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“Alrighty Eustace, this is it! How are you feeling?”
“Like you should get that camera out of my face,” Eustace mumbled, lightly pushing Kay’s phone away.
“Aw, c’mon! It’s the last day of the bar! Chin up!” Kay encouraged, poking him in the arm. “No pictures for posterity’s sake?”
“Ask me when I’m a prosecutor again.”
Kay grinned. “You know I will!”
Eustace sank further into his seat, keeping his eyes trained on the dashboard. “...I can’t believe the day’s finally here. This one grade is the correlation of thousands of hours spent studying and assisting Mr. Edgeworth...” He cast an anxious glance at the testing center. “I just hope it’ll all pay off.”
“‘Culmination,’” Miles tactfully corrected from the driver’s side, “and I’m certain it will, Eustace. You’ve excelled in your studies and charted your own path with integrity. It’s been a pleasure to witness your growth as a prosecutor.”
Eustace fretfully twirled his conductor’s baton between his fingers. His big brown eyes began to water. “...So why do I still feel like I can’t go inside?”
Miles lifted his chin. “Mr. Winner. Your attention, please,” he said firmly. The young man sniffled, barely meeting Miles’ eyes.
He spoke in a confident, measured tone. “You took the time to rectify your areas of improvement. You’re well-versed in practical and academic matters pertaining to law. And frankly, your commitment to earning your credentials on your own merit is admirable.”
Eustace blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall.
“You’ve done all you can to prepare. Now, all you must do is demonstrate your mastery of the knowledge you’ve acquired. That is all to say...you’re ready for this, Eustace. And...I’m very proud of you.” Miles smiled warmly and bowed his head.
“T-thank you, Mr. Edgeworth.” Eustace stammered, a small smile dancing on his lips. “I...I’ll make you even prouder! You’ll be the proudest you’ve ever been in your entire life, mark my words!”
Reinvigorated, he turned to Kay in the backseat. “You too, Kay! I don’t know if I would’ve made it here without those late-night study sessions at the law library. You’re a real drill sergeant!”
She laughed, sounding rather pleased with herself. “Comes with the territory of being the Yatagarasu, my friend! When you’re planning the perfect heist—for the truth, of course!—you’ve gotta make sure you have everything down to a T!”
Miles sighed, breezing past this. “Eustace, before you head inside, do confirm you have your photo ID. You can leave everything else with us.”
“You know what that means.” Kay held out her hand, palm up. “Baton, please.”
“Mmm...alright, but guard it with your life, Kay!” Eustace whimpered before placing it in her care.
“I will, I will. Trust me.” She assured him, safely tucking the leather case away.
He bit his lip, giving the testing center a long look. “...There’s no point in sitting here any longer. I better get going.”
After shutting the door behind him, he turned and waved to Miles and Kay. Then, he elegantly adjusted his posture and made long, confident strides toward the building entrance.
“That was a pretty awesome pep talk, you know,” Kay said, using the car’s center console to rest her chin in her hands.
“I meant every word,” Miles replied earnestly. “Now, have you decided where we’re going to lunch?”
She rubbed her hands together, reminiscent of a raccoon. “I may have somewhere in mind...”
“...Kay, this is the Wow-A-Burger drive-through.”
“And? Go, before you get honked at!” Kay ordered. She’d excitedly snatched up the passenger seat.
“I’ll proceed when I deem that it’s safe, thank you,” he said, turning to join the line of cars when the coast was clear.
Once he slowed the car to a stop, he gave her a quizzical look. “Erm...when I mentioned ‘lunch,’ I was under the impression that you had something more traditional in mind, Kay.”
“When I was growing up, there was nothing more traditional than Wow-A-Burger with my dad!” Kay reminisced proudly. “Their cherry soda’s my favorite.”
“Hm... I can relate. When my father was working late, he’d often bring home takeout for dinner.” He smiled wistfully. “All that mattered to me was spending time with him.”
“Exactly! See, I knew you’d understand,” Kay said. With the drive-through line at a standstill, they lapsed into a comfortable silence.
“...Have you given any more thought to acquiring your driver’s license?”
“Well, I did just pay to renew my bus pass, so... no.” She squinted at him. “Is this your not-so-subtle way of trying to tell me you don’t want to drive me around anymore?”
“No. Obtaining your license was one of your New Year’s resolutions, was it not? I merely wanted to ascertain whether or not that was progressing.”
“Ugh. You and your amazing memory.” Kay muttered, shaking her head. “Cars are expensive anyways. I’m living off a meager budget here, remember?”
“Ah, that’s right. And how is being a private investigator?”
“It has its ups and downs, but I love being my own boss! Gives me the freedom to figure out how I want to find the truth, y’know?” She flashed him a self-assured grin.
“I’m glad you feel fulfilled, Kay. That’s important.”
