Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Chapter 2 Final Part

  The cards.  My ace in the hole, my secret weapon, my last resort.  How they came to be, where they came from, and why they came into my hands is a mystery beyond compare.  If you were to ask me how the cards work, the only response I would be able to come up with would simply be "magic".  It sounds silly, but there's no scientific way to explain these.

  It all began several years ago, after I finished my second case.  I had succeeded in defending an old gypsy woman, who had been blamed for killing one of her neighbors.  That was the first case I ever fought Brandon in, but that's not why this case has stuck in my memory.  In my last conversation with the gypsy woman, she reached in her little satchel and pull out what appeared to be a deck of trading cards.  Before I could say anything, she put the strange cards into my hands.

  "These...these were meant to come to you.  I'm not sure why, but these sense something in you.  Even I don't fully understand them, but they have made one thing clear: that they are yours to have.  Take them, and your life will be changed forever."

  I took them, not quite understanding what she meant at the time.  I still don't...but it did change my life forever.  That day, I gained a power, a power that I have used countless times since that day.  It's so strange that I can't even give it a name.  I will do my best to explain it, but it's not something so easily explained.

  Whenever someone is hiding something, whenever you're trying to extract a secret from them, they each have ammunition.  Specific logical points that will try to hinder you from finding out what's hidden within.  There are several analogies you could create for this: bullets in a gun, how many dollars you have in your wallet, or as I see it, a hand of cards.  In any card game, your hand is what you have to work with, your ammunition, in other words.  You play your cards from your hand strategically, hoping to beat whatever your opponent has either already played or is going to play from their hand.  In other words, each logical point of defense someone has could be seen as a card in their hand.

  My power is the ability to perceive that.  Whenever someone tries to hide something from me, my mind's eye sees their hand.  Not what exactly is in their hand, but what their hand is.  For example, if someone was trying to hide something from me, and had three main logical points, my mind's eye would perceive three cards.

  That was exactly what was happening at the moment Jenna denied having known Brea.  I holding some of the cards in my hand, I could see she had a hand of three cards.  Certainly something she wanted to keep secret, but it wasn't the largest hand I'd ever seen either.

  "So, you say you've never heard of this person?  Are you sure?  You sound pretty nervous."  I said, still grinning.

  "N-no I haven't...I haven't ever heard of this person before!  W-why would you think I'd know someone of that name?"

  Her teeth were really chattering.  She must not be that great at hiding secrets.

  "You know who Brea is, and I can prove it!"

  The cards have another use too.  Just like storing memory on a USB drive, I can mentally store evidence into the cards.  While generally the picture is blank, when I will it, the picture will suddenly contain a piece of evidence.  I can also make the card blank again when I'm done with that piece of evidence, so I can use it for another piece.  It's a great way carry around all your evidence with you...and it kinda looks cool to act like you're playing a card when you object too.  Maybe not to everyone, but I think it does.

  I pulled out a card of my hand and revealed it, in a cool, "OBJECTION!" sort of way.  On the card was a picture of a drawing notebook, or more specifically, Jenna's drawing notebook.

  "While I was going through the pages in your notebook earlier, I couldn't help but notice an unusually reminiscent picture earlier."

  I flipped through her notebook, and stopped on one of the pages she had drawn a pony on.  It was like most of the other ponies, but it had glasses and greenish hair.

  "Does this pony look familiar to you?  Because to me, it looks like a certain female prosecutor I know...by the name of Brea Firehawk!"

  She began sweating tremendously, I was on the right track.  However, not a single card in her hand disappeared.  Apparently she wasn't going to admit she knew Brea yet.

  "Not good enough, eh?  Well, I guess I'll have to show you something else."

  I pulled another card out of my hand.  This card contained the picture of two little girls playing together.  Once again, I revealed it in the same cool way I did before.  Goodness, I love doing that.

  "Believing you had an involvement with Brea, I did a little search on the two of you.  During my search I came across this special picture, a picture of two girls playing together on an elementary school playground.  Recognize either of them, Ms. Wolf?" I said, grinning maliciously.

  Her eyes widened, and her sweat increased.

  "That's not all," I said, pulling out another card that had the picture of a school on it.  "On my way here, I called the elementary school, middle school, and high school of the same area. All the teachers told me the same thing...that you two were the best of friends, from the beginning of elementary school and throughout the rest of your school years!"

   She let out a scream, and one the cards vanished.  Finally, some progress.  I quickly began looking through the cards I held in my hand, looking for what to play next.

  "Y-yes, I knew her."

  Her body relaxed, and she stopped sweating.

  "Just as you said, we were the closest of friends.  So what!?  What does that have to do with anything!?"

  "Well," I said, grinning again, "why don't you tell me?  If she was so close to you,  I don't see any reason for you to hide it from me...unless something has changed..."

  Her sweat began increasing again.

  "W-what are you talking about!?  As y-you just said, we were the closest of friends!"

