More characterization practice for a larger Ace Attorney fic.

If I were to give a description of the AU here, it would be Manfred Von Karma dies in a hole- pardon, I meant no Dl-6, with a hint of Fey!Miles. For. Reasons.

Read, review, and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ace Attorney.

"Edgeworth, please, I have to know."

There was a moment of silence, the tension between them almost crackling in warning. Then, he scoffed.

"What an absurd idea! You've no way to prove anything of the contrary! I've never bothered to hide frivolous details. I assumed that much was clear from any of our conversations. But then again, you always have enjoyed making dramatic claims."

Each syllable was punctuated with more venom than the last, dripping in skepticism. Yet no barb could stop Phoenix from laughing. Instantly on the defensive at his reaction, Edgeworth snarled, "what's so funny?"

"It's just-" he tried, and failed, to smother a second, rueful laugh. Like a flower in bloom, his fingers uncurled, revealing what rested upon his palm. "I'd never really thought I'd need to use this on you."

Beyond a sharp flash in his eyes, he did not respond. Then, slowly drawing out his words with a cold disdain, he replied, "I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Then allow me to remind you of some evidence."

During lunch period, they were allowed to move from their assigned desks to wherever they wanted. Naturally, Miles was with Phoenix, by the coat rack near the back of the class. Larry normally would have been with them too. Disturbing the peace by distracting Phoenix, trying to mooch snacks, or have conversations which did not matter. Some of the time, he actually did homework which was due the next period, taking up all of their lunch to help him.

While they were lining up to go inside that morning, Phoenix had asked him to explain what jurisprudence was. He had intended to so do at recess, but Larry had come along, somehow deceiving Phoenix into playing tag instead.

So, to prevent future interference, Miles possibly could have taken Larry's homework, and put it somewhere far away from where they now sat. Not that such an action was wrong. He certainly hadn't stolen the homework Larry needed to finish. In fact, he had done the responsible thing, by putting the book report in the pile on the teacher's desk. That was where it was expected to be placed, after all. He was being a perfectly good samaritan with his actions, not a thieving law-breaker.

"So it's a big word, for everything about law?"

"Not quite," he wrinkled his nose, when he realized that his father had sent him slices of bell pepper again. "If you have any snacks of equal healthiness..."

Without hesitation, Phoenix took the pepper, and gave him the carrot sticks he had been saving until that point.

"Thank-you. Now, think of jurisprudence as-"

"Hey! Edgey! I've got a bone to pick with you!"

"Larry!"

The aforementioned boy marched up to them. When he reached their desks, he placed his hands on his hips, and put on his best glare.

"Coming to join us?"

"Oh well I mean if you have any more of those fruit gummies- I mean, NO! I know you have something to do with my book report going missing!"

"Me?!" Phoenix indignantly squawked. "How can something go missing if you didn't do it to begin with?"

"I may have not done it, but I still had the paper, and the rubric! And it wasn't you, Nick."

Miles had chosen to take a long time chewing his food, to avoid confrontation. His heart sped up a little when he lied, "as flattered as I am by the idea that you consider me a culprit, I have better things to do."

Like spend time with Nick.

Which was coincidentally the whole reason why he had taken the book report to begin with.

"Not that Larry is capable of drawing such logical connections, of course," he reassured himself.

"You totally did!" Larry whined, stomping his foot.

This brought the attention in the room to them. Dozens more stares rested upon him as he fibbed now. Miles wondered if his grand scheme had been that good of an idea to begin with. He was uncertain if he could lie in front of such an audience, especially one which was known for being so fickle. Pinpricks of sweat broke out on his hands, he could feel the pressure of their stares.

"I did not! Just because you're incapable of keeping track of your work, it doesn't mean it's my fault!"

Then, to his immense relief, Phoenix joined in.

"Yeah! Miles wouldn't lie about this! You just want to blame him because you didn't get your homework done!"

The betrayal on Larry's gaping face almost made him feel bad for a moment. Almost. But then, a great sensation of calm swept over him. Any stray signs of uncertainty, he managed to collect. A peculiar, tingling feeling buzzed through his body. It was power, and it pounded through his veins, crept along his spine. Phoenix was supporting him, he felt all the more safer in his lie because of it. Him and Phoenix, versus Larry. He was outnumbered. "Phoenix likes me more than he like you," Miles wanted to say, wanting to thumb his nose at the other boy. That would give it all away of course. He settled for leaning closer to Nick, trying to appear grateful for what he had said.

"What? Nick! You can't be serious! He's converted you!"

"Instead of arguing about why your report is lost, why don't you go look for it?" Miles suggested.

"Maybe I will," he huffed, storming away. "Traitor."

Everyone went about their business with Larry gone. Together, they split the package of fruit gummies based on colour. Phoenix had claim of any blue or purple, he received all the red and orange, while Larry got yellow and green. Since Larry wasn't with them, they agreed on taking the very sweet burden of one extra colour each. He finally got the chance to properly explain what jurisprudence was. Phoenix didn't ask questions about law often, but when he did, Miles always made sure to do a thorough job of answering.

As Larry spent the remainder of lunch unsuccessfully looking for his "report," a sick sort of victory filled him. He'd pulled it off, he'd gotten to have a lunch which was almost completely free of the Butz. Phoenix had even backed him up, even though... He was... lying. When Larry was still searching into lunch recess, the smug triumph bled away. The gummies, which weren't even rightfully his, seemed to stick his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He... didn't really want to talk anymore, especially not to him.

