The Lawyer and The Unicorn (T-Rated Version)

by Firesight

29: Young Wubs

Though I’ve taken most of the adult action out, this chapter nudges slightly into R-rated territory in one or two places for some impending or implied humanized Vinyl-on-Maya action. Read the author’s notes at the bottom for an explanation. —Firesight

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Music: Lost in Thought

One of the things Celestia enjoyed most about Earth was simply being able to walk around unrecognized.

True, her size and beauty even as a human tended to turn heads, but there was still a huge difference between that and being followed, attended, and all but worshipped everywhere she went, making it all but impossible to eat out or even visit a hotel gift shop as she was doing then. Though I suppose having one at Canterlot Castle would be just a bit gauche… she admitted with a soft chuckle as she looked through the Gatewater gift shop wares, searching for something suitable for Vinyl Scratch to wear. She wouldn’t want anything too feminine but she would want it bright and showy, and something that would go well with the colors of her shades and mane…

She took her time about it, leaving the pair in her penthouse suite with some light room service fare while she shopped. It was in order to allow them enough time to talk, as well as engage in more… intimate affairs if that was what they wanted. Celestia knew full well what the Elements of Harmony could do and its likely effects on the human girl, having been one with them in the distant past. But in truth, as much as she hoped they would bring out Maya’s sensual side, she also thought it best to not be around if they did.

Especially not after that dream last night! She gave an involuntary shiver, the images of it still vivid in her mind. In it, she’d been back in Equestria in her original alicorn form, lounging in her Canterlot quarters when Maya had approached her, walking right out of her bedroom mirror to all but offer herself, saying it was her thanks for helping her and being there when she’d needed her. It had been an offer Celestia had only been too eager to accept, levitating her onto the bed and then...

Celestia shook her head sharply to clear it, suddenly worried her horn or mating aura might be showing. Dangerous territory, Tia… she knew only too well. She could only imagine what Luna would think if she saw that dream… or worse, Maya’s sister, though she didn’t think there was a danger there.

Not if she’s truly visiting the Summerlands right now… she somewhat fervently hoped. There may be no adultery in the realm of dreams, as Luna says, but after the way Mia Fey dealt with The Nightmare, I’d rather she not think me a threat to Maya…

Seeking a new target for her suddenly lurid thoughts, she found them suddenly turning… to Mia herself, remembering the striking, confident figure she cut as an angelic attorney. So beautiful… so powerful… and so… sensual… she recalled, her attentions suddenly turning from the younger sister to the older one. The attraction was entirely different there; a deep-seated desire to be dominated by a more powerful female, and one the sun princess never got to indulge—for who was more powerful than she?

She chuckled again at that, rubbing her eyes and forcing herself to focus on the task at hoof. Be careful, Tia… she warned herself, knowing that even though Mia Fey was beyond the reach of all but her fantasies, Maya Fey was not. And given her dreams, the sun princess was afraid her own proclivities towards younger mares might yet get the best of her, as it once had not too many years past.

Sunset Shimmer… she reminded herself, her eyes closing in deep regret. A moment of weakness cost me a student and Equestria a promising young unicorn. I will NOT succumb to temptation again lest it cost me my new human friends and a young girl the chance to explore her sexuality on her own terms and with HER choice of partners! she told herself firmly, wondering again what had happened to her former student. She disappeared not just from my life, but from Equestria itself… where did she go…?

Putting aside her suddenly brooding thoughts, she marveled again at the events of the previous night, recognizing how blessed she was to see so many old friends again... and how lucky they all were that the worst had not happened, shivering at the realization that she’d nearly lost Twilight to the same evil that had taken Luna from her. It took all of us to prevent disaster—Mia Fey and Phoenix Wright, Luna and her Dream Guard, Twilight and her friends, even Vinyl Scratch… Celestia took pains to grant, thinking that given her surprisingly good performance as a defense attorney, perhaps the brash Pony DJ had been miscast as a prosecutor.

Even Trixie Lulamoon played her part as a surprisingly fair judge. So maybe Luna is right about her after all? She still didn’t approve of her sister wiping the young mare’s memory, though she understood why well enough—Luna was very big on tests of character, perhaps because she’d failed one so badly in the past, and wanted to give her potential apprentice an untainted one… which became impossible if she was aware of Luna’s interest.

Her reunion with her former Bolt Knights had been bittersweet and all too brief, but it did her heart good to see that they were all at peace. Perhaps someday I will finally join you… she told them, reflecting on the blessings and curse of her ageless life. But until then, I will forever honor you…

“Excuse me, ma’am…?” the clerk behind the counter called out to her, snapping her out of her reverie. “You’ve been there a while. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Oh!” Celestia called out, her attention finally pulled back to the present and back to the task at hoof. “Yes, sorry. I was… merely lost in thought…” she quickly picked out a selection of shorts, sandals and blouses before taking them to the cashier. Hopefully, Miss Scratch will like at least some of these. And hopefully, I’ll have given her and Maya enough time for whatever they decided to do…

---

Music: Change of Clothes

Upon returning upstairs, Celestia found, to her quickly-concealed disappointment, that Maya and Vinyl had polished off their light meal but otherwise had not indulged in any more intimacies, still sitting at the table talking with the former clothed in her kimono. She couldn’t help but blush a bit at the sight of the young girl as they instantly sparked memories of her dream the previous night, but accepted a hug and heartfelt thank-you from her all the same.

