Sorry, it's been a while guys. Jess and I have been really busy lately. She's trying to get a job and a place to stay and I'm trying to as well. I still have my job, but I'm not getting anything for it right now. I have a short job I'm going to be doing for three weeks, but it's not going to be great. I'm also trying to go back to university so I can maybe get a teaching license so that's going to be an adventure. We've also both been working on our original stories more lately. Of course, we have some chapters in reserve so it's not going to be too long for the chapters to come out. I hope you're all still enjoying our works because we're enjoying writing them.

Chapter Eight

Miles

It's been a while since my trial. It's still hard to believe everything that has happened up until now. It all happened so fast.

How did it get to this point anyway?

I'm relieved to know that my father's murder wasn't me but at the same time the cost of that knowledge…

While they do say that the truth will set you free, they also say that ignorance is bliss. I suppose for me that last one holds little value. It wasn't bliss.

Though I suppose not knowing it was von Karma who killed my father allowed me to look up to him, but now…

I'm sure it affects Franziska more than it affects me. She always had her father on a pedestal, an idol for her to look up to, and then to find out that it was all a lie really hurt her.

Perhaps I always guessed and that was the real reason I wanted her out of the case. I wanted to protect her from the truth.

Yet… how can someone be ignorant forever? Even if she has not found out first hand she would have still heard the story.

And by that point, the story may have been distorted. Perhaps on purpose or unintentionally people always distort the truth and embellish the facts. Reporters, the media, everyone talks about a thing and suddenly the truth is hidden behind some crazy theories.

Especially in a case like this…

Phoenix beating me twice was one thing. It was amazing, but not impossible. After all, while I had four years of victories under my belt I was still rather new.

No, von Karmahaden times the years of experience. He was ruthless in a way that I never was, and he was ready for almost anything that came his way.

Manfred von Karma was a man who practically embodied the way that the legal system was run these days. Ruthless, fast and devastating. Not allowing the slightest chance of a criminal escaping. Even the very thought of being prosecuted practically meant death. Trials were quick and expedient. The defense could only work with what the police presented and usually, they presented evidence worthy of proving their case. If new evidence came up later that was just too bad. Defense attorneys also weren't really expected to search a crime scene on their own. It was taboo to do so, and the detectives and police weren't meant to give them information.

All in all, being a defense attorney really stinks. You're looked at as if you are defending criminals and that you were as wrong as the people you defend, while also being expected to fight with the rest of the legal system against you.

And yet, Phoenix Wright was able to stand up against that ruthless system. Not only beating me at my game, but also the god himself, Manfred von Karma. Something even my father hadn't managed to achieve.

Father…

He may never have beaten the god of prosecution he had managed to scar him, to damage his perfection. I'm not sure how he managed it, but he managed to best von Karma.

Phoenix is a lot like him, Even though they barely met when we were younger he is a lot like my father. Defending those with no one on their side at all.

I guess he did get that idea from me standing up for him in class and I got that from father who always told me that you need to protect those with no one on their sides, so I suppose in a way he did take a lesson from my father…

But me? I abandoned my father's teachings. Because of the pain of his death, and the stupid trial that was the DL-6 trial I turned my back on everything my father taught m. I abandoned his way of thinking for my own selfish one.

I followed von Karma and his teachings even though I knew it was wrong. I knew that getting every client declared guilty was wrong, and yet I did it anyway. I went with it despite knowing that I shouldn't. Despite the knowledge that if I did that I'd be betraying my father.

I cast aside my past both old friends and everything that I was taught in favour of using my pain to crush criminals and while some were undoubtedly criminals who deserved their punishment others were more than likely innocent, but they just didn't have the right evidence to be declared innocent, and thus were blamed while the true culprit went free.

In the name of justice, I crushed crime with an iron fist just like von Karma, but just like him, I am guilty of having innocent people being caught in the crossfire.

I asked once what would happen if a defendant wasn't guilty, and the only answer I got was that there was no way of knowing that because all criminals lie. There was no way to prove that they weren't guilty so they must be.

But then… the events of my first case play in my mind. The events of that tragic case that left such a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

Well, I suppose everyone, but that witness. No, she was just smiling so sweetly like she knew. Like she completely knew.

