Chapter 1:
[SLAM] "Detective, I thought I told you to get these files over to Simon an hour ago!"
"Sorry Mr. Edgeworth, sir! I'll bring these over to him right away!"
Edgeworth took his hand off his desk and sat back down, quickly composing himself. He took a deep breath and folded his arms. It was obvious that he was losing his patience. "Detective, I understand that it's Christmas Eve, but could you please focus until closing? This is the third mishap you've made all day."
Gumshoe scratched the back of his head and heaved a heavy sigh, "Your right Mr. Edgeworth, It's just… I'm so excited for tonight! I'm taking Maggey out to dinner tonight at this new, fancy French restaurant that just opened up. Then, we're going to party like there's no tomorrow over at Phoenix Wright's place!"
"Oh, yes, that's right… I almost forgot that Wright is hosting a Christmas party tonight."
"Please tell me you're going, Mr. Edgeworth, sir!"
"… I'll have to think about it detective." As he said this he got up and proceeded to hand the documents him over to Gumshoe. "In any case, we still have a few more hours left," he said turning toward the window. "Please make sure to not let this happen again… if you care about your pay that is."
Gumshoe winced at those words. "Yes sir! Won't happen again sir!" shouted Gumshoe with a firm salute as he rushed out of the office. Edgeworth didn't move away from the window at first, but after a few moments he took a deep breath and returned to his desk...
… My name is Miles Edgeworth. I am the Chief Prosecutor for this city… I've been a prosecutor for fifteen years now, but some things never change.
"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! This floor's out of printer ink!"
"…. Please, don't shout detective. There should be some more in the store room on the floor just below us."
"Got it! Thanks Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" [SLAM]
"Hmph"
…Every day I come to my office… I sit at my desk… file paperwork… and go home… But I have to wonder…
"I'm heading out Mr. Edgeworth sir!... Are you still working?
Edgeworth glanced up from his computer, "Not for much longer, detective. I just have a few more things I need to finish before heading out." Looking back down.
"Oh okay, Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" Gumshoe shouted as he turned to leave. "Oh, and Merry Christmas!" [SLAM]
"… Merry Christmas, detective…."
…is there something more?
After diligently working for another thirty more minutes, Edgeworth closes his laptop. He rises up from his desk, puts on his coat, and turns to leave. "I wonder how long it'll last…. Eh, Wright?" He turns out the light and closes the door.
#
[SLAM] "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
"Ack!" [CRASH]
"Ah, Mr. Wright! Are you okay?" Apollo said in fright as he ran over to Phoenix, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah, I think I'm okay," responded Phoenix. At least he thought so. But then again, he wasn't one hundred percent sure. He initially thought a bomb went off when Apollo came bursting through the door screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Daddy? Is everything okay? What happened?" Trucy asked, running into the room.
"I'm alright. Apollo just took me by surprise is all."
"Oh, hey Trucy. MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
Trucy giggled, clearly amused, "Hi Polly. MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
"What's all the yelling about?" asked Athena walking in with a thick binder in her hand.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" shouted Trucy and Apollo in unison. ("It's a truly happy sight, seeing everyone together laughing and having a good time"), Phoenix thought to himself…. Or at least it would have if he could think about anything other than the dull ringing in his ears.
"What's that you got there Athena?" Apollo asked.
"Oh, I was just looking up a few things for this case Mr. Wright and I were working on. No big deal," she said trying to shrug it off, but that was a blatant lie. If Apollo was able to catch even one clear look at what was inside that binder, her plan would be ruined. The only other soul in the world she knew she could count on to share its contents was Trucy. With her by her side she knew that everything would turn out alright, but they had to be careful; they had to make sure Apollo could never see what was inside at any cost.
"Really? Well, I can help out if you want." Apollo said, casually reaching for the folder... Her heart skipped a beat. Time froze. Athena's mind went blank, and when she opened her eyes Apollo and Phoenix were both on the ground, out cold.
"W-what happened?!" Athena shouted.
"What are you asking me for? You're the one who punched Apollo in the gut so hard he went flying into daddy!" Trucy explained.
It took a few seconds for her to register what the young magician told her, "I WHAT?!"
#
Click, click, click… His shoes echoed through the empty streets. He could see his breath. He'd be spending yet another night at home alone again. Although that fact was a particularly hard pill to swallow, since it was Christmas Eve..."Edgey!" Though, it's not that big of a deal, he's used to that by now…. "Edgey!" He has spent the last several Christmas Eves alone after al- "Edgey! Hurry up slow poke! Santa's not going to wait forever!" Larry shouted back running at full speed.