  "And 'were' is the right way of putting it," I said, pulling out another card, with the picture of a laptop.
  "On my little search, I didn't just find that picture of you two...I found a gap beginning three years ago, where neither of you had been seen together, nor seen talking to each other!  Neither of you have seen each other for about three years!!!"

  She screamed again, and another card disappeared.  Alright, only one more to go.

  "Y-yes...we haven't seen each other in awhile."

  Then she calmed down again, even more suddenly then last time.

  "But that's because I've been traveling!  Yes, I've been gone for three years!  I went to school somewhere in Indiana for three years to learn how to become a better reporter!  Nothing happened between us, I just wanted to become better at my job!"

  She smiled.  "See?  Nothing to hide!"

  I nodded.  "Indeed, that does sound quite plausible.  Most people would believe you."

  She smiled again.  "Yes, most people wo-"

  "Most people would," I said, grinning, "but you're in luck, there's someone here who doesn't!"

  She froze, unable to say anything.  I expected that though, what I was about to say what probably something she never expected.

  "It's funny..." I said, laughing.  I pulled out the last card I held.  The picture in the card was the picture of a male with one large spike of hair...me.

  "I can't believe I didn't think about it until now.  I'm a defense attorney, which you probably didn't know until now, and I seem to recall a case that occurred just about three years ago..."

  She began stuttering, pretty much sweating buckets.

  "Y-y-y-you w-were..."

  "That was my first case against Brea, ironically enough.  Her first loss as a prosecutor.  She took it incredibly hard, I remember...I still have a scar from a dagger she threw at me."   I laughed.

  "Funny thing was...the case was won by a single decisive piece of evidence...a piece of evidence that I remember came from a young reporter...just starting off her new career."

  I pointed my finger, directly at her, just as I had done in court so many times.

  "That reporter was you, wasn't it, Ms. Wolf!?  You were the one that gave the piece of evidence that broke Brea's perfect win streak!:

  She froze.  For a minute she just stood there, not saying a word.  Then...she started to bawl.  The final card disappeared.  I had won the battle.  I put the cards back in my pocket, and gave a somewhat of a bittersweet smile.

  "Since you're probably not in the best condition to explain it, allow me to do it for you.  Brea has a good heart...but she has a lot of pride.  She strives for perfection, and whenever something gets in her way, she tears it to pieces."

  I put my hand on her shoulder.

  "I'm guessing that when she realized that you were the one that presented the evidence, she flipped out on you.  You didn't blame her for it because you knew her as I do.  Instead, you blamed yourself for giving the evidence, and decided that you would only be a burden to her.  After that, you probably did go to Indiana, as you said, which is why I haven't seen you until now."

  I knelt down beside her.

  "...am I right?"

  She cried for a couple minutes longer, then finally started to wipe her eyes, which turned out to be pointless, as she began crying again afterwards.

  "Y...yes...about everything..."

  I stayed there for a minute, trying to think of what to do.  We'd been there for quite some time, someone was bound to be coming for her soon...but I didn't want to just leave her there.  It occurred to me that I still hadn't told her why exactly I was there, and that since she had told the truth, she deserved it from me.

  "Jenna," I said, standing up, "I didn't come here to learn all your secrets...I came here because I'm Brea's lawyer.  From what I've heard, you witnessed the crime."

  She looked up at me for a second, a surprised look on her face, and then proceeded to bawl once more.

  "I....I'm sorry!!!!  I didn't-"

  "I'm not holding it against you."

  She stopped crying, looking quite surprised.

  "W...what?"

  "You made a mistake," I said, wearing a serious expression.  "You ran away when you should have stayed.  What you did was perfectly understandable in your situation.  I have no right to chastise you...what you did wasn't even really a mistake.  I've made some pretty bad mistakes myself over these past few years..."

  I turned around.

  "Yes, you probably hurt Brea, but she was the one who hurt you first...and as Brea's lawyer, I'm not here to pound down everyone who hurt her.  I'm here to find out the truth, what really happened that night."

  She looked at me, quite curiously.

  "If you just wanted evidence...why did you talk to me?  Not just about my friendship with her, but about me as a person?"

  I turned my head, giving a half smile.

  "Because unlike most attorneys, I care."

  I turned my head forward, and then proceeded to walk away.  It hurt leaving her there, but I didn't want to be seen with her and starting any rumors.  Plus, I was done for the day.  Yes, I could have tried to get more information about what she had seen, but I had already caused her enough trouble for one day.  I was tired, and there really wasn't much else I could get.  The rest of the information could wait until tomorrow.

  I called Aaron, and I stayed at his place for the night.  We compared notes, ate supper, and then just sat around and talked about our lives for awhile.  It was nice, just having some time to relax, something I hadn't had in awhile.  Unfortunately, that didn't mean it was going to be easy getting to sleep tonight. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.  I had no choice...win the case, or lose everything.

