Amidst the candlelight, a figure sits cross-legged on a bed, head held high, penning an entry in his diary.
"This is a very holy place. I love it, in the name of the Holy Father..."
"Hello!"
A GUNSHOT! And then... nothing.
Chapter 1: Phoenix's Greatest Mistake
The doors of the courtroom lobby swung open, and a blue-suited lawyer cartwheeled in. "I am READY for this trial!"
Phoenix Wright glanced over his court record, prepared to examine the evidence, only discover he had zilch. Not even his badge, which he would otherwise wear proudly upon his lapel, was nowhere to be seen. He slowly straightened up, aware of the bailiff's inquisitive stares, as reality settled in. He swung back in despair. "I'm NOT ready!" he exclaimed, and in that moment, he felt himself spiral down the stairs of hierarchy from a noble attorney to Moe the Clown.
"Aww, you're not?" asked the bewildered defendant, a professional researcher of the afterlife and other such supernaturalities known by many as Dr. Heavens. "You're killing me here, man!"
Phoenix shook his head, but it was no surprise. The fact was, he had only taken this case at the very last possible second. That is to say, he was just strolling around the court this morning when this scientist, without any other attorney, requested his services. Phoenix knew nothing of this case except what Dr. Heavens managed to spit out. The victim was a priest by the name of Father Beleef. Heavens had been arrested in his sleep when the police showed up. As for the details, he would have to find out come the trial, which was just about to start.
Phoenix opened the doors and stepped into the grand courtroom, taking his place at the defense bench as always. The gavel sounded, and the trial began. Phoenix knew his situation was not ideal, so he knew what he must do.
"The defense isn't ready, Your Honor, give me a day to investigate," said Phoenix.
"Too bad," said the judge. "Is the prosecution ready?"
The ghost of Miles Edgeworth smirked, amused by Phoenix's incompetence. Phoenix could not help be frustrated by Edgeworth's smug demeanor; that is quite the attitude to have towards the man who burnt you to death with a candle, he thought, but he kept his thoughts to himself. With all formalities out of the way, Edgeworth began his opening statement.
"The victim is a priest at the local church named Father Beleef. The priest was holed up in his chambers last night when he was suddenly shot in the head. We immediately arrested the defendant in his sleep. As for my case against him... I'll let the detective do all the talking."
At that moment, a magnificent man descended from the ceiling, gently carried down by angles from heaven.
"Helloooo, my awe-struck audience, I am Detective Jakkid and I am the man who investigated this horrific homicide!"
The judge was taken aback. "Detective Jakkid166? Why! I ought to declare my verdict now if YOU investigated this case!"
Is that a good thing, Phoenix wondered, as the detective began his testimony.
Cross Examination: Detective Jakkid's Conclusion
"This murder is no simplistic slaughter, you see. What the priest was murdered in was none other than an impossible locked room."
"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted, already on the verge of giving up. "But there must have been a way for him to have been killed!"
"There was none," said Jakkid, giving a sly grin. "It was impossible for anyone to have murdered the victim."
Phoenix extended a pointed finger, but it slowly drooped back where it came from. There was none!
"Nick!" shouted Maya, taking him by surprise. How long had she been there, right next to him? "You need to think!"
Think, huh? Phoenix considered Maya's words. Actually, there certainly seemed to be something the impressive detective had overlooked in his reasoning. In fact, it was a blatant contradiction in his words.
"Objection!" Phoenix exclaimed in an instant. The adrenaline was overwhelming, and he pressed forward with all the might he could.
"Who are YOU pointing at?" Jakkid tilted his head in a snide manner.
"You, my friend," Phoenix returned the gesture. "Because you see, Jakkid you have just made a fatal mistake. If it was impossible for anyone to have committed the crime, then it must have been impossible for Mr. Heavens to commit it too!"
"Objection!" shouted Edgeworth. "Okay, but it was possible for Dr. Heavens to have done it."
Jakkid nodded towards the ghost, appreciating the helping hand. "Listen to the prosecutor, little man. Dead men may tell no tales, but this one sure does. There is something quite special about Dr. Heavens..."
Cross Examination: Dr. Heavens
"The dastardly Dr. Heavens was still inside the locked room when the police discovered the body."
Phoenix felt his will to live droop into the earth. Heavens hadn't told him this. What the hell?
"Nick!" shouted Maya, startling him once again.
"What?" he shouted back.
"You NEED to think!"
Think, huh? Phoenix considered Maya's words again. Actually, this was a stretch, but there was something that both Heavens and Edgeworth had told him that seemed odd when listening to this argument. In fact, yet again, it was a contradiction!
