A/N: Hey guys! First of all, I'd like to thank all you viewers for reviewing, and the followers for following, and the rest who favorited my story! I promise to make this a good read for you all! It makes me extremely happy that there are people who read this and enjoyed it thus far; makes me feel glad to be of service! Here comes the next one!
To jckgwk and everyone else who feared that I became inactive due to not having updated in awhile, don't worry! Like what I said in my profile page, I'm a rather casual writer, so I only write for fun to pass the time(if I get any, that is). I am busy most of the time because of school, the latest video game, or the NEW ACE ATTORNEY ANIME and whatnot, but mark my words, I will never give this story up.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Ace Attorney except my games, my ideas, and my right to be a fan. If I did own Ace Attorney, I would've already made plans to create a real life Widget!
As always, don't ever hesitate to correct me if I got something wrong! I hope my grammar isn't too awkward since English is not my first language.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
'Quoting'
OBJECTION!
*sound effects*
(Extra info)
{scene change}
Text/TEXT = Emphasis
"tAlkiNg liKe ThiS"= voices from another time that the character(s) is(are) hearing
Chapter No. 3
Turnabout Welcome to the Future Slash Edgeworth Bonding Time Take One
...
Date: January 1, 2028
Time: 4:15 AM
Location: Wright Anything Agency (upstairs apartment)
{everyone's Point of View}
After cleaning up the spilt milk and broken glass shards, Phoenix invited the time travellers to the agency's apartment upstairs. He then decided that with this unexpected arrival, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep anymore regardless of his three mere hours of unconsciousness. With the help of Apollo and Blackquill, Edgeworth(the fainted one) was carried back to his room.
Ignoring Trucy and Athena's boisterous whines at how unfair it was that they can't also stay up to talk, Phoenix's persistent argument of 'happy-sleepy time is good for your health' managed to get them to return to their beds grumbling and pouting all the way there.
Apollo isn't exactly sure how to deal with this kind of situation, so he decides to keep quiet and return to his quarters. Meanwhile, a sleep deprived Blackquill couldn't agree more to the idea of rest.
Currently only Phoenix, Gregory, and the fourth graders sat around in unconscious Edgeworth's ample spaced guest room. Phoenix perched himself on the bed that Edgeworth occupied in while Gregory rested in a desk chair, and the three elementary boys made themselves comfortable on the slightly carpeted floor.
{Phoenix's Point of View}
"You seem to know so much about our current predicament." Mr. Gregory slowly sipped his tea that Trucy expertly brewed for him. "In an instant you knew that we were not from this time, but from a time of the past. Why is that?"
Before Phoenix could respond, a sudden realization occurred in Mr. Gregory's eyes. "Oh, forgive me for my lack of manners. I've forgotten to ask for your name, good sir."
Phoenix smiled reassuringly. "No it's alright. I'm the one who forgot to introduce myself." Taking in a deep breath, he continued. "My name is Phoenix Wright." This caused a few gasps to erupt from the three children in the room.
"What?! B-but I'm Phoenix Wright!" Little Phoenix blurted.
"Yes, we both are Phoenix Wright." Phoenix nodded before turning back to the elder Edgeworth. "Do you see now? This is why I know that you guys aren't from this time."
Mr. Gregory nodded.
Little Phoenix stared at his adult-self in awe. "Is this how I'll look when I grow up? I look awesome..."
"Heh," Phoenix scratched the back of his head, smiling nervously, "thanks, I guess."
'It feels kinda weird to be admired by your kid-self...' He thought, slightly embarrassed, 'but it doesn't feel quite that bad either.'
"I still can't believe we missed Christmas..." Larry mumbled as he crossed his arms with a huff.
Little Miles gave him a look. "Larry, we've somehow ended up more than 20 years in the future, and all you can think about are presents?"
"But this year I was really looking forward to my new dirt bike that Santa promised me! Also, think about it: more than 20 years in the future means we missed more than 20 Christmases! That's like, more than 20 dirt bikes!" He replied indignantly as he continued to pout.
If Phoenix looked closely, he could see the small twitching spasm that little Miles's eyebrow was having as he groaned in irritation and defeat.
'Yep, Larry hasn't changed a bit.' He thought in amusement.
"So," Phoenix began, "how did you guys end up in my office at this unholy hour in the morning?"
Mr. Gregory shook his head. "I truly do not know. I did not lie when I said that I was about to retrieve my son from school. This may sound absurd, but when I was about to greet my son and his friends, we were then suddenly transported to some sort of dark void."
