We're back with J and Jaden beginning their new investigation exploring the circus, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this.

DM77's Ace Attorney Justice for All Chapter 15

Exploring the Circus

December 28, Clockford Big Circus, Circus Entrance

J and Jaden arrive at the entrance to the circus, it wasn't as busy as it was the last time they were here. J looking round sees the entrance had a large picture of Trixie around the entrance, it made sense she is their star attraction.

"We're here again…" Jaden said smiling.

"Yep. But this time we are here for work." J tells him and looks around thinking 'It hasn't been that long since the crime, so the police troopers are still on the scene.'

"Let's find someone who might know something about what happened." Jaden said thinking.

"Sounds like a plan." J said nodding the two then head in.

December 28, Lodging House, Plaza

J looking around at the area they entered said "This seems to be a dorm where all the performers in the circus stay…"

"Really?!" Jaden said excited "So we might run into that stoogey clown here, right? He's so kooky!"

"Ahhh! It's you two!" A familiar male voice said and the two look to see it was N.

"Oh…Detective N!" Jaden said surprised.

"How is it you guys always seem to know when I'm working a crime scene, buddy?" N asked them.

"Because you're always working, Detective." Jaden said smiling.

"Well, I'd rather not be always working, but with crime, you don't make your own hours." N said sadly. "If I have to be at the circus anyway, I want to see the lion tamer and the tightrope. However, no matter where I go, the show is always the same…Dead body. Stage left."

"J! J! He complained!" Jaden said in shocked at N actually complaining about his job.

"Heh, heh…That's a rarity." J said with a smile "Let's get back to buisness now, okay?" She then looks to N and asked, "Do you know who will be the prosecutor in court tomorrow?"

"Of course." N said smiling "It will be Miss. Wittebane."

"Uhhhh…She isn't going to hit me with her whip again, is she?" J asked nervous.

"What do you have to worry about?" N asked sadly "You only have to see her in court! When she shows up at the precinct, the sound of that whip never ends, buddy."

"Detective N….I'm sure Miss. Wittebane's really interesting and all, but…there's someone else I'd rather talk about." Jaden said thinking.

"Like who?" N asked him.

"Like Mr. Deamonne, of course!" Jaden said smiling "You know! J's true rival, Hunter Deamonne! What in the world happened after I went back home?!"

"M-Mr. Deamonne…You haven't heard what happened to him?" N said to that sadly.

"J won't tell me!" Jaden said annoyed.

"Well, to be honest…I'm not at liberty to tell you either." N said sadly. "Let's just say he's not around anymore."

"He's not around?!" Jaden said shocked. "J! What does he mean Mr. Deamonne isn't around?!"

"Exactly what he said. He's not around." J snapped clenching her fist. "Hunter is gone…Don't say his name again, okay?"

"J?" Jaden said concerned.

Choosing to move on J asked N "The Ringmaster of the circus was murdered, wasn't he?"

"Yep. Last night around 10 PM." N said nodding. "He died outside in the cold. A pretty sad way to go out if you ask me, buddy."

Jaden thinks on it and said "It was rather cold."

N motions to the area they were in which was a small courtyard like area and said "This is the scene of the crime, buddy. The body was found right over there. Right about where you are standing now." He chuckles

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Jaden screamed in shock.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Surprised you, didn't I?" N said laughing.

"I'm not laughing!" Jaden said annoyed.

"Excuse me, but do you mind telling me what happened to the victim?" J asked N.

"He was killed by a blow to the noggin, buddy." N explained.

"Yeep!" Jaden said to that.

"It's pretty clear cut as far as murders go. He was discovered quickly." N said nodding. He looks down saying "But…"

"But?" J asked.

"There's just one thing that doesn't quite fit." N tells the two.

"Hah! There always seems to be something that doesn't quite fit!" Jaden said smiling.

"What was this one thing that just didn't quite fit? The thing you mentioned earlier." J asked N.

"Footprints, buddy. Footprints." N tells them.

"Footprints?" Jaden asked surprised.

N shows an image of the Ringmaster Harvey Clockford lying ontop of a small box face down and explained "Look at this picture of the crime scene…"

"What's this? This wooden box under the body?" J asked looking at the box in the picture.

"No clue, buddy." N said shrugging. "Some forensics experts took it back and are examining it now."

"And…And…What is so mysterious about the footprints?" Jaden asked eager to hear this.

"Whoa. Calm down now. Take a good look at the footprints in this picture." N tells them smiling.

J looks at it and note there was one set of footprints that lead up to Harvey and said "The victim's footprints are on the scene."

"That's right, buddy." N said nodding "The problem is…

Jaden realizes and said "The killer's footprints aren't there!"

