, co-counsel, or just sitting in the gallery and offering moral support.” he told her fervently. “I know for a fact Rainbow Dash didn’t do anything wrong. And I know of a certain pony who knows a lot more than she’s letting on,” he claimed.
Twilight gave a slow, knowing nod, genuinely touched by his declaration. He... really means it! she realized, but quickly shunted the thought aside, still not ready to forgive him. “Actually, I do too…” she began, deciding it was time for answers on another matter. “Phoenix, tell me… that thing you mixed in the evidence before the trial this morning… that wasn’t a good-luck charm, was it?” she asked, giving him a sidewise look.
“Why do you ask?” Phoenix responded curiously, his hand going to his chin.
She watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye as she said her next words. “Let’s just say I’ve been seeing a lot of locks today.”
Phoenix gaped, stumbling backwards and nearly barely losing his balance. “Ngh… locks and… chains?” he suggested weakly, leaning on a bookshelf for support.
Her head shot up at that. “See, I KNEW you knew!” Twilight rounded on him. “What was that THING and what did it DO to me?!” the violet unicorn demanded to know, approaching him with head lowered and horn pointed at him, anger at his duplicity taking hold of her again.
His brown eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back from her, holding up his hands as it to ward off an attack. “Okay! Okay! I’ll be honest… because if I don’t… I bet you’ll see them around me…” he visibly swallowed, reaching inside his jacket with a noticeably shaking hand.
FINALLY, some answers! “I’m listening…” she planted herself in front of Phoenix as he took out his relic. Taking a moment to gather himself, the human lawyer knelt down before her, holding the comma-shaped gemstone in his palm.
“You see, it’s called a ‘Magatama’,” he told her, choosing his words carefully as he held it up in front of her. “It’s a tool I use… to see if people are hiding deep secrets from me. But don’t get me wrong! I only use it when I’m investigating crimes,” he quickly added.
She blinked at that. “’Deep secrets’?” Twilight repeated, giving it—and him—an askance look.
He nodded. “Think of it as kind of a mystical lie detector. If someone’s keeping a deep secret or hiding the answer to a question, a series of psychic barriers called ‘psyche-locks’ will appear in front of them; the more locks, the deeper the secret. If you break those locks using proof and evidence, chances are the person—or in this case, the pony—will spill the beans.”
Understanding dawned on the violet unicorn like a bright light, several things finally making sense to her at once. “Interesting…” she said. Outwardly, her face betrayed no emotion except idle curiously, but internally…
This. IS! AMAZING!!!!!! Twilight jumped in glee within her mind, feeling a sudden and very heady excitement flowing through her. And here he said there was no magic in his world??? This thing’s power could REALLY help me in my studies and collected surveys! It needs more research done on it though… her thoughts came in rapid succession, the student and scientist in her emerging for a moment before she caught herself. Focus, Twilight! she admonished herself, remembering something else about the locks…
“What about black ones?” she asked him, turning her violet eyes back on him as he knelt before him, grateful to have him at eye-level for once.
His brow furrowed in confusion. “Black ones? What do you mean?” he asked her, hand on his chin again.
“There were…” Twilight stopped in mid-sentence as Phoenix raised an inquiring brow. No, I shouldn’t tell him about Trixie. I want to be the one to deal with that problem, she decided, keeping that piece of information to herself.
“Never mind,” she shook her head, dropping the previous topic. “So, do you know how that thing’s power got transferred to me?” she asked instead. She half-wondered if he was still holding something back from her, but… no, if that were the case… I’d start seeing these ‘psycho-locks’ around HIM!
He shook his head, looking relieved. “Not a clue… it probably had something to do with the way it reacted when you picked it up with your magic,” he theorized.
She nodded, having already guessed as much. What WAS that reaction, anyway? she wondered, flaring her horn to cautiously pick the Magatama up out of his hand. She turned it over and probed it gently with her magic, feeling the odd interaction between its mystical energy and her own aura. It glowed a weak green within her magical grasp but didn’t flash like it had that morning. This… this really IS new magic! she realized in delight as she sensed its unusual energies respond to her, hoping she’d have the chance later to study it properly. “Hmm… I’m sure I can figure out how to return the power it gave me if needs be… but I need this ability right now,” Twilight said, letting him have the relic back.
He nodded as he stood back up and returned the Magatama to his inner jacket pocket. “Okay. But… since I told the truth and apologized… I expect the same from you,” he replied, crossing his arms and turning more serious.
“What?” Twilight said, tilting her head up at him.
“You’re not a very good liar, Twilight Sparkle. From the very beginning, I could clearly see that you bringing me here was no accident. You summoned me here on purpose, didn’t you?” Phoenix confronted her, his expression turning very stern like he was interrogating a witness in court.
Twilight’s purple eyes widened in shock, her jaw falling open. NO! He knows! I promised the Princess…! she panicked, her legs going weak for a moment. She started trying to come up with a denial, but quickly realized there was no point—even if her own guilty reaction hadn’t given her away, he had the Magatama and would know she was hiding something from him when the psycho-locks appeared around her. “I’m… that bad at lying, huh?” she asked, her voice wan and beaten.
“Yeah, you’re about as thin as Kleenex,” he told her almost apologetically. She didn’t know what ‘Clean-X’ was, but took his meaning well enough. “I mean—‘identification spell’? I know you have magic here and all, but that sounds like something a third-grader came up with. I didn’t need the Magatama to know that isn’t a real spell,” the human lawyer informed her.
Okay, so I’m BAD at improvising! Twilight shouted the excuse in her thoughts, blushing in embarrassment over her clumsy attempts to deceive the perceptive human lawyer. “I was told not to say anything… but I suppose I owe you an explanation…” she decided, taking a deep breath to steel herself for a confession, mentally apologizing to the Sun Princess for having to break her word. “Princess Celestia herself told me to summon you and play dumb,” she confessed, looking forlorn, her head bowed low as if in failure.
She sensed his eyes on her, studying her; she couldn’t help but flush again at his attention. “So you knowing my name, and having that badge prepared…?”
She confirmed his train of thought with a single jerky nod. “Yeah. She did all that. But I swear, Phoenix... I didn’t know you were going to be a human from another world!” the violet unicorn insisted, turning her conflicted purple eyes back on him.
To her relief, he stopped pressing her, apparently accepting her explanation. “But… how does your princess even know me?” he wondered idly, taking his trademark hand-on-chin pondering expression again.
“I’m a bit sketchy on that detail as well…” she said, letting a note of exasperation at the Sun Princess’ coyness creep into her voice. Was THIS the joke, princess? That you knew I would like him? she was starting to suspect. “I, too, found it really odd how she knew so much about you and how she was boasting about how good you were. Yet… you acted as if you never met a pony in your life before me,” she recalled.
He considered her words and nodded. “Well, I certainly don’t like the fact I was being deceived by you… but I thank you for telling me the truth,” Phoenix said, to her great relief.
Twilight closed her eyes, bowing her head in contrition before him. “I apologize, Phoenix. I was just doing what the Princess told me to…” she said. “Now all of a sudden I feel really bad for lying…”
A smile touched Phoenix’s face. He looked for a moment like he wanted to put a reassuring hand on her but restrained himself; Twilight wasn’t sure if she was more relieved or disappointed he didn’t. “It’s all right. You were just doing what you were told, and she clearly withheld information from you,” he noted. “Looks like we’ve all been guilty of that today.”
“Thank you,” she said gratefully, an awkward silence falling between the two again.
Sensing her discomfort, the human lawyer turned his attention back to her saddlebags, beginning to look through their contents. “Hmm… so this evidence you found; seems you had a good turnout in your investigation…” the human lawyer’s eyes widened when he found a piece of torn parchment. “Uh… AH!!!”
Twilight started. “What's the matter?”
“THE OTHER HALF OF THE LETTER!!” Phoenix shouted, holding it in a shaking hand.
“The other half of the letter…?” she repeated, then her eyes widened and she took an almost stalking pose, staring at him from a crouch, her forelegs splayed wide on the floor. “WAIT, YOU HAVE IT!!??” she shouted back.
He nodded quickly. “Yeah, I found it with Pinkie Pie today!” Phoenix dug through his own evidence until he found the matching piece he was looking for. He gave Twilight his half and let her take hold of it, the violet unicorn piecing the two halves together with her aura as she read it, trying to keep her excitement under control:
Full Resignation Letter:
“This is my letter stating my permanent Leave of Absence. After the Equestrian 500 is over, I can no longer work with you. We made quite the team, but I can’t live with the guilt any longer. I can’t keep helping you ruin other’s lives. It saddens me beyond belief that we must part ways, but I must say farewell. Goodbye Ace; may our paths cross in the future.”
