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In the midst of an early morning, around 4am with the night still not yet receded from the faintest shade of brightness upon the deep navy blue sky, there was a rustling within the chocobo stables of Breekheim. A fidgeting sound of soft creaking wood and metal pins unscrewing from the hinge of a stable door, squeaking with one good turn after another before it dropped to the hay noiselessly beneath it. It only took another four until the hinge had come loose clanking upon the floor with a heavier sharp tone that made Luke slowly turn awake from his dreamless sleep. "Hey." A voice came from behind him, knowing certainly it was a male chocobo's rough voice belonging to that of Cadbury. Luke did not say anything, but he was concerned as to how the ebony chocobo managed to break into his stall swung open with a subtle kick. "Heh...the locks on these are pretty shit, I mean I could break these things open with my beak anytime I want...hey, I'm talking to you." Still no response as Cadbury scraped his claws threateningly across the stall floor. "That any way to greet a guest? I risk my neck breaking this lock open and this is the thanks I get for visiting?!" "...leave me alone." "There, see, that wasn't so hard just to say three words." "I won't fight you...if that's what you want." The black chocobo cocked his head with insult stiffening his neckfeathers with a shiver. "The fuck makes you think I wanna fight YOU? Firstly, you're kind of a bitch, like even Rinoa could pin your ass hard and secondly, I'm not gonna kick a flock-brother down when he's like this." "I don't care." "...you don't even wanna know why I broke in to see you?" No response. His answer given as he made a huff from his nostrils heavily with frustration. "This is the thanks I get wanting to check on you, you don't even look at me!" "Like you said...I'm not even worth fighting." "Hhhhhhh...you're not making this easy on me." "I never asked you." "No...but, still not making this easy, I just wanted to see what the deal with you was." "My deal is...nothing to do with you." "No but...we've been together long enough since I came to the ranch and well...I liked Asch too. I mean he was feisty, you know, like a real go-getter, we butt heads or used to back home for starters." "That doesn't mean anything." "Why?" Cadbury strode forwards cocking his head down towards him aggressively. "Why don't it mean anything?" "I can't feel anything...when I tried to...go down into the ravine that was the first thing I felt since he was killed...and...I hated it. I hated what I felt but, it was the only thing I could feel again ever since he...so I wanted it. I just...wanted to feel something again and I felt that sorrow within me...needed it. Wanted it." "Hmph...like that doesn't happen to everybody." The black chocobo gently sat himself down beside Luke with legs folded underneath, the red-haired chocobo unresisting as Cadbury spoke to him furthermore. "You know there's always that one emotion you just grab onto and never let go, I understand what you mean. I mean the first thing you ever felt after somethin' like that, you just wanna hold onto it like forever because it...makes you feel not empty I guess, maybe because that emptiness is sorta terrifying and yer afraid of feelin' nothing ever again so you just...hold onto that one thing no matter how terrible it is." "Yes...that..." Slowly Luke turned to look up towards Cadbury for the first time that night. "That's exactly how I feel." "Heh...see, not as dumb as people think I look huh?" "How do you...um..." "Know how you feel?" "Yes." "Well...we all got something tragic to tell, just most people don't wanna hear it." "Do you?" Cadbury as he lowered his head in return as he sighed deeply with frustration in the smallest sense. Luke simply turned away again murmuring: "I'm sorry." "...'bout what?" "About...this and...all this trouble I'm causing I just can't bring myself to feel...anything else in case I lose something again, if I...if I stop feeling miserable I feel like I'm dishonouring him, like I'm forgetting about him in mourning." "You really think your brother wants you to be a sad loser all the rest of your life?!" The red-maned chocobo had no resistance in him but a bitter sting left him turning bleakly tearful as he put his head back down again. Cadbury rolled his eyes and simply leaned back saying: "Come on, buck up. I mean, look at me, I'm a pretty sad loser too and that's because I did the exact same thing you're doing right here." "You...wh-what?" "Holding it in you, not letting anything go, not...moving on with your life or trying to find something new and stupid to get involved with, do you know why I'm angry all the time? Why I just keep pickin' fights with everyone?!" "...I...I don't-" "The same reason you're mopin' around like a sack of hay, I won't say nothin' but believe me, that is not a path you wanna go on trust me on this." "Then why do you keep doing it?" "I got a reputation to upkeep! If you ever talk about this by the way I will make you my fucking hen bitch, you got that?" Saying nothing Luke just simply shrugged without resistance making Cadbury groan. "Awwww for fuck's sake, you can't even sub to me properly?! Fuck you really are just putting the sadness on you like a saddle aren't you?" "I can't just beat it out of me, Cadbury." "No, but you can't just make it the ONE thing you feel, you can always get mad, you can get happy, you can get scared of stuff! If you just focus on one emotion it's all gonna go shit for you!" "It can't possibly get any worse." "Says the dumb shit who almost killed his rider," argued Cadbury, "that wasn't cool, he didn't deserve to die with you what made you think that was okay?!" "I know!" cried Luke with upset. "I wasn't...I wasn't thinking I just, forgot I had him with me...I-i-i just...wish I could have spent more time with Asch, got to know him a lot better, learnt to be more cooperative, maybe at least so he would be at ease...having the last moments of his life as we grow old together like the only family we ever had...maybe-" "-lay down in a pasture waiting for the sunset to come on the horizon softly...watching our feathers glow with that sweet warm orange as I turn towards her face, seeing those eyes she used to give me all sorta creased up and wrinkled with love, before she...used to...be forever beside me."

Cadbury said this with a small crick in the back of his throat sneering hard with a fit of rage across his features. Before he calmed down with a much deeper breath almost guttural as Luke turned his head towards him. "Who was she?" "Huh!?" "You said...you said something about she, who was-" "The fuck's it matter to you huh?! No one ever comes back from death, not really, the sooner you learn to accept that the more happy your life will be...not like me." The chocobo Cadbury turned away shuddering as he reminisced. "Not when you held onto that same feeling for the past two years, maybe comin' onto three now...fuck it...just tearin' away at your heart going through that memory over and over and OVER again wishing you had done something, wishing you could have done something but you didn't, because you were a dumb stupid fuckin' ass who more cared about showin' off than anythin' and you know what the worst part is?! I CAN'T LET IT GO, YOU KNOW WHY, BECAUSE I HAVE BLOOD ON ME!" Despite the raising of his shrill voice laced with fury no one else in the stable seemed to rouse enough to be alerted as he shrieked at Luke bitter with his fury. "I WAS A STUPID FUCKING IDIOT AND I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO LET THAT GO, BUT YOU COULD, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO! You..." Snarling as he resisted the urge to cry he slammed his head into the stable wall struggling to let the pain override his sorrow briefly. "You know you're not responsible for your brother's death...he did everything he could, he just got...got unlucky. It wasn't his time, it wasn't any bullshit like that, he just fucking died and that is NOT your fault Luke. Don't..." He pushed his beak straight up against Luke's in turn with tears streaking down his face harshly. "Don't EVER throw your life away for somethin' you didn't do...fuckin' waste it all right then and then what? What's your brother worth to you?! You don't have any blood on you, you know that you have no reason to stay like this all alone deep and twistin' in your own misery and I can tell you now, if you go down this road you are never getting back out again without some......h-help. So don't..." The ebony chocobo moved away slightly with the same expression of grief and bitterness as he sighed shortly. "Don't...be like me." "What do you mean 'like you'?" "I'm serious. Look, I've never been able to let go because it's too deep, I can't let go of it. I lost myself to anger because I never wanted to let it leave, it was the only thing I had to protect me, that's why I was always stomping around back on the farm keeping everybody away. Then we got grouped with those riders and well...things happen, things change, we got to go out on some crazy adventures and excitement!" "Excitement that got my brother killed." "We all knew the risks, Asch did too, he was the smartest one of us!" "Really?" "Yeah, told me plenty times not to eat this or eat that whilst out walking because I would get sick." "Heh...he...he was always really picky about his food." The two chirrupped softly before Cadbury turned his gaze firmly towards Luke. "Listen, I know I've got a reputation with our riders as this bad-tempered bull but they don't understand us...except that black one but I ain't telling him, I'll tell you...because I trust you won't repeat any of this." "Why do you trust me?" asked Luke. "Because I know what you're going through! And I know that you are never going to let that sorrow go and you will for the rest of your life be called the miserable-looking chocobo at the back that nobody wants to touch, remember how I was back at the farm? That's going to be you, and...I don't want you to be that. I don't want anybody else to go down that way same as me." "It's my choice." "Would that be your brother's choice too?" He had no strength to fight, simply rustling his body against the straw with discomfort. "What do you want from me? Why do you care all of a sudden like this, you always boasted your beak off eager for a fight ready to kill something." "Doesn't mean I don't care about all of us...heh...plus I'm a total idiot, you know every time I run into battle screaming I just have the smallest little thing inside my head saying '...fuck I hope I die today'." "Wait...r-really?" "I do. I love it, fuck it makes me feel so good, for just one moment I'm invincible because I don't care what I want anymore, or what happens to me just, those five seconds where I stop caring about hurt and just let pain run through me. I don't fucking care who comes down on me, everytime I survive a battle I feel good, I just feel I justified myself for existing. If I died, I wasn't worth living through that battle anyway and then finally I can see her again...but if I do survive, well, that's just rules of nature isn't it?" "Do...do you like hurting other creatures?" "Only the zaghnals. Fuck 'em, fuck all of 'em! Worthless low-class subspecies piece of SHIT, if I could fuckin' exterminate 'em all I would..." His claws tore into the hay scrunching fiercely as a hot musk of aggression burned through him, turning Luke more submissive by default uncomfortably. "I guess I mostly stopped caring about myself, hoping to just ride out and go head-on into a pit full of zaghnals with blood all over me just waiting to kill as many as I could before one of 'em just ends my life...but then I got James with me and now...I've gotta look after him because he's a fuckin' weirdo and you've gotta look after Fayne and Baldwin too, because they worry about you!" "They're just feeling guilty." "PFFFT fuck that, they're not guilty, they just care about you, come on they're brothers too they know how it feels!" "...smell different enough from each other." "Wait, what?!" "Luke?"

A voice of sweet chirrup called from the stable door as Rinoa stood curiously cocking her head, her pale angelic wings radiantly tucked against her body as she saw the two males seated. "Are you alright?" "No worries little chicky," said Cadbury cockily, "you just get back on to your nest, just us having a little bull-to-bull talk don't wannit going over your little hen head." "I was talking to him dungbeak!" said Rinoa eyes rolling. "If I wanted to talk to you I'd talk to your tailfeathers and hear the same thing." "Pfft jeez, can't a male have some privacy?" "Luke...is he bothering you? I just wanted to see if you were alright, you want me to preen you a little?" "Preen him? What for one of your little hen parties?" "He's very sweet he deserves to look sweet!" "Bulls aren't sweet, they're tough and raw!" "And which one of those do you think people would enjoy? I never heard of anyone saying 'oh thank you for this food it was so tough and raw I almost scraped my throat!'" "Heh...you just need to learn how to swallow it." Cadbury fluffed up his wings with a male dominance smugly winking of a sexual teasing about him, his tailfeathers rocking behind him back and forth. "I'm sure you'd learn to appreciate any flavour after a while." "Pffft," Rinoa rolled her eyes, "I'd rather eat locoweed thank you, at least I would feel happy afterwards." "But I can make your legs weak like locoweed, cutie hen." "Hmhmhm..." She slowly walked up to him taking a striding gait with sultry swish of her tailfeathers before lifting the underside of his beak gently rubbing along his neck back and forth. Easing Cadbury towards a false sense of security he moaned with a little pant at her soft stroking motions with her beak before she suddenly nipped straight at the back of his neck making his nerves harshly twitch, his legs quivering sharply in response. "A-aaaaah haaaaa!" "Looks like I can make your legs weak too, dungbeak." "Y-y-you...guh...sheesh, you're pretty wicked underneath those white wings I bet." "Heheheee!" "I'm cold." Luke said this softly enough for both of them to hear as she stepped forwards softly. She did not hesitate to sit right down next to him on his opposite side away from Cadbury, fluffing up her feathers motherly in order to give him warmth. "Is that better?" "Y-yes...please." "Okay, I'll keep you nice and toasty until the morn comes, is that okay?" "Yes...th-thank you." "Hehee, I'll not leave you, not at least until our riders come back for us, shouldn't be long-off until they do. Goodnight Luke." She smiled gladly and looked towards the black chocobo with suspicion wondering what he was planning to do. He looked away for a moment in a minute of shame before deciding to not just say anything as he sat down beside him and fluffed his feathers up in turn, slowly nuzzling himself against Luke. The dual warmth from his two flock-brethren made the red-maned chocobo feel at ease a lot more than usual, whether it was simply the warmth or something more through their endurance together. It was a rather odd scene in the morning when Clan Koridai along with Roy looked upon those three still huddling up with Luke in the midst of them. Lightning had remained on her own saying nothing and rather in a deep sleep, whereas Cyrus had heard everything that happened very discreetly informing Roy about it. But due to Cadbury's promise overheard he said nothing as to honour it and not cause any incident. Navarro was amazed to see Rinoa and Cadbury sharing some sense of empathy upon their brethren as she smiled pleasantly, a rare occasion that made the rest of her clan gasp silently to themselves. "Three feathers flock," she said, "bring days of luck, kupo. This is a good sign." "Agreed," said Fayne, "the very firsszht I have sszheen of any companionsszhip amongsszht themsszhelvesszh through empathy." "I knew Rinoa would," said Dahlia softly, "she's always checking up on him more than most of them would but I never expected Cadbury to be." "Even our mosszht blackguard of sszhteed hasszh learnt compasszhion beyond hisszh usszhual cocky way." "So...what do we do now?" "Navarro and I need to attend to our casszhe, we have a breakthrough and need to capitalisszhe on it sszhwiftly." "Oh, good! What sort of breakthrough?" "I cannot say," said Navarro, "remember we cannot inform the public of any information or else this case shall be rendered void, kupo. If you wish to learn more then you could have attended." "I'm...not very good at legal things frankly." "No? I would have expected you to have some eagerness for the inner workings of the court system." "N-n-not really, I don't like seeing people suffer from verbal abuse or wrongful accusations. No offence Roy." "Why would ah be?" asked Roy oddly. "Besides ah have thuh mornin' paper here to help give you sum idea of whut we're up to." The raptor courteously gave Dahlia the morning news, cautiously taking it from him as she read through the main headline of the town's publication.

