We are nearing the end, but for now, things are still calm. Mostly.

Date Unknown - Time Unknown

Desert World Oasis

Athena let herself fall back into the shade of a tree. "This is so much better, I swear," she said. Apollo hummed in agreement. He'd taken off his shoes and socks and was now cooling his feet in the water of the oasis, not even caring that his trouser legs were soaked through. Klavier had curled up after wolfing down the food Ator had provided them with, and was now fast asleep. Athena bit her lip. She hoped he wasn't getting sick.

"How are you two holding up?" Ator asked. She was still wearing the heavy leather armor. Could she even take it off to begin with? Could spirits change their appearance?

"We're fine, thank you," Apollo replied. "You saved our lives."

"Hmm, yes. How did you even end up in the Desert World? It's not often that we get any humans here."

The oasis was swarming with life, from the tiny mice that Chrysta was chasing, to a couple of creatures that looked like winged women and only communicated in shrieks, and even a few nasty-looking, rainbow-colored fish. One swam precariously close to Apollo, who quickly pulled his feet out of the water.

"It was an accident, I think. We, ah, were investigating a murder in our own world. Someone who had been killed by a Sapphire Dragon. We suspect it actually happened here," Athena said. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

Ator rubbed her chin in contemplation. "There are Sapphire Dragons in this world, yes, but they're peaceful creatures. They only do what I tell them to do."

There was some commotion and Chrysta shrieked, followed by the harpy-like monsters. In the distance, a black panther appeared on a dune top. Ator unsheathed her sword, but the panther took one look at them and shot off through the desert again.

"That's not good," Ator mumbled.

Athena straightened up. "Is it dangerous?"

"Not so much in and of itself," Ator said, still looking after the panther. "It's a monster that follows a very dangerous man, though."

Apollo frowned. "Who?"

"He's known as the Supreme King, though I hear he doesn't go by the title anymore." Ator sighed. "The Desert World was lucky to escape his rule, but one of our sister worlds was subjected to his cruelty twenty years ago. Thousands died under his reign. We thought he was defeated, but lately, rumors have been popping up that he's still alive."

"And he's here?" Athena clenched her fists. What kind of vicious person would willingly kill thousands of people?

"If the panther's here, he can't be far behind, but as long as I'm here, we can take him on. Still." Ator looked up. "For all of our sakes, I do hope he'll decide to pass us by."

"What kind of duel monster is he?"

"No monster, Athena," Ator said. "The Supreme King was human, like you. Unfortunately, he has some very peculiar powers that none of us really know how to combat."

"What kind of powers?" Athena asked. They'd already dealt with psychics and real monsters. This guy couldn't be that much worse, right?

Ator frowned. "The Supreme King possesses the powers of darkness. It's almost impossible to combat. No one really knows how his reign ended in the first place." She toyed with the hilt of her sword. "You're quite lucky no one took you out earlier. This world isn't very fond of humans, after what he did. I even had to forbid my own partner from following me."

"You have a human partner?" Apollo asked. "In our world?"

"Yes. She's part of a family that has been in contact with our world for centuries. She even created ways of communicating with me." She pulled up her sleeve and showed off a futuristic-looking metallic bracelet. "It works a bit like one of your cell phones. The reception is a bit better, though."

Apollo got up. "But that's great! Do you think we can use it to contact our world? Maybe it can get us out of here!"

"It is keyed to my voice," Ator told them, "but I can most certainly try. She might not be around right away, but I'm sure we can do something about you three being here." She started fiddling with the device. "It might take a while before I can get in touch with her. I suggest you follow your friend's example and get some rest in the meantime. You've had a long journey."

Some rest did sound like an amazing idea. Athena let herself fall down in the sand again. They finally had food and water, and maybe even a way back home. They would get out of here after all, preferably before that Supreme King guy showed up. But he was only human, right? Even with those darkness powers, if he'd been the ruler of some place, he'd probably done nothing but sit on his ass. She could take a guy like that with her hands tied behind her back.

Chrysta landed next to Apollo. He scratched her under her beak. "If we go back, do you think we'd be able to keep contact?" he asked absently. Chrysta folded her wings and snuggled up against him.

"Maybe she can come with you," Athena said. "Mr. Yuki had those spirits with him, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Apollo ran a hand through her feathers. Chrysta cooed. "She lives here, though. I can't take that away from her, right?"

"We'll figure something out." Athena yawned. "We get to go home. That's good, yeah? Go sleep, Apollo."

"Mmm, yeah, I suppose you're right," Apollo replied softly. In the distance, Athena could vaguely hear Ator talk. Apollo didn't seem to pick up on it.

"You sure?" she heard Ator say. "Yeah, in that case I'll hold off for a bit, but we'll see about tomorrow. You're going to be fine on your end?"

