9:04 AM_

Detention Center_

Phoenix suppressed a yawn as he and Maya waited in the visitor's part of the detention center. While he normally didn't visit the detention center so early in the morning, the visit he received last night had impressed on him the need to get things done as soon as possible. Besides Phoenix, Maya yawned, opening her mouth wide enough to fit several burgers down the maw.

"Nick, I'm TIRED," Maya sighed, "Why do we have to be here so early?"

"It can't be helped," Phoenix replied, "We promised we'd be here first thing, remember?"

Phoenix's mind went back to last night's meeting, as the couple, Adell and Rozalin, asked for the office's aid;

"So, will you take out case?" Adell asked.

"I'd like to," Phoenix answered, "But, before I make any sort of commitments, I need to see who I'm going to be defending face-to-face."

"Why would you need to do that?" Rozalin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Call it a tradition," Phoenix explained, "I like to get a feel for who my future client is." ("Plus,") he thought, clutching the Magatama. ("I can find out whether or not he did it.")

Rozalin blinked. "Surely you need only our word that Taro is innocent, wouldn't you?"

"II suppose I could, but even so, I'd have to see him anyway," Phoenix replied, "After all, I'll need his testimony to begin building our case."

Adell crossed his arms, eyes closed in thought. After a moment, he opened his eyes. "…All right. If that's your style, I guess there's not much we can do," He punched his palm. "The detention center opens at nine…we'll see you there!"

"Huh? Nine?" Phoenix repeated, blinking. ("Geh! That's too early!")

Episode 2

The Violent Investigation Begins

The sound of a door opening brought Phoenix out from his memory. A small boy was walking into the other side of the meeting area, seating himself in the chair behind the glass. This boy was plainly dressed, but there were three things about him that stood out;

For one thing, he had horns. Horns that would not look out of place had they been growing on a cow. In fact, the horns didn't look that unusual on the boy either, due to the holstein pattern smock he wore. However, the most striking aspect was the lad's eyes. They were red, but a deeper hue than Rozalin's.

"C…Can I help you?" Taro asked timidly.

("Poor kid…He looks like he's had an awful time,") Phoenix thought, ("Then again, how often do children get arrested?") "Taro, my name is Phoenix Wright, attorney at law. This is my assistant, Maya Fey." Maya bowed her head in greeting, putting on her best 'big sis is here' smile she used for her cousin Pearl. Taro, however faintly, nodded back. "Your older brother asked me to see you concerning your upcoming trial."

Taro, who had been staring at the floor despondently, looked up. "A…Adell asked you…?"

"That's right!" Maya piped up, "He and his girlfriend practically broke down the door to our office so they could hire us, they were so worried!"

("Forget the door, Adell almost broke my head…") Phoenix thought. While the bruise had healed, he occasionally got a slight pain when reminded of the event.

"The…princess was worried about me…" Taro smiled faintly, a faint blush appearing on hischeek.

Phoenix decided now was a good time to get what he came for. Reaching into his pocket, he took hold of the Magatama. A charm he received from Maya, the Magatama had the power to show Phoenix whether or not someone had secrets, in the form of chains and locks that only he could see.

("Time for the acid test…") Phoenix thought, and said, "Taro, before we go any further, there's something I need you to tell me; Did you, in any way, cause the death of Prism Blue?"

Taro shook his head. "No."

"Well, Phoenix?" Maya whispered. She knew that Phoenix was using the Magatama.

No Pysche-Locks appeared. Nodding, Phoenix let go of the Magatama and said to Taro, "Taro, I'll be happy to take your case."

"Thank you, Mr. Wright," Taro replied, "But…weren't you going to do that anyway? Isn't that why you're here?"

"I like to ask my clients directly." Phoneix explained, thinking, ("And having a charm that can show if someone's hiding something certainly helps…") Aloud, he asked, "Now, Taro, can you tell me what you were doing at the time of the murder? And why do the police suspect you?"

"Well, we were at the convention that day, to see that new movie," Taro began, "Afterwards, the Prism Rangers were signing autographs in the east quarter. The Princess wanted one, but there was a huge line…"

"Princess?" Maya interrupted, "What princess?"

"Rozalin is the princess," Taro clarified, and closed his eyes as a blissful smile appeared on his face. "She's wonderful…"

Maya giggled. "Looks like SOMEONE'S got a crush…" She whispered mischievously to Phoenix.

("And it looks like SOMEONE ELSE is getting distracted…") Phoenix thought, then recalled Rozalin's attitude. ("Though I wonder…she DID give off this aristocratic vibe…") Phoenix shook himself off that train of thought. ("Gah, now I'M getting distracted!") Aloud, he said, "Focus, Taro. What else happened after the movie?"

Taro quickly returned to reality. "Oh! Uh, a-anyway, Princess wanted a Prism Ranger's autograph, but there was a long line. I saw one of the Prism Rangers leave their post and decided to follow him."

"Which Ranger was it?" Phoenix asked, though he had a good idea who.

