17.1 – (Me, Dimension Drift)

[Code Geass/Ace Attorney]

Phoenix Wright gazed through the one-way window at his client. His beaten, manacled, and shock-collared client. What the hell were they thinking, treating a kid like that?

Ah, but this was a colony of Britannia, where the strong ruled. Phoenix couldn't stop the grimace from working its way onto his face.

He'd spent his entire life—his entire lifetimes—defending the innocent from those that would oppress them, would abuse them, would use them as shields to protect their own dirty dealings. They may have been powerful, they may have wielded influence, but they had to at least pretend to follow the straight and narrow, because the system and country ultimately believed in those ideals, in justice and fairness and "innocent until proven guilty", however poorly those ideals may be implemented. To find himself in a country where such abuses were not just commonplace, but applauded; to live in a world where being weak was itself the biggest crime of all... It was absolutely nauseating.

At least his former self in this world had, apparently, managed to see past that, and live much as he himself did... although that may have had to do with how he himself was treated with suspicion. He was pure-blooded Britannian in this world, was even born in the homeland, but he looked like he could be Japanese (whoops, sorry, Eleven), so he'd apparently lived under quite a cloud since moving here, having to fight for what was given to those that were clearly Britannian. Ugh.

Fortunately, he had fought, and had apparently assembled a fair reputation for himself. As such, when they'd arrested Suzaku Kururugi about a week after Phoenix had woken up, he'd been able to ask to see Lord Jeremiah Gottwald, and politely ask (no matter how much we wanted to demand) the chance to defend the boy. Gottwald had been suspicious at first, but had ultimately agreed after seeing Phoenix's record.

Phoenix had read through Gottwald's attitude towards the end, though. Gottwald was convinced that Suzaku would be found guilty. That was probably part of why he'd let Phoenix represent Suzaku—let the guy who looked Eleven take the blow of defending a prince-killer, rather than someone obviously Britannian. But this wasn't the usual "the guy's guilty, you're just gonna end up proving that" attitude he got from guards, prosecutors, witnesses, etc. This was "he's gonna be guilty, no matter what you bring to court".

Phoenix knew all about that. It was Redd White all over again... No, that wasn't fair. It was worse. Redd White had lost because he'd had to save face, had to hide what he was doing. This was about saving face, about quickly finding a "killer" to mollify the Britannian public. It was the very definition of "kangaroo court". They wouldn't care about if Suzaku was innocent on not, they would only care about finding someone guilty.

...Find a killer that had managed to infiltrate one of the most secure vehicles in the country to kill the Prince, and then had eluded the entire nation's police and military forces for over a week now. All in a day's work for Phoenix Wright.

With that thought, Phoenix relaxed and approached the cell door. He cracked a smile after the guard had checked him for weapons (again…) and let him in. Hardest times, and all that.

Suzaku looked over at the new entry, then blinked a few times. Whatever he'd been expecting, an Eleven-looking man in a suit and tie clearly wasn't it. "Um...?"

"Hello, Suzaku Kururugi. My name is Phoenix Wright, defense attorney. I was hoping to represent you in your trial tomorrow."

Suzaku blinked again, before perking slightly. "You're going to defend me...?"

"If you want," Phoenix replied with a smile. "I mean, it's not like you were actually involved in Prince Clovis's death, right...?"

"N...No! Of course not! I never even went near his command center, never even fired close to it! How could I have...?"

"Then that's all I need. I'd be happy to defend you," Phoenix said as his smile broadened. No Psyche-Locks. I was right about this kid.

"Th...Thank you very much, Mr. Wright!"

"Please, call me Phoenix. Mr. Wright makes me feel old," Phoenix laughed. Can't make him that comfortable in his state, but I'll do what I can. "In that case, I'd like to ask you about what you were doing on the day Prince Clovis was murdered."

Suzaku was apparently feeling somewhat better now, as he nodded, then straightened up and faced Phoenix fully, his gaze strong and unflinching. "Of course! I was fighting off the terrorist forces in the Shinjuku ghetto."

Phoenix nodded. He'd heard about the attack on the news, and had read in Suzaku's dossier that he was enlisted in the Britannian forces as an Honorary Britannian. "So you were out fighting with your unit, then?"

He was mildly surprised when Suzaku fidgeted slightly, and the familiar rattle of Psyche-Locks rang as two appeared in front of him. "Well... at first I was, yes." The Locks faded away as Suzaku continued, "But after that, well... I'm not sure I'm allowed to say... but you can't serve justice if you don't know, so I'll tell you. For the main part of the battle, I was fighting alone, in the Lancelot."

Phoenix frowned. Lancelot? Is that related to the Knights of the Round? ...Tackle that later. "Did something happen while you were with your unit?"

Clang went the Psyche-Locks again, as Suzaku's gaze drifted to the side. "I was... shot, Mr. Wright."

...Wait, what!? "How did you survive!?"

"The bullet hit a pocket watch I was keeping in my vest pocket. It saved my life."

...Sounds like Suzaku has my kind of luck. "...Can you tell me anything more about that, Suzaku?"

The Psyche-Locks remained, refusing to budge. "...I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. It's... private."

Why do my clients always have secrets they have to keep from me!? "Suzaku, look at me. Can you at least tell me it doesn't have to do with the prince's murder?"

The Locks finally faded away as Suzaku looked back at Phoenix, his gaze resolute once more. "I'm sure, Mr. Wright. That was long before Prince Clovis died, and I can guarantee it didn't have anything to do with his death."

Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief, the lack of Locks confirming Suzaku's assertion. I don't like it, but... I guess I can leave it alone for now. I may need to come back to it later, though. "All right then. So, after getting... shot... you were fighting in the... Lancelot?"

Suzaku grinned sheepishly. "Not right after, I was out cold for a while, and then had to do a crash test on the controls. The Lancelot's a lot touchier than normal Knightmare Frames, or so Lloyd says."

