153 Now Or Never

Sometimes the hole you left hurts my heart
So bad it cuts through the deepest parts of me
And fills up my mouth with the words that cry
How I’m still trying to stay inside

Hearts break and hands wait
To make us grow fonder
Then our eyes cry and souls sigh
So that we know that it hurts

Our hearts break and hands wait
To make us grow fonder
Then our eyes cry and souls sigh
So that we know that it hurts

Every now and then my memories ache
With the empty ideas of the ones we’d made, yeah
But as time goes on and my age gets older
I love the ones I know, they’re enough to picture the rest

 Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth
Hickfield Clinic
June 16, 2026 1:27 PM

“Say it again, Wright.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” The former King of the Turnabout wrenched off his beanie and ran a hand through his hair in vexation. “Counselor, we both know you heard me perfectly fine the first time I said it!”

“Did I, though?” Edgeworth’s intonation barely concealed his beguilement behind his sham of innocence. “Perhaps hearing your grossly delayed moment of discovered orenda after so long simply confounded my ears –”

“Is it humanly possible for you to cease showing off your extensive linguistics for once, and just speak English like a normal human being, Mr. Walking Dictionary?!” The card shark snapped peevishly, in no mood for a vocabulary lesson but knowing he was about to get one anyway.

“The meaning of the word orenda,” the undaunted wordsmith continued, as though his dialogue partner hadn’t spoken, “is that you’ve at last tapped into your own mystical force, which is present in all people. It has finally empowered you to want to effect change in your life. Ergo, erring on the side of caution, I would be most obliged if you could just repeat that last sentence. Strictly for the record, of course.”

“For the record,” my foot! You are enjoying my eating crow far too immensely, you ruthless, vengeful, prig!

Mindful of Pearl’s apprehensive eyes on him, Phoenix barely bit back an aggravated curse, realizing that his intended harmless prank with Mia was now going to cost him a pound of flesh in retribution by the vindictive barrister.

“Is my consuming of humble pie not nearly enough satisfaction for you already, you sadistic, smug, spiteful –”

“Guilty as charged!” Edgeworth interrupted goadingly. “Yet despite my list of alleged follies, you nevertheless opted to ring me, presumably with desiderata for an act of Firgun regarding your quandary, did you not?”

Firgun. Sheesh! That word I already knew, you pompous, pretentious Poindexter! Nonetheless, reaching out to you in hopes of attaining your assistance to my good fortune with naught more than a purely generous heart is a decision I’m already beginning to regret! Phoenix fumed. But what other choice do I have? That’s right – absolutely none! Which is why I must acquiesce to this humiliating whimsy, and indulge him in this torment!

“The last time you and I were together, you stated for me not to call you until I pulled my head out of my ass.” The ex-defense attorney gritted his teeth. “Hence, the reason why I am essentially subjecting myself to what will undoubtedly be a lifetime of your exalted, never-ending triumphant reminder of that time when you were right, and I was wrong!“

“I shall have you know I never would have used such a crass term,” he of ever-lofty exterior corrected primly. “My exact verbatim words were: ‘if you ever decide to pull that stubborn, thick skull out of your posterior, give me a call.’ However, I shall accept your quaint paraphrasing. Moreover, being the magnanimous compatriot that I am, I shall also refrain from inquiring about exactly how much pain was experienced by the spikes on that porcupine head of yours, during its extraction from where the sun doth not shine?”

“Less painful than this conversation, let me tell you!” Phoenix scowled as he heard the sadistic man’s self-satisfied chuckle on the other end of the line. “Advise me when you’re fully done gloating, so I can get on to my request, please, and thanks.”

“Feel free to now proceed with your entreaty,” the wunderkind prosecutor persuaded. “You have my solemn word that I am now wholly done with my gaiety.”

For now, you mean! The pianist grumbled silently. I know you way too well!

“I need a lift to Kurain because I’ve got a wedding to stop, ASAP!”

“It would be my pleasure to play your Wedding Crashers counterpart, but isn’t it a little too late for this valiant undertaking? Did Maya not already wed earlier this morning?”

“She was supposed to, yes. However, unexpected circumstances arose, which I will get into later, and she left my hospital room not too long ago and is only headed back to the village now. And while I’m standing here, letting precious moments fly by as you endlessly harangue me, Maya has now had an approximate 30-minute head start!”

“That does complicate matters indeed.” Edgeworth now sounded genuinely contrite. “I had no idea how badly time was of the essence here! Why didn’t you just say so in the first place, Wright?”

Are you freaking shitting me? I will end you, Miles Edgeworth!

Pearl’s sweet visage was wreathed with disquietude as she spotted the pacifist’s sudden atypical murderous expression, and he forced himself to take a deep breath to curb his temper.

Keep calm and carry on, Phoenix! The poker champ cautioned himself, knowing he was now dangerously close to blowing a fuse. No matter how justifiable it would be in this case to commit asphyxiation via cravat, homicide is still illegal in California!

“I would imagine this factor does put us at a disadvantage, yes,” he finally bit out, while mentally counting to ten. “However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say! I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t at least try to go after the woman I love. Besides, I’ve been in that flashy red sports car of yours. I’m sure it can have quite a powerful zip to it if you put the pedal to the metal!”

“Regardless of what speeding violations I may need to make, it’s an Alfa Romeo, not an airplane!” The prosecutor reminded him dryly. “Kurain is easily a 90-minute trip, and that’s with zero traffic! By the time I come and fetch you from the hospital and we get en route, it will be the heart of rush hour, permitting me to only go as fast as the fellow driving in front of me.”

Phoenix’s heart froze in his chest.

“So, you’re telling me the situation is completely hopeless and I shouldn’t even bother?”

“I’m saying for you to get there afore the runaway bride, you’d need to fly there at this point!”

There was a brief pause, and then the next few words came out in rapid-fire succession.

“I’m assuming that astute gem, Trucy, would have packed a toiletry kit for you when you got admitted, so get yourself clean-shaven and tidy your hair, posthaste! Moreover, for the love of God, leave that manky beanie behind! After all, you’re attempting to win back the woman of your dreams from a pristine, pretty-boy billionaire! If I leave right now, I can be there in about 20 minutes. I’ll see you then.”

Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth
Hickfield Clinic
June 16, 2026 1:50 PM

The hobo was freshly shaved by the time his consociate arrived, although Pearl was still fussing with his spikes when the prosecutor made his glorified entrance in the room, dressed in his usual claret business attire and a garment bag draped over one arm.

“It’s no use, Mr. Nick!” The teen vainly tried, for the umpteenth time, to flatten the pesky stray wisp of hair that kept flopping down onto the pianist’s forehead in an endearing Superman curl. “No matter how much gel I use, I can’t seem to get that stray piece to stay slicked back with the rest of your hair!”

“Never mind his coiffure, Pearl. That renegade lock is as inveterate as its owner.” The prosecutor treated the spirit medium to one of his rare, luculent smiles in greeting, then directed a smarmy grin at his comrade. “Wright has much greater matters to take care of regarding his appearance.”

“Hey, I’m shaved, styled, and even spritzed on some cologne for good measure!” The DILF shrugged helplessly at the thinly veiled criticism. “What more do you want from my life?”

The new visitor held up the item he was carrying, showing that it was an actual suit bag, which he then tossed into Phoenix’s arms.

“My invite inclusion indicated the outdoor nuptials would only be a semiformal, not a black-tie affair, so while there’s no need for a tuxedo, there’s still no way you can attend a wedding dressed in that hobo garb! Get moving!”

The spiky-haired man was already ducking behind the curtain and donning the bestowed black suit and white shirt. Edgeworth had been a tad more athletically built than he had been in the past, but Phoenix’s muscled frame had developed a lot over the years, making his own blue one an impossibility to wear now, so the loaned adornments fit him quite nicely.

“You really do think of everything, don’t you?” He slid into the accompanying leather wingtips with ease. Mercifully, both men wore the same shoe size. “It never would’ve occurred to me to think about changing my outfit! I feel like Cinderfella!”

“I suspected as much,” was the smug retort. “Luckily for you, I usually tend to do all the thinking for the both of us, anyway.”

“Ha-ha! Hey, this fits quite well! I can’t believe you just happened to have an extra getup and loafers at your office!”