She looked up when she was finished, finding the human lawyer silent and seemingly deep in thought.
“Someone was quitting their job?” the violet unicorn asked him, still not certain of its meaning.
“Yeah… and I think I know who,” Phoenix replied with a slow, knowing nod.
“Who?” she prompted.
Phoenix opened his mouth only to close it again, shaking his head once. “I’ll tell you once I confirm my suspicion. You said you had someone to talk to, right? Perhaps we should go our separate ways again,” he suggested.
NO!!!! Twilight wanted to scream, afraid to let the human stallion out of her sight again. You nearly DIED because I left you alone and wasn’t there to guide you; I don’t DARE take that chance again! she stopped herself from saying, suppressing her protective instincts long enough to ask him where he would be going.
Told it was the Hay-and-Stay, she relaxed a bit. That’s close by and there will be plenty of other ponies about. He’s not going to the Everfree this time; nothing should happen to him, right? she reassured herself, not entirely successfully but enough to assuage her immediate worries over his safety, finally giving him a reluctant nod. “You’re right. I need to interrogate your attacker at Ponyville Detention Center, and visiting hours will be over soon. Come straight back here once you’re done though… you were attacked, after all…” she reminded him in a mild tone, struggling to keep her fears out of her voice.
“You have my word…” Phoenix promised, kneeling down before her for a moment and bowing his head to her; his pose made Twilight feel like she was being treated like royalty. I'm not a princess, Phoenix... she blushed again, wondering if all human males were so deferential to their mares.
Taking time only to wash his face and put his battered blue suit in as much order as he could, the human lawyer left the Library and headed out… but not before Twilight tagged him with a magical tracer while his back was turned, one that would tell her his location and alert her if magic had been used on him. Any unicorn with an ounce of magical talent would sense the tracer and the identity of its owner, but that was fine with her—it advertised that Phoenix was under her protection.
Anything happens to him, I’ll know… and Celestia help anypony who hurts him… she thought, suddenly grateful she didn’t have her full power available when she discovered Cruise Control had attacked the human lawyer, afraid of what she might have done. Better keep my temper under control when I go see him again… she decided as she watched Phoenix head out the door.
Once the human lawyer had departed, Twilight stood there in silence for a minute, reviewing her game plan. “Spike!” she called for her assistant once she was satisfied with her next course of action.
The baby dragon came running from the upstairs balcony, a broom in his clawed hand. “Yes, sir?! Err… Ma’am~ Err… Sir-ma’am?!” Spike quickly stood before her, holding the broom like a pike with one hand and making a saluting gesture with the other.
She couldn’t help but grin at that. First Phoenix, now Spike? I could get used to this kind of treatment! “Did you send that appeal for me to take over yet?” she asked her scribe.
“Oh, right! It’s all done but I haven’t sent it yet. Do you want me to send it now?” Spike asked, hoping she wouldn’t be mad at him for delaying it—he'd held on to it in the half-hope she might yet come to her senses and change her mind about defending Rainbow Dash herself.
To his relief, she shook her head. “No, put it on hold. I’ll tell you whether to send it or not when I get back,” Twilight instructed, resolving to make her decision by the time she did.
“But why?” Spike asked, grateful for her change of heart but still curious.
Twilight’s eyes went distant for a moment. “I just want to do… something…”
“Alright, Twilight!” Spike said, blinking as he realized he made a slight rhyme, but then his thoughts turned to something more… delicious. “By the waaay~” he said with a huge grin on his face.
“Yes?” Twilight turned to her scribe, wondering what he had to say.
The baby dragon cleared his throat and coughed, muttering something under her breath she didn’t catch. Seeing her uncomprehending look, he repeated his action but spoke more clearly through the cough. “Sapphire!” she finally caught.
Huh? Sapphire…? Twilight’s eyes widened, belatedly remembering her earlier promise to her baby dragon friend. Ohmygosh! I forgot to stop by Rarity’s place and get one for him! she cringed, falling silent and eyes darting nervously as she scrambled to come up with an excuse, wearing perhaps the silliest poker face in history. “Heheh… uh… you know what, Spike? I got something even BETTER than a silly old sapphire!” the violet unicorn said.
Spike’s ear and head ridges perked up, the baby dragon growing even more excited. “Better than a sapphire!? You mean… A R-RUBY?! OR AN EMERALD?!” he said, licking his lips with his serpentine tongue and drooling at the thought of what kind of gem he would be having for dinner that night.
“No… get ready!” Twilight said, keeping the baby dragon in suspense as she pulled her saddlebags back over.
“My body’s ready!” Spike announced… though somehow, that didn’t sound right to her…
Twilight unveiled her ‘Better than a sapphire’ present to Spike with a magical flourish and flash of light. “TA-DAH!! IT’S THIS LAWYER BOOK!” Twilight announced grandly and with a cheeky grin.
Spike lost his own smile as he stared at Twilight with a blank expression.
Twilight flipped through the pages, pretending to be eager and enthusiastic about it. “It was a REALLY good read! So I’m passing this wonderful reference guide on to you, Spike!” Twilight put the book on the ground as she slid it towards the baby dragon with her hoof. “After all, the only thing better than food is… food for the mind, right?!” she tried to sell it, still wearing her huge smile.
But Spike wasn’t buying it, his expression going from blank to angry and annoyed. “YOU FORGOT, DIDN’T YOU!?” he accused her, raising his arms in exasperation and taking a slightly odd expression. "Y U NO KEEP PROMISE, TWILIGHT?"
Twilight cringed, knowing she wasn’t going to hear the end of it if she stayed there any longer, alarmed by his ability to communicate single-letter abbreviations in regular speech and thinking better of trying to correct his grammar. “Uh… gotta run, Spike! Enjoy the book!” she said as she bolted out of the front door, leaving Spike staring down forlornly at the tome, wondering if he should burn the shameful piece of literature or just stuff the dusty book back on the dark, cold shelf where it belonged.
Either way… he was stuck with it instead of the gemstone he had been expecting to munch on that evening. His stomach growling over his forgotten meal, he silently trudged to the kitchen and heated up a package of hay fries.
June 10th, 5:10pm
As Twilight returned to the detention center for the second time that day, thoughts of her upcoming interrogation of Cruise Control mingled with memories of the inkwell debacle from her earlier visit.
Oh, come on Twilight… it WAS kind of funny… she grudgingly admitted with a weak grin, knowing she’d probably never live the ink-spattered image of herself down. At least it was Fluttershy who saw it and not Pinkie or Rainbow… she thought, knowing if THOSE two had seen her in that state, she’d never hear the end of it.
To her relief, a new shift of guards was on duty so she was spared further embarrassment though the unicorn mare at the front desk who had given her the mirror was still there, looking up and unable to suppress a smile when she saw the violet unicorn again. Flushing a bit, Twilight asked her for a pencil as she signed in—should have used that instead of an ink quill this morning, she now ruefully acknowledged—which was promptly floated to her by the unicorn mare with a look of sympathy and amusement.
As she was escorted back to the meeting area following a quick search of her saddlebags, the guards warned her that Cruise Control had remained silent during police interrogation and was apparently refusing to speak with anypony, also giving her a reminder that there were only twenty minutes left before civilian visiting hours were over. Twilight gave them a terse acknowledgment as she was let in, knowing time was short with several questions in her head all demanding they be asked first.
Why did he drop out of the race? Why did he want to re-enter? Why did he attack Phoenix and leave him for dead? she pondered as she looked through the cells, finally spotting the faint figure of a pony in the dim light behind a sectioned partition at the far end of the room. I’m going to get all the answers right NOW! she vowed as she entered the partition to see it was indeed Cruise Control on the other side of the glass.
Despite her earlier promise to keep her temper in check, the sight of the pegasus stallion set Twilight off and she vented her fury at his ambush of Phoenix with her first question. “Why did you attack Rainbow Dash’s lawyer?!” she all but shouted, her mane starting to smoke and eyes beginning to glow red again until a sharp stab of pain through her horn reminded the violet unicorn of the Detention Center's magical dampening field. Deep breaths, Twilight… deep breaths… she told herself for the second time that day, vowing she’d start studying meditative techniques the first chance she got.
But Cruise remained silent, seemingly unaffected by her outburst and refusing to look at or speak with her. He looked utterly broken and forlorn, head bowed and his wings dropped to his sides; as she studied him, Twilight realized he hadn’t even preened his feathers back into place after she and Pinkie had pinned them down.
