Phoenix leaned over until his shoulder was pressed against the window, acres of forest passing all around him. Every now and then, the hillside would present itself to him. It was only a matter of time now, he knew. After all, the conductor had announced the upcoming stop not more than a few minutes ago.

Trucy...

He couldn't help it. Though he had been mostly involved in the case surrounding Franziska's disappearance, his mind was always with his adopted daughter. Though they had only legally been family for a little over half a year, he felt a special bond with the little girl. He missed her presence in the apartment they lived in, missed coming home from a poker match and hearing stories about her magic shows. It hadn't been a week since the kidnapping attempt, but all he could do now was wonder why he hadn't shown up earlier.

Franziska...

That's right. He had made a promise to himself...to help out the young woman for the sake of his friend, Miles Edgeworth. Of course, he had actually started out hoping to redeem himself in his friends' eyes. Not that ensuring Franziska's safety wasn't a big part of the reason he decided to help. After all, when he thought Trucy and Pearl had experienced the same misfortune, the fear and loneliness he felt ran so deep, he wanted to spare anyone else from ever having to feel such emotions.

The train gradually slowed as it rounded the final curve of the track. Wooden houses and other structures of the remote village came into view, prompting a smile of anticipation from Phoenix. It wouldn't be long before he would lay eyes on two of his favorite people. Knowing that they were safe was one thing, but to actually see them safe...

"Daddy!"

"Mr. Nick! Mr. Nick!"

Phoenix had just stepped off of the train when he heard their voices. A smile spread across his lips as he saw them in the crowd, and he bent down slightly, opening his arms as the two girls ran into them. "Trucy, Pearls," he said contentedly. "I'm so glad to see you're safe. How have you two been?"

"Great, Daddy!" Trucy exclaimed. "I don't make as much as I do back home, but they have a community square and a fancy stage and I get to perform anytime I want!"

"That's good to hear, Trucy."

"It's true, Mr. Nick," said Pearl, "And you won't believe it. Miss Trucy is an expert at pulling things out of hats and other objects!"

That definitely caught Phoenix's attention. "Other...objects?"

"She pulled a bouquet of flowers out of a hat!" the girl continued. "And then, she pulled them out of Mystic Stella's coat, out of Mr. Anderson's socks, out of my spare uniform... I thought it would never end!"

"T-Trucy," Phoenix said nervously. "I'm glad you're having a great time here, but what have I told you about 'borrowing' other people's belongings?"

"Awww, they were okay with it," Trucy insisted, not at all affected by the lecture. "They thought it was funny. But...now that you mention it, I really should get my own special prop, huh? Something like...the bottomless basket, or the ring of mystery... or..." Her eyes lit up. "I know! How about magic panties!"

This did nothing to help Phoenix's mood. "M-Magic...panties...?"

"Yeah! I'll ask an audience member if they lost something, and then I'll reach into my panties and give it to them!"

Phoenix nearly shuddered trying to suppress the visual thought. I am not having this conversation with my daughter. I am not having this conversation with my daughter. "Um...well... try to, er, think on that a little while longer, y-you know," he stammered. "Think...think of...other possibilities." Please, for my sake.

"Sure thing, Daddy!"

"All right." Phoenix finally stood back up. "So, aside from amazing magic tricks, anything else happening here?"

"Not really," Pearl started to say, and then suddenly looked embarrassed. "Oh, my! How rude of me, Mr. Nick! Come, we'll show you to your room!"

Phoenix had to chuckle. "Pearls, don't sweat it. I remember where the room is. I was just here a few months ago, so you don't need to go through all that trouble-"

"I insist, Mr. Nick! Mystic Maya would never forgive me if I treated her special someone with such disrespect!"

Uh-oh, here we go again, the man thought. For a girl who was down to earth and often seemed wise beyond her years, Pearl still held on childishly to the fantasy of Phoenix and Maya being a couple. Phoenix knew it was always better to quickly change the subject before it went in a rather unfavorable direction. "All right, then," he said. "It'll be nice to talk to my two favorite girls again, anyway."

The next two days seemed to breeze by. Phoenix was content where he was, listening to the latest happenings. Which was odd to say, considering not much had happened in Kurain in a week. Aside from a request from the police department of another city for the services of a spirit medium, the village had been quiet as usual. At least, as quiet as it could get with Trucy's magic shows.

Pearl and the other Fey women were excited about the service request, not surprisingly. It meant people were placing more faith in the Kurain channeling technique, which meant more positive exposure for the village and its women. Not to mention more money, Maya would likely point out had she been there.

