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Language:
English
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Published:
2023-06-03
Completed:
2023-07-22
Words:
46,870
Chapters:
10/10
Comments:
12
Kudos:
21
Bookmarks:
6
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650

Turnabout Strangers

Summary:

One year ago, an unsuspecting man brought an enchanted mask to a bustling sci-fi/fantasy convention, triggering the Xanadu Incident. Thousands of cosplayers were turned into the people or creatures they had dressed as, some more thoroughly than others. With seemingly no cure in sight, the world was rapidly forced to adapt to the existence of magic, aliens, superheroes, and countless other once-fictional forces, while the less fortunate victims of the incident contend with their new bodies and wrestle with their sense of identity.

Now Phoenix Wright finds himself alone in an unfamiliar world, defending a Xanadu victim who has been falsely accused of murder, (and correctly accused of trespassing, kidnapping, and assault). Should he fail, his client will be subjected to an experimental "cure," that threatens to wipe away her very sense of self, and others will follow.

Notes:

  • Inspired by Xanadu by Shifti User Bryan

This story takes place in the Xanadu universe, an obscure old shared setting that I've had a soft spot for. This Story includes all the details to bring people with no prior knowledge of the setting up to speed. However, if you're curious about this universe, more information can be found in the found in the original story (linked in the inspiration section) or the setting's wiki page, here: https://shifti.org/wiki/Xanadu_(setting)

This work owes special thanks to the "New Beginnings" story, (which can also be found on the Shifti wiki) in the same setting, for directly inspiring one of the major plot points.

To avoid criticisms of plagiarizing myself, I'll state that a version of this work was originally posted on DeviantArt in January of 2020. I have made various revisions to it since then, which will be discussed in the author's notes in the relevant chapters.

All that aside, thank you for your attention. Niche though it may be, this story is a personal favorite of mine, and I hope you find it as enjoyable to read as I found it to write.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter Text

Maggie White took a deep breath, refusing to allow the blaring sirens or the flashing emergency lights distract her.  The intruder may have found a way around the facility’s lockdown, but she wouldn’t let the patients under her charge escape and wreak havoc.  Channeling magic into her wooden staff, she double checked the sealing spells.  When she felt confident they would hold, she considered her options for self-defense.  Now, where had she left her knife?

She felt something grab her from behind.  She barely had time to react before she felt her head slam against something.  Her staff clattered to the floor, and she fell beside it..

She groaned, feeling dizzy and disoriented.  Was that blood trickling down her forehead?  She tried to push herself back up, when she felt something sharp plunge into her back, then get yanked out.  Then again, and again.  She tried to gasp, but even breathing had become difficult.  She coughed, and saw red liquid spatter onto the floor in front of her.  She struggled to move, instinctively groping around for her staff, hoping to cast a healing spell on herself as her mind finally began to register the extent of the pain she was experiencing. Her last hope was shattered when she heard a snap, and a clatter, her staff’s glow fading.  The world slowly descended into a blurry haze.

Maggie desperately fought to stay conscious, every minute seeming to stretch on for hours.  With one last effort, she looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of her attacker.  A tall, fox-like creature loomed above her on its hind legs, its yellow fur stained with splatters of red.  The monster was the last thing she saw, before her eyes closed for good.