A/N: Well everyone, it is finally time I present to everyone our big project. And I say "our" because I didn't work on this alone. I put together a team of people to help me tell this story. So without further delay, we will begin the tale of one girl's journey through the Ace Attorney legal system.

Team Juniper's Council presents...

I finally have a moment to myself, after the events of the past few months. Honestly, I have a hard time believing it all happened. I had no idea, all that time ago, that taking on my first case would send me into the deepest darkness, searching for a harsh truth that lay at the center of it all….

Juniper Woods: Ace Attorney

Patrons of the restaurant couldn't help but look at the two newcomers with great suspicion: a purple-haired woman in a large trench coat and a shifty looking man in a garish shirt. They sat down at a table and placed their orders with a passing waiter.

At the exact same time, a young woman with her hair in a pair of pigtails was sitting on her bed in her room, on her cell phone. It was a long distance call, with someone she'd been wanting to talk to for a long time now. For a few minutes, there was a sincere smile on the woman's face.

At the restaurant, the purple-haired woman and the shifty looking man have angry expressions on their faces as they talk. The talking escalated into shouting and soon enough both of them were on their feet, pointing and shouting at each other. The man stormed out the doors of the restaurant, while the purple-haired woman smirked to herself and walked towards the doors herself. And when she reached them-

The woman on the cell phone asks a question and the answer causes a worried expression to cross her face. Then, she decides to ask one, final question. One that she's been wondering about for a while now. And the answer she gets to the question-

*BANG*

In her room, there's a clattering sound as Juniper drops her cell phone, her expression blank and her arms hanging limply at her side. Meanwhile, in the middle of an alleyway right next to the restaurant she was just in, Myriam stared in horror at the dead body at her feet as the police approached her with guns drawn.

"I know what this looks like, but you have to believe me! It- it-

"It wasn't meeeeeeeeee!"

My name is Juniper Woods, and this is where my story begins.

Episode 1: The Blossoming Turnabout

February 17, 2029

District Courthouse, Defendant Lobby #4

9:40 a.m.

Juniper Woods stood in the defendant lobby, but not as a defendant and not to support someone else, either. No, for the first time in her life, Juniper was in a defendant lobby for a different purpose entirely.

"So, how are you feeling, Juniper?" asked a dark-haired man with glasses wearing a black suit over a blue shirt. He had an attorney's badge pinned on his lapel.

This is Hugh O'Conner. He has been one of my best friends since we met on our first day of high school. He recently became a defense attorney and opened his own agency.

"I'm not going to lie, Hugh. I feel really nervous. I didn't get too much sleep last night, because I kept thinking about this trial," Juniper admitted, biting her lip. Yesterday, in fact, had left her in quite a daze.

"That's perfectly understandable. However, I am confident that you will do well, Juniper." Hugh adjusted his glasses, his usual smirk on his face. "And if you do need help, you have me by your side."

"Hey, don't forget about me! I'm the one actually in trouble here!" yelled a young woman with long, purple hair in pigtails wearing a large trench coat. "So, I'm really counting on you, Juniper!"

This is Myriam Scuttlebutt. I became friends with her in my last year of high school. She usually works as a freelance reporter, but today she is the defendant of a court case… and my client.

That's right. I am here as a defense attorney. After I graduated Themis Legal Academy, I decided I needed to become stronger, if I wanted to become a judge. Strong, like Thena, and Apollo. But…

Juniper shook her head, to gather her thoughts. Out of habit, she found herself nervously adjusting the brim of her hat. "I'm going to do my best for you, Myriam. But can you tell me what you did on the day of the crime again? Your request yesterday was really sudden."

"Listen closely, sss sss sss. Yesterday, I was just walking through the city, looking for my next scoop. When suddenly, I hear this gunshot down this alleyway. So, I go there to see if anyone needed help and look what happened! I get arrested for murder!"

Going over Myriam's explanation, Juniper could feel a pit develop in her stomach- something about it didn't sit right with her. Myriam was leaving out too many bits and pieces. But, she was supposed to believe in Myriam, not just as a client, but as a friend, right? So, what was Juniper supposed to do with this thin cover story?

"You don't believe that Myriam killed anyone, right?" Hugh asked her.

"Of course I don't believe Myriam killed anyone. That's why I decided to defend her," Juniper said. And it was true, she really did believe that from the bottom of her heart.

