Disclaimer: I dont own any of the characters of Ace Attorney or the upcoming Ace attorney chronicles, the rights to both belong to Capcom.

Birth of a Phoenix

Ryūnosuke had basically stayed the full 3 days in the hospital where he officially became baby Phoenix's guardian, became reacquainted with childcare, made his granddaughter's funeral arrangements and bought a bunch of items to help properly care for little Phoenix.

It felt like an eternity had passed until he finally reached his home.

He used his foot to nudge the door open, one arm lugged around a huge bag filled with clothes and accessories that were needed in order to properly care for the thing that was held in the other arm (his great grandson, Phoenix) and then he used the very same foot to push the door closed behind him.

This was the first time in a while since he was pretty much all by himself...without Raven or anyone there.

The house was dark, empty, lonesome and unnaturally quiet. It was as if all the light and happiness that had once been in the home was sucked out —it wasn't clear if this was because it was still early morning or anything.

Since staying in London, Ryū had taken residence in the home of his old friend, Herlock Sholmes.

Herlock's first choice to leave his home was Iris but, after her unfortunate death, he decided to leave his estate to the next best person...Ryūnosuke himself. The ancestral spiky-haired lawyer at first had wanted to turn it into a Law office but had decided against it when he knew better than to fix something that wasn't broken —he decided to keep it in the same state as when he had first arrived to live in, with the exception of moving his clothes and some of his own things in.

At first, the retired defence attorney was rather reluctant since he and Susato were unsure whether or not to pack up and move their family in London or their native country (especially since it was in the midst of World War II at the time) but Ryu came to his decision after his wife and children had sadly passed on.

The ancestral lawyer felt like his arms were about to drop off as he lumbered through the threshold of the doorway, his whole body feeling heavier and heavier as the seconds ticked by. He was overwhelmed with relief when he finally was allowed to drop the bags to the floor and continued to make his weary way through the corridors. For some reason, he felt as though he had just waded through chest-deep water and it made his already-heavy-body all the heavier. His limbs ached and it was difficult to walk on his feet.

He didn't know whether the cause was just absolute exhaustion weighing him down, grief or both he didn't know...

His eyes were filled with exhaustion and they still held a twinge of anguish.

The 116-year-old resumed in clomping through the house, still delicately handling the precious bundle in one arm but also remaining stoic and resolute as he tried to get to the bedroom before his body gave out. He kept his eyes squinted in order to see where he was going through the near-pitch black darkness around him, but being careful where he stepped to avoid tripping over and injuring both himself the infant he was holding.

In the meantime, the babe cooed idly as he stared at the unfamiliar world around him, his eyes barely open but scanning everything his young eyes could focus and concentrate on. His tiny chubby arms stretched out and reached aimlessly for anything his chubby yet diminutive hands could try and grab.

Ryū eventually froze as he stopped by a small photo that had an incense perched next to it, smoke softly rising out of it, and a pair of candles which were somehow still lit after all the time he was away —the candlelight was the only source of light in the house, other than the soft yet faint beams of the early-morning sun that shone through the windows.

Little Phoenix's eyes were (sort of) wide with wonder as he stared at the light coming off the candle that flickered delicately on the little wax bit poking out the top, the flame danced idly with its orange light radiating its warmth and light through the whole entire room.

The small babe's mouth was agape as he reached for the little flame.

In the meantime, the Nipponese ancestral lawyer picked the picture frame up.

The black and white picture depicted a woman who looked fair but strong. She had beautiful eyes, dark hair that was sort of tied into a short bun with a pair of large loops of hair dangling by where her ears were. She wore a light kimono and she had a plaintive yet placid smile painted upon her lips.

"Hello, Susato..." Ryū planted a tender kiss against the paper "...I'm sorry that I took so long to get back, sweetheart..."

Ryū glanced down at his curious great-grandson and managed to smile softly as he lowered the picture so the child could see as well. Little Phoenix shifted in his blankets as he stared at the image but also gave a confused sniffle.

Ryūnosuke chuckled gently as he explained.

"This is your great-grandmother, she was my legal advisor and the most beautiful woman —besides your mother and grandmother— I ever did see. We first met when I was on the ship that took me all the way here...but I'll tell you about that another time."

