If you are here, you have completed Ace Attorney Investigations. If not LEAVE IF YOU DON'T WANT MAJOR SPOILERS.

Three people each with their own intentions. One goal. How Tyrell Badd, Byrne Faraday, and Calisto Yew joined together and formed the three-pronged seeker of truth - the Yatagarasu.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Ace Attorney series or any of its characters.

Byrne Faraday was a prosecutor. He was also a busy one, probably only second to Manfred Von Karma. Of course, since Manfred Von Karma decided to take his first vacation in his entire career, Faraday got all of the cases that would normally apply to him. He sighed. He knew he wouldn't be seeing much of his baby girl in a while, and the thought pained him.

While Faraday mulled over some papers, he heard a knock on his office door. A gruff man in a coat with a few bullet holes entered, holding a case file.

"Oh fantastic," Byrne Faraday groaned as he put the file on top of the massive heap of papers already piled high on his desk.

"Prosecutor Faraday…that's not a case file," the gruff man said. "Look closer"

Confused, the prosecutor opened the folder and found a handmade banner with the words "Happy Birthday Kay" drawn with several pictures of flowers and birds. The detective looked away, somewhat embarrassed, while Faraday smiled kindly.

"You…how on earth did you know?"

"I worked with you on a case right after Kay was born…you couldn't stop talking about it, and I know you're high prosecutor with Von Karma out"

"Forgive me…but I don't even remember your name, but I'm touched," Faraday said with honesty. He felt guilty, but the man seemed to brush it off.

"That would be Badd."

"I know, it's really bad to…"

"No. Detective Tyrell Badd. We may be working together in the future."

Byrne Faraday smiled as Detective Badd left the room. From that moment on, the detective would be Faraday's most trusted ally, and his most trusted friend.

Paperwork was the un-glamorous side of being a detective. Of course, Detective Badd always got his overtime by doing the work of other detectives. He was 50 years old, lived alone, and had no problem dedicating his life to his work. This often meant staying at the office until midnight, but he was more than happy to do it if he got paid.

So, he was very surprised when a young woman walked into the precinct at ten pm on a Friday night. She was alone, and Detective Badd happened to be the first person she saw.

"Um…excuse me. I…uh…have some things I need to report."

Detective Badd glanced up, put out his cigarette, and quickly resorted to business.

"Ma'am, I need your name."

The woman hesitated before responding.

"It's…Cece. Cece Yew"

"What is this about, Miss Yew?"

"Um…well, I work for the Codhopian embassy, but…I think there's some shifty things going on."

Detective Badd looked at the woman with more interest. There were indeed shifty things going on in Codhopia. He and Faraday suspected some smuggling of some kind going on at the embassy. But they had almost no evidence, and absolutely no witnesses, so the investigation was pushed aside.

"Please, Miss Yew. Does it have to do with…smuggling?

The woman stared at the detective and slowly nodded. Detective Badd listened and jotted down everything Miss Yew told him, and it was more than he had hoped. She didn't want to implicate any specific names, but it was enough for the detective to try and reopen the investigation.

"Miss Yew. You have been invaluable. I need to make a call to the prosecutor's office tomorrow, but until then, you should probably stay under surveillance.

Cece nodded. She seemed to be aware of the risks associated with giving testimony to the court. Detective Badd was still a little concerned for the woman's well-being. It was late, and she was alone. Her testimony meant nothing until she entered a courtroom, and she was most likely in danger.

"Actually, why don't you stay at the precinct tonight?"

She agreed, and a few security guards escorted her to where she could get some sleep. Detective Badd made one, very late, phone call. A groggy voice on the other end greeted him.

"erm…whaddya want?"

"Faraday. We caught a break. The Codhopia smuggling case."

"Wha…are you serious?"

"We got a witness at the precinct. She's staying the night here, but her preliminary information looks great for the case."

"I'll be right there."

