A/N: Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright do not belong to me; they belong to CAPCOM. The plot and incidental characters are mine. I've also used real historical events-the New Madrid Earthquake of 1812 and the Werewolf Trials in France-although I have used the Werewolf Trials fictitiously and pushed them ahead in time. *The last time someone in France was was put on trial, and imprisoned, for lycanthropy was teenager Jean Grenier in 1603.* ShadowChild, WolfKin, DreadKin, Protections, SuperNatural I made up and I know of no other place that these exist other than in my own imagination.^_^
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Fic request for theneetlawyer on Tumblr. Alternate Urban Fantasy Universe. Werewolf!Phoenix and Vampire!Miles meet at a diner although Miles has been looking out for Phoenix for centuries...
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My first-and hopefully one of many since this was so much fun to do!-Werewolf!Phoenix x Vampire!Miles! ^_^ When he goes wolf, he doesn't become a mindless, killing machine; I don't like that characterization. The setting is also an Urban Fantasy world: the modern world with SuperNatural creatures inhabiting it with humans.
This was a fic request by theneetlawyer on Tumblr. Enjoy! ^_^
Othersense & Focus are from Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series of books. Tiana's Diner is by Omi. Thanks! ^_^ Extended and edited version
This fic's title is the same as chapter 4 of my fic "Little Place of Forgetting." ^_^
Historical sources I consulted are in my profile. *By the way, the part about the Mississippi River running backwards for a time is historical fact: during the New Madrid earthquake event-the third, and most powerful, in a series of three seismic events-on February 7th, 1812 it DID. There is a wonderful book that I have read-and own-entitled When The Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman. I encourage you to take a read; its quite fascinating!
The French Werewolf Trials occurred between 1520 and 1630. The last time someone was tried, and imprisoned, for lycanthropy was teenager Jean Grenier in 1603. In 1623, another trial occurred where eighteen men and thirteen women are put on trial for lycanthropy. I don't know how it ended although I suspect that they were probably imprisoned although I don't know for sure.*
Hartnell's Forest is a shoutout to William Hartnell, the First Doctor in Doctor Who. ^_^
Thanks to my readers and all those who have favourited, reviewed, story alerted, favourite author or author alerted me. I appreciate it more than I can say! :)
EXTRA Special thanks to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for all his help, support, advice, the title, nagging (when necessary) and encouragement! I appreciate it more than I can say! Love you!
Comments are appreciated and constructive criticism is welcomed. I will probably change some things at some point; always room for improvement!
Rated Teen, male/male relationships, Romance/Drama, Phoenix x Edgeworth, Urban Fantasy AU, Alternate Universe
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October 28th, 2015
Phoenix Wright's Home
Hartnell's Forest
Carmel, CA
6 P.M.
Phoenix Wright wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood up, wincing as he felt a slight twinge of pain in his lower back. Shoeing horses was never easy and he'd been having trouble as of late which he wryly put down to old age. He was, after all, over three hundred and fifty years old now and the bones did tend to be creaky after all that time, even for his Kind.
He chuckled to himself as he patted the horse on the back, murmuring soft words before he hung up the tack on the nail that was pounded into the far wall before he exited the stall, closing it and locking it behind him.
He looked up at the twilight sky and closed his eyes, feeling strength flowing through him. It was the time of the full moon, the Hunter's Moon. Tonight, he would patrol the forest in wolf form to make certain that all was well.
He'd heard some disturbing rumors coming from his neck of the woods for the past three months and, although previous patrols had turned up no solid leads, the incidents continued. There were reports, from his nearest neighbors a few miles away, of a weird, reptilian-like monster with glowing red eyes, hideous, pock-marked skin that oozed a putrid substance and a foul stench that seemed to be making itself right at home here.
Phoenix's eyes narrowed as he thought of it. He hadn't seen anything but he'd heard plenty of unearthly racket coming from deep within the heart of the forest… and the sad remnants of those creatures who were unlucky enough to tangle with it. It was the last attack a month ago on some local livestock that he had decided that he would do something about it. He would go to where he'd heard the creature last being spotted and try to get to the bottom of the mystery.
He lifted his head and looked at the sky at the clouds covering the pale moon that lurked behind. He could already feel the tell-tale twinges that reminded him of his True Form. With a soft half smile, he once again closed his eyes, welcoming the tell-tale tugging and brief flash of nothingness as he turned into his Wolf form.
