The sound of a horse's gallop filled the air as the dust lifted from the ground and consumed the surrounding area. The hooded man clad in blue robes who rode this horse had his vision obscured by the dust that lifted from the ground from the steed's hooves clashing against the dirt. As the dust settled down the man waved his hand in front of his face to remove any lingering clouds of dust that blocked his view. A wide smile spread across the man's face, he had finally reached his destination; the kingdom of Camelot. The man pulled down his hood, a garment which he had only used to keep cool from the sun's bitter heat, and ran his hand through his hair. His hair could best be described as unusual, for a good bit of his childhood he was mocked because of his hair which was black and spiked back at an odd angle. The man grinned tremendously at the magnificent sight before him. The man quickly sounded for his steed to take him to the kingdom.
At the kingdom's magnificent gates stood a humble merchant, large in stature, selling various good for those new to the kingdom. Despite being a business man the merchant didn't look too wealthy, he wore tattered green garments, looked as though as if he hadn't seen a bath in years, and was in desperate need of a good shave.
"Mornin', pal! Can I interest you in some authentic Camelotian goods?" the merchant grinned pleasantly as he welcomed the visitor.
"Sure," the blue clad man said as he dismounted off of his horse and walked over to the merchant. Despite the merchant's poor hygiene, he seemed kind and it would have been rude to decline such a good natured offer.
"Really, pal!?" The merchant beamed with excitement before regaining his cool, "…Uhhh, I mean, right this way sir." The merchant dragged out his cart and removed the filthy tarp that had covered it. "Here ya go, pal! Some real top of the line stuff!" The merchant announced proudly.
The blue clad man cringed at the odor that emanated from the cart. He soon made his way to the cart as he rubbed the back of his neck, regretting his decision. He looked over the items that lay in the cart; there were some old rags that appeared to be constructed from the itchiest material in all the land, some small pots tied together with a string to give off the appearance of a necklace, and the remains of a long departed rat.
"What's your name, pal?" The merchant asked as he stood by the cart watching the stranger shift through the "goods" in the cart.
"Phoenix," The man replied while running his hands through the rough fabric of the garments inside the cart. "Yours?"
"Gumshoe, pal. Humble merchant extraordinaire!" The green clad merchant answered with a wide grin on his face. Phoenix chuckled at Gumshoe's answer and continued to shuffle through the garbage.
"How much is this?" Phoenix asked as he pulled out the pot necklace, he had no intention of wearing the hideous accessory but felt it would be rude to simply leave empty handed.
"Ah, a fine choice, pal! That's about one bronze shilling." Gumshoe responded.
"Would you be willing to make a trade?" Phoenix replied, not wanting to spend what little money he brought with him to Camelot.
"Sure, pal! Watcha got?"
"It's not much," Phoenix spoke as he walked over to his horse and shuffled through his bags that lay on the back of the steed, "But I believe it's a fair trade." He continued as he pulled out a spare blanket that he had brought with him on the journey. Phoenix was by no means a rich man, but the blanket and its material was leagues better than the rough and itchy fabrics that the merchant offered.
"This is great!" Gumshoe beamed with excitement as he held the gentle fabric in his large hands. Phoenix smiled and took the "good" he purchased from the cart. Phoenix made his way back onto his horse and held its reigns in his hands. "Welcome to Camelot, pal!" Gumshoe told Phoenix as he rode off into the kingdom. The sound of the horse's gallop faded in the distance as Gumshoe rubbed the fabric against his cheek.
Phoenix and his horse rode into town; his eyes were met with flocks of busy people happily doing their business about town. Several merchants, obviously more successful than the one he had met at the town's entrance, were making business with the various townspeople; children were playing on the sides of the streets with sticks in their hands, pretending to be chivalrous knights slaying mighty dragons; and crowds of people gathered around a man making music with simple items such as sticks and stones. Phoenix, with a smile plastered all over his face, took in the sight of such a busy and wonderful town. Phoenix dismounted off of his horse and walked with it around the town. If he had lacked the ability to see, Phoenix was certain that the sounds of people talking and children laughing filling the air would have been enough to paint the mental portrait. Phoenix traveled around the crowds of busy people filling the streets; with his eyes set on his destination, King Arthur's castle. Phoenix made his way down the road and tried his best not to clash with any of the busy bodies that crowed the street. Fate, however, had other plans. A hooded figure, obviously on the run from something, crashed into Phoenix and knocked both of them to the ground.
"Sorry!" A soft, feminine, and well… cute voice sounded from the hooded figure as they both rose from the ground and dusted themselves off.
"Watch where you're going, I almost hurt my ankle!" Phoenix responded swept the dirt from his garments.
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" A trio of knights shouted in unison as they ran up to both Phoenix and the hooded figure.
Phoenix looked over to the hooded figure standing next to him. It was obviously a girl, small in stature and build. It was difficult to see with her pulling the hood to cover her face but from what Phoenix could see she was just an average girl. The knights ran up to both Phoenix and the girl in the hood. The large figures clad in metal armor towered over the duo.
"Is there a problem, officer?" Phoenix asked.
"That woman you stand with is a thief, so stand aside." The knight that spoke was clad in a glorious and expensive looking red armor to differentiate him from the other two silver clad knights. The red knight drew his sword "I shall not repeat myself, peasant." His voice was commanding, yet oddly refined.
"W-what did she steal?" Phoenix stammered as he looked upon the sword's tip.
"Mutton!" One of the other knights answered.
"I didn't steal it!" The girl objected.
"Mutton? That cheap, greasy food that they sell from carts? Even the poorest of folk could afford mutton, sir. I don't see why she would have a reason to steal it." Phoenix responded.
"Yeah, I paid! I gave them a gold shilling!" The girl added.
"The shilling is obviously forged. A poor peasant like her would never be able to obtain a gold shilling." The red knight interjected.
"How much was the mutton worth?" Phoenix asked.
"One bronze shilling." The knight replied.
Phoenix reached into the pocket of his garment and brought out a bronze coin, "This should cover it." Phoenix offered the coin to the towering red knight that stood before him. The knight took this bronze shilling into his hand and placed his sword back into its scabbard.
"If she's caught doing this again, she'll be hung like the thief she is." The crimson clad knight warned as he signaled his fellow knights back towards the castle.
And with that the knights took off back to the castle, once the knights were out of sight the girl removed her hood. Her face was average, certainly not the typical beauty you see around Camelot. In place of ideal beauty however, she had this youthful glow of optimism that was strengthened by her wide smile and expressive eyes. She wore no makeup unlike many of the women in Camelot. As Phoenix noted before, she was small in both build and stature, reaching only up to Phoenix's shoulder in height. Her raven colored hair, on the other hand, was tremendous in length and reached down to the back of her knees.
Phoenix took a deep breath and sighed, grieving the loss of his money. It wasn't much that he lost but still, every shilling counted. And worse yet, he just realized he hadn't eaten all day, "Still have some of that mutton? I'm pretty hungry."
"Sorry, I ate all as I was running away." The girl smiled sheepishly as she shrugged, "But I do know this great place down the street!"
"Is it the one you stole from?" Phoenix deadpanned.
"I didn't steal it! They just didn't accept my money…" She responded.
"…Fine. Lead the way."
The girl smiled and skipped in front of Phoenix to lead him to the cart where she had obtained her previous meal. Phoenix sighed deeply and begrudgingly followed the girl, taking his horse with him. The girl's small stature helped her move effortlessly around the crowds of people filling the streets; Phoenix however, stumbled about, bumping into various people while trying to move forward. After very little effort on the girl's part and much effort on Phoenix's part the two had finally reached their destination, a rundown little cart named "Larry's". Phoenix couldn't believe that anyone would steal from someone who was obviously down on their luck. The girl hopped over to the cart and rang bell to signal that the cart had a customer waiting. Right on cue, out from under the cart popped a lanky blond haired man clad in orange. The man was around Phoenix's age and wore a sheepish grin on his face; under this grin was a patch of blond hair that jutted out directly from his chin.
"Yeeeeeeellow, what can I do for…" The cart owner stopped mid-sentence and glared at the girl, "YOU!" He fumed. "First ya steal from me and now ya come ta laugh at a poor chef, eh!?"
"I paid you!" The girl retorted.
"Yeaaaah, in fake money!" The cart owner threw a small gold coin at the girl's feet. Phoenix bent down and picked up the coin and observed it in his hand. If it was a fake it was pretty damn good fake.
