History WMG / TurnaboutStorm

'''''Indeed she was! Overseeing Ace's "negotiations" with Rainbow. And she was also responsible for Apple Bloom's teleportation.'''''

It's pretty evident that the events take place in a minor AlternateUniverse to ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'', Trixie and Gilda's reencounters are completely different from canon for instance. That's not the situation for Phoenix: The series perfectly fits between the events of ''Justice for All'' and ''Trials and Tribulations'', and no anachronic "{{Call Back}}s" are made to the latter at any point; Phoenix does not encounter the black psyche-locks, so the person he sees them from in the future still is the first one he sees with them; and, as a plus, he gets in the ending what most likely is the silk hat his daughter Trucy would come to wear.

One thing really stuck out to me during Trixie's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Twilight which was mocking the magic of friendship. Now why of all things did she say that? Nothing about the Elements of Harmony was brought up during ''Boast Busters'' or during any scene throughout Turnabout Storm. Plus, she holds a big grudge Twilight for more than just the Ursa Minor incident. Maybe she figured out that the final Element of Harmony was Magic but could never find the spark to make it awaken. This can go hand in hand with the above WMG of Trixie also dreaming of becoming Celestia's apprentice only to lose it to Twilight. She wouldn't figure out that it was Twilight who "took" her dreams away until after the Ursa Minor incident and when she realized that she had lost everything to her and the spark she failed to find, the magic of friendship, she didn't want revenge on just Twilight. She wanted revenge on the magic of friendship itself.

[[WMG: The Black Psyche-Locks]]
I believe Trixie's psyche-locks are holding back a deep pain in Trixie's heart that has to do with Twilight. That much is already easy to guess, but what am I suggesting the secret is? Twilight and Trixie were once best of friends many years ago, but something happened that split the two apart, and Trixie perceived it as being abandoned. Now she wants to make Twilight suffer the same sadness she still feels. Think about it, she directs her anger towards Twilight through her friends, she's trying to hurt her in only one fashion (splitting her friends apart), has a begrudging opinion about friendship itself, and she seemed to react oddly when Gilda made remarks about getting revenge against Rainbow Dash for abandoning her for the Mane 6.

It also explains the deep sadness in her heart. It's not malicious, it's '''longing'''.

'''''Yes... but no. Ace's demise was technically self-inflicted, but not deliberately.'''''

'''''No. Sonata spills the beans anyway, but the Judge is convinced to forget this until the trial is over. And in the end, Sonata lifts all charges against him.'''''

[[WMG:Sonata has some sort of connection with Mia.]]
I'm not saying she's Mia herself, but she might have some sort of connection with her. It's kinda hard to swallow that the coincidence of voice and looks is just that, a coincidence. This might be reading too much into it, but there's also the fact that Sonata's Cutie Mark is a ''human'' eye.
* Invoked by Phoenix himself at the end of Part 4, though he then admits her attitude is completely opposite of Mia's.

'''''While Sonata does see Mia's spirit, a direct connection between both of them is never confirmed.'''''

'''''In Trixie's words: ''"I'm not a monster."''.'''

'''''While some Cadenza's versions of the themes show up, ''Pursuit ~ Cornered'' is not included between them.'''''

In the latest Ace Attorney game, it's shown black psyche lock could be broken if their owner 'remembered' the trauma. So maybe when Sonata pushed Trixie by revealing 'unlike everyone else, I know' it makes Trixie realized the true reason for her hatred towards Twilight? And it explained why Phoenix didn't saw it later. Maybe Phoenix would saw locks, but not the black psyche lock.

'''''Were we watching the same series about lawyers and ponies?'''''

(No...there's no character in MLP:FIM that's lanky, overpowered, carbon-black, and pissed off...none at all...)

'''''Were we watching the same series about lawyers and ponies?'''''

I believe Trixie's psyche-locks are holding back a deep pain in Trixie's heart that has to do with Twilight. That much is already easy to guess, but what am I suggesting the secret is? [[spoiler: Twilight and Trixie were once best of friends many years ago, but something happened that split the two apart, and Trixie perceived it as being abandoned. Now she wants to make Twilight suffer the same sadness she still feels. Think about it, she directs her anger towards Twilight through her friends, she's trying to hurt her in only one fashion (splitting her friends apart), has a begrudging opinion about friendship itself, and she seemed to react oddly when Gilda made remarks about getting revenge against Rainbow Dash for abandoning her for the Mane 6.]]

* Isn't that the head of Pinkie's golf club? Didn't Pinkie identify the stick as her iron, but it was missing its head? Wouldn't it make sense that the burnt thing is the golf head [[spoiler: charred by the 2nd bolt?]]

*** Given Part 3-Twilight, Trixie having second thoughts is a little more probable given that her [[spoiler:black Psyche-Locks aren't evil in nature but rather just make Twilight feel incredibly sad.]]

** Gilda being a culprit is pretty much jossed by #4; she admits to [[spoiler: tampering with the crime scene to frame Rainbow Dash as the killer]], but insists that the pegasus was alive when she first went after Rainbow Dash. Also, Phoenix notes to himself that his research reveals griffons ''cannot'' set off lightning clouds; that's an ability unique to pegasi.

[[WMG: The murder weapon is the small, burnt metal object [[spoiler:revealed to be part of Pinkie Pie's lost golf club]].]]

*** With the end of Part 4 this is looking very likely (As it's Ace Attorney Tradition to cross examine the murderer last). It would also make it an ironic inversion of ''Turnabout Sisters'' with [[spoiler: the magic intellectual seeking some sense of justice murdering the blackmailing monster following through with Sonat being the anti-Mia.]]

Any Wild Mass Guesses that either have yet to be [[IKnewIt confirmed]] or {{Jossed}}, or are '''what if's'' unlikely to be confirmed or jossed in the series, are organized in the "Pending/Misc. Guesses" folder.

[[folder: Pending/Misc. Guesses]]

[[WMG: Sonata's "Because unlike everyone else, I know" refers to]]
* A blackmail material for Trixie, because she had for anyone else
** Given said material, it's probably refers to Trixie relation with Ace. As another WMG above, I think that's the only reason it fits. Trixie is related with Ace, probably even helping him blackmailing others. And then, he dead. She was actually devastated by his death and intent to get revenge on the murderer. This explains her black locks and her intent to get on Dash whom she thought was the murderer.
* Is the reason behind her black psyche-locks. She learnt the real motive behind her grudge against Twilight either through her HyperAwareness and knack at getting information, or by somehow being involved in the whole thing.

[[WMG: How the Murder Happened...]]
As Ace goes into the forest, Sonata follows him (either using magic to cloak or just ordinary sneaking) into the forest, knowing that Cruise had taken his picture and went to the cops and they were essentially alone with Dash. She lets Ace and Dash negotiate, knowing that Dash won't fall for it because of her attention to detail talent. After Dash sets off the initial bolt and flies away, Ace looks up at her and is about to give chase, but Sonata grabs the nearest thing she can (Pinkie's club) and clobbers him. Ace is unconscious and Sonata then sticks the club close to an exposed spot and then uses magic to force the cloud to send off a bolt. Using laws of physics the bolt finds the closest path to the ground with the least resistance: the metal club/lightning rod. It shocks the downed Ace, while not making a sound because it hit something small and in the air (the head of the club, which broke off) killing him. The deed done, she grabs the charred club by her mouth and focuses up a teleport spell to get her out of the forest. While casting, Applebloom bumped into her and she get teleported along for the ride. Sonata realizes this, and hides (cloaking or jumping into a bush) when the spell's done. Applebloom's dazed, looks around, and bolts for her home. Everyone gone, Sonata decloaks and leaves, holding the club in her mouth because she exhausted her powers (force-activating the bolt, teleporting 2 ponies, maybe 2 cloaking spells) and can't maintain a levitation spell.
* Clobbering Ace is very unlikely, as the autopsy never mentioned blunt force trauma to his head.
** I see your contradiction, and raise you an addendum: Remember in ep 3 that Rainbow Dash mentions that the racing suit is itchy. After Dash fires the bolt and leaves, instead of her clobbering him, Sonata just calls Ace's attention and advises him against chasing her (maybe she saw Fluttershy on the way in). Ace trusts Sonata, so isn't so concerned about her being there and then talk about their next move against Dash. In the middle of the conversation, Ace complains about the suit. She hands him something long and metal as a backscratcher, and when he holds it in his mouth, she force-activates the bolt.
*** '''''OBJECTION!''''' That would be impossible as well, as by the time Rainbow Dash was flying out of the Everfree Forest from the clearing, which would've taken 5-10 minutes, Fluttershy had noticed her flying past her cottage, and at the same time, noticed Sonata trotting towards Ponyville nowhere near the entrance to the forest, along with the stick in question.
**** "...[[ExactWords which would have taken 5-10 minutes]]..." It's a tight time-frame but there is a LOT that can happen in that span. Dash left the clearing immediately after bolt 1, Gilda most likely fast after her, that's just a matter of seconds. As far as I know of in the Ponyverse, spells can be cast with negligible charge time (less than a minute for a good caster) So placing the stick on Ace's person where vulnerable (pictures indicate 2 spots, the mouth and a spot on the neck) could be either him holding the stick in his mouth or sticking it under the suit in body contact, then force activating the bolt could take around a minute and a half or less. Deed done, she focuses the teleport spell (maybe involving envisioning the location she wants to arrive to, the forest entrance) which leaves a small enough gap for Applebloom to bump into her while casting, making her spell use more power than needed (moving 2 bodies across space in a small amount of time.) Clutch-recloaking while Applebloom is dazed can take 5-10 seconds, and then decloaking when she's gone even less so. It's still very plausible that Sonata blitzed herself out enough that she caught up with Dash when Fluttershy saw them, in that time, somewhere in the middle, Gilda came back, discovered the body and tampered with the crime scene.

[[WMG: The killing was not premeditated, Sonata killed Ace via magic, and then she spun a web of lies to get away with it.]]
If it pleases the court, I'd like to present a unified argument on what has been happening behind the scenes, up to that fateful night in the clearing and beyond. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwGFsVyJJ0c *Ahem*]]

Let’s begin by examining the evidence, starting with Pinkie’s golf club. It's charred, is missing an end, and was lost in the Everfree Forest a week prior to the murder. This all aligns perfectly with the supporting evidence: the broken and similarly charred piece of metal found near Ace's corpse. All of this points to the club being used as a channel for the lethal shock at some point. The question is, however, where did the fatal bolt actually come from?

At the end of Part 4, Phoenix questions Twilight on any unicorn spells that can cause electrocution. She states that no, no unicorn in this day and age is capable of casting anything like that. She does note that there are spells to conjure and release electricity, however even she lacks the magical power to make such a spell lethal.

The second lightning bolt must therefore be the source of the electricity used to kill Ace; the others are all accounted for. This raises another question, however: why didn't this bolt make a sound? The answer becomes apparent when one recalls that thunder only sounds when the bolt strikes the ground. The second bolt, therefore, did not strike the ground, but was channeled directly into the victim. And it had to have done so while he was in the air—as Trixie notes in Parts 2 and 4, it would have transferred into the ground and charred it if he weren't.

