//------------------------------// // Part 53 - Fight or Flight // Story: Phoenix Wright - Turnabout Storm! // by Firesight //------------------------------// Confession time, folks! Be advised this chapter will push the teen rating a bit in terms of language and threatened violence. It’s not gratuitous, but it’s there. —Firesight Moonlight Sonata (by Beethoven) Ponyville Courthouse Courtroom No. 2 June 11th, 3:57 PM “It’s amazing what one little mistake ended up costing me,” Sonata said in a defeated voice, her ears drooping as her gaze dropped to the floor. The Judge rapped his gavel sharply three times to control the sudden upsurge of conversation from the stands. “Ms. Sonata! Are you… confessing?” No matter how many times he saw Phoenix Wright pull off his turnabouts, they were somehow always as unexpected as they were improbable. And this, he reflected, was in many ways the unlikeliest one of all! “I am, Your Honor,” she confirmed, her defiance gone. “I no longer trust my memories of that night, but I do know that Mister Wright is correct. That the one who killed Ace… was me.” She closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame. The courtroom erupted in a mixture of surprise and disbelief; none more so than from a speechless Trixie, who was staring at Sonata slack-jawed. In the gallery, Applejack exhaled sharply in relief while Rarity fainted again, Spike and Fluttershy struggling to hold her up and fan her. Phoenix chanced a glance up towards the gallery and caught Fluttershy’s gaze, feeling his heart warm at the smile she gave him. None of this would have been possible without you, Fluttershy, he told her with his thoughts, resolving to give her another huge hug the first chance he got. My victory and even my life—I owe them both to you! Returning his gaze to Sonata, he let his smile fall as he asked, “So my theory of the crime was correct?” “It was,” Sonata admitted in great pain, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. “I’ve been hiding from the truth behind a wall of memory suppression spells and painkiller pills, but you forced me to confront it. And now accept it.” “I’m sorry. ‘Memory suppression spells’?” The Judge prompted before Phoenix could. “Yes, Your Honor,” Sonata said as she slumped. “It’s an incantation of my own creation, and one I’ve used to escape incrimination in the past. Though in this case, I used it to hide from my own actions. By casting it, I can temporarily purge my memory of certain events and even my knowledge of the spell itself. My memories are stowed in a specially-treated memory crystal I keep nearby, and then recovered automatically some hours later after the spell wears off.” “Really? And you came up with that on your own?” Twilight sounded impressed. “Yes, Miss Sparkle. Though at this point, it’s only a source of shame to me.” Sonata looked anything but proud to Phoenix. “At the point the spell is cast, I remember nothing about the target memories or even casting the spell. That way, I not only appear innocent, but in my heart, I am innocent and thus give no tells or clues. In fact, I cast one yesterday when you entered my hotel room following the attack on you, Mister Wright. As I had ordered that attack, I was afraid of my own reactions giving me away if I remembered doing it.” Phoenix’s jaw fell open in shock, his eyes widening in realization. So THAT’S how she spoofed the Magatama yesterday! It shows secrets in someone’s heart, but at that point... the secret wasn’t IN her heart! he finally understood. He made a mental note to never trust in his Magatama’s supposed infallibility again, reflecting his over-reliance on it had led him astray for the second time in as many cases. “So you were behind that attack!” he accused as Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Yes,” she admitted with no small amount of shame in her voice. “As I was fearful of the extortion racket being revealed by the items you found in my hotel room, I blackmailed Cruise Control into attacking you using means I’d rather not explain. For that, I apologize, Mister Wright, though I know it doesn’t make up for what I did to you. And I apologize to you as well, Miss Sparkle,” she said as she turned to Twilight, seeing the anger in her gaze. “I was under the influence of my own memory spells and painkillers, but it’s no excuse. It’s just one more act I can never live down.” “You were that worried I’d find you out?” Phoenix asked, feeling oddly flattered. “Yes,” she confirmed again. “Even under the influence as I was, my powers of observation were not lessened. When I found you in my hotel room yesterday, Mister Wright, the first thing I noticed was your eyes—still filled with fire despite your poor trial performance; there was a resourcefulness and determination in them I have rarely seen in anyone, pony or otherwise, before,” she told him, raising her eyes to meet his. “I could sense that you were as dedicated a male as I’ve ever met; an attorney who would work tirelessly not just on behalf of his client, but in pursuit of the truth. I have found that the eyes show what somepony is like more than any other part of the body,” she mused, smiling sadly. “They really are the window to the soul.” “No! No! It wasn’t you! You didn’t do it, you COULDN’T have! It was Rainbow Trash!” Trixie finally shook off her shock and pleaded with her old schoolmate, her violet eyes going equal parts defeated and desperate. Sonata paid her no mind. “It’s why I wear these glasses, you know. They aren’t correctional. They’re purely cosmetic.” She bowed her head sadly, looking for a moment like she wanted to remove them, raising a forehoof to them only to drop it again. “I feel like they shield me—hide my eyes and my soul. I’ve always been terrified that without them, somepony would see me for the pony I really was. See all my insecurity and weakness.” “Just like what you were doing to your blackmailing victims,” Phoenix said, his tone turned gentle. She’s broken and ready to confess. At this point, she needs help, not hectoring, to do it. “Exactly,” Sonata confirmed. “But it didn’t start out that way.” “Sonata! STOP! You didn’t do it!” Trixie was beginning to shake. “It’s just that drug in your system! Or you’re still in shock from your injury and seeing your coltfriend killed! Don’t confess to something you didn’t DO!” Sonata flicked her a glance, nothing more. “I suppose my worst weakness is pity. It’s what made me both take Ace on as a client, and later what led me to write up the letter you now hold in your hands, Phoenix Wright.” “The guilt of what you were doing to those innocent athletes finally caught up to you, didn’t it?” he suggested. “Yes,” she confirmed, looking away in pain. “As well as for killing Ace. And now, there’s nothing left for it but the truth.” “Ugh!” Trixie gave a pained sound. Sonata gathered herself carefully, taking a deep breath before raising her eyes to The Judge’s. “Your Honor: I respectfully request the assistance of the defense co-counsel in casting a memory playback and projection spell,” she told him, all pretense of defiance gone. “Even if my horn wasn’t cracked, I don’t have the ability to cast it