A/N: I'm back guys! With another chapter! Don't worry, Phoenix and Aurora will be meeting Riku soon.

Also, before you guys get too more invested in this story, I thought I should warn you that it's RikuxOC (aka: Aurora). If that bothers you… well… sorry. This idea actually sparked from the idea of making an OC love interest for Riku in the first place, then I decided to add Ace Attorney into it… and it went from there.

Well, let me reply to a guest reviews!

Melody: Thanks! There really aren't that many AAxKH crossovers, are there? I'm glad you're enjoying it. And thank you. It's all better now though. Since I cut ties with her, I've been pretty stress free. I hope you enjoy the rest!

Gamergirl: It seems a lot of people weren't expecting this one! I'm glad you like it though, and that you like Aurora. You might be right about who her brother is. I'm surprised you're the first to mention him. Riku has Phoenix's luck, haha. Here's the next chapter!

Honestly guys, this story has had more reviews and traffic then what I was expecting. Thank you!

Alright, enough talking. Here we go!

Chapter Four: Investigations

The five members of the Wright Anything Agency sat around the coffee table, enjoying their Eldoon Noodles. Phoenix sat on the couch next to Athena, while Apollo sat on the floor with the two younger girls.

"So, how's the case coming?" Phoenix asked, glancing over at Apollo and Athena.

"Great!" Athena said brightly.

"Disasteriffic!" Widget chirped.

"Widget!" Athena gasped, putting her hands over the necklace, while Trucy and Aurora giggled. Apollo sighed, his bangs drooping forward.

"It's true though. We didn't find anything else during our investigation," the man in red said. Phoenix leaned back thoughtfully.

"Well, it sometimes happens like that. But, you know the truth will be revealed in court, if anything," Phoenix said. Athena immediately perked back up.

"Right!" she said brightly. Aurora smiled warmly.

(The truth will be revealed in court…) she thought to herself, before taking a bite of her ramen.

Just then the door to the reception area banged open, causing all five to jump.

"Hey, pal! You here?" a booming voice called. Phoenix's eyebrows drew together as he placed his food aside.

"Gumshoe?" he muttered, standing and opening the door that separated the office from the reception area. "Gumshoe, what's up?" he asked, leaning against the door frame, crossing his arms.

"Ah, Mr. Wright!" the detective said, coming over. "Someone's just requested your services!" he said.

"'Someone'?" Phoenix asked, stepping back to let him in. Gumshoe nodded.

"Yeah. Odd case, really. Something right up your alley."

"Does that mean he'll have to cross examine an animal again?" Trucy asked innocently, much to the amusement of the others around the table. Phoenix shook his head, and Gumshoe looked over.

"Oh, er, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt your dinner," he said, before looking at the others closer. "I feel like there's one extra…"

"There is," Phoenix said with a smile, motioning to the new girl. "This is Aurora Wright. She's my cousin."

Aurora stood with a smile, shaking the bigger man's hand. "Hi. It's really nice to meet you," she said.

"Ah! Hello! I'm Detective Gumshoe," he said, giving her hand an enthusiastic shake. Aurora giggled at that, sitting again once he let go of her hand.

"So, Detective, who's requesting me?" Phoenix asked.

"Oh! It's that weirdo friend of yours and Mr. Edgeworths'. Err… Right. Harry Butz!"

Four matching snorts could be heard from the table, and noodles nearly went flying.

"What'd Uncle Larry do this time?" Trucy asked brightly.

"His last name isn't really Butz, is it?" Athena asked.

"It is…" Phoenix muttered.

"Well, he's been arrested for murder," Gumshoe said.

"Let me guess… Lucy?" Phoenix asked softly, knowing how Larry's girlfriend's had a habit of either dying or killing… usually with Larry being the one to be accused.

"Yeah. It's sad. She seemed like such a nice girl," Gumshoe sighed. "But that's not the weirdest part, pal!"

"Then… what is?" Aurora asked.

"It's… the how. She just went up in smoke!" Gumshoe said.

"What?" five gasps met him.

"Yeah. It was even caught on camera…"

"Oh, great," Phoenix muttered. "Well, I might as well go talk to him." He turned to the table. "Aurora, you'll accompany me for the experience. How does that sound?" he said. The girl immediately jumped up, slinging her shoulder bag over her shoulder.