_THE BREEKHEIM ADVERTISER

BRUNHART MURDER EXTENDS TO SECOND DAY, TRIAL VERDICT UNCLEAR

Yesterday's trial of Matthias Brunhart accused of the murder of a child at his orphanarium came to a screeching halt following new revelations that caused Judge Garheim to cease proceedings and extend to another day, two days from now. At 3:30pm during the charity ball at the orphanarium, a young bangaa named Joshua Alvert had been found murdered in Brunhart's office, to which Brunhart himself was instantly taken into custody on suspicion of this deed. Matthias Brunhart (97) has been a longstanding member of the town of Breekheim since his grandfather founded the family manor three-hundred years ago, settling upon Levisin Hill overlooking the town itself. Forty years ago, after a divorce settlement from his wife Sandra Brunhart-Enfield, he retained possession of his family manor after a furious legal battle and, with his remaining inheritance, founded the orphanage as a means to "preserve the future of Ivalice by giving life and love to those that were cast cruelly away from their families by war or neglect". Details are sketchy at this time, but it is undecided as to whether Brunhart is innocent or not despite four witness testimonies given at the time of the trial. Benedict Garheim (52) has been a member of Archades' recent Judges order for the past 15 years, and operates largely within the Lower Archades districts. Prosecuting against Brunhart was Gerald Abernathy (41) of our local constituency, educated at Stanner Law University in Archades whilst those defending Brunhart included Roy MacGregor (27) of Rozarria stationed originally with the law firm Barnham and Associates. The prosecution had little need for effort caused by the rise of incriminating testimony against Brunhart with himself having no credible alibi given as to his whereabouts during the murder. But mister MacGregor had managed to undo almost an entire day's worth of interrogation by a grave exposure of contradiction, sending the court to an uproar demanding a more intrinsic investigation into the Brunhart incident. Officers are now currently widening their search along the stately manor whilst orphans and staff are bade out of the way to keep from any interference. The atmosphere within the orphanage has shifted towards a tense terrifying uncertainty, but plans have already been made to make certain that the Brunhart Orphanarium will not be left abandoned regardless of the court's verdict. Highlights from yesterday include a vicious argument between defence counsel Roy MacGregor (27) and witness James Campbell (33), a clan leader for hire who attempted to commit perjury and was threatened with a fine to his clan, as well as a sheer heartbreaking plea from former orphanage inhabitant Berniere Lavant (32) who screamed in defiance against Judge Garheim for mister Brunhart's innocence before he was taken leave. A fine has been paid full by him on behalf of Clan Herne, who were not in attendance for his breaching contempt of court._

"Wha-...James tried to LIE?!" cried Dahlia. "Wait," cried Baldwin, "...you're twenty-SSZHEVEN!?" "Yes and yes," replied Roy chuckling, "ah can't say much more than that but, suffice to say FG did try to be rather sneaky." "...wow, you are literally the youngesszht persszhon we have here!" "And yet you are the mosszht immature," said Fayne to his brother smirking. "S-sszhut up, you can't even drink like me who you callin' immature?!" "I call James to be the most immature frankly," said Navarro promptly, "Baldwin at least never committed perjury kupo." "But why?!" asked Dahlia. "Why even try to, he believed mister Brunhart was innocent, didn't he?!" "Ah had to push him," replied Roy firmly crossing arms, "ah had to do it just in case there wuz anythin' he might have been hidin', ah couldn't let him walk away without knowin' everythin' cuz at one point, it seemed very likely that Brunhart wuz suspected to be thuh real killer." "But he isn't really though...is he?" "NO! Course he ain't, ah disproved it mahself an' we gotta get more evidence to solve this!" "May I ask...how you disproved it?" "That is private," said Rocino, "until we are done with this case we cannot tell you more on specific findings." "B-b-but, what if I can help?" "Pardon?" "I...I want to help, if I can help some way in proving his innocence then...I saw him." They all looked at her as if she had announced that she was made of a hundred spiders, Navarro softly blinking with a curious: "...who did you see, kupo?" "Mister Brunhart. I saw him, he just bumped into me that day and I thought-" "A-AH AH!" She pressed a finger to Dahlia's lips who blushed softly as she closed her eyes. "Do not say one more thing, you will go down to the officers immediately and tell them what you saw, this may help us!" "Or hinder us," said Roy, "but either way we gotta find more ways to complete thuh picture, ah know for a fact now that Brunhart's not thuh killer." "I agree that it seems more unlikely, but then again we have not proven his alibi just yet, kupo." "True, but it does give us a lot more breathin' room, ah think you should go tell 'em Dahlia, it migh' be whut we need." The nu-mou did not even turn to look at Roy but simply smiled towards Navarro looking more gleeful by the minute as she grasped the moogle's hands. "I'll help you the BEST I can Navarro, I promise you I will! I'm going down to the precinct right now and I will tell them everything I know!" "Good," said the moogle, "I appreciate your help in anyway possible, thank you Dahlia." The raptor smirked watching her face light up sweetly from her gratitude before she headed off. Baldwin could not help however but chip in with: "You are LITERALLY younger than Navarro and like three feet taller than her!" "Wait ah ahm!?" Roy looked down upon Navarro who simply rolled her eyes saying: "I am twenty-nine if you must know kupo." "Huh...wow heh, ah shoulda known thuh way you always seem thuh most mature out of all you." "Even if both brothers are thirty years older than I?" "Well...you only as old as you THINK you are, if you feel old an' act lahk you old, then you gonna be old even at thirty. But you act young while at eighty, then you gonna act young through your second childhood." "True, mentality does play greatly into one's personal aging, kupo. Shall we go?" "Sure, we had breakfast so there ain' nuthin' else." "I'll look after the beasszhtiesszh here," said Baldwin gladly, "don't you worry bosszh." "Thank you Baldwin," said the moogle nodding. Departing the stable, she headed back to the inn preparing for her visit later on towards the orphanage, once the precinct had authorised it for an appropriate time after the children had been awake to not disturb their sleep.

But just before he left, Roy felt a push from his own steed Cyrus wanting out as he gripped Roy by the arm carefully, implying some privacy was needed for what he wanted. Baldwin was busying himself with the rest of their flock as Roy took him round carefully to the back of the building away from prying eyes and cautious ears before asking his chocobo: "Whut do you want?" "Why are you doing this?" asked Cyrus. "Doin' whut?" "This whole defence of a court of law, I thought we were going to be here for at least two days but now we are trapped for a week!" "A kid got murdered Cyrus, ain' nobody allowed to leave until thuh case is over anyway!" "But it is not your problem, you are not a lawyer you realise, that was just an excuse we made to infiltrate society!" "You don' think ah know that?! Ahm fuckin' terrified in there, shit be worse than a high school recital ah have to go to mah own happy place everytahm ahm makin' mah own statements ah almost fucked up! Ah coulda fucked up if it hadn't been for Berniere screamin' thuh whole place down!" "Then why are you doing this?! Why did you so eagerly agree to prove this person's innocence if any at all, you could have easily taken that artifact when everyone else was gone and we would leave without worry!" "Someone out there might be innocent of sumthin' they got accused of, ah can't walk away from that." "Yes you can. It has nothing to do with you Roy, you were going to steal from him!" "Yeah but not MURDER him, thuh fuck Cyrus?! Ah don't lahk doin' all this, you think ah wanted to fuckin' do this?! Fuck man, if they ever knew anyone from Rozarria who told them that there ain' no such place as Barnham an' Associates, ahm fuckin' dead!" "But you chose to! All you had to do was take his artifact so you could find out the truth, isn't that what you wanted? You intentionally placed yourself into a precarious position where you could be sentenced to incarceration for a false identity, for someone you don't even know and was PLANNING on stealing his belongings. Why?!" The raptor sighed heavily as he tried to struggle his issues out, seeing the cold glare of the indignant chocobo flapping his wingless stubs fiercely in dominant stance. He had considered much of this, running on autopilot for all the entire court case but realising that he had to take a step back mentally and account for his actions, he became more aware of his true feelings as he showed his conscience. "I...ah do wanna find out thuh truth, an'...ah know there's one way to do it, but ah also do not want sumbody to get hurt while ahm out doin' this. Thuh fact ah wuz plannin' on stealin' from him, makes me feel lahk fuckin' guilty an' now he's got accused of murder when ahm pretty damn sure that he's innocent...makes me feel lahk that ah can do sumthin' right in order to pay back mah own sentence." "Your sentence of what?" asked Cyrus. "Bein' a goddamn perjurer an' a thief, it's all bullshit but ah have to do this! Ah HAVE to, if ah can help someone along thuh way then ah gues that's mah way of redeemin' mahself! Ah don' wanna be a criminal Cyrus...it fuckin' hurts. Goes against...everythin' ah know, ah didn't wanna do this! Ah told you whut happened in Skyrim, ah ain' goin' through that shit again!" "You were a victim of a prejudicted society, you did what you had to do." "FUCK THAT SHIT!" cried Roy. "FUCK EVERYTHIN' IN THAT PLACE AND FUCK JARL ULFRIC WITH HIS GODDAMN _ BULLSHIT! _ That don' make whut ah did any better, ahm not puttin' mahself through that again, ah wuzn't raised lahk that! If ah can do sumthin', maybe SOMEHOW prove somebody innocent bah good an' lawful means then maybe ah can redeem mahself. Ah know thuh law may not always be righ' in sum places, ah know that whut is lawful is not always whut is good because maybe sum societies just fuck up, maybe ahm not so ignorant everybody think ah wuz back home! Ah know whut we went through, ah know what anthros had to go through, there's prejudice anywhere against anybody! But thuh reason that Law exists in thuh FIRST place wuz because it wuz made bah thuh good an' just of people so as to give fairness to all in our society!" "And all it took was you to falsify an identity as something you are not. I told you all this 'pretend' nonsense would lead to nothing but trouble." "Jus-...hhhhh..." Roy slowly cupped his snout inside his hands breathing warmly with frustration, calmly trying to ask: "Ah don' know whut to do Cyrus. All mah life, ah believed in thuh truth an' justice...ah wanted to be part of that, ah wanted to help people, to be a good guy, an' that's thuh closest ah ever got right in that courtroom. Maybe not a cop but it sure as hell did good to keep a man out of jail for a bit. Truth an' justice wuz all ah wanted, an' ah couldn't get either of them out of FG when all ah've done wuz accuse him of bein' a murderer when it's VERY likely that he isn't! Ahm not gonna see Brunhart suffer that too, ah don' wanna allow it...if ah can do this then maybe ahll feel better about mahself." "So your entire act is for nothing but your own self-redemption? Do you want to be known as a hero so badly that you are willing to commit great mendacity upon everyone you know?" Roy sat down onto with frustration hitting his fists upon the cold icy-fresh grass as the chocobo looked at him, pondering with his head cocked as he lowered himself towards his friend and rider. "It...it's not...whut do you want from me Cyrus?" "I want you to stop pretending." "Ah can't...ah can't stop pretendin'." "Why not?" "...because ah have nuthin' left of me anymore."

It was only several hours later that Roy managed to pull himself straight up to the orphanarium once more, the sounds of children eating breakfast come round in the main hall, after Fayne, Navarro and him had been cleared to enter with identity checked through. The past few days had been rather trying for the children who had been unable to grasp anything but the barest scraps of knowledge on what had been happening with mister Brunhart, other than that a terrible incident had occurred that he must deal with. The clattering clink of plates, knives and forks mingled with the insane babble of youngsters nervously to and fro. Arriving in the midst of early morning around 8am, they saw for the first time truly the sheer multitude of hume, nu-mou, bangaa, seeq, moogle and viera children even, whose entire sole existence relied on Matthias Brunhart. The staff went to and fro with their duties patiently moving around meals, children's places, settling arguments and so forth. It was more like a school than anything with all the butlers and maids acting as teachers and chaperones cautiously looking over each grouped table of children ranging from the ages of 3-14. Most of the children grouped themselves by their age groups but a few had mixed themselves up, seeing friendships blossom amidst very odd combinations that made Roy smile heartily. Then he realised even more harshly how much that they'd be relying on him to clear Brunhart's innocence as a heavy weight came upon his shoulders. He was granted access to the newly-opened medical unit which again had a time mage guarding the front door to it. The very same female moogle that guarded the office previously along with a much taller fiercer-looking hume of stately pose and cerulean armour as Roy waved to her. "G'mornin' ma'am." "Good morning kupo." "Heh, any of thuh li'l tykes give you trouble?" "Surprisingly no, not when you have the power to tell them you can make time skip to the point they miss their birthday this year and actually mean it, if they get uppity." "Hhhhahahaha...wow, you serious?" "No...but they don't know that kupo." "Whut wuz your name ah never really asked?" "Officer Jonel. I assume you're here to investigate the medical centre?" "Yes." "You will have to wait, the prosecution is currently using it." "Oooh...heh, nuthin' serious ah hope." "Why?" "Just saw a vein poppin' outta his head when last ah saw him, maybe he just wan' sum painkillers if they got any here." "Snrrk..." She shook her head courteously keeping her lips closed with professionalism despite a huge smirk on her face. "I would not know, mister MacGregor." "Whut's thuh situation downstairs in thuh bathroom?" "There's no need to investigate it, we found nothing and what with so many people having used it between the day of the crime and this day, we'll be lucky to even find something in this room which was also still being used." "Damn...you found nuthin' new in thuh office?" "Not that we haven't found kupo. I did however note that red stain you found behind the door and brought it to the forensics office." "OOH, you find out whut it wuz?!" "Not quite...it appears to be some form of wax composition mixed with various fats and oils so we assumed it must have been rather sealing wax for envelopes due to how thick it is, but nothing in Brunhart's office matches it." "Wax? Huh...that's weird." "I have the report here if you wish, mister Abernathy got one too." The moogle mage handed over a small report on the findings to which Roy handed over to Fayne as he read through it with a curious tone on his lips. "...beesszhwaxszh?" "Whut?" "The...mark on the door isszh apparently that of beesszwaxszh, animal fat and...sszhome variousszh oilsszh and according to the sszhtate of drying it wasszh...not even there any longer than a day of being found by you!" "Whut thuh-...we not even NEAR thuh sea that just raises even more questions!" "You know it's the SECOND thing we found with animal fat," said the mage guard, "sleipnir tallow to be precise which is a little weird to find in an office without any of it." "W-wait...second?" "The victim Joshua was holding a key in his hand when he died, did...no one tell you?" "N-no! He had a key?! Whut?! Why?!" "We don't know kupo! We would try to find out where it fits but, the fact it has this odd white stain on the front teeth made us think it was evidence, so we put it in preservation. We don't actually know WHAT the stain is from though, it could be soap, candles, the boy had quite a bit of sugar on his fingers so it may probably have come from pastry at the party as well kupo. Frankly, until we have the exact other composition to match with it, it would be impossible to know and there are far too many products in the world that use this ingredient." "Damn...sleipnir, which animal wuz that again?" "This one."

Navarro pulled out her bestiary, a guidebook of all creatures across Ivalice to reveal a sturdily-built war horse with a cold iron set of armour from head to tail that formed straight along his back. The mane itself was in the form of a set of spikes as if it had wrenched itself from a stately manor gate. "Daaaaamn that's nasty." "Sleipnir tallow is used in many things," said Navarro, "its fat is used in processing everyday products. It is a genus of species to be precise of which there are four types. Sleipnir, Mesmenir, Shadonir and Leynir, kupo." "Damn...okay wait, how come nobody told me that Joshua had a damn key on him?!" "That was my fault actually." Gerald Abernathy said this he loomed into view from the doorframe of the medical centre with a rather taut expression on his smooth features. His two assistants followed after with expressions tightly screwed back as if pins and needles were pulling the wrinkles into place walking rather stiffly, professionalism personified like the ruler ready to swat an errant child. "I made an omission of it previously in the trial as there was no reason to inform the court on it. "Why thuh fuck not?!" asked Roy offended. "That could have been important!" "Believe me mister MacGregor, it was not, there was nothing ever mentioned of a key in the previous trial was there?" "...no, I...a-ah guess not." "Then it was not relevant, it was simply but a piece of the boy's belongings, not a piece of fabric nor anything that connects him to our killer. Not unlike the pieces of fabric that were found on his fingernails belonging to Brunhart's cloak." "Yeeees ah remember," said Roy rolling his eyes. "Ah assume you've heard about thuh strange wax dye on thuh back of the office door?" "You were very keen to find it, but I fear it will not become relevant like that with the key." "Why not?" "Because even if it happened on the day, it could very well have been some form of paint or dye from a child, maybe even that of the victim." "...hmmmm...still, it is evidence of sumbody bein' there." "I agree, but I do not think it is any relevant to our case." "WUZ there any paint or dye on Joshua since we're askin'?" "No, not really, the only trace particles on him are blood, sugar and cake crumbles...what a sorry affair this is, we are done with this room by the way." "Very good sir," said the moogle mage, "anything our crew may have missed?" "Not that I could find, I think you may have covered everything but, before you go in mister MacGregor, may I talk with you privately?" "Um...s-sure, alrigh'." The utahraptor walked down a few doors away into the east wing along with Mr. Abernathy, the sharp blue armour and sweeping red cloak trailing down to his buttocks as he gazed upon Roy with cool grey eyes as he turned and stared at him to begin his talk. "I know nothing of you, nor of any reputation you have but I must admit I was not expecting such a performance at the end." "Hm, well ah lahk to save thuh best for last." "Indeed, as do I which is why I want to make an offer. Death is a terrible price to pay and one that is unforgiveable to a man of such charity as mister Brunhart. I am willing to make a bargain for a plea." "Wait...a plea bargain? You actually gonna do this?!" "If you convince mister Brunhart to confess towards a plea bargain...then I will do everything to lower the charge and make certain that he serves with life imprisonment...rather than death." Roy leered away for a minute as his gut instinct made him twitch rather awkwardly, saying softly: "...whut thuh hell did you find in there?!" "Nothing. That's the thing, there is nothing in there that will prove anything of your client's innocence and, if you will recall, Berniere Lavant mentioned that it was a maid not a little girl that Matthias was tending to, so that also shows your client is lying on something as well as being uncooperative as to where his movements." "Mah client is NOT thuh killer." "I understand...but from the way things are, even with your damning contradiction there may well be no other possible lead for you to give despite that. If we have no other witnesses or any evidence to further prove Brunhart's innocence, then there can be no choice. I am simply offering this to you to save this man's life. Brunhart is beloved, he is courteous and kind and adored by all within this region, I do not want to condemn a man such as him to death, even if he was in some manner responsible for a little boy's death." "If ah go tell 'im to sign a plea bargain then that just means ah given up on him!" "This is not a war, MacGregor, this isn't surrendering to me. It is merely us two finding a more reasonable solution to a possible outcome." "Other than bein' called innocent." "But what if he isn't?! Look you and I do not know what truly happened within that office, whether he meant to murder that child or not isn't important right here, it's the fact the child is dead from his own hand." "YOU DON' KNOW THAT!" "I don't, not truly, but if there is no other conclusion then that is the one the Judge will go through. I am giving you one last chance to save him from utmost certainty of death for this, whether or not he meant to, be it a crime of passion or insanity or a pure accident by some incredible feat, he WILL be hanged for this!" "An' ah will stand bah him, ah made a promise!" "So did I, to uphold justice wherever it may be and this is justice now to not want him executed but to be imprisoned. I do not want him to be taken from this world, he has done much too good to this place to be given that fate. I am offering you the best possible outcome for him, at the very least I want you to take this to him because I swear to you now, if you go through with this case without a plea bargain and there is nothing more to serve as evidence to his truth..." Gerald walked forwards with gauntlet-clad finger pointing fiercely to the raptor's eye. "Then you shall see him hanged and that is something you will have to live with, forever."