He'd learned long ago not to fight the changes in his body when he turned wolf; he remembered some of those long past times where the change had been quite painful as he had tried to fight it off although the pain had gradually gone away a little at a time, once he'd stopped struggling against it, until it disappeared completely.
He'd lived out here in the woods of Hartnell's Forest for over a century, guarding the forest and the people who lived deep within its heart and in the surrounding area. He'd seen many families, and people, come and go over the years; some he missed and others he didn't miss at all. Each person that he had encountered had left an indelible mark on him and, yet, he lived alone and apart from the rest of humanity.
He was a werewolf and he longed to find another to spend his life with but, as far as he knew, he was the only one of his Kind that lived in this neck of the woods. He'd heard the terrible stories of what had happened during the werewolf scares in France four hundred fifty years earlier and he was horrified at what the people had done to the accused who were, as far as he could see, innocent.
Prejudice and hate always go hand in hand, he thought sadly to himself, although there were some of our Kind who weren't as accommodating or friendly to the humans… He sighed. They just handed them the perfect excuse to hate Us, the reason to exterminate Us…
When the nothingness at last ebbed and he could see again, he looked out at the world through narrowed, amber eyes. He paused only a moment before he turned and ran into the darkest heart of the woods, toward the monstrosity that decided to make its home there completely unaware that there was someone else who was following close behind, his crimson eyes glittering with desperate longing…
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Hartnell's Forest
7:30 P.M.
Phoenix stood over the mangled corpse of the DreadKin, panting hard. He was covered in the thing's blood and resolved to take a bath as soon as he could once he arrived back at his home. He had heard of these dreaded creatures only in tales of the elder WolfKin and thought that was all they were, simply stories but now, looking down at the twisted monstrosity that lay in front of him, he shuddered at the sight.
At least now there will be peace, he mused as he started to dismantle the thing's body until it was broken down into separate, component parts, and all who live here will be safe.
After he was finished, and after he'd burned the remains, he'd gone home, stripped down to the skin and took a bath, tossing his smelly and stained clothing outside on the porch through the bathroom window. A good hour of hard scrubbing later, he felt more like himself and had managed to get nearly all the smell of the monster off of his skin although he wasn't overly worried about any remaining odor since it wasn't anything that his usual cologne scent wouldn't cover.
He paused for a moment, wondering what he was going to do for dinner this evening; after his battle with the monster, he really didn't feel like making it himself. After another moment's thought, he decided to go into town for dinner, a decision admittedly that was made easier by the slight twinges in his lower back. There was an another, more pressing reason for him wanting to go out instead of staying home: he wanted to get out of the forest all together for awhile to let the house air out. The stink that still remained was becoming nauseating, even after an hour and it was pure torment on his sensitive nose.
He made a mental note to remember to burn his clothing later on that week and stepped quickly outside of his home, locked the door and walked slowly down the steps that led to the sidewalk, opened the iron-wrought metal gate quickly and walked through it, closing it behind him as he continued to walk down the dirt path that led to his home. He stopped at the end of the path, looking around to make sure that there was no one watching; when he was satisfied that there were no prying eyes about, he went Wolf and raced into the forest, using a shortcut he'd discovered some time ago that he'd taken many times in the past when he wished to go to town without being seen.
Although he was quite certain, at least to bis knowledge, that no WolfKin remained in France-any surviving Packs of the Great Cull had dispersed from the country in general long ago-and hadn't for over two centuries, he still practiced the same caution that he had back then in those long ago days. He breathed in the crisp air as he ran along, relishing in the feel of pine needles and damp earth against his foot pads and the wind as it passed over him. He ran until he came to a fork in the road and, turning left, reverted to his human form once he's arrived a mile away from the diner.
He slicked his hair back into proper spikiness, straightened out his tie and proceeded to walk down the path that led to Tiana's Diner, greeting folk he knew and wishing them a pleasant evening as he opened the door and quickly walked inside. He breathed in the comforting smells deeply, a wide smile breaking out over his face as a waitress walked up to him and walked him to his usual table, setting down a crystal water glass on the placemat in front of him.
