//------------------------------//
// Part 52 - Checkmate 
// Story: Phoenix Wright - Turnabout Storm! 
// by Firesight 
//------------------------------//










Ponyville Courthouse
Courtroom No. 2
June 11th, 1:24 PM


“Your Honor! New evidence has just been brought to the defense’s attention!” Phoenix announced with a clear and authoritative voice.

“New evidence?” The Judge asked in a very dubious tone, visibly annoyed at having the final adjournment postponed yet again. “This had better be good, Mister Wright! These proceedings have gone on long enough and I am in no mood for further stalling tactics!”

“I promise it is, Your Honor!” he quickly responded, though he didn’t actually know that for sure except for the elated look Twilight had given him. “Twilight?” Phoenix prompted, knowing there wasn’t enough time for her to explain things to him so he could make the argument himself—it was now entirely up to her. “The floor is yours.”

“Right,” she acknowledged, carefully gathering herself before she stepped forward. “Your Honor: the book that was just delivered to me is a library copy of the very same spellbook Phoe—I-I mean, Mister Wright found in the witness’s hotel room,” she began, lifting it in her aura for everyone to see. “Advanced Incantations, Enchantments and Alchemy for the Above-Average Apprentice. I had my scribe retrieve this book from the Golden Oaks Library because we believe it holds the answer as to how the witness could have—”

Twilight abruptly trailed off as they heard the sound of the gallery doors opening, staring in sudden shock up into the stands where several ponies had just entered. Phoenix followed her eyes and saw a hatless and rather huffy-looking Applejack preceded by a large and striking white unicorn stallion with a striped blue mane and shield cutie mark, dressed in a brown bailiff’s uniform and carrying a visibly weak and gasping Spike on his back.

Twilight stared at the pair fixedly, her expression a mixture of surprise, concern and confusion; Phoenix wasn’t sure but thought he noticed the unfamiliar stallion give her a slight nod as he let Spike down, where he was quickly swept up in a surprised Rarity’s aura to be tended by her and Fluttershy.

“My apologies for the interruption, Your Honor. There was a minor security issue out front, now dealt with,” the stallion said with another glance at Twilight, speaking in a commanding tone that seemed to belie the low rank insignia on the shoulders of his brown bailiff’s uniform. “I just wanted Miss Sparkle to know her scribe and friend were safe,” he said as he floated Applejack’s Stetson from out in the hallway back to her. The country mare snatched it out of his aura and put it back on her head with an annoyed look before returning to her seat.

“I see…” The Judge replied, though it was clear he really didn’t. “Thank you, then,” he acknowledged as with a parting look at Twilight, the white unicorn stallion turned on his heels and departed. “You were saying, Miss Sparkle…?”

Twilight didn’t immediately reply, still staring after the stallion as he left. She seemed more interested in him then the apparently-injured Spike, leaving Phoenix wondering who he was and why Twilight was so intent on him. Does she know him? “Twilight?” he prompted, giving her shoulders a brief shake when she didn’t immediately respond. “The Judge is waiting?”

“Oh!” She snapped out of her reverie, shaking her head sharply and trying to force herself to focus. “M-my apologies, Your Honor; I was… concerned for my scribe.”

“Of course,” The Judge acknowledged, much more deferential to her than he normally was to Phoenix. “If you are ready, then… please continue,” he invited.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” she said quickly, but still looked troubled. “As I was saying… we retrieved the library copy of the witness’s spellbook because we believe there is a spell within she could have used to kill the victim.”

“Oh, please.” Trixie didn’t hide her disdain. “Trixie has read that book as well and there’s nothing in there capable of killing. So you’re going to use a spell that can’t kill and that you can’t even prove she knows as the basis of your theory, Twilight Snarkle?” she all but sneered, leaning over the rail to glare at Twilight.

“We can prove she knows at least one spell!” Phoenix spoke up. “You may recall, Your Honor, that one of the pages in Sonata’s spellbook was marked with a hornwritten note,” he pointed out, turning to Twilight, who read his unspoken instruction to project the picture of that page into the middle of the courtroom pit.

“’Continue from here, third line’,” The Judge read, squinting at the hologram-like image. “Very well. But what does this mean?”

“This note is in the witness’s hornwriting,” Phoenix replied immediately, bringing out the blackmail letter and list of names; Twilight swiftly projected images of them as well into the middle of the courtroom for comparison. “It proves the witness studied this particular page and spell! If the prosecution insists, we can have the writing analyzed to see if it matches… but there’s no real need for that, is there Sonata?” he asked with a knowing grin, crossing his arms and staring at the grey mare who was again standing rigid, visibly sweating under the courtroom lights; Phoenix had the distinct impression she was acting not unlike a mouse holding very still in hopes a circling eagle would not see her.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “And this is relevant because…?”

Twilight wasted no more time. “Because the spell in question… is an electrical stun spell!” she announced to an immediate upsurge in conversation from the gallery. “One designed to quickly incapacitate an assailant via electric shock, even one much bigger or stronger than you!”

Sonata stood stock-still while Trixie gave a mocking laugh. “So what, Snarkle? You said it yourself—it’s a stun spell, not a lethal one! You know as well as Trixie does that spell cannot kill!”

“Yes, under normal circumstances. But…” Twilight’s gears were visibly turning. “There is evidence the witness cast an overpowered incantation recently and hurt herself trying,” she suggested, her brow furrowing.

“There is?” Phoenix blinked, mentally reviewing their evidence. Wait… Sonata had trouble levitating me last night! Is that what Twilight’s talking about?

“Yes.” Twilight gave him a brief but distracted nod. “The witness has an injured horn. I can tell by the weakness of her aura.”

Trixie’s lip tightened, as did Sonata’s. “She’s a weakling to begin with, Snarkle,” Trixie grated out, though Phoenix could tell she sensed where Twilight was going and was genuinely worried about it. “That she has such a feeble magical field is hardly a surprise.”

“You know the feel of an injured aura as well as me, Trixie,” Twilight replied, visibly groping for an answer as she went; Phoenix couldn’t help but feel a moment of pride as she watched her attempt to ‘wing it’ much like him. “And you also know that kind of injury can be caused by a magical surge!”