The violet unicorn was especially troubled by the last—pegasi were usually meticulous about keeping their wings in order; to neglect them implied severe illness or depression. “Uh…. I’m sorry… am I sounding too mean?” she asked, feeling her anger ebbing as she stared at the shell of a pony before her, seeing no longer Phoenix’s assailant but a defeated and dispirited prisoner.
Ignoring her change in tone, Cruise stayed silent…. looking down at the floor instead of Twilight.
He looks so sad… I can’t let that distract me though, Twilight reminded herself. I’ll try to get him to talk by asking about the secret I know he’s hiding… she decided, altering her tactics to be less confrontational. “Cruise… I need your help. I think you know something that can help clear my friend, so please tell me…
“Do you have something against Ace Swift?”
*BANG!!!* *Krraaashshh* *krrasshh* *bang* *rattle* *krraasshhhh* *bam!* *Bam!* *BAM!!*
[3 Locks remaining]
The pegagus stallion visibly stiffened at the question and, just as before, a series of phantom chains materialized out of the darkness and wrapped around him, followed by the appearance of three red padlocks at the chain junctions.
These are those… ‘psycho-locks’… Twilight noted, finally having a name to put to the phenomenon that had so badly frightened her the first time she saw it. “Cruise… please tell me about Ace. For my friend’s sake, I have to know,” the violet unicorn politely repeated her request.
Upon hearing Ace Swift’s name again, Cruise’s ears perked up and he raised his head to look Twilight in the eye. “Do I LOOK like I’m in the mood to talk about him right now?” the pegasus stallion bit out, his voice suddenly as sharp as his stare.
“No… but mentioning him broke your silence,” Twilight noted.
Cruise sighed at that, looking back down at the floor. “I have nothing to say to you or anypony else,” he insisted, going back to his downcast state.
Twilight was not discouraged by his declaration. “I’m going to get this out of you one way or another,” she announced, persistent to hear the truth out of him. “You don’t like Ace, and I want to know why.”
But Cruise was hard-headed. “I told you already… I have nothing against him!” the male pegasus still insisted, turning his suddenly-smoldering green eyes back to Twilight.
The anger behind his gaze was not lost on the violet unicorn. “Well, I think you do!” she pressed on, telling herself she could be just as stubborn as he was.
Cruise gave a sharp sigh and visibly rolled his eyes. “You want to play this game? Fine!” He set his jaw, looking like he was grinding his teeth. “Then tell me, Twilight Sparkle… exactly WHY would I have something against him?” he challenged, glaring at her. “So what if he beats me every time? Everypony does that every year anyway! I’d hold resentment towards every single racer in the Equestrian 500 if that were the case!” he reasoned. As he spoke, Twilight noted how his entire personality seemed to have changed; there was no longer a trace of self-deprecating persona Lenora claimed he wore as a façade.
So this must be his real self, she realized, deciding that even if he was being belligerent, she much preferred this version of the male pegasus to the previous one she'd met. “You’re right, it has nothing to do with the race. It stems something much deeper than that, doesn’t it?” Twilight speculated.
Cruise fell silent again but didn’t let up his glare.
Twilight went for her saddlebags, shrugging them off her back and opening them up. “The reason you don’t like Ace is because of…”
“This~” Twilight showed Cruise Control the picture of him and his sister that Lenora gave her earlier that day, holding it in her hoof.
Cruise’s face went from irritated to shocked, the pegasus stallion suddenly wide-eyed and stuttering badly when he spoke. “W-where~ h-how did you get that?” he stammered, looking to her like he was going weak in the legs.
“An… old friend of yours gave it to me. She told me all about your sister,” Twilight started, a note of sympathy making it into her voice. “I also noticed how your personality completely changed when Apple Bloom brought up her elder sister earlier today~” she said, remembering his reaction to the young earth pony’s outburst:
“Mah big sister is mean to me all the time! She grounds me and makes me do a bunch of lame chores! It’s like she doesn’t even care about me at ALL!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, stomping her hoof in resentment and anger.“Don’t say that…” Cruise instructed the young filly, his voice quiet. “Older siblings always care of the well-being of their younger brothers and sisters…” he told her in a strangely fervent tone.
When she finished quoting him, Twilight looked at the male pegasus directly. “You’re an older sibling, and I have it on good authority that you’ve done everything possible to take care of your stricken sister. So I have a strong feeling this all relates to her,” she said, seeing Cruise visibly cringe at her conclusion.
And with that, one of the locks… broke!
Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise and delight, scarcely able to believe her accomplishment. Phoenix was RIGHT! Proof and evidence, just like he said! she thought, struggling to keep the smile off her face. This is so EXCITING! The possibilities with the Magatama's power are ENDLESS! Maybe I could even use it to~ she caught herself before she could continue her flight of fancy, realizing she couldn’t get sidetracked on the matter at hand… or hoof.
Uh~ focus, Twilight! Gotta break the other two first… she reminded herself, looking back at Cruise to continue her questioning. “So what is it about your sister and Ace?” she wanted to know.
“I don’t know… you tell me!” the pegasus stallion said with what Twilight sensed was a very feigned indifference.
I will, then… she promised with her thoughts, unfazed by his thick-headed attitude. “Well… I heard she isn’t in a great condition right now…” she noted, pausing long enough to see Cruise’s lips tighten. “She’s in a coma, isn’t she?”
“I don’t wanna talk about this anymore!” Cruise snapped at the violet unicorn, turning away as if to leave.
Afraid of losing him, Twilight quickly pressed on before he could step away. “But she IS in a hospital in Canterlot according to your friend Lenora?” Twilight quickly added before he could step away.
He froze at the female griffin’s mention, taking on a momentarily panicked look. “S-so what?” Cruise stammered and looked back fractionally at her, his reaction telling Twilight she was on the right track.
“Cruise… I used to live in Canterlot. The hospital there is among the best there is… but it’s specifically reserved for celebrities and nobles. Commoners and non-Canterlot citizens are stuck with normal clinics and you and your sister are from Manehattan,” she noted. Upon saying this, Cruise Control deflated again, his wings and head drooping down towards the floor as Twilight continued. “You somehow snuck your sister in there to get the best treatment. It’s the only hospital out there able to keep her condition stable,” she recited, ready to reveal her findings.
”And I think I know how you got her in there…” she announced as Cruise looked back at her in disbelief.
“You had to have help from this pony~”
“The late Ace Swift.”
With great deliberateness, Cruise turned back to face her, giving the violet unicorn a sour scowl. “What are you trying to pull here, Twilight Sparkle? First you say I hate him then you say I got help from him?” he asked derisively, glaring at her again, disheveled wings flaring in anger for the first time.
Twilight shook her head and continued on, certain his ire was less directed at her than at Ace. “He’s both a citizen and a celebrity. I don’t think it’s a stretch to guess he pulled strings for you to get your sister in that hospital.”
The male pegasus began to visibly sweat. “I…I~” he stuttered as another of the locks shattered with a sharp sound of breaking glass.
[1 Lock Remaining]
Twilight felt another surge of excitement at her feat. YES! Just one left! If I can break this one… I’ll finally get the truth! she presumed.
Cruise shook off his panic and stood his ground. “NO! You still didn’t answer my question! Why would I hate him? In fact, I should be in his eternal debt from what you’re telling me!” Cruise insisted, punctuating his statement with a stomp of his hoof.
Twilight didn’t answer right away. She studied him carefully, finally making a connection she would later think she should have seen from the start. “I’m beginning to understand why you and Lenora resent him so much,” the violet unicorn speculated, putting a hoof to her chin in a half-conscious imitation of Phoenix. Guess he IS rubbing off on me…
Cruise raised an eyeridge. “Really? Because you’re telling me the complete opposite!” Cruise scowled and glared daggers at Twilight.
Twilight didn’t care if he glared, rolled his eyes or even turned into a dragon that breathed fire at her, she was determined to get the information she needed out of him once and for all! “I realize it’s not that you don’t want to tell me… it’s that you can’t tell me… right?” she asked him, thinking his hostility sounded a little too forced.
Forced or not, Cruise’s expression turned even more sour. “You’re making less and less sense with every word you speak!”
Twilight ignored the insult as everything finally fell into place in her head. “I think I have all the puzzle pieces put together now…” she announced, going for saddlebags one last time.
“It has to do with this…”
Twilight brought out the race program pamphlet and showed to him, holding it in her mouth. “Take a look at this race program here,” she spoke around the parchment, laying it on the floor between them.