“It never hurts to be prepared for impromptu social events. There are times when I need to attend the occasional formal after-hours function, and my magenta outfit simply won’t do, whereas a black suit is the equivalent of the little black dress every woman has in her wardrobe that’s appropriate for anything. Fortunately, my work apparel will suffice for this wedding I RSVP’d no to, yet shall still end up attending.”

“Well, guys?” Phoenix straightened out his tie and stepped out from behind the curtain with a flourish, then did a little twirl in the beautifully tailored finery. “How do I look?”

“Omigosh, Mr. Nick!” Pearl’s eyes lit up like stars as she clasped her hands against her cheeks. “You look so handsome!” Earnest gray orbs swung over to the silent prosecutor, whose arms were crossed over his broad chest. “Don’t you think so too, Mr. Eh-ji-worth?”

The unprepared logic genius cleared his throat, obviously more accustomed to shelling out sarcastic barbs than bequeathing any sort of appreciating commentary.

“Ah… yes, of course. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in anything but those ratty joggers and hoodie, Wright, so this is undeniably a much-needed improvement.” A small smile of approbation flickered across the stoic visage. “Which I suppose is a good thing, seeing as how it’s already unseemly enough for me to be showing up at a wedding to which I’d initially declined, never mind if I’d attended with my plus one wearing that decrepit sweatsuit.”

“Your plus one?” The hobo echoed blankly, shuffling his feet awkwardly at the unaccustomed compliments on his appearance, however backhanded they’d been! “What the heck? This isn’t a date! You do realize saying stuff like that isn’t doing a damn thing to squash the rabid fantasies of all those online Wrightworth fangirls, don’t you?!”

“Don’t flatter yourself, you imbecile! The only way I could get away with gatecrashing a private function of this magnitude is because the invitation was addressed to myself and Franziska, so technically, I would still be allowed to attend with a secondary guest on my arm,” Edgeworth smirked. “I’d be proud to have you as my non-date, for despite being the ugliest woman on earth, Wright, I shall profess that you do clean up quite well.”

“High praise indeed, my good man!” The ex-attorney grinned, flexing his shoulders inside his jacket. “I’d forgotten what wearing one of these felt like!”

“Wasn’t this nice of Mr. Eh-ji-worth?” Pearl urged, beaming at them with childlike delight. “Only your best pal in the whole world would have rushed to your side like this, Mr. Nick! Have you thanked him yet for being so kind and generous?”

Phoenix groaned inwardly at being subjected to the enhanced etiquette his surrogate daughter appeared to have acquired since dating an English gentleman, and both childhood chums’ phizogs reddened slightly at this pointed decorum reminder.

“Er, that isn’t necessitous,” Edgeworth coughed. “I’m aware Wright is grateful for my assistance in this matter without him being required to –”

“No, she’s 100% right.” Despite the heightened color in his cheeks, the sincerity was evident in Phoenix’s voice as he stared his gallant Fairy Godfather squarely in the eye. “I’m indebted to you once more, my friend. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for doing this for me, despite my churlish spurning of your repeated offers of assistance in the past.”

Never comfortable when any sort of emotions was expressed, the prosecutor jabbed his hands in his pockets and turned even more crimson.

“Think nothing of it,” he answered gruffly. “It’s what friends do. You’d do the same for me, surely.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen each other, too, hasn’t it?” The teen prompted doggedly, glancing back and forth between the flustered males. “Every time I see Trucy, I give her a big hug, even if I saw her just one week prior! Why don’t two of you hug each other too, and say how much you’ve missed each other?”

“Pearls, guys don’t do that sort of thing!” The mortified Phoenix protested as at the same time the equally embarrassed barrister interposed with “truly, there’s no need for such unnecessary enterprises!”

“Best buddies shouldn’t ever take each other for granted!” Pearl glowered at the men and rolled up her sleeve menacingly. “I’m sure Mr. Nick here has been just as super lonely without you, as you’ve been without him, Mr. Eh-ji-worth! After all, you’re his heterosexual life partner in the very way his daughter is to me! Now, the two of you better hug and say something nice to each other, or else I’m going to get super mad!”

At this implied threat from the angelic-looking adolescent, the magenta-clad man twitchily ran his finger along the inside lining of his cravat while the man in black let out a heavy gulp.

Between his car accident, then subsequent encounters with Mia and Maya, within the last two days alone, Phoenix had already endured enough physical assault to last a lifetime! Therefore, caving into the dictated command was scarcely a hardship, nor was it something he was adamantly opposed to. For one, a patented Pearl Fey slap would still be scads more excruciating than even meeting the resistance of his emotionally constipated best friend. On top of that, in all actuality, he was quite mindful he owed Miles Edgeworth the world … and more.

He genuinely is my brother in arms – or as Pearls said, my ‘heterosexual life partner’ – and having him back in my life is a greater joy than I can ever express with words. I lost him once. I won’t lose him again.

When the faux musician raised his eyes to meet the DA’s, he saw a fleeting weariness in the sangfroid grey depths, along with a trace of wry amusement, resignation … and a hint of comity he wasn’t quick enough to mask before the lawyer dropped his gaze, unwilling to risk rejection. It was only there for an instant, but it was more than enough.

I truly do need Edgeworth, and I hope he needs me. When I try to speak, my voice falters into unintelligible croaks. I want to tell this man that he’s my best friend in the world and I love him, but I don’t think he’ll believe me and I’m afraid it will sound hollow. So, it looks like I’ll have to show rather than tell.

Phoenix felt the flicker of synergy exchange between them as he allowed the veracity to be shown on his own formerly shuttered countenance, his gaze steady so his childhood mate could see there was no judgement in his eyes, only heartfelt amity, unconcealed affection, and unwavering gratitude.

Looks like Wright really has missed me as much as I’ve missed him. I could never admit it to him, but Lord knows I’m like a sailor lost at sea without him. Even if neither of us gets the nerve to ever say the words aloud, I swear this is the very last time I will ever let this man willingly be gone from my life.

The debonair counselor’s austere visage altered to reveal a scintilla of the unreserved smile Phoenix never saw too often as he came over in fast, easy strides, taking the pianist’s offered hand in his two, shaking and squeezing. In the next moment, the two old friends were in an embrace neither ever wanted to end. The hug wordlessly indicated to the other all they’d needed to say, and that everything would be alright.

“I’ve missed you, Edgeworth,” the spiky-haired man mumbled when they finally drew apart.

“I know, Wright,” the prosecutor chuckled almost inaudibly, amethyst orbs still reflecting momentary warmth even as his typical smirk slid back into place. “That’s why I’m here now.”

“Well, I did ask you guys to say something nice to each other!” Pearl sighed melodramatically at this mini, yet meaningful exchange, even though she was beaming from ear to ear. “I’ll take what I can get!”

“We should really get moving.” The logical zealot said brusquely, grateful to bring things back to normal as he ushered the other two towards the door. “We have a wedding to crash!”

“Can I just up and leave the hospital like that?” Phoenix fretted. “I haven’t even signed myself out yet, or been given a final checkup by anybody!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Edgeworth assured him as they headed down the hall towards the stair and elevators. “I’ve taken the liberty of resolving things with Karin about your early release, prior to room arrival.”

“How in the world did you swing that?”

“I was previously acquainted with Nurse Jenson many years ago. She has been most informative to me about your initial prognosis, including how pleased she was with your progress since admittance. She was most willing to be helpful when it came to her favorite patient.”

The cravat-sporting man pressed the up button on the elevator, then turned towards the stairwell.

“Take the lift up to the roof, and I’ll meet you up there in 10 minutes or less.”

“The roof?” Phoenix repeated incredulously just as Pearl blurted out, “this hospital is 23 stories high! It’ll take you forever to climb those stairs! I thought we were in a rush!”

“Yes, the roof!” Edgeworth responded impatiently, tapping his foot as he waited for the lift to come down. “It’s where our ride is located! Pearl, my office is on the 12th floor, and I live in the penthouse of my condo, so I’m quite accustomed to taking stairs within record time.”

“But – ”

“Excuse me,” a voice interrupted just then, out of the blue. The trio jolted as they spotted an older guy sporting a painter’s uniform putting up a sign in front of the stair doors. “I’m sorry, sir, but the south stairwell here is presently being painted. You’ll have to go all the way to the building’s north end for the stairs leading to the rooftop. Otherwise, you’ll need to take the elevator.”