myself.” Phoenix immediately looked at Twilight, who seemed surprised—and a little discomfited—by the request. “Why not just testify?” he asked in return. “Because if I just tell you what really happened, nopony will believe me. Not after all the lies and cover-up. And not after trying to attack you or frame your client, Mister Wright,” she explained as she shook her head sadly. “Showing you the events of that night through my own eyes is the only way to prove her innocent, and my confession to be true.” “Very well, then. Miss Sparkle?” The Judge turned to Twilight. “Can you fulfill Ms. Sonata’s request?” Twilight visibly hesitated, glancing up at Phoenix. “Yes, Your Honor, I can. But…” “But what?” Phoenix prompted when she didn’t immediately finish her sentence, noting she seemed genuinely unnerved by the prospect. Wait a minute—if they’re capable of such spells, why didn’t they just use one on Rainbow to begin with? he suddenly wondered. Twilight swallowed. “But… she has to let me in. Allow me to access her mind and memories in order to perform the spell.” She turned her eyes to Phoenix. “Poking around in another pony’s head isn’t safe for either of us. In fact, it’s very invasive and dangerous, and its results are notoriously unreliable—that and the prohibition against self-incrimination are why it’s not done routinely in criminal cases,” she explained, anticipating Phoenix’s question. “In fact, it’s hardly ever used in a legal proceeding.” Phoenix felt a moment of trepidation. “What makes it so dangerous?” Twilight bit her lip nervously at the question. “There are many reasons, but in simple terms… even a non-magical mind tends to strongly and reflexively resist such intrusions, fighting back against them. Even for a disciplined and willing mind, there’s great risk—by going into her head to replay her memories, I’ll be experiencing exactly what she did. That’s dangerous enough, but if she fights me or panics while I’m in there, she’ll end up hurting or even hospitalizing us both.” “I won’t fight you,” Sonata promised. “I have no fight left.” “If you won’t fight, then I will!” Trixie announced, finally rousting herself from her dumbstruck stupor. “Your Honor, the prosecution does not consent to a confession extracted in such a manner! Memory playbacks can be magically manipulated and are thus inadmissible as a matter of law!” “Perhaps. But they can be requested by a witness and used as supporting evidence to back that witness’s accounting of events, if the presiding judge consents,” Sonata countered, her legal mind re-engaging. “I am making such a request now, Your Honor, and I will formally waive my right against self-incrimination to do so. I make this request in support of—not in place of—a regular confession, which I will be happy to give as well.” “Hmmm…” The Judge considered her words carefully, stroking his beard as he thought. “What do you think, Mister Wright?” Phoenix scratched his chin, intrigued yet greatly troubled by the prospect. “It almost sounds like this world’s equivalent of a lie detector test, Your Honor,” he drew the only analogy he could think of. “And you know the rules governing that.” “Indeed,” The Judge nodded gravely. “Lie detectors are generally not admissible as evidence in our world because their results are considered unreliable. It has been shown repeatedly they can be fooled both by skilled criminals and by traumatized minds.” “Exactly! And the same holds true here as well!” Trixie spoke up. “A skilled unicorn can spoof the spell to project false memories, and there have even been documented cases of traumatized unicorns involuntarily rewriting their memories! And thus, memory playback spells are almost never admissible as evidence!” “She’s right, Your Honor,” Twilight confirmed. “By Equestrian law, memory magic is not considered authoritative as testimony or evidence, as both the extraction spell and the memories themselves are far from infallible. Doubly so if she’s already been casting memory alteration spells on herself repeatedly, which can have lingering and unpredictable effects.” “And there you have it, Your Honor!” Trixie pounced. “In point of fact, even if Eye-Butt here hasn’t already accidentally or intentionally modified her true memories, Twilight Snarkle could very easily rewrite them while in her head to present a false version of events!” Twilight looked up sharply, appearing to Phoenix both aghast and greatly offended by the suggestion. “You know perfectly well I can’t alter her memories on the fly, Trixie! Externally-performed memory manipulation spells are only known by psychiatrists and only done in severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder! Their use is as a very rare last resort, requiring weeks to prepare and hours to perform! “But even if I had that time and preparation, I certainly couldn’t do it without her consent! It doesn’t matter how powerful I am; if I tried to do it against her will, I’d end up putting us both in a coma!” she snapped back, an edge to her voice. “And if things go wrong, I may anyway…” she added just loud enough for Phoenix to hear. “Oh, so I’m supposed to take you at your word that you wouldn’t doctor the projected images to save your friend? I don’t think so!” Trixie hissed, leaning over the rail to glare at Twilight. “I don’t trust either of you! If it must be done, Trixie will perform the spell!” “No, you will not. Because I don’t trust you, Lula.” Some of Sonata’s old attitude resurfaced. “As flattered as I am to be called a ‘skilled unicorn’, there’s too much bad blood between us and I’m not about to let you in my head. I will allow Miss Sparkle to perform this spell and nopony else.” She closed her eyes and turned away again, but this time she was facing away from Trixie and towards Phoenix and Twilight. “You may monitor the spell if you wish, Lula, but you may not take part in it.” Phoenix was disturbed by the mere fact they were even discussing such topics. That’s how powerful their magic is? They could even invade minds and modify memories? He couldn’t help but shiver. “Hmmm…” The Judge seemed troubled as well. “I do not pretend to understand such subjects, but the prosecution does make a valid point, Miss Sparkle. We would have no way to confirm but your own word the veracity of what we see.” “And mine as well, Your Honor,” Sonata spoke up. “I would remind this court that I am confessing and simply seek this playback for supporting evidence. At a minimum, Ms. Lulamoon and the unicorn bailiffs can magically monitor the spell and tell if Miss Sparkle and myself are casting anything other than the telepathy and memory projection incantations this requires,” she offered, and then, to everypony’s surprise, broke out in a small grin. “Unless, of course, The Great and Powerful Trixie fears that both myself and Miss Sparkle could fool her?” To the surprise of nopony, the appeal to the showmare’s pride worked. “Can Twilight Snarkle and an eye-butt bimbo put a fast one over Trixie? HA!” She worked up some haughtiness. “Trixie will monitor and know instantly if they are!” “I see.” The Judge stroked his beard again. “If all parties are in agreement, then…” “A moment, Your