//------------------------------// // 24: The Heart's Turnabout, Part 8 - For the Fate of Two Worlds // Story: The Lawyer and The Unicorn (T-Rated Version) // by Firesight //------------------------------// Music: Calm Disturbance Celestia had learned long before that her very connection to the sun had rid her body of any natural circadian rhythms. It had also rid her for the most part of any actual need for food or sleep; she was able to stay up for days at a time without eating and instead be nourished solely by the sun itself, though she greatly preferred not to. Food was a pleasure and sleep both a luxury and a respite to her, one she’d often missed as the sole caretaker of Equestria. In fact, the past week had seen a far more regular sleep cycle for Celestia than she’d had since her last vacation well over a year earlier, at least. She might have thought that her sister’s return would lessen her workload, but just the opposite had happened. It was inevitable, she supposed; to the modern pony, Luna was an unknown, an enigma who had yet to engender favor from her subjects, and she needed much schooling and instructions on the new ways of the world before she could govern alongside her older sister again, catching up on all she’d missed. Celestia, on the other hoof, was familiar to them, and her presence comforting; until Luna was fully up to speed and accepted as a co-ruler again, it fell to the sun princess to carry both their burdens. At the moment, however, Celestia knew she’d have little in the way of sleep that night. Between all that had happened with Maya and the ongoing sense of foreboding she had, she found herself prepared to burn the midnight oil once more, standing sentry all night if need be. The difference between this time and all the times before was that she had no guards to call upon or any advisors to discuss strategies with; her only company was her own troubled thoughts, which continued to insist there was danger out there but couldn’t pin down the source. Her instincts were confirmed when a dark portal appeared before her, startling her. She jumped back slightly, lowering her horn for a fight, until she saw the translucent figure within the portal. “Delta?” she asked, surprised as she recognized the unique magical signature of her Court Bard. “What are you…?” “There’s no time to explain, My Princess,” the spellsinging pegasus mare replied with brief bow, having not even bothered to transform herself into a human for her appearance on Earth. “I apologize for appearing to you in such an abrupt manner and interrupting your vacation, but by your sister's request, I need to escort you into the dreamscape immediately.” Celestia frowned. For Delta to drop formality completely was rare, and never boded well; ditto for Luna requesting her immediate presence in her nighttime realm. “Very well. May I at least know the reason I am needed…?” Delta’s next words froze the blood in Celestia’s veins. “The Nightmare has returned and laid claim to Twilight Sparkle’s soul…” “Is that really how you feel, Maya?” Heads whipped around as the unlikely figure of Vinyl Scratch emerged from the shadows of the courtroom, walking forward, ignoring the various spirits around her. As she reached the center of the courtroom pit, she flicked her glasses up, pinning Maya with a ruby-eyed stare. “Cause if so, then you ain’t half the girl I thought you were...” “V-Jay…” Maya choked out. “I…” “How did you get in here?!” the Nightmare snarled. “Nopony outside of my former host or her Dream Guard should be able to traverse the dreamscape!” Vinyl’s response was a beam of focused energy that blew mere inches past the Nightmare’s ear, a heavy bass beat accompanying it. “I ain’t talking to you, plothead. I’m talking to my friend.” “Nevertheless, it is a valid question,” Trixie said, no less shocked. “How in the name of the sun and moon did you find your way here, Vinyl Scratch?” She was at least acquainted with the other mare, having encountered her once or twice in the past. Rolling her eyes, Vinyl sighed. “It ain’t important right now, but if you really wanna know? I’ve dabbled in dream magic before. Enough to plant a ward around Maya just in case some nasty dream demon decided she’d make a nice meal in her current condition—I learned about them the hard way during a bad time in my life some years back. When that ward went off, I dove into the dreamscape to find her, and tracked her here. Happy, Trixie?” she arched an eyeridge at the showmare. Princess Luna and the entirety of the Dream Guard stared at her in disbelief. “You did all of that… with no formal training in dream magic?” Alucard asked, dumbfounded. “Uh… yeah? It’s not that big a deal,” Vinyl demurred, causing the present members of the guard to gape at her. “Quite the contrary, Miss Scratch,” Princess Luna countered. “The fact that thou wert able to accomplish such things with no formal study is indicative of a natural talent that few have! Perchance thou wouldst be willing to apply for our Dream Guard when we are finished here?” Vinyl shook her head. “Appreciate the offer, Princess, but I’ll have to decline. Natural talent or no, my music is my life. I ain’t giving that up for long hours and brutal training.” “’Tis a shame. But ’tis also, of course, thy prerogative,” Luna acknowledged with a nod. Trixie coughed into a hoof. “Fascinating though this is... we are about to hear testimony regarding this case. So if you would take a seat in the gallery, Ms. Scratch…?” “Give me a minute,” Vinyl replied, before turning her attention fully towards Maya. “Look, girl, you’re hurting. I get that. You were forced into what happened and you’ve got every right to be upset at Sparkle. But you really shouldn’t let that blind you to the long-term consequences of what you’re gonna do!” “What the heck is that supposed to mean, V-jay?” Maya asked, feeling betrayed. “You know what she did to me! Why are you taking her side?” “’Cause if I don’t, both our worlds are gonna pay the price!” Vinyl exclaimed, starting to sound exasperated. “The Nightmare’s no ordinary demon! She possessed Princess Luna and got her exiled a thousand years ago! Her only goal is the corruption and outright domination of the mortal realms, but she can’t do it without a host! She’s trying to possess Twilight to make sure the only things that can stop her in a host body won't work!” Maya stared at her. “You can’t be serious! I mean, I get that it’s probably a bad thing, but there’s no way she’d pose an actual threat to Earth. We’ve got tech and such she wouldn’t have any way to combat.” “So is that to say you don’t care about what happens to Equestria?” Rainbow Dash called out in disgust. “I thought you better than this, young Maya.” Firefly shook her head in disappointment. “You aren’t giving her enough credit, Maya,” Vinyl insisted as The Nightmare stifled a laugh, looking content to just sit back and watch the proceedings. “She’s a master manipulator and a powerhouse of dark magic. Moreso if she gets her hooves on Twilight’s body, who’s probably the most magically gifted unicorn there is! Their combined power would be the equal of an alicorn, and it’d take another one to fight her! I admit from my visit that humanity’s got some cool tech, but