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If there was one thing that Edgeworth hated, that was Phoenix Wright.
That man shattered his win streak, beating him two fucking times. Yeah sure, he saved some people like the prosecutor himself would've wanted many years ago, but his ego and his Von Karma spirit were greatly affected.
Why did this happen? Why, of all times, did Wright have to return now?
He sighed, as he entered his car on the 24 December 2016. Someone asked him to meet him at Gourdy Lake — That's a strange name. — he thought.
He's getting closer and closer, his gut feeling getting stronger and stronger but he decides to ignore it. What could go wrong in the end? It would have been a quiet chat... with a stranger... near a lake... Oh god.
. . .
Two men now stood in a boat at Gourd Lake, one of them is Miles Edgeworth, the other one is an old man.
"It's been, what, 15 years?" the elder asks.
Edgeworth thinks about it for a minute or so, "About that, yes."
"15 years is a long time to wait... You can't imagine how much I've suffered..."
"You... suffered?"
"And now... the perfect opportunity presents itself."
. . .
"At last... I shall have my revenge!" he grins, as he pulls out a gun of his coat.
Edgeworth makes a step back, his eyes wide and incredulous while his legs start trembling slightly. "What!?"
A gunshot.
"...Merry Christmas."
Miles' ears rang painfully after the loud sound of the gunshot echoed. He instinctively clapped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the high-pitched tone that resonated through his skull. The world seemed distant and muffled, and he could barely hear his own thoughts over the persistent ringing. The gunshot had been far too loud, and Miles was left reeling from the unexpected cacophony that had assaulted his senses.
The shot seemed to awaken something deep and painful within Miles, stirring up memories that he had tried so hard to suppress. The sound, that loud, dull sound resounded in his mind, mingling with the ringing in his ears and creating a cacophony of sounds that sent a chill down his spine. A single shot brought back a flood of raw, aching emotions, the pain and fear of past experiences threatening to wash over him like a wave. It was as if the gunshot was a physical manifestation of that deep, unhealed wound within him, a constant reminder of a past he couldn't escape.
He couldn't even hear the sound that the man fell into the water, so much so that he was overwhelmed by his emotions.
He picked up the pistol without thinking, looking at it in shock.
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Not guilty.
This court found the defendant, Mr. Miles Edgeworth, not guilty... at least, for this case.
The prosecutor stood up as he screamed "OBJECTION!"
"Your honor, I'm not innocent at all! As we have heard, Yanni Yogi killed Robert Hammond in revenge. But, revenge for what?"
Maya looks at Phoenix in total panic, "Nick! Edgeworth is trying to confess! He's going to say he's guilty! He's going to tell them he was the murderer in the DL-6 Incident! He's going to-"
"Maya, stop it for a second!"
Phoenix's eyes were now unfocused, a distant glaze covering them as he stared into nothingness. He was no longer fully present in the moment, his mind adrift on a sea of unrelated thoughts and half-formed ideas. His body was motionless, save for a small, almost imperceptible rocking motion, as if he was subconsciously trying to soothe himself out of his dissociative state. He was lost in his head, unable to hear the world around him and unresponsive to any attempts to snap him out of his daze. The world around him seemed to fade into a blur, and he hardly noticed the passing of time as he was consumed by his own inner thoughts. What the hell just happened? His heart ached with disappointment and hurt, a dull pain spreading through him as the truth of the situation settled over him. His gut twisted in knots, a sickening feeling of unease and dread building up in the pit of his stomach.
The anxiety of the situation had sent his heart into overdrive, every beat thudding against his chest like a drum, loud and rapid. The sound of his heart beating too fast seemed to fill his ears, drowning out the world around him as his heart pumped furiously in response to his anxiously pounding thoughts.
The judge also widened his eyes, "Well, this is certainly unexpected! The defendant, declared innocent, is confessing to a different crime! A crime for which the statute of limitations runs out today! I'm not really sure how I should deal with this..."
Von Karma crossed his arms, his expression becoming increasingly angry and twisted. "Bah! It's obvious. We hold a trial. Right here. Right now. We try this man for his crime of fifteen years ago!"
"I think... I think I would like to take a five-minute recess. During this time, I will consider the appropriate course of action to take. Court is adjourned!"
The sound of the judge's gavel is the only thing that manages to bring Phoenix back to reality.
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"So... you really killed him, pal?" Gumshoe was in the defendants' room, listening to Maya and Edgeworth talk about how the case had unfolded. The spirit medium had a worried expression and gesticulated a lot, the prosecutor was visibly embarrassed, but also seemed... relaxed... Maybe because he finally confessed to his crime. He wasn't even talking, every now and then he would specify a detail just to participate in the conversation.
Silence fell on the room, the only thing audible was the sound of papers moving as Phoenix leafed through the documents from the DL-6 incident.
"Nick? What are you doing?"
"Huh? Oh... I was just reading through the Court Record once more. I'm getting my case ready." he stated, without even looking at her.
"Your case... for what?"
"Huh? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to prove that Miles Edgeworth is innocent."
"Pal, are you insane?!" Gumshoe made his way between the two, placing himself in front of the table overflowing with documents, "He literally confessed his crime!"
"Yeah, and I don't believe it. It couldn't have been him." the defense attorney turned to his rival, "I'm sorry, Edgeworth. But I don't believe in your nightmare."
He gasped, "Wh-what!?"
"It's just a dream. It's not real. The truth is right here in this Court Record." Phoenix placed a hand on the latter, and patted it. He stood up as he started to re-organize all his documents. "In any case, tighten your belts. The real fight is just beginning."
Their gazes were now locked with each other, both hearts beating fast.
"I'll prove you're innocent. Trust me."
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A second "Not guilty" verdict.
"So, it's finally over, Edgeworth."
"..." Miles was too embarrassed, he couldn't bring himself to say a single word, "I-... I don't know what to say."
Maya gave him a sign, "Pss, Edgeworth! Try with a "Thank you"!"
"A-Ah..."
A cough.
"Thank you, Wright."
Phoenix's gaze softened, his lips now curved into a small smile.
"You're welcome, Edgeworth."