Byrne Faraday was at the precinct within 20 minutes. Of course, Detective Badd was expecting him and already had all the information neatly typed up and printed. As he read the file, the prosecutor's unshaven face lit up.

"This…is what we need. We got enough to get a few of the key players in the Amano group if she testifies."

"I think that's why she's here, Faraday."

"Alright, I'll speak to her in the morning. But after I speak with her, she needs to be under guard. Can I count on you?"

"Of course, Faraday. Her safety is priority number one."

Faraday and Detective Badd made their way to the records room to pull out any scrap of information they may have had on the case. The men worked quickly, making small talk as they went.

"Oh, by the way, Kay left her stuffed bear at my place last weekend. I found it under the couch…" the detective mused. Faraday let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God. She's been crying about it all week, Tyrell. I keep telling her to be more careful with her things."

"Byrne…she's seven."

The prosecutor laughed.

"Yes, well she needs to learn sometime. Thanks for watching her last weekend by the way. My wife and I really needed a night out."

"It's not a problem. It's actually a nice change of pace to have her around."

The men continued their search when they finally found the file. The prosecutor smiled as he realized not only did their new witness have key details, but they didn't seem to contradict any of the other facts. He turned to the detective.

"Well…I guess it's pretty late. I should probably get to sleep."

"It's a little late to go driving. The precinct has sleeping bags."

"Very well."

Faraday and Badd made their way upstairs, grabbed their sleeping bags, and passed out soundly on the precinct's tile floors.

By the time Detective Badd woke up, Prosecutor Faraday had already disappeared into the interrogation room, presumably with Miss Yew. Scratching his head, Badd got up from the floor and shuffled towards his desk. Before he could even sit down, Prosecutor Faraday appeared down the hall, with Cece Yew following him closely.

"Detective. She's all yours. Keep her safe, at all costs."

"Of course."

Detective Badd got up and escorted the young woman to his car and offered to drive her home. She shook her head vehemently.

"I still need to go to work. They'll be more suspicious if you accompany me."

Detective Badd shook his head sternly.

"No ma'am, I can't let you do that."

"Well, how exactly do you plan to stop me? Legally, I don't think you can. So…if you excuse me."

The detective sighed. Of course. The girl HAD to be stubborn, making his job much more difficult.

"You don't need to go to work on a Saturday."

The girl stared at him and chuckled.

"Right…well…alright then."

Detective Badd followed Cece Yew to her apartment and gave himself a permanent spot on her couch. She seemed uncomfortable, but allowed him to stay without much protest.

"You and Manny have your orders?"

"…yes."

"Good. I trust you will do well, my dear girl."

"Of course."

"One last thing…your name?"

The young lady smirked while listening to her boss.

"Why…it's Calisto Yew, of course."

Even though it was a Sunday, Byrne Faraday had been hard at work arranging his evidence that he had received from Cece Yew into his case against some key members of the smuggling ring. It was perfect. He was so happy he finally had a break in the smuggling case that he didn't think twice when the phone rang.

"Hello. Byrne Faraday speaking."

"Uh…sir…there's been a murder," a young detective spoke through the phone.

"What? Where?"

"Uh…the apartment building off Brown street."

A lump found its way into Faraday's throat. He didn't need to be told that Cece Yew was dead. He just knew from the way the unfamiliar voice on the other end trembled as he spoke. That's when another, even more sickening thought entered his head.

Why was the voice on the other end unfamiliar? Why didn't Detective Badd call him? Unless he was...

"Damn it all!"

Faraday slammed down the phone and jumped into his car. He knew he was speeding well over the speed limit, but he didn't care. He had to find the detective. He had to make sure Tyrell was alright.

When he got to the apartment, Faraday didn't even bother to check with the officers outside the apartment building. He dashed up the stairs and found the room swarming with investigators and yellow tape.