"Huff, huff, I know guys! I'm right behind you!" Edgeworth yelled.
"Is your dad going to meet us there Edgeworth?" asked Phoenix.
"Huff, I think so. But he might be a little late. He told me he's working on a really big case right now, and that we should just go on ahead to the restaurant on the twelfth floor and meet him there!"
"Oh really? What kind of case is he working on?" asked Phoenix.
"He told me he's looking into a really bad prosecutor or something, and that he'd be busy looking for evidence."
"Woah, that sounds awesome! What you think about that Larry?... Larry?"
"Huh? What?" Larry asked as he took his finger out of his ear.
"Never mind," Phoenix said in defeat.
"Hey look there it is! Lordly Tailor's!" Edgeworth shouted in excitement from behind them. Sure enough there stood the towering department store completely adorned with all sorts of decorations. Tinsel wrapped around the flag post and hung from every window. The windows were filled with all sorts of Christmas trees and scenes from T'was the Night Before Christmas. And men dressed in Santa Claus costumes stood outside asking for donations.
As the three rushed over, Edgeworth could hardly contain his excitement. He was going to see the big guy himself and personally tell him what he wanted. Then he was going to have an amazing dinner with his two best friends and his dad. This was going to be the best day ever! When they finally got there, they were entranced by all the toys put out on display. They realized that if they were to buy everything they saw, it wouldn't even fit in all of their houses combined!
Edgeworth kept on looking and spotted it, a junior lawyer's badge that looked just like the real thing. That was the one thing he wanted for Christmas, so he could be by his dad's side and protect the innocent… He kept on staring, for who knows how long. He completely lost track of time. It couldn't have been longer than a few minutes, but he realized that there was little point in looking at such a childish thing through the window of a closed department store, so he decided to continue on home….
#
"Uhhhh. What happened?" Apollo asked as he lifted his head off the couch.
"Oh, uh, you… were tired so you decided to take a little nap," said Athena.
"Oh, alright… But why is my stomach killing me?"
"I-It must have been something you ate. Well, I hope Trucy doesn't take too long to get the last of the party decorations!" she shouted hoping that would change the subject.
"Par-ty? Ahh!" Apollo screamed as he shot up. "What time is it?"
"It's almost six o'clock."
"Oh no! I'm late!" He exclaimed as he ran for his coat. "Sorry Athena, but I'm going out for a bit. I'll be right back!" And just like that he was gone.
"…. I wonder what all that was about?"
#
"Mr. Edgeworth!"
"?... Ema? Ema Skye? Is that you? My what a lovely coincidence"
"Ha ha, yeah! Gosh, how many years has it been since we last saw each other? I still can't thank you enough for helping me join the force…. Sorry I let you down, though."
"Ah, you're referring to your performance with the forensic investigator's exam?" he replied. "Well, worry not. I'm sure you'll pass your next go around. In the meantime, I felt your talents would be squandered if you were not employed by the police in some capacity."
"That means a lot that you feel that way, Mr. Edgeworth. Mark my words, I'm going to pass it this time! I'm never going to give up on achieving my dream!"
Edgeworth smirked, "Well said Ema. I am confident you'll make a fine forensic investigator."
"Where are you going now? Do you want to go get a bite to eat or something?"
"… Ah. I'm terribly sorry Ema, but I already have plans tonight. But I'll tell you what… I'll be more than happy to treat you to dinner to celebrate you're new position as a forensic investigator once you pass that exam." He said with a smile.
That first part was, of course, a blatant lie. He didn't have any plans that night. While he was delighted to see Ema after such a long time, he just couldn't bring himself to accept her offer. Deep down, he regretted that ("Why do I always do this?") he quietly asked himself….
"Really? Alright! There's no way I'm not going to pass this test now! I'm going to go home and study!" Her excitement couldn't be contained. She already started down the street, "Don't worry Mr. Edgeworth! I won't let you down!" she called back….
"I can't believe I let her down…."
"Hmm? Who said that?", Edgeworth asked to himself. It didn't take too long to find the young man who had said those words a few feet behind him. He was leaning against the side of a building, looking down in despair. Edgeworth was surprised he didn't notice him earlier when he passed by him, but then again this young man usually has a particularly noticeable presence. "Justice? Is that you?"
