Chapter Text
“Wait, Please! Don’t take my dad! Take me instead, please.” A desperate voice came from behind a black car. Miles Edgeworth, was the boy who was shouting for the guards to release his father. The guards took note from the voice, they went through the screaming crowd to find the enigma they heard. He heard his father grunt and out of breath while being pushed by some ruthless guards. “Whoever said he will replace his father will come to us immediately before he gets taken. Do you hear me!” A guard shouts to get the crowd's attention, the bundle of people search for this boy as the guard counts from thirty.
A“Eight, Seven, Six…!” A guard was caught off guard as someone bumps into him. “It's me sir!. Take me!..” A puff let out from his mouth, getting his footing stable again. Stepping back, he looks at the guard with a saddened look, a pathetic attempt at persuading the guards to not kill him. It somehow worked as they let go of his father and handcuffed him instead. “You're too young to be in this shit kid, you sure..?” A concerned guard approached him with caution as if he was a monster. “Yes. I'm quite sure, thank you very much for your concern.” A pang of sarcasm left his voice while being pushed in the sleek black car.
The driver was a man wearing a green trench coat, with messy hair. His build was quite square like, almost too big for the car even. He’s got multiple band-aids covering his body, from appearances alone he could tell that he was quite clumsy for a man. Beside him was a woman, she had a… different hairstyle from the usual ones he’d seen in his town. Her facial expression was ecstatic really, unlike any other he had seen in the past. Her face had, no, a tinge of sadness inside. He shuffled to the centre of the vehicle to get a better look ahead. Apparently, he had made too much noise for the woman to notice him.
The car started with a concerning sound, having to restart the process– the driver asked the woman to talk with him.
“Hey! My name is Maya Fey! What's yours?” a childish voice appeared from the seat diagonal of him. “Why should I? You know what? Nevermind. Edge-Conner… Miles Conner.” He replied with a confused and slightly stern voice. He slumped back and released a sigh from his mouth. Tired, he asked for some refreshments. “R-refreshments? You mean water right?” A partly shocked but mostly confused tone came out of Maya’s mouth. “Yes indeed, has the servant’s vocabulary intimidated the master?” an awkward chuckle came out, reminding him of his fate he put himself in. “I’m not the ‘master’ really, I'm his friend! Along with Gumshoe!” she replied with some enthusiasm, as she pointed to the green man driving rather fast.
“Heya pal. He said we should get someone my age but, I think you'll do a fine age pal!” A 0⁰shock of horror appeared on his face as Gumshoe scratched his neck. “So… What is it like? In the place we’re going…” A nervous chuckle released from his mouth as the two people sitting in the front looked mildly confused. “You don't know? We usually hand out fliers to some towns willing to work for him. Unless all of them are unwilling and then… we just take one person!” An unusual laughter appeared in front of him. It was more uncomfortable than relief. He asked for his ‘refreshments’ again and got some lemon water. ‘Do people really think this is good?’ It sounded really mean in his mind, more than he would like.
After some nervous small talk and an hour of awkward silence later, Miles finally got to the supposed castle he has been told he’ll go to. You can say he was Impressed when he saw the place.
“Good lord… This place is GIANT.”
In front of him was a giant, no humongous castle covered in dark clouds. The exterior was made with charcoal like bricks and the whole castle was tainted in some grey stain. There were multiple sections from where he could see, and more walls behind the already shadowy bricks that lay. The layout was a confusing one to be honest, he didn't know how people manage around this. The castle’s entrance was threatening to say the least. It was embellished with metal spikes and had a black tarnish covering the entire thing like the walls. It was being held up by some chains that looked like it’ll snap anytime. Infront were some bushes, contrasting the gloomy atmosphere it was a vibrant green. It had roses, the colour was of his old coat, burgundy. It was void of any human life really, almost abandoned with the appearance of Maya and Gumshoe beside him.
“Come on slowpoke! He’s waiting for us, you know!” a slightly annoyed Maya Fey urged him to go inside the castle as Gumshoe also catches up with Maya. Miles follows through and receives a glimpse of a nearby sunflower garden. Compared to the castle next to it, it looked like the sun was pouring all over it. He snapped out of his thoughts and paid attention to a sudden loud ‘thud’ sound he heard. The gate was open to form a bridge and Maya was now crossing it. He quickly catched up to take a good look inside.
He came to see Gumshoe talking to an exhausted guard as he let him, Maya, and Miles in. “We're home!” An excited Maya runs about the manor as he admires the excellently crafted statues and paintings that must have taken years to complete. Of course he would never publicly admit this, as he was still a hostage taken by the two. He roams the halls, occasionally finding portraits of a masked man. Who? He didn't really know. The paintings were in less than good condition, with some of the paint chipping off. The paintings itself was one of decent detail, most of them depict a masked man. His mask was blue with orange and white accents that outlined the mask. Above it, there were three feathers– all orange in colour. There was one thing that was off about it. There was a golden ring right below his left eye. Miles didn’t really think about it, at least for now.
