He was sitting on a small, plain wooden chair in the corner of defense lobby number two, quietly waiting for his client to show up. He finished off the can of Fanta Melon Cream Soda he had bought at the vending machine in the Great Hall. He would always drink some of this magical little sweetness before all his trials. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps in the quiet hall and he watched as his client approached. He was very tan and quite tall. His hair was long and seemed to be made of pure gold. His clothes were outspoken, just like a rock star would keep in his wardrobe, and his eyes were sparkling behind his spectacles. The bailiff accompanying him left, and closed the door behind him.

“Mr. Chance! They told me you were already in the defense lobby.” He took the lawyers left hand and shook it vigorously, like they were old friends meeting in a bar to drink a few beers while talking about the good ol' days. Maybe it was the case, or just his clients friendly manner, but ever since Chance was first introduced to this man, he had the feeling they had met somewhere before, under completely different circumstances.

It was then that Chance noticed the other was wearing white gloves. He wasn’t wearing them in the detention center. So, why was his client wearing gloves now? He dismissed it as a rock star quirk.

“Well,” Chance stated as he stood up. “Are you ready for your trial, Mr. Gavin ?”

“I should be the one asking you that question, Herr I-drink-Fanta-Melon-Cream-Soda-before-my-trial!” Gavin answered, grinning as if he had just told an hilarious joke. But Chance wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

“I see,” Chance adjusted his falling glasses. “Whether or not you're acquitted depends on your…” He paused and glanced at the outfit Gavin was wearing.“...performance on stage. So you'd better be ready too, Mr. Gavin. It is you, who is accused of this crime. As for myself, I never come to a trial without being fully prepared beforehand. I take my job very seriously. I hope you take this trial just as seriously.”

“Of course I will,” Gavin said awkwardly. “I... just can't afford to get a guilty verdict. I mean, I realize this ain’t no murder trial, but that doesn't matter. My reputation and my career would be ruined.”

“Oh really,” Chance answered, moodily. “Not a murder case? Why, that's a pity, isn't it ? I really hoped it would be a murder case…” He paused and gave Gavin a dark look.

“Wh... what ? I’m not on trial for murder, here. In fact, I-I’m the victim here!”

“Nevertheless, Mr. Gavin, I feel the need to ask you once ag..”

“Oh, no!” Gavin threw his hands up in a stop motion. “No, no, no no, and no. I’ve already told you so many times…”

Chance chuckled at him, coldly, and flipped his hair.

“I already told you so many times, it wasn’t me!” Gavin gestured at himself. “Cause I’m tired of repeating myself. It was not me, definitely not! It's a conspiracy to ruin my whole career, that's what it is. Goddamn it ! Don't you ever trust your own client?” With each second that passed, Gavin was growing edgy. His eyes were no longer sparkling like they were only a few minutes ago.

“Trust … my clients,“ Chance repeated as he threw his can away in the trashcan near the court room entrance. He regarded Gavin cautiously, his mind wandering in a vast sea of memories.

“The question is not whether I trust you, but whether you trust yourself, Mr Gavin.” Chance crossed his arms. “I've already told you, whether or not you're acquitted today also depends on you. Not matter how good the defense, if the defendant himself isn't convincing... heh, well, let's just say the lame duck would drown and die. Charming, isn't it?” His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Gavin did not answer. He took a deep breath, to calm himself down a little. His expression changed, suddenly, from nervousness, to determination, as if he had just convinced himself of something. Of what, he did not know. Yet...

“I…” Gavin started but was interrupted by the bailiff as he opened the door to the courtroom.

“The trial is about to begin. Please come into the courtroom as soon as you are ready.” The bailiff announced.

They walked towards the door, but just as he was about to enter the courtroom, Chance suddenly stopped.

“Now what ?“ Gavin said, irritated as he bumped into him.

“Mr. Gavin,” Chance started, in a deep, low voice. “I don't know what you're up to, but I do know one thing. The truth... No matter the outcome of this trial, the truth will come out, eventually. Don't you ever forget that, Mr. Gavin.”

“Wh... what are you talking about?” Gavin asked tentatively.

“Oh, don't you worry Mr Gavin. I’ve said those words to every single client since my first case. There is nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing. I will get your not-guilty verdict, no matter what it takes.”

Then, Gavin felt it. All his senses were overwhelmed by some sort of aura, a very strong one, which seemed to be emanating from the man in front of him. Yet, he was not really surprised. After all, he was the legendary Mr Chance. He was the only one of his kind; never lost a single case during his whole career he spent abroad. At least, that's what Chance had told him. The first visit in the detention center was the first time he had seen the legend in this country. Yet, there was something odd about this man. Gavin was so damn sure he had met him previously. but he just couldn't remember. Absolutely nothing.

‘Why am I drawing a blank, anyway ?’


***


He was sitting in the defense lobby, waiting for his trial; his first since he had come back from his trip abroad. It had been fifteen years since he had stood in this very lobby. He had never imagined that he would be back here one day. He knew his purpose and he was terribly nervous. Maybe he was not ready, he thought. How could he possibly be ready to accept the bitter truth that he had lost everything, absolutely everything, and was here only to punish himself ? For what ? Only God knew, and he wasn’t even sure about that. Maybe, as a way to punish himself, he would go on defending once again. To purify his soul. Yes, he was sure he was only here for his own redemption. He decided that from now on, he would take the most gruesome cases; allow himself to be humiliated there, in the courtroom. The very place where everything had begun, and where everything would end. Maybe the excruciating pain of being sacrificed on the altar of the kingdom of Justice, would purify his soul and erase that pain that was killing him little by little. Or, was he already dead? Hmm... that sounded too much like bad dialogue taken from a bad movie. No, that was not like him at all, he thought.

During his trip abroad, he had received several pieces of news about what was happening in this country. It was not without a certain sadistic, and almost cynical joy he had learned that the infamous Manfred Von Karma had committed suicide in his own cell. A rookie lawyer named Phoenix Wright had publicly exposed the true nature of the prosecutor Von Karma. Forged and concealed evidence, bribery, witnesses forced into keeping their mouths shut. He knew that man would resort to any possible means to achieve his goal, a Guilty Verdict. Even though the victim was innocent, he didn’t care. All he cared about was his perfect record. Nothing else mattered and certainly not the lives of all those 'imperfect beings' which endangered his perfect record. He knew everything about that. But he surely had never imagined that Von Karma would resort to murder. That he would kill someone with his own two hands. That he would one day become a full-fledged criminal in order to protect his so-called perfect record.

He knew the Von Karma family was rotten to the roots. He had done some research about Manfred's ancestors while he was abroad, and it came to him as no surprise that this man was but the same as his father, grand-father, great-grand father, etc... He also heard about Von Karma’s daughter... Franziska, wasn't it? Like father, like daughter. Even though the same lawyer, Phoenix Wright, had prevented her from taking the same path as her father, it did not erase the fact she was still a Von Karma. Rotten. There was simply no way for this family to change. Not a single one. And all this 'perfect' bullshit...

He, himself, would never be able to change. It was too late for him. He had changed too much to come back and start everything all over again. Everything was his own fault. He was the one responsible for what he had become and he needed to purify his soul. His life was over, he knew it. All the same, before he left, he had to do this, both as a defense attorney and as a man.

What the hell was he babbling about? What was he trying to be? Some naïve, stupid, brainless idealist ? He hated himself when he would think like that. Who did he think he was to judge people, to talk of good and bad ? What had happened to him ? He didn't know. He didn’t understand what he had become anymore. But a few seconds later, he had chased all those thoughts out of his mind, trying to take control of his mind and body, once again.

He was disturbed by a door opening on his left, and the defendant entering the room, accompanied by a dull-looking policeman.



‘You filthy little rat…’ He thought as he forced a smile. This scumbag of a rapist would be the key to his purification. A key, and nothing more. Ready to be thrown out in the nearest trashcan as soon as everything was over.

He just couldn't understand why he had become what he was.

'Court is now in session for the trial of Mr Klavier Gavin.' A pause consumed the courtroom. 'Hum... I never thought I would ever see you on the defendant stand, Mr Gavin'.

'Ah !...' he answered . 'Why, isn't Experience the spice of life, Herr Judge ?'

'My, but you're perfectly right, Mr Gavin! When I was young, I used to have a lot of experiences too. I remember one day, I snuck out with some friends, during a particularly boring math lesson at school, and we went drinking some beers at the local bar, but then, my mother caught me in the act when she went into the said bar, with her lover, as we were leaving, and...'

'Ahem.'

'…' The Judge stared incredulously at Mr Chance. 'Whatever is the matter, Mr Chance ? I was just...'

' I believe this is not the right time for you to tell us your... memoirs. If you really want to do so, I suggest you wrote a book, and I can talk to a friend of mine who's a publisher. I'm sure the story of your incredible life would sell magnificently.'

'Oh, but you're right ! That's what I will...'

'Ahem.'

'Hum... right, right.' the judge cleared his throat and announced, 'Mr Payne, your opening statement if you please.'

'Right away your Honor. But before, I'd like to say something to the defense.'

'What is it ?' Chance asked, slightly annoyed with all of the interruptions.

'Ah, ah, ah,' Payne paused, playing with the spikes of his punky hair-cut. 'Do you know what defense attorneys use to call me ?'

Chance did not answer.

'They called me... The Rookienator', he said, after a dramatic pause.

Chance did not utter a single word. In fact, he was having a very hard time trying to suppress a very hearty laugh. Payne was taken aback by his silence.

'Well, don't you have anything to say, rookie ? Instead of prayers of course, because you can already consider your client guilty.' he added, still playing with his hair.

'Rookie ?' Chance raised an eyebrow at Payne.

The prosecutor stopped playing with his hair.




'If I were you, I'd have my memory through a complete check-up,' Chance snapped, staring straight at Payne, a note of bitterness in his voice. 'Instead of saying the same lame joke every now and again. You're as lame as you were twenty years ago, ''Rookienator'''.

'Wh... What ?! Don't tell me you're...'

'Now, if the prosecution would be kind enough to give us its opening statement right away...' The Judge interrupted. 'We're not here to listen to your babbling all day long, Mr Payne'

It was as if someone had just punched him in the face. Taken aback, he tried to pick up the spike that had just fallen off his head and put it back in place while nobody watched, except for Gavin who was staring at him with blank eyes.

As Payne was about to give his opening statement, a sudden noise prevented him from proceeding.


'...Tobira wo akeru, mirai he, mirai he,
shinjitsu wo motomete !
...Tobira wo akeru, mirai he, mirai he,
yomigaeru shinjitsu !
Phoenix Wriiiiiiiiiiiiiight !
Phoenix Wriiiiiiiiiiiiiight !
Phoen.... *bip*

'Hem ! Please forgive me, I had forgotten to turn off my cell phone' said the Judge, the part of his cheeks not covered by his magnificent beard turning crimson. 'Mr Payne, hurry up and give your opening statement, or I'll be forced to give you a penalty !' he added, his eyes staring bulletts into Payne.

'Alright,' Payne took a deep breath, trying to suppress his urge to protest against such an unfair statement. 'Well... hem. Now, the opening statement... yes. We found the body of Ms Julia Dawson in a alley near Mr Gavin's apartment a week ago. Her body was covered in bruises, and marks on her neck show strangulation. She also bears signs of having been raped; if all her injuries weren't awful enough.'

The silence hung heavy in the courtroom. No one dared say a word; even the Judge was at a loss. Payne went on :

' Of course, I wouldn't be here if we didn't have decisive evidence showing that the criminal is no less than the defendant himself, the infamous Gavin Klavier, guitarist/singer and leader of the Gavinners !'

Murmurs of shock and awe ran through the audience, and even the Judge let out a cry of surprise. He was as pale as if he had just seen a ghost. He finally gathered himself and tried to reclaim order in his courtroom.

My, my... Chance rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Take a gruesome crime, and nobody stirs. Add a famous rock star in the mix, and you turn the whole world upside-down. Just... pathetic. Would people only notice the gruesomeness of a crime only with a bit of stardom in the recipe ? How disgusting...

'I already told them, that's a conspiracy ! I'd never hurt my dear Julia ! I'd rather put an end to the Gavinners, instead of harming my little jewel ! Never !' Klavier cried above the murmurers.

'That's right, try to save your skin, you scumbag of a rapist... Of course, you'd rather put a end to your filthy band, in order to save your own life...' Chance muttered.

Once Payne had given his statement, including all the proofs that incriminated Chance's client, it was as if someone had turned the volume off. Everything was so still and silent... Chance could even hear his own heart beating in his chest. He had not even looked at his client even once since the beginning of the trial. It was as if he was... but not, he was not. He could not. Now... the time... nearer, and nearer... he could see this yet, already fading light, glittering darkly, at the end of some sort of tunnel... Angélie... no, no, NO ! He had cried out, without realizing what he had done. The audience was staring at him with very reproachful eyes. As if they had just decided that his client was guilty and that he was only here to earn money, like all the other defense attorneys.

Just... pathetic, you bunch of...

'Whatever is the problem, Mr Chance ?' the Judge inquired.

Chance took a deep breath and recovered himself quickly. 'N-nothing, your Honor. I was just picturing myself with Mr Payne's spikes on my head, and I almost fainted at the prospect of wearing such a preposterous haircut.'

Payne once again looked as if he had just been hit right in the face. It took him a few seconds to get a grip of himself.

'Are you going to plead guilty,' This was the question that Chance had been waiting for; after so many years... now, now was the time. The beginning of the end. Now was the time for him to start walking, to start his journey on the dark, unknown path, covered by the whitest snow, which would lead to his own purification. He already knew the answer to the question.

Payne had paused for a brief moment before going on '… Or not-guilty ?'

'Hey !' cried the Judge, 'I'm the one to ask this question to the defense ! For stealing my own line of questioning, I give you a penalty ! And don't you ever dare do such a thing once again, Mr Payne !'

Chance started to laugh. A harsh, cold laugh, echoing in the eerily silent courtroom. Both the Judge and Mr Payne turned their head to stare in bewilderment at him. Then as if he had just noticed it, the Judge gasped.

'Mr... Mr Chance, what are you doing ?' Indeed, Chance had a cup of tea in his hand, silently sipping some of the boiling liquid.

'Shhh', he answered. 'Listen. Can you hear the cries of the innocent people, sacrificed on the altar of perfectness, coming from the silent and mysterious steam of this cup of tea ?'

'What on earth are you talking about, Mr Chance, I can't follow you! Besides, that's not the point... Now is not the time for tea !' the Judge said, angrily.



'So what ?' Asked Mr Chance, back to his normal, imperturbable self. A small smile touched his lips and acted as if nothing had happened at all.

'So what ?!' The judge angrily repeated. ' Are you so jealous of Mr Payne that you'd like me to give you a penalty too ?'

'No, no, no, don't misunderstand me, your Honor. I'm ... very sorry. Please forgive me for my... my insolence'.

You silly old man ... Couldn't he just let him enjoy this moment ? This very moment, when he was starting to smell it... the smell of bones, reduced to dust, buried deep beneath the ground, under the weight of guilt and remorse.

'Well, if that's the case, please, answer Mr Pa-... I mean, answer MY question ! Will you plead guilty, or not guilty ?'

A bailiff suddenly entered the courtroom, much to the Judge's displeasure.

'Your Honor !' he said.

'Bailiff, we are in the middle of a court session ! You just can't enter this room as if you just went to the toilets! If you wanted to hear more about my fantastic youth, or my wonderful ringtone, I'm afraid that you are too late ! It seems I will have to give you a penalty too !'

'That's not it your Honor! I ask you to forgive me, but I have an urgent report from Hotti's clinic !'

'Hotti's clinic' The judge mumbled. 'Isn't that...'

'The clinic the victim was brought to', Payne answered uncomfortably.

'That's right!' The bailiff continued. 'We've just been informed that Julia Dawson died only ten minutes ago. She had been in a very deep coma since her attack a week ago, but they couldn't save her... I'm sorry.'

'My... That's terrible !' said the Judge. But Chance did not say a word. Nor did he look at Gavin. Not once. Why, not a murder case, huh ?

The Judge asked for a fifteen minutes recess so the defense, and the prosecution, could have some time to prepare everything they needed for the trial, since this latter had just taken quite the nasty turn. He had proposed to postpone it, but Chance had insisted for it to take place this very day. When they came back, the atmosphere in the courtroom was feverish.

'Now,' The judge said firmly. I hope we will finally be able to start this trial, and that nothing more will interrupt us until this court has reached a verdict in this case. Anyone who dares disturb us will receive an ULTIMATE PENATLY POWAA LEVEL 12'. He was staring at the bailiff, who tried to mouth that he was not responsible for what had happened a few minutes ago. 'I also hope we will not get anymore sad news like what we've just be given by the doctors from Hotti's clinic...' he added, suddenly looking deadly serious.



As if he couldn't be anymore so, Payne was looking quite pale. Chance did not understand why. After all, there just was no way for him not to get a guilty verdict now.

'Mr Chance !' said the Judge, for the third time.

'Yes, your Honor ?'

'Are you not listening? I've been asking you whether the defense will plead guilty or not. I hope it will, though.'

'Hum...' But as he was about to answer, the doors of the courtroom suddenly burst open, and Chance saw it. He saw her, running toward him. He didn't notice the bailiff behind, trying to stop her. The only thing he could see was... hatred... no, it was loathing, on her face. Then, everything came back at once, like a movie that had been on pause for ten years and someone pressed play. He saw her pained eyes, the tears rolling down her face. He saw her pure-gold blond hair, and still... this air of loathing on her face. Why ? He remembered... But it all happened in a few seconds... Why was she here ? He slowly turned his vision toward Gavin.

The recognition hit him like a freight train, or a speeding bullet.

Then the anguish, oh the anguish, forming a deep, deep pain in his chest.

The ground seemed open up and he fell in. He kept on falling, the pain in his chest growing stronger with each second that passed. He couldn't bear it anymore. Why? Why these two people? He had been running away for so many years, away from them, away from those memories that devoured his soul. Everything around him suddenly went dark, and the silence consumed him.