it wouldn’t matter here—anything you throw at her, she’ll throw right back with twice the force!” “You flatter me, Vinyl Scratch,” The Nightmare bowed her head and grinned. “Perchance when I rule Equestria again, you would make a fine addition to my court. I will require someone of your talents to compose works extolling the glory of my new rule. I must admit, I rather like the human ‘metal’ genre, and your works aren’t far removed from it.” “Pass, plothead,” Vinyl barely spared her a glance before turning her attention back to Maya. “Make no mistake, fillyfriend—she’s a real threat to every living being there is! And if you help her win this case, both our worlds will suffer!” Maya flinched, not from the scenario described but not from the form of address. “I-I’m not your girlfriend, V-Jay…” her voice went shaky again even as her cheeks flushed beneath her bruises. Vinyl’s lips tightened. “Maybe not. But we’re still friends, Maya. And as your friend, I can’t let you do this.” Without another word, she stepped over to defense bench and took her place at a surprised Mia’s left. “Maybe The Nightmare’s right and your sister and Phoenix can’t cross-examine you. But I can!” she announced, then turned to Trixie. “With Your Honor’s permission that is…?” The showmare stared at her fellow unicorn for a moment. She knew the DJ had been a prosecutor, if not a very good one… but she could also think of no one else present who could do the job. “Trixie regrets she sees no other choice in the matter. Does either side object?” “I do, Your Honor,” The Nightmare looked angry. “Considering what they did, Miss Scratch has severe conflicts of interest of her own.” “What they did?” Phoenix repeated while Maya just looked away; from her reaction, Phoenix was able to put the remaining pieces together, his eyes going wide. “Wait. You mean she and Vinyl…” he turned to Mia, whose only reply was a curt nod. This time, Vinyl cut his question off, raising her voice and pointing a hoof across the pit. “Mine aren’t any worse than yours, Nightmare! You’re trying to convict her to take her as a host! It doesn’t any get more compromised than that! The only difference is that unlike Ms. Fey and The Phoenix here, you don’t give a horse’s backside about not hurting her!” “And you do?” The Nightmare all but snickered. “If that were true, you would not be willing to press her at such a terribly vulnerable point. Or tell me, Ms. Scratch, do you simply have ulterior motives of your own?” The Nightmare suggested with a leer. “Yeah, do you, V-Jay?” Maya demanded to know. Vinyl sighed and closed her eyes. “Maybe I do. But you know what? It doesn’t matter right now.” She opened her eyes back up and met Maya’s gaze evenly with her own. “I’ll do it ’cause somepony’s gotta be the grown-up, and for once it may as well be me. I’ll do it ’cause I know what’s at stake and if it means sacrificing my friendship and anything else I might share with her to save her, I’ll hate it but I’ll do it. ’Cause I can step away and go back home and she never has to see me again if she doesn’t want to, but Phoenix and her sister here don’t have that option if they want to help her later.” She reeled off a list of reasons Phoenix found surprisingly compelling. “So what’s wrong, Nightie? Afraid one mediocre ex-prosecutor DJ is any sort of threat?” she goaded. To little surprise, the appeal to her pride worked as the alicorn apparition all but cackled. “You? Hardly. In that case, the prosecution withdraws its objections, Your Honor,” The Nightmare announced, looking greatly amused. “As Miss Scratch did not exactly cover herself in legal glory in the cases she prosecuted, I can scarcely imagine she would do much better as a defense attorney. Matching wits with her should be amusing, to say the least.” “Uh… are you sure you’re up to this, Vinyl?” Phoenix had to ask, inwardly agreeing with The Nightmare. She really wasn’t effective in the Sonata Tarot trial… maybe a bit better than Winston Payne, but that isn’t exactly saying much… he kept the thought to himself. “I am,” she promised, letting the human pair see the determination in her eyes. “I can do this. I admit I ain’t any Octavia, but this is personal and I got a reason to fight. Don’t worry, I’ll make her see the light,” she promised, her jaw set. “Oh, so you’re taking their side, V-Jay? Some friend you are!” Maya spat out, her eyes watering and lip quivering. “I am your friend, Maya,” Vinyl said evenly, closing her eyes again briefly. “But sometimes being a friend means you gotta tell ponies things they don’t want to hear. Sometimes it means keeping them from doing things you know they’ll regret. Sometimes it means helping that friend see the light even if you know they might hate you for it afterwards.” With that, she lowered her shades back over her eyes. “So let’s do this, sister!” she announced, pointing a hoof across the pit at The Nightmare in challenge, who grinned and showed her teeth. “Let’s hear some testimony. ’Cause I’m gonna use it to make you see the truth, fillyfriend, one way or another…” “Very well. If there are no further objections, we will begin this witness’s testimony,” Trixie brought her gavel down, wondering if the trial she now found herself in had been set up with the express purpose of parading past her all the most annoying individuals she’d ever met. “About time!” Maya groused. “Before we begin, a moment, Your Honor,” The Nightmare spoke up, wearing her sly grin again. “As both the witness’s older sister and her prospective paramour have recused themselves from cross-examining her, they cannot be present behind the defense bench. I therefore request they remove themselves from this trial and very dream for the duration of the witness’s testimony.” Both Phoenix and Mia shouted at once. “We may not be performing the cross, but we’re still representing our client! We can still stand in the co-counsel position!” Phoenix pointed out, not about to leave Twilight’s side. “As I’m afraid their very presence is upsetting to this witness, the prosecution must insist on this arrangement, Your Honor. Otherwise they may taint her testimony, even without meaning to… and I do not think it a stretch to say that they may indeed mean to.” She bared her teeth again. Trixie grimaced as she brought down her gavel to silence a sudden uproar of indignation. “This court finds the prosecution’s objection has merit based on the situation presented. Any objection, Ms. Scratch?” Vinyl’s lips tightened, feeling a bit less secure without the two more skilled and experienced attorneys at her side. Relax, filly. You knew this wouldn’t be easy. Doesn’t mean you can’t do this… “None, Your Honor. Can’t argue with her logic, much as I wish otherwise. But rather than remove them entirely, I do ask that they be allowed to remain in the courtroom, able to watch events that may transpire from the gallery. That way, if we end up moving to another witness, they’ll still be up to speed and can take back over if need be.” Trixie nodded in some relief. “A fair compromise. Does the prosecution object?” The Nightmare hesitated, then smiled. “As I sincerely doubt there will be any witnesses past this one, I will accede to the request. In fact, perhaps this is preferable—for that