"Objection!" shouted Phoenix, pointing again. "Detective Jakkid, you are not at all the investigator you make yourself out to be!"
"Why say you this, might you break my indestructible illumination?" Jakkid smirked, but Phoenix shrugged his nonsensical ramblings off.
"Simply put, Detective, the defendant was arrested in his sleep! That being the case, how must have gotten OUT of the locked room!"
"But how did he do that?" asked the Judge.
"He didn't," Jakkid chimed in before Phoenix could respond. "There is a simple solution to this predicament."
"Yes...?" Phoenix leaned forward in anticipation.
"It means his sleep was inside the locked room."
There was an eerie moment of silence as everyone processed what Jakkid just argued.
"Accepted," said the judge.
"What even...?" Phoenix felt an intense sweat brewing upon his forehead. This Detective had the judge in the palm of his hand. How could such reasoning hold up in court? Who is this man? But that didn't matter to Phoenix. What did matter was tearing down the detective's logic, no matter what it took!
Cross Examination: No Other Suspects
"You can point and shout as much as your lungs can handle," Jakkid shrugged. "It is impossible for anyone else to have murdered Father Beleef."
Phoenix had never wanted to go home to bed any more than he did at this very moment. He kneeled down, placed his hand over his face, and took a deep breath.
"NICK!" yelled Maya, this time into his ear, startling him once again! "You NEED to THINK!"
Dammit, Maya, what else can I do...? Phoenix silently wept. No human being could have killed Father Beleef...
In that moment, Phoenix remembered who he was. He was Phoenix Wright. He defended animals, he faced fire-breathing dragons and the Devil himself, he explored underground caves, he traveled to many different universes, and among those adventures was...
Phoenix jolted up and objected! He was ready to tear this case wide open, whether the magic-denying skeptics liked it or not!
"You say it was impossible for anyone else to have done it, but there is a clear suspect here!" He pointed! "Edgeworth! It was you!"
"WHAT?" Now it was Jakkid's turn to be surprised.
"What the devil are you talking about, Phoenix?" Edgeworth, too, was shocked.
"You see, Edgeworth, you are a ghost! Ghosts can walk through walls! YOU could have done it!"
"This is a new low for you, Phoenix!" Edgeworth slammed his fist on the desk, only for it to phase right through it, landing instead between his legs. "You have accused me of killing a man with no evidence... unforgivable!"
"But you must have done it!" Phoenix pointed.
"Incorrect," Edgeworth shut him up. "In case you hadn't noticed, because I am a ghost, I would not have been able to use the gun!"
"Actually..." one of the policemen awkwardly shambled up to the witness stand. "We kinda sorta just found the murder weapon and... long story short, it's a ghost gun."
"WHAT? NOOOOOOOOO!" Edgeworth turned paler than he usually was, before the angles of heaven returned and carried him up to heaven.
Phoenix could only watch helplessly as his friend was carried away. They may have had quarrels before, even to the point where Phoenix killed him, but they were still best friends. Could it really be that Edgeworth killed a man? The verdict was handed down, and Phoenix silently walked out to the defendant's lobby.
"You saved me man," Phoenix was met with the wide grin of Dr. Heavens. "You are the hero!"
"Yeah... thanks." Phoenix sighed. "I guess that was the truth, whether I like it or not..."
"Don't doubt yourself, Phoenix Wright... my old friend."
That voice... Phoenix turned to it's source, a top-hatted gentleman standing in the doorway.
"It is clear to me that whoever killed Dr. Heavens was a human. I am not one who believes in magic and witchcraft, after all."
"But Edgeworth actually is-"
"Whatever Mr. Edgeworth is is irrelevant. You place your trust in him, do you not?"
"Yes..."
"Then we shall go out there and prove it to the world, prove that Mr. Miles Edgeworth is not the one who killed Father Beleef!"
Phoenix stared into the beady eyes of his old friend. He was mad, insane even. But he was sincere, confident that they would succeed. It reminded him of his days adventuring in Labyrinthia. With that, he extended his hand and shook the professor's, solidifying their reunited front. After shaking, the professor turned his head toward the acquitted defendant.
"Will you aid us on our quest, Dr. Heavens?"
"Yeah!" Dr. Heavens pumped his fists. "Come on down to my lab later, I have just the thing to help!"
A chuckle formed under Dr. Heaven's breath, and he ran away as his chuckle became a cackle. The professor nodded his head, satisfied.
"With the two of you at my side, we will surely prevail!" said Phoenix.
To be continued...