“I’m sorry. A ‘magical surge’?” The Judge prompted before Phoenix could.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Twilight said, turning back to him. “It’s the magical equivalent of adrenaline. It can happen when a unicorn is under severe emotional or physical duress, and can greatly, if only briefly, boost their power,” she explained.

Phoenix considered that. “So it’s like a mother summoning the strength to lift a ton in order to save her trapped child…” he drew the analogy as he scratched his chin.

Twilight nodded again. “Exactly! But it often comes at a high cost,” she continued. “When you massively overcharge a spell like that and channel more magic than your horn can manage, the horn often cracks and magically cripples the caster for the next several days.”

“And this is what happened here?” Phoenix asked Twilight to clarify, excited at the new information.

Twilight hesitated before answering. “It could be,” she spoke slowly and qualified her words carefully. “Putting too much power into an electrical stun spell could cause injury to the horn. And perhaps make it do more than just stun.” She sounded uncertain.

Something clicked inside of Phoenix’s head. “And would having your horn cracked like that hurt?” he asked, taking his pondering pose.

Twilight visibly winced at the question, as did Rarity and many of the other unicorns in the gallery. “In a word—yes. The horn is very sensitive and the pain of a fracture intense. All your magic goes into healing the horn at that point, and you can’t cast anything more than weak spells for a few days. In fact, they usually prescribe powerful painkillers for such an injury—” She gasped in sudden realization. “Phoenix!” she whispered urgently. “Those pills she gave you?”

“Do you have evidence to support this theory?” The Judge asked on cue.

Phoenix nodded, having thought of them at the same time Twilight did. “We do, Your Honor!” He went for his inner jacket pocket and pulled out… a small, old-fashioned pill bottle. “This is a heavy prescription painkiller given to me by the witness yesterday when she saw I had a headache. The writing on the front indicates it was in fact prescribed to her the morning after the murder, two days earlier!”





The Judge gaped at him. “Mister Wright! Are you saying you took a prescription medication without knowing what it was?” 

It was all Phoenix could do not to facepalm. Way to completely miss the point, Your Honor! “I did, Your Honor. And regretted it,” he acknowledged, wondering again if Sonata had deliberately given him those pills to affect his judgment, hoping it would make him more likely to go into the Everfree alone. 

Wouldn’t put it past her. And if so, that means she blackmailed Cruise into doing her dirty work! “Regardless of that fact, this is the kind of medication you’d be given if you have an injured horn. We can summon the prescribing doctor to testify as to her condition. But is that really necessary, Sonata?” he asked in a triumphant tone, hands on his hips again.

“Very well, Mister Wright. It’s mine,” she grudgingly admitted. Twilight sensed another psyche-lock break as she spoke; its underlying emotion was… denial? she recognized in surprise. Only four more to go! 

“In point of fact, I did suffer an unfocused magic surge. But only afterwards, when I was informed by the police of Ace’s death,” Sonata explained without turning away, giving Phoenix pause when he realized from the lack of her tell she wasn’t lying.

“The police can corroborate this,” Trixie spoke up. “The officers that visited her witnessed the surge and had to take her to the hospital afterwards.”

Phoenix was confused. “But you already knew he’d been killed. Why would being told about it later cause a magical surge?”

“Extreme emotional upset can cause a surge as well,” Twilight noted, reflecting she’d nearly had one of her own when she discovered that Cruise had attacked Phoenix—and probably would have had she been at full power. Lucky for him I was as drained as I was!

“Dorky bangs is correct, Mister Wrong. Miss Eye-Butt probably deluded herself into thinking it had all been a dream, but then learned it wasn’t when the police arrived,” she guessed with a smirk. Her words caused Sonata to look away in some pain, suggesting to Phoenix the showmare had hit uncomfortably close to the mark.

“Perhaps,” Twilight conceded, so intent on her thoughts she let the slight pass. “But unfocused emotional surges don’t generally do that kind of damage to a healthy horn. They do, however, often exacerbate an existing injury, compounding it several times,” she remembered, starting to speak with more confidence. “That makes it possible—in fact, I would even say likely—that she was already injured by then!” she concluded, causing Trixie’s smirk to drop.

“I see.” Phoenix nodded his gratitude at her, impressed at how readily she’d been able to come up with a workable theory on the fly. “Your Honor—I submit that with this new information about the stun spell, an injured horn, and a possible magical surge, we now have a working theory as to how the witness might have killed the victim. As such, I further submit that the basis of a murder case is now met, and respectfully request the withdrawal of your guilty verdict pending further investigation of the scene and witness!”

“NO!” Trixie all but shouted, her eyes glowing bright blue and a snow cloud materializing out of the air around her, flakes swirling through the courtroom with a sudden, biting wind. “That spell cannot KILL!” she yelled as she slammed her hoof down hard. As she did so there was a flash and sharp CRACK! as a small lightning bolt left the cloud and hit the floor beside her, causing everypony to take a step back.

Phoenix flinched as well. That was no illusion—Sonata was right! She really IS a weather elemental!

Okay, she’s REALLY starting to lose it! Twilight sensed the mare magician’s power surging along with every other unicorn in the courtroom, mentally reviewing defensive counter-spells and anti-ice enchantments if they were needed.

“Ms. Trixie!” The Judge shouted. “This is your last warning! Either contain your magic, or be removed from this courtroom and immediately escorted to jail on contempt charges!” he threatened, though the bailiffs that would be asked to carry out such an order looked none too happy about the prospect.

“Settle down, Trixie,” Twilight added her own order calmly. Or face ME! Was the unspoken threat as she added some fiery eye glow for effect, reminding her rival of the elemental power she wielded.

It worked; there was a flash of fear in the showmare’s eyes, and with great and visible effort, she forced her emotion-driven energies back to bay. “My… apologies, Your Honor,” she grated out, though it looked increasingly to Phoenix like she wanted to cut loose, and very badly. “I am simply making the point that the spell in question, like every other one in that book, is non-lethal. It is a defensive spell used to stun an attacker. Most police unicorns are in fact taught it, as are the unicorn bailiffs here in the courtroom now,” she said with a nod at the nearest one, who was staring back at her in wariness and a measure of fear.

