AWKWARD ZOMBIE

"You think I had a choice, hawkeye?!?!?"

"I don't think....you fully grasp the gravity of my decision. None of you do."

Pierce reaches into his pocket and pulls out a photograph. He tosses it onto the ground for the others to see.

The photograph shows two eagles standing in front of a large building. A giant ribbon blocks the door.



The PANK eagle holds a pair of scissors.

"I did keep one thing from that letter...."

Joe tapped his foot on Punchy's head.
"Now, now, Whitney, his confession just ensured that we could all go on living. On top of that, throughout this trial, he never tried to put the blame on you and outright defended you when you were the most suspicious."
Joe turned towards Pierce.
"I would like to hear more about this letter, if that's alright with you."

Pierce points to the photo.

"This is her. This is Amelia. Do you want to know where she is now?"

"She's lying comatose in an Intensive Care Unit far away from this place, back in our hometown."

"This photograph was taken the day Eaglette Corporation announced it's grand opening."

"You see, when our parents passed away, Amelia and I inherited their entire estate. We decided to use the cheddar to start our own business, with me as the CEO and Amelia as CFO."

"Our business thrived! We quickly rose in power as a corporation, and I have no doubt in my mind that it was all due to how well she and I were able to complement each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"Then one day, I received exciting news! Our corporation was to form a merger with another business, a financial giant! We would have become a household name. I handled negotiations, and Amelia handled the necessary paperwork, which I would then review and send out."

"But then, the day before the merger took place...."

"Pierce, we've got a problem. Tanooki Industries says that they don't have Form I-16N on file.

"I-I don't understand what happened.... Pierce.... We need that file, or the deal is off!"

"What?!? Amelia! You were supposed to review that form and sign for it! This was the single most important business deal of our career!"

"You're blaming me?!? Excuse me, my dear brother, but I DID sign that form! I sent it to your office!"

"What are you talking about?!? I never got the form! Your job is to make sure all important business transactions are sent to the proper locations to be notarized!"

"I trusted you, Amelia!!!"

".........."

"With an angry glare as her only response, Amelia left the room, slamming my door behind her. It was the first argument I'd had with my sister in my entire life."

"I was told later that day that Amelia went home early, as she was feeling ill."

"Then I found the form, buried under a group of business letters. In my excitement over the merger, I had neglected to notice it sitting on my desk. Sure enough, Amelia's signature was on it, ready for my approval."

"I felt awful about it. I had blamed Amelia for my own mistake.So I decided to go home and apologize to her."

"Then I found her lying on the ground just inside the door to our house."

"I called 911 and the paramedics rushed her to the hospital."

"Amelia was diagnosed with a rare disease, which attacks its victims central nervous system and leaves them in a comatose state, where they will eventually die unless stabilized. There's....there's no know cure."

"I pored all of my personal funds and much of Eaglette Corporation's into research for a cure....to no avail."

"That's when I got the letter inviting me to Hope Town. I knew it was my one chance to save her."

"Then all this happened....the train wreck.....the murders.... When Nook promised me the chance for Amelia's recovery, I.....I had to take it! What was I supposed to do?!?!? She's the only family I have left!"

Pierce is crying uncontrollably.

"Th-the only f-family....I have.....left."

"S-so I began to plot, but I c-couldn't think of h-how to murder anyone without being caught."

"Then me, Whitney, and C-cranston found that map, and I knew that was my opportunity."

"Forgive me, Whitney.....but someone has to take the blame if Amelia is to be saved."

"And Amelia....please forgive me, too. I'm doing this for you....."

"Everything went exactly like I planned. I invited Whitney to my house, walked her home, stole her keys and ID as we parted ways, stabbed Cranston with my beak, and went home for the night."

"The next morning, I waited for Whitney to leave for the plaza in order to fabricate evidence using her belongings....but she never went to the plaza."

"I visited her house, and she was passed out inside! I honestly don't know who drugged her, but it wasn't me...That was never the plan."

"I saw it as an opportunity, hiding her keys and ID in Cranston's house and the map and Cranston's keys at her house."

"It won't be long now, Amelia. Whitney will take the fall for the murder....I can leave this horrid place.....and we can be together again.....

Pierce looks at Whitney through teary eyes.

"I.....honestly considered you a friend, hawkeye. Because....well....."

Pierce gestures to the photo again.

"You remind me of her. I suppose that's not a wise reason to trust someone....but it felt right to me. That's why I placed so much of my trust in you. And also why...."

Pierce's eyes become darker.

"...I decided not to kill you."

Pierce looks at the group.

"Is it really so strange that I killed Cranston? Don't all of YOU have loved ones? People you'd do ANYTHING for?"

Pierce looks at Isabelle.

"And what about you? Do you have a family? A father? Mother? Siblings of your own, perhaps? You seem so shocked that I would do this.....but I was only trying to protect....what matters most to me...."

Whitney averted her gaze. "I understand your decision," she said. "Were I in your position, I might have done the same. But that doesn't forgive your actions against me, and it won't help Cranston. He trusted you, too. And you betrayed that. Becoming a murderer didn't help you, and it won't help your sister."

Pierce nods.

"I wouldn't expect you to forgive me.....just to understand."

Pierce gives a sad smile.

"Although this isn't how I would have wanted it to end, I still have hope that I'll see Amelia again....once I leave this place."

Pierce presses his own button.