Maya. It was strange. She had been so supportive of his decision to visit the village and see Trucy, and he was grateful that she had been. But now that he was here, he found himself thinking of her, and the rest of his friends...not to mention the situation he had temporarily left behind. Both Maya and Edgeworth had given him their blessings, but now he could only wonder if those blessings had been wasted. True, it had been important for him to see the daughter he had adopted, but after two days, he had begun to ask himself what he was still doing there. It wasn't as though Trucy badly needed him at that moment, not that she would ever admit it if she had. But she still needed a father figure, and the assurance that she was loved and would be taken care of...even if she frequently made more money than Phoenix did.

And yet, there was still the mystery of Franziska's disappearance to solve, the need to ensure the young woman's safety, calm the hearts of his friends, and possibly bring some wretched culprit, if such a person existed, to justice. But as much as he wanted to resume this investigation, he couldn't bring himself to call home. Perhaps it was his lingering parental duties, or just the fact that he missed Trucy. Or perhaps it was that he felt-

"Guilty."

The voice did not immediately seize Phoenix's attention; he was still absorbed in thought. Only when the voice continued, accompanied by the sounds of clapping wood, did he look up to the sight of Trucy and her similarly dressed sidekick.

"You are guilty, Phoenix Wright," Mr. Hat accused, mouth clacking wildly. "Guilty of not showing up to the ten o'clock morning show like you promised!"

Phoenix cracked a smile. "I'm sorry, Trucy," he responded. "I was thinking about something."

"For two whole hours?" exclaimed the puppet. "I think not."

Phoenix was stunned. Two hours? What on earth has she been adding to her shows? "Believe it or not, it's true. I do apologize for missing the show. If there's some way I can make it up to you..."

"Hmm..." Mr. Hat turned his head toward Trucy and the two seemed to stare at one another, as if to brainstorm something. "What do you think, Miss Trucy?"

"I think we could forgive him," the girl replied. "But first, we have to hear how he plans to make it up to us."

"Well, I've got a great idea."

"Oh, Mr. Hat...you can't mean..."

"Yes." Mr. Hat brought "his" gaze back to Phoenix. "You'll be the volunteer in the next show."

Perfect, thought Phoenix in dread. But then, it's not like I'm in any position to argue here.

"Well?" asked Trucy. "How about it, Daddy?"

"Sounds good to me," the man said. "So... four o'clock, is it?"

"Yeah, but you have to be there at three-thirty to help me set up."

She arrived here with barely anything in her magician's trunk. What on earth could she possibly...

Phoenix stopped that thought. At this point, he knew better than to underestimate the young girl. "Sure thing," he said, nodding. "I'll be there."

"...and adding the seven of hearts to the pile, makes twenty-one!" Trucy specifically displayed this card to the audience before slapping it down on the table.

"But Miss Trucy," the wooden puppet protested at her side. "An ace, a two, and a seven only add up to twenty!"

"Wh-what?" Trucy exclaimed, feigning shock. "Ohhh... I was never good at math. I thought I had it for sure!"

"Well, you can try again, Miss Trucy. Here, I'll be dealer this time." The puppet opened its mouth up, prompting Trucy to deposit the deck of cards there. When it was safely in place, the mouth snapped shut, followed by an exaggerated swallowing noise.

"Mr. Hat!" the girl scolded as scattered chuckles arose from the audience. "You said you were gonna deal the cards, not eat them!"

"But they were so delicious!" Mr. Hat said. "Oh, fine. Here, you can have them back." A secret compartment opened up on his stomach, just beneath his jacket, a slot large enough to pass a small book through. Out came the entire deck of cards, one by one, at a rapid speed. The bulk of the deck landed on the table in a passable stack, while the final four cards were perfectly divided between Trucy and the puppet, each possessing a set with one card face up and the other face down. "Now, how much do you wager?"

"Hmm..." Trucy stared at her set but did not disturb it. "A week's worth of lunch money! And no hits! I'm gonna stand!"

"You mean it? You're willing to part with all of ten dollars?" Mr. Hat's tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Oh well, I suppose a week's worth of chocolate milk isn't so bad. Prepare to lose!" The puppet reached out with its hand to flip its hidden card over. It then raised the two cards to the audience, showing a hand containing the queen of clubs and the nine of diamonds. "Foolish girl. You'll never beat this hand!"

"We'll see," the girl said, picking up her exposed card. It was the ace of spades, which she proudly showed to the audience. "Now as you can see, I've got eleven. Mr. Hat, would you be a dear and show the audience what my other card is?"

Mr. Hat chuckled as a wise man would at some youth's folly. "There's no need to humiliate yourself, Miss Trucy," the puppet said, obeying her command. A collective gasp was heard from the crowd as they were shown the jack of spades.