“Is the prosecution correct? Do you know this spell?” The Judge turned to the unicorn bailiff standing guard to his right.

“We do,” the uniformed mare confirmed, looking uncomfortable and nervous, suddenly wondering if even the courtroom’s magic suppression field was going to do any good if the mare magician completely lost control. “We know a more powerful variant of it, yes; one that’s useful for crowd control and taking down stronger species like minotaurs. But even for ours, the prosecution is correct—the parameters of the spell are such that it cannot kill,” she added, causing Trixie to smile and Sonata to relax slightly.

“What parameters are those?” Phoenix wanted to know.

“Typically, a spell operates on intent, acting in accordance with its purpose and the will of the user,” Twilight answered automatically, now fully in her element. “But spells like these have built-in limits that cannot be exceeded—they’re designed to key off their target, using only as much power as necessary to do their job. Meaning, that even if you cast it with intent to kill, it wouldn’t. In fact, since that would violate the spell’s purpose, it wouldn’t work at all in that case.”

“Exactly!” Trixie said in satisfaction.

“But what if ‘doing their job’ meant killing?” Phoenix suggested. “This is a pegasus we’re talking about. Naturally resistant to lightning, and therefore to electricity—what if the only amount of electricity that could have stopped him was also enough to kill him?” he wondered aloud with a hand on his chin, causing Twilight’s brow to furrow thoughtfully again.

“That’s fine with Trixie,” the showmare spoke up with a smile, looking more under control though there was still a glitter of ice crystals in the air around her. “If that were the case, you’d have to generate as much power as a lightning bolt in order to overcome his natural pegasus resistance. A power level neither Miss Eye-Butt nor that spell could produce!” she said with certainty.

“Even under a magic surge?” Twilight countered. “I’ve never heard of it happening, but… it is possible that if you were under the influence of one and cast the spell without actual intent to kill, it might be able to do so accidentally…” she trailed off, uncertain if she believed it herself.

The Judge was dubious as well. “Hmmm… can you demonstrate this spell?” he asked the bailiff mare.

“Yes, Your Honor,” she hesitated only briefly before answering. Obeying The Judge’s request, the uniformed unicorn stepped into the middle of the courtroom pit and charged her horn, lowering her head and pointing towards the tiled floor, away from everypony. There was a very sharp electrical TZAAAAAP! sound and a visible blue electric arc came off her horn, hitting the floor in front of her; it left a sharp smell of ozone in the air and a visible burn mark on the tile.

Sonata noticeably flinched at that and so did Phoenix—he’d been hit with a Taser once, and the sound, smell and visual effect of this spell was uncomfortably similar. But even Tasers have been known to kill, if on accident, he noted. It’s not supposed to be able to, but it’s happened if someone had a weak heart or fresh injury. Is Twilight right and could the same thing have happened here? he further wondered, his mind turning. But first…

“Your Honor, look at the burn mark the spell left on the floor!” He pointed to the blackened tile. “That spell could very easily account for the burn mark on the back of the victim’s neck!”

“Oh my! You’re right!” The Judge’s eyes went wide, standing up behind his bench to get a closer look.





“You’re saying she hit him with the spell from behind?” Trixie asked incredulously. “That she ambushed him like a coward, Mister Wrong?”

“I did no such thing!” Sonata said vehemently, sounding genuinely offended and turning to glare at Phoenix.

“She didn’t, Mister Wrong,” Trixie immediately supported her. “Trixie can personally vouch for the fact that Miss Eye-Butt is many things—blackmailer and bimbo foremost among them—but she is categorically not a coward.”



“You can’t just dismiss this! There are simply too many coincidences and unanswered questions, Trixie!” Phoenix insisted, pointing a finger directly at the showmare. “We have a witness who tried to cover her tracks and has lied repeatedly! An electrocuted victim and a bookmarked electrical stun spell! An injured horn that could be the result of overcharging it! A neck burn to the victim that could have been caused by it! A large time window where the witness was alone in the forest! Actions by the witness after the victim’s death that make no sense unless she was trying to cover up for a murder!” he ticked off the list. “Your Honor, I once again submit that there is now sufficient cause to withdraw your verdict and investigate the witness!”

“NO!” Trixie shouted again, unable to restrain a sudden burst of snow.

“Both of you, BE SILENT!” The Judge ordered with uncharacteristic force; surprised, they did so while he closed his eyes and considered the situation.

The entire courtroom held its collective breath as they awaited his decision; in the gallery, Rarity was clutching a still-weak Spike hard, her lip trembling while Applejack was embracing a nervous and frightened Fluttershy who seemingly couldn’t look, holding her close and whispering reassurance.

It was nearly a minute before The Judge spoke again. “Very well, Mister Wright. You and your co-counsel have presented a potentially plausible alternate theory of the crime; one that bears closer examination,” he conceded in an exasperated tone, clearly unhappy at having to continue the trial yet again, but he knew his duty.

“However, I cannot accept these assertions on your word alone. I’ll grant a lunch recess for the police to obtain the witness’s copy of the book from her hotel room, and then take Miss Sparkle’s earlier suggestion to send the page in question off to Canterlot to have the spell’s identity confirmed,” he announced, causing Sonata to cringe. “I will further instruct that the police conduct analysis on the handwritten—er, hornwritten note to determine if it in fact belongs to the witness, and to verify with the hospital both her condition and that the prescription was in fact issued to her,” he itemized, reaching for the warrant sheet he’d started writing earlier.

“All links in your logic chain must be verified before I decide to withdraw my verdict, Mister Wright. Court will recess for ninety minutes!” The Judge announced with a sharp rap of his gavel, wanting food, an aspirin and a very stiff drink.







Ponyville District Court
Courtroom No. 2
Defense Waiting Area
June 11th, 2:28 PM


Twilight and Phoenix sat in silence, alone in the waiting area except for each other, the two pegasus sentries, and their own thoughts. Rainbow was not there; they’d taken her—and Sonata—back into holding for the duration of the recess. Even Trixie had disappeared, they were told, going back to the police station for reasons yet unknown.