It wasn't a loss, but it wasn't a victory either. The defendant died right there in front of me and I wasn't able to stop him. I wasn't able to do anything as he died. He was innocent, that much was clear, but he just couldn't escape that. He couldn't escape that woman who was supposed to love him. Indeed, it was over for him, and he died.

Even con Karma couldn't reprimand me after that event. I think even he was shocked. I could tell. He didn't expect something like that to happen on my first case.

And even the case before that. The case that was supposed to be my first case. Even then I learned a hard lesson in being prepared and that sometimes the police make the wrong assumptions.

The police can easily make assumptions based on relevant evidence.

So why are we so quick to call them guilty? I learned that from my first case with Wright.

Of course, I wasn't so sure about Ms. Fey at the time, but I knew Wright didn't murder Mia fey and that it was far too convenient, and yet I did it anyway. I pushed for a guilty verdict.

I tried to convict my former best friend, I treated him just as I had gotten mad at others for treating him back when we were children, but this was a much more serious situation. I wanted to destroy him so that I no longer would have to feel the feelings of my past, and yet…

I lost the trial, I had to accept that I lost to Wright. I deserved to lose to him. I know that for a fact.

Yet, I swore next time would be different. I swore then that I would show him the true meaning of a prosecutor.

Then during the third day of the trial, I found myself helping him. I raised an objection before I even realized I'd done so. I wasn't prepared, but for some reason, I couldn't let it end. I just had to.

My two losses to Wright, the destruction of my perfect record. Suddenly I was remembering the things that my father had taught me before his untimely death. Suddenly I was feeling like I'd been wrong this whole time. I knew then that I had just been fooling myself. I thought I was being a prosecutor and doing my duty to society, but really…

I'd only wanted to punish myself. To hurt myself because of what happened with father. I wanted to pay for all my nightmares and fears.

And then the man I had looked up to for all those years turned out to have set me up and wanted me to fall so hard. He wanted to crush me.

And yet, my first instinct was to protect Wright, to protect him from DL=6 to protect him from my past. Why was I so determined to stop him? He was so willing and eager and yet I just tried to push him away.

But no matter how hard I pushed he wouldn't stop. I don't think he'll ever stop trying. It's an amazing thing to see.

Me on the other hand… who am I? I'm a prosecutor. The "demon prosecutor".

I never thought much of the title really. Of course, people would call me a demon. At the time I felt they just hadn't understood the true reasoning behind my actions. How could they possibly understand why I believed in conviction. Why I prosecuted and left no defendant freed? How could they call me a demon when they hadn't walked in my shoes?

But in the end of the day, that title is very fitting. Demon prosecutor, huh?

Yes, a prosecutor who would do anything fro the guilty verdict. A prosecutor who would cheat and lie in order to hide the truth. A prosecutor who would even sentence his own former friend to death just to prove that he is perfect in that way. A prosecutor who didn't' care who was hurt as long as crime was "punished" such a prosecutor truly deserves to be called a "demon prosecutor".

Perhaps it would be easy to defend myself. To blame it all on my mentor. To tell everyone that he "made me do it", but such comments are foolish drivel.

I am no child following the rods of a parent. No, I'm an adult, I am capable of coming up with my own opinions and thoughts. I chose the path I walked for myself. I decided to become a prosecutor and crush crime. I chose to cast aside my feelings and thoughts. I chose this life.

I chose to become the Demon Prosecutor.

My sins are my own.

And for them, I must pay.

Franziska

I sit in my office working on a few documents. It is true that I took over Ppa's office, but I haven't gotten round to changing it yet. Right now It's the same as he left it. I'm not sure why I haven't done anything with it yet.

Perhaps it's some useless sentimentality that I feel. Something inside me not wanting to get rid of some of the last remnants of the Papa I once knew.

But why do I care? It's not as if he himself would have cared if I kept it this way or not? It's not really like any time I'd visited this office I was that important.

II know I should just clear up the office, getting rid of everything and replacing it with new things. Getting rid of everything that was Papa, but something keeps getting in my way.

Whatever, I will get to it in due course. Right now I have some things to take care of.

His things will do well enough, it's not like I even plan on staying in this country that much anyway. It's not that there's anything wrong with it, but-

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a frantic knocking at my office door. Who and earth would be disturbing me right now?

