"S-sir..." Iris whispered in shock as who she saw beside her wasn't Pearl, but Diego Armando, her beloved mentor who had died a grisly death a few days ago.
"Nice to see you again, Flower," he said with a chuckle. "It's been too long."
Iris didn't respond, her mind still computing what she was seeing. There was no denying it. The tanned skin, the muscular body, the dark hair...it was definitely her mentor. The major difference being that his hair was tied in a bow-like hairstyle and instead of his suave formal attire, he wore a purple kimono that was way too small for his size, as Iris flushed red when she took a good look at his firm, muscular legs.
Looking at this strange display, there was no denying it. Her little sister Pearl had CHANNELED her mentor's spirit!
And as she looked around, Iris saw that she wasn't the only one who noticed. Morgan, knowing full well about her youngest daughter's capabilities, became nervous as she stared at the channeled Diego with dread.
Maggey also looked worried, but gritted her teeth, balling her hands into fists at the sight of the deceased lawyer. Von Karma, while surprised, smirked in mild amusement.
"M-Ms. Hawthorne!" the Judge shrieked, pointing at Diego. "H-how did your sister turn into a fully grown man!?"
"Ha! I've always been a man at heart, Your Honor," he said with a chuckle, "but I will say this. Just allow us one more minute!"
"O-oh, alright," the Judge said quietly, too weirded out by the sight of Diego.
"S-Sir, what are you doing!?" Iris asked nervously.
"Giving you time, Flower," he answered. "The case isn't over yet and I'm sure the defense has a reasonable explanation as to what Ms. Byrde's motive is!"
I do!? Iris cried out mentally, gawking at Diego, who gave her a reassuring nod.
"You've got yourself here this far, Flower," he said. "Just have faith in yourself."
"B-but Sir..."
"Yes, it might sound like a ridiculously messed up plan for a murder, but you and I both know that girl..." he pointed at Maggey. "She prepared for it."
"I..." Iris paused and rubbed her chin in thought. It was certainly a strange turn, this was. She cornered her mother and Maggey, provided a downright silly but plausible theory on how they could've committed the crime, only for von Karma to tear it down with just one question.
And now her little sister summoned the spirit of Diego-the man that was murdered in this crime-to help her. Honestly, Iris felt like passing out due to the insanity of it all. Just to give up and end it...but she knew if she did that, Maya would be sent to prison and Diego's killers would get away.
"Time is up, Ms. Hawthorne," the Judge said. "Your final answer, please. If you want to say that Ms. Byrde had a motive, then why did she kill the victim this way? Can you provide the reason?"
I'm not that confident in this, but I guess I have no choice, Iris thought.
"Yes, Your Honor!" Iris said. "I will show and substantiate the fact that Ms. Byrde had a motive!"
"That's right, Flower!" Diego said. "Only you can finish this now!"
Maggey laughed cruelly. "Too bad for you, Rissy; you're too late! My cross-examination ended already, after all!"
"Hmm..." von Karma paused for a moment of thought. "Interesting. I'll let you have your chance, Ms. Iris Hawthorne."
"W-what!?" Maggey shouted in shock. "But you're supposed to be on my side-!"
whp-CRACK!
"Aaaargh!"
"A von Karma only cares about the perfect win!" the pompous prosecutor declared, glaring at Iris. "As long as you have the will to fight, I will knock you down, Ms. Iris Hawthorne!"
Iris remained silent, clenching her fists as she glared back at von Karma.
Von Karma then turned to Maggey. "And I don't care if you are my witness! So help me, I will blow you out of my way!"
"W-why you...!" Maggey growled, clutching the part of her face that von Karma struck.
"Very well," the Judge said. "The court will take a five-minute recess. We will continue the cross-examination after we reconvene."
"H-hey! W-wait a sec, here!" Maggey protested, but it was too late as the people in the courtroom got out of their places and headed out for recess. For a brief moment, she noticed Diego look at her with a contempt-filled glare before flashing a sly, mocking smirk.
And that was enough to make her explode into a fit of rage.
. . .
June 22, 12:04 PM
District Court~ Defendant Lobby No. 3
Iris, Maya, and Diego stood around awkwardly, unsure of how to start the conversation. Iris and Diego looked at Maya sympathetically, as the medium-in-training was on the verge of crying.
"Mystic Maya?" Iris asked gently, taking a step closer to her cousin.