Upon adjournment, Twilight immediately left, explaining she had “to check on Spike and find… somepony,” she told Phoenix a little cryptically, only to reappear fifteen minutes later, having apparently failed to do so.

Lunch was offered the pair by a sympathetic bailiff, but neither could eat, their insides churning as they awaited the results of the police investigation. This is what they don’t tell you about in law school—the point where things have passed out of your hands and there’s nothing left but waiting. Endless, interminable waiting… Phoenix reflected about forty minutes into the recess, giving Twilight a glance. He had noticed she was unable to sit or lay still, shifting positions constantly, her nervous tail twitching betraying the anxiety she was feeling.

“Hey. It’ll be okay,” he told her, taking a chance and resting his hand on the back of her neck. “We’ve come this far. We’re not going to fail now, I promise.”

She gave him a brave and grateful smile; whether due to his touch or her anxiety over the case, he could feel her trembling under his hand. So powerful and yet so vulnerable. Afraid not for herself, but for her friend, he reflected, hesitating for just a moment before gently pulling her closer. He heard her breath catch briefly before she gave in, collapsing against his side and laying her head on his shoulder. The two pegasus guards stared at them a moment before he gave them a challenging look back, daring them to say something; they glanced at each other before resuming their impassive façade.

And there they stayed, Phoenix sitting on the couch and Twilight curled up beside him. “Ph-Phoenix?” she called out at some length, her voice unsteady.

“Yes?”

She gathered herself carefully, giving Phoenix the impression she was trying to work up the nerve to say something. “Whatever happens… th-thank you. For everything.” She nuzzled him in the side. “The princess was right about you. I was a foal to think I could have done this alone.”

Don’t thank me yet, Phoenix didn’t say, not about to show her any doubt or weakness. She’s counting on me. Have to be strong for her. “Hey, I couldn’t have done this without you, either,” he reminded her back, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “Or without Fluttershy. Or Pinkie Pie. Or Rarity. Or Applejack. Or Spike,” he recited. “Each one of your friends played a role here—even Rainbow Dash herself gave me crucial information and pointed me in the right direction yesterday. Coming together to help each other and accomplishing more than any one of you—or me—could have done individually: isn’t that what your ‘magic of friendship’ is all about?”

She smiled at that, her eyes glistening, already thinking of the lessons she could draw from this whole ordeal and what she would eventually tell the princess in her next friendship report. But what lessons can I draw from HIM? she wondered, keenly aware of his presence and the hand resting against her shoulder and neck, no longer fighting what she was feeling for him. He’s so selfless for a stallion. The only other one I’ve ever known like that is… my brother, she reflected, wondering again why Shining Armor was there and apparently undercover as a bailiff.

When she’d checked on Spike, she’d started to ask about her stallion sibling but had stopped when her scribe made a halting gesture, immediately passing her a note from Shining Armor himself. In it, he didn’t say why he was there but promised to speak with her later, asking her not to give him away to her friends or Phoenix in the meantime. “It is,” she agreed, turning her head to look up at him. 

“Still… after I lied to you and abandoned you and, well, threw you to the timberwolves… you didn’t have to, and nopony would have blamed you if you didn’t. Thank you,” she said again, laying out beside him and resting her head on his leg much like Pinkie had the day before.

Phoenix nodded, though he still had the distinct impression she was trying to say something else. “You’re welcome. And I thank you, Twilight,” he told her back, gently scratching between her ears; her eyes widened in surprise at how good it felt. He grinned at that. “You brought me to a wonderful new world and gave me the chance to help right a great wrong. I wish you gave me a little more warning, but in all honesty, I think I like it here now,” he couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering how he couldn’t wait to get home at first.

“And I… like you being here.” She blushed, unable to say more but having to say as much. His response was to smile and stroke her silken mane.

They stayed put and said nothing more for the remaining half-hour of wait.








Ponyville Courthouse
Courtroom No. 2
June 11th, 3:35 PM


Court reconvened on time.

Scarcely anypony had left the gallery since the trial recessed, Phoenix noticed as he re-entered; the ponies present apparently afraid to leave their seats for fear they wouldn’t get them back. The foursome of Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Spike hadn’t moved either, the baby dragon looking like he’d recovered from his ordeal. And very happily being doted on by Rarity as a reward for his efforts, Twilight couldn’t help but note with a grin.

Trixie seemed calmer and happier as well, Phoenix noticed, sitting almost serenely behind her bench, not a trace of cold air around her as she cleaned up the waterlogged site with her magic. Phoenix caught her eye and she gave him a brief, but chilling smile.

She knows something, he instinctively sensed, certain she was once again waiting to spring some new piece of evidence or information on him. No. Not this time, Trixie! Phoenix silently swore. Whatever you have, I promise I’ll beat it!

The entire gallery held its breath as court was called to order at exactly the ninety-minute mark, watching as an orange-furred pegasus bailiff with a royal blue mane and a shield-and-lightning cutie mark entered the pit, giving Twilight a brief, almost appraising glance as he did so.

“Your Honor: the Ponyville Police served the search warrant and succeeded in obtaining the spellbook from the witness’s hotel room. Upon analysis, it was found to contain the marked page with the hornwritten note seen in the defense photograph,” he announced, causing Sonata to cringe.

“The hornwriting of the note was further matched to the witness based on samples of her writing found when she signed the hotel ledger, and the spell on the marked page of the book was indeed an electrical stun spell, as confirmed by the headmistress of the Celestial Magic Academy in Canterlot. 

“We also confirmed with the prescribing doctor that Ms. Sonata was prescribed the painkiller for a hairline crack of her horn, possibly but not definitively suffered when she was informed of the victim’s death,” he finished, passing copies of the reports and sworn statements to The Judge and two attorneys; Phoenix noticed the orange pegasus gave Twilight a second glance as he passed by, causing her to blush slightly and Phoenix to feel an odd pang of jealousy.