"Prism Blue," Taro answered, "He was probably going to use the bathroom or get a snack, so I went after him. I figured that if I could get at least ONE of their autographs, it would make Princess happy.

"But it was hard getting to him. Prism Blue kept going left and right, and so many people were in the way…"

"Did you tell Rozalin or your brother what you were planning?" Phoenix asked.

"No…" Taro admitted sadly, "I didn't think getting to Blue would be hard and just went off without saying anything. I hope they weren't mad I left..."

("Considering how you're currently being indicted for murder, I'd say that's the LEAST of your worries...")

"Sooo, did you ever get Prism Blue's autograph?" Maya asked.

Taro shook his head. "No. I saw him enter a door somewhere in the east quarter, but that was the last I saw of him…alive."

("East quarter? But didn't Prism Blue die somewhere in the north quarter?") Phoenix thought, ("That's odd…") He said aloud, "Taro, what did you do afterwards?"

"I followed Prism Blue through the door," Taro answered, "I found myself in this corridor that went left and right. I went left, and walked a long time down the hall."

"How long?" Phoenix asked.

"I'm not sure. I didn't have a watch," Taro said, "Anyway, I kept going until I saw this door that was ajar. I thought I heard a voice, so I went inside.

"It was really dark, and there was this wet stuff on the floor. I tried to find a light switch and tripped on something. I got up and found a switch, but when I turned it on, I saw Prism Blue's body lying on the floor. Then this maid came in, screamed, and bolted."

"You were found with the body…" Phoenix muttered, "And that's why the police suspect you."

"I know how that feels…" Maya murmured, and then gave Taro an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Taro! I've been found with lots of dead bodies and it all worked out!"

("That sounds kinda creepy when you put it like that…")

Taro seemed to think so too, as he returned Maya's smile with one that was a bit more uneasy.

"Did you see anyone else when you went through that door?" Phoenix asked, though he had a feeling what the answer would be.

"No." Taro answered.

("Of course, it can't be that easy.") Phoenix sighed. In any case, he now had a good idea where to start in his investigation. They needed to investigate the crime scene anyway, but at least they had a better idea where to look. At that point Adell and Rozalin entered the room. Rozalin, for some reason, had a peeved expression on her face which instantly vanished when she saw Taro.

"Taro! Are you well?" She asked.

Taro, upon seeing Rozalin, brightened up. "Princess! Adell! Mr. Wright says he'll help me!"

Adell looked at Phoenix. "So you're taking his case?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes. I was just talking with your brother on his movements before and during the murder, but I'll need to see the scene."

Adell gave Phoenix a sharp nod and looked at Taro. "Okay. Taro, we'll be on our way."

"We?" Phoenix asked.

Adell punched his fist into his palm. "Of course! There's no way I'm sitting on the sidelines while someone else does all of the work. That's not my style."

"Oh, uh, thanks." ("Not many other clients want to help…")

Before the conversation could go on, they heard some voices from outside the room. Angry voices.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Rozalin closed her eyes. "I was afraid of this…"

"What? What were you afraid of?" Phoenix asked. ("My Spidey-sense is tingling…")

"the guard outside originally wouldn't let us in because someone else- namely, you- was already in a session with Taro," Rozalin explained, while Adell did an intensive study of the ceiling. "So Adell knocked him out."

"WHAAAT!?" Phoenix and Maya cried.

"Hey, I've been on the edge lately!" Adell defended, "You try keeping it together when your little brother is in jail!"

Phoenix groaned and covered his eyes while Maya gaped.

10:11 AM_

Outside the Detention Center_

It had taken quite a bit of talking, cajoling, and outright pleading to get out of that mess. The police, particularly the officer that Adell took down, wanted to get the red-haired man in on an assault charge. But while Phoenix could relate, having been on the business end of Adell's fist once before, he felt that having a client's brother also arrested wouldn't help their case. The prosecution could claim that Taro had picked up murderous habits from a violent role-model. Luckily, Rozalin was able to pacify the irate constabulary with some candy she had on her person. The fact that some chocolate bars was able to convince the police to look the other way worried Phoenix, as well as the fact that Rozalin seemed to have enough for five cops.

"So, what do we do now?" Adell asked, trying to change the subject. "How do we build our case?"

"Let's go back to the convention center," Phoenix said, "We can start our investigation there."

Adell nodded. "Right. We'd better be careful, though. There've been some nasty demons crawling around that area."

Maya gulped. "D-demons?!"

"Yes, ones of a rather low class, of course," Rozalin said, "Still, we should be on our guard. Even a sub-breed demon can be dangerous to humans."

"(She seems to know an awful lot about demons…") Phoenix thought, and found his eyes drifting towards Rozalin's pointed ears. ("I wonder if this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black…")

"Don't…don't worry!" Maya cried, balling her fists. "I'm the heir to the Fey Clan's Kurain technique! I won't let a demon beat us!"

Adell grinned. "Glad to hear it. Never giving up no matter how scary it gets…that's just my style."