Honor. Twilight?” Phoenix spoke up, now genuinely worried for her, putting a hand on her shoulders. “If it’s too dangerous, you don’t have to do this!” Twilight held still for a moment, taking what strength she could from his touch. “No, Phoenix. For Rainbow’s sake, I have to,” she answered, turning her eyes to his. “Twilight, NO!” Rainbow called out from the defendant’s box. “Listen to Nix and don’t do this for me! You’ve already done enough and she’s confessing! That’s all I want or need!” “Twilight, nopony will think less of you if you decline this. We can get a regular confession,” Phoenix tried again, squeezing the back of her neck as he sensed her beginning to waver. “Please, Egghead,” Rainbow added, looking genuinely fearful. “Enough ponies have been hurt already by this! I don’t want you hurt, too!” “I cannot force you to do this, Miss Sparkle. I cannot guarantee my memories are accurate. And I cannot guarantee that you—or I—will not end up hurt by it,” Sonata admitted, looking away for a moment before raising her eyes back to meet Twilight’s. “I am only asking this for the sake of your friend… and myself. I want—and I need—the events of that night to be known.” Twilight hesitated, badly torn, looking from Sonata to Phoenix to Rainbow… and then up to her friends in the gallery. A barely-recovered Rarity was biting her lip nervously while Spike caught Twilight’s eyes and shook his head at her sharply, a fearful expression on his face. Fluttershy was equally afraid, cowering in Applejack’s protective embrace; Twilight could all but hear her plea not to do it while the country mare whispered reassurance in her ear. Lastly, her eyes locked with Applejack’s, who, alone among her friends, gave her a brief nod in sharp contrast to her worried look. She… she’s telling me to DO it! Twilight’s eyes narrowed to pinpoints at the realization. For the Element of Honesty… and for the sake of the truth… Phoenix watched as she closed her eyes, set her jaw firm and made her decision. “I’ll do it,” she announced, causing his heart to sink. “It’s like Sonata says—if I don’t show everypony what happened directly, there’ll always be those who don’t accept the real version of events and will still believe Rainbow did it,” she pronounced with finality, stepping out from behind the bench into the middle of the courtroom pit. “For Rainbow Dash and for the simple cause of justice done, I’m ending this here and now—with the truth!” She raised her voice so everypony in the courtroom could hear, causing her friends in the gallery to look down in dismay. They embraced each other in fear and worry; Twilight saw Applejack close her eyes tightly, as if in prayer that she hadn’t made a terrible mistake. Phoenix nodded reluctantly; recognizing once more the strength of her bonds to her friends, and that there was no point in trying to stop her. You want to know what Loyalty is, Rainbow? It’s what Twilight is doing for you RIGHT NOW! he told her with his thoughts, sparing a silent prayer for Twilight to Mia and whatever Gods were listening. The court held its collective breath as Twilight stopped in front of Sonata, facing her from five feet away in the middle of the courtroom pit. “Listen to me carefully, Sonata. For this to work, you have to relax and not fight me,” she instructed the other mare, speaking slowly. “I assume you know the spellbook’s standard telepathy spell. Cast it first with me as its target, and then when I enter your mind, cast your playback spell. If you need extra magic, you can draw on mine. Then, when the memories start flowing, I’ll cast my own spell to project them into the courtroom pit.” “I understand,” Sonata nodded, lowering her head and charging her horn, which glowed with a weak silver-white aura. “I’m ready.” Twilight nodded and ignited her own horn. “Then here we go…” she announced, closing her eyes to concentrate. The two auras met and merged, causing both mares to give a brief, shuddering gasp as contact was made. They both fell silent for several seconds to deepen the link; Phoenix could see a shared tendril of magic between them, the color midway between Sonata’s silver aura and Twilight’s violet one. The tendril was in turn encapsulated by Trixie’s light blue aura; the showmare’s eyes closed in concentration along with the unicorn bailiffs as they magically monitored the pair. A few seconds later, a second wave of pure purple aura came off of Twilight’s horn, manifesting the projection magic she’d already used repeatedly. Phoenix watched as this time, a scene materialized over the center of the courtroom pit, showing the nighttime forest clearing between tree branches and leaves, and a single shadowed figure visible in the near distance. “That night, Ace and I arranged for Rainbow Dash to meet us in the forest to discuss the terms of her withdrawing from the race.” Sonata and Twilight spoke disconcertingly as one, in their own voices but using the exact same tone and cadence. “What you are seeing is the events of that night as recalled through my own senses…” they announced and then fell silent, letting the sights and sounds of the scene speak for them. If it had been surreal to Phoenix seeing the previous day’s trial through Twilight’s eyes, watching the night of the murder through Sonata’s magically enhanced senses was even more so. The night vision spell Sonata was using in her memories somewhat reminded him of looking through a low-light camera back home where everything was tinted green. It wasn’t as good as seeing in daylight, but he—she—could see shapes and shadows just fine; the silhouette of a single pony—a pegasus stallion he guessed was Ace—was clearly visible standing in the center of the clearing. Phoenix could also hear the nighttime animal noises of crickets and owls as Sonata levitated a pocket watch from a small pouch strapped to her flank and checked the time. It read 8:35 PM. Everfree Forest East Clearing June 8th, 8:35 PM You’re late, Ms. Dash, was my first thought as I checked the time on my old pocketwatch, a keepsake from my father. Then again, you’re the Element of Loyalty, not punctuality! I couldn’t help but note, trying to force a moment of humor as the wait dragged on several minutes, causing my insides to churn more than usual. The letter was in my pouch, but I still hadn’t been able to get up the nerve to give it to Ace, dreading the moment I did. He’s not going to be happy, I knew, and not for the first time I considered just leaving town and mailing it to him. No. He deserves better than that! A minute before 8:40, I heard the familiar whisper of wings that marked the descent of a pegasus. There she is! I spotted the distinctive cerulean mare as she descended from Luna’s crisp night sky into the clearing, my night vision spell good enough to pick up her multicolored mane and the scowl on her face. I just hope Ace sticks to the script and doesn’t try to taunt her or push her buttons. Ms. Dash has shown herself to be quite volatile and those pictures I took of her yesterday were likely enough to light her already short fuse! I watched as the young mare landed not far from Ace and stalked up to her stallion counterpart, facing