"Then that's what is important. Any other questions you have, you can find the answers out in the courtroom." Hugh said, keeping a confident grin.

"Okay, I will," Juniper stated "I'm going to fight for Myriam so that she can get the verdict she deserves."

Wanting to feel more confident, Juniper looked at the attorney's badge pinned to her shawl. Just taking a glance at the badge, seeing its glint against the lobby lights, filled her with much needed strength. It was a symbol of the defense, worn by lawyers like Thena, Apollo, and Mr. Wright, reminding her of their loud voices and utmost confidence they displayed when they had defended her. They were brave and courageous, standing up for what was right, and Juniper knew she had to do the same today for Myriam.

"So, what were the results of yesterday's phone call?" Hugh asked. Hearing this question, unfortunately, reminded Juniper of that very same phone call and now there was a pit in her stomach again.

In answer to Hugh's question, Juniper just shook her head.

"So she's not even there?" Hugh shouted, a frustrated and annoyed look on his face. "Then where is she?"

All Juniper could do was grip her wrist, feeling a certain gift that she wore there. Five whole months and not a single lead. It made Juniper start to think that maybe, they would never see-

"Five minutes until the trial starts! Will the defendant and their defense please enter the courtroom?" The bailiff next to the door announced.

I can't think about that right now. It's time for me to enter the courtroom… and experience my very first trial as a defense attorney.

February 17, 2029

District Courthouse, Courtroom #2

10:00 a.m.

Day 1

Court is now in session

All rise

"Court is now in session for the trial of Myriam Scuttlebutt." The judge said, after a slam of his gavel.

Juniper stood behind the defense bench and she couldn't help but feel odd standing here. Standing behind the defense's bench, she could see the gallery across from her looking at her, whispering amongst themselves, which made her nerves feel worse.

She'd helped out Hugh on cases before, but this time was different. Standing here had a heavier weight to it than it did before. Myriam's life depended on how well Juniper did today as an attorney.

"Are the defense and the prosecution ready to present their cases?" The Judge asked.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Juniper said quietly. Up at the judge's bench was a familiar sight- the old man with a large gray beard that oversaw both of Juniper's murder trials. Working to become a judge herself, this judge held great significance to Juniper. She couldn't help but feel awe towards the man that guided the legal system though so many historic cases.

"The prosecution is ready, of course."

The prosecution was a woman in her late thirties, wearing heavy foundation and bright red lipstick, with her eyes obscured by the thick lenses on her glasses. Her hair was done up in big curls, with one curl over her forehead, and she wore a light-blue suit with a red tie.

"But that's only natural. After all, I am Stephanie Payne, daughter of the one and only Winston Payne!"

"Who is that supposed to be?" Hugh wondered out loud. Juniper shrugged. The name "Payne" did sound mildly familiar, but beyond that, she had no clue.

The judge, meanwhile, looked at Juniper curiously. "I remember seeing you before, defense team leader, but the records state this is your first case. Where have I seen you before?"

"Well, I'm studying to become a judge, but I was put on trial for murder… twice," Juniper answered, pulling the brim of her hat over her eyes.

"Ah yes, now I remember. So, you want to become a judge," The Judge said, closing his eyes. "Then gaining experience as an attorney is a good first step."

"Ha! This young girl is clearly unprepared to step in a courtroom," Stephanie scoffed, a sneer on her face. "She's still hiding under her hat!"

Once the prosecution pointed this out, Juniper removed her hat from her eyesight, doing her best to look forward. It wouldn't look good to be shaken up this early on.

"I suppose it would be good to ascertain how prepared the defense is with a few basic questions." The Judge turned his heavy gaze on Juniper. "Can you tell me who the defendant of this case is?"

"It's Myriam Scuttlebutt," Juniper answered immediately. Given that Myriam was sulking in the defendant's chair, it was a good thing she had gotten this question right.

The judge nodded in approval. "That is correct. Now, for the next question: Who is the victim of this case?"

"The victim's name is…" At this point, Juniper realized she never received a copy of the autopsy report during yesterday's investigation. "Er, pardon me, Your Honor. I don't have a copy of the autopsy report."

"You should at least have the list of profiles we collected yesterday," Hugh said, standing to Juniper's left. "The victim's name should be there."

