Phoenix Wright - Turnabout Storm!

by Firesight

Part 26 - Where It All Begins...

It had not been a good day, and the next one promised to be even worse.

Rainbow Dash was in a holding cell accused of murder with her trial scheduled to begin the following morning, while Twilight’s increasingly frantic efforts to find a lawyer willing to represent her had gone for naught. “I’m sorry, Princess,” she apologized to the honored guest in her home, her head bowed low in failure and regret, an unusually unkempt pile of scroll paper at her feet. “I couldn’t find anypony.”

“So not one of them accepted?” a second, much taller pony asked, looking down at her protégé in dismay. She was a very large and regal figure; her pristine alabaster coat contrasting with an ethereal, pastel-hued mane and tail that waved about as though it were caught in an unseen breeze, a broad and stylized sun-shaped cutie mark adorning her hips. Her size, massive wings and long horn marked her as an Alicorn—the most powerful of all pony races, combining the traits and abilities of Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns into one mighty creature—and she spoke in a soft, gentle voice that bespoke of great wisdom and compassion born of eighteen hundred years of life.

She was Celestia, the ageless and majestic Princess of the Sun, ruler of Equestria, and mentor of Twilight Sparkle.

“No, Princess. All ten of the attorneys I contacted refused to represent Rainbow when they heard the gravity of the case,” a very downcast Twilight confirmed, motioning with a hoof at the scattered letter scrolls on the floor around her. The Sun Princess seemed troubled as well, looking down at the floor, frowning slightly. “But there is another option!” her longtime student perked back up, sweeping the debris aside with a flare of magic from her horn, making her mentor look back to her.

“And what would that be, Twilight?” Celestia asked solemnly, her broad wings flared and twitching in the only outward sign of the emotions she was feeling.

“I could study the law and defend Rainbow Dash myself,” she offered, standing up straighter to present herself. “There’s several books on Equestrian law in the library. I’ve read them once or twice to get the gist of how our law works, but… I can study them all night to become a lawyer!” Twilight suggested with the eagerness she often had when contemplating learning a brand new subject.

But the Sun Princess did not share her student’s enthusiasm, regarding Twilight quietly for a moment before replying. “Do you truly think you can become an adequate lawyer in just one night?” Celestia asked with a slightly tilted head.

Twilight lowered her ears fractionally as she recognized her mentor’s implied rebuke, gently telling her that she could not. “I have to try. You and I both know Rainbow Dash would never murder another pony,” Twilight reasoned, feeling that she had to do something to save her friend. “At this point, what else can I do?”

Celestia turned away, her troubled look returning as she considered the situation. “You have to understand, Twilight—this is not a matter to be taken lightly. I have every bit of confidence in you, my faithful student, but some things simply cannot be adequately learned in a single night. The hour is late and the need for an experienced attorney in this matter is great. We need to find a lawyer with the legal proficiency to handle this properly.”

“But Princess, there’s nopony else left!” Twilight said in panic, fearing that her monarch was asking for the impossible and her friend’s fate was sealed for it. “You said it yourself—there isn’t anypony in all Equestria with experience in murder cases!”

To her surprise, the Sun Princess raised her head and smiled. “Indeed I did. And that is why there is someone else I have in mind,” Celestia announced, an odd glint in her violet eyes.

“Who?” Twilight demanded to know in an almost-shrill voice. Some… ONE?

“Contact Phoenix Wright,” the ruler of Equestria directed, folding her wings at her sides.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “’Phoenix Wright’?” she asked, repeating the odd and unfamiliar name.

“Yes. He is said to be an outstanding lawyer. Perhaps even the greatest defense attorney there is,” Celestia claimed.

Twilight’s hopes soared. “The greatest defense attorney in Equestria? That’s great! How do I get hold of him?” she asked in excitement, eager for instructions.

Celestia chuckled at her student’s enthusiasm, giving Twilight a smile she could only describe as sly. “Before you do, there are a few things you should know about him,” she began, an oddly teasing tone in her voice. “First, you’ll need to magically summon him. The basic beck-and-call summoning spell should suffice, but when he arrives, he’s going to act a bit odd and look a bit strange. He may even overreact, but try to bear with him no matter what happens,” the Sun Princess instructed in a slow and motherly voice.