"Huh?" Apollo jumped. He didn't know that there was anyone around and was equally surprised by the man he saw, "Ah, Prosecutor Edgeworth! M-MERRY CHRISTMAS!" he shouted trying to smile.
"…. Merry Christmas. Justice, is everything alright? I may have misheard you, but did you say something about letting someone down?"
"Oh, you heard that?" he said smiling scratching the back of his head trying to look natural... It wasn't working. He let out a huge sigh, "You're, right Prosecutor Edgeworth… I'm a failure as a friend, I'm afraid" he said.
"Hmph. While that may be true, do you mind telling me what happened anyway?"
"...Alright. You know how Prosecutor Gavin's been out of the country this last week right?
"Of course. I'm the one who approved of his vacation time, after all."
"Well, apparently he went to the Republic of Borginia again to perform a Christmas concert with Lamiroir and the Gavinners yesterday…. You see, Trucy is big fan of the Gavinners and she loves Prosecutor Gavin, so I asked him if he could fly in after his concert to surprise her with a little show."
"I see. And what, did he refuse?"
"No! He was more than happy to do it, he said! He told me he got the plane tickets and was all ready to come back!"
Edgeworth gave him a confused look, "Then what's the problem?"
"…Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa… Well apparently, there's a big snowstorm rolling in on the east coast. Apparently, it's already pretty bad over there, but it's supposed to become a full on blizzard in the coming hours." Apollo explained. "As such, the lay over flight Prosecutor Gavin was supposed to get on in New York was cancelled. I was on my way to the airport to pick him up, when he called me just a few minutes ago to telling me what was going on…."
That was the biggest, longest, most exaggerated sigh Edgeworth had ever heard. Edgeworth now understood the situation, but there was one thing that didn't quite make sense, "You said you were on the way to the airport? But the flight from New York to L.A. is over 5 hours. Why did Klaiver wait until just now to tell you about all this?"
"I was wondering about that too at first. But when I checked my phone, it seems that he tried to call me several times before that…. Damn it, why did I have to fall asleep on today of all days!? If I just wasn't so tired today, I might have had time to figure something else out!"
"Get a hold of yourself, Justice. The solution to your problem is as clear as day. You said this whole event is supposed to be a surprise, correct? So tell me, what's the problem? You tried and you failed. It was a valiant effort, but it's not as though everyone knew about-"
"You're right." Apollo said cutting him off. "It was supposed to be a surprise… but she found out about it…."
"…. Are you quite sure about that?" Edgeworth asked cautiously.
Apollo nodded, "She heard me talking on the phone with Prosecutor Gavin yesterday. She acted as though she didn't hear when I saw her, but I heard her tell Athena shortly after how excited she was that Prosecutor Gavin was coming to the Christmas party…"
Edgeworth took a deep breath and thought about the situation for a moment. "What time is it?"
"A little past seven. Why?"
"Come with me. Hurry! We haven't much time!"
#
"…. This is not at all what I had in mind!" Edgeworth said in protest.
"It's not my fault, Edgey. It's all I could do with such short notice," Larry replied.
"Well, I think you look really cute in that costume Mr. Edgeworth."
Ema's comment wasn't helping. He wasn't planning things would turn out this way, but, then again, he wasn't really planning for any of this to happen in the first place. "Let's just get this over with," Edgeworth said reluctantly.
"This was a great idea, Prosecutor Edgeworth!" Justice whispered. It was remarkable just how loud the young man can be, even when he's talking as softly as possible, "Trucy is going to love this!"
"Well, I'm glad someone will be enjoying this at least," Edgeworth retorted as he knocked on the door.
"Coming!" shouted Trucy from within. This was it, no turning back now. How could have he allowed this to happen, he kept asking himself.
The door opened, light landed upon them, and the show began. Standing on the other side of the doorway is none other than "The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo, along with his companions: the Pink Princess, the Nickel Samurai, and the Iron Teen! Together they destroy the forces of evil banded together by the Evil Magistrate! 'The warriors' swords gleam and strike in the moonlight! One has fallen… but who? Only the moon knows!..."
The four of them stood posed at the entrance for what felt like an eternity until finally it was Phoenix who spoke up, "Edgeworth? Is that you under there?!
Edgeworth stood up straight and took of his mask and said, "I knew it this was going to be a disaster."
"Ah, don't be like that Edgey, I thought it was totally awesome," said Nickel Samurai giving him a reassuring thumbs up.
"Larry's here too?" asked Phoenix in surprise.