...So it's a Knightmare Frame. Those things are kind of cool. "The Lancelot is... special, then?"

An eager nod answered that question. "Yeah! It's a seventh-generation prototype! Lloyd said it was incredible that I'm able to handle it, apparently most pilots don't have the skill or reflexes to do so."

Phoenix had no idea how far ahead "seventh-generation" was, but the statement still got his mind going. A prototype? An Honorary Britannian handling a prototype of the most important weapon in Britannia's arsenal? ...Seems Suzaku wasn't just chosen as a random scapegoat.

Phoenix hid his thoughts with a smile. "That's very impressive. You should be proud."

The smile dimmed as Suzaku once again looked askance. "Well, yes, I'm very happy to be praised like that, but..." Suzaku looked back, but his eyes were... harder now. Focused. "It's not that important. I'm proud to fight in the Lancelot, not because it's impressive, but because it helps to stop the fighting."

Phoenix blinked slightly at the look in Suzaku's eyes. That's an old outlook for a kid of... how old is he? Sixteen? "That's very mature of you, Suzaku. It must be very important to you, huh? Stopping the fighting."

"It's stupid. Fighting only brings death, destruction, and misery. I get that the people don't like how things are, but you can't fix things by breaking them apart. You have to work with the system to make things better."

Normally Phoenix might have accepted such sentiment, agreed with it even. As it was, though, he was rather distracted... by the five black Psyche-Locks that had clanged into being as Suzaku spoke. "I... I see," Phoenix replied dumbly as he tried to settle himself. What the hell happened to this kid!?

Any further thoughts on the matter were cut off as the cell door opened abruptly, revealing none other than Lord Jeremiah Gottwald himself. He nodded curtly at Phoenix, with a quick "I heard you were in here," before turning to Suzaku. "Up, boy. Time to get you to your... trial." Turning back to Phoenix, he continued, "You'll be coming along, of course, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix frowned, "You told me the trial was tomorrow."

A small smirk played across Lord Gottwald's lips. "Did I, now? My mistake. Terribly sorry about that."

Uh-huh. Next you'll be calling Suzaku "Japanese", you big softy, you. "I'll go along with Mr. Kururugi. I still have some aspects of the case to go over with him."

Jeremiah's eyes narrowed as he turned back from where he'd been about to address Suzaku again. "I suppose you could, but... you realize there will be armed guards around, yes? And the trip will not be terribly suitable for conversation."

...Of course. They want to parade Suzaku in front of the public, make sure everyone knows they "caught the killer". "Regardless, I must insist, Lord Gottwald."

If anything, Jeremiah's eyes narrowed yet further. "You've been awfully sympathetic to a suspected crown-killer, Mr. Wright."

An eyebrow was raised in reply. "He is my client, Lord Gottwald. It is the principle of the matter." Technically true, although I mean something very different than what you think I mean by that.

Jeremiah just shook his head at that, but at least he wasn't glaring at Phoenix anymore. Apparently he assumed it to be some (presumably non-Britannian) empathetic quirk of his. "Fine, then. Get out – we need to get the accused out of his chains."

Phoenix nodded, deigned not to note Jeremiah's rudeness, and left the cell, allowing the guards outside to enter. As he waited, he thought on how he could never have just a straight-forward client, but even then, black Psyche-locks meant that Suzaku was even less straight-forward than most. Still, it didn't ultimately matter. Suzaku was innocent of Prince Clovis's murder – that fact remained inviolate, and that was all Phoenix needed to keep defending him, regardless of Suzaku's personal issues.

And he damned well wasn't going to let Suzaku face the ravening hordes out there alone.

-x-x-x-x-

Lelouch Lamperouge sighed as he walked down the hallway. Next to him Kallen, in her school persona, was asking about her new role in the Student Council. Having long-since memorized the conversation, he only paid marginal attention as he gave his responses. Normally by now he would have started gathering the Black Knights and preparing to rescue Suzaku, but recently he had begun to surrender to ennui. When he had died and woken in the past, he made the mistake of thinking that he had somehow traveled back in time. However, after dying several times and returning to the same point in history, where it had all truly begun, he had finally come to a realization.

The Zero Requiem had been a complete success; with his death he had brought peace to the world, but at the cost of everlasting damnation. And yet this was a small price to pay in his mind to ensure a gentler world for his sister and friends. And all things considered, after forcing his will upon 'god', an eternity spent in Hell was of no real consequence.

Even so, no act can be maintained indefinitely, and that was the case now. He had had this discussion with Kallen exactly seven hundred and ninety four times. He had changed it in one hundred thirty eight different ways and cataloged each variation thereof. He had skipped it all together two hundred and eleven times. He had narrowed it down to a science how to subtly manipulate each thread of the conversation to the topic of choice.

No matter what he did, it was essentially meaningless. He had built this country into a shining utopia in two years. He had let it fall to ruin in one. He had conquered Britannia, sent his parents into the abyss and reduced the nobility to street urchins in eight hundred forty one unique manners. He had noted and accounted for every alteration, variation or modification of his original lifetime long ago. And now he was utterly bored.

Every action or undertaking was eventually wiped away when time reset. Regardless of what mistakes he made or how he improved upon his successes, without fail at the same point every time he would close his eyes and upon opening them find himself immediately returned to the same damnable truck in which he began every reiteration. In the end everything was ultimately without purpose.

He had been simply going through the motions for decades now. Only his sister still managed to bring him to full appreciation of the world around him. Only around Nunnally was he still able to feel like himself; to anyone else he was still the aloof honor student, or the charismatic leader.

In that vein he, without actual attention, turned the corner with Kallen at his side. In front of him were the Student Council and his sister, gathered around the large television. He had learned the exact rate of step he needed to take in order to arrive just as the announcer interrupted Jeremiah's speech, and as such he was exactly on time to see Suzaku being led in handcuffs through a crowd of Britannians.

"The man suspected as the murder has been captured. According to this report the suspect is an Honorary Britannian. Private Suzaku Kururugi, a former Eleven, has been arrested for the murder of Prince Clovis."

