The cold, brisk winds blew through the air of LA. It was Christmas Eve and the people of this fair city were travelling about town making preparations for the big day tomorrow. Whether they celebrated Christmas, Kwanzaa Hanukkah or the Winter Solstice, everybody loved the holiday season. Outside the Prosecutor's Office a group of Christmas carolers gleefully sang "Joy to The World" as they brought joy and cheer to everyone who heard their song. Well, almost everyone… Miles Edgeworth wasn't a bad man, far from it; he was a man with a heart for truth and justice. The only problem was that Edgeworth was a bit of a workaholic and simply spent an unhealthy amount of time working. Edgeworth walked out from the parking lot and approached the entrance of the Prosecutor's Office, and much to his annoyance he saw the carolers standing in front of the office singing songs of joy and cheer. Edgeworth rolled his eyes and approached the carolers.
"Merry Christmas, sir! How are you today?" One caroler asked.
"Do you have a permit?" Edgeworth asked, giving the carolers a glare colder than the air that filled L.A.
"No sir, we don't sir. We're just walking around the city trying to spread the joy of the holidays, sir." The head caroler replied timidly as he held his hat in his hands.
"Ah, so you're disturbing the peace?" Edgeworth pressed.
"We're just caroling sir…"
"What you're doing is illegal, so stop before I have you arrested. Am I understood?" Edgeworth interrupted crossing his arms.
"Y-yes, sir." The caroler said as he gripped his hat in his hands and left with the other carolers, their Christmas cheer crushed by the Demon Prosecutor.
"Christmas… Bah, I don't see why everyone makes such a big fuss about it…" Edgeworth adjusted the cravat he wore on his neck and proceeded to walk inside the large building that stood before him. "It's nothing more than an excuse for selfish people to receive gifts, and for lazy people to avoid work."
As Edgeworth walked through the doors he took note of all of the tacky decorations that had been set up in the main area of the Prosecutor's Office. There was a large Christmas tree planted in the center of the office that irked Edgeworth the moment it was brought in, the glared at the piney abomination that he knew would be nothing more than another needless distraction to hinder these people from working. What's worse is that he'd have to help take it down when this horrid holiday passed.
"At least I only have to put up with you for one more day…" Edgeworth muttered to the tree as he walked past it and into his office.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Edgeworth sir!" A voice greeted as Edgeworth opened the door to his office. Detective Gumshoe stood next to Edgeworth's desk wearing a wide grin on his face.
"What do you need, Detective?" Edgeworth asked as he walked over to his desk and sat in it, clearly avoiding any needless small talk.
"Well sir, I was wondering if I could have the day off tomorrow. Y'know, so I Maggey and I can spend our first Christmas together." Gumshoe asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"No." Edgeworth responded dryly, focusing on his paperwork.
"No?" Gumshoe asked trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"Tomorrow's another working day, Detective, Christmas or not." Edgeworth replied, not even looking at Gumshoe.
"A-alright, sir… Can I at least have a Christmas bonus?"
"A bonus of any kind must be earned, Detective. You need to start doing better detective work before I even so much as consider giving you a raise." Edgeworth scolded.
"Y-yes sir…" The poor detective lowered his head as he sulked his way out of Edgeworth's office. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Edgeworth sir…"
Edgeworth half-heartedly waved his hand in response to the detective's words as the dirt poor detective closed the door to the office. "Merry Christmas," Edgeworth muttered to himself "Hmph."
As Edgeworth finished his paperwork and began to file it away, there was a knock on his door. Edgeworth looked over to the door as he placed his files into his filing cabinet. He took a deep sigh and walked over to the door to open it. As he reached his hand out to the door's handle to open the door for his guest the door thrust itself open, Maya Fey ran into the office clad in her usual spirit medium robes with the added accessory of a scarf. In her hands she carried a Christmas wreath.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya greeted cheerfully as she searched frantically around the office for a place to hang the wreath.
"Maya, you can't just barge into his office!" Phoenix sighed as he stood by the door to Edgeworth's office.
"What do you two need?" Edgeworth replied plainly.
"Yesh, Merry Christmas to you too Scrooge." Maya responded as she placed the wreath on the wall.
"What?" Edgeworth questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
"Y'know, Scrooge! The guy from the Christmas Carol," Maya ginned while Edgeworth stayed staring at her in confusion, "Grumpy guy, hated Christmas…" Edgeworth remained silent, "You've seriously never read or seen the Christmas Carol?"
"Heard of it, never bothered to read the books or see the adaptations. I'm not too fond of Christmas stories." Edgeworth deadpanned as he removed the wreath from the wall.
"Seriously!?" Maya questioned in shock, "Not even the Muppet's version o-or the Mickey Mouse version!?"
"No." Edgeworth replied.
The young spirit medium grinned as she swiped the wreath from the grumpy prosecutor's hand and placed it on his head. Edgeworth spluttered in shock as he found himself wearing the wreath around his neck. "Well now we know what we're doing tomorrow, then!" Maya cheerfully exclaimed.
