Phoenix and Yang completely avoided the defendants lobby, knowing that all the big news stations would crowd them once again. So, they took a back-door into the courtroom, and waited there as people piled in, to see the exciting conclusion of this battle.
Phoenix didn't look nervous, but he was a bit. Despite all of these years of experience, he felt like a newbie again, going into his first case. But, this time, Mia wasn't with him... in person, that is. Despite knowing she was there, in spirit, it didn't make him less anxious. His fist was clenched, waiting for the trial began.
Yang, on the other hand, was completely nervous. Her lower lip was being bitten, and had little beads of sweat dripping down her face. Her finger and foot were tapping at a fast pace, blinking about ever 6 seconds, sometimes 5. Her eyes were full of uncertainty. Sure, Phoenix was right beside her, but she didn't know how this was going to unfold.
Finally, the prosecutor entered. A small cheer erupted form the crowds, as he smiled and waved to them. Phoenix knew the true Mr. Schnee that these poor, innocent people didn't know. This Mr. Schnee was a sleaze-ball, and was good at it. Yes, he was smart, but his underhanded tactics of attacking lawyers, and unorthodox, and sometimes illegal, ways of find evidence made Phoenix want to explode. But the crowd saw him as sophisticated, smart, well dressed, and the son of God that can do no wrong.
Finally, the Judge cleared his throat, and slammed down his gavel. "The final day of the Belladonna trial may now commence."
"The defense is ready, your honor." Phoenix said, without hesitation.
"The prosecution is prepared to give it's opening statement, your honor." Mr. Schnee announced, and kicked off the trial, "As we have seen the past 2 days, the defense has been holding on to a tiny bit of hope, and, by some miraculous finding, as found the man that truly killed the victims. But, the prosecution is quite so sure. In fact, with his testimony, I am sure we've already gotten the right person, and that is Blake Belladonna. Now, let's go over the evidence that I have collected form yesterday: I found the location of the tree, and his house, which is in the tree. In there, we found a board, with red lines throughout the board, though they have been cut down. Anything else we've found is situational, and to not be presented at the current moment." Once he finished, he was met with a short round of applause, as he's heard the past 2 days. "The crowd's on my side, Wright. Does it feel odd, that they aren't cheering for you?" He taunted. Phoenix only stared, waiting for the brief delay to end.
"Okay, Mr. Schnee, you may now call your first witness." The Judge announced, as he sat back in his chair.
"The prosecution calls Dan Anderson to the stand." Mr. Schnee demanded, and shut his eyes till the witness got on the stand.
"What is he doing?" Yang asked Phoenix.
"He's thinking. I don't know why though; he just called his witness. He usually doesn't do this till the last witne-" Phoenix realized what he said, and Yang only frowned. No, Phoenix, this can't be the end. Keep fighting!
Once Mr. Anderson got the stand, he had something next to him. The Judge was the first one to ask, "Mr. Schnee, what is that device next to him?"
"Your honor, before I explain the device, let me explain why. See, Mr. Anderson is a mute, or he's tongueless. He can't speak, nor eat, so we have a computer, hooked up to a TV, so he can write out his testimony."
"I see. Witness! Please testify about that night." The witness nodded, and began typing.
Witness Testimony: The Happenings
I was in my tree, until I heard a commotion
Someone was panting, and looked panicked.
Suddenly, I was attacked. I was able to subdue them, though.
After that, for some reason, I can't remember anything.
That's all I can remember.
-end-
"Now, witness, do you think you knocked out the killer?" The prosecutor asked.
"I think I did, but, I can't really remember." The man typed out.
"Hmm.. I see. Defense, you may now begin the cross examination." The Judge said, giving Phoenix the green light. Phoenix looked forward, thinking, "Now, I have to do 2 things here: 1. I have to clear Blakes name here, and 2. I have to find who really did it... fun."
Witness Testimony: The Happenings
I was in my tree, until I heard a commotion
Seems okay...
Someone was panting, and looked panicked.
"Hold it! Were there any describable features?"
"Not that I can remember, no."
"Alright, continue."
Suddenly, I was attacked. I was able to subdue them, though.
"Hold it! Was it the defendant?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Do you think that she attacked you for a long-enough time, that there was a way that she could've-"
"Objection! Wright, are you really trying to clear your witness off of one flimsy statement? How pathetic. Witness, ignore is question. Continue?" Did he honestly just remove my question? Damn you Schnee!