"Tell ya what, girlie. I'll let it slide if ya give good ol' Larry a kiss." The cart owner leaned forward, closing his eyes and puckering up for a kiss. In place of a kiss, the girl gave him a slap across the face. Larry spluttered in shock and recoiled back into his cart, "Fine! Geez, all ya had ta do was say no… Just don't expect any service…"
"What about me?" Phoenix interjected.
"Sorry buddy, I don't roll that way." Larry responded.
"Wha-? No! Nonono! Not that!" Phoenix responded raising his hands up defensively, "I was wondering if I could buy some stew."
"Oh! Well why didn't you say so in the first place? And here I thought my charms had extended beyond the women folk." Larry said as he hurryingly went under his cart to bring out the pot of stew he had boiling. He quickly (and sloppily) poured Phoenix a cup of stew, "Anything else, buddy?"
"Can I have some too?" The girl answered in place of Phoenix.
"Didn't you just have mutton!?" Phoenix replied.
"Yeah, but I have a separate stomach for stew." She retorted, smiling impishly.
Phoenix sighed as he looked back at Larry, "Another for the girl, please." Larry glared suspiciously at the girl. "I'm paying." Phoenix added. Larry's glare was replaced with a fake grin as he produced another cup of stew. Phoenix paid the man and accepted the two cups, he handed one off to the girl before taking a seat in front of his horse. The girl, already wolfing down the cup of stew, sat next to Phoenix. Phoenix cocked an eyebrow suspiciously at his company, but decided to start eating anyway.
"So what's your name?" The girl asked with her mouth full of stew.
"Phoenix," He responded as he cautiously sipped some of his stew. He cringed at its foul taste, but decided that bad food was better than no food. "Yours?" He asked.
The girl paused, almost as if she hesitated to answer. She looked around at the faces of the crowd and quickly pulled her hood back up, "Ummm… Fey. My name's Fey…" She answered, staring intensely at the cup she held in her hand. Somehow, Phoenix's question replaced her usual cheerful demeanor with a cautious one.
The two sat in an awkward silence as they ate their stew. Phoenix reached into his pocket and pulled out the supposed fake gold coin that Larry had thrown at Fey's feet. "Pretty good for a fake," Phoenix broke the silence as he observed the coin. "How'd you get it to look so real?"
"It is real." Fey responded.
"It can't be. The only people with access to gold in Camelot are the knights and the royal family." Phoenix replied, flipping the coin and catching it.
"So what brings you to Camelot?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.
"I'm a lawman. I came to Camelot in hopes of earning favor with the King and to serve in his courts."
"If you're a lawman then why did you help a little o' thief like me?" Fey asked teasingly.
"I like to hear both sides of the story before judgment is passed. Besides, getting executed over some mutton is a tad extreme." Phoenix smirked.
"I seriously doubt they'd execute me." She muttered.
"I don't know, Sir Crimson the Cranky seemed like he was ready to execute you on the spot."
"What's this?" Fey asked, changing the subject once again as she touched the poor excuse of a necklace that Phoenix had bought from the merchant at the town's entrance.
"Oh that? That's a… necklace… I think. I don't know really, I just bought it from some poor merchant at the town's entrance. The guy looked down on his luck so I bought it out of pity."
"It's really cute." Fey said as she held it in her hands.
Phoenix laughed under his breath, there were many things he would call his purchase but cute was not one of them, "You can have it if you want." He said.
"Really!?" She ginned excitedly as she put the necklace on, she was absolutely beaming with excitement. "This really means a lot to…" Fey quickly stopped mid-sentence as she looked up on the horizon and saw the sun setting. She rushed up to her feet in a panic, "It's getting late, I have to get going! Thank you so much for the gift, Nick!" She said as she ran off.
"Nick?" Phoenix asked himself as he cocked an eyebrow, "Odd girl." He muttered to himself as he rose from the ground and lifted the bags he had brought on his trip off of his horse's back. He began to pitch his tent there on the side of the road; he needed his rest, for tomorrow he would travel to the king's castle and beg to be made a member of his court.
The sun rose elegantly over the horizon as the sound of busy people filling the streets woke Phoenix from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes free of the Sandman's nightly gift as he made his way out of his tent, his spiked black hair still messy from his rest. Phoenix looked off to the side of his tent and saw that everyone, man, woman, or child, was making their way to the castle.
"Mornin', Nick." A familiar voice sounded from behind the tent.
Phoenix turned his head and saw Larry, the cook who had sold stew to him and Fey the day before, pulling his cart and following the crowd of people.
"Nick?" Phoenix responded.
"That's your name isn't it? Heard your girlfriend call you that yesterday." Larry responded as he stopped for a brief moment to talk.
"My name's Phoenix and she is not my girlfriend, I just met her!" Phoenix replied defensively. "What's everyone heading towards the castle for, anyways?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Wow, you don't know!? The King's holding a contest to determine who should lead the Knights of the Round Table!" Larry said as he wiggled his fingers in the air, to emphasize the importance of the event. "Personally, my money's on Sir Edgeworth. The dude's a legend!"
"So this means the King will be busy all day, doesn't it?" Phoenix asked, with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Yep! It's a pretty big deal." Larry responded, scratching the back of his head. He then took hold of his cart again and continued to walk to the castle, "C'mon you'll miss the show if you don't hurry up."
Phoenix sighed as he grabbed his belongings and ran his hand through his horse's mane "Watch the tent, Charley. I'll be back soon." Phoenix then joined Larry and made his way to the castle.
Phoenix heard stories about King Arthur's castle; about its sheer size and powerful presence. Phoenix had seen it from a distance as it loomed over the town, casting its glorious shadow upon the land. But now that he stands before such a magnificent building, it has just dawned on him just how big all of this is… just how big he, King Arthur, is. As Phoenix walked through the gates of the heavenly castle, he walked past monuments dedicated to King Arthur's finest knights; Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Percival, and a new monument was in the process of being built, one with the name Sir Manfred written on the plaque. These monuments stood as pillars, towering above the people as they walked in. Phoenix stared in awe at these towering monuments as he walked by, unable to tear his gaze from their magnificence.
"Hey Nick, you coming?" Larry shouted, snapping Phoenix back to reality. Phoenix quickly rushed past the crowd to catch up with Larry. The crowd was all gathering in a gigantic stadium typically used for jousting tournaments. People hung around the edges of the interior of the stadium, leaving the stadium's center clearly visible for all to see. In the center of this colossal coliseum stood a towering black knight clad in a red cape, next to him was a large stone with a fierce and powerful blade stuck within it. The hilt of the sword was a magnificent red and was crested with a fine gold that shone as the sun beamed down from the sky.
Phoenix turned towards Larry and pointed towards the blade, "Larry, that wouldn't happen to be…"
"Excalibur. King Arthur's sword, in the flesh! …Well metal or whatever that thing's made of." Larry said while setting up his cart. Before Phoenix could respond he smelt a familiar smell, and it wasn't a pleasant one.
"Hey, pal!" The humble merchant that Phoenix had met at the town's entrance called out as he walked up to Phoenix and Larry, "It was Phoenix, right?"
"That's right… Uh, Gumshoe wasn't it?" Phoenix replied as he shook the merchant's hand.
"That's it, pal." Gumshoe grinned. "So, you're here to see the show too? It's going to be good! Sir Edgeworth's gonna be great as the new head of the Round Table."
Phoenix looked over to the large, intimidating black knight that stood next to Excalibur, "Is that Sir Edgeworth?" He asked.
"Nah, man. That's the old head of the Round Table, Sir Manfred von Karma. He's retiring today after 40 years of being a knight." Larry interjected, "Get this, that same armor he's wearing right now, is the same armor he wore when he first became a knight!"
Phoenix glanced at the armor that Sir Manfred was wearing, it looked practically new. "That can't be true, there's not a single scratch on there!" Phoenix replied.
"That's how good he is, pal! In all of the years that he's been a knight, not a single soul has managed to even so much as scratch his armor." Gumshoe added.
"And the reason why Sir Edgeworth is the shoe in for becoming the new head of the Round Table is because he's Sir Manfred's protégée! After a wicked beast slew Edgeworth's family when he was but a small child, Manfred took him under his wing and raised him to be a knight of the highest caliber. All so that what happened to him would never happen to another." Larry explained as he prepared some stew.