He knew the proprietor well since he had been coming here for years. She'd often teased him about his apparent lack of aging and he'd merely chuckle but swallow hard before she showed him-to his intense relief-to his usual booth in the back near the kitchen. It was quieter than one would expect and he would often come here when he felt the need to get away from the world for awhile.
He always ordered the same thing: a six ounce rib-eye steak, with mashed potatoes, green beans, bread with pats of butter, a large glass of grape juice, a slice of apple pie for dessert and a cup of coffee. Tonight was no exception. When the waitress brought him his meal, he smiled at her and dug in once she had left, moaning softly at the flavors that burst out over his tongue. It was grilled to perfection, exactly the way he liked it-medium well-and everything tasted extra good this evening although he supposed it was due to the battle that he had engaged in earlier with the DreadKin. Even mud coffee would taste good after tangling with one of those things.
He had finished his meal and dessert and was sipping his coffee when he became aware of another presence close to him, a very… familiar… one. One that he hadn't felt in two centuries but who was always on his mind and had always been in his heart.
Phoenix's hands began to shake, his cerulean blue eyes widening as he lifted his head.
You?!
His mouth worked but no sound came out of it as he stared at the youthful apparition that stood in front of him, absent but never forgotten.
A flash of memory…
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February 7th, 1812
Phoenix Wright's home
New Madrid, Missouri
United States
1:45 A.M.
Phoenix was up early that morning, filled with a strange sense of foreboding that he couldn't entirely shake. He sat bolt upright in bed, his heart was racing, his breath coming in panicked rasps; he forced himself to calm down and tried to shrug it off as being of no consequence but the feeling of unease continued and increased over time until he could no longer ignore it.
With another irritated groan, he wearily climbed out of bed, pausing momentarily to stretch before slowly bending over, his hand reaching down to pick up his clothes from the floor from where he had discarded them the night before.
He yawned loudly as he began to dress, shivering in the chilly February air. Something felt very wrong and he couldn't place his finger on exactly what that was but it was worrying him enough to rouse him from a deep, dreamless sleep and out of his warm bed in the ungodly hours of the morning.
He yawned again as he shrugged sleepily into his shirt and then stiffened, his Othersense fully on alert. His cerulean blue eyes turned immediately into a deep amber as they darted quickly around the darkened room. There was another presence here; he could Feel it.
He growled under his breath, the wolfish chord unmistakable as he pulled on his trousers. He knew it was another SuperNatural like himself although this one felt... different... somehow which meant that it was not another of his Kind and he didn't have to fight to protect his Pack from invasion.
He'd put one down a few years ago and it had been a particularly nasty event. The elderly WolfKin alpha had refused to recognize his territory and, though he tried to resolve the matter peacefully, he was at last forced to fight in order to protect himself and his Pack.
The battle had been vicious, neither side giving quarter until one of Phoenix's Packmates had killed the alpha that had started all the trouble in the first place; after that, everything fell apart for the invaders and he had practically destroyed them before they had retreated and fled the area to leave him, and his Pack, in peace. The memory of it still left a bitter taste in his mouth fifteen years after the fact.
Now it seemed that there was another challenger to his leadership who had appeared-how he wasn't exactly certain-and right in his very own home. He Felt rage rise in his breast but he cautioned his inner Wolf to be patient; it wouldn't do for him to explode in anger until he knew exactly what the stranger had come here for.
The presence didn't feel like WolfKin but something else entirely and he racked his brain for a moment trying to think of where he had Felt this kind of presence before. There was a dim memory of a chance meeting with someone, a handsome man, tall and strong, with dark grey hair and piercing eyes, dressed in sober black clothing with grey cravat and black square-toed boots.
He'd met him that hot July day back in 1792, a few months after he and his Pack had recently settled on five acres of land in New Madrid, introducing himself as his neighbor who owned the large bloc of land adjacent to his and welcomed them to New Madrid.
Phoenix had wondered at the time if this was a subtle hint to leave but he was surprised, and pleased, to find that it was not and that he and his extended "Family" were being welcomed onto his land with an ease that he found amazing but nonetheless relieved. He had hoped for better times since their ugly experience in France where they had been forced to pack up and flee in the middle of the night in order to avoid arrest. The murderous Hunts were on again for his Kind and he'd managed to save nearly all of his Pack due in part to both his quick thinking and sympathetic neighbors who were as sick of this as he was and who had, at the risk of their own lives, aided them as much as they could.