Not helping was the fact that the teenaged mystic’s head only came up to her chest or that she held the hug for several long seconds. “Um… Miss Maya…” Celestia said cautiously, not quite willing to break the embrace.

Vinyl noticed and smirked. “Careful there, fillyfriend. ‘Cause as hot as you are, think you’re gonna turn on Celly if you keep that up,” she suggested, causing both to blush hard and instantly pull back.

“Oh, uh… sorry, Princess,” Maya quickly said, rubbing a hand behind her head as Celestia found herself tempted to do the same, though it was hardly a normal gesture for her.

“Quite all right,” she quickly responded. “I do understand what you are feeling, young Maya, but I must advise caution and not to do that which you may later regret,” she told herself as much as Maya. “As I have already told Twilight, it is a heady time but also a dangerous one as you may find temptations everywhere, including some perhaps best not indulged... for now,” she finished, wincing for having not meant to add the last two words.

“That’s sage advice, fillyfriend. Take it to heart,” Vinyl advised from behind her.

“Y-yeah…” Maya admitted, memories of the dream where Celestia had magically pleasured her still fresh, leaving her wondering if the sun princess could do it for real. “Sorry, Princess. I really don’t want to cause any trouble with you and Ferro…”

“Ferro?” Vinyl echoed, and was shortly given an explanation. “Whoa. So he’s the stallion you’re seeing, Princess? Human or no, he must be real special.”

“Indeed, but… I must ask you not to spread that around back home, Vinyl Scratch. Not so much for my sake but for his,” she implored her fellow mare. “I care less about the scandal that would erupt than if those who wish Equestria ill were to find out about him…” she trailed off meaningfully, infinitely glad The Nightmare had either not known about him or not thought to use him as she had Maya the previous night. Probably the former. After all, she was always more an opportunist than a strategist...

“They might try to go after him, even on Earth. I got it,” Vinyl answered. “Already Pinkie-promised along with the rest of the gang when Twilight told us, but lemme say it again, Princess—my lips are sealed. Still like to meet him, though…”

“You’ll get your chance tomorrow, V-Jay. He says he’s gonna meet up with us, Nick and Sparkle at the fairgrounds,” Maya promised, showing her friend an earlier exchange of texts. “Even says he’s even going to bring his daughter along!” she announced, causing Celestia to smile.

“Really? Cool! But in the meantime, I don’t really wanna spend my time cooped up in here, so… how about it, Princess?” The pony DJ turned to Celestia and presented herself. “Ready when you are!”

Celestia smiled again. “By all means. Please hold still, Vinyl Scratch. And you might wish to stand back, Miss Maya...” she instructed as she closed her eyes and her long ethereal alicorn horn appeared, wreathed in a golden light, barely dimmed for it being on Earth, all but dazzling Maya’s mystical awareness for the sheer strength of aura and amount of energy she could sense. The same golden energy washed around Vinyl, whose form visibly shifted beneath it, her lower limbs lengthening and equine features melting into human ones, though even through the glow Maya could see she was still retaining her electric blue hair color. Her fur faded, leaving pale white skin in its place, while her hooves suddenly sprouted a familiar set of appendages as she continued to stand on all fours through the entire process, through her new fingers curled against the carpet at the end.

The transformation spell took around twenty seconds to complete, and by the time it faded from around Vinyl, the Pony DJ was now in her human form and trying to pull herself awkwardly to her new feet. “Yeah… this was hard last time, too!” Vinyl admitted with a chuckle as, seeing her stumble, Maya rushed to her side to help, offering her an arm up as Celestia likewise offered her aura to steady the now-human mare, trying not to think too much about the fact she was unclothed and quite attractive for it, quickly withdrawing her magical touch once her fellow Equestrian was successfully standing, holding onto Maya’s arms. Too many temptations, Tia…

“Easy there, V-Jay…” Maya said, recognizing her friend’s difficulties as well as her well-built human form. “Lean on my arms. Get your balance and take slow steps forward,” she instructed as Vinyl obeyed, taking short steps at first, distracted by the myriad new sensations of the cool room air against her bare skin… to say nothing of Maya’s hands guiding her, her lack of fur and sensitive fingers enabling her to feel everything far more keenly than her hooves did.

So what’s that gonna mean when I have sex as a human…? she had the sudden heady thought at how much more she might be able to feel and stumbled slightly at the loss of focus, pitching forward to where she was caught by Maya, who blushed hard to see her friend’s face an inch from hers. “Uh… sorry?” Vinyl suggested with a smile, not immediately trying to stand on her own again.

“Um…” was all a fiercely blushing Maya could immediately say, quickly and keenly aware of her friend’s proximity and unclothed state. The moment and possibilities seemed to stretch out before them... until a throat cleared.

“If you two wish, I will be more than happy to leave you here for a while…?” Celestia suggested almost hopefully, her grin askance and teasing.

Maya and Vinyl looked over at her, then back to each other, each reaching the same reluctant conclusion. “Not yet…” they said as one, Maya carefully pushing Vinyl back on her feet. “We agreed it was best to wait,” the former added, wondering how much longer she could wait at this rate.

“I see…” Celestia said with a quickly hidden flash of disappointment as Vinyl’s grin suddenly turned mischievous.

“For the best, Princess. But, you know, fillyfriend, that doesn’t mean we can’t…” the now-human DJ let her actions finish the sentence as she suddenly leaned in and kissed a surprised Maya deeply, the action of it not much different than it had been for her as a pony. This time, it was her surprised human friend whose legs nearly buckled, her eyes initially wide, but quickly closing in pleasure.