Having heard her brother enter the room, Nunnally turned with a stricken expression. "Oh, Lelouch, it's awful. Suzaku would never do something so terrible."

Shirley gave the younger girl a stunned look. "You know him, Nunna?"

Nunnally nodded sorrowfully. "Yes, when my brother and I first came here, Suzaku and his family were kind enough to take us in. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met. There's no way he would have killed Prince Clovis."

Milly turned a look on Lelouch, who nodded imperceptibly, before jumping in with her typical energy. "Well, if Nunnally says this Suzaku guy is innocent, then I for one believe her. I have half a mind to bust down those jerks' front door and teach them a lesson!"

Before any other comments could be made, the reporter spoke up again. "The trial of the suspect has been set for later this afternoon. He will be represented by Phoenix Wright, a Britannian Defense Attorney of some renown."

"Hey! I've heard of that guy, he was the one who defended the killer whale in that murder trial," Rivalz called out in surprise.

...What? While he was certain that Suzaku had been appointed a lawyer on the previous runs, this person was not the one he recalled; although to be fair it wasn't as if Lelouch typically paid much attention to that particular detail. Still, a Defense Attorney famous enough that even Rivalz of all people knew him? Something didn't add up here, and Lelouch very much intended to figure it out.

-x-x-x-x-

There were few things in the world that Phoenix hated more than injustice. As such the sham of a trial being set up put his teeth on edge. It didn't help that he was woefully unprepared, although admittedly that wasn't exactly uncommon.

The judge, if you could call the person seated at the bench such, was obviously less interested in the proceedings than in his attempts to flirt with the court clerk, a moderately attractive Britannian woman who was uninterested in either. He and Suzaku had been led into the court directly from the prison and Phoenix had been forced to stay silent until Lord Gottwald had left. At least the Margrave had enough respect for the system to stay behind the bar, leaving Phoenix and Suzaku to prepare.

Turning to face the worried soldier, Phoenix took a breath.

'Well, this isn't the worst situation I've ever gotten myself into. Somehow stuck in a completely different world, with an insane history and defending a soldier who fights in giant robots. Just another day for the Wright Anything Agency.''

"Alright, Suzaku. While we still have time, is there anything else I need to know about what happened during the incident?"

Suzaku frowned, appearing to debate something to himself, before shaking his head. "Nothing that matters."

Seeing as there was no accompanying rattle of Psyche-locks at that statement, Phoenix nodded.

'I hope for both our sakes you're right.'

-x-x-x-x-

For the first time in over a thousand years, a concept which still baffled him and increased his sympathy for what C.C. had suffered, Lelouch was faced with a completely unknown variable. It had been child's play to hack into the Britannian judicial records and look up the man known as Phoenix Wright. What he had found had left him with nothing but more questions.

While this wasn't the first time he had encountered a shift from his original history, it was by far the most unorthodox. The cases this man had been involved in were, at times, frankly ridiculous. What's more they frequently pertained to companies which he had never heard of.

Minor variations had occurred roughly every dozen repeats, and more major ones every few hundred, but this was the first time in memory in which entire portions of Britannian culture, infrastructure, and economy had drastically shifted so entirely as to be unrecognizable. The most alarming thing, however, was not the change: it was the fact that when he thought about the issues he clearly recalled specific details that he should have had no knowledge of. His memories had somehow been altered to possess information it had not had previously.

As someone who relied upon the clarity and accuracy of his mental acuity for every facet of his life, the idea was just short of horrifying. Only the knowledge that his 'father' had done so before and he had overcome it allowed him to avoid slipping into a mild panic. Taking a calming breath he considered his options.

His sometimes best friend was due to be tried and sentenced by the end of the day. Due to his previous lethargy he had completely missed his chance to contact Ohgi's cell. Even if he revealed himself to Kallen now, he still had no way of arranging things to free Suzaku in the normal time frame. C.C. hadn't yet shown herself at the Academy so any help from her was nonexistent.

He could easily locate the haberdasher who designed his Zero uniform and pull off a last minute rescue from the gallows, which had been his original plan, but with all of the new variables he wasn't as confident in his timing as he had been previously. And that was completely disregarding the unknown figure of this Phoenix Wright. What's more, the fact that there was a hitherto undetected element in this endless repetition of time worried him.

Not unduly so, however. He had after all managed to completely overcome any and all issues in the events of his rebellion in only a handful of tries, even when he had been caught off guard by unexpected factors. Nevertheless, the fact that something he had thought mastered was changing so late in the game led to the inevitable question of whether or not there would be further issues in the future.

Still, that was a problem for later. For now, he had to get in touch with Ohgi and the future Black Knights and plan his entrance onto the stage. Whoever this Phoenix person was, he was unlikely to be of much use to him. Or Suzaku for that matter. When the system itself was flawed, there was no other option but to destroy it and build it anew. And the Britannian Judicial System was one of the most flawed things he had ever dealt with. He doubted this new character would have any more luck.

-x-x-x-x-

'I hate my life.'

Phoenix was not having a very good day. Granted his client was probably even worse off than he was, seeing as how said client was being used as a scapegoat for a murder he couldn't have committed.

The trial had started off... well, frankly, it had been the biggest charade he had ever taken part in. The Prosecution railroaded over his every attempt to prove his case, and the judge allowed it. The Witnesses had all been clearly fed their lines so as to build the case against his client. The audience, what little of it there was, had been handpicked for their lack of sympathy towards anything non-Britannian.

He was, to be completely honest, hanging by a thread, and everyone in the court knew it. Luckily he had one last hand left to play, one which had served him well over the years: Stalling for time and pressing the witness for any and every possible contradiction.

"General Bartley Asprius, you stated previously that you were present during the Shinjuku Incident."

The portly military man nodded his head in agreement.