way they can observe my victory and be utterly helpless to prevent it!” she closed her eyes and smiled again. “Hey! What am I, the third wheel here?” Maya suddenly spoke up. “Don’t I get a say in this?” Trixie looked at her in annoyance and disdain. “You are a witness, not counsel or co-counsel, Maya Fey. Your say will be your testimony, so you can stay silent until the grown-ups are through talking,” she all but sneered, causing Phoenix’s lips to tighten, both for recognizing a line Sonata Tarot had originally used on Trixie in Rainbow Dash's trial and for quickly guessing what Maya’s reaction to be spoken down to like a child would be. “Listen, you ice queen idiot! I am a co-counsel! At least I always was until she came along!” she pointed an accusing finger at Twilight again, who looked no less confused than earlier. “Well, you aren’t here!” Trixie brought her gavel down and then flared her horn to slap a cone of silence around the still-squawking girl, who hadn’t yet figured out she could will it away if she so wished. “Charming assistant you have, Wrong. I don’t know how you stand her. In any event, the prosecution’s objection is upheld. By my order, you and your mentor must leave the pit. You may watch the proceedings from the gallery, but you may not participate in any way, shape, or form from it. I hear so much as a single objection from either of you, I’ll penalize the defense and order your immediate removal… or ask our resident Princess to do it. Clear?” “Clear, Your Honor,” they both said, reluctantly leaving the defense bench and walking up to join Twilight’s friends, who immediately cleared space for them. Mia knew that not even Luna could force an ascended spirit such as herself to leave, but preferred it not to reach the point that she had to contemplate breaking the rules of the trial to stay. If I do, I may save Maya but lose Twilight… she sensed grimly, ruefully giving The Nightmare credit for a surprise and superb strategy, one that even for all her angelic power had trapped her between a rock and a hard place. Don’t let us down, Vinyl Scratch. For the fate of not just Twilight and Phoenix but two entire worlds now rests on your shoulders... For Phoenix’s part, he realized there was little he could offer this testimony anyway, not knowing what had happened to Maya, praying that the pony DJ proved a better defense attorney than a prosecutor, also appreciating the bind The Nightmare had placed them both in. How do we get out of this one? He didn’t yet know. Both Earth and Equestria now hangs in the balance, and all I can think of is the two people closest to me. Does that make me noble, or selfish? He suddenly wasn’t sure as he sat beside Applejack, at least mildly glad he wasn’t next to Fluttershy, who he was still having trouble looking at. Get out of this first, figure out how I’m going to deal with her later… if there even is a later… he swallowed as he thought. “Fear not, Mister Wright,” Rarity told him, placing her hoof over his hand. “You and Ms. Fey did well, and I daresay Twilight knows you’re here deep down where The Nightmare cannot reach. If anypony can break free of this, Twilight can.” “She’s right, Phoenix,” Mia told him as she sat beside him as well. “Twilight’s stronger than you know, but remember she still needs to feel your strength. To quote someone who once meant much to me… a lawyer is someone who smiles no matter how bad it gets,” she said, making a point of wearing one herself. “I know, chief.” He nodded jerkily. “I just hate not feeling in control. Not being able to help!” he whispered to her as Rarity’s hoof squeezed his hand. “That goes for all o’ us partner,” Applejack agreed from Mia’s left “Weren’t any fun watching Rainbow’s trial and not being able to help then either.” “You have helped, Phoenix. But we have to trust Vinyl now,” his late mentor whispered back. “Take it from me—that mare’s definitely got some serious strength and smarts. I know she didn’t do well from the other side of the pit, but maybe she was miscast before and having someone to fight for is all she ever needed…” “Ahem. May we continue?” The Nightmare asked with a triumphant look at Mia. “The sooner Miss Fey testifies, the sooner we can reach our inevitable guilty verdict and Vinyl Scratch will learn just how out of her league she really is,” she said as much to her angelic opponent as to Vinyl herself. Far from being intimidated, Vinyl grinned, making a show of removing her shades and cleaning them, showing off her red eyes for a moment. “That so? I wouldn’t be so overconfident, Nightie. May interest you to know that your army is gone.” She blinked at that, and so did a surprised Luna. “What?” they both spoke at once. Vinyl’s grin got bigger. “It’s true. The Dream Guard wiped it out… with a bit of help from yours truly,” she said as several more dream guard members arrived, saluting Alucard (and briefly marveling at the presence of so many legends in one place) before taking up more guard positions around the room. “So you’re now all alone without any backup, filly. There’s no escape, and no help for you now. You lose your hold on Twilight, and you’re as good as dead!” She lowered her head and bared her teeth. The dream demon looked perturbed for just a moment, then smiled again. “A Nightmare just can’t get good help, it seems. But no matter. My army’s ranks are easy enough to replenish, and your threats are meaningless to me, Vinyl Scratch. But since we’re making them, know that I will make sure you suffer mightily for your insults.” Her eyes gleamed as she showed her own rows of sharp teeth. “Aw, don’t want me composing music for you now? And here I was hoping to land a new contract,” Vinyl put on a pouting look, to snickers from the gallery. “Now how about we do this while we’re still young? Well, then again, I know you aren’t…” she taunted; meanwhile, trapped inside the soundproof bubble, unable to hear or be heard, Maya just fumed. “Enough!” Trixie’s gavel came down, suddenly having a new appreciation how The Judge in Rainbow Dash’s trial must have felt in the face of her own taunts and insults towards Phoenix Wright. It’s like I’m having to babysit a room full of whiny, bratty FOALS! “Both the prosecution and defense will keep their backbiting to a minimum! And the same goes for you, Maya Fey!” she ordered as she removed the soundproof shield from around Maya. “You keep a civil tongue and limit your testimony to only the questions asked! Fail to do so, and you will be found in contempt and your testimony expunged!” she made her eyes glow blue for emphasis. Maya badly wanted to say that the only truly contemptible ones in the courtroom were Twilight and Trixie, but she held her fire, her ire up even further for being put into time-out like a misbehaving child. “Yes, Your Honor,” she hissed out, her fists clenched at her sides. Trixie stared at her a moment more, then nodded. “Very well. The Prosecution may begin.” “Thank you, Your Honor.” The Nightmare’s glittered as she spoke, but took on a more gentle tone now that Maya could hear her again. “Miss Fey, to repeat my initial statement, you have been called here to offer testimony against Twilight Sparkle regarding the deleterious effects her mating magic had on you. So