I grab my whip ready to whip whoever dares disturb me. "What?"

"Ms. von Karma!" Scruffy exclaims bursting into the room. The look on his face stays my hand though it's still clenched around the handle of my whip.

"What is it, Scruffy? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Well yes, I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to disturb you, I just…"

"Out with it, Scruffy." He seems very distraught about something…

"It's an emergency, sir!"

"An emergency?" I'm tempted to use my whip to force him to just spill it already, but for some reason, I keep my hand by my side.

"Yeah, it's Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Miles?! What about my little brother?" I demand standing from my chair and walking around the desk.

"Well, I was just… and he was… and I didn't… I mean he…"

I sigh. Scruffy is clearly too worked up to explain the situation. "Where is he?"

"His office, sir."

"Very well, come along, Scruffy," I say walking swiftly past him to head to Miles' office. I hear him following me.

We say nothing on the way to my brother's office.

When we reach his door I push it open walking inside. I don't know what I was expecting with how distressed Scruffy was, but what I saw wasn't what I expected…

The first thing I notice is that he's nor behind his desk and the rope.

Did he really…?

Miles!

I look around for him. I notice him one of his couches. His body was limp, but I could faintly see his chest move. I move over to him kneeling next to the couch. His neck was wrapped with bandages, probably from the first aid kit that was open on the floor next to the couch. Other than that he seemed unharmed

"Scruffy, what happened?" I demand.

"I… I was coming to check on him with some reports and when I came in he was…" His eyes travel to the side, and I follow his gaze seeing the rope. Where had he gotten it from? Not that rope was hard to get, but…

"I see, then what happened?"

"Well I got him free, he was already out cold when I got in so I just moved him to the couch where he'd be more comfortable and tried to stop the bleeding and such."

I love the bandage slightly looking at the bruising and scarring left by the rope, it'll leave a mark...

"Scruffy… he's not bleeding, dis you even check him properly?"

"Well, to be honest, sir, I'm not very good with blood." And yet you decided to be a homicide detective?

"Well thankfully he isn't bleeding, just has serious rope burn and bruising."

"That's a relief."

"Yes, because if he was bleeding we'd have a serious issue on our hands. Regardless, did you call the ambulance?"

"No, I was going to, but my first instinct was to let you know."

"Well go-"

"No, don't."

We both look at Miles. His voice is slightly rough, but I can still tell what he's saying.
"But sir!"

"Please, detective, I-"

"Miles Edgeworth!"

Scruffy jumps at my exclamation while Miles was trying to seem like he didn't want to move enough to be startled.

I whip the desk before glaring at him. "How dare you break your promise to me!"

"Franziska…"

"Umm… Ms. von Karma, maybe you shouldn't-"

"You stay out of this, Scruffy! You're supposed to take care of him!"

"I…"

"Franziska!" He says louder than he had been which turns into a coughing fit.

"Stop talking, little brother."

"Leave gumshoe alone, this isn't his fault, I'm the only one to blame here. Don't take your frustration out on him, please."

I close my eyes. "My apologize, Scruffy."

"It's okay if you need a moment, I can leave."

"Stay," Miles says. "She's angry at me really."

"Yes, I am."

"I'm sorry, Franziska."

"You're sorry! You're sorry! Is that really all you have to say! You think saying you're sorry is going to change things! What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't."

"What?"

"I wasn't thinking straight. I thought the only way to pay for the mistakes of my past was to end it all. I had no thoughts in my mind when I was doing it. I just felt like… like I just had to do it. I just couldn't go on with the lie I'd been living. I almost sentenced my best friend to death, and he still stood up for me. I sent countless people to their deaths just because they were unfortunate to be accused of murder. This was my choice. I became a demon prosecutor on my own."

"I don't think you were ever a demon prosecutor," Scruffy says.

"Thank you, detective, but I was…."

"We both were," I admit. "But that doesn't give you the right to leave me behind!"

Call it selfish, but I refuse to allow my little brother to leave me, not again. Papa and Katharina have already left me…

"I know. I just wasn't thinking. I know I promised I'd never leave you, but it was just a lot. I have so many regrets that it just overwhelmed me. I've been living a lie. Wright is more like my father than I ever was."

