Part 62 - Requiem for a Witch
Ponyville District Court
Courtroom No. 1
Defense Lobby
June 16th, 9:50 AM
“Trixie really, really, hates waiting,” the self-named mare muttered as she kept one eye on the clock.
“Nervous?” Phoenix asked.
“Wouldn’t you be, in Trixie’s position?” she snapped. “Think about it, Wrong. You say you can get her sentence reduced, but Trixie is still going to be found guilty.”
“Well, at the very least, we had an extra day to prepare,” Twilight said, trying to sound hopeful.
Her words were true; they’d gone to the courthouse the previous day only to be met by Delta Requiem. The Royal Court officer explained that ‘complications’ had arisen regarding the intended prosecutor for Trixie’s trial, and so the trial had been delayed. While unexpected, it had been anything but unwelcome news; it had given Phoenix and Twilight an additional day to get everything ready for their defense.
Although grateful for the reprieve, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a slight bit of unease. Lady Requiem almost never leaves Canterlot wearing her official regalia, yet she’s wearing it here. That can only mean that she’s here in some official capacity or another?
“You mean you had an extra day to prepare, Snarkle,” Trixie scoffed. “Trixie had an extra day to wonder just how badly this could go for her.”
“Well, you aren’t too nervous, apparently,” Twilight noted. “You’re still speaking in 3rd-person.”
Trixie rolled her eyes at that. “Perhaps Trixie is still feeling the relief of not being permanently disbarred from the practice.”
“And perhaps Trixie should just keep quiet and stop annoying the rest of us!” Maya snarked from across the room.
“Maya…” Phoenix warned as Trixie stuck her tongue out at the young mystic. “You’ve been in this spot yourself twice before. So remember how scared you were, particularly when you thought you might have actually done it,” he reminded her pointedly.
Maya in turn stuck her tongue out at Phoenix, but fell silent. She reflexively went for her smartphone again only to remember it was offline, leaving her forlorn and fidgeting, still sleep-deprived and in what he could only guess was internet withdrawal. For as unfamiliar as she’d been with modern technology when he’d first met her a couple years back, a product of a lifetime of living in an isolated and very traditional community, she’d quickly taken to it and within just a few months had mastered it. She could readily use a laptop, tablet, and smartphone, using all three to play games, watch videos, use social media and even compose some dance music he wasn’t that keen on, having turned a side room of his office into her own small study for the purpose.
Seeing how badly she’s taking it, I’m suddenly glad I’m not that tech-savvy! Phoenix shook his head as he watched her try to deal with the sudden removal of all the things she liked the most.
“Don’t worry, Mystic Trixie!” Pearls piped up from between Fluttershy and Applejack. “Mister Nick always wins! And he’s got Mystic Twilight with him!” she noted eagerly, causing Maya to cross her arms and look away sullenly.
Trixie opened her mouth and closed it again, biting off her initial response—apparently, even she couldn’t be her usual insulting self in the presence of the young human girl, especially after Pearl had asked to see her show with a degree of enthusiasm the showmare couldn’t recall seeing in anypony—or anyone—to date. “Sweetie, Trixie has as much chance of being acquitted in this trial as she does of capturing a troll.”
“Wait—there are trolls here too?” Maya's eyes widened. “Real ones and not the internet kind?”
“Uh… yeah? Of course there are,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, having already had her fill of Maya’s moodiness. “’Capture a troll’ is just a figure of speech for doing something impossible. But what’s an ‘internet’, anyway?”
“Trolls do exist!” Pinkie Pie piped up before Maya could reply. “They take your socks! But only the left ones. What’s with that?” she asked, taking on a pondering pose similar to Phoenix.
“Um, sugarcube? Since when do you even wear socks?” Applejack asked.
“You don’t wear anything…” Maya muttered. Though uncomfortable in general around the ponies, Phoenix had noted she’d been particularly ill at ease around stallions during their tour of Ponyville the previous day, wincing and averting her eyes whenever she saw a pair of male hindquarters pointed her way, most notably when Applejack’s brother Big Macintosh had come by on his way home from the market.
Despite Maya’s additional discomfort at his size—he stood nearly as tall as her and considerably outweighed her—he had proven himself a gentle giant, even indulging Pearls’ request to ride on his back with a rare grin and easy ‘eeyup’. The young human girl had hit it off with Applejack and the rest of the Apple family so well she ended up staying the previous night at their farmhouse, sleeping over with Apple Bloom. That relieved some of the cramped quarters in the library, letting Maya have her own room and bed while Phoenix and Edgeworth slept on reading lounges in the main library hall—the latter politely if slightly awkwardly declining Rarity’s offer to host him—granting her more sleep and a somewhat better mood.
But the teenage mystic still seemed to be having trouble adjusting to Equestria, rarely leaving the library and interacting with others as little as possible. The others kept their distance in turn, respecting her stated desire to be left alone—all except Pinkie Pie, who refused to give up trying to draw her out. The party pony continually tried to befriend Maya with sweets and general goofiness, and once in a while her antics even succeeded in eliciting a brief smile.
Keep it up, Pinkie! Phoenix urged. You two have a lot in common, and I know you’ll make friends with her yet!
Along with Maya and Pearl, Phoenix was sharing the lobby with Edgeworth. In sharp contrast to Maya, he seemed to have settled in quite nicely, finding Equestria intriguing and the tea and company to his liking, instantly earning Twilight’s respect by besting her in a game of chess. Twilight herself had done a double-take when she first saw him, later explaining to Phoenix he was a dead ringer for another romance novel character she knew.
Oh really? Phoenix couldn’t help but grin. Certainly explains Rarity’s reaction to him!
Edgeworth was currently reviewing the transcripts of Rainbow Dash’s trial, Rarity at his side offering him her observations from the second day. He had already made some less-than-flattering observations of his own about Phoenix’s defense—“May I suggest, Wright, that next time you’re summoned to an unfamiliar world to defend a magical creature, you study?”—but also offered some grudging praise for how Phoenix had finally been able to unravel the truth and clear both Rainbow and Sonata of murder, admitting he would probably have missed the final and most crucial contradiction in Sonata’s testimony.
To his credit, he hadn’t asked about Twilight except for a glance at her followed by an arched eyebrow at his fellow human. Phoenix retaliated by doing the identical gesture back at him and Rarity, causing his prosecutor friend to flush further by mouthing Edgey-poo at him. You’re so CUTE when you get all flustered, Miles!
Edgeworth had some pointed critiques of Trixie’s prosecution as well. Though he acknowledged her excellent arguments and sharp legal mind over the course of the case, he said the case itself should never have been brought to trial. “The fact that the blackmail material and cloud were left in plain sight at the crime scene was a huge red flag,” he noted. “If Ms. Dash had truly committed premeditated murder, she would hardly have left such obvious evidence of her involvement there. You should have immediately suspected a set-up and investigated accordingly,” he told Trixie, who glowered at him but said nothing.
Phoenix in turn mentally kicked himself for not seeing that; in hindsight, it was pretty obvious and would have made an excellent line of defense.
The human prosecutor also had some scathing words for the mare magician regarding her motivations: “The criminal justice system exists to find the truth; not to settle petty, unfounded grievances against others, Ms. Lulamoon. Had you been in my employ and used your position to indulge in a grudge-driven vendetta, you would have been dismissed from your post and referred for disbarment immediately.”
If that’s true, why didn’t you come down hard on Franziska? Phoenix didn’t ask. Speaking of her, wonder where she disappeared to after the Engarde trial?
The two spirit mediums were seated on a couple of chairs opposite the couch Phoenix and Twilight were resting on. Pearl was having trouble sitting still—as any eight-year-old would, Phoenix noted—though she never lost her smile, delighting in the company of her new pony friends and magical world she found herself in. Maya, on the other hand, seemed uncharacteristically moody and terse. What was surprising to Phoenix was that her unhappiness seemed directed at Equestria in general and Twilight in particular.
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what happened between you and Maya yesterday?” Phoenix whispered to Twilight.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” she replied somewhat shortly as an earth pony bailiff entered to inform them that court was convening in two minutes, asking them to make their way to the chamber.
Phoenix very much doubted that, but didn’t press the issue, recognizing it was simply not the time as they got up to enter the courtroom, much to Twilight’s relief. She didn’t want to admit to him that she’d gotten into an argument with his assistant—an argument that was centered around him.
The previous morning:
“Ow… Note to self, Sparkle: next time you think you’ve mastered a newly-invented spell after only casting it twice… have somepony else smack you,” Twilight groaned as she came to, appalled at the late morning hour she saw on her bedroom clock.
Her body was mostly on autopilot as she half walked, half staggered down the stairs towards the kitchen, barely cognizant of her surroundings and only avoiding obstacles due to memory. Rubbing her still-singed and tender horn with a hoof, she tried to recall what had happened. “All I remember is the summoning spell grabbing hold of something, but what?” she wondered out loud.
“That would be me,” came a frosty young female voice.