him down from six feet away. You’ve got guts, Ms. Dash, I conceded. But unless I miss my guess—and I never do—you’ll still surrender! “Time for negotiations!” Ace announced in the jovial tone he seemed to reserve for when he was dictating the terms of surrender to our victims. He looked exactly as he was—a large yellow pegasus stallion dressed in a sleek blue racesuit that accented his powerful form quite well, though his fur and features were almost completely hidden by the skintight outfit and flight goggles over his eyes he used to hide his identity. He certainly cut a dashing—to say nothing of intimidating—figure, and he knew how to use it to great effect. Rainbow Dash, however, was unimpressed. “Forget it! I’m not doing it!” she proclaimed while she pawed at the ground angrily; her wings flared and head lowered, completely unintimidated by Ace. That in itself was hardly surprising; my analysis of her had clearly shown she had a cocksure attitude and didn’t back down to anypony, mare or stallion. The only thing she cares about more than her friends is her image. And thus, the only way to make her do what you want is by threatening it! “Do it… or else!” Ace ordered in a more annoyed tone, bringing out a familiar picture envelope and waving it at her. “You don’t want your little hobby revealed… do you, Rainbow Dash?” he asked; I winced at the mocking leer in his voice. Ace? Please don’t tease her… I silently begged him. It won’t end well. The young mare hesitated at the sight of the envelope, but only for a moment; I watched as her face screwed up into a sneer. “I don’t care about that,” she said to Ace, glancing up repeatedly. “Besides, I’ve got a better idea!” Her eyes went strangely mischievous. I frowned, not sure where she was looking—I could tell she was up to something but didn’t yet know what. She showed her teeth when she grinned and suddenly kicked off the ground, taking flight into the air above the clearing, hovering almost directly over Ace. As my eyes followed her, I realized there was something behind her. Putting a little more power into my night vision spell, the faint outline of the cloud above the clearing became visible. Wait—that’s a storm cloud! “Wh-what?” Ace exclaimed, equal parts worried and confused as he craned his neck to see the other pegasus, his wings flaring like he was ready to take flight himself. “Enjoy the parting GIFT!” Rainbow called out before he could do so and suddenly kicked out backwards from her hover, contacting the cloud. There was a blinding flash and massive crash of thunder that made Ace—and me—flinch backwards in surprise and fear. My heart suddenly thudding in my chest, I reflexively took cover behind a tree, the slightly jagged path the bolt had taken seared into my vision along with a silhouette of Ace beside it, leaping backwards in surprise and fright. Everyone in the courtroom clearly saw that Ace was not struck by the bolt that hit eight feet in front of him. In Sonata’s projected vision, there was a comically girlish squeal of surprise and fear from Ace as he cowered for a moment like a frightened foal. Phoenix and everypony else in the courtroom automatically blinked to try to clear the spots from their vision, only to quickly realize they only existed in Sonata’s projected memories, not in their own eyes. Phoenix glanced over at Rainbow to see she was wearing a very pleased expression as she saw the events of that night replayed from a different angle. Well, for the record, she was right—Ace’s reaction WAS priceless! Phoenix conceded, allowing himself a small grin as he turned his attention back to the magical display. “Smell you later, sucker!” A very triumphant-sounding Rainbow mocked Ace before zooming off in a barely-visible rainbow trail, leaving Ace behind, his still-cringing form now clearly lit up by both my night vision spell and the quickly-spreading fire the lightning bolt had started in the dry grass of the forest clearing; a very-hot and brightly-glowing metal rod in its center that appeared to have attracted the strike. “Ace!” I called out after Rainbow had gone, stepping out from my hiding spot into the clearing, still trying to blink the spots away. “Are you okay?” He gave me an angry look to cover up his shaking. “I thought you said she would do it, Sonata!” Ace accused, picking himself back up off the ground and looking back between me and the fire. “I-I just don’t know what went wrong!” I protested in a flustered tone—I was wrong about her? But I’m NEVER wrong about somepony! “N-never mind! Just put out that fire with your magic before somepony sees it!” he ordered, making no effort to fight the flames himself. I shot him an incredulous look. “I-I can’t! I don’t know any spell for that! Can’t you make that cloud rain?” I suggested, nodding towards it. Ace looked at me like I was insane. “I’m not a weather pony! And even if I was, it’d leave my hoofmarks on it! They’d know I was here!” “Then use your bag to smother it!” I told him more urgently, using my magic to clear a small circle around the fire of loose twigs and leaves, trying to deprive it of fuel, moving the red-hot rod to a bare batch of dirt away from the flames. Between our combined efforts, the fire was mostly out a minute later, leaving us standing around the still-smoldering circle, only a few weak embers and the slowly-cooling metal rod—what the hay was a golf club doing out here?—still glowing. “I think that’ll do it,” I said, adding an illumination spell to my night vision one, keeping it dim so as not to give us away to any passing pegasi. Ace’s head was just visible in the low light of my horn, revealing his frowning, worried face; he’d raised his goggles and was now peering out at me from under then. “Oh, this is just perfect! That little upstart is going to ruin everything!” Ace stomped his hoof into the hard ground. I shook my head. “Don’t worry. She won’t tell—there’s no way she can risk anypony finding out about those pictures!” I told him with certainty, though in truth I no longer felt any. I had miscalculated once; could I do so again? Ace glared at me, turning his frustration on me. “Then why didn’t she cooperate?” he demanded to know in a petulant voice like a foal that had been told no for the first time in his life. And that’s the problem, Ace. The only one who’s ever told you no is me, I couldn’t help but think as Ace went on. “Do you realize we’re sunk if she opens her mouth?” I had no immediate reply to that, staring into the glowing embers of the fire. “Well… it could still work out.” Ace turned away, looking in the direction Rainbow had departed; I watched him puff up his chest pridefully, flexing his powerful muscles. “I’ll just have to beat her the old-fashioned way! I’m sure that whole Sonic Rainboom thing was probably exaggerated by the papers… right?” He looked to me for support. “Yeah,” I answered without any conviction or enthusiasm, knowing in my heart the answer and that the gig was up. Ace can’t beat her. And once he loses, it all comes crashing down around us both… Ace saw my hesitation and gave me a funny look. “Okay. So what’s with you?” he asked. “You’ve been like that since we