The problem with arguing this as evidence for murder is that too much is left to chance. For this to have been premeditated, it would have to rely on several random factors. First, the golf club itself was lost even to its owner, thus it could not have been planned for. Second, the cloud's presence at the scene likewise could not have been known, as Dash only brought it there of her own accord. Third, said cloud releases its lightning on its own after the first bolt, meaning the killer could not rely on the lightning to kill him whenever they wanted. All of this points to a scenario more akin to voluntary manslaughter—er, ponyslaughter—rather than first-degree murder.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaLY9HabUtQ With that in mind, here is where I begin to speculate.]] First, we must ask the question, "Why was Sonata there at all, if not for murder?" Allow me to put forth a theory I believe fits her ''modus operandi''. I believe she was there to deliver her resignation letter to Ace at a place and time where it would do the most damage to him—namely, right after Rainbow rejects the blackmail attempt.

Sonata could reasonably assume Rainbow would reject the offer; she likely constructed a full profile on Rainbow as part of her blackmailing duties. We also know Sonata likes to "hold the cards" until it is convenient, and quitting while Ace is at his lowest would serve as some small vengeance against him. Given the wording of her letter, and the regret it indicates, punishing Ace in this manner would likely satisfy her sense of justice.

Now, Sonata assumes she knows how Ace will react to this based on her observations of him throughout their time together. She expects him to react with a bit of blustering and half-baked threats. She can then calmly point out that there is nothing he can do to harm her, as revealing anything about the blackmail business will bring him down with her. The problem is that her "eye for detail" assumes its subject acts rationally, but what about when they act irrationally? Say, if Ace flies into a rage and decides to kill Sonata?

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dorU0Rpmr7E Ace attacks, and taken by surprise, Sonata can do little but be overwhelmed.]] Ace is larger and physically stronger than her—he’s an athletic pegasus, she’s a squishy unicorn. A weapon could turn the tide, however; and as luck would have it, she stumbles across the golf club lying in the dirt. Using telekinesis, she tries to wield it against her assailant, but he wrenches it from her magical grip and begins using it against her in turn. He hits her with several hard blows, and these injuries continue to affect Sonata days later. Recall that she winces in pain when Pinkie shouts, "Again! And again! And again!"

Beaten to submission, Sonata looks up to find Ace flapping above her, preparing to swoop down and make the killing blow. And then she spies the cloud floating next to him. She, of course, knows all about the weak points in Ace's suit; she's worked with him long enough to know the ins and outs of the uniform. The problem is that she is not a pegasus; she can't reach the cloud, nor can she aim the lightning it generates.

But then, she has a handy, conductive device to do all that for her. All Sonata needs to do is coax the cloud into releasing its stored energy, and the lightning will take the path of least resistance in traveling downward. As stated earlier, unicorns possess spells allowing them to generate and release electricity, and Sonata likely knows one—she left a mark in her spell book specifically pointing to it. That’s what that scrawling means, in fact—"From here, third line"—it’s the latter half of the spell, the part that commands the electricity to be released.

All she needs to do is cast the spell at that precise moment. The cloud spits out its lightning, and it arcs straight into the head of the golf club, blasting it apart even as it chars it. There is no thunderclap, as the lightning never makes contact with the earth. Ace falls to the ground, and Sonata is left alone in the clearing.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZrQialji38 And here is where her true crime takes shape.]] Rather than admit to her killing, she does what she does best: she plots a way out. She begins removing the evidence—with her mouth, as necessitated by the loss of her strength and the need to teleport—starting with the murderous golf club and the letter. She runs into problems due to the dark, however; she doesn’t realize the club is missing its head, nor does she realize that the letter has been torn apart in the scuffle. These pieces of evidence are later found by Phoenix and Fluttershy, respectively.

Preparing to teleport, Sonata is suddenly bumped into by Apple Bloom. Startled, Sonata accidentally transports the two of them to the edge of the forest. Because of her dark coloring, Apple Bloom doesn’t see her in the near-pitch blackness under the trees, and Fluttershy just barely notices her exit. Sonata then disposes of the club in Ponyville’s park and waits for her opportunity to further seal the deal. When Rainbow Dash is arrested, she plans on prosecuting the case herself in order to ensure Rainbow takes the fall for her. Of course, Trixie beats her to it, but that's fine so long as no competent defense attorney shows up to ruin things.

Cue Phoenix arriving in Ponyville, and Sonata scrambling to further deny the truth. She conscripts Cruise Control with the same blackmail as Ace—this is why Sonata appears for a moment before Twilight encounters Cruise for the first time, and why Cruise still uses his goofball persona despite having no need for it anymore. What Sonata doesn’t realize, though, is that there are ''two'' individuals working the case. Thanks to Twilight, her well-coordinated plan falls apart.

The motive, the opportunity, and the ''mens rea'' of a masterful criminal—it’s all there. Sonata may not have planned to kill Ace at first, but she did, and then tried to hide her crime in the most reprehensible manner: by framing another for it. Despite her best efforts, however, "no matter how far she runs, now matter how long she hides, the finger of justice will never lose sight of her." Phoenix is going to blow open the lid on all of this during her testimony. And to slip one last bit of WMG into this, I’ll bet he’s going to use that exact turn of phrase when he finally corners her.
* I'm the Troper who posted the theory above this one, and I just wanted to say thank you for being my Edgeworth. (and for introducing me to his themes, they're awesome).
** '''HOLD IT!''' There's a problem with this testimony, your Honor! In Part 4, Gilda confessed to seeing the broken golf club (or stick, as she saw it) when she returned to the clearing. If she can see in the dark, how could she have missed Sonata? Gilda admitted to moving the body underneath the cloud to the part where the first bolt hit, and left the stick alone.
*** '''''OBJECTION!''''' Gilda managed to miss her lost bag, despite both her night vision and ten minutes of search time. Since apparently all it takes to foil a Griffon's gaze is a simple bush, Sonata could have avoided detection by merely being outside the clearing at the time Gilda returned. Whether she did so deliberately or purely by accident is a matter of further speculation, of course.

[[WMG:The charred up item that Phoenix and Twilight found in Part 1 (that either of them could recognize) will be a key piece of evidence in the trial.]]
Think about it: nothing in the AceAttorney universe happens by accident. Almost no evidence is given for no reason. That charred up item ''will'' be recognized in the trial.
* Isn't that the head of Pinkie's golf club? Didn't Pinkie identify the stick as her iron, but it was missing its head? Wouldn't it make sense that the burnt thing is the golf head [[spoiler: charred by the 2nd bolt?]]

[[WMG:Pinkie Pie will take the fall for Phoenix when Sonata accuses him]]
Pinkie may be an airhead (and she may oversleep) but I have a feeling that she'll come barging in when Sonata accuses Phoenix of breaking and entering, and claim that she's the one responsible. Bonus points if she broke into Sonata's room ''again'' and erased all of Phoenix's prints, via the power of Pinkie-jutsu.

[[WMG:Sonata will try, and fail, to accuse Phoenix of breaking and entering]]
Given how Defense Attorneys seem to get a little more leeway, Sonata will attempt to charge Phoenix of breaking and entering... only to be told by the Judge that, since it was related to the crime scene, due to Sonata's room also being Ace Swift's room, Phoenix wasn't breaking any laws by investigating in there.

[[WMG: In part 5/4, there will be [[TheStinger some extra footage]] after the credits roll.]]
It'll mostly be about Twi preparing to send Phoenix back to his world, and as they talk Phoenix laments that Pony currency is useless for his world, and he basically did a big case Pro Bono. Suddenly, the rest of the Mane Cast come in to see him off (maybe even Trixie if she {{Heel Face Turn}}s over the course of the video). Applejack [[BrickJoke gives him the knock upside the head she owed him]] and Rarity [[BrickJoke gives him the suit that she was rambling about]], completely inlaid with enough gems to basically quadruple Phoenix's payment.

[[WMG: Trixie and Ace were lovers]]
Think about it: Twilight felt that those black psyche-lockes were full of sadness. And they appeared when she asked Trixie her true reasons to be the prosecutor in these case. That's because the victim was the pony she loved; she doesn't want revenge against Twilight, she wants revenge against the murderer of her boyfriend.

Also, both of them were fakes: they became famous using dirty tricks and lies; they share something.

Besides, check that little scene at the end of episode 4.

[[WMG:Mia is related to Celestia somehow.]]
This would explain how Celestia knows so much about Phoenix and his accomplishments.
* Mia's spirit has made contact with Celestia somehow. Maybe someone else summoned her?
* It's possible that Celestia was channeling Mia when she told Twilight to summon Phoenix. This WMG is from the Website/YouTube comments from the ''Part 3 - Twilight'' preview.
* Princess Celestia ''is'' Mia Fey reborn. Yeah, this sounds crazy, but there are not many other alternatives here.

[[WMG: The judgment will not be reversed. Rainbow Dash will be banished to the Sun.]]
Just as being banished to the Moon did not kill Luna, being banished to the Sun will not kill Dashie. Rather, Dashie will endure the Sun's harsher conditions-its relentless heat and radiation, its immense gravity, the raw power of a solar storm, its total lack of clouds upon which to nap. Then, months later, the real killer will be revealed. As it would be completely wrong to cause an exonerated suspect to continue serving an unjust sentence, she is magically summoned back home. What comes out of the summoning spell has [[CameBackStrong flight ability trained to almost 30 times normal, a hide that can withstand the full output of the most powerful energy source in sight,]] is still [[IncendiaryExponent as hot as the Sun]], is completely sleep deprived, and the first thing on her mind is what it usually is: [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge flying into a brawl against those who wronged her.]] And hey, no sense holding back, right? I mean, what's the worst thing they could do to you...banish you to the sun? The whole series has been a setup for an epic [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Hoist By Her Own Petard]], with every one of Trixie's choices-from which of the Mane Six to frame to what punishment to pursue to whether to let Fluttershy take the fall instead-combining to yield a new, [[TrainingFromHell improved]], and very angry Dashie, out for Trixie's head.
** The ordeal will not have left Dashie unchanged. Months in intense gravity without anywhere to land will have caused her legs and hair to elongate. Wings will have increased in span as well as strength. To protect her brain, her body will have grown a thick, conical projection of bone and callus, which is so hot that, when returned to normal atmosphere, incandesces...

[[WMG:A previous murder in Equestria is related to this case]]
This is a huge guess, but there might be a chance that a previous Equestrian crime of this magnitute has some relation to this one, even if just a very slight one in a ButterflyOfDoom kind of way. Then again, "a very long time" since the last murder could easily mean anything from a few years to a few centuries, considering this is [[Really700YearsOld Celestia]] we're talking about here, so the chances of it being related could go down significantly.

[[WMG: Sonata murdered Ace for playing with Cruise Control's sister's life]]
Her letter was written to voice her disapproval of Ace [[MoralEventHorizon crossing the line]] by threatening a comatose filly, but she soon realized that the only way to keep Cruise Control's sister comitted was killing Ace so he'd take his dirty secrets to the grave. She may in fact be an [[IAmYourFather aunt or niece]] of Cruise Control and sister, making this a case of [[ThickerThanWater blood is thicker than water]].