"Yeah yeah! Then there was this super loud noise that sounded like when the teacher dropped the classroom hamster's cage!" Larry butted in, having forgotten his earlier gloom.
"I'm pretty sure it was the sound of a gunshot, actually." Little Miles corrected.
"Woah really? That's what a gun sounds like?" Larry exclaimed incredulously, staring wide-eyed at his grey haired friend.
"Pretty much." Little Miles nodded solemnly.
"And then weird shaking started and it was really really scary..." Little Phoenix added with a shiver.
"But then Miles's voice came out of nowhere! I didn't even see him move his mouth, but I heard it! It was so sick, dude!" Larry then scrunched up his face in thought. "And a bit freaky too."
"The voice wasn't very clear though," little Miles confessed, "it sounded like it was spoken underwater or something."
"Then finally the shaking stopped, but then we started falling! That was even worse than the shaking!" Little Phoenix exclaimed, biting his lip as he recalled the horrible experience of freefalling.
"Interestingly, we didn't break anything from that fall." Little Miles(which Phoenix hereby deems as just Miles) stated matter-of-factly.
"And tah-dah! We're here in the future!" Larry jumped up and flung out his arms as if he was about to do a cartwheel.
Phoenix blinked, slightly overwhelmed by the quick recap the three children made.
Mr. Gregory chuckled. "Now now boys, let's not baffle our host too much."
Phoenix regained his composure and laughed sheepishly. "Gee, that's some story you got there."
Miles sighed. "Tell me about it. I'm pretty sure that I still don't quite believe it myself..."
"Me too!" Little Phoenix chirped. "Also, that voice we heard said something kinda weird."
"Oh? What did it say?" Phoenix asked, curiously tilting his head a bit.
"It said 'get away from my father'."
For some unknown reason, Phoenix couldn't shake off this strange feeling that started creeping around in his gut. He doesn't have a clue what those words meant, but at the same time he feels that he does. He glanced at Mr. Gregory with a perplexed expression as if asking, 'so all of that really happened and now you guys are miraculously in the future?'
Mr. Gregory nodded.
"Um," Miles spoke up tentatively, "you said that the room downstairs was your office, erm, Mr. Wr-Wright...sir." He stuttered momentarily, obviously feeling awkward calling the man by his best friend's surname. "What do you do as a job? By the looks of that toy roo—er, I mean—your so-called 'office', I honestly cannot tell if you are a circus performer, a magician...or a music loving executioner."
At this, Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle. 'Ahh yes, he probably got stumped when he saw the guillotine on the piano. Well, I guess my office is still kinda messy even after we cleaned it. I suppose it's because no matter how hard we tried, Trucy and I just couldn't let go of her various magic props; they hold too many fond memories, after all.'
"Nope, I'm neither of those things. I know it may not seem like it, but believe it or not, I'm a lawyer." He casually answered.
Miles did a double take. "Really?! You? You're a lawyer?!"
Phoenix nodded joyfully, "yep! I'm a defense attorney to be exact."
Miles's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "A-are you serious?!" He then settled his gaze on little Phoenix in disbelief. Phoenix, the crybaby Phoenix—the most timid little boy in his entire class; the weeping mess he defended not even three months ago—became a defense attorney just like his father.
Miles briefly wondered if he was actually unconscious and dreaming somewhere.
"Oh really? I don't believe you." Larry said skeptically. "You have anything to prove that you're a big-shot lawyer?"
This time, Phoenix couldn't help but laugh. He reached into his sweatpants pocket to retrieve his newly reacquired badge with a huge grin, and held it up to let it gleam proudly in the lamplight for all to see.
"Huh? What's that tiny thing?" Larry asked, raising an eyebrow. Meanwhile, Miles gasped upon recognizing the distinctive pin.
"That is an attorney badge." Mr. Gregory answered as he took out his own badge and presented it. "It is a defense attorney's proof of their profession. This shows everyone that they are lawyers."
Larry flinched in shock. "Wait! Then big Nick really is a lawyer?!"
Phoenix nodded again, lips curling upwards and mentally raising an eyebrow at his new nickname. "I sure am!"
Little Phoenix by now was glimmering(seriously, there are literally tiny sparkles floating around his head, and they aren't disappearing no matter how hard you rub your eyes). He gazed at adult-Phoenix in complete admiration. "Wow..."
Mr. Gregory hummed in mild interest as he pocketed his own beloved badge away. "How curious. What made you consider to go into law, Mr. Wright?"