"Your father…" the man that Papa killed. The man who caused Papa to get his first penalty. Gregory Edgeworth.

"I don't know, sir, I mean, sure you lost your way, but I'm sure you can find it again."

"Detective…" Miles says looking at Scruffy. "You… You saved me?"

"Well, of course, sir! Why wouldn't I save you? You're Mr. Edgeworth, we're partners in crime-busting!"

"Partners…"

"Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without you, Mr. Edgeworth! We've been a team since the first day you became a prosecutor and I became a detective."

"After we saved you from being accused of murder," I point out crossing my arms. These two men are both fools!

"Well… yeah… there was that little snag…"

"To be fair Ms. Fey was accused of murder and then she became Wright's assistant."

"That is because you're all fools," I tell them.

"If we were such fools you wouldn't be so upset right now."

"If you had died, I wouldn't ever have forgiven you, Miles Edgeworth."

"Franziska… I don't know what I can say."

"You can start by making sure you never break our promise again."

"I don't know if…"

"Then I will stay with you all the time. If I stay by your side then you won't be able to do anything stupid. I will stay in your office if I have to, but I will not allow you to make such a foolish choice again."

"I was going to say the same thing, sirs."

"I don't need a babysitter, you two."

"You're not allowed to argue. You are my little brother, you should listen to the words of your big sister. I don't care how old you are, you will never stop being my little brother, always remember that."

"I hear you, Franziska, very well then, but not like this. I don't think I can get any work done right now. I can't take all this pressure right now I don't know who I am anymore."

"You're Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir."

"I know that, but who am I, detective. I've been living a lie for so long, that I've lost sight of what's really important to me. I've lived my life thinking I killed my father and though I know that's not true, I've abandoned his teachings. I wanted to be a defense attorney and protect the innocent, but now I've become a prosecutor and instead of protecting the innocent I've hurt them. I don't know what I want anymore." He slowly moves his hand down to his pocket and pulls out his prosecutor's badge. "This badge was given to me to prove that I fight for truth and justice, but all I've used it for is to be a bully.

I feel my own badge in my pocket. Papa had always taught us that we needed to keep it in our pockets instead of wearing it because it was cooler and because we shouldn't damage our clothes.

"Franziska… do you remember why you chose to prosecute?"

Where did that question come from all of a sudden? "Why I became a prosecutor? It was to catch criminals so that…"

So that people wouldn't have to suffer like I always saw Miles suffering. I never knew that the times I spoke those words I was talking about my own Papa…

"Do you think we've been living up to those words?"

"I…"

"We've had perfect records, but is that really the right thing? Have we been protecting innocent people or have we been hurting them ourselves? Are we the criminals that we fought against."

"I don't' think you are, sirs."

"Miles…"

"While I appreciate it, detective, Franziska knows what I'm trying to say. She's feeling the same way. She sees it the same as I do."

I hug myself instinctively. "Stop…"

"You feel as I do, which is why you want me to stop. You see it too, you're conflicted. It may not be as hard for you right now, but you still feel it. You want me to guide you, that's why you're so mad that I almost died. You're upset because you think I won't be there to tell you how to think. But only you can give that answer."

"But I…"

"You don't need to have the answer yet. It's okay, I don't have it either, but only you can make that choice, Franziska."

"You… was that your choice?"

"It wasn't the best choice I suppose, but at the time I suppose it was, that being said I don't believe I can stay right now."

"Are… are you leaving me behind again?"

Call it selfish, but I just…

"Come with me, Franziska."

"What?"

"Let's go on a journey together. Let's find ourselves. Let's determine who we want to be. We will always e prosecutors, but together we can discover what being a prosecutor means to us. I know I tried to give it all up, and it was rash, but I promise that I will find my path with your help and I will help you. You say you need to babysit me? Well, this is your chance. It'll only be the two of us, and you can stay with me as much as you feel like you need. What do you say, big sister?"

"I…" I close my eyes fighting off tears, but them escaping me anyway. "Miles Edgeworth, you fool."

Gumshoe

I watch Mr. Edgeworth and Ms. von Karma. I'm so glad I was able to make it in time to save Mr. Edgeworth. It wasn't a scene I ever wanted to see.

But now they're just hugging each other and it's actually quite sweet…

But if I said as much Ms. von Karma would probably whip me so I won't ruin the moment between the two of them.