Twilight’s eyes snapped open to look at the speaker. She guessed the owner was a human girl in her late teens, with long black hair and brown eyes, similar to Phoenix. She wore a set of robes that were various shades of purple, and had, to Twilight’s slight surprise, a Magatama around her neck of an orange hue in contrast to Phoenix’s green one. What concerned Twilight the most, however, was the smoldering anger in the young woman’s eyes.
Despite a growing sense of unease and a throbbing head, Twilight offered her a smile. “Oh, you must be… Maya, right? Phoenix told me a little about you.”
“Yeah, Maya Fey, that’s me,” the young woman replied shortly, deep bags under her eyes like she hadn’t slept well, much like Phoenix hadn’t after his first night in Equestria. “And you’re the unicorn who screwed up and pulled me, Pearly, and Mister Edgeworth here.”
The flat, accusatory tone made Twilight wince. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t realize the spell combination I used would cause that much of a strain on me.” THREE humans summoned at once? No wonder I’m so wiped out! She rubbed her hoof behind her head and tried smiling again. “But at least I kept the spell going long enough for you and the others to make it here, rather than getting lost in the void between worlds!”
Maya’s eyebrows could have served as a level. “That’s not exactly reassuring,” she said in the same flat tone. “So when will you be able to send us home? And by ‘us’, I’m including Nick.”
“Uh…” Twilight did some quick calculations in her head, hindered by her headache. “Well, I’m still pretty drained right now—summoning three humans at once took everything I had. I should recover enough power to be able to send at least a couple of you back to your world by the day after tomorrow. Phoenix still has some pro bono work ahead of him, though, so he’ll have to wait until that’s done. And with five humans in total to deal with, that could take awhile.”
Maya’s lips were pursed. “Well, I guess that’s okay,” she tapped her fingers on the table. “You can send Pearly and Mister Edgeworth home first. I’m not leaving until Nick does.”
Sensing the human teen’s attitude wasn’t entirely friendly, Twilight tried a different approach. “Um, may I ask something?”
“I guess.” Maya shrugged and looked away after a short pause.
“Well, um… Phoenix told me you could channel the spirits of the departed. I’m a student of magic, but that’s not something I’ve heard of before, and I’d love to see it done! Could you show me?” she asked eagerly.
Far from being delighted at being asked to demonstrate her magic, the young mystic's eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Why, so you can learn how to do it and upstage me?” Maya asked, crossing her arms in a gesture Twilight had come to recognize as a defensive one.
Twilight flinched back, not so much from the words but the anger with which they were delivered. “What? N-no! That’s not what I meant at all! I don’t like upstaging other ponies!” She backed off quickly.
Maya bit back her first retort—namely, that she wasn’t a pony—and sighed. “Well, sorry to disappoint, but it’s not a parlor trick. Spirit channeling takes great focus and can be really draining. So I only do it when it’s needed, not for show.”
Twilight nodded slowly. “I see. I guess that makes sense. The magic involved must be intense, to call forth a spirit and let it speak through you,” she offered, trying to engage the young mystic by getting her to talk shop.
“Not just speaking,” Maya corrected, though her tone remained short. “Channeling a spirit alters our very body. We take the very form of the spirit we’re channeling.”
“Oh! So a physical transformation takes place?” Twilight grimaced at the thought. “Small wonder it’s so draining. You must have very strong magic, then—full-body physical transformations would exhaust me, even if I was at full power!”
“You seem exhausted enough right now,” Maya noted unsympathetically, not acknowledging the compliment. “Still suffering from your ‘mistake’, I take it?” she spoke, with a raised eyebrow.
Twilight flinched again, recognizing the tone as one that said she deserved it. And maybe I do. “Yes, well… even the best mages make mistakes, Maya,” she said, rubbing a hoof behind her head again.
“And was bringing Nick here a mistake too?” Maya asked, some of her annoyance returning, the nickname she used for Phoenix causing Twilight to blink. “I mean, did you just pop him over here and say ‘hi, I’d like you to defend my friend from murder charges’? Did you take advantage of his habit of putting others before himself, even when those others include an obnoxious blue pony?” she asked, her voice growing more accusatory with each sentence.
This time it was Twilight’s eyes that narrowed. I’m starting to think she’s looking for an excuse to dislike me? “That ‘obnoxious blue pony’ is my friend, Maya. And no, I didn’t ‘take advantage’ of Phoenix—I summoned him on the orders of my mentor and I didn’t know anything about him before he came,” she said defensively, quickly quashing the mental reminder that she had deceived Phoenix about how he’d been brought there and in getting him to talk to Rainbow.
That’s best not mentioned now, though, she knew. “I even offered to send him back if he didn’t want to take the case. He declined because, in his own words, he couldn’t turn his back on the innocent. That’s to his great credit. You should be proud of him for it.”
Maya sighed. “Yeah, that’s Nick, alright. Never could leave others hanging. But that doesn’t explain this!” she snapped, her tone turning strident as she shoved a magazine cover in Twilight’s face—a tabloid showing a picture of her and Phoenix embracing in the library three nights earlier, the headline openly speculating about their ‘forbidden love life’, causing Twilight to cringe. “So what is this about? Did you do something to him, Sparkle? I mean, is this some kind of Stockholm Syndrome thing? Or did you bewitch him with your freaky magic somehow?” she demanded to know, her voice growing more strident.
Twilight laid her ears back, her temper only restrained by her headache and knowledge that Maya was Phoenix’s assistant and an orphan who had lost not only her mother, but her sister. Deep breaths, Twilight. She’s just cranky and sleep-deprived like Phoenix was that first morning. And on top of that, she’s trying to protect him like any good mare would.
“I didn’t ‘bewitch’ him, Maya. I’m not some siren or evil enchantress.” But if I find the pony who took that picture, I’ll give a pretty good impression of one! “Besides, I would have thought someone your age would know to take tabloid articles with a huge grain of salt.”
Maya opened her mouth, then closed it again. “Okay, point. It wouldn’t be the first time the tabloids went off on Nick with some ridiculous rumor. Maybe I’m reading too much into this,” she admitted, tapping the magazine cover like Twilight had seen Phoenix do to documents in court. “Still, Nick’s never shown any interest in girls before. So why were you hugging him like that? That looks a lot more than just friendly to me!” she gave Twilight an askance look. “I mean does Nick actually like you, or is this all just tabloid fantasy?”
Twilight was about to reply, but stopped short. Maybe she doesn’t know about Dahlia? “That’s not my place to say, Maya. If you want to know, ask Phoenix. Because I don’t think you’ll believe it coming from me.”
“Yeah, well… after all the time you’ve had with him, I’m not sure I can believe it coming from him!” she said in frustration, blinking her bleary eyes. “So just be careful, Sparkle—this ain’t normal for Nick and I won’t let him be hurt. If you break his heart, you answer to me,” she promised, crossing her arms again and glaring.
Twilight was getting exasperated, and her magical hangover didn’t help. “I’d never hurt him, Maya. And excuse me for being blunt, but what exactly is your problem?” Is this more about Phoenix, or me? she suddenly wondered, increasingly certain there was some underlying fear or anxiety Maya wasn’t voicing. “Phoenix wasn’t this suspicious when I first pulled him here. Why are you?”
Maya stared at Twilight in disbelief. “What’s my problem? What’s my problem?” she repeated, suddenly standing up and turning away.
“My problem is we shouldn’t be here! My problem is you pulled Nick and the rest of us here against our will and now say we can’t go back for days! My problem is that the longer we stay here, the more chance you have to work whatever spell you’re weaving on Nick and he might not want to leave! My problem is that we’re now stuck here without so much as a web link or a change of clothes, and I can’t even get a decent burger in this place!” she all but exploded, taking Twilight aback. “I mean, seriously. If I wanted to stay vegan I would’ve never left Kurain Village…” she muttered under her breath.
With that, Twilight felt some of her exasperation recede. Now I see. So this isn’t just about Phoenix, it’s about being ripped from her home and everything she knows. Guess she’s suffering from a bad case of culture shock and taking it out on the pony who brought her here, Twilight reasoned, suddenly feeling a pang of sympathy for the teenaged human. Can hardly blame her for that. Wonder how I’d manage if I got thrown through a portal into a brand new world I knew nothing about; where all my knowledge and abilities were suddenly useless?
“Look—I’m truly sorry about the summoning. I swear I didn’t realize that would happen; I was just trying to help Phoenix get in touch with you—at his request, I might add. And listen—Phoenix had a lot of trouble adjusting to this world too, but he did in time. There’s no reason you can’t as well.” One part of Maya’s rant bubbled up in her mind, and she smiled. “Also, if you’re worried about clothes, my friend Rarity can easily solve that issue. She’s already repaired Phoenix’s suit a couple times.”
“Wha—? Why are you assuming I even want to adjust?! I don’t!!” Maya threw her hands up in the air, ignoring Twilight’s suggestion. “I don’t want to be here; I don’t want anything to do with this place!” she told the universe at large, looking ready to tear her hair out in frustration in a fit of teenage angst.