                                                                                                          Chapter 2 End

We're almost there!

The end of Chapter 2 is coming soon!  Get ready folks, the court phase is almost here!

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Chapter 2 Part 5

   Finding Jenna wasn't as hard as I had originally thought it might be.  She was one of those "active" TV reporters, the kind that did their reporting from the scene of the event.  In other words, all I had to do was search for a nearby event or incident and she'd be there.  I called up Brandon, as he was one who generally wanted to be well informed.  Sure enough, he told me that a two car crash had occurred just before calling, and I headed in that direction right away.  She was there alright, with the same obnoxious chick too.

   I didn't talk to her right away.  For one, she was currently interviewing someone, and I didn't want to bother her.  Also, avoiding the annoying one was another priority...I was annoyed enough as it was.  And, secretly, I was a little nervous, but that's usual for me around people I haven't met before. In short, better to wait until she was done interviewing and then ask questions.

   It wasn't a long wait, I showed up just as they were ending.  Just as they began packing up, I heard Jenna mention that she needed to take a moment by herself, that the incident was getting her down. The incident looked pretty bad, but I doubted that was what she was depressed about.  Still, it was good luck; I would get to question her without interruption.  I followed her for a bit, avoiding her gaze as best as I could, and eventually she stopped in a nearby park.  I breathed in deep, straightened my hair, and walked towards her.

  "What's a fine lady like yourself doing in a place like this?" I asked.

  She turned around, fairly surprised.  It was expected, it's not very often you hear a comment like that.
 
  "Umm...do I know you?" She replied.

  I thought for I second before I replied.  It probably would be best to hide my identity as an attorney for now.  She was the prosecution's witness, and she may have been told not to reveal her information to me.  It wasn't for certain, but better safe than sorry.

  "No, I'm simply concerned.  You seemed a little depressed, and I was checking to see what's wrong."
 
  I offered my hand.

  "I'm Andrew Dalmin, and you are?"

  She hesitated for a second.

  "If you're wondering about autographs, I'm sorry, I'm not signing currently."

  "Wait, I'm not-"

  "And if you're going to drool over me like most of the disgusting pigs around here, please keep it to
yourself."

  My confidence drooped a tad.  The first minute of conversation and things were already going terrible.  The information said she was shy, but from the vibe I was getting, she seemed to have a negative opinion of people in general.  Great, just what I needed.

  I looked around for something, anything that would make her feel more comfortable talking.  If I didn't find a conversation topic soon, I wasn't going to get anything from her.  Just when I thought I was going to lose her interest entirely, I noticed something sticking out of her handbag: a notebook.  It looked just like one of the notebooks I had at home, one specifically designed for drawing.  To her surprise, I reached down and pulled it out of her bag.

  "Is this a drawing notebook?"  I asked.

  Her surprise was quickly mixed with embarrassment.  Once again, sometimes, expressions show more than words.

  "Can I take a look at this?"

  She looked even more embarrassed than before.

  "Well...um...I...uh..."

  Deciding it was the probably the best decision, I went ahead and opened it.  I was right, this was a drawing notebook, and her drawings weren't too shabby either.  Some of them were better than mine, and drawing had been a hobby of mine for years.  Granted, most of them were of ponies, something I wasn't particularly interested in, but they were well drawn, and in a unique cartoonish fashion too.

  "These are great!"  I said in a fairly praising tone.  "Unusually so!"

  Her face turned bright red.

  "No, they're really not..."

  I couldn't help but be surprised.

  "Are you kidding me?  These pictures are more than just impressive, let alone praise worthy!"

  If her face got any redder, I'd believe she was tomato.

  "Please, don't lie like..."

  I wasn't planning on backing down, not one bit.

  "Can you tell me about this...er...pony?  I'd like to know more about her.  It looks like you created her in great detail, I'm sure you've made a personality for her."

  She produced a little smile, and then quickly hid it.  Bingo, just what I was looking for.
  "You don't really mean that...do you?" she replied.

  "Of course!" I said, laughing.

  She still looked hesitant, but the smile was coming back.

  "...you're sure?"

  Just like with Sam, just like Brea, just like with many others, I looked her right in the eyes, like my dad had taught me to so many years ago.

  "You bet." I said, grinning.

  She stood there for a minute, the half-smile frozen on her face.  Then it became a full smile, and she whirled off her official coat, revealing what had to have been the most blindingly colorful shirt the universe had even known.  A close approximation would have been someone staring directly at the sun, without any form of sunglasses.  On the front was a blue pony with wings and multicolored hair.  The sudden change from dull grey to...whatever color that shirt was, blinded me so much that I pretty much did a backwards somersault (something I had never done before), and landed on my back.  She quickly ran over to me, panicking.

  "Are you okay?" She asked, sounding worried.

  I pushed myself up using my arms, and slowly stood up.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," I said, laughing.  "I just didn't expect you to be wearing...such a colorful shirt..."