arrived in this hick town!” “Like what?” I managed in an even voice, forcing myself to meet Ace’s probing gaze. “Like that!” he pointed a hoof at me. “You’ve been avoiding me for days now! And you’re all dodgy and mopey whenever we talk!” Phoenix watched as Sonata looked at the ground, then back at Ace. He felt his heart start to speed up as he sensed the moment of the murder approaching, recognizing the rough outline it would take. I swallowed and gathered myself carefully. “There was actually s-something I wanted to tell you after the race was over…” I struggled to clear the cringe from my voice. Ace gave me an askance look. “Okay. What is it?” I hesitated only briefly. Deep breaths, Sonata. You can do this, I told myself, further promising it would turn out okay. Just give him the letter and be done with it… I thought as I flared my horn, causing it to glow a bit brighter as I pulled the letter free of my pouch. “I was going to give you this after the race, but…” I paused, staring at the folded letter in front of me. “But perhaps it’s just better if I tell you here and now.” Ace was now very suspicious, staring at me sideways. “T-tell me what?” “I’m sorry, but—” I took one final deep breath. “—I can’t help you do this any longer.” Ace’s jaw dropped open. “What? WHY?” I had an entire rehearsed speech and yet, the moment finally at hoof, I found myself struggling to remember it. “It’s about these extortion schemes we’ve been running. I think we’ve gone too far!” I managed. “Too far?” he made a scoffing sound, snorting and tossing his head derisively. “It’s not like anypony is getting hurt!” I sighed and shook my head sadly. “There are other ways to hurt somepony than physically, Ace,” I told him, looking pointedly away. “We’ve exploited vulnerabilities and weaknesses of innocent athletes, ruining careers and destroying reputations in the process. Even held a racer’s sister hostage and kept lovers apart, all for our own fame and fortune!” I recited, raising my voice for the first time as I began to remember my reasons and rediscover my resolve, standing up straighter before him. “Do you really think nopony is hurt by that?” To little surprise, Ace was unrepentant. “Oh really? So you think it’s okay for stallions to screw? Or a pony to rut a chicken?” he asked derisively, causing my lips to tighten at hearing the ugly slang term for a griffon. “We’re keeping the race field clean, Sonata! And as for Cruise, he should be thanking me—I saved his sister’s life by getting her into that hospital! It’s not my fault—or yours—he can’t accept that she won’t ever wake up!” “You don’t know that!” I snapped, a sudden edge to my voice—Cruise’s situation more than anything else had been what finally made me decide we’d gone too far. “And who a pony sleeps with isn’t any of our business, Ace!” Ace stared at me for a moment. “Whatever. So what exactly are you trying to say here, Sonata?” I forced myself to meet his gaze again. “What I’m saying is that it’s over, Ace. Either you come clean and tell the truth about how you’ve been winning all this time, or… I quit!” I threatened, trying to keep the quaver from my voice. “I’m sorry. I just can’t do this anymore.” Despite all the hints I’d been dropping, Ace’s jaw still went slack. “Are you JOKING? You CAN’T quit! I can’t do this without you!” he said in a jilted tone, staring at me in shock and betrayal. “You did once,” I replied, my tone turning fervent—I’d faced down his anger before and had no doubt I could do so this time as well. “You used to win races fairly, Ace, and you can do it again. Come clean and serve your time, and when you get out, I’ll be there to help you again—but legitimately. No more tricks or blackmail. You’ll have to train and practice like never before, but in time you’ll be a real racing champion, one worthy of admiration!” I suggested to him. “Isn’t that better than winning by cheating?” “No! I can’t give up this life! I have to be known as the best!” he insisted, turning away and shaking his head violently, visibly aghast at what I was saying. “Th-then you’ll go down with me! If I’m caught you’ll be caught too; you’re just as guilty!” he reminded me, his tone half-threatening, half-pleading. I can’t say I didn’t expect his response, but I was still disappointed for it. “I’m sorry, Ace. Even if that may be the case and I go to prison for it…” I took a deep breath and floated him the letter. “Then so be it. I won’t be party to this anymore,” I announced with finality. “Goodbye, Ace. May our paths cross again in the future,” I echoed the last line of my letter sadly, turning to leave. Ace didn’t immediately move or react, but I felt his eyes on me as I walked away. Even then, though, I still had hope for him. This isn’t the end, Ace. When you lose to Rainbow, you’ll be exposed as a cheat and have no choice but to finally come clean. It’ll be hard and humbling, but maybe it’s only when you lose everything and have to start over that you can be helped and become a better pony. When you’re at your lowest is when I’ll come back to you, and offer my help again— “NO!” he suddenly shouted in a wounded cry of rage; I heard the sound of the letter being ripped in two behind me. I wasn’t going to turn back, but suddenly Ace landed in front of me, his wings flared and face contorted in fury. “Ace? Calm down.” I was genuinely alarmed at the level of anger I saw on his features. “WE CAN’T GO BACK NOW! I WON’T GO TO JAIL AND I WON’T GO BACK TO BEING A NOBODY! I WON’T GIVE UP THIS LIFE FOR YOU OR ANYPONY ELSE, SONATA!” he all but screamed, his ears flat and head lowered. For the first time, I felt a real moment of fear—I’d seen Ace’s temper before, but never like this! “A-Ace?” I called to him, a trickle of sweat going down the side of my head. He wouldn’t hurt me… would he? I felt a chill go through me at the fact I was even asking that question, and found myself looking around for an escape route, gauging my chances to run. Ace didn’t give me the chance, beginning to approach me with a lowered head. “YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, YOU BLACK-HEARTED BITCH!” My eyes went wide at the words and at the sheer venom with which they were delivered. “A-Ace? Wh-what are you doing?” I asked as I took a reflexive step backwards, my heart beginning to race, skipping a beat when he bared his teeth at me. “Don’t you see? You met an unfortunate fate in the forest!” he informed me, slowly advancing on me, forcing me back into the center of the clearing. My field of vision abruptly narrowed and darkened as my pupils shrunk to pinpoints; suddenly all I could see was Ace’s livid face. “I... wh-what?” my voice was beginning to tremble. This isn’t… he can’t…! He wouldn’t…! We’re FRIENDS! “It’s true!” he told me, starting to circle me like a predator toying with his prey. “You were scouting the last leg of the race route with me when a ferocious Everfree beast attacked us... and ended your life!” I stared in him in horror, an icy fear beginning to grip my heart. Oh, Celestia… he… HE MEANS IT! “No! Stop! Don’t come any closer!” A white-knuckled Phoenix watched as she stumbled repeatedly in her efforts to scramble backwards