"It's really true, isn't it...?" Maya asked, gazing at Iris with teary eyes. "A-about Aunt Morgan...?"
"Mystic Maya..." Iris hesitated for a moment, before giving Maya a solemn nod. "I'm sorry, but it's true. Maggey Byrde couldn't have murder Sir by herself. And under those circumstances, there's no one else other than Morgan."
"I...It's just...why...?" Maya's voice trembled, tears falling from her face. "Why would she do this?!"
Iris paused in thought, unsure if she should tell Maya. She turned to Diego, who gave her a nod. "Alright...Mystic Maya, I hate to say this, but...Morgan never really cared for any of us. Did you know she threw Dahlia and me out of Fey Manor when it turned out we couldn't spirits?"
Maya gasped, her eyes widening. "What?! S-she wouldn't...WHY!?"
"Because she hates that your side of the family became the main branch for the Fey Clan," Diego said, stepping forward. "And if we don't turn this case around soon, you'll end up in jail and she'll finally get the chance to make her side the main branch."
"But-" Maya continued, but Diego gave her a serious look and crossed his arms.
"Kid, I know you have a lot of questions, but your life is at stake at this very moment and if we don't figure out how to turn this around fast, you'll pay the price for what Morgan and Bryde did," he said, spitting Byrde's name out in contempt. "So for now, we need to focus on proving the court that those two were the ones that brewed up this bitter mess."
Maya went silent for a moment, before nodding at Diego, wiping her tears away. "It's nice to see you again, Diego..." she smiled. "I'm sorry for..." she paused, glancing away from him in shame.
He just chuckled and patted her head. "Think nothing of it, Kid. It isn't your fault this happened."
"You seem awfully calm despite having died, Sir..." Iris pointed, earning a laugh from Diego.
"Ha! Don't you remember what I told you, Flower?" he said with a sly grin. "The only time a lawyer can cry..."
"...is when it's all over," Iris murmured. She already heard that over a thousand times now, but she couldn't suppress her smile in hearing that again from her dear mentor.
"And we can't cry now, not when we have all the winnings cards on our hand."
Iris raised a brow, confused at what Diego meant until it dawned on her. "You know who your killer is!"
"Ha! Isn't it obvious!?" Diego laughed. "I was murdered by her after all!"
"Then it really is Maggey Byrde!" Iris exclaimed confidently.
"...not exactly..."
"W-what!? What do you mean not exactly!" Iris shrieked, tugging at her long black hair. "There was no one else at the crime scene, we both know Mystic Maya didn't do it, and Morgan was with Ini and me before the time of your death! Wh-who...who else could it be!?"
"Think about it, Flower," Diego said, placing his arms on Iris' shoulder. "I was murdered by Byrde, yes, but it wasn't really her. It was someone pretending to be Byrde."
"Pretending to be Byrde?" Iris repeated incredulously. "S-sir, you're not making sense!"
"Look at all the clues you've gathered and think outside the box, Flower," he instructed her. "Look for the clues and find a way to bring out the sweet fragrance of truth into the air."
Sir, you and your coffee-related metaphors! Iris rolled her eyes before asking, "Sir, it's the case of your own murder and Mystic Maya's life is at stake! Can't you skip the teacher role and just tell me the answer already!?"
"Ha! I'd be a terrible teacher if I did that, Flower," Diego said, "but I will give you a hint. Think about the special effects makeup you and that Detective found."
"Yeah..." Iris mumbled, not sure where he was going with this. "So?"
"Now remember that Doctor you visited yesterday," he added. "The one that tried to shoot you."
Iris grimaced. How would she forget that moment?
. . .
The doctor slowly opened the door and pointed a pistol at Iris, making the lawyer cautiously take a few steps back.
"Listen here, you nosy little bitch," he muttered with gritted teeth as he cocked the gun. "I've had it with everything your insane sister put me through! I'm already in deep shit as it is, and I don't want you and your screwed-up family to dig me deeper!"
. . .
Iris raised a brow, rubbing her chin in thought. Dr. Blu (or Turner?) said that he had it with everything Dahlia put her through...what could he have meant by that? She then went back and recalled.
. . .
"I thought I told you not to come back here!" Dr. Blu (or Turner?) interrupted angrily, glaring at the lawyer.
"I beg your pardon?" Iris asked, taking a step back.
