Phoenix Wright - Turnabout Storm!

by Firesight

Part 46 - Eye of the Storm

Even before she learned she was the Element of Honesty, Applejack prided herself on being able to spot a liar.

It was a talent that had served her well in everything from business dealings to poker games or simply knowing when Apple Bloom and her friends were fibbing. Everypony had a tell, she had learned from long experience; whether it was a particular combination of mannerisms and facial expressions or simply the lack of them, folks always gave themselves away when they were lying or otherwise hiding something.

It was part of the reason she had forgiven Phoenix Wright so readily after his poor performance the previous day, recognizing from her talk with him that he was genuinely sorry and really did want to do right by others, taking him at his word that he would do better the next day. And to his credit, up until the very end, he had, in spectacular fashion, tearing Gilda’s testimony to shreds and eventually extracting a confession from her. It was even more impressive given how ineffective and embarrassingly ignorant he’d been before; there’d been several points during the first day of the trial she wanted to smack him with her Stetson, wondering what in the name of the sun and moon Twilight had been thinking by summoning him from Celestia-knew-where.

Reckon it’s just as well Ah didn’t see him ‘til later in the day, she thought. Needed to cool off a bit first after what he did to Fluttershy. Probably a good thing Apple Bloom ran off and Ah had to go looking fer her, else Ah might’ve gone looking fer HIM… She shook her head.

He was a whole different attorney today, though. And Ah really gotta say… watchin’ him give Gilda the what-for was somethin’ else! Applejack admitted, shaking her head in amazement. She was good at spotting liars, but to spot the lie itself as the human lawyer proved he could so readily do?

Tarnation… that Phoenix Wright’s in a league o’ his own!

But in the end, none of it had mattered. Trixie… Applejack’s jaw clenched in anger as she recalled the last minutes of the trial; how the boastful showmare had let them think they’d won before she brought the proverbial curtain down with an illusion and explanation that simply couldn’t be overcome. Even worse, Applejack could tell Trixie wasn’t just saying it when she said Rainbow had committed the murder—she genuinely believed it, which coupled with her grudge only made her all the more dangerous as a prosecutor.

Well, guess when ya ain’t got no friends to show you different, ya tend to think the worst o’ folks, she reasoned. Not that she still didn’t want to buck the unicorn mare’s teeth out after hearing her ugly gloating, mocking Twilight for losing her friend and implying Phoenix was good for little more than being a comfort horse…

Her emerald eyes narrowed at that. If Ah ever hear that load’a hog manure come outta yer big blue muzzle again, Ah ain’t gonna be responsible fer what Ah do, Trixie! she silently swore. You don’t talk to mah friends that way, and you sure as BUCK don’t talk ‘bout mah friend’s STALLION that way!

Rarity had giddily let slip before the trial that Twilight was interested in Phoenix, a fact confirmed by Spike, who said he’d seen them embracing in an upright fashion the previous night. “Yeah, she’s totally got the hots for him,” the scribe had all but snickered, going on to describe the scene in lurid detail.

Applejack wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she was sure how she felt about Sonata. Her ability to spot liars was also the reason she’d gone after the grey unicorn so hard after Phoenix had pointed her out, recognizing by her slightly stiff gait and tense demeanor that she was a mare with something to hide. She’d been ready and willing to hogtie her if necessary, but it hadn’t been—even if Rarity and Spike hadn’t been right there to help corral her, the country mare had been surprised when a row of what appeared to be stallion gym rats got out of their seats to assist as well, surrounding Sonata and escorting her to the lower gate. They didn’t let their quarry go until they got assurances from the bailiffs that they had orders to escort Sonata to the witness waiting area, and she would not be set free.

That their instructions came from Trixie was hardly a reassurance. But as Rarity pointed out, grudge or no, the mare magician was still bound by the law and The Judge’s instructions; she’d be facing far worse than a simple contempt citation if she went against them.

That had been nearly ten minutes earlier. Now back in her seat, Applejack sat huddled close with her two friends, the cold reality of a guilty verdict starting to sink in. Can’t imagine a world without Rainbow... She couldn’t help but shiver, trying not to think of what would happen if the verdict was upheld, remembering the one thing—the one pony—now holding it back.

Fluttershy… Applejack shook her head again in disbelief and gratitude. Though she wasn’t as close to Fluttershy as Rarity was, she could certainly appreciate what it took for their timid friend to do what she did; Applejack had been as amazed as anypony to see her come shooting out of the back corner of the bleachers to plant herself on the witness stand and make herself the center of attention. Ain’t NEVER seen her move so fast! And reckon she can really yell when she wants to!