Before Phoenix could respond, trumpets blasted through the air announcing the King's presence as he walked through the crowd towards the center of the stadium. King Arthur was past his prime, but despite this he stood high and mighty with a powerful presence that would've been more than able to silence the room without the aid of the trumpets. He wore his old silver armor that was adorned with a large red cape, his bald head was covered by a magnificent golden crown, and a large gloriously grey beard covered the bottom half of his face. Beside him stood a beautiful young lady clad in purple robes; her long raven colored hair blew majestically in the wind, her small stature was dwarfed by the King towering beside her, and she wore a pleasant smile on her face. One thing in particular stuck out to Phoenix about her; a hideous necklace made from various broken pots, tied together by a flimsy string, was around her neck. Phoenix's eyes widened in shock as he came to the realization, "Fey?" He muttered to himself.
"Thank you everyone for attending!" King Arthur shouted in a booming, commanding voice that silenced the room. "Today marks a sad day for this kingdom. Today, our finest knight, Sir Manfred von Karma is stepping down as the head of the Knights of the Round Table after 40 years of service. To determine who will take his place, however, I will allow my trusty blade Excalibur to make this choice. Only a true knight with an unwavering sense of chivalry will be able to remove this mighty blade from the stone in which it lies." The crowd began cheering and clapping, excited to see just who was worthy of wielding the King's awesome blade. King Arthur raised his hand to silence the audience, "Today is also the day that my beautiful daughter, Maya Pendragon, was born thus marking her 19th birthday." King Arthur announced as the girl next to him smiled as she stepped forward and took a bow. However her smile wasn't the same genuine and optimistic smile she had when she met Phoenix, instead she simply wore this smile like a mask.
"And so without further ado, let this contest of champions commence!" The court jester shouted as he popped out from behind the king! "First up, we have Sir Winston Payne,"
As the jester shouted this, a small and meek looking knight stepped up to the plate to try his hand at removing Excalibur from the stone it was planted in. The knight's helmet was off, showing the entire world his over confident smirk and his balding head. Sir Winston stood over the sacred blade; he spat into his palms and cracked his knuckles. He wrapped his hands around the blade's hilt and tugged at it with all of his might. The sword simply refused to budge; Sir Winston grunted and tugged at the blade some more until he was stopped by a large cracking sound. In his efforts to pull out the sword, the wimpy and frail Winston Payne and snapped his shoulder out of its socket. The whiney knight let out a large shriek of pain as he held his dislocated shoulder. The entire crowed winced as Sir Winston was taken to receive medical attention, save for Maya, who hid her face behind her hand as she snickered at the knight's misfortune.
"Hoohoo! Looks like Winston's feeling the Payne! …Again." The court jester chuckled.
Phoenix couldn't help but snicker as well at the knight's misfortune. Phoenix decided to try his best to make his way through the enormous crowds to get a better look at the princess and confirm his suspicions. Knight after knight tried and failed to lift the sword from the stone as Phoenix worked his way through the people to get as close to Maya as possible.
"And our final contestant for to knight… Get it? To knight, tonight…" The jester's pun was met with silence from the crowd, "These are the jokes people! Anyways, please give a warm round of applause to Sir Miles Edgeworth!" As the jester announced the final contestant for the night, a towering knight in shining red armor made his way to the center of the arena. The crimson clad knight removed his helmet to reveal a man who was roughly around Phoenix's age; his eyes were fierce and powerful, his hair was a premature grey that parted in the middle, and his expression was a serious glare that appeared to be set in stone. Edgeworth stopped in front of Sir Manfred and took a respectful bow to his mentor.
During this, Phoenix was finally getting at the edge of the center; close enough to get a good look at the Princess and confirm whether or not this was in fact the woman he met last night. As he closed in though, Phoenix wound up tripping over a root that sprouted forth from the ground. This caused him to bump into a large and imposing townsperson, the townsperson glared down at Phoenix as he stepped towards the would-be lawman. Phoenix grinned sheepishly and apologized, his apology was met with a large shove that forced him onto the center of the stadium.
"Nick?" Maya muttered in confusion as she watched Phoenix stumble backwards in the center of the stadium, trying to regain his footing to no avail. As he fell, Phoenix reached out to grab a hold of something to prevent himself from falling. He grabbed a hold of something, but he was too panicked to see what. Despite managing to grab a hold of something Phoenix still plummeted to the ground, taking whatever he held on to with him. The entire crowd remained silent as Phoenix opened his eyes. He looked around and saw the shocked expressions plastered over everyone's faces. Phoenix could feel his face turn red from embarrassment as he got up.
"I-I am SO sorry, you see I was just trying to get a better look at everything and I wound up tri…" Phoenix stammered as he tried to explain his situation.
"He has managed to remove Excalibur from its stone…" The King muttered as he stepped forward.
"I wha-?" Phoenix's sentence trailed off as he took a good look at what he held in his hand; he had assumed he had removed a flag from the ground when he attempted to stop his fall, instead, in his hand he held the holiest of blades, the mightiest of swords, the blade of evil's bane, in his hand he held Excalibur. Phoenix turned to Edgeworth, who wore a shocked expression as well, "Ummm, hold on… just let me…" Phoenix said awkwardly as he walked over to the stone and attempted to shove Excalibur back into it. But despite his best efforts the sword simply refused to be placed back into the stone. "Ok, that's not working." Phoenix muttered to himself, "Ummm, here you go." Phoenix offered Edgeworth the sword directly. Edgeworth remained silent as he took hold of the sword's hilt, once the hilt was firmly in the crimson knight's hand Phoenix let go of the sword. However once Phoenix let go of the sword its weight became too much for Edgeworth to bear, and both Excalibur and Edgeworth crashed to the ground. The entire crowd laughed at Sir Edgeworth's expense. Edgeworth's face was now redder than his armor as he tried with all of his might to lift the holy blade but his efforts were to no avail. "I am so sorry! Let me help you with that…" Phoenix then picked the blade up from the ground with little to no effort. Edgeworth opened his mouth to speak as he stepped towards Phoenix with a pointed finger.
"I've seen enough!" King Arthur announced as he stepped towards both parties.
"Your Highness." Edgeworth greeted as dropped to one knee. Phoenix awkwardly followed suit.
"What's your name?" King Arthur asked.
"Ph-Phoenix. Your Highness, Ph-Phoenix Wright." Phoenix stammered.
"Rise." King Arthur commanded. Phoenix did as he told and rose from the ground; King Arthur quickly took hold of Phoenix's wrist and lifted his hand to the air. "Sir Phoenix, the new head of the Knights of the Round Table!" King Arthur announced proudly.
"WHAT!?" Phoenix shouted in confusion. The crowd roared at the announcement, clapping and cheering. Maya clapped and smiled genuinely at the news, overjoyed at her friend's accomplishment.
"Way to go, pal!" Gumshoe shouted from the audience.
"That's my friend! I know him! I know him!" Larry exclaimed excitedly as he nudged the person next to him.
Not everyone was excited at the news however; Edgeworth remained kneeling on the floor as he glanced shamefully to his mentor. Sir Manfred's expression was hidden behind his helmet but it was painfully clear he was disappointed in his apprentice, with a swing of his magnificent cape; Sir Manfred disappeared into the crowd.
"B-but I-I'm not a knight!" Phoenix pleaded as people came up to him and eagerly shook his hand.
"Then you'll learn to be one!" King Arthur gleefully replied as he slammed his hand on Phoenix's back.
Sir Manfred's chambers were pitch black with darkness and it the center of this cold darkness stood Sir Edgeworth. With his helmet planted firmly between his arm and his ribcage, Sir Edgeworth lowered his face towards the ground in shame. The only sound striking through the cold, dead air were the sounds of Sir Manfred's metallic footsteps clanking on the floor as he paced around the room. Sir Manfred stood before a case filled with many awards he had received for his honor and valor, with a heavy sigh Sir Manfred removed his helmet and placed it on the table next to him. The shadows hid the face of the honored knight. Sir Edgeworth refused to lift his eyes from the ground and look his mentor in the eyes, knowing fully well that he had shamed and disgraced the von Karma legacy.
"I-I…" Edgeworth stammered, finding himself at a loss for words.
"He wasn't even a knight." Sir Manfred spoke; his voice was deep and imposing yet still refined and elegant. Sir Manfred stepped towards his student, with his face still consumed by the shadows. His hand jutted out and grabbed Edgeworth by the forearm; Manfred lifted the crimson knight's forearm upward and examined it thoroughly. "When did you get this scratch?" He asked.