He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. He could, however, feel this pain... his heart, burning... as if someone was piercing it with a white-hot blade. He wanted to cry; this pain, no this suffering was unbearable, simply unbearable. But his voice... not a single word would come out. There was nothing he could do to stop this pain that was slowly killing him. His heart was burning... But then, he heard something. Some muffled sounds near him. At first, he didn't know where they were coming from. It was as if there was a sort of veil distorting all his senses. Then, the sounds gradually became clearer and clearer. Voices. There were two voices, but he couldn't understand what they were talking about. Probably about himself. He was so miserable, so miserable, they were probably making fun of him. There, crying and lying on the icy cold floor. Helpless. Couldn't they help him ? This excruciating pain...burning through him. Would they let him die like that ?

'But you let her die. Yeah, you just let her die. You could even say you killed her. Her too, you left her behing. You abandoned both of them. So many people you left behind. You deserve what's happening to you. This pain, this loneliness, can you feel theirs ?' That voice in his head that tortured him was back.

Indeed, his heart was burning, and the pain, it was unbearable. So badly, he wanted to cry...

'My heart...' he whispered, and the voices stopped. He could see two blurred shadows in this eerily mist, this mysterious veil that blurred all his senses. They danced their mysterious and wordless dance, on a crumbled wall, with a broken clock and a shattered mirror next to their silent stage. One of the two shadows moved next to him, and the mist grew thicker and thicker with each second that passed. The shadow made some more noise, but he couldn't understand what it was supposed to mean. The darkness faded around him, until everything was awash in a white light.

'Is this, the last light ?' He thought. 'Why, Angélie... is... is this really the Last Light I can see ? Where are you, Angélie... The Last Light... Where is the Last... Light...'

But nobody answered. There only was this noise. This noise... and this piano, playing in the silence. This melody... and the noise, in the deadly silence of the White Dream.

***

It was a very bright, clear and fresh day of spring. The cherry-trees were blooming, and a snow of white flowers was dancing in the lukewarm wind. She was standing by the cherry-tree and perched on its branches was a snow-white raven, who cawed noiselessly as he kept on staring at her. Her golden hair was floating in the air, as an angel flying in the wide and white sky. He clearly remembered her warm smile on that day. But why did this sight hurt him so much ? Why this pain, this unbearable pain, in his heart...? It was the purest smile he had ever seen. The kind of smile only Angélie, his one and only, was able to make. He could have bought her anything she wanted, made him do everything she wished, thanks to that smile. But she never did. She was not that kind of girl. He remembered the way she looked at him...with such love, such tenderness in her eyes... but everything started to fade to white...

He took her in his arms and, as he did so, he could smell the delicate perfume of her hair, feel the softness of her skin, and her heart, beating peacefully in her chest as he was holding her so tightly. He could have spent hours like this, without moving. The snow of pure-white cherry-tree flowers was falling softly around them, and he let her go. They sat and drank some Japanese green tea, mixed with cherry-tree flowers he had picked up from the very tree they were sitting beneath. Then, as they had finished talking about their respective days, he asked her to wait behind the tree.

'Why ?' she asked, in a tender voice.

'I have a surprise for you.' He answered.

'What is it ? What is it ?' she asked eagerly, 'You've never had surprises for me! You usually don't like them... ' Was that irony he heard in her voice? He couldn't remember clearly...

'Well, go behind the tree, and come back when I call you. '

As she got up, she said 'I think I know why you don't like surprises...' she said with a genuine and cheerful smile on her face. This was probably one of her brightest, he thought. Yet, why was he sad right now ?

When he was sure she couldn't see, he took a small box from one of his coat pockets, and opened it. Inside was... what was inside that box? He was sure this was something very important, but why couldn't he remember what this little box contained. He called to her and waited a few seconds, but she didn't come. He got up, and went behind the tree, but she wasn't there anymore. Was she really there in the first place ? He started to run frantically, looking for her. With every second that went by, he grew even more worried. With each step that echoed eerily in the noisy silence of the dream, he grew even more edgy. He didn't understand what was happening. He ran, and ran, and ran... and still, didn't find her. The pain in his chest, in his heart, was growing stronger with each one of his steps. Some kind of eerily mist was gradually fogging up his mind. Anxiety started to creep over him, when everything came to a sudden and brutal halt.


They were standing in the middle of a road he had never seen before. The snow that surrounded them was dark, yet it shone like stars in a moonless sky. Everything was silent.

'Angélie...' he called, but said no more. She remained still and silent, as if she had not heard him. Surely, there was something odd in her behavior. Wasn't she supposed to wait behind the tree in the first place? What was she doing here, in the middle of nowhere, all alone?

'Because you were the one who left me behind' She said, as if she had read his mind. He couldn't understand what those words meant.

'What ?' he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. He wanted her to turn and face him, but she didn't move.

'You were the one...' she said. 'You were the one, the one... you killed me'.

No, it couldn't be. He couldn't believe it.

'But I did noth...'

'DON'T LIE !' she cried, 'DON'T LIE ! DON'T LIE ! DON'T LIE ! DON'T LIE ! DON'T LIE !' Her voice echoed in the eerie silence of the snow covered road.

As if struck by white lightning, he let her go. His heart was beating madly in his chest. The pain was so strong, he thought he was about to faint... Or was it because of her ? He couldn't understand what was happening.

She went on. 'You killed me... you abandoned her. You abandoned me too. You just kept on running away, all those years, running away from your own guilt. You tried to burn away the memories and your own heart. You betrayed me. You betrayed us. Can you feel my loneliness, our loneliness ?'

Those words... he didn't understand them, yet one had pierced his own heart with a thousand white-hot blades. He couldn't bear it anymore. What had happened to his memories ? No, things did not happen that way, but he wasn't sure. He didn't know anymore. But it couldn't be... it just couldn't have happened that wa...

'I TOLD YOU NOT TO LIE !' she screamed, on the brink of madness. Her voice carried like thunderous echoes in the silence of some deadly mountains. Her whole body was shaking madly. Was it grief, or just the cold ? He had never seen her like that, never. Her voice always used to be kind, soft, and warm. She never cried like that. Was she really the Angélie he knew ?

'Angélie, I... I... don't know what's going on. I don't understand anything anymore...'

She suddenly turned to face him.

'WILL YOU STOP LYING ?!!' Her eyes, once of a pure emerald-green, were now redden by large tears rolling down her cheeks. Yet her face... her face was so full of hatred, even loathing. Just like that girl. He understood now. Or so he thought. He just wanted to take her in his arms, once again. But as he tried to do so, a look of repulsion flashed on her face, and she pushed him back violently.

'STOP LYING TO ME ! STOP LYING TO US, STOP LYING TO YOURSELF !!'

He was utterly taken aback, and his heart... his heart was aching so much. He could not cope with the pain anymore. He felt he was about to faint any second now...

Before he realized what happened, she thrust her hand into his chest.

'I HATE YOU CHANCE, I HATE YOU, I DESPISE YOU ! YOU SHALL DIE NOW !'

He felt it, his heart being pulled out, and everything suddenly turned black. White blood was dripping on the dark and cold snow. The silence was all consuming He was numb and as he was about to fall, he heard it. The voice, her voice, silently echoing in the noiseless landscape. Her voice, soft, kind, and so warm. Each of her words seemed to be pouring life back into him. He could feel the veil slowly being lifted, as the light gradually faded away.

'No,' the voice said tenderly, 'No, this is not the Last Light, my love. Please... don't lie to yourself anymore. Stop hurting yourself, for what you never did... Please, Kristoph, this White Dream must come to an end... please, before it's too late. Please wake up from this dream... now.'

***

His eyes flew open. He was disorientated and the pain near his heart was still there, but it was slowly but surely fading away, just like this light...

'Angélie...' he whispered as his whole body was shaking terribly. He heard footsteps on his left, and a man appeared in front of him. He looked so much like the hobo he had seen a few days ago, in the Court library.

'Hey, there,' The man said as he scratched his head under the knit cap he wore. What was HE doing here? 'It seems you're finally awake, Mr Chance... or, should I say... Ah ah ah! Never mind, never mind...' A cynical smile appeared on his face as he paused.

' I never thought I'd see you back in this country, Kristoph.' He finally said.

It was past midnight, and a young girl of about fifteen years old was lying silently on the cold floor of her cell. She wasn't even trying to sleep in her bed, since there was no way she could ever find sleep after the events that had taken place today. Why did she end up in this cell, she did not know. It was as if someone had taken control of both her body and mind. Ever since she read that article in the local newspaper, she felt as if her mind had gone completely numb, she could not feel anything at all. At least, that's what she wanted to believe.

In fact, all her thoughts were directed towards that man... ''Chance, the Legendary attorney'', who ''had just arrived in this country a few days ago and is about to take his first case here'' the article read. This man... it was ten years since she had last seen him, and she thought she would never see him again. She had thought... no, she had hoped he were dead, murdered maybe. He would have deserved it, she thought as she turned onto her back to stare at the cold concrete ceiling.

'After all, he did abandon me...' she muttered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She was trying to resist the urge to cry. She hated him; hated him most than everyone else. Why would she cry ? Because she had not been able to take her revenge, and kill this man, who abandoned her, her mother, and all the people who cared for him ? Because she had wanted to murder this selfish jerk of a father and had failed in doing so ? Yeah, that was the reason why she wanted to cry. Even though she had managed to steal a gun from the Police Station 'thanks' to her uncle, who was a prosecutor, she hadn't been able to kill this man, this very man who had made her suffer for so many years. Who was the one responsible for all the hardships she had to overcome, all the pain she had to cope with, and this sadness, this unspeakable sadness... She had been about to free herself from this burden, to open this lock which was keeping her own heart shut... but somehow, she also could not help thinking she was the one responsible for everything.

Nevertheless, she had thought that by killing her own father, who abandoned her, she would have been able to open up her heart once again, and start a new life.

'Pff... we're not in a movie, my little princess...' she whispered gloomily.

Yeah, she was right. She was not in one of those bad Hollywood movies one wishes to forget as soon as the credits were rolling. What did she think she was doing by stealing a gun, bursting into a courtroom and trying to kill a man, her own father, in front of hundreds of people, including a prosecutor, a judge, and a dozen bailiffs ? Did she really think she could have gotten away without getting herself into a great deal of trouble ? She didn't used to be that naïve... Yet, it was all because of that article, that stupid, damn, bloody article. Had she not read it, she would never have learned her father was back. She would not have been arrested for trying to murder him, an attorney; she would not be locked up in this cell, this cold cell, all alone...

Of course, she had been all alone for ten years, even though her uncle had tried his best to take care of her. But she knew he wasn't her father, and her mother wasn't there anymore either... she had also disappeared ten years ago, and nobody never told her why. No one ever told her what had happened when she was only five years old. She had merely been told that everything was her father's fault. But who ? Who did say such a thing ? Did someone really tell her this ? Wasn't it something she had come with so as to lessen her pain, by using her father as a scapegoat ?

However, as she tried to put herself into a more uncomfortable position so as not to fall asleep, her eyes started watering. She was on the verge of crying, she could feel it, inside herself. In fact, a terrible and fierce war was raging in her own heart, which was as painful as ever. Who was she trying to kid anyway ? So she couldn't feel anything, oh, could she ? This joy, this loneliness, this pain weren't there, were they ? In fact, she was afraid, afraid of what those feelings really meant. She wasn't ready to accept that truth she tried to hide to herself, so as not to be overcome by those very emotions that were battling so fiercely in herself. She thought she would never be able to carry on living should they ever be freed from the precarious golden cage she had shut them in.

First of all, the loneliness... all those years, without any father or mother. Only her uncle, who had tried to raise her the best way he could, but that was no easy matter for him, since both his 'day' and 'night' job didn't leave him a single second for him to take care of her. He had hired some dull-looking baby-sitters who had only been interested in all the money her uncle could have given them for 'taking care' of her while she wasn't at school. She had never experienced the feeling of being loved by someone ever since that fateful day, ten years ago.

And this pain, this loneliness... ever since she had read that article, she could feel them trying to break loose, to take over her mind, and in order to prevent such a thing, she had decided to cut off all her emotions. To kill this man, her own father, so that everything would be over; her own pain would disappear, and she could go and live a new life as a completely new person. But deep inside herself she knew, she knew she just couldn't throw away all her past, ten years of emotions, of pain, as easily as that. Of course, it was impossible, completely impossible. Why did she ever think she just had to shoot him, and everything would be over ?

But she did not want to admit that she just kept on thinking about him... and her too. About her father, and her mother. She did not want to admit she missed them. And hate him ? Really, who on earth was she trying to kid, huh ? At the news of him still being alive, she had been overwhelmed by a wonderful feeling of pure happiness she had since long forgotten the taste of...

Oh yes, she had been so happy to learn he was still alive. She had never hoped he were dead. Never. How could she had ever hoped for such a thing ? Even though she did not want to admit it, during those ten years, and she had never ceased to hope that, one day, both her father and mother would come back, and that everything would go back to what they used to be before. But her pain had given birth to such hatred... Of course, she had felt betrayed when he flew, ten years ago. Of course, she couldn't forgive him for leaving her all alone, for all those years. But first of all, she had been so glad, so happy, so delighted to know he was still alive. She wanted to go and meet him at once, to let him take her in his arms, and cry, cry those very tears she had tried to hold back for so long... even if it only was for a few minutes.

Soon enough, something deep inside her started to stir. Soon enough, her own hatred had taken over her own mind, over her sheer and faint feeling of happiness. She was then blinded by this pain of having been left alone for so many years, and she wanted to exact her revenge on Kristoph Gavin, her father. Because she thought he was the one responsible for what had happened to her, she did not want to acknowledge the fact that she had been so sad, that she just wanted to be loved again, just like she used to be, when her parents were still with her. She was not ready to accept those very feelings and emotions, she thought that they were going to drive her mad if she didn't try to suppress them. She just could not recognize herself anymore. She could not understand why she had become what she was.

How could the thought of killing him have ever crossed her mind ? He was one of the two persons she had been longing for for so many years... but she had wanted to kill him... and her foolish attempt had sent her to prison. The pain was worse than ever, but at least, she knew that he was not badly injured, that his days weren't numbered after all... she knew he wasn't dead. * She had overheard two guards talking, when they were distributing food to the prisoners of the detention center. According to one of them, the bullet had missed his heart by inches, and had just gone through his chest without touching anything. A real miracle. He would recover from the injury quite fast. 'After all, he really needs a quick recovery'..., one of the guard had added in an undertone.

***

She was still lying on the cold floor of her cell, and without realizing it, she had started to cry some very silent, crystal-like tears. She did not want to cry, she did not want to... But she couldn't help it, she couldn't fight back those tears she had been longing to cry for so long. Neither her father nor her mother's arms were there. The floor was as cold as ever, compared to the softness and warmness of her parents' embrace. The night guard was patrolling the corridors, the light of his flashlight casting crazy shadows through the bars of her cell and she remembered that horrible day... when she was four. Her cat had been run over by a car and she remembered her father taking her in his arms, trying to comfort her, and those sweet words he told her :

'At least, he did not suffer for long' he said. 'You know, I'm sure he's very happy in Heaven. He probably eats as many snackoos as he wants without being told off now !'

She remembered how she giggled at those words, and how relieved she felt then. She remembered that oh so bright smile he gave her when she had stopped crying... Oh, all this was silly, so silly ! She knew perfectly well now, that all those words were but lies he had told her so she would stop crying, but still... deep inside her, she knew his feelings had been genuine, just like his smile.

She remembered how happy she felt to know he was there for her... how both her parents were by her side.

At this very moment, she wished he was there, with her, right now... But there was absolutely nobody in this cell. She was all alone, lying on the cold floor of the detention center.
'Papa', she muttered, 'Mama... Please, come back... come back, Papa, Mama...'

A few minutes later, without realizing it, she had cried herself to sleep.

'Hey, I never thought I'd ever see you back in this country, Kristoph', Phoenix said.

Chance was at a complete loss. It had been... more than ten years since someone last called him Kristoph, and the last time he heard someone doing so was the last time he heard his wife's voice... This incident... no, he shouldn't be thinking about it. Not now. But he just could not chase out of his mind this dream he just had.

'Hey, Kristoph, you hear me all right ?' Phoenix asked.

'Yeah...' he answered, slightly annoyed. He turned away.

'Well, thank God you can still speak. For a moment I thought that bullet had really reduced you to silence.' The dark-haired man added with a cynical grin on his face.

Chance finally understood who the hobo he had met in the Court library actually was. He was no ordinary hobo, he was the Legendary Phoenix Wright, and one of his former friends. At once, he wanted to ask him why he presented forged evidence during a certain trial seven years ago, but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard a sweet yet devilish voice in his head :

'No, this man is not your friend anymore. You don't have any friends. You are alone, all alone.'

'So', said Phoenix, 'I won't say I'm not pleased to see you, after ten years of deadly silence. But what on earth you are doing here Kristoph ?'

'As you can see, someone had tried to shot me down. Of course, when someone tries to do so, you usually end up at the hospital, if not directly put in a nice little wooden box for worms to eat your body away...' he answered sarcastically.

Phoenix laughed, and Kristoph recognized it at once. He had heard this very laugh so many times before, back in the day when Phoenix still considered him his mentor.

'Your humor is as sour as ever. I thought your little field-trip abroad might have put some sugar into it.' Phoenix added.

They stared at each other for a few seconds without uttering a single word. Then, Phoenix went on : 'So, you're not gonna tell me why you're back after ten years ? I can't understand why you left the country without telling any of your friends, or why you wrote that suicide note, or why you abandoned your own daughter like you did.'

Even though Kristoph remained completely silent as he talked, Phoenix could see the traces on anger on his smile, which looked more and more forced as he went on.

'But at least, I can understand... this incident ten years ago... I can understand how deeply it hurt you, how much you suffered when you learned what had happened to your wife, and...

