Chapter 12

"Rosanna?"

Ladon watched the girl in a daze. The idea of Ellie was actually Rosanna was completely crazy, yet it made sense in the oddest way possible.

"Ladon, what's going on?" Rosanna, in Ellie's body, asked Ladon, her tone distressed. "Am I really…"

"You're in Ellie's body," Ladon explained quickly. "It seems that the ritual had succeeded. Now you're alive again."

"In Ellie's body?" Rosanna trembled. "Oh no. No! I don't want this. We have to reverse the ritual! I don't care how, but we must!"

"But you're alive now," Ladon said quietly. "I prefer you this way."

"By stealing other's life?" Rosanna turned to Ladon, her eyes began to water.

"The most important thing is that you're alive now," Ladon said, bringing his face closer to Rosanna's – Ellie's.

"Ladon, no," Rosanna drew her face further from Ladon's. "This is wrong. I don't want a life that steals other's. This body belongs to Ellie, and I'll have to return it to her."

Ladon frowned. "You're too kind for your own good," he whispered as he hugged her. "Why can't you just accept that you're alive again?"

Rosanna didn't say anything, nor did she return the hug.

"What are you doing?"

Ladon pulled away from Rosanna once he heard Apollo's voice, while Rosanna's gaze dropped to the ground.

"Why did you hug her?" Trucy asked.

"Ellie, say something," Ava said.

Slowly, Rosanna looked up. She didn't know what to say, but she decided that telling them who she really was would be the best choice. She then said, "I'm not Ellie. I'm Rosanna."

An awkward silence filled the air, while the three stare intensely at Rosanna in disbelief. Rosanna fought the urge to run – their gaze was so intense they were actually scaring her.

"Come on, look at the date, this isn't April Fools," Ava blurted, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Ava, I think she's being serious," Apollo mumbled.

"But…" Ava glanced to Rosanna. "Really?"

Rosanna nodded. "We need to reverse the ritual somehow…"

"Why?" Trucy asked. "Aren't you happy you can live again?"

"Not if I have to take away Ellie's life," Rosanna said. "Why are you guys keep saying that? Stop it. I only want to live again if no one's life will be taken in my place."

"But how are we going to reverse it?" Apollo wondered. "Mr. Prince is the only one who knew about the ritual in the first place, and I don't think he'll be willing to reverse it."

"True," Trucy agreed. "But he's our best chance. Who else will be able to reverse it?"

"Where is he anyway?" Ava asked. "Still in that warehouse?"

Trucy suddenly looked panicked. "Wait, Polly! Didn't you ask Daddy to send police here, too? But if Mr. Prince isn't with us, then…?"

"Oh God, I didn't think about that," Apollo's face paled. "We have to go now."

They jumped and ran back to the place where the ritual had just happened, Ava tailing behind them. Rosanna stood and went after them, but she swayed and almost collapsed back.

"Watch out," said Ladon, catching her before she hit the floor.

"Thanks," she replied, then she walked out to Apollo, Trucy and Ava. Ladon stared after her then followed her.

When Rosanna finally caught up to Apollo, he was standing by the door with his head leaned to the wall.

"What is it?" Rosanna asked.

"They're already gone," Apollo answered. "I'm so stupid. I didn't even think about it when I decided to leave them!"

"Yeah, that was pretty stupid of you," Ladon commented flatly, and Apollo's antennae drooped. "But you were really mad at that time, and we were all mad too, so you weren't the only one who didn't think," he quickly added.

"You should know that you shouldn't lie to me by now, Ladon," Apollo said, looking upset of himself.

"I thought you were too depressed to detect my lie," Ladon shrugged.

A moment later the police, along with Klavier, Ema, Phoenix, Maya, Pearl and Thalassa arrived. Apollo quickly recovered from his depressed stance and tugged Phoenix and Klavier's arms and whispered, "We got a problem."

"What is it?" Phoenix asked.

"Herr Forehead, you aren't suggesting that Mr. Prince got away?" Klavier asked.

