Just so you know, I changed the last chapter (not the author's note thingie), so you should probably reread the ending. But I couldn't leave you guys with a cliffhanger, especially not in the middle of the trial any longer. That's just cruel.
Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, and Twilight sat hunched in a bush in the Canterlot Central Park, eating sandwiches and watching Lyra and Sonata talk over how to best continue the trial as they sat on the park bench, eating some kind of fancy take-out food out of little pink boxes.
Vinyl scooted closer to Octavia in a soft rustle of leaves, and suddenly pulled her marefriend's head around to face her, locking the unsuspecting mare into a slobbery, passionate kiss.
Octavia pushed her away. "Vinyl, you do realize that there are ponies who can see us from the other side of the bush," she whispered harshly in Vinyl Scratch's ear.
"I know," the white mare grinned mischeiviously, nipping Octavia's ear as she whispered her reply. "But some colt was staring at your flank, so I had to show him you were mine."
Octavia shook her head to rid her ear of Vinyl's teeth and tongue, which had twisted it's way into her ear in a most uncomfortable way. "Just stop, okay? He's probably just oggling over us even more now. You know these colts are."
A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed to Vinyl that Octavia was correct. The colt was practically drooling. But at Vinyl's pointed glare he skittered off to join his friends, standing a few yards away. "Fine. But--"
"Girls, listen." Twilight interrupted in an urgent whisper. "This might be important."
"...So, as I said before, I think Octavia is nearly as bad a parent as that nasty little DJ. She's altogether too wrapped up in that cello of hers, always fussing over it and taking it everywhere, so she can stoop to the level of a common entertainment pony to 'follow her dream', as she call it. Do you think you can use that against her?"
Lyra sighed, putting a hoof to her face. "No, Ms. Philharmonica. I need proof, not your opinion."
"But my oinion can be very usefu--"
"Hi, Lyra-bunny," a soft but cheerful voice said.
"Who's that?" Sonata asked sharply, glaring at the intruder.
"Oh! Um, yes, this is my, er, my friend, Bonbon. She isn't always the best at noticing what's going on around her," Lyra added apologetically.
"Oh, my, did I interrupt you? I'm so sorry, I was just surprised to see Lyra here. You see, she's my ma--"
"Can I ask you something, over there?" Lyra gestured to a nearby grove of decorative flowering trees, and the two mares hurried of, talking in low voices.
Sonata, of course, followed them stealthily, hiding a short distance away.
So did the three in the bush, which just happened to move with them to a tree just a few hooves away from the lime green unicorn and her creamy companion.
"I'm sorry, Bonnie, but this is an important client, and she's very homophobic. We can't let her know we're together, that would be suicide. We need the money from this case, but if you come hopping up, calling me Lyra-bunny, and practically trying to sit in my lap, I'll lose the case for sure."
"But Lyree..."
The lime unicorn gave Bonbon gentle kiss, making the curly-haired earth pony's eyes go wide in surprise. "I'm sorry, honey. I love you, but in order for us to live, I need to work, and in order to work, at least in this case, I need to be straight. So just be friendly, okay?"
Bonbon hung her head, looking like a sad foal. "I'm sorry. But didn't you say you started the court this morning?"
"Yeah... But this Sonata character is one crazy mare, and she will do anything to avoid associating with fillyfoolers. We can't be too safe here."
The cream mare sighed. "Okay. I'm gonna go home and play with Kitty now. See you this evening."
Sonata and the three in the bush just had time to get back to the bench (or just behind it, in Octavia, Vinyl, and Twilight's case) before Lyra came back, looking rather drained.
Sonata looked up. "Good Celestia, look at the time. I guess we'd better get back to the court, don't you think?"
There was a dangerous edge to her voice, but either Lyra didn't detect it, or she didn't know Sonata well enough to even perceive its danger. They walked back side by side, Sonata standing rigidly straight, and Lyra somewhat slumped, looking worried.
The three in the bush moved to the bench, and Twilight looked at them, wide-eyed. "That was unexpected, to say the least."