to start, would you please tell this court exactly what that said magic did you, including the events that transpired over the past day?” “If it’ll put Sparkle away? That’ll be my pleasure!” her eyes started to glimmer with tears again as both Twilight and Phoenix looked at her in confusion. Music: Witness Condemnation ~ Moderato —— Witness Testimony —— Consent not given Twilight Sparkle is a menace to not just Nick, but to everyone she meets! Two nights ago, I was at a nightclub with Princess Celestia, when it hit me! It was a wave of magic and lust that infected everybody on that dance floor! The Princess removed me from that scene before I could be taken advantage of by the other patrons, but the damage was done! Just like Sparkle, I couldn’t stop thinking about Nick and sex afterwards, and ended up having to be screwed by V-Jay there to be free of it! Her magic corrupted me in the most disgusting and immoral manner imaginable! And I’ll never forgive her for it! She all but raped me, and if she hurt me this way, what is she doing to him? By the time her testimony was complete, a silence had fallen over the courtroom, broken only by the sound of Maya’s sudden sniffles as she finished and her anger gave way to sorrow, the wounds on her face and body suddenly looking very fresh and raw. Twilight was looking at her in sorrow, her own eyes starting to water as she felt the full force of the human girl’s rage and pain, helpfully fed her by The Nightmare, whose tendrils started to sink deeper into her again. Watching from the gallery, Phoenix was no less shocked, looking to Mia for confirmation, who gave it with a terse nod and a very clipped explanation. The Nightmare let her testimony hang in the air for a moment, allowing it to sink in further both with Twilight and the greater gallery. “A terrible tale indeed. I know it wasn’t easy to share, Miss Fey. Thank you for finding the courage to do so,” The Nightmare said in solemn tones that made lips curl into sneers throughout the courtroom. “I see…” even Trixie sounded subdued. “So you were severely and adversely affected by a climactic magical burst?” she asked the young mystic to clarify. “YES!” Maya shout burst like it was torn from her very soul; she then fell back against the rail, and buried her head in her hands, sobbing again. "Yes..." Vinyl’s frown was rather pronounced. “Excuse me, Your Honor. I don’t think everything’s quite as she says it. I’d like the chance to cross-examine her.” “That is your right, of course,” The Nightmare made a show of acquiescence. “But I would hope, Ms. Scratch, that you would be gentle on our poor witness and respect the very real pain she feels,” she closed her eyes and looked down in a pose that approximated solemnity. “Else she may not be able to continue her testimony, and your cross-examination would have to be immediately concluded.” And how much of that pain is real, rather than being amplified by you? Vinyl thought sourly. She wasn’t stupid; she’d seen the tendrils of darkness around both Twilight and Maya, and as there was only a single being present that could manipulate such things, it wasn’t hard to determine what was going on. “Given that you feed on such things, you’d know,” she said out loud. Before The Nightmare could retort, she turned to Maya. “Alright, fillyfriend, just to warn you; ‘gentle’ and ‘easy’ are two separate things.” “Not your girlfriend, V-jay…” Maya muttered. —— Cross-Examination —— Twilight Sparkle is a menace to not just Nick, but everyone she meets! “‘Everyone she meets’ sounds a bit broad there, sister. She’s well-liked in Ponyville, got a brother and parents who love her, and five friends back in the gallery there who’d die for her,” Vinyl pointed out as much to Twilight as to Maya. “You got THAT right!” Rainbow Dash’s voice was the most prominent among the shouts of agreement that erupted. “Though the witness may be engaging in some understandable exaggeration, Twilight Sparkle is far from universally liked. I believe that you yourself, Your Honor, can attest to that fact?” The Nightmare’s grin turned wry. Trixie’s lips tightened as her gavel came down. “That is not at issue here. The witness statement is struck as argumentative and irrelevant, and she is reminded again to limit her testimony to the questions asked!” “Thank you, Your Honor,” Vinyl said with a bow. Turning back to Maya, she said, “So how about you tell us the real problem, rather than slinging insults?” Maya glared at her, but nodded. “Fine. Be that way, V-Jay… for all the good it’ll do you!” Two nights ago, I was at a nightclub with Princess Celestia, when it hit me! “When what hit you?” Vinyl automatically asked, causing both Phoenix and Mia to grimace. Trixie looked annoyed, and The Nightmare no less so. “If you can wait a single sentence, you will have your answer, Ms. Scratch. Or do you feel compelled to ask irrelevant questions of your own?” The Nightmare asked. Far from being chagrined, Vinyl simply smirked. “I do everything for a reason, Nightie. Whether those reasons are clear or not ain’t my problem.” She turned back to Maya again. “As you were saying, fillyfriend…?” Maya blushed and huffed in annoyance; Mia, however, noticed the edge of her lip twitching slightly, wondering along with Phoenix what Vinyl hoped to do by deliberately tweaking Maya. “As I was saying…” It was a wave of magic and lust that infected everybody on that dance floor! “Help me out here, Maya. You’re saying everyone there was affected the same as you!” “Yes! Well… okay, maybe not exactly the same as me…” she hastily added at Vinyl’s raised eyeridge. “But everyone there was affected!” Vinyl made a show of removing her shades and cleaning them again before replying, an amused glint in her red eyes. “Really. Well, that’s kind of funny if you ask me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I didn’t hear anything from Celly or anyone else about some dance party ending in an orgy.” Her grin got a bit more pronounced as she spoke with the air of somepony who’d seen it happen before. The call came from the left of the defense bench. “Thou shalt mind thy manners and call our sister Princess Celestia, young minstrel!” Luna immediately admonished. “Well said! After all, proper form of address is paramount… Lulu.” The Nightmare added with a twinkle, causing several of the newly arrived Dream Guard to giggle before Luna glared them silent. “Lulu, huh? Have to remember that one…” Vinyl agreed with a growing grin of her own as she replaced her glasses. “So let me ask you direct, fillyfriend—how was everyone else ‘affected’?” Dammit, why is she teasing her like that? We need to win her back to our side! Phoenix wondered again while beside her, Mia likewise couldn’t understand why the pony DJ kept trying to throw what happened in her hurting younger sister’s face. “See if we’re friends after this…” Maya muttered under her breath as her angry flush got deeper, but she replied. “They got a lot more affectionate with each other! Started groping and kissing and everything!” she shivered at the memory. Infuriatingly, Vinyl’s grin only grew further. “That’s it? Seriously?” she asked in an almost-rhetorical tone. “Sounds like any old DJ-PON3 dance party to me!” The Nightmare’s objection