Phoenix Flight: Ace Attorney: Welcome to Turnabout!

by Magic Step

Hidden Contract Terms

Phoenix was woken up in the middle of the night by being rolled out of bed.

“Ack!” he shouted as he tumbled along, tangled in blankets. He struggled to escape their cottony grip. “H-help! Who’s there?” he called.

“Who do you think?” The voice managed to sound bitter and panicked at the same time.

“…Mech?” Phoenix managed to untangle his head and see the dim sunrise light.

Phoenix was not close to any of his three brothers, but Mechanical Flight, the second oldest, was the only one who never bullied him growing up. He wasn’t more than ten years older than him, and Phoenix was still just barely an adult. Yet since the last time he’d seen his older brother, Mech’s grey coat had turned paler, and his navy blue mane had faded to baby. Even his cutie mark of a trigonometric trajectory formula looked fainter, if Phoenix wasn’t misremembering. His dark blue eyes had bags under them and he held his wings stiffly open at his sides as if to steady himself. It wasn’t working, and there was a definite sway to his body even when he was trying to stand still.

“Are… are you okay?” Phoenix asked.

“No, I’m not okay!” Mechanical Flight said. “I got a message at two in the morning from my wife that you were dragging her into court today.” His voice sounded nasal and he kept sniffling, like he had a cold.

“And… and she sent you here to…?” Phoenix said.

“To try and guilt you into not doing that, I think.” Mechanical Flight leaned against the couch to steady himself while he rubbed one foreleg against the other. “I don’t know why she thinks I can make you do anything. You wouldn’t care if I died, would you?”

Phoenix gave a start at how sudden that was. “Died? O-of course I care. You’re not going to die!”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Mechanical Flight said, pointing accusatorily at Phoenix. “You’re going to make me testify about my wife, right? And I won’t be able to lie because it’s you, right? And then they’ll kill me for it.”

“Why would I make you testify?” Phoenix said, shaking the tangled blankets off. “And who’s going to kill you?”

Mechanical Flight glared at Phoenix. “Because that’s how lawyers win cases; slinging mud on the accused’s characters.” Then, with no verbal transition to indicate he had now switched to answering Phoenix’s second question, he continued, “Wife and mom. Obviously. Stop playing dumb.”

“I can’t play dumb!” Phoenix said.

“Then stop being dumb.”

“I wasn’t planning on making you testify,” Phoenix said. “And if you’re really afraid for your life, why not go to the police?”

“Because they’ll say I’m paranoid and either ignore me completely or send me to a psych ward where I’ll probably ‘accidentally’ be given the wrong medicine and die,” Mechanical Flight replied as though this was all completely obvious. “You’re lucky you don’t need to think much to survive or you wouldn’t be here.”

Was this really Mechanical Flight? Phoenix had always remembered him being so quiet and reserved.

But then, that was before he’d gotten married. Somehow, despite how hard poor Mech was working to try and make Phoenix hate him, Phoenix felt nothing but pain for his older brother.

Phoenix walked over and placed one hoof on his brother’s shoulder. Mechanical Flight curled his lips into a snarl and pulled away, but Phoenix kept talking as though that hadn’t happened. “I know you’re scared. I know what Shocking’s done to you.”

“How? You never notice me!” Mechanical Flight snapped.

“I was there when Shocking was on trial for the assault of Bottle Cap,” Phoenix said, keeping his tone even. “Shocking claimed it was an accident, that she didn’t know that she’d electrify anypony she slept with. And the prosecution called on you to testify that she had, in fact, done that several times before. You swore up and down that that had never happened, that the two of you had slept together many times before and that it hadn’t happened even once. And it was a lie. A horrible, horrible lie. Except the part about you sleeping together before.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” Mechanical Flight muttered, turning away.

“If anypony had even taken a cursory look they would have seen the lightning scars on your underside and flanks, while normal weather pegasi would have them on their forelegs from triggering clouds." Phoenix twisted his head to see the soft fur underneath had faint pink branching marks. "You've, um, been together recently...?"

"None of your business!" Mech shouted, but his shout came out muffled. He sniffled a little more.

"You don't have a cold at all, do you?" Phoenix asked. "What about your eyes? Do things look bluer than they used to?"

"What pills I need when I'm with my wife is also none of your business!" Mechanical Flight snapped.

"There's no reason to feel ashamed that you're not aroused by fear," Phoenix said. "It's Shocking Snap who should feel ashamed for using you like that!"

“It’s fine for me,” Mechanical Flight said. “I’m a pegasus. We naturally resist lightning. It’s part of our magic.” He fluttered his wings, nervously fidgeting. “And Mom got me a book of… exercises, let’s say. Or rituals. Actions to perform to force my soul to provide magic that prioritizes healing and pain resistance over other functions. Like flying. Or speaking.” He swallowed. “Some nights I’d lie there unable to move for several minutes, but not with pain or anything. It would be annoying and unpleasant but not painful. So it's all right for me..."

"But look at you!" Phoenix pulled Mechanical Flight's head back to face him. "Look, I may be a moron who barely understands my own medical condition, but I can see the signs of your magic starting to drain away. Even your talent is starting to be affected?" He pointed at Mech's fading cutie mark.

"Not a total loss," Mech grumbled.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Phoenix said. "If you keep on like this, what happens once you no longer have enough magic to resist lightning? You have to stop protecting her!"

“What do you know!?” Mechanical Flight shouted. Then, softer, “She used to send me angry letters, telling me to come treat her like a wife deserves or else she’d do something desperate, and I always ignored her. Now, every few weeks since Bottle Cap went to the hospital, I come whenever she calls. If she ever hurt anypony else, I wouldn't know how to live with myself, but it's fine for me." He closed his eyes, then slowly inhaled. "So please stop kicking a hornet's nest. She always gets away with every crime she's ever committed before and this'll be no different. I don't... want her to... hurt you t-too..."

