Butterfly
by Cyberchao X
Summary: It's amazing how drastically the course of history can be altered with just the slightest difference in a single event. In the world of Ace Attorney, the first quarter of the 21st century was shaped by one single moment.
CCX: I'm sort of making up an "exact date" for this next one, since the games don't actually provide one and what little data I can gather seems to be contradictory—usually when they refer to something happening "X years ago", it's practically to the day (at least in the original trilogy; beyond that you have "the events of seven years ago" spanning the length of an entire game), but not only does the Ace Attorney Wiki not have an exact date assigned to this background case, the calendar year it does have doesn't even match up with what a to-the-day interpretation of "X years ago" would give you, suggesting that we have to add another few months…and frankly, I feel like that works better anyway.
Also, full disclosure: I finished this chapter off before starting on the previous one. So, yeah, we're on a new plot thread, made possible by the prevention of DL-6.
September 27, 2007
11:04 AM
Kurain Village
"Mia, is something wrong? You seem sad," Maya Fey asked her older sister.
"I'm not sad, I'm just…thinking. Mother says that she's taking us to Hazakura Temple so that I can undergo spiritual training, but…I don't have the spiritual power to withstand any of their training programs and she knows it. Even as young as you are, your powers are probably more developed than mine."
"So? You're not excited to see another part of the world?"
"It may not be our village, but it's still a Kurain temple. It's not really like we're seeing the outside world that you've been dreaming about."
"You want to see the world beyond our home, too," Maya pointed out.
"Yeah…" Now Mia Fey did look sad. "Now that I'm 18, I really should be out in the world, learning how to live a life beyond what this village's traditions have to offer."
"But Mia, you're the first-born daughter of the Master of the Kurain tradition," their mother, the Master in question, cut in. "You are supposed to be the heir to the family line."
"Just like the first-born daughter of the previous Master?" Mia pointed out acidly. "Aunt Morgan actually had dreams of becoming that Master; surely you can see how bitter she is that the elders chose to give you the position instead. I'd rather make it easy on everyone and just let Maya inherit your title uncontested."
"Don't be too hasty," Misty said. "Spiritual power can sometimes lay dormant in one generation only to manifest again in the next one, and while I can appreciate your feelings for your sister, I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon. For all you know, the next Master after me could be your daughter."
"I'd be fine with that," Maya said. "I don't want to stay in this silly village all my life, either."
Mia sighed. Her mother had a point; she had assumed the best way to prevent any conflict like the one she saw between her mother and aunt would just be to give the right of inheritance to Maya, but at the moment, Maya was just a child who wanted freedom, and might resent her for "burdening her" with that responsibility. There was plenty of time to figure that out.
2:00 PM
Hazakura Temple
"Master Misty? Here for the Ultimate Course? Or perhaps Mystic Mia requires training?" The ebullient head nun of the temple, Sister Bikini, asked.
"Something like that. Perhaps we could get something to eat first?"
"But of course! Sister Iris? We have very important guests!"
Iris? Wasn't that…
"Here you are…oh! Master Misty! I-I'm honored to make your acquaintance. My name is Sister Iris…"
"Sister Iris. You…remind me of someone close to me. Do you, by chance, have a last name?"
"A-A last name? Ah, well…Sister Bikini found me abandoned here as a little girl, so she's really the only family I have…so I guess not."
Misty Fey turned to her elder daughter expectantly. "Mia, what do you think of this?"
Mia seemed shaken. "I'm…not sure. What am I seeing?"
"Psyche-Locks, I'd imagine. How many are there?"
"Three. Why am I seeing them?"
"That would be the magatama I gave you this morning. It lets you see when people are concealing something in their hearts. Sister Iris…have you really had no contact with your true family?"
"Sister Bikini is my true family. If you mean my parents and siblings, I have no clue who they are."
"'Siblings'?" Mia asked. "If you don't know who your parents are, how would you know if you have siblings?"
Iris looked shaken. "Oops!" One of the Psyche-Locks broke. "I wasn't being entirely honest. I have vague memories of being left here…I had a father and a sister. But I don't know who my mother is. I don't know where my father and sister are, though."
"But you know their names, somehow," Mia said.
"I think she's spoken to at least one of them more recently than she claims," Misty said. "Your sister…would her name, by chance, be Dahlia Hawthorne?"
Another Psyche-Lock broke. "H-how did you know that, Master Misty?" Iris asked.
"Because…I know your parents. In fact, I've known your mother my entire life."
"Wait…you don't mean?" Mia asked.
