A/N I'm glad to see that there are some people in the world who hate Moe as much as I do. I'm replaying Justice for All so, yeah, circuses. You're pretty face better be worth this, Edgeworth.

And apparently I only have the capacity to write really short chapters. Really short, slow updating chapters. (I'm sorry.)

-District Court 3rd Floor Hallway-

Well, that had been a close one. Bringing up their history had had Phoenix's mind traveling to places it did not need to go. Okay, so it might have been a little unfair to use Apollo as a scapegoat, but honestly he should be used to it by now.

Phoenix didn't need to remember all the times he and Miles had worked together. Phoenix didn't need to remember the kind of team they had been. And Phoenix certainly didn't need to remember the fifteen years of his life he had spent clinging to their childhood friendship.

He didn't need it because any way he looked at it, the end result was the same. Their days of teamwork were over. They were over. Past tense. They hadn't crashed and burned, maybe, but what they were had faded away all the same. It wasn't fifteen years this time, but then, this time was different. After all, one could only cling to their absent lover for so long.

Phoenix had let go.

Right now I… I'm studying to become a lawyer myself.

That's what you keep saying… But I thought you were in the Art Department?

Well, yeah… I guess I am… But there's a friend that I desperately want to help! And if I hurry, then I should still be able to save him in time!

Somewhere along the line, Phoenix had lost that desire to fight for Edgeworth. He had done his part. Miles needed to step up to the plate, now.

Speaking of Miles, he had released the grip on his arms and was now glaring at him. Again. Was he angry about something Phoenix said? Something about them?

This is going to get really awkward really fast.

Phoenix wished his client would show up soon.

"Wright, stop badgering your protégé. He's here to learn from you, though I can't fathom why since all you seem to do is harass him!" Edgeworth crossed his arms over his chest as if that settled the matter.

That's not—okay maybe it is a little true.

"Uh," Apollo started. His red face was calming down from his previous bout of shouting. "That's not really the case, Mr. Edgeworth..."

Edgeworth grimaced, obviously confused. Something about his perfect logic didn't add up, Phoenix guessed. Miles turned to Apollo. "You mean you're not Wright's apprentice?"

Apollo ran a hand through his gelled hair. "Well, I guess I am but-"

"Polly works for me!" Trucy cut Apollo off, proudly stepping forward and tipping her hat.

"Works for you?" Edgeworth echoed, peering down at Trucy in shock.

"That's right!" Trucy continued enthusiastically. "I hired Polly so he works for me! I'm the CEO of the Wright Anything Agency. It used to be the Wright Talent Agency but since Polly really doesn't have any talent-"

"Hey!" Apollo protested.

"-we had to change the name."

"And what made it so great before?" Apollo grumbled, put off by Trucy's comment.

"Well I'm a magician- that takes real talent- and Daddy played the piano!"

"You call what he did playing?" Apollo challenged. Phoenix almost laughed at that. He wanted to see if Edgeworth would further question his piano skills. Miles looked like he wanted to say something but was too overwhelmed by the fight Trucy and Apollo were having.

Trucy stuck her tongue out and Apollo seemed to give up on making his point.

They really do act like siblings, sometimes, Phoenix observed absently.

With the spat over, Edgeworth finally got his chance to get a word in edgewise. "Well," He said, seeming to mull the whole story over for a moment. "That certainly is a strange reason way to join a law firm."

"Talent agency!" Trucy corrected. "With some less-than-talented people at the moment." Apollo grumbled something again.

"Yes, talent agency," Edgeworth amended. He still looked a little confused, though. "But that still doesn't explain how you joined in the first place."

Apollo took this question. "Well, actually, it's kind of a weird story. I was defending Mr. Wright in a murder trial and-"

"Murder?!" Edgeworth shot a startled look at Phoenix. He shrugged at him and gave Apollo a nod to keep going.

Guess he'd find out eventually. It's public record now, anyways.