"And yet, you cannot explain to the court how the accused was able to not only circumvent the combined might of the Britannian Military forces and the Prince's personal guards, but also murder the Prince and escape undetected. Where were you during the time this all occurred?"

Bartley shifted in his seat and nervously wiped his brow with his handkerchief.

"I—I, that is, I... can't recall the specifics of the event."

"Hold it! You mean to say that you are unable to remember the details of my client's alleged assassination of Prince Clovis, a man whom you were personally tasked with serving and protecting?"

"I—I, y—yes. Ask any of the others, none of the men aboard Prince Clovis' transport have any clear memory of the attack."

Phoenix smiled triumphantly and slammed his hands upon his table.

"Then I ask you, if you cannot recall the event in question... how can you positively identify my client as the murderer?!"

A wave of murmurs swept the audience, even their prejudiced minds unable to explain the obvious contradiction. The 'judge' slammed his gavel harshly upon the sound block, Phoenix wincing at the lack of care towards the symbol of judicial might. "Order, order in the court."

'Something tells me he has been waiting for a chance to say that.'

"Objection!"

Phoenix turned to the speaker, the Prosecuting Attorney. Even seeing it with his own eyes, he still had trouble believing it. The man was a dead ringer for Manfred von Karma, right down to the disdainful smirk he wore. Even his name was the same, with the exception of apparently having a noble title to add to his overblown ego.

"Clearly the witness is suffering from stress-induced memory loss. However, I have here a notarized statement made immediately after the attack, which states in no uncertain terms that a person matching the description of the accused was seen fleeing the scene of the crime."

The judge nodded his head sympathetically. "And I assume that the testimony was verified at the time of the statement."

Von Karma crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head with a smug smile. "Exactly so. The witness' apparent lack of memory is an unfortunate, but recent, circumstance which has no bearing on the current trial. Witness, you are relieved."

"Objection! I have not finished my cross-examination."

'And isn't the judge the one who's supposed to relieve the witness? I guess von Karma is the same in any world.'

"Overruled! Witness, you may step down."

Nodding gratefully and wiping his forehead once again, Bartley quickly left the stand.

'Crap. Now what am I supposed to do? That was the last witness. I—I failed. Mia, Maya, Trucy, Apollo, Athena. I'm sorry.'

Turning to face Suzaku, Phoenix was prepared to face anger, even hatred. Instead he found Suzaku staring at him with an understanding look.

"It's alright. You tried your best. It's probably better this way. At least now the people don't have to worry about an unknown murderer on the streets. And I'm sure the police will catch the real criminal before he can hurt anyone else."

Phoenix was speechless. That... that wasn't right. No one should be this calm about facing death for a crime they were innocent of. It was almost as if... no, that would be ridiculous. Nobody so young could possibly want to die. There had to be some other reason. However, before he could try and think any more on the subject, the judge took the time to remind him of the hopeless situation he was in.

"Very well. Seeing as how there are no other witnesses, I now believe I am ready to pass my verdict. For the crime of murder in the first degree, this court finds Suzaku Kururugi..."

"Hold it!"

For a moment Phoenix thought that maybe he had been the one to cry out, a desperate attempt to prevent the charade in front of him from continuing, before he realized the voice had come from behind him. He along with everyone else in the courtroom turned to face the speaker.

Said person was a man in a finely tailored outfit which resembled a blue and gold version of Edgeworth's suit, if Edgeworth was a masked villain from one of Maya's Steel Samurai episodes. The long cape and spiked helmet worked surprisingly well, and oddly reminded Phoenix of a chess piece.

Behind him a large crowd followed, the majority of which held recording equipment. The figure gave an elaborate bow as he spoke in a sardonic tone. "Permission to approach the bench, Your Honor."

The courtroom was quiet before the judge managed to find his voice. "Who the hell are you?"

Instantly the man straightened with a flourish. "I am glad you asked. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zero, the man who killed Prince Clovis!"

Immediately the crowd broke out in an uproar, as they receded from the obviously deranged murderer. "I am here today to provide vital evidence in the court of law. I'm sure you would agree that my testimony is of relevance to the current case, would you not? And so I ask you once again, permission to approach the bench."

"Guards, arrest this man for the murder of Prince Clovis la Britannia!"

The guards in question made no move, simply standing at the side of the doorway. "Guards?! Guards!"

"Clearly these fine gentlemen wish to hear what it is I have to say. If you two would be so kind as to close the doors; this is after all a courthouse, not a theatre."

Without hesitation the men quickly moved to close and lock the doorway, as the self-proclaimed Zero strode down the aisle way and moved past the bar, before crossing the well to stand face-to-face with the judge. "Begin the trial."

The judge jerked minutely for a second, before slamming his gavel against the sound block. "The court will hear the testimony of the man known as Zero. The witness will take the stand."

Flinging his cape dramatically behind him, Zero seated himself and turned to face the courtroom.

"Very well, I am ready to begin."

'W—who is this person? If he just admitted to the crime, then why is he in the witness stand?'

"Um, will the witness state his name for the court."

The masked person gave an expansive gesture with his arm. "Of course. I am Zero, the leader of the Black Knights."

'Okay... This guy's even more dramatic than Director Cosmos.'

"I—I'm sorry, who?"

"The Black Knights are the ones who shall stand in judgment of this world. We of the Black Knights stand with those who have no weapons to wield, regardless of whether they be Britannians or Elevens!"

This statement was accompanied by a sweeping of his arms that set his cape in motion. The court was silent at this proclamation, the only sound being the cameras, which adjusted themselves to capture the broadcast.

Phoenix managed to find his voice. "I—I see. And you intend to do this through the use of force?"

"If violence is the only message with which our message may be spread, then we are prepared to face any who would face us. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong.

"Former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens. Likewise I will not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out elsewhere. Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking the powerless we shall appear again, no matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be."

Suzaku rose to his feet in a fury, slamming his hands down upon the table. "That's insane! You can't just murder anyone who disagrees with you! The whole point of justice is to stand against that type of behavior."