'SHUT UP!' Chance suddenly screamed; 'SHUT THE FUCK UP! You can understand ? Oh please Phoenix, don't give me that bullshit!! There's no such thing as understanding, is there ?'



'Oh, did I say such a thing ?' Phoenix asked, seemingly unaware of his old friends outburst. He was quietly staring at the white raven on the branch of a walnut tree, planted in a wonderful park situated just behind the clinic.

'Yes, you did.' Chance answered irritated.

'Heh, yeah, you're right' Phoenix answered, grinning. 'You not believing in something doesn't necessarily mean this thing can't possibly exist, Kristoph. You seem as narrow-minded as you used to be. I thought that traveling abroad might have opened your mind, even just a little, but it seems I was wrong.'

Chance did not answer him. 'He's really got a point here' he thought.

'So, you really won't say anything to me then ?'

'No'

'Absolutely nothing ? You won't even tell me if you still drink that Fanta Melon Cream Soda before your trials ?'

'No, absolutely nothing.'

'Come on... Surely, you can tell me why you picked up this particular case, can't you ?'

'Wh... what do you mean ?' Chance asked tentatively.

'Don't play dumb with me Kristoph. I know why you chose this very case.'

'Oh, really ?' Chance asked ironically.

'Yes, I do.' Phoenix answered and crossed his arms over his chest.

'So, tell me, why did I pick up this case? Or have you lost your lawyers intuition, Trite?'

'Ahhh.... So, you know about him, do you ?' Phoenix said, a note of amusement in his voice. 'It seems you were still concerned about your friends after all...'

'Answer my question Phoenix, and save the chit-chat for later, if you please.' Chance snapped.

'Ah ah ah. Well...' he said, no longer grinning, 'You knew you wouldn't win this trial. There was no way for you to prove your client's innocence... not now. I'm sure you've realized by now that your brother, yes, your own brother, was not guilty. However, I'm sure that getting him a not guilty verdict was definitely not your intention. Am I right so far ?' he asked, a somber look on his face.

'Go on' Chance said simply.

'Well, I know you very well, much better that you think I do, actually. I know that you trust me.' Phoenix studied the other carefully as he spoke. 'You've always hated losing, and from what I've learned about your trials abroad, it still seems to be the case.'


'Oh really ?' Chance asked sarcastically.

'Ya, really', Phoenix answered seriously.

Chance knew perfectly well that, once again, Phoenix was right. Actually, he was so right, it even made him feel slightly nauseous.

'So, the only reason you had to pick up such a case is that you wanted to punish yourself, and I think I know for which reason you wanted to do so. Your wife, isn't it ?' Chance said nothing, and he went on. 'You still believe what happened ten years ago was your fault, don't you ?'

Chance did not answer. But his nausea grew worse and worse with each one of Phoenix's words, and the few colors on his face were starting to fade real quick.

'But it wasn't. Even though I did try to talk some sense into you after the trial that day, you just wouldn't listen to anything, would you ? You know, when I tried to talk you into not believing everything was your fault. However, this time... you are the one responsible for all the sadness you caused to all the people who cared for you. You are the one responsible for what happened today in court. You lying in this bed right now, that is all your fault, Chance. If you've suffered so much during the ten past years,well, you have your part of responsibility. Trying to run away...'

'But I...' Chance started, and Phoenix briskly cut him off.

'Haven't you realized who that girl is ? Don't you understand why she tried to kill you ? Yeah, you've been running away from your past, and from her, for ten years. But it seems you couldn't bear its weight anymore, could you ? I mean, the weight of your past, your guilt... That's why you came back here, so you could put an end to everything. So you could kill your miserable and worthless self in the very country, the very city where your wife died. That's what you were thinking, weren't you ? Always trying to run away, even now... But I'll tell you something Kristoph... Angélie, she didn't...

'What ?!' Chance asked, staring at Phoenix in bewilderment. 'D'you mean she's-- I mean Ang...'

'Oops, little slip of the tongue, sorry' said Phoenix who, once again, became very much interested in the white raven on the branch outside and didn't answer his friend's question. 'What I mean', he went on 'is what I just told you is the reason you came back in this country, isn't that the case ?'

Chance did not answer. He was pretty much shaken by what Phoenix had just said. Was it really just a slip of the tongue ? Was his wife really... but no, it was impossible. Simply impossible, yeah, that was it. There was no way she could be... but what if she was ? No, no, no ! It was impossible. Why he was thinking about that anyway ? Did he really want to suffer a little bit more ? Were the ten past years not painful enough ?

'At least... that's what I used to think, until... well, I heard you murmuring something while you were asleep. I couldn't believe it at first, but I guess everything makes sense after all. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense.'

'Wh-What did I say ?'


'Ah ah ah. Sorry, but I think I can't tell you right now. You have to understand by yourself.'

'Understand what ?' he asked.

Once again, Phoenix did not answer, and kept staring at the same raven with an almost disturbing insistence. But Chance was the one disturbed here. Who was he trying to kid by playing dumb. He knew Phoenix was right, he was right from the very beginning. The only person who could see through him as easily, who knew him as well as he did was... but no, no, NO !
'This is NOT the time to think about that, it's all over now; Why do you keep on thinking about her ? It's been ten years now !... Il est temps de tourner la page, this famous French singer used to say' he thought.

Still, Phoenix remained silent, still staring the white raven.

'Why isn't he saying anything ? Why ? He has to say something, he has to ! Man, what did he think he was trying to achieve with his silence, heh ? I've already suffered enough without other people's help. But of course, he couldn't understand that... or could he ?' But Chance did not know what to think anymore. Then, he realized he was still shaking, and he didn't know why. 'It's not cold', he thought, 'so why am I shaking like that' ? He was sure of something however, it wasn't all this rubbish Phoenix had said that made him shake like that. Hell no, it wasn't because of all this bloody pile of rubbish !

He really couldn't believe a word of all of this. Why, self-denial was, by far, a more appropriate attitude for such a situation, wasn't it ? How could he ever admit his own mistakes, his own pain, but first and foremost, his own weakness ? No, there was no way he could do this. He did not even have the strength to admit such a thing. He would not have ran away, from his friends, from his past, from his very own daughter, even from his own pain for ten whole years if that was the case. Ah, the silent songs of delusion, those soft and expressionless figures, dancing on this crumbled wall. And this clock he kept on looking at, even though it was broken. Oh, and that mirror... he kept looking at his own shattered reflection in it. He could not understand why he was doing all of this. But he knew one thing, he was not ready. Definitely not.

***

He was suddenly pulled back to reality by Phoenix.

'So, when are you planning to stop running away and face your own fears, your own pain ?' he suddenly asked him. 'Have you ever thought of all poor Sarah had to go through?'

An eerily silence fell in the room, and Chance could still hear those words echoing, like a enormous bell that had just been rung. He felt something breaking loose in himself, like some kind of icecap suddenly melting, and tons of water being freed at once. Without even realizing it, he had gotten up, and started yelling at his friend.

'I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE FUCK UP !! Running away ? Don't give me that bullshit ! Stop talking like some sort of magician from the Gramarye troupe ! You make me SICK with all your little riddles and mysterious sentences !'

Once again, Phoenix did not seem to be the least concerned by Chance's outburst of anger, which had the inevitable effect to strengthen it even more.



'Oh, but will you LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO THEM, GODDAMNIT ! You've always been like THAT, I mean,that's just... that's just...'

But he could not find the strength to keep on. He felt something in his throat, a tight knot, and he could barely breathe. Tears started to roll down his cheeks, and as he could not stand on his own two feet anymore, fell on the floor.

'Wh-Why', he muttered, 'why is all this happening to me ?'

Phoenix had rushed over to him, and taking him by the arm, helped him to stand up once again, so he could go back on his bed. Obviously, he was in no condition for standing on his feet, and definitely not letting his own anger consume his whole body.

'Ok now, you really should calm yourself down Kristoph...' Phoenix said softly.

The tears made everything blurred, but still, he was able to see his friend's face very clearly behind the crystal-like veil. He realized how tired his friend looked. He seemed to be very concerned about him, and at once, a huge feeling of shame overcame him, and while sobbing miserably, he tried to formulate an apology.

'I-I'm sorry Phoenix... I'm so sorry...' he muttered timidly.

'Don't worry about it...' he said compassionately.

'I-I don't understand anything anymore, Phoenix. It's terrible, simply terrible... I don't know what to do, I don't trust myself anymore. Oh, if you knew how much I grew into hating myself, how much I despise that foreign thing I've become. I just can't bear it anymore... You remember how much I used to loathe Manfred Von Karma ? It was before you got your badge of course... I realized I had become but the same kind of dirt as this man. I mean, I did a lot of things when I was abroad, and soon enough, it occurred to me...' Chance paused to catch his breath. 'I had taken the same path as this man; I might have ended up walking the very path I dreaded to even put a single footstep on. That's one of the reasons why I flew away from this country. But in vain... Guess you were right about it. I...'

Chance wasn't sure whether he should go on or not. Yet, Phoenix could see how much his friend was suffering, and didn't say a word.

'I-I was really looking forward to commit suicide Phoenix. That's the main reason I came back to this country. I could not possibly go at peace, but I really wish to end everything in this country. At least, that's what I used to think. Now... After talking with you, I think I got it... that wasn't the only reason... but I'm not ready to accept the whole truth... not right now.'

Phoenix had listened carefully, without saying anything. He smiled timidly, and went back at staring outside the translucent windows. A slight rain had started to fall, and some very dark clouds had plunged the city under an early veil of darkness. Wind was blowing softly in the branches of the walnut tree, and the white raven seemed to have flown to someplace else.

'Ok', he finally said after a few minutes of awkward silence, '…I've gotta go now. Take care of yourself, Kristoph. Your wound is really superficial, but still... I know the real one is still wide open, and hurting you more than what you'd like people to think. So... please take care of yourself, will you ?' he asked.

'Ye-Yeah, I'll try...'

'Heh, you are amusing, Kristoph.' Phoenix answered, grinning.

But as he was about to leave the room, the door burst open. For a moment, Chance thought his eyes were failing him. Something greenish with large and long tentacles flowing smoothly from the top of its head was staring at him. At Chance's horror, there was what seemed to be a second body attached to his left side. It eyes went from him to Phoenix, who was not the least surprise by the sudden appearance of this quite weird creature in the room. In fact, he even started talking to it.

Chance was at a total loss of words, and stared at the alien, his mouth wide-open.

'Ah ah ah, I forgot to tell you Kristoph, the Earth was invaded by the army of Lord Zbblozzrgh while you were quietly sleeping like a baby' said Phoenix.

'Oh ?' Was all that Chance could get out.

'No, not really' Phoenix answered smartly. 'Trucy, take off that alien disguise ? If you don't, I'm afraid Kristoph will eventually find himself with a swarm of flies in his mouth.'

'Ok', said a voice that sounded perfectly normal this time. Chance let out a gasp. The voice was actually a girl's, and what's more, she looked so much like his daughter, at least, what he thought she would look like, since it was now more than 10 years since he last saw her. He realized that was he thought was a second body attached to the main body of the alien was... he had already seen it once a few years ago, on TV...

'Kristoph, may I introduce you to Trucy and Mr Hat ?' Phoenix said. 'She's my daughter, and she's about the same age as yours. She's a magician in training.'

'Hi, Mr Fanta-Melon-Cream-Soda !' she said, bouncing on her feet. She was radiant, and her smile reminded him so much of his daughter than he was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to cry.

'Oh no, Kristoph. You're not going to cry again, are you ?' Phoenix said, grinning. 'You were never a cry-baby before.'

'That's not funny' he said.

He was about to add something else, when someone entered the room. It was an old man, with a small, pinkish tuft of hair. Chance noticed that a lot of his teeth were missing. 'The perfect specimen of the Old Pervert', he thought.

He just kept on scratching his head and his chest as he talked.

'Hum... have you seen Lord Zbblozzrgh ?' he asked.

'He's just left a few minutes ago. But he said he was coming back tomorrow. He had been looking for you all day', Phoenix answered.

But as he turned his head toward him, the old man noticed Trucy and started.


'Ah, Trucy !' he said. Chance noticed he was now trying to wipe the drool that had started to drip from his mouth as he stared at the girl. 'Hey, d'you want me to examine you today ?' He asked in a funny voice.

'No, sorry,' she answered moodily. 'In fact, I'm quite in a hurry you see. So Phoenix, let's go back home. I really have to practice doing this new trick with the pants you bought me last week'. She was bouncing on her feet once again.

'Yeah,' said Phoenix. 'Let's go. I was on my way to the office. I have to take care of my special mission after all. Dr Hotti, will you accompany us to the lobby ?'

And they left, leaving Chance all alone in the room. Rain was quietly falling outside, and he could hear the soft sound it made when touching the leaves of the tree. That's when Chance realized. Realized how sad he was. Realized how guilty, how ashamed he felt. He realized how lonely he was. All alone, in this silent and so cold room.

Phoenix turned the key into the keyhole, and with a satisfying click, the door was unlocked. Closely followed by a quite sleepy Trucy, they both went into the corridor of what used to be his office when he was still a lawyer. However, it was now a 'Talent Agency' which had ever consisted of only two members : his daughter, and himself. The room was plunged in utter darkness, except for the small, pale ray of moonlight coming from the open door of his study. Without a word, Trucy went into her bedroom, which was on her left. She wished him goodnight as she silently closed the door behind her. Phoenix didn't move, relishing the darkness of the corridor before going back into the blinding light of truth. He wanted to replay in his mind once more the happy events of the fantastic evening he had spent with his daughter.

Thanks to her new trick, involving the magic panties he had bought her a few days ago, today's show at 'Très bien' was a real blast. This pub once used to be a French restaurant, but because he was terrible at cooking (and because of a recent increase in complaints for food poisoning from the very few customers who went eating there), Armstrong, the French owner, had turned his French restaurant into an authentic Irish Pub. Phoenix had to admit that Armstrong looked damn sexy in his kilt (but didn't try to check whether he was really naked underneath), and that things were much better this way. The customer's stomachs seemed to be thinking the same thing too. Maybe out of chauvinism, he hadn't change the name of the place, and kept the French phrase 'Très bien', even though Phoenix thought it sounded really weird for an Irish pub.

The customers this evening were so amazed by Trucy's show that Armstrong had begged them to come back every evening, instead of every Friday, and said that he was going to give his daughter a rise in salary if she kept on doing such incredible performances. Phoenix was, in a way, much relieved, because, without his attorney badge, he had quite a lot of trouble in making both ends meet. What's more, he was probably as bad a piano player as Armstrong was skilled as a chef, so he definitely could not rely on his piano skills to earn a little extra money. But when it came to Poker...

Still, what really made him happy was how radiant his daughter had been this evening. Ever since she was a little girl, she had never let go of her dream of becoming the world's most famous and incredible magician ever. She had practiced day and night, and finally, a few months ago, Armstrong had contacted him, just after he lost his badge and founded the 'Wright Anything Agency'. The Frenchman was looking for a magician in order to entertain the customers of his pub. And for the first time, she had gone on stage. She had now become the most famous magician in town.

***

Phoenix moved to the kitchen, grabbed a glass and filled it with Ice Tea from a bottle he picked up from his fridge. He drank it in one gulp, then put the glass in the sink. Then, as silently as possible, he snuck into his office, so as not to wake up Trucy who was undoubtedly sound asleep by now. He closed the door behind him swiftly and without any introduction, said :

'Hi, Angélie. Nice to see you.'

There was a woman sitting on his desk, and Phoenix could see her eyes shining mysteriously in the pale half-light of the room. He had no trouble in recognizing her, even though he could not even see her face clearly.



'Good evening, my dear Phoenix... I'm really delighted to see you are safe and sound.'

'Yeah,' Phoenix said. 'It's getting more and more difficult those days...'

'So', Angélie went on, 'how... how is he doing ? I mean, ever since I left his bedside, this afternoon.'

'Not that bad, actually' Phoenix answered. 'Way better than what I expected, at least. He finally woke up from his delirium, and even if his pain is still tearing apart his soul, he seems to understand... and understanding is the very first step he has to take for his wound to be healed, and for good. I mean, his real wound.'

'I'm so relieved.' Angélie said. She felt just like a tree being tenderly caressed by the lukewarm wind of spring, after months and months, even years, of bitter cold winter. 'When I first went to his bedside, two days ago' she went on, 'I must admit I was utterly appalled by the state he was in. He looked... so weak, so miserable, lying on this bed. I hadn't seen him like that since the first day I met him. From his aura, I had then been able to feel how lonely he was at that time; This afternoon... I got just the same feeling-- no, perhaps even worse...'

Phoenix went by the window, and stared out at the hotel in front of his office. 'How many lives will this man take before we can stop him ? How many more will this accursed family destroy, how many souls will they tear apart before we can stop them?' he thought. 'But soon... everything would soon be over. Mia, Maya, Pearly, Trucy, Kristoph, Angélie and Sarah... soon...' he promised himself he would make them all pay for what they had done to the people he held so dearly. But no, he would never sell his soul to the devil anymore in order to do so. No, this time, Justice herself would be the one to avenge them all. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, the very mistake that made him lose his badge, and delivered his soul to a hound of starving snow-white wolves.

Phoenix was deeply plunged in his thoughts, but the voice of Angélie took him back to reality.

'Phoenix ?' she asked tenderly. 'Is anything the matter ? You look so preoccupied... '

'Oh...' he answered. 'I was just thinking about my special mission. Guess it should be ready soon... the only things left to take care of all depend on Kristoph. Ah ah ah. I swear to use force so as to make him stop running away if I have to !'

'Oh Phoenix, are you serious ?' Angélie asked, sounding worried.

'Ah ah ah. Just kidding.' he answered. 'I don't think I'd ever need to resort to such a method. I believe in him, and I'm confident he will realize it all by himself. All this pain he had accumulated during those ten awful years can be turned into prodigious strength if he really wants to. He only needs to understand...'