"It must've been when I fell, sir." Edgeworth replied, still refusing to look his mentor in the eye, "From when I collapsed under Excalibur's weight…"
Manfred stayed silent at Edgeworth's response. He released Edgeworth's arm from his grasp and walked to a magnificent seat that was planted in the middle of the room. "All is forgiven." Manfred said as he sat down in his throne, "You may leave." Edgeworth bowed quickly before placing his helmet back onto his head and leaving the room.
The room in the castle that the King had given to Phoenix to stay in was magnificent, on the wall there lied a portrait of the King back in his prime, the floor was covered in a fine and soft blue carpet, and the bed was large enough to fit two people (this was to be expected considering that knights were quite the ladies men). Despite his beautiful surroundings, Phoenix sighed deeply as he lay on the bed. He was only here because of a stupid accident, he didn't want to be a knight, and he's never even so much as held a sword before! If it were for the fact that the King was with him when Phoenix went back for his stuff, he would've hopped on Charley and taken off. But it was no use to sit around and mope, according to King Arthur, tomorrow would be a long and intense day of training, and Phoenix would need his rest. Phoenix rolled the sheets over him and shut his eyes, praying that this was all just some nightmare. As Phoenix drifted off into sleep, he was pulled back into reality by the sound of tiny pebbles clashing against his window.
"Psssst!" A voice sounded from outside. Phoenix ignored the noise; assuming that it was probably Larry or Gumshoe dropping by to bombard him with questions. Once again, tiny pebbles tapped against his window, "Hey! Nick!" The voice spoke again, "I know you can hear me, dummy!" Phoenix took a deep breath out of frustration and got up from his bed and opened his window.
"Wha…", Phoenix's question was interrupted by tiny pebbles hitting his face.
"Woops, sorry…" Maya apologized as she stood at the foot of the castle. In place of her royal garments however, she wore the hooded robe she used when she first met Phoenix as "Fey". "Meet me by the horse's stable!" She instructed. Before Phoenix could reply, she disappeared. Phoenix sighed and ran his hand through his spikey black hair as made his way to the door.
In the dead of night the horses all stood in their stables getting some well-deserved sleep. Phoenix walked by each and every horse, these must have belonged to the Knights of the Round Table. Each horse was excellently groomed and large in stature; well except for one that looked to be more of an ass than a horse, which must've belonged to Sir Winston. Phoenix took note of every horse's name (which was placed on each horse's cage); Lancelot, Gawain, Percival, Tristan, and… Charley. Phoenix looked up and saw his horse asleep in its stable. He smiled at his companion's peaceful slumber, and continued reading the names.
"You made it!" Phoenix jumped in fright at the sudden noise. He turned around and saw Maya standing behind him with a huge grin plastered over her face, "I didn't know knights were so easily frightened, Sir Nick the Brave." She quipped.
"I'm not a knight." Phoenix plainly responded, checking his own pulse.
"Not yet." Maya replied.
"Ok enough about me, let's talk about you 'Fey'", Phoenix made quotation marks in the air with his fingers when he said the name Fey. "Why'd you call me out here?"
Maya sat down on a nearby barrel and shrugged her shoulders, "I just felt like talking, I guess…"
"You guess?" Phoenix questioned.
"Yeah, I felt pretty lonely and I wanted someone to talk to." Maya replied.
"What about your dad?" Phoenix asked.
Maya looked off to the side, "He's my dad, I meant someone like a friend…" She responded.
"C'mon! You're the princess! I'm sure you have plenty of friends to talk to around the castle." Maya remained silent at Phoenix's response. "Oh… I-I see…" Phoenix took a seat on the stack of hay behind him, "What did you want to talk about?"
"I don't know… Um… How was your day?" Maya asked.
"Well let's see… I wound up humiliating one of your finest knights by accident, I made a fool of myself in public, and I wound up signing myself up for knighthood." Maya chuckled at Phoenix's answer, "So how was yours?"
"Pretty boring. I sat around all day watching guys try to yank out my dad's sword from a rock." Maya deadpanned.
Phoenix chuckled at her response as well before asking, "Wasn't today your birthday?"
"Yeah, pretty lousy way to celebrate turning nineteen if you ask me." She replied.
"Nineteen? Maya, how old is your dad?" Phoenix leaned forward as he asked with a puzzled expression on his face.
"87. Why?" She responded. Phoenix cocked an eyebrow at her answer but decided to keep the next question to himself, to save himself from any unwanted mental images. He then noticed that she was still wearing the lousy necklace he gave her the other day.
"Why do you still have that?" He asked, pointing a finger to the necklace.
"It's a souvenir from my first time out of the castle…" She paused "My dad's rather protective and doesn't let me leave castle grounds."
"So you snuck out." Phoenix said.
"Yeah, I just wanted to see what it was like out there for once. To see what it was like to be normal."
"But of all the things to keep, let alone wear, that necklace?" Phoenix asked, still confused.
"You gave it to me because I liked it, not like all of the servants who only give me gifts because I'm the king's daughter…" Phoenix remained silent at Maya's answer. He had no idea that being royalty could sound so… miserable. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up. I'm just sitting here rambling on about myself when you should be resting up for tomorrow…"
"It's fine, I doubt I'd be able to sleep anyways…" Phoenix replied.
"You're really nervous aren't you?" Maya asked.
"I've never even so much as laid eyes on a sword before today. I'm just a humble lawman, nothing more."
"But you were able to pull out my dad's sword from the stone, something none of the other knights were able to do!"
"Yeah, by dumb luck." Phoenix ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head, "I pulled Excalibur out by accident when I tried to stop myself from falling."
"Dad always told me that with Excalibur, there are no accidents." Maya replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you'll do great."
Phoenix stayed silent at Maya's response; he stayed staring at the ground wondering if what she said was true. After all, who was he to question King Arthur? He looked back at Maya, who kept that optimistic smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile too. With a deep sigh Phoenix finally spoke, "Thanks."
"Well, Sir Phoenix of the Knights, I bid you adieu. You need you're rest after all." Maya said as she rose from the barrel she sat on and gave a mocking bow.
"Why thank you, Your Highness." Phoenix laughed as he repeated Maya's gesture, "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Your Majesty."
"Same time?" Maya asked.
"Same time." Phoenix replied as they both went their separate ways, making their way back to their respective rooms.
"Nick?" Maya asked, stopping in her tracks and turning her head towards Phoenix.
"Yeah?" Phoenix responded.
"…Thanks." Maya said after a brief pause.
"That's what friends are for." Phoenix replied. Maya beamed at the response and made her way back to her room in the castle. For some reason, talking with Maya had eased Phoenix's fears. He no longer felt anxious about the tasks he would face tomorrow, instead he felt ready to take them on head first.
"I don't feel ready at all," Phoenix said as he stood in the middle of the room getting ready for his training. The night before, Phoenix had felt confident that he could accomplish the tasks assigned to him. However, now he wasn't so sure. He couldn't get a wink of sleep after talking with Maya last night, he was simply too anxious and he kept mentally preparing himself. Well, it was now or never. He couldn't keep King Arthur waiting.
Phoenix had made his way to the courtyard, where it was agreed that he would meet the king for training. The courtyard was large and lush; its brilliant green grasses were enhanced by the colors of various flowers. Phoenix didn't recognize many of the flower types; the extent of his floral knowledge was roses and tulips, but that was about it. In the center of the court yard stood King Arthur and Sir Edgeworth. King Arthur was clad in a bright and shiny golden armor adorned with a red cape that flowed majestically in the wind, whereas Edgeworth wore his usual crimson armor. Phoenix smiled awkwardly as a greeting when his passed Edgeworth and knelt on one knee in front of the king.
"Good morning, Sir Phoenix," The king greeted "I hope you're well rested. Training to be a knight is no easy task; knights are usually trained from childhood I'll have you know. But since my trusty blade seems to see something of value inside you, I'll make an exception."
"Yes, Your Highness, thank you." Phoenix responded.
"Sir Edgeworth, you are one of, if not the, finest knights in the land. I leave Sir Phoenix in your more than capable hands." The king said before leaving.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Edgeworth replied, taking a respectful bow.