"And what the hell happened to the surgery I gave you?!" he added, accusingly pointing his finger at her.
Iris looked at the doctor in confusion. "Good sir, I'm afraid you mistake me for someone else. My name is Iris Hawthorne."
He blinked. "Iris Hawthorne...?"
. . .
What did he mean by surgery? Iris wondered. He also looked really scared when I showed up at his doorstep.
"It's as if he thought..." she paused, her eyes widening in realization. "Wait..."
Diego grinned, his eyes beaming as he could see an idea forming in Iris's head. "That's it, Flower, you're getting it."
The makeup, Dr. Blu's reaction to seeing me... Iris thought, slowly putting the puzzle pieces together. There's also the changes in tone from Ms. Byrde's voice...there were at least several times it changed, but I failed to notice until now. And...and...
"And then there's the fire that killed Dahlia in the prison..." she whispered to herself, remembering what she heard about the fire. She then recalled the moment she visited Diego's apartment to get more information.
. . .
In her clumsiness, she dropped one of the photos, prompting Iris to kneel and pick it up.
Once she did, however, she gasped as she stared at the corpse shown in the photo. It was charred to the point of being charcoal black, revealing layers of bone in various parts of the arm and torso. Its burnt state left the corpse unrecognizable, much to Iris' dismay. But looking down at the name written at the bottom of the photo, Iris was shocked to find it was her twin, Dahlia.
"This is Dahlia...?!" Iris shouted to herself. "Well, it did say she died in a fire..."
. . .
As the pieces fell right into place, Iris' eyes widened as it was all coming to her. The makeup, the photos, Maggey...it was all coming together now!
With a determined look, she turned to Diego and Maya and said, "I know what I have to do."
. . .
June 22, 12:10 PM
District Court~ Courtroom No. 2
"Court will now reconvene," the Judge announced before turning to Iris. "Ms. Hawthorne, can you prove that Ms. Byrde had a motive?"
Iris nodded. "Yes, Your Honor. In fact, I have just the perfect method of proving it."
It was then, much to the court's surprise, that Iris moved away from her side of the courtroom and approached Maggey. Maggey sweated nervously, uncomfortable at how close the rookie lawyer was to her. Iris took a moment to observe the courtroom (noticing that Morgan was nowhere inside) before glaring at Maggey.
"H-hey, what gives?" Maggey asked.
"It's nothing, Ms. Byrde," Iris said, narrowing her eyes at Maggey. "Please testify to the court the fire that took Dahlia Hawthorne's life."
Maggey flinched. "I-Isn't that a little too much? I mean, why focus on the past and all that-"
Suddenly, Iris slammed her hand against the witness stand, startling Maggey. "Testify. To the court. Now!"
"A-alright, fine..."
TESTIMONY
"During that time, I went to the prison to pack up all my things."
"I also went there hoping I could say goodbye to Dolly once last time..."
"When the fire started, I ran to Dolly's cell, rushing to save her!"
"And then I...I saw Dolly's corpse..."
"It was just...too terrible!"
"That sounds a little too vague, doesn't it?" Iris said, crossing her arms.
"It happened so suddenly, what did you expect it to sound!?" Maggey hissed.
"No arguments here, we don't want to waste any more time!" the Judge said. "Ms. Hawthorne, you may now cross-examine the witness."
Diego nudged Iris and whispered, "You think you can pull the truth out of her, Flower?"
"Considering that Mystic Maya's life is on the line, I have to. And besides..." Iris turned to her mentor, mimicking his signature grin. "I think I have a way to make her confess..."
Diego smiled back and nodded, but he could notice that Iris had some glimmer of doubt and worry in her mind. He could see the worry in her eyes and notice the high beating of her heart. Not that he could blame her, this was their only shot in winning this case. And as a dead man, he could do nothing but guide his protégé and pray that she can reveal the truth to the court.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
"During that time, I went to the prison to pack up all my things."
"I also went there hoping I could say goodbye to Dolly once last time..."
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "You were hoping to meet up with your lover? I highly doubt the police would allow you to."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maggey asked.
"Ha! And you were supposed to be a guard?" Iris said. "Maybe the real reason they fired you was incompetence at work..."
Maggey flushed red and snarled at the rookie lawyer. "Why you-!"
"Order! Order!" the Judge interrupted. "Ms. Hawthorne, why are you trying to insult the witness?!"