[[WMG:Lenora's blackmail was somehow connected to the bottle Twilight found, which itself was supposed to be Rarity's perfume.]]
Lenora is very proud of her position as a mail-griffin and the company she works for, complete with claiming that her company would never mix up packages. However the bottle Twilight found seems to resemble a perfume bottle (and perfume was what Rarity ordered but didn't receive) but is label-less and filled with something that smells horrible. It's possible either Lenora mixed Rarity's bottle of perfume up with something else or Ace mixed up the orders and threatened to blame her.
* Or it really is Rarity's perfume, she did comment on how powerful smelling it was, and Lenora dropped it while she was doing something that caused Ace's death.
** Arguably jossed; in Part 4, Gilda eventually comes clean that she was the one assigned to bring the perfume to Ponyville, she lost it by accident in the forest while chasing Rainbow Dash.

[[WMG:Trixie killed Ace Swift and framed Rainbow Dash for the murder to get back at Twilight.]]
This guess is based on an assumption that if Trixie can be a prosecutor in Equestria, perhaps she may be involved in police as well. Thus, Cruise Control makes his anonymous tip about the blackmailing of Rainbow Dash, and Trixie sees an opportunity to send one of Twilight's closest friends to jail. The fact that she has black Psyche Locks could also be a hint to this, as the only person to ever sport these locks is [[spoiler:Kristoph Gavin]], who is also known for petty and complex revenge/murder plots.
* Although not out of place in an ''Ace Attorney'' setting, the problem is how this would fit in the ''Friendship is Magic'' one, the place where not a single murder has transpired for several years. The "complex murder scheme for revenge" plan is already absurd enough in ''Apollo Justice'', so we don't even have to get started on how ridiculous it would be on Equestria.
** A strong notion that might disprove this theory is that Twilight notes how the locks were depressing her and that it was more trapping the truth under emotional duress than just being so stubborn about spilling the beans that their locks are impossible to break.

[[WMG:Trixie's locks, if they do, won't break in the normal fashion.]]
Per Phoenix's canon black psyche-locks are unbreakable, and Trixie did do all that flashy stuff at the stage.

[[WMG:Sonata killed Ace and either Lenora or Cruise Control helped her.]]
Sonata just wanted to end everything she and Ace did. She probably knew that Ace was about to blackmail Rainbow Dash, so she followed Ace to the Everfree Forest. Once she saw RD leave, she entered the forest and saw that Ace had been knocked out. Taking the initiative, she placed Pinkie Pie's golf club at one of the gaps in Ace's suite and either used a stepladder to reach and activate the cloud (if anypony can activate clouds), asked for Cruise Control to do it (if only Pegasi can activate clouds), or asked Lenora to do it (if she can also activate clouds).

Since the thunder did not hit the ground, it did not make any noise. If she did it alone, she saw Apple Bloom and used a spell to send her home. If she did not, then either Lenora or CC saw Apple Bloom and just left her in the nearest place which just happened to be her home (since Rainbow Dash flew in the direction of Fluttershy's home, the guilty party would just leave using another road). Sonata then switched the stepladder she used with one from Lenora's place and placed one of her feathers at the crime scene to throw ponies off. This is more or less is how I think everything happen. I can't stop thinking that Sonata has to be a culprit but I kinda doubt she could have done it alone. Even if she did, she probably had a back up plan to make another pony or gryphon look suspicious. I feel there is a lot of holes in my theory but I can't remember everything that had just happened in like 6 hours of gaming XD.
* First, Sonata just wanted out of the business. So far, she has expressed no desire to kill Ace Swift. Also, there is currently no hard evidence that would point to her. Second, how did Ace get knocked out? Third, in ''The Boast Busters'', Trixie used a spell to summon a storm cloud to strike the Ursa Minor with lightning. Given that spell-book that Sonata had, she could have used that spell. Fourth, why would Cruise kill the only thing that's keeping his sister in the hospital? Fifth, Apple Bloom did not just find herself at Sweet Apple Acres. She specifically states that she walked out of the Everfree Forest on her own. Sixth, there is only one road out of Everfree Forest. Even if Lenora or Cruise flew Apple Bloom out of the forest, Sweet Apple Acres is nowhere near there if memory serves. Also, Apple Bloom would have been able to tell if she was being carried. Seventh, if Sonata had Lenora help her, why would she shift all of the blame onto her? In short, very little of your theory makes sense and most of it has nothing concrete to back it up.
** First: Exactly because of that she could have killed Ace. One just does not get out of a business like that so easily. Also, it is not like she would be screaming at the sky that she will kill Ace. Second: Probably with Pinkie's golf club. If not, any other hard object could do the job. Anyway, I guess it is not so important if Ace was knock out, it just make things easier. Third: It is possible. I had forgotten about that spell. It is just that by this point in time, I don't feel like Trixie being the culprit is the right answer but who knows. Maybe that is the thing that would get us mad about the last part of this series. Fourth: It is exactly because of that that Cruise or Lenora would help Sonata. She is also a Pony from Canterlot. If anything happened to Ace, she could help Cruise. In my theory, Sonata needed an accomplice to help her and just happened to chose one of those two. I feel that Lenora would be the perfect choice. Fifth: I can't remember. I guess you are right. I remember that she passed out after she saw that lighting and then she woke up in Sweet Apple Acres but honestly I can't remember. If it is how you said, then the culprits just waited until Fluttershy got back home to leave the place. Sixth, I have no good answer. Seventh: Honestly... it is exactly that. She needed a scapegoat. First Rainbow and then her backup plan, Lenora. That is just what I think. She is kinda smart you know. Sonata probably is a few step ahead of a lot of everyone. But yeah, it is only a theory. It is just what I think after I saw all of the evidence and since magic is a possibility, who knows?
*** First, not true. Ace was powerless to stop her from leaving. Even if he threatened to expose her, Sonata would have just pointed out that doing so would expose himself as well. Second, that doesn’t answer my question. My question was “How was Ace knocked out” not “What was Ace knocked out with.” Third, I am not saying that Trixie did it. I seriously doubt that she did. I was just pointing out that Sonata could have used that very same spell. Fourth, that is unlikely seeing as how Sonata might not be able to act fast enough to keep Cruise’s sister in the hospital. Killing Ace and then relying on Sonata would prove to be riskier than just continuing to be blackmailed by Ace. Fifth, I am right. Your memory is incorrect. Also, you last sentence makes no sense. Sixth, see point number five. Apple Bloom did not wake up in Sweet Apple Acres. Seventh, I find this unlikely but I wouldn’t put it past her.
*** First, I don’t know. If Sonata was the one doing all the hard work and stuff then not having her around would be the same than he being exposed but yeah. Besides that, I guess he cannot do anything to stop her. Second, she used a spell to hit him with the golf club. I can't remember why having Ace knocked out was important so I guess that it isn’t. Third, I don't know if Sonata could cast it. I mean, she is not as magical as Twi or Trixie but who knows. She is still a unicorn. Fourth, what if she arranged everything beforehand or she lied about it? That would be really a douche move but that is just me assuming a lot of stuff here. Fifth and sixth, I’m sorry. I’m not really sure what I mean by that.
*** First, you are, once again, incorrect. Ace already had what he needed to blackmail every one of the competitors in the Equestrian 500 (to my knowledge) or at least the biggest threats so Sonata’s job was done for this race. Second, this is baseless conjecture. There is no evidence to suggest that Ace was knocked out before being killed. Third, I’m fairly certain that Sonata could cast that spell. Remember, in the show, there is nothing to suggest that Trixie really is any good with magic and Sonata had a book of advanced spells. It is highly likely that she could have cast that spell. Fourth, I have no evidence that disproves this statement but it seems overly complicated (not that being so stopped Ace Attorney villains before).

[[WMG: Pinkie Pie's Golf Club is the Murder Weapon]]
The murderer found Pinkie Pie's golf club, stuck it down Ace's shirt or tricked him into holding it, and set off the cloud. The club acted as a lighting rod, allowing the lighting to bypass Ace's protective suit and kill him. The murderer then moved Ace's body to where the first bolt hit and threw the club into the river where Twilight Sparkle found it.
* And the club part broke off: that's what Pheonix found the night he was brought to Equestria.
** They probably didn't have to trick Ace into holding it. Rainbow Dash mentioned that the suit was very itchy. Ace would've been chafing something nasty and all the culprit had to do was give him something long, thin and metallic to use to scratch an itch and then set off the cloud.

[[WMG: Trixie has summoned a prosecutor from the Ace Attorney universe before.]]
Except that it wasn't Edgeworth. It was either Franziska or Godot, both of whom know exactly where her pride is going to lead her. Franziska went through a BreakTheHaughty moment in the ending of ''Justice For All'', while Godot would point out exactly where revenge would lead.

Alternatively, she summoned Edgeworth before, and he chewed her out over her pride.

[[WMG: A crucial cross-examination during the last part of the last courtroom act will use the ''Ultimate MarvelvsCapcom3'' versions of Phoenix's themes.]]
Simply because both the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbv5AJDh9o8 Objection!]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP9PoBlFDp4 Pursuit ~ Cornered]] remixes are too epic to be left out.
* Or Cadenza's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNRBdaDYCFs rendition of]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeP4RP6XNuE the same themes]]. [[AutobotsRockOut Attorneys, Rock Out!]]
** In fact, the whole of the cross examination can be a ShoutOut to MvC3. As the examination goes, Trixie and Phoenix are seemingly on equal terms when she boasts that Phoenix has nothing to trump her with. Phoenix justs looks down and grins. Suddenly Twi notices that [[PowerGlows Phoenix is glowing]] and then the remixed ''Pursuit ~ Cornered'' starts playing. [[MagikarpPower Phoenix]] [[OhCrap just entered]] [[SuperMode Turnabout Mode]].
-->"You've got nothing."
-->"[[PreAssKickingOneLiner I've got all I need!]]"

[[WMG: The pony in the picture that Cruise Control took at the entrance of the Everfree Forest is NOT Ace Swift]]
It was explicitly said that Cruise Control didn't get a clear picture of the face of the pony that entered there. Think about it: Just WHY did Ace choose to wear a lightning proof suit for his meeting in the clearing? Rainbow Dash also explicitly stated that the suit was itchy and generally uncomfortable. He had absolutely no reason to be wearing it. The weather report said that the clearing would have clear skies, so he wouldn't be wearing it for protection. My guess is that somepony knocked him out earlier with the golf club, before the first lightning strike hit, and knew that Cruise Control would follow him/her. So they donned the suit to hide their identity, let Cruise Control take his picture, and later put it back on the body to make it look like Ace entered the forest at 8:20, when in fact he was there earlier.

[[WMG: Cruise Control is now being blackmailed by Sonata]]
The reason the second set of Psych-locks appeared in Cruise Control's conversation with Twilight is because he knows who the killer is: Sonata! And she's blackmailing him with his sister. Sonata also lives in Canterlot and she could easily pull some strings to keep Cruise Control's sister there and take her out if she wanted to.

[[WMG: Rainbow Dash will be joining Gilda in prison.]]
Gilda admitted to trying to frame Rainbow Dash in some, by her own confession, really messed up desire for revenge, and staged the scene, then committed perjury trying and failing to get that sense of revenge, but Rainbow Dash isn't completely innocent. She stole a cloud and tried threatening someone with it, then obstructed any and all attempts to find out what happened, not to mention, the cloud she stole and activated did end up killing someone. These are not exactly trivial things.
->'''Gilda:''' Dash, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be getting ready for the big race.\\
'''Rainbow:''' Yeah, well, while I'm not guilty of the murder, Ace is dead because of a cloud I stole, threatened him with, and turned on. Move over, we're cellmates.