Juniper searched through the list of profiles and saw that this was indeed the case. "Ah. so it is. Thank you for telling me, Hugh!" To the Judge, Juniper said, "The victim's name is Conan Ratters."

The profile of the victim specified that he was 30 before he died, had sharp, light-brown eyes, a rather narrow face, and was bald- a fact that was hidden by the large trilby hat that had a large rat pin affixed to it. As the photo in the file was a headshot, no other details were shown.

"I knew that the defense would neglect even the most basic preparation," Prosecutor Payne taunted, a haughty expression on her face. "So, I came prepared with an extra copy. Be grateful for my generosity, defense!"

"Th-thank you…" Juniper murmured, hiding behind her hat again.

Autopsy report added to the Court Record.

Juniper and Hugh went over the report now that they had it. The time of death was between one and two p.m. yesterday, February 16th. The cause of death was a bullet wound to the forehead. Lack of powder burns around the wound indicated the gun was fired from a distance.

"This is the final question. What was the victim's cause of death?" This question Juniper was able to answer easily, having just read it off the autopsy report. The Judge nodded at that. "The brief issue with the autopsy report aside, it does seem like the defense is sufficiently prepared."

Juniper breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately for her, on the other side of the courtroom, Stephanie Payne opened her compact, applying powder to her face in a patronizing matter. "I hope the defense is finally ready to join the actual trial, then. Because I, Stephanie Payne, have been ready to present my case since I entered."

"The prosecution may give it's opening statement, then."

"The crime occured yesterday. There are two locations of importance to this crime: The Fried Slop and the alley twenty feet away from the restaurant, which is the crime scene. Here is a picture of the crime scene that was taken by the police."

Photo of crime scene added to the Court Record.

The photo was indeed of the alley. The victim was lying face down, dead in the middle of the alley, with his feet pointed towards the entrance. There were two details to note. The first detail was that the victim's hat was a few feet away from his head and the rat pin had been shattered to bits. The second detail was that of a rather large cardboard box sitting next to a dumpster. At first, Juniper thought the box had a pair of gray spots. Upon closer inspection, however, Juniper recognized them as a pair of eyeholes. Which meant-

"This is one of Myriam's boxes, isn't it?" Hugh muttered, dismayed and already sweating. "Funny how she failed to mention this to us before."

Cardboard box added to the Court Record.

Stephanie continued to build her case. "The defendant was found by the police standing over the dead body with the murder weapon at their feet, still smoking. Clearly, the defendant just finished with their crime. I brought the murder weapon with me in court today."

The prosecutor presented the gun in an evidence bag: a basic pistol.

Pistol added to the Court Record.

However, there was something that caught Juniper's eye. "The report says that the murder weapon has no fingerprints. So there's no proof that Myriam ever touched the weapon."

"OBJECTION!" Stephanie shouted in a reedy whine. "I haven't finished presenting my case yet, little girl. I personally visited The Fried Slop and collected the statements of everyone there. I have them collected in this affidavit."

Affidavit added to the Court Record.

Juniper read over the affidavit, which stated that Myriam and Mr. Ratters dined at The Fried Slop together. At some point, they fell into an argument, and Mr. Ratters stormed out. Myriam followed a few minutes later and a gun fired the instant she exited the door.

"Oh look, more stuff that Myriam didn't tell us," Hugh sighed wearily. "Somehow, I'm still not surprised."

Juniper glanced over to Myriam- and happened to catch Myriam hugging herself with her arms, looking small and vulnerable. This reminded Juniper that regardless how sketchy Myriam could be, she would never kill anyone. So, Juniper took a deep breath, then said,

"As the defense, I still don't see how this implicates my client of this crime."

However, it seemed Prosecutor Payne expected this response. "Why don't we ask the defendant herself, then? Hear her explanation for her actions on the day of the crime."

"The defense has no objection to this," Juniper said, standing firmly. Since Myriam was innocent, any testimony she would give would surely prove this.

Myriam was brought up to the witness stand and not looking very happy about it. In recent times, Myriam began to phase out her cardboard boxes and now hid herself using large brown trench coats with a large collar to hide her face.

"Name and occupation, defendant?" Prosecutor Payne asked.