Cruise took a look at it through the partition and shrugged, but Twilight noticed his eyes narrow in anger when he saw the picture of Ace. “That’s for this year’s Equestrian 500… so what?”
“Care to look at slot number three?” Twilight pointed to it with a hoof. “It’s empty, but why?” she asked almost rhetorically, going on when Cruise didn’t respond. “According to someone I spoke with, you arrived in Ponyville a couple of days ago, not this morning…” she explained, watching his reaction carefully.
She noticed Cruise froze momentarily before catching himself. “Okay…so I lied about when I got here, what’s the big deal?” the pegasus stallion said sternly, taking on a dismissive air.
“I was told you signed up for the race when you arrived, but then dropped out shortly afterwards… just before these programs were printed,” Twilight revealed, which made Cruise fell silent once more. “That’s why there’s an empty line—it was originally supposed to be your name there, wasn’t it? And then right after Ace Swift’s death you were on your way to re-enter? That can only mean that Ace was the reason you dropped out.”
Cruise shifted nervously as the violet unicorn said those last words to him.
“It was because of him, wasn’t it?” Twilight leaned close to the partition and looked him in the eye. “He was threatening to take your sister out of that hospital if you didn’t drop out,” she deduced, shocked at her own conclusion, scarcely able to believe anypony could be so cruel.
“Nnggh!!” Cruise gave a pained sound and looked away.
Twilight stared expectantly at the final lock, but to her surprise… it remained intact. It didn’t break? Guess I just need to push a bit harder… she decided, quickly thinking of a way to do so. “I know now, Cruise. Why you lose all the time. Why Lenora got angry when I brought up Ace. Why he was carrying embarrassing pictures of my friend… and why you act like a loser when you’re not.”
“You do?” Cruise asked her, staring at her in disbelief and… hope? Twilight saw an odd glint in his eyes that almost made her think the blue pegasus pony was silently urging her on.
She obliged him. “It’s all a big conspiracy, isn’t it? The secret to Ace Swift’s success wasn’t that he was so good…” she paused to carefully review her thoughts, trying to make sure each link in her logic chain was sound before she presented her final conclusion. “His secret was that he was blackmailing all the tough competition… wasn’t he?” Twilight asked the male pegasus.
Cruise went silent and exhaled sharply at that moment, looking as if all the tension he’d been holding had suddenly been drained out of him. The violet unicorn waited patiently, sensing something was about to give, watching both him and the final lock intently. “Twilight…” he finally spoke.
“Yes?” her ears perked up.
To her surprise, the blue pegasus stallion locked eyes with her and gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you for figuring this out by yourself.”
Upon Cruise’s remark… the last lock broke and the chains receded back into the darkness.
[All locks neturalized]
The back hairs of Twilight’s mane stood on end at this, an odd and not unpleasant tingling sensation going through them. YES! I did it! I broke all the psycho-locks! she cheered within her thoughts, feeling giddy at her accomplishment and successful first use of the Magatama’s magic.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t just tell you straight out,” Cruise apologized, no trace of hostility left in his voice.
Twilight nodded in understanding, half-thinking she should find a way to keep the Magatama’s power even after Phoenix went home. “It’s alright. But now that it IS out… would you be willing to share a bit more information with me?” she asked politely as she pulled out the borrowed pencil and parchment from her saddlebags, expecting Cruise would now ‘spill the beans’, as Phoenix had put it.
But the male pegasus just took on his forlorn expression again, going downcast with his wings drooping to his sides once more. “I don’t know what else to tell you, Twilight Sparkle. Everything you said was true,” he admitted, sitting down on his haunches before her.
“Then just answer me a few questions,” the violet unicorn suggested sympathetically, carefully reviewing what she wanted to ask as she picked up the racing program and placed a sheet of parchment on the floor in its place. “First, if he’s doing this to you… why participate in the race every year?” she wondered aloud, picking up the pencil in her mouth. No feathers, no ink, just plain wood with a graphite core and it’s easy to hold in my mouth… why didn’t I think of this before?
He shook his head sadly. “Because he forced me to do that as well. After all, if you want to look like the world’s best athlete you need competition,” Cruise noted bitterly, waiting to go on until Twilight had finished writing her first line. “It’s not just me, either—he forced the best of us to race him just so we could lose to him. Lenora and the others who’ve fallen victim to his blackmail—pony, griffin, it didn’t matter—sort of just treat second place like first,” he added.
“If he forced you to race him before, why did he make you drop out this time then?” Twilight followed up with another question as she finished writing he first note.
He deflated again, lowering his head. “Because of what happened last year…”
“Last year?” Twilight repeated, raising an eyeridge, her pencil poised to start a new line of notes.
Cruise let out a big sigh before explaining. “I was flying in last year’s Equestrian 500. It was late in the race, and I was well behind, losing just as he wanted me to… but then I accidentally flew right into a storm that blew up in the middle of the race route over the Everfree Forest. I ended up flying headlong into a tornado and blacked out…” he began, visibly wincing at the memory, Twilight doing the same in sympathy—the Ponyville weather patrol occasionally had to deal with wild weather that rolled in off the Everfree; she’d seen some of those forest-spawned storms at a distance and knew they how dangerous they could be. And Phoenix’s world can't control weather? What do humans do when a storm like that comes, just hunker down and pray? she shuddered at the thought, scarcely able to imagine such a thing.
“When I came to, I was in a bush and pretty badly beat up from crashing through the forest canopy. I had been thrown way off course and knew I needed medical assistance, so I flew as fast as I could to get back on the racetrack—thankfully, my wings still worked,” he told her, shuddering at his own close call. “I was woozy, bleeding and in lot of pain, and when I saw the checkered flag up ahead, I thought the tornado had sent me so far off course that the race was already long over. So I used every drop of adrenaline to take me to the finish line,” he finished, cringing in remembered agony, cradling his left rib cage with a forehoof at the memory.
When Twilight’s writing had caught up again, he went on. “I finally made it back to the course, but right as I was about to cross I heard something behind me. So I looked back and saw the other racers with Ace ahead of the pack… it was only then I realized the tornado had in fact thrown me far ahead and I was about to win,” he remembered, a ghost of a smile touching his face. “I was actually happy for a moment and began to speed up, but then I remembered Ace’s deal…” he trailed off meaningfully, going downcast again.
Understanding dawned on Twilight as she continued to write. “So he thought you were deliberately trying to win…” she finished for him.
Cruise nodded ruefully. “Yeah. So just before crossing the finish line, I fell out of the sky like my injuries had overcome me and let him win… nopony questioned it afterwards because they could see the state I was in,” he noted, taking a deep breath as he looked back at Twilight. “I spent a week in the hospital after that with broken ribs and internal injuries, which was bad enough. But then Ace himself came to visit me and made it a photo-op of him comforting an injured competitor…” he snorted angrily. “I guess he didn’t want to take the risk of losing to me so he made me drop out completely this year. I suspect he did it to your friend for the same reason.”
“Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah, her,” Cruise confirmed, looking almost thoughtful for a moment. “I’m certain she was targeted by him for the performance she gave at the Cloudsdale Young Flyer competition. I’m sure he didn’t want somepony who could perform a stunt like… that competing against him,” he concluded, looking almost envious for a moment as he recalled the story of the Sonic Rainboom.
“But how do you know all this?” Twilight asked, looking up from her parchment again.
Cruise hesitated a moment before replying. “Because when I arrived in Ponyville, I bribed the concierge to let me into his hotel room and found a slip of paper saying he was meeting Rainbow Dash in the forest at 8:35 PM that night,” he recalled. “No doubt negotiating one of his ‘deals’ in private, like he did with the rest of us,” he looked away, wearing a brooding look as if in bitter memory.
So THAT’S why Ace was in the forest that night! the violet unicorn realized, her eyes widening. “So why did you finally decide to expose him?” she asked further.
Pure fury flashed through his green eyes. “Because… I… was… SICK OF IT!!!!” he exploded, loosing an angry, frustrated buck at the wall, chipping out a large chunk of concrete and causing Twilight to flinch back, her purple eyes wide. “I wanted to end his reign and expose him as the lowlife fraud he really was! It’s WRONG what he’s been doing to me and everypony else, and I couldn’t TAKE it anymore! NOTHING was too low for him! He held my sister hostage, threatening to take her out of that hospital if he I didn’t cooperate! NOW do you understand why I’m glad he’s dead?” he asked her with an angry flare of his wings, slamming a forehoof into the partition hard enough to make it rattle.