overrode the laughter that erupted. “Surely you can do better than this, Vinyl Scratch,” The Nightmare rolled her eyes. “I think the point, which should be obvious to everyone in this courtroom except my un-esteemed opponent, is that their behavior immediately after being struck by the magical effect was not normal or natural, and therefore it could be said that Miss Sparkle’s lack of magical restraint was responsible for many involuntary sexual acts that night, ones given without consent of those they affected,” she said with a glance at Twilight, who slumped again in her seat. “Humans, as is already well-established, have no natural magical defense and could not resist the effects of Miss Sparkle broadcasting her mating magic. Miss Fey alone among them recognized what was happening due to the ethereal awareness imparted by her mystic training. But in the end, she could no more resist it than they.” Phoenix had to bite his tongue to keep from firing an immediate objection and Mia likewise shifted forward fractionally in her chair, gazing intently at Vinyl Scratch. Trixie apparently expected one as well, turning immediately to her left, but the unicorn mare’s only response was a raised eyeridge. “Does the defense have anything to say in response?” Trixie prompted, but to the agony of Mia and Phoenix, Vinyl just shook her head. The Nightmare frowned as well, but only briefly, wondering immediately why her bait hadn’t been taken. The Princess removed me from that scene before I could be taken advantage of by the other patrons, but the damage was done! “Sorry… just how were you afraid you’d be ‘taken advantage’ of, fillyfriend?” Vinyl asked in a mildly mocking tone that made both Mia and Phoenix again wonder what in the name of heaven and earth Vinyl thought she was doing. “Is there a point to this question other than antagonizing an emotionally fragile witness, Your Honor?” The Nightmare spoke up, a brief moment of worry crossing her face as she picked up on the first inkling of a possible purpose for why Vinyl was acting so oddly. “She said it, I got the right to challenge her on it, Trixie,” Vinyl gave a very deliberate shrug. Trixie was scarcely less exasperated. “It’s Your Honor, you bass-blasting buffoon! And though you may have the right to ask that question, I’d better start seeing some relevance for it other than embarrassing her or I’ll have to end this cross immediately. Is that clear?” To her annoyance, Vinyl just shrugged and wiped her glasses again. “Funny, Trixie. I seem to recall you weren’t quite so standoffish that one time I visited Zecora’s place looking for a way to boost my music magic. That Zap Apple you ate really did a number on you, didn’t it?” she gave a knowing grin. “Have to say, I really did like hearing that Neigh Orleans accent you put on! But not as much as I enjoyed you hitting on me, filly…” her grin got even wider. Trixie flinched hard and her eyes went wide. “But… that… you promised you wouldn’t…” Trixie sputtered. She turned beet red as Twilight’s friends gaped, then grinned at her and a series of snickers erupted from the various spirits and Dream Guard members as well. “Wouldn’t what, filly?” Vinyl echoed, letting the still-unknown answer hang in the air. “What wouldn’t I tell them about?” she challenged again, at which point Trixie clammed up and signaled for Vinyl to proceed as The Nightmare just glared. “Now then, where were we…? Ah yes.” She turned her attention back on Maya. “So how ‘bout it, fillyfriend? What were you afraid would happen?” Maya looked at her in disbelief. “That’d I’d… get…” her gaze went glazed for a moment, visible even behind the black eye she was sporting. “Get what?” Vinyl prompted. “Get groped and kissed and everything?” “Yes!” Maya exclaimed, though the sudden flushing of her cheeks was not lost on anyone. “I-I mean if I stayed I might have…” she couldn’t finish her own sentence, shocked at the words she nearly said. “Might have willingly taken part in it?” Vinyl guessed immediately, rubbing her chin with a hoof in a manner reminiscent of Phoenix. “Speculative and argumentative, Your Honor,” The Nightmare’s frown was deepening as she started to see the outlines of Vinyl’s strategy. “What? NO!” a cringing Maya said before Trixie could rule. “Withdrawn,” Vinyl immediately replied and instead gave Maya a cockeyed look. “Sorry, guess I’m just confused again. I mean, why were you afraid? Are you saying all that groping and kissing was happening against the will and without consent of those doing it?” Maya blinked, remembering the scene inside the club again, trying to stop the images suddenly flooding her head of what might have happened, each more titillating than the last. “N-No, but…” her voice went shaky as she tried to will her sudden and inexplicable excitement back to bay, her inner emotional reactions only enhanced by the dreamscape. “No buts, fillyfriend. This is relevant. Were any of those advances uninvited or not?” She challenged the young human girl directly. “Your Honor, once again, there is no point to these questions other than to humiliate the defendant and force her to needlessly relive a very traumatic experience. There should be no doubt to this court that she could not defend herself against such advances, and therefore could not properly offer her consent to them any more than she offered it to Ms. Scratch there!” Music: “I Want My Tears Back (Instrumental Ver.)” by Nightwish Vinyl finally made one herself, pointing across the courtroom pit as Phoenix did, the sharp twang of a materialized bass cannon underscoring her words. “Ignoring the question of how you know about that, Nightie,” she began, leaving Phoenix and Mia wondering anew why she wasn’t pressing it, “the point of these questions is to prove two things. And if Your Honor will allow me to continue, I’ll be able to demonstrate both!” I’m sorry to do this to you Maya, and you may hate me for it, but if you don’t see the truth here and now, we’re as good as dead… “Very well, Vinyl Scratch, but make it quick! Two questions, and if they don’t prove your point, this cross is over!” Trixie warned again. “Secrets or no…” she added under her breath, deciding if Vinyl lost, the remains of her reputation was the least of her worries. “Noted,” Vinyl replied easily. “So answer the question, Maya. Was anything you saw at that nightclub non-consensual before or after what happened?” “Well, no, but…” she had a sudden and very vivid memory of a woman she was watching at the party being groped after the wave hit, and far from being unhappy, encouraging more of it. “And once Sparkle’s magic hit, did you see random people suddenly start hooking up, or was it just existing friends and couples having a bit of fun?” Vinyl mused aloud. “I’m just trying to see where the danger was here.” “But that’s not why…” she clutched her head between her hands again, afraid to voice the thoughts she was suddenly having, the same ones she’d had back then. “You’re right, Maya. It’s not!” the unicorn mare said in satisfaction. “And the fact the only people who started doing stuff were those already eager and willing means that first, you weren’t going to be taken advantage of there by random strangers… unless you wanted to be, that is,” she