The old man resumed his walk towards his bedroom, his steps somehow feeling heavier than before but his head overflowing with memories of back when he was younger and living life with his friends; he remembered the fateful day where, with Kazuma Asogi, he had to defend himself in court after being accused of murder, he remembered the day where Kazuma was "killed" and he was blamed for it while being a stowaway on a ship to England after Kazuma got chosen to study abroad which was the same night he met his future wife for the first time (although he was pretty sure he met her briefly during that first trial), he remembered arriving to England with Susato, he remembered meeting Herlock Sholmes and Iris Wilson...and he remembered all the courtroom battles he had to fight and all the people he had to defend, he remembered every single one.

Each memory of his past that entered his mind caused his brain to burn and his his heart to break that little bit more...sometimes he wished he could just rewind time so he could remember what it was like to live life at the fullest.

He found himself freezing a second time mid-step.

His eyes wandered down to Phoenix, who appeared to be looking at something and reaching out for it.

Ryūnosuke followed baby Phoenix's gaze, but a pained expression flashed across his features when he did.

It was another picture, this one was a framed picture of Raven.

She wasn't yet pregnant in this photo.

The photo depicted the woman with the long yet slightly spiky hair smiling sweetly with her eyes aglow and overflowing with this carefree glee that had been etched upon her face. She was wearing a bright yellow scarf and a ebony black gown, her face painted with little makeup to enhance her youthful beauty —she looked so jolly and joyful, like she didn't have a care in the world at that time and some could even say that that was her exact mindset at the time.

That photo had been taken just before she met the man who had abandoned her yet left her with one of the greatest of parting gifts.

Ryu could feel a tickling sensation behind his eyes as memories of his late granddaughter flashed through his mind.

The way she glowed as she painted her canvases, the way she saw the value and beauty in every living thing, the way she smiled, the memories of those times they had together even before his own wife had been with him to help raise her, Susato and Raven were so close before she sadly passed...each memory felt like a stab in the heart for him.

As a matter of fact, Ryū saw a lot of Susato in Raven.

Ryūnosuke was jolted from his thoughtful state when he felt something poke his chest, his eyes widened and a sharp gasp of shock slipped from his lungs. He didn't know what it was that he just saw but he was totally confused by it. What could have-? Before he could finish that thought, he looked down and Phoenix was now snuggling into his chest. The old man's heart swelled up to ten sizes larger and he felt as though it had become so warm that it may as well have been warming up on a radiator for awhile.

The ancestral attorney smiled sadly at his great grandson.

"My apologies, little one...g-grandfather Ryū was just..." he trailed off, unable to finish that sentence.

He swallowed.

Hard.

He needed to keep his emotions at bay, if not for his own sake then for the sake of the boy in his arms.

Ryūnosuke stared at the picture longingly, his arms curling themselves around the infant boy, and he managed to steel himself as his eyes locked firmly on the photograph of his late granddaughter. He stared at the picture for what felt like hours —eventually he managed to finally force himself to speak. "This...Th-This is your mother."

His voice was hoarse.

Little Phoenix just stayed silent, as if taking in the quiet atmosphere, while looking perplexedly over at the woman in the picture. He seemed to recognise her which wasn't that surprising since he probably did familiarise himself with her since she was the one who carried him inside of her for a long time.

Ryū didn't know how his young charge was supposed this since he was too young to grasp the concept of permanence, recognition or even much of anything simple —nevertheless there was a foolishly sentimental part of him that believed that, in the processes in the back of his developing mind, that the boy still remembered the mother that he would never grow up to know...

The two looked sadly at the picture for what felt like an eternity until Ryūnosuke finally snapped out of his dazed state. He hadn't realised that he had spaced out yet again and felt somewhat embarrassed that he had. He summed it up to the fact that he was still in his twilight years and that elders tended to dawdle like that. Goodness knows he did.

Ryū decided to perk up and he glanced down at the young babe he was cradling in his arms and sighed, then he smiled warmly yet tiredly.

"Come now, little Phoenix. I'll get us both some breakfast and then we can have a bit of a snooze."

After a few more incoherent babbles from the newborn, Ryūnosuke made his way towards and into the kitchen. His steps were a lot less heavy and more bouncy then they were mere moments ago. Little Phoenix felt like a loaf of bread in his arms as he tentatively crossed from one room to another and started to do what he had just said he would and multitasked as he got himself some breakfast and some milk for his great grandson; it was difficult, especially due to his mind being in an early-morning haze, but he got through it.