Once the king left, Phoenix rose from the ground and stood next to Edgeworth, waiting for his first order. Edgeworth removed his helmet and signaled for Phoenix to follow him. Phoenix followed Edgeworth through the courtyard to a shack off the side of the castle. The shack was a stark contrast to the glorious castle that it stood by. Whereas the castle stood tall and magnificent over all creation; the shack was small and run down, and appeared to be very poorly kept.
"If a peasant wishes to play the part of a knight, then he might as well do so convincingly." Edgeworth told Phoenix as he knocked on the door to the shack. Phoenix raised an eyebrow at Edgeworth's remark, feeling as though the knight had just insulted him. The door to the shack opened and in the door way stood a man with snow white hair, over his eyes he wore the portion of a knight's helmet that shielded the eyes of a knight during battle.
"Sir Miles Atticus Edgeworth, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The man greeted with a hint of a Spanish accent.
"Good morning, Godot," Edgeworth greeted "I have come for the armor that the king requested be made yesterday."
Godot held a mug of a hot liquid in his hand; he took a drink of said liquid before speaking "You're in luck. The armor just cooled down." Godot stepped aside and allowed the two men to enter his shack. The walls were covered with various weapons made by Godot; blades, spears, maces, arrows, etc. On one side of the room there were Godot's blacksmithing materials that he used to craft the finest weapons and armors in all the land. Next to all of this was a fine blue set of armor.
"We should leave him alone with his new companion, Edgeworth. They'll need some alone time." Godot grinned as he walked out the door of his shack, Edgeworth silently followed suit. Phoenix stood alone in the shack gazing upon the shine of his new armor, observing its metallic shine carefully, taking in its dark blue magnificence.
Outside the shack, Godot stood next to Edgeworth wearing an overconfident smirk that had become associated with the blacksmith. "You don't like him, do you?" Godot asked after taking a sip from his mug.
"He's a mere peasant who drew Excalibur from its stone by dumb luck." Edgeworth replied.
"Your bitterness matches that of the drink that lies within my mug, Edgeworth." Godot replied. "With Excalibur, there is no such thing as luck… Only fate."
Before Edgeworth could reply, an absurdly chipper voice sounded from behind both of them, "Morning, Godot! Morning, Edgeworth!" The two turned their heads to see who greeted them. They say Maya making her way towards them, wearing the royal garments that she had worn at the event the day before.
"Good morning, Your Majesty." Godot greeted, raising his mug into the air.
"Your Highness." Edgeworth greeted, taking a formal bow.
"Where's Ni… I mean, the new knight? Wasn't he supposed to be training with, Edgeworth?" Maya asked.
"He's trying on the new armor Godot crafted for him." Edgeworth stated very matter of factly.
"I personally believe it's some of my finest work yet." Godot added as he was about to take a sip from his mug before noticing the scratch on the forearm of Edgeworth's armor, "Y'know Edgeworth, I could take care of that for you." Godot said pointing to the scratch.
"Leave it be, Godot. It is my burden to bear." Edgeworth replied.
"Ahhh, don't be like your mentor! Making a big fuss about your armor…" Godot remarked as he drank from his mug.
"I'll have you know that the Von Karma legacy is defined by a Von Karma's armor!"
"But you're not a von Karma, Edgeworth." Godot reminded.
"I am a Von Karma!" Edgeworth asserted. Godot simply ignored Edgeworth's assertion and fixed his attention to the shack's door as it opened to reveal Phoenix stumbling forward wearing the shining blue armor, with his helmet in hand.
"Ha! Looking good, fitting for the new owner of the mighty Excalibur." Godot commented.
"It looks great, Nick." Maya mouthed, giving Phoenix a thumbs up. Phoenix smiled in response as he continued to stumble forward, obviously not used to the extra weight provided by the new armor.
"So now what?" Phoenix asked as he struggled to keep his footing.
"Now we can properly begin your training." Edgeworth replied as he turned to journey back to the courtyard. Phoenix sighed at having to walk all the way back to the courtyard in the heavy suit but carried on forward, figuring it'd help him get used to the armor. Godot and Maya decided to follow suit, and walked with the duo to the courtyard to watch Phoenix's training.
Once the group made it into the courtyard, Edgeworth immediately drew his blade and struck Phoenix to the ground. Phoenix grunted in pain on the floor, luckily if it weren't for his armor, Phoenix would've been killed by Edgeworth's strike.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" Maya shouted at Edgeworth.
"Lesson number one: Always be ready to defend yourself. Look at you, knave. You haven't even become a knight yet and already your armor has been scarred!" Edgeworth spoke as he walked over to Phoenix to strike another blow, "Get up and fight!" Edgeworth fumed as he swung his blade downwards. Phoenix's eyes widened in fright as he rolled out of the way of Edgeworth's strike. Phoenix then rose from the ground and drew Excalibur from its scabbard. Edgeworth again charged at Phoenix and swung his blade. Phoenix quickly blocked the blow with Excalibur and locked swords with Edgeworth, Phoenix struggled against the more experienced knight's tremendous strength but he wasn't one to give up so quickly.
"Godot, do something! He's going to kill him!" Maya pleaded as she watched Edgeworth begin to overpower Phoenix.
"Don't be so sure about that." Godot replied smirking, as he watched the clash unfold.
"To think that Excalibur chose such a whelp as its bearer…" Edgeworth spat, the tiny drops of spit hit Phoenix in the face.
That was when Phoenix realized something, they both weren't wearing helmets. Their faces were exposed. Thinking quickly, Phoenix spat into Edgeworth's eye, causing the red knight's concentration to break as he grunted in disgust. This provided a window of opportunity for Phoenix to knock Edgeworth sword out of his hand. Edgeworth replied to this by elbowing Phoenix in the jaw and picking his sword back up from the ground. A crowd began to form around the courtyard as people watched the two knights' blades clash and exchange blows. Edgeworth had the upper hand throughout the entire fight as he mercilessly pounded away at Excalibur with his blade. Phoenix soon began to tire and weaken as he struggled to keep his footing. He had realized that for Edgeworth this wasn't about putting Phoenix through a trial by fire, it was about revenge. Edgeworth had been publicly humiliated by Phoenix the day before, and this was payback. If Phoenix wasn't careful, Edgeworth could very well kill him. It was in this moment of realization that Phoenix had noticed that, in his rage, Edgeworth was putting all of his strength in every strike; treating each blow as if it were the final. All he had to do was hold his ground just a little longer and dodge one of Edgeworth's strikes. Finally, the opportunity presented itself; Phoenix dodged one of Edgeworth's strikes, leaving the enraged warrior exposed momentarily. Phoenix took advantage of this and struck Edgeworth in the back with Excalibur, creating a huge scratch on the back of the red armor. This only enraged the knight further as he ran towards Phoenix ready to strike him dead, however a root that sprouted forth from the ground caught hold of Edgeworth foot, causing him to fall to the ground and drop his sword. Edgeworth scrambled for the sword until Phoenix kicked it out of the way and pointed Excalibur at him.
"Yield." Phoenix commanded.
"Excalibur… That blade you ever so proudly wield was to be my redemption…" Edgeworth spoke, gazing upon the tip of Excalibur's blade, "However, I am not worthy… I deserve this. I deserve judgment to be struck down upon me by that holy blade. It's what I deserve, after all. What I deserve for the events that transpired all those years ago…"
"What are you talking about?" Phoenix asked.
"Fifteen years ago… A beast slew people in a nearby village." Edgeworth spoke, when he uttered that sentence Maya's eyes widened, "For all these years we had assumed that one of these people was my father, Sir Gregory Edgeworth. But night after night what I had assumed to be a terrible nightmare is now painfully clear to me. The wicked beast that slew many that night did not murder my father… I did." The crowd gasped in shock. "Fifteen years ago; I, Miles Atticus Edgeworth, murdered my own father. This horrible truth had been eating away at me for years, until I reached my breaking point today."
Every soul around the courtyard was silenced at Edgeworth's words. The only sound that was that of heavy footsteps making their way through the crowd. The crowd had begun to part much like the Red Sea had done so when Moses had lifted his arms, the crowd parted to reveal King Arthur make his way towards Phoenix and Edgeworth. He stood before both knights and glared down at the defeated Edgeworth. Furiously the ancient king snatched Excalibur from Phoenix's hand and raised it to slay the fallen knight that lay before him. Godot's expression remained hidden behind his mask but his hand shook in fear, Maya's eyes widened, and Phoenix opened his mouth to object to Edgeworth's slaying. But before the words left Phoenix's mouth another voice sounded from behind King Arthur.