Twilight was taken aback by his vehemence, only understanding at that moment everything the male pegasus had been going through… also realizing from his show of strength that he hadn’t really resisted when she and Pinkie had captured him. Maybe because he felt guilty over what he’d done…? “I… can’t say he deserved to die, but what he was doing was definitely wrong…” Twilight would concede no more, only half-agreeing with Cruise.
She watched as the male pegasus struggled to regain control of his surging emotions, forcing himself to sit back down. “Here. I’ve been saving this,” he told her, reaching for his flank to pull out what looked like a small photograph, carefully concealed in a hidden pouch at the base of his wing. “I waited near the entrance to the forest and took this picture,” Cruise explained as he passed it through the slot in the bottom of the partition.
Ace’s PhotographA picture of Ace entering the Everfree Forest.
Twilight reflexively tried to use her magic to levitate it only to wince again when the dampening field reacted, sending a painful surge of feedback through her horn. OW! she cringed. Rubbing her forehead ruefully for a moment, she leaned over to take a look at the image, seeing that it was indeed of a male pony walking into the Everfree Forest… but couldn’t glean much else from it. “You didn’t really get his face, and it’s too dark to see his coat colors, but that’s definitely a stallion wearing a lightning-proof race suit…” she noted, the pain in her forehead starting to recede.
“Sorry, I’m not really a good photographer. And I didn’t want him to catch me,” Cruise apologized.
Twilight looked at Cruise again as she stowed the picture, picking it up somewhat awkwardly with her hoof and putting it in her saddlebags. “Why did you take a picture of him anyway?”
Cruise rubbed his own head as he answered. “I took it because… like I said, I wanted to get him for what he was doing. It would just be another rumor unless he was caught in the act,” he explained, looking like something else was on his mind. “I brought it to the police as an anonymous tip, but… they didn’t do anything! They wouldn’t listen to me!” he told her, loosing a fresh buck at the wall that chipped out even more cement, tears of frustration welling in his eyes.
Twilight's eyes widened at that. So CRUISE was the anonymous tip Trixie spoke of! she made the connection, realizing something else as well. “Uh… I think I know why they didn’t take you seriously,” she gave him a sidewise look, a slight smirk on her face. “Were… you in your other persona? You know… the one you were in when you met me today?”
Cruise gave her a pained look, sensing where the violet unicorn was going. “Uh… yeah, I was…” he confirmed.
Twilight nodded. “That’s the reason…” she noted dryly.
“Oh…” was the only word he said, lowering his wings and sitting back down… regretting that he ever acted like that in the first place and vowing to never do so again.
Twilight broke the silence with another question. “But… how did he get away with this for such a long time? Surely somepony must have told the police about this blackmail business?” Twilight said, wondering aloud why hadn’t anyone stood up against Ace and his dirty deeds.
Once again, Cruise could only shake his head in frustration. “Nopony ever could. It was like he was always watching us. It was uncanny—if we so much as put a hoof out of line, he found out. He knew exactly how to keep us all quiet and put us in positions where we couldn’t refuse his demands!” the pegasus stallion explained in dismay.
“And in your case… because he helped your sister, you couldn’t do anything?” Twilight asked him to clarify, now writing furiously, having already filled half the sheet of parchment with her notes.
Cruise nodded, blinking back tears again; there was a noticeable catch in his voice when he spoke. “Yeah. In a way, I’m thankful for that, but…” the male pegasus trailed off.
“But…?” Twilight looked up and repeated, prompting him to continue.
He took several ragged breaths. “You don’t know what it’s like, Twilight…” he began, his lip visibly quivering. “To have your own sister held hostage, being made a slave. To have to comply with his every word or watch her die!” he told her, anger and sorrow present in his voice in equal measure. “But it’s not just about my sister. It's not even about my sister and me. It's about ALL of us he's wronged!" he proclaimed, raising his green eyes back to meet hers. "For years me and other racers have yearned to have a true race in the Equestrian 500—none of this ‘second place is first’ horse crap! Racing is what I live for—it's what we ALL live for, but we're all held back because of what Ace is doing!” he told her, growing more furious with each sentence he spoke.
Twilight had no reply, struck silent as she finally understood how deep his hurt and anger really went... and how many ponies Ace must have wronged over the years.
Cruise exhaled sharply again and all the anger seemed to drain out of him. “I don’t know how much Lenora told you…” he began almost leerily, only going on when Twilight didn’t seem to react. “But I actually used to do really well in the races before Ace came along. He only entered the major national or international athletic events, not the more regional ones like the Manehattan circuit I was on. I had never even met him before my sister’s accident… and then he offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse—my sister’s care in Canterlot hospital in exchange for helping him win races.
“And what choice did I have, Twilight Sparkle?” he asked, eyes suddenly glistening. “I swore on our parents’ grave I’d look out for her, and that was the only way I could. For the longest time, I blamed myself for what happened to her, but truth be told… I don’t blame anypony anymore. Her fall was an accident; I accept that now. What I can’t accept is what's become of me… I’m not a champion racer and I’m not a big brother; I’m just a pathetic loser who does what’s he told and c-can’t even take care of his own little s-sister…” he trailed off as his voice began to falter; as Twilight watched, tears began to roll down his cheeks. “I h-hate to imagine what she’d think of me if she could s-see me now. I know she wouldn’t l-look up to me like she used to,” he sniffled, turning away to hide his shame.
“You’re right… she wouldn’t…” Twilight agreed, her heart going out to him. “I think she’d look up to you even more,” she told him, favoring the male pegasus with a warm smile.
He looked up at her, startled. “Wh… what?”
Twilight put a comforting hoof against the glass at his shoulder level. “Cruise… think about it. Everything you’ve done, you’re done for her to make sure she gets the care she needs. You’ve shown great self-sacrifice, holding back in something you love, all for her well-being. I think you’re a very good big brother,” she told him. “You remind me a lot of my own, actually,” she added with a wistful smile, realizing it had been far too long since she’d seen Shining Armor. Haven’t heard from him much lately either. Wonder what he’s been up to? she started to wonder, deciding to make it a point to visit him in Canterlot before too long.
Cruise managed a brief, weak smile of his own, placing his hoof on the inside of the partition opposite hers in gratitude before going forlorn again. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle,” he managed, wiping away his tears and slowly composing himself. “But it doesn’t change anything. My sister’s still in a coma, and I’m still stuck here. Think of me what you will, but… I hate Ace. And as far as I’m concerned… he got exactly what he deserved.”
Just as Twilight was beginning to form a reply, she sensed the tracer on Phoenix go off as somepony used magic on him. She froze, purple eyes going wide, straining with her senses to tell what kind of spell it was and make sure he was alright… ready to dash out if he wasn’t and teleport to his location as soon as she was clear of the dampening field, even if she didn’t have the power to do so safely.
To her relief, there was no need—it was just a telekenesis spell that was over and done within three seconds; he hadn’t been hurt and near as she could tell, the only affect was to move him a few feet. She didn’t recognize the aura that had acted on him—it didn’t belong to any unicorn in Ponyville she knew—but it seemed oddly weak and unfocused to her, like its owner was sick or their horn was injured. Whoever did that either didn’t sense the tracer, or didn’t care, she realized, vowing to ask Phoenix about it later, turning her attention back to Cruise Control.
“Just forget it,” Cruise finally said after he watched Twilight fall silent for several seconds, thinking she was aghast at his assertion. “Can I go now? I told you everything you wanted to know,” he reminded her in a subdued voice, beginning to turn away from her again.
“Not everything…” she corrected, her sudden worry about Phoenix reminding the violet unicorn of her original question.
“Huh?”
Her eyes narrowed and expression turned stern again. “Why did you attack Rainbow Dash’s lawyer and leave him for dead?”
He visibly stiffened, not immediately answering.
*bang* *BANG* *Kssshssh* *RATTLE* *clank* *KSSSHSSSHHHH* *bam* *bam* *Bam* *Bam!* *BAM!!!*
To Twilight’s shock, her vision went dark again and an even thicker tangle of chains appeared, this time guarded by no less than five fresh psycho-locks. “Because… I-I had to… otherwise… h-he’d find out!” was all the male pegasus could manage, taking on a panic-stricken expression once again.
The violet unicorn stared at the new locks in alarm, the pencil hitting the floor with a wooden clatter after falling from her suddenly-open mouth. Wait… does this mean… does this mean CRUISE did it?
Cruise Control saw the horrified look in Twilight’s eyes and realized what she was thinking. “I… I…” he started to stammer.