Misty nodded. "Her name is Morgan Fey. She's my older sister. Her first husband left her when she was passed over for the position of Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique…taking their two-year-old twin daughters, Dahlia and Iris, with him. But it's strange…" Misty trailed off, and suddenly, Mia was seeing more Psyche-Locks than she was before. This was because Misty now had a pair of Psyche-Locks.
"What's strange?" Mia asked.
"Well, why would he take both girls, only to leave Iris here, in the care of another branch member of the Fey family?"
"…There's something you're not telling me."
"Is there now?"
"M-Maybe he didn't mean to," Iris offered weakly. "We might've gotten separated somehow…"
"You don't believe that," Mia said. "But…Mother, you said you 'know' her parents. You used the present tense to refer to them collectively before you said how long you've known Aunt Morgan. But…Aunt Morgan hasn't had any contact with her first husband since he left her."
"I didn't want to say that I 'knew' her parents when I just saw her mother earlier this morning. Don't read too much into it."
"I don't think so," Mia said, shaking her head. "You spoke to him recently."
A Psyche-Lock broke. "Very good. Yes, he contacted me recently… wanting me to attempt a channeling."
"'Attempt'? But Mommy, there's no way you'd ever fail at a channeling!" Maya said.
"Unless…the person she was trying to channel was still alive."
"Correct. Now who do you think he wanted me to 'try' to channel?"
"Was it me?" Iris asked hopefully.
"No," Mia said, having figured everything out. "It was Dahlia, wasn't it?"
"It was." Misty's other Psyche-Lock broke. "Recently, Dahlia was kidnapped and held for ransom. He wanted proof that she was really alive, so when he received the ransom note, he called me."
"So then…he couldn't care less about me," Iris seemed sad for a moment, then gained an odd surge of resolve. "Well, thank you, Master Misty. I have to get going now."
"Oh? Where to?"
"…I can't say."
"Perhaps you have business down by the river?"
"Eagle River? No one ever gets too close to that river; it's too dangerous! Besides, it takes a long time to get down to the river's edge safely, since it's such a large drop from the bridge."
"Yes, but you don't actually need to be down there until roughly 4 PM. When the exchange is due to take place."
"W-w-what do you mean?"
"The ransom. The exchange is supposed to take place today. A 2 million dollar diamond, for Dahlia Hawthorne's safe return. It's supposed to take place on Dusky Bridge. But you already knew that, right?"
Iris's last Psyche-Lock broke, and she started crying. "Dahlia contacted me recently. She and her stepsister Valerie hatched a plan to swindle our father. Dahlia's tutor was going to pretend to kidnap her, and the three of them would split the value of the diamond. But Dahlia didn't want to split the money…so she was planning to fake her death and steal the diamond away. My job was to make sure she survives the drop. …I'm worried about her, but…I no longer have any doubts about wanting to hurt my father."
"I don't know why he left you here, but…he mentioned you, when we talked. That's the real reason I'm here. While I don't think he suspected that your stepsister would be part of the con as well, he remembered that Dusky Bridge goes to this temple…the place where he and Dahlia left you. When he saw that location for the exchange…he got suspicious. He obviously wants to believe in her, or else he wouldn't have asked me to try to channel her, but he at least wondered if she had planned her own kidnapping."
"Even so…I can't stop her. All I can do is try to keep her from dying because of her crazy plan."
"Then let's go."
4:05 PM
Eagle River's Edge
Misty Fey waded into the fast-moving river. "Wait, what are you doing?" Iris asked.
"That's what spiritual training can do for you," Sister Bikini said. "Master Misty has trained under waterfalls flowing every bit as fast as this river. But it's no easy task, even for one as powerful as the master." Fighting to stay stable, she grabbed her niece as she was swept down the river and brought her ashore.
"Who are you—Iris? I said you couldn't tell anyone!"
"Such anger. You certainly do take after your mother in that respect."
"My 'mother'? Who do you think you are? Anyway, that woman is not my mother."
"You mean your father's current wife? No, she isn't. My older sister is. Your father was worried about you…he wanted me to make sure you were okay. Come, now, we don't want to be late."
"Late for what?"
4:10 PM
Dusky Bridge
"What's going on here?! I heard something like a gunshot."
"Stay back, ma'am. This is a dangerous criminal," replied Valerie Hawthorne. "He kidnapped my younger sister and then killed her when I gave him the ransom."
"Wait, gave him the ransom? But you're a police officer…right?"
"Yes. Perhaps he should've picked an easier target, but then again, our father is rich."
"…I'm sorry for your loss, Officer…"
"Hawthorne. Valerie Hawthorne."
"Officer Hawthorne. I'm Mia Fey, an acolyte of the Kurain tradition practiced at this temple."
"Temple?"
"Over there." Mia pointed it out.
