cw: death

It's been a while since your sister has called you, but she wants you to hold evidence for her again. The Thinker... it's a clock, but she's taken out the clockwork to put in some important papers. She tells you to meet her at the office at 9:00 PM, and then you can meet her junior partner and you can all go out for burgers.

You're so excited. It's been so long since you've seen her, and you've heard about her junior partner. You want to meet him!

Unfortunately, things don't quite go as planned. As you arrive, the office is dark, the door ajar, and the scent of blood hits you faster than anything else.

"Sis....!"

You rush in, and then you see her..... she's slumped against the wall near the window -- the glass lightstand is smashed, things have been upturned, and she's simply sitting there, almost peacefully. If not for the blood.

"Mia!"

You try to rouse her -- her body is still so warm -- but nothing happens. She's dead. You don't even think to call the police, tears filling up your eyes.

There's footsteps approaching.

"Chief!" You hear an unfamiliar voice, a man's voice, as he rushes in -- you wonder if this might be the killer, out to finish you off again, until his eyes meet yours, and you feel them boring into yours. He's looking at you.... like he thinks you killed her.

It's too much to bear. You faint.

When you awaken, the strange man has moved you to the couch. It's just the two of you right now, and he asks you who you are.

You don't say anything.

"It's okay," he prompts, "I work here."

You wonder if this is the man told you about. "Maya," you say quietly, "Maya Fey."

He gives you a perplexed look. "Before Mia died, she wrote a message with own blood. She wrote it on the back of this receipt."

He shows it to you.... it says "Maya", in blood.

"Th-th-that's MY name!" you squeak, "W-why?! Why would she write my name?"

"Please, just calm down."

But you can't. Your mind is reeling. "W-why would Sis write my name?"

Just then, sirens blaze throughout the air, and a tall, intimidating man bursts through the door. "Freeze! Police!"

He introduces himself as Detective Dick Gumshoe, explaining that he got a call from across the buildings. Then, sifting through the evidence, he comes upon the receipt.

"This word "Maya" here mean anything to you?"

You can't exactly lie to him, so, timidly: "Um... that... that's my name..."

"WHAAAAT?!" he thunders, "The victim drew this here note in her blood, see? With her dying breath, she wrote down the killer's name!"

You try to protest, but he handcuffs you and arrests you on the spot.

---

The whole night is spent in questioning. The detective, a scary looking man with a ruffled appearance, other police officers, questioned you, over and over again. You tried to insist you were innocent, but they didn't believe you. No matter what you said, their minds were made up. A murderer, they said, you killed her.

No one came to visit her... save the man she'd met before. The lawyer. You're so exhausted, but you try to smile for him.

You ask him if he'll be your lawyer, and he he tries to joke with you, to cheer you up.

"No way, Jose! Just kidding....."

You're quiet, as you realize he's trying to joke, and then.... you do your best to give him a little chuckle, as hopeless as you feel.

"Was that a.... chuckle?"

"What? N-No!" But he's onto you, so you duck your head a little bit. "It wasn't very believable, was it? I-I'm sorry, I just thought, since you'd made a joke... Please, don't mind me! You're doing just fine!"

He seems too baffled by this to respond, so your heart turns to heavier matters.

"I knew it... No one will believe me."

"What?" He asks.

You can't help but remember the way his eyes bored into you, back in the office--"Even you, when you found me in the office. You looked at me like you had done it!"

He's flabbergasted, and protests, "No, No! I never thought!"

"I-it's okay. I understand."

There's a beat. "And... I've also heard about you..."

He seems surprised, but you tell him about what Mia said about his first day in court.... that she was on edge, that he's a genius, that he strikes fear into the hears of evil types..... but he's lacking experience. You're pretty impressed, and tell your sister you'd go to him if you were in trouble, but she clicks her tongue and tells you to give him three more years... unless you want to be found guilty.

By the time you finish telling Phoenix this, a stricken expression has passed over his face. You feel pretty guilty.

"I-I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to trouble you..."

He admits it's true, but fervently tells you he can't just sit and watch, he keeps thinking of the person who did this to Mia....

"I know," you say, voice thick.

He asks you questions, about that day, about yourself, everything. You're used to answering the same things over and over, so you tell him everything you know -- about the conversation you had on your phone, about walking in, about yourself -- a spirit medium, in training.

Finally, he finishes, and you ask for him for a favor. Long ago, your sister had given you the address of a famous lawyer, and told you to ask him if you were ever in trouble. And, well, you're in trouble. You ask him to ask the man to represent you, and he agrees.

"Thank you so much!" you exclaim, "I have no one else to turn to...."

He tilts his head at you. "Say, what about your parents?"

You can't say anything. His face turns green.

"I... I see... Don't worry, leave it to me!"

You tell him the trial is tomorrow at 10:00, and his jaw hits the floor.

"What if this guy refuses?"

"They told me that if I don't find one, the state will pick an attorney to defend me." The time limit is 4:00 pm, and there isn't much time, so he gives you a nod and leaves.

---

When he returns, his face is sunken. This man.... he's so easy to read, so earnest. You can tell things went poorly.

"Did you find the lawyer?"

He stumbles over his own words, "I... I really don't think you should use that guy... He... didn't seem healthy! He was all skin and bones."

You can tell he's trying to shield you from the truth, so you ask him point blank.

"What really happened?"

He's silent.

"You don't mean... he refused to help?"

He swallows. You simply.... look down. You should be surprised by this turn of events, but you're not. After all...

...

"I see," you say quietly, resigned. "I've been abandoned, then."

(no subject)

You're under trial -- again -- but this time, it's for being a witch as well as Professor Layton's murder. You're in the Deathknell Dungeon, with Phoenix, and you both lament the professor's fate. It's still playing out in your mind..... the two of you, and the witch. Layton, stepping in front of you, the witch appearing and then.....