  "You like it?" she said, smiling.

  "Uh...yeah...it's very....um...cute," I said, hoping that sounded convincing enough.

  "I know, right?  I had it custom-made, I couldn't find any shirts with Rainbow Dash on them in this color!"

  "I can't imagine why..." I said, once again hoping I sounded convincing.

  "I'm glad you like it!"  She blushed.  "Do you know much about Rainbow Dash?"

  I originally had asked about the drawings, but what you get is what you get.

  "Um...sure," I said, chuckling.  "Tell me all about her."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  We talked for quite a while.  She must've been on break, as no one came searching for her.  I learned more about ponies that day than possibly anything else ever.  She was eccentric and insistent, completely different than how she was acting earlier; not that I minded the change.  She seemed quite happy, and even if I didn't want to hear about what kind of wings the Pegasus had, if it makes her comfortable, that's fine with me.

  Just before she began talking about her other favorite show, I decided it was time to get the information I came for.

  "Jenna," I asked, wearing a somewhat serious expression, "can I ask you something"?

  "Sure!" she said, giggling, "what is it"?

  "Do you know a woman by the name of Brea Firehawk?"

  She froze instantly, her smile completely disappearing.  Out of all the questions I could have asked, that possibility probably didn't even begin to cross her mind.  Surprise, confusion, shock, all different kinds of emotions flashed across her face.  Realizing I noticed her behavior, she quickly hid it, and wore a nervous smile.

  "No...of course not!  Why...why, I've never...I've never even heard of the name before!"

  It was at that instant Jenna noticed two things.  One was that I had quite a strange smile on my face. The other was that my previously empty hands were holding what appeared to be a bunch of playing cards.  I chuckled, fingering the cards in my hand.  Let the game begin.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Chapter 2 Part 4

  Of course, I wasn't actually going to physically spy on Jenna.  Not only would that be quite creepy, it wouldn't give me the information I needed.  I didn't just want to know more about her, I also wanted to know her connection to Brea.   Eventually, I planned to meet with Jenna in person, and get it from the horse's mouth, but a little prior investigation never hurt anybody.
  I went to a nearby coffee shop, leaving Aaron at the crime scene.  I told him he could come with me if he wanted, but he said that there might be some clues at the scene left behind, and to go ahead and research Jenna without him.  Aaron may not be the brightest person I know, but he really does have a passion for his job, as well as a good heart.  And hey, in a place like this, those kind of people aren't exactly easy to find.
  I sat down at one of the tables, but didn't order anything.  It wasn't that the coffee was particularly bad, I just wasn't in the mood for any, and kind of short and cash as well.  Instead, I opened my carrying case and brought out my personal laptop, "Buddy".  Cheesy, I know, but sometimes I feel like this laptop is the only true friend I have anymore.  
  It didn't take me long at all to find her on the internet.  TV reporters are fairly popular individuals, and the internet isn't exactly free of gossip.  As Aaron had said, her name was Jenna Wolf, 23 years old, TV reporter for the local news.  Most called her a fairly shy person, with quite the mature appearance, which made sense to me.  However, after searching for a little while, I began to understand that there was more to this person than meets the eye.  While appearing mature, she was actually quite an energetic person when not concealed by social barriers, quite childish even.  She had quite the interest in super heroes, a popular kid's show, a show about time travel, and lots of other things.  Interesting.
  For the next while, what I mostly found was more proof of things I had figured out, but nothing new.  That is, until I looked up pictures of her.  After passing quite a few pictures of her, there was one that caught my eye.  She looked much younger, and was playing with another girl at a school playground.  At first, I couldn't figure out why it had stuck out to me, then I took my attention to the girl she was playing with.   She seemed...a little familiar.  I stared at it for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was sparking in my memory, and then it hit me.  This was a picture of Jenna playing with our very own Brea.  I guess knowing her to be such a violent and scary person, I didn't expect her to look so cute as a child.   I smiled at the thought.  If Brea saw my face right now, she would probably kill me.
  Further investigation proved Jenna and Brea were obviously childhood friends, very close ones at that. They met in a elementary school which both of them lived by, and became friends almost immediately. Interesting, how such different personalities can create such amazing friendships.
  While it may have seemed like I had gathered all the info I needed, there was something that didn't make sense.  Indeed, their friendship was incredibly strong, but the evidence of that ends about three years ago.  It wasn't even subtle.  On their blogs, their pages, their info, all trace of one talking to the other ended instantly at that time period.  Also, I had never heard of this Jenna person until now.  Even though Brea and I weren't exactly close, I should have at least seen the two of them together at some point.  Why the sudden gap?  Did something happen between the two of them?
  I turned off my laptop and put it away.  There was nothing more the internet could do for me.  The silence spoke louder than words; both Jenna and Brea kept the answer a secret, and no one but themselves knew what it was.  I stood up and walked out the door, armed with new knowledge and a new mission.  Time to see how "decisive" this witness really was.