A brief moment of clarity came to him upon realising what this meant, knowing that this was a way of saving Mr. Brunhart if all else had failed. But that brief moment was snuffed out by a more fierceful nature, wrought forth from his stubbornness creasing along his snout as he glared darkly. "... get thuh fuck away from me." He slapped the finger away harshly with bitter snarl showing teeth as he poked threateningly upon Gerald Abernathy's steel chest. "I...will not give up on him, ah know you wanna protect him but ah can prove it. Ah will not have him live thuh rest of his life branded for sumthin' he didn't do just so you can sleep at night. Ah will prove it to you." "Then for your sake," said the prosecutor, "I hope you are right. Should your stubbornness ever yield you know where to find me. Good day, Roy MacGregor." With Gerald talking his leave, Roy walked back towards the entrance of the medical facility, a rather surprisingly spacious room that seemingly had been converted out of a former bedroom. Around three times the size of Brunhart's office, the room was a solid rectangular length of calming white walls, reinforced windows and surprisingly comfy beds. The mage at the door gave them a limit of 12 minutes to start searching around the room as best they could. Not the paper-thin sheets of most hospital pleasantries but rather full comfy quilts all a non-inflicting white blank to soothe the patient's mind. Windows of rectangular vertical apart from the small curved arch at the top let in the brisk morning sunlight radiating the scene heavenly so of sixteen beds, eight on each side of the room with their own curtains and stand tables. For an orphanage it was surprising, and Roy could not help but blink at such facility with constant glowing of impenetrable Stop magic preventing anything from out of place with Fayne behind him gasping: "My...goodnessszh what an immaculate room!" "Indeed," said the mage outside, "it's...quite a test for me with my magic for this room's size but we manage kupo." "Do you know which bed that Brunhart'sszh girl wasszh in?" "Bed number four but I am certain everything important has been cleaned up if there is evidence of any injury. You have twelve minutes." "Thank you madame." Heading over towards bed 4 they found indeed it had been well-cleaned with an utmost scrutiny in all its changing sheets. There was nothing to tell a bleeding patient had been here, which was good for the place's standards but bad for their case as they struggled to search every bit they could on the floor and underneath the bed to find it was licked clean. Roy started to regret his words previously to Gerald biting his lip before Navarro stated: "We have nothing here, kupo. The bed has been completely sanitised for all the good it will do us." "Gotta admit, they take good care of their orphans here...ah just wish they at least missed a spot somewhere." "Might I hope," said Fayne, "that whatever Dahlia had to note will change thisszh for the better?" "Ah hope so too Fayne, but we gotta make sure we got every piece of ammo ready for our battle in thuh courts." "By the way, what did Abernathy want with you?" "...he gave me thuh offer of a plea bargain." The cleric and the knight looked to each other shocked but each had different reactions. Fayne was rather insulted, whereas Navarro pondered with rumination. "How DARE he, what an insszhulting gesszhture!" "Hold up hold up, you didn' lemme finish. He gave me thuh offer because he said that we ain' got a chance to prove who ELSE wuz thuh killer, cuz they ain't got no evidence inside this room meaning that...well, Brunhart would be put to death if they point him as thuh murderer. He offered thuh idea that maybe we could come to an agreement where if we come to thuh conclusion that Brunhart wuz thuh murderer bah no other reason, he would do his best to not have him sentenced to death but more life imprisonment." "That IS a pragmatic offer," said the moogle. "N-Navarro!" cried Fayne. "If we can spare his life-" "He would be forever villified asszh a murderer undesszherving! I won't do it! I will NOT convict him until I have sszhertainty that he truly plunged the blade into that boy'sszh young heart!" "Fayne, I expect you to compose a clear mind, you are allowing your bias to show clearly!" "What biasszh I hardly know him!" "You know him well enough as a benefactor to this place regularly, you are witness to his goodwill." "And goodwill it isszh, what nu-mou sszhuch asszh him would dare ruin that with one recklesszh act?!" "People have committed strange deeds with far less, kupo. I do not think Brunhart did this for a cruel reason but it is not unreasonable to think he may have had a part in it." "YOU'RE unreasszhonable!" "HEY HEY, ENOUGH!" shouted Roy. "We in an orphanage for fuck's sake now cool it you hear?" The two looked at each other realising they had no time to stand and argue before they nodded looking at their feet. Roy however shook his head needing to ask: "Thuh fuck is wrong with you?" "Pardon?" Rocino asked insulted. "Thuh last week we been together you guys have been at each other's throats, we had a good tahm when Kruz took us off to get drunk, an' we were chillin' out alrigh' but ever since we walked through thuh Jagd an' got up here you guys have been nuthin' but arguin'! It's almost lahk you got no reason to stick together without FG!" "Since you put it that way-" "N-no!" argued Fayne. "No, I do not think we are sszho pitifully apart that we need our leader to commit to a common duty!" "Really?" asked Roy with arms crossed. "You bitch to Navarro over this case, Dahlia's super-stiff as fuck with me an' Baldwin's always on edge lahk he don't wanna say nuthin'. An' ah know you worried about Luke, baby bird, but you cannot obsess over it an' just let it be, he'll heal himself up." "Admittedly I am not worried about him as much as I used to kupo," said the moogle honestly, "if anything I am more worried of our inability to save someone from the noose despite our best efforts." "Then why are you so antagonistic about accusin' him of murder?" "Because I want to face facts, and the facts have told me that he did. I do not want it to be, but I also do not want it to be a bad forecast of rain next week but the facts tell me it will be. You cannot fight what has already been made certain, you cannot change the future." "Bullshit." He walked to her leaning down with a pointed finger towards her nose. "If you'd seen half thuh things ah'd seen, you would not say that." She rose up on the balls of her feet leaning her head towards him in turn unafraid. "But I haven't, Roy. And I never will...now, we have nothing further to see here, let us go find another point of inquest kupo." "Yesszh," said Fayne, "I do remember one odd thing. Berniere mentioned that the girl Brunhart sszhaid he wasszh attending, wasszh a maid of young adult, correct?" "Indeed." "Then perhapsszh we sszhall find that maid on thisszh very day purely to be a referensszhe point." "Ah think ah know who you're talkin' about," replied Roy. "But first let's get out of this room before anyone shout at us for takin' too long." As they left the room with diligence nodding from both guards, Roy made his way around the various areas that he was allowed to be from within the orphanage grounds. Looking for that one special maid that he knew would have to be the one, or at least in hoping. After about thirty minutes of inquiry around the area they managed to find her. Roy spotted her almost instantly from the back windows of the orphanage where a fire exit was situated at the back of the house. But not because they had been directed by anyone to her. She was standing outside, speaking to someone with her red hair flowing and standard maid clothes looking somewhat less portly than Roy remembered seeing her but presuming it to be her clothes. A rather strange-looking individual of no descript fully cloaked in white with tall stately hat covering his face, made a threatening gesture towards the maid seemingly demanding something, his golden cufflinks minutely glinting upon the sun's rays.

"I need proof, miss Dufour." "I-i-i have it," cried the female hume, "I have the official proof all signed down, I just need to wait until this whole court case goes over and then mister Brunhart will officiate it-" "I do not need his authority you damn trollop, I just need an official document validating such! Your former master is a very busy man and he will not approve of you as such dragging heels before this contract is up, it has been nine months already so give it, NOW." "W-well...you...y-y-YOU will have to wait, my NEW master Brunhart who actually c-cares about me treats me as if I exist and will not sign the document until we are both there to officiate it so you DO need his authority before anything el-A-AAAGH! AAAAAAGH!" The man in white suddenly grabbed her by the hair and twisted sharply, forcing her down on her knees as tears squeezed out of her eyes roughly with the man cruelly smirking before her. "Hmhm...that's a familiar position for you, isn't it?" "A-AAAAGH!" "Let me say this once more. I. Need. PROOF, and the sooner that I have such the sooner you can go living your miserable life elsewhere without us ever again." "Y-you...you h-have no...r-right to-AAIIIE!" "Neither do you...whore. Now...I will not ask again-GAAAAGH!" A searing shot of light burst itself forth through the doors out back of the orphanage striking the man deep across his back as he fell forwards. He let go of the maiden's hair with stark surprise as his face went fully into the grassy dirt, seeing Fayne standing behind him with staff raised before him, finding himself in a familiar situation. An old habit by this point he would never want to break with Roy and Navarro behind him ready for action as the intruder stumbled onto his feet with face still hidden. "Leave. Now." "You-," sputtered the man in white, "wh-who...do you think you are interfering in our business?!" "A cleric who will damn you for your sszhinful manner with the Light of Kiltia, if you sszho be it." "Wha-...I don't need a damn lecture not in front of THIS bi-" "ONE." The unsheathing of a sword from the moogle bade him silence as Navarro rushed instantly to stand beside Fayne ready to attack. "More word from you, and I will make it your last breath, kupo." "...hm, fine. We are done here, Dufour, but I think you need to remember well who you once used to belong to. Don't. Forget." He staggered off to move around the side of the building and make his escape as the moogle sheathed her blade with Fayne offering a hand towards the maiden smiling. "Are you alright madame?" "...th-thank you, Father." Gently taking his hand she lifted herself up as she brushed her hair back, slightly stinging from its nerve follicles being pulled as the cleric asked: "What fiend would dare harm a lady like you?" "S-someone...not important, thank you." "I would not perdain a tormenter with that vile wording to be called unimportant when they hurt you...are you in trouble with a former employer?" "No...well, yes, but it is nothing just a terrible misunderstanding I am fine, please it is just...not something you want to be involved in, I will resolve it easily." "Hm. Very well, if you allow it to be madame." "Scuse me." Roy walked forth to begin asking as she turned with a small jump twinkling familiarly in her eyes upon him. "You were thuh maid that...served me at thuh party righ'?" "OH! Y-y-yes sir." "Thuh lady with thuh crab puffs?" "Yes indeed, gosh I am surprised you remember sir!" "How could ah forget, mah friend ate all of 'em!" "Hhhahahaha, oh goodness they must have been very tasty." "You ran off because you were sick weren't you?" Her face suddenly turned crestfallen as she rubbed her arm nervously, her soft mirthful chuckle turning dry like dust in the wind. "Y-...y-yes, I was." "Are you alrigh' now?" "...was that really the reason you came to ask me?" "Well it wuz ONE of them. Mah name's Roy MacGregor, ahm thuh defence counsellor for mister Brunhart." "OH, y-y-you are of course! Gosh I am so sorry I was not, I heard about you but I was not-" "In attendance at court, kupo?" Navarro stood gazing upon the woman as she shook her head softly. "Yes. I was busy with my duties...I heard in the local paper that the verdict was not guilty, m-my name is Alice Dufour by the way." "I'm Navarro Rocino, this is Fayne Smithee." "I remember you!" cried Alice pointing towards Fayne. "You were at the party engagement last year were you not?!" "Correct," said Fayne sweetly. "I donate regularly every year on behalf of the grand cathedral of Lea Monde." "Do you not...have a brother also?" "I do, but currently we are on a different objective being that I am on the behalf of defending your employer, madame Dufour." "Oh sweet Faram thank you...thank you so much for defending him all three of you, I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was to hear that the verdict had been stayed!" "It has been undecided," said Navarro, "for our case is still ongoing, we want to ask you about the day of the murder kupo." "...but...w-wait, I am...I told the police I did not want to be a witness, I refused to testify." "I beg your pardon?" "I refused. I don't want to testify against mister Brunhart." They looked at each other with concern, Navarro shaking her head towards Roy who decided to go a different route. "Well, that's your decision, we don't have any authority to force you to become a witness. But...you could help us with sumthin'." "A-and...what may that be?" "Someone said that they saw you run out of thuh banquet lookin' real sick, an' ah remember that you were too an' mister Brunhart followed you makin' sure you were alrigh'. Thing is, Brunhart said it wuz a little girl who had a bad fall, not...you bein' sick. Now maybe ah understand he didn' wanna say none of his staff got sick cuz you mighta had sum bad food or sumthin' but...could you confirm that mister Brunhart wuz with you between 3:10pm an' 3:30pm?" "Wh-why yes, I can...did he say where he was?" "He said he wuz in thuh medical facility...but didn't tell us why other than a girl had a bad fall, someone also attested to seein' him grab a buncha paper towels to staunch a wound, an-"