After a while of silence, they look at me. "Umm… sorry… was I supposed to have left?"

"No, you're fine, detective," Mr. Edgeworth says waving me off.

"We actually want to ask you for a favour, Scruffy."

"What is it, sirs?"

"We're planning on taking a leave of absence for a while, but we don't want anyone to worry about us and bother us, we have to find ourselves and we don't want to be interrupted by foolishness," Ms. von Karma says. I guess that's what they'd been whispering to each other about in German planning some trip around the world. When I get my passport I can travel too… when I finally get enough money."

"What my sister is trying to say is that we'd like it if you kept this between the three of us."

"Are you sure you don't want Mr. Wright to know?"

"Yes, Wright has his own things to worry about, and everything will be fine. We will be back once we have discovered the answer we're looking for."

"You mean what it means to be a prosecutor?"

"Exactly, Scruffy, we're probably going to spend most of our time in Germany, but this is a journey we must take."

"Well okay, but… under one condition…"

"What's that, detective?"

"If you could can you keep in touch. I mean I won't bother you or anything, but… I want to make sure you two are alright, and…"

"You're such a softy, Scruffy," Ms. von Karma says with a bit of a smile.

"Well, I care about both of you, sirs."

"Very well, we can agree to your terms," Mr. Edgeworth says with a smile. "Keep us informed about what's going on as well. If anything comes up just let us know. We want to help."

"You got it! I will do everything to hold down the fort here. I'll even clean both of your offices."

"What? That isn't needed, Scruffy."

"Well, but it would suck if you tow came back and your offices were completely a mess, wouldn't it?"

"That's not part of your job description if we were that concerned we could hire someone to clean them."

"Yeah, but no one can clean without disturbing the case files and such, but I'd make sure that nothing was out of place or looked into needlessly."

"If it makes you happy you can, but we will compensate you accordingly."

"That's not needed at all."

"Yes, it is."

"Scruffy, do not argue, if you clean our offices we are paying you and that is final."

"Yes, sir," I say. I really don't want them to do it, but I know I shouldn't argue with Ms. von Karma, especially when she is armed with her trusty whip.

"Don't overdo it either, we'll send you monthly bonuses for keeping our offices clean."

"Monthly?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't we do it monthly?"

"I guess I just don't think I deserve all that."

"Richard," I blink, since when did he know my first name? "I know you don't feel like you're important, but you are very important. You saved my life, literally. You are very important to me. I owe you my life and so much more. Even though you're not always the brightest and you miss things. Sure you're not always the first to get things, and I get annoyed with you sometimes, but really you are very important to me. You are my detective and I couldn't ask for a better one. I know that you will find the answer eventually, and having you by my side makes me feel like I can achieve things. I know you really try your hardest and I couldn't ask for more."

"I… Mr. Edgeworth…"

"You can call us by our first names right now, we aren't working."

"But that wouldn't be appropriate."

"As I said, we aren't working right now. It's alright to let go, and relax."

"Well okay, if you insist."

I walk over sitting on the couch opposite to the one they are sitting on. They're such successful prosecutors and I'm just the idiot detective who just messes up.

"I'm going to miss both of you," I say before I stop myself.

"We'll miss you too, Richard," Miles says.

"We'll see each other again, Scruffy," Franziska says getting off the couch. "Should I make tea?"

"I can="

"No, you can sit there like a good boy," Franziska counters whipping the ground in front of Miles. "If you wanted to serve tea you should have thought about that before you tried to hang yourself."

She seems so calm about his attempted suicide, but I can almost tell that under the surface she is not calm at all. I probably should be careful not to push her too far or I'll probably feel her whip.

"Fine, fine," he says shifting a little bit. He watches as she gets the tea ready. She then puts the three cups in front of the three of us.

"Are you sure you two have to leave?" I ask despite myself.

"Yes, we need to find ourselves. We've been living the life chosen for us for a while now, and it's about time we answer a very simple question."

"And what's that?"

"What does it truly mean to be a prosecutor."

Translations:

German→English:

Japanese→English:

Preview

Franziska

"Do you think you'll enjoy having a big brother."

"No! Little! Little brother!"

Miles cocks his head to the side.

I point at him. "Little… brozer!"