Twilight was puzzled, both by the instructions and the manner in which they were given, almost feeling like the princess was speaking to her like a parent telling her young foal how to care for a new pet. “Um… why would I have to magically summon him? It takes a lot of power to do something like that,” she noted, thinking it was also very rough and disorienting on the targeted pony when they weren’t expecting it.

Celestia’s grin seemed to get a little wider. “I’m afraid he’s rather… hard to get hold of otherwise. Time is short, and the sooner he arrives, the better. Summoning him to you and speaking with him directly is the best course of action,” she explained cryptically, a mischievous gleam now visible in her violet eyes—at least, the one unhidden by her long, flowing bangs.

Twilight felt increasingly lost, almost feeling like her regent was playing a prank on her. But why would she at a time like this? “I’m a little confused, Princess. Why would he overreact? And why can’t I just send him a letter?” she wanted to know, but to her growing frustration, Celestia went on like her student hadn’t spoken at all.

“Just stroke his ego a bit. Tell him you accidentally summoned ‘The Greatest Defense Attorney Ever,’” she suggested. “That should win him over. He should be like putty in your hooves after that,” she added, the grin on her face growing.

I’m no expert, but the way she’s acting isn’t very Princess-like! Twilight thought, getting a little exasperated at her mentor’s apparently-deliberate coyness. “Okay, but this is still really confusing. Are you sure he’s really that good?”

“I have complete confidence in him. And so may you,” Celestia assured her student, flaring her broad wings again in an impressive and majestic display.

Twilight gave the sun princess an askance look, more certain than ever there was something she wasn’t telling her. “And you’re sure he will accept the murder case? Nopony else I spoke to would!”

“Be assured he’s no stranger to murder cases. I’m positive he’ll accept,” Celestia replied, refolding her wings but still wearing her sly smile.

“Alright, if you say so, Princess,” Twilight accepted her mentor’s suggestion reluctantly, recognizing she wasn’t going to get anything more out of her.

Celestia nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. I’ll start preparing the paperwork assigning him as Rainbow Dash’s lawyer.” She raised her forehoof as if she was turning to leave, but Twilight stopped her before she could.

“Um, with respect, Princess, aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself? We haven’t even spoken with him about the crime yet.”

“Don’t worry. He won’t turn down a client who is undoubtedly innocent,” Celestia promised, brushing off Twilight’s concern. “You do believe Rainbow Dash is innocent, right?” she asked her prized pupil directly, turning back and looking her in the eye.

“Of course I do!” Twilight declared vehemently and without hesitation, a little more forcefully than she intended.

To her relief, Celestia was unruffled. “As do I. So there is nothing to fear,” she said softly, closing her eyes and looking very satisfied.

Why is she so calm, cool and collected about this attorney? an increasingly bewildered Twilight wondered, but reminded herself that her mentor’s advice had never led her astray. “Okay, I’ll have faith in this ‘Phoenix Wright’ if you do, Princess,” she agreed, though still not entirely convinced.

Celestia gave an approving nod. “You won’t be disappointed. Everything will turn out fine as long as he is here. I regret that I will be unable to stay and welcome him as I have diplomatic business to attend in Germaneigh. But be assured you and Rainbow will be in my thoughts, my faithful student. I wish you the best of luck with the trial,” Celestia said, flaring her wings and turning to the door as she readied to depart.

“Thank you, Princess,” Twilight said formally, briefly bowing before her monarch. “But one more question, if I may?”

The Sun Princess looked back at Twilight, tilting her head curiously. “Hmm?”

Twilight hesitated—she didn’t want to say what she was thinking, as it came perilously close to accusing her regent of lying, but in the end, she felt that she had to. “I was just thinking that there have been no murders in Equestria for several centuries. The worst we get are thefts and burglaries, and those rarely warrant trials and lawyers,” Twilight noted carefully.

Celestia lowered her head and closed her eyes, looking sad for a moment. “Yes, that is true, Twilight. This is the first murder I can remember in many years during my long reign over Equestria,” the Sun Princess acknowledged with a solemn air.