"Tomorrow?" Edgeworth grumbled as he attempted to remove the wreath from around his neck.
"That's why we came here in the first place. We wanted to know if you would like to celebrate Christmas with us." Phoenix said as he placed his hand into his pocket.
"Thank you, Wright," Edgeworth said as he continued to struggle with the wreath, "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your offer."
This response wasn't much of a surprise to Phoenix, he knew Edgeworth practically lived in his office and would only leave it if he had to leave for business. He knew that Edgeworth would more than likely spend Christmas here in his office trying to find something to do, even if he wasn't needed.
"Alright, well never the less have a Merry Christmas, Edgeworth." Phoenix said as he and Maya left the room.
"Tell the Ghost of Christmas Past that I said hi!" Maya added teasingly as she shut the door.
Edgeworth had finally managed to pop his head out of the wreath that Maya had trapped him in. He rubbed his neck and mumbled "Christmas, bah!"
The hours passed through the day and everyone had left the office to go home and spent Christmas Eve with their loved ones; everyone except Miles Edgeworth of course who remained behind for whatever reason. The clouds in the sky had already been replaced by bright sparkling stars. Despite this, Edgeworth stayed at the office and scrambled about; trying to find something to do as he was certain that in their rush to leave the office and go home his coworkers more than likely forgot to do something. Edgeworth walked through the dark and desolate halls of the Prosecutor's Office, the halls held an oddly gloomy feeling that emanated through the pictures that decorated the walls of the hall. The pictures held the images of the various people who had won the esteemed "King of the Prosecutors" award. Edgeworth stopped right in front of the picture of his former mentor, Manfred von Karma. Three years ago, on this very night, Miles Edgeworth found himself facing charges for the murder of defense attorney Robert Hammond. The man who had framed Edgeworth for this heinous act was none other than the man whose image Edgeworth stood before. Edgeworth shook these memories out of his head and noticed something different about Von Karma's picture, in place of the usual stern expression Von Karma held, the image portrayed Von Karma screaming much like he had when he his plan was foiled by a certain defense attorney. Edgeworth recoiled in shock at seeing the frightful painting that lie before him. Edgeworth rubbed his eyes, certain that they had been playing tricks on him. Edgeworth looked back up at the picture and saw that it had returned to normal.
"You've been up too long Miles," Edgeworth mumbled to himself "Perhaps it's time to head home and get some shut eye…"
"Too tired to work?" A strong voice echoed from behind Edgeworth "How absolutely pathetic." Edgeworth swung around to look behind him, searching for the source of the voice that had spoken. He knew that voice but he was certain that it could not possibly be who he thought it was. "I know what you're thinking, Miles. 'It can't possibly be who I think it is' Correct? Well my dearest Miles Edgeworth, your ears do not deceive you." Edgeworth felt a cold sweat trickle down his face as this voice spoke. "Turn around, Miles." The voice demanded. Edgeworth turned back around slowly and cautiously just as the voice had instructed him to. He wasn't sure why he was doing what the voice instructed him to do. Was it out of fear? Or was it the fact that throughout his childhood he had learned to fear and obey this voice? As Edgeworth turned around he found himself staring the portrait of Manfred von Karma. The portrait had once again changed; its eyes were dead and lacked pupils, its skin color was a ghastly grey, and the once regal appearance of his clothes were now tattered and worn. The portrait had begun to rattle as the image shown in the picture began to rip itself out of the portrait, releasing a horrible scream into the air. Edgeworth's eyes widened in shock, his entire body was frozen in fear as the ghastly figure approached him. Edgeworth was a man of logic and reason but he could not possibly comprehend what was happening at the moment.
"V-von Karma…" Edgeworth muttered as he stood before the spirit of his dead mentor.
"You've disappointed me, Miles." Von Karma spoke as he circled Edgeworth "You've grown soft."
"I've grown stronger… I'm not your tool anymore." Edgeworth stammered.
"Are you so certain? You may have twisted the meaning of the word prosecutor into something utterly repulsive, but I still have quite the hold on you." Von Karma said as his hand phased through Edgeworth's chest and he wrapped his ghoulish fingers around his heart.
"Why? H-how? How are you…" Edgeworth was for once, at a loss for words. "Are you here to kill me?"
"I would love to… But I can't." Von Karma stated as his hand harmlessly phased through Edgeworth's heart. Von Karma took his arm out of Edgeworth's body and turned away, "The powers at be decided to make a message out of me…"
"A message?" Edgeworth questioned.
"A warning." Von Karma answered. "You will be visited by three more spirits, Edgeworth…Warm your soul, Edgeworth. Or it will be eternally warmed for you…"
"But I've changed; I'm not like you anymore!" Edgeworth shouted.
"Not entirely." Von Karma replied before fading back into his portrait leaving Edgeworth alone in the dark halls of the office.