[[WMG:[[ExcitedTitleTwoPartEpisodeName A Teleporter Did It! Unicorn Sonata Behind The Scenes!]]]]
It all comes together. The dud second bolt, the golf club, the escapes from the Everfree Forest... okay, the reason why Applebloom managed to get out of the Everfree Forest so easily and without Fluttershy's notice is because Sonata teleported her out. The actual murder of Ace was with the second bolt, which was the "dud" inside the cloud... Sonata used her magic to embed the golf club into the cloud and channel the lightning from the interior of the cloud straight to Ace, which is why nobody heard it. She then recovered it while Gilda was gone and teleported out; Fluttershy saw her carrying it in her mouth because her horn was focused on the teleport spell out. That's how it all went down.

[[WMG: It was...]]
Sonata... in the clearing... with the golf club sticking into the cloud for the second bolt.

[[WMG: Ace accidentally killed himself]]
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. This idea bugged me even since first episode. Because being sent to the sun seems such harsh punishment, even for OCs.
* My guess for what's actually happened. After Dash left the forest, either Cruise or Sonata confronted him...probably Cruise. During the heated argument, Ace lost it. He is about to attack using Pinkie's golf club when the bolt comes down and did him in. I am unfamiliar with MLP, but after the episode 4 it is told that most ponies (except Unicorn) hold things with their mouth. I think that's what Ace did. Then, the other (probably Sonata) witness the scene and told Cruise to shut up and blackmailed him. They decided to blame it on Dash. The same reason is used to blackmail Cruise into stealing Phoenix's evidence.

'''''She did call out a few guesses for being way over the top, like Trixie being manipulated.'''''

[[WMG: The third lightning bolt will end up being a RevealingCoverUp]]
OK; so there's always the possibility that it is nothing more than a RedHerring, but if Phoenix is trying to push for the 2nd bolt being the bolt that killed Ace, then the 3rd bolt is currently a problem for the theory. However, there is a key connection. Later on in the trial, as they continue the banter, some key evidence will come up, and Phoenix will realize that someone used the lightning strike on the tree in order to cover up their part in the crime. And from this, he will expose the killer to the best of his ability.
* Except that the third bolt occurred at 11:35 pm, way after the murder, and the authorities that came in to investigate watched and saw the third bold come down.

[[WMG: Trixie was an accomplice to the murder.]]
I'll admit I'm just venting anger/frustration here but isn't it weird how Trixie was in town the day of the trial? Also because it's Rainbow Dash being prosecuted can't be the ONLY reason why she got involved, right? Plus, it's possible that a Pegasus wasn't the one to manipulate the cloud. "Sonic Rainboom" showed that there was a spell that allowed non-winged ponies to walk on clouds. Maybe it also allows them to create lightning by kicking them?
* If you recall the only episode Trixie has been in, you can see that Unicorns can create lightning via magic. The cloud walking spell isn't needed.

[[WMG: Celestia did it.]]
Celestia knew that Rainbow Dash was being blackmailed so she killed Ace Swift. When she found out that Rainbow Dash was arrested for the crime she committed, Celestia decided to judge the trial and rule Rainbow Dash Not Guilty but without finding the murderer. However, the High Council prevented her from doing this so she had to get a Defense Attorney who was good enough to get Rainbow Dash found not guilty but not good enough for Celestia to be found guilty. She also sent Twilight Sparkle to watch Phoenix in case he started to get the idea that Celestia might be guilty. Lastly, she picked a Judge who wouldn't believe that she could be guilty.

[[WMG: Trixie is the "thing" Apple Bloom bumped into in the forest.]]
When Twilight looks at her in surprise, it's while Trixie is saying she didn't know about that part of Apple Bloom's testimony or denying that it has any relevance to the case. It's confirmed in Part 3-Twilight that Trixie has a VerbalTic of only using first-person pronouns when she's nervous or hiding something. At the ''very'' least, Trixie knows more than she let on during the trial.

[[WMG: The burnt metal object acted as a lightning rod of sorts]]
If it really is the second bolt that killed Ace, then this would be the most likely M.O. It was placed on one of the vulnerable spots of Ace's lightning-proof suit and attracted the bolts that weren't under Rainbow Dash's control. It was probably placed on his person sometime after Rainbow Dash scared him since if it was there before, the initial bolt really would have killed him. This could also explain the introduction: the culprit was saying the words in the opening as he attached the metal to an opening.
* I bet it's part of Pinkie's Golf Club.

[[WMG: The golf club is the real murder weapon.]]
Ace Swift was hit in the back of the head with it, but the wounding would not be readily visible because the "missing" bolt of lightning was grounded by the club into the neck of his corpse. The lightning bolts are just a red herring to the true nature of the murder.

[[WMG: Lenora did it.]]
The Griffon Express not arriving until after the murder, the feather left behind, being a blackmail victim…So far, everything's pointing to her.
* Her reason for doing it is because she wanted things to go back to the way they were before Ace Swift. Cruise is simply trying to cover it up.
* Pretty much jossed by Part 4; Phoenix notes during his cross examination of Gilda that griffons can't set off lightning like pegasi can, the "strange feather" is Gilda's, and Gilda was the Griffon Express deliverywoman who was supposed to bring Rarity's perfume -- she never arrived because she "got distracted" by the confrontation between Rainbow and Ace, lost the bottle, interfered with the crime scene to frame Rainbow Dash, and then flew back to the Griffon Kingdom.

[[WMG: At some point, Neo will humorously note how some of the above guesses are over the top and not what she was thinking at all]]

[[WMG: Cruise, his little sister and Trixie are all related]]
The picture of Cruise and his sister don't let us take a good glance at her but we can see that they all share the same kind of skin color though his sister seems to have a lighter tone of blue similar to Trixie's. There's the possibility that Trixie is Cruise's cousin or something (or even his sister, making Cruise's little sister her own too). That would explain why her psyched-locks are black and full of sadness: one member of her family is being black-mailed, the other is in a coma and the one doing the blackmail even threatened to pull her sister/cousin life support off. This would reinforce the hypothesis that Trixie murdered Ace Swift as well (though it may have been an accident). One thing is sure: Magic happened during the night of the murder (teleportation at least as we assume thanks to Apple Bloom), and there was no other unicorn nearby.
* If that's the case then her becoming prosecutor actually makes a lot of sense. Even if Trixie didn't play a role in the murder, she really care about Cruise and thus became prosecutor to take suspicion off him. It just happened that it was Rainbow Dash who was accused and her whole revenge on Twilight was to further keep their role in the affair hidden.

[[WMG: [[EverybodyDidIt Cruise, Leona, AND Sonata did it]]. Trixie's trying to cover it up.]]
Cruise and Leona have had enough and Swift blackmailing a younger pony is the final straw. (They don't know it's just some embarrassing pictures; they're assuming worse.) Sonata's fed up with working for the scumbag. Cruise's attempt to go to the police failed so they've decided to do the only option they have. Cruise baits the area, Sonata uses Pinkie's golf club to rig Ace's suit and Leona fires the bolt. Then as per the earlier guess, Trixie is related to Cruise and finds out what happened. She signs up to prosecute in order to save her family. She's actually slightly hating herself for doing this.
* I'd switch Cruise and Lenora around because it isn't clear if griffins are capable of manipulating the weather in both FiM's canon or Turnabout Storm's canon.
** Phoenix actually thinks to himself that he'd like to accuse Gilda, in Part 4, but he can't, because griffons can't set off lightning from clouds.

[[WMG: Ace and Trixie are related]]
Rather than Cruise, it's Ace. Maybe they are friends or even an item. Why not? Both are meanies. Trixie is putting up prosecuting as a revenge and her despair and sadness is over the loss.

[[WMG: Sonata used Changeling Magic to become Trixie]]
As a way of covering her tracks. That's where that book came in. This isn't the first time an impostor forgot one important detail in the MLP verse though this time [[ContinuityNod Twilight is on top of it]].

[[WMG: It will be Cruise Control who will say that blackmail is involved]]
This will destroy the blackmail Sonata aimed at Phoenix and leave him free to attack.

[[WMG: Rainbow Dash killed Ace Swift but not intentionally]]
I'm guessing the metal club from Pinkie's golf club that was broken off was placed on Ace Swift to act as a conductor by the mastermind behind it all. Rainbow Dash's attempt to scare Ace Swift accidentally caught the club and thus killed him. Whatever further lightning bolts occurred were either as a cover up or something else entirely.
* This Troper takes back this wild mass guessing, considering the first lightning bolt made a noise upon impacting the ground which I'm assuming was what caused the charred ground, and it was later brought up that striking a very small object wouldn't make a noise, which this Troper believes was the deadly blow by impacting that very same conductor placed on Ace Swift.

[[WMG:If Ace ''is'' alive, then he won't be for longer]]
If Ace does manage to stay alive after the murder, then he'd be exposed as a blackmailer and earning the ire of everyone to the point where some would be going after his head (especially Cruise if the above WMG is true). What happens after may or not bring back memories of a similar case.
* [[MythologyGag Bonus points]] if Phoenix is given the choice to declare him innocent or guilty, with Ace Swift mutilating himself and begging Phoenix to say "guilty".

[[WMG:Cruise's Cutie Mark will be revealed when the time is right]]
None of Cruise's vectors in ''Part 3 - Twilight'' show his cutie mark. So either the author didn't have an idea for what it would be, or it will revealed to the audience during a fitting moment in the finale.
* WordOfGod has stated: "For those wondering what Cruise's Cutie Mark is, it's a hot-air balloon. I just couldn't really show it off with his wings in the way." So this is unlikely.

[[WMG:Cruise and Lenora were both blackmailed into helping Sonata kill Ace.]]
While neither Cruise nor Lenora are sorry that Ace is dead, neither of them seem like the type to kill someone unless forced. Sonata took the liberty of picking the two most suspicious of Ace's victims and forced them to help her.

[[WMG:Neither Cruise nor Lenora are involved but they both think the other is.]]
Lenora seems very protective of Cruise and even though they're no longer close, Cruise likely feels at least some affection for his old friend. He discovered the feather and recognized it as a griffin feather and then proceeded to connect it with Lenora; not wanting her arrested, he attacked Phoenix to prevent him from finding the feather but was unaware it had already been found. In Lenora's case, she made the connection between Cruise's sister being in Canterlot Hospital and Ace being a blackmailer and prior to Ace's death, may or may not have been planning to expose Ace for his blackmail of Cruise. However after Ace's death, she believed Cruise had [[KickTheSonOfABitch somewhat justifiably killed Ace]] and tried to protect him. Eventually Twilight and Pheonix will be able to reveal the truth about neither being involved and get the full story out of them.

'''''Very close to how the actual events played out. He proves his ideals to her by using the value of having someone on your side and the very same truth she used to dismiss in favor of "cold hard justice" in order to save her life and give her a second chance.'''''

[[WMG:Sonata did it.]]
... Seriously, you want an explanation as to why this is plausible?
* Yes, please.
** Very well. This is based off the fact that she's an OC. Think about it, if the murderer was an established character, [[RonTheDeathEater that would probably paint them in a dark color]], or otherwise earn the ire of the fanbase. It's sort of like why the victim is an OC, to avoid ire of the fanbase. However, with Lenora and Cruise in the game now, her chances are now slimmed by 66%.
*** To add to this WMG, this series is full of Shout-Outs. Who's to say Sonata's name isn't one to DetectiveConan and the Midnight Sonata case.
*** With the end of Part 4 this is looking very likely (As it's Ace Attorney Tradition to cross examine the murderer last). It would also make it an ironic inversion of ''Turnabout Sisters'' with [[spoiler: the magic intellectual seeking some sense of justice murdering the blackmailing monster following through with Sonat being the anti-Mia.]]