Twilight’s pang of sympathy disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Didn’t expect she’d be so immature. Just how in the hoof does Phoenix put up with her? “Well, I’m sorry, Maya, but you’re stuck here for a bit. It’s out of my control until my horn heals and I’ve regained sufficient power to send you home safely. It’s your choice whether you want to accept this place, and you can stay cooped up in here if you want, but I’m not going to just stand here and listen to you complain all day,” she said, pointedly trotting past her into the kitchen. “So if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to grab a quick bite, and then I need to catch up with Phoenix before the trial.”
Maya stuck her tongue out, making Twilight wonder if she was eighteen or eight. “Will that be all, Miss Fey?” the latter asked in strained patience.
“Yeah,” the human teen said sullenly, realizing that she was on the verge of pushing Twilight too far, and perhaps getting in trouble with Phoenix or even Pearly for it, who had awoken as excited and eager to explore Equestria as much as Maya just wanted to shut it all out. “Actually, there is one more thing,” she reluctantly admitted.
“What?” Twilight asked, her tone clipped.
Maya suddenly grimaced and clutched at herself, all but doubling over. “Where’s the bathroom!?” she asked in extreme urgency.
Ponyville District Court
Courtroom No. 1
June 16th, 9:58 AM
Phoenix was having a hard time standing still while waiting for court to begin, under far more scrutiny than he was used to.
It wasn’t just the fact that defending Trixie would be in some ways his most difficult case yet, both for her unquestionable guilt and caustic personality, but for who else was there. Miles Edgeworth watching from the spectator stands added an additional layer of pressure, as did the presence of Maya and Pearls, who were sitting with Twilight’s friends.
He didn’t worry about Pearls, at least. She had—to Twilight’s apparent chagrin—been befriended by not just Apple Bloom but the whole of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, a group which included Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as well as Rarity’s younger sister Sweetie Belle. Maya, however, was staring in some anger and jealousy at Twilight, who was taking the young mystic’s usual place at Phoenix’s side in the co-counsel position. Phoenix had explained to her that, not knowing Equestria, she couldn’t give him proper assistance—“Trust me, Maya, I had to learn the hard way that you can’t come in here cold.” He grimaced at the memory—but his teenage assistant didn’t seem inclined to accept it, turning her ire on Twilight for it.
I’m really going to have to sit those two down, Phoenix decided, not entirely certain where Maya’s moodiness was coming from. She’s usually pretty hard to ruffle and takes things in stride. Sure would like to know what happened yesterday, but I can’t worry about it now.
At that moment, the clock struck ten. “All rise,” the head bailiff called—the same white stallion who had projected the shield spell during the duel, he was surprised to see. They must have assigned him to this trial in case Trixie goes off again, he reasoned, missing Twilight’s double-take when she first spotted him—the ponies and humans in the room standing respectfully as the back door to the courtroom opened. “Ponyville District Court is now in session for the trial of Trixie Lulamoon. The honorable Fair Verdict presiding.”
“Be seated,” the robed earth pony mare called out somewhat gruffly, telling Phoenix she was the kind of judge who was very no-nonsense and not easily impressed, her mane balled up in a tight bun and wearing a pair of narrow reading glasses that accented her severe look.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. She might be a good change of pace. Phoenix tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“Are both sides ready?” she asked the ritual question.
“The defense is ready, Your Honor,” Phoenix replied automatically, wondering why Trixie had slumped at the sight of her.
“Great. Fair Verdict. I’m dead,” she muttered under her breath just loudly enough for Phoenix to hear.
The named mare gave Phoenix a look that was equal parts dismissive and disdainful. “Your reputation precedes you, Phoenix Wright, but carries no weight in my court. You are hereby warned I do not tolerate shenanigans like the kind that apparently went on during the trial of Rainbow Dash, and I will have no qualms about piling on additional penalties and contempt citations to the ones you already earned. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” he acknowledged quickly, hearing the snap in her voice. Or she might just be a horse’s—
“It had better be. And the prosecution?” She shifted her thin gaze right, where the bench once again sat empty.
Wonder if Vinyl’s about to reappear? Phoenix grimaced at the thought, waiting for the lights to go out and heavy bass beats to begin again, suddenly wishing he’d brought a pair of earplugs.
“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor,” a different, but equally familiar mare’s voice spoke up just as Phoenix glanced at Twilight.
When he looked back in shock, he was stunned to see—“Delta Requiem?”
While Phoenix’s reaction was one of open astonishment, Fair Verdict’s was one of carefully concealed surprise. “You honor us with your presence, milady. I am happy to see the Prosecutor’s Office finally taking these cases seriously and assigning proper ponies, Lady Requiem,” she recovered quickly. “I admit I had no particular interest in sitting through another of Vinyl Scratch’s jam sessions or dealing with that pompous prince.”
Prince? Phoenix blinked. There are male alicorns too?
Delta nodded, a slight smile on her face. “I am here in my capacity as a royal court officer and head of judicial affairs, Your Honor, to ensure that this case is adjudicated properly,” she said, placing an odd emphasis on the last word that make Phoenix think it was a warning. “I wish all present to know that the eyes of the royal court are on this chamber, and a fair trial is expected.”
Fair Verdict raised her eye ridges, as did Phoenix, the latter wondering why the princesses would take an interest in Trixie’s trial. “I am surprised you think I would be anything but impartial, milady,” the mare judge struck a note of offense, though Phoenix heard a slight tone of apprehension in her voice.
Or did I just imagine that? He wasn’t at all sure.
Delta gave another sly smile. “Not at all, Your Honor. I simply feel that certain measures must be taken. The integrity and independence of the Prosecutor’s Office has been called into question, due to some rather… unusual case assignments in recent days,” she explained, a coy note in her voice; up in the stands, Edgeworth blinked at the aspersions cast against his profession’s integrity. “Given the theatrics of recent trials, I thought it best to ensure this case is prosecuted properly by attending to it personally. Nothing more.”
Nothing more? I doubt that! Phoenix sensed an evasion in her answer, leaving him certain she wasn’t giving the full reason she was there. He’d gotten a taste of her sharp mind and no-nonsense disposition back at his hearing, and he couldn’t imagine she would be anything but professional. And yet, he also couldn’t imagine she would take a direct role in a routine trial without a very good reason. Well, I can’t worry about that now, he decided as Delta took a breath, presumably for her opening statement.
He was surprised when she addressed him, instead. “Before I begin, Mister Wright, do you have any earth-shattering revelations to spring on the court today? I would rather not take after Vinyl Scratch and be caught flat-hooved.”
Phoenix blinked. “You’ll forgive me if I make it a point not to tip my hand to the prosecution, Lady Requiem.”
Delta smirked. “Fair enough.” She then began her opening statement, noting that by losing her temper over a lost case, Trixie’s weather and ice abilities became a danger to those around her, and had caused massive damage to the courtroom. “And therefore, both to punish Ms. Lulamoon for her actions and encourage her to learn proper control of her emotions and powers, the prosecution seeks a six-month prison term, and a fine equal to the damages caused to the courtroom,” she concluded.
“That would impose undue hardship on my client, Your Honor!” Phoenix quickly spoke up. “Her livelihood was destroyed during her previous visit to Ponyville, and with a suspended law license, she has no other means of income at the moment.”
“That is hardly an issue to this court,” Fair Verdict replied acidly. “And I find the prosecution’s recommended sentence woefully inadequate for the crimes committed. If found guilty, I intend to give your client the maximum possible sentence on all counts, not just one.”
Phoenix’s jaw fell open, exchanging a horrified glance with Twilight. Maximum sentence on all five hundred counts of Reckless Endangerment? That would put her away for LIFE! “Sentencing has to wait for the trial and a guilty verdict, Your Honor! You cannot pass judgment on my client without hearing all the facts in the case!”
“I do not need to be lectured by you on my judicial duties, human,” she said in annoyance, looking down at him over her glasses, her tone and expression one of pure disdain. “Lady Requiem, call your first witness.”
She frowned as well, but obeyed. “Yes, Your Honor. My first witness is one of the playback crystal recorders present on the afternoon of June 11th in Courtroom #2,” she said, a unicorn bailiff mare bringing forth a large, diamond-like octahedron that Phoenix belatedly recognized as the same kind of crystal that was mounted at the apex of the high courtroom ceiling and on the corners of the courtroom walls.
Oh. I thought they were just for decoration! he thought in some surprise.
The crystal floating and rotating before her, the unicorn bailiff closed her eyes and flared her horn. Her magic caused a shaft of light not unlike a projector beam to come out of one of the faceted surfaces, except that the beam projected its image into thin air, similar to what Twilight had done for her memory playback spells. It showed the end of Sonata’s confession followed by Trixie’s elemental explosion from the corner to The Judge’s right, on Trixie’s side of the courtroom.
The display was suddenly consumed by a blizzard, and just as suddenly dispersed as Twilight tapped her own powers. The two unicorns then went into a staredown, Twilight planting herself in front of him, head lowered and eyes aglow, her mane and tail erupting in flames as she warned Trixie that she wouldn’t let her friends be hurt… which, Phoenix noted more dispassionately than he’d been able to at the time, seemed to be the thing that finally sent Trixie over the edge, unleashing the full force of her tempest on Twilight. Interesting. That might be something worth exploring during the trial!
