Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“It’s almost ready,” Pearl said with a focused and determined look on her face.

She was watching over the Wright Anything Agency while everyone was out that afternoon. While Pearl was alone, she didn’t quite mind. She had become used to housesitting for her friends. Or “officesitting” would be a better term. At the moment, she was holding a magatama and intently focusing on it. She shut her eyes as if she were in meditation and the magatama glowed brightly.

Just then the newest recruit at the office busted through the door. Half magician-half lawyer, she balanced it all. Trucy sluggishly trudged over towards the couch before collapsing headfirst into the cushions. Pearl didn’t even flinch. She was used to her best friend being tired around her. To be honest, Pearl was the only person Trucy really relaxed around. Perhaps it was because deep down, Pearl had no expectations for Trucy. She never asked Trucy for anything, and she always made sure Trucy was happy before anyone else. She was her best friend.

“I’m guessing the trial went well?” Pearl smiled as she placed the magatama down on the table and turned towards Trucy. The only response from Trucy was a stifled “mrph.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad, could it?” Pearl said as she slowly rubbed Trucy’s hair as if she were petting an animal.

“Mmmrph” was all that Trucy could groggily muster under her breath. “It was pretty bad…” she said as she rolled over onto her back. “I don’t get how Polly and Daddy and Thena do it, Pearl. It’s just so…so…”

“Strenuous?” Pearl offered.

Trucy narrowed her eyes a bit. “Please don’t use any more fancy words around me until at least my premiere to my latest show has ended. I can’t take any more ‘incorporeals’ or ‘subpoenas’ or ‘hearsays’.”

“Alright, miss lawyer!” Pearl giggled. “Do you want to calm down with some ice cream and Steel Samurai?”

“Has there ever been a time where I turned down one of our ‘Steel Samurai ice cream marathon spectaculars’?!” Trucy smiled excitedly, which was probably the only time she smiled all day. “The real question is what season should we start with?”

Pearl smiled. “Well, where did we end off last time? Was it season 5 episode 7?”

Trucy widened her eyes a bit. “You’re exactly right! What, do you have some sort of supermemory that you never told me about?” she teasingly quipped.

“Nope, I just don’t like to restart episodes we have already watched. It gets boring!”

Pearl rose from the little plush couch in the makeshift ‘living room' of the Agency to go into the kitchen to grab some ice cream. She called out from the separate room: “How are rehearsals going?”

Trucy tensed a bit. “They’re getting there…We should be ready to go for the show in a few days, but we have a lot of kinks to iron out first.” She sighed, “It’s going to be our biggest show yet. I just hope we can get it ready in time for the end of the week.”

“Well, right now your only worry is what ice cream flavor you want to eat while watching samurai action!” Pearl exclaimed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Trucy stretched out to the most of her capabilities before placing her feet onto the little coffee table. Right next to her foot was a small object. A magatama, capable of seeing through people’s lies. Trucy, intrigued, picked up the stone-like object. “Hey Pearls, what’s this magatama for?”

“Oh,” Pearl said as she popped her head out to see her friend much clearer, “It’s for Mr. Nick. He said his magatama was running out of spiritual energy, so he asked me to ‘refill’ it I guess.”

Trucy stared at the small object as Pearl came back into the room with 2 pints of chocolate chunk ice cream (their favorite). “Pearls?”

“Yes, Trucy?”

“Could I try this thing out? I wanna see why Daddy uses it so much.”

Pearl tensed a little and nervously said, “Well, I don’t know if we should…”

“Aw, I’m sure it’ll be fine!” Trucy assured her best friend with a flick of her hand. “I’ll be extra careful! Plus, I just want to see what it’s like to have a special power. It could be handy in court!”

Pearl looked up towards the ceiling, deep in thought. After a couple minutes of deliberation, she looked at Trucy and nodded. Trucy held the magatama close to her chest.

“Okay, so you have to tell me a lie. Then I just state the facts and the psyche-locks will break, right?” Trucy eagerly chirped.

“Yep. What would you like me to lie about?” Pearl giggled.

“Hmmm…Anything that seems easy to prove.” Trucy said, the cogs in her mind turning.

“Okay…I am NOT your best friend in the whole wide world!”

In that instant, Trucy felt a small shaking as blood red locks with chains suddenly appeared in front of her and wrapped around what seemed to be Pearl’s body. Of course, these locks were only illusions, but Trucy felt a slight sense of eeriness around her. She shook her head and the locks disappeared.

“Aw, Pearly! You are my best friend, but I don’t have a lot of physical evidence to prove that. You need to make up a lie that I can prove with evidence! That way I can break the locks just like Daddy does!”