("You sure have a lot of different styles.")

Rozalin sniffed disdainfully. "Getting excited over the potential of a fight breaking out…you truly are a battle maniac."

Adell shot Rozalin a look. "Hey, I never said I was looking for a fight. I'm just saying, we should be on-guard."

"Then, why do you sound so happy?" Rozalin asked coolly.

"I just like this girl's spunk, that's all." Adell replied, annoyed.

Rozalin's eyes narrowed. "Oh? And is that all you like about her?"

"And why do you care?"

Maya giggled. "Aw, isn't that cute, Nick? They're having a lover's quarrel!"

That shut the two up. Their mouths froze and their cheeks turned red as they instantly backed away from each other, having gotten closer with each exchange.

"Now that we've gotten that soap opera out of the way, it's high time we get down to business," Phoenix said, hoping to get back on track. "We should-"

BAM!

That was as far as Phoenix got, as a sudden force blasted him from behind and off of his feet. The Ace Attorney landed face down on the sidewalk, narrowly hitting a street lamp.

"Nick!" Maya cried in alarm.

Adell whistled. "Whoa, critical damage."

Rozalin looked at where the attack had come from. "Who's there?!"

Phoenix, struggling to get up, also looked and saw a trio of odd-looking characters. They looked like man-sized marionettes, wearing green, poofy clothes, pointy shoes, with oversized handles attached to their backs. The one of them had their leg sticking out, no doubt been the one that kicked Phoenix.

"Hey!" Maya yelled angrily, "Whaddya think you're doing?!"

"We think he's that lawyer, Phoenix…Wrong, right?" One of the Marionettes asked.

"Wright," Phoenix corrected as he stood up. He winced not just from the pain, but from what he had verbally walked into.

"Cool," The Marionette nodded, and glanced at Maya. "And you must be his sidekick, Maya, right?"

Maya balled her fists. "You got it!"

"Cool," The lead Marionette gestured to his fellows. "Let's get 'em, boys!"

("Ack!")

The Marionettes barely took a step forward before Adell went into action. The red-haired man became a blur as he zipped forward and delivered a solid punch into the middle Marionette's gut. Then, using the first as a platform to hold himself up, Adell swept his legs out and gave the Marionettes on the side kicks, sending them sprawling on the ground. This act also had the added bonus of forcing the middle Marionette's head crashing into the ground.

"Hey! You'll pay for that!" The Marionette on the right growled, getting up. A loud BANG echoed as his hat was suddenly knocked off his head. Trembling, the Marionette looked at Rozalin, who had an ornate light-red handgun with a white handle out.

"I suggest," Rozalin paused to blow some smoke away from the gun's barrel, "That you remove yourselves from us. Now."

The Marionette looked at her, then at Adell, who was in the process of giving the other two Marionettes a right beat down. It didn't take long for him to weigh the pros and cons of sticking around.

"Screw this!" The Marrionette yelled, grabbing his hat. "He said anything about fighting Main Characters! I'm gone!"

The Marionette zipped off, his limbs flailing madly as he beat feet towards the nearest alley. He didn't make much progress before Adell threw the other two Marionettes onto him.

"Be sure to take your friends with you!" Adell shouted after his retreating form. "What a bunch of losers."

Maya gaped at Adell and Rozalin. For a moment, Phoenix thought that his assistant had gone into shock over what had happened.

That moment ended when the spirit medium cried, "That was so cool! You took care of those jerks like they were nothing!"

Adell shrugged. "Taking down guys like them is no big deal. I wonder why they attacked us, though."

"They were trying to get at Maya and I…" Phoenix murmured thoughtfully, "But why…?"

Maya gasped as an idea came to her. "Maybe the REAL killer hired them to keep us from investigating! Adell!" She got angry. "You should have kept one for questioning!"

Adell stepped back at Maya's words. "Hey, gimme a break! I didn't think those guys were important!"

"Oh, they were probably just common thugs," Rozalin said dismissively, "We should focus on clearing Taro's name."

"Right," Phoenix said, "Let's go to the convention center."

As the team moved on, though, Phoenix couldn't but think about what had just happened.

("Were those thugs really common? There's something off about the way they looked,") He remembered what Rozalin had said earlier. (Were they…demons?")

Phoenix, lagging behind, found himself once more staring at Rozalin's pointed ears.

Episode 2

End

Maya: Having defeated the vile trio of evil, Mystic Maya moves on to her next task!

Adell: I'm the one who did the fighting…

Maya: The people of Kurain Village are starving! If something is not done, they will die! Mystic Maya must seek out the legendary Yum-Yum Albatross!

Adell: There's no such thing as a 'yum-yum albatross.' And what happened to defending Phoenix?

Maya: The Yum-Yum Albatross can lay up to six bajillion eggs in a minute! But only after eating the famous chicken feed, 'Platnum Bread Crumbs', worth up to 6 billion dollars!

Adell: That's not chicken feed!

Maya: Next time on Mystic Maya, episode 3; "Gathering Within the Darkness!"