He saw Twilight initially hard-pressed and not fighting back, just struggling to defend him and the others with translucent purple shields. She might even have been overcome until her efforts got replaced by a single large shield when the white bailiff stallion arrived and projected his own, more powerful version of the spell down, isolating the combatants from the rest of the court while the duel proceeded.
Still don’t know who that stallion is, but I swear Twilight knows him! he noted again with a glance at the impassive unicorn bailiff, resolving to ask her about him later. Regardless of his identity, the stallion’s intervention allowed both unicorns to bring all their considerable power to bear without fear of hurting bystanders, Trixie using lightning and Twilight taking her frightening full-fire form, ice and flame clashing spectacularly between them.
While Trixie looked away, lip quivering and seemingly unwilling to witness her defeat a second time, Phoenix glanced up into the stands to see that Maya had gone pale as she watched the spectacle, giving fearful glances at Twilight and Trixie; even Edgeworth appeared disconcerted by the incredible display of power. In sharp contrast, Pearls was in visible awe, excitedly whispering to everyone around her.
The duel proceeded for barely a minute until Trixie collapsed from exhaustion, leaving Twilight the victor, and the courtroom in shambles. Didn’t realize it took so little time. It felt like an eternity when it was happening. Good thing I’ll probably never have to see a courtroom in that condition on Earth! Phoenix chuckled nervously, only then realizing how tightly he was gripping the edge of his bench.
“A cut-and-dry case if I ever saw one,” Fair Verdict pronounced as the playback concluded, showing a ruined chamber and hastily abandoned spectator stands, possessions left behind in the rush to leave. “Windigos and weather witches are shunned for good reason. I thank the prosecution for reminding us why.”
Phoenix shared another startled look with Twilight. “Personal biases have no place in the courtroom, Your Honor! And I will thank Your Honor not to refer to my client by such derogatory terms!”
Fair Verdict harrumphed. “I speak nothing but the truth. Did you yourself not say during the trial of Rainbow Dash that seeking the truth is a defense attorney’s highest calling?”
Phoenix slammed his hands down. “The full truth, which we don’t have yet! You can’t just pass judgment based on a single video! You haven’t given me a chance to present a defense!”
“Oh, really?” she smirked. “By all means, then. But just how do you intend to cross-examine a recording, human?” she dripped scorn on the last word.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the disrespect shown towards Phoenix, who was trying mightily to hold on to his own temper. “You know her actions, which I cannot dispute. But you don’t know everything that led to them! And without that knowledge, you cannot render judgment or impose a proper sentence!”
The robed mare rolled her eyes. “Ah, so that’s it. Let me guess—you’re planning to share with this court some sob story about a broken foalhood, misunderstood magic, and a failed career,” she all but sneered.
“Well, let me save you the trouble, Wright—such arguments carry no weight with me! All that matters to this court is what was seen on the crystal recorder—your client behaving like the Scion of the Nightmare she is and endangering the lives of countless innocent ponies just because she couldn’t stomach the fact that she’d lost to a mere human. And had it not been for your marefriend,” she added with a look of utter disgust, “you likely wouldn’t even be here!”
“Wha—I wasn’t going to kill him!” Trixie shouted, earning another sharp rap from the judge.
Phoenix shared a look of disbelief with Twilight, who looked just as shocked and angry as he was. “That is a very false and ugly reading of the situation, Your Honor, as my own witnesses and evidence will show! It is my right to present them, and you cannot pass judgment without considering them!”
“It may be your right, but it will make no difference. There is nothing to consider or discuss,” she hissed out. “You’re not qualified to question things you know nothing about!”
Phoenix was passing merely irate and entering outright fury, pounding his palms down on the rail with enough force to cause pain. In the stands, both Maya and Edgeworth were looking angry as well, the former clenching her fists while the latter gave his best impression of his late mentor’s deadly glare. “Oh, really? I’m not qualified to discuss blind bigotry?” Phoenix challenged, his jaw set.
Her eyes narrowed. “Tread carefully, human. I run a tight court, and I have no qualms about tossing you in jail on the spot.”
Phoenix drew himself up straight and pointed right at the mare judge. “Your Honor, the defense demands your immediate recusal from this case! You are clearly biased against both my client and myself!”
“Save your breath, Wrong,” Trixie spoke up in resignation and contempt. “Her alias in legal circles is ‘Summary Judgment’ for a reason—‘Fair Verdict’ is nothing but self-mockery. Compassion is as foreign a concept to her as fairness.”
“The defendant will be silent,” the judge hissed again before turning her glare back on Phoenix. “Are you questioning my impartiality, Phoenix Wright? That alone should earn you another contempt citation!” She grinned unpleasantly, raising her hoof to bring it down like a gavel.
Phoenix smirked and crossed his arms. “I’ll accept it gladly, Your Honor! And at my review board hearing, I’ll be sure to call your behavior into question, including multiple infractions of court rules and a demonstrated bias against my client just for being an ice and weather elemental!”
“The prosecution agrees, Your Honor,” came Delta’s voice from the other bench. She was, surprisingly, giving the judge her own steely glare. “By your words, you have all but proven that my presence here is indeed a necessity. And I would remind Your Honor that as head of the Equestrian Judicial Review Board, I have ample authority to order your removal from the bench.”
Fair Verdict was severe, but she was far from stupid. “I’m also aware, Lady Requiem, that unless I am caught in a particularly egregious act of wrongdoing, you are legally unable to order my removal. Words are merely that, after all; just words! Also, I’m surprised that somepony of your station would empathize with an elemental, especially one with two unnatural abilities that have notable stigmas surrounding them!”
Delta was looking the least composed since Phoenix had first seen her at his board hearing; her jaw was set in a grimace, and her sapphire blue eyes seemed to burn like the hottest stars. “My ‘station’ has little to do with basic empathy,” she retorted, bringing a hoof down on her bench. “And if you’d done your research on me, you’d know full well why I carry a degree of empathy for the defendant and her ‘unnatural abilities’, as you so ignorantly call them.”
Now what does that mean? Phoenix wondered. Does Delta possess some rare ability herself?
“I… am aware of your talent, Lady Requiem,” Fair Verdict answered carefully, perhaps aware she was treading on thin ice. “But a simple spellsinger cannot compare with the threat posed by a weather witch!”
“What’s a ‘spellsinger’?” Phoenix asked, turning towards Twilight.
“It’s pretty much what it sounds like; somepony who casts magic via the use of song,” she answered quietly, trying to keep her own temper from flaring at Fair Verdict’s blatant bigotry. “It’s a very rare magical talent, but one that isn’t restricted to unicorns. Because of her ability and intelligence, Delta was named the Bard of the Royal Court. From what I’ve read of the subject, she’s actually quite powerful, at least in comparison to those who’ve come before her.”
“Bard?” Phoenix repeated, blinking. “So that’s an actual position within the Court?”
“Yes,” Twilight confirmed in a low whisper. “Bard is a very prestigious post, and not one given lightly. It means you’re not only an entertainer and adviser, but an agent of the court that serves the princesses in whatever capacity needed,” she finished, turning her attention back to the ongoing conversation. “It’s not just a matter of musical talent—you have to be both smart and powerful to gain it, and have proven yourself repeatedly.”
“It ‘cannot compare’, you say? I’d beg to differ,” Delta was saying, a deep frown on her face as she continued to glare at Fair Verdict. “And calling it ‘simple’ shows just how truly ignorant you are!”
Twilight called out and stepped out from behind the bench, all eyes on her as she trotted out to the center of the courtroom.
“Twilight?” Phoenix called. “What are you doing?”
“Sorry, Phoenix,” she answered, shooting a quick glance at him, and then the white stallion bailiff. “But if she’s determined to find Trixie guilty, we’ve got nothing to lose. This may get me thrown in jail, but I have to do it.”
“Miss Sparkle,” Fair Verdict addressed Twilight, her tone only slightly more respectful than it was towards Phoenix. “You are out of line. Return to your bench.”
“No!” Twilight defied her, planting herself in the middle of the courtroom pit and making herself the center of attention. “I will not stand by while you condemn a pony without a fair trial and for no other reason that she has powers you find distasteful,” she began, magically enhancing her voice.
“No other reason?” Fair Verdict repeated in disbelief. “She destroyed a courtroom and endangered every pony inside! And why are you defending her? She attacked your human, Twilight Sparkle!”
“I’m defending her because while it’s easy to do nothing, it’s hard to forgive,” Twilight said, causing Maya to blink and give her an askance look. “I’m defending her because in the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself, Your Honor. That is the meaning and source of inner strength,” she went on as Maya’s brow furrowed in surprise and confusion, Trixie likewise giving her rival a bewildered look. “And having fought her, I now know that inner strength is something Trixie has in spades.