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

   Chapter 2 Part 3

   Upon entering the crime scene, it became quite apparent of just how sketchy the restaurant was.  It had occurred in an alley behind the restaurant.  To describe it simply, it looked almost exactly like how dark alleyways are portrayed in movies.  It was certainly dark, bar a single light by the back door, and it wasn't the brightest light ever.  The alleyway was covered in graffiti, and the walls looked like they were going to collapse.  This certainly was a good place for illegal activity, especially murder.
   Apparently, the prosecutor had meant what he said.  There was not a single policeman around, and the place looked completely untouched, besides white tape around where the body used to be.  To be honest, it was a little worrying.  Granted, what the prosecutor had said sounded like complete overconfidence, but then again Brandon used to have the same overconfidence and he certainly wasn't a pushover.
   "No, Andrew," I consoled myself, "You are not going to win or lose this battle depending on who's better, you are going to win this battle because you have to."
   I began looking for evidence right away.  As I soon realized, not having the police here was actually not as good as I had originally thought.  I had no idea how the man was murdered, what he was murdered with, when he was murdered, and all of those answers had been taken away with the body.  I couldn't help but swear under my breath.  Sometimes, I swear fate loves to mess with me.
  "Why aren't you investigating?" Aaron said, walking up behind me.
   "Aaron, there's nothing here to investigate.  Normally, we'd gather all we could from the policemen, and then use the info they gave us to find anything out of place in the crime scene."
   "Well then why don't we ask...oh."
   Aaron's face drooped instantly.
   "Aaron, Since they're not here to ask, we don't know what to look for.  We might be able to find a few things that could be out of place, but nothing that could be called evidence.  It's pretty much pointless."
   We both stood there for a minute, taking in the whole situation.  This new setback meant that there wouldn't be any sharing of evidence until we were in the courtroom, giving us no preparation time and an even slimmer chance at winning an already impossible case.  Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.
  Suddenly, I heard something.  Two voices, at the entrance to the crime scene.
  "Aaron, get behind that box, someone's coming."
  Both of us quickly ducked behind the box, wondering who could possibly be coming to a place like this.  Hilariously enough, one side of the box had been taken out, and peekholes had been drilled into side facing the entrance.  Just how criminal was this place anyways?
  Curious as usual, I went into the box and looked through the peekholes.  It was a woman...no, two women.  One was unusually tall and wore a professional looking uniform.  The other was about average height and was carrying around quite the camera.
  "Are those TV reporters?"  Aaron said questioningly. "What are they doing here?"
  "Shhhh!" I whispered. "Be quiet and listen!"
  We both put our ears against the peekholes and listened.
  "Ugh...this place stinks!" Said one of the women.  "Oh my god, like, they should, like, clean this place out or something."
  Oh no.  Not an obnoxious female, not now.
  "Please stop complaining," said the other woman.  "I dealt with your hour-long complaint about your boyfriend earlier, I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."
  Finally.  Someone with common sense.
  "Oh fine," said the annoying one with disgust. "It's not like I wanted to be, like, your partner anyways."
  "I wasn't exactly happy about being yours either.  How much perfume did you put on this morning?"
  "Not enough.  It's going to take, like, five hours to like, get this stench off of me."
  "Believe me, it's an improvement."
  "Ugh..."
   Wanting to get a better picture of the two, I looked through the peekhole again.  The normal sized one was fairly skinny, absolutely covered in pink (including her hair), and had enough makeup on to bring Bratz dolls to shame.  The other one had black hair in a ponytail and was much plainer.  She looked fairly mature compared to the other woman, probably the one that wasn't annoying.   The annoying one put her hands on her hips.
   "Like, why are we here anyways?  There's, like, nothing here but garbage."
   The taller one rolled her eyes.
   "You didn't have to follow me.  You can go hang out at the entrance if you want."
   "You could've, like, told me that, like, hours ago."
   "We've only been here for a few minutes."
   "Whatever."
   The annoying one stomped away, and I mean stomped away.  The whole look of disgust, closed eyes, arms straight down.  If she entered a competition on "Most Dramatic Woman in the World", she would at least make second place.
  The taller woman looked around, and then began walking toward us.  Uh oh, this wasn't expected.  I quickly turned to Aaron.
  "Aaron, don't make a sound.  Quiet your breathing if you have to."
  Thankfully, she didn't appear to notice us.  She walked right past the box and headed towards the area where the body had been.  She stopped in front of it and stared at it blankly.  Aaron instinctly attempted to yell at her for touching the crime scene, but I quickly covered his mouth before he could say a word.
  Then, for no reason, she began to cry.  I couldn't help but stare at her.  Why was she crying?  Was she related to the victim?  Was she his lover?  Were they good friends?   Why did she come here?
  "I'm sorry..." she blurted out through snuffles, as I continued to watch in growing curiosity.  Was she confessing something?
  "I know you didn't do it...you were tough, but you never had enough anger to actually kill someone..."
  Wait a minute...does she mean...
  "Everyone says you did it, and I know the evidence points to it...."
  Evidence?  She knows something about the murder?
  "...but I know it wasn't you...I don't care what it looked like, it couldn't have been you.  And yet tomorrow I am going to have to testify against you..."
  Wait, could it be...did she witness the crime?
  "...so I just came here to say that I'm sorry, for everything that's happened to you ever since he left..."
  Wait...what!?  She knows about...was she that...
  "...hopefully, all of this will blow over someday, and we'll be friends, just like we used to be."
  She turned around and walked towards the exit, still crying.  She stopped at the exit, said a few words to her companion, and both of them walked out of sight.  I sat there for a few minutes, putting together everything I had just heard.  She had obviously been apologizing to Brea, my client.  She sounded close to her, although I had never seen her before.  It also sounded like she was a witness to the crime, though she may not have actually seen it.  She was clearly connected to the crime, that much was certain.
  I turned to Aaron, a plan hatching in my head.
  "Aaron...do you know who that reporter is?"
  He nodded.  "She's Jenna Wolf, one of the reporters for the TV station nearby.  Why?"
  I ran my hands through my spike of hair.  "Remember the time I told you about my time in elementary school?"
  He nodded again.  "Yeah, you said you spent most of it spying on girls with a group of boys."
  I grinned. "Time to revisit the past."
 
