Epilogue:
A New Turnabout
A week passed peacefully, restfully, for the group of attorneys and company. Finally, finally, the group had become one from its original split paths and they had all given up on rivaling one another; in the end, they were all simply friends in the first place.
The original couple, Mia and Diego, had taken back up their plans for marriage and would be well prepared within a month. The chief was looking into a way to return her beloved's eyesight to him while he managed their office while she was away and busy with the preparations for their wedding. He had once again returned to the defense attorney's practice.
The three assistants seemed happy with the results of the final stand, as did the bumbling detective, and they all were ecstatic with the announcement that the marriage would be held soon. Although Maya was still pressuring him, Phoenix had still not tried to change anything between him and Miles, his childhood friend. Pearl was as insistent as ever about her take on 'special someones', but that was one of the reasons why Mia, Maya, and Phoenix and the others loved her so much.
Apollo mysteriously disappeared at least twice a week, only to show up later with a grin on his face and a suspicious and prodding Trucy appearing to question him on his whereabouts. Even though he wouldn't say it out loud, Phoenix had an idea what was going on, and was happy for the two attorneys. After all, he had sensed a pain from them when they weren't allowed to be together at first.
Franziska had, shockingly, agreed to go out on a date with Larry that week. Somehow, it had turned into another date later in the next week, and Phoenix had a feeling that his girl-crazy friend might have a chance at this; he was very serious about it for a change, after all. Besides that, Franziska also seemed a little different with the release from her perfectionist father's clutches.
And Phoenix wasn't quite ready for a change of pace yet. He liked where his life was at the moment, as a successful lawyer who was a personal cult favorite of many and had his own place in the legal records as an 'Ace Attorney' who had the ability to cause a turnabout in a seemingly impossible case.
He was also sure that Miles was fine with his life as it was at the time being as well. Still, something did not sit right between the two, as Phoenix was still curious as to what Miles had promised to tell them after they had won the final stand.
So curious, in fact, that he called the prosecutor up during a Saturday afternoon and asked the other to meet him at a private and personal place for all of the supers; the mysterious restaurant that was only able to be found by those who looked hard enough.
"Is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular, Phoenix?"
Although the annoyance was clear in the other man's voice, he was still calling the blue-clad lawyer by his first name; a good sign. The two were sitting a little awkwardly at a table inside the warmly lit dark interior of the hidden bistro-style restaurant. They had not yet decided what to order, and it seemed as if the prosecutor wanted to get the business portion out of the way before they ate.
Of course, the spiked black-haired defense attorney wasn't about to allow his childhood friend to get straight to the point. He was such an immature child in that sense. "Huh? What makes you ask that, Miles?"
By how the grimace combined with a glare grew on the other's face, Phoenix could tell that his friendly grin was not appreciated. "...I'm talking about what you told me on the phone. You said that there was something that was bothering you, and that you had to ask me about it. What is it?"
There was nothing that would work for the time being to loosen the other up. Perhaps it was how the atmosphere in the restaurant was so refined, but the silver-haired man was tensing up worse than ever. "Uh, well...I just wanted to ask you about what you meant that night we had the final battle." Both winced to hear their struggle brought up. The wounds were still fresh. Still, Phoenix doggedly persisted to get it all out in the open. "You promised me that, once it was all over, you would tell me where you truly stand in all of this. I kind of want to know, because it's kind of crucial to what my next actions will be..."
The blue-clad defense attorney was nervous; so was the silver-haired prosecutor.
Intertwining his fingers and absent-mindedly twisting the part of his left ring finger where it connected to his the rest of his hand, Miles looked pointedly away and tried to sort out everything in his mind. His nervous rubbing turned to looking downwards at a lower right angle and clenching his left arm tightly with his right. Both were signs that Apollo had once pointed out to Phoenix while he had still been an intern and had been an assistant to Phoenix for a few of the man's trials against his main rival.
If only he could read them like the rookie lawyer could!
Thoughts turning to the object of enhancement that Apollo wore, Phoenix remembered the special abilities of his own that he could utilize with the use of catalysts. One was his defense attorney's badge, which could help him see through any lie, and the other was his magatama, a mystical glowing green gem that allowed him to see the locks that others had on their hearts that protected their secrets.
Just as he was about to put one into use, however, the silver-haired man decided and turned to face his childhood friend, looking the man directly in the eyes.
He was not holding back with this admission.
"...Phoenix, when I said that I didn't stand with either the prosecution or the defense...I meant what I said. But...I do have a side that I stand on. And that side is yours. That's the place I'll stand; by you."
Phoenix was a bit taken aback. Such an admission from the other was not cheap in the slightest; this took guts and courage for the other to commit. And so a kind, gentle, smile leaked onto the blue-clad attorney's expression; it melted through his entire body.
He had been waiting for years to hear that from the other.
"...Yeah. I'll stick by you, too, Miles. Always have, always will."