from him; he swore he could see her vision throbbing with her now-pounding pulse, audible in the background of her hearing. He mentally urged her to run even though he knew it was a recorded memory and he couldn’t change the events to come, further remembering that, just as he’d told Trixie, even if she did run, the athletic pegasus stallion would easily catch her. He watched helplessly as Ace continued toying with her, alternately circling her and taking quick darts over her to approach her from different angles, forcing her to shift rapidly to keep him in front of her, and her horn pointed at him. Don’t lose sight of him! Don’t let him get behind you! I warned myself repeatedly, knowing if he got the drop on me, it was over—my only defense was my magic, and he could disable me with one hard strike to my horn! But what can I use against him? He’s too strong for me to magically restrain! my thoughts raced. I knew literally hundreds of spells, including several defensive ones, but in the fear and panic of the moment, I couldn’t think of any of them. Why is he doing this? He’s had a temper but I’ve NEVER seen him so wild and violent! My fevered chain of thought was lost with his next words; my heart going into my stomach as he recited my fate in a sorrowful tone, like a funeral requiem: “Grief-stricken by the loss of my long-time manager and marefriend, I then fell into a depressed state and couldn’t race anymore! Nopony will notice my performance drop, because your untimely and tragic death forced me to retire!” I could barely hear my own voice over the trip-hammer beating of my heart. “Ace… pl-please!” Can’t get away… no time to teleport… need a weapon… ANY weapon! I cast my gaze about, locking onto the glowing red golf club still visible near the remains of the fire. “D-don’t do this!” Ace didn’t see where my gaze went. “And why the buck shouldn’t I, Sonata?” he all but growled, coming a little closer now. “You were going to take my life away. So why shouldn’t I take yours?” His grin was toothy and anything but pleasant. My heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. Can’t run… can’t cast… I’m going to DIE! my gaze darted back and forth between him and the golf club lying in the ashes. My urge was not to fight, but to flee, but here? That was not possible. Defend yourself, Sonata! the voice kept echoing in my head as I looked at it—reminding me that in the case of fight or flight, if there was no flight, than all that was left was to fight! Just keep him talking! “I w-won’t tell!” I pleaded, and meant it, knowing my next action could be the difference between life and death. “I swear! Just let me go!” He looked almost amused by my begging. “My dear Sonata, I’m so very sorry. But I’m afraid I must ask you for one final favor before I accept your resignation as my manager…” he trailed off in a sweetly polite tone even as he lowered his head and bared his teeth in a snarl. “Your LIFE!” “NO!” I shrieked. Reason fleeing me and panic seizing me, I picked up the red-hot golf club in my aura and swung it with all the magical force I could muster. It connected hard against the back of his neck with a brief sizzling sound, the head of the club breaking off with a sharp metallic ring from the force of the impact, resulting in an ugly shower of sparks over him. But to my horror, Ace was only momentarily staggered, shaking his head sharply once and then focusing back on me, the intent in his eyes enough to freeze my heart. “You are so… bucking… DEAD!” he announced, flaring his wings and going into a crouch, like a predator getting ready to pounce and slay his cornered prey. “I… I…” It was in that moment, when I thought I was about to die, I suddenly saw the pages of the spellbook containing the stun spell, like a whispered suggestion in my mind. I’d studied and practiced it earlier that same day, and now, to save my life, I would call upon it and all the magic I had in me… Hold NOTHING back! the voice told me, and I did not. Sonata’s night vision brightened and took new clarity as what Phoenix guessed was the magic surge took hold of her, blue sparks of electricity starting to arc along her horn. How can I describe a magic surge? I don’t know if I can, really, except to say it heightened both my senses and my power well beyond anything I’d ever experienced before, or even thought possible. To me, time itself seemed to slow down; I could see both Ace leaping at me and the gap in his suit located at the front of his neck with perfect detail. It was like he was only moving in slow motion as I charged the spell, giving me enough time to prepare it… to aim it… and to cast it! In the projected memory, Sonata fired the overcharged stun spell just as Ace launched himself at her; a massive electric arc like miniature lightning, several times the size and intensity of the one Phoenix had seen earlier from the unicorn bailiff, hit the pegasus stallion mid-flight, connecting dead center on the front of his exposed neck. There was a sharp electrical sizzling sound as Ace’s head snapped back, illuminated by the flash of the stun spell; the force of the electric impact knocking him head over heels as his body convulsed once in midair and then went limp as he fell backwards into the dirt. Sonata was also knocked backwards as if experiencing recoil from a fired gun, falling hard to the ground behind her. Her vision went blurry and shaky; the only sound that could be heard in the courtroom was of her ragged breathing and half-strangled sobs. Aghast but unable to look away, Phoenix watched as with great effort, Sonata climbed to her hooves, staring down at the fallen stallion. And then she began to slowly back away, seemingly afraid to turn her back on him. When she had put enough distance between them, she spun and fled into the forest, plunging into the darkness of the woods, her weakened and fading night vision spell allowing her just enough light to see. It was over. The surge left me as quickly as it had arrived, leaving my horn hurting and magic momentarily spent. As I picked myself back up and found myself looking down at Ace’s broken body, all I could think of at that moment was one thing: RUN!!!!!! Ponyville District Court Courtroom No. 2 June 11th, 4:13 PM In the courtroom, Sonata’s aura faded, and Twilight’s projection of her memories along with it. Its sudden absence left only dead silence in the chamber; everypony in the gallery horrified at what they’d just witnessed. In the stands, several mares began sobbing openly, Fluttershy among them; the shy and sensitive mare turning to Applejack for comfort while Rarity could only stare at what she’d just witnessed in shock, holding an equally agape Spike protectively to her. Across the courtroom pit, even Trixie looked stunned and speechless as she withdrew her own aura, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Forced to relive her memories of that night, Sonata looked as unsteady as she had in her memories, a cold sweat covering her; it looked to Phoenix like it was all she could do to stand. “Ms. Sonata,” The Judge spoke first, a gentler note in his voice. “Can you confirm that what we witnessed was an accurate