"Great! Are we going now?" she asked.

"Yep. Every minute counts during the first day of investigation," he said. Aurora nodded, waving to the others as she followed her cousin out.

Miles Edgeworth rested back in his chair, watching out the window as he enjoyed a nice, relaxing cup of tea. It was just after dinner time, and the sun was just starting to go down, when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called, swiveling his chair to face his desk again. The door opened, and in bounced his assistant/legal aid, a young woman in her mid-twenties, her long black hair tied up in a high ponytail. She wore a pink and blue skirt suit, a dark blue scarf with a gold, three legged raven pin, and black ballet-flats.

"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth!" she said brightly, holding a file under her arm.

"Kay," Edgeworth said with a smile, setting his tea down. "What's that?"

"Ah, a new case. I… thought you might want to look at this one yourself," she said, opening the file.

"As chief prosecutor, it'd be unusual for me to do that," Edgeworth reminded her.

"Yeah, but hear me out. It happened in Gordy Park, just half an hour ago. A woman was murdered in broad daylight, though there are only two witnesses. Three if you count the defendant. One caught it on camera, and claims it was the defendant, but the other witness claims something else happened," Kay said, reading Gumshoe's notes.

"And the cause of death?" Edgeworth asked, interested despite himself. Kay's eyebrows knitted together.

"That's the… complicated part," she said, before looking up at Edgeworth. "The woman just… turned into black smoke while in the defendant's arms."

"What!?" Edgeworth gasped, reeling back in shock.

"Yeah. Oh, and apparently the defendant requested Phoenix Wright to defend him in court."

"Hm. Well, you were right, Kay," Edgeworth said, standing and finishing off his tea. "This case does require my attention. I will take it."

"Not without your trusty assistant!" Kay said brightly, a grin on her face as she adjusted the hems of her sleeves where they rested on her wrists. "You already left me out of that last case you took."

"That one was a lot more dangerous. And very impromptu. And entire space station was being held hostage," Edgeworth reminded her as he shrugged into his coat.

"So? Like I haven't faced danger before," Kay scoffed, padding after her boss and old friend. Edgeworth just shook his head, deciding not to reply.

The first stop Phoenix and Aurora made was to the detention center. As they entered, Aurora shivered slightly and moved closer to Phoenix. He glanced over at her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. Just don't focus on it, okay?" he muttered. Aurora glanced up and nodded, rubbing her arms slightly. Phoenix quickly signed them in and lead the way to the visitor's room.

Moments later, Larry sat across the glass from them.

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" he wailed, pressing against the glass. "Lucy! My dear, sweet Lucy!" he sobbed.

"Larry, please try to calm down," Phoenix said, making a placating gesture with his hands.

"Calm… down?" Larry muttered. "Calm down!? How am I supposed to calm down!?" he wailed once more.

(How are we supposed to help him if he won't listen?) Aurora wondered. Phoenix sighed, letting the other man get his feelings out.

Once Larry was sitting in his chair, and a little calmer, he finally noticed Aurora.

"Who's this? And why do you always seem to be hanging around with young girls? Hm, Nick?" Larry demanded. Phoenix gave him a deadpanned look.

"This is my little cousin, Larry. Her name is Aurora," he said while Aurora giggled.

"Oh…"

"ANYways… So, why don't you tell me what happened?" Phoenix tried. Larry sniffled.

"Well, me and my Lovely Bunny-" Aurora only just managed to turn her snort into a cough at the nickname, "-were taking a romantic walk in the park. I hugged her… then… P-p-poof…" As he said the last word, his eyes welled with tears again.

"'Poof'?" Phoenix asked.

"She just turned into smoke, man! Right in my arms! One minute, she's there, saying sweet nothings in my ear, then she's gone, and everyone's screaming! And someone tackled me!" Larry explained, whimpering slightly. Phoenix sighed softly.

"So… you saw nothing?" he asked.