"Your Highness, there must be another way!"
There stood Sir Manfred von Karma with his perfect black armor shining in the sun's glow, his cape gently flowing in the breeze, and his helmet held in his hand. Sir Manfred's aged face showed no weakness, with his long grey hair flowing in the wind; he stood strong, even against the king. "The boy has admitted to his crimes. Perhaps his punishment should be less severe."
The king turned his head towards the most honored of his knights, "Sir Manfred, the boy has spent 15 years deceiving this kingdom."
"He said that he's only just come to the realization, Your Highness." Phoenix interjected.
"He speaks the truth." Manfred added.
The king stood deep in thought before handing Excalibur back to Phoenix, "Very well, the boy shall be given a fighting chance." He turned to Manfred, "Tomorrow at noon; Miles Edgeworth will engage you in a battle to the death, Sir Manfred. Am I understood?"
"So be it." Manfred replied.
"In the meantime, lock Edgeworth in the dungeon." King Arthur commanded as two knights lifted Edgeworth off of the ground and hauled him off towards the castle. The sun began to set on this eventful day, it had unfolded much differently than Phoenix had expected. "Your training shall be postponed for a few days, Sir Phoenix, due to these unfortunate circumstances. I offer my deepest apologies." The king then turned towards Maya, "Come along, Maya. Dinner's going to get cold."
Maya merely nodded her head before heading back to the castle with her father; she had a sorrow-filled look in her eye as she made her way back to the castle. The crowd eventually dissipated and everyone headed back to their homes, leaving only Phoenix and Godot. Both remained silent but held completely different expressions; Phoenix's expression was concerned and distressed, whereas Godot still held his signature smirk as he drank from his mug. Phoenix cocked an eyebrow at Godot's mug, unsure whether he just didn't finish his drink from the morning or he somehow kept refilling it. Either way it didn't matter, it was a long day and he desperately needed some rest.
"Pretty interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Godot asked as Phoenix made his way back to his room.
"Yep." The exhausted Phoenix replied. He did feel bad for Edgeworth. Having to hold in a secret like that for fifteen years must've torn him apart on the inside. No wonder why he was so cranky. But something about what Edgeworth said struck Phoenix as odd; Edgeworth had said that he had believed it to be a nightmare at first. Is Edgeworth basing his guilt off of some dream? This question lingered in Phoenix's mind as he made his way back to his room.
After Phoenix had changed out of his armor and washed up, he waited by the stables where he had met with Maya the night before. He patted Charley's mane as he sat on a barrel, reading the horses names continuing where he left off from the prior night. Aside from Charley there was one other horse that had a name that wasn't taken from one of the old members of the Round Table. There was a horse named Mia Fey.
"Fey," Phoenix muttered to himself. "So that's where she got the name from. What an odd name for a horse."
"It was my sister's name." Maya said as she entered the stable. "I thought you wouldn't come, y'know considering everything that happened today."
"If anything, I NEEDED to come tonight. I need someone to gripe and complain to about my day." Phoenix commented with a smirk.
Maya laughed at Phoenix's remark, "Well considering all I did last night was gripe and complain, it's your turn now."
"Well for starters, my back is killing me." Phoenix deadpanned.
"That's just your age, old man."
"Hey! I'll have you know I'm only 26." Phoenix retorted.
"…Doesn't it bother you?" Maya asked.
"What? Being 26? Like I said I'm not that old so…"
"No not that, I meant about Edgeworth." Maya interrupted.
"A little… But that's because I have no idea what he was talking about." Phoenix responded, leaning forward on the barrel. "Like what happened fifteen years ago for starters."
"…Fifteen years ago, a beast named Reddwite attacked a nearby village. King Arthur's finest knights were sent to slay the beast; one of those knights was Sir Gregory Edgeworth, Edgeworth's father. Reddite slayed Sir Gregory before Edgeworth's eyes and the only other surviving knight, Sir Manfred von Karma, took Edgeworth in as one of his own… At least, that's what we had believed until now." Maya paused before speaking again, "…Edgeworth wasn't the only one who lost their family that day y'know. My birth name isn't Maya Pendragon… It's Maya Fey. My mother passed away when I was two years old and the only family I had left was my older sister, Mia Fey. But she died, protecting me from the vicious beast… I was found crying over my sister's body by Da- I mean King Arthur. After that he raised me as his daughter…"
"I see…" Phoenix replied, unsure of what to say.
"We should help him." Maya stated.
"Edgeworth?" Phoenix questioned, "What can we do?"
"Aren't you a man of law?" Maya asked.
"Yeah," Phoenix answered "But your dad seemed dead set on having Edgeworth executed."
"Well we can still try!" Maya said, raising her fists as if she was ready to fight.
"Alright," Phoenix said as he rose up from the barrel he sat on. "Let's go pay him a visit."
Inside the depths of the castle there was a cold, damp, desolate wasteland where the worst criminals in all the land found themselves before facing justice. Miles Edgeworth had sent many down here in his quest to purge the land of all wickedness. This time he had finally sent the man who he believed deserved this fate the most, himself. Edgeworth, stripped of his armor and wearing humble red robes, sat alone in the darkness with his hands and legs chained together. With only his thoughts to keep him company until he met his end at the hands of his mentor. Just as Edgeworth shut his eyes to receive some sleep, the door to the dungeon opened.
"Princess Pendragon and Sir Phoenix are here to see you, Sir… I mean… Criminal scum." The meek knight who had his shoulder wrapped up in a sling that stood guard announced.
"Thank you, Winston." Edgeworth said as Sir Winston allowed Phoenix and Maya in before shutting the door again.
"Well? Have you come to laugh at the fallen knight, knave? Then do it, LAUGH!" Edgeworth spat the words out of his mouth.
"Nick? Should we laugh?" Maya whispered to Phoenix.
"Nah, it's a trap. Do it and he'll get mad… or burst into tears." Phoenix whispered back, "Edgeworth, we want to try to help you."
"Help me? After how I treated you? After I took out all my rage on you today, you still come by to offer me your assistance?" Edgeworth took a long pause as he reflected on his words, "Pathetic. You can't help me… No one can. This is my penance, this is what I deserve."
"Edgeworth, you keep saying that you deserve to die. Why is that?" Phoenix asked.
"I thought I had made it clear that I murdered my father fifteen years ago." Edgeworth remarked.
"You never went into detail. You just described it as a nightmare that became true… Why did you say that?" Phoenix pressed.
"…For fifteen years now… I've been having a recurring dream, well more like a nightmare, every night. I'm surrounded by smoke and fire and in the distance I see my dad fighting with some figure. I plead for the figure to leave my father alone, but my cries fall on deaf ears. So I grab bow and arrow from one of the fallen warrior's bodies, and I fire it. I hear a blood curdling scream and I finally pass out…" Edgeworth stared off into the distance. "I had assumed it to be nothing more than a mere nightmare, but now I see it for what it truly is… A repressed memory." Phoenix and Maya remained silent at Edgeworth's testimony. The man that sat before them was not the prideful warrior they had known, instead in his place they saw a broken man haunted by his own past.
"That's all I needed to hear, Edgeworth." Phoenix finally said.
"What?" Edgeworth replied.
"You've convinced me of your innocence, Edgeworth. And my duty, whether it is as a man of law or a knight, is to protect the innocent." Phoenix stated. "What you experienced is a dream and nothing more."
Edgeworth responded to Phoenix's words with silence. He merely sat there staring at nothing. He took a deep breath before speaking, "I'm going to die tomorrow. Manfred von Karma may be my mentor but he is also knight of the highest caliber and will show me no mercy."
Before Phoenix or Maya could say anything, Sir Winston opened the dungeon door. "Time's up." Phoenix and Maya looked at each other before leaving Edgeworth to brood in solitary yet again.
"…Maybe Godot can help." Maya suggested as she and Phoenix stood outside the castle.
"That guy weirds me out, though." Phoenix responded.
"Yeah, but he has a cool mask." Maya grinned.
Godot sat in his shack humming sweet tunes to himself as he polished a new blade he had just crafted, "Beautiful." He said to himself before taking a sip from his mug. His solitude was interrupted by a hefty knock on the door. Godot placed the blade down and went to open the door. At the door way stood Phoenix and Maya, who both grinned and waved hello at Godot. "Your Majesty, you shouldn't be up at this hour. Pretty women like you need their sleep."
"We need your help, Godot." Maya pleaded.