The smell of blood was paralyzing. He stepped into the apartment cautiously, trembling, not knowing what he would find. The place had been completely turned upside down, and Faraday could hardly stand to look at the place. He could barely breathe at the thought that his friend Tyrell was in this building when it all happened. He stepped over a broken vase and proceeded to the victim's bedroom.

Cece Yew was lying on the floor, and forensic scientists were already swarming the scene. The girl had been stabbed in the back and had obviously bled out in copious amounts. Overcome with emotion, Faraday had to leave the room.

He felt angry for letting his case fall through, and he felt guilt just looking at Cece Yew's bloody corpse. And Badd. There had been more than a struggle in that apartment, and the prosecutor couldn't stop thinking about his dearest friend.

"Faraday…I'm sorry."

The prosecutor whirled around and saw Tyrell Badd. Overcome with relief, Faraday did the only thing he could think of and went over to him, arms outstretched. But Faraday stopped. There were more holes in his jacket than before, and he was holding his arm delicately. Faraday's eyes jumped to the blood soaked bandages on his arm.

"Detective…are you hurt badly?"

The detective looked away, clearly shaken by whatever had transpired before.

"It…it's nothing…Miss Yew lost her life because I failed in my duty. Whatever pain I feel is deserved.."

"Detective Badd, we can work out that matter later. Now, I'm speaking to my friend Tyrell, and I'm asking him if he's alright," Faraday said sternly. The detective looked his friend in the eye.

"Byrne…I…"

"What is it?"

"Physically, several bruises and a pretty deep wound to my arm. But…I…let her down. I failed, and she paid the price for it."

"Detective…what actually happened?"

The detective sighed, took out a cigarette, and began.

"Miss Yew had retired to her room for the night. She had told me that I could grab some sheets from the closet and crash on her couch. I felt this was an acceptable arrangement. The only thing she asked is that I not smoke inside."

The prosecutor listened, and he started to piece together what happened before the detective had to say it.

"I…was outside…having a smoke on the outside balcony…I didn't even notice the guy come into the apartment. I…heard her scream.," the detective's voice began to quiver, choking up appropriately. The prosecutor listened solemnly.

"Tyrell…we can do this later…"

"No…you need to know everything, so you can get the bastard that did this."

Faraday stopped and continued to listen to his friend.

"I burst into the apartment with my gun drawn. I…was too late. I didn't get a great look at the guy. He had a knife, but he also had a gun that he pulled on me. That accounted for most of the mess…"

"He wounded you?"

"More like grazed…yes, it was a deep injury, but he didn't hit anything vital. But it was enough to give him the opportunity to escape…" The detective trailed off, and Faraday stopped asking questions. He had everything he could get from his friend at this time, and there was no point in making him go through any more.

"Tyrell…we'll get this bastard. We'll get him and the smugglers Cece Yew gave her life for. Trust me. Trust the justice system. We'll make him pay."

The detective could barely manage a slight nod, and Faraday knew to leave him alone. Before the prosecutor could get to his investigation, there was a commotion at the apartment door. A few detectives and a young woman seemed to be arguing.

"Ma'am, this is a crime scene!"

"SO WHAT! Let me GO!"

"I'm sorry, but you can't"

"She's my SISTER!"

At this, both Faraday and Badd turned and gave full attention to the outburst. It was as if the detective snapped out of his trance and back into active duty. He reached her first and quickly addressed her.

"Ma'am…you are…related to the victim?"

The woman calmed a little, and Badd got a look at her face. She looked to only be about the same age as Cece, but they didn't really look alike. This young woman had straight black hair, dark eyes, and a few freckles on her cheeks. She had been crying, and according to the officer that was with her, she was just about hysterical when she raced towards the scene.

"I…I am. I'm Calisto Yew. Cece…she was my little sister. We were supposed to have lunch today, but I thought she had forgotten when she didn't show. So I came by. I saw all the cop cars and I overheard them mention Cece…" After rambling on without prompting, she trailed off.