"I'm just pointing out a fact, Your Honor," Iris said. "She said she hoped to see Dahlia again, but given that the reason she was fired in the first place was due to her romantic proclivities with her, it would be impossible. Unless the guards WANT Ms. Byrde to break a careless and idiotic criminal like Dahlia out."
"Hey!" Maggey shouted, her tone shifting slightly and her teeth grinding as she slammed her hands against the witness stand. "Don't you dare talk about your own sister like that!"
Iris raised a brow, noticing the slight change in her tone of voice.
whp-CRACK!
"AaAack!" Iris shouted in pain as she felt von Karma's whip striking her chest.
"Consider that your penalty for wasting the court's time," von Karma said. "What happened next, witness?"
Her tone changed slightly, Iris thought. I'm going to need to press further to get the truth out...
"When the fire started, I ran to Dolly's cell, rushing to save her!"
"HOLD IT!" Iris shouted. "You rushed into a fire to save Dahlia? Incredibly foolish but brave, I must admit."
"What's that you said-!?" Maggey stopped herself and coughed, noticing her own voice's pitch. She then turned back to Iris and said in her usual tone, "oh, thanks, I guess..."
"Flower, are you doing what you think you're doing?" Diego asked with a mischievous grin.
Iris grinned back at him. "I'm just doing what sisters do best, Sir."
"And then I...I saw Dolly's corpse..."
"OBJECTION!" Iris shouted. "You said you saw Dahlia Hawthorne's corpse, right?!"
"Yeah, of course, I did!" Maggey said with a huff. "You have no idea how traumatizing that was!"
"Are you certain!?"
"YES! How many times do I have to say it to you!?" Maggey snapped, spewing out spit.
"Then care to explain this?" she asked, taking out the stack of research Diego had made.
"This is the information that I've obtained during my investigation. A stack of clues and evidence found by Diego Armando regarding Dahlia Hawthorne," she said, scanning the files she had. Come on, come on, where is it...!?
"So?" Maggey retorted. "What are you trying to get at, Rissy?"
Please be here, please be here...yes! Iris smiled as she gazed at Maggey with narrowed eyes. "Care to explain this, Ms. Byrde?"
Iris took out a photo from the stack of research papers and pictures and presented it to Maggey, whose eyes widened at the sight of it. It was the photo of a corpse. An unrecognizable corpse that was burnt to a crisp, becoming black and almost skeletal.
"That's...that's..." Maggey trembled, her body shaking.
"The corpse you saw, I take it?" Iris asked before turning to von Karma. "Tell me, Ms. von Karma, were there any other deaths in the fire that killed my twin?"
"No," von Karma said, glaring at Iris suspiciously. "Where are you going with this, Ms. Iris Hawthorne?"
"Simple, if this was the corpse of Dahlia Hawthorne as you said, Ms. Byrde..." Iris then raised her arm and pointed her finger at Maggey. "Then how did you know that this was Dahlia's? By the look of this corpse, it would be impossible to tell who it is!"
"W-well, I...I saw her burning in front of me!" she said, sweating nervously.
"Then wouldn't you try to save her?" Iris retorted, causing Maggey to flinch. "You said you loved her, so why didn't you try to put her out!?"
Maggey glanced away from Iris, gritting her teeth as she tried to think something up. "I...I..."
"OBJECTION!" von Karma interjected. "Need I remind you that the prison had been engulfed in a fire, Ms. Iris Hawthorne!? Even if Ms. Byrde wanted to save her lover, the flames would be too strong to do that!"
"OBJECTION!" Iris shouted. "Then why didn't Ms. Byrde call for help? The prison might be on fire, but the guards should've been taking steps to get prisoners away from it, so why didn't you call for help, Ms. Byrde!?"
"I-I was panicking! My Dolly was on fire, you couldn't expect me to think properly seeing that!" Maggey snapped back, her voice rising slightly.
"Oh really? But with how much you told us about how you loved Dahlia, how devoted you are to her, I'm surprised you didn't even try to go into the flames to save her," Iris hissed before narrowing her eyes. "But maybe...that's what you really wanted, isn't it?"
"W-What!?" Maggey shouted in surprise, a cacophony of murmurs from the gallery being heard in the background.
"Order! Order!" the Judge shouted, slamming his gavel. "Ms. Hawthorne, what do you mean!?"