She tried to look him in the eyes. The dim light in the room made it almost impossible to see whether he was actually looking at her.






'What about you Angélie ? You sure looked deadly worried too...' Phoenix inquired. 'Won't you tell me what was bothering when you left Kristoph's room this afternoon ? Because I'm pretty damn sure it's still bothering you right now, even though I can't see your face clearly. Your voice clearly tells me I'm right... aren't I ?'

'Ye... yes. I guess you're right. You've always been able to see through both Kristoph and I, and that's precisely why you have always been such a close friend to us.' She looked at her hands nervously. 'Yes, you're right, something is bothering me. Even what you just told me a few minutes ago wasn't enough to get rid of my anxiety, even though I have to admit I feel much relieved now.' She stopped, and for a few seconds, remained silent. She wasn't sure whether she should tell him everything, but... she knew she couldn't hide it from him anymore. After all, he was her friend, he was Kristoph and Sarah's friend, and he was doing so much so they could go back on living together... she felt she would be betraying him if she did not trust him.

'Well...' she started, then paused once again. It proved to be harder to say than she expected. She took a long, deep breath, and tried to gather all her courage. 'It happened when you were waiting in the entrance hall. He seemed peaceful at first, and looked as if the worst was behind him. But suddenly, he seemed to have some sort of fit. He was shaking terribly, as if he had a very high temperature, and I could feel he was doubling up in pain. I went by his side and tried taking his hand, but as I did so... I-I saw...'. She suddenly stopped. It seemed she couldn't go any further.

'What's the matter ?' Phoenix inquired. 'You don't have to force yourself, if you can't find the strength to tell it right now. I mean, it can wa...'

'No, it can't wait ! It-it's just... I mean, this is completely silly ! You will probably find I'm off my roc... '

'Ah ah ah.' Phoenix chuckled as he remembered her use of funny idioms whenever she was tense. 'Don't worry about that', he went on. 'You know, I got to see a thing or two thanks to the Fey family... that was... when Maya was still alive and working with me. So go on with what you have to tell me.'

'O-Ok', she answered tentatively. 'What I saw... I-I think it was what he was dreaming. Oh, Phoenix, it was so awful... everything was dark, so dark out there... there didn't seem to be a single ray of light piercing through the utter darkness of his dream. I could clearly feel his excruciating pain... Oh Phoenix, it's much more worse than what I ever imagined. It's no wonder he clearly feels guilty for what happened to me... he really thinks I was killed because of this incident, ten years ago. But as a result, it looks like he completely withdrew into himself, shutting every door to his now cold, so cold and dark heart. It's no wonder you couldn't manage to speak some sense into him after the trial at the time... He feels responsible, so responsible he's even torturing his own soul, thinking it would atone for the sin he never committed. And this dream... it showed me how far his own memories were altered by this unspeakable pain. Such sadness, such loneliness, such a suffering... He does not trust anybody anymore,and certainly not himself. Life seems to have become a snowy and desolated plain to him... A plain where there's nothing, nothing but silence, darkness, and such unspeakable sadness and loneliness...'

She stopped talking and even though Phoenix was shaken to the core by what she had just told him, he could feel she was not done talking, and thought it better not to interrupt her. She went on.


'This-This dream was awful Phoenix. I've never seen Kristoph in such a state in my whole life... it looks almost impossible to bring him back...' She put her head in her hands, and began to weep. 'It was awful... he just kept thinking about the 'Last Light', and...'

'What's the 'Last Light'?', Phoenix interrupted.

'It-It's the Light... the Light that supposedly appears when something is about to be born, or when a soul is about to be lost... forever.'

Phoenix let out a sharp breath he didn't realize he was holding.

'You think I'm completely mad, don't you ? All this talk about his dream, and this 'Last Light'...'

'Certainly not' Phoenix snapped, a little harsher than he intended. 'Please go on Angélie... you have to tell me everything. You don't have to be the only one to carry this burden...'

'Thank you Phoenix', she said. 'I... it was horrible. I thought I was about to faint out there. I wanted to let go of his hand, I couldn't bear his darkness anymore. B-But I didn't want to leave him alone like that. With the last bit of strength I had left in me, I tried to say something to him... I begged him to wake up from this awful dream... but I don't know whether he heard me in this eerily silence that was fogging up his mind and his heart...'

'You know', Phoenix said suddenly, 'I believe he heard you. When I went to see him after you left the room, I heard him whispering your name... and Sarah's, and Klavier's... he kept whispering your names over and over again. You said it would be so hard to bring him back... but I think it will be easier than you think. Of course, it will take a great deal of time before his wound is healed, but still... I believe in him...'

'And I believe in him too', said Angélie. 'Phoenix.. I really want to save him. I want to save him, and my dear Sarah, before it's too late. And Klavier too, he really didn't deserve such a sentence...'

'Yeah, I know...' said Phoenix bitterly. 'I promise to help you all until the bitter end.'

A few seconds passed, when neither of them said anything. They stared at each other across the dark room, as two people who had just signed a sort of pact.

Angélie eventually broke the silence.

'Phoenix...' she said. 'I want to ask you a favor.'

When Chance looked out of the window, he could see that the sky was as dark and menacing as it was on the day Phoenix visited him. He had the eerie feeling that something was going to happen, but he pushed that feeling aside. Strangely enough, he didn't feel any pain anymore and the doctor had said he could leave the hospital this afternoon if he liked. The doctor told him that he would prefer him to stay there, at least, until the end of the week, so they would be sure everything was fine. Chance told the doctor that he would think about his decision. Even though he knew there was no need to hurry, he felt tense, as if he did not have much time before... before what? He was not sure... he had a kind of nagging feeling something was not quite right. Indeed, Phoenix had not told him what happened to the trial after he lost consciousness the day he visited him. Did his client get a guilty verdict or not? 'Not that I care about what happens to this scum bag of a...'

'… brother ?' said Phoenix, who had just entered the room, and Chance was startled by his sudden appearance. 'I know you've never been on very good terms with him, even though you always used to pretend the contrary. But I also know that you always used to care for him nevertheless, since for a long time, he was your only family left. Therefore, to call him a scum bag, that's not a very nice thing to say, is it ?'

'What do you want ?' Chance asked, a bit harsher than he intended, as he wasn't sure whether he should trust the man that was once his friend. 'Sorry,' he added. 'I'm still a little bit... edgy, let's say.'

'Well,' said Phoenix, waving his friend's apologies aside, 'What are you going to do about Klavier ? You sure don't want him to be sentenced to death, do you ?'

'I don't... just, what ? Sentenced to death ?' Confusion clouded Chance's face. 'What's all that bullshit about ? Surely, he hasn't...'

'Oh yes, he has' Phoenix snapped. 'Usually, they would have waited for you to recover before resuming the trial, since this is quite an important trial. A prosecutor accused of rape, a rape leading to the death of a young woman... that's probably why they wanted this case wrapped up as soon as possible. That was pretty... embarrassing, especially for the Prosecutor's office, which had quite a lot of trouble getting out of a series scandals that stained its reputation, a few years ago, when I was still an attorney. That's no wonder then they were in such a hurry to get Klavier convicted and sentenced to death... Thus, I'm pretty sure the current chief of Police, Maxima Palliani, has something to do with this decision... '

Chance couldn't believe it. Things were definitely not supposed to go that way. His client was not the one supposed to be 'sentenced to death' ! As he felt his heart sinking, the door suddenly swung open. A tall man entered with a proud air about him, with grey hair and a very pinkish suit, along with a bright white cravat. Chance had the disturbing impression he had already seen that man before... Surely, you couldn't easily forget such a pinkish suit...

'Hem... In fact, the color of this suit is magenta, not... pink', The man said, with an annoyed look on his face. But Chance was puzzled... could that guy read in people's mind ?

'What the...' he said.

'You were just going to say my suit was rather... let's say... pinkish, right ? I don't think you can imagine how many people told me that, Mr Chance. But I can assure you this suit is magenta, not pink.' he said, still looking a little annoyed.

'I... I am sorry' Chance mumbled, feeling a little ashamed.

'Ha ha ha, I see you're as susceptible to the color of your suit as ever, Miles' said Phoenix.

'How many times have I told you not to call me by my first name ?' the man snapped, folding his arm and standing stiffly by the door. But Phoenix said nothing, and just stared at the man. The man's cheeks gradually became redder with each second that went by in an awkward silence.

'Hem... I think you're supposed to laugh Phoenix'.
But the latter was still staring at him, as if he had just seen a ghost. He finally broke the silence:

'Heh... don't tell me... Was that... a joke ?' He asked, before laughing heartily. 'Really Miles, I knew this trip to Japan would change you, but I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that you'd start making... jokes.'

'Oh, will you stop making fun of me ?' The man said with a large smile on his face. He then turned toward Chance, who had not said a single word since the man had entered the room. 'I'm Miles Edgeworth. Nice to meet you, Mr... Chance , Gavin ?' he asked.

Chance remembered who this man was.

'I'm Chance...'. He hesitated. 'I mean, Kristoph, Kristoph Gavin. We... met once, right ?'

'Yes, it was in Paris at a New Year's Eve party a few years ago. It was when I was investigating the Black Bird Killer. But you... you seems to have changed since then, and not for the better, I fear.' Miles tapped the crook of his elbow thoughtfully. 'At any rate, I didn't come back in this country to help you, but your daughter. Your wi... I mean, Phoenix asked me to. He... he's a good friend, therefore, I felt obliged to help... him.'

Strangely enough, Edgeworth appeared to Chance as being kind of... uneasy. He thought that the person who used to be called the 'Demon Prosecutor' had changed a lot over the past few years. He had read some articles about him while he was still in office in this country, but it seemed he just vanished into thin air after that case at Hazakura Temple, which was one of the last cases his friend handled before losing his badge. However, their encounter in Paris was so brief, he couldn't have noticed the change that has occurred in the mind of the 'Demon Prosecutor'.

'Chance, I really think that Miles can help you, if you let him.' Phoenix said with a nervous edge to his voice.

'Oh really ?' Chance asked.

'Ya, really' Phoenix answered. 'Unfortunately, we don't really have much time to discuss such things right now, and I don't believe this hospital room is the best place for doing so. But at least I wanted you to meet him, so you could see he's a man you can trust, and leave Sarah in his capable hands. This way, you could save your energy, in order to save your brother...'

'But...' Chance started.

'There is no 'but', Kristoph. Remember what I told you yesterday ? It's time you stop running away and face your fears and hardhips, face the pain you'll have to cope with, and trust the friends and all the people who believe in you. Of course, we're here to help you, but you're the only one who can do it. It is, after all, your own emotions, your own fears, and you alone have to cope with them !'

Phoenix was staring at Chance with the very same fervor he was filled with back in the days when he was studying at the university, in order to become a lawyer. It was before the 'incident' that led his friend to flee abroad...

In a way, Chance felt that even though he was deadly scared of what may be lying ahead, right after that bend, on that foggy and snowy path he alone could walk, he knew he could not go backwards anymore. Yet, he had the impression he could smell a very light fragrance of cherry-tree blossoms, coming from that unknown part of the desolated plain he was stuck in... or maybe, it was just his own imagination. But no matter how much he was scared, he knew that he just couldn't stay there forever, and that he should eventually, after ten years of oppressive stillness, of unspeakable storms, start walking again, and the hands of that broken clock... start moving, once again.

'… you see ? It's impossible to talk with him more than five minutes, he always end up daydreaming !' Chance heard Phoenix, who was talking to Edgeworth.

Chance mumbled, not sure what to say.

'Okay now, Mr Gavin', Edgeworth said. 'Unfortunately, I can't stay here any longer. There are some matters I have to take care of regarding your daughter, as Phoenix just told you. Please trust me, and focus only on your brother's case. You have enough to take care of, you should not worry about your daughter. Then, if you'll excuse me...'

But as he was walking toward the door, it opened slowly, as someone was hidden behind it, peering through the opening, as if they were afraid of suddenly being attacked. When Edgeworth called him, he startled, and stumbled, swinging the door open, and falling on the floor.

'Detective Gumshoe !' said Edgeworth, surprised to find his old friend... covered in instant noodles. 'What happened to you ?'

'I... I'll tell you later' He answered, trying to get back on his feet. He scratched the back of his head with his right hand, then went on. 'And mister Edgeworth, when will you stop calling me detective ? It's been five years now since I became chief of police, pal !' Gumshoe said, getting back on his feet and wiping his face with a towel Phoenix had just given him.

'Wait a minute...' Chance thought... 'Something's weird here... what he just said...'

'And what about you still calling me Mr Edgeworth ?' he added, smirking. 'Sorry Gumshoe, guess I'm not used to you being the Chief of Police !' Miles answered uneasily.

'Yeah, something's definitely not right here...' Chance thought, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

'Hum... it's already been 5 years, pal !'

Edgeworth smirked.

'Yeah, 5 years you almost completely spent abroad with me' he said.

'But I'm still the chief of police !' Gumshoe answered, looking kind of sad.

The prosecutor laughed.

'Yeah, I know. I was just kidding, Mr. Chief of Police !'

' Miles !' Phoenix said. 'What's gotten into you ? Making jokes like...'

'Chief of... Wait a minute. Did you say 'Chief of Police' ?' Chance interrupted. 'But I thought Maxima Palliani was the current chief of police !'

Silence fell in the room, and no one dared utter a single word.

'What... err... Did something happen ?' he asked, tentatively.

'Err... nothing, no...' began Phoenix, immediately cut off.

'Stop lying ! I know there's something fishy with all of you. You've been acting strangely ever since you entered that room... And what are you doing anyway ? Why won't you say a single thing to me ? And what's that 'plan' anyway ? What about my daughter ? You don't expect me to just sit back and let you guys walk all over me did you?!'

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, and was about to answer, when suddenly, it was Edgeworth who spoke. His voice was steady and calm, but he was staring at Chance with the very same glance, similar to a hawk's, that helped him solve so many cases during his career... especially that one, against the 'Wolf'...

'Mr Chance', He started. 'Phoenix told me everything about this trial, ten years ago. How you came to lose your wife. How this loss hurt you so badly, making you fly away abroad. How you pretended you had committed suicide, and how you abandoned every single person who cared for you, including your very own daughter. In a way, you remind me of myself at a certain period of my life... with the main difference that I wasn't a coward like you. I won't repeat it anymore, just leave the matters concerning your daughter to me. You cannot make up for what you did. But I can. However, there are things only you can do. You have to focus on those very things, and only them. This won't be easy, that's why you must trust me.... you must trust us. And yourself. You have to trust yourself, if you really want to make up for everything. You're not the one responsible for your wife's 'death', but for everything that happened afterward... yes, you are. Quit being such an hypocrite, Mr. Chance.'

Chance felt greatly embarassed to be lectured in such a way in front of Phoenix and this Gumshoe... and his last words... they hurt him the most because it reminded him of what Angélie had once told him. She had said one of the things she loved the most about him, was that he was such an honest and kind-hearted person, someone you could trust, and someone who always trusted his friends, as well as the people he loved. How could he have fell so low... He thought. It really was time for him to start climbing up that crumbled wall, eventually...

Chance merely nodded.

'Right,' Edgeworth said. 'I've got to go now... Phoenix, we'll meet tonight, as scheduled. Gumshoe, let's go now. And oh, you still have a noodle just behind you left ear.'

They left the room as Gumshoe plucked the noodle from behind his ear, leaving Chance and Phoenix alone in the room.

'Really, could you believe that ? Making jokes like a serial joker !' Phoenix remarked, and when Chance didn't answer, he went on. 'But at least, there's a part in himself which doesn't seem to have changed at all. That's a good thing...' he added, feeling slightly nostalgic. He shook his head, and sighed. Really, he shouldn't be thinking too much about those times, when Maya was still alive, when he was still an attorney... But he needed those precious memories to keep on walking his own path. He was, after all, about to destroy the last bit of this wall, that kept him imprisoned in a white cage full of noise, and where every single day, his heart, his own soul was being devoured by a hound of snow-white wolves. And of course, he had to help his friend to overcome the very same hardships he had to overcome himself. Indeed, Kristoph too would need help, just like himself, when this tiny, bright and sweet little angel, called Trucy was sent to him to 'save' him from the blinding darkness he had fell into.

'Humpf ! You're one to talk about daydreaming ! Here you are spacing out like a brainless zombie...'

'Ah ah, sorry Kristoph. Guess you're beginning to have a bad influence on me !'

'Very funny, indeed', Chance answered, looking slightly bemused. Deciding that he felt alright, he got up on his feet, and start stretching his legs and arms. He looked at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was only 11.30AM. 'Good', he thought. He finally decided to leave the hospital this very afternoon so he could immediately start working on this case... he wasn't sure what to do exactly, but he thought he could think about that when he had finally left this awful room. He couldn't express how much he hated hospitals...

'Hum... Kristoph ?' Phoenix asked.

'Yeah ? What is it ?'

'I.. believe you'd like to get out as soon as possible, right ?'

'You're right. This afternoon, if possible.'

'Still... what are you going to do now ?'

'Err...'

'Well, I know. It's time you finally start investigating about that murder for real. I believe there's more behind it that you might think, not that you really tried to investigate in the first place when you first took this case.'

Chance did not answer, but was listening to his friend with great attention.

'Well... I did a bit of research on my own, and... well, I feel we're about to solve that mystery, and put an end to everything.'

Chance did not have a clue about what Phoenix was talking about. Which mystery ? Was he talking about the rape and murder his... brother was accused of ?

' We asked for a re-trial, after you lost consciousness during the first one. The 'higher-ups' in the police seemed quite reluctant to give you a second chance, but I know the judge, and he insisted that you should be given one more try. I was sure you wouldn't let your brother be sentenced to death... would you, heh ?' He asked, staring at Chance's eyes as seriously as ever.

Chance hesitated for a few seconds, then answered firmly.

'Yes, I will do it. I will prove his innocence.'