Still, Applejack knew full well that barring a near-miraculous turnabout—she’d still didn’t understand a lot of the legal jargon she’d heard, but she’d learned that word, at least—it was but a temporary reprieve. Ain’t nothing to do now but wait and pray, she knew. Gotta be strong fer yer friends, AJ. Gotta be dependable. And above all, gotta be there fer Rainbow no matter what happens, she reminded herself.

She’d be loyal to us, gotta be loyal to her…

Beside Applejack, Spike was unable to sit still as he waited for the trial to resume, trying hard not to bite his already half-chewed-off claws and wishing there was something more he could do to help.

When he’d initially gone to the courthouse and sat in the gallery, he didn’t have high expectations and hadn’t given much thought to the chance that Rainbow could be found guilty, especially with Twilight deciding—to his great relief—to retain Phoenix. In the end, he went not out of any real interest in the trial or just to get out of his chores, but to be there for Twilight and for Rainbow...

And for Rarity. He didn’t get a chance to be with her all that often, but relished it when he did.

As it turned out, however, the trial had been anything but boring. In fact, to his great surprise, it had been nothing short of riveting watching Phoenix dissect Gilda’s testimony, hearing the constant cries of “Objection!” and “Hold it!” to say nothing of the heated back-and-forth between prosecutor, witness and defense attorney, occasionally punctuated by the sharp and repeated bang of The Judge’s gavel.

Spike shook his head in amazement. He’d read a court drama or two at Twilight’s behest (she claimed the action movies and wrestling matches he liked to watch were ‘rotting his baby dragon brain’), but they’d been nothing like this! Usually the case is just an excuse for some sappy romantic subplot! He rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t help but smile at the thought there might be one here as well.

That Twilight was interested in Phoenix was obvious enough to Spike; she had the same look and manner around him that she had when she found something new that interested her, with some added awkwardness thrown into the mix. He didn’t really get what she saw in him—in the baby dragon’s mind, the human lawyer was just a weird biped with odd habits. Like walking around in clothes all the time? What’s up with THAT?

He was also a bit of a scaredy-cat, Spike thought, an impression only reinforced after he’d dove under his desk when Gilda had roared. But in the end, Spike decided Phoenix Wright was an okay guy, and he was fine with Twilight having an eye for him. Though he did see Twilight as a mother figure and was only too aware she’d been recently reading romance rags despite her efforts to hide it from him, he didn’t really mind if she got a love interest—as far as he was concerned, it was just an endless excuse to tease her and crack jokes. Long as he stays away from Rarity, it’s okay!

But such thoughts had been forgotten as the trial turned for the worse and the Judge’s gavel came down in a guilty verdict, tears in the young dragon’s eyes as he had tried to comfort an inconsolable Rarity and Applejack pulled them both into an embrace. All had seemed lost until…

Wow. Just WOW, Fluttershy! Spike managed a momentary smile at the memory. In truth, he’d always had a soft spot for their bashful friend, perhaps because she’d always treated him nicely and taken an immediate interest in him when he and Twilight had first arrived in Ponyville.

With the trial given new life, he watched in nail-gnawing nervousness as Phoenix eventually drew enough information out of Fluttershy to name a new suspect, and he’d been only too happy to help Applejack and Rarity corral the grey unicorn mare as she tried to leave the gallery—glad he could assist, even in some small way.

He just hoped it would be enough. Though he found Rainbow Dash obnoxious and occasionally a bit off-putting—to say nothing of her penchant of crashing into the library and making a big mess for him to clean up—he didn’t want to lose her any more than Twilight or the others did. The freewheeling mare was somepony akin to a superhero in his eyes, capable of incredible feats of flight, cocky yet cool beyond belief and always there when you needed her…

By the Ancient Dragon Lords, who could EVER replace Rainbow Dash? Spike wondered. Certainly not me!

Rarity hadn’t slept in over thirty hours and doubted she was going to be able to anytime soon.

She’d been operating on adrenaline all morning, something she knew she would pay for later, but she wasn’t about to nod off now. Not with Rainbow Dash’s fate now hanging in the balance; a guilty verdict hanging over her head like the proverbial Sword of Donkeycles… held back only by an act of love, friendship and courage that Rarity swore she would never, ever forget.

Oh, Fluttershy, you dear, sweet, wonderful pony! You are SO much braver than you know! she told her friend with her thoughts, vowing to give her a huge hug and reward her with an all-day spa treatment and dinner next chance she got, saving a seat for when she returned from The Judge’s chambers. Wonder why she didn’t sit with us in the first place?

The trial itself had been nothing but one long roller-coaster of emotions for Rarity that her lack of sleep didn’t help. Over the course of the session, she’d gone from merely curious and expectant to shocked and outraged over Gilda’s accusations as well as fearful for Rainbow’s fate, and the revelation that the perfume she had sacrificed a small fortune to procure smelled like something that came out of Opalescence’ litter box didn’t help. Shortly thereafter she’d been elated and touched over Gilda’s confession only to be crushed by Trixie’s counterattack—and now she sat nervously awaiting the continuation of the proceedings, knowing only too well how thin their hopes, even with Fluttershy’s unlikely intervention, truly were.