"An admirable belief, but consider this. What does one do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means? Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?

"As a knight of justice I cannot sit idly by and allow the suffering of innocents when it is within my power to bring peace. You should know full-well the burden of being falsely accused, Suzaku Kururugi."

Suzaku slammed his hands against the desk again. "That is beside the point. The system can be changed; there's no point to senseless fighting."

"That which is rotten must be torn aside. The system is corrupt. Bigotry, favoritism, elitism, prejudice. These are symptoms of the disease of arrogance, and like all diseases it must be ruthlessly eradicated."

Holding his hands up in a grasping motion, Zero clenched his fist.

"The Black Knights will provide the first line of defense against the spread of injustice. We will erase the sickness at its source, Britannia itself."

Phoenix finally managed to enter the debate. "Y—you can't be serious. You're speaking of revolution! You're only one man and you're trapped in this courthouse. You've admitted yourself that you were the one responsible for the murder of Prince Clovis."

Zero nodded magnanimously. "So I have. In fact I do believe that means that you have won your case, does it not? Your Honor, if you would be so kind?"

The judge, who had until this point stared unspeaking at the events which were unfolding, immediately slammed his gavel. "For the crime of murder in the first degree, this court finds Suzaku Kururugi...

"Not Guilty."

"Indeed, as I have admitted my guilt, Suzaku Kururugi is clearly innocent. And as I have stated before, I will not allow the innocent to be unjustly blamed for crimes which they have not committed.

"But my fight is not yet over, and as such I must take my leave. Perhaps when I have created a world in which the wicked no longer hold sway over the righteous I will throw myself upon the mercy of the court, but until such time I will stand and fight."

The doors of the courtroom suddenly tore from the wall, revealing a Gloucester Knightmare Frame surrounded by a small group of armed, black-uniformed people with visors concealing their faces. The Knightmare quickly reached forward over the spectators' heads and Zero stood and stepped upon its outstretched hand as it rose into the air.

"We of the Black Knights shall raise our voices in defiance of Britannia's tyranny."

Turning to face the cameras which were still broadcasting the debacle to the entire world, Zero spoke to those who were watching.

"Those of you with power: Fear us. Those of you without it: Rally behind us. Together we shall bring an end to this unjust world and usher in an era of peace and freedom for all people regardless of creed, race or nationality. This is the beginning of a new age for all mankind!"

With that the masked revolutionary and his army turned and sped through the opening, leaving an utterly silent courtroom full of people with no clue as to what had just occurred.

Turning to face Suzaku, Phoenix was confronted by the sight of the Honorary Britannian hunched over the table shaking in anger.

"Damn him, what he just did will lead to nothing but mindless bloodshed and meaningless hatred. Damn him. Damn him!"

'This is insane. What have I gotten myself into? I just want to go home.'

-x-x-x-x-

Following the 'trial' and subsequent debut of the terrorist Zero, Phoenix found himself undergoing a good deal of investigation. Zero's escape following his departure had apparently been a rather drawn out affair and had resulted in the defamation of the Lord Jeremiah Gottwald.

As the man who had allowed him to take the case, it had called into question Phoenix's own reliability and as a result he had undergone an intense debriefing of the entire affair, starting from the moment he had first been contacted until Zero's escape. Luckily for him, his other self had seemed to be the same kind of man he himself was and as such there was nothing incriminating to be found.

Thus he found himself once more returning to his current office. Without his typical associates, however, it was little more than a room with a desk and file cabinet.

"I still don't understand how I ended up here. The last thing I remember is going to sleep in my bed, and then I suddenly awoke here. I don't even know where here is."

It was true, he had spent days trying to track down any clue which could have revealed his sudden wholesale appearance in this place, complete with a ready-made identity and history. However, in the end he had found nothing. As far as the world was concerned he had always been here. He had the paperwork to prove it.

As much as it had hurt to end up repeating his entire career over and over again, at least he had always before had the reassurance that his friends and family were still there. That wasn't the case here, however. While he had memories of a family from before he had arrived, they weren't his. They belonged to the Phoenix whom he had replaced.

And that was another thing which was bothering him. How did he remember things which had happened in a past he hadn't been there for? At this point the only thing he had were questions and no way of getting answers.

The sound of the elevator chiming drew him from his contemplation, and he straightened himself as a young man entered his office. He appeared to be in his late teens and had an air of confidence about himself. The fact that he wore a Gakuen uniform told him that he was a student, so he couldn't have been older than eighteen.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright? My name is Lelouch Lamperouge. I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time."

Phoenix quickly pushed his own problems to the side and straightened in his chair. "Of course, please take a seat."

"Thank you. I've come to you because I want to hire you for a case; however, before I do so I would like to be sure that I can trust you."

Phoenix did his best to project a sense of competence and reliability. "I can assure you, Mr. Lamperouge. Whatever you have to say to me will be held in the strictest of confidences."

The boy smirked and stared directly into Phoenix's eyes. "I'm sure it will be. Phoenix Wright, you will answer all of my questions!"

Phoenix barely had time to notice the symbol that had suddenly appeared in his would-be client's eyes before, with the sound of rattling chains and breaking locks, the world went crimson.

The first thing which Phoenix was aware of was darkness, an almost physically oppressive lack of light which surrounded him in every direction. This was immediately followed by a sense of weightlessness. Lastly, but not least of all, there was the silence. Total and absolute, not even the constant background sounds of his heartbeat and breathing present to disturb the endless quiet.

-Wha..where am I?-

And suddenly there was light and sound, an ever shifting vortex of noises and images and shifting lines of green and blue and red and people and animals and plants and earth and yellow and white and men and women and children and...

Phoenix pulled back as if struck, distancing himself in whatever way he could from the sea of other. Despite seeming to be without a physical presence and thus not possessing lungs he had the impression of gasping as he retreated into himself.