“Yeah, I really—wait-wait-wait, we’re next! Quick, let’s figure out what to order. I’m sure the menu’s changed a bit since I was a kid.”
Miles craned his neck to peruse the gigantic menu just ahead. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d eaten fast food. It had to be when the Feys came to visit, which was...
“Bzzt...welcome to... Wow-A-Burger...how may I help you?” A staticky, muffled voice crackled to life from the drive-thru speaker.
Miles awkwardly leaned his head out of the window. “Ah, hello...may I please have a... Wow Burger with...French fries, a water and a cherry soda?” He turned his head ever so slightly. “And for you, Kay?”
Her eyes softened. “Uh, can I get a Double Wow Burger with pickles and extra cheese, and an order of onion rings, please?”
“Bzzt...Pull up to the... next window to pay.”
Kay carefully balanced the drink tray in her lap. “Why don’t we eat in Mornington Park? It’s right up the street, and it’s so nice out!”
They decided on a sunny bench in the middle of the park, one that faced a rather whimsical fountain. A bronze anthropomorphic sun glowed in the center. Water burbled serenely from its pursed lips.
“Man, this really hits the spot!” Kay raved as she chomped on her burger. “Thanks for lunch, Mr. Edgeworth.”
“You’re welcome,” Miles replied, crunching on a fry. “I have to agree with you, the food is very good.”
Kay began digging through one of the bags. Miles presumed she hoped to pilfer any fries that had fallen to the bottom.
“Huh. Looks like there’s something else in here, Mr. Edgeworth.”
Mildly curious, he watched her yank the object out. Her fist was closed over it. “What...is that?”
When she opened her hand, he snorted derisively.
“It’s a Blue Badger plush keychain! The tag says... ‘You can’t be blue when you eat Wow-A- Burger!’” She whirled the keychain around her finger.
Miles’ brow furrowed. “That makes no sense. The Blue Badger is inherently blue— it’s in the name. Wouldn’t that slogan be more suitable for, say, the Pink Badger?”
“Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t make it up.” Kay shrugged and took a swig of her soda. “Why don’t you check the other bag? Maybe there’s one in there, too.”
Begrudgingly, Miles fished a second keychain out of the bag. It was hidden underneath a burger wrapper.
“Neat, the Pink Badger! Must be a collect-'em-all type promotion! Well...?” Her inquisitive gaze fell on the attached tag.
Miles cleared his throat, reading the catchphrase in a deadpan voice. “Ahem...‘You’ll be tickled pink when you eat Wow-A-Burger.’”
“You have to admit, that one’s pretty good! Makes more sense at least.” She munched on an onion ring, amused.
Miles frowned at his keychain. “I despise these things.”
“Why, because of Gatewater Land? Y'know, I never did get to finish that photo rally...” Her shoulders drooped at the thought.
“Ugh. Please don’t remind me of that accursed place.” He grimaced. “There was... another case involving the Blue Badger in particular. But that’s a story for another time.”
Kay eyed him suspiciously as she slurped up the last of her soda. “Whatever you say, Mr. Edgeworth.”
By the time the exam let out, the sun had dipped low in the sky.
“Eustace must be exhausted! I know I would be if I had to take a test for two days straight.”
“It certainly is rigorous,” Miles said, putting on his turn signal. “I remember it well.”
“Our little surprise will do him some good then, don’t you think?” Kay threw her arms around Pess, who was calmly lying beside her in the backseat. To her delight, the dog gave her a bunch of kisses in return.
“I’m sure she will. Isn’t that right, Pess darling?” Miles crooned affectionately as he pulled into a parking spot. She woofed in agreement.
“How was she during the thunderstorm last night?” Kay asked, patting Pess’ head. “That thing even had me scared!”
“She tried her very best to demonstrate courage, as always.” In this case, that meant nestling up next to Miles on the couch beneath her favorite pink blanket, and that was perfectly fine by him.
He fastened Pess’ leash and led her onto the sidewalk. “Still, she was a bit restless during our walk this morning. A change in scenery should help.”
The trio walked the perimeter of the building. Pess eagerly sniffed every tree, flower, shrub, and post along the way. As they approached the corner looping back to the entrance, Pess abruptly stopped to bark six times in quick succession.
Miles paused and leaned over to check on her. “Pess, dear? What is it?”
Kay’s eyebrows knitted together. “Whoa. She, like, never does that.”
Pess’ barks grew higher pitched, clustering together with increasing frequency until Miles was unceremoniously jerked forward.
“Mr. Edgeworth?!” Kay sprinted to keep up, a panicked look on her face.
He nearly tripped over his feet as he scrambled after her, clutching her leash with all the strength he could muster. “Ngooooh! P-Principessa! Halt! Stop this at once!”
Pess streaked across the sidewalk, nearly tackling an innocent bystander who was waiting in front of the testing center.
“Whoa! Hi, sweetie!” The young woman reached out to scratch generously behind Pess’ ears, unfazed that her dress was currently being branded with two large paw prints.
