Ace Attorney: Web of Mistrust

The Theatrical Turnabout, Part 10 (Yuri) FINAL

Chrysalis was starting to scare me. I awkwardly shuffled over to Niamh as the psychologist spoke. "The defense wishes for the witness to testify about what the defendant could be talking about."

"I have no idea," Mr. Blyse said.

"Liar," I muttered.

"But I will testify regardless," Mr. Blyse told us.

WITNESS TESTIMONY: JACK BLYSE- LAST TIME IN COURT

-I was last in here for the trial of a theft.

-I witnessed the crime, so I was worried that the defense would indict me for the crime.

-That's all that it is.

-No reason to listen to the defendant...!

Niamh was about to request the beginning of the cross-examination when a sound pierced the air.

Laughter.

"You lied so well I almost bought it!"

Chrysalis.

Or, whoever or whatever she was now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce my fellow criminal and thief, Jackie Blyse!" Chrysalis yelled in her Erin Anderson voice.

"T-thief...?! I'm not a thief!" Mr. Blyse yelled back. "And my name is Jack! I'm male!"

"Funny. Because Jack Blyse isn't a person..." Chrysalis taunted, her voice now that of Amy Kalles. "But Jackie Blyse is. Your Honor!"

The judge was stunned into silence by Chrysalis' sudden change of heart. "Y-yes?" He didn't even bother telling her to be quiet, most likely fearing for his own safety.

"I have found a motive for murder of this witness!" Chrysalis roared. "This man, or woman, is a criminal! A thief! Just like me!"

The people in the gallery were afraid to speak. Even Niamh and I found our voices knotted in shock.

"Jack Blyse isn't a person, though Jackie Blyse is! Let me set this straight: the witness is a woman in disguise! She committed a crime, theft, but then hid as a man so nobody would ever find her! The victim, another heartless woman, found out and was killed before she could announce it!" Chrysalis explained. "The killer shut off the lights to confuse the victim, as well as everybody else involved! Is that enough of an explanation for you simpletons?"

I still couldn't forge words, nor could I force them out of my mouth. My lips wouldn't move. All I could do was blink. I was paralyzed with terror and shock mixed into a diabolical concoction. Even Niamh couldn't hide her surprise.

"How would you know that for sure?!" Mr. Blyse, or Ms. Blyse, rather, questioned.

"I was with the prosecution, idiot!" Chrysalis continued, her voice once again back to Amy Kalles. She rolled her eyes. "Humans are stupid."

"But I never saw you there! You weren't there at the trial of that theft!" Ms. Blyse exclaimed, her voice now ten times more feminine. I suppose she really was a girl...

Chrysalis simply replied with laughter.

"You must be somebody just trying to prove my stupid crimes to be true!!" Ms. Blyse screamed. The court was stunned into silence at her words.

Only Chrysalis dared to speak. "You just confessed, Blyse," she smirked. "Good luck in prison. It's not pretty there."

Ms. Blyse started growling, gaze downwards. She started gripping the witness stand rather tightly. I feared it would break just like what happened in the trial of Niamh. Instead of the stand breaking, however, Ms. Blyse did.

Her growls became screams, echoing through the courtroom. I was taken aback by this yell. Ms. Blyse continued to scream, despite all of the shocked eyes on her. "I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!!! I'LL END YOU!"

"Is that a confession to the assault and the murder?" Niamh asked, regaining her cool again.

"I killed the victim, but I didn't attack anybody. But I think I know who did," Ms. Blyse smirked.

"Who?!" Prosecutor Bloom demanded.

"It was a person who said that they could help me out of this mess. They made sure that the defendant was arrested for me instead of yours truly. They also attacked the assault victims so they didn't talk. But I'm afraid that I can't tell you who it was. Even they didn't tell me." Ms. Blyse paused, lost in thought before laughing, teasing us for our very efforts to stop her. "It's not like I would have told you anything, even if I did know. We all want to keep crimes a secret. And most criminals help each other out."

Ms. Blyse glared at Chrysalis, who merely smirked. "But I'm not a normal criminal." Her voice changed into Shayla Willows'. "I'm also just another victim of the horrors of death! Just another witness to the madness of some people who don't know how to solve their problems!"

Ms. Blyse was dragged off by bailiffs. Chrysalis was laughing all the while, enjoying seeing this criminal being taken to their fate.

"With all of this information, I wish to deliver my verdict. This court finds the defendant, Chrysalis Starr, not guilty." The judge picked up his gavel. It didn't take a genius to know what was coming next. "Court is adjourned!"

He dropped the gavel. I thought that this mess would end there, but I was wrong.

Very wrong.

//November 30, 2029. Defendant Lobby No. 3, 12:43 AM//

Chrysalis was leaning against the wall when Niamh and I left the courtroom. "I feel weird," she muttered. "What happened?"

"I don't even know," I admitted. "But you went crazy." My trust in her was beginning to slip away. Though oddly enough, when she asked what happened, she wasn't faking anything. As if she didn't know for real...

"Midnight discord," Niamh said simply. "During that trial, you had midnight discord. Do you have any idea why?"

Chrysalis tensed up and shook her head. "N-no. No idea."

That stutter gave away everything.

She knew.

"Tell us the truth," Niamh demanded, her tone becoming more harsh.

"...The last case Shane, Satoki, and Saya were involved in was four years ago. It set off a chain reaction of events that ruined my life. That enough for you?" Chrysalis walked away to find Satoki after saying this. Satoki took her hand and led her from the lobby.

Her words were echoing in my brain. No matter how hard I tried to distract myself with the giddiness of victory, her cryptic wording wouldn't leave me alone.

'It set off a chain reaction of events that ruined my life.'

I get the feeling that Chrysalis' secret is more involved in this mess than I originally hoped...

---------------------------------

Chrysalis: DIJ WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME DO I HAVE A SPLIT PERSONALITY I THOUGHT THAT WAS SORA'S THING-

Chrysalis, there are already three characters like that. I'm not doing it for a fourth.

Chrysalis: THEN WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME-

Well, it's all the work of ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good enough?

Chrysalis: NO! You censored it!!

: 3

Chrysalis: dONT YOU DERP FACE ME-

(*U*)

-Dij