A/N: So, there is a letter at the beginning of this chapter. It used to be an interlude. Then I had THE EPIC SCHEDULE SLIP OF DOOM and decided I owed you more than an interlude, I owed you an actual freaking chapter. One of the longest to date, in point of fact. Speaking of some of the 'you' that I owe:
6GunSally: I actually wasn't sure anyone would catch the 'Asher' thing…thank you. Seriously! Hmm…one of the most evil Von Karmas you've seen? It's odd to hear that, actually, and reassuring. I was trying to write him from a more understanding, human viewpoint—sort of capturing the reasons why Edgeworth and Franziska look up to him so much (as Edgeworth puts it 'he was my mentor') even after The Reveal. I was almost worried I was making him TOO sympathetic. Glad to hear that's not the case!
FranzyPearlfan: Are you prophetic or something!? I read your comment on Chapter Five (erm, 7? Stupid ff dot net numbering…) and nearly had a heart attack! I was all like: "How did you KNOW!?" and spent the next couple of minutes checking my room for bugs. Lol.
And of course, I am eternally grateful to all of you who read and who reviewed, even the ones whose comments I could not think of witty and/or informative replies to! Thanks so much!
Anyway. Upon re-reading the (actual) beginning of this chapter, I suddenly have this image of the cast of Ace Attorney singing…that one song from the beginning of the Muppet Christmas Carol that I don't actually know the name of…while Edgeworth just haughtily strides among them like Michael Caine surrounded by singing puppets.
And with that awkward image, I give you: The extremely-out-of-season Christmas special!
Dear Phoenix (and possibly Larry)
I wrote you a letter a while back, but, I guess you didn't get it. Still, it might arrive eventually once it's not lost in the mail anymore, so I won't repeat myself.
Honestly, I actually don't have anything to tell you yet. Franziska (Mr von Karma's daughter) and I have some lessons together now. She's been very helpful with my learning German, and I'm trying to help her with some English as well.
How have you and Larry been? How's school? How are your parents?
Please, Phoenix, write back soon!
Love,
Miles
Chapter Six
A Slightly Merry Von Karma Christmas: Lesson Six
Dezember 2002
Miles wasn't sure which day he dreaded more—Christmas, and the anniversary of the last truly happy day of his life; the 26th, when the family of Von Karma's late wife would come to visit; the 27th, when lessons would resume; or the 28th. The day of the DL-6 Incident. The day Gregory Edgeworth had died.
No matter which way he looked at it, he couldn't find a way around it. Those would be the four worst days of his life thus far and he had to take them all in a row. O joy, O happiness. He was beginning to understand what had reduced Ebenezer Scrooge to his miserly, Christmas-hating ways. After the horrors on horrors dropped on the poor man Christmas Day year after year after never-ending year? Small wonder the mere thought of the holiday made him feel ill.
Miles was growing increasingly anxious as the calendar crept closer to December the twenty-fifth, not merely dreading the day and the frighteningly happy memories it heralded, with all the pain only remembrance can bring to such fond things, but also fearing the confirmation of a suspicion long supressed within him.
And yes, he did know there was no Santa Claus, thank-you-very-much. That wasn't it.
The problem was, he'd sent Phoenix a letter back in July. Even with the time it would take for a letter to travel from Germany to Los Angeles, Phoenix had to have received it by now. In fact, since this was 2002 and not 1492, Miles should have received a letter from Phoenix in return by now. And that meant that the only reason he hadn't was because Phoenix hadn't sent one.
Though Miles wasn't sure how Von Karma had known what was troubling him, he was grateful when his mentor had suggested perhaps Phoenix hadn't received Miles's letter in the first place. With Manfred's encouragement, Miles had written another letter, which Von Karma had sent at the beginning of the month. By Miles's math, the latest he should receive a reply was New Year's Eve. Another painful anniversary. He and Phoenix and Larry were all supposed to have had an overnight at his house that day one year ago. Miles wondered if the two of them had met up at Larry's or Phoenix's house instead, having called the Edgeworth home and gotten no response. As they'd sat up late, waiting for a gleaming globe to drop some three thousand miles away, had they also been waiting for a knock at the door, a smile, a sorry I'm late? Had they been waiting for him?
Of course they had. They were his friends. And if they'd waited for him, he'd wait for them.
Christmas came. This time, at Franziska's urging, the presents were wrapped. To Miles's surprise, Von Karma's gifts to his daughter and his student were practically…impractical. Franziska received a sketchpad. Von Karma smirked faintly as she touched the pages gently, almost disbelievingly.
"There are better ways to draw than scribbling in the margins of your test sheets," he said wryly by way of explanation, pulling a small case of drawing pencils out of his pocket and handing that to her as well.
"Thank you, Papa," Franziska murmured, smiling.
Miles's gift was much smaller. However, as he opened the slender box, he found a beautiful fountain pen, silver inlaid with what looked to be gleaming bits of abalone shell, or perhaps even mother-of-pearl. There was ink as well.
