The moon was glistening in the dead of darkness. A cyclone was jeopardizing the beach town of Maritime Bay. Meanwhile, the only pinto that were out were under the wire shopping in a panic. Even the lagoon seemed abandoned at first glance. In the distance a group of storm chasers were the only ones present since they had to work. Continuous units of earth ponies were active securing supplies.
The chief stayed alert. In the meantime, the stallion watched others attempting to hoist the massive equipment.
Boom!
“Did any pony hear that?" Demanded the director as an attempt to sound fearless.
“I have no doubt in my mind that it is only thunder.” Mocked one of his coworkers.
Boom!
“Stand down!” The stallion exclaimed as an effort to sound brave. In the next hour, he swore that someone was trying to pull a gag on him. This time the stubborn stallion finally resolved to find out what was making that blast. He trailed the ominous sound to town and was able to locate it in a back alley.
The area was pitch black so he recalled that he brought an old flip phone. He then used it to shine the light on a dumpster that tipped over and recognized the graffiti. The stallion was quick to swallow his saliva while listening to a demented cackle.
“Stupid teenagers pulling pranks.” The single stallion mumbled to himself. His heart was still racing because of the conspicuous galloping. As a result, his paranoia became heightened. He heard another sound but he was so frightened; he never bothered to check.
Amidst the torrential rain, the form of a crippled blue earth pony lay bloody and motionless. Nearby, way up on the roof of a building next to him, an orange mare peered over the edge. Horror was clear on her face despite her fuchsia mane soaked down on her head and neck.
"Oh, my Celestia!” She exclaimed in shock and fear. She soon found herself questioned by police the next day. Later on, she found herself locked in a cold, dark lonely cell with only a book to read.
"I am innocent!” The tangerine mare cried.
“Somebody is here to see you.” Came a reply and the mare was now a bit hopeful. One of the guards came in with somebody. To her surprise her visitor was a creature she never seen before.
“Are you Sunny Starscout?” The stranger asked.
“Yes, that is me.” Said the mare who was a bit confused as she wondered why a non pony came to see her. The visitor soon saw that the mare was still in distress.
“Ah, I see you are a fan of the Book of Friendship.” The creature said as a effort to calm the mare down.
“Why yes! I am enthusiastic to meet another fan!” Sunny squealed in delight as she began to geek out. “Oh man, I was about to get to the good stuff! This reminds me of the time Phoenix Wright defended Rainbow Dash!"
“I have read about that trial. Every lawyer has to study that era.”
“That is so awesome! What I would not give to go back in time and watch that trial myself!”
“That is a great idea!”
“It is?” The young earth pony paused for a moment and said, "How are you going to do that?”
“Well, I will let you in on a little secret.” Sunny looked surprised. “I will not only be your defense attorney; I have something that might help you out .”
“You mean like magic?” Sunny said squealing once more.
“Something like that. My name is Casandra.” She bowed and even made a quiet gesture as an effort to keep the conversation a secret.
“It is nice to meet you. My name is Sunny Starscout.” Sunny then tried to copy her but failed. Casandra then giggled before leaving the earth pony.
”I am home!” Casandra shouted once she was home. Nobody answered when attorney sighed in relief. Her farm was still a mess from the storm, not to mention that she lived in the middle of a swamp. It was clear that she had a hoarding problem.
Luckily, the important stuff that she needed was still intact. She was not only a lawyer she was also an alchemist. It was the reason why she had so much supplies. She went to work in an instant but while Casandra was brewing her potion, she held the bridge of her nose. The smell of the chemicals was strong even though she was wearing a mask to block it. She tried to be careful but the potion was difficult to make so it took hours. Once the product neared its’ completion, the potion changed color.
“I hope I am ready. My client needs me.” She said to herself. At last, an image appeared inside the cauldron. “This will allow me to view the past of the human world.”
While Casandra spied on the past of the human realm, she saw that Phoenix was in the middle of a stressful case. While she was watching, she saw that he was at home. In fact, the trial was virtual due to the pandemic. The witch then gaged due to the smoke from the bowl.
“Come on you stupid thing!” The frustration was sudden as she banged the pot with her foot. Another problem that was occurring was that the image was silent. For a moment, she was about to give up when she realized that there were settle clues. It even gave her an idea of the conversation taking place.
“The nerve of that guy! Can you believe that they thought that I did that?” Casandra sighed in after hearing sound at last.
“To be fair, that guy looked like you.”
“Yeah but the nerve of some people! I am so lucky to have a friend like you.” Said the guy on the screen. On the other side of the screen was Phoenix. He seemed embarrassed because his friend that was still on the screen was crying tears of joy. The attorney even tried to be patient.
“Is everything ok?” The acquaintance asked. The defender took a breather once he was calm.
“No! I need to hang up before my wife kills me!” Phoenix stressed.
“Oh yeah, how is Twilight doing?”
“Not great, she threw up all morning, and lately she has been a bit moody. That reminds me, I need to call the doctor.”
“Women are scary.” His friend shivered.
“Tell me about it.” Phoenix sighed closed his laptop. At the moment, he wanted to have some time for himself before checking in on the condition of his wife. The cool summer breeze seemed appealing. At the same time, he was already on the couch and he refused to move.
