DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ace Attorney or any of its installments.
ACE ATTORNEY SCRAPBOOK
Chapter 40: His Own Worst Enemy
Case Tag: Pre-Ace Attorney
Quote:
Not sure about the quote. My sister actually found this one, giving me a slip of paper that said "Larry sword fighting with himself."
Putting our heads together, we think that it was from AAI 1-5, which was the game she was replaying at that time.
I tried looking it up online, but the only thing I could find was that Larry bought a sword during a field trip
and started shadow fighting with himself, per the Ace Attorney wiki.
If you can find the quote, shoot me a message and I can update it!
November 29, 2001, 9:12am
Elementary School Classroom
"Psst!"
Head in a textbook, nine-year-old Miles Edgeworth, ignored the whispers of his classmates.
"PSST!"
Rolling his eyes, Miles flipped to the next page of his history book. He focused on the key terms listed in the margin, making a mental note of what to expect for the next exam, when he felt something hit the side of his head. Sticking a pencil in the book as a makeshift bookmark, Miles leaned over and scanned the floor to see what hit him. It was a crumpled piece of lined paper. Looking up, he found the kid in the seat next to him waving to get his attention.
"Psst! Miles!" nine-year-old Phoenix Wright whispered.
"I can hear you just fine, Phoenix," Miles said, returning to his book. "Flinging projectiles is quite unnecessary. If you don't mind, I'd like to continue studying the vocab words for the next test before class starts-"
Phoenix ignored him and asked a question of his own.
"Where's Larry?"
Larry Butz, the eight-year-old third member of what he called the "Three Amigos," was absent from his desk, which was located behind Phoenix. Miles glanced behind the spikey haired boy and confirmed the other boy's absence.
"It appears he is not in school today," Miles replied.
"Well, duh," Phoenix said. "But I meant have you seen or heard from him? You know, after we left his sleepover yesterday?"
Miles thought back to the sleepover his father, Gregory, had coerced him into attending with his classmates. They're your friends, Miles. I know you want to focus on your studies but you're only a kid for a little while. Have fun, kiddo. Go to the sleepover.
It had been at Larry's house this past weekend. They had pizza and various snacks and then watched television and played video games until they all passed out. Miles frowned. There had been an incident during the sleepover, however. As usual, Larry was at the center of the problem.
"Come on, guys!" Larry waved around a rubber sword. "I need someone to fight me!"
"But Larry! We're almost past level 9!" Phoenix whined as he flicked the analog stick on his controller. "Can't we finish the game first? I think I can beat it this time!"
"I think that Phoenix is right," Miles looked up from his book. "He has gotten better and farther in the level each time. It would be a shame for him to stop now when he is quite close to completing the level."
"You guys are a bunch of party-poopers!" Larry hopped on the couch, bouncing on the cushions. "Fine! If you don't want to play, then I'll fight myself."
Phoenix paused the game after a moment and Miles lifted his head from his book. They exchanged a glance.
"Did you just say you're gonna fight yourself?" Phoenix asked.
The gray and black haired boys sitting in front of the couch turned around to see Larry swinging his sword around at an imaginary opponent. Miles and Phoenix ducked just in time to avoid getting whacked upside the head.
"Be careful where you're aiming!" Miles remarked.
"Yeah! You almost hit us, Larry!" Phoenix echoed his friend's sentiment. "Don't you remember what happened last time you tried fighting yourself? When you got that sword from the gift shop during the field trip to the zoo last month, you nearly knocked over the popcorn cart when you tried to fight your shadow!"
"Yes, the teacher was very annoyed when you knocked the popcorn butter off the cart and got it all over her. She gave you a week of detentions for that."
Larry ignored them. Closing one eye and sticking out his tongue, he cocked his sword back, prepared to strike his opponent.
"Put up your dukes!" he shouted.
"I believe the correct phrase is 'en garde,'" Miles corrected.