It was nearly half a minute before they finally separated, Maya looking quite flushed after. “You know, you’re making a pretty good case we should get together sooner rather than later, V-Jay!” she said somewhat breathlessly.

“Hey, even if you’re not there yet, doesn’t mean I can’t help get ya there, fillyfriend!” Vinyl grinned, then turned back to a slightly-squirming Celestia, recognizing the effect they were having on her. “Hope you liked the show, Princess!”

“Quite…” she said in a dry voice as Maya giggled. “But may I suggest you get dressed and we head out before there are any more such shows…?”

---

Music: Hit the Streets!

An hour later, the trio were exiting the Gatewater, heading for a diner Celestia knew about at her suggestion, Vinyl now dressed in blue shorts and a simple white t-shirt bearing the Gatewater logo that accented her blue hair. Her magenta shades still fitted for her pony head, and her own magic seemingly ineffective while human, Celestia had sent Spike a message asking him to retrieve the Pony DJ’s human-fitted ones she’d made for her previous trip from her house and sent to her via dragonfire. He had done so by the time they were ready to leave, close to noon.

“You know… our old law office used to be there!” Maya pointed to a building across the street. “We moved out after the Lana Skye trial, though. I wasn’t there for that one, but too many bad memories of this place…” a shadow passed over her face. “Sis was murdered there,” she decided to add at their quizzical expressions, earning her a shocked look from both Vinyl and Celestia, the former squeezing her hand and the latter, her shoulder.

“I am so sorry, Miss Maya. From what I saw, your sister was—and is—a remarkable woman who more than earned her ascension to the human heaven,” Celestia offered cautiously.

“Second that. She was something else at that trial last night. Even when you channeled her yesterday, I got a sense how much she loves and protects you, even from the hereafter. You’re really lucky to have her as a sister, Maya.”

“Thanks, both of you.” Maya’s expression was more wistful than sad, squeezing their hands in turn. “It’s okay, really. Nick nailed the guy who did it, and I’m lucky that I still get to see sis occasionally when Pearly channels her. Just knowing she’s out there watching over us helps a lot.”

Vinyl was confused at that. “When Pearly channels her? What about when you channel her?” she asked, but Maya simply shook her head.

“The way it works is, when a medium channels, the channeled spirit takes over. I have no memory of what happens during that time,” she explained, remembering how much trouble that fact had once gotten her in, resulting in being framed for murder by Pearl’s mother, Morgan Fey, who had wanted Maya out of the way so her family and daughter would become head of the Kurain house. “Basically, my spirit is shunted aside and I temporarily become that person in both body and spirit. So in effect, when I channel sis… I am sis,” she concluded.

“And the same holds true for Firefly or anypony else you may channel,” Celestia recognized in some wonder. “I wonder if ponies could learn that technique…?”

“No idea, but you’d think so given your magic. And didn’t that weird wizard pony say that your magic and our mystical power were related forces?” Maya recalled.

“Starswirl…” Celestia’s expression turned wistful as she remembered getting to see and tease her mentor again, as had been a favorite pastime of her long-ago youth. Two thousand years and he hasn’t changed at all… nor would I wish him to! she couldn’t help but grin at the thought. “Perhaps he is right. We will have to find a way to see if our some of our own mages can become mystics as well… do you think your school would consent to outside students, Young Maya?”

Maya had to think about that. “Right now? Probably not. Pretty sure the elders would balk and insist the Kurain power is supposed to be hereditary, not acquired. But when I become Kurain Master? Then they have no say and we’ll see if ponies can gain it. Promise, Princess!” she looked up and grinned, knowing that with Morgan Fey out of the way, there was nothing to stop her eventual ascension to the rank. I’ll do it for you, Mom… she promised the long-lost Misty Fey, wishing fervently she could yet see her again.

“You have a deal, Miss Maya,” Celestia confirmed with another squeeze of her shoulder. “When the time comes, we will make arrangements. For now, though… let us enjoy a simple lunch…” the sun princess said as they headed upstreet towards the diner.

* * * * *

The walk took but ten minutes. As they neared their destination, Celestia couldn’t help note that the two younger mares were already very close, even holding hands. This brought a smile to her face… although it dimmed somewhat when she noticed the venomous looks coming from a few passersby. California tended to be a very permissive place, she knew, but that didn’t mean there weren’t those living there that didn’t share its outlook.

Vinyl noticed this as well. “Geez, you’d think these people didn’t know same-gender relationships are a thing,” she muttered under her breath.

Maya grimaced. “Well, for most humans they really aren’t. Many religions and conservative viewpoints consider such relationships ‘sinful’ since such relations can only be for pleasure, not progeny.”

“And pleasure is a bad thing… why?” Vinyl asked, perplexed.

“Never said I understood the reasoning either, V-jay,” Maya admitted, somewhat ruefully remembering how negatively she’d first reacted to the idea of first being with her pony friend. “Talk to any Catholic about it, and they’ll say, ‘God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve’ or something like that.”

Celestia snorted at that. “Ah, yes, the Roman Catholic Church. A fine example as to why the separation of church and state is so important.”

Maya blinked and looked back at her. “I take it you have a low opinion of organized religion?”