"Ah. Well, Miss Fey, I must be going; backup should be here any minute and this criminal needs to be dealt with."
"You know, you look awfully young to be a police officer. You can't be any older than me, can you?"
"I haven't been an officer for long. I'm sorry, I really must be going."
"…Take care."
4:35 PM
Hazakura Main Gate
"So I gave him the diamond, and then he shoved Dahlia off of the bridge, into the river. I shot him in the shoulder, but it was too late. Dahlia was gone."
"That's odd. Dusky Bridge has guard rails. It wouldn't be easy to just shove someone off."
"…Miss Fey?"
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm not a witness to the crime itself. I came from the temple when I heard the gunshot."
"…You say that, but I find that you seem awfully interested."
"I mean what I say. I'm no one you need to worry about." She grinned. "These are the Feys you should be worried about."
"D-Dahlia? You're alive!" Valerie raced to hug her stepsister, then became confused. "And there's…two of you? Except for the hair color…"
"Dahlia!" Terry interjected. "Ugh…"
"This whole kidnapping was bogus," Misty informed the other police officers. "The 'victim' here planned the whole thing…including faking her own death. Iris, her twin sister, was to help rescue her."
"Twin sister? Officer Hawthorne?"
"Lies. Both my stepsister and I were only children before our parents married."
"…It's not working?" Mia seemed confused.
"It only works if a person is knowingly lying," Misty explained. "Obviously Officer Hawthorne was honestly unaware of Iris's existence."
"What are you talking about?" an officer asked.
"Spiritual stuff. Nothing that would be admissible in court, so pay us no mind on that matter. What matters is that this man is no murderer, and probably not even a kidnapper. He is, however, guilty of theft…even if his partners were going to double-cross him."
"Partners?" Valerie asked. "You mean Dahlia and Iris?"
"I mean Dahlia and you. Iris was brought in as well, but only to rescue Dahlia after the double-cross had been completed."
"This woman, whoever she is, is lying! I know nothing of my stepsister having any twin sister, and I certainly would not have signed off on any plan that involved Dahlia jumping off of Dusky Bridge!"
"Jumping off? Earlier you said she was pushed," Mia pointed out.
"She was pushed! That's what I was saying!"
"…She actually believes that."
"Why wouldn't she? After all…her only job was to double-cross the tutor. Jumping off the Dusky Bridge was entirely Dahlia's idea," Misty said.
"For someone who claims to be my family, you're sure being really rude to me," Dahlia said.
"They're a bunch of nut jobs. I think that last statement can completely discredit them."
"If you're so sure, do a DNA test. Even you acknowledge the resemblance between Dahlia and Iris. It's no coincidence. …Dahlia convinced you to shoot this man, so that you'd only have to split the money two ways instead of three. But then she decided to use that diversion to get away and take the diamond all for herself. It should still be in her backpack," Misty said.
"…Prove them wrong, Dahlia. Empty your backpack."
"…I don't want to. They have no right!"
"Dahlia…" Valerie said.
"…Fine." She emptied her backpack. The diamond wasn't there. Dahlia hesitated briefly, but recovered before anyone noticed her shock. "See? No diamond. Terry still has it!"
"No! You had it! We were going to split the money, all three of us, until she shot me!" Terry protested.
"Did Mr. Fawles still have the diamond when you arrested him?" an officer asked Valerie.
She shook her head. "He did not. I checked, since I wanted to return it."
"Wanted to keep the money for yourself, more likely," Mia thought. "So then that means that you do not, at the moment, have the diamond in your possession?"
"You are not a detective, Miss Fey, and I just said that Fawles didn't have it. When else would I have acquired it?"
"When you embraced Dahlia, perhaps?" Mia suggested.
"…" She demonstrated that she did not have the diamond. "Satisfied, Miss Fey?"
"No. I still think you're a disgrace to your profession."
"Maybe the diamond wasn't secured, and it washed away when Dahlia jumped into the river," Iris suggested.
"…Maybe. Or maybe you have it? You have also been named as an accomplice in this plot, Miss…"
"Iris. Just Iris." She thought about this for a moment. "But I suppose I wouldn't mind if you called me Iris Fey."
"Well, Miss Fey?"
"I have nothing to hide." She removed her loose-fitting outer robes, since they could easily be used to conceal the diamond. "Are you satisfied?"
"Yes. I guess the diamond really was lost. We'll be going now…and Officer Hawthorne, I expect you'll have a lot of paperwork to be filling out." The policemen left along with Terry Fawles (in custody), Valerie, and Dahlia.
"They're not going to do anything about one of their own being corrupt?" Mia asked.