-What was that?-

Turning as best he could in his current state he tried to find a stable point to rest his mind. In the distance he noticed a point of light, from which a sense of familiarity came and he found himself moving without motion towards it. A timeless eternity later he found himself surrounded by a glowing radiance and then with the abruptness of a slamming door the world snapped into focus and he found himself in his office again as a voice spoke.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" He recognized the voice as belonging to the boy who had walked into his office before this whole situation had begun.

"My name is Phoenix Wright. I am a Defense Attorney. I was hired to represent Suzaku Kururugi." Phoenix gaped as he heard his own voice speaking, despite not having said anything. Turning his attention behind him where the words had come from, he could only gape at the sight which greeted him. Seated in his chair and staring blankly forwards, was himself.

In the other chair the boy who had introduced himself as Lelouch frowned. "Where are you from?"

"I came from Los Angeles."

Phoenix moved closer and shakily reached out his hand towards his body, only for it to pass through as if made of gas.

Lelouch's brow furrowed as he contemplated that. "Where is Los Angeles?"

"Los Angeles is in southern California."

Phoenix stared in shock at his hand, before waving it in front of the Britannian boy's gaze. There was no indication that he noticed.

Lelouch's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, locking his fingers together in front of his face. He stared silently for a moment before speaking again. "I see. Tell me, where is this California?"

"California is on the southwestern coast of the United States of America."

-What is going on? How am I outside my own body? It's almost as if I were... a... spirit...-

His gaze immediately moved to his jacket pocket where he was met by a brightly shining glow, one which immediately reminded him of Maya and Pearl. 'Is this- am I using the Magatama to channel myself?'

"America. Why then do your records state that you originally hail from the capital itself?" Lelouch objected with a look of irritation.

"I don't know."

Lelouch's gaze sharpened at this, his frown growing more pronounced. "You don't know? And why pray tell would you not know your own history?"

"I don't know. I have memories of the past; however, it is not my past."

The Britannian boy drew back at that, taking a sharp breath through clenched teeth. "Of course. Damn you, Charles zi Britannia." Turning his piercing gaze fully towards Phoenix's body double, he seemed to double his efforts. "What were the Emperor's orders to you? Why did he send you here?"

Phoenix's own eyes narrowed as he noted the familiarity with which Lelouch spoke of the current leader of Britannia.

"I have never met the Emperor. He did not send me."

Phoenix felt more than a small amount of satisfaction as Lelouch frowned again, visibly caught off-guard. During the ensuing silence while Lelouch silently contemplated his next question, Phoenix attempted to possess his own body multiple times, but sadly to no avail.

-Damn it. What is going on?-

At length Lelouch spoke again. "If the Emperor didn't send you, then why are you here?"

"I am a Defense Attorney. I was hired to represent Suzaku Kururugi."

Phoenix grinned at his counterpart's response, even as Lelouch's frown deepened. "Of course, you only answer the questions I ask rather than the intent. Very well. Why did you come Area 11?"

"I didn't. I found myself here after the last time time reset."

-Crap. How do I explain that? Now I'm going to end up in an asylum again.-

However, contrary to Phoenix's expectations, Lelouch had gone completely still as he stared in shock at Phoenix's double. "What? What did you just say?"

"I didn't. I found myself here after the last time time reset."

Phoenix watched with growing understanding as an equal look of comprehension dawned on Lelouch's face. "Impossible. You are caught in a time loop as well?" Phoenix's confirmation was ignored as the boy continued speaking to himself. "But if that is the case, then this cannot be my own personal damnation as I previously assumed."

'W-what? You thought you were in Hell? Why? What kind of person are you Lelouch Lamperouge?'

"I see. If this is not, in fact, the hereafter then that means that I have indeed traveled into the past nearly one thousand times."

Phoenix's eyes bugged out of his head. -A THOUSAND TIMES!-

Phoenix himself had only been repeating his own lifetime a little over one hundred times at this point; the idea of a full millennium spent reliving his career was incomprehensible. And yet this boy, no, this man, had done exactly that. No wonder he had thought himself in Hell, trapped in this insane history where only the strong were allowed to prosper.

"But if this is not judgment for my actions, then what other explanation is there?" Once more Lelouch ignored Phoenix's answer of ignorance. "What is the purpose of this if not retribution for the crimes which I have committed as Zero?"

Again Phoenix's eyes widened. -You're that madman from the trial!-

Sighing to himself, Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose before rising to his feet. "It seems that I have only found myself with more questions than I came here with. However, I have learned at least one thing of value from this encounter. And if I am not the only person who is caught up in this endless recursion of time, then that means that there is a cause. More importantly, if there is a cause then there may in fact be a solution." He smirked at that, and nodded his head towards Phoenix's still blankly staring form.

"For that, Phoenix Wright, I thank you. Although it was unintentional, you have eased a great burden from my shoulders. A delusion which I have labored under for far too long has now been cleared and all that remains is the task at hand."

With that he turned and unceremoniously left the office. Phoenix stared after him in confusion for a moment before he felt the world shift, as if everything except himself had abruptly moved several steps backward, and he found himself seated once more in his chair.

"W-what?"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the Magatama. Only now did he pause to wonder exactly how he had it in this world, since Maya wasn't here to give it to him. Then suddenly, as it had several times before, a memory of an event which he had never experienced played in his mind. Apparently he had defended an older version of a woman who looked remarkably like Pearl and in return she had gifted him the small charm.

Somehow, during whatever had just happened the spiritually charged stone had allowed him to astrally project himself while he underwent the strangest interrogation he had ever dealt with. Quickly returning the Magatama to his pocket, he hurried out into the hall. He was just in time to catch the boy, Lelouch, stepping into the elevator, before the doors began to close.

"Wait! Hold it!"

Rushing towards the door, he barely managed to catch it before it closed completely and stepped inside. "Wh-wh-wha... give me a minute," he said, breathing heavily as the Britannian boy controlled his expression.

'This me needs to get out more.'

"Mr. Wright, what a surprise. I'm afraid that I won't be needing you're services after all. I apologize for wasting your time."