Athena closed her eyes with a smile. At least someone in this world was willing to help them out. When she got home, she'd have a shower, and then put on her pajamas and eat pizza all day long. She only hoped everyone back home was okay without them. What would have become of the trial? She curled up on her side. They'd probably already wrapped it up by now. As long as Mrs. Huang hadn't been found guilty, it'd all be okay.

March 9 2028 01:56 pm

Chief Prosecutor's Office

"Do we have the phone?" Mr. Edgeworth asked without preamble. Mr. Wright was slumped back on the couch, with Maya next to him. Ema nodded and held out the bag with Ms. Sammons' phone in it.

"We found it next to the creek at the parking lot," she said. "Thought it was a lost cause, what with the water damage and all, but our techies managed to get the data."

"And?"

"Drake's story holds up. She called Sammons the morning of the sixth, then texted her half an hour later." Ema grabbed the transcript out of her bag. "I quote: 'its fine im good, got a different bus'"

"Do we know if she actually took it?" Mr. Wright asked. Ema nodded.

"Ticket stub, and the bus driver confirmed she got on the bus."

"That's annoying," Maya muttered. "How did she do it, then?"

"Either someone is trying to set Miss Drake up like they tried to set up Mrs. Huang, or she is far craftier than we thought," Mr. Edgeworth muttered. He looked upset, not at all like the perfect Prosecutor she was used to.

"Yeah anyway, about that," Mr. Wright leaned forward, "what's the deal with Mrs. Huang's daughter exactly, Edgeworth?"

Mr. Edgeworth frowned. "Hmm, yes, according to Chairman Pegasus, Xiaoyan Wei, Mrs. Huang's daughter, started suffering from chronic and debilitating headaches a few years ago, and it was discovered she had a brain tumor. He loaned her the money she needed to get treatment for her daughter."

"Wait, Mrs. Huang really was short on money?" Ema asked. "Why again are we not suspecting her as a culprit?"

"Athena and Apollo trusted her," Mr. Wright muttered. "And anyway, that's exactly what our murderer wants, isn't it? Set her up as the suspect. The money's pretty handy."

"Chairman Pegasus actually loaned her the money long before they even suspected industrial espionage," Mr. Edgeworth said. Ema still wasn't quite convinced.

"But just because they didn't suspect any, didn't mean there wasn't any, right?"

Mr. Edgeworth shook his head. "Good thinking, detective Skye, but no. The agreement was made before Mrs. Huang even came to California. She and her husband moved from Shanghai to California because they wanted better treatment for their daughter. The deal with Chairman Pegasus was part of that."

Maya sighed. "So it wasn't Mrs. Huang and it definitely wasn't Judai. That leaves Miss Drake, right?"

"She's in the detention center," Mr. Wright said. "I'm going to go talk to her. Want to come along, Maya?"

Maya considered. "I should go check up on Pearly. How's Trucy holding up, Nick? I mean…"

Mr. Wright slumped. "Not very good. She was crying all of last night."

"I'll take Pearly to see her," Maya decided.

Mr. Wright nodded and grabbed his coat. Ema got up.

"I'll give you a ride to the detention center, if you want," she said.

"That'd be great."

"By the way, Wright," Mr. Edgeworth called out as they made their way to the door. "Prosecutor Blackquill found out that Miss Cykes disappeared. I'd be careful, if I were you. He's on the warpath."

Mr. Wright groaned. "What's he blaming me for anyway?" he muttered. Ema could only pat his shoulder in sympathy. Prosecutor Blackquill was a scary, scary man and she wouldn't like to get on his bad side.

"C'mon, let's get out of here before he finds us," he told Ema. They headed down to the parking lot together, mercifully avoiding any sign of Prosecutor Blackquill. The ride was mostly silent. Mr. Wright stared out of the window while Ema navigated Los Angeles traffic. She didn't have to be psychic to know where his thoughts were going.

"They'll be okay," she whispered. "They wouldn't die so easily."

Honestly, she had no idea. Apollo and Athena were fairly good friends and she even found herself missing Prosecutor Gavin, however much he got on her nerves. She'd definitely never wanted him in a life-threatening situation like this.

"If we could only get Industrial Illusion's equipment, we might be able to get them back." Mr. Wright sighed. "It's been a day. I hope they're all right."

"They have Judai Yuki with them, right? Maya said he was okay."

"He's the one who got them in that mess to begin with, he'd damn well better get them out," Mr. Wright growled. "I don't care what he's supposed to be. If he lets anything happen to them I will deal with him myself."

Seeing Mr. Wright truly angry was a rare sight. Ema shuddered and grabbed the wheel more tightly. "I'll drop you off at the detention center and go talk to Chairman Pegasus," she said for a change of topic. "We'll start by searching Industrial Illusions, then the murder scenes. Maybe it's there."

"Right, thanks, Ema." Mr. Wright closed his eyes. "You're a lifesaver."