To his great sorrow, many precious lives were lost, mostly the elderly and younger WolfKin who couldn't escape in time or who were sick or otherwise incapacitated; he'd heard the news from one of the surviving members of the Great Cull-as they were calling it-which had scattered the traumatized survivors far and wide across the country and even across the ocean as they fled as far away from France as they could.
Dragging himself from those ugly memories in order to concentrate on the presence that was in the room with him, he closed his eyes and Focused, extending his right hand, with fingers spread, casting a Wolf's eye view on everything that was in the room and the presence he could Feel so strongly close to him.
Once his eyes shifted in the direction of the far side of the room, he instantly seized on a crimson red figure standing there quietly in the shadows. His eyes narrowed; there was no mistaking that particular aura and Phoenix knew that it could be only one thing.
Kindred!
His eyes narrowed, his lip curling. What the hell is a ShadowChild doing here?! And in my home?! He could feel his fingers slowly curling into a fist as he struggled to contain the rising Fury. Furthermore, how the hell did it get past the Protections?!
As he well knew, the Kindred and WolfKin never had anything to do with each other if they could help it. There had been too many incidents between the two in centuries past for them to really co-exist in peace with one another or even for them to occupy the same space without one group wishing to exterminate the other. For this reason, it was by mutual accord that the two remained separated from the other and it was a very ominous place when the two lived anywhere close together. Hence, the Protections that were necessary to keep the ShadowChildren out which made the appearance of this one such a rare, though disturbing, event.
Knowing how they felt about each other, he was very surprised that one was standing in his home right now and he couldn't help wondering anew how the figure had gotten in.
"Who… are you?" he demanded, suppressing the urge to race over to where the figure stood, refusing to move from where he was. He was too close to reverting; he didn't want to do that but instead to find out first who the figure was, what it wanted and why it was here.
"A friend," came the smooth reply and he started at the melodic sound of his voice in a mellow baritone as he watched him-he knew with certainty that the figure was male-step out slowly from the shadows, his tone brooking no argument. "I've come to warn you and your Pack. Leave here as soon as you can."
Phoenix was startled and stood there in stupefied silence for a few minutes, unable to comprehend what he'd just been told. If his ears, and eyes, didn't deceive him, this was the friendly neighbor, Miles Edgeworth, who had welcomed the homeless Pack all those years ago to his land and now he was here telling him that they had to leave? The same Miles Edgeworth who had come over frequently to visit over the years that he and his Pack had been living here? It didn't make any sense.
"What-?" he started to say but he was cut off when he strode out to meet him, putting his hands on his shoulders, a serious expression on his face.
"You and your Pack need to leave as soon as you can, within the hour if necessary!" Miles lifted his head, his eyes shining a dark crimson as he looked off into the distance through the window that was behind where Phoenix was standing, his expression anxious. "Please… you NEED to get out of this place or you'll ALL come to grief!" He swallowed hard, his voice a pained whisper. "I… couldn't bear it if something… happened to you…!"
Phoenix's mouth worked but no words emerged as Miles leaned forward, pressing his mouth hard against his own. He went rigid with surprise but he couldn't deny that the kiss, unexpected as it was, felt… good.
He could feel the ShadowChild's hands on his shoulders, his fingers tightening as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping over his lips and then diving into his mouth when he opened it, welcoming him inside.
He felt Miles' hands slide over his shoulders and down his back, separating as they slid down his sides, pulling him closer to him. Phoenix only hesitated a moment before his arms lifted and wrapped around Miles in return, holding him close, his heart pounding in his chest.
Time seemed to stand still as they embraced and he wished it would never end but, all too soon so it seemed, Miles pulled away, leaving Phoenix's lips stinging with his burning kiss.
"You need to leave as soon as you can," he repeated, the seriousness in both his expression and voice unmistakable. "Please…I…." -He paused a moment before he spoke again - "I… couldn't bear it if something happened to you, Beloved."
Phoenix's eyes widened at the use of the name, staring at the pale young Vampire in stunned surprise. Did he hear what he thought he'd heard? Did this ShadowChild know what he'd said? No SuperNatural ever said those words lightly and they were only used between a Mated Pair or from one who wished to become a Pair with another. Although he couldn't tell from his tone in which spirit it was meant, he certainly didn't miss the flash of mingled longing and pain in the other man's eyes when he said it. His heart raced.