She rushed forwards suddenly with a shiver of fear as her face blanched with fright to make him stop. "D-d-don't...please...s-stop don't say another word." "Whut?" "Y-you never know who might be listening. I'm...I'm sorry but I must...please." "Is it because of that man?" asked Navarro. "Are you being threatened kupo?" "No! N-n-no no no I am doing this of my own will." "I beg to differ, that clearly looked like a threat of some sort. If you are in danger or being blackmailed perhaps we can find a way to help-" "NO! Look, I'm sorry, I cannot help mister Brunhart he is just...I want to help him but I cannot do anything." "What power did that man hold over you?" asked Fayne. "Nothing! I know you are trying to help but...you cannot help this, it has nothing to do with the case!" "I do not believe that...not until I know, madame Dufour, we need to know what happened in that medical room on the day of the murder, everything had been cleaned up by then, all we need...is the fact that Brunhart had been in that room, that be the only thing we need, nothing more." Alice looked around her fearfully and shook her head viciously struggling with hand over her lips starkly breaking into tears before Navarro came up to her. "Miss Dufour...you said to that man that you would give him proof of something...but only after the case was over from mister Brunhart kupo. If mister Brunhart is in jail, how will you possibly get that proof? If you want his authentification on something, then you need to help us. Prove to us he was there with you." "I...I know...but...b-b-but I can't, I can't do it I-i-i-i promised I wouldn't...can you...can you help him be acquitted?" "We will do everything possible, kupo. But the more help we get the more certain we can resolve our case, do you have anything that you can give to us that proves he was there with you?" "...I...do have one thing." Their eyes lit up with a new excitement as she whispered with head bowed: "Meet me in my room but take the long way round, the servant's quarters on the east wing at ground floor, don't nod, just look sad and walk away." Doing so with caution, they made their way back towards the house and went all the way around the east wing towards the west where the room she slept in was. It was a very standard room of four beds nice and cool for the summer where some of the servants lived, a rather brown humble room with carpet, bookshelves and personalised little spaces for each person. Alice Dufour's bed they noticed by her name on the left bed farther at the back as she came in around three minutes later. She said nothing as she walked over towards her bed and handed them something rather terrifying from a drawer tucked next to it. A small towelled sheet clearly covered in blood long since coagulated dry as they gasped with shock. Dufour was tearful seeing the look of it and struggled to contain herself weeping silently with a stiffened lip. "Wh-what isszh that?" asked Fayne nervously. "Take this," said the maid shakily, "take...this down to the precinct and have them test it, they can tell you how...h-how old this is." "What even happened in that room?" asked Navarro. "D-don't...just, please take this, that will prove, a-a-and it's from the medical centre as well, these towels are only from there to be especially hypoallergenic. Take it." "Alrigh'," said Roy, "we'll do our best...thank you. Also um...do you know when mister Brunhart had his tail painted black?" "He...wh-wh-what?! What do you mean his tail's painted black?!" "Well uh, he had it painted bah one of thuh kids that's why he wore thuh tail sleeve." "But...when was this?!" "Thuh day of thuh murder?" "I've never seen any of them do that, are you sure?!" "Yes," said Navarro, "we saw his tail had been painted black and since he was in custody for all that time we must assume it was on the day of the murder, kupo." "W-w-well, I never saw it, he had his tail sleeve on during the day I imagine it was because it was a social occasion but I was...was too busy rather to notice anything particular. He takes great care of that tail too, I am surprised he would let them do such a thing, he always loved the whiteness of it." "Why?" asked Roy. "Because it's quite rare, don't you know about nu-mou tail colours?" "Uh...can't say ah do." "It is rather rare to have a white tail, most nu-mou tails are rather orange or reddish." "Huh...ah see, thank you uh, madame we'll just uh...be on our way thank you once again." Gingerly taking the towel he bowed to Alice as they took their leave thinking upon this new information before heading upstairs towards the medical facility where the two guards still remained. Almost instantly the taller hume guard stiffened sharply at the sight of blood. "WH...wh-what is this?!" "Can you put this into your evidence log?" asked Roy. "We found thuh person that wuz...in thuh medical facility." "B-b-but...are you sure?! Where is this person, they must testify if they know anything!" "Thuh person did not want to testify an' pleads doctor-patient confidentiality...but...the person gave us this, said it wuz from thuh room at thuh tahm." "What is a civilian doing with that kupo!?" asked the guard moogle impatiently. "Withholding evidence is NOT excusable, they have to testify!" "She wuz scared, but we convinced her to hand us this, can you put it in your evidence log an' take it back to forensics? You could figure out how old thuh blood is an' see if that'll prove anythin'." "...did she really plead doctor-patient confidentiality?" "Yes." "I see...alright, leave it with us, we will note this in our log thank you." With nothing more to find at the orphanarium they headed back to the inn where they began on preparing the case with what they had at the moment. It would not be until the actual court case they would find out anything new so they covered through as much potential situations as possible, clarifying on all points for the best possible defence on mister Brunhart's innocence.

Two days later they would find themselves in the courthouse again, waiting for the second trial to begin amidst the stately halls as people wandered back and forth, prepping their papers ready to be called on. Soon the court itself was ready as everyone filed in, the defence and prosecution reassuming their positions opposite of each other. Judge Garheim sat on his seat with scores of dozens of people in the audience seats above waiting to watch as the gavel rang for silence. "COURT IS NOW IN SESSION!" began Garheim. "Previously, we had four witness testimonies that have all agreed that mister Brunhart was nowhere to be seen other than upstairs, and that a nu-mou greatly resembling him down to his white tail was seen exiting the room at the time of the incident. However, we have new possible proof that it could not have been mister Brunhart owing to the fact that we have discovered his tail had been painted black by an unruly squad of children. Both counsels have the results of the test before you. I also hear that there was new evidence found at the medical facility." "Yes your Honour," said Mr. MacGregor, "ah managed to uncover sumthin' that may well validate mister Brunhart's whereabouts upon thuh tahm of Joshua's death." "How convenient," said Mr. Abernathy, "but let us not call the bull a hen before we have seen it from every angle. Let us run through the report together so we can bring everybody up to speed." Indeed Roy had a comprehensive report from the forensics lab which made a determine on both the paint from Matthias' tail as well as the blood that Roy had uncovered upon the towel. The prosecution covered it all firmly. "The paint on Matthias Brunhart's tail is indeed dated to that same day but we cannot estimate due to its freshness on WHEN it was painted. Matthias kept his tail covered by a sleeve for the party but until we find out when he lost it, we cannot quite bring about a conviction for him so easily based on witness testimony. There is also the other evidence, which I will allow the defence to speak on later but firstly...I want to note one thing that we omitted from the previous trial. The victim's reason for being in that room." "Oh?" asked the Judge. "One of the most glossed-over factors was as to WHY the boy was in that room. I am sure most of you have wondered as for the actual reason that Joshua was in Brunhart's office, is that not correct?" "I admit I was curious as to that, why did we not speak of it before?" "We had no means of knowing, your Honour. The only clue we had which we decided not to bring up, was a key that the boy held upon his person. I was aware of it, as to my inquiry further on if the boy actually had anything on him." "So wuz ah," said Roy politely, "far as we know thuh key has no relevance to this case but ah have it logged regardless in mah records...though now ah must ask you mister Abernathy, why have you decided to bring this up now?" "Because a witness from previous has decided to...confess to something relevant about this key." "Wh-whut?! Confess?!" "Mister Berniere Lavant, after he had been sated, has informed the precinct that he wants to confess to something at our courtroom. Will you allow this, your Honour?" "I will," said Garheim, "I have been briefed that he wants to testify again, I understand that he's...emotionally invested in our case but I will not mollycoddle him even after his egregious outbursts. Bailiff, bring in mister Berniere Lavant." "What in Gods name is he doing?!" murmured Navarro. "Ah dunno," whispered Roy, "he looks real fucked up over this case." "He loves Brunhart desperately, I hope he is not trying to intervene with some foolish ploy kupo." The moogle was brought in once again, solemn with mournful tears dried from his cheeks as he was taken to the podium which was raised for him to be seen. Judge Garheim noted his more dishevelled appearance than previous and firmly brought his gavel forwards pointing. "Mister Lavant...I know you are deeply concerned about the results of this trial. But I will tell you now, I will NOT have any perjury or misuse of justice from your words nor will I have anymore outbursts. You are a knight and so you shall act like one instead of an errant child. If you so much as scream I will have you struck from the courtroom, is that clear?" "......yes." "Yes...what?" "Yes...your Honour, kupo." "Good. Now, what do you wish to confess to?" ".........I killed him." "What?!" "...I killed that little boy."

The shock that ran through the room paralysed everyone briefly, words stifled as breaths caught in people's throats as the whispering grew to a sheer intensity of murmuring. A calm sea of suspicion turning into a bitter storm of horror across their ears as Garheim thundered down with his hammer. "ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURT! ...mister Lavant. Are you confessing to the murder of Joshua Alvert." "I was responsible," continued Berniere calmly, "it was because of me that Joshua was in that room when...when he was killed, kupo. I wish to testify what I did." "Very well. We will allow you the courtesy and see what we make of it. Proceed." "Thank you...m-may I have some water I feel...very dry." A nervous gulp that near-choked him as his mouth burned like the desert in June before the bailiff handed him a glass of water. He drank the entire glass gulping until he almost suffocated with a gasp of hot breath placing it down safely as he nodded. "Th-th-thank you...kupo. Alright. It was around 3pm, when I met Joshua underneath the dining table. A boy had snuck into the hall stealing cakes for himself, scarfing them down like a greedy little thing. He told me he...was part of a small clan of thieves, the Blacktooth Clan from my olden days, just a child's game of stealing sweets and whatnot from around the place kupo. Hhhhahaha...I was...quite high up in that once as a young moglet myself. "He told me...the current leader was a raucous fat bully who forced him to get double the amount because he...had a sister younger than him who...couldn't work for them. Child politics, foolish affairs, I thought I could have some fun, just a little fooling around and give him some clout in the group kupo. So I told him...I told him about the key in Brunhart's office that unlocked the sweets cabinet, the most sacred of all treasures, the greatest challenge of all. But I knew how to get it, for I had done so myself as a young boy, kupo. I...i-i-i told him to go to that office...a-a-and now he's...he's dead b-because of me..." He broke down softly, laying his head down fully upon the witness stand sobbing pitifully. Navarro's eyes softened towards him as the court remained silent out of empathy as Judge Garheim said: "You...were the one who told him to go to that office?" "Y-y-yes...yes it was me, I killed that boy, I should have known, I SHOULD have known what would happen but my...my lord...m-my lord why did you f-fail me..." He raised his head up high with shining cheeks and a whimper from his throat, gazing upon the ceiling. "My lord...m-my lord why h-have you forsaken me this...this power to p-protect...h-hoh my lord please g-grant me..." Berniere brought his hands to his lips with tightened fists of bitterness, the Judge allowing Mr. Abernathy to cross-examine. Gerald softly whispered to his councel, both women making a small agreement between them as he stood up firmly with cloak behind him. "Mister Lavant. Firstly, despite our great tragedy, you are not to blame for Joshua's murder." "Y-you do not know that, k-kupo." "I do know. There is no proof of you having ever stepped into that room, and no one ever saw you upstairs-" "THAT IS NOT THE POINT!" "WITNESS!" warned Garheim. "Restrain yourself, you are under caution." "F-f-fine...I may not have plunged the blade into that child but I am just as guilty as the murderer for not being able to stop it!" "I disagree," said Abernathy, "it was an unfortunate time and place for him to be, but you can absolve yourself. By helping us find the true killer, we will find peace and justice for young Joshua. Do you know what time Joshua went upstairs?" "A-around...I am sure it was before Brunhart went upstairs with that maid, b-before then." "So you are saying it was before 3:10pm?" "Y-...yes, kupo. It was before then, but after 3pm." "I see. And where were you?" "I was...waiting around the entrance to the dining hall just hoping to see Joshua back with the key...but...b-b-but I heard James screaming...and then h-h-he told me someone had been murdered in his office andifoundhimdeadanditsallmyfault...i-i-it's all m-my fauuult..." He slammed his fists onto the stand hard enough to make them throb painfully, breathing harshly as Gerald stepped back allowing Roy to proceed. Navarro however stopped him with a murmur. "Be gentle." "Hmm?" "I have not seen him like this ever, kupo. Please...he has suffered enough." "Alrigh'." The defence cleared his throat as he began already with his constructed debate. "Mister Lavant...did you see anybody other than Joshua head upstairs in that tahm?" "N-no," said the moogle, "no I did not...I only saw him go up and then left along the west wng...a-around two or three minutes later, the maid went upstairs along with mister Brunhart to the right down the east wing kupo. That was the only thing I saw." "If ah may ask...where wuz this key located that you had Joshua steal?" "In...in an office drawer, in mister Brunhart's desk." "Wuz it...this drawer?" He brought out his omni-tool, the magic of "memstone" to everyone else revealing what he had found which brought shock to the audience from his holographic screen enlarged before the court. The drawer at the very bottom half-opened with particular interest to the damaged-looking interior with metallic glint as Berniere nodded. "Y-y-yes...that, is the drawer, kupo." "There's a metallic glint inside thuh lock, do you know whut that is?" "The lockpick...I had a lockpick I gave him...I think he must have broke it trying to open it but I...t-taught him, I swear I was just playing a game with him having a bit of fun, I-i-i did not mean-" "Ah know. It's okay, you're not to blame. You never knew he wuz gonna get killed for bein' in thuh wrong place." "No...n-n-no...no no no no..."

His eyes turned into a thousand-yard stare with his head in his hands gazing into the wood panelling of his witness podium. Navarro in a plight of sympathy tried to step forwards to offer him help, but the moment she stepped out Berniere shrieked pulling back: " G-GET AWAY FROM ME!" "Wha-B-berniere!" "NO, GET AWAY, DON'T TOUCH ME AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN! _" "WITNESS!" roared Judge Garheim. "I WARNED YOU!" "_KEEP HER AWAY FROM ME!" Stepping back from the podium with a startling backpedal that almost had him on the floor, Berniere looked fiercely at Navarro with trembling fright as the bailiff held him tightly by the shoulders. The Judge made his sentence clear. "Berniere Lavant, once again you commit contempt in my court, and you shall be forcibly removed. Your testimony however shall still remain as well as your disgraceful behaviour held against you. Bailiff, take him away." "I'm sorry," he whimpered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please f-forgive me Navarro, I...I didn't...I-i'm s-so sorry kupo." It was all he said as he was slowly taken back to his waiting room with Navarro standing shocked with betrayal. She walked dragging her feet back towards Roy's side as her shoulders heaved slightly, with Fayne walking up to her. "Are you...alright Navarro?" "...what happened to him?" "Hmm?" "He...he never spoke like that to me...never, kupo. I-I'm fine, do not...worry about me." "You sure?" asked Roy. "J-just, proceed we do not have time to mollycoddle. Dahlia went to that room remember to scout for you, but she never said one thing about a boy being in there." "Alrigh'...Berniere's certain thuh boy went up before mister Brunhart did, so that means Dahlia wuz scoutin' out thuh lower level lahk we agreed." "Correct, kupo. That means Joshua...was already in that room when Dahlia went to investigate." "Which means, whoever came in an' killed Joshua had to have been there AFTER she left...when wuz that?" "We will inquire further but remember, she will NOT mention her ever being in that room so you will have to work around this." "Alrigh' HHEH-HUHM!" Roy cleared out his throat to bring about attention realising that people had been waiting on his verdict. "Well um, ah didn't have further questions anyway your Honour, so ah think we can conclude that." "Very well," said Garheim. "Now, before we continue I remember mister Abernathy saying you had found some evidence pertaining towards the case, is that not correct?" "It is," said Roy politely, "an' ah wish to thank mister Abernathy for enlightenin' upon it briefly at thuh very start of this proceedin' today. During mah investigation of thuh medical facility, ah tracked down the person who according to thuh testimony of Berniere Lavant, wuz seen heading towards there along with mister Brunhart." "The maid with the red hair?" "Exactly. Due to her faith in her master she has refused to testify against him in any capacity, however she did allow us to investigate thuh medical waste from that very same day. It was then we uncovered...this." His omni-tool shined once more with an almost magical light bringing forth something no one had seen before in the courtroom, enlarged upon a greater screen before all from his arm. The blood-soaked towel coagulated down to a crusted red paling on the fabric as the Judge asked: "Has this been presented through the proper channels?" "Yes, ah informed thuh local officers an' gave it over to them." "And what have you found about it?" "...thuh blood has been proven to be that of a hume's, dated around thuh tahm of thuh incident, around 3:20pm to be exact." "I am surprised you can date blood that accurately. Tell me, what is the reasoning behind this accuracy?" "I can answer that," said Gerald, "the forensics laboratory has been studying the use of wavelengths from magicite at a capacity of 295 centimetres, pinpointing by a laser-like proficiency in order to excite the tryptophan within the blood itself, because its fluorescence is very sensitive to the exterior environment." "Really now? Is that a recent method?" "For the past two years your Honour, it has been recently observed that there are many different fluorescent molecules in blood and their fluorescence lifetime, that is the average time the molecule remains in its excited state before decaying back to its ground state, is strongly dependent on the environment they are in. As the environment changes and the proteins age, so too does the fluorescence lifetime decreases." "So basically," said Roy, "thuh less shinier it gets, thuh older thuh blood is." "Precisely, in layman's terms." Damn that is some crazy-ass science, thought Roy, even with all them using magic, ever underestimate the power of knowledge in some places. "Do we know WHOSE blood it is?" asked the judge firmly. "We can determine the age of the recipient to an error margin of nine years...we have reasoned it to be a child's blood, no older than ten years. Meaning that this is not the maid's blood."