... Professor Layton ...

"You've got to believe me, Nick!" You plead, "I may be a spirit medium, but I'm not a witch."

"Don't worry," he says, "I know it wasn't you."

It's good that you still have him in your corner. But your thoughts turn to Luke, the professor's apprentice, who's just a little boy. You ask Phoenix if he's seen him. You were locked up, after all.

"He was crying all night," Phoenix says remorsefully, "I didn't know what to say to him."

"No kidding... He's the one suffering the most from all of this... Poor kid... "

"He probably needs some time alone with his grief. We should leave him be."

"Yeah... He shouldn't have to see this trial," you say, "It'd be too hard for him."

The last trial had ended with a young girl being burned alive..... and, well, even if Nick does prove you innocent and you're not the one who's going to burn.... it's nothing a child should see.

Your friend Espella is here, though she's under suspicion of being the great witch, but she's allowed to roam about the building. She says she heard about Layton's fate, and Phoenix apologizes to her... after all... the whole plan was for all of you to search for clues to prove Espella's innocence together.

Espella doesn't let him apologize. And she says she believes in you, which almost brings a tear to your eye.

"Thank you, Espella."

She asks to assist Phoenix, and then another person appears -- the young butler, Jean Greyerl. He says he's come to inquire about the trial, and that the events were most regrettable.

You grin big for him. "Thank you for coming all this way!" But you notice how bad he looks, "You look really pale, Jean. Are you alright?"

He admits that he had a hard time sleeping, and spent all night trying to find a way to revert Layton back from his golden state, and says that people shouldn't give up. You are touched, again, but that's as far as the conversation goes, before the knights call for you to enter.

"Nick..." you say quietly.

"Cheer up, Maya! I'm not just going to let them sentence you!"

You appreciate it, but that's far from your biggest concern right now.

"I just wish all of this would stop already. Whether someone's a "witch" or not... no one deserves to be burned!"

"I know," he agrees, "I can't stand for it either."

The trial begins. The head knight, Zacharias Barnham, is the inquisitor once more. You already thought he was kind of scary, but now you're at the other end of his sword. Literally.

You're forced into a small cage by the guards, suspended above a pit of fire. You can feel the heat.... it's uncomfortable, sweltering.

But worse than that, you can hear the screams of the people. Saying they knew you were a witch as soon as they laid eyes on you, that you have "witch" written all over you. They even call out for Phoenix to be on trial.... they cheer the inquisitor's name, over and over again. You've dealt with this before -- but never has a crowd been so... bloodthirsty. They're practically jeering for you to be burned alive.

You try to focus on Phoenix, instead. He needs your support.

After laying out the facts of the case, the inquisitor calls for the witnesses -- there's Emeer Punchenbaug, the town drunk and laughing stock, now inexplicably dressed up like a rich man. He was a witness in the previous trial, but refuses to admit it. There's a schoolteacher, who you remember seeing at the scene of the crime, a bard with a parrot (Cracker), singing his entrance, and...

Luke. He introduces himself as the late professor's apprentice. The two of you had spent a night together, trying to track down Espella's cat... you'd done puzzles together, united a cat and a dog, and now...

"Luke?!" Phoenix is more shocked than you are, "What are you doing there?"

His head is lowered, his face shadowed. "I've made up my mind. I'm doing this for the professor! A gentleman has to pursue the truth!"

"But... Luke," Phoenix is sweating, "That's where the inquisition's witnesses stand!"

There's a beat.

"I-I I'll never....." his voice trembles, and your heart goes out to the poor boy, "I'll never forgive that witch!"

He glares right at you, like he wants to hit you, and you feel like you've just been un through by Barnham's sword.

"L-Luke..."

You're not angry. You're barely even sad. You're... resigned. He's not the first person to turn on you, and, if you survive this -- he won't be the last. But still... it hurts.

"Your friend today can be your enemy tomorrow," Barnham states, raising an armored hand, "Such is the hard reality of the battlefield."

You don't know what 'battlefield' he's talking about, but it strikes a deep and painful chord within you.

Then, it's time for the testimony. As always, the witnesses can't agree on what they've seen -- the schoolteacher is insisting that Professor Layton was brandishing a knife -- something Luke vehemently disagrees with, to the point of slamming his hands on the desk. You know that's the case, as well. The bard claims he didn't see you drop "your" witch's scepter, but that he heard it, and Luke....

"The professor must have seen through Miss Maya's deception and confronted her right there, face-to-face!"

Naturally, Phoenix presses. "Luke, open your eyes! Maya isn't a witch!"

The little boy falls silent, briefly. "Ever since we came to this town... lots of unbelievable things have happened. And that's why... form now on, I'll only believe what I see with my own eyes."

Your own voice is soft, almost too soft to be heard over the din of the crowd and the fire. "Luke..."

"When I went into the room," he continues, "the only people I saw were the professor and Maya. The professor had been turned to gold... and Maya dropped that scepter."

You feel like you need to say something, to defend yourself... even if it is futile. "That's not true!" you cry out, and that seems to get his attention. You hear Phoenix saying your name.

"I didn't have any 'scepter'!" you insist, "And we weren't the only ones in tha--"

Barnham cuts you off with a swift slam to his desk. "Silence! The accused has no right to speak! Be silence of you will face punishment!"

He unsheathes his sword, pointing it straight at you --- even though you're in a cage suspended in the air, out of his reach -- you can't help but feel frightened.

"We can end this trial immediately, should you decide you feel talkative again."

"I.... " even though Phoenix is defending you, you start to feel hopeless "I'm... sorry."

It's true, though, isn't it? In this town.... you really don't have any rights.