Was he fighting back a sob? His voice was so soft Phoenix couldn't really tell.

Phoenix didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then he wrapped his forelegs around Mechanical Flight’s neck. He didn’t bother fighting tears. Of remorse, of sympathy. “I’m sorry I let you suffer alone so long. I’m sorry I’ve been such a horrible brother.”

“You’re not obligated to do anything; you’re the little crippled colt who always needs our help, not the other way around,” Mechanical Flight said, apparently having recovered his snark.

Phoenix ignored him. “I’ve already promised this to Cinder and I’ll promise the same to you. She won’t escape this time.”

“You can’t do anything,” Mechanical Flight said. “You’re a talentless hack slave.”

“I’m not a slave,” Phoenix said, pulling out of the one-sided hug. “Mystic is just my boss, not my owner.”

"She doesn't pay you and you're too scared to leave her even if she almost kills you, right?" Mechanical Flight narrowed his eyes at Phoenix.

"Wait, what? How the hay did you know that?" Phoenix asked.

"Reddish marks on your neck, right over the carotid sinus, which in you would be hyperactive, thanks to pegasus adaptation to high altitudes and your medical condition," Mech said grimly.

"Why do you know about my medical condition than I do...?" Phoenix whined.

"Like I said, I've been studying pegasus magic," Mech said. "Anyways. You should know only too well that you can't just leave a dangerous situation. No one would help us if we ran."

"That's not true!" Phoenix said.

"You and I both went into this eyes open; you knew how dependent you'd be on Mystic and I knew I was marrying a monster. Nopony's going to sympathize with us if we suddenly decided we weren't strong enough stallions to stand up to a couple of mares."

"Stop saying that!" Phoenix said.

"For a pony unable to lie you manage a lot of denial," Mech huffed.

"Okay... better idea. How about we help each other?" Phoenix said. "I've already promised you, Shocking won't escape this time. You'll never have to worry about her again."

"Until she just bounces out of jail on a technicality, assuming you aren't overconfident," Mech muttered. "And what do you expect me to do for you in return?"

Phoenix blinked. "Um... I mean..."

"Here, let me help you," Mechanical Flight said, a cocky glint appearing in his eye. "Let's start writing your letter of resignation."

"Wait, no....!" Phoenix said.

"What, suddenly it turns out huge life changes are scary even if they're for your own good?" Mechanical Flight said mockingly.

"You have a job and a house that don't depend on Shocking Snap," Phoenix hissed. "This isn't the same thing at all!"

"I already know my limits; I know that Shocking Snap wouldn't hurt me just for kicks and she's only hurting me out of reflex."

"Why?" Phoenix asks. "She torments me and the cops without provocation and then laughs about it."

"Hurting people she hates amuses her but she doesn't hate me." Mechanical Flight sniffled. "I... don't know what to call what she feels about me. But before gaining her electric powers most of her relationships were with older ponies higher on the social ladder than her; she only switched because tricking smart, mature ponies into hurting themselves is harder than tricking dumb, hormonal teens."

Or ponies with martyr complexes... Phoenix thought.

"But we're talking about Mystic now, not Shocking. What's going to happen to you if you cross some imaginary line and Mystic completely flips out, forgets your weakness, and can't or won't revive you next time? Do you think she'll cry, or do you think she'll just rush to hide your corpse before her reputation suffers? Has she ever shown that she's cared about you or your well-being beyond how you can help or hurt her?"

Phoenix thought about all the conversations he and Mystic had over the past few days. He thought about last night, and how Mystic was still trying to manipulate him into setting their relationship back in stone.

Most of all, he thought about that case. The time he'd first met Mystic, when he was still in college. The time she'd said to a crowded courtroom that Phoenix was hopelessly pathetic and utterly worthless.

Ponies had told him at the time that they felt Mystic had thrown him under the carriage in her efforts to win, but at the time, Phoenix couldn't believe that. Because after all, she'd been speaking the truth. At least as she'd seen it at the time.

When she turned around and offered to pay for Phoenix's law school, Phoenix had assumed she'd changed her mind, or at least felt guilty and was trying to make up for what she'd done.

Or maybe she was just like Shocking, and had only realized that he would be easy to manipulate.

"But... but where will I live? What if I can't find work?" Phoenix asked.

"You have a rich uncle with a huge loan office, you live in a city that's brimming with charities to help ponies leaving indentured servitude or alternate compensation contracts, and I have stacks of money lying around that I don't use because I don't ever leave the Rainbow Factory, and even if I didn't my boss dotes on me like a father. You'll manage; you always did before."

Phoenix laughed, rubbing his spikey mane. "Maybe... maybe we should just leave the note and go to the court before Mystic gets here. Every time I talk to Mystic she always tricks me into thinking she's right and I should feel ashamed..."

"You're going to have to face her sometime," Mechanical Flight said.

"I know... but right now Twilight's trial sounds pleasant in comparison."

Author's Note:

Hooves crossed I didn't just alienate or chase away all my existing readership with this darker chapter...

Comments

[bonberjean]

Still fits in the world it is set.

[Fluffy-Boi]

Wow.. I did not see that coming.

[Kegworth]

A battered husband, sanctuary cities (for slaves not criminals) this just keeps getting more real with every chapter.

[HB_DS2013]

I did not think slavery would be prevalent here, but I’m gonna read anyway and see it through. I’m looking forward to seeing Shocking get her comeuppance.