“The elevator?” The prosecutor paled visibly at the notion, as he hadn’t confronted his phobia of lifts since the DL-6 incident. “Um, exactly how far is that north stairwell?”

“Jesus Haploid Christ! There is no time for this lunacy!” The hobo’s expression was pleading. “Maya has been gone now for almost an hour, and we can’t be wasting more time while you hunt for alternative exits in this enormous hospital due to your paranoia of elevators!”

The lift had come down now and as the door slid open, Phoenix and Pearl got on, but the teenage girl held them open as they stared at the recalcitrant attorney, who obstinately remained outside in the hallway, his eyes wide with panic, much like a trapped animal in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

“I – I called Gumshoe!” He rasped frantically. “The Chief and Maya are both stuck in a traffic jam due to some god-awful accident on the freeway heading up to the village! It will be at least another hour or so until either of them make it up there! We have a little bit more time than you two think!”

“We can’t take that sort of gamble!” Phoenix cried. “Edgeworth, I’m flat out begging you! Get on this elevator! It’s an emergency!”

The charcoal-haired barrister felt the terror beginning, like a cluster of spark plugs in his abdomen. Tension grew in his mien and limbs as his mind replayed the last nightmarish time he’d been trapped in a lift as a child. His breathing became more rapid and shallow.

In these minutes before my personal hurricane, I, at last, understand the escape mentality of the drug addict, the alcoholic. How I wish I also could be dependent on substances at this moment. Anything to stop the primal surge to flee…

“Take my hand … Miles.” With beseeching eyes, the anterior Ace Attorney held out his hand cajolingly. “You can do this! Please try. That’s all I ask. Trust me to get you through this … and just try.”

Edgeworth could feel the breath catch in his throat as he took the spiky-haired man’s hand. Phoenix gently tugged him inside while the acolyte pushed the “roof” button and the doors closed.

Too late to back out now…

The legist swallowed and put his back to the wall, grabbing the railing with both hands. He watched the numbers count upward and wondered how they appeared to go so slowly, yet still seemed to be going so fast. His legs were shaking. He couldn’t feel his knees. He couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, Phoenix put a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

“Don’t think about it,” he coaxed urgently. “If you just solely try not to focus on the fact that you’re in an elevator, it won’t bother you. Look at me!”

The turbulent prosecutor turned away from the angry digital 4 that’d only flashed to 5 and stared blindly into the pianist’s familiar orbs, trying to not cave into the choking sensation threatening to overcome him.

“I can’t – ” he panted. His frenzied ticker palpated in his chest, pounding, banging, trying to get out. He lurched forward, every second barely escaping death, and he felt as though his blood was on fire. His limbs were moving on their own. He was disconnected from everything but the ever-present sound of his drumming heart.

“Yes, you can.” Phoenix insisted, keeping his firm hold around the other man’s shoulders. “So just lean on me if you have to, and take deep breaths.”

“Let go of me!” Edgeworth tried to jerk away from him and reach for the emergency stop.

“Relax.” The disbarred lawyer did his best to sound comforting but had no idea if he was being successful in his efforts whatsoever. All he could do was pray his friend wouldn’t pass out, as he was almost entirely supporting the lawyer’s weight, which was no easy feat for an injured man with a bad ankle. “It’s going to be alright. I promise.”

The claustrophobic whimpered pitifully. He was dizzy now and he felt his stomach lurch heavily. His vision blurred and the red blob in his sight resolved itself into the number eight before he lost focus again. He continued to fight weakly at Phoenix’s grip, even though the pianist’s hold on him was probably the only thing keeping him standing. Darkness started to crowd his vision. Was the lift going to break down?

“It’s flashing! It’s going to – ”

“We’re almost there, buddy. Everything’s fine. Nothing’s wrong.”

“I can’t – ” Edgeworth panted. He was shaking all over now and his hands tingled as though they’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t move – couldn’t control them. The car lurched and he gagged and tugged at his cravat while Pearl nervously bit her thumb and eyed the two of them sympathetically.

“We’ll get through this together,” Phoenix murmured soothingly. “It means the world to me that you’re facing your fear for my sake, dear friend. Just remember, it’s all in your mind. Fear is no more than shackles, fear is a knife in the gut slowly twisted, fear is a constant hammer on the head. Yet fear also evaporates like water under an early summer sun. When fear comes, walk with confidence right past, because like the monsters of children’s nightmares, fear is naught but an illusion.”

The agoraphobic squeezed his eyes shut and focused on his chum’s speech as he sagged against him.

Fear is naught but an illusion. I can do this. I can do this…

After what seemed like an eternity, the ding sounded at long last. The doors slid open and the barrister bolted out, bracing his hands against his knees as he bent over, trying to focus on calming his breathing so his accelerated heartbeat could finally resume back to normal.

“Mr. Eh-ji-worth?” Pearl placed a hand on his arm, her distressed face peering up into his, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw the color restoring to his ghostly visage. “Are you OK?”

He straightened up and gulped in a few more breaths before looking down into the spirit medium’s anxious orbs and nodding.

“I can’t believe I made it through that.” He shook his head in wonder before turning toward his best friend. “Wright, don’t you even think of asking me for another favor like that, ever again!”

“Way to go Edgy! You faced your phobia! That was no small feat you know!” The ex-defense attorney clapped him on the black and grinned broadly. “That being said, you have my solemn word that I shan’t be cashing in nor requesting any favors anytime soon after something like this…”

His words died in his throat in the next instant as he then noticed exactly what was awaiting them at the top of that roof.

“Sweet Moses on a moped!” Phoenix croaked, his jaw hitting his chest as he took in the gaudy purple color and the sparkling silver G emblazoned on the side door of the enormous airliner gleaming in the sunlight. “What in the world is that … thing?”

“You mean our ride?” Edgeworth cocked a brow as his courtroom rival’s alarmed orbs further widened to the size of golf balls. “This apparatus is how I managed to get to you so quickly in Los Angeles traffic and is our surefire ticket to beat the bride’s onset to Kurain!”

“Wow! This is so cool!” Pearl crowed giddily, oblivious to her father figure’s ashen countenance. “I’ve never been in a helicopter before!”

“Mr. Wright, Miss Fey, your chariot awaits, courtesy of Herr Klavier Gavin.” The DA bowed grandly. “He was most keen to get back in the good graces of a certain grumpy female detective, who essentially volunteered its use on his behalf! Of course, I also helped persuade the junior prosecutor by advising him if he wished to continue keeping it parked atop our office rooftop, he’d better be cooperative! Thusly, I hereby bring to you, in Detective Skye’s own words … the Fop Copter!”

Pearl had already scrambled inside, and the aviator cocked a brow at the frozen-in-place card shark, who still hadn’t moved a muscle.

Oh, hell to the no! Phoenix’s panicked mind raced in disbelief. There is no freaking way I am getting into that… death trap!

“As was pointed out, this is an emergency, and we are in a rush,” the flier drawled, inclining his head towards the waiting chopper. “We’re ready any day now.”

The pianist’s mouth ran dry and his stomach turned in an inhospitable way. He felt as if his brain were full of static, either firing off a million unhelpful thoughts at once or offering nothing at all.

“I can declare to you it’s quite safe with me behind the controls,” Edgeworth informed him. “I acquired my pilot license during my self-reflection year abroad.”

Of course, you did, Mr. Perfect Prosecutor! Phoenix thought wildly. What can’t your over-achieving ass do?! For an encore, I suppose you’ll learn to speak fluent Khurainese, hang-glide in the Himalayas, and discover the cure for Incuritis, all without even breaking a sweat!

“That’s not it.” He could barely move his rigid lips to form the words. “My legs feel light and every part of my body has already started feeling weak … And I haven’t even gotten in the accursed thing! I thought we’d be driving down to Kurain, not chartering the friendly skies!”

“Bloody hell! I’d forgotten about your acrophobia.” The navigator sounded exasperated. “Nevertheless, you can’t remain standing here all day! Not making a decision means forgoing an opportunity! There’s no other alternative! You’ll need to face your fear, just as I did!”