added with a near leer. “And second, Sparkle’s magic didn’t make anyone do anything they weren’t already inclined to, just maybe loosened them up a bit the same way a spot of cider or that super-special party punch of Pinkie’s does,” she said with a grin up into the gallery, where Pinkie sat. “So given that, I think it’s fair to say you weren’t afraid of what they would do to you, fillyfriend. So the question then becomes, what were you afraid of?” she said with sly smile of someone who already knew the answer. “Stop it! Stop it!” her voice got more shrill, leaving Mia amazed and appalled at how ungently Vinyl was handling her sister. The Nightmare’s right though. Neither I nor Phoenix would have been able to press her like this… The Nightmare cut off her chain of thought. “Vinyl Scratch can twist what happened all she wants, Your Honor. That doesn’t change the fact that Ms. Fey was forced by Twilight’s Sparkle’s careless use of mating magic into a situation that left her unable to offer true consent and potentially very vulnerable to predation.” “For once, we agree, Nightie…” Vinyl said evenly. “But I trust you see now where this is going, Your Honor?” “Much as I wish I didn’t, yes,” Trixie stated with a rap of her gavel. She didn’t want to hear about the human girl’s mating mores any more than Sparkle and Wrong—Maya Fey had sex with VINYL SCRATCH??? she had realized earlier with a shudder—but though her fellow unicorn mare was skirting the edge of the allowable, thus far she had not fallen off that fine line she was walking. “Nevertheless, you’ve milked this line of testimony dry. Move on!” she ordered, and Vinyl did so. Just like Sparkle, I couldn’t stop thinking about Nick and sex afterwards, and ended up having to be screwed by V-Jay there to be free of it! Vinyl made her first direct challenge to Maya’s testimony. “Sorry, maybe I misheard you, fillyfriend. Did you just say I had to screw you to be free of it?” Vinyl sounded as genuinely offended as Phoenix was by the implication that Vinyl had indeed taken advantage of Maya in her state. “Because as flattering as that is, that’s not the way I remember it.” Maya bit her lip again. “Oh, come off it, V-Jay! You were there! Celestia brought you over just to… just to s-screw me…” her voice went shaky again and for the first time Phoenix noticed that some of her wounds seemed to be healing. “Oh, did she, now?” The Nightmare spoke up. “‘Twould seem your sister is as perverse as ever, Lulu. At least we know where you get it from.” she teased as Luna flushed again. “She brought me over to help you, Maya. Because you were afraid and unwilling to help yourself, remember?” “Assumes facts assuredly not in evidence, Your Honor. We cannot accept the tainted word of the defense counsel for such things, particularly when the witness herself denies them.” “Then perhaps you will accept my word,” a new voice broke in as the center of the courtroom pit shimmered and disgorged several Dream Guard members and Delta Requiem… as well as a very large new figure, one that caused every pony present, living or dead, to bow. “Sister!” Luna exclaimed. “We must apologize for summoning you…” “My Princess!” The Bolt Knights chorused, and even the Red Talons lowered their heads in respect. “My noble knights…” she acknowledged in wonder, her eyes flitting from Twilight to them, lingering on the gryphons in surprise as well. It was rare the sun princess could be caught off guard for everything she had seen and experienced in her long life, but finding herself in the dream realm amongst so many old friends and departed spirits was clearly disconcerting, even for her. “Why hello, Tia,” The Nightmare gave her a toothy grin, sketching her a mocking bow as she cast a spell that made Maya seemingly fall asleep, trying to ensure she would not hear the exchange that followed. “Greetings and welcome to my realm, former sister. I must say, I’m so glad you’re here. You’re just in time to witness your greatest defeat. Very shortly, your prized pupil and precious Element of Magic will be mine, both body and soul. And there is nothing you can do to to stop it.” She leaned over her bench and grinned. Forcing herself to focus in the very unfamiliar environs she found herself in, the sun princess turned her steeliest gaze on The Nightmare. “I would say this is a pleasure, Nightmare, but I much prefer to see this as being allowed witness to your long-awaited execution,” she gave the ethereal entity a thin smile and a look of pure hate that none living had ever seen from her before. “Why, you wound me, Tia. But then again, you do so often disappoint me. I was so looking forward to battling you again when I returned from exile. But then what did you do? Surrender without a fight.” She sighed and shook her head. Celestia’s lip curled. “Because I swore an oath a thousand years ago that I would never again raise my hoof or horn against my own sister, even possessed as she was. And because I knew full well that it was not my place to defeat you this time. Not if I wished to have her back and not be banished again,” she said with a regretful glance at Luna, whose eyes glimmered for a moment. “Make no mistake, Nightmare, I will not allow you take yet another soul from me, pony or human. I have been brought here to help defeat you, and I will start by confirming the truth of Ms. Scratch’s words,” she turned her attention to the bench, no less disconcerted to see a badly flustered and equally uncertain Trixie sitting there. “Princess…” she bowed her head nervously from the bench. “Trixie assures you she was not placed here by choice and will remove herself from this bench immediately if you wish…” Celestia shook her head, her previously sharp voice turning far more gentle. “Much as I may wish to preside in your place, Trixie Lulamoon, I cannot. The terms of this trial have already been set and from what I have been told, any verdict rendered by me in your place would be meaningless if Twilight is not convinced of her innocence.” She paused long enough to glare at The Nightmare again. “Just know for now you are not in trouble with me, Ms. Lulamoon. I have been informed as to what is happening, and… much as I may wish to intervene, I have no authority here nor my sister’s power. What I can do is offer this court my assurance that what Ms. Scratch said is true—that I did summon her to earth to help Ms. Fey, because it was clear she could not find the courage to help herself, and because I felt that… as she needed someone she trusted implicitly, it would be very inappropriate for me to do so,” she bowed her head. “Inappropriate? Why, you disappoint yet again me, Tia,” The Nightmare put on a pouting look, though Phoenix thought she caught a glimmer of annoyance behind her facade as well. “But a few centuries ago you would never have hesitated.” Celestia flushed, but replied. “Because unlike you, I’ve changed, Nightmare. And as I recall, you were always afraid to face me on a battlefield, resorting to cheap tricks and senseless sacrifice for your victories. So face me in this trial if you dare,” she goaded, flaring her large wings before the apparition. “Your timing couldn’t be better, Princess. So, Nightie, are you gonna make us go through this entire