"Well I'm never one to say no to a pretty face, that's one of my rules." Godot replied as he stepped aside to let Maya in. "Another one of my rules is to wipe your feet before entering another man's home." Godot said as he stepped in front of Phoenix, blocking his entrance. Phoenix grinned sheepishly as he wiped the mud off of his boots on the welcome mat. Godot smiled and allowed Phoenix passage. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of having such esteemed company?" Godot said as he poured some more of that scorching hot black liquid into his mug, allowing its delightful aroma to fill the air as the three took a seat at Godot's table.
"We want to help, Edgeworth." Phoenix answered.
"We? Ahhh, Princess, does your father know that you're seeing Mr. Knight over here?" Godot smirked.
"What!? No! Nononoo! It's nothing like that, we're just friends." Maya retorted immediately.
"I never said anything about you two being love birds." Godot grinned before placing his mug down, "But onto more serious matters, tomorrow Edgeworth will rendezvous with Lady Death. And I'm afraid there's nothing you can do to help him."
"But he didn't kill his father! He only thinks he did!" Maya replied.
"Doesn't matter. Tomorrow he fights against Manfred von Karma, the Dark Knight himself." Godot reminded.
"So he doesn't stand a chance?" Phoenix asked already knowing what Godot will say.
"The only way he'd even have a slim chance of victory, Mr. Knight, is if he fought using Excalibur." Godot deadpanned.
"That's it!" Phoenix exclaimed "I'll fight in his place!"
"Did you not hear me? I said SLIM chance." Godot said.
"Slim chance is better than no chance." Phoenix commented.
"Nick, Manfred will destroy you!" Maya said grabbing Phoenix's shoulder.
"Hopefully Excalibur didn't pick me for nothing then." Phoenix replied.
"Ha! You got guts kid… I like that!" Godot chuckled. "They gave me Edgeworth's armor to melt down once this was all over, you can use that to assume his identity tomorrow."
"You're joking right!?" Maya exclaimed.
"Now the only problem is that they'll recognize Excalibur the second I draw it out from its scabbard." Phoenix stated, ignoring Maya.
"I can create a mold to cover the hilt, that's the most recognizable part after all." Godot suggested as he felt around for his materials used for blacksmithing. Phoenix then noticed that everything in Godot's shack was labeled with brail.
"Godot, are you… blind?" Phoenix asked.
Godot merely chuckled at the question as he got to work on creating the mold to cover the hilt of Excalibur, "Don't judge me based off of what I can't see, Mr. Knight. Instead, judge me based off of what I CAN see. I see the various scents and aromas that fill the air, I see wind that gently passes by, I can see sounds and music as they paint a glorious picture in my mind. I may be blind but do not assume that I cannot see, I see far more than the average blacksmith does. I see the sword not as a weapon but as a companion. A knight's sword is his most loyal companion." As Godot said this Phoenix felt Excalibur's hilt at his side, "The sword is placed at its owner's side, now why is that? It could easily be placed on his back and it could be accessed just as easily. No no no, the sword remains at the knight's side because that is where it belongs. That is where the sword stays, by its companions side, through thick or thin. Through every trial, through every tribulation, forged together by the flames of experience. That my friend, is what a sword is. And you are truly lucky, to own a sword as loyal and faithful as Excalibur." Godot finished the mold to cover the hilt, cooled it in the water, and handed it off to Phoenix.
"That was beautiful." Maya sniffled.
"Thank you, Godot." Phoenix took a respectful bow before taking his gift and leaving with Maya.
"Alright, so you'll come by in the morning and put on Edgeworth's armor. What about the knights who are supposed to come retrieve the armor and deliver Edgeworth to the courtyard for Manfred to slay? Won't they notice?" Maya asked.
"Don't worry, I know just the people who can help with that." Phoenix replied with a grin.
"Alright, pal so what do we do again?" Gumshoe asked Larry as they stood outside the dungeon's entrance.
"Nick said we just wait for the guards to show up, and then we ambush them and steal their clothes." Larry replied. "Alright, now quiet down! They're coming…" Larry and Gumshoe then hid in the bush besides the dungeon entrance as two knights passed by.
"Hey, do you smell dead rat?" One of the knights asked the other.
Right on cue both Larry and Gumshoe tackled and overpowered the two knights and stripped them of their clothing. The knight's armors fit Larry too big and Gumshoe too small, never the less the two high fived each other as they entered the dungeon to wait until morning for their cue.
The morning sun struck in the sky, hot and fierce. Crowds had gathered around the courtyard to witness the final battle of Sir Miles Edgeworth. As the trumpets sounded for the prisoner to be brought forth, Larry and Gumshoe unchained Edgeworth from the dungeon and took him to Godot's shack, where Godot stood waiting for them.
"Good morning Miles." Godot greeted as he recognized the sound of the knight's grumbling.
"Godot." Edgeworth replied. "Bring me my armor so that I may face the fate that everyone must meet."
"Yeah sure, just a tic…" Godot said as he walked back into the shack. After the sound of various metals clanking and banging sounded from the shack, Godot walked back out and slammed a cooking pan onto Edgeworth head, knocking him out cold.
"I'll take good care of our unconscious friend whilst you take his place, Mr. Knight." Godot said as Phoenix and Maya walked out from behind him.
"Wow, Nick… Managed to score with the princess, eh?" Larry remarked.
"Not now Larry." Phoenix responded as he placed Edgeworth's helmet on his head to complete his transformation from Phoenix Wright to Miles Edgeworth.
"How's the mold over Excalibur's hilt holding up?" Godot asked.
"All good," Phoenix replied as he drew his trusty sword and swung it around for a bit before placing it back into its scabbard.
"Nick," Maya said before pausing, "Good luck." She said as she wrapped her arms around Phoenix, ensnaring him in a quick hug.
"Thank you," Phoenix replied; with the helmet hiding his face, which was turning redder than the armor he wore. "Ready guys?" Phoenix said as he turned to Larry and Gumshoe.
"You bet ya, pal!" Gumshoe responded giving a quick salute.
"Y'know it, bud!" Larry follow suit.
Then two then escorted Phoenix to the courtyard where the crowd was waiting for him, or rather, waiting for Edgeworth. The crowd parted to make was for the phony Miles as Gumshoe and Larry escorted him to the center, where Manfred von Karma waited for them. Maya went and stood with her father, clutching the necklace Phoenix had given her as she watched Phoenix prepare to face off against the legendary knight. Torches lined up the circumference of the center of the courtyard. Sir Manfred stood with his cape flowing fiercely in the wind with his fierce and powerful blade drawn out. Phoenix drew out his blade and bowed respectfully to Edgeworth's mentor. Manfred merely stood there; his cold, eyeless helmet cast off an unfeeling glare. The trumpets blasted through the air as the king's jester made his way towards the center of the courtyard.
"Good afternoon everybody!" The wacky jester announced as he hopped about. "On behalf of his Majesty, I want to thank everyone for being here to witness this stupendous occasion; the final battle of Sir Miles Atticus Edgeworth!" The crowd roared in applause at the jester's off colored joke. "In this cornered standing at who knows how tall, Sir Miles Edgeworth!" The crowd all booed at the Phoenix and began throwing cabbages and various other produce at him, "And in this corner, we have the Dark Knight himself, the reigning champion for a good forty years now and even then, no one's managed to even lay so much as a scratch on his armor; Sir Manfed von Karma!" The crowd applauded at the legendary knight's name. "And so without further ado… Let the curbstomp begin!" The jester laughed and he hopped into the air, ringing his bell.
Phoenix ran at Manfred and swung his blade at the fierce opponent, Manfred gracefully dodged his strike with surprising speed for someone his age. Phoenix continued to attempt to strike his opponent but Manfred dodged every strike, until Manfred slammed his blade into Phoenix's armor. The strike had managed to leave a large crack in the center of the armor's torso. Phoenix stumbled back a bit, as the mighty blow had knocked the wind out of him. Phoenix charged at Manfred and swung his sword again at the towering knight. Manfred quickly parried Phoenix's strike and lifted the disguised Phoenix by his throat and tossed him to the ground.
"You always were too headstrong, Edgeworth." Manfred commented at he walked over to Phoenix as he raised his sword to the air and slammed the blade down on the armor's torso, causing the crack to widen. Phoenix let out a yell as he felt the pain of the impact.