It was about time they started catching up on the last few years. There was just that one little detail that Miles didn't need to know about this case in particular...

At Phoenix's sign of approval, Apollo continued. "Yeah, uh, murder. Anyways, my mentor at the time, well, he actually turned out to be, um..."

"Guilty!" Trucy provided. Phoenix made a mental note to work on Apollo's presence. He was his mentor now, after all.

"Yeah, guilty," Apollo amended quietly. Phoenix knew that he didn't like talking about Kristoph Gavin. Oh well.

Asshole.

"And to make a long story short, that's how I met Mr. Wright and Trucy." Apollo finished, now sheepishly playing with the spikes on his head.

"Polly! You're forgetting the part where you punched Daddy!" Trucy cut in again.

"Punched?"Pearl gasped.

"You punch Mr. Wright, pal?" Gumshoe looked down at Apollo from over Edgeworth's shoulder, clearly impressed. Being the tallest of the group, the effect was almost... looming.

"Oh, yeah, that..."

"That?" Phoenix jumped in. "You really socked me, Apollo." He rubbed his jaw in memory.

"Oh, don't play wounded, Wright. I'm sure you deserved it." Edgeworth reprimanded, not even sparing a glance in his direction.

Is he avoiding me again?

Edgeworth kept doing that. The whole time they had been in this hallway, Miles kept switching between being open with him and looking pointedly away. It was starting to get a little annoying. Did he want to try to be friends or not? He seemed plenty interested in Phoenix's life story, well, the new parts anyway. Maybe Miles just didn't know when to stop trying to make small talk and take his leave.

But they were getting close to dangerous territory with this 'innocent' conversation.

"What did he do?" Gumshoe asked. Phoenix felt his whole face fall.

Oh no, please nobody answer that.

Miles could not find out. He just couldn't. Not that. Miles wouldn't understand that it had been... That he was just...

"Daddy gave Polly forged evidence!"

"W-what?" Miles' face froze. Phoenix almost couldn't look. Miles turned away from Trucy slowly. He met Phoenix's eyes. They were... they were...

It was like Phoenix was watching his every belief be crushed.

Miles, please, you're going to have to listen to me.

-District Court 3rd Floor Hallway-

He forged evidence. Phoenix Wright forged evidence.

Out of everything Miles had heard today, this was the hardest to believe. It just could not be true.

He had heard, of course, the reason why Wright had lost his badge. He had been accused and found guilty of presenting a forgery as evidence. But Miles had always believed that Phoenix had been tricked. Deceived. It had all been a lie. It had to be. He had even cleared his name and retaken the bar!

But now...

Phoenix Wright had knowingly given this man forged evidence to use. Miles' Phoenix had taught him the true meaning of justice. Miles' Phoenix had stood by him when Gant had revealed the lies he had been filling him with, the forgeries and fakes he had been providing. Miles had thought he had won his cases by just means. They had all been perfect, but in the end everything was just a sham.

Edgeworth had been tricked, taken for a fool. And now Wright had done the same to this young novice.

Phoenix Wright was not the man he used to be.

It was all just more lies.

What kind of a man was Phoenix Wright, really? Because it was quite clear that Miles didn't know him at all.

Why does everyone lie to me?

Von Karma had lied. Gant had lied. And now Phoenix was no better.

Miles took a step back from the group, from Phoenix. He couldn't stay here. The world was losing meaning again. He was losing himself again.

"Miles," Phoenix said, matching Edgeworth's distancing steps with his own advances. "Listen, it's not as bad as you think."

"Mr. Edgeworth, are you okay?" Gumshoe asked, concerned. With a comment like that, Edgeworth was sure his entire spectrum of emotion was playing out on his face. Curse you,Wright. Curse you for having this effect on me, this much power. Apollo reached up and just barely managed to put a hand on the larger man's shoulder to warn him against getting between the attorney and prosecutor.

Miles had wanted to find his own way. He thought he had. But one little action by Phoenix Wright had all his principles crumbling around him. It wasn't fair. He had worked so hard to fix himself after Wright had saved him. Wright was supposed to be his support, his one constant.