“I can’t!” His feet remained cemented in place. “You know how I am with heights!”

“Mr. Nick!” Pearl wailed plaintively. “You have to! I need you! Mystic Maya needs you!”

“I’m sorry, Pearls.” He shook his head regretfully. “I wish I could, but I –”

“Try turning around your way of thinking!” Edgeworth proposed, his tone now emboldening. “Attempt to view riding in this helicopter less as being forced to tackle your phobia and more as a numinous experience. Yes, it’s fearful … yet fascinating, and it also encompasses the feeling of being overwhelmed but still inspired.”

 I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I’m leaning on the everlasting arms

Phoenix felt his resolve weakening as he mulled this over, while snippets of the motivational song he’d loved as a teen raced through his brain.

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it

As though reading his mind, the prodigy genius continued building his case as he clamored at the fearful man, his mounting frustration evident.

“Wright, you have far more moxie than you give yourself credit for! I know you have it in you to do this! You’ve never been afraid to take risks before, so why are you starting now? You were an art major in school, yet to become reunited with me, you decided to do a complete turnabout and pursue a legal path instead!”

“Changing my career life choice is a far cry from risking my life!”

“Knights of Columbus! Stop rebutting everything I’m saying, you ornery … obdurate fool!”

“I’m sorry you went through all this trouble for nothing Edgeworth, but I – I simply cannot do this!”

“Phoenix, heed my words: Life is a test of courage. It’s only worth it if you can learn to withstand your most trying times and remain stable, steady, simple, and strong in different places and spaces.”

Edgeworth leaned out of the cockpit, bracing himself with one arm as he reached out his other hand to the acrophobic, intense slate orbs boring into petrified cobalt ones.

“If you still can’t muster the force within you to get into this chopper for my sake, then do it for Maya Fey! The one you love so much that you’ve broken down heavy wooden doors and for whom you’ve run across an 80-foot-high burning bridge! With superhuman proportions for the past decade, you’ve moved mountains to save this woman so she could remain alive and by your side! And now that you’re at the final frontier, are you ultimately going to let all those heroic endeavors be for naught? You’d willingly lose the love of your life, merely because you allowed your phobia to triumph, and prohibit you from getting into a flying vehicle … navigated by a man you claim to have placed unconditional faith and trust in?”

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly

The ex-defense attorney squeezed his lids shut as waves of shame washed over him at his cowardice, along with the underlying emotions triggered by Edgeworth’s articulate syllogism wrestling within him, until in the end, he realized his sole option wasn’t a choice at all. It was a goddamn given.

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

In the end, all that mattered was Phoenix Wright unequivocally loved Maya Fey more than the air he breathed, and he unconditionally entrusted Miles Edgeworth with his very life.

It was now or never.

If I can see it, then I can be it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it

“Fine!” He choked. “You –you win! I – I’m coming on!”

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly…

Fighting back nausea, the trembling DILF hazarded his way towards the helicopter, his shaking hand shamelessly gripping the prosecutor’s extended one with all his might as he climbed in.

Fastened comfortably in the back seat, her headset with a built-in microphone already in place, the excited and beaming Pearl encouragingly flashed him a thumbs-up sign.

He returned the gesture with noticeably less enthusiasm, but still managed to afford the teen with a sickly grin as the pilot prepared for takeoff.

“Warning, it’s going to be a little bit chilly up here.” The aeronaut’s calm voice was heard in Phoenix’s headset after they’d finally reached the desired level of altitude. “Make sure your earpiece is in the proper position if you wish to communicate. Otherwise, you won’t be able to hear anything over these choppy blades.”

“Got it!” Pearl chirped in response, practically bouncing in her seat as her wide eyes took in the breathtaking sky view of the city beneath them. “Wow, this is so incredible!”

“We’re making good time,” Edgeworth remarked after a while had passed, not seeming to notice his frontal passenger had yet to utter a single sound. “We’ll get there before Maya and Gumshoe, without a hitch.”

“Mystic Mia instructed me to tell Uncle Gumshoe to call for some sort of backup to replace him in the hospital lot, so he could finally take off,” Pearl told the flyer. “When you called, did he mention which officer ended up getting stuck waiting for the BMW owner in his stead?”

“I do believe Meekins was given the undignified duty of being stand-in,” the aviatrix sniggered. “I couldn’t have thought of a more viable or qualified contender to be tasked with doing nothing at all! It is what he does better than anyone I’ve ever known!”

As the teen smothered back her giggles at the quip, the flier turned towards the mute frontal traveler for a split second, and trepidation coursed through his system as he noted the passenger’s eyes were tightly shut, and his breath was coming out in jagged rasps.

“Wright!” Edgeworth hollered in alarm. “Are you alright?!”

“Define alright,” Phoenix muttered, reluctant to speak due to his irrational fear it’d rock the chopper somehow. “If it constitutes feeling queasy and like I’m going to violently puke my guts out any given second … Then yes, I’m absolutely fine.”

“Dear Lord, you’re turning green!” The helmsman noted, fervently trying to keep his eyes forward but unable to mask the trepidation in his tone. “I can’t do anything while we’re up here since I need to focus on flying this blasted thing! Pearl, check back there to see if Gavin has any airsick bags stashed somewhere!”

“Mr. Nick hang in there, please!” The teen begged as she rummaged around the back seat area. “Mr. Eh-ji-worth, how much further are we from Kurain?”

“If I upsurge the speed from 100 knots to 155 knots, which takes us from 185 KM per hour to 286 KM per hour, I can cover the remaining 164 KM in 34 minutes instead of 53!” The aviator glanced over at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle doppelgänger who’d replaced his childhood buddy. “But I don’t know if Wright will be able to handle the increased speed if he’s already feeling nauseous!”

“I’ll live… somehow.” Phoenix clutched his stomach as his head rolled to the side. “You do what you have to do, Mr. Pilot.”

“Mr. Nick, I think I found something you can upchuck into,” Pearl offered desperately, waving a bag in his face. “Would getting sick make you feel better?”

“I don’t think nausea is my problem anymore, sweetie.” He made the horrific mistake of glimpsing down from their elevated level at the ground far, far below, and immediately felt lightheaded. His voice came out thin and distant. “I think the problem is there’s not enough air to breathe up here…”

“Air?!” Pearl gasped, noticing the pianist’s mien had just drastically changed from verdant to pallid. “Are you going to pass out?! Or do you literally feel like you can’t breathe?!”

“Can’t breathe … but look, you’re still managing … so it’s only me? But, no, it didn’t, that’s … not … right…” Phoenix was breathing all wrong, beginning to wheeze like there truly was not enough oxygen inside the whirlybird. “How’m I ‘posed to breathe with no air?”

“Stay with me, Wright!” The aviatrix shouted, contemplating if he should land and tend to the other man as his voice shook slightly with fear. “I can’t tend to you and fly this bloody thing at the same time! Don’t you dare fade on me! I already have a missing ex-fiancée even experts can’t seem to locate, so I’ve no idea if she’s dead or alive anymore … But I cannot lose my best friend again after I just got him back!”

“You focus on those controls, Miles,” a feminine cadence instructed firmly. “I’ll make sure my ex-underling gets through this.”

Mia Fey and Wrightworth
Fop Copter, LA Skies
June 16, 2026

“Ngh!” The pilot nearly leaped out of his seat as he shifted his view ever so slightly, and saw Mia Fey leaning forward, an angelic but amused smile on her comely visage in response to his jumpy reaction. “Good God, woman! Don’t do that! Can’t you see I’m driving a motorized, airborne vehicle?! Why do you insist on always catching me unawares by popping up out of the blue like this?!”

“Because it’s so much more fun that way,” she replied sweetly, giving the disgruntled attorney’s shoulder a consoling pat. “My spiritually gifted little cousin can channel at the drop of a hat, you know. Pearly was worried sick about Phoenix and figured I could offer better help for our phobic flyer than she could. So you relax and navigate this thing, while I tend to my old protégé.”

She leaned forward and firmly patted the traumatized man’s cheeks until his eyes flew open, morphing into the size of golf balls at the unexpected sight of his former employer.

“Mia!”