[[WMG:Something will happen that will let Phoenix spill the beans on the blackmail without fear of being arrested.]]
If Sonata is the killer, and he finds some evidence leading to her that he could have found without going into the hotel room, then he could nail her for that, and her protestations that he broke into her hotel room could be put under suspicion. Even then, Phoenix would probably be perfectly fine with facing the consequences for his actions as long as it didn't hurt Rainbow Dash's case; if the real killer were found, he could go to jail then.

[[WMG:Sonata has some sort of connection with Mia.]]
I'm not saying she's Mia herself, but she might have some sort of connection with her. It's kinda hard to swallow that the coincidence of voice and looks is just that, a coincidence. This might be reading too much into it, but there's also the fact that Sonata's Cutie Mark is a ''human'' eye.
* Invoked by Phoenix himself at the end of Part 4, though he then admits her attitude is completely opposite of Mia's.

[[WMG:Ace wasn't a Pegasus to begin with.]]
Sonata use a spell to give him some wings that spell has to be cast multiple times or has a short duration.

[[WMG:A pony version of Miles Edgeworth will show up.]]
Sonata looks like Mia and Phoenix thought Applejack was one of the persons of his universe so…
* Hmm; come to think of it, that would explain the casting of a voice for Edgeworth without having to bring him in.
** They did bring Edgeworth in briefly; Edgeworth spoke in the image Phoenix imagined and immediately wanted BrainBleach for.

[[WMG:The mysterious caller's identity.]]
Just who was the one that called Phoenix in the middle of a world without cellphones?
* The ghost of Ace Swift called Phoenix to the forest. It might be unlikely, but note that the caller managed to use Phoenix's cellphone to communicate with him, which probably nopony no matter how good their magic is can do. The attacker's coat color also looks similar to Ace Swifts. Additionally he wanted to be met alone in the forest clearing, which makes sense because it's where he was presumably murdered. I can't think of an explanation as to why he would attack him. Perhaps it's just a way to give him the bottom half of the letter.
* Doctor Whooves called, as part of the blackmail conditions from the "Dr Whooves knocked Phoenix out." WMG. He might have access to some kind of technology or power to make a call to Phoenix's cellphone.
* Twilight did it. She made connection with Phoenix's signal using magic, and then she modified her voice somehow to avoid being caught by Phoenix. She did it so she could get the evidence from his hands.
* What's the easiest way to make contact with a cellphone? Another cellphone of course. Another human, probably from "orders" of a pony (Trixie? Sonata? Twilight?) made contact with him with the aid of their cellphone and a little magic to lure him into the forest.
* I'm pretty sure it was Cruise Control. How he did it beats me. But it's his voice after all, or very similar to his voice.
** Pretty much confirmed as Cruise Control; he gets taken down for ambushing Phoenix in Part 3: Twilight.

[[WMG:Princess Celestia will be the BigDamnHero]]
Phoenix's cases have a history of someone bursting at the last minute and producing some vital evidence for the case. Who better to swoop in and save the day than the ruler of all Equestria? After all, the council only prevented Celestia from serving as judge, but there has been no indication that she couldn't participate in the trial another way…

[[WMG: [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight Pinkie Pie is right]]]]
Well, sort of. There ''is'' an evil Rainbow Dash, but she's a magically disguised impostor, not an EvilTwin.
* Since they introduced Changelings, the possibility for this has increased dramatically.
* Or, there is an evil twin, expect that in fact it isn't Rainbow Dash's twin…But Trixie's! If Twilight's reactions during part 2 weren't caused by seeing psych-locks around Trixie, it may have been caused by Trixie's twin not exactly acting like Trixie would. Though, truth to be told, it's still a quite iffy hypothesis.
* Looking at the background of the channel right now, there is an OC pony that bears a striking resemblance to Rainbow Dash, but red-colored instead of blue, along with a scar. Though he/she might not be a changeling, Pinkie Pie might not be too far off on this EvilTwin thing.
* [[spoiler: Confirmed. Although it has no real relevance to the story, Wright does run into an aggressive and rude pegasus with a red-orange coat and a rainbow mane who threatens him. There is no explanation for who or what this pony actually is, but it seems Wobniar is real after all.]]

[[WMG: Trixie's after the real killer and the trial is fake]]
A magician relies on subterfuge and legerdemain. She's using the trial as a smokescreen to hide her real intent. She could have tried to deny Phoenix's accusation, but instead let him do it. However, that is not to say everything she is doing is part of the act. Publicly humiliating Rainbow Dash is purely a perk for her.
* I know, a Phoenix Wright prosecutor that is out to get the real villain. Highly unlikely, but this is "Wild Mass Guesses".

[[WMG: Sonata will pull a HeelFaceTurn]]
Okay, okay, I'm going to get some flack for saying it, but just hear me out.

Now, this was inspired by one of the above Guesses about the ThePowerOfTrust being a theme for the series; Sonata's special talent, the thing that she is almost supernaturally gifted in, is observation, meaning that she could easily tell when someone is lying. If she was an early bloomer, she could have had her trust betrayed by somepony close to her when she realized they were lying thanks to her skill, possibly to the point that she became as she is today.

However, Phoenix isn't one to lie unless he absolutely HAS to, making him the perfect someone to restore her faith that not everyone is a liar and that good and decent people (And ponies) still exist. I realize this invokes a lot of HumansAreSpecial overtones, and I'm sorry, but it's just been on my mind a lot.

[[WMG:Sonata is the murderer.]]
She found Ace's letter (which mention firing someone), tore it up in anger, and then started plotting her vengeance. Spike mentioned having a "Magical Friend" of whom he gave a book to. That book is Advanced Magical Studies. That book is rare, as it can only be found in Canterlot. She knew that Rainbow Dash was going to meet Ace Swift in the Everfree Forrst. Sonata followed her until after Rainbow ran off. She used the book on magical studies to manipulate the cloud into striking Ace Swift. That is why there is no other marks; she never touched the cloud.

Plus, she's an OC. You think the writer would condemn a cannon character?
* Partially Jossed, as she wrote the letter, and admits it when Phoenix questions her on it.

[[WMG: Phoenix will be forced to reveal what he learned in Sonata's hotel room and will hand over the reigns to Twilight.]]
It just seems like standard ''Ace Attorney'' fair with the twists like that and it would make for a damn good story. Also, that's the most damning piece of evidence that Phoenix has right now.
* Except that Part 4 ends with Twilight admitting she didn't make the appeal, so she's not legally entitled to act as an attorney if Phoenix is taken off the case. If Phoenix goes down, Rainbow Dash has no legal defenders left...

[[WMG: The Black Psyche Locks that Twilight mentioned can be broken.]]
* Twilight's talent is magic, and it's been shown before that she can learn spells from other unicorns and power them up considerably, like Rarity's gem-finder spell in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E19ADogAndPonyShow "A Dog and Pony Show"]]. There's a chance that this may hold true for the power of the Magatama, and she'll be able to break the "unbreakable" black locks thanks to this.
or
* Seeing as how the Magatama can't break them on its own (which means that Twi can't break them on her own), Phoenix will team up with Twilight to use both the Magatama and her spell to break the Black Psyche Locks.

[[WMG: Sonata's random winces are from a recent injury.]]
Specifically, the second lightning bolt hit her after she killed Ace Swift. The reason she didn't die is because she was using a spell to protect her from lighting as a safety measure (she did have an advanced spell book from Canterlot). However, she wasn't powerful enough to use the spell properly so the protection was incomplete leading to her surviving without major injury but still being in a fair deal of pain.
** [[spoiler: Jossed. Those weren't winces at all. She was actually trying not to laugh at Pinkie's jokes in order to maintain a professional demeanor.]]

[[WMG:Sonata will have a VillainousBreakdown]]
And it will be [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome glorious]] and {{Memetic|Mutation}}.

[[WMG:Twilight Sparkle will channel Mia Fey.]]
Considering TheStinger at the end of Part 2 where we hear Phoenix calling out Mia's name, as well as the mysterious Magatama glow before the trial, this one is not an unreasonable guess.
* All but confirmed seeing as though the audition video's [[TheStinger stinger]] shows a ponified version of Mia for a split second.
** [[EpilepticTrees Unless that's not a channeled Mia but a reincarnation]]. There's a mystery that Part 1 left hanging: namely how Twilight knew Phoenix's name. What if she didn't summon the best defense attorney but instead summoned Phoenix intentionally, following the advice of a ''peculiar'' pony?
*** Well, ''Part 3 - Twilight'' revealed that Celestia explicitly told Twilight to summon Phoenix, but not how she knew of him.
* Please provide the link to this video.
** The video in question was erased by the creator, but there is a screencap of that split second. [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Turnabout_Storm_-_Is_that____6600.png Here's our "pony"]]. And [[http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/3047/miav.jpg here's her next to her human form]]. That's some MorphicResonance there.
*** This picture seems to match up precisely with the leftmost silhouette of the Part 2 ending, making this the most likely scenario.
* Alternatively, she could somehow end up summoning Mia Fey instead, except in Pony form. Reasoning for this would be that she'd be trying to summon a different lawyer after Phoenix is forced to accuse Fluttershy to buy time, to get that one to take his place, who would then explain things in a bit more detail.
** PLEASE let this one be true. I want Twilight to understand Phoenix's motives so badly it hurts.
* Mia will be summoned by Twilight during ''Part 5''. It's quite evident at this point that Twilight didn't have any chance of summoning her before that point, considering she didn't even know about her existence right until Phoenix told her by the end of ''Part 4''. With this knowledge, and the fact that she'll have [[IdenticalStranger a dead ringer of Mia right in front of her face]], she might get the chance to pull out a spirit chanelling; most likely out of pure desperation when things start looking ugly again.

[[WMG:The one case in ''Justice For All'' will be brought up.]]
Phoenix is bound to be confronted by at least Twilight on the stunt he pulled in court. At which point, he'd explain his reasoning for accusing Fluttershy as well as pointing out that he needs no help from Twilight in hating himself for it, partially explaining the one case.
* Although I agree with that, I think initially Twilight won't want to talk to him and walks out on him as mentioned in the above WMG. He will however bring it up to Fluttershy in the Detention Center, and she will probably have the kindness to forgive him; maybe even saying that if it means helping Rainbow Dash, she's happy to help in any way she can.
** Interestingly, this also calls to mind Case 1-5, where [[spoiler: Lana forfeits her right to an attorney and dismisses Phoenix in the middle of the trial before Edgeworth is able to turn the tide back into Phoenix's favor]]. It's possible that Rainbow Dash, especially since she is the Element of Loyalty and Phoenix has accused her friend Fluttershy of the murder, might do exactly the same thing before someone else intervenes on Phoenix's behalf.
** Perhaps Trixie might have second thoughts about getting revenge? She's a jerk, yes but I REALLY don't think she's one to do THIS to Twilight and her friends.
*** PLEASE let the above be true. No [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP:FiM]] character should be like [[AmoralAttorney Manfred Von Karma]].
** Did you see how she reacted at the end of part 2? She was perfectly happy to have Phoenix accuse Fluttershy. She doesn't have any qualms about throwing anypony under the bus as long as she gets what she wants.
*** Given Part 3-Twilight, Trixie having second thoughts is a little more probable given that her [[spoiler:black Psyche-Locks aren't evil in nature but rather just make Twilight feel incredibly sad.]]

