A/N: Here's another chapter! The continuation of the trial! I swear Phoenix is made of steel or something…

I don't really have much more to say, so…

Here we go!

The Phantom Turnabout

Day 2 – Trial Pt 2

July 22nd, 12:04 PM

District Court

Courtroom 3

Phoenix Wright

After the incident with the ghost, the Judge had called an indefinite recess, demanded that Danny, Sean, and I all get medical attention. Danny was perfectly okay, while Sean, after a little bit of rest, was alright as well, just tired. Apparently, the ghost who possessed, or overshadowed, him, had been up all night. I had a small lump on the back of my head, but nothing to be worried about. After a few bit longer, the medic declared me able to continue with the trial.

"Are you sure you feel ready to continue?" the Judge asked as I shuffled my papers together, straightening up my evidence.

"Yes, your honor," I said, finishing my organizing.

"Well, alright…" the Judge said. I looked over at Walker. He had seemed totally unfazed when the ghost had appeared and Sean had crumpled. That made me curious. How could someone be so cool in the face of such danger?

Although, Danny had seemed pretty level headed before I tackled him too…

"We will continue with Sean Itall's testimony," the Judge said. That's when I noticed Walker's calm exterior crack. It was slight, but his eye began to twitch...

(Interesting. When Sean was possessed, it worked for his case. But now that he's not possessed… does that mean he had something to do with it?) I made a mental note to look more into Walker later.

At the witness stand, Sean slouched, his hands in his pockets. He was a little pale and tired looking, but he was acting like himself. I heard Maya sigh in relief.

"Let's start with what happened that night. What did you see, Mr. Itall?" I asked before Walker could say anything. Sean looked up at me and smiled weakly.

"Alright, Mr. Wright," he said. Maya snorted softly, while I pressed my lips together slightly at the unintentional joke on my name.

"Well, I left the dining room to use the bathroom, when I heard the sounds of fighting in the Channeling Chamber."

"Hold it! How could you have heard the sounds from behind the heavy door to the Channeling Chamber?" I asked, just realizing how this shouldn't be possible. After all, those doors were PRETTY thick…

"The door wasn't closed all the way. There was a small crack, which the sound was coming through," Sean explained. I nodded.

(Makes sense…) I thought before nodding for him to continue.

"I looked in to see what was going on, and found Danny and… someone fighting. Neither one had the upper hand that I could tell."

"Hold it! Someone?" I asked.

"Yeah. The woman didn't look like Jade. She was a lot more…" Sean trailed off, making an hourglass shape with his hands, a blush crossing his face. I put a hand to my mouth, covering my smirk. I could just imagine Pearls getting riled up in the gallery.

"She was more what?" the Judge asked, confused. I lost my smirk and looked up at him in surprise, my hand dropping back to my desk.

(Seriously? I guess you really aren't a dirty old man…)

"I think what the witness is trying to say is that the woman he saw was a lot more curvy, your honor," Walker said. I looked over at the man. He had one hand behind his back, but the other was gripping the edge of the desk tightly. "However, this is impossible. Only Mr. Fenton and Ms. Jade Fey was in the Channeling Chamber."

"OBJECTION! If she was channeling a spirit, her appearance would have changed. That is one of the characteristics of the Kurain Channeling Technique," I said.

"Spirit Channeling? Really, Mr. Wright? And here I believed you to be a much more rational man," Walker said, raising an eyebrow at me. I smirked, planting my hands on my waist.

"We just witnessed a ghost possessing our witness here a few minutes ago, and Spirit Channeling seems impossible to you?" I asked.

"The witness's appearance didn't change!" Walker pointed out.

"There's a difference between a channeling and a possession!" I countered.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Walker demanded. Maya placed a hand gently on my arm. I looked down at her.

"Let me answer," she said softly. I nodded.

"Spirit Channeling can only be done by certain people. In my family, it's only the women. Anyone, including Sean who, no offense Sean, has no spiritual power, can be possessed. Also, one has to willingly channel a spirit. Possession, again, can happen to anyone, willing or unwilling. Finally, when someone channels a spirit, their own spirit leaves the body, and they know nothing until they regain their body. In possession, both spirits inhabit the body. I bet, unless that ghost wanted Sean to not remember, he could tell you what happened since he was possessed," Maya explained. I just stared at her, surprised.

Maya really has grown up a lot since taking on her responsibilities…

"I do remember…" Sean said. "I was possessed while in the car with Mr. Walker, going back to the precinct. As for proof, I remember exactly how the ghost made me testify. Do you need me to say?" he asked.

"No, that won't be necessary. Just continue your testimony," Walker growled. I glanced at him, noticing the frown and the way his arms were crossed tightly. Even his hat seemed askew. I still didn't see his hair though.

(Is he bald?)

"Before I could go in to help, or call for help, the woman hit Danny on the head with… something… I couldn't tell what it was."

"Hold it! What did that something look like?" I asked. Sean shook his head.