"Nothing…" Larry repeated miserably. He then looked thoughtful. "Although there was someone who stood up for me. He was wearing a long black coat, and had silver hair…"

"Really?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah. He said he saw something and chased after it, but it got away. Detective Suadeshoe was talking to him…" Larry explained. Aurora giggled at the name.

(I almost wonder if they mess up the other's name on purpose…) she thought to herself in amusement.

"Alright. I'll talk to the Detective. Just… hang in there, Larry. I'll get you out of this in no time," Phoenix said with a smile. Larry smiled back, giving a thumbs up.

"Alright, Nick. I'm counting on you!" he said. Phoenix smiled and nodded, leading Aurora out. As they left the room, Aurora looked back at the young man with a smile, giving a wave. As the left the building, the chill that had come over Aurora vanished, and she dropped her hands from her arms.

"Good job," Phoenix said as they waited at a nearby bus stop.

"Hm?" she asked.

"You knew to smile at him, despite the oddity of the case. There are two, very important rules to being a lawyer that you're not going to learn at Themis," he explained. Aurora smiled.

"I know. I remember you saying your old mentor taught you." She closed her eyes. "Always believe in your client. And the darkest times are when lawyers wear their biggest smiles."

Phoenix glanced at her in surprise.

"I'm… honestly surprised you remembered that," he said softly.

"Oh?"

"Well, five years is a long time," Phoenix said, before looking at her. "And… you didn't really seem to be… aware at… that time."

Aurora looked down, fiddling with the zipper of her shoulder bag. "Nick… It was a hard time for me, yeah… but the sheer fact that you and Trucy came across the country to help meant a lot. To all of us. Especially with the financial issues you were having." She looked up at Phoenix, her eyes swimming slightly with tears. "I remember wanting to punch you, though, since you kept smiling." She closed her eyes. "Until you said those words. 'The darkest times are when lawyers wear their biggest smiles.'" She looked back up at her cousin. "It wasn't until later that Trucy told me that you would always believe in your clients. The stories you told her about your time as a lawyer really made an impression on her. And, when she told me, they made an impression on me, too."

"I always thought Trucy was keeping you up all hours of the night while we were there," Phoenix said with a smile. Aurora nodded.

"Yeah. But… rooming with her was just what I needed. She really got me through that time. And, it was talking to her about you… that I realized what I needed to do if I wanted to find the truth."

"Become a lawyer?" Phoenix asked. Aurora nodded, wiping the tears away. Determination took their place.

"Right. That's why I studied my butt off. I would have started Themis when I started high school, but…"

"You needed a scholarship."

"And… mom and dad wanted me to wait until you got back on your feet," Aurora added.

"Huh?" Phoenix asked in surprise, looking down at her.

"Well, you weren't doing too good without your badge. And you were… different. The whole family knew it'd be a matter of time before you regained it, but everyone thought it would be best for me to wait until then before I stayed with you," Aurora explained as the bus pulled up.

"Heh, right. That… makes a lot of sense." Phoenix rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I'm glad I didn't wait until much longer then…"

"Same here!" Aurora said brightly, before climbing onto the bus. "Now, let's go. To the police station!"

"Right," Phoenix said, following after her.

Thankfully, Gumshoe had included information about both witnesses in the file that Kay had tucked into her bag. All the first one had to offer was the cellphone footage of the attack. Miles and Kay had watched it a few times, analyzing it. The person had been directly behind Larry. Apparently, Lucy had been yelling at Larry about his children's' books, while Larry held her in his arms, pleading with her not to leave him. Then, Larry lurched back as the woman suddenly turned to smoke in his arms.

It was then that Edgeworth realized who the defendant of the case was, which resulted in a "NGHOOO!"

Much to Kay's amusement.

Now they were on their way to speak to the second witness, who was staying at the Gatewater Hotel.

"Here's the room," Kay said as they stopped in front of a door. Edgeworth nodded and knocked briskly.

"Just a moment!" a voice called. A few minutes later, a young man opened the door.

The first impression Edgeworth got of the young man was that he was… eccentric. He had long silver hair that nearly hid a blindfold, and was wearing a long, black trench coat.

"Would you happen to be Riku Hikaru?" Edgeworth asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes?" Riku answered.