The more he wanders around the halls, the more curious his mind gets. The paintings get more and more detailed and the sculptures are more refined the further he goes. The corridors somehow transition from black-grey stained bricks and wooden flooring to a nice marble polish that covers the rough interior of the fortified barricade that is the castle. The flooring was also smooth marble like the walls, albeit it was slightly more yellow. The halls were spacious, nothing too wide– it was just enough for some grand pianos and full on trees. (Yes, it was that massive.)
He somehow wanders far enough to get spotted by Maya and an exhausted Gumshoe.
“Heya pal! Where were you?” Miles instantly turned his head around to see Maya and Gumshoe waving at him from a huge black door. The door looks like the one just before he entered the castle, except the rusty chains. He approached the two people and said hello before letting Maya rant how late he is because of his temporary absence. “You should have come earlier! Now he’s sad. Let’s go in before he gets angry, he’s had a tough week you know!” Maya’s unending rant finally came to a close and he was let in by some more scary looking guards beside him.
Once the guards scurried back to their positions, he finally got a good look inside the mysterious room.
The room was big, no– big is an understatement. Anything in this castle is enormous really. The flooring was a black marble split into multiple small tiles that cover the entire floor. The walls were made of smooth brick that was painted delicately in a nice aegean blue that was washed with a tint of grey. There was a window with white framing in an arch-like shape, it had half open curtains leaving little light in. The interior was something he’d ever seen anywhere in his hometown. In the centre of the room was an enormous chandelier. The chandelier had multiple decorations, obvious that it was crafted with skill and care. It was made with pure glass; there were some dangling pieces– it looked like it would collapse at any moment. Down the centre was a beautiful red carpet, the 0texture from afar looked like a fuzzy velvet. On each of the corners of the room was a stone pillar. The pillar appears to be quite brittle, with pieces of it cracking and specks of rock breaking off.
There was one thing that caught his eye was a stunning throne in the back of the room. It was standing on an elevated platform. The throne was like the floor and walls of the room, dark in aesthetic. Its design was similar to the gate at the front of the castle. There were chains around the base of the fancy chair, as well as the four pillars encapsulating the room. There were silver embellishments outlining the already massive frame of the royal throne. On that throne there was a man, sitting with elegance holding a cup of tea as he looked at the newcomer with curiosity in his eyes. He was wearing a suit fit for a king with a big robe that finishes his outline and a well adjusted crown on his head. He had looked like the strange man from the paintings, except with more lifeless features and grey palette.
However, there was one thing that remained the same. His mask. His gorgeous mask with the same blue and white palette with the three orange feathers that emerge from the indent for his nose. The same uncanny ring that was hooped right under his left eye. The shine on it that was usually emphasised by the numerous paintings that reside in the halls were nonexistent. The happiness that was shown in the images was gone. The spark on it, the light that was suggested by the cheerful paintings were sad. Like a grey filter was put on your vision. Black and white.
Bang!
A loud noise from the heavy closing door awakened him from his trance like state.
He looked around for Maya and Gumshoe, noticing they were slowly walking on the soft red carpet growing near to the prince. He started rushing to go near his new found companions as they continued to walk along. He briskly walked alongside Gumshoe when he caught up with the fast pacing Maya while complaining about how energetic she was. Once he approached the still figure sitting on the throne, he was instructed to bow accordingly. He was tasked to kneel in a certain position, it was hard to get it at first but he eventually got it right. However, he attained a nice look at his face while doing so– was this the person he thought it was?
No. It can't be.
He died, remember?
He’s gone. Forget about him, Miles.
The man standing before him has some nostalgic features that he recognized from a single glance. His heterochromatic eyes, one brown the other blue. He remembered he and his old friend used to be fascinated by the nature of his eyes. They used to pretend to take a look at it and analyse it like scientists. His spiky hair, It was always in an interesting shape all of the time– they had no idea how it was natural though. His expression, he always was positive. But now… He looked Sad. Lonely. Depressed. Miles could remember everything about him. Except one thing. His name. What was his name? Why could he not remember? Who is he? Is he even real?...
All questions, no answers.
He stayed silent until he noticed that the strange man was talking to him.
“-I would like to talk with you in private, may I?” A stern voice with a slight hint of curiosity awoke the man from his thoughts. He quickly faced the strange figure and stood up straight. “Yes, if it's alright.” a quick response was muttered from his nervous mouth. A guard beside him urged him to follow the royal stranger to a secluded area that was connected to the throne room. Once the prince stepped down the huge throne, he was brought to a room near the back-left of the room. The door was different from the one’s seen in the castle. It was made from cheap wood with tiny chips of wood on the floor next to it.
The strange man kindly opened the door and let him in. This was unlike the other room he'd seen so far.