After that, for some reason, I can't remember anything.
"Hold It! Why can't you remember anything else?"
"I don't know."
"Wha- What do yo mean, you don't know?" Phoenix said through strings of sweat.
"Just can't" After that, something popped into Phoenix's mind. A crazy idea... but...
"Say, Mr. Anderson, did you wake up with a headache?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a bump anywhere on your head?"
"...Yes, I do."
The prosecution looked disgusted. "Phoenix, you can't be serious..."
"I am completely serious." Phoenix said, eyes focused and darted at the prosecutor.
"I'm lost." The Judge simply said.
"He's pulling another Wright: He's proposing a 4th person." The prosecutor said, looking bored. The crowd, as usual, went into murmurs, until silenced by the Judge.
"Order in the court!" The Judge yelled out, silencing everyone in the courtroom, so the argument can continue.
"Mr. Wright, let's see you do the impossible: Is there any evidence that can prove that there WAS a 4th person?" The prosecutor challenged confidently. Phoenix went into his thinking state again, facial features not moving, besides the occasional blink. He could feel blackness around him, a sort of clearness. Phoenix, this is your chance. If you can prove this, you can win this case. This is just a step, but it's a step in the right direction.
"Well, Mr. Wright?" The Judge asked, after giving him some silence.
"The defense... believes it can, your honor." Phoenix says, eyes now up. "The defense presents, this!" He lifted up a bag, so the audience can see.
"Mr. Wright... you are more stupid than I thought. That is a Vale Diner bag, which I assume was at the crime scene, no?" The prosecution asked, stone faced.
"It was."
"...How on earth does this prove that there was a 4th person?"
"Let me get to that. First, let's look over the three that were there. #1, which is Blake, and #2, which was the victim. If they were in a chase, why would one of them be eating, or carrying a Vale Diner bag?"
"That's true, Mr. Wright, but who's the third?" The Judge asked.
"That's simple: The third is the man on the stand, Mr. Anderson."
"Okay, Mr. Wright. It could easily make sense that he got a bite to eat at the diner." The prosecutor tried to shoot the claim, but came up just short.
"Ok, but why? Let's talk about his handicap. He has virtually no tongue."
"Okay, and...?"
"Let's talk a bit of Biology/Anatomy, shall we? The tongue isn't just for speaking. It's an important part of the digestive system. It's what sends the food down your esophagus."
"Yes, and 1 gulp take about 18 hours to get all the way down the esophagus. What does this-" The prosecutor stopped dead in his tracks.
So he finally go it, huh? Phoenix thought, now raising his arm. "So, if this man can't eat, why would he go to the diner?" Murmurs got louder in the courtroom, but, this time, the Judge let them go on, thinking about what Phoenix just said.
"So if it didn't belong to the 3 people, who did it belong to, Mr. Wright?" The Judge asked, after the noise went down.
"It's simple your honor. The bag belongs to the 4th person!" Phoenix, now on the attack, exclaimed.
Before the murmurs could escalate again, the prosecutor objected, "Okay, then who was it Wright? Let's play a game: Let's see who you can prove did it. I say a name, and you tell me if they did it! One, How about that first witness, Sun Wukong?"
"It couldn't have been Sun; Sure, he's fast, and can maneuver through the forrest at blazing speeds, but Blake and that man were going to fast for Sun, who was flat footed, and already behind in the footrace, couldn't have caught up. Plus, it as dark in the forrest; he wouldn't have been able to see."
"Okay, he's cleared. What about another goon?"
"No, they knocked all of them out, remember?"
"Grr... fine. We don't know who the 4th person is, right?" The prosecutor said, regrettably.
"I guess so..." Phoenix shrugged.
"Then we can't say there was a 4th person." The prosecutor said, an evil grin dawning on his face.
"What do you mean? I just did!" Phoenix exclaimed.
"You said there was a possibility. If you don't have a name, you can't say there was a 4th witness."
"Wha-What!?" Phoenix gasped, sweat now pouring down.
"Mr. Wright, I'm sorry to say, but he is right. Unless you have a name, we have to leave it as it is."
"B-but-"
"Mr. Wright! Do you, or do you not have a name!?"
"...I... I don't... your honor." Phoenix said whimpered, prepared to give up.