Phoenix put a hand on the back of his neck and smiled nervously. "Well, um, there's a lot of factors that made me consider law as a career..." He hesitated for a moment, pondering if it was wise to tell them about DL-6.
'If I do tell them, will they remember when they—assuming that they could—get back to their own time? If they did, will they try and stop it? I bet everything will be drastically changed if they did prevent that incident from happening, but would I still be a defense attorney? Would I have met all of my friends, my clients—would I still have met Trucy?'
Phoenix came to the conclusion that for the time being, it is best not to reveal all the details of DL-6 to them. Even if he doesn't fill them in about DL-6 right now, it would undoubtedly come up sooner or later once they learn that the present Edgeworth is a Chief Prosecutor.
(poor Edgeworth, his past just won't leave him alone, eh?)
'In other words, I need to play it safe by telling them the half-truth.' He thought before snapping back to reality.
"I guess my main reason for becoming an attorney was from getting inspired by my friends...by you guys." Phoenix ended softly as he gestured towards Miles and Larry. The two blinked in surprise.
"Us? Why us?" Miles asked incredulously. "What did I do?"
"Yeah, why me?" Larry asked, looking equally puzzled. "Was it because of that box of Oreos I shared with you at lunch that one time, or...?"
"No, no, that's not it." Phoenix shook his head before pressing on. "Remember the class trial?"
"The trial?" Miles and Larry sounded out simultaneously, an identical amount of confusion plastered on their faces.
"It may not seem like much to you two at the time, but it sure was for me." Phoenix turned towards his younger self. "Right?"
Little Phoenix nodded cheerfully. "Yeah! Right!" He then faced the two boys that he has come to consider as his best friends in the whole world. "Wh-when there was that class trial with me being accused of stealing your lunch money, Miles, I felt very sad..." A look of loneliness crossed little Phoenix's face as he thought back to the images of pointing fingers, and the loud, merciless chanting. "Everyone said I did it, and that I should be punished—b-but I didn't take anyone's money! I didn't do it! No one believed me...except for you guys. When you two stood up for me, it really made me happy that someone was on my side! It made me realize I wasn't all alone and by myself anymore! I'll always remember what you guys have done for me. Thank you." Little Phoenix smiled gratefully at his two friends, eyes shining in pure gratitude.
Larry grinned back. "Hey no problem, buddy! The entire class was ticking me off when everybody started bullying you like that, so I just did what felt right."
Miles cleared his throat. "Yes, I've already stated that it is not a big deal as it is my duty to defend innocent people." He said with an adamant passion blazing in his light-grey eyes.
Phoenix perked up at the sight of little Miles's shining, determined eyes. 'That look...! It's been so long since I've seen it again. I've...kinda missed it.' He thought sadly.
At that moment, the adult Edgeworth on the bed groaned and started to stir, effectively cutting anyone off from saying anything else, and causing the group to focus their attention on him.
{Edgeworth's Point of View}
'What an unusual nightmare I had. I dreamt my father was alive, but this time we weren't in an elevator and there were no gun shots. No, this time we were at Wright's office and...something to do with Von Karma? How very odd...'
I awoke to a bleary vision. Attempting to clear them, I began massaging my eyelids tenderly with my palm as I shifted to a more comfortable upright position.
Upon blinking a few times, Wright's form came into view. He smiled at me gently in greeting before another movement caught my eye.
...
I had to rub my eyes again to ensure that I wasn't hallucinating as I stared rather dumbly at a miniature version of Wright's face that appeared in front of Wright.
After 10 more seconds of staring, the small Wright-clone spoke in a tone of childish wonder. "You really do look a lot like Miles."
That certainly brought me out of my trancelike state.
I narrowed my eyes at Wright—the bigger Wright—in silent confusion. He caught my unvoiced question: 'what is going on here, Wright?!'
"Ahem. Hey...Edgeworth," he started off hesitantly, and I immediately knew that I would not like my answer. "I'm glad you're finally awake. So, I guess I'll introduce you to our...guests." He began motioning towards each of the...(here, Edgeworth's logical mind momentarily buffered at the paradoxical sight)...anomalies as he 'introduced' them. "This is Phoenix...which is child me, that's Larry—well, child Larry, and this is, uh, yourself...as a child." He paused slightly before continuing on. "And lastly, this is, um, your—erm—this is Gregory Edgeworth."
...
I haven't a clue how long the man that Wright suggested as my father and I had been staring at each other, but I eventually found the will to look away and gave Wright a glare. "Wright..." I muttered through clenched teeth. "Is this..."