“Not in the least, Maya,” Celestia replied evenly. “I firmly believe that faith is a necessary component to life and society, providing purpose and a shared set of values that allow individuals and cultures to grow. Organized religion is not in itself a bad thing—within reason, some human faiths are certainly more backwards or at least less benign than others—but a nation run by its religion, or vice versa, often is. It’s why I’m so keen to seek out and dissuade anypony who worships me or my sister.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Vinyl mused. At Maya’s bewildered look, the DJ clarified. “It’s hard to get under Celly’s skin, but one thing that will get her dander up is worshiping her like she’s some kind of goddess.”

Maya blinked repeatedly. “Really? People worshiping you seems kind of an odd thing to get mad about, Princess.”

Celestia sighed. “Understand, Maya, that for all my age and alicorn power, I am by no means a perfect pony. I have my flaws, as I believe I told you the other night, and even now, I can only too readily make mistakes,” she said as they neared the diner. “If you need an example, there was a point in the distant past where I would arrest ponies for questioning my power or judgments. So given that, why should my little ponies worship somepony who is as flawed, if not more so, than they? Religion is meant to join ponies—or people—in the belief of a greater, flawless power. I am not that power. I did—and still do—what I must to dissuade those who would put me on such a pedestal.”

Maya looked thoughtful at that. “Yeah, I guess I can understand that. But… well, forgive me for saying this, what about Twilight? She’s clearly put you up on a pedestal, herself.”

Celestia chuckled. “True, but she learned quickly the boundary between admiration and worship. I made clear to her early in our relationship that I had no wish for her to revere me as a goddess. She simply admires me for my prowess and wisdom… though I fear I’ve had ample cause to doubt both myself, as of late.”

The two younger mares exchanged a glance before looking back at her. “Is this about last night?” Maya guessed.

The disguised alicorn’s face grew downcast. “Twilight is my faithful student. I’ve been there for her many times throughout her life. Yet when she needed me most, I was completely oblivious to the danger she was in until Delta came to find me. I feel like I’ve failed her, and I’ve no wish to do so again.”

Vinyl reached up to put a hand on the princess’s shoulder—a human gesture she would never have used as a pony. “Don’t worry too much about it, Princess. Yeah, you didn’t know what was happening at first, but you’re not to blame for what happened. If anypony’s to blame, it’s The Nightmare. She engineered what happened herself, and did so without any of us noticing. From what I could tell, not even Luna realized what was happening until it was nearly too late.” Seeing Celestia’s unconvinced look, Vinyl pressed on. “Besides, you did show up, and you gave your support when it was most needed. You don’t need to be so hard on yourself.”

“Vinyl’s right,” Maya said firmly. “We all got caught off-guard by what happened, but we all pulled through in the end. Nick and Sparkle are happy again, I’m finally thinking about things clearly, and The Nightmare is gone. That’s what I’d call a triple play.”

Celestia finally smiled at that. “Ah, a baseball term. I’ve watched a few games with Ferro. My attempt to translate it for ponies… didn’t go so well.”

Maya blinked, and grinned. “Lemme guess… pegasus outfielders ruin the game?”

“The one time a full game was played, it lasted thirty-two innings before I finally called the game a tie,” Celestia said ruefully. “A tie with no scores on either side, for that matter. Though in fairness, other sports have been adopted quite well. Rugby has become very popular with earth ponies, for example. And I myself rather do enjoy a good round of golf… though after our first course was built, it did take some time to explain to unicorns that they couldn’t just enchant the ball to go into the hole!”

The three shared a laugh as they entered the restaurant. Maya looked around the American diner, far simpler than the fancy places she’d initially assumed the Princess would favor. “Out of curiosity... why come to this place, Princess?”

“Ferro introduced it to me. We’ve eaten here a few times in the past and it has good memories for me. Better yet, they not only have good food, but karaoke with an open mic,” Celestia replied, nodding across the room to a small stage. “I thought we could perhaps entertain ourselves a bit while having breakfast.”

“Works for me!” Maya said cheerfully, looking forward to seeing Celestia sing.

Music: Five Star Service...

After the three were seated and had placed their orders for drinks—Maya got cola for herself and Vinyl, while Celestia requested a water and a Bloody Mary (resulting in a quick explanation to a surprised Vinyl as to its contents), another pair of women entered the diner. Glancing around, they spotted the trio, and made their way over. “Pardon me, Princess, but may we intrude?” asked one of them, giving the large woman the sun princess was disguised as a short bow.

Celestia blinked and looked up, seeing a human woman wearing a dark amaranth blazer and matching skirt of knee length. Under the blazer, she wore a white blouse, the top two buttons left undone. Her sparkling blue eyes held a hint of mischief, and her blonde hair had a streak of crimson running through it. That alone clued Celestia into the woman’s identity. The clasp on her neck of the sun and moon merely confirmed it. “Certainly, Delta. Please, join us.”

“Delta Requiem?” chorused Maya and Vinyl, surprised.

Delta chuckled. “Yes, it’s me.” She helped her companion into a chair before sitting down herself, as her friend was noticeably unsteady on her legs. This woman had a tan business suit on, with a matching blouse and skirt. Her hair was a dark green, an unusual color for certain; then again, Maya had seen people with bizarre hair colors before (the fiend who killed her sister came to mind, as did his slut-friend). Perhaps the most striking thing about her were her eyes: they were a bright orange, quite the unusual color among humans.

Then again, Maya was quite certain this woman wasn’t truly human, either, given her unusual appearance and how unsteady she’d been on her feet, to say nothing of the company she was keeping. The young mystic was also rather certain she’d seen this particular woman before… and suddenly, it came to her. “You’re one of the ponies that saw us off from Equestria,” she said quietly, pointing at the green-haired woman. “You were in the library when we left!”

