My friend forced me to write a non-ambiguous ending. (Talk about Misery :-p) So here it is. You may ignore it or embrace it if you so choose, or be neutral to it Either way works.
Edgeworth's next sensation was one of pain. He opened his eyes, then immediately shut them.
W-what happened, he wondered. Almost immediately he knew the answer.
He'd failed, and for that he was going to die.
Edgeworth felt exhausted…all he wanted to do was rest and let the darkness claim him. Could death really be so bad, after all he'd been through?
A warm voice reached his ears, snapping him awake.
"Miles…"
He blinked once, then twice as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. Larry was nowhere to be seen. The darkness seemed much the same as before, extending to all reaches of his sight.
No. There was one difference.
It seemed to be encompassing him, pulling him forward and drawing him in. Looking around, Edgeworth found himself surrounded by the same chains that protected Larry.
He tried to run, but immediately stumbled and collapsed. Apparently he was too weak for that sort of effort.
As Edgeworth fell, the chains moved. They swarmed around his arms, chest and legs, binding him where he lay suspended in midair.
"Nnngh," Edgeworth moaned, too disoriented to come up with a proper word. He struggled to free himself, to no avail. The chains held fast, and the darkness closed in.
As he considered his options, the voice came once more.
"Miles…It's been a long time…"
Edgeworth blinked, scanning his surroundings. He'd know this voice anywhere.
"F...father?"
To his surprise, there was no sudden appearance of Gregory Edgeworth's spirit, no light piercing the darkness. Then again, Edgeworth didn't exactly believe in such matters to begin with…
All he could sense of his father was a warm presence that seemed to renew his strength.
"Why are you here," Edgeworth asked.
"Think back. Do you remember what happened right before you collapsed," Gregory Edgeworth asked.
"I…I asked for your help…"
"That's right. And I'm here to help you."
The chains binding him seemed to loosen.
Edgeworth's mouth tightened. "But I've failed. I'm dead. Can something really be done?"
"…I believe so."
Edgeworth laughed bitterly. "Don't play with me. You said yourself that my soul's going to shatter. My spirit's broken… isn't it?"
"…Miles... Listen. Your spirit is nowhere near being broken. You just exceeded your soul's natural limits. Even the spirit can be driven to exhaustion."
"…If that's the case, how am I not dead already?"
His father seemed to sigh, as if thinking about how to phrase his next words.
"The Psyche-Lock is like a being in itself, son. It plays upon your fears, and will devour you if you're not careful. But it also solidifies your hopes and needs. And what you needed, more than anything else, was to live and carry out the task assigned you."
"So," Gregory Edgeworth continued, "in your hour of need you called to me. Even in the face of death you still wanted to fight. And the Psyche-Lock saw this…and salvaged a scrap of your soul."
Edgeworth nodded slowly, not quite believing what he was hearing. But he felt if he denied it completely, then he'd truly be lost.
"But the most important thing, Miles," his father stated, "is that it was your own decision to live. If you had accepted your fate, I would have been powerless to aid you. And you would have died a broken man."
"…I see… Thank you, father. I…um…I still need practice at expressing gratitude," Edgeworth said apologetically.
"It's no problem," his father said cheerily. "I suppose the only real problem would be sending you back…"
"What do you mean," Edgeworth asked, a trace of fear in his voice.
"The Psyche-Lock won't let you go so easily. Your soul nearly shattered, after all. It must be your decision to go back…and if you do return, you would still be in danger of death."
"Hmmm…is there a way for my soul to heal? If it's on the verge of breaking to pieces, surely it can be repaired…"
Gregory Edgeworth thought.
"Yes. If you successfully unlock Larry's secret, the parts of your soul that were destroyed will be restored. But even so, it may take time to heal completely."
"… Is there anything else I should know," Edgeworth asked.
"Your body will be in great pain until you complete the Psyche-Lock. A physical healing may need to take place before you try again… and should you fail again, you will die. Nothing more will be done to save you."
"…I understand, father…Thank you…for helping me," Edgeworth said, his eyes watering.
"Well? Will you go?"
"Yes."
At Edgeworth's words, the chains binding him flew away, and he was once again falling. There was a rush of cold air, then silence. Edgeworth found himself lying on something very soft and cold.
S-snow…? How long have I--
This silence was abruptly broken by a pair of familiar voices screaming in his ears. He felt a rough hand resting on his chest.
"EDGEY! SPEAK TO US! I didn't MEAN to laugh at your mistakes!"
"Shut up, pal! I-I think I can feel a heartbeat! Mr. Edgeworth! Can you hear us!?"
With a jolt, Edgeworth opened his eyes. Larry Butz and Detective Gumshoe stared down at him.
"…Larry? Gumshoe?"
At this Larry burst into tears.
"Edgey! Don't ever, ever do that to me again!"
Edgeworth blinked.
"…W-what exactly did I do?"
Larry wiped at tears and sweat before answering; it was obvious he was relieved and terrified at once.
"I dunno! You were questioning me and kept screwing up! And then you mumbled something and collapsed! I thought I'd killed you!"
Edgeworth gave him a slight smile.
"For a moment I thought so too."
"It really was scary, sir," Gumshoe interjected. "For a while we couldn't find a heartbeat! I thought I was going to have a heart attack!"
Edgeworth nodded. "I'm…terribly sorry if I worried you both." He took their outstretched hands and lifted himself up. His feet gave way almost instantly, but Gumshoe caught him and stopped him from falling.
"…Do you know of a place where I can recuperate," Edgeworth asked Gumshoe tentatively.
Before the detective could respond, Larry answered for him.
"Oh, you bet, Edgey! Let's go right this way to Heavenly Hall! I'll pour you some hot water if you want!"
"…I would very much enjoy some, Larry. Thank you for the offer."
Larry gave him the thumbs up, followed by a nervous grin.
"…You don't mind if there's no electricity, do you?"
Edgeworth grinned.
"I'll live."
Gumshoe and Larry cheered, and walked with him towards Heavenly Hall. They each had an arm on his shoulder to keep him from falling.
"It's good to have friends,"Edgeworth said truthfully. "Thank you both for being here for me."
Gumshoe gazed at him, tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. You're always here for me, too!"
Larry grinned, giving him the thumbs up to hide his watering eyes. "Same here, Edgey. We all look out for each other…me, you, that detective, and…Nick…"
Edgeworth snapped to attention. His promise to Wright…to take over for him…to uncover anything important—
Edgeworth…You've been pushed to the limit. If you have any hope of fulfilling your promise, you must renew your body and soul…
"…Alright," he whispered.
Edgeworth was ushered into Heavenly Hall and towards a waiting bed. He smiled faintly.
"I'll unlock your secrets later, Larry. Right now… I'm required to rest…"
He dreamt of success.