Remembering his father using one of them, Miles ensured the nib was well-inked and guided the pen gently over a bit of scrap paper, testing it out.
As he went to replace the cap, a little scroll of paper slid out. Glancing curiously at his mentor, he unfurled the scroll. The handwriting was, of course, Von Karma's.
In law, many challenges are best overcome with a pen. You'll never find a better ally.
"Sir, I don't know what to say," he said honestly. "Thank you."
Von Karma nodded, and gestured to a third gift. It turned out to be…a book. Heavy and leather-bound it was, and Miles half-expected it would be a legal text—an impression only reinforced by Manfred's words of warning.
"This gift is for each of you. I sincerely hope both of you have learned to share by now." It was actually impossible to tell if he was joking or not, Miles realised. Manfred von Karma had been a prosecutor for twenty-six years. His poker face was perfect.
In reality—and Miles could not supress a smile—it was a complete compilation of Sherlock Holmes stories.
There was one gift more under the tree, but oddly, Von Karma didn't seem to notice. Franziska looked at the tag and her eyes widened before she tucked the tiny parcel into her pocket.
Miles could guess who that was from.
But the pleasantness of the gifts couldn't ease the ache of the memories, couldn't erase the image of Phoenix's mother—more Edgeworth's mother than the late Mrs Edgeworth by that point—on that Christmas morning explaining how strange names ran in her family
(Spring, green grass, yellow-blooming forsythia. The scent of orange blossoms heavy in the air. His father, dumbfounded, as a woman more gypsy than housewife pounced upon his hand and declared herself, in her comma-less way, to be "Serendipity Emma Wright call me Sair it's so nice to meet you!")
of Miles's own father laughing as he realised the boys had tied most of a keg of curling ribbon around his hatband
("I wonder what the judge would think if I walked into court wearing this next week. Say, Miles, school doesn't start up again until January—what do you say? Want to come see your ol' dad at work?")
of Asher and Sair, her black hair dyed with streaks of green and red, giggling under the mistletoe
("Oh, ew, doesn't he know girls have cooties?" Larry whispered incredulously as the two grown-ups kissed.)
of Phoenix swiping Asher's favourite pen for the ink inside
("So we coat our fingers and we press 'em to the paper, and then we have a ten-card, right Miles?")
of Father and Serendipity laughing, laughing, laughing as Asher's face scrunched up in disbelief at the ruins of his pen and the series of inky fingerprints scattered about the house…
Miles wrenched himself out of the memory, sitting up sharply in bed and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, willing his breathing to slow.
(Don't think about it don't think about it don't…)
Father. Larry. Asher. Sair. Phoenix.
(Don't THINK about it don't think don't think…)
"Stop…" Miles moaned softly.
(Phoenix, where are you?)
The next several days passed like this, and Miles welcomed the return of his studies, embracing the distraction of lessons and homework and tests with open arms. Anything to delay retiring to his bed, to the haze of dreams and memories, to party crackers that turned to gunshots and laughter that turned to screams.
December 28th came and went, and real screams filled the Von Karma manor that night; the screams of a terrified ten-year-old boy. No one came to Miles.
(Little did he know that he wasn't the only one who woke limp and shaking in terror on that night. But no one came to Manfred von Karma, either. There was no one left to do so.)
New Year's Eve. Phoenix's letter had to arrive soon, right?
New Year's Day.
Miles realised, as he stared numbly at the spot by his plate where a letter ought to have been placed this morning, a letter with his name in Phoenix's scrawling handwriting, that the letter was never going to come. Because once you've lost something, it's gone for good.
Lesson One: Kindness inspires loyalty.
Lesson Two: A Von Karma is perfection.
Lesson Three: Don't cross Von Karma.
Lesson Four: You can't trust others.
Lesson Five: Avoid defeat at any cost.
Lesson Six: What's gone is gone for good.
A/N: *sings* But there's nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone…
Apparently, the song is just called 'Scrooge'. Go figure, right?
I almost feel sorry for the heartless bastard after this one. Almost. I don't think I need to explain who I'm talking about, do I?
Also…Serendipity, amirite?
*Laughs at own joke, realises is alone, subsides*
Anyway. So, I'd intended to post the letter at the beginning a while ago, as in, the day I discovered (belatedly) that the English release of AA5 is confirmed. For THIS YEAR. And has EDGEWORTH in it. AS AN ACTUAL OPPOSING PROSECUTOR. With GLASSES and a LONGCOAT.
OH MY GOD I GET TO PLAY AS PHOENIX AGAINST EDGEWORTH AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN LIKE EVER AM I DEAD IS THIS HEAVEN!?
I kind of wish that I'd been keeping track of AA5 news, because apparently we got told this stuff on May 13th and it would have been the most EPIC birthday gift ever. EVER.
Enehweh, Anbee out!
...A phrase I have never used before and hopefully never will again.