Part 31 - A Locked Heart
Fluttershy’s Cottage
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, you know!” she told the surprised carrot vendor) and a sunflower sandwich and tomato soup for Twilight—the pair headed west 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 crops 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, paying particular attention to the darker-feathered ones.
“Look at all the police, Twi!” Apple Bloom gawked at the uniformed ponies, some of whom had noticed them.
“They must be trying to find a match for 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, leaving her upset at Phoenix again for inflicting this on her. “They’re wasting their time.”
“Why do you say that?” Apple Bloom looked up at her.
“Because—” She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it and not sure she could explain it in terms that eight-year old Apple Bloom could understand. “It has to do with one of the arguments made at the end of today’s trial, after you left.”
“The trial? Oh, that reminds me,” Apple Bloom remembered.
“Yes? What is it, Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked, starting to head up the side path towards the cottage.
“What happened to that nice human lawyer guy you were with during the 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, attempting to force back the unwanted emotions that were trying to rise to the surface again.
“Huh? But why?” Apple Bloom asked earnestly.
“I just don’t want to talk about him, so drop it, okay?” Twilight snapped at the young filly a little more sharply than she meant to.
Apple Bloom cringed slightly at her tone. “O-okay,” she agreed 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! She 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! “We’re looking for a torn-up half of a letter. Fluttershy said it was just inside her cottage in the scrap paper basket by the front door.”
“Oh, is that all? Then let’s go get it!” Apple Bloom said excitedly as they reached the walkway from the street to Fluttershy’s cottage. 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 in 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 mare magician said with a mocking grin.
Twilight’s lip tightened upon seeing the showmare. And just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse!
“It’s Twilight Snarkle!” Trixie taunted with a laugh.
Twilight gave the other unicorn a cockeyed look. Seriously? ‘Twilight SNARKLE’? That’s the best you could come up with, Trixie? I heard more imaginative insults in preschool! “I’m not here to argue with you, Trixie. I’m just here to take care of something for Fluttershy, and then I’ll be on my way.” Twilight tried to step by her, preferring to avoid an altercation.
Trixie, however, had other ideas, teleporting back in front of Twilight and getting in her face. “We’ll just see about that. Trixie notices you’ve taken up foalsitting,” she said with a disdainful nod at Apple Bloom. “Trixie doesn’t really blame you, today’s defeat in court being so humiliating and all!”
“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 Apple-smack-talker that if she has something to say to Trixie, then 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 mare magician while Twilight felt her own anger begin to flare again, wisps of smoke starting to waft off her mane. Deep breaths, Twilight. Deep breaths… she 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 showmare cackled while Twilight silently 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!!!” she 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. She quickly restrained 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 to herself, sitting back and clutching her head in her hooves in an attempt to drive her warring emotions away.
Trixie gave a slightly more nervous laugh, making a mental note to brush up on various anti-fire enchantments before their inevitable duel. “Trixie struck a nerve, didn’t she?” She gave an unpleasant grin, lowering her head and charging her horn, readying a protection spell just in case Twilight well and truly snapped.
Twilight set her jaw, focusing all her frustration and anger on the rival 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 formally challenged the rival unicorn, matching Trixie’s lowered-head pose and pawing at the ground angrily, daring the showmare to fight 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? Isn't this what you wanted?" Twilight taunted. "We’ve got plenty of witnesses, so here are the terms of the duel: if you win, I’ll announce that you beat me and you get 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—she 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 accept her offer to duel at that moment, Twilight sensed the other 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 Twilight’s raw power. Maybe I could get a little outside help? the showmare 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 foal? 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, Twilight Snarkle—you’ll get your duel 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 showmare mocked. “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 it doesn’t matter. You’re still going to lose, whether that 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 ticket to the sun!” the mare magician 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 could be found guilty of Ace’s murder in place of Rainbow Dash,” she explained, 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 Twilight warily, in awe 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 right back where we were before Fluttershy was accused—with The Judge about to hand down Rainbow Dash’s verdict,” Twilight answered, her eyes closed, trying not to think about what came next.
“In other words—Win-Win for Trixie!” the showmare 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—” she paused to make a motion like she was pulling on a train horn “—‘Toot-Toot!’ Trixie really puts the ’pro’ in prosecutor!” she boasted, causing the police ponies in earshot to roll their eyes.
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? she didn't say out loud.
“That isn’t fair!” Apple Bloom said, stomping her hoof and looking downcast as her ears drooped, tears welling in her eyes at the thought of losing Rainbow Dash forever. What’ll that do to Scootaloo? she suddenly wondered, worried about her fellow Cutie Mark Crusader, a young and an as-yet flightless pegasus filly who worshiped Rainbow Dash greatly and saw her as a big sister figure.