"All I could tell was that it was flat, and that she grabbed it from the alter. Past that…" he shook his head. "The Channeling Chamber is dark and lit only by candles. It really could have been anything," he said. I nodded, secretly ecstatic. It was exactly what the written testimony had said, and it just added to my theory that it was the tray that was used to knock Danny out.

"That's fine. Continue."

"OBJECTION! What do you mean, 'that's fine'?" Walker demanded. The Judge nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Wright, what do you mean, 'that's fine'?" he questioned. I thought for a moment before nodding.

"The defense has a theory on what this object could have been, however, we lack the evidence to prove it at this time," I said. "We're working on it, though."

"Hm. Well, alright. I'll let it slide. This time," the judge said, before looking down at Sean.

"Continue."

"Danny fell to the ground next to the alter, hit his head again, and fell unconscious. I left then to get help."

"OBJECTION!" I called. This was the only issue in his testimony, other than not being able to see what Danny was hit with, and it was in both the written and spoken testimonies. "Are you sure he fell NEXT to the alter, or against the alter?" I asked.

"Next to the alter," Sean said with no hint of doubt. "Please remember, Mr. Wright, I do have a photographic memory," he said. I nodded, knowing he was right. Sean's memory was actually scary, sometimes.

"The reason I asked is because when Ms. Maya Fey found Danny and Jade, Danny was leaning against the alter, and there is a blood spot where his head was resting, but none anywhere else" I explained. Sean gasped softly, his glasses sliding down his nose. He quickly pushed them up, his eyes still wide.

"I-I don't know what that means," he said, looking at me. "I swear, I didn't lie though. I know it's against the law to lie in court."

"I know, Sean. I'm not saying you lied," I said.

"Then what are you saying, Mr. Wright?" Walker demanded. I looked at him again. He was clearly agitated, tugging at his collar again, his forehead dripping with sweat.

"I'm saying that someone tampered with the crime scene before Ms. Maya Fey found it!" I announced. "Yesterday, I said that if there was a struggle, my client could have been knocked out during it, thus not being able to stab the victim. This witness proved that theory true! There was a third person in that room, and that third person is the true culprit!" I announced. There was muttering from the gallery, and I grinned, my hands on my hips. This case wasn't as hopeless as I had thought!

(This is going…)

I glanced at Walker, curious of how he was reacting, only to find a smug look on his face. He had one hand behind his back, the other holding that odd book. He was leisurely flipping through it with his thumb.

(…horribly. This is going horribly. What now!?)

"Mr. Wright," Walker said once the judge got the courtroom quiet again. "You should know better than anyone. Proving a case simply on bluffing and witness testimonies? That's against the rules." He snapped his book closed, placing it on the desk, and putting his other hand behind his back. "You are forgetting the other pieces of evidence, Mr. Wright. The murder weapon, for one. The defendant was found holding it, and it is only his fingerprints on it, and the shirt he was wearing that day, which was splattered with the victim's blood," Walker pointed out. I gasped, sweat springing to my forehead.

Truth be told, I had totally forgotten about those two damning pieces of evidence. I quickly scrambled to try and salvage my case.

"True as that may be, Mr. Walker, you still cannot deny the possibilities that this witness's testimony brings to light!" I said.

"But those possibilities are meaningless without evidence to prove them!" Mr. Walker immediately countered. I frowned slightly.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Wright, the prosecution is right in this case," the Judge said, cutting off my response. I looked up at him.

"B-but, your honor," I tried.

"However, earlier, you did say you should have evidence coming. And this testimony did make me doubt the guilt of this defendant," the judge continued, closing his eyes thoughtfully for a moment. He then nodded to himself.

"Court will be adjourned until tomorrow. Mr. Wright, if you are unable to prove your client's guilt tomorrow, he will be declared guilty," the judge warned. I nodded.

"Yes, your honor," I said.

"Hold on, your honor! What about my second witness?" Walker demanded, slamming his fist down on the bench in front of him.

"He or she can testify tomorrow," the judge said, before slamming his gavel down with a note of finality.

July 22nd, 2:34 PM

District Court

Defendant Lobby 3

Danny Fenton

"Are you sure you're okay, Mr. Wright?" I asked, looking up at my lawyer. I could still remember the sound of that crack when his head hit the ground.

"Yeah. Like I said earlier, I've had worse," I said with a grin. Maya smiled.

"Yeah. Only about two years ago, he got hit by a speeding car, flew thirty feet through the air, slammed into a light pole HEAD FIRST, and walked away with a sprain ankle!" Maya said. My jaw dropped, and I turned to look at the man. He had a sheepish grin on his face, gingerly rubbing where he hit his head this time. It was hard to imagine a man like this surviving something like that. And from the sound of it, that wasn't the only thing!

"Danny!" I turned to the sound of my name, smiling as I saw my friends and family come over. Mom and Dad walked over to Maya and Mr. Wright to talk to them about the case. Jazz put a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. I nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't get hit at all. Mr. Wright made sure of that," I replied. Sam smiled.