“Hmmm…” Pearl thought to herself for a moment before crossing her arms and smiling confidently. “Okay then! I like pickles!”

Once again the locks appeared from nowhere and wrapped around Trucy’s friend’s heart. This time, Trucy did not shake her head, but instead laughed confidently. She took a deep breath…

OBJECTION!

“I am afraid, Miss Fey, that this statement is clearly false!” She exclaimed, clearly trying to imitate her father.

Pearl chuckled, “Oh yeah? Show me the proof then! Evidence is everything, Miss Wright.”

“Well,” Trucy smirked while scrolling through her phone, “I have the evidence right here!” She showed off a rather unflattering picture of Pearl spitting out pieces of food. “This photo was taken after an April Fool’s Day prank I played on you where I placed pickles into your sandwich, meaning that you, in fact, despise pickles!”

Immediately, the psyche lock broke and the chains receded back to their ghostly hideout. The room became filled with light once more. Immediately, Pearl tried to grab Trucy’s phone.

“Where did you get that?!” She said while laughing.

“A magician never reveals her secrets!”

“Ah well, you got me red handed” Pearl said as she rose up from her seat, “I’ll go get the Steel Samurai DVDs now. If we don’t start now we might just fall asleep mid-marathon!”

Pearl strode out of the room and Trucy looked down at her hand. The magatama was still glowing despite it not being used at that moment. Trucy thought nothing of it and tried to place the small rock-like item back onto the table. However, there was some force stopping her from doing so. This force was compelling her nerves, her body, to not let go of that magatama like her life depended on it.

“Uh Pearly?” Trucy called, “The magatama is still glowing…is that normal?”

Pearl popped her head out from the other room, perplexed. Trucy held the magical item in her hands.

“No…I’ve never seen it do that before…” She said, concern and nervousness rising in her voice. “I’ll call Mystic Maya about it. She’ll know why it’s doing that!”

Determined, Pearl retracted her head back into the other room, most likely looking for her phone. Trucy looked down at her skin to realize that she looked a little green. She didn’t feel sick, which was really odd. She slowly got up as a wave of nausea hit her. She ran into the bathroom in a panic and waited for the nausea to pass. She looked in the mirror and, to her horror, she was bright green in the face as well. In fact, it was so bright that it made her look like she was glowing. Just as quickly as it had arrived, the nausea suddenly stopped. Trucy blinked a few times and sat down for a moment to make sure the nausea had truly passed. As she rose, she felt a slight lurching feeling in her stomach, but it was more out of nervousness than anything. She slowly turned the cold doorknob and returned to her spot on the sofa, fatigue slowly creeping in. Suddenly, Trucy felt very exhausted, as if the entire stress of the day had finally caught up to her. However, the trial was over. There was nothing to worry about. Why was she so…nervous?

“Pearl…something is really wrong…” Trucy said hurriedly. The fatigue was becoming too much to bear. Her eyelids slowly descended and ascended as she desperately tried to stay awake. Just one little nap won’t hurt…I’ll be awake in no time. Her eyelids closed and she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Wherever her mind had taken her, she was not going to wake up for a bit.

“Sorry, Trucy…Mystic Maya isn’t answering her phone…” Pearl said as she distractedly walked into the room. “But hey! At least we can still watch the Steel Samurai!” Pearl smiled. But, she realized something was different about the room. She took a double take and gasped. Trucy was no longer on the couch.

“Trucy?”

No answer.

“Trucy?!”

Chapter Text

Trucy was enveloped in a familiar darkness. Her exhaustion wrapped around her like a fluffy blanket. She felt warm. She felt safe. She was in her own little cocoon of sorts. A dark, warm cocoon. However, the darkness around her turned bitterly cold, and the warm blanket of exhaustion had left. Trucy shivered, although she was not even sure if she were consciously doing the motion. All she knew was that the darkness was now a cold, black void that threatened to swallow her whole.

Trucy saw images floating in this void. A gun laying on the ground. A potted plant, broken, with dirt and fertilizer spreading on the floor. The warm trickle of blood running from an unknown source into a puddle. The stained clothing laying on top of a lifeless body. The visual image of the body appeared for only a second before Trucy woke up.

She looked around, confused. The room she was in was not the Wright Anything Agency, nor was it the comfort of her own bedroom. No, instead she was in an empty, dark room. The room smelled like mold, and dust seemed to cover the floor like a thin sheet of gray snow. There were a few furniture items scattered around, but otherwise Trucy was alone.