"Shut up, Wright!" Edgeworth didn't want any excuses. His back hit a wall. Trapped. "You know you can't justify that."

"Miles, please..."

"I don't want to hear it." He couldn't look at him anymore. Miles glared down the hall, back towards his own lounge. Glaring was his defense system. It was better than letting Phoenix see him breaking.

He should never have come back.

A hand gripped his arm, right above where he was tightly holding himself with his own. "We need to talk. In private." The hand pried his fingers loose and laced them with its own.

Edgeworth was roughly pulled off the wall. He was being dragged down the hall.

This won't change anything, Wright. You've... you've really done it this time. What would your mentor think of you now?

But Edgeworth allowed himself to be pulled along. It was not because he was lost again. He was stronger now. He would find a new truth to rely on. Probably.

It was not because he needed to know why. He didn't want lame excuses. Phoenix had done the unforgivable in law. Not only that, the unforgiveable to them. Wright of all people would know how wrong he was, after all they had been through together. He should understand completely how Miles would feel about the matter. And he should know that he would not be forgiven.

And it was certainly not because it was Phoenix who was holding his hand, promising to make everything right again.

They stopped in front of the door to Defendant Lobby No.2. It would be empty at this hour, too early for any other defense teams to be showing up and there were not trials scheduled before theirs that morning.

Wright pulled it open and Miles allowed himself to be led inside.

Lies. All lies.

-District Court 3rd Floor Hallway-

When the door shut behind the two lawyers, Trucy let out a huge, whooping cat-call.

"Trucy, timing..." Apollo sighed, resisting the urge to melt into the carpeting. This was all turning into one big disaster. Whatever had just gone down had not been a good thing.

"Polly, I told you. I'm his Sugar Daddy! I've got to encourage him to go for it!" Trucy defended.

"Mr. Apollo?" Pearl spoke up. "What's a 'sugar daddy?'"

"Ah..."

"Well, you see Pearly-"

"That's enough, Trucy!"

"Sugar daddy?" Detective Gumshoe shuffled closer to the remains of their group. To be honest, Apollo kept forgetting he was there. He looked at a loss of what to do with himself now that Mr. Edgeworth was gone. "I think that Harry Butz guy had a girlfriend with a bunch of those one time..."

"Harry Butz?" Pearl asked.

"I think he means Uncle Larry." Trucy said.

Hairy Larry, what?

"W-wait Trucy…" Apollo said, his brain finally catching up to why they were having this conversation in the first place. "When you say you're acting as his "Sugar Daddy" you mean to say that Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth are…"

"Special someones," Pearl provided, blushing again.

"Yep!" Trucy confirmed, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet.

"H-Hold it!" Apollo refuted. "But Mr. Edgeworth is the Chief Prosecutor and Mr. Wright is an attorney!"

"Isn't it romantic?" Pearl's mind was off day-dreaming again.

"Not really," Gumshoe said. "They broke up ages ago."

"But they're going to get back together!" Pearl argued, fist at the ready.

"Hey, now, pal… No need to get violent."

"Yeah, Daddy's gonna get me a new Mommy. He just has to this time!"

Apollo drowned the lot of them out. He must have missed something earlier.

Wait a minute…

Somewhere, a light bulb was turning on.

"Hey! So earlier when Mr. Wright was comparing himself and Mr. Edgeworth to Prosecutor Gavin and me you all thought that…!"

"Yep!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Sorry, pal…"

Apollo's shoulders sank. That was never, ever, ever going to happen. Time to change the subject. "How about we wait for them inside? We can also keep an eye out for the defendant."

"Great idea, pal!"

"Yeah, okay."

"Sure thing, Mr. Apollo."

Apollo was suddenly stricken with the feeling that he was babysitting as he ushered the three of them inside the defendant lobby.

Somehow this was all Mr. Wright's fault.

Why me...?