"Exactly what I meant, Your Honor," Iris answered, her eyes still glued to Maggey. "I believe that Ms. Byrde didn't try to save Dahlia, I believe that there's...something more going on."
"You foolishly foolish fool who spouts foolish nonsense!" von Karma shouted, raising her whip high to strike at Iris. "Whatever you're babbling about doesn't explain what Ms. Byrde's motive for murdering Diego Armando could be!"
whp-CRACK!
"GrrAaAgh!" Iris cried out but stayed strong as she turned to glare at von Karma. "What I'm babbling about does have something to do with Ms. Byrde's motive. And if you could just stop whipping people for five seconds, maybe you can hear my point!"
The Judge pondered for a moment and nodded. "Yes, I believe we should hear her out."
Von Karma scoffed but set her whip down. "Fine," she snarled, glaring at Iris. "Do enlighten us, Ms. Iris Hawthorne..."
"Thank you for the chance, Ms. von Karma," Iris said sarcastically before turning to the whole court. "As I said prior, there's more to this case than what's going on and the center of all of it lies in the fire that allegedly took Dahlia Hawthorne's life."
Von Karma raised a brow. Allegedly?
"The media told us that my twin was the one who died in the fire, but tell me, Ms. von Karma," Iris said. "First of all, was there a confirmed source of where the fire came from?"
Von Karma shook her head. "No. I investigated that event due to its connection to the current case. There's no confirmed source."
"And the corpse is shown in this photo. Was there an autopsy of the body shown in this photo? An investigation to confirm that it was really Dahlia Hawthorne?"
Von Karma gritted her teeth. "No..." she answered reluctantly. "From what I've gathered, the police did not attempt to analyze the body. They just...assumed it was Dahlia since the body was discovered in her cell."
Iris grinned. "Then there's a chance."
Maggey visibly tensed up, her fists clenching hard as she tried to suppress her emotions.
"Whatever do you mean, Ms. Hawthorne?" the Judge asked.
"Don't you think this fire was a little too coincidental since it happened the day that Ms. Byrde arrived to resign her job, Your Honor?" Iris asked. "Don't you think that it's also a coincidence that my twin sister was the only casualty in all of this? It is, and I know the reason why."
Von Karma rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh, let me guess. The fire was made by Ms. Maggey Byrde as a diversion for her to break Dahlia Hawthorne out and the body is just a decoy, correct?"
"You're right on the diversion part, but not on the body," Iris said. "I think that Ms. Byrde...is not actually in this court right now!"
Most of the court gasped in shock, the Judge looking at Iris as if she had grown a second head. Von Karma just snarled in irritation, thinking this whole thing was a waste of time. Diego, meanwhile, just snapped his fingers and a cup of warm coffee slid to his side. Leaning on the defense's desk, he took a good sip of coffee and looked on to see where Iris was going with this.
"Have you gone insane, Ms. Iris Hawthorne!?" von Karma shouted readying her whip once more. "Not only what you are suggesting is frankly stupid, but Ms. Byrde is also standing right there next to you!"
"Is she?" Iris retorted. "Look at the photo I'm presenting to this court, Ms. von Karma. As you said, the police didn't try to confirm if it was really my twin and assumed it was. What if they were wrong? What if the woman in this photo is the real Maggey Byrde?"
Everyone in the court except for Diego looked at Iris with disbelief, thinking her crazy for proposing such an outlandish idea, but she took a deep breath and stood her ground. "Hear me out and imagine this. Maggey Byrde was the one who started the fire, manipulated by Dahlia under the promise that the two would escape the prison and be together in life.
"However, as Maggey searched for her beloved in the flames, Dahlia used this opportunity to knock her out. She then quickly switched clothes with unconscious Maggey and tossed the poor girl into the fire, burning her to the point she was unrecognizable. With the guards distracted by the fire, Dahlia used the opportunity to escape."
The court went silent, not responding to Iris' theory...until von Karma broke that with an "OBJECTION!"
"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!" von Karma shouted. "If this theory of yours was true, Ms. Iris Hawthorne, then the woman at the witness stand should look exactly like you!"
"Yeah!" Maggey shouted, her voice raising a bit. "How do you explain that, Rissy! If you aren't blinded by your stupidity, you can see that I'm not your twin!"