[[WMG: The culprit tried to kill Rainbow Dash, not Ace Swift.]]
Let's assume that the murder was premeditated. The fact that Rainbow Dash and Ace Swift were both in the same area of the Everfree Forest at the same time suggests that Rainbow Dash could have been just as likely a target as Ace Swift. Granted, there is still not enough evidence that proves the act was premeditated but this is still a reasonable guess considering what has already been shown in court.
* [[FridgeHorror Ugh; this theory may be plausible but it gives me the chills]]…OH MY CELESTIA! Something just hit me. There's a theory that Rainbow Dash is being blackmailed right? Well…what if Fluttershy becomes a target by the blackmailer? She's in the detention center so someone claiming to be an old friend or part of the defense team might be able to slip in and kidnap her to use as a hostage so Rainbow takes the fall. And Rainbow would do it given that she's the Element of Loyalty and it's been all but confirmed that Fluttershy is one of her oldest friends...gah; I hate myself right now.
** Original poster of the above: Sorry everyone. I've been informed that my panic was spurned by being misinformed and Fluttershy is safe. Thank Celestia huh?
** Well, devil's advocate here, but what's still stopping somepony from kidnapping Fluttershy?
*** Flutters being kidnapped may not be {{Jossed}} yet but if the preview for Part 4 is any indication, the only pony getting kidnapped would be Twilight…

[[WMG: Ace Swift isn't dead to begin with.]]
Call this a hunch, but in a [[SugarBowl setting like]] ''MyLittlePony'', [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt it's hard to imagine a murder taking place]] other than snuff fics.
* With the autopsy report and a crime scene complete with ChalkOutline and everything, I highly doubt that. Even if he didn't die, they got Phoenix Wright, ace MysteryMagnet and video game poster boy of AlwaysMurder, taken to Ponyville. Something will die at some point.
** Maybe [[ProphecyTwist someone's innocence]]?
*** Wait…[[ComicallyMissingThePoint so you can go for trial for killing someone's innocence?]] I should have known sooner! I'm contacting a prosecutor!
* Actually, here's my theory: since Ace is known to have blackmailed anybody with a legitimate chance to beat him, he would probably be more concerned with having a "perfect record" than anything else. When Rainbow Dash scared the daylights out of him with the lightning cloud, he probably had a few horrified thoughts out of how it came THAT close to killing him…and then suddenly realized what WOULD have happened if he was killed: Rainbow Dash would've been banished, there would be no evidence to his blackmail scheme ([[SpannerInTheWorks until Phoenix started digging it up, that is]]), and he'd still keep his "perfect" record. So he had Sonata and Trixie fake his death, and he's currently in hiding, waiting until Rainbow Dash had been banished before heading off to retirement. Bonus points if either A) either Sonata or Trixie murdered him anyways, or B) if he was convicted for his crimes, that Rainbow Dash would challenge him to a one on one race - and completely whipping him in the process!

[[WMG:There is more than one culprit involved in the murder.]]
This is as of yet unsubstantiated but still a valid guess. Many theories seem to revolve around Gilda or Trixie being the culprit but this would make the case far too simple. A more likely answer is that numerous individuals are involved with one [[BigBad central figure]] that is ultimately responsible.
* I like this one. And then if Gilda, Trixie or both are involved, they come to realize just what they've done and in their [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horror/disgust with themselves]], they join up with Phoenix to clear Dash.
** Gilda being a culprit is pretty much jossed by #4; she admits to [[spoiler: tampering with the crime scene to frame Rainbow Dash as the killer]], but insists that the pegasus was alive when she first went after Rainbow Dash. Also, Phoenix notes to himself that his research reveals griffons ''cannot'' set off lightning clouds; that's an ability unique to pegasi.

[[WMG:The culprit was an Equestrian attorney.]]
Compare the burnt object that Phoenix and Twilight found with the Equestrian attorney badge. There is somewhat of a resemblance, although this is still not confirmed in any way. This is WildMassGuessing, after all.

[[WMG:The culprit is Trixie.]]
She's an attorney? Check. She can summon thunderclouds? Check. Likes to spite Twilight's Friends in revenge for being shown off? Check. The fact that Manfred, the character most people seem to compare her to in this fanfic, [[spoiler: pulled off a murder with a similar motive?]] Check.
* This seems to be a prevailing opinion but it appears far too obvious of an answer to create an interesting case. See the above WMG that suggests more than one pony was involved.
** That and she doesn't have strong enough magic.
** Plus Trixie's not a Pegasus so she couldn't move or manipulate the cloud which was confirmed as the cause of death.
** Unicorn magic is just as capable of affecting the weather as Pegasus magic. Unicorn magic is used to change the weather and the seasons in Canterlot, and both [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E4LunaEclipsed Luna]] and [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E6BoastBusters Trixie]] herself have used DramaticThunder in their LargeHam moments. [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E13HearthsWarmingEve Hearths Warming Eve]] also implies Unicorns are able to affect the weather.
*** Trixie can summon lightning, but we don't know for certain if she can manage to summon real ''lethal'' lightning, considering most, if not all, of her tricks are pretty low key. This is especially important because, at the end of #4, Twilight notes that not only are killing-grade lightning spells ancient, forbidden magic, they're also extremely difficult, to the point she doubts that ''she herself'' could cast one. And Twilight's a magical prodigy, as the show makes clear.

[[WMG: Rainbow Dash really ''did'' do it.]]
That or Fluttershy. How shocking would ''that'' be?
* When she was asked if she had ''anything'' to do with the murder, no Psyche-Locks appeared at all. It isn't like the case with [[spoiler: Matt Engarde, the true culprit of Case 2-4 of the Phoenix Wright trilogy, who was able to bypass the locks only because Phoenix worded his question badly]]. The fact is that Rainbow Dash couldn't have been lying when she said she had ''nothing'' to do with Ace Swift's murder, especially since Phoenix worded his question as such.
** Riiiiiiight. Forgot about that.
* Plus no Psyche-Locks showed up when she said ''"I DIDN'T KILL ANYPONY!"'' so she's not lying about that and therefore didn't commit the murder.
** What Phoenix asked was if Rainbow had anything to do with Ace's murder, but what she answered with was that she didn't kill Ace, which isn't a direct answer. All it means is that she didn't directly kill him, but it doesn't mean that she wasn't involved in some other way.
*** That doesn't change the fact that Phoenix worded his question as, quote, "Did you have ANYTHING to do with the death of Ace Swift?". If Rainbow Dash had ''anything at all'' to hide about his death, the locks would have appeared there and then.
*** Not only that, notice that Rainbow didn't hesitate at all before answering "I told you…I DIDN'T KILL ANYPONY!". In every, ''every'' single case when someone was hiding something in the original ''Ace Attorney'', they would noticeably hesitate in some way before answering, whether by stammering or by silence, indicated with an ellipsis "…". [[spoiler: Even Matt Engarde, who was hiding something even though no Psyche-Locks showed up, initially answered Phoenix with silence, represented by the ellipsis that showed up on the dialogue bar at that point in the game]]. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, does not hesitate ''at all''. If we accept the hesitating-equals-hiding pattern from ''Ace Attorney'' as true, chances are that Rainbow truly has nothing to hide.
*** On top of that, recall that Rainbow Dash does stammer a bit when the Psyche-Locks show up later in the story, which adds yet more credence to the above theory.

[[WMG: Ace Swift did it.]]
Consider if you will that Ace is indeed cheating. He could have called Rainbow Dash into the forest, intending to blackmail her into competing. Even with the embarrassing pictures though, she was hardly about to give in, adamantly refusing to do it. Thus, Ace's insurance plan was to use the thundercloud which he stole from the ones Rainbow Dash was using, activated it preemptively and then tried to pin Rainbow Dash under the cloud. However she escaped and [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the cloud killed Ace instead]]. Rainbow Dash then ran into Apple Bloom in her frantic flight, soon flying out of the forest and getting seen by Fluttershy ''as Apple Bloom got back onto the path''. This would be why Fluttershy didn't see Apple Bloom. The theory likely has holes in it so feel free to discuss and take apart if need be.
* Rainbow Dash herself mentioned that she was planning on competing anyway and even Twilight makes a point to mention how much Rainbow Dash was bragging that she'd win. For what reason would Ace Swift have to coerce Rainbow Dash in competing?
** He was trying to coerce her into '''''NOT''''' competing. That's how he's won every single race he's been in: by blackmailing anypony that's faster than him to drop out of the race.
* The cartoon has shown that lightning strikes only when a Pegasus touches the cloud as shown in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgD-kObBC-g this clip]]. If Rainbow Dash managed to escape and the lightning somehow killed Ace Swift on the ground, then who or what triggered the lightning?
* Even if the lightning struck somehow, what are the odds that the lightning would have hit precisely one of the few areas of his body that was not protected by a lightning-proof suit?
** How do you aim a lightning bolt in the first place? Even with the whole 'directly below the cloud' thing, that's still kinda vague.
* My thoughts on this one are as follows: If this is true, then Ace messed up because he's a professional athlete and not a weather pony so he couldn't aim the lightning properly and struck himself. Frightened by the sudden turn of events, Rainbow fled the scene in a panic (explaining how she looked when Fluttershy saw her) and distracted Fluttershy long enough for her to miss Apple Bloom. The whole hitting him in a so-called "sweet spot" was either poor luck or another pony (specifically a Unicorn) who wanted Ace out of the way for some reason who used magic to redirect the lightning to hit the exact right spot. Feel free to pick apart as you want but I think this is pretty sound.
** Isn't Sonata a Unicorn? Perhaps she'd be the one to help redirect, for she was tired of helping Ace in his blackmail?
* Given what we've seen, this theory seems to be on its way to being {{Jossed}}.

[[WMG: An OddFriendship will form between Pinkie Pie and the Judge]]
Considering both are quite the [[CloudCuckooLander Cloud Cuckoo Landers]], the latter is enjoying his stay at Ponyville, and RuleOfFunny, this is not unlikely.

[[WMG: There will be a friendship report to be written.]]
Possibly about how you should trust in people or that JusticeWillPrevail even in the DarkestHour.

[[WMG: Phoenix Wright will write a letter to Princess Celestia by the end of this.]]
It's ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''. [[EveryEpisodeEnding This is bound to happen.]]
* And it will be mixed with ''Ace Attorney's'' own EveryEpisodeEnding in some way: '''''[[color:red:Objection!]]'''''

[[WMG: The Equestrian Attorney Badge will be useful again somehow.]]
I'm not necessarily saying it'll be used as evidence or something like that. Maybe it will form a bridge between Nick's world and Equestria once he comes back? (''if'' [[IChooseToStay he comes back]]...).

[[WMG: The Culprit is an Original Character.]]
Just another hunch.
* Probably is, if the feather apparently being Lenora's is any indication.
** The feather is actually Gilda's, though, which is confirmed in part 4.