"He was really brave…" she mused. I smiled, nodding in agreement.

"So, uh, what's Walker doing here?" Tucker asked softly. I shook my head with a shrug.

"Apparently acting as a prosecutor. I actually wanted to ask you to look into that," I said. Tucker nodded.

"Sure thing!" he said with a grin, whipping out his PDA.

"Do you think he did it?" Jazz asked. I thought for a moment before shaking my head.

"No... I don't think so. Walker's a lot of things, but... he's not killer," I said. The other three nodded in agreement.

"How's your head?" Sam asked, reaching up and gently touching the bandage. It had been changed right before trial today, but with how long it was, I know it was due for another change.

"A lot better. I think it's almost healed. It only hurts when it's touched, and I don't get dizzy anymore," I said. She nodded with a smile.

"That's good," she said. I smiled back before noticing a newspaper beneath her arm.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh. The Amity Times. I brought it with to show you," she said, opening it. On the page she held open to me, which I realized wasn't the front page, was a picture of my ghostly half, with a small article underneath.

For about two to three weeks now, ghost vigilante Danny Phantom, previously known as Inviso-Bill (I rolled my eyes at that) has not been seen at all. Some are wondering if he was defeated, while others believe he returned home back to the ghost zone. Still more believe that Danny Phantom is just taking a vacation. Either way, another vigilante called "The Red Huntress" has picked up on protecting Amity Park from the constant ghost attacks.

In other news, resident ghost hunting family, the Fenton's, left Amity Park on July 6th, and are due to return July 27th.

I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Thank goodness for Valerie," I said softly.

(And for a town full of stupid people...)

I folded it and handed it back to Sam. Just then, the adults came back over, and we fell silent. Mr. Wright's eyes lit onto the newspaper, flickered up to me, then turned onto Sam.

"Have you done the crossword in that?" he asked. Sam looked at him, surprised for a moment.

"Um, no?" she said. Mr. Wright smiled warmly.

"May I? I'm a sucker for the crossword puzzles, and I've already done the one in today's paper," he said. Sam shrugged and handed the paper over.

"Sure. I'm done reading it anyway," she said. Mr. Wright smiled with a nod, tucking it into his bag, before looking at me.

"I WILL get the evidence I need for tomorrow, Danny. Promise," he said with a smile. I nodded.

"I appreciate it, Mr. Wright. Thank you. And uh, thanks for earlier," I said. Mr. Wright nodded before glancing at Maya.

"Might as well get started!" he said brightly, the two walking out.

July 22nd

District Court

Courthouse Lobby

Phoenix Wright

"Why'd you take the paper? I know it's not to do the crossword," Maya said. I grinned at her.

"What if it was?" I asked.

"It's not."

"You're right. It's not," I admitted, chuckling as I pulled the paper out. I unfolded it and showed her the picture. "Look familiar?" I asked. Maya's eyes lit up, and she squealed.

"Danny Phantom!?" she gasped, grabbing the paper.

"You've… heard of him?" I asked, thinking about how mature I had thought she was earlier.

(Some things really don't change, do they?)

"Are you really surprised?" Maya asked, looking up at me with a coy smiled. I shook my head.

"Actually, I was more surprised about you mini-lecture in court then this," I teased.

"Hey!" she gasped, smacking my arm with the paper. I laughed, playfully cringing away and causing her to laugh as well. She then shook her head and looked at the paper again. "You still didn't answer my question though," she said. I nodded.

"I just think Danny Phantom has something to do with this case," I said, taking the paper back and tucking it into my bag again.

"Mr. Wright! Mystic Maya!" a familiar voice called before Maya could ask more. I turned and saw Ruby running after us, waving to catch our attention. Maya and I stopped, watching her.

"Hey Ruby. Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice soft.

"Yes, Mystic Maya. Um, Mr. Wright?" she said, looking up at me. Hey eyes weren't quite as red-rimmed as I would have expected, but her cheeks were wet and blotchy.

"Yeah?" I asked, thinking about yesterday. I still couldn't help but wonder about those Psych-Locks…

"I know you're just trying to find Jade's real killer. I'm… sorry about yesterday," she said, before pulling a small bag from her pocket. "I know you'll probably have a late night tonight so… I made you a coffee blend. It's only instant coffee, but... hopefully it'll help," she said. I smiled warmly, taking it.

"Thank you, Ruby."

…

A/N: Here this chapter is! Everything is starting to come to a head now! With only one more day to investigate and one more trial day, how will things end for Danny and Phoenix?

Also, I find I really enjoy writing Maya's character, especially when throwing in those more mature moments. I had to really think about how to explain the difference between channeling a spirit, and being possessed. Hopefully it was clear!

Darn need for evidence! Phoenix would have had it in the bag if his juror system hadn't mysteriously disappeared in the year between Apollo Justice and Dual Destiny, hehe!

Next chapter will be up soon!