He nodded his head in confirmation, looking dead serious. "Yes Edgeworth, this is real. You're not dreaming; this isn't a joke; it's insane, but it's real."
I closed my eyes as I exhaled a breath that I unconsciously held in. 'Bloody hell, so that wasn't a nightmare after all.'
Another pregnant pause went by before a courteous voice sounded out.
"Ex-excuse me, sir..."
I reopened my eyes and focused them on the boy whose existence tempts me to shout OBJECTION! to indicate that I was listening.
He continued, "are you...perhaps me from this time?"
I'm...unsure as to how I should answer. I've certainly been through bizarre situations before, but this one 'takes the cake' as Wright would say.
I took in a deep breath as I resisted the urge to twitch. "Why yes, I presume so. You are named Miles Edgeworth, are you not?"
The young boy nodded politely. "Yes, I am."
"Then that is correct: I am you of this time as I, too, am named Miles Edgeworth." For now, my brain has given up on trying to logically make sense of the current circumstances. 'I surmise that I shall temporary adopt Wright's 'go with the flow' tactic that works oh so well for him during court to deal with this queer situation.' I thought, mentally agreeing to my plan.
"So you really are Miles? You look so...cool." The miniature Wright-clone—no, the child form of Wright—spoke with an utter look of adoration in his brilliant orbs causing me to have a sudden strong desire to protect this boy's sweet innocence for the rest of my life. I almost smiled if it weren't for a certain annoyance.
"So you're future Miles? Haaaah! You look so old!"
'Ugh. No matter big or small, Larry will forever be as objectionable as ever.' I thought, inwardly sighing in irritation.
"...son?"
I nearly flinched at the loving, familiar voice that I hadn't heard in decades.
"Son, please look at me. I want to see you better."
I gingerly reopened my eyes that I wasn't aware I closed. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to lock onto those hard, yet caring grey orbs once more. The longer I looked into those paternal pools, the stronger the nostalgic warmth that flooded my chest grew, causing me to instinctively realize that this man was truly my deceased father, Gregory Edgeworth.
'Yes, this is indeed beyond the regular bizarre that I normally handle.'
I gulped quietly. "F...father..." The word felt extremely foreign on my tongue, yet in a way it soothed my heart.
A smile finally graced his lips. "My, look how much you've grown, Miles! I see you've become a fine man."
I reached to grasp my elbow, suddenly feeling very flustered. "Thank you for the complement, father."
Another silence fell upon us, but this time it was fairly comfortable. I felt the tension gradually drain out of me as I became more and more confident in meeting my father's gaze. Each time I glanced over at him, he gave me a warmhearted smile; thus involuntarily making something within my chest to swell and flutter with an unfathomable emotion that I had not felt in years.
"Hmmm." The annoyance hummed, successfully breaking the tranquility. "By the way, just how old are you two? I bet Edgey is way older than big Nick! Hahaha!"
I could feel my brow twitching slightly at the dreaded nickname that I am still occasionally called by.
My younger self grunted at him in irritation. "Larry! Phoenix and I are in the same grade—we're the same age for crying out loud! Besides, you already know we are 26 years in the future, so just add 9 and 26 together and you'll figure it out."
"But I don't like maaaaaath." Larry whined. "It's too much woooork!"
"It's only addition, Larry."
"It's still math!"
Wright chuckled softly before he spoke, "to answer your question, both me and Edgeworth are 35."
"I see, so you two are the same age as me..." Father stated absentmindedly, his wise brown eyes glazed over with a soft fondness.
"Huh?" Child Wright tilted his head, looking quite confused. "Why do you call Miles by his last name? ...are you two still friends?" He added hesitantly.
Wright looked over at me expectantly. I attempted to clear my suddenly dry throat. "Well, I suppose we are...more than simply acquaintances."
"Aw c'mon Edgy! Just say that we are!" I chose to ignore his outburst of that accursed nickname. Subconsciously lifting my hands, I shrugged and shook my head at him with a sly smirk.
"Ah, but isn't beyond acquaintanceship what most would assume as friendship?"
This caused him to roll his eyes at me. "Fine fine, have it your way." He turned his attention back to the pairs of curious eyes awaiting his answer. "I call him by his last name because it is more professional for me to do so."
The three boys tilted their heads in unison. "Professional?"
"Yeah, we're sort of like coworkers."
My younger self gasped. "So that means I'm a defense attorney in this time, right?!" I flinched a bit at the glistening hope shining in his eyes.