[[WMG: Edgeworth will make a proper appearance in the story.]]
Follow me on this. Trixie, as she slowly realizes that Phoenix is in a completely different league than her, will cast the same spell Twilight did to find 'The Greatest Prosecuting Attorney' which will result in Edgeworth being summoned (because seriously; who else?). This will in turn lead to a huge OhCrap or HoistByHisOwnPetard moment for Trixie when she realizes that Edgeworth isn't as concerned with winning a trial as he is with finding the guilty party.
* Sweet Celestia, let this happen. (And why else explicitly show Edgeworth and cast a voice for him? Other then the Court and guard ponies, no one else has been a one time deal.)
* Just for the sake of irony, Trixie will screw up that spell somehow.
* If he does appear, he will be under the impression that it's AllJustADream. After all, magical, talking ponies are simply too illogical to exist, right?

[[WMG: Trixie will have a VillainousBreakdown.]]
She's an ''Ace Attorney'' prosecutor. They're often prone to have breakdowns. Bonus points if said breakdown becomes memetic or put into some kind of WebAnimation/PhoenixWrong sketch.
* I can see this being the climax of a BreakTheHaughty moment against her.
** I see the VillainousBreakdown and the possible BreakTheHaughty coming from her getting Edgeworth to Equestria and discovering [[OhCrap that he's more interested in justice than a guilty verdict]].
*** Scroll all the way down until you find "The Black Psyche-Locks" WMG. If anything, after episode 4, its [[TheStinger stinger]] refers to whatever reason why Trixie has Black Psyche-Locks. Sonata spills everything, Trixies goes through her breakdown to be saved by both Twi and Phoenix, then Trixie [[HeelFaceTurn pulls an Edgeworth]] and [[EnemyMine all three of them]] bring Sonata down.

[[WMG: Addendum to the above: Trixie will end up [[JerkAssHasApoint making good points during the breakdown]]]]
She'll descend into a rant about all the breaches in protocol (ignoring her own) by having children withhold testimony to make big reveals on the stand instead of telling everything from the get-go, stealing evidence from an active crime scene, not telling important details like seeing somepony else walk out of the forest, and how if Rainbow Dash didn't bring Ace Swift to an isolated location with the intent to threaten him with a potentially lethal object that she both stole and activated, Rainbow Dash wouldn't be on trial in the first place.
* Then Phoenix mentions her own breaches in a ShutUpHannibal rant. [[ThrowTheDogABone That receives no consequence from, or is in fact encouraged by the Judge.]]
** Perhaps the judge will side with both. Trixie's behavior ''was'' deplorable, but had Rainbow Dash not done criminal acts in the pursuit of vigilante justice, there probably wouldn't have been a murder case in the first place. There certainly wouldn't have been one where the primary suspect is Rainbow Dash.

[[WMG: ThePerryMasonMethod will be used.]]
This should come out as natural, considering Phoenix always has to prove the guilt of someone else in order to save his client.
* This is a staple of ''Ace Attorney''. Regardless of the circumstances, it ''will'' happen.

[[WMG: Phoenix will have a chance to give her either a HannibalLecture or a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Trixie at some point.]]
Maybe during the BreakTheHaughty moment.
* Oh; if Trixie stays the bad guy, let this happen! [[KickTheSonOfABitch She needs it!]]

[[WMG: Phoenix's accusation at the end of Part 2 is right.]]
Phoenix never used the Magatama on her, so there's no proof against her doing it. He may have been just buying time, but his logic still fits, and Trixie doesn't wish to argue with the idea of having ''two'' of Twilight's friends in the slammer. Also note that Dahlia was mentioned in Part 1. Foreshadowing?
* At this point, we can say Celestia did it. When Phoenix Wright is in the court, early on, NO accusation is too outlandish.
* Oh come on! [[FriendToAllLivingThings Flutter]][[ShrinkingViolet shy]] committing murder? May I ask what is going on in the brain of the original poster? That's crazy!
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwp60eYuie0 Allow me to present my counterargument.]]
*** Well-played but I call extenuating circumstances in the above. Fluttershy has no ''reason'' here to hurt anypony let alone somepony she barely knew.

[[WMG: Trixie is being manipulated.]]
Note how at how a few points, Trixie's mood shifts, her cool persona cracking every so often when something unexpected happens. Something Twilight notices too. Maybe she's being blackmailed into doing this, just as Ace Swift apparently intended to blackmail Rainbow Dash?
* Certainly a plausible idea. Note that whenever Trixie gets flustered at these points, she stops referring to herself in the third person, indicating that she is not acting normally at these points.
* This is further evidenced in ''Part 3 - Twilight'' when Twilight notices Trixie's habit of slipping into first-person pronouns when she's nervous or hiding something. She points out that Trixie does this when she claims that her reasons for prosecuting Rainbow Dash are all about the Ursa Minor incident, and when she presses harder, ''black Psyche-Locks appear''.

[[WMG: There will be emphasis put on the PowerOfTrust.]]
The trust Phoenix has with his clients, and the one between him and Edgeworth, are a moving force of his series. He mentions this trust in Part 1 as his inspiration for becoming and an important part of being a defense attorney. It seems to be Nick's answer to MLP's PowerOfFriendship, and it might become a key point in ''Turnabout Storm'', as how one should trust on his friends and allies even on the darkest of times.
* Hell, if you want to reach near conspiracy theorist levels on this guess, he might or will somehow be connected to the Elements of Harmony by this power.
** Perhaps the PowerOfTrust is the [[EpilepticTrees seventh Element of Harmony?]]
*** Or...

[[WMG: One of Ace's previous blackmail victims is the murderer!]]
Blackmailing may be Ace's usual method for winning, and some other Pegasus who he did this to was looking for revenge, with Rainbow set up as the fall guy. [[InsistentTerminology Err, pony]].

[[WMG: The murder weapon is the small, burnt metal object [[spoiler:revealed to be part of Pinkie Pie's lost golf club]].]]
Ace's suit had a few precise weak points where lightning could theoretically strike it, right? If someone were to stick a small strip of metal on the back of his neck, or sabotage his suit by clipping something on, or something similar, it *might* be conductive enough to act like a lightning rod, especially if there's nowhere else for it to strike. It would also allow the bolt that killed him to be one of the "imprecise" second or third lightning bolts from a cloud; no need to manually aim directly under the cloud for a weak point if you've got something that attracts the lightning to it. This also opens up the possibility of explaining the "missing lightning bolt" discrepancy; the first lightning bolt could've gone off long before the murder and the "first lightning bolt" everyone heard is actually the second lightning bolt.
** Supporting this is that the second missing lightning bolt was silent, therefore, according to Rainbow Dash, it had to have it something in midair. Since there was no sound, meaning that he could not have been killed on the group when he was vulnerable, the second lightning bolt had to be the "murder weapon," and the metal rod jammed onto Ace somehow would allow for him to be vulnerable in the air, this theory is very plausible.

[[WMG: Franziska taught Trixie how to prosecute.]]
Trixie is extremely similar to Franziska in her prosecuting style, almost like if von Karma swapped [[WhipItGood her whip]] with more TrashTalk. Maybe this is more than just a coincidence, and she actually learned prosecution from Franziska herself; she might have invoked a prosecutor before and learned from her, which would also explain how she got into prosecution in the first place.

[[WMG: The second lightning bolt never hit anything.]]
Does anyone remember how it was said that "lightning is what produces the noise when it strikes the ground" when Nick tries to point out how Fluttershy 'heard the lightning bolt'. This information seems a bit odd to have been included in this story other than to illustrate further how little Nick knows of Equestria.

Also, Apple Bloom said she only saw the lightning bolt but not necessarily that she heard it (This is a bit of a stretch though). And Fluttershy also never heard the second bolt even though it was confirmed to have been set off because of the 'cloud ballistics' and she would have been able to hear it from her cottage.

This may mean that the second lightning bolt didn't hit anything at all or at least hit something that for some reason wouldn't make it give off a sound or leave a mark. It is also possible that it would be related to the burnt metal object that Nick and Twilight found at the crime scene.

There is no telling whether this is even significant to what happened or even how it fits in to the case but this IS a Wild Mass Guess and there is a fair amount of emphasis on the second lightning bolt even though we don't really know a lot about it or what happened to it. So it's either a RedHerring or critical to the case.
* This actually makes sense. Very rarely do the Phoenix Wright games include information without it becoming somehow important...especially if it's highlighted multiple times. I think we can expect for the second lightning bolt to become more important in the next two installments.
* Invoked by Trixie in Part 4, where she claims that the second bolt must have been a "dud bolt" (ricocheting inside the cloud instead of firing) as part of her argument to convince the judge of Rainbow Dash being guilty after all, despite the evidence Phoenix had presented.

[[WMG: [[MemeticBystander Derpy]] did it.]]
[[StarWars Search your feelings; you know it to be true!]] In addition, she's a Pegasus. Lyra and Bon-Bon probably conspired with her.

[[WMG:Trixie isn't aware of the truth behind the murder.]]
She's just an UnwittingPawn, though not ''unwilling'' -- more [[DrivenByEnvy driven by jealousy]] and hoping to hurt Twilight. She doesn't care who's really responsible, or who goes down for the crime, so long as it's one of Twilight's friends -- be it Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, or ''anyone'' else. If Applejack or Rarity or Pinkie or even one of the CMCs could be potentially punished, she'd leap at it.

On top of that, it'd also give her a 'victory' over Twilight in the sense that she triumphed in court. Taking down the 'top defense attorney' is just an added bonus.

[[WMG: Twilight is lying about Celestia being rejected as judge. Either there is no high council or Celestia suggested to the council to have someone else preside.]]
I highly doubt any pony would want to go against Celestia's will. Most ponies respect her and fear those who show any kind of disrespect. If that's the case, then why did Twilight lie about that? Celestia told her to. She knows Rainbow Dash didn't do it, but she knew that even if she did let her off, everypony would still believe she did it. She had Twilight summon Phoenix to truly prove that Rainbow Dash didn't do it and then had her summon the Judge to show that there wouldn't be any bias in the verdict.

[[WMG: Edgeworth will help Phoenix with Trixie.]]
Why not? They're friends since childhood.

[[WMG: Scootaloo is the only pony besides the rest of the Mane Six that still believes in Rainbow Dash's innocence.]]
Because let's be honest. She's Rainbow Dash's number 1 fan. I highly doubt she'd think Rainbow is capable of such cruelty. I wouldn't be surprised if she's thinking of some sort of petition to have Rainbow Dash freed.
* WordOfGod said that Scootaloo was cast; however, the details about her role are currently under wraps. We will have to wait and see.

[[WMG: The Black locks Twilight mentions will belong to the real killer.]]
If [[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney Apollo Justice]] is anything to go by, this is probably the case. I also maintain that the magatama, or rather its power charged into Twilight, [[CallForward will be unable to break them as well]].
* The black locks belong to Trixie, and appeared when Twilight asked why was she prosecuting the case. They could mean anything from her being involved in the crime to the real motive behind her grudge with Twilight.

[[WMG: Sonata set the whole thing up.]]
She's blackmailing the actual killers to carry out the murders in her stead and refuses to go down with them.