Nerves ran through the audience in a hushed murmur seeing the size of the bloodstain practically soak through the entire towel. The Judge rapped his fingers upon his desk with trickling noise of his steel gauntlet with nervous disposition. "...that...is an awful lot of blood for a child." "It is your Honour, and that brings us to an even more horrifying conclusion. If mister Brunhart is so adamant to not admit what happened inside that medical facility, risking the fact that he has no alibi for his movements around the time of Joshua's murder...is that because what he did in that room is even more appalling than what we accused him of?" "OBJECTION!" cried Roy. "You have not even thuh slightest idea of whut happened inside that room, if you plan to accuse him of another crime-" "I do not accuse. I prosecute. Whatever the case is here from where I am standing, it seems that mister Brunhart has soaked himself with blood on his hands regardless of what fiendish crime has happened. There was no sign of a body, almost too meticulously was the medical facility cleaned." "It's a medical room, of COURSE it's gotta be cleaned meticulous, you don't want any kids gettin' sick from other people's germs don't you?!" "You would also not want the children to see whatever foul costly affair had been or even get wind of it. Until we know further or if mister Brunhart breaks his silence, we will not know if there had been one or TWO murders happening that day." "Wuz there a nurse on duty?!" "Sworn to secrecy by the doctor-patient oath, and even when presented by this she would absolutely refuse to tell us anything saying it had nothing to do with the case at hand and that there had been nothing criminal occurring at the time." "Damn...so, wait that means it's not a murder." "Not according to them," continued Abernathy darkly. "But until we can find solid proof and conclusion of it, we cannot invoke through the doctor-patient confidentiality by warrant of legal means. Instead however, we have also another witness, the lady that mister Brunhart had bumped into that was alleged by both mister Brunhart himself as well as Madison DuClare." "I heard," said the Judge, "I was briefed previously of course, if there is no more need for preparation we shall begin with our brand new witness, who came to us about two days before this date. Bailiff, bring in the new witness." Roy should not have been surprised as to who it was yet somehow he would never think to see her standing before the Judge. Navarro and Fayne looked at each other oddly feeling their nerves shoot up slightly as the bailiff brought in the rather radiant-looking nu-mou now returned to her plaintive white mage clothing, grey fur and cute little bifocals along with the dark stone piercing on her right ear. She was clearly terrified but seeing Navarro standing at her side gave her confidence as the Judge began. "Will the witness state her name and occupation?" "M-...m-m-my name is Dahlia Orosco, and I am a white mage for Clan Koridai." "Wha-OBJECTION!" cried Gerald as she shrunk back frightful. "Your Honour, we have had practically the whole clan of the defence in this place, I suspect something!" "And what DO you suspect," replied Garheim, "mister Abernathy?" "W-well...it...frankly I find it much too coincidental to have had five people of the same clan all at once!" "Five?!" cried Roy. "Uh scuse me ahm not with thuh clan, ahm not any part of them." "What?!" "Miss Rocino, ahm ah an official member of Clan Koridai?" "No," said Navarro, "mister MacGregor is not affiliated with us in that capacity, there are only five members officially of which four have been in this courtroom kupo. I admit that I also find it a disturbing coincidence, but I was not aware of either mister Campbell or miss Orosco's capacity throughout all of this. After all mister Campbell is still held in capacity at a safe secure location along with the other witnesses in various points of Breekheim, to which I was never briefed and we never spoke from since the day of the murder and onwards, kupo." "This is true," said Garheim. "There has been no record of visitors allowed towards any of the witnesses in capacity, so unless you can suspect something further mister Abernathy-" "What position are you of this clan?" asked Gerald to the moogle. "I am clan deputy, serving underneath mister Campbell and also temporary leader whilst he is unavailable for the duration of this trial's adjournment. You have our word under oath that we did not share any information whatsoever about this case, not even to our clan kupo." "I should hope not." "Miss Orosco!" "Y-yes?!" cried Dahlia standing to attention at Rocino's voice. "Do you swear now, under court of law, under threat of perjury and by our clan's code of honour that you have absolutely no knowledge of the inner court proceedings, besides that of what the papers have been allowed to report?" "Yes. I swear solemnly that I have had no knowledge of the court's proceedings until now." "There, does that please the court your Honour?"

Judge Garheim rubbed his helm-covered chin scraping steel upon steel as he gripped his gavel with uncertainty. Eventually after shaking his head he decided to come to a conclusion. "I will allow this witness, but again if I suspect there is some manner of perjury committed in this court I will bring the counsel into question and even void your testimony. Is that clear?" "P-perfectly your Honour," replied Dahlia nervously. "May I ask firstly, why did you not come forwards with a testimony sooner?" "I was not aware of what happened in court, of course I did not know exactly until I read the papers and realised that, I had met mister Brunhart myself around that time of day. I thought to myself that, it would not be right to hide something if I was aware of it, that and...I have something that belongs to him and I wanted to give it back to him." "Oh?" "But the officers took it away from me, it's been processed as part of my testimony because they realised it was...evidence." A keen eye of suspicion came across everybody as they leaned forwards at Orosco. The Judge was most curious and said simply with gavel pointing: "Miss Orosco, tell us what you saw on that day...and if I suspect foul play of intervention by your clan I will nullify the defence, is that clear?" "Yes...your Honour. I left the dining hall around 3:00pm because I wanted to see this library I had heard so much about. I was curious I admit, and I spent a small time in there before returning back to the entrance. At that point I needed to...well...go to the restroom and I went upstairs not realising where it was. It was then I bumped into mister Brunhart who almost knocked me down the stairs, to which he deeply apologised and took me downstairs along the way showing me where the women's bathroom was. He took some paper towels in a hurry and left with apology." "I see...is that all?" "Not quite...he dropped something in the restroom and I had been meaning to give it back. It was a silk tail sleeve." Everyone's brains felt like gunpowder exploding with a realisation. A shocked murmur, a wild gasp from Roy and even Gerald had to bang his fists forwards with utter disbelief. The Judge leaned forwards pensively with the appearance of a Wolf ready to attack, with Dahlia shrinking feebly in cowering before he was brought forth a memstone specifically by the bailiff as pertaining to this new information. Perfectly showing from within police custody, the white silk sleeve from a nu-mou's tail had been recorded for all to see with name and number appropriated officially. "You...found a silk tail sleeve? From mister Brunhart?" "I-i-i wanted to give it back to him, I know it was his because I saw his tail and it must have slipped off when he ran out to leave! I didn't have time to before he was taken and I forgot about it all in the chaos of his being arrested. But then...the police took it off from me soon as I mentioned it saying it was evidence and I had to inform the court!" "It very much is, in a way you have not expected. Mister Abernathy, you may have the floor." "Thank you." His curt reply showed that he was greatly thrown and taken aback, not realising the sudden crack in his own argument as he gave Dahlia the full interrogation. "Why did you not come to us sooner?" "I-i-i didn't realise!" she said fearfully. "D-did I do something wrong?!" "No, but withholding information is a dangerous crime." "I didn't know I was withholding anything, he bumped into me nothing else!" "How long were you in this restroom for?!" "U-u-um...I think, about three minutes I believe?!" "So in those three minutes, from 3:20pm onwards, you did not see anything concerning mister Brunhart or where he went after he left you, is that correct?!" "Well, y-y-yes, that's true but-" "And this silk sleeve! Do you know truly that it is mister Brunhart's!?" "I-...I-i-i-i..." She faltered for a moment but one look at Navarro kept her strength up as she stood firm with power. "Yes, I DO know because I saw nothing in that restroom anywhere near resembling a silk sleeve when I entered, but only after he left I saw it, and no one else came into the room after me!" "But you did not see where he went?" "No, I did not. All I know is that he dropped his tail sleeve which I gave in to the guards!" "...very well. One more thing, did you happen to notice anyone else when you went to the library, perhaps even someone in the library there with you?" "No? I don't remember anyone else with me, why?" "Just curious, what about when you went upstairs and bumped into Brunhart?" "I saw no one else but him." "No further questions." Stepping back away he allowed Roy to step forth with his own examination, making his first line of inquiry despite the stern gaze she made at him. Navarro also noted she had not lied once which she told Roy by a simple nod of approval. "Miss Orosco, when you bumped into mister Brunhart, did you notice anythin' about him that wuz different?" "What do you mean?" "Wuz there anythin' odd about thuh way he wuz, any distinguishin' marks or clothing?" "...I...think he was...wait, yes, he was wearing a green shirt, clothed I think." "He wuzn't wearin' his cloak?" "...I...never saw him wear cloa-wait, no I DO remember, he had...he left it hanging on the entrance hall, he ran upstairs with a girl, a maid I think, she looked very sick." "Ah see...hmm, what time wuz this?" "I...I left the dining hall around 3:10pm and...I believe I saw it then, it must have been then because I was making my way underneath the stairs." Navarro saw all the facets of her blatantly lying, but this time she kept shtum for she knew the exact reason why as MacGregor concluded with his final question. "Did you see anyone else when you rushed down towards thuh restroom?" "...not that I can think of." "Did you hear anyone maybe?" "Why is that important?" "Because ah wanna get as clear an' composite a picture of thuh scene as possible miss Orosco, did you hear or see anyone unusual?" "...there was...something I heard, I wish I could remember but there was a very loud man at one point I THINK called out Brunhart's name." "Can you tell me what tahm this wuz?" "I-i don't know, YOU'RE the defence attorney mister important don't YOU have all the facts by now on what time this is or when THIS happened?!" "Witness," warned Judge Garheim, "do not backtalk in my court, now answer his question or else." She looked away rather shamefully as she rubbed her arm sighing deeply. "...y-yes, your Honour. Sorry, it was around 3:20pm." "Thank you," said Roy, "one more thing. May ah see your tail?" "WH-WH-...wh-what you...h-how dare you ask me that, you filthy pervert!" "Woah woah woah this is just a formality!" "Mister MacGregor," said the Judge firmly, "I do not approve of such questioning." "We are simply here to make certain of every fact." "I agree," said mister Abernathy, "we need to be certain on all possible suspects." "I'm not a suspect!" cried Dahlia. "I came to you on good faith to testify, how DARE you think worse of me! Navarro!" "Show them your tail Dahlia," said the moogle, "I know you well but we must maintain our court procedure, kupo." "Wha-...b-but...but-" "Now, Dahlia. As your clan leader I put my foot down and order you to show the court your tail." "Y-y-you...you...you bitch." "Witness!" She turned towards Garheim who raised his gavel firmly upon her. "I warned you, no backtalking to the defence counsel. Would you please show the court your tail, madame Orosco?" The look on Dahlia's face was of sheer disgust and insult one can only make if they had been asked to get on their knees and swallow. Her face curdled like sour milk with righteous indignation as she sneered potently towards Roy and Rocino with a look of hurt and betrayal. She swung her tail up revealing a rather pale undignified-looking length, not the usual sort of well-groomed luxurious length of nu-mou hairs, but rather a terribly battered ordeal of burns, bruises and torn roots leaving a rather bare withered scalp of bleached balding hairs. Humiliation wrought through her shaking fingers as Roy felt terrible all of a sudden, the weight of his stomach hitting harshly as he lurched slightly whilst Navarro shook her head simply with regret. The raptor spoke with soft apology: "No further questions...thank you. Ahm...sorry Dahlia-" "You better be...you most certainly will be."

Her eyes burned beneath her bifocals which glinted violently, the light catching the stone piercing of her right ear disturbingly well as a glimmer shone briefly almost blinding Roy sharply. The nu-mou turned and strode off tense with her fists as if ready to punch a thousand faces she was led away by the bailiff whilst the room fell silent once more. Fayne covered his mouth briefly as he murmured to Navarro: "I...I've never notisszhed her tail like that before." "I have...I did not want this but we needed to kupo." "How have I never notisszhed that?" "She kept it hidden well. She showed me once...let us just say that she has her reasons and nothing more." Judge Garheim briefly tapped the gavel against his metallic-helmed chin with ponderment at something as he asked: "Was that really necessary, mister MacGregor?" "Ah didn't enjoy it," said Roy, "but we had to be certain your Honour, mister Campbell said he saw a nu-mou, therefore we have to be certain that all possible suspects due to thuh rarity of a white tail, are well and accounted for. As ah said before, ahm not familiar with Clan Koridai or miss Dahlia Orosco, but ah think we can cross her off thuh list of suspects considering her...tail's condition." "I see...normally that sort of display I would have you penalised for but considering the circumstances...it has just occurred to me that, if what miss Dahlia Orosco says is true...then there appears to be rather contradiction from a previous testimony." "Ah agree, in fact ah know the exact person for us to retestify their statement." "...if you say Robbie Buckler I swear to Faram-" "Hahahano no, we ain't gonna have him here again, besides miss Dahlia told us she heard a very loud man so we all know who that must be, he wuz there at the exact tahm he told us. This other person was never spotted despite three people in thuh same region of thuh house. Your Honour, may ah request we bring back miss Madison DuClare?" "Objection!" cried Abernathy. "Why specifically her?" "Because miss Madison said in her testimony that she saw mister Brunhart leavin' thuh women's restroom, with a white tail. If whut miss Dahlia says is true, an' indeed we have thuh evidence from thuh precinct showin' it's true that Brunhart lost his tail sleeve aroun' that tahm, then it stands to reason that at least one of them is lyin'." "I was thinking the exact same thing," said Garheim. "If I have to bring both these ladies into the courtroom and break our witness separation rule to clear this mess I will, but for now bring in miss Madison DuClare, bailiff." A few minutes later the red-cloaked nu-mou reappeared at the witness stand looking rather perplexed at the audience, gingerly gripping the witness stand not saying anything. Fayne leaned towards Roy as he gently rubbed a coin in his hand asking: "Do you have a conjecture to make?" "Ah do," said Roy, "ah think ah have an idea but ah just need to hear her out first." "What be that...coin in your hand?" "Just a li'l good luck charm...helps me think out a good puzzle." "Madame DuClare," began Garheim, "we have heard of a new testimony that brings me a shadow of doubt over your description of events." "P-pardon?!" asked the female. "Specifically, can you attest to us the time and place you saw mister Brunhart?" "...why exactly? I told you of it before." "Purely for clarification, please, do so." She huffed slightly and crossed her arms with a puff of air upwards at her hat. "Fine, if you wish, I saw him at 3:21pm exiting the women's bathroom on the ground floor." "And how did you realise it was him?" "I told you, he had his cloak and white tail, goodness me your Honour! I know this trial has been rather taxing but surely you could not forget!" "Oh, I did not forget. Mister MacGregor, could you please enlighten her as to her mistake?" "Wh-what mistake?!" "Gladly your Honour," said Roy smugly. "Miss DuClare, do you remember at all thuh girl that he bumped into? Ah never asked on that, mah apologies." "...wha-I-f-fine, she...hhhhhh she was a nu-mou, rather grey-ish, wearing a blue Rozarrian cloak, I recognised it quite deftly, purple patterns on the fabrique." "An' she went into thuh women's bathroom, by which Brunhart then immediately left afterwards?" "Yes, goodness what is wrong with this court today, have you all lost your memory?!" "Nope!" The utahraptor leaned back with the hugest grin he could make. Gerald did not approve sternly glaring as his counsel whispered to him calmly. "We found thuh girl that he bumped into, an' yanno, sumthin' funny came up in her testimony. She attests to aroun' thuh right tahm, even told us she heard mister Buckler callin' out a few minutes later but thuh problem is...Brunhart never wore his cloak OR had his tail sleeve on him when he left thuh bathroom." "Wh-wh-what?!" "Thuh witness who testified today, miss Dahlia Orosco, claimed that she had bumped into mister Brunhart aroun' 3:20pm, after which Brunhart guided her to thuh women's restroom at her request before he took paper towels with him. She claims not only wuz he wearin' a green cloth undershirt, but also that he had left behind his white silk sleeve on his tail." "Th-that's...preposterous I very clearly saw a wh-white tail!" "Did you?" "YES, I did, I swear I saw him, he even ran upstairs with some loud hume shouting at him, mister Buckler was it?!" "That's correct." "Then WHO is lying, mister Brunhart has a white tail I'm not some colourblind FOOL! If I were I would not be in haute couture with this ravishing look." "Oh no, ah know you're not colourblind...ah just suspect you may not have been there at all." "What?! How DARE you, are you calling me a liar?!" "Only because you made one very bad mistake. If you had seen mister Brunhart's tail, you would have not called it white. You would have called it BLACK." "WH-...WHAT?!" Her hat flipped upwards in surprise from the way she suddenly lurched with shock, snapping it back onto her head firmly before Roy continued with arms crossed deftly seeing her lips pulsate with redder lipstick. "Mister Brunhart's tail had been painted black bah thuh children of his orphanage on that very same day, thuh test we made on his paint shows it." "OBJECTION!" roared Abernathy. "His tail may have been painted black but we do not know WHEN it had been painted black!" "Th-that's right!" said Madison with second wind. "I swear to you I saw a white tail, whatever nonsense this is by painting his tail I saw his white!" "If that is true," said Roy, "why would he have covered it with a silk tail sleeve?!" "IT'S HAUTE-COUTURE YOU IGNORAMUS! Perhaps if YOU understood fashion and society like me and mister Brunhart you would learn a few things!" "Lahk whut?! Whut's so special about you in that whole getup, you look lahk a clown!" "How...DARE you!" "MISTER MacGREGOR!" cried the Judge. "You are not to insult the witness!" "Why not?!" replied Roy. "Nuthin' special about this whole look she got, ah bet you don' even know paint when you see it, whut even is that shit on your face, CRAYON?!" "THIS!" snarled the woman with furious pout, "is pure beeswax, mesmenir tallow and PRIME castor oil you worthless little reprobate and it is FAR greater a price than whatever you charge for your pathetic excuse of a career!"