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!”
“You do know that you’re wearing purple, right?” Twilight pointed with a hoof to her cape and hat, which made Trixie’s smile drop.
“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 mare noticing Apple Bloom quietly slipping away.
Trixie gave Twilight an odd look. “That really isn’t any of your business, dorky bangs. Trixie merely saw an opportunity and seized it. As they say, ’Carpe See-um’!” she mangled the old griffon idiom as she reared up theatrically on her hooves.
Twilight rolled her eyes. It’s ’Carpe Diem’, genius! she mentally corrected her rival. 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 further 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 decided with a shrug. “Since this town is out in the boonies and has no proper forensics division, we can’t get the feather thoroughly analyzed.”
THE BOONIES?! Why! You! AAARGGGH!!!!! Twilight struggled to not let her temper take hold of her again, finally understanding why Phoenix and Rainbow had so much trouble keeping their cool with Trixie—the mare magician was effortlessly infuriating and seemed to have an innate ability to find and push the buttons of the ponies she met, turning their anger and outbursts to her advantage by 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 gotten under her rival'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 began, feeling a strange serenity descend over her as she spoke. With that, she realized 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 more powerful, beautiful and an all-around better pony 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,” she said definitively.
Trixie stared at her in surprise for a moment before speaking. “What are you talking about? Of course it’s that!” the mare magician insisted, glaring at Twilight through narrowed violet eyes. “You ruined my career, Twilight Snarkle! Do you know how many hecklers 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 other 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 he did when he was thinking about something.
“What?” Trixie gave her an askance look.
“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 foal? 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.”
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 with a stomp of her hoof and a sudden chill wind in the air around her; for a moment Twilight swore she could see her breath like it was winter.
Though surprised at the surge of unusual elemental magic she sensed in Trixie, Twilight didn’t back down, wanting to know why the mare magician was so bent on destroying her bonds with her friends. “Sorry, Trixie. Not until you tell me the real reason you’re doing this!”
“I… uh...” Trixie looked at a loss for words for a moment, groping for a response. “I already told you, Snarkle! It’s all about that stupid, overgrown, flea-ridden Ursa!”
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 of her, much as had happened previously with Cruise Control. This again, Twilight noted 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. it isn’t just a change of color either. These locks—they FEEL different from the ones Cruise Control had. Filled with anger and hate, despair and sadness… so much sadness! Twilight began tearing up the longer she stared at them.
Trixie’s expression dropped as she saw the glistening in Twilight’s eyes.
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 showmare. These black locks are depressing me. Their emotions are 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 showmare 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 if I break these—I can’t help but feel it’ll hurt Trixie if I do! Do these locks guard something in a pony’s heart? If that were true, that means that Trixie… She couldn’t complete the thought, the conclusion she was trying to reach strangely elusive, somehow just out of her mental grasp.
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! Twilight was only too certain. 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? she 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, Snarkle!” she demanded in a loud voice, snapping Twilight out of her trance.
The spell finally broken, Twilight turned away, wiping her eyes. “Oh. Sorry, Trixie. Forget it. You’re obviously not going to tell me anything,” she somehow sensed to be true.
Trixie’s smug grin returned. “For once, you’re right. Trixie need not share her vast 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 COLOSSAL and CUNNING intellect to the investigation team!” the mare magician 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. “Do what you have to, but I warn you, Trixie—I’m not going to let my friends down. 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.
“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 showmare 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 teleported in front of her once more, blocking her path. “Don’t think so!” the mare magician intoned gleefully.
“What?” Twilight looked at Trixie, who was again wearing a smug smile.
“The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie!”—she all but sung her name—“is the head of the investigation team and won’t allow any civilians on the premises!”
“But I’m the Defense Attorney! I have the right to investigate!” Twilight claimed.
Trixie gave a derisive snort. “Oh, really? Let’s see a badge, then!” she challenged, her smug expression in full force.
“I-I don’t have one yet!” Twilight admitted, her tone flustered.
The showmare gave a look of mock sorrow. “Oh! Too bad. 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 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. “You have no business here, and Trixie isn’t going to repeat herself: SCRAM, Snarkle!” she ordered her rival, pinning Twilight with an intense glare.
“Have it your way.” Twilight shrugged as she turned around and made to leave. I’ll just sneak in quickly while Trixie isn’t looking! She began hatching a plan through her thoughts, only to find that 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 warned, seemingly reading Twilight’s mind.
“But—” Twilight 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! By all means, trespass on my investigation. You will make Trixie’s day if you do!” Trixie all but dared her rival, causing Twilight to fall silent in frustration.