"W-well..." Wright nervously sounded out.
"Did I start my own law firm?! Or did I help maintain father's—wait! Or did I take over the Edgeworth and Co. Law Firm?! Tell me tell me!" I winced a little and looked away from the beaming enthusiasm my younger self is displaying.
This time Wright's voice jumped an octave higher. "W-w-well..." His eyes darted to mine pleading for help. "Umm...n-not exactly, right Edgeworth?"
I glanced at the excited expression that my younger self is sporting, and nearly grimaced again at the thought of the smile fading away from his face the moment his dreams are crushed.
I sighed. "Wright, you have such an inquisitive ability on constantly digging up my painful past."
"Hey!" He cried out indignantly. "What did I do? This time it's not even my fault Edgeworth!"
"Hmph! Yeah Wright." I chuckled dryly at my terrible pun. Wright gave me a deadpanned look.
My younger self quizzically raised an eyebrow between us. "Um, so did I become a defense attorney?"
Once again Wright and I looked at each other, and we began a silent debate.
He raised an eyebrow. ("Sooo...are we gonna tell him?")
I narrowed my eyes. ("And crush his hopes and dreams? My my, aren't you sadistic.")
He gave me an unamused stare. ("Oh? Then what do you propose we do, your Frilly-ness?")
I glared at him from the corner of my eyes. ("I have enough sense to guess that you just called me 'your Frilly-ness', Wright, and I prefer you not to refer me to that heinous name ever again.")
He rolled his eyes. ("Okay okay, let's just get back to the topic at hand.")
I lifted my head slightly. ("Yes, let's. Now what do you propose we do?")
He motioned towards the visitors from the past—whom by now are watching us in complete astonishment—and shrugged his shoulders. ("Well, they'll know everything eventually, right? Why not tell them now?")
I snorted. ("Don't be such a foolish fool, Wright. What if they get transported back to their own time in the next hour after we tell them? What if they remember what we told them, Wright? Do you realize they could change the timeline and cause certain things to occur differently?")
He crossed his arms and gave me an annoyed look. ("Okay, first of all don't call me a foolish fool. I've already got a prosecutor who does that and I don't need another. I don't call you 'your Frilly-ness' and you don't call me foolish fool, got it?")
I shook my head halfheartedly with a small smirk. ("Fine, I supposed we can arrange that.")
He heaved a sigh before gazing at me seriously. ("Anyway, I already thought of what could happen if we told them, Edgeworth, but I still think we should go with it.")
I stared at him blankly before finally nodding. ("...alright then. Take your best shot.")
We both simultaneously turned around to face the slightly baffled guests who merely stared at us throughout the entire silent exchange in bewilderment.
"...well?" My younger self urged on impatiently. "Did I or didn't I?"
Wright cleared his throat before bluntly answering, "no. You did not."
"What?!" He exclaimed, shock enveloping his whole being. "Why not?!"
Wright grinned anxiously at me. ("Your turn~.")
I gave him an empty stare("Really Wright? REALLY?") before turning back to my younger self and replied, "it is because in a few years, you'll...lose sight of what's important."
He was silent for a moment as he hastily tried to calm himself down. Furrowing his eyebrows, he responded in a soft whisper. "I-I see...um...may I ask how?"
I breathed in deeply to steady myself. "Well...one day father had an...accident that struck me—er, you—exceptionally hard. Of course as we know, father is a considerate man, so in his will he left you with a large enough sum of money to continue pursuing law. However, without father's guidance you were easily led astray—especially during the first two years after the...accident and father's...passing." It took a substantial amount of willpower for me to prevent my voice from quivering as I spoke.
My younger self now looked horrified and heartbroken. "You mean...f-father is gone?"
I closed my eyes and nodded dreadfully. "Regrettably so."
He looked as if he wanted to cry—which I'm tempted to do so if we continue to remain on this topic because unfortunately, it gets exceedingly difficult to control your feelings when your deceased father is literally sitting five feet away from you; alive and breathing and directing a concerned expression at you.
My younger self grasped father's hand and whimpered, "f-father..." Father, of course, immediately embraced him, and began stroking his head in a comforting way.
"Shh...it's alright son, I'm still here...no matter what happens, I'll always love you." My heart throbbed violently enough to make me touch my chest in an attempt to calm it. I gripped the silky material of my sleepwear, desperately wishing for those words to be meant for me.
(well, I suppose it technically is meant for me but...you know what I mean)
Everyone else stayed quiet during this time. Even Larry refused to supply an obnoxious comment.