A searing pain ran through the girl’s head as she finally adjusted to her surroundings. Trucy clutched her head in pain and shut her eyes tightly to try to ease the aching. Once the pain had subsided enough, Trucy stood up and looked around. The room she was in looked eerily familiar, but she didn’t know why.

“Pearl?” she called helplessly, just trying to figure out what was going on. “Pearl, are you there?”

Trucy took one small, careful step, as if trying to readjust to her own body. Her legs felt wobbly and unstable, but she was not going to stop. Left foot, right foot, left foot…

And soon enough she was walking with ease. She began to look around for her friend.

“Pearl? C’mon…this isn’t funny…”

As she approached an archway for another room, Trucy saw a glimpse of a diminutive flicker of candlelight. Hesitantly, she walked closer towards the light, making sure to watch her step. Left foot…right foot…left foot…

Suddenly, a large, foreboding figure slowly walked towards the girl. It reached out for her arm. Out of fear, Trucy yelped and tried to slap away the figure, leading to a much larger yelp from the figure themselves.

“Ow!” The individual cried as they quickly placed a large hand on their cheek. From the voice range, Trucy could tell it was a grown man. With the person distracted, Trucy tried to make a break for it, but the person grabbed her wrist tightly with his free hand and reached for a light switch. When the glare of the overhead lights quickly and efficiently appeared, Trucy was able to get a good look at the man’s face.

He had very large and hairy eyebrows, which the hue matched with his unkempt hair. He had a few bandages placed on his face, and a small handprint engraved on his right cheek. His clothing looked even worse for wear. His green overcoat was slung over his broad shoulders and the shirt under it was stained and dirty.

“Wait…Detective Gumshoe?!” Trucy exclaimed.

“What’s it to ya, pal?!” the detective cried out, still obviously in pain. “Don’t you know that no one from the outside public is allowed into this office?!”

“I…um…” Trucy hesitated. “Don’t you recognize me?”

“If I did I would have said something, pal.” Gumshoe replied, irritated.

“It’s me! Trucy Wright!”

Gumshoe froze for a moment, as if trying to compute if he had heard that name before.

“Wait…Wright?”

“Yeah, I’m the daughter of Phoenix Wright, remember?”
Gumshoe’s expression then changed from confused to utterly irate.

“Who do you think you’re trying to fool?! Phoenix Wright never had any children!”

This time it was Trucy who was confused. What was detective Gumshoe talking about? He had met Trucy on multiple occasions before. Why couldn’t he recognize her? But looking into the detective’s brown eyes, she could see no sign of recognition.

“Listen, kid…Whoever you are, you aren’t supposed to be here! This is a police investigation!”

Trucy thought carefully in her head. Wherever she was, she knew that she was not welcome. But, she needed some questions answered, for perhaps they would reveal the truth as to why the detective did not recognize her.

“Wait!” Trucy exclaimed. “I...um…” She fumbled in her small bag to find her gold defense attorney badge. More confidently, she stated, “I am a defense attorney…so I should be permitted to ask some questions.”

Gumshoe incredulously stared at the golden pin. He looked from the badge to Trucy before a slight smile crept onto his face.

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” he said, chuckling. “Are you a new recruit at Mr. Edgeworth’s office?”

“Wait…Mr. Edgeworth? But I thought he was a prosecutor! Don’t you mean Phoenix Wright’s law firm?” Trucy asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

Gumshoe laughed.

“Kid…Phoenix Wright has been out of the defending circle for around ten years now! In fact, he's the chief prosecutor!”

“The…what?!”

“Jeez, kid…you must live under a rock if you didn’t know Phoenix Wright was the chief prosecutor of the district! In fact, he’s the one investigating this case.”

“B-but I thought that Miles Edgeworth was the chief prosecutor!” Trucy exclaimed.

Gumshoe laughed even harder. “Miles Edgeworth was never chief prosecutor. In fact, he’s been defending folks for ten years now!”

Trucy froze. This made…absolutely no sense. Phoenix Wright…a prosecutor? Now, she had even more questions than before.

But before she could ask any more of them, another man walked toward the two. He was wearing a fancy blue suit with golden cufflinks and a frilly cravat-like tie. His hair was spiky, standing on edge at all times. His heterochromatic eyes looked somewhat dead, as if the light had gone out from them. He wore a tight frown on his face. Trucy would have been scared of the figure if he didn’t look so much like her father.

“Gumshoe.” The man spoke in a monotone voice. “May I ask what you think you are doing?”

Gumshoe immediately stood straight, saluting the man. “Mr. Wright, sir! I was keeping watch of the entrances, sir!”

