Chapter Two: Seed of Misunderstanding

The pianist's fingers hit the keys… questionably, to put it lightly. It couldn't be said that piano-playing was Phoenix Wright's forte, not in a million years. Not that it really mattered, as people didn't visit the Borscht Bowl Club to witness the man's disastrous songs, but for another reason entirely.

However, today had been a quiet day, and considering he wasn't working the night shift tonight, Phoenix could finally get work out of his head.

"What wouldn't I do to pay the bills…?" the ex-attorney muttered as he stood up from the piano. Today still wasn't the day people were begging for an encore, even if he could understand them.

Not that he had any time to spare, anyway, as today was a special day, and he knew he ought to get going soon. After all, the day had been circled on his calendar for a while now. There was no way he was missing it.

Phoenix quickly said goodbye to his coworkers before grabbing his stuff and leaving the restaurant. At last, the smell of alcohol could finally leave his nostrils in peace.

To be perfectly frank, the second he found another suitable job, he was taking it. However, not many employers cared to have the so-called Forging Attorney in their ranks. Not that he could blame them. Technically, he was a criminal.

He unlocked his bike and prepared to leave. However, the familiar theme song of the Steel Samurai stopped him before he could even place his hands on the handlebar. The number ID was unknown. He still chose to pick up, just in case.

"Hello? This is Phoenix Wright."

"M-Mr. Wright! T-This is the Principal of March Middle School! Your daughter Trucy was playing tag with some friends and injured herself! She is at the nurse's office for now, but she's crying, asking for you!"

Phoenix's blood ran cold as his eyes widened in terror. Every day, he prayed to every deity not to receive a phone call like that one. He figured every parent did.

"W-What?! I-I'll be right here! G-Gimme a couple of minutes!"

"P-Please be quick, Mr. Wright!"

The young father entered panic mode as he quickly hung up and pedaled as fast as possible. Traffic rules were nowhere near his top priorities right now as he ran every red light on the way.

Right now, the quicker he could get to his daughter, the better. Of course, getting hit by a car on the way wouldn't make him get there faster, but he wasn't focused enough to think about this right now. Besides, he had already survived a fall from a bridge into a freezing river, so he figured he would be okay.

In the end, it took him no more than fifteen minutes to reach March Middle School, where Trucy attended school. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and ran as fast as his legs would take him to the nurse's office.

"T-Trucy!" Phoenix exclaimed, throwing the door open.

The nurse quickly recognized him as Trucy's father and sighed in relief. The magician was lying on a bed, crying uncontrollably. She tried to stand up, only to let out a loud cry of pain.

"D-Don't strain yourself, Ms. Wright!" the nurse pleaded, helping her back in a better position. "It's good to see you, Mr. Wright. Trucy was playing with some friends and fell on her leg. I gave her painkillers, but it'll take time before they do anything. There's… a chance it may be broken."

He cursed under his breath, kneeling next to the bed the girl was lying in. He placed his hand on her cheek and stroked it reassuringly.

"I'm here, Trucy, Daddy's here…" he whispered in her ear, trying to soothe her crying. "You'll be alright, sweetie… Daddy's here."

"D-Daddy…" she muttered, her tears making Phoenix tearful himself. "I-It hurts…!"

He continued to comfort her for a few minutes, knowing the exact words she needed to hear. There wasn't anyone who knew her better than Phoenix did, after all.

"I… I think Ms. Wright needs to go to the hospital to get x-rays, Mr. Wright," the nurse said, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Should I call an ambulance…?"

"Y-Yes, of course!" the ex-lawyer said, not missing a beat before quickly returning to tending to his daughter. "You'll be fine, Trucy… The doctors will fix your leg, okay?"

Phoenix winced when he noticed the red bump on the young magician's leg. He could understand why she was crying so much. Hopefully, the pain would be reduced by the painkillers. Still, he knew her tears were that of panic, not so much of pain.

She was only twelve years old. Any kid her age would become a crying mess if they hurt themselves badly. In any case, the only thing father and daughter could do now was to wait for the ambulance to arrive, even if the wait seemed like forever.

"Well, the x-ray results are here. Luckily, nothing's broken. As long as Ms. Wright avoids putting too much weight on this leg, it'll heal quickly."

Phoenix sighed in relief. He knew Trucy would be thrilled to hear the good news. Being unable to play with her friends for a few days would probably annoy her, but it was still better than having a broken leg.

"Thank you doctor. I'm happy to hear that."

The doctor nodded. "You're welcome. Now, Ms. Wright can stay the night here if you want. If not, her paperwork is ready to be signed at any time."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, I'll let you tell the news to your daughter now."

With that, the man returned to his work. Phoenix entered his daughter's room with a reassuring smile. He wouldn't have any bad news to tell her today, thankfully.

"I have good news, Trucy. Your leg isn't broken. You just need to let it rest for a bit, and it'll be just fine," he announced, sitting on the chair next to her bed. "We can even go home tonight."

"Well, that is definitely good news," said Miles Edgeworth, standing with his arms crossed near the bed. "If there's one thing you shouldn't have taken from your father, Trucy, it's his clumsiness."

When Phoenix had called his best friend and rival to tell her about Trucy's condition, he had rushed from the Prosecutor's Office to see her. It was in these moments that the pianist was happy to have a guy like him as a friend.

The magician chuckled, making Phoenix pout. On the inside, however, he was relieved. The sound of his precious Trucy laughing was his favorite one.

"You say this as if I am some sort of clumsy mess," Phoenix stated with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not Larry, I'll have you know."

"Hmph, fortunately." Suddenly, the prosecutor's cellphone began to ring. He sighed and grabbed the small device. "Franziska… What does she want…?"

The name got Phoenix's attention. His whole body still ached whenever he thought of the blue-haired prosecuting genius. Edgeworth picked up and brought the phone to his ear.

"Miles Edgeworth speaking. Yes… What? Ms. Fey…? I see… Y-You've met who?! Oh, right… Alright, I'll have him know. Yes, yes, I'll tell him he's a foolish fool… Thank you… Goodbye, Franziska."

He hung up and crossed his arms again, a displeased look appearing on his face.

"What did Franziska want, Edgeworth?" the ex-lawyer wondered curiously. "You… seem bothered."

"Well… How do I put this…?" The hesitation in the usually confident prosecutor's voice caught Phoenix by surprise. His rival wasn't typically the type to hesitate. "I know this trip to the hospital wasn't on your agenda, so I cannot blame you, but… haven't you forgotten something, Wright…?"

The words rang in Phoenix's mind as he tried to answer his friend's question. What could he have forgotten? To be honest, he had been so concerned over Trucy's state that everything else could wait.

When he remembered, the lawyer realized that this couldn't have been worse timing. He had made a promise. Now, even if it was unintentional, he had broken it.

"Oh."

The presence of his daughter in the room was the only thing that prevented the curse from leaving his mouth.

To be continued…