'Good'. Phoenix paused for a second, before going on. 'Okay, now, take this envelope. You will find everything you need to know about this case, and some addresses I suggest you check. You only have two days before the re-trial, so you'd better be quick. Anyway, I want you to come by my agency tonight. There's someone I'd like you to meet. Someone who will be able to help you save your brother. Now, I have stuff to take care of, so if you'll excuse me...'

And Phoenix left the room, leaving Chance alone in the room. A few minutes later, a nurse came to tell him he could leave the hospital as soon as he was ready, and asked him to drop by the front desk before he left, so as to be given out some precious documents. When she left, Chance went back to staring through the windows. The sky was cloudy, and from time to time, bright flashes of thunder were tearing the darkness of the clouds apart. A thunderstorm... Most people would find it a very bad omen, but Chance did not think so at all. On the contrary, he believed there couldn't be a better one.

Edgeworth's bright red sport car was stopped at a traffic light just a few blocks away from the detention center. He had been feeling uneasy ever since he left the hospital a few moments ago. He had the nagging impression something really bad was about to happen, just like some kind of beast lurking in the darkness, waiting for the right moment to strike, and plunge its sharp teeth in the flesh of an innocent and helpless prey... Why did the picture of that man – that beast ? – kept popping up in his mind ? He tried to chase it away, so he could concentrate on his driving. The sky had become so dark, and the clouds looked so menacing... what's more, rain was pouring hard, so hard in fact he could hardly see the road. He tried to concentrate on what he was about to do, more specifically, the person he would be meeting in a few minutes.

'… worth ! Mr Edgeworth !' A voice broke into Miles's concentration.

'Hum... what ?' he answered in a dull tone.

'The light, Mr. Edgeworth !'

'The wha... ? Oh, yes, the traffic light !' Miles shifted the car distractedly and they started moving again.

'So... it's nice to be back here isn't it, Mr Edgeworth ?' Gumshoe said, breaking the silence.

'Yes, we are back...' his friend answered. 'And I just realized earlier that, we did not come back here as often as we thought we would, during the five past years, did we ?'

'Yeah, I think we only came back here two or three times, and we never stayed for long.'

' I did not think we would be back so soon. In fact, if it was not for Phoenix, I would probably not be here...' Edgeworth said, thinking back at the time when Phoenix and himself used to battle in court, and when he eventually managed to save him from the darkness that was slowly but surely starting to swallow him... When he eventually saved him from the iron grip of the infamous Von Karma that had taken over his soul.

'I-I guess you're right.' Gumshoe went on, unaware of his friend's reverie. 'After all, this project ended up being quite time-consuming, didn't it ? We didn't have much time to come back home. When you first came up with the idea of going in foreign countries to learn more about their legal systems, as well as the way their police forces work, I never imagined we'd end up working that much...'

'But it paid off in the end, didn't it ? Thanks to our work, the cooperation between our country, France and Japan have greatly improved. It sure took a lot of time, but now, the judiciary system has been roughly harmonized between those countries, and the police forces now hold common training camps, in order for everyone to share their knowledge with each other. Do you realize what it means ?'

'Err... I guess so' Gumshoe answered, scratching the back of his head with his right hand. Edgeworth sighed, but smiled nevertheless.

'Of course, it was no easy task... especially with the language barrier, and the cultural differences. But I can't help but to be proud of everything we've managed to achieve so far. Aren't you too, Gumshoe ?'
'Yeah, I guess so...' Gumshoe paused. 'Yes, I think I am, Mr Edgeworth.'

'And it's only the beginning... I wonder where else we should go once we're done with Japan and France... maybe the United Kingdom ?'

They had just stopped at another red traffic light, and rain was still pouring as hard as ever.

'By the way Gumshoe, I hope that Palliani did not take advantage of your prolonged absence to do... well, let's try not to be pessimistic, shall we ?'

'I dunno...' Gumshoe mumbled. He knew well that when the former Chief of Police, who took the place of Gant, sentenced to a life-term in a prison, retired, Palliani just could not swallow to lose this very prestigious post to him. He never really trusted him, and has always found him too suspicious.

'By the way Gumshoe... how in the world did you end up covered in noodles at the hospital?' Edgeworth asked, smirking.

'Ah... that's a long story Mr Edgeworth...' Gumshoe said, blushing furiously.

'Oh really ?' the prosecutor asked, dubious.

'Well, maybe not that long... ' the former detective admitted.

'So, what happened ?' Edgeworth insisted, slowly losing patience.

'Err... See, the thing is... I just went in the wrong room. I didn't check the name on the door, since I was positive it was the right one. I was surprised to find you were not here yet, nor Phoenix either, but I still went to see the man lying on the bed. There was what seemed to be his wife sitting beside him on a chair. When I started to say that I was sorry for what happened to his daughter, and that we we'd be doing our utmost to help her, her wife started to scream like a mad woman and throwing a vase and stuff at me. She called me names that I can't repeat in front of you, for making such ill jokes. She threw her boiling cup of instant noodles at me, right in the face, screaming a bit more that her daughter had just died in a car accident that also involved her husband, who was the only one who survived. I quickly ran outside the room, as fast as I could.'

'Really, Gumshoe... you will never change, will you ?' Edgeworth said, bemused. 'So,' he added, 'Did you ever check the name on the door?'

'Sure I did! Well, I know I should've done so before going inside, but... the name was 'William Smith''.

Edgeworth suddenly froze.

'William Smith ?!' Edgeworth said slowly. 'Was it really William Smith ?'

'Huh... yeah, it definitely was this name on the door... wait, do you know him ?'

'Hum... kind of, yeah. And you said he was injured in an accident ?'

'That's what I understood from his wife's screaming, yes.'


'Hum...'

'By the way... did you talk with Phoenix about... I mean...'

'No, I didn't. It really was not the time for such trivial matters, Gumshoe' Edgeworth snapped.

'But...'

'Besides he may not have recovered from past's wounds...' But he did not finish his sentence, and neither of them spoke as they arrived at detention center. Edgeworth shuddered at the sight of it. It reminded him so much of that case, involving his former boss, and the former Chief of Police... He had never used the parking garage since, put with the rain, Edgeworth had no choice but to park there.

'Are you OK Mr. Edgeworth ?'

'Huh... why do you ask, Gumshoe ?'

'Well, you haven't been yourself ever since we parted with Phoenix and his eerie pal... Chance, was that his name ?'

Edgeworth did not answer. He was weary about telling his friend about the bad feeling he had and his fears about what happened to the attorney William Smith. They exited the car and walked to the elevator in silence.

'Are you sure everything's fine, Mr Edgeworth ?' he asked, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder after pushing the button to their floor.

Once again, Edgeworth did not answer and remained quiet as he stepped onto the elevator, still a little reluctant. He had only overcome his fears of elevators very recently. In order to calm himself, he hummed absently to the monochrome tune that was playing and thought about what had to be done. When the doors finally opened at the entrance level, where the waiting room was located, there was not any doubt left in his mind. Only strong resolution to get this case wrapped up as quickly and neatly as possible. Usually, he would not accept this kind of request, but it was his own friend, Phoenix, who asked him to accept it, even if it was not directly. Indeed, the one who specifically requested him was Angélie Gavin. He refused at first, but Phoenix had insisted, claiming that he, Miles Edgeworth, was the only one who could do it. Do what exactly, he did not know. But ever since he arrived back in this country a few days ago, he started to feel that things would definitely not go as smoothly as he had thought they would at first.

'Hem... Mr Edgeworth ?' Gumshoe shuffled his feet nervously.

'What is it ?' Miles asked, distractedly.

'Hem... people are waiting to get into the elevator...' He asked, looking slightly worried.

'Ah, huh... well, ok, ok, sorry about that...' he mumbled, then followed Gumshoe out to the waiting lobby, where two people were sitting. One of the two was a woman, with long, golden blonde hair. When he looked at her, his mind was overwhelmed by a feeling of peacefulness and calm. He had never seen her before, Phoenix hadn't had time to even show him a picture, but Edgeworth was sure this woman was Angélie Gavin, Mr Chance's wife and the mother of his new client. Sitting a few chairs from her was an unusual looking man, who was not only dressed in unusual garb, but was eyeing Edgeworth. Miles glanced nervously over at him as he walked up to the woman.

A few seconds passed, and eventually, Angélie broke the silence, 'You don't like fairies, Mr Edgeworth ?' she said, smiling.

'Er, I must say that he is very unusually dressed.' Miles gestured at the man. At any rate, how do you know who I am ?'

'I just know, that's all.' She gave him a small mysterious smile.

Edgeworth suddenly felt uneasy. Why was she so mysterious like that ?

'At least, she's not wearing some very queer costume,' He thought to himself. Then aloud he said, 'Oh I see...'

'Hum... No, Mr Edgeworth, actually, Phoenix told me you'd be wearing 'the very same pinkish suit with the very same old-fashioned cravat as usual', and since not many people use to dress like that, I had no doubts you were indeed Mr Edgeworth.'

Of course, that was a lie.

'Alright,' Miles adjusted his cravat, suddenly feeling very warm. ' Before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself. I realize, it's a bit late but... it's the way I do things. I hope you don't mind, Mrs Gavin...'

'Oh, please call me Angélie, it's much better that way' she answered kindly. 'And no, I really don't mind. It has become kind of rare nowadays, to find such a polite and well-mannered gentleman...' she added, with a warm smile.

'Errr... yeah, yes. Yeah, you're right, I guess...' Edgeworth said, slightly embarrassed. But quickly enough, he was back to his 'it's-serious-business' self. Edgeworth could feel his heart pounding in his chest, just like when he was about to enter the courtroom.

'As you already know, my name is Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth. I'm the Chief Prosecutor of this city. I'm here at your friend's request, Mr. Phoenix Wright. Yet, you were the one who wanted me for the job, am I wrong ? You have probably heard of me in the papers...'

'In fact, I didn't. I chose you because you're a great friend of Phoenix, and he told me he trusted you more than anyone else.'

'Errr... thank you. I...' He cleared his throat and blushed. 'Yes... You're Angélie Gavin, and your husband is the attorney, Kristoph Gavin, that got shot by your own daughter during the trial of your husband's brother. Your daughter's name is Sarah, am I correct ?'

'That's quite correct, indeed.'

'Before you go into the visitor's room, I'd like to tell you something about her.'
Edgeworth hesitated for a second. What he was about to say was very serious, and perhaps a little too harsh... but truth was never the sweetest of candies, and its taste most of the time quite bitter. Yet, he somehow had the impression Angélie was prepared to hear it. In fact, it seemed she already knew what he was about to tell her, even though it was impossible to be sure of it, just by looking at her. There was something... special in the way she was looking at him, even though he did not know what exactly. And somewhat, he felt that he might have already met her once before...

'Well, then, I'll get straight to the heart of the matter. What your daughter did, introducing a gun she had stolen from her uncle in a courtroom, and trying to shoot down a lawyer in law in the middle of a trial is a serious offense indeed. Don't expect her to get away easily. She will probably stay locked up for at least several months, if not more. It all depends on the prosecution, and the kind of sentence they will request. That's probably why Phoenix insisted that I prosecute this case. However, don't expect me to be lenient toward your daughter... I mean, trying to get her sentence reduced or minimizing the gravity of her deeds. I'll make sure she gets the verdict she deserves. Nothing more, nothing less. I'll make sure she understands the gravity of her acts. That's why, in order to get the fairest sentence, I believe we have to take everything into account. First of all, even though she did try to kill someone, she is still a minor, so that means the sentence will not be as important as that of an adult person. What's more, if your husband is not willing to sue her, and if she cooperates with us by telling all the truth, then her sentence might be slightly reduced. Thanksfully, the bullet didn't kill Mr. Gavin. Otherwise, things would have become quite ugly for Ms. Sarah Gavin.'

Angélie had remained, to Edgeworth's opinion, awfully calm during the whole time he had been speaking, paying particular attention to every single word he uttered. She had not even flinched when he told her that her very own daughter would spend a few months, perhaps more, in prison. Of course, she was not smiling anymore, but she was still her composed and serene self. However, he was not sure Sarah would react the same way as her mother. But he would not be the one talking to her, and it would be that way until the day before the trial. He would not be her defense attorney, so... What's more, her mother was the person she needed to talk to, not the quite austere and severe-looking prosecutor he was... What's more, he was a complete stranger, who still had some troubles dealing with children, mostly because he did not receive much affection during his childhood, after the death of his father...

'Ok now, I think it's time for me to go. I have to prepare for the trial. I will see you soon, Mrs Gavin.' He stood and touched her shoulder.

'Once again thank you so much for your help Mr. Edgeworth. I knew you were a truly reliable person.'

'You're welcome, Angelie.' Miles paused, wanting to say more, then thought against it. I just hope I can be as reliable in the courtroom, he thought as he walked back toward the elevator.

As Angélie was visiting her daughter at the detention center, Chance was sitting in his car, in the parking lot of the hospital. He had just finished reading the documents Phoenix had given him a few moments ago; documents that would prove vital in order to save his brother and uncover the truth about the murder his brother was accused of. He sighed, and started the car and pulled out of the lot. As he drove toward the morgue, he wondered if he should consider the documents as evidence. Indeed, when he opened the envelope, all he found inside was a single piece of paper, with the words 'Klavier's girlfriend, city morgue' written on it. What made him think all of this was a joke and that his old friend was making fun of him, was the postscript Phoenix had added at the back of the piece of paper. It read :

'Oh, and about the first girlfriend (the one who's still alive, of course), you'd better drop by my agency and get some 'white powder' for her. She's fond of it. She may be a little 'touchy' if you don't bring her some.'

'Really... was it that hard for you just to tell me to go meet someone at the city morgue? And how am I supposed to know who this 'girlfriend' is, and what her name is?' Chance thought.

Yet, the fact that he did not have any other clue to solve the mystery behind this murder, convinced him to trust Phoenix, and not to pay too much attention to such unnecessary riddles. He had to trust him... To trust... that's what that Mr Edgeworth had told him. To trust his friends. 'This sounds like what they would say in those video-games where the hero has to save some country or universe from being destroyed by a mighty monster or something of that kind', he thought. Yet, he had to admit that Edgeworth was right, once again.

A few minutes later, he arrived in front of the building where Phoenix's agency was located. When he knocked at the door, nobody answered. He thought he heard footsteps inside, so he knocked a second time. After there was no answer, he knocked one more time and cocked his head to listen. He heard more footsteps and Chance thought there was a burglar inside. He turned the doorknob, and was surprised to find the door unlocked. With his hair standing on end, Chance opened it carefully, and as silently as a cat, stepped inside. He paused and listened, still hearing the pitter patter of light feet. He was about to call the police, when he realized he left his cell phone at the hospital.

'Et merd... !' he swore, loudly.

The footsteps stopped at once and Chance swore under his breath. Gathering his courage, he decided to stop this burglar by himself. Fortunately, he had learned to 'defend himself' after his wife's death, as he grew into dealing with more and more 'shadier' clients.

He swiftly entered the living room and found it completely empty... except for the head of a girl, which was floating in the air.

'What the...'

'Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!' the voice cried.

'But... but... Trucy? Is that you?' Chance asked tentatively.

'Don.... don't look !' she answered. 'I'm almost naked, you pervert !!'


'But... what are you...' Chance couldn't finish his sentence as he was suddenly punched in the stomach. Stunned, he could see little stars, which looked exactly like the Legendary Starfy, dancing in his vision. He heard another 'you pervert !' as he fell on the sofa next to him, and tried to regain his composure.

'So, the footsteps were Phoenix's 'daughter'', Chance thought. But why didn't she answer when he knocked at the door? Maybe she did hear him, but did not dare answer, because she was, as she claimed, 'half-naked'. Well, the only thing he could see was her head, floating in the air... This was probably one of the magic trick she was practicing. She was a 'magician in training' after all. At least, that's what Phoenix had told him. A few minutes later, she was back, and Chance noticed she was blushing furiously.

'Why didn't you just look elsewhere for a few seconds, you pervert ?' she asked, pointing her finger at him accusingly.

'But... I... what ? I don't...'

'Magic panties, magic panties !' she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'Wha.. what ?'

'Hum...' Trucy began to muse. 'Daddy didn't tell me you were deaf...'

'I'm not deaf !' Chance snapped, 'And what are those.... those magic panties, anyway ?'

'Aha !' she said, surprised. 'You're not deaf after all ! Then why didn't you just turn away when I asked you to?'

'I... But will you listen to what I'm saying !' he said, irritated.

'Humpf... Ok,' She crossed her arms and looked at Chance skeptically. 'I'll listen to whatever you've got to say, you pervert...'

'And quit calling me a pervert !' Chance snapped, then took a breath to calm himself. 'So, what are these 'magic panties' that you keep talking about? Are they the magic props you were talking about two days ago, when you were visiting at the hospital ?'

'Hum... no. Those are the newest model.'

'The newest model ?'

'Yeah, the previous one allowed me to make objects disappear, but this one makes the person wearing it... invisible,' She paused. 'Except, they have a very little but greatly inconvenient flaw : your head remains visible.'

'Oh, Invisible ? But why weren't you wearing any clo...'

'Because if I wore some clothes over the panties, you'd be able to see them, that's why !' Trucy inturrupted, excitedly.


'Uh-huh...' Chance wasn't sure what to say next. He looked at his watch, and decided he had enough distraction for the afternoon. As he was about to ask her where the 'white powder' was supposed to be, Mr Hat suddenly appeared beside Trucy.

'Ah!' Trucy cried, 'Darn it! I need to get this fixed! The mechanism went off without me pulling it.'

But Chance was not listening, as he just remembered the first time he saw Mr Hat. It was not on TV, but it was... It was a few weeks before the trial that led to the death of his dear Angélie. He was seated at the front row of the so-called Sunshine Coliseum. As a surprise for his sweet Sarah, he had taken her to see a performance of the world-famous Gramarye's troupe. She had been feeling awfully down for the past few days, as she could not get over the death of her cat. Yet there was nothing he or Angélie could do to cheer her up. He had tried to comfort her, he remembered doing so, but it wouldn't work for long. However, as soon as the show started, all traces of sorrow disappeared from her angelic face at once. She was literally beaming, watching cheerfully the wonderful magical tricks of this incredible troupe.