Twilight had barely started to flush under his scrutiny when she suddenly sensed two more of Sonata’s psyche-locks break; the stallion’s attention swiftly forgotten as she reeled from the emotional anguish they contained. Guilt! Just HORRIBLE levels of guilt! she cringed, wondering what in the name of her mentor had happened in the woods that Sonata was so ashamed of.

“Hmmm…” The Judge scanned the reports quickly, and then closed his eyes, deep in thought; Phoenix and Twilight held their breath yet again as they awaited his ruling. “Then the underlying basis of the defense theory is verified. Meaning there is the distinct possibility that Ms. Sonata not only knew that spell, but used it recently,” he conceded somewhat reluctantly, sensing what he was going to have to do. “It would seem, therefore… that I have no choice.”

“Indeed, Your Honor,” Phoenix nodded, feeling himself relax slightly. “I respectfully submit that the stool of three legs you spoke of earlier now exists—we have established opportunity and a possible means of murder. And if this court wishes, I am prepared to present evidence of a motive as well.”

Before The Judge could reply, Phoenix heard a slow clapping sound like mocking applause; he looked across the courtroom pit to see Trixie giving him a triumphant look as she clopped her hooves together. 

“Very impressive, Mister Wrong. But also completely futile!” she announced with a gleeful grin. “As it happens, Trixie had her own additional analysis done over the recess, regarding the burn mark on the back of the victim’s neck,” she announced with her hoof on her chest and nose in the air, her haughty pose telling everypony in the courtroom she was once again certain of victory.

“I see. And what did you find?” The Judge asked.

“That the burn pattern perfectly matched the head of the golf club!” she proclaimed in a tone that said she was putting the long-awaited final nail in the coffin of the case, passing out fresh reports with an attached picture in her aura to The Judge and Phoenix. 






She then projected the image for all to see, a picture of the cleaned-up and reassembled golf club colored red along its inside edge to demonstrate what part had hit the victim—the inside of the wide V the shaft and head formed, Phoenix immediately noted—and then adding a second image to show the same-shaped burn area marked in red on an autopsy photo of the back of Ace’s neck for comparison.

“The upshot is that the burn was therefore not caused by a stun spell as Mister Wrong suggests, and the witness’s last testimony is corroborated—it was the golf club that burned him, when he fell onto it! In other words, you lose, Mister Wrong! This trial is over! TRIXIE WINS!!!!!” she proclaimed again with a fresh display of magical fireworks.

Phoenix ignored her and studied the forensic report that had just been passed to him, his brow furrowed in concentration. As he scanned it, he slowly broke out in a huge grin. And then, to the astonishment of all present, he began to laugh as an entire day of tension finally started to ebb from him, garnering worried looks from Twilight and Rainbow along with incredulous ones from Trixie and Sonata.

“Mister… Wright?” The Judge stared at him, certain his fellow human had finally cracked under the pressure of the case.

With effort, Phoenix composed himself, shaking his head in amazement. “You know what, Your Honor? The prosecution is right. It’s over,” he said as he stopped laughing but still retained his smile, putting his hands on his hips and raising his eyes to meet Trixie’s. “I thank you for this timely analysis, Trixie…” He paused to savor the moment. “You just proved my client innocent of murder!”

For the first time all trial, he had the pleasure of catching the mare magician completely off guard. “Wh-what?” her jaw dropped open while beside him, Twilight and Rainbow looked at him in equal surprise, barely daring to hope.

“Mister Wright?” The Judge was equally confused. “Were you not listening? She just proved the golf club—and not the stun spell as you theorized—was indeed what burned the victim!”

“Indeed she did, Your Honor,” Phoenix agreed with a nod. “But she also proved that it could not have happened as the witness said. In fact…” he said with a glance at Twilight that told her THIS IS IT!

Phoenix slammed his hands down hard. “What the prosecution’s evidence shows… is that the victim was in fact ALIVE after the first bolt came down!”





“What are you talking about, Wrong?” Trixie gaped at him. “We’ve already established that the first bolt is the only thing that could have killed him! Not the second bolt! And certainly not some overpowered stun spell!”



“That’s where you’re wrong, Trixie! I believe I now know exactly what happened based on a certain piece of evidence!” he pointed across the courtroom pit.

“E-Evidence?” Sonata stammered, her eyes uncharacteristically flustered and frightened.

Phoenix nodded. “What this new analysis makes clear is that there was in fact a struggle of some kind…”

Trixie gave out a heavy and very angry sigh that emerged as a puff of cold air. “Again, this is the most foalish foalery of your foalish foal brain in that foalish spiky foal head of yours! This was a clearly premeditated murder by Rainbow Trash! It is already established that she prepositioned a cloud and fired it at him! And your assertion makes no sense anyway—just how could Eye-Butt have had a struggle with the lightning, Mister Wrong?” the mare magician asked derisively.

Phoenix blinked. Is Franziska in the house? he suddenly wondered, half-expecting he was about to feel the familiar and painful lash of her whip. “I think the lightning and the idea of premeditation have been one big red herring all along,” he replied with a shake of his head. “I blame myself for this, actually. We got so focused on them that we never stopped to consider what else—or who else—may have been to blame. We never stopped to consider that what happened that night might not have been a premeditated murder, but a desperate act of self-defense.” He shook his head ruefully, suddenly seeing in part how Sonata had evaded his questioning of her the previous day. 

I assumed premeditation and questioned her on that basis, and she was able to truthfully poke holes in that theory, pointing out all the ways she would have done it differently if she’d actually MEANT to kill him, he only then realized, kicking himself anew for allowing himself to fall into that mental trap. But that still doesn’t explain how she evaded the Magatama!

“Self-defense? What do you mean, Mister Wright?” The Judge broke into his thoughts.

“What I mean is, the prosecution’s evidence shows there was a struggle between the victim and witness,” he emphasized with a glance at Sonata, who couldn’t quite suppress her flinch. “What I mean is, she didn’t plan or mean to kill him. She did so while fighting for her life!”

“What?” Trixie went agape while Sonata looked away.

“On what basis do you suggest the victim did this, Mister Wright?” The Judge asked.