retelling of events?” “I… I don’t know,” she replied, her voice audibly trembling. “And that’s the truth, Your Honor. I simply don’t know after all the memory magic I’ve used on myself these past few days. I’ve been in such denial and cast so many suppression spells that my memories can no longer be trusted. Regardless, I th-thank you, Miss Sparkle. I know how hard that was on you.” “I see. Miss Sparkle?” The Judge addressed Twilight next. “As you had no prior connection to these events, can you vouch for this… recording’s authenticity?” he asked, not certain what else to call it, having no precedents from his many cases he could draw on for accepting such evidence. “I c-can vouch that what you saw is what she remembers, Your Honor,” an equally shaky Twilight responded. She sat back hard on her haunches, her reeling mind still filled with Sonata’s memories and emotions. She could project the sounds and images, but she couldn’t convey the sheer terror the other mare recalled experiencing during the ordeal—a terror that Twilight had now experienced directly for herself. “I cannot promise these events happened as you saw, but I can promise I projected her current memories of them accurately. Like I said… I c-couldn’t have modified them even if I w-wanted to,” she further explained, taking several deep, gulping breaths, feeling herself breaking out in a cold sweat of her own. And even if I could, I certainly would have never come up with… THAT! “I see. And Ms. Trixie?” The Judge called to the other side of the courtroom pit next. “Are you satisfied that the playback spell was performed correctly?” Trixie’s only answer was to grit her teeth, squeeze her eyes shut and slam her head down on the table, her wizard hat falling off and rolling to the side. Actually, that’s a lot better than I thought she’d take it, Phoenix couldn’t help but think, turning his attention and concern back on Twilight. “It would seem the answer is yes,” The Judge noted, a little dryly. “Now, for the court record, I must ask you for a more traditional confession, Ms. Sonata. That is, if you feel up to it?” he quickly added, seeing how shaky she still was. “I d-do,” she promised, slowly steadying herself as Twilight did the same, returning to sit at Phoenix’s side; he rested his hand back on her neck and let her lean against him. “That night in the forest, I slew Ace in self-defense using an electrical stun spell when he refused to accept my resignation and attacked me, promising to… to kill me,” she said numbly. “Why did you not try to escape?” The Judge asked. “Because as Mister Wright said, running away was out of the question—even without his wings, he was far faster and lacking sufficient time to focus, I couldn’t possibly teleport under those conditions,” she reminded him. “Thus, I had no choice but to defend myself. My life under threat, I reached out with my magic and took hold of the nearest possible weapon—that red-hot remnant of a golf club—and swung it as hard as I could,” she recounted. “Weakened by the heat, it snapped in two when it hit the back of his neck, leaving a nasty burn, but… h-he shook it off like it was nothing! “Th-then when he looked at me that last time… well, you kn-know what he was going to do. I dropped the broken pieces of the golf club to the ground and focused the full force of my magic on one final defense—an electrical stun spell still fresh in my mind. I studied it that very day in case we encountered beasts in the Everfree. I just never thought that beast… would be Ace…” she trailed off, her lip quivering. “And at that point, you had no other options but this spell?” The Judge prompted, though Phoenix sensed he was doing it more to buttress her self-defense claim than to try to poke holes in her account. “It was your last resort?” “It was.” She nodded. “In a situation like that, you don’t have time to think or focus, Your Honor… let alone measure how much power you’re putting into a spell. When I saw him ready to pounce, I panicked and threw everything I had into the stun spell. The result… is what you saw.” Her head slumped and tears welled in her eyes. “I swear I wasn’t trying to kill him, just stop him... but between my panic-triggered power surge and the forest magic, the incantation went out of control. Or maybe Mister Wright was correct in that the only way the spell could stop him was to kill him. But either way…” She paused and took several deep, shuddering breaths before continuing. “A-after that, what frightened me most wasn’t Ace and his uncontrollable anger, or even the fear of death… but that the forest around me had gone entirely silent. He was lying on the ground in the dirt, unmoving. Afraid he’d wake up, I ran from the clearing as fast as I could,” she recounted. “Miss Sparkle was correct in that my horn received its initial injury from the stun spell, though it was still usable—it was more due to my state of shock and inability to focus that I couldn’t cast any magic just then. All I could think to do was to flee, so I ran away into the darkness of the woods.” “But you came back, didn’t you?” Phoenix noted. “You had to for the golf club.” She nodded jerkily. “About ten minutes later, but not specifically for that. When the panic had left me and I realized Ace wasn’t following me, I crept back towards the clearing to see what had happened. Though it was dark and my night vision spell was no longer working, I saw the silhouette of his body lying there in the dirt… lifeless,” her voice dropped to a whisper. “It was only then I realized he was dead… and I had killed him!” She began to cry. “So why did you try to frame Rainbow Dash?” Phoenix had to ask. She hesitated before speaking again, looking away in guilt. “I… I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at that point. I couldn’t accept or face what I had done, so I cast my first memory suppression spell then, blocking all knowledge of Ace’s attack and my own act, including the lead-up to it. So at that point, I only remembered everything up to the lightning strike, and as a consequence… I truly did think Rainbow Dash had done it! I thus tried to arrange the scene so she would be incriminated, even if I couldn’t accuse her,” she explained, leaving Phoenix thinking that between the mental trauma, memory spells and painkiller pills, she likely hadn’t been herself or thinking clearly for several days. “So to that end, I removed all evidence that I’d been there, including the golf club I had struck him with, and the half of the resignation letter I still had—I couldn’t find the other half. I left the pictures there, however, to establish a potential murder motive for Ms. Dash. With any luck, she would get the blame for the murder, and Ace the blame for the blackmail,” she explained, giving Rainbow an apologetic look. “Having done all I could and my memory suppression spell still in effect, I went back into the forest trying to calm down and focus enough to teleport back to my hotel room. But as you all know… that young filly bumped into me right as I was casting it. And just as Trixie suggested, it disrupted my casting and corrupted my destination,” she said with a sigh. “Thus, instead