We all did what we could, Rarity knew. Fluttershy had stalled the final adjournment, Phoenix found a way to pry enough information out of her to name a potential new suspect, and then herself, Applejack and even Spikey-Wikey had cornered the mare in question before she could escape the confines of the courtroom—though the fashionista allowed they’d been helped slightly by some musclebound oafs that frequented the gym.

Even without Phoenix’s accusation, Rarity had earlier noticed and taken an instant disliking to the gray unicorn mare sitting by herself in the upper row, her aloof manner reminding the fashionista of some of the more conceited ponies she’d met in Canterlot, one of whom she’d had to deal with the previous evening in a failed all-night business negotiation.

Rarity was very generous but did have her limits, and being told to use inferior materials and imitation gems so her works of wearable art could be sold cheaply out of Stall-Mart was simply not something she could abide! But in truth, she wasn’t nearly as offended by that as by the dreadful style sense this “Sonata” showed.

She could do SO much more with her mane and tail! And such HORRID glasses! They make her look like an old nag! she cataloged as they’d gotten a look at her up close.

She rubbed her bleary eyes at that, trying not to smear her eyeshadow anew—this is NOT the time to be thinking about fashion! she reminded herself, focusing back on the matter at hoof.

Despite the predicament they were now in, she had not been disappointed in Phoenix Wright’s performance. Quite the contrary; she had been greatly impressed by the human lawyer, who had shown himself to be a virtuoso of lie-detecting and dot-connecting. As befit an Ace Attorney, he had proved himself extremely adept at spotting inconsistencies in testimony and evidence, using the contradictions he uncovered to turn the tables on Gilda, eventually extracting a confession from her and having The Judge on the verge of an acquittal.

Which was not to say she hadn’t been a little disillusioned when he had cowered before Gilda, and was mildly appalled when she’d seen him take her hoofkerchief out to wipe his visibly sweaty brow. But courage is not the absence of fear; it’s persevering in spite of it! she reminded herself, noting how quickly and emphatically he had overcome his initial fright. And as Twilight said, he has no natural defenses of his own; all he can fight with are his wits and the law itself!

And yet, it still hadn’t been enough. Like everypony else, she’d thought the trial was won with Gilda’s tearful admission that she’d moved the body, only to watch in horror as Trixie turned the tables with a deft display of magic and logic, punctuating her arguments with an illusion that Rarity had to reluctantly admit was very good and could give the great performers of Las Pegasus a run for their bits. But hearing her revolting victory speech had quickly quashed any such charitable thoughts, particularly the part about Phoenix, which was still making her see red.

How DARE she speak of him in such a manner! I’m amazed Twilight didn’t challenge her to a duel on the spot after such insults! she thought, not sure if she could have restrained herself in her fellow mare’s place.

She did wonder why Twilight hadn’t been there for the first thirty minutes of the session, but supposed she was out trying to gather some final piece of information or evidence. They work together well, she noted with satisfaction, seeing how Twilight let Phoenix take the lead and only stepped in or spoke up when she had something to offer.

Human or no, Twilight could do far worse than he! Rarity thought, wondering again if there was any way she could play matchmaker for the pair. She’d had her share of coltfriends over the years, even belonged to a herd once, but no stallion had ever treated her as royally and deferentially as Phoenix Wright had! If Twilight wasn’t already interested in him, then—

“So what y’all reckon they’re talking ’bout in there?” Applejack asked, breaking into her thoughts. “Twi and Phoenix, Ah mean?”

“Beats me,” Spike said. “Strategy, maybe.”

“I’m more worried about Fluttershy,” Rarity replied, putting her thoughts of Phoenix Wright aside. “Alone in The Judge’s chambers, none of her friends there with her? Oh, she must be so frightened right now…”

“Really, Mister Your Honor, it’s okay,” Fluttershy told The Judge for the third or fourth time. “I don’t want Mister Phoenix punished for accusing me; not if he was just trying to help Rainbow.”

“Helping one’s client does not justify falsely accusing an innocent person—er, pony, Miss Fluttershy,” The Judge said, a little flustered, sitting behind the desk in his temporary chambers on a seat that was too low for him. He’d had fragile witnesses before, but this yellow pegasus pony took the cake.

He was having a very hard time figuring her out—true to her name, she was incredibly shy and timid most of the time; it had taken considerable coaxing just to get her to come into his office, yet she seemed to become an entirely different pony when it came to defending her friends. Which remarkably, now seemed to include Phoenix Wright. The moment he started talking ill about him, she had instantly perked up and become more assertive, defending him at every turn and refusing to allow anything disparaging to be said about him.