“Let’s review what we now know, Your Honor,” he said, picking up several pieces of evidence and testimony transcript sheets, including Trixie’s latest report, “starting with the burn mark on the back of the victim’s neck. By the prosecution’s analysis, the golf club head is the only thing that could have done it.”

“But the club was clearly heated to near-melting after it got hit by lightning while lying on the ground, Your Honor!” Trixie countered. “How else could the victim have been burned but by falling on it as it lay there?”

“I have no doubt the club was what burned the victim, Your Honor,” Phoenix acknowledged before The Judge could comment. “But this new analysis contradicts a critical part of the witness’s earlier testimony!”

“Explain!” Trixie ordered, cold air starting to seep onto the floor around him again.

Wish I’d brought my wool socks! Phoenix suddenly rued as he felt his legs start to chill. “I now believe the witness when she says the golf club was snapped in two when it made contact with the back of the victim’s neck. But I believe she has it backwards: he didn’t hit the golf club, but rather, the golf club was used to hit him—that somepony struck him with it and it broke in two over the back of his neck!” he asserted, causing Sonata to flinch yet again. “And I think we all know who that somepony is!”

Trixie stared at him like he’d gone mad, not noticing Sonata’s reaction. “Are you actually suggesting she hit him with it?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying!” Phoenix replied, slamming his hands down on his bench.

As ice crystals appeared again in the air around her, Trixie closed her eyes, trying once more to control her surging magic. “You just keep getting dumber and dumber, you know that, Wrong?” she said through gritted teeth, willing the cold air to disperse. “You have no evidence of that! None! Zero! Zilch! Nada!”

Phoenix crossed his arms, giving her a knowing grin. “If you truly believe that, then answer one simple question, Trixie…” He paused for effect. “How would the golf club have been lying on the ground?”

The showmare gave him an incredulous look. “What kind of question is that, Wrong? It would have been lying on its side, of cour—” She abruptly gasped and gaped.

“EXACTLY!” Phoenix said triumphantly, his hands on his hips. “Then the burn pattern should have matched the side of the club head and shaft, not the top and front!” he explained, tapping the different points on the club head in turn, causing a echoing gasp of understanding from both Twilight and many other ponies in the gallery.





“In fact, the only way the victim could receive that burn pattern was if he was hit over the neck with it!” he proclaimed, pointing at Trixie. “And in turn, the only way that could have happened was if the victim was still standing! Alive and unharmed after the lightning strike!”

Twilight stared at him in wide-eyed amazement while Trixie was visibly shocked at how deftly the human lawyer had turned her own evidence back on her. “But… but… that can’t be right!” the mare magician insisted, her mind grasping frantically for an alternate theory.

“Then maybe you can explain how he got the burn mark, when it’s now clear it couldn’t have happened the way she said?” he challenged, hands on his hips. “Remember, he had to have received it while in the Everfree based on the picture of him entering it with his neck unburned!” he reminded her.

The snow and ice around Trixie suddenly wavered hard as she looked away nervously, genuine fear and doubt in her eyes now. “I-I… um…” she stammered before turning angry again. “Ugh!”

“Uh… couldn’t the defendant have used the stick to hit him herself?” The Judge suggested. “I just can’t see why his manager would assault him like this.”

“Ha!” Trixie grabbed the offered lifeline. “He’s right! Rainbow Trash could have easily hit him with it! They had those pictures of her, after all!” she said with her hoof on her chest.

You know, it’s really pathetic when you have to get bailed out by THE JUDGE! Phoenix nearly facepalmed. “Sorry, Trixie. But Rainbow Dash could not have done that!” he quickly countered. “Need I remind you we have witness testimony that she left immediately after the lightning came down?”

“Yeah. According to Gilda,” Trixie sneered. “But her testimony was struck, remember?” The showmare regained a measure of composure, certain she was back on firm ground.

“She is correct, Mister Wright,” The Judge concurred. “We have no authoritative testimony as to where Ms. Dash went after the lightning hit.”

Phoenix considered that carefully. “That’s true. There is a gap of time where Rainbow could have gone back while Gilda was looking for her package and Sonata claims she fled the scene,” he conceded as he scratched his chin. “But I’m not talking about that. I can in fact prove that the only one who could have hit the victim with the golf club… was the WITNESS!”

Sonata was no longer speaking up to defend herself, looking forlorn and downcast like she was awaiting the inevitable.

“What are you talking about?” The showmare demanded to know, sparing her former schoolmate a nervous look.

“You of all ponies should know why, Trixie!” Phoenix couldn’t resist a little dig, though he saw her eyes narrow and felt the air around him drop several degrees in temperature again.

“But how could the witness be the only one?” The Judge asked, increasingly bewildered by the rapid turn of events.

“By simple process of elimination, Your Honor!” Phoenix replied, going for the inside of his suit jacket. “I can prove that of all those on the scene that night, the only one that could even possibly have used the golf club to hit the victim… was HER!”

Trixie stared at him in disbelief; even Twilight was giving him a dubious look. “Prove it? How?” the former demanded to know.

“With this!” he brought out a small pink book and held it high.





The entire court and gallery went silent as they recognized the book. “’The Filly’s Guide to Ponies’?” The Judge squinted and read the title in disbelief. “Is this a children’s book?”

“Yes, it is.” Phoenix was struggling to remain nonplussed under the stares everypony in the gallery was giving him, Twilight included.

“I… uh… gave that to you to read,” she began, certain he had not only severely embarrassed himself again, but fatally wounded their case. “Not to, uh… present as evidence.” She gave him a placating smile and as gentle a rebuke as she could.

“Trixie read that one while she was still learning to speak!” the showmare looked angry and annoyed, her eyes glowing blue again. “How dare you present such a childish item as evidence and make a mockery of this court!” She slammed her hoof on the bench front for emphasis.

Phoenix wanted to facepalm again. This coming from Miss Wizard Hat and Wizard Cloak? “Uh, hold on a second! I’m just using this as a visual aid to make my point!” he quickly explained, sensing all the disbelieving reactions.