What made this performance even more exceptional was that Sarah had been chosen to go on stage. She was asked by the magicians to shake hands with one of the performers, a beautiful woman called 'Thalassa'. When she did so, a kind of puppet came out from the back of the woman. He could see clearly how astonished Sarah looked when Mr Cap made his appearance and greeted her. After that, he started to rap for her, and it was a very funny song because the puppet just kept making wide moves with his arms, in a very awkward mimicking of a raper. During the whole song, Sarah kept trying to discover the secret behind the trick while laughing at the puppet's song.

Chance also remembered what his beautiful daughter told him after the show. She was bouncing on her feet, and looked as if she had just received ten years worth of Christmas presents.

'Daddy, daddy ! You know what ? I wanna become a magician too when I grow up ! Yeah, that's right, a magician ! So I will be able to play with my own Mr Cap !'

At that time, Chance did not take those words seriously, but he was happy to see her sweet Sarah was back to her usual cheerful self. But now, he was thinking that she would have been better as a magician than ending up in prison...

'EARTH TO HERR FANTA-MELON !'

'Uh ?' Chance was suddenly pulled out from his musing.

'You've been spacing out like a zombie for five good minutes! I thought you'd...'

'Thalassa.' Chance said.

'Are you dumb or what ? You know my name's Trucy not...'

'I'm not dumb,' he answered. 'I remember now !'

'Remember what ?' she asked, not sure what Chance was driving at.

'I remember where I saw Mr Hat for the first time. Well, it wasn't really him, but... Do you know a Mr Cap ?' he asked her.

'Of course. You could say it's Mr. Hat's Papa. It was my mother's, Thalassa Gramarye's most famous trick, along with that one with the two fake pistols...' She paused for a few seconds before going on. 'As the daughter of two magicians from one of the world's most famous magicians troupes, I guess I was predestined to become a magician too. But in fact, it was seeing Mr Cap for the first time, when my mother was still trying to master this trick, that I realized I really wanted become a magician when I grew up. Well, it was also because of that trick, right behind you.'
She showed him the magic spaghetti plate, with its fork standing in the air. Chance smiled. 'Yeah, they truly look alike, those two.' he thought. 'It's not just the physical appearance... they both have the same kind of untainted innocence in their smile. I'm sure Sarah would have got on so well with her...'

'My parents never forced me to become a magician though' Trucy went on. 'But when I came to lose my mother, and after my father's disappearance seven years ago, I was more determined than ever to become a magician so I could revive the Gramarye's troupe. But hey... look at me talking like a nostalgic old lady remembering her youth.' she added, laughing cheerfully.

'So,' she said as she tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully. 'Why are you here in the first place ? I doubt you came to have a peep at me in my magic panties... did you ?'

'Of course not !' Chance answered, blushing furiously. 'I... I came here... Well, your daddy suggested I came to your agency to take a little of your 'white powder' for...'

'I see !' Trucy said, 'it's for HER, right ?'

'Err... yeah... heh, wait a minute ! For WHO ?'

'Come on, you came here without knowing that ? Ema Skye, of course ! She's a detective at the homicide precinct. What's more, it seems she's grown quite addicted to this 'white powder'. If you don't look out, she might even bite you if you don't give her some...'

'Now what', Chance thought, 'this 'white powder' is for a detective... Was this what you'd call bribery, or what ?' Not that he was not familiar with such methods...

'Ok then, I'll go and fetch the little bottle we keep for such an occasion. But please, don't use more than you need to, ok ? Who knows when we'll need some once again... and it's not exactly cheap, so... please take care of it.'

'O-Okay, I got it', Chance answered hesitently as Trucy went bouncing into the office to loof for the 'white powder'.



She found the bottle on a shelf, between legal books Phoenix had presumably never opened even once, and some pictures in frames. There was one of her daddy's late mentor, one Mia Fey, but she had never met her, since she died about 3 years before she ended up living with Phoenix. However, she knew the two other people on the two other pictures. It was Pearl -Phoenix used to call her Pearls- Fey, who was Phoenix's first daughter. Just like herself, Pear was also adopted seven years ago. It all happened after a certain trial that took place a few months before her father's disbarrment. Pearl's mother's death sentence was eventually carried out after she was convicted of murder. The person she tried to kill, but failed to do so, was her very own niece... She took the lives of two innocent person to achieve her goal and make sure the title of Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique would go to her daughter, Pearl Fey. Those were probably the darkest days of the Kurain family history.

Phoenix ended up adopting little Pearly after he married Maya, the last person whose picture was displayed on the shelf. For a few months, she was to be her mother, even though they were not related by blood. But she did not get the chance to know her very well, as at the time, she wasn't ready to accept this stranger as her new mother. Trucy had the same problem with Phoenix, but things greatly improved as time went by. Unforeseen events stole Maya away from Phoenix and herself even before she got to know her at all. And whenever she asked Phoenix about Maya, he would just look away and he never answered. After a few fruitless attempts, she soon gave up. Instead, she went to see some of Phoenix's friends, secretly of course, so they could tell her about the woman Phoenix seemed to love so much. They all told her that Maya was a very nice person, a little happy-go-lucky, and first and foremost, very strong-minded and enthusiastic. Before leaving the country, Mr Edgeworth,, told her that Maya was one of the reasons why Phoenix kept on defending people on the stand, and she was always there to support him, even in the most desperate situations. In other words, she was, in a way, his very strength that helped him carry on his job. Another one of Phoenix's friends, a weirdo named Larry, had even written a story that supposedly relates the day Maya and Phoenix eventually discovered they loved each other. It was called 'Rewrite the Light', and it was quite fluffy, to say the least. Of course, it was pure fiction, Larry was a novelist, who mainly wrote fan-fiction about some lame video-games no one ever played, but he really insisted in making her believe this what how things really happened.

Trucy was taken out from her reverie by someone calling for help.

'Arrgghh.... Trucy, hel.... help me !'

Swiftly, she took the bottle containing the 'white powder', and rushed back to the living-room... to find it empty. She started when the box used to make people disappear, moved slightly, and Herr Fanta Melon's voice was coming from it.

'He... help me ! Trucy !'

'Don't... don't tell me you're in here?' she called into the box. 'How did you end up in here?'

'Err... well, when I first saw this box... I immediately recognized it. I... I wanted to know how you magicians managed to get out of this box... Usually, I don't want to know how your tricks work, but... well, this time, I guess I was... too curious, I think.'

'Humpf', she said smirking. 'In fact, you're no pervert at all... you're just dumb!'

'Hey!? Just cut the insults and get me out of here, please!'

A few seconds later, Chance was out of the box, feeling quite embarrassed. But then, the phone rang. Since Trucy was busy putting the disappearing box back at its original place, she told Chance to answer himself.

'It's probably dady. Nobody never call us on this phone, except ol' Armstrong.'

When Chance took up the phone, things happened as quick as a flash of lighting tearing apart the Realm of Heaven. He felt both his heart and soul sinking into an bottomless pit.

'Hello, Mr Gavin', the voice simply said.

Chance did not utter a word.

'I'm... glad, to see that you are... well, that you seem to be... doing quite well, today.'

Chance remained as stiff as if he had been turned into a pillar of salt.

'I just wanted to... see if this really was yours... not that... well, let's say I had to check.'

A few seconds passed, while nor the mysterious voice or Chance uttered a single word.

'I... well then, take care'.


It was the dial tone that took Chance back to reality. The call lasted no more than thirty seconds, but those thirty seconds seemed to last an eternity. He stared at the phone, as if it would kill him if he moved an inch. He could not remember where he had heard that voice before and this fact frightened him something fierce. He felt like dim star falling and breaking the thin layer of ice of the white lake where his memories were lying. The temperature was dropping rapidly, the moonless sky becoming cloudier and cloudier with each second that passed. And snow started to fall, slowly. It was so cold in here...

'...in...'

What was that sound ?

'...vin!...'

No, it was impossible.

'Mr … vin!'

No, there was nobody out there. Absolutely nobody.

'Mr Gavin ! Wake up !'

Chance opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor, feeling slightly dizzy, yet he could not remember what had happened to him. Trucy's face held an expectant and worried expression, but her voice was calm and steady when she talked to him.

'You... suddenly collapsed. The phone rang, you answered it for me, and then... Well, Are you OK ?' she asked, obviously worried.

'Huh... I... I guess, yeah,' he answered. Trucy held her hand out for him when she saw the pale palor take over his face. She watched him for a second, as he tried to asess his own situation. He put the phone back on its stand.

'Are you sure everything is okay, Mr Gavin? Maybe you should go back-'

'No,' Chance said a little too sharply. 'No, thank you. I am fine. I-I really hate hospitals.'

Trucy regarded him skeptically as she handed him the small bottle of powder. 'Okay, you should probably leave now. You probably have a lot of investigation to do.'

'Yes,' He cleared his throat and turned toward the door. 'Thank you Trucy.'

'You are welcome, and I will make sure that Papa knows that you stopped by!' Trucy nodded as he opened the door. 'Good luck Mr Gavin !'

Ever since his incarceration, Klavier paced restlessly in his solitary cell, with just one exception: the day of his trial. At night, sleep escaped him. He stared up at the cold ceiling while his thoughts whirled about crazily in his muddled head. No matter where his mind would end up wandering, it would always come back to those things that had lead him to the state of great restlessness he was in, just a like a bee is drawn to flowers in spring. However, the taste in his mouth was of a very different nature; indeed, it was not sweet honey he had to swallow, it was the strong and bitter truth.

His life had taken a nasty turn over the past few days; a realization that hit him one night staring at the walls instead of the ceiling, just to switch things up a little. The week before, he was the most famous and successful prosecutor in the country, as well as the leader of the most famous and successful rock band. But now... he was no more than a wretch, an innocent criminal accused of murder and rape; a whore to the world that would soon be swiped away from the surface of the Earth by the unforgiving and dull blade of 'justice'.

Klavier had very little recollection of the evening when his whole life went upside-down. The exception being the dinner he had with his 'girlfriend', but everything after that was lost in an eerie fog, as if someone had placed a thick veil over his mind. Afterwards, he remembered waking up in an hospital room. A detective entered a short while later, and for the next several hours, he listened to the detective describe what had happened the last evening. The detectives voice droned on as he drilled Klavier and his head began to swim with questions of his own. Exhaustion was creeping in and the nurse was furious that her patient should be treated this way, but the detective insisted that they really had no time to wait for the suspect to recover. 'Suspect'... He had heard this word way too often during his career as a prosecutor. But this was nothing compared to the very moment – no, the very second – the faceless detective had revealed to him the reason of his imprisonment. The word 'rape' echoed menacingly in the noisy silence his mind was caught into, and his body suddenly felt numb, as if someone had suddenly drugged him with the intent to kill him later on. Maybe the faceless detective did drug him, after all.

The following day, he was transferred over to the detention center, a few blocks away from the police station. It was a place he knew quite well, probably more than he cared to know. Indeed, it was where the Criminal Department of the police was located and the place She was working at. The place he met Her for the first time, a few months ago. He shivered at the thought of Her seeing him in such a state, in this cold and lonely cell. She would see his true self, not the foppish and pretentious prosecutor he was until a few days ago. The whole thing was so ironic; to think that everything actually happened just because he wanted to make Her jealous... really, what was he thinking about when he asked his 'girlfriend' for dinner?

He was the kind of guy who was very gifted in flirting with women, and had no trouble in seducing them at all. But with Her, it was different. This time, it was not another one of his games. He knew he could not toy or screw around with Her feelings. Therefore, his usual tricks did not work; they made things even worse. Each and every one of his attempts were an utter failure. Every single day, She seemed to hate him even more than the day before. To think it would end up in such a way... He chuckled darkly when he realized the whole thing would make a really great scenario for one of those romantic series, broadcast on Sunday afternoons on TV.

Of course, it was all over now. In a few days from now, his sentence would be carried out. It was too late. His mistake, his terrible mistake made him realize that, contrary to what he used to think before, he would die before he had actually lived. Death would come before Life. His career as a prosecutor, as a rock star, everything he had achieved in his life didn't mean anything at all. All he had been doing for the past 13 years was to try and pursue a pillar of salt, even after it had disappeared into the mist of the past, even after it had crumbled into one thousand pieces, taken away by the bitter wind of autumn. For the past thirteen years, he had always believed he was living his own life, doing what he wanted to do, not what everyone else thought he should do. But all the awards, all the cases won, everything he had achieved in his life meant nothing. They would never ease the pain in his heart, a pain which roots went back to his childhood. But those were memories he had always tried, ceaselessly, to suppress since that day, thirteen years ago.

***

Sitting silently in his cell one evening, he remembered what his older brother had said to him, right after the little 'competition' their parents had set up in order to see who played the piano the best between the two brothers. A competition he had no chance to win obviously, as he was a really poor player, and in fact, never liked the piano at all. Indeed, he had always preferred... the guitar. Kristoph was eight years older than him. As far as he could remember, he had always been brilliant at everything, be it school, drawing, writing, playing the piano, etc... his brother was perfect, especially in their parents' eyes. They always preferred Kristoph over himself. While they never realized that their preference for their eldest son was causing some serious psychological damage to their younger son, Kristoph, on the contrary, had always been very aware of his little brother's suffering, and countless times he had tried to ease his sufferings. But of course, when Klavier realized that, it was too late, way too late.

Klavier had shut himself in his room, his mind filled with fierce resentment, thinking about his parents and their so-perfect little genius of a son. That brother he hated so much. That brother he did not want to see anymore, but also that brother he had always secretly loved and admired, even though he would never admit having such feelings for him.

'Get out!' Klavier yelled when his brother entered his room. Kristoph didn't budge. 'What? What the hell do you want? Are you here to humiliate me some more? Is being perfect not enough for you that you have to come and show off some more?'

'I did not come here to talk about that, Klavier. I really don't care about that stupid contest, I should have told Mom and Dad I didn't want to do it, that it was a very bad idea...'

'Then why didn't you tell them?!' Klavier asked scathingly, trying to hide the tears of resentment that began to slowly roll down his cheeks. Kristoph did not answer, a look of embarrassment flashed over his face. He went to sit beside him on the bed, and put his hand on his brother's shoulder, but Klavier violently pushed him back.

'Don't touch me!' he cried. 'I don't need your pity, Kristoph, you can keep it for yourself!' Kristoph was taken aback. He had never seen his brother in such a state, even though he knew perfectly that his parents had caused him to suffer a great deal. And everything was his fault.

'Klavier... I...' He said tentatively. He didn't know what to do, what to say in order to calm down his brother.

'I know I'm not perfect like you!' Klavier went on. 'I know I'm not the one Mom and Dad keep praising all the time. I know you're better, oh!, so much better than me in everything! I don't need you to come and tell me that...just... get the hell out of my room!'

'Klavier...'

'I said, Get out al...'

'Klavier!' Kristoph raised his voice. The younger brother raised his head, and was surprised to see his brother was looking worried, so worried in fact that, for a second, he forgot that he hated the person in front of him.

'I need you to listen to me. There's something I want to tell you. Something ... I should have told you so long ago.' He paused, and in the explosion of a second, became someone else. A person much weaker than the one he had knew all those years, a person not so much perfect than his parents wanted to believe.

'I know you suffer, a lot, Klavier. I know you do. I can see you trying to catch up with me, the so-called 'perfect brother' our parents only have eyes for. I can see you struggling every single day, every single hour, minute, second, trapped in the menacing shadow engulfing you and making you suffocate. If you keep on like this, you'll end up destroying yourself. You're not me Klavier, and thankfully, you never will be.' Kristoph shook his head and stared at his hands in his lap, missing the incredulous look that Klavier was giving him.

'I don't want you to become like me, Klavier. I know it sounds incredibly silly to you, but I want you to become yourself, not a pale copy of me. I want you to live your own life, not a pale copy of mine. I want to free you from the rusted chains our parents unconsciously put you in. And I absolutely don't want you to go through what I had to go through all these years.'

***

It was only now, years after that event took place, that he finally understood what Kristoph was trying to tell him. He also realized that those words were definitely not the kind of words you would hear from a teenager. He began to think that his brother had probably suffered as much as he himself had, if not more. During all those years, he had never been able to understand his brother, and his sudden reappearance after a ten year long absence really did not help. He wondered whether he knew from the beginning who he really was, since he never seemed to have recognized him at all. As for himself, he never suspected, not even once, that the man that was supposed to defend him in court was his brother. Klavier had forced himself to believe that the man called 'Kristoph Gavin', his brother, died ten years ago. It was only at the very moment when Sarah had tried to kill her very own father right in the middle of a court of law, that he realized who this cold man, this so-called 'Genius', this mysterious and distant Mr Chance, had been. Of course, now that he knew who that person was, there were so many questions he wanted to ask him. But he was aware that it was too late. He would never know why he suddenly disappeared, ten years ago, leaving his daughter without any parent. Klavier knew what had happened during this infamous trial ten years ago, but that was no excuse for his brother to leave his own daughter alone, helpless and fragile as she was at that time. He was aware that he would never know why Kristoph offered him the bright red guitar, now hanging proudly on one of the walls in his office.

***

'I don't understand you, Kris. What are you talking about?' Klavier asked, obviously puzzled by the words that came out of his brother's mouth. That didn't sound like him... or maybe he just never knew him at all, he thought. Kristoph smiled, but his eyes were sad.

'Don't worry... I'm sure you'll understand one day... I hope.' Kristoph suddenly stood. 'By the way, I have something for you...'

Kristoph left the room and returned with a package in his hands.

'Here's a surprise for you, Klavier. But don't tell our parents about it, I'd bet they'd be mad about it if they knew I spent the money from the piano contest last month to buy you this. They want me to save it for when I leave the country to study in the US next year.'

'You're leaving... but why? Why are you doing this, I...'