"I see... Well then, I see no reason why to pro-long this tri-"
OBJECTION!
Everyone's eyes turned to see who had said it, but she had been so quite, they didn't realize it until she started to speak. "This whole thing was planned!" The prosecutor looked stunned, the Judge looked stunned, but, most of all, Phoenix was stunned.
"...Y-Y-Yang?" Phoenix stuttered out.
"I got this Mr. Wright, chill." She said, a confident grin on her face.
The prosecutor finally got his composure, and began his attack, "So, Mrs. Yang Xiao Long, I presume, Daughter of-"
"Cut the shit, prosecutor, shut up, and listen." Yang interrupted, which received boo's from the audience.
"W-w-why you-!" The prosecutor, shocked, angrily cursed.
"Yeah yeah, now, let me explain. This whole thing had to be planned. I remember looking in his house while investigating, and seeing this board. Now, being the smart blonde I am, I looked over it, and noticed A-FUT on it."
"A-FUT?" Phoenix and the Judge said together.
"A-FUT. It was in the folder, Mr. Wright, if you care to read while I explain. A-Fut stands for Anti Faunus Unity Treasury. They were, originally, funded to supply money for the government to take down the White Fang, but, eventually, they turned on all faunas. Eventually, the government shut them down... or they thought they did. I willing to make a bet that they are still working. And that Mr. Anderson, was a part of them... Until they turned on all faunas. Then, he quit, and moved away to an isolated place. But, they found him, and they cut of his tongue, so he can't speak again." To confirm this, the man nodded vigorously. "So, coincidentally, they were going to his house to torture him, and probably kill him, until they saw a bigger prize: 2 Faunus, running through the forrest, tired. So, the chose to spare the man, but knock him out, so he can't see what they were going to do.
But, the person who did this was smart, and knew, that if he killed both faunas, there would be a track that laid back to him. So, he framed Blake, and only killed one faunas, the White Fang faunas." When she had finished, everyone stood there in stunned disbelief.
"Well... ugh... Mr. Wright... is this all... true...?" The Judge stammered out.
"...Y-yes! It is, your honor!" Phoenix proclaimed, seeing that all of her claims were correct. "You saved the trial Yang!" He said to the blonde.
"I feel light headed... to much thinking..." The blonde brawler said, holding her hands to her head.
"Okay, I'll take it form here." Phoenix took the reins. "Now, since everything she said is true, I would like to call a witness in. I would like to bring in the owner of the company, Burn Oums!"
The bailiff agreed, and called the owner in, who was, conveniently, in the stands. Once he got there, the prosecutor, eyes shut, spoke, "Okay, we know your name and occupation, jut speak."
Witness Testimony: Why it wasn't me
It can't be me!
I was-
HOLD IT!
Suddenly, someone bursted through the door. When Phoenix and Mr. Schnee saw him, they were stunned.
"Mr. Blackquil?
"This has been great fun for you, hasn't it, Mr. Schnee?"
"Why, I think it has." The prosecutor exchanged.
"Yeah, hiding the truth form us all along, eh?"
"Why, what do you mean?"
"The charades up Mr. Schnee. There's something you're not telling us."
"Oh, so are you trying to convict me, eh? Fine: Prove it." In response to this, Blackquil brought out 3 things: 1: A pendant, 2: A 2nd crime scene photo, with a view from above, and 3: Bag w/ bloodied swords. "And how does this prove I'm the killer?"
"That's not for me to say." Blackquill commented. "That's for the defense." Phoenix looked up, hearing his name. He was trying to believe Blackquil, but...
….
…
..
"Thank you Blackquil, I'll take it form here." Phoenix responded. I never thought that this would happen, again. But, it is the truth... and I'm going to follow it!
"Fine, Mr. Wright, let's see if you can do it twice: The Ultimate Penalty! If you can't prove me, your done, Ka peiche?"
"I know you're the killer, and I'm going to prove it!" Phoenix pointed to the bag, and the logo. "On this bag, there is an out of place circle. Now, if you put the logo where it is, you get," Phoenix demonstrated, putting the logo on the circle. "...You get an exact match."
"That may be my bag, and the swords are in it," Mr. Schnee shook his head, "But, that alone can't convict me."
"Okay then, how about this: Let's talk about this 'second body'."
"Yes, the second body."