“This better be good!” The Judge looked ready to serve him a contempt citation on the spot.

“Uh… well…” he took on his goofy grin for a second. “This book, as Your Honor can plainly see, is quite short. It details the different types of ponies in Equestria,” he spoke quickly as he flipped through the pages, asking an embarrassed Twilight to project the page pictures of an earth pony, pegasus and unicorn foal in turn. 

Very reluctantly, she did so:











Each picture showed a different type of pony playing while doing something unique to their particular race; the pegasus was flying, the earth pony planting seeds, and the unicorn foal was manipulating toy blocks with her magic, a delighted expression on her face. “It says right here on page three: ‘Unicorns use magic’,” he recited. “And here we see an illustration of a cute little unicorn playing with toys, using her horn to move them.”

The Judge did not lose his scowl. “That unicorns use magic is hardly earthshattering information, Mister Wright! What is the RELEVANCE of this?” he thundered, causing Fluttershy to cower in the stands and Phoenix to gulp, recognizing The Judge’s patience was at an end.

“That only a unicorn could have wielded the club as a weapon, Your Honor!” he spoke quickly. “If that metal golf club was in fact red-hot, then any physical contact with it would have severely burned whoever touched it as well! So that completely rules out Rainbow Dash and Gilda, who would have had to hold it in their mouths, hooves, or talons but would also have been badly burned if they tried!” he explained, relieved to see understanding dawn on The Judge’s face. “And even if they did pick up the stick after it cooled down, it wouldn’t matter! The club wouldn’t be hot any more, and therefore couldn’t burn the victim!”

“N-no!” Trixie exclaimed as his logic struck home and she saw Sonata’s downcast face and increasingly guilty expression, sensing her victory slipping away.

“Or that would be the case if you were anyone, or—” he cleared his throat “—anypony… but a magic-wielding unicorn!” He put his hands on his hips as he knew that finally, he’d found the answer and the key to proving Rainbow Dash innocent. “So I submit, Your Honor, that Sonata was the only one who could have struck the victim with the golf club, simply because of all those at the scene that night, nopony except her could wield it without burning herself!” he asserted, causing equine eyes to go wide in startled realization all around the courtroom, a low murmur of conversation making itself known.

He glanced up in the gallery to see Applejack staring at him in awe and having removed her Stetson in deep respect. She shook her head in wonder while explaining his logic in simpler terms to Fluttershy, whose eyes went wide when she finally got it. Beside them, Rarity and Spike clutched each other hard, sensing the climax of the trial fast approaching while several rows behind them, his gym friends watched raptly, occasionally whispering back and forth, one forming a golf club-like object in his aura and making a swinging motion with it to demonstrate to his friend what Phoenix was saying.

Phoenix took heart from the favor now being shown him, knowing the entire gallery was fully on his side. You’re almost there! Now bring it home, Phoenix! “So that leaves just two questions, Sonata: Why would you strike your long-time client and business partner with the golf club… and how did a spell that shouldn’t have been able to kill him do so?” he wondered aloud. “To tell the truth, I don’t have an authoritative answer for the latter, but I believe I know why you hit him.”

“B-but this is wrong!” Trixie stammered. “She couldn’t have done it; why would she? She was his manager and marefriend!” she insisted, causing Sonata to wince again.

Phoenix couldn’t resist a smirk. “If memory serves, weren’t you the one who said that motive doesn’t matter, Trixie?” he asked her in a mild tone over crossed arms.

Her purple eyes went wide and jaw dropped open. “Y-you…” she sputtered along with snow from the air around her, but couldn’t come up with a good retort.

“But unlike you, I think motive does matter! So I’ll gladly explain what I think her motive for striking him with the golf club was!” He pointed across the pit at Trixie before turning his attention back to the witness stand. “Tell me, Sonata—the reason you hit him… was this, wasn’t it?” He brought out the two pieces of the resignation letter.





“What is this, Mister Wright?” The Judge wanted to know.

“It’s a letter of resignation, addressed to the victim,” Phoenix replied, going on to read it aloud.



Full Resignation Letter

“This is my letter stating my permanent Leave of Absence. After the Equestrian 500 is over, I can no longer work with you. We made quite the team, but I can’t live with the guilt any longer. I can’t keep helping you ruin lives. It saddens me beyond belief that we must part ways, but I must say farewell. Goodbye Ace; may our paths cross in the future.”



“This letter is unsigned. But you wrote this, didn’t you, Sonata?” he asked as the bailiffs made copies for The Judge and Trixie, already knowing the answer and that he could prove it if she denied it. “You were planning on backing out of the blackmail scheme, weren’t you? It says you ‘couldn’t live with the guilt any longer’ and that you were going to end your partnership with Ace after the Equestrian 500,” he summarized. “I’m going to guess you showed this to Ace right after your deal with Rainbow Dash went bad.”

Sonata stood stoically, summoning every last ounce of her resolve to not move or react. No. It’s an act. She’s about ready to crumble! he sensed from long experience. Just one more push… “I don’t imagine Ace was too happy with your decision, was he?” Phoenix suggested, a hush falling over the gallery as they sensed the moment of truth approaching. 

“As everypony can see, this letter was torn in half. Half was found by my co-counsel near Fluttershy’s cottage, perhaps blown there by the wind,” he guessed with a nod at Twilight, “while the other half you must have recovered and brought out with you, as I found it in your hotel room. It makes sense, actually—you couldn’t just throw it away; somepony might have found it. So you kept it safe in your hotel room while the police were investigating the crime scene.”

“That’s probably also why you had Cruise Control attack me to recover my evidence,” he suddenly and belatedly realized, briefly putting his hand on his chin. “You were afraid we might have discovered the meaning behind the letter, and it’s also the reason you didn’t have us arrested on the spot. After all, if you had? The police might have confiscated my evidence, including the torn letter, and connected it to you via the missing half. If they found it on or near the crime scene, that would have linked you to the blackmail and the murder.”

“But what’s the motive, Mister Wright?” The Judge broke in. “The letter states she was trying to leave him, not kill him! Why would she kill her partner over this?”