“Yes, it’s me, again, Phoenix. Didn’t I tell you that you hadn’t seen the last of me yet?” Her lilting resonance was both harmonious and soothing to his poor, frayed nerves. “You’re having a panic attack, but I swear to you, you’re going to be fine. I want you to focus on nothing except my voice, do you understand?”

He nodded mutely and felt one hand lightly stroking the back of his head maternally as his gaze remained locked on her gentle eyes, feeling the air once again circulating within his body as his uneven breathing slowly began to go back to normal.

“Your acrophobic yet courageous keister is very high in the sky right now. Therefore, much like I used to say to you when I was alive, don’t look down.” The buxom beauty tittered and pointed to her ochre orbs, which were sparkling with jollity. “Look right here. And nowhere but here!”

He blushed furiously at the teasing entendre, however mildly it’d been put, yet found himself effectively tranquil as he focused entirely on his former boss and her calming presence, which slowly but surely seemed to be taking his mind away from the fact he was over 10,000 feet in the air, attempting to overcome his greatest phobia for the love of his life.

“It’s OK to feel fear sometimes,” Mia counseled. “Fear is part of being human, Phoenix. It’s the precursor to bravery. We need it; it wakes us up to what needs to be done. So, feel it, own it, and let it ignite your thoughts.”

He bobbed his head again, feeling both his previous regurgitation and inner quaking slowly abating. He could now bask in the pleasure of being in the company of two people he adored, who’d essentially moved heaven and earth to aid him on his quest.

Although every nerve in my body is tingling, I feel in control, thus far.

Opening his eyes to the allaying sun, Phoenix gazed at the clouds, brilliant white against the blue. While he could still hear each of his inhalations, slightly raspy like when he’d had the flu, he knew was going to make it. Thanks to his guardian angel, he was going to be OK.

Seeing that her ex-apprentice had calmed down somewhat, the legal legend gave his hand a calming squeeze, keeping it in her warm clasp before shifting her body slightly and aiming her next words at the pilot.

“Miles, you’ve been such a mensch for these estranged lovebirds, I want to do something for you in return,” she said kindly. “I heard you pondering whether Franziska was still a part of the mortal world or not. I wanted to give you, at the very least, the comforting knowledge that your former betrothed is not part of the Twilight Realm. Wherever she is, it’s still somewhere on earth.”

“Danke Gott.” Edgeworth expelled a relieved breath, and briefly glanced over at her with undisguised gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you, Mia.”

“It’s the least I can do for my favorite secret softy prosecutor,” she joked. “Tell you what. I shall go another step above and beyond and do you another favor, this time regarding Franziska. I’ll see if I can determine her whereabouts … On one condition only.”

“Name it,” the barrister replied automatically. “Whatever it is within my power, it’s yours. Just please tell me where she is.”

“There’s not much I can ask you for that can top what you’ve already done for my baby sister and future brother-in-law – assuming he doesn’t screw things up again!” Mia winked at her flushed former employee over her shoulder. “All I want is for you to admit the real truth to your brother from another mother about why you turned down Maya’s wedding invite.”

“The truth?” The spiky-haired man was confused. “I don’t understand what you mean, Chief! Edgeworth explained he didn’t think it would be appropriate, as my closest confidant, to attend my ex-girlfriend’s wedding. It was simply a case of loyalty on his behalf… What else could it have possibly been?”

“What else indeed?” Mia turned back to her former legal adversary and grinned impishly. “Is that really the story you stuck with, Miles? That your loyalty to your BFF was the sole reason you were opting to decline attending my sister’s nuptials?”

“Certainly, you can understand how unseemly it’d be to be a witness to this marriage,” Edgeworth replied stiffly, his rigid hands on the controls as he refused to meet her prying gaze. “It was nothing personal against Maya whatsoever…”

“Oh, but it was personal, wasn’t it, you tsundere son of a gun?” She pressed insistently. “As much as I’d never doubt your allegiance to Phoenix, especially with you braving your own phobia of elevators for his sake, it wasn’t merely your love for him that hindered you from watching this trainwreck of a wedding with your own eyes. It’s because you didn’t want to witness my sister make what you innately knew was a huge mistake. It’d have been too painful for you, because it’s so hard for you to observe people you care about making terrible decisions, isn’t it, Miles?”

“I don’t understand what the purpose of this conversation is, Mia.” Edgeworth clenched his jaw. “It’s no secret that I’m very fond of Maya, as she has shown unparalleled faithfulness to me in the past, as well as to my childhood companion.”

“Then why is it so hard for you to admit you actually love my sister, in the same filial manner you do my former understudy, you big cinnamon roll?” Mia playfully cuffed him in the shoulder, careful to ensure the impact didn’t affect his maneuvering of the controls. “That’s why you didn’t want to stand by and watch her marry the wrong man! However, you didn’t want to let Phoenix know about your misgivings, in case it fruitlessly got his hopes up, and at the same time, you didn’t want to be wrong because you had no logical evidence for feeling the way you instinctively did.”

“I hope you’re gaining some satisfaction by unmasking my failed attempts to keep a guarded panoply over my emotions, Mia.” Edgeworth’s cadence was stilted yet resigned. “You’ll have to pardon me for being this way, as my heart has been broken quite badly, on multiple occasions, within my lifetime.”

“Miles, you’re a very good man, and I am genuinely sorry to hear such a thing,” she susurrated sympathetically. “Nonetheless, there is nobody in this chopper who will ever break your heart, but can only benefit from knowing how deeply you hold them within yours, you adorable, emotionally constipated, legal eagle you!”

Edgeworth’s cheeks reddened endearingly, and the spiky-haired man barely bit back a snicker as Mia gaily went on with her exposé.

“I simply wanted you to admit this aloud now, Miles, so Phoenix would know, certain actions notwithstanding, that you’ve always been a Phaya advocate. In other words, it’s my otherworldly attempt to make you stubborn Ace Attorneys further strengthen your bromantic bond!”

“Thanks, Chief,” the Baron of Bluffing mumbled gauchely. “And, um… Thanks for caring more than you let on sometimes, Edgeworth. It means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome.” Despite the succinct reply, the pilot’s tone had lightened considerably. “Wright, you should know by now, better than anybody, that just because someone has difficulty expressing their feelings, it doesn’t mean they don’t feel them.”

“We’ve always known that about you, Miles!” Mia was positively cheery now. “I must profess, it’s quite endearing how all these years later, you’re still vainly attempting to maintain that lofty façade! Now, I’m going to enlighten you about my Franziska vision.”

“Please do.” Edgeworth cleared his throat uncomfortably as he stared ahead in the distance. “After all, I did maintain my end of the bargain in giving you the information you were seeking.”

“I’d say pry more than willingly gave, but yes, of course!” She agreed amiably. “A deal is a deal! Well, from what I could ascertain, looking down from above today, I could only see a beautiful waterfall … and a platinum-haired woman wearing shades and adoring the wondrous nature, sitting on a boulder and appreciating a fruity cocktail.”

“I see.” The steely edge had returned to his tone. “Pray tell, can you see if she’s alone or … if there are other people… er, men around her, enjoying the vision… of …nature?”

“Hold it!” Mia closed her eyes as she scanned the recesses of her memory. “There was also a tanned muscular man with a big banana in his hand, approaching her and offering her his … fruit. Which, um … she eagerly bit into…. oh, wow it seemed more like something out of a naughty skin flick than anything else…”

The aeronaut gripped the controls so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Edgeworth?” Phoenix ventured worriedly when another few tense moments went by and his mate hadn’t uttered a peep. “Mia, can you please say something to him? I think he’s going into shock or something!”

“Oops!” Mia gave the prosecutor’s shoulder a playful shake to indicate her raillery before dissolving into fits of laughter. “Oooh, sorry. I was wrong! That actually wasn’t Franziska, so forgive my blunder! There were a lot of German women in that tropical paradise, so I couldn’t easily distinguish one from another!”

Phoenix couldn’t help but crack up as well, although the baleful glare Edgeworth cast could have easily struck them both down in one sweep if looks could kill!

“The dearly departed certainly don’t lose their twisted sense of hilarity, do they?” The pilot asked tightly.

“No, not really.” Mia wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. “However, I do officially now declare us to be even, for the time your Bratworth behind referred to me as a bimbo during our first and only courtroom trial, Edgy!”