Maya winced as she saw Manfred strike Phoenix as she turned her head away from the battle, towards her father, "Please you have to stop the battle!" Maya pleaded with her father.
"Hush now, Maya. The liar deserves his fate." The king replied.
"I stood up for you so that you may live and attempt to restore your honor, Edgeworth," Manfred said as he stood over Phoenix "And this is how you repay me! You were to continue the Von Karma legacy when I departed from my position! NOT SOIL IT!" Manfred screamed as he removed his helmet and cast it aside, "First you fail in claiming Excalibur to be your own and were humiliated by a foolish knave! Then, you have the nerve to lose in a battle against said knave!" Manfred tossed his sword aside as he knelt over Phoenix. "You are a disgrace to me, you are a disgrace to your kingdom, YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO YOUR FATHER!" Manfred spat as he struck Phoenix's helmet with a powerful blow from his fist.
"Dad please!" Maya pleaded once more, clutching her necklace.
"Maya Pendragon, that's enough!" King Arthur shouted.
"Dude, he's gonna kill him." Larry said as his eyes widened in fear.
Again and again, Manfred struck Phoenix's helmet with his fists. The sheer force of the impacts where denting and tearing away at the armor. Phoenix struggled to keep conscious as Manfred continued to pound away at the helmet until it finally gave away and shattered, revealing that the man who lied behind the helmet was not Miles Edgeworth, but instead, Phoenix Wright. Phoenix's face was battered and bruised from Manfred's strikes and he struggled to stay conscious. The entire audience gasped in shock at the revelation. A strong silence overtook the entire area as they soaked in just what was going on. This silence was broken however by a deep, wicked chuckle. The source of the amused chuckle was now other than Manfred von Karma who grabbed Phoenix by the throat and raised his fist to deliver the final blow.
"You, the knave who robbed me of my legacy." Manfred chuckled "The foolish whelp who Excalibur mistakenly chosen as its bearer… You may not be Edgeworth, but you're the next best thing." Manfred grinned as he prepared the shatter Phoenix's skull with his fist.
"No!" Maya shouted as she ran out into the courtyard. She grabbed one of the torches that lit the center of the arena and swung it at Manfred. The torch was slammed into Manfred's back and caused his cape to ignite into flames. In a panic, Manfred removed the cape as the fires threatened to damage his armor. As Manfred dealt with the flames Maya ran over to Phoenix and knelt over him. "C'mon Nick, get up! We have to get out of here!" Before she could say anymore, Manfred back handed her off of Phoenix.
"MANFRED VON KARMA!" The king shouted from the audience, "You WILL back down!" Manfred merely chuckled as he charged at the king and knocked him to the ground.
"Stay out of this; you're past your prime. You're merely an old man who lives in the illusion of having control. I'm the one with the power here, not you." Manfred spoke as he kicked the unconscious king.
"Enough!" A voice shouted from the audience. Everyone turned their head to see whose voice had spoken. It was none other than Miles Edgeworth who stood alongside Godot as they made their way towards the center of the courtyard. "This was to be my fight. No one else should have to suffer for it."
"I deal with you in a second, Miles." Manfred grabbed Phoenix by the throat and lifted him from the ground, and brought him closer to him so that he may continue where he left off. As he was brought closer Phoenix noticed something on Manfred's right shoulder. There was a scratch, not just a scratch but a hole. This had been covered up with the cape but after Maya burned that off the wound was now exposed for the world to see. Thinking quickly, Phoenix jabbed the hilt of his sword into the wound.
"Where'd you get that wound Sir Manfred?" Phoenix asked as Manfred dropped him to the ground to clutch the hole in his armor with his hand.
"Shut up!" Manfred yelled as he attempted to backhand Phoenix but Phoenix moved out of the way and struck him in the back with Excalibur, creating another scar in his supposedly perfect armor. Manfred let out a blood curdling scream at the impact. Edgeworth's eyes widened as he heard the scream and let it echo in his mind.
"That scream…" Edgeworth muttered to himself, "That scream I heard all those years ago… That scream didn't come from my father. It came from YOU, Manfred von Karma!"
"The arrow you fired as a child didn't strike your father dead…" Phoenix said.
"It struck Manfred in the shoulder!" Maya finished Phoenix's sentence.
"Resulting in that scream you heard!" Phoenix exclaimed.
"Fifteen years ago, Sir Gregory Edgeworth, struck down the fierce demon Reddwite. This angered the proud and vain Manfred von Karma, who felt that victory against the beast was to belong to him. Manfred attacked Sir Gregory as a young Miles Edgeworth watched in the distance. Panicked at seeing his father in danger, Miles Edgeworth fires an arrow, the arrow strikes Manfred in the shoulder and he lets out a terrible scream. This was the last thing Edgeworth heard before he passed out. When he comes to, Manfred informs him that his father was struck down by an arrow. This planted a seed of guilt in the young boy's mind that would begin to consume him as the years passed on." Phoenix explained as Manfred still clutched his shoulder, gasping in pain.
"It was to be the perfect revenge!" Manfred spat, "His blasted father had robbed me of my glory! So I plunged the arrow that pierced my shoulder into his heart! I then took in his son so that he may be molded in my image, while his father's spirit watched on in horror as I turned his flesh and blood into the very thing that he fought against. Then his son would be used to continue my legacy as the head of the Round Table!"
"But I got in the way of that." Phoenix added.
"And for that… You will die." Manfred claimed while he pulled a mace out from his side and swung at Phoenix.
The two kept trading blows as sword clashed against mace. Phoenix and Manfred traveled through the crowd towards the gates of the castle where the statues of the knights stood. Manfred swung his mace, destroying chunks of the statues as he pursued Phoenix. Manfred managed to wrap his mace around Excalibur and he tossed aside, causing it to embed itself into the ground. Phoenix backed up into the statue, defenseless as he waited for Manfred to deliver the final blow. Manfred swung his mace as Phoenix rolled out of the way, destroying the base of the statue. He stepped forward to pursue Phoenix again until he noticed the hilt of the blade that was stuck inside the ground. The mold that Godot had made began to break off, revealing that the blade was in fact the mighty blade, Excalibur. Manfred grinned as he wrapped his hand around the blade's hilt. Phoenix then heard the sound of the stones that made the statue that Manfred struck break away. The statue was the recently completed statue of Manfred von Karma himself.
"Manfred, the statue's going to fall! You have to move!" Phoenix shouted.
However his cries fell on deaf ears and Manfred was too busy trying to lift Excalibur out of the ground, "Lift! You lifted for the knave, now lift for the true knight!" Manfred grunted as he tried with all of his might to pull Excalibur from the ground. Phoenix winced as the statue then came crumbling forward as it crushed Manfred von Karma under it tremendous weight and shattered. There lay Manfred von Karma, who met his end at his own foolish pride. The hilt of Excalibur stuck out proudly from the ruble as Phoenix drew it from the ground and placed it back into its scabbard.
Phoenix made his way back to the courtyard where everyone waited for him. Maya ran up to him and trapped him in a hug, happy to see him alive. Larry and Gumshoe were both on the verge of tears, overjoyed at the sight of a very much alive Phoenix. Godot grinned as he raised his mug upward in honor of Phoenix. And Edgeworth walked up to Phoenix, starring him in the eye and knelt before him on one knee.
"Thank you." Edgeworth spoke.
"I was just doing my job," Phoenix replied.
"And what a job you did!" The king announced as he made his way towards Phoenix, he turned to Edgeworth and signaled him to stand up, "I owe you an apology, Sir Edgeworth."
"No need Your Highness, I should be the one apologizing. To you… Sir Phoenix of the Knights." Edgeworth said as he stood.
"Now, son. My daughter has taken quite a liking to you… Treat her well." The king said as he jovially patted Phoenix on the back.
"Daaaad!" Maya replied puffing her cheeks which had turned a bright red.
"A man filled with pride was destroyed by his own pride." Godot commented referring to Manfred's fate. "…He was crushed by his own statue right?"
Phoenix chuckled and responded "Yes."
"And the man, chosen by Excalibur not for his strength. But for his kindness and chivalry." Godot spoke. "Excalibur does not make the knight. The knight makes Excalibur."
Phoenix smiled as he raised Excalibur into the air as the sun struck against its blade and shone magnificently.
"Nick?" Maya asked, "I'm starving, let's go grab some mutton!" She grinned as she took Phoenix by the hand and dragged him off into the town to enjoy some greasy, unhealthy fast food.