Though more than a little bewildered by that, the one thing The Judge had been able to determine from his interview was that she was very honest and earnest, to say nothing of innocent beyond belief. Enough to convince him that she wouldn’t lie, not even to protect her friends—he was now satisfied she had indeed seen a mysterious mare carrying the stick—and didn’t have a mean bone in her equine body.

And THIS is the creature Mister Wright tried to accuse? he thought, his mood darkening for a moment as he realized how ridiculous the idea she could kill truly was, vowing if nothing else he would have words with Mister Wright after the trial concluded. “Nevertheless, this court owes you an apology, Miss Fluttershy,” he told her. “And compensation for unjustly imprisoning you.” He brought a small but substantial bag of bits out where she could see it, plopping it on his desk in front of her.

“Oh! Well, um…” she looked surprised and uncertain at that. “I really don’t want to take money I haven’t earned, Mister Your Honor,” she told him in some embarrassment.

The Judge wanted a fresh mug of the local cider more than ever, wishing he could mix it with a stiff shot of whiskey from back home, regretting having not had the small flask he normally kept under his judicial robes with him when he’d been pulled to Equestria. “But you have earned it, Miss Fluttershy. Both by overcoming your fears to testify yesterday, and then by coming forward with potentially important information today,” he tried again, speaking more fervently.

“I know how hard it was for you to be out there, and I can only imagine how hard it was for you to be accused and jailed yesterday on false grounds.” His eyes went dark again at that, deciding then and there that Phoenix Wright did deserve some form of punishment for it.

But Fluttershy only shook her head again. “It was, but I don’t regret any of it, Mister Your Honor. If it helped Mister Phoenix save Rainbow, that’s all the payment I need,” she continued to insist.

The Judge finally decided that actions spoke louder than words, particularly when it came to this incredibly shy but utterly endearing pegasus pony. “Be that as it may, these are for you, Miss Fluttershy,” he announced, pushing the bag of bits towards her. “These are this court’s apology for being wrongly put in jail yesterday. Please accept them and put them to good use, perhaps by buying food for your animals.”

Her teal eyes went wide at that. “Oh! Well… if you insist, then,” she said agreeably, but made no move to accept the bag. “But, um… are you sure you don’t need them for yourself?”

The Judge was shocked at the suggestion, his eyes going wide. “Miss Fluttershy! I would never embezzle the court’s money!” He raised his voice without thinking, causing Fluttershy to duck behind her chair just as she had on the witness stand.

“Embez… emb… um w-what?” she asked, her eyes peering over the chair at him. “S-sorry t-to upset you, M-Mister Your Honor,” she quickly added, starting to visibly tremble.

The Judge rubbed his eyes, feeling the headache from his hangover starting to return. “It is all right, Miss Fluttershy,” he answered in what he hoped was a soothing tone, holding up his hands in placation. “There are five hundred bits in this bag. Will that be enough to make up for your time in jail?”

She looked from the bag to him and back. “Um… y-yes?”

The Judge exhaled with relief. “Then it is yours,” he told her, pushing the bag towards her again. “I ask that you please accept it with this court’s compliments and sincerest apologies.”

The bashful mare hesitated but finally did so, coming out from behind the chair to pick up the bag in her muzzle and place it in her pink saddlebags, glancing at The Judge repeatedly as if to make sure it was still okay. Looking up at the clock over the opposite wall, he realized with a start the recess was almost over. “I must get back to court. I will instruct the bailiffs to escort you back to the gallery if you wish,” The Judge told her, standing up. “But before we part, is there anything else I may do for you, Miss Fluttershy?” he asked, clasping his hands in front of him.

“Um, no…” she trailed off, though he could tell something was on her mind as she shifted back and forth nervously on her hooves, her wings and tail twitching a bit. “Actually, could, I um… ask you a question, Mister Your Honor?” she finally managed. “If that’s okay,” she said more quietly, hiding half her face behind her pink bangs.

He gave her a wary look. “You may ?”

She looked him over from head to toe. “Um… are you a phoenix, too?”

The Judge raised his eyebrows in surprise and confusion. “A… what?”

“A phoenix like Mister Phoenix?” she clarified, at least to herself. “You do kind of look like him.”

The Judge wasn’t sure how to answer that, uncertain if he should be flattered or insulted by such a statement. “I… am like Mister Phoenix, yes,” he finally answered tentatively, deciding it would be best not to disabuse her of whatever odd ideas she held. “Just… a little older,” he added, stroking his long white beard for a moment.

“Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense.” Fluttershy studied him curiously. “But you shouldn’t worry about your age. Once you are reborn from your own ashes, you will be a glorious bird of fire once again!”