This earned a smile in response. “Quite right. I’m impressed you remembered that, Miss Fey, let alone recognized me like this,” she replied. “My name is Five Stars. I’m Delta’s manager. Good to see you again, Ms. Scratch,” she added in an aside to Vinyl.

“You too, filly. Take it you’re having as much trouble as I did figuring out how to walk upright?” she asked with a wry grin.

Five Stars smiled. “We just crossed over, and I’m always a little unsteady for the first hour or so. After that I’m fine. Wouldn’t do for a manager to be stumbling all over, after all...”

Maya blinked at that. “Why does a prosecutor need a manager?”

That caused all four disguised ponies to start snickering, chuckling, or outright laughing as was their wont. “I’m not just a prosecutor, Miss Fey,” Delta responded through her laughs. “In fact, Trixie’s trial was the first time I ever prosecuted a case. In my day job, I’m the court bard of Canterlot. Think of me as a civilian equivalent to the Captain of the Guard. I’m essentially one of the highest-ranked civilians in Equestria.”

“’Civilian’ my flank, Lady Requiem,” Vinyl retorted, Maya noting that even during the dream trial she hadn’t been one to mince words. “A ‘civilian’ doesn’t bear a title of nobility or make a five-figure monthly income and report directly to the Crown.”

Delta rolled her eyes. “Okay, so I’m technically more of an internal security specialist of sorts. The point I was trying to make is that I’m not military. I handle certain… domestic matters. And speaking of which…” She pulled out a small booklet. “By request of the Princess, this has been made for you, Vinyl. It’s a valid human passport you can use as an identity card should the need arise.”

“Really?” Vinyl reflexively tried to pick it up with her magic only to find that once again, she couldn’t as a human, so she reached out with her hand to grasp it, picking it up somewhat awkwardly, still getting used to having fingers again.

Maya leaned over her shoulder to look as well. “Equios… is that an actual country?”

“Indeed it is,” Delta answered as Celestia just smiled. “An internationally recognized European ministate located right beside Lichtenstein,” she added, as Maya promptly took out her smartphone to look it up.

“It’s true. Not known for much except for some minor agriculture and a historic castle or two, but it’s carved out a nice niche for itself in the banking industry. And once a year, a wine-and-music festival that brings in much of our yearly income,” Five Stars added, looking through the menu with some familiarity.

Maya blinked as she quickly read through the information she found. “Okay… though that doesn’t answer the question of why you need a manager. Doesn’t that make Five Stars your boss?” she suggested.

This caused another small outbreak of laughter. “I suppose a better word for my role would be ‘agent’,” Five Stars admitted. “I manage Delta’s business affairs and set up her concert tours when she’s away from Canterlot, whether that’s in our world or yours. I have to say, though, it’s rather more fun in your world, if only because I get to use better toys,” she said as she pulled out a large wallet with a tablet inside and began working on it.

“Here or there, you’re the best at both jobs I’ve ever had,” Delta said without hesitation, causing Five Stars to flush slightly.

“Oh, so ‘bard’ isn’t just a cover for your whole… spellsinging thing? You actually do sing normally?” Maya asked.

Delta grinned. “Singing is my talent, my passion, and my life, Miss Fey. The fact that it coincides with my special ability is just the icing on the cake.” Looking up, she saw the current performer on the open mic finish their song, and stood up. “Speaking of which… with your permission, Princess?”

“Of course,” the Princess invited, sitting back to watch as Delta sauntered over to the man running the karaoke, and after a few moments, took the mic. After a moment, a piano began to play, interspersed with the sound of hand claps. As a drumbeat and guitar joined in, Delta began to sing:

There was quite a bit of applause as Delta finished. She made her way back over to the table as their drinks arrived and they asked for a couple more minutes to make food selections.

“A very good song, Lady Requiem,” Celestia said with a smile. “Though I think my student and Mr. Wright could appreciate it as well.”

Delta smiled and bowed her head. “Oh, I’ve sent them VIP tickets to my concert at the end of the week.” As she said this, Five Stars removed some items from her tablet wallet, and passed them out. “And here are yours, by the way.”

“So, you’re known here, too?” Maya asked, somewhat baffled as she looked the ticket over. Then she blinked. “Waitaminute… ‘Arianne Reichmuth’? You’re Arianne Reichmuth?!” she exclaimed quietly, trying to not draw attention to the fact that there were not one, but two famous foreign visitors in the diner.

Delta smirked. “Well, given that Celestia does a good bit of her business in Geneva, I decided to craft a persona for myself based there as well.”

Celestia arched an eyebrow. “I take it you’ve heard of her human name, Miss Maya?”

“She’s an enigmatic pop star from Switzerland!” Maya said in wonder. “No one knows much about her. She appears to do concert tours every so often, then vanishes just as quickly. Even the paparazzi can’t keep tabs on her.” She looked at Delta with wide eyes. “Of course, that’s because you don’t stay here that long, do you?”

“Only long enough for my tours, and then it’s back to Equestria to make my report,” Delta replied with a nod. “And in between concert appearances? I have ways of keeping hidden.” She closed her eyes and grinned.

“I’ll just bet!” Vinyl chuckled, then blinked. “A report on what, though? How many humans like your music?”