“I’m defending her because she needs forgiveness and because while it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing—a lesson I once had to learn for myself!” She stood up straighter while Maya gaped at her in disbelief. “I know now she had a magical temper tantrum that was the culmination of years of repression and mental abuse. But she hurt nopony for it, and I don’t believe she truly meant to either. You can no more punish her for her powers than you can a pegasus for flying or an earth pony for farming!”
“Those are normal. She is not! And if you think that—”
“And just what is normal, Your Honor?” Twilight cut the older mare off hard. “As I look around, I see that in this very courtroom is an air elemental, an earth pony who can teleport, a zebra who practices alchemy, a pegasus who can cast spells by simple song, and even a pair of humans who can channel departed spirits!” she said, causing surprised looks to be shot at Maya and Pearls, Twilight’s friends immediately asking if that was true.
“Are they freaks? Is what they do unnatural?” Twilight brought her hoof down hard, cutting off their responses. “All ponies have an elemental alignment even if very few can express it directly as me or Trixie can. Her weather and ice powers are as much a part of her as fire is me, and she should not be condemned just for having them!”
“Her abilities are dangerous, Miss Sparkle! And she should not be allowed to walk among regular ponies!” Fair Verdict insisted, and Phoenix cringed to hear some grudging agreement from the gallery.
Twilight looked down for a moment as she heard the sounds herself. Only one thing left to do, then. She shot a sharp look at Shining Armor, who was watching her warily, locking eyes with him as Trixie picked up a brief telepathic current passing between them. Whatever was said in their unspoken conversation, the white stallion gave Twilight an almost imperceptible nod.
With that, Twilight steeled herself. I’m going to regret this, but… “More dangerous… than THIS?” she asked as she levitated herself two feet off the ground and transformed into the creature of fire Phoenix had seen before, sheets of flame swirling around her, the intense radiant heat causing Phoenix to flinch back hard—protected by the shield spell during the duel, he hadn’t been able to feel it before, but now?
He stared at her, both in awe and aghast, suddenly feeling like a moth drawn to a flame. So beautiful… so powerful… how can I hold a candle to… THAT?
“Miss Sparkle!” a visibly alarmed Fair Verdict called out, her eyes wide as the flames licked dangerously close to her bench, shooting a pleading look at the white stallion, who watched closely but made no immediate move to cast a shield spell or otherwise intervene. “Cease this display at once! You might burn somepony or set the courtroom on fire!”
“EXACTLY, Your Honor!” Twilight shouted to be heard over the roar of her own flames, which she cut off as quickly as she'd ignited them as she began descending back to the floor, her white fur turning purple again but eyes still aglow with fiery red light.
That… hurt! Twilight struggled to hide her pain, realizing she’d just reaggravated the injury to her horn, still sore from the triple summon of two days earlier and now compounded by resistance from the courtroom’s magical suppression field. And so much for sending Phoenix’s friends home any time soon!
“I’m making the point that I could do as much or more damage than Trixie if I wanted to! My powers are no less dangerous than hers, the only difference is, who they take after. And that alone does not make them good or bad—if it came down to it, I’m sure we could find some fire elementals who were evil or used their powers for ill!” she said, causing Trixie to nod ruefully.
“She speaks for all of us!” another voice shouted from the stands, followed by a great blast of wind that scattered his papers and made Phoenix think that Trixie was casting her weather magic again, but this wind was warm and dry, not icy. As he watched, Hurricane Wind deployed her glider and descended into the pit, planting herself beside Twilight, who nodded and smiled at her fellow unicorn.
“I am Hurricane Wind, an air elemental,” she announced, ending her wind with a flare of her horn and retracting her glider into the apparatus that mounted it on her back. “I’m not as powerful as Miss Sparkle or Lulamoon, but I had to hide my abilities growing up for fear of being called a freak. With no one to learn from, I had to teach myself to wield wind and how to fly on it. I had take a magical disguise and assume the alias of a pegasus just to pursue my racing dreams and do what I loved.
“So I know better than most what Trixie had to go through—I learned the hard way that it’s only when we hit our lowest point we are open to the greatest change,” she added, causing Maya to flinch back, her eyes wide. “And so it can be for Miss Trixie—if she is given the support she needs. And to that end, I will not stand by while you condemn her just for having a talent you deem ‘unnatural’!”
“Nor will I!” a new voice shouted, its owner leaping down out of the stands. Phoenix had seen her at a distance but never met this one, a lilac unicorn mare with a two-tone purple mane and eyes he could only describe as raspberry, possessing a cutie mark of two circling dolphins that roughly formed a yin/yang symbol.
“I am Sea Swirl,” she announced, flanking Twilight to the other side, exchanging a brief nod of greeting with her friend. “And as for what I can do?” her horn flared and all the water suddenly flowed upwards out the pitchers on both attorney benches, the liquid swirling in geometric patterns around her before taking the form of two circling dolphins in direct imitation of her cutie mark.
“I’m a water elemental, and although I can’t directly influence weather, I can create ice!” She froze the dolphins as an example, but still keeping them circling in the air. “So does that make me a Windigo? Am I evil, Your Honor?” She reverted the ice back to water with a simple flare of her horn, making a show of returning the liquid to their sources.
I’m not sure I want to drink that now! Phoenix watched his pitcher refill warily.
“Unlike Trixie or Hurricane Wind, I didn’t have to hide my talent growing up. But I can only imagine what it would have done to me if I did!” she went on, speaking quickly, giving the judge no chance to cut her off. “And in any event, I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s not our elemental abilities that define us—it’s how we use them! And to that end, I live my life according to one very simple rule: that I will never, ever turn my back on ponies who need me—and that includes Trixie Lulamoon!”
In the stands, Maya went slack-jawed while Trixie stared at the scene in bewilderment, not understanding why her rival and two ponies she had never even met were defending her so passionately.
Fair Verdict appeared about ready to have all three unicorns clapped in irons, her ire raised even further as she heard a chuckle and series of applauding hoofclops come from Delta Requiem. “Well, well. Who would have guessed Ponyville was such a hotspot for rare and unusual magical abilities? This is the most entertainment I’ve gotten in a while, and usually I’m the one who does the entertaining!”
If looks could kill, Fair Verdict’s glare would have slain Delta on the spot. “I’d advise caution, Lady Requiem. Your station doesn’t put you above a contempt citation, you know. And though you are the head of the Judicial Review board, right now, you are the prosecutor for this case, and I am the judge! While you are at the top of the legal food chain, you’re not the biggest timberwolf in the pack.”
As she spoke, Delta’s grin was slowly getting bigger. When Fair Verdict finished, the amaranth mare lifted off into a hover, and—to Phoenix’s shock—belted out a lyric while pointing at the judge:
Don’t you disrespect me, little mare!
Don’t you derogate, or deride!
You’re in my world now, not your world
And I have friends on the royal side!
As Delta sang, the lights inexplicably dimmed in the courtroom, casting the whole room in shadow. When she reached the third line of the lyric, she spread her forelegs in an arching pattern. As she did so, a ‘rainbow’ of fire followed her hooves, leaving her with an arching, multicolored inferno above her as she ended the short verse, a series of dancing shadows appearing on the walls and ceiling around them; silhouettes of ponies and other creatures.
“What… just… happened?” Phoenix barely croaked, his skin crawling and hairs on the back of his neck sticking straight out from the feel of the shadows washing over him; in the stands, Pinkie and Maya were clutching each other while Applejack and Fluttershy shielded Pearl.
Fair Verdict took it little better than they did. “What… what was that?” she whispered, her eyes darting around nervously.
“That, Your Honor, was the barest taste of my talent. According to Princess Celestia, I’m perhaps the most powerful spellsinger in recorded history,” Delta explained, giving the judge an incredibly intimidating stare. “In fact, one could make an argument that I’m actually more dangerous than Miss Lulamoon or Sparkle.”
Fair Verdict laughed slightly, her nervousness plain for all to see. “And how would such an argument be made? You sing, Lady Requiem, and quite well, too, but how does that compare to a weather witch’s danger?”
“Simple, Your Honor: versatility,” Delta countered. “While my abilities alone lack the raw power of true elemental might, I can do things with my Spellsinging that no elemental could with their powers alone. With the right song and enough force of will? I could cause enough chaos to make the legendary Discord proud!”
“Be that as it may…” Fair Verdict said, struggling to regain her composure as well as control of her courtroom, “I have to ask that all of you return to your seats! The one on trial is Trixie Lulamoon, and I have the sole authority to hand down her sentence as I see fit!”
Surprisingly, Delta nodded in agreement. “You’re correct about that, Your Honor. It is, of course, your authority that will determine Trixie’s fate. But on the subject of Timberwolves, you should know that it takes more than size to run a pack,” she said, referring to Fair Verdict’s earlier analogy. “One has to be smart as well, and attentive to weak links.”
The severe mare narrowed her eyes. “And just what are you implying, Lady Requiem?”