"Heh, for an aristocrat, you turned out to be more honorable than I expected."
Joe hops off of Punchy's head, flies over to his podium, and lands on Pierce's button.

Punchy, crying hard, slams Pierce's button.

Holy crap guys slow down. I haven't even got my paranoia hat back on yet. I didn't even get a letter detailing what I would get if I killed someone.
Lucky presses Pierce's button. "I'm sorry Pierce. If there's a way, I'll try to help your sister. I don't know how, but I'll try to find a way."

Kamak said you were just supposed to imagine something. Those letters were really just a plot device I came up with to get Pierce in murder mode.

"I appreciate it....but I think she's suffered long enough. The doctors tried to persuade me to allow her to be taken off life support, and I refused. I was convinced I could save her. That she...."

Pierce chokes up.

"....That she didn't have to die!"

"*Sniff...* But now I see that was a selfish way of thinking. I can't imagine how much pain she's had to endure because I was too stubborn to let her go. I was too selfish to realize what was best for Amelia."

"All the pain caused to Amelia....to Cranston....to Whitney....."

"It's all because I was so greedy for my sister to stay alive, with me."

"Is her fate really that certain?"

Joe glares at Pierce. "You say that you should have let go of your sister a long time ago, especially before you killed Cranston. However, you refused to let go of her, and sacrificed Cranston to that end. To let go now would be making the both of your deaths meaningless, no?"

"If you would have your death and Cranston's death both prove meaningless, then we will relay your will to the doctors taking care of her, and have them take her off life support. If you would use his and your sacrifice to your advantage, then we will search for a cure in this town. This town is the only possible place that has a cure for her disease, right? That's why you came here."

"So, which do you choose for your sister? The potential fruits of the future, or the fruitlessness of the past?"

Didn't get home until an hour ago. Had a tea drinking lab~

"The votes are in, let's see if you're correct, upupu..."

TOM NOOK'S SLOT MACHINE



JACKPOT!!!



"Jolly good show, you bastards! Looks like we'll have another wonderful spectacle of despair tonight~"

Timmy and Tommy leave town hall and lock the door behind them.

"But first, as part of proper ettiquette, I feel that I haven't been quite fair to our murderer here."

"You see, the other day we just happened to get a letter in the mail for you, but in all of the excitement of the last case, it seemed to have slipped my mind until now."

"Perhaps now is the time to set things right and reveal the truth."

"Tom, don't do this!"

"You see, this is a letter... from your sister, Amelia. And it reads as follows."

Tom Nook's Eye-Watering Despair-Inciting Dramatic Letter Reading.



Man the tissues.

"Pierce. I think I should start this letter out with an apology, but before that, I'm sure you're going to wonder how I'm writing to you. The doctors, they found a cure, a last resort option that saved my life. They deem it a medical miracle, and I will be forever grateful to you for holding out hope and keeping me alive to see this day.

The day we had our fight, I wasn't in the right state of mind. I left on such a sour note, but you know, neither of us expected things to turn out the way it did. You cannot imagine the pain I felt all of those years, locked in my own body, constantly mulling over the fact that I may not get the chance to ever make things right with you. The pain you must have felt, the unwarranted guilt... It's all my fault for that.

But, there's a ray of hope through all of this. You're safe in Hope Town, after all. I can rest easily knowing that you'll be safe there.

Due to reasons you probably understand, I cannot visit you, and the pain of knowing I'll never see you again weigh heavily on me, after all, we've been there for eachother our whole lives. I also know, my time here is short. Pierce, they discovered another disease this morning with no cure and only a few months of survivability. My body is slowly poisoning itself. I'm scared of dying alone, I think I can admit that at least to myself and you.

I've been meaning to write this letter for awhile, but I couldn't find the strength to put the words together to tell you.

You've been so dedicated to me and caring, when other people just discard their family members in the hospital and let them rot. I've had fun reading all of the letters and cards you've written for me, and admired all of the paper cranes you've made, even if your technique makes them look like pteradactyls.

I do not blame you for your mistake. If you were a terrible brother you would not have done this much for me. Bt, I feel like you've done too much. You've lost so much of you life on me, and though I truly appreciate it with all of my heart, I need you to forget about me. To promise me that you won't waste your life on me.

Pierce, follow your own dreams, and make your own adventures. You're a free eagle. You don't even have to follow the dreams we built together. Just do what you want to do with your life.

Because you deserve it for being the best brother a girl could ask for.

Though I'll never see you again, I will be there rooting for you in everything you do.

Your Sister Always,

Amelia"

"T-Tom! Why w-would you do this?" Isabelle says through her tears.

"I feel it necessary to let them die at peace. Besides, you knew the truth behind what happened to his sister too. Why didn't you tell him earlier?"

Isabelle looks at her feet, her tears gently hitting the ground making sounds like "pit pat"

"I didn't think he would kill someone. I know Pierce. I thought... he was stronger. I wanted to protect him until..."

"Until what? You help end the game? Did you forget that even you don't know who the mayor is, despite being their right hand bitch? Did you think you could reveal them and escape this town with all of your "friends"? Don't you see what they're capable of?"

"Pierce is just like the rest of the dredges of society. You wave a bone in their face, and no matter how well off they are, they'll bite, because they always want more."

"You're wrong! And you're a monster!"

"I am what the world made me, just like all of you. The difference is that I'm willing to embrace my true nature while you hide under righteous facades."

A chill goes through the town hall. The relevation of the contents of Amelia's letter is staggering.