"Bingo." N said putting the photo away. "Where did the killer come from, and where did the killer run off to? Obviously, there is no way the killer committed this crime while flying as this circus has no drones or beings born with flight."

"A flying…culprit?" J said thinking on it and thinks 'That's when something just clicked in my head…' She then remembers Trixie's act flying across the air in the tent.

"T-There's no way! Flying is impossible for regular humans!" Jaden said smiling.

"That's right." J said nodding "Flying is impossible for true humans! Absolutely impossible! Haha…"

"What's with the hollow laugh, buddy?" N asked J confused.

"I meant nothing by it, buddy…" J said to him. N looks confused and J thinks 'Better stated, it means I don't want to talk about it. Maybe I can get some info about Trixie out of him...' The Crime Photo was added to the Court Record. She then presents Trixie's profile to N.

N looking at it thinks and said "It looks like Trixie is the most unpopular girl in this circus tent. You know what they say….A bad attitude follows you everywhere…"

'Hmm, she's a bit arrogant, but she didn't seem that bad.' J thinks to herself.

"But just because someone has a bad attitude doesn't make them a criminal." Jaden said firmly

"It's not just his attitude…I've got proof, buddy!" N said smiling.

"Huh?" Jaden said surprised.

N pulls out a blue magician's hat with a purple feather and said "She left something at the scene of the crime! One of her magician's trademarks! An incredibly well-made silk hat."

"Well, it does have a very classy decorative elements." Jaden said looking at that hat. J adds the Silk Hat to her Court Record.

"Trixie uses a cloak, silk hat, and blue roses as her signature symbols." N explained to them.

J thinking on it and said, "Pretty mundane, aren't they?"

"Who cares if they are mundane?! At least they are easy to understand!" Jaden said to that firmly.

'I must have hit a nerve…' J thinks at that.

"That's what he said." N said chuckling.

"Who said?" J asked him.

"The eyewitness." N said proudly.

"Eh?!" Jaden said shocked.

"T-Tell us about the eyewitness!" J asked him. She then composses herself and said "Umm…So about the eyewitness…"

"Ho! Ho! Ho! You know I'm not going to tell you about that!" N said chuckling "That's the prosecution's trump card!"

"Hmmm…Oh well…" J said to that.

N thinks then said "Oh! I just remembered!"

"What?" J asked.

"I forgot to mention that you two are barred from entering that lodging house." N said to them firmly.

"…? Why is that?" Jaden asked.

"Oh…No reason! Just something I remembered to tell you." N said to the two.

"It must be because that's where the eyewitness is." Jaden whispered to J.

"Let's check it out!" J said nodding.

"Don't you dare, buddy!" N said stopping the two.

They decide to head somewhere else for now and leave the area.

December 28. Clockford Big Circus, Big Top

They enter the main circus tent where they see the circus stage with all the stuffed used for the acts all around them.

"The circus stage sure doesn't look this small from out in the audience…" J notes looking around.

"Wow…This is where they all perform, isn't it?" Jaden said looking around amazed "J! Do some somersaults in the air!"

"I'm not doing any air somesaults." J said to him.

"Why not?! You look like you'd be great at it!" Jaden said smiling.

'Why do I look like I'd be great at somersaults?!' J thinks.

"Grrrrrr…" They hear something growling

"Huh? J?" Jaden said looking at her.

"It wasn't me." J said to him.

"Grrrrrr….Grawwwwwww!" They hear louder which comes from a tiger glaring at them and charging.

"T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T….TIGER!" Jaden cried out scared.

"H-H-H-He's c-c-coming this way!" J said also scared.

"Grrrrrrrrr….Grawwwwwww!" The tiger growls.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" J cries out as the tiger pounces on her and her visuals go black.

"J! You're too young to die! J!" Jaden cries out.

"STAY! STAY! HEEL!" An unknown female voice calls out.

Grrrrr…." The tiger growls and J feels it get off her.

J sits up and her vision comes back and she sees Jaden looked upset over what happened and she thinks 'I'm still here…I'm not dead, yet!'

"J! J! Are you okay?" Jaden asked concerne.d

Ahahaha! Scared you, didn't I?" The female voice is heard giggling.

They see approaching a light blue haired girl with a braided ponytail and blue eyes wearing a black sleeveless hoodie tailcoat which she has unzipped a low-cut black blouse with a thin white belt around her waist, which holds a small white pouch. Under the blouse she also wears a translucent short-sleeve vest, which covers her chest. On the left tail's edge, she at the front has the symbol for skipping backwards and in the same side lapel she has the symbol of an arrow pointing in on itself. Waist down she wears pink shorts, black thighs and boots of the same color.

She giggles still petting the tiger and said "Raja is such a cute tiger! Isn't he?!" J and Jaden stare at her without a work "What's the matter? You two sure are quiet."

