Ballad in White

## Story

### **6 Years Ago**

Tsukasa's business of making pastry items was going down the drain. She wasn't making any sort of profit. She decided to use people as an ingredient in her food products. That is when she began to hunt people during the night, using the spells Snodain and Fredom to trap her victims. However, she was never caught, as when the crime scene was finished being investigated, she smashed the person trapped in Fredom, took their parts, leaving nothing there, except their head, and made pastry out of them. She has hence been given the name "Snow Witch".

### **2 Years Ago**

Maya was taken in by Tsukasa in her time of need, teaching her how to make bread. Maya's family was eventually wiped out by the Snow Maiden, leaving her to fend for herself. Tsukasa, feeling a bit guilty in taking away Maya's family from her, took her in. Thus, their relationship began.

### **3 Days Ago**

Dee Vasquez uncovered Tsukasa's secret ingredient and warned her that she was on to her. She also expressed that she will be keeping an eye on her, believing that she is actually the Snow Witch, but without proof, the town wouldn't believe her. **Vasquez sent a letter, albeit the sender is unknown. The letter is written in sloppy cursive.**

### **During the Murder**

Tsukasa knew that giving Vasquez more time to figure everything out was a bad idea, she decided that it was time to strike. Vasquez was the town's most famous artist, and Wednesday nights were known to have her go out in search of inspiration. She prepared herself to embark on her quest.

**11:22PM**
Maya baked a loaf of bread to give to Tsukasa, but she didn't want to give it to her yet. This bread was the last one baked during the night, and it had Tsukasa's "secret ingredient" within it. However, Maya was no expert in making bread yet, so it came out awful looking, and reaked of rotting flesh. **The secret ingredient is people. Something inspired from Sweeney Todd.**

**11:36PM**
Seeing that her supplies of dough, milk and other things was low, Tsukasa went out to gather some ingredients, telling Maya that she would be back. Tsukasa headed out, during the night to gather more "ingredients". But her true motive was to kill Vasquez.

**11:40PM**

* Vasquez was out in the night, taking a stroll, trying to find inspiration for her next drawing. She left her house at 11:40PM, leaving a note behind that said she was taking a stroll. She headed towards the middle of the West Shopping Area, where it then started snowing (11:44PM). No one else was around during this time, so Vasquez was hopeless. She knew that this snow was unnatural and that it was caused by the Snow Maiden. She dropped her notebook and pen on the floor, and then started running. She eventually tripped on the floor, and flipped herself upward, seeing the face of her murderer.
* When Maya saw the snow coming down (11:44PM), she knew that it was the Snow Maiden, the same person that killed her parents. Because she held a grudge against the Snow Maiden, she set out in search of her.

**11:46PM**

* Tsukasa confronted Vasquez, who was on the floor in shock. Before Tsukasa froze Vasquez with the spell Fredom, Vasquez screamed for help. Maya, who was near the West Shopping Area, heard the scream and headed in that direction.
* It was also during this time that Apollo, Colias and Misty heard the scream, so they rushed to the crime scene.

**11:50PM**

* Maya made it to the crime scene where Vasquez was located, but the snow was too much for her to see, so she only saw a shadow, which was Tsukasa's, but she couldn't tell at the time. The word "Retra" was uttered by Tsukasa, and the snow slowly stopped falling. Using this time to escape, Tsukasa dropped her Talea Magica on the floor, which was dropped near Maya, and ran away from the crime scene, towards the Town Centre.
* Apollo arrived from North Parade Avenue. Misty from Town Square. Colias from his house within West Shopping Area. When they arrived, they saw a frozen statue of Dee Vasquez and Maya standing there, with the Talae Magica on the floor. The snow eventually cleared, and Maya was arrested.

## Trial

* Morgan, who visits the Defender Team within the Waiting Hall, alerts everyone that Dee Vasquez' body is nowhere to be found. However, she claims that it cannot be the Snow Witch, as even the head was missing. Despite the spell Snodain being activated, it doesn't automatically mean it's the Snow Witch.

### Personnel

* Victim
* Defendant