Delta smirked. “My dear Vinyl, I am the Court Bard. My trade is rumor and gossip; my weapons are song and the spoken word. You’d be surprised what a pop star can learn while on tour.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said with a smile. “Delta’s reports on the human world have allowed me to introduce some elements from human society… as well as correct certain oversights.”

“Oversights?” Maya asked.

“I mentioned to you before that I believe Equestria could use a little less harmony now and then?” Celestia said, getting a nod from the young mystic. “Well, to that end I’ve been taking certain things from Earth and adapting them for use in Equestria. Reel-to-reel cinema and early-model cameras were such things. Still, the process isn’t always perfect,” she chuckled at a sudden memory.

“About a century ago, we tried to import trains, but… a rather critical piece was missing. It was only about twenty years later I was informed that a locomotive is meant to pull the train, at which point we… borrowed blueprints for a steam engine and figured out how to power it magically instead of through coal. Creating such magically-powered engines took almost all of two decades, and it’s only now that train travel has become as ubiquitous as it has.”

Maya blinked at that, before realization set in. “Oh… yeah, I can see that, now.”

“As an aside, employment in our railroad division has gone up dramatically since we got rid of the ‘train puller’ job,” Delta noted in perfect deadpan. “Engineers, ushers, mechanics and track layers are all needed. It’s been quite the boon, actually, to Equestrian commerce and travel. They’re even trying to find a way to lay tracks across the far northern straits to the Griffon continent of Aresia.”

“And more boons are ahead. These crystal ‘batteries’ you and Twilight Sparkle came up with are already opening up a slew of new possibilities for us,” Five Stars addressed Vinyl, fingering the one around her neck powering her transformation spell. “Before, I had to carry around a caseful of potions charged with transformation spells and take a new one every few hours to stay human. But now? One fully-charged crystal is good for an entire day!”

Vinyl all but preened. “Thanks, but it was Sparkle who figured out how to charge them with mana and the initial inspiration actually came from Maya’s ‘smart-phone’ there. If you like human toys, kinda surprised you don’t have one yourself there, Five Stars.”

As if on cue, there was a ringing sound from Five Stars’ purse. “Who says I don’t?” she answered in an amused tone, then went outside to take the call, leaving chuckles in her wake.

“She’s as devoted to you as ever, I see,” Celestia noted in some satisfaction. “And she’s taken to Earth quite readily.”

“She really has. She even seems to have an attraction to human men now. Not surprising, I guess…” her eyes turned sad as she sipped her juice.

“Why’s that?” Maya had to ask. So Sparkle’s NOT the only mare who likes men…?

Delta paused before replying. “Five Stars had a series of unhappy herd experiences, some her fault but mostly not, ones that soured her pretty badly on stallions and shared partners. She also got into a relationship with a griffin at one point she wasn’t ready for, and had a very bad time dealing with the aftermath,” Delta explained. “On the one hoof, interspecies relationships like that are very difficult to make work. On the other… they can also be that much more rewarding. But she wasn’t ready and jumped into it too soon without really thinking things through. The results were... predictable.”

Vinyl nudged Maya under the table. “Sounds like more sage advice to me, fillyfriend,” she reminded her.

“Yeah…” Maya recognized. More difficult… but more rewarding… she repeated to herself, suddenly lost in thought, her hand finding Vinyl’s beneath the table again as the waitress returned to take their orders. Five Stars came back as well, a frown on her face before she quickly masked it.

“I’ll have the Belgian Waffle Deluxe, with strawberries, sausage links and extra syrup with a fruit salad on the side,” Celestia told the waitress after glancing back at her menu.

“Gimme the Pigs in a Blanket,” Maya said next, deciding that even if her Equestrian friends weren’t meat-eaters, she was.

Vinyl stifled a snort of laughter before placing her order, wondering what kind of human food bore that name. “Let’s see… don’t mind trying lots of new stuff, so... I’ll take the Sampler Skillet,” she said, to Maya’s approval.

“I’d like the western omelet with extra bacon on the side,” Five Stars said, causing Maya to give her a look of surprise.

Unperturbed, Delta glanced over the menu herself for a moment longer before ordering. “Hm… I’ll have the Superstar combo, with raisin toast, hashbrowns, bacon, scrambled eggs… and peanut butter on the waffle.” she said with the air of making her usual order, passing her menu in, then noticing Maya staring at her. “Why, whatever’s wrong, Miss Maya? I thought you humans believed that everything goes better with bacon,” she asked with a coy grin once the waitress had double-checked her information and departed.

Before she could reply, Vinyl turned to Maya. “Guess I’ll find out what bacon is, but what the hay is ‘Pigs in a Blanket’? I mean, seriously?”

Maya was only too happy to tell her, causing her friend to burst out laughing when she got it. “Pork sausages wrapped in pancakes… nice,” she conceded. “While I’m an official omnivore, might try a bite or two if that’s okay… and that ‘bacon’, whatever it is.”

“Oh, you’ll definitely like it, Ms. Scratch. It’s certainly one of the things I look forward to eating when I become human,” Five Stars agreed, though she still seemed somewhat troubled.

“Something wrong, Five Stars?” Celestia quickly asked.

“Nothing that can’t be fixed, Princess,” she said with an annoyed air. “Just some trouble with the concert preparations. It seems the amphitheater double-booked us with another band. I’ll deal with it,” she promised, and nobody disputed that she could. “In the meantime, let’s eat…”

---

Music: An Afternoon Out

The afternoon passed quickly and pleasantly after that.