Vinyl gave a grunt of agreement, stretching her front hooves out in front of her, but Octavia merely should her head. "I don't think it's that surprising. Lyra and Bonbon started going out when we were in college, but I didn't know they were still together, and obviously neither did Sonata. I'm surprised she would make that mistake though."
Twilight frowned. "Me, too. Do you think it's all a hoax? Lyra's a renowned lawyer, and a scoundrel at that, so I kind of wonder if they aren't all in on something to fool us."
"I don't think so. My mother wouldn't even associate with fake fillyfoolers, just in case they're not actually pretending."
"True. But Sunny is an awful actress, I remember that she was extremely readable when we went to their house for Heart's Warming. She looked pretty pissed when they were walking," Vinyl pointed out.
Twilight glanced up at the clock tower a block away. "Speaking of which, we should probably head back too. It's getting close to the start again."
oOo
All the ponies knelt as their Princess entered the courtroom again, this time with her little sister by her side.
"Greetings," Celestia said, her regal voice ringing through the arched ceiling-ed room.
"Greetings," Luna repeated shyly, her voice uncharacteristically soft. She'd apparently been practicing her 'inside voice', as a very popular schoolteacher, Miss Cheerilee, would have described it.
"Now, Fillies, and Gentlecolts, we have come to decision. I and the jury, agree that there is really only one way to put this. So, without further ado, I appoint official guardianship to--"
"STOP!" A powerfully deep, but definitely feminine, afflicted Canterlotian accented, voice rang out. "I refuse to finish this trial, because of a problem with my lawyer. I'm afraid there has been... a terrible mistake, and I don't intend to stand for it." Sonata stood back, panting from the voice magnifying spell. It was similar to the Princesses' Royal Canterlot Voice, which Twilight could tell you took an immense amount of energy. (She would probably insist on my telling you the exact amount, but I flat out refuse to do math, so you're out of luck)
Celestia looked taken aback. "Pardon?"
"You heard me," Sonata growled at the Princess, amid gasps of horror from the other ponies. "I said I found out something terrible about my lawyer, and I refuse to go on with the trial, or even hear who receives custody of my grandfilly, without a retrial with a more suitable lawyer."
Princess Luna looked up at her sister, who shrugged. She'd never had this complaint before. "Ms. Heartstrings is clean of any crimes, and has been a very honest lawyer her entire career."
"You forgot the worst crime of all, a the one against all you, as our Princess of All that is Good, stand for!" Sonata shrieked, clearly rather shocked.
Celestia blinked. "Beg pardon?"
"Your Highness, this mare has committed the very sin for which I disowned my own daughter, and the sole reason I saw fit to request this trial! Princess, she is a lesbian, a fillyfooler! She is diseased!"
The Princess frowned. "I do not recall, in any way, shape or form, saying I ever had anything against those who have fallen in love with ponies of their own gender. If my subjects love one another, I am happy, regardless of their sexuality."
"But, Your Highness, it's unnatural! We as ponies were made originally in two genders for a reason! It wasn't meant that everypony simply runs off galavanting about with their tongues down the throats of ponies of their own sex!
"Why not? Sonata, it is you who is wrong here. Loving each other is just what ponies do best, and harbouring an unfounded hate for everypony who is different from yourself is a far worse crime then falling in love could ever be. Do you understand?" Celestia's voice was kind but firm, and it was clear she was displeased.
"What?! B-but Princess Celestia, you can't be serious! These ponies are diseased! That is the very reason I wished to take custody of Tambourine, my grandfilly! I wanted to, and still want to protect her from the evil sin in the souls of her two artificial mothers, so that she might grow up to be a normal pony, instead of another on of them."
"I am disappointed, Sonata Philharmonica. I thought you had a better reason then that. But I was wrong. It is you who is diseased, if anypony, not them. I am thoroughly ashamed of your behaviour."
"No! I know I'm right, and I refuse to back down. Give me the child, Princess." Sonata shouted angrily, no longer confused.
"I am sorry, Sonata. All the lies you fed Lyra, and through her, me, about your daughter and her marefriend almost had me giving you the foal. I am very glad you stopped me. It would have been a grave mistake."
