It wasn't that much of a stretch of the imagination to say that Frank Sawit was a man who just oozed the stench of guilt.
Phoenix Wright could certainly tell he was guilty.
So could the 3 year old girl perched on his shoulder.
As the witness stood in the witness stand of the courtroom, shaking hands in a weird motion, Phoenix sighed to himself as he prepared to tear the man's testimony apart.
Frankly as far as Phoenix was concerned, the fact that there was a 3 year old on his shoulder in the first place was a cause for more concern than what he imagined to be the most straightforward trial he would ever face in his life.
Fact was, the only problem with the trial was the defendant, his rowdy and confused childhood friend who was constantly spouting nonsense. Literally everything else in the courtroom was practically tailored directly towards his favour. A beautiful and experienced mentor by his side, a spineless prosecutor who appeared to be ready to drop dead within the next hour, a witness that was painfully obviously going to lie to the court and a truckload of evidence that was almost perfectly engineered to allow him an automatic victory. If his life was a game, then clearly he stumbled into the tutorial on accident.
Though this new feeling of confidence and knowledge that surged through his body was also a small concern to him. As spineless as the prosecutor in front of him was, he could attest to being just as spineless a few hours ago. Frankly he wasn't even sure he was going to be Larry's attorney today considering the far more experienced Mia was available and willing to take his case.
Then again, a few hours ago, 30 pounds of adorableness wasn't basically attached to his shoulder. It was probably quite an odd sight for the judge, though as he was mistaken for her parent, it was nice to know that he had somehow unintentionally gained the judges favour… outside of the courtroom of course.
Phoenix smiled as the girl tightened her soft hands on his neck, repositioning herself as she sent a painfully adorable glare towards the witness.
The witness had already screwed up, and both of them had been quick to notice it. It was laughable. The time he had so much confidence in was nothing more than a lie, though from the confines of Phoenix's mind, he knew that it was so much more than that. It was a confession. A confession of guilt. With confidence in his hands and a graceful smirk on his face, Phoenix raised his arm as fast as he could and pointed.
Just as Phoenix never intended to adopt a 3 year old girl on the day of his courtroom debut, he never intended to completely and utterly dominate the prosecution as far as he did.
For a courtroom debut, a spikey-haired attorney with a cute child bearing a colorful vocabulary certainly shook the legal world.
Just as it did the actual world.
It was like any other day in my life after Barbed Head went back to the land he belongs in, leaving Horned Head in his wake to pick up the pieces he threw on the metaphorical chessboard that is the kingdom of Khura'in.
Our kingdom now roams in the revels of revolution as the dethronement of my false mother as well as the crippling of my true mother continues to spark change among the people. Our people continue to live lives similar to the distant past, yet so much in our society has been marked with the signs of change. Though the odd normality following the revolution doesn't surprise me a bit, we once had lawyers in the past a long time ago afterall, so it's no surprise that the reintroduction of them means little change to most members of our society. It has little impact on religion which is what most individuals care about as most individuals have no direct part in the heinous crimes committed in our lands by blackhearted fools, so for the most part, change has been gradual and isolated.
As for me, my role as the next queen is a harsh one. One that requires constant spiritual training, only interrupted for the odd parade or two or of course the sounds of battle that now take place within our courts.
Yes, battle.
It seems Barbed Head left another gift when he took his leave. While many rebels were eager to settle down back to their old lives, 23 years of stagnation can cause quite a stir of metaphorical rust to build up in the mind. However, the phoenix's ashes left behind a guideline. His methods, shown in front of all of Khura'in have been deeply ingrained into those who left the path of lawyerhood and spurned many to return with a new mind.
My role has not changed in the year that has passed since I last saw that man. Although, while my stature has yet to grow much to my disdain, my abilities have borne fruit from the training I had gone through in the year. No longer do I require a pool of souls below my soles in order to display the final moments of those now in the Twilight Realm. Any liquid will do.
And today was just another one of those days, where I stood in front of the pool, conjuring up the last memories of a deceased victim. This day brought a particularly open and shut case to my eyes. My insight was quite clear, so clear that for once I didn't need a lawyer to determine the accused was innocent.