"A little surgery would fix that," Iris retorted venomously. "During my investigation, I had discovered through the victim's research that Dahlia had ties to a criminal doctor named Grey Turner. When he saw me, he panicked and said..."
"What the hell happened to the surgery I gave you?!" he added, accusingly pointing his finger at her.
"Surgery!?" Maggey, von Karma, and the Judge repeated incredulously.
Diego chuckled and sipped his coffee before raising his cup to Iris. That's my girl...
"Yes, it has been months since the incident," Iris said. "The plenty of time for you to recover from plastic surgery and to concoct this scheme to kill Diego Armando, Ms. Byrde."
"Tch...!" Maggey growled, her forehead and hand palms sweating profusely as Iris kept cornering her.
"HOLD IT!" von Karma shouted. "Alright, let's consider this ridiculous theory of yours true! That still doesn't explain why Ms. Byrde would murder the victim. If she really is Dahlia Hawthorne in disguise, why would she go out of her way to murder the victim!? No one knows her true identity thus far and going after the victim would risk exposing her!"
"OBJECTION! Diego Armando is the man that personally tracked down Dahlia Hawthorne and saw to it she went to jail for her countless murders," Iris countered. "He knows exactly what kind of a monster Dahlia is..." she paused to leer at Maggey, who leered back, before turning to give a warm grin to Diego. "...and he wouldn't think something like a fire would kill her off.
Diego grinned back as he watched Iris continued explaining to the court. "He was suspicious of her alleged death from the very beginning. He saw it for the lie it was and tried his damnedest to expose it. That's why he arranged for a channeling session with Maya Fey, to prove to everyone that serial murderer and deceptive manipulator Dahlia Hawthorne was still alive!"
Many people in the courtroom began conversating to themselves loudly over this, heavily doubting Iris' testimony.
In response, the Judge slammed his gavel. "Order! Order! Order-!"
"Graaagh!" Maggey shouted, seething in rage as she slammed her fists into the witness stand, glaring at Iris hatefully. For a second, Iris swore she saw Maggey's eyes turn completely white for a second.
This is good, Iris thought. I just need to keep pushing her buttons...
"You don't know Dolly like I do, you bitch!" Maggey exclaimed in a shrill voice. "You can't prove that she would do that!"
"I don't need to," Iris said, crossing her arms. "You already did that for me. After all, this murder presumedly started because Dahlia's spirit possessed the defendant and murdered the victim. And when you told us that you encountered Dahlia's spirit, she said to you..."
"I wanted to get back at him...he put me in that prison that was set on fire...and now I finally got my revenge for what he did to me..."
"You should pay more attention to your words, Ms. Byrde," Iris said mockingly. "They might be the end of you later on..."
Maggey growled, clenching her fist, but looked down to her feet to keep Iris from seeing her angered expression. She could tell what that pathetic sister was doing, she won't give her the satisfaction!
"Ms. Hawthorne, what did I tell you?!" the Judge said. "No insulting the witness!"
"But it's true, Your Honor," the rookie lawyer replied, glaring at Maggey. "She contradicted herself at that moment and now look at her."
She gestured at Maggey who still looked down to the floor. "She's cornered. Cowering and stressed, almost as if she's hiding something."
Iris went closer to Maggey. "She orchestrated that fire. She manipulated the real Maggey Byrde to be her pawn in her scheme."
Maggey snarled, gritting her teeth as she hunched her torso to keep looking down at the floor and placed her hands over her head. This trial can't end like this. She won't let Iris win!
"And when Maggey was no longer of use, you had to kill her off to then and there huh, Dahlia?" Iris said, letting out a cruel chuckle. "You always did toss away the people who loved you, huh? Father, Terry Fawles, me, and now Maggey Byrde. You never really cared for anyone but yourself, huh?"
Maggey gritted her teeth so hard that she could feel them cracking. She pulled at her hair and her body shook in barely restrained fury as she struggled to not strangle Iris. Don't. Let. Her. Win...!
"You always tried to get what you wanted and when you didn't, you'd either rebel or cone up with some crazy scheme just so you can have your way!" Iris slammed the palms of her hands against the witness stand and leaned closer to Maggey's head. "It's always been like that ever since we were kids, right, Dolly? You always rebelled. You always fought back at Morgan and looked where that got you...always punished, always met with scorn and hate. I had to keep Mother from really hurting you and I always had to take care of you each time she so much as struck you. Things would've been better for you if you had just swallowed your pride and dealt with it properly! Maybe Mother wouldn't have kept hitting you when we were kids..."