"Miss Yew…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for your loss…"

"You cops are trained to spew that garbage, it makes no difference," Calisto declared cynically, before noticing the heavily bandaged arm. "Detective…what happened to your arm?"

The detective looked at Calisto directly. It was his mistake that caused her sister to die. She had a right to know that.

"I was in here, trying to protect your sister, when…"

The detective didn't get a chance to finish. Calisto interrupted with a sinister whisper.

"You…were protecting her? Yet she's dead, and you're alive. How can you explain that?"

"I failed in my duty. There's no excuse for it."

"Well, that's obvious," Calisto remarked with a sly laugh. "But how exactly did that happen?"

The detective opened his mouth to speak when Faraday stopped him.

"Ma'am, this is still under investigation, we don't have all the details…" Faraday began to explain before being interrupted by the detective.

"Faraday…we know enough to understand that if I hadn't had a smoke…"

"Hold it."

Calisto spoke venomously, and her eyes pierced into the eyes of the two men before her. Her voice lowered to a sinister whisper.

"So…are you telling me…that my sister died to satisfy your disgusting need for a cigarette? Well…"

"Miss Yew…" the detective began, but he was cut off.

"I don't want you to talk anymore. All I want is…I want CeCe…that's…" Calisto stammered, breaking out into tears. Faraday came over and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I will do everything in my power to get the guy who did this. We'll bring him to justice."

Calisto simply nodded before being escorted out of the room by a guard. Faraday sighed and looked at his detective friend, who simply looked miserable.

"Detective…you should probably head down to the precinct to give your statement," Faraday said gently. Badd scoffed.

"No…I'm staying. I need to work on who did this…"

"I'm a prosecutor now, Tyrell. I NEED your statement to make a case and find out who did this."

"I didn't see the guy! I couldn't identify him if I tried!" Badd yelled exasperatedly. "Byrne, please."

"Take some time off. You need to be examined at the hospital anyway. I'll swing by your place later"

Badd was about to protest some more when the two men were interrupted by one of the forensic specialists.

"Prosecutor Faraday! We got something!"

One of the technicians approached Faraday holding an evidence bag. Inside was a VHS tape.

"We got a guy coming in with a knife! We have his face!" exclaimed the excited investigator. Faraday nodded while silently smiling.

Within hours, Manny Coachen was sitting in the Detention Center, under arrest for the murder of CeCe Yew.

Tyrell Badd sat in his office chair silently. He refused to acknowledge the pain in his arm as he relentlessly thought of the woman he let down. He should have been there. He could have saved her.

Badd's brooding was interrupted by Faraday's quick footsteps. The prosecutor was almost sprinting towards the detective with something in his hand.

"Tyrell…we got the guy."

"Who was it?"

"A guy by the name of Manny Coachen. We got him on tape. And we also found this when we arrested him…"

Faraday quietly showed Badd a black card with a three-pronged figure on it. There was also a small speck of blood.

"It's Yew's blood. He did it, I'm positive," Faraday declared. Badd simply nodded.

"Two pieces of decisive evidence…" Badd murmured, his voice trailing off. Faraday quickly corrected him.

"Well…one. Without the tape, the card's no good."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, the tape is what allowed us to bring Coachen in. Without the validity of the tape, the search we did would become illegal, and the card would be inadmissible. Not that it matters. We've got the tape…we're set."

Badd sighed. He was happy and relieved they caught the killer, but a girl was still dead, and she died because of his own negligence.

"Tyrell…you'll get over this," Faraday said calmly. "Things like this happen."

Badd turned to his friend.

"Byrne…thanks for not lying…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Thanks for not saying it wasn't my fault."

Faraday studied the detective and took a deep breath.

"Whether it was your fault or not makes no difference now," Faraday said strongly. "Now, we must focus on the trial and putting away the twisted man who did this."

"Byrne…thanks."

A trial came with a lot of preparation and work. Faraday sat in the prosecutor's office, going over case files, cataloging evidence, and mulling over Badd's testimony when he heard a knock on his office door. When Faraday saw who it was, he opened the door.