“Me? I’m implying nothing at all,” Delta replied, though Phoenix saw her lips twitch slightly upwards. “I’m certainly not implying that a judge with well-known, groundless biases against those who possess rare but powerful abilities should never have been assigned to oversee a trial of a pony who possesses two such abilities. And I can’t help but wonder if the court schedule was fixed by an outside party to ensure just that.”
Fair Verdict sputtered at the brazen insult. “H-how dare you! Just because you serve the Princess directly, it doesn’t give you the right—!” She slammed her forehoof down on the bench, causing a slip of paper to fly out of the sleeve of her robe.
Eyes widening, the earth pony mare made to snatch it back, but it had drifted too far away. Fluttering through the still air of the courtroom, it landed on the floor next to the three elementals. Hurricane Wind picked it up in her aura, thinking to return it until she saw precisely what was on the small, rectangular slip, as well as another small piece of scroll paper that was folded around it. Her eyes widened, as did Twilight and Sea Swirl’s. “Your Honor—what is this?” Twilight asked in a shocked tone, gesturing for Hurricane Wind to pass the note to Phoenix.
Blinking, Phoenix took a look at the proffered papers himself, and had to bite back a curse of surprise. “That… looks like grounds for immediate recusal,” he said in prize understatement. I’ve dealt with corrupt police and prosecutors, but NEVER a corrupt judge! he thought. Then again, I’ve only ever had the one!
Delta arched an eye ridge. “Might I ask what has the defense and our elemental entourage so worked up?”
In response, Hurricane Wind floated the slips over to her. Delta took them in her hoof, looking them over. To her credit, her only physical reaction was a narrowing of her eyes. She set both papers down on her bench, and then looked up at Fair Verdict, who was now visibly sweating.
“Your Honor—care to explain this?” Delta asked in a deceptively mild tone. “This is a check, in the amount of twenty thousand bits. It’s a generic bank check, so the paying party is unclear. However, the attached letter says it's a 'down payment' for 'putting Trixie Lulamoon away for life’.”
There was a silence in the courtroom, followed by an explosion of angered chatter from the gallery. Fair Verdict rapped her hoof, despite her nervousness, to no avail. It seemed to Phoenix that a riot was going to break out right there in the courtroom, when—
The thunderous shout brought a swift end to the clamor as a new pony made his way out of the gallery to the courtroom pit, the bailiffs making no move to stop him, even stepping back to allow him to come forward.
Phoenix didn’t realize why until he abruptly recognized the tan unicorn with the blonde beard and gavel cutie mark as Due Process, the judge for Sonata’s trial. The stallion had a hard look in his eyes as he approached the judge’s bench, stopping a few paces in front of the three mares. Next to them and a visibly distressed Fair Verdict, he looked rather imposing.
“To think that I would live to see one of Ponyville’s judges sink to such base corruption,” he said slowly, every syllable trembling with cold fury. “How dare you betray your bench and stoop so low as to be selling your verdicts!”
He brought his hoof down hard with an unnatural booming sound as he spoke, and the courtroom immediately shook violently from the force of the impact, causing Edgeworth to reflexively cringe and cower in the stands. “And on the subject of ‘unnatural’ abilities, I happen to be an earth elemental! Though it isn’t reflected in my name or special talent, it is a part of who I am, just as it is a part of these fine mares who have revealed themselves to this court!” he went on, sweeping his hoof to indicate the three unicorns and Delta.
“Due Process, I c-cannot approve of your—” the female judge stammered, trailing off when his eyes narrowed further.
“I am not looking for your approval! I know who I am!” he shot back, causing Maya to facepalm with a loud smack. “I am a judge and a father, a unicorn and an earth elemental, and above all else, a simple pony who wishes to do right by others! And in this instance, doing right means stopping you from doing wrong!”
Fire, air, water and earth, Phoenix cataloged, glancing at Twilight, Hurricane Wind, Sea Swirl and Due Process in turn, wondering what to make of Maya’s reactions. But what would you call somebody who could wield all four?
Fair Verdict, despite her situation, wouldn't back down without a fight. “N-now see here, Due Process, I-I am still in charge here, and—”
Bellowed the stallion in a booming, magically enhanced voice, unleashing another sharp tremor with the stomp of his hoof, quickly silencing the mare along with the rest of the gallery as some dust fell from the ceiling, Rarity offering a cowering Edgeworth comfort. “If you want to salvage even a shred of your dignity, you will step down, now! I will take over this trial!” He paused and glanced at Delta. “That is, if you have no objections, Lady Requiem?”
“None at all.” Delta’s voice carried the same air of authority in it that Phoenix remembered from his hearing. “Fair Verdict, you will appear before the Equestrian Board of Judicial Review in two days’ time to account for your actions and words this day, to say nothing of this!” She tapped the cheque that was still on her bench. “As head of the Board, I am invoking my authority—step down now! Unless you wish to be placed under immediate arrest for obstruction of justice in addition to accepting a bribe.”
The earth pony mare tried to speak, but under the withering gazes of Delta, Due Process, and the three elemental mares in the pit, she couldn’t get her words out. She opened and closed her mouth several times, swallowing nervously as the rest of the gallery got over their shock and joined in glaring at her.
Seeing her distress, Delta went on. “I would remind you, Fair Verdict, that nopony is above the law. From the poorest of paupers to the Princesses in their palace, all must be judged equally should they do wrong! You, too, shall be judged. It’s your choice as to whether it’s now, or in two days’ time.”
Fair Verdict’s facade held only a moment longer before it crumbled. Slowly, she trotted down the stairs of the judge’s bench, and was escorted out of the courtroom by the white stallion bailiff, who gave Twilight a passing glance and nod. The earth pony mare’s severe look had withered away, and her head was hung low as she left.
Due Process watched her leave, then coughed slightly before turning back to the gallery, who were staring at him and the three mares behind him in awe.
“Ahem. It would seem I need to fill out some forms and attire myself properly now. Bailiffs, please see to any audience members who may need assistance. We will have a fifteen minute recess while I prepare.” He reached up to rap his hoof once on the bench before heading to his chambers.
Once outside the courtroom and escorted to an adjacent but empty chamber, the stallion closed the door and glared at the disgraced earth pony judge before him, his entire countenance changing instantly from a mere guard to somepony far more powerful and authoritative. He stood up straight and tall before her, looking upon her with sheer contempt. "Betraying your bench and accepting a bribe? You disgust me, Fair Verdict!” he told her. “And unlike the Judicial Review Board, I have the authority to do something about it right now!”
Fair Verdict's eyes narrowed as she gave a mocking laugh in return. "And just what in Tartarus are you babbling about, bailiff? You have no authority over me except that granted you by your uniform and Lady Requiem!”
The stallion merely sniffed and flicked his mane briefly. "As a simple bailiff that might be true, Fair Verdict. But be assured that a simple bailiff, I am not!” With that, his horn flared and he brought out a very distinctive crystalline medallion, a red ruby emblazoned with the sun and moon overlaid with a smaller shield. “I am a high-ranking agent of the crown, able to act in the Princesses stead. And thus, I can arrest you on my own authority!”
This revelation caused Fair Verdict to gasp and step back a few steps from the stallion. “But… you... how…?”
"Judge Fair Verdict, I am Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard!” he confirmed with a tone of voice he reserved for inspections and dressing down subordinates who had failed to perform to expectations, returning the medallion to an inner pocket of his bailiff uniform. “And by the power vested in me by Celestia herself, I am taking you into custody pending the outcome of a royal investigation into your actions as a judge in Ponyville's court system!” he informed the ashen mare with no small amount of satisfaction, his horn flaring again to materialize magical restraints and place them on her. “And be assured, you will be facing far more than a judicial misconduct board hearing upon its conclusion!”
“But—” she sputtered.
“But nothing!” he all but growled, tapping another crystal inside his uniform. “The Princesses do not take kindly to such corruption in the courts, and you can be assured that when they speak with you, that you will feel their full displeasure! You will be taken to Canterlot immediately and held pending full investigation into your finances and actions, including who gave you this!” He waved the check and note at her. “I suggest you get a good lawyer—if, that is, you can find any that will represent you!” He allowed himself an evil grin, certain that not even Phoenix Wright could save her.
“How dare you!” she managed one final note of defiance as the Earth Pony-quality restraints were locked into place.
“I dare, Your so-called Honor. Sergeant!" he called out as another seemingly innocuous bailiff entered the empty courtroom and saluted him despite his lower rank insignia, obeying instructions to take her into custody before escorting her out the back. When they exited, she found several more disguised and completely unsympathetic Guardsponies waiting, who slapped her in more substantial irons before removing her from the courthouse entirely.
She was placed onto the next train to Canterlot without incident and soon she was leaving the town behind, reflecting ruefully about how things had gone from incredibly well to utterly wrong in a matter of mere moments, bewildered as to how the letter and payment she’d so carefully hidden and secured in her sleeve had gotten free at the worst possible time.
Ponyville District Court
Courtroom No. 1
June 16th, 10:39 AM
“All Rise,” the returned white stallion bailiff announced again, a satisfied smile on his face. “Ponyville District Court is once again in session for the trial of Trixie Lulamoon. The honorable and esteemed Due Process… presiding.” He gave the other unicorn a deep and respectful bow.