Twilight stood up on suddenly shaky legs and got as close to the partition as she could, trying to force the male pegasus to meet her gaze. “Cruise… did you do it? Did you kill Ace?” she asked, holding her breath and not hearing the door open behind her.
His eyes darted about wildly. “T-Twilight, I…” he began to answer, only to be cut off by the sudden appearance of an armored pegasus guard who stepped in front of Twilight, ending the conversation.
“Civilian visiting hours are now over. All visitors must leave the detention center immediately!” he informed the violet unicorn, nodding to the clock on the wall behind her that now said 5:30.
Twilight's jaw fell open. “NO! Please! I need to talk to him for just a little bit longer!” she begged as an earth pony guard entered on Cruise’s side to lead him away. She got one last glimpse of him glancing back at her, looking like he desperately wanted to say something but was unable to.
“I’m not going to repeat myself, Miss Sparkle. Unless you’re his lawyer, you can’t stay. You can come back tomorrow afternoon when visiting hours resume. In the meantime, please exit the detention center now!” the Pegasus guard ordered unsympathetically, pointing to the door with a raised hoof.
NO! I was so close! the violet unicorn cried out in dismay with her thoughts, watching helplessly as Cruise—and perhaps the key to solving the case and proving Rainbow Dash innocent—disappeared out the back door.
June 10th, 5:35pm
A frustrated Twilight left the detention center, more troubled than ever.
I don’t know what to make of this… the violet unicorn shook her head as she began to walk home, lost in thought. My best guess is that after the police wouldn’t listen to him, Cruise went to the crime scene and killed Ace out of desperation to protect his sister, she tspeculated, hoping that if that WAS the case, they’d go easy on him. Might even explain his attack on Phoenix, if he thought his uncovering the truth would endanger her as well…
She shook her head at that. Part of her still wanted to hate the male pegasus for what he’d done to Phoenix, but… she just couldn’t. Everything Cruise does, he does for his sister, not himself, she now knew. He was in an impossible situation; he’s been through his own private Tartarus these past few years because of Ace and the accident. And you saw his strength in there… he could have fought back or gotten away on the edge of the Everfree, but he didn’t. And he didn’t have to tell me where Phoenix was, she further realized, sensing whatever he was hiding behind the new batch of psycho-locks, there was likely much more to the story than she knew.
A sudden thought stopped her mid-stride. Actually… if he’s just afraid for his sister, maybe I could talk to Princess Celestia about keeping her in that hospital? Give him a royal guarantee she won’t be removed, and I bet he’d open up! she had the sudden inspiration, resolving to take it up with the Princess after the trial, satisfied for now with what she’d uncovered and having a new suspect. Should be enough to prove Rainbow innocent, at least…
On a whim, she made a detour to stop by Rarity’s home, telling herself it was to get Spike’s sapphire and to let her fashionista friend know her services were needed to fix Phoenix’s suit. Just hope she’s around… Twilight fervently hoped as she knocked on the door of the now-closed Carousel Boutique.
It was answered, not by Rarity but by Sweetie Belle, who told Twilight that Phoenix had stopped by not five minutes before she did, and for the same reason.
The violet unicorn wasn’t sure how Phoenix knew about Rarity, but her heart sank when Sweetie Belle further explained that her older sister was out having dinner with a potential Canterlot client and wouldn’t be back until quite late. Twilight had also been hoping Rarity would be there so she could have somepony she trusted to talk with about Phoenix; she badly needed a sounding board to sort out her conflicted feelings towards him…
And to make the decision she’d been putting off on whether to fire him or not.
Leaving a message with Sweetie Belle that she needed a sapphire for Spike and emergency repairs for Phoenix’s suit, Twilight started to head for the library again but this time found herself stopping at Sugar Cube Corner, both for a light dinner and to tell Pinkie Pie that ‘Feenie’ was safe. The party pony reacted to the news with a leap of joy and a heartfelt hug of Twilight, spinning her around and telling the violet unicorn she was already planning to throw one of her ‘extra super-duper special’ parties for him after he got Rainbow acquitted.
Wha… what did he do to deserve THAT? Twilight blinked, remembering the last such party Pinkie had thrown, for Rainbow Dash after she won the Cloudsdale Young Flyers’ Competition. It had been held the following Friday night in the library and surrounding plaza and most of Ponyville had turned out for it; even Princess Celestia had made an appearance a couple hours in.
In truth, Twilight didn’t actually remember all of it—in fact, the last half of the night was blacked-out blur to her—but judging by the pounding in her head and party debris the next day, with included glitter all over the library floor, Vinyl Scratch and several other ponies passed out in the yard and a several blurry but still blushworthy photographs (which she had immediately ordered Spike to burn), it had been as big a doozie as the Swamp Hydra. Better watch my cider intake next time… and was that a hickey or a bruise? she still didn’t know, unable to shake the odd feeling there had been somepony in her bed during the night.
To her surprise, the Cakes were relieved to hear Phoenix was safe as well, informing her that the human lawyer had been by for lunch courtesy of Pinkie, and that “anypony who likes my pastries and coffee is a good pony in my book,” in the words of a visibly-pregnant Mrs. Cake. “Even if he’s not a pony,” she shrugged as she served Twilight an orange smoothie, large strawberry muffin and slice of honeydew melon, using her tail as a serving tray and sliding the plate holding the order right off on to the table. The violet unicorn ate slowly, some part of her sensing she was just trying to put off going home, knowing what awaited her there… still not ready to face either Phoenix or the decision to fire him.
Leaving Sugar Cube Corner, she started back for the library but soon found herself wandering again, this time to nearby Ponyville park, where she ended up on the same arch bridge she and Apple Bloom had found Pinkie’s golf club under. There were only a few ponies around, and the violet unicorn soon found herself leaning over the bridge railing, staring over the river towards at the setting sun.
So… what am I supposed to do about Phoenix? she asked nopony in particular, her thoughts dwelling on the human stallion again. But he’s NOT a stall… oh, buck it, she gave up, sitting down heavily on her haunches and looking down at her reflection in the water. I like him. I don’t know why, but I do, she finally admitted in defeat. So was THIS the big joke, princess? the violet unicorn asked again, but if the Celestia heard her thoughts, she did not reply.
Twilight looked down at the water in frustration. She’d tried hard to ignore it or blame it on odd circumstances, including the romance novels of Rarity’s she’d been a little too engrossed in before the murder… but after everything she’d thought and experienced since he arrived, from her initial fascination over the human lawyer to how Trixie’s insults of him had set her emotions (quite literally) afire… increasingly, she was forced to acknowledge that whatever she was feeling for Phoenix went beyond all that.
And she didn’t get it. He didn’t behave like most stallions, certainly not like the ones in the romance novels she’d read, where males were either portrayed as proverbial ‘stallions in distress’ requiring rescue or occasionally as evil or amoral ponies converted to the light by the love of a beautiful, powerful mare.
She shook her head. As a human, he lacked any kind of natural defense—no unicorn magic, pegasus power of flight or earth pony strength—so if any male met the definition of a stallion in distress, it would be him. And yet… he didn’t even remotely act like one, taking severe and repeated personal risks despite his lack of power and unfamiliarity with Equestria, deliberately exposing himself to danger, all to help his client…
All to help her, even when she had shunned him… even when he knew she didn’t want anything to do with him.
Her cheeks warmed at that. Nopony’s ever treated like that me before, she realized. He knew I was lying to him, but was still willing to represent Rainbow. When I abandoned him, he tried to investigate on his own. He knew he was probably walking into a trap by going into the Everfree, but he didn’t care. He was nearly killed, but he didn’t quit. He knew I was going to fire him, and he still wanted to help… she shook her head in disbelief, remembering how struck she was when he insisted he still wanted to aid her even after all he’d been through, whether it was as the lead attorney or not. Even more incredibly, he wanted her forgiveness, which was completely backwards to her way of thinking as well.
She tried to remember what she’d heard about humans, wishing she’d at least known he’d be one before summoning him so she could have studied them more. Omnivorous… descended from primates… weird nudity taboos… tend to form monogamous relationships with a single mate, she vaguely remembered reading, completely unlike the herd-based family structure that ponies preferentially used, a necessity in a society where mares outnumbered stallions more than three to one. “They’ve got equal gender ratios, so the males have to woo females instead of the other way around! How cool is THAT?” Lyra had once told her, visibly wistful about the idea.