Not long after lunch ended, they received a text from Phoenix that said Edgeworth had come by to visit and that they’d been in contact with Twilight’s friends; the pair saying that they were going back to sleep after a restless night and would be spending the rest of the day after that seeing the courthouse and then having some quality time together. He also said that Edgeworth had warned him that Franny had suspicions about Twilight and might come around later asking questions about her.

She immediately messaged him back that she thought Franny was more concerned about him than anything else, so she’d address that worry if and when the nineteen-year-old prosecutor came by. You know, sometimes I forget she’s my age… Maya couldn’t help but chuckle, wondering if Franny had any love interests of her own. Hell, given her whip, for all I know she moonlights as a dominatrix… she snickered, knowing she, too, would find it hard to see her the same way again after The Nightmare’s little display while in her form the previous night.

She thought they were done as she wished them both well on behalf of herself and everyone else, but then Phoenix sent one final line:

PS: If you happen to run into Edgeworth, be sure to tease him about Rarity! They had a private chat and apparently, she did something he didn’t want to talk about! You should have seen it, Maya; his cheeks were as red as his SUIT!

Tease Edgey-poo? Now THAT I can do! Maya grinned, promising she would before signing off.

Delta and Five Stars likewise took their leave, the former heading off on a Celestial errand and the latter going in a different direction to sort out the concert issues. In the meantime, the remaining threesome visited a science museum—“Human magic,” Vinyl pronounced in some wonder as they examined the old Space Shuttle Endeavour, to which Celestia quoted a human author saying that any technology sufficiently advanced was indistinguishable from magic—and then headed for a park with a train museum so Vinyl could see where the idea of it had actually come from and how train travel had evolved in the human world.

They had dinner at a steakhouse, Celestia’s treat, where Maya only too eagerly introduced her pony friend to the joys of a medium rare ribeye (“by the sun and moon, I ain’t ever gonna see bovines the same after this!” Vinyl said after she had finished and patted her very happy belly)—and finished with an evening visit to an ice cream parlor and movie theater to watch the next installment of a popular superhero franchise movie; Maya amazing Celestia again with her appetite by polishing off a massive shake and most of a popcorn tub all by herself.

It was nearly 10pm by the time they returned to the hotel… to find a surprise waiting for them as a young girl Pearl’s age abruptly rushed up to them as they entered the lobby. “Auntie Tia! Auntie Tia!” she called out as she all but leapt into Celestia’s embrace, to which the sun princess was initially surprised, but her expression quickly turned to delight.

“Why, hello, little one!” the sun princess all but cooed, nuzzling the young girl in a surprisingly pony manner before giving her a kiss on the forehead. “So good to see you again! And by the sun, you’ve grown so much! Are you being a good girl for your daddy?” she asked, quickly looking around for…

“That she is, Sunshine. That she is,” a familiar voice confirmed from behind them, followed by Ferro Stabile stepping out of the shadows, watching the scene happily. “Surprise, Tia!” He told her, going up to kiss her in a gesture Celestia only too eagerly returned.

Their kiss was long and deep enough to make both Maya and Vinyl blush. “Surprise indeed. I thought you were spending a long weekend with her?” she nodded down to the girl still clinging to her, rubbing cheeks with her again.

“I was and I am. But when I told her you were here, she wanted to see her favorite Aunt immediately, and in all honesty… so did I.” He took and kissed her hand, then noticed the other two girls flanking her. “Hey, Maya.”

“Hey, Iron Man!” Maya rejoined with a grin, enjoying the scene. “Sorry, after seeing that movie, kinda hard not to call you that!”

“Thanks, I think… and who’s this?” He turned to the electric blue-haired woman with magenta shades next, studying her with some interest.

“Greetings, friend. Name’s Vinyl Scratch.” She offered him a hand in greeting as she’d seen humans do, guessing he was Celly’s stallion instantly but still surprised by his large size.

He accepted it and shook it gently. “Ferro Stabile at your service. Vinyl Scratch, huh? With that name and hair, I take it you’re an Equestrian?” He motioned to her two-tone mane.

“That I am,” she said proudly and without any surprise, flipping up her glasses to show him her deep red eyes.

To his credit, Ferro flinched only slightly at the sight while Maya giggled. “And who’s this…?” she nodded up at the young girl Celestia was still cooing at, delighting her by producing an Equestrian coin with a quick flare of magic she and Vinyl could sense.

“This is my daughter, Cypreus,” he introduced her in great pride. “Say hi, Cyprey!” he instructed as Celestia gently let her down.

“Hi there! Good to meet you both!” the dark-haired girl offered her hand, her complexion somewhat olive like her father. “I’m Cyprey! Are you ponies too?” she asked openly, studying them with great interest.

“Maya Fey,” the young mystic replied chuckled, accepting her hand, then bringing her palms together and bowing in the Kurain manner. “And sorry, but... no, I’m not.”

“Vinyl Scratch,” the Pony-turned-human DJ introduced herself next. “And not sorry to say that yes, I am!” she announced, but decided against showing her eyes, knowing they sometimes scared younger foals back home.

“Cool! Can you do magic too?” she asked the blue-haired woman eagerly, to which Vinyl smiled a bit wanly.

“I wish I could, filly. I wish I could.” She shook her head a bit forlornly as she gave the young human girl an affectionate mane ruffle with her fingers. As much as she’d enjoyed the day and the experiences she’d had in a new body, she did feel a little lost without her magic, too weak to use as it was in her human form. Guess you really don’t realize how much you appreciate something until it’s gone...