He knew this would be difficult but this was what he signed up for when he made that promise to the boy back in the hospital.

But he knew it would be worth it.

A couple days later...

Ryū bowed his head in deep respect as he knelt down on the ground, baby Phoenix tucked safely and securely in his arms.

Once again he was dressed in his usual dark brown uniform with the black cloak and black cap that sat upon his brow, only this time the rim was so low that it shrouded his expression in darkness due to the rim sitting so low.

The clouds were gray and the atmosphere was as hard as rock, there was electricity in the air which were huge signs that a thunderstorm was on its way. There was a damp sensation hanging in the air as well, which only served to heighten the depression and grief that was brewing in the graveyard. Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance and the dark green grass stuck up like hair on the back of someone's neck in a tense situation.

The 116-year-old sniffled and sobbed softly as she knelt before a single gravestone —this granite gravestone slab was tall and hard and staring at it brought a pang of discomfort to the elderly ancestral lawyer— the grave was black and polished and had the words "RAVEN WRIGHT" etched in the stone.

The memorial ceremony which was being held at the local graveyard London grounds that consisted of many things such as a bunch of bouquets that included nine-tails flowers, lilies, roses and some other pretty floral arrangements and most of them were blue in colour; the flowers were set on top of a special-made coffin and a little framed photograph stood amongst the flowers.

The funeral was a small affair

A photo of Raven Wright...

The spiky-haired ancestral attorney's deep chocolate brown eyes were teary and his throat hurt from how upset he was feeling. He kept staring at the headstone with saddened and watery eyes and he lowered his head further to the point that his chin was close to digging into his own chest. He also instinctively clutched Phoenix even tighter (not enough to crush him or anything) and he was sure that a couple of salty, bitter teardrops landed on his lap and on to Phoenix himself.

This event was hitting him like a ton of bricks...and he hated himself for feeling like this.

Sniffling, he offered his hand out and proceeded to place a single flower atop of the mound of overturned dirt.

Phoenix, too, seemed to sense the sadness that hung in the air like a curtain and started to whimper softly. He squirmed softly and communicated his upset by fussing slightly, but settled after some gentle but quick shushing and comforting by his guardian.

As he lived with Raven, he'd never thought he would be put in this position, he didn't expect to raise his great grandson all alone...but he couldn't help but feel his heart shift with more ache when he had learned that his granddaughter had died from complications from birth, the doctors didn't explain it well without bursting into tears themselves and Ryu didn't want to tear open fresh wounds in his already-heavy-heart.

He couldn't have predicted that this would happen.

"I...I brought you something, Raven, dear..." With that, Ryū presented a small picture from behind him and laid it down on the dirt.

It was one of Raven's paintings.

It was a lovely piece of art with many lovely shades and swirls of colour that Ryu didn't even know the name for. As far as he knew, though, it was one of her proudest works of art and one of her favourites—bar her own son, of course, who was sleeping silently throughout this.

Ryū shut his eyes started to hum a quiet melody as tears trailed down his face and he gently looked up to the sky above him he saw the dark storm clouds.

He did this both as a means to calm Phoenix and

A saddened smile stretched across Ryūnosuke's lips as he sat with Phoenix lain in his arms. He had tried to reign in his conflicting emotions and grass smears and stains clung to his dark brown uniform, he sniffled a few more times but he still somehow managed to put on his biggest smile as his eyes swelled with tears.

He knew that it was difficult to smile now in the face of so much pain but that's what a lawyer did, wasn't it?

Smile in the face of hard times?

"We'll..." He swallowed reflexively "...We'll work this out together."

He wasn't even sure if he was saying this to himself, Phoenix or his granddaughter's spirit; he didn't even know whether or not anyone up there heard him but that was when the heavens had opened and rain started to fall drip-by-drip.

The droplets of rain felt frigid cold, wet and heavy on his shoulders as they fell.

A/N: Here's an extra chapter, everyone. I had decided to add an extra chapter. Sorry that it's a bit short but I thought that. You guys are awesome and I hope you guys are having a nice day.

-Chloemcg