Roy smiled with eyes slitted at the perfect excuse seeing Abernathy's face suddenly fall with realisation. "...Beeswax you say?" "Yes!" "Animal fats, beeswax an' plant oils hmmmm where have we heard that before mister Abernathy? Hmmmmmmmmmm?" Gerald shook his head with disbelief slowly as he said nothing whilst Roy gently tampered with his omni-tool carefully to find what he needed. The Judge and Madison looked to each of the counsels confused by their silence with Garheim shouting: "What EXACTLY is going on now?!" "Your Honour...Madison DuClare is a filthy liar." "WHAT!?" "WHAT!?" shrieked DuClare. "Mister MacGregor I will NOT have you denigrate this witness with your slurs!" "You're right," said Roy, "she's not filthy...she's just a liar." "I BEG your pardon?!" "There is one piece of evidence we did not speak of before, another omission bah us because lahk mister Abernathy said, it wuz not important lahk with thuh key which Joshua held. Now ah see how much more relevant it is, and it is THIS evidence!" His arm swung out powerfully with finger pointing straight at Madison the moment it started to light up, the power of his omni-tool flickering perfectly to reveal something odd upon a greater picture. A door showing a red smear of something as Garheim asked: "What...what is that, is that blood?!" "No, actually. It's beeswax, animal fat an' plant oils, in other words it's lipstick. YOUR lipstick madame DuClare, on mister Brunhart's office door FROM THUH INSIDE!" "WH-WHAT!?" Gasps echoed across the hall in a single breath as Madison DuClare stood petrified with blanched face, were it not for the fact she already was white as snow as her lips stood piercingly still, like graffiti on a wall. The raptor slammed his palms openly upon his desk on the offensive. "Miss DuClare, were you ever near mister Brunhart's office?!" "...what right do you have to speak to me like that?" "Thuh same right ah have as somebody who can put you in that room at thuh tahm of thuh murder." "Really? You stupid little twerp, I am not the only woman, WAS not the only woman in that whole place at the dinner party who wore red lipstick!" "No, but thuh mark on thuh door is at thuh height of a nu-mou, not a hume's." "What does that even prove?!" cried Gerald Abernathy. "Are you seriously trying to implicate our witness in that room based on lipstick!?" "Ah find it very suspicious that red lipstick is on thuh back of Brunhart's door and as we established before, sumbody could have been hidin' behind it very easily! Sumbody lahk miss Madison DuClare." "There are plenty of other women who wore lipstick, that is inconclusive your Honour I demand you overrule this facade!" "THEN WHOSE WUZ IT?! She herself just admitted to thuh EXACT ingredients of thuh lipstick smear on the office door!" "THAT IS WHAT ALL LIPSTICK IS!" squawked the woman. "What is this shambles, you insolent little runt, why would I have any reason to hide in that office?! Why even dare accuse me because of one cosmetic smear that every other woman on the continent wears?!" "Because sumbody wuz comin' in to check on thuh room...perhaps a certain brown raptor?" "WHA-...you wouldn't dare." "Miss DuClare, would you please show thuh court your tail?" "I...beg your pardon?!" "Mister MacGregor," warned Garheim, "this inquiry of yours is turning to a rather accusatory hunt." "Permit me this your Honour, if I am wrong ah will pay a fine for contempt of court. Now...miss Madison DuClare, show us your tail." In that moment there came a deathly silence. No one said anything as Madison simply smiled looking up with rose-red lips. With one single movement she swept off her hat and cloak without any warning, revealing the true woman underneath as she wiped her face entirely off with a swish of a white-stained handkerchief before slapping it upon Roy's face. A slight paling expression came upon him as the handkerchief wetly flopped onto his desk with red lips smeared and blanched makeup staring up at him. Her red lips now gone, her white face unveiled to show a rather surprisingly ordinary grey nu-mou underneath with a thin scratching cut upon her left cheek, wearing a dark blue undershirt and leggings showing a fine sturdy fitness not at all like the usual gait of the species. Her tail also revealed itself to be surprisingly white, perfectly so as Judge Garheim spoke first with outrage. "Wha-...wh-what in gods' name is THIS?!" "A secret you never wanted," said Madison DuClare with deeper female voice, "and one that never wanted to be made." "Witness, I will not have any manner of disrobing here, this is a courtroom not a burlesque house!" "You're right, it's not otherwise YOU wouldn't be here." "What?!" "Then again you're as stiff a prick as they come." "Do NOT INSULT ME, WITNESS! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" "The MEANING of this, is that our dear lizard friend here has decided to poke his snout into where it doesn't belong." "Wha-...wh-who are you really?!" asked mister Abernathy. "No woman would have need to disguise herself for so long and use their real name truly!" "You catch on quick...or rather the women behind you catch on quick, don't lie. I saw their lips move next to you." He stood firmly stiff at being called out with a glance back towards his counsel, the two of them shrugging awkwardly as the nu-mou brought out a nail file and busied herself with her nails just to spite everyone with her cool calm demeanour. Roy decided to step in with firm stance hands behind his back asking: "Who are you, for real?" "My name...is Bethany Enfield." "...seriously? Alrigh', so...why thuh disguise, why thuh whole pretence?!" "Haven't you figured it out by now you fetid attorney? Or can you not think without your counsel properly?" "Ah can already make a guess." "Really, I wouldn't expect one lizard to make a right, let alone two." "OBJECTION!" She puffed across her fingers whilst mister Abernathy cried out in response. "I don't care who you are, you will NOT use such slander derogatory within this courtroom!" "Spare me your correctness, a boy has been murdered and you're worrying about social grace?" "Ah wouldn't talk lahk that," said Roy, "considering you thuh one wearin' makeup airin' graces about haute-couture." "At least I can still look good without it. Unlike you, tell me what was your last career? Pugilist? You must have failed that clearly considering your brain damage to take this long to get here, plus those eyes that look like every fist in Ivalice has run through them." "ENOUGH!" roared Garheim. "If you have committed perjury then so help me Faram I will make you PAY!"

With another puff of her fingernails, she rapped the file on the witness stand like a sharp ruler before smiling up towards the audience and their Judge. "Alright then, no more lies your Honour, since we have come so very far. My name is Bethany Enfield, that was the only lie I have to correct, everything else about me is very true as an Archadian business owner...well, everything apart from being here as a benefactor of this wretched outhouse my father calls his 'orphanage'." "What?!" "Wait F-FATHER?!" cried Roy. "Yes, keep up blackie. My father was Matthias Brunhart, and I am her daughter who he so gladly cast out forty years ago along with my mother in their great divorce." "Whu-...you've gotta be shittin' me!" "I wouldn't say such things considering you would not look out of place in a sewer, MacGregor." "That don't explain thuh pretence, why you even here if you don't plan on donatin'?!" "To take back what is so rightfully mine, the deed to the Brunhart manor so me and mother can get what we truly deserve, our home back! That wretched old bastard forced me and my mother out because of our 'foul words' and so-called 'bitterness' towards this rabble below us! He slowly became a soppy tyrant, never allowing us our opinion and backtalking everytime we tried to exercise our right to maintain privacy from these people, does he not know WHY we had this damn manor for ourselves?! So we can keep apart from everyone, to live like kings and royalty as we deserve to be, as the perfect example of nu-mou society...not invite everybody's filth and garbage to pile up like a refuse of waste!" "It's a fuckin' orphanage!" "Exactly! Filth and garbage, things nobody wants and are thrown away because they are unwanted! I was disgusted to think my father would take on everybody else's rejects and yet he cast out his OWN CHILD?! The damned hypocrite he is, thinks he's so fair and kindly yet he's nothing but a bleeding-hearted feeble-minded degenerate, my mother was heartbroken and lays herself to waste in refuge!" "SSZHUT UP!" roared Fayne. "HOW DARE YOU INSSZHULT HIM AND HISSZH WORK, THOSSZHE LIKE ME AND BERNIERE LAVANT WOULD BE DEAD WITHOUT THE LIKESSZH OF HIM!" "And how is that a bad thing? If you deserved to exist then your parents would have bothered raising you, caring for you with pride and love like mother did with me! Not fear and regret for ruining their lives after swallowing lizard milk at the back of a CHURCH like yours did!" Howls of outrage followed after Fayne's bitter screech as he slammed his fists onto the bench, the audience clamouring above like a flock of crows with fury as it simply washed over her, like water off a duck's back. Both Navarro and Roy had to restrain the cleric as he screamed profanity after her, the large raptor having more than enough strength to force him back down and steady him by a firm hand of control. The Judge had to rap his gavel constantly for a good ten seconds as he bellowed out: " ORDER! OOOORDERRRR IN THE COUUURT! MISS...Enfield, are you saying you falsified yourself to get inside an orphanage to ROB the place?!" "Yes," she said affably, "thank you for repeating, wouldn't want the little lizardfolk on my right to get lost in this narrative." "What did you hope to accomplish from this foul deed?!" "Possession is nine-tenths of the law, OBVIOUSLY, we have a good lawyer in our standing who can clearly be able to ascertain our legal standing in a much stronger capacity if we had that deed. Father cannot prove he had the deed on him BEFORE can he? In fact when WAS the last time he ever showed off his deed to the house, was it thirty years ago?! The same day my mother and I were kicked out of our house by rules of divorce!? Well, no one has seen that deed since then so he has no proof that he even has it, or is even using that home legally for his pet project." "What SICKENING behaviour! In our search for a murderer we find a thief the lowest of the low! I will not stand for this!" "That's familiar," murmured Navarro glaring. "Rest assured, after this you shall be charged to the fullest extent of the law for theft!" "No I won't," she said smugly. "What?!" "You would have to charge me first. Was there ever a theft committed? No, absolutely not because I wasn't able to grab my deed. Was ever a charge made against me? No, because father has no knowledge of all this though I'm quite sure all your screaming and hollering like mandragoras will reach him plenty back at his cell. All you have is my word, and if I remember correctly, just a simple claim is not enough, isn't it?! Unless something was actually stolen, which it wasn't unfortunately, then you have no means whatsoever to detain me other than by contempt of court!" "And as for attempted theft?!" cried Gerald. "Your admittance alone to such falsity will detain you for a good while." "Go ahead, fine me, detain me, whatever punishment I receive is nowhere near as terrible as what father will get. And he can hang dearly for all I care."