Phoenix Wright then looked towards the young lady, his expression not changing. “Then, who may I ask is this?”

Gumshoe froze in fear. “Uh, she managed to sneak inside somehow, sir!”

“And instead of promptly escorting her out of the premises, you decided it was time to chit-chat?”

Gumshoe relaxed a little bit, but was still hesitant. “Uh…well…You see sir, she’s a defense attorney…”

“Gumshoe.” The detective once again froze in place. “There has been no defendant identified yet. How would a defense attorney know about the crime scene?”

“I…uh…well…” Gumshoe stuttered.

Phoenix let a small breath escape his nostrils, a sad attempt for a laugh. “Well, due to your incompetence, we now have an unauthorized person at the crime scene. I look forward to seeing your salary review next month.”

Gumshoe whimpered a small bit before Phoenix snapped his fingers and pointed towards the crime scene, directing the detective away. Detective Gumshoe, still holding onto Trucy’s wrist, discreetly placed something from inside his sleeve into her hand before trudging away. Phoenix then turned his attention onto the girl.

“And as for you. I hope you know that breaking and entering is a crime young lady.” Before Trucy could interject and defend herself, he continued. “Now, I want you to exit the premises before I have the police escort you by force.”

“Can I ask one question before I go?” Trucy meekly squeaked. She had never felt this…powerless before. Not even when she was accused of murder.

Phoenix raised his eyebrows slightly, his only indication of surprise. He shut his eyes for a moment, as if going into deep thought. After a moment, he answered.

“Fine, as long as it has nothing to do with this investigation.”

“Why did you become a prosecutor? From what I remember, you were a defense attorney!”

For the first time since their meeting, Phoenix looked genuinely taken aback. His stony façade was broken for just a moment. He coughed quietly, as though uncomfortable.

“I am afraid that is one question I refuse to answer.”

“But-”

Trucy was cut off by Phoenix, who in turn quietly declared, “If that is all you came here to ask, I now request that you leave.”

The foreboding figure then turned away silently, leaving Trucy to her own thoughts. Her head was spinning. Just where the heck was she?! She then felt a slight pain in her hand. She untangled her fingers from the light fist she had unconsciously created. Inside her palm, she found a small business card. It read:

Edgeworth Law and Co.
32 Cherry Road
Japanifornia

She smiled slightly. Gumshoe was trying to help her. With nowhere else to go, she set off into the night, ready to find answers and get home.

---------------------

The king was cornered against the edge of the board. In front of it was a queen, its figure dark and imposing. There was nowhere for it to go. It was checkmate.

“Ha!” Athena’s voice chirped, excited, “Scacco matto! I won!”

Apollo groaned, either from being upset at his loss or from his sheer tiredness. It was almost midnight, and the only thing he wanted at that moment was to be in his bed, snuggling with his cat Mikeko. He looked out the small window that the chess table sat next to. It was pouring out, lightning striking as if Zeus himself was behind this storm. Miles Edgeworth sat on a small plush sofa, drinking some chamomile tea. He had his eyes shut, meditating.

“Mr. Edgeworth, I don’t think I can drive home in these conditions.” Apollo said tiredly.

“I don’t think I can either…” Athena said while stroking her long, red hair, a horrible habit she had when she was nervous.

Miles stood up from his seat, tea still in hand and walked towards the window, as if trying to verify the validity of his subordinate’s words. He sighed.

“It seems that the roads are in no condition for anyone to drive home. It seems we will have to stay here for the night.”

Athena cheered while Apollo sighed loudly.

“Aw, c’mon, Apollo! It’ll be like a sleepover!”’

“More like a nightmare…”

Just then, a swift knocking could be heard from the door.

“Does NO ONE read the sign on the door anymore?!” Apollo groaned. He got up from his chair and slowly slogged towards the door. He opened it quickly before saying, “Hey, sorry, but we’re closed.” But before he could shut the door, he laid eyes on the knocker. It was a small girl, no older than 18 or 19, drenched from head to toe in rainwater. Her face showed an expression of concern. She was panting slightly, as if she had just run a great distance.

“I need to speak to Mr. Edgeworth,” was all she said.

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry that I have to do this, pal…” Gumshoe said wearily as he placed the cold metal onto Phoenix Wright’s wrists.

“Do not apologize for something you cannot control, detective.” Phoenix replied, his voice not wavering for even a second. He took a deep breath as he felt the familiar sense of foreboding wash over him. The cold handcuffs on his wrists tightened, somewhat like a forbidden hug.

“But, sir…” Detective Gumshoe began.