[[WMG: Sonata was in the forest that night.]]
Not only was she there, but she also teleported Apple Bloom outside of the forest. That was the bright flash she saw. Not only that she probably teleported herself out and kept anypony from seeing her
* As well, watch carefully for Sonata's 'cringe' moments; they typically appear whenever Pinkie's being high-pitched. This leads me to believe that Sonata was there when the lightning was hitting, and wasn't prepared for it; possible earache there, Sonata, from the thunder? Causing pain when Pinkie's being high-pitched?

[[WMG: Twilight will have to finish the trial herself.]]
I think Phoenix will use the evidence against Sonata to bring her down and drag out the truth and Sonata will attempt to take Phoenix down with her. Twilight will then step in and take control as lead defense to finish the trial. It would be great homage to how [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Maya got herself held in contempt of court on Edgeworth's behalf]]
* Not {{Jossed}} yet but seemingly on its way. First of all, Twilight tells Phoenix that she cancelled her appeal to become an attorney before the court; if Phoenix goes to jail, Twilight can't legally take his place.

[[WMG: Derpy's misdelivered letter will become more important in Twilight's part.]]
Just a hunch. In ''Ace Attorney'', nothing is ever done without aim. Most everything becomes relevant at some point.

* The case ends in Rainbow Dash being convicted, sent to the sun, and then the murderer getting away scot free. Oh, there ''was'' going to be judgement for him and a way to rectify this fate in the sequel, [[WhyTheFandomCantHaveNiceThings but thanks to the]] FanDumb...

This is a huge guess, but there might be a chance that a previous Equestrian crime of this magnitute has some relation to this one, even if just a very slight one in a ButterflyOfDoom kind of way. Then again, "a very long time" since the last murder could easily mean anything from a few years to a few centuries, considering this is [[Really700YearsOld Celestia]] we're talking about here.

It'll mostly be about Twi preparing to send Phoenix back to his world, and as they talk Phoenix laments that Pony currency is useless for his world, and he basically did a big case Pro Bono. Suddenly, the rest of the Mane Cast come in to see him off (maybe even Trixie if she HeelFaceTurns over the course of the video). AppleJack [[BrickJoke gives him the knock upside the head she owed him]] and Rarity [[BrickJoke gives him the suit that she was rambling about]], completely inlaid with enough gems to basically quadruple Phoenix's payment.

'''''The "It will be split into at least two parts…with a cliffhanger." guess wins, being the closest of what actually happened. The series is to be concluded in Part 5/4.''''' %%Although the Mass Relays being destroyed is still a possibility...

Just as being banished to the Moon did not kill Luna, being banished to the Sun will not kill Dashie. Rather, Dashie will endure the Sun's harsher conditions-its relentless heat and radiation, its immense gravity, the raw power of a solar storm, its total lack of clouds upon which to nap. Then, months later, the real killer will be revealed. As it would be completely wrong to cause an exonerated suspect to continue serving an unjust sentence, she is magically summoned back home. What comes out of the summoning spell has [[CameBackStrong flight ability trained to almost 30 times normal, a hide that can withstand the full output of the most powerful energy source in sight,]] is still [[IncendiaryExponent as hot as the Sun]], is completely sleep deprived, and the first thing on her mind is what it usually is: [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge flying into a brawl against those who wronged her.]] And hey, no sense holding back, right? I mean, what's the worst thing they could do to you...banish you to the sun? The whole series has been a setup for an epic [[HoistByHisOwnPetard HoistByHerOwnPetard]], with every one of Trixie's choices-from which of the Mane Six to frame to what punishment to pursue to whether to let Fluttershy take the fall instead-combining to yield a new, [[TrainingFromHell improved]], and very angry Dashie, out for Trixie's head.

Just as being banished to the Moon did not kill Luna, being banished to the Sun will not kill Dashie. Rather, Dashie will endure the Sun's harsher conditions-its relentless heat and radiation, its immense gravity, the raw power of a solar storm, its total lack of clouds upon which to nap. Then, months later, the real killer will be revealed. As it would be completely wrong to cause an exonerated suspect to continue serving an unjust sentence, she is magically summoned back home. What comes out of the summoning spell has [[CameBackStrong flight ability trained to 28 times normal, a hide that can withstand the full output of the most powerful energy source in sight,]] is still [[IncendiaryExponent as hot as the surface of the Sun]], is completely sleep deprived, and the first thing on her mind is what it usually is: [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge flying into a brawl against those who wronged her.]] And hey, no sense holding back, right? I mean, what's the worst thing they could do to you...banish you to the sun? The whole series has been a setup for an epic [[HoistByHisOwnPetard HoistByHerOwnPetard]], with every one of Trixie's choices-from which of the Mane Six to frame to what punishment to pursue to whether to let Fluttershy take the fall instead-combining to yield a new, improved, and very angry Dashie.

*** Trixie can summon lightning, but we don't know for certain if she can manage to summon real ''lethal'' lightning, considering most, if not all, of her tricks are pretty low key.

[[WMG: What Phoenix did at the end of Part 2 will reward him with more than just extra time.]]
More specifically, something in the questioning of Fluttershy will wind up in getting something that can turn the tide of the case.
* That's only to be expected; all of the ''Ace Attorney'' cases ''revolve'' around gathering groundbreaking evidence outside of court by speaking to witnesses.

[[WMG: The murder weapon is the small, burnt metal object [[spoiler:revealed to be Pinkie Pie's...golf club]].]]

[[WMG: The crime scene was staged.]]
Rainbow Dash triggered the lightning bolt to destroy the photos. The second lightning bolt hit Ace as he was flying away. Someone came along, dressed him in the lightning-proof suit, put the photos on his body, and moved him to where the first bolt hit; probably Trixie.
* This is a good idea but I honestly don't see Trixie doing this...she's not smart enough! I personally see someone who has a grudge against Rainbow (Trixie has one by [[RevengeByProxy proxy]]) and decided framing her for murder would be a good enough revenge or possibly one of the other highest ranked racers who decided that with Rainbow out of the way, they just needed to remove Ace and their victory would be secured.

* Not {{Jossed}} yet but seemingly on its way.

[[WMG: The cloud was moved by magic after Rainbow used it the first time.]]
Remember how there was a big dug up spot in the ground. I'm willing to bet money that that's where the first bolt struck down. The second bolt did kill Ace the first bolt missed and wasn't even at his exact location.

She found Ace's letter (which mention firing someone), tour it up in anger, and then started plotting her vengeance. Spike mentioned having a "Magical Friend" of whom he gave a book to. That book is Advanced Magical Studies. That book is rare, as it can only be found in Canterlot. She knew that Rainbow Dash was going to meet Ace Swift in the Everfree Forrest. Sonata followed her until after Rainbow ran off. She used the book on magical studies to manipulate the cloud into striking Ace Swift. That is why there is no other marks; she never touched the cloud.

* Partially Jossed, as she wrote the letter.

[[WMG: The second lightning is the one which killed Ace.]]
Let's recap. There were 3 lightning bolts (no less, no more):
* The first one was fired by Rainbow Dash and burned the ground in the clearing at 8:40. It's assumed by many that this is the lightning bolt that killed Ace.
* The second one, as for now, is a mystery: somehow no one heard it though it's mentioned that lightning bolts make sound only when they touch the ground. It happened a short time after the first one at 8:50.
* The third one croaked a tree (poor tree), way after the events of the murder, at 11:35.
Now remember that it is confirmed that lightning bolts can't hit the same spot twice. So we can rule out the hypothesis that Ace was struck by lightning at the same place of the first one.
Also it's revealed that while a Pegasus is flying, their combination protects them against lightning. However when on ground, we see that the neck area is no longer protected. So, we can imagine that if Ace was flying stationary, the same area around his neck would be vulnerable. So it's entirely possible that said lightning bolt could have killed him.
However there's still one problem: even if said lightning bolt struck Ace, it would've left a mark on the ground...
... Or, during episode 1, while they were in the clearing, Phoenix and Twilight noticed that there was dirt on a place, like "somepony was kicking the dirt around in this area". We can probably bet that this is the spot where the second lightning bolt struck (or at least, where Ace's body landed). All that's left to do for the murderer is to move Ace's body on the spot where the first lightning bolt struck.
The only question marks left at this point would be:
* Who really killed Ace ?
* What is the burnt object found by Twilight and Phoenix during episode 1 ?
* Why, oh why didn't anybody hear the second lightning bolt ? Is it related to the burnt object ? If it hit Ace, did something prevented the lightning bolt to struck the ground, therefore preventing it from making any sound ?

* Except that the third bolt occured at 11:35 pm, way after the murder, and the authorities that came in to investigate watched and saw the third bold come down.

* Perhaps this is the way Ace was killed, lets try to collect the evidence, I'm pretty sure that by this point it is possible to find the how dunnit of this game, if i remember right, the thunder cloud fired 3 thunder bolts and one was left (cloud ballistics did something to the cloud, can't remember), i think this is how all happen, if I remember everything right, rainbow Dash scared Ace using a thunder and then she left, the culprit was following her, when the first thunder was used, the culprit knock out Ace using pinkie's gold club, then s/he attached it in one of the suits openings, the reason Apple Bloom did not hear the thunder was because you do not hear the thunder until the lighting hit the ground, SINCE the lighting never touch the ground, it did not make a noise. More or less is how i think it happen, hope I got everything right, about the who dunnit, I feel unsure, there is a feather that might be Leonora's, however, Sonata might had access to one of Leonora's Feathers, same for Cruise, in fact, 2 of those 3 might be the culprits, and I can't stop thinking that the ladder and step-ladder stuff are really relevant to this case…

* Her reason for doing it is because she wanted things to go back to the way they were before Ace Swift. Cruise is simply trying to cover it up.

[[WMG: The Second Lightning Bolt DID hit something!]]
Namely, the mail carrier delivering Rarity's perfume, thus why it never arrived and Twilight found it in the forest.
* That could also explain why Twilight thought the substance in the bottle she found (quite possibly the perfume) smelled so horrible. The lightning could have altered the chemical structure of the perfume and created the horrible smell Twilight complains about.

* Isn't that the head of pinkie's golf club? Didn't pinkie identify the stick as her iron, but it was missing its head? Wouldn't it make sense that the burnt thing is the golf head [[spoiler: charred by the 2nd bolt?]]

'''''All but Confirmed! Gilda was a witness to the crime, and did tamper with the scene to frame Dash, but she had nothing to do with the murder aside from that. She just wanted to get back at Dash for ditching her, and confesses on the stand that she really, ''really'' overreacted.'''''

[[WMG:Mia is related to Celestia somehow.]]
This would explain how Celestia knows so much about Phoenix and his accomplishments. Maybe her spirit has made contact with her after her death?
* It's possible that Celestia was channeling Mia when she told Twilight to summon Phoenix. This WMG is from the Website/YouTube comments from the ''Part 3: Twilight'' preview.
* Time in Equestria could move faster than the AA world and Celestia really is Mia reborn.

[[WMG: Princess Celestia is Mia Fey.]]
I know this sounds crazy, but think about it. In part 3 - Twilight, how exactly did she know who Phoenix was? Why was she so confident about him winning the case? Either Equestria really IS the afterlife and Celestia is Mia, or...

[[WMG: Someone in Equestria channeled Mia Fey once...]]
...and that's how Celestia knows who Phoenix is, because Mia told Celestia all about him. Unless someone can think of something else, this is the only other alternative.

[[WMG: Princess Celestia is Mia Fey]]