"...Why should we talk about a body that isn't there?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, this is your theory, right? It can be de-proved."
"No it can't I made sure that the-" The prosecutor stopped in his tracks.
"The what?" Phoenix said, grin appearing on his face. He didn't get a response from the prosecutor, so he continued, "Yes, there is no second body, and it is obvious from the above photo!"
The Above photo shows a time stamp that says 10:10, and is an infra-red photo. "Obviously, the crime was just committed, sense there is a heat source from the photo. But, you only see one!"
"Objection! Why can't the other body be dead?" The prosecutor challenged, sweating now.
"Because, the crime was committed at 10:05. If the other body had died, then it would've had to die 20 minutes before that. If they were committed at the same time, then both would either be cold, or hot!"
A silence fell upon the courtroom. The prosecutor opened his mouth... but nothing came out. No one spoke, all were watching Mr. Schnee.
"Ah... ha ha ha... good show, Mr. Wright. This is how I wanted it to end." He confessed. A smile, not of evil, this time, came upon his face. "I've always wanted to see you, and your never give up attitude. It's a fire I've wanted to see for a long time. I used to have that flame, then, the dark ages arose. All of the prosecutors and defense attorneys started forging evidence. Getting an honest win was harder, and harder, and my company kept getting into quarrels with the White Fang. It's was stressing me out to the point, that I had to take the easy way out, and cheat. But that didn't stop my problems with the faunas. I made a deal with A-FUT, thinking it was for the best. They hired me to prosecute this, in fact. But... it was the wrong decision. They were so radical, I just-... came overwhelmed with power they put me in. Business boomed, the dark ages of the law was lifted... but... I was never fulfilled. That's why I wanted to face you, Mr. Wright."
"But... Mr. Schnee, I don't understand... Why? Why did you try to frame Blake?"
"Mr. Wright, I just told you. I wanted to face you. Seeing how you defended Yang, a girl from my daughters team... I needed to cement my legacy. But, in the end, the only way I could face you, was to frame someone you had to defend. Not my daughter, not your daughter, but... a faunas. I could get 2 birds, with 1 stone! But, the stone was too heavy, and, well, as you can see, I have fallen. That's all I needed to say. You may take me away."
The next things were a blur in Phoenix's mind. He never knew why, but something he said, struck him as odd. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Next thing he knew, he was in the defendants lobby, the girls rejoicing. Weiss despite her father being taken away, had a grin on her face, a relief.
"Hey, guys! Let's all go out to dinner!" Ruby suggested, to which everyone agreed. Phoenix, though, hung back, saying he had to make a call to 2 people.
Elsewhere...
"Yeah, we're fine. I'm going to her house, in fact. We're going to hang out. … Yeah, I promise. Bye, boss." Apollo hung up form Phoenix. He knew something was wrong with Athena, he just needed to fix it.
He got there, and parked his car in her driveway. She had a 2 story house, as the Cykes were well known, and the neighbors loved their house to much to see it go to another person, so they payed the bills.
Apollo knocked at the door, but no one answered. He decided to let himself in, seeing as the door was unlocked. No alarm went off, so he shut the door, and locked it behind him. He walked around for a bit, eventually getting to the top floor, when he saw a figure, over by the balcony. He knew who it was, so he walked over there slowly.
He stood next to her, not saying anything. They both stared off into the distance, looking over the water that was behind the house. "You okay?" He finally asked. He didn't get a response. "I take that as a no. And by the conversation you had with me, I think it's the same topic: your mother." Athena moved slightly, but didn't speak. Another silence fell upon them, then Athena started shaking, as tears rolled down her face. "It's not fair! My mom was just so esteemed, and everyone expects me to make up for it, and what have I done to get there? Nothing!"
"Athena, you know that's a lie."
"Then what?! What have I done to cement her legacy as her daughter, huh?!"
"What about your Widget?"
"My... Widget?"
"Yeah, your psychology widget."
"But... but that hasn't gotten any attention!"
"It hasn't? This doesn't seem to be the case." So, he then handed her a news paper article, with the title, "New Courtroom Psychology! The Cykes are back!" Athena took a long look at it, and finally stopped crying. Now to seal the deal! Apollo thought to himself. "So, I heard there was an adventure time marathon starting in, oh, about 2 minutes." Athena beat him inside, as they sat down to the familiar tune:
Adventure Time! C'mon grab your friends!