"Sss sss sss. Name's Myriam Scuttlebutt and I'm a freelance journalist," Myriam said, twirling a pen with her fingers. "And you're about to get an egg on your face, prosecutor! Because my defense is going to tear apart your sorry case!"

Juniper didn't feel as she happy as she should of hearing that. She had a sinking feeling that things were going to go south quickly for her. Hugh had a similar feeling, if his unamused expression was any indication.

"We'll see about that. For now, give your testimony on what you did on the day of the crime," Prosecutor Payne said.

-Testimony: The Day Of the Crime-

"I was walking through the city, searching for a scoop, Kahk Kahk.

When I heard the sound of a gunshot while walking by an alleyway," Myriam said, playing with her pen in one of her hands.

"I carefully looked down the alleyway and saw someone lying on their face.

And when I got close to them, I discovered it was the victim! I was frozen with shock," Myriam continued, sweating with a terrified expression on her face.

"By the time I snapped out of it, the police were already arresting me.

So, as you can see, I have nothing to do with this crime!" Myriam shouted, waving her fists at the courtroom at large.

-End testimony-

There was a very frigid pause at the end of the testimony. "What are you all looking at me like that for?!" Myriam snapped from the witness stand.

"It might have to do with you telling what might be the worst lie I've ever heard," Hugh muttered to himself.

"Well, the defense may now begin it's cross examination, for what it's worth," The Judge said. "Do you know how to conduct a cross examination?"

Juniper nodded. After watching so many cross examinations in previous trials, Juniper felt she had a pretty good idea of what to do, which left the task of exposing Myriam's lie on her shoulders.

Juniper knew what the contradiction was in the testimony- it was clear that Myriam was involved in this crime somehow. The real question was how Juniper wanted to point this out with the evidence on hand.

While looking over the photo of the crime scene, Juniper found something she wanted to ask Myriam about. So, taking in another deep breath, Juniper took the relevant evidence, raised her voice, and said,

"Objection!"

Myriam jumped on her feet. "What did I do wrong?"

"Myriam, I believe that you didn't kill the victim and that won't change. But you can't just lie and not expect me to do anything about it," Juniper stated, a serious expression on her face. She presented the crime scene photo to the court. "This cardboard box sitting next to the dumpster. It's yours, isn't it?"

"Hey! You're my defense attorney! Aren't you supposed to be defending me?" Myriam shouted, waving her arms.

"That's not how being a defense attorney works, Myriam," Hugh replied, deadpan.

"So, the defendant is lying. Almost as if she's trying to hide her guilt," Prosecutor Payne said, smiling smugly.

"Myriam, you're only making yourself look more guilty. So please, give a more honest testimony," Juniper insisted firmly. "Otherwise, I can't help you."

"Okay, okay! Just get off my back," Myriam said, grumbling under her breath.

-Testimony: The Cardboard Box-

"I placed one of my larger cardboard boxes from my collection in that alleyway,

In case I needed a hiding place if I ran into an emergency, sss sss sss.

But, when I entered the alleyway, the police were already there, and so

I didn't get the chance to hide. But I didn't kill the victim!" Myriam pleaded, tugging at her pigtails nervously.

"And besides that, I never went inside The Fried Slop, so that means I

Don't have the motive to kill the victim in the first place," Myriam said, averting her eyes from everyone else.

-End Testimony-

The testimony was so close to being perfect- all except for the last statement. And Stephanie knew it, if the smug smile she had on her face was any indication. However, Juniper knew that it was her duty to expose this contradiction.

"Just get it over with," Hugh sighed. "Hopefully Myriam will give us actually helpful testimony soon."

If there was any reason why Juniper was hesitating, it was because she was unsure of where to go once she exposed the flaw. As far as she could tell, there was no real flaw in the prosecution's case. There was no way to go but forward, however.

So, Juniper studied the Court Record to make sure she knew what evidence she wanted to present. Once she did, she once again raised her voice and said,

"Objection!"

"I probably shouldn't have tried to slip that past you, right?" Myriam asked, at least having enough shame to look embarrassed.

Juniper shook her head. "No, you shouldn't have. Because earlier, Prosecutor Payne presented an affidavit of the people eating at The Fried Slop and it states that you and the victim were eating together there."

"And I think it's become clear that the defendant can't be trusted," Prosecutor Payne added on. She killed the victim and she's trying to hide it. Quite badly, might I add."