"I'm sure they will. But, sadly, not as much as I'm sure you'd want them to. You do have a very strong idealistic streak, my dear."
"Is that so wrong?"
"Not at all. That's why I gave you the Magatama before we arrived here."
"But what about Mr. Fawles? He's probably still going to get all the blame for the kidnapping, and without the diamond as evidence, Dahlia and Valerie will go free!"
"…The world is not always just. But at least they didn't get to reap the benefits of their treachery…and since the diamond was never recovered, Mr. Hawthorne still takes a financial hit. I'm sure insurance will repay him something, but…I should hope it's less than the actual value. Otherwise one might suspect him of being in on the con."
"Can you find out?" Iris asked.
"I'd rather stay out of this mess from here on in. It was nice to meet you, Iris."
"The pleasure was all mine, Master Misty! …I mean, Aunt Misty." Misty chuckled.
"Cousin Iris…if I might ask you one question before we go?"
"Yes, Cousin Mia?"
"Were you concerned about the value of the insurance reimbursement because you don't want your father to be suspected of criminal activity, or because you don't want him to be able to benefit from this?"
"…The latter, of course. Knowing that he remembers me makes it even worse that he's never come to see me again. Actually, before you go, I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"You kept referring to my father as your aunt's 'first husband'. Do I have any half-siblings?"
Misty replied, "Not yet. But as cold as my sister is, she is bitter about the loss of her children. She seems to want to have another with her current husband."
"Well, if she ever does…Cousin Maya, if your aunt ever has another child, could you please give her the gift I had Sister Bikini give to you?"
"Of course!" Maya said. "Though…it's really heavy."
"Wait, did she..?" Mia started, but her mother stopped her.
"Just let it be, dear. It's probably for the best if you don't pry into this one. I think this is the justice that everyone involved with this situation needs."
"Speaking of those involved…should we tell Aunt Morgan about Iris?"
"Eventually. But now isn't the time. Like I told Iris, Morgan has a new husband now, and I'm afraid Iris's presence could lead to…tension. But that's enough about that. I want to know what you took away from all of this."
"…That the world outside of Kurain is quite ghastly indeed."
"But?"
"…One way or another, the truth will find a way of coming out."
"It just takes the right person searching for it."
"…You were never really against my desire to leave the village, were you, Mother?"
Misty sighed. "Of course I was. You're my daughter, so it's only natural for me to want you to stay. Our village has a strict policy about contact with the outer world, so we would only be able to see each other rarely. But ultimately that's your decision to make, and I already knew what you'd decide. But being so sheltered for so long, I wasn't sure if you'd have any idea what to do once you'd left."
"And so you saw an opportunity for me to try something out to see if it would ignite a spark. I really should be angry at you for trying to influence me like that…but I can't be, because as always, you were absolutely right."
"People naturally desire more power, but that desire leads to wickedness. You've no doubt seen it in Kurain as well, with the branch families constantly plotting to usurp power from the main family."
Mia nodded. "It's why I wanted to forfeit my right of inheritance in the first place. I don't want the position of Master, nor do I want there to be resentment between myself and Maya."
"But those who have power desire more power, too."
"You mean officers of the law, such as the police force."
Misty nodded. "While you'll never survive if you keep that black-or-white worldview of yours, I know that you'll be great at keeping people honest. That's what you want, right?"
"To be a detective? Yeah, I think so."
"Then you should keep that Magatama. It'll run out of power sometimes, so you'll have to charge it. I think that should be within your power, but if not, you can always call on me to help."
CCX: …Yeah, that happened. That was what I was referring to in Chapter 2's opening A/N. Preventing DL-6 changes a lot of things, but Morgan Fey's first husband leaving her isn't one of them; that happened when Misty was named the Master of Kurain instead of Morgan. (Maybe. It's sort of unclear which was the trigger.) So I had to get creative to figure out why Dahlia's murder spree might not happen as a result of my little butterfly effect. Putting more people at the scene of her faked murder seemed like the best option. It also had the side effect of giving Mia a new goal in life, since without Misty getting discredited by the innocent verdict that Hammond got for Yanni Yogi, she no longer has a reason to want to become a defense attorney. Though honestly that never made sense to me, since "innocent by reason of temporary insanity" suggests to me that it was ruled that Yogi was the killer, but wasn't a murderer; hence, Misty's contribution to the trial wasn't wrong (at least, not until Phoenix proved that it was wrong 15 years later). So now we're going to have Detective Mia Fey. Who uses the Magatama. Hmm…I wonder whose life might be saved by this development.
…And, yeah, I don't know why I was so dodgy as to which event would be covered in this chapter in the opening A/N. Until next time, this is CCX, signing off.