(no subject)

It's your first official channeling and you're terrified. It's been sixth months since you left Nick -- since you promised you'd become a full-fledged spirit medium and return to his side. Since then, you've been training hard, and somehow a doctor has found out about you and wants you to channel the spirit of a nurse. Aunt Morgan herself approved you for the channeling -- despite her previous assertions that powers were inadequate, that you were an embarrassment to the family -- she recommended you personally for this, and it makes you feel like you really have grown. Maybe you can make her proud, after all.

Even with her endorsement, you don't feel ready. What if something goes wrong? What if you fail?

You decide to add one condition to the channeling. Nick has to be there. That's the only way you know that things will turn out okay. You don't even expect him to show up (what if he's busy? what if you're just burdening him again?) but he does, anyway. And your heart soars.

"I think you'll totally be shocked by how good my hamburgers are!" you joke-- honestly, he wouldn't even be able to see you channeling anyway, because you'll be locked in the channeling chamber with the client, but just knowing he's right outside fills you with a kind of strength.

Everything is in place. You enter with Dr. Grey, the key firmly in your hand. "That key is one of a kind, so please take care of it as well," she reminds you.

"It'll be fine, Aunt Morgan. I won't lose it, trust me!"

She says nothing, and you proceed. The candles are lit, everything is in place.... the doctor kneels on the ground before you, hands pressed into prayer and bows his head. You do the same, steadying your heart, your breathing, and trying to reach---

Everything goes dark.

When you awaken, you feel the pressure of something in each of your hands, and your kimono is sprayed and soak, slick with--

Blood.

Morgan is holding you in her arms, and she easily extracts what's clutched in your hands -- a gun, and a knife. Your eyes widen as you take in the scene, Dr. Grey's body is several feet away, still and soaked, and here you are...

It's his blood, you realize, as Morgan releases you and you start to shake. It's his blood, how could this---

"As I thought...." she said, face hidden behind her sleeve, "Your power.... was not enough.... it was too weak.... You couldn't control the spirit, and now I'm afraid that man..... is dead.... "

Her eyes bore holes into you, as the police arrive to arrest you and you realize that she's right -- you're a murderer.

---

Phoenix visits you, of course he does.

"I finally.. I finally get to see you again... and... "

In contrast to Morgan's eyes, his are warm.

"It's not your fault. You didn't do it."

"No," you insist, "I... I did it.... I killed that person."

"But that wasn't you!"

"It doesn't matter. It might as well have been me." Your throat is thick as you remember Morgan's words -- the ones she's always told you. How could you think you could do this? Even though you're the daughter of the Master, you've never been good enough. You couldn't even channel Mia when Phoenix needed her most. "I was too weak... and I couldn't control the spirit's power, so...."

Phoenix's eyes are sad as he looks at you. You can't even look at him.

"You don't have to be nice to me. I understand."

He questions you for details, but you remember nothing --- except your dream, where you dreamed you were dead and buried in the ground, and you smelled something familiar.

It's clear he has no idea what to say to that, and you regret telling him.

Finally, the visit is over. No one has come to see you but him, but you're not surprised. He tells you to prepare the document requesting he be your attorney.

You don't even know what to say. You just admitted you're a murderer and he still wants to defend you?!

"Are you sure?" you ask, "I mean, I'm guilty! I'm a murderer!"

"No one's decided that yet," his response is tight, as his face.

"But I did!" you insist, as if he heard you wrong, "I killed that person... with these.. two hands!"

"That's enough, Maya."

You can't believe he's doing this. What if this ruins his life, too?

"It's hopeless! If you defend me, you'll lose, I'm sure..."

He's had enough. His voice thunders. "Stop it!"

And something breaks in you. The fight disappears. You shrink away from him, your eyes get glassy, and in a much smaller voice, you say:

"... Help me.... Nick, help me... I'm scared...."

You'll get the death penalty for this. But worse than that, a man is dead because of you, and your aunt...

Phoenix promises he'll help, and you give him your most prized possession -- the only thing you have left of your mother, her magatama. You tell him to take it to your cousin, Pearl -- she's got incredible spiritual power, unlike you, so she'll be able to charge it for him. The next time he comes, you make sure to channel your sister for him. He needs her.

---

The trial goes by in a blur. The successor -- Manfred von Karma's daughter -- seems to be every bit as ruthless as he is. You don't know what happened to Edgeworth. You try to keep up with what's happening -- the prosecutor, von Karma, she's insisting that you're the killer because you couldn't have left the room. But Phoenix proves that someone did leave the room, because things that should have never left the channeling chamber was outside.

You can't remember leaving it, though. You can't remember anything. But, Phoenix tells you something he heard from Mia -- spirit mediums can't dream. The fact that you remember dreaming... means you must have been drugged, and set up.

While this should have brought you relief (even though you can still feel his blood, smell it, remember vividly being covered in it -- you see it every time you close your eyes), another ugly thought comes to you.

If you were framed, there's only one person who could have done that.