"Don't 'What's the matter?' me!" Jaden said angry "J…She almost died there!"

"Hah! She wasn't anywhere close to getting hurt, let alone dying." The girl said with a shrug and pets Raja saying "This little tiger hardly ever bites people. And besides, people normally never get to play with a wild tiger, right? So if you think about it, you're actually really lucky!"

"Huh?!" J asked confused by that logic.

"You agree, don't you?" The girl said looking innocent.

"….I guess…" J said looking at her.

"W-W-W-What do you mean you guess?! Why are you agreeing with her?" Jaden asked in disbelief.

"Woohoo! Your costume…" The girl said jumping with joy looking at Jaden.

"Eh?" Jaden said surprised.

"It's cool looking and a bit cute. I want to try it on!" The girl said excited.

"C-Costume? You mean my clothes…?" Jaden asked her.

"You don't mind letting me try it on, right?" The girl asked giving that same cute look from before.

"Uhhh…I guess not…" Jaden said to her.

"REALLLY?! Hehehehe! You're the best!" The girl said excited.

'Wow…. The tables turned quickly on that one. So much for the tiger thing…' J thinks on that.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself." The girl said to the two. "I'm Fubuki Clockford…The renowned animal tamer of the Clockford Big Circus!"

"My name's Jaden Yuki. I'm a Keyblade Warrior." Jaden said to her smiling.

"Serial Designation J. Attorney at law." J said nodding but thinks 'When you put us up next to an animal tamer, I bet we really look odd!'

"Nice to meet you!" Fubuki said with a smile.

"Uhh…Likewise…" J said to her.

"Hey Fubuki…What do you know about what happened last night?" Jaden asked her smiling.

"You mean the murder…?" Fubuki asked.

"Uh huh." J said nodding.

"My dad was murdered." Fubuki said simply.

"Oh, I see…" J said nodding then what Fubuki hit her 'Wait! What did she just say?!'

"So…. the Ringmaster was you…" Jaden said just as shocked.

"Yep. The Ringmaster was my dad." Fubuki said with a smile and nod.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to him…" Jaden said sadly.

"Why do you say you're sorry?" Fubuki asked him with a smile.

"Huh?" Jaden said confused.

"Anyways…Everyone was here practicing last night." Fubuki said thinking.

"Even your dad?" J asked.

"Yes. Everyone was here." Fubuki said nodding "We finished up around 10PM. After that, everyone went off on their own. I was the only one who stayed around here."

"Why did you do that?" Jaden asked her smiling.

"I was playing with Raja." Fubuki said smiling.

'Raja…. So she was with that beast…' J thinks looking at the tiger.

"That's when the police troopers showed up. When they took me to check things out, Dad was dead." Fubuki continue to explain.

'For someone whose father was just murdered, she seems awfully perky…' J notes thinking 'I wish she would tell us more about her dad…'

"That's incredible that you are an animal tamer!" Jaden said smiling.

"If you say so…" Fubuki said shrugging.

"It has to be really scary!" Jaden said to her.

"Scary? Why?" Fubuki asked him.

"Huh?" Jaden said confused.

"Raja isn't scary! He's cute!" Fubuki said petting the tiger. "Ever since Pyro died, Raja has been my best friend."

"Pyro?" J asked confused.

"Yes. Pyro the Pyroar." Fubuki said with a nod.

'Pyro the Pyroar….Raja and Fubuki…Interesting name choices…' J thinks to herself.

"Pyro…He died?" Jaden asked sadly.

"Yes. Actually, he was killed. My dad killed him." Fubuki explained but still had that innocent looking smile.

"What?!" J said shocked.

"Why did he do that?" Jaden asked also shocked.

"I'm not sure why he did it." Fubuki said thinking.

'It's tough not to get charmed when she looks at you with those innocent eyes…' J thinks. She then presents to Fubuki, Harvey Clockford's profile to get her to talk about her dad.

Upon seeing it Fubuki began to say "After practice was over, Dad went right back to his room."

"His room?" Jaden asked.

"Yes." Fubuki said nodding and points to the door "That door right over there leads to the Ringmaster's room."

"Hmm…" J lets out thinking.

"I don't know why, but he went off to his room in a hurry." Fubuki said thinking "I wonder what happened?"

'The Ringmaster's room…It's probably a good idea to check it out for myself.' J thinks about it and she and Jaden excuse themselves and head to the Ringmaster's room.

December 28, Big Top, Ringmaster's Room

Jaden smiles looking around and said "This was the Ringmaster's room?"

"Yes. This room belonged to the victim." J said with a nod. "Which means this must be where Trixie met the Ringmaster last night."

"Now that you mention it, that is what she said." Jaden said thinking on it.

"I wonder what…" J said looking around and sees something on the wall "Hmm…That's an interesting poster."