"Hi, Mr. Wright," said the Pink Princess, whose true identity also was revealed the moment she spoke.
"But who's the 'Iron Teen?'" Athena asked approaching the masked individual.
"BEHOLD! THE GREATEST WARRIOR OF NEO OLDE TOKYO! I AM THE VANQUISHER OF EVIL, THE FOUNTAIN OF JUSTICE, I AM NONE OTHER, THAN THE IRON TEEN SAMURAI!"
"Polly!" shouted Trucy as she ran up to him.
"Uh… Sorry Trucy. I guess I'm not a very good friend after all," said Apollo as he took off his mask.
"What are you talking about, that was amazing!"
"What? You mean you actually liked it?!"
"Did I? I thought it was so cool! You look like a real life super hero Polly!"
"Heh. You think so?"
"Absolutely!" Trucy, then turned to the rest of them and said, "Alright everyone, thank you all for coming! We have some food and drinks over there so feel free to help yourself!"
"Food?" said Larry as he jumped out of his costume. "Why did you tell me there was going to be food earlier, Edgey?!"
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," said Ema as she proceeded to take the cumbersome costume off.
Edgeworth and Apollo both did the same, "Thank you so much for helping me today, Prosecutor Edgeworth. If I didn't run into you, I don't know what I would have done."
"Don't mention it, Justice… I'm just glad it's finally over," Edgeworth stated glancing down at the Steel Samurai costume.
"Oh really?" asked Phoenix as he walked up to him, "It sure did sound as though you knew those lines pretty well, though. Almost by heart by the looks of i-"
"Wright, if you continue that train of thought, I'll have no choice but to unleash the Steel Samurai's signature 'Early Summer Rain Jab' on you." Edgeworth said cutting him off. Even though he just said something utterly ridiculous, Phoenix could tell by his icy-cold stare that he wasn't joking. Thank goodness someone was knocking at the door.
"I'll get it," Phoenix said practically running for the door. ("Who could it be this time?"), Phoenix wondered. Whoever it was, he was sure it couldn't be anything more shocking than Edgeworth in a Steel Samurai costume. He couldn't have been more wrong. On the other side of the entrance were two people he wasn't expecting in the slightest. One was a timid little girl with charms placed on her forehead and the other was yet another samurai (or at least, a self-proclaimed one) with a hawk on his shoulder. The former's name was Jinxie, the daughter of the mayor of Tenma Town, and the foreboding figure standing next to her was Simon Blackquill, the fearsome Twisted Samurai of the Prosecutor's Office.
Apollo didn't waste any time greeting their new guests, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
"Hmph. Merry Christmas, Justice-dono," Blackquill responded as he entered the office.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Demon Lawyer!" Jinxie shouted as she slapped a charm upon the young attorney's head.
Apollo, shocked by this sudden assault, began to lose his balance and stumbled backward. "Our combined demon-fighting might must be too much for him," Jinxie remarked. "We need to remind him we know he's not a bad demon." She looked around. Her eyes landed on the hawk resting on the crazed samurai's shoulder and snapped her fingers. "Maybe Taka should reassure him that everything's alright. Do you think that would work?
A broad smile curved around Blackquill's lips and he nodded, "Heh, I'm certain of it. Honestly, what a brilliant idea." He shook his head in Apollo's direction and Taka flew towards him in an instant. Apollo's screams of pain and fear were overlooked by Gumshoe and Maggey's arrival shortly thereafter. As all the events of the evening unfolded before Edgeworth, he looked around and smiled. He was glad he didn't go home alone that night….
#
"… Hey Clay. Merry Christmas!" Apollo said smiling, "Boy, it's cold one today. Honestly, you aren't missing anything as far as the weather's concerned, aha ha ha." …. A tear started to roll down Apollo's cheek. "Dammit, I said I wasn't going to cry, but I just miss you so much…." He couldn't hold back anymore. Apollo dropped to his knees and began weep, "I'm so sorry, Clay… I can't help but think, that maybe there was something I could have done! Something that could have prevented what happened to you."
"Apollo?" Apollo turned back to see who called him. Standing behind him was Athena, "Oh, Apollo." She rushed over to him and embraced him as hard as she could.
"A-Athena," he choked as he clung on to her. They stayed like that for some time as they cried in each other's arms. The present Athena had brought with her laid on the ground a few feet away, but it'll have to wait. She knew that the support she was giving him, the kind that only she could give, was all that truly mattered in that moment….