Apollo grimaced. "Well… that too, but it's actually about Ellie."

"Wait, you let that criminal go?" Ema cut him off. "He killed a bailiff in front of many witnesses and you let him go?"

"Ema, not now…" Apollo growled, sinking into his depressed stance once again.

"What about Ellie?" Phoenix asked.

"Well… I think it's better if you see for yourself," Apollo answered.

The three, followed by Ema who was sulking, approached Rosanna, who was standing by Ladon and Trucy. Once she realized they were going to talk to her, Rosanna took a deep breath and faced them.

"Fraulein Murray?" Klavier called. Rosanna's eyes sparked in worry, confused of how to tell them that she isn't Ellie.

"You aren't Ellie, are you," Phoenix suddenly said. It was more of a statement than question, and Rosanna looked at him in awe. No one had managed to know that she wasn't Ellie before except for Ladon (that was an exception, it wasn't that amazing, they were lovers, after all), and they realized only after she told them or after she did something. All she had done was standing and looking at the group and Phoenix managed to figure it out by himself. She shook her head.

"Then who are you?" Phoenix asked again, his voice sounded cold.

"Rosanna," she answered quietly.

"Mr. Wright, I told you everything on the phone earlier, right?" Apollo said, "That time she hasn't regained consciousness yet, but we were really shocked once we realized she was Rosanna instead of Ellie, and…"

"Wait, wait, someone please tell me what exactly is going on here," Ema put her face in her hand. "I'm totally and utterly confused here."

"Wow, it's very rare for you to do so," Trucy commented. She tugged and pulled Ema and Klavier's arms. "Come on, I'll tell you what happened…"

"So that ritual succeeded?" Pearl asked. As a reply, Rosanna nodded. "But… what about Mystic Ellie, then?"

"Don't tell me she's gone," Maya said. "Tell me she's still in there."

"I don't know," Rosanna clutched her shirt. "When I was forced in, before I completely inhabit this body, I still hear her voice in this head… but now, once I'm completely fused here, I can't hear anything at all."

"But then… where is she?" Pearl whispered.

Rosanna sat on the couch in the Agency with gloomy aura surrounding her. She had somehow able to dodge questions about the incident earlier using the classic excuse of shock. Klavier and Ema helped her, of course, that was why she could run away easily. She couldn't even begin to think how hard it would be to tell them that she was only a soul forced to get into this body. Most people would only send her to a hospital of insanity.

"Are you sure Ellie isn't in there anymore?" Thalassa asked again for the twentieth time.

Rosanna shook her head and got onto her feet. "I'm sorry, but I need to use the restroom… where is it?"

The others pointed to the bathroom and Rosanna walked in. She didn't need to use the bathroom, to tell the truth. She only wanted some time alone. Once she was inside and alone, she locked the door and leaned on it, sighing heavily. Tears began to well in her eyes, and she shed quiet tears alone.

"Why does this happen?" she wondered. She sobbed and wiped her tears away and faced the mirror. She froze immediately when she saw her reflection. "What the…"

"Uh, hi?"

Hearing the figure in the mirror just greeted her, Rosanna screamed.

A/N: I'm back! Sorry about the long update. My sister had finally came home, and she brought the DS back with her! Woo hoo, I love you, Sis! And so I spent the last few days replaying the Ace Attorney series, though I'm still not finished yet. I think I'll only play the Fey-related cases in Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney to shorten the time, since the new semester in school will start next Monday. Funny, before I wished for school to come quickly since I'm bored at home, now I wished for more holiday to finish the game.

Uh-oh, more trouble here. Where did Raphael and Renata went off to? They'll appear again, of course, but I still have no idea where they are for the time being. Haven't thought about that... and Ellie! Will she be fine? I guess so, but I still have no idea to make her be fine, to make her get her body back. Can you tell me about your idea? Maybe I can use that!

Whew, this is the longest A/N I've written... I think. Please tell me what you think, review!