Ace Attorney: Web of Mistrust

Turnabout Masquerade, Part 12 (Lily)

Chrysalis.

The mystery witness suffering from amnesia, who was now unmoving on the ground was Chrysalis.

Nevada went running to the witness stand as soon as Chrysalis' cheek hit the ground. "Chrysalis! You can't die on me! Not here! Not now!!" she cried, beginning to cradle the unconscious girl in her arms. Nevada held one hand to Chrysalis' bleeding head as tears dropped from her cheeks and onto her companion's still face.

Mr. Morix came running down from the gallery next his face a ghostly white. "This... Can't be happening..." he whispered, brushing his hand across Chrysalis' bruise covered neck.

"Bailiffs! Get medical help this instant!!" the judge demanded. They did as instructed and ran to surround Chrysalis, Mr. Morix, and Nevada.

Tears I couldn't stop flooded my eyes. I didn't even try to keep them back as they ran down my cheeks, falling onto my dress. I could distantly hear Anton sobbing from the arms of Prosecutor Bloom. Yuri was desperately trying not to cry, though a few tears filtered through and streaked down her face. Niamh was too shocked to speak, her expression one of unchanging surprise. For being the one who technically triggered this, she seemed a little bit TOO shocked, you know?

The people in the gallery were talking so loudly that it seemed the sound would break my ears. But I didn't pay attention, especially when they were saying Chrysalis was dead now.

"It c-c-can't be true!" Anton wept from the other side of the courtroom. He was practically squeezing Prosecutor Bloom to death.

The judge desperately banged his gavel in a failed attempt to stop the noise. "Order!! If I do not get order, court will be adjourned!!"

"The defense requests a thirty minute recess!" Niamh yelled, struggling to be heard.

The judge nodded. "Court is adjourned for a thirty minute recess!!" He threw his gavel down as the courtroom doors opened.

//December 11, 2029. Defendant Lobby No. 1, 12:47 PM//

"W-will she be o-o-okay?!" Anton demanded of Prosecutor Bloom.

"Of course," Prosecutor Bloom replied, though the pain in her heart betrayed these words.

"I'm scared, Niamh," Yuri confessed. "What if she never wakes up!?"

"She will," Niamh assured her. "She's going to wake up."

"Mr. Morin will come back later and tell us that she's fine," I agreed, convincing myself more than either of them. Deep down, my darker side doubted that my words were true, but I couldn't let it get me down.

Yuri nodded, concerned about if I was lying for her sake or not. She wasn't buying into it. I suppose I need to work on my lying skills.

We were quiet for the rest of the recess, all lost in our own thoughts. I couldn't stop thinking about if Chrysalis was alright or not. It looked like she was losing a lot of blood by the witness stand.

"Defense! Defendant! The judge would like you back in the courtroom now!" a bailiff exclaimed, dashing up to Niamh, Yuri, Anton, Prosecutor Bloom, and myself. "And the prosecution, I suppose, since you're here."

"We'll be right in there. Thank you," Niamh told him graciously.

"I wonder who will end up being called to the witness stand. Ms. Lesa-uh, Ms. Liyle-erm, Chrysalis is in no shape to testify," Yuri frowned.

"I bet court will be adjourned again so she can recover. But tomorrow, there's no more procrastinating on the verdict," I replied.

"Yeah. Tomorrow, we'll find a way to get her to as who tried to kill her. It's he only way to find the real culprit," Niamh agreed.

"Let's go into the courtroom now. There's nothing we can do about tomorrow today," Prosecutor Bloom told us.

//December 11, 2029. Courtroom No. 1, 1:17 PM//

"I take it that those in the gallery have calmed down," the judge said once I was back in the defendant's chair.

"Yeah," Prosecutor Bloom answered. "How's the witness doing?"

A bailiff stepped forward. "As of now, she is in a stable condition. We identified her as Chrysalis Starr, the girl who went missing the day of the crime. She should be well enough to testify tomorrow."

"That's good," the judge nodded.

"See?" I whispered to Yuri. "I told you she'd end up fine."

"Yeah..." Yuri said, a small smile creeping into her face. "You were right. I'll admit that much."

"Did her injuries match up with those of the victim?" Niamh questioned next.

"Yes: two head wounds on the right side of the head, both of which reopened when she collapsed," the bailiff continued. "There were also numerous strangulation bruises on her neck in addition to two cuts in the left arm. One of these was already present, the other from the witness stand."

"Matches up with the fake body as well as yesterday's courthouse burning pretty well, as far as I can tell," Prosecutor Bloom commented, brushing her hand through Anton's hair as he attempted to stop his lip from quivering. Poor kid. He must be taking this really hard.

"It sure does seem that way," the judge nodded, stroking his beard in thought. "But tomorrow, there are many questions to ask of the victim."

"That much is true," Niamh agreed. "I do hope that she ends up okay..."

"She is unconscious as of now and more likely than not wont wake up for quite some time, though she should live," the bailiff assured her, saluting.

"Without any witnesses to testify, court is adjourned for one more day of investigation," the judge announced, hitting his gavel on the bench another time.

//December 11, 2029. Defendant Lobby No. 1, 1:32 PM//

Nobody said a word after court was adjourned. Niamh, Yuri, and I just stared at each other silently. We were too afraid to speak, fearful that the unescapable truth would filter its way into our conversation.

"I guess I'll be getting back to the detention center now," I whispered after what felt like a thousand years of being speechless.

"We'll go see Chrysalis later today and tell you when she wakes up," Yuri promised me.

"Thanks," I told her, slightly comforted by this statement. "You're the best."

Even so, I sill got the feeling I wouldn't be thinking of much else.

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

well

nevalis

-Digital