Fact was, the accused wasn't even in the insight. Only the prosecution's only witness was in that insight, a spinely man who grabbed a table clock and split the victims head open in one fell swoop and unlike the few cases I shared with Barbed Head, there was no mistake this time, all of these actions were in clear view.
No prosecutor or defense attorney could argue anything else. It was a clear-cut case of false arrest. For a moment the entire courtroom stared at my brother as he jabbered out his usual threats of psychopannychism.
Frankly, it was clear from the start, looking at that fool's face, he had no clue about the legal system in Khura'in, nor my abilities as a priestess. What a blackhearted fool, staining our country with his grubby and filthy hands.
For the deceased that left this world from his putrid acts, his putrid neck, whose only purpose was to hold his scheming and rotting head, I will make sure his magistry will send it to it's destined noose.
But alas, unfortunately, it seems that his execution will likely be public, because that's a gun.
And oh.
It's pointed at me.
...
Ah.
Well, if I were to give an insight to my own demise. I'd definitely see a big bold "PAIN" appear around now.
This is most definitely not the Twilight Realm.
I have rarely ever left the country of my birth due to my inherent duties, but the pictures and videos from abroad that travelers have shown me told me much of the world I was missing. From unique architecture to the dynamic changes in technology across the world, I had seen many things I had always wished I could see in person. Things that our small country of Khura'in had no intention of adopting due to our traditional lifestyles.
So it was obvious to me that I wasn't in the Twilight Realm. That is, unless the Twilight Realm is supposed to mirror exactly downtown Los Angeles in Japanifornia. It… honestly was quite interesting.
There are new sights to see, new smells and sounds that I have never heard of. It is an alien world to a sheltered princess like me. And I am quite excited to explore it.
Though I do suppose before I can unleash the inner child within me, I must do the adult thing and wonder why exactly I am here. Practically minutes ago, I was living through a terrifying event. My very own murder. Yet, here I am in a place I have never been too, lost among the crowd of automobiles and businesspeople.
Maybe Nayuta was wrong about the whole reincarnation thing, clearly it didn't take any time at all for me to inhabit a new body, either that or I simply cannot remember my time spent in the Twilight Realm in this mortal body of mine. I suppose the high priest said something to that effect when he was channeled last year but I feel as if my situation is different.
For I also remember. Remember my last minutes of life, and far beyond that. This is not indicative of reincarnation, something else must have happened. Perhaps I am still alive? Khura'in does have imported, advanced medical technology that's up to date with the rest of the world after all. Maybe this is but a dream and I am stuck in a coma. I have heard stories of people being shot in the heart and surviving before, though I put the chances of that being the case as a low chance.
The only problem with that theory is that nothing about my surroundings felt like a dream. It was too clear. Not a contradiction in sight, things could happen outside of my vision without requiring me to think about it. I heard from Barbed Head that it is common for those of his culture to pinch themselves when they are dreaming, but in Khura'in, we were taught to simply be observant and sometimes pray. Dreams are but fragments of the mind strewn about in a chaotic manner after all. Whilst dreaming, you don't think or process the world around you so obvious contradictions of logic and space are completely unnoticed and eventually forgotten.
Hm? Wait a moment… Is it just me or has my stature fallen even further than before? I hadn't noticed before but I am clearly looking at that… I believe it's called an automobile, and where I should be looking through the window, I lack the height to do so... That's… that's…..
…
...
…
Oh Holy Mother… how can you be so cruel to crush my dreams even further than before. I drank milk so much for those many passing years and nothing happened. Now I've even gone backwards in the line of growth.
I can feel tears in the corners of my eyes now… pathetic isn't it. Hmp… I can't cry… I'm a princess who was going to become queen… how do these tears come to me so easily?
…
…
…
"Uh… hey little girl? Are you lost?"
…!
"Barbed Head?!"
Oh my god, I am so nervous. So very nervous.
So nervous that I should probably dismount my bike, before my nerves cause me to hit something or someone as I make my way to the courthouse.
Today is the first day of my job as a criminal defense lawyer...
Well… I guess it's not really the first day considering I have been a co-counsel for a while now, but it is an event kind of like that. Afterall, if you really think about it, you only really become a full-fledged lawyer when you finish your first trial as the actual one who does the objections and deductions.