She then leaned closer to Maggey's ear and coldly whispered, "You may think I'm weak, but looking at what you are now, Dahlia...you are just pathetic...!"
Von Karma rolled her eyes. This was getting them nowhere. "Alright, Ms. Iris Hawthorne, enough with this foolish-"
"RRRAAAAAAGH!" Maggey roared out as grabbed Iris by her neck, choking her with all the strength she could muster, as the colors in her eyes turned into a familiar demonic white. "PATHETIC!? YOU THINK I'M PATHETIC! I STOOD UP FOR MYSELF! I DID WHAT I DID TO GET MY WAY AND YOU JUST SAT AROUND LETTING PEOPLE STEP ON YOU! NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO EITHER OF US, YOU'RE STILL THE WEAKEST SISTER! YOU'RE STILL-!"
Maggey froze, her eyes widening in realization. She turned and looked at the entire courtroom. The Judge, the Prosecutor, the entire gallery...they all looked at her with shocked expressions on their faces. She had just attacked Iris in a rage. She shouted at Iris, strangling her. She had shouted at Iris...with a voice that sounded exactly like Iris'.
Despite being strangled, Iris grinned and faintly wheezed out, "H-hi, Dahlia...how are you...?"
Maggey tensed up. She didn't let Iris go, but her head darted around as she hyperventilated from all the people in the court staring at her. Seeing that she was preoccupied with their stares, Diego wasted no time pulling Iris out of Maggey's grip.
"You okay, Flower?" he asked.
"I'm...fine..." Iris said, breathing heavily.
"Witness, what's going on?" von Karma asked, her voice quiet from the shock, before going back to its usual harsh tone. "What happened to your voice!?"
"I...I..."
"Try to make an excuse, Dahlia..." Iris goaded her. "I dare you...you can come up with any lie and I'll undo it..."
Maggey's face contorted angrily at Iris, desperately trying to think up an excuse. "W-well, I...grr...!"
"Answer me, witness!" von Karma shouted. "Tell me what's happening this instant!"
"SHUT UP!" Maggey snapped back, raising her arms wildly and throwing a childish fit. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUUUPPP! YOU WIN, IRIS! YOU HAPPY!? I KILLED THAT IDIOT YOU CALLED A BOSS! HE PUT ME IN JAIL AND EVER SINCE MY FIRST DAY THERE I WANTED HIM TO PAY!"
Everyone in the courtroom, except for Diego and Iris, gasped in shock at what they had just heard. Von Karma herself couldn't believe what had just happened. The defendant was innocent, and her witness turned out to be the true culprit! This wasn't good for the image of a von Karma. She gripped her whip tightly, glaring at Iris, whose eyes focus on Maggey Byrde-no, Dahlia Hawthorne...
"Once I met that lovestruck idiot Byrde, it wasn't hard for me to make her fall for me..." Dahlia continued hoarsely. "I talked her into helping me escape by staging that fire. It seemed like the perfect idea. Using the fire to distract the guards long enough for us to escape. But she didn't count on me turning on her..."
. . .
Prison, several months ago...
"Dolly..." a girl shouted, coughing from the smoke as she carefully walked through the flames. She darted around in search for her beloved, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Dahlia, where are you!?" a girl shouted, desperately, walking past the growing stream of fire. She coughed again. "Please...we have to go..."
It couldn't end like this. It simply just couldn't. After all the time she and Dolly spent together, getting to know one another, and helping each other through their struggles...she couldn't just let it end like this...!
Hold on, Dolly, the girl thought, looking determined. I'm coming! I'm getting us out of here and we'll-!
Her mind was cut off as an arm was wrapped around her mouth, silencing her. She struggled to break free, but it was futile as a needle was thrust into her neck, injecting a strange concoction that made her sleepier by the second.
As she began to lose consciousness, the last thing she saw Dolly-her beloved's-smile...and how cruel and demonic it had been. Once Maggey was knocked out, Dahlia wasted no time in switching her drab prison clothes with Maggey's security uniform. And to convince the guards that Dahlia Hawthorne died in the fire, she tossed Maggey's unconscious body into the flames that engulfed her cell. She didn't have time to watch the body burn to a crisp, but she could tell from Maggey's screams just how agonizing it must be.
. . .