“Ciao, Dorky Bangs! See you in court tomorrow. The GREAT and MERCIFUL Trixie will try and make your defeat as quick and painless as possible!” Trixie promised with a hoof on her chest as she 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.
“Forget it, Apple Bloom.” Twilight went downcast.
“Huh?” The filly tilted her head.
“I’m clearly not cut out for this stuff. I’m 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. You 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 paper in her mouth.
“It’s that torn-up letter you were talking about!” Apple Bloom said around the paper.
Twilight’s face instantly lit up in surprise and delight. “WHAT!? How did you get it?” she asked, completely flabbergasted.
Apple Bloom grinned broadly. “I snuck in Fluttershy’s house and got it while you were arguing with Trixie! It was right where you said; in the scrap paper basket beside the front door!” the young filly announced.
I… I don’t believe it! Twilight thought, tears welling in her eyes. “Apple Bloom, thank you so much!” she said in deep appreciation, sweeping the young filly close and giving her a heartfelt hug, “You may have just saved Rainbow Dash!”
Apple Bloom blushed and squirmed a bit at the show of affection. “See, I told you I could help!” she reminded Twilight, who nodded a bit ruefully.
“So you did. I’m really sorry for doubting you,” she apologized, giving the young filly another squeeze and ruffling her mane affectionately with a hoof, giving her a kiss on the 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?”
“On my flank! Did I get a cutie mark for doing that?” Apple Bloom asked, struggling to contort herself 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…” Apple Bloom looked down in disappointment.
You’re still obsessing over that, I see! Twilight mused but could hardly blame her for it, remembering well 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 scroll paper, 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 read the note aloud, though it didn’t make much sense to her.
“What does all that mean?” Apple Bloom wanted to know.
Twilight read it over twice more, mouthing the words to herself but was still not able to discern their meaning. “I’m not sure, but this is written out to the victim. The question is, who wrote it? This sure doesn’t look like Rainbow Dash’s writing,” she instantly knew.
Apple Bloom gave her a curious look. “How do you know it’s not her writing?”
Twilight blushed as she remembered her struggles to write without her magic that morning, to say nothing of her ink-stained appearance afterwards. At least I gave the guards and Fluttershy a good laugh! “Rainbow Dash’s writing is, well… messy,” she grimaced, silently admitting that Rainbow's hoofwriting was at least better than her manual efforts. “This, however, is written very neatly and formally—like it was written with magic,” she reasoned, knowing that there were very few earth ponies or pegasi that wrote such elegant 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.
“I know I said 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. “Let’s wait to go in until the police leave.”
“Okay! So, we’re going back to Ponyville, then?” Apple Bloom asked, falling in beside Twilight as she began to walk away.
Twilight nodded. “That’s right. Trixie doesn’t know about this letter, so let’s hurry and vacate the premises. We could get into trouble if she finds out we took this.”
“Alright, Twi! Let’s go to the park now! It’s a shortcut anyway!” Apple Bloom suggested hopefully.
“Apple Bloom, we don’t have time—” Twilight began, only to hesitate as Apple bloom stared at her expectantly. She did get the letter for me! she 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?”
“Sure do! Reckon you’re the only one who can help me, Twi!” Apple Bloom said with an eager smile on her face.
Twilight wasn’t sure why that was, but nodded. “Alright, then, but it has to be fast. If we’re going into the Everfree, I want it to be with as much daylight as possible.”
“Thank you, Twilight! It won’t take long; promise!” Apple Bloom nuzzled her, the pair heading back towards town.
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Dark locks? It is a very dark secret here.
RavenRegios, this story is pretty good, but the typos and textual errors in every chapter seriously dampen its value. I seriously advise you to look for proofreaders and editors to fix this major issue.
WHY I AM JUST LEARNING THIS EXISTS NOW?! D:
1875676 Indeed. The question is, will it even be possible to break those locks?
The only other person to ever have black psyche locks was impossible to break, no matter how much evidence was leveled at him.
This is just like Miles Edgeworth, he became a prosecutor as a result of a tragic incident only his story came out without any pysche locks because those weren't introduced yet.
Speaking of which I picked up the first game in the series "Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney" for Christmas and I'm already on the 4th case, the one involving Edgeworth and let me tell you it's really heartbreaking, he even openly admits that he may have accidentally killed his father.
1875723 Already on it!
More! There must be more! This is the greastest story ever! As so, I give you...a moustache of awesomeness!
Hope you like the moustache.
holy... shit.... i just watched all 5 hours of the videos on youtube... i was wondering if this was a fanfic or not... so i have a question, is the author of this story the animator for the series on youtube?
2015680 unfortunately... no~ Just a friend~
Turnabout Storm Part 4 is OUT!!!!!
