Perhaps it started with nothing. Or maybe it started with something between something and nothing, too close to nothing to be seen, or felt or understood. In between states, the borderline of a borderline, and slowly, or maybe quickly, maybe instantaneously, it crosses to the other side. Maybe hat's how something comes into being. It starts on one side, it starts in the middle and then goes to one side, then finally crosses over. Or the whole thing gets flipped so that being and not are reversed, two sides of the same coin, finally landing on one side. Maybe.
General Location Unknown
Exact Location Unknown
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Resolving...
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Equestria
New Botany Bay Island
Phoenix woke up. He opened his eyes to a blurry white field. The image in front of him then resolved into a ceiling- sky blue, not white. He was lying on his back in a hospital bed.
"Uh, hello," a voice said. He shot up. "Careful, now. Don't rush. You're fine. Everything is fine now, you're safe."
A tall bald man in a white lab coat stood at his bedside. Phoenix wasn't expecting someone with such a warm voice, so friendly-looking. Hospitals were usually cold and sterile places but this one was oddly... warm. As comfortable as it was comforting.
"Wh-where am I?" (This... what happened? I was with Dan and then... the spell!)
"You're in err, well, it was the Celestia is Awesome General Hospital. But we're not sure erm, how appropriate that name is right now?" the doctor said with a bashful grin. A nurse pony walked by, caught his eye and stared at him for a long time as she continued on. But she never broke eye contact.
He rolled his legs to the edge. "Where's Twilight? Twilight Sparkle, the-"
"Relax, my boy. She's quite alright. You've both been here, erm, what I'd say was a few hours, but we aren't exactly sure."
"Dr. Wily to examination-B, please. Dr. Wily, to examination-B please."
Phoenix started to get up. He realized he was in a hospital gown. He then realized there were other nurses, doctors, staff to either side of them, watching them. Watching him. Dogs, ponies, a few humans but mostly upright canines. Diamond Dogs, they were called, or Doctor Dogs in this case. Dogtors.
"Your clothes are here. In the dresser. I think you might have to patch the legs."
"Thank you," Phoenix said. He stood up. No pain, only a little stiffness. (I must've slept here at least a day. Maybe longer.) He retrieved his clothes. "Um uh, what's your name?
"Oh, I'm Dr. Kintober. Chief of pediatrics here, but uhh, most just call me Julian. Or Jules," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I err, have to say- we all know what you did. All of us."
Phoenix looked around. Even the patients, mostly ponies, had sat up to look at him. Some were pretty beat up. One mouthed the words 'thank you' at him.
"You're... you're welcome," Phoenix said. He got dressed, checked his belongings and was thankful to see they were all there. The color of his Equestrian badge had turned red, however. A light pulsed from it as he held it up.
(I guess I can't use this again for a while. Makes sense. Must need time to recharge. I'll have to thank Twilight again. The regular one, I mean.)
The doctor turned around to the dresser. "There was one other thing- this." He turned around holding an odd knife. "We're not sure where this came from. No one's been able to identify it, but it has... well, it has your name on it."
It looked like some kind of ancient, ritualistic blade. The handle was curved and notched, almost like Phoenix's umbrella. The blade itself was long and serrated at the tip, which forked into sharper edges at the end. But what was most unique about the knife, apart from its size, was the fact it didn't just have one blade- it had three.
There was a faint stain around each of the edges, possibly blood but too old to identify. Despite its age, the triple-sided knife was strong and razor-sharp. Phoenix found his name at the base of the blade, etched into the metal itself. And his wasn't the only one.
D. Rendar
J. Korr
P. Wright
H. Solo
(Is this supposed to be a list of high scores or more like... Dan's list? Maybe it's both...) He handed it back to the doctor. "Thanks, you can keep it. Or better yet, get rid of it."
"Oh... alright."
"I'd like to see Twilight now."
"Yes, I'll have Hershel take you to her. And erm, thank you again."
One of the dog nurses took Phoenix to the intensive care wing. As Phoenix walked, the other doctors, nurses and patients couldn't help but stare at him. Some thanked him, a soldier that had recovered in stopped and hugged him. Was this Mirror Dan's influence? Speaking of, where was he?
Two doctors were standing by Twilight's bed when they arrived. They both had concerned looks on their faces. One was actually someone he knew, or a version of them, at least.
"Director Hotti?" Phoenix asked. The man in question looked like Director Hotti, a patient who pretended to be the director of the Hotti Clinic in L.A. He had pink hair, but it was about shoulder length. Also, this Director Hotti seemed to have all of his teeth intact. And his hygiene. He didn't acknowledge Phoenix.