“Thank you, bailiff. Please be seated,” Due Process acknowledged as he took his place behind the bench, now clothed in his judicial robes, taking a moment to look out over the courtroom before speaking.
“Corruption of the courts, whether by judges, prosecutors, or defense attorneys, must never be tolerated. The legitimacy of our legal system rests on the integrity of its agents... and adherence to due process,” he concluded with the barest hint of irony in his voice.
“As such, I remind all present that those who enter this courtroom are innocent until proven guilty, and have a right to a fair trial and competent defense,” he added, to the appreciative hoofclops of the gallery. “Fortunately, we have with us today the greatest defense attorney I have ever seen, and a prosecutor held in high esteem by the highest authority in the land.” He nodded to each in turn.
Delta bowed her head in acknowledgment. “I thank Your Honor for his kind words and wisdom. I think all present would agree that we also have a fine judge. So let’s do this, Mister Wright,” she invited with a smile. “I confess, this is the first opportunity I’ve had to take a direct role in a case, but don’t pull any punches just because I’m new to this,” she warned him, though there was a note of banter in her voice. “I promise I’m no pushover.”
Wow—a PLEASANT prosecutor? Phoenix thought in amazement. A case that’s just a friendly battle of legal wits over a six-month sentence instead of a winner-take-all murder trial with a guilty verdict and death penalty hanging on my every action? He smiled as well, deciding he liked the idea. Well then. This might even be fun! “I wouldn’t dream of it. The defense is ready, Lady Requiem,” he said aloud, giving her a grin that said he relished the prospect of the attorney duel to come.
She nodded back, favoring him with a sly smile. “Then the prosecution is ready, Phoenix Wright.”
Due Process leaned back in his seat and smiled at their interplay, in clear anticipation of the battle to come. “So be it. Then let the trial… begin!” he said, bringing his hoof down with a sharp rap.
Chapter updated as part of a major editing pass and story overhaul on November 4, 2018.
It's Leo Archon. So, yeah, about that 2 chapters left thing, turns out that exposing a judge's corruption can eat up a lot of words. When we took a look at this thing, it was sitting at 18 pages, towards of which were dedicated to exposing Fair Verdict (my name choice, btw) as a corrupt, bigoted donkey of a mare with no redeeming features. Given that, we decided to split the chapter into two parts, with the first part being the pre-trial and the battle of beliefs against Fair Verdict. The second part will have the trial proper, as well as the post-trial celebrations.
You?ll notice that, even with the split, we?ve ended up with a 28-page, 10000+ word chapter. Firesight and I have done a huge amount of work on this chapter in a very short amount of time. We refined, polished, and otherwise edited this beast of a chapter until we, along with GoldCrow, were satisfied.
You may also notice a new speech bubble or two in this chapter. I've recently started playing Gyakuten Kenji 2's fan-translation, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: Prosecutor's Path (and is it just me, or does that title suffer from colon abuse). As one of the characters you cross wits with is a judge, she uses the interjection "Overruled". I thought it appropriate, and so I've tossed it in here. The "Silence" interjection comes from Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, used primarily by prosecutor Simon Blackquill when he gets serious during a trial. I highly recommend any Ace Attorney fans download this game, as it's well worth the price and space on your memory card (unfortunately, it was never released as a physical copy here in the US, because reasons).
* * * * *
Hey folks! the (semi) honorable and esteemed Firesight here. As Leo says, we had to split this up, turning our final four chapters into five, much as what happened with the videos. 
You may also notice, as Maya did, a certain... theme running through this chapter involving one of my all-time favorite animated series (just don't talk to me about a certain live-action movie abomination.)
I'm aware not everyone appreciates the elemental power subplot in this story. It was originally brought in because I wanted to give Trixie a way to rival Twilight and to set up the duel/backstory chapter, and I actually don?t think it?s a stretch given we've seen Twilight go Rapidaish and Trixie manipulating weather in canon twice each. Like most of my other subplots, it acquired a life of its own and I decided to just roll with it. This is the culmination of it, and the worldbuilding we've introduced here *will* be carried forward into the sequel.
This chapter was an even split between me and Leo. Collaborations can be tricky things sometimes, but we seem to work together well. So my thanks to him, to GoldCrow for his candor?we had to do a major overhaul of the Maya/Twilight scene following his initial review to Ajaficionado for a second preread, and to Raven herself for leaving the story in our care. I?m very happy to say she will be writing again for the ending.
Also, I did a cleanup on the 'Checkmate' chapter, part 52, adding the Cadenza remix of the "Pursuit/Cornered" theme as chapter music. At this point, two chapters plus the epilogue remain. Not much else to say, except hope you've enjoyed the ride!
* * * * *
Yow! It's me... the Blue mare! Anyway, watch out for my new novel I'm working on, choices to be made by you in order for the story to progress... Find out soon in december!! Oooor a bit delayed... Enjoy the final epidodes of... Phoenix Wright
- TURNABOUT STORM!!!
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That weird question mark problem is happening again. Luckily, it's only on the author's note.
Great chapter! A corrupted judge was something new here as I played almost all Phoenix Wright games, and there was only one judge, who while sometimes goofy, by no means would take a bribe.
On another note there are three referrences that are so glaring Ican't help myself by not pointing them out:
How To Train Your Dragon - Gobber sayis that to Stoick after the meeting.
Princess and Frog - Dr. Facilie's entry to "Friends on the Other Side"
While not a direct quote, anyone else gets Avatar vibes here?
Anyway, now that there is a real judge here I can't wait to see how the trial will play out and find out, just who wanted Trixie locked up so badly that they'll use such illegal methods.
Won't take two guesses for who wrote that check. Still, this was poor planning on the prince's part in all of this. This would only give incentive for Trixie to point out Blueblood hired her and with him stabbing her in the back now, he's now royally screwed in more ways than one.
Hm, the minority of weather elementals seems to be larger than anyone anticipated. The elementals are all just trying to hide from the stigma of being ridiculed that everyone thinks it's a one in a million chance of being one. But that doesn't seem to be true at all, it's just that everyone is hiding the fact that they are. It's a little disconcerting that such a big demographic, comparatively speaking to its 'expected' size, is so shunned and hated that even they think they're few in number. Maybe it's just Ponyville for attracting all the oddball ponies but I doubt that's the whole reason. Ponyville can only be expected of so much, ya know?
Good show guys. Shame it's going to finish soon but at least we got a whole sequel to wait for.
This was an awesome chapter. I can't wait for the next one.
I don't know why, but I saw shades of Umbridge in Fair Verdict. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes than we're aware of.
Songslinger, eh?
So does mean this will be a battle of the stands?
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/012/528/Naamloos-2.png
I just have to say that the Judge looks epic in the coverart and have not started reading it yet
A corrupt judge...That gives me chills. Imagine if that had been utilized in the Dark Age of the Law in Dual Destinies. Still, I love this kind of thing: seeing remorseless jerks being put in their place.
5303431 The thing is, there's various types of elementals. Trixie is both a weather and ice elemental. Twilight is fire, Hurricane Wind is air, Sea Swirl is water, and Due Process is earth. As Twilight says, every unicorn has an elemental affinity, even if they can't truly manifest it like an elemental can.
Weather elementals are rare, even by elemental standards. In addition, because of Nightmare Moon's rebellion, they are shunned for being indirectly associated with the Mare in the Moon. It's unfair, yes, but ponies aren't perfect.
5303732 5303431
And Ice elementals are shunned because they're seen as akin to Windigos. So as Phoenix himself noted, Trixie has two strikes against her with most ponies right off the bat. That's why she had to keep her powers hidden.
DAT SPEECH
5303729 If you read between the lines, it's implied that there were corrupt judges during the Dark Age of the law on Earth. Remember Phony Phanty? It was dressed like a judge, and was one of the mascots for the movement to stop forged evidence and false verdicts. Thankfully, the Judge himself is an honest sort.
I keep meaning to get back into Dual Destines but I never find the time. And I really want to finish it, though I question why a murderer of any degree is being allowed to serve as a prosecutor. Regardless of ability, he still killed people.
5303886 Ah, yes, I'd forgotten about that. I meant none you had to deal with in-game. Thank God we still have our Udgey.
5303936 ... I think you need to play the game in its entirety. You may be surprised.
Either Fair Verdict just received the cheque a few moments before entering on the Court, with no time to hide except in her clothes, or she is plain stupid.
This again. What do you people have against donkeys or mules?
Technically, ponies seem to be vegetarian, given that they use animal products like milk and eggs. But it's Maya "step-ladder" Fey we're talking about here, so she might just not know the difference.
5304701
To quote Phoneix Wright "I am not having this discussion."
5303233
Blame google docs, sorry. The initial import also dropped a chunk of text.
5303284
Thanks! Good catches. And It's a little more than just a vibe.
There's a reason Maya was reacting oddly at certain points that nobody's pointed out yet.
5303354
Maybe, maybe not. Read on.