"Right. I'm Prosecutor Edgeworth, and this is my legal assistant, Mr. Faraday. We'd like to talk to you about the incident in the park a few hours ago," he said. Riku nodded, stepping back to let them in.

"What do you want to know?" Riku asked.

Riku relaxed once the prosecutor and his assistant left. He had managed to convince them that he couldn't tell what had attacked the woman, though that wasn't for the lack of the prosecutor trying. He rested back on the bed with a deep sigh.

Gumshoe told Phoenix and Aurora where to find their witness, and they found themselves headed back to the stop closest to the Wright Anything Agency. Aurora was leaning against her cousin on the bus ride.

"I can't believe we just went in a huge circle," Phoenix grumbled, causing Aurora to giggle.

"Does this happen often to you?" she asked innocently, only to get a frown from her cousin. She giggled even more.

"I'll take that as a yes. You know, it probably wouldn't be that bad if you drove…"

"No, not at all. Then I'd just have to pay for insurance, upkeep, gas," Phoenix listed off, causing Aurora to playfully shove him.

"Okay, okay. I get it," she said.

"Here we are," Phoenix said, getting off. Aurora followed after him, and they soon found themselves in front of a door.

"Well, this is his room," Aurora said, before suddenly shivering. Phoenix looked down at her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Aurora muttered, rubbing her arms. Phoenix nodded and knocked.

"Just a minute," a voice called from the other side, sounding a little exasperated. A moment later, Riku opened the door. "Yes?"

"Hi. I'm Phoenix Wright, Defense Attorney. This is my cousin, Aurora. Can we ask you a few questions about what happened in the park?" Phoenix asked, flashing his badge. The young man nodded, opening the door more to let them in. Phoenix smiled and stepped in, Aurora right behind.

As Riku went to shut the door, his shoulder brushed Aurora's.

A large field. The night sky arched overhead. Before them laid a path, leading directly towards the rising sun. It was chilly, but a warm breeze brushed over their skin.

Suddenly, the sky turned bright and sunny. The sun shone hotly overhead, warming them up. A small bush stood to the side of the path, casting a tiny, slightly cool shadow.

Riku jerked away from the girl in shock.

"What was that!?" he demanded. Aurora stumbled back, just as surprised. Phoenix caught her shoulders.

"Aurora?" he asked.

"Th-that's… never happened before," she breathed. Riku had his head turned towards her, though it was hard to tell if he was staring due to the blindfold. "I've… never seen one of those with my eyes open."

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked, his voice a little harsher then he meant due to his surprise.

"Aurora can sense the balance of light and dark in someone's heart. And… when she closes her eyes, she sees something symbolizing that balance," Phoenix explained.

"But this time was different, Nick," Aurora insisted. "I didn't shut my eyes at all. And I didn't just see him, but…" she trailed off, not sure how to explain it.

Riku sniffed once before nodding. "It must have shown your own heart. That sunny landscape with the bush," he said. "I guess that means there's very little darkness in your heart at all."

"Wait, you saw it too?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah," Riku said.

"That's the other way it was different," Aurora mumbled. The three stayed quiet for a moment. Aurora was thinking over what she saw of Riku's heart.

(His heart is cold, after all, but it seems as though he's… moving towards the light, if that path in that vision means anything.)

Meanwhile, Riku seemed lost in his own thoughts. Phoenix finally cleared his throat.

"We came here about Larry?" Phoenix said.

"Right," Riku replied, turning his head towards the attorney. Phoenix studied the blindfold for a moment.

"So, er… did you see what happened? I mean, with the blindfold…"

"I wear it because I'm blind," Riku said. Phoenix suddenly stiffened, his eyes going wide as they flickered to all around Riku.

"R-right," he muttered after a moment.

"So, no, I didn't see what happened, exactly. But I know for a fact that it wasn't that Butz guy who did that to his girlfriend. And I chased… it," Riku continued.

"Then… what is it?" Phoenix asked.

"I'm… not sure," Riku said. Phoenix sighed softly again, his eyes flickering around the young man once more.

"Do you know how, then?" Aurora asked. Riku turned his head towards her, before nodding.

"It was her heart. There are two different kinds. The biological, and the one you can sense, Aurora," he explained.