The Judge was now completely lost. “Oh. Uh… yes. Of course,” he said agreeably, hitting a desk buzzer to summon a bailiff, who promptly appeared. Unlike the outside guards who wore armor attire and fur dye, the court bailiffs were dressed in brown police uniform shirts and ties, which set them apart from the blue ones that the regular Ponyville police wore. Giving parting instructions to escort Fluttershy back to the gallery, The Judge politely held the door open for her so she could depart and then closed it behind her, leaving her alone with a single stallion bailiff.

“I’ll take you back to the gallery, Miss Fluttershy,” he promised her in a friendly voice. “But before we go, could I… ask you for something?” he said, suddenly sounding nervous.

“Y-yes?” she squeaked, cowering slightly before the larger uniformed pegasus, who was orange with light blue eyes and had a shield-and-lightning cutie mark.

Sensing her discomfort, the bailiff hesitated momentarily before offering her a photograph and a quill pen. “I know this isn’t the best time, but could you, uh… a-autograph this for me?” he requested, his ears and tail twitching nervously.

Confused, she looked at the photo and saw it was a picture of herself as a model from several months earlier, dressed up for a Photo Finish fashion show. “Oh! Um… okay,” she told him, accepting the quill—it’d been a while since she’d been a model, but she still occasionally saw pictures of herself in magazines and advertisements. It made it difficult to go around without attracting attention sometimes, particularly whenever she left Ponyville, and once in a while she still got asked for an autograph, though not usually in her hometown. “And, um… who should I sign it to?” she asked him earnestly around the quill in her mouth, knowing ponies liked personalized messages.

He blushed for just a moment. “To… Flash Sentry, if you please.”

Lenora’s heart was pounding in her chest as she was led down the long corridor towards the prisoner visiting area, less from exertion than from a mixture of anger and anxiety.

Knowing time was short before the trial resumed, she’d rushed out of the courthouse, flown the short distance to the Detention Center and then half-bullied, half-bluffed her way past the pegasus guards and front desk, telling them she was a Griffon Race Ambassador as Twilight Sparkler had earlier suggested, showing them the letter from Princess Celestia as proof and demanding to see Cruise Control as a fellow race participant.

Somewhat to her surprise, it had worked; the ponies working there had given her no more resistance than a few skeptical looks. It might have helped that she was in a very foul mood after she’d heard Cruise accused by the human lawyer, her blue eyes hooded, tail lashing and wings twitching; the guards, she noticed, were giving her a wide berth and wary looks as they escorted her down the long hallway, keeping out of the striking range of her talons.

As they let her into the visiting area following a search of her satchel, they gave her a parting admonition to not use magic, which caused the eagless to roll her eyes—few griffons could wield magic, and those that could needed special staffs or staves. And just where do you think I’d hide one? she thought better of asking, waiting until the door closed behind her to approach the assigned partition, her anxiety growing with each step she took.

As she entered the dimly lit cubicle, she started as she spotted the familiar form of Cruise Control behind the glass. Lenora caught a brief look of surprise on his face as she came into the booth, and she couldn’t help but flinch as well at his visibly despondent and disheveled state. It had been a year since she’d last seen him, but it looked like he’d aged a decade in that time; she was shocked to see his face so drawn. “Hello, Cruise,” she said as she sat down on her haunches in front of him, an enchanted glass partition separating them. “Good to see you again.”

He didn’t reply, staring down at the ground, his wings unkempt and hanging limply at his sides. Only too aware the clock was ticking, she wasted no time in trying to cheer him up. “They say you’re not talking to anybody. Well, you’re going to talk to me,” she informed him in a tone that brooked no argument.

“And what do you want me to say, Lenora?” he muttered without looking up. “What is there to say?”

She couldn’t help but stare at the broken shell of the pegasus she once knew, her wings and tail twitching in anger to see the state he was reduced to. He was once so full of life. So full of love, she remembered. He lived for flying and for racing. For his sister and for ME! she remembered, her eyes narrowing. This is what you did to him, Sonata. And by my ancestors, I’ll see that you face justice for it! “I just want the truth, Cruise,” she replied at some length, getting as close as she could to the glass, trying to look him in the eyes. “Ace Swift—did you kill him?” she asked, despite her own certainty and the obnoxious unicorn prosecutor’s evidence to the contrary.

“Of course not!” he said through a short, humorless laugh. “Why would I kill him when he was the only thing keeping my sister in that hospital?”

She stared at him a moment before going on. “But you did attack that human lawyer?” Lenora asked him point-blank.

Cruise’s only response was a tightened lip.

“You did!” she realized in shock, stepping back from him, her blue eyes going wide. “But… why?”

“Guess,” he spat out in a bitter voice.