   

Parenting: Shyruni's Thoughts

Hey everybody, and happy 4th of July!   Today is the day we celebrate the freedom our country possesses, and how we obtained this freedom.  So, honoring today, I'm going to write a ridiculously long rant about how all children should have absolute freedom under their parents and never listen to a word they say.  Haha, I'm just kidding.

However, today I am going to talk about parenting, and I have a few reasons for doing so.  Over the last while, I've had lots of complaints from friends about their parents, but not "they won't let me do that" or "they didn't let me get that" or any sort of whining.  In fact, most of what I've heard recently is about parents yelling at their children, discouraging their children, mentally abusing their children, and sometimes just ignoring them entirely, most of them being so called "Christian" families.

Now, nothing I say today is something you have to listen to.  I'm not prophet, and while some think I'm wise, I certainly don't believe I know everything.  I will not be laying down any names, nor will I be blaming any.  These are some of my "opinions" on parenting, some that I believe would be good to cover.  Yes, I'm no parent, but I believe that a child's input on parenting is certainly not something to completely overlook.  Anyways, here we go.

1. "Because"

One of the most common complaints of children is when parents avoid a question.  They ask "why", or "why not", and the parent answers "because I said so", or just plain "because".  Before you parents freak out, I am not saying that there aren't reasons for those responses.  Children are still maturing, and generally don't have a full grasp of the world around them, so quite often you'll have reasons that you won't be able to explain to your children, or shouldn't explain to them.  I understand that completely, those instances make perfect sense to me.

What I am here to criticize is the consistent use of it.  One way of phrasing it is simply "It's not the use of it that's the problem, it's the abuse of it that's the problem".  As a parent you have tremendous power, whether you believe it or not.  Generally, no matter how rebellious the child is, the child desires to be looked proudly upon by their parents, and while they may not honor it entirely, generally they do honor your position at least somewhat, and that "somewhat" is a huge amount of power if you think about it.

Fact is, as a parent, it's probably tempting to use that phrase quite a bit.  Any time your child disagrees with you is obviously obnoxious, so it's very easy to say something like that to simply end the conversation.  While it is sometimes necessary, the constant use of it is VERY dangerous.  The overuse is what I believe to be one the greatest ways in which children lose respect for their parents.  As children grow up, they'll want to hear reasons for the disapproval, which is why they will ask "why" or "why not".  If you continue to use it, they could easily begin to wonder if you actually HAVE any reasoning in those situations, and can result in distrust and/or further rebellion.  Sometimes it can even result in depression, as the child begins to wonder if you trust them or not.

Even though you might not think you do it that much, make sure to check on yourself and think back.  As being the result of power, using it is a temptation, and temptation is not an easy thing to sway.  It is just as easy to say to your younger siblings, your employees, or any one of a lower position, and can just as easily become an issue.  Just be wary of it.

2. Your Opinions

Opinions.   We all have them, and since you've lived quite a long time, I imagine you have quite a few of your own.  Our opinions and beliefs affect the way we think, what we do, and so much more.  Sometimes, quite often actually, it even affects other people...including your children.

Once again, before you freak out at me, trying to raise your children up with your opinions isn't exactly a bad thing, and sometimes even the enforcement of them is necessary.  However, be very careful with that mindset.  Remember that opinions are yours.  Yes, you are their parents, but your opinions are your creations, and thus you have no right to enforce them upon your children.  It may be beneficial in certain circumstances, but you don't have a "God-given right" to simply raise all your children under your opinions and your opinions alone.