We'll go to very, distant lands...
Elsewhere...
They decided to go to the most ironic place they could imagine: The Vale Diner. But, they won't take any bags with them, just in case.
They were talking about life, when Ruby received a call via her scroll. She excused herself, and went to answer it.
"So, what did it feel like when you defeated the 'Best Prosecutor in 2 Decades'?" Yang asked, an excited look in her eye. "Well... to be honest," Phoenix closed his eyes thinking, "...It didn't make me proud, or hyped, but... I feel a sense a respect for him."
"MY father?" Weiss asked, surprised, "Why? He's a killer! He killed someone, just to meet you."
"Just because he's a killer, doesn't make him a good man." Phoenix explained. "I met someone, one day... I thought he hated my guts, and he did. But, when we met last, he entrusted me... and showed me something I didn't know about life. The path to respect takes hurdles and mountains. Regular respect isn't real respect. Real respect, though, is something you earn, risking almost everything for. Whether it's a future, or a trial, it's worth it."
"Blah, screw the life lessons." Yang said, yawning, waiting for their food to arrive.
An awkward silence fell upon the table. Phoenix glanced at Trucy, who was giving him a concerned look, and looked at Ruby. Phoenix looked over there, and noticed her knees were trembling a bit. But, his attention was quickly turned to Weiss, "Mr. Wright, I want to know something. How do you know that spirit medium?"
"Spirit Medium? Oh, Maya." Phoenix chuckled, "It's... a long story."
"Well, we do have until our dinner gets here. Why not tell us?" Blake suggested, an interested gleam in her eye.
"...Sure, why not? Well, it all begins when I'm in college, and-" Phoenix was interrupted by a frantic Ruby, slamming her hands on the table. The look on her face wasn't good. Phoenix didn't know what was coming, but he knew it was bad.
"Jaune's just been accused of assaulting Cardin Winchester!" Ruby blurted out at once. The news sank in, and Phoenix immediately stood up.
"I'll take the case." He instantly offered, going for his phone to text Apollo and Athena the news, but he was quickly shot down.
"Phoenix, you can't..." Blake said, looking down.
"W-why can't he?" Trucy asked, looking frantic as well.
"Because he isn't a student; only students of beacon can defend them, if it's an inner school crime." Weiss explained, "Mr. Wright could only defend Yang, because she committed a crime against someone outside of beacon; But Cardin is a Beacon student!" Weiss, now closing her eyes. "I don't know law, I can't defend him."
"Ohhh, what do we do?" Ruby said, panicking.
…
..
.
Outside, none of them could feel it, but a wind blew. A new wind, of something fresh. This was a hot wind, and it left a refreshed feeling to anyone that felt it. The passerby's noticed, but weren't worried. Legend tells of this, and everyone assumes it to be true. The legend? When something major happens, a wind will blow depending on the heat. A cold wind, something bad. A chilled wind, like in summer, just average. But a heat wind, well... good fortunes to those who feel it. At least, thats how the legend goes.
…
..
.
"Me." Someone piped up. Everyone turned, and was shocked. Again? "Me.I'll defend him." The voice of the Blonde Brawler spoke. Yang Xiao Long. [Music Choice: Mega Man 4: Final boss theme]
To Be Continued...
A/N: If you're using the music, you can stop it here. If you want to, that is. I don't care.
Whew... 4,000 words... the longest chapter to date. If it feels rushed, it may be. I'm sorry, I just want to get these out before exams. I'm planning on finishing soon, so expect only s few more chapters.
So, let me give you a bit on insight: Why Yang? Wouldn't it be more fitting if Pyrrha, or Ren defends Jaune? Well, if you've red this story from the beginning, you would know the original title of this story is, "Turnabout Yellow". So, besides Phoenix defending Yang, for the final chapter, I would have her defending Phoenix. But, I changed a few things, and I think this is for the better.
So, question of the chapter is a bit different. Wondering on how I write these? Ask! I'm kind of curious of those who want to make Ace Attorney/RWBY stories want some pointers. I mean, I'm no Codyknight22, but I would love helping.
So, that about wraps it up! As always, Pleas ask Questions, Review, And constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thanks!
May God be with you until we meet again.
~Nathan
I do not own RWBY, nor Ace Attorney. All rights reserved to their respective owners.