The Judge closed his eyes, deep in thought. "So, it would seem I am in a position to deliver my verdict, barring any final comments by the defense."

However, Juniper didn't have any words. The more contradictions she unearthed, the guiltier Myriam looked. At this rate, Myriam would be declared guilty and there was nothing Juniper could do that didn't make things worse…

"OBJECTION!" Hugh slammed his right fist into the bench. "The defense is not done presenting its case."

This managed to snap Juniper back to her senses, so Hugh said to her, "All you need to do is find the smallest hole in the prosecution's case. After all, if Myriam really is innocent, a flaw must exist somewhere."

"And yet no such flaw has been pointed out," The Judge said. "So, I will give the defense only one chance. Present one piece of evidence that proves the prosecution's case isn't complete."

Only one chance. Juniper mentally reviewed every piece of evidence and testimony that had presented so far. Was there something that didn't sit quite right?

Thinking about it, Juniper did, in fact, spot an inconsistency. While she didn't know exactly what it meant yet, she also knew she had to point it out. So, Juniper took the relevant piece of evidence and-

"Take that!"

"This is… the photo of the crime scene?" The Judge asked. "I don't understand what the contradiction is."

"I want the court to look at the victim. They are laying face down in the middle of the alley, with their feet pointed towards the entrance that is close to the restaurant," Juniper explained.

"What's your point, defense?" Prosecutor Payne asked.

"That would mean that when the victim was shot, he was standing with his back facing the entrance of the alley. And if Myriam shot the victim, that would mean she was in front of him," Juniper continued, slowly gaining confidence in her theory. "Since the victim's wound was in his forehead. Well, this crime scene photo contradicts the affidavit."

"I still don't understand what the contradiction is," The Judge said. However, Prosecutor Payne notably began sweating.

"It's simple. The affidavit states that the moment Myriam left the premises, the gun was fired. However, this doesn't make any sense!" Juniper slammed the palms of her hands on the bench. "How is it possible for Myriam to run all the way to the alley and in front of the victim to fire on him- if the gunshot fired the instant she left?!"

"Kyaaa!" Prosecutor Payne shouted, doubling over.

"That is strange, isn't it!" The Judge exclaimed.

Juniper nodded. "Let's say Myriam did have the gun. For her to fire it and have the witnesses hear the gunshot in only an instant, she would have to fire at the victim's back. But the autopsy report already tells us this is impossible."

"That was a pretty good deduction," Hugh complimented, a proud smile on his face. "We might be able to get Myriam out of this jam yet."

"I knew it was a good idea to pick you as my attorney, Juniper!" Myriam exclaimed, looking pretty pleased with herself.

Juniper could feel her newfound confidence settle like a warm flame in her heart. She'd managed to turn the situation around with a single deduction. Just maybe-

"Ku ku ku ku. Don't celebrate just yet, defense. Especially when you seem to be under such an intense misunderstanding."

"What do you mean, Prosecutor Payne?" Juniper asked, now getting a feeling of foreboding.

"I'm talking about that affidavit," Prosecutor Payne said, using a compact mirror to apply makeup again. "Sure, it states that the gunshot happened immediately after the defendant left. But, that's just what the witnesses believed. For all we know, the gunshot really happened a couple of minutes later and they only felt it was immediate."

"OBJECTION! You can't just change the details of the evidence when it doesn't suit you anymore!" Hugh shouted.

"If you think I, Stephanie Payne, daughter of the great Winston Payne, would rely on such flimsy evidence, you are sorely mistaken," Prosecutor Payne scoffed, her expression intense. "I also have a decisive witness. One that can prove when the gunshot was fired."

"It is the court's duty to hear every witness. Very well, we will hear this testimony after the court takes a fifteen minute recess." The Judge said.

So the prosecution has another witness. In other words, the real battle still hasn't started. Juniper took another breath, this time into one of the sunflowers she wore on her pigtails. I need to be ready for any testimony.

"That will be all. This court is adjourned!"

To be continued.

A/N: That's the first chapter of this story now officially published. What theories does the audience have? What details have they noticed? Be sure to let us know. I have decided new publish chapters once every two days, to give the audience a chance to study the clues and make their theories. Next chapter will be published Wednesday. See you next time! Please review.