“I don’t believe she intended to kill him, Your Honor,” Phoenix addressed The Judge. “This goes back to what I said about all of us being too fixated on the idea of premeditation, when what happened could be explained by a simple act of self-defense. In point of fact, Ace probably wasn’t happy with Sonata for giving up the ghost on their lucrative blackmail scheme. Based on what I’ve learned about him, I imagine he got angry. Very angry.” He finally voiced the theory he’d been developing during the last recess.

“In fact, I’d imagine for as mad as that would have made him, tearing the letter in two would have been the least he would do…” he further suggested, watching Sonata carefully. The grey mare refused to meet his eyes, now staring fixedly at the floor in front of her, her legs and lip trembling. “He didn’t want to give up the life of a champion racer, and in turn, he didn’t want you revealing him as a fraud and a cheat. And in his mind, when it came down to it? There was only one way to guarantee your silence.”

Sonata’s shoulders were beginning to slump. “Now, as strong as Ace was, I doubt striking him with the Pinkie Iron, even if it was red-hot, would have slowed him down much. And no doubt he’d be even angrier afterwards.” Phoenix followed his logic chain, feeling the final links falling into place like dominoes. “That would explain why you didn’t leave the scene right away. After all, there’s no way you could concentrate enough to teleport when engaged in a fight for your life, is there?” he asked rhetorically.

“Since you were far weaker than Ace physically and were unable to flee, your only possible defense was the stun spell you’d recently studied. I’ve no doubt you used it on him, but that’s as far as my deductions can take me. The exact progression of events after you struck him with the golf club cannot be determined, so the only one who can answer the question of what happened afterwards… is you, Sonata,” he said, a little more gently as he saw her begin to shake. He realized she was now on the verge of a breakdown, wondering what form it would take. 

“There’s nobody left to blame for his death but yourself. Rainbow Dash being long gone after the first bolt came down. Gilda searching for her missing package. And Apple Bloom lost and alone in the forest, whom you later brought out with your teleport,” he recited. “If neither they nor the first or second lightning bolts killed him, all that leaves is you... and an overcharged stun spell. Based on what Twilight said about spell parameters and intent, I don’t believe that you meant to kill him. So how did it happen?”

“Intent or no, the spell… can’t… kill!” Trixie continued to insist, appealing frantically to The Judge. “How could she have electrocuted him with it?”

“Actually, I think I know,” a suddenly sad-looking Twilight spoke up, having finally solidified her own theory.

“How?” the showmare demanded to know. “Even a magical surge couldn’t break the spell’s parameters!”

“Not by itself, no,” Twilight agreed. “But they were in a place where the rules can be broken—the Everfree Forest.”

“What do you mean?” Phoenix asked.

“The Everfree Forest is infused with what we call ‘wild magic’,” Twilight answered, speaking loudly enough for the entire court to hear. “It’s very unpredictable and being in the woods, immersed in it, tends to make a unicorn’s spells much stronger, but also much more difficult to control. I’ve seen my own spells go out of control in there when I wasn’t careful, even when I wasn’t under duress.

“But given the situation she was in, if her life was truly being threatened by him? Combine a magical surge with the unpredictable effects of the Everfree, and…” she trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief at not seeing it before. “It becomes possible for a stun spell to kill.”

“I don’t know… this still seems rather far-fetched,” The Judge was unconvinced.

“Far-fetched? Try impossible!” Trixie pleaded, clinging desperately to the tatters of her case.

“Your Honor: As we both know, our own world’s equivalent of this spell—a Taser gun—isn’t supposed to be able to kill either,” Phoenix tried a new analogy. “But we’ve both heard about cases where it did—either due to injury or an otherwise weakened heart. In this case, the victim had head trauma—he’d just been brained with a blazing hot object. Perhaps the combination of that, this ‘wild magic’ my co-counsel speaks of and a massively overpowered stun spell was enough to stop his heart?” he suggested with a glance at Twilight, who nodded.

The Judge looked intrigued at that, stroking his beard as he thought. “Hmmm… you make a good point, Mister Wright,” he conceded. “But how could she have seen well enough in the dark to strike him with it?”

“With her night vision spell still in effect, that wouldn’t have been a problem—she would have the ability to aim it precisely at one of the exposed areas on the racesuit,” Twilight noted before Phoenix could. “It all fits, Your Honor.”

“But… but… you can’t just say she did this! If Ace was really threatening her, why not just run away? Or teleport?” It was now Trixie grasping desperately at straws. “Resorting to violence as a first option is totally illogical!”

So is suggesting she could get away! Phoenix thought. “And how could she have escaped him, Trixie? Teleporting takes time and focus to prepare—neither of which she had if she was under imminent threat. As for running, he was a pegasus and could fly much faster than she could gallop. 

“Even if they were both on hoof, it would have made no difference—he was an athlete. He could have caught her easily without even trying, and I doubt they would have just kissed and made up after she hit him judging by the fact we have a dead body,” he pointed out with a hand on his chin, knowing he’d hit the bull’s-eye as Sonata turned away again, this time to hide her apparent shame. “So there’s no way around it, Your Honor. Sonata must have electrocuted him with the stun spell sometime between when the first bolt came down and when Gilda returned to move the body.”

The Judge looked just as dazed as Trixie did. “Ms. Sonata? You’ve been very quiet these past few minutes. What do you have to say to all this?” he finally asked. “Mister Wright’s logic is compelling. Can you offer anything in your own defense?”

The grey mare did not answer right away. She looked up at The Judge, then over to Phoenix, then back down, her eyes going sad and beaten. “It’s amazing… what one little mistake ended up costing me,” she said in a defeated voice.

With that, Twilight sensed the final two psyche-locks shatter, releasing a wave of despair as Sonata’s internal barriers finally came crashing down. The intensity of the emotions staggered Twilight and gave Trixie pause as well; when the phantom chains retracted, Twilight’s mystical vision could clearly sense the gray mare’s tortured, guilt-ridden heart.

Checkmate, Twilight thought, but found herself feeling no elation for it, troubled by the immense sadness and shame she was picking up from the other mare. And now, we’ll finally get the truth…