DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the installments of Ace Attorney or any of its characters.

A/N: This is another awesome prompt from ItsMuffinTime. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this one too! *Virtual hugs AND cookies!*

ACE ATTORNEY SCRAPBOOK
Chapter 21: The Stuff of Legends

Case Tag: AAI-3 (Ace Attorney Investigations, The Kidnapped Turnabout)

Quote:

Edgeworth:
They say couples who cross this bridge together will find happiness. Or so the Gatewater Land pamphlet says.

Kay:
But you'd think they'd already be happy because they were able to come together.

Edgeworth:
Logistic aside, I wonder who came up with this tale and when? This bridge doesn't look old enough to be the stuff of legends.

Kay:
Well, some things are better left uninvestigated, don't you think? Ignorance is bliss!

April 1, 2019, 2:41pm
Wright and Co. Law Offices

Miles Edgeworth dropped by the law offices of his longtime frenemy, Phoenix Wright, to return some of the evidence he still had in his possession when he took over the defense while Wright was temporarily indisposed during the case dealing with the murder that occurred up at Hazakurain Temple. After a one month trip overseas and the ensuing headache of one case after another before he even had a chance to unpack his suitcase, Edgeworth was relieved to finally have the opportunity to discard some materials that he was no longer in need of.

"Be right there, Edgeworth!" Wright called from the inner office. "I'll be out in just a few minutes!"

Knowing Wright like he did, Edgeworth knew that a "few minutes" would probably be closer to twenty minutes or so. Grabbing a newspaper off of the reception desk, with a sigh, he resigned himself to waiting for his friend and took a seat on the couch in the main lobby of the office suite. Opening up the first page, a little piece of paper fell out, fluttering to the floor; apparently, he grabbed a few additional pieces of paper besides the newspaper.

Putting the newspaper aside, Edgeworth leaned down to scoop up the fallen piece of paper, finding that it looked familiar. It was a pamphlet for local amusement park, Gatewater Land. Edgeworth's eyes roamed over the pamphlet, trying to forget about the case he had recently dealt with there, eventually coming to rest on the information concerning one of the park's tourist attractions.

"Come see the famous bridge to Gatewater Land—and don't forget to bring your 'special someone!' Legend says that couples who cross this bridge together will find happiness! How romantic!"

Edgeworth frowned. Reading over the information again, something struck him as oddly familiar in the wording. Special someone? Where had he heard this phrase before?

Scrutinizing the page closer, examining every nook and cranny, the prosecutor also noticed that this pamphlet appeared to have been doctored. The information concerning the Bridge of Love, as it apparently was called, seemed to be on a piece of paper that was glued to the pamphlet. Carefully picking at the edges of the paper, Edgeworth managed to successfully remove the superimposed piece, revealing the original information beneath it.

"Cross the bridge to Gatewater Land for exciting fun, games and entertainment! You will love to spend time in this place of fun and amusement, where the goal is to achieve happiness for one and all!"

"Hmm..." Edgeworth murmured to himself.

Someone had deliberately tampered with this pamphlet in order to pretend there was some special romantic legend behind the bridge leading into the amusement park, but it had to be more than a prank, stating that this message had been found on the other pamphlets at the park too. This was quite the conundrum.

"Mr. Nick!" a cute girlish voice called out as the door to the Wright and Co. Law Offices burst open. "I'm back!"

Moments later, Pearl Fey skipped inside. She stopped at the sight of Edgeworth on the couch, smiling sweetly at the prosecutor.

"Hi, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Hello, Miss Fey," Edgeworth greeted warmly (at least, with as much amiability as he could muster). "What have you been up to?"

"I was out at the park," Pearl explained. "I was doing some meditating for my spirit medium training and, when I was ready to leave, I came across these really pretty flowers!"
Edgeworth turned his attention to the bouquet of flowers the young acolyte had picked. It was a fragrant array of color and design and quite lovely.

"They are very lovely, Miss Fey," Edgeworth said earnestly. "Are you planning to put them here in the office? The room is certainly lacking in décor and could use some sprucing up."

"Actually," Pearl adopted the smile that always appeared on her angelic face anytime she was about to talk about the relationship between Wright and her cousin, Maya. "I got these for Mr. Nick to give to Mystic Maya! He's her 'special someone,' and needs to give her gifts to show his undying love and devotion to her!"

"Special someone?" Edgeworth repeated.

He looked from Pearl to the piece he removed from the pamphlet and back again. The edges of his mouth curled up in a smile and the prosecutor let out a little chuckle.

"Miss Fey," Edgeworth began to say. "I need you to be honest with me."

Pearl put the bouquet of flowers on the reception desk behind her. She turned back to face Edgeworth, nervously biting at her thumb.

"Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Did you have anything to do with the story behind the bridge to Gatewater Land being a spot for couples to cross in order to find happiness together?" Edgeworth questioned, his voice stern but with a hint of amusement.

"I did it, Mr. Edgeworth," Pearl admitted with a shameful expression on her young face. "I thought it would be a good idea to have Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick get some happiness together after everything that happened last month Mystic Misty and, so, I came up with the idea of the bridge at Gatewater Land and made hundreds of copies of the paper, just in case and..."

Pearl's voice trailed off. She raised her head to look at Edgeworth.

"Are you going to tell Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya?"

As much as he tried to fight it, Edgeworth couldn't help but smile at the sweet little girl in front of him.

"It will be our little secret, Miss Fey," he said. "Legends have to begin somewhere, after all, do they not?"

Pearl smiled.

"Thanks, Mr. Edgeworth!" she said happily before dashing off to get a vase for the bouquet.

Relaxing back on to the couch, Edgeworth grabbed the newspaper and finally began to read it.

Well, mystery solved.