“But that’s just it,” Twilight replied, her brow furrowed. “You said a minute ago that this defense attorney ‘Phoenix Wright’ has been in murder cases before, but… how can that be if there hasn’t been a murder in Equestria for centuries?” she pointed out. “Doesn’t that… contradict what you said?”

To her annoyance, Celestia merely chuckled, looking very amused. “Very good, my faithful student. I can already see you’ll get along with Phoenix Wright quite well.” She gave her pupil yet another one of her mysterious, yet knowing grins.

Twilight gave her regent an askance look back. “Wh-what does that mean? That doesn’t answer my question,” Twilight persisted, but instead of responding, Celestia materialized something with a flare of magic from her horn.

“Here, Twilight. Take this.” The Sun Princess floated her student a small heart-shaped pink crest.

Hey! Why is she avoiding my question? Twilight protested mentally, studying the odd object the Princess had given her. “What is this?” she asked in an uncertain tone, accepting it in her aura.

“It’s an Equestrian Defense Attorney badge. He’ll need it to represent Rainbow Dash, so please be sure and give it to him,” Celestia requested, the mischievous gleam in her eye back in full force.

Twilight regarded the heart-shaped object in distaste. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this cheap looking trinket—it looks like something a kindergartner would make! Wait—if he’s a lawyer, shouldn’t he already have one of these? she wondered, but something told her she’d just get another evasive answer if she asked. “Understood, Princess,” she said as she bowed low again.

“Very well. I must take my leave now, Twilight. Oh. And one more thing?”

“Yes?” Twilight’s ears perked up.

“Please don’t tell Phoenix Wright I asked you to call him,” Celestia directed, this time giving Twilight a playful wink.

Twilight was increasingly certain she was being made the subject of a joke she did not yet know the punchline to, finding Celestia’s latest request to be the most nonsensical of all. “Why not?” Twilight asked, but her regent’s only response was several seconds of silence followed by yet another coy grin.

“You certainly are curious, aren’t you? Goodbye, Twilight,” Celestia bid her prize pupil farewell with her trademark Cheshire-cat grin. She teleported out in a flash of light; Twilight swore she saw the Sun Princess give her yet another wink just before she disappeared.

Twilight’s muzzle fell open at her departure. GAH! She did it AGAIN! Why do you always have to be so cryptic, Princess? she mentally asked her mentor in frustration, sighing and rubbing her head with a hoof, floating the badge over to a nearby table and leaving it there.

“’Phoenix Wright’… what a strange name,” she thought out loud, trying and failing to envision the pony who bore it. “Guess I should prepare the beck-and-call spell to summon him. Now where’s that book...?” she started pulling random texts off the shelves with her magic, floating them in a circle around her head. “I think it was… oh, yes. Super Spectacular Stupendous Spontaneous Summoning Scripture Signals and You,” she remembered, dropping the other books and pulling a new one off a shelf on the opposite wall.

Hearing the all-too familiar clatter of falling texts, Spike came in from the kitchen and groaned in dismay when he saw the mess, starting to pick the scattered books up, grumbling under his breath. Barely aware of his presence, Twilight reviewed the spell and made a checklist of the reagents, dispatching her baby dragon scribe to gather them while she began using chalk to draw a summoning circle on the floor.

An hour later she was ready. Here goes nothing! she thought, gathering herself carefully as she prepared to perform the ritual. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and channeled magic through her horn, funneling it through the reagents into the summoning circle. The lines began to glow with the same violet hue as her aura, energy dancing as she felt the spell take hold of its target, starting to pull him towards her across the intra-dimensional divide. She could feel an odd resistance, like he was fighting it and the distance he had to come was far greater than she had planned, so she channeled more magic into the effort, hoping it didn’t leave her—or him—too badly drained afterwards.

Well, Phoenix Wright, I apologize in advance for bringing you here like this, but my friend’s life is at stake! she thought as a form began to take shape within the circle, though at first glance it seemed rather large for a pony.

I just hope you really are as good as the Princess says!