Phoenix took a deep breath and stood straight, meeting the gaze of the other time traveler. "Lelouch Lamperouge, what was that? What did you do?"

Something flashed behind Lelouch's eyes but vanished before Phoenix could try to decipher it. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know what you mean."

Instantly the sound of rattling chains sounded in Phoenix's mind and a single Psyche-lock snapped into sight. "What was that thing you just did in my office? Some kind of hypnosis?"

Lelouch's eyes widened for a split second, before he pasted a calm smile on his face. "I really don't know what you're talking about. How could I have hypnotized you in the brief time which we spent talking? I simply asked you a few questions and decided that it would be best to seek help elsewhere."

'Crap, now what do I do? What kind of evidence can I use to prove that something happened?'

Casting his thoughts backwards he tried to recall anything that he could use to force a confession. Lelouch had come into his office asking for help. He had told him to take a seat. Lelouch had expressed concern over his trustworthiness and he had assured him of his willingness to help. And then...

!

"Lelouch, when you asked me to answer your questions I noticed something strange about your eyes. There was an unusual symbol in them. Can you explain this?"

Lelouch grimaced, and with the sound of breaking glass the Psyche-lock shattered. "Very well, Mr. Wright, I admit it. I used a form of hypnosis to be sure that I could trust you to help with my issue. Unfortunately I don't believe that you will be able to assist me. My situation is rather unusual and you appear to be equally in the dark."

"You mean about the time traveling," Phoenix pressed.

Lelouch recoiled with wide eyes. "You-you remember? Impossible! The Geass Disturber shouldn't even have been invented yet."

Phoenix rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never heard of a 'geass' before."

His expression grew serious. "The important thing is that I know exactly what happened and I was aware the whole time. I don't know how but somehow we've both been trapped in a time loop of some kind. And even more confusing, I've somehow ended up here, in your world, by means unknown. I think that we can help each other, and considering the situation I'm willing to overlook the use of this 'geass' thing."

Lelouch was silent for several minutes, the only sound being the elevator's engine. Finally as the doors opened to reveal the first floor lobby, Lelouch smirked and turned to leave. "Let's take a walk, Mr. Wright. I have some information about the future that I think you may find interesting."

Phoenix gave a surprised look before following. As he fell into step beside the younger man, he only had one thought.

'Somehow I can't help but feel I've just made a deal with the devil.'

17.2 – (Me)

[Fate Stay/Naruto]

Shirou Emiya Awoke not in his workshop as was typical for the start of his Loop, but sitting on the porch of the Emiya household staring out over the moonlit yard. Processing his Loop memories, which revealed that he had Awoken roughly three years before the Heaven's Feel Ritual, he quickly sent out a Ping. When he didn't receive a response his expression darkened and he quickly stood from his favorite place in the household and hurriedly began preparing for war.

He would be the first to admit that his mind didn't work the same way other people's did. Hell, his abnormal way of thinking had actually been the source of his Baseline abilities. Where others would place their own safety, happiness and above all survival first and foremost in their life, he... didn't. To be more accurate he honestly couldn't, even after untold ages spent in the Loops the best he had been able to do was raise his own importance to that of equal to anyone else's.

He still would gladly sacrifice himself though if he thought that it would help someone, although as a result of the Loops that someone usually had to be a Looper or his status as an Anchor forced him to reconsider. Not that he would ever allow someone to suffer knowingly if he could help it. Which was why he was currently preparing to siege the Matou Manor.

As one of his best friends, and main love interests, Sakura Matou née Tohsaka was one of the three people he would willingly crash a Loop for without hesitation. And he had on occasion, Admins be damned. Whenever Shirou Awoke his first actions were to check to see if Sakura was Looping. If not then without fail his second action was to attack the home of a centuries old monster in human skin which had helped design a Magic Ritual which was intended to recreate a True Magic; a Mystery as high above typical Magecraft as Magecraft was to tinker toys. He literally could not understand how any other option could be considered.

In all of Yggdrasil there were only two creatures which he could honestly say that he hated; not disliked, not didn't get along with but actively and intensely hated. The being known as Kyubey, and the monster known as Zouken Matou. When Awake Sakura was more than capable of dealing with her 'grandfather' and Shirou was willing to let her. Sakura could be rather scary when she wanted to be. When she was Unawake however, Shirou refused to rest until he was certain she was safe. As a Hero of Justice he couldn't do any less.

His first action upon reaching the Matou home was to fire a rain of projected Rule Breakers, neutralizing the Bounded Field surrounding the estate as well as several of the secondary traps. His next act was to activate his Reality Marble, an endless amount of practice having allowed him to convert the Unlimited Blade Works into a Single-Action Spell where no Aria was required. Once he had imposed his personal reality upon the World his third act was to blow the gates to shreds with a targeted Caladbolg II, fired at almost a thousand paces effortlessly.

It was only once he had charged into the building itself that he realized that something was wrong. First of all the house was in good repair, with wood paneled walls, working light fixtures and a kitchen that at any other time he would be tripping over himself to familiarize himself with. Secondly was the music playing gently from downstairs, a hauntingly beautiful refrain on violin and piano. Lastly, and surprisingly not the first thing he noticed, was the screaming. Not Sakura thank Yggdrasil, but the familiar wheeze of the Matou patriarch. It was a testament to his anger that he found the second sound to be more enjoyable than the first.

Cautiously he made his way down the stairs, noting the distinct lack of rot on the walls. Finally he entered the antechamber beneath the estate. The sight which greeted him was... surprising. And more than a little horrifying. If it were anyone else he would have likely dedicated the Loop to taking down the person responsible. But, as he recalled the horrors which had been visited upon his friend and lover in the Baseline, he somehow couldn't find it in himself to be upset.

Glancing up from where she was currently dissecting one of Zouken's Crest Worms, Sakura Haruno Matou gave a surprised look at Shirou. The two stared at each other in silence, Zouken's whimpering providing background, before Sakura spoke. "I'm not apologizing."