"Even I knew that, Larry," Phoenix said, grabbing the game controller and unpausing the game to continue playing. "You say 'en garde' in a sword fight."
"En garde, schmen garde," Larry scoffed. "Imma fight myself since you two won't!"
Thrusting his sword forward, Larry's opponent dodged the strike. Larry rotated the sword, blocking a counter attack.
"You got skills, dude!" Larry bounced backward. "But you can't beat me!"
Watching Larry continue his backward bounce, Miles spoke up to his friend.
"Um, Larry," he said. "You're getting close to the arm of the couch; take care not to fall-"
"Stop being such a wet paper bag, Edgey!" Larry performed a twist. "I'm unbeatable! No one can beat me-"
As Miles predicted, Larry's spin that close to the arm of the couch didn't end well. He fell right over the edge and landed on the carpet with a thud.
"No one can beat you except for yourself, apparently," Miles said with a sigh.
"Guess you're your own worst enemy, huh, Larry?" Phoenix said with a chuckle.
The edges of Miles' lips twitched as he tried to fight off the smile that was threatening to break out on his face at the memory of Larry sword fighting with himself. The school bell rang, signalling the beginning of the school day. Miles instantly rotated in his desk and faced the front, neatly arranging his desk in preparation for class to begin. Phoenix turned around in his chair, doodling on a scrap piece of paper while waiting for the teacher to come into the room.
"This is quite unlike our teacher to be tardy," Miles murmured, eyes drifting up to the clock on the wall above the door.
"Don't complain," Phoenix said. "No teacher, no class!"
The classroom door opened and the teacher entered, carrying a bright orange backpack. She was followed by Larry. Miles and Phoenix both stared incredulously at their friend, their eyes being drawn to the neon yellow cast on his arm. The teacher helped Larry get situated in his desk, slinging the backpack over the back of his chair, before returning to the front of the classroom.
"All right, class," she said. "Let's start with our history lesson for today. Please open your books to page.."
Phoenix turned around to face Larry while the classroom was filled with the sound of rustling through desks and bags in the search of the requested text books.
"Larry," he whispered. "What happened to your arm? Didja break it?"
"Yeah, it started bruising pretty bad after you guys left yesterday, so my folks took me to get it checked out," Larry waved his shiny new cast around. "There was this really cute girl at the emergency room that hurt her finger. I told her that I broke my arm 'cause I was in a sword fight. She was totally amazed. I should have thought about breakin' my arm earlier! Oh! Maybe Brittney will think it's hot! I should totally show her during lunch; maybe she'll want to go to the holiday dance with me next month!"
Larry grinned, leaning back in his chair, balancing solely on the rear legs.
"Larry, please be careful," Miles sighed, sounding just like he did during the sleepover. "I don't think you want a broken leg or back if you fall out of your chair in addition to your broken arm."
"Who knows?" Larry challenged. "Maybe all the girls will find me irresistible!"
"Yeah, but sword fighting is a much better story than falling out of your chair," Phoenix said.
"Hmm…" Larry let his chair fall forward as he scratched his chin with his good hand. "Guess I'll have to come up with a good story if I do!"
"Please don't!" Miles and Phoenix both pleaded.
Larry waved them off.
"I didn't say I'm gonna do it," he said. "I just meant if it happens."
He fished around in his desk for a permanent marker. He held it out to Phoenix.
"Wanna sign my cast?" Larry asked.
"Yeah!" Phoenix said as he accepted the marker.
Signing Larry's cast caught the attention of his classmates, as they all started whispering to Larry to ask to also sign his cast.
"Class, we can sign the cast later…" the teacher sighed, knowing her efforts were futile. "All right, let's take a few minutes to sign Larry's cast and then we'll resume our history lesson."
The kids gathered around Larry, passing the marker around after Phoenix and Miles both signed. The two other boys exchanged a look, the gray haired boy shaking his head. They said nothing to each other, but both Miles and Phoenix could tell what the other was thinking.
When something smells, it's usually the Butz.