of being back in my hotel room, both Apple Bloom and I ended up outside the Everfree, not far from Fluttershy’s cottage. My horn hurting and having spent all my remaining power on the teleport, my magic was exhausted so I just grabbed the now-cool stick in my mouth and ran before Apple Bloom could see me. “But when a unicorn exhausts their magic, it tires them out physically as well,” she noted, causing Twilight to nod ruefully. “My heart was beating a mile a minute and I couldn’t sustain the pace, I ended up barely managing a trot as I passed Miss Fluttershy’s cottage. I was in such a dazed state I never even noticed her. All I could think of at that point was to get back to my hotel room… and sanctuary.” “So you disposed of the golf club along the way?” Phoenix guessed, rubbing his chin again, marveling what she’d been through. She may not be certain of her own memories at this point, but they sure ring true to me! She gave him a pained look. “Not deliberately. When I took a shortcut through the park, I tripped on the bridge and inadvertently dropped it in the stream. I couldn’t see or retrieve it without my magic, so I just left it down there and continued on,” she explained. “If I had been thinking lucidly at that point, I admit I probably would have thought of ways to dispose of the evidence. Burn the letter, bury the club. It was only by coincidence, in this case, that I accidentally did.” She managed a weak chuckle; Phoenix deciding she was telling the truth when she gave no tell. “And then, once I got to my hotel, I…” she stopped to gather herself, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. “Lula was right that I tried to convince myself it hadn’t happened. That somehow, it had all just been a dream. I collapsed on my bed and fell quickly asleep, though I found no rest—with the suppression spell wearing off, all I did was have endless nightmares about Ace, either killing him, or… what would have happened if I hadn’t!” she shuddered, an audible tremor in her voice. “I was finally rousted at midnight by the police knocking at my door. It was only when they formally informed me that Ace was dead that I was forced to face the truth—that I really had killed him!” Her lip quivered and eyes teared up for a moment. “I didn’t lie about crying, Mister Wright. Upon hearing the news, I suffered an emotional breakdown and unfocused magical surge that ruptured my already-injured horn entirely. When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed, my horn swathed in balms and being treated with healing magic and painkillers.” “But why were you so upset?” Phoenix had to ask. “And why use all these memory erasure spells? You killed him in self-defense and were going to leave him anyway. From what we saw in your own memories, he was anything but a good pony. So why grieve for him like this?” There was a stunned silence at his question as Sonata raised her haunted eyes to meet his. “Because I killed a stallion, Mister Wright. One I was responsible for. Can you, as a human, truly understand what that means to a mare?” she asked him, an edge to her voice that gave Phoenix pause. “Because we have so few of them, mares are supposed to keep and protect males. Nurture and defend them at all costs. I was Ace’s manager, not his marefriend… no matter how many times he asked me to be over the years,” she said with a pointed and pained glance at the still-slumped Trixie, who had now clamped her forehooves hard to the sides of her head, trying to cover her ears and shut out the reality of her crumbled case. “But I still cared for him and wanted to help him. In the end, I failed him… as badly as a mare possibly could fail if he ended up dead by my own horn!” She had to stifle a sob. Phoenix glanced at Twilight, who gave him a very sad and knowing nod. “I felt her guilt when her psyche-locks broke… and again when I was inside her head. She’s not lying,” she told him. “She truly did care for him.” “I see,” Phoenix acknowledged, his voice subdued. So gender roles are reversed here. That certainly explains why Twilight’s so protective of me! The Judge nodded slowly. “Very well, then. Though I cannot, given the uncertainties surrounding Ms. Sonata’s account, declare Ms. Dash innocent until the witness confession is validated by additional evidence, I will withdraw my verdict pending that validation. Though I’m afraid that given both the prosecutor and defense attorney are now facing contempt citations, the renewed investigation must be performed by new counsels,” he informed both Trixie and Phoenix. “But Your Honor—!” Phoenix started to protest, only to be cut off by a sharp shake of The Judge’s head. “I’m sorry, Mister Wright, but I have already bent the rules enough for both of you and my decision is final. You may at least leave this case knowing you have laid the groundwork for your client’s exoneration, but I regret that given your earlier transgressions against the rules of this court, I cannot allow you to stay to reach it yourself. Are these terms understood?” he asked Phoenix. They are, Your Honor,” Phoenix acknowledged, feeling very troubled, not just for being yanked off the case but for being unable to shake the nagging feeling that he had missed something important. “It’s okay, Phoenix. That’ll give me enough time to pass the bar exam and take over the defense myself,” Twilight promised him with a smile. “You got us this far. I promise I’ll complete the investigation and get Rainbow that not guilty verdict!” “Thanks,” he said, but was still worried that they didn’t have the full truth. But regardless of the uncertainty of her own memories, Sonata’s not lying now. So how could there still be something wrong? The Judge nodded in return. “I will grant a two-day stay of proceedings for new counsel to be assigned and familiarize themselves with the existing case and evidence. That done, I am now ready to retract my previous verdict and order further investigation of the scene and witness… unless the prosecution objects?” He glanced over to his right, where Trixie was still seated with her head down on her desk and visibly shaking, her forehooves clamped hard on either side of her head, looking to Twilight like she was all but ready to explode. Uh-oh… Phoenix had the same sense of sudden dread he’d felt just before Rarity had erupted in anger the previous day. “Ms. Trixie?” The Judge called to her a second time. “Are my terms understood?” As if in answer, there was a sudden, ominous shaking of the courtroom, like an earthquake. All ponies present sensed a massive magical surge as a chill wind began whipping through the chamber, dark and angry clouds materializing out of the air around the showmare, snow-laden and crackling with ice and electricity. She slowly raised her head to reveal a snarling visage, star-stitched cape whipping in the wind around her, glowing ice-blue eyes filled with pure fury… And focused directly on Phoenix Wright. Phoenix felt an icy fear grip him as he saw the look in her eyes and sensed the rage-driven power she was about to unleash. Oh Sugar-Honey-Ice-TEA…! He had no time to think or duck before the courtroom erupted into an icy maelstrom.