“Fair enough. It was completely inexcusably rude behavior on my behalf during my fledgling legal days,” he replied humbly. “Please forgive me, Mia.”

“We were designed to love and to be loved, to reach our dreams to unleash our potentials but not remain in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another, Miles.” Mia smilingly waved her hand in dismissal. “In short, as much as we dead don’t lose our sense of humor, we also don’t usually hold grudges! Forgiveness granted!”

“I must thank you, not only you for being so gracious, warped sense of payback humor aside, but for helping us get through this flight, Mia.” Edgeworth flashed a friendly smile. “That’s Kurain village down there coming up! We are about to land!”

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Kurain Village
June 16, 2026, 3:15 PM

Sneaking into Kurain would be easier than anticipated, the former defense attorney noted as the trio stepped away from the chopper, which Edgeworth had landed a few hundred meters from the main road. There wasn’t a soul in sight as he and his friends walked towards the main village entrance, but they could hear mellifluous live orchestra music playing in the distance, effectively drowning out any sounds that may have been made from the helicopter blades.

“Are you sure you’re OK, Mr. Nick?” The spirit medium’s smooth forehead was furrowed with worry as Phoenix brushed off his jacket lapels. “That tumble looked mighty uncomfortable!”

“Fret not, he’s survived much more excruciating catastrophes than face planting onto the meadow in his imbecilic haste to exit the chopper, Pearl!” Edgeworth inserted sardonically. “Wright, you’re most fortunate you didn’t sully or stain my ensemble, which you conveniently seem to have forgotten was a loan and not a gift!”

Oh, put a sock in it, Edgeworth! Phoenix glared. I would’ve paid for the dry cleaning!

“I swear I’m fine, Pearls.” He pointedly ignored his acerbic mate and scratched his head, giving the teen an embarrassed smile. “The only thing that suffered was my dignity, due to the propelling of that unexpectedly heavy wind from the Fop Copter rotors!”

“Next time, try paying attention when somebody’s trying to warn your foolish self!” Edgeworth barked. “You never would’ve ended up eating grass in the first place if you’d simply taken my advice about waiting for the rotors to slow down before rushing to disembark off the helicopter!”

I’m surprised the mighty gust of hot air coming out of your mouth isn’t knocking me off my feet again! Phoenix grumbled silently. My nerves are shot enough already, Mr. Know It All! Can’t you cut me some slack and spare me the customary “I told you so” spiel already?!

Ensuring that guests were led in the right direction, the triad was greeted with the sight of a hand-drawn sign on a rustic chalkboard, propped on an easel, which read: Welcome to the nuptials of Maya Fey and Longines Beaugosse! Please follow the path. An arrow was drawn under the words, pointing to the long trail leading into the village which was lined with festive lanterns. Edgeworth, Pearl, and Phoenix were the only ones to be walking along the trail, as everyone else was either presumably either seated for the ceremony or running around making last-minute preparations.

Phoenix shot an idle glance at the altar set up as they hurried past it. Tied strips of shiny colorful ribbons from tree branches created a whimsical backdrop to the proceedings, as did the decorative ceramic ornaments, shaped like magatamas, paired with strings of beads, which hung from the tree branches. Bright pink and white rose petals lined the aisle and whimsical topiaries with lush bouquets of roses served as altar décor, as did a large vined arch, adorned with multi-colored blossoms. Pastel flowers in vessels were tied with lavender ribbon to the metal chairs that were covered with velvet square cushions, upon which the guests were seated.

Edgeworth had opted to stay behind and attempt to blend in with the congregation to avoid suspicion, while Phoenix and Pearl bypassed the festivity area as they scurried towards the Winding Way.

As a male outsider in the matriarchal setting, Phoenix was quick to voice his consternation about the liability if caught entering maiden chambers, which Pearl promptly dissuaded.

“No worries, Mr. Nick. Since you’re with me, nobody will bother you!” She assured him. “And that’s assuming they even recognize you! It’s been forever since you last came up here, and you look so different now that you’re all dressed up!”

“Is the sight of me in a suit so transforming from my bum gear that you honestly think everyone forgot these?” Phoenix ruefully gestured to his famous spikes. “They do tend to make me stick out like a sore thumb, either in a crowd or in memory, you know!”

“Who cares if they remember you?” Pearl shrugged. “They’ll just think I invited you to the wedding. Which, in a way, I guess I sort of did! I can claim to the Elders you were being a gentleman and escorting me to the dressing room before you go take your seat with the other guests, should anyone ask.”

“Sure … if you think that would be a better option than claiming I’m Edgeworth’s last-minute wedding date!”

She took Phoenix’s hand and pulled him down the familiar path, which luckily, was void of any other bystanders.

“We have to hurry! The ceremony has been tentatively rescheduled for 4:00 PM! Aunt Maggey texted and let me know Mystic Maya just got here and Uncle Gumshoe has only been here stalling things for the last quarter-hour or so!”

Gumshoe’s only been here attempting to prevaricate for the last 15 minutes? Phoenix was astonished. I wonder what tactics he’s been using? And the bride only arrived now? That must’ve been some serious balls-to-the-wall traffic, considering Maya and Gumshoe both had such a head start on us! But at least we made it here before the wedding-redux!

The Winding Way linked the Side Room and the Meditation Room to Fey Manor. It consisted of a sheltered wooden walkway with a small garden beside it, containing a small lamp and traditional Japanese-style decorations. Once they reached the end of the footpath, the young spirit medium stopped and turned to Phoenix.

“I need to freshen up my hair and makeup now. My changing quarters are in the Side Room, which is along the way to the bridal changing room. Mystic Maya will be getting ready in the Meditation Room.” Pearl bit her thumb and studied him nervously. “Please try to make things right with your Special Someone, Mr. Nick. I don’t want my cousin to marry that weird … prancing man, any more than Mystic Maya probably does! Good luck!”

With those as her last words, she pecked him on the cheek, then headed off to her room, leaving him alone to gather his bearings before taking a deep breath and entering Maya’s dressing room, which was unlocked.

The bride-to-be was standing before the side window. Surprisingly, she was wearing a silky, kimono-style dressing gown instead of her wedding attire, which was draped on a hanger and hanging on a wall hook. It appeared to be a different, fussier, fluffier version of the dress he’d seen her in earlier, but he didn’t pay much mind to it, focusing on the woman herself instead.

Even from across the room, he could see from her profile that her hair and makeup were still artfully and flawlessly done, bearing no evidence of the harried altercation from earlier. He entered the room and silently shut the door behind him, yet the bride still appeared unaware of his arrival.

“Maya, hi,” he spoke quietly, not wanting to disconcert her with his unexpected manifestation. “It’s me.”

The bride didn’t respond. She was now slouched over, leaning her head upon her arm, which was braced against the glass pane, as if for support, and seemed to be unmindful of her surroundings.

What’s going on here? He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Maya?”

“Jesus Christ on a pinwheel!” She spun around then, one hand clutching her now rapidly rising and falling chest as she stared at him in shock. “Nick! What in the world – how did you – why are you…?”

He reflexively reached out a hand to steady her, and her face instantly morphed from flushed pink to lily white. Fearful that his touch was both unsettling and unwelcome, he slowly removed his palm from her forearm and gave her shoulder one final, friendly pat before drawing it away entirely, simply regarding her with gentle eyes as he struggled to find the right words to say next.

Maya gaped at her former lover, still trying to recover from the shock of his unanticipated presence, considering how things had been left between them at the hospital. She cursed her traitorous, racing heart for her fawning thoughts at the sight of his beautiful visage again, in his resplendent, dark-suited glory.

Damn him for being so speciously handsome! And damn her for her quisling heart and body for allowing the all too vivid recollection of her intimate familiarity of the muscled physique lying beneath Phoenix’s formal wear, and the prurient feel of it pressed against her just earlier that day.

My wedding to another man is supposed to be in less than an hour, whenever Pearly gets back – remind myself to kill Gumshoe for leaving my daughter behind in LA once I hear that sorry excuse! Yet knowing I am spitting distance from the aisle, all it takes is the appearance of Nick to undo all my rationale. All I want to do at the sight of my duplicitous former flame is move right into his immediate vicinity and tell him I still love him, that I would do anything for him, that he’s the one I want, flaws and all. But I can’t. Before the words even form in my mouth or I throw myself into his arms, where speech would be impossible, my heart is racing. I’m too apprehensive. It’s the bane of my life. So maybe my fear’s a good thing, perhaps it’s saving me from trouble and acting on my impulses because all things considered…knowing what I know about Nick now…my heart must be wrong…isn’t it?