After a few more moments, they tentatively separated. Father gave an encouraging smile, and my younger self smiled back while drying his eyes. Child Wright bounded up to him and grinned. "It's okay Miles! You won't get lost because I'll just make sure you don't get lost! But if you do get lost...then I'll just pull you towards the right way!"
I do confess, that is exactly what Wright did for me.
"...thanks." My younger self gave him a small, grateful smile.
"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Larry slung himself across my younger self's shoulders in a fashion that reminds me of a monkey leaping to claw one's face off. Pausing a second to regain his balance, my younger self glared at the sudden intrusion of his personal space before sighing and resignedly nodding his head; grudgingly accepting his fate.
Wright laughed lightly. "Alright you three, I think that's enough future talk for one...early morning." He paused, opening his mouth wide for a lethargic yawn. "Let's see, what time is it...oh, it's 5:00."
Father chuckled. "My word, is it this late already? I suppose it's truly bedtime for you boys."
"Aww! But I want to hear more about the future!" Larry whined. Child Wright chose that moment to yawn loudly. "*yaaaawn* Actually I do feel pretty tired..."
"Yeah," my younger self agreed as he rubbed his eyes, "I wouldn't mind going to bed."
"Ugh! You guys are no fun...*yaaawn*...okay fine! I guess I'm kinda sleepy too...hey wait a minute, where do we sleep?"
"Hmm..." Wright place a finger on his chin. "Well, not counting the master bedroom or Trucy's room, the agency's apartment has a total of six guest rooms. There's three that are already occupied, so you guys can take the other three left in front of Apollo's room."
The children blinked at him owlishly.
Wright ran a hand through his slightly tousled hair. "Ehhh, how about I'll just show you where to go. Follow me." With that, Wright stood and led the three boys out of the room, leaving father and I alone with each other.
A long stretch of silence settled between us. Father stared at me intensely while I looked down at my lap to avoid meeting his gaze. After another minute or two, I felt my body slowly tensing up before suddenly freezing upon hearing his grave tone, "son, I want to ask you something."
I finally looked up. "Yes father? What is it?"
"You say I had an accident, correct? What kind of accident?"
"Well..." I gripped my elbow. "I believe it was a...car accident."
"Son." Father's voice got louder. "Please, do not take me for a fool. Please tell me the whole truth; what really occurred to me that led you astray?"
"F-father...may I ask why you think that it was not a car accident?"
"Miles, my dearest son," he sighed. "I've been deciphering lies from the truth for years now, do you honestly think I wouldn't know when my own son is lying to me?"
'Alright, fair enough.' I sighed in defeat, mentally scolding myself for being so foolish. Now I feel guilty lying to my father. Great.
His eyes narrowed in seriousness. "Miles, please tell me what happened."
It is not a request anymore: it is a demand.
I gulped uneasily, trying to shoo the horrendous memories of that day away. "I...I...I..."
Father's gaze suddenly softened. He got up from the desk chair and came over to sit on the edge of the bed. He gently placed a warm hand on mine, and then whispered, "it's okay son, if it hurts to remember, then you don't have to tell me."
Suddenly a huge wave of relief, joy, nostalgia, and grief engulfed me. I tried suppressing them, but the more I tried, the more they seem to stir. I clenched my teeth, clutched the blanket covering my lower body, and after another moment I boldly looked father straight in the eyes. "There is this certain incident that happened—will happen—in your time, and it changed us..." I paused, Von Karma's scream echoing faintly in my head. "Father, you...got shot. It was not an accident: it was a murder. The bitter irony is that the one who murdered you was someone I used to look up to. He took me in, and trained me in the ways of a prosecutor. He dissolved my dreams of becoming a defense attorney, and had me hating them for quite a long period of time. He was the cause of my nightmares that I had every night for 15 years. He was the one who led me astray from the truth—" A sob erupted from my mouth, and I instantly covered it with my hand. Shocked by the sound that I haven't made in years, I didn't notice father shifting closer to me until the warmth on my hand became a warm hug that invaded my whole being.
Silence once again surrounded us. Father murmured tender, loving words of support into my ear as he rubbed my back in smooth, circular motions. I remembered that this is what he would do whenever I came to him on stormy nights, or whenever I had a bad dream. Tears welled up in my eyes as I wholeheartedly returned the embrace that I had been yearning for a long, long time. With my hands grasping father's familiar trench coat in a desperate need of comfort, I sobbed.
"I-I-I've missed you father. I r-really missed you..."