She looked away at that. “You didn’t have to,” she said softly, looking down at the floor. “She went too far this time. You could have gone to the police. You should have gone to the police!”

“No, I shouldn’t have,” he immediately replied. “They didn’t believe me the night before, and they wouldn’t have believed me then. And she would have found out.”

Lenora looked up in confusion. “’The night before’?”

He closed his eyes tightly, as if in pain. “I thought that if I could get Ace caught in the act of blackmail without him knowing it was me, it could end this. So I snapped a picture of him entering the woods and took it to the local cops as an anonymous tip. But they didn’t listen,” he explained forlornly, deciding to leave out exactly why they didn’t.

Lenora could guess the reason why only too well. “You could have come to me. If you saw the race roster, you had to know I was in town. I would have backed you,” she suggested in frustration.

“And then what?” Cruise grated out. “Then she gets arrested and tells me to take the fall, or else she’s convicted and there’s nothing keeping my sister in that hospital,” he reasoned, raising his eyes to meet hers for the first time. “That’s no choice at all, Lenora.”

“You don’t know they would remove her,” she said, repeating a point she’d already made to him many times before. “I’ve been exchanging letters with Princess Celestia over the race route. I can explain the situation and make a personal appeal—”

“No!” his eyes went wide with fear. “There’s no guarantee she’d help, and if you tell her and they find out my sister’s not supposed to be there…” Cruise shook his head violently. “Don’t you understand? I can’t take that chance! My sister is all I have left!”

“You have me!” Lenora reminded him, tapping her feathered chest with her talons.

Cruise stared at her for a moment before turning away, longing and regret in his eyes. “Had,” he corrected her. “Even if I wasn’t facing five years for attempted murder, we can’t see each other any longer, and you know why.”

Lenora indeed knew why, yet it still felt like a wingslap to the face. Pony/griffon relationships were generally looked down upon by both societies; they’d gone to great lengths to conceal theirs. Despite that, Ace—or Sonata—had somehow found out, snapping pictures of she and Cruise… together; it was how they’d been blackmailed into losing races even before Cruise’s sister had her accident. “It doesn’t have to be,” she pressed him. “You can end this, Cruise! Sonata’s being pulled on the stand in that newbie racer’s murder trial, and I think she may have been the one to kill Ace! We can expose her! We can go back and testify together!”

“No,” he bit out, suddenly unable to meet her gaze.

She looked at him in disbelief. “All you have to do is come clean and tell them what you know! Tell them Sonata blackmailed you into doing her dirty work, and—“

“NO!” he said more forcefully.

“By the Gods, why not?” she shouted the question in frustration

“You know why not!” Cruise shouted back, flaring his wings and slamming a hoof into the partition. “You think I want it this way? You think I’m happy about any of this? You think I like rolling over for Ace and now Sonata?” he yelled, his green eyes bulging as he finally gave voice to his long-held fury. “I hate him! I hate her, and above all, I bucking HATE MYSELF FOR WHAT I’VE BECOME!!!!” Cruise exploded, causing Lenora to recoil. He stepped back from the glass, taking several deep breaths before going on.

“You want the truth, Lenora? The truth is the only reason I didn’t kill Ace myself is because I couldn’t. Because he was the only thing keeping my sister in that hospital and now… she is,” he explained bitterly. “But if the situation were reversed—if I thought killing Ace would save my sister, even at the cost of banishment or my own life…” he raised his eyes to meet hers, and she flinched back from the look she saw in his blue eyes. “After everything he did to me? You bucking well better believe I would have!”

He looked away as he saw her expression go aghast. “So what did you expect me to say, Lenora? He took you away, destroyed my career and held my sister hostage. A stallion can only take so much,” he told her, his voice turning subdued; as she watched, a tear rolled down his face. “I’m sorry. No matter how much I want to, I can’t help. Please understand that for my sister’s sake, I just can’t.”

Lenora stared at him for several seconds before replying, tears welling in her blue eyes. “So that’s it, then,” she told him quietly. “You’re going to let yourself be imprisoned, let an innocent pony be banished and the true culprit walk free. You’re going to let her continue to lie, cheat and blackmail her way through life, no matter how many other lives she may ruin,” she recited, intending it to sting. “So be it. I just hope you can live with yourself afterwards.”

He gave her a short and bitter laugh. “Either way, I can’t live with myself. But at least this way, I keep one promise. I keep my sister safe.”

The door behind Cruise opened and an earth pony and unicorn guard came in. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my arraignment,” he told her as he turned to depart. “I’ll see you in five years.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Lenora promised as he was led away. The guards ushered her back outside quickly, looking relieved when she had departed. As she walked back to the courthouse, she ended up sitting in the lobby, brooding, nearby ponies giving her a wide berth. Finally, she reached a decision, getting a piece of scroll paper and quill pen from the front desk and laying it on a bench.