5303493
To be honest, if we thought of that while we were writing it, we might well have tilted her personality that way... and yes, there is. Not all of which will be revealed in *this* story...
5303936
You really should. Everything about Blackquill will be explained if you do. Suffice it to say, like most Phoenix Wright prosecutors, there's more to him than meets the eye.
5304701
That and the fact Maya's just being a bit bitchy, for reasons that haven't entirely been explained yet.
5303729
Glad you approve. And come to think of it, a corrupt judge is about the one thing the Ace Attorney series *hasn't* explored...
5304012
Or she was paranoid and feared her chambers would be searched, so she kept it on herself. Needless to say, there are things happening behind the scenes here that we're not yet privy to...
5304992
As soon as the next chapter comes around, I plan to. Though BB doesn't got much wiggle room now that he's been back into a corner.
Also, we need a heart elemental so that the elemental ponies can combine their powers to form Captain Planet.
5305483 And of course, Heart is an awesome element. Just ask the Crystal Empire.
A theme?
*Looks back over the story.*
Oh, I see. Ironically, when this line came up.
I thought she just found the word 'anybody' being changed to 'anypony' was a ridiculous pun. A pun that seemed like it would be made by...
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140130133959/aceattorney/images/e/e5/Moe_OA.PNG
Awesome chapter! I need more!
5303936
One reason is that the PW verse has to make several allowances in order to make compelling stories. Thats why purgery isnt a thing in that world.
Loved the update!
5303493 Maybe because they're both majorly bigoted plot heads?
References: Friends On the Other Side (Princess and the Frog, sung by Dr Facilier)
Avatar: the Last Airbender
5307244
5307329 5312884
From me and Leo, Thanks!!!!
5317219
Well spotted, but you missed one.
Look at the second comment on the chapter for the answer.
5325190 Yep, How to Train Your Dragon. I haven't watched the movie, so that's why I didn't notice that reference.
5325190 That's not Russell Berry. That's the stupid clown Moe. Berry was the murder victim in that case. Though I do wish that particular individual was the murder victim instead of the ringmaster. Cross-examining that son of a bitch was... yeah.
5329569
I stand corrected.
5332963
Turnabout Storm takes place between the second and third Ace Attorney games, Justice For All and Trials And Tribulations. Phoenix only learned about Iris in the third game, so he wouldn't know about her here.
So that thing about finishing this by the end of the year... Is that still the plan? Or has that changed?
5338735
You'll have to read on to find out.
All I'll say is that we did keep the question in mind.
5338795
Unlikely at this point due to having to split the last chapter. There should be at least one new chapter by years' end (Trixie's trial), probably leaving us with just the grand finale chapter plus the epilogue to go. Apologies, these final chapters take time, particularly since they're all new content.
5338983 Understandable. Will the sequels be posted here, or on your page?
5343115
Appreciate the running commentary!!!
And you're very welcome for the Gilda scene.
5340547
The side story will be posted on my page. The sequel will at least start on Leo Archon's, though we may end up alternating between my page and his for the individual cases. He does the first case, I do the second, etc.
5346327 The kinds dont get it... But we doooo~
# Sugar-Honey-Iced-Tea....fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/064/9/f/aww_yeah_he_man_by_robthedoodler-d4rt6b7.jpg
Eh. The abomination in question wasn't the WORST thing I've ever seen. If I were to compare the movie with the shows, however, I would have to admit that a 50-watt bulb is nothing in comparison to a Solar Flare, so you can, in fact, argue that the movie sucked.
Anyway... is it just me, or does Fair Verdict almost seem like Judge Judy at first? Not to say that Judge Judy is a bad judge, however, I did imagine Fair adopt a certain accent.
5334460 Huh. Things are going to be AWFULLY interesting in the sequel. After all, it DOES take place after DD, and SOO much has happened in that space of time!
Thanks for all the comments and the multiple faves! I'm glad to know you enjoyed this so much... not quite done yet, as we still have a few raspberries yet to snatch from under the kitchen sink.
5349253
You wanted it, you got it... hope you approved of Trixie's backstory and the final explanation/implied breaking of her black locks!
5350182
It was bad enough, believe me. M. Night Shyamalan pretty much destroyed everything that was good about the series in the movie. Personalities were way off, benders were woefully underpowered, and all the humor and character development from the series were gone. There's a reason there still hasn't been a sequel.
5350217
Indeed--both in canon, and in our little crossover universe. We've got plenty planned. Look for the side story first to fill in some of the blanks and explore Twilight and Phoenix's growing bond.
5363513
But, he said he's already read SO many fanfictions already, that he couldn't make time to read it (though, he did say he watched the videos) 
0. Heh, I see what you did there. Yup, the final growth of character development has yet to be seen, what with the Trixies and the TwiWrights and other things.
1. You kidding!? I LOVED it!! It was so good, I actually recommended Sethisto himself (you know, because he's a Trixie fan) to read it (BY THE ALLMIGHTY POWER OF DEVIANTART!)!
2. ... Maybe they'll redeem themselves in the second one like Hasbro sort-of did with Equestria Girls?...
3. And don't worry, I WILL!!!
5363688
0. Exactly. Hope you like the resolutions of both. Enjoyed the shipping so far?
1. Well, tell him to just read the one chapter then. He'll get the idea.
2. Maybe. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Not with HIM running the show...
3. Cool! The side story will start immediately following the end of Turnabout Storm.
5366250
?) certainly wouldn't be happy, though).
0a. The first thought that ran through my head was "What!? They're going to ship Twilight and Wright, but not Wright and Fluttershy!?" but then I thought "Then again, the Fluttershy X Rainbow Dash pairing is much more viable. Plus, if the Twilight X Spiderman thing works out well (according to that one brony I talked to online), then maybe this'll work out well". After that, I was like "Huh. This is probably the LEAST arrogant way a human in an HiE fic has ever confronted somepony about a rocky relationship! Nice!"
0b. As for Trixie... I can only hope there's a guy out there who can genuinely love her for who she is; hime, dere, and all (although... I wouldn't complain if I saw Sethisto's OC being used in ANOTHER fan work (Welcome to Ponyville seemed like it was going to be an AWESOME game! It's a shame that one person did whatever he did, so we'll have to deal with an animation instead.)) Or, hey. Maybe this can be a harem end or something, you never know (Pearly (or maybe even Maya
1. Huh. I'll give it a shot.
2. I don't know, from what I've heard, he said that if he ever made a sequel, it would be different (as in, the theme will be darker). I also heard that M. decided that if it was going to be shot, it wouldn't be back to back, and he seems somewhat confident in the script that's already been written. Oh, and the Kiyoshi Warriors and Toph would definitely be in it. Oh, and the actual creators of the show said that after Korra, they'd make a movie, preferably animated, that would deal with Avatar, Korra, or something else, so there's THAT to look forward to!
3. Of course I can't wait to see the sidestory... though, me and everyone else would have to see the end of the main story first (hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, Caw-CAW, Caw-CAW!)
Well, this is quite the awesome story. Although I do not care for the romantic subplot. I don't think two characters from such widely different species would be interested in each other and it doesn't make me very happy to imagine the result of the two of them together.
That said the courtroom scenes are spectacularly written. I look forward to the rest.
Well done.
HOLD IT!
Godot-KeybladePony: How could you not mention the overflow of Frozen references! So many is unspeakable! However, the Avatar references are flawless and fun.
Also, we must remember that Trixie as the prosecutor was very well planned. Almost holds a candle to the likes of me. (sips coffee)
OBJECTION!
KeybladePony: If you would have allowed me to finish I would have mentioned that.
4894184 I didn't think Phoenix was that OOC. I simply saw sincerity and kindness in his words and actions. Maybe a little over-the-top, but not by too much. Besides, he was already in a phenomenal mood after the morning he had.
5373827
Appreciate it, thanks. That's exactly what I was trying to convey, but maybe didn't quite succeed.
5374746
The other one was in the very first episode, when she had the hot sauce. That was only partial, though:
5371813
I'm glad you've enjoyed it!
Not everyone likes the romance, but I think I came up with a good explanation of the how and why. I don't agree such interest is impossible--Twilight fell for Flash Sentry in Equestria Girls, after all--but the question of whether it can work or not will be explored in a later side story. Since you've liked the courtroom scenes, we've got one more to come (Trixie's trial), and it will be a different flavor than the previous ones. Flexing creative muscles and engaging in worldbuilding in advance of the sequel at this point.
There were two chapters with Frozen references, one mild but one heavy with them. Not everyone appreciated them, but since the movie was part of the inspiration for Trixie's character, it seemed to appropriate to include them.
Glad you liked the Avatar references though. I was worried those were too subtle.
This became quite amusing to read, even more since I am actually working Phoenix's murder case in-game.
It makes me wonder what Miles will do during the case as a bystander (if he can keep himself away form the pit that is), or The Judge since I do not recall him leaving just yet....So many thoughts running about there, but for now, lets see the trial at work.
5387709
Oh, Miles may yet have a role to play.
Be a shame to bring him all this way and never showcase his talents, after all...