Twilight grinned a little wanly at that, knowing she’d already seen some evidence of it, given the deferential manner in which he’d treated her and Fluttershy. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it, she admitted… only to have the thought subsumed beneath a fresh wave of resentment and anger welling up from deep within her. “But I didn’t summon him here to be a coltfriend, I summoned him to defend Rainbow Dash, and he did a HORRIBLE job of it!” she reminded herself out loud, her eyes narrowing. “He didn’t study, and it nearly got Rainbow sent to the sun—it still MAY! And regardless of his reasons, he still tried to shift blame to Fluttershy and she spent half the afternoon in jail! Even if Fluttershy forgave him… how can I?” she asked her reflection in the water.
Well, what else was he SUPPOSED to do, Twilight? her reflection seemed to answer back in her own thoughts. Could you think of another way to prolong the trial and prevent a guilty verdict? the other, seemingly more sensible part of her challenged.
She blinked at that. It wasn’t the first time she had spoken to herself in a mirror, a habit Spike had teased her about in the past, but projecting her thoughts onto her reflection helped her to see both sides of an argument, and nopony was close enough to hear her. “Well… no… but… but he LIED!” she protested. “And even if he meant well, he did what he did to Fluttershy without permission or consent!”
But isn’t that exactly what you did to HIM? her thoughts suddenly echoed Fluttershy’s words at the cottage. Fluttershy was right, Twilight… you summoned him here without warning or asking, lied to him repeatedly, guilted him into defending Rainbow Dash… and then you turn on him when things inevitably go sour?
Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “But he should have STUDIED!” she tried again.
Even if he had… would it really have made that much difference? her more sensible side asked. He had no chance to acclimate to this world, no real chance to investigate except for ten minutes at the crime scene, she reminded herself through her reflection. Study or no, you sent him in there disoriented and sleep-deprived against a well-prepared and out-for-blood Trixie. Even if he WAS the greatest defense attorney there is… how could the trial have turned out anything BUT badly?
“The Judge didn’t have a problem…” she mumbled with faltering confidence, only to watch her reflection shake her head again.
The Judge didn’t have to gather evidence, investigate, and present a case, came the rebuttal. All he had to do was study for a few hours and listen to what was presented at trial. His job was easier. A defense attorney needs a lot more time to prepare for a trial than a judge—time you didn’t give him, Twilight.
Twilight closed her eyes and looked away at that, increasingly feeling trapped. She looked up again to see the sun hadn’t moved—the yellow orb seemed to be frozen in the sky before her as if the Sun Princess herself was awaiting her decision; the violet unicorn swore she could feel Celestia’s eyes on her, asking what she would do.
She averted her gaze, looking down at the water again. I’ve always trusted you, princess, but here…
The sun itself suddenly seemed to brighten, drawing her eyes back to it. Is it him or yourself you don’t trust, Twilight? this time it was Celestia’s voice that sounded in her head, causing the violet unicorn to start—she knew the Sun Princess had the ability to hear thoughts and prayers directed at the sun, but she had no idea she could actually respond to it! It is an ability I do not use often—only when the need is real and immediate, as I sense it is here, the Sun Princess explained. So why are you so adamant about firing him, my loyal student? Is this really about his poor performance, or are you simply afraid of what you’re feeling? her mentor’s voice asked gently but directly.
Twilight thought about that, only to shake her head, surprised at the answer she came up with. “No. It’s not just about that,” she insisted in reply, turning her gaze back on the setting sun. “It’s because of… how he used her!” she finally understood, her eyes going wide with realization. “It isn’t about him not studying, and it’s not because I can’t deal with liking him—though I admit it doesn’t help," she said through gritted teeth. “It’s about what he did this morning; treating Fluttershy like… like a sacrificial pawn in a chess match!” she exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Princess… I don’t care what he was trying to do, or whatever it is I’m feeling for him… I will NOT have my friends treated like that and it’s very hard for me to forgive somepony—or somebody—who does!” she said, her anger at him rekindled.
Celestia’s answer was instant. Your ire is understandable, my loyal student, and your love for your friends does you credit—you have clearly learned much about friendship in the time you have spent in Ponyville, her regent acknowledged. But in this matter, you must look past your personal feelings and view this in more practical terms. You must know that what Phoenix did this morning was an act of desperation, not callousness, the Sun Princess reminded her prized pupil, the rays of the sun taking an almost pinkish hue as they focused on Twilight, bathing her in her mentor’s power and presence. Do you truly believe his regret for that act is not genuine? Or that Fluttershy would have forgiven him so easily if it was? she asked. And do you truly believe that I would recommend him simply because I thought your interest in him amusing? she followed up, her voice taking on a slightly reproachful tone.
Twilight deflated again. “No…” she admitted. The Sun Princess certainly had a trickster streak in her and loved to play pranks, but the violet unicorn knew from long experience as her student they were always to help and teach, not to torment.
It is good you realize that. But what you must also realize is that what Phoenix faced this morning is exactly what YOU will be faced with as well, should you take over the defense, Celestia warned her. You know the grudge Trixie holds, and you saw firsthoof how good a prosecutor she is. Do you REALLY stand a chance against her in court? the Sun Princess asked pointedly.
“I don’t know, but… I have to try!” the violet unicorn bit her now-quivering lip.
The decision to do so is yours and yours alone, but you must first answer this question, my loyal student: can you become an adequate lawyer in just a day? the Sun Princess asked again. And even if you can… is merely adequate going to be enough against Trixie?
She slumped and shook her head at that, hearing another gentle rebuke in her mentor’s voice. As much as Twilight hated ceding anything to Trixie, there was no denying the mare magician had proven herself a superb prosecutor who didn’t make mistakes—Phoenix himself had said as much. Worse, even with what she’d learned from Cruise Control, she had no proof he committed the murder—the presence of ‘psycho-locks’ was hardly admissible as evidence; she’d be laughed out of court if she tried—and revealing Ace’s blackmail scheme didn’t mitigate the mountain of evidence still arrayed against Rainbow Dash.
If anything, the blackmail just gives Rainbow a stronger motive to have committed the murder herself, she belatedly realized, her shoulders slumping with the realization that nothing she’d uncovered could really help her friend.
Despite that, part of Twilight still wanted very badly to try; to show Phoenix, Trixie and everypony else that she could be a lawyer; could beat the rival unicorn on her own terms and at her own game again, but… she quickly realized that would be falling into a trap of ‘anything you can do I can do better’ she’d previously promised not to enter.
Twilight pursed her lips. No. I’m better than that. This isn’t about me and Trixie, and it’s not about me and Phoenix. It’s about Rainbow Dash and who gives her the best chance of acquittal tomorrow, she reminded herself sternly, increasingly recognizing that regardless of her confusion and conflicted feelings, there was only one real choice.
With that, she closed her eyes and made her decision, mentally informing the Sun Princess. In her mind’s eye, Twilight could see her mentor’s approving nod and smile, the glow of the sun intensifying for a moment before dimming back to its normal level and resuming its trip to the horizon. And what of me and Phoenix, Princess? She called after Celestia with her thoughts before the sun could track too much further. What am I supposed to do about what I’m feeling for him?
That choice is yours… and his, was all the Sun Princess would say, a note of coyness and amusement back in her voice.
“That isn’t very helpful…” Twilight muttered, deciding she would have to be content with resolving one question for now. Silently praying that she was making the right call, the violet unicorn left the park and made her long-delayed return to the library.
June 10th, 6:15PM
Arriving home, Twilight noticed the front door to the library was wide open—something that she’d scolded Spike for in the past and generally annoyed her to no end.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she walked inside, entering to see Phoenix lounging on a reading couch and Spike talking to him almost conspiratorially, discussing her as if she weren’t there. “…and you don’t know the half of it!” she caught the tail end of Spike snickering. “Let me tell you, Twilight’s a total nerd!”
“Excuse me?” the violet unicorn asked in an irritated tone, causing the pair’s heads to spin around in surprise.
Spike cringed under her withering glare, offering up his most ingratiating grin in response. “Oh! You’re back, Twilight! I… um… uh… I was just on way to… um… organize those awesome books my intelligent and smart friend reads! Uh… later!” he raced upstairs before she could remind him he had chores to do, nearly tripping over his apron and Owlowiscious' perch on the way up.
She allowed herself a brief grin of satisfaction which quickly disappeared as Phoenix caught her attention by standing up. “So… did you find out what you needed to know?” he asked her, clasping his hands in front of him in what she was now recognizing as a gesture of respect and humility.
Despite his continuing deferential treatment of her, she gave him a terse nod, hoping she could just get past him and go to bed; not have to deal with him again that night. “Yes. I have to say, your Magatama’s power is amazing. I’ll fill you in about what I learned tomorrow. I have a good idea who’s behind all of this,” she announced shortly, trotting past the human lawyer without looking at him and starting to head upstairs.