song and dance, or will you simply concede the point?” Vinyl grinned, unperturbed by Celestia’s presence. The Nightmare merely smiled, far more chilling than before. “As tempting a distraction as it might be to humiliate you on a witness stand, Celestia… methinks not. We are nearly at trial’s end, and I see no reason to delay my acquisition of a new host any longer. There will be plenty of time for fun and games once I have Twilight as a host. It should be quite interesting watching you and Lulu try to beat me without the Elements and without harming Twilight.” Celestia actually sneered. “We shall see… coward,” she couldn’t resist one final dig before turning her attention back to Trixie, exchanging a brief nod of acknowledgment and approval with Layan Kaval, to Rainbow’s surprise. “As my word is not challenged, may it be accepted as authoritative, Your Honor?” she gave a short bow to the bench and Trixie, which only flustered her more. “No objections, Your Honor,” a still-grinning Vinyl quickly said. “Nor from I,” The Nightmare made it unanimous. “Very well then… Princess. This court accepts your statement as corroborating testimony.” Trixie still sounded flustered as she marked her ruling with another gavel rap, wondering who else would yet visit the trial before all was said and done. The Princesses are here, The Nightmare is here, Snarkle and Wrong are here… by the winter winds, who else is LEFT? “I thank this court for its indulgence,” Celestia gave another bow, then turned to Twilight. “I’m here, my pupil,” she told her, though Twilight’s glazed eyes seemed to look right through her. “And I will not allow her to take you.” “She cannot see or hear you, Tia. And even if she could, ‘tis not in your power to prevent,” The Nightmare taunted as she released Maya from her sleeping spell, only to frown as Twilight gave a delayed but deliberate bow. * * * * * “Okay, then. So getting back on topic, fillyfriend…” Vinyl turned her attention back to re-rousted Maya, who took the word no better than before, “As the Princess herself just confirmed, I seem to recall that the reason I got summoned wasn’t because you were trapped in that state. It was because you were unwilling to do what was necessary to get out of it,” she pointed out. “Yeah, and you were only too happy to help out!” Maya spat back. Vinyl closed her eyes briefly. “I was happy to help. But answer me this: was my help even necessary, Maya?” she asked the human girl. “Or could you have just done it on your own?” Maya’s cheeks flushed again. “Oh, come off it! I didn’t know I could!” “That ain’t true, Fillyfriend, and you know it.” “She’s badgering the witness, Your Honor. If Vinyl Scratch has any proof the witness is lying she should produce it immediately, else the denial stands.” “Do you have such proof, Vinyl Scratch?” Trixie quickly asked, praying that she did. Vinyl smiled. “Physical proof? No. But we’re in the dream realm, meaning all memories are within easy reach. So we could just have Luna there pull our memories of the whole affair and see if they match…” “NO!” Maya somehow both paled and flushed at the same time. “…but is that really necessary, Fillyfriend?” The unicorn mare finished with a sly grin. “You really want everyone to see what happened from both our points of view, or will you just answer truthfully?” Maya’s lip quivered violently, and her eyes glimmered. “Fine! You win! You said if I wanted relief, all I had to do was indulge it. But then you said that you’d be happy to help! Encouraged me to say yes!” “And did you, Vinyl Scratch?” Trixie asked as The Nightmare smirked and Mia whispered the explanation in Phoenix’s ear, causing him to flush again at the scene she described. “I said I’d help her if she wanted me to, yes,” she admitted immediately. “But in the end, the choice to have me help was hers, Your Honor.” “Really. Because it’s starting to sound like you helped yourself, Vinyl Scratch,” The Nightmare suggested with a leer of her own. “Are you sure you didn’t pressure her into it? Or do we need to charge you with rape as well?” she further grinned. For the first time, Vinyl’s lips visibly tightened, telling Phoenix a raw nerve had been struck. “Answer this question yes or no, Maya. Did I offer to leave and give you privacy?” “Yes…” she grated out after a moment of silence. “Did I make the offer more than once?” the DJ mare followed up, but this time Maya didn’t answer, looking to Phoenix and Mia like she was trying hard not to. “Answer the question, Miss Fey,” Trixie prompted, though the young girl’s reaction left her no doubt as to that answer. “Yes…” she finally said, barely audibly. “And both times you told me to stay?” Vinyl asked, receiving only a very curt nod. “So my final question is this, filly—did I do anything to you without asking?” “No…” she admitted after another short hesitation, balling her hands into fists and punctuating her words with a hiss. “But I didn’t ask for any of what happened!” she belatedly remembered, pounding her fists on the rail in frustration. “Neither did I, fillyfriend. But it happened and we gotta deal with it. And in your case, that means dealing what you’re feeling and not hiding behind Twi’s magic, blaming her for what you just can’t face.” “What are you talking about?” Maya gaped. Her magic corrupted me in the most disgusting and immoral manner imaginable! And I’ll never forgive her for it! Music: Disturbance of Fate Lvl. 1 “Corrupted you, Maya? Really?” Vinyl only shook her head reproachfully. “Tell me, fillyfriend… what did I tell you when you made that same claim to me earlier today?” When Maya didn’t reply, Vinyl did for her. “That mating magic doesn’t work that way. That it doesn’t change who you really want or desire, only heightens those feelings,” she pointed out. “And that brings up another point—that Twi’s magic shouldn’t have been able to get hold of you like that… unless you already had those feelings. Unless you had the same desires to be with Phoenix as she had, enabling her mating magic to find a host that could use it to that end within you as well." “You are a musician, not a magical expert, Vinyl Scratch! So kindly do not expouse on subjects you know nothing about! I request - ” Vinyl gave an audible snort. “If the subject is mating magic, you think I don’t know what it can do and what its limits are? Trust me, Nightie, I’ve learned through plenty of experience, including some very hard lessons. And any unicorn knows you can’t use a spell or mating aura to force someone to love you. It doesn’t work that way; there has to be some kind of spark or connection to begin with. All it can ultimately do is help along or enhance what’s already there… smooth the way, both figuratively and literally.” She closed her eyes as if in pleasant memory. Music: Disturbance of Fate Lvl. 2 Both Phoenix and Twilight cringed, guessing what was coming. “Then clearly, you know very little about what a mating aura backed by a unicorn as powerful as Twilight Sparkle can do, Vinyl Scratch.” She showed her teeth in a grin. “As fun as this trial has been, I think it’s time to end it. Your Honor, the prosecution requests that Phoenix Wright step forward at once.” “On what grounds?” Trixie gave her an odd look, exchanging a glance with