'Stop asking questions,' Kristoph interrupted and smirked 'Just open it! I'm pretty sure you'll like it.'

Klavier was staring at the package as if he could see through it. He eagerly opened it, as well as the case that was inside, and he suddenly froze. He could do nothing but gape, wide-eyed, at the bright red guitar he was now holding in his hands, as if it was some kind of treasure.

'Whoa...' was all Klavier could say for a few minutes, contemplating the petit bijou of a guitar his brother had just offered him. This was way too good to be true...

'How... how did you know?' he asked tentatively.

'Our cousin, Victoria, told me about it. She told that the last time we went to visit her family in Bavaria, you asked her if you could try playing the guitar. She had to admit she found you quite skilled for your age, and she asked me if you used to play it at home. That's when I realized how I could help you...with this guitar. It will help you become who you really are.'

'Who I really am...' Klavier whispered moodily and gaped at the wonderful present he had just received. Too wonderful a present, perhaps... yes, there was something fishy with this guitar...'Why...?'

'I just told you... I'll be leaving next year, so I wanted to give you a present before I go study abroad...'

'Yeah, but why a guitar?' Klavier asked.

Kristoph sighed. 'Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying? Besides, I have to admit, you're not really gifted at playing the piano, so I thought...'

So that how it really was. 'A present before I go studying abroad'... Yeah, what a pile of rubbish. Klavier hated that it took him so long to understand everything. He never knew he could be this gullible. His brother had always been like that. Why would he suddenly have changed? Always trying to make fun of him, to humiliate him, to make him understand that never, never would he even come close to being on the same level as him. Always would he have to stay in his shadow, like a miserable star lost in the daylight sky, like a star who forgot to fly to the other side of the world at dawn, with the other stars. A pitiful star who dared to try shining more brightly that the Sun, the King of Light. Or less poetically, that he was just a mere, disgusting little bug that was almost begging to be crushed under one's foot, in order to put an end to the life of the miserable cockroach he was. When he realized all this, Klavier almost lost control of himself. It was as if some external force had taken control over his mind, and was now dictating every single hateful and contemptuous word that was forced out of his mouth. Even now, more than thirteen years later, it was only with a strong feeling of uneasiness and even disgust that Klavier could think about that outburst of anger, as if the person who had pronounced all those awful words was a complete stranger to him. There simply was no word to describe how ashamed he felt whenever he thought about all this. But soon... it would soon be over, and then, when the Last Light comes, everything would just disappear into thin air, everything: all the hatred, the love; the scorn, the affection; the shame and the pride... everything, absolutely everything... all the suffering, the joys, and the hopes, the tears, the smiles, oh! even despair itself would rot under the ruthless rule of the White Light. Oh boy, this really wasn't the moment to get poetic, he thought. There just would never be any new songs written for the Gavinners anymore. Everything was simply over... Over... just like thirteen years ago, after that incident. It was just before his brother suddenly disappeared... for the first time.

***

The sun had barely risen when Klavier woke up to the sound of the guard knocking on the iron door of the cell. He was dizzy with the images of the dream that was still clear and fresh in his mind. Yet, he managed to get up, and walk to the door to see what business the guard had with him. Maybe he was here to announce the date his execution would be held? 'The sooner, the better' he thought bitterly. 'Let's get done with it as soon as possible...'

It was not the same guard as usual. This one was much younger than the one he had dealt with since he got transferred here to the detention center.

'Klavier Gavin, from the Gavinners, am I correct?' he asked. Klavier noticed that he was blushing.

'Err... yes, yes that's me. I mean, look, it's written right there, on the door, even though I can't see it myself', he answered, bemused.

'Ah...err... yes, you are correct sir! Well, I... never mind -I can't believe I'm actually speaking to Klavier Gavin HIMSELF...-

*ahem*

'Ah, yes, s-sorry about that' The guard stuttered, blushing even more.

'Please, just tell me why you're here? I suppose it's been decided, right?' Klavier paused, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth. 'When will it take place?'

'Eh? What are you talking about sir?' The guard shuffled his feet nervously. 'I only came here to tell you that you have a visitor. I know visiting hours begin at 9 o'clock, but this visitor has received special permission from one of the detectives, Ms Ema Skye.'

Klavier swallowed hard. Her of all the detectives currently on the force...

'And, hum... well, who's this visitor?'

'It's...It's one Phoenix Wright. Well, at least that's what he told me... I mean, he's probably Wright when he tells me his name's Right, Wright? I mean, it's...'

'That's OK, I got it' Klavier said. 'Take me to him'.

The guard opened the door, and once he had handcuffed him, Klavier followed him through the concrete corridors of the detention center. He listened to the sounds of their footsteps echoing eerily and that of the two or three guards that were patrolling. On his way to the visitor's room, Klavier wondered why this man wanted to see him. Why him of all people...

When they arrived, they both went in, and the guard closed the door behind them.

He was there, sitting at the other side of the thick glass windows separating the prisoners side of the room from the visitors'.

'Hello, Mr Gavin', Phoenix said. 'I hope you don't mind my disturbing you at such an early hour...
I... I have some very important things to tell you, and it really could not wait. Your brother's probably going to get released from the hospital this afternoon, and we still have a lot of things to get ready for your trial, which is in two days, by the way! I also have a lot to do myself, so I really have very little precious time. I shall...

'You... what?! Wait a sec, my brother? My trial? W-What's going on...'

'Not now, Mr Gavin. Please listen to me, and keep your questions to yourself until I'm done, OK?'

'Yeah, but I mean... Why are you here?' Klavier asked tentatively, having no clue what was going on. Phoenix sighed.

'I'm here because you're innocent, Mr Gavin. In fact... well, I'm actually here to help your brother prove your innocence.'

'Innocence...' Klavier muttered to himself, as if it was the strangest word he had ever heard in his life.

'That's right', said Phoenix. 'Your innocence. I think...'

'And what does Kris... I mean, what does my brother think? Does he believe I'm...' Klavier interrupted and stopped mid-sentence. It was as if the words came out by themselves, driven by some sort of impulse that did not answer to him.

Phoenix smiled.

'I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Mr. Gavin. But, don't worry, your brother shall come to visit you, probably this evening. I mean, you two have a lot of things to talk about, haven't you?' Phoenix tapped his lips thoughtfully. 'However, you'll have to wait until visiting hours are over, we can't take the risk to be overheard.' When he noticed the puzzled look on Klavier's face, he went on. 'As you probably now, the visitor's room is closely monitored by two cameras, one in each part of the room, and a few microphones. All of this for security reasons, as you can imagine. However, this is only the case during visiting hours, and why I chose to came here so early in the morning. I also asked Ms Skye to grant me the permission to do so.'

'I see...' Klavier answered slowly. He squirmed at the mention of Ema's name. 'But there's something I don't understand, Herr Stachelschwein...

'Herr what?!' said Phoenix, flabbergasted.

'Stachelschwein'... it means 'Porcupine' in German.'

'You... what?! I don't... ah, never mind. Go on, you looked like you had something to say,' Phoenix went on, suddenly looking a little stiff.

'Well...You just mentioned a trial, but... I'm afraid you're too late. It took place two days ago... I don't know how you could have missed it, the media really had a field day when my sentence was announced, after that fiasco of a trial came to an end...' The bitterness of Klavier's words were at odds with the smirk on Phoenix's face.

'Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I haven't been living in a hut, lost in the mountains for the past few days, so yes, I do know about your... trial. However, it so happens that you have been given a second chance. A second trial. It will take place in two days. Even though the higher-ups were quite reluctant in the first place.' Phoenix chuckled, interrupting himself. 'If you could see your face Mr Gavin... you're literally beaming!'

'It's... I...' Klavier was stunned. It was as if Phoenix's words had chased away the dark clouds of pessimism and resignation that had been fogging up his mind ever since he was incarcerated. He began to feel something very warm stirring in himself, as he began to be overwhelmed by hope. Maybe... maybe it's not too late after all, he thought. But he could not get rid of the nagging voice that told him that it was too good to be true, and that he should not trust a man that presented forged evidence in court. Indeed, maybe he was just pretending to be friendly, so as to get his revenge against him, Klavier Gavin, the prosecutor that made him fall into disgrace.

Phoenix noticed that he wasn't smiling anymore and asked him if something was wrong.

'Wait a minute... Does that mean... an attorney appointed by the court will defend me?'

Phoenix shook his head.

'I... I can't believe it...' Klavier exhaled loudly. 'I just can't believe it...'

'Well, I think Mr Gavin... I mean, your brother of course, can't quite believe it either... yet. But don't worry. Everything will be fine.'

For some reason, those words put Klavier at ease. Yet, he had not quite forgotten the coldness in the eyes of his brother, or in his voice during the trial. He wasn't so sure whether to trust his brother. In fact, he did not even know what to think about this whole affair. But he knew that Wright was not willing to answer any question about his brother, so there was no point in asking.

'Why are you trying to help me, Herr Igelfische?'

'I... ' Phoenix started as he shook his head at. 'Never mind, go on.'

Klavier smirked. For the first time in a week or so, he felt like himself; relaxed and cool. Not a jumbled mess of nerves. His felt like his old self from before the incident...

'I mean... after what happened seven years ago...' Klavier went on.

'What happened seven years ago belongs to the past.' Phoenix snapped. 'Don't you ever mention it again.' He suddenly became agitated, as if Klavier's words had stirred up something deeply buried inside the former attorney.

Klavier was so taken aback by the extreme change in his visitor's expression, that he was rendered speechless.

'I apologize, Mr. Gavin...' Phoenix went on, slowly getting a grip of himself. 'This trial really brings back awful memories for me, and... well... what happened was my own fault.' He took a deep breath, and continued, the dark expression still on his face. 'You, your brother and I are the victims of a terrible man; I'm here to stop him from destroying even more lives than he already had. And that monster...'

Klavier looked quite puzzled, and felt ashamed. He wasn't sure what the man before him meant by that, but like seven years ago, just before that trial... he began to think that he had probably been completely off-track about that man. If he really was the kind of man to present forged evidence during a trial, he would try to get his revenge by all means, and certainly would not have waited for seven years to do so.


Phoenix put his head in his hands, and sighed heavily. He did not want to think about that at all. He had tried to avoid thinking about that trial ever since, and each time he did remember, he could feel the pangs of remorse, as if a dozen white wolves were plunging their fangs deep into his flesh.

As for Klavier, he felt that now was the time to tell the ex-attorney something he probably should have told him seven years ago.

'I'm asking because... well, I've always found this whole affair way too shady. I mean, it so happens that the day before the Gramarye's trial, I received a mysterious call in the middle of the night. The person on the other line told me that you were going to present forged evidence, and when I asked this person how they came to know such a thing, they just answered that... 'There's simply no other way, he doesn't have much choice but to do so, does he?' and the person... simply hung up.'

Phoenix was silent, staring at Klavier in wide-eyed disbelief.

'I really didn't believe it at first myself. I couldn't fathom the famous Phoenix Wright would even consider presenting forged evidence, let alone acknowledge it. Even though... ' Klavier paused and looked away. 'I have to admit I didn't trust you at the time. I've always had a deep uncertainty of defense attorneys.'

Phoenix stirred, but did not say anything. Klavier went on.

'During the whole trial, I had hoped this mysterious piece of evidence would never show up. I did not want my first trial to be tainted by forged evidence, like that case Miles Edgeworth handled a few years ago. What's more, I didn't even know what the forged evidence was supposed to be. I just couldn't shake off the feeling something was definitely odd about this trial. The fact that my brother was supposed to be the defense attorney is one, considering what happened a few days before. Surely you've heard about it?'

'I sure did. I was one of his closest friends at the time.' Phoenix said, grimly.

'I... never knew. He never told me. I never heard from the mysterious informer again. I don't know why but... I wish I would have asked for an examination of that forged evidence you presented... before the trial.'

'You couldn't have done anything.' Phoenix snapped.

'Hold on... I've been thinking about it... and I've always felt uneasy about how this trial ended, and you losing your badge... it's...'

'What are you trying to say?' Phoenix asked, impatiently.

'I... I dunno, I've always got the feeling I did the wrong thing at that time... that you were innocent in the first place, that... maybe you didn't know that the evidence was forged...'




'Well, sorry to disappoint, but you're wrong. So utterly wrong in fact, it's almost laughable. I did know the evidence I was going to present was forged. I always knew it.'

'But...' Klavier began, to no avail. Phoenix had gotten up, and was about to leave.

'Look, it's late, I-I have to go. I've got a lot to do to prepare... i-if you'll excuse me...' Phoenix was flustered. He hated to be told that he might have been innocent, even though he knew deep in his heart he was innocent. But he had suffered so much because of that trial, he ended up feeling guilty about it.

'Herr Urchin! Wait!'

'Goodbye' Phoenix said flatly as he left the room, leaving Klavier alone in an eerily and menacing silence, that of doubts, and regrets, where remorse and guilt tangle in a silent and blurred symphony.

***

Klavier paced his cell restlessly, like he had been the past few days. But this time, he was not the resigned and cynical self he was until a few minutes ago. What Phoenix Wright had told him had completely changed him. This was a man he had always believed to be a sham, an attorney who had earned his fame through lies and deceit, yet not low enough to present forged evidence during a trial, even though a part of himself wanted to believe it was the case. Now, everything he had never known about Phoenix Wright, the attorney, had changed. Klavier had only arrived a couple weeks before the trial that put an end to the career of what was the most brilliant and successful attorney of the decade, according to the newspapers. And now, he couldn't shake off the feeling he was the one who had destroyed the life of that innocent man who, according to Ema Skye, had always put his whole heart into defending his clients. Unlike most defense attorneys she had met before, for whom truth was the least thing they cared about. Klavier began to think that she may have spoken the truth from the very beginning, and not just because of the Snackoos she had sent at him like a quick-firing tank when he had told her that Phoenix had presented (and admitted he had done so) forged evidence.

Of course, he had admitted presenting forged evidence in court, twice actually. So why did Klavier have the nagging feeling this man was innocent? That there was something hidden behind all this mess, even though the eerie fog that surrounded this whole trial prevented him from perceiving the truth behind the swarm of lies and deceits.

Klavier felt that eerie fog creep into his mind. It was clouding his judgment and he couldn't understand anything anymore. He had been in the wrong for so long... ever since that day his brother had offered him what would become his most precious and cherished of all the guitars he owned. Just like he felt guilty for yelling and accusing his brother of wanting to humiliate him, while he only wanted to help him, he was now feeling the weight of guilt once more.

The blond rock star collapsed onto his thin cell bed and put his head in his hands. Ever since his brother had disappeared, seven years ago, he had always tried to suppress and erase every single memory and feeling about this man he no longer considered as his brother. He only wanted to run away from that past that was torturing his soul, to escape from that labyrinth his soul had become at the time. In fact, he had never got out of that labyrinth... In fact, on that day, thirteen years ago, when he had woken up alone in an hospital room, he had thought he would never been able to see the light any longer. But for the first time in years, he had the feeling he could finally see the path his brother had urged to take, before both of them were struck by tragedy, just like a poor, helpless lamb falls under the vicious fangs of a ruthless hunting wolf.

***

When Klavier arrived back home that evening, he was determined to talk to his brother; to apologize for what he had said a few days ago. At nights, he could barely find sleep at all. Each time he did think about it, it felt as if someone slapped him. He felt so ashamed that there simply weren't any words strong enough to express that shame. It made his guilt even more hard to cope with now that his brother had just offered him a brand new and very expensive guitar. But what made him feel the most uneasy was that their parents would probably kill him, should they ever come to learn their precious little Kristoph had spent so much money buying a guitar for his worthless brother... especially since it was the money he was supposed to be saving to study in the States. Yeah, they would definitely kill him for doing such a stupid thing...

When he found that his brother wasn't home yet, he went to the kitchen to find his mother and he asked her when his brother would be back.

'You're silly, Klavier. You know he always has piano lessons until 8'o clock every Friday.' she snapped, as she stirred whatever she had cooking on the stove top. 'Now, stop asking stupid questions, and set the table. Your vater will be home in a few minutes. Quick, quick!'

Like clockwork, Klavier's father arrived home. However, he was distressed, and it wasn't like him to show any sort of emotion of that sort.

'Something wrong, Liebling?'

'Ah... stop calling me like that, darling. You know I don't like German... even less so with what happened at work today.' he answered, quite stiffly.

'Sorry, darling... You,' she whispered to Klavier, 'go and fetch the bottle of Rhum Charrette in the cellar. And quick!'

When he left the living-room, Klavier heard his mother asking, 'So, what happened at work today, darling?'

'Nothing, nothing... just some weird guy who kept calling me on the phone...'

Klavier stopped in his tracks and listened.

'Who was it? One of your former clients or something?'

'No no... it was really... weird.' Klavier noticed that his father's voice was shaking. 'All the man did was repeating the words 'hilfloser Raub' very quickly, almost hysterically... even when I asked him who he was, or why he was harassing me, he kept repeating those words ... hilfloser Raub, hilfloser Raub, hilfloser Raub over, and over, and over again. Even when I hung up, he would call back fifteen minutes later, and he would go on again, hilfloser Raub, hilfloser Raub, hilfloser Raub...'

'Did you try calling the police?' his mother asked, obviously worried.

'Yeah... i-it didn't do any good... looks like he'd been calling from public phone booths... couldn't track him in the end...'

Too frightened to listen to any more, Klavier went and fetched the Rum. A half an hour later, they were sitting at the dining room table eating their dinner. His father, having drunk two glasses of rum was now feeling much less gloomy than he was a few moments ago, and asked, as he was helping himself with the delicious stew his wife had prepared for him, where his son was.

'At his piano lessons darling, like every Friday. You know he's got a contest coming up next month. You know, the same contest he refused to enter with his brother,' she said, pointing at Klavier, who did not really like the turn the conversation was taking. 'Though, he would not have stood a chance in comparison with his brother, with such poor playing skills' she added.