Shirou continued to stare.

"I know this looks bad, but the bastard had it coming. The things he did to my Unawake self remind me of some of my... less controlled experiments."

Shirou continued to stare.

"I'm not going to relapse if that's what you're worried about."

Shirou continued to stare. Sakura growled angrily.

"Look, can you stop that. If it bothers you that much I'll just put him back together."

This managed to snap Shirou out of his shock. "NO! I-What I mean is I wasn't expecting to see... well, this. Why didn't you answer the Ping?"

Sakura blushed slightly. "I tend to get caught up in my work. I didn't even notice."

Well. Alright then. Shirou paused to consider the fact that Sakura Haruno was Replacing his Sakura. On the one hand she was a recovering sociopath with a history of uncontrolled experimentation, manipulation and all around unethical behavior so bad that there was a Syndrome named after her. On the other hand, she wasn't Zouken. "Right. Well I'm Shirou Emiya, the local Anchor. If you get hungry you're welcome to come to the Emiya residence. The Loop generally only lasts about two weeks, although occasionally it lasts for a few years after that. Welcome to Fuyuki."

Sakura blinked. "Wait, that's it. You walk in here and catch me doing who knows what and you invite me to dinner? How does that even make sense?"

Shirou smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, almost razor-like. "I don't know you personally, only by reputation. I know him. The atrocities he committed in Baseline to the person you're replacing are unforgivable. You have my permission to do whatever you want with him. Except kill him."

Sakura took a moment to process this, before her eyes gleamed. "Deal. Just be sure and check up on me every other day or so. I don't want to go too far and lose any progress I've made. I only just managed to get Sasuke to stop flinching every time I enter the room and I'd like to keep it that way."

Nodding his agreement Shirou deactivated his Reality Marble and turned to leave, before Sakura spoke again.

"And Shirou... thank you. I'm sure you're aware, but I'm not generally well-liked by other Loopers. It's nice to be accepted."

Shirou turned back with a smile. "Like I said, I only know you by reputation. As long as you don't harm anyone, Zouken not included, I'm willing to give you a chance. Heck, even my half sister tries to kill me in Baseline and she usually ends up living at my place by the end of the Loop."

With a friendly wave, Shirou headed back up the stairs. Sakura watched him go with a considering gaze, before turning back to the Familiar she had been working on when he had come in. New ideas blossomed in her mind and she gave a grin. "I'm going to like this Loop."

17.3 – (Xomniac)

[FLCL/MLP]

Twilight blinked as she awoke in Ponyville. A rapid assessment of her memories showed that she had just gotten off the carriage from Canterlot. Not even Pinkie Pie had had time to greet her yet. One quick Ping later and it was apparent that only a few people appeared to be Awake.

"Wait..." Twilight blinked as she idly went over her Loop memories. Spike's behavior in them was...

Twilight raised an eyebrow curiously as she regarded the young dragon at her side, taking in his moody expression, the backwards baseball cap on his head, and the baseball bat he was carrying on his shoulder.

"Er, who are you?"

The dragon looked at her out of the corner of his eye before grunting dismissively. "Call me Naota."

Twilight smiled and extended a hoof. "I know your Loop memories might have already told you this, but I'm Twilight Sparkle. Welcome to Equestria!"

Naota glanced at her again before grunting out a greeting.

The equine Anchor frowned slightly at the rudeness before shrugging and starting to trot forwards. "Well, come on. I 'll show you around and introduce you to my friends. They all seem to be Awake, so-!"

"Actually..." Naota interjected as he followed her. "I recognized one of those Pegasi we passed on the way in. Looks like one of my guys is here too, so sorry in advance for what's gonna happen soon enough."

Twilight turned and gave him a questioning look. "What are you-?"

CRASH!

Her train of thought was interrupted when something slammed into her skull from above before she could react, burying her face in the ground.

"WOOHOO! THAT WAS AWESOME! At least twenty percent cooler than how I usually do it."

"Hey Haruko..."

"Oh, hey Takkun! Check out the new bod! Awesome, ain't it? It's like I'm my own Vespa!"

"Yeah yeah, that's great. Say, could you save me for last? I want my skull to stay intact for a bit."

"Works for me! Later Takkun! Now then! ONWARDS! ATOMSK, YOU WILL BE MINE THIS TIME!"

Twilight groaned as she finally felt the object lift off her head. "Who and what was that...?"

"Haruko just hit you with her guitar at Mach 1 in the body of a blue rainbow-haired pegasus. Sorry about her, it's just that Atomsk is kind of her white whale, and she's gotten lots of luck using Loopers in the past. She tends to use each one once, just to see how effective they are."

"No hard feelings... so... what happens now?"

"Considering the N.O. levels I think you have? A monster should come out of your skull in the next few hours."

"Yaaaaay..."

17.4 – (KrisOverstreet)

{Evangelion/Red vs Blue)

The card leaned against a twelve-story apartment building. The lettering, although large, was in perfectly neat, precisely aligned Japanese.

To whom it may concern;

After witnessing the efforts of your creation to defeat one of our own, we have decided to postpone all further attacks on your world. Probability analysis strongly indicates that, left to your own devices, you will destroy yourselves within the next orbital period.

Angelim

Gendo Ikari stared up at the immense piece of pasteboard, saying nothing.

"Looks like we get some free time to get to know each other, Church's German Cousin!" Michael "Caboose" Ikari told the young woman next to him.

"Shut up, du Teamkiller arseloch," Asuka growled. On the whole, she felt, she'd rather deal with the Ree. The Ayanami clones, at least, had enough brains to be reasoned with, even as wahnsinnig as those brains were...

17.1 – And nothing was explained to anybody.
17.2 – Ahhh. Karmic retribution never felt so cathartic.
17.3 – Well… at least you already have experience with fighting off monsters. Silver linings, right?
17.4 – To be fair, it wasn't actually his fault. Someone put the Navy in the way.