Her smile turned instantly everyone in the room against her, if they had not been already. She did not give one absolute fuck as Gerald continued on the offense asking formally: "Were you actually in Brunhart's office?" "Yes, I was, didn't you hear blackie's accusations?! Or are you having a little tiff between cousins?" "Cousins?!" She blew on her nail file before softly rubbing it across another fingernail cool as ice. "The way you two look I expected the same mother...or father. Anyways he practically proved it with my lipstick. I have nothing more to hide since we are now out in the open." "Your comment aside," said Gerald ignoring, "you are here now as a witness to a murder first and foremost. Can you please attest to what you saw in Brunhart's office at the time of your...investigation, and why?" "Very well, it won't matter either way since father's hanging will be all the reward I ever need, even if I wasn't able to grab the deed." She stood up straight with firm posture and a slight crick of her neck before responding, hands firmly upon the witness stand. "I went upstairs amidst the confusion of the stupid girl who bumped into father, no one noticed me as I made my way into Brunhart's office. I searched the place best as I could trying to find the deed to the place which mother told me was hidden in a book close to him. But then I heard someone running from the corridor and so I hid behind the door. The boy ran in, swung that door open and almost shoved it right into my face where of course my lips were planted. He tried to hide for some reason, looked very frightened and when I had the chance, I fled from the room not wanting any witnesses and then hid in another room nearby. "Then I heard father, storming through the hallways with blind outrage as he closed the door shut to his office, and from the sounds I heard within he had found the boy very swiftly. Suffice to say, the Brunhart you know is not some kind benevolent person, but a feeble-minded extortionist and murderer now judging from the screams I heard within. Then came ANOTHER person who for some blind reason tried to investigate. All I heard was a cry of shock, a bad scuffle and somebody running back down from the halls. I only left after realising that since his office was a crime scene, I would not get my chance to search for the deed quite just yet, and slowly made my way back towards the dining hall area once the coast was clear." Judge Garheim wasted no time as he demanded: "Mister Abernathy." "Yes sir." Gerald walked forwards first to begin his breaking down of her as Roy conferred quietly with his group amidst the interrogation. "Okay she is DEFINITELY thuh one who killed Joshua there is no way she can't be." "Do not make assumptions kupo," said Navarro, "odious she may be but you have no proof." "Are we sszhertain of that?" asked Fayne. "There musszht be sszhomething we misszhed, what about fingerprintsszh!?" "No, there are no other fingerprints in that room besides Joshua and mister Brunhart's, not even on the door handle." "What about the plant?!" "She moved it obviously," said Roy. "Since she wuz hidin' behind thuh door an' no, there were no prints on it cuz she has gloves on see?" "Damn...and I asszhume that sszhilk cannot leave fingerprintsszh hmm?" "Ah don't think so...Navarro, you read anythin'?" "No," said the moogle lowly, "I've never managed to get a read on her face because of that makeup she had constantly. It was like a wall preventing me from seeing any of her tics from instinctiveness, almost like she was covering up herself." "Whut about now?" "...she's either an exceptionally good liar or has managed to delude herself though, from that scar on her face I can see clearly why she needed makeup kupo." "Probably gone crazy from all this makeup she got on her, seriously this handkerchief drops lahk a fuckin' brick ah don'...wait...w-wait..." Roy gently scrunched the handkerchief in his hands as he looked down upon it. "...that...scar ah just, ah think ah have it...ah've got an idea!" "What?" "You never gonna guess what ahm gonna do next...ready for me to pull thuh same trick twice?" "What are you talking about?" "Just sit back an' watch...ah think ah figured out everythin'." "Did you see your father enter the office?" began mister Abernathy. "No," replied Bethany, "but there is no mistaking my father's voice, especially when full of bile and vitriol like he would be after beating a child senseless, the same voice he gave me and my mother berating us for our opinion, no freedom he ever gave us since." "Why did you investigate the office first?" "I didn't you imbecile, that was my second option because it was further way. The library was my first choice, it was easier and I hid myself carefully amidst the usual bumbling fools that wandered in and out of the place. Frankly most of the residents can hardly even read so why bother unless you're using parchment for toilet paper?" "Less of your opinion and more of fact thank you." "That WAS a fact," said Bethany arms crossing, "for gods' sake did the sun burn your brain as well as your skin?" "My next question," said Gerald with utmost professionalism, "is why did you bother not telling us and falsify this entire cavalcade as miss DuClare?" "Because then I would have to admit WHY I was in the office before. Having heard one other person try to fight father, I would suspect that he too had become a witness as someone who went in and saw the body and naturally, I did not want to fight my own father after he was fresh with blood from his first kill of the day." "Do you truly believe your father has the capacity to murder a child?" "He cast out his own child," said Bethany coldly, "there's no telling what he could do. Has anyone examined his brain lately? Perhaps he is suffering dementia, would not surprise me the old worthless fool." "I can assure you mister Brunhart has been tested thoroughly as to have no sign of dementia or mental illness." "Hm...I'm sure you did." She rolled her eyes derisively as Gerald decided to step back and let Roy have at her. "She's all yours MacGregor. Find out the real truth for our sakes." "Mah pleasure mister Abernathy," said Roy. "HAH," crowed Bethany, "so you two really are cousins ganging up on me, I thought this was a courtroom, not your personal shooting range!" "There is only one thing ah need to ask you. Tell me, wuz thuh real reason to cover up your face with that makeup shit wuz so you could cover up that nasty-ass scar?" "What?!" "Cuz ah understand. Ah mean, hohodamn you would not look good at a party lookin' lahk that, ah mean damn girl you ugly." "Are you trying to insult me because you have no PROOF? How pathetic." "Says thuh one who needed to slap on more layers than a weddin' cake...at least people love cake, if you were a pastry you'd look lahk a christmas cake in January." "What does that even mean, did your brain finally catch on with its aneurysm?!" "Is this shit animal fat too?" he said holding up the handkerchief. "Ah mean ah can see why whorin' yourself up with this would make you look good, no wonder your daddy dumped your ass, did you have that scar since back then too?! How old were you when you got kicked out?!" "I was thirty-five, LONG before your mother excreted you!" "Hohohoho daaaaaamn well kitty got claws, not that that's gonna help you, is this really mesmenir tallow, cuz this smell lahk a bull chocobo's shit!" "MY FOUNDATION OF PRIME SLEIPNIR TALLOW IS WORTH FAR MORE THAN YOUR ENTIRE WORTH YOU SEWER-RAT!" "...hm. Sleipnir tallow...foundation huh?" "Yes, do I have to spell it for you, or have your kind not developed a written language yet?!" "No no, ah can read perfectly fine...righ' down to that little mark on your face." "Wh-wh...what are you dribbling about now?" "Ah wuz wrong when ah said kitty got claws...more lahk kitty's got teeth. But not YOUR teeth." "Pardon?!" " TAKE THAT!"

With arm out fully as he swung his finger pointing accusingly, his omni-tool lighted up like fireworks in July revealing something new. The key Joshua had, complete with an odd white smear all along the teeth of it. The look on Bethany's face said everything as her eye twitched seeing Roy darkly grin. "Miss Enfield...is that your foundation on this key we found from Joshua? ...well?" "...do you...REALLY think that I am going to be fooled by that, how fucking imbecilic ARE YOU!? Perhaps I was right, you were a pugilist with all that brain damage." "You wanna know whut ah think? Ah think you went in an' tried to snoop around insahd Brunhart's office lookin' for deeds an' whutnot, when little Joshua stood up to you." "How can that possibly prove anything, the boy was stinking with sugared fats, his greedy little lizard hands must have tainted it." "Really? Cuz you know that we could take this handkerchief of your foundation, send it down over to forensics an' IF thuh compositions match cuz there are all these different products of different variety well...you gonna be in a lot of trouble cuz ahm sure as hell that Joshua never used makeup on 'im." "Y-you're lying, you can't prove anything!" "Whut about that scar then? That musta been recent, an' nobody else saw it underneath all your foundation didn't they? You musta had tahm to keep another layer on it just to make sure that nobody else figure you'd been attacked, when Joshua lunged at you for bein' a thief an' STRUCK YOU WITH THUH KEY IN HIS HAND!" Everyone was catching up with Roy's rationalisation as the audience gasped. Bethany began to sweat viciously as Judge Garheim called to stop rebellion in the masses. "ORDER! ORDER! Mister MacGregor, are you...actually accusing miss Enfield of being the murderer?!" "Is that a problem your Honour?" "Only if you are wrong. Please, enlighten the court with your hypothesis if you so choose to dare." "Miss Enfield snuck upstairs, stealin' Brunhart's cloak in thuh process whilst he wuz distracted an' then waited until thuh coast wuz clear. In that tahm she wuz spotted by mister Buckler, who recognised her ONLY because of thuh white tail! Ah assume that's a family trait Bethany?!" "SH-SHUT UP!" she cried. "WHY would I even take his cloak?!" "Why WOULDN'T YOU!? You not stupid, you migh' be sum racist bitch but you certainly not stupid or else we wouldn't have to drag this shit out fer two days, you took that cloak because you knew that Matthias Brunhart had a white tail, he wuz your father after all! All you had to do wuz take that cloak, disguise yourself an' head on upstairs, anybody would think you wuz him!" "He did not even have any intention of taking it off, do you really think I planned all that on a whim?!" "No, but ahm sure you had a backup plan, that's why you came out on THIS VERY DAY at thuh banquet. Everybody else gonna be busy downstairs with thuh party, that means you had every opportunity to head upstairs when nobody wuz lookin' an' steal thuh deed from his office! Then you saw thuh cloak hangin' up on thuh wall an' realised, you got thuh perfect disguise fallin' right down into your lap." "I could have taken it any day I wanted!" "No, you couldn't have cuz as classy as you look, you could easily blend in amongst thuh socialites at thuh party, hell ah didn't even recognise you from thuh party." "I would not expect you to, lizard." Roy simply rolled his eyes chuckling unabated. "Ah been called a lot worse than that little miss fuckup, you wanna mix up your insults a little before ah destroy you?" "I won't waste my breath, you've had more than you deserved to live." "You went upstairs, got spotted bah Robbie Buckler but that only made you feel MORE assertive cuz he mistook you for your dad, so you snuck your way inside thuh office an' began rootin' throughout thuh place. Then along came Joshua and shit got real bad." "And WHERE did he come from hmm? Remember I was hiding behind the door you reptilian reprobate, my lipstick proves it so if he tried coming in I would have heard him and gone into hiding! There, you see, no need for confrontation I would not have to deal with him!" "True, you were hidin' behind thuh door at one point, that does make sense." "I have no intention of leaving evidence or a mess behind, do you really think I would risk everything to accost some little boy?!" "Only if he forced you. Maybe he wuzn't appreciatin' thuh fact that you went roun' sneakin' inside his house, wearin' thuh same clothes that Brunhart wore-" "IT'S MY HOUSE YOU FILTH!" she shrieked. "MINE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND MEEE!?" "Berniere Lavant told us that Joshua had gone into thuh room already before 3:10pm, long before you even took your daddy's cloak, but you never knew...because he wuz hidden underneath thuh desk." The raptor shifted his omni-tool focus towards another photographic image resonating potently clear as a set of fingerprints highlighted underneath Brunhart's office chair. Things were getting worse for miss Enfield who scraped her nail file ruthlessly across the top of the witness podium as he continued. "These are our boy's fingerprints, see thuh way his fingers are goin' to thuh BACK of thuh chair leg? That's cuz he wuz grabbin' it from underneath thuh desk as he wuz TRYIN' to get up out from underneath when he saw you sneakin' through, so he stood up an' called you out!" "YOU KNOW NOTHING!" "He tried to fight you didn't he?! A li'l punkass bitch lahk him, you weren't gonna take none of that, not sum 'garbage' lahk him tryin' to stop you from getting whut you wanted, whut wuz 'rightfully yours' so you fought with him! He wuz a kid but he had a lotta strength cuz you ain't exactly tough!" Another sweep of the omni-screen revealing all to the court the scuffle of the carpet. "You an' Joshua made this, the scuffle that wuz preserved at thuh tahm of thuh murder, ain't NO ONE else been in this room an' you at just thuh righ' height to shove him BACK, instead of DOWNwards!" "SHUT UP! STOP ACCUSING ME!" "You threw him back, shoved him hard against thuh desk where he got hit HARD an' wuz knocked out, but now you had a problem! If that kid woke up, he'd probably come runnin' to daddy Brunhart an' tell him all about you, that SUMbody wuz sneakin' around inside his office an' he'd remember your outfit." "HAH!" said the bitter woman. "So what, I could take off my disguise and easily blend in with the crowd!" "Nope, not even, you have your white tail an' that's not exactly easy to cover up now isn't it? In fact, even if there wuz another nu-mou or two with a white tail besides you an' mister Brunhart, bah which then mister Brunhart would most DEFINITELY recognise you, it still wouldn't take any tahm at all for them to find out who it wuz if Joshua ever told 'em! An' then you'd be found out, then you'd NEVER get back thuh deed!" "NOOO!" she screamed slamming down her fists. "THAT is why you killed Joshua, YOU KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE WUZ A WITNESS WASN'T HE?! HE WUZ JUST ANOTHER RUNT, YOU DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHUT HAPPENED TO ANY OF THOSE KIDS, IF YOU PLANNED ON GETTIN' THUH DEED TO THUH HOUSE AN' TAKIN' BACK YOUR HOME WHUT'S ONE DEAD KID TO YOU!?" "_SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU WORTHLESS SHIT I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU, FILTHY DEGENERATES TAKING WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE , YOU AND THAT FILTHY LIZARD BOY! _"

Silence. Her voice echoed ringing with hatred as her fists clenched up furiously tight with her nail file still gripped between her fingers twitching as if ready to break apart. "...he...h-h-he had no right...to stop me." "Stop you?" "...I knew it...I knew the deed to my family home was in that office, I was so close...all I needed was just a few minutes and I could have had it...I could have a big happy place for me and my mother...until he came. That stupid lizard squawking up demanding who I was and why I was wearing mister Brunhart's cloak, like he even cared about the children here! He only made this place to SPITE me, spite me and my mother because he wasted all of our money, spent it all on other people WHAT ABOUT ME?! WHAT ABOUT MY MOTHER?! WE LOVED HIM, WE DESERVED HIS MONEY BUT NO! No...I saw that stupid brat bloated with cake crumbles and he DARED to threaten me accusing as a thief, with HIS sticky fingers?! I'm not the one to blame here...he signed his own death warrant." "Whut do you mean?" "I had no intentions of coming in to take blood...but that boy forced me, I told him to run along, that this was nothing to do with him but he refused to leave! He demanded to know why I was going through father's stuff and in no uncertain terms I told him that it was MY right, that this was MY home and he was nothing more than a pest, vermin who had long outstayed its welcome and if he did not leave my sight I would give him the back of my hand. The little filch did not even TRY, he grabbed me by the front and demanded I take off Brunhart's cloak, calling me a liar and a bad lady and it was NOT my home." "And then...you killed him." "I AM NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS!" she cried desperately. "IT WAS HIS FAULT! I TOLD HIM TO LEAVE, I BEGGED HIM, I PLEADED BUT HE REFUSED AND TRIED TO ATTACK ME! _HE TRIED TO STAB ME! THAT FILTHY LITTLE WRETCH, I WILL NOT BE TREATED THAT WAY IN MY OWN HOME, NOT BY ANYONE! I WAS DEFENDING MYSELF, IN MY OWN HOME, HE DOESN'T DESERVE A HOME I WAS BORN IN THAT HOUSE! IT WAS MY HOUSE DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!? MINE! MIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE! _" Her eyes burnt red as she howled her wailing fury, shrieking throughout the courtroom as no one said anything before she was left heaving by herself. Tears down her cheeks, anger burning hotly throug her entire body as fists shook scowling with rage upon the heavens. Roy simply crossed his arms shaking his head pitifully, as did Abernathy and so too did Judge Garheim. The court overseer simply pressed his gauntlet-covered hands together and proclaimed truly: "Madame Enfield. What you have done is reprehensible, and you shall pay dearly for it by the very same crime your father, having been wrongly accused, would have paid in turn. For the murder of Joshua Alvert, by your own admission to the court, as well as the perversion of justice, you have been found...guilty. Do you have any last words to say in your defence?" The nu-mou stood coldly with deep sniff as she said in no uncertain words: "What kind of world is this, where you...wh-where one's own children are cast out and despised by their own father for their opinion?" "The same kind of world," said Gerald Abernathy, "where one's own children can find a better life, adopted by a better person. Do you not realise all those children, including the one that you killed, they all had the same fate as you briefly? Except whereas you had your mother and your father's wealth to rely upon, those children had nothing. Nothing...until a man such as your father took them in and raised them to be model citizens, free of such sin and greed like that within you." "You...h-hypocrite, ALL OF YOU! You would condemn me, when I was cast out like all of father's little pets and I am the same as THEM!? A girl without a father and no home to call fit?!" "No," said Roy, "you're not. You grew up in a family, under your mother who you followed as a bitter unempathic person. You weren't orphaned as a kid, you never lived a harsh life lahk they did, you knew whut it wuz lahk to have family. You could have been happy an' made a new life with your mom, but instead you would rather rob that chance for hundreds of other children to have that same kind of life...just so you could get a bigger place with more money." "...it...i-i-it's my home...my...h-h-house...why...why h-have you done this to me..." Weeping for herself, she clutched herself hard around the waist whilst slumping towards the floor, clutched against the bottom of the witness stand as slowly she was taken away by the bailiffs. Her feet dragged as if she were facing her last day on earth, but even that was not true. Processing would give her time to lament as the judge brought forth his next sentence as Matthias Brunhart was walked back into the court, the bailiff on attendance like always as the older male nu-mou stood firmly to attention. "Mister Brunhart," began Judge Garheim, "it has been discovered that there was a greater conspiracy against you then we first suspected. The evidence has spoken greatly of your involvement in this matter, of which we have found none but the tracest elements of cruel revenge. Matthias Brunhart, for the murder of Joshua Alvert you have been found...NOT guilty." The gavel came down and in that instant were the cheers of thousands, or rather a small hundred resonating with proud glee of joy rampant through the place. Brunhart gasped with blissful relief as his shoulders sank free of the weight of courts as Roy simply grinned at his great success. Navarro turned towards him with a nod and tender smile, a small but honest look of ease upon her face next to Fayne who was absolutely positively beaming from ear to ear with excitable energy he almost wanted to pop readily from the stand. Gerald simply nodded towards Roy, giving him a smile despite his loss in court before the Judge waited for the audience to die down of its own accord before simply saying finally: "Court is adjourned."