"Prosecutor Faraday?"

"Calisto, may I help you?"

Calisto Yew entered the office much calmer than the last time he had seen her. She gave him a weak smile before sitting down.

"I'm sorry, but I would like to see the trial tomorrow…"

"Not a problem. It can be arranged," Faraday said calmly, keeping an eye on the grieving woman.

"I see…" Calisto said. Then, after hesitating, she continued. "Please…tell me you have enough to get the guy who did this. Please…"

Faraday looked at her and smiled.

"I think we have everything we need, Miss Yew," Faraday replied warmly.

"But how much is enough? Do you have enough evidence? Please…what do you have? How can I know that my sister will get justice?" Calisto asked, tearing up. Faraday looked at her sympathetically.

"Calisto…I can't discuss specific pieces of evidence with you. I don't want to jeopardize the case against Mr. Coachen. But I can tell you he did it. I know that."

Calisto nodded understandingly, but she still looked flustered.

"How do you know he did it?" Calisto asked, relentlessly. Faraday sighed.

"I can't tell you specifics. But I can mention that the building your sister lived in had a security system, but that's all I can say," Faraday said sternly. He shouldn't be telling her that much, but he didn't see any harm in it at this point. Her sister was already dead, and he felt partially responsible. Calisto dropped the issue.

"I'm sorry…I just want to know what happened! I want to know why she died. I'm her only family. I think I'm the only one that cares…"

Faraday stopped and grasped her hand. She seemed to appreciate the gesture.

"Tomorrow, check the court listings for the courtroom and time of the trial. Sometimes they get moved, so the file number is KG-8. You can check with the precinct for any other details."

"Thank you. Thank you so much for everything."

Calisto smiled at Faraday before turning around and exiting the office. Faraday, busy with work, had no way to notice Calisto making a quick phone call.

"You're looking for some kind of security footage…KG-8…"

"Tyrell…are you ready?"

"Of course."

Prosecutor Faraday and Detective Badd entered the prosecutor's office at 7 am sharp. Their trial was scheduled for noon and they wanted to make sure Badd's testimony was solid.

"Now remember…you're not testifying as a lead detective on this case. You're a witness. Another detective is giving the summary, so you only have to testify about what you saw," Faraday began. The detective simply smirked.

"Faraday…you really underestimate me," Badd said in a tone of mock-disappointment. Faraday chuckled.

"You know I do it for me more than you. You know, I need to get my prosecution down."

Badd chuckled before turning to look out the window. Faraday turned to him.

"Everything will be okay."

"Byrne…it's too late for that," Badd said quietly. "Let's just hope nothing goes wrong."

"Have faith in the justice system, Tyrell," Faraday said confidently. "It's there for a reason."

"Yeah…" Badd said, while thinking, to protect the defendant.

As Faraday and Badd were talking, they heard a small knock on the door. A detective in a white coat and hat entered, carrying a box of evidence labeled "KG-8".

"Ah…Detective Goodman. Ready for the…" Faraday began, but the good detective stopped him.

"Faraday…"

It was the way Bruce Goodman had said the word. Both Badd and Faraday knew something was wrong. And the look on Goodman's face let the pair know that whatever he had to say would spell the end of the case against Coachen.

"Goodman…what's happened?" Faraday whispered, barely finding the words in his throat.

"The evidence lockers were broken into last night. The tape – it's gone." Goodman himself could barely look the prosecutor in the eye. Faraday slammed his fist onto the desk.

"Who…who could have done…"

"Apparently, the guard took a bribe to let some Amano group member through," Goodman said disgustedly. Detective Badd swore under his breath.

"Damned security…we can't get any of our own cops to…"

"Faraday…" Goodman said again.

"Damn….damn. How could this…" Faraday was sitting at his desk, placing his head in his hands. Goodman tried to rationalize the situation.