“I apologize. I never intended to startle you.” Phoenix’s quiet voice broke the silence at last, and at a loss of what else to do with his hands, he held his palms up in a gesture of open surrender, trying to convey he was coming at her from a place of peace. “Are you all right?”

She gave a jerky, puppet-like nod, unable to tear her eyes away from those familiar golden hands as she vividly recalled how those warm fingers had caressed her cheek, while she had been plastered atop his hard body, with not even an inch of space between them, and barely resisted his attempt to draw her lips to his own merely hours ago.

A flicker of concern coursed through him as he noted the color still hadn’t returned to her cheeks. Was the mere sight of him that unsettling now? Or was something else awry?

“Something’s not right with you. I don’t need my magatama to tell me that!” He reached out to place a hand on her forehead. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Maya wrenched away from his palm as though his mere touch would scald her and quickly shook her head, while visibly avoiding his eyes.

“No!” She replied, too quickly to suit him, “I mean, I’ve got butterflies flapping up a storm in my stomach, but it’s no big deal – nothing but pre-wedding jitters is all. I really just needed these last few moments to myself…”

Phoenix’s stomach sank as it appeared that despite her words, his ex’s shaken disposition was due to him. He shoved his hands into his pockets in order to resist the temptation to try to touch her again, then affected his most humble tone.

“I know you weren’t expecting me to be here, especially after earlier today, but I had to see you, one last time before some lucky man makes an honest woman out of you.” He scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. “But I never wanted to catch you so off-guard that you’d be near faint right before your wedding! I’m worried about you, Maya. You don’t look well at all.”

She blinked at him, unsure of how to respond to this.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, you look beautiful,” he added hastily. “But still!”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“Maya. . . is it me?” Phoenix swallowed hard, hating that being around him now made her this visibly jittery and uncomfortably tense. “Should I – go?”

His soft lips stretched into a tentative smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. They were lit with sadness as they regarded her. Their expression, such a stark contrast to that of his mouth, would have looked comical if the sight of those almost glossy indigo depths didn’t make her heart feel heavy. For a few moments, she simply stared at him, almost sure his expression mirrored her own. It broke her heart.

No, Nick, I don’t want you to leave! I never wanted to turn into a random image that floated in the pool of your memories. I have no desire to be the smile that squeezed your chest from somewhere far away. I don’t want you to go. I want your smile to stay. I want you to stay, no matter how inappropriate or insane that may be!

Maya spun back towards the window then, but too deliberately to be normal. In contrast to her actions, when she again spoke, her voice trailed slowly, as though her words were unwilling to take flight.

“Nick, please… I just need to—”

The sight of her turning her back to him resulted in his hands losing their battle of will to keep to themselves and they emerged from his pockets as if of their own volition. They took her shoulders and twirled her around so she had no choice but to face him. Peering intently down into that ethereal visage, Phoenix studied her shuttered gaze, looking for some sort of clue as to what was going on here.

And that was when he saw it.

The rapid rise and fall of her bosom, the heightened calescence in her cheeks…and that hungry expression in her gaze that she wasn’t quick enough to conceal as her eyes lingered on his lips before quickly darting away…

The realization zinged through him like a bolt of lightning.

Is this merely wishful thinking on my part or could it be…?

Was it possible that despite her rage earlier that day, and now shaken exterior, Maya was still as moved by limerence as he was? Was she as aware of, and as affected by him, as he was of her? Of Phoenix Wright, the leper from her past? The thought made his breath catch in his throat.

The air of heightened tension between the two was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife.

An intense moment of mamihlapinatapai passed between the former lovers. It was a look shared by two people, each wishing the other would initiate something they both equally desired, but which neither wanted nor was sure of how to begin.

He rubbed soft circles on her shoulders as he tenderly stared down into those now limpid dark eyes. All he wanted to do now was take her in his arms and at long last, fix things with her.

I’m terrible with words! They only get in the way. Maybe this time, I’ll let my actions can do the talking instead…

Those bewitching dewy lips, parted and full, coupled with the sound of her ragged breathing, filled him with a fierce, concupiscent longing that could no longer be denied, and the spellbound Phoenix lost his battle with temptation in the next instant.

“Oh, Maya,” he breathed, as he bent his head, completely powerless now against the magnetic pull of that beckoning rosebud mouth as he claimed it with his own.

A startled gasp escaped her lips at first, but he was unable to relinquish his hold on her, instead drawing her even more tightly against him with a groan of surrender as he feasted on those delectable lips that he’d gone without tasting for far too long. His hands curved tightly around her waist as he kissed her deeply, possessively.

With a corresponding moan, Maya’s body instinctively melded into him, her mouth rivaling his with equal want and need, her fingers threading through his spikes. Waves of desire were searing through his body… but then his conscience kicked in, dousing the flames of passion like a bucket of ice water.

Dredging up the remains of his nearly obliterated willpower, Phoenix abruptly pulled back, his breathing heavy and uneven. The sudden bereftness of no longer being in his arms almost sent her staggering backward, had he not reached out then and gripped her arms, although this time keeping his body as distant from hers as possible while he held her at bay.

“That was a grave mistake, for which I’m 100% at fault.” He raked shaky fingers through his disheveled hair, navy orbs rife with regret.  “I’ve learned the hard way that despite wanting nothing more than to give into my primal urges with you, it’d be so wrong on so many levels, what with things being as they are between us now. Moreover, I know that if I were to indulge with you one more time, I’d never be able to let you go again. I should have never started this, and I sincerely apologize. Please forgive me.”

Forgive him?!

Maya shut her eyes against a surge of self-loathing as she unsuccessfully tried to will her galloping heartbeat to resume a normal, rhythmic pattern. For the past year, she’d vainly tried to convince herself that she was over Nick, that she couldn’t stand the sight of him, and had never wanted anything of this sort to ever happen.

Yet here she was now, about to walk down the aisle, with her former lover’s taste on her lips and aching for his taboo touch! Addicted to the Baron of Bluffing. The very notion that her traitorous body could still be longing for his, in spite of everything, made her want to scream in frustration – both of the enraged and sexual variety! Dear Lord, she was minutes away from her own wedding and was torn between fusing her mouth to his and smacking him silly.

With stormy eyes and gritted teeth, she opted for the second selection and slapped Phoenix right across his completely unprepared face.

It wasn’t the same cheek she’d attacked with the flowers earlier, so the right side of that maddeningly handsome mug now had a corresponding crimson mark upon it.

Maya’s chest was heaving, although this time, not due to his propinquity; it was from barely suppressed rage, stemmed from outraged feminine dignity.

“You despicable… libidinous… wannabe Lothario! Have you no shame? I am about to be a married woman! And you … you’re with my cousin! Show some restraint, you lecherous, spurious bastard!” She raked him with scorn even as she took a step backward to stop herself from slapping him again. “So help me, Phoenix Wright, if you ever touch me again, you will be the sorriest person alive!”

The hobo slowly rubbed his injured cheek, and his formerly forlorn eyes now glinted like dark blue ice shards, cold and dangerous. Even so, his trademarked cocksure grin, the one he used whenever he was in card shark mode, eased across his phizog. He bent forward, his tall frame looming over her like ominously, and his voice held that cocky edge, the one he’d perfected during his past seven years as an undefeated poker champion.

“What’s the matter, Maya?” He asked silkily. “Does my touch make you nervous?”

The look her dark eyes cast in his direction was livid.

“Me, nervous? Around you? Hardly!” She put on her most scathing, disdainful tone. “You may be dressed up in a fancy suit right now, Phoenix Wright, but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig! Nothing can hide the fact that underneath that finery still lies the scummy, disgraced forgin’ attorney. A derelict, ne’er-do-well, nobody. The degenerate hobo bum, phony pianist turned shady poker player at a dive bar amongst fellow plebian riffraff, who fittingly fraternizes with the underbelly wastrels and lowlifes of society!”