(Mirror Universe still, Phoenix.) "Doctor... Hickfield?"
"Oh! Yes, you're Phoenix Wright. From the "Other Universe" they say?"
"Yes, I'm a, well not the same as the Wright from this universe." The doctor's handshake was strong, one of firm confidence. Which was to be expected.
Dr. Hickfield grinned. "We can all be thankful for that. But I suppose you're wondering about Twilight's condition."
"Yes," he said, trying to look over his shoulder. Twilight lay in bed, rolled to one side and under the covers. "Is she going to be alright?"
"Yes. Well, physically," Dr. Hickfield said, his eyes drifting down for a moment. "The inquisi-I mean, Twilight's recovered from the injury. We were able to remove the shrapnel and debris. But, as was her condition before, we're more concerned with her emotional state."
Phoenix nodded. "The drinking. I heard it put a lot of stress on her not becoming an alicorn princess."
"Well," the doctor looked away again, "It's not just that. It's the menopause."
"Menopause?" Phoenix asked, confused for a moment, as many men were when they heard the word. And then, the meaning usually comes back to them. "Wait, isn't she..." He looked past their shoulders, the words "she's too young" dying somewhere between tongue and lips, until all he could utter was, "Oh..."
"She's fine, for the most part, physically," the doctor looked over his shoulder. "She just won't be able to have foals."
"Wait... you mean..." Phoenix's eyes went wide. "Oh..."
"Children, Mr. Wright. She's lost almost total reproductive function. She won't be able to be a mother. The excessive drinking was likely to cope with the hot flashes, the... emotional stress. And likely the overall pain," Dr. Hickfield said.
"How did..." heshook his head, "How does something like this happen?"
"We're not entirely sure," Hickfield said. "It's rare, but not unheard of for this sort of thing to happen because of some sort of trauma. We're familiar with her case- it's not the first time she's been admitted. After Starswirl the Balding's spell backfired, that's when the symptoms first appeared. She stopped having regular menstruation shortly afterward. She had regular examinations with us for the better part of a year, but her reproductive organs showed no signs of improvement. With, um, war escalating, she wasn't able to continue treatment."
"Treatment?" Phoenix asked, like so many others, clinging to the word like it was a synonym for hope. And like so many doctors, Hickfield had to dampen his enthusiasm.
"There's always things that can be done in every case, Mr. Wright. Both medical and legal, haha. But in hers, they weren't successful, what we were able to do," he said, looking over his shoulder. He smiled regretfully. "There was just no improvement. Therapy can sometimes help conditions like hers, but not often, unfortunately."
Phoenix nodded. He only barely understood what Hickfield was saying. "Is there anything that can be done? Anything else?"
"Not really from our end. I'm sorry," Hickfield said. "But..."
Phoenix leaned forward. "But?"
"Well, this condition was brought out because of magical stimuli. It's not my area of expertise, but it's possible there may be a solution in that area," Hickfield explained.
"I... understand. Thank you, doctor," Phoenix said, unable to take his eyes off Twilight.
Hickfield smiled, patted him on the shoulder again. "Thank you. I'll let you take things from here- you're both free to leave. Would you also like me to inform her boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend?!" Phoenix spun on his heels. "She has a boyfriend? But Twilight..." (Mirror Universe.)
The curtain pulled back on the other side of the bed. "Heyyyyy Phoenix Wrighto!" The boyfriend was on the other side.
"Uh, hi, I was just- OH SWEET CELESTIA!" A very fat Flash Sentry waved at him from the other cot. The bottom of the cot was hanging low to the floor.
"Hey man. Thanks for saving our haybacon back there. I really appreciate it," the obese stallion soldier said. "Speaking of, can you call the nurse for some more haybacon? I ran out." He held up his plate.
"I'm gonna barf." Phoenix bolted back out of the intensive care wing, bursting through the double doors. And Dan was on the other side.
"Nicky!" The real Dan exclaimed. "Finally! I was wondering where you wer-"
Phoenix grabbed the Looting Sack.
"Nicky! Wait, what are you doing with-"
And vomited into it.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why Nicky, why?!!"
Phoenix wiped his mouth on an edge of the now-full Looting Sack. "F-f-f... Fat. Fat Sentry."
"A fat sentry?" Dan asked. And as he did, the doors opened again. Both of them, because the Mirror Flash Sentry was too wide for just one.
"Hey you guys! I heard you wanted to take us with you back to your place!" Fatsh said. I mean Flash. "Sounds cool!"
Dan stared at him for a full three seconds and then said, "Nicky, give me the bag."