"You have that card, sir. You could…"

"Inadmissible. The damned card is inadmissible without the tape…" Faraday muttered. Badd simply glared at Goodman.

"I want to get this guy. Can we link the evidence break-in to Coachen?"

"No…he isn't connected to the Amano group…at least in any official capacity."

"But…I SAW him. Let me testify…" Badd growled angrily, but Faraday stopped him.

"You didn't see him. You couldn't…" Faraday started before trailing off. Then he changed the subject.

"We can't stop the trial now. We have to try…we have other evidence. Just not anything decisive…" Faraday stammered. Badd shook his head.

"Face it, Faraday. We failed. Again."

"But the system…if we can't count on the system…then we have to…" Faraday continued to mutter, running his fingers through his hair. Badd and Goodman looked at each other.

"Well…the Chief's going to invest in those handprint evidence lockers now…" Goodman began before Badd simply snapped.

"I'm glad Cece Yew's death wasn't in vain. At least we got some damned EVIDENCE LOCKERS!" Badd shouted angrily, prompting Goodman to apologize.

The three men avoided looking at each other until the trial, where they bumbled through the case procedures. All Faraday and Badd could remember from that trial was the judge's voice, reading a verdict of "not guilty" while Calisto Yew howled in despair.

ONE YEAR LATER

Byrne Faraday and Tyrell Badd sat in Faraday's office, enjoying their lunch hour. Well, almost.

"Byrne…you'll get through it."

"How could she leave us? How could she? Kay keeps asking for her mommy, and I don't know the answer…"

After one night of working late, Byrne returned to find his daughter asleep, and his wife gone. No note, no explanation. Just an empty closet and his daughter sleeping soundly in her bed.

"Byrne…you still have Kay. You have to be strong for her."

Faraday gave a weak smile.

"I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not being able to do a damned thing. Not being able to convict criminals…not being able to take care of the woman I love…I'm done with failure." The prosecutor simply looked at Badd dejectedly, while the Detective nodded with understanding.

Their moment was interrupted by a cackling, hysterical laugh.

"I guess it's your turn to lose someone you care about. I'll enjoy this."

Badd and Faraday whirled around. Calisto Yew was standing in the doorway, tears of laughter filling her eyes as the two men glared. Badd stood up to face her.

"Calisto…is there a reason you're here?" the detective asked before his eyes jumped to the lapel of her suit. Faraday noticed it too and gasped.

"Calisto…that's a…defense attorney's badge!"

"Did I neglect to mention that I was in law school when we last met?" Calisto said casually before changing the subject. "How about we start catching the ones who get away?"

"What are you suggesting?" the detective asked apprehensively, looking wary, but Faraday looked interested.

"Go on…"

"We all have access to different parts of the justice system. We can get those guys…" Calisto said convincingly. "We need one person to figure out what's valuable…that's where being a defense attorney comes in handy…"

Faraday began to understand.

"You're talking thievery, Calisto."

"I'm talking justice. Justice that can't be delivered from a system of bureaucracy."

"Stealing evidence…taking what's necessary…I see where prosecutorial skills come in handy…" Faraday said smugly. Calisto smiled.

"One other thing."

Calisto was looking eagerly at Badd, who seemed very uncomfortable.

"You can control the investigation…cleaning up evidence after the fact…"

"Becoming criminals to catch criminals?" Badd said skeptically. He didn't want to do it. But he had been nothing but a failure to the woman in front of him. "Sounds like an interesting proposition…"

Faraday grinned and pulled out a familiar black calling card with a three-legged bird.

"The Yatagarasu. Three legs of truth."

Yay! Now for those of you waiting for that final chapter of Yes, Sir!...I'm SORRY! I'M SLOW! But I DID say I was a crappy updater. IN THE FIRST CHAPTER...so...I promise that I'm working on it. I promise that I have a lot of it already written. I promise that I still love that story with all my heart. But for now, I hope you enjoyed this one.