The feisty necromancer knew her words had packed a punch when she saw the back of his neck converting into the same shade of crimson as his assaulted cheek. His eyes narrowed, but that smug grin remained firmly in place despite his clenched jaw. One jagged brow lifted, as if in a challenge.

“So those are the cards you want to play now, huh? You’re hinging all bets on the fact that I’m to believe you hold me in nothing but contempt now, are you?” His penetrating tone was as imposing as his hardened orbs. “What do you say I call your bluff, Master?”

She tried to shove past him then.

“I’ve got a wedding to get to. Get away from me.”

Phoenix had been stunned, not so much by the force of the blow, but by the cause of it. Here he’d been about to confess to her how Iris had been all a lie, that he’d never stopped loving her, and he’d done it all to protect her. But ultimately, what did it matter, when Maya Fey was no different than the rest of the world? She’d just made it clear that she, too, viewed him as hoi polloi scum since he’d been disbarred, and thought he was equivalent to the dirt under her regal Master’s feet! Moreover, she’d not only contemptibly deemed him to be from the underbelly of society but now flat out loathed his touch.

Well, to hell with it all then!  She’d assaulted him for the final time. If Maya’s Zoilean opinion truly was that he was a complete bastard and son of a bitch, he may as well act the part! He reacted without thinking, advancing upon her, step for step, while she backed away from him until her retracting steps ended with nothing but the windowsill behind her.

“I’m not going anywhere just yet,” the card shark whispered, blocking her in with a push to the wall. His voice, like the dominance of his hold, was a force to be reckoned with. “You’ve always been fiery, Maya Fey, and I have repeatedly withstood up until now, but this is the last time I will do so. You can turn your nose up at me all you want, and pretend you share the same view of me as those narrow-minded hags of the village, along with the rest of the damn world when it comes to me. However, we both know that slap wasn’t so much about my disregarding your delicate female sensibilities as a soon-to-be-married woman with one innocent kiss…”

His sapphire eyes were on fire as he bent closer to her.

“It’s because when the chips are down and the time has come to show your hand, you’re a lousy bluffer. Care to  make a bet right now?”  The scent of grape juice and musky spice was hot against her skin. “That I can make you melt now the way I just did …yet again?”

His words seemed to oscillate through her, remaining suspended in the air like a dark cloud, and she trembled as all protests died in her throat under that heated gaze.

“Compared to you presently, the prestigious Leader of Kurain, I may very well now be deemed as riffraff, something vulgar and crude. I’ve tried to tell you before that we’re from two different worlds. Well, welcome to my world, Master Fey. And please, allow me to demonstrate how things are done on my turf.”

A dangerous smile surfaced as his gaze focused on her lips and her heart hammered in her ribs.

“Lecherous bastards like us do not need to show any kind of restraints.” His mouth hovered mere inches above hers while his voice trailed to a rough undertone. “Therefore, we also have no concept of shame.”

Within a heartbeat he once again took her lips in a fierce, demanding kiss. Maya’s knees turned to water, and she would have fallen over if his arms hadn’t been locked tightly around her, like steel bands, holding her in place while all her resistance crumbled at her feet.  She was panting with need as his feverish mouth roamed and devoured her, ravenous against the soft column of her throat, the tender lobe of her ear. Her arms snaked around his neck while Phoenix kissed her as if he would consume her, mashing her lips against his, nibbling at her, licking her, driven solely by the sheer will to ravage.

And then, just as she was catching her breath, he shoved her away. Maya gasped, dumbstruck, as she thudded back against the wall. Despite his labored breathing, his eyes were now hard as he eyed her dispassionately.

“The joke’s on you, Master Fey. I was already the sorriest person alive. But at least now I know I have a fellow contender.”

He reached into his pocket and slapped his magatama heavily down on the side table, the sharp clank of the sacred charm reverberating in the silent room.

“Looks like I won’t be needing this anymore.”

With that, he strode towards the door, flung it open, and turned to face her one last time, a steely glint in his eye.

“Better run off to your ceremony, Master Fey, and to the shielding embrace of your would-be husband. God knows what other objectionable and unsavory characters may be looming about in this wild world that your esteemed self may need protecting from.”

Phoenix spun on his heel and stalked out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him before she could see the tears in his eyes.

Maya Fey
Fey Manor
June 16, 2026, 3:25 PM

With shaking hands, Maya reached for the mystic stone her ex had curtly discarded, clasping it tightly against her chest, which was shaking with suppressed sobs.

In the next instant, out of the blue, an uncontrollable sentient perception overcame her with the force of an inundating wave. It left her feeling like an enervated ship, awash in the spiraling undercurrent of swarming images in her mind’s eye, making her bated breath get painfully trapped in her lungs.

Of all these unfamiliar kaleidoscopic emotions … these psychedelic reflections … these jumbled polychromatic recollections… none of them were her own.

This zeitgeist she was experiencing… it was all purely Phoenix’s.

Squeezing her eyes shut in concentration, the psychic felt her extrasensory powers fighting against separation from her psyche, the automatic instinct to preserve herself above all else to keep her from drowning in these fragmented sensations of another soul… ululates of sorrow… overwhelming maudlin, lugubrious, helplessness. She felt the elastic recoil of her sixth sense fight to protect her from the deluge. She had to strain to push it entirely away; it took all of her focus.

Maya spluttered in shock as her intuitive resources at last dredged up the paroxysm of agonized reminiscences she was privy to intuiting at that moment, letting them flood her senses as she hefted the protective shield right out of her mind.

That was she saw them – the crystal-clear memories Phoenix had been experiencing over the past six years. It was like viewing a movie reel at high speed as the imageries whizzed by, and her mind had to slow down the depictions to a freeze-frame to linger on the details of the unadulterated misery, devastation, and despair he’d endured.

Some of the reminiscences were not clear – dim memories, seen through enervated eyes and heard through dim ears: their breakup… the faux placid smile he’d been wearing since their split … the sound of her voice through the darkness of his faltering consciousness when he’d heard her singing at his hospital bedside…his torment when he’d discovered her engagement… the preciously guarded promise ring and locket he’d given her, still in his night table … his trembling palm cupping her cheek earlier that afternoon…

The older, now poignant memories which had been so blissful at the time were perfectly recalled: his sublime expression when she’d first said she loved him…the first time they’d kissed… that first night they’d made love… the prideful elation when she’d accepted that infinity ring…

All these unrestrained, innermost impressions from the depths of Phoenix’s soul…They were all of her. Not even one was of Iris. And from what she could make out from the most recent vibes…there wasn’t even an ounce of happiness amongst any of them – only despair, loneliness, and heartbreak.

With a spluttering, strangled rasp, Maya’s overwrought psychic powers lost their grip on the struggling weight of holding her own cognizance away from herself, and it sprung back like stressed elastic, protecting her thoughts once again and leaving her with nothing but her own tumultuous emotions behind.

Her eyes snapped open, and then the bride was dimly aware of her immediate surroundings once more as she stared haplessly at the door Phoenix had stormed out of moments ago, while she struggled to make sense of what had just transpired within her as she’d gripped his forsaken magatama.

What the hell did Pearly do to that thing when she charged it with her spiritual energy? Her mystified heart cried out. Why was I able to see, to experience all of Nick’s thoughts and emotions and memories as though I’d been there right alongside him? Why has he been so miserable all this time and experiencing no joy in his life when he’s the one who left me?! What does this all mean? I don’t understand!

The shattered Master stifled back a cry of agony as she recalled Phoenix’s incensed expression when he had finally exited her life for the very last time. Closing her eyes against her tears, she pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, still swollen from the taste of him. Her breaths were shallow and her mind was swirling as the inescapable notion that’d just dawned on her washed over her like a tidal wave, leaving her too weak in the knees to stand.

She was doomed, Maya realized as she fell in a heap to the floor. She desperately loved and still wanted a man who had broken her heart, and now despised her -she’d damn well made sure of that!

She grabbed her bridal clutch, pulled out a handkerchief, and held it against her wet cheeks.

Right before he’d left, Phoenix had essentially stated she’d now matched his rank as the other sorriest person alive.

And Mystic Ami help her, that’s exactly what she was.

A/N: Thanks for writing the inspiring Fop Copter gag, Ropo! Also thanks Aikoya for the sentient magatama angle!

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