Throughout the rest of the day, a twisted knot worked its way into his throat. Thick guilt constricted him, caused by his horror at the realization of just how loyal Phoenix was. With utter conviction, he had backed him up, claimed that he would never lie. And Phoenix really believed it, really thought him to be telling the truth. He had used the trust Phoenix felt to get away with a crime!

The moment his father asked him how his day was, it all came tumbling out. He'd had a day where Larry managed to interrupt what he was saying to Phoenix a record amount of times. When he noticed the blank pages entitled "The Butz's Report" scribbled on them, he'd thought it would be a convenient distraction. How he'd begun to hate Phoenix splitting his attention between the two of them, and how great it was to not have Larry around for a bit. Then there was the terrible epiphany: Phoenix had stood with him, unknowingly backed up a lie. (And he'd hurt Larry, a fact which he hastily added on when his father asked him.)

"Well," his father began, after a long, drawn-out silence, "what are we going to do about this Miles?"

Still breathing heavily, yet interrupted by the occasional hiccup, he stuttered out, "I-I don't know."

As he stared at his swollen face in the rear view mirror, Miles wondered if this moment was more or less embarrassing than the strange "talk" his father had given him a month ago. At least his scarlet cheeks had cooled down after a while. At least he'd possessed no desire to rub his stinging eyes of the salt which clung to the corners.

"I think," he continued, in the patronizing tone Miles hated- for he only used when he was stern- "you should start off with apologizing."

"Y-yes Father," he choked out, in a raspy voice. "I-I don't want-"

"Want what?"

"What if someone else tried to use him like that? Make him give credibility to their lie?"

"Yes, I can see how that could be a problem."

Other than that, he didn't speak for the rest of the ride home. There was quiet, barring the occasional sniffle, until they arrived, and he was in the middle of washing his lunch containers. Just as he was rinsing off the smallest (which had contained the peppers) his father called, "Miles, come here for a moment."

He wanted to reply, but all he could manage was a little squeak. Drying his hands of the suds, and stepping off the stool, he went in search of his father's voice. It came from the living room. His father was standing by the fireplace, with his back facing him. He was reaching for something on the mantle. The matches? No, when he turned, there was a wooden box in his hands.

It was carved into a bear shape, complete with lines marking the fur, its eyes, and claws. It was segmented in places, his father pulled one of these sections first. It was like a pin, holding the lid in position. It then slid off, revealing a smaller door, which hid the cavity inside the bear. A puzzle box?

There, nested in the bottom, was a charm. It was emerald-green, and almost translucent. When the light was caught in its surfaces, jagged veins of white spread across the inside. The smooth, rounded texture reminded him of beach glass, but the shape had to be man-made. It was a number six, complete with a hole punched in the middle.

"I received this from a..." he trailed off, voice distant. "Our relationship was quite like yours and Phoenix's, actually. It's called a magatama, and it allows you to filter the lies from the truth. I think your friend could benefit from this, if you're so worried about him."

"Like a polygraph? Why don't they use it in courts then?"

"They're not common, and it's even less common to receive one which has been charged."

"Charged?"

The magatama was weighty in his cupped palms, and frigid to the touch. As his father spoke, he could almost sense the static energy, racing through it, coursing along the lightning-like veins.

"By a Spirit Medium, at the peak of her power. It will apparently last twice longer than normal."

"How old is it now?"

"The same age as you, and it still has ten more years to go."

"Why," he turned over the magatama, he couldn't help but regard it with skepticism, "why have you never used this when interviewing your clients?"

"The truth is valuable, but the cost of getting it from a person... Isn't always worth it. Anyway," his tone perked up with semi-false cheer, "tell your friend this will help him discover lies, if he sees fit."

"I need you to promise something before I give this to you."

"O-oh, uh, ok! What is it?"

"If you suspect someone of lying, use it on them. Even if that someone... Is me."

"Pffft! Miles, you'd never lie about anything important!"

"Wright."

"Fine, I promise."

"...Thank-you."

CRACK!

With a tinkle like shattered glass, the first of five shattered. The labyrinth of chains still stretched on ethereally, but they seemed somehow weaker after the first blow.

"Perhaps I do recall," was the grudging admission, "not that it proves anything."

Fingers coiled around the magatama once again, he narrowed his eyes

"Rest assured Edgeworth," he thought. "I'm going to break those psyche locks, one-by-one."

I'm at the bottom of the page now too! Which I typically don't do, yet here I am.

ALTERNATE ENDING

"He ruined my book report!" Larry whined, stomping his foot.

This brought the attention in the room to them now. Dozens more stares rested upon him as he fibbed now. Miles wondered if his grand scheme had been that good of an idea to begin with. He was uncertain if he could lie in front of such an audience, especially one which was known for being so fickle. Pinpricks of sweat broke out on his hands, he could feel the pressure of stares now.

"I did not! Teacher, send him to the principal's office and have him expelled!"

FIN

I decided not to go with that one because this is a serious story which is (mostly) free of memes.

Also, giving something which can break your soul if used incorrectly (that is canonically what happens to Phoenix if he loses all his energy when the unlock fails) is not really what I would recommend presenting to a child. However, I would also suggest not letting thirteen year-olds prosecute, and letting a man move out of the country, far away from child services after just adopting a child.

The world of Ace Attorney doesn't seem to like my suggestions.