an equally quizzical Vinyl. Her grin only got larger. “So I may show this court exactly what effect Twilight Sparkle’s mating magic had on Phoenix Wright. Irrevocable evidence of what her limitless lust and lack of control not only did to Miss Maya… but to him.” “No… please…” Twilight finally spoke. “Don’t do this to him…” “Wrong, what is she talking about?” Trixie asked, Twilight’s reaction not lost on her or anyone else in the courtroom. “Yeah, what is she talking about?” Maya demanded to know. “Well, uh…” a nervous and very flushed Phoenix glanced at Mia, who closed her eyes, but gave him a nod. “It’ll be okay, Phoenix,” she promised him, placing a hand on his arm. “Let her do it. She’s playing her final trump card now. I expected it earlier, but I’m ready for it…” If it was anybody but her telling me that, living or dead… Phoenix could only shake his head, but got up to the questioning glances of Twilight’s friends and then very slowly, deliberately, walked down into the courtroom pit, passing between Fell Flight and Blindside before stopping in front of the prosecution’s bench. Music: Disturbance of Fate Lvl. 3 The Nightmare regarded him almost lazily for a moment before speaking. “Well, Phoenix Wright?” she asked him. “Well, what?” he rejoined, looking at her nervously, unable to remember the last time he felt so scared, trying hard to put up a brave front not just for himself, but for Twilight. I’ve faced down Manfred von Karma and Damon Gant, intimidating though they were. I can face her down too… “Playing coy? Very well. Then we shall simply do this the fun way…” she announced as her horn flared blood-pink and a twisted version of a unicorn mating aura washed over him… Causing him to start getting immediately and very violently aroused, his cheeks flushing and breathing quickening. “Stop it…” he told her, clutching his head between his hands as his artificially induced arousal quickly grew beyond any and all reason. “Stop it!” “Nick? What’s she doing to you?” an alarmed Maya demanded to know, but got her answer as Phoenix’s clothes were magically and none too gently torn from him, stripping him naked in the middle of the courtroom pit to reveal his altered masculine equipment, now much larger and taking on obvious equine attributes. He closed his eyes tightly at the sight of his own humiliation, but was unable to shut out the shocked and occasionally horrified noises that erupted from the crowd… or the sudden sobs of Twilight as she fell head first against the rail in front of her chair as the Nightmare revealed exactly what had happened to him... What her own uncontrollable magic had been responsible for. Music: Disturbance of Fate Lvl. 4 “Holy…” Vinyl couldn’t silence her shock, flipping up her glasses to gawk as in the gallery, Twilight’s friends also stared openmouthed. “Wow, that’s…” Applejack couldn’t finish her sentence as she removed her hat in amazement, uncertain what to think. “You did that to him, Egghead?” Rainbow’s tone was more appalled while Rarity summoned a very large and ornate fainting couch to pass out on. “I didn’t… mean to…” Twilight said between sobs. “I”m so sorry… I broke my promise… I hurt him… Phoenix… everypony… please don’t hate me…” she begged all present for forgiveness, clearly expecting none as she broke down completely, her deeds laid as bare as her stallion. “Didn’t mean to? Didn’t mean to?” Maya couldn’t stop staring in anger and horror. “Look at what you did to him, you purple-furred menace! Look at what you did to both of us!” Even Celestia was stunned by the sight as Luna could only close her eyes, believing the worst was about to happen and mentally steeling herself for it. “But… that shouldn’t be possible from a mating aura alone…” the sun princess could only shake her head, wondering why it had never happened to her. Wait… as I think about it, it did once, when… “Your point is made, Nightmare! Let him go!” Mia demanded, her eyes glowing white as she threatened divine retribution, standing up and flaring her angel wings menacingly but the alicorn apparition only cackled. “So soon, Mia Fey? I think not!” she savored the moment further by turning him towards Twilight, letting her see again what she’d done to her stallion firsthoof, picking up with her magic and hovering him in front of her. “Look and well, Twilight Sparkle! Look and look well, Maya Fey and all else present! This is what Twilight’s magic did to him! This is why she cannot be trusted with him, or indeed any lover, human or otherwise! For her magic will try to mold them against their will!” she yelled triumphantly as Twilight could only sob. “Enough!” a disgusted Trixie turned away. “What were you trying to do, Snarkle, turn him into a stallion in stages? As much as I hate to admit it… this is irrefutable evidence of illegal magical influence and spellcasting, transforming Phoenix Wright against his will!” “Sparkle hurt Nick and me! You have your evidence, so find her guilty, blue-butt! Now!” Maya demanded, tears rolling down her own cheeks as she pounded both fists down again on the rail. Mia’s cry was thunderous and a wave of angelic energy washed over the entire courtroom, releasing Phoenix from The Nightmare’s power like he was a puppet cut from his strings. “Your Honor. The defense still has the right to examine this… evidence…” she announced as she flew down to a fallen Phoenix and placed both her hands against him in what Trixie could only guess was some kind of healing manner. “And to the end, we wish to call an expert witness that can explain what happened.” “We do…?” Vinyl wondered aloud. “Yes, we do…” Mia said easily, helping a visibly shaking Phoenix to his feet, even willing him a fresh suit and his body back to normal. “An expert witness who is ready and only too willing to testify, rather impatiently awaiting my summons,” she announced as her hand went to her neck and she grasped her Magatama, causing it glow brightly as another shaft of light appeared, marking the arrival of yet another spirit. When it had faded, a collective gasp was heard as the new figure resolved. He was a bearded gray unicorn stallion with an outfit somewhat reminiscent of Trixie’s, but looked to Rarity’s eyes far less tacky on him. He bore a wizard’s hat lined with bells and his back was covered with a blue cape of various hues, studded at points with stars and crescent moons. His head was initially bowed, but quickly raised to lock onto The Nightmare in recognition and anger, and there was a look of surprise followed by genuine worry and wariness in her eyes as she beheld him. HIs appearance was so sudden and unexpected that even the princesses who once knew him were struck speechless; Trixie was stunned and even Twilight’s eyes widened from the defendant’s chair as she beheld him, though he did not immediately acknowledge the attention given him, continuing only to glare at The Nightmare. Mia was content to let his presence speak for itself for a few seconds, but did finally introduce him. “Your Honor, as an expert witness and authority on unicorn magic, including the potential effects of mating aura, I request the immediate testimony of the greatest sorcerer and most learned unicorn in all of pony history, the great Starswirl the Bearded…”