'Ah yeah, piano... his father said. 'That's strange though. Every single Gavin in the family had always been a genius at playing this wonderful instrument... guess there are some... exceptions'

Klavier, feeling the anger quickly taking over, was about to say something when the phone suddenly rang.

'I'll answer it' his mother said as she stood and walked the few feet to the phone. A few seconds later, she dropped the receiver. The look on her face was complete horror. His father got up and rushed to pick up the receiver and listened. He suddenly froze, and hung up violently. He jumped when his mobile phone began to ring. It was the police.

'What?!' He yelled into his phone.

Suddenly, the door opened and slammed against the wall, shaking the house. Then just as suddenly, nothing. Silence. Words ... like someone singing...

' hilfloser, hilfloser, hilfloser Raub...'

Klavier's memories were quite blurred and distorted from that point on. He remembered the voice of his mother, crying hysterically.

Then a sound. Almost like a toll.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then nothing.




It repeated itself when a shadow appeared, all white, walking toward him. The shadow spoke to him, but he couldn't understand. Suddenly he heard a laugh, almost like a howl … a deep, wolfish laugh that kept on resonating in the dead of the night, then nothing. The deadly silence of the Last Light, before the noise.

'Hi Trucy,' Phoenix paused in what he was doing and answered his phone. 'What's going on? Has Kristoph gone to see Ema yet?'

'Well, he's just left the agency... but something weird just happened.'

'I'm used to weird things happening when you're around, sweetie.' Trucy chuckled at her papa.

'No, it's something different. Someone called here a few minutes ago and I asked Mr. Gavin to answer it for me. When I walked into the room, he was frozen to the spot, then he collapsed.'

'And?' Phoenix asked tensely, his voice slightly shaking in his eagerness to know more.

'And that's all. When I picked up the receiver, the person had already hung up. Daddy... do you think I should go with him?'

It took Phoenix a few moments to answer as his mind flashed momentarily to the past.

'Daddy?' Trucy repeated for the third time.

'Ah! Err... I think it would be better to go with him,' Phoenix finally answered. 'Oh, and take your mobile phone with you, I may want to contact you.

'Ok, I'll see you later Daddy,' Trucy said hesitantly.

'It'll be alright, Trucy,' Phoenix said, sensing his daughter's apprehension. 'I will see you later and watch Kristoph for me okay?'

Trucy was rushing through the building's staircase, after hanging up with Phoenix, skipping three stairs at a time. Bursting through the doors to the building she looked both ways and spotted Chance sitting in a car, looking defeated. She walked up to the car and softly tapped on the window.

'What's wrong?' she asked him, still breathless from running.

'Oh, this old car won't start.' He leaned forward and popped the hood. Trucy stood back as Chance got out and raised the hood. He gave the engine a blank stare. 'Er...Wish I knew what was wrong, but I know nothing about cars... I probably know more about the reproduction cycle of Aptenodytes than how a car's engine works.'

Trucy chuckled demurely behind her glove. 'Let me help you,' she commented and gave the car a good whack on the side.

'Okay, try it now!' she crossed her arms and smiled brightly.

'Err... I'm not sure if...'

'Just do it! Trust me, it'll work,' She was bouncing on her feet now.



Chance threw Trucy a doubtful look as he got back in the car. He turned the key and the engine suddenly roared to life, like a great lion waking up from its afternoon nap. For a moment, Chance thought it was but the sound of thunder. However, the engine really had started, just by kicking it...

'Come on, Mr. Gavin, we have to go... now!' Trucy said as she got into the passenger seat. She chuckled at Chance's dumbstruck expression.


Chance was deep in thought as they were stopped at a traffic light, a few blocks away from the city morgue. Chance kept wondering why he should meet Ema Skye there. Wasn't she a detective? Maybe she was investigating there.

Suddenly another thought struck Chance.

'By the way,' He glanced over at his passenger. 'Why did you follow me to my car, Trucy?'

'Daddy wanted me to come with you,' she paused. 'And... I thought I'd better accompany you after what happened back at the agency... you know, that phone call?'

'Oh...well, thank you, I appreciate that,' Chance said slowly. Then, to himself he thought, 'Damn, how did they know to call Phoenix's place, of all things?'

'Mind if I...?' she said a few minutes later, pointing at the radio.

'Yeah, go on,' Chance said distractedly, as music suddenly started to blare from the car's speakers.

'You stole my woman,
and all I want for Christmas
is to kick your Ass!!'

'TO KICK YOUR ASS!' Trucy sang along with the song of a rock band he knew quite well. He used to listen to them quite a lot when he first arrived in the US.

'YAY!! I LOVE THAT SONG!' Trucy bellowed, trying to make herself heard.

'You know, you could just do that,' Chance said, turning down the volume and navigating the car into a parking spot.
'Heh, that was pretty loud,' She grimaced as they got out of the car. 'Don't forget the bottle!'

'Yes...' Chance shook his head. He still had doubts about that mysterious bottle. Surely, it could not be what he thought it was.

When they arrived at the security station a few moments later, they were surprised to find a woman wearing a lab coat, talking heatedly with a guard.

'Has he arrived yet?' she said, throwing at the guard's face something she had taken from the sachet she was carrying.

'I told you no, he hasn't arrived yet.... and WILL YOU STOP THROWING THOSE THINGS AT ME, MS SKYE!'

'Errr... is there a problem?' Chance asked politely, but hesitantly.

'You!' The woman in the lab coat said. 'Come with me!' and she grabbed him by the arm and headed back toward the parking lot, Trucy merrily skipping behind them.

'He-hey!! Where are you taking me?'

'To my office. I'm sick of this place. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't...' She clenched her jaw. 'Oh, never mind that. Let's go...where's your car?'

'I-It's over there,' Chance pointed to his right. 'You must be Ema Skye, I hope?'

'Of course!' she added, crossly. 'Let's get moving.'

'By the way, Ms Skye,' Chance started as he unlocked the car. 'May I ask you why you were waiting for me? And do you have an idea why Phoenix asked me to come and see you?'

To his surprise, Ema did not answer. She continued to chomp on her Snackoos as they pulled out of the lot.

'Oh, I forgot!' Chance said suddenly as they were stopped at a red traffic light. He took something from his coat's pocket, and handed it to the detective. Just like a child would rush to unwrap her present, she swiftly took the bottle from Chance's hands.

'Ohh... how nice of Phoenix!' For the first time, her expression softened and she smiled. Ema turned the bottle of white powder in her hand as she watched it, mesmerized.

'So,' Chance broke into her reverie. 'Any ideas on why Phoenix wanted me to find you?'

'Ah, yes,' she said, suddenly switching to her 'it's-serious-business' self. 'There are certain aspects of this case that you have no idea about.

'Yeah, there's a lot that -' he answered guiltily, but Ema interrupted him.

'In fact, there's not many people who know what really happened. All that evidence that was presented during the trial, everything that was said back then... well, it's all garbage. Trash. Bullshit.'

'What do you mean?' Chance asked. He glanced over at her when she didn't answer right away. Every feature of her face seemed tensed, and the look in her eyes was the determined one of detectives when they need to get to the bottom of a case... no matter the outcome. No matter the cost.

'What I mean is that while I agree, his being the most annoying glamorous fop is almost a crime, however Klavier's just too stupid to actually go rape and kill someone...'

'Err... what?' said Chance, dumbstruck.

'Pss... she fancies your brother...' Trucy leaned forward and whispered in Chance's ear, and was instantly hit with a snackoo in the forehead.

'I heard that Trucy,' Ema said, resolutely trying to avoid Chance's gaze. 'And I do not fancy his brother...'

'I know I've only known you for-' He glanced at his watch before continuing. 'Fifteen minutes, but you are a terrible liar, Ms. Skye. You are blushing.'

Ema turned and glared at Trucy who merely smiled at her.

'That whole case is nothing but an insult to our police and our judiciary system.' she went on, trying to forget the exchange. 'If you want to understand anything about what really happened on that night, you definitely can't trust any of the documents or testimonies given at Klavier's trial. I would be damned if there was a single piece of evidence in that pile of shit that was genuine. A festival of forged evidence in place of a fair trial, that's what he got! And I'm not even talking about that 'incident' involving that lunatic teenager who shot you. I'm glad you're alright... but still, the trial should definitely have been put on hold.'

Chance's mind was working incredibly slowly, trying to come to terms with this new information. He remembered that feeling of unease when he first got his hands on that evidence. If he had not been obsessed with his... Well, he would surely have noticed something was wrong with the evidence. But was his feeling of unease related to the fact they may have been forged? Or was it simply guilt, shaking ruthlessly the fragile pillars of his determination? His determination to...

'I mean, even that old bat, Winston Payne, noticed something was wrong.' Ema added suddenly, startling Chance out of his reverie. He missed his turn and proceeded to go around the block to his destination.

Now he understood what Ema was talking about. Indeed, Payne's face had taken on a delicate shade of green after he had given to the court all the evidence incriminating the young prosecutor.

'He... knew?' he asked.

'Payne? No... he realized the evidence may had been forged, but he didn't do anything. He was unable to do anything. I went to see him after the trial. Orders from the chief prosecutor in person... I mean, the person filling in for Mr Edgeworth while he's abroad.'

'Ah, but he's back... apparently.'

'Yes, I know.' Ema answered with a large smile.

'Pss... she also fancies him, mind you, not like your brother,' Trucy whispered in his ear and was met with another snackoo at her forehead.

'Trucy, please!'



'Anyway, that's how you got your second trial, Mr Gavin!' Trucy said, eating the snackoo Ema had just thrown at her face.

'I...What!?' Chance asked, bewildered.

'Yessir! Daddy called him even before the trial began, telling him he would need him to come back in the country for a little while. The very morning he was back, he went straight to the prosecutor's office, and asked for a second trial, because of a... something like Pross and Dural irregularities, or something...'

'It's procedural irregularities, Trucy' Ema said, smirking.

'I know!' Trucy snapped moodily, then switching back to her normal, cheerful self in the blink of an eye.

'Ah, we're here!' Ema said as she got out of the car. 'I have a few documents to give you.'

***

They followed the detective into the police station, into the elevator, and up to the 5th floor, where the detectives offices were located. Once they were all inside, Ema closed the door behind them. The room really reminded Trucy of the Physics classes she was taking at her high school. There were some test tubes on the shelves, loads of scientific revues and books about forensics –wasn't Ema Skye supposed to be a detective?-- labcoats hanging from a coat rack, various substances in loads of tiny little bottles, scattered all around the place. It was quite a mess actually... well, at least the part that belonged to Ema. She shared this office with other detectives, but none of them seemed to be here.

Probably out there, investigating some gruesome crimes, Chance thought.

'AAAAAAAAH!!!'

'Wh-what's wrong?' Chance jumped hearing Ema's shriek.

'Someone stole some of my precious snackoos.... again!!'

'Your wh-'

'Ha! I bet I know who did it and this little bottle will help me find the culprit!!' Ema carefully unscrewed the top from the bottle.

'That? But that's the bottle I gave you...'

'You're perfectly right. It's fingerprint powder. With this, I'll know exactly who stole from my snackoo jar!'

An utterly flabbergasted Chance kept staring at Ema, who was concentrating on using the white powder on the jar, trying to get some fingerprints. Trucy was still looking around at Ema's 'scientific stuff', trying to figure out why a detective had such stuff.

'Of course, I can't ask the forensics department for some of this powder...' Ema commented after she blew off the loose powder.

'Well, I wouldn't think so,' Chance started snidely. Considering you aren't even using it for official purposes.'

Ema threw such a dark glance at Chance that the latter thought it wiser not to say anything more, and continued to watch the detective in silence.

'Now... where did I put that list... ah, here it is!' She took a brown envelope from inside a drawer (which contents she had to turn upside-down first in order to find it), and took a few sheets of paper from it. She examined it, as well as the fingerprints she had gotten, and kept whispering curses under her breath the whole time.

'Ah ah! It's that Johnson dude again!' she exclaimed, triumphantly. 'Interesting... very interesting...'

'What's so interesting, Ema?' Trucy asked, bouncing on her feet.

'Yes and don't you have some documents to give to me?' Chance asked sternly as he crossed his arms.

'Well... I think that guy might have been looking for something more than just snackoos, you see.' Ema gestured with the brush of her finger print powder.

'How do you know that?' Chance and Trucy asked at the same time.

'Well, this isn't the first time he's been sneaking around in this office. I think he's a mole, working for Palliani. Johnson doesn't even work in this part of the precinct.' The detectives jaw was clenched as she explained.

'Oh really?' Chance said, genuinely.

'Oh, don't give me that crap, Mr Gavin. I know the joke already. Anyway, I'm glad I put the documents in my private safe,' Ema commented as she went to open it. It was empty.

'But... that thing's empty!' Chance exclaimed. 'Looks like that Johnson 'dude' outsmarted you, m'dear...'

'Well, of course it's empty!' Ema said, exasperated and amused.

Chance remained silent as Ema took a pendant from her lab coat pocket.

'Ah, it's Klavier's pendant!' Trucy exclaimed. 'It's a G, for Gavinners! I'm a huge fan of your brother's band, Mr Gavin!'

'Ah... well, good for you, Trucy,' Chance was at a loss for words. He thought everyone was a fan of his brothers rock band.

'Anyway, how did you get that one, Ema? I thought he never parted with it. Precious stuff, and everything. Did he... did he confess his feelings to you?' she asked, smirking.

'I-It's... Stop your idle prattle, silly girl! I...'

'A- hem. Ms Skye... Trucy, is now the best time for this conversation?' Chance asked, growing impatient and slightly annoyed. 'I don't see how this pendant is relevant to our case. Where are the documents, Ms. Skye? It's already 5 past 3, and I still have to go and check the crime scene...'

'You won't be allowed to enter it.' Ema said matter-of-factly.


'What?' Chance blinked at her.

'They won't allow you out there. Don't you understand? This whole case reeks of rotten fish, you can smell it from miles away. But I'll explain that in a second. For now, I will get the documents...'
She stuck the pendant's end into a little hole near the safe's keypad. With a soft click, a secret compartment was revealed, with yet another brown envelope hidden inside. She took it, and closed the secret compartment.

'Here it is...' She took a piece a paper from the envelope and gave it to Chance. 'Those are the results of the blood tests performed on Klavier when he was incarcerated. Ironically, those were never made public, whatsoever. Not even at the trial,' Ema threw Chance a knowing look. 'Not really surprising now, is it? I have to admit, it wasn't a piece of cake to get hold of them. However, thanks to a friend in the forensics department, who happened to have performed the tests, I was able to get a copy. It's perfectly genuine, you will be able to present that in court, though I'm not sure it will be to the liking of some people... but then again, we have no choice, have we?'

Chance quickly read the tests results and was left dumbfounded.

'I'm not a scientist, but those numbers here... it's...'

'A very powerful drug, strong enough to put you in a coma if you're a bit too generous with your dosing. Actually, Klavier was found unconscious at his apartment when the police came to arrest him. Mind you, that information was never disclosed either.'

'You mean... he's been drugged?'

'You bet he was.' Just like the victim in that case. Same drug, and everything. No wonder they decided to forge all the evidence. What happened to Julia Dawson is nothing but the work of an amateur.'

'But then, if the evidence was forged, how... How do you know the same drug was used on Julia Dawson?'

'I've just told you... that whole case is but the work of an amateur. Same for the forging of the evidence. Apparently, the one who did the forging did not deem it necessary to change anything about her blood results. I have been checking a few thing on Julia Dawson's body, so I've been at the morgue since yesterday. Anyway, the drug used is so powerful, it takes a while before there's no trace left in someone's blood, at least a week. And indeed, there was traces of that very drug in her blood when I tested it. I stayed at the morgue during the night, performing the blood tests... I couln't ask any of the forensics guys to do it though, even my friend... everything's recorded. I had to do them myself, so they're not 100% reliable, but they're quite correct nonetheless.' Ema's thoughts suddenly drifted. 'I wonder why the guy who really did rape that Julia Dawson was thinking when he decided to use such a powerful drug...'

'I see... but then, I won't be able to use those results during the trial, will I?' Chance didn't want to ponder on the thoughts of a rapist.

'No, but you won't need to. You can ask for some more official tests if you can prove they could be vital to solve this case. That's why I gave you Klavier's blood tests results.'

'Well, thanks a lot Ms Skye.'

'You're welcome... though I'm really sorry I can't help you much. I'm not allowed to investigate, as I'm not the detective in charge of this case.'

'Hum... that's right. I remember now... It's one Detective Johnson, isn't it? Wait a minute, is that the same Johnson that...'

'It sure is,' Ema answered, worried. 'I told you this whole affair was fishy, way too fishy. It's pretty obvious Palliani wants to bring Klavier down, for whatever reason, and it will really be difficult to help him out of this predicament. It won't be easy to win that trial.'

'Yes, I see,' Chance said, musing.

'Oh, Ema,' Trucy's sing song voice broke into the serious mood. 'Don't forget, Phoenix's place tonight at Eight o'clock!'

'You're coming too?' Chance blinked at Ema who nodded enthusiastically. To himself he thought. 'Guess I was not the only one he told to come this evening... I wonder who else will show up?' Then aloud, ' Anyway thank you very much Ms Skye. I really appreciate your help. Even though I know that, well, in a way, it's also my fault my own brother is still in prison.'

'Well, that may be the case, but now's not the time to ponder over that.' Ema said quickly. 'You've been given a second, and I'm sure you'll manage to prove your brother's innocence this time... if you don't, then you'll have to answer to me!' she added, jokingly. Chance chuckled.

'Anyway, I've got to go,' Chance gestured at Trucy. 'Let's go!'

'Ha! Err... yes, I'm coming Mr Gavin, I'm coming!' she answered, as cheerfully as ever.

Chance felt much more confident than he ever did in the past few days. Yet, he still could not get rid of that little sense of uneasiness that troubled his mind, like some sort of aftertaste, tainting the strong yet delicate perfumes and aromas of his favorite Japanese green tea.