"That makes sense," Phoenix said thoughtfully.

"Well, when someone loses the second kind of heart, their body dissolves. Turns into smoke," Riku said. Phoenix studied him for a moment, before nodding slightly.

"Alright then. There's no way Larry could have done something like that," he said. Riku nodded.

"Exactly. Although… I didn't tell the prosecutor this when he came and questioned me. He didn't seem like the type to believe in all of this."

"Then why tell us?" Aurora asked curiously. Riku turned to face her.

"Because of you," he said simply.

"Me?"

"Yeah. I… that ability of yours is interesting. And directly relates to the heart," he said. Aurora smiled slightly, before nodding.

"Alright," she said. Phoenix looked thoughtfully at Riku.

"If you don't mind me asking… who's the prosecution?"

"Hm… he said his name is…. Edgeworth," Riku said after a moment. Phoenix quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh. Great. Mr. Skeptic himself…" he said. "Do you mind coming to the crime scene with us? To show us where you chased this… whatever it was to?"

Riku smirked slightly with a shrug. "Sure," he said.

"Ah, Gordy Park," Phoenix sighed as the trio walked through the gate. "I have no good memories of this place."

"Do you have any good memories of either park in the area?" Aurora asked. Phoenix thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No," he said, causing both Aurora and Riku to laugh. Phoenix glanced back at the young man with them, before looking forward.

"Hey, Nick?" Aurora started. Phoenix looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"How about you check out the crime scene, while Riku shows me where he chased the thing to? It's starting to get late, and if we're to find anything before court tomorrow…" she trailed off. Phoenix hesitated.

"I'll look after her," Riku said.

"And I'll take pictures and notes of everything," Aurora added. Finally, Phoenix sighed.

"Well… alright," he said. Aurora smiled warmly at him, before turning to Riku.

"Lead the way!" she said brightly. Riku nodded, power-walking towards the trees. Aurora jogged after.

"Are you sure about this?" Riku asked after a little bit. "We're moving away from everyone else. And you don't know me," he said.

"I trust you," Aurora said softly. Riku turned his head slightly towards her. "I can sense your heart. I've seen it. It's… it's dark." Riku looked down, a small frown tugging at the corners of his lips. "But… you're moving towards light. Besides, light and dark don't represent good and evil, right?" she asked, looking up at him.

"No, not necessarily," Riku replied.

"Exactly," she said, moving forward. Riku watched after her for a moment, before smiling.

"You're strange, you know that?" he said in a teasing tone.

"Hey!" she said, before they both started laughing. After a moment, Riku shook his head.

"So, this helping your cousin thing. Is there a reason?" he asked.

"I want to become a defense attorney," Aurora said, determination lacing her voice.

"Oh? Why?" Riku asked. Aurora glanced at him.

"Because. There's something I need to find the truth about. Something that happened five years ago. And, as my cousin always says… the truth always comes out in court," she explained. Riku nodded, respecting that. Finally, he stopped.

"Well, this is the spot I lost the thing at," he said. Aurora looked around with a slight nod.

"Okay. Let's see what we can find," she said.

Phoenix spotted Edgeworth as soon as he got close. It helped that Kay, his assistant, was jumping around, taking pictures.

"Edgeworth!" he called, walking over.

"Ah. Wright. I was wondering when you'd get here," Edgeworth said, turning to his oldest friend.

"Yeah… I was talking to Larry first, then the witness, Riku," Phoenix explained.

"Hmm… that man," Edgeworth growled.

"Riku?" Phoenix asked, bewildered.

"No, of course not. Larry. I know when something smells, it's usually the Butz, but… this stinks even worse than him," Edgeworth grumbled. Phoenix chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, I know. I mean, Larry's normally not that able, but this goes way beyond him."

"Exactly. I highly doubt this will go to court," Edgeworth said, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's good to hear. Mind sharing info?" Phoenix asked hopefully. Edgeworth quirked an eyebrow at the man.

"You should know I'm not that loose-lipped after all these years, Wright," he said. Phoenix shrugged.

"Worth a shot," he countered, before looking around the crime scene. The only evidence in sight was Larry's and Lucy's footprints. With a case like this, they couldn't even do a body outline.