“So is this just a courtesy call, then?” Celestia put a hand on Cyprey’s shoulders as she addressed her human lover, to which Ferro grinned.

“Actually, we were hoping to come get you. I know it’s not your Penthouse suite, but how’d you like to stay the weekend at my place? Cyprey would love to have you, and so would I! Besides… by the time we get back, it’ll be getting to be about her bedtime…?” he trailed off meaningfully.

“Aw! But daddy…!” Cyprey suddenly pouted while Maya and Vinyl shared a knowing grin.

In response, the sun princess gave them all a wink and quickly levitated the girl back into her arms with another quick and barely visible use of magic. “I promise we’ll spend plenty of time together tomorrow, dear filly. I’ll make you pancakes, we’ll play lots of games, and we’ll even go to the big fairground in Santa Monica, my treat, where you can meet even more new friends. We’ll have some candy apples, we’ll ride the Ferris Wheel, and I’ll even try to win you another stuffed animal. How does that sound?” Celestia clearly knew the way to the young girl’s heart.

“YAY!!!” came her one-word response.

“You spoil her, Celly. You know that, right?” Ferro tut-tutted.

“Auntie’s prerogative,” she closed her eyes and grinned. “And I will be more than happy to spend my remaining time with you both,” she promised, a growing twinkle in her eyes, then turned to her Maya and Vinyl. “So then… it looks like I now have some new plans. Can I trust you two to stay here all alone?” she said in mock admonishment even as she gave them a quick and meaningful wink with the eye Ferro couldn’t see.

The pair blushed and looked at each other. “Think we’ll manage, Princess,” Vinyl promised, her thoughts turning quickly heady as Maya’s hand almost instantly found hers.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she giggled, then reached into her purse; Vinyl and Maya felt a fresh flare of magic as she pulled out something that hadn’t been in it before, using its confines as cover for her retrieval spell. “Here’s the spare room keys. Feel free to order whatever movies or room service you like, and if you wish to head out…” she likewise gave them several hundred dollars in cash. “Just don’t spend it all in one place, please!”

“Wow! Thanks, Princess!” Maya eagerly accepted the bills, pulling out her own wallet hidden in the sash of her kimono. “We’ll meet up with you and Iron Man at the fairgrounds tomorrow! Say, at around lunchtime?”

“Deal, Miss Fey,” Celestia chuckled. “Now you two enjoy yourselves… and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” she gave them a parting wink as she left the lobby with Cyprey still in her arms, heading with Ferro out the door.

“So what wouldn’t she do?” Vinyl wondered aloud as they passed out of view. Never knew Celly had this side of her… I’m real glad she does, though!

“I’m beginning to think, not much!” Maya replied with her own grin, then shook her head. “Nah, that’s not fair. I’m sure she was thinking about it, but in the end, she had the chance to take advantage of me for the better part of a day and didn’t. Instead, she called in sis, and… you.” She squeezed Vinyl’s hand. “And in the end, you didn’t take advantage of me either. Sorry to have accused you of it.” She went briefly downcast.

“It’s okay. But I ain’t gonna lie, fillyfriend. I wanted to,” she admitted openly. “For as pretty and vulnerable as you were, I wanted to real bad. But hay, even if I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t have after you channeled Mia. Talk about intimidating, those griffies last night ain’t got nothing on your sister. You know that, right?”

Far from perturbed, a deeply flattered and increasingly excited Maya all but beamed at that as the pair found themselves walking back towards the elevators, hand in hand. “You should have seen her in life, V-Jay. She was amazing…” she said despite her suddenly dry mouth.

“She still is,” Vinyl answered, then turned to Maya as they waited for the elevator to arrive. “So then, fillyfriend… seems like we got some time and the Celestial suite all to ourselves. Sure seems like the stars are aligning for us, so any thoughts on what we might do?” she asked mildly and with a sly grin.

“Well, I might have a few ideas…” Maya said somewhat coyly as the elevator chimed and the doors opened, several other guests spilling out, hoping the growing heat in her body didn’t yet show on her face. “Including...”

She was barely able to wait until the door closed and they were alone again before leaping at and kissing her friend.

Author's Note:

Though I can't say this was my intent at the start, this story generated not one but two unlikely ships, and here was the second. Before anyone asks, this uses the western version of the games where Maya is 18 at the time of Justice for All, which this story takes place after, so she's not underage. I'm fairly certain she's in fact younger in the Japanese version of the games, but the western version is what we're going with.

I debated striking the chapter entirely but decided there was enough of non-adult interest here to allow for a T-rated variant, including the OC cameos, Celly's thoughts on human religion, and getting to meet Ferro and his daughter again. To make clear, Maya basically emotionally matured overnight after being hit with the Elements of Harmony. They showed her the truth about herself in a way she couldn't ignore or deny, stripping away all her surface doubts and fears to lay her true self bare. Thus she no longer fights what she feels, which includes her feelings for Vinyl. The entire ending sequence that shows what happened is cut, but suffice it to say, she got the first time she needed.

For those who are curious, Five Stars is a trademark character of mine, the protagonist of Five Star Service, which is another adult story that takes place in a separate verse available on my story page. As I like tying together my stories, Phoenix himself makes a guest appearance in it towards the end in a very surprising role at a very particular time in his life.

Just four chapters remain, and I'm going to say that one is an absolute must-read--a discussion of human history over a chess match between Celly and a certain prosecutor. Enjoy!