But, still it's so stressful thinking about it…
Of all the possible things, why did I have to choose a murder trial as my first?! In fact, of all things I have to defend Larry for, why is it MURDER? If anything I'd expect the womanising doofus to get held up in some sort of lawsuit involving restraining orders and trespassing if anything. How in the heck did he get wrapped up in a murder of all things?
Then again, I should have seen it coming. When something smells, it's usually the Butz...
Ugh. I've seen how all kinds of other trials go from my time as a co-counsel, from the small civic debates that nobody ever watches to the basic assault and robbery trials. But none get more scrutiny than trials that involve death!
God, my fingers are so numb, is this a panic attack? Or am I just crazy? Why are nerves like this? Why am I like this!? Square up Phoenix, your best pal needs you!
OK you know what, I gotta stop my fingers from shaking, my hands are about to fall off my bike handles and the last thing I need is to crash and take myself out of commision before the thing even starts. I'll just stop at that red light up ahead, I need to check the time anyways.
Huh, 8:01 AM, plenty of time left before the trials starts and plenty of time to get there. Nothing to worry about in terms of that at least, god forbid I arrive late, that would be a real disaster to my already heightened nerves.
Still, I really do have to calm down.
...
Gulp… Hands shaking... Eyesight... fading...
It's no use, I can't calm down. I mean how can I? One of my best bud's is being tried for MURDER! And I'm the only thing that stands between him and the slammer! Just the very thought of the situation makes my hair stand on its end… actually, it's always like that, nevermind.
Ugh, all these thoughts are just clouding my head now, maybe I should distract myself with something else?
Oh, the courthouse is up ahead. Wow, I got here pretty fast, I mean I still have an hour before I can get in… Ugh, now I have nothing to do but brood since Mia has all of the evidence and paperwork we received.
Well, guess I'll just park my bike here and wait.
…
Huh?
Wait a second…
Is that?
Well, of all the things I expected to see at the front of the courthouse, I didn't expect to see a small kid just spacing off into the distance. She's a tiny kid, probably somewhere around 2-3 years old. She's got an odd hairstyle, with two loops of dark hair wrapped up with a white ribbon, with the ends hanging free like twintails. Her attire is also quite as unorthodox, as it's this expensive-looking traditional-styled, pink dress with a modest purple skirt with similar patterns. She also has this adorable looking white robe draped around her, though it kind of looks a bit too big for her.
Hm... that's kinda odd, nobody else is around. Does the prosecutor I'm facing have a kid or something… no wait, it's way too early for anyone other than me to make it to the court, it's still closed! Maybe some parent who was going to watch the trials today just left their child here to go grab a coffee or something? I do see a few cars around, though those might be other people's cars, left here because they live close to the courthouse or something like that.
That being said, it's a bit worrying that someone of her age was just left here, she's a bit young to be left out on the street alone without supervision, especially on stairs, I mean what are the parents going to do if she falls? And frankly trying to walk around in a robe probably designed for someone a decade older does not decrease the chances of tripping.
You know what, I got time. I guess I'll go see if I can help her, and maybe give her parents a stern talking to after they come back. Well, that's of course if she has parents, I can't exactly rule out the possibility she was cruelly abandoned by her parents and left to wander the world alone. Though, considering her outfit I have my doubts about this particular theory.
"Uh… hey little girl? Are you lost?" I called out to her, trying to catch her attention.
The little girl didn't seem too startled by my statement thankfully as she turned her head towards me slowly, as if she was still absorbing the environment around her. Curiously, she didn't seem afraid of me, rather those large green eyes of hers simply darted across me, a look of curiosity framing her face.
Though that curiosity quickly turned into something I didn't expect. Her eyes widened considerably and her mouth went into a familiar "oh" face. Of all the reactions I expected from the presumably lost child, recognition was the last one.
"Barbed Head?!"
Welcome to Another Fanfiction Yay.
This series is a drabble series, moving from POV to POV and from event to event. It will not be strictly chronological and I may move from case to case depending on what I feel like doing.
Also Rayfa needs more love in the fanfiction community :L