You may hate me forever for this, Cruise, but it has to be done. One way or another, this ends today! she thought as she took the quill in her talons, dipped it in ink and began to write, praying to her ancestors she was doing the right thing.

Dear Princess Celestia…

“Well, well. Who have we here?” Trixie sneered as she entered the well-appointed witness holding room and beheld a familiar grey unicorn mare, her blue aura closing the door behind her, leaving the two alone in the magically soundproofed chamber. “Been a long time, Sonata.”

Sonata gave her one-time schoolmate a look of pure contempt and loathing. “Good to see you too, Trixie,” she replied shortly, though she looked rattled by what had happened in the gallery, her eyes darting, glasses askew and mane messy. “But you’ll forgive me if I’d rather not experience the pleasure of your company. On this or any other day.”

Trixie smiled thinly at that, knowing there was no love lost between them. They had casually detested each other while at magic school, and the passage of time had done little to lessen that. “If it were up to Trixie, Rainbow Trash would be sitting in solitary awaiting sentencing right now, and you would be on your way home with the rest of the peanut gallery. But thanks to Mister Wrong making that idiot human judge fall for that pink-haired nitwit, I have no choice but to call you to the stand.” She ground her teeth. “You have to testify about that stupid stick, so I suggest you compose yourself and not look like something the manticore dragged in,” she added to her ex-schoolmate, floating her a glass of water and a small vanity kit that included a hairbrush.

Trixie frowned when Sonata flared her own horn to grasp the glass in her aura, waiting until the other mare had it to her lips before speaking again. “So how did you injure your horn?” the former abruptly asked, causing Sonata to start, nearly choking on the water she had just drunk. “Oh, don’t be so surprised. Your aura is off. And if I can pick up on that, you can be sure Twilight Snarkle will too.”

Sonata set the glass down carefully. “An emotional overload from being told of Ace’s death resulted in a magical surge my horn couldn’t contain,” she replied, deadpan.

Trixie arched an eyeridge. “That’s good enough for Trixie,” she said, though it was clear to Sonata from the showmare’s smirking expression that she didn’t believe a word of it. “But can you prove it if Mister Wrong or Twilight Snarkle challenges you on it? Snarkle might claim it could be the result of casting a powerful spell under duress, and Trixie would be hard-pressed to deny the possibility.”

Sonata shrugged and took another sip of water. “My horn has a healing hairline crack. I was in severe pain most of that night, unable to cast spells and had to see a doctor the following morning,” she elaborated, her expression carefully neutral. “I have X-rays to prove the condition and a prescription for the pills he gave me. The police will verify I broke down upon hearing of Ace’s death and suffered an involuntary but unfocused magical surge. I received the injury then,” she recited as if she was on the stand. “It should have healed by now, but I re-aggravated it last night trying to… lift something I shouldn’t have.” She looked away in some pain at the memory.

“I see,” Trixie replied blandly, wondering what the story was there. “Trixie supposes that could make sense. Particularly if you and Ace were… involved?” she suggested with a sideways look and sly smile.

The other mare flinched, some of the water sloshing out of the glass as her magical grasp on it went briefly shaky. “I was his business manager and personal assistant; nothing more.” She recomposed herself quickly.

“Really. And just how personal was that?” Trixie asked with a smirk after noting her nervous reaction, all but leering at the other mare.

Sonata’s eyes narrowed and lips tightened. “That is none of your business, Trixie, and in any event is not relevant to the case,” she grated out, glaring at Trixie over her glasses.

“Just making the point that you two being lovers would strengthen your alibi,” Trixie replied evenly. “So were you?”

Sonata’s only response was to look away and change the subject, exchanging the glass for the brush and beginning to put her mane back to rights. “Phoenix Wright doesn’t have anything of consequence on me. And neither do you, Trixie,” she said scornfully.

The other unicorn’s refusal to answer not lost on the mare magician. “No?” she answered in a mild tone, waiting half a beat before leaning forward, a mocking smile on her lips. “Trixie knows about your blackmailing, Sonata.”

The showmare had the pleasure of seeing her ex-schoolmate’s eyes widen and jaw drop fractionally, the brush falling from her magical grasp, hitting the floor with a clatter. “How…?”

“Oh, please,” Trixie dismissed her onetime rival with a wave of a hoof. “There have been rumors of wrongdoing floating around Ace Swift for years. And then he’s found dead with those pictures of Rainbow Trash in his possession? Any attorney with half a working brain cell—which excludes Mister Wrong if he hasn’t already brought it up—could figure out he was blackmailing his competition!