Aunt Morgan.

You want to deny it, you want to deny it with all of your heart, but you know, deep down.... that has been happening for generations in the Fey Clan. Morgan was the one who was supposed to be Master, not your mother. But your mother's power was superior, and so she usurped Morgan. You know, deep down, that Morgan resents you, as much as you want her to accept you. She's the closest thing to a mother you've ever had, after all. And now, after everything... you're the only one left of the main bloodline, and if you were to disappear, then.....

....


She'd finally get what she wanted, wouldn't she?

[beatome]

SHALALALA KISS DE GIRL

cw: mentions of suicide, burning, death

(Here, from 22:47 and on)

You're being tried, for being a witch, in the court of witches. You're locked in an iron maiden, suspended above a pit of flames, and the heat is sweltering. more than that, you're terrified. everyone's been against you from the start, -- you've heard them cheering for you to be burned to death, multiple times. Even your friend Luke has been on the witness stand to condemn you. Phoenix is defending you, and they want him to burn too.

He's winning, though, he's not only proving your innocence -- but the innocence of the real witch, a young girl named Jean, who tried to frame you for her mentor's death and the crime of being a witch. You've heard her story, and it breaks your heart. Her family was poor and starving, she tried to make gold to make their life easier -- but she accidentally turned her only friend, an animal into gold.

She then tried to kill herself, and was taken in by late mentor -- who convinced her to live as a boy, to avoid persecution. After years, she believed he was going to denounce her, and tried to strangle him -- but he had already killed himself, tired of keeping the secrets in. She read his last letter aloud, where he admitted how much he cared for Jean and worried about her. Phoenix has just proved her innocence in the matter.

The inquisition -- the knight, Zacharias Barnham, is calling for the guilty verdict. Phoenix objects, as he's just proven her innocence, but the so-called knight posits that it doesn't matter if she didn't murder, she's a witch, and so she should burn.

You protest. "Yeah, she didn't kill anyone! And yet, you still want to burn her?! Do you even know how it feels to be put in this cage? It's like everyone's against you and it's super frightening! I'm not a witch.... but I've been thrown in this cage and almost sentenced for something I didn't do! And now you're about to do the same to another person!? That's just not right."

The knight is unmoved by your words. He insists that you and Phoenix are in the wrong -- all witches must be sentenced to the fire.

You're found innocent of the crime, but Jean is sentenced. She's even willing to accept her fate, though she's shaking.

"NO!" you cry out, "YOU CAN'T!"

But another protest rings above yours -- your friend, Espella Cantabella. Currently under suspicion for being "the great witch Bezella", the source of all witches.

She denounces Labyrinthia, denounces the witch trials, and everything.

"Trials in which innocent people are sentenced to death by fire.... I shall make sure this is the last one."

She reminds everyone of one particular rule -- once the great witch Bezella is found and sentenced, all witch trials will end. Then, she proclaims her guilt.

"Now, cast me into the flames! And set Ms. Greyerl free!"

Phoenix and Luke protest -- as do you. They try to reason with her, but she won't hear it.

"No, please don't do it!" you beg, as Luke cries out "There must be another way... you don't need to do this. "

She thanks you all for what you've done for her, as the judge reminds her that the consequences will be fatal.

"I am the great witch Bezella. I have lived hidden in the dark pages of my father's story... deceiving all of you. Many lives have been sacrificed because of me. But that shall end today. "

The Judge orders her to be seized and placed into the iron maiden in your place. You are set free.

"Espella..." you say quietly, but she just nods, accepting her fate. They place her into the cage, and withdraw you and the guards from the scene. You watch her face for a few seconds, but the injustice of it all burns you to your core.

You can't watch. You simply cannot just stand here and watch her die. Not while there's something you can do.

You're flanked by two guards, both much larger than you, but before they can stop you, you run at the cage, jumping across the fire and onto it.

"Maya!" Phoenix calls, as you open the cage, hanging perilously off of it. You barely even notice, your only focus is her.

"Espella," you tell her, "This just isn't right! Let's go!" Then you cant your head at Phoenix, who is stunned. "Nick, gimme a hand!"

Phoenix nods and rushes at the one guards, pinning them down before he can lower you both into the fire.

You point at the chandelier, your resolve hardened. "Jump!" you insist, "Jump over there!"

She hesitates, but you tell her to hurry. The guards are already trying to catch up, yelling that you're escaping, and she jumps. At the same time, one of the knight manages to reach the cage, and locks you in. In the corner of your eye, you see Espella reach the ground, and run off-- somewhere -- and you hear Phoenix calling out to you.

"Niiiiick!"

It's happening so fast, but tears begin to well up in your eyes, as you realize you're going to die. The cage closes around you, and you're enveloped in darkness. All sounds are muffled--- you think you hear Phoenix crying out, but all you can feel is the heat of the flames... it's suffocating, unbearable, and you barely have time to gasp before a sudden lurch sends you straight into the fire.