"Shh...it's alright Miles, it's alright. Everything will be okay now."
I sobbed again, salty tears ready to spill.
"I can tell you've endured a lot, son; now let it all out. I'll be your shoulder to cry on because this time, I'm here for you."
I took in a shaky breath, and pressed my face into father's shoulder, subconsciously wiping the unshed tears on the surprisingly soft fabric of the coat.
"Miles...I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you in the past, but remember this, son: I am proud of you no matter what you do or what you become because you will always be my beloved son, and I will always love you."
I finally burst out crying, letting all of my emotions free for the first time since the resolution of DL-6.
.
.
.
{everyone's Point of View}
"Hey morning! You three slept well?" Trucy asked cheerfully as she placed three plates of steaming hot pancakes in front of the drowsy boys.
"Mmmhmmm..." They hummed simultaneously while sipping their grape flavoured juice boxes lazily.
Phoenix laughed. "Haha! I hope so because you guys dropped dead on the first bed you all saw." He brought a coffee mug to his lips before flipping his newspaper to another page.
Little Phoenix sniffed a piece of his pancake before putting it in his mouth. Almost immediately, he perked up. "Wow! These are delicious!"
Larry sniffed his stack of pancakes, and then proceeded to dump a whole bunch of maple syrup on it before jabbing a fork into the stack and biting a huge chunk off like as if he was eating a burger. "Wuuthhhh! Weth eth gooth!" (Translation: Wow! This IS good!)
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Miles frowned at him irritably. He then eyed his own stack of pancakes before cutting up a little neat square from one of the pancakes and placed it in his mouth. "Mm! Not bad!"
Trucy happily smiled at the delighted expressions the boys wore as they tore through their pancakes. "I'm glad you guys like them!"
Just then, the adult Edgeworths came into the kitchen/dining room that was connected to the main office.
(watch episode 4 of the Ace Attorney Anime and you'll get what I mean because instead of a bookcase, there are now TWO freaking doorways connected to Phoenix's office!)
Phoenix nodded at them in acknowledgement while Trucy chirped a quick "good morning Mr. and Uncle Edgeworth!" and set two more plates of pancakes in front of two empty seats that the Edgeworths soon sat in.
Little Miles paused in his quest of devouring the fluffy pancakes to greet the newcomers. "Good morning father, good morning adult me."
Edgeworth muttered out a similar greeting before sipping the hot tea that Trucy placed in front of him. He sighed softly in content.
Gregory chuckled lightly. "I do believe that it is no longer morning." He indicated towards the clock.
It showed to be 2:13 PM.
"I suppose we did sleep pretty late, huh?" Phoenix gave a casual smile, putting his newspaper away. "All my employees are either off shopping or taking a long walk through People Park. I think one of my guests is still asleep though," he turned towards the children, "so don't make too much noise, okay?"
The three boys bobbed their heads halfheartedly as they continued scarfing down their breakfast/lunch. Surprisingly, little Phoenix was the first one to finish since Larry started choking halfway. As he sat there waiting for everyone else to finish whatever food or drink they're having, a sudden realization dawned upon him.
"Say, where did our backpacks go?" He asked, tilting his head as he pictured the endless possibilities where his school bag could've ended up. Miles and Larry swallowed their remaining pieces of pancakes, and started to think about their bags, too, when suddenly Miles cried out, "ahhhhh! Oh no! My bag! My bag! What am I gonna do?!"
Larry gave him the most emotionless expression he could muster. "Oh Miles, only a nerd like you could still care about homework at a time like this." He sighed as he shook his head sadly.
"No! You don't understand! It isn't just my homework, it's also my Steel Samurai limited edition action figure! I had to line up for three hours to get it officially signed by the Steel Samurai himself! What if it's lost?! What if it got stolen?! *gasp!* Or worse...what if it's broken beyond repair...? Ohh what am I gonna do now?!"
"Dude, you are such a nerd."
"Shut up! At least I'm not a slacker!"
The two started bickering with each other, and poor little Phoenix was literally seated in the middle of their quarrel, trying and failing in calming them down.
'I hope Blackquill doesn't get woken up by this. I did technically warn them not to make lots of noise, but it'll still be such a shame for them to die young.' Phoenix thought with a sigh. Seeing everyone busy doing something, he took this as an opportunity to engage in a quiet conversation with Edgeworth.
(who, conveniently, sat right next to him)
"So? How'd it go?"
"Depends, how long were you listening to us behind the door?"
"Ah, it looks like I've been found out." Phoenix scratched his cheek as he grinned sheepishly.
