Ace Attorney: Secrets Beneath Secrets

The Doubled Turnabout, Part 6 (Averl)

//July 17, 2028. Detention Center, 1:00 PM//

As soon as Lucas and I walked into the agency, we caught eye of a certain pink haired bailiff. "Ms. Rain!" I exclaimed, still slightly confused by the whole 'this is Chrysalis' deal. 

"Hey, guys!" she smiled. "I have some good news!"

"What is it?" Lucas asked. 

"Look at your client! She's back to normal!" Ms. Rain grinned. "Thanks to Ghastly and Nevada."

"Huh?" I questioned. I had heard of Prosecutor Bespoke, but the other name was unfamiliar to me.

"Never mind," Ms. Rain said, shaking her head. "Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about the case."

"Okay," Lucas nodded. "About the whole you two being sisters deal...."

"Oh! Well, it's kind of a long story involving Cotoli's birth parents divorcing, one falling in love with Sora's other parent before divorcing again and then me," Ms. Rain explained. "I can make it longer, but I don't think you want that."

"What about your secret identity and such?" I asked. "I don't really understand that either."

"Well, you heard about the Oracle of the Law, right? I'm the one, and I tried to stay out and go in as another, nonexistent person, but Tora blew my cover," Ms. Rain, or should I say, Chrysalis, sighed. "Alter egos, right?"

"Speaking of Tora, what about her?" Lucas questioned. "I don't get it."

Sora sighed from the other side of the glass. "Well, it's a long story, so I suggest that you get comfy."

"She has a point," Chrysalis nodded. "Grab some snacks, even. This is going to take a while."

"We're never going to finish it if we don't start it," I said. "Please begin."

Sora nodded. "Well, it all started about six years ago. My mom was murdered, and I was a witness. I saw the defendant commit the crime, but they got a not guilty. The prosecutor on the case was Tora Yin, the defense attorney Jay Yang. Shortly after the trial, both were killed, and again, I saw it all. I ended up getting arrested for it...."

"But...Tora's dead...how can she be your alter ego?" Lucas asked. 

"That's the thing. Even after Cotoli, studying to be a lawyer at the time, got me off the hook through investigative methods, I could hear her. You see, Tora had a bit of an ego and this ego ended up with her murdering Jay Yang. He did nothing but slip up on his wording, and he got stabbed. Tora ended up getting killed soon after by the former defendant, Van Trapp. After Tora was dead, I could hear her at the back of my mind. For ages, all I could hear her laughing and criticizing my every move," Sora continued. 

"But only spirit mediums can hear the dead," I pointed out. "Oh! That's what you guys meant by 'mediums' earlier."

"Yeah, I'm a spirit medium. But my power is pretty weak, so I can only channel strong spirits looking for a way into this world. Tora was one of them, and Jay isn't here since he's much weaker. Tora was looking for mediums that would let her into this world, and she found me. I was emotionally unstable for a while after witnessing two murders, so Tora used me as a pawn. When I was especially weak, her spirit would come through and mess with people. This caused her personality to become engraved inside of me. It's not easy to resist such a relentless spirit," Sora explained. "And it's a good thing the personality is there. Or else, Tora would come through and cause havoc. The spirit only comes out when I'm deeply triggered."

"Triggered?" I asked. 

"Tora needs a weakness in Sora's emotional state to come through. This is by a trigger that reminds Sora of a past case that scarred her. The most common trigger is a stabbing, so Tora came out right after Sora found the body. One of the deeper triggers is being in the detention center on the side of the glass for prisoners, which would cause Tora to appear. And just as there are weaknesses, there are strengths for Sora as well. She can break Tora's grasp on her when somebody she cares about is in danger," Chrysalis answered. 

"So, in a nutshell, light triggers mean a rude personality coming out. A deep trigger results in an emotionless madwoman coming out," Sora frowned. "The only reason I'm here is because when Ghastly and Nevada came to see me earlier, they triggered regular me."

"This is very complicated and I'm very confused," Lucas said. "But it makes a little bit of sense at least."

"Like I said, long story. Sadly, there aren't any refreshments to keep you through such a long tale, but whatever. What's done is done," Sora told us. 

"Thank you for talking to us," I said, bowing my head slightly. "Where to now, Lucas?"

I heard a phone beeping, so I pulled mine out to check it. Lucas and Chrysalis did the same. "Not me," I announced, tucking the small electronic back into my pocket. 

"Not mine either." Lucas put his phone away as well. 

I looked at Chrysalis, who was reading a text. Her eyes widened about halfway through it. "I have to get back to the agency now. You're welcome for the lengthy explanation on all of this!" She ran out of the room, hair flapping behind her. 

"That was odd," I commented. 

Lucas nodded. "Let's head to the crime scene again. We should observe it again for more clues."

//July 17, 2028. Morix Law Office, 1:43 PM//

A girl walked into the agency and shut the door behind them. "Who's here?"

"It's just me."

A boy walked into the room from the back area, expression stern. He handed the girl a piece of paper. "Read this."

The girl accepted the paper and looked over it, the worry that already lingered in them building:

The grand finale is almost at hand. 

The boy will be unprotected the night that it concludes, and you will be able to do nothing to stop us from ending your hopeless chatter once and for all. 

The traitor is one you all know all too well, and he will strike, eliminating the boy's partner first. 

Oh, and did I mention that the one of dishonesty among you works for us?

The ones who will end the ones who threaten our plans.

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Yay cryptic notes. 

I swear I'm so excited for case five of this because it's the finale. In the finale, we have ships, 'what the is that even,' references, and big reveals. 

No fact is unrelated to this finale. 

I planned this tale that way for a reason.

Y A Y

-Dig