"You hear that, Mr. Hat?" Trucy asked tauntingly. "That's the sound of victory...my victory!"

"Impossible! I'm willing to wager double your lunch money that I have the better hand!"

"Fine! I dare you to turn that card over!"

"Ha! I will..." The puppet slowly flipped the card over so that the face was in view, from its perspective. "No...this cannot be..."

"Oh, but it is," the girl told him with a cackle. "By the way, Mr. Hat, what do you call it when you have an ace and a card that equals ten?"

Before Mr. Hat could answer, the jack of spades inexplicably exploded in a shower of black ink that splattered the puppet's face and neck. The audience roared with laughter as Mr. Hat reluctantly responded, "Blackjack."

There was a pause, and then both Trucy and Mr. Hat took a bow. Trucy then set the puppet aside as she prepared for her next trick. "Okay!" she announced. "Now we're gonna do something different. I'm going to bring out my new assistant. Come on out, Daddy!"

Phoenix Wright, who had been watching on the side of the stage, stepped out to scattered applause. He was amazed by the setup of the show, how the villagers had put together an elaborate, mobile stage for various events. Of course, they probably never imagined it would be used for magic tricks. That thought stopped there. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted for too long. Trucy was waiting in the middle of the stage.

"Uh, Daddy?" Trucy asked, eyeing him in concern. "Are you okay? You're walking kind of funny."

Phoenix let out an exaggerated sigh, making his way to simple folding chair that was set up. "Oh... it's nothing," he said, almost struggling to remember the script. "I just...I lost my glasses earlier." He sat down, trying to look as pitiful as the audience could tolerate.

"That's awful! I'll help you look for them!" She walked over, stuffing her hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. When she pulled them out, all she had were fistfuls of steel magic rings. "Daddyyyy!" she scolded. "Did you fall into my magic trunk again? Forget glasses! You really should get that lasik surgery!"

The crowd was laughing at the sight of a stunned Phoenix being subjected to this sudden search. "I swear those weren't there before, Trucy! I mean, I thought they were, uh, pretty bracelets..." Was that the line? he wondered. Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter.

"Don't use my magic trunk to shop for your girlfriend!" Trucy set the rings on the table before going back to her adoptive father. "Did you really look everywhere for your glasses? Let me check your hat." Before the man could protest, Trucy pulled the knitted cap from his head and started to dig through it. Suddenly, it seemed the girl might as well have opened up a bottomless treasure chest. Out came a mountain of loot-if loot included tiny metal pans, a set of handcuffs, handkerchiefs and magician's wands. Trucy continued pulling objects out of the hat, much to the audience's amusement. Finally, she gave up, shaking her head at the man in disappointment. "Really, Daddy, if you wanted to borrow my props, you should have asked!"

"I know, but..." But...? "I couldn't..." Come on, Phoenix. You have less than seven lines. "I'm too embarrassed," he finally spat out. "I could, uh, never be as good a magician as you!"

"Well, then, I'll just have to give you tips! Now watch." Trucy removed her own silk hat, stuffing Phoenix's cap in there. With a wave of the hand, she uttered an incantation that sounded like some variation of "Allakazam," then flipped the hat over on its side so that its opening faced forward. The audience gasped at the sight of what appeared to be an empty magician's hat. When Trucy was satisfied with the reaction, she showed the hat to Phoenix. "Go on. Pull your own hat out there."

A drumroll sounded as Phoenix complied and reached into the silk hat. Said drumroll abruptly ended When Phoenix pulled his arm out... empty-handed. He and Trucy stared at one another for a moment, and then both Phoenix and the drumroll tried again. When Phoenix failed once more to retrieve anything, Trucy took over the task.

The young girl confidently put her hand in the hat, pulling out a familiar object. The smile on her face, however, quickly melted when she gazed upon it. Instead of Phoenix's knitted cap, she held the deck of cards from earlier. "Uh...right," she said sheepishly. "I meant to grab that." The crowd was full of giggles and chuckles as Trucy again and again reached into the hat, removing a different magic prop with each turn. Phoenix Wright did his best to look exasperated, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. Just when it seemed the neverending train of random items would never end, Trucy stopped with her hand still in the hat. She turned her head toward her adoptive father.

"Well, good news, Daddy," she announced, holding up a new item containing rectangular-shaped, pink lenses. "I found your glasses."

It was past sunset when Phoenix found himself backstage. Or rather, what made up the backstage, which was a tiny closet of a room just outside of the performance area. And he had actually been there not long after the show, but something compelled him to return there.