Von Karma, the Judge, and Iris grimaced and paled at Dahlia, but that didn't deter the evil woman as she continued her confession.
"As soon as I got out, I grabbed some money and visited an old friend of mine, Dr. Grey Turner. If you know, he was that doctor the police were after for causing the deaths of fourteen patients," she let out a sinister chuckle. "I threatened to expose him to the cops if he didn't help me. When he agreed, I told him one thing."
. . .
"Make my face like hers," Dahlia told Dr. Turner, showing him a photo of Maggey Byrde. "I want to look exactly like this woman, so no one will notice the difference."
Turner snatched the photo from Dahlia and squinted his eyes at it. "You do know you might risk losing that cute face of yours, right?" he said sarcastically.
Dahlia giggled. "If it means getting a new life, I'll risk anything. Besides, Maggey seems cute enough for me to make it work..."
. . .
"You..." the Judge shuddered, at a loss for words. "You not only killed the real Maggey Byrde...but you stole her face and identity as well!?"
"Deplorable," Diego added. "Absolutely deplorable. But I guess I should've expected this to come from you, Hawthorne."
"I don't deserve all the credit," Dahlia hissed at the dead lawyer. "There's still how I killed you. I figured that my little stunt at the prison didn't fool you, so I got desperate and talked to Morgan. That stupid plan about faking the channeling was her idea."
There was a pause as Dahlia glared at Iris and Diego, engaging in a silent battle between the two of them before shouting, "I was close! So close to getting my new life and finally ridding myself of you once and for all! I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for my weak sister!"
"Funny how you called me weak, considering who's the one going to jail at this moment," Iris retorted, furthering her evil sister's rage.
"You little-!"
"ENOUGH!" the Judge shouted. "I've seen quite enough as it is! Out of all the people I've seen in this court, you have to be the most despicable of them all! My mind has been made clear and this trial is over! Bailiffs, arrest Dahlia Hawthorne and her accomplice Morgan Fey, wherever she may be!"
Two bailiffs quickly approached Dahlia and grabbed her by her arms.
"Hey!" she protested. "Let me go! I said let me go!"
She struggled, kicking and screaming to break herself free from their grip; but once she saw it was no use, she gave one last hateful, demonic glare at her traitorous, weak sister Iris.
"Remember this face, Iris!" she declared as the bailiffs dragged her out of the courtroom. "Remember it because when I get out of this, it'll be the last thing you see!"
Once Dahlia was finally out of the courtroom, there was a moment of awkward silence as Iris and Diego, von Karma, and the Judge stared at each other. Iris looked tensed, praying that the outcome would be good. Diego just went back to the defense team's desk to retrieve his cup of coffee, sure about the outcome of the trial and waiting to celebrate with a nice toast with Iris. Von Karma simply gave a frustrated expression, gripping her whip as for once in her life, she dreaded to hear the final verdict of a trial.
"Well, um..this has been quite the trial," the Judge chuckled nervously before banging his gavel. "I believe it's time for me to hand out my verdict. Does either side have anything to say?"
Iris had nothing to say, but she turned to look at von Karma, who was surprisingly quiet. She looked distressed as she gripped her whip tightly, unable to believe what had happened.
"Th-this is...this is preposterous!" she mumbled. "I...I'm perfect! Me...Franziska von Karma..."
Iris couldn't help but laugh. To see the pompous, whip-happy prosecutor who made this case hell for her reduced to a shocked, mumbling mess. It was great!
"Nothing to say, Ms. Franziska von Karma?" Iris asked mockingly. "I'm sure tonight's news would be delighted at what's happened. The image of your loss will be transmitted all over the world!"
whp-CRACK!
"O-Oww!" Iris cried as she felt the whip striking her face, but that didn't stop there as von Karma struck her again and again...
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
whp-CRACK!
"And one more for good measure!"
whp-CRACK!
With that final strike, Iris screamed and fell unconscious, but Diego managed to catch her before she could hit the floor. "Flower, hang in there! Flower!"
"This court is a fraud! A sham!" von Karma shouted as she stomped her way out of the courtroom, slamming the door on her way out.
There was an awkward moment of silence before Judge coughed. "Now then, it looks like it will be some time before Ms. Hawthorne regains consciousness...so I will go ahead and pronounce the verdict. The court finds the defendant, Maya Fey..."
NOT GUILTY!