“There are no ‘buts’, detective. The evidence points towards me as the criminal, so it’s quite obvious that I committed the crime.”

“But that makes no sense, sir!” Gumshoe exclaimed, tightening his grip onto the handcuffs, which in turn tightened their metallic clutch on the prosecutor’s wrists. Phoenix breathed in sharply from the pain, but otherwise did not make any other movements. Gumshoe continued, “You would never do something like this! I just know you wouldn’t!”

Phoenix sighed, “Regardless of what you think I can and cannot achieve, detective… I assure you that the Phoenix Wright that you ‘know’ is not me.”

Gumshoe knitted his brows in disappointment. He glanced at his old friend, and while his physical features were the same, he was basically a stranger.

“Now detective, I assume we should be leaving. I am sure that the police will want to have a word with me.”

Gumshoe was awakened from his trance and shook his head. “Sir, I know you wouldn’t murder her…she is… she is…”

“You refer to the victim as if she is still alive. Whatever she ‘is’ does not matter any longer. She is dead. And she is never coming back, detective.” Phoenix said quickly and nonchalantly.

Gumshoe wiped a small, hot tear that was gathering at the crease of his eye. “I just… I just don’t want to believe she’s gone.”

“Living in denial will not bring her back.” Phoenix swiftly said. “All we can do now is bring her justice. And if that justice involves me being arrested for her murder…” he took a deep breath as he continued, “then so be it.”

Gumshoe sniffed, his eyes becoming increasingly more watery. “Sir… I-...just know I believe in you until the bitter end!”

“I don’t need your sentimentalities, detective.” the prosecutor irately quipped, his wrists becoming more chafed by the handcuffs gripping at his wrists. “We should be going.” A small, hollow smile crept across his face. “I’m sure the police department is going to have a field day questioning me.”

The detective sighed as he started to lead his friend out of the building. He took one more quick scan of the room and his eyes fell on the victim. He looked at her with a flash of pity in his eyes. Her lifeless body stayed perched where she was discovered, white rope being placed around her. Her clothing was now dry, stained from her own blood pooling around her. Her eyes were wide, as if she were still awake. The detective walked over to the corpse, kneeled down and placed his hand on her face, feeling her cold skin. He slowly guided her eyelids down. At this point he did not care whether he would be penalized for tampering with the body. She looked more peaceful in this state. Gumshoe shook his head and walked back towards Phoenix Wright, who watched the entire scene but said nothing in response. The prosecutor looked at the girl with a sense of pity, yet he seemed to be emotionless. The detective took one last look at the victim.

“Poor girl…”

After a quick kick from Phoenix, Gumshoe left the room with the suspect in tow.

Chapter Text

“Here,” Athena said tenderly while handing Trucy a blanket, “This will help you warm up.”

“Thanks,” Trucy said while smiling. “I really appreciate it.”

She wrapped herself in the warm, red blanket. It reminded her of the one that her father would wrap her in whenever she had a nightmare and needed some comfort before trying to sleep. She would nestle in its soft crevasses, bathe in its comforting warmth. Trucy looked down at the blanket and tried not to cry. She was hoping that her father was not worried about her, although she knew that would not be true. She just wanted to be sure that he was okay.

Trucy was called back to the present by a soft clearing of the throat from Mr. Edgeworth. He still looked as dignified as ever, with his hair kept neatly in place and his glasses not even the slightest bit askew, despite it being quite late at night. However, there was something different about this Edgeworth. His eyes seemed to be much kinder, with creases manifesting at the creases to serve as a remembrance of past happiness. His mouth was more upturned, with slight dimples on either side. He radiated tranquility and warmth, which are two words that Trucy would never associate with the Miles Edgeworth she knew. He looked at her with a sense of patience.

“So, Miss…?” Edgeworth said.

“Trucy.”

“Trucy,” He smiled, “What is it that I can do for you? If a defense is what you seek, then I can assure you I will provide you one of our amazing attorneys to help suit your needs.”

“Oh!” Trucy exclaimed, “No, I’m not here for a defense attorney…” she said as she scratched the back of her neck sheepishly, a trait she developed from Phoenix Wright. Well, HER Phoenix Wright, anyways…

Apollo narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “Well, if you’re not here for a defense, then what are you here for then? This is a DEFENSE ATTORNEY office, you know. Are you stupid or something?”

Trucy averted her gaze from Apollo as Athena jumped over to him quickly and covered his mouth. “Shut up Polly!” She then turned her attention onto Trucy. “I am so sorry for my coworker. He can be very…blunt when he’s sleepy.”