“That said, Ace Swift hardly strikes Trixie as smart enough to do such a thing on his own. He would need somepony behind the scenes gathering the blackmail material and pulling the strings of his puppets. And funniest thing—when Trixie checked, she found that the allegations didn’t start until shortly after you became his manager and he began racing in the national circuit,” she further noted. “Coincidence? Trixie thinks not—particularly given your penchant for uncovering secrets when we were at school,” she all but snarled, leaning over the table to glare in a remembered grudge at her onetime rival.

For once, it was Sonata who was caught short, staring at her former schoolmate in disbelief. “So you knew about the blackmail this whole time but didn’t use it to establish motive?” she summarized, putting on an air of disapproval. “That’s very sloppy and unprofessional, Trixie.”

“And muddy the waters by giving Mister Wrong something new to pick at and more excuses to prolong the trial further? No thank you!” Trixie replied evenly, her smug look returning in full force. “Trixie didn’t need it to prove her case, and has no intention of introducing it now if she can help it. Or perhaps Trixie should say that she has no intention of introducing it… if you help Trixie.”

“Really. And how will I do that?” Sonata asked almost rhetorically, giving the other unicorn a wary look.

Trixie looked her former schoolmate up and down before speaking again. “Trixie is required to ask this, so she will do so one time and one time only,” she began. “Did you kill Ace Swift?”

“Of course not!” Sonata shot back. “You said it yourself—there’s no way I could have!”

Trixie stared at Sonata a moment before replying, thinking the other mare had spoken just a little too quickly. But she discounted it, deciding it was just her imagination, reminding herself again that Sonata wasn’t a pegasus and didn’t have the ability to electrocute somepony. “Perhaps not. But you were in the forest, weren’t you?” she challenged. “Trixie finds it hard to believe Ace wouldn’t have had somepony backing him up with her eyes and magic… particularly facing a fellow pegasus as volatile and violence-prone as Rainbow Trash.”

Sonata arched an eyeridge, looking Trixie in the eye. “Very well, Trixie. Let’s say that hypothetically… I was there for the reasons you described,” she began cautiously, saying each sentence with care. “Then hypothetically… I might have witnessed the murder and could testify that I saw Rainbow Dash kill Ace with the first lightning bolt. But hypothetically… in such a situation, I wouldn’t want to come forward or have that information brought to light, lest my role in Ace’s dirty dealings be exposed.”

Trixie nodded in satisfaction at her careful wording, answering in kind. “Hypothetically… in such a situation, Trixie would be duty-bound to inform the court of such new and potentially case-breaking information,” she reasoned. “Hypothetically… this would be an undesirable outcome for us both. Mister Wrong would seize on such information to name you as a new suspect, and The Judge would have no choice but to withdraw his guilty verdict pending further investigation into you and your role in this affair. He would also no doubt issue a bench warrant for your arrest on blackmail charges,” Trixie cataloged. “He might also find Trixie in contempt for failing to reveal that information earlier.”

“Yes. You spending a few nights in jail would truly be a tragedy,” Sonata deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

Trixie gave her an unpleasant smile back. “A price I might willingly pay to see you spending a few years behind bars,” the mare magician retorted before leaning forward fractionally to give her former schoolmate a warning look. “Particularly if you somehow end up costing me this case!”

Sonata gave her former schoolmate a look of pure disdain. “You have nothing to worry about, Trixie. I did not come here unprepared. I’m a prosecutor myself, so be assured I can deal with the likes of Phoenix Wright.”

“You’d better,” Trixie hissed, leaning far over the edge of the table to glare at Sonata. “Or I’d be only too happy to personally prosecute you for the blackmail.”

To her surprise, Sonata seemed unconcerned. “I’m not the only one with secrets, Trixie,” she said coolly. “Take it from me, Ms. ‘Great and Powerful’—everypony has something they don’t want the world to know,” she added, an undertone in her voice Trixie could only interpret as a veiled threat. But before she could reply, the door to the waiting room opened and a pegasus bailiff stuck his head in to inform them that court was reconvening in two minutes.

Trixie nodded tersely. “This is it, then. So let’s make sure we understand each other, Sonata…” she trailed off, leaning in close and getting in the other unicorn mare’s personal space. “I want my guilty verdict. I want Rainbow Trash banished, and above all else, I want to see Twilight Sparkle suffer,” she hissed out. “I’ll give you what cover I can in there. You help preserve my guilty verdict, and in return, I don’t bring up the blackmail or refer you for further investigation or prosecution.”

Sonata gave the mare magician a level look, the corners of her mouth crooking up and an odd gleam in her eyes. “Oh, don’t worry, Trixie,” she said in a placating tone as she stood back up on all fours and gave her mane a final brush, pulling off her glasses just long enough to wipe them clean.

“I’ll make certain you get everything that’s coming to you…”