“Okay…” he acknowledged with a nod, giving her some hope that would be the only interaction needed; his mere presence was causing her emotions to surge again and she didn’t know how much longer she could hold them off. “Wait… so you’re not firing me?” he called after her, catching her short of the stairwell.
She stopped and sat down, closing her eyes as she looked down at the floor. Her heart was beginning to race; she felt something primal and powerful welling up within her, even if it didn’t yet reach her voice. “I’ve thought about it a lot… and I realize now that you mean well,” Twilight conceded. “What happened this morning is as much my fault for yanking you from your own world against your will and giving you no time to acclimate or prepare for a trial in this one,” she further admitted, reciting her reasoning. “What you did wasn’t fair to Fluttershy, but what I did wasn’t fair to you either… so it wouldn’t be right to hold it against you. And if what you say is true… you stand a better chance against Trixie than I do,” the violet unicorn concluded, looking down at the rug on the floor, amazed she could sound so calm even as she felt ready to explode.
She heard his exhalation of relief. “Thank you, Twilight. You made the right choice,” he promised.
“You’re welcome. But Phoenix…?” she trailed off.
“Yes?”
The violet unicorn could hold herself back no longer. Without warning, she turned and leaped at the human lawyer, rearing up and shoving him hard against a bookshelf, pinning him in place with her weight and magic.
She held him there for a moment before speaking, hooves against his shoulders and looking up at him from the level of his chest, her aura an angry orange and glowing red eyes piercing his brown ones with a soul-freezing stare that could have rivaled Fluttershy’s.
When she was satisfied she had his full attention, she spoke, finally giving voice to her long-held fury. “These are my friends, Phoenix,” she informed him in a very quiet but sharp, even ominous tone. “I love them all and I’d do anything to protect them; they are NOT to be used as pawns in a legal war between you and Trixie!” she warned him, giving him a brief but sharp shake with her hooves and aura, the glow in her eyes intensifying for a moment and causing his to widen. “The thought of losing Rainbow is hard enough to bear, but when you accused Fluttershy… I thought I was going to lose HER too!” she told him, feeling all the fears and emotions she had felt at the end of the trial come rushing back, her voice and eye glow wavering under their weight. “I now understand why you did it, and accept that you had no choice. But please… don’t EVER…! try a stunt like that again without running it past me first… understood?” she ordered him, emphasizing her final word with another shake of his shoulders.
A visibly shocked and fearful Phoenix didn’t answer right away, swallowing as he stared at her with his eyes wide. She watched as he gathered his courage, slowly raising his hands to grasp her hooves as they lay against his shoulders; she made no move to stop him. “Y-yeah… I won’t, I promise,” he said a little unsteadily, giving her blunt appendages a reassuring squeeze, his touch sending a sudden shiver down her spine. “I shouldn’t need to do anything like that again. From here on out… my only purpose is to get Rainbow acquitted and to find out what really happened in that forest that night,” the human lawyer pledged, his eyes never leaving hers.
Doing her best to ignore his hands on her forelegs, she studied his face carefully, trying to determine if he meant what he said. To his credit, he didn’t flinch from her glowing red eyes and she could find no trace of deception or deceit in his human features, nor did any more of the ‘psycho-locks’ appear. He… he really means it… she realized. And that means… Fluttershy and the Princess are right! I really CAN trust him! she finally accepted, the red glow in her eyes fading to reveal their normal purple color and her aura relaxing, releasing him from its grip.
“I-I’m sorry… I… I didn’t mean to scare you… it was just… I had to get that off my chest…” she told him in a shaky voice, feeling almost faint after the release of tension and leaning on him heavily, realizing she’d used up all her remaining magic with that display.
Recovering from his fright, he gave her hooves another squeeze, causing her eyes to flicker to them, some part of her amazed his fingers could be so soft and strong all at the same time. “It’s all right… I’ll be the first to admit I deserved that,” he replied with a slightly wan and rueful grin. “This hasn’t been one of my better days, and I don’t think I have any right to ask this of you, but… please forgive me?” he asked, bowing his head before her.
Her feelings vented and her anger spent, the violet unicorn found she was finally able to do so. “Fluttershy forgave you… so I guess I can too. The Princess also said I can trust you, and that everything would be fine if you were here,” Twilight remembered, giving him a genuine smile. Abruptly, she began to tear up again as the weight of the situation crashed down anew on her; realizing how precarious the fate of Rainbow Dash still was… and that the human lawyer was now her only hope. “Phoenix… please save my friend!” she begged him.
His expression softened and he stood up straighter, releasing her hooves and moving his arms to embrace her fully, one hand going behind her head adn the other to her shoulders. “I’ll try—no. I won’t let you down this time!” he promised her in a quiet but determined voice, gently pulling her head to his chest, taking noticeable care not to touch her horn. Though surprised, her eyes widening as she realized what he was doing, the violet unicorn did not resist, finding herself craving his touch and comfort. Hold me. Tell me everything is going to be fine, she silently pleaded. Tell me Rainbow will be found not guilty and by tomorrow night she’ll be soaring the sky again instead of being sent to the sun…
He obliged her. “I’ll prove Rainbow Dash innocent, and neither Trixie nor Timberwolves will stop me,” Phoenix swore to her softly but fervently, gently stroking her mane with one hand while his other rested on her shoulders, holding her against him.
Her eyes squeezed shut at that, tears of gratitude welling in them. “Th-thank you,” came Twilight’s quavering voice, her entire body starting to tremble. With that, the violet unicorn gave in fully to his embrace, soaking up the strength and presence of the human stallion until…
“Oh, get a room, you two!” Spike called down from the second floor, causing them both to flush and hurriedly pull away.
“Who!” Owlolicious called from his perch, an odd tone in his hoot, his head swiveled towards them and smiling out of the sides of his beak.
Still blushing, Twilight pushed back from him and dropped back to all fours, sitting down on her haunches, sheepishly rubbing a hoof behind her head. “Um… th-thank you. That spare bed is in the same place,” she said in a slightly flustered tone, turning away from him. She felt warm and lightheaded, strangely unsteady on her hooves; she swore she could still feel his hands on her, one resting against her shoulders and the other stroking her mane. “Try to get lots of sleep this time, okay? I’m pretty tired after all that’s happened today. Investigating sure takes a lot out of you,” she yawned, making a show of stretching out languidly before him, briefly flagging her tail at him before she caught herself.
“Tell me about it…” an equally-flustered Phoenix agreed with her; she could see him rubbing the back of his own head out of the corner of her eye but couldn't tell if he was looking at her.
“I, uh… think I’m going to bed early…” Twilight announced, finding herself suddenly unable to look him in the eye. Did… did he see what I did? Does he… even know what it meant? she wondered slightly frantically, uncertain if she more hoped he didn’t… or that he did.
His voice gave no indication either way. “Alright. I'm probably going to crash soon too,” he said in sympathy, sounding nearly as tired as she was.
“Good night,” Twilight called to him, then trotted upstairs to her upper-floor bedroom loft, getting halfway up before she realized she was putting some extra sway in her hips. She briefly glanced over her shoulder and saw that his eyes were on her, quickly averted when he saw her looking back; she flushed again and hurried upstairs before her body and tired mind could conspire to betray her again. The choice is yours… and his, she remembered Celestia saying, but it was not a choice she was anywhere near ready to make, and she sincerely doubted he was, either.
Her eyes fluttering as she reached her bed, the violet unicorn crawled under her covers, using the final fading wisps of her aura to shut her blinds against the waning rays of the sun. She was barely able to do it; realizing that for the first time in many years, she had completely exhausted her power. For a unicorn, magical exhaustion often equaled physical as well; she realized that regardless of thoughts and emotions still running through her head, she was not going to remain awake much longer. I still don’t get it. But there’ll be time enough to figure things with Phoenix out later, once Rainbow is freed, she thought, deciding she didn’t need all the answers right away. IF Rainbow is freed, she reluctantly reminded herself. What will happen tomorrow? Will she be found not guilty? she worried, trying not to think about what would happen if she wasn't.
As if an answer, Phoenix’s promise to prove Rainbow Dash innocent sounded in her head again, and this time… she found she believed it, relaxing into her mattress and manually pulling her star-patterned bedspread up over her body.
Her fatigue and exhaustion—both magical and emotional—finally catching up to her, the violet unicorn fell asleep, her dreams filled with human hands, Celestia's sun… and psycho-locks.