His mind then wandered to the rumors about his new apartment. As a lawyer, they were quick to his ears. He has heard this particular apartment was preyed upon by spirits. As a result, Phoenix never believed in the supernatural. The only acception was his magatama. It was either that or when some creature from Equestria tries to take over the planet.
“Haunted, whatever." Phoenix said to himself. He even snickered at the idea. Sighing, he finally turned on the television. At first, it was fine until it began to act up. When the defense attorney began hearing some static noises he became suspicious. The power was out as a result and nothing was playing on the tv anymore. It was that very moment when the defense attorney was as pale as a ghost when she saw a girl walk out of said tv.
“Hello. My name is Casandra. It is nice to meet you, Prince Phoenix Wright.” Phoenix couldn’t speak because he saw the girl phasing through the television set. The girl herself appeared to be in her twenties, has long black hair and dark clothing. She even looked like a ghost because her creepy eyes seemed to not have any pupils.
“B-be gone ghost!” Phoenix exclaimed with fear evident in his voice. He then began to strike the crown of her head. Before he was able to land a hit, the ghost girl grabbed his wrist flipping him midway. He fell flat on his back as a result.
“I do not think that would be appropriate Mr. Wright.” She said, a bit amused. The attorney-at-law felt dizzy and began to feel weak before passing out. When he woke up, he was in for a surprise. In fact, he found that he was not home but instead he was in an old chicken coop in the middle of what seemed to be nowhere.
“It is about time that I bring you to my attention." The girl was being straight forward. At the same time, the defense attorney wondered what kind of trouble he got himself into.
Sleeping on the floor in a chicken coup was not the best idea. His spine was achy and there were even dark circles beneath his eyelids. As he recalled, it was a rough twenty-four hours.
“So are we going to head to town now?” The defender questioned.
“Of course but as a warning, you might not like what you see.”
“Why would I not like what I see?” The moment they stepped into town, he could see her point. Ponies were looking at him funny and it was an uncomfortable twenty minute walk to the poice station.
“I apologize if there was any trouble on your way here. The ponies here are very closed-minded whenever a stranger comes to town.”
“No worries but I hope you don’t mind if I brought a guest.”
“We don’t make exceptions but I’ll allow it this one time. It’ll be a secret between us.” Said an orange stallion with a fiery blue mane and tail. Immediately, the sheriff guided them to the room where they held all the prisoners. “My name is Hitch Trailblazer. Please come and get me if there is any trouble.”
“I guess that he is not all sunshine and daisies.” Phoenix thought to himself. The orange stallion then left without a word.
“That was fun, let’s get started.” Casandra sated. Phoenix’s instincts were on high alert and wanted to get out as quick as possible. It took some time but he finally found the prisoner they were looking for who was already in a cell. When the lawyer saw the pony, he noticed that the prisoner was a mare with a fuchsia mane who was reading by herself.
“Hello, are you the pony that I am supposed to see?” Phoenix asked out of concern. The concern showed on his face then turned into shock and it was as if the gloomy atmosphere itself changed.
“Oh, my holy mother of Luna! I can’t believe that I am meeting THE Phoenix Wright!” It was clear that there was excitement in the mare’s voice. Yet it took a moment for the attorney-at-law to recover from his shock.
“Oh, I see that you are a fan.” Phoenix smiled but in reality he was nervous. It wasn’t that the enthusiasm wasn’t unwelcome; it was because he had to deal with fans before.
“Yes, I am!” Sunny then paused for a moment and looked a bit sad. “I-I didn’t do it; I swear that I am innocent!”
“Don’t worry, I know that you didn’t do it and I am going to get you out of this.” Said Phoenix. He tried his best to reassure his potential client.
“Thank you Phoenix.”
”Your welcome. For starters, how did you get yourself mixed up in all this.” The male lawyer asked.
“If you must know, I was out securing the boats during the storm. My father is a fisher stallion and it is my job to check the boats. That time was around 8:00 pm.”
“8:10. That was ten minutes before the murder so do you have any relation with the victim.” The witch informed.
“Do you have any relation with the victim?” Phoenix asked.
“No and we hardly ever get any visitors. It was an opportunity to make new friends and I wanted to bring pony kind together.”
“I understand why some pony would want unity. It is a world filled with paranoia and mistrust after all.” The alchemist sympathized. That was when Phoenix had more questions than answers. Before getting the chance to question her further, it was at the same time when Hitch returned.
“Visiting hours are over; it is time to go.” Phoenix sighed and nodded his head in agreement as both he and Cassandra left. Once outside, it was back to the uncomfortable glaring and staring.
“How about we get something to eat?” Casandra asked hoping for a change of scenery. The alchemist soon led him to a cafe that reminded the attorney of Sugar Cube Corner.
“I apologize for dragging you into this; I have never introduced myself yet. My name is Casandra.” Casandra apologized and bowed. Phoenix then copied her movement before heading into the shop. The lawyer even tried to ignore the glaring and asked for a menu even though the waiter was rude.
“What the heck was that about?”