"Nick!" Aurora called, jogging over to her cousin. Riku trailed behind her.

"Ah, Aurora. Riku. Did you guys find anything?" Phoenix asked. Aurora shrugged.

"Not really. I took pictures, as promised, though," she said, passing her phone over to her cousin. Unlike his ancient flip phone, Aurora owned a smart phone that took nice pictures. Phoenix swiped through them, before nodding.

"You're right. There's… nothing," he agreed.

"We didn't find anything either," Kay suddenly said, causing the two men to jump.

"Kay!" Edgeworth said in exasperation, only to get a shrug from her.

"What, it's the truth!" she replied. "We couldn't even find anything with Little Thief."

"So, let's get this straight. No body. No murder weapon. No forensic evidence. We can't even verify the cause of death," Phoenix said, ticking each thing off on his fingers. "The only thing we have is someone catching it happening on camera from a bad angle, and a witness who claims something else did it."

"I get it," Edgeworth sighed, causing Phoenix and Aurora to grin.

Suddenly, Kay noticed the other girl, and bounced forward.

"Hi! I'm Kay," she said, holding her hand out to shake. "I'm Mr. Edgeworth's assistant."

"Hi. I'm Aurora. Nick's cousin and intern," Aurora said, shaking the girl's hand. She was the most energetic person she's met yet, and that was saying something when compared to Trucy and Athena.

"Your cousin?" Edgeworth asked, looking over at Phoenix, who nodded.

"Yeah," he said, wrapping an arm around the girl and drawing her forward slightly. "She's attending Themis, in the Lawyer track," he explained. Edgeworth nodded, before doing a sweeping bow.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Wright," he said. Aurora smiled at that.

"Er, likewise, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Is my help needed anymore?" Riku suddenly asked, gaining the attention of the other four.

"No, thank you," Edgeworth said, turning to the young man. "This isn't going to go to court. You are welcome to stay in the hotel for as long as you like, however," he said. Riku hesitated before nodding.

"Sure. Thanks," he said, before heading off. Aurora watched after him in interest.

Riku thought over everything that's happened since he came to this world while he walked back to the Gatewater Hotel. There was a heartless presence here, though it was weak.

(There's nothing here that'll help me and Sora though… unless…) He suddenly stopped in his tracks, thinking about Aurora. (That ability of her's. It's unique. And… I think the reason we both saw each other hearts… was because our hearts connected. But how? We only just met. And I don't connect to people like Sora does…Especially not as fast…) He shook his head. (I guess, if I want answers, I should stay here a little longer. Who knows, maybe she will be able to help us…) he thought as he went to take a step forward, only to run into someone who was coming towards him.

"Oh, sorry," he said, looking down at the woman he bumped into. She wore a yellow, stylized skirt suit and had long, red hair. Her eyes widened, and the necklace around her neck grew dark blue, almost black. Riku offered her a hand to help her up.

"Uh, thanks," she said, accepting his help. Riku gave her a small smile.

"It's the least I can do, after knocking you down," he replied, getting her on her feet before continuing on his way.

Apollo watched after the young man in black before looking at his partner. She was also looking after him, and, to Apollo's surprise, she had a tear running down her face.

"Whoa, hey, you okay?" he asked, also taking in the almost black appearance of Widget.

"Apollo… that guy's heart. There's so much discord. It's… screaming with sadness and… regret," Athena said, putting a hand over Widget.

A/N: Finally done!

More hints about Aurora's past, yay!

Lots and lots of threads to weave together in this chapter. What do you think?

Also, I present to you, Aurora's ability! As Phoenix explained, she senses the balance of light and darkness in people's hearts. She senses it as temperature. Light is hot, dark is cold. And, when she closes her eyes, she sees a vision representing the balance. Riku and her own are the first where she saw actual paths. But that's what she'll see for all of those aware of the paths they walk.

And finally, after a lot of thought, I realized that Miles would probably take this case himself, due to the severity (I mean, the woman went up in smoke!), and it being Larry (not that he knew that at first, but destiny has a funny way of working. And a sense of humor). Long story short, you got some Edgeworth and Kay working together (just like in Investigations), as well as Phoenix and Aurora.