Ace Attorney Investigations: Moonlight

Chapter 10

- November 8th -
-Morocco, Erfoud -
- Zero Mystere's POV -

I didn't entirely get it, but Kirigiri and I were being forced into a train, heading towards a random place in the Sahara desert. It was hot. I didn't like it.

"The train will bring us to the location soon," Kirigiri told me, "Apparently we're to meet with this... mom... when we get there."

"If she's the leader of Moonlight, then isn't she Q's mother?" I asked her, "I mean... Fiona Walker."

"It's likely... Q did sound like she didn't get along with her," she explained, "Perhaps this whole 'mom' thing is just her being upset with losing connection with her son."

"I don't get why Charlotte - C - was taken, too," I frowned, "She wasn't even in the same place as Q. They went out of their way to get her."

Kirigiri thought to herself for a moment. "I haven't interacted with her much, much out of everyone in Q-Branch, C was the one that got on with Q the most. Perhaps that has something to do with it...?"

"We'll find out soon... I bet that horrible witch just wants to get rid of me because I know too much," I huffed, "Can't she just leave me alone? My stupid father already messed me up beyond return."

She looked at me once more, studying my face. "Now that I think about it... you are very pale," Kirigiri frowned, "Were you born like that?"

I shook my head. "Na. It was my Father's fault. He took me on a Moonlight mission - too stingy to pay for a babysitter - and I ended up falling into a vat of chemicals. He fished me out immediately, but it had already bleached my hair and face. Goodness knows what other damage it did."

"N-No wonder why you two were separated..." She muttered, "... You had no mother, and your father was too dangerous to take care of you."

"And they sent me to a stupid school! I would've preferred an orphanage!" I crossed my arms angrily, "I'm just about to have it out with that woman!"

"Just... let me do the talking," Kirigiri sighed, "You're a child, and you're my responsibility. I can't have you getting hurt."

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- A short while later -
- Morocco, Erfoud -
- Moonlight HQ -

Kirigiri and I were ushered into a big, open room upon arrival. The people here looked terrified. I wondered if it was because of the mean looks I gave them.

My thoughts were interrupted by footsteps - heels tapping the ground. We both turned to see a woman with long, brown hair. I guessed it was Fiona Walker - 'Mom' as she liked to call herself.

"Welcome, welcome!" She began, "I've been waiting so long to see you... ah, I haven't seen you ever since you were a little girl~" 'Mom' chuckled, grabbing my cheek playfully. I glared back.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Kirigiri joined in on the glaring, "Why did you call us here? What have you done with Q and C?"

"All in good time, my dear," Mom smiled sweetly, "I think you two should know what Moonlight is all about, first. You must be so confused..."

Kirigiri and I looked at each other as she began to walk towards a hallway. The looks that the guards gave us overpowered our will to keep still. So we ended up following her.

She led us to a room filled with monitors and people, all focused on their screens. "Information is power, as they say. Thanks to a little funding, one man has given us the gateway to all information..." she said.

"One man... you mean... X?" Kirigiri narrowed her eyes, "He did mention that he had some private benefactors... you're bunnyhopping off of his idea. He didn't mean it to be used like this-!"

"Ah, anything for a little funding, wouldn't you say?" Mom giggled, "Sure, we had to cause some... incidents... to get some countries on board."

"Yet you directly targeted me," Kirigiri said sternly, attempting to keep her voice down, "Why? I wasn't involved in the Moonlight investigation until-"

"Until the death of my husband, yes," Mom looked down at the floor sadly, "Autumn... he was my angel... and you killed him. What's worse is that pesky son of mine helped. You even killed him in our own home! He just wanted to have a little fun!"

"By endangering the lives of innocent people?" Kirigiri scoffed, "You're insane. No wonder why Q left you."

"He left us before we could introduce him to his new sister," Mom turned away to look at a nearby monitor, "Charlotte... we adopted her, in hopes that she could make up for where Sebastian failed. Yet she still... she still repeated the same mistake he did! They're even  working in the same damn branch of Interpol!"

I cleared my throat and stepped forward. To me, this was getting boring. "Cool, uh, that's nice and all, but why the hell am I here?"

"Hm? Oh," Mom shrugged, "Well... you know too much. I'm surprised you didn't recognise me... like I said, we have met before. When your skin got horribly bleached."

"You were there?" I frowned, tilting my head, "But I could've sworn-"

"We were trying to blackmail your father into staying with us, using you as the... object," she told me, "When he refused, I had to punish you as a result. It was his fault!"

My eyes widened. "W-Wait... you... you did this to me? You made me look like a freak? You tore me away from my father?"

"It was nothing to do with you. Just your father," she claimed, "I hear he's dead now... so we just have to cover up our tracks."

"Then where the hell have you put Q and C?" Kirigiri stepped forward, visibly agitated, "If I find out you've killed them, your punishment won't be pretty...!"

"Oh, my! Threatening me, are we?" Mom smirked, "I'll just have to punish you instead!"

That was the last thing I heard before I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. I quickly fell to the floor and blacked out.

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gonna double update this until the end now oop
- hatty