The floor was poorly placed wooden tiles that were sepia coloured. There were nails that were trying to hide but were obviously seen. The walls were made of a sound proof material that was in contrast with the whole castle’s theme of ‘always watching’. The roof was a hastily painted concrete wall with blatant brushstrokes throughout. The furniture was a simple wooden bed with a thin mattress and a seemingly hand me down plastic table lazily thrown on the floor. There were numerous well detailed sketches of people all hanging on a single thin string from one side of the room to the other. There were also still life sketches and paintings scattered around the already cluttered room. In the very corner, tucked away were barely recognizable sketchbooks stacked on eachother. There were multiple foldable chairs that were sluggishly thrown onto the nearest wall.
A nervous laugh appeared out of nowhere and chuckled “Hallo, ich bin Phoenix Wright. Sie können mich jedoch Sir Wright oder einfach nur Wright nennen.” An unknown language flew out of the strange man’s mouth as Miles reacted in confusion. “I-i’m sorry but I can't speak any other language other than english Sir.” a soft mutter let out from his confusion. A sceptical look was seen on the royal’s face as he remarked on the statement Miles said. “Oh dear, I'm quite sorry about that. I thought I'd ask them to find somebody who at least understands some German.” A motherly tone came out from his pleasant voice. He pointed near the bed and urged Miles to sit. It was uncomfortable in many ways. With the mattress feeling almost invisible and the low ceiling encouraging him to crouch.
“Well, my name is Phoenix Wright. However, you can call me Wright or Sir Wright if you prefer.” Wright chuckled whole-heartedly. A shortlasted smile was shown on Miles’ face. He recognized that name. It's just that, who did that name belong to? “Nice to meet you, Wright. My name is Miles E-Conner.” He almost stuttered on his ‘name’ again. Wright Stood up and went to grab the nearest sketchbook he could find. He went through a secret compartment full of pens and got a 0.3 outline pen. He proceeds to sit back down the thin mattress and opens the sketchbook to a seemingly random page. “Can you perhaps sit on the floor? I’m quite sorry about the room, but it’s the only truly private one at the moment.” Wright turns to Him and patiently waits for a response. Miles instantly sat down on a nearby cushion and watched the man sketch.
It takes a while for him to finish the drawing. During the process Miles watched as the pen smoothly glided throughout the blank page with passion. The ink absorbs in the thin paper as he thinks about every move with caution and care. Truly a master of the arts. He looks at the paper as if it was a scarce and precious material crafted from the gods. His face all scrunched up with tiny beads of sweat form from his concentrated face. Once he finished, he invited Miles to look at his work he worked tirelessly for.
The drawing was a well rendered ink portrait that described his face perfectly. His face had a sharp jawline, flowy hair, a sweet smile, and precious eyes. All of the lines were thought about, all the shading was carefully planned– making sure no displacements were seen. His hair was lucious, capturing as much detail as possible but not losing quality. His smile was sunny, not the usual numbness he thought his face represented.
Miles simply gasped a ‘whoa.’ when he’d seen the beautifully crafted portrait of his face. Proud, Wright closed the sketchbook and moved closer to Miles. “It seems like you like what I drew, hm?” a cheeky tone accompanied by a warm chuckle let out from his mouth. Miles was flustered by his new boss’ attitude more than it should. Miles’ skin was now a scarlet red, making Wright want to tease him more.
Wright moved back, noticing his timid behaviour and smiled warmly. He tasked Miles to stand up and tell Maya to show him to his quarters. He figured quarters was a fancy way to say dormitory or chambers. He thanked Wright and slowly opened the squeaky door and while doing so, overheard a conversation between the two that were left to wait outside.
“-I hope he gets accepted… We are understaffed right now…” A worried tone came out of her usually energetic voice while she was pacing around Gumshoe with a frustrated look that adorned her entire body. Gumshoe felt defeated, an exhausted expression was shown on his rough face. Maya was still complaining over how picky he is over choosing people. Gumshoe gave an exhausted sigh and turned around. Miles ran, at least he tried to. Gumshoe was quick to call him out, with Maya asking him how it went continuously. He backed up, overwhelmed by the amount of attention he was having. Noticing his nervous behaviour, Gumshoe was less than hesitant to just shove Maya aside to talk to him. He could hear the poor girl complaining about how "rude he is and it’s her turn to talk to him.”
Miles could see Gumshoe turn around as he sighed a sigh of victory and turned his attention back to him.
“Heya pal!” Gumshoe said with no signs of it actually being happy– more like nervousness. “Hello, Gumshoe. I’m back…? What happened to Mse Fey over there?” Miles clearly saw what happened, he just needed some clarity with his words. Gumshoe put on a nervous laugh and tried his best to explain the situation. By the time he was finished, Maya recovered from her fit and walked up to Miles. With each step she made the ground rumble. This made him flinch. Then, Maya finally reached the two. “Hey! Why’d you push me Gummy!” She shouted with mild annoyance. Maya asked Miles how it went, and he said it was– strange. “WHOA! He drew you? In ink? That’s really rare to see him do that on the first meeting too!” confused, Miles went and asked her about the ‘quarters’.
A smile appeared on the girl’s face. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him all throughout the castle.