Timcampy: Hi, folks! Yeah, I've been dead…I wandered about the internet a whole lot, discovering some things that really don't need to be mentioned, but eventually will be anyways. (John Adams. And Thomas Jefferson. HOLY SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHAT THE FUDGE IS WRONG WITH THOSE PEOPLE. Just go to DeviantArt and search for "John Adams"...it's the first result. x.x Ew.) But thanks to English 3 AP, the let's-learn-how-to-write-well class, I'm encouraged to pick up writing again! Please forgive me for being gone for so long and let's hope I don't have another long absence like that again.

On with the story! Still don't own Fire Emblem or Phoenix Wright, which is and will be referenced WAY too many times in this story.

Day 1: Investigation, Part I

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December 16th
Lord Eliwood's Camp (outside Priscilla's tent)
12:57 AM

"Are you really going to do this?"

"If I don't, who will?"

"But it's almost hopeless! Have you seen how much proof they have against Raven?"

"He didn't do it. I…I just know he didn't."

"But—"

"I am a mage. A master of justice. Now's a good time to prove that I'll stand by that…and prove that he's innocent."

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December 16th
Lord Eliwood's Camp
7:13 AM

Erk exited his tent, his eyes red and irritated from the lack of sleep. After the suspect, Raven, had been taken into custody, Erk and a few other generous members of the army had volunteered to clean up the scene of the murder. And what a gruesome scene it was: although Priscilla herself was in one piece, her tent was less fortunate. It was obvious she had put up a fight. Broken staves and trinkets, books ripped to tatters and forlornly lying on the ground like fallen birds, an old family portrait torn in half…all this and more was scattered about her room. When this work was done his grief denied Erk the rest he so needed, and it seemed as though he woke only moments after he had finally drifted off to sleep.

And Aidan had issued some…unusual commands last night, as well. Mostly having to do with aces and attorneys. He also recalled something about shoes and pals. Gym shoes? Erk shook his head. It probably wasn't too important.

Aimlessly he meandered about the camp. Soon he found his legs had taken him to the scene of the murder, where two of his fellow soldiers were scurrying about the area. A man with an untidy mop of pale teal hair (for some reason, instead of his usual yellow armor, dressed in a blue outfit from a country Erk was unable to identify) was clutching a strange white cone-shaped device, which he was now raising to his mouth. No doubt the tactician's doing. He vaguely remembered this knight being associated with something about a "meekin". Perhaps that word had been plural—

"GOOD MORNING, ERK!" Lowen bellowed, nearly sending Erk into convulsions from the shock. The megaphone magnified his greeting, which was already loud enough for the poor sleep-deprived mage. "LORD AIDAN GAVE ME THIS! HE SAID IT MAKES PEOPLE TAKE ME MORE SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF HOW LOUD IT MAKES ME SOUND!" Erk instinctively swatted the instrument out of Lowen's hands—Lowen tried to chase after it, but only choked himself on a pair of what he was told were "handcuffs"—and massaged his temples, grateful for the relative silence. Normally he would have been more polite, but he doubted how much of a normal situation this was.

"Isn't it fascinating how that meh-gy-foon works, Erk?" said the second person brightly. Erk looked up; the familiar face (and hair color) of Canas met his eyes. Today, however, Canas was also wearing a different outfit—a long green cloak that seemed more like an oversized shirt and a strip of red fabric tied to his neck that was oddly triangular at the end, all over a white shirt and a pair of beige pants. He also sported a bandage on his cheek and what Erk imagined was a writing utensil tucked in his ear.

The shaman remarked joyfully, "And these outfits are simply wonderful, as well!" Spinning around in glee, his trenchcoat and tie flapped about. "But my real job is important—I'm in charge of investigating Lady Priscilla's murder." His face took on a more serious expression. "Pal," he hastily added. "Aidan says I'm supposed to say that every other sentence! Er, pal!" Canas chuckled.

Why "pal"? thought Erk. But no matter, there are more important things at hand. "Canas," he began, "have you gotten any new information about last night's events?"

"Sure do, pal!" he replied. From a pocket in his coat he withdrew a Manila envelope and handed it to Erk. "All the data that you need is in here."

Erk stared blankly at it for a while before quietly asking, "How…how do you open this?" Canas shrugged sadly, as he knew no more than Erk. All he had done was write down the information, and the tactician had put everything inside. Fiddling with the large yellow envelope proved worth the time, and the two managed to figure out that uncoiling the string opened it. The mage removed the papers and took a look at them.

"Time of death…between 9:00 PM and 10:45 PM, December 15," read off the purple-haired youth, his voice cracking slightly as he went on. "Cause of death, a fatal stab wound to the heart. Died within a few minutes of being wounded."

Canas listened thoughtfully. Ah, so that's what Aidan was scribbling on the papers—the times in a different format. Has this boy learned this method of time-telling? I wonder…

"Erk…why do you need all of this information? I don't mean to pry, but I do not think it will be of a benefit to you to know the specifics of Lady Priscilla's demise…"

The mage turned. "I do need it. Desperately."

"For what purpose?"

The resolve in Erk's face was clear. Canas could have sworn he saw fire reflected in them when he uttered a single, simple sentence.

"I'm going to prove that Raven is innocent."

In case you couldn't tell, Lowen is wearing a police uniform and is playing the role of Mike Meekins, that insane yet lovable officer in AA1 case 5. And, of course, Canas is Detective Dick Gumshoe, the best detective in the history of ever. He runs red lights, subsists on instant ramen noodles, and may or may not be a hobo--what's not to love? XD More story will come as it is written!

Thanks for reading, and please review!