Say, for example, your child has obtained a love for pop music.  However, you as a parent have quite the distaste for pop music.  What can result is the parent continually harassing it, getting mad at your for doing it, and sometimes, not allowing it at all.  This is another very dangerous habit, as it can easily make your child lose their opinion of you entirely, or go into depression, grow a hate for you, or many other negative possibilities.  Yes, there's nothing wrong with kindly asking your children to take your opinions into consideration, and sometimes the enforcement is good...but it isn't always.  Just be cautious of your use of it.

3. God-given right

This is not exactly an opinion, but a quick response against a complaint that could possibly happen.  Simply, the bible verse that states you must obey your parents.  I am NOT saying that it is okay to disobey your parents at any given moment.  I do agree with that bible verse, and do believe that even if it seems wrong, it is our duty as Christian children to follow their orders.

What it DOESN'T mean, is that whatever decision you make as a parent is right.  Yes, you are probably more mature than your children, and often more intelligent, THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT.  Yes, your children should obey you.  But then if you think about it, that means that your children, who are less mature and intelligent than you, are doing the right thing while you are doing the wrong thing.  Yeah, that's pretty bad.  Anyways, moving on.

4. Punishment

Children do things they shouldn't, as all human beings do, as all should expect.  No one's perfect, especially not children.  In those cases, you often punish your children for their disobedience, and hope they learn a lesson for it.    And no, I am not going to say that I believe that punishment is wrong.

What I believe is that ONLY punishment is wrong.  While children need to be disciplined, they also need to be EQUALLY rewarded for their obedience and for accomplishments.  This is something I think is VERY absent these days, especially in our quite pessimistic culture.   We tend to focus on the negative more than the positive, and in parenting that is a VERY BAD THING.

There are so many possible negative results from this, I almost feel like not listing them.  Rebellion, for one.  After all, who wants to listen to someone that only nags at them most of the time?  Anger is another possibility, which has multiple other bad results it can cause.  Your children can become afraid of you, and not want to talk to you at all.  Frustration, sadness, hurt, etc, etc, etc...

However, this specific problem is something I believe is possibly the greatest cause of one of the most common issues among our culture today...depression.  Yes, depression.  You, as their parent, are generally one of the people your children will try to impress the most.  You have fed them, taken care of them, and tutored them, so they greatly expect your opinion.  So if all you do is nag at them, their self-opinion can take quite a dive...sometimes fatally so.   I believe that this parenting issue is probably involved in most suicide incidents.  In other words, this is no laughing matter.  Don't spoil your kids rotten, but don't only look at their negative side either.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that is all I have for today.  Once again, these are simply my opinions, and I as a Christian have no right to enforce anything upon you.  What I have given you is simply things I would encourage you to consider throughout your day.  Am I doing one of these things more than I realize?  Is one of these issues apparent in my family?  Is this an issue that needs to get looked at?  Just a few things to think about.  Thank you, and have a wonderful day.

Digimon: Copyright Infringement, or Spiritual Successor?

Ahh...Digimon.  All the memories come flooding back to me.  The adventures, the battles...ah, those were good times.

Excuse me?  You say you've never heard of Digimon?  Well to be honest, I'm not surprised.  The first thing you probably thought upon looking at this was "What's this?  Another Pokemon knockoff?"   Yes, what I'm about to tell you about is very similar to Pokemon, and was created after...however, I'm not here to nail the whole thing down.  In fact, I'm here today to prove to you that Digimon should in fact have been Pokemon's successor, and not just copyright infringement waiting to happen.



First, let's look at the physical differences between Pokemon and Digimon, and how what they are relates to their world.

Pokemon are basically overdone versions of ordinary creatures. Pikachu, for example, is an electric mouse.  It has many normal traits and features similar to a mouse, and yet is superior to a mouse.  It can produce electricity, is much larger, and is the color yellow.  Despite being superior animals, however, Pokemon are still the creatures of their world.  In other words, humans are still their superiors.  While Pokemon seem to have a greater intelligence than the creatures in our world (especially some), they still mostly run off of instinct, and lack a soul.  Humans use them to make work easier, to do things humans couldn't do, and simply as pets.  Most commonly, however, humans known as "Trainers" will use their Pokemon in battles, in order to bring the Pokemon to it's maximum potential, and for the glory of the trainer.

This is the first, and probably biggest problem with the Pokemon series.  Throughout the series to keep it more for children and to keep animal rights groups off their back, it is quite often referenced that it's a partnership between Pokemon and humans, and that it is throughout love alone that trainers become great.  This, unfortunately, as most Pokemon fans know, isn't that true.  Yes, trainers do have relationships with their Pokemon, but you have to remember that Pokemon are still inferior to humans.  Yes, they're strong, but they're just like normal creatures in their reliance on instinct.  Unfortunate as it may be, humans have the intelligence to bend Pokemon to their will, and they really do. Humans have created small balls that have the capability of not just capturing these creatures, but in some ways brainwashing them, making them obey their trainer's orders.  In short, Pokemon really are slaves to humans, no matter how you look at it.  Granted, I still love the series anyways, but I can't deny the fact that it is a flaw.