“The townsfolk here don’t see eye to eye with everyone else. It has been that way since Equestria has lost its’ magic.” Once he heard this, the lawyer was now alarmed and wondered how it happened. As a result, the defense attorney then began to wonder about other creatures.
“Are you Sunny Starscout‘s lawyer?” To his surprise, he saw two pegasi and one unicorn. It was a white pegasus who reminded him of Rainbow Dash. She didn’t have the ego but he could see a similar color scheme in her main and tail. The mare was also very serious when she confronted him.
“Hello every creature!” Said another pegasus. This one was purple and had fluffy white wings. “This is Pip Petals and I hope you all tuned in for a very special interview. Please like and subscribe!” There was a sudden flash and Phoenix had to rub his eye due to the blinding light.
“Hello, my name is Izzy Moonbow and I am very excited to meet you!” Phoenix first thought was: Pinkie Pie but with a horn.
“I see that you are the one who is going to take Sunny’s case? Admirable.”
“Thanks, and you are?”
“Zipp Storm.”
“I see.”
“Sorry about them, they are Sunny’s friends and they can be a bit protective.” The witch apologized.
“Speaking of Sunny, do you know if the Equestrian defense attorney badge I have is still suitable?” The lawyer then shows the alchemist the pink badge. It looked like a heart and was currently shinning because of the reflection from the sun.
“Unfortunately, that badge is out of date; we would have to go to the Pegasus Empire to reissue your license.” Said Zipp, who was trying to act professional. Once the gang was here, they decided to stay and enjoy a meal. Phoenix couldn’t help but notice that everyone was in a hurry.
“So how are we going to get to the Pegasus Empire?” Phoenix asked.
“We are going to take a plane there, but you are going to have to go in disguise. There is a convention on the same route, and there are many fans who are like Sunny that might recognize you.” Phoenix then smiled and became nervous; he knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Phoenix had trouble sleeping that night as a result but when morning came, it was chaos.
“Oh, a cake,” Phoenix paused for a moment. “Wait a minute, I know this trick.”
“Surprise!” The cake then exploded. “So how did you like the surprise? You know what, you look like a Pheeny! That sounds great! From now on I am calling you Pheeny!” The defender had no reaction and thought that it was predictable.
“I am sure that you are having a lovely morning.” Said Hitch who came out of nowhere and was being sarcastic.
“Hitch? Where did you come from?”
“Outside.”
”Yeah but besides stating the obvious!”
“I am off duty so I get to make fun of your mane whenever I want. Plus, I am also here to protect you from possible harassment.”
“Harassment?” Phoenix exclaimed.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Pheeny wore drag? Also, Zipp is going to meet us at the the airport.” Replied Izzy who was being random.
“No! It would not!” The defender denied. All at once, the three ponies looked at each other as if they had an idea. The next thing he knew was that he was now wearing a fluffy coat and a large fedora that covered his face.
“I get the outfit but do I have to wear the shoes?” The lawyer complained.
“But they are fun!” Izzy explained bouncing on her seat. Before getting to the airport, they had to take a bullet train.
“Ah, you have arrive.” Said Zipp once they were at their destination.
It was at that moment when the attorney saw everything segregated.
“Oh man, you guys aren’t kidding.” Said the attorney-at-law. Earth ponies, pegasi, and even unicorns sat in their section of the waiting area.
“Excuse me but pegesai only.” Said an officer who pointed at a sign.
“Do you know who I am?,” Said the social media obsessed pony. It was clear that the mare was angry once the princess was up in the guard’s face. “I am Pip Petals and if you don’t let let us sit together than I am going to right a very nasty review!”
“Of course ma’am. I’ll be on my way.” Said the guard as he left. The defender felt as though he were about to have a heart attack. Yet at the same time, he thought that it was impressive. Once on the plane, Phoenix was doing his best trying to hide since he didn’t want any pony to see what he was wearing.
“Are we there yet?” Came a very annoying question from Izzy.
“No.” Said Phoenix who was now regretting that he answered. As a result, the violet unicorn asked the same question during the entire flight.
“Are we there now?” Said Izzy once they landed.
“After who knows how many times you have said that, yes we are finally here.” Replied an annoyed Phoenix.
“Yay!” The unicorn cheered.
“The Pegasus Empire is on a cloud, so I used alchemy on our shoes so that we can walk on them.” Said Casandra stopping the laywer.
“Oh thanks, why didn’t they provide them before we left?”
“Segregation.”
“Oh that, right.” At this point, he felt silly. Once they finally made it to the kingdom, he saw that most buildings had a lot of gold. It was everywhere even on the citizens who were of high class. Nearby was a tall skyscraper. It was a building named him.
“State your name.” Said one of the pegasus guards.
“Casandra Wallflower.”
“You may proceed; please keep the others in check.” Said one of the guards. The other guard glared at Izzy and stuck a tennis ball on her horn.
“Ok.” Casandra mocked the guards and gave them a salute.
“Why does that guy look as if he had some beef with Izzy?”
“Oh it is because we were playing this fun game and he is still acting like a sore loser.” Izzy explained startling Phoenix.
“Of course.” The lawyer sighed.