"Ah! It's a poster of Trixie!" Jaden said upon seeing it. "I want it! I want it! J! I want it!"

"I want to get out of here…" J said sweat dropping. She then sees a table next to them with a brown envelope on it "It's a table for guests…There are some papers scattered on top."

"Ah! Look at this!" Jaden said picking on up "Trixie's salary is written on this piece of paper." He looks at it and eyes widen "YIKES!"

"W-What is it?" J asked him.

"I didn't know that a magician….This salary is incredible!" Jaden said in shock.

'He looks like he's about ready to pass out from shock…' J thinks looks at the paper "How much is it?! How much is it?! T-T-THAT MUCH?!"

"Incredible, huh?" Jaden said smiling

"You can say that again." J said nodding and thinks 'This must be the paper they used to negotiate Trixie's salary…The Ringmaster signed and dated it…' He LED eyes widen.

"What's the matter, J?" Jaden asked concerned.

"Trixie definitely got a raise…But this document is dated a week ago!" J tells him. She then logs the Ringmaster's Papers into her Court Record. She then looks at the tuxedo hanging in the corner.

"You mat not know this, but they call this a 'tailcoat'." Jaden said smiling.

"And they call this 'the face of someone who already knew that…' Hmm…" J said getting a closer look at the coat pockets

"What?" Jaden asked.

"A scrap of white paper is sticking out of the coat pocket." J tells him.

"Huh? Where? Where?" Jaden asked smiling.

"Calm down, Jaden." J tells him. "You can't just go rummaging through people's coats!"

"Ahhh….You always make me feel like I'm doing something wrong…" Jaden said looking down. He looks at the back wall and said smiling "There's a lot of posters here, don't you think?"

"There are indeed." J said nodding looking at the posters.

"So many posters that they aren't likely to miss one, are they?" Jaden asked J.

"Jaden…We're supposed to be the honest ones around here." J tells him knowing what he is thinking.

"But…But…You didn't even notice that I took one!" Jaden points out grinning.

'Dental benefits…. He already swiped one!' J thinks annoyed.

"Heh! Heh!" Jaden said showing the Trixie poster he swiped.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" J said looking at him annoyed and logs the Trixie Promo Poster into the Court Record.

Finding nothing else of interest the group head back to where Fubuki was.

Meeting back up with Fubuki, J curious about her relationship with Trixie, J presents Fubuki, Trixie's profile.

Seeing it Fubuki gets excited and said "It's Trixie! Hey…Where is Trixie now anyways?"

"Y-You don't know?" J asked surprised.

"Nope." Fubuki said shaking her head.

"He's been arrested." J tells her "He was charged with the murder of your father."

"It's okay! J and I will help him!" Jaden tells Fubuki

"Trixie isn't the one, is she? I mean…The criminal?" Fubuki asked them.

"Of course she's not!" J tells her.

"I'm worried about so many things right now…" Fubuki said smiling.

"Hmmm….Like what?" Jaden asked. Fubuki giggles at that. He then asks "Fubuki…What's the matter? What's on your mind?"

Fubuki giggles and said "I'll tell you Jaden…But just you."

"Ah!" J said to that.

Fubuki goes to Jaden sand said "Umm…Well…" She the quietly talks to Jaden in a low voice.

"What?! REALLY?!" Jaden said amazed.

"And then…" Fubuki said and speaks in a low voice.

"Oh my! That's incredible Fubuki!" Jaden said smiling. J pouts and Jaden notices "Come on J. There's no reason to pout!"

"Don't worry about me…" J tells him.

"Fubuki told me that someone professed their love to her!" Jaden tells her.

"P-P-P-Professed their love?!" J said surprised.

"Not only that! It was Trixie Lulamoon!" Jaden added on.

'I wonder how many people have stolen one of her hearts anyways…?' J thinks to herself.

"And then, on the exact same day, another person professed their love for her as well!" Jaden said with a smile.

"What? Who was it?!" J asked surprised.

"Someone name Pup-mon." Jaden tells her.

"Pup-mon…?" J said thinking on that.

"Apparently he is a tenor who sings in the circus." Jaden said to her thinking.

'Hmmm…Haven't met him yet.' J thinks on it.

"Fubuki seems to be quite the hit with both the men and woman in the circus!" Jaden points out smiling.

J looks at the smiling Fubuki and said, "She must have some sort of strange power over them!"

"You're not kidding. Two people in one day!" Jaden said nodding. "Even I want to profess my love for her!"

'Me too! She's so cute…' J said nodding. Fubuki giggles happily.

J and Jaden decide to head back out to the Circus Entrance to think about what they found so far.

Well Fubuki is a curious girl not seem to be too upset but the investigation continue next chapter.

Please Read, Review and Suggest. Thank you.