Miles met her eyes and nearly fell over. Again.
“T-Trucy! May I ask what you’re doing here?” He brushed off his clothes, hurrying to regain his composure (of course, by the time the question was fully formed in his mind, he already knew the answer).
The young magician lit up at the sight of him. “Uncle Miles, you made it! And you brought Pess, too! Daddy should be here any minute...”
A percipient expression fell upon Trucy’s face, and she sighed in exasperation. Pess dropped back onto all four paws. “He didn’t tell you, did he.”
Miles blinked at her, vexed. “He most certainly did not! That man...argh!” He crossed his arms tightly, observing two very familiar test-takers exit the building from the corner of his eye.
Kay jumped and waved her arms. “Over here!”
“Is that truly necessary from this standpoint, Kay?!”
She smirked over her shoulder. “It is to me!”
Eustace bounded forward, practically buzzing with excitement. “Kay, remember when I told you about that man I ran into at the law library the other day?! Well, this is him!” He proudly gestured to the man trailing behind him, who blanched immediately.
“Phoenix Wright! When were you planning to tell me that you were retaking the bar exam today?” Miles seethed, indignant.
“Oof. Someone’s in trouble.” Kay muttered to Eustace, who promptly cowered. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eustace. Stand. Up. It’s not you.”
Phoenix was clean-shaven, wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans. He looked more at ease now than he had in a long time... eight years, to be precise.
“Edgeworth, h-hey! Fancy seeing you here!” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“I see you’ve met my mentee, Eustace.” Miles said, nodding towards the young man contentedly patting Pess on the head. “So...you were saying?”
“I, uh...didn’t really have any sort of ‘plan.' Truce was the only one in on this— you know nothing gets past my little girl." He pressed his lips together and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Honestly, I...I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't tell you.”
He knew the thought of retaking the bar had been lingering in the back of Phoenix’s mind — even helped him brush up on things here and there — but hadn't anticipated that he’d bring it to fruition so soon. Miles wracked his brain. Had he missed something somewhere along the line? Or was it just in Phoenix's nature to defy expectations?
The past eight years had weighed heavily on Phoenix; this he knew for certain. Perhaps it wasn’t exactly difficult to see why he’d kept quiet. He wanted to savor the feat for himself as much as he could, even if for a moment. Could he blame him?
“Wright... you don't have to apologize. I...I understand." Miles assured him, offering Phoenix a soft smile. "I’m sure you did just fine."
Sensing the quiet infuriation leach from the Chief Prosecutor, Phoenix focused on petting Pess, whose feathery tail wagged profusely as she pranced around him.
That didn’t seem to help diffuse the tension.
Slowly but surely, Kay’s head oscillated between Miles and Phoenix as a realization dawned on her. “Ohhh!...This is...!”
“Kay, not another word,” Miles urged.
“No, no, let’s hear what she has to say,” Trucy chimed in, a knowing glint in her eye. Phoenix looked up, a crease forming between his eyebrows. Miles looked like he wanted to disappear.
“Doesn’t anybody want to know how the exam was?! Isn’t that why we’re all here?” Eustace interjected, a tad petulant.
“Yes, of course! Let’s talk about that, shall we? Please?” Kay shouted with a disproportionate amount of enthusiasm.
A smug smile spread across Eustace’s face. “It went really well, if I do say so myself! I may very well have the best score in the history of the State Bar of Japanifornia!”
“I knew you’d crush it!” She said, playfully jostling his shoulder with her own. “How about you, Mr. Wright?”
Phoenix smiled enigmatically, wrapping an arm lovingly around his daughter. “I suppose we’ll see, won’t we?”
“Daddy! No need to be so modest!” Trucy gently scolded him. “You worked so hard for this...I’m really proud of you.” She pressed a kiss into his cheek.
“Wright, I wish you would’ve said something,” Miles admitted, nary a hint of malice to be found in his voice. “Must you always test my patience?”
“Would I really be me if I didn’t?” Phoenix laughed warmly, his brown-blue eyes crinkling in the corners.
Trucy was right, of course; he had worked hard, and that was no secret. Miles knew he'd regain his attorney’s badge eventually. In fact, Miles always knew that Phoenix’s indefatigable spirit and resolve would enable him to turn even the darkest situations around, including his own.
“How about we all go out for dinner?” He suggested, adjusting his glasses. “My treat.”
Phoenix looked intrigued. “Sounds good to me. I could use a bite to eat.”
“Wait!” Eustace suspended his baton mid-flick. Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on him. “How do you two know each other?”
“Yeah! Inquiring minds want to know!” Kay insisted, planting her hands on her hips. Pess, of course, barked in agreement.
“We met when we were kids,” Phoenix fondly launched into the story once again, as if he never grew tired of telling it. “It all started in the fourth grade, when someone stole his lunch money...”