What Apollo had said was not the problem to Trucy, but rather that this was not the Apollo she knew. This was not ‘Polly’. This was Apollo Justice, who was practically a stranger to her. The Polly she knew would never speak to anyone like that, even if he was annoyed. It was just…not right.

“Well, um…” Trucy trailed off. She wasn’t really sure why she decided to come. While detective Gumshoe handed her that business card with the intention of her going to the office, she had all the freedom to go and try to figure this mystery out on her own. Plus, how could she get help from people who did not even recognize her? Trucy felt her hand go inside her pocket as she rubbed the magatama. The sheer chilliness that the rock emanated made her spine crawl. That stupid thing was the reason why she was here in the first place.

Wait…that’s it!

“Uh, I was wondering if you know anything about these…” Trucy said as she took the rock out from her pocket and held it out towards the man in front of her.

Miles Edgeworth’s eyebrows raised slightly as he stared from the girl to the gem-like object. He cleared his throat. “A magatama? Well, I’m not a great expert on those, but I do know someone who does. She is the master of the Khura'in village and a well-suited spirit medium. Would you like me to call her?”

“Um…yes please.” Trucy replied quietly. It was weird to hear her Aunt Maya be described in such a way, but that was the least of Trucy’s concerns.

Suddenly, Edgeworth’s phone rang. It had the familiar tune of the Steel Samurai theme. Quickly, the man took his phone out of his pocket and read the caller ID before turning to Trucy.

“It seems that Miss Fey detected I needed her assistance. I will explain the situation to her at once.” He smiled as the familiar ringtone continued to play.

“Ugh, did Athena change your ringtone to the Steel Samurai theme too?” Apollo groaned, “I swear, I need to make a better password on my phone…”

“You’re telling me, Polly!” Athena giggled, “1234 is wayyy too easy to guess! At least pick something original!”

Apollo grunted, “Well, I tried to use Mikeko’s birthday, but apparently THAT was also too easy.”

Miles Edgeworth smiled, watching his subordinates bicker, before saying, “Yes, I do believe Athena changed my ringtone.”

Athena gasped before exclaiming, “That is completely falsch! I have never gone near your phone ever, boss!”

Apollo looked at his left wrist, where his golden bracelet was wrapped around. He then looked at his boss in puzzlement. “Huh…my bracelet isn’t reacting…”

Miles Edgeworth’s face turned pink in embarrassment before quickly turning away. “Well, I suppose it will remain a mystery. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

The man pressed the small green button on his phone and answered the call. From Trucy’s angle, she could see that he had a Steel Samurai phone background as well. She smiled. At least this Edgeworth also had a not-so-secret love for the Steel Samurai. As Miles left the room, Athena turned towards Trucy.

“So!” She exclaimed, “Do you need anything? I can get you something to drink if you’d like!”

“Oh, that would be nice…”

“Do you like tea?”

“Yes, I do! Do you have chamomile?” Trucy smiled.

“You’re in luck! That’s also Mr. Edgeworth’s favorite, so we have a lot stocked up!”

“I know, “ Trucy whispered to herself while smiling.

She had developed a fondness for tea from Mr. Edgeworth. They would sometimes have late night tea parties after her Daddy had fallen asleep. They would talk about their respective careers and give each other advice. They would joke and quietly laugh to themselves into the early morning. Those ‘tea-talks’, as she called them, were fond memories.

Athena then walked to the small coffee bar near the entrance of the office. She smiled as she grabbed the tea boxes from a higher shelf and placed a small kettle onto the gas stove. The room was silent except for the quiet flow of the fire heating up the water and the ticking of a small clock. Trucy looked at it. It was around 1:30 in the morning at this point. She wondered what time it was at home. Would her family be looking for her? She imagined them roaming the dark streets, flashlights in hand, calling her name. Pearl would be shaken and most likely blaming herself for Trucy’s disappearance. Phoenix would be determined to find his daughter, even at the cost of his own health. Athena was visiting Apollo in Khura'in at the moment, but Trucy knew that they would be doing all they could from afar. Trucy squirmed. She felt alone. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to see her family. Not these…bizarro versions of them. She didn’t know these people. They are doppelgangers, clones, fakes. She was worried about her family. With how much trouble she has caused, she felt guiltiness root itself in the pit of her stomach. This was her fault. She caused this. Trucy sniffled as she tried to wipe away a stray tear. More tears started to run down Trucy’s face and before she could do anything about it she let out a small sob.