"But-" he started to say but, once again, his words caught in his throat and he stood there mutely, his head spinning, his thoughts tumbling over one another in a confused jumble.
Miles' crimson eyes bored into his.
"As soon as I depart from here, my household and I are leaving and I would encourage you to do the same. Pack up what you can and leave immediately. Something big is coming and I don't want you caught in the deluge." He stared hard at him, his next word a pleading whisper. "Please…"
His eyes shining with emotion, Miles kissed him hard again before he reluctantly took his leave, stepping back into the shadows, his eyes never once leaving Phoenix's. He stood there a moment before he vanished, Phoenix reaching out a hand to him as he did so, staring sadly at a suddenly empty space.
Miles…
Phoenix stood there in stunned silence for a few moments before he made his frozen limbs move. Miles' strange words echoed in his mind as he finished dressing and hurriedly packed everything he could before he left his house to warn the rest of his Pack that they had to leave immediately.
As he expected, there were some who simply ignored him and went back to bed but there were those who heeded his warning. Together with their families, they threw together what they could and took their animals along with them, fleeing the area.
The earthquake hit at 3:45 A.M. and whoever, and whatever, remained in New Madrid was washed away in earthquake and flood; he'd even heard that the Mississippi River ran backwards for a time. Phoenix's heart ached when he learned that nearly everyone who remained, save for a lucky handful, perished that terrible morning. He shuddered to think that this would have been his fate as well had not Miles come to warn him.
He hadn't known exactly what was coming but he knew it would come and bring death, and destruction, in its wake and had taken it upon himself to warn him even knowing how the WolfKin felt about the Kindred in general.
He'd saved his life and stolen his heart at the same time and he knew that he would never forget his kindness as long as he lived. He only hoped that someday he would be able to see him again…
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Phoenix blinked as he came back to himself, shaking his head in order to clear the mental cobwebs. He hadn't thought of the terror of the New Madrid Earthquakes for two hundred years and was rather shaken when it came back to him in a rush.
He said nothing as he struggled to compose himself.
Another memory came to the forefront of his mind, this one a little more recent…
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October 21st, 1915
Hartnell's Forest
7 P.M.
The young farmer looked out from behind a copse of trees that surrounded the adjacent property. He knew that the young man who lived there was far beyond him in social standing and he knew that he was talking a huge chance in even coming here but he couldn't help himself.
He was drawn to him like a bee to a flower and he marveled at how strong a hold this pale young man had over him…this pale young man who seemed so…familiar, somehow…
He'd been coming here more often of late; he wanted so much to go over to talk to him but his courage failed him. What would he, a simple farmer, have that this beautiful male would want?
He made a good living here but probably not up to the standard of which the other man lived. It was a bitter pill to swallow when he thought of it.
He missed him just the same and wished that they hadn't lost touch.
I wish I dared, he thought sadly as he turned and began to slowly walk away back to his own humble abode. But what could I ever offer him?
He didn't notice that a pair of soft, crimson eyes watched him quietly from above as he slowly walked away or that a look of longing followed him as he walked into his home, closing the door behind him.
Beloved…
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His eyes widened and misted as he saw Miles standing there, a tender smile on his face as he looked at him.
Miles...
Yes, this ShadowChild had been on his mind and in his heart for centuries. And had stolen his heart, too, damn him.
I'll never get used to the Kindred way of making an entrance, he thought sourly as he willed his racing heart to calm. It would be so much easier to use the front door instead of just appearing out of nowhere!
He felt his hands begin to shake as he sat there poleaxed while Miles looked at him with amusement, chuckling softly.
"It's good to see you again, Phoenix," he whispered tenderly as he leaned down, his hand covering his own and kissing his lips gently. "I've missed you."
Phoenix closed his eyes and moaned softly with pleasure, drinking in his Beloved's scent, a dazzling smile spreading over his face. How he had missed its comforting presence!
"I've missed you, too, Beloved."
Suddenly the day seemed much brighter as Miles sat down across the table from him and they started talking. After all, they had two hundred and three years to catch up on.
~FIN~