"How long?" Edgeworth repeated, eyeing him coolly as he sipped his tea.
"Up to about when you started telling your dad everything that Von Karma did to you. I left immediately when I heard you completely breakdown."
"I see."
"...what, that's it?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not going to threaten me to never tell anyone that I heard the calm and collected Miles Edgeworth sob his heart out? I really thought that when I told you I had heard you cry, you'd get flustered or embarrassed or something other than this 'no reaction' you're showing me."
"Well, you see Wright," he finished his tea and set the cup gently down on one of the few pieces of china Phoenix owned. "After my interactions with my father that night—er, or should I say earlier this morning—I feel refreshed in an invigorating way. Although waking up and finding myself snuggled up to another grown man does make an interesting impression at first."
"Ah yes, that it does." Phoenix nodded in understanding.
"Wright...thank you."
Phoenix's eyes widened and looked at Edgeworth in disbelief. He then placed a hand on his forehead. "Hey Edgeworth, you okay? You're not sick are you?"
Edgeworth swatted the hand away. "Of course I'm not, Wright!"
"Then why'd you thank me?"
"I just felt like doing so, for some odd reason." Edgeworth glanced at his father chiding the boys for their small uproar. He then turned to Phoenix with a mischievous smirk. "Also, I don't think I've ever thanked you for pulling me towards the Wright way."
Phoenix rolled his eyes before breaking out a cheeky, friendly grin. "No problem! After all, we are 'more than simply acquaintances', aren't we Edgeworth?"
Save data file?
Yes
No
...
Yes
Progress saved.
Evidence: Edgeworth's Inventory
Prosecutor Badge
:This is my prosecution badge, it is proof of my profession. Despite its small size, it is actually much heavier than it seems.
Glasses
:My glasses that I usually wear outside of court due to my newly discovered nearsightedness. My father was once nearsighted as well, so I suppose it is only natural that sooner or later I needed to wear these.
Profile: Edgeworth's Perceptions
Miles Edgeworth
:I am the local residing Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Building. I was once feared as Miles Edgeworth the demon prosecutor, but currently my close associates know me as the tea loving, truth seeking, magenta-obsessed Chief Prosecutor who may or may not be also known as Miles Edgeworth the Steel Samurai fanboy. I suppose I have no regrets…?
Phoenix Wright
:I once considered this man as a thorn on my side, but now I view him as my 'partner-in-crime'. He and I have come a long way. We know each other so well that during court proceedings we are able to have debates with only our expressions and actions. Of course we don't do it very often because we always receive weird looks from the judge afterwards.
Gregory Edgeworth
:As illogical as it is, I've accepted the fact that my father, who is supposed to be deceased, is instead standing in front of me alive and unwounded. I feel...exceptionally better with his presence around me. In retrospect it may be odd for a grown man to cuddle, chastise, or call another equally grown man 'son', but I could care less about that because for the first time in a long time, I am happy.
Trucy Wright
:Wright's adopted daughter. I don't really believe in magic, but she is an exception. I can tell Wright loves her very much. She can turn any cheap quality beverage into the finest taste of luxury with her expert skill in preparing them; a skill that I am thankful for since Wright possesses the cheapest instant tea bags I've ever seen.
Simon Blackquill
:He is an intimidating, yet honourable figure. Despite being an ex-inmate, I can tell he is just a lawful and simple man who has a fondness for birds. I've heard of a small rumour floating about portraying him as an Otaku who loves anything samurai...perhaps I shall introduce the Steel Samurai to him one day.
Miles Edgeworth(child)
:He is...well, me. More specifically, the child version of me. He is not as naïve as most children, however he is still but a child. Knowing what is to become of him, it pains me to see his enthusiastic passion of becoming a defense attorney. Putting aside the mixed feelings I have for him, I feel a gentle intrigue nonetheless whenever I interact with him.
Phoenix Wright(child)
:This is the child form of Wright, and he is even more dense that the one I normally socialize with. It is probably due to his childish innocence that naturally causes him to be even more clueless. He invokes a strange, fuzzy feeling within me that tempts me to protect him from the nasty, cruel world. Unlike his adult version, he is much more tolerable, and I find him rather cute.
(I can't believe I just called Wright, of all people, 'cute'...)
Larry Butz(child)
:Preposterous and obnoxious, this Larry is no different than the bigger one that I know. Speaking of which, where has that buffoon gone to? I faintly remember him shouting something about traveling around Europe before barging out of my office, and taking my precious lunch with him.