Trucy was snapped out of her trance by not-Apollo sitting next to her on the couch, his hand rubbing her back in comfort. She looked at him, tears still running. He smiled empathetically. This only made Trucy feel more guilty. She could tell that not-Apollo was skeptical of her, but just seeing him try to comfort her as she cried made her miss her own Apollo. He would know what to do. He would try and find a solution. But Trucy couldn’t think of anything. Right at that moment, Trucy heard the slight whistling of the kettle and Athena pouring the steaming water into a delicate teacup. She balanced the cup onto a saucer and cautiously walked over to the pair. She then gently placed the teacup and saucer into Trucy’s hands before sitting on the floor.

“Hey,” she said quietly and soothingly, “Whatever is going on, rest assured that we will help you.”

“Thanks,” Trucy sniffed as she took a sip of her tea. The tea was scalding, but it was exactly how she liked it. There was a bit of extra sugar added, which was a welcome surprise.

“I hope you like the tea,” Athena said quietly, “Since I didn’t know your taste, I just made the boss’s blend. It’s always a safe choice.”

“I really like it,” Trucy said, “this is the exact way I make it.”

“Really?!” Athena chirped, “I don’t think anyone has complimented me on my tea skills before!”

“Maybe that’s because you suck at making it,” Apollo sneakily said under his breath.

In retaliation, Athena threw a pillow at her coworker, which landed squarely onto his face. Trucy laughed. She was glad to see that not-Apollo and not-Athena were still the same when it came to their playful rivalry.

At that moment, Miles Edgeworth reentered the room. All his previous patience and tranquility had vanished. His face was stock-white, and he was slightly trembling. His phone was still connected to a call, and Trucy could hear a young woman screaming and crying in agony. It was a horrible sound.

“Boss?” Athena said quietly, “I-Is everything alright?”

Edgeworth stared straight ahead, not saying a word. Whether he was refusing to say anything or he just couldn’t utter anything, Trucy couldn’t tell. The seconds-long silence felt like an eternity as the trio waited for the older man to say something, anything, that would quell their anxiety. However, those worries only grew exponentially in volume as Miles finally forced out out four words.

“It’s Pearl,” He uttered, trying carefully not to accidentally start sobbing, “She’s…dead.”

Trucy felt her grip slipping on the teacup as Apollo and Athena began swiftly and urgently asking questions. However, Trucy could barely hear them. She felt as if she were underwater, the voices around her growing softer and softer as she continued to sink towards the bottom. There was no point in trying to swim back up to the surface. She would drown trying. She closed her eyes, allowing for the water to fill her lungs. She felt her grip slipping further away. The voices around her continued to sound muffled and dull. The only thing that she could hear was “Wake up!”

W…ke…p!

W… p…

W-

“Wake up Truce!” A familiar voice quietly said as they nudged an 8 year old Trucy awake.

“Mrrph… five more minutes…” Trucy said as she placed the covers farther over her head trying to block out any sunlight. Suddenly, the covers were thrown off of her body and cold rushed in. Trucy slightly opened her eyes to see her adoptive father, Phoenix Wright, standing next to her bed.

“Not today Truce! We have company coming over!” Her father chirped.

He picked up the little girl from her bed and placed her feet onto the carpeted floor, its flat bristles rubbing against the soles of her feet. She looked up at her father and smiled. He was already dressed in his usual attire: A gray hoodie that had surprisingly been washed, black sweatpants, and a blue beanie that Trucy had knitted for him for father’s day. He hadn’t taken it off since, even to go to sleep. Phoenix went towards the little girl’s closet and opened the doors.

“Let me guess,” he said, “the usual?”

“You know it, daddy!” Trucy said as she pumped her fist into the air. Her father laughed as he took out a black dress with a pink cape, as well as a pink hat. Even though this was her work outfit, Trucy also just liked wearing out and about. Her daddy laid the clothes out on her bed and smiled.

“Try to get ready quickly, we have to get to the train station!”

---------------------------------------

There were a lot of people at the train station. People of all shapes and sizes, races and ethnicities, and heights and weights surrounded the pair. Trucy clung onto her father’s pants, determined not to lose track of him. She wasn’t necessarily worried about getting lost herself, she could handle that, but more worried about her father’s nervous breakdown if she is out of his sight.

The two reached a small clearing in the sea of people trying to commute to their respective workplaces, with suits and dresses and briefcases at hand. However, as Trucy continued to stare at the crowds around her, she saw two people who looked vastly different. One had her hair up in two pretzel-like loops, wearing a pink acolyte outfit. She was holding hands with a slightly older lady, wearing a purple acolyte outfit. She was grinning from ear to ear. Once she saw the pair, she ran full speed towards them, the younger girl following suit. She jumped towards Trucy’s father, who had his arms spread out wide. He was also grinning.