Let's hope that's true. She turned the corner and got onto the road leading to the detention center. It took them another ten minutes of silence before Ema pulled over and Mr. Wright unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Good luck," he told her. "And thanks again."

"You too."

Mr. Wright slammed the door with slightly too much force; he winced apologetically when she glared, but waved back at her when he entered the center. She waved back half-heartedly. Time to go to Industrial Illusions and get those three back home.

March 9 2028 3:21 pm

Detention Center

Detention life didn't suit Coral Drake well. Her eyeliner had smudged completely, and she was huddled on a chair in a corner of the room when he was shown to her holding cell.

"Miss Drake?"

She shot up, but when she saw him, she glared and turned around. "Oh, it's you."

"My name is Phoenix Wright. I am Mrs. Huang's defense attorney."

"Yeah, I know. You had me arrested." She finally turned and faced him. "Why would I kill Cyan? She was my mentor!"

"If you didn't kill her, I can help you. We need to find out who really killed her."

Miss Drake snorted. "Is that how you get clients? Get them arrested first and then offer to help them?"

This was going to be a tough one. "Miss Drake, please. There's a lot at stake here. We need to find out who killed Ms. Sammons."

"Well, I didn't do it."

Yeah, he'd had someone else say that once before. He'd learned his lesson.

"Miss Drake, do you know anything about the death of Ms. Sammons?"

Bingo. Even as Miss Drake said, "Why should I?" no less than five Psyche-locks sprung up. She definitely did know more about Ms. Sammons' death. This was going to be a tough case to crack, but the end was in sight. Would it be enough to get Apollo and Athena back?

"Miss Drake, you do know more about Ms. Sammons' death, do you?"

For a second, Miss Drake wavered, but she steeled herself. "What makes you think that?"

"You are the only one with all the means to commit the murder. You have access to Ms. Sammons' portal technology and the ability to communicate with spirits. You could've set it up easily."

One of the Psyche-locks broke. Phoenix hid his smirk. At long last, they were getting somewhere.

"And that makes me responsible for her death? I'm not the only Industrial Illusions employee who can see spirits, and anyone could've taken the technology from the lab," Miss Drake said. Phoenix shook his head.

"A high-profile project like that? The only people who should've had access to the lab were Ms. Sammons, Mrs. Huang, Chairman Pegasus and you yourself, Miss Drake."

Another lock broke.

"All right, I guess you got me there. I did get the technology from the lab. But I still didn't kill her."

Phoenix gritted his teeth. It was her. No doubt about it. "Oh no, I believe we all know what did kill her," he said. "Sapphire Dragon. But who gave it that order, Miss Drake?"

"I don't know, but it wasn't me. Humans can't order spirits around."

The locks stayed intact. He didn't have her yet. "I think you do know, Miss Drake. I recall Mr. Yuki's testimony. Some people have spirit partners and I suspect you are one of those people. So was it your partner who commanded Sapphire Dragon?"

Miss Drake fell into a surly silence as another lock broke. Phoenix took a deep breath. Almost there. If they had her, they could focus all their time on finding Apollo, Athena and Prosecutor Gavin.

"But that leaves the question of motive, Miss Drake," he continued. "Why did you kill Ms. Sammons? I believe you are the spy Chairman Pegasus was looking for, and Ms. Sammons refused you access to her invention."

Miss Drake raised her eyebrows. "And what makes you think so?"

"Ms. Sammons told us herself, Miss Drake. You asked her how much money it'd take for her to sell her technology. Of course, Ms. Sammons thought it was a joke at the time, but it wasn't, was it? You were trying to get her to sell it, and when she didn't, you had her killed to get your hands on it."

And the penultimate lock broke. Almost, almost there. Miss Drake's bracelet beeped and a small screen lit up. Miss Drake read the text that appeared, then smiled.

"Well, isn't that interesting?"

Phoenix clenched his hands. "What is, Miss Drake?"

"I do believe you are missing a couple of people, Mr. Wright. It turns out my partner just found them."

Phoenix recoiled. "They're alive?"

"They are." Miss Drake got up and leaned over until her forehead almost touched the glass. "But here's the deal, Mr. Wright. I go free tomorrow. By the start of the trial, by the end of it... I don't care, but I won't be convicted. I do not believe you have the evidence you need, so it should be easy for you. If you don't manage it, your dear friends might not be alive for much longer."

Phoenix looked around frantically for a guard. They had to get that bracelet off her. If she couldn't give a signal, then—

Miss Drake sighed. "I wouldn't like to see anyone else die, and I mean that, Mr. Wright. But don't get any clever ideas. These bracelets have been in my family for ages, and I perfected them. If you take it off, or if something happens to me, my partner would know. That wouldn't be good for your friends, would it?"

"You… you can't—"

"I can. Goodbye, Mr. Wright."