With the gavel struck, the people left. Witnesses were freed as was Brunhart himself with chains undone standing outside the courtroom perhaps an hour later after processing with all that had been explained to him on what happened. People passed back and forth amidst the corridors as the former accused clasped hands gratefully with the black raptor standing with Fayne and Rocino. "You...have done us a great dignity." "I-it wuz nuthin'." "You have not only managed to save me from incarceration or death, but also manage to save hundreds of children from being cast to the four winds all over again. Thank you. You have my most deep of gratitude, if you should ever ask me of anything I will do all in my favour to help you." "Heh...n-no problem mister...Brunhart-" "Please, Matthias, we are on first-name terms after all. And of course I must thank deeply to both your colleagues on counsel." "We were performing our duty," said Navarro calmly, "nothing more kupo." "Indeed," replied Fayne, "I am only relieved that we managed to find the better outcome of truth in the matter." "Yes indeed," said Matthias nodding eagerly, "I remember you quite well mister Smithee." "You do?" "Oh yes yes, you and your brother come every year after all, how can I forget? You bless us with those donations from Lea Monde but to save my life as well I could not ask any greater a wish from the Light of Kiltia." "The Light of Kiltia will never leave you my good man. No matter where we might be, you will never be alone in the dark." "I am very grateful." In that moment, James and Dahlia soon rejoined their group with a mixed expression between hot glee and cold indifference. James was more honest promptly as he slapped Roy on the back smiling: "That was some KILLER attorney shit in there dude!" "Hhhahaha," replied Roy, "you ain't mad that ah broke you through?" "Well...I was a little, but then you won the verdict even with my bullshitting, that's some serious work you got through man I'm amazed! ...sorry again about keeping stuff from you." "Nawww is alrigh' man...ah mean you did pay thuh fine for perjury so ah think it's all good, but ah guess ah deserved that sligh' you made about me not believin' you." "Heh...ehhhhhhh...that still wasn't cool of me after we made up and all." "Truce?" "Truce." The two shook hands gladly as another brief forgiveness passed through with smiles on their lips, before FG asked soberly: "Still, I didn't mean to like, fuck everything I just wanted to not get Brunhart sentenced." "How could you DO sszhuch a thing?!" cried Fayne. "Don't you realisszhe perjury isszh an offensszhe?!" "It's not PERJURY, it's just me not saying anything about a particular incident, It's like omitting something!" "Omissszhion ISSZH perjury for godsszh SSZHAKE!" "...yeah okay I deserve that. Sorry mister Brunhart." "Fear not," said Matthias gladly, "you had good intentions I know you were trying to believe in me and I thank you...despite your odd means of showing it. I have...only wished that young dear Joshua had not had to pay his life for it, I could not believe my own daughter would be so callous all for a possession." "Is she gonna get sentenced?" "They will send her to another court," said the moogle, "where they will vote through a panel on whether she is sentenced to death or lifelong imprisonment, kupo. Depending on her remorse and general state this will affect either judgement." "Still...fucking bitch, um, s-sorry mister-" "Worry not," said Brunhart calm as mist, "what's done is done and I can...well, I admit I am remorseful for my dear daughter, as much as she takes after her mother she simply wanted to return home. But unforgiveable as it is to murder a child, I will not excuse that, and should her mother ever say anything I will do no part in seeing her being punished when I must get back home to my own personal family. All two-hundred-and-sixty of them." "Woah, there's seriously that many?!" "Well...forty of them involve the staff so hhheh...would you excuse me for a moment I have someone I must meet." Brunhart walked off towards another region of the courthouse as Clan Koridai all looked at each other a little awkwardly. Dahlia had not said even one word upon her returning to them, casting her look towards the ground as FG didn't dare ask what was wrong before Roy said: "Ahm sorry. Ah didn't...realis-" "No." She turned away with a sudden heave as Navarro tried to step forwards. "It was procedure, you know I would not have asked about your-" "I told you...in good faith...that I did not want to show my tail to anyone, I kept it under my robes for a reason." "I know, kupo. I am sorry Dahlia, I would not have asked-" "Then WHY!? Why did you humiliate me in front of everyone showing them my worthless filthy TAIL?!" "Because we were in a courtroom, and a nu-mou was the suspect, we had to make certain even though I know you were never a culprit-" "I don't care."

Her voice dripped with acid as she turned towards Roy and Navarro pointing with accusation. "That's what you always say ISN'T IT? Well whatever the both of you want to go and do together then fine, I don't want to form any stupid third wheel I see what you want. You make me a laughing stock sniggering at me behind my back-" "Dahlia, enough." "No YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH! I did not want to be here in this stupid clan for the past few months and none of us are getting along properly anyway!" "That's not true!" cried FG. "Come on, me and Baldwin made up, I like you Dahlia don't be like this!" "YOU ALWAYS TAKE HIS SIDE, how could you possibly when he is such a BIGOT?!" "He apologised for it, he's not some hate-filled asshole he's just ignorant." "That's not the POINT James you don't even punish him for it!" "I do when he pushes it, but you are acting like a spoilt brat so lay off, we won the case, Brunhart is free let's celebrate!" "Y-YES I KNOW HE IS BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT HIM YOU STUPID RETARD!" Her voice made people turn in the halls as James stared down at her coldly. "...Dahlia. Don't ever call me that. That hurts." "S-s...s-sorry." "The fuck is wrong with you lately you have done nothing but bitch to people, are you on something? ...are you on your period?" "WH-WHAT!? NO!" "Are you?" asked Navarro. "James is right, you have been nothing but increasingly upset over few reason-" "SH-SHUT UP!" She swung her fist with sudden rage almost hitting Navarro straight across the chin, except the moogle grabbed her wrist neatly in defence curling her fingers around tightly. Tight enough it began to hurt as she stared down the nu-mou with an insulted look that Dahlia began to instantly regret. "Never...fight me again, kupo." "I...I-i-i...Navarro I-" "Enough. I have been greatly disappointed in you Dahlia, I thought you were better than this, more intelligent but you have done nothing but act like an irascible child the past few months and I am becoming sick of your attitude!" "You...y-you...you have?" "Yes. Fix your attitude or else." It hit her harder than anything she had felt, the glinting stone piercing twitching in the light with her ear as she sniffed to herself as she hastily ran off towards the inn with a deep shame without another word. Her hands clasped to her face as she ran with tears angrily storming down her cheeks with James shaking his head at her. "I better go after her." "Really?" asked Fayne. "Sszhe isszh not a child, sszhe can cope by hersszhelf." "Doesn't mean I don't care. I'll see you all back at the inn." "I forgot to mention, Luke hasszh been recovering well thanksszh to your sszhteed Cadbury." "...wait...what?" "We found them a few daysszh ago huddling up together in sszhympathy, it wasszh very sszhurprisszhing." "Empathy is not unknown," said the moogle, "amongst chocobos kupo. It's just more surprising that it was YOUR chocobo." "Huh," said FG, "whaddaya know...that's real cute, I never thought he had that in him. Maybe he's learning stuff too, well that's good. Was kinda worried actually." "Then worry not." "Hey uh," asked Roy, "ahm gonna go check on mister Brunhart ah wanna...ask him sumthin'." "Very well, we shall meet back at our rooms, kupo." "Sure, later." James, Fayne and Navarro walked off back to the inn out through the main courthouse doors whilst Roy went round the corner to find Matthias' whereabouts. Tracing to where Brunhart had turned the corner as well as asking various people along the way if they had seen him, he found a small safety exit corridor tucked neatly away mostly used for fire emergencies where the nu-mou was now in conference with a very suspicious individual. A male hume wearing a white cloak and hat with gold cufflinks and buckled shoes bringing forth a waiver from his pocket. "Here." Matthias calmly wrote down his signature after thoroughly reading down to where the dotted line was. "There, do you require my blood also?" "I think your girl has given plenty of that for us thank you, hmhmhm..." "...you sicken me, you realise." "And her former master is equally grateful to you for not mentioning our arrangement in court." "It almost cost me my life. I hope you are happy." "When you send to us the official document and our evidence we shall fully terminate the contract with her. For now...good day." Taking his stridant leave the man in white saw no hide of Roy who had sneaked away fully towards a supply closet keeping out of sight, feeling a hot suspicion run through him before he waited for mister Brunhart to pass by his line of sight peeking from the doorjamb. Slowly stepping out he gripped Matthias' shoulder as soon as the man in white had disappeared. "Don't say a word." "Wh-what the-" "Don't wan' mister white to see this now don't we?" "...h-how...how long have you-" "Enough to see you sign sumthin', you know as your lawyer ahm thuh one that tells you whut to sign or not." "It's...not...related to the-" "Bullshit." Pulling him back towards the discreetly-cornered emergency exit he made certain they were around a corner to not be witnessed by anyone before he glared accusingly towards his former client. "Who wuz that man?" "It has nothing to do with you," said Matthias with hands clasped firmly. "Ah think it is, considerin' that you are still mah client." "I am quite certain that the moment you gained my verdict I was free from your capacity." "Well considerin' ah saw that same person assault one of your maids who in turn showed me a towel of blood from thuh medical facility, ah think you should tell me everythin' you know about it." "Wh-...wh-what?! He...attacked one of my staff, was it-" "Alice Dufour?" His face turned blank with shocked disbelief, stumbling around nervously upon his words as he calmly put his hands up despite the shaking fingers. "Look...I am very grateful to you, you are a most beloved ally now and...forever but I-" "Is she in trouble?" "...no." "Don' try to pull this on me Brunhart, ah just spent five days doin' all that court shit, preparation an' summons so you better tell me whut thuh fuck this whole deal is, cuz ah will not-" "A-a-alright! Alright f-fine I will...tell you if you absolutely promise not to say a single word to anyone. Promise me." "...depends on if it wuz illegal or-" "No! Promise me, here and now that you will NOT breathe a single word of this to anyone, promise me now! You are my defence you must protect me by swearing silence!"

Roy saw the look of desperation from this nu-mou's eyes, stern yet kindly as his fear turned through him. He realised in turn that he had no greater an example to give considering what his original intentions had been, realising with some shame he had now a means to collaborate upon him by a most grievous state of contract. "Alrigh'. Ah promise ah will not say a single thing about you...but, in return, ah wan' sumthin' off you." "Anything." "...to be honest, ah wuz gonna ask about this before but now ah wanna make it part of this contract we got here. You know those spectacles you have in your office?" "I do, the ones on top of the bookshelf?" "Yes. Would you permit me to take them off your hands? There's a...real reason ah came to see you an' it wuz about them." "Wh-what?" "......mah employer is...sick from this sleepin' sickness, cursed bah an old woman an' through months of after research, we found that one of thuh things we need are those weird spectacles you have." "But...I-i-i have not heard of this, or any sleeping sickness caused or cured by-" "Do you REALLY wanna doubt me after all that you have done? You not in a position to bargain Matthias, an' ah don' wanna be lahk this but...ah need those spectacles." "Those things are priceless though, I mean...what stops you from taking them and selling them off for earnings?!" "Mister Berniere Lavant has paid me for your troubles. Ah don't need money. But ah do need those spectacles. Were this ten minutes ago ah would have begged an' pleaded. But after whut ah seen now...ahm offerin' you a trade, ah won't even keep it, ahll bring it back within five months." "F-five?!" What reason do you have-" "Mah employer is in Rozarria...that's quite a distance away ahm sure you'll agree." "An airship costs less than a month over the desert." "That's way longer than you in prison for whutever you're up to. Ah know you did not kill that kid, but sumthin' bad went down in that nurse's room an' ah wanna know whut, especially when ah saw miss Alice getting assaulted bah that same dude you're payin' off." He pressed his hand firmly on the wall above Matthias' head before leaning in fiercely, his eyes piercing into the older male's before he gave in. "Alright...I...I promise you...I will give you over my...spectacles...in return for not speaking of this." "Thank you." "I would never have thought my own lawyer would blackmail me." "It's not blackmail, it's a deal." "It bloody well is blackmail and you know it, don't try to pretend you're being sincere!" "Alrigh' fine it is, now...tell me whut this is." Brunhart nervously rubbed his cheek as he sighed fervently doing his best to try and compose his words as he almost looked away. "...she never wanted anyone to know, it was a...grievous error of ours." "A whut?" "During the party, Alice was...very sick with something. I had hoped that this day would not come hoping it would carry off to one month further before that date but, two months before that appointed day of ours she...she was starting to deliver." "De-...deliver?" "A baby. Her...body started to prematurely birth, I hoped that...it would not even happen but she had been feeling contractions rather constantly during that week I...I had to do something. Alice...had a placental abruption, it fully separated from her uterus before the baby could be born. That then caused the premature birth I had not predicted it would happen so early." "So, w-wait...you were in that room delivering a premature baby?" "Y-yes. That is why there is a lot of blood it...there was also some bleeding on the inside when her abruption...came down, I do not know if that child is safe because I have not been back home as of yet since they took me away before I could find out, merely I was the midwife. He looked so small and...f-frightened of everything, I almost thought he...would not have made it." "But...ah don't get it, why even hide this? Whut's keepin' you besides this confidential?" "Because of who the father is...the child was conceived on Robbie Buckler's estate." He had not expected his heart to stop with sudden shock from new events after the case but there it had done so, simply as his eyes widened with his breath caught up in his throat. "WH-...wh-wh-wh-...whaaaat?" "You are never to breathe a word about this," warned Brunhart, "mister Buckler is a cruelly indifferent person concerning what belongs to him, and he believes that this child of Alice must belong to him as it was partly of him, at least according to his bizarre law. She worked for him and Alice...had an affair with someone upon his estate and that was when mister Buckler...had him cast out and exiled but decided he would rather keep the child for it was created on his estate, therefore it must belong to him. She never wanted to give up that boy, she has no idea where that father went." "Did she really want thuh baby?" "Of course, she was ecstatic, she loved this baby and was growing even more excited but when it was discovered that she was pregnant, mister Buckler demanded the child was his by estate and if she did not hand over all of her rights and the child itself to be a protege...he would publicly shame her and nullify any contracts made therefore giving her no ability to work ever again." "Jesus...that's horrible, why would he do that?!" "Mister Buckler only cares about what he wants, he is also rather insane I think from perhaps his own family line of 'greatness'. Alice did not want to give him the child, and I agreed that he would not make a good father for it. I could not be a witness to this when I run an orphanage where perfectly I can raise this child to become greater with more noble good in him than his father ever would. He sees the world too eagerly in one shade of gold, not of any other colour to consider." "How come she work for you?" asked Roy. "I took her in, when she ran away, swapped contracts to which I threatened to expose and almost ruin mister Buckler, that was why he wanted to see me at the charity banquet. We made a contract in that if he paid me a certain amount of donations at the charity, I would not say anything. He held Alice Dufour's rights to work and in exchange I held 'his' child that he so fervently needed for his own egotistic empire." "So whut wuz that contract you signed?" "It was...my official waiver to sign on the...the death of the child." Roy's heart then sank softly. He was hoping this would not ever be spoken but he knew it had been coming. "...ahm...ahm sorry." "No no...it's...alright." He gave a soft wink at him slowly with widened grin. "That is by the OFFICIAL declaration of death by which they shall so believe, but maybe unofficially...that child would survive, I would...make it so that there will be a better life for him, both him and Alice. My plan always was to be declarant of a death certificate, sign a warrant document from the medical office showing the infant's death so that they would not need to harass Alice any longer. But...I should find out on the child's conditions before I say anything else I will...I must know, if there is any chance that he...survived I want...to give him a better life if need be." "Ah understand. You know you almost sentenced yourself to death for not sayin' anythin', you really do care about this girl Alice don't you?" "She is a kind and very sweet thing, the children love her and I know that she will be a good mother, I could not throw her to the wolves even if it meant my own innocence to be cleared. Thank you by the way but you must promise me-" "Alrigh'...ah understand now, ah swear on mah family's life ahll will not breathe a word on this." "Thank you. Would you...kindly escort me to my manor where I shall give you your end of the bargain, Roy MacGregor?" "Ah would be honoured to...Matthias Brunhart." Taking him by the hand politely, they walked their way back towards the Brunhart Orphanarium with the trial at its conclusion. Roy had felt everything go as smoothly as it possibly could after the outcome of this week's events, and he could only hope that he was just one step closer to fulfilling his own personal mission. Just as he had proved himself in court he knew there and then...that nothing would stop him from searching for the truth.