“Nick!” She exclaimed as she hugged Phoenix, “It’s been so long!”

Trucy stood there awkwardly as the two reunited. She didn’t know this lady, nor the other girl. She felt as if she were intruding. Her father glanced towards her for a moment, as if sensing her discomfort, and almost immediately turned towards her.

“Maya, I want you to meet my daughter, Trucy.”

The lady bent down slightly in order to meet Trucy’s gaze. She held her hand out expectantly and Trucy shook it.

“Trucy,” her father continued, “This is Maya. She’s kind of like a younger sister to me.”

“Aw, you don’t have to be so sentimental, dork!” Maya chirped as Phoenix rolled his eyes, “It’s very nice to meet you, Trucy! I’ve heard so many great things about you!”

The young girl that was previously holding Maya’s hand quietly shifted over to Phoenix and gave him a small hug around his legs before moving back towards Maya. Trucy looked at her and smiled, but the girl just nervously hid behind her friend (sister? mother?).

“Aw, Pearl! There’s no need to be shy,” Maya said calmly as she smiled. “Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Trucy was then able to get a better look at Pearl. Pearl was a little taller than herself, and she looked to be the same age as Trucy, maybe a little older. She smiled meekly and blushed.

“I-I’m Pearl…”

“Pearl is Maya’s cousin, Truce,” Phoenix smiled, “I’ve known her for a couple years now. I hope you two can become friends.”

Trucy smiled back at her father and looked at Pearl. She was not sure why, but when she tried to speak, nothing would come out. Her chest felt very stiff all of a sudden. She was nervous, a first for the great Trucy Wright. But why she was nervous, she didn’t know.

“Man, I’m starving! We should go get some burgers!” Maya exclaimed as her stomach growled loudly.

“Well, why don’t we go and get some lunch, then?” Phoenix smiled. “I’m assuming that I’m paying, right?”

“Aw, Nick! You’re so chivalrous!” Maya said, mocking a fancy tone.

As the four of them began to make their journey towards the exit of the train station, Trucy turned towards Pearl as they walked.

“Trucy,” she said quietly.

“What?”

“My name is Trucy…” she said once more, a little louder.

Pearl smiled, “Well, it’s nice to meet you Trucy!”

Trucy…

Trucy.

“Trucy!” Athena yelled, slightly shaking the girl awake.

Trucy immediately sat up and looked around wildly. She was on the cold, hardwood floor. Apollo, Athena, and Mr. Edgeworth surrounded her, worry emanated on their faces. She could hear the monotone voice of the news anchor in the background.

“Jeez, are you okay?” Apollo asked, concerned, “You just passed out!”

Miles gestured for his two subordinates to move away from the girl for a moment, and he silently helped the young lady up from the floor and helped her back onto the couch.

“How long was I out?” Trucy said, rubbing her head.

“Only a few minutes,” Mr. Edgeworth replied, “After I told you the news about Pearl, you immediately fainted. I was about to call for an ambulance.”

“Sorry…” Trucy meekly whispered.

“There is nothing to apologize for, Miss Trucy. It is a common reaction when hearing about death.”

“Does Miss Fey know the cause of death?” Apollo inquired.

“No,” Miles shook his head, “The only thing that Miss Fey knows is that Pearl has been declared dead by medical practitioners.”

“Wait,” Athena interrupted, “Isn’t that Pearl on the screen?”

Everyone stopped talking for a moment and watched the news attentively, looking for any information. The news anchor sat down by his desk, reading the teleprompter in a monotone and dull voice. Trucy clenched her fist. Her friend was dead and this anchor looked bored. He looked as if this were normal, like he couldn’t be bothered to care. Why couldn’t he at least give a little respect towards Pearl?

“The body of a young woman was found in an abandoned office unit this evening. The police and medical practitioner have identified her as Miss Pearl Fey, aged 20. The police have identified the cause of death as homicide, but no further details were given.”

Trucy looked away. She felt sick. The news anchor had already moved on to the next story, so there was nothing else to pay attention to. Trucy looked down at the floor, just trying to compute what was just relayed to her. Her thoughts were interrupted by the news anchor.

“This just in, the police department have shared the prime suspect for the murder of Pearl Fey. Police said that he turned himself in willingly after the news had broken out. The suspect has been identified as Phoenix Wright, chief prosecutor, aged 37. No other information has been shared as of this moment.”

Everyone stared at the television in silence. Apollo’s eyes were widened, Athena’s hands covered her mouth, and Miles Edgeworth had begun to nervously sway.

Phoenix Wright, a murderer?