Digimon, however are different.  Digimon are beings completely composed of data, and yet have a physical form.  They exist not in the human world, but rather, in a different dimension, known as the Digital World, where there is only Digimon.

Unlike Pokemon, Digimon have the intelligence of humans.  They can talk, think, create, and do basically anything a human could (bar some creatures without arms).  Some are less intelligent than others, but the majority have almost all the capabilities of humans, including a soul.  Instead of being superior creatures, it's really a different race of beings, living in their own universe.

When Digimon and humans team up, it IS true partnership.  They're smart enough to become their full potential without the help of humans, and humans have no way of forcing Digimon to join them.  When a Digimon and a human work together, it is through legitimate friendship.  In battles, Digimon are the fighters, while humans become somewhat of support units, healing their friends, and using technology to help the fighters become even more powerful.   It's really a big difference between Pokemon and Digimon, even though it doesn't look like it from a glance.



Next up is their stories.  Pokemon isn't exactly the kind of game that is played for the story.  While is has gotten better over the years, it's still quite childish and not really that intense.  The show is quite the same way, and while the first couple seasons can be appealing to adults, even some children despise where the show is today/

Digimon on the other hand, is a bit more story focused.  Unlike Pokemon, the world of Digimon is a bit of chaotic place.  It's survival of the fittest in the Digital universe, meaning that there is lots of fighting, blood, and death.  Let's go to season one as our example.  Season one begins with a group of kids somehow ending up in the Digital world.  Fortunately for them, they meet a group of Digimon who are willing to help them get back to their home...and I mean fortunately.   It becomes quite apparent for the kids that this is a battle for survival.  There are countless times throughout the first season where one of the kids could have died, many Digimon are wounded, and some do actually die.  I think there's even a part where some of the kids almost die, and I don't mean through some silly, 4kidsish death, I mean from physical wounds.  Yeah, much more violent than Pokemon.

When the humans finally return to their world, a powerful Digimon comes as well, and things become dangerous again.  This single Digimon threatens the universe, and the kids once again come together with their Digimon and challenge it.  This is one again proof of Digimon intelligence, as the evil Digimon isn't trying to kill humans because he is being controlled by a human, or even suggested by a human.  He's just a powerful Digimon come to do as he pleases in this new world.

I could go on and on about the series, but I'm not going to.  The point is that the series is more serious, more violent, and more intensive than Pokemon is...in other words, better.  There's nothing wrong with Pokemon's intended audience, but as you get older, you get farther away from that intention.  Digimon is, in my opinion, Pokemon for the adult.  It has the same concept as Pokemon, teaming up with powerful creatures and beating down all opposition, but in a less childlike fashion.



That's all I got for now about why Digimon is better.  There are more things I could point out, but I think I pointed out the main two differences.  So next I want to cover just why Digimon never hit it in America.  It actually was quite popular in Japan, and it might still be, I don't know.  However, in America, the audience is different.  Here, teenagers and adults are generally more interested in things like Call of Duty, Skyrim, and such.  Pokemon is generally more for the younger kids in America, and while there are quite a few older kids (me included) who enjoy the series, it's mostly younger children.

Fact is, this is one of those series that isn't shot down because it's bad, it's shot down because it looks like Pokemon.  Those who hate Pokemon take one look at the art, and deny it because it looks like Pokemon, and Pokemon fans deny it because they think it's just another copy.  Just like many good games, they're unpopular simply because people didn't dive in and look at it for what it was.  If Pokemon didn't exist, this series may have taken off in America.  It's not that Pokemon intended to ruin it in America, it was just something that just happened.



Now those of who have stuck with me this far and are interested in looking deeper into this series, here's a couple options.  If you want to learn about the story, there's both anime and manga for it.  You probably won't find them in regular stores, but hey, that's what the internet is for, right?


As for video games, my general recommendation is Digimon Dusk or Dawn.  I own Dusk, and I love it to death.  It's fairly cheap, and certainly worth the money.  It's a great game to get you started into the Digimon universe.



Digimon World 4 is also a great option, especially if you enjoyed Pokemon Rescue Team.  In this game, you are in the Digimon World as Digimon, and you're part of an organization sort of like the our police department.  Mysterious and dark things are happening in the digital world, and it's your job to fix it.  Unlike most, if not all other Digimon games, this one is an action rpg, where you actually move around as the digimon and fight with weapons in action based combat.  It's even 4-player co-op, which I have found to be very fun.  It's for both the Playstation 2 and Gamecube, so if you see it while browsing a game store, I certainly recommend it to you.