They had been bothering him since before the performance, back during the practice runs with Trucy. What was so familiar about that new prop? Had he seen it before, and if so, when? And what was it about it that made him feel so uneasy? Phoenix rummaged around in Trucy's magic trunk as if to search for the answer. It wasn't long before he was provided with some sort of response. Phoenix almost smiled as a certain object found its way into his hand. He pulled it out carefully, turning it over. Light from the lantern overhead was reflecting off of the rose-tinted lenses, further provoking the man's interest.

Where did these glasses come from? He wondered. Did Trucy always have them, or are they something she bought recently?

"Daddy...?" the voice called from the door.

Phoenix looked up, a bit startled by the girl's appearance. "Oh... Trucy. I, uh..." He briefly dropped his gaze to the small mess he had made. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put everything out of order."

"That's okay, Daddy," Trucy said, taking a couple of steps into the room. "Were you looking for something?"

"Um..." He grasped the folded glasses in his hand for a moment. "Yeah...sort of. I actually had a question for you." He extended his arm out to her, opening up his palm. "Where did you get these glasses, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You know something? I'm not really sure. I mean, it might've come with that special clown kit I ordered, but sometimes I get pairs of glasses from the magic shop, too."

She doesn't know either. Weird. "Well, uh...when did you first notice you had them?"

"Uh, well..." Trucy folded her arms, thinking back. "I guess the first or second night I was here. I remember because they were in my other bag, not in the magic trunk."

"So...it's possible you picked them up recently."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't really remember seeing them before then."

The first or second night she was here, Phoenix thought. She could have picked up a spare pair at the Wonder Bar, some time before she was nearly abducted...I guess. Argh. He set his eyes upon the glasses again, concentrating on its distinct features...the rose-tinted lenses, their rectangular shape. Maybe she even picked them up on the train without thinking about it. I suppose it doesn't matter when or where she got them, but still...

"It's kind of weird, though," Trucy continued. "I don't ever really keep props in my special handbag, so I don't know why those glasses would be there anyway."

"Maybe someone else put them there."

"No way! No one touches that bag, ever! But then...hmm...I do remember accidentally dropping it, that one time, a few days ago..."

"A few days ago?"

Trucy nodded. "Yeah. It was when me and Pearl were in that taxi, and that guy wouldn't let us out. When I did the Mr. Hat thing, it scared the driver, and when he swerved, my bag fell on the floor. It wasn't closed all the way, so a bunch of stuff fell out and I had to put it all back. But it was dark, so I don't know what I grabbed. It could have been stuff from the cab. I mean, maybe these glasses belong to the driver."

If that's true, then these glasses could be evidence, Phoenix thought, to find Trucy and Pearls' would-be kidnapper!

Phoenix leaned back in his seat with a sigh. It was the next day, and he had finally decided it was time to return home. The train had been silent as he took his seat, but now it was showing signs of activity.

Finally...

He set his sights on the dark grey corduroy bookbag at his feet and leaned forward to pick it up. His hand dug around inside, until he found that familiar object. Phoenix lifted the plastic zipper storage bag containing the pair of pink-tinted glasses, studying them for a while.

Though they had not originally been Trucy's property, he asked permission to borrow them for a while. It was probably a long shot, but he was hoping for the chance that DNA from their owner still resided on the frames. Of course, that also meant Phoenix's, and possibly Trucy's, DNA were on the glasses, but since neither one actually wore the glasses, Phoenix assumed the owner could be identified simply by analyzing the bridge, nose pads and temples. Not that Phoenix was an expert in forensic science. He was acquainted with someone who was, but...

Phoenix shook his head, forcing that memory to dissipate. He couldn't think about that; it was over. And it's not like she even lives in this country anymore, so I won't be seeing her anytime soon. Last he had heard, Ema Skye was still in Europe.

A strong, persistent ringing of a bell and the trumpeting of a whistle brought the man back to reality. He scooted closer to the window, trying to pick out a familiar face or two in the crowd. When he found them, he gave a wave, which was reciprocated by the two girls excitedly hopping up and down and wildly waving back. Just then, a new hand in the crowd joined in. Phoenix chuckled as Mr. Hat swung his gloved hand back and forth, and then repeated the action with his hat.

Phoenix couldn't have known it then, but the next several days would prove most trying, for him, as well as for his friends. All that mattered right now was that Trucy and Pearl were safe, and would remain that way for as long as they stayed in Kurain Village. Still, Phoenix had the oddest feeling that he wouldn't be seeing them again for quite a while. Driven by that feeling, he waved again at both girls, even at their wooden companion. He waved, even as the train started to move, and Trucy and Pearl had to run down the platform. Phoenix continued to wave and wave, until the girls and the village had completely disappeared from view.