2045254 BOOM!!!
2157708
[clears throat] Before you call someone 'dumb'... you are aware that a) this is a story adaptation of a fanmade YouTube video series that b) the original author of this story did not make?
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL347AD9B9E509804A
The cupcakes reference is in the videos, so it's here as well. In fact, these videos and story are chock *full* of references like that (both Pony and Phoenix ones), and it's meant to be in good fun.
2158765
THERE'S NOTHING FUN ABOUT CUPCAKES!
Besides, I know that the original autor of the video didn't wrote this. The problem is that the autor of this wrote it like Pinkie were in fact a cold blood killer.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
remember this as you age.
for it is the one law which remains constant.
For anyone interested. The Dark Locks were reviled in the newest AA game called Dual Destinies.
Spoiler Below
They guard a subconscious secret that the person has repressed. In otherwords they actually think they are telling the truth. This was reviled after turnabout Storm was written so its likely Trixie's situation is diffrent.
End Spoiler
wow. i just marathoned 31 chapters
and i didnt even notice how far along i was getting. another of those incredibly rare stories 
that make me lose myself in them. the 5th or 6th i think.
Edit: 32 chapters, not 31
The one question any fan of Trixie wants to know: "Why DOES Trixie hold such a grudge over Twilight in Turnabout Storm?"
I REALLY hope you answer this question, (because of THAT reason) but if you respect the noodle incident conventions, then I'm cool with that. It just bugs me a bit. If I had to guess, however, I'm sure Trixie's upset with how Twilight is so successful by doing the exact opposite of what she does, which she's "learned" (you know, because ponies have such contrasting personalities due to their upbringing and personal experiences, though it's much more evident than in a human's) from personal experiences in her early life. In other words, because of pony psych.
This is why I LOVE Turnabout Storm! You take a character with a mixed reception, have her act nearly the same, and then BAM! It turns out she's a 3-dimensional character! Doesn't make her better than Fluttershy, but Trixie's alright in my book.
If Feeling Pinkie Keen is any example, literally.
Good idea.
One thing I find strange is that Twilight is angry at the princess and plans to complain to her. I would never imagine that season 1 Twilight would do that. She worships Celestia and is terrified of her. I would think she would be very confused as to why Celestia would recommend Phoenix. She simply can't be angry at Celestia, it's something Twilight just can't do.
I think right now Twilight could do it but not how she was in season 1. Even now I doubt she could turn against Celestia.
I'm actually with Trixie if Applejack has a problem with Trixie she should just say it to her in the face. Doing it through Applebloom was pretty low of her. I also don't get why everypony keeps blaming Trixie for that Ursa Minor incident. How could she have possibly known that those fanboys would take it literally?
The chapters sure got longer. Firesight must have more or less taken over at this point.
Not bad! Not quite as brilliant as Rainbow Trash, but a respectable 6/10.
To be fair... the obvious insult would sound rather juvenile and classless.
Still... this insult is weak. 3/10.
We meet again, Xenophilia!
But I won't lie, Xeno's worldbuilding was absolutely wonderful. I'd use any of the concepts raised by that fic any day of the week in my own work (and have). If you're going to borrow from any universe for an AU pony cultural idiosyncrasy, Xeno is absolutely the way to go. Especially if you're going the... you know 
... route.
Almost makes me want to go read Xeno again, until I remember the Zen Badass Lyra thing.
Oh, the cringe! But dear Twily, you seem to be under some distress. You remember that Phoenix is not your man, right? 
Twilight, I think you to sit this one out. You're operating on 100% pure, unadulterated stupid here. Why would you waste a bunch of magic before a fight anyway? Kind of makes the whole fire-form an inefficient use of magic anyway. Like heating your house with a hair dryer... You can always have Zecora make you a potion later and then fight.
Trixie, you're an idiot. You are that little chavi kid that got curb stomped by the bigger kid he was picking on. You deserve to fail. At everything.
Don't be hasty Twilight, the outfit is about the only cool thing about her. That and her beautiful silver mane. 3 years, and she's still one of the more interesting-looking pony models.
This makes me wonder, what was Celestia going to do if she really went through with it? Give Twilight a ridiculous girly pendant too?
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.
Don't mess with Ninja Bloom.
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i.ytimg.com/vi/oelXoNPKjKE/maxresdefault.jpg
Ohai Mark!
One thing that certainly hasn't gone unnoticed is all the bit about elemental magic. This must be what that one reviewer was talking about in connection to Frozen right? And yet here it is, months before Frozen even came out in theaters. This is clear because the next chapter is brand-new and dated only 3 months later. Funny what you notice when you actually do a little research eh?