Sonata turned to the ponies watching the stand-off her eyes glowing madly. "You'll see, someday, you'll see you're wrong. You'll regret this when they take over the world!"
Celestia levitated a scroll over to Octavia and Vinyl Scratch. "If you'll both sign this, Tambourine is legally yours, as she should be. Go home and see her, I'm sure she misses you." The Princess spoke kindly, looking at the two mares in front of her with some pride. They deserved their filly, much more then Sonata ever could.
Octavia picked up the quill in her teeth, and Vinyl took the other in her magic, and they both signed their names before going outside to meet Twilight when she had finished her friendship report.
Sorry. There's a lot of typos I think. I'll fix them tomorrow when I'm not so tired. But feel free to point them out, because invariably there are some I miss.
Nice to see that celstiaism isn't actually endorced by her in that way at least. Also yay! Wonder about anything between VxO and lyra will get brought up in the next one. if so could be interesting
Hay, sonata got served.
It still woulda been nice if an "accidental" bus crash happened and she just HAPPENED to be infringe of the bus at that second.
Was about to go to bed, got an e-mail... MUST READ!
HA! Trollestia strikes again! t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8RzyNnVzU_RFjA44wvP6crQqjDksr7t1pmPW0_PlKxgXZ7QEa&t=1 t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqIRqOe2U3XHV1jseZ2T_6Y4K9BDxkGg0wqZzVcjfTzTDEf8dGlQ&t=1
P.S: That's a very nice cover art you have there
Oh shit update! Fuck you sleep, this is wat life is about!
After reading: damn you did it again. That was excellent, quite a few grammar slips, but who gives a buck? I love the Princess's lecture to Sonata, brilliant work.
U mad Sonata?
FFFFUUUUUU lol
Celestia asked Twilight, "Would you please come up here, dear? I want to show her something"
And then Celestia and Twilight began to make out. Sonata then got banished to the sun. The end.
Yeah...that whole "against god" argument kinda falls apart when you can literally go ask your god
1179671 don't worry. I have the perfect plan.
U mad sonata
1. The new cover art is adorable.
2. Sonata be mad.
3. Now all we need is for Sonata to die a horrible, painful, death.
1182283 Agreed
Im like crying with happiness!
I still can't believe Celestia was actually considering giving Tamby to that !!! At least she's a deplorable pony and deserved everything that had/did/does happen to her.
No offence, bit Celestia was a dumbass for beleiving her and Sonata of what ever that bitchez name is got pwned!
Hey sonata, is right, you are a bitch
Sonata got hoisted with her own petard. Excellent! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Vinyl_Scratch_lolface.png
1297079 Dude, what's that even mean?
Also, that was quick, but I'm glad Sonata is [probably] out of the picture at this point.
1182283>>1179671 I'll get the duct tape, byow (bring your own weapon)
First of all, I love the story. Second of all, I reread the part listening to the trololo song. It was hilarious.
Still tracking...got my sights aimed toward her head.
PS: What's the tech level portrayed here? I see TV's, electronics, and no electricity or gas engines.
So, you do realize that in any court in any country in the real world you have to prove the parents are incapable of being decent parents. As in should have the child removed and placed in a foster home bad, before anyone would be able to take custody. The one exception is in a dispute between two parents.
I knew it!! I fucking knew it!!!
Ahem. My apologies. I did not mean for that to come out. Oh, and Mrs Sontata?
Stick it!
...Isn't there some kind of law that says that if you disrupt court like that you get thrown behind bars?
2546210
Yes. It's called Being Held for Contempt.
How she acted would be one reason for being thrown in jail.
Than you have Perjury. She not only fed lies to her lawyer, but to the judge and jury as well. That's a fine and even more jail time.
Than you have Slander against their good names. So Lyra could also potentially sue the 5h17 out of Sonata. As well as even more jail time.
2951745 you sure know your legal stuff. But still this court thing rubs me the wrong way. Isn't Equestria a monarchy?
take that you dumb bitch!
